• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.415-428
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• 2002

Periodontal disease is a complex infectious disease caused by bacteria in the oral mucosa, which results in gingival inflammation, breakdown of periodontal tissues, bone resorption, and finally tooth loss. Mechanical plaque control methods-scaling and root planing are effective methods to stop the progression of such periodontal disease. It was reported that subantimicrobial dose of doxycycline(SDD) regimen could improve clinical conditions of periodontal tissues without causing the overgrowth of opportunistic organisms that was a typical antibiotic side effect. Therefore pharmacological therapy, used in conjunction with mechanical therapy could be considered a useful treatment modality in the treatment of chronic periodontal disease. In this study, 30 patients diagnosed as moderate to advanced chronic periodontitis were divided into 2 groups. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the patients were administered 20mg doxycycline capsule or placebo capsule b.i.d. for 4months, after scaling and root planing. Clinical parameters-bleeding on probing, pocket depth and clinical attachment level were compared and evaluated between these groups at periods of first visit, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months. The results were as follows ; 1. In case of moderate periodontitis, pocket depth showed significant reduction after treatment in both the control & experiment groups, when compared with the baseline values(p<0.01), but in case of advanced periodontitis, only the experiment group showed significant reduction after treatment when compared with the baseline values(p<0.05). Statistically significant reduction in pocket depth was observed in the experiment group compared to the control group(p<0.05). 2. In case of moderate periodontitis, clinical attachment level showed significant reduction after treatment in both the control & experiment groups, when compared with the baseline values(p<0.01), but in case of advanced periodontitis, only the experiment group showed significant reduction after treatment when compared with the baseline values(p<0.05). Statistically significant reduction in clinical attachment level was observed in the experiment group compared to the control group(p<0.05). 3. Bleeding on probing improved after treatment in both the groups. In case of moderate periodontitis, the experiment group showed statistically significant reduction of bleeding on probing when compared with the control group at 1 and 4 months after treatment(p<0.05). In case of advanced periodontitis, treatment resulted in statistically significant reduction of bleeding on probing in both the groups(p<0.05). These results indicate that the use of subantimicrobial dose of doxycycline is a useful supplement to mechanical treatment for periodontal patients in ameliorating the clinical parameters such as periodontal pocket, attachment level, and bleeding on probing.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.789-796
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• 2000

In order to analyze the effects of tktA, $aroF^{FBR}$, and aroL expression in a tryptophan-producing Escherichia coli, a series of plasmids carrying the genes were constructed. Introduction of tktA, $aroF^{FBR}$, and aroL into the E. coli strain resulted in approximately 10-20 fold increase in the activities of transketolase, the feedback inhibition-resistant 3-deoxy-D-arabinoheptulsonate-7-phosphate synthase, and shikimate kinase. Expression of $aroF^{FBR}$ in the aroB mutant strain of E. coli resulted in the accumulation of 10 mM of 3-deoxy-D-arabinoheptulsonate-7-phosphate (DAHP) in the medium. Simultaneous expression of tktA and $aroF^{FBR}$ in the strain further increased the amount of excreted DAHP to 20 mM. In contrast, the mutant strain which has no gene introduced accumulated 0.5 mM of DAHP. However, the expression of tktA and $aroF^{FBR}$ in a tryptophan-producing E. coli strain did not lead to the increased production of tryptophan, but instead, a significant amount of shikimate, which is an intermediate in the tryptophan biosynthetic pathway, was excreted to the growth medium. Despite the fact that additional expression of shikimate kinase in the strain could possibly remove 90% of excreted shikimate to 0.1 mM, the amount of tryptophan produced was still unchanged. Removing shikimate using a cloned aroL gene caused the excretion of glutamate, which suggests disturbed central carbon metabolism. However, when cultivated in a complex medium, the strain expressing tktA, $aroF^{FBR}$, and aroL produced more tryptophan than the parental strain. These data indicate that additional rate-limiting steps are present in the tryptophan biosynthetic pathway, and the carbon flow to the terminal pathway is strictly regulated. Expressing tktA in E. coli cells appeared to impose a great metabolic burden to the cells as evidenced by retarded cell growth in the defined medium. Recombinant E. coli strains harboring plasmids which carry the tktA gene showed a tendency to segregate their plasmids almost completely within 24h.

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.198-205
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• 2005

Resveratrol (RES) and genistein (GEN) are the dietary natural products known to possess chemopreventive property and also the ability to repair DNA damage induced by mutagens/carcinogens. It is believed that the therapeutic activity of these compounds could be primarily due to their interaction with nucleic acids but detailed reports are not available. We here explore the interaction of these drugs with nucleic acids considering DNA and RNA as a potential therapeutic target. The interaction of RES and GEN has been analysed in buffered solution with DNA [saline sodium citrate (SSC)] and RNA [tris ethylene diammine tetra acetic acid (TE)] using UV-absorption and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The UV analysis revealed lesser binding affinity with nucleic acids at lower concentration of RES (P/D = 5.00 and 10.00), while at higher drug concentration (P/D = 0.75, 1.00 and 2.50) hyperchromic effect with shift in the ${\lambda}_{max}$ is noted for DNA and RNA. A major RES-nucleic acids complexes was observed through base pairs and phosphate backbone groups with K = $35.782\;M^{-1}$ and K = $34.25\;M^{-1}$ for DNA-RES and RNA-RES complexes respectively. At various concentrations of GEN (P/D = 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00 and 2.50) hyperchromicity with shift in the ${\lambda}_{max}$ from 260 $\rightarrow$ 263 om and 260 $\rightarrow$ 270 nm is observed for DNA-GEN and RNA-GEN complexes respectively. The binding constant (from UV analysis) for GEN-nucleic acids complexes could not be obtained due to GEN absorbance overlap with that of nucleic acids at 260 nm. Nevertheless a detailed analysis with regard to the interaction of these drugs (RES/GEN) with DNA and RNA could feasibly be understood by FTIR spectroscopy. The NH band of free DNA and RNA which appeared at $3550-3100\;cm^{-1}$ and $3650-2700\;cm^{-1}$ shifted to $3450-2950\;cm^{-1}$ and $3550-3000\;cm^{-1}$ in DNA-RES and RNA-RES complexes respectively. Similarly shifts corresponding to $3650-3100\;cm^{-1}$ and $3420-3000\;cm^{-1}$ have been observed in DNA-GEN and RNA-GEN complexes respectively. The observed reduction in NH band of free nucleic acids upon complexation of these drugs is an indication of the involvement of the hydroxyl (OH) and imino (NH) group during the interaction of the drugs and nucleic acids (DNA/RNA) through H-bonded formation. The interaction of RES and GEN with bases appears in the order of G $\geq$ T > C > A and A > C $\geq$ T > G. Further interaction of these natural compounds with DNA and RNA is also supported by changes in the vibrational frequency (shift/intensity) in symmetrical and asymmetrical stretching of aromatic rings of drugs in the complex spectra. No appreciable shift is observed in the DNA and RNA marker bands, indicating that the B-DNA form and A-family conformation of RNA are not altered during their interaction with RES and GEN.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.81-97
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• 1993

This study was carried out to analyze the factors of the perieved symptoms of fatigue of the industrial workers, to examine the inter-relatisnship of the above factors with their general charactenstics and the environments of working area for the examination of their health status and the effective health management of them. This study was undertaken from December 1 to December 20, 1990. The subjets were 495 workers who had worked at the Industrial complex located in Chonbuk Province. The result of this study were as follows: 1. The worker's percieved symptoms of fatigue were classified to the following seven factors; A) Musculo-Skeletal Symptoms, B) Neuro-Psychial Symptoms, C) Optical Symptoms, D) Heart Symptoms, E) Head Symptoms, F) Respiratory Symptoms, G) Genital Symptoms 2. Analysis of the inter-relationship of their percieved symptoms of fatigue with general characteristics; 1) The difference of distribution to their percieved symptoms of fatigue according to sexuality was significant; Female were higher than Male $(p{\leqq}0.001$, p<0.005) 2) The difference of distribution to their percieved symptoms of fatigue according to age was significant; Age group under 24 years of age were higher than the other's group (p<0.001). 3) The difference of distribution to their percieved symptoms of fatigue according to the level of education was significant; Workers who stand on a low intellectual were higher than workers on a high intellectual level. 4) The difference of distribution to their percieved symptoms of fatigue for a week was the highest when worked at sunday. 5) The difference of distribution to their percieved symptoms of fatigue for seasons was high at spring. 3. Analysis of the inter-relationship of their percieved symptoms of fatigue with the environments of working area. 1) The difference of distribution of their percieved symptoms of fatigue according to the working department was significant; Production workers were higher than office workers. 2) The difference of distribution of their percieved symptoms of fatigue related with working posture was significant; Sitting: Musculo-Skeletal symptoms (p<0.05), Optical symptoms (p<0.005) 3) The more dissatisfied with their's own duty they were, the higher became the distribution of their percieved symptoms of fatigue (p<0.001. p<0.005, p<0.05) 4) The more dissatisfied with their working condition they were, the higher became the degree of their percieved symptoms of fatigue (p<0.001. P<0.05) 5) The difference of distribution of their percieved symptoms of fatigue according to kinds of job was significant: Workers who has handled heavy materials were higher than who had not handled $(p{\leqq}0.001$, p<0.05). Workers who has handled chemical materials: Optical, symptoms $(p{\leqq}0.001)$. Workers who has handled dusty materials: Respiratory symptoms (p<0.01) 6) The environment of working area was significantly affected to the distribution of their percieved symptoms of fatigue: Workers complains of a illumination problem; Optical symptoms (p<0.005), Heart symptoms (p<0.005) Workers complains of a ventilation problem: Heart symptoms (p<0.05), Optical symptoms, Heart symptoms (p<0.01) Musculo-skeletal symptoms ($p{\leqq}0.001$)

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.73-75
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• 2013

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) [1] can now not only image individual atoms but also construct atom letters using atom manipulation method [2]. Therefore, the AFM is the second generation atomic tool following the well-known scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The AFM, however, has the advantages that it can image even insulating surfaces with atomic resolution and also measure the atomic force itself between the tip-apex outermost atom and the sample surface atom. Noting these advantages, we have been developing a novel bottom-up nanostructuring system, as shown in Fig. 1, based on the AFM. It can identify chemical species of individual atoms [3] and then manipulate selected atom species to the designed site one-by-one [2] to assemble complex nanostructures consisted of many atom species at room temperature (RT). In this invited talk, we will introduce our results toward atom-by-atom assembly of composite nanomaterials based on the AFM at RT. To identify chemical species, we developed the site-specific force spectroscopy at RT by compensating the thermal drift using the atom tracking. By converting the precise site-specific frequency shift curves, we obtained short-range force curves of selected Sn and Si atoms as shown in Fig. 2(a) and 2(b) [4]. Then using the atom-by-atom force spectroscopy at RT, we succeeded in chemical identification of intermixed three atom species in Pb/Sn/Si(111)-(${\surd}3$'${\surd}3$) surface as shown in Fig. 2(c) [3]. To create composite nanostructures, we found the lateral atom interchange phenomenon at RT, which enables us to exchange embedded heterogeneous atoms [2]. By combining this phenomenon with the modified vector scan, we constructed the atom letters "Sn" consisted of substitutional Sn adatoms embedded in Ge adatoms at RT as shown in Fig. 3(a)~(f) [2]. Besides, we found another kind of atom interchange phenomenon at RT that is the vertical atom interchange phenomenon, which directly interchanges the surface selected Sn atoms with the tip apex Si atoms [5]. This method is an advanced interchangeable single atom pen at RT. Then using this method, we created the atom letters "Si" consisted of substituted Si adatoms embedded in Sn adatoms at RT as shown in Fig. 4(a)~(f) [5]. In addition to the above results, we will introduce the simultaneous evaluation of the force and current at the atomic scale using the combined AFM/STM at RT.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.13 no.5 s.58
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• pp.327-335
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• 2006

In the development of new hydrogen absorbing materials for a next generation of metal hydride electrodes for rechargeable batteries, metastable Mg-Ni-based compounds find currently special attention. Amor phous-nanocrystalline $Mg_{63}Ni_{30}Y_7$ and $Mg_{50}Ni_{30}Y_{20}$ alloys were produced by mechanical alloying and melt-spinning and characterized by means of XRD, TEM and DSC. On basis of mechanically alloyed Mg-Ni-Y powders, complex hydride electrodes were fabricated and their electrochemical behaviour in 6M KOH (pH=14,8) was investigated. The electrodes made from $Mg_{63}Ni_{30}Y_7$ powders, which were prepared under use of a SPEX shaker mill, with a major fraction of nanocrystalline phase reveal a higher electrochemical activity far hydrogen reduction and a higher maximum discharge capacity (247 mAh/g) than the electrodes from alloy powder with predominantly amorphous microstructure (216 mAh/g) obtained when using a Retsch planetary ball mill at low temperatures. Those discharge capacities are higher that those fur nanocrystalline $Mg_2Ni$ electrodes. However, the cyclic stability of those alloy powder electrodes was low. Therefore, fundamental stability studies were performed on $Mg_{63}Ni_{30}Y_7$ and $Mg_{50}Ni_{30}Y_{20}$ ribbon samples in the as-quenched state and after cathodic hydrogen charging by means of anodic and cathodic polarisation measurements. Gradual oxidation and dissolution of nickel governs the anodic behaviour before a passive state is attained. A stabilizing effect of higher fractions of yttrium in the alloy on the passivation was detected. During the cathodic hydrogen charging process the alloys exhibit a change in the surface state chemistry, i.e. an enrichment of nickel-species, causing preferential oxidation and dissolution during subsequent anodization. The effect of chemical pre-treatments in 1% HF and in $10\;mg/l\;YCl_3/1%\;H_2O_2$ solution on the surface degradation processes was investigated. A HF treatment can improve their anodic passivation behavior by inhibiting a preferential nickel oxidation-dissolution at low polarisation, whereas a $YCl_3/H_2O_2$ treatment has the opposite effect. Both pre-treatment methods lead to an enhancement of cathodically induced surface degradation processes.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.209-215
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• 2007

To improve the accuracy of frost warning system for pear orchard in a complex terrain in Naju area, the daily minimum temperature forecasted by Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) was interpolated using a regional climate model based on topoclimatic estimation and optimum scale interpolation from 2004 to 2005. Based on the validation experiments done for three pear orchards in the spring of 2004, the results showed a good agreement between the observed and predicted values, resulting in improved predictability compared to the forecast from Korea Meteorological Administration. The differences between the observed and the predicted temperatures were $-2.1{\sim}2.7^{\circ}C$ (on average $-0.4^{\circ}C$) in the valley, $-1.6{\sim}2.7^{\circ}C$ (on average $-0.4^{\circ}C$) in the riverside and $-1.1{\sim}3.5^{\circ}C$ (on average $0.6^{\circ}C$) in the hills. Notably, the errors have been reduced significantly for the valley and riverside areas that are more affected by the cold air drainage and more susceptible to frost damage than hills.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 1991

Cellulase genes from thermophilic alkalophilic Bacillus sp. F204 a potent cellulase complex-producing bacterium, were cloned in Escherichia coli with pUC 19. Plasmids pBC191 and pBC192, isolated from transformants forming yellow zone around colony on the LB agar plate containing 0.5% carboxymethyl cellulose and ampicillin, contained 4.6 Kb and 5.8 Kb HindIII fragments, respectively. The 4.6 Kb insert of pBC191 had single sites for BamHI EcoRI, KpnI and pvuII. DNA hybridization and immunodiffusion studies showed that pBC191-encoded cellulase gene was homologous with that of host strain. pKC231, constructed by inserting 4.6 Kb insert of pBC191 at the HindIII site of pKK223-3, E. coli expression vector, and pGC711, constructed by inserting 4.6 Kb insert of pBC191 at the HindIII site of pGR71, E. coli and B. subtilis shuttle vector, had 3.2 times and 2.8 times as much cellulase activity as pBC191, respectively. Substrate specificity analysis showed that cellulases cloned were CMCase.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.117-122
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• 2019

The objective of this study was to establish an in vitro culture system for ovarian preantral follicles of B6D2F1. First, we optimized the in vitro preantral-follicle culture by culture duration, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) type, and activin A concentration. Duration of in vitro culture for 9, 11, and 13 days was sufficient for the normal development of preantral follicles to antral follicles. Formation of cumulus cell-oocyte complex (COC) was induced by treatment with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG; 2.5 IU/mL) and epidermal growth factor (EGF; 5 ng/mL). In addition, metaphase II (MII) oocytes formed during this in vitro culture of preantral follicles. In vitro preantralfollicle culture for 9 days showed higher rates of growth and maturation, thus yielding a greater number of antral follicles, and there were significant differences (p < 0.05) in the number of MII oocytes (that formed from these preantral follicles via differentiation) between the 9-day culture and 11-day or 13-day culture. The follicles cultured for 9 days contained a tightly packed well-defined COC, whereas in follicles cultured for 11 days, the COC was not well defined (spreading was observed in the culture dish); the follicles cultured for 13 days disintegrated and released the oocyte. Second, we compared the growth of the preantral follicles in vitro in the presence of various FSH types. There were no significant differences in the growth and maturation rates and in differentiation into MII oocytes during in vitro culture between preantral follicles supplemented with FSH from Merck and those supplemented with FSH from Sigma. To increase the efficiency of MII oocyte formation, the preantral follicles were cultured at different activin A concentrations (0 to 200 ng/mL). The control follicles, which were not treated with activin A, showed the highest rate of differentiation into antral follicles and into MII oocytes among all the groups (0 to 200 ng/mL). Therefore, activin A (50 to 200 ng/mL) had a negative effect on oocyte maturation. Thus, in this study, we propose an in vitro system of preantral-follicle culture that can serve as a therapeutic strategy for fertility preservation of human oocytes for assisted reproductive medicine, for conservation of endangered species, and for creation of superior breeds.

• Journal of KIISE:Databases
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.263-279
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• 2009

Shape features in a content-based image retrieval (CBIR) system are divided into two classes: contour-based and region-based. Contour-based shape features are simple but they are not as efficient as region-based shape features. Most systems using the region-based shape feature have to extract the region firs t. The prior works on region-based systems still have shortcomings. They are complex to implement, particularly with respect to region extraction, and do not sufficiently use the spatial relationship between regions in the distance model In this paper, a region extraction method that is the combination of an edge-based method and a region growing method is proposed to accurately extract regions inside an object. Edges inside an object are accurately detected based on the Canny edge detector and the Hough transform. And the modified Integrated Region Matching (IRM) scheme which includes the adjacency relationship of regions is also proposed. It is used to compute the distance between images for the similarity search using shape features. The experimental results show the effectiveness of our region extraction method as well as the modified IRM. In comparison with other works, it is shown that the new region extraction method outperforms others.