• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.381-390
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• 2015

Investigating the microstructure of hardened cement mixtures with the aid of advanced technology will help the concrete industry to develop appropriate binders for durable building materials. In this paper, morphological, mineralogical and thermogravimetric analyses of autoclave-cured mixtures incorporating ground dune sand and ground granulated blast furnace slag as partial cementing materials were investigated. The microstructure analyses of hydrated products were conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), differential thermal analysis (DTA), thermo-graphic analysis (TGA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The SEM and EDX results demonstrated the formation of thin plate-like calcium silicate hydrate plates and a compacted microstructure. The DTA and TGA analyses revealed that the calcium hydroxide generated from the hydration binder materials was consumed during the secondary pozzolanic reaction. Residual crystalline silica was observed from the XRD analysis of all of the blended mixtures, indicating the presence of excess silica. A good correlation was observed between the compressive strength of the blended mixtures and the CaO/$SiO_2$ ratio of the binder materials.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.383-388
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• 2006

SBR is one of the most general sewage/wastewater treatment processes and, particularly, has an advantage in high concentration wastewater treatment like sewage wastewater. A Kernel PCA based fault diagnosis system for biological reaction in full-scale wastewater treatment plant was proposed using only common bio-chemical sensors such as ORP(Oxidation-Reduction Potential) and DO(Dissolved Oxygen). During the SBR operation, the operation status could be divided into normal status and abnormal status such as controller malfunction, influent disturbance and instrumental trouble. For the classification and diagnosis of these statuses, a series of preprocessing, dimension reduction using PCA, LDA, K-PCA and feature reduction was performed. Also, the diagnosis result using differential data was superior to that of raw data, and the fusion data show better results than other data. Also, the results of combination of K-PCA and LDA were better than those of LDA or (PCA+LDA). Finally, the fault recognition rate in case of using only ORP or DO was around maximum 97.03% and the fusion method showed better result of maximum 98.02%.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.10-14
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• 2003

Myofibroma is a rare spindle cell neoplasm that consists of myofibroblsasts. Although it was originally described as a multicentric tumor process affecting infants and young children, it is now recognized that most cases of the tumor are soliatary and that it can occur at any age. This case is a myofibroma involving the right mandibular body in a 9-year-old boy. Radiographic examination revealed a relatively well-demarcated radiolucent lesion surrounding the impacted right mandibular canine and first premolar crown. The histologic sections composed of interlacing bundles of spindle cells with tapered or blunt-ended nuclei admixed with a foci of hemangiopericytoma-like appearance. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated a positive reaction to vimentin and smooth muscle actin, but they are negative for desmin and S-100. The presence of well circumscribed radiolucent solid lesion in children as observed in this case, differential diagnosis of myofibroma must be included. In this case, there was no recurrence 6 months after enucleation and eruption guide of the impacted tooth is ongoing now.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.109-119
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• 2001

Objective : There are many reports that acupuncture has thermoregulatory effects on human and animals. To investigate the effect and mechanism of antipyretic action of acupuncture, we observed the body temperature and cytokine expressions in the hypothalamus of rats. Methods : Lipopolysaccharide (LPS, i.p., 2.5mg/kg) was injected to conscious rats (Sprague-Dawley, male, n=4l) to cause hyperthermia and simple needling (stainless steel, 0.25 mm o.d., 5 mm insertion for 10 sec with no manipulation) was performed bilaterally with the measurement of rectal temperature. Next, we sacrificed rats to remove brain and determined the level of mRNA for interleukin-6 (IL-6), $interleukin-1{\beta}{\;}(IL-1{\beta})$, interleukin-2 (IL-2) and $interferon-{\gamma}{\;}(IFN-{\gamma})$ in the hypothalamus by using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Resul1s : Needling on forepaw (acupoint HT8) and needling on hindpaw (acupoint BL66 and acupoint LR2) significantly inhibited LPS-induced fever of rats (P<0.01, 10 min after treatment respectively), but same treatment on proximal tail (non-acupoint) did not cause any change on fever. The levels of IL-6 and $IL-1{\beta}$ mRNA in the hypothalamus was significantly enhanced by LPS-injection, while the level of IL-6 and $IL-1{\beta}$ mRNA was markedly reduced after treatment on BL66 (P<0.01). Treatment on forepaw reduced it slightly, but not significantly. Equivalent stimulation on proximal tail did not cause any changes. Conclusions : Our results indicate that acupuncture stimulation on various body parts has differential thermoregulatory effects on LPS-induced fever of rats with site-specificity. And, we suggest that its antipyretic action might be accompanied with the suppression of hypothalamic production of pro-inflammatory cytokine of immune system, IL-6 and $IL-1{\beta}$.

• BMB Reports
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.623-628
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• 2002

The Th1 vs. Th2 balance is critical for the maintenance of immune homeostasis. Therefore, the genes that are selectively-regulated by the Th1 and Th2 cytokines are likely to play an important role in the Th1 and Th2 immune responses. In order to search for and identify the novel target genes that are differentially regulated by the Th1/Th2 cytokines, the human PBMC mRNAs differentially expressed upon the stimulation with IL-4 or IL-12, were screened by employing the differential display-polymerase chain reaction. Among a number of clones selected, DC21 was identified as a novel target gene that is regulated by IL-4 and IL-12. The DC21 gene expression was up-regulated either by IL-4 or IL-12, yet counter-regulated by co-treatment with IL-4 and IL-12. DC21 is a dendritic cell protein with an unknown function. The sequence analysis and conserved-domain search revealed that it has two AU-rich motifs in the 3'UTR, which is a target site for the regulation of mRNA stability by cytokines, and that it belongs to the N-acetyltransferase family. The induction of DC21 by IL-12 peaked around 8-12 h, and lasted until 24 h. LY294002 and SB203580 significantly suppressed the IL-12-induced DC21 gene expression, which implies that PI3K and p38/JNK are involved in the IL-12 signal transduction pathway that leads to the DC21 expression. Furthermore, tissue blot data indicated that DC21 is highly expressed in tissues with specialized-resident macrophages, such as the lung, liver, kidney, and placenta. Together, these data suggest a possible role for DC21 in the differentiation and maturation of dendritic cells regulated by IL-4 and IL-12.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.139-147
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• 2007

Although transforming growth factors (TGFs) are implicated in the process of endochondral ossification, which is initiated by the differentiation of mesenchymal cells into chondrocytes, it is not clear how $TGF-{\beta}3$ regulates the chondrogenic differentiation of limb bud mesenchymal cells. Here, differential display polymerase chain reaction (DD-PCR) screening and RT-PCR analysis revealed that transcripts of A Disintegrin And Metalloprotease 10 (ADAM 10) decreased during the chondro-inhibitory action of $TGF-{\beta}3$ on cultured chick leg bud mesenchymal cells. Electroporation of ADAM 10 morpholino antisense oligonucleotides inhibited the ectodomain shedding of delta-1, and cell proliferation and subsequent precartilage condensation, in a manner similar to that caused by $TGF-{\beta}3$. The suppression of mesenchymal cell proliferation induced by $TGF-{\beta}3$ and ADAM 10 morpholino antisense oligonucleotides was reversed by activation of ADAM 10 with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or knockdown of Notch-1 with siRNA. Collectively, these data indicate that, in cultured chick leg bud mesenchyme cells, $TGF-{\beta}3$ downregulates ADAM 10 and inhibits cell proliferation and subsequent precartilage condensation by inhibiting the ectodomain shedding of delta-1, and that this results in the activation of Notch signaling.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.563-569
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• 2015

A chemical reaction occurring in CSTR (Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor) is significantly affected by the concentration, temperature, pressure, and reacting time of materials, and thus it has strong nonlinear and time-varying characteristics. Also, when an existing linear PID controller with fixed gain is used, the performance could deteriorate or could be unstable if the system parameters change due to the change in the operating point of CSTR. In this study, a technique for the design of a fuzzy PD plus I controller was proposed for the temperature control of a CSTR process. In the fuzzy PD plus I controller, a linear integral controller was added to a fuzzy PD controller in parallel, and the steady-state performance could be improved based on this. For the fuzzy membership function, a Gaussian type was used; for the fuzzy inference, the Max-Min method of Mamdani was used; and for the defuzzification, the center of gravity method was used. In addition, the saturation state of the actuator was also considered during controller design. The validity of the proposed method was examined by comparing the set-point tracking performance and the robustness to the parameter change with those of an adaptive controller and a nonlinear proportional-integral-differential controller.

• Advances in materials Research
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.299-310
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• 2012

This article describes the synthesis of a novel N-substituted pyrrole monomer containing an azobenzene group. The 2-[N-ethyl-N-[4-[(4-nitrophenyl) azo]-phenyl] amino] ethyl-3-chloropropionate (RedII) compound was synthesized via reaction of 4-nitro-4'-[N-ethyl-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-amino] azobenzene (RedI) and 3-chloropropionic acid. RedII was reacted with the potassium salt of pyrrole then 2-[N-ethyl-N-[4-[(nitro phenyl) azo] phenyl] amino] ethyl-N-pyrrolyl propionate (Py-RedII) was prepared. Chemical polymerization of Py-RedII and copolymerization of Py-RedII with pyrrole carried out using $FeCl_3$. Poly (2-[N-ethyl-N-[4-[(nitro phenyl) azo] phenyl] amino] ethyl-N-pyrrolyl propionate) (PPy-RedII) was characterized by UV, IR, $^1HNMR$, $^{13}CNMR$ spectroscopies. Electropolymerization of Py-RedII and electroco-polymerization of Py-RedII and pyrrole were studied using conventional three electrodes system, Ag/AgCl reference electrode, platinum counter electrode and GC disk working electrode. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used for thermal and rheological studies. The TGA curve of PPy-RedII demonstrated a high thermal stability up to 200°C and its DSC thermogram showed two endothermic peaks at 88 and $122^{\circ}C$. The glass transition temperature of the polymer was found to be above the room temperature. Electrical conductivities of PPy-RedII and it's copolymer with pyrrole (PPy-RedII-co-Py) were studied by the four-probe method and produced conductivities of $7.5{\times}10^{-4}$ and $6.5{\times}10^{-3}Scm^{-1}$, respectively.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.1675-1679
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• 2014

Objectives: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of many physiological and pathological processes, including tumorigenesis and metastasis. In this study, we sought to determine the underlying molecular mechanisms of metastatic cervical carcinoma by performing miRNA profiling. Methods: Tissue samples were collected from ten cervical squamous cancer patients who underwent hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node (PLN) dissection in our hospital, including four PLN-positive (metastatic) cases and six PLN-negative (non-metastatic) cases. A miRNA microarray platform with 1223 probes was used to determine the miRNA expression profiles of these two tissue types and case groups. MiRNAs having at least 4-fold differential expression between PLN-positive and PLN-negative cervical cancer tissues were bioinformatically analyzed for target gene prediction. MiRNAs with tumor-associated target genes were validated by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: Thirty-nine miRNAs were differentially expressed (>4-fold) between the PLN-positive and PLN-negative groups, of which, 22 were up-regulated and 17 were down-regulated. Sixty-nine percent of the miRNAs (27/39) had tumor-associated target genes, and the expression levels of six of those (miR-126, miR-96, miR-144, miR-657, miR-490-5p, and miR-323-3p) were confirmed by quantitative (q)RT-PCR. Conclusions: Six MiRNAs with predicted tumor-associated target genes encoding proteins that are known to be involved in cell adhesion, cytoskeletal remodeling, cell proliferation, cell migration, and apoptosis were identified. These findings suggest that a panel of miRNAs may regulate multiple and various steps of the metastasis cascade by targeting metastasis-associated genes. Since these six miRNAs are predicted to target tumor-associated genes, it is likely that they contribute to the metastatic potential of cervical cancer and may aid in prognosis or molecular therapy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.4393-4398
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• 2013

Background: Chromosomal translocations are genetic aberrations associated with specific non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) subtypes. This study investigated the differential gene expression profile of Egyptian NHL cases based on a microarray approach. Materials and Methods: The study included tissue samples from 40 NHL patients and 20 normal lymph nodes used as controls. Total RNA was extracted and used for cDNA microarray assays. The quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction was used to identify the aberrantly expressed genes in cancer. Results: Significant associations of 8 up-regulated and 4 down-regulated genes with NHL were observed. Aberrant expression of a new group of genes not reported previously was apparent, including down-regulated NAG14 protein, 3 beta hydroxy-delta 5-c27 steroid oxi-reductase, oxi-glutarate dehydrogenase (lipo-amide), immunoglobulin lambda like polypeptide 3, protein kinase x linked, Hmt1, and caveolin 2 Tetra protein. The up-regulated genes were Rb binding protein 5, DKFZP586J1624 protein, protein kinase inhibitor gamma, zinc finger protein 3, choline ethanolamine phospho-transferase CEPT1, protein phosphatase, and histone deacetylase-3. Conclusions: This study revealed that new differentially expressed genes that may be markers for NHL patients and individuals who are at high risk for cancer development.