• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.77-85
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• 2007

In order to estimate undrained shear strength and evaluate cone factors, various in-situ and laboratory test results at new harbor construction area near Pusan were analyzed. To evaluate Nk values and equation applicable in Korea, measured and theoretical cone factors were compared based on the test results. For comparison, various analytical solutions were adopted and used. Adopted methods include cavity expansion solutions of Baligh (1975) and Yu (1993) and steady state solutions of Teh and Houlsby (1991) and Yu et al. (2000). According to the result of comparison, cavity expansion solutions were found to be reasonable for the CPTu-based undrained shear strength evaluation.

• ALGAE
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.249-264
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• 2022

Two genera of the Rhodymeniales, Halopeltis and Leptofauchea, are here reported for the first time from the Hawaiian Islands and represent the deepest records for both genera. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI), rbcL, and large subunit ribosomal DNA (LSU) sequences for Hawaiian specimens of Leptofauchea revealed one well-supported clade of Hawaiian specimens and three additional lineages. One of these clades is described here as Leptofauchea huawelau sp. nov., and is thus far known only from mesophotic depths at Penguin Bank in the Main Hawaiian Islands. L. huawelau sp. nov. is up to 21 cm, and is the largest known species. An additional lineage identified in the LSU and rbcL analyses corresponds to the recently described L. lucida from Western Australia, and is a new record for Hawai'i. Hawaiian Halopeltis formed a well-supported clade along with H. adnata from Korea, the recently described H. tanakae from mesophotic depths in Japan, and H. willisii from North Carolina, and is here described as Halopeltis nuahilihilia sp. nov. H. nuahilihilia sp. nov. has a distinctive morphology of narrow vegetative axes that harbor constrictions along their length. The current distribution of H. nuahilihilia includes mesophotic depths around W. Maui, W. Moloka'i, and the island of Hawai'i in the Main Hawaiian Islands. Few reproductive characters were observed because of the small number of specimens available; however, both species are distinct based on phylogeny and morphology. These descriptions further emphasize the Hawaiian mesophotic zone as a location harboring many undescribed species of marine macroalgae.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.7.1-7.11
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• 2023

The gram-positive bacterium Listeria monocytogenes is an important foodborne intracellular pathogen that is widespread in the environment. The functions of hypothetical proteins (HP) from various pathogenic bacteria have been successfully annotated using a variety of bioinformatics strategies. In this study, a HP Imo0888 (NP_464414.1) from the Listeria monocytogenes EGD-e strain was annotated using several bioinformatics tools. Various techniques, including CELLO, PSORTb, and SOSUIGramN, identified the candidate protein as cytoplasmic. Domain and motif analysis revealed that the target protein is a PemK/MazF-like toxin protein of the type II toxin-antitoxin system (TAS) which was consistent with BLASTp analysis. Through secondary structure analysis, we found the random coil to be the most frequent. The Alpha Fold 2 Protein Structure Prediction Database was used to determine the three-dimensional (3D) structure of the HP using the template structure of a type II TAS PemK/MazF family toxin protein (DB ID_AFDB: A0A4B9HQB9) with 99.1% sequence identity. Various quality evaluation tools, such as PROCHECK, ERRAT, Verify 3D, and QMEAN were used to validate the 3D structure. Following the YASARA energy minimization method, the target protein's 3D structure became more stable. The active site of the developed 3D structure was determined by the CASTp server. Most pathogens that harbor TAS create a crucial risk to human health. Our aim to annotate the HP Imo088 found in Listeria could offer a chance to understand bacterial pathogenicity and identify a number of potential targets for drug development.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.383-398
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• 2023

Dihydroaustrasulfone alcohol (DA), the synthetic precursor of a natural compound (austrasulfone) isolated from the coral species Cladiella australis, has shown cytotoxic effects against cancer cells. However, it is unknown whether DA has antitumor effects on nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). In this study, we determined the antitumor effects of DA and investigated its mechanism of action on human NPC cells. The MTT assay was used to determine the cytotoxic effect of DA. Subsequently, apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) analyses were performed by using flow cytometry. Apoptotic and PI3K/AKT pathway-related protein expression was determined using Western blotting. We found that DA significantly reduced the viability of NPC-39 cells and determined that apoptosis was involved in DA-induced cell death. The activity of caspase-9, caspase-8, caspase-3, and PARP induced by DA suggested caspase-mediated apoptosis in DA-treated NPC-39 cells. Apoptosis-associated proteins (DR4, DR5, FAS) in extrinsic pathways were also elevated by DA. The enhanced expression of proapoptotic Bax and decreased expression of antiapoptotic BCL-2 suggested that DA mediated mitochondrial apoptosis. DA reduced the expression of pPI3K and p-AKT in NPC-39 cells. DA also reduced apoptosis after introducing an active AKT cDNA, indicating that DA could block the PI3K/AKT pathway from being activated. DA increased intracellular ROS, but N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a ROS scavenger, reduced DA-induced cytotoxicity. NAC also reversed the chances in pPI3K/AKT expression and reduced DA-induced apoptosis. These findings suggest that ROS-mediates DA-induced apoptosis and PI3K/AKT signaling inactivation in human NPC cells.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.29-39
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• 2011

This study aims to investigate the relationship between the mean diameter of bed material and the tractive force due to flow in domestic natural rivers. To investigate the size of bed material, sampling in the field and estimation of mean diameter have been conducted. The relationship between the mean diameters and tractive force is figured out by calculating tractive force and frictional velocity. The field works have been carried out at 94 location of 18 rivers including 4 large watersheds. In order to determine the quantities of discharge used to calculate the tractive force, the various values of frequency have been estimated and tested. As a result, it is found that the 1.01 year frequency discharge is most appropriate for the bankfull discharge. From results, the relatioship between the mean diameter of bed material the tractive force is presented in this study.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.269-278
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• 2023

Antibiotics either kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria. However, antibiotic-resistant bacteria are difficult to treat with antibiotics. Infections caused by such bacteria often lead to severe diseases. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) can be horizontally transmitted across different bacterial species, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of how ARGs spread across various environments. In this study, we analyzed the plasmid sequences of 33 extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) producing Escherichia coli isolated from pigs, farms, and their owners. We conducted an antibiotic susceptibility test (AST) with aztreonam and seven other antibiotics, as well as whole genome sequencing (WGS) of the strains using MinION. Our results demonstrated that the plasmids that did not harbor ARGs were mostly non-conjugative, whereas the plasmids that harbored ARGs were conjugative. The arrangement of these ARGs exhibited a pattern of organization featuring a series of ARG cassettes, some of which were identical across the isolates collected from different sources. Therefore, this study suggests that the sets of ARG cassettes on plasmids were mostly shared between pigs and their owners. Hence, enhanced surveillance of ARG should be implemented in farm environments to proactively mitigate the risk of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.110-114
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• 2010

A data set of current, wind and wave height measured at the monitoring buoy and sea level at Busan harbor were analyzed to explain the physical conditions during the strong rip current events at Haeundae Beach of Suyeong Bay during 13~15 August 2009. Tidal current, with spring-neap variations, has similar average speed to the short-term non-tidal currents. The common features at the time of rip currents are the strong northeasterly wind and superposition of tidal and non-tidal currents both flowing toward the coast. However on 14 August when the rip current did not occur, tide and wave height were similar to the rip-current cases but the tidal and non-tidal current were to nearly opposite directions. While strong winds produce large waves thus the basic condition for rip current but its influence on the local circulation in the bay is relatively small. Of the three adjacent beaches, only at Haeundae the rip currents are reported. This difference may be due to the unique bottom topography featured by underwater hill in the central region off Haeundae which can decay the incoming waves, tides and currents to intensify the rip current.

• The Journal of Information Systems
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-30
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• 2024

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the customer experience of generative AI among office workers aged 30 to 40, investigating usability, usefulness, and affect, and understanding concerns and expectations. Design/Methodology/Approach This research used Q methodology to assess the customer experience of generative AI. Users are engaged in a problem-solving journey, and data is collected by having participants rank 36 statements based on usability, usefulness, and affect, referred to as the three goals of User Experience. Participants use a forced distribution table with a scale from -5 to +5 to indicate the subjective importance of each statement. The results identified four groups, reflecting different perspectives and attitudes toward generative AI. Findings Participants express overall comfort with generative AI, perceive AI as more knowledgeable in unfamiliar domains, but harbor doubts about AI's understanding. Disagreements emerge on AI replacing humans, the value of unique human roles, data confidentiality, fears of AI advancement, and emotional impacts. Identified four groups: Users who treat AI as a soulless assistant and are active in business use, Uncle users who want to use new technologies properly and are not afraid of technology, users who recognize the limits of AI despite its efficiency, and users who require strong verification in the future. It has the potential to guide future guidelines, ethical codes, and regulations for the appropriate use of AI. In addition, this approach lays the groundwork for future empirical analyses of generative AI.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.993-1001
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• 2024

The TANDEM project is a European initiative funded under the EURATOM program. The project started on September 2022 and has a duration of 36 months. TANDEM stands for Small Modular ReacTor for a European sAfe aNd Decarbonized Energy Mix. Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) can be hybridized with other energy sources, storage systems and energy conversion applications to provide electricity, heat and hydrogen. Hybrid energy systems have the potential to strongly contribute to the energy decarbonization targeting carbon-neutrality in Europe by 2050. However, the integration of nuclear reactors, particularly SMRs, in hybrid energy systems, is a new R&D topic to be investigated. In this context, the TANDEM project aims to develop assessments and tools to facilitate the safe and efficient integration of SMRs into low-carbon hybrid energy systems. An open-source "TANDEM" model library of hybrid system components will be developed in Modelica language which, by coupling, will extend the capabilities of existing tools implemented in the project. The project proposes to specifically address the safety issues of SMRs related to their integration into hybrid energy systems, involving specific interactions between SMRs and the rest of the hybrid systems; new initiating events may have to be considered in the safety approach. TANDEM will study two hybrid systems covering the main trends of the European energy policy and market evolution at 2035's horizon: a district heating network and power supply in a large urban area, and an energy hub serving energy conversion systems, including hydrogen production; the energy hub is inspired from a harbor-like infrastructure. TANDEM will provide assessments on SMR safety, hybrid system operationality and techno-economics. Societal considerations will also be encased by analyzing European citizen engagement in SMR technology safety.

• Journal of Cerebrovascular and Endovascular Neurosurgery
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.85-96
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• 2024

Objective: Congenital intracranial pial arteriovenous fistula (PAVF) is a rare cerebral vascular pathology characterized by a direct shunt between one or more pial feeding arteries and a cortical draining vein. Transarterial endovascular embolization (TAE) is widely considered first line therapy. Curative TAE may not be achievable in the multi-hole variant due to the potential to harbor innumerable small feeding arteries. Transvenous embolization (TVE) may be considered to target the final common outlet of the lesion. Here, we present a series of four patients with complex multi-hole congenital PAVF treated with staged TAE followed by TVE. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on patients who underwent treatment for congenital, multi-hole PAVFs treated by a combined TAE/TVE approach at our institution since 2013. Results: We identified four patients with multi-hole PAVF treated by a combined TAE/TVE. Median age was 5.2 (0-14.7) years. Median follow-up of 8 (1-15) months by catheter angiography and 38 (23-53) months by MRI/MRA was obtained. TVE achieved complete occlusion in three patients that proved durable on radiographic follow-up and demonstrated excellent clinical outcomes with a modified Rankin Score (mRS) of 0 or 1. Complete occlusion of the draining vein was not achieved by TVE in one case. This patient is graded as pediatric mRS=5 three years post-procedure. Conclusions: With thorough technical considerations, our series indicates that TVE of multi-hole PAVF that are refractory to TAE is feasible and effective in arresting the consequences of chronic, high-flow AV shunting produced by this pathology.