• ANNALS OF ANIMAL RESOURCE SCIENCES
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.111-120
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• 2019

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of different feed inoculation method on rumen fermentation in an in vitro. Three experimental treatments were used: control (CON, direct dispersion of feed (2 g) in rumen fluid), combinations of direct dispersion (1 g) and nylon bag (DNB, pore size: 50 ㎛, 1 g), and nylon bag (NB, 2 g). An in vitro fermentation experiment was carried out using strained rumen fluid for 48 h incubation time and timothy was used as a substrate. At the end of the incubation, in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility (IVNDFD), pH, volatile fatty acids (VFA), ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N), and microbial community were evaluated and gas production was estimated at 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 h incubation periods. Gas production was higher in CON than DNB and NB at 6 and 12 h incubation time (p<0.01). There were no differences in final gas production, pH, NH₃-N concentration, total VFA production, and VFA profiles among treatments. The IVDMD was lowest in CON (p<0.01) but the IVNDFD was not differed by feed distribution methods. There were no significant differences in general bacteria and fungi. Protozoa count was highest in NB treatment among treatments (p<0.01). The abundance of cellulolytic bacteria, Ruminococcus flavefaciens and Fibrobacter succinogenes, was highest in the CON among treatments (p<0.01).

• Korean Association of Arts Management
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• no.50
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• pp.101-146
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• 2019

After the enactment of the Local Culture Promotion Act in 2014, the government has been continuously trying to find the direction of the local culture that reflects the local life and conforms to the local people's emotions. In response to these efforts, the Organizing Committee for the C Region Biennale has uniquely formed the Biennale Artistic Director as a local artist who includes the historical, ecological and emotional characteristics of the C region. Therefore, I sought to explore the perception of the identity and role of the local cultural arts director through the narratives of the research participants who were appointed as the local residents of the C region and the director of the Craft Biennale. For the study, six local cultural arts directors were selected as research participants, and their identity as a local cultural arts director and its role were explored, focusing on their narratives. In this process, various types of data such as photographs, documents, in - depth interviews, and conference materials were collected and narrative was analyzed based on deterministic events. The results of the investigation are as follows. The idea of the identity of the local cultural arts directors was found to be in three directions. First, it is the view that the symbolic role of the artistic supervisory system of the 10 persons guarantees the identity. Second, the identity of local cultural arts directors was recognized as a role to find ways to be localized by developing and debating cultural and artistic discourses in various regions. Third, the participants had a concern and affection for local cultural arts, not one-time but continuous, and recognized it as their identity. The directors who participated in the interviews showed that the discourse of cultural arts in various regions were developed and discussed, and they wanted to find ways to be localized. The roles of local cultural arts directors recognized by research participants in connection with their identity are as follows. First, it should be the subject of systematic and long-term planning that can close the year and connect with the art events of the following year. Second, it should play a role of academic / research that can derive the identity of social and cultural ecological analysis connected with the area. Third, local arts professionals are required to act as cultural brokers, ie local culture professionals, who can create a venue for international cultural exchanges. Research on the form of local government supervision as a mediator of local cultural arts is to find out the origin of the identity of local artists and to establish a methodology for the direction of culture and art as a subject of local people. In addition, there is a need for continued interest and research in providing a reflection on the communication and meaning of the desirable local culture, and suggesting the system for cultivating local cultural arts intermediaries.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.19-41
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• 2016

Recently, the proliferation of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet personal computers and the development of information communication technologies (ICT) have led to a big trend of a shift from single-channel shopping to multi-channel shopping. With the emergence of a "smart" group of consumers who want to shop in more reasonable and convenient ways, the boundaries apparently dividing online and offline shopping have collapsed and blurred more than ever before. Thus, there is now fierce competition between online and offline channels. Ever since the emergence of online shopping, a major type of multi-channel shopping has been "showrooming," where consumers visit offline stores to examine products before buying them online. However, because of the growing use of smart devices and the counterattack of offline retailers represented by omni-channel marketing strategies, one of the latest huge trends of shopping is "webrooming," where consumers visit online stores to examine products before buying them offline. This has become a threat to online retailers. In this situation, although it is very important to examine the influencing factors for switching from online shopping to webrooming, most prior studies have mainly focused on a single- or multi-channel shopping pattern. Therefore, this study thoroughly investigated the influencing factors on customers switching from online shopping to webrooming in terms of both the "search" and "purchase" processes through the application of a push-pull-mooring (PPM) framework. In order to test the research model, 280 individual samples were gathered from undergraduate and graduate students who had actual experience with webrooming. The results of the structural equation model (SEM) test revealed that the "pull" effect is strongest on the webrooming intention rather than the "push" or "mooring" effects. This proves a significant relationship between "attractiveness of webrooming" and "webrooming intention." In addition, the results showed that both the "perceived risk of online search" and "perceived risk of online purchase" significantly affect "distrust of online shopping." Similarly, both "perceived benefit of multi-channel search" and "perceived benefit of offline purchase" were found to have significant effects on "attractiveness of webrooming" were also found. Furthermore, the results indicated that "online purchase habit" is the only influencing factor that leads to "online shopping lock-in." The theoretical implications of the study are as follows. First, by examining the multi-channel shopping phenomenon from the perspective of "shopping switching" from online shopping to webrooming, this study complements the limits of the "channel switching" perspective, represented by multi-channel freeriding studies that merely focused on customers' channel switching behaviors from one to another. While extant studies with a channel switching perspective have focused on only one type of multi-channel shopping, where consumers just move from one particular channel to different channels, a study with a shopping switching perspective has the advantage of comprehensively investigating how consumers choose and navigate among diverse types of single- or multi-channel shopping alternatives. In this study, only limited shopping switching behavior from online shopping to webrooming was examined; however, the results should explain various phenomena in a more comprehensive manner from the perspective of shopping switching. Second, this study extends the scope of application of the push-pull-mooring framework, which is quite commonly used in marketing research to explain consumers' product switching behaviors. Through the application of this framework, it is hoped that more diverse shopping switching behaviors can be examined in future research. This study can serve a stepping stone for future studies. One of the most important practical implications of the study is that it may help single- and multi-channel retailers develop more specific customer strategies by revealing the influencing factors of webrooming intention from online shopping. For example, online single-channel retailers can ease the distrust of online shopping to prevent consumers from churning by reducing the perceived risk in terms of online search and purchase. On the other hand, offline retailers can develop specific strategies to increase the attractiveness of webrooming by letting customers perceive the benefits of multi-channel search or offline purchase. Although this study focused only on customers switching from online shopping to webrooming, the results can be expanded to various types of shopping switching behaviors embedded in single- and multi-channel shopping environments, such as showrooming and mobile shopping.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.37-48
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• 2000

Backgrounds : The pathophysiology of chronic airflow obstruction, such as bronchial asthma, is characterized by mucus hypersecretion, goblet cell hyperplasia(GCH), smooth muscle hypertrophy, and inflammatory cells infiltration. In fatal asthma patients, one distinct findings is mucus hypersecretion due to GCH. However, the mechanisms of GCH in these hypersecretory diseases remain still unknown. In this study, a rat model was rapidly induced with GCH by instillation of $TiO_2$, intratracheally. We intend to confirm GCH and association of concomitant inflammatory cells infiltration and to observe the effect of potent antiinflammatory agent, that is dexamethasone, on GCH with inflammatory cells. Methods : Twenty-one 8-weeks-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups. Endotoxinfree water was instilled intratracheally in group 1(control) ; $TiO_2$, was instilled in the group 2 ; and dexamethasone was injected intraperitoneally to group 3 before $TiO_2$ instillation. After 120 hours, all rats were sacrificed, and trachea, bronchi, and lungs were resected respectively. These tissues were made as paraffin blocks and stained as PAS for goblet cells and Luna stain for eosinophils. We calculated the ratio of goblet cell to respiratory epithelium and number of infiltrated eosinophils from each tissue. Results : (1) Fraction of goblet cells was significantly increased in group 2 than in group 1 in the trachea and in the main bronchus. (10.19$\pm$11.33% vs 4.09$\pm$8.28%, p<0.01 and 34.09$\pm$23.91% vs 3.61$\pm$4.84%, p<0.01, respectively). (2) Eosinophils were significantly increased in the airway of group 2 than that of group 1. (5.43$\pm$3.84% vs 0.17$\pm$0.47 in trachea and 47.71$\pm$16.91 vs 2.71$\pm$1.96 in main bronchi). (3) There was a positive correlation between goblet cells and eosinophils(r=0.719, p=0.001). (4) There was significant difference in the decrease of goblet cells after dexamethasone injection between group 2 and group 3 (p<0.01). Also, infiltration of eosinophils was suppressed by dexamethasone. Conclusion : We made an animal model of $TiO_2$-induced goblet cell hyperplasia. GCH was observed mainly in the main bronchi with concomitant eosinophilic infiltration. Both goblet cell hyperplasia and eosinophilic infiltration were suppressed by dexamethasone. This animal model may serve as a useful tool in understanding of the mechanism of GCH in chronic airway diseases.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.21-30
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• 2005

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the clinical features and natural history of dietary protein induced proctocolitis (DPIPC) and to detect the causative foods of DPIPC, and to evaluate the effect of elimination of the foods on the course of the disease. Methods: Between March 2003 and July 2004, data from 30 consecutive patients with DPIPC who were followed for over 6 months, was reviewed. The diagnostic criterion used for DPIPC was an increase in the number of eosinophils in the lamina propria (${\geq}60per$ 10 high-power fields). In breast feeding mothers, 5 highly allergenic foods were eliminated from the maternal diet for 7 days, namely, allergenic food groups such as dairy products, eggs, nuts and soybean, fish and shellfish, and wheat and buckwheat. We observed the disappearance or appearance of hematochezia after elimination or challenge with the offending foods. Results: Before diagnosis infants were breast-fed (93.3%) or formula-fed (6.7%). Mean age at symptom onset was $11.5{\pm}5.1$ (5~24) weeks, and mean age at diagnosis was $17.8{\pm}9.5$ (8~56) weeks. Duration from symptom onset to diagnosis was $6.3{\pm}6.7$ (0~36) weeks. Mean peripheral blood eosinophil count was $478{\pm}320$ (40~1,790)/$mm^3$ and eosinophilia (> $250/mm^3$) was observedin 90.0% of patients. None of patients were found to have an increased serum IgE level. Of 15 patients that received sigmoidoscopy, nodular hyperplasia with erosion was observed in 93.3%. Of 27 patients whose mother ate the diet eliminated the 5 food groups, hematochezia diappeared in 74.1% of patients. Offending foods were identified as dairy products (37.5%), wheat and buckwheat (27.5%), fish and shellfish (20.0%), nuts and soybean (7.5%) and eggs (7.5%). A free maternal diet without patient's clinical symptoms was achieved at $29.4{\pm}8.7$ (9~44) weeks of patient's age, and a free baby diet without blood in stools was achieved at $37.5{\pm}9.7$ (12~56) weeks of age. Conclusion: DPIPC commonly occurs in exclusively breast-fed babies. Elimination of the above-mentioned 5 hyper-allergenic food groups from the maternal diet for 7days enables the detection of the offending foods. DPIPC is a transient disorder and 96.0% of patients can tolerate the offending foods at 12 months of age.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.109-131
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• 2014

As the demand of nuclear power plant equipment is continuously growing worldwide, the importance of handling nuclear strategic materials is also increasing. While the number of cases submitted for the exports of nuclear-power commodity and technology is dramatically increasing, preadjudication (or prescreening to be simple) of strategic materials has been done so far by experts of a long-time experience and extensive field knowledge. However, there is severe shortage of experts in this domain, not to mention that it takes a long time to develop an expert. Because human experts must manually evaluate all the documents submitted for export permission, the current practice of nuclear material export is neither time-efficient nor cost-effective. Toward alleviating the problem of relying on costly human experts only, our research proposes a new system designed to help field experts make their decisions more effectively and efficiently. The proposed system is built upon case-based reasoning, which in essence extracts key features from the existing cases, compares the features with the features of a new case, and derives a solution for the new case by referencing similar cases and their solutions. Our research proposes a framework of case-based reasoning system, designs a case-based reasoning system for the control of nuclear material exports, and evaluates the performance of alternative keyword extraction methods (full automatic, full manual, and semi-automatic). A keyword extraction method is an essential component of the case-based reasoning system as it is used to extract key features of the cases. The full automatic method was conducted using TF-IDF, which is a widely used de facto standard method for representative keyword extraction in text mining. TF (Term Frequency) is based on the frequency count of the term within a document, showing how important the term is within a document while IDF (Inverted Document Frequency) is based on the infrequency of the term within a document set, showing how uniquely the term represents the document. The results show that the semi-automatic approach, which is based on the collaboration of machine and human, is the most effective solution regardless of whether the human is a field expert or a student who majors in nuclear engineering. Moreover, we propose a new approach of computing nuclear document similarity along with a new framework of document analysis. The proposed algorithm of nuclear document similarity considers both document-to-document similarity (${\alpha}$) and document-to-nuclear system similarity (${\beta}$), in order to derive the final score (${\gamma}$) for the decision of whether the presented case is of strategic material or not. The final score (${\gamma}$) represents a document similarity between the past cases and the new case. The score is induced by not only exploiting conventional TF-IDF, but utilizing a nuclear system similarity score, which takes the context of nuclear system domain into account. Finally, the system retrieves top-3 documents stored in the case base that are considered as the most similar cases with regard to the new case, and provides them with the degree of credibility. With this final score and the credibility score, it becomes easier for a user to see which documents in the case base are more worthy of looking up so that the user can make a proper decision with relatively lower cost. The evaluation of the system has been conducted by developing a prototype and testing with field data. The system workflows and outcomes have been verified by the field experts. This research is expected to contribute the growth of knowledge service industry by proposing a new system that can effectively reduce the burden of relying on costly human experts for the export control of nuclear materials and that can be considered as a meaningful example of knowledge service application.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.24-36
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• 2014

The result of the research conducted for the purpose of investigating the semantic value and the layout of the Cheongryu Gugok of Dorimsa Valley, which exhibits a high level of completeness and scenic preservation value among the three gugoks distributed in the area around Mt. Dongak of Gogseong is as follows.4) The area around Cheongryu Gugok shows a case where the gugok culture, which has been enjoyed as a model of the Neo-Confucianism culture and bedrock scenery, such as waterfall, riverside, pond, and flatland, following the beautiful valley, has been actually substituted, and is an outstanding scenery site as stated in a local map of Gokseong-hyeon in 1872 as "Samnam Jeil Amban Gyeryu Cheongryu-dong(三南第一巖盤溪流 淸流洞: Cheongryu-dong, the best rock mooring in the Samnam area)." Cheongryu Gugok, which is differentiated through the seasonal scenery and epigrams established on both land route and waterway, was probably established by the lead of Sun-tae Jeong(丁舜泰, ?~1916) and Byeong-sun Cho(曺秉順, 1876~1921) before 1916 during the Japanese colonization period. However, based on the fact that a number of Janggugiso of ancient sages, such as political activists, Buddhist leaders, and Neo-Confucian scholars, have been established, it is presumed to have been utilized as a hermit site and scenery site visited by masters from long ago. Cheongryu Gugok, which is formed on the rock floor of the bed rock of Dorimsa Valley, is formed in a total length of 1.2km and average gok(曲) length of 149m on a mountain type stream, which appears to be shorter compared to other gugoks in Korea. The rock writings of the three gugoks in Mt. Dongak, such as Cheongryu Gugok, which was the only one verified in the Jeonnam area, total 165 in number, which is determined to be the assembly place for the highest number of rock writings in the nation. In particular, a result of analyzing the rock writings in Cheongryu Gugok totaling 112 places showed 49pieces(43.8%) with the meaning of 'moral training' in epigram, 21pieces (18.8%) of human life, 16pieces(14.2%) of seasonal scenery, and 12pieces(10.6%) of Janggugiso such as Jangguchur, and the ratio occupied by poem verses appeared to be six cases(3.6%). Sweyeonmun(鎖烟門), which was the first gok of land route, and Jesiinganbyeolyucheon(除是人間別有天) which was the ninth gok of the waterway, corresponds to the Hongdanyeonse(虹斷烟鎖) of the first gok and Jesiinganbyeolyucheon of the ninth gok established in Jaecheon, Chungbuk by Se-hwa Park(朴世和, 1834~1910), which is inferred to be the name of Gugok having the same origin. In addition, the Daeeunbyeong(大隱屛) of the sixth gok. of land route corresponds to the Chu Hsi's Wuyi-Gugok of the seventh gok, which is acknowledged as the basis for Gugok Wollim, and the rock writings and stonework of 'Amseojae(巖棲齋)' and 'Pogyeongjae(抱經齋)' between the seventh gok and eighth gok is a trace comparable with Wuyi Jeongsa(武夷精舍) placed below Wuyi Gugok Eunbyeon-bong, which is understood to be the activity base of Cheongryu-dong of the Giho Sarim(畿湖士林). The rock writings in the Mt. Dongak area, including famous sayings by masters such as Sunsaeuhje(鮮史御帝, Emperor Gojong), Bogahyowoo(保家孝友, Emperor Gojong), Manchunmungywol(萬川明月, King Joengjo), Biryeobudong(非禮不動, Chongzhen Emperor of the Ming Dynasty)', Samusa(思無邪, Euijong of the Ming Dynasty), Baksechungpwoong(百世淸風, Chu Hsi), and Chungryususuk-Dongakpungkyung(淸流水石 動樂風景, Heungseon Daewongun) can be said to be a repository of semantic symbolic cultural scenery, instead of only expressing Confucian aesthetics. In addition, Cheongryu Gugok is noticeable with its feature as a cluster of cultural scenery of the three religions of Confucian-Buddhism-Taoism, where the Confucianism value system, Buddhist concept, and Taoist concept co-exists for mind training and cultivation. Cheongryu Gugok has a semantic feature and spatial character as a basis for history and cultural struggle for the Anti-Japan spirit that has been conceived during the process of establishing and utilizing the spirit of the learning, loyalty for the Emperor and expulsion of barbarians, and inspiration of Anti-Japan force, by inheriting the sense of Dotong(道統) of Neo-Confucianism by the Confucian scholar class at the end of the Joseon era that is represented by Ik-hyun Choi(崔益鉉, 1833~1906), Woo Jeon(田愚, 1841~1922), Woo-man Gi(奇宇萬, 1846~1916), Byung-sun Song(宋秉璿, 1836~1905), and Hyeon Hwang(黃玹, 1855~1910).

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.192-199
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• 2004

Purpose: To determine the patterns on evaluation and treatment in the patient with early breast cancer treated with conservative surgery and radiotherapy and to improve the radiotherapy techiniques, nationwide survey was peformed. Materials and Methods: A web-based database system for korean Patterns of Care Study (PCS) for 6 common cancers was developed. Two hundreds sixty-one randomly selected records of eligible patients treated between 1998$\~$1999 from 15 hospitals were reviewed. Results: The patients ages ranged from 24 to 85 years(median 45 years). Infiltrating ductal carcinoma was most common histologic type (88.9$\%$) followed by medullary carcinoma (4.2$\%$) and infiltrating lobular carcinoma (1.5$\%$). Pathologic T stage by AJCC was T1 in 59.7$\%$ of the casses, T2 in 29.5$\%$ of the cases, Tis in 8.8$\%$ of the cases. Axillary lymph node dissection was peformed I\in 91.2$\%$ of the cases and 69.7$\%$ were node negative. AJCC stage was 0 in 8.8$\%$ of the cases, stage I in 44.9$\%$ of the cases, stage IIa in 33.3$\%$ of the cases, and stage IIb in 8.4$\%$ of the cases. Estrogen and progesteron receptors were evaluated in 71.6$\%$, and 70.9$\%$ of the patients, respectively. Surgical methods of breast-conserving surgery was excision/lumpectomy in 37.2$\%$, wide excision in 11.5$\%$, quadrantectomy in 23$\%$ and partial mastectomy in 27.5$\%$ of the cases. A pathologically confirmed negative margin was obtained in 90.8$\%$ of the cases. Pathological margin was involved with tumor in 10 patients and margin was close (less than 2 mm) in 10 patients. All the patients except one recieved more than 90$\%$ of the planned radiotherapy dose. Radiotherapy volume was breast only In 88$\%$ of the cases, breast+supraclavicular fossa (SCL) in 5$\%$ of the cases, and breast+ SCL+ posterior axillary boost in 4.2%$\%$of the cases. Only one patient received isolated internal mammary lymph node irradiation. Used radiation beam was Co-60 in 8 cases, 4 MV X-ray in 115 cases, 6 MV X-ray in 125 cases, and 10 MV X-ray in 11 cases. The radiation dose to the whole breast was 45$\~$59.4 Gy (median 50.4) and boost dose was 8$\~$20 Gy (median 10 Gy). The total radiation dose delivered was 50.4$\~$70.4 Gy (median 60.4 Gy). Conclusion: There was no major deviation from current standard in the patterns of evaluation and treatment for the patients with early breast cancer treated with breast conservation method. Some varieties were identified in boost irradiation dose. Separate analysis for the datails of radiotherapy planning will be followed and the outcome of treatment is needed to evaluate the process.

• MISULJARYO - National Museum of Korea Art Journal
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• v.98
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• pp.226-241
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• 2020

Located on the right side of the third floor of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, the "Art of Central Asia" exhibition boasts the world's finest collection of artworks and artifacts from the Silk Road. Every item in the collection has been classified by region, and many of them were collected in the early twentieth century through archaeological surveys led by Russia's Pyotr Kozlov, Mikhail Berezovsky, and Sergey Oldenburg. Some of these artifacts have been presented around the world through special exhibitions held in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Korea, Japan, and elsewhere. The fruits of Russia's Silk Road expeditions were also on full display in the 2008 exhibition The Caves of One Thousand Buddhas - Russian Expeditions on the Silk Route on the Occasion of 190 Years of the Asiatic Museum, held at the Hermitage Museum. Published in 2018 by the Shanghai Chinese Classics Publishing House in collaboration with the Hermitage Museum, Kuche Art Relics Collected in Russia introduces the Hermitage's collection of artifacts from the Kuche (or Kucha) region. While the book focuses exclusively on artifacts excavated from the Kuche area, it also includes valuable on-site photos and sketches from the Russian expeditions, thus helping to enhance readers' overall understanding of the characteristics of Kuche art within the Buddhist art of Central Asia. The book was compiled by Dr. Kira Samosyuk, senior curator of the Oriental Department of the Hermitage Museum, who also wrote the main article and the artifact descriptions. Dr. Samosyuk is an internationally renowned scholar of Central Asian Buddhist art, with a particular expertise in the art of Khara-Khoto and Xi-yu. In her article "The Art of the Kuche Buddhist Temples," Dr. Samosyuk provides an overview of Russia's Silk Road expeditions, before introducing the historical development of Kuche in the Buddhist era and the aspects of Buddhism transmitted to Kuche. She describes the murals and clay sculptures in the Buddhist grottoes, giving important details on their themes and issues with estimating their dates, and also explains how the temples operated as places of worship. In conclusion, Dr. Samosyuk argues that the Kuche region, while continuously engaging with various peoples in China and the nomadic world, developed its own independent Buddhist culture incorporating elements of Gandara, Hellenistic, Persian, and Chinese art and culture. Finally, she states that the culture of the Kuche region had a profound influence not only on the Tarim Basin, but also on the Buddhist grottoes of Dunhuang and the central region of China. A considerable portion of Dr. Samosyuk's article addresses efforts to estimate the date of the grottoes in the Kuche region. After citing various scholars' views on the dates of the murals, she argues that the Kizil grottoes likely began prior to the fifth century, which is at least 100 years earlier than most current estimates. This conclusion is reached by comparing the iconography of the armor depicted in the murals with related materials excavated from the surrounding area (such as items of Sogdian art). However, efforts to date the Buddhist grottoes of Kuche must take many factors into consideration, such as the geological characteristics of the caves, the themes and styles of the Buddhist paintings, the types of pigments used, and the clothing, hairstyles, and ornamentation of the depicted figures. Moreover, such interdisciplinary data must be studied within the context of Kuche's relations with nearby cultures. Scientific methods such as radiocarbon dating could also be applied for supplementary materials. The preface of Kuche Art Relics Collected in Russia reveals that the catalog is the first volume covering the Hermitage Museum's collection of Kuche art, and that the next volume in the series will cover a large collection of mural fragments that were taken from Berlin during World War II. For many years, the whereabouts of these mural fragments were unknown to both the public and academia, but after restoration, the fragments were recently re-introduced to the public as part of the museum's permanent exhibition. We look forward to the next publication that focuses on these mural fragments, and also to future catalogs introducing the artifacts of Turpan and Khotan. Currently, fragments of the murals from the Kuche grottoes are scattered among various countries, including Russia, Germany, and Korea. With the publication of this catalog, it seems like an opportune time to publish a comprehensive catalog on the murals of the Kuche region, which represent a compelling mixture of East-West culture that reflects the overall characteristics of the region. A catalog that includes both the remaining murals of the Kizil grottoes and the fragments from different parts of the world could greatly enhance our understanding of the murals' original state. Such a book would hopefully include a more detailed and interdisciplinary discussion of the artifacts and murals, including scientific analyses of the pigments and other materials from the perspective of conservation science. With the ongoing rapid development in western China, the grotto murals are facing a serious crisis related to climate change and overcrowding in the oasis city of Xinjiang. To overcome this challenge, the cultural communities of China and other countries that possess advanced technology for conservation and restoration must begin working together to protect and restore the murals of the Silk Road grottoes. Moreover, centers for conservation science should be established to foster human resources and collect information. Compiling the data of Russian expeditions related to the grottoes of Kuche (among the results of Western archaeological surveys of the Silk Road in the early twentieth century), Kuche Art Relics Collected in Russia represents an important contribution to research on Kuche's Buddhist art and the Silk Road, which will only be enhanced by a future volume introducing the mural fragments from Germany. As the new authoritative source for academic research on the artworks and artifacts of the Kuche region, the book also lays the groundwork for new directions for future studies on the Silk Road. Finally, the book is also quite significant for employing a new editing system that improves its academic clarity and convenience. In conclusion, Dr. Kira Samosyuk, who planned the publication, deserves tremendous praise for taking the research of Silk Road art to new heights.