• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.87-102
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• 2023

Globally, acute gastroenteritis is responsible for two million pediatric deaths. In particular, viral gastroenteritis is the most common cause of acute diarrhea, and most children aged <5 years are infected at least once. The common symptoms include profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and fever. Viral gastroenteritis is generally caused by rotavirus, norovirus, astrovirus, and adenovirus. Recently, probiotics use has increased rapidly worldwide due to its inhibitory effect against viral gastroenteritis. In addition, probiotics are known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects and enhance immunity without any side effects. Therefore, this review focuses on the anti-viral effects of probiotics on viral gastroenteritis. Furthermore, this review would provide basic data that could be used for developing new products that have improved functionality by addition of probiotics to milk and dairy food.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2024

Objectives: The demand for dental care is expected to increase as the population ages. This study aimed to predict the utilization of dental implant care following the expansion of national health insurance benefits for dental implants. Methods: Multiple linear regression analysis was performed on HIRA big data open portal data and DNN-based artificial intelligence models to forecast the utilization of dental care in relation to the national health insurance coverage for dental implants. Results: National health insurance coverage of dental implants was found to be associated with the number of patients using dental implant services and demonstrated a statistical significance. The dental implant services utilization increased with the increased dental implant health insurance benefits for the elderly population, increased mean by region, increased number of dental institutions by region, and increased health insurance coverage rate for dental implants. However, the dental implant services utilization decreased with the increased number of older people living alone and increased size of dental institutions. Conclusions: With the expansion of the national health insurance coverage for dental implants, it is predicted that the utilization of dental implant medical services will increase in the future.

• Advanced Industrial SCIence
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.23-30
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• 2024

This study aimed to examine the changes in dynamic balance exercises after performing lunge exercises on unstable surfaces and on the ground. Participants were divided into a BOSU training group, a balance pad training group, and a ground training group, and performed lunge exercises. As a result, the functional reach test significantly increased in both the BOSU training group and the ground training group, while the Y-balance test significantly increased only in the balance pad training group. No significant differences were found between the groups. Through this study, it was confirmed that although differences between lunge exercises on the ground and on unstable surfaces were not identified, lunge exercises do influence balance ability.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.49-55
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• 2024

Accurate measurement of blood pressure is essential for classifying an individual's disease, identifying blood pressure-related risks, and managing health. Due to the environmental and health hazards of mercury sphygmomanometers, automatic sphygmomanometers using the oscillometric method are widely used in hospitals as well as in general homes, and have established themselves as a practical standard sphygmomanometer. In this study, we developed a blood pressure simulator using an actuator that provides simulated pressure to an automatic blood pressure cuff. The developed blood pressure simulator adopts an arm-shaped cylindrical shape similar to the situation in which a person measures blood pressure with an automatic blood pressure monitor, and implements a method of transmitting pressure to the cuff using a pressure plate. Accuracy was evaluated through the mean and standard deviation of the difference with the commercialized blood pressure simulator BP PUMP 2, and reproducibility was confirmed using two automatic blood pressure monitors. The developed blood pressure simulator enables automatic blood pressure monitoring in a simple manner and also meets the evaluation standards for accuracy and reproducibility. In the future, as a standardized blood pressure simulator, it is expected to be of great help in evaluating and verifying the performance of automatic blood pressure monitors by supplementing precise hardware and software and building a blood pressure database.

• The Journal of Economics, Marketing and Management
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.11-18
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• 2024

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to suggest the activation plan of the post-construction sales through the results of a survey on the perception of Seoul citizens and experts. Research design, data and methodology: The purpose of this study is to suggest the activation plan of the post-construction sales through the results of a survey on the perception of Seoul citizens and experts. Results: According to a survey of Seoul citizens' perceptions, 76.7% of Seoul citizens were well aware of post-construction sales and recognized that post-construction sales would reduce pre-sale speculation and confusion in the real estate market. Second, 73.6% of Seoul citizens were willing to buy houses through post-construction sales, and third, 79.6% of Seoul citizens recognized that a post-sale system was necessary. Experts' opinions generally responded to the expansion of the introduction of post-construction sales, saying, 'It is necessary for both the public and the private sectors'. Second, while experts say that there are also positive effects, negative effects such as polarization centered on large corporations, an increase in sales prices, and a decrease in housing supply are also concerned. Third, experts responded that 'diversification of financing methods' is the most important task in revitalizing the post-sale system. Conclusions: The policy implications are that it is necessary to mandate the post-construction sales in the long term, and that the quality assurance system needs to be supplemented even if the sale is promoted post-construction sales. In addition, private participation is essential to revitalize the post-construction sales, and government support such as initial financing, low-interest rates, and various financing measures should be sought to expand private participation.

• Journal of Wellbeing Management and Applied Psychology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.49-56
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• 2024

Purpose: Construction sites are currently facing a socialization problem as the incidence of thermal disease-related disasters increases due to summer heat waves, exacerbated by factors like the concentration of middle-aged and older workers and global warming. The reason why construction sites are particularly vulnerable to heat waves is that there are many outdoor work, which is the peculiarity of the construction industry, and most of the construction workers are elderly. This study analyzes disaster statistics of workers at construction sites for five years to investigate the occurrence of thermal diseases and analyze factors through disaster cases to provide basic data for future disasters to be reduced. Research design, data, and methodology: According to the Construction Workers' Mutual Aid Association, as of June, more than 60% of the construction workers working in the field were in their 50s and 60s. More than 24% are in their 60s and older. Thermal diseases caused by heat waves occur when exposed to high heat or strong sunlight for a long time, accompanied by headaches and dizziness. The problem is that many elderly people have underlying diseases, so if they lose consciousness, they cannot easily recover and are likely to die. Results: According to industrial accident statistics, 182 people were injured by heat-related diseases in the summer from 2016 to 2021, of which 29 died. In particular, in the construction industry, which has a lot of outdoor work, 87 people were injured and 20 people died. Conclusions: In order to prevent heat diseases caused by outdoor work, it is emphasized that exposure time is controlled, and sufficient rest and hydration are essential. Rest, water, and shade are in line with the three principles.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.87 no.1
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• pp.52-64
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• 2024

Chronic respiratory diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and respiratory infections injure the alveoli; the damage evoked is mostly irreversible and occasionally leads to death. Achieving a detailed understanding of the pathogenesis of these fatal respiratory diseases has been hampered by limited access to human alveolar tissue and the differences between mice and humans. Thus, the development of human alveolar organoid (AO) models that mimic in vivo physiology and pathophysiology has gained tremendous attention over the last decade. In recent years, human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have been successfully employed to generate several types of organoids representing different respiratory compartments, including alveolar regions. However, despite continued advances in three-dimensional culture techniques and single-cell genomics, there is still a profound need to improve the cellular heterogeneity and maturity of AOs to recapitulate the key histological and functional features of in vivo alveolar tissue. In particular, the incorporation of immune cells such as macrophages into hPSC-AO systems is crucial for disease modeling and subsequent drug screening. In this review, we summarize current methods for differentiating alveolar epithelial cells from hPSCs followed by AO generation and their applications in disease modeling, drug testing, and toxicity evaluation. In addition, we review how current hPSC-AOs closely resemble in vivo alveoli in terms of phenotype, cellular heterogeneity, and maturity.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.253-260
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• 2024

Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is an efficient method for utilizing renewable energy sources such as wind and solar powers to produce green hydrogen. For PEMWE powered by renewable energy sources, its durability is a crucial factor in its performance since irregular and fluctuating characteristics of renewable energy sources, especially for wind power, can deteriorate the stability of PEMWE. Triangular voltage cycle is well able to simulate fluctuating wind power, but its effect on the durability has not been investigated extensively. In this study, the performance degradation of the PEMWE cell operated with the triangular voltage cycling was investigated at different ramping rates. The measured current responses during the cycling gradually decreased for both ramping rates, and I-V curve measurements before and after the cycling confirmed the degradation of the performances of PEMWE. For both measurements, the degradation rate was larger for 300 mV s^-1 than 30 mV s^-1, and they were determined as 0.36 and 1.26 mV h^-1 (at the current density of 2 A cm^-2) at the ramping rates of 30 and 300 mV s^-1, respectively. The comparison with other studies on triangular voltage cycling also indicate that an increase in the ramping rate accelerates the deterioration of the PEMWE performance. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy results showed that the Ir catalyst was oxidized and did not dissolve during the voltage cycling. This study suggests that the ramping rate of the triangular voltage cycling is an important factor for the evaluation of the durability of PEMWE cells.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.162-170
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• 2024

The domestic swine industry is currently facing a threat due to the recent increase in pork imports. This study aims to determine what factors influence consumers' intention to consume imported pork and suggest measures to support the domestic pork industry. To achieve this, we analyzed data from the Korea Rural Economic Institute's Food Consumption Behavior Survey using a binary logistic regression model. The results revealed that a higher intention to consume imported pork is linked to a higher intention to consume imported rice, purchasing meat online, frequent purchases of HMR, and procuring U.S. beef, especially among urban residents. On the other hand, a lower intention to consume imported pork is associated with a higher awareness of animal welfare certification, frequently dining out, and older age. Based on these findings, we propose the following response measures for the domestic swine industry: implementing educational programs, marketing, and advertising specifically targeting urban residents to improve their perception of domestic agricultural products; enhancing price competitiveness through distribution optimization; and developing policies to promote the use of domestic pork as an ingredient in processed foods.

• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.27-35
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• 2023

Background and Objectives: Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are the most primitive cells in spermatogenesis and are the only adult stem cells capable of passing on the genome of a given species to the next generation. SSCs are the only adult stem cells known to exhibit high Oct4 expression and can be induced to self-reprogram into pluripotent cells depending on culture conditions. Epigenetic modulation is well known to be involved in the induction of pluripotency of somatic cells. However, epigenetic modulation in self-reprogramming of SSCs into pluripotent cells has not been studied. Methods and Results: In this study, we examined the involvement of epigenetic modulation by assessing whether selfreprogramming of SSCs is enhanced by treatment with epigenetic modulators. We found that second-generation selective class I HDAC inhibitors increased SSC reprogramming efficiency, whereas non-selective HDAC inhibitors had no effect. Conclusions: We showed that pluripotent stem cells derived from adult SSCs by treatment with small molecules with epigenetic modulator functions exhibit pluripotency in vitro and in vivo. Our results suggest that the mechanism of SSC reprogramming by epigenetic modulator can be used for important applications in epigenetic reprogramming research.