• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.269-281
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• 2017

Background: Small particles increase airway inflammation upon reaching the alveoli. Here, we investigated the protective or therapeutic effects of Salvia plebeia R. Br. (SP_R) extracts on airway inflammation. Methods and Results: To investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of SP_R extracts, we measured their inhibitory effect on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) expression of inflammatory mediators, and immune cell infiltration in MH-S alveolar macrophage cells and in the ambient particulate matter (APM)-exposed airway inflammation mice model. The SP_R extracts inhibited the production of ROS and expression of IL-4, IL-10, IL-15, and IL-17A mRNA in APM-stimulated MH-S cells. Oral administration of SP_R extracts suppressed APM-induced inflammatory symptoms, such as high alveolar wall thickness, excess collagen fibers, decreased mRNA expression of chemokines (Ccr9, Ccl5, Ccr3), inflammatory cytokines (IL-15, TNF-${\alpha}$), and IL-4 Th2 cytokine in the lung. The SP_R extracts also inhibited ROS production, granulocyte ($CD11b^+Gr-1^+$) infiltration, IL-17A, TNF-${\alpha}$, macrophage inflammatory protein (Mip-2), and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (Cxcl-1) production in the airway. The specific compounds in the SR-R extracts that mediate the anti-inflammatory effects were identified. Conclusions: In this study, SP_R extracts effectively inhibited airway inflammatory responses, such as ROS production and granulocyte infiltration into the airway, by regulating the expression of chemokines and inflammatory cytokines.

• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.91-105
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• 2021

The current increasing size of container vessels affects the container port's situation. The containerization has changed the inter-modal handling process, which brought more flexibility and comfortableness in the shipping industry sector. Thus, it is very crucial to analyze the efficiency of container ports in the regional sphere. Such kind of efficiency analysis provide a powerful management tool for port operators and shipping managers in the Mediterranean market, and it also helps to form an information for planning new regional and national port operations. This paper aims to analyze the ports' technical efficiency of Mediterranean major container ports. It is conducted to establish the model of port performance and efficiency through the empirical test of the various factors. Regarding to the panel data collected from the 48 DMUs (decision making units), this study attempts to provide the empirical basis of the port efficiency relative to another factors in the total port performance. Due to the complexity of the various activities carried out at container ports, the study focuses only on the technical efficiency at the level of the Mediterranean container port. Unlike the practice of cross-sectional data analysis, originally established by Charnes et al. (1985), the panel data in DEA window analysis applications are used. The main focus of this study is the relative technical efficiency of 12 container ports from 7 countries in the Mediterranean market. The selection of ports under study is based on their high handling capability and rankings in World Top 100 (Containerization International, 2018).

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.517-529
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• 2021

This study analyzes changes in the efficiency of the Department of Early Childhood Education in Korea to examine the effectiveness of the National Evaluation for Teacher Education Institution. We provide policy implications from exploring factors influencing efficiency and comparing characteristics of efficient and inefficient departments. With 149 Department of Early Childhood Education in Korea, DEA was conducted to estimate the relative efficiency, and the Tobit model was applied to explore factors affecting efficiency. The results confirm that the Department of Early Childhood in Korea is run efficiently, though there was no change in scale efficiency and relative efficiency after the two phases of the National Evaluation for Teacher Education Institution. The results show the number of books per student was significantly lower despite a significantly higher employment rate. Efficiency of college departments, department greater than 60 (per cohort), and department in metropolitan city (except Seoul area) is confirmed greater. These results provide policy implications on developing evaluation measure and processes to improve education quality and efficiency.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.12 no.7
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• pp.273-282
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• 2021

Nursing home plays a role in providing elderly care in the context of China's rapid population aging, but little understanding of the efficiency of the nursing homes. In this paper, we investigated the efficiency in nursing homes using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Malmquist index (MPI) for the modeling of the number of nursing home beds, fixed assets, and medical personnel as input variables, and the number of elderly people of self-care, the number of elderly people of partial self-care, the number of bed-ridden elderly people and the income of nursing homes as output variables. Stratification analysis showed that the top two provinces in the DEA-CCR yield were Beijing and Shanghai in the five-year survey period. Four provinces (Beijing, Jiangsu, Shandong, and Shanghai) scored 1.00 in terms of DEA-BCC yield. The MPI analysis showed that Hainan ranked the highest five-year average in the included provinces. In terms of resource utilization, internal management, operation scale, and other aspects, the nursing homes in the provinces with high-efficiency evaluation results show high efficiency and technological progress, whereas the areas with low-efficiency evaluation showed a feature of the improving technical efficiency.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.87-101
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• 2024

This study aims to provide insights for the efficient utilization of resources by analyzing the entrepreneurship support efficiency of Korean universities. To identify the factors influencing the number of entrepreneurs, which is the primary goal of university entrepreneurship support, a multiple regression analysis was conducted, identifying five effective independent variables. Using these five identified independent variables as input variables and the number of entrepreneurs as the output variable, the DEA method was used to analyze the efficiency of entrepreneurship support for each university as of 2023. The analysis of 150 four-year universities in Korea showed that nine universities exhibited complete efficiency in both CCR and BCC models. Among the remaining 141 universities that showed inefficiency, the cause was scale for five universities, technology for two universities, and both scale and technology for 134 universities. Regarding the returns to scale, nine universities exhibited CRS, 79 exhibited IRS, and 62 exhibited DRS. Additionally, reference groups that could serve as benchmarks for improving the efficiency of inefficient universities were identified, and target values(projections) for each variable to achieve efficiency were also presented. Despite the limitations of the DEA model, this study helps each university identify the causes of inefficiency in their entrepreneurship support and derive specific improvements to enhance efficiency. This facilitates more efficient resource management and can positively impact the ultimate goals of university entrepreneurship support, such as regional economic development and job creation.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.53-63
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• 2010

As one of the mucous components of Cheonggukjang, traditional fermented soybean paste, $\gamma$-PGA is a natural substance with diverse functions. In this paper, an in-vivo experiment has been performed using NC/Nga mice in order to find out the efficacy of $\gamma$-PGA in human atopic dermatitis. The NC/Nga mice with BMAC-induced atopic dermatitis were administered $\gamma$-PGA (PGA-HM) with 300 kDa and low-molecular $\gamma$-PGA (PGA-LM), respectively. As a result, a significant decrease in clinical skin severity score was detected in the group that was administered PGA-LM. In terms of serum IgE levels, a significant decline was observed in PGA-LM, compared to the control group. The serum IgG1 levels also decreased more in PGA-LM than in the control group. However, no significant difference was observed in both groups. To witness the induction of $CD4^+CD25^+foxp3^+$ Treg cells, mRNA was sampled from the back of PGA-HM- and PGA-LM-administered NC/Nga mice with atopic dermatitis. In terms of the production amount of foxp3 mRNA, which was measured in real-time PCR, the group that was administered PGA-LM was twice as high as the control group. According to a biopsy on the skin on the backs of the mice, the experimental group was also far lower than the control group in terms of epidermis thickness, mast cell infiltration and the number of $CCR3^+$ cells. Therefore, it has been confirmed that the atopic dermatitis symptoms decreased more in the PGA-LM-administered NC/Nga mice than the PGA-HM-administered group by facilitating $CD4^+CD25^+foxp3^+$ Treg cells and suppressing the activity of eosinophils and production of IgE and pro-inflammatory cytokines.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.29-50
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• 2009

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate effectiveness of KamiCheongsimyeonjatang(KCSYJT) medicines to suppress atopic dermatitis in mouse model experimentally. Methods : First, in vitro, we isolated B cells from 18 weeks of atopicdermatitis-like skin NC/Nga mouse. Then we analyzed FACS(Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorter) by intracellular staining of IFN-$\gamma$, GATA-3+ analyzed cytokines by using real-time PCR. Secondly, in vivo, after administration of KCSYJT to atopic dermatitis NC/Nga mouse at 12 weeks of age, we analyzed serum IgE and the change of activated cell in PBMCs(Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells). Results : In vitro, KCSYJT medicines supressed IL-1$\beta$, IL-6, TNF-$\alpha$, and TGF-$\beta$ mRNA and increased IL-10 mRNA in B cells. Also, KCSYJT medicines decreased the levels of GATA-3$^+$CD4$^+$ and increased the levels of IFN-$\gamma^+$CD4$^+$T Cell. In vivo, serum IgE levels dreased in KCSYJT group than control group and In PBMCs, the activated cell percentage of granulocytes, CD3+, CD3+/CD4+, B220+/CD23+, and CCR3+ decreased and CD19+, CD3+/CD8+ increased in KCSYJT group than control group. Conclusions : This study demonstrates immunological activity of KCSYJT on atopic dermatitis-like model mice.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.83-88
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• 2011

Objectives : The aim of this study was to investigate the asthma-suppressive and immuno-regulatory effect of Notopterygii Rhizoma(NR) extract on OVA(ovalbumin)-induced asthma in mice. Methods : C57BL/6 mice out of all the experimental groups, except the Normal group and the NRI group, were sensitized and challenged with OVA. C57BL/6 mice were exposed to OVA three times a week for 12 weeks and analyzed by flow cytometer, ELISA, H&E stain. Results : The concentrations of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, IgE in serum of the OVA-NRII group decreased significantly compared with those of the OVA-Control group. The number of $Gr-1^+/CD11b^+$, $CCR3^+$, $CD3^+/CD19^+$, $CD3e^+/CD69^+$cells in the OVA-NRI group decreased significantly compared with those of the OVA-Control group. The collagen accumulation in the lung sections of the OVA-NRII group decredased signi- ficantly compared with that of the OVA-Control group. Conclusions : These results suggest that Notopterygii Rhizoma(NR) would be a effective candidate for herbal-originated anti-asthmatic drug. However, this drug should be further studied for characterization of the accurate action and underlying mechanism using variant disease model in the future.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.69-86
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• 2008

In order to validate the objective efficacy of CBPT on anti-asthma and to develop effective therapeutics for asthma treatments, immunological modulatory mechanism was studied using animal model using OVA-Alum. The results are listed below. When treated with CBPT, survival rate of hFCs at 250 ug/ml was above 90%. AST and ALT, indicators of liver function measurements were in the normal range. Compared to the control group, CBPT treated group showed significant reduction in liver weights at both 400 and 200 mg/kg, and significant decrease of total liver cells at 400 mg/kg. Significant increase in CD4+ and CD8+ cells in DLN was observed in the CBPT treated group. Slight increase in CD3+, CD4+/CD25+ cells were also observed. On the other hand, CBPT significantly reduced the CD3+/CD69+ cell numbers at both concentrations. Slight decrease of CD19+ cells was also observed. CBPT significantly reduced the CD3e+/CD69+, CCR3+ and CD11b+/Gr-1+ cells in lung tissues at both doses. However, significant decrease of CD3e+ and B220+/IgE+ cells was only observed at 400 mg/kg dosed group. The results above strongly suggest the anti-asthmatic effect of CBPT through immunological modulation. By using various concentrations of CBPT, broader clinical applications of CBPT on anti-asthmatic treatment can be developed. The EBM database should provide valuable information in the development of drugs for asthma treatments.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.279-289
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• 2012

This study was conducted to survey and diagnose operation status of the agricultural machinery rental service, analyse and compare operational efficiency among 82 city and county ATDEC (agricultural technology development and extension center) using the DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) method, and recommend future direction, for improvement of the business. Input variables were invested budget and labor, and output variable was rental return. Percentages of return to investment on the rental service were calculated as 68.3% and 63.9% when analyzed with CCR (Charnes, Cooper and Rhodes) and BCC (Banker, Charnes and Cooper) models, respectively, indicating inefficiency of the service operation. Increase of rental charge would increase efficiency by 63.9~68.3% depending on models, and decrease of financial and labor investment would improve the efficiency by about 11.3%. Technical efficiency would be more important than scale efficiency, therefore adjustment of over-invested budget and labor needed to be made together with increase of rental charge to improve the operation. Among the ATDECs providing the rental service, 6 (7.3%), 43 (52.4%), and 33 (40.2%) were in state of CRS (constant return to scale), IRS (increasing return to scale), and DRS (decreasing return to scale), respectively. These indicated public aspects of the rental system, over-investment, lack of output component for input component, meaning that scale income would be increased by qualitative expand of rental charge. Efficiency analysis of the rental system by region showed that efficient ATDECs to be benchmarked by others were in the order of DMU-70, DMU-54, DMU-29, DMU-5, DMU-22, DMU-2, and DMU-61. More comprehensive and extensive survey and analyses would be necessary in the future.