• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.74-78
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• 2011

Numerous restraints and simplifications have been developed for methods that anticipate protein structure to reduce the colossal magnitude of possible conformational states. In this study, we investigated if globularity is a general characteristic of proteins and whether they can be applied as a valid constraint in protein structure simulations with approximated measurements (Gb-index). Unexpectedly, most of the proteins showed strong structural globularity (i.e., mode of approximately 76% similarity to the perfect globe) with only a few percent of proteins being outliers. Small proteins tended to be significantly non-globular ($R^2$=0.79) and the minimum Gb-index showed a logarithmic increase with the increase in protein size ($R^2$=0.62), strongly implying that the non-globular characteristics might be more acceptable for smaller proteins than larger ones. The strong perfect globe-like character and the relationship between small size and the loss of globular structure of a protein may imply that living organisms have mechanisms to aid folding into the globular structure to reduce irreversible aggregation. This also implies the possible mechanisms of diseases caused by protein aggregation, including some forms of trinucleotide repeat expansion-mediated diseases.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.232-235
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• 2018

Background: This study was conducted to investigate the heat stress and semen quality among male workers in a steel industry in Iran and investigate the relationship between heat stress indices and semen parameters. Methods: The study was conducted on workers exposed (n = 30) and unexposed (n = 14) to heat in a steel industry. After obtaining a brief biography of the selected employees, scrotal temperature, oral temperature, and environmental parameters were measured, and their semen samples were analyzed according to the procedure recommended by the World Health Organization. The heat stress indices, including wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and predicted heat strain (PHS), in their workplace were calculated according to environmental parameters (ISO 7243:1989 and 7933:2004, respectively). Results: Time-weighted averages of WBGT and PHS ($35.76^{\circ}C$ and 491.56 $w/m^2{\frac{w}{m^2}}$, respectively) for the exposed group were higher than threshold limit values. The mean difference of environmental, physiological, and semen parameters (exception: pH of semen), and also WBGT and PHS indices were statistically significant (p < 0.05) between the two groups. Mean semen parameters were in the normozoospermic range. WBGT and PHS indices showed significantly "negative" correlation with physiological parameters (scrotal and oral temperature) and most semen parameters (semen volume, sperm morphology, sperm motility, sperm count; p < 0.05); moreover, the correlation of WBGT with these parameters was stronger than PHS. Conclusion: Semen parameters of the studied workers exposed to heat were in the borderline level of normozoospermic range, and their semen parameters were significantly lower than controls. For better assessment of occupational environment concerning physiological and semen parameters in steel industries, WBGT can be a more useful index.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• 제7권9호
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• pp.659-672
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• 2020

The outbreak of a recent strain of Coronavirus, known as 'COVID-19', has spread sharply from China across the globe, resulting in a dramatic recession in the global economy. This uncertainty has therefore negatively influenced the business perspective and the various formulated strategies that may not considered such [extreme] circumstances. Using baseline analysis and archival data, this paper reports some of the major implications of COVID-19 on global business and strategy and puts forward suggested research agenda as potential future directions for organizations. In order to survive and remain sustainable, this paper argues that businesses need to revisit their strategies during current COVID-19 crises from three perspectives, including supporting human resources financial commitment, forming cross-functional teams and connecting with their supply chains, as well as investing in corporate social responsibility and doubling down efforts with regard to partnerships. The study also represents a preliminary analysis to the implications of COVID-19 on the business and strategies across the globe and is considered the first such in the field of business, as to date all research papers on COVID-19 have been published in medical-related journals. Directions for future research are also proposed at the end of this study.

• 드라이브 ㆍ 컨트롤
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.28-34
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• 2021

Among the currently available types of fuel, LNG emits a relatively small amount of nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide when it burns in the engine. However, since LNG is a flammable material, leakage during bunkering can lead to accidents, such as fires. Therefore, it is necessary to install a remote operation emergency shut-down (ESD) valve to block the flow and leakage of LNG in an emergency situation that occurs during bunkering. The ESD valve uses a hydraulic driving device consisting of a hydraulic control valve and a hydraulic motor to control globe valve disc displacement, which regulates the flow path for LNG transfer. At this time, there are various nonlinearities in hydraulic driving devices; hence, it is necessary to design a controller with robust control performance against these uncertainties. In this study, modeling of the ESD valve was carried out, and a sliding mode controller to control the displacement of the globe valve disc was designed. As a result, it was confirmed that the designed control performance could be achieved by overcoming nonlinearity characteristics using the designed controller.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제14권3호
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• pp.325-331
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• 2023

Background: Heat stress is a harmful physical hazard in many occupational settings. However, consequences of occupational heat exposure among workers in a sugarcane factory in Ethiopia are not well characterized. This study aimed to assess the level of occupational heat exposure-related symptoms and contributing factors. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, five workstations were selected for temperature measurement. Heat stress levels were measured using a wet-bulb globe temperature index meter. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select 1,524 participants. Heat-related symptoms were assessed using validated questionnaires. Results: The level of occupational heat exposure was 72.4% (95% CI: 70.2%-74.8%), while 71.6% (95% CI: 69.3%-74.9%) of participants experienced at least one symptom related to heat stress. The most common heat-related symptoms were swelling of hands and feet (78%), severe thirst (77.8%) and dry mouth (77.4%). The identified risk factors were a lack of reflective shields (AOR: 2.20, 95% CI: 1.53, 3.17), not-enclosed extreme heat sources (AOR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.23, 2.51), a lack of access to shade (AOR: 9.62, 95% CI: 6.20, 14.92), and inappropriate protective clothing provision (AOR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.27, 2.71). Conclusions: The burden of occupational heat exposure and heat-induced symptoms was high. Lack of reflective shields, the absence of enclosed extreme heat sources, a lack of access to shade, and inappropriate protective clothing provision were considerable attributes of heat stress. Therefore, the use of mechanical solutions to stop heat emissions at their sources and the key factors identified were areas for future intervention.

• 한국해양학회지:바다
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.24-31
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• 2007

본 연구에서는 다매체 환경모델인 Globe-POP(persistent organic pollutant)을 이용하여, 1930년대부터 대기 중으로 배출된 polychlorinated biphenyl(PCB)의 전 지구적 환경거동에 대해서 살펴보고, 다매체 환경모델의 보완사항을 논의하였다. 각 환경매체의 PCB 축적은 대기 중으로의 배출패턴에 직접적인 영향을 받는 것이 확인되었으며, 이 외에도 환경매체의 면적, 분배계수, 분해율 등에 따라서 결정되었다. 지난 70년 동안 각 기후대의 배출량 분포는 일정하게 유지되었으나, 고위도 환경매체로의 축적량이 시간에 따라 증가하는 저온응축 현상을 확인하였다. 북반구 온대지역은 PCB 배출량과 환경매체로의 축적량에 있어서 가장 중요한 지역으로 평가되었으며, 대부분의 PCB는 토양과 해양으로 축적되는 것으로 예측되었다. 한편, 남극에는 중요한 오염원이 없음에도 불구하고, 매우 낮은 온도로 인해 전 지구적인 오염원 위치와는 크게 상관없이 POPs가 축적되는 것으로 추정되었다. 남극을 포함한 극지와 계절적 강설이 있는 북반구 고위도 지역의 POPs 거동을 신뢰성 있게 파악하기 위하여, 설빙을 포함한 water balance의 작성을 제안하였다. 이와 같이 개선된 다매체 환경모델은 미래의 기후변화에 따른 전 지구적 POPs 거동을 예측하는데 유용하게 사용될 수 있을 것이다.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• 제31권2호
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• pp.74-79
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• 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was first identified in Wuhan, China, in late December of 2019 is rapidly spreading across the globe. The South Korean government has ordered the closure of all schools, as part of its attempts to use social distancing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The effects of the school closures on reducing contagion are generally positive; however, the measure is controversial because of the socioeconomic ripple effect that accompanies it. The author briefly reviewed the existing literature on the mental health aspects of disasters and presents the issues related to school closures due to pandemics, from medical and socioeconomic perspectives and in terms of children's mental health. The results of this review suggest that research on children's mental health in relation to the adoption of school closures as a pandemic mitigation strategy is urgently needed.

• 한국지구과학회지
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• 제43권6호
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• pp.712-736
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• 2022

To understand the characteristics of low-level clouds (CLs), environmental variables are composited on each CL using individual surface observations and six-hourly upper-air meteorologies around the globe. Individual CLs has its own distinct environmental conditions. Over the eastern subtropical and western North Pacific Ocean in JJA, stratocumulus (CL5) has a colder sea surface temperature (SST), stronger and lower inversion, and more low-level cloud amount (LCA) than the climatology whereas cumulus (CL12) has the opposite characteristics. Over the eastern subtropical Pacific, CL5 and CL12 are influenced by cold and warm advection within the PBL, respectively but have similar cold advection over the western North Pacific. This indicates that the fundamental physical process distinguishing CL5 and CL12 is not the horizontal temperature advection but the interaction with the underlying sea surface, i.e., the deepening-decoupling of PBL and the positive feedback between shortwave radiation and SST. Over the western North Pacific during JJA, sky-obscuring fog (CL11), no low-level cloud (CL0), and fair weather stratus (CL6) are associated with anomalous warm advection, surface-based inversion, mean upward flow, and moist mid-troposphere with the strongest anomalies for CL11 followed by CL0. Over the western North Pacific during DJF, bad weather stratus (CL7) occurs in the warm front of the extratropical cyclone with anomalous upward flow while cumulonimbus (CL39) occurs on the rear side of the cold front with anomalous downward flow. Over the tropical oceans, CL7 has strong positive (negative) anomalies of temperature in the upper troposphere (PBL), relative humidity, and surface wind speed in association with the mesoscale convective system while CL12 has the opposite anomalies and CL39 is in between.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.1-21
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• 2010

e-Government is an innovative phenomenon around the globe for refurbishing public administration. Research to date, however, has been deficient in empirical studies of the factors that emerge out of the interplay of structure and human interactions responsible for successful implementation of e-Government projects. From the perspective of structuration theory, this study examines and explains the impact of this interplay in the implementation of an e-Government system, eSeva for local administration at one of the Indian state, The results suggest that the success of implementation of e-Government projects can be conceptualized as the outcome of persisting constructive interrelationships among the human, programmatic and institutional elements of e-Government and the critical learning and adaptation as a result of efforts at the structuration level.

• 한국멀티미디어학회논문지
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.447-459
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• 2020

The Internet of Things(IoT) paradigm is flourishing strenuously for the last two decades. Researchers around the globe have their dreams to transmute every real-world object to the virtual object. Consequently, IoT devices are escalating exponentially. The abrupt evolution of these IoT devices has caused a major challenge i.e. object classification. In order to classify devices comprehensively and accurately, this paper proposes a context-aware based multi-classification model for devices, which classifies the smart devices according to people's contexts. However, the classification features of contextual data of different contexts are difficult to extract. The deep learning algorithm has the capability to solve this problem. This paper proposes a context-aware based multi-classification model of devices, which classifies the smart devices according to people's contexts.