• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.274-282
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• 2019

In recent years, big data analysis has been expanded to include automatic control through reinforcement learning as well as prediction through modeling. Research on the utilization of image data is actively carried out in various industrial fields such as chemical, manufacturing, agriculture, and bio-industry. In this paper, we applied NASNet, which is an AutoML reinforced learning algorithm, to DeepU-Net neural network that modified U-Net to improve image semantic segmentation performance. We used BRATS2015 MRI data for performance verification. Simulation results show that DeepU-Net has more performance than the U-Net neural network. In order to improve the image segmentation performance, remove dropouts that are typically applied to neural networks, when the number of kernels and filters obtained through reinforcement learning in DeepU-Net was selected as a hyperparameter of neural network. The results show that the training accuracy is 0.5% and the verification accuracy is 0.3% better than DeepU-Net. The results of this study can be applied to various fields such as MRI brain imaging diagnosis, thermal imaging camera abnormality diagnosis, Nondestructive inspection diagnosis, chemical leakage monitoring, and monitoring forest fire through CCTV.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.206-212
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• 2019

Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) lives in the hair follicles and pores, and it uses cell debris, sebum and metabolic byproducts of surrounding skin tissues as energy and nutrients. Increased production of sebum due to sebaceous hyperplasia or blockage of the follicle can cause growth and proliferation of P. acnes. The rapid growth of P. acnes in follicles produces cell damage, metabolic byproducts and bacterial chips, which can cause inflammation. In this study, we examined the possibility of Senecio iscoensis Hieron. (S. iscoensis) extract to regulate P. acnes-induced inflammatory signaling pathways. We observed that S. iscoensis extract effectively inhibited P. acnes-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine expressions such as IL-$1{\beta}$, TNF-${\alpha}$, and iNOS in mouse macrophage cell line Raw 264.7. The inhibitory effect of S. iscoensis in pro-inflammatory cytokine levels was accompanied by the inhibition of the transcription factors NF-${\kappa}B$ and NF-AT. However, S. iscoensis did not alter the P. acnes-induced MAPK signaling pathways. This study first suggests the potential of using S. iscoensis extract as an alternative agent for the treatment of acne.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.808-814
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• 2019

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of essential oil mixture (EOM) supplementation on rumen fermentation characteristics and microbial changes in an in vitro. Methods: Three experimental treatments were used: control (CON, no additive), EOM 0.1 (supplementation of 1 g EOM/kg of substrate), and EOM 0.2 (supplementation of 2 g EOM/kg of substrate). An in vitro fermentation experiment was carried out using strained rumen fluid for 12 and 24 h incubation periods. At each time point, in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), neutral detergent fiber digestibility (IVNDFD), pH, ammonia nitrogen ($NH_3-N$), and volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations, and relative microbial diversity were estimated. Results: After 24 h incubation, treatments involving EOM supplementation led to significantly higher IVDMD (treatments and quadratic effect; p = 0.019 and 0.008) and IVNDFD (linear effect; p = 0.068) than did the CON treatment. The EOM 0.2 supplementation group had the highest $NH_3-N$ concentration (treatments; p = 0.032). Both EOM supplementations did not affect total VFA concentration and the proportion of individual VFAs; however, total VFA tended to increase in EOM supplementation groups, after 12 h incubation (linear; p = 0.071). Relative protozoa abundance significantly increased following EOM supplementation (treatments, p<0.001). Selenomonas ruminantium and Ruminococcus albus (treatments; p<0.001 and p = 0.005), abundance was higher in the EOM 0.1 treatment group than in CON. The abundance of Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, fungi and Ruminococcus flavefaciens (treatments; p<0.001, p<0.001, and p = 0.005) was higher following EOM 0.2 treatment. Conclusion: The addition of newly developed EOM increased IVDMD, IVNDFD, and tended to increase total VFA indicating that it may be used as a feed additive to improve rumen fermentation by modulating rumen microbial communities. Further studies would be required to investigate the detailed metabolic mechanism underlying the effects of EOM supplementation.

• Food Engineering Progress
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.110-115
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• 2017

This study aimed to identify milling characteristics depending on the number of a cutting roller's air vent and blowing velocity to remove rice bran by the cutting type milling machine which can minimize the conventional milling process. The level of whiteness was found to be $38{\pm}0.5$ in all the conditions, showing consistent whiteness levels during milling. The rice temperatures turned out to be 15.4 and $14.6^{\circ}C$ which were rather low-level under the conditions of the cutting roller with 3 vents and blowing velocities of 35 and 40 m/s respectively. Cracked rice ratio was 2.13% under the conditions of the cutting roller with 3 vents and a blowing velocity of 35 m/s. Broken rice ratio showed the range of 0.762-0.869%, reflecting a low level. Turbidity after milling was decreased, as blowing velocity became faster. Energy consumption for milled rice production was decreased, as blowing velocity became faster. The optimum milling condition for cutting type milling machine depending on air vent number of cutting roller and blowing velocity was found to be 3 vents and 35 m/s.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.243-250
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• 2021

In the medical field, applications of plasma are applied sterilize instruments mainly but with the advent of bio-plasma technology, the scope of application is expanding. Recently, In addition, high-density miniaturization with handheld is required for sophisticated procedures when irradiated directly or treated with non-standard conditions. Rosen-type PZT is a device with a structure that generates high voltage plasma by achieving voltage transformation through electro-mechanical coupling using piezoelectric effect.and is used in portable plasma generating devices as an advantage to increase energy density relatively. In this paper, Rosen-type PZT was modeled using equivalent circuits and was carried out and a plasma generating device for medical application was designed and prototype tested. Prototype plasma generating device generates an output voltage of 5.8 kV with 12V input power and is designed to operate at high voltage by applying the half-bridge topology power converter. The results of the study confirmed the availability of various medical devices, such as plasma jets or direct exposure equipment.

• The Journal of Korea Institute of Information, Electronics, and Communication Technology
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.556-561
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• 2020

The aging and declining agricultural population in the modern society requires improvement of the agricultural environment and is one of the representative problems. And since most of the work systems always require a transport work, the ratio of labor consumed in the transport work is very high. Accordingly, many types of transport vehicles are being developed and sold, and in the early days, most of them are powered transport vehicles using fossil fuels. However, it is paying attention to next-generation eco-friendly energy such as hydrogen, fuel cells, solar power, and bio due to the strengthening of international environmental regulations such as global warming and the Convention on Climate Change and the depletion of fossil fuels. Therefore, in this study, the ultimate goal is to develop an eco-friendly, easy-to-operate, safe agricultural electric vehicle that replaces fossil fuels. It was designed with a focus on controlling a wide range of vehicle speeds and securing stability of electric agricultural vehicles. Considering the performance and design, it is composed of a frame, a driving part, a steering part, and a controller system, and we are going to review and manufacture each part. It is believed that the manufactured electric vehicle for agriculture can be easily and conveniently operated in an agricultural society where young manpower is scarce, and can be helpful to the agricultural society through high efficiency.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.39-46
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• 2021

Objectives : AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key metabolic regulator that reduces lipogenesis. AMPK is mainly activated via phosphorylation of liver kinase B (LKB) 1 under energy stress. Here, we highlighted the anti-obesity effect and underlying mechanism of Coix lacryma-jobi var. mayuen Stapf sprout water extract (CSW) sprout extract in connection with the LKB1/AMPK signaling pathway. Methods : C57BL/6 mice (20~25 g) fed HFD to induce obesity and at the same time administered CSW 100 mg/kg (CSWL; (CSWL; CSW low concentration) or CSW 200 mg/kg (CSWH; CSW high concentration) or Garcinia extract (Garcinia) 200 mg/kg orally for 6 weeks. Body weight and food intake were measured at the same time each day. After 6 weeks of CSW administration, liver tissue and serum were obtained through an autopsy. After the end of the experiment, biochemical analysis (triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), HDL-cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol) was performed on the serum. And then, protein levels related to TG and TC synthesis were measured through western blot analysis in liver tissue. Results : As a result, serum TG, TC, and LDL-cholesterol levels were significantly increased in the control group and significantly decreased in the CSW administration group. On the other hand, the HDL-cholesterol level was increased in the CSW-administered group. And as a result of Western blot analysis, CSW significantly increased the phosphorylation of LKB1 & AMPK, and remarkably decreased the expression of factors related to TG and TC synthesis. Conclusions : Our findings suggest that CSW influences the TG and TC synthesis to positively affect HFD-induced obesity in C57BL/6 mice.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.394-407
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• 2023

Ecological restoration is an ecological technology that diagnoses problematic ecological spaces and restores the damaged ecosystem to a healthy appearance similar to its original appearance based on reference information obtained by analyzing intact nature. To achieve successful restoration, the project must be carried out in respect of a series of procedures. However, in Korea, restoration projects are usually actively promoted regardless of diagnostic evaluation, which wastes cost and energy, and the effect is not significant. As the reference information is not utilized, ecological restoration to return the damaged nature makes features different greatly from the appearance of nature, causing another damage. As the restoration effect is not evaluated, it is impossible to determine whether it is successful or not, and as a result, even if the project continues, there is no development and no effect. However, advanced societies have not only made academic progress by respecting these procedures but also have great economic effects along with the improvement of environmental conditions as ecological restoration has become an industry. Therefore, the international society recognizes ecological restoration as an important means of solving environmental problems at the global level, including climate change, and international organizations are actively promoting projects to treat the injured planet. However, most of the restoration projects promoted in Korea were evaluated below the level as a result of the evaluation of the effect. Nevertheless, those who have led low-quality projects are blocking plans to establish ecological restoration as a new industry that can contribute significantly to improving these levels, and thus the problem is expected to worsen. To solve this problem, it is necessary to filter out defective businesses by introducing a strict and correct project evaluation system by dividing it into before and after. Furthermore, it is necessary to establish ecological restoration as an industry and leave the process in the principles of the market.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.1-12
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• 2023

In the current era of the global mobile smart device revolution, electronic devices are required in all spaces that people interact with. The establishment of the internet of things (IoT) among smart devices has been recognized as a crucial objective to advance towards creating a comfortable and sustainable future society. In-mold electronic (IME) processes have gained significant industrial significance due to their ability to utilize conventional high-volume methods, which involve printing functional inks on 2D substrates, thermoforming them into 3D shapes, and injection-molded, manufacturing low-cost, lightweight, and functional components or devices. In this article, we provide an overview of IME and its latest advances in application. We review biomimetic nanomaterials for constructing self-supporting biosensor electronic materials on the body, energy storage devices, self-powered devices, and bio-monitoring technology from the perspective of in-mold electronic devices. We anticipate that IME device technology will play a critical role in establishing a human-machine interface (HMI) by converging with the rapidly growing flexible printed electronics technology, which is an integral component of the fourth industrial revolution.

• Journal of the Korea Society for Simulation
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.77-84
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• 2023

In the agricultural sector, power sources are being developed that use alternative energy sources such as electric tractors and hydrogen tractors, away from internal combustion engine tractors. As parts such as engines and transmissions used in conventional internal combustion engine tractors are replaced with motors and batteries, the center of gravity changes, and thus the risk of rollover should be considered. The purpose of this study is to analyze the overturn angle of the main parts of the electric tractor through dynamic simulation to minimize the overturn accident and to derive the optimal arrangement of parts to improve stability. A total of nine dynamics simulations were conducted by designing three components of the PTO motor, drive motor and the battery pack, and three factors of the arrangement method. As a result of the experiment, it was confirmed that Type3 Level3, in which the drive motor and the PTO motor are located at the front and rear of the tractor, and two battery packs are located in the middle of the tractor, has a high rollover angle. As a result of this study, the stability increased as the center of gravity was placed backward and located below. Future research needs to be done to find the optimal location of parts considering their performance and placement efficiency.