• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.1119-1129
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• 2018

Objective: To compare the image quality of low-tube-voltage and low-iodine-concentration-contrast-medium (LVLC) computed tomography urography (CTU) with iterative reconstruction (IR) with that of conventional CTU. Materials and Methods: This prospective, multi-institutional, randomized controlled trial was performed at 16 hospitals using CT scanners from various vendors. Patients were randomly assigned to the following groups: 1) the LVLC-CTU (80 kVp and 240 mgI/mL) with IR group and 2) the conventional CTU (120 kVp and 350 mgI/mL) with filtered-back projection group. The overall diagnostic acceptability, sharpness, and noise were assessed. Additionally, the mean attenuation, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and figure of merit (FOM) in the urinary tract were evaluated. Results: The study included 299 patients (LVLC-CTU group: 150 patients; conventional CTU group: 149 patients). The LVLC-CTU group had a significantly lower effective radiation dose ($5.73{\pm}4.04$ vs. $8.43{\pm}4.38mSv$) compared to the conventional CTU group. LVLC-CTU showed at least standard diagnostic acceptability (score ${\geq}3$), but it was non-inferior when compared to conventional CTU. The mean attenuation value, mean SNR, CNR, and FOM in all pre-defined segments of the urinary tract were significantly higher in the LVLC-CTU group than in the conventional CTU group. Conclusion: The diagnostic acceptability and quantitative image quality of LVLC-CTU with IR are not inferior to those of conventional CTU. Additionally, LVLC-CTU with IR is beneficial because both radiation exposure and total iodine load are reduced.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.257-264
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• 2019

Objective: Dairy cattle nutrient requirement systems acknowledge amino acid (AAs) requirements in aggregate as metabolizable protein (MP) and assume fixed efficiencies of MP used for milk protein. Regulation of mammary protein synthesis may be associated with AA input and milk protein output. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of nanoemulsified methionine and cysteine on the in-vitro expression of milk protein (casein) in bovine mammary epithelial cells (MAC-T cells). Methods: Methionine and cysteine were nonionized using Lipoid S 75 by high-speed homogenizer. The nanoemulsified AA particle size and polydispersity index were determined by dynamic light scattering correlation spectroscopy using a high-performance particle sizer instrument. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay was performed to determine the cytotoxicity effect of AAs with and without nanoionization at various concentrations (100 to $500{\mu}g/mL$) in mammary epithelial cells. MAC-T cells were subjected to 100% of free AA and nanoemulsified AA concentration in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium/nutrient mixture F-12 (DMEM/F12) for the analysis of milk protein (casein) expression by the quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction method. Results: The AA-treated cells showed that cell viability tended to decrease (80%) in proportion to the concentration before nanogenesis, but cell viability increased as much as 90% after nanogenesis. The analysis of the expression of genetic markers related to milk protein indicated that; ${\alpha}_{s2}$-casein increased 2-fold, ${\kappa}$-casein increased 5-fold, and the amount of unchanged ${\beta}$-casein expression was nearly doubled in the nanoemulsified methionine-treated group when compared with the free-nanoemulsified methionine-supplemented group. On the contrary, the non-emulsified cysteine-administered group showed higher expression of genetic markers related to milk protein ${\alpha}_{s2}$-casein, ${\kappa}$-casein, and ${\beta}$-casein, but all the genetic markers related to milk protein decreased significantly after nanoemulsification. Conclusion: Detailed knowledge of factors, such nanogenesis of methionine, associated with increasing cysteine and decreasing production of genetic markers related to milk protein (casein) will help guide future recommendations to producers for maximizing milk yield with a high level of milk protein casein.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.621-640
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• 2019

Quantitative stability assessment of underground cavities can be presented as a factor of safety based on the Shear Strength Reduction Method (SSRM). Also, SSRM is one of the stability evaluation methods commonly used in slope stability analysis. However, there is a lack of research that considers the relationship between the probability of occurrence of cavities in the ground and the potential failure surface of the slope at the same time. In this study, the effect of small underground cavities on the failure behavior of the slope was analyzed by using SSRM. Considering some of the glaciology studies, there is a case that suggests that there is a cavity effect inside the glacier in the condition that the glacier slides. In this study, the stability evaluation of underground cavities and slope stability analysis, where SSRM is used in geotechnical engineering field, was carried out considering simultaneous conditions. The slope stability analysis according to the shape and position change of underground cavities which are likely to occur in the lower part of a mountain road was analyzed by using SSRM in FLAC3D software and the influence of underground cavities on the slope factor of safety was confirmed. If there are underground cavities near slope potential failure surface, it will affect the calculation of a factor of safety. The results of this study are expected to be basic data on slope stability analysis with small underground cavities.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.508-516
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• 2019

Background: Ginsenosides are not only the principal bioactive components but also the important indexes to the quality assessment of Panax ginseng Meyer. Their contents in cultivated ginseng vary with the growth environment and age. The present study aimed at evaluating the significant difference between 36 cultivated ginseng of different cultivation areas and ages based on the simultaneously determined contents of 14 ginsenosides. Methods: A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (MS) method was developed and used in the multiple reaction-monitoring (MRM) mode (HPLC-MRM/MS) for the quantitative analysis of ginsenosides. Multivariate statistical analysis, such as principal component analysis and partial least squares-discriminant analysis, was applied to discriminate ginseng samples of various cultivation areas and ages and to discover the differentially accumulated ginsenoside markers. Results: The developed HPLC-MRM/MS method was validated to be precise, accurate, stable, sensitive, and repeatable for the simultaneous determination of 14 ginsenosides. It was found that the 3- and 5-yr-old ginseng samples were differentiated distinctly by all means of multivariate statistical analysis, whereas the 4-yr-old samples exhibited similarity to either 3- or 5-yr-old samples in the contents of ginsenosides. Among the 14 detected ginsenosides, Rg1, Rb1, Rb2, Rc, 20(S)-Rf, 20(S)-Rh1, and Rb3 were identified as potential markers for the differentiation of cultivation ages. In addition, the 5-yr-old samples were able to be classified in cultivation area based on the contents of ginsenosides, whereas the 3- and 4-yr-old samples showed little differences in cultivation area. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the HPLC-MRM/MS method combined with multivariate statistical analysis provides deep insight into the accumulation characteristics of ginsenosides and could be used to differentiate ginseng that are cultivated in different areas and ages.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.57 no.10
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• pp.560-568
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• 2019

Purpose: This study evaluated the antibacterial effects of curcuma, ginger, and finger root extracts in water-soluble powder on planktonic Streptococcus mutans(S.mutans), which is known to cause dental caries, in order to confirm whether these extracts could perform as photosensitizers for the effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT). Methods: This study used the strain of streptococcus mutans ATCC 25175 distributed by the Korean Collection for Type Cultures of the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology. Commercial edible curcuma, ginger and finger root were used as the natural extracts for the use of photosensitizer. To extract organic solvent, 3 g of each powder was mixed in $30m{\ell}$ of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, VWR, Germany) before extraction. $1.8m{\ell}$ of the photosensitizer solution, manufactured in the concentrations of 5, 0.5, and $0.05mg/m{\ell}$, was mixed with $0.2m{\ell}$ of the S. mutans culture medium that had been cultured for 2 days. To induce the photodynamic reaction, Qraycam (AIOBIO, Seoul, Korea) equipped with 405 nm LED was used to expose light for 5 minutes to irradiate 59 nW energy for 300 seconds. Results: Compared with the case with no light, a higher photodynamic therapeutic effect was confirmed with $0.05mg/m{\ell}$ curcuma powder extract, the concentration of $0.5mg/m{\ell}$ and LED light of 405 nm wavelength (p=0.000, p=0.003). $0.05mg/m{\ell}$ of curcuma powder extract and the concentration of $0.5mg/m{\ell}$ showed 100% antibacterial effect when exposed to light, whereas the concentration of $5mg/m{\ell}$ showed 11.95% antibacterial effect. When exposed to light, $0.05mg/m{\ell}$ of ginger powder extract showed an antibacterial effect which didn't statistically decrease. The concentrations of $0.5mg/m{\ell}$ and $5mg/m{\ell}$ did not show any antibacterial effects. As a result of examining any photodynamic therapeutic effects of finger root powder extract on S. mutans, no statistically significant effect was found. Conclusion: The curcuma powder extract is expected to perform as a photosensitizer. Even though belonging to the same ginger family, ginger powder and finger root powder seem difficult to perform as photosensitizer.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.104-114
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• 2019

This study explored to analyze the winning determinants of the lawsuit cases on the urban and housing redevelopment project based on jurimetric methods. Based on affirm-rate and staircase matrix tables, 441 lawsuit judgments are analyzed. Research findings in affirm-rate analysis indicate that past legal relation, no own defect of accreditation, no ownership or association member status, lapse of period of litigation, and no legal interest are identified as higher rate in order for the reason for plea on the merit. And so are defect on calculation of consent rate, defect in relation with written consent, approval before zoning designation, defect in relation with general meeting, and defect on zoning designation for the issue on the merit. It is noteworthy from the staircase matrix table analysis that the criteria for affecting the lawsuit outcome is determined based on key forecasting variables such as past legal relation and no ownership or association member status. This study intends to provide the implication that the unnecessary disputes can be reduced in the urban and housing redevelopment project by the implementation of jurimetric quantitative analysis methodology from the perspective of empirical law.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.408-420
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• 2020

Purpose: Isoform 2 of tight junction protein claudin-18 (CLDN18.2) is a potential target for gastric cancer treatment. A treatment targeting CLDN18.2 has shown promising results in gastric cancer. We investigated the clinical significance of CLDN18.2 and other cell-adherens junction molecules (Rho GTPase-activating protein [RhoGAP] and E-cadherin) in metastatic diffuse-type gastric cancer (mDGC). Materials and Methods: We evaluated CLDN18.2, RhoGAP, and E-cadherin expression using two-plex immunofluorescence and quantitative data analysis of H-scores of 77 consecutive mDGC patients who received first-line platinum-based chemotherapy between March 2015 and February 2017. Results: CLDN18.2 and E-cadherin expression was significantly lower in patients with peritoneal metastasis (PM) than those without PM at the time of diagnosis (P=0.010 and 0.013, respectively), whereas it was significantly higher in patients who never developed PM from diagnosis to death than in those who did (P=0.001 and 0.003, respectively). Meanwhile, CLDN18.2 and E-cadherin expression levels were significantly higher in patients with bone metastasis than in those without bone metastasis (P=0.010 and 0.001, respectively). Moreover, we identified a positive correlation between the expression of CLDN18.2 and E-cadherin (P<0.001), RhoGAP and CLDN18.2 (P=0.004), and RhoGAP and E-cadherin (P=0.001). Conversely, CLDN18.2, RhoGAP, and E-cadherin expression was not associated with chemotherapy response and survival. Conclusions: CLDN18.2 expression was reduced in patients with PM but significantly intact in those with bone metastasis. Furthermore, CLDN18.2 expression was positively correlated with other adherens junction molecules, which is clinically associated with mDGC and PM pathogenesis.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.239-249
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• 2020

To find out the cause of the fire blight outbreak in apples and pears of Korea in 2019, we investigated disease appearing situation of thirty fire blight infected orchards, and interviewed farmers to determine the cultivation characteristics. Fire blight occurred mostly in orchards that had infected more than 2 years before. The cause of this were as follows: farmers did not know the symptoms of the disease properly. It is presumed that it has spread from the first occurrence to the surrounding orchards by flower-visiting insects or farmers and to a short distance or a long distance by the same cultivator or co-farmer. These series of processes repeated in the newly spreading area, and then disease reports increased as farmers became aware of fire blight. To minimize the spread of fire blight in Korea, it suggested that thorough education of farmers for early diagnosis and quantitative detection technology that can diagnose even in no symptom showing plants. And chemical or biological spraying systems suitable for domestic cultivation methods, which are producing large fruits, and molecular epidemiological studies of pathogens.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.60 no.2
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• pp.173-190
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• 2021

Education for Sustainable Development is an imperative mean to achieve the sustainable development which is the key idea that meets the needs of both present and succeeding generations by reconciling environmental protection, social development and economic growth. This study addressed the following question. First, what is the overall structure of the ESD contents presented in the textbooks? Second, How are the sub-contents of ESD distributed in the textbooks? Lastly, How are the ESD contents connected to mathematics in the textbooks? For this purpose, the contents in the elemtentary mathematics textbooks from 1^st to 6^th grades were analyzed at both macro and micro levels through quantitative and qualitative research methods. As results, contents related to environmental, social, and economic dimensions were presented from the first grade. The contents were involved the mathematics content domains of Numbers and Operations, Data and Possibilities, and Patterns. However, the contents were presented intensively in middle and high grades, and environmental topics accounted for a high proportion. Among the activities related to ESD, many were focused on solving problems mathematically while some were presented to solve problems as well as to consider sustainability through the activities. Based on the results, the study aims to provide implications for the direction of mathematics education for sustainable development in elementary school.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.225-232
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to identify the psychological characteristics of the elderly and to investigate the variables that affect the life satisfaction of the elderly. To achieve this purpose, psychological characteristics such as self-esteem, alienation, loss, and depression were selected. A survey was conducted on the elderly living in Gwangju Metropolitan City. A total of 218 copies were collected and 203 copies were analyzed, excluding poor responses. To draw the results of the research, quantitative analysis was conducted through questionnaires, and SPSSWIN 21.0 statistical program was used as an analysis tool. The analysis methods were frequency and ratio analysis, technical statistical analysis, bivariate correlation analysis, and linear regression analysis. The results of the analysis are as follows: First, the relationship between the psychological characteristics of the elderly showed significant correlations among the self-esteem, alienation, loss, depression, and life satisfaction of the elderly. Second, for the elderly, alienation and depression had a negative effect on life satisfaction, and self-esteem had a positive effect on life satisfaction. However, loss did not have a significant effect on life satisfaction. In conclusion, it suggests that it is necessary to develop and operate policies and programs to improve self-esteem and reduce alienation and depression in order to improve the quality of life of the elderly.