• 대한한의학회지
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• 제42권4호
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• pp.25-39
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• 2021

Objectives: Ssanghwa-tang (SHT) is a traditional herbal formula comprising nine medicinal herbs, and it is used for reducing fatigue in Korea. SHT exerts various effects such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-aging activities, and protection against acute hepatotoxicity. However, the genotoxicity of SHT has not yet been established. Methods: Ten components were identified in SHT water extract by using high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. We assessed the genotoxicity of SHT by using bacterial reverse mutation (Ames test), chromosome aberration, and in vivo micronucleus tests. Results: The contents of paeoniflorin, glycyrrhizin, and liquiritin apioside in SHT were 15.57, 6.94, and 3.48 mg/g extract, respectively. SHT did not increase the revertant colonies of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli strains in the presence or absence of metabolic activity. Although SHT did not induce structurally abnormal chromosomes in Chinese hamster lung (CHL) cells in the presence of metabolic activity, the number of structurally aberrated chromosomes increased dose-dependently in the absence of metabolic activity. In the in vivo micronucleus test, SHT did not affect the formation of micronuclei compared with the vehicle control. Conclusions: Genotoxicity of SHT was not observed in the Ames test and in vivo micronucleus test. However, based on the results of chromosome aberration test, it can be presumed that SHT has the potential to induce genotoxicity because it induced structurally abnormal chromosomes in the absence of metabolic activity.

• 한국산업융합학회 논문집
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• 제24권6_2호
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• pp.781-786
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• 2021

Korean domestic workers are trend to avoid harmful and dangerous jobs calls 3D work due to the poor working conditions. Therefore, the incoming population of foreign workers is increasing to fulfill the required labor force. Mostly these foreign workers are placed in small and medium-size industries. As work that induces musculoskeletal disorders(WMSD) is equally exposed to domestic workers as well as foreign workers, this study attempted to investigate the work burdened by musculoskeletal disorders and derive improvement measures by understanding the actual conditions of the worksites of foreign workers. The result of this investigation defines that the possibility of developing musculoskeletal disorders is very high in the environment in which more than 40% of the respondents work with heavy objects and repetitive work of wrists and elbows. To prevent the symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders among foreign workers, three measures were proposed. To reduce the mandatory check-up period of WMSD under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, to revise the employment permit system, and to enhance the practical help of EPS education. Safety and health management of foreign workers is becoming an essential task not only for securing a workforce but also for the national image. Personal and economic losses at the national level should be minimized through policy support such as financial support for small and medium-sized businesses in Korea and supplementation of legal systems for the protection of foreign workers.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.1-20
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• 2023

In the past, rice bakanae was considered an endemic disease that did not cause significant losses in Korea; however, the disease has recently become a serious threat due to climate change, changes in farming practices, and the emergence of fungicide-resistant strains. Since the bakanae outbreak in 2006, its incidence has gradually decreased due to the application of effective control measures such as hot water immersion methods and seed disinfectants. However, in 2013, a marked increase in bakanae incidence was observed, causing problems for rice farmers. Therefore, in this review, we present the potential risks from climate change based on an epidemiological understanding of the pathogen, host plant, and environment, which are the key elements influencing the incidence of bakanae. In addition, disease management options to reduce the disease pressure of bakanae below the economic threshold level are investigated, with a specific focus on resistant varieties, as well as chemical, biological, cultural, and physical control methods. Lastly, as more effective countermeasures to bakanae, we propose an integrated disease management option that combines different control methods, including advanced imaging technologies such as remote sensing. In this review, we revisit and examine bakanae, a traditional seed-borne fungal disease that has not gained considerable attention in the agricultural history of Korea. Based on the understanding of the present significance and anticipated risks of the disease, the findings of this study are expected to provide useful information for the establishment of an effective response strategy to bakanae in the era of climate change.

• 멤브레인
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.201-210
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• 2023

먼지 필터 막은 인간의 건강, 안전 및 환경 보호의 몇 가지 중요한 측면에 기여하기 때문에 인간의 삶과 다양한 산업에서 중요한 역할을 한다. 이 연구는 고온 조건에 대한 우수한 열안정성과 접착 특성을 가진 polysulfone@polyphenylene sulfide/polytetrafluoroethylene (PSf@PPS/ePTFE) 복합 먼지 필터 막의 개발을 제시한다. FT-IR 분석은 PSF 접착제가 PPS 직물에 성공적으로 함침되고 ePTFE 지지체와의 상호 작용을 확인한다. FE-SEM 이미지는 향상된 섬유 상호 연결 및 PSf 농도와 함께 접착력을 보여준다. PSf@PPS/ePTFE-5는 가장 적합한 다공성 구조를 보여준다. 복합 막은 400℃까지 예외적인 열 안정성을 보여준다. 박리 저항 테스트는 먼지 여과에 대한 충분한 접착력을 보여 공기 투과성을 희생시키지 않고 힘든 고온조건에서 신뢰할 수 있는 성능을 보장한다. 이 막은 산업 응용 분야에서 유망한 잠재력을 제공한다. 더 나아가 최적화 및 응용 가능성을 탐구할 수 있다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권9호
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• pp.3150-3163
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• 2023

To improve the performance of blanket: maximizing the tritium breeding rate (TBR) for tritium self-sufficiency, and minimizing the Dose of backplate for radiation protection, most previous studies are based on manual corrections to adjust the blanket structure to achieve optimization design, but it is difficult to find an optimal structure and tends to be trapped by local optimizations as it involves multiphysics field design, which is also inefficient and time-consuming process. The artificial intelligence (AI) maybe is a potential method for the optimization design of the blanket. So, this paper aims to develop an intelligent optimization method based on an improved multi-objective NSGA-III algorithm and an adaptive BP neural network to solve these problems mentioned above. This method has been applied on optimizing the radial arrangement of a conceptual design of CFETR HCSB blanket. Finally, a series of optimal radial arrangements are obtained under the constraints that the temperature of each component of the blanket does not exceed the limit and the radial length remains unchanged, the efficiency of the blanket optimization design is significantly improved. This study will provide a clue and inspiration for the application of artificial intelligence technology in the optimization design of blanket.

• Animal Bioscience
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• 제36권7호
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• pp.1034-1043
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• 2023

Objective: Two serine protease inhibitors, peptidase inhibitor 3 (PI3) and secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI), play important roles in protease inhibition and antimicrobial activity, but their expression, regulation, and function at the maternal-fetal interface in pigs are not fully understood. Therefore, we determined the expression and regulation of PI3 and SLPI in the endometrium throughout the estrous cycle and at the maternal-fetal interface in pigs. Methods: Endometrial tissues during the estrous cycle and pregnancy, conceptus tissues during early pregnancy, and chorioallantoic tissues during mid to late pregnancy were obtained, and the expression of PI3 and SLPI was analyzed. The effects of the steroid hormones estradiol-17β (E2) and progesterone (P4) on the expression of PI3 and SLPI were determined in endometrial explant cultures. Results: PI3 and SLPI were expressed in the endometrium during the estrous cycle and pregnancy, with higher levels during mid to late pregnancy than during the estrous cycle and early pregnancy. Early-stage conceptuses and chorioallantoic tissues during mid to late pregnancy also expressed PI3 and SLPI. PI3 protein and SLPI mRNA were primarily localized to endometrial epithelia. In endometrial explant cultures, the expression of PI3 was induced by increasing doses of P4, and the expression of SLPI was induced by increasing doses of E2 and P4. Conclusion: These results suggest that the PI3 and SLPI expressed in the endometrium and conceptus tissues play an important role in antimicrobial activity for fetal protection against potential pathogens and in blocking protease actions to allow epitheliochorial placenta formation.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• 제53권1호
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• pp.69-75
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• 2023

Purpose: Maxillofacial trauma predominantly affects young adults between 20 and 40 years of age. Although radioprotection is a legal requirement, the significant potential of dose reduction in computed tomography (CT) is still underused in the clinical routine. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether maxillofacial fractures can be reliably detected and classified using ultra-low-dose CT. Materials and Methods: CT images of 123 clinical cases with maxillofacial fractures were classified by two readers using the AOCOIAC software and compared with the corresponding results from post-treatment images. In group 1, consisting of 97 patients with isolated facial trauma, pre-treatment CT images at different dose levels (volumetric computed tomography dose index: ultra-low dose, 2.6 mGy; low dose, <10 mGy; and regular dose, <20 mGy) were compared with post-treatment cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). In group 2, consisting of 31 patients with complex midface fractures, pre-treatment shock room CT images were compared with post-treatment CT at different dose levels or CBCT. All images were presented in random order and classified by 2 readers blinded to the clinical results. All cases with an unequal classification were re-evaluated. Results: In both groups, ultra-low-dose CT had no clinically relevant effect on fracture classification. Fourteen cases in group 2 showed minor differences in the classification code, which were no longer obvious after comparing the images directly to each other. Conclusion: Ultra-low-dose CT images allowed the correct diagnosis and classification of maxillofacial fractures. These results might lead to a substantial reconsideration of current reference dose levels.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• 제39권3호
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• pp.290-302
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• 2023

Abamectin offers great protection against Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, a well-known devastating pathogen of pine tree stands. Trunk injection of nematicides is currently the most preferred method of control. This study aimed to evaluate the potency of the commonly used formulations of abamectin against B. xylophilus. Twenty-one formulations of abamectin were evaluated by comparing their sublethal toxicities and reproduction inhibition potentials against B. xylophilus. Nematodes were treated with diluted formulation concentrations in multi-well culture plates. And, populations preexposed to pre-determined concentrations of the formulations were inoculated onto Botrytis cinerea culture, and in pine twig cuttings. Potency was contrastingly different among formulations, with LC₉₅ of 0.00285 and 0.39462 mg/ml for the most, and the least potent formulation, respectively. Paralysis generally occurred at an application dose of 0.06 ㎍/ml or higher, and formulations with high sublethal toxicities caused significant paralysis levels at the tested doses, albeit the variations. Nematode reproduction was evident at lower doses of 0.00053-0.0006 ㎍/ml both on Botrytis cinerea and pine twigs, with significant variations among formulations. Thus, the study highlighted the inconsistencies in the potency of similar product formulations with the same active ingredient concentration against the target organism, and the need to analyze the potential antagonistic effects of the additives used in formulations.

• 의학교육논단
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.84-101
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• 2023

Longitudinal data can provide important evidence with the potential to stimulate innovation and affect policies in medical education and can serve as a driving force for further developments in medical education through evidence-based decisions. Tracking and observing cohorts of students and graduates using longitudinal data can be a way to link the past, present, and future of medical education. This study reviewed practical methods and technical, administrative, and ethical considerations for the establishment and operation of a longitudinal database and presented examples of longitudinal databases. Cohort study design methods and previous examples of research using longitudinal databases to explore major topics in medical education were also reviewed. The implications of this study are as follows: (1) a systematic design process is required to establish longitudinal data, and each university should engage in ongoing deliberation about this issue; (2) efforts are needed to alleviate "survey fatigue" among respondents and reduce the administrative burden of those conducting data collection and analysis; (3) it is necessary to regularly review issues of personal information protection, data security, and ethics regarding the survey respondents; and (4) a system should be established that integrates and manages a longitudinal database of medical education at the national level. The hope is that establishing longitudinal data and cohorts at individual medical schools will not be a temporary phenomenon, but rather that they will be well utilized at the national level to innovate and implement ongoing changes in medical education.

• 한국수자원학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국수자원학회 2021년도 학술발표회
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• pp.152-152
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• 2021

The importance of groundwater has long been recognized, but the ground water potential to become contaminated as a result of human activities has only been recognized in recently. Before 1980 it was thought that soils served as filters, preventing harmful substances deposited at the surface from migrating into groundwater. Today it is known that soils have a finite capacity to protect groundwater. It can be contaminated from divers sources. Therefore, Assessment of aquifer vulnerability to pollution is essential for the protection and management of groundwater and land use planning. In this study, we used DRASTIC and AVI for groundwater vulnerability to contamination assessment. the different methods were applied to the southern coastal sedimentary basin of Benin and DRASTIC method was modified in two different steps. First, we modified DRASTIC by adding land use parameter to include the actual pollution sources (DRASTIC_LcLu) and second, classic DRASTIC weights was modified using Shannon's entropy (Entropy weight DRASTIC). The reliability of the applied approaches was verified using nitrate (NO3^-) concentration and by comparing the overall vulnerability maps to the previous researches in the study area and in the world. The results from validation showed that the addition of landcover/land use parameter to the classic DRASTIC helps to improve the method for better definition of the vulnerable areas in the basin and also, the weight modification using entropy improved better the method because Entropy weight DRASTIC_LcLu showed the highest correlation with nitrate concentration in the study basin. In summary the weight modification using entropy approach reduced the uncertainty of the human subjectivity in assigning weights and ratings in the standard DRASTIC.