• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.107-115
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• 2019

Recently, since earthquakes have happened frequently in Gyeongju and Pohang areas in Korea, the earthquake detection research gets lots of attention. Geophysical monitoring data have been changed during the earthquake activity because the huge amount of energy is accumulated. The change of telluric current can be predicted by both of piezoelectric and electrokinetic effects before or during the earthquake occurrence, and if the change value exceeds the conventional telluric current noise, we can measure changes in the electric field associated with earthquakes. In this study, we have self-developed and verified the system that can monitor the telluric current. In order to verify our telluric current monitoring system, we installed lines of 40 m (E-W direction) and 28 m (N-S direction) on the site in Pohang. The telluric currents were sampled at 1 kHz for about a month. We have compared and analyzed the data of earthquake signals and electrical noises based on the earthquakes that occurred during the monitoring period. We have monitored if there were significant signals related to the earthquake on measured time series data. Through this study, we will suggest the direction of continuous research in the future.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.217-224
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• 2021

Fluoroquinolone (FQ) resistant gram-negative pathogens have emerged worldwide, and the recent increase in FQ resistant Escherichia coli is of great concern in Korea. This study investigated FQ resistance determinants and the epidemiological relationship of 56 ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli isolated from a tertiary hospital in Daejeon, South Korea from June to December 2018. Molecular epidemiology was investigated by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequence analysis were performed to identify chromosomal mutations in the quinolone resistance determining regions (QRDR) of gyrA, gyrB, parC, and parE and to describe the occurrence of the following plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes: aac(6)-Ib-cr, qepA, qnrA, qnrB, qnrC, qnrD, and qnrS. MLST analysis showed 12 sequence types (STs) and the most prevalent ST was ST131 (31/56, 55.4%), followed by ST1193 (13/56, 23.2%), and ST405 (3/56, 5.4%). In 56 ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli isolates, Ser83→Leu and Asp87→Asn in gyrA and Ser80→Ile and Glu84→Val in parC (51.8%, 29/56) were the most frequent amino acid substitutions and aac(6)-Ib-cr (33.9%, 19/56) was the most common PMQR gene. These results of FQ resistance determinants were more frequently observed in ST131 compared with other clones. Continuous monitoring of the epidemiological characteristics of ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli isolates and further investigation of FQ resistance determinants are necessary.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.344-352
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• 2023

Background: With its developed port and related industries, the concentration of fine dust is high in Busan compared to other cities in South Korea. Many studies have reported the health effects of fine dust, but there has been a lack of information regarding concentrations of volatile organic compounds among those who exposed to high levels of fine dust. Objectives: This study aimed to define an area with high concentrations of particulate matter and perform biomonitoring surveys among the residents of the area. Methods: Air quality data was collected and the mean level of each district in Busan was derived. We then defined the area with the highest concentrations of PM₁₀ as a target site. Urine samples were collected from the 400 participants and analyzed for VOCs metabolites - trans,trans-Muconic Acid (t,t-MA) and N-AcetylS-(benzyl)-L-cysteine (BMA). Interviews were conducted by trained investigators to examine demographic information. The levels of t,t-MA and BMA were compared with representative South Korean population data (Korean National Environmental Health Survey). The association of the VOC metabolites and fine dust were analyzed by general linear regression analysis. Results: The mean of PM₁₀ in the target site was 42.50 ㎍/m³ from 2018 to 2020. Among the 400 participants in the target site, 74.8% were female and the average age of the participants was 66 years. The geometric mean of t,t-MA was 71.15 ㎍/g creatinine and the BMA was 7.00 ㎍/g creatinine among the residents. The levels were higher than the geometric mean from the 4th KoNEHS. The levels of t,t-MA showed significance in BMI, smoking status, and household income. BMA showed significance in gender and age. Conclusions: Compared to the general population of South Korea, the target site's residents had higher biomonitoring levels. Based on this study, continuous screening for high risk areas, including the target site, and biomonitoring of the residents are required.

• Annals of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.258-263
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• 2023

Backgrounds/Aims: Hemangiomas are the most common benign liver lesions; however, they are usually asymptomatic and seldom require surgery. Enucleation and resection are the most commonly performed surgical procedures for symptomatic lesions. This study aims to compare the outcomes of these two surgical techniques. Methods: A retrospective analysis of symptomatic hepatic hemangiomas (HH) operated upon between 2000 and 2021. Patients were categorized into the enucleation and resection groups. Demographic profile, intraoperative bleeding, and morbidity (Clavien-Dindo Grade) were compared. Independent t-test and chi-square tests were used for continuous and categorical variables respectively. p-value of < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Sixteen symptomatic HH patients aged 30 to 66 years underwent surgery (enucleation = 8, resection = 8) and majority were females (n = 10 [62.5%]). Fifteen patients presented with abdominal pain, and one patient had an interval increase in the size of the lesion from 9 to 12 cm. The size of hemangiomas varied from 6 to 23 cm. The median blood loss (enucleation: 350 vs. resection: 600 mL), operative time (enucleation: 5.8 vs. resection: 7.5 hours), and postoperative hospital stay (enucleation: 6.5 vs. resection: 11 days) were greater in the resection group (statistically insignificant). In the resection group, morbidity was significantly higher (62.6% vs. 12.5%, p = 0.05), including one mortality. All patients remained asymptomatic during the follow-up. Conclusions: Enucleation was simpler with less morbidity as compared to resection in our series. However, considering the small number of patients, further studies are needed with comparable groups to confirm the superiority of enucleation over resection.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.98-104
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• 1994

Effects of paddy-upland rotation system on nutrients distribution in soil profile and nutrient balance were studied in paddy fields from 1989 to 1993. The obtained results are summarized as follows. 1. $NO_3{^-}-N$, Av.$P_2O_5$, Ex.-K, and EC were high by small extent in surface layer of 0~20cm soil depth without the sign of salt movement to deeper layers. On the contrary Ex.-ca, Ex.-Mg, and pH became high with increase of soil depths. 2. $NO_3{^-}-N$, Av.$P_2O_5$, Ex.-K, and EC in surface soil were high in the order of Converted, Paddy-Upland Rotation, Potato-Chinese Cabbage>2 Year, Rotation, Potato-Chinese Cabbage>Converted, Paddy-Upland Rotation, Soybean>Continous Paddy, which responded well to fertilizer application rates. On the other hand Ex.-Ca, Ex.-Mg, and pH in whole layers were high in the order of Converted, Paddy-Upland Rotation, Soybean>Converted, Paddy-Upland Rptation, Potato-Chinese Cabbage>2 Year, Rotation, Potato-Chinese Cabbage>Continuous Paddy, which largely depended on plant absorption. 3. Nutrient balance in upland cropping system cultivating potato and Chinese cabbage showed that the input of chemical fertilizer of nitrogen and potassium was less than the plant uptake, while it was reverse for phosphorus with much gap between fertilizer input and plant uptake. Therefore, phosporous was expected to be accumulated by 27kg/10a every year. 4. Nutrient balance in upland cropping system cultivating soybean showed that nitrogen was not deficient to soybean crops even the chemical fertilizer input was less than plant uptake because of nitrogen fixation by rhizobia. However, there was about 1kg/10a deficit of potassium, which resulted dificiency symptom in the middle stage of soybean growth. For phosphorous there was excess of 4kg/10a, which was expected to be short for maintaining phosphorous fertility of upland soils.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.143-159
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• 2017

Due to the rapid development of IT in recent years, not only personal information but also the key technologies and information leakage that companies have are becoming important issues. For the enterprise, the core technology that the company possesses is a very important part for the survival of the enterprise and for the continuous competitive advantage. Recently, there have been many cases of technical infringement. Technology leaks not only cause tremendous financial losses such as falling stock prices for companies, but they also have a negative impact on corporate reputation and delays in corporate development. In the case of SMEs, where core technology is an important part of the enterprise, compared to large corporations, the preparation for technological leakage can be seen as an indispensable factor in the existence of the enterprise. As the necessity and importance of Information Security Management (ISM) is emerging, it is necessary to check and prepare for the threat of technology infringement early in the enterprise. Nevertheless, previous studies have shown that the majority of policy alternatives are represented by about 90%. As a research method, literature analysis accounted for 76% and empirical and statistical analysis accounted for a relatively low rate of 16%. For this reason, it is necessary to study the management model and prediction model to prevent leakage of technology to meet the characteristics of SMEs. In this study, before analyzing the empirical analysis, we divided the technical characteristics from the technology value perspective and the organizational factor from the technology control point based on many previous researches related to the factors affecting the technology leakage. A total of 12 related variables were selected for the two factors, and the analysis was performed with these variables. In this study, we use three - year data of "Small and Medium Enterprise Technical Statistics Survey" conducted by the Small and Medium Business Administration. Analysis data includes 30 industries based on KSIC-based 2-digit classification, and the number of companies affected by technology leakage is 415 over 3 years. Through this data, we conducted a randomized sampling in the same industry based on the KSIC in the same year, and compared with the companies (n = 415) and the unaffected firms (n = 415) 1:1 Corresponding samples were prepared and analyzed. In this research, we will conduct an empirical analysis to search for factors influencing technology leakage, and propose an early warning system through data mining. Specifically, in this study, based on the questionnaire survey of SMEs conducted by the Small and Medium Business Administration (SME), we classified the factors that affect the technology leakage of SMEs into two factors(Technology Characteristics, Organization Characteristics). And we propose a model that informs the possibility of technical infringement by using Support Vector Machine(SVM) which is one of the various techniques of data mining based on the proven factors through statistical analysis. Unlike previous studies, this study focused on the cases of various industries in many years, and it can be pointed out that the artificial intelligence model was developed through this study. In addition, since the factors are derived empirically according to the actual leakage of SME technology leakage, it will be possible to suggest to policy makers which companies should be managed from the viewpoint of technology protection. Finally, it is expected that the early warning model on the possibility of technology leakage proposed in this study will provide an opportunity to prevent technology Leakage from the viewpoint of enterprise and government in advance.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.193-204
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• 2000

Nowadays, mongolian gerbil is widely utilized in the research of brain and water deprivation because of congenitally incomplete Willis' circle, audiogenic seizure in low noise, and special cholesterol metabolism without water absorption for a long time. In this study, we intended to identify the time lapse changes in the general morphoogy and ultrastructure of the catecholaminergic neurons of mongolian gerbil brain in after long-term water deprivation. Fifteen mongolian gerbils were divided into 3 groups (5, 10, and 20-day water deprivation groups), each with 5 mongolian gerbils. Additional 5 mongolian gerbils which received water without limitation were used as a control. The brain sections were immunostained using tyrosine hysroxylase (TH), $ dopamine-\beta-hydroxylase$ (DBH), and phenylethanolamine-N-methyltrasferase (PMNT) antibodies. And immunoreactive cells were observed by electromicroscopy for the ultrastructural changes . The TH-immunoreactive (TH-IR) nerve cells were observed in the para- and peri-ventricular nucleus of the 3 rd ventricle in the hypothalamus and the substantia nigra. The number of TH-IR neurons in these areas was decreased from the 5th day of the water deprivation to the 10 th day and reincreased until 20 th day water deprivation. The shape and density of the dopamine-secreting cells identified by immunohistochemistry showed changes in the continuous water deprivation. Electron microscopy revealed a round nucleus in the neurons of control group but 5-day water deprivation group showed a dense and irregularly shaped nucleus. Also in the 5-day water-deprived group, mitochondria was decreased in number and junctins were disappered. Endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi complex did not show changes after water-deprivation. In this results, we can conclude that dopamine are involved in the water metabolism in mongolian gerbil, and mongolian gerbil could be used as an animal model for the researches of water deprivation.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.239-253
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• 1999

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of various kinds of composts on the change of soil chemical properties in upland soils. Field experiments were conducted in the loam and sandy loam soils. Various kinds of composts such as poultry manure compost(PMC), cow manure compost(CMC), human excrement sludge(HES), and food industrial sludge compost(FISC) were applied annually at rates of 0, 40, and $80Mg\;ha^{-1}$ to soils grown with soybean and maize plants for 4 years during 1994 to 1997. The results of this study were as follows : The continuous application of human excrement sludge decreased soil pH up to 4.4~5.0, while other compost treatments increased soil pH compared with control plot. The EC increased initially and showed their maximum values at 20days after compost application, and then decreased up to 40 days, thereafter kept a certain level. The available phosphorous accumulated at 0~20cm depth in loam soil, and 0~50cm in sandy loam soil. Annual accumulation rates were 17% higher in sandy loam soil than loam soil. The more compost application rates and times, the higher base saturation percentage increased in upland soils. Four year's application at a rate of $80Mg\;ha^{-1}$ per year increased the base saturation percentage to 87~91% compared with 45% at control plot in the loam soil. While in sandy loam soil only three year's application of same rate increased the base saturation percentage to 81~92% compared with 30.4% at control plot. The average annual increasing rate of base saturation percentage at the same application rates of composts were higher in sandy loam soil by 2.0~3.7 times than in loam soil. The application of compost increased the exchangeable Ca, Mg, and K contents of soils by 2, 2~3, and 3~5 times, respectively, compared with the control. The contents of exchangeable canons were high in surface soil. and decreased with increase of soil depths. In the case of heavy metal content, there were no difference at the application of PMC and CMC but Ni. Fe, Zn, Cu was increased a little when the HES applied, and Ni and Cr was increased application with FISC.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.495-508
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• 2019

Tidal datums are key and basic information used in fields of navigation, coastal structures' design, maritime boundary delimitation and inundation warning. In Korea, the Approximate Lowest Low Water (ALLW) and the Approximate Highest High Water (AHHW) have been used as levels of tidal datums for depth, coastline and vertical clearances in hydrography and coastal engineering fields. However, recently the major maritime countries including USA, Australia and UK have adopted the Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT) and the Highest Astronomical Tide (HAT) as the tidal datums. In this study, 1-hr interval 19-year sea level records (1999-2017) observed at 9 tidal observation stations along the west and south coasts of Korea were used to calculate LAT and HAT for each station using 1-minute interval 19-year tidal prediction data yielded through three tidal harmonic methods: 19 year vector average of tidal harmonic constants (Vector Average Method, VA), tidal harmonic analysis on 19 years of continuous data (19-year Method, 19Y) and tidal harmonic analysis on one year of data (1-year Method, 1Y). The calculated LAT and HAT values were quantitatively compared with the ALLW and AHHW values, respectively. The main causes of the difference between them were explored. In this study, we used the UTide, which is capable of conducting 19-year record tidal harmonic analysis and 19 year tidal prediction. Application of the three harmonic methods showed that there were relatively small differences (mostly less than ±1 cm) of the values of LAT and HAT calculated from the VA and 19Y methods, revealing that each method can be mutually and effectively used. In contrast, the standard deviations between LATs and HATs calculated from the 1Y and 19Y methods were 3~7 cm. The LAT (HAT) differences between the 1Y and 19Y methods range from -16.4 to 10.7 cm (-8.2 to 14.3 cm), which are relatively large compared to the LAT and HAT differences between the VA and 19Y methods. The LAT (HAT) values are, on average, 33.6 (46.2) cm lower (higher) than those of ALLW (AHHW) along the west and south coast of Korea. It was found that the S_a and N₂ tides significantly contribute to these differences. In the shallow water constituents dominated area, the M₄ and MS₄ tides also remarkably contribute to them. Differences between the LAT and the ALLW are larger than those between the HAT and the AHHW. The asymmetry occurs because the LAT and HAT are calculated from the amplitudes and phase-lags of 67 harmonic constituents whereas the ALLW and AHHW are based only on the amplitudes of the 4 major harmonic constituents.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.164-171
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• 2005

The aim of this study was to evaluate the load of nutrient from paddy fields. Water management practices that can reduce eutrophication and meet water quality requirements will also be addressed. Continuous monitoring from May to September in 2002 and 2003 was conducted for water quantification and qualification at the intensive paddy fields in Icheon, Gyunggi province of Korea. Water balance and concentration variation of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water were independently compared for water quality assessment at each rice cultivation period. Rice land preparation and transplanting periods usually marked the highest water demand when compared to other periods of cultivation. Overall, a greater net irrigation ratio was observed during the transplanting period in 2002 (92.3%) and 2003 (87.2%). The measured total N loads of precipitation, irrigation, drainage, and percolation during the rice cultivation period were 9.9, 41.6, 22.1, and $5.5kg\;ha^{-1}$ for 2002 and 15.8, 55.4, 17.3, and $7.5kg\;ha^{-1}$ for 2003, respectively. The measured total P loads of precipitation, irrigation, drainage, and percolation during the rice cultivation period were 2.1, 13.0, 3.6, and $1.8kg\;ha^{-1}$ for 2002 and 1.6, 15.0, 5.0, and $1.2kg\;ha^{-1}$ for 2003, respectively. Daily nutrient load followed the pattern of surface drainage water, but this pattern was changed by rainfall events. The nutrient load in drainage water depends on rainfall and surface drainage water amount from the paddy fields. Interestingly, the load of total N and total P output was smaller than the input load due to the natural infiltration that Occurred during the rice cultivation period. It is concluded that the paddy fields have a beneficial effect on the ecosystem and can reduce eutrophication in the water.