• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.293-302
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• 2023

This review paper delves into the comparative study of epinephrine and phenylephrine as vasoconstrictors in dental anesthesia, exploring their histories, pharmacological properties, and clinical applications. The study involved a comprehensive literature search, focusing on articles that directly compared the two agents in terms of efficacy, safety, and prevalence in dental anesthesia. Epinephrine, with its broad receptor profile, has been a predominant choice, slightly outperforming in the context of prolonging dental anesthesia and providing superior hemostasis, which is crucial for various dental procedures. However, the stimulation of beta-adrenergic receptors caused by epinephrine poses risks, especially to patients with cardiovascular conditions. Phenylephrine, a selective alpha-1 adrenergic agonist, emerges as a safer alternative for such patients, avoiding the cardiovascular risks associated with epinephrine. Moreover, its vasoconstrictive effect may not be as deleterious as that of epinephrine, due to its selective action. This review reveals that despite the potential benefits of phenylephrine, epinephrine continues to dominate in clinical settings, due to its historical familiarity, availability, and cost-effectiveness. The lack of commercially available pre-made phenylephrine dental carpules in most countries, except Brazil, and a knowledge gap within dental academia regarding phenylephrine, contribute to its limited use. This review concludes that while both agents are effective, the choice between them should be based on individual patient conditions, availability, and the practitioner's knowledge and familiarity with the agents. The underuse of other vasoconstrictors like levonordefrin and the unavailability of phenylephrine in pre-mixed dental cartridges in many countries highlights the need for further exploration and research in this field. Furthermore, we also delve into the role of levonordefrin and examine the rationale behind the exclusion of phenylephrine from commercially available pre-mixed local anesthetic carpules, suggesting a need for a responsive approach from pharmaceutical manufacturers to the distinct needs of the dental community.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.397-401
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• 2023

The study presents milestones for the Korean military to win the future battlefield based on the 4th Industrial Revolution. Chapter 1 deals with the necessity of research on how advanced countries operate industrial technology in the defense sector based on the 4th Industrial Revolution. Chapter 2 examines the current technology status of the 4th Industrial Revolution in Korea and the concept of Korean combat. Chapter 3 analyzes the military robotic technology of advanced military countries through examples of unmanned combat robots in the United States, Israel, and Germany. In the end, in future battles, it will be possible to dominate the battlefield only by taking a leap into a super-connected and super-intelligent military based on a high-tech platform. Our military should also research and develop military robotics in accordance with the characteristics of each combat system, and further expand and develop the concept of combat performance to protect our core capabilities and centers from enemy cyber, electronic warfare, and space attacks.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.150-190
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• 2024

This article proposes a framework to elucidate the structural dynamics of the generative AI ecosystem. It also outlines the practical application of this proposed framework through illustrative policies, with a specific emphasis on the development of the Korean generative AI ecosystem and its implications of platform strategies at AI platform-squared. We propose a comprehensive classification scheme within generative AI ecosystems, including app builders, technology partners, app stores, foundational AI models operating as operating systems, cloud services, and chip manufacturers. The market competitiveness for both app builders and technology partners will be highly contingent on their ability to effectively navigate the customer decision journey (CDJ) while offering localized services that fill the gaps left by foundational models. The strategically important platform of platforms in the generative AI ecosystem (i.e., AI platform-squared) is constituted by app stores, foundational AIs as operating systems, and cloud services. A few companies, primarily in the U.S. and China, are projected to dominate this AI platform squared, and consequently, they are likely to become the primary targets of non-market strategies by diverse governments and communities. Korea still has chances in AI platform-squared, but the window of opportunities is narrowing. A cautious approach is necessary when considering potential regulations for domestic large AI models and platforms. Hastily importing foreign regulatory frameworks and non-market strategies, such as those from Europe, could overlook the essential hierarchical structure that our framework underscores. Our study suggests a clear strategic pathway for Korea to emerge as a generative AI powerhouse. As one of the few countries boasting significant companies within the foundational AI models (which need to collaborate with each other) and chip manufacturing sectors, it is vital for Korea to leverage its unique position and strategically penetrate the platform-squared segment-app stores, operating systems, and cloud services. Given the potential network effects and winner-takes-all dynamics in AI platform-squared, this endeavor is of immediate urgency. To facilitate this transition, it is recommended that the government implement promotional policies that strategically nurture these AI platform-squared, rather than restrict them through regulations and stakeholder pressures.

• Smart Media Journal
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.108-121
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• 2024

In the IT industry, the complexity and volatility of corporate networks are gradually evolving, and concurrently, the significance of corporate networks is increasing. Previous research has employed network analysis to scrutinize inter-corporate trade relationships for strategic and policy making. However, previous studies focused on the overall network structure from a macroscopic perspective, presenting limitations in applicability at the individual IT corporation level. This study develops a novel research model incorporating sector and region-level network analysis based on connection strength, along with the derivation of a composite node centrality indicator. Using this methodology, we analyzed corporate networks across nine metropolitan areas using IT corporate transaction data. The results means that cities with a manufacturing base, such as Incheon, Busan, and Daegu, have recently established cooperative networks with IT companies. We also found that in the IT industry in Gwangju and Daejeon, certain companies dominate the transaction network.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.163-177
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• 2024

The fingerprint image quality relies on the clearness of separated ridges by valleys and the uniformity of the separation. The condition of skin still dominate the overall quality of the fingerprint. However, the identification performance of such system is very sensitive to the quality of the captured fingerprint image. Fingerprint image quality analysis and enhancement are useful in improving the performance of fingerprint identification systems. A fuzzy technique is introduced in this paper for both fingerprint image quality analysis and enhancement. First, the quality analysis is performed by extracting four features from a fingerprint image which are the local clarity score (LCS), global clarity score (GCS), ridge_valley thickness ratio (RVTR), and the Global Contrast Factor (GCF). A fuzzy logic technique that uses Mamdani fuzzy rule model is designed. The fuzzy inference system is able to analyse and determinate the fingerprint image type (oily, dry or neutral) based on the extracted feature values and the fuzzy inference rules. The percentages of the test fuzzy inference system for each type is as follow: For dry fingerprint the percentage is 81.33, for oily the percentage is 54.75, and for neutral the percentage is 68.48. Secondly, a fuzzy morphology is applied to enhance the dry and oily fingerprint images. The fuzzy morphology method improves the quality of a fingerprint image, thus improving the performance of the fingerprint identification system significantly. All experimental work which was done for both quality analysis and image enhancement was done using the DB_ITS_2009 database which is a private database collected by the department of electrical engineering, institute of technology Sepuluh Nopember Surabaya, Indonesia. The performance evaluation was done using the Feature Similarity index (FSIM). Where the FSIM is an image quality assessment (IQA) metric, which uses computational models to measure the image quality consistently with subjective evaluations. The new proposed system outperformed the classical system by 900% for the dry fingerprint images and 14% for the oily fingerprint images.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.4_spc
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• pp.786-793
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• 2024

Latin America is a culturally, geographically, politically, and economically diverse region. Agriculture in Latin America is marked by a remarkable diversity of production systems, reflecting various agroecological zones, farm sizes, and technological levels. In the last decade, the swine industry increased by 30.6%, emerging as a great contributor to food security and economic development in Latin America. Brazil and Mexico dominate the pig production landscape, together accounting for 70% of sow inventory in the region. The swine industry in Latin America is predominantly comprised of small and medium-sized farms, however, in the past 30 years, the number of pig producers in Brazil dropped by 78%, whereas pork production increased by 326%. Similar to the global pork industry, the growing demand for pork, driven by population growth and changing dietary habits, presents an opportunity for the industry with an expected growth of 16% over the next decade. The export prospects are promising, however subject to potential disruptions from global market conditions and shifts in trade policies. Among the challenges faced by the swine industry, disease outbreaks, particularly African Swine Fever (ASF), present significant threats, necessitating enhanced biosecurity and surveillance systems. In 2023, ASF was reported to the Dominican Republic and Haiti, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) in Mexico, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Venezuela, and Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) in Mexico, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Ecuador. Additionally, feed costs, supply chain disruptions, and energy expenses have affected mainly the smaller and less efficient producers. The swine industry is also transitioning towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices, including efficient feed usage, and precision farming. Ensuring long-term success in the swine industry in Latin America requires a holistic approach that prioritizes sustainability, animal welfare, and consumer preferences, ultimately positioning the industry to thrive in the evolving global market.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.167-197
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• 1991

This paper is intended as an introductory essay to explain endogenous changes in the scope of firm activities in the competitive structure of a deregulated, multi-product financial industry. Recently, the global financial industry has been experiencing a widespread reshuffling in its activities, reflecting both consolidation and specialization. The spread of the universal banking system, which involves the integration of various kinds of financial activities, has resulted in the so-called financial supermarket. At the same time, the traditional set of banking activities has been unbundled into so-called financial boutiques. A relevant question is where the current reshuffling process of integration and disintegration in financial activities might lead the financial industry. However, presently popular theories of the financial industry are not really appropriate for the analysis of this issue. This paper attempts to integrate the theory of specialization [George J. Stigler, "The Division of Labor is Limited by the Extent of the Market," Journal of Political Economy, Vol. LIX, No.3, June 1951] and the theory of the multi-product firm [William J. Baumol, John C. Panzar, and Robert D. Willig, Contestable Markets and the Theory of Industry Structure, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., New York, 1982] and to apply the resulting hybrid theory, a theory on the scope of financial activity, to the financial industry. The implications of this theory for the issues raised above are formalized under five hypotheses on the reshuffling of financial activities as listed below: Hypothesis I: The differences in the organization of financial industries among countries are determined by differences in the size of the financial markets, other things being equal. Hypothesis II: A financial firm will separate those financial activities simultaneously having relatively strong economies of scale and relatively weak economies of scope (alternatively, diseconomies of scope) from other activities. Conversely, the firm will integrate those activities simultaneously having relatively weak economies of scale (alternatively, diseconomies of scale) and relatively strong economies of scope with incumbent activities. Hypothesis III: A competitive equilibrium in the deregulated financial industry will consist of both specialized and multi-product financial firms, resulting in a mixed form of specialized and universal banking systems. Hypothesis IV: As world financial markets fully integrate and all countries consequently face this single, common world market, the financial structures of individual countries will become increasingly similar. Hypothesis V: A more universal banking system will dominate the deregulated financial industry in countries with relatively small financial markets, while a more specialized banking system will dominate in countries with relatively large financial markets. However, equilibrium will ultimately be mixed, with specialized and universal banks coexisting, as stated in Hypothesis III. Based on these hypotheses, this paper interprets the historical development of specialized vs. universal banking systems in major industrial countries as a process driven by the evolution of the financial market in each country - i.e. the change in the size of the financial market over time. In addition, this paper anticipates that the final equilibrium of the world financial industry, which is currently under the pressure of financial innovations and deregulation, will be a mixed equilibrium with both specialized boutiques and universal supermarket-type financial firms, instead of an exclusively specialized or universal banking system. Future research should seek continued theoretical elaboration and empirical verification of this paper's hypotheses.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.269-289
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• 2010

In Summer 2008, a multidisciplinary survey was conducted onboard R/V Haeyang 2000 to understand plankton response to the three distinct physico-chemical settings that developed in the Ulleung Basin of the East Sea. Baseline settings of hydrographic conditions included the presence of the thin (<20 m) Tsushima Surface Water (TSW) on top of the Tsushima Middle Water (TMW). It extends from the Korea Strait to $37^{\circ}N$ along the $130^{\circ}E$ and then turns offshore and encompasses the relatively saline (T>$26^{\circ}C$, S>33.7) Ulleung Warm Eddy surface water centered at $36.5^{\circ}N$ and $131^{\circ}E$. A relatively colder and saline water mass appeared off the southeastern coast of Korea. It was accompanied by higher nutrient and chlorophyll-a concentrations, suggesting a coastal upwelling. Most of the offshore surface waters support low phytoplankton biomass (0.3 mg chl-a $m^{-3}$). A much denser phytoplankton biomass (1-2.3 mg $m^{-3}$) accumulated at the subsurface layer between 20-50 m depth. The subsurface chlorophyll-a maximum (SCM) layer was closely related to the nutricline, suggesting an active growth of phytoplankton at depth. The SCM developed at shallow depth (20-30 m) near the coast and deepened offshore (50-60 m). A fucoxanthin/zeaxanthin ratio was high in coastal waters while it was low in offshore waters, which indicated that diatoms dominate coastal waters while cyanobacteria dominate offshore waters. The community structure and biomass of phytoplanktonare closely related to nitrogen availability. Zooplankton biomass was higher in the coastal region than in the offshore region while species richness showed an opposite trend. Zooplankton community structure retained a coastal/offshore contrast. These suggest that summer hydrography is a stable structure, lasting long enough to allow a hydrography-specific plankton community to evolve.

• Maritime Security
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.113-136
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• 2022

China has been pushing for a systematic strategy for territorialization over a long period of time to invade Korea's West Sea (Yellow Sea) in order to create China's territorial water. China's strategy for territorializing the West Sea is an activity in which China curbs the use of South Korea and enforces the illegal use of China in order to dominate the West Sea exclusively. China aided Chinese fishing boats that engaged in illegal fishing in Korea's jurisdiction as a means to territorialize the West Sea, and is opposed to combined exercise and training of Korea and the United States Naval Forces in the West Sea, while intentionally entering KADIZ(Korea Air Defense Identification Zone). In addition, Beijing used 'scientific exploration and research' measures as a pretext for its strategies in order to encroach on Korea's West Sea. China is carrying out such work to announce to the world that China is a systematic and organized country while consistently attempting to dominate the West Sea. China's activities in the West Sea seriously infringe South Korea's sovereignty. In order to respond to China's strategies of territorialization in the West Sea stated above, I analyzed the rejection effect of the ROK-US combined military training in the West Sea and presented a 'proportional response strategy centered on the ROK-US combined forces'. Korea should be able to respond proportionally to China's activities in the seas around the Korean peninsula, and Korea should be able to neutralize China's attempt to a Fait Accompli. In addition, just as China installs buoys in the Korea-China Provisional Measures Zone, Korea should be able to install and actively utilize some devices in the West Sea and for the use of free and open West Sea. Korea should not just wait for the tragic future to come without preparing for China's gradual and long-term strategy, and Seoul needs to respond to China's maritime policy in the West Sea with a more active attitude than it is now. China has historically taken a bold and aggressive response to neighboring countries that are consistent with a passive attitude, on the other hand, Beijing has taken a cautious approach to neighboring countries that respond with an active attitude. It should not be forgotten that Korea's passive response to the Chinese strategy in the name of a 'realistic approach' such as Korea's economic dependence on China for economy will result in China's success for territorialization of the West Sea.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.75-87
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• 2012

Hyporheic zone is a region beneath and alongside a stream, river, or lake bed, where there is mixing of shallow groundwater and surfacewater. Hyporheic exchange controls a variety of physical, biogeochemical and thermal processes, and provides unique ecotones in a aquatic ecosystem. Field and experimental observations, and modeling studies indicate that hyporheic exchange is mainly in response to pressure gradients driven by the geomorphological features of stream beds. In the reach scale of a stream, pool-riffle structures dominate the exchange patterns. Flow over a pool-riffle sequence develops recirculation zones and stagnation points, and this flow structures make irregular pressure gradient which is driving force of the hyporheic exchange. In this study, 3 D hydro-dynamic model solves the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations for the surface water and Darcy's Law and the continuity equation for ground water. The two sets of equations are coupled via the pressure distribution along the interface. Simulation results show that recirculation zones and stagnation points in the pool-riffle structures dominantly control the upwelling and downwelling patterns. With decrease of recirculation zones, length of donwelling zone formed in front of riffles is reduced and position of maximum downwelling point moves downward. The numerical simulation could successfully predict the behavior of hyporheic exchange and contribute the field study, river management and restoration.