• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.66 no.6
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• pp.716-725
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• 2023

Objective : Anterior cervical spine surgery (ACSS) is a common surgical procedure used to treat cervical spinal degenerative diseases. One of the complications associated with ACSS is prevertebral soft tissue swelling (PSTS), which can result in airway obstruction, dysphagia, and other adverse outcomes. This study aims to investigate the correlation between various cervical sagittal parameters and PSTS following single-level ACSS, as well as to identify independent risk factors for PSTS. Methods : A retrospective study conducted at a single institution. The study population included all patients who underwent single-level ACSS between January 2014 and December 2022. Patients with a history of cervical spine surgery or trauma were excluded from the study. The presence and severity of PSTS was assessed by reviewing pre- and postoperative imaging studies. The potential risk factors for PSTS that were examined include patient age, sex, body mass index, tobacco use, comorbidities, serum albumin levels, operative time, implant type, implanted level, and various cervical spine sagittal parameters. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to identify the independent risk factors for PSTS. Results : A total of 62 consecutive patients who underwent single-level ACSS over a 8-year period at a single institution were enrolled in this study. Only preoperative segmental angle showed positive correlation with PSTS among various cervical spine sagittal parameters (r=0.36, p=0.005). Artificial disc replacement showed a negative correlation with PSTS (β=-0.38, p=0.002), whereas the use of demineralized bone matrix (DBM) had a positive impact on PSTS (β=0.33, p=0.009). We found that male sex, lower preoperative serum albumin, and implantation of upper cervical level (above C5) were independent predictors for PSTS after single-level ACSS (β=1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.27 to 2.15; p=0.012; β=-1.63; 95% CI, -2.91 to -0.34; p=0.014; β=1.44; 95% CI, 0.38 to 2.49; p=0.008, respectively). Conclusion : Our study identified male sex, lower preoperative serum albumin levels, and upper cervical level involvement as independent risk factors for PSTS after single-level ACSS. These findings can help clinicians monitor high-risk patients and take preventive measures to reduce complications. Further research with larger sample sizes and prospective designs is needed to validate these findings.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2024

Using the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) based intrusive reduced order model (ROM), the total degrees of freedom of the structural system can be significantly reduced and the critical time step satisfying the conditional stability increases in the explicit time integrations. In this study, therefore, the changes in the critical time step in the explicit time integrations are investigated using both the POD-ROM and Voronoi-cell lattice model (VCLM). The snapshot matrix is composed of the data from the structural response under the arbitrary dynamic loads such as seismic excitation, from which the POD-ROM is constructed and the predictive capability is validated. The simulated results show that the significant reduction in the computational time can be achieved using the POD-ROM with sufficiently ensuring the numerical accuracy in the seismic analyses. In addition, the validations show that the POD based intrusive ROM is compatible with the Voronoi-cell lattice based explicit dynamic analyses. In the future study, the research results will be utilized as an elemental technology for the developments of the real-time predictive models or monitoring system involving the high-fidelity simulations of structural dynamics.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.10-20
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• 2024

The conservation and restoration of wetlands are essential tasks for the sustainable development of human society and the environment, providing vital benefits such as biodiversity maintenance, natural disaster mitigation, and climate change alleviation. This study aims to analyze the strategic interactions and interests among various stakeholders using game theory and to provide significant grounds for policy decisions related to wetland restoration and development. In this study, hypothetical scenarios were set up for three types of cities: large, medium, and small. Stakeholders such as governments, development companies, environmental groups, and local residents were identified. Strategic options for each stakeholder were developed, and a payoff matrix was established through discussions among wetland ecology experts. Subsequently, non-cooperative game theory was applied to analyze Nash equilibria and Pareto efficiency. In large cities, strategies of 'Wetland Conservation' and 'Eco-Friendly Development' were found beneficial for all stakeholders. In medium cities, various strategies were identified, while in small cities, 'Eco-Friendly Development' emerged as the optimal solution for all parties involved. The Pareto efficiency analysis revealed how the optimal solutions for wetland management could vary across different city types. The study highlighted the importance of wetland conservation, eco-friendly development, and wetland restoration projects for each city type. Accordingly, policymakers should establish regulations and incentives that harmonize environmental protection and urban development and consider programs that promote community participation. Understanding the roles and strategies of stakeholders and the advantages and disadvantages of each strategy is crucial for making more effective policy decisions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.31-44
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• 2024

The coastal dune ecosystem is one of the ecosystems under the most development pressure in Korea. Therefore, it is necessary to study the ecological location and related ecological phenomena of coastal dune plants, but related studies are lacking. Through this study, we intend to conduct research on the structure and restoration of dune plants, focusing on the coastal dunes in Jeju Island, which are affected by artificial development pressure and the continuous increase in tourists among many coastal dunes in Korea. Ecosystems of coastal sand dunes for vegetation survey in Jeju Island are selected based on naturalness and preservation. In this study, 23 major coastal dunes on Jeju Island including Udo were selected. In the coastal dunes of Jeju Island, a whole species survey and quadrat survey were carried out. The vegetation survey at study sites were conducted on May to September 2022, when the vegetation is clearly visible. At the survey site, the dune area was identified at the beginning and the plant species were recorded until no more new species appeared. Vegetation survey in the field was performed by 103 quadrat establishments and was conducted using Braun-Blanquet method. A total of 277 species appeared, and the most common species were Vitex rotundifolia and Calystegia soldanella. The frequency of both Vitex rotundifolia and Calystegia soldanella was approximately over 90%. The proportion of woody and herbaceous in all emerging species was 7.2% and 92.8%, respectively. The total number of species found in the quadrat survey was 98. As a result of classifying plant communities based on species dominance in the quadrats, it was analyzed into 30 plant communities. The plant communities that appeared with a frequency of 2 or more on the main island of Jeju were Vitex rotundifolia, Imperata cylindrica var. koenigii, Ischaemum antephoroides, Wedelia prostrata, Elymus mollis, Calystegia soldanella, Artemisia scoparia, and Tetragonia tetragonoides. The DCCA(detrended canonical correspondence analysis) based on the vegetation and environment factor matrix showed that the height and covers of the dominant plant species explain significantly the variation and distribution of coastal sand dune species on Jeju island. Thus, we may propose a plan to restore the coastal dunes of Jeju island as helping colonization and establishment of mainly sand dune native perennials and trees, preserving native plant communities that are declining and preserving present tree strips of Pinus thunbergii, Litsea japonica, Pittosporum tobira and Vitex rotundifolia.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.221-228
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• 2008

To estimate array shape with reference sources in SONAR systems, nearfield signal modeling is required for the reference sources near a towed array. Array shape estimation method based on the nearfield signal modeling generally exploits the spatial covariance matrix of the received reference sources. Among those method, nearfield eigenvector method uses the eigenvector corresponding to the maximum eigenvalue as a steering vector of the reference source. In this paper, we propose a simplified subspace fitting method based on the nearfield signal modeling with spherical wave modeling. Furthermore, we analyze performance of the array shape estimation methods based on the nearfield signal modeling for various environments. The results of the numerical experiments indicate that the simplified subspace fitting method and the nearfield eigenvector method with single reference source shows almost similar performance. Furthermore, the simplified subspace fitting method with 2 reference sources consistently estimates the shape of the array regardless of the incident angle of the reference sources, whereas the nearfield eigenvector method cannot apply for the case of 2 reference sources.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.43-52
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• 2024

Purpose: Cancer is the leading cause of death in Koreans, with breast cancer being the most common among women. Breast cancer readily metastasizes, and the existing treatment processes impose a significant burden on patients. This study examined whether pomegranate-derived exosome-like nanovesicles (PNVs) have anti-cancer effects by inhibiting cell infiltration and metastasis while increasing apoptosis on breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. Methods: Initially, exosome-like nanovesicles were isolated from pomegranate using ultracentrifugation. Subsequently, the size range of these nanovesicles was confirmed using nanoparticle tracking analysis. The ability of breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells to internalize these natural nanovesicles was assessed with flourescence microscope. The anti-cancer effects of the PNVs were confirmed by applying various concentrations of PNVs (10, 50, 100 ㎍/mL) to MDA-MB-231 cells and systematically assessing their impact on cell viability and migration. Results: The round shape of the lipid bilayer in the PNVs was confirmed, providing crucial insights into their structural properties. We demonstrate that PNVs-associated DiD dye can be efficiently internalized by the MDA-MB-231 cells. The data showed that the PNVs inhibited cell viability, invasion rates, and migration in MDA-MB-231 cells. In addition, PNVs were absorbed into the MDA-MB-231 cells, leading to an increased expression of apoptosis proteins, such as cleaved caspase-3 and phosphorus-JNK, in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, a reduction in cell infiltration and decreased expression of the transition markers MMP-2 and MMP-9 proteins were observed. Conclusion: For the first time, this study suggests that PNVs may be useful in the prevention or treatment of breast cancer by inhibiting the infiltration and metastasis of MDA-MB-231 cells and inducing apoptosis.

• Annals of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.58-68
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• 2022

Backgrounds/Aims: Mechanisms for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected patients remain unclear. The aim of the present study was to identify genes and pathways involved in the development of HBV-associated HCC. Methods: The GSE121248 gene dataset, which included 70 HCCs and 37 adjacent liver tissues, was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in HCCs and adjacent liver tissues were identified. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome pathway enrichment analyses were then performed. Results: Of 134 DEGs identified, 34 were up-regulated and 100 were down-regulated in HCCs. The 34 up-regulated DEGs were mainly involved in nuclear division, organelle fission, spindle and midbody formation, histone kinase activity, and p53 signaling pathway, whereas the 100 down-regulated DEGs were involved in steroid and hormone metabolism, collagen-coated extracellular matrix, oxidoreductase activity, and activity on paired donors, including incorporation or reduction of molecular oxygen, monooxygenase activity, and retinol metabolism. Analyses of protein-protein interaction networks with a high degree of connectivity identified significant modules containing 14 hub genes, including ANLN, ASPM, BUB1B, CCNB1, CDK1, CDKN3, ECT2, HMMR, NEK2, PBK, PRC1, RACGAP1, RRM2, and TOP2A, which were mainly associated with nuclear division, organelle fission, spindle formation, protein serine/threonine kinase activity, p53 signaling pathway, and cell cycle. Conclusions: This study identified key genes and carcinogenic pathways that play essential roles in the development of HBV-associated HCC. This may provide important information for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic targets for HCC.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.218-229
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• 2015

The proficiency testing for the residue laboratories of pesticide registration was conducted in order to improve the reliability and the ability for pesticide residue analysis. On November 2012 the testing was carried out using the soil collected and kept as the moistened state for five years, which was expected to very low residue levels of pesticides. The soil was fortified with azoxystrobin, imidacloprid and methabenzthiazuron in a manner similar to prepare soil samples for indoor soil degradation test, and then sub-samples were prepared for the distribution to participants. Some of them were randomly selected for confirm of homogeneity and to ensure the stability of samples at room temperature. Samples were consisted of two soils treated as different levels, one of which was used to the assessment and another used to confirm. In addition, provided three standard solutions, respectively concentration of 10 mg/L, and untreated soil. Forty eight institutions submitted results. The medians of results were used as the assigned values for pesticide residues. Fitness for purpose standard deviation of proficiency test was calculated by applying 20% RSD as the coefficient of variation allowed in the soil residue test. Z-score was applied for evaluation of individual pesticides, and the average of the absolute value of the Z-score for the overall assessment of pesticides. Laboratories evaluated the absolute value of the Z-score less than 2 to fit the case of azoxystrobin were 48, imidacloprid and methabenzthiazuron 46.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.593-601
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• 2016

This study was carried out to establish an effective marketing strategy based on Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) of rice-convenience foods. IPA is one of the most efficient and simple methods to evaluate product quality. Data were collected from 652 people (320 males and 332 females) and analyzed by SPSS 19.0. Subjects consumed rice-convenience foods as a snack substitute (19.3%), breakfast (20.7%), lunch (37.4%), dinner (15.2%), and late-night meal (7.4%). The purpose for consumption of rice-convenience foods were as follows: light meal (34.8%), lack of time to prepare meal (42.2%), favorite restaurant is not nearby (2.3%), save money (3.4%), and outdoor activities (9.7%). All attributes about rice-convenience foods were categorized into intrinsic property and extrinsic property. As a result of factor analysis, health, sensibility, and diversity factors were extracted from intrinsic property. In addition, dependence and appearance factors were drawn from extrinsic property. In analyzing the differences between importance and performance, there were significant differences; 16 items in the intrinsic property (P<0.01), and 10 items in the extrinsic property (P<0.001). The IPA matrix is composed of four quadrants, and each represents different strategies; the first, 'keep up the good work', the second, 'possible overkill', the third, 'low priority for management', and the fourth, 'concentrate management'. As a result, factors of rice-convenience foods positioned in the fourth quadrant were 'safety (from food additives, etc.)' and 'price' in the intrinsic property and 'nutrition label' and 'safety of packaging material' in the extrinsic property. They need to be improved immediately. In this study, rice-convenience food factors for continuous maintenance and concentrative improvement were compared by IPA. Based upon the results of this study, it is necessary to develop methods to make efficient use of limited resources and practical marketing strategies.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.31 no.4 s.63
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• pp.692-707
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• 1998

Aim. A neurobehavioral test for workers exposed to organic solvents in the workplace can be affected by many factors : age, education, motivation, ethnicity, etc. To apply more suitable neurobehavioral test for Korean workers, we evaluated the validity of several items of computerized and traditional neurobehavioral tests. Methods. We have applied eleven tests : four items of computerized neurobehavioral test(Swedish Performance Evaluation System) including Addition, Symbol-Digit, Dig-it Span, and Finger tapping speed, and seven items of traditional neurobehavioral test consisting of Addition, Digit-Symbol, Digit Span, Benton visual retention test, Pursuit aiming, Pegboard, and Tapping. These tests were performed on 96 workers exposed to solvents, and 100 reference workers. The concurrent and construct validities were evaluated by group difference, correlation with age, educational level, hippuric acid level, neurotoxic symptom, current exposure level, multitrait-multimethod matrix, fator analysis, and discriminant analysis. Results. Statistically significant differences were observed between the workers exposed to solvents and referents in computerized Symbol-Digit, Finger tapping speed, traditional Digit-Symbol and Pegboard. The computerized Symbol-Digit, traditional Digit-Symbol, Addition, Benton visual retention test, and Pegboard were found to be related to the age. The performance of computerized Symbol-Digit, Addition, and traditional Digit-Symbol were found to be related to the educational level significantly. The computerized Symbol-Digit, Finger tapping speed, and traditional Digit-Symbol were found to be related to hippuric acid, and neurotoxic symptom. The discriminability of Finger tapping speed, and Pegboard was better than the other tests. In discriminant analysis, the model with two variables, the computerized Symbol-Digit and Pegboard, classified almost 70 percent of the workers correctly. Conclusions. These results suggest that the computerized Symbol-Digit, Finger tapping speed, and Pegboard are more satisfactory for our purpose, and the Addition, Tapping, Benton visual retention test, and Pursuit aiming are less valid than other items. These may allow the reasonable selection of core neurobehavioral tests for workers exposed to solvents in Korea.