• Toxicological Research
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.167-179
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• 2019

Ovarian cancer is the fifth main cause of pre-senescent death in women. Although chemotherapy is generally an efficient treatment, its side effects and the occurrence of chemotherapeutic resistance have prompted the need for alternative treatments. In this study, ${\alpha}$-mangostin and apigenin were evaluated as possible anticancer alternatives to the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin, used herein as a positive control. The ovarian adenocarcinoma cell line SKOV-3 (ATCC No. HTB77) was used as model ovarian cancer cells, whereas the skin fibroblast line CCD-986Sk (ATCC No. CRL-1947) and lung fibroblast line WI-38 (ATCC No. CCL-75) were used as model untransformed cells. Apigenin and doxorubicin inhibited the growth of SKOV-3 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. After 72 hr exposure, doxorubicin was mostly toxic to SKOV-3 cells, whereas apigenin was toxic to SKOV-3 cells but not CCD-986Sk and WI-38 cells. ${\alpha}$-Mangostin was more toxic to SKOV-3 cells than to CCD-986Sk cells. A lower cell density, cell shrinkage, and more unattached (floating round) cells were observed in all treated SKOV-3 cells, but the greatest effects were observed with ${\alpha}$-mangostin. With regard to programmed cell death, apigenin caused early apoptosis within 24 hr, whereas ${\alpha}$-mangostin and doxorubicin caused late apoptosis and necrosis after 72 hr of exposure. Caspase-3 activity was significantly increased in ${\alpha}$-mangostin-treated SKOV-3 cells after 12 hr of exposure, whereas only caspase-9 activity was significantly increased in apigenin-treated SKOV-3 cells at 24 hr. Both ${\alpha}$-mangostin and apigenin arrested the cell cycle at the $G_2/M$ phase, but after 24 and 48 hr, respectively. Significant upregulation of BCL2 (apoptosis-associated gene) and COX2 (inflammation-associated gene) transcripts was observed in apigenin- and ${\alpha}$-mangostin-treated SKOV-3 cells, respectively. ${\alpha}$-Mangostin and apigenin are therefore alternative options for SKOV-3 cell inhibition, with apigenin causing rapid early apoptosis related to the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, and ${\alpha}$-mangostin likely being involved with inflammation.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.273-288
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• 2021

We analyzed the spatio-temporal distribution characteristics of water quality and phytoplankton communities in the Isa Stream systems (ISS) from Sangsa Lake to Suncheon Bay. Sangsa Lake showed relatively oligotrophic and mesotrophic conditions, but the freshwater and mixed brackish water zones showed more severe eutrophication than Sangsa Lake and Suncheon Bay due to the influence of industrial waste such as livestock waste. In terms of the phytoplankton community, the number of phytoplankton species was higher in freshwater and mixed brackish water zones than in Sangsa Lake and Suncheon Bay, but the cell density and Chlorophyll-a concentrations (Chl-a) were relatively high in Sanga Lake and Suncheon Bay. In particular, the mesotrophic species Fragilaria crotonensis and Asterionella formosa showed different dominance in the surface and bottom layers, and the influence of A. formosa was significant in the freshwater and mixed brackish water zones in spring and summer. However, Skeletonema costatum-ls, a eutrophic indicator species, dominated in mixed brackish water zones to seawater in autumn and winter. Thus, the severe eutrophication and rapid environmental changes in the ISS could seriously damage the coastal ecosystem in Suncheon Bay. These ecosystem changes are threatening in terms of conservation and management of the UNESCO Suncheon Biosphere Reserve and Yeoja Bay including Suncheon Bay, which recorded the first Ramsar wetland in Korea. Therefore, further research is needed to establish an in-depth management plan.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.328-334
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• 2019

Shading paint (water-soluble) is one of the temperature control agents inside of a greenhouse in summer. Plastic film rain shelter is a unique system in Korean, prevents disease development vineyards, but it causes the heat inside a shelter in summer. Shading paint treatment with different shading rates (15, 25, and 35%) outside of plastic rain shelter avoided excessive heat inside. Shading paint influenced sunlight under plastic rain shelter in a different manner at each treatment. 35% of shading paint treatment reduced 45% of PPFD (Photosynthesis Photon Flux Density) than non-treatment control. Shading paint had the significance of efficiency to reduce the temperature under plastic rain shelter. 35% of shading paint treatment reduced $2^{\circ}C$ of bunch temperature than non-treatment control. However, shading paint treatment had not to control lower than ambient temperature. 35% of shading paint treatment is available to prevent excessive heat damage and poor fruit quality under plastic film rain shelter in summer in Korean vineyards.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.553-560
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• 2020

This paper presents an algorithm for identifying and eliminating errors by seagrasses in coastal bathymetry surveying using drone and HD camera. Survey errors due to seagrasses were identified, segmentated and eliminated using a L∗a∗b color space model. Bathymetry survey using a drone and HD camera has many advantages over conventional survey methods such as ship-board acoustic sounder or manual level survey which are time consuming and expensive. However, errors caused by sea bed reflectance due to seagrasses habitat hamper the development of new surveying tool. Seagrasses are the flowering plants which start to grow in November and flourish to maximum density until April in Korea. We developed a new algorithm for identifying seagrasses habitat locations and eliminating errors due to seagrasses to get the accurate depth survey data. We tested our algorithm at Wolpo beach. Bathymetry survey data which were obtained using a drone with HD camera and calibrated to eliminate errors due to seagrasses, were compared with depth survey data obtained using ship-board multi-beam acoustic sounder. The abnormal bathymetry data which are defined as the excess of 1.5 times of a standard deviation of random errors, are composed of 8.6% of the test site of area of 200 m by 300 m. By applying the developed algorithm, 92% of abnnormal bathymetry data were successfully eliminated and 33% of RMS errors were reduced.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.111-123
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• 2021

Objective: Using domestic cats as a biomedical research model for fertility preservation, the present study aimed to characterize the influences of ovarian tissue encapsulation in biodegradable hydrogel matrix (fibrinogen/thrombin) on resilience to cryopreservation, and static versus non-static culture systems following ovarian tissue encapsulation and cryopreservation on follicle quality. Methods: In experiment I, ovarian tissues (n=21 animals; 567 ovarian fragments) were assigned to controls or hydrogel encapsulation with 5 or 10 mg/mL fibrinogen (5 or 10 FG). Following cryopreservation (slow freezing or vitrification), follicle viability, morphology, density, and key protein phosphorylation were assessed. In experiment II (based on the findings from experiment I), ovarian tissues (n=10 animals; 270 ovarian fragments) were encapsulated with 10 FG, cryopreserved, and in vitro cultured under static or non-static systems for 7 days followed by similar follicle quality assessments. Results: In experiment I, the combination of 10 FG encapsulation/slow freezing led to greater post-thawed follicle quality than in the control group, as shown by follicle viability (66.9%±2.2% vs. 61.5%±3.1%), normal follicle morphology (62.2% ±2.1% vs. 55.2%±3.5%), and the relative band intensity of vascular endothelial growth factor protein phosphorylation (0.58±0.06 vs. 0.42±0.09). Experiment II demonstrated that hydrogel encapsulation promoted follicle survival and maintenance of follicle development regardless of the culture system when compared to fresh controls. Conclusion: These results provide a better understanding of the role of hydrogel encapsulation and culture systems in ovarian tissue cryopreservation and follicle quality outcomes using an animal model, paving the way for optimized approaches to human fertility preservation.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.688-701
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• 2020

This study analyzes the characteristics and change factors of technological cooperation networks in the automotive industry. Using Social Network Analysis (SNA) of 112,009 autonomous driving-related patents filed from 2000 to 2017 by major automotive firms in the world, we investigate the structure of the technological cooperation network. Network characteristics such as density are analyzed through structural characteristic analysis among the network analysis indicators. The structural characteristics of the technology cooperation network are confirmed through analysis of status characteristic indicators, such as the degree of centrality, betweenness centrality, and closeness centrality. Results show that car makers such as Toyota and Hyundai Motors, as well as parts suppliers such as Bosch and Continental, have high-performance technology developments related to autonomous driving. The structural characteristics of the network show that companies participating in cooperative networks for autonomous driving technology development have increased in number and are diversified, and all of the status characteristics indicators have decreased. This can be interpreted as an increasing number of horizontal and complementary forms of technological cooperation between firms. In addition, it was confirmed that the number of participants in the field of autonomous driving technology has increased, and the networks have become more complex.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.36 no.6_1
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• pp.1277-1290
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• 2020

Water resources which is formed of surface and groundwater, are considered as one of the pivotal natural resources worldwide. Since last century, the rapid population growth as well as accelerated industrialization and explosive urbanization lead to boost demand for groundwater for domestic, industrial and agricultural use. In fact, better management of groundwater can play crucial role in sustainable development; therefore, determining accurate location of groundwater based groundwater potential mapping is indispensable. In recent years, integration of machine learning techniques, Geographical Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) are popular and effective methods employed for groundwater potential mapping. For determining the status of the integrated approach, a systematic review of 94 directly relevant papers were carried out over the six previous years (2015-2020). According to the literature review, the number of studies published annually increased rapidly over time. The total study area spanned 15 countries, and 85.1% of studies focused on Iran, India, China, South Korea, and Iraq. 20 variables were found to be frequently involved in groundwater potential investigations, of which 9 factors are almost always present namely slope, lithology (geology), land use/land cover (LU/LC), drainage/river density, altitude (elevation), topographic wetness index (TWI), distance from river, rainfall, and aspect. The data integration was carried random forest, support vector machine and boost regression tree among the machine learning techniques. Our study shows that for optimal results, groundwater mapping must be used as a tool to complement field work, rather than a low-cost substitute. Consequently, more study should be conducted to enhance the generalization and precision of groundwater potential map.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.53 no.12
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• pp.1193-1201
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• 2020

This study aims to develop a regression model that estimates a low-flow index that can be applied to ungauged basins. A total of 30 midsized basins in South Korea use long-term runoff data provided by the National Integrated Water Management System (NIWMS) to calculate average low-flow, average minimum streamflow, and low-flow index duration and frequency. This information is used in the correlation analysis with 18 basin factors and 3 climate change factors to identify the basin area, average basin altitude, average basin slope, water system density, runoff curve number, annual evapotranspiration, and annual precipitation in the low-flow index regression model. This study evaluates the model's accuracy by using the root-mean-square error (RMSE) and the mean absolute error (MAE) for 10 ungauged, verified basins and compares them with the previous model's low-flow calculations to determine the effectiveness of the newly developed model. Comparative analysis indicates that the new regression model produces average low-flow, attributed to the consideration of varied basin and hydrologic factors during the new model's development.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.139-147
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• 2021

In this study, waves were defined using the water surface elevation data observed from the HeMOSU-1 and 2 marine meteorological observation towers installed on the west coast of Korea, and correlation analysis was performed between wave parameters. The wave height and wave period were determined using the wave-train analysis method and the wave spectrum analysis method, and the relationship between the wave parameters was calculated and compared with the previous study. In the relation between representative wave heights, most of the correlation coefficients between waves showed a difference of less than 0.1% in error rate compared to the previous study, and the maximum wave height showed a difference of up to 29%. In addition, as a result of the correlation analysis between the wave periods, the peak period was estimated to be abnormally large at rates of 2.5% and 1.3% in HeMOSU-1&2, respectively, due to the effect of the bimodal spectrum that occurs when the spectral energy density is small.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.217-225
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• 2021

In this study, wave spectrum data were calculated using the water surface elevation data observed at 5Hz intervals from the HeMOSU-2 meteorological tower installed on the west coast of Korea, and wave parameters were estimated using wave spectrum data. For all significant wave height ranges, the peak enhancement parameter (γ_opt) of the JONSWAP spectrum and the scale parameter (α) and shape parameter (β) of the modify BM spectrum were estimated based on the observed spectrum, and the distribution of each parameter was confirmed. As a result of the analysis, the peak enhancement parameter (γ_opt) of the JONSWAP spectrum was calculated to be 1.27, which is very low compared to the previously proposed 3.3. And in the range of all significant wave heights, the distribution of the peak enhancement parameter (γ_opt) was shown as a combined distribution of probability mass function (PMF) and probability density function (PDF). In addition, the scale parameter (α) and shape parameter (β) of the modify BM spectrum were estimated to be [0.245, -1.278], which are lower than the existing [0.300, -1.098], and the result of the linear correlation analysis between the two parameters was β = -3.86α.