• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.1-8
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• 2024

Carbon neutrality refers to a state in which there is no global increase in CO₂ emissions due to human activities. In Korea, for carbon neutrality, green remodeling of existing buildings and customized support tasks for zero energy in new buildings are presented. Germany is showing fundamental changes in energy supply, such as applying renewable energy and higher energy efficiency from nuclear and fossil fuels, which were the existing energy sources. In this study, how Germany establishes policies for carbon neutrality at each state level and the cases applied to increase the energy efficiency of the actually applied residential complexes are analyzed based on this. As a result of the case complex analysis, it was found that the construction direction was being promoted as a zero-energy complex or a carbon-neutral complex by gradually reducing the energy demand in buildings and supplying additional energy with new and renewable energy in the low-energy building distribution in the 1990s. In Germany's ecological complex, energy standards have been strengthened from low-energy architecture to plus-energy architecture over time, and annual heating energy consumption standards and heat transmittance rates for each structure have been achieved at a higher level. The results of this analysis will serve as basic data and derivation of applicable items when planning residential complex development and remodeling of existing buildings for the domestic carbon-neutral goal in the future.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.94-103
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• 2024

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by excessive accumulation of fat in the liver, and there is a global increase in its incidence owing to changes in lifestyle and diet. Recent findings suggest that p53 is involved in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; however, the association between p53 expression and the disease remains unclear. Doxorubicin, an anticancer agent, increases the expression of p53. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the role of doxorubicin-induced p53 upregulation in free fatty acid (FFA)-induced intracellular lipid accumulation. HepG2 cells were pretreated with 0.5 ㎍/mL of doxorubicin for 12 h, followed by treatment with FFA (0.5 mM) for 24 h to induce steatosis. Doxorubicin pretreatment upregulated p53 expression and downregulated the expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress- and lipid synthesis-associated genes in the FFA -treated HepG2 cells. Additionally, doxorubicin treatment upregulated the expression of AMP-activated protein kinase, a key modulator of lipid metabolism. Notably, siRNA-targeted p53 knockdown reversed the effects of doxorubicin in HepG2 cells. Moreover, doxorubicin treatment suppressed FFA -induced lipid accumulation in HepG2 spheroids. Conclusively, these results suggest that doxorubicin possesses potential application for the regulation of lipid metabolism by enhance the expression of p53 an in vitro NAFLD model.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.99-110
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• 2024

According to the REDD+ program, it is necessary to monitor, quantify, and report forest conditions in protected land areas. The objectives of this work were to quantify the average monthly aerial net primary productivity (ANPP_MONTH) of semi-arid Chaco Forest at Copo National Park (CNP), Santiago del Estero, Argentina, during the period 2000-2023, as well as its spatial distribution and relationship, and its use efficiency (RUE) of average monthly rainfall (AMR). The ANPP_MONTH model accounted for 90% of the seasonal variability from October to May, the average seasonal ANPP_MONTH was 145 tons of dry matter per hectare (t dm/ha), being the maximum in January with 192 t dm/ha and the minimum in May with 91 t dm/ha. The surface area covered by ANPP_MONTH exhibited a consistent positive trend from October to May (t test=15.65, p<0.01). Strong and significant direct relationships were found between ANPP_MONTH and AMRs, linear models explaining 90% and 96% of the variability, respectively. The results obtained become reference values for assessing the capacity of the forest systems to stock carbon for global warming mitigation and for monitoring and controlling their response to extreme climatic adversities. The average ANPP_MONTH reduces uncertainty when defining the thresholds to monitor and quantify ANPP and forest area, thus facilitating the detection of negative changes in land use in CNP. Such results evidence the National Parks Administration's high effectiveness for the maintenance of protected area and for the high ANPP of the FCHS of CNP in the period 2000-2023.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.103-111
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• 2024

With the increasing global interest in carbon neutrality, the automotive industry is also transitioning to the production of eco-friendly cars, specifically electric vehicles. In order to achieve comparable driving distances to internal combustion engine vehicles, the application of high-capacity battery packs has led to an increase in vehicle weight. To achieve light-weighting and durability requirements of automotive components simultaneously, there is a demand for research on the application of Ultra-High Strength Steel (UHSS). However, when manufacturing chassis components using UHSS, there are challenges related to fracture defects due to lower elongation compared to regular steel sheets, as well as spring-back issues caused by high tensile strength. In this study, a simulated specimen that is not affected by the property changes of four materials was designed to improve formability of the rear cross member, which is the most challenging automotive chassis component. The influence and correlation of material-specific variables were analyzed through finite element analysis (FEA) for each material with tensile strength of 440, 590, 780, and 980 MPa grades, resulting in the development of a predictive equation. To validate the equation, the simulated specimens of 980 MPa grade were produced from the test molds. Then the reliability of the FEA and predictive equation was verified with measured specimen data using a 3D scanner. The results of this study can be proposed to improve the formability of UHSS chassis components in future researches.

• Dementia and Neurocognitive Disorders
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.95-106
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• 2024

Background and Purpose: Ventricle enlargement has been implicated in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We studied the relationship between ventricular size and cognitive function in patients with AD. We focused on the effect of the initial ventricle size on the rate of cognitive decline in patients with AD. Methods: A retrospective analysis of probable clinical AD participants with more than 2 magnetic resonance imaging images was performed. To measure ventricle size, we used visual rating scales of (1) Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) score and (2) conventional linear measurement method. Results: Increased clinical dementia rating (CDR) was correlated with a decreased Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) score, and increased medial temporal lobe atrophy (MTLA) and global ventricle size (p<0.001, p<0.001, p=0.021, respectively). There was a significant correlation between the change in cognitive function in the group (70%-100%ile) with a large initial ventricle size (p=0.021 for ∆CDR, p=0.01 for ∆MMSE), while the median ventricle size (30%-70%ile) showed correlation with other brain structural changes (MTLA, frontal atrophy [FA], and white matter) (p=0.036 for initial MTLA, p=0.034 for FA). Conclusions: In this study, the initial ventricle size may be a potential new imaging biomarker for initial cognitive function and clinical progression in AD. We found a relationship between the initial ventricle size and initial AD-related brain structural biomarkers.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.1968-1985
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• 2024

At present, the world is witnessing a rapid change in all the fields of human civilization business interests and goals of all the sectors are changing very fast. Global changes are taking place quickly in all fields - manufacturing, service, agriculture, and external sectors. There are plenty of hurdles in the emerging technologies in agriculture in the modern days. While adopting such technologies as transparency and trust issues among stakeholders, there arises a pressurized necessity on food suppliers because it has to create sustainable systems not only addressing demand-supply disparities but also ensuring food authenticity. Recent studies have attempted to explore the potential of technologies like blockchain and practices for smart and sustainable agriculture. Besides, this well-researched work investigates how a scientific cum technological blockchain architecture addresses supply chain challenges in Precision Agriculture to take up challenges related to transparency traceability, and security. A robust registration phase, efficient authentication mechanisms, and optimized data management strategies are the key components of the proposed architecture. Through secured key exchange mechanisms and encryption techniques, client's identities are verified with inevitable complexity. The confluence of IoT and blockchain technologies that set up modern farms amplify control within supply chain networks. The practical manifestation of the researchers' novel blockchain architecture that has been executed on the Hyperledger network, exposes a clear validation using corroboration of concept. Through exhaustive experimental analyses that encompass, transaction confirmation time and scalability metrics, the proposed architecture not only demonstrates efficiency but also underscores its usability to meet the demands of contemporary Precision Agriculture systems. However, the scholarly paper based upon a comprehensive overview resolves a solution as a fruitful and impactful contribution to blockchain applications in agriculture supply chains.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.19.1-19.15
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• 2024

The influenza virus poses a global health burden. Currently, an annual vaccine is used to reduce influenza virus-associated morbidity and mortality. Most influenza vaccines have been developed to elicit neutralizing Abs against influenza virus. These Abs primarily target immunodominant epitopes derived from hemagglutinin (HA) or neuraminidase (NA) of the influenza virus incorporated in vaccines. However, HA and NA are highly variable proteins that are prone to antigenic changes, which can reduce vaccine efficacy. Therefore, it is essential to develop universal vaccines that target immunodominant epitopes derived from conserved regions of the influenza virus, enabling cross-protection among different virus variants. The internal proteins of the influenza virus serve as ideal targets for universal vaccines. These internal proteins are presented by MHC class I molecules on Ag-presenting cells, such as dendritic cells, and recognized by CD8 T cells, which elicit CD8 T cell responses, reducing the likelihood of disease and influenza viral spread by inducing virus-infected cell apoptosis. In this review, we highlight the importance of CD8 T cell-mediated immunity against influenza viruses and that of viral epitopes for developing CD8 T cell-based influenza vaccines.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.522-540
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• 2012

The main aim of the paper is to identify the position or status of Korean economic geography in changing global economic geography by reviewing papers published in Korean geographical journals since the mid-1950s. Since the late 20th century as economic geography has developed significantly with the introduction of new research issues, methodologies, and theory and concepts, economic geography in Korea also has gone through rapid development in terms of both quantitative and qualitative perspectives. The paper attempts to analyze trends in Korean economic geography by reviewing agricultural, industrial, commercial geographies, and others since the mid-1950s. The review of economic geography in Korea would be based on four periods classified by research issues and approaches; foundation (~1950s), positioning (1960s and 1970s), jump and rush (1980s and mid-1990s), and transitional period (late 1990s~). Agricultural geography in Korea has decreased due to increases of the interests in industrial geography since the 1980s. In particular, since the late 1990s industrial geography has undergone a significant transition in accordance with the emergence of new theories of institutional perspectives, centering around issues on value chains, innovative cluster, cooperative and competitive networks, foreign direct investment, flexible specialization and venture ecology. Along with this, there has been changes in the interest of commercial geography in Korea from researches on periodical markets, the structure of store formats, and distributions by commodity, to researches on producer services and retailer's locational behaviors and commercial supremacy according to the emergence of new store formats. Since the late 1990s, many researches and discussions associated with the new economic geography began to emerge in Korea. Various research issues are focused on analyzing changes of local, regional and global economic spaces and their processes in relation to institutional perspectives, knowledge and innovation, production chain and innovative networks, industrial clusters and RIS, and geographies of service. Although economic geography in Korea has developed significantly both in quantitative and qualitative perspectives, we pointed out that it has still limited in some specific scope and issues. Therefore, it is likely to imply that its scope and issues should be diversified with new perspectives and approaches.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.87 no.3
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• pp.358-365
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• 1998

To offer the basic information for sustainable production of forest resources and conservation of the global environment, change in potential natural vegetation (PNV) associated with climate change due to doubling atmospheric carbon dioxide ($2{\times}CO_2$) was estimated with the global natural vegetation mapping system based an K${\ddot{o}}$ppen scheme. The system interpolates climate data spherically to each grid cell, determines the vegetation types onto the grid cell, and produces potential vegetation map and area on the globe and continents. The climate data consist of the current, ($1{\times}CO_2$) climate prior to AD 1958 observed at some 2,000 stations and the doubling ($2{\times}CO_2$) climate estimated from Meteorological Research Institute of Japan. The vegetation zone under the $2{\times}CO_2$ climate scenario expanded mainly toward the poles due to the rise in temperature. The changed PNV area on the globe amounts to 1/3 (4.91 billion (G) ha) of the total land area (15.04 Gha). Kappa statistic for judging agreement between the patterns of vegetation distribution under $1{\times}CO_2$ climate and $2{\times}CO_2$ climates shows good agreement (0.63) for the globe as a whole. The most stable areas are desert and ice. The potential forest area (PFA) was estimated at 6.82 Gha of the land area in $2{\times}CO_2$ climate scenario. In terms of continental changes in PFA, North America and Asis are increased under the $2{\times}CO_2$ climate. However, the potential forest arms of the other continents are decreased by the climate. Europe has no change in the PFA. Especially, the expansion of desert area in Oceania would be accelerated by the $2{\times}CO_2$ climate.

• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.50
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• pp.395-424
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• 2018

The purpose of this paper is to examine the current situation and background of the Russian consumer music market, where digital music sources are making great strides in the noted recent years. In addition, music storage technology, media and change are considered together in this report. Moreover, Russia is the 12th largest music market in the world. The Russian music industry is following the recent trend of the global music industry, where the digital music market is growing rapidly on many different levels. The explosive growth of the digital sound sources in Russia's music industry is attributed to the explosive increase in available consumer downloads, streaming sound source service, and the increase in the number of digital sound sources using mobile technologies due to the development of the Internet. In particular, the sales of the available and accessible streaming sound sources are expected to grow explosively by the year 2020, which is expected to account for more than 85% of total digital music sales. In other words, the spread of smartphones and the resulting changes in the lifestyle of the Russians have created these changes for the global consumer of music. In other words, the time has come for anyone to easily access music and listen to music without a separate audio or digital player. And the fact that the Russian government's strong policy on the eradication of illegal copying of music is becoming an effective deterrent, as is also the factor that led to the increase of the share of the digital sound source to increase sales in Russia. Today, the Russian music industry is leading this change through the age and process of simply adapting to the digital age. Music is the most important element of cultural assets, and it is the beneficial content, which drives the overall growth of the digital economy. In addition, if the following five improvements(First, strengthen the consciousness of the Russian people about copyright protection; Second, utilizing the Big Data Internet resources in the digital music industry; Third, to improve the monopoly situation of digital music distributors; Fourth, distribution of fair music revenues; and Fifth, revitalization of a re-investment in the current Russian music industry) are effective and productive, Russia's role and position in the world music market is likely to expand.