• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.84-93
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• 1999

Determination of grain size of heat-treated stainless steel based fm digital ultrasonic signal processing technique is presented. This techniques consist in evidence accumulation with multiple feature parameters, difference absolute mean value(DAMV), variance(VAR), mean frequency (MEANF), auto regressive model coefficient(ARC) and linear cepstrum coefficient(LCC). Feature parameters were extracted from ultrasonic echo signal of heat-treated metals. It was found that a few parameters might not be sufficient to exactly evaluate the grain size of heat-treated metals. The determination of grain size of heat-treated metals was carried out through the evidence accumulation procedure using the distances measured with reference parameters. A fuzzy mapping function is designed to transform the distances for the application of the evidence accumulation method. In the work presented, heat-treated stainless steel samples with various grain sizes are examined. The processed experimental results supports the feasibility of the grain size determination technique presented.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.151-156
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• 2017

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is widely used as sweetener, and its overconsumption is become a major health problem. In the present study, we used adult female rats and applied a 28 days HFCS feeding model to monitor the estrous cycle and changes in tissue weights and histology. Adult female rats were divided into three groups. Animals were fed with ad libitum normal chow and (1) 24 hours tap water (Control group), (2) 12 hours HFCS access during dark period and 12 hours tap water (12H group), and (3) 24 hours HFCS only access (24H group). Total exposure period was 28 days. There is no significant change in body weight between control and HFCS-fed animals. Both absolute and relative weights of ovary in 24H animals were significantly heavier than those in control or 12H animals. The absolute and relative weights of the kidney and liver in 24H groups were significantly heavier than those in control or 12H animals. The estrous cycles of the 24H animals were significantly longer. Histological analyses revealed that 24H ovaries were relatively bigger and possessed more corpus lutea than control ovaries. Uterine sections of 12H and 24H animals showed a well-developed stratum vasculare between inner and outer myometrial layers. The number of endometrial glands were decreased in 12H uteri, and recovered in 24H uteri compared to control. Numbers of convoluted tubule in distal region increased in 12H and 24H kidney samples. Liver specimens of 12H and 24H showed the increased number of fat containing vacuoles. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that HFCS treatment for 28 days could induce (1) changes in length of estrous cycle with extended estrous and diestrous stages, (2) altered ovarian and uterine histology, and (3) liver and renal lipid accumulation. These findings reveal the adverse effects of HFCS drinking on the reproductive function and lipid metabolism of female rats.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.46-53
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• 2014

Inorganic arsenic (iAs) is a toxic metalloid found ubiquitously in the environment. In humans, exposure to iAs can result in toxicity and cause toxicological manifestations. Arsenic trioxide ($As_2O_3$) has been used in the treatment for acute promyelocytic leukemia. The kidney is the critical target organ of trivalent inorganic As ($iAs^{III}$) toxicity. We examine if oral administration of astaxanthin (AST) has protective effects on nephrotoxicity and oxidative stress induced by $As_2O_3$ exposure (via intraperitoneal injection) in rats. Markers of renal function, histopathological changes, $Na^+-K^+$ ATPase, sulfydryl, oxidative stress, and As accumulation in kidneys were evaluated as indicators of $As_2O_3$ exposure. AST showed a significant protective effect against $As_2O_3$-induced nephrotoxicity. These results suggest that the mechanisms of action, by which AST reduces nephrotoxicity, may include antioxidant protection against oxidative injury and reduction of As accumulation. These findings might be of therapeutic benefit in humans or animals suffering from exposure to $iAs^{III}$ from natural sources or cancer therapy.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.623-627
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• 2005

Abnormal thyroid cell proliferation has a very important role in hypothyroidism. Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) stimulates proliferation and maintains differentiated function in thyroid follicular cells. A functioning rat thyroid cell line (FRTL) was used to study the effect of Gamgung-tang (GGT, Glycyrrhizae Radix, black beans, Angelicae Radix and Cnidii Rhizoma) on proliferation and cAMP accumulation of thyrocytes. Proliferation of cell was assessed by DNA synthesis and incorporation of $[^3H]thymidine$ into DNA. The concentration of cAMP was measured simultaneously with growth assessment. Extract of GGT ($0.15{\sim}0.9\;mg/ml$ increased DNA synthesis in a dose-dependent manner. GGT at 0.6 (p<0.05) and 0.9 mg/ml (p<0.01) significantly increased $[^3H]thymidine$ incorporation. A comparable effect was observed with TSH. GGT also enhanced cAMP accumulation. These results indicate that GGT increases the proliferation of thyrocytes and may be considered a promising agent for the treatment of autoimmune thyroid disease.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.105-115
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• 2015

Background: Alcoholic steatosis is the earliest and most common liver disease, and may precede the onset of more severe forms of liver injury. Methods: The effect of Korean Red Ginseng extract (RGE) was tested in two murine models of ethanol (EtOH)-feeding and EtOH-treated hepatocytes. Results: Blood biochemistry analysis demonstrated that RGE treatment improved liver function. Histopathology and measurement of hepatic triglyceride content verified the ability of RGE to inhibit fat accumulation. Consistent with this, RGE administration downregulated hepatic lipogenic gene induction and restored hepatic lipolytic gene repression by EtOH. The role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver diseases is well established. Treatment with RGE attenuated EtOH-induced cytochrome P450 2E1, 4-hydroxynonenal, and nitrotyrosine levels. Alcohol consumption also decreased phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, which was restored by RGE. Moreover, RGE markedly inhibited fat accumulation in EtOH-treated hepatocytes, which correlated with a decrease in sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 and a commensurate increase in sirtuin 1 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-a expression. Interestingly, the ginsenosides Rb2 and Rd, but not Rb1, significantly inhibited fat accumulation in hepatocytes. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that RGE and its ginsenoside components inhibit alcoholic steatosis and liver injury by adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase/sirtuin 1 activation both in vivo and in vitro, suggesting that RGE may have a potential to treat alcoholic liver disease.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.12 no.9
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• pp.209-217
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• 2014

As an idea of healing or fatigue recovery, a desire for massage therapy has increased for modern people who complain of pain such as knotted muscles or shoulder discomfort due to fatigue accumulation and stress. To resolve this, although a massage chair has been developed, it does not provide the most efficient massage as it is not suitable for Korean body types. In this paper, this research analyzed massage, assembly, massage intensity, Korean body types and functions of the massage for maximized efficiency to design critical functions. Also, we implemented the action control and algorithm of the massage chair for localization.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.9
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• pp.568-573
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• 2009

Fatty acid oxidation (FAO) defects cause abnormal lipid accumulation in various tissues, which provides an opportunity to uncover novel genes that are involved in lipid metabolism. During a gene expression study in the riboflavin deficient induced FAO disorder in the chicken, we discovered the dramatic increase in mRNA levels of an uncharacterized gene, ANKRD9. No functions have been ascribed to ANKRD9 and its orthologs, although their sequences are well conserved among vertebrates. To provide insight into the function of ANKRD9, the expression of ANKRD9 mRNA in lipidperturbed paradigms was examined. The hepatic mRNA level of ANKRD9 was repressed by thyroid hormone ($T_3$) and fasting, elevated by re-feeding upon fasting. However, ANKRD9 mRNA level is reduced in response to apoptosis. Transient transfection assay with green fluorescent protein tagged- ANKRD9 showed that this protein is localized within the cytoplasm. These findings point to the possibility that ANKRD9 is involved in intracellular lipid accumulation.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.90-100
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• 1985

The present study was designed to investigate cellular regulation of phosphate metabolism between catabolically repressed and derepressed states in yeast (Saccharomyces uvarum). The activities of various phospatases and the contents of phosphate compounds were detected according to the culture phase and various phosphate concentrations. As the results, Saccharomyces uvarum derepressed many phosphate metabolizing enzymes such as alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase and ATPase more than ten fold simultaneously during catabolic repression (phospgate and sugar starvation). At the same state, the amounts of orthophosphate, nucleotidic labile phosphate and acid soluble polypgosphate were increased, compared to basal levels of normally cultivated cells. $Mg^{++}-stimulated$ type among all phospatases was appeared to have most of the enzyme activity. It could be postulated that $K^+ -stimulated$ alkaline phosphatase was directly or indirectly correlated with the synthesis of acid insoluble polyphosphate $Mg^{++}-stimulated$ phosphatase with the degradation of polyphosphates. In case of cultivation in the medium supplemented with sugar and phosphate (catabolic derepression), phospgatase activities except for alkaline phosphatase were decreased rapidly through the progressive batch culture, After 12 hrs culture, at early exponential phase, the cellular accumulation of acid insoluble polyphosphate increased about 5 fold, compared to those of the starved cells. Under catabolic repression, it could be postulated that intracellular phosphate metabolism was regulated by derepressions of phosphatases. The function of polyphosphate system was shown to compensate the ATP/ADP system as phosphate donor and energy source especially during catabolic repression.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.372-379
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• 2004

This study evaluated polymanuronates on the differentiation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Polymannuronates increased glucose utilization and reduced the accumulation of triglycerides in the cells. The differentiation showed the same results as Oil red O staining. Also, the polymannuronates inhibited GPDH activity as a result of the restrained adipogenesis promotion process in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The addition of the differentiation promotion factor to 3T3-L1 promoted the differentiation of adipocytes and increased the expression of the leptin level. However the addition of polymannuronates inhibited differentiation of adipocytes and the leptin secretion level in cells by checking the leptin protein level in the culture media. As well as this, it also inhibited the transcriptional mechanism and leptin mRNA expression. These results suggest that the addition of polymannuronates improves the physiological function of 3T3-L1 cells by reducing the accumulation of triglyceride and GPDH activity, and the repressing expression of leptin at a molecular level.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.118-123
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• 2010

Piper nigrum Linne has been used spice as well as herbal medicine in worldwide and has function of anti-oxidant, anti-inflammation, anti-cancer, bioavailability of drugs and etc. In this study, anti-adipogenic activity of Piper nigrum Linne extract and its constituent piperine were investigated in 3T3-L1 differentiation. Adipogenic effects and lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 was measured by RT-PCR and Oil Red O staining assays respectively in stimulation of Piper nigrum Linne extract and piperine. Piper nigrum Linne and piperine reduced lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 differentiation and expression of genes associated with adipogenesis such as PPAR${\gamma}$, adipsin, SERBP-1c and LPL. All of taken, anti-adipogenic mechanism of Piper nigrum Linne and piperine were related with regulation of SREBP-1c and PPAR${\gamma}$ expression.