• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.615-628
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• 2023

Purpose: Increasing levels of domestic fine dust (DFD) have emerged as a serious problem that threatens public health by causing chronic respiratory diseases and skin aging. The present study was performed to investigate the inhibitory effects of Gryllus bimaculatus (the two-spotted cricket), which has recently attracted attention as an edible insect in South Korea, on DFD-induced aging and inflammation. Methods: To verify that DFD causes skin aging and investigate the anti-aging effect of an aqueous ethanolic-Gryllus bimaculatus extract (AE-GBE), human diploid fibroblasts (HDF) were treated with 100 ㎍/mL of European reference material (ERM)-CZ100 dust for 24 hrs in the presence or absence of 100 ㎍/ml AE-GBE. Aging and cellular toxicities were assessed by measuring reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, DNA fragmentation, and β-galactosidase activity. The protein levels of cyclooxygenase (COX) 2, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, and collagen were measured by western blot, and the mRNA expressions of inflammation-related genes were assayed by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Results: Treatment with ERM-CZ100 induced an aged phenotype in HDF cells, as evidenced by increased ROS levels, DNA fragmentation, and senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity, but cotreatment with AE-GBE significantly reduced these inductions. The mRNA expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, induced by ERM-CZ100 were also reduced by AE-GBE cotreatment, which also reduced COX2 expression. Moreover, ERM-CZ100-induced MMP-1 expression and reduced collagen type I expression were recovered by AE-GBE treatment. Conclusion: These results suggest that AE-GBE is a potential treatment for domestic fine dust-induced skin inflammation and inflammaging.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.75-87
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• 2023

This study presents an experimental design for demonstrating the role of nature-based solutions to climate change in the landscape and garden sector. The study suggests spatial strategies for a carbon-neutral society and its role as a cultural industry. This paper describes the use of a low-maintenance garden as part of a strategy for carbon reduction with the goal of protecting the environment and forming a carbon-neutral society. To this end, this study involved the design and construction of a realistic model garden to provide scientific data on the functions, spatial elements, and carbon neutrality of carbon-reducing gardens. The target site is located in the Sejong National Arboretum. The test area in which the carbon-reducing function is measured is located in the centre of the site, and other spaces include dry gardens, community gardens, and flower gardens intended for exhibition and relaxation. The experimental area is divided into several smaller areas within which the carbon-reducing effect is analysed according to the amount of biochar installed, the planting density, and the plant species present. The application of facilities and construction methods to promote carbon reduction were based on the method known as '10 types of carbon gardening for the earth'. In the model garden, we employed rainwater utilization facilities and used low-carbon certified wood and local materials. The carbon reduction effect of each facility and construction method is compared and presented here. The results are expected to serve as an important basis for realizing a carbon-neutral society and can be used as a reference in various fields that require sustainable development, such as the garden industry.

• Journal of Venture Innovation
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.61-72
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• 2023

In December 2020, the Fair Trade Act related to South Korea's separation of industrial capital was amended, and it was announced that the amendments would come into effect one year later, on December 30, 2021. The amendment's content involved breaking the previous principle of separating industrial capital from financial market penetration, allowing for the ownership of shares in general holding companies, small business startup investment companies, and technology business finance specialist companies. While the previous law was based on total issued shares' ownership, there were fluctuations in the subsequent trends of annual establishment and investment counts, as well as strategic investment counts of CVC (Corporate Venture Capital) before and after the law's amendment. CVC and IVC (Independent Venture Capital) are characterized differently based on their investment purposes, fund management types, and investment types. In this regard, the relaxation of the separation of industrial capital law is expected to have a positive impact on the future of the venture investment ecosystem and innovation ecosystem. In this study, we analyze the trends in the establishment count, investment count, and strategic investment count of domestic CVC from 2018, before the law amendment, to May 2023. Using 2021, the year the amended separation of industrial capital law was implemented, as a reference point, we examine changes in the trend. The analysis results indicate a significant increase in domestic CVC in 2021 compared to the previous year, along with an increase in investment counts, strategic investment counts, and the amount of investment in strategic investments. Based on these findings, this study suggests directions for further research related to future domestic CVC investment, strategic investment, and the activation of the venture investment market.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.785-791
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• 2023

Risk management is essential for preventing accidents arising from uncertainties in TBM tunnel projects, especially concerning managing the risk of TBM tunnel collapse, which can cause extensive damage from the tunnel face to the ground surface. In addition, prioritizing risks is necessary to allocate resources efficiently within time and cost constraints. Therefore, this study aimed to establish a TBM risk database through case studies of TBM accidents and determine a risk priority for TBM tunnel collapse using the Bayes theorem. The database consisted of 87 cases, dealing with three accidents and five geological sources. Applying the Bayes theorem to the database, it was found that fault zones and weak ground significantly increased the probability of tunnel collapse, while the other sources showed low correlations with collapse. Therefore, the risk priority for TBM tunnel collapse, considering geological sources, is as follows: 1) Fault zone, 2) Weak ground, 3) Mixed ground, 4) High in-situ stress, and 5) Expansive ground. In practice, the derived risk priority can serve as a valuable reference for risk management, enhancing the safety and efficiency of TBM construction. It provides guidance for developing appropriate countermeasure plans and allocating resources effectively to mitigate the risk of TBM tunnel collapse.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.27.1-27.9
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• 2023

Lespedeza cuneata (LC) is a perennial plant used in herbal medicine to treat numerous diseases, including prostatic hyperplasia, diabetes, early atherosclerosis, and hematuria. Reference collections of bioactive compounds of LC are crucial for the determination of their pharmacological properties. However, little is known regarding its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects in alveolar macrophage (MH-S) cells. This study examined whether LC can inhibit reactive oxygen species and Coal fly ash (CFA) induced inflammation in MH-S cells. The anti-oxidative effects of LC were evaluated using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assays, anti-inflammatory effects were examined using nitric oxide (NO) assay, and cytotoxicity was analyzed using methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay. The expression of inflammatory cytokine genes was assessed through a reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Our results revealed that LC exhibited high radical scavenging activity and a dose-dependent (7.8-1,000 ㎍/mL) inhibition of oxidation as compared to ascorbic acid and Trolox. It also inhibited CFA-induced NO production in MH-S cells. Moreover, it suppressed the CFA exposure-mediated expression of pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines, including inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α. These results suggest that LC is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent that can be useful as a nutraceutical product.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.82-96
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• 2024

While analyzing traffic flow, speed, traffic volume, and density are important macroscopic indicators, and acceleration and spacing are the important microscopic indicators. The speed and traffic volume can be collected with the currently installed traffic information collection devices. However, acceleration and spacing data are necessary for safety and autonomous driving but cannot be collected using the current traffic information collection devices. 'You Look Only Once'(YOLO), an object recognition technique, has excellent accuracy and real-time performance and is used in various fields, including the transportation field. In this study, to measure acceleration and spacing using YOLO, we developed a model that measures acceleration and spacing through changes in vehicle speed at each interval and the differences in the travel time between vehicles by setting the measurement intervals closely. It was confirmed that the range of acceleration and spacing is different depending on the traffic characteristics of each point, and a comparative analysis was performed according to the reference distance and screen angle to secure the measurement rate. The measurement interval was 20m, and the closer the angle was to a right angle, the higher the measurement rate. These results will contribute to the analysis of safety by intersection and the domestic vehicle behavior model.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.547-558
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• 2007

The purpose of this study is to compare inquiry activities in science textbooks' physics contents for Korean secondary schools with those of Singapore in order to provide a reference for further improvement of inquiry activities in Korean science textbooks. We analyzed inquiry activities using the framework of Millar et al.(1998) and Chinn & Malhotra (2002). The results of this study are as follows: There are differences between Korean and Singaporean inquiry activities in the area of 'learning objectives', 'students' thinking activities' and 'degree of openness'. In the area of 'learning objectives', the Korean textbooks have more activities associated with the learning of science content than those in Singaporean, whereas the Singaporean textbooks have more activities associated with the processes of scientific inquiry than in Korean textbooks. In the area of 'students' thinking activities', the Singaporean textbooks have activities like 'test a prediction', which Korean textbooks lack. The 'degree of openness' is higher in Singaporean textbooks than in Korean textbooks. And some differences in the area of 'authentic scientific inquiry' between Korean and Singaporean textbooks were also found. While the Korean textbooks do not have any activities associated with 'generating research questions', the Singaporean ones feature such activities. In the area of 'designing studies', the Singaporean textbooks have activities corresponding to 'selecting variables' and 'controlling variables', while the Korean ones never have such activities. The results of this study imply that it is necessary to balance inquiry activities in the area of 'learning objectives', 'students' thinking activities' and 'degree of openness', and to present activities close to authentic scientific inquiry in inquiry activities in textbooks.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.77-85
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• 2023

In this research, polymeric anionic surfactants having various molecular weights and acid values were synthesized using a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR). The CSTR has an advantage of higher production rate and more constant product properties compared to batch and semi-batch reactors. The polymeric surfactants were made using butyl acrylate as a hydrophobic group and acrylic acid as a hydrophilic group. The synthesized polymeric surfactants were ionized with alkali solution and were used as an anionic surfactant. To investigate the properties as a surfactant, the properties of the synthesized surfactant, such as acid value, critical micelle concentration (CMC) and molecular weight, were measured. The results showed that the acid values of the polymeric surfactants were 60 to 380 and a number average molecular weight were 8,000 to 13,000 g/mol. Also, it was found that the CMC was around 0.01 g/ml, which showed similar level values with ordinary surfactant. To prove the performance of the polymeric surfactant, acrylic emulsion PSAs were synthesized using the acquired polymeric surfactant. The results showed that the maximum peel strength of 21.24 N/25mm when acid value was 150 and molecular weight was 8,500 g/mol. The values of peel strength and initial tack of acrylic emulsion PSAs using polymeric surfactant synthesized in this study showed much higher than those of reference PSAs synthesized using ordinary anionic surfactant, SDS (Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate) and SDS/TRX (Triton X-100).

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.84 no.6
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• pp.1324-1336
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• 2023

Purpose This study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of cardiac CT and transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) depending on the degree of valvular calcification and bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) subtype. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included 266 consecutive patients (106 with BAV and 160 with tricuspid aortic valve) who underwent cardiac CT and TTE before aortic valve replacement. Cardiac CT was used to evaluate the morphology of the aortic valve, and a calcium scoring scan was used to quantify valve calcium. The aortic valves were classified into fused and two-sinus types. The diagnostic accuracy of cardiac CT and TTE was calculated using a reference standard for intraoperative inspection. Results CT demonstrated significantly higher sensitivity, negative predictive value, and accuracy than TTE in detecting BAV (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p = 0.003, respectively). The TTE sensitivity tended to decrease as valvular calcification increased. The error rate of TTE for CT was 10.9% for the twosinus type of BAV and 28.3% for the fused type (p = 0.044). Conclusion Cardiac CT had a higher diagnostic performance in detecting BAV than TTE and may help diagnose BAV, particularly in patients with severe valvular calcification.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.511-522
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• 2024

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The study examined the association between homocysteine and diabetes mellitus in patients with H-type hypertension and assessed the possible effect modifiers. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 1,255 eligible participants in the 'H-type Hypertension Management and Stroke Prevention Strategic International Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Project' among rural Chinese people with H-type hypertension. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to evaluate the relationship between homocysteine and diabetes mellitus. RESULTS: The mean level of total homocysteine (tHcy) in the diabetes mellitus population was 19.37 μmol/L, which was significantly higher than the non-diabetic patients (18.18 μmol/L). When tHcy was analyzed as a continuous variable, the odds ratio (OR) of diabetes was 1.17 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.35; per interquartile range). When tHcy was stratified according to the quintile, the ORs for diabetes were 2.86 (95% CI, 1.22-6.69) in the highest quintile (tHcy ≥ 20.60 μmol/L) compared to the reference group (tHcy < 12.04 μmol/L). When tHcy was grouped by 15 μmol/L and 20 μmol/L, patients with tHcy ≥ 20 μmol/L had a significantly (P = 0.037) higher risk of diabetes (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.04-3.96) than in those with tHcy < 15 μmol/L. Subgroup analysis showed that the tHcy-diabetes association was unaffected by other variables. CONCLUSION: In this study of rural Chinese people with H-type hypertension, the tHcy levels showed a positive association with diabetes mellitus. This independent association is unaffected by other potential risk factors.