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The purpose of this paper is to document dialogic reflections of two researchers (Shin Ji and Eun-Young) who had conducted collaborative projects on education for youth with North Korean refugee backgrounds. By employing duoethnography, conversations were conducted on the following questions: What are the experiences that impacted our researcher identities? What is the transformative learning emerged from our engagement in NK research? How do we become more holistic researchers through duoethnography? During a series of facilitated dialogues both "within" and "between" Shin Ji and Eun-Young, they learned that their personal experiences of marginalisation served as an experiential and emotional foundation for their increased critical awareness of North Korean refugee students: the disparities in position, power and access that the students experienced in the process of resettlement in South Korea. Participating in the duoethnography, the authors also experienced qualitative transformation as they made sense of the ways their identities and NK research were feeding each other. The authors thus concluded that the duoethnography created a third space for them in that it was a personally therapeutic and professionally productive engagement that was able to secure transparency that represents unique insights from each researcher.

This study showcases an International Learning Exchange (ILE) program between North Korean (NK) refugee students in South Korea and American university students from the US. ILE programs connect two or more linguistic/ cultural groups for intercultural awareness, which provide authentic communicative environments. However, the prevalent use of English and research focus mostly on non-native English-speaking students reflect the ideology of native-speakerism embedded in ILE programs. The purpose of this study was to develop an ILE program that resists native-speakerism and to investigate its influences on native as well as non-native English-speaking students. Adopting a case-study approach, data were collected from video-taping, fieldnotes, student documents, surveys, and interviews. Findings show how the authors designed and implemented a principle-based ILE program. The responses of NK students show their growing motivation and communication ability. The responses of American students show their critical reflections on their native-speaker identities. This study offers insights into designing ILE programs based on multilingualism and translanguaging.

We examined if North (n = 123) and South Korean (n = 123) children in Grades 3 to 8 studying in South Korea differ in their reading, vocabulary, and literacy-related cognitive skills, and whether language and literacy-related skills contribute to reading outcomes differently among North and South Korean children. The results showed that South Korean students performed better in syllable deletion, RAN-Letters, vocabulary, decoding fluency, and reading comprehension after controlling for age and SES. No differences were observed in phonological awareness, RAN-Digits, and visual processing tasks. A multigroup path analysis showed that phonological awareness and vocabulary were more strongly associated with decoding fluency for the South than the North Korean students, whereas the opposite was true for visual processing. The results suggest that South Korean vocabulary knowledge may be a significant factor in addressing the academic difficulties facing North Korean children in South Korean schools and that it is important to consider linguistic characteristics when examining the variations in reading skills and vocabulary knowledge of North Korean students in South Korean schools. These findings have implications for North Korean children's literacy instruction in South Korean schools.

This study critically analyzes North Korean elementary moral education textbooks published under the Kim Jong-un regime to understand how identities and power are enacted through school curricula. In order to interpret North Korean elementary moral education textbooks, the study reviews a brief history of compulsory moral education in East Asia in the context of Korean ethnonationalism. Three main themes emerge regarding the construction of North Korean sense of self, namely 'fabricating ethnic homogeneity', 'correct attitude towards a new supreme leader', and a 'formally systemized mode of living'. Such findings uncover that the state's institutionalized manufacturing of regime adherence begins at an early age and meticulously shapes individuals' world views. The implications of the politics of monocultural, ethnonational identity formation are discussed.

In this study, the authors explored curricular practices of media education for North Korean refugee youths resettled in South Korea, and investigated the impacts of the media education program on their identity construction. Guided by third space theory and framed within a qualitative research paradigm, this media education program was developed by a group of North and South Korean teaching artists. Multimodal data collected throughout the first year were analyzed thematically with a focus on the discursive construction of identities of North Korean youth participants. The participants were invited to reconsider their identities and address multiple dimensions of lived challenges in a safe media education space.

The Korean Peninsula’s mountainous terrain poses challenges to effective water resource management. Notably, two significant river basins, North Han River and Imjin River basins, are essentially shared rivers originating in North Korea. After the construction of various dams in North Korea, billions of tons per year of water annually decreased from the upper reaches of these rivers of North Korea to South Korea. This study conducted an impact analysis on two major river basins affected by dam operations in North Korea. Both before and after the Imnam Dam operation, significant reduction (27.7%) in the average monthly inflow was observed, and the total release of the Hwacheon Dam in South Korea decreased by 40.2%. The analysis of instream flow indicated that the operation of dams in North Korea had a substantial impact on fulfilling instream flow requirements for dams located in North Han River and Imjin River basins. To ensure instream flow, this study pro)posed two plans. The first plan involved the utilization of existing dams in the North Han River basin, while the second plan suggested connecting the dams in North Korea, taking into account the shared rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the defection background and experience of staying in a third country of an unaccompanied female adolescent North Korean refugee, 'Mi-Hyang', and the study investigates the human rights violations in the border area between North Korea and China. Qualitative research was conducted. The analysis focused on the significant events that influenced Mi-Hyang's decision to defect and her eventual immigration to South Korea. Mi-Hyang's story illustrates the phenomenon of the feminisation of survival, global care chains, and the human trafficking of minors. The results of the study help to understand the characteristics of unaccompanied female adolescent NKRs and provide primary data for preparing policies and services that support their resettlement in South Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The people of the two Koreas cannot communicate directly with one another. Since the early 1990s, South and North Korea have allowed a limited number of people-to-people exchanges. In this article, we map the South Korean government's theories of change regarding inter-Korean exchanges based on policy documents and semi-structured interviews with five high-level Ministry of Unification bureaucrats. We also explore the outcomes of inter-Korean exchanges, building on ten South Korean participants' insights. Our findings suggest that the primary goals of inter-Korean social and cultural exchanges have been to expand contact between the two Koreas to alleviate the sense of mutual alienation, to increase empathy and, in turn, to reduce tensions and establish peace on the Korean Peninsula. Participant interviews reveal that direct interpersonal interaction between South and North Koreans reinforces the idea of a superordinate Korean group identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heading date (Hd) is one of the main factors determining rice production and regional adaptation. To identify the genetic factors involved in the wide regional adaptability of rice, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) with 190 North Korean rice accessions selected for non-precocious flowering in the Philippines, a low-latitude region. Using both linear mixed models (LMM) and fixed and random model circulating probability unification (FarmCPU), we identified five significant loci for Hd in trials in 2018 and 2019. Among the five lead single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), three were located adjacent to the known Hd genes, Heading date 3a (Hd3a), Heading date 5 (Hd5), and GF14-c. In contrast, three SNPs were located in novel loci with minor effects on heading. Further GWAS analysis for photoperiod insensitivity (PS) revealed no significant genes associated with PS, supporting that this North Korean (NK) population is largely photoperiod-insensitive. Haplotyping analysis showed that more than 80% of the NK varieties harbored nonfunctional alleles of major Hd genes investigated, of which a nonfunctional allele of Heading date 1 (Hd1) was observed in 66% of the varieties. Geographical distribution analysis of Hd allele combination types showed that nonfunctional alleles of floral repressor Hd genes enabled rice cultivation in high-latitude regions. In contrast, Hd1 alleles largely contributed to the wide regional adaptation of rice varieties. In conclusion, an allelic combination of Hd genes is critical for rice cultivation across wide areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The causal effect of military variables on economic growth has been investigated for North Korea, using time‐series data over the period 1994–2017. Regression models were constructed with three military variables that include military burden (MB), arms trade openness (ATO) and missile dummy as a proxy for technological progress in the military sector. Although military technology has been highly developed in North Korea, non‐military industrial development is far behind other developing countries. The regression results show that the military variables have negative and significant effects on economic growth. The Granger causality test further confirms the causal directions from MB to economic growth, the ATO measure shows a feedback effect on economic growth, while the causal effect of missile dummy is not strong enough to be significant. The results are, in general, consistent with our proposition that military technology would not have a spillover effect on non‐military industrial sectors in North Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine whether significant associations exist between multicultural families and adolescent smoking risks in South Korea. Data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based survey from 2016 to 2020 were analyzed. Participants were classified into four family types (South Korean mother–foreign father, South Korean father–foreign mother, both foreign parents, and both South Korean parents) according to their parents' country of birth and smoking was assessed using a self-reported questionnaire. A logistic regression analysis was used to examine the significance of the associations. Overall, 194,259 participants (boys: 94,793, girls: 99,466) enrolled in this study. Adolescents whose parents were born overseas were more likely to smoke than native South Korean adolescents (boys: odds ratio [OR] = 2.61, confidence interval [CI] = 1.79–3.81, girls: OR 3.94, CI 2.42–6.43). When the mother's country of birth was a developing country, there was an increased likelihood of girls smoking, and there was an increased likelihood of smoking among boys when the mother's country of birth was North Korea. When both parents were born abroad, and the mother's country of birth was a developing country, the likelihood of smoking risks among their multicultural teenage children increased. Policies and interventions need to be established and implemented to lower the smoking rate among multicultural teenagers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there are increasing concerns on COVID-19 situation in Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, or North Korea), little is known about North Korea's health system function for Non-Communicable Diseases. Given the scarcity of available evidence, a scoping review was conducted in peer review articles from MEDLINE, SCOPUS, and Web of Science, and policy literatures from Rodongshinmun, state-run media in North Korea to analyze the North Korea health system and COVID-19 pandemic. The transition to a market economy is expected to deepen the gap between the rich and the poor over access to health care, causing a new type of health inequality in North Korea. COVID-19 lockdown intensified the DPRK's economic predicament exacerbating shortage of health financing on non-communicable diseases. The case study of mixed evidence from scoping review indicates that NCDs prevention and management are not functional in the transitioning health system under chronic economic crisis and isolation. This study indicates that NCDs prevention and management are not functional in the transitioning health system under chronic economic crisis and isolation. The destabilized markets under COVID-19 lockdown intensified the DPRK's economic predicament and exacerbated the chronic shortage of health financing especially to NCDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider subsethood measures introduced by Fan et al. [3] and the interval-valued Choquet integral with respect to a fuzzy measure of interval-valued fuzzy sets. Based on such a focus, we define three types of interval-valued subsethood measures and provide four interval-valued fuzzy sets to animal product exports between Korea and four selected trading partners. In particular, we investigate a strong interval-valued subsethood measure de_ned by the interval-valued Choquet integral which represents the degree of trade surplus between Korea and three trading partners in terms of the model of trade transactions with the United States and Korea [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between body mass index (BMI) and noncardia gastric cancer (NCGC) risk remains controversial. The purpose of our study was to examine the association of BMI with NCGC risk with consideration of Helicobacter pylori (HP) biomarkers. This international nested case–control study, composed of 1,591 incident NCGC cases and 1,953 matched controls, was established from eight cohorts in China, Japan and Korea, where the majority of NCGCs are diagnosed worldwide. HP antibody biomarkers were measured in blood collected at cohort enrollment by multiplex serology. The NCGC risk according to baseline BMI was estimated using logistic regression to produce odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We found a U‐shaped association between BMI category and NCGC risk. Compared to those with reference BMI (22.6–25.0 kg/m2), those with lower and higher BMI had an increased NCGC risk (BMI <18.5 kg/m2, OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.04–2.34; BMI >27.5 kg/m2, OR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.15–1.91; adjusted for age, sex and smoking). The U‐shaped association was persistent among subjects with HP infection and high‐risk biomarkers (HP+ CagA+: BMI <18.5 kg/m2, OR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.00–2.55; BMI >27.5 kg/m2, OR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.21–2.11; and Omp+ HP0305+: BMI <18.5 kg/m2, OR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.04–3.42; BMI >27.5 kg/m2, OR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.20–2.42, respectively). Our study provides evidence of significantly increased NCGC risk among individuals with low or high BMI, including in subjects with high‐risk HP biomarkers (HP+ CagA+, Omp+ HP0305+) in the high‐risk area of East Asia. What's new? Gastric‐cancer (GC) mortality in East Asian countries accounts for 58% of GC deaths worldwide. Does body mass index (BMI) affect GC risk in these populations? In this prospective study, the authors found a U‐shaped association between BMI and non‐cardia GC risk. This association also held true for subjects with high‐risk biomarkers for Helicobacter pylori infection. These results indicate that maintaining normal body weight is important for reducing gastric‐cancer risk in East Asia, which may help guide public health strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meteorology and emissions play very important roles in the concentrations of air pollutants during severe haze/smog periods. This study compares the impacts of synoptic meteorology and nationwide/local emissions during high PM10 multi-event and non-event days in the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA). The multi-event and non-event cases were selected based on daily mean PM10 concentrations in Seoul from January 2014 to March 2019. The multi-event cases in spring and winter were closely associated with weak synoptic winds, while that in autumn was due to the strong winds at the rear side of a strong cold front, which induced the Asian dust event in northeastern China and Korea. The multi-event case in spring was found to be mainly due to series of migratory anticyclones, while winter case was due to the stagnant system after northerly winds. The surrounding low pressure systems as well as high pressure systems could be important to determine whether the synoptic systems would be stagnant or not. The fractional contributions of SMA emissions to the mean PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were 24%-35% and 22%-35% for the multi-event cases, respectively. The contributions to the maximum PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were larger than those to the mean concentrations by 16%-23% and 19%-26% for the multi-event cases, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Suicidal ideation is a significant public health concern worldwide. Although suicides might be preventable through the provision of adequate treatment, mental health consultation is still mostly underutilized. This study thus aimed to examine the association between social participation and utilization of mental health consultations in individuals with suicidal ideation. Methods: Data were collected from the nationwide Community Health Survey (conducted by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). A total of 17,067 individuals (men: 32.9%, women: 67.1%) who reported experiencing suicidal ideation were included in the analysis. The mean age of the study population was 60.1 (±17.8) years old. This study examined social participation; the number of social activities participated in among leisure, volunteer, social, and religion related activities. Multivariate logistic regression was then used to assess the significance of these associations. Results: Among those experienced suicidal ideation, 1860 (10.9%) reported receiving mental health consultation services (men: 8.8%, women: 11.9%). Overall, an increased social participation was significantly associated with increased odds of using forms of mental health consultation (OR = 1.65, 95% CI: 1.31–2.09). Conclusions: In this study, significant evidence of the links between social participation and utilization of mental health consultation was discovered among at risk individuals with suicidal ideation. Suicide prevention policies and programs designed to enhance social participation could potentially encourage people at suicide risk to seek the help they need. Further research focusing on social approaches can produce useful information to plan and implement comprehensive and effective strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Hizikia fusiformis is widely used in oriental health food in Japan, China, and Korea, and is known for its anti-oxidation properties. Materials and Method: In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory and immune-modulatory effects and mechanisms of Hizikia fusiformis (H. fusiformis) extracts in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW 264.7 cells. RAW 264.7 cells were incubated in the presence of different concentrations of the viscozyme component of H. fusiformis (1, 2, 5, and 10 μg/mL), and changes in expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (GM-CSF, iNOS, VEGF, and COX-2) were evaluated by real-time PCR and immunoblotting. In addition, the associated signaling pathway including phospho (p)-pNF-κB 65, p-pIkBa, p-p38, and p-p44/42 was also evaluated. Results: The viscozyme component of H. fusiformis downregulated the expression of GM-CSF, iNOS, VEGF, and COX-2 mRNA. The augmented NO and ROS production was decreased by administration of H. fusiformis. The signal intensity of p-pNF- κB 65, p-pIkBa, p-p38, and p-p44/42 protein activated by LPS was ameliorated by administration of the viscozyme fraction in RAW 264.7 cells. Conclusion: These results suggest that H. fusiformis has potential as a therapeutic agent for inflammatory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores Sino‐DPRK relations behind Pyongyang's olive branch in 2018. After several rounds of "war of words" with US President Donald Trump in 2017, Kim Jung‐un abruptly changed his nuclear policy in 2018 by pledging to be committed to denuclearization. This paper argues that beneath the Pyongyang's U‐turn is China's subtle deviation from its traditional geopolitical strategy. After a leadership transition in 2012, China, under Xi Jinping's pursuit of building a responsible superpower shouldering greater international responsibilities and obligations, struggled hard to escape from the "curse" of geopolitics in addressing the Korean peninsula. The resultant estranged Sino‐DPRK relations made Kim Jong‐un's three political goals – namely nuclear armament, economic growth, and domestic support – an "impossible trinity." Although Kim Jong‐un counted on military adventurism to lure China into a geopolitical trap by escalating tension surrounding the THAAD deployment in South Korea, Trump's inauguration foiled Kim's scheme. As tension between Pyongyang and Washington mounted to hair‐trigger point, Xi Jinping, in the fear of possible US‐DPRK military confrontation, further tightened the economic restraint against the North. Kim Jong‐un, unable to rely on China's patronage for security and economy, was compelled to negotiate denuclearization directly with Washington. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In assessing the impact of climate change, the use of a multimodel ensemble (MME) is required to quantify uncertainties between scenarios and produce downscaled outlines for the simulation of climate under the influence of different factors including topography. This study of climate change scenarios from 13 global climate models (GCMs) assesses the impacts of future climate change. Unlike South Korea, North Korea lacks studies using climate change scenarios of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) and only recently did the country start the projection of extreme precipitation episodes. As such, one of the main purposes of this study is to predict changes in the average climatic conditions of North Korea in the future. The result of comparing downscaled climate change scenarios with observation data for a reference period indicates the high applicability of the MME. Furthermore, this study classifies climatic zones by applying the Köppen–Geiger climatic zones classification to the MME, which is validated for future precipitation and temperature. The result suggests that the continental climate that covers the inland area for the reference climate is expected to shift into the temperate climate. Moreover, the coefficient of variation (CV) in the temperature ensemble is particularly low for the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula, and, accordingly, a high possibility of the shifting climatic zone of the coast is predicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The treatment of choice for patients with severe aplastic anaemia (SAA) includes immunosuppressive therapy (IST) with anti‐thymocyte globulin (ATG) and ciclosporin A. However, the optimal dose for rabbit ATG has yet to be established. We herein report the first prospective, randomized, multicentre study comparing two doses of rabbit ATG in patients with SAA. Patients with SAA who required initial IST in Japan (n = 89), China (n = 85) and Korea (n = 48) were enrolled between May 2012 and October 2017. A 1:1 block randomization was employed for two doses of rabbit ATG. In total, 222 patients were randomized, with 112 patients receiving 2·5 mg/kg and 110 receiving 3·5 mg/kg of rabbit ATG for 5 days. The primary endpoint was the haematological response at day 180. After 6 months, no significant difference in response rates was observed between the 2·5 and 3·5 mg/kg groups (49% vs. 48%, P = 0·894). Overall survival at 3 years was similar between the two groups [85% (95% confidence interval [CI], 76%−91%) vs. 91% (95% CI, 82%−96%); P = 0·107]. The current study revealed no significant differences in the efficacy and safety between the 2·5 and 3·5 mg/kg doses of rabbit ATG in patients with SAA. Trial registration: UMIN000011134. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics are considered natural functional food ingredients and an alternative feeding strategy for immunomodulation and antibiotic eradication. Olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) is commercially cultured in China, Japan, and Korea. Antibiotics used in flounder aquaculture produce antibiotic-resistant pathogens and residual effects on human. Prebiotics are non-digestible oligosaccharides, fermented by intestinal microbiota to produce short-chain fatty acids that bind G protein receptors. Probiotics are usually incorporated into the diet at a certain concentration to alter the intestinal microbial population through colonization or implantation. Synbiotics are combinations of prebiotics and probiotics that produce synergistically better benefits than separately. Previous studies on olive flounder have revealed that various types of immunostimulants, prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, and potentially immunoreactive feed additives can increase growth and feed utilization; cellular and humoral immunity; immune gene expression; blood/serum biochemistry; and infectious-disease resistance. Additive concentrations, their activity, and viability after feed storage and in the intestine, and interactions with the intestinal microbial community are major limiting factors. This review summarizes and discusses changes in growth and feed utilization, innate immunity, biochemical parameters, gene transcription, and disease protection in olive flounder after diet supplementation with various types of additives. It also indicates areas needing greater attention for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purposes for establishing the Korea ocean research stations (KORS) are for advancing an overall understanding of atmospheric and oceanic phenomena in the Yellow and East China Seas; for providing core scientific data for the studies on global environmental change, typhoon dynamics, biogeochemical cycles, marine ecosystems and fisheries, atmospheric chemistry involving Asian dust and aerosols, air–sea interaction processes including sea fog, and regional oceanographic process studies; and for functioning as ground stations of ocean remote sensing. Here, ocean–atmosphere time series observations with data service and case studies of KORS applications that will facilitate collaboration among researchers in the international atmospheric and oceanographic communities are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Republic of Korea (ROK) Ministry of National Defense (MND) should support and guarantee the process of peaceful and diplomatic denuclearization by providing a perfect deterrence posture that can cope with any contingencies, while being especially cautious so as not to ignite political tensions. For that purpose, strengthening the ROK's own deterrence capability against the North Korean military threat is becoming more and more important. This is especially true because the North Korean ICBM capability, which is assessed to be completed in a short time, is believed to be able to pose the so-called "decoupling situation" on the Peninsula, by an increasing number of people. Although it is not certain the decoupling may really happen even if the North does finally achieve ICBM capability, this is a problem that cannot be ignored, since more and more people are worrying about it. Several non-nuclear high-tech weapon systems and masterful tactics to apply them in the Korean situation raise the possibility of dramatically strengthening the overall deterrence posture against North Korean threat without any additional nuclear measures. From now on, the ROK MND should formulate a new version of the ROK's own deterrence strategy against the North, the "3K+" which tries to utilize the new possibilities provided by several conventional hightech weapons, together with the pre-existing 3K systems (Kill Chain, KAMD, and KMPR). The new strategy should be built more systematically to overwhelm any possible North Korean military ambitions in advance, defeating any and all military capabilities that the North is expected to strive for in the future. As Sun Tzu taught, the highest strategy can frustrate the enemy into surrendering, even without a fight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we contend that the nexus of security and development lies in the crux of challenges confronting human security and aid failure in North Korea. We first review academic and policy discourses concerning the security-development nexus. We then analyse how the nexus works out its logic in North Korea by exploring how insecurity and underdevelopment have fed into each other, producing a vicious cycle that complicates efforts to address human security in North Korea. In the third and main section, we examine the ways in which South Korea, the USA and the EU provided for assistance to North Korea from 1995 to 2012 at national and international policy levels. We analyse their approaches to international aid and identify differences and commonalities in them so as to better understand how aid giving exacerbates or mitigates the insecurity/underdevelopment and then impacts on the development-security nexus. We finally conclude with a consideration of various strategies to help overcome the dual challenges of underdevelopment and insecurity that besiege North Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulverized coal-fired boilers have been used for power generation in Korea for decades. Recently, an 870-MW wall-fired boiler with De-NO burners and an air staging system was constructed for use with low-rank coal. The results of a full-scale simulation of its combustion characteristics agreed well with measurements obtained under normal operating conditions for temperature, unburned carbon, and nitric oxide. Contrasting trends in unburned carbon and NO emissions were observed, depending on the particle size and the location of the standby burner within the boiler. Combustion was also found to shift forward with small particle sizes and backward with large particle sizes. The results of a Thermo-mechanical analysis (TMA) indicated that the actual sticking temperature was lower than that suggested by the initial deformation temperature (ASTM) criteria. A logistic function was used to describe TMA shrinkage. Locations subject to high deposition potential were predicted with reference to soot-blowing phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how national identity is associated with South Koreans’ attitudes toward North Korean defectors and their opinions on the relationship between two Koreas. Using a nationally representative survey, we find that individuals high on ethnic identity are more likely to harbor negative attitudes toward migrants from North Korea and less likely to believe that the reunification between two Koreas is necessary. The findings suggest that alleged common belief in “one nation, two countries” notwithstanding, political division has led South Koreans to regard North Korean citizens as an out-group, who are not clearly distinguishable from non-coethnic immigrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study aimed to examine awareness of and compliance with healthy oral habits reported by children and their parents in Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), after a preventive programme.Materials and Methods: The data were collected in 2013 with self-completed, partly structured questionnaires from 1994 children aged 10 and 13 years and from 200 parents. Association between awareness of and compliance with healthy oral habits reported by the children and their parents was evaluated using Chi square tests and multivariate logistic regression analyses, children's oral health habits according to themselves and their parents were analysed using McNemar's test.Results: Both children and their parents seemed to be familiar with healthy oral habits, although the awareness was not directly related to the reports of the children's oral practices. Most of the children reported brushing their teeth at least twice a day, using fluoride toothpaste and drinking water for thirst but frequent sweet snacking was common. Children's and their parents' reports were consistent with regard to sweet snacking frequency (p = 0.736) and the main thirst quencher (p = 0.349).Conclusions: Awareness of healthy oral habits appeared to be good among children and their parents. Unhealthy oral habits seemed to coincide with one another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out to determine the performance of percentile-based Weibull diameter distribution model for Pinus thunbergii stands thriving along the eastern coast of South Korea. The parameter recovery technique was used to estimate the three parameters of the Weibull model. The analysis demonstrated satisfactory results based on the following test statistics for the principal percentile models: fit index ( FI) range from 0.501 (minimum diameter) to 0.932 (50th diameter percentiles) and root mean square error ( RMSE) range from 0.112 (quadratic mean diameter) to 3.572 (minimum diameter). The developed model was further evaluated by determining the mean bias ( Ē) in trees per ha (TPH) for each diameter class, and the results showed highest over-prediction in the 20 cm, and under-prediction in the 16 cm and 24 cm diameter classes. The goodness of fit tested by Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) test showed no significant differences ( p>0.05) between the observed and predicted diameter distributions for almost all plots. Using site index and aboveground biomass (AGB) models developed for P. thunbergii in South Korea, a model to predict the AGB per ha for each diameter class and subsequently the total AGB of the stand was created. An application guide was also created, which will serve as a decision-support tool for forest managers in quantifying the future total AGB in P. thunbergii stands located in the eastern coast of South Korea and, subsequently, the quantification of potential carbon stocks aside from being a vital input in designing efficient management and protection strategies for these stands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The study was to compare the oncologic and functional outcomes of partial nephrectomy (PN) and radical nephrectomy (RN) for pathologically proven T1b renal cell carcinoma using pair-matched groups. Materials and Methods We reviewed our prospectively maintained database for RN and PN in T1b renal tumors surgically treated between 1999 and 2011 at five institutions in Korea. Of 611 patients treated with PN or RN for a solitary and NX/N0 M0 renal mass (4-7 cm), 577 (PN, 100; RN, 477) patients with pathologically confirmed pT1b remained for analysis. Study subjects were grouped by PN or RN, then matched by age, sex, comorbidities, body mass index, tumor size and depth, histologic type, and preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using propensities score. To evaluate oncologic outcomes, overall survival (OS), cancer- specific survival (CSS), and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were analyzed. The functional outcomes were evaluated by postoperative eGFR. Results The median follow-up in the RN group was 48.1 and 42.6 months in the PN group. The estimated 10-year CSS rate (PN 85.7% vs. RN 84.4%, p=0.52) and 5- and estimated 10-year PFS rates (PN: 86.4% and 79.2% vs. RN: 86.0% and 66.1%, p=0.66) did not differ significantly between groups. The estimated 10-year OS rate was significantly higher in the PN group (85.7%) compared to the RN group (73.3%) (p=0.003). PN was less likely to induce new-onset chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage CKD compared with RN. Conclusion Our study suggests that patients treated with PN demonstrate a superior OS rate and postoperative renal function with analogous CSS and PFS rates compared with pair-matched patients treated with RN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the subtle differences in news coverage of the Six-Party Talks by China's Xinhua news agency and North Korea's Korean Central News Agency from 2003 to 2007. The news agencies are the targets of propaganda from the various interests involved in the North Korean nuclear issue. The focus is on how the agencies framed the issue and whether the frames adopted by each reflected its country's dominant ideology and national interests. It was found that the two news agencies adopted frames for the issue that were consistent with the dominant ideology in their respective nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a comparative content analysis of the overall framing in the news and editorial content of the Six-Party Talks on nuclear issues from three international news media for the years 2003 and 2007. The findings of the study lend support to the idea that international news can be interpreted through a combined view, in which propaganda influences on the media coverage are interconnected with the relationship of the media system and national interests within the framework of the dominant ideology. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background Despite the importance of invasive Staphylococcus aureus (ISA) infection, its overall burden in non-selected populations has only been defined in a small number of studies in Europe and North America. To define the characteristics of ISA infections in Korea, we conducted a multi-center cohort study to estimate population-based incidence rates. Methods We conducted a multicenter prospective cohort study at nine university-affiliated activesurveillance core centers (ASCs) in three regions of Korea. To cover all available clinical microbiologic laboratories, we classified the laboratories in these regions into three groups according to their clinical environment as: 1) Nine ASCs, 2) Five major commercial laboratories and 3) Forty-four acute-care hospital-affiliated microbiology laboratories. We requested all the laboratories to report prospectively their numbers of cases of S. aureus isolated from normally sterile sites. Detailed clinical information was collected about the cases in the nine ASCs. Results From 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2011, a total of 1,198 cases of ISA infection were identified at the nine ASCs, including 748 (62%) methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infections. Most (81%) ISA infections were healthcare-associated (HCA): 653 (55%) hospital-onset and 322 (27%) community-onset. 223 (19%) were community-associated infections. The most common primary diagnosis was catheter-associated infection (225 cases, 19%). Respiratory tract infection (160, 13%), skin & soft tissue (152, 13%) and bone & joint infections (120, 10%) were also common. 30-day and 12-week mortality rates were 25.6% (262/1,024) and 36.5% (314/860), respectively. Complications, including metastatic infection within 12 weeks, occurred in 17.8% of ISA infections. The most common site of metastatic infection was the lung (9.8%, 84/860). Based on the total of 2,806 observed cases of ISA infection, estimated annual rates of ISA and invasive MRSA infections were 43.3 and 27.7 per 100,000 populations, respectively. Conclusions Our data provide important information about the clinical characteristics of ISA infections. We estimate that over 21,000 ISA infections and 13,000 invasive MRSA infections occurred in Korea in 2010. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOCs) emissions are the largest VOC emission source globally, and are precursors to ozone and secondary organic aerosols, both of which are strong, short-lived climate pollutants. BVOC emissions are usually estimated using the Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature (MEGAN), which requires Plant Functional Types (PFTs) and Leaf Area Indexes (LAIs) as inputs. Herein, the effects of refined input data on regional BVOC emission estimates are analyzed. For LAIs, lower resolution MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and higher spatio-temporal resolution Spatial and Temporal Adaptive Reflectance Fusion Model (STARFM) LAI were generated. For PFTs, local land cover maps were developed, in addition to MODIS PFT. In South Korea, annual emissions of isoprene and monoterpenes in 2015 were estimated as 384 and 160 Gg/year, respectively, using STARFM LAI and Local PFT (Case 4). For North Korea, 340 Gg/year isoprene and 72 Gg/year monoterpenes emissions were estimated using STARFM LAI and MODIS PFT. These estimates were 14–110% higher than when using MODIS LAI and MODIS PFT (Case 1). Inter-comparison with satellite-based inverse isoprene emission estimates from GlobEmission shows 32% (North Korea) to 34% (South Korea) overestimation in bottom-up data. Our new vegetation inputs improve MEGAN performance and resulting BVOC emission estimations. Performance of Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) meteorological modeling requires improvement, especially for solar radiation, to avoid overestimation of isoprene emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the feasibility, efficacy, safety, and acceptability of medical abortion among rural and urban women up to 56 days of pregnancy in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.Method: A total of 199 women (rural n=95, urban n=104) recruited from 2 rural and 2 urban reproductive health clinics received 200mg of oral mifepristone followed 2 days later by 400 microg of sublingual misoprostol. The women's abortion status and satisfaction level were determined 2 weeks later.Results: Overall complete abortion occurred in 96.0% of the women; there was no statistically significant difference between the groups (rural 95.8%, 95% confidence interval [CI], 89.6-98.8; urban 96.2%, 95% CI, 90.4-98.9). The 2 groups reported similar adverse effects. In total, 90.5% of rural and 88.5% of urban participants were satisfied or very satisfied with the method.Conclusion: The high efficacy and acceptability of medical abortion among rural and urban women suggest that medical abortion is a safe alternative to surgical abortion and can be scaled up to other reproductive health clinics in both rural and urban areas of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, provided that there is appropriate training and supervision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent dramatic increase of North Korean refugees in South Korea (called saeteomin, new settlers) has attracted the attention of scholars as well as practitioners not only because of their impact on South Korea and its citizens but, more significantly, because of their unique experiences there. They have encountered various hardships in South Korean society, including economic difficulties, maladjustment to schools, and emotional distance or isolation. This article attempts to illuminate and analyze the status of the North Korean refugees and their perceptions and emotions with respect to South Koreans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or North Korea), after Pyongyang, Hamhung is the second-largest city, with a population of 769,000. It has shown a unique development trajectory starting from an important regional military and administrative town. Pre- and during the Japanese colonial rule (1910–1945), the changes in the structure and function of Hamhung were wide-ranging. After independence from Japan and the division between North and South Korea, the Korean War (1950–1953) broke out, leaving Hamhung in utter ruins. Then, the immediate reaction after the Korean War was to reconstruct the city which was carried out with aid from socialist fraternal countries, notably East Germany. Socialist urban development patterns followed. The purpose of this paper is to provide a historic review of Hamhung depicting these critical junctures with a periodisation of Hamhung's development – the Joseon Dynasty urbanism (1392–1910), colonial urbanism (1910–1945), and socialist urbanism (1945 - currently). However, through these multiple ' mille-feuille '-like urban layers, spatial lock-in effects have been observed. • Hamhung is the second largest city of North Korea. • Hamhung's urban structure includes dynasty urbanism, colonial urbanism, and socialist urbanism. • Hamhung underwent tumultuous transitions. • East Germany provided aid for post-war reconstruction of Hamhung. • Industrial clusters are established in Hamhung. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explores the Korean society during the period from early eighteenth century to the early twentieth century. Indication that Neo-Confucian orthodoxism controlled and sustained the society during this period; Conditions in the tasks of liberation that were cited to be overcome; Insight of the efforts of the Practical Learning school to free rational human thought from orthodoxist isolation and Neo-Confucianism.

The methane gas hydrate stored in natural sediments is considered a potential gas resource. Countries such as China, India, Japan, and Korea are interested in commercializing this resource, and offshore field pilot tests for gas production have been conducted using depressurization methods to destabilize gas hydrate and facilitate the migration of methane to the production well. However, fine-grained sediments (fines), which are present even in coarse-grained, gas hydrate-bearing sediments, can be resuspended in the production fluid, subsequently clogging pore throats in the formation and reducing the overall production efficiency. We conducted laboratory tests to evaluate the suspension and clogging potential of fines collected from the Ulleung Basin, East Sea, Korea during the 2010 Ulleung Basin Gas Hydrate Expedition 2 (UBGH2). Experimental results reveal that diatoms are prevalent in the sediment and largely control the suspension and clogging behavior. Fluid flow experiments in 2D micromodels show clogging occurs even when injecting the minimum sediment concentration (0.1 wt% in the fluid) through micromodels with pore-throat widths at the high end of the anticipated range for UBGH2 gas hydrate-bearing sands (100 μm). Mobile gas/fluid interfaces forming during gas hydrate dissociation accentuate clogging by concentrating and mobilizing fines. Sedimentation tests show pore-water freshening during dissociation is not anticipated to change the potential for diatoms to become entrained in the pore water flow, even for the observed gas hydrate saturations of ~80%. Muscovite and illite are also significant components of the tested sediment, however, and pore-water freshening increases their potential for resuspension and clogging. Overall, the resuspension and clogging potential of these fine sediments should increase as gas hydrate dissociation progresses in the thin, gas hydrate-bearing sands investigated in the Ulleung Basin. • Diatom concentrations at three Ulleung Basin sites were found to be high enough to control the sediment physical properties. • Clogging occurs at 0.1 wt% pore-water concentration of fines. Single diatoms (~100 μm diameter) can clog pore throats. • Diatom resuspension and clogging will not strongly increase during production due to pore-water freshening. • High dissociation rates at interfaces between reservoir sands and interbedded fines will increase resuspension and clogging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid increase in the number of patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) may overwhelm the available medical resources. We aimed to evaluate risk factors for disease severity in the early stages of COVID-19. The cohort comprised 293 patients with COVID-19 from 5 March 2020, to 18 March 2020. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) classification system was used to triage patients. The clinical course was summarized, including the impact of drugs (angiotensin II receptor blockers [ARB], ibuprofen, and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors [DPP4i]) and the therapeutic effect of lopinavir/ritonavir. After adjusting for confounding variables, prior history of drug use, including ARB, ibuprofen, and DPP4i was not a risk factor associated with disease progression. Patients treated with lopinavir/ritonavir had significantly shorter progression-free survival than those not receiving lopinavir/ritonavir. KCDC classification I clearly distinguished the improvement/stabilization group from the progression group of COVID-19 patients (AUC 0.817; 95% CI, 0.740–0.895). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been considered as a potential tool in regenerative medicine for their great multipotency characteristics into various cell types. In past years, our group have been studying tonsil-derived MSCs (TMSCs) for their application and ease of obtaining large number and low immunogencity. Recently we attempted to expand potential regenerative implications of TMSCs not only for mesoderms but also for ectoderms, specifically neurons. Our initial study demonstrated that TMSCs incubated in the presence of 25 ng/mL of basic fibroblast growth factor and 10 μM of forskolin for 22 days resulted in large number of cells containing neurites which are morphologically similar with those observed with neurons. Western blot analyses determined that the TMSCs expressed the various neuronal markers, including neuron-specific enolase, growth-associated protein-43 (GAP43), postsynaptic density protein 95, synaptosomal nerve-associated protein 25, compared with the undifferentiated TMSC group. The expression of these markers dramatically increased at day 8 of the neuronal differentiation and further increased thereafter until day 22. In contrast, glial fibrillary acidic protein, a marker of neural stem cell/astrocyte, gradually declined as the neuronal differentiation progresses. In contrast, neither of oligodendrocyte marker O4 nor microglia marker CD11b was detected. Further studies revealed that the differentiated TMSCs showed enhanced immunoreactivities of mature neuronal markers such as neuronal nuclei, neuron-specific class III β tubulin, GAP43, and synaptophysin. Additionally, the differentiated TMSCs exhibited cholinergic neuronal phenotype as evidenced with the increased expression of choline acetyltransferase, a cholinergic neuronal marker but not vesicular glutamate transporter 1, a glutamatergic neuronal marker. Taken altogether, the findings suggest that TMSCs have a potential to differentiate into cholinergic neuron-like cells under the established differentiation condition. Although further optimization to increase neuronal cell population within heterogenous TMSC pools and functional validation are required, our study provides a glimpse of evidence that TMSC-derived cholinergic neurons could be used as a possible therapeutic tool in treating certain neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's diseases. The present study was supported by a research grant of the National Research Foundation of Korea (2019R1A2C108676711). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: A large number of amphibian species are now endangered, mostly because of human activities. An example is land modification, which may bring species that were previously isolated in contact, and allows them to hybridise. Here, we assessed the presence of hybrid individuals between the endangered Suweon treefrog (Dryophytes suweonensis) and the widespread Japanese treefrog (Dryophytes japonicus). We found hybrids to be relatively widespread and present at all populations where the Suweon treefrog occurred. This is important, as it results in an additional threat to the Suweon treefrog. Amphibians are in the midst of a sixth mass extinction, and human activities play a major role in pushing species towards extinction. Landscape anthropisation has impacts that indirectly threaten species, in addition to the obvious destruction of natural habitats. For instance, land modification may bring human-commensal species in contact with sister-clades from which they were previously isolated. The species in these new contact zones are then able to hybridise to the point of reaching lineage fusion, through which the gene pool of the two species merges and one of the parental lineages becomes extirpated. Here, we documented the patterns of hybridisation between the spatially restricted D. suweonensis and the widespread D. japonicus. On the basis of the analysis of Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I mitochondrial DNA sequences (404 individuals from 35 sites) and six polymorphic microsatellites (381 individuals from 34 sites), we revealed a generalised, bi-directional, and geographically widespread hybridisation between the two species. Evidence of fertile back-crosses is provided by relatively high numbers of individuals in cyto-nuclear disequilibrium, as well as the presence of hybrid individuals further south than the species distribution limit, determined on the basis of call properties. Hybridisation is an additional threat to the endangered D. suweonensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the magnitude and frequency of extreme events on the global scale are expected to change because of changes in the hydrological cycle under climate change, little quantitative assessment of future extreme precipitation in North Korea has been attempted. Therefore, this study projected the changes in extreme precipitation in North Korea by applying downscaling to GCMs forced by Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) Scenarios 4.5 and 8.5, preserving the long-term trend of climate change projection. Employing climate change scenario ensembles of RCP8.5, the precipitation level of the 20-year return period in the reference period of 1980–2005 increased to 21.1 years for the future period 2011–2040, decreased to 16.2 years for 2041–2070, and decreased to 8.8 years for 2071–2100. Extreme precipitation was expected to occur often in the future. In addition, an increase in extreme precipitation at the border of North and South Korea is expected, and it is concluded that a joint response for the Imjin River, a river shared by North and South Korea, is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind data measured at the site location called Deokjeok-do Island – Incheon, South Korea, has been analyzed by the two-parameter Weibull probability density function in order to estimate the wind energy potential. Wind data collected at 10 m height, including wind speed and wind direction, recorded for seventeen years (2000–2016) with one minute time interval. Detailed analysis of wind data has been carried out using different statistical parameters in order to understand the wind characteristics and to predict the wind behavior during different years, seasons, months, days and every hour. Throughout the analysis of wind characteristics, it is found that during all the seasons most of the winds either come from east-south (ES) or from south-west (SW) with the maximum magnitude of below 8 m/s but mostly between 2 and 3 m/s. Main wind directions are due to the climate characteristics of Korea and the geographical features of the studied region. Weibull shape and scale parameters for the region have also been analyzed for all years, months and seasons. Based on the statistical analysis of wind conditions presented here, the results of current study can be used to make a sustainable energy plan for Deokjeok-do. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]