• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.90-94
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• 2024

Diagnosing wounds presents a significant challenge in clinical settings due to its complexity and the subjective assessments by clinicians. Wound deep learning algorithms quantitatively assess wounds, overcoming these challenges. However, a limitation in existing research is reliance on specific datasets. To address this limitation, we created a comprehensive dataset by combining open dataset with self-produced dataset to enhance clinical applicability. In the annotation process, machine learning based on Gradient Vector Flow (GVF) was utilized to improve objectivity and efficiency over time. Furthermore, the deep learning model was equipped U-net with residual blocks. Significant improvements were observed using the input dataset with images cropped to contain only the wound region of interest (ROI), as opposed to original sized dataset. As a result, the Dice score remarkably increased from 0.80 using the original dataset to 0.89 using the wound ROI crop dataset. This study highlights the need for diverse research using comprehensive datasets. In future study, we aim to further enhance and diversify our dataset to encompass different environments and ethnicities.

• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2023

Liver organoids have gained much attention in recent years for their potential applications to liver disease modeling and pharmacologic drug screening. Liver organoids produced in vitro reflect some aspects of the in vivo physiological and pathological conditions of the liver. However, the generation of liver organoids with perfusable luminal vasculature remains a major challenge, hindering precise and effective modeling of liver diseases. Furthermore, vascularization is required for large organoids or assembloids to closely mimic the complexity of tissue architecture without cell death in the core region. A few studies have successfully generated liver organoids with endothelial cell networks, but most of these vascular networks produced luminal structures after being transplanted into tissues of host animals. Therefore, formation of luminal vasculature is an unmet need to overcome the limitation of liver organoids as an in vitro model investigating different acute and chronic liver diseases. Here, we provide an overview of the unique features of hepatic vasculature under pathophysiological conditions and summarize the biochemical and biophysical cues that drive vasculogenesis and angiogenesis in vitro. We also highlight recent progress in generating vascularized liver organoids in vitro and discuss potential strategies that may enable the generation of perfusable luminal vasculature in liver organoids.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.66 no.4
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• pp.1-15
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• 2024

In recent years, climate change has been responsible for unusual weather patterns on a global scale. Droughts, natural disasters triggered by insufficient rainfall, can inflict significant social and economic consequences on the entire agricultural sector due to their widespread occurrence and the challenge in accurately predicting their onset. The frequency of drought occurrences in South Korea has been rapidly increasing since 2000, with notably severe droughts hitting regions such as Incheon, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungbuk, and Gyeongbuk in 2015, resulting in significant agricultural and social damage. To prepare for future drought occurrences resulting from climate change, it is essential to develop long-term drought predictions and implement corresponding measures for areas prone to drought. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report outlines a climate change scenario under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), which integrates projected future socio-economic changes and climate change mitigation efforts derived from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 (CMIP6). SSPs encompass a range of factors including demographics, economic development, ecosystems, institutions, technological advancements, and policy frameworks. In this study, various drought indices were calculated using SSP scenarios derived from 18 CMIP6 global climate models. The SSP5-8.5 scenario was employed as the climate change scenario, and meteorological drought indices such as the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Self-Calibrating Effective Drought Index (scEDI), and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) were utilized to analyze the prediction and variability of future drought occurrences in South Korea.

• Clinical and Experimental Vaccine Research
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.304-312
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• 2023

Purpose: Due to the many problems with commercially available vaccines, the production of effective vaccines against brucellosis is a necessity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the immune responses caused by the chimeric protein consisting of trigger factor, Bp26, and Omp31 (TBO) along with aluminum hydroxide (AH/TBO) and selenium (Se/TBO) nanoparticles (NPs) as adjuvants in mouse model. Materials and Methods: Recombinant antigen expression was induced in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) bacteria using IPTG (isopropyl-d-1-thiogalactopyranoside). Purification and characterization of recombinant protein was conducted through NiFe₃O₄ NPs, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and Western blot. NP characteristics, including morphology and particle size, were measured in vitro. The recombinant TBO was loaded on to AH and Se NPs and were administered subcutaneously. After mice immunization, measurement of antibody titter and protection assay was performed. Results: The average sizes of AH and Se NPs were about 60 nm and 150 nm, respectively. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay results showed that the serum of mice immunized by subcutaneous injection with both nanovaccines produced significant immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses against the chimeric antigen. The results of TBO-specific IgG isotype (IgG2a/IgG1) analysis showed that both AH and Se NPs induced a type to T-helper immune response. In addition, the results of the challenge with the pathogenic strain of Brucella melitensis 16M showed that vaccinated mice with AH/TBO NPs indicated a higher reduction of bacterial culture than immunized mice with Se/TBO NPs and TBO alone. Conclusion: The results showed that AH NPs carrying chimeric antigen can be a promising vaccine candidate against brucellosis by producing protective immunity.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.92-100
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• 2015

Unlike most other planning processes, brownfield planning generally requires a high level of technical and legal expertise due to potential site contamination. To successfully engage in inclusionary decision making, an adaptive collaboration strategy for brownfield planning is therefore critical. This study examines how a communicative planning approach can be used to overcome the challenge of enabling experts from different fields to work alongside lay people from the local community to achieve a properly balanced collaboration in brownfield planning. After identifying appropriate indicators for collaboration through a literature review of established communicative planning theory, these indicators are applied to the brownfield planning process, highlighting critical points of collaboration such as site prioritization, assessment, remediation, and redevelopment throughout. The results suggest the critical need for an adaptive model focusing on three aspects: 1. Facilitation of a balanced dialogue between the experts with social, cultural, and design-based knowledge and the ones with scientific and engineering-based knowledge, 2. Preparation of an appropriate tool for risk communication with the lay people, 3. Development of decision support system for the integration of expert-oriented technical data and public opinion-oriented subjective data.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.473-477
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• 2012

Introduction: The esophagus squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most deadly malignances, and a current challenge is the development of effective therapeutic agents. Our present work addressed the effect of HIF-$1{\alpha}$ siRNA alone or in combination with cisplatin on the growth of ESCC in nude mice. Materials and Methods: Xenografts were established by inoculating ESCC TE-1 cells in nude mice, and transplanted tumors were treated with HIF-$1{\alpha}$ siRNA, cisplatin alone or together. Growth was assessed by measuring tumor volume. HIF-$1{\alpha}$ mRNA and protein expression were detected using RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Apoptosis of ESCC TE-1 cells was analyzed by flow cytometry. Results: In our nude mice model, HIF-$1{\alpha}$ siRNA effectively inhibited the growth of transplanted ESCC, downregulating HIF-$1{\alpha}$ mRNA and protein expression, and inducing ESCC TE-1 cell apoptosis. Notably when combinated with cisplatin, HIF-$1{\alpha}$ siRNA showed synergistic interaction in suppressing tumor growth. Furthermore, the proportion of apoptotic cells in HIF-$1{\alpha}$ siRNA plus cisplatin group was significantly higher than that in cisplatin or HIF-$1{\alpha}$ siRNA-treated groups (P<0.05). Conclusions: Down-regulated HIF-$1{\alpha}$ expression induced by siRNA could effectively suppress the growth of transplanted ESCC $in$ $vivo$. HIF-$1{\alpha}$ siRNA could enhance the cytotoxicity of cisplatin, which suggests that a combination of these two agents may have potential for therapy of advanced ESCC.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.7651-7656
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• 2013

Background: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women in both developed and developing countries. The burden is increasing in low-income and middle-income countries (LMCs) and threatens the public health of such societies. Introduction of expensive monoclonal antibodies to cancer treatment regimens poses a real challenge in the health systems of LMCs. Despite controversy of cost-effectiveness of bevacizumab in breast cancer, some studies indicate gain of patients from this drug. The present study aimed to propose a priority setting model for administration of anti-angiogenic agents in breast cancer via assessment of tumor angiogenesis by the microvessel density (MVD) method and associations with clinicopathological characteristics (including simultaneous mutations of TP53 and HER-2 genes). Materials and Methods: Age, axillary lymph nodes status, tumor size, stage and grade, estrogen and progesterone receptors status, HER-2/neu status (by immunohistochemistry and FISH test), TP53 mutation, Ki-67 (for proliferation assay) and CD34 (for angiogenesis assay) were assessed in 111 breast cancer patients. The molecular subtype of each tumor was also determined and correlations of simultaneous mutations of HER-2 and p53 genes with angiogenesis and other clinicopathological characteristics were evaluated. Results: There were significant associations between simultaneous mutations of HER-2 and p53 genes and all other parameters except tumor size. The degree of angiogenesis in the ERBB2 subtype was greater than the others. Younger patients showed a higher angiogenesis rate rather those older than 50 years. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that patients with simultaneous mutations of HER-2 and p53 genes, those with ERBB2 molecular subtype and also younger women (often triple negative) seem more eligible for obtaining anti-angiogenic agents. These results suggest a model for priority setting of patients with breast cancer for treatment with anti-angiogenic drugs in LMCs.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.369-383
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate the determinants of intent to leave among IT industry employees, based on the Price's structural model of employee turnover. The sample used in this study were composed of 370 employees from 10 IT firms located in Seoul and Gyeonggi-Do. Data were collected with self-administered questionnaires and analyzed using structural equation modelling technique. This study found that four task reward variables(job variety, job autonomy, job challenge, and role ambiguity), two social reward variables (supervisory support and coworker support), three organizational reward variables(promotional chances, job security, and distributive justice) and one environmental variable(job opportunity), had significant effects on IT industry employees' intent to leave in terms of total effects and his directions of those significant effects were consistent with theoretical predictions; and that two mediating variables, job satisfaction and organizational commitment had the most important effects on IT industry employees' intent to leave in terms of total effects. The theoretical and practical implications of the research findings were discussed and the directions for future research were suggested.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.263-302
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• 2003

Since new Korean arbitration law was modeledafter UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration Law, the judicial review on the arbitral award is at most limited to fundamental procedural justice. Thus, drafting valid arbitration clause is paramount important to enforce arbitral awards in the new legal environment. A losing party in arbitral process would often claim of the invalidity of arbitration agreement to challenge the arbitral award. Especially, the validity of arbitration clause in the construction contracts is often challenged in Korean courts. This is because the construction contracts usually include selective arbitration agreement in multi-tiered dispute resolution clause that is drafted ambiguous or uncertain. In this paper selective arbitration agreement means a clause in a contract that provides that party may choose arbitration or litigation to resolve disputes arising out of the concerned contract. On the hand multi-tiered dispute resolution clause means a clause in a contract that provides for distinct stages such as negotiation, mediation or arbitration. However, Korean courts are not in the same position on the validity of selective arbitration agreementin multi-tiered dispute resolution clause. Some courts in first instance recognized its validity on the ground that parties still intend to arbitrate in the contract despite the poor drafted arbitration clause. Other courts reject its validity on the ground that parties did not intend to resort to arbitration only with giving up their right to sue at courts to resolve their disputes by choosing selective arbitration agreement. Several cases are recently on pending at the Supreme Courts, which decision is expected to yield the court's position in uniform way. Having reviewed recent Korean courts' decisions on validity and applicability of arbitration agreement, this article suggests that courts are generally in favor of arbitration system It is also found that some courts' decisions narrowly interpreted the concerned stipulations in arbitration law despite they are in favorable position to the arbitration itself. However, most courts in major countries broadly interpret arbitration clause in favor of validity of selective arbitration agreement even if the arbitration clause is poorly drafted but parties are presume to intend to arbitrate. In conclusion it is desirable that selective arbitration agreement should be interpreted favorable to the validity of arbitration agreement. It is time for Korean courts to resolve this issue in the spirit of UNCITRAL model arbitration law which the new Korean arbitration law is based on.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.15 no.4 s.71
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• pp.652-656
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• 2005

Tuberculosis is the leading infectious disease in the world. It is urgent to develop new vaccine and treating drugs. Besides vaccines, we want to know the effects of regular swim training on TB infection in the mouse model. This study was designed to examine the effects of regular swim training on lung and spleen TB counts and $INF-\gamma$ activity in the trained mice at different temperature. The trained mice underwent a 10-wk endurance swim training (5 times/wk) in water at $29\~33^{\circ}C$ (WWG) and $21\~23^{\circ}C$(CWG) for 60 min. And they were divided into 3 groups according to the regular swim training (CG; control, WWG; warm water group, and CWG; cold water group). Mice were challenged by aerosol infection with M. tuberculosis H37Rv using an inhalation device (Glas-Col, Terre Haute, Ind.) calibrated to deliver bacteria into lungs. Three weeks after immunization, the mice were challenged. Four weeks after challenge, the mice were sacrificed and the numbers of viable bacteria in lung and spleen were determined by plating serial dilution of whole organ homogenates on nutrient Middlebrook 7H11 agar (Difco, Detroit, MI). Colonies were counted after four weeks incubation at $37^{\circ}C$. All data were expressed as mean, standard deviation by using SPSS package program (win 10.0). The result through the statistical analysis of this data were summarized as follows; In the weight changes, there were significant differences among CG, WWG, and CWG following the swim training at different temperature, and CWG was the lowest. In the change of $INF-\gamma$ following the swim training, there were significant differences (p<.05) among CG, WWG, and CWG after stimulated with media and CFP. In MTB counts, there were significant differences (p<.05) between CG and WWG in the lung. And also there were significant differences (p<.05) among CG, WWG, and CWG. These results suggest that regular swim training suppress Th1 immune response caused by decreased $INF-\gamma$ level in the WWG, Also For the WWG, highly increased level of TB counts appear in the lung and spleen compare to CG.