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As student creativity is increasingly emphasized in English as a Foreign Language education, it is necessary to consider instructional techniques to encourage it. This study examines the effectiveness of two instructional techniques on creative writing performance of English as a Foreign Language students in a South Korean university. These techniques are variations of brainstorming known as mind mapping and SCAMPER. Survey data from the participants (n = 39) were analysed to determine which technique resulted in higher levels of perceived creative output (essays). Additionally, a creativity rubric was developed and used to assign analytic scores to the essays to examine the relative benefits of the two techniques for high and low creative ability students. Results show that SCAMPER produced statistically significantly higher levels of perceived creative output. The essays written using SCAMPER generally received higher creativity scores than those written using mind mapping, though this difference was not statistically significant. Finally, results suggest that both techniques may help to narrow the performance gap between high and low creative ability students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon monoxide (CO) in the marine boundary layer and in the surface waters and water column were measured along the western limb of the North Pacific from the Korean Peninsula to Alaska, USA, in summer 2012. The observation allows us to estimate the CO budgets in the surface mixed layer of the three distinct regimes: the East Sea (Sea of Japan) (ES), the Northwest Pacific (NP), and the Bering Sea (BS). CO photochemical production rates were 56(± 15) µ mol m -2 d -1 , 27(± 3) µ mol m -2 d -1 , and 26(± 2) µ mol m -2 d -1 , while microbial consumption rates were 30(± 8) µ mol m -2 d -1 , 24(± 5) µ mol m -2 d -1 , and 63(± 19) µ mol m -2 d -1 in the ES, NP, and BS, respectively, both of which are the dominant components of the CO budget in the ocean. The other two known components, air–sea gas exchange and downward mixing, remained negligible (less than 3 µ mol m -2 d -1) in all regimes. While the CO budget in the surface mixed layer of the NP was in balance, the CO production surpassed the consumption in the ES, and vice versa in the BS. The significant imbalances in the CO budget in the ES (25 ± 17 µ mol m -2 d -1) and the BS (40 ± 19 µ mol m -2 d -1) are suggested to be compensated by external physical transport such as lateral advection, subduction, or ventilation. Notably, the increase in the CO column burden correlated with the imbalance in the CO budget, highlighting the significant role of the physical transport in the marine CO cycles. Our observation, for the first time, underscores the potential importance of physical transport in driving CO dynamics in the marine environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon monoxide (CO) in the marine boundary layer and in the surface waters and water column were measured along the Northwestern Pacific limb from Korean Peninsula to Alaska, U.S.A. in summer 2012. The observation allows us to estimate the CO budgets in the surface mixed layer of the three distinct regimes, the East Sea (ES), the Northwest Pacific (NP), and the Bering Sea (BS). Microbial consumption rates were 33(±22) μ mol m-2 day-1, 23(±11) μ mol m-2 day-1, and 77(±32) μ mol m-2 day-1, and CO production rates were 70(±49) μ mol m-2 day-1, 20(±11) μ mol m-2 day-1, and 19(±7) μ mol m-2 day-1 in ES, NP and BS, respectively, both of which are the dominant components of the CO budget in the ocean. The other two known components, air-sea gas exchange and downward mixing remain negligible (less than 2 μ mol m-2 day-1) in all regimes. While the CO budget in the surface mixed layer of NP is in balance, the CO production surpassed the consumption in ES and vice versa in BS. The significant imbalances in the CO budget in ES and BS requires external physical transport such as lateral advection, subduction, or ventilation. Indeed, the first order increase of the CO column burden to the extent that the imbalance in the CO budget increases points to the significant play of the physical transport in the CO cycles. Our observation, for the first time, points to the potential importance of physical transport in the marine CO cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ticks are vectors that cause disease by transmitting bacteria, viruses, and protozoa to humans or animals. The Asian longhorned tick Haemaphysalis longicornis, a vector of medical and veterinary importance, is widely distributed in the Korean peninsula and can transmit various pathogens including Rickettsia spp., Borrelia spp., Francisella spp., Coxiella spp., and severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTS virus). Despite the abundance and importance, studies on the microbiome of H. longicornis in Korea are limiting. Here we first report the microbiome diversity of H. longicornis in terms of region, stage, and sex. H. longicornis used in this study were collected from 16 different regions. The V3‐V4 region was amplified and sequenced by MiSeq platform. The microbial diversity analysis was performed using Qiime2. A total of 1,754,418 non‐chimeric reads were obtained from a total of 46 samples, and an average of 126 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and a total of 1,398 OTUs were identified. Our results were used for H. longicornis microbial community database construction for each region that enables to identify singularities in each region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In solar resource assessment, the climatological environment of the target area is objectively quantified by the cloudiness or clear sky index, which is defined as the ratio of global horizontal irradiance to clear sky solar insolation. The clear sky model calculates incoming solar irradiance on the ground surface considering several atmospheric parameters such as water vapor and aerosol optical depth. This study investigated the importance of aerosol optical depth for deriving clear sky irradiance in radiative transfer models and examined its viability in a universal or community model for public use. The evaluation was conducted based on ground observations at the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) station from January to December 2021. The original simulation was performed using the monthly mean of aerosol optical depth obtained from the Aerosol Robotic Network station; the mean absolute error was 29.9 W m−2. When the daily mean of in situ observations at KIER was incorporated into the clear sky model, the mean absolute error was reduced to 9.7 W m−2. Our results confirm that the clear sky model using gridded datasets of aerosol optical depth is suitable for use as a universal or community model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the impact of two CO2 observation datasets obtained from the Korean Peninsula on the surface CO2 flux estimation over Asia, the two datasets are assimilated into the CarbonTracker (CT) inverse modeling system and the estimated surface CO2 fluxes are analyzed. Anmyeon-do (AMY) and Gosan (GSN) sites in the Korean Peninsula have observed surface CO2 mole fraction since the late 1990s. To investigate the effect of assimilating the additional Korean observations on the surface CO2 flux estimation over Asia, two experiments are conducted. The reference experiment (CNTL) only assimilates observations provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), while the other experiment (EXP1) assimilates both NOAA observations and two Korean observation datasets. The results are analyzed for 9 years from 2003 to 2011 in Asia region because both AMY and GSN datasets exist almost completely for this period. The annual average of estimated biosphere CO2 flux of EXP1 shows more flux absorption in summer and less flux emission from fall to spring compared to CNTL, mainly on Eurasia Temperate and Eurasia Boreal regions. When comparing model results to independent CO2 concentration data from surface stations and aircraft, the root mean square error is smaller for EXP1 than CNTL. The EXP1 yields more reduction on uncertainty of estimated biosphere CO2 flux over Asia, and the observation impact of AMY, GSN sites on flux estimation is approximately 11%, which is greater than other observation sites around the world. Therefore, the two CO2 observation sets in the Korean Peninsula are useful in reducing uncertainties for regional as well as global scale CO2 flux estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests play an important role in both regional and global C cycles. However, the spatial patterns of biomass C density and underlying factors in Northeast Asia remain unclear. Here, we characterized spatial patterns and important drivers of biomass C density for Northeast Asia, based on multisource data from in situ forest inventories, as well as remote sensing, bioclimatic, topographic, and human footprint data. We derived, for the first time, high‐resolution (1 km × 1 km) maps of the current and future forest biomass C density for this region. Based on these maps, we estimated that current biomass C stock in northeastern China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and Republic of Korea to be 2.53, 0.40, and 0.35 Pg C, respectively. Biomass C stock in Northeast Asia has increased by 20%–46% over the past 20 years, of which 40%–76% was contributed by planted forests. We estimated the biomass C stock in 2080 to be 6.13 and 6.50 Pg C under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios, respectively, which exceeded the present region‐wide C stock value by 2.85–3.22 Pg C, and were 8%–14% higher than the baseline C stock value (5.70 Pg C). The spatial patterns of biomass C densities were found to vary greatly across the Northeast Asia, and largely decided by mean diameter at breast height, dominant height, elevation, and human footprint. Our results suggest that reforestation and forest conservation in Northeast Asia have effectively expanded the size of the carbon sink in the region, and sustainable forest management practices such as precision forestry and close forest monitoring for fire and insect outbreaks would be important to maintain and improve this critical carbon sink for Northeast Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim This study aims to evaluate the association of salivary matrix metalloproteinase-9 ( MMP-9) and interleukin-8 ( IL-8) with periodontitis and its screening ability on periodontitis. Material and Methods We selected 693 participants from the Yanypyeong Cohort: 577 participants with periodontitis and 116 participants without periodontitis. Periodontitis was assessed by dentists using a panoramic radiograph. Salivary MMP-9 and IL-8 were assayed using multiplexed bead immunoassay (Luminex). MMP-9 and IL-8 were categorized into low, medium and high. Age, sex, income, smoking, drinking, exercise, obesity and metabolic syndrome were confounders. Logistic regression analysis was applied to evaluate the association between MMP-9, IL-8 and periodontitis. Receiver operating characteristic curve was applied for sensitivity, specificity and c-statistics. Results High MMP-9 and medium IL-8 were associated with periodontitis: adjusted odds ratio were 2.2 [95% confidence interval ( CI): 1.3-3.7] for MMP-9 and 1.9 (95% CI: 1.1-3.4) for IL-8. The final screening model using salivary MMP-9 for periodontitis had a sensitivity of 0.46, specificity of 0.77 and c-statistic of 0.63 ( p < 0.001). Conclusions Our data show that salivary MMP-9 and IL-8 could be potential markers for periodontitis. The screening model for periodontitis could be useful in clinics and home. A future prospective study is indicated for predicting the occurrence of periodontitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates, for the purpose of fog forecasting, the impacts of topography and land use changes on the characteristics of turbulence that directly contribute to the formation and dissipation of fog off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula using the Weather Research and Forecasting model version 3.5.1. During the investigation period, there are 59 coastal ground fog and 29 sea fog events. Local meteorological characteristics of coastal ground fog were similar to those of radiation fog typically seen over the land surface since the reclaimed island was constructed. After the sun rises, relative humidity over the land surface decreases rapidly—within a couple of hours—due to surface heating, which is controlled directly by shortwave radiation. Over the sea surface, however, the sea fog remains, with the relative humidity higher than 95% even during the daytime. For two selected cases, topography and land use were modified to identify turbulence characteristics through numerical modeling. This modification contributed to better forecasting the formation and dissipation of fog by changing characteristics of sensible and latent heat flux in the land surface model and then planetary boundary layer over the reclaimed island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lee, J.L.; Kim, J.W.; Kim, H.S.; Cho, W.C., and Lee, J., 2018. Development of prediction system for invasion of swell-like waves on the southern coast of Korea. In: Shim, J.-S.; Chun, I., and Lim, H.S. (eds.), Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2018 (Busan, Republic of Korea). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 85, pp. 706–710. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Recently, several drowning accidents caused by rip currents were reported along Haeundae Beach, located at the southeastern corner of the Korean Peninsula. Several dozen people were swept away by rip currents, and subsequently rescued between August 7 and 10, 2012. The main cause of rip currents is swell waves that approach the shore. The rip current becomes more dangerous when a relatively long-period swell-like wave invades and is intensified, during the passage of typhoons far off shore. However, existing wind wave models require significant computational cost and time to obtain solutions to a set of partial differential equations, and have low accuracy for predicting the invasion of swell-like waves on coasts because they simultaneously calculate wind wave generation and wave propagation. In this study, we used a fractional step method to solve the wind wave generation and swell wave propagation components, in which the former is simulated using a typical spectrum approach and the latter is simulated using a Lagrangian approach. The results from the theoretical model were compared with field data collected during the dangerous rip current events in August 2012. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis is a progressive disease that is characterized by accumulation of lipids and fibrous elements in large arteries. Its etiology is involved with pathophysiological factors such as lipoprotein oxidation, inflammation, and dyslipidemia. Kimchi is a Korean fermented vegetable side dish made with vegetables and kimchi condiments. To date, numerous in vitro, in vivo, and human studies have cited the health benefits of kimchi. 3-(4′-Hydroxyl-3′,5′-dimethoxyphenyl)propionic acid is one of the active compounds of kimchi, and its antioxidant and anti-atherosclerosclerotic effects have been reported. This review presents the laboratory and clinical evidence of the anti-atherosclerotic effects of kimchi based on its lipid-lowering, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ensemble prediction system (EPS) is widely used in research and at operation center because it can represent the uncertainty of predicted atmospheric state and provide information of probabilities. The high-resolution (so-called 'convection-permitting') limited area EPS can represent the convection and turbulence related to precipitation phenomena in more detail, but it is also much sensitive to small-scale or sub-grid scale processes. The convection and turbulence are represented using physical processes in the model and model errors occur due to sub-grid scale processes that were not resolved. This study examined the effect of considering sub-grid scale uncertainties using the high-resolution limited area EPS of the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The developed EPS has horizontal resolution of 3 km and 12 ensemble members. The initial and boundary conditions were provided by the global model. The Random Parameters (RP) scheme was used to represent sub-grid scale uncertainties. The EPSs with and without the RP scheme were developed and the results were compared. During the one month period of July, 2013, a significant difference was shown in the spread of 1.5 m temperature and the Root Mean Square Error and spread of 10 m zonal wind due to application of the RP scheme. For precipitation forecast, the precipitation tended to be overestimated relative to the observation when the RP scheme was applied. Moreover, the forecast became more accurate for heavy precipitations and the longer forecast lead times. For two heavy rainfall cases occurred during the research period, the higher Equitable Threat Score was observed for heavy precipitations in the system with the RP scheme compared to the one without, demonstrating consistency with the statistical results for the research period. Therefore, the predictability for heavy precipitation phenomena that affected the Korean Peninsula increases if the RP scheme is used to consider sub-grid scale uncertainties in forecasting precipitation phenomena using the high-resolution limited area EPS of KMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper revisits the long-run determinants of house prices, and analyzes the house price dynamics using Korean data taking into account the close relationship between house prices and household debt. The results of cointegrating regression indicate that the major portion of the rise in house prices in Korea over the last 15 years can be explained by changes in macro variables such as household income, the demographic structure, the user cost of home ownership and the housing stock supply. The results also confirm that house prices are, indeed, closely linked to the steep increase in household debt seen over this period. Estimation of an error correction model shows that the extent of convergence of actual house prices to their long-run equilibrium path has weakened somewhat since the global financial crisis while the speed of convergence has slowed, indicating structural changes in the Korean housing market. Finally, a forecast for house prices over the next several years suggests that they are unlikely to rise as sharply as they did in the 2000s, given the likely changes in the macro-financial environment, and that their future path will be closely associated with that of the household debt-to-income ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung function can be influenced by genetic factors, which may explain individual differences in susceptibility to the effects of air pollution. This study investigated whether the effect of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm (PM 10 ) on lung function is modified by Cadherin 13 ( CDH13) genetic variants in Korean men. This study included a total of 1827 men who were recruited from two health check-up centers, and the annual average PM 10 concentrations were used. A total of 200 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the CDH13 gene were selected for this study. We found that a SNP in CHD13 intron, rs1862830, had the strongest associations with both forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 ) ( p int = 1.90 × 10 −4 ) and forced vital capacity (FVC) ( p int = 1.88 × 10 −3 ) by interacting with PM 10 in a recessive model. A stratified association analysis according to this SNP showed that PM 10 in the AG or GG genotype group was not significantly associated with either FEV 1 or FVC, whereas in homozygous risk-allele carriers (AA), FEV 1 and FVC decreased significantly (by 3.8% and 3.1%, respectively) per 10 μg/m 3 of increase in PM 10 concentration. This pattern was also reproducible in the independent subgroups that were classified according to recruitment site. The present study replicated the CDH13 gene-by-PM 10 interaction effect on lung function at the gene level, revealing that a genetic variant of CDH13 modified the relationship between PM 10 and lung function decline in Korean men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyze continuity of care according to complications and examine the relationship between the continuity of care and health outcomes (hospitalization, emergency department visits, and complications) using data of new hypertensive patients from Korea’s National Health Insurance Claims database. There were a total of 715,053 new hypertensive patients followed up for three years until 2011. Indices of continuity of care were Continuity of Care Index (COC), Modified, Modified Continuity Index (MMCI), and Most Frequent Provider Continuity (MFPC). The mean values of COC, MMCI, and MFPC were 0.79, 0.77, and 0.87, respectively, in new hypertensive patients with complications, and 0.80, 0.79, and 0.87, respectively, in those without complications. The factors affecting the continuity of care were sex, ambulatory care visits, number of providers, main medical institution, and Charlson’s comorbidity score. Following analysis of the correlation between the treatment compliance and health outcomes, the low COC group had a higher association with hospitalization, the emergency department visit, and complications as compared with the high COC group. COC and medication adherence were associated with a reduction of hospitalization, emergency department visits, and complications. This indicates it would be mandatory to manage the patients’ continuity of care. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The clinical course of non-severe aplastic anemia is variable, and risk factors related to disease progression are not well known. We reviewed clinical and laboratory data of the patients who were diagnosed with non-severe aplastic anemia from 1997 to 2007 at Seoul National University Hospital and analyzed the clinical course and outcomes in these patients. We defined non-severe aplastic anemia as hypocellular marrow with cytopenia in the peripheral blood, which does not meet the criteria for severe aplastic anemia (at least two of the following: ANC < 500/μl, platelet < 20,000/μl or reticulocyte < 20,000/μl). Among a total of 96 patients, 53 (55.2%) were male and the median age was 37.6 years old. As much as 41.7% (40) of the patients were initially asymptomatic. Sixty-two patients who were treated with oxymetholone, ATG/ALG, cyclosporin or other agents after initial diagnosis showed significantly lower levels of initial hemoglobin, red blood cell count and platelet count than those who did not receive any treatment. During the follow-up period, 18 patients progressed to severe aplastic anemia. Their median age was 29.9 years and the median progression time was 18 months. Initial white blood cell count and absolute neutrophil count in the evolution group tended to be lower than in the other group. The patients whose thrombocytopenia did not respond to treatment showed markedly higher frequency of progression to severe aplastic anemia. Treatment itself and responsiveness in reticulocyte and absolute neutrophil count were not correlated with their clinical courses. Sixteen patients showed overall improvement, whereas three patients developed secondary hematologic disease, acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. Non-severe aplastic anemia has a relatively indolent and mild clinical course. However, 18.8% of the study population progressed to severe disease. White blood cell and absolute neutrophil count at diagnosis and treatment responsiveness of thrombocytopenia were associated with disease progression. Careful monitoring and early management are needed for patients at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Experience with open disclosure and its study are restricted to certain western countries. In addition, there are concerns that open disclosure may be less suitable in non-western countries. The present study explored and compared the in-depth perceptions of the general public and physicians regarding open disclosure in Korea.Methods: We applied the COREQ (Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research) checklist to this qualitative study. We conducted 20 in-depth interviews and four focus group discussions with 16 physicians and 18 members of the general public. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were performed according to semi-structured guidelines developed according to a systematic review of open disclosure. We conducted a directed content analysis by analyzing the verbatim transcripts and field notes in accordance with the predetermined guidelines.Results: Open disclosure perceptions were summarized in terms of the "five Ws and one H" (who, what, where, when, why, and how). All physician and general public participants acknowledged the normative justifiability of open disclosure. The participants mostly agreed on the known effects of open disclosure, but the physicians had negative opinions on its expected effects, such as decreased intention of the general public to file lawsuits and increased credibility of medical professionals. Generally, the participants thought that open disclosure is required for medical errors causing major harm. However, the physicians and general public had conflicting opinions on the need for open disclosure of near misses. Most physicians did not know how to conduct open disclosure and some physicians had bad experiences due to inappropriate or incomplete open disclosure.Conclusion: Physicians and the general public in Korea acknowledge the need for open disclosure. Guidelines according to the type of patient safety incident are required to encourage physicians to more readily conduct open disclosure. Furthermore, hospitals need to consider organizing a dedicated team and hiring experts for open disclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the association between salivary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8- OHdG) and periodontitis among community-dwelling Korean adults. Methods A total of 211 adults (80 men and 131 women) were cross-sectionally surveyed from the Sunchang Longevity Cohort. Periodontitis was defined as having at least 30% of teeth with proximal attachment loss ≥5 mm. The salivary 8- OHdG level was categorized into tertiles: low (<0.916 ng/ml), medium (0.916 to <2.675 ng/ml) and high (≥2.675 ng/ml). Sociodemographic, habitual and systemic health-related factors were controlled for. Logistic regression analysis was performed for the outcome of severe periodontitis. Analysis of covariance in general linear model was performed for the outcome of 8- OHdG. Results The high 8- OHdG level showed a significant association with periodontitis. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) was 2.40 (1.05-5.51), and it was highlighted by adding the interaction term with drinking and smoking. The adjusted mean log-transformed value of 8- OHdG was significantly higher in the severe periodontitis group (1.40 ng/ml) than in the control group (1.02 ng/ml) ( ancova, P = 0.028). Conclusions 8- OHdG was associated with periodontitis. Thus, salivary 8- OHdG could be a useful marker for periodontitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives This study was conducted to clarify and conceptualise nurses' clinical decision-making for preserving the remaining abilities of nursing home residents suffering from physical-cognitive functional decline. Background Older adults experience physical, psychological and social changes, but their remaining abilities differ across individuals. Design This study used a qualitative research to gain a deeper understanding of nursing homes nurses' clinical decision-making. Methods In-depth interviews with 32 experienced nurses were undertaken. The data were analysed using conventional content analysis. Results Six categories and 58 subcategories of nursing practice related to managing the remaining abilities of residents with physical-cognitive functional decline were generated. The results of this study revealed five themes: (1) seeing residents' potential, (2) physical, emotional and psychosocial care in daily routines, (3) keeping personalised charts, (4) encouraging, promoting and physical and emotional support and (5) preparing residents for more independent living. The results were categorised into nurses' personal strategies based on their experience, practical nursing knowledge, nursing interventions and nursing evaluation criteria. Conclusions The themes reflected positive views on the residents' functional abilities and the nursing homes nurses' perception that their goal was to help residents achieve their highest level of independence. Relevance to clinical practice Preserving nursing home residents' remaining abilities represents nurses' optimistic view of residents' functional status. Routine care tailored for preserving the remaining abilities of individual nursing home residents with physical-cognitive functional decline is needed. Preserving the remaining abilities of nursing home resident is supported by therapeutic interactions including close contact as well as physical and emotional support. Nurses' main goal in working with residents with remaining abilities is improving their independence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the complex history of the taekwondo sport uniform. Although the uniform is an outward symbol of South Korea’s most popular martial art and national sport, few researchers have elucidated the uniform’s history. From studies into martial art uniforms, and the taekwondo uniform in particular, it is discovered that the tradition of wearing white trousers and jacket began with judo in the nineteenth century. This tradition was carried over to karate and other Japanese martial arts in the early twentieth century. After the liberation of the Korean peninsula from Japan, the taekwondo uniform began to evolve from its Japanese progenitors. The first important changes to the taekwondo uniform were implemented by Hwang Gi, who altered it to meet a traditional Korean clothing style. The 1970s saw the second important transformation to the uniform, whereby it became exclusively regarded as sports attire. However, since the 1970s, the taekwondo uniform did not account for traditional Korean clothing styles, and it faced several criticisms. Recent changes to the World Taekwondo Federation’s poomsae uniform have addressed these problems. The distinctiveness of the new uniform will further distinguish it from its Japanese counterparts, and help to promote the true identity of taekwondo, as well as Korean culture, worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radical shift of Korea's domestic renewable energy policy under the pressure of sustainability was heralded by Korea's shift from the feed-in-tariff (FIT) program to the renewable portfolio standard (RPS) in 2012. Despite difficult challenges that lie ahead at the domestic level, introduction of the RPS ultimately brought about an increased distribution of renewable energy. However, the national renewable energy target has still not been met, and renewable energy distribution is remarkably low as compared with other countries that are associated with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Therefore, the current RPS must be revamped or the FIT must be partially re-introduced in order to achieve the national renewable energy targets. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim This study aims to locate the genes related to periodontitis through genome-wide association study ( GWAS) in Korean population. Methods Total of 677 adults aged 44-88 years were recruited from the Yangpyeong cohort in Korea. The participants did not have self-reported metabolic diseases, cardiovascular diseases or cancer. Periodontitis was assessed using alveolar bone loss from a digital panoramic radiograph and classified into three groups: normal to mild, moderate and severe periodontitis. DNA from blood samples were genotyped using the Illumina Human 1M-duo Beadchip. Multivariable logistic regression analysis in PLINK was applied to examine the single-nucleotide polymorphisms ( SNPs) related to periodontitis after controlling for various confounders. Results Associations of three SNPs suggested TENM2 (rs4242220) and LDLRAD4 (rs12969041, rs2027756) as putative risk genes of chronic periodontitis ( p-values <1 × 10−5). The odds ratio [95% confidence interval ( CI)] of TENM2 was 0.53 (0.40-0.70) for moderate periodontitis and that of LDLRAD4 was 2.86 (1.92-4.27) for severe periodontitis. Two nonsynonymous SNPs of protein coding region and seven SNPs selected from previous reports showed nominal association. Conclusion Our GWAS supports a previously reported gene of TENM2 and newly suggests LDLRAD4. These two genes' role on lipid metabolism may play a part in the molecular aetiology of periodontitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous biophysical and empirical models of evapotranspiration retrieval are difficult to parameterize because of the effects of the nonlinear biophysics of plants, terrestrial and solar radiation and soils, despite attempts made using various satellite products. In this study, the multilayer feed-forward neural network approach with Levenberg–Marquardt back propagation (LM-BP) was used to successfully estimate evapotranspiration using the input of various satellite-based products. When applying neural network training, value-added satellite-based products such as normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), normalized difference water index (NDWI), land surface temperature (LST), air temperature and insolation are used instead of only spectral information from satellite sensors to reflect the spatial representativeness of the neural network. The evapotranspiration estimated from the neural network with input parameters showed better statistical accuracy than the MODIS products (MOD16) and Priestley–Taylor methods when compared with ground station eddy flux measurements, which were considered as reference data. Additionally, the temporal variation in neural network evapotranspiration well reflected seasonal patterns of eddy flux evapotranspiration, especially for the high cloudiness in the summer season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conclusion: The three-point fix tympanoplasty procedure is a stable and effective technique - with a high degree of graft take and satisfactory hearing results - for reconstruction of most tympanic membrane (TM) perforations. Objective: It is difficult to repair a TM perforation, including subtotal perforation, involving the anterior part of the annulus. Reperforation can occur when an underlay graft technique is used. An overlay graft technique may result in anterior blunting/lateralization. We introduce a three-point fix tympanoplasty procedure, which can provide additional support to yield a stable graft. Methods: The study enrolled a total of 234 patients who underwent a three-point fix tympanoplasty procedure from November 2005 to June 2011. Anatomic success was defined as an intact, repaired TM, while functional success was defined as a significant decrease in the air-bone gap at the end of follow-up compared with preoperative hearing (air-bone gap). The complication rate was also analyzed. Results: The anatomic success rate was 93.2% (218/234 patients). The functional success rate after an average of 1 year was 73.5%. The postoperative average pure-tone air-bone gap (15.4 ± 11.4 dB) decreased successfully in comparison with the preoperative average air-bone gap (20.6 ± 12.1 dB). There were few postoperative complications (7.7%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) cases has increased over the past 20 years in Korea, with a major outbreak in 2013. A total of 27 Korean strains from 1998 to 2013 were analyzed (excluding the noncoding regions) and divided into two groups for comparison of the spike (S), ORF3, envelope (E), membrane (M), and nucleocapsid (N) genes with those of reference strains, vaccine strains, and previously identified strains based on phylogenetic analysis. Analysis of the selection patterns of PEDV isolated in Korea indicated positive selection of nine nonsynonymous sites in the S and N proteins and negative selection at 97 sites for all of the proteins. Interestingly, eight nonsynonymous mutations in S showed no significant pattern change over the 15-year period, and one of eight mutation sites was found only in IC05TK, GN05DJ, and KNU0802 in the epidemic years 2005 and 2008. These eight mutations were also present during the epidemic years in China. Furthermore, of the signs of positive selection in the S protein, the conservative substitutions were more frequent than radical substitutions in PEDVs, suggesting that the evolution of Korean strains has been slow. Serological cross-reactivity was detected between three field PEDVs and two vaccine strains, with different serum neutralization titers. In conclusion, although Korean PEDVs have been evolving slowly, their diverse antigenicity and genetics imply that multilateral efforts to prevent future PED outbreaks are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives This study aims to identify the effects of type D personality on symptom control and quality of life and to explore factors influencing quality of life among asthma patients in Korea. Background Psychological factors such as depression and stress are well known to be related to medical outcomes and quality of life in asthma patients. People with type D personality are vulnerable to stress, show poor prognosis in disease and experience low quality of life. Design A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Methods A total of 144 patients with asthma participated in this study. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using structured questionnaires: the Type D Personality Scale-14, Asthma Control Test and Asthma-Specific Quality of Life. Results About 33% of participants were classified into the type D personality group. The type D personality group showed statistically significantly lower symptom control and asthma-specific quality of life compared to the non-type D personality group. Based on forward stepwise multiple regression, the most significant factor of quality of life was symptom control, followed by type D personality, hospitalisation within the previous one year, and lifetime hospitalisation experiences. Conclusions The prevalence of type D personality in asthma patients was high, and type D personality was significantly associated with poor symptom control and low quality of life. Psychosocial interventions might be beneficial to improve symptom control and quality of life in asthma patients with type D personality. Relevance to clinical practice Nurses should be aware of the high prevalence of type D personality and the effects on symptom control and quality of life in asthma patients. Nurses should also provide personality-specific interventions to improve quality of life in such patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of dikes was built in Saemangeum located in southwestern Korea and reduced the tidal phase, the current, and the amplitude. Through two dimensional numerical modeling utilizing a finite volume model, we elucidate the mechanism how these dikes modify the tide. Before the dikes were built, the tide was refracted by the coast and the co-phase line was parallel to the coastline. The dikes removed the shallow coastal zone, resulting in faster wave propagation to reduce the phase. The southern leg is parallel to the co-phase line and more effective in blocking the tide than the northern leg that is oblique to the co-phase line. Greater reductions of the tidal phase and flow were found in front of the southern leg. Before the dike, over the site of the southern leg in the direction to the leg, the temporal changes of momentum, friction, and the pressure gradient balance. Upon the completion of the leg, the tidal current and the temporal changes of momentum and friction weakened. The pressure gradient, then, weakened, reducing the tidal amplitude. The northern dike built oblique to the tidal flow reduced only the component normal to the leg, and the Coriolis force did not affect significantly. To balance the Coriolis force, the pressure gradient and, subsequently, the tidal amplitude weaken by lesser amounts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The role of the patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing 3 ( PNPLA3) single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs738409, in the development and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has not been studied in the Korean population. Aims: The aim of the study was to investigate the genotype frequency and allele distribution of PNPLA3 rs738409 and the association between the SNP and development of NAFLD and liver fibrosis. Methods: A total of 339 Korean adults (155 NAFLD patients and 184 healthy controls) were enrolled. PNPLA3 SNP genotyping was carried out using a TaqMan allelic discrimination assay. Liver fibrosis severity was evaluated by NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) and BARD score. Results: The frequencies of the PNPLA3 rs738409 genotypes, CC, CG, and GG in the healthy control group were 29.9, 50.0, and 20.1 %, respectively, and those in NAFLD patients were 20.0, 48.4, and 31.6 %, respectively, showing a higher frequency of the risk allele (G allele) ( p = 0.006). Among the NAFLD patients, the CG+GG genotype frequency was significantly higher in patients with advanced fibrosis, defined as NFS ≥ −1.455 or BARD score ≥2, than in patients with mild-to-moderate fibrosis ( p = 0.012 and p = 0.046, respectively). In multivariate analysis, the CG+GG genotype was an independent factor for NAFLD development (odds ratio 2.568, 95 % CI 1.109-5.945, p = 0.028) and for advanced liver fibrosis according to the criteria of NFS ≥ −1.455 (odds ratio 18.573, 95 % CI 2.035-169.526, p = 0.010) or a BARD score ≥2 (odds ratio 4.040, 95 % CI 1.084-15.048, p = 0.037). Conclusion: The PNPLA3 rs738409 polymorphism is common and may confer a significant risk of NAFLD and advanced liver fibrosis in the Korean population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To evaluate the relationships between fat mass, muscle mass, fat:muscle mass ratio, metabolic syndrome, and musculoskeletal pain in community residents. Methods In the Korean Health and Genome Study, 1,530 participants (mean ± SD age 60.8 ± 8.60 years) completed pain questionnaires and underwent dual x-ray absorptiometry to calculate body composition. Pain was categorized according to the number of pain regions, such that widespread pain, defined as pain above the waist, below the waist, on both sides of the body, and in the axial region, represented the most severe pain. Metabolic syndrome was defined using the International Diabetes Federation 2005 recommendations, and the association between metabolic syndrome and pain was evaluated by dividing the population into 4 groups, according to the presence/absence of metabolic syndrome and of high body mass index (BMI). Results Total fat mass and fat:muscle mass ratio were significantly and positively associated with musculoskeletal pain among female subjects only. Compared to the lowest quartile of fat:muscle mass ratio, the odds ratios for widespread pain among subjects in other quartiles were significantly increased after adjustment for confounders. Widespread pain was more prevalent among subjects with metabolic syndrome whether their BMI was high or normal, especially among female subjects. Conclusion Increased fat mass and fat:muscle mass ratio were significantly associated with musculoskeletal pain among women. Widespread pain was significantly associated with a high fat:muscle mass ratio after adjustment for confounders. Understanding the relationship between fat mass and pain may provide insights into preventative measures and therapeutic strategies for musculoskeletal pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed this study to find out if we could control mosquitoes in a cowshed by using CO2-baited mosquito traps. We used eco-friendly Mos-hole traps that were developed for mosquito control in human living areas and we also evaluated the traps' efficacy, if the traps would be effective in controlling mosquitoes in a cowshed. The study was performed for 54 days (from 18 May to 10 July 2012). During the first nine turns (from 18 May to 18 June), we used 12 mosquito traps, which were baited with low CO2emission (35–100 ml/minute) by burning and combusting liquid naphtha. In the next phase (10 to 13 turns; 21 June to 4 July), we kept the same low CO2emission in six traps but increased the CO2concentration (500 ml/minute) in the other six traps. In the 14th turn (July 10), all 12 mosquito traps were used with higher CO2concentration, using compressed cylinders of CO2. Mosquitoes were collected at each turn and the total trapped female mosquitoes during the study period were 31,715 individuals, and we identified 6 genera and 16 species. The predominant species wasAedes vexans nipponii(63.838%). We found that 5.2 times more mosquitoes were caught at higher emission rates of CO2.Finally, our study partly revealed that higher emission of CO2might be a reliable substitute for proper control of the adult female mosquitoes and we absolutely need to develop a more efficient mosquito trap for cowshed areas. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: The method of extracting offshore wind field from SAR satellite images for offshore wind resource assessment shows some discrepancies in the calculated wind speed depending on which of the CMOD algorithms is used. This paper compared different algorithms, such as CMOD_IFR2, CMOD4, CMOD5, in order to find the suitable CMOD algorithm for the southern offshore area of the Korean Peninsula, which belongs to the zone influenced by the archipelago, by calculating the relative errors with reference to the Korea wind map of representative weather days by season. The result is that CMOD-IFR2 shows a tendency towards excessive estimation of wind speed, while CMOD4 shows the lowest RMSE values of wind speed differences with respect to the Korea wind map. Based on this result, we have concluded that, for the southern offshore area of the Korean Peninsula which belongs to the medium-range wind speed zone, CMOD4 is the suitable algorithm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective Recent studies have proposed an association between periodontitis and metabolic abnormalities. We investigated the association between insulin resistance and periodontitis among Korean adults. Methods A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008-2010. A total of 16,720 non-diabetic subjects over 18 years old were evaluated (7060 men and 9660 women). Periodontal status was assessed by the Community Periodontal Index. Insulin resistance was measured using the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance ( HOMA- IR). Participants in the highest and lowest quartile of HOMA- IR were defined as insulin-resistant and insulin-sensitive respectively. Results The prevalence of periodontitis increased significantly with higher HOMA- IR quartiles in post-menopausal women ( p for linear association = 0.019). Among post-menopausal women, participants in the highest quartile of HOMA- IR were significantly more likely to have periodontitis compared to those in the lowest quartile [adjusted odds ratio ( OR), 1.47; 95% confidence interval ( CI), 1.07-2.01]. Moreover, obese post-menopausal women showed an increased association between insulin resistance and periodontitis (adjusted OR, 1.92; 95% CI,1.29-2.87). However, this association was not found in men or pre-menopausal women. Conclusions Our results suggest that insulin resistance may be associated with periodontitis, especially when combined with obesity, among post-menopausal women in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer frequently spreads to bone. The interaction between bone metastases and microenvironment, referred as the 'vicious cycle', increases both tumor burden and bone destruction. Therefore, inhibition at any point in this 'vicious cycle' can reduce malignant osteolytic lesions in patients with advanced breast cancer. In this study, we evaluated whether tetrahydrofurofuran-type lignans derived from Magnoliae Flos, commonly used in traditional Asian medicine to treat inflammatory diseases, could block breast cancer-mediated bone loss. Aschatin, fargesin, lirioresinol B dimethyl ether, and magnolin at noncytotoxic concentrations suppressed mRNA expression and secretion of osteolytic factor PTHrP in MDA-MB-231 metastatic human breast cancer cells. Fargesin inhibited TGF-β-stimulated cell viability, migration, and invasion and decreased TGF-β-induced PTHrP production in MDA-MB-231 cells. In addition, these lignans reduced RANKL/OPG ratio in PTHrP-treated hFOB1.19 human osteoblastic cells and inhibited RANKL-mediated osteoclast differentiation in mouse bone marrow macrophages. Aschatin, fargesin, lirioresinol B dimethyl ether, and magnolin substantially reduced bone-resorbing activity of osteoclasts by inhibiting MMP-9 and cathepsin K activities. Furthermore, orally administered fargesin inhibited tumor growth and cancer-mediated bone destruction in mice with MDA-MB-231 cells injected into calvarial tissues. Aschatin, fargesin, lirioresinol B dimethyl ether, and magnolin blocked initiation and progression of the 'vicious cycle' between breast cancer metastases and bone microenvironment by inhibiting PTHrP production in breast cancer cells and osteoclastic bone resorption. Therefore, these tetrahydrofurofuran-type lignans have the potential to serve as beneficial agents to prevent and treat cancer-induced bone destruction in breast cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world is becoming increasingly interested in Korean food and its ingredients. The attention goes beyond the typical examples, such as kimchi and fermented sauces; peculiar food ingredients that are widely consumed in Korea are now entering the world's functional food markets. This trend was supported by scientific research, and this review seeks to combine and summarize the findings of the past 10 years. The results are organized into four groups depending on whether the ingredient strengthens the immune system, has antidiabetic effects, has chemopreventive effects, or has an antioxidative effects. We would also like to point out that this review only covers the topic of Korean traditional plants and herbs. After the summary of research findings, we discuss challenges and opportunities, exploring the direction of future research and the potential of Korean traditional food ingredients in food industry and markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Korean water quality managers are required to promptly develop national assessment standards for freshwater sediment quality due to the Four Major River Restoration Project in Korea in 2009. We conducted this study to develop sediment management standards (SMSs), determining obviously and severely polluted sediment, which could have adverse impacts on water quality and aquatic ecosystem. The SMSs values were derived from the 95th percentile of concentration distribution for organic matter and nutrients in sediment quality database. For the SMSs of metals, foreign sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) were adopted. As a result, 13 % for loss on ignition (LOI), 1,600 mg/kg for total phosphorus (TP), and 5,600 mg/kg for total nitrogen (TN) were set as the SMSs for freshwater sediment in Korea. These values were higher than the range of heavily polluted sediment from USEPA Region 5 guideline derived by the similar approaches for the Great Lakes harbor sediments, and similar or lower than the severe effect level (SEL) from provincial sediment quality guideline (PSQG) of Ontario, Canada by screening level concentration (SLC) approach. However, SMSs in the present study are appropriate considering the concentration ranges and the Korean SMSs' definition for freshwater sediments in Korea. The Puget Sound marine sediment cleanup screening level (CSL) in Washington State, USA were adopted as the Korean SMSs for As (93 mg/kg), Cd (6.7 mg/kg), Cr (270 mg/kg), Cu (390 mg/kg), Pb (530 mg/kg), and Zn (960 mg/kg) in freshwater sediments. Hg concentration (0.59 mg/kg) of CSL was too low to determine the polluted freshwater sediments in Korea, and the SEL of Ontario, Canada for mercury concentration (2 mg/kg) was selected as the SMS for Hg. These values were found reasonable through the assessment of applicability with the datasets from locations directly affected by obvious point sources. These results indicate that SMSs for organic matter, nutrient, and metals derived within the present study can successfully determine obviously and severely polluted sediment in Korea. However, the SMSs have limits to specifically determine the effects of polluted sediment on water quality and aquatic ecosystem in Korea. Thus, we will revise and specify SMSs considering those effects and further sediment quality assessment framework in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. The present study was conducted in order to assess whether extracts or isolated compounds from Vigna angularis were able to suppress IL-6 signalling and to show the therapeutic effect on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in mice.Methods. The effect of V. angularis on IL-6 signalling was studied by measuring Stat3-dependent luciferase activity, expression of inflammation-related genes, and phosphorylation of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) induced by IL-6. CIA was induced by immunizing with bovine type II collagen. V. angularis extract (VAE) was administrated orally at 50 and 100 mg/kg from day 1 to day 28. Induction of arthritis was evaluated with a visual scoring system and histological analysis.Results. Extracts or two triterpenoid compounds from V. angularis showed potent inhibitory effects on pSTAT3-inducible luciferase activity, STAT3 tyrosine phosphorylation and the expression of inflammation-related genes induced by IL-6. Administration of VAE significantly suppressed the progression of CIA, accompanied by a reduced antibody response to type II collagen and protection from tissue damage in knee joints.Conclusion. Administration of VAE has a therapeutic effect on CIA and this effect is associated with the inhibitory activity on IL-6/STAT3 signalling. These results suggest that extracts or compounds from V. angularis could be a useful treatment for diseases related to IL-6, including RA. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small noncoding RNA molecules, are involved in the pathogenesis of various diseases such as cancer and arthritis. The aim of this study was to determine whether miR-127-5p regulates interleukin-1β (IL-1β)-induced expression of matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13) and other catabolic factors in human chondrocytes. Methods Expression of miR-127-5p and MMP-13 by normal and osteoarthritic (OA) human cartilage was determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The effect of miR-127-5p on MMP-13 expression was evaluated using transient transfection of human chondrocytes or chondrogenic SW-1353 cells with miR-127-5p or its antisense inhibitor (anti-miR-127-5p). MMP-13 protein production was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the involvement of miR-127-5p in IL-1β-mediated catabolic effects was examined by immunoblotting. MicroRNA-127-5p binding with the putative site in the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) of MMP-13 messenger RNA (mRNA) was validated by luciferase reporter assay. Results There was a significant reduction in miR-127-5p expression in OA cartilage compared with normal cartilage. Up-regulation of MMP-13 expression by IL-1β was correlated with down-regulation of miR-127-5p expression in human chondrocytes. MicroRNA-127-5p suppressed IL-1β-induced MMP-13 production as well as the activity of a reporter construct containing the 3′-UTR of human MMP-13 mRNA. In addition, mutation of the miR-127-5p binding site in the 3′-UTR of MMP-13 mRNA abolished miR-127-5p-mediated repression of reporter activity. Conversely, treatment with anti-miR-127-5p remarkably increased reporter activity and MMP-13 production. Interestingly, the IL-1β-induced activation of JNK, p38, and NF-κB and expression of MMP-1 and cyclooxygenase 2 were significantly inhibited by miR-127-5p. Conclusion MicroRNA-127-5p is an important regulator of MMP-13 in human chondrocytes and may contribute to the development of OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although DNA taxonomy is readily available, morphological keys are still valuable for quick and easy identification of species on site. In Korea,Hyla japonicais widespread throughout the country, whereasHyla suweonensisoccurs in the lowlands of western central Korea.H. suweonensisis rapidly disappearing and was consequently designated as critically endangered by the Korean government. We measured 19 characters for male individuals of the two tree frog species to develop a morphological key for identification. Our morphometric analyses indicated that the two tree frog species differed significantly in means of all morphological characters. In general,H. suweonensiswas smaller and more slender thanH. japonica. Moreover, the distributions of five characters related to head width and the angle between eyes and ipsilateral nostrils did not overlap in the two species and may be used for species identification. Because the character differences between the two species are small, all five characters should be used together to reliably distinguish the two tree frog species. Besides being used as a morphological key, our result in size difference leads to several research questions about microhabitat niche selection and competition between the two Korean tree frog species. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: To evaluate the association and interaction of single nucleotide polymorphisms in CFH and LOC387715/ARMS2 with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a Korean population. Methods: A total of 114 exudative AMD patients and 240 normal subjects participated in the study. PCR and direct sequencing were used to screen SNPs in the CFH and in the LOC387715/ARMS2. Genotype and haplotype analyses were performed. Two-locus gene-gene interactions were evaluated by the data mining approach multifactor-dimensionality reduction method. Results: The *C/*T genotype frequency of rs1061170 in CFH showed a significant difference (OR = 1.79). Genotype and allele frequencies of rs551397 (*C/*C, OR = 2.84; *C, OR = 1.67) and rs800292 (*G/*G, OR = 2.198; *G, OR = 1.676) in CFH, and rs10490924 (T/*T, OR = 12.45; *T, OR = 4.45) and rs2736911 (*C/*C, OR = 3.21; *C, OR = 2.71) in LOC387715/ARMS2 were significantly higher in patients. In the haplotype analysis, C-T of rs2736911-rs10490924 in LOC387715/ARMS2 (OR = 4.85) and C-G of rs551397-rs800292 in CFH (OR = 2.22) predisposed significantly to AMD. After cross-validation consistency (CVC) and permutation tests, we identified the 1 marker model (rs10490924), which has a prediction accuracy of 73.5%, and the two locus model, rs10490924_ rs800292, with 75.3% balanced accuracy in predicting AMD disease risk. Conclusions: Korean individuals with the LOC387715/ARMS2 rs10490924, and to a lesser extent, CFH rs800292 variants might be at a greater risk for the development of exudative AMD. Furthermore, the risk of exudative AMD may increase significantly if these variants are both present in the two genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the structure of the arthropod community among deciduous and coniferous dead woods along the process of wood decay. We collected dead wood-dwelling arthropods from April 2010 to October 2011 by using a vacuum aspirator and an electric chain saw in three areas ( Mt. Woonak, Mt. Wolchul, Mt. Jingang) in Korea. We identified them to species levels and classified them into functional groups. We collected 8792 arthropods (5 classes, 20 orders, 58 families, and 93 species). The species richness and abundance of arthropods increased with the progress of decay in dead woods. The evenness index seemed to be shown at a lower value at late decay stage than at early- and mid-decay stages. The diversity index ( H′) in conifers was lower than that in deciduous dead woods at the early decay stage but this situation was reversed at the late decay stage. Arthropod communities of functional groups, except the xylophagous insects, did not differ in the variables, but the proportion of xylophagous insects increased as the decay stages progressed. The abundance of arthropods and xylophagous was statistically significantly different. The patterns generated by non-metric multidimensional scaling in the overall arthropod community composition revealed that the species composition between study areas were significantly different. We confirmed that dead woods play very important roles as arthropods' habitats. Thus, we suggest that the role of dead woods should be emphasized in the management of forest ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the statistical sensitivity distributions of tropical cyclone (TC) forecasts over the Korean Peninsula, total energy (TE) singular vectors (SVs) were calculated and evaluated over a 10-year period. TESVs were calculated using the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University/National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5) and its tangent linear and adjoint models with a Lanczos algorithm over a 48-h period. Chosen cases were 21 TCs that affected the Korean Peninsula among 230 TCs that were generated in the western North Pacific from 2001 to 2010. Sensitive regions indicated by TESVs were mainly located near mid-latitude troughs and TC centers but varied depending on TC track and environmental conditions such as subtropical high and mid-latitude trough. The cases were classified into three groups by clustering TC tracks based on the finite mixture model. The two groups that passed through the western and southern sea of the Korean Peninsula had maximally sensitive regions in the mid-latitude trough and largely sensitive regions around the TC center, while the other group that passed straight through the eastern sea of the Korean Peninsula had maximally sensitive regions near the northeastern region of the TC center. Vertically, the former two clustered groups had the westerly tilted TESVs and potential vorticity structures under the mid-latitude troughs at the initial time, indicating the TCs were in a baroclinic environment. Conversely, the straight-moving TCs were not in a baroclinic environment. Based on the results in the present study, the TCs moving toward a fixed verification region over the Korean Peninsula have different sensitivity regions and structures according to their moving tracks and characteristic environmental conditions, which may provide guidance for targeted observations of TCs affecting the Korean Peninsula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the long-term effects of comprehensive hand repetitive intensive strengthening training (CHRIST) on strength, morphological muscle size, kinematics, and associated motor functional changes in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Ten children (5 boys, 5 girls; age range, 6-11 years, mean age, 8.6 years) participated in the study. The children were classified according to the Manual Ability Classification System: 5 were Level II, 2 were Level III, and 3 were Level IV. Quantitative biomechanical measurements were performed to determine muscle strength, muscle size, kinematics (normalized jerk score), and motor function using a dynamometer, ultrasound, Vicon motion analysis, and standardized clinical tests (Quality of Upper Extremity Skills Test, Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test, Functional Independence Measure, and Pediatric Motor Activity Log), respectively. Muscle strength, muscle size, kinematics, and motor function significantly improved after a 10-week intervention (3 times a week), and the long-term effects remained even at the 3-month follow-up. In conclusion, this is the first study highlighting the long-term efficacy of upper extremity strength training using the novel CHRIST system in children with CP, which will potentially open up new horizons for effective management in pediatric neurorehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sensitivities of meteorological forecast errors associated with Asian dust transport events to changes in the initial state were evaluated for 46 occurrences that affected the Korean Peninsula from 2005 to 2010. Adjoint-based sensitivities were used to determine these sensitivities. Sensitive regions were located primarily over two regions upstream from the Korean Peninsula: the northern source region, including areas of Mongolia and northern China, and the Tibetan Plateau. Depending on transport trajectories, month, and year, the sensitive regions were located over either the northern source regions or the Tibetan Plateau. That is, the Asian dust forecast in Korea was found to be sensitive to the meteorological fields over the northern source regions, but also those over the Tibetan Plateau even though the latter is not a dust source region or an upstream area according to the transport trajectories. Employing additional observations at existing instrumentation sites or developing new observational sites in both sensitive regions could be beneficial in reducing the atmospheric circulation forecast errors in East Asia, thus improving the accuracy of transport forecasts of Asian dust events affecting the Korean Peninsula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aims: We investigated the association of insulin resistance with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components among Korean adolescents. Methods: We analyzed the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2008–2010). Adolescents aged 10–18 years without diabetes (1584 boys and 1388 girls) were evaluated. Insulin resistance was assessed by homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and MetS was diagnosed according to the 2007 International Diabetes Federation criteria for adolescents. Results: The prevalence of MetS was 1.4% among boys and 1.7% among girls. Girls in the highest quartile of HOMA-IR were significantly more likely to have MetS compared to girls in the lower quartiles independent of survey year, age, body mass index, white blood cell count, and alanine aminotransferase [odds ratio (OR), 5.33; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.57–18.11]. Moreover, compared to girls in the lowest quartile of HOMA-IR, girls in the highest quartile significantly exhibited large waist circumference (OR, 3.22; 95% CI, 1.01–10.35), high triglycerides (OR, 6.43; 95% CI, 2.83–14.58), and low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) (OR, 2.49; 95% CI, 1.50–4.11). However, such associations were not found among boys. Conclusions: Our results suggest that insulin resistance may be independently associated with MetS, large waist circumference, high triglycerides, and low HDL-C only among girls. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article examines the collective ritual known as sahoejang (public funeral) in order to trace the shifting concept of what was understood as society during the colonial period (1910-1945). Major sources of information include original newspaper articles and discursive materials on the funerals of Yu Gil-jun (1914), Kim Yun-sik (1922). Yi Sang-jae (1927). and Yi Seung-hun (1930). Thirteen other sahoejang that tcok place in various local communities between late 1920s and early 1940s are also briefly examined. In examining sahoejang, in terms of both their practice and discourse, I analyze the trajectory of fluid and changing imaginaries and concepts on social boundaries, about who has social membership, who has the right to represent the membership thus formed, and what is considered socially valuable. I argue first that the notion of society during the colonial period stimulated imaginations and expectations about collective subjectivity of the colonized, and second that collective subjectivity was expressed through the formation of voluntary organizations and activities, which led to social solidarity, rallying of public opinions, and leveling of traditionally hierarchical authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented which discusses articles within the issue on the theme of the conceptual history of colonial modern period of Korea on topics including the notion of gaein (individual), the socialist movement in Korea and the concept of gyoyang (mind cultivation).

Background Metabolic syndrome (MetS) may be associated with periodontitis. This study aimed to investigate whether the existence of periodontitis and MetS is cross-sectionally associated with matrix metalloproteinase ( MMP) in gingival crevicular fluid ( GCF) among community Koreans. Materials and Methods Medical and periodontal parameters were evaluated by physicians and dentists in 314 subjects (199 healthy, 58 only periodontitis, 34 only MetS and 23 both). The community periodontal index was used to assess periodontitis. MMP-8, 9, 13 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Age, gender, monthly household income, smoking and drinking were interviewed as confounders. Analysis of covariance ( ANCOVA) was applied. Gender-stratified analyses were applied. Results After controlling for various confounders, MMP-8, MMP-9 and MMP-13 in GCF were significantly associated with periodontitis in both genders and MMP-9, MMP-13 were associated with MetS in women. MMP-8, MMP-9 and MMP-13 showed association with periodontitis-MetS coexistence non-synergistically in both genders. MMP-9 was synergistically associated with periodontitis-MetS coexistence in women. Conclusion Our results suggest that MMP-8, MMP-9, MMP-13 in GCF were independently related to coexistence of periodontitis and MetS. MMP-9 and MMP-13 could be an appropriate common indicator of periodontitis and MetS in women. Further studies might guarantee that MMPs in GCF could screen periodontitis and MetS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Typical geotechnical testing results reflect the level of soil uncertainty, which requires statistical corrections of the data for an appropriate engineering decision. This study proposes frameworks to detect outlying data points using statistical analyses, the cross-validation-based method and the generalised extreme value distribution-based method. The borehole data regarding soil depth distribution in a central area of Seoul, South Korea are assessed to validate the aforementioned methods for comparison with the distribution-based method and the Moran scatterplot method. The results show that the proposed methods enable more reliable spatial distributions to be achieved with a quantitative evaluation of local reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]