• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.315-327
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• 2023

Purpose: Oxaliplatin, a component of the capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (XELOX) regimen, has a more favorable toxicity profile than cisplatin in patients with advanced gastric cancer (GC). However, oxaliplatin can induce sensory neuropathy and cumulative, dose-related toxicities. Thus, the capecitabine maintenance regimen may achieve the maximum treatment effect while reducing the cumulative neurotoxicity of oxaliplatin. This study aimed to compare the survival of patients with advanced GC between capecitabine maintenance and observation after 1st line XELOX chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: Sixty-three patients treated with six cycles of XELOX for advanced GC in six hospitals of the Catholic University of Korea were randomized 1:1 to receive capecitabine maintenance or observation. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), analyzed using a two-sided log-rank test stratified at a 5% significance level. Results: Between 2015 and 2020, 32 and 31 patients were randomized into the maintenance and observation groups, respectively. After randomization, the median number of capecitabine maintenance cycles was 6. The PFS was significantly higher in the maintenance group than the observation group (6.3 vs. 4.1 months, P=0.010). Overall survival was not significantly different between the 2 groups (18.2 vs. 16.5 months, P=0.624). Toxicities, such as hand-foot syndrome, were reported in some maintenance group patients. Maintenance treatment was a significant factor associated with PFS in multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 0.472; 95% confidence interval, 0.250-0.890; P=0.020). Conclusions: After 6 cycles of XELOX chemotherapy, capecitabine maintenance significantly prolonged PFS compared with observation, and toxicity was manageable. Maintenance treatment was a significant prognostic factor associated with PFS.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.111 no.1
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• pp.125-135
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• 2022

In this study, growth changes of the diameter at breast height (DBH), height, basal area, volume, and biomass of Korean white pine (Pinus koraiensis Siebold & Zucc.) on a plantation were examined via long-term monitoring. In addition, this study was performed to provide the basic data for timber production in line with DBH class by comparing the growth of the relative DBH size. Growth characteristics according to DBH class were analyzed by categorizing trees into five classes based on sorted DBH rankings: class I (1%-20%; upper 20%), class II (21%-40%), class III (41%-60%), class IV (61%-80%), class V (81%-100%; lower 20%). A total class (0%-100%) was also used. Total increment and mean annual increment (MAI) were calculated using data from nine measurements taken over 39 years. Tree characteristics based on average values and stand characteristics based on unit area per hectare were examined. According to the total increments of variables, the differences in DBH, basal area, volume, and biomass among classes I-V increased over time, whereas the height difference did not continually increase. According to MAI, the maximum DBH value was 0.92 cm·yr^-1 at age 23 in class I, whereas the maximum value in all trees was 0.69 cm·yr^-1 at age 17. The maximum value of height MAI for class I was 0.52 m·yr^-1 at age 23, whereas that for all trees was 0.49 m·yr^-1 at age 20. In terms of basal area, volume, and biomass growth at tree-and stand-level, the maximum MAI of class I and all trees was not observed during the measurement period. Therefore, additional long-term monitoring data are required to determine the maximum MAI of the variables.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.203-211
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• 2022

Melanogenesis is the production of melanin from tyrosine by a series of enzyme-catalyzed reactions, in which tyrosinase and DOPA oxidase play key roles. The melanin content in the skin determines skin pigmentation. Abnormalities in skin pigmentation lead to various skin pigmentation disorders. Recent research has shown that the expression of EMP2 is much lower in melanoma than in normal melanocytes, but its role in melanogenesis has not yet been elucidated. Therefore, we investigated the role of EMP2 in the melanogenesis of MNT1 human melanoma cells. We examined TRP-1, TRP-2, and TYR expression levels during melanogenesis in MNT1 melanoma cells by gene silencing of EMP2. Western blot and RT-PCR results confirmed that the expression levels of TYR and TRP-2 were decreased when EMP2 expression was knocked down by EMP2 siRNA in MNT1 cells, and these changes were reversed when EMP2 was overexpressed. We verified the EMP2 gene was knocked out of the cell line (EMP2 CRISPR/Cas9) by using a CRISPR/Cas9 system and found that the expression levels of TRP-2 and TYR were significantly lower in the EMP2 CRISPR/Cas9 cell lines. Loss of EMP2 also reduced migration and invasion of MNT1 melanoma cells. In addition, the melanosome transfer from the melanocytes to keratinocytes in the EMP2 KO cells cocultured with keratinocytes was reduced compared to the cells in the control coculture group. In conclusion, these results suggest that EMP2 is involved in melanogenesis via the regulation of TRP-2 expression.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.223-232
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• 2023

Oxidative stress plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of various skin conditions, resulting in cellular and tissue damage that can contribute to the development of skin tone unevenness, roughness and wrinkles. In this study, we found that Trifolium pratense L. extract (TE) attenuated oxidative-induced damage in HaCaT cells and elucidated the underlying molecular mechanism. Our finding demonstrated that TE effectively protected HaCaT cells against H₂O₂-induced cell death by inhibiting caspase-3 activation, downregulating Bax and upregulating Bcl-2, and attenuating the activation of three mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Our results suggest that TE has remarkable cytoprotective properties against oxidative damage in HaCaT cells and could serve as a complementary or alternative approach to prevent and treat skin damage.

• Journal of Popular Narrative
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.349-392
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• 2019

In the 1960s of Korea, the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan led to a sense of a vigorous anxiety and fear that "Japan will once again come to the Korean peninsula". As a reaction to this, the discourse on the criticism of 'Japanese Style' strongly emerged. If the prior discourse of criticism was to express the national antipathy toward the colonial remnants that had not yet been disposed of, the critical discourse of the 1960s was the wariness of the newly created 'Japanese Style' in popular culture, and to grasp it as a symptomatic phenomenon that 'evil-minded Japan' was revealed. Thus, this new logic of criticism of the 'Japanese Style' had a qualitative difference from the existing ones. It was accompanied by a willingness to inspect and censor the 'masses' that grew up as consumers of transnational 'mass culture' that flowed and chained in the geopolitical order under the Cold War system. Therefore, the topology of 'popular things=Japanese things=consuming things' reveals the paradox of moral demands that existed within Korean society in the 1960s. This was to solidify the divisive circulation structure that caused them to avoid direct contact with the other called 'Japan', but at the same time, get as close to it as ever. It is a repetitive obsession that pushes the other to another side through the moral segregation that strictly draws a line of demarcation between oneself and the other, but on the other hand is attracted to the object and pulls it back to its side. This paper intends to listen to the different voices that have arisen in the repetitive obsession to understand the significance of the dissonance that has been repeated in the contemporary era. This will be an examination of the paradoxical object of Japan that has been repeatedly asked to build the internal control principle of Korean society, or to hide the oppressive and violent side of the power, and that can neither be accepted nor destroyed completely as part of oneself.

• Korea Science and Art Forum
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• v.19
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• pp.281-292
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• 2015

For this study, I conducted a survey investigating current situation, user preference, and field experiment. Hospitals utilizing digital sign systems at least five years were selected, which are connected with visual elements (layout, typo, color) used in waiting areas and elements of the systems (time, video time line). The results obtained from the field survey showed that digital sign systems used the color of typo and background contrasted to one another to increase explicitness and to ensure easy understanding of contents. In addition, the Gothic typo with relatively high legibility was adopted. Time and video timeline, which characterize digital sign systems, showed the advertising screens of the hospitals and the guidance of medical treatment at regular intervals. Moreover, survey results on user satisfaction showed that a majority of respondents indicated they had difficulty in understanding digital information conveyed from digital sign systems due to time setting for rotational speed or the small size of typo although most of the users had previous experience with digital sign systems. The highest proportion of respondents (n=86, 86%) answered that information related to medical departments was what they sought most frequently and that this kind of information should be importantly considered in digital sign systems. For the experiment, new samples with restructured contents of current digital sign systems were created and tested while keeping its design unchanged as well as applying these new samples. Study participants were in their 20s through 50s. When the size of typo was larger under the same conditions for all age groups, study participants found the desired information approximately 3.5 seconds faster. In addition, those in their 20-30s and 40-50s showed the time difference of 4.7 seconds for small typo and 6 seconds for large typo, which suggested that there was a difference by age in the amount of time taken in the experiment to find the desired information from the rotating digital sign system regardless of age and the size of typo.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.6B
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• pp.731-741
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• 2008

Previous studies on the numerical simulation at the tidal reach of Han River tend to restrict downstream boundary as Jeon-ryu station due to difficulties in gaining cross section data and tidal elevation values at Yu-do. But, in this study, geometries beyond the confluence of Gok-reung stream and Im-jin River are constructed based on the numerical sea map; tidal elevation at the downstream boundary, Yu-do is estimated by harmonic analysis of In-cheon tide gage station so that hydrodynamic and diffusion behavior have been analyzed. The domain ranging from Shin-gok submerged weir to Yu-do is selected (which is 36.8 km in length). RMA-2 and RAM4 developed by Il Won Seo (2008) are applied to simulate flow and diffusion behavior, respectively. Numerical results of flow characteristic are compared with the measured data at Jeon-ryu station. Simulation is carried out from June 23 to 25 in 2006 on the ground that hydrologic data is satisfactory and tidal difference is huge during that period. The result shows that reverse flow occurs 5 times according to the tidal elevation at Yu-do and the maximum reverse flow is observed up to Jang-hang IC, which is 32.9 km in length. Also analysis is focused on the process of generation and disappearance of reverse flow, the distribution of water surface elevation and velocity along the maximum velocity line, and the transport of nonconservative pollutant. Pollutant injected from Gul-po stream spreads widely across the river; however, the size of BOD cloud entering from Gok-reung stream is relatively small because water depth at the mid and left side becomes deeper and maximum velocity occurs along the right bank so that transverse mixing is completed quickly. Finally, mixing characteristic of horizontal salinity distribution is obtained by estimating the salinity input with analytical solution of 1D advection-dispersion equation.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.209-220
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• 2023

Over the past few centuries, widespread changes to natural ecosystems caused by human activities have severely threatened biodiversity worldwide. Understanding changes in ecosystems is essential to identifying and managing threats to biodiversity. In line with this need, the IUCN Council formed the IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (GET) in 2019, taking into account the functions and types of ecosystems. The IUCN provides maps of 10 ecosystem groups and 108 ecological functional groups (EFGs) on a global scale. According to the type classification of IUCN GET ecosystems, Korea's ecosystem is classified into 8 types of Realm (level 1), 18 types of Biome (level 2), and 41 types of Group (level 3). GETs provided by IUCN have low resolution and often do not match the actual land status because it was produced globally. This study aimed to increase the accuracy of Korean IUCN GET type classification by using land cover maps and producing maps that reflected the actual situation. To this end, we ① reviewed the Korean GET data system provided by IUCN GET and ② compared and analyzed it with the current situation in Korea. We evaluated the limitations and usability of the GET through the process and then ③ classified Korea's new Get type reflecting the current situation in Korea by using the national data as much as possible. This study classified Korean GETs into 25 types by using land cover maps and existing national data (Territorial realm: 9, Freshwater: 9, Marine-territorial: 5, Terrestrial-freshwater: 1, and Marine-freshwater-territorial: 1). Compared to the existing map, "F3.2 Constructed lacustrine wetlands", "F3.3 Rice paddies", "F3.4 Freshwater aquafarms", and "T7.3 Plantations" showed the largest area reduction in the modified Korean GET. The area of "T2.2 Temperate Forests" showed the largest area increase, and the "MFT1.3 Coastal saltmarshes and reedbeds" and "F2.2 Small permanent freshwater lakes" types also showed an increase in GET area after modification. Through this process, the existing map, in which the sum of all EFGs in the existing GET accounted for 8.33 times the national area, was modified so that the total sum becomes 1.22 times the national area using the land cover map. This study confirmed that the existing EFG, which had small differences by type and low accuracy, was improved and corrected. This study is significant in that it produced a GET map of Korea that met the GET standard using data reflecting the field conditions. 

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.91-104
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• 2023

The records system is believed to have started in Italy in the 14th century in line with trade developments in Europe. In 1491, Luca Pacioli, a mathematician, and an Italian Franciscan monk wrote the first book that described double-entry accounting processes. In many countries, including Korea, the government accounting standards used single-entry bookkeeping rather than double-entry bookkeeping that can be aggregated by account subject. The cash-based and single-entry bookkeeping used by the government in the past had limitations in providing clear information on financial status and establishing a performance-oriented financial management system. Accordingly, the National Accounting Act (promulgated in October 2007) stipulated the introduction of double-entry bookkeeping and accrual accounting systems in the government sector from January 1, 2009. Furthermore, the Korean government has also introduced International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), and the System of National Accounts (SNA). Since 2014, Korea owned five national accounts. In Korea, valuation began with the 1968 National Wealth Statistics Survey. The academic origins of the valuation of national wealth statistics which had been investigated by due diligence every 10 years since 1968 are based on the 'Engineering Valuation' of professor Marston in the Department of Industrial Engineering at Iowa State University in the 1930s. This field has spread to economics, etc. In economics, it became the basis of capital stock estimation for positive economics such as econometrics. The valuation by the National Wealth Statistics Survey contributed greatly to converting the book value of accounting data into vintage data. And in 2000 National Statistical Office collected actual disposal data for the 1-digit asset class and obtained the ASL(average service life) by Iowa curve. Then, with the data on fixed capital formation centered on the National B/S Team of the Bank of Korea, the national wealth statistics were prepared by the Permanent Inventory Method(PIM). The asset classification was also classified into 59 types, including 2 types of residential buildings, 4 types of non-residential buildings, 14 types of structures, 9 types of transportation equipment, 28 types of machinery, and 2 types of intangible fixed assets. Tables of useful lives of tangible fixed assets published by the Korea Appraisal Board in 1999 and 2013 were made by the Iowa curve method. In Korea, the Iowa curve method has been adopted as a method of ASL estimation. There are three types of the Iowa curve method. The retirement rate method of the three types is the best because it is based on the collection and compilation of the data of all properties in service during a period of recent years, both properties retired and that are still in service. We hope the retirement rate method instead of the individual unit method is used in the estimation of ASL. Recently Korean government's accounting system has been developed. When revenue expenditure and capital expenditure were mixed in the past single-entry bookkeeping we would like to suggest that BOK and National Statistical Office have accumulated knowledge of a rational difference between revenue expenditure and capital expenditure. In particular, it is important when it is estimated capital stock by PIM. Korea also needs an empirical study on economic depreciation like Hulten & Wykoff Catalog A of the US BEA.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.129-142
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• 2023

This study analyzed the ratio of carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO₂), CO and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) for cities and regionsin Korea and China using column-averaged carbon dioxide dry-air mole fraction (XCO₂) of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2/3, CO and NO₂ vertical column density (named XCO, XNO₂ in thisstudy) of TROPOspheric monitoring instrument from April 2018 to April 2022, and presented the relationship between socioeconomic indicators (population, number of vehicles, Gross Regional Domestic Product) and ratio, and differences in characteristics between Korea and China. First, CO₂ and CO were analyzed after calculating ΔXCO₂ and ΔXCO removing the background value and trend line due to the difference in atmospheric residence time of three gaseous substances (CO₂, CO, and NO₂). Comparing the three values by regions, ΔXCO and ΔXCO₂ were relatively higher in China and XNO₂ were higher in Korea and the ratio of both values (ΔXCO/ΔXCO₂, ΔXCO/XNO₂) was higher in China than in Korea. ΔXCO/ΔXCO₂, ΔXCO/XNO₂ and socioeconomic indicators have a positive correlation suggesting that the concentration of air pollutants and greenhouse gases is higher as the city is large and the economic activity is active. Regarding the differences in the ratio characteristics of Korea and China, the relationship between ΔXCO and ΔXCO₂ showed a negative correlation in Korea and a positive correlation in China. When the relationship between ΔXCO and XNO₂ was examined for summer and winter, the change of ΔXCO by season was not significant in Korea, whereasthe change of ΔXCO and XNO₂ by season waslarge in China resulting in the relationship between two countries appeared differently. These results suggest that seasonal variability and national emission characteristics should be considered in the process of analyzing the ratio of greenhouse gases to air pollutants.