• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.1-18
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• 2022

This study critically analyzed the user experience (UX) of mobile applications, focusing on the advertising platforms of mobile applications for culture and arts content. This study aims to examine the direction for growth of the related mobile applications and propose alternative approaches to improve usability. In this study, a mobile app named 'Moviepre' was selected, and a heuristic evaluation was performed for in-depth exploration. For the selected case, the UX Honeycomb model was reconstructed to analyze useful, usable, desirable, findable, accessible, and credible elements of the case. First, since the users' preference for the price factor did not show a significant correlation with the usefulness of the content and the interface, it is necessary to make sure that the mobile application has unique values to gain a competitive advantage in the market. Second, by adopting customer path stages for analysis, the result indicated that users continuously interact with the service from the first moment they are aware of the mobile application. Third, if the user feels uncomfortable, it is likely that these factors hinder the establishment of a long-term relationship between the users and the mobile application. Finally, brand identity should be clearly established, and brand image strategy needs to be developed to satisfy users' expectations that high-quality culture and arts content will be available through the mobile application.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.63-74
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• 2022

Objectives : Skin aging is generally characterized by wrinkles, sagging, loss of elasticity roughness, pigmentation and dryness. This changes is caused by reducing the elements constituting the extracellular matrix contributing to the physiological properties of the skin, such as collagen fiber, elastic fiber, and hyaluronic acid. Adequate skin hydration is important to maintain normal skin function and reduce skin aging. The present study is objective to observe skin moisturizing effects of Unripe apple(UA, Immature fruit of Malus pumila Mill) in vivo and its underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods : ICR mice were orally administerd UA(100, 200 and 400mg/kg/day) for 8 weeks, and skin water contents and the expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-𝛽1, ceramide, hyaluronan and collagen type I(COL1) were measured in dorsal back skin of the mice. Gene expression of hyaluronan synthase(HAS1, HAS2, HAS3), collagen synthase(COL1A1, COL1A2) and TGF-𝛽1 were also determined by realtime RT-PCR. Results : Skin water contents and the expression of TGF-𝛽1, ceramide, COL1 and hyaluronan were significantly increased in UA group(100, 200 and 400mg/kg/day) compared to vehicle control. The mRNA expression of HAS isoform(HAS1, HAS2, HAS3), COL1A1, COL1A2, and TGF-𝛽1 were also significantly increased by UA. Conclusions : UA has skin moisturizing effects and enhancement activities in skin function related components(COL1, hyaluronan, ceramide and TGF-𝛽1). These results suggested that UA can be a developing candidate for developing alternative skin protective agent or functional food ingredient.

• Journal of Internet of Things and Convergence
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.85-96
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to investigate how the management strategies and organizational culture required in the digital economy have an effect on business performance. It provided basic data on management strategies and organizational culture necessary to approach as a digital leading country. For data collection, a survey was conducted from March 1 to May 30, 2022 for companies located in J province and engaged in industries related to the digital economy. The survey was conducted online and non-face-to-face, and a total of 225 companies participated in the survey. For statistical analysis, frequency analysis, exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis, cluster analysis, independent sample t-test, and multiple regression analysis were performed. The research results are as follows. First, organizational culture was classified into high and low groups according to preference in innovation oriented, relationship oriented, task oriented, and hierarchical oriented. Second, the 4 types of organizational culture showed differences in prospectors strategy, analyzers strategy, defenders strategy, differentiation strategy, cost leadership strategy, financial performance, and non-financial performance according to preference. Third, management strategies affecting financial performance were found to be analyzers strategy, differentiation strategy, prospectors strategy, and cost leadership strategy. Fourth, management strategies affecting non-financial performance were found to be differentiation strategy, defenders strategy, analysis strategy, offensive strategy, cost leadership strategy, and focus strategy. Fifth, organizational culture affecting financial performance was found to be task oriented. Sixth, organizational culture affecting non-financial performance was found to be innovation oriented and relationship oriented. Through these studies, it is expected that the economy will be revitalized in the domestic market and a growth ecosystem that can take a new leap forward is created in the global market.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.159-165
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• 2023

This study measured the ecological niche overlap between two deciduous oak species(Quercus acutissmia and Q. dentata) according to the change in growth responses after treating with the moisture and nutrient contents of the soil at four gradients, and interpreted the degree of competition between the two oak species by ordination method. In the moisture environment gradient, the ecological niche overlap of the two species was high in the photosynthesis-related leaf organs and low in plant architecture such as shoot length. In addition, in case of competition between two oaks, Q. dentata was remarkably dominant in soil moisture gradient, but Q. acutissimia slightly was slightly advantageous over Q. dentata in the soil nutrient gradient. These results show that even in a similar taxonomical group growing in a similar habitat, the response to the organ system of the plant varies depending on the type of environment factor, resulting in different competitive differences among plants.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.324-331
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• 2023

Lithium (Li) is a key resource driving the rapid growth of the electric vehicle industry globally, with demand and prices continually on the rise. To address the limited reserves of major lithium sources such as rock and brine, research is underway on seawater Li extraction using electrodialysis and Li-ion selective membranes. Lithium lanthanum titanate (LLTO), an oxide solid electrolyte for all-solid-state batteries, is a promising Li-ion selective membrane. An important factor in enhancing its performance is employing the powder synthesis process. In this study, the LLTO powder is prepared using two synthesis methods: sol-gel reaction (SGR) and solid-state reaction (SSR). Additionally, the powder size and uniformity are compared, which are indices related to membrane performance. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy are employed for determining characterization, with crystallite size analysis through the full width at half maximum parameter for the powders prepared using the two synthetic methods. The findings reveal that the powder SGR-synthesized powder exhibits smaller and more uniform characteristics (0.68 times smaller crystal size) than its SSR counterpart. This discovery lays the groundwork for optimizing the powder manufacturing process of LLTO membranes, making them more suitable for various applications, including manufacturing high-performance membranes or mass production of membranes.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.134-147
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• 2022

The anti-oxidant enzyme heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is known to exert anti-inflammatory effects. From a library of pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines, we identified a novel compound KKC080096 that upregulated HO-1 at the mRNA and protein levels in microglial BV-2 cells. KKC080096 exhibited anti-inflammatory effects via suppressing nitric oxide, interleukin1β (IL-1β), and iNOS production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged cells. It inhibited the phosphorylation of IKK and MAP kinases (p38, JNK, ERK), which trigger inflammatory signaling, and whose activities are inhibited by HO-1. Further, KKC080096 upregulated anti-inflammatory marker (Arg1, YM1, CD206, IL-10, transforming growth factor-β [TGF-β]) expression. In 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridinetreated mice, KKC080096 lowered microglial activation, protected the nigral dopaminergic neurons, and nigral damage-associated motor deficits. Next, we elucidated the mechanisms by which KKC080096 upregulated HO-1. KKC080096 induced the phosphorylation of AMPK and its known upstream kinases LKB1 and CaMKKbeta, and pharmacological inhibition of AMPK activity reduced the effects of KKC080096 on HO-1 expression and LPS-induced NO generation, suggesting that KKC080096-induced HO-1 upregulation involves LKB1/AMPK and CaMKKbeta/AMPK pathway activation. Further, KKC080096 caused an increase in cellular Nrf2 level, bound to Keap1 (Nrf2 inhibitor protein) with high affinity, and blocked Keap1-Nrf2 interaction. This Nrf2 activation resulted in concurrent induction of HO-1 and other Nrf2-targeted antioxidant enzymes in BV-2 and in dopaminergic CATH.a cells. These results indicate that KKC080096 is a potential therapeutic for oxidative stress-and inflammation-related neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease.

• The Korean Journal of Franchise Management
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.1-45
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• 2011

Franchising is one of the most effective strategies in promoting business establishment, creating jobs and accelerating economic growth. Thus, many countries in the world foster franchise business and support the franchise industry by enacting relevant regulations and making development policies. Vietnam deregulated franchise market through making franchise-related laws on June, 2005 and after joining WTO in 2009, Vietnamese government opened up the franchise market by letting foreign investors acquire 100% share on their investment in Vietnam. In addition, Vietnamese consumer's rapidly growing income and increasing liking for western life style make Vietnamese franchise market attractive and profitable. For this reason, many global franchise firms are competing to get the best seats. However, there has been no Korean attempt to profoundly study over Vietnamese franchise market. The purpose of this study would focus on analyzing and evaluating cases of Korean and international firms which successfully entered Vietnamese market and on proposing effective strategies and key success factors. The result of this study indicates that the companies successfully settled down to the Vietnamese market have developed marketing strategies which fit their strengths, and their common key success factors are 1) making the best of first mover advantage, 2) adapting themselves to local tastes and behaviors via systematic and scientific market research, 3) making thorough supervision on safety and hygiene, 4) doing strategy of firstly directly being operated and settled down by franchisor, later being managed by franchisees, 5) benchmarking both successful and failed cases in other countries.

• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.52-65
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• 2023

Background and Objectives: Epithelial-Mesenchymal transition (EMT) is one of the origins of myofibroblasts in renal interstitial fibrosis. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) alleviating EMT has been proved, but the concrete mechanism is unclear. To explore the mechanism, serum-free MSCs conditioned medium (SF-MSCs-CM) was used to treat rat renal tubular epithelial cells (NRK-52E) fibrosis induced by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) which ameliorated EMT. Methods and Results: Galectin-3 knockdown (Gal-3 KD) and overexpression (Gal-3 OE) lentiviral vectors were established and transfected into NRK-52E. NRK-52E fibrosis model was induced by TGF-β1 and treated with the SF-MSCs-CM for 24 h after modelling. Fibrosis and autophagy related indexes were detected by western blot and immunocytochemistry. In model group, the expressions of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), fibronectin (FN), Galectin-3, Snail, Kim-1, and the ratios of P-Akt/Akt, P-GSK3β/GSK3β, P-PI3K/PI3K, P-mTOR/mTOR, TIMP1/MMP9, and LC3B-II/I were obviously increased, and E-Cadherin (E-cad) and P62 decreased significantly compared with control group. SF-MSCs-CM showed an opposite trend after treatment compared with model group. Whether in Gal-3 KD or Gal-3 OE NRK-52E cells, SF-MSCs-CM also showed similar trends. However, the effects of anti-fibrosis and enhanced autophagy in Gal-3 KD cells were more obvious than those in Gal-3 OE cells. Conclusions: SF-MSCs-CM probably alleviated the EMT via inhibiting Galectin-3/Akt/GSK3β/Snail pathway. Meanwhile, Gal-3 KD possibly enhanced autophagy via inhibiting Galectin-3/Akt/mTOR pathway, which synergistically ameliorated renal fibrosis. Targeting galectin-3 may be a potential target for the treatment of renal fibrosis.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.63-86
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• 2024

This study analyzed the distribution, diversity, and density variation of algal clusters in a freshwater reservoir from an oceanic island and a traditional inland water system to gain insights on future marine freshwater resource management. In the Paldang water system (Han River), despite the upstream Paldang Dam and the downstream Jamsil underwater reservoir being in the same meteorological zone, their algae density patterns varied inversely. The distinct algal cluster structure (diversity/dominance) of Paldang was altered in the downstream reservoir, suggesting that physical devices aid algae management in traditional water systems. In contrast, 24 out of 35 genera (63.2%) identified in the Jeolgol Reservoir (Baeknyeong Island) were unique, lacking regulatory mechanisms, and existing in a complex ecotone. The desmid Chlorophyceae Cosmarium, adapted to higher photosynthetic stress and low temperatures, dominated in January (38.04%) and August (86.45%) during the periods of extreme photosynthetic stress. Jeolgol's annual algal cluster structure (H' 2.097; D 0.259; S' 35) demonstrated higher stability than Paldang (H' 1.125; D 0.448; S' 13) and the Jamsil underwater reservoir (H' 1.078; D 0.469; S' 12), maintaining an H' above 1.5 even during midwinters. No evidence of TN/TP inflow from surrounding soils was observed, even during torrential rainfalls, with phosphorus being the limiting factor for algal growth. TOC, BOD, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity peaked during Cosmarium bloom. Future climate change is expected to cause fluctuations in algal clusters and related water quality factors. The complex transitional nature of the Jeolgol Reservoir, its algal diversity, and the interspecies interactions contribute to the high stability of its algal community.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.79-85
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• 2024

SlyA is known as a transcriptional regulator that regulates the expression of hemolysin (HlyE) in E. coli, a member of the Enterobacteriaceae family such as Salmonella. However, Salmonella has the slyA gene but lacks the hlyE gene. Then, because we were curious about the role of SlyA in Salmonella, we constructed and explored a mutant strain with a deletion of the slyA gene. S. Typhimurium CK295 (ΔslyA) was constructed using an allelic exchange approach. In a comparative analysis between the wild-type and the CK295 strain, no significant differences were observed in growth characteristics, motility, total protein analyses, and secreted protein analyses. However, the CK295 strain exhibited slightly reduced biofilm formation compared to the wild-type. Interestingly, as a result of comparing the survival ability in macrophages, the mutant strain showed a 60% decrease in survival ability compared to the wild-type. To evaluate toxicity in mice, mortality was measured after oral administration to 6-week-old BALB/c mice. As a result, the LD₅₀ value of the CK295 (ΔslyA) was more than 100 times higher than that of wild-type S. Typhimurium 𝜒3339 in BALB/c. In conclusion, SlyA is presumed to regulate the expression of genes encoding virulence factors involved in the in vivo survival of Salmonella.