• BMB Reports
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• v.46 no.8
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• pp.422-427
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• 2013

Although BMP9 is highly capable of promoting osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs), the molecular mechanism involved remains to be fully elucidated. Here, we explore the possible involvement and detail role of JNKs (c-Jun N-terminal kinases) in BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. It was found that BMP9 stimulated the activation of JNKs in MSCs. BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs was dramatically inhibited by JNKs inhibitor SP600125. Moreover, BMP9-activated Smads signaling was decreased by SP600125 treatment in MSCs. The effects of inhibitor are reproduced with adenoviruses expressing siRNA targeted JNKs. Taken together, our results revealed that JNKs was activated in BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. What is most noteworthy, however, is that inhibition of JNKs activity resulted in reduction of BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs, implying that activation of JNKs is essential for BMP9 osteoinductive activity.

• Journal of KIISE:Databases
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.505-517
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• 2008

This paper proposes a rewriting algorithm of OWL-DL ontology query in SPARQL. Currently, to obtain inference results of given SPARQL queries, Web ontology repositories construct inference ontology models and match the SPARQL queries with the models. However, an inference model requires much larger space than its original base model, and reusability of the model is not available for other inferrable SPARQL queries. Therefore, the aforementioned approach is not suitable for large scale SPARQL query processing. To resolve tills issue, this paper proposes a novel SPARQL query rewriting algorithm that can obtain results by rewriting SPARQL queries and accomplishing query operations against the base ontology model. To achieve this goal, we first define OWL-DL inference rules and apply them on rewriting graph pattern in queries. The paper categorizes the inference rules and discusses on how these rules affect the query rewriting. To show the advantages of our proposal, a prototype system based on lena is implemented. For comparative evaluation, we conduct an experiment with a set of test queries and compare of our proposal with the previous approach. The evaluation result showed the proposed algorithm supports an improved performance in efficiency of the inferrable SPARQL query processing without loss of completeness and soundness.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.135-142
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• 2015

Purpose - Following the speedy development of the smart phone industry, tourism companies started to increase their brand recognition and sales volume by adopting mobile applications. However, applications for tourism industries are still insignificant. This study tries to analyze empirical evidence from Korean and Chinese consumers who have used mobile tour applications. By using an expansion of the technology acceptance model (TAM), this study will find what factors have effects on user intention for mobile tour applications. The findings will be helpful for the development of mobile tour applications and the tourism industries. Research design, data, and methodology - This study uses the TAM, which was presented by Davis in 1989. This study uses consumer acceptance level, consumer choice attitude, and use intention as the basic variables to fit to the TAM, and adopts choice content quality, brand value, and usage motivation as additional variables to analyze. This study has developed several hypotheses and collected data from 620 users who used mobile applications for tourism during April 1 to April 30, 2015. A total of 612 valid questionnaires were collected and used in the data analysis. The data was analyzed with structural equation modeling using SPSS Win/pc and Amos 22.0. Results - The findings can be summarized as follows: First, the content quality affects the consumer acceptance degree and choice attitude. Second, the brand value has a directly positive effect on the consumer acceptance degree and choice attitude. It is clear that the content quality and brand value play important roles in raising consumer acceptance and choice attitude. Third, usage motivation has no effect on the consumer acceptance degree and choice attitude. Fourth, the acceptance degree does not have any effect on the consumer choice attitude. Fifth, the acceptance degree affects the use intention. Last, the consumer choice attitude affects the use intentions. This indicates that consumer acceptance and choice attitude must both be achieved to induce use intention among consumers. Finally, the effects of the mobile tour application content quality and brand value on consumer acceptance degree and choice attitude were confirmed. Additionally, the effects of the consumer acceptance degree and choice attitude on use intentions were analyzed. Conclusion - It is not meaningful for tourism marketing to launch tour applications in the mobile market without understanding tourism consumer characteristics. When developing mobile tour applications, companies should focus on the characters of consumer choice attitudes as high quality, high brand value, usefulness, and ease of mobile tour applications. This study has limitations in that it did not consider negative factors such as perceived risks or analyze whether there are differences between Korean and Chinese consumers. In the future, we will consider equipping the same mobile tour applications commonly used by both Korean and Chinese consumers, and then examine negative factors as well as the differences in mobile tour applications between Korean and Chinese consumers.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.12 no.12
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• pp.75-82
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• 2014

Purpose - Due to the rapidly changing environment, the needs of information distribution are emphasized more than ever before. As information changes to cater to diversity, professionalism, and detailed segmentation, this information is produced exponentially. Many researchers working in intelligence agencies are feeling the need to establish a comprehensive information management and information distribution system in a systematic and more effective manner. Mobile marketing is based on communication when consumers can access information using GPS systems whatever their location may be when they are on a trip. Until recently, Korean companies have been struggling to perform well in the larger mobile tourism information service (MTIS) for Chinese tourists, which is regarded as a blue ocean area. The principal dimensions of the characteristics of a mobile tourism information service were analyzed, and the influence on perceived value and satisfaction was identified. Moreover, the relationship among the variable satisfaction and using intentions was empirically analyzed. Research design, data, and methodology - This study examined the structural relationship among mobile tourism information features, perceived value, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions. It is based on analyzed data from questionnaires involving advanced research. A questionnaire survey targeting Chinese students using a mobile tourism information service in Korea was conducted. A total of 230 questionnaires were circulated, and 221 questionnaires were used for empirical analysis, excluding invalid data. The data were analyzed with structural equation modeling with SPSS 21.0 statistic package reliability analysis, factor analysis, and regression analysis were implemented, and the effects of the mobile tourism information service features on perceived value, satisfaction, and using intentions were presented. Results - First, mobile tourism information service features have a direct positive effect on the practical value, and do not affect the hedonic value. Second, perceived value has a statistically positive effect on satisfaction. Third, perceived value has a positive effect on behavioral intentions. Fourth, satisfaction has a direct positive effect on behavioral intentions. Conclusion - MTIS (mobile tourism information service) involves personal, social, and technical characteristics. We have analyzed the effects of mobile tourism information service on perceived value, and on satisfaction and using intentions. First, the study shows that the characteristics of mobile tourism information service and perceived value in relation to mobile tourism information service usage are important for marketing in the Chinese market. Moreover, after using a mobile tourism information service, the effect on practical value is more than on hedonic value. We could not analyze the program for tourism information service extensively, and used only questionnaires from Chinese students in Korea. In the future, there should be research on the programs for a tourism information service. We expect to study the MTIS program in greater detail, and to improve the quality and reputation of MTIS through the analysis of its program. We hope that this research will allow an evaluation of the relationship between Korea and China regarding MTIS.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.668-680
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• 2020

Bacillus velezensis is an important plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium with immense potential in agriculture development. In the present study, Bacillus velezensis Lle-9 was isolated from the bulbs of Lilium leucanthum. The isolated strain showed antifungal activities against plant pathogens like Botryosphaeria dothidea, Fusarium oxysporum, Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium fujikuroi. The highest percentage of growth inhibition i.e., 68.56±2.35% was observed against Fusarium oxysporum followed by 63.12 ± 2.83%, 61.67 ± 3.39% and 55.82 ± 2.76% against Botrytis cinerea, Botryosphaeria dothidea, and Fusarium fujikuroi, respectively. The ethyl acetate fraction revealed a number of bioactive compounds and several were identified as antimicrobial agents such as diketopiperazines, cyclo-peptides, linear peptides, latrunculin A, 5α-hydroxy-6-ketocholesterol, (R)-S-lactoylglutathione, triamterene, rubiadin, moxifloxacin, 9-hydroxy-5Z,7E,11Z,14Z-eicosatetraenoic acid, D-erythro-C18-Sphingosine, citrinin, and 2-arachidonoyllysophosphatidylcholine. The presence of these antimicrobial compounds in the bacterial culture might have contributed to the antifungal activities of the isolated B. velezensis Lle-9. The strain showed plant growth-promoting traits such as production of organic acids, ACC deaminase, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), siderophores, and nitrogen fixation and phosphate solubilization. IAA production was accelerated with application of exogenous tryptophan concentrations in the medium. Further, the lily plants upon inoculation with Lle-9 exhibited improved vegetative growth, more flowering shoots and longer roots than control plants under greenhouse condition. The isolated B. velezensis strain Lle-9 possessed broad-spectrum antifungal activities and multiple plant growth-promoting traits and thus may play an important role in promoting sustainable agriculture. This strain could be developed and applied in field experiments in order to promote plant growth and control disease pathogens.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.689-699
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• 2020

Brevibacillus brevis GZDF3 is a gram-positive, plant growth-promoting rhizosphere bacterium (PGPR) isolated from the rhizosphere soil of Pinellia ternata (an important herb in traditional Chinese medicine). The GZDF3 strain produces certain active compounds, such as siderophores, which are the final metabolite products of non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) and independent non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NIS) activity. With the present study, we attempted to investigate the siderophore production characteristics and conditions of Bacillus sp. GZDF3. The antibacterial activity of the siderophores on pathogenic fungi was also investigated. Optimal conditions for the synthesis of siderophores were determined by single factor method, using sucrose 15 g/l, asparagine 2 g/l, 32℃, and 48 h. The optimized sucrose asparagine medium significantly increased the production of siderophores, from 27.09% to 54.99%. Moreover, the effects of different kinds of metal ions on siderophore production were explored here. We found that Fe³⁺ and Cu²⁺ significantly inhibited the synthesis of siderophores. The preliminary separation and purification of siderophores by immobilized-metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) provides strong antibacterial activity against Candida albicans. The synergistic effect of siderophores and amphotericin B was also demonstrated. Our results have shown that the GZDF3 strain could produce a large amount of siderophores with strong antagonistic activity, which is helpful in the development of new biological control agents.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.1119-1124
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• 2008

The theory of Hwa Acupuncture Therapy (HAT), called Hwa Chim Therapy, is a part of the Five Elements Theory unique to Korea. H99AT, created and developed by Jaehoon Song, integrates the victor-vanquished as well as the son-mother relationship of the Five Elements of breakdown and restoration of balance between yin and yang. And also, it provides resources and data on The seventy fifth Difficulty Nan(75難), The sixty ninth Difficulty Nan(69難) of Classic on Difficulty - Nan Jin 75, 69. HAT establishes objectiveness and accuracy of diagnosis based upon the traditional method and procedure of pulse taking. In HAT, a person's state of illness is diagnosed by applying the comparative examination of the palpitation of the pulse. It is the fact that the pulse varies according to the state, and that HAT treatment has proven the positive results by using the victor-vanquished relationship of Classic on The Nan Jin 75. On the basis of this, it is necessary to add the sixty ninth Difficulty(69難), to research the theory of the generation of the Five Element. Despite a the concise and simple theory, Hwa Chim is very effective in treating the wide range of illness, and thus it has gained an increasing attention of many scholars and practitioners in the field of traditional Korean oriental medicine. However, it is the first theoretical attempt to the clinical research and scientific methodology of Ohaeng(Five) Hwa Chim, and more active Hwa Acupuncture R&D is being conducted nationwide.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.558-566
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• 2020

Purpose: Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC) is a rare genetic autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations in ATP8B1, ABCB11 or ABCB4. Mutational analysis of these genes is a reliable approach to identify the disorder. Methods: We collected and analyzed relevant data related to clinical diagnosis, biological investigation, and molecular determination in nine children carrying these gene mutations, who were from unrelated families in South China. Results: Of the nine patients (five males, four females) with PFIC, one case of PFIC1, four cases of PFIC2, and four cases of PFIC3 were diagnosed. Except in patient no. 8, jaundice and severe pruritus were the major clinical signs in all forms. γ-glutamyl transpeptidase was low in patients with PFIC1/PFIC2, and remained mildly elevated in patients with PFIC3. We identified 15 different mutations, including nine novel mutations (p.R470HfsX8, p.Q794X and p.I1170T of ABCB11 gene mutations, p.G319R, p.A1047P, p.G1074R, p.T830NfsX11, p.A1047PfsX8 and p.N1048TfsX of ABCB4 gene mutations) and six known mutations (p.G446R and p.F529del of ATP8B1 gene mutations, p.A588V, p.G1004D and p.R1057X of ABCB11 gene mutations, p.P479L of ABCB4 gene mutations). The results showed that compared with other regions, these three types of PFIC genes had different mutational spectrum in China. Conclusion: The study expands the genotypic spectrum of PFIC. We identified nine novel mutations of PFIC and our findings could help in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.179-186
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• 2014

The objective of this study was to determine the best performing switchgrass (Panicumvirgatum L.) cultivar with three different seeding dates as a bioenergy source in Republic of Korea. Split-plot in time with three replications was performed and three switchgrass cultivars, Carthage (CT), Cave-in-Rock (CIR), and Forestburg (FB) were used in this experiment from 2009 to 2012. Plots were seeded on April 23, May 4, and May 13, 2009 and were harvested once in November each year. No fertilizer was applied to the field for the first year; however, in second and third years (June 2010 and May 2011, respectively), N, $P_2O_5$ and K2O fertilizers were applied in 67,45 and 90 kg $ha^{-1}$, respectively. Soil pH (5.9) and climate condition including temperature ($10.4{\sim}17.5^{\circ}C$) and precipitation (89.4~109.8 mm $month^{-1}$) were suitable for switchgrass cultivation. Total dry matter yields were higher in CT and CIR compared to FB and were 16.9, 15.9, and 4.5 ton $ha^{-1}$, for CT, CIR, and FB, respectively (p<0.0001). The samples were analyzed for dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), crude fiber (CF), ether extract (EE), and ash. No significant differences in energy content (p = 0.96) and chemical composition among cultivars (p>0.05) were found. Seeding dates did not affect DM yield (ton $ha^{-1}$), chemical composition and energy content significantly (p>0.05). Significant difference was observed for heights among CT, CIR, and FB (177.59, 169.98, and 94.89 cm, respectively, p = 0.0002). In conclusion, based on soil characteristics and climate condition in Korea compared to other countries, switchgrass can be cultivated successfully. Considering dry matter yield and energy content of these three cultivars of switchgrass CT and CIR adapted better to climate in Middle Eastern of Republic of Korea than Forestburg for bioenergy purpose.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.641-651
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• 2011

In 2007, a Taiwanese mathematics historian Wann-Sheng HORNG made a visit to Kyujanggak(the royal library of Joseon Dynasty) in Seoul, Korea. During this visit, he found the Korean math book An abridged version of the Joseon Mathematics (<數學節要>, Su-Hak-Jeol-Yo), which was written by Jong-Hwa AN(9 Nov 1860 - 24 Nov 1924) in 1882. Then he mentioned the possible importance of AN's book in his article in the Journal Kyujanggak(vol. 32, June 2008). Jong-Hwa AN is a Korean scholar, activist of patriotism and enlightenment in the latter era of Joseon Dynasty. He passed the last examination of Joseon Dynasty to become a high government officer in 1894. The father of the modern mathematics education in Korea, Sang-Seol LEE(1870-1917) also passed the same examination with him. It is interesting that government high officer AN and LEE both wrote mathematics books in 19th century. In this talk, we now analyze this mathematics book of Joseon written in 1882.