• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 2018

The data acquired from seismic exploration can be used to detect the existence of oil and gas resources through appropriate processing and interpretation. The seismic attributes indicating the existence of resources are extracted from amplitude information, where the Q-factor representing intrinsic attenuation plays an useful role of hydrocarbon indicator. So, the accuracy of Q-factor estimation is very important to investigate the existence of resources. In this study, we calculated the Q-factor and analyzed the error rate through a numerical example. To mimic real data, random noise was added to the synthetic data. With the noise-added data, the Q-factor was estimated and the error rate was analyzed by using the spectral ratio method (SRM) and peak frequency shift method (PFSM). Both methods provided a relatively accurate Q-factor when the signal-to-noise ratio was 90 dB. However, the peak frequency shift method (PFSM) produced better results than the spectral ratio method (SRM) as the level of random noise increased.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.569-576
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• 2007

Four hundred and fifty tilapias ($6.77{\pm}0.23$ g) were assigned randomly to six groups to evaluate the feasibility of the tested antibacterial peptides (ABPs) and oligosaccharides as substitutes for antibiotics. The control group was fed with a commercial tilapia diet; other five groups were fed with the same commercial diet supplemented with konjac glucomannan (KGLM), cluster bean galactomannan (CBGAM), and three animal intestinal ABPs derived from chicken, pig and rabbit at 100 mg/kg respectively. After 21 days of feeding, growth, disease resistance, and in vivo anti-adherence were determined. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of tested agents on adhesion of Aeromonas veronii biovar sobria (A.vbs) strain BJCP-5 to tilapia enteric epithelia in vitro was assessed by cell-ELISA system. As a result, the tested agents supplemented at 100 mg/kg show significant benefit to tilapia growth and disease resistance (p<0.05), and the benefit may be correlated with their interfering in the contact of bacteria with host mucosal surface. Although none of the tested agents did inhibit the growth of BJCP-5 in tryptic soy broth at $100{\mu}g/ml$, all of them did inhibit the adhesion of A.vbs to tilapia enteric epithelia in vivo and in vitro. In vitro mimic assays show that three ABPs at low concentrations of $25{\mu}g/ml$ and $2.5{\mu}g/ml$ have the reciprocal dose-dependent anti-adherence effect. The inhibition of ABPs may be correlated with a cation bridging and/or receptor-ligand binding, but not with hydrophobicity. The KGLM and CBGAM inhibited the adherence of BJCP-5 to tilapia enteric epithelia with dose-dependent manner in vitro, and this may be through altering bacterial hydrophobicity and interfering with receptor-ligand binding. Our results indicate that the anti-adherence of the tested ABPs and oligosaccharides may be one of the mechanisms in promoting tilapia growth and resistance to A.vbs.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.341-350
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• 2016

Background: Prenatal exposure to infectious and/or inflammatory insults can increase the risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorder such as bipolar disorder, autism, and schizophrenia later in life. We investigated whether Valeriana fauriei (VF) treatment alleviates prepulse inhibition (PPI) deficits and social interaction impairment induced by maternal immune activation (MIA). Methods and Results: Pregnant mice were exposed to polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidilic acid (5 mg/kg, viral infection mimic) on gestational day 9. The adolescent offspring received daily oral treatment with VF (100 mg/kg) and injections of clozapine (5 mg/kg) for 30 days starting on the postnatal day 35. The effects of VF extract treatment on behavioral activity impairment and protein expression were investigated using the PPI analysis, forced swim test (FST), open field test (OFT), social interaction test (SIT), and immunohistochemistry. The MIA-induced offspring showed deficits in the PPI, FST, OFT, and SIT compared to their non MIA-induced counterparts. Treatment with the VF extract significantly recovered the sensorimotor gating deficits and partially recovered the aggressive behavior observed in the SIT. The VF extract also reversed the downregulation of protein expression induced by MIA in the medial prefrontal cortex. Conclusions: Our results provide initial evidence of the fact that the VF extract could reverse MIA-induced behavioral impairment and prevent neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia.

• Journal of the Korea Society for Simulation
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.101-107
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• 2013

Because forest fires are predicted to increase in severity and frequency under global climate change with important environmental implications, an understanding of fire dynamics is critical for mitigation of these negative effects. For the reason, researchers with different background, such as ecologists, physicists, and mathematical biologists, have developed the simulation models to mimic the forest fire spread patterns. In this study, we suggested a novel model considering the wind effect. Our theoretical forest was comprised of two different tree species with varying probabilities of transferring fire that were randomly distributed in space at densities ranging from 0.0 (low) to 1.0 (high). We then studied the distributional patterns of burnt trees using a two-dimensional stochastic cellular automata model with minimized local rules. We investigated the time, T, that the number of burnt trees reaches 25% of the whole trees for different values of the initial tree density, fire transition probability, and the degree of wind strength. Simulation results showed that the values of T decreased with the increase of tree density, and the wind effect decreased in the case of too high or low tree density. We believe that our model can be a useful tool to explore forest fire spreading patterns.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.39
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• pp.111-132
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• 2015

Although Rotoscoping technique has been used for a long time to mimic the natural and smooth motion since the early 20th century, its artistic value was devalued as tricks because it traces the already recorded images. But the fact that the rotoscoping images can cross the boundaries between animation and live action in an infinite integral freedom in the digital era became rather expansive new aesthetic possibilities of representation of the reality. In addition, Jonas Odell's animations such as (2010), (2008), (2006) are good example to prove that the rotoscoping images also can serve as means to enhance its narrative. This study is to analyze how rotoscoping images act as a unique role in relation with the narrative based on the said person's real stories and realistic images. I argue that his animated films constantly contain these three characteristics -Images to mediate Auditory sensitivity as a record of inner metaphysical reality, anonymous images to represent a specific existential character, and images that act as physical representation that holds the physical space/time and related memory. This reveals that rotoscoping images in this digital era went beyond reproduction for natural movements or special type of style. It rather suggests new layers of experience, and acquires new value in animation. I hope that this study could serve as a foundation to rediscover and re-position the value of rotoscoping images as well as good opportunity to introduce very talented swedish animation artist who already received global attention with his unique philosophical and aesthetic style.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.123-132
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• 2017

Insulin signaling is coordinated by insulin receptor substrates (IRSs). Many insulin responses, especially for blood glucose metabolism, are mediated primarily through Irs-1 and Irs-2. Irs-1 knockout mice show growth retardation and insulin signaling defects, which can be compensated by other IRSs in vivo; however, the underlying mechanism is not clear. Here, we presented an Irs-1 truncated mutated mouse ($Irs-1^{-/-}$) with growth retardation and subcutaneous adipocyte atrophy. $Irs-1^{-/-}$ mice exhibited mild insulin resistance, as demonstrated by the insulin tolerance test. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activity and phosphorylated Protein Kinase B (PKB/AKT) expression were elevated in liver, skeletal muscle, and subcutaneous adipocytes in Irs-1 deficiency. In addition, the expression of IRS-2 and its phosphorylated version were clearly elevated in liver and skeletal muscle. With miRNA microarray analysis, we found miR-33 was down-regulated in bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) of $Irs-1^{-/-}$ mice, while its target gene Irs-2 was up-regulated in vitro studies. In addition, miR-33 was down-regulated in the presence of Irs-1 and which was up-regulated in fasting status. What's more, miR-33 restored its expression in re-feeding status. Meanwhile, miR-33 levels decreased and Irs-2 levels increased in liver, skeletal muscle, and subcutaneous adipocytes of $Irs-1^{-/-}$ mice. In primary cultured liver cells transfected with an miR-33 inhibitor, the expression of IRS-2, PI3K, and phosphorylated-AKT (p-AKT) increased while the opposite results were observed in the presence of an miR-33 mimic. Therefore, decreased miR-33 levels can up-regulate IRS-2 expression, which appears to compensate for the defects of the insulin signaling pathway in Irs-1 deficient mice.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.379-391
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• 2018

Through the development of organic synthetic skill, chemicals that mimic signaling mediators such as steroid hormones have been exposed to the environment. Recently, it has become apparent that this circumstance should be further studied in the field of physiology. Estrogenic action of chronic low-dose nonylphenol (NP) and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in mouse uterus was assessed in this study. Ten to twelve-week-old female mice (CD-1) were fed drinking water containing NP (50 or $500{\mu}g/L$) or DEHP (133 or $1,330{\mu}g/L$) for 10 weeks. Uterine diameter, the thickness of myometrium and endometrium, and the height of luminal epithelial cells were measured and the number of glands were counted. The expression levels of the known $17{\beta}$-estradiol ($E_2$)-regulated genes were evaluated with real-time RT-PCR methodology. The ration of uterine weight to body weight increased in $133{\mu}g/L$ DEHP. Endometrial and myometrial thickness increased in 133 and $1,330{\mu}g/L$ DEHP treated groups, and in 50, $500{\mu}g/L$ NP and $133{\mu}g/L$ DEHP, respectively. The height of luminal epithelial cell decreased in NP groups. The numbers of luminal epithelial gland were decreased in NP groups but increased in $50{\mu}g/L$ DEHP group. The histological characters of glands were not different between groups. The mRNA expression profiles of the known $17{\beta}$-estradiol ($E_2$) downstream genes, Esr1, Esr2, Pgr, Lox, and Muc1, were also different between NP and DEHP groups. The expression levels dramatically increased in some genes by the NP or DEHP. Based on these results, it is suggested that the chronic low-dose NP or DEHP works as estrogen-like messengers in uterus with their own specific gene expression-regulation patterns.

• Journal of Breast Cancer
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.371-381
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• 2018

Purpose: Immune suppression is common in patients with advanced breast cancer but the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon have not been sufficiently studied. In this study, we aimed to identify B7 family members that were able to predict the immune status of patients, and which may serve as potential targets for the treatment of breast cancer. We also aimed to identify microRNAs that may regulate the expression of B7 family members. Methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas data from 1,092 patients with breast cancer, including gene expression, microRNA expression and survival data, were used for statistical and survival analyses. Polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were used to measure messenger RNA and protein expression, respectively. Luciferase assay was used to investigate direct microRNA target. Results: Bioinformatic analysis predicted that microRNA (miR)-93, miR-195, miR-497, and miR-340 are potential regulators of the immune evasion of breast cancer cells, and that they exert this function by targeting CD274, PDCD1LG2, and NCR3LG1. We chose CD274 for further investigations. We found that miR-195, miR-497, and CD274 expression levels were inversely correlated in MDA-MB-231 cells, and miR-195 and miR-497 expressions mimic inhibited CD274 expression in vitro. Mechanistic investigations demonstrated that miR-195 and miR-497 directly target CD274 3' untranslated region. Conclusion: Our data indicated that the level of B7 family members can predict the prognosis of breast cancer patients, and miR-195/miR-497 regulate CD274 expression in triple negative breast cancer. This regulation may further influence tumor progression and the immune tolerance mechanism in breast cancer and may be able to predict the effect of immunotherapy on patients.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.62-73
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• 2024

Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of vertebral venous congestion (VVC) in patients with chemoport insertion, evaluate the imaging characteristics of nodular VVC, and identify the factors associated with VVC. Materials and Methods: This retrospective single-center study was based on follow-up contrast-enhanced chest computed tomography (CT) of 1412 adult patients who underwent chemoport insertion between January 2016 and December 2016. The prevalence of venous stenosis, reflux, and VVC were evaluated. The imaging features of nodular VVC, including specific locations within the vertebral body, were analyzed. To identify the factors associated with VVC, patients with VVC were compared with a subset of patients without VVC who had been followed up for > 3 years without developing VVC after chemoport insertion. Toward this, a multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: After excluding 333 patients, 1079 were analyzed (mean age ± standard deviation, 62.3 ± 11.6 years; 540 females). The prevalence of VVC was 5.8% (63/1079), with all patients (63/63) demonstrating vertebral venous reflux and 67% (42/63) with innominate vein stenosis. The median interval between chemoport insertion and VVC was 515 days (interquartile range, 204-881 days). The prevalence of nodular VVC was 1.5% (16/1079), with a mean size of 5.9 ± 3.1 mm and attenuation of 784 ± 162 HU. Nodular VVC tended to be located subcortically. Forty-four patients with VVC underwent CT examinations with contrast injections in both arms; the VVC disappeared in 70% (31/44) when the contrast was injected in the arm contralateral to the chemoport site. Bevacizumab use was independently associated with VVC (odds ratio, 3.45; P < 0.001). Conclusion: The prevalence of VVC and nodular VVC was low in patients who underwent chemoport insertion. Nodular VVC was always accompanied by vertebral venous reflux and tended to be located subcortically. To avoid VVC, contrast injection in the arm contralateral to the chemoport site is preferred.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.535-542
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• 2018

The study was intended to simulate the sediment reduction effects of the Vegetative Filter Strip (VFS) in uplands of Saemangeum watershed through VFSMOD-W model application. The model was calibrated by using the field data and the simulation scenarios were designed based on the investigation of uplands characteristics in Saemangeum watershed. The simulation scenarios were considered various size and slope of uplands including 1 ha, 5 ha, 10 ha of field size with width-length ratio of 1 : 1 having 7% and 15% of slopes under the daily rainfall of 50 mm, 100 mm, 150 mm, and 200 mm in order to mimic the different fields conditions. The effluent reduction ranged from 2.9~13.5% and 2.9~12.1% for runoff, and 33.8~97.0% and 27.1~85.9% for sediment under the field's slope of 7% and 15%, respectively. The VFS reduction effects showed different degree of influence from field size, slope, rainfall amounts. Based on the simulated results, the sediment contributing non-point source pollution expected to be reduced in the condition of VFS constructed 10% of fields in outlet of less than 10 ha of uplands having less than 15% of the slope.