• Molecules and Cells
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.264-275
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• 2020

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a significant role in intracellular signaling and regulation, particularly when they are maintained at physiologic levels. However, excess ROS can cause cell damage and induce cell death. We recently reported that eIF2α phosphorylation protects hepatocytes from oxidative stress and liver fibrosis induced by fructose metabolism. Here, we found that hepatocyte-specific eIF2α phosphorylation-deficient mice have significantly reduced expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and altered EGFR-mediated signaling pathways. EGFR-mediated signaling pathways are important for cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival in many tissues and cell types. Therefore, we studied whether the reduced amount of EGFR is responsible for the eIF2α phosphorylation-deficient hepatocytes' vulnerability to oxidative stress. ROS such as hydrogen peroxide and superoxides induce both EGFR tyrosine phosphorylation and eIF2α phosphorylation. eIF2α phosphorylation-deficient primary hepatocytes, or EGFR knockdown cells, have decreased ROS scavenging ability compared to normal cells. Therefore, these cells are particularly susceptible to oxidative stress. However, overexpression of EGFR in these eIF2α phosphorylation-deficient primary hepatocytes increased ROS scavenging ability and alleviated ROS-mediated cell death. Therefore, we hypothesize that the reduced EGFR level in eIF2α phosphorylation-deficient hepatocytes is one of critical factors responsible for their susceptibility to oxidative stress.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.609-619
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• 2022

This study was performed to research the influencing factor of COVID-19 preventive behavior focused on people in their 20s and 30s who recently have a high infection rate of COVID-19. The online survey was conducted through structural questionnaire aimed at 210 people in their 20s and 30s of metropolitan area from July 10th to 19th in 2021. The results are as follows. First, as a result of analyzing the relation between health belief and COVID-19 preventive behavior, as perceived seriousness, perceived vulnerability, perceived disability and perceived benefit, COVID-19 preventive behavior is well conducted. Second, as perceived benefit of health belief get higher, the subjective norm is well observed. Third, as subjective norm and perceived behavioral control become higher, COVID-19 preventive behavior is well conducted. Fourth, the subjective norm and perceived behavioral control have a mediating effect in the relation between subjective norm.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.395-404
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to prevent obesity in the elderly and to seek differentiated intervention measures according to education level by comparing and analyzing the factors influencing obesity in single-person households according to education level. Using the data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey in 2020, cross-analysis and logistic regression analysis were conducted through data of a total of 400 respondents, and the analysis showed vulnerability in physical activities that could affect obesity if the education level was low, and risk factors such as eating out and sodium intake were high. As a result of comparative analysis of influencing factors through the classification of education levels, sedentary time was a risk factor in the low-education group, and sodium intake was a risk factor for obesity in the high-education group. Through this, it was discussed the need for healthy nutrition and physical activity education for middle-aged and elderly single-person households, and differentiated intervention according to the level of education.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.13-26
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• 2023

This study examined the soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC), considering the volume change, using wetting curves on the field monitoring data of a wireless sensor network. Special attention was given to evaluating the landslide vulnerability by deriving a matric suction suitable for the actual site during the wetting process. Laboratory drying SWCC and shrinkage laboratory tests were used to perform the combined analysis of landslide and debris flow. The results showed that the safety factor of the wetting curve, considering the volume change of soil, was lower than that of the drying curve. As a result of numerical analyses of the debris flow simulation, more debris flow occurred in the wetting curve than in the drying curve. It was also found that the landslide analysis with the drying curve tends to overestimate the actual safety factor with the in situ wetting curve. Finally, it is confirmed that calculating the matric suction through SWCC considering the volume change is more appropriate and reasonable for the field landslide analysis.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.36 no.2_1
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• pp.217-229
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• 2020

Recently, weather changes in Korea have intensified due to global warming, and the five major natural disasters that occur mostly include heavy rains, typhoons, storms, heavy snow, and earthquakes. Busan is vulnerable to snow disaster, given that the amount of natural disaster damage in Busan accounts for more than 50% of the total amount in the entire metropolitan cities in Korea, and that the Busan area includes many hilly mountains. In this study, we attempted to identify vulnerable areas for snowfall disasters in Busan areas using the geographic information system (GIS) with the data for both geographical and anthropogenic characteristics. We produced the maps of vulnerable areas for evaluating factors that include altitude, slope, land cover, road networks, and demographics, and overlapped those maps to rank the vulnerability to snowfall disasters as the 5th levels finally. To weight each evaluating factor, we used an entropy method. The riskiest areas are characterized by being located in mountainous areas with roads, including Sansung-ro in Geumjeong-gu, Mandeok tunnel in Buk-gu, Hwangnyeongsan-ro in Suyeong-gu, and others, where road restrictions were actually enforced due to snowfall events in the past. This method is simple and easy to be updated, and thus we think this methodology can be adapted to identify vulnerable areas for other environmental disasters.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information Security & Cryptology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.445-457
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• 2013

This paper is about the study to build a quantitative methodology to assess cyber threats and vulnerabilities on control systems. The SCADA system in power industry is one of the most representative and biggest control systems. The SCADA system was originally a local system but it has been extended to wide area as both ICT and power system technologies evolve. Smart Grid is a concept to integrate energy and IT systems, and therefore the existing cyber threats might be infectious to the power system in the integration process. Power system is operated on a real time basis and this could make the power system more vulnerable to the cyber threats. It is a unique characteristic of power systems different from ICT systems. For example, availability is the most critical factor while confidentiality is the one from the CIA triad of IT security. In this context, it is needed to reflect the different characteristics to assess cyber security risks in power systems. Generally, the risk(R) is defined as the multiplication of threat(T), vulnerability(V), and asset(A). This formula is also used for the quantification of the risk, and a conceptual methodology is proposed for the objective in this study.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.1-26
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• 2008

Rapid progress of information technology and widespread use of the personal computers have brought various conveniences in our life. But this also provoked a series of problems such as hacking, malicious programs, illegal exposure of personal information etc. Information security threats are becoming more and more serious due to enhanced connectivity of information systems. Nevertheless, users are not much aware of the severity of the problems. Using appropriate password is supposed to bring out security effects such as preventing misuses and banning illegal users. The purpose of this research is to empirically analyze a research model which includes a series of factors influencing the effectiveness of passwords. The research model incorporates the concept of risk based on information systems risk analysis framework as the core element affecting the selection of passwords by users. The perceived risk is a main factor that influences user's attitude on password security, security awareness, and intention of security behavior. To validate the research model this study relied on questionnaire survey targeted on evening class MBA students. The data was analyzed by AMOS 7.0 which is one of popular tools based on covariance-based structural equation modeling. According to the results of this study, while threat is not related to the risk, information assets and vulnerability are related to the user's awareness of risk. The relationships between the risk, users security awareness, password selection and security effectiveness are all significant. Password exposure may lead to intrusion by hackers, data exposure and destruction. The insignificant relationship between security threat and perceived risk can be explained by user's indetermination of risk exposed due to weak passwords. In other words, information systems users do not consider password exposure as a severe security threat as well as indirect loss caused by inappropriate password. Another plausible explanation is that severity of threat perceived by users may be influenced by individual difference of risk propensity. This study confirms that security vulnerability is positively related to security risk which in turn increases risk of information loss. As the security risk increases so does user's security awareness. Security policies also have positive impact on security awareness. Higher security awareness leads to selection of safer passwords. If users are aware of responsibility of security problems and how to respond to password exposure and to solve security problems of computers, users choose better passwords. All these antecedents influence the effectiveness of passwords. Several implications can be derived from this study. First, this study empirically investigated the effect of user's security awareness on security effectiveness from a point of view based on good password selection practice. Second, information security risk analysis framework is used as a core element of the research model in this study. Risk analysis framework has been used very widely in practice, but very few studies incorporated the framework in the research model and empirically investigated. Third, the research model proposed in this study also focuses on impact of security awareness of information systems users on effectiveness of password from cognitive aspect of information systems users.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.5-14
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• 2017

The hazard maps for predicting collapse on natural slopes consist of a combination of topographic, hydrological, and geological factors. Topographic factors are extracted from DEM, including aspect, slope, curvature, and topographic index. Hydrological factors, such as soil drainage, stream-power index, and wetness index are most important factors for slope instability. However, most of the urban areas are located on the plains and it is difficult to apply the hazard map using the topography and hydrological factors. In order to evaluate the risk of subsidence of flat and low slope areas, soil depth and groundwater level data were collected and used as a factor for interpretation. In addition, the reliability of the hazard map was compared with the disaster history of the study area (Gangnam-gu and Yeouido district). In the disaster map of the disaster prevention agency, the urban area was mostly classified as the stable area and did not reflect the collapse history. Soil depth, drainage conditions and groundwater level obtained from boreholes were added as input data of hazard map, and disaster vulnerability increased at the location where the actual subsidence points. In the study area where damage occurred, the moderate and low grades of the vulnerability of previous hazard map were 12% and 88%, respectively. While, the improved map showed 2% high grade, moderate grade 29%, low grade 66% and very low grade 2%. These results were similar to actual damage.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.40-53
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• 2008

Groundwater pollution prediction methods have been developed to plan the sustainable groundwater usage and protection from potential pollution in many countries. DRASTIC established by US EPA is the most widely used groundwater vulnerability mapping method. However, the DRASTIC showed limitation in predicting the groundwater contamination because the DRASTIC method is designed to embrace only hydrogeologic factors. Therefore, in this study, three different methods were applied to improve a groundwater pollution prediction method: US EPA DRASTIC, Modified-DRASTIC suggested by Panagopoulos et al. (2006), and LSDG (Land use, Soil drainage, Depth to water, Geology) proposed by Rupert (1999). The Modified-DRASTIC is the modified version of the DRASTIC in terms of the rating scales and the weighting coefficients. The rating scales of each factor were calculated by the statistical comparison of nitrate concentrations in each class using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test; while the weighting coefficients were modified by the statistical correlation of each parameter to nitrate concentrations using the Spearman's rho test. The LSDG is a simple rating method using four factors such as Land use, Soil drainage, Depth to water, and Geology. Classes in each factor are compared by the Wilcoxon rank-sum test which gives a different rating to each class if the nitrate concentration in the class is significantly different. A database of nitrate concentrations in groundwaters from 149 wells was built in Keumsan area. Application of three different methods for assessing the groundwater pollution potential resulted that the prediction which was represented by a correlation (r) between each index and nitrate was improved from the EPA DRASTIC (r = 0.058) to the modified rating (r = 0.245), to the modified rating and weights (r = 0.400), and to the LSDG (r = 0.415), respectively. The LSDG seemed appropriate to predict the groundwater pollution in that it contained land use as a factor of the groundwater pollution sources and the rating of each class was defined by a real pollution nitrate concentration.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.135-148
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• 2004

Rice is not only main food but also key farm income source of Korean farmers. In spite of the above facts, rice productivity was decreased on account of drought in every 2 or 3 years interval owing to the vulnerability of irrigation facilities throughout Korea in the past decades. As an context of the first five year economic development plan, all weather farming programme including 4 big river basin comprehensive development projects and large and medium sized irrigation water development projects were carried out successfully. Therefore the area of irrigated paddy were increased from 58% in 1970 to 76.2% in 1999. In the past decades, the Government had invested heavy financial funds to develop irrigation water but as an factor share analysis, the contribution rates of irrigation water and investment for farmland base development project have not been identified yet in national agricultural economic level. It is very scarce to find out the papers concerned to macro-economic factor share analysis or contribution rates of water and investment cost to rice production value in Korea considering the production function of the quantity of irrigation water and investment cost as independent variables. Accordingly this paper covered and aimed at identifying (1) derivation of rice production function with the time serial data from 1965 to 1999 and the contribution rates of irrigation water and total investment cost for farmland base development project. The analytical model of the contribution rates was adapted the famous Cobb-Douglass production function. According to the model analysis, the contribution rate of irrigation water to rice production in Korea was shown 37.8% which was equivalent to 0.28 of the production elasticity of water. The contribution rate of farmland base development project cost was revealed 22% and direct production cost of rice was contributed 60% in the growth of rice production and farm mechanization costs contributed to 18% of it respectively. The two contribution rates comparing with the direct production cost were small but without irrigation water and farmland base development, application of high-pay off inputs and farm mechanization might be impossible. Considering the food security and to cope with the frequent drought, rice farming and investment for the irrigation water development should be continued even in WTO system.