• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.9.1-9.6
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• 2022

Mendelian randomization (MR) uses genetic variation as a natural experiment to investigate the causal effects of modifiable risk factors (exposures) on outcomes. Two-sample Mendelian randomization (2SMR) is widely used to measure causal effects between exposures and outcomes via genome-wide association studies. 2SMR can increase statistical power by utilizing summary statistics from large consortia such as the UK Biobank. However, the first-order term approximation of standard error is commonly used when applying 2SMR. This approximation can underestimate the variance of causal effects in MR, which can lead to an increased false-positive rate. An alternative is to use the second-order approximation of the standard error, which can considerably correct for the deviation of the first-order approximation. In this study, we simulated MR to show the degree to which the first-order approximation underestimates the variance. We show that depending on the specific situation, the first-order approximation can underestimate the variance almost by half when compared to the true variance, whereas the second-order approximation is robust and accurate.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.1234-1243
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• 2011

Liriope platyphylla has been used in oriental medicine as an effective medical plant to improve symptoms of cough, sputum production, neurodegenerative disorders, obesity and diabetes for long time. In order to investigate the effects of novel extracts on nerve growth factors (NGF)-stimulated neuritic outgrowth, the alteration of NGF expression and NGF receptor signaling pathway were detected in neuroblastoma cells and C57BL/6 mice. Of a total of 13 novel extracts, 4 extracts (LP-E, LP-M, LP-M50, LP2E17PJ) showed high viability on MTT assay. Also, all of these extracts induced NGF secretion and NGF mRNA expression in neuroblastoma cells. However, the NGF-induced neuritic outgrowth from PC12 cells was only stimulated by LP-E, LP-M and LP-M50. Furthermore, we selected LP-M as a best candidate, based on method and amounts of extraction, in order to verify its effect in mice. C57BL/6 mice were treated with 50 mg/kg of LP-M for 2 weeks and the effects on NGF regulation were analyzed with various methods. The expression of NGF mRNA was significantly increased in LP-M treated mice compared to vehicle treated mice. Also, the signaling pathway of p75NTR was inhibited in the cortex by LP-M treatment, with no change in the hippocampus of brain. However, the signaling pathway of TrkA was dramatically activated in only hippocampus via LP-M treatment. Therefore, these results suggest that the novel four extracts of L. platyphylla may contribute to the regulation of NGF expression and secretion in neuronal cells. LP-M was especially considered to be an excellent candidate for a neurodegenerative disease-therapeutic drug.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Educational Facilities
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.31-42
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• 2006

This study is about an analysis of the relation between the degree of cognition of student's acts within limits when coping with several types of disaster and the degree of cognition of damage by disasters in the method of multiple regression analysis. The dependent variable is the degree of cognition of student's acts within limits and the independent variable is the degree of cognition of damage by disasters such as heavy snow, typhoon, heavy rain, heat, and yellow sand. A survey of graduates of metropolitan area high-schools has found that there are no difference between girls and boys of the degree of cognition of student's acts within limits when coping with disasters. This study finds that the independent variable, which are playgrounds, animals and plants, streets and roads, altitude and incline, gives positive effect to the degree of cognition of student's acts within limits when coping with typhoon or heavy rain in order. The study also finds that the degree of cognition of student's acts within limits when coping with heavy snow is affected positively by streets and roads, playgrounds, altitude and incline in order. It also shows that there are factors that has an effect to the degree of cognition of student's acts within limits when coping with yellow sand and heat. This study proposes suggestions to facility plans based on these facts discovered.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.1423-1430
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• 2003

In this paper, we develop a real time monitoring system to detect third-party damage on natural gas pipeline. When the damage due to third-party incidents causes an immediate rupture, the developed on-line monitoring system can help reducing the sequences of event at once. Moreover, since many third-party incidents cause damage that does not lead to immediate rupture but can grow with time, the developed on-line monitoring system can execute a significant role in reducing many third-party damage incidents. Also, when the damage is given at a point on natural gas pipeline, the acoustic wave is propagated very fast about 421.3 m/s. Therefore, the data processing time should be very short in order to detect precisely the impact position. Generally, the pipeline is laid under ground or sea and the length is very long. So a wireless data communication method is recommendable and the sensing positions are limited by laid circumstance and setting cost of sensors. The calculation and monitoring software is developed by an algorithm using the propagation speed of acoustic wave and data base system based on wireless communication and DSP systems. The developed monitoring system is examined by field testing at Balan pilot plant, KOGAS being done in order to demonstrate its validity through reactive detection of third-party contact with pipelines. Furthermore, the development system was set at the practical pipelines such as an offshore pipeline between two islands Yul-Do and Youngjong-Do, and a land branch of Pyoungtaek, Korea and it has been operating in real time.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.43-50
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• 2013

Recent researches on plant factory system deal with the convergence of lighting technology, agricultural technology inclusive to the high-tech industries worldwide in order to respond to the decreasing crop harvest due to global warming and abnormal weather phenomena. However, the fundamental performance standard is not currently being introduced in the case of plants factory and its commercialization is not activated because of high initial investment and operating cost. Large portion of the initial investment and operating cost of a plant factory is ascribed to artificial light sources and thermal control facilities, therefore, innovation should be provided in order to improve the economics of the plant factory. As an alternative, new plant factory could harness solar thermal and geothermal systems for heating, cooling and ventilation. In this study, a natural light dependent multi-layer plant factory's thermal environment was analyzed with two-dimensional numerical methods to elicit efficient operation conditions for optimized internal physical environment. Depending on the supply air temperature and airflow rate introduced in the facility, the temperature changes around the crops was interpreted. Since the air supplied into the plant factory does not stay long enough, the ambient temperature predicted around the plating trays was not significantly different from that of the supplied air. However, the changes of airflow rate and air flow pattern could cause difference to the temperature around the planting trays. Increasing the amount of time of air staying around the planting trays could improve energy performance in case the thermal environment of a natural light based multi-layer plant factory is considered.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.45-54
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• 2000

Cannabidiol derivatives (1, 2 and 3), and 5-fluorouracil (4, 5-FU) were tested for their growth inhibitory effects against human oral epitheloid carcinoma cell lines (KB) using two different 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and sulforhodamine B protein (SRB) assay. These compounds showed a potent inhibitory activity in vitro in the micromolar range against KB cell lines. In general, the antitumor activity of these compounds (1, 2, 3 and 4) was in a dose-dependent over the micromolar concentration ranges from $1\;{\mu}M\;to\;100\;{\mu}M$. The comparison of $IC_{50}$ values of these compounds in tumor cell lines shows that their susceptibility to these compounds decreases in the following order: CBD > 5-FU > CBDME > CBDDE by the MTT assay and SRB assay. Cannabidiol derivatives (1, 2 and 3), and 5-FU were tested for their cytotoxic effects on NIH 3T3 fibroblasts using two different MTT assay and SRB assay. These compounds exhibited potent cytotoxic activities in vitro in the micromolar range against NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. In general, the cytotoxic activities of these compounds (1, 2, 3 and 4) were in a dose-dependent over the micromolar concentration range $1\;{\mu}M\;to\;100\;{\mu}M$. The comparison of $CD_{50}$ values of these compounds on NIH 3T3 fibroblasts shows that their susceptibility to these compounds decreases in the following order; CBD > 5-FU > CBDDE > CBDME by MTT assay, CBD > 5-FU > CBDME > CBDDE by SRB assay. These results suggest that cannabidiol (1, CBD) retains the most growth-inhibitory activity against KB cell lines.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.1103-1108
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• 2010

This study was conducted to be used as basic data of environmental friendly construction planning by comparing and analyzing thermal environment, find particles and biotope area rate according to land cover types of outside space of schools located in Chung-ju. When meteorological factors were analyzed according to land cover types, for temperature planting area and paved area showed low-and high-temperature ranges, respectively, and relative humidity was negatively related with temperature as low-and high-temperature ranges corresponded to high-and low-humidity ranges, respectively. For Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Index (WBGT) by land cover types, it was observed to be artificial grass> bare land> natural grass. Find particles were different according to land cover types of playground with being bare land> artificial grass> natural grass in the order. Bare land playground, where there were artificial factors and no absorption of fine particles through stomata of leaves as a function of natural circulation, recorded the highest level of $39.8\;{\mu}g/m^3$ and the level was relatively higher compared to the levels by season in Chung-ju. Biotope area rate showed the order of M elementary school> K elementary school> C commercial high school. That was considered to be caused by the difference of land cover type of school playground accounting for a large part of a school.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.85-96
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• 2018

Background: A variety of inorganic scintillators have been developed and improved for use in radiation detection and measurement, and in situ gamma-ray spectrometry in the environment remains an important area in nuclear safety. In order to verify the feasibility of promising scintillators in an actual environment, a performance test is necessary to identify gamma-ray peaks and calculate the radioactivity from their net count rates in peaks. Materials and Methods: Among commercially available scintillators, $LaBr_3(Ce)$ scintillators have so far shown the highest energy resolution when detecting and identifying gamma-rays. However, the intrinsic background of this scintillator type affects efficient application to the environment with a relatively low count rate. An algorithm to subtract the intrinsic background was consequently developed, and the in situ calibration factor at 1 m above ground level was calculated from Monte Carlo simulation in order to determine the radioactivity from the measured net count rate. Results and Discussion: The radioactivity of six natural radionuclides in the environment was evaluated from in situ gamma-ray spectrometry using an $LaBr_3(Ce)$ detector. The results were then compared with those of a portable high purity Ge (HPGe) detector with in situ object counting system (ISOCS) software at the same sites. In addition, the radioactive cesium in the ground of Jeju Island, South Korea, was determined with the same assumption of the source distribution between measurements using two detectors. Conclusion: Good agreement between both detectors was achieved in the in situ gamma-ray spectrometry of natural as well as artificial radionuclides in the ground. This means that an $LaBr_3(Ce)$ detector can produce reliable and stable results of radioactivity in the ground from the measured energy spectrum of incident gamma-rays at 1 m above the ground.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.669-684
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• 2015

This study was performed to examine the possibility of Fig extracts for the natural product research. The Fig extracts method were wash, dry and extracted and prepared into two parts; fruit, leaf. The extracts were prepared using alcohol and their chemical structures were estimated by column chromatography, GC-mass spectroscopy, IR, $^1H$-nmr data-base. In order to apply the extracts to hair-care cosmetics, antimicrobial and antifungal ability of the extracts were accomplished using broth serial dilution method. and In order to customer's interest satisfy and test to Fig's industrial propriety of accompany with table luxuries change, The author suggested that to test Fig's industrial property for hand made of transparent and solid soap contained of Fig extracted materials

• Composites Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 1999

In order to predict the dynamic behavior of composite laminated plate accurately, the parametric identification is performed using its mechanical properties- $E_1,\;E_2,\;V_{12},\;G_{12}$ as design parameters. After natural frequencies are measured through simple vibration test, the objective function consists of the sum of errors between experimental and numerical frequencies of a structure. As optimization algorithm, conjugate gradient method is used to minimize the objective function. Sensitivity Analysis is performed to update design parameters during this process and can explain the result of parametric identification. In order to check the propriety of result, mode shapes are compared before and after identification. The improved prediction of natural frequencies of composite laminated plate is obtained with updated properties. For the application of result, updated properties is applied to the composite laminated plate that has different stacking sequence.