• Ocean and Polar Research
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• 제44권1호
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• pp.13-27
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• 2022

The Yeongsan River estuary was altered by a sea dike built in 1981 and the sluice gates in the dike were extended recently in 2014. The construction has caused changes in water properties and hydrodynamics and also produced disturbances including hypoxia and algal blooms. We analyzed the water quality and chlorophyll-a data (2009-2018) collected seasonally at 3 stations (Sts. 1-3) along the channel of the estuary by the Marine Environmental Monitoring System. Variations in water quality and chlorophyll-a (an index of phytoplankton biomass) were examined and their stressors were also identified by statistics including correlation and multivariate principal component analyses (PCA). The water quality was mainly affected by freshwater discharge from the dike. Salinity, nutrients and chlorophyll-a were especially affected by the discharge and the effect enhanced during summer and at the upper region near the sea dike decreasing downstream. Three factors were extracted for each station in the PCA accounting for 66.07-72.42% of the variations. The first was an external factor associated with freshwater discharge and the second and third were seasonal or biological factors. The results indicate that the water quality is more affected by short-termed and episodic events such as freshwater discharge than seasonal events and the influence of freshwater discharge on water quality is more extensive than that previously reported. This suggests that the boundary of the estuary should be extended to take into account the findings of this study and a management strategy linked to the freshwater zone is required to manage the integrity and water quality of the Yeongsan River estuary.

• East Asian Economic Review
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.49-91
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• 2022

Recent years have witnessed renewed interest in Africa and public diplomacy has emerged as the vital tool being used to cultivate these relations. China has been leading in pursuing stronger economic partnership with Africa while middle powers such as Korea are also intensifying engagement with the continent. While previous studies have analyzed the implications of China's activities in Africa on advanced powers, none has examined them from the paradigm of middle powers. This study fills this gap by assessing China's activities in Africa, their economic engagement and implications for Korea's interest in Africa. The analysis is qualitative based on secondary data from various sources and literature. The study shows that China's public diplomacy strategy involves a high degree of innovation and has evolved to encompass new tools and audiences. China has institutionalized a cooperative model that permeates many aspects of governance institutions in Africa, enabling it to strengthen their relations. This could also be helping China to adjust faster leadership transitions in Africa. Whereas the US is still the most influential country in Africa, China is influential in economic policies and has outstripped the US in infrastructure diplomacy. This could be because African policy makers align more with China's economic model than the US' mainstream economics. Chinese aid to Africa has been diversified to social sectors that are more responsive to the needs of Africa. Trade and investment relations between China and Africa have deepened, but so does trade imbalance since 2010. China mainly imports natural resources and raw materials from Africa. But this product portfolio is not different from Korea and the US. China's energetic insertion in Africa using various strategies has significant implications for countries with ambitions in Africa. Korea can achieve its ambitions in Africa by focusing resources in areas it can leverage its core strengths-such as education and vocational training, environmental policy and development cooperation.

• 한국정보통신학회논문지
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• 제25권11호
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• pp.1495-1504
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• 2021

초소형 바이너리 발전 플랜트는 열원과 냉각원 사이의 저온도차 열에너지를 이용하여 열에너지를 전력으로 변환한다. 실제 발전환경에서 플랜트의 특성치는 환경 조건이나 관련 장비의 부식과 같은 부정적인 영향으로 인해 변동하고, 플랜트 특성치의 변동은 PID 파라미터가 고정된 종래의 PID 제어시스템에서 불안정한 터빈 출력으로 이어진다. 본 논문에서는 플랜트의 특성치 변동에 따라 PID 파라미터를 적응적으로 조정하는 신경망 기반의 Neuro PID 제어시스템을 제안한다. 초소형 바이너리 발전 플랜트의 동작점 근방에서 동특성을 나타내는 이산시간 전달함수 모델을 도출하고, 제안된 제어시스템의 설계 전략을 기술한다. 제안된 Neuro PID 제어시스템을 종래의 PID 제어시스템과 비교하고, 시뮬레이션 결과를 통해 그 유효성을 보인다.

• 한국동물위생학회지
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• 제44권4호
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• pp.185-194
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• 2021

Polyglutamine extension in the coding sequence of mutant huntingtin causes neuronal degeneration associated with the formation of insoluble polyglutamine aggregates in Huntington's disease (HD). Mutant huntingtin can form aggregates within the nucleus and processes of neurons possibly due to misfolding of the proteins. To better understand the mechanism by which an elongated polyglutamine causes aggregates, we have developed an in vitro binding assay system of polyglutamine tract from truncated huntingtin. We made GST-HD exon1 fusion proteins which have expanded polyglutamine epitopes (e.g., 17, 23, 32, 46, 60, 78, 81, and 94 CAG repeats). In the present emergence of new study adjusted nanotechnology on protein chip such as surface plasmon resonance strategy which used to determine the substance which protein binds in drug discovery platform is worth to understand better neurodegenerative diseases (i.e., Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease and Huntington disease) and its pathogenesis along with development of therapeutic measures. Hence, we used strengths of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technology which is enabled to examine binding specificity and explore targeted molecular epitope using its electron charged wave pattern in HD pathogenesis utilize conjugated mutant epitope of HD protein and its interaction whether wild type GST-HD interacts with mutant GST-HD with maximum binding affinity at pH 6.85. We found that the maximum binding affinity of GST-HD17 with GST-HD81 was higher than the binding affinities of GST-HD17 with other mutant GST-HD constructs. Furthermore, our finding illustrated that the mutant form of GST-HD60 showed a stronger binding to GST-HD23 or GST-HD17 than GST-HD60 or GST-HD81. These results indicate that the binding affinity of mutant huntingtin does not correlate with the length of polyglutamine. It suggests that the aggregation of an expanded polyglutamine might have easily occurred in the presence of wild type form of huntingtin.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제32권6호
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• pp.681-698
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• 2022

The Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus, Atlantic salmon Salmo salar, rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus, common carp Cyprinus carpio, grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella and rohu carp Labeo rohita are farmed commercially worldwide. Production of these important finfishes is rapidly expanding, and intensive culture practices can lead to stress in fish, often reducing resistance to infectious diseases. Antibiotics and other drugs are routinely used for the treatment of diseases and sometimes applied preventatively to combat microbial pathogens. This strategy is responsible for the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance, mass killing of environmental/beneficial bacteria, and residual effects in humans. As an alternative, the administration of probiotics has gained acceptance for disease control in aquaculture. Probiotics have been found to improve growth, feed utilization, immunological status, disease resistance, and to promote transcriptomic profiles and internal microbial balance of host organisms. The present review discusses the effects of single and multi-strain probiotics on growth, immunity, heamato-biochemical parameters, and disease resistance of the above-mentioned finfishes. The application and outcome of probiotics in the field or open pond system, gaps in existing knowledge, and issues worthy of further research are also highlighted.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• 제38권2호
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• pp.102-109
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• 2022

This study was conducted to test the significant difference of fertility variation among families and to select superior families for acorn production in the breeding seedling seed orchards (BSSOs) of Quercus acuta and Quercus glauca. The seed orchards were located in Jeju island and established by seedlings raised from selected parents for genetic testing in 2006. In the spring of 2021, the numbers of female and male flower were counted from 5 to 10 individuals per family in the BSSOs. To test statistical significance of which parameter is not satisfied through the normality test, we used a nonparametric analysis. Correlation analysis was performed to quantify the association between female and male flower production. As the results, the significant difference of flower production among families was found in both seed orchards. The averages of female flower production were 65.3 and 181.9 in Q. acuta and Q. glauca. The positive Spearman's rank correlation was existed between male and female flower production. Broad-sense heritability on female and male flower production were 0.191 and 0.147 in Q. acuta, and 0.285 and 0.068 in Q. glauca, respectively. Sexual asymmetry (e.g., maleness index) between female and male, and contribution variation among families (e.g., parental balance) were analyzed to find reasonable alternatives in the management of seed orchards. Effective population size of seed crops was predicted as a concept of status number. Loss of gene diversity (accumulation of group coancestry) would not be alarming in the BSSOs. Our results would be helpful to select breeding materials for establishing new seed orchards and to supply genetically improved seeds of evergreen oaks, which is one of the backbones of the strategy of carbon sink in the 2050 Carbon Neutrality of Korea Forest Service.

• BMB Reports
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• 제55권7호
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• pp.354-359
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• 2022

MitoNEET, a mitochondrial outer membrane protein containing the Asn-Glu-Glu-Thr (NEET) sequence, controls the formation of intermitochondrial junctions and confers autophagy resistance. Moreover, mitoNEET as a mitochondrial substrate undergoes ubiquitination by activated Parkin during the initiation of mitophagy. Therefore, mitoNEET is linked to the regulation of autophagy and mitophagy. Mitophagy is the selective removal of the damaged or unnecessary mitochondria, which is crucial to sustaining mitochondrial quality control. In numerous human diseases, the accumulation of damaged mitochondria by impaired mitophagy has been observed. However, the therapeutic strategy targeting of mitoNEET as a mitophagy-enhancing mediator requires further research. Herein, we confirmed that mitophagy is indeed activated by mitoNEET inhibition. CCCP (carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazone), which leads to mitochondrial depolarization, induces mitochondrial dysfunction and superoxide production. This, in turn, contributes to the induction of mitophagy; mitoNEET protein levels were initially increased before an increase in LC3-II protein following CCCP treatment. Pharmacological inhibition of mitoNEET using mitoNEET Ligand-1 (NL-1) promoted accumulation of Pink1 and Parkin, which are mitophagy-associated proteins, and activation of mitochondria-lysosome crosstalk, in comparison to CCCP alone. Inhibition of mitoNEET using NL-1, or mitoNEET shRNA transfected into RAW264.7 cells, abrogated CCCP-induced ROS and mitochondrial cell death; additionally, it activated the expression of PGC-1α and SOD2, regulators of oxidative metabolism. In particular, the increase in PGC-1α, which is a major regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis, promotes mitochondrial quality control. These results indicated that mitoNEET is a potential therapeutic target in numerous human diseases to enhance mitophagy and protect cells by maintaining a network of healthy mitochondria.

• 대한간호학회지
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• 제52권5호
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• pp.511-521
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the moderating effect of organizational justice on the relationship between self-efficacy and nursing performance among clinical nurses. Methods: In January 2021, a cross-sectional survey was conducted with 224 clinical nurses recruited from a university-affiliated hospital in Suwon, South Korea. Participants completed online-based, self-report structured questionnaires. Collected data were analyzed using multiple regression and a simple model of PROCESS macro with a 95% bias-corrected bootstrap confidence interval. Results: Self-efficacy and organizational justice were found to be significant predictors of nursing performance. These two predictors explained the additional 34.8% variance of nursing performance in the hierarchical regression model, after adjusting the other covariates. In addition, organizational justice moderated the relationship between self-efficacy and nursing performance among the clinical nurses. In particular, at low self-efficacy level, participants with high organizational justice had higher nursing performance compared to those with low organizational justice. Conclusion: Enhancing organizational justice can be used as an organizational strategy for improving the organizational culture in terms of distribution, procedure, and interaction. Ultimately, these efforts will contribute to the improvement of nursing performance through a synergistic effect on organizational justice beyond nurses' individual competency and self-efficacy.

• 한국건축시공학회지
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• 제22권2호
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• pp.207-218
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• 2022

생산 과정이 이루어지는 공간적 범위 내에서 발생하는 거시환경 변화는 대표적인 수주산업의 하나인 건설산업의 단위 프로젝트 성과에 직접적인 영향을 미칠 수 있는 요인이 될 수 있다. 이와 같은 거시환경 변화는 성공적인 사업 성과 달성을 위한 전제조건임에도 불구하고, 선행 연구는 생산과정 내에서의 성과관리를 위한 방안들을 주요 결과로 제시하고 있다. 이에 본 연구는 국내 건설 프로젝트를 대상으로 거시적 측면에서의 환경 변화를 분석하여 성과에 영향을 미칠 수 있는 지표 도출을 제안하였다. 주요 영향지표는 관련 법령 및 정책, 미래전략보고서 등의 주요 분석 내용을 기초로 도출된 중점 키워드를 조합하여 설정하였으며, 지표별 중요도는 계층적 의사결정기법을 통해 정량적으로 검토하였다. 본 연구의 결과는 건설 프로젝트의 다양한 이해관계자들이 성공적인 성과 달성을 위한 전략 수립 시 참고할 수 있는 유의미한 기초자료로서 활용이 가능할 것으로 예상된다.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제64권5호
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• pp.970-984
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• 2022

Thermal stress is a tremendous health predicament encountered by poultry farmers with adverse effects on the performance, product stature, health condition, survival, and overall welfare of poultry birds, and so requires urgent dietary user-friendly strategy to curb. This study was conducted with 200-day old broilers for the purpose of investigating the potential of phytogenics in refining the negative effects of heat stress on broiler chicken. Moringa, Phyllanthus and mistletoe leaves were processed as phytogenic supplements and incorporated into standard ration for broilers as treatments B1 (control), B2, B3 and B4 diet during the peak of thermal discomfort in humid tropics. Growth and carcass indices were monitored in a 49-day trial and blood samples were harvested at the end of the ordeal period to assess haematology, serum biochemical and oxidative stress markers with the use of standard procedures. The results obtained showed that the prevailing environmental condition in the study site indicated that the birds were exposed to heat stress. Birds fed on moringa and mistletoe supplements had higher performance index than birds without supplementation during heat stress condition, while birds fed on mistletoe supplement had the highest survival rate across the treatments. The liveweight, slaughter weight, dressed weight and eviscerated weight of heat stressed birds fed on moringa, phyllanthus and mistletoe supplements were significantly higher than birds on control treatment. Heterophyl/lymphocyte ratio of heat stressed birds without supplement were higher than birds on phytogenic supplements, with least values recorded in phyllanthus and mistletoe fed birds. Birds on phytogenic supplement tend to have lower cholesterol profile, lipid peroxidation and better antioxidant profile than birds on control treatment during heat stress conditions. Mistletoe supplementation in broiler ration enhances the survival rate, as well as promotes growth indices better among the phytogenic supplements. However, phytogenic supplements did ameliorate the negative effects of thermal discomfort on performance, physiological and oxidative stress in heat-stressed broiler chicken.