• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.661-668
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• 2018

Biomedical signals using skin resistance have different characteristics according to stress diseases. Biological diagnostic devices for diagnosing stress diseases have been developed by using these characteristics, and devices have been developed so that the signals measured by the skin storage meter can be easily analyzed. Experts in the field will look directly at the output signal to determine the likelihood of any stress disorder. However, it is very difficult for a person to accurately determine whether a person to be measured has a stress disorder by analyzing a bio-signal measured by each person to be measured, and the result of the judgment is very likely to be wrong. In order to solve these problems, we implemented the function of determining the signal of a stress disorder by using the machine learning technique. SVM was used as a classification method in consideration of low computing ability of measurement equipment. Training data and test data were randomly generated for each disease using error range 5 based on 13 diseases. Simulation results showed more than 90% decision accuracy. In the future, if the measurement equipment is actually applied to the patients, we can retrain the classifier with the newly generated data.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.1492-1500
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of low calorie meal substitute and weight control preparation containing dietary fibers, ${\alpha}$-amylase inhibitor and hydroxycitrate on the reduction of body weight and visceral fat in obese women. Sixteen pre-menoposal healthy women (age: 20∼50 y, body mass index >25) who were living in the Daejeon area participated in this study. We replaced one meal of the subject with low calorie meal substitute and fed the weight control preparation twice a day for 9 weeks. Anthropometric indices, body composition, dietary intake and stool movements were investigated every 3 weeks during the dietary intervention. The blood was collected before and after the dietary intervention. Results are as follows: 1) The subjects' body weight, body fat, BMI, waist, hip and abdominal adipose tissue decreased gradually and significantly between 3rd and 9th week after intervention. 2) The levels of fasting blood glucose, triglyceride and cholesterol, the indicators of liver dysfunction such as activities of ALT, AST and ALP, and bilirubin level were within a normal range and not affected significantly by dietary intervention. 3) Hemoglobin levels increased significantly and blood urea nitrogen level decreased. 4) Their stool movement was improved 5) Compared with the baseline values, calorie intake decreased by 17.5∼21.9% and the intakes of vitamin A, vitamin B2, folate, Ca, Fe, and Zn were below 80% of Korean RDA. In conclusion, the intake of low calorie meal substitute and weight control preparation could be effective in reduction of body weight and fat mass, improving the stool movement and the general physical symptoms.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.27-37
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• 2000

This study aims at restoring urban forest destructed and eliminated by industrialization, urbanization, and city development and presenting a direction to manage remaining urban forest ecologically. To this end, an experiment zone where Populus tomentiglandulosa T. Lee were selective cutted and a control zone where Populus tomentiglandulosa T. Lee were kept intact were created in Chongdam Park located in Kangnam-ku, Seoul. Then, the structural changes of herbaceous plant species, the growth of targeted woody plants, and the increase of the number of insect and bird species were examined. The conclusions reached in this study are as follows. First, for the sake of ecological restoration and management of urban forest, it is good to selective cutting. Although timing, frequency, and methods may vary depending on the features and types of urban forest, the study revealed that selective cutting contributes to the restoration speed of origin vegetation and the enhancement of biodiversity including plants and insects. Second, as for the correlations of selective cutting and the appearance of plant species, the growth of origin vegetation, and insect distribution, the study showed that the impact of meteorological environment such as brightness is much greater than that of soil environment. Third, in order to manage urban forest, tramping pressure needs to be controlled efficiently. The efficient control of tramping pressure would contribute in the appearance of herbaceous plants. It would also be beneficial in promoting biodiversity of birds by removing the impact of people using routes. Fourth, in order to enhance the overall biodiversity of urban forest, diverse environment needs to be provided. In particular, it is necessary to supply water that is insufficient in urban forest. Providing habitats such as forest wetland performs an important function to amphibians and birds that require water as well as the appearance of aquatic plants and insects. Therefore, ways to introduce water efficiently should be initiated.

• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.208-215
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• 2006

The human ribosomal protein S3 (rpS3) was expressed in E. coli using the pET-I5b vector and the monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were produced and characterized. A total of five hybridoma cell lines were established and the antibodies recognized a single band of molecular weight of 33 kDa on immunoblot with purified rpS3. When the purified rpS3 was incubated with the mAbs, the UV endonuclease activity of rpS3 was inhibited up to a maximum of 49%. The binding affinity of mAbs to rpS3 determined by using a biosensor technology showed that they have similar binding affinities. Using the anti-rpS3 antibodies as probes, we investigated the cross-reactivities of various other mammalian brain tissues and cell lines, including human. The immunoreactive bands on Western blots appeared to be the same molecular mass of 33 kDa in all animal species tested. They also appear to be extensively cross-reactive among different organs in rat. These results demonstrated that only one type of immunologically similar rpS3 protein is present in all of the mammalian brain tissues including human. Furthermore, these antibodies were successfully applied in immunohistochemistry in order to detect rpS3 in the gerbil brain tissues. Among the various regions in the brain tissues, the rpS3 positive neurons were predominantly observed in the ependymal cells, hippocampus and substantia nigra pars compacta. The different distributions of rpS3 in brain tissues reply that rpS3 protein may play an important second function in the neuronal cells.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.316-322
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• 2006

Objective of this research was to assess the release characteristics of metals from the mine tailing to base the prediction of metal load potential from tailing to soils. Water-soluble concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn released from mine tailing after 2 hrs were 2.31, 129.38, 17.17, and 287.53 mg/kg, respectively, as compared to 1.6, 128, 108, and 142 mg/kg that were extractable by 0.1 M HCl. Kinetics of metal releases followed the power function model significantly indicating that more of water soluble fractions of those metals released at the initial short time, followed by a slow increase. Concentrations of metals released from tailing by water and 0.1 M HCl were in the orders of Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd. The breakthrough curve from the column experiment showed that concentrations of Cd, Cu, and Zn reached at highest after one pore volume, but that of Pb reached highest after five pore volumes when 0.1 M HCl was used as eluent. The release rate of Cd from mine tailing was the fastest but Pb was the slowest. The cumulative mass of metal released by 0.1 M HCl was in the order of Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd after nine pore volume elution.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.31.1-31.12
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• 2019

Background: The black-chinned tilapia, Sarotherodon melanotheron, is the most abundant fish species in the Nakwa (an open lagoon) and Brenu (a closed lagoon) in the Central Region of Ghana. Aspects of the life history characteristics and the ecology of the fish populations in both lagoons were studied to assess the bio-ecological status of this important resource. Methods: Fish samples were obtained from fishermen that fish on the Nakwa and Brenu lagoons using cast, drag and gill nets. The age of the fish was assessed from otoliths analysis and its growth modelled following the von Bertalanffy growth function. Morphometric characteristics of the fish populations were analysed using power regression and ANOVA for parameters comparisons, and Student's t test to determine whether species grew isometrically. The percentage occurrence method was used to analyse the stomach contents of the fish. Results: A total of 382 fish samples from both lagoons were measured, comprising 209 from Nakwa lagoon and 176 from Brenu lagoon. The size and weight of fish samples ranged between 3.9-11.5 cm total length and 1.0-27.3 g for Nakwa Lagoon and 5.6-12.8 cm total length and 3.2-29.8 g for the Brenu Lagoon. The estimated von Bertalanffy growth parameters were L∞ = 12.04 cm and K = 2.76/year for the Nakwa Lagoon samples and L∞ = 13.44 cm and K = 3.27/year for Brenu Lagoon samples. Daily otolith incremental rate ranged from 0.01-0.03 mm per day to 0.01-0.02 mm per day for Nakwa and Brenu lagoons, respectively. Stomach content analysis of the fish samples revealed that the species are planktivorous and the range of food varied between the lagoons. Green algae were the most prevalent food item in the stomachs of the fish samples from Nakwa with the frequency of 69% whilst diatoms (80.5%) were most prevalent phytoplanktonic food item for the fish in Brenu lagoon. Conclusions: The estimates of asymptotic length for the species in both lagoons are close to known values of the species length at first sexual maturity and points to intensive fishing pressure. As a consequence, a comprehensive sample-based survey is required in both lagoons to derive estimates of management reference points. The results of the stomach content analysis are beneficial to the construction of diet matrix for ecosystem models of the two systems.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.270-278
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• 2011

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the skin whitening effect of the extracts, Lycii fructus (LF), Dry-L. foilum (DLF) and Fresh-L. folium (FLF). Tyrosinase inhibition activities was 44% in DLF ethanol extracts at a $500{\mu}g/mL$. When the tyrosinase activities in B16F10 murine melanoma cell were tested, the activities in DLF ethanol extracts was 14% at a $50{\mu}g/mL$ concentration. The protein expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor, tyrosinase related protein 1 (TRP-1), TRP-2, and tyrosinase, which are all melanin related factors, showed that LF, DLF and FLF extracts inhibited the protein bio-synthesis in B16F10 melanoma cell. Especially the DLF extract showed greater decrease of protein expressions. Results indicate that the DLF extract tested in the present study had skin whitening activity and can be used as a function a ingredients for food and cosmetic compositions.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.22-29
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• 2018

Incorporation of unique barcodes into fission yeast gene deletion collections has enabled the identification of gene functions by growth fitness analysis. For fine tuning, it is important to examine barcode sequences, because mutations arise during strain construction. Out of 8,708 barcodes (4,354 strains) covering 88.5% of all 4,919 open reading frames, 7,734 barcodes (88.8%) were validated as high-fidelity to be inserted at the correct positions by Sanger sequencing. Sequence examination of the 7,734 high-fidelity barcodes revealed that 1,039 barcodes (13.4%) deviated from the original design. In total, 1,284 mutations (mutation rate of 16.6%) exist within the 1,039 mutated barcodes, which is comparable to budding yeast (18%). When the type of mutation was considered, substitutions accounted for 845 mutations (10.9%), deletions accounted for 319 mutations (4.1%), and insertions accounted for 121 mutations (1.6%). Peculiarly, the frequency of substitutions (67.6%) was unexpectedly higher than in budding yeast (~28%) and well above the predicted error of Sanger sequencing (~2%), which might have arisen during the solid-phase oligonucleotide synthesis and PCR amplification of the barcodes during strain construction. When the mutation rate was analyzed by position within 20-mer barcodes using the 1,284 mutations from the 7,734 sequenced barcodes, there was no significant difference between up-tags and down-tags at a given position. The mutation frequency at a given position was similar at most positions, ranging from 0.4% (32/7,734) to 1.1% (82/7,734), except at position 1, which was highest (3.1%), as in budding yeast. Together, well-defined barcode sequences, combined with the next-generation sequencing platform, promise to make the fission yeast gene deletion library a powerful tool for understanding gene function.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.189-198
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• 2017

Purpose: This study aims to analyze the stress distribution of mandibular molar restoration supported by the implants with external hex and internal taper abutment connection design. Materials and Methods: Models of external connection (EXHEX) and internal connection (INCON) implants, corresponding abutment/crowns, and screws were developed. Supporting edentulous mandibular bony structures were designed. All the components were assembled and a finite element analysis was performed to predict the magnitude and pattern of stresses generated by occlusal loading. A total of 120 N static force was applied both by axial (L1) and oblique (L2) direction. Results: Peak von Mises stresses produced in the implants by L2 load produced 6 - 15 times greater than those by L1 load. The INCON model showed 2.2 times greater total amount of crown cusp deflection than the EXHEX model. Fastening screw in EXHEX model and upside margin of implant fixture in INCON model generated the peak von Mises stresses by oblique occlusal force. EXHEX model and INCON model showed the similar opening gap between abutment and fixture, but intimate sealing inside the contact interface was maintained in INCON model. Conclusion: Oblique force produced grater magnitudes of deflection and stress than those by axial force. The maximum stress area at the implant was different between the INCON and EXHEX models.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.1200-1208
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• 2009

Tight junctions (TJs) that act as paracellular permeability barriers play an essential role in regulating the diffusion of fluid, electrolytes and macromolecules through the paracellular pathway. In this study, we investigated the correlation between the tightening of TJs, permeability and the invasive activity of genistein - a bioactive isoflavone of soybeans - in human breast carcinoma MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. The inhibitory effects of genistein on cell proliferation, motility and invasiveness were found to be associated with the increased tightness of the TJs, which was demonstrated by an increase in transepithelial electrical resistance and a decrease in paracellular permeability. Additionally, the immunoblotting results indicated that genistein repressed the levels of the proteins that comprise the major components of TJ, claudin-3 and claudin-4, which play a key role in the control and selectivity of paracellular transport. Furthermore, genistein decreased the metastasis-related gene expressions of insulin like growth factor-1 receptor and snail, while concurrently increasing that of thrombospondin-1 and E-cadherin. In addition, we demonstrated that claudins play an important role in the anti-motility and invasiveness of genistein using claudin-3 small interfering RNA. Taken together, our results indicate a possible role for genistein as an inhibitor of cancer cell invasion through the tightening of TJs, which may counteract the up-regulation of claudins. In addition, our results indicate that this may be beneficial for the inhibition of tumor metastasis.