• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.121-127
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• 2004

Cytochrome P4501B1(CYP1B1) is known to be inducible by xenobiotic compounds such as policyclic aromatic hydrocarbon(PAH) and dioxins such as 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-dibenzo-p-dioxin(TCDD). And these induction of CYP1B1 is also regulated by many categories of chemicals. In order to investigate the effects of several chemicals on CYP1B1 gene expression in Hepa-I and MCF-7 cells, 5' flanking DNA of human CYP1B1 was cloned into pGL3 basic vector containing luciferase gene, and then transfected into these cells. After treatment of chemicals, the luciferase activity was measured. CYP1B1 enzyme metabolize PAHs and estradiol. CYP1B1 metabolize estradiol to 4-hydrozyestradiol that is considered as carcinogenic metabolite. Luciferase activity was induced about 20 folds over that control by 1 nM TCDD (2,3,7,8-tetrachloto-p-dioxin). Recent industrialized society, human has been widely been exposed to widespread environmental contaminants such as PAHs(polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) that are originated from the imcomplete combustion of hydrocarbons. PAHs are known to be ligands of the AhR(aryl hydrocarbon receptor). Induction of cytochrome P4501B1(CYP1B1) in cell culture is widely used as a biomarker for PAHs. Therefore we have studied the effect of PAHs in the human breast cancer cells MCF-7 to evaluate bioactivity of PAHs. We have used the United State of America EPA selected 13 different PAHs, PAHs mixtures and extracts from environmental samples to evaluate the bioassay system. We examined effects of PAHs on the CYP1B1-luciferase reporter gene and CYP1B1 mRNA level. Benzo(k)fluoranthene and dibenzo(a, h)anthracene showed strong response to CYP1B1 promoter activity stimulation, and also CYP1B1 mRNAs increase in MCF-7 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Acenaphthene, anthracene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, fluorene, fluoranthene, anphthanlene, pyrene, phenanthrene and carbazole were weak responders in MCF-7 cells. RT-PCR analysis indicated that PAHs significantly up-regulate the level of CYP1B1 mRNA.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.129-137
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• 2018

Acute vascular rejection has been known as a main barrier occurring in a xenograted tissue of alpha 1,3-galactosyltransferase knock-out (GalT KO) pig into a non-human primate (NHP). Adenosine which is a final metabolite following sequential hydrolysis of nucleotide by ecto-nucleotidases such as CD39 and CD73, act as a regulator of coagulation, and inflammation. Thus xenotransplantation of CD39 and CD73 expressing pig under the GalT KO background could lead to enhanced survival of recipient NHP. We constructed a human CD39 and CD73 expression cassette designed for endothelial cell-specific expression using porcine Icam2 promoter (pIcam2-hCD39/hCD73). We performed isolation of endothelial cells (pAEC) from aorta of 4 week-old GalT KO and membrane cofactor protein expressing pig ($GalT^{-MCP/-MCP}$). We were able to verify that isolated cells were endothelial-like cells using immunofluorescence staining analysis with von Willebrand factor antibody, which is well known as an endothelial maker, and tubal formation assay. To find optimal condition for efficient transfection into pAEC, we performed transfection with GFP expression vector using four programs of nucleofection, M-003, U-023, W-023 and Y-022. We were able find that the program W-023 was optimal for pAEC with regard to viability and transfection efficiency by flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy analyses. Finally, we were able to obtain $GalT^{-MCP/-MCP}/CD39/CD73$ pAEC expressing CD39 and CD73 at levels of 33.3% and 26.8%, respectively. We suggested that pACE isolated from $GalT^{-MCP/-MCP}$ pig might be provided as a basic resource to understand biochemical and molecular mechanisms of the rejections and as an alternative donor cells to generate $GalT^{-MCP/-MCP}/CD39/CD73$ pig expressing CD39 and CD73 at endothelial cells.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.7-17
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• 2012

The aim of this study is to empirically explore micro and macroeconomic factors affecting the Pakistani sugar industries and searching the energy potential of this industry, through the survey of literature. The empirical part has been explored by employing Vector Autoregression (VAR), Granger Causality tests and simultaneous equation models through quarterly data for the period of 1991q2-2008q4. The study also aims to devise policies for the development of sugar industries and identify its growing importance for the energy sector of Pakistan. Empirical tests applied on the domestic prices of sugar, domestic interest rates, and exchange rate, productive capacities of sugar mills, per capita income, world sugar prices on cultivable area and sugar production reveal very useful results. Results reveal an improvement of productive capacity of the sugar mills of Pakistan on account of increasing crushing capacity of this sector. Negative effect of rising wholesale prices on the harvesting area was also observed. Profit earnings of the sugar mills significantly increase with the rise of sugar prices but the system does not exist for the farming community to share the rising prices of sugar. The models indicate positive and significant effect of local prices of sugar on its volume of import. Another of the findings of this study positively relates the local sugar markets with the international prices of sugar. Additionally, the causality tests results reveal exchange rate, harvesting area and overall output of sugarcane to have significant effects on the local prices of sugar. Similarly, import of sugar, interest rate, per capita consumption of sugar, per capita national income and the international prices of sugar also significantly affect currency exchange rate of Pakistani rupee in terms of US$. The study also finds sugar as an essential and basic necessity of the Pakistani consumers. That is why there are no significant income and price effects on the per capita consumption of sugar in Pakistan. All the empirical methods reiterate the relationship of variables. Economic policy makers are recommended to improve governance and management in the production, stock taking, internal and external trading and distribution of sugar in Pakistan using bumper crop policies. Macroeconomic variables such as interest rate, exchange rate per capita income and consumption are closely connected with the production and distribution of sugar in Pakistan. The cartelized role of the sugar industries should also be examined by further studies. There is need to further explore sugar sector of Pakistan with the perspective of energy generation through this sector; cartelized sugar markets in Pakistan and many more other dimensions of this sector. Exact appraisal of sugar industries for energy generation can be done appropriately by the experts from applied sciences.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.95-99
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• 1995

We have previously established a system for plant regeneration through somatic embryogenesis and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Korean ginseng. In this study to produce a fungus-resistant plant, we introduced a bean chitinase gene into ginseng using the transformation system. A binary vector pChi/748 was constructed by introducing the bean basic chitinase gene into EcoRI site of pGA748 which carries the CaMV 35S promoter governing the introduced gene and neomycin phosphotransferase II(NPT-II)gene as a positive selection marker. Cotyledonary explants were cocultured with A. tumefaciens strain LBA4404 harboring the binary vertor pChi/748 for 48 h, and transferred to MS medium supplemented with l mg/L2,4-D,0.1mg/L kinetin, 100 mg/L kanamycin, and 500mg/L carbenicillin. Kanamycin-resistant calli were formed on the cut surface of cotyledonary explants after one month of culture, and subsequently they gave rise to somatic embryos. Upon transfer onto medium containing 1 mg/L each of BA and GA$_3$, most of them converted to plantlets after 5 weeks of culture. The genomic DNA of eight kanamycin-resistant regenerants was subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using two specific 21-mer oligonucleotides derived from the chitinase gene. PCR-Southern blot analysis confirmed that the chitinase gene was incorporated into six out of the eight regenerants..

• Journal of KIISE:Computer Systems and Theory
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.894-906
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• 2006

There are many difficulties to develop a mobile contents due to many constraints on mobile environments. It is difficult to make a good mobile contents with only visual reduction of existing contents on wire Internet. Therefore, it is essential to devise the data representation and to develop the authoring tool to meet the needs of the mobile contents market. We suggest the compact mobile contents to learn Chinese characters and developed its authoring tool. The animation which our system produces is realistic as if someone writes letters with pen or brush. Moreover, our authoring tool makes a user generate a Chinese character animation easily and rapidly although she or he has not many knowledge in computer graphics, mobile programming or Chinese characters. The method to generate the stroke animation is following: We take basic character shape information represented with several contours from TTF(TrueType Font) and get the information for the stroke segmentation and stroke ordering from simple user input. And then, we decompose whole character shape into some strokes by using polygonal approximation technique. Next, the stroke animation for each stroke is automatically generated by the scan line algorithm ordered by the stroke direction. Finally, the ordered scan lines are compressed into some integers by reducing coordinate redundancy As a result, the stroke animation of our system is even smaller than GIF animation. Our method can be extended to rendering and animation of Hangul or general 2D shape based on vector graphics. We have the plan to find the method to automate the stroke segmentation and ordering without user input.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.203-214
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• 2003

Scrub typhus and murine typhus are common endemic febrile illness in the fall in Korea. Scrub typhus is caused by Orientia tsutsugomushi, murine typhus is caused by Rickettsia typhi. Trombiculid mites are known as both the vector and the reservoir host of O tsutsugamushi, the mites which transmit O tsutsugomushi have been reported to be Leptotrombidium pallidum and L scutellare. The author carried out an epidemiological study of scrub typhus and murine typhus in Kyodong-Myeon, Kanghwa-Gun, Incheon in relation to the residents and the host rodents, such as their distribution, seroepidemiology, and population density of chigger mites. 1. Out of 900 residents, 33(3.7%) showed positive reaction to O tsutsugamushi, 24(2.7%) to R typhi. 2. In the seropositives to O tsutsugamushi or R typhi, between the sixties and the seventies of the age were dominant. 3. In the seropositives to O tsutsugamushi serotypically Gilliam was dominant. 4. Among the total 42 field rodents trapped by the sherman traps, 18 rodents were Apodemus agrarius(42.9%), 13 rodents were Crocidura lasiura(31.0%), 5 rodents were Musmusculus(11.9%), 2 rodents(4.8%) were Crocidura suaveolens, Rattus norvegicus, Tscherskia triton, respectively. 5. Out of 42 field rodents, 25 were parasitized by 4,419 chigger mites, showing 59.5% of the infestation rate and 98.8 of the chigger index. L pallidum parasitized in A agrarius, C lasiura, M musculus, R norvegicus and T triton, and L scutellare parasitized only C lasiura. 6. Antibodies in the sera of field rodents against O tsutsugamushi and R typhi were investigated by indirect immunofluorescent antibody technique. Positive rate of antibody against O tsutsugamushi were 11.9(5 of 42) and all of the positive is A agrarius. Antibody against R typhi was not detected. These results might provide the basic information for the management of scrub typhus and murine typhus in Kyodong-myeon, where the epidemiological studies on scrub typhus and murine typhus was not carried out enough.

• Journal of Korea Society of Industrial Information Systems
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.87-98
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• 2011

Detecting a moving object from videos and tracking it are basic and necessary preprocessing steps in many video systems like object recognition, context aware, and intelligent visual surveillance. In this paper, we propose a method that is able to detect a moving object quickly and accurately in a condition that background and light change in a real time. Furthermore, our system detects strongly an object in a condition that the target object is covered with other objects. For effective detection, effective Eigen-space and FCM are combined and employed, and a CONDENSATION algorithm is used to trace a detected object strongly. First, training data collected from a background image are linear-transformed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Second, an Eigen-background is organized from selected principal components having excellent discrimination ability on an object and a background. Next, an object is detected with FCM that uses a convolution result of the Eigen-vector of previous steps and the input image. Finally, an object is tracked by using coordinates of an detected object as an input value of condensation algorithm. Images including various moving objects in a same time are collected and used as training data to realize our system that is able to be adapted to change of light and background in a fixed camera. The result of test shows that the proposed method detects an object strongly in a condition having a change of light and a background, and partial movement of an object.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.198-205
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• 2004

Cytochrome P4501B1(CYP1B1) is known to be inducible by xenobiotic compounds such as policyclic aromatic hydrocarbon(PAH) and dioxins such as 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-dibenzo-p-dioxin(TCDD). And these induction of CYP1B1 is also regulated by many categories of chemicals. In order to investigate the effects of several chemicals on CYP1B1 gene expression in Hepa-I and MCF-7 cells, 5' flanking DNA of human CYP1B1 was cloned into pGL3 basic vector containing luciferase gene, and then transfected into these cells. After treatment of chemicals, the luciferase activity was measured. CYP1B1 enzyme metabolize PAHs and estradiol. CYP1B1 metabolize estradiol to 4-hydrozyestradiol that is considered as carcinogenic metabolite. Recent industrialized industrialized society, human has been widely been exposed to widespread environmental contaminants such as PAHs(polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) that are originated from the imcomplete combustion of hydrocarbons. PAHs are known to be ligands of the AhR(aryl hydrocarbon receptor). Induction of cytochrome P4501B1(CYP1B1) in cell culture is widely used as a biomarker for PAHs. Therefore we have studied the effect of PAHs in the human breast cancer cells MCF-7 to evaluate bioactivity of PAHs. We have used the United State of America EPA selected 13 different PAHs, PAHs mixtures and extracts from environmental samples to evaluate the bioassay system. We examined effects of PAHs on the CYP1B1-luciferase reporter gene and CYP1B1 mRNA level. Benzo(k)fluoranthene and dibenzo(a, h)anthracene showed strong response to CYP1B1 promoter activity stimulation, and also CYP1B1 mRNAs increase in MCF-7 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. RT-PCR analysis indicated that PAHs significantly up-regulate the level of CYP1B1 mRNA. Some flavonoids such as genistein, daidzein, chrysin, naringenin and morin were also investigeted. These flavonoids decreased B(k)F infuced luciferase activity at low concentration. But, these flavonoids exhibited stimulatory effect at high concentration.

• The KIPS Transactions:PartA
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• v.12A no.6 s.96
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• pp.523-530
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• 2005

When a PCI 2.2 bus master requests data using Memory Read command, a target device may hold PCI bus without data to be transferred for long time because a target device needs time to prepare data infernally. Because the usage efficiency of the PCI bus and the data transfer efficiency are decreased due to this situation, the PCI specification recommends to use the Delayed Transaction mechanism to improve the system performance. But the mechanism cann't fully improve performance because a target device doesn't know the exact size of prefetched data. In the previous work, we propose a new method called Prefetch Request when a bus master intends to read data from the target device. In this paper, we design PCI 2.2 controller and local device that support the proposed method. The designed PCI 2.2 controller has simple local interface and it is used to convert the PCI protocol into the local protocol. So the typical users, who don't know the PCI protocol, can easily design the PCI target device using the proposed PCI controller. We propose the basic behavioral verification, hardware design verification, and random test verification to verify the designed hardware. We also build the test bench and define assembler instructions. And we propose random testing environment, which consist of reference model, random generator ,and compare engine, to efficiently verify corner case. This verification environment is excellent to find error which is not detected by general test vector. Also, the simulation under the proposed test environment shows that the proposed method has the higher data transfer efficiency than the Delayed Transaction about $9\%$.

• Journal of KIISE:Software and Applications
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.595-604
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• 2004

Automatic analysis of concepts or semantic relations from text documents enables not only an efficient acquisition of relevant information, but also a comparison of documents in the concept level. We present a multiple cause model-based approach to text analysis, where latent topics are automatically extracted from document sets and similarity between documents is measured by semantic kernels constructed from the extracted topics. In our approach, a document is assumed to be generated by various combinations of underlying topics. A topic is defined by a set of words that are related to the same topic or cooccur frequently within a document. In a network representing a multiple-cause model, each topic is identified by a group of words having high connection weights from a latent node. In order to facilitate teaming and inferences in multiple-cause models, some approximation methods are required and we utilize an approximation by Helmholtz machines. In an experiment on TDT-2 data set, we extract sets of meaningful words where each set contains some theme-specific terms. Using semantic kernels constructed from latent topics extracted by multiple cause models, we also achieve significant improvements over the basic vector space model in terms of retrieval effectiveness.