• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.15-23
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• 2013

AprE51 from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CH51 is a 27 kDa subtilisin-like protease with fibrinolytic activity. AprE51-6 showing increased catalytic activity was produced previously. To enhance the thermostability of AprE51-6, 2 residues, Gly-166 and Asn-218 based on B. subtilis subtilisin E were mutated by site-directed mutagenesis. The results of the mutational analysis showed that substitution of arginine for Gly-166 (AprE51-7) increased the fibrinolytic activity 1.8-fold. An N218S mutant (AprE51-8) also increased the fibrinolytic activity up to 4.5-fold in a fibrin plate assay. Purified AprE51-7 and AprE51-8 mutants had a 1.9- and a 2.5-fold higher $k_{cat}$, respectively, and a 2.1-1.9-fold lower $K_m$, respectively. This resulted in a 3.8- and a 4.7-fold increase in catalytic efficiency ($k_{cat}/K_m$), respectively, relative to that of wild-type AprE51. AprE51-8 had a broader pH range than AprE51-6 and nattokinase, especially at an alkaline pH value. In addition, AprE51-8 showed higher thermostability than AprE51-6 at $60^{\circ}C$. The half-lives of AprE51-7 and AprE51-8 at $50^{\circ}C$ were 21.5 and 27.3 min, respectively, which are 2.0 and 2.6 times longer, respectively, than that of the wild-type AprE51.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.1331-1339
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• 2017

DNA barcoding is the identification of a species based on the DNA sequence of a fragment of the cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) gene in the mitochondrial genome. It is widely applied to assist with the sustainable development of fishery-product resources and the protection of fish biodiversity. This study attempted to verify horse-head fish (Branchiostegus japonicus) and fake horse-head fish (Branchiostegus albus) species, which are commonly consumed in Korea. For the validation of the two species, a real-time PCR method was developed based on the species' mitochondrial DNA genome. Inter-species variations in mitochondrial DNA were observed in a bioinformatics analysis of the mitochondrial genomic DNA sequences of the two species. Some highly conserved regions and a few other regions were identified in the mitochondrial COI of the species. In order to test whether variations in the sequences were definitive, primers that targeted the varied regions of COI were designed and applied to amplify the DNA using the real-time PCR system. Threshold-cycle (Ct) range results confirmed that the Ct ranges of the real-time PCR were identical to the expected species of origin. Efficiency, specificity and cross-reactivity assays showed statistically significant differences between the average Ct of B. japonicus DNA ($21.85{\pm}3.599$) and the average Ct of B. albus DNA ($33.49{\pm}1.183$) for confirming B. japonicus. The assays also showed statistically significant differences between the average Ct of B. albus DNA ($22.49{\pm}0.908$) and the average Ct of B. japonicus DNA ($33.93{\pm}0.479$) for confirming B. albus. The methodology was validated by using ten commercial samples. The genomic DNA-based molecular technique that used the real-time PCR was a reliable method for the taxonomic classification of animal tissues.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.55-92
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• 2010

In terms of labor market accomplishments, such as income, size of the company, and the matching quality between one's job and college major (specialization), a very large discrepancy is observed between the graduates from colleges located in Seoul and those outside Seoul. But, when the department average score of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) at the time of college entrance is controlled for, the discrepancy is found to be reduced to a considerable degree. In the case of wage gap, at least two third can be explained by the SAT score gap. The remaining wage gap seems to reflect the characteristics of workplace. In other words, graduates with high SAT scores enter colleges located in Seoul and thus tend to find better jobs leading to earning differences. This result that confirms the importance of aptitude test scores suggests that in the labor market, one of the major reasons behind a lower accomplishment of the graduate from local colleges is due to a lower competitiveness of local colleges in attracting the brightest students. But, this should not be viewed as only an internal problem of local colleges. This is because the growth of local economies tends to haul the advancement of local colleges in that area rather than being the other way around. The agglomeration effect in Seoul where headquarters of large corporations and financial institutions gather is the factor that has elevated the status of colleges located in Seoul since this provides highly preferred job choices of graduates. When the competitiveness of college is significantly influenced by exogenous factors, such as the vicinity to Seoul, the effort being made by colleges alone would not be enough to improve the situation. However, the central government, too, is not in the position to carry out countermeasure policies for such problems. The regional development strategy boosted through supportive policies for local colleges, such as financial support, is not based on the persuasive and empirical grounds. It is true that college education is universal and that the government''s intervention in assisting local colleges to secure basic conditions, such as tenure faculty and adequate facilities is necessary. However, the way of intervention should not be a support-only type. In order to improve the efficiency and effect of financial support, restructuring programs, including the merger and integration of insolvent colleges, should be underway prior to providing support. In addition, when the policy is focused on education recipients-local college students, and not on education providers-local colleges, the importance of regional gap in compulsory education (elementary and junior high schools) turns out to be much important as the gap between metropolitan area colleges and local colleges. Considering the educational gap before college entrance shown from the discrepancies of aptitude test scores among different regions, the imbalance between regions in terms of human resources is apparently derived from compulsory education, and not from college education. Therefore, there is a need to double the policy efforts to reduce the educational gap among different regions. In addition, given the current situation where it is difficult to find appropriate ex post facto policy measures to solve the problem of income gap between the graduates from metropolitan colleges and local colleges, it can be said that improving the environment for compulsory education in local areas is a growing necessity for bridging the educational gap among different regions.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.90-98
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• 2003

Purpose : A new virtual simulation technique for craniospinal irradiation (CSI) that uses a CT-simulator was developed to improve the accuracy of field and shielding placement as well as patient positioning. Materials and Methods : A CT simulator (CT-SIM) and a 3-D conformal radiation treatment planning system (3D-CRT) were used to develop CSI. The head and neck were immobilized with a thermoplastic mask while the rest of the body was immobilized with a Vac-Loc. A volumetric image was then obtained with the CT simulator. In order to improve the reproducibility of the setup, datum lines and points were marked on the head and body. Virtual fluoroscopy was performed with the removal of visual obstacles, such as the treatment table or immobilization devices. After virtual simulation, the treatment isocenters of each field were marked on the body and on the immobilization devices at the conventional simulation room. Each treatment fields was confirmed by comparing the fluoroscopy images with the digitally reconstructed radiography (DRR) and digitally composited radiography (DCR) images from virtual simulation. Port verification films from the first treatment were also compared with the DRR/DCR images for geometric verification. Results : We successfully performed virtual simulations on 11 CSI patients by CT-SIM. It took less than 20 minutes to affix the immobilization devices and to obtain the volumetric images of the entire body. In the absence of the patient, virtual simulation of all fields took 20 min. The DRRs were in agreement with simulation films to within 5 mm. This not only reducee inconveniences to the patients, but also eliminated position-shift variables attendant during the long conventional simulation process. In addition, by obtaining CT volumetric image, critical organs, such as the eyes and the spinal cord, were better defined, and the accuracy of the port designs and shielding was improved. Differences between the DRRs and the portal films were less than 3 m in the vertebral contour. Conclusion : Our analysis showed that CT simulation of craniospinal fields was accurate. In addition, CT simulation reduced the duration of the patient's immobility. During the planning process. This technique can improve accuracy in field placement and shielding by using three-dimensional CT-aided localization of critical and target structures. Overall, it has improved staff efficiency and resource utilization by standard protocol for craniospinal irradiation.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.891-897
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• 2017

Apple (Malus domestica) is a climacteric fruit because of its high respiration and ethylene production. Ethylene affects the fruit by decreasing its quality and storability. Md-ACS1 and Md-ACO1 genes are involved in ethylene biosynthesis in apple; the Md-ACS1-2 and Md-ACO1-1 alleles are associated with low ethylene production. We conducted an analysis to study Md-ACS1 and Md-ACO1, and to examine ethylene production and softening rate of fruit at room temperature ($20^{\circ}C$) storage in 'Fuji (FJ)', 'Golden Supreme (GS)', and 5 cultivars of Korean apples ('RubyS (RS)', 'Hongro (HR)', 'Arisoo (AS)', 'Summer King (SK)', 'Greenball (GB)'). The result showed that an increase in the number of the alleles (ACS1-2, ACO1-1) decreased the ethylene production and softening rate. The presence of ACS1-1/1, ACO1-1/2 was confirmed in GS and the highest ethylene production and softening rate was observed. Ethylene production and softening rate of SK and GB expressing ACS1-1/2, ACO1-1/2 were higher than that of HR and AS, expressing ACS1-2/2, ACO1-1/2, but lower than GS. FJ with ACS1-2/2, ACO1-1/1 showed the lowest ethylene production and softening rate among all cultivars except RS. The Md-ACS1 and Md-ACO1 DNA markers could potentially be used to estimate storability and applied in marker assisted selection the improve the efficiency of apple breeding.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.1547-1552
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• 2009

This study was carried out to evaluate the supplementation effect of dietary natural plant extracts (NP: $Coxynil^{(R)}$, $Growell^{(R)}$ and $Respowell^{(R)}$) on broiler chickens. Forty thousand male broilers with 7 days adaptation after hatching were fed experiment diets for 34 days. The supplementation effects of NP on growth performance, blood parameters and biopsy were examined with twenty thousand broilers as the treatment group. Twenty thousand broilers for the control group (CON) were fed the diet with salinomycin-6, clopidol-25, enramycin-1, and BMD-2.5. In the diet of the treatment group, the antibiotics were replaced with 0.03%, 0.035% and 0.03% of $Coxynil^{(R)}$, $Growell^{(R)}$ and $Respowell^{(R)}$, respectively. The weight gain of the treatment group was increased but the feed intake was decreased, indicating that feed efficiency was increased compared to the CON. The mortality of the NP group was also lower compared to the CON group (1,008 birds to 1,693 birds), showing positive dietary effects from natural plant extracts. In the activity of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) and new cattle disease virus (NDV) antibodies, the NP showed lower antibody titer levels for both of IBDV and NDV compared to the CON. The levels of total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, globulin, and IgG in blood did not show significant differences between the groups. In the microscopic tissue analysis, no significant differences were detected. These results may suggest that a complex of three natural plant extracts can be used as alternative antibiotics in broilers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.1274-1283
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• 2005

The sensory acceptability, texture profile analysis and nutritional evaluation were peformed in Korean traditional mungbean pancake (MPC) and modified MPC containing squid meat and soybean to standardize the recipes for healthy fast food market potentiality. Optimal ingredient formulations were revealed as mung-bean 55$\%$, pork 13$\%$ and vegetables 32$ \%$ for traditional MPC, and pork 3$\%$, squid 42$\%$ and soybean 55$\%$ for modified MPC using response surface methodology. Flavor and hardness correlated highly with overall accept-ability rather than appearance and color of traditional MPC. Higher squid levels raised adhesiveness, springi-ness and resiliences of modified MPC, but soybean decreased these textural attributes. Protein, lipid and total calorie of modified MPC were lower than those of traditional MPC. Computed protein efficiency ratio (C-PER) and degree of gelatinization of modified MPC were superior than traditional MPC.

• The Korean Journal of Financial Management
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.71-91
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• 2005

The object or this paper is to analyze the rollover effect on KOSPI 200 index option prices. Especially we analyze the implied volatilities of the options that became the near maturity options as the old one expired. For this analysis, a panel data of KOSPI 200 Index Option Prices from year 1999 to year 2001 were used, and following results were obtained. First, after controlling for the underlying index returns, strike prices and other pricing factors, the call option prices tend to decrease while the put option prices tend to increase during the week of expiry. Second, if one concentrates on the daily price changes, call option prices tend to go up on Thursday (as the old options expire), and then experience a price decrease on the following day, while the reverse is true for the put options. These results imply that the option prices are affected by some of the market micro-structure effects such as whether the option is the near maturity option. We conjecture that the reason for this is related to the undervaluation of KOSPI 200 futures. The results from this paper have implications on the timing of option trades. If one wants to buy put options, and/or sell call options, he has better off by executing his intended trades before the old options expire. On the other hand, if one wants to buy call options, and/or sell put options, hi has better off by executing his intended trades after the expiry.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.49-61
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• 1985

In this study, I compared and analyzed the new and old secondary school science textbooks to find the charateristics of them and the differences between them. The results of the study are the following. Major concepts in the new textbook are almost similar to those in the old one. The-new textbook reinforces the functions of the introudction and checking the result of learning, and presents more and diverse learning materials and reduces the degree of learning difficulty by omitting the several abstract knowledges and mathematical formulas which can be understood through formal operational thinking. The results show that the new textbook is more effective in arousing student's interest and curiosity there fore it increases the efficiency of learning. But the new textbook is less suitable for inquiry because it is mainly composed of explanation and fact rather than experiment and observation. I think that this is the result from the actual approach to the real conditions of school when the curriculum was reformed and the new textbook was written.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.123-138
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• 2016

This study investigates intents of acquisitions in information technology industries. Mergers and acquisitions are a strategic decision at corporate-level and have been an important tool for a firm to grow. Plenty of firms in information technology industries have acquired startups to increase production efficiency, expand customer base, or improve quality over the last decades. For example, Google has made about 200 acquisitions since 2001, Cisco has acquired about 210 firms since 1993, Oracle has made about 125 acquisitions since 1994, and Microsoft has acquired about 200 firms since 1987. Although there have been many existing papers that theoretically study intents or motivations of acquisitions, there are limited papers that empirically investigate them mainly because it is challenging to measure and quantify intents of M&As. This study examines the intent of acquisitions by measuring specific intents for M&A transactions. Using our measures of acquisition intents, we compare the intents by four acquisition types: (1) the acquisition where a hardware firm acquires a hardware firm, (2) the acquisition where a hardware firm acquires a software/IT service firm, (3) the acquisition where a software/IT service firm acquires a hardware firm, and (4) the acquisition where a software /IT service firm acquires a software/IT service firm. We presume that there are difference in reasons why a hardware firm acquires another hardware firm, why a hardware firm acquires a software firm, why a software/IT service firm acquires a hardware firm, and why a software/IT service firm acquires another software/IT service firm. Using data of the M&As in US IT industries, we identified major intents of the M&As. The acquisition intents are identified based on the press release of M&A announcements and measured with four categories. First, an acquirer may have intents of cost saving in operations by sharing common resources between the acquirer and the target. The cost saving can accrue from economies of scope and scale. Second, an acquirer may have intents of product enhancement/development. Knowledge and skills transferred from the target may enable the acquirer to enhance the product quality or to expand product lines. Third, an acquirer may have intents of gain additional customer base to expand the market, to penetrate the market, or to enter a foreign market. Fourth, a firm may acquire a target with intents of expanding customer channels. By complementing existing channel to the customer, the firm can increase its revenue. Our results show that acquirers have had intents of cost saving more in acquisitions between hardware companies than in acquisitions between software companies. Hardware firms are more likely to acquire with intents of product enhancement or development than software firms. Overall, the intent of product enhancement/development is the most frequent intent in all of the four acquisition types, and the intent of customer base expansion is the second. We also analyze our data with the classification of production-side intents and customer-side intents, which is based on activities of the value chain of a firm. Intents of cost saving operations and those of product enhancement/development can be viewed as production-side intents and intents of customer base expansion and those of expanding customer channels can be viewed as customer-side intents. Our analysis shows that the ratio between the number of customer-side intents and that of production-side intents is higher in acquisitions where a software firm is an acquirer than in the acquisitions where a hardware firm is an acquirer. This study can contribute to IS literature. First, this study provides insights in understanding M&As in IT industries by answering for question of why an IT firm intends to another IT firm. Second, this study also provides distribution of acquisition intents for acquisition types.