• Asia-pacific Journal of Multimedia Services Convergent with Art, Humanities, and Sociology
• /
• v.8 no.6
• /
• pp.493-503
• /
• 2018

The present study is a conceptual replication of O'Grady, Lee, and Choo's (2003) earlier study designed to investigate two hypotheses (linear distance hypothesis vs. structural distance hypothesis) in relation to L2 Korean learners' processing of Korean subject and object relative clauses (RCs) in a scholarly attempt to explicate Keenan and Comrie's (1977) Noun Phrase Accessibility Hierarchy (NPAH). In addition, the current study is intended to explore any potential role of working memory capacity (WMC) in the processing of Korean subject and/or object RCs. Chinese-speaking learners of Korean taking a language course offered at a local university in Korea participated in this experimental study. Among those recruited, only 23 learners completed the experimental tasks appropriately according to the specific instructions provided on each task, and thus, subsequent statistical analyses were conducted on their data. Fifteen Korean NSs were also recruited for the control group. Two experimental tasks were administerd to the participants: one picture selection task containing the same test items used in O'Grady et al.'s study to measure their processing of subject-object RCs and an operation span (OSPAN) task to measure their WMC. Somewhat differently from O'Grady et al.'s findings, the participating Chinese learners of Korean performed significantly better on object RCs than on subject RCs, seemingly lending support to the linear distance hypothesis. Further analyses, however, suggested that the results in favor of, or relative ease of processing, object relative clauses were due, most likely, to the learners' excessive use of the canonical sentence strategy, which also led to nonsignificant correlations between WMC and learner performance on the picture selection task.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.1-9
• /
• 2023

Objectives: Noni fruit juice (NFJ) is liquor extracted from Morinda citrifolia (noni) fruit and has been used as an herbal remedy in many countries. However, the NFJ's anti-adipogenic and anti-inflammatory effects on adipocytes are poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to explore the commercially standardized NFJ effects on lipid accumulation throughout 3T3-L1 preadipocytes differentiation and interleukin-1β (IL-1β)-mediated inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Methods: Cellular lipid accumulation and triglyceride (TG) content in differentiating 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were assessed subsequently via the Oil Red O staining and AdipoRed assay. MTS assay was used to examine NFJ cytotoxicity in (differentiating) 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Immunoblotting and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis were used to measure the expression levels of target protein and mRNA in (differentiating) 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, respectively. Results: NFJ treatment at 150 μL/mL led to a substantial reduction of fat accumulation and TG content during 3T3-L1 adipogenesis with no discernable impact on the cell viability. Of note, while NFJ treatment (150 μL/mL) largely inhibited the CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α (C/EBP-α) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-β (PPAR-β) protein expressions, it did not influence PPAR-γ in differentiating 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Of interest, treatment with IL-1β at 20 ng/mL for 4 hours elicited in firm induction of iNOS mRNA expression in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. However, NFJ treatment at 100 or 200 μL/mL greatly attenuated the IL-1β-induced iNOS mRNA expression in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Conclusions: NFJ has anti-adipogenic and anti-inflammatory effects on (differentiating) 3T3-L1 preadipocytes which are in part intervened via control of the expression of C/EBP-α, PPAR-β, and iNOS.

• Korean Journal of Legislative Studies
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.5-33
• /
• 2019

This study aims to explore the implications of the 2019 European Parliament elections. Existing studies show that European elections serve as secondary elections dominated by domestic issues. However, the 2019 European elections have highlighted pan-European issues such as the Brexit negotiations and the rise of far-right populism, with voter turnout also rising sharply to 50.62%, which is the highest record since the 2000s. There was also a significant change in the number of parliamentary seats held by each political group. First, the European People's Party(EPP) and the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats(S&D), which had hitherto led the European Parliament, failed to achieve a majority. Second, the number of seats won by Renew Europe, a new liberal-centrist group, was considerably high. Third, the far-right groups organized a full-fledged political force by rallying around the Identity and Democracy(ID) group. The rise of liberal-centrism can be explained as a reaction to the popularity of anti-European populism. Renew Europe's emphasis on open-market competition has created a different issue, especially since the center-left and center-right groups have stressed on the need for state intervention in employment, welfare, security and immigration control. Along with far-right populism, liberal centrism has also reshuffled Europe's political cleavage, and the conflict between 'liberalism' and 'protectionism' has become more evident in the European Parliament.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.343-353
• /
• 2023

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant changes in the lifestyle patterns of children and affected the patterns of pediatric injuries. This study analyzed the changing patterns of pediatric injury overall and by age groups, based on the datasets before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study is based on the data of patients who presented with injuries at 23 hospital emergency departments participating in the Emergency Department-based Injury In-depth Surveillance (EDIIS) conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The surveillance data was categorized by injury mechanism, location, activity, and severity. We analyzed the injury patterns of pediatric patients aged 0 to 15 years. Subgroup analysis was conducted by age group in children aged 7 to 15 years, 1 to 6 years, and <1 year. Results: When comparing the COVID-19 pandemic period to the pre-COVID-19 period, the total number of pediatric patients with injuries decreased by 38.7%, while the proportions of in-home injuries (57.9% vs. 67.9%), and minor injuries (38.9% vs. 39.7%) increased. In the 7 to 15 years group, bicycle riding injuries (50.9% vs. 65.6%) and personal mobility device injuries (2.4% vs. 4.6%) increased. The 1 to 6 years group also showed an increase in bicycle accident injuries (15.8% vs. 22.4%). In the <1 year group, injuries from falls increased (44.5% vs. 49.9%). Self-harm injuries in the 7 to 15 years group also increased (1.6% vs. 2.8%). Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic period, the overall number of pediatric injuries decreased, while injuries occurring at home and during indoor activities increased. Traffic accidents involving bicycles and personal mobility devices and self-harm injuries increased in the 7 to 15 years group. In the <1 year group, the incidence of falls increased. Medical and societal preparedness is needed so that we might anticipate these changes in the patterns of pediatric injuries during future infectious disease pandemics.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.86-90
• /
• 2023

The packaging of electronic devices performs a protective function to ensure that their durability and reliability are not affected by changes in the operating environment caused by external factors. Recent advances in materials have led to ongoing research into bonded packaging of heterogeneous materials such as polymers and inorganic materials in electronic devices. In this packaging process, it is important to have a binding that joins the materials and ensures the operating environment, which includes adhesion to the substrate, corrosion and oxidation resistance through moisture removal, and durability. In this study, the hygroscopicity of the coating layer by modifying the polymer surface based on PVA was evaluated by controlling and measuring the contact angle, and the adhesion was confirmed by applying water-based ink and testing according to ASTM_D3363. For the durability of the polymer surface, the IPL post-treatment process was used to improve the hardness and toughness against applied voltage, and the pencil hardness test and nanoindentation test were conducted. Through this, we analyzed and proposed solutions to ensure the reliability and durability of polymer devices in polymer microfabrication against environmental factors such as moisture, temperature fluctuations and adhesion, and surface abrasion.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.43-49
• /
• 2023

Hydrofluoric acid is a less acidic substance than hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulfuric acid, but it is one of the most dangerous substances for humans. In recent years, it has become an indispensable substance in industries such as chemical plants and the semiconductor industry, and although it is a threat to the human body, its use is increasing for various purposes, and the amount of use is constantly increasing due to the expansion and development of the industry. The dangers of hydrogen fluoride have been highlighted since the 2012 accident, which led to a more than fivefold increase in management standards for handling facilities. Hydrogen fluoride converts to hydrofluoric acid when exposed to the air, which can be fatal to humans. This study simulates the effects of a release of a toxic substance in the workplace, even though a protection layer has been provided to minimize the damage caused by the released toxic substance, and recommend ways to control the risk to workers in the event of a release in the workplace.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.68 no.3
• /
• pp.151-159
• /
• 2024

Indian spices are well known for their numerous health benefits, flavour, taste, and colour. Recent Advancements in chemical technology have led to better extraction and identification of bioactive molecules (phytochemicals) from spices. The therapeutic effects of spices against diabetes, cardiac problems, and various cancers has been well established. The present in silico study aims to investigate the binding affinity of 29 phytochemicals from 11 Indian spices with two prominent proteins, BCL3 and CXCL10 involved in invasiveness and bone metastasis of breast cancer. The three-dimensional structures of 29 phytochemicals were extracted from PubChem database. Protein Data Bank was used to retrieve the 3D structures of BCL3 and CXCL10 proteins. The drug-likeness and other properties of compounds were analysed by ADME and Lipinski rule of five (RO5). All computational simulations were carried out using Autodock 4.0 on Windows platform. The proteins were set to be rigid and compounds were kept free to rotate. In-silico study demonstrated a strong complex formation (positive binding constants and negative binding energy ΔG) between all phytochemicals and target proteins. However, piperine and sesamolin demonstrated high binding constants with BCL3 (50.681 × 10³ mol^-1, 137.76 × 10³ mol^-1) and CXCL10 (98.71 × 10³ mol^-1, 861.7 × 10³ mol^-1), respectively. The potential of these two phytochemicals as a drug candidate was highlighted by their binding energy of -6.5 kcal mol^-1, -7.1 kcal mol^-1 with BCL3 and -6.9 kcal mol^-1, -8.2 kcal mol^-1 with CXCL10, respectively coupled with their favourable drug likeliness and pharmacokinetics properties. These findings underscore the potential of piperine and sesamolin as drug candidates for inhibiting invasiveness and regulating breast cancer metastasis. However, further validation through in vitro and in vivo studies is necessary to confirm the in silico results and evaluate their clinical potential.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2024

Brain-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a cardiac hormone that exerts cardiovascular and renal effects and regulates metabolic processes. In the current study, to determine the hepatic effects of BNP, we investigated whether it improves high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hepatic IR and characterized its possible mechanism. No significant differences in body weight, fat mass, or lean mass were observed between the saline- and BNP-treated groups of normal diet-and HFD-fed mice. During the clamp test, the BNP infusion into HFD-fed mice led to lower blood glucose levels and increased glucose infusion rates versus that into saline-treated HFD-fed mice. The BNP infusion also inhibited hepatic glucose production and decreased hepatic triglyceride levels concomitant with decreased expression of gluconeogenesis and lipogenesis-related genes, resulting in reduced levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase. BNP increased the phosphorylation of Akt and AMP-acti- vated protein kinase (AMPK) in the livers of HFD-fed mice compared to saline-fed HFD mice. The incubation of AML12 murine hepatocytes with BNP increased the basal levels of phosphorylated Akt and AMPK and recovered the phosphorylated Akt and phosphorylated AMPK levels reduced by palmitate treatment. Furthermore, BNP incubation prevented palmitate-induced increases in lipo- genesis gene expressions. Taken together, the current study's findings indicated that BNP ameliorates hepatic IR, resulting in reduced hepatic glucose production and hepatic steatosis.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.145-151
• /
• 2023

In order to extend shelf life for rockfish fillets by modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), different package atmospheres were compared in the product quality preservation. Firstly, CO₂ solubility was measured at 0, 5, 10, and 15℃ to be incorporated into the mathematical model to predict the volume and CO₂ concentration of the package at expected storage temperature. The CO₂ solubility given in Henry's constant decreased with temperature to be fitted with a linear equation. Then air packaging as control and four MAP conditions of 100 g fillets were prepared and stored for duration of 5 days at 10℃ to compare them in the quality preservation effect. Four MAP conditions employed were CO₂(60):O₂(30):N₂(10), CO₂(60):O₂(0):N₂(40), CO₂(30):O₂(30):N₂(40) andCO₂(30):O₂(0):N₂(70). MAP conditions with high CO₂ concentration inhibited total aerobic bacteria, and the conditions containing O₂ led to low TVB-N. MAP of CO₂(60):O₂(30):N₂(10) was found to be the best condition for rockfish fillet preservation considering total aerobic bacteria growth and nitrogenous volatiles production.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.357-365
• /
• 2024

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of children's robot-based play on sequential thinking through appreciation of picture books. For this purpose, 15 children aged 5 years old in each kindergarten located in Seoul were selected and J kindergarten (experimental group) supported <Picture book appreciation robot play> and C kindergarten (comparison group) supported <Picture book appreciation free play>. In order to examine the difference in play experience between the two groups, the score data before and after play support was collected using the sequential thinking test tool, and the collected data were analyzed using SPSS 28.0 program to perform ANCOVA (Covariance Analysis). As a result, the experimental group that experienced robot-based play through picture book appreciation showed significant improvement in the total score of sequential thinking and the sub-areas of dynamics, behavior, and intention compared to the control group.The results of this study are valuable as a play study to discover the value of robots as a creative play medium led by young children and to promote sequential thinking ability, which is emphasized as the capacity of future society.