• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.55-64
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• 2024

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the effects of robot-assisted gait training combined with virtual reality training on balance and gait ability in stroke patients. METHODS: Thirty-one stroke patients were allocated randomly into one of two groups: robot-assisted gait training combined virtual reality training group (RGVR group; n = 16) and control group (n = 15). The RGVR group received 30 minutes of robot-assisted gait training combined with virtual reality training. Robot-assisted gait training was conducted in parallel using a virtual reality device. In the Control group, neurodevelopmental therapy was performed according to the function of chronic stroke patients. Both groups underwent training for 30 minutes, three times per week for eight weeks. The balance assessment system (BioRescue, Marseille, France), BBS, and TUG were used to evaluate the balance ability. The OptoGait (Microgate Srl, Bolzano, Italy) and 10 mWT were measured to evaluate the gait ability. The measurements were performed before and after the eight-week intervention period. RESULTS: Both groups showed significant improvement in their balance and gait ability during the intervention. RGVR showed significant differences in balance and gait ability compared to the control group groups (p < .05). These results showed that RGVR was more effective on balance and gait ability in patients with chronic stroke. CONCLUSION: RGVR can improve balance and gait ability, highlighting the benefits of RGVR. This study provides intervention data for recovering the balance and gait ability of chronic stroke patients.

• Dementia and Neurocognitive Disorders
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.75-88
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• 2024

The Korean Dementia Association (KDA) has been organizing biennial international academic conferences since 2019, with the International Conference of the KDA (IC-KDA) 2023 held in Busan under the theme 'Beyond Boundaries: Advancing Global Dementia Solutions.' The conference comprised 6 scientific sessions, 3 plenary lectures, and 4 luncheon symposiums, drawing 804 participants from 35 countries. Notably, a Korea-Taiwan Joint Symposium addressed insights into Alzheimer's disease (AD). Plenary lectures by renowned scholars explored topics such as microbiome-related AD pathogenesis, social cognition in neurodegenerative diseases, and genetic frontotemporal dementia (FTD). On the first day, specific presentations covered subjects like the gut-brain axis and neuroinflammation in dementia, blood-based biomarkers in AD, and updates in AD therapeutics. The second day's presentations addressed recent issues in clinical neuropsychology, FTD cohort studies, and the pathogenesis of non-AD dementia. The Academic Committee of the KDA compiles lecture summaries to provide comprehensive understanding of the advanced dementia knowledge presented at IC-KDA 2023.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.1222-1228
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• 2024

Protein-specific antibodies are essential for various aspects of protein research, including detection, purification, and characterization. When specific antibodies are unavailable, protein tagging is a useful alternative. Small epitope tags, typically less than 10 amino acids, are widely used in protein research due to the simple modification through PCR and reduced impact on the target protein's function compared to larger tags. The 2B8 epitope tag (RDPLPFFPP), reported by us in a previous study, has high specificity and sensitivity to the corresponding antibody. However, when attached to the C-terminus of the target protein in immunoprecipitation experiments, we observed a decrease in detection signal with reduced immunity and low protein recovery. This phenomenon was not unique to 2B8 and was also observed with the commercially available Myc tag. Our study revealed that C-terminal tagging of small epitope tags requires the addition of more than one extra amino acid to enhance (restore) antibody immunities. Moreover, among the amino acids we tested, serine was the best for the 2B8 tag. Our findings demonstrated that the interaction between a small epitope and a corresponding paratope of an antibody requires an extra amino acid at the C-terminus of the epitope. This result is important for researchers planning studies on target proteins using small epitope tags.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.417-425
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• 2023

Because an irradiation of 405 nm violet light could have a strong energy, it was used to be sterilized against various microbes in the indoor air condition or fresh food. Escherichia coli is a representative bio-pollutant in the indoor air-borne bacteria, and a hygienic microbe in the horticultural food. This study evaluated the inactivation influences on E. coli DS5α after exposure to 405 nm violet-light (VL) by investigating irradiating time, and the vertical and horizonal distance from light source. The illumination of 405 nm VL was inversely proportional to the distance from the VL source. E. coli DS5α on nutrient agar (NA) was inactivated approximately 50% more than the control when irradiated at 65 cm from 405 nm VL for 3 hours. When compared to the control, E. coli DS5α was inactivated approximately 50% within 70 cm from 405 nm VL for 3 hours. As it was irradiated for 3 hours 70 cm away from 405 nm VL, the horizonal distance from the point was negatively correlated to the inactivation of E. coli DS5α. These results indicated that the inactivation of E. coli DS5α grown on NA medium needs to be irradiated with 405 nm within 70 cm from the light source for 3 hours.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.845-855
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to develop a self-propelled underground crop harvester and its performance was evaluated by measuring the load during actual potato harvesting operations. This study was conducted at a constant working speed of 1 km·h^-1. A load measurement system was installed to measure the actual load and the required working power was analyzed. A hydraulic pressure sensor was also installed to measure the hydraulic pressure. The required hydraulic power was calculated using the hydraulic pressure and flow rate. The results showed that the engine speed, torque, and power during harvesting operation were in the range of 845 - 1,423 rpm, 95 - 228 Nm, and 9 - 31 kW, respectively. Traction power, excluding the hydraulic pump of the tractor and power take-off (PTO) output, was in the range of 9 - 28 kW, and it was confirmed that it occupies a ratio of 16.2 to 50% of the engine rated output. The engine can supply the minimum required traction power to move the vehicle. This means that the engine used in this study could be down-sized to be suitable for an underground crop harvester. In this study, the gear stages of the tractor were not considered. This research thus shows the possibility of developing a self-propelled underground crop harvester.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.67-74
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• 2024

Purpose: The identification and quantification of indoor airborne contaminants, including bio-aerosols, particulates, and gaseous contaminants, are crucial for maintaining acceptable indoor air quality for hospital operating rooms (ORs). Laparoscopic surgery has become widely accepted for various surgical procedures due to its rapid recovery rate and the low risk associated with small incisions compared to conventional open surgery. The objective of this study is to investigate the indoor air quality in hospital ORs and to identify indoor airborne contaminants generated during laparoscopic surgery. Methods: Measurements of an indoor environment, including temperature, humidity and air quality, were performed in an OR before and during a laparoscopic surgery. Indoor airborne contaminants, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), suspended indoor particles, and airborne bacteria, were measured simultaneously. Results: The study determined that the concentrations of indoor air particles and airborne bacteria increased during the surgery but were within acceptable levels. However, the concentration of CO₂, reached a high level of 1,791 ppm due to the CO₂ gas required for maintaining the pneumoperitoneum during the surgery. Implications: The results emphasized the use of ventilation and filtration in a laparoscopic surgery room to lower the concentration of filterable and non-filterable contaminants.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.474-480
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• 2016

In this study, formation background of biodiversity and its changes in the process of geologic history, and effects of climate change on biodiversity and human were discussed and the alternatives to reduce the effects of climate change were suggested. Biodiversity is 'the variety of life' and refers collectively to variation at all levels of biological organization. That is, biodiversity encompasses the genes, species and ecosystems and their interactions. It provides the basis for ecosystems and the services on which all people fundamentally depend. Nevertheless, today, biodiversity is increasingly threatened, usually as the result of human activity. Diverse organisms on earth, which are estimated as 10 to 30 million species, are the result of adaptation and evolution to various environments through long history of four billion years since the birth of life. Countlessly many organisms composing biodiversity have specific characteristics, respectively and are interrelated with each other through diverse relationship. Environment of the earth, on which we live, has also created for long years through extensive relationship and interaction of those organisms. We mankind also live through interrelationship with the other organisms as an organism. The man cannot lives without the other organisms around him. Even though so, human beings accelerate mean extinction rate about 1,000 times compared with that of the past for recent several years. We have to conserve biodiversity for plentiful life of our future generation and are responsible for sustainable use of biodiversity. Korea has achieved faster economic growth than any other countries in the world. On the other hand, Korea had hold originally rich biodiversity as it is not only a peninsula country stretched lengthily from north to south but also three sides are surrounded by sea. But they disappeared increasingly in the process of fast economic growth. Korean people have created specific Korean culture by coexistence with nature through a long history of agriculture, forestry, and fishery. But in recent years, the relationship between Korean and nature became far in the processes of introduction of western culture and development of science and technology and specific natural feature born from harmonious combination between nature and culture disappears more and more. Population of Korea is expected to be reduced as contrasted with world population growing continuously. At this time, we need to restore biodiversity damaged in the processes of rapid population growth and economic development in concert with recovery of natural ecosystem due to population decrease. There were grand extinction events of five times since the birth of life on the earth. Modern extinction is very rapid and human activity is major causal factor. In these respects, it is distinguished from the past one. Climate change is real. Biodiversity is very vulnerable to climate change. If organisms did not find a survival method such as 'adaptation through evolution', 'movement to the other place where they can exist', and so on in the changed environment, they would extinct. In this respect, if climate change is continued, biodiversity should be damaged greatly. Furthermore, climate change would also influence on human life and socio-economic environment through change of biodiversity. Therefore, we need to grasp the effects that climate change influences on biodiversity more actively and further to prepare the alternatives to reduce the damage. Change of phenology, change of distribution range including vegetation shift, disharmony of interaction among organisms, reduction of reproduction and growth rates due to odd food chain, degradation of coral reef, and so on are emerged as the effects of climate change on biodiversity. Expansion of infectious disease, reduction of food production, change of cultivation range of crops, change of fishing ground and time, and so on appear as the effects on human. To solve climate change problem, first of all, we need to mitigate climate change by reducing discharge of warming gases. But even though we now stop discharge of warming gases, climate change is expected to be continued for the time being. In this respect, preparing adaptive strategy of climate change can be more realistic. Continuous monitoring to observe the effects of climate change on biodiversity and establishment of monitoring system have to be preceded over all others. Insurance of diverse ecological spaces where biodiversity can establish, assisted migration, and establishment of horizontal network from south to north and vertical one from lowland to upland ecological networks could be recommended as the alternatives to aid adaptation of biodiversity to the changing climate.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.261-266
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• 2012

This study was carried out in order to investigate the effect of MA packaging material on quality and shelf life of ferulae mushroom (Pleurotus ferulae) at 1, 8, and $24^{\circ}C$ storage temperatures. We found that the fresh weight loss was less than 1.5% in all temperatures (1, 8, and $24^{\circ}C$) and non-perforated breathable films (1,300 cc, 3,000 cc, 5,000 cc, 7,000 cc, 10,000 cc, 15,000 cc, 20,000 cc, and $40,000cc/m^2{\cdot}day{\cdot}atm$ oxygen transmission rate) treatments. The proper MA packaging material of ferulae mushroom was 1,300 cc and 3,000 cc films at $1^{\circ}C$ storage. Because 1,300 cc and 3,000 cc films showed proper level, 15% carbon dioxide and 5% oxygen concentration for MA storage, although the shelf life was higher in 1,300 cc (42 days) than 3,000 cc (38 days), and the ethylene concentration as well as off-order showed lower in 3,000 cc than 1,300 cc film. The 3,000 cc film was the most suitable for ferulae mushroom storage at $8^{\circ}C$, because atmosphere composition in package was not statistically significantly different among the film treatments. In addition, 3,000 cc film showed the second low ethylene concentration and the longest shelf-life of 19 days. The ferulae mushroom stored at $25^{\circ}C$ showed a vigorous respiration and resulted in an extreme CA condition in package at $5^{th}$ day after storage, and showed the highest visual quality in 1,300 cc film. As the shelf life of ferulae mushroom at $1^{\circ}C$ and $8^{\circ}C$ storage were 8 times and 4 times longer than at $25^{\circ}C$ storage respectively, so the ferulae mushroom should be stored and distributed in cold chain system.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.432-438
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• 2013

A study was conducted to examine the effect of maturity and precooling ($60%/0^{\circ}C$ and $80%/4^{\circ}C$), and light illumination on the storage life of 'Maehyang' strawberry meant for export. Fruits at 60% and 80% ripened stage were harvested from a commercial greenhouse in Jinju on April 3, 2012. Harvested fruits were transported to the precooling system within 30 minutes. Transported fruits were precooled the $4^{\circ}C$ for 2 hours and $0^{\circ}C$ for 5 hours by a forced draft cooling system, and then stored at $6^{\circ}C$. During the storage, the fruits were examined for their changes in hardness, soluble solid content, quality grade, acidity, Hunter value, weight loss, and the incidence of gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) at an interval of two days from April 5 to April 17. Hardness was decreased until 7th days and it was changed to increase at 9th days. Treatment of 60% maturity, $0^{\circ}C$ precooling and no light illumination of strawberry were shown the highest value in freshness. The soluble solid content harvested in 80% maturity strawberry was higher than 60% maturity strawberry until the third day. Quality grade decreased rapidly in 80% maturity stage with light illumination strawberry in comparison to the 60% maturity stage of strawberry. Hunter value 'L' and 'a' showed a rapid change in 60% maturity stage of strawberry. Weight loss decreased rapidly in 80% maturity, $0^{\circ}C$ precooling, and no light illumination of strawberry treatments. Gray mold incidence was found the most at 60% maturity, $4^{\circ}C$ precooling, and light illumination of strawberry. The results from our study indicate that effectiveness for keeping the freshness of strawberry was best achieved by harvesting in low maturity, precooling at $0^{\circ}C$, and with no light illumination.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.27 no.5 s.64
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• pp.801-813
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• 1997

A comparative study was made on the chewing movements of normal occlusion and skeletal class m malocclusion. Thirty normal occlusion subjects and twenty skeletal class III malocclusion patients were given chewing gums for the study : using BioPAK system, the chewing movement on the frontal plane was recorded and analyzed. With a typical chewing path chosen representing each subject, chewing width, opening distance, opening and closing angles, maximum opening and closing velocities were observed. Seven characteristic patterns were classified based on the types of chewing paths. The followings are the results : 1. Compared with the normal occlusion group, the skeletal class III malocclusion group showed more varied and vertical chewing patterns. 2. In comparision of chewing widths, skeletal class m malocclusion group showed narrower path than the normal occlusion group(p<0.01). 3. In opening distance, skeletal class III malocclusion group appeared shorter than the normal occlusion group without statistical significance(p>0.05). 4. In opening and closing angles, skeletal class III malocclusion group showed more acute angles than the normal occlusion group(p<0.01). 5. In maximum opening and closing velocities, skeletal class III malocclusion group was slower than the normal occlusion group but with no statistical significance(P>0.05). 6. In the classification of chewing movement pattern, the normal occlusion group had Type II as the highest rate at 73.4% ; in skeletal class III malocclusion group, the highest rate was Type III at 35.0%, followed by Type II at 30.0% 7. In the classification of chewing movement pattern, Type IV(chopping type)of skeletal class III malocclusion group showed a higher rate with 25.0% over 3.3% of normal occlusion group.