• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.77-89
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• 2018

Speech articulators are coordinated for the purpose of segmental constriction in terms of a task. In particular, vertical jaw movements repeatedly contribute to consonantal as well as vocalic constriction. The current study explores vertical jaw movements in conjunction with bilabial constriction in bilabial stop /p/ in the context /a/-to-/a/. Revisiting kinematic data of /p/ collected using the electromagenetic midsagittal articulometer (EMMA) method from seven (four female and three male) speakers of Seoul Korean, we examined maximum vertical jaw position, its relative timing with respect to the upper and lower lips, and lip aperture minima. The results of those dependent variables are recapitulated in terms of linguistic (different word boundaries) and paralinguistic (different speech rates) factors as follows. Firstly, maximum jaw height was lower in the across-word boundary condition (across-word < within-word), but it did not differ as a function of different speech rates (comfortable = fast). Secondly, more reduction in the lip aperture (LA) gesture occurred in fast rate, while word-boundary effects were absent. Thirdly, jaw raising was still in progress after the lips' positional extrema were achieved in the within-word condition, while the former was completed before the latter in the across-word condition. Lastly, relative temporal lags between the jaw and the lips (UL and LL) were more synchronous in fast rate, compared to comfortable rate. When these results are considered together, it is possible to posit that speakers are not tolerant of lenition to the extent that it is potentially realized as a labial approximant in either word-boundary condition while jaw height still manifested lower jaw position in the across-word boundary condition. Early termination of vertical jaw maxima before vertical lower lip maxima across-word condition may be partly responsible for the spatial reduction of jaw raising movements. This may come about as a consequence of an excessive number of factors (e.g., upper lip height (UH), lower lip height (LH), jaw angle (JA)) for the representation of a vector with two degrees of freedom (x, y) engaged in a gesture-based task (e.g., lip aperture (LA)). In the task-dynamic application toolkit, the jaw angle parameter can be assigned numerical values for greater weight in the across-word boundary condition, which in turn gives rise to lower jaw position. Speech rate-dependent spatial reduction in lip aperture may be able to be resolved by means of manipulating activation time of an active tract variable in the gestural score level.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.35-41
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• 2010

Mammalian reproduction is regulated by a feedback circuit of the key reproductive hormones such as GnRH, gonadotropin and sex steroids on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. In particular, the onset of female puberty is triggered by gain of a pulsatile pattern and increment of GnRH secretion from hypothalamus. Previous studies including our own clearly demonstrated that genistein (GS), a phytoestrogenic isoflavone, altered the timing of puberty onset in female rats. However, the brain-specific actions of GS in female rats has not been explored yet. The present study was performed to examine the changes in the activities of GnRH neurons and their neural circuits by GS in female rats. Concerning the drug delivery route, intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection technique was employed to eliminate the unwanted actions on the extrabrain tissues which can be occurred if the testing drug is systemically administered. Adult female rats (PND 100, 210-230 g BW) were anaesthetized, treated with single dose of GS ($3.4{\mu}g$/animal), and sacrificed at 3 hrs post-injection. To determine the transcriptional changes of reproductive hormone-related genes in hypothalamus, total RNAs were extracted and applied to the semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). ICV infusion of GS significantly raised the transcriptional activities of enhanced at puberty1 (EAP-1, p<0.05), glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67, p<0.01) which are known to modulate GnRH secretion in the hypothalamus. However, GS infusion could not change the mRNA level of nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS-2). GS administration significantly increased the mRNA levels of KiSS-1 (p<0.001), GPR54 (p<0.001), and GnRH (p<0.01) in the hypothalami, but decreased the mRNA levels of LH-$\beta$ (p<0.01) and FSH-$\beta$ (p<0.05) in the pituitaries. Taken together, the present study indicated that the acute exposure to GS could directly activate the hypothalamic GnRH modulating system, suggesting the GS's disrupting effects such as the early onset of puberty in immature female rats might be derived from premature activation of key reproduction related genes in hypothalamus-pituitary neuroendocrine circuit.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.517-524
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• 2014

Phasic and tonic ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acidA ($GABA_A$) receptor-mediated inhibition critically regulate neuronal information processing. As these two inhibitory modalities have distinctive features in their receptor composition, subcellular localization of receptors, and the timing of receptor activation, it has been thought that they might exert distinct roles, if not completely separable, in the regulation of neuronal function. Inhibition should be maintained and regulated depending on changes in network activity, since maintenance of excitation-inhibition balance is essential for proper functioning of the nervous system. In the present study, we investigated how phasic and tonic inhibition are maintained and regulated by different signaling cascades. Inhibitory postsynaptic currents were measured as either electrically evoked events or spontaneous events to investigate regulation of phasic inhibition in layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons of the rat visual cortex. Tonic inhibition was assessed as changes in holding currents by the application of the $GABA_A$ receptor blocker bicuculline. Basal tone of phasic inhibition was maintained by intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ and $Ca^{2+}$/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII). However, maintenance of tonic inhibition relied on protein kinase A activity. Depolarization of membrane potential (5 min of 0 mV holding) potentiated phasic inhibition via $Ca^{2+}$ and CaMKII but tonic inhibition was not affected. Thus, phasic and tonic inhibition seem to be independently maintained and regulated by different signaling cascades in the same cell. These results suggest that neuromodulatory signals might differentially regulate phasic and tonic inhibition in response to changes in brain states.

• Journal of Korea Game Society
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.29-38
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to analyze how auto-combat function in mobile RPG satisfies player's desires. The auto-combat is classified into two types-complete and partial- by timing of activation and degree of control. With elicited aspects of play, players' desires are examined based on Lacan's Desire Theory. A player employing partial auto-combat desires to master higher stages with perfect or flawless control, and one's 'object petit a' is to be the difficulty of the stages. On the other hand, a player applying the complete auto-combat demands to fully comprehend the rules of the game and to attain the rewards of completed stage to build more competent characters. Once a player acquires the desirable object, one recognizes the illusion of one's achievement and seeks for new objects. In this succession, auto-combat function is utilized as an active action of willingness for fulfilling one's desire.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.50 no.9
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• pp.179-185
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• 2013

In this paper, the RTA-ERP(Response Time Aligned-Evoked Relative Potential) was modelled to analyze the effect of motor activation pattern in response to visual sensory stimuli. Simon effect was analysed using the amplitude response of RTA-ERP and measured response time. The 'odd number' experiments, which identify an odd number mixed with same numbers, was performed with 15 healthy adult participants(9 males and 6 females, whose mean age of 31) for 7 minutes for each participant. Throughout experimentation, we observed that the proposed RTA-ERP can compensate the timing variation due to different neural processing procedures in the brain, and shows enhanced LRP(Lateralized Readiness Potential) and Pe(Error Related Positivity). Regarding to 'congruence' and 'incongruence' testing patterns, the amplitude of RTA-ERP and the response time for the 'congruence' are $0.03{\mu}V$ larger, and 43 ms faster than those for the 'incongruence', respectively. The amplitude characteristics of RTA-ERP, obtained by synchronizing the onset times with respect to response time, corresponds more likely to that of P300 in the ERP pattern (the characteristics of the Simon effect).

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 2016

Here we firstly present that a timing of reactivated event of Yangsan fault, the major fault in the southeastern Korean Peninsula, by using combined approaches of the optimized illite-polytype quantification, the K-Ar age-dating, and the recently developed illite-age-analysis (IAA) approach for the fault clays from Sangcheon-ri area of Yangsan main fault line. Two chronological record of brittle fault-activation event at about 41.5~43.5 and 50.7 Ma were determined from 3 fault gouges suggesting a crucial reactivation time-scheme. Furthermore, the regional processes that drive tectonics to form and reactivate the Yangsan fault may be explained from the chronological analysis for additional sites along the Yangsan fault.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.172-181
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• 2022

Pubertal onset is known to result from reactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, which is controlled by complex interactions of genetic and nongenetic factors. Most cases of precocious puberty (PP) are diagnosed as central PP (CPP), defined as premature activation of the HPG axis. The cause of CPP in most girls is not identifiable and, thus, referred to as idiopathic CPP (ICPP), whereas boys are more likely to have an organic lesion in the brain. ICPP has a genetic background, as supported by studies showing that maternal age at menarche is associated with pubertal timing in their offspring. A gain of expression in the kisspeptin gene (KISS1), gain-of-function mutation in the kisspeptin receptor gene (KISS1R), loss-of-function mutation in makorin ring finger protein 3 (MKRN3), and loss-of-function mutations in the delta-like homolog 1 gene (DLK1) have been associated with ICPP. Other genes, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor subunit alpha-1 (GABRA1), lin-28 homolog B (LIN28B), neuropeptide Y (NPYR), tachykinin 3 (TAC3), and tachykinin receptor 3 (TACR3), have been implicated in the progression of ICPP, although their relationships require elucidation. Environmental and socioeconomic factors may also be correlated with ICPP. In the progression of CPP, epigenetic factors such as DNA methylation, histone posttranslational modifications, and non-coding ribonucleic acids may mediate the relationship between genetic and environmental factors. CPP is correlated with short- and long-term adverse health outcomes, which forms the rationale for research focusing on understanding its genetic and nongenetic factors.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.65-71
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• 2023

In this paper, we design and implement the Walking Life Festival application, which is based on the Android platform and provides information about domestic travel destinations and regional festivals in South Korea. This application utilizes various sensors found in smartphones, including the Step Counter sensor, Step Detector sensor, Acceleration sensor, and GPS sensor. Additionally, it makes use of Google Map API and Public Open API to offer information about domestic travel destinations and local festivals. The application also incorporates an automatic login feature using the Shared Preference API. When storing login information in the database, it encrypts the input plaintext data using a hash algorithm. For Google Maps integration, it creates objects using the Google.maps.LatLngBounds() method and extends the location information through the extends method. Furthermore, this application contributes to the activation of the domestic tourism industry by notifying users about the timing of local festivals related to domestic travel destinations, thus increasing their opportunities to participate in these festivals.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.126-134
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• 2021

It is necessary to set a management period by analyzing growth trends for individual species because the time taken for planted trees to become established differs by species. The purpose of this study was to suggest an appropriate management period through the analysis of the annual growth of Pinus densiflora planted in the riverine eco belt. The average annual growth before planting was 0.6cm. The growth after planting showed an increase of 0.3cm in the 1st and 2nd year, 0.5cm in the 3rd and 4th year, and 0.7cm after the 5th year. Since P. densiflora was confirmed to go through poor growth stages in the 1st and 2nd year, a recovery stage in the 3rd and 4th year, and a normal growth stage in the 5th year, management should pay more attention to improve inappropriate environmental conditions until at least the 4th year, unlike the growth of hardwood. Since the period required for activation by species may vary, the management period of each species will need to be set through growth research.

• 한국체육학회지인문사회과학편
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.649-658
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• 2016

This study aimed to analyze PDH(Pyruvate dehydrogenase) and protein expression of PDK4(Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4), PDP1(PDH phosphatase 1), enzymes that are involved in the activation of PDH, in skeletal muscle and to investigate the concentration of thiamine administration in liver and muscle following 4 weeks of endurance training. Methods : 6 weeks old male ICR mice were divided into two groups: sedentary group (CON, n=10; TH, n=10), and exercise group (EX, n=10, THEX, n=10). Thiamine(thiamine tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide: TTFD) TTFD was orally administrated into TH and THEX groups in 50mg/kg body weight for 4 weeks. Treadmill training was performed in EX and THEX groups at about 70% of VO2max for 5 times a week for 4 weeks. Results : In this study, the concentration of glycogen was significantly increased following 4 weeks of endurance training, but a significant difference was not found following thiamine administration. Similarly, there was a significant effect of the training on PDH and the expression of PDK4 and PDP1 as PDH was increased by about 40% along with the increase in PDK4 and PDP1. However, there was no significant difference found between the groups following thiamine administration. Discussion : This result shows that there was no synergistic effect of thiamine administration, potentially due to adaptation of skeletal muscle from a long-term endurance training. Therefore, it will be necessary to consider the intake timing of thiamine and to analyze proteins that are related to PDH following the administration of complex carbohydrates.