• Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.145-149
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• 2023

BACKGROUND: ¹⁸F-sodium fluoride positron emission tomography/computed tomography (¹⁸F-NaF PET/CT) has been proven to be useful in identification of microcalcifications, which are stimulated by inflammation. Blood speckle imaging (BSI) is a new imaging technology used for tracking the flow of blood cells using transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). We evaluated the relationship between turbulent flow identified by BSI and inflammatory activity of the aortic valve (AV) as indicated by the ¹⁸F-NaF uptake index in moderate aortic stenosis (AS) patients. METHODS: This study enrolled 18 moderate AS patients diagnosed within the past 6 months. BSI within the aortic root was acquired using long-axis view TEE. The duration of laminar flow and the turbulent flow area ratio were calculated by BSI to demonstrate the degree of turbulence. The maximum and mean standardized uptake values (SUVmax, SUVmean) and the total microcalcification burden (TMB) as measured by ¹⁸F-NaF PET/CT were used to demonstrate the degree of inflammatory activity in the AV region. RESULTS: The mean SUVmean, SUVmax, and TMB were 1.90 ± 0.79, 2.60 ± 0.98, and 4.20 ± 2.18 mL, respectively. The mean laminar flow period and the turbulent area ratio were 116.1 ± 61.5 msec and 0.48 ± 0.32. The correlation between SUVmax and turbulent flow area ratio showed the most positive and statistically significant correlation, with a Pearson's correlation coefficient (R²) of 0.658 and a p-value of 0.014. CONCLUSIONS: The high degree of trans-aortic turbulence measured by BSI was correlated with severe AV inflammation.

• Smart Media Journal
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.114-123
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• 2024

This paper proposes AR stone tower content, an experiential content based on wearable augmented reality (AR). Although wearable augmented reality is gaining attention, the acceptance of the technology is still focused on specialized applications such as industrial sites. On the other hand, the proposed AR stone tower content is based on the material of 'stone tower' so that general users can relate to it and easily participate in it, and it is organized to utilize space in a moving environment and find and stack stones based on natural hand gestures. The proposed AR stone tower content was implemented in the HoloLens 2 environment and evaluated by general users through a pilot exhibition in a small art museum. The evaluation results showed that the overall satisfaction with the content averaged 3.85, and the content appropriateness for the stone tower material was very high at 4.15. In particular, users were highly satisfied with content comprehension and sound, but somewhat less satisfied with object recognition, body adaptation, and object control. The above user evaluations confirm the resonance and positive response to the material, but also highlight the difficulties of the average user in experiencing and interacting with the wearable AR environment.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.457-466
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• 2024

Cellobiose dehydrogenases (CDHs) are a group of enzymes belonging to the hemoflavoenzyme group, which are mostly found in fungi. They play an important role in the production of acid sugar. In this research, CDH annotated from the actinobacterium Cellulomonas palmilytica EW123 (CpCDH) was cloned and characterized. The CpCDH exhibited a domain architecture resembling class-I CDH found in Basidiomycota. The cytochrome c and flavin-containing dehydrogenase domains in CpCDH showed an extra-long evolutionary distance compared to fungal CDH. The amino acid sequence of CpCDH revealed conservative catalytic amino acids and a distinct flavin adenine dinucleotide region specific to CDH, setting it apart from closely related sequences. The physicochemical properties of CpCDH displayed optimal pH conditions similar to those of CDHs but differed in terms of optimal temperature. The CpCDH displayed excellent enzymatic activity at low temperatures (below 30℃), unlike other CDHs. Moreover, CpCDH showed the highest substrate specificity for disaccharides such as cellobiose and lactose, which contain a glucose molecule at the non-reducing end. The catalytic efficiency of CpCDH for cellobiose and lactose were 2.05 × 10⁵ and 9.06 × 10⁴ (M^-1 s^-1), respectively. The result from the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectra confirmed the presence of cellobionic and lactobionic acids as the oxidative products of CpCDH. This study establishes CpCDH as a novel and attractive bacterial CDH, representing the first report of its kind in the Cellulomonas genus.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.66 no.4
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• pp.792-806
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• 2024

This study aimed to confirm the applicability of the new nitrogen (N₂) gas stunning method in the broiler slaughtering process by comparing the meat and small intestine quality following different stunning methods (electrical, carbon dioxide (CO₂), N₂, and halal). Four treatments were compared: (i) electrical stunning (Elec), (ii) 80% CO₂ gas stunning (CO₂-gas), (iii) 98% N₂ gas stunning (N₂-gas), and (iv) the non-stunning method (halal). N₂ gas stunning (98%) and the halal method were conducted at the pilot plant abattoir of the national institute of animal science, Korea, and electrical and 80% CO₂ stunning were performed on the nearest commercial slaughter house. Meat pH_24h, color (lightness, redness and yellowness), proximate composition, water holding capacity (WHC), cooking loss, and Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) were measured, and in the small intestine, pH_24h, color, thickness, and WBSF were measured. The Elec treatment showed high lightness, yellowness, and low redness in both meat and the small intestine, indicated by a pale color; the CO₂-gas treatment showed high redness, low lightness, and low yellowness, and the coloration of meat from the N₂-gas treatment was intermediate between Elec and CO₂-gas. For other quality traits, the N₂-gas showed good results and was between Elec and CO₂-gas. Additionally, severe stress (low pH in both meats), low WHC in meat, and cracked small intestine with numerous apertures were observed in the CO₂-gas, and pale colored hemorrhagic breast meat was found in the Elec. Therefore, in view of animal welfare and quality traits of meat and the small intestine, 98% N₂ gas can be considered in broiler stunning.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.40-54
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• 2015

Tashkent Seoul Park was completed in June, 2014, following the signing of a sisterhood relationship between Seoul City and Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan in July, 2010. An open competition for the design of the park was held and, based on the design, the park was completed in June and open to the public in September, 2014. Tashkent Seoul Park is more than a public park in Tashkent. The focus was on making it a starting point for offering a new model for traditional parks of Korea built abroad. Korean gardens and parks built in overseas cities are not only a landscape space but also serve as an ambassador that promotes the culture of Korea to foreigners who are unfamiliar with Korean culture. Therefore, Tashkent Seoul Park was designed to reflect the beauty and uniqueness of Korean traditional landscaping to promote the image of Korea and Seoul. As such, the design and plan was focused on the best measures to make known Korean culture through a design that sets itself apart from the landscape of Uzbekistan. To date, Korean parks or Seoul parks that have been built overseas have focused on the re-enactment of gardens and parks during the Josun Dynasty era. But with the Tashkent Park, the process of the 170,000 people from Goryeo was also reflected onto the design so that the culture and sensibilities of old Goryeo could be felt as well. Korean traditional garden design elements for the representation of the Korean identity are taken from the pilot study. This design element includes not only that of Goryeo, but also the Josun Dynasty era to allow local people to experience a general Korean traditional garden. The traditional beauty and lyricism of Korea was presented to Central Asia through the park in Tashkent so that the citizens could feel the simple yet down-to-earth beauty of Korean aesthetics. As such, the spatial experience of story-telling in Seoul Park evolves from two points of view. First, it is a spatial experience from the perspective of the Goryeo period and of foreigners. It is a continuum of a landscape experience where one can trace the sentiments of Korea and a hometown in Korea by passing through lyrical and multi-faceted spatial structures. Second, it is an experience that evolves from the viewpoint of an outsider, including the Tashkent citizens. It allows visitors to read the various methods and attitudes in an unfamiliar landscape and terrain. Through a story-telling that is reminiscent of the Silk Road through which trade with East Asia took place, visitors can interact with Korean culture in the Korean Garden and throughout the process they can feel the very Korean sentiments. This park presents the latest example of a 'Korean Garden' formed overseas and thus presents a clue to understanding the representation pattern of the Korean aspects of Korean Gardens through a study on the design strategies.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2020

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the instrument on pattern identification for insomnia (PIT-Insomnia) and verify the correlation between PIT-Insomnia and psychological tests. Methods: Two evaluators examined the pattern identification of the participants who met insomnia disorder diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) and took the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) score over 15 once manually and twice using the PIT-Insomnia to measure the inter-rater and test-retest reliability. We also conducted the following surveys: the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Korean version of Beck's depression inventory (K-BDI), the Korean version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-K), the Korean Symptom checklist-95 (KSCL-95), and the EuroQol-5 dimension (EQ-5D), to measure concurrent validity and correlation between the PTI-Insomnia and psychological tests. Results: 1. The test-retest reliability analysis of the pattern identification results showed moderate agreement, and test-retest reliability analysis of each pattern identification score showed agreements from poor to moderate. 2. The inter-rater reliability analysis of the pattern identification results via manual showed slight agreement, when analysis was performed with calibration, the inter-rater reliability analysis of the pattern identification results via manual showed fair agreement. 3. The concordance analysis between results via manual and the PIT-Insomnia showed poor agreement, when the analysis was performed with calibration, concordance analysis showed fair agreement. 4. The concordance analysis between the PIT-Insomnia and the PSQI showed positive linear correlation. 5. The concordance analysis between the PIT-Insomnia and the PSQI, K-BDI, STAI-K, KSCL-95, and EQ-5D showed that non-interaction between the heart and kidney have positive linear correlation with the K-BDI, anxiety item of KSCL-95, dual deficiency of the heart-spleen have positive linear correlation with somatization item of KSCL-95, paranoia item of KSCL-95, heart deficiency with timidity have positive linear correlation with stress vulnerability item of KSCL-95, parania item of KSCL-95, phlegm-fire harassing the heart have positive linear correlation with K-BDI, paranoia item of KSCL-95, depressed liver qi transforming into fire have positive linear correlation with the anxiety item of KSCL-95, parania item of KSCL-95, all pattern identification have negative linear correlation with EQ-5D. Conclusions: The PIT-Insomnia has moderate agreement of reliability and reflects the severity of insomnia since it has some concurrent validity with the PSQI. There are some correlations between the PTI-Insomnia with specific psychological tests, so we could suggest it can be used appropriately in the clinical situation.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.81-87
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• 2007

Objectives : The distressed personality (type-D) pattern, consisting of negative affectivity and social inhibition, has been shown by Denollet et al. For measuring the Type D characteristics, Denollet has devised the 14 item Type D scale (DS14). In the present study, this instrument was translated into Korean. The reliability and validity of the Korean DS14 was pilot tested. Methods : Preliminary version of the total 17-item DS14 scale was translated into Korean. 372 controls that did not have any coronary heart diseases (CHD) were randomly sampled in Seoul and Gyeonggi province. Preliminary Korean version was applied to controls and 14 items were finally selected to maximize reliability of the scale. We compared the distribution of type-D personality among the normal controls, hypertensive patients, and the CHD patients. Results : 7 of 10 items in social inhibition were selected and final 14-item version was made. The internal consistency of negative affectivity (0.817) and social inhibition (0.797) were high. In addition, the prevalence of type-D personality in the CHD patients group was significantly higher than normal controls. Conclusion : These findings suggest that Korean version of DS14 is a valid tool for measuring the type D characteristics. Type-D characteristics can be suggested to predict adverse prognosis in patients with CHD.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.450-458
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• 2012

In order to reduce the effects of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the South Korean government has announced a special platform of technologies as part of an effort to minimize global climate change. To further this effort, the Korean government has pledged to increase low-carbon and carbon neutral resources for biofuel derived from biomass to replace fossil and to decrease levels of carbon dioxide. In general, second generation biofuel produced form woody biomass is expected to be an effective avenue for reducing fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in road transport. It is important that under the new Korean initiative, pilot scale studies evolve practices to produce biomass-to-liquid (BTL) fuel. This study reports the quality characteristics of F-T(Fischer-Tropsch) diesel for production of BTL fuel. Synthetic F-Tdiesel fuel can be used in automotive diesel engines, pure or blended with automotive diesel, due to its similar physical properties to diesel. F-T diesel fuel was synthesized by Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) process with syngas($H_2$/CO), Fe basedcatalyst in low temperature condition($240^{\circ}C$). Synthetic F-T diesel with diesel compositions after distillation process is consisted of $C_{12}{\sim}C_{23+}$ mixture as a kerosine, diesel compositions of n-paraffin and iso-paraffin compounds. Synthetic F-T diesel investigated a very high cetane number, low aromatic composition and sulfur free level compared to automotive diesel. Synthetic F-T diesel also show The wear scar of synthetic F-T diesel show poor lubricity due to low content of sulfur and aromatic compounds compared to automotive diesel.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.67-83
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• 1986

Oriented hand samples were collected from Gobangsan Formation and Nogam Formation in the north of Danyang and south of Yeongchun, from Bansong Group in and around Danyang, from Nampo Group in Chungnam Coalfield, from Gyeongsang Supergroup distributed from Waegwan through Daegu to Gyeongsan and from Daegu to Goryong, and from volcanic flows in Jeongog area and Jeju Island to study the paleomagnetism of southern Korea since Permian. Stepwise alternating field and thermal demagnetization experiments were carried out to determine optimum fields and temperatures. Observed mean paleomagnetic directions are as follows: $D=331.5^{\circ}$, $I=25.1^{\circ}$, $a95=12.8^{\circ}$ for Permian, $D=325.6^{\circ}$, $I=46.1^{\circ}$, $a95=11.8^{\circ}$ for Triassic, $D=313.4^{\circ}$, $I=43.1^{\circ}$, $a95=16.0^{\circ}$ for early Jurassic, $D=41.3^{\circ}$, $I=64.6^{\circ}$, $a95=4.5^{\circ}$ for early Cretaceous, $D=28.3^{\circ}$, $I=58.1^{\circ}$, $a95=2.3^{\circ}$ for late Cretaceous, $D=2.0^{\circ}$, $I=55.8^{\circ}$, $a95=6.6^{\circ}$for Quaternary. To describe the tectonic translocation of southern Korean block, northern Eurasian continental block was used as a reference frame. For each age since Permian the expected northern Eurasian field directions in terms of paleolatitude and declination were calculated. The paleolatitudes of Permian ($13.2^{\circ}N$) and early Jurassic ($25.1^{\circ}N$) obtained from the study area are quite different from those of Permian ($66.0^{\circ}N$) and early Jurassic ($68.1^{\circ}N$) which are expected for northern Eurasia. The declinations of Permian ($331.5^{\circ}$) and early Jurassic ($313.4^{\circ}$) are also quite different from those of the Permian ($56.6^{\circ}$) and the early Jurassic ($47.5^{\circ}$) expected for northern Eurasia. The Cretaceous paleolatitude is similar to the expected within error limit, but the declination for the same period is significantly different from that of the expected for the northern Eurasia. From the above evidences it is suggested that the south Korean land mass had moved from low latitude in Permian to north and sutured to northern continental block since early Jurassic. The relative rotations of early Cretaceous($27.4^{\circ}$) and late Cretaceous($10.8^{\circ}$) to northern Eurasian continent reveal that the Korean land mass might be rotated clockwise in two different times, probably in late Early Cretaceous and in Tertiary.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.608-614
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• 1998

In order to establish the scientific foundations for the production of Korean traditional kanjang (soy sauce) in a semi-pilot scale, meju preparation and kanjang mashing methods were investigated. Two types of meju, one that was prepared by conventional method (CM-meju) and the other that prepared by modified conventional method (MCM-meju), were made and compared their characteristics. The former made of cooked and crushed soybean with a brick shape was fermented at $15{\sim}20^{\circ}C\;and\;40{\sim}50%$ relative humidity (RH) for 30 days in koji room and the latter was fermented at $25{\sim}30^{\circ}C\;and\;80{\sim}90%$ RH seemingly being optimum for the growth of meju-organisms for the same period. The quality of MCM-meju as a raw material for the kanjang preparation was considered to be superior to that of CM-meju as the higher soluble nitrogen and total free amino acids content, the major factor for the evaluation of the quality of meju, were found in the former although the higher total nitrogen content and lower % weight loss were observed in the latter during meju preparation process. The quality of MCM-kanjang with higher total nitrogen, free amino acids, free sugars and the lower residual nitrogen content in cake after separation of kanjang was also found to be superior to that of CM-kanjang in sensory evaluation results.