• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.169-174
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• 2013

Sperm capacitation refers to polymerization of filamentous (F)-actin from globular (G)-actin. While the role of actin-related protein 2/3 (Arp2/3) complex in actin polymerization is well appreciated, the underlying mechanism(s) and its relationship with capacitation are poorly understood. Therefore, to evaluate the potential role of Arp2/3 complex on capacitation, bovine spermatozoa were incubated with multiple doses (1, 10 and $100{\mu}M$) of CK-636, an inhibitor of Arp2/3 complex with heparin. The cellular localization of the Arp2/3 complex in spermatozoa was identified by immunohistochemistry, whereas western blot was also applied to detect the protein tyrosine phosphorylation of sperm proteins. Additionally, sperm motility and kinematic parameters were evaluated using a computer-assisted sperm analysis system. CK-636 resulted in significant changes in the ratio of Arp2/3 complex localization between acrosome and equatorial region of the spermatozoa. Short-term exposure of spermatozoa to $100{\mu}M$ of CK-636 significantly decreased sperm motility, however a non-detectable effect on protein tyrosine phosphorylation was observed during capacitation. On the basis of these results, we propose that Arp2/3 complex is associated with morphological changes during capacitation and compromised sperm motility.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.409-416
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• 2017

In order that multiple wideband RF transmitters which have mission to deliver essential information to aircraft operate at the same time, RF transmitter has a variable sub-carrier frequency to modulate the signal. In case of exposure to weak environment, Wide-band RF transmitter is designed to check component of transmitter that includes antenna BIT to increase system reliability. Normally, Antenna BIT measure the reflection RF power of antenna to check system condition. However, Antenna BIT has a difference that depends on testing frequency to use the long RF cable which is located between the power amp and the antenna. The periodic phenomenon of the reflected antenna power are theoretically explained about dependence on the RF cable length. Based on presented result, suggested measurement methods is effectively able to be applied to diagnosis system condition.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.447-453
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• 2012

TLR6 forms a heterodimer with TLR2 and TLR4. While proinflammatory roles of TLR2 and TLR4 are well documented, the role of TLR6 in inflammation is poorly understood. In order to understand mechanisms of action of TLR6 in inflammatory responses, we investigated the effects of FSL-1, the TLR6 ligand, on expression of chemokine CCL2 and cytokine IL-$1{\beta}$ and determined cellular factors involved in FSL-1-mediated expression of CCL2 and IL-$1{\beta}$ in mononuclear cells. Exposure of human monocytic leukemia THP-1 cells to FSL-1 resulted not only in enhanced secretion of CCL2 and IL-$1{\beta}$, but also profound induction of their gene transcripts. Expression of CCL2 was abrogated by treatment with OxPAPC, a TLR-2/4 inhibitor, while treatment with OxPAPC resulted in partially inhibited expression of IL-$1{\beta}$. Treatment with FSL-1 resulted in enhanced phosphorylation of Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinases and activation of protein kinase C. Treatment with pharmacological inhibitors, including SB202190, SP6001250, U0126, Akt inhibitor IV, LY294002, GF109203X, and RO318220 resulted in significantly attenuated FSL-1-mediated upregulation of CCL2 and IL-$1{\beta}$. Our results indicate that activation of TLR6 will trigger inflammatory responses by upregulating expression of CCL2 and IL-$1{\beta}$ via TLR-2/4, protein kinase C, PI3K-Akt, and mitogen-activated protein kinases.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.458-464
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• 2011

Purpose: Metacarpal fractures are common hand injury that may require operative intervention to ensure adequate reduction and stabilization. Traditionally, titanium miniplate was used for rigid fixation of bone fractures. However, the use of permanent plate lends itself to multiple complications such as infection, exposure of the hardware, tendon adhesions, tendon rupture, prolonged pain, bony atrophy and osteoporosis (stress shielding), metal sensitization, and palpation under the skin. This study evaluated the usefulness and stability of biodegradable plates and screws for treatment of metacarpal bone fractures. Methods: There was 17 patients who had surgery for metacarpal bone fracture from April 2007 to June 2010. All patients had open reduction and internal fixation. We used absorbable plates and screws (Inion CPS$^{(R)}$) for internal fixation. Postoperative results were assessed with x-ray. Stability of plates and screws, healing process and its complications were observed by clinical and radiographic assessment. Results: All patients were successfully reduced of bone fracture, and fixations with absorbable plates and screws were stable. The mean follow up period was 7.1 months. 2 patients complained postoperative pain, but they were relieved with analgesics. All patients experienced transient stiffness, but they were relieved with active assistive range of motion after removal of splint. No patients suffered complications which could be occurred by using metallic plate. Conclusion: There was no critical complications such as re-fracture or nonunion among patients. No patients suffered side effects related with metallic implants. Biodegradable implants can offer clinically stable and attractive alternative to metallic implants to stabilize metacarpal bone fractures in the hand.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1381-1384
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• 1996

Thymoma Is an anterior mediastinal tumor, arising from the thymus, but occasionally has ectopic focus such as neck, trachea, thyroid, pulmonary hilum, lung parenchyme and pleura. Forty-two year old male patient was admitted due to progressive development of shortness of breath in 4 months. He had a history of exposure to asbestos for About 10 years duration In recent 15 years. Radiologically, multiple pleural masses were seen rom apex to diaphrAgm, with no evidence of anterior mediastinal mass,with fluid in right pleural cavity. Closed thoracotomy drainage with open biopsy were performed. Effusion cell block showed many T cell marker positive Lymphocytes & some epithelial cells compatible with thymoma, and the tissue also showed cortical type thymoma. Pleuropneumonectomy and thymectomy followed by 60 Gy radiation therapy were done and the patient is well 8 months postoperatively. The pleura is markedly thickened by the invasion of thymoma and the interstitial space of the lung tissue,but the normal appearance of thymus was present in remote area (Masaoka classification IVa). We report a case of ectopic invasive thymoma arising from the right pleura with intact thymus.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.340-346
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Despite the importance of consuming sufficient amounts of vegetables, daily vegetable intake among adolescents in Korea is lower than the current dietary recommendation. The objective of this study was to examine determinants affecting vegetable preference in order to suggest a stage-tailored education strategy that can promote vegetable consumption in adolescents. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Adolescents (n = 400, aged 16-17 years) from two high schools participated in a cross-sectional study. Survey variables were vegetable preference, the social cognitive theory (SCT) and stages of change (SOC) constructs. Based on vegetable preference, subjects were classified into two groups: a low-preference group (LPG) and a high-preference group (HPG). SOC was subdivided into pre-action and action/maintenance stages. To compare SCT components and SOC related to vegetable preference, chi-squared and t-tests, along with stepwise multiple-regression analysis, were applied. RESULTS: In the LPG, a similar number of subjects were classified into each stage. Significant differences in self-efficacy, affective attitudes, and vegetable accessibility at home and school were detected among the stages. Subjects in the HPG were mainly at the maintenance stage (81%), and there were significant differences among the stages regarding self-efficacy, affective attitudes, and parenting practice. In the predictions of vegetable preference, self-efficacy and parenting practice had a significant effect in the "pre-action" stage. In the action/maintenance stage, outcome expectation, affective attitudes, and vegetable accessibility at school had significant predictive value. In predicting the vegetable preference for all subjects, 42.8% of the predictive variance was accounted for by affective attitudes, self-efficacy, and vegetable accessibility at school. CONCLUSION: The study revealed that different determinants affect adolescent vegetable preference in each stage. Self-efficacy and affective attitudes are important determinants affecting vegetable preference. Additionally, school-based nutrition intervention that focuses on enhancing affective attitudes, self-efficacy, and vegetable exposure may constitute an effective education strategy for promoting vegetable consumption among adolescents.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.164-174
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• 2015

In a real scenario, radiometric change has frequently occurred in the stereo image acquisition process using multiple cameras with geometric characteristics or moving a single camera because it has different camera parameters and illumination change. Conventional stereo matching algorithms have a difficulty in finding correct corresponding points because it is assumed that corresponding pixels have similar color values. In this paper, we present a new method based on the local descriptor reflecting intensity, gradient and texture information. Furthermore, an adaptive weight for local descriptor based on the entropy is applied to estimate correct corresponding points under radiometric variation. The proposed method is tested on Middlebury datasets with radiometric changes, and compared with state-of-the-art algorithms. Experimental result shows that the proposed scheme outperforms other comparison algorithms around 5% less matching error on average.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.19-27
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• 2008

Objective : This study was conducted to evaluate the changes in the levels of neurotransmitters and cortisol in patients with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and to evaluate their correlation with symptoms after long-term pharmacological treatment. Methods : Twenty-eight Vietnam veterans with chronic PTSD and 34 non-PTSD patients were consecutively recruited. The Combat Exposure Scale (CES), Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (M-PTSD), Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAS) were used to evaluate symptom severity. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to measure the plasma levels of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine, and a radioimmunoassay (RIA) was performed to evaluate the plasma level of cortisol. Results : Plasma cortisol was significantly lower in PTSD patients than in control subjects, while there was no significant difference in plasma epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine between the two groups. The scores of M-PTSD, CAPS, HAMD and HAMA were signigicantly higher in PTSD patients than control group. Conclusion : After long-term treatment, the levels of neurotransmitters in PTSD patients returned to within the normal range, and the patients' symptoms showed some improvement. However, the core symptoms of PTSD continued to appear intermittently, and they are thought to be associated with hormonal systems, such as the HPA axis. It is also suggested that PTSD should be considered to be a complex disorder associated with multiple systems and that combinations of the effective medications for each system should be used to treat patients with PTSD.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.1222-1227
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• 1998

The crystal structure of a benzene sorption complex of fully dehydrated Cd2+-exchanged zeolite X, Cd46Si100Al92O384·43C6H6 (a=24.880(6) Å), has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques in the cubic space group Fd3 at 21 ℃. The crystal was prepared by ion exchange in a flowing stream of 0.05 M aqueous Cd(NO3)2 for 3 d, followed by dehydration at 400 ℃ and 2 x 10-6 Torr for 2 d, followed by exposure to about 92 Torr of benzene vapor at 22 ℃. The structure was determined in this atmosphere and refined to the final error indices R1=0.054 and Rw=0.066 with 561 reflections for which I > 3σ(I). In this structure, Cd2+ ions are found at four crystallographic sites: eleven Cd2+ ions are at site 1, at the centers of the double six-oxygen rings; six Cd2+ ions lie at site I', in the sodalite cavity opposite to the double six-oxygen rings; and the remaining 29 Cd2+ ions are found at two nonequivalent threefold axes of unit cell, sites Ⅱ' (in the sodalite cavity ) and site Ⅱ (in the supercage) with occupancies of 2 and 27 ions, respectively. Each of these Cd2+ ions coordinates to three framework oxylkens, either at 2.173(13) or 2.224(10) Å, respectively, and extends 0.37 Å into the sodalite unit or 0.60 Å into the supercage from the plane of the three oxygens to which it is bound. The benzene molecules are found at two distinct sites within the supercages. Twenty-seven benzenes lie on threefold axes in the large cavities where they interact facially with the latter 27 site-Ⅱ Cd2+ ions (Cd2+-benzene center=2.72 Å; occupancy=27 molecules/32 sites). The remaining sixteen benzene molecules are found in 12ring planes; occupancy=16 molecules/16 sites. Each hydrogen of these sixteen benzenes is ca. 2.8/3.0 Å from three 12-ring oxygens where each is stabilized by multiple weak electrostatic and van der Waals interactions with framework oxygens.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• no.37
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• pp.399-427
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to examine the moderating effects of protective factors on the relations between deviant peer's influences and delinquent behaviors in adolescence. To investigate the moderating effects, simple slope and region of significance test based on multiple linear regression(MLR) model were used. This study used data from wave 1-2(2003-2004) of the Korea Youth Panel Survey(KYPS). Results showed that for female adolescents, self-esteem, parent monitoring, and attachment to parent moderated the link between best friend's deviancy and delinquent behaviors. For male adolescents, however, best friend's deviancy and protective factors didn't show any significant moderating effects. These results help clarify the conditions under which exposure to deviant best friends can influence delinquent behaviors in adolescence. Practice and policy implications as well as further research topic were discussed to aid the search for highly effective preventive and treatment interventions.