• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.263-276
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• 2021

Marine benthic organisms have been used as the indicators for the environment assessment and recently considered as a very important component in the biodiversity and ecosystem restoration. In Korean waters, the quantitative data on marine benthos was used as one of major components for the marine pollution assessment for 50 years since 1970s. The species identification which is an important factor for the quantitative biological data was mainly performed by the marine benthic ecologists. This leads to the deterioration of the data quality on marine benthos from the misidentication of major taxonomic groups due to the lack of taxonomic expertise in Korea. This taxonomic problem has not been solved until now and remains in most data from national research projects on the marine ecosystems in Korean waters. Here we introduce the quality assurance and control (QA/QC) system for the marine biological data in UK, that is, NMBAQC (Northeast Atlantic Marine Biological Analytic and Quality Control) Scheme which has been performed by private companies to solve similar species identification problems in UK. This scheme asks for all marine laboratories which want to participate to any national monitoring programs in UK to keep their identification potency at high level by the internal quality assurance systems and provides a series of taxonomic workshops and literature to increase their capability. They also performs the external quality control for the marine laboratories by performing the Ring Test using standard specimens on various faunal groups. In the case of Korea, there are few taxonomic expertise in two existing national institutions and so they can't solve the taxonomic problems in marine benthic fauna data. We would like to provide a few necessary suggestions to solve the taxonomic problems in Korean marine biological data in short-terms and long-terms: (1) the identification of all dominant species in marine biological data should be confirmed by taxonomic expertise, (2) all the national research programs should include taxonomic experts, and (3) establishing a private company, like the Korea marine organism identification association (KMOIA), which can perform the QA/QC system on the marine organisms and support all Korean marine laboratories by providing taxonomic literature and species identification workshops to enhance their potency. The last suggestion needs more efforts and time for the establishment of that taxonomic company by gathering the detailed contents and related opinions from diverse stakeholders in Korea.

• Composites Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.241-248
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• 2021

As the electric vehicle market grows, there is an issue of light weight vehicles to increase battery efficiency. Therefore, it is going to replace the battery module cover that protects the battery module of electric vehicles with high strength/high heat-resistant polymer composite material which has lighter weight from existing aluminum materials. It also aims to respond to the early electric vehicle market where technology changes quickly by combining 3D printing technology that is advantageous for small production of multiple varieties without restrictions on complex shapes. Based on the composite material mechanics, the critical length of glass fibers in short glass fiber (GF)/polycarbonate (PC) composite materials manufactured through extruder was derived as 453.87 ㎛, and the side feeding method was adopted to improve the residual fiber length from 365.87 ㎛ and to increase a dispersibility. Thus, the optimal properties of tensile strength 135 MPa and Young's modulus 7.8 MPa were implemented as GF/PC composite materials containing 30 wt% of GF. In addition, the filament extrusion conditions (temperature, extrusion speed) were optimized to meet the commercial filament specification of 1.75 mm thickness and 0.05 mm standard deviation. Through manufactured filaments, 3D printing process conditions (temperature, printing speed) were optimized by multi-optimization that minimize porosity, maximize tensile strength, and printing speed to increase the productivity. Through this procedure, tensile strength and elastic modulus were improved 11%, 56% respectively. Also, by post-processing, tensile strength and Young's modulus were improved 5%, 18% respectively. Lastly, using the FEA (finite element analysis) technique, the structure of the battery module cover was optimized to meet the mechanical shock test criteria of the electric vehicle battery module cover (ISO-12405), and it is satisfied the battery cover mechanical shock test while achieving 37% lighter weight compared to aluminum battery module cover. Based on this research, it is expected that 3D printing technology of polymer composite materials can be used in various fields in the future.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.719-728
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• 2021

Melanin pigments are abundantly distributed in mammalian skin, hair, eyes, and nervous system. Under normal physiological conditions, melanin protects the skin against various environmental stresses and acts as a physiological redox buffer to maintain homeostasis. However, abnormal melanin accumulation results in various hyperpigmentation conditions, such as chloasma, freckles, senile lentigo, and inflammatory pigmentation. Tyrosinase, a copper-containing enzyme, plays an important role in the regulation of the melanin pigment biosynthetic pathway. Although several whitening agents based on tyrosinase inhibition have been developed, their side effects, such as allergies, DNA damage, mutagenesis, and cytotoxicity of melanocytes, limit their applications. In this study, we synthesized 4-chromanone derivatives (MHY compounds) and investigated their ability to inhibit tyrosinase activity. Of these compounds, (E)-3-(4-hydroxybenzylidene)chroman-4-one (MHY1294) more potently inhibited the enzymatic activity of tyrosinase (IC₅₀ = 5.1±0.86 μM) than kojic acid (14.3±1.43 μM), a representative tyrosinase inhibitor. In addition, MHY1294 showed competitive inhibitory action at the catalytic site of tyrosinase and had greater binding affinity at this site than kojic acid. Furthermore, MHY1294 effectively inhibited α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH)-induced melanin synthesis and intracellular tyrosinase activity in B16F10 melanoma cells. The results of the present study indicate that MHY1294 may be considered as a candidate pharmacological agent and cosmetic whitening ingredient.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.92-100
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• 2021

Purpose: Rapid detection of etiologic organisms is crucial for initiating appropriate therapy in patients with central nervous system (CNS) infection. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of the BioFire^® Meningitis/Encephalitis (ME) panel in detecting etiologic organisms in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from febrile infants. Methods: CSF samples from infants aged <90 days who were evaluated for fever were collected between January 2016 and July 2019 at the Seoul National University Children's Hospital. We performed BioFire^® ME panel testing of CSF samples that had been used for CSF analysis and conventional tests (bacterial culture, Xpert^® enterovirus assay, and herpes simplex virus-1 and -2 polymerase chain reaction) and stored at -70℃ until further use. Results: In total, 72 (24 pathogen-identified and 48 pathogen-unidentified) CSF samples were included. Using BioFire^® ME panel testing, 41 (85.4%) of the 48 pathogen-unidentified CSF samples yielded negative results and 22 (91.7%) of the 24 pathogen-identified CSF samples yielded the same results (enterovirus in 19, Streptococcus agalactiae in 2, and Streptococcus pneumoniae in 1) as those obtained using the conventional tests, thereby resulting in an overall agreement of 87.5% (63/72). Six of the 7 pathogen-unidentified samples were positive for human parechovirus (HPeV) via BioFire^® ME panel testing. Conclusions: Compared with the currently available etiologic tests for CNS infection, BioFire^® ME panel testing demonstrated a high agreement score for pathogen-identified samples and enabled HPeV detection in young infants. The clinical utility and cost-effectiveness of BioFire^® ME panel testing in children must be evaluated for its wider application.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.66 no.2
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• pp.171-181
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• 2021

The purposes of this study were to determine how changes in temperature affect germination rates and growth of hulled and dehulled barley, malting barley, and naked oat plants, and to measure chlorophyll content, photosynthetic efficiency, and secondary compounds (total phenol, total flavonoid, and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity) in plants grown at 13℃ or 25℃). Various types of barley seeds were collected from areas with ideal conditions for barley cultivation, hereinafter referred to as IA, and also from areas where barley cultivation is more difficult due to lower temperatures, hereinafter referred to as LTA. Seeds were tested for seed vigor. While there were significant differences in the electrical conductivity values between seeds collected from certain specific areas, no significant differences were evident between IA and LTA seeds, regardless of the type of barley seed. When plants were grown at 25℃, there were no significant differences in germination rates, plant height, root length and shoot fresh weight between plants originating from IA and LTA. However, there were differences in the measured parameters of some specific seeds. Similarly, under the low temperature condition of 13℃, no differences in the emergence rate, plant height, and shoot fresh weight were evident between plants originating from IA or LTA, regardless of the type of barley. However, there were differences between some specific seeds. One parameter that did vary significantly was the emergence date. Hulled barley and malting barley emerged 5 days after sowing, whereas naked oats emerged 7 days after sowing. There were no differences in the chlorophyll content and photosynthetic efficacy, regardless of the type of barley. There were no significant differences in total phenol, total flavonoid content, and DPPH radical scavenging activity between plants originating from IA and LTA, regardless of the type of barley. However, there were differences between some specific seeds. In particular, for malting barley the total flavonoid content differed in the order of Gangjin > Changwon > Haenam = Jeonju > Naju. The results indicate that crop growth, yield and content of secondary compounds in various types of barley may be affected by climate change.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.24
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• pp.1-16
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• 2020

This paper presents the process of re-conservation and the results of research on the production method of the Iron Sword with Ring Pommel with Three-Pointed Leaf Decoration, one of the excavation findings from Tomb No. 55 in the Dalseong Ancient Tomb Complex in Daegu. This iron sword is a double weapon with two large swords housed within a single sheath. Four smaller swords are attached to the surface of the sheath, two on the upper portion and the other two below. It is the only such two-in-one weapon excavated intact thus far from an ancient Korean tomb. The records show that it underwent conservation treatment twice in the past. In this study, it was subjected to conservation treatment again to replace the stiffener in some cracking areas, and its material, composition, and production method were analyzed by CT, XRF analysis, and stereoscopic microscopy. The sword is mainly made of copper, but the golden component contains both gold and mercury, which suggests that the copper was plated in gold using mercury amalgamation. The examination of the production methods indicates that it was intended more to demonstrate the authority of its owner rather than to serve any practical use. The two upper small swords on the sheath were made in the same manner as the main swords, and the two small lower swords were cut from a single metal sheet. The sheath was made by cutting two metal sheets. Supports were used to attach the two small swords to the upper portion of the sheath, while the lower portion of the sheath was slit to allow the other two small swords to be inserted into it. The ring pommels of the main swords have a three-pointed leaf decoration. As for the other designs, the handle of the main sword features a series of semicircles, the decorative bands on the sheath have waves in dots, and the fish tail of the sheath shows diagonal lines of dots.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.110 no.2
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• pp.217-232
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• 2021

This study calculated the productivity and cost of extraction and processing of logging residues by cut-to-length (CTL) and whole-tree (WT) harvesting methods. In addition, the comparative analysis of the characteristics of wood chip fuel to examine whether it was suitable for the fuel conditions of the energy facility. In the harvesting and processing system to produce the wood chips of logging residues the system productivity and cost of the CTL harvesting system were 1.6 Gwt/SMH and 89,865 won/Gwt, respectively. The productivity and cost of the WT harvesting system were 2.9 Gwt/SMH and 72,974 won/Gwt, respectively. The WT harvesting productivity increased 1.3times while harvesting cost decreased by 18.7% compared to the CTL harvesting system. The logging residues of wood chips were not suitable for CTL wood chips based on International Organization for Standardization (ISO 17225-4:2021) and South Korea standard (NIFoS, 2020), but the quality (A2, Second class) was improved through screening operation. The WT-unscreened wood chips conformed to NIFoS standard (second class) and did not conform to ISO but were improved through screening operation (Second class). In addition to the energy facility in plant A, all wood chips except CTL-unscreened wood chips were available through drying processing. The WT-unscreened wood chips were the lowest at 99,408 won/Gwt. Plants B, C, and D had higher moisture content than plant A, so WT-unscreened wood chips without drying processing were the lowest at 57,204 won/Gwt. Therefore, the production of logging residues should improve with operation methods that improve the quality of wood chips required for applying the variable biomass and energy facility.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.187-195
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• 2021

Nam Nong Heo Geon(1908-1987) re-recognized and re-created the tradition of Korean Namjong painting by excluding Japanese art forms after liberation. He is a great painter in the Korean art world, who has succeeded and developed Korean Namjong Painting in a modern way, pioneering a new field of 'NewNamhwa' with a composition that fuses modern Western style and real scenery. Based on optimism, Namnong's painting world can be divided into three periods: the 'Namnong Sanin' period in the 1930s, the 'Namnongoesa' period from the mid-1940s to the early 1950s, and the 'the owner of Unlimsanbang' period after that. The Namnong Sanin period is a period in which the painting style handed down from the traditional namhwau family of Sochi and Misan is fully acquired, and the Japanese painting style for the exhibition in Seonjeon is reflected, and the local real scenery is treated a lot, and the two styles are mixed. In the Namnong-oesa period, after liberation, a new formativeness was explored in the traditional Namhwa style. In particular, based on the scenery and sentiments of the southern provinces, he focused on local and landscape paintings, depicting real landscapes with lyricism and local love, while expressing subjects with fast brush strokes, a worndown writing brush, and dry brushes, along with freehand adjustment of shading. The period of the owner of unlimsanbang is in accordance with the flow of modern art to some extent, but is gradually omitted as a composition full of academic fragrance that draws a meaning befitting traditional painting. I painted a lot of lyrical landscapes and pine trees of sumugdamchae. Namnong named it 'NewNamhwa'. Namnong established 'Namhwa Research Institute' and worked hard to nurture his disciples, where Im-in's son Heomun and Namnong's eldest grandson Heojin practiced, continuing the legacy of the 5th generation Unlimsanbang painter.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.550-558
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• 2021

Fructus Corni, the fruit of Cornus officinalis, has long been used for the prevention and treatment of various diseases. We recently suggested that it was effective against benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of Corni Fructus (CF) water extract on BPH induced by testosterone propionate (TP) in noncastrated and castrated animal models. BPH was induced in Sprague Dawley rats by an intramuscular injection of TP in castrated or noncastrated rats. Finasteride (FINA) treatment was used as a positive control for inhibition of BPH. According to our results, CF administration inhibited excessive enlargement of development of the prostate in both the noncastrated and castrated groups compared to the control and FINA-treated groups. The inhibitory effect of CF on BPH was associated with inhibition of expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, 5α-reductase type 2, steroid receptor coactivator-1, androgen receptor (AR), and prostate-specific antigen. Serum levels of the stress hormone cortisol increased during BPH induction by TP in both the noncastrated and castrated groups, but they were attenuated significantly by CF administration. However, insulin and IGF-1 levels were not increased in the BPH-induced groups and CF, and no effective results were found by CF administration. These results point to a beneficial effect of CF on BPH through inhibition of AR signaling pathway activity and imply that CF shows excellent potential as a therapeutic agent for the prevention and treatment of BPH.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Sensory Integration
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.69-82
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• 2021

Objective : This recent work intended to provide basic information for researchers and practitioners related to occupational therapy about Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) in South Korea. The previous research of screening DCD and the effects of intervention programs were reviewed. Methods : Peer-reviewed papers relating to DCD and published in Korea from January 1990 to December 2020 were systematically reviewed. The search terms "developmental coordination disorder," "development coordination," and "developmental coordination" were used to identify previous Korean research in this area from three representation database, the Research Information Sharing Service, Korean Studies Information Service System, and Google Scholar. We found a total of 4,878 articles identified through the three search engines and selected seventeen articles for analysis after removing those that corresponded to the overlapping or exclusion criteria. We adopted "the conceptual model" to analyze the selected articles about DCD assessment and intervention. Results : We found that twelve of the 17 studies showed the qualitative level of Level 2 using non-randomized approach between the two groups. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children and its second edition were the most frequently used tools in assessing children for DCD. Among the intervention studies, the eight articles (47%) were adopted a dynamic systems approach; a normative functional skill framework and cognitive neuroscience were each used in 18% of the pieces; and 11% of the articles were applied neurodevelopmental theory. Only one article was used a combination approach of normative functional skill and general abilities. These papers were mainly focused on the movement characteristics of children with DCD and the intervention effect of exercise or sports programs. Conclusion : Most of the reviewed studies investigated the movement characteristics of DCD or explore the effectiveness of particular intervention programs. In the future, it would be useful to investigate the feasibility of different assessment tools and to establish the effectiveness of various interventions used in rehabilitation for better motor performance in children with DCD.