• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.66 no.3
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• pp.39-51
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• 2024

To effectively implement the integrated water management policy outlined in the National Water Management Act, it is essential to analyze agricultural water supply and demand at both basin and water district levels. Currently, agricultural water is primarily distributed through open canal systems and controlled by floodgates, yet the utilization-to-supply ratio remains at a mere 48%. In the case of agricultural water, when analyzing water balance through existing national basin water resource models (K-WEAP, K-MODISM), distortion of supply and regression occurs due to calculation of regression rate based on the concept of net water consumption. In addition, by simplifying the complex and diverse agricultural water supply system within the basin into a single virtual reservoir, it is difficult to analyze the surplus or shortage of agricultural water for each field within the basin. There are limitations in reflecting the characteristics and actual sites of rural water areas, such as inconsistencies with river and reservoir supply priority sites. This study focuses on the development of a model aimed at improving the deficiencies of current water balance analysis methods. The developed model aims to provide standardized water balance analysis nationwide, with initial application to the Anseo standard watershed. Utilizing data from 32 facilities within the standard watershed, the study conducted water balance analysis through watershed linkage, highlighting differences and improvements compared to existing methods.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.260-268
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• 2024

Objectives: Regional disparities in cardiovascular care in Korea have led to uneven patient outcomes. Despite the growing need for and access to procedures, few studies have linked regional service availability to mortality rates. This study analyzed regional variation in the utilization of major cardiovascular procedures and their associations with short-term mortality to provide better evidence regarding the relationship between healthcare resource distribution and patient survival. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using nationwide claims data for patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), stent insertion, or aortic aneurysm resection in 2022. Regional variation was assessed by the relevance index (RI). The associations between the regional RI and 30-day mortality were analyzed. Results: The RI was lowest for aortic aneurysm resection (mean, 26.2; standard deviation, 26.1), indicating the most uneven regional distribution among the surgical procedures. Patients undergoing this procedure in regions with higher RIs showed significantly lower 30-day mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.73; 95% confidence interval, 0.55 to 0.96; p=0.026) versus those with lower RIs. This suggests that cardiovascular surgery regional availability, as measured by RI, has an impact on mortality rates for certain complex surgical procedures. The RI was not associated with significant mortality differences for more widely available procedures like CABG (aOR, 0.96), PCI (aOR, 1.00), or stent insertion (aOR, 0.91). Conclusions: Significant regional variation and underutilization of cardiovascular surgery were found, with reduced access linked to worse mortality for complex procedures. Disparities should be addressed through collaboration among hospitals and policy efforts to improve outcomes.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.619-629
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• 2024

To improve the utilization rate of phosphate tailings (PTs) and widen the sources of subgrade filler, the PTs is employed to modify clay, forming a PTs modified clay, applied in the subgrade. Accordingly, the environmental friendliness of PTs was investigated. Subsequently, an optimal proportion was determined through compaction and California Bearing Ratio (CBR) experiments. Afterward, the stability of mixture with the optimal proportion was further evaluated through the water stability and dry-wet stability experiments. Finally, via the gradation and microstructure experiments, the strength mechanism of PTs modified clay was analyzed. The results show that the PTs were classified in the non-hazardous solid wastes, belonging to Class A building materials. With the increase of PTs content and the decrease of clay content, the optimum water content and the swelling degree gradually decrease, while the maximum dry density and CBR first increase and then decrease, reaching their peak value at 50% PTs content, which is the optimal proportion. The resilient modulus of PTs modified clay at the optimal proportion reaches 110.2 MPa. The water stability coefficient becomes stable after soaking for 4 days, while the dry-wet stability coefficient decreases with the increase of cycles and tends to be stable after 8 cycles. Under the long-term action, the dry-wet change has a greater adverse impact than continuous soaking. The analysis demonstrates that the better strength mainly comes from the skeleton role of PTs and the cementation of clay. The systematic laboratory test results and economic analysis collectively provide data evidence for the advantages of PTs modified clay as a subgrade filler.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.68 no.4
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• pp.294-303
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• 2023

Lipoxygenase gives soybeans their grassy flavor, which can disrupt food processing efficiency. This study aimed to identify soybean genotypes with lipoxygenase deficiency among 1,001 soybean accessions and to develop kompetitive allele specific PCR (KASP) markers that can detect lipoxygenase mutations. Three lipoxygenase isozymes (Lox1, Lox2, and Lox3) were analyzed using a colorimetric assay based on a substrate-enzyme reaction. Among the 1,001 accessions examined, two (IT160160 and IT276392) exhibited a deficiency solely in Lox1, and one (IT269984) lacked both Lox1 and Lox2. IT160160 had a 74-bp deletion in exon 8 of Lox1 (Glyma13g347600), whereas IT276392 displayed a missense mutation involving the change of C to A at position 2,880 of Lox1. Moreover, we successfully developed four KASP markers that specifically target Lox1, Lox2, and Lox3 mutations. To validate the Lox1 KASP markers, we used two F_2:3 populations generated through a cross between Daepung 2 (lipoxygenase wild type, maternal parent), IT160160, and IT276392 (null Lox1, paternal parent). The results revealed that the Daepung 2 × IT160160 group followed the expected 3:1 ratio according to Mendel's law, whereas the Daepung 2 × IT276392 group did not. Furthermore, a comparison between the colorimetric and KASP marker analyses results revealed a high agreement rate of 96%. KASP markers offer a distinct advantage by allowing the distinction of heterozygous types independent of other variables. As a result, we present an opportunity to expedite the lipoxygenase-deficient cultivar development.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.342-348
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• 2024

This study evaluated the effects of defatted and non-defatted black soldier fly meal (BSFM) as a fish meal replacement in growing red seabream. Four isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets were formulated: 0% BSFM (D1), 5% defatted BSFM (D2), 5% non-defatted BSFM (D3), and 5% defatted + non-defatted BSFM (1:1, D4). A total of 360 growing red seabreams (mean ± SD body weight, 98.9±0.29 g) were equally distributed into 12 circular polyethylene tanks (1,000 L; 30 fish per tank; N=3 tanks per treatment). The red seabream were fed until satiation twice daily for 12 weeks. After 12 weeks, growth, feed utilization, whole-body proximate composition, blood parameters, and immune related parameters were measured. No significant differences were observed in weight gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio, morphological parameters, plasma metabolites, plasma lysozyme, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase among the experimental groups. However, immunoglobulin M (IgM) in fish fed D2 and D3 were significantly higher than those in fish fed D1. Additionally, the fish in D2 group showed higher IgM levels than those in the other treatment groups. These results indicate that defatted and non-defatted BSFM could be utilized as a potential feed ingredient for fishmeal replacement for red seabream.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.497-504
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• 2024

This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with Sargassum horneri celluclast hydrolysate (SHCH) on the growth performance, feed utilization, non-specific immunity and antioxidant capacity of the Pacific white shrimp Penaeus vannamei. Six diets were prepared by SHCH supplemention levels of 0, 5, 10, 20, 40 and 80 g/kg (designated as Con, S5, S10, S20, S40 and S80, respectively). A total of 540 shrimp were randomly distributed in triplicate across 18 tanks and fed one of the diets for five weeks. Weight gain did not differ significantly among the groups except for S80. The feed conversion ratio was significantly lower in S10 than in S80. Phenoloxidase and nitro-blue tetrazolium activities were significantly higher in S5 than in Con. The prophenoloxidase gene was significantly upregulated in S10 compared to that in Con. The gene expression of crustin, glutathione peroxidase, lipopolysaccharide and β-1,3-glucan-binding protein were significantly upregulated in S5 compared to Con. The superoxide dismutase gene was significantly upregulated in S20 and S80 compared to Con. Supplementing shrimp diets with up to 8% of SHCH did not impair non-specific immunity or antioxidant capacity. However, based on growth results, supplementation up to 4% was considered appropriate.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.91 no.3
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• pp.263-277
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• 2024

The primary aim of this study is to introduce an innovative configuration for stirrup hooks in reinforced concrete beams and analyze the impact of factors such as stirrup spacing, placement, and hook lengths on the structural performance of reinforced concrete beam elements. A total of 18 specimens were produced and subjected to reversed cyclic loading, with two specimens serving as reference specimens and the remaining 16 specimens utilizing a specifically developed stirrup hook configuration. The experiment used reinforced concrete beams scaled down to half their original size. These beams were built with a shear span-to-depth ratio of 3 (a/d=3). The experimental samples were divided into two distinct groups. The first group comprises nine test specimens that consider the contribution of concrete to shear strength, while the second group consists of nine test specimens that do not consider this contribution. The preparation of reference beam specimens for both groups involved the utilization of standard hooks. The stirrup hooks in the test specimens are configured with a 90-degree angle positioned at the midpoint of the bottom section of the beam. The criteria considered in this study included the distance between hooks, hook angle, stirrup spacing, hook orientation, and hook length. In the experimental group examining the contribution of concrete on shear strength, it was noted that the stirrup hooks of both the R1 reference specimen and specific test specimens displayed indications of opening. However, when the contribution of concrete on shear strength was not considered, it was observed that none of the stirrup hooks proposed in the R0 reference specimen and test specimens showed any indications of opening. Neglecting the contribution of concrete in the assessment of shear strength yielded more favorable outcomes regarding structural robustness. The study found that the strength values obtained using the suggested alternative stirrup hook were similar to those of the reference specimens. Furthermore, all the test specimens successfully achieved the desired strengths.

• The Korean journal of internal medicine
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.668-679
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• 2024

Background/Aims: This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate biologics treatment disparities in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients based on socioeconomic status (SES). Methods: Data from the KOrean Observational Study Network for Arthritis (KORONA) database were analyzed to assess various factors associated with SES, health behaviors, and biologics use. Logistic regression and structured equation modeling (SEM) were utilized for data analysis. Results: Among 5,077 RA patients included, 393 (7.7%) patients were identified as biologics users. Within the entire cohort, 31.8% of the participants were in the low-income and low-education groups, and 39.3% of the participants were in the high-income and high-education groups. Despite the patients with low income or low education experienced higher disease activity at diagnosis, had more comorbidities, exhibited higher medication compliance, underwent more check-ups, and had more hospital admissions than their counterparts, the odds of patients with low-income receiving biologics were 34% lower (adjusted odds ratio = 0.76, 95% confidence interval: 0.60-0.96, p = 0.021) after adjustment for demographics and comorbidities. SEM and pathway analyses confirmed the negative impact of low SES on biologics use. Conclusions: The findings suggest that SES plays a significant role in biologics use among RA patients, indicating potential healthcare inefficiencies for low SES patients. Moreover, adverse healthcare habits negatively affect biologics use in RA patients. The study highlights the importance of considering socioeconomic factors while discussing biologics use and promoting equitable access to biologics for optimal RA management.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.69-78
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• 2024

This study evaluates the detection and utilization of wind shear using data from the Low-Level Wind Shear Alert System (LLWAS) and the Aerodrome Meteorological Observation System (AMOS) for the year 2023 at Incheon International Airport. A comparison of wind shear occurrence days revealed that LLWAS recorded 57 days, the reproduced LLWAS recorded 84 days, and AMOS recorded 163 days, with AMOS and the reproduced LLWAS showing higher occurrences. Performance metrics, including Probability of Detection (POD), False Alarm Ratio (FAR), Critical Success Index (CSI), and True Skill Statistic (TSS), were analyzed to evaluate detection capabilities. For the reproduced LLWAS, most wind shear events were detected, but the FAR was high, indicating lower performance. AMOS detected about 50% of actual wind shear events, with a lower FAR than the reproduced LLWAS but still relatively high. To improve detection performance, optimal thresholds for wind shear warnings were analyzed and adjusted, resulting in an increase in the CSI from 0.53 to 0.68 for the reproduced LLWAS and from 0.25 to 0.28 for AMOS. By adjusting the wind shear warning thresholds, the balance between POD and FAR was improved, confirming the potential for ground-based equipment to issue wind shear warnings effectively.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.294-306
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• 1995

There has recently been increasing interest in the use of NMDA receptor antagonists as potential neuroprotective agents for the treatment of ischemic stroke. To evaluate the neuroprotective effect of the selective non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 in focal cerebral ischemia, local cerebral glucose utilization (ICGU) was examined in 15 neuroanatomically discrete regions of the conscious rat brain using the 2-deoxy-D[$^{14}C$] glucose quantitative autoradiographic technique 24 hr after left middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Animals received MK-801 (5 mg/kg i.v.) or saline vehicle before (20-30 min) or after (30 min) MCAO. Both pretreatment and posttreatment of MK-801 increased occluded/non-occluded ICGU ratio in 7 and 5 of the 15 regions measured, respectively (most notably in cortical structures). Following MK-801 pretreatment, there was evidence of widespread increases in ICGU not only in the non-occluded hemisphere (12 of the 15 areas studied) but also in the occluded hemisphere (13 of the 15 areas studied), while MK-801 postreatment did not significantly increase ICGU both in the normal and occluded hemispheres. These data indicate that MK-801 has a neuroprotective effect in focal cerebral ischemia and demonstrate that MK-801 provides widespread alterations of glucose utilization in conscious animals.