• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.45-53
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• 2017

Aberrant hypermethylation of Wnt antagonists has been observed in gastric cancer. A number of studies have focused on the hypermethylation of a single Wnt antagonist and its role in regulating the activation of signaling. However, how the Wnt antagonists interacted to regulate the signaling pathway has not been reported. In the present study, we systematically investigated the methylation of some Wnt antagonist genes (SFRP2, SFRP4, SFRP5, DKK1, DKK2, and APC) and their regulatory role in carcinogenesis. We found that aberrant promoter methylation of SFRP2, SFRP4, DKK1, and DKK2 was significantly increased in gastric cancer. Moreover, concurrent hypermethylation of SFRP2 and DKK2 was observed in gastric cancer and this was significantly associated with increased expression of ${\beta}-catenin$, indicating that the joint inactivation of these two genes promoted the activation of the Wnt signaling pathway. Further analysis using a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model showed that DKK2 methylation was an independent prognostic factor for poor overall survival, and the predictive value was markedly enhanced when the combined methylation status of SFRP2 and DKK2 was considered. In addition, the methylation level of SFRP4 and DKK2 was correlated with the patient's age and tumor differentiation, respectively. In conclusion, epigenetic silencing of Wnt antagonists was associated with gastric carcinogenesis, and concurrent hypermethylation of SFRP2 and DKK2 could be a potential marker for a prognosis of poor overall survival.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.1-6
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• 2014

The five-year national project in Japan for R&D of coated conductors and applications, named as the Materials and Power Applications of Coated Conductors (M-PACC) project, was finished at the end of FY2013. The project consists of four sub-themes as cable, transformer, SMES and coated conductors. In the theme of coated conductors, the fabrication process had been developed to satisfy the requirements from the applications such as in-field $I_c$ performance, low AC loss in the long tapes etc. Through the project, the remarkable progress was achieved as follows; a high in-field minimum $I_c$ value over 54A/cm-width under 3T at 77K was realized in a 200m long EuBCO tape with artificial pinning centers of $BaHfO_3$ by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique on the IBAD template. On the other hand, the AC loss reduction was confirmed in the tapes fabricated by both PLD and the metal organic deposition (MOD) techniques by scribing 100m tapes into 10-filamments. Additionally, the mechanism of the delamination phenomenon was systematically investigated and the strength was improved by eliminating the origins of the weak points in the films. Through the development, all targeted goals were accomplished and the several results were appreciated as a world champion data.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.592-600
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• 2012

Conventional methods for preparing ceramic bodies, such as cold isostatic pressing, gypsum-mold slip casting, and filter pressing are not completely suitable for fabricating large and thick ceramic plates owing to disadvantages of these processes, such as the high cost of the equipment, the formation of density gradients, and differential shrinkage during drying. These problems can be avoided by employing a pressure-vacuum hybrid slip casting approach that considers not only by the compression of the aqueous slip in the casting room (pressure slip casting) but also the vacuum sucking of the dispersion medium (water) around the mold (vacuum slip casting). We prepared the alumina formed bodies by means of pressure-vacuum hybrid slip casting with stepwise pressure loading up to 0.5 MPa using a slip consisting of 40 vol% solid, 0.6 wt% APC, 1 wt% PEG, and 1 wt% PVA. After drying the green body at $30^{\circ}C$ and 80% RH, the green density of the alumina bodies was about 56% RD. The sintered density of an alumina plate created by means of sintering at $1650^{\circ}C$ for 4 h exceeded 99.8%.This method enabled us to fabricate a $110{\times}110{\times}20$ mm alumina plate without cracks and with a homogeneous density, thus demonstrating the possibility of extending the method to the fabrication of other ceramic products.

• KIISE Transactions on Computing Practices
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.689-698
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• 2015

Currently, the itemized box loading operation at the Agriculture Products Processing Center which distributes agricultural products for the region is carried out manually. The process of loading agricultural products requires great manpower and had been resolved through the part-time employment of the residents of farm villages. However, recently it has become quite difficult to secure manpower as the aging within the rural community has been intensified. Hence, the necessity for countermeasures such as facility automation or use of robots have become necessary. This study suggests an automatic robot system for the itemized loading of apple boxes at the Agriculture Products Processing Center. The suggested method is to design and develop equipment such as a conveyer, robot, and bar code reader. In addition, a sorting plan, operational control, generation of control information, and software module that could monitor the inside of the Agriculture Products Processing Center is needed. After test-operating and evaluating the developed system, the existing manual work would be replaced with the automated robot system in order to enhance work efficiency and resolve safety issues.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.251-258
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• 2012

Objectives: The purpose of this paper was to elucidate the potential methylation levels of adjacent normal and cancer tissues by comparing them with normal colorectal tissues, and to describe the correlations between the methylation and clinical parameters in Korean colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Methods: Hypermethylation profiles of nine genes (RASSF1, APC, $p16^{INK4a}$, Twist1, E-cadherin, TIMP3, Smad4, COX2, and ABCB1) were examined with 100 sets of cancer tissues and 14 normal colorectal tissues. We determined the hypermethylation at a given level by a percent of methylation ratio value of 10 using quantitative methylation real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: Nine genes' hypermethylation levels in Korean CRC patient tissues were increased more higher than normal colorectal tissues. However, the amounts of $p16^{INK4a}$ and E-cadherin gene hypermethylation in normal and CRC tissues were not significantly different nor did TIMP3 gene hypermethylation in adjacent normal and cancer tissues differ significantly. The hypermethylation of TIMP3, Ecadherin, ABCB1, and COX2 genes among other genes were abundantly found in normal colorectal tissues. The hypermethylation of nine genes' methylation in cancer tissues was not significantly associated with any clinical parameters. In Cohen's kappa test, it was moderately observed that RASSF1 was related with E-cadherin, and Smad4 with ABCB1 and COX2. Conclusions: This study provides evidence for different hypermethylation patterns of cancer-associated genes in normal and CRC tissues, which may serve as useful information on CRC cancer progression.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.756-767
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• 2019

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of doneness on the microbial, nutritional, and quality characteristics of 1.5 cm- and 2.0 cm-thick pork neck steaks. Pork neck meat was obtained within 24 h after slaughtering, cut into 1.5 cm- and 2.0 cm-thick slices (n=5), packed in LLD-PE wrap, and stored at $4{\pm}2^{\circ}C$ for 7-10 days until aerobic plate counts (APC) reach 5.51-6.50 Log CFU/g. Then, the pork meat was cooked on a frying pan till it was medium-rare, medium, or well-done. The microbial inhibition rates of the 1.5 cm- and 2.0 cm-thick steak in medium-rare state were 58.26% and 51.70%, respectively, whereas it was 100% for medium-done pork steak of either thickness. The total calories of the 1.5 cm- and 2.0 cm-thick well-done pork steaks were 643.61 kcal/100 g and 675.00 kcal/100 g, respectively, which was higher than that in medium-rare and medium-done steaks. The retention ratios for Fe and K in the well-done steak were significantly lower than those in the medium and medium-rare steak of either thickness (p<0.05). The shear force of the medium-rare and medium steak did not differ, whereas that of the well-done steak was significantly higher than that of the medium-rare steak of either thickness (p<0.05). We observed that the well-done pork steak had tough texture, low mineral content, and high calories. Therefore, consumption of medium and medium-rare pork is more beneficial than that of well-done pork.

• Yonsei Medical Journal
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• v.59 no.9
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• pp.1034-1040
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• 2018

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate inequalities in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates in Korea and trends therein using the slope index of inequality (SII) and relative index of inequality (RII) across income and education groups. Materials and Methods: Data from the Korean National Cancer Screening Survey, an annually conducted, nationwide cross-sectional survey, were utilized. A total of 17174 men and women aged 50 to 74 years were included for analysis. Prior experience with CRC screening was defined as having either a fecal occult blood test within the past year or a lifetime colonoscopy. CRC screening rates and annual percentage changes (APCs) were evaluated. Then, SII and RII were calculated to assess inequality in CRC screening for each survey year. Results: CRC screening rates increased from 23.4% in 2005 to 50.9% in 2015 (APC, 7.8%; 95% CI, 6.0 to 9.6). Upward trends in CRC screening rates were observed for all age, education, and household income groups. Education inequalities were noted in 2009, 2014, and overall pooled estimates in both indices. Income inequalities were inconsistent among survey years, and overall estimates did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion: Education inequalities in CRC screening among men and women aged 50 to 74 years were observed in Korea. No apparent pattern, however, was found for income inequalities. Further studies are needed to thoroughly outline socio-economic inequalities in CRC screening.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.47-69
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to suggest strategies for vitalizing Jeju citrus export-specialized organization. To achieve the goal, the research has been focused on the establishment and standardization for fruit production practices that can keep a steady supply of high quality citrus fruit for export market, and followed by systematization of farms using the practices. According to the research findings, it is desirable that the high quality fruit production manual such as the Global GAP must be established, developed and prepared to train farm households. The establishment of the high quality fruit production manual is focused on the items as follows : 1) labor productivity enhancement by structural improvement of farm layout, 2) the practices for high-sugar-fruit production such as thinning out, irrigation and drainage system, and mulching with a poromeric sheet 3) productivity enhancement and quality improvement of fruit by cultivar improvement and virus-free nursery trees, 4) standardization of cultural practices throughout the citrus fruit production.

• Smart Media Journal
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.65-72
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• 2023

Smart Farm means creating new value in various fields related to agriculture, including not only agricultural production but also distribution and consumption through the convergence of agriculture and ICT. In Korea, a rental smart farm is created to spread smart agriculture, and a smart farm big data platform is established to promote data collection and utilization. It is pushing for digital transformation of agricultural products distribution from production areas to consumption areas, such as expanding smart APCs, operating online exchanges, and digitizing wholesale market transaction information. As such, although agricultural data is generated according to characteristics from various sources, it is only used as a service using statistics and standardized data. This is because there are limitations due to distributed data collection from agriculture to production, distribution, and consumption, and it is difficult to collect and process various types of data from various sources. Therefore, in this paper, we analyze the current state of domestic agricultural data collection and sharing for digital agriculture and propose a data collection and linkage method for artificial intelligence services. And, using the proposed data, we propose a deep learning-based environmental factor recommendation method.

• Journal of the Korean Society for information Management
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.73-94
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• 2023

This study empirically analyzed the proportion and method of Open Access (OA) in Korea, China, Japan, the United States, United Kingdom based on the Web of Science (WoS) papers. In addition, through the verification of the moderating effect, it was verified whether there is a difference in the effect of the amount of citation depending on the maturity of OA according to the countries or academic fields. As a result of the analysis, the proportion of OA was the highest in the UK at 62.7%, and the lowest in China at 38.0%. Second, the UK and US had a high proportion of indicators through self-archiving and APC-based Gold Hybrid, while only the Gold indicators were found to be prominent in China and Korea. Third, in the UK, US and Japan, the higher the proportion of OA, the greater the effect of inducing the citations. However, Korea (B=-0.00003, p<0.01) and China (B=-0.00001, p<0.01) showed the opposite direction. In addition, in most academic fields, the OA proportion had an effect of inducing citation, but a negative effect was found in the engineering field (B=-0.00002, p<0.01).