• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.107-116
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• 2023

In this study, to explore the possibility of using discarded by-products of corn as a wrinkle-improving functional material, the active ingredient contained in each part including kernel, cob, husk, and silk of 10 varieties of chodang and waxy corn was identified and the content was analyzed to suggest the possibility of corn by-products as upcycling materials. As a result of evaluating the collagen synthesis efficacy of extracts by part, the cob in chodang and waxy corns showed significant activity at 100 ㎍/mL concentration of 176.5 and 140.0%, respectively. The LC-MS/MS qualitative analysis resulted in the identification of 18 components in the cob, of which N, N'-diferuloylputrescine (DFP) was selected as an active ingredient, and the quantitative analysis was conducted by variety and part. As a result, DFP was confirmed only in the cob and kernel, and it was most frequently detected in the cob of the Goldsugar of chodang corn (39.6 ㎍/g) and Daehakchal of waxy corn (38.4 ㎍/g). The cob is a by-product left over from grain removal, and is expected to create new added value as a material that promotes collagen synthesis. Through this study, we propose the possibility of using discarded cob as a wrinkle-improving functional material.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.112-120
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• 2023

Methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) are significant contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from rice fields. Mid-summer drainage is a commonly practiced water management technique that reduces CH₄ emissions from rice fields. Slow-release fertilizers gradually release nutrients over an extended period and have been shown to reduce N₂O emissions. However, the combined effect of slow-release fertilizer and water management on GHG emissions remains unclear. This study compared GHG emissions from a rice paddy subjected to mid-summer drainage for 10 days (control) with that of a rice paddy subjected to prolonged mid-summer drainage for 20 days combined with slow-release fertilizer (W+S). Gas sampling was conducted weekly using a closed chamber method. During the rice cultivation period, cumulative CH₄ and N₂O emissions were reduced by 12.3% and 16.2%, respectively, in the W+S treatment compared to the control. Moreover, the W+S treatment exhibited a 1.9% increase in grain yield compared to the control. Under experimental conditions, slow-release fertilizers, in combination with prolonged mid-summer drainage, proved to be the optimal approach for achieving high crop yield while reducing GHG emissions. This represents an effective strategy to mitigate GHG emissions from rice paddy fields.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.129-135
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• 2022

Purpose: A full-energy-peak (FEP) efficiency correction is required through a Monte Carlo simulation for accurate radioactivity measurement, considering the geometrical characteristics of the detector and the sample. However, a relative deviation (RD) occurs between the measurement and calculation efficiencies when modeling using the data provided by the manufacturers due to the randomly generated dead layer. This study aims to optimize the structure of the detector by determining the dead layer thickness based on Monte Carlo simulation. Methods: The high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector used in this study was a coaxial p-type GC2518 model, and a certified reference material (CRM) was used to measure the FEP efficiency. Using the MC N-Particle Transport Code (MCNP) code, the FEP efficiency was calculated by increasing the thickness of the outer and inner dead layer in proportion to the thickness of the electrode. Results: As the thickness of the outer and inner dead layer increased by 0.1 mm and 0.1 ㎛, the efficiency difference decreased by 2.43% on average up to 1.0 mm and 1.0 ㎛ and increased by 1.86% thereafter. Therefore, the structure of the detector was optimized by determining 1.0 mm and 1.0 ㎛ as thickness of the dead layer. Conclusions: The effect of the dead layer on the FEP efficiency was evaluated, and an excellent agreement between the measured and calculated efficiencies was confirmed with RDs of less than 4%. It suggests that the optimized HPGe detector can be used to measure the accurate radioactivity using in dismantling and disposing medical linear accelerators.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.417-426
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• 2023

The TRPM4 gene encodes a Ca²⁺-activated monovalent cation channel called transient receptor potential melastatin 4 (TRPM4) that is expressed in various tissues. Dysregulation or abnormal expression of TRPM4 has been linked to a range of diseases. We introduced the hemagglutinin (HA) tag into the extracellular S6 loop of TRPM4, resulting in an HA-tagged version called TRPM4-HA. This TRPM4-HA was developed to investigate the purification, localization, and function of TRPM4 in different physiological and pathological conditions. TRPM4-HA was successfully expressed in the intact cell membrane and exhibited similar electrophysiological properties, such as the current-voltage relationship, rapid desensitization, and current size, compared to the wild-type TRPM4. The presence of the TRPM4 inhibitor 9-phenanthrol did not affect these properties. Furthermore, a wound-healing assay showed that TRPM4-HA induced cell proliferation and migration, similar to the native TRPM4. Co-expression of protein tyrosine phosphatase, non-receptor type 6 (PTPN6 or SHP1) with TRPM4-HA led to the translocation of TRPM4-HA to the cytosol. To investigate the interaction between PTPN6 and tyrosine residues of TRPM4 in enhancing channel activity, we generated four mutants in which tyrosine (Y) residues were substituted with phenylalanine (F) at the N-terminus of TRPM4. The YF mutants displayed properties and functions similar to TRPM4-HA, except for the Y256F mutant, which showed resistance to 9-phenanthrol, suggesting that Y256 may be involved in the binding site for 9-phenanthrol. Overall, the creation of HA-tagged TRPM4 provides researchers with a valuable tool to study the role of TRPM4 in different conditions and its potential interactions with other proteins, such as PTPN6.

• The Southeast Asian review
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.1-56
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• 2009

It is generally acknowledged that Philippines politics has achieved a basic soil for democracy at the macro-level by the two incidents of 'People Power' (1986 & 2001). However, in spite of such an achievement, Philippine politics at the micro-level, does not enjoy the same reputation. Institutionalized 'Bossism' or 'patron/clientelism' political culture has been attributed to make such a gap. This paper aims to bridge the gap by a longitudinal observation on local politics of a particular province in the Philippines. Surigao del Norte is the province picked up for the study. The reason why this particular province attracts special concerns is that there appears to come a very dynamic local politics, led by an indigenous Christian organization, the PBMA (Philippines Benevolent Missionary Association), which was founded in the mid 1960s. With the coming of the organization in the province, the political power of the traditional families has been narrowed. On the other hand, new families, not only the leader family of the PBMA but also the family allied with the PBMA, has expanded political influence. Following steps are adopted to understand the meaning of such a change. First, institutional frame of Philippine politics and elections will be reviewed. Second, demographic changes will be investigated on Surigao del Norte province to find out how popular the PBMA organization is among the people. Third, local election outcomes will be examined to describe the changing nature of political landscape of the province. This will reveal how the relationship between the old and new families has been developed in the province. Lastly, based on the facts discovered by a longitudinal observation, an attempt to evaluate theories on Philippines politics will be made Conclusions are as follows. To understand the dynamics of Philippine politics, 'expectations from the below,' or, 'passions of the people,' suggested by Ileto, needs more attention. Furthermore, 'mutual accommodation' between domination and resistance, coined by Abinales, also demands more appreciation. The case of local politics in the Surigao del Norte, with the coming of the PBMA, is sure to show a concrete example of changing politics in the 'changeless land.'

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.446-454
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• 2023

The impact of climate change on agriculture is substantial, especially as global warming is projected to lead to varying temperature and humidity patterns in the future. These changes pose a higher risk for both crops and livestock, exposing them to environmental stressors under altered climatic conditions. Specifically, as temperatures are expected to rise, the risk of heat stress is assessable through the Temperature-Humidity Index (THI), derived from temperature and relative humidity data. This study involved the comparison of THI collected from 10 Korea Meteorological Administration ASOS stations spanning a 60-year period from 1961 to 2020. Moreover, high-resolution temperature and humidity distribution data from 1981 to 2020 were employed to generate high-resolution TH I distributions, analyzing temporal changes. Additionally, the number of days characterized by heat stress, derived from TH I, was compared over different time periods. Generally, TH I showed an upward trend over the past, albeit with varying rates across different locations. As TH I increased, the frequency of heat stress days also rose, indicating potential future cost increases in the livestock industry due to heat-related challenges. The findings emphasize the feasibility of evaluating heat stress risk in livestock using THI and underscore the need for research analyzing THI under future climate change scenarios.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.39 no.5_1
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• pp.467-479
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• 2023

Satellite altimeters have continuously observed sea surface height (SSH) in the global ocean for the past 30 years, providing clear evidence of the rise in global mean sea level based on observational data. Accurate altimeter-observed SSH is essential to study the spatial and temporal variability of SSH in regional seas. In this study, we used measurements from the Ieodo Ocean Research Station (IORS) and validate SSHs observed by satellite altimeters (Envisat, Jason-1, Jason-2, SARAL, Jason-3, and Sentinel-3A/B). Bias and root mean square error of SSH for each satellite ranged from 1.58 to 4.69 cm and 6.33 to 9.67 cm, respectively. As the matchup distance between satellite ground tracks and the IORS increased, the error of satellite SSHs significantly amplified. In order to validate the correction of the tide and atmospheric effect of the satellite data, the tide was estimated using harmonic analysis, and inverse barometer effect was calculated using atmospheric pressure data at the IORS. To achieve accurate tidal corrections for satellite SSH data in the seas around the Korean Peninsula, it was confirmed that improving the accuracy of tide data used in satellites is necessary.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.956-965
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• 2023

In plants, there are many CCCH zinc finger proteins consisting of three cysteine residues and one histidine residue, which bind to zinc ions with finger configuration. CCCH-type zinc finger proteins are divided into tandem CCCH-type zinc finger (TZF) and non-TZF proteins: TZF proteins contain exactly two tandem CCCH-type zinc finger motifs whereas non-TZF proteins have fewer or greater than two CCCH-type zinc finger motifs. The functions of TZF genes, especially plant-specific RR-TZF genes, have been well studied in several plants, whereas the functional roles of non-TZF genes have not been adequately researched compared to TZF genes. Many non-TZF genes have been identified as being involved in the responses to biotic and abiotic stresses, such as pathogen, high salt, drought, cold, heat, and oxidative stresses. Some non-TZF proteins bind to RNA and are involved in the post-transcriptional regulation of stress-responsive genes in the cytoplasm. In addition, other non-TZF proteins act as transcriptional activators or repressors that regulate the expression of stress-responsive genes in the nucleus. Despite these studies, stress signal transduction and upstream and downstream genes of non-TZF genes have not been sufficiently researched, suggesting that additional studies of the functions of non-TZF genes' functions in plants' stress responses are needed. In this review, we describe non-TZF genes involved in biotic abiotic stress responses in plants and their molecular functions.

• Journal of the Korean Regional Science Association
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.37-51
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• 2024

To respond to local extinction, South Korea, under the leadership of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, identified depopulated areas in 2021 and launched the Local Extinction Response Fund in 2022. However, due to its early stage of implementation, analyzing the characteristics and changes of policy response to local extinction at the central government level remains a challenge. In contrast, Japan, facing similar issues of local extinction as South Korea, has established a robust central government-led response system based on the Regional Revitalization Act and the Comprehensive Strategy and Basic Policy on Community-Population-Job Creation. Hence, this study examines Japan's policy responses to local extinction by analyzing the first and second periods of the Comprehensive Strategy and Basic Policy on Community-Population-Job Creation. For the analysis, topic modeling was employed to enhance text analysis efficiency and accuracy, complemented by expert interviews for validation. The results revealed that the first-period strategy's topics encompassed economy and society, start-up, local government, living condition, service, and industry. Meanwhile, the second-period strategy's topics included resource, the New Normal, woman, digital transformation, industry, region, public-private partnership, and population. The analysis highlights that the policy target, policy direction, and environmental change significantly influenced these policy shifts.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1985-1995
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• 2021

Objective: Although the liver-to-spleen volume ratio (LSVR) based on CT reflects portal hypertension, its prognostic role in cirrhotic patients has not been proven. We evaluated the utility of LSVR, automatically measured from CT images using a deep learning algorithm, as a predictor of hepatic decompensation and transplantation-free survival in patients with hepatitis B viral (HBV)-compensated cirrhosis. Materials and Methods: A deep learning algorithm was used to measure the LSVR in a cohort of 1027 consecutive patients (mean age, 50.5 years; 675 male and 352 female) with HBV-compensated cirrhosis who underwent liver CT (2007-2010). Associations of LSVR with hepatic decompensation and transplantation-free survival were evaluated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards and competing risk analyses, accounting for either the Child-Pugh score (CPS) or Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score and other variables. The risk of the liver-related events was estimated using Kaplan-Meier analysis and the Aalen-Johansen estimator. Results: After adjustment for either CPS or MELD and other variables, LSVR was identified as a significant independent predictor of hepatic decompensation (hazard ratio for LSVR increase by 1, 0.71 and 0.68 for CPS and MELD models, respectively; p < 0.001) and transplantation-free survival (hazard ratio for LSVR increase by 1, 0.8 and 0.77, respectively; p < 0.001). Patients with an LSVR of < 2.9 (n = 381) had significantly higher 3-year risks of hepatic decompensation (16.7% vs. 2.5%, p < 0.001) and liver-related death or transplantation (10.0% vs. 1.1%, p < 0.001) than those with an LSVR ≥ 2.9 (n = 646). When patients were stratified according to CPS (Child-Pugh A vs. B-C) and MELD (< 10 vs. ≥ 10), an LSVR of < 2.9 was still associated with a higher risk of liver-related events than an LSVR of ≥ 2.9 for all Child-Pugh (p ≤ 0.045) and MELD (p ≤ 0.009) stratifications. Conclusion: The LSVR measured on CT can predict hepatic decompensation and transplantation-free survival in patients with HBV-compensated cirrhosis.