• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.42
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• pp.24.1-24.7
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• 2020

Background: In daily practice, three-dimensional patient-specific jawbone models (3D models) are a useful tool in surgical planning and simulation, resident training, patient education, and communication between the physicians in charge. The progressive improvements of the hardware and software have made it easy to obtain 3D models. Recently, in the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery, there are many reports on the benefits of 3D models. We introduced a desktop 3D printer in our department, and after a prolonged struggle, we successfully constructed an environment for the "in-house" fabrication of the previously outsourced 3D models that were initially outsourced. Through various efforts, it is now possible to supply inexpensive 3D models stably, and thus ensure safety and precision in surgeries. We report the cases in which inexpensive 3D models were used for orthodontic surgical simulation and discuss the surgical outcomes. Review: We explained the specific CT scanning considerations for 3D printing, 3D printing failures, and how to deal with them. We also used 3D models fabricated in our system to determine the contribution to the surgery. Based on the surgical outcomes of the two operators, we compared the operating time and the amount of bleeding for 25 patients who underwent surgery using a 3D model in preoperative simulations and 20 patients without using a 3D model. There was a statistically significant difference in the operating time between the two groups. Conclusions: In this article, we present, with surgical examples, our in-house practice of 3D simulation at low costs, the reality of 3D model fabrication, problems to be resolved, and some future prospects.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.125-142
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• 2021

The POCT (point-of-care test) sensing that has been a fast-developing field is expected to be a next generation technology in health care. The POCT sensors for the detection of proteins, small molecules and especially nucleic acids have lately attracted considerable attention. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the POCT methods are required to follow the ASSURED guidelines (Affordable, Sensitive, Specific, User- friendly, Robust and rapid, Equipment-free, Deliverable to all people who need the test). Recently, several CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) based diagnostic techniques using the sensitive gene recognition function of CRISPR have been reported. CRISPR/Cas (Cas, CRISPR associated protein) systems based detection technology is the most innovative gene analysis technology that is following the ASSURED guidelines. It is being re-emerged as a powerful diagnostic tool that can detect nucleic acids due to its characteristics that enable rapid, sensitive and specific analyses of nucleic acid. The first CRISPR-based diagnosis begins with the discovery of the additional function of Cas13a. The enzymatic cleavage occurs when the conjugate of Cas protein and CRISPR RNA (crRNA) detect a specific complementary sequence of the target sequence. Enzymatic cleavage occurs on not only the target sequence, but also all surrounding non-target single-stranded RNAs. This discovery was immediately utilized as a biosensor, and numerous sensor studies using CRISPR have been reported since then. In this review, the concept of CRISPR, the characteristics of the Cas protein required for CRISPR diagnosis, the current research trends of CRISPR diagnostic technology, and some aspects to be improved in the future are covered.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.120-127
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• 2022

Nitrogen oxide(NOx) is a major cause of air pollution, exists in the form of nitrogen monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, and is harmful to the human body. Recently, a number of studies to reduce NOx in the atmosphere have been conducted, and these efforts have been the same in the field of construction materials. It is known that NOx can be efficiently removed by using a photocatalytic reaction. In this study, the NOx removal performance of the foam composite using activated carbon(AC) and titanium dioxide(TiO₂) was investigated. AC was used to enhance the photocatalytic reaction of TiO₂ by increasing the internal specific surface area of the foam composite. In this study, foam composites were prepared using the substitution rate of AC as the main variable. The NOx removal performance of specimen was evaluated according to the test method presented in ISO-22197-1. The specific surface area of the foam composite showed a tendency to increase according to the AC content, but decreased at 15% or more. Also, when the AC substitution rate was 15%, the NOx removal efficiency was the highest.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.65-76
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• 2023

This paper identifies the aspects of living environment elements (PM^2.5, PM¹⁰, Noise) throughout Seoul and the urban characteristics that affect them by utilizing the big data of the S-Dot sensors in Seoul, which has recently become a hot topic. In other words, it proposes a big data based urban computing research methodology and research direction to confirm the relationship between urban characteristics and living environments that directly affect citizens. The temporal range is from 2020 to 2021, which is the available range of time series data for S-Dot sensors, and the spatial range is throughout Seoul by 500mX500m GRID. First of all, as part of analyzing specific living environment patterns, simple trends through EDA are identified, and cluster analysis is conducted based on the trends. After that, in order to derive specific urban planning factors of each cluster, basic statistical analysis such as ANOVA, OLS and MNL analysis were conducted to confirm more specific characteristics. As a result of this study, cluster patterns of environment elements(PM^2.5, PM¹⁰, Noise) and urban factors that affect them are identified, and there are areas with relatively high or low long-term living environment values compared to other regions. The results of this study are believed to be a reference for urban planning management measures for vulnerable areas of living environment, and it is expected to be an exploratory study that can provide directions to urban computing field, especially related to environmental data in the future.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.19-39
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• 2023

Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the experiences of foreign students in childcare practicum, with a specific focus on identifying the difficulties they encountered and the values they derived from their practicum experiences. The aim was to gain insights that can contribute to improving practicum support for these students. Methods: A total of 6 foreign students were selected as participants for this study using snowball sampling. The data collection period spanned from May 2021 to March 2023, during which semi-structured interviews were conducted and qualitatively analyzed. Results: Foreign students faced challenges in securing practicum placements prior to the start of their program. Communication difficulties necessitated the use of interpreters to interact with children. Additionally, documenting information in a language other than their mother tongue posed a challenge. Consequently, there was a need for tailored training support to address the specific needs of foreign students in childcare practicum. Despite these challenges, the students reported rewarding and valuable experiences during their practicum. These experiences included discovering the teaching identity in Korea, learning about desirable practices in the field, recognizing and addressing personal shortcomings, and developing a sense of vocation for the advancement of infant education in their home countries. Conclusion/Implications: If we actively listen to and provide appropriate support for the specific needs of foreign students in their childcare practicum, they have the potential to become excellent childcare teachers who can foster a harmonious and inclusive environment within our multicultural society.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.13.1-13.8
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• 2023

Importance of accurate molecular diagnosis and quantification of particular disease-related pathogenic microorganisms is highlighted as an introductory step to prevent and care for diseases. In this study, we designed a primer/probe set for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) targeting rgpA gene, known as the specific virulence factor of periodontitis-related pathogenic bacteria 'Porphyromonas gingivalis', and evaluated its diagnostic efficiency by detecting and quantifying relative bacterial load of P. gingivalis within saliva samples collected from clinical subjects. As a result of qRT-PCR, we confirmed that relative bacterial load of P. gingivalis was detected and quantified within all samples of positive control and periodontitis groups. On the contrary, negative results were confirmed in both negative control and healthy groups. Additionally, as a result of comparison with next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based 16S metagenome profiling data, we confirmed relative bacterial load of P. gingivalis, which was not identified on bacterial classification table created through 16S microbiome analysis, in qRT-PCR results. It showed that an approach to quantifying specific microorganisms by applying qRT-PCR method could solve microbial misclassification issues at species level of an NGS-based 16S microbiome study. In this respect, we suggest that P. gingivalis-specific primer/probe set introduced in present study has efficient applicability in various oral healthcare industries, including periodontitis-related microbial molecular diagnosis field.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.52.1-52.10
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• 2023

Accurate and efficient microbial diagnosis is crucial for effective molecular diagnostics, especially in the field of human healthcare. The gold standard equipment widely employed for detecting specific microorganisms in molecular diagnosis is quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). However, its limitations in low metagenomic DNA yield samples necessitate exploring alternative approaches. Digital PCR, by quantifying the number of copies of the target sequence, provides absolute quantification results for the bacterial strain. In this study, we compared the diagnostic efficiency of qRT-PCR and digital PCR in detecting a particular bacterial strain (Staphylococcus aureus), focusing on skin-derived DNA samples. Experimentally, specific primer for S. aureus were designed at transcription elongation factor (greA) gene and the target amplicon were cloned and sequenced to validate efficiency of specificity to the greA gene of S. aureus. To quantify the absolute amount of microorganisms present on the skin, the variable region 5 (V5) of the 16S rRNA gene was used, and primers for S. aureus identification were used to relative their amount in the subject's skin. The findings demonstrate the absolute convenience and efficiency of digital PCR in microbial diagnostics. We suggest that the high sensitivity and precise quantification provided by digital PCR could be a promising tool for detecting specific microorganisms, especially in skin-derived DNA samples with low metagenomic DNA yields, and that further research and implementation is needed to improve medical practice and diagnosis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.199-207
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• 2024

Cytochrome P450s (CYP) enzymes play a central role in the metabolism of both endogenous and xenobiotic chemical compounds. In particular, therapeutic drugs, natural products and environmental toxicants regulate expression of the tissue-specific CYP enzymes, This can cause CYP-mediated interactions among the chemical compounds such as the ingested drugs and toxicants, resulting in changes in their metabolism. This can lead to the modifications of their therapeutic and toxic effects. Intense investigations in this field throughout the last several decades have resulted in considerable progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms mediating the regulation of CYP gene expression. Now, it is well established that xenobiotic chemicals regulate the expression of specific CYP genes, and the corresponding xenobiotic-sensing receptors that mediate the expression control of specific CYP genes and their signal transduction pathways are involved in this process. This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms by which the well-known major xenobiotic-sensing receptors and other regulators affect the induction of CYP gene expression in response to exposure to various chemicals.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.31 no.6B
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• pp.531-539
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• 2011

It has been widely acknowledged that climate system associated with extreme rainfall events was difficult to understand and extreme rainfall simulation in climate model was more difficult. This study developed a new model for extracting rainfall filed associated with extreme events as a way to characterize large scale climate system. Main interests are to derive location, size and direction of the rainfall field and this study developed an algorithm to extract the above characteristics from global climate data set. This study mainly utilized specific humidity and wind vectors driven by NCEP reanalysis data to define the rainfall field. Geometric first and second moments have been extensively employed in defining the rainfall field in selected zone, and an ellipsoid based model were finally introduced. The proposed geometric moments based ellipsoid model works equally well with regularly and irregularly distributed synthetic grid data. Finally, the proposed model was applied to space-time real rainfall filed. It was found that location, size and direction of the rainfall field was successfully extracted.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.41-57
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• 2009

This study investigated the teaching practice of students attending a three-year early childhood education course in K City, Gyeonggi Province, as well as the educational environments of 72 kindergartens and child care centers where they received field training and which were located in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, Incheon Metropolitan City, Bucheon, and Ilsan. After four weeks of teaching practice, those prospective teachers were surveyed for their objective opinions and current state regarding the practice guidance for students, teachers' working hours and wages, and female dominance in number among early childhood educators and heads of early childhood education institutions. Those data were collected to understand the operations of early childhood education institutions and the current teaching practice. According to the analysis results, the students of the early childhood education major said the four-week teaching practice was very helpful for them to understand the field and thus had positive receptions of it. Most of the prospective teachers felt the heaviest burden and experienced the biggest shortcomings in practical skills such as music, art, and hand play during class. They also felt a partial need for male counterparts. Those findings will help prospective teachers understand the field further before going out on the field and the teaching bodies have specific ideas about what kind of guidance is provided by kindergartens or child care centers. In addition, they will hopefully serve as basic data to form organic connections between the educational institutions and the field to produce more talented early childhood education teachers.