• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.31-45
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• 2018

This study investigated the characteristics of sedimentary environment changes across a tidal flat in Gagyeongju of Anmyeondo Island. We performed a spatio-temporal analysis on the grain sizes composition of sediments and micro-landform changes during the winter from 2013 to 2016. The results showed that erosion was a dominant processthroughout the study flat, reducing the surface elevation even by 1 m around the upper sand flat. As a consequence, headlands have formed in the entire region of Gagyeongju village. In addition, erosion quickly progressed along the low-lying subtidal zone and tide way and, in contrast, sedimentation progressed in the mid-elevation tidal flat. We posit that a jetty, which had been constructed as a pier facility on the eastern part of the study area, interfered with the flow of tidal current, thereby enhancing these erosional processes. This is because such interference can block the supply of fine-textured sediments from the nearby Cheonsu Bay and therefore reduce surface elevation. According to the surface sediment analysis, the sediments were categorized into 7 sedimentary facies, and generally displayed a high ratio of silt and clay. The result of time-series analysis (2012-2013) showed that the sediments on the tidal flat became fine-grained, and that sorting became worse. However, the sediments on the subtidal zone, embayment and along inside of the jetty tended to be coarse-grained. In conclusion, the tidal flat microlandform change in the study area was caused by a disruption in the seawater circulation due to the jittery construction within the tidal flat, which had a direct effect on erosional and sedimentary environment processes.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.91-98
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• 2021

The objective of this study was to establish a selection process for high quality sperm in bovine semen using sperm separation by magnetic activation (MACS). For this, semen from 21 Nellore bulls was collected using an artificial vagina. To guarantee the presence of pathologies in the ejaculate, animals previously declassified in four consecutive spermiogram were used. Semen was analyzed in five statuses: (1) fresh semen (fresh); (2) density gradient centrifugation (DGC), percoll column; (3) non-apoptotic fraction after separation by MACS (MAC); (4) apoptotic fraction from the separation (MACPOOR); and (5) MAC followed by DGC (MACDGC). Using a computerized analysis system (CASA), motility was measured. The sperm morphology was evaluated by phase contrast, and the supravital test was completed with eosin/nigrosin staining. For DGC, 20 × 10⁶ cells were used in a gradient of 90% and 45% percoll. MACS used 10 × 10⁶ cells with 20 μL of nanoparticles attached to annexin V, and filtered through the MiniMACS magnetic separation column. Membrane integrity was assessed with SYBR-14/IP and mitochondrial potential with JC-1 by flow cytometry. Processing sperm by MACDGC, was more effective in obtaining samples with high quality sperm, verified by the total of abnormalities in the samples: 35.04 ± 2.29%, 21.50 ± 1.47%, 17.30 ± 1.10%, 30.68 ± 1.94% and 10.50 ± 1.46%, respectively for fresh, DGC, MAC, MACPOOR, and MACDGC. The subpopulation of non-apoptotic sperm had a high number of live cells (82.65%), membrane integrity (56.60%) and mitochondrial potential (83.98%) (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that this nanotechnological method, that uses nanoparticles, is efficient in the production of high-quality semen samples for assisted reproduction procedures in cattle.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.39-45
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• 2022

In this paper, we propose methods to improve image-based auto-focus that can compensate for drawbacks of traditional auto-focus control. When adjusting the focus, there is a problem that the focus window cannot be set to the same position if the camera's LOS is not directed at the same location and flow or shake. To address this issue, we applied image tracking techniques to improve optimal focus localization accuracy. And also, although the same focus value should be calculated at the same focus step, but different values can be calculated by camera's fine shaking or image disturbance due to atmospheric scattering. To tackle this problem a SAFS (Stable Adjacency Frame Selection) has been proposed. As a result of this study, our proposed methodology shows more accurate than traditional methods in terms of finding best focus position.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.78.1-78.15
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• 2020

Background: Enteritis is one of the most frequently reported symptoms in piglets infected with porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), but the immunopathogenesis has not been reported. Objectives: This study examined the effect of a PCV2 infection on the intestinal mucosal immune function through morphological observations and immune-related molecular detection. Methods: Morphological changes within the ileum of piglets during a PCV2 infection were observed. The expression of the related-molecules was analyzed using a gene chip. The immunocyte subsets were analyzed by flow cytometry. The secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) content was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The PCV2 infection caused ileal villus damage, intestinal epithelial cells exfoliation, and an increase in lymphocytes in the lamina propria at 21 days post-infection. Differentially expressed genes occurred in the defense response, inflammatory response, and the complement and coagulation cascade reactions. Most of them were downregulated significantly at the induction site and upregulated at the effector site. The genes associated with SIgA production were downregulated significantly at the induction site. In contrast, the expression of the Toll-like receptor-related genes was upregulated significantly at the effector site. The frequencies of dendritic cells, B cells, and CD8⁺T cells were upregulated at the 2 sites. The SIgA content decreased significantly in the ileal mucosa. Conclusions: PCV2 infections can cause damage to the ileum that is associated with changes in immune-related gene expression, immune-related cell subsets, and SIgA production. These findings elucidated the molecular changes in the ileum after a PCV2 infection from the perspective of intestinal mucosal immunity, which provides insights into a further study for PCV2-induced enteritis.

• ALGAE
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.123-133
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• 2022

Genetic diversity and distribution patterns of marine macroalgae are increasingly being documented in Southeast Asia. These studies show that there can be significant levels of genetic diversity and isolation between populations on either side of the Thai-Malay Peninsula. Bostrychia tenellla is a common filamentous red seaweed in the region and the entity is represented by at least two cryptic species. Despite being highly diverse and widespread, genetic variation and population structure of this species complex remains understudied, especially around the Thai-Malay Peninsula. We analyzed genetic diversity and inferred the phylogeographic pattern of specimens identified as B. tenella using the plastid RuBisCo spacer from samples from the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. Our genetic analysis confirmed the occurrence of the two cryptic B. tenella species (B and C) along both coasts. Cryptic species B was more common in the area and displayed higher genetic diversity than species C. Historical demographic analyses indicated a stable population for species B, but more recent population expansion for species C. Our analyses also revealed that both cryptic species from the Andaman Sea possessed higher genetic diversity than those of the Gulf of Thailand. We also detected moderate to high levels of gene flow and weak phylogeographic structure of cryptic species B between the two coasts. In contrast, phylogeographic analysis showed genetic differences between populations of both cryptic species within the Andaman Sea. Overall, these results suggest that cryptic B. tenella species around Thai-Malay Peninsula may have undergone different demography histories, and their patterns of genetic diversity and phylogeography were likely caused by geological history and regional sea surface current circulation in the area.

• Journal of Information Processing Systems
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.729-740
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• 2022

Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTube are the most popular and fastest-growing streaming services globally. It is a matter of great interest for the streaming service providers to preview their service infrastructure and streaming strategy in order to provide new streaming services. Hence, the first part of the paper presents a detailed survey of the Content Distribution Network (CDN) and cloud infrastructure of these service providers. To understand the streaming strategy of these service providers, the second part of the paper deduces a common quality-of-service (QoS) model based on rebuffering time, bitrate, progressive download ratio, and standard deviation of the On-Off cycle. This model is then used to analyze and compare the streaming behaviors of these services. This study concluded that the streaming behaviors of all these services are similar as they all use Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH) on top of TCP. However, the amount of data that they download in the buffering state and steady-state vary, resulting in different progressive download ratios, rebuffering levels, and bitrates. The characteristics of their On-Off cycle are also different resulting in different QoS. Hence a thorough adaptive bit rate (ABR) analysis is presented in this paper. The streaming behaviors of these services are tested on different access network bandwidths, ranging from 75 kbps to 30 Mbps. The survey results indicate that Netflix QoS and streaming behavior are significantly consistent followed by Amazon Prime and YouTube. Our approach can be used to compare and contrast the streaming services' strategies and finetune their ABR and flow control mechanisms.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.883-898
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Probiotics have been suggested as potent modulators of age-related disorders in immunological functions, yet little is known about sex-dependent effects of probiotic supplements. Therefore, we aimed to investigate sex-dependent effects of probiotics on profiles of the gut microbiota and peripheral immune cells in healthy older adults. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial, healthy elderly individuals ≥ 65 yrs old were administered probiotic capsules (or placebo) for 12 wk. Gut microbiota was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and bioinformatic analyses. Peripheral immune cells were profiled using flow cytometry for lymphocytes (natural killer, B, CD4⁺ T, and CD8⁺ T cells), dendritic cells, monocytes, and their subpopulations. RESULTS: Compared with placebo, phylum Firmicutes was significantly reduced in the probiotic group in women, but not in men. At the genus level, sex-specific responses included reductions in the relative abundances of pro-inflammatory gut microbes, including Catabacter and unclassified_Coriobacteriales, and Burkholderia and unclassified Enterobacteriaceae, in men and women, respectively. Peripheral immune cell profiling analysis revealed that in men, probiotics significantly reduced the proportions of dendritic cells and CD14⁺ CD16^- monocytes; however, these effects were not observed in women. In contrast, the proportion of total CD4⁺ T cells was significantly reduced in women in the probiotic group. Additionally, serum lipopolysaccharide-binding protein levels showed a decreasing tendency that were positively associated with changes in gut bacteria, including Catabacter (ρ = 0.678, P < 0.05) and Burkholderia (ρ = 0.673, P < 0.05) in men and women, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that probiotic supplementation may reduce the incidence of inflammation-related diseases by regulating the profiles of the gut microbiota and peripheral immune cells in healthy elders in a sex-specific manner.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.67 no.6
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• pp.407-414
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• 2023

The present study uses quasi-classical trajectory procedures to examine the vibrational relaxation and dissociation of the methyl and ring C-H bonds in excited methylpyrazine (MP) during collision with either N₂ or O₂. The energy-loss (-ΔE) of the excited MP is calculated as the total vibrational energy (E_T) of MP is increased in the range of 5,000 to 40,000cm^-1. The results indicate that the collision-induced vibrational relaxation of MP is not large, increasing gradually with increasing E_T between 5,000 and 30,000 cm^-1, but then decreasing with the further increase in E_T. In both N₂ and O₂ collisions, the vibrational relaxation of MP occurs mainly via the vibration-to-translation (V→T) and vibration-to-vibration (V→V) energy transfer pathways, while the vibration-to-rotation (V→R) energy transfer pathway is negligible. In both collision systems, the V→T transfer shows a similar pattern and amount of energy loss in the ET range of 5,000 to 40,000cm^-1, whereas the pattern and amount of energy transfer via the V→V pathway differs significantly between two collision systems. The collision-induced dissociation of the C-H_methyl or C-H_ring bond occurs when highly excited MP (65,000-72,000 cm^-1) interacts with the ground-state N₂ or O₂. Here, the dissociation probability is low (10^-4-10^-1), but increases exponentially with increasing vibrational excitation. This can be interpreted as the intermolecular interaction below E_T = 71,000 cm^-1. By contrast, the bond dissociation above E_T = 71,000 cm^-1 is due to the intramolecular energy flow between the excited C-H bonds. The probability of C-H_methyl dissociation is higher than that of C-H_ring dissociation.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.1537-1546
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• 2021

Objective: To assess the role of arterial spin-labeling (ASL) perfusion MRI in identifying cerebral perfusion changes after indirect revascularization in children with moyamoya disease. Materials and Methods: We included pre- and postoperative perfusion MRI data of 30 children with moyamoya disease (13 boys and 17 girls; mean age ± standard deviation, 6.3± 3.0 years) who underwent indirect revascularization between June 2016 and August 2017. Relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and qualitative perfusion scores for arterial transit time (ATT) effects were evaluated in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory on ASL perfusion MRI. The rCBF and relative time-to-peak (rTTP) values were also measured using dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) perfusion MRI. Each perfusion change on ASL and DSC perfusion MRI was analyzed using the paired t test. We analyzed the correlation between perfusion changes on ASL and DSC images using Spearman's correlation coefficient. Results: The ASL rCBF values improved at both the ganglionic and supraganglionic levels of the MCA territory after surgery (p = 0.040 and p = 0.003, respectively). The ATT perfusion scores also improved at both levels (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). The rCBF and rTTP values on DSC MRI showed significant improvement at both levels of the MCA territory of the operated side (all p < 0.05). There was no significant correlation between the improvements in rCBF values on the two perfusion images (r = 0.195, p = 0.303); however, there was a correlation between the change in perfusion scores on ASL and rTTP on DSC MRI (r = 0.701, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Recognizing the effects of ATT on ASL perfusion MRI may help monitor cerebral perfusion changes and complement quantitative rCBF assessment using ASL perfusion MRI in patients with moyamoya disease after indirect revascularization.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.28-37
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• 2024

This paper presents the development of a squeeze film damper (SFD) test rig and experimental identification of the effects of clearance, damper length, journal eccentricity ratio, excitation amplitude, oil supply pressure, and oil flow rate on the damping coefficients of a test SFD with open ends and a central groove. Test data are compared with predictions from a simple model developed for short SFDs with open ends and a central groove. The test results show a significant decrease in the damping coefficient with increasing clearance and a dramatic increase with damper length, which are in good agreement with the simple model predictions. According to the simple model, the damping coefficient is inversely proportional to the cube of the clearance and directly proportional to the cube of the length. An increase in the journal eccentricity ratio results in a dramatic increase in the damping coefficient by as much as 15 times that of the concentric case, particularly at low excitation frequencies. By contrast, the measured damping coefficient remains almost constant with changes in the excitation amplitude and supply pressure, which are not major factors in the damper design. In general, the test data agree well with the simple model predictions, excluding cases that show increases in the SFD length and journal eccentricity, which indicate significant dependency on the excitation frequency.