Estimation of flood risk index considering the regional flood characteristics: a case of South Korea

Global warming is increasing the variability of climate change and intensifying hydrologic cycle components including precipitation, infiltration, evapotranspiration, and runoff. These changes increase the chance of more severe and frequent natural conditions, and limit ecosystem function and human activities. Adaptation to climate change requires assessment of the potential disaster risk. The objectives of this study were to estimate the flood risk index (FRI) considering regional flood characteristics at the national level and to prioritize the factors affecting flood risk through principal component analysis. FRI was estimated based on the Delphi survey results from 50 water resources experts in South Korea. The potential risk analysis was conducted for 229 local governments in South Korea. The results showed that natural and social factors were more influential flood risk factors to South Korea than administrative and economic and facility factors. Specifically, natural, social, administrative and economic, and facility factors were, respectively, highest at Jindo-Gun in Jennam-Do, Gumi-Si in Kyongsanbuk-Do, Dong-Gu in Incheon-Si, and Suwon-Si, Kyonggi-Do. Overall, the highest FRI is shown in Anyang-Si, Kyongggi-Do. The spatial distribution of the FRI was high in the southeastern coastal region and basins of the two biggest rivers in South Korea, and normalized flood frequency followed spatial patterns similar to FRIs. This study provided information on the relative flood risk index among administrative units for investment prioritization in flood risk management. In this regard, the suggested FRI is expected to significantly contribute to methodical and economic improvements in budget allocations for flood risk management.     

Influences of new azo dyes to the aquatic ecosystem

The influences of a series of new azo direct dyes including copper-complexes based on benzidine congeners, 2,2′-dimethyl-5,5′-dipropoxybenzidine and 5,5′-dipropoxybenzidine, were examined using microorganism, Daphnia magna. The purpose of the research described in this paper was to use bioassays with daphnids to determine the aquatic toxicity of new azo dyes in which copper was incorporated. The results clearly show that copper has negative effects to aquatic ecosystem as expected. The study also suggested that the assay with Daphnia magna was an excellent method to evaluate the influences of dyes to the aquatic environment.     

Atmospheric Deposition of Nitrogen and Sulfur in the Yellow Sea Region: Significance of Long-Range Transport in East Asia

The amounts of nitrogen and sulfur deposited in the region of the Yellow Sea in both dry and wet forms were estimated focusing on the period between 1999 and 2000. Dry deposition fluxes were obtained using concentrations from ground stations on both Korean and Chinese sides and from shipboard and aircraft measurements. Wet deposition fluxes were determined at ground stations on the Korean side. The dry deposition flux over the Yellow Sea was much greater than those for other world oceans. As a whole, the amounts of wet depositions of nitrogen and sulfur were 1.9 and 1.5 times larger than the amounts of respective dry depositions. Substantial influence from China caused by high emissions in East China and westerly wind was possibly suggested. However, the influence from nitrogen emission in Korea was also confirmed.     

Characteristics of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from chicken meat and hospitalized dogs in Korea and their epidemiological relatedness

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most important pathogens in human and veterinary hospitals. The isolation of MRSA from animals and foodstuffs has been reported with an increased incidence. However, methicillin (oxacillin) is not used in animal husbandry or in animal hospitals in Korea. In this study, three pre-MRSA and one silent mecA-carrying methicillin susceptible S. aureus (smMSSA) were isolated from retail chicken meat, and three MRSA were isolated from hospitalized dogs in Korea. The three pre-MRSA isolates were determined to have a staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) type III, and the smMSSA isolate was not classified. The animal hospital isolates were found to contain SCCmec type II. Seven and 15 S. aureus isolated from hospitalized humans and bovine milk, respectively, were also examined in this study in order to determine the epidemiological origins of MRSA. Multilocus sequencing typing (MLST) revealed that the chicken meat and bovine milk isolates were closely related to the animal hospital isolates. The SCCmec characteristics and MLST analyses indicated the possibility of the human to animal transmission of MRSA. These results highlight the importance of identifying MRSA carriers as well as intercepting MRSA transmission because MRSA is becoming increasingly widespread without any plausible relationship with the use of methicillin (oxacillin).     

Effectiveness of calcium hypochlorite,quaternary ammonium compounds,and sodium hypochlorite in eliminating vegetative cells and spores of Bacillus anthracis surrogate

BackgroundThe spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis causes anthrax, an often-fatal infection in animals. Therefore, a rapid and reliable strategy to decontaminate areas, humans, and livestock from B. anthracis is very critical.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of sodium hypochlorite, calcium hypochlorite, and quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) sanitizers, which are commonly used in the food industry, to inhibit spores and vegetative cells of B. anthracis surrogate.MethodsWe evaluated the efficacy of sodium hypochlorite, calcium hypochlorite, and a QAC in inhibiting vegetative cells and spores of a B. anthracis surrogate. We treated a 0.1-mL vegetative cell culture or spore solution with 10 mL sanitizer. The samples were serially diluted and cultured.ResultsWe found that 50 ppm sodium hypochlorite (pH 7), 1 ppm calcium hypochlorite, and 1 ppm QAC completely eliminated the cells in vegetative state. Exposure to 3,000 ppm sodium hypochlorite (pH 7) and 300 ppm calcium hypochlorite significantly eliminated the bacterial spores; however, 50,000 ppm QAC could not eliminate all spores.ConclusionsCalcium hypochlorite and QAC showed better performance than sodium hypochlorite in completely eliminating vegetative cells of B. anthracis surrogate. QAC was ineffective against spores of the B. anthracis surrogate. Among the three commercial disinfectants tested, calcium hypochlorite most effectively eliminated both B. anthracis vegetative cells and spores.     

Supracolloidal reaction kinetics of Janus spheres

Clusters in the form of aggregates of a small number of elemental units display structural, thermodynamic, and dynamic properties different from those of bulk materials. We studied the kinetic pathways of self-assembly of "Janus spheres" with hemispherical hydrophobic attraction and found key differences from those characteristic of molecular amphiphiles. Experimental visualization combined with theory and molecular dynamics simulation shows that small, kinetically favored isomers fuse, before they equilibrate, into fibrillar triple helices with at most six nearest neighbors per particle. The time scales of colloidal rearrangement combined with the directional interactions resulting from Janus geometry make this a prototypical system to elucidate, on a mechanistic level and with single-particle kinetic resolution, how chemical anisotropy and reaction kinetics coordinate to generate highly ordered structures.     

论宋代的特奏名制度

宋代科举中的特奏名制度,是中国古代科举制度中一项特殊的制度,值得注意。自太祖后期到真宗朝后期,是特奏名制度逐渐形成的时期。随着特奏名人数的大幅增加,也显露了它的某些弊端,因而在士大夫中要求废除特奏名制度的呼声不断高涨。但终宋之世,特奏名制度仍存而不废,其主要原因,除了最高统治者为贯彻重文抑武、牢笼士人的祖宗家法以外,特奏名本身所作出的某些贡献也是重要原因。