• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.1142-1148
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• 2021

As the average human lifespan has been extended, there has been a lot of interest in the quality of life of women after menopause. It is known that the average age of menopause among Korean women is 49.7 years, and the post-menopausal life of a woman takes up more than one third of her life. L-ascorbic acid (AsA) is known to be involved in the synthesis and maturation of collagen, a bone constituent protein. The aim of this review is to discuss the potential of AsA in bone health in postmenopausal women. AsA plays an important role in collagen biosynthesis, and collagen is a protein constituting bone and is a necessary material for calcification of the bone matrix. Collagen crosslinking is necessary for the stabilization and elasticity of collagen fibers during growth and matruation of animals, but an excessive increase is likely to lead to further aging because the movement of intercellular nutrients or waste is suppressed. AsA acts as a reducing agent to stabilize the immature collagen crosslinking and suppress pyridinoline production, a mature crosslinking. Therefore, AsA participates in collagen biosynthesis and helps bone tissue health, while regulating the excessive maturation of collagen crosslinking, it is expected to play an important role in bone-related problems that may occur in postmenopausal women.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.175-181
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• 2022

The condition of infrastructure deteriorates as the service life increases. Since most infrastructure in South Korea were intensively built during the period of economic growth, the proportion of outdated infrastructure is rapidly increasing now. Aging of such infrastructure can lead to safety accidents and even human casualties. To prevent these issues in advance, periodic and accurate inspection is essential. For this reason, the need for research to detect various types of damage using computer vision and deep learning is increasingly required in the field of remotely controlled or autonomous inspection. To this end, this study proposed a neural network structure that can detect concrete damage by classifying it into three types. In particular, the proposed neural network can detect them more accurately through a hierarchical learning technique. This neural network was trained with 2,026 damage images and tested with 508 damage images. As a result, we completed an algorithm with average mean intersection over union of 67.04% and F1 score of 52.65%. It is expected that the proposed damage detection algorithm could apply to accurate facility condition diagnosis in the near future.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.363-370
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• 2022

In this paper, an estimation algorithm for state of charge (SOC) was applied using an equivalent circuit model (ECM) and an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) to improve the estimation accuracy of the battery system states. In particular, an observer was designed to estimate SOC along with the aged capacity. In the case of the fresh battery, when SOC was estimated by Kalman Filter (KF), the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) was 0.27% which was smaller than MAPE of 1.43% when the SOC was calculated by the model without the observer. In the driving mode of the vehicle, the general KF or EKF algorithm cannot be used to estimate both SOC and capacity. Considering that the battery aging does not occur in a short period of time, a strategy of periodically estimating the battery capacity during charging was proposed. In the charging mode, since the current is fixed at some intervals, a strategy for estimating the capacity along with the SOC in this situation was suggested. When the current was fixed, MAPE of SOC estimation was 0.54%, and the MAPE of capacity estimation was 2.24%. Since the current is fixed when charging, it is feasible to estimate the battery capacity and SOC simultaneously using the general EKF. This method can be used to periodically perform battery capacity correction when charging the battery. When driving, the SOC can be estimated using EKF with the corrected capacity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.765-774
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• 2007

Aging rate of rural area in our country is relatively high compared to that of the urban area. Thus, the introduction of meal service for the elderly residing in the rural area is necessary for their better living quality. Food habit, health and the nutritive intake conditions during the busy farming season were surveyed and comparative analysis of dietary intake for the introduction of meal service in pavilion of the elderly living in Chungnam, Kangwon, Jeonnam and Kyungbuk was performed for basic reference data of meal service introduction to the pavilion of the elderly in rural area. In general subject, the male elderly had a significant difference in marital state and showed that 79.4% was married and 20% was separated by death(P<0.05). In allowance, there were no significant difference but most of them lived with less then three hundred thousand won and especially, female lived with less then one hundred thousand won. In health state, the female elderly showed significant difference on difficulty with every day activity but with small trouble although they had to prepare their own meal(P<0.05). The condition dental health conditions of the female elderly had a significant difference showing bad conditions in following order; Kangwon(48%)>Chungnam(38.1%)>Kyungbuk(22.9%)>Jeonnam(22.5%)(p<0.05). The female elderly showed a significant difference in usage of denture and number of the female elderly without using the denture were very high(p<0.05). In nutrition intake condition, amount of sodium was very high but intakes of fiber and calcium were relatively 1ow(P<0.05). Meal service introduction in the pavilion of the elderly is suggested for the improvement of the life quality of the elderly in rural area. When developing the menu for them, conditions such as shortage of the fiber and calcium in diets, the dental conditions should be considered.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.282-295
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• 2023

Background: Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) protects tissues from proteases and promotes cell proliferation and healing. SLPI also reduces periodontal inflammation and alveolar bone resorption by inhibiting proinflammatory cytokine expression in rat periodontal tissues and osteoblasts. However, little is known of the role of SLPI in the expression of osteoclast regulatory factors from osteoblasts, which are crucial for the interaction between osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Therefore, we aimed to determine the effects of SLPI on the regulation of osteoclasts and osteoblasts in LPS-treated alveolar bone and osteoblasts. Methods: Periodontitis was induced in rats using LPS. After each LPS injection, SLPI was injected into the same area. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed with antibodies against SLPI, RANKL, OPG, and Runx2 in the periodontal tissue. RT-PCR and western blotting were performed to determine the expression levels of SLPI, RANKL, OPG, and Runx2 in LPS- and SLPI/LPS-treated MC3T3-E1 cells. SLPI/LPS-treated MC3T3-E1 cells were also stained with Alizarin Red S. Results: Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the expression levels of SLPI, OPG, and Runx2 were higher while that of RANKL was lower in the LPS/SLPI group relative to those in the LPS group. The mRNA and protein expression of SLPI, OPG, and Runx2 was higher in SLPI/LPS/MC3T3-E1 cells than in LPS/MC3T3-E1 cells, and RANKL expression was lower. During differentiation, OPG and Runx2 protein levels were higher whereas RANKL levels were lower in SLPI/LPS/MC3T3-E1 than in LPS/MC3T3-E1 cells on days 0, 4, 7, and 10. In addition, mineralization and matrix deposition were higher in SLPI/LPS/MC3T3-E1 than in LPS/MC3T3-E1 on days 7 and 10. SLPI decreased RANKL expression in LPS-treated alveolar bone and osteoblasts but increased the expression of OPG and Runx2. Conclusion: SLPI can be considered as a regulatory molecule that indirectly regulates osteoclast activation via osteoblasts and promotes osteoblast differentiation.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.39 no.6_1
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• pp.1483-1490
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• 2023

We analyzed the potential for joint utilization of Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) satellite imagery Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in crop assessment, considering the aging of MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellites. Over 11 years from 2012 to 2022, we examined the characteristics of NDVI changes in corn and soybean cultivation areas in Illinois, USA. VIIRS and MODIS satellite imagery NDVI exhibited a high correlation coefficient of over 0.98. However, during periods of rapid crop growth or decline, VIIRS NDVI showed values approximately 0.12 to 0.14 higher than MODIS. Estimating crop anomaly classes based on NDVI, we observed similar trends in corn and soybean crop anomaly classes in 2018 and 2019. However, in 2022, there appeared to be a significant divergence in crop anomaly classes, suggesting the need for further investigation. The correlation coefficients between MODIS and VIIRS satellite imagery NDVI and corn and soybean yields were consistently high, exceeding 0.8, indicating the potential for quantity estimation using both MODIS and VIIRS satellite imagery. Specifically, for VIIRS NDVI, excluding the increasing trend in crop quantity estimation for soybeans enhanced the correlation, and compared to MODIS, it showed a consistently high correlation with quantity from approximately 16 days earlier, indicating the potential for early estimation.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.251-265
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to deduce key indicators in evaluating the pedestrian environment for the elderly in Busan, which has entered an aging society, and to propose policy improvement measures. The key indicators were selected based on prior research and surveys, and the effectiveness of those indicators were measured through evaluations conducted on three places which have the highest proportion of the elderly population in Busan. The summaries of analysis are as follow. First, the three places are hillslide residential areas, and areas of activity that the elderly have were very narrow due to the restrictions on their movement caused by slope. Second, the areas were filled with a number of illegally parked vehicles. And the degree of segregation of pedestrian and vehicle and the level of safety were very low. Third, the streets with steep slopes of the target site force the elderly to move vertically, and for this reason, the elderly are expressing difficulties in outdoor activities. Fourth, it was found that the target site lacked a space for relaxation during outdoor activities. The poor walking environment not only limit the essential and social activities of the elderly, but also adversely affects the health and quality of life of the elderly. In order to maintain the health of the elderly and improve the quality of life, actions should be taken to improve the walking factors that affect the movement and external activities of the elderly.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.77-84
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• 2024

Aging and damaged underground utilities cause cavity and ground subsidence under roads, which can cause economic losses and risk user safety. This study used infrared cameras to assess the thermal characteristics of such cavities and evaluate their reliability using a CNN algorithm. PVC pipes were embedded at various depths in a test site measuring 400 cm × 50 cm × 40 cm. Concrete blocks were used to simulate road surfaces, and measurements were taken from 4 PM to noon the following day. The initial temperatures measured by the infrared camera were 43.7℃, 43.8℃, and 41.9℃, reflecting atmospheric temperature changes during the measurement period. The RP algorithm generates images in four resolutions, i.e., 10,000 × 10,000, 2,000 × 2,000, 1,000 × 1,000, and 100 × 100 pixels. The accuracy of the CNN model using RP images as input was 99%, 97%, 98%, and 96%, respectively. These results represent a considerable improvement over the 73% accuracy obtained using time-series images, with an improvement greater than 20% when using the RP algorithm-based inputs.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.76-86
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• 2024

This study sought to introduce smart urban regeneration to solve the problem of aging and substandard housing in large cities that occurred during the rapid industrialization and urbanization of local cities in Korea. Accordingly, this study aims to activative the old downtown through the convergence of the existing urban regeneration project and smart city project and to improve the physical, social, and economic aspects. As a research method, the literature related to smart cities and urban regeneration was systematically reviewed, and the possibility of introducing smart city services in the Samho-dong district of Yangsan City was explored through domestic and foreign case analysis. As a result of the research, the necessity of smart urban regeneration was highlighted, and the conclusion was reached that it is important to improve the efficiency of urban regeneration projects by using information and communication technology and strengthen sustainability by urban regeneration. This study is expected to contribute to the activative the old downtown and the improvement of the quality of life of citizens, and it is necessary to strengthen the interaction between smart city and urban regeneration in the future, and the introduction of smart city services suitable for local characteristics is judged to play an important role in sustainable urban development through local community and citizen participation.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.484-499
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• 2024

Purpose: Recently, due to the aging of safety facilities in national industrial complexes, there has been an increase in the frequency and scale of safety accidents, highlighting the need for a shift toward a prevention-centered disaster management paradigm and the establishment of a digital safety network. In response, this study aims to provide an information system that supports more rapid and precise decision-making during disasters by utilizing digital twin-based integrated control technology to predict the spread of hazardous substances, trace the origin of accidents, and offer safe evacuation routes. Method: We considered various simulation results, such as surface diffusion, upper-level diffusion, and combined diffusion, based on the actual characteristics of hazardous substances and weather conditions, addressing the limitations of previous studies. Additionally, we designed an integrated management system to minimize the limitations of spatiotemporal monitoring by utilizing an IoT sensor-based backtracking model to predict leakage points of hazardous substances in spatiotemporal blind spots. Results: We selected two pilot companies in the Gumi Industrial Complex and installed IoT sensors. Then, we operated a living lab by establishing an integrated management system that provides services such as prediction of hazardous substance dispersion, traceback, AI-based leakage prediction, and evacuation information guidance, all based on digital twin technology within the industrial complex. Conclusion: Taking into account the limitations of previous research, we used digital twin-based AI analysis to predict hazardous chemical leaks, detect leakage accidents, and forecast three-dimensional compound dispersion and traceback diffusion.