• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.165-187
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• 2002

This study examines Korean representation of the biotechnology and psychological factors which can influence lay people's perception and attitude about biotechnology. Korean college students(N=433) and lay adults(N=90) whom had college education participated in the study. Participants of the study 1 were asked to list words which comes to mind when associate with the biotechnology in broad sense, and several specific applications in health, medicines, agriculture and research. Participants of the study 2 were asked to list possible benefits and costs of biotechnology and their specific applications. In study 3, Participants responded the questionnaires about perceptions and attitudes of biotechnology. Korean people associated the biotechnology with its costs or risks and benefits. Korean college students mainly got the informations of the biotechnology from TV, newspapers, or internet. They trusted the scientist group and NGO group on their judgements about the assessment of risk and benefit of the biotechnology. College students showed the positive attitude with the applications in medicines and negative attitude with the applications in agriculture and public using of individual's genetic information. The radicalism, sensitivity in behavioral activation system, and trust/cynicism were to be found as a significant influencing factor for interest/knowledge and behavioral intention in related with biotechnology. Finally, more extensive knowledge of biotechnology did not lead to greater acceptance of it.

• 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 Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.147-152
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• 2024

Most medical sensors are disposable products. In order to reduce inspection and diagnosis costs, it is more important to develop the inexpensive electrode materials. We fabricated the CuO NPs/PANI/E-PGE as an electrode material for disposable electrochemical sensors and applied it to a non-enzymatic glucose sensor. For surface activation of PGE, pretreatment was performed using chemical and electrochemical methods, respectively. Electrochemical properties according to the pretreatment method were analyzed through chronoamperometry (CA), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance (EIS). From these analytical results, the electrochemically pretreated PGE (E-PGE) was finally adopted. The non-enzymatic glucose sensor based on CuO NPs/PANI/E-PGE shows sensitivity of 239.18 mA/mM×cm² (in a linear range of 0.282~2.112 mM) and 36.99 mA/mM×cm² (3.75423~50 mM), detection limit of 17.6 μM and good selectivity. Based on the results of this study, it was confirmed that the modified PGE is a high-performance electrode material. Therefore, these electrodes can be applied to a variety of disposable sensors.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.122-131
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• 2023

Persimmon peels are mostly discared as a by-product of dried persimmon manufacturing, but effective use is required as it contains various functional constituents. This study covers the preparation of carotenoid-enriched oil by ultrasound treatment of persimmon peel in soybean oil solvent, and the investigation of its physicochemical characteristics. Using the Box-Behnken design and response surface methodology, the optimal extraction conditions (temperature, 62℃; time, 32 min; and persimmon peel to oil ratio, 1:3.1) were determined based on the carotenoid concentration of the extract. The physicochemical characteristics of the extract obtained under optimal conditions and the untreated soybean oil (control) were compared. The total carotenoid content of the extract increased. The carotenoid-enriched soybean oils had a lighter color than the controls, but with high redness and yellowness values. The effect of sonication and a component of the persimmon peel on the oxidation and heating stability of soybean oil was weak. The viscosity and activation energy of carotenoid-enriched soybean oil were slightly higher than those of the control. Thus, it was possible to prepare yellow-red carotenoid-enriched soybean oil by applying ultrasonic-soybean oil solvent extraction to persimmon peel. The oil is expected to be useful as an additive as well as a substitute for general edible oils.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.94-104
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• 2024

β-Lapachone is a natural quinone compound originally obtained from the bark of the lapacho tree (Tabebuia vellanedae), which has been used in traditional medicine in several South and Central American countries for treating various diseases. Although β-lapachone has been reported to have potent anticancer activity in many types of cancer cells, its effect on the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells is still unclear. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effect of β-lapachone on the proliferation of human HCC Hep3B cells. According to our results, the decrease in cell viability of Hep3B cells caused by β-lapachone was closely related to the induction of apoptosis, which was confirmed through changes in nuclear morphology and flow cytometry. In addition, in Hep3B cells treated with β-lapachone, the expression of Bcl-2, an anti-apoptotic factor, was decreased, while the expression of Bax, an apoptosis inducer, was increased, and the activity of the caspase cascade was also increased. However, in the presence of a pan-caspase inhibitor, β-lapachone-induced apoptosis was weakened, indicating that the induction of apoptosis by β-lapachone was caspase-dependent. Moreover, β-lapachone treatment activated extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling while inhibiting activation of the phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway. Furthermore, the effect of the ERK inhibitor on suppressing the induction of apoptosis by β-lapachone was minimal, and the PI3K inhibitor significantly increased β-lapachone-induced apoptosis. The findings from this study will contribute to a better understanding of the anticancer activity of β-lapachone in HCC cells.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.66
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• pp.122-127
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• 2023

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increasingly increasing as the main cause of death worldwide, and activation of platelet in vascular damage is one of the important causes of CVD. In recent, there is a growing interest in anti-thrombotic materials through platelet suppression, and efforts are being made to reduce side effects by using natural bioactive compounds. Known as one of the Flavonoids, hydroxygenkwanin (HGK) is a purified substance in Daphne Genkwa, which is known to have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects, and has been reported to serve as an inhibitor of tissue factor that prevents thrombosis, but its anti-platelet effects and the action mechanisms is not known. In this study, we confirmed that the effects of HGK on the collagen-induced human platelets activation. HGK suppressed phosphorylation of PI3K/AKT and mitogen-activated protein kinases during platelet signaling, and reduced granule secretion in platelets such as ATP and serotonin. In addition, HGK inhibited the phosphorylation of cPLA₂ and strongly undermined the production of TXA₂, which is a powerful aggregation amplifier. As a result, the platelet aggregation derived by Collagen, a cohesive induced substance, was strongly suppressed by HGK to an IC₅₀ of 86.36 µM. Therefore, HGK might be worth the antithrombotic substance that inhibits the activation and aggregation of human platelets that occur through blood vessel damage.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.38-51
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• 2024

Although the bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) is a crop with a cultivation history of about 10,000 years in the Old and New Worlds, archaeological considerations on the cultivation and use of bottle gourds on the Korean Peninsula are extremely rare. Accordingly, we reviewed previous reports on bottle gourds and examined the morphological characteristics of seeds and rind fragments from the Korean Peninsula. The investigation yielded several conclusions. First, bottle gourd cultivation likely began during the Bronze Age alongside the introduction of so-called southern crops. Evidence suggests that bottle gourd remains were more prevalent during the Three-Kingdoms period, indicating its significance as a crop during the historical era. Second, bottle gourd seeds from the Three-Kingdoms period exhibit characteristics of both African and Asian subspecies, showcasing a high level of morphological diversity. Third, rind thickness indicates that bottle gourds found at the Bongseon-ri site were of varieties with large fruits. Taken together, it is concluded that the bottle gourd was introduced to the Korean Peninsula during the Bronze Age, and people cultivated a range of bottle gourd varieties during the Three-Kingdoms period.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.89-96
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• 2024

Signboard plays a pivotal role in crafting the initial impression of a storefront and contributing to the overall aesthetics of the local environment. Since 2012, the South Korean government has been annually implementing signboard improvement projects as part of its commitment to enhance urban landscapes and invigorate local business districts. Particularly noteworthy in recent years is the government's emphasis on creating signborad that aligns with the characteristics of the cities. This study aimed to investigate the impact on stores and the local area when incorporating local characteristics into signboard, with a focus on the mediating roles of informativeness, entertainment, and irritation. A survey was conducted among 150 undergraduate and graduate students who had experience visiting areas with improved signboard. The findings indicate that local fit of signboards has a positive impact on intention to visit store and area by mediating informativeness and entertainment. On the other hand, irritation does not exert a significant influence within this structural relationship. The results of this study contribute to broadening the scholarly understanding of signboards and signboard improvement, highlighting the importance of incorporating local characteristics into signboard to small business owners and local government practitioners.

• Land and Housing Review
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.79-95
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• 2024

Over the past decade, urban regeneration projects have been actively promoted nationwide in South Korea, leading to the establishment of numerous community facilities aimed at fostering community engagement and revitalization. Recently, the need for diagnostic tools to provide appropriate support and guidance for the sustainable operation of these facilities has been increasingly emphasized. However, a comprehensive manual or nationwide standard approach remains lacking. As such, this study aims to propose evaluation criteria and their application methods for the periodic operational assessment of those facilities. First, through a review of previous studies, candidate indicators were identified. After that, preliminary indicators and frameworks were determined through expert consultations, followed by surveys conducted with 65 experts to finalize the evaluation indicators. The survey results highlighted the importance of 'Value Creation (VC)' and 'Operation Management (OM)' as key aspects of facility evaluation. In assessing VC, key factors include enhancing community vitality, strengthening local capacity, providing tailored functions for the community, and contributing to the local economy. In constructing OM, the focus lies on operational system, financial management, operational personnel, and economic viability and sustainability. This study proposes an evaluation framework that includes the final evaluation indicators and available data sources for each indicator, and a pilot test was conducted to verify its applicability. Moreover, the study suggests directions for utilizing the evaluation criteria and methods for applying indicators tailored to the characteristics of individual facilities.

• Industry Promotion Research
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.163-174
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• 2024

MyData is a new entity that strengthens the rights of information subjects through the 'right to data portability' and utilizes data to enable hyper-personalized services using personal information. Korea's MyData system is recognized globally as an outstanding system in that it is creating a new MyData industry by granting the right to information self-determination through the 'right to request data transmission'. Now in its third year, this study evaluates Korea's MyData system from a consumer behavior perspective and identifies issues for improvement. To this end, this study reviewed previous research on the relationship between regulatory policy and consumer behavior to determine the applicability of a consumer behavior perspective in institutional evaluation. In addition, in a study on consumer behavior related to MyData, variables that affect the use of MyData were investigated and evaluation items from a consumer behavior perspective were derived. As a result of evaluating Korea's MyData system from a consumer behavior perspective, it was found that the factors considered important by consumers were appropriately reflected in the system. However, in cases where there are dual values of ease of use and personal information protection, regulatory aspects tend to take priority. Therefore, in order to revitalize the MyData industry, it is essential to implement market-friendly system improvements without compromising consumer rights. This study is differentiated from existing studies in that it attempted to derive a plan for system improvement by combining empirical consumer behavior research and regulatory policy research.