• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.279-286
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to examine the mediating effect of physical activity in the relationship between generalized anxiety disorder and overdependence on smartphones in adolescents. To find a way for solving the problems caused by the over-use of smartphones during adolescence, we tried to find the importance of a health promotion program through physical activities. For the purpose of the study, the 2020 Youth Health Behavior Survey data conducted by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were used as analysis data for this study. As a result of the study, firstly, generalized anxiety disorder has a negative (-) relationship with physical activity, and physical activity also has a negative (-) relationship with overdependence on smartphones. Secondly, as a result of analyzing the mediating effect of physical activity in the relationship between generalized anxiety disorder and smartphone overdependence experience, the physical activity was found to be a significant factor. Thirdly, it was confirmed that the physical activity has a partial mediating effect in the relationship between generalized anxiety disorder and smartphone overdependence experience. Increasing physical activity through team sports rather than individual sports may help reduce smartphone use.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.171-182
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• 2022

The safe use of a structure requires it to be maintained in an undamaged state. Thus, a typical factor that determines the safety of a structure is a crack in it. In addition, cracks are caused by various reasons, damage the structure in various ways, and exist in different shapes. Making matters worse, if these cracks are unattended, the risk of structural failure increases and proceeds to a catastrophe. Hence, recently, methods of checking structural damage using deep learning and computer vision technology have been introduced. These methods usually have the premise that there should be a large amount of training image data. However, the amount of training image data is always insufficient. Particularly, this insufficiency negatively affects the performance of deep learning crack detection algorithms. Hence, in this study, a method of augmenting crack image data based on the image translation technique was developed. In particular, this method obtained the crack image data for training a deep learning neural network model by transforming a specific case of a asphalt crack image into a concrete crack image or vice versa . Eventually, this method expected that a robust crack detection algorithm could be developed by increasing the diversity of its training data.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.207-218
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• 2022

This study, to confirm the mediating effect of knee pain on cognitive functions and depression in older adults, and as an interdisciplinary research between the physical and psychological mechanisms, confirmed the identifying group differences by gender, age, and educational attainment of older adults, and aimed to research the improvement of cognitive functions, which is a main factor of dementia's risk prediction. The analysis data was from the 8th Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA) in 2020, and the research model was verified using Process macro and model #4. The main analysis results are as follows. First, depression partially mediation effect of knee pain on cognitive functions. Second, the mediation effect of depression by gender was significant, but the direct effect in the male older adults group was twice that in the female older adults; the indirect effect did not vary significantly based on gender. Third, the mediating effect of depression by age was relatively greater in the old-old aged group than in the young-old aged one. Fourth, as for the mediating effect of depression according to the classification of educational attainment, the mediating effect was not significant in the group with a college degree or higher education but was significant in the remaining three sub-groups. Based on the results, this study makes implications for the need for active intervention strategies to improve cognitive functions, focusing on group differences by gender, age, and educational attainment in the management of knee pain and depression.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.238-248
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• 2022

This study was conducted to evaluate the safety of 208 types of residue pesticides on 150 dried agricultural products in Ulsan. The pesticide residues were detected using GC-MS/MS, LC-MS/MS, GC/ECD, GC/NPD, and LC/PDA. The detection rate was 19.3% (29 of 150 samples), and 28 types of pesticides were detected. Two of the 29 pesticide residues exceeded the maximum residue limit (MRL). Difenoconazole was detected in Ulleungdo aster, and chlorothalonil and chlorpyrifos were detected in chili pepper leaves. In the vegetable group, the frequency of pesticide residues was found to be the highest in dried leafy vegetables, followed by dried fruiting vegetables other than cucurbit vegetables, and then dried stalk and stem vegetables. The pesticide types detected in the commercial dried agricultural products were fungicide (60%), insecticide (23.8%), and acaricide (16.3%). In the validation study, the values of limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantitation (LOQ), coefficient of determination (R²), and recovery rate were in the range of 0.0001-0.0409 mg/kg, 0.0003-0.1241 mg/kg, 0.994-0.999, and 81.58-116.79%, respectively. The ratio of estimated daily intake (EDI)/acceptable daily intake (ADI) was 0.00002-0.31395%.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.617-629
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• 2022

Purpose: Osteoporosis is characterized by structural deterioration of the bone tissue because of the loss of osteoblastic activity or the increase in osteoclastic activity, resulting in bone fragility and an increased risk of fractures. Hederagenin (Hed) is a pentacyclic triterpenoid saponin isolated from Dipsaci Radix, the dried root of Dipsacus asper Wall. Dipsaci Radix has been used in Korean herbal medicine to treat bone fractures. In this study, we attempted to demonstrate the potential anti-osteoporotic effect of Hed by examining its effect on osteoblast differentiation in MC3T3-E1 cells. Methods: Osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured in 0, 1, and 10 ㎍/mL Hed for 3 and 7 days. The activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone nodule formation and level of expression of bone-related genes and proteins were measured in MC3T3-E1 cells exposed to Hed. The western blot test was used to detect the activation of the bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2)/ Suppressor of Mothers against Decapentaplegic (SMAD)1 pathway. Results: Hed significantly increased the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells. Intracellular ALP activity was significantly increased in the 1 ㎍/mL Hed-treated group. Hed significantly increased the concentration of calcified nodules. Furthermore, Hed significantly upregulated the expression of genes and proteins associated with osteoblast proliferation and differentiation, such as Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), ALP, osteopontin (OPN), and type I procollagen (ProCOL1). Induction of osteoblast differentiation by Hed was associated with increased BMP2. In addition, Hed induced osteoblast differentiation by increasing the activity of SMAD1/5/8. These results suggest that Hed has the potential to prevent osteoporosis by promoting osteoblastogenesis in osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells via the modulation of the BMP2/SMAD1 pathway. Conclusion: The results presented in this study indicate that Hed isolated from Dipsaci Radix has the potential to be developed as a healthcare food and functional material possessing anti-osteoporosis effects.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.155-161
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• 2023

Background: Surgical closure of an atrial septal defect (ASD) is infrequently indicated during infancy. We evaluated the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients who underwent surgical ASD closure during infancy. Methods: A single-center retrospective review was performed for 39 patients (19 males) who underwent surgical ASD closure during infancy between 1993 and 2020. The median body weight percentile at the time of operation was 9.3. Results: During a median follow-up of 60.9 months, 4 late deaths occurred due to chronic respiratory failure. A preoperative history of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) was the only risk factor for late mortality identified in Cox regression (hazard ratio, 3.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.75-163.04; p=0.015). The 5-year survival rate was significantly lower in patients with preoperative history of BPD (97.0% vs. 50.0%, p<0.001) and preoperative ventilatory support (97.1% vs. 40.4%, p<0.001). There were significant postoperative increases in left ventricular end-diastolic (p=0.017), end-systolic (p=0.014), and stroke volume (p=0.013) indices. A generalized estimated equation model showed significantly better postoperative improvement in body weight percentiles in patients with lower weight percentiles at the time of operation (<10th percentile, p=0.01) and larger indexed ASD diameter (≥45 mm/m², p=0.025). Conclusion: Patients with ASD necessitating surgical closure during infancy are extremely small preoperatively and remain small even after surgical closure. However, postoperative somatic growth was more prominent in smaller patients with larger defects, which may be attributable to an increase in postoperative cardiac output due to changes in ventricular septal configuration. The benefits of ASD closure in patients with BPD are undetermined.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.49-54
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• 2023

Purpose: The present study examined the effectiveness of the preoperative ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) levels in predicting the healing period of amputation wounds in patients with diabetes mellitus following a non-traumatic below-knee amputation (BKA). Materials and Methods: This study enrolled 41 diabetic foot ulcer patients who underwent BKA at the authors' hospital diabetic foot center from April 2016 to April 2022. Among the 41 patients, 29 (70.7%) were male and 12 (29.3%) were female. Their mean age was 64.54±11.38 years (41~81 years). The mean follow-up period was 19.48±5.56 weeks (14~48 weeks) after BKA. The patients were divided into two groups (high IMA group and normal IMA group), which evaluated the healing period, wound dehiscence, and revision operation rate using a Fisher's exact test and Mann-Whitney U test. Three orthopedic surgeons performed stump wound evaluation, and they were evaluated as healing when all sutures were fused without oozing. Results: Thirty patients (73.2%) (group A) showed a high level of IMA (median: 91.2 U/mL), and 11 (26.8%) patients (group B) showed a normal range of IMA (median: 82.7 U/mL). In group A, the median period for wound healing took 1.4 weeks longer, which was significant (p=0.001). No statistical relationship was observed between wound dehiscence, revision operation rate, and IMA value. There was no correlation between the other risk factors (estimated glomerular filtration rate, HbA1c) and the wound healing period. Conclusion: Although there was a limitation in using IMA as the sole factor to predict the healing period of amputation wounds in patients after BKA, this study revealed a significant positive correlation between IMA and the period of stump healing after BKA. Therefore, the preoperative IMA levels may help predict the period of stump healing after BKA.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.105-116
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• 2023

The fatality rate of secondary accidents is seven times that of general traffic accidents. If limited to highways, one in four deaths are said to occur from secondary accidents. Unexpected situations which do not give drivers time to prepare are the cause of secondary accidents. This risk results in more fatalities on highways with high driving speeds. Existing studies have conducted research on traffic accidents and on secondary traffic accidents that occur after a primary traffic accident, without considering unexpected situations that may occur on the road. Therefore, to reduce damage and casualties caused by secondary accidents, there is a need to create a safe road environment by removing the possibility of causing accidents. This study analyzes whether the day of occurrence, time of occurrence, and radius of the curve of an unexpected situation are related to the occurrence of an unexpected situation. This study was based on data of accidents that occurred in 2022 on the Cheonan-Nonsan Expressway and the Seoul-Yangyang Expressway. The radius of the curve was calculated by dividing the section of the highway into straight, clothoid, and curved sections through cluster analysis. Results of the analysis indicate that the day and time of occurrence and the curve radius are associated with unexpected situations.

• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.87-106
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• 2022

Uncertainties in the energy market are increasing due to technology developments (shale revolution), trade wars, COVID-19, and the Russia-Ukraine war. Especially, since 2020, the risk of international trade in the energy market has increased significantly due to changes in the supply chain of transportation and due to prolonged demand reduction because of COVID-19 and the Russian-Ukraine war. Considering these points, this study analyzed connectedness between energy price, tanker index, and uncertainty to understand the connectedness between international trade in the energy market. Main results are summarized as follows. First, as a result of analyzing stable period and unstable period of the energy price model using the MS-VAR model, it was confirmed that both the crude oil market model and the natural gas market model had a higher probability of maintaining stable period than unstable period, increasing volatility by specific events. Second, looking at the results of the analysis of the connectedness between stable period and unstable period of the energy market, it was confirmed that in the case of total connectedness, connectedness between variables was increased in the unstable period compared to the stable period. In the case of the energy market stable period, considering the degree of connectedness, it was confirmed that the effect of the tanker freight index, which represents the demand-side factor, was significant. Third, unstable period of the natural gas market model increases rapidly compared to the crude oil market model, indicating that the volatility spillover effect of the natural gas market is greater when uncertainties affecting energy prices increase compared to the crude oil market.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.62-67
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• 2023

Due to the prolonged impact of COVID-19, the demand for Information Technology (IT) products is increasing, and their production facilities are expanded. Consequently, the use of harmful and dangerous chemicals are increased, the risk of fire(s) and explosion(s) is also elevated. In order to mitigate these risks, the government sets standards, such as KS C IEC 60079-10-1, and manages explosion-prone hazardous facilities where flammable substances are manufactured, used, and handled. However, using the standards of KS, it is difficult to predict the actual possibility of an explosion in a facility, because ventilation (an important factor) is not considered when setting up a hazardous work environment. In this study, the SEMI S6, Tracer Gas Test was applied to the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) facility, a major part of the display industry, to evaluate ventilation performance and to confirm the possibility of creating a less explosive environment. Based on the results, it was confirmed that the ventilation performance in the assumed scenarios met the standards stipulated in SEMI S6, along with supporting the possibility of creating a less explosive working condition. Therefore, it is recommended to use the prediction tool using engineering techniques, as well as KS standards, in such hazardous environments to prevent accidents and/or reduce economic burden following accidents.