• Speech Sciences
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.55-65
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• 2008

Recently, the multi-model based speech recognizer has been used quite successfully for noisy speech recognition. For the selection of the reference HMM (hidden Markov model) which best matches the noise type and SNR (signal to noise ratio) of the input testing speech, the estimation of the SNR value using the VAD (voice activity detection) algorithm and the classification of the noise type based on the GMM (Gaussian mixture model) have been done separately in the multi-model framework. As the SNR estimation process is vulnerable to errors, we propose an efficient method which can classify simultaneously the SNR values and noise types. The KL (Kullback-Leibler) distance between the single Gaussian distributions for the noise signal during the training and testing is utilized for the classification. The recognition experiments have been done on the Aurora 2 database showing the usefulness of the model compensation method in the multi-model based speech recognizer. We could also see that further performance improvement was achievable by combining the probability density function of the MCT (multi-condition training) with that of the reference HMM compensated by the D-JA (data-driven Jacobian adaptation) in the multi-model based speech recognizer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.15
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• pp.6321-6326
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• 2014

${\alpha}$-Methyl-n-butylshikonin (MBS), one of the active components in the root extracts of Lithospermum erythrorhizon, posses antitumor activity. In this study, we assess the molecular mechanisms of MBS in causing apoptosis of SW620 cells. MBS reduced the cell viability of SW620 cells in a dose-and time-dependent manner and induced cell apoptosis. Treatment of SW620 cells with MBS down-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 and up-regulated the expression of Bak and caused the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Additionally, MBS treatment led to activation of caspase-9, caspase-8 and caspase-3, and cleavage of PARP, which was abolished by pretreatment with the pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK. MBS also induced significant elevation in the phosphorylation of JNK and p38. Pretreatment of SW620 cells with specific inhibitors of JNK (SP600125) and p38 (SB203580) abrogated MBS-induced apoptosis. Our results demonstrated that MBS inhibited growth of colorectal cancer SW620 cells by inducing JNK and p38 signaling pathway, and provided a clue for preclinical and clinical evaluation of MBS for colorectal cancer therapy.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1998 no.11
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• pp.235-236
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• 1998

The purpose of this paper is to develop diaphragm type pneumatic Left Ventricular Assist Device(LVAD) for clinical application and to evaluate its performance through the mock circulation and animal experiment. The blood housing and diaphragm are made by polyurethane. The relations of cardiac output us. beat rate and cardiac output vs. systolic-to-diastolic rate was estimated through the mock test and hemodynamic waves are recorded for the evaluation of VAD. We performed animal experiment and 4 animals survived more than 24hrs. As a result, the hemodynamic data and waves showed this system can be applicable to the animal experiment.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.21-30
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• 1992

This study was aimed to develope the new method for bovine sperm capacitation through testing and combinating factors relating to sperm capacitation. For verifying the efficiency of this method on inducing capacitation, in vitro fertilization was carried out. The results obtained were as follows: When pHs of HBS /PR for sperm-washing were 5.99, 6.38, 6.78, 7.10, 7.40, 7.69, 8.15, 8.45 and 8.83, variances between light absorhance differences obtained from sperm pre-washing solution and post-washing solution(VADs) were 0.000, 0.001, -0.001, -0.005, -0.005, -0.021,-0.017,-0.016,and-0.036, respectively. There were significant decreases of VADs in pH 7.69 and pH 8.83. When sperm were firstly, secondly, and thirdly washed with HBS /PR, VADs were -0. 024, - 0.006, and - 0.004, respectively. There was significant decrease of VAD in 1st sperm-washing. When washed-sperm were secondly washed with HBS /PR supplemented with no (con-trol), heparin, CSA, PC12, and BSA, VADs were 0.009, -0.024, -0.008, -0.009, and 0.014, respectively. When the sperm were thirdly washed with HBS /PR with no(control), heparin, CSA, PC12 and BSA, VADs were 0.020, -0.007, 0.005, 0.006, and 0.019, respectively. Only heparin treatment showed the negative values of VADs in 2nd and 3rd sperm-washing. Of oocytes cultured with sperm which were repeatedly washed with heparin and high pH, 52% (57/110) were cleaved over 2 cell stage. However, percent of oocytes parthenogenetically divided was 5%(2 /42).

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.273-279
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• 2017

The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms underlying apoptosis induced by a broussochalcone B (BCB) from Broussonetia papyrifera in HepG2 cells. The results showed that BCB treatment for 24 hr significantly inhibited cell viability in a dose-dependent manner, and induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells. More so, BCB treatment triggered the cleavage of caspase-8, -9, -3, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), increase of Bax level, and decrease of Bcl-2 expression. A general caspase inhibitor (z-VAD-fmk) blocked BCB-induced cell death. Furthermore, BCB treatment caused reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, an antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) blocked BCB-induced ROS production and cell death. Therefore, these results indicate that BCB-induced apoptosis is mediated by a caspase dependent pathway and ROS production in HepG2 cells.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.2342-2352
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• 1995

Deposition of flame-synthesized silica particles onto a target is utilized in optical fiber preform fabrication processes. The particles are convected and deposited onto the target. Falkner-Skan wedge flow was chosen as the particle laden flow. Typically the particles are polydisperse in size and follow a lognormal size distribution. Brownian diffusion, thermophoresis, and coagulation of the particles were considered and effects of these phenomena on particle deposition were studied. A moment model was developed in order to predict the particle number density and the particle size distribution simultaneously. Particle deposition with various wedge configurations was examined for conditions selected for a typical VAD process. When coagulation was considered, mean particle size and its standard deviation increased and particle number density decreased, compared to the case without coagulation. These results proved the fact that coagulation effect expands particle size distribution. The results were discussed with characteristics of thermal and diffusion boundary layers. As the boundary layers grow in thickness, overall temperature and concentration gradients decrease, resulting in decrease of deposition rate and increase of particle residence time in the flow and thus coagulation effect.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.65-70
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• 2004

In this paper, we described 23 cases of animal experiment with our pneumatic ventricular assist device and new durability-improvement method. The blood pump consists of blood housing, and back plate made by the injection molding of isoplast, and the diaphragm fabricated by dipping of polyurethane solution onto the aluminum mold. Its volume was 75 $m\ell$ and in-vitro test showed that maximum output was 4.5 $\ell$/min at the 100 mmHg. The adult female sheep with weight of 50 ＋ 10 kg were employed for tile in-vivo experiments and the mean blood flow was sustained at 3.0 1/min. 4 animals survived more than 15 days and the longest survival time was 28 days. In the prior 10 cases, the major causes of death were the tearing of diaphragm at the diaphragm to blood housing junction. By the new mesh and alumina ball milling methods, the durability was enhanced, and its qualitative and quantitative improvement was proved via the in-vivo and in-vitro methods. Animal experiments demonstrated that all the physiologic parameters a ere maintained within the permissible ranges and no thrombus formation was observed through the visual and blood test. The in-vivo experiments demonstrated our pneumatic ventricular assist device to he one month's bridge to transplantation device.

• BMB Reports
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.445-453
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• 2004

We identified apoptosis as being a significant mechanism of toxicity following the exposure of HeLa cell cultures to abrin holotoxin, which is in addition to its inhibition of protein biosynthesis by N-glycosidase activity. The treatment of HeLa cell cultures with abrin resulted in apoptotic cell death, as characterized by morphological and biochemical changes, i.e., cell shrinkage, internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, the occurrence of hypodiploid DNA, chromatin condensation, nuclear breakdown, DNA single strand breaks by TUNEL assay, and phosphatidylserine (PS) externalization. This apoptotic cell death was accompanied by caspase-9 and caspase-3 activation, as indicated by the cleavage of caspase substrates, which was preceded by mitochondrial cytochrome c release. The broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor, benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone (zVAD-fmk), prevented abrin-triggered caspase activation and partially abolished apoptotic cell death, but did not affect mitochondrial cytochrome c release. These results suggest that the release of mitochondrial cytochrome c, and the sequential caspase-9 and caspase-3 activations are important events in the signal transduction pathway of abrin-induced apoptotic cell death in the HeLa cell line.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.69 no.2
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• pp.129-133
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• 2010

Extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP) is a rare disorder that typically occurs in the upper airway. Although the condition rarely arises in the lungs, a few cases have been reported. Here, we report a case of pulmonary plasmacytoma in 66-year-old man, who had been treated with VAD (vincrestine, adriamycin, dexamethasone) chemotherapy for multiple myeloma. The patient had been declared clear of multiple myeloma after 4 cycles of chemotherapy. Three months later, the patient had multiple masses visible on computed tomography (CT) and on positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) with hot uptake. Subsequent studies using CT-guided needle biopsy and immunohistochemical stain showed pulmonary plasmacytoma. Bone marrow biopsy, serum, and urine M protein tests were repeated, showing no evidence of multiple myeloma. Pulmonary plasmacytomas, as extramedullary plasmacytomas, were considered an isolated manifestation of multiple myeloma recurrence. We treated the patient with concurrent chemoradiotherapy and the pulmonary plasmacytomas regressed dramatically.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.19-26
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• 1994

Sulfonated poly (ethyleneoxide)-grafted polyurethane (PU-PEO-$SO_3$) prepared by bulk modification was coated on a blood sac for electrohydraulic left ventricular assist device (ELVAD) implanted in dogs and its in vivo blood compatibility on shear stress was studied as compared with untreated Po. The effect of the wall shear stress on the protein adsorption unlike platelet adhesion is dependent on the surface characteristics of the material, although less proteins seem to be adsorbed in the region of the high shear stress. The thickness of total proteins adsorbed on PU-PEO-SOJ (400 ${\AA}$) by trans¬mission electron microscopy(TEM) was considerably lower than that of untreated PU(l,000~1,600 ${\AA}$), but PU-PEO-$SO_3$ showed high albumin adsorption, low fibrinogen and IgG adsorption, and low platelet adhesion as compared with untreated PU, suggesting that PU-PEO-$SO_3$ is more in vivo blood compatible. Therefore, it appears that such a blood compatible PU-PEO-$SO_3$ is useful for blood contacting biomaterials including artificial organs.