• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.39
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• pp.241-286
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• 2015

This study explores how folktales' motifs are used in diverse cultural contents such as literature, movies, or comics. More precisely, it is concerned with mysterious characters like Babayaga and Koshchei who appear in Russian fairytales. When the motifs of the reviewed literature are analyzed, the following three criteria are used for classification: New Writing, Rewriting, and New Version. Or course, it is New Writing that is far from the original work. Most of the collected works, including Joan Aiken's The Kingdom Under the Sea, Patricia Polacco's Babushka's Doll, Babushka Baba Yaga, and Tai?-Marc Le Thanh's BABAYAGA, belong to New Writing. The New Writing type mainly focuses on Babayaga's secluded life. In fairytales, Babayaga is depicted as the goddess of Mother Earth, the heroine of the Nature, or the ruler of the Animal Kingdom. That is why she lives in the deep and uninhabited wood. She is related to the Coming of Age ceremony. Her 'Hut on hen's legs' is an obstacle for immature protagonists to face before they come of age. Protagonists are supposed to solve the problems posed by Babayaga. If they succeed, they can get her magical help so as to complete their final mission. Babayaga is likely to appear as their antagonist. Protagonist may be subjected to a terrible ordeal created by Babayaga, and then come of age by recovering from that ordeal. Sometimes, Babayaga helps protagonists to get a grip on reality. That is why she lives in a hut in the deep and dark forest which is on the borderline between life and death. On the other hand, Marianna Mayer's Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave has been classified as a controversial work between New Writing and Rewriting. It is apparently closer to New Version. However, it cannot be classified as a work of New Version because the author incorporates 'probability' into her work. Among the reviewed works, it is Korean Writer Rye, Kami's The Spider Woman's House that best reflects the essence of Babayaga. Babayaga and other characters are amusing in movies because most of the movies are animations for children. In one sense, it is positive that the scary characters in folktales are approachable to children. In other sense, however, it is regrettable that symbolic motifs are completely eliminated. In Mike Mignola's Hellboy, Japanese animations such as Index or Narutaru, on-line games such as Cabal or Vampire: The masquerade, the essence of the supernatural characters in folktales is completely eliminated, and only their 'belligerent power' stands out. It is desirable to put stories into perspective whether they are written or told. The literature property of folktales provides a special opportunity to readers. In this light, a variety of motifs have a good reason to be reborn as modern cultural contents. The bottom line is to maintain its true nature.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.754-765
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• 2023

Exosomes are a type of extracellular vesicle containing proteins and messenger and microRNAs; they are secreted by all cell types. Once released, exosomes are selectively taken up by other cells adjacent or at a distance, releasing their contents and reprogramming the target cells. Since exosomes are natural vesicles produced by cells as small sizes, it is generally accepted that exosomes have a non-toxic nature and non-immunogenic behaviors. Recently, exosomes have elicited scientific attention as drug delivery vehicles to the central nervous system. The central nervous system has a blood-brain barrier that makes it difficult for drugs to penetrate. Thus, the blood-brain barrier has been a major obstacle to the development of drugs for treating neurodegenerative diseases. However, accumulating evidence suggests that exosomes can cross the blood-brain barrier primarily through transcytosis. Consequently, exosomes are expected to become a new delivery vehicle that can cross the blood-brain barrier and deliver drugs into the brain parenchyma. In addition, since different types of exosomes are secreted depending on the cell type and disease state, exosomes can also be utilized as biomarkers for the diagnosis of diseases in the central nervous system. In this review, we summarized recent research trends on exosomes, including clinical trials as biomarkers and treatment options for diseases in the central nervous system.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.189-197
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• 2008

In this study, a system to measure continuously the fuel concentration in a steady flow rig on the basis of Rayleigh scattering is presented. The system can be employed to measure both the temporal and the spatial distribution. Also, it is possible to calibrate the system for the measurement of accurate absolute concentration. Firstly, the system was tested at a calibration chamber for the determination of scattering cross section from propane, butane, acetylene, Freon-12 and Genetron 143a. After this, the system was adapted to a steady flow rig to measure the temporal and spatial fuel concentration. The rig is composed of cylinder head, intake manifold, injector, and transparent cylinder which can simulate internal combustion engine. To cope with the interference of Mie scattering, which is main obstacle of the measuring concentration with Rayleigh scattering, a hardware filter was installed for reducing the number density of particles. Furthermore a software filter was developed, which is based on the rise time and the time constant of the photomultiplier-amplifier system. In addition, background noisy was reduced by adjusting the optical array and applying the pin hall and beam trap. The results show that LRS can provide useful information about concentration field and the software filter is very effective method to remove Mie interference.

• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.464-469
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• 2011

Virus diseases often cause serious damage to rice production in Asia. The lack of information on virus resistance genes has been a major obstacle for the breeding of resistant varieties. In order to identify DNA marker associated with resistance against rice stripe virus (RSV), the quantitative trait locus (QTL) was carried out using advanced backcross population developed from a cross between RSV-resistant tongil type cultivar Shinkwang and susceptible japonica cultivar Ilpum. A RSV resistance QTL $qSTV11^{SG}$ explaining 44.2% of the phenotypic variation was identified on chromosome 11 of Tongil type rice cultivar 'Shingwang'. $qSTV11^{SG}$ was tightly linked to DNA marker RM6897. The RM6897 divided as resistance type allele and susceptible type alleles. Twenty seven resistant varieties showed the resistant-type allele and 23 susceptible varieties were susceptible-type allele to the marker of RM6897. This results and the molecular markers presented here may be useful in rice breeding for improving RSV resistance in japonica rice.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.30-37
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• 1996

Background: The extraction methods of DNA from clinical samples are the major obstacle to use the PCR(polymerase Chain Reaction) in routine labortary for early detection of M. tuberculosis. We tried to improve the extraction method of DNA from sputum for establishment of the PCR in routine labortary by reducing the possibility of cross contamination and performing it easily and safely. Methods: We used the $InstaGene^{TM}$ DNA extraction kit(BioRad Co.) using Chelex 100 ion exchange resin for preparation of DNA. We compared InstaGene method in 100 cases of sputum from proteinase K method which is known as the most commonly used method for DNA purification(Experiment 1). And we compared InstaGene method in 98 cases of sputum from Microwave method developed by a company in Korea(Experiment 2). In experiment 1,245bps of IS6110 were amplified and then 188bps were amplified by nested PCR. In experiment 2,536bps in primary PCR and 276bps in nested PCR were amplified and analysed by agarose gel electrophoresis and EtBr staining. Results: When we chose AFB smear, culture, or AFB smear and culture as a standard test, PCR had low specificity and positive predictive value in both experiments. The InstaGene method has higher value in sensitivity and negative predictive value significantly than proteinase K method. The InstaGene method and the Microwave methods were similar in sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value. Conclusion: Even though both methods had lower possibility of cross contamination, shorter time requirement, simplicity, and economic advantages than Proteinase K method, the InstaGene method was a little simpler than the Microwave method. Therefore, in terms of usefulness in clinical application, the Instagene method seems to be the most useful method in DNA extraction for detection of M. tuberculosis using PCR. The reliability of this method will be clarified by further studies with enough clinical samples.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.3-36
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• 1992

"Corporate control by owners" characterizes the current structure of ownership, control and management of big business groups in Korea. It has become an ever more serious obstacle for the Korean economy to end its distinctive "personal capitalism" and to transform the current system into people's capitalism. The current issue, the deconcentration of ownership, through the course of heated debates should be treated from an integrated perspective. That is, the debate should center on the concentration of economic power and it effects on national economy, instead of sticking to the issue of ownership-control issue per se. This paper, by referring to the historical experiences and development paths which advanced countries have already traveled, analyzes the respective aspects of the concentration issue in a rather descriptive and taxonomist manner - market concentration, business diversification, ownership concentration, integrated management of conglomerates, i.e., managing in groups' unit, and the roles of financial institutions. The government policies against the concentration of economic power have so far focused on the size of big business groups and their diversification activities. The two major policy measures are restrictions on cross-ownership and excess capital investment by big business groups, and controls on their credit deals. This paper strongly suggests that the government should change its current priorities in targeting its policies against concentration. The government should reduce the regulations on size and diversification, and focus its policies on substantial dispersion of corporate ownership. The efficacy of government intervention in the management and control of business enterprises seems quite dubious and even anachronistic given the extent of maturity of Korean firms. Therefore, it should be noted that the current regulation-oriented stance taken by the government against the management style of big business groups should be suppressed, as it has assumed some a priori and typical pattern in advance in directing big business groups, such as independent and specialized management in respective firms' unit. This paper, also, raises the need for introducing new regulations on inter-sectoral diversifications between finance, industry and the press.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.359-369
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• 2007

Amoebophrya is an obligate endoparasitic eukaryotic dinoflagellate infecting host species and eventually killing them within a short period. Because of its host specificity and significant impacts on population dynamics of host species, it has long been proposed to be a potential biological agent for controlling harmful algal bloom (HAB). For several decades, the difficulties of culturing host - parasite systems have been a great obstacle to further research on the biology of Amoebophrya but recent success of several culture systems reactivates this research field. In this study, as a preliminary work for understanding the impacts of Amoebophrya on the population dynamics of host species, semimonthly occurrence of infected host dinoflagellates by Amoebophrya spp. had been observed in Jinhae Bay for two years and with a host - parasite system cultivated, host specificity of Amoebophrya spp. on several dinoflagellates was tested. Amoebophrya spp. were observed in the cellular organelle and cytoplasm of several species including Akashiwo sanguinea, Ceratium fusus, Dinophysis acuminata, Heterocapsa triquetra, Oblea sp., Prorocentrum minimum, P. triestinum, Scrippsiella spinifera, and S. trochoidea. Among them two host - parasite systems for an athecate dinoflagellate, A. sanguinea, and for a thecate dinoflagellate, H. triquetra, had been able to be successfully established as laboratary cultures. Cross-infection tests for 6 species of dinoflagellates in which Amoebophrya was observed or had been reported to exist confirmed high preference for host species of the parasite. Through the continuous research on Amoebophrya occurring in Korean coastal waters, we need to maintain various host - parasite culture systems, which will be very helpful for understanding its ecological role in marine food webs and for applying the species to biologically control harmful algal blooms.