• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.160-167
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• 2013

In order to investigate changes in quality and enzyme activity during Chungkookjang fermentation, germinated- and nongerminated yellow soybeans were fermented by Bacillus subtilis and traditional methods. When the soybean was soaked for 6 h and then watered for 4 days with 2 h-interval at $25^{\circ}C$, the highest germination rate was obtained. The germinated soybeans had a higher total isoflavone ($988.4{\mu}g/g$) than that of the nongerminated soybeans ($859.5{\mu}g/g$). Amino type nitrogen contents, protease and amylase activities were higher in germinated soybean Chungkookjang, which was fermented with B. subtilis, than nongerminated soybean Chungkookjang, which was fermented with B. subtilis and traditional methods. Reducing sugar and amino type nitrogen contents, the number of viable cells and protease and amylase activities, were higher for Chungkookjang fermented with B. subtilis, than Chungkookjang fermented by traditional methods. ALP and SOD activities in the Chungkookjang diet group were considerably higher than in the control group. AST activity in the germinated soybean Chungkookjang diet group was higher than in the nongerminated soybean Chungkookjang diet group. In conclusion, it is suggested that Chungkookjang prepared with germinated soybeans using B. subtilis D7 could be practically used as a functional product.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.101-106
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• 1996

Hantavirus is the etiologic agent of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). It has been known that the natural reservoirs of Hantavirus are not only field mice but also other animals in parts of the world. In this study, to research on the host range of Hantavirus, immunofluorescent antibody against Hantavirus was investigated in wild birds from 1991 to 1992, duck from 1991 to 1992 and squirrels (Tamias sibiricus) in 1990 in Korea. The results were as follows: 1. Of total 179 wild birds of 14 species, Emberiza elegans elegans and Passer montanus dy-bowsky were antibody positive. The positive rates were 3.92% (2 out of 51) and 1.64% (1 out of 61), respectively. 2. The antibody titers of wild birds were 1:16 and 1:64 in Emberiza elegans elegans, 1:16 in Passer montanus dybowsky. 3. The positive rate of antibody in ducks was 2.3% (3 out of 129). 4. The positive rate of antibody in squrrels was 48.10% (38 out of 79). According these results, we newly showed that passer montanus dybowsky, domestic ducks and Tamias sibiricus possessed the antibody against Hantavirus.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.212-218
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• 2010

Backgroud: The stem bark of Kalopanax pictus (KP) has been used in traditional medicine to treat rheumatoidal arthritis, neurotic pain and diabetes mellitus in China and Korea. In this study, the mechanism responsible for anti-inflammatory effects of KP was investigated. Methods: We examined the effects of KP on NO production, nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and HO-1 expression, NF-${\kappa}B$, Nrf2 and MAPK activation in mouse peritoneal macrophages. Results: The aqueous extract of KP inhibited LPS-induced NO secretion as well as inducible iNOS expression, without affecting cell viability. KP suppressed LPS-induced NF-${\kappa}B$ activation, phosphorylation and degradation of $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$, phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Furthermore, KP induced HO-1 expression and Nrf2 nuclear translocation. Conclusion: These results suggest that KP has the inhibitory effects on LPS-induced NO production in macrophages through NF-${\kappa}B$ suppression and HO-1 induction.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.151-158
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• 2003

In the biological world, there are a number of ecological fights for survival between each organism such as plants, animals and microorganism In such events, an organism can use its natural bioactive products as defence agent against other organisms. Furthermore, natural bioactive products can be utilized for medicine or functional food. Recently, we investigate the effect of Monascus pigment extracted from a fungus, Monascus anke, on the alcohol metabolism and blood lipid profile. In the present study, it is observed that Monascus pigment supplemented dietary may have a hepatoprotective effect on rat's liver damage induced with $CCl_4$ . By treatment with $CCl_4$(3 times, I.P), liver damage was reduced more in the rats fed 2% Monascus pigment extract supplemented diet than those fed standard diet, based on the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, microsomal glucose-6-phosphatse activity and hepaic malondialdehyde content. On the other hand, oxygen free radical generating enzymes, hepatic P-450 dependent aniline hydroxylase, xanthine oxidase, and oxygen free radical scavenging enzymes, hepatic glutathione S-transferase, catalase, superoxide dismutase activities were generally higher both in $CCl_4$ treated group and control fed 2% Monascus pigment extract supplemented diet than those fed standard diet. In conclusion, the rats fed 2% Monascus pigment extract supplemented diet showed more reduced liver damage than those fed standard diet, which may be due to the acceleration of oxygen free radical metabolism.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.3810-3816
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• 2012

Here we report our recent result of a new semiconductor material, which has an asymmetric structure. The synthesized molecules consist of anthracene and thiophene connected by bridged ethylene and substituted with hexyl or dodecyl groups as pendants. The semiconductors were synthesized using a McMurry coupling reaction between anthracene-2-carbaldehyde and corresponding 5-hexyl(or dodecyl)thiophene-2-carbaldehyde. A first investigation of synthesized asymmetry AVHT (9a) and AVDT (9b) for the physical properties showed that they have high oxidation potential and thermal stability. The devices prepared by using AVHT (9a) and AVDT (9b) showed the mobility of $2.6{\times}10^{-2}cm^2/Vs$ and $4.4{\times}10^{-3}cm^2/Vs$, respectively, in solution processed OTFTs.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.150-162
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• 2011

Purpose: To investigate the change of the climacteric syndrome with women with induced menopause by hysterectomy or ovariectomy compared with women with natural menopause. Methods: Menopausal women(aged 45-55) were selected at two oriental medicine hospitals, Sam-se Oriental Medicine Hospital and Daegu Hannny Oriental Medicine Hospital. They were asked about Kupperman's Index, MENQOL and a few additional questions. They were divided into two groups: women with induced menopause by hysterectomy or ovariectomy and women with natural menopause. To analyse the Kupperman's index and MENQOL, SPSS for Windows 12.0 and Wilcoxon Ranked Sum Test were used. Results: The total sums of Kupperman's index and MENQOL were significantly correlated with women with induced menopause and women with natural menopause and women with induced menopause had higher total sums. Both the renal and urinary tract disorder and the sexual disorder were significantly correlated with women with induced menopause and women with natural menopause. The gastrointestinal and psychosocial disorder of Kupperman's index and MENQOL were not significantly correlated with women with induced menopause and women with natural menopause. Conclusions: Women with induced menopause by hysterectomy or ovariectomy experienced climacteric syndrome more severely compared with women with natural menopause, specifically the renal and urinary tract disorder and sexual disorder.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.11 no.12
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• pp.2406-2412
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• 2007

Recently, there are many researches about natural language processing programs using artificial intelligence methods. But the researches mostly concentrate on Korean morphological analyses and there are few researches about application of the results of Korean morphological analyses. In this paper, we implemented a natural language conversation program that NPC in games can talk with users by natural language sentences using the results of morphological analyses and a rule-based inference method. We proposed representation and implementation methods of rules suitable for the processing of natural language conversation using NEO, a rule-based inference engine. In the experiment using rules and facts about knowledge of conversation for diet counselor NPC, we could verify that natural conversation results were produced.

• Communications for Statistical Applications and Methods
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.631-652
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• 2023

In the two-condition within-subject mediation design, pairs of variables such as mediator and outcome are observed under two treatment conditions. The main objective of the design is to investigate the indirect effects of the condition difference (sum) on the outcome difference (sum) through the mediator difference (sum) for comparison of two treatment conditions. The natural condition variables mean the original variables, while the rotated condition variables mean the difference and the sum of two natural variables. The outcome difference (sum) is expressed as a linear model regressed on two natural (rotated) mediators as a parallel two-mediator design in two condition approaches: the natural condition approach uses regressors as the natural condition variables, while the rotated condition approach uses regressors as the rotated condition variables. In each condition approach, the total indirect effect on the outcome difference (sum) can be expressed as the sum of two individual indirect effects: within- and cross-condition indirect effects. The total indirect effects on the outcome difference (sum) for both condition approaches are the same. The invariance of the total indirect effect makes it possible to analyze the nature of two pairs of individual indirect effects induced from the natural conditions and the rotated conditions. The two-condition within-subject design is extended to the addition of a between-subject moderator. Probing of the conditional indirect effects given the moderator values is implemented by plotting the bootstrap confidence intervals of indirect effects against the moderator values. The expected indirect effect with respect to the moderator is derived to provide the overall effect of moderator on the indirect effect. The model coefficients are estimated by the structural equation modeling approach and their statistical significance is tested using the bias-corrected bootstrap confidence intervals. All procedures are evaluated using function lavaan() of package {lavaan} in R.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.553-565
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• 2022

Awareness of the ecological value and importance of protected areas has increased as climate change accelerates, and there is a need for research on ecosystem services provided by nature. The natural park, which is a representative protected area in Korea, has a system of national parks, provincial parks, and county parks. National parks are managed systematically by the Korea National Park Service, but local governments manage provincial parks and county parks. There may be the same hierarchical differences in naturalness (habitat quality) depending on the hierarchy of the natural parks, but it has not been verified. To identify differences, we examined 22 mountain-type natural parks using habitat quality using the INVEST model developed by Stanford University. The analysis of the habitat quality, regardless of the type and area of the natural park, showed that it was higher in the order of Taebaeksan National Park (0.89), Juwangsan National Park (0.87), Woongseokbong County Park (0.86), and Gayasan National Park (0.85). The larger the area, the higher the value of habitat quality. A comparison of natural parks with similar areas showed that the habitat quality of national parks was higher than that of provincial parks and parks. On the other hand, the average habitat quality of county parks was 0.83±0.02, which was 0.05 higher than that of provincial parks at 0.78±0.03. Furthermore, the higher the proportion of forest areas within the natural park, the higher the habitat quality. The results confirmed that the naturalness of natural parks was independent of their hierarchy and that there are differences in naturalness depending on land use, land coverage, and park management.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.416-425
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• 2024

This study aims to analyze the changes in land prices and building construction activities before and after exclusion from park district as results of natural park re-planning. Seoraksan National Park, Namhansanseong Provincial Park, and Cheonmasan County Park were selected as study areas, and prices and construction activities were compared between areas remaining in and areas excluded from park districts for ten years after park re-planning. Land prices increased in all three study parks. The largest difference in land prices between remaining and excluded areas occurred in Cheonmasan City Park. Land price increased more in excluded than remaining areas in Seoraksan National Park. Unlike these two parks, the changes in land prices were not much different between remaining and excluded areas in Namhansanseong Provincial Park, which can be attributed to the facts that 1) provincial parks were already developed to certain level even before the exclusion due to its less stringent land use regulation than national parks, and 2) that Namhansanseong Provincial Park was also designated as Restricted Development Zone that has similar land use regulation level to natural parks. Comparison between building density measures before and after exclusion shows that development density generally increased after the exclusion. Building heights mostly increased during 10 years after the exclusion. Building to land ratios and floor area ratios also increased. However, building to land ratios and floor area ratios increased only slightly in Namhansanseong Provincial Park and Cheonmasan City Park, suggesting that in provincial and city parks, land development already occurred as a result of less stringent land use regulation. In conclusion, a national park system significantly restricts property right in natural parks, especially in national parks, which make it difficult to expand existing natural parks and/or establish new natural parks. A remedy for resolving problems related to private lands, such as increasing budget for purchasing private lands and introducing park facilities for local community is urgently required.