• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.46 no.2
• /
• pp.111-125
• /
• 2022

Background: Zanthoxylum armatum is one of the 30 prioritized medicinal plants for economic development of Nepal with a high trade value. Understanding the ecology of individual species is important for conservation and cultivation purposes. However, relation of ecological factors on the distribution and populations of Z. armatum in Nepal remain unknown. To address this knowledge gap, an attempt has been made to study the population structure, distribution, and regeneration potentiality of Z. armatum. Vegetation sampling was conducted at six different localities of Salyan district along the elevation range of 1,000 m to 2,000 m. Results: Altogether 50 plant species belonging to 44 genera under 34 families were found to be associated with Z. armatum. Significantly higher species richness was found at Rim (1,400-1,700 m) and Chhatreshwori (1,800-2,000 m) and lower at Kupinde (1,600-1,800 m). The highest population density of Z. armatum was at Kupinde (1,600-1,800 m) with a total of 1,100 individuals/ha. and the lowest at Chhatreshwori (1,800-2,000 m) with 740 individuals/ha. Based on the A/F value (Whitford index), it can be said that Z. armatum has random distribution in the study area. The plants were categorized into seedlings, saplings and adults based on plant height and the status of natural regeneration category determined. The regeneration potentiality of Z. armatum in the study area was fair with the average seedlings and saplings densities of 150 and 100 individuals/ha. Respectively. A Shannon-Weinner index mean value of 2.8 was obtained suggesting high species diversity in the study area. Conclusions: The natural distribution and regeneration of Z. armatum is being affected in the recent years due to anthropogenic disturbances. Increasing market demand and unsustainable harvesting procedures are posing serious threat to Z. armatum. Thus, effective conservation and management initiatives are most important for conserving the natural population of Z. armatum in the study area.

• Genomics & Informatics
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.16.1-16.14
• /
• 2023

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral infection produced by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus epidemic, which was declared a global pandemic in March 2020. The World Health Organization has recorded around 43.3 billion cases and 59.4 million casualties to date, posing a severe threat to global health. Severe COVID-19 indicates viral pneumonia caused by the SARS-CoV-2 infections, which can induce fatal consequences, including acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The purpose of this research is to better understand the COVID-19 and ARDS pathways, as well as to find targeted single nucleotide polymorphism. To accomplish this, we retrieved over 100 patients' samples from the Sequence Read Archive, National Center for Biotechnology Information. These sequences were processed through the Galaxy server next generation sequencing pipeline for variant analysis and then visualized in the Integrative Genomics Viewer, and performed statistical analysis using t-tests and Bonferroni correction, where six major genes were identified as DNAH7, CLUAP1, PPA2, PAPSS1, TLR4, and IFITM3. Furthermore, a complete understanding of the genomes of COVID-19-related ARDS will aid in the early identification and treatment of target proteins. Finally, the discovery of novel therapeutics based on discovered proteins can assist to slow the progression of ARDS and lower fatality rates.

• Genomics & Informatics
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.42.1-42.11
• /
• 2022

Breast cancer (BC) is a significant threat to female health, with both modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors. It is essential to monitor patients regularly and to raise population awareness. Increasing research also suggests that E-selectin (SELE) may increase tumor angiogenesis and the development of cancer. This study investigated SELE single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the following positions: rs5367T/C, rs5368C/T, rs5362T/G, and rs5362T/C. Using polymerase chain reaction, significant differences in allele and genotype frequencies were found between BC patients and controls. Position rs5368 was associated with an increased risk of BC for the CT and TT genotypes, with odds ratios (ORs) of 16.3 and 6.90 (Fisher probability = 0.0001, p = 0.005). Women with the T allele had a 19.3-fold higher incidence of BC, while allele C may be a protective allele against BC (OR, 0.05). Heterozygous genotypes at rs5367, rs5362, and rs5362 were significantly more common in BC patients, with ORs of 5.70, 4.50, and 3.80, respectively. These SNPs may be associated with the risk of BC, because the frequency of mutant alleles was significantly higher in patients (OR: 4.26, 3.83, and 4.30, respectively) than in controls (OR: 0.23, 0.30, and 0.20, respectively). These SNPs may be considered a common genotype in the Iraqi population, with the wild-type allele having a protective fraction and the mutant allele having an environmental fraction. The results also revealed a 2-fold increase in gene expression in BC patients compared to controls, with a significant effect (p = 0.017). This study's findings confirm the importance of SELE polymorphisms in cancer risk prediction.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.129-136
• /
• 2023

The study aims to examine the determinants that affect satisfaction, revisit intention, and recommendation intention with foreign tourists who visited Korea despite the threat of COVID-19. This study employs the survey data collected by the Korea Tourism Organization from 8,135 foreign tourists who visited Korea in 2020. As the survey data contains a mixture of continuous and categorical variables, decision tree analysis can ensure analytical validity for the research. According to the analytical results, the determinants affecting satisfaction are the purpose of the visit and acceptance of self-quarantine during their stay. The factors influencing revisit intention are the purpose of the visit, frequency of the visit, and acceptance of self-quarantine during their stay. The determinants affecting recommendation intention are the purpose of the visit, length of stay, and gender. Based on the results of this analysis, this study not only explains the relationship between these determinants and tourism satisfaction, revisit intention, and recommendation intention, but also suggests implications for revitalizing tourism activities.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
• /
• v.13 no.6
• /
• pp.69-77
• /
• 2019

Among the many factors that threaten the improvement of public health and quality of life, the proportion of fine dust is not so small, and the kinds and causes of the dust are also diversified. However, the domestic measuring instrument is in the initial stage and the certification system is insignificant. Recognizing the threat of fine dust for a long time, the United States has established a protocol of measurement standards and measurement methods and applied the developed fine dust measuring device authentication system. Through this system, the United States is leading the world's fine dust industry, technology and market. The EPA, FRM and FEM of the fine dust-related protocol were analyzed to reduce the harmful effects of repeated fine dust every year. In addition, light scattering method and spectroscopy method which can measure in real time by measuring method were examined, and the types and characteristics of fine dust measuring instrument of international certification level were analyzed. Finally, development and service plan of the domestic fine dust measuring instrument are presented.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
• /
• 2022.10a
• /
• pp.113-113
• /
• 2022

Salinity in surface waters is increasing around the world. Many factors, including increased water extraction, poor irrigation management, and sea-level rise, contribute to this change, and posing a threat to plant development and agricultural production. Seeds exposed to high salinity, have a lower probability of germinating and various physiological and biochemical effects. Salinity stress affects more than 20% of agricultural land and about 50% of irrigated land. In the current study, our objective is to identify the salt-tolerant peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Korean genotypes under salinity stress. Thus, two-week-old 19 diverse peanut Korean genotypes were exposed to 10 days of salinity (150 mM NaCl) stress. Based on the growth attributes investigation, Baekjung and Ahwon genotypes showed significantly higher shoot lengths compared to control plants. Whereas, the Sinpalwang genotype exhibited a significantly positive response for plant growth and reduced wilting symptoms compared to other genotypes. This study was able to find out peanut tolerant and sensitive genotypes for salt stress. These results may provide a good template for further salt-tolerant peanut cultivar improvement programs. Identified diverse salt-responsive genotypes can be utilized as source material in Korean breeding schemes for peanut crop improvement for salt and other abiotic stress tolerance.

• Advances in nano research
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.355-366
• /
• 2023

Biological corrosion, a crucial aspect of metal degradation, has received limited attention despite its significance. It involves the deterioration of metals due to corrosion processes influenced by living organisms, including bacteria. Soil represents a substantial threat to pipeline corrosion as it contains chemical and microbial factors that cause severe damage to water, oil, and gas transmission projects. To combat fouling and corrosion, corrosion inhibitors are commonly used; however, their production often involves expensive and hazardous chemicals. Consequently, researchers are exploring natural and eco-friendly alternatives, specifically nano-sized products, as potent corrosion inhibitors. This study aims to environmentally synthesize silver nanoparticles using an extract from Lagoecia cuminoides L and evaluate their effectiveness in preventing biological corrosion of buried pipes in soil. The optimal experimental conditions were determined as follows: a volume of 4 ml for the extract, a volume of 4 ml for silver nitrate (AgNO3), pH 9, a duration of 60 minutes, and a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius. Analysis using transmission electron microscopy confirmed the formation of nanoparticles with an average size of approximately 28 nm, while X-ray diffraction patterns exhibited suitable peak intensities. By employing the Scherer equation, the average particle size was estimated to be around 30 nm. Furthermore, antibacterial studies revealed the potent antibacterial activity of the synthesized silver nanoparticles against both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. This property effectively mitigates the biological corrosion caused by bacteria in steel pipes buried in soil.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
• /
• v.18 no.6
• /
• pp.1177-1188
• /
• 2023

Socially, organizations are required to maintain strict management of their information resources and invest in the adoption of information security (IS) technologies and policies. However, the ongoing threat of information exposure by employees persists within the organization. This study aims to identify the role stress that employees may experience due to strict IS policies and propose methods for reducing its negative impact. Specifically, our study suggests a mechanism for mitigating role stress by incorporating factors related to IS policy goal setting and work regulatory focus. We conducted a survey among workers in the financial industry, where IS policies are rigorously enforced, and tested our research hypotheses using a sample of 309 participants. The results indicate that increasing the difficulty and specificity of IS policy goals reduces role stress (conflict and ambiguity) and positively influences employees' intention to comply with IS policies. Furthermore, individual work promotion focus moderated the relationship between role stress and IS compliance intention. These findings have important implications for organizations seeking to strengthen their IS compliance among employees and inform the development of effective IS strategies.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.885-890
• /
• 2024

This study proposes a secure keypad structure that can adapt to screen changes in mobile devices equipped with stretchable display. For this purpose, we compared and analyzed the authentication methods applied to current rigid form factor smartphones with those applied to rollable and bendable display based smartphones, which are the previous stages of stretchable display. Based on the results of this analysis, we identified potential user convenience and security safety issues that may arise in the form factor structure for smart wallets, multitasking, screen expansion and media viewing, and gaming and entertainment applications where stretchable displays will be applied, then proposed a security keypad structure for these form factors. Our keypad structure provides enhanced user convenience and security compared to the structures applied in the smartphone environment based on the conventional rigid display form factor and rollable, bendable display form factor.

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