• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2023.05a
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• pp.361-361
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• 2023

본 연구에서는 기후변화가 다목적 댐의 수자원 관리에 미치는 영향을 분석하기 위해, 기후변화 시나리오를 기반으로 강우-유출과 저수지 운영 모형을 연계 모의하고, 갈수 시 물 공급과 홍수라는 두가지 상반된 위험 요소를 동시에 분석하는 방법론을 제안하고, 국내 댐 유역에 대해 적용성을 평가한다. 기후변화 시나리오로는 공통사회경제경로(Shared Socio-economic Pathway; SSP) 중 SSP2-4.5와 SSP5-8.5를 선택하고, 편이보정 후 2015-2100년의 미래 기후 자료를 구축한다. 수문과정의 불확실성을 고려하기 위해, GR4J, IHACRES, TAU 등 세가지 집중형 수문 모형으로 댐 유입량을 모의하고, 저수지의 물 공급 및 홍수 조절을 고려한 저수지 운영 모의를 수행하고, 기간별 이수안전도와 홍수위험도를 산정한다. 적용 유역으로는 다목적 댐인 합천댐과 섬진강댐의 상류유역을 선택하여, 제안된 방법론의 적정성을 평가한다. 초기 분석 결과, 먼 미래(2081-2100년) 기간에 대해 이수안전도 보다 홍수위험도의 변화가 컸으며, 근 미래의 변화는 먼 미래 보다 상대적으로 적고 뚜렷한 경향을 찾기 어려웠다. 본 연구에서는 다중 수문모형을 활용한 댐 유입량 모의불확실성 개선 방안과 미래 기후에 대한 이수안전도 및 홍수위험도 분석 결과의 함의에 대해 중점적으로 토의한다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.1268-1280
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• 2023

Echinacoside (ECH) is a naturally occurring phenylethanoid glycoside, isolated from Echinacea angustifolia, and this study aimed to analyze its effect on thermogenesis and its interaction with dopaminergic receptors 1 and 5 (DRD1 and DRD5) in 3T3-L1 white adipocytes and mice models. We employed RT-PCR, immunoblot, immunofluorescence, a staining method, and an assay kit to determine its impact. ECH showed a substantial increase in browning signals in vitro and a decrease in adipogenic signals in vivo. Additionally, analysis of the iWAT showed that the key genes involved in beiging, mitochondrial biogenesis, and ATP-dependent thermogenesis were upregulated while adipogenesis and lipogenesis genes were downregulated. OXPHOS complexes, Ca²⁺ signaling proteins as well as intracellular Ca²⁺ levelswere also upregulated in 3T3-L1 adipocytes following ECH treatment. This was collectively explained by mechanistic studies which showed that ECH mediated the beiging process via the DRD1/5-cAMP-PKA and subsequent downstream molecules, whereas it co-mediated the α1-AR-signaling thermogenesis via the DRD1/5/SERCA2b/RyR2/CKmt pathway in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Animal experiments revealed that there was a 12.28% reduction in body weight gain after the ECH treatment for six weeks. The effects of ECH treatment on adipose tissue can offer more insights into the treatment of obesity and metabolic syndrome.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.8.1-8.19
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• 2023

Cancer of the stomach is the second most frequent cancer-related death worldwide. The survival rate of patients with gastric cancer (GC) remains fragile. There is a requirement to discover biomarkers for prognosis approaches. Helicobacter pylori in the stomach is closely associated with the progression of GC. We identified the genes associated with poor/favorable prognosis in H. pylori-induced GC. Multivariate statistical analysis was applied on the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset GSE54397 to identify differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) in gastric tissues with H. pylori-induced cancer compared with the H. pylori-positive with non-cancerous tissue. A protein interaction map (PIM) was built and subjected to DEMs targets. The enriched pathways and biological processes within the PIM were identified based on substantial clusters. Thereafter, the most critical genes in the PIM were illustrated, and their prognostic impact in GC was investigated. Considering p-value less than 0.01 and |Log2 fold change| as >1, five microRNAs demonstrated significant changes among the two groups. Gene functional analysis revealed that the ubiquitination system, neddylation pathway, and ciliary process are primarily involved in H. pylori-induced GC. Survival analysis illustrated that the overexpression of DOCK4, GNAS, CTGF, TGF-b1, ESR1, SELE, TIMP3, SMARCE1, and TXNIP was associated with poor prognosis, while increased MRPS5 expression was related to a favorable prognosis in GC patients. DOCK4, GNAS, CTGF, TGF-b1, ESR1, SELE, TIMP3, SMARCE1, TXNIP, and MRPS5 may be considered prognostic biomarkers for H. pylori-induced GC. However, experimental validation is necessary in the future.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.66 no.1
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• pp.49-66
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• 2024

Extreme rainfall will become intense due to climate change, increasing inundation risk to agricultural land. Hydrological and hydraulic simulations for the entire watershed were conducted to analyze the impact of climate change. Rainfall data was collected based on past weather observation and SSP (Shared Socio-economic Pathway)5-8.5 climate change scenarios. Simulation for flood volume, reservoir operation, river level, and inundation of agricultural land was conducted through K-HAS (KRC Hydraulics & Hydrology Analysis System) and HEC-RAS (Hydrologic Engineering Center - River Analysis System). Various scenarios were selected, encompassing different periods of rainfall data, including the observed period (1973-2022), near-term future (2021-2050), mid-term future (2051-2080), and long-term future (2081-2100), in addition to probabilistic precipitation events with return periods of 20 years and 100 years. The inundation area of the Aho-Buin district was visualized through GIS (Geographic Information System) based on the results of the flooding analysis. The probabilistic precipitation of climate change scenarios was calculated higher than that of past observations, which affected the increase in reservoir inflow, river level, inundation time, and inundation area. The inundation area and inundation time were higher in the 100-year frequency. Inundation risk was high in the order of long-term future, near-term future, mid-term future, and observed period. It was also shown that the Aho and Buin districts were vulnerable to inundation. These results are expected to be used as fundamental data for assessing the risk of flooding for agricultural land and downstream watersheds under climate change, guiding drainage improvement projects, and making flood risk maps.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.67-76
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• 2008

As the first comprehensive attempt at a national implementation, this study aims at assessing the external costs of major electricity generation technologies in Korea, particularly an evaluation of the impacts on human health resulting from exposures to atmospheric radiological emissions from nuclear power plants, and a monetary quantification of their damages. The methodology used for the assessment of the externalities of the selected fuel cycles has been developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), namely the SimPacts Model Package. The model is internationally recognized as a tool which can be applied to a wide range of fuels, different technologies and locations, for an externalities study. In this study, the relevant emissions are quantified first and then their impacts on human health are evaluated and compared. The study focused on all the nuclear power plants for the last 6 years ($2001{\sim}2006$) in Korea. With respect to nuclear power, the impact analysis only focuses on a power generation, however the front- and back-end nuclear fuel cycles are not included, namely uranium mining, conversion, enrichment, reprocessing, conditioning, etc., because these facilities are not present in Korea. The analysis results show that nuclear power in general, generates low external costs. The highest damage costs from the nuclear power plants among the 4 sites in Korea were estimated to be 3.9 mills/MWh, which is about 1/20th of the result for a similar case study conducted in the U.K., implemented through the ExternE project. This difference is largely due to the number of radionuclides included in the study and the amount of released radioactive emissions based on up-to-date information in Korea. In this study, the sensitivities of the major factors for nuclear power plants were also calculated. The analysis indicates that there was around a ${\pm}3%$ damage costs variation to a ${\pm}15%$ change of the reference population density and a ${\pm}1%$ damage cost variation to a $1{\sim}30$ meters change of the effective release height, respectively. These sensitive calculations show that there is only a minor difference when the reference costs are compared.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.97-102
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• 2007

An environmental survey from three abandoned metal mine areas was undertaken on to assess the risk of adverse health effects on human exposure to heavy metals influenced by past mining activities. Tailings contained high concentrations of heavy metals may have a impact on soils and waters around the tailing piles. In order to perform the human risk assessment, chemical analysis data of soils, rice grains and waters for As, Cd, Cu and Pb have been used. The HQ values for heavy metals via the rice consumption were significantly higher compared with other exposure pathways in all metal mine areas. The resulting HI values in three mine areas were higher than 9.0, and their toxic risk due to rice ingestion was strong in these mine areas. The cancer risk of being exposed to As by the rice consumption from the A, B and C mine areas was $5.1\;{\times}\;10^{-3}$, $6.8\;{\times}\;10^{-3}$ and $3.1\;{\times}\;10^{-3}$, respectively. The As cancer risk via the exposure pathway of rice ingestion from these mine areas exceeds the acceptable risk of 1 in 10,000 set for regulatory purposes. Thus, the daily intakes of rice by the local residents from these mine areas can pose a potential health threat if exposed by long-term As exposure.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.59-69
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• 2024

This study investigates the therapeutic potential of Indigo Naturalis (IN) in treating a Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The objective is to comprehensively examine the effects and pharmacological mechanisms of IN on IBD, assessing its potential as an novel treatment for IBD. Analysis of 11 selected papers is conducted to understand the effects of IN, focusing on compounds like indirubin, isatin, indigo, and tryptanthrin. This study evaluates their impact on Disease Activity Index (DAI) score, colon length, mucosal damage, and macrophage infiltration in Dextran Sulfate Sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mice. Additionally, It investigate into the anti-inflammatory mechanisms, including Aryl hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) pathway activation, Nuclear Factor kappa B (NF-κB)/nod-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3)/Interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) inhibition, and modulation of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MYD88)/NF-κB and Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) pathways. Immunomodulatory effects on T helper 17 (Th17)/regulatory T cell (Treg cell) balance and Glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK3-β) expression are also explored. Furthermore, the study addresses the role of IN in restoring intestinal microbiota diversity, reducing pathogenic bacteria, and increasing beneficial bacteria. The findings reveal that IN, particularly indirubin and indigo, demonstrates significant improvements in DAI score, colon length, mucosal damage, and macrophage infiltration in DSS-induced colitis mice. The anti-inflammatory effects are attributed to the activation of the AhR pathway, inhibition of inflammatory pathways, and modulation of immune responses. These results exhibit the potential of IN in IBD treatment. Notably, the restoration of intestinal microbiota diversity and balance further supports its efficacy. IN emerges as a promising and effective treatment for IBD, demonstrating anti-inflammatory effects and positive outcomes in preclinical studies. However, potential side effects necessitate further investigation for safe therapeutic development. The study underscores the need for future research to explore a broader range of active ingredients in IN to enhance therapeutic efficacy and safety.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.1043-1054
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• 2018

Salmonellosis caused by chicken consumption has been a critical issue in food safety worldwide, including in Korea. The probability of illness from consumption of chicken was simulated in study, based on the recipe of Dakgalbi, a commonly eaten chicken dish in Korea. Additionally, the processing stage at slaughterhouses to decrease Salmonella concentration in broilers was modeled to explore its effect on the likelihood of illness. A Monte Carlo simulation model was created using @RISK. Prevalence of Salmonella in chickens at the retail stage was found to be predominantly important in determining the probability of illness. Other than the prevalence, cooking temperature was found to have the largest impact on the probability of illness. The results also demonstrated that, although chlorination is a powerful tool for decreasing the Salmonella concentration in chicken, this effect did not last long and was negated by the following stages. This study analyzes the effects of variables of the retail-to-table pathway on the likelihood of salmonellosis in broiler consumption, and also evaluates the processing step used to decrease the contamination level of Salmonella in broilers at slaughterhouses. According to the results, we suggest that methods to decrease the contamination level of Salmonella such as chlorination had little effect on decreasing the probability of illness. Overall, these results suggest that preventing contamination of broiler with Salmonella must be a top priority and that methods to reduce the concentration of Salmonella in broilers at slaughterhouses hardly contribute to safe consumption of Salmonella-contaminated chicken.

• Management & Information Systems Review
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.61-78
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of cash holdings on internationalization of listed manufacturing firms. We explore moderating effect of managerial ownership between cash holdings and internationalization of firms. We analysed cross-sectional data of 645 listed companies from 2000 to 2013 using the fixed effects estimation. Empirical results showed that the there was a positive significant relation between cash holdings and internationalization of firms This study also found that managerial ownership have a significant negative moderating effects in the pathway between cash holdings and internationalization Cash liquidities can be rapidly induced internationalization. Managerial ownership increase agency cost, therefore, it might have a negative effects on internationalization These results suggest that agency cost with cash holdings is very important for cash management.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.168-175
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• 2021

To investigate the perceptions and attitudes of dental hygienists toward radiation safety management in Korea. A total of 800 dental hygienists were randomly selected for an anonymous survey, and 203 of them participated. The questionnaire items included the following: sex, career period, type of installed radiographic equipment, recognition of the diagnostic reference level (DRL), participation in radiation safety education, and attitudes toward radiation protection for both patients and dental hygienists. The participants were divided into two groups according to their years of experience (< 10 years versus ≥ 10 years). The difference between the groups was investigated according to frequency distribution. Fisher's exact test or Pearson's chi-square (𝛘²) test was used as appropriate. A regression analysis was performed to investigate the impact of wearing a thyroid collar for personnel protection during patient radiation exposure. The types of installed radiographic equipment included panoramic radiography (96.1%), cephalometric radiography (76.9%), intraoral radiography (72.9%), and cone-beam computed tomography (69.5%). Significant differences were observed in the learning pathway for the DRL (Fisher's exact test, p < 0.05), satisfaction with radiation safety education (Pearson's 𝛘² test = 5.3975, Pr = 0.02), and use of personnel radiation monitoring systems (Pearson's 𝛘² test = 18.1233, Pr = 0.000) between the groups. Significant differences were also observed in personnel protection using a thyroid collar and patient protection during panoramic radiography (odds ratio = 14.2). Dental hygienists with more than 10 years of experience were more satisfied with radiation safety education and more interested in radiation monitoring. Considering career experience, customized, continuous, and effective radiation safety management education should be provided.