• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.602-614
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• 2023

Purpose: The balance between synthesis and degradation of proteins plays a critical role in the maintenance of skeletal muscle mass. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been closely associated with skeletal muscle atrophy caused by aging, cancer, and chemotherapy. Polygalacin D is a saponin derivative isolated from Platycodon grandiflorum (Jacq.) A. DC. This study aimed to investigate the effects of polygalacin D on myoblast differentiation and muscle atrophy in association with mitochondrial function in in vitro and in zebrafish models in vivo. Methods: C2C12 myoblasts were cultured in differentiation media containing different concentrations of polygalacin D, followed by the immunostaining of the myotubes with myosin heavy chain (MHC). The mRNA expression of markers related to myogenesis, muscle atrophy, and mitochondrial function was determined by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Wild type AB^* zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos were treated with 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and irinotecan (FOLFIRI) with or without polygalacin D, and immunostained to detect slow and fast types of muscle fibers. The Tg(Xla.Eef1a1:mitoEGFP) zebrafish expressing mitochondria-targeted green fluorescent protein was used to monitor mitochondrial morphology. Results: The exposure of C2C12 myotubes to 0.1 ng/mL of polygalacin D increased the formation of MHC-positive multinucleated myotubes (≥ 8 nuclei) compared with the control. Polygalacin D significantly increased the expression of MHC isoforms (Myh1, Myh2, Myh4, and Myh7) involved in myoblast differentiation while it decreased the expression of atrophic markers including muscle RING-finger protein-1 (MuRF1), mothers against decapentaplegic homolog (Smad)2, and Smad3. In addition, polygalacin D promoted peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator (Pgc1α) expression and reduced the level of mitochondrial fission regulators such as dynamin-1-like protein (Drp1) and mitochondrial fission 1 (Fis1). In a zebrafish model of FOLFIRI-induced muscle atrophy, polygalacin D improved not only mitochondrial dysfunction but also slow and fast muscle fiber atrophy. Conclusion: These results demonstrated that polygalacin D promotes myogenesis and alleviates chemotherapy-induced muscle atrophy by improving mitochondrial function. Thus, polygalacin D could be useful as nutrition support to prevent and ameliorate muscle wasting and weakness.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.217-242
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• 2023

This study aims to analyze the factors influencing the logistics demand of inland ports along the Yangtze River and predict future port logistics demand based on these factors. The logistics demand prediction using system dynamics techniques was conducted for a total of six ports, including Chongqing and Yibin ports in the upper reaches, Jingzhou and Wuhan ports in the middle reaches, and Nanjing and Suzhou ports in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The logistics demand for all ports showed an increasing trend in the mid-term prediction until 2026. The logistics demand of Chongqing port was mainly influenced by the scale of the hinterland economy, while Yibin port appeared to heavily rely on the level of port automation. In the case of the upper and middle reach ports, logistics demand increased as the energy consumption of the hinterland increased and the air pollution situation worsened. The logistics demand of the middle reach ports was greatly influenced by the hinterland infrastructure, while the lower reach ports were sensitive to changes in the urban construction area. According to the sensitivity analysis, the logistics demand of ports relying on large cities was relatively stable against the increase and decrease of influential factors, while ports with smaller hinterland city scales reacted sensitively to changes in influential factors. Therefore, a strategy should be established to strengthen policy support for Chongqing port as the core port of the upper Yangtze River and have surrounding ports play a supporting role for Chongqing port. The upper reach ports need to play a supporting role for Chongqing port and consider measures to enhance connections with middle and lower reach ports and promote the port industry. The development strategy for inland ports along the Yangtze River suggests the establishment of direct routes and expansion of the transportation network for South Korean ports and stakeholders. It can suggest expanding the hinterland network and building an efficient transportation system linked with the logistics hub. Through cooperation, logistics efficiency can be enhanced in both regions, which will contribute to strengthening the international position and competitiveness of each port.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.152-161
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• 2023

In general, large-capacity hydrogen storage vessels, typically in the form of vertical cylindrical vessels, are constructed using steel materials. These vessels are anchored to foundation slabs that are specially designed to suit the environmental conditions. This anchoring method involves pre-installed anchors on top of the concrete foundation slab. However, it's important to note that such a design can result in concentrated stresses at the anchoring points when external forces, such as seismic events, are at play. This may lead to potential structural damage due to anchor and concrete damage. For this reason, in this study, it selected an vertical hydrogen storage vessel based on site observations and created a 3D finite element model. Artificial seismic motions made following the procedures specified in ICC-ES AC 156, as well as domestic recorded earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 5.0, were applied to analyze the structural behavior and performance of the target structures. Conducting experiments on a structure built to actual scale would be ideal, but due to practical constraints, it proved challenging to execute. Therefore, it opted for an analytical approach to assess the safety of the target structure. Regarding the structural response characteristics, the acceleration induced by seismic motion was observed to amplify by approximately ten times compared to the input seismic motions. Additionally, there was a tendency for a decrease in amplification as the response acceleration was transmitted to the point where the centre of gravity is located. For the vulnerable components, specifically the sub-system (support columns and anchorages), the stress levels were found to satisfy the allowable stress criteria. However, the concrete's tensile strength exhibited only about a 5% margin of safety compared to the allowable stress. This indicates the need for mitigation strategies in addressing these concerns. Based on the research findings presented in this paper, it is anticipated that predictable load information for the design of storage vessels required for future shaking table tests will be provided.

• Journal of Venture Innovation
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.109-115
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• 2022

As the 4th industrial revolution progresses, foreign countries are promoting smart manufacturing innovation through digital transformation as a priority task early on to secure a competitive edge in the manufacturing industry. In response, the Korean government is also promoting a policy to enhance the competitiveness of small and medium-sized manufacturing companies by promoting digital transformation in the corporate sector to meet the global trend of the 4th industrial revolution era. Manufacturing powerhouses such as Germany and Japan see manufacturing as a key sector in digital transformation and are leading related policies, while emerging countries such as China are also promoting manufacturing innovation strategies such as building digital infrastructure and creating a digital innovation ecosystem. Korea is promoting the 'Korean-style smart factory dissemination and expansion strategy' by transforming Germany's manufacturing innovation strategy for smart factory supply to suit the domestic situation. However, the policy to supply smart factories so far has been conducted with support from individual companies under the leadership of the government, and most of the smart factories are at the basic level, and it is evaluated that there are limitations such as the lack of manpower to operate smart factories. In addition, while the current policy focuses on expanding the supply of smart factories in SMEs, it is necessary to establish a smart manufacturing system through linkages between large and small businesses in order to achieve the original goal of establishing a smart manufacturing system. Therefore, it can be said that from the standpoint of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), who are consumers of smart factories, it can be said that the digital transformation policy can achieve the expected results only when appropriate incentives are provided for the introduction of smart factories in a situation where management resources such as funds, technology, and human resources are lacking. In addition, it is judged that the uncertainty of the performance of digital investment always exists, and as long as large and small companies are maintained as an ecosystem of delivery and subcontracting, there is very little incentive for small and medium-sized manufacturing companies to voluntarily invest in or advance digital transformation. Therefore, the digital transformation policy of small and medium-sized manufacturing companies in the future has practical significance in that it suggests that there is a need to seek ways to attract SMEs' digital-related voluntary investment.

• Journal of Venture Innovation
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.43-60
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• 2023

Although the importance of starting a business is being emphasized, it is not easy for a start-up to survive. Therefore, it is necessary to come up with a plan to strengthen startup satisfaction and improve the survival rate of startup companies. In this study, we examined the impact of start-up motivation, start-up capabilities, and start-up passion of start-up companies on start-up satisfaction, as well as the moderating effect according to the founding type of general start-up companies and startups. Entrepreneurship motivation was divided into self-actualization motivation and pro-social motivation. Entrepreneurship capabilities were divided into marketing capabilities and experience capabilities. Entrepreneurship passion was divided into harmonious passion and obsessive passion. Empirical analysis was conducted by receiving surveys from 361 managers of general and startup companies within 7 years of founding their businesses online and offline. As a result, self-actualization motivation, pro-social motivation, marketing competency, experiential competency, and harmonious passion had a significant positive (+) effect on startup satisfaction. However, obsessive passion did not have a significant effect. In addition, the magnitude of influence on startup satisfaction appeared in the following order: harmonious passion, marketing competency, self-actualization motivation, pro-social motivation, and experiential competency. The moderating effect according to the type of founding of general start-ups and startups was found in pro-social motivation, experience competency, and passion for harmony. However, there was no significant moderating effect between self-actualization motivation, marketing competency, obsessive passion, and entrepreneurship satisfaction. This study presented academic implications that harmonious passion and marketing capabilities are important factors in improving startup satisfaction. In addition, practical and policy implications were presented, including the need for programs to support the psychological stability of startup business owners, strengthening startup capabilities through experts, and strengthening startup education programs that can foster self-actualization motivation and pro-social motivation.

• Land and Housing Review
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.17-37
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• 2023

The rental housing market in South Korea, specifically monthly rent with deposit, has been expanding over the last three decades (8.2% in 1990 to 21.0% in 2020), partly replacing the traditional Jeonse market. The distribution of rent has changed due to public rental subsidies and the emergence of luxury rental housing, while the distribution of rental household income has been polarized because of the emergence of rich renters. This study attempts to measure the structural changes in the rental market by developing a new indicator of income-rent mismatch. Using the seven series of the Korea Housing Survey, this study analyzed the changes in rent (reflecting the conversion rate) and income levels of rental households in 2006 (base year) and 10-15 years later (the analysis year) at the national level and at the spatial unit of 16 metropolitan cities and provinces (excluding Sejong), respectively, by dividing them into quartile data. The result reveals that rental housing was undersupplied in middle- and high-income rental housing due to the decline in the highest quartile (25%→18%) and the third quartile groups (25%→20%), while the supply of public rental housing expanded for the second quartile (25%→28%) and the lowest quartile (25%→35) groups. On the demand side, the highest income quartile shrank (25%→21%), while the lowest income quartile grew (25%→31%). Comparing the 16 metropolitan cities and provinces, there were significant regional differences in the direction and intensity of changes in rent and renter household income. In particular, the rental market in Seoul was characterized by supply polarization, which led to an imbalance in the income distribution of rental households. The structural changes in the apartment rental market were different from those in the non-apartment rental market. The findings of this study can be used as a basis for future regional rental housing markets. The findings can support securing affordable rental housing stock for each income quartile group on monthly rent and developing housing stability measures for a balance between income and rent distribution in each region.

• Journal of Public Diplomacy
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.35-52
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• 2023

Korea has developed as an influential country over Asia and all over the world based on remarkable economic development. And the background of this development was possible due to the existence of those who sacrificed precious lives and contributed to the nation's existence in the past crisis. Every year, Korea holds an annual commemorative event with people of national merit, Korean War veterans, and their families, expressing gratitude for sacrifices and contributions at home and abroad, and providing economic support. The tragedy of the Korean War and the pro-democracy movement in Korea over the past half century will one day become a history of the distant past over time. As generations change and the purpose and method of exchange by region change, the tragic situation that occurred earlier and the way people sacrificed for the country are expected to be different from before. In particular, it is true that the number of Korean War veterans and their families is gradually decreasing as they are now old. In addition, due to the outbreak of global infectious diseases such as COVID-19, it is difficult to plan and conduct face to face events as well as before. Currently, Korea's digital technology is introducing various methods. 5G communication networks, smart-phones, tablet PCs, and smart devices that can experience virtual reality are already used in our real lives. Business meetings are held in a metaverse environment, and concerts by famous singers are held in an online environment. Artificial intelligence technology has also been introduced in the field of human resource recruitment and customer response services, improving the work efficiency of companies. And it seems that this technology can be used in the field of veterans. In particular, there is a metaverse technology that can vividly show the situation during the Korean War, and a way to digitalize the voices and facial expressions of currently surviving veterans to convey their memories and lessons to future generations in the long run. If this digital technology method is realized on an online platform to hold a veterans' celebration event, veterans and their families on the other side of the world will be able to participate in the event more conveniently.

• Clean Technology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.255-261
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• 2023

Power semiconductors are semiconductors used for power conversion, transformation, distribution, and control. Recently, the global demand for high-voltage power semiconductors is increasing across various industrial fields, and optimization research on high-voltage IGBT components is urgently needed in these industries. For high-voltage IGBT development, setting the resistance value of the wafer and optimizing key unit processes are major variables in the electrical characteristics of the finished chip. Furthermore, the securing process and optimization of the technology to support high breakdown voltage is also important. Etching is a process of transferring the pattern of the mask circuit in the photolithography process to the wafer and removing unnecessary parts at the bottom of the photoresist film. Ion implantation is a process of injecting impurities along with thermal diffusion technology into the wafer substrate during the semiconductor manufacturing process. This process helps achieve a certain conductivity. In this study, dry etching and wet etching were controlled during field ring etching, which is an important process for forming a ring structure that supports the 3.3 kV breakdown voltage of IGBT, in order to analyze four conditions and form a stable body junction depth to secure the breakdown voltage. The field ring ion implantation process was optimized based on the TEG design by dividing it into four conditions. The wet etching 1-step method was advantageous in terms of process and work efficiency, and the ring pattern ion implantation conditions showed a doping concentration of 9.0E13 and an energy of 120 keV. The p-ion implantation conditions were optimized at a doping concentration of 6.5E13 and an energy of 80 keV, and the p+ ion implantation conditions were optimized at a doping concentration of 3.0E15 and an energy of 160 keV.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.639-652
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• 2023

The fundamental background behind the introduction of the fishing vessel system is to allow petty small fishers to engage in pure fishery business activities with fishing vessels during normal times and engage in fishing vessel business only during specific periods (closed fishing season, etc.) thereby granting a qualification as an auxiliary tool for the economic activities of petty small fishers. In addition, fishing boats are allowed to engage in excursion ship activities using fishing vessels registered under the Fishing Vessels Act, the form of fishing vessels should also have a general and universal structure that is practically easy to engage in fishing activities in the field in accordance with the relevant regulations. However, most fishing vessel proprietors are currently focusing only on increasing income, and rather than building fishing vessels in a reasonable form suitable for the original purpose of general fishing vessels, they prefer an abnormal hull form equivalent to expediency, that is biased hull structure biased toward the fishing vessel business. As a result, it is causing serious problems in safety management as well as conflict [damaging relative equity in government support measures (tax-free oil supply, etc.), and depletion of livelihood-type fish stocks] with fishing vessel forces who consider the fishing vessel business only to be a part of the side job among all fishery business activities. Meanwhile, the most fundamental cause of this problem is that the current Fishing Management and Promotion Act, limits the concept of fishing vessels to fishing vessels registered under the Fishing Vessels Act, and applies survey standards accordingly. Accordingly, in this study, through analysis of the distribution status of fishing vessels, structural characteristics, operation status of fishing vessels, and the government's fishing promotion policies, etc., the relevant laws (regulations) have been reorganized to suit the current reality of the concept of fishing vessels to separate the current fishing vessel from fishing vessels and operate it as a fishing-only vessel.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.56 no.11
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• pp.775-784
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• 2023

With the increasing trend of extreme rainfall that exceeds the design frequency of man-made structures due to extreme weather, it is necessary to review the safety of agricultural reservoirs designed in the past. However, there are no local government-managed reservoirs (13,685) that can be discharged in an emergency, except for reservoirs over a certain size under the jurisdiction of the Korea Rural Affairs Corporation. In this case, it is important to quickly deploy a mobile siphon to the site for preliminary discharge, and this study evaluated the applicability of a mobile siphon with a diameter of 200 mm, a minimum water level difference of 6 m, 420 (m²/h), and 10,000 (m²/day), which can perform both preliminary and emergency discharge functions, to the Yugum Reservoir in Gyeongju City. The test bed, Yugum Reservoir, is a facility that was completed in 1945 and has been in use for about 78 years. According to the hydrological stability analysis, the lowest height of the current dam crest section is 27.15 (EL.m), which is 0.29m lower than the reviewed flood level of 27.44 (EL.m), indicating that there is a possibility of lunar flow through the embankment, and the headroom is insufficient by 1.72 m, so it was reviewed as not securing hydrological safety. The water level-volume curve was arbitrarily derived because it was difficult to clearly establish the water level-flow relationship curve of the reservoir since the water level-flow measurement was not carried out regularly, and based on the derived curve, the algorithm for operating small and medium-sized old reservoirs was developed to consider the pre-discharge time, the amount of spillway discharge, and to predict the reservoir lunar flow time according to the flood volume by frequency, thereby securing evacuation time in advance and reducing the risk of collapse. Based on one row of 200 mm diameter mobile siphons, the optimal pre-discharge time to secure evacuation time (about 1 hour) while maintaining 80% of the upper limit water level (about 30,000 m²) during a 30-year flood was analyzed to be 12 hours earlier. If the pre-discharge technology utilizing siphons for small and medium-sized old reservoirs and the algorithm for reservoir operation are implemented in advance in case of abnormal weather and the decision-making of managers is supported, it is possible to secure the safety of residents in the risk area of reservoir collapse, resolve the anxiety of residents through the establishment of a support system for evacuating residents, and reduce risk factors by providing risk avoidance measures in the event of a reservoir risk situation.