• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.61-71
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• 2022

Soil color is used to determine soil classification and its physical, chemical, and biological properties. Visual determination is the most commonly used method for identifying soil color. However, it is subjective and, in many cases, non-repeatable. Digital image processing obtains useful information from digital images, accelerates soil classification, and enables the rapid identification of soil types in a field. This study develops a digital image processing-based soil color analysis technology that can consider irregular light conditions in the field. The digital image studio was designed to simulate the characteristics of natural light (illuminance and color temperature). Also, digital images of two soil samples (Jumoonjin sand and Anseong weathered soil) were captured under 12 different light conditions. For the RGB and CIELAB color systems, soil color intensities of 24 images were obtained using digital image processing. CIELAB was suitable for dealing with irregular light conditions in the field.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.133-143
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• 2021

In contrast to the human lutropin receptor (hLHR) and rat LHR (rLHR), very few naturally occurring mutants in other mammalian species have been identified. The present study aimed to delineate the mechanism of signal transduction by three constitutively activating mutants (designated M410T, L469R, and D590Y) and two inactivating mutants (D383N and Y546F) of the eel LHR, known to be naturally occurring in human LHR transmembrane domains. The mutants were constructed and measured cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) accumulation via homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence assays in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 cells. The activating mutant cells expressing eel LHR-M410T, L469R, and D590Y exhibited a 4.0-, 19.1-, and 7.8-fold increase in basal cAMP response without agonist treatment, respectively. However, inactivating mutant cells expressing D417N and Y558F did not completely impaired signal transduction. Specifically, signal transduction in the cells expressing activating mutant L469R was not occurred with a further ligand stimulation, showing that the maximal response exhibited approximately 53% of those of wild type receptor. Our results suggested that the constitutively activating mutants of the eel LHR consistently occurred without agonist treatment. These results provide important information of LHR function in fish and regulation with regard to mutations of highly conserved amino acids in glycoprotein hormone receptors.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.1262-1274
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• 2022

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a complex and refractor type of cancer with global prevalence. Several barriers remain in CCA diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Therefore, exploring more biomarkers and therapeutic drugs for CCA management is necessary. CCA gene expression data was downloaded from the TCGA and GEO databases. KEGG enrichment, GO analysis, and protein-protein interaction network were used for hub gene identification. miRNA were predicted using Targetscan and validated according to several GEO databases. The relative RNA and miRNA expression levels and prognostic information were obtained from the GEPIA. The candidate drug was screened using pharmacophore-based virtual screening and validated by molecular modeling and through several in vitro studies. 301 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened out. Complement and coagulation cascades-related genes (including AHSG, F2, TTR, and KNG1), and cell cycle-related genes (including CDK1, CCNB1, and KIAA0101) were considered as the hub genes in CCA progression. AHSG, F2, TTR, and KNG1 were found to be significantly decreased and the eight predicted miRNA targeting AHSG, F2, and TTR were increased in CCA patients. CDK1, CCNB1, and KIAA0101 were found to be significantly abundant in CCA patients. In addition, Molport-003-703-800, which is a compound that is derived from pharmacophores-based virtual screening, could directly bind to CDK1 and exhibited anti-tumor activity in cholangiocarcinoma cells. AHSG, F2, TTR, and KNG1 could be novel biomarkers for CCA. Molport-003-703-800 targets CDK1 and work as potential cell cycle inhibitors, thereby having potential for consideration for new chemotherapeutics for CCA.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.1-20
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• 2023

In the past, rice bakanae was considered an endemic disease that did not cause significant losses in Korea; however, the disease has recently become a serious threat due to climate change, changes in farming practices, and the emergence of fungicide-resistant strains. Since the bakanae outbreak in 2006, its incidence has gradually decreased due to the application of effective control measures such as hot water immersion methods and seed disinfectants. However, in 2013, a marked increase in bakanae incidence was observed, causing problems for rice farmers. Therefore, in this review, we present the potential risks from climate change based on an epidemiological understanding of the pathogen, host plant, and environment, which are the key elements influencing the incidence of bakanae. In addition, disease management options to reduce the disease pressure of bakanae below the economic threshold level are investigated, with a specific focus on resistant varieties, as well as chemical, biological, cultural, and physical control methods. Lastly, as more effective countermeasures to bakanae, we propose an integrated disease management option that combines different control methods, including advanced imaging technologies such as remote sensing. In this review, we revisit and examine bakanae, a traditional seed-borne fungal disease that has not gained considerable attention in the agricultural history of Korea. Based on the understanding of the present significance and anticipated risks of the disease, the findings of this study are expected to provide useful information for the establishment of an effective response strategy to bakanae in the era of climate change.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.633-638
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• 2022

Banker plants are non-crop plants that can be used to maintain natural enemies of crop pests. Orius laevigatus (Fieber) (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae) is an important natural predator used to control pest insects, such as thrips, in horticultural crops. The development of suitable banker plants is necessary to maintain O. laevigatus populations within agricultural areas and to effectively improve thrips control. The oviposition rate of O. laevigatus was compared when reared on various flowering plants, such as sedum, rose moss, and chrysanthemum; oviposition rate was highest on the yellow-flowered chrysanthemum variety than on any other plant. This study provides important information for the practical application of banker plants to improve the efficiency of O. laevigatus in agricultural areas.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.139-146
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• 2023

Osteoporosis is a disease in which the risk of bone fractures increases due to a decrease in bone density caused by aging. Osteoporosis is diagnosed by measuring bone density in the total hip, femoral neck, and lumbar spine. To accurately measure bone density in the lumbar spine, the vertebral region must be segmented from the lumbar X-ray image. Deep learning-based automatic spinal segmentation methods can provide fast and precise information about the vertebral region. In this study, we used 695 lumbar spine images as training and test datasets for a deep learning segmentation model. We proposed a lumbar automatic segmentation model, CM-Net, which combines the center point of the spine and the modified U-Net network. As a result, the average Dice Similarity Coefficient(DSC) was 0.974, precision was 0.916, recall was 0.906, accuracy was 0.998, and Area under the Precision-Recall Curve (AUPRC) was 0.912. This study demonstrates a high-performance automatic segmentation model for lumbar X-ray images, which overcomes noise such as spinal fractures and implants. Furthermore, we can perform accurate measurement of bone density on lumbar X-ray images using an automatic segmentation methodology for the spine, which can prevent the risk of compression fractures at an early stage and improve the accuracy and efficiency of osteoporosis diagnosis.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.211-217
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• 2023

Recently, many studies have introduced artificial intelligence systems in the surgical process to reduce the incidence and mortality of complications in patients. Bleeding is a major cause of operative mortality and complications. However, there have been few studies conducted on detecting bleeding in surgical videos. To advance the development of deep learning models for detecting intraoperative hemorrhage, three models have been trained and compared; such as, YOLOv5, RetinaNet50, and RetinaNet101. We collected 1,016 bleeding images extracted from five surgical videos. The ground truths were labeled based on agreement from two specialists. To train and evaluate models, we divided the datasets into training data, validation data, and test data. For training, 812 images (80%) were selected from the dataset. Another 102 images (10%) were used for evaluation and the remaining 102 images (10%) were used as the evaluation data. The three main metrics used to evaluate performance are precision, recall, and false positive per image (FPPI). Based on the evaluation metrics, RetinaNet101 achieved the best detection results out of the three models (Precision rate of 0.99±0.01, Recall rate of 0.93±0.02, and FPPI of 0.01±0.01). The information on the bleeding detected in surgical videos can be quickly transmitted to the operating room, improving patient outcomes.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.65 no.1
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• pp.96-112
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• 2023

Rye (Secale cereale L.) is a valuable annual forage crop in Korea but there is limited information about the impact of chemical and biological additives on fermentation characteristics of the crop. This experiment was conducted to investigate fermentation dynamics of wilted forage rye treated with the following six additives; control (no additive), sodium diacetate applied at 3 g/kg wilted forage weight (SDA3), 6 g/kg wilted forage weight (SDA6), inoculations (10⁶ CFU/g wilted forage) of Lactobacillus plantarum (LP), L. buchneri (LB), or LP+LB. The ensiled rye sampled at 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 45 days indicated that the acidification occurred fast within five days of storage than the rest of the storage period. The microbial inoculants decline the pH of ensiled forage, more rapidly than the control or SDA treated, which accompanied by the decrease of water-soluble carbohydrates and increase of lactic acid. Compared with the control silage, all treatments suppressed ammonia-nitrogen formation below to 35 g/kg DM throughout the sampling period. Suppression of total microbial counting occurred in SDA6, LP, and LP + LB. The lactic acid production rates were generally higher in microbial inoculation treatments. Acetic acid concentration was lowest in the LP-treated silage and highest in the SDA- and LB-treated silages. The in vitro dry matter (DM) digestibility and total digestible nutrients were the highest in the silage treated with SDA (6 g/kg) at day 45 of ensiling. Based on lower ammonia-nitrogen concentrations and higher feed value, ensiling forage rye treated with SDA at 6 g/kg is promising through enhanced silage quality.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.213-220
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• 2022

In this study, a functional study was conducted to confirm the inhibitory effect of IL-6 and TFN-α, which are allergic inflammation inhibitory effects, using natural extracts 640 types of substances. Of the 640 types, 36 substances showed 100% cell viability, and among the extracts showing the IL-6 inhibitory effect, 8 substances showed an inhibitory effect similar to that of cyclosporin A, and 5 substances showed an inhibitory effect on TFN-α. In particular, two types of extracts showing a common inhibitory effect on IL-6 and TFN-α showed an anti-allergic anti-inflammatory effect and a strong anti-allergic anti-inflammatory effect in Hagocho and Snow lotus extract. It is thought that these contents can be used as a functional natural cosmetic material for allergy-inflammation suppression using natural extracts.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.1-24
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• 2017

This study investigates any possible influences of the fourth industrial revolution on international trade in Korea and suggests strategies to promote export of Korea in order to secure one of the biggest international trade countries. The fourth industrial revolution is the fourth major industrial era since the third industrial revolution in the 18th century which used electronics and information technology to automate production. This can be characterized as a range of emerging technologies that are fusing the physical, digital and biological worlds, and impacting all disciplines, economies and industries. Since this revolution is expected to have effects on international trade as well as whole industrial society, it examines how it may affect international trade of Korea in terms of the subject, the object, markets and forms of international trade. After that, it provides the strategies to promote Korean export in order to overcome the risks around the low economic growth of the recent years and the depressed domestic economy.