• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.547-556
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• 2016

Myometrial relaxation of mouse via expression of two-pore domain acid sensitive (TASK) channels was studied. In our previous report, we suggested that two-pore domain acid-sensing $K^+$ channels (TASK-2) might be one of the candidates for the regulation of uterine circular smooth muscles in mice. In this study, we tried to show the mechanisms of relaxation via TASK-2 channels in marine myometrium. Isometric contraction measurements and patch clamp technique were used to verify TASK conductance in murine myometrium. Western blot and immunehistochemical study under confocal microscopy were used to investigate molecular identity of TASK channel. In this study, we showed that TEA and 4-AP insensitive non-inactivating outward $K^+$ current (NIOK) may be responsible for the quiescence of murine pregnant longitudinal myometrium. The characteristics of NIOK coincided with two-pore domain acid-sensing $K^+$ channels (TASK-2). NIOK in the presence of $K^+$ channel blockers was inhibited further by TASK inhibitors such as quinidine, bupivacaine, lidocaine, and extracellular acidosis. Furthermore, oxytocin and estrogen inhibited NIOK in pregnant myometrium. When compared to non-pregnant myometrium, pregnant myometrium showed stronger inhibition of NIOK by quinidine and increased immunohistochemical expression of TASK-2. Finally, TASK-2 inhibitors induced strong myometrial contraction even in the presence of L-methionine, a known inhibitor of stretch-activated channels in the longitudinal myometrium of mouse. Activation of TASK-2 channels seems to play an essential role for relaxing uterus during pregnancy and it might be one of the alternatives for preventing preterm delivery.

• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.135-149
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• 2016

This study analyzes the concentration ratios (CR) and the shift effect in the system of Korean container ports that concern the export and import of container cargos, especially from/to 5 overseas origin/destination (O/D) regions, using the Hirshmann-Herfindahl Index (HHI) and the Shift-Share Method. The results shows that the CR has decreased during the last 20 years, from 0.86 to 0.44, mainly because cargos from/to the Far-East/South-East Asian regions have become more dispersed to several domestic container ports, especially from the Port of Busan. This study also indicates that there has been little change in the CR for all cargos, like the value of -0.3%, in the last 5 years. However the change in CRs for the cargos from/to the North America and Europe is positive, with the value of 7.6% and 6.6%, respectively. It can be inferred that the future development of medium- and small-sized container ports in Korea is not very likely. The study also suggests that the CR and the shift effect of the Korean container ports for the cargos by the domestic O/D regions should be analyzed in the future to suggest policy implications in great detail.

• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.97-122
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• 2016

Incheon port attained two million TEU of container throughput between 2013 and 2014 as a third port in domestic container throughput. It opened a new port in Song-do, Incheon in June 2015 to prepare for the continuing increase in container throughput.Therefore, it has provided the platform for being the major container port domestically and internationally. As the role of the new port increases, the role and direction of the Incheon port liner service network attracts attention. This study analyzes the centrality of the Incheon port liner service network by using SNA (Social Network Analysis), which was introduced in the maritime economics area recently, focusing on the Incheon port liner service network. We recognize the degree centrality, closeness centrality, and betweenness centrality of each port and its effect on the Incheon port liner service network. The study showed that for Incheon port, the centrality of the Busan port in Korea, and the Hong Kong port, is high outside the country. This helps us determine that the hub of the Incheon port is neither Shanghai nor Singapore, which ranks first and second, respectively, on container throughput. It is also helps us to know that eastern China's ports have not played a role of the hub of the Incheon port until now because of the relatively low centrality of eastern China's ports.

• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.155-175
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• 2016

The purpose of this paper is to find the success factors for a newly developed marine financial city of Busan. For this, in the paper, we did case studies about advanced marine financial cities such as Hamburg, Oslo, Pireus, Shanghai, Singapore and London. And we made the hierarchical questionnaire for this study from literature reviews and interviews with experts in the field of the marine finance. A hierarchy was made up of 4 factors as the first class and the each factor consisted of four elements as the second class. The results of AHP analysis are as follows. First, the most important factor in the priorities with respect to marine financial city of Busan is "development of marine finance(0.371)" within the four factors as the first class. Next came "business environment(0.248)", "infrastructure(0.206)" and "support of government(0.175)". Second, the most important things is a clustering for marine finance(0.134) within 16 elements as the second class. We also analysed the priorities by the each factor of the second class. The most important element is an industrial clustering of marine finance(0.400) for "development of marine finance" and a clustering of the shipbuilding & marine industry(0.175) for "business environment" factor. And the ICT & transportation(0.326) is the most important element for "infrastructure" and a support of the national government(0.423) for "support of government" factor.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.380-386
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• 2021

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become a public health emergency of global concern. In China, traditional Chinese medicine has been widely administered to COVID-19 patients without sufficient evidence. To evaluate the efficacy of Shenhuang Granule (SHG) for treating critically ill patients with COVID-19, we included in this study 118 patients who were admitted to the ICU of Tongji Hospital between January 28, 2020 and March 28, 2020. Among these patients, 33 (27.9%) received standard care plus SHG (treatment group) and 85 (72.1%) received standard care alone (control group). Enrolled patients had a median (IQR) age of 68 (57-75) years, and most (79 [67.1%]) were men. At end point of this study, 83 (70.3%) had died in ICU, 29 (24.5%) had been discharged from ICU, and 6 patients (5.2%) were still in ICU. Compared with control group, mortality was significantly lower in treatment group (45.4% vs. 80%, p < .001). Patients in treatment group were less likely to develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (12 [36.3%] vs. 54 [63.5%], p = 0.012) and cardiac injury (5 [15.1%] vs. 32 [37.6%], p = 0.026), and less likely to receive mechanical ventilation (22 [66.7%] vs. 72 [84.7%], p = 0.028) than those in control group. The median time from ICU admission to discharge was shorter in treatment group (32 [20-73] days vs. 76 [63-79] days, p = 0.0074). These findings suggest that SHG treatment as a complementary therapy might be effective for critically ill adults with COVID-19 and warrant further clinical trials.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.141-159
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• 2018

The study aims to explore the factors that affect the value perception, satisfaction, and frequency of smart phone taxi applications in Shanghai, China, and commuters. According to a survey conducted on the actual use of taxi application, the majority of the customers responded that they have been using taxi apps for more than one or two years, and the results showed that they use taxi apps once or twice a week. It also showed that the actual use of taxi apps varies depending on their age and academic background. Among the value attributes of smart phone taxi applications, the respondents perceived ease of use as the highest at 4.41 points out of 5 point scale, while the risk perception was the lowest at 3.34 points. Finally, when social demographic characteristics and the nature of taxi app use were controlled, the value perception variables had a significant influence on taxi application satisfaction. The higher the perception of service quality, usefulness, and system usability, the higher the satisfaction levels were. In particular, the impact of perceived usefulness and system usability perception was high.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.247-273
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• 2011

This study analyzes the impacts on the M&A and greenfield of macroeconomic variables of home and host countries, after identifying current status and characteristics of the M&A and greenfield related to the entering way of Korean firms in China. Main empirical results are summarize as follows. First, as for foreign exchange variable, the decreased value of Korea won shows the negative correlations with both of the greenfield and M&A. Second, the real interest rate of Korea to measure the cost of capital is not significant statistically. Third, while the host country's stock market index, Shanghai Comprehensive Index, shows the expected negative correlations with the investment in the case of small & medium firm and light industry, it shows the positive correlations which is not consistent with general expectation in the case of large firm and heavy industry. Fourth, the openness of host country shows the positive correlations with both of the greenfield and M&A. Finally, in regard to the M&A, China's GDP to measure the market size of host country is not significant statistically while it shows the strong positive relationship with the greenfield investment.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.357-380
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to analyze the Elementary and Secondary Education Act(ESEA) of the U.S. reauthorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015 from the viewpoint of the library and information services, and to derive implications for improving the library and information services. For the first time, ESEA includes effective school library programs and school librarians, and links school library programs and school librarians with literacy, digital literacy, books, resources, up-to-date materials, technology, library services and educational services. It provides a financial and institutional base for library and information services in elementary and secondary schools of the US to be more conducted. In addition, school librarians are required to participate in personalized learning experiences, evidence-based assessments, and professional development in the law, so school librarians must provide library and information services to students, staff, and parents in order to improve student achievement and digital literacy. Based on these analyses, this study discussed strengthening access to the school library, specifying the work of the teacher-librarian's library and information services, strengthening collaboration with school members, educational activities based on evidence base, sharing educational effects and developing of library and information curriculum.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.36-43
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• 2019

Objectives : Carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) laser, a high power laser has been used for pain management, dermatology, and surgery and laser acupuncture and moxibustion as well, since it had been oscillated in 1964 at Bell Telephone Laboratories in the US. The purpose of this study is to investigate the history of $CO_2$ laser acupuncture through reviewing studies published in early stage of laser medicine. Methods : To investigate the early history of $CO_2$ laser acupuncture, studies were searched in the electronic databases, including PubMed, ScienceDirect, CNKI, Wanfang, J-STAGE, CiNii, KTNP, and OASIS, since 1964. Articles in English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean were included, and there were no limitations in literature types such as reviews, essays, clinical trials, animal experiments and veterinary research. Results : We found that the first $CO_2$ laser application to acupoints was done by a research team in Shanghai in 1976. They used $CO_2$ laser for acupuncture treatment and it was also the first laser acupuncture treatment in China. Since the first case report of $CO_2$ laser for leukopenia, it has been applied to various diseases in China, Korea, Japan and other western countries. It has been widely applied in the fields of dentistry and veterinary medicine, as well as clinical applications. Conclusions : Not only $CO_2$ laser can be used as laser acupuncture by stimulating the acupoints and meridians, but also can produce moxibustion effect by using heat stimulus. Therefore, it is expected that it will be used in various clinical fields in the future.

• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.1577-1605
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• 2018

This study analyzes China's technology billionaires. However, this study does not show the accumulating process of wealth in each of the Chinese billionaires, because there are many technology billionaires, but only deals with the macro analysis of the technology billionaire; the pattern of existence, comparison with other industries, the process of wealth creation reflecting China's particularity, and comparison with the world's technology billionaires. The findings of this study are as follows. First, more than 10 billion yuan of Chinese billionaires will emerge from 2004. Second, in the early days, illegal and corruption made rich, but the wealth of own efforts has gradually increased. Third, the real estate and manufacturing billionaires are still strong overall, but the growth of billionaires in technology, medicine and finance industry is remarkable. Fourth, in the case of the top 10 richest, four are from real estate, four from technology, and two from manufacturing and distribution. Most technology billionaires are in Guangdong, Zhejiang, Beijing and Shanghai. The determinants of the number of billionaires are GDP, exchange rate to US Dollar and Shenzen Stock Index, and those of technology billionaire are GDP and exchange rate. Given the relationship with existing theories, this study can be called the fifth type of billionaire research. Conceptually, the main reason for accumulating wealth is the search for policy opportunities, market opportunities and technology opportunities.