• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.261-269
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• 2018

The cowpea aphid Aphis craccivora Koch (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is a polyphagous species with a worldwide distribution. We investigated the temperature effects on development periods of nymphs, and the longevity and fecundity of apterous female of A. craccivora. The study was conducted at six constant temperatures of 10.0, 15.0, 20.0, 25, 30.0, and $32.5^{\circ}C$. A. craccivora developed successfully from nymph to adult stage at all temperatures subjected. The developmental rate of A. craccivora increased as temperature increased. The lower developmental threshold (LT) and thermal constant (K) of A. craccivora nymph stage were estimated by linear regression as $5.3^{\circ}C$ and 128.4 degree-days (DD), respectively. Lower and higher threshold temperatures (TL, TH and TH-TL, respectively) were calculated by the Sharpe_Schoolfield_Ikemoto (SSI) model as $17.0^{\circ}C$, $34.6^{\circ}C$ and $17.5^{\circ}C$. Developmental completion of nymph stages was described using a three-parameter Weibull function. Life table parameters were estimated. The intrinsic rate of increase was highest at $25^{\circ}C$, while the net reproductive rate was highest at $20^{\circ}C$. Biological characteristics of A. craccivora populations from different geographic areas were discussed.

• Food Engineering Progress
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.318-325
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• 2017

Alcoholic steatosis is a fundamental metabolic disorder and may precede the onset of more severe forms of alcoholic liver disease. In this study, we isolated enzymatichydrolysate from Semisulcospira libertine by alcalase hydrolysis and investigated the protective effect of Semisulcospira libertine hydrolysate on liver injury induced by alcohol in the mouse model of chronic and binge ethanol feeding (NIAAA). In an in vitro study, the hydrolysate protects HepG2 cells from ethanol toxicity. Liver damage was assessed by histopathological examination, as well as by quantitating activities of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). After the administration of S. libertina hydrolysate, fat accumulation and infiltration of inflammatory cells in liver tissues were significantly decreased in the NIAAA mouse model. The elevated levels of serum AST, ALT, and ALP activities, along with the lipid contents of a damaged liver, were recovered in experimental mice administrated with S. libertina hydrolysate, suggesting its role in blood enzyme activation and lipid content restoration within damaged liver tissues. Moreover, treatment with S. libertine hydrolysate reduced the expression rate of cyclooxygenase (COX-2), interleukin $(IL)-1{\beta}$, and IL-6, which accelerate inflammation and induces tissue damage. All data showed that S. libertine hydrolysate has a preventive role against alcohol-induced liver damages by improving the activities of blood enzymes and modulating the expression of inflammation factor, suggesting S. libertine hydrolysate could be a commercially potential material for the restoration of hepatotoxicity.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.102-111
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• 2022

Among protected areas, National Parks are rich in biodiversity, and the benefits of ecosystem services provided to human are higher than the others. Ecosystem service evaluation is being used to manage the value of national parks based on objective and scientific data. Ecosystem services are classified into four services: supporting, provisioning, regulating and cultural. The purpose of this study is to evaluate habitat quality among supporting services. Habitat Quality Model of InVEST was used to analyze. The coefficients of sensitivity and habitat initial value were reset by reflecting prior studies and the actual conditions of protected areas. Habitat quality of 21 national parks except Hallasan National Park was analyzed and mapped. The value of habitat quality was evaluated to be between 0 and 1, and the closer it is to 1, the more natural it is. As a result of habitat quality analysis, Seoraksan and Taebaeksan National Parks (0.90), Jirisan and Odaesan National Parks (0.89), and Sobaeksan National Park (0.88) were found to be the highest in the order. As a result of comparing the area and habitat quality of 18 national parks except for coastal-marine national parks, the larger the area, the higher the overall habitat quality. Comparing the value of habitat quality of each zone, the value of habitat quality was high in the order of the park nature preservation zone, the park nature environmental zone, the park cultural heritage zone, and the park village zone. Considering both the analysis of habitat quality and the legal regulations for each zone of use, it is judged that the more artificial acts are restricted, the higher the habitat quality. This study is meaningful in analyzing habitat quality of 21 National Parks by readjusting the parameters according to the situation of protected areas in Korea. It is expected to be easy to intuitively understand through accurate data and mapping, and will be useful in making policy decisions regarding the development and preservation of protected areas in the future.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.551-561
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• 2022

Geophysical exploration methods are very useful for generating high-resolution images of underground structures, and such methods can be applied to investigation of buried cultural properties and for determining their exact locations. In this study, image feature extraction and image segmentation methods were applied to automatically distinguish the structures of buried relics from the high-resolution ground-penetrating radar (GPR) images obtained at the center of Silla Kingdom, Gyeongju, South Korea. The major purpose for image feature extraction analyses is identifying the circular features from building remains and the linear features from ancient roads and fences. Feature extraction is implemented by applying the Canny edge detection and Hough transform algorithms. We applied the Hough transforms to the edge image resulted from the Canny algorithm in order to determine the locations the target features. However, the Hough transform requires different parameter settings for each survey sector. As for image segmentation, we applied the connected element labeling algorithm and object-based image analysis using Orfeo Toolbox (OTB) in QGIS. The connected components labeled image shows the signals associated with the target buried relics are effectively connected and labeled. However, we often find multiple labels are assigned to a single structure on the given GPR data. Object-based image analysis was conducted by using a Large-Scale Mean-Shift (LSMS) image segmentation. In this analysis, a vector layer containing pixel values for each segmented polygon was estimated first and then used to build a train-validation dataset by assigning the polygons to one class associated with the buried relics and another class for the background field. With the Random Forest Classifier, we find that the polygons on the LSMS image segmentation layer can be successfully classified into the polygons of the buried relics and those of the background. Thus, we propose that these automatic classification methods applied to the GPR images of buried cultural heritage in this study can be useful to obtain consistent analyses results for planning excavation processes.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.53-64
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• 2024

Purpose: Mitochondria play a crucial role in preserving skeletal muscle mass, and damage to mitochondria leads to muscle mass loss. This study investigated the effects of oxypeucedanin hydrate, a furanocoumarin isolated from Angelica dahurica radix, on myogenesis and mitochondrial function in vitro and in zebrafish models. Methods: C2C12 myotubes cultured in media containing 0.1, 1, 10, or 100 ng/mL oxypeucedanin hydrate were immunostained with myosin heavy chain (MHC), and then multinucleated MHC-positive cells were counted. The expressions of markers related to muscle differentiation, muscle protein degradation, and mitochondrial function were determined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. To investigate the effects of oxypeucedanin hydrate on mitochondrial dysfunction, Tg(Xla.Eef1a1:mito-EGFP) zebrafish embryos were treated with 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and irinotecan (FOLFIRI) with or without oxypeucedanin hydrate and analyzed for mito-EGFP intensity and mitochondrial length. Results: Oxypeucedanin hydrate significantly increased MHC-positive multinucleated myotubes (≥ 3 nuclei) and increased the expression of the myogenic marker myosin heavy chain 4. However, it decreased the expressions of muscle-specific RING finger protein 1 and muscle atrophy f-box (markers of muscle protein degradation). Furthermore, oxypeucedanin hydrate enhanced the expressions of markers of mitochondrial biogenesis (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1 alpha, transcription factor a mitochondrial, succinate dehydrogenase complex flavoprotein subunit A, and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1) and mitochondrial fusion (optic atrophy 1). However, it reduced the expression of dynamin-related protein 1 (a mitochondrial fission regulator). Consistently, oxypeucedanin hydrate reduced FOLFIRI-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in the skeletal muscles of zebrafish embryos. Conclusion: The study indicates that oxypeucedanin hydrate promotes myogenesis by improving mitochondrial function, and thus, suggests oxypeucedanin hydrate has potential use as a nutritional supplement that improves muscle mass and function.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.9
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• pp.609-619
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• 2024

Neurodegenerative diseases are marked by the accumulation of toxic misfolded proteins in neurons. Therefore, strategies for the effective prevention and clearance of aggregates are crucial for therapeutic interventions. Cytoplasmic dynein plays a crucial role in the clearance of aggregates by transporting them to the cell center, where lysosomes are enriched and the aggregates undergo extensive autophagic degradation. Previously, we reported evidence for the activation of dynein by N-acetylglucosamine kinase (NAGK) and Reln. In the present study, we explored the effects of NAGK and Reln upregulation on the clearance of aggregates. To upregulate NAGK and Reln genes in HEK293T cells (a human embryonic kidney cell line), CRISPR/dCas9 activation systems (CASs) were used with specific plasmids encoding target-specific 20 nt guide RNA. The effects of this genetic modulation were analyzed in Huntington's disease cellular models, including HEK293T cells and primary mouse cortical cells, where external mutant huntingtin (mHtt, Q74) aggregates were induced. The results showed that the CAS activation of NAGK or Reln, or their combination, significantly reduced the proportion of cells with Q74 aggregates (aggresomes). This effect was reversed by Ciliobrevin D (a dynein inhibitor) and chloroquine (an autophagy inhibitor), indicating the role of dynein-mediated autophagy in aggregate clearance. These findings provide the basis for therapeutic strategies aimed at enhancing neuronal health through targeted gene activation.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.519-529
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• 2002

Background : The therapeutic effects of surfactants on acute lung injury derive not only from their recruiting action on collapsed alveoli but also from their anti-inflammatory action in the alveolar sapce. This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory action of a surfactant in an acute lung injury model of rats by neutrophils were recollected from the BAL fluid and the NF-${\kappa}B$ activity of the neutrophilic nuclear protein was evaluated. Methods : Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing approximately 300 gram were divided into 3 groups, which consisted of 6 rats respectively. In the control group, normal saline(3ml/kg) was instilled into the trachea twice with 30 minute interval. In two other groups, acute lung injury was induced by the intra-tracheal instillation of LPS(5mg/kg). Thirty minutes later, either a surfactant(ST group; 30mg/kg) or normal saline(NT group: 3ml/kg) was instilled via the trachea. Twenty-four hours after the LPS instillation, the BAL fluid was retrieved to measure the WBC count and cytokine(IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6) levels. The neutrophils were isolated from the BAL fluid and the nuclear protein was extracted to evaluate the NF-${\kappa}B$ activity using a eletrophoretic mobility shift assay(EMSA). Results : The WBC count of the BAL fluid of the ST group($3,221{\pm}1,914{\times}10^3/{\mu}l$) was higher than that of the control group($356{\pm}275{\times}10^3/{\mu}l$)(p<0.05) and lower than that of the NT group($5,561{\pm}1,757{\times}10^3/{\mu}l$)(p<0.05)). The BAL fluid level of IL-$1{\beta}$ from the NT group($2,064{\pm}1,082pg/ml$) was higher than those of the ST group($360{\pm}234pg/ml$)(p<0.05) and the control group(0pg/ml)p<0.05) and control group($49{\pm}62pg/ml$)(p<0.05). The NF-${\kappa}B$ activity of the neutrophilic nuclear protein in the ST group and NT group was similar. Conclusion : The surfactant, attenuates the alveolar inflammation in the acute lung injury of rats model. However, its anti-inflammatory action does no't appear to be mediated by the inhibition of NF-${\kappa}B$ activity.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.165-172
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• 2012

We investigated the vascular characteristics of tumors and normal tissue using perfusion CT in the rabbit brain tumor model. The VX2 carcinoma concentration of $1{\times}10^7$ cells/ml(0.1ml) was implanted in the brain of nine New Zealand white rabbits (weight: 2.4kg-3.0kg, mean: 2.6kg). The perfusion CT was scanned when the tumors were grown up to 5mm. The tumor volume and perfusion value were quantitatively analyzed by using commercial workstation (advantage windows workstation, AW, version 4.2, GE, USA). The mean volume of implanted tumors was $316{\pm}181mm^3$, and the biggest and smallest volumes of tumor were 497 $mm^3$ and 195 $mm^3$, respectively. All the implanted tumors in rabbits are single-nodular tumors, and intracranial metastasis was not observed. In the perfusion CT, cerebral blood volume (CBV) were $74.40{\pm}9.63$, $16.08{\pm}0.64$, $15.24{\pm}3.23$ ml/100g in the tumor core, ipsilateral normal brain, and contralateral normal brain, respectively ($p{\leqq}0.05$). In the cerebral blood flow (CBF), there were significant differences between the tumor core and both normal brains ($p{\leqq}0.05$), but no significant differences between ipsilateral and contralateral normal brains ($962.91{\pm}75.96$ vs. $357.82{\pm}12.82$ vs. $323.19{\pm}83.24$ ml/100g/min). In the mean transit time (MTT), there were significant differences between the tumor core and both normal brains ($p{\leqq}0.05$), but no significant differences between ipsilateral and contralateral normal brains ($4.37{\pm}0.19$ vs. $3.02{\pm}0.41$ vs. $2.86{\pm}0.22$ sec). In the permeability surface (PS), there were significant differences among the tumor core, ipsilateral and contralateral normal brains ($47.23{\pm}25.45$ vs. $14.54{\pm}1.60$ vs. $6.81{\pm}4.20$ ml/100g/min)($p{\leqq}0.05$). In the time to peak (TTP) were no significant differences among the tumor core, ipsilateral and contralateral normal brains. In the positive enhancement integral (PEI), there were significant differences among the tumor core, ipsilateral and contralateral brains ($61.56{\pm}16.07$ vs. $12.58{\pm}2.61$ vs. $8.26{\pm}5.55$ ml/100g). ($p{\leqq}0.05$). In the maximum slope of increase (MSI), there were significant differences between the tumor core and both normal brain($p{\leqq}0.05$), but no significant differences between ipsilateral and contralateral normal brains ($13.18{\pm}2.81$ vs. $6.99{\pm}1.73$ vs. $6.41{\pm}1.39$ HU/sec). Additionally, in the maximum slope of decrease (MSD), there were significant differences between the tumor core and contralateral normal brain($p{\leqq}0.05$), but no significant differences between the tumor core and ipsilateral normal brain($4.02{\pm}1.37$ vs. $4.66{\pm}0.83$ vs. $6.47{\pm}1.53$ HU/sec). In conclusion, the VX2 tumors were implanted in the rabbit brain successfully, and stereotactic inoculation method make single-nodular type of tumor that was no metastasis in intracranial, suitable for comparative study between tumors and normal tissues. Therefore, perfusion CT would be a useful diagnostic tool capable of reflecting the vascularity of the tumors.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.268-274
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate the immuno-stimulatory activity of the high-molecular-weight fraction (HMWF) of Cynanchum wilfordii (CW) extracts obtained by ultrafiltration in murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells and to assess its immuno-stimulatory effect in mice. Ultrafiltration was performed with polyethersulfone membranes (30 kDa cutoff) in a cross-flow filtration system to obtain the HMWF of CW. The results showed that the HMWF increased the production of various cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, interleukin-6, and nitric oxide in dose-ependent manners. In addition, HMWF treatment increased the relative spleen weight as well as splenocyte proliferation induced by concanavalin A or bacterial lipopolysaccharide in mice. Natural killer (NK) cell activity in the HMWF-treated group was significantly increased compared to that in the control group. These results suggest that the HMWF of CW can support the immune system through secretion of macrophage cytokines, thereby enhancing NK cell activity and murine splenocyte proliferation.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.15-23
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• 2014

A Case Study on Venture and Small-Business Executives' Use of Strategic Intuition in the Decision Making Process This paper is a case study on how Venture and Small-Business Executives managers can take advantage of their intuitions in situations where the business environment is increasingly uncertain, a novel situation occurs without any data to reflect on, when rational decision-making is not possible, and when the business environment changes. The case study is based on a literature review, in-depth interviews with 16 business managers, and an analysis of Klein, G's (1998) "Generic Mental Simulation Model." The "intuition" discussed in this analysis is classified into two types of intuition: the Expert Intuition which is based on one's own experiences, and Strategic Intuition which is based on the experience of others. Case study strategic management intuition and intuition, the experts were utilized differently. Features of professional intuition to work quickly without any effort by, while the strategic intuition, is time-consuming. Another feature that has already occurred, one expert intuition in decision-making about the widely used strategic intuition was used a lot in future decision-making. The case study results revealed that managers were using expert intuition and strategic intuition differentially. More specifically, Expert Intuition was activated effortlessly, while strategic intuition required more time. Also, expert intuition was used mainly for making judgments about events that have already happened, while strategic intuition was used more often for judgments regarding events in the future. The process of strategic intuition involved (1) Strategic concerns, (2) the discovery of medium, (3) Primary mental simulation, (4) The offsetting of key parameters, (5) secondary mental simulation, and (6) the decision making process. These steps were used to develop the "Strategic Intuition Decision-making Model" for Venture and Small-Business Executives. The case study results further showed that firstly, the success of decision-making was determined in the "secondary mental simulation' stage, and secondly, that more difficulty in management was encountered when expert intuition was used more than strategic intuition and lastly strategic intuition is possible to be educated.