• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.42 no.8
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• pp.732-739
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• 2009

Metabolic syndrome has been strongly associated with elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT), a surrogate of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. We investigated the relationship between metabolic syndrome and elevated ALT in the general Korean population. The study sample was comprised of 4,781 Korean adults who had participated in the 2005 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Metabolic syndrome was defined by National Cholesterol Education Program for Adult Treatment Panel III. Elevated ALT was defined as an enzyme activity > 40 IU/L for men, and > 31 IU/L for women. ALT was measured by enzymatic methods. Among participants, 425 (8.9%) subjects displayed elevated ALT. The odds ratios (ORs) for elevated ALT increased in subjects with obesity or one of components of metabolic syndrome such as abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high fasting glucose, high triglyceride, and low HDL cholesterol after adjusting for age and sex. The unadjusted OR for elevated ALT increased according to the number of components of metabolic syndrome (OR = 1.5, 95% CI: 0.96-2.32 for 1 component; OR = 3.0, 95% CI: 1.98-4.61 for 2 components; OR = 6.3, 95% CI: 4.29-9.35 for ${\geq}3$ components; p for trend < 0.0001). This trend did not differ after adjustments for putative risk factors including age, sex, BMI, smoking status, and alcohol intake. Metabolic syndrome is implicated as a strong risk factor of elevated ALT in Korean adults.

• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.96-111
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• 2016

Effort to reduce energy consumptions or CO2 emissions is global trend. To follow this trend, spatial studies related to characteristics affecting energy consumptions or CO2 emissions have been conducted, but only with the focus on spatial dependence, not on spatial heterogeneity. The aim of this study is to investigate spatial heterogeneity patterns of CO2 emission based on socio-economic factors, land-use characteristics and traffic infrastructure of Seoul city. Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) analysis was performed with 423 administrative district data in Seoul. The results suggest that population and employment densities, road density and railway length in most districts are found to have positive impact on the CO2 emissions. Residential and green area densities also have the highest positive impact on CO2 emissions in most districts of Gangnam-gu. The resulting model can be used to identify the spatial patterns of CO2 emissions at district level in Seoul. Eventually it can contribute to local energy policy and planning of metropolitan area.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.60 no.2
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• pp.97-107
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• 2022

This study was done to provide an overview of the latest trichomoniasis status in Korea by finding disease clusters and analyzing temporal trends during 2012-2020. Data were obtained from the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA) of Korea. SaTScan and Joinpoint programs were used for statistical analyses. Gyeonggi-do had the highest average population and highest number of cases. The high incidence of T. vaginalis infections were observed among women aged 40-49 and 30-39 years (33,830/year and 33,179/year, respectively). Similarly, the 40-49 and 30-39 age group in men showed the highest average cases (1,319/year and 1,282/year, respectively). Jeollabuk-do was the most likely cluster, followed by Busan/Gyeongsangnam-do/Ulsan/Daegu and Jeju-do and Gwangju. Urban and rural differences were prominent. Trichomoniasis has decreased significantly in most clusters, except for Incheon. Trichomoniasis was decreasing in women recently after peaking around 2014. Men showed different trends according to age. Trichomoniasis was increasing in the 10-39 age groups, but decreasing in the 40-59 age groups. This study might provide an analytic basis for future health measures, policy-makers, and health authorities in developing effective system for prevention of trichomoniasis.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.129-140
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• 2023

Background: This study aims to compare the burden of disease in Korea with other Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries using the OECD health statistics from 1985 to 2020. Methods: We analyzed potential years of life lost (YLL) per 100,000 population using the Positive value for relative comparison (PARC) index, trend test, and average annual percentage change (AAPC) with logistic regression analysis. Results: The relative disease burden was good for many diseases, but the disease burden was severe for a few diseases in Korea. Diseases with a high relative burden of disease in Korea are as follows; intentional self-harm (YLL2020 575.6, AAPCYLL 2.6%; PARC2020 -1.000, AAPCPARC -15.8%), malignant neoplasms of the liver (YLL2020 136.6, AAPCYLL -3.9%; PARC2020 -1.000, AAPCPARC 0.0%), malignant neoplasms of the stomach (YLL2020 9.0, AAPCYLL 3.2%; PARC2020 -0.556, AAPCPARC -22.9%), Parkinson's disease (YLL2020 575.6, AAPCYLL 2.6%; PARC2020 -1.000, AAPCPARC -15.8%). Conclusion: Diseases with a high burden of disease are needed to be prioritized in the planning and execution of healthcare policies that can contribute to the efficient use of healthcare resources.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.85-91
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• 2009

About 83% of the total population of Lao PDR lives in rural areas. People living near forest are highly dependent on the forest resources closed to their villages. Especially non-timber forest products (NTFPs) provide a wide range of subsistence needs and are the main source of their cash income. They also make a significant contribution to the country economy. The annual export value of NTFPs is considerably high. 708 edible NTFP species (238 edible plants and 470 animals) have been recorded so far, and about 400 plants have been reported and used as medicinal plants by Lao people. One hundred NTFP species are considered as commercial forest products. The striking trend in NTFP resources is the decline of some commercial species due to increased demand on them for commercialization, and the loss of forest by rapid population growth. To sustainablely manage the NTFPs resources, a number of new management systems are under development and support in progress by the government.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.769-785
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• 2003

The regional distribution of the selling amount on the internet shopping is divided into urban areas and rural areas. In the urban areas, a large amount of selling and various commodity groups are purchased. In the rural areas, a small amount of selling simple clothing goods, home kitchen goods, and the others commodity groups are purchased. The regional distribution is considered dependent upon the size of population, the development degree of the education and service industry in the region, and the buying power of women in the 25 to 49 year group. This regional trend shows the difference of each population composition between urban and rural areas during the period of economic growth in our country affects internet shopping. Therefore consumer's limited purchase behavior is apparent in rural areas.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.233-236
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• 2008

In recent years, Korea has experienced a steadily declining birth rate, which is a serious social problem in the country. Although living conditions have improved, the birth rates for low birth weight infants and preterm babies has increased because more and more women choose to give birth later in life and the social environment has changed. The rise in low birth weight infants may increase infant mortality rates and morbidity rates. However, the recent improvements in neonatal care has elevated the survival rate of low birth weight infants up to 90 percent and lowered the weight of the very low birth weight infants that can now be saved. In this study, we used dynamic population statistics from the Korea National Statistical Office, which represents the current trend of social stratification and the population of this period. We analyzed birth records for a seven-year period and studied the changes in the delivery rate of preterm and low birth weight infants and the problems related to those changes. The results show that the rate of low birth weight infants has increased from 3.79% to 4.35% for the past seven years. The rate of preterm babies rose from 3.79% to 4.89%. The number of babies born from mothers aged 35 or more went up from 6.69% to 11.83% of the total number of the babies born. As maternal age has risen, the risks of delivering a preterm or low birth weight infant have also increased.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.249-258
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• 2008

Historical emission data for 11 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and a regional multimedia environmental model, CoZMo-POP 2, were used to predict air concentrations and congener patterns in Korea. The total emission value for South Korea was allocated to sub-provinces and cities based on their population. The spatial distribution of PCB emissions was generally correlated with that of measured atmospheric levels, suggesting that population could be a good surrogate for the intensity of PCB emission in Korea. The simulated time trends of air concentrations well reflected those of emission with a peak in the mid-1970s and insignificant levels in the 2030s. The model predicted that the contribution of volatile PCBs had increased after emission reduction iii the 1970s. This trend would continue until the early 2030s. The measured and modeled PCB levels in the 2000s were in an agreement of an order of magnitude, and their congener patterns were very similar. Consequently, despite of high uncertainty for emission estimates, the emission data for Korea used in this study is considered to be reliable. The results of this study could be compared with simulation data based on a new emission inventory to be developed by measurements in the near future.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.33-39
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• 2008

Most New Zealanders reside in coastal regions and four of the larger cities are situated on active floodplains. There have been many recent storm events with rainfall AEPs of 1/150 or rarer and there have been recent flood-related disasters. Insurance claim statistics indicate that the frequency of floods is increasing. Such statistics are alarming local government authorities, insurance companies and populations in low-lying areas. The underlying physical and hydrologic causes of the flood disasters are investigated. It is found that the present numbers of rare rainfall events are not unexpected and there does not appear to be any significant trend evident in the occurrence of river floods. What is revealed is that the river floods appear clustered in certain decades. The clusters do not occur at the same times in different parts of the county. Recently there have been more floods in the north of New Zealand which is where more of the population lives. Also, the increase in population has seen more houses built in locations prone to flooding. Thus the increase in flood-related insurance claims is attributed to more people getting in the way of floods, rather than an increase in the number of floods that have occurred.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.133-147
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• 1976

1. The purpose of this study is to provide a series of statistical "bench marks" from which one can begin to think systematically about the required development of the Korean food and fertilizer needs over the next quarter-century. 2. The Korean population has been estimated by the characteristics of the population and its social and political situations today. Because fertility and mortality rates are relatively stable and are under control of politics concerned, the estimation rates were established with 1.6% over 1975-1980, 1.3% over 1981-1990, and 1.0% over 1991-2000. 3. Annual per capita absorption of milled rice has fluctuated rather closely around 140kg, since 1968, with no evidence of declining trend. Per capita absorption of barley and wheat around 120 kg, and legumes around 10.6kg, However because the case of wheat and corn productions are rather difficult the self-sufficiency in the future, the rice is considered to be accelerate its yield growth surplus the level of self-sufficiency to export. 4. The fertilizer demand in each element has been calculated by mechanical multiplication of "the recommend index of fetilizer application" to yield a unit production over the need of national food supply by crop year. 5. As a results refer to Table (8), the estimated quantities of total fertilizer demand to meet the national food supply of the years of 1974, 1980, 1985, 1.990, 1995, and 2000 are reached around 871500, 1138150, 1375480, 1515030, 1652090 and 1799850 metric tons in each year.