• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.31-44
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• 2024

The coastal dune ecosystem is one of the ecosystems under the most development pressure in Korea. Therefore, it is necessary to study the ecological location and related ecological phenomena of coastal dune plants, but related studies are lacking. Through this study, we intend to conduct research on the structure and restoration of dune plants, focusing on the coastal dunes in Jeju Island, which are affected by artificial development pressure and the continuous increase in tourists among many coastal dunes in Korea. Ecosystems of coastal sand dunes for vegetation survey in Jeju Island are selected based on naturalness and preservation. In this study, 23 major coastal dunes on Jeju Island including Udo were selected. In the coastal dunes of Jeju Island, a whole species survey and quadrat survey were carried out. The vegetation survey at study sites were conducted on May to September 2022, when the vegetation is clearly visible. At the survey site, the dune area was identified at the beginning and the plant species were recorded until no more new species appeared. Vegetation survey in the field was performed by 103 quadrat establishments and was conducted using Braun-Blanquet method. A total of 277 species appeared, and the most common species were Vitex rotundifolia and Calystegia soldanella. The frequency of both Vitex rotundifolia and Calystegia soldanella was approximately over 90%. The proportion of woody and herbaceous in all emerging species was 7.2% and 92.8%, respectively. The total number of species found in the quadrat survey was 98. As a result of classifying plant communities based on species dominance in the quadrats, it was analyzed into 30 plant communities. The plant communities that appeared with a frequency of 2 or more on the main island of Jeju were Vitex rotundifolia, Imperata cylindrica var. koenigii, Ischaemum antephoroides, Wedelia prostrata, Elymus mollis, Calystegia soldanella, Artemisia scoparia, and Tetragonia tetragonoides. The DCCA(detrended canonical correspondence analysis) based on the vegetation and environment factor matrix showed that the height and covers of the dominant plant species explain significantly the variation and distribution of coastal sand dune species on Jeju island. Thus, we may propose a plan to restore the coastal dunes of Jeju island as helping colonization and establishment of mainly sand dune native perennials and trees, preserving native plant communities that are declining and preserving present tree strips of Pinus thunbergii, Litsea japonica, Pittosporum tobira and Vitex rotundifolia.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.83 no.2
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• pp.317-330
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• 2022

Purpose To evaluate the various factors that affect renal function following percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) therapy in patients with renal tumors. Materials and Methods Between 2010 and 2018, 91 patients diagnosed with renal tumors using ultrasonography and CT-guided RFA were enrolled. We retrospectively investigated the serum creatinine (SCr) level and estimated glomerular filtration rates immediately prior to RFA and during post-treatment follow-up. The patients were divided into two groups based on the degree of change in SCr level (0.3 mg/dL). Group comparisons were performed using univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses to determine the factors impacting renal function. Results Impaired renal function was associated with solitary kidney, chronic kidney disease (CKD) over stage 3, and pyeloureteral injury. Sex, age, other cancers, tumor size, location, growth pattern, and proximity to the collecting system were not significantly associated with impaired renal function. There was a difference in the overall change over time between the association with and without solitary kidney, CKD stage 3, and pyeloureteral injury. Conclusion Among the medical conditions present prior to RFA, solitary kidney and CKD over stage 3 could be considered as risk factors for impaired renal function. Post-procedural pyeloureteral injury can also be considered a risk factor.

• Journal of Korean Society of Disaster and Security
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.19-31
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• 2023

According to the climate change scenarios, the intensity of typhoons, a major factor in Korea's natural disaster, is expected to increase. The increase in typhoon intensity leads to a rise in wave heights, which is likely to cause large-scale disasters in coastal regions with high populations and building density for dwelling, industry, and tourism. This study, therefore, analyzed observation data of the Donghae ocean data buoy and conducted a numerical model simulation for wave estimations for the typhoon MAYSAK (202009) period, which showed the maximum significant wave height. The boundary conditions for wave simulations were a JMA-MSM wind field and a wind field applying the typhoon central pressure reduction rate in the SSP5-8.5 climate change scenario. As a result of the wave simulations, the wave height in front of the breakwater at Sokcho port was increased by 15.27% from 4.06 m to 4.68 m in the SSP5-8.5 scenario. Furthermore, the return period at the location of 147-2 grid point of deep-sea design wave was calculated to increase at least twice, it is necessary to improve the deep-sea design wave of return period of 50-year, which is prescriptively applied when designing coastal structures.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.695-706
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• 2020

Objective: To investigate the technical and clinical efficacy of the percutaneous insertion of a biliary metallic stent, and to identify the factors associated with biliary stent dysfunction in patients with malignant duodenobiliary obstruction. Materials and Methods: The medical records of 70 patients (39 men and 31 women; mean age, 63 years; range, 38-90 years) who were treated for malignant duodenobiliary obstruction at our institution between April 2007 and December 2018, were retrospectively reviewed. Variables found significant by univariate log-rank analysis (p < 0.2) were considered as suitable candidates for a multiple Cox's proportional hazard model. Results: The biliary stents were successfully placed in all 70 study patients. Biliary stent insertion with subsequent duodenal stent insertion was performed in 33 patients and duodenal stent insertion with subsequent biliary stent insertion was performed in the other 37 study subjects. The median patient survival and stent patency time were 107 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 78-135 days) and 270 days (95% CI, 95-444 days), respectively. Biliary stent dysfunction was observed in 24 (34.3%) cases. Multiple Cox's proportional hazard analysis revealed that the location of the distal biliary stent was the only independent factor affecting biliary stent patency (hazard ratio, 3.771; 95% CI, 1.157-12.283). The median biliary stent patency was significantly longer in patients in whom the distal end of the biliary stent was beyond the distal end of the duodenal stent (median, 327 days; 95% CI, 249-450 days), rather than within the duodenal stent (median, 170 days; 95% CI, 115-225 days). Conclusion: The percutaneous insertion of the biliary metallic stent appears to be a technically feasible, safe, and effective method of treating malignant duodenobiliary obstruction. In addition, a biliary stent system with a distal end located beyond the distal end of the duodenal stent will contribute towards longer stent patency in these patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.489-496
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• 2003

To clarify the prognostic implication of the location and number of the metastatic mediastinal nodes in resected stage IIIA N2 non-small cell lung cancer. Material and Method: One hundred and seventy-four patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer who eventually proved to have pathologic stage IIIA N2 disease were studied. Patients who received preoperative induction therapy, non-curative operation or defined as operative mortality were excluded from this study. Result: In upper lobe tumors, there was no difference in 5-year survival according to the involvement of lower mediastinal nodes (32.3% vs 25.6%, p＝0.86). In lower lobe tumors, no difference was found in 5-year survival according to the involvement of upper mediastinal nodes (25.1% vs 14.1%, p＝0.33). There was no significant difference in 5-year survival between patients with or without metastatic subcarinal node (20.9% vs 25.6%, p＝0.364). In terms of the number of metastatic mediastinal nodes, 5-year survival was better in single station group (26.3%) than multiple station group (18.3%) (p＝0.048). In multiple station N2 group, the patients who received postoperative chemotherapy and radiation therapy had better 5-year survival (34.2%) (p＝0.01). Cox's proportional hazards model revealed that the age $\geq$60 (O.R: 1.682, p＝.006), multiple station N2 (O.R: 1.503. p＝0.021), pneumonectomy (O.R: 1.562, p＝0.018), postoperative chemotherapy and radiation therapy (O.R: 0.625, p＝0.012) were the factors affecting the postoperative survival. Conclusion: Multiple station N2 disease was the important prognostic factor for postoperative survival in resected stage IIIA N2 non-small cell lung cancer. Postoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy were thought to improve the survival in case of multiple station N2 disease.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.59-76
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• 2019

Most technology-based entrepreneurship(TBE) go through an process of decline or disappear without overcoming the valley of death(VoD). The purpose of this study is to identify the growth dimension of TBE and to test the influence of firms activities on firms growth over time. This study identified the two-dimensional growth dimension divided by size and profit through exploratory factor analysis(EFA) of a number of growth indicators. Then, we defined the discrete state of growth firm in four states, divided by size and profit, and five states, including the closure of business. Multi-nomial logit model is used to predict the effect of TBE activities on a discrete state of growth firm(size×profit, closure of business) based on multiple independent variables. The independent variables are based on five representative firms activities: employment, marketing, R&D, financial activities, and general management activities. The growth stage of TBE over time has been categorized into three stages: early stage, middle stage, and late stage of business, taking into account the main periods during which the survival rate of startups sharply decreases. The analytical data of this study was based on the secondary data of the start-up supporting companies of government and public institutions. The subjects of analysis were TBE within 10 years. As a result of the empirical analysis, the employment and marketing activities of TBE show that early and mid-term activities had an effect on the state of firms growth. However, if there is a difference, employment activities have both positive and negative effects, while marketing activities have only a positive effect on size and profit growth. And besides, R&D activities, financial activities, and general management activities throughout the entire process of firms growth were found to be firms activities that have both positive and negative effects on firms growth. In addition, the age of the founder, the firms' industry, and the geographic location of the firms, which are general characteristics of the company, were found to have a distinctive effect on the growth status of the firms according to the growth stage.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.87-99
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• 2016

Purpose : This study will evaluate the clinical utility by applying clinical schematic that uses monoenergy or dual energy as according to the location of tumors to the stereotactic radiotherapy to compare the change in actual dose given to the real tumor and the dose that locates adjacent to the tumor. Materials and Methods : CT images from a total of 10 patients were obtained and the clinical planning were planned based on the volumetric modulated arc therapy on monoenergy and dual energy. To analyze the change factor in the tumor, Comformity Index(CI) and Homogeneity Index(HI) and maximum dose quantity were each calculated and comparing the dose distribution on normal tissues, $V_{10}$ and $V_5$, first ~ fourth ribs closest to the tumor ($1^{st}{\sim}4^{th}$ Rib), Spinal Cord, Esophagus and Trachea were selected. Also, in order to confirm the accuracy on which the planned dose distribution is really measured, the 2-dimensional ion chamber array was used to measure the dose distribution. Results : As of the tumor factor, CI and HI showed a number close to 1 when the two energies were used. As of the maximum dose, the front chest wall showed 2% and the dorsal tumor showed equivalent value. As of normal tissue, the front chest wall tumors were reduced by 4%, 5% when both energies were used in the adjacent rib and as of trachea, reduced by 11%, 17%. As of the dose in the lung, as of $V_{10}$, it reduced by 1.5%, $V_5$ by 1%. As of the rear chest wall, when both energies were used, the ribs adjacent to the tumors showed 6%, 1%, 4%, 12% reduction, and in the lung dose distribution, $V_{10}$ reduced by 3%, and $V_5$ reduced by 3.1%. The dose measurement in all energies were in accordance to the results of Gamma Index 3mm/3%. Conclusion : It is considered that rather than using monoenergy, utilizing double energy in the clinical setting can be more effectively applied to the superficial tumors.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.176-184
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• 2011

Cold air on sloping surfaces flows down to the valley bottom in mountainous terrain at calm and clear nights. Based on the assumption that the cold air flow may be the same as the water flow, current models estimate temperature drop by regarding the cold air accumulation at a given location as the water-like free drainage. At a closed catchment whose outlet is blocked by man-made obstacles such as banks and roads, however, the water-like free drainage assumption is no longer valid because the cold air accumulates from the bottom first. We developed an empirical model to estimate quantitatively the effect of cold pool on nocturnal temperature in a closed catchment. In our model, a closed catchment is treated like a "vessel", and a digital elevation model (DEM) was used to calculate the maximum capacity of the cold pool formed in a closed catchment. We introduce a topographical variable named "shape factor", which is the ratio of the cold air accumulation potential across the whole catchment area to the maximum capacity of the cold pool to describe the relative size of temperature drop at a wider range of catchment shapes. The shape factor is then used to simulate the density profile of cold pool formed in a given catchment based on a hypsometric equation. The cold lake module was incorporated with the existing model (i.e., Chung et al., 2006), generating a new model and predicting distribution of minimum temperature over closed catchments. We applied this model to Akyang valley (i.e., a typical closed catchment of 53 $km^2$ area) in the southern skirt of Mt. Jiri National Park where 12 automated weather stations (AWS) are operational. The performance of the model was evaluated based on the feasibility of delineating the temperature pattern accurately at cold pool forming at night. Overall, the model's ability of simulating the spatial pattern of lower temperature were improved especially at the valley bottom, showing a similar pattern of the estimated temperature with that of thermal images obtained across the valley at dawn (0520 to 0600 local standard time) of 17 May 2011. Error in temperature estimation, calculated with the root mean square error using the 10 low-lying AWSs, was substantially decreased from $1.30^{\circ}C$ with the existing model to $0.71^{\circ}C$ with the new model. These results suggest the feasibility of the new method in predicting the site-specific freeze and frost warning at a closed catchment.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.267-275
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• 1993

Eighty five patients of oral cavity cancer, treated with radiation at the Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, during the period from March 1985 to September 1990 were analyzed retrospectively. Among 85 patients, 37 patients were treated with radiation only and 48 patients were treated with radiation following surgery. And 70 patients received external irradiation only by $^{60}Co$ with or without electron, the others were 7 patients for external irradiation plus interstitial implantation and 8 patients for external irradiation plus oral cone electron therapy. Primary sites were mobile tongue for 40 patients, mouth floor for 17 patients, palate for 12 patients, gingiva including retromolar trigone for 10 patients, buccal mucosa for 5 patients, and lip for 1 patient. According to pathologic classification, squamous cell carcinoma was the most common (77 patients). According to AJC TNM stage, stage I + II were 28 patients and stage III+IV were 57 patients. Acturial overall survival rate at 3 years was $43.9\%,$ 3 year survival rates were $60.9\%$ for stage I + II, and $23.1\%$ for stage III+IV, respectively. As a prognostic factor, primary T stage was a significant factor (p<0.01). The others, age, location, lymph node metastasis, surgery, radiation dose, and cell differentiation were not statistically significant. Among those factors, radiation plus surgery was more effective than radiation only in T3+T4 or in any N stage although it was not statistically sufficient (p<0.1). From those results, it was conclusive that definitive radiotherapy was more effective than surgery especially In the view of pertainig of anatomical integrity and function in early stage, and radiation plus surgery was considered to be better therapeutic tool in advanced stage.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.63 no.1
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• pp.95-101
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• 2020

Psoriasis is an autoimmune skin disease that is accompanied by hyper proliferation of the epidermis, erythema of various sizes, and ulceration. However, the mechanism of the development of psoriasis dermatitis is unclear. Recently, it is known that the inflammatory cytokines and Th17 cells as well as chemokine (CC motif) ligand 20 (CCL20) are involved in the process of keratinocytes hyper-differentiation, which is common in psoriasis dermatitis. Therefore, we studied the effects of yakuchinone-A, an active ingredient of Alpinia oxyphylla Miquel known for its anti-inflammatory activity, to improve psoriasis dermatitis. First, cytotoxicity of yakuchinone-A was observed in cell counting kit-8 assay and not observed in 10 ㎍/mL concentration on the human keratinocyte HaCaT cells. Yakuchinone-A in the presence of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) on HaCaT cells inhibited mRNA expression of IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α by up to 61.4±7.5, 23.6±1.5, 46.0±4.8%. CCL20, a chemokine that attracts immune cells such Th17 cells to the inflammation location, was also significantly suppressed by yakuchinone-A. In addition, IκB and STAT3 phosphorylation involved in the CCL20 expression was inhibited by yakuchinone-A in a concentration-dependent manner up to the level of 79.1±5.0, 80.8±2.3%. Furthermore, yakuchinone-A downregulated CCL20 mRNA expression level on IL-17A-activated HaCaT cells as a concentration-dependent manner. Based on these results, yakuchinone-A is expected to be developed as a new material for improving psoriasis dermatitis in the future.