• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information Security & Cryptology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.363-374
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• 2015

Instrumentation and control(I&C) system has been mainly designed and operated based on analog technologies in existing Nuclear Power Plants(NPPs). However, As the development of Information Technology(IT), digital technologies are gradually being adopted in newly built NPPs. I&C System based on digital technologies has many advantages but it is vulnerable to cyber threat. For this reason, cyber threat adversely affects on safety and reliability of I&C system as well as the entire NPPs. Therefore, the software equipped to NPPs should be developed with cyber security attributes from the initiation phase of software development life cycle. Moreover through cyber security assessment, the degree of confidence concerning cyber security should be measured and if managerial, technical and operational work measures are implemented as intended should be reviewed in order to protect the I&C systems and information. Currently the overall cyber security program, including cyber security assessment, is not established on I&C systems. In this paper, we propose cyber security assessment methods in the Software Development Life Cycle by drawing cyber security activities and assessment items based on regulatory guides and standard technologies concerned with NPPs.

• ALGAE
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.341-349
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• 2018

Sargassum horneri is edible brown seaweed abundant along the coasts of Jeju Island, South Korea. In addition to the native S. horneri population, a large amount of S. horneri has been found to invade Jeju Island from the east coast of China. Thus, S. horneri of both Korea (SK) and China (SC) strains now inhabits along with the shore of Jeju Island and have become a threat to the coastal biodiversity. However, they could be used in obtaining functional ingredients for industrial level applications provided an optimized cost effective strategy. In the present study, we compared SK and SC strains for the extraction efficiency, components, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of 80% methanolic extracts and their partially purified fractions. According to the results, two strains indicated similar bioactive properties such as DPPH and alkyl radical scavenging activity as well as anti-inflammatory activities on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. The yield of 80% methanol extract from SC was higher than SK. However, the yields of the ethyl acetate and chloroform fractions from SK were higher than those of SC strain. The major peaks in the high-performance liquid chromatography chromatograms, which was identified as Apo-9 fucoxanthinone, indicated that both methanolic extracts of SK and SC contains major target peaks but with different amounts. This study might be useful for developing functional materials from SC and SK in future.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.685-693
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• 2017

Candidiasis involving the biofilms of Candida albicans is a threat to immunocompromised patients. Candida biofilms are intrinsically resistant to the antifungal drugs and hence novel treatment strategies are desired. The study intended to evaluate the anti-Candida activity of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) alone and with fluconazole (FLC), particularly against the biofilms. Results revealed the concentration-dependent activity of AITC against the planktonic growth and virulence factors of C. albicans. Significant (p <0.05) inhibition of the biofilms was evident at ${\leq}1mg/ml$ concentrations of AITC. Notably, a combination of 0.004 mg/ml of FLC and 0.125 mg/ml of AITC prevented the biofilm formation. Similarly, the preformed biofilms were significantly (p <0.05) inhibited by the AITC-FLC combination. The fractional inhibitory concentration indices ranging from 0.132 to 0.312 indicated the synergistic activity of AITC and FLC against the biofilm formation and the preformed biofilms. No hemolytic activity at the biofilm inhibitory concentrations of AITC and the AITC-FLC combination suggested the absence of cytotoxic effects. The recognizable synergy between AITC and FLC offers a potential therapeutic strategy against biofilm-associated Candida infections.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.72.1-72.15
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• 2021

It has been speculated that bats serve as reservoirs of a huge variety of emerging coronaviruses (CoVs) that have been responsible for severe havoc in human health systems as well as negatively affecting human economic and social systems. A prime example is the currently active severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV2, which presumably originated from bats, demonstrating that the risk of a new outbreak of bat coronavirus is always latent. Therefore, an in-depth investigation to better comprehend bat CoVs has become an important issue within the international community, a group that aims to attenuate the consequences of future outbreaks. In this review, we present a concise introduction to CoVs found in bats and discuss their distribution in Southeast Asia. We also discuss the unique adaptation features in bats that confer the ability to be a potential coronavirus reservoir. In addition, we review the bat coronavirus-linked diseases that have emerged in the last two decades. Finally, we propose key factors helpful in the prediction of a novel coronavirus outbreak and present the most recent methods used to forecast an evolving outbreak.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.205-217
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• 2024

Brown rot disease, caused by Monilinia spp., poses a significant threat to pome and stone fruit crops globally, resulting in substantial economic losses during pre- and post-harvest stages. Monilinia fructigena, M. laxa, and M. fructicola are identified as the key agents responsible for brown rot disease. In this study, we employed the amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) method to assess the genetic diversity of 86 strains of Monilinia spp. isolated from major stone fruit cultivation regions in South Korea. Specifically, strains were collected from Chungcheong, Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongsang, and Jeolla provinces (-do). A comparative analysis of strain characteristics, such as isolation locations, host plants, and responses to chemical fungicides, was conducted. AFLP phylogenetic classification using 20 primer pairs revealed the presence of three distinct groups, with strains from Jeolla province consistently forming a separate group at a high frequency. Furthermore, M. fructicola was divided into three groups by the AFLP pattern. Principal coordinate analysis and PERMANOVA were applied to compare strain information, such as origin, host, and fungicide sensitivity, revealing significant partition patterns for AFLP according to geographic origin and host plants. This study represents the utilization of AFLP methodology to investigate the genetic variability among M. fructicola isolates, highlighting the importance of continuous monitoring and management of variations in the brown rot pathogen.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.605-616
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• 2023

Scuticociliatosis, caused by the parasitic pathogen Miamiensis avidus, poses a significant threat to olive flounder farms in South Korea. Infected fish suffer from severe systemic infections affecting various organs, with potential secondary bacterial diseases. This study investigated the emergence of different M. avidus serotypes in 20 olive flounder farms on Jeju island, South Korea, from 2015 to 2020. Additionally, we identified Tenacibaculum maritimum as a co-infecting bacteria. Based on serotyping and monitoring data, we developed a trivalent vaccine targeting two serotypes of M. avidus and one strain of T. maritimum. The efficacy of the vaccine was evaluated under laboratory conditions and demonstrated a relative percentage of survival (RPS) of 75%, 80%, and 93% for M. avidus serotype I, M. avidus serotype II and T. maritimum, respectively. Furthermore, successful field trials conducted on four different olive flounder farms resulted in significantly higher survival rates (52%-76% RPS) and weight gains in vaccinated fish. Overall, this study presents an effective vaccine against M. avidus and T. maritimum infections in farmed olive flounder, making a valuable contribution to sustainable aquaculture in South Korea.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.257-271
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• 2019

The use of food grade hexane (FGH) for edible oil extraction is responsible for the presence of benzene in the crude oil. Benzene is a Group 1 carcinogen and could pose a serious threat to the health of consumer. However, its detection still depends on classical methods using chromatography which requires a rapid non-destructive detection method. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy combined with multivariate analysis to detect and quantify the benzene residue in edible oil (sesame and cottonseed oil). Oil samples were adulterated with varying quantities of benzene, and their FTIR spectra were acquired with an attenuated total reflectance (ATR) method. Optimal variables for a partial least-squares regression (PLSR) model were selected using the variable importance in projection (VIP) and the selectivity ratio (SR) methods. The developed PLS models with whole variables and the VIP- and SR-selected variables were validated against an independent data set which resulted in $R^2$ values of 0.95, 0.96, and 0.95 and standard error of prediction (SEP) values of 38.5, 33.7, and 41.7 mg/L, respectively. The proposed technique of FTIR combined with multivariate analysis and variable selection methods can detect benzene residuals in edible oils with the advantages of being fast and simple and thus, can replace the conventional methods used for the same purpose.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.37 no.7
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• pp.642-652
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• 2009

Most of lap jointed aircraft structures encounter the fretting damages, which provoke fretting cracks prematurely and lead to significant reduction of fatigue life. In the case of ageing aircrafts especially, this fretting fatigue problem is a fatal threat for the safety and airworthiness. Recently, as the service life extension program(SLEP) of ageing aircrafts has become a hot issue, the prediction of fretting fatigue life is also indispensable. On these backgrounds, a series of experimental tests of fretting fatigue on bolted lap joint specimens, were performed. And the fretting crack initiation and propagation life of each specimen were evaluated using existing and newly proposed prediction models with the fretting parameters obtained from the FEA results for elasto-plastic contact stress analyses. The validations of prediction models were also discussed, comparing the prediction results with experimental test ones.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.572-579
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• 2019

Background: Panax ginseng has been used in traditional medicine to strengthen the body and mental well-being of humans for thousands of years. Many elite ginseng cultivars have been developed, and ginseng cultivation has become well established during the last century. However, heat stress poses an important threat to the growth and sustainable production of ginseng. Efforts have been made to study the effects of high temperature on ginseng physiology, but knowledge of the molecular responses to heat stress is still limited. Methods: We sequenced the transcriptomes (RNA-Seq) of two ginseng cultivars, Chunpoong (CP) and Yunpoong (YP), which are sensitive and resistant to heat stress, respectively, after 1- and 3-week heat treatments. Differential gene expression and gene ontology enrichment along with profiled chlorophyll contents were performed. Results: CP is more sensitive to heat stress than YP and exhibited a lower chlorophyll content than YP. Moreover, heat stress reduced the chlorophyll content more rapidly in CP than in YP. A total of 329 heat-responsive genes were identified. Intriguingly, genes encoding chlorophyll a/b-binding proteins, WRKY transcription factors, and fatty acid desaturase were predominantly responsive during heat stress and appeared to regulate photosynthesis. In addition, a genome-wide scan of photosynthetic and sugar metabolic genes revealed reduced transcription levels for ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase under heat stress, especially in CP, possibly attributable to elevated levels of soluble sugars. Conclusion: Our comprehensive genomic analysis reveals candidate loci/gene targets for breeding and functional studies related to developing high temperature-tolerant ginseng varieties.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.1335-1343
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• 2022

COVID-19 is an emerging disease that poses a severe threat to global public health. As such, there is an urgent demand for vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Here, we describe a virus-like nanoparticle candidate vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 produced by an E. coli expression system. The fusion protein of a truncated ORF2-encoded protein of aa 439~608 (p170) from hepatitis E virus CCJD-517 and the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein from SARS-CoV-2 were expressed, purified and characterized. The antigenicity and immunogenicity of p170-RBD were evaluated in vitro and in Kunming mice. Our investigation revealed that p170-RBD self-assembled into approximately 24 nm virus-like particles, which could bind to serum from vaccinated people (p < 0.001) and receptors on cells. Immunization with p170-RBD induced the titer of IgG antibody vaccine increased from 14 days post-immunization and was significantly enhanced after a booster immunization at 28 dpi, ultimately reaching a peak level on 42 dpi with a titer of 4.97 log₁₀. Pseudovirus neutralization tests showed that the candidate vaccine induced a strong neutralizing antibody response in mice. In this research, we demonstrated that p170-RBD possesses strong antigenicity and immunogenicity and could be a potential candidate for use in future SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development.