• BMB Reports
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.92-97
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• 2024

Elevated blood glucose is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis. Data from the current study showed that glucosamine (GlcN), a normal glucose metabolite of the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP), promoted lipid accumulation in RAW264.7 macrophage cells. Oleic acid- and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lipid accumulation was further enhanced by GlcN in RAW264.7 cells, although there was no a significant change in the rate of fatty acid uptake. GlcN increased acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC), fatty acid synthase (FAS), scavenger receptor class A, liver X receptor, and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) mRNA expression, and; conversely, suppressed ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA-1) and ABCG-1 expression. Additionally, GlcN promoted O-GlcNAcylation of nuclear SREBP-1 but did not affect its DNA binding activity. GlcN stimulated phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and S6 kinase. Rapamycin, a mTOR-specific inhibitor, suppressed GlcN-induced lipid accumulation in RAW264.7 cells. The GlcN-mediated increase in ACC and FAS mRNA was suppressed, while the decrease in ABCA-1 and ABCG-1 by GlcN was not significantly altered by rapamycin. Together, our results highlight the importance of the mTOR signaling pathway in GlcN-induced macrophage lipid accumulation and further support a potential link between mTOR and HBP signaling in lipogenesis.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.58 no.3
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• pp.65-89
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• 2024

This study developed a model to classify news articles into categories of topic, genre, and region using a Korean Pre-trained Language model. To achieve this, a new news article classification system was designed by referring to the classification systems of domestic media outlets. The topic and genre classification models were implemented as hierarchical classification models that link the main categories and subcategories, and their performance was compared with that of an integrated category model. The evaluation results showed that the hierarchical structure classification model had the advantage of providing more precise categorization in ambiguous or overlapping categories compared to the integrated category model. For regional classification of news articles, a model was built to classify into 18 categories, and for regional news articles, the regional characteristics were clearly reflected in the text, resulting in high performance. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of classifying news articles from multiple perspectives-topic, genre, and region-and emphasized the significance of suggesting the potential for a multi-dimensional news article classification service that meets user needs.

• Clinical and Experimental Vaccine Research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.218-224
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• 2024

Purpose: Sleeping disorders were reported in many patients who took vaccines during previous pandemics. We aim to investigate the relationship between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines and the incidence of narcolepsy symptoms in the Jordanian population. Materials and Methods: We used a descriptive, cross-sectional, online self-administered survey conducted between December 2022 and May 2023. The survey targeted males and females above the age of 18 years who took any type of COVID-19 vaccine, had no chronic diseases, and had no sleep disorders prior to taking the vaccine. The survey was distributed via social media platforms. Results: A total of 873 participants were included in this study, consisting of 44.4% males and 55.6% females, with the majority being in the 18-29 age group. Most participants (79.8%) received two vaccine doses, with the Pfizer vaccine being the most common. Nearly half of the participants reported excessive daytime sleepiness. Sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucinations were reported by a notable proportion of participants, but no significant differences were found among the vaccine types. Sleep attacks and fragmented nighttime sleep were associated with the number of vaccine doses received, suggesting a possible influence of the dose count on these symptoms. The presence of excessive daytime sleepiness, sudden loss of muscle tone, sleep paralysis, and hypnagogic hallucinations showed no significant association with the number of doses taken. Conclusion: We hypothesize a possible link between COVID-19 vaccination and the emergence of narcolepsy symptoms in Jordanian individuals. Additional investigations and continuous monitoring to determine the extent of the risk and uncover potential mechanisms behind this connection should be performed.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2024.07a
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• pp.1275-1276
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• 2024

Construction is like a symbol of social development. Buildings and public infrastructures are required to support people's lives and a country's development. With the increasing construction, the waste of construction increases as well. Demolition wastes from existing buildings or urban renewal plans also increase the waste quantity. Construction and demolition wastes (CDW) are majorly inorganic materials and have high recycling potential. However, the recycling rate of CDW is not 100% and needs more methods to raise the rate. In Taiwan, the CDW has two authorities, one is CDW waste managed by the Ministry of Environment (MoE), and the other is construction spoil soils managed by the National Land Management Agency, Ministry of Interior. In 2022, the CDW waste is 2.12 million tons, and construction spoil soils are around 43 million m³. In this study, the current status of CDW in Taiwan was reviewed and material flow analysis was applied to link the materials sources to CDW. The results showed that 35% of waste concrete flowed back to the source materials and 65% was disposed of or used as secondary materials. However, 95% of waste steel was used back as raw materials and only 5% was disposed of or used in other materials. To increase the recycling of CDW, the priority method is to force the material separation onsite. Mixing CDW would increase the cost of recycling and decrease the market competition ability. New technology to collect and recycle the CDW as a new material is also recommended. Finally, a new law, the Resources Recycling Promotion Law, is coming in this year, 2024, which is expected to turn the waste into resources in Taiwan.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.31-39
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• 2024

Background: In the Republic of Korea, the implementation of the Life-Sustaining Treatment Decision System has facilitated end-of-life care planning through advanced directives. Despite the availability of this system, there are few studies about advance directives itself and Korean medicine clinics(KMC) have been underrepresented as registration institutions, with limited data on their involvement. Objective: The study delved into the landscape of advance directives within KMC, shedding light on the characteristics of the subject and the correlation between sociodemographic factors with the intention to use hospice and the allowance of pre-access. Results: Data from a specific KMC's advance directives registry were analyzed, with 89 cases meeting the criteria for investigation. Results revealed a predominant female presence among registrants, with an average age of 70.28 ± 9.47 years. While no statistically significant relationship was found between gender/age/distance and the intention to use hospice or pre-access allowance, those expressing a desire for hospice care were more inclined to permit pre-access. In addition, the closer the distance, the older the subject. These findings underscore the evolving dynamics of end-of-life care planning in Korea, urging greater participation of KMC in hospice palliative care initiatives. The study's limitations include its single-institution focus and potential impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: The study found a strong link between hospice intention and pre-access allowance and highlighted the association between distance and age. These findings emphasized the evolving role of KMC in end-of-life care planning and call for further research to explore their increasing involvement in hospice palliative care initiatives.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.4783-4788
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• 2012

Objective: Previous studies of the association between X-ray cross-complementing group 1 (XRCC1) gene polymorphisms and the gliomas risk have yielded conflicting results, and thus a meta-analysis was performed to provide a more accurate estimation. Methods: A computerized literature search of 5 electronic databases was conducted to identify the relevant studies. Fixed or random effect models were selected based on the heterogeneity test. Publication bias was estimated using Begg's funnel plots and Egger's regression test. Results: A total of 11 studies (3,810 cases and 6,079 controls), 7 studies (2,928 cases and 5,048 controls), and 4 studies (1,461 cases and 2,593 controls) were finally included in the analyses of the association between XRCC1 Arg399Gln, Arg194Trp, and Arg280His polymorphisms and glioma risk, respectively. The pooled results showed that GlnGln carriage was associated with moderately increased risk of gliomas in Asians (GlnGln vs. ArgArg, OR=1.490, 95%CI 1.031-2.153; GlnGln/ArgGln vs. ArgArg, OR=1.321, 95%CI 1.037-1.684), whereas a marginal association was revealed in Caucasians. For the Arg194Trp polymorphism, although a significant association was shown in the homozygous genotype comparisons (TrpTrp vs. ArgArg, OR = 2.209, 95%CI 1.398-2.945), no significant link was found on subgroup analysis stratified by ethnicity. With regard to the Arg280His polymorphism, no significant association was found in each comparison. No particular study was found to significantly influence the pooled results, and no potential publication bias was detected. Conclusions: This meta-analysis suggested that the XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphism is moderately associated with increased risk of gliomas in Asians, while Arg194Trp and Arg280His polymorphisms demonstrated no significant influence. Due to the limited studies and the potential confounders, further studies are needed to confirm these results.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.337-354
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• 2017

Cyanobacteria Aphanizomenon population is widely distributed in the world, and well known as harmful algae by producing toxins and off-flavor materials, thus belonging to one of the taxa that became more interested in the field of limnoecology. In this study, the frequency, intensity, and duration of Aphanizomenon occurrence were increased with the abnormal drawdown of water level in the winter in Boryeong Reservoir, and the spatial and temporal characteristics of them are compared with each other in the perspective of hydrometeorology (1998 to 2017) and limnology (2010 to 2017). In Korea, Aphanizomenon flourished mainly in high temperature, and the appearance in the low temperature was rare in total five times. The harmful cyanobacteria Aphanizomenon was observed in the low temperature (December to February) in Boryeong Reservoir from 2014, and then reached a maximum value of $2,160cells\;mL^{-1}$ in January 2017. In addition, the period exceeding $1,000cells\;mL^{-1}$ at this time was more than 3 months. This was simultaneously associated with abnormal water level fluctuation in the low temperature ($<10^{\circ}C$). The large drawdown of water level in the winter season has the potential to promote or amplify the germination and development of harmful algae. Also, subsequent water quality and ecological impacts(e.g., algal toxins and off-flavor substances) need to be considered carefully.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2006

This study examines the social meaning of the CosPlay, the growth potential of CosPlay culture and its effect on the related industry through the perspectives and language of the youths who enjoy CosPlay, based on the ethnographic research. Also, this study presents a comparative description of Korea and Japan CosPlay culture by the ethnographic methodology whose purpose is to define relationship of cause and effect with phenomenon. For further step, this study plans to emphasize the need to link culture, clothes and related industry in order to create a cultural environment where diversity co-exists. CosPlay is the mania culture of Japan that emulated the Halloween party of the West and that developed the party into a unique form. In Korea, this practice was accepted for the first time among a handful of youths, starting from the 1990s, after which, it was introduced to the masses while holding CosPlay related events. While CosPlay is succeeded as an industry in Japan, CosPlay in Korea is considered childish play due to the Korean culture of considering cartoon as a childish and low class genre which is enjoyed by youths. CosPlay in Korea faces the following changes: aging of the members who comprised the CosPlay culture at the initial stage; population increase, centered on middle and high school students; interest of the government and the businesses that wish to produce economic wealth by organizing CosPlay events into events for youths; and changes in the environment that comprised the surrounding of the CosPlay culture. CosPlay is an honest play that demonstrates one's effort on the stage through performance. Moreover, most of the middle and high school students who comprise the CosPlay culture demonstrate similar characteristics as mania type of people when it came to the reason that they enjoy CosPlay. However, they did not consider CosPlay culture as an important aspect of their lives. Instead, most of them said that they participate to relieve stress. Thus, they have the potential to move onto another form of youth culture that may appear more attractive to them. To them, it is not the CosPlay culture that is important, but the fact that CosPlay provides a forum where they can freely engage in play.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.278-285
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• 2016

Epidemiological studies have shown the association between transportation of live animals and the potential transmission of infectious disease between premises. This finding was also observed in the 2014-2015 foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in Korea. Furthermore, slaughterhouses played a key role in the global spread of the FMD virus during the epidemic. In this context, in-depth knowledge of the structure of direct and indirect contact between slaughterhouses is paramount for understanding the dynamics of FMD transmission. But the social network structure of vehicle movements to slaughterhouses in Korea remains unclear. Hence, the aim of this study was to configure a social network topology of vehicle movements between slaughterhouses for a better understanding of how they are potentially connected, and to explore whether FMD outbreaks can be explained by the network properties constructed in the study. We created five monthly directed networks based on the frequency and chronology of on- and off-slaughterhouse vehicle movements. For the monthly network, a node represented a slaughterhouse, and an edge (or link) denoted vehicle movement between two slaughterhouses. Movement data were retrieved from the national Korean Animal Health Integrated System (KAHIS) database, which tracks the routes of individual vehicle movements using a global positioning system (GPS). Electronic registration of livestock movements has been a mandatory requirement since 2013 to ensure traceability of such movements. For each of the five studied networks, the network structures were characterized by small-world properties, with a short mean distance, a high clustering coefficient, and a short diameter. In addition, a strongly connected component was observed in each of the created networks, and this giant component included 94.4% to 100% of all network nodes. The characteristic hub-and-spoke type of structure was not identified. Such a structural vulnerability in the network suggests that once an infectious disease (such as FMD) is introduced in a random slaughterhouse within the cohesive component, it can spread to every other slaughterhouse in the component. From an epidemiological perspective, for disease management, empirically derived small-world networks could inform decision-makers on the higher potential for a large FMD epidemic within the livestock industry, and could provide insights into the rapid-transmission dynamics of the disease across long distances, despite a standstill of animal movements during the epidemic, given a single incursion of infection in any slaughterhouse in the country.

• English & American cultural studies
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.73-97
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• 2010

Representation of destitution may be considered as an expression of a social desire toward forging a bond or solidarity with the impoverished. However, political and ethical demands of the solidarity force the formulaic framework structuring the form of representation to its limits. The thesis aims to examine the responses to such demands within the tradition of modernist literature that can be traced from Charles Baudelaire, Knut Hamsun to Franz Kafka and that somehow culminates with Samuel Beckett, and to analyze how the issue of destitution that weaves through Beckett's works criticizes and inherits such a heritage. Whereas destitution in 19th century Realism is structurally fixed and its potential for change is inherently excluded, for these writers, destitution is no longer the state of rigid reality in which any possibility is limited. It is destitution as an imperative that calls for exploitation of possibilities that can be recuperated from the impoverished condition of destitution. What these writers consistently resist against is destitution that leads to compensation and reward. Since occupying a superior position toward the other as the subject of description or sympathy can be seen as one form of profit or reward, they have persistently pursued absolute solitariness and austere conditions rather than prematurely simulating a sense of solidarity and community. The ultimate goal of destitution as an imperative is to pursue destitution in order to worsen it by identifying and then excluding and expending possessions and assets to a state of penury. This is a paradoxical process that opens up the realm of possibilities of destitution and redefines it as abundance and wealth. Destitution for Beckett as seen in the writers above is the objective of literature. But, what he focuses on is to amplify the shreds of economic world that still remain in a state of poverty and to reveal extreme poverty as a state of odd affluence and to transform it into a pursuit of accumulation and profit. One of his famous axioms, "less is more", contains the essence of such a paradoxical strategy. In a sense, such approach is a twist on the strategy that identifies and uses any remaining potential hidden in destitution as was pursued by other writers. It also expands on the imagination of the destitute described by Hamsun. But Hamsun and Beckett are diametrical opposites. Unlike Hamsun, Beckett does not link imagination with a sense of guilt. Imagination is not intended to overcome the destitute reality nor to culminate in artistic martyrdom as in the case of Kafka's hunger artist. The imagination of the impoverished in Beckett is simply a hilarious game and not an escape that ends in a sense of guilt. This game formulates a "rhetorical question" or derision at the ironical situation where the pursuit of hunger and art as the disinterestedness has been turned into symbolic capital. It is inherently a fundamental critique at the aestheticization of destitution that has been pursued by Modernism. Beckett's efforts at divulging falsehood inherent in non-profit acts such as charity, donation and hospitality are dissections of social fictions in which aestheticization of destitution remains a part of the whole.