• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제27권6호
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• pp.880-885
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• 2014

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of an outdoor-grazed raising model on meat composition, physical properties and sensory attributes of Taiwan game hens. Six hundred 1-d old female chicks were raised on a floor for 8 weeks. On day 57, 600 healthy birds, with similar body weight, were selected and randomly assigned to three treatment groups (cage, floor-pen and free-range). The results showed that different feeding models had no effect on drip loss, cooking loss, moisture, crude protein, crude fat, crude ash, zinc and calorie contents in breast meat and moisture content in thigh meat. The free-range group had the lowest fat content in both breast and thigh meat, and the lowest calorie content in thigh meat. The firmness and toughness in both thigh and breast of the free-range group were the highest values (p<0.05). The crude protein, total collagen, zinc and iron contents in thigh meat and total collagen content in breast meat of the free-range group were significantly higher than those of the cage-feeding group (p<0.05). The meat sensory scores of flavor, chewiness and overall acceptability of both thigh and breast meat of the free-range group were significantly (p<0.05) better than those of the other two groups. Moreover, the current findings also indicate that the Taiwan game hens of the free-range feeding model displayed well-received carcass traits and meat quality, with higher scores for flavor, chewiness and overall acceptability for greater sensory satisfaction in both breast and thigh meat. In addition, the thigh meat contained high protein and total collage but low fat, offering a healthier diet choice.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제28권5호
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• pp.518-528
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• 2005

In the present study, the antioxidative and inhibitory activity of Zingiber officinale Rosc. Rhizomes-derived materials (on mushroom tyrosinase) were evaluated. The bioactive co mponents of Z. officinale rhizomes were characterized by spectroscopic analysis as zingerone and dehydrozingerone, which exhibited potent antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibition activities. A series of substituted dehydrozingerones [(E)-4-phenyl-3-buten-2-ones] were prepared in admirable yields by the reaction of appropriate benzaldehydes with acetone and the products were evaluated in terms of variation in the dehydrozingerone structure. The synthetic analogues were examined for their antioxidant and antityrosinase activities to probe the most potent analogue. Compound 26 inhibited Fe$^{2+}$-induced lipid peroxidation in rat brain homogenate with an IC$_{50}$ = 6.3${\pm}$0.4 ${\mu}$M. In the 1,1-diphenyl- 2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical quencher assay, compounds 2, 7, 17, 26, 28, and 29 showed radical scavenging activity equal to or higher than those of the standard antioxidants, like ${\alpha}$-tocopherol and ascorbic acid. Compound 27 displayed superior inhibition of tyrosinase activity relative to other examined analogues. Compounds 2, 17, and 26 exhibited non-competitive inhibition against oxidation of 3,4- dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA). From the present study, it was observed that both number and position of hydroxyl groups on aromatic ring and a double bond between C-3 and C-4 played a critical role in exerting the antioxidant and antityrosinase activity.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제50권3호
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• pp.396-410
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• 2018

To assist operators to properly assess the current situation of the plant, accurate fault diagnosis methodology should be available and used. A reliable fault diagnosis method is beneficial for the safety of nuclear power plants. The major idea proposed in this work is integrating the merits of different fault diagnosis methodologies to offset their obvious disadvantages and enhance the accuracy and credibility of on-line fault diagnosis. This methodology uses the principle component analysis-based model and multi-flow model to diagnose fault type. To ensure the accuracy of results from the multi-flow model, a mechanical simulation model is implemented to do the quantitative calculation. More significantly, mechanism simulation is implemented to provide training data with fault signatures. Furthermore, one of the distance formulas in similarity measurement-Mahalanobis distance-is applied for on-line failure degree evaluation. The performance of this methodology was evaluated by applying it to the reactor coolant system of a pressurized water reactor. The results of simulation analysis show the effectiveness and accuracy of this methodology, leading to better confidence of it being integrated as a part of the computerized operator support system to assist operators in decision-making.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.245-256
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• 2019

An experimental study was conducted to evaluate the dynamic behavior of a free-standing frame equipped with a movable base system using cast iron and mortar as the bearing materials. The preliminary friction test indicated that a graphite layer developed on the interface and exhibited stable friction behavior. The friction coefficient ranged from 0.33 to 0.36 when the applied normal compression stress ranged from 2.6 to 5.2 MPa. The effect of the variation of normal compression stress would be small. Shaking table tests on the free-standing frame showed that rock, slide, and rock-slide responses occurred. The cumulative slide distance reached 381 mm under JMA Kobe wave excitation; however, only a few cyclic slides occurred at the same locations along the moving track. Most surfaces sustained single slides. Similar results can be observed in other shaking conditions. The insufficient cyclic sliding and significant rocking resulted in a few graphite layers on the mortar surfaces. Friction coefficients were generally similar to those obtained in the preliminary friction tests; however, the values fluctuated when the rocking became significant. The collisions due to rocking caused strong horizontal acceleration responses and resulted in high friction coefficient. In addition, the strong horizontal acceleration responses caused by the collisions made the freestanding specimen unable to reduce the input horizontal acceleration notably, even when slippage occurred. Compared with the counterpart fixed-base specimen, the specimen equipped with the iron-mortar base could reduce the horizontal acceleration amplification response and the structural deformation, whereas the vertical acceleration response was doubled due to collisions from rocking.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제46권4호
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• pp.572-584
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• 2022

Background: Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the expansion of trinucleotide CAG repeat in the Huntingtin (Htt) gene. The major pathogenic pathways underlying HD involve the impairment of cellular energy homeostasis and DNA damage in the brain. The protein kinase ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) is an important regulator of the DNA damage response. ATM is involved in the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), suggesting that AMPK plays a critical role in response to DNA damage. Herein, we demonstrated that expression of polyQ-expanded mutant Htt (mHtt) enhanced the phosphorylation of ATM. Ginsenoside is the main and most effective component of Panax ginseng. However, the protective effect of a ginsenoside (compound K, CK) in HD remains unclear and warrants further investigation. Methods: This study used the R6/2 transgenic mouse model of HD and performed behavioral tests, survival rate, histological analyses, and immunoblot assays. Results: The systematic administration of CK into R6/2 mice suppressed the activation of ATM/AMPK and reduced neuronal toxicity and mHTT aggregation. Most importantly, CK increased neuronal density and lifespan and improved motor dysfunction in R6/2 mice. Conversely, CK enhanced the expression of Bcl2 protected striatal cells from the toxicity induced by the overactivation of mHtt and AMPK. Conclusions: Thus, the oral administration of CK reduced the disease progression and markedly enhanced lifespan in the transgenic mouse model (R6/2) of HD.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권1호
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• pp.148-163
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• 2021

Timely fault identification is important for safe and reliable operation of the electric valve system. Many research works have utilized different data-driven approach for fault diagnosis in complex systems. However, they do not consider specific characteristics of critical control components such as electric valves. This work presents an integrated shallow-deep fault diagnostic model, developed based on signals extracted from DN50 electric valve. First, the local optimal issue of particle swarm optimization algorithm is solved by optimizing the weight search capability, the particle speed, and position update strategy. Then, to develop a shallow diagnostic model, the modified particle swarm algorithm is combined with support vector machine to form a hybrid improved particle swarm-support vector machine (IPs-SVM). To decouple the influence of the background noise, the wavelet packet transform method is used to reconstruct the vibration signal. Thereafter, the IPs-SVM is used to classify phase imbalance and damaged valve faults, and the performance was evaluated against other models developed using the conventional SVM and particle swarm optimized SVM. Secondly, three different deep belief network (DBN) models are developed, using different acoustic signal structures: raw signal, wavelet transformed signal and time-series (sequential) signal. The models are developed to estimate internal leakage sizes in the electric valve. The predictive performance of the DBN and the evaluation results of the proposed IPs-SVM are also presented in this paper.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• 제49권1호
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• pp.29-33
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• 2022

The application of minimal invasive mastectomy has allowed surgeons to perform nipples-paring mastectomy via a shorter, inconspicuous incision under clear vision and with more precise hemostasis. However, it poses new challenges in microsurgical breast reconstruction, such as vascular anastomosis and flap insetting, which are considerably more difficult to perform through the shorter incision on the lateral breast border. We propose an innovative technique of transcutaneous medial fixation sutures to help in flap insetting and creating and maintaining the medial breast border. The sutures are placed after mastectomy and before flap transfer. Three 4-0 nylon suture loops are placed transcutaneously and into the pocket at the markings of the preferred lower medial border of the reconstructed breast. After microvascular anastomosis and temporary shaping of the flap on top of the mastectomy skin, the three corresponding points for the sutures are identified. The three nylon loops are then sutured to the dermis of the corresponding medial point of the flap. The flap is placed into the pocket by a simultaneous gentle pull on the three sutures and a combined lateral push. The stitches are then tied and buried after completion of flap inset.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• 제52권1호
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• pp.109-115
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• 2022

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of clinically relevant anatomical variations of the ethmoid sinuses and their potential association with ethmoid and maxillary sinus pathologies on cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans. Additionally, potential associations with different sides and demographic factors, including age and sex, were evaluated. Materials and Methods: In total, 273 CBCT scans with complete ethmoid and maxillary sinuses were analyzed to determine the prevalence of Agger nasi cell, supraorbital ethmoid cell, Haller cell, Onodi cell, and ethmomaxillary sinus. In addition, the health or pathology of the ethmoid and maxillary sinuses was also recorded to assess correlations with the aforementioned variations. Results: The prevalence of Agger nasi cell was found to be the highest (95.6%) in this study, followed by Onodi cell (60.4%), Haller cell (29.3%), and supraorbital ethmoid cell (19.4%). Ethmomaxillary sinus was the least common finding (16.5%). Males and persons above 61 years of age had a significantly higher frequency of supraorbital ethmoid cell and Onodi cell, respectively. However, no significant relationships were noted between anatomical variations of the ethmoid sinus and pathologies of the ethmoid or maxillary sinus. Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of ethmoid sinus variations in this Southern Chinese population. The prevalence of Agger nasi cell and Onodi cell was higher than that of other anatomical variations of the ethmoid sinuses. Anatomical variations of the ethmoid sinuses were not associated with ethmoid or maxillary sinus pathologies in this patient cohort.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제39권7호
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• pp.543-549
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• 2016

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to be involved in many neurodegenerative diseases. The present study focused on the role of hsa-miR-144-3p in one of the neuro-degenerative diseases, Parkinson's disease (PD). Our study showed a remarkable down-regulation of miR-144-3p expression in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated SH-SY5Y cells. MiR-144-3p was then overexpressed and silenced in human SH-SY5Y cells by miRNA-mimics and miRNA-inhibitor transfections, respectively. Furthermore, ${\beta}$-amyloid precursor protein (APP) was identified as a target gene of miR-144-3p via a luciferase reporter assay. We found that miR-144-3p overexpression significantly inhibited the protein expression of APP. Since mitochondrial dysfunction has been shown to be one of the major pathological events in PD, we also focused on the role of miR-144-3p and APP in regulating mitochondrial functions. Our study demonstrated that up-regulation of miR-144-3p increased expression of the key genes involved in maintaining mitochondrial function, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}$ coactivator-$1{\alpha}$(PGC-$1{\alpha}$), nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF-1) and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM). Moreover, there was also a significant increase in cellular ATP, cell viability and the relative copy number of mtDNA in the presence of miR-144-3p overexpression. In contrast, miR-144-3p silencing showed opposite effects. We also found that APP overexpression significantly decreased ATP level, cell viability, the relative copy number of mtDNA and the expression of these three genes, which reversed the effects of miR-144-3p overexpression. Taken together, these results show that miR-144-3p plays an important role in maintaining mitochondrial function, and its target gene APP is also involved in this process.

• 운동영양학회지
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.65-71
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• 2012

Oxygen is the final acceptor of electron transport from fat and carbohydrate oxidation, which is the rate-limiting factor for cellular ATP production. Under altitude hypoxia condition, energy reliance on anaerobic glycolysis increases to compensate for the shortfall caused by reduced fatty acid oxidation [1]. Therefore, training at altitude is expected to strongly influence the human metabolic system, and has the potential to be designed as a non-pharmacological or recreational intervention regimen for correcting diabetes or related metabolic problems. However, most people cannot accommodate high altitude exposure above 4500 M due to acute mountain sickness (AMS) and insulin resistance corresponding to a increased levels of the stress hormones cortisol and catecholamine [2]. Thus, less stringent conditions were evaluated to determine whether glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity could be improved by moderate altitude exposure (below 4000 M). In 2003, we and another group in Austria reported that short-term moderate altitude exposure plus endurance-related physical activity significantly improves glucose tolerance (not fasting glucose) in humans [3,4], which is associated with the improvement in the whole-body insulin sensitivity [5]. With daily hiking at an altitude of approximately 4000 M, glucose tolerance can still be improved but fasting glucose was slightly elevated. Individuals vary widely in their response to altitude challenge. In particular, the improvement in glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity by prolonged altitude hiking activity is not apparent in those individuals with low baseline DHEA-S concentration [6]. In addition, hematopoietic adaptation against altitude hypoxia can also be impaired in individuals with low DHEA-S. In short-lived mammals like rodents, the DHEA-S level is barely detectable since their adrenal cortex does not appear to produce this steroid [7]. In this model, exercise training recovery under prolonged hypoxia exposure (14-15% oxygen, 8 h per day for 6 weeks) can still improve insulin sensitivity, secondary to an effective suppression of adiposity [8]. Genetically obese rats exhibit hyperinsulinemia (sign of insulin resistance) with up-regulated baseline levels of AMP-activated protein kinase and AS160 phosphorylation in skeletal muscle compared to lean rats. After prolonged hypoxia training, this abnormality can be reversed concomitant with an approximately 50% increase in GLUT4 protein expression. Additionally, prolonged moderate hypoxia training results in decreased diffusion distance of muscle fiber (reduced cross-sectional area) without affecting muscle weight. In humans, moderate hypoxia increases postprandial blood distribution towards skeletal muscle during a training recovery. This physiological response plays a role in the redistribution of fuel storage among important energy storage sites and may explain its potent effect on changing body composition. Conclusion: Prolonged moderate altitude hypoxia (rangingfrom 1700 to 2400 M), but not acute high attitude hypoxia (above 4000 M), can effectively improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance for humans and antagonizes the obese phenotype in animals with a genetic defect. In humans, the magnitude of the improvementvaries widely and correlates with baseline plasma DHEA-S levels. Compared to training at sea-level, training at altitude effectively decreases fat mass in parallel with increased muscle mass. This change may be associated with increased perfusion of insulin and fuel towards skeletal muscle that favors muscle competing postprandial fuel in circulation against adipose tissues.