• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.867-878
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• 2018

As the era of AVs (Automated Vehicles) comes to a close, many researches related to AVs have been conducted. Up until now, research on traffic flow impact of AVs has been the main topic, and research on traffic management for AVs is still in beginning stage. This study analyzed the effect of Dynamic Merge Control (DMC) in manual vehicle (MV) and AV environment at work zone. Dynamic Late Merge (DLM) and DLM with Dynamic Early Merge (DEM) are compared by simulation. Simulation results showed that DLM improves travel time and work zone throughput compared to no merge control case in both MV and AV environment. In the case of additional operation of DEM, the improvement effect was not observed in MV environment, but it was improved in AV environment. As a result, DMC operation in AV environment was as effective as the improvement in transition from MV to AV environment. Therefore congestion reduction at freeway work zone by DMC will be possible in future AV environment, and the improvement of DMC can be suggested.

• KIPS Transactions on Computer and Communication Systems
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• v.10 no.10
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• pp.277-284
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• 2021

Recently, the smart home environment is expected to be a platform that collects, integrates, and utilizes various data through convergence with wireless information and communication technology. In fact, the number of smart devices with various sensors is increasing inside smart homes. The amount of data that needs to be processed by the increased number of smart devices is also increasing, and big data processing systems are actively being introduced to handle it effectively. However, traditional big data processing systems have all requests directed to cluster drivers before they are allocated to distributed nodes, leading to reduced cluster-wide performance sharing as cluster drivers managing segmentation tasks become bottlenecks. In particular, there is a greater delay rate on smart home devices that constantly request small data processing. Thus, in this paper, we design a Apriori-based big data system for effective data processing in smart home environments where frequent requests occur at the same time. According to the performance evaluation results of the proposed system, the data processing time was reduced by up to 38.6% from at least 19.2% compared to the existing system. The reason for this result is related to the type of data being measured. Because the amount of data collected in a smart home environment is large, the use of cache servers plays a major role in data processing, and association analysis with Apriori algorithms stores highly relevant sensor data in the cache.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.405-418
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• 2022

Simotang oral liquid (SMT) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) consisting of four natural plants and is used to alleviate gastrointestinal side effects after chemotherapy and functional dyspepsia (FD). However, the mechanism by which SMT helps cure these gastrointestinal diseases is still unknown. Here, we discovered that SMT could alleviate gastrointestinal side effects after chemotherapy by altering gut microbiota. C57BL/6J mice were treated with cisplatin (DDP) and SMT, and biological samples were collected. Pathological changes in the small intestine were observed, and the intestinal injury score was assessed. The expression levels of the inflammatory factors IL-1β and IL-6 and the adhesive factors Occludin and ZO-1 in mouse blood or small intestine tissue were also detected. Moreover, the gut microbiota was analyzed by high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA amplicons. SMT was found to effectively reduce gastrointestinal mucositis after DDP injection, which lowered inflammation and tightened the intestinal epithelial cells. Gut microbiota analysis showed that the abundance of the anti-inflammatory microbiota was downregulated and that the inflammatory microbiota was upregulated in DDP-treated mice. SMT upregulated anti-inflammatory and anticancer microbiota abundance, while the inflammatory microbiota was downregulated. An antibiotic cocktail (ABX) was also used to delete mice gut microbiota to test the importance of gut microbiota, and we found that SMT could not alleviate gastrointestinal mucositis after DDP injection, showing that gut microbiota might be an important mediator of SMT treatment. Our study provides evidence that SMT might moderate gastrointestinal mucositis after chemotherapy by altering gut microbiota.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.1698-1710
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• 2022

Objective: Raw potato starch (RPS) is resistant to digestion, escapes absorption, and is metabolized by intestinal microflora in the large intestine and acts as their energy source. In this study, we compared the effect of different concentrations of RPS on the intestinal bacterial community of weaned piglets. Methods: Male weaned piglets (25-days-old, 7.03±0.49 kg) were either fed a corn/soybean-based control diet (CON, n = 6) or two treatment diets supplemented with 5% RPS (RPS5, n = 4) or 10% RPS (RPS10, n = 4) for 20 days and their fecal samples were collected. The day 0 and 20 samples were analyzed using a 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology, followed by total genomic DNA extraction, library construction, and high-throughput sequencing. After statistical analysis, five phyla and 45 genera accounting for over 0.5% of the reads in any of the three groups were further analyzed. Furthermore, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the day 20 fecal samples were analyzed using gas chromatography. Results: Significant changes were not observed in the bacterial composition at the phylum level even after 20 d post feeding (dpf); however, the abundance of Intestinimonas and Barnesiella decreased in both RPS treatment groups compared to the CON group. Consumption of 5% RPS increased the abundance of Roseburia (p<0.05) and decreased the abundance of Clostridium (p<0.01) and Mediterraneibacter (p< 0.05). In contrast, consumption of 10% RPS increased the abundance of Olsenella (p<0.05) and decreased the abundance of Campylobacter (p<0.05), Kineothrix (p<0.05), Paraprevotella (p<0.05), and Vallitalea (p<0.05). Additionally, acetate (p<0.01), butyrate (p<0.05), valerate (p = 0.01), and total SCFAs (p = 0.01) were upregulated in the RPS5 treatment group Conclusion: Feeding 5% RPS altered bacterial community composition and promoted gut health in weaned piglets. Thus, resistant starch as a feed additive may prevent diarrhea in piglets during weaning.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.46.1-46.18
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• 2020

Background: High concentrations of particulate matter less than 2.5 ㎛ in diameter (PM2.5) in poultry houses is an important cause of respiratory disease in animals and humans. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that can induce severe respiratory disease in animals under stress or with abnormal immune functions. When excessively high concentrations of PM2.5 in poultry houses damage the respiratory system and impair host immunity, secondary infections with P. aeruginosa can occur and produce a more intense inflammatory response, resulting in more severe lung injury. Objectives: In this study, we focused on the synergistic induction of inflammatory injury in the respiratory system and the related molecular mechanisms induced by PM2.5 and P. aeruginosa in poultry houses. Methods: High-throughput 16S rDNA sequence analysis was used for characterizing the bacterial diversity and relative abundance of the PM2.5 samples, and the effects of PM2.5 and P. aeruginosa stimulation on inflammation were detected by in vitro and in vivo. Results: Sequencing results indicated that the PM2.5 in poultry houses contained a high abundance of potentially pathogenic genera, such as Pseudomonas (2.94%). The lung tissues of mice had more significant pathological damage when co-stimulated by PM2.5 and P. aeruginosa, and it can increase the expression levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-α through nuclear factor (NF)-κB pathway in vivo and in vitro. Conclusions: The results confirmed that poultry house PM2.5 in combination with P. aeruginosa could aggravate the inflammatory response and cause more severe respiratory system injuries through a process closely related to the activation of the NF-κB pathway.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.69-82
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• 2022

In this study, we investigated the bacterial community structure in organic rice-fish mixed farming paddy soil by using high-throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that compared with the organic rice cultivated soil, the content of AP (available phosphorus) increased by 310.23 % and the content of OM (organic matter) increased by 168.83%. The most abundant phyla in paddy soils were Proteobacteria, Bacteriodetes, and Chloroflexi, whose relative abundance was above 47.83%. Among the dominant genera, the relative abundance of Limisphaera in paddy soils was observed. Alpha diversity indicated that the bacterial diversity of paddy soils was similar among each other. The bacterial community structure was affected by the relative abundance of bacteria, not the species of bacteria. Principal Coordinated Analysis (PCoA) results showed that the bacterial communities in organic rice-fish mixed farming soil and organic paddy soil were correlated to each other; the bacterial community structure was distinctively grouped by four different systems (paddy soil under organic rice-fish mixed farming system, organic rice cultivation, and conventional rice cultivation), where the first two are closely related to each other than the third one. The results provide basal support for organic agri-cultivation while improving an ecological value at the same time.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.18-29
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• 2022

Recently, cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS) testbeds have been deployed in great numbers, and advanced autonomous driving research using V2X communication technology has been conducted actively worldwide. In particular, the broadcasting services in their beginning days, giving warning messages, basic safety messages, traffic information, etc., gradually developed into advanced network services, such as platooning, remote driving, and sensor sharing, that need to perform real-time. In addition, technologies improving these advanced network services' throughput and latency are being developed on many fronts to support these services. Notably, this research analyzed the network latency requirements of the advanced network services to develop a remote driving service for the droid type low-speed robot based on the 3GPP C-V2X communication technology. Subsequently, this remote driving service's performance was evaluated using system modeling (that included the operator behavior) and simulation. This evaluation showed that a respective core and access network latency of less than 30 ms was required to meet more than 90 % of the remote driving service's performance requirements under the given test conditions.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.67 no.5
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• pp.510-520
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• 2024

Objective : Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The treatment of PD aims to alleviate motor symptoms by replacing the reduced endogenous dopamine. Currently, there are no disease-modifying agents for the treatment of PD. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) have emerged as an effective tool for new drug discovery and screening in the age of translational research. The neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) is known to cause a similar loss of dopaminergic neurons in the human midbrain, with corresponding Parkinsonian symptoms. L-type calcium channels (LTCCs) have been implicated in the generation of mitochondrial oxidative stress, which underlies the pathogenesis of PD. Therefore, we investigated the neuro-restorative effect of LTCC inhibition in an MPTP-induced zebrafish PD model and suggested a possible drug candidate that might modify the progression of PD. Methods : All experiments were conducted using a line of transgenic zebrafish, Tg(dat:EGFP), in which green fluorescent protein (GFP) is expressed in dopaminergic neurons. The experimental groups were exposed to 500 μmol MPTP from 1 to 3 days post fertilization (dpf). The drug candidates : levodopa 1 mmol, nifedipine 10 μmol, nimodipine 3.5 μmol, diethylstilbestrol 0.3 μmol, luteolin 100 μmol, and calcitriol 0.25 μmol were exposed from 3 to 5 dpf. Locomotor activity was assessed by automated tracking and dopaminergic neurons were visualized in vivo by confocal microscopy. Results : Levodopa, nimodipine, diethylstilbestrol, and calcitriol had significant positive effects on the restoration of motor behavior, which was damaged by MPTP. Nimodipine and calcitriol have significant positive effects on the restoration of dopaminergic neurons, which were reduced by MPTP. Through locomotor analysis and dopaminergic neuron quantification, we identified the neuro-restorative effects of nimodipine and calcitriol in zebrafish MPTP-induced PD model. Conclusion : The present study identified the neuro-restorative effects of nimodipine and calcitriol in an MPTP-induced zebrafish model of PD. They restored dopaminergic neurons which were damaged due to the effects of MPTP and normalized the locomotor activity. LTCCs have potential pathological roles in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Zebrafish are highly amenable to high-throughput drug screening and might, therefore, be a useful tool to work towards the identification of disease-modifying treatment for PD. Further studies including zebrafish genetic models to elucidate the mechanism of action of the disease-modifying candidate by investigating Ca2+ influx and mitochondrial function in dopaminergic neurons, are needed to reveal the pathogenesis of PD and develop disease-modifying treatments for PD.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.125-132
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• 2006

Objective: In the previous study, we complied the differentially expressed genes during early folliculogenesis. Objective of the present study was to identify downstream target genes of transcription factors (TFs) using bioinformatics for selecting the target TFs among the gene lists for further functional analysis. Materials & Methods: By using bioinformatics tools, constituent domains were identified from database searches using Gene Ontology, MGI, and Entrez Gene. Downstream target proteins/genes of each TF were identified from database searches using TF database ($TRANSFAC^{(R)}$ 6.0) and eukaryotic promoter database (EPD). Results: DNA binding and trans-activation domains of all TFs listed previously were identified, and the list of downstream target proteins/genes was obtained from searches of TF database and promoter database. Based on the known function of identified downstream genes and the domains, 3 (HNF4, PPARg, and TBX2) out of 26 TFs were selected for further functional analysis. The genes of wee1-like protein kinase and p21WAF1 (cdk inhibitor) were identified as potential downstream target genes of HNF4 and TBX2, respectively. PPARg, through protein-protein interaction with other protein partners, acts as a transcription regulator of genes of EGFR, p21WAF1, cycD1, p53, and VEGF. Among the selected 3 TFs, further study is in progress for HNF4 and TBX2, since wee1-like protein kinase and cdk inhibitor may involved in regulating maturation promoting factor (MPF) activity during early folliculogenesis. Conclusions: Approach used in the present study, in silico analysis of downstream target genes, was useful for analyzing list of TFs obtained from high-throughput cDNA microarray study. To verify its binding and functions of the selected TFs in early folliculogenesis, EMSA and further relevant characterizations are under investigation.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.180-195
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• 2011

A balanced trophic model for Sinjido marine ecosystem was constructed using ECOPATH model and data obtained 1994 in the region. The model integrates available information on biomass and food spectrum, and analyses ecosystem properties, dynamics of the main species populations and the key trophic pathways of the system, and then compares these results with those of other marine environments. The model comprises 17 groups of benthic algae, phytoplankton, zooplankton, gastropoda, polychaeta, bivalvia, echinodermata, crustacean, cephalopoda, goby, flatfish, rays and skates, croaker, blenny, conger, flatheads, and detritus. The model shows trophic levels of 1.0~4.0 from primary producers and detritus to top predator as flathead group. The model estimates total biomass(B) of 0.1 $kgWW/m^2$, total net primary production(PP) of 1.6 $kgWW/m^2/yr$, total system throughput(TST) of 3.4 $kgWW/m^2/yr$ and TST's components of consumption 7%, exports 43%, respiratory flows 4% and flows into detritus 46%. The model also calculates PP/TR of 0.012, PP/B of 0.015, omnivory index(OI) of 0.12, Fin's cycling index(FCI) of 0.7%, Fin's mean path length(MPL) of2.11, ascendancy(A) of 4.1 $kgWW/m^2/yr$ bits, development capacity(C) of 8.2 $kgWW/m^2/yr$ bits and A/C of 51%. In particular this study focuses the analysis of mixed trophic impacts and describes the indirect impact of a groupb upon another through mediating one based on 4 types. A large proportion of total export in TST means higher exchange rate in the study region than in semi enclosed basins, which seems by strong tidal currents along the channels between islands, called Sinjido, Choyakdo and Saengildo. Among ecosystem theory and cycling indices, B, TST, PP/TR, FCI, MPL and OI are shown low, indicating the system is not fully mature according to Odum's theory. Additionally, high A/C reveals the maximum capacity of the region is small. To sum up, the study region has high exports of trophic flow and low capacity to develop, and reaches a development stage in the moment. This is a pilot research applied to the Sinjido in terms of trophic flow and food web system such that it may be helpful for comparison and management of the ecosystem in the future.