• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.95-108
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• 2021

Technology innovation activities are very important for companies to secure technological competitiveness and continue to grow. Korea operates a certification system at the national level to promote corporate innovation activities, and strives to enhance SMEs' global technological competitiveness. Among these, the representative system related to technological innovation is the New Excellent Technology (NET) certification. NET is certified through a strict three-stage screening process, and is operated for the purpose of commercialization of new technology, technology trading, and promotion of early market entry by companies. Acquiring NET certification means that the company has a certain level of technological competitiveness. Therefore, this study attempted to conduct an empirical analysis on which technology innovation activities of companies affect the success of R&D projects and improvement of management performance, centering on NET certification system. To verify this, technology strategy, technology planning, systematic R&D process, internal cooperation, and external cooperation activities were set as major variables. As a result of the empirical analysis, it was confirmed that all variables set in this study individually contributed to the success of the R&D project and improvement of management performance. However, when looking at a comprehensive level that considers all variables, it was analyzed that systematic R&D process management and cooperation activities with external organizations have a statistically significant effect on R&D project success, and technology strategy establishment and technology planning activities, which are the initial stages of R&D, have a statistically significant effect on management performance. This study was conducted on innovation-oriented SMEs that have established and operated corporate R&D centers and are actively conducting R&D activities, and multiple regression analysis was used as an analysis method.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.67 no.1
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• pp.61-66
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• 2022

Sesamin and sesamolin are major lignan components with a wide range of potential biological activities of sesame seeds. Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) is a rapid and non-destructive analysis method widely used for the quantitative determination of major components in many agricultural products. This study was conducted to develop a screening method to determine the lignan contents for sesame breeding. Sesamin and sesamolin contents of 482 sesame samples ranged from 0.03-14.40 mg/g and 0.10-3.79 mg/g with an average of 4.93 mg/g and 1.74 mg/g, respectively. Each sample was scanned using NIRS and calculated for the calibration and validation equations. The optimal performance calibration model was obtained from the original spectra using partial least squares (PLS). The coefficient of determination in calibration (R²) and standard error of calibration (SEC) were 0.963 and 0.861 for sesamin and 0.875 and 0.292 for sesamolin, respectively. Cross-validation results of the NIRS equation showed an R² of 0.889 in the prediction for sesamin and 0.781 for sesamolin and a standard error of cross-validation (SECV) of 1.163 for sesamin and 0.417 for sesamolin. The results showed that the NIRS equation for sesamin and sesamolin could be effective in selecting high lignan sesame lines in early generations of sesame breeding.

• BMB Reports
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• v.55 no.9
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• pp.453-458
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• 2022

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a serious disease in which blood sugar levels rise abnormally because of failed insulin production or decreased insulin sensitivity. Although many studies are being conducted for the treatment or early diagnosis of DM, it is not fully understood how mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) abnormalities appear in patients with DM. Here, we induced iPSCs from fibroblasts, PBMCs, or pancreatic cells of three patients with type 2 DM (T2D) and three patients with non-diabetes counterpart. The mtDNA mutations were detected randomly without any tendency among tissues or patients. In T2D patients, 62% (21/34) of iPSC clones harbored multiple mtDNA mutations, of which 37% were homoplasmy at the 100% mutation level compared to only 8% in non-diabetes. We next selected iPSC clones that were a wild type or carried mutations and differentiated into pancreatic cells. Oxygen consumption rates were significantly lower in cells carrying mutant mtDNA. Additionally, the mutant cells exhibited decreased production of insulin and reduced secretion of insulin in response to glucose. Overall, the results suggest that screening mtDNA mutations in iPSCs from patients with T2D is an essential step before pancreatic cell differentiation for disease modeling or autologous cell therapy.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.9
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• pp.734-741
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• 2022

Currently, around 40 million people worldwide are living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection making HIV a critical global health risk. Present therapies for HIV infection consist of drug cocktails that target different steps of the HIV life cycle to prevent infection, replication, and release of the virus. Due to its mutating nature, drug resistance coupled with side-effects of long-term drug use, novel strategies, and pharmaceuticals to treat and manage HIV infection are constant needs and continuously being studied. Plants allocate a major repertoire of chemical diversity and are therefore regarded as an important source of new bioactive agents that can be utilized against HIV. Since the early 1990s, upon recommendations of the World Health Organization, numerous studies reported phytochemicals from different structural classes such as flavonoids, coumarins, tannins and terpenes with strong inhibitory effects against HIV infection. The present review gathered and presented recent research (2021-present) on plant extracts and phytochemicals that exhibit anti-HIV properties with the aim of providing insights into future studies where ethnomedical and underutilized plant sources may yield important natural products against HIV. Considering the relation and importance of HIV treatment with current viral infection risks such as SARS-CoV-2, screening plants for anti-HIV agents is an important step towards the discovery of novel antivirals.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.137-145
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• 2022

Purpose: This retrospective chart review study was conducted to examine the frequency of delirium and to identify the risk factors of delirium in elderly surgical patients. Methods: The subjects of this study were 394 patients aged 65 years or older who underwent surgery. The diagnosis of delirium was based on the nursing assessment records with scores from the day of surgery to the 4th day after surgery. The collected data were analyzed by binary logistic regression analysis. Results: The incidence of delirium was 4.3%, and delirium occurred most frequently on the first day of surgery and lasted for 2.16 days on average. Of delirium patients, 76.5% underwent gastrointestinal surgery, and the most common delirium pattern was disorientation. In terms of the characteristics of the subjects, the occurrence of delirium was statistically different by age (𝝌²=10.79, p=.005), systemic-specific disease (𝝌²=9.63, p=.047), use of delirium-inducing drug(benzodiazepine) before surgery (𝝌²=15.90, p<.001), walking ability before surgery (𝝌²=7.65, p=.006), history of delirium (𝝌²=35.92, p<.001), and emergency surgery (𝝌²=16.40, p<.001). As risk factors of delirium, gastrointestinal surgery was found to increase the risk of delirium by 12.57 times (95% CI=2.45~64.46, p=.002), and the use of benzodiazepines before surgery was shown to increase delirium by 10.07 times (95% CI=2.21~45.87, p=.003). Conclusion: It is necessary for nurses to actively evaluate delirium using screening tools for early detection and prevention of delirium in elderly surgical patients with delirium risk factors.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.604-615
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• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate cancer-specific survival (CSS) and associated risk factors in elderly gastric cancer (EGC) patients. SUBJECTS/METHODS: EGC patients (≥ 70 yrs) who underwent curative gastrectomy between January 2013 and December 2017 at our hospital were included. Clinicopathologic characteristics and survival data were collected. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to extract the best cutoff point for body mass index (BMI). A Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the risk factors for CSS. RESULTS: In total, 290 EGC patients were included, with a median age of 74.7 yrs. The median follow-up time was 31 (1-77) mon. The postoperative 1-yr, 3-yr and 5-yr CSS rates were 93.7%, 75.9% and 65.1%, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed risk factors for CSS, including age (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.15), intensive care unit (ICU) admission (HR = 1.73; 95% CI, 1.08-2.79), nutritional risk screening (NRS 2002) score ≥ 5 (HR = 2.33; 95% CI, 1.49-3.75), and preoperative prognostic nutrition index score < 45 (HR = 2.06; 95% CI, 1.27-3.33). The ROC curve showed that the best BMI cutoff value was 20.6 kg/m². Multivariate analysis indicated that a BMI ≤ 20.6 kg/m² (HR = 2.30; 95% CI, 1.36-3.87), ICU admission (HR = 1.97; 95% CI, 1.17-3.30) and TNM stage (stage II: HR = 5.56; 95% CI, 1.59-19.43; stage III: HR = 16.20; 95% CI, 4.99-52.59) were significantly associated with CSS. CONCLUSIONS: Low BMI (≤ 20.6 kg/m²), ICU admission and advanced pathological TNM stages (II and III) are independent risk factors for CSS in EGC patients after curative gastrectomy. Nutrition support, better perioperative management and early diagnosis would be helpful for better survival.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.589-595
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• 2023

If complete coronary artery occlusion occurs due to severer coronary spasm, malignant arrhythmias can lead to death. Therefore, early screening for coronary artery spasm angina is essential. Among the test methods, the drug injection test through coronary angiography is generally performed. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the advantages of ergonovine drug test for vasospasitc angina examination during coronary angiography, such as the relationship between the procedure time, contrast medium usage, and radiation exposure effects of coronary angiography. Follow-up data of 142 patients who underwent coronary angiography and variant angina examination from september 2021 to february 2023 were used. As a result of analyzing contrast usage dose and dose area product and air kerma dose and number of imaging series and procedure time, variant angina examination was statistically significantly higher than coronary angiography. (p<0.001) In conclusion, variant angina examination other than coronary artery angiography are radiologically negative. Therefore, we think it is better to avoid excessive inspection. Nevertheless, in the case of the provocation test, the longer the examination time, the higher the fluoroscopy time and the amount of contrast medium used, so it is better to conduct the test as quickly as possible or shorten it.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.67-75
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• 2023

The object of this study was to analyze factors influencing adult dementia knowledge, fear of dementia, and intention of dementia prevention behavior on the demand for dementia prevention education. The subjects of the study were 265 adults aged 19 to 64 living in Chungnam and Chungbuk, who understood the purpose of the study and agreed to participate in the study. The collected research data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis. As a result of the study, adult dementia knowledge (p=.055) and dementia fear (p=.302) were found that they did not significantly affect the demand for dementia prevention education, and the intention of dementia prevention behavior (β=.329, p<.001) was found to have a significant effect on the demand for dementia prevention education. Based on these research results, understanding of dementia and dementia management projects, early screening for dementia and health guidelines for dementia prevention, chronic disease management for dementia prevention, exercise for dementia prevention, healthy eating for dementia prevention, and cognitive enhancement for dementia prevention In addition to the national dementia prevention publicity and national response efforts such as programs, it is necessary to actively participate in the dementia prevention program centered on the community to practice the correct dementia prevention behavior and provide sufficient opportunities to prevent it.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.107-114
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• 2006

Early diagnosis and medical intervention are critical for the treatment of patients with metabolic disorders. A rapid analytical method was developed for simultaneous quantification of organic acids and amino acids in urine without labor-intensive pre-extraction procedure showing high sensitivity and specificity. A new method consisted of simple two-step trimethylsilyl (TMS)-trifluoroacetyl (TFA) derivatization using GC/MS-selective ion monitoring (SIM). Filter paper urine specimens were dried under nitrogen after being fortified with internal standard (tropate) in a mixture of distilled water and methanol. Methyl orange was added to the residue as indicator reagent. Silyl derivative of carboxylic functional group was followed by trifluoroacetyl derivative for amino functional group. N-methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl-trifluoroacetamide) and N-methyl-bistrifluoroacetamide were consecutively added and heated for 15-20 min at $65^{\circ}C-70^{\circ}C$, for TMS-TFA derivative, respectively. This reactant was analyzed by GC/MS-SIM. Linear dynamic range showed 0.001-50 mg with the detection limit of (S/N=3) 10-200 ng, and the quantification limit of 80-900 ng in urine. Correlation coefficient of regression line was 0.994-0.998. When the method was applied to the patients 'urine, it clearly differentiated the normal from the patient with metabolic disorder. The study showed that the developed method could be the method of choices in rapid and sensitive screening for organic aciduria and amino acidopathy.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.571-578
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• 2001

To evaluate if the apoptotic fragment assay could be used to estimate the dose prediction after radiation exposure, we examined apoptotic mouse crypt cells per 1,000 cells after whole body $^{60}Co$ $\gamma$-rays and 50MeV ($p{\rightarrow}Be^+$) cyclotron fast neutron irradiation in the range of 0.25 to 1 Gy, respectively. The incidence of apoptotic cell death rose steeply at very low doses up to 1 Gy, and radiation at all doses tigger rapid changes in crypt cells in stem cell region. These data suggest that apoptosis may play an important role in homeostasis of damaged radiosensitive target organ by removing damaged cells. The curve of dose-effect relationship for the data of apoptotic fragments was obtained by the linear-quadratic model $y=0.18+(9.728{\pm}0.887)D+(-4.727{\pm}1.033)D^2$ ($r^2=0.984$) after $\gamma$-rays irradiation, while $y=0.18+(5.125{\pm}0.601)D+(-2.652{\pm}0.7000)D^2$ ($r^2=0.970$) after neutrons in mice. The dose-response curves were linear-quadratic, and a significant dose-response relationship was found between the frequency of apoptotic cell and dose. These data show a trend towards increase of the numbers of apoptotic crypt cells with increasing dose. Both the time course and the radiation dose-response curve for high and low linear energy transfer (LET) radiation modalities were similar. The relative biological effectiveness (RBE) value for crypt cells was 2.072. In addition, there were significant peaks on apoptosis induction at 4 and 6h after irradiation, and the morpholoigcal findings of the irradiated groups were typical apoptotic fragments in crypt cells that were hardly observed in the control group. Thus, apoptosis in crypt cells could be a useful in vivo model for studying radio-protective drug sensitivity or screening test, microdosimetric indicator and radiation-induced target organ injury. Since the apoptotic fragment assay is simple, rapid and reproducible in the range of 0.25 to 1 Gy, it will also be a good tool for evaluating the dose response of radiation-induced organ damage in vivo and provide a potentially valuable biodosimetry for the early dose prediction after accidental exposure.