• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.1092-1099
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• 2018

This study was orchestrated with the purpose of uncovering new nutraceutical resources possessing biological activities in the plant kingdom. To fulfill our objective, we analyzed several plant extracts and selected five species possessing powerful anti-oxidative activity. The anti-oxidative effect of these five plants, Apios fortunei Maxim., Colubrina arborescens Sarg., Croton caudatus Geiseler, Osmanthus matsumuranus Hayata and Schima noronhae Reinw. ethanol extracts were then evaluated by using in vitro assay, cell model system, and Western blot analysis of target proteins. As the results, all of them possessed the potent scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), similar with that of ascorbic acid, used as a common positive control. Moreover, they strongly inhibited hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$)-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS), in a dose-dependent manner, in RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells. Furthermore, they induced the protein expression of an anti-oxidative enzyme, heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), and its upstream transcription factor, nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Taken together, these results indicate that these five plants possess potent anti-oxidative activity and thus appear to be useful sources as potential anti-oxidant agents. Therefore, they might be utilized as promising materials in the field of nutraceuticals.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.18 no.2 s.92
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• pp.227-232
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• 2006

This article presents the results of experimental study that investigates the effect of filler and shrinkage reducing agent influencing on the strength properties of MMA-modified polymer paste that was produced to develop the surface-repair and coating materials of the concrete structures. Results show that the flexural and compressive strengths of the polymer paste increased 29 and 27%, respectively, when the aluminum hydroxide completely replaced the calcium carbonate as the filler Furthermore, when the shrinkage reducing agent was used 30%, both strengths decreased about 29% comparing to when the agent was not used. As in the cases of flexural and compressive strengths, the adhesive strength increased as the content of aluminum hydroxide as the filler increased, and it decreased as the content of shrinkage reducing agent increased. The adhesive strength with a dry concrete substrate turned out to be $30{\sim}40%$ higher than that with a wet concrete substrate.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.2923-2927
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• 2014

Background: Hepatocellular cancer (HCC) is one of the important health problems in Turkey, being very common and highly lethal. The aim of this study was to determine clinical, demographic features and risk factors. Materials and Methods: Nine hundred and sixth-three patients with HCC from 13 cities in Turkey were included in this study. Results: Only 205 (21%) of the 963 patients were women, with a male:female predominance of 4.8:1 and a median age of 61 years. The etiologic risk factors for HCC were hepatitis B in 555 patients (57.6%), 453 (81%) in men, and 102 (19%) in women, again with male predominance, hepatitis C in 159 (16.5%), (14.9% and 22.4%, with a higher incidence in women), and chronic alcohol abuse (more than ten years) in 137 (14.2%) (16.8% and 4.9%, higher in males). The Child-Pugh score paralleled with advanced disease stage amd also a high level of AFP. Conclusions: According to our findings the viral etiology (hepatitis B and hepatitis C infections) in the Turkish population was the most important factor in HCC development, with alcohol abuse as the third risk factor. The Child-Pugh classification and AFP levels were determined to be important prognostic factors in HCC patients.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.41 no.1 s.112
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• pp.1-21
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• 2006

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to analyze production and innovation networks of manufacturers in the rural, long-live areas of Gangwon Jeju and to suggest an ideal regional development model of rural areas in the knowledge-based information age. For this purpose, we compared the areas of Gangwon Jeju with the long-live belt areas in the rural pan of the Honan region and Gwangju Jeonju, the urban part of Honam. The findings from the study are summarized as follows. Firstly, the stronger the local networks in terms of supply of the necessary input materials and labor, the more successful the manufacturing industry is in the given area. Secondly, the more diverse and lasting the networks (in terms of the location of manufacturers, local area and national area) and cooperation agents(businesses, research institutions, the local government, the central government) they have, the more prosperous the manufacturing industry is. These results indicate that the successful development model for rural areas requires that we take the approach of fostering potential innovation capabilities of total areas by fully utilizing their innate resources so as to create an internal cooperative network and further build extensive networks encompassing external entities to create a virtual innovation cluster.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.18
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• pp.7719-7724
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• 2014

Background: Lymph node metastasis is believed to be a dependent negative prognostic factor of esophageal cancer. To explore detection methods with high sensitivity and accuracy for metastases to regional and distant lymph nodes in the clinic is of great significance. This study focused on clinical application of FDG PET/CT and contrast-enhanced multiple-slice helical computed tomography (MSCT) in lymph node staging of esophageal cancer. Materials and Methods: One hundred and fifteen cases were examined with enhanced 64-slice-MSCT scan, and FDG PET/CT imaging was conducted for neck, chest and upper abdomen within one week. The primary lesion, location and numbers of metastatic lymph nodes were observed. Surgery was performed within one week after FDG PET/CT detection. All resected lesions were confirmed histopathologically as the gold standard. Comparative analysis of the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy based on FDG PET/CT and MSCT was conducted. Results: There were 946 lymph node groups resected during surgery from 115 patients, and 221 were confirmed to have metastasis pathologically. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy of FDG PET/CT in detecting lymph node metastasis were 74.7%, 97.2% and 92.0%, while with MSCT they were 64.7%, 96.4%, and 89.0%, respectively. A significance difference was observed in sensitivity (p=0.030), but not the others (p>0.05). The accuracy of FDG PET/CT in detecting regional lymph node with or without metastasis were 91.9%, as compared to 89.4% for MSCT, while FDG PET/CT and MSCT values for detecting distant lymph node with or without metastasis were 94.4% and 94.7%. No significant difference was observed for either regional or distant lymph node metastasis. Additionally, for detecting para-esophageal lymph nodes metastasis, the sensitivity of FDG PET/CT was 72%, compared with 54.7% for MSCT (p=0.029). Conclusions: FDG PET/CT is more sensitive than MSCT in detecting lymph node metastasis, especially for para-esophageal lymph nodes in esophageal cancer cases, although no significant difference was observed between FDG PET/CT and MSCT in detecting both regional and distant lymph node metastasis. However, enhanced MSCT was found to be of great value in distinguishing false negative metastatic lymph nodes from FDG PET/CT. The combination of FDG PET/CT with MSCT should improve the accuracy in lymph node metastasis staging of esophageal cancer.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.165-169
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• 1998

In August 1996, seawater salinity and nutrient distribution were investigated at surface waters in the South Sea of Korea. The low-salinity (< 20.00 psu) waters were observed in the western and southwestern offshore areas of Cheju Island. Relatively low saline (< 30.0 psu) waters occupied most of the survey areas only except in the eastern part. The observed minimum salinity was lower by 11.78 psu than that of the average between 1963 and 1995. The low saline waters appeared in the upper layer of generally 10-20 m deep, and were obriously distinguished from high-salinity (> 32.00 psu) waters, 30 m deep. The low saline waters may originate from the freshwater discharge of vast amount of from Yangtze River during the heavy rainfall season in China. Phosphate concentrations in the surface waters were relatively low and were less variable than those of nitrate and silicate. The maximum concentrations of nitrate and silicate occured in the western and southwestern offshore areas of Cheju Island, where the salinities were the lowest. The concentrations of nitrate and silicate were inversely correlated with salinity, whereas that of phosphate showed a considerable scatter and non-conservative behaviours. This indicates extensive desorption reactions of suspended materials releasing phosphate.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.1-22
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• 2001

The object of this research is to explain types and factors of locations and regional linkages of manufacturing firms in rural areas using Eumsung County as a case of rural areas. Eumsung County is now vigorously industrializing owing to the government policy dispersing factories in the Capital region. The results of the survey conducted on industrial firms in Eumsung County through questionnaires reveal that individual sites are dominantly preferred by factory owners in comparison to the designated industrial complexes because the former is cheaper in land price. The main factors of industrial location in Eumsung County are cheap land cost, convenient highway accessibility, and the dispersion policy of the Capital region. In terms of the regional linkage, the proportion of the linkage with other regions is larger than that within the local region in case of purchasing raw materials, but the linkage with other regions is lower than that within the local regions in case of selling products. Also most white collar employees in Eumsung County were revealed to reside in and around the Capital region. In order to develop and maintain industrial firms in rural areas so as to avoid "dependency development," efforts for improving of the linkages between the local firms and expanding of social overhead capital are necessary.necessary.

• The Korean Journal of Archival Studies
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• no.11
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• pp.215-254
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• 2005

This thesis aims to study the founding process and operation of the prefectural archives of Japan and to put that knowledge to the founding regional archives in Korea. Now 28 among 47 Prefectural Governments in Japan have founded and operated the prefectural archives. While Kyoto Prefectural Library and Archives, Nagano Prefectural Museum of History, Gifu Prefectural Virtual Museum of History, The Archives of Hyogo Prefectural Government, Ibaraki Prefectural Museum of History and Hukushima Prefectural Archives are on the type of Prefectural Museum of History, the rest of them are on the type of Archives. The Prefectural Museum of History in Japan has a complex function as the museum, the library, and the archives. But the Prefectural Museum of History seems to be a sort of transient phenomenon to Archives. The reason which Prefectural Museum of History can not develop into the Archives is not so much owing to financial difficulties as lack of understanding on the function of Archives. The thesis shows founding process of each prefectural archives. Especially, the case study on the Kanagawa Prefectural Archives, Okinawa Prefectural Archives was arranged by the detailed data investigation. Comparing with other prefectures, these three prefectural archives have a system in the collection and arrangement process of current official records, paleography and many other materials, and construct records management system with institutionalizing accession, arrangement, and opening of official records by regulations, rules and so forth. But because of historical background and character in each region, the difference may exist in the founding process of three prefectural archives. Before central archival institution, National Archives of Japan, is founded, the prefectural archives have been founded at each region and they have gained relatively independent status so that decentralism in the system of managing records could be possible. And the private historical organizations had many influences on the founding process of National Archives of Japan. Of course the Japanese Archives system may have many differences from Korean regional archives. While Japan established Archives institute for itself with localism, Korea has not settled the system of self-government still. Moreover, financial difficulties on founding regional archives and lack of understanding of the Archives remained in Korea. And yet with regard to the founding regional archives in Korea, the case of operation and founding process of prefectural archives of Japan may be of great value.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.14-32
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• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma co-activator-1α (PGC-1α) has a central role in regulating muscle differentiation and mitochondrial metabolism. PGC-1α stimulates muscle growth and muscle fiber remodeling, concomitantly regulating lactate and lipid metabolism and promoting oxidative metabolism. Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thumb.) has been widely employed as a traditional herbal medicine and possesses antioxidant, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, hypolipemic, hypoglycemic, and anticancer properties. We investigated whether G. pentaphyllum extract (GPE) and its active compound, gypenoside L (GL), affect muscle differentiation and mitochondrial metabolism via activation of the PGC-1α pathway in murine C2C12 myoblast cells. MATERIALS/METHODS: C2C12 cells were treated with GPE and GL, and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot were used to analyze the mRNA and protein expression levels. Myh1 was determined using immunocytochemistry. Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species generation was measured using the 2'7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate assay. RESULTS: GPE and GL promoted the differentiation of myoblasts into myotubes and elevated mRNA and protein expression levels of Myh1 (type IIx). GPE and GL also significantly increased the mRNA expression levels of the PGC-1α gene (Ppargc1a), lactate metabolism-regulatory genes (Esrra and Mct1), adipocyte-browning gene fibronectin type III domain-containing 5 gene (Fndc5), glycogen synthase gene (Gys), and lipid metabolism gene carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1b gene (Cpt1b). Moreover, GPE and GL induced the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase, p38, sirtuin1, and deacetylated PGC-1α. We also observed that treatment with GPE and GL significantly stimulated the expression of genes associated with the anti-oxidative stress response, such as Ucp2, Ucp3, Nrf2, and Sod2. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that GPE and GL enhance exercise performance by promoting myotube differentiation and mitochondrial metabolism through the upregulation of PGC-1α in C2C12 skeletal muscle.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.67-84
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• 2023

In some areas of the Republic of Korea, the designation and management of conservation areas do not adequately reflect regional characteristics and often impose behavioral regulations without considering the local context. One prominent example is the Busan EDC area. As a result, conflicts may arise, including large-scale civil complaints, regarding the conservation and utilization of these areas. Therefore, for the efficient designation and management of protected areas, it is necessary to consider various ecosystem factors, changes in land use, and regional characteristics. In this study, we specifically focused on the Busan EDC area and applied machine learning techniques to analyze the habitat of regional species. Additionally, we employed Explainable Artificial Intelligence techniques to interpret the results of our analysis. To analyze the regional characteristics of the waterfront area in the Busan EDC district and the habitat of migratory birds, we used bird observations as dependent variables, distinguishing between presence and absence. The independent variables were constructed using land cover, elevation, slope, bridges, and river depth data. We utilized the XGBoost (eXtreme Gradient Boosting) model, known for its excellent performance in various fields, to predict the habitat probabilities of 11 bird species. Furthermore, we employed the SHapley Additive exPlanations technique, one of the representative methodologies of XAI, to analyze the relative importance and impact of the variables used in the model. The analysis results showed that in the EDC business district, as one moves closer to the river from the waterfront, the likelihood of bird habitat increases based on the overlapping habitat probabilities of the analyzed bird species. By synthesizing the major variables influencing the habitat of each species, key variables such as rivers, rice fields, fields, pastures, inland wetlands, tidal flats, orchards, cultivated lands, cliffs & rocks, elevation, lakes, and deciduous forests were identified as areas that can serve as habitats, shelters, resting places, and feeding grounds for birds. On the other hand, artificial structures such as bridges, railways, and other public facilities were found to have a negative impact on bird habitat. The development of a management plan for conservation areas based on the objective analysis presented in this study is expected to be extensively utilized in the future. It will provide diverse evidential materials for establishing effective conservation area management strategies.