• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.89-95
• /
• 2008

The present study was undertaken to identify changes of plasminogen activators (PAs) in porcine oviductal epithelial cells (POECs) during the estrous cycle classified with post-ovulatory stages (Post-Ov), early to mid-luteal stages (Early-mid L) and pre-ovulatory (Pre-Ov) stages. The urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) was only observed on day 5 and day 7 of culture in the POECs on all the estrous cycles and gradually increased according to increasing culture times, but not Early-mid L. In POECs-conditioned medium, uPA, tissue-type (tPA) and tPA-PA inhibitor (tPA-PAI) activity were observed at all culture times during estrous cycles. The uPA activity of POECs-conditioned medium on Post-Ov stage were significantly (p<0.05) decreased during prolonged cultures. On the other hand, the tPA activity of POECs-conditioned medium at Post-Ov stage was significantly (p<0.05) higher on day 5 than compared to the other days. Although was higher on day 1 at Post-Ov stage, the tPA-PAI activity of POECs-conditioned medium was significantly (p<0.05) higher on day 7 at all stage than that of day 5 of the culture. Taken together, these results suggest that uPA, tPA and tPA-PAI are produced by POECs, and the variations of the PAs activity are regulated in the different stages of the estrous cycle.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.49-55
• /
• 2001

Bacillus anthracis is a gram-positive spore-forming bacterium that causes the disease anthrax. The anthrax toxin contains three components, including the protective antigen (PA), which binds to eucaryotic cell surface receptors and mediates the transport of toxins into the cell. In this study, the entire 2,294-nucleotide protective antigen gene (pag) was sequenced from 4 of B. anthracis strains to identify potential variation in the toxin and to further our understanding of B. anthracis evolution in Korea. Sequence alignment of the entire PA gene from 30 strains representative of the four B. anthracis diversity groups revealed mutations. The mutation of B. anthracis BAK are located adjacent to a highly antigenic region crossing the junction between PA domains 3 and 4 shown to be critical to LF binding. The different mutational combinations observed in this study give rise to 11 PA genotypes and 4PA phenotypes. Three-dimensional analysis of all the amino acid changes (Ala to Val) observed in BAK indicated that these changes are not only close sequentially but also very close in three-dimensional space to the antigenic region importan tfor LF binding. Phylogenetic (cladistic) analysis of the pag corresponded with previous strain grouping based on chromosomal variation, suggesting that plasmid evolution in B. anthracis has occurred with little or no horizontal transfer between the different strains.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.42-48
• /
• 2020

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory condition which can be studied using phthalic anhydride (PA) to induce AD. Anti-inflammatory properties of bee venom (BV) wereinvestigated to determine whether it may be a useful treatment for AD. Methods: AD was induced by applying to pical PA to 8-week-old HR-1 mice (N = 50), then treating with (0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 ㎍) or without topical BV. Body weight, ear thickness histology, enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (serum IgE concentrations), Western blot analysis [inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, IκB-α, phospho-IκB-α, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), phospho-JNK, p38, phospho-p38, extra cellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and phospho-ERK], and the pull down assay for immunoblotting (p50), were used to measure inflammatory mediators. Results: PA + BV (0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 ㎍) significantly decreased ear thickness without altering body weight. IgE concentrations decreased in the PA + BV (0.5 ㎍)-treated groups compared with PAtreatment. Tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, phospho-IκB-α, phospho-JNK, p38, phospho-p38, and phospho-ERK, all decreased following treatment with PA + BV compared with the PA-treatment alone. p50 was upregulated in the PA + BV-treated groups compared with the PA-treated group. Furthermore, the number of mast cells decreased in the PA + BV-treated groups compared with the PA-treated group. Epidermal thickness was significantly lower in the PA + BV-treated group compared with PA treatment alone. Conclusion: BV maybe a useful anti-inflammatory treatment for AD.

• Polymer(Korea)
• /
• v.37 no.5
• /
• pp.571-578
• /
• 2013

Polyamide12 (PA12) is blended with ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) at various compositions in the presence of maleated EPDM (mEPDM) to afford blend materials having the characteristics of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). The EPDM/PA12 melt-blends are further irradiated with electron-beam (e-beam) at 0~100 kGy dosage, yielding selective crosslinking between EPDM chains while retaining melt-processibility originated from PA12 phase. mEPDM acts as a compatibilizer and affords additional improvements in mechanical properties of the EPDM/PA12 blend. With 25 kGy of e-beam irradiation and mEPDM, the EPDM/PA12 blends successfully exhibit TPE behaviors with reasonable elastomeric and mechanical properties.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.94-98
• /
• 2017

Background: Physical activity (PA) is ranked as a leading health indicator and the workplace is a key setting to promote PA. The purpose of this study was to examine how goal-setting and exercise self-efficacy (SE) during a health promotion program influenced PA level among Japanese workers. Methods: Using a cross-sectional study design, we surveyed 281 employees. The short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to assess PA level. Exercise SE was assessed using a partially modified version of Oka's exercise SE scale. Personal goals were assessed as the total numbers of "yes" responses to five items regarding "details of personal goals to perform PA". A mediational model was used to examine whether exercise SE mediates between the number of personal goals and PA level. Results: The mean age of the participants was 46.3 years, 76.2% were men, and the most common occupational category was software engineer (30.6%). The average PA level per week exceeded the recommended level in 127 participants (45.2%). One hundred and eighty-four participants (65.5%) set some form of concrete personal goal to perform PA. The relationship between the number of personal goals and PA level was mediated by exercise SE. Conclusion: Our study showed that exercise SE mediates goal-setting and increases PA. The results suggest that the components of PA promotion programs should be tailored to enhance participants' confidence in performing PA.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.52 no.4
• /
• pp.242-249
• /
• 2019

Objectives: Elderly individuals with diabetes should maintain a normal body mass index (BMI) to help control their blood glucose levels. This study investigated barriers to physical activity (PA), self-efficacy to overcome those barriers, and PA self-efficacy among elderly individuals with diabetes in relation to BMI. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 56 participants. Data were collected by a questionnaire interview and direct measurements for anthropometric data. PA self-efficacy was measured using 8 questions describing different levels of PA, where participants rated the strength of their belief that they could engage in that activity. Self-efficacy to overcome barriers was measured using 10 questions capturing participants' confidence in their ability to engage in PA despite different possible barriers. Mean scores for these parameters were analyzed using the chi-square test and the independent t-test. Results: In total, 89.3% of participants had a low PA level and 58.9% had more than 3 hours of sedentary activity per day. Furthermore, 55.4% were obese and 14.3% were overweight. The mean scores for PA self-efficacy and self-efficacy to overcome barriers were $59.1{\pm}26.4$ and $52.5{\pm}13.8$, respectively. PA level was related to BMI (p<0.001; r=0.116) and sedentary activity (p<0.05; r=0.274). PA self-efficacy and age were not related to BMI. Barriers to PA were associated with PA levels (p<0.05). Conclusions: Physical inactivity was a major problem in elderly individuals with diabetes, and was correlated with higher BMI. Lower levels of PA might be mediated by sedentary activity.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.24-37
• /
• 2021

[Purpose] To determine whether physical activity (PA), primarily the recommended 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA, is associated with gut bacterial microbiota in 10-year-old children. [Methods] The Block Physical Activity Screener, which provides minutes/day PA variables, was used to determine whether the child met the PA recommendations. 16S rRNA sequencing was performed on stool samples from the children to profile the composition of their gut bacterial microbiota. Differences in alpha diversity metrics (richness, Pielou's evenness, and Faith's phylogenetic diversity) by PA were determined using linear regression, whereas beta diversity (unweighted and weighted UniFrac) relationships were assessed using PERMANOVA. Taxon relative abundance differentials were determined using DESeq2. [Results] The analytic sample included 321 children with both PA and 16S rRNA sequencing data (mean age [SD] =10.2 [0.8] years; 54.2% male; 62.9% African American), where 189 (58.9%) met the PA recommendations. After adjusting for covariates, meeting the PA recommendations as well as minutes/day PA variables were not significantly associated with gut richness, evenness, or diversity (p ≥ 0.19). However, meeting the PA recommendations (weighted UniFrac R² = 0.014, p = 0.001) was significantly associated with distinct gut bacterial composition. These compositional differences were partly characterized by increased abundance of Megamonas and Anaerovorax as well as specific Christensenellaceae_R-7_group taxa in children with higher PA. [Conclusion] Children who met the recommendations of PA had altered gut microbiota compositions. Whether this translates to a reduced risk of obesity or associated metabolic diseases is still unclear.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Computer Information Conference
• /
• 2023.07a
• /
• pp.401-402
• /
• 2023

2023년 기준 대한민국은 전체 마약 사범 가운데 30대 이하의 마약 사범이 전체 마약 사범의 59.7%를 차지하고 있고, 인터넷에 익숙한 청소년이 '다크 웹'이나 SNS를 통한 밀매는 일상이 되고 있는 상황이다. 본 논문에서는 VR로 마약의 부작용을 간접체험할 수 있도록 상대적으로 VR에 친숙한 젊은 층 연령에 맞춰 실제 마약 범죄 사례를 재현하고 이를 통해 가상 현실 내 여러 가지 콘텐츠로 다각도 지식 함향을 할 수 있는 VR 교육 콘텐츠를 제안하고자 한다.

• Journal of Conservation Science
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.387-394
• /
• 2012

Most of the libraries and archives that lacks conservation lab facilities, frequently apply common synthetic resin adhesives such as PVAc group(Pa), acrylic group(Ac) and PVP group(Pv) on simple repairs. The archival quality synthetic adhesive(Pa-1) that is used at the National Library of Korea and the common synthetic resin adhesives were selected for the experiments. Accelerated aging test was applied on the adhesive samples and change of the pH and chromaticity were measured for one month. As the result of the pH mesurments, Pa-1 and Ac-2 were at the acceptable pH range. As the result of the chromaticity mesurments, degree of yellowing(${\Delta}b^*$) showed smaller change to greater change in the following order; Pa-1

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.338-344
• /
• 2017

Polyoxometal molybdophosphoric acid (MoPA) bonded polyether ether ketone (PEEK) composite membrane for water electrolysis has been investigated. The composited membrane, covalently cross linked (CL) sulfonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK) with a bonded MoPA, was prepared in sulfonation of PEEK, cross linkage reaction with 1,4-diiodobutane, and addition with MoPA. PEEK was covalently cross-linked with 1,4-diiodobutane to improve mechanical strength and was added with MoPA to increase proton conductivity. MoPA should be fixed to back bone of SPEEK to prevent bleeding out. Therefore, the carbonyl group of SPEEK was reduced with NaBH4 and 3-isocyanatepropyltriethoxysilane (ICPTES) was added. The MoPA bonded composite was produced in the reaction of MoPA with 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxvsilane (MPTMS). In conclusion, MoPA bonded CL-SPEEK composite membrane featured 0.129 S/cm of proton conductivity at $80^{\circ}C$, and 2,156 hours of chemical stability in Fenton test. These properties are better than those of membranes of other SPEEK system.