• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.22-28
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• 2019

This study researched the current occurrence status of viral diseases of solanaceous crops in the main production areas of Gangwon region, for four years from 2014 to 2018. From 2014 to 2018, in eight cities and counties including Chuncheon, CMV, BBWV2, PMMoV, TSWV, and PVY occurred in chilli peppers. In case of tomato, the research was performed in 2017 and 2018 while TSWV and TYLCV were verified in Chuncheon, Hoengseong, and Cheorwon. Especially, TYLCV occurred in Chuncheon region for the first time in 2017, which was verified in 2018. Lastly, the current occurrence status of viral diseases of bell peppers was researched in seven cities and counties like Gangneung, Hoengseong, and Cheorwon from 2015 to 2018. In the results, CMV, BBWV2, PMMoV, PepMoV, and TSWV were verified in bell peppers of Gangwon region. During the research period, there were no crops suspected or infected by BWYV, so that it is judged that there is no villiferous or infected aphid by this virus in Gangwon-do. Such results of this study could be used as the basic data for the stable production of crops through the early prevention of plant diseases occurring in the solanaceous crops of Gangwon region.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.265-271
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• 2019

In general, specific gravity (SG) and urinary creatinine (CR) have been used to adjust urinary cadmium (Cd) concentrations. However, the validity of correction methods has been controversial. We compared the two adjustments to evaluate associations between urinary Cd and various renal damage markers and to evaluate the relationship between urinary Cd concentration and renal disease markers, such as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), in a relatively large general population sample. Among the 1,086 volunteers who were enrolled in this study, 862 healthy volunteers who did not have kidney disease were included in the final analysis. Urinary Cd, malondialdehyde (MDA), and N-acetyl-${\beta}$-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) concentrations were measured, the creatinine-based eGFR was calculated, and the relationships between these markers were subsequently analyzed. This study showed the use of urinary Cd concentration adjusted with SG rather than with urinary creatinine may be appropriate in studies evaluating renal function based on Cd exposure. Urinary Cd concentration adjusted with SG had a positive correlation with urinary MDA levels and a negative correlation with eGFR. This relationship was relatively stronger in women than in men. This study showed that urinary Cd level was associated with decreased eGFR in the general population, and oxidative stress was likely to act as an intermediator in this process. These results suggest that eGFR can be a very good indicator of kidney damage caused by Cd exposure in the general population.

• Journal of Rhinology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.91-98
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• 2018

Background and Objectives: The present study evaluated the results of skin prick test using 55 allergens at 20 centers in the Republic of Korea in 2006, 2010, and 2014-2015. The aim was to assess changes in the positive rate of allergens according to temporal, regional, and environmental factors. Materials and Method: In total, 20 hospitals were selected based on the population distribution in the Republic of Korea. A skin prick test panel comprising 55 aeroallergens was distributed to 18 hospitals for this prospective study. The 2006 and 2010 skin prick test results were collected and analyzed retrospectively from 20 hospitals, while the 2014/2015 skin prick test results (from June 2014 to May 2015) were collected prospectively from 18 hospitals. Results: A total of 14,897 SPT test results were analyzed: 4,319 in 2006, 7,431 in 2010, and 1,852 in 2014/2015. The overall rate of skin prick test positivity to more than two allergens was significantly higher in males than females. The positive rates of alder pollens and birch, oak and ragweed pollen positivity were increased in older patients. Several positive rates were increased according to the temperature in spring. The positive rates for beech pollen, birch pollen, hazel pollen, oak pollen, Tyrophagus putrescentiae, mugwort, cat, Acarus siro, Lepidoglyphus destructor and Tyrophagus putrescentiae were significantly increased, while those of Cult rye pollen and dandelion were significantly decreased over the three test periods. The overall positive rate for allergens in Jeju province varied significantly from Seoul and other cities. Conclusion: Change in the positive rate of multiple aeroallergens was evaluated in the Republic of Korea over time. Our findings can be used to recommend aeroallergens suitable for inclusion in skin prick test panels in the Republic of Korea and will facilitate further investigation of changes in the patterns of allergic diseases.

• KIPS Transactions on Computer and Communication Systems
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• v.10 no.10
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• pp.261-268
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• 2021

Cloud computing is a computing paradigm in which users can utilize computing resources in a pay-as-you-go manner. In a cloud system, resources can be dynamically scaled up and down to the user's on-demand so that the total cost of ownership can be reduced. The Modeling and Simulation (M&S) technology is a renowned simulation-based method to obtain engineering analysis and results through CAE software without actual experimental action. In general, M&S technology is utilized in Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Multibody dynamics (MBD), and optimization fields. The work procedure through M&S is divided into pre-processing, analysis, and post-processing steps. The pre/post-processing are GPU-intensive job that consists of 3D modeling jobs via CAE software, whereas analysis is CPU or GPU intensive. Because a general-purpose desktop needs plenty of time to analyze complicated 3D models, CAE software requires a high-end CPU and GPU-based workstation that can work fluently. In other words, for executing M&S, it is absolutely required to utilize high-performance computing resources. To mitigate the cost issue from equipping such tremendous computing resources, we propose HEMOS-Cloud service, an integrated cloud and cluster computing environment. The HEMOS-Cloud service provides CAE software and computing resources to users who want to experience M&S in business sectors or academics. In this paper, the economic ripple effect of HEMOS-Cloud service was analyzed by using industry-related analysis. The estimated results of using the experts-guided coefficients are the production inducement effect of KRW 7.4 billion, the value-added effect of KRW 4.1 billion, and the employment-inducing effect of 50 persons per KRW 1 billion.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.578-586
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate the change of spatial distribution of Korean red pine (Pinus densiflora Siebold & Zucc.) in Hallasan National Park by surveying the distribution and crown density and analyzing by the elevation, slope, orientation, and regional habitat in 2006 and 2015. The total area of the Korean red pine forest was 1,259.9 ha in 2015, which increased by 51.4 ha, or 4.1%, compared to 1,208.5 ha in 2006. For the past 10 years, the area of sparse density with crown density of 11% to 40% of Korean red pine increased by 59.8 ha, the area of moderate density with crown density of 41% to 70% increased by 59.0 ha, and the area of dense density with 71% or more crown density increased by 67.3 ha. In terms of the altitude above sea level, the Korean red pine forest area between 1,010 m and 1,400 m was the largest at 1,003.0 ha or 79.6% of the total area in 2015. The area between 1,100 m and 1,300 m increased, and the area of dense density decreased significantly while the areas of moderate density and sparse density increase. There was no notable change according to the land slope, and the area increased from 2006 regardless of the slope. By direction, 56.4% were distributed in the southwest and southeast directions centered on the south-facing slope with the increase of 27.8 ha over the 10 years while the northwest and northeast directions centered on the north-facing slope decreased by 7.6 ha. Regarding the distribution change of the Korean red pine forest by the region, the Yeongsil area showed an increase of 25.5 ha, or 49.6% of the total area increase, in 2006 while the Ibseog-oreum area including the right side on the Sanbeoleum mountain valley increased by 20.4 ha. The distribution in the Gaemideung area that includes Jogeundeule increased by 7.4 ha while that of Sogbat in Sungpanak Trail decreased by 1.9 ha. This study analyzed the changes in the distribution area and crown density of the Korean red pine forest according to the altitude, slope, direction, and regional habitat in Hallasan National Park. The expansion of Korean red pine forest distribution was limited to the areas where the grass and the shrub was the dominating vegetation structure, or the forest gap was created by the disturbance. On the other hand, the distribution area of the Korean red pine forest surrounded by deciduous broad-leaved forests or mixed vegetation structure is considered to result from the change in density more than the area due to competition with deciduous broad-leaved trees.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.10-16
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• 2021

The consumption of fresh-cut agricultural materials is increasing due to increased public interest in health and the increase of single-person households. Most fresh-cut agricultural materials can be eaten without heating, thus easily exposing the consumer to food-borne pathogens. As a result, food-borne diseases are increasing worldwide. In the analysis of food-borne pathogens, it is important to detect the strains, but this is time consuming and laborious. Alternative detection methods that have been introduced, include polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE), which is performed without prior culturing. Samples of fresh-cut agricultural materials, such as vegetables, were analyzed by the culture-based method. In 129 samples, non-pathogenic Escherichia coli (3.9%), Bacillus cereus (31.8%), Clostridium perfringens (5.4%), Yersinia enterocolitica (0.8%), and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (0.8%) were detected. Eight samples contaminated with bacteria were randomly selected, further analyzed by PCR-DGGE, and compared with the culture-based method. Two cases detected non-pathogenic E. coli by PCR-DGGE only, despite a lack of detection by the culture method. It was supposed there was possibility of sample loss during its 10-fold dilution for appropriate cultivation. In the detection of high-risk food-borne pathogens, it was found that the detection limit was lower in PCR-DGGE than in the culture-based method (10 CFU/g). This suggests that PCR-DGGE can be alternatively used to detect strains. On the other hand, low-risk food-borne pathogens seem to have higher detection limits in PCR-DGGE. Consequentially, this study contributes to the improvement of food-borne pathogen detection and the prevention of its related-diseases in fresh-cut agricultural materials.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.599-609
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• 2021

A novel grounding system, which is presented in IEC 60364, has been adopted since 2021. A safety evaluation for the human body on the grounding system is required due to the various characteristics of the touch voltage and current passing when the human body experiences an electric shock. The Korea Electrical Safety Corporation (KESCO) and Korea Electric Association (KEA) have been conducting a safety technical education on the grounding system. On the other hand, it is difficult to instruct the electrical safety manager because of a lack of safety evaluations for the test equipment on the grounding system. Therefore, this paper modeled and implemented a test device for a safety evaluation depending on the grounding system of IEC 60364. Namely, this paper presents the modeling of the test device for a safety evaluation using PSCAD/EMTDC S/W, which is composed of an AC grid section, s test device section on the grounding system, and a sub-device section. This paper implemented a test device for safety evaluation, which consisted of an AC grid section, TT grounding system section, TN-S grounding system section, and monitoring section. From the simulation and test results with the safety characteristics of the human body in the TT and TN-S grounding system, when the fault impedances are 0[Ω], 10[Ω], and 100[Ω], the currents passing through the human body in the TT grounding system are 104[mA], 87.4[mA], and 35.5[mA], respectively. The corresponding currents in the TN-S grounding system are 54.9[mA], 4.1[mA], and 0.4[mA], respectively. Based on the results, the protection performance for an electric shock to the human body in the TN-S system is better than the TT system. This can be improved when the existing grounding system is changed from the TT system to the TN-S system.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.85 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 2022

Background: Although respiratory tract infection is one of the most important factors triggering acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AE-COPD), limited data are available to suggest an epidemiologic pattern of microbiology in South Korea. Methods: A multicenter observational study was conducted between January 2015 and December 2018 across 28 hospitals in South Korea. Adult patients with moderate-to-severe acute exacerbations of COPD were eligible to participate in the present study. The participants underwent all conventional tests to identify etiology of microbial pathogenesis. The primary outcome was the percentage of different microbiological pathogens causing AE-COPD. A comparative microbiological analysis of the patients with overlapping asthma-COPD (ACO) and pure COPD was performed. Results: We included 1,186 patients with AE-COPD. Patients with pure COPD constituted 87.9% and those with ACO accounted for 12.1%. Nearly half of the patients used an inhaled corticosteroid-containing regimen and one-fifth used systemic corticosteroids. Respiratory pathogens were found in 55.3% of all such patients. Bacteria and viruses were detected in 33% and 33.2%, respectively. Bacterial and viral coinfections were found in 10.9%. The most frequently detected bacteria were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9.8%), and the most frequently detected virus was influenza A (10.4%). Multiple bacterial infections were more likely to appear in ACO than in pure COPD (8.3% vs. 3.6%, p=0.016). Conclusion: Distinct microbiological patterns were identified in patients with moderate-to-severe AE-COPD in South Korea. These findings may improve evidence-based management of patients with AE-COPD and represent the basis for further studies investigating infectious pathogens in patients with COPD.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.33
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• pp.9-14
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• 2021

This study examined dose change depending on the reposition error of the junction at the time of treatment with multi-isocenter volumetric modulated arc therapy. This study selected a random treatment region in the Arccheck Phantom and established the treatment plan for multi-isocenter volumetric modulated arc therapy. Then, after setting the error of the junction at 0 ~ 4 mm in the X (left), Y (upper), and Z (inner and outer) directions, the area was irradiated using a linear accelerator; the point doses and gamma indexes obtained through the Phantom were subsequently analyzed. It was found that when errors of 2 and 4 mm took place in the X and Y directions, the gamma pass rates (point doses) were 99.3% (2.085) and 98% (2.079 Gy) in the former direction and 98.5% (2.088) and 95.5% (2.093 Gy) in the latter direction, respectively. In addition, when errors of 1, 2, and 4 mm occurred in the inner and outer parts of the Z direction, the gamma pass rates (point doses) were found to be 94.8% (2.131), 82.6% (2.164), and 72.8% (2.22 Gy) in the former part and 93.4% (2.069), 90.6% (2.047), and 79.7% (1.962 Gy) in the latter part, respectively. In the X and Y directions, errors up to 4 mm were tolerable; however, in the Z direction, error values exceeding 1 mm were beyond the tolerance level. This suggests that for high and low dose areas, errors in the direction same as the progress direction in the treatment region have a more sensitive dose distribution. If the guidelines for set-up errors are established at the institutional level through continuous research in the future, it will be possible to provide good quality treatment using junctions.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2022

Natural products have gained increasing attention due to their advantage of long-term safety and low toxicity for a very long time. Torreya nucifera is widespread in southern Korea and Jeju Island and its seeds are commonly used as edible food. Oriental ingredients have often been reported for their insecticidal, antioxidant and antibacterial properties, but there have not yet been any studies on their antidiabetic effect. In this study, we investigated several biological activities of T. nucifera pericarp (TNP) and seeds (TNS) extracts and proceeded to characterize the antidiabetic compounds of TNS. The initial results suggested that TNS extract at 15 and 10 ㎍/ml concentration has inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B, that is 14.5 and 4.35 times higher than TNP, respectively. Thus, the stronger antidiabetic TNS was selected for the subsequent experiments to characterize its active compounds. Ultrafiltration was used to determine the apparent molecular weight of the active compounds, showing 300 kDa or more. Finally the mixture was then partially purified using Diaion HP-20 column chromatography by eluting with 50~100% methanol. Therefore we concluded that the active compounds of TNS have potential as therapeutic agents in functional food or supplemental treatment to improve diabetic diseases.