• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.693-697
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• 2010

This study, conducted with four leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis), used time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TR-FIA) to analyze estradiol and progesterone concentrations in fecal samples. We measured fecal samples taken during estrus period, diestrus period, pregnancy and non-pregnancy period. During estrus (February), the mean minimum estradiol concentration was $4.02{\pm}1.9$ng/g, and the mean maximum was $86.01{\pm}35.2$ng/g (dry fecal weight). During diestrus (November), the mean minimum estradiol concentration was $4.42{\pm}1.32$ng/g and mean maximum was $15.62{\pm}6.48$ng/g (dry fecal weight). Midgestation (April), the mean minimum progesterone concentration was $427{\pm}24.49$ng/g and the mean maximum was $1490{\pm}265.27$ng/g. During non-pregnancy (November), the mean minimum progesterone concentration was $71.25{\pm}29.61$ng/g and the mean maximum was $291.75{\pm}90.30$ng/g. These results suggest that steroid hormone analysis of feces using TR-FIA is a valid method for noninvasively determining ovarian activity associated with estrus and pregnancy in leopard cats. This study will contribute to building breeding management and reproductive plans for endangered species.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2015

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of abdominal muscle contraction thickness using real-time ultrasound imaging while applying an abdominal draw-in maneuver (ADIM) and pelvic floor muscle contraction (PFC) to low back pain patients and healthy subjects. Methods: The subjects were 21 young adults; a group of 10 low back pain patients and a control group of 11 healthy subjects. Measurements were made with the subjects on a pillow in a supine position, with the knee joints flexed at 60 degrees. While the two groups conducted ADIM and PFC, their transverse abdominal muscle (TrA), internal abdominal oblique muscle (IO), and external abdominal oblique muscle (EO) thicknesses were measured using an ultrasound imaging system. Result: The TrA muscle contraction thickness ratio during PFC and ADIM was significantly lower in the low back pain group than in the healthy group (p<0.05). The EO muscle contraction thickness ratio during ADIM was also significantly lower in the low back pain group than in the healthy group. The healthy group's muscle contraction thickness ratio was significantly lower during PFC than during ADIM in the TrA, IO, and EO (p<0.05). The low back pain group's muscle contraction thickness ratio was lower during PFC than during ADIM in the TrA, IO, and EO, but the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that oral direction during ADIM induced an appropriate contraction of the TrA. Therefore, the procedure reported here may be applied during rehabilitation for appropriate contraction of the TrA.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.405-410
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• 2013

Purpose: Most studies have reported that the abdominal muscle thickness differs according to gender but none of these studies reported a gender difference in the thickness of the multifidus and erector spine. The spinal alignment is affected by the left and right balance in the trunk muscle. The aim of this study was to identify the trunk muscle symmetry according to gender and the correlations of the trunk muscle thickness with spinal alignment. Methods: Forty three subjects(27 males and 16 females) were enrolled in this study. The trunk muscle thickness was measured by ultrasonography. The trunk muscle, which consisted of the rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique abdominis (EOA), internal oblique abdominis (IOA), transverse abdominis (TrA), erector spine (ES), and multifidus (MF), was measured. The spinal alignment was measured by Formetric-III 3D analysis. The dependent variables of the spinal alignment were the trunk imbalance, trunk inclination, lateral deviation, and surface rotation. Results: The muscle thickness of the EOA muscle increased more significantly in the right side than the left side (p<0.05). Each left and right difference in the muscle thickness between the male and female group showed a significant difference (p<0.05) except for the TrA thickness. Significant positive correlations were observed between the ES and lateral deviation and between the TrA with trunk imbalance. Conclusion: These results suggest that asymptomatic men have a greater trunk muscle thickness than women but there was no difference between the left and right in healthy adults. The trunk muscle thickness of ES, TrA is related by the spinal alignment.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.217-222
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• 2014

This paper discusses about the beam pattern distortion caused by the failures of some antenna modules in the active array antenna and analyses the possibility of improvement through applying the beam pattern compensation method previously studied. The beam pattern distortion which is mostly represented as an increase of the sidelobe level, can be suppressed through re-synthesizing each module's magnitude and phase. This method was applied to the prototype of active array antenna system, and the results of antenna pattern distortion and compensation were analyzed and measured in the Near Field Chamber. Array failures are generally divided into random TR module failures and TRU(TR Unit: combination of TR modules, Beam Computation module, Power supply module) failures. The results of beam pattern compensation were analyzed in each failure and compared to the results of the simulation. The beam pattern compensation results applied to the real active antenna array system showed the similar to the simulation results. Consequently, it was verified the beam pattern could be compensated with the magnitude and phase adjustment of other normal antenna modules.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.53-58
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• 2021

Based on surrogate model, a hydrocarbon mixture was analyzed by visualizing the impinging break up mechanism in subcritical and supercritical conditions. Decane and methylcyclohexane with different critical pressures and temperatures were selected as experimental fluids. The impinging injector was installed inside the chamber, and the spray was visualized through a speed camera in subcritical and supercritical conditions. The injection condition of the mixture and chamber was kept constant at Pr(P/P_c) = 1, and Tr(T/T_c) was increased from 0.48 to 1.02. As Tr increased, the spray angle increased, and the sheet length decreased as the properties of the mixture reached each critical point. In addition, when the mixture approached the near critical point, it was shown that the change in density gradient was largely observed out of the impinging break up mechanism.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.28-33
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• 2008

The expression vector (pWHM3-TR1R2) for sprT gene encoding Streptomyces griseus trypsin (SGT) followed by two regulatory genes, sgtR1 and sgtR2, was introduced into Streptomyces lividans TK24 and Streptomyces griseus IFO 13350. Various media with different compositions were used to maximize the productivity of SGT in the recombinant trains. he SGT productivity was best when the transformant of S. lividans TK24 was cultivated in R2YE medium (0.74 unit/mL) at 5 days of cultivation. C5/L (0.66 unit/mL) medium also gave a good productivity, but Livid (0.08 unit/mL) and NDSK (0.06 unit/mL) yielded poor productivities. S. griseus IFO 13350/pWHM3-TR1R2 produced SGT by 1.518 unit/mL (C5/L), 1.284unit/mL (R2YE),0.932 unit/mL (NDSK), and 0.295 unit/mL (Livid) at 7 days of cultivation, which was much higher than those from S. lividans TK24/TR1R2. The SGT protein was purified from the culture broth of S. griseus IFO 13350/pWHM3-TR1R2 in C5/L to homogeneity via ammonium sulfate fractionation, and CM-sepharose and SP-sepharose column chromatographies. The specific activity of purified SGT was 69,252 unit/mg, and the final purification fold and recovery yield were 6.5 and 1.4%, respectively.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.88-94
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• 2016

Purpose: Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) imaging can be obtained faster with shorter repletion time (TR), but it gets noisier. We hypothesized that shorter-TR FLAIR obtained at 3 tesla (3T) with a 32-channel coil may be comparable to conventional FLAIR. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic value between conventional FLAIR (TR = 9000 ms, FLAIR9000) and shorter-TR FLAIR (TR = 6000 ms, FLAIR6000) at 3T in terms of diffusion-weighted imaging-FLAIR mismatch. Materials and Methods: We recruited 184 patients with acute ischemic stroke (28 patients < 4.5 hours) who had undergone 5-mm diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and two successive 5-mm FLAIR images (no gap; in-plane resolution, $0.9{\times}0.9mm$) at 3T with a 32-channel coil. The acquisition times for FLAIR9000 and FLAIR6000 were 108 seconds (generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisitions [GRAPPA] = 2) and 60 seconds (GRAPPA = 3), respectively. Two radiologists independently assessed the paired imaging sets (DWI-FLAIR9000 and DWI-FLAIR6000) for the presence of matched hyperintense lesions on each FLAIR imaging. The signal intensity ratios (area of DWI lesion to contralateral normal-appearing region) on both FLAIR imaging sets were compared. Results: DWI-FLAIR9000 mismatch was present in 39 of 184 (21.2%) patients, which was perfectly the same on FLAIR6000. Three of 145 patients (2%) with DWI-matched lesions on FLAIR9000 had discrepancy on FLAIR6000, showing no significant difference (P > 0.05). Interobserver agreement was excellent for both DWI-FLAIR9000 and DWI-FLAIR6000 (k = 0.904 and 0.883, respectively). Between the two FLAIR imaging sets, there was no significant difference of signal intensity ratio (mean, standard deviation; $1.25{\pm}0.20$; $1.24{\pm}0.20$, respectively) (P > 0.05). Conclusion: For the determination of mismatch or match between DWI and FLAIR imaging, there is no significant difference between FLAIR9000 and FLAIR6000 at 3T with a 32-channel coil.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.379-385
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was to determine the immediate effects of pulsed magnetic field (PMF) in subjects with upper trapezius (UT) trigger point (TrP). Methods: Fifteen subjects with UT TrP were recruited for the study's PMF group (pain threshold=$2.29kg/cm^2$), and 15 age-, weight-, and gender-matched subjects with UT TrP were recruited for control group (pain threshold=$2.25kg/cm^2$). Pressure algometer was used to measure pressure pain threshold on UT TrP and, cervical range of motion (ROM) inclinometer was used to measure cervical ROM. Surface electromyography was used to record UT, lower trapezius, and serratus anterior muscle activity and relative ratio during scapular plane abduction between pre- and post-treatment. Results: The PMF effectively improved pain threshold and concurrently increased ROM (rotation to the painful side, lateral flexion to the nonpainful side). In addition, the PMF may effectively deactivate UT activity during abduction and the muscle activity ratio between UT and serratus anterior. Conclusion: These findings provided empirical evidence that PMF can be an effective treatment method to reduce pain threshold, to increase cervical ROM, and deactivate UT activity in individuals with TrP.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.175-180
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• 2009

Taurine is the most abundant free amino acid in the retina and transported into retina via taurine transporter (TauT) at the inner blood-retinal barrier (iBRB). In the present study, we investigated whether the taurine transport at the iBRB is regulated by oxidative stress or disease-like state in a conditionally immortalized rat retinal capillary endothelial cell line (TR-iBRB) used as an in vitro model of iBRB. First, [$^3H$]taurine uptake and efflux by TR-iBRB were regulated in the presence of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$. [$^3H$]Taurine uptake was inhibited and efflux was enhanced under $Ca^{2+}$ free condition in the cells. In addition, oxidative stress inducing agents such as tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$ (TNF-$\alpha$), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), diethyl maleate (DEM) and glutamate increased [$^3H$]taurine uptake and decreased [$^3H$]taurine efflux in TR-iBRB cells. Whereas, 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1), which is known to NO donor decreased [$^3H$]taurine uptake. Lastly, TR-iBRB cells exposed to high glucose (25 mM) medium and the [$^3H$]taurine uptake was reduced about 20% at the condition. Also, [$^3H$]taurine uptake was decreased by cytochalasin B, which is known to glucose transport inhibitor. In conclusion, taurine transport in TR-iBRB cells is regulated diversely at extracellular $Ca^{2+}$, oxidative stress and hyperglycemic condition. It suggested that taurine would play a role as a retinal protector in diverse disease states.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.285-292
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• 2006

Thermoresistant (TR) clones of radiation-induced fibrosarcoma (RIF) cells have been reported to show an adaptive response to 1cGy of low dose radiation, and HSP25 and inducible HSP70 are involved in this process. In this study, to further elucidate the mechanism by which HSP25 and inducible HSP70 regulate the adaptive response, HSP25 or inducible HSP70 overexpressed RIF cells were irradiated with 1cGy and the cell cycle was analyzed. HSP25 or inducible HSP70 overexpressed cells together with TR cells showed increased G1 phase after 1cGy irradiation, while RIF cells did not. $[^3H]-Thymidine$ and BrdU incorporation also indicated that both HSP25 and inducible HSP70 are involved in G1 arrest after 1cGy irradiation. Molecular analysis revealed upregulation of p27Cip/Kip protein in HSP25 and inducible HSP70 overexpressed cells, and cotransfection of p27Cip/Kip antisense abolished the induction of the adaptive response and 1cGy-mediated G1 arrest. The above results indicate that induction of an adaptive response by HSP25 and inducible HSP70 is mediated by upregulation of p27Cip/Kip protein, resulting in low dose radiation-induced G1 arrest.