• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SC
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2009

In this paper, a 2.4 GHz doppler radar system consisting of a doppler radar sensor and a baseband module were designed to detect heart beat and respiration signal without direct skin contact. The doppler radar system emits RF signal of 2.4 GHz toward human chest, and then detects phase modulation of the reflected signal so as to investigate cardiopulmonary activities. The heartbeat and respiration signals acquired from I/Q channels of the doppler radar system are applied to the pre-processing circuit, the amplification circuit, and the offset circuit of the baseband module. The designed system was tested on mouse, rabbit and mankind, which have different range of heart rates and respiration signals, to evaluate detection accuracy of the system. ECG acquisition system and respiration transducer were used to generate the reference signal. In our experiments, a performance of detection were found to be high in the case that the subject stays still. In this paper, we confirmed that non-contact heart beat and respiration detection using the doppler radar has the possibility and limitation according to distance, cardiopulmonary activities, range of heart rates and respiration.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.117-124
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• 2013

In this paper, we present a new method which efficiently estimates a face direction from a sequences of input video images in real time fashion. For this work, the proposed method performs detecting the facial region and major facial features such as both eyes, nose and mouth by using the Haar-like feature, which is relatively not sensitive against light variation, from the detected facial area. Then, it becomes able to track the feature points from every frame using optical flow in real time fashion, and determine the direction of the face based on the feature points tracked. Further, in order to prevent the erroneously recognizing the false positions of the facial features when if the coordinates of the features are lost during the tracking by using optical flow, the proposed method determines the validity of locations of the facial features using the template matching of detected facial features in real time. Depending on the correlation rate of re-considering the detection of the features by the template matching, the face direction estimation process is divided into detecting the facial features again or tracking features while determining the direction of the face. The template matching initially saves the location information of 4 facial features such as the left and right eye, the end of nose and mouse in facial feature detection phase and reevaluated these information when the similarity measure between the stored information and the traced facial information by optical flow is exceed a certain level of threshold by detecting the new facial features from the input image. The proposed approach automatically combines the phase of detecting facial features and the phase of tracking features reciprocally and enables to estimate face pose stably in a real-time fashion. From the experiment, we can prove that the proposed method efficiently estimates face direction.

• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.329-334
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• 2011

Many proteins with poor transduction efficiency were reported to be delivered to cells by fusion with protein transduction domains (PTDs). In this study, we investigated the effect of levosulpiride on the transduction of PEP-1 ribosomal protein S3 (PEP-1-rpS3), and examined its influence on the stimulation of the therapeutic properties of PEP-1-rpS3. PEP-1-rpS3 transduction into HaCaT human keratinocytes and mouse skin was stimulated by levosulpiride in a manner that did not directly affect the cell viability. Following 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced inflammation in mice, levosulpiride alone was ineffective in reducing TPA-induced edema and in inhibiting the elevated productions of inflammatory mediators and cytokines, such as cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, interleukin-6 and -1${\beta}$, and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$. Anti-inflammatory activity by PEP-1-rpS3 + levosulpiride was significantly more potent than by PEP-1-rpS3 alone. These results suggest that levosulpiride may be useful for enhancing the therapeutic effect of PEP-1-rpS3 against various inflammatory diseases.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.344-351
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• 2009

Purpose: Optical imaging is providing great advance and improvement in genetic and molecular imaging of animals and humans. Optical imaging system consists of optical imaging devices, which carry out major function for monitoring, tracing, and imaging in most of molecular in-vivo researches. In bio-luminescent imaging, small animals containing luciferase gene locally irradiate light, and emitted photons transmitted through skin of the small animals are imaged by using a high sensitive charged coupled device (CCD) camera. In this paper, we introduced optical imaging system for the image acquisition of bio-luminescent signals emitted from small animals. Materials and Methods: In the system, Nikon lens and four LED light sources were mounted at the inside of a dark box. A cooled CCD camera equipped with a control module was used. Results: We tested the performance of the optical imaging system using effendorf tube and light emitting bacteria which injected intravenously into CT26 tumor bearing nude mouse. The performance of implemented optical imaging system for bio-luminescence imaging was demonstrated and the feasibility of the system in small animal imaging application was proved. Conclusion: We anticipate this system could be a useful tool for the molecular imaging of small animals adaptable for various experimental conditions in future.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.159-166
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• 2020

Propolis is a sticky resinous substance that is formed by the combination of honeybee secretions and resin of plants, which serves to protect from bacteria and viruses. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of propolis extract from Korea (KPE), China (CPE), and Brazil (BPE) through antioxidant, antibacterial, whitening, and anti-inflammatory tests, and to examine their potential as cosmetic materials. KPE, CPE, and BPE showed significant antioxidant activities on flavonoid/polyphenol content and free radical scavenging activity. The antibacterial effect of propolis on skin flora was determined by measuring the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). KPE showed better antibacterial efficacy than CPE and BPE in C. acnes (KPE, CPE, and BPE: (62.5, 250, and 500) ㎍/mL, respectively). Furthermore, KPE inhibited the melanin synthesis in human epidermal melanocytes and production of nitric oxide and PGE₂ induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mouse macrophages, which showed better than did CPE or BPE. Taken together, the propolis extracts can be applied to antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory ingredient for cosmetics, while KPE showed superior potential in antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and whitening efficacies.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.46-52
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• 2011

A confocal microscope was developed utilizing a scanning sample stage based on a home-built double-compound flexure guide. A scanning sample stage with nano-scale resolution consisted of a double leaf spring based flexure, a displacement amplifying lever, a Piezo-electric Transducer(PZT) actuator and capacitance sensors. The performance of the two-axis stage was analyzed using a commercial finite element method program prior to the implementation. A single line laser was employed as the light source along with the Photo Multiplier Tube(PMT) that served as the detector. The performance of the developed confocal microscope was evaluated with a mouse ear skin imaging test. The designed scanning stage enabled us to build the confocal microscope without the two optical scanning mirror modules that are essential in the conventional laser scanning confocal microscope. The elimination of the scanning mirror modules makes the optical design of the confocal microscope simpler and more compact than the conventional system.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.518-526
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• 2005

Hwanggumgung (HGG) is a hair-care product which is composed of several plant extracts used in oriental medicine. This study was carried out to investigate effect of HGG on hair regrowth in a shaving model of C57BL6 mice. Five-week-old mice were acclimated for 1 week under 23$\pm$3$^{\circ}C$, 50$\pm10\%$ relative humidity and 12 h of a light/dark cycle before beginning experiment. There were four experimental groups including distilled water (D.W., control), 10$\%$ ethanol (EtOH, vehicle control), a positive control of 3$\%$ minoxidil (MXD), and HGG for female and male mice, respectively; Six-weeks old mice were trimmed by electric clippers so as not to damage the skin. The next day; mice without visible scraches were selected, randomized and separated in groups of 11 mice. The test compounds were topically treated with 0.15ml per mouse per day for 21 days. The hair regrowth was photographically and histologically determined during the experimental period of 21 days. Enzyme activities of $\gamma$-glutamyl transpeptidase and alkaline phosphatase were also determined using a rate assay method. There were no clinical signs in all experimental groups. The topical application of 3$\%$ MXD and HGG in female mice promoted hair regrowth earlier and faster than the control groups. In male mice, the topical application of 3$\%$ MXD and HGG also accelerated hair growth compared with the controls. Ten percent ethanol also promoted hair growth faster than D.W group. The histology of hair growth in experimental groups was strongly associated with the hair regrowth. 3$\%$ MXD and HGG promoted elongation of hair follicles compared with the controls in both female and male mice. Activities of alkaline phosphatase and $\gamma$-glutamyl transpeptidase, enzymes related to hair growth, significantly increased after treatments of 3$\%$ MXD and HGG for 2 weeks in both female and male mice (p < 0.05). These results suggest that HGG has hair growth promoting activities and it can be for treatment for alopecia.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.812-817
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• 2012

This study was performed to investigate the antioxidant activities and the melanin inhibitory effects of Hippophae rhamnoides L. fruit extracts. Two in vitro methods were used; the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method to determine antioxidant activity and measurements of the inhibitory effects of tyrosinase activity to determine melanogenesis in B16/F10 melanoma cells. The radical scavenging activity of the extract was 56.0% at $700{\mu}g/mL$, similar to ascorbic acid (56.9%), in the DPPH assay. The tyrosinase inhibitory activity of the extract was 52.1% and 73.4% at 100 and $500{\mu}g/mL$, which is also similar to ascorbic acid. In B16/F10 mouse melanoma cells, the extract inhibited melanin synthesis by 56% at $500{\mu}g/mL$, a more prominent inhibition of melanin synthesis compared to extracts from arbutin. These results suggest that extracts from H. rhamnoides L. have antioxidant activity and skin-whitening effects; allowing their application in cosmetics as a natural product.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 2016

This study was carried out to investigate the total polyphenols, antioxidant activities, and melanin synthesis inhibition of several pear cultivars (Pyruspyrifolia). The total polypenolic content of five pear cultivars was high in the unripe developmental stage. Total polyphenolic content of the Chuwhangbae cultivar extract was higher than that of other pear cultivars regardless of the developmental stage. However, the total flavonoid content did not differ between cultivars or developmental stages. The phenolic compound, arbutin has an inhibitory effect on melanogenesis. Arbutin levels in pear cultivars declined as the fruit matured. The free radical scavenging activity of the extract also decreased as the fruit ripened. In B16F10 mouse melanoma cells, most of the cultivar extracts inhibited melanin synthesis by about 50% at a $100{\mu}g{\cdot}mL^{-1}$ concentration, except in the Gamcheonbae extract until 90 days after full bloom. We have confirmed that the extract of pear cultivars have antioxidant activity and skin-whitening effects.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.367-379
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• 2019

Although atopic dermatitis (AD) is known to be a representative skin disorder, it also affects the systemic immune response. In a recent study, myoblasts were shown to be involved in the immune regulation, but the roles of muscle cells in AD are poorly understood. We aimed to identify the relationship between mitochondria and atopy by genome-wide analysis of skeletal muscles in mice. We induced AD-like symptoms using house dust mite (HDM) extract in NC/Nga mice. The transcriptional profiles of the untreated group and HDM-induced AD-like group were analyzed and compared using microarray, differentially expressed gene and functional pathway analyses, and protein interaction network construction. Our microarray analysis demonstrated that immune response-, calcium handling-, and mitochondrial metabolism-related genes were differentially expressed. In the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology pathway analyses, immune response pathways involved in cytokine interaction, nuclear factor-kappa B, and T-cell receptor signaling, calcium handling pathways, and mitochondria metabolism pathways involved in the citrate cycle were significantly upregulated. In protein interaction network analysis, chemokine family-, muscle contraction process-, and immune response-related genes were identified as hub genes with many interactions. In addition, mitochondrial pathways involved in calcium signaling, cardiac muscle contraction, tricarboxylic acid cycle, oxidation-reduction process, and calcium-mediated signaling were significantly stimulated in KEGG and Gene Ontology analyses. Our results provide a comprehensive understanding of the genome-wide transcriptional changes of HDM-induced AD-like symptoms and the indicated genes that could be used as AD clinical biomarkers.