• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.166-172
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• 2019

BACKGROUND: Increase in the ratio of small berries in blueberry production decreases the farmers' profits due to weakening market competitiveness and lowering harvest efficiency. One of the reasons for increased small berries is over fruit-load. For improving productivity and competitiveness of blueberry in Korea, hand-thinning can be applied to increase fruit quality before the developing adequate chemical thinning methods. This study was conducted to investigate the proper timing and methods for floral buds thinning in rabbiteye blueberry. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eight years old bushes of rabbiteye bluberries 'Brightwell' as a primary cultivar and 'Powderblue' as a pollinizer were used for this study. Fruit size distribution by leaf-to-fruit ratio was investigated by counting the number of leaves and fruits in canes of 127 'Brightwell' plants whose fruit set varied. Fifty percent of flowers/floral buds were removed in four different floral buds stages such as bud swell, late pink bud, full bloom, and petal fall, and the consumed time for thinning and fruit characteristics were recorded to investigate the effect and proper timing of floral buds thinning. Fruit weight and soluble solids content tended to increase in proportion to leaf-to-fruit ratio and the production of the number of fruits less than 13 mm in diameter decreased when leaf-to-fruit ratio was more than 2.5. Manual floral buds thinning by hands was fastest in full bloom stage and slowest in bud swelling stage. In all cultivars, fruit size was significantly smaller in non-thinning treatment than thinning, and there was, however, no significant difference in total fruit yield. The number of fruits less than 13 mm in diameter increased in both cultivars as floral buds thinning was delayed. Consumed time for picking 90% berries out of total berries per bush was shortest in full bloom stage thinning in 'Brightwell' and bud swelling, full bloom thinning in 'Powderblue'. These were 25 and 20 days faster than no thinning, respectively. CONCLUSION: Although the effect of floral buds thinning varied depending on the cultivars, our results confirmed that floral buds thinning was effective for the early intensive harvesting and the increase of the large fruit ratio and the harvesting productivity. Also, in order to increase thinning efficiency, it is recommended to remove the flower buds before the full bloom stage.

• Korea Science and Art Forum
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.219-230
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• 2019

According to the National Statistical Office, the number of senior citizens aged 65 or over has exceeded 7 million as of 2017, and the number of senior citizens who live alone among them exceeded 1.3 million. Most of the senior citizens who live alone suffer from absolute poverty (68.5% of them has monthly income less than 500,000 won) and they have difficulties for basic living in the blind spot of our society. In particular, the heating is quite a serious issue for the senior citizens who live alone and belong to vulnerable social group in the winter, and to make it worse, they are exposed to frequent fire accidents due to the negligence in handling electric appliances such as electric heaters and electric pads. The main reason the indoor tent products are being used by senior citizens who live alone is that it saves energy, ensures warm sleep, and improves fire safety. Following the expansion of the indoor tent market, this study focused on the idea that there is a need for an in door tent suitable for senior citizens who live alone and belong to low income bracket and intended to improve its efficiency in relation to use, resting, and storage. For this, a basic survey was conducted on the products of existing brands to analyze advantages and disadvantages and it was possible to understand the demands that consumers have for existing products. Accordingly, a survey on consumer preference was conducted using a designed model and the Zabara typp, which demonstrated the best efficiency in terms of installation convenience, space usability, and appearance design was selected. Based on the results of selection, the product design and final prototype were completed. The results and details of the study are as follows; First, factors that were not recognized in product development phase could be identified through usability survey and interview with actual users. Second, for the effective aspect of the prototype, senior citizens could install and fold the tend more easily and quickly than expected. Based on these results of this study, it is expected that not only senior citizens who live alone but also various other users can use the tent to create another comfortable private space indoors.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.177-192
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• 2021

The Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development discusses the reorganization of the five evaluation criteria of the Public Development Assistance Committee, which are used internationally, and the five evaluation criteria including adequacy, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability when assessing public development assistance in 1991. This study is to derive alternatives by applying the evaluation criteria of the Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in the evaluation of the inclusive business program being implemented in Nepal since 2019. As a result of the study, the adequacy of Nepal's inclusive business program was consistent with continuous employment and job creation for vulnerable groups such as disabled and orphan women. Efficiency can be said to be efficient in that processes such as work order and work confirmation are made with an electronic management tool, and delivery of the result is transmitted online, saving time and cost compared to other industries. The effectiveness of this project can be said to be an effective program in that it provides high-quality jobs such as providing specialized computer graphics education for the vulnerable, such as disabled and orphan women in Nepal, and hiring graduates as employees. Sustainability is the point that KOICA's inclusive business program has enabled vulnerable groups in the existing fields of agriculture and manufacturing to engage in the computer graphics industry, and the scalability of movies, characters, education businesses, and role models in other countries.However, considering that the scale of public development assistance will continue to increase in the future, it is necessary to establish a systematic monitoring system and a recirculation system so that the project between the donor and recipient countries can continue.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2023

Liposomes as drug delivery system have proved useful carrier for various disease, including cancer. In addition, perfluorocarbon cored microbubbles are utilized in conjunction with high-intensity focused-ultrasound (HIFU) to enable simultaneous diagnosis and treatment. However, microbubbles generally exhibit lower drug loading efficiency, so the need for the development of a novel liposome-based drug delivery material that can efficiently load and deliver drugs to targeted areas via HIFU. This study aims to develop a liposome-based drug delivery material by introducing a substance that can burst liposomes using ultrasound energy and confirm the ability to target tumors using PET imaging. Liposomes (Lipo-DOX, Lipo-DOX-Au, Lipo-DOX-Au-RGD) were synthesized with gold nanoparticles using an avidin-biotin bond, and doxorubicin was mounted inside by pH gradient method. The size distribution was measured by DLS, and encapsulation efficiency of doxorubicin was analyzed by UV-vis spectrometer. The target specificity and cytotoxicity of liposomes were assessed in vitro by glioblastoma U87mg cells to HIFU treatment and analyzed using CCK-8 assay, and fluorescence microscopy at 6-hour intervals for up to 24 hours. For the in vivo study, U87mg model mouse were injected intravenously with 1.48 MBq of ⁶⁴Cu-labeled Lipo-DOX-Au and Lipo-DOX-Au-RGD, and PET images were taken at 0, 2, 4, 8, and 24 hours. As a result, the size of liposomes was 108.3 ± 5.0 nm at Lipo-DOX-Au and 94.1 ± 12.2 nm at Lipo-DOX-Au-RGD, and it was observed that doxorubicin was mounted inside the liposome up to 52%. After 6 hours of HIFU treatment, the viability of U87mg cells treated with Lipo-DOX-Au decreased by around 20% compared to Lipo-DOX, and Lipo-DOX-Au-RGD had a higher uptake rate than Lipo-DOX. In vivo study using PET images, it was confirmed that ⁶⁴Cu-Lipo-DOX-Au-RGD was taken up into the tumor immediately after injection and maintained for up to 4 hours. In this study, drugs released from liposomes-gold nanoparticles via ultrasound and RGD targeting were confirmed by non-invasive imaging. In cell-level experiments, HIFU treatment of gold nanoparticle-coupled liposomes significantly decreased tumor survival, while RGD-liposomes exhibited high tumor targeting and rapid release in vivo imaging. It is expected that the combination of these models with ultrasound is served as an effective drug delivery material with therapeutic outcomes.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.449-456
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• 2023

In this study, we developed Rapid Enrichment Broth for Vibrio parahaemolyticus (REB-V), a broth capable enriching V. parahaemolyticus from 10⁰ CFU/mL to 10⁶ CFU/mL within 6 hours, which greatly facilitates the rapid detection of V. parahaemolyticus. Using a modified Gompertz model and response surface methodology, we optimized supplement sources to rapidly enrich V. parahaemolyticus. The addition of 0.003 g/10 mL of D-(+)-mannose, 0.002 g/10 mL of L-valine, and 0.002 g/10 mL of magnesium sulfate to 2% (w/v) NaCl BPW was the most effective combination of V. parahaemolyticus enrichment. Optimal V. parahaemolyticus culture conditions using REB-V were at pH 7.84 and 37℃. To confirm REB-V culture efficiency compared to 2% (w/v) NaCl BPW, we assessed the amount of enrichment achieved in 7 hours in each medium and extracted DNA samples from each culture every hour. Real-time PCR was performed using the extracted DNA to verify the applicability of this REB-V culture method to molecular diagnosis. V. parahaemolyticus was enriched to 5.452±0.151 Log CFU/mL in 2% (w/v) NaCl BPW in 7 hours, while in REB-V, it reached 7.831±0.323 Log CFU/mL. This confirmed that REB-V enriched V. parahaemolyticus to more than 10⁶ CFU/mL within 6 hours. The enrichment rate of REB-V was faster than that of 2% (w/v) NaCl BPW, and the amount of enrichment within the same time was greater than that of 2% (w/v) NaCl BPW, indicating that REB-V exhibits excellent enrichment efficiency.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.118-127
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• 2024

This study investigated the levels of 345 pesticide residues in 50 herbal medicines sold in Incheon metropolitan city to determine their safety. Pesticide residues are harmful substances that can cause serious health problems owing to their toxicity and carcinogenicity. The analysis of pesticide residues in the samples was conducted using the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method, known for its high analysis efficiency, to analyze a wide range of pesticides for which no standards have been set. The analysis was cross-validated with the pretreatment method outlined in the Korea Pharmacopoeia. Among the 50 samples encompassing 24 different herbs, 22 pesticide residues were detected in 24 samples, covering 7 distinct herbs, resulting in a detection rate of 48%. It is noteworthy that, except for two cases, all detected pesticides were those for which no standards were set. However, after conducting a risk evaluation considering the daily dosage of herb, it was determined that the levels of pesticide residues were within safe limits. Pesticides with high frequency within the same category of herbs were detected, indicating the necessity for continuous monitoring and regulation. In addition, comparative analysis using the pretreatment method outlined in the Korean Pharmacopoeia, yielded similar results, suggesting the possibility of analyzing pesticide residues in herbs using the QuEChERS method. The study emphasizes the importance of continuous monitoring of pesticide residues in herbs and the development of high-efficiency reliability analysis methods should continue to ensure consumer safety.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.139-153
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• 2024

The importance of sustainable growth and cost reduction has increased globally, leading to the expansion of outsourcing by companies. Additionally, the spread of the platform economy has brought changes in the way we work, and the online outsourcing market, where tasks are mediated through platforms, is growing. Academically, while research on general outsourcing is actively conducted, studies on online outsourcing are relatively insufficient compared to its actual utilization. This study aims to analyze the factors and performance factors of online outsourcing utilization by startups, to identify the effects and concerns of using online outsourcing from multiple perspectives, and to suggest the roles of various stakeholders for effective utilization and industry development. For the research, a survey was conducted with 281 employees of startups who have experience in using online outsourcing, and the main findings are as follows. First, the enhancement of efficiency, profitability, and innovation through the use of online outsourcing positively affects organizational commitment and job satisfaction of startup members. Especially, the improvement of efficiency due to the use of online outsourcing has a significant effect on enhancing job satisfaction. Second, concerns about the burden of online outsourcing fees or uncertain outcomes negatively affect organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Third, there are perceptual differences in the motivations and performance regarding the utilization of online outsourcing depending on the job position. Practitioners perceive that the use of online outsourcing increases organizational commitment, whereas managers have relatively higher concerns about the uncertainty of outsourced task outcomes and information security. Through this study, the possibility that human resource shortages and employee management issues in startups can be improved through online outsourcing was confirmed. By verifying the influence of various factors of online outsourcing utilization, this study also provides meaningful implications for establishing business strategies for online outsourcing intermediary platform companies and for formulating startup support policies by government and other startup support organizations.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.295-303
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• 2007

A preliminary diet experiment utilizing Jerusalem artichoke's inulin, lotus leaf powder, nettle powder and eucalyptus powder extract indicated that combining all four elements gave the most effective result. Therefore, a study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of combined diet for weight loss. In this study, Sprague-Dawley, male white rats about 200 g in weight was fed with high fat diet for 8 weeks in order to induce obesity followed by 4 week administration of combined diet to look into the effect of the diet. After a total of 12 weeks of feeding, factors relevant to weight, blood, and lipid metabolism by liver in the body were researched and histologic change was examined with optical microscope. In terms of weight change, both high fat diet group and regular diet group gained weight from high fat diet for 8 weeks compared to normal group. Then, for another 4 weeks, while normal group and high fat diet group kept gaining weight, combined diet group which was provided with high fat diet for 8 weeks, lost weight to the normal group level after 3 week administration of diet. However, after the 4th week of administration, the group weighted significantly less than the normal group and the efficiency of diet also significantly dropped. In the biochemical analysis of blood, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, GOT, GPT, ${\gamma}-GTP$ and creatine showed significant increase in high fat diet group and there was no significant difference between diet group and normal group except for GPT, ${\gamma}-GTP$ and creatine. In the biochemical analysis of liver, there was significant increase in LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride of high fat diet group compared to normal group, while there was no significant difference in term of total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol. Compared to normal group, diet group had higher HDL-cholesterol, while total cholesterol dropped significantly. There was no significant difference in terms of LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride. Besides, in high fat diet group, observation of histologic change in liver and change in ultrastructure showed volume increase of hepatic cell and severe fatty degeneration in hepatic cell around hepatic vein. However in diet group, like normal group, no pathological change was observed in terms of cytoplasm, nucleus and capillary in hepatocyte and the alignment of hepatocyte had regularity thanks to the administration of combined diet. Therefore, combined diet utilizing Jerusalem artichoke's inulin, lotus leaf powder, nettle powder and eucalyptus powder was proven to be an effective measure to prevent and improve obesity as a result of abnormal adipose deposition.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.447-455
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• 2011

To investigate the effects of the improvement of postharvest quality on fresh tomato, antimicrobial microperforated (AMP) films were prepared and their antimicrobial abilities were observed. AMP films were made by coating different types of natural antimicrobial agents such as cinnamon, clove, and clary sage essential oils into microperforated (MP) films. Cinnamon essential oil of 10% (v/v) has proven to be very effective as inhibitor of the mold growth on tomato, compared to the clove and clary sage essential oils. Quality changes of fresh tomatoes packed using the natural AMP films (AMP10 and AMP30) and MP films (MP10 and MP30) during storage were evaluated. Total microbial growth, weight loss, firmness, lycopene content, and decay rate as the major quality parameters were monitored over 9 days at $15^{\circ}C$. The oxygen transmission rates and mechanical properties between the natural AMP and MP films were also compared. There was no significant difference in change of oxygen transmission rate, tensile strength and elongation between the AMP and MP films. For storage studies, the freshness of tomato packaged in AMP30 film was higher than that in OPP film (the control), MP10, MP30, and AMP10 films. Especially, AMP30 film exhibited high efficiency compared to the control for tomato decay during storage periods. Based on the results, the microperforation and antimicrobial properties of the packaged films may significantly affect the maintenance of an optimum gas composition within the package atmosphere for increasing the storage life and quality of produce. They were also effective on the inhibition of microbial growth by controlled release of antimicrobial agent at an appropriate rate from the package into the tomato. Natural antimicrobial agent coating microperforated films could use potential functional package as a method of extending the freshness of postharvest tomato for storage.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.131-155
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• 1983

Though it has been widely known the nitrogen effects are influenced by soils, varieties, and mineral nutrients in the rice culture, few analyses in relation to the factors increasing nitrogen effect have been studied in Korea. The effects of potassium and silica on the factors increasing nitrogen effects in paddy soils were investigated in accordance with soil improvement practices and nitrogen application methods for the cultivated varieties. The results obtained are as follows. 1. For 413 paddy fields, the yield from soils without nitrogen application ranged from 200 to 850kg/10a and that from nitrogen application did 350 to 1,051kg/10a. The yield increament by nitrogen application varied 50 to 650kg/10a depending on soils. 2. Soil chemical characteristics for high yield were different between with nitrogen and without nitrogen application. In the without nitrogen application, however, contents of organic matter, phosphorous, potassium and calcium of high yield soils were lower than those of low yield, while the available silica content was higher in the former. 3. The yield increased with nitrogen application up to 22.4kg/10a and thereafter it decreased. These phenomena were supposed to be not be decrease of nitrogen uptake but by lowered silica uptake. 4. Clay soil incorporation, deep plough, and inorganic constituents control such as Ca, Mg, and $Sio_2$ were effective as soil improvement praitices. It was appeared that increases of silica content and Ca/Mg ratio were important to increase nitrogen effects. 5. For the correlation between yield and yield components, it was high between yield and panicle in low nitrogen level and so was it between grain yield and ripening rate in high nitrogen. 6. In the urea and super granule urea application plot, recovery rate of nitrogen by plant and soil was high and yield was remarkable high. 7. Regardless of fertilizer types such as ammonium sulfate and urea, the residual nitrogen was about 4kg/10a in both plots of 5.8 and 11.6kg/10a. N applied. 8. The potassium application to soil enhanced the nitrogen efficiency. It was more effective in low potassium soil. 9. Optimum pH value for gel formation in the 4% sodium silicate solution was approximately 6.6. 10. It was suggested that silica could affect to rice plant growth as the inorganic and organic chemical components.