• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.149-160
• /
• 2007

KoFlux Gwangneung Supersite comprises complex topography and diverse vegetation types (and structures), which necessitate complementary multi-disciplinary measurements to understand energy and matter exchange. Here, we report the results of this ongoing research with special focuses on carbon/water budgets in Gwangneung forest, implications of inter-dependency between water and carbon cycles, and the importance of hydrology in carbon cycling under monsoon climate. Comprehensive biometric and chamber measurements indicated the mean annual net ecosystem productivity (NEP) of this forest to be ${\sim}2.6\;t\;C\;ha^{-1}y^{-1}$. In conjunction with the tower flux measurement, the preliminary carbon budget suggests the Gwangneung forest to be an important sink for atmospheric $CO_2$. The catchment scale water budget indicated that $30\sim40%$ of annual precipitation was apportioned to evapotranspiration (ET). The growing season average of the water use efficiency (WUE), determined from leaf carbon isotope ratios of representative tree species, was about $12{\mu}mol\;CO_2/mmol\;H_2O$ with noticeable seasonal variations. Such information on ET and WUE can be used to constrain the catchment scale carbon uptake. Inter-annual variations in tree ring growth and soil respiration rates correlated with the magnitude and the pattern of precipitation during the growing season, which requires further investigation of the effect of a monsoon climate on the catchment carbon cycle. Additionally, we examine whether structural and functional units exist in this catchment by characterizing the spatial heterogeneity of the study site, which will provide the linkage between different spatial and temporal scale measurements.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.11-19
• /
• 2004

Stage 1 sleep provides important information regarding interpretation of nocturnal polysomnography, particularly sleep onset. It is a short transition period from wakeful consciousness to sleep. Lack of prominent sleep events characterizing stage 1 sleep is a major obstacle in automatic sleep stage scoring. In this study, we attempted to utilize simultaneous EEC and EOG processing and analyses to detect stage 1 sleep automatically. Relative powers of the alpha waves and the theta waves were calculated from spectral estimation. Either the relative power of alpha waves less than 50％ or the relative power of theta waves more than 23％ was regarded as stage 1 sleep. SEM (slow eye movement) was defined as the duration of both eye movement ranging from 1.5 to 4 seconds and regarded also as stage 1 sleep. If one of these three criteria was met, the epoch was regarded as stage 1 sleep. Results f ere compared to the manual rating results done by two polysomnography experts. Total of 169 epochs was analyzed. Agreement rate for stage 1 sleep between automatic detection and manual scoring was 79.3％ and Cohen's Kappa was 0.586 (p＜0.01). A significant portion (32％) of automatically detected stage 1 sleep included SEM. Generally, digitally-scored sleep s1aging shows the accuracy up to 70％. Considering potential difficulties in stage 1 sleep scoring, the accuracy of 79.3％ in this study seems to be robust enough. Simultaneous analysis of EOG provides differential value to the present study from previous oneswhich mainly depended on EEG analysis. The issue of close relationship between SEM and stage 1 sleep raised by Kinnariet at. remains to be a valid one in this study.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.41 no.3
• /
• pp.248-261
• /
• 1994

Background: Lectins are proteins or glycoproteins of non-immune origin that recognize a specific sequence of sugar residues. The availability of a large number of lectins has provided the capacity to identify selectively glycoconjugates possessing distinctive chemical structure in diverse sites of highly specialized biological activity. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the lectin binding patterns of various components in human pulmonary tubercles. Method: Biopsy specimens of tuberculous lung were obtained from male adult patients who underwent a surgical resection for severe pulmonary tuberculosis. The specimens were processed and stained with 13 kinds of biotinylated lectins according to some modification of Hsu and Raine's methods. Results: 1) In the caseous necrotic lesions, BS $I-B_4$ showed negative reaction and BS I were also negative except some irregularly-shaped cells located in the marginal zone. All other lectins, however, showed a positive reaction with various binding patterns. 2) The epithelioid cells were broadly divided into three groups according to the reaction patterns in the cytoplasms and cell membranes. 3) WGA, ECL, PHA-L, PHA-E and LCA showed strong staining in the lymphocytes. 4) SBA showed a different binding patterns between the endothelial layers located in the region beyond the fibrous layers and those located within the fibrous layers. 5) PNA showed a positive reaction in the outer 1/3 to 1/2 of the fibrous layer, but showed no staining in the inner 1/2 to 2/3 of the fibrous layers. Conclusion: The present lectin histochemical study provided a useful information to assess the characterization and distribution of various glycoconjugates in each constituent of human pulmonary tubercles. The results demonstrate structural differences in the glycoconjugate composition of various components of the tubercles and reveal changes in glycosylation in the components during soft tubercle formation. This study provides a new data useful for the studies on the pathogenesis and pathology of human pulmonary tubercles.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.263-268
• /
• 2016

Metallothionein (MT) family of metal-binding proteins are involved in maintaining homeostasis and heavy metal poisoning. Recently, MT has been considered as a biomarker that can identify a particular species, very similar to the use of cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene. Satsuma myomphala species of land snails have been reported from North-East Asia, including South Korea and Japan. In particular, the land snail species have been known from only a limited area of Geoje Island, Gyeongsangnam-do province of South Korea. Genetic studies of S. myomphala has been limited with only 6 nucleotide, 2 protein registered on the NCBI server. For elucidating the genetic information of S. myomphala, we conducted RNA sequencing analysis using Illumina HiSeq 2500 next-generation platform. We screened the MT gene from the RNA-Seq database to confirm the molecular phylogenetic relationship. After sequencing, the de novo analysis and clustering generated 103,774 unigenes. After annotation against PANM database using BLAST program, we obtained MT sequence of 74 amino acid residues containing the coding region of 222 bp. Based on this sequence, we found about 53 sequences using the BLAST program in NCBI nr database. Using ClustalX alignment, Maximum-Likehood Tree of MEGA program, we confirmed the molecular phylogenetic relationships that showed similarity with mollusks such as Helix pomatia and H. aspersa, Megathura crenulata.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.14-30
• /
• 1998

Manganese is an essential element in the body. It is mainly deposited in the liver and to a lesser degree in the basal ganglia of the brain and eliminated through the bile duct. Rapid turnover of managanese in the body makes it difficult to evaluate the manganese exposure in workers, esecially in those with irregular or intermittent exposure, like welders. Therefore, conventional biomarkers, including blood and urine manganese can provide only a limited information about the long-tern or cumulative exposure to manganese. Introduction of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) made a progress in the assessment of manganese exposure in the medical conditions related to manganese accumulation, e. g. hepatic failure and long-term total parenteral nutrition. Manganese shortens spin-lattice(T1) relaxation time on MRI due to its paramagnetic property, resulting in high signal intensity (HSI) on T1-weighted image(T1W1) of MRI. Manganese deposition in the brain, therefore, can be visualizedas an HSI in the globus pallidus, the substantia nigra, the putamen and the pituitary. clinical and epidemiologic studies regarding the MRI findings in the cases of occupational and non-occupational manganese exposure were reviewed. relationships between HSI on T1W1 of MRI and age, gender, occupational manganese exposure, and neurological dysfunction were analysed. Relationships betwen biological exposure indices and HSI on MRE werealso reviewed. Literatures were reviewed to establish the relationships between HSI, Manganese deposition in the brain, pathologic findings, and neurological dysfunction. HSI on T1W1 of MRI reflects regional manganese deposition in the brain. This relationship enables an estimation of regional manganese deposition in the brain by analysing MR signal intensity. Manganese deposition in the brain can induce a neuronal loss in the basal ganglia but functional abnormality is supposed to be related to the cumulative exposure of manganese in the brain, use of brain MRI for the assessment of exposure in a group of workers seems to be hardly rationalized, while ti can be a useful adjunct for the evaluation of manganese exposure int he cases with suspected manganese-related health problems.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.26 no.8
• /
• pp.904-910
• /
• 2016

Complex traits are determined by the combined effects of many loci and are affected by gene networks or biological pathways. Systems biology approaches have an important role in the identification of candidate genes related to complex diseases or traits at the system level. The gene network analysis has been performed by diverse types of methods such as gene co-expression, gene regulatory relationships, protein-protein interaction (PPI) and genetic networks. Moreover, the network-based methods were described for predicting gene functions such as graph theoretic method, neighborhood counting based methods and weighted function. However, there are a limited number of researches in livestock. The present study systemically analyzed genes associated with 102 types of economic traits based on the Animal Trait Ontology (ATO) and identified their relationships based on the gene co-expression network and PPI network in cattle. Then, we constructed the two types of gene network databases and network visualization system (http://www.nabc.go.kr/cg). We used a gene co-expression network analysis from the bovine expression value of bovine genes to generate gene co-expression network. PPI network was constructed from Human protein reference database based on the orthologous relationship between human and cattle. Finally, candidate genes and their network relationships were identified in each trait. They were typologically centered with large degree and betweenness centrality (BC) value in the gene network. The ontle program was applied to generate the database and to visualize the gene network results. This information would serve as valuable resources for exploiting genomic functions that influence economically and agriculturally important traits in cattle.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.467-473
• /
• 2007

Although the dominant land use at the Imha-dam watershed is forest areas, soil erosion has been increasing because of intensive agricultural activities performed at the fields located along the stream for easy-access to water supply and relatively favorable topography. In addition, steep topography at the Imha-dam watershed is also contributing increased soil erosion and sediment loads. At the Imha-dam watershed, outflow has increased sharply by the typhoons Rusa and Maemi in 2002, 2003 respectively. In this study, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was evaluated for simulation of flow and sediment behaviors with long-term temporal and spatial conditions. The precipitation data from eight precipitation observatories, located at Ilwol, Subi and etc., were used. There was no significant difference in monthly rainfall for 8 locations. However, there was slight differences in rainfall amounts and patterns in 2003 and 2004. The topographical map at 1:5000 scale from the National Geographic Information Institute was used to define watershed boundaries, the detailed soil map at 1:25,000 scale from the National Institute of Highland Agriculture and the land cover data from the Korea Institute of Water and Environment were used to simulate the hydrologic response and soil erosion and sediment behaviors. To evaluate hydrologic component of the SWAT model, calibration was performed for the period from Jan. 2002 to Dec. 2003, and validation for Jan. 2004 to Apr. 2005. The $R^2$ value and El value were 0.93 and 0.90 respectively for calibration period, and the $R^2$ value and El value for validation were 0.73 and 0.68 respectively. The $R^2$ value and El value of sediment yield data with the calibrated parameters was 0.89 and 0.84 respectively. The comparisons with the measured data showed that the SWAT model is applicable to simulate hydrology and sediment behaviors at Imha dam watershed. With proper representation of the Best Management Practices (BM Ps) in the SWAT model, the SWAT can be used for pre-evaluation of the cost-effective and sustainable soil erosion BMPs to solve sediment issues at the Imha-dam watershed. In Korea, the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) has been used to estimate the soil loss for over 30 years. However, there are limitations in the field scale mdel, USLE when applied for watershed. Also, the soil loss changes temporarily and spatially, for example, the Imha-dam watershed. Thus, the SW AT model, capable of simulating hydrologic and soil erosion/sediment behaviors temporarily and spatially at watershed scale, should be used to solve the muddy water issues at the Imha-dam watershed to establish more effective muddy water reduction countermeasure.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.171-208
• /
• 2017

The purpose of this study is to classify the underlying and parsimonious types of child maltreatment and examine whether the effects of risk factors on child maltreatment recurrence differ by type of maltreatment. We utilized the multiyear national administrative data from the National Child Maltreatment Information System collected by Child Protection Agency in Korea. Of 26,921 child maltreatment victims reported and substantiated on or after January 1, 2012, 1,447 children who had recurrence of child maltreatment until December 31, 2015 were selected as maltreatment recurrence group and 4,580 children who had not experienced maltreatment since first substantiation were assigned as maltreatment non-recurrence group. Latent class analysis(LCA) and latent transition analysis(LTA) were used to group children with similar maltreatment subtypes into discrete classes of child maltreatment recurrence. Logistic regression is employed to examine the association between the child maltreatment predominant types and risk factors for recurrence. Results of LCA and LTA showed four latent classes representing predominant type of child maltreatment: 'physical abuse predominant type', 'emotional abuse predominant type', 'sexual abuse predominant type', and 'neglect type'. Significant differences in the effect of risk factors among latent classes were found in child's age and gender, perpetrator's gender, family poverty, biological parent as the perpetrator, domestic violence toward partner, perpetrator's alcoholic problem, insufficient parenting skills, and out-of-home care service, Based on these findings, results suggested how the typology can be used to guide decision about who to target in prevention and intervention programs, and which features of risk factors to target. Practice and policy implications as well as further research tasks were discussed in the lights of searching for useful and important strategies to prevent recurrence of child maltreatment.

• Journal of Broadcast Engineering
• /
• v.24 no.5
• /
• pp.836-848
• /
• 2019

This paper aims at providing a critical view over the cybernetics theory especially of first generation on which the artificial intelligence heavily depends nowadays. There has been a commonly accepted thought that the conception of artificial intelligence could not has been possible without being influenced by N. Wiener's cybernetic feedback based information system. Despite the founder of contemporary cybernetics' ethical concerns in order to avoid an increasing entropy phenomena(social violence, economic misery, wars) produced through a negative dynamics of the western modernity regarded as the most advanced form of humanism. In this civilizationally changing atmosphere, the newly born cybernetic technology was thus firmly believed as an antidote to these vices deeply rooted in humanism itself. But cybernetics has been turned out to be a self-organizing, self-controlling mechanical system that entails the possibility of telegraphing human brain (which are transformed into patterns) through the uploading of human brain neurons digitalized by the artificial intelligence embedded into computing technology. On this background emerges posthuman (or posthumanism) movement of which concepts have been theorized mainly by its ardent apostles like N. K. Hayles, Neil Bedington, Laurent Alexandre, Donna J. Haraway. The converging of NBIC Technologies leading to the opening of a much more digitalizing society has served as a catalyst to promote the posthuman representations and different narratives especially in the contemporary visual arts as well as in the study of humanities including philosophy and fictional literature. Once Bruno Latour wrote "Modernity is often defined in terms of humanism, either as a way of saluting the birth of 'man' or as a way of announcing his death. But this habit is itself modern, because it remains asymmetrical. It overlooks the simultaneous birth of 'nonhumaniy' - things, or objects, or beasts, - and the equally strange beginning of a crossed-out God, relegated to the sidelines."4) These highly suggestive ideas enable us to better understand what kind of human beings would emerge following the dazzlingly accelerating advancement of artificial intelligence technology. We wonder whether or not this newly born humankind would become essentially Homo Artificialis as a neuronal man stripping off his biological apparatus. However due to this unprecedented situation humans should deal with enormous challenges involving ethical, metaphysical, existential implications on their life.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.1-18
• /
• 2005

Ginseng Radix, the root of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer has been used in Eastern Asia for 2000 years as a tonic and restorative, promoting health and longevity. Two varieties are commercially available: white ginseng(Ginseng Radix Alba) is produced by air-drying the root, while red ginseng(Ginseng Radix Rubra) is produced by steaming the root followed by drying. These two varieties of different processing have somewhat differences by heat processing between them. During the heat processing for preparing red ginseng, it has been found to exhibit inactivation of catabolic enzymes, thereby preventing deterioration of ginseng quality and the increased antioxidant-like substances which inhibit lipid peroxide formation, and also good gastro-intestinal absorption by gelatinization of starch. Moreover, studies of changes in ginsenosides composition due to different processing of ginseng roots have been undertaken. The results obtained showed that red ginseng differ from white ginseng due to the lack of acidic malonyl-ginsenosides. The heating procedure in red ginseng was proved to degrade the thermally unstable malonyl-ginsenoside into corresponding netural ginsenosides. Also the steaming process of red ginseng causes degradation or transformation of neutral ginsenosides. Ginsenosides $Rh_2,\;Rh_4,\;Rs_3,\;Rs_4\;and\;Rg_5$, found only in red ginseng, have been known to be hydrolyzed products derived from original saponin by heat processing, responsible for inhibitory effects on the growth of cancer cells through the induction of apoptosis. 20(S)-ginsenoside $Rg_3$ was also formed in red ginseng and was shown to exhibit vasorelaxation properties, antimetastatic activities, and anti-platelet aggregation activity. Recently, steamed red ginseng at high temperature was shown to provide enhance the yield of ginsenosides $Rg_3\;and\;Rg_5$ characteristic of red ginseng Additionally, one of non-saponin constituents, panaxytriol, was found to be structually transformed from polyacetylenic alcohol(panaxydol) showing cytotoxicity during the preparation of red ginseng and also maltol, antioxidant maillard product, from maltose and arginyl-fructosyl-glucose, amino acid derivative, from arginine and maltose. In regard to the in vitro and in vivo comparative biological activities, red ginseng was reported to show more potent activities on the antioxidant effect, anticarcinogenic effect and ameliorative effect on blood circulation than those of white ginseng. In oriental medicine, the ability of red ginseng to supplement the vacancy(허) was known to be relatively stronger than that of white ginseng, but very few are known on its comparative clinical studies. Further investigation on the preclinical and clinical experiments are needed to show the differences of indications and efficacies between red and white ginsengs on the basis of oriental medicines.