• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.168-173
• /
• 2011

Objective: To examine the association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism and hyperhomocysteinemia in women with unexplained recurrent miscarriages (RM) and to investigate the association between MTHFR genotype variants and alloimmune activation, proportion of peripheral blood natural killer (pbNK) cells. Methods: A total of 39 patients with a history of two or more unexplained miscarriages were recruited to this study. The controls were women who had a live birth without a history of RM (n=50). The proportion of pbNK cells was measured by flow cytometry. Plasma homocysteine levels and the incidence of the MTHFR variant of the RM and control groups were compared. The proportion of pbNK cells was compared to the MTHFR variants in the RM group. Results: No differences were found between the two groups' mean plasma homocysteine levels ($7.6{\pm}1.5{\mu}mol$/L vs. $7.1{\pm}2.1{\mu}mol$/L) or incidence of the MTHFR genotype variant (CC, 35% vs. 33%; CT, 40% vs. 53%; and TT, 25% vs. 14%). In the RM group, individuals with the TT variant ($7.7{\pm}1.1{\mu}mol$/L) had higher homocysteine levels than those with the CC and CT variants ($7.4{\pm}1.9{\mu}mol$/L and $7.4{\pm}1.2{\mu}mol$/L) and those with the CT variant ($19.2{\pm}8.1%$) had a higher proportion of CD3-/CD56+ pbNK cells than those with the CC and TT variants ($17.7{\pm}6.6%$ and $17.9{\pm}7.0%$), but the results of both comparisons were statistically insignificant. Conclusion: These preliminary results show no difference in plasma homocysteine levels between the RM and control groups or among MTHFR genotype variants in the RM group, which may suggest that the plasma homocysteine level is difficult to use as a predictive marker of RM in the Korean population. A study of a larger number of patients is needed.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SP
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.258-268
• /
• 2001

The compression method is necessarily used to send the high quality moving picture that contains a number of data in image processing. In the field of moving picture compression method, the motion estimation algorithm is used to reduce the temporal redundancy. Block matching algorithm to be usually used is distinguished partial search algorithm with full search algorithm. Full search algorithm be used in this paper is the method to compare the reference block with entire block in the search window. It is very efficient and has simple data flow and control circuit. But the bigger the search window, the larger hardware size, because large computational operation is needed. In this paper, we design the full search block matching motion estimator. Using the DCT DC values, we decide luminance. And we apply 3 bit compare-selector using bit plane to I(Intra coded) picture, not using 8 bit luminance signals. Also it is suggested that use the same selective bit for the P(Predicted coded) and B(Bidirectional coded) picture. We compare based full search method with PSNR(Peak Signal to Noise Ratio) for C language modeling. Its condition is the reference block 8$\times$8, the search window 24$\times$24 and 352$\times$288 gray scale standard video images. The result has small difference that we cannot see. And we design the suggested motion estimator that hardware size is proved to reduce 38.3％ for structure I and 30.7％ for structure II. The memory is proved to reduce 31.3％ for structure I and II.

• Lingua Humanitatis
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.123-139
• /
• 2001

In the history of linguistics in the world the scholars in India could be regarded as the representative linguists, who had provided the cornerstone of the academic development at linguistics. Without looking into the contents of Indian linguistic theories devised and developed in the past it would be almost impossible to account for the origin of descriptive linguistics and historical linguistics. These linguistics trends became full-fledged in 19 and 20 century and are still accepted by a lot of researchers in order to analyze newly revealed languages and train students only coming up the toddling level of linguistic studies. In this paper I will show how far the influence of Indian linguistics has colored the flow of linguistic growth historically. Especially through the analysis of Panini grammar I will prove the intimate relationship between the Indian linguistic theory and the generative grammar - it is the most active theory at present. The methods that Panini applied to constitute the rules like sutra include lots of information, that also could be discovered at the rules postulated in the generative grammar. One of the common features found at both linguistic theories is the simplicity of rule representation. At the generative grammar a rule has to be established without any redundancy. When certain number of sounds like p, b, m show the same phonological. change relevant to lips (labial in linguistic term) different rules need not to be given for each sound separately. It is better to find a way of putting the sounds together in a rule with grouping the 3 sounds with the shared phonetic feature 'labial'. In Panini grammar the form of a rule was decided based on the simplicity, too. For example, sutra 6.1.77 shows the phonological connection between the vowels i, u r 1 and the semi-vowels y, v, r, 1. However, it does not require to postulate 4 individual rules respectively. Instead a rule in which the vowels and the semi-vowels are involved is suggested, and linguistically the rule make it clear that the more simpler the rules will be the better they can reflect the efficiency of human language acquisition. Although the systems introduced at Panini grammar have some sense of distance from the language education itself we cannot deny the fact that the grammar formulates the a turning point of linguistic development. It is essential for us to think over the grammar from the view point of the modem linguistic theories to understand their root and trunk more thoroughly. It will also help us to predict in which way linguistic tendency will proceed to in future.

• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.187-205
• /
• 2011

In considering the size of container logistic flow of Korea, one-port as a hub port is desirable in Busan Port, but as development of Busan Port and Gwangyang Port began as two-ports, they are good as mega hub ports. In case when ports of other regions such as Incheon Port are additionally developed, it is very likely that they become feeder ports rather than mega hub ports. As capital area uses Incheon Port and Pyeongtaek Port for transportation, fierce competition arises due to excessive facilities of terminal companies and it is not easy to be profitable. Therefore, it is more profitable to develop regional hub ports centering on near-sea routes of Korea China Japan rather than local ports such as Incheon Port and Pyeongtaek Port for intensive trade and transportation in the capital area. To mitigate excessive competition between container terminal companies, we need administrative guidance to maintain adequacy through comparing tariffs between ports of Japan and China which are in competitive relations with Korean ports. This study analysed efficiency of container terminal companies in Gwangyang Port, Busan Port and Incheon Port using data for five years from 2006 to 2010. As analytical variables, length of quay, floor area of yard, the number of cranes and employees were analytical variables and a total freight volume was a productive factor.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
• /
• 2004.03a
• /
• pp.48-54
• /
• 2004

The effects of injector spacing s and injector diameter d on mixing are numerically investigated in supersonic combustor with perpendicular injection behind a backward-facing step. Simulations are reported for airstream Mach number of 2.4. Parameters are changed on following 4 cases to investigate the effects of injector configuration on mixing efficiency $\eta_m$. In the case of varying d or s, dynamic pressure ratio $Rq(=(pu^2)_j/(pu^2)_a)$ is also varied to keep bulk equivalence ratio $\Phi({\oe})Rq.d^2/s)$ constant. (l) Injector spacing s is varied at constant $\Phi$=0.5, 1, 2 for injector diameter d=6mm. In the case of $\Phi$=1, $\eta_m$ has its maximum value at s=24mm. The reason is that increase of $\eta_m$. , by widening spacing at Rq=constant competes with decrease of $\eta_m$ by increasing Rq at s=constant. When spacing is narrow, the flow field of vicinity of injector becomes two-dimensional because adjacent jets interferes each other. By widening spacing, air is easily entrained by three-dimensional effect. This mechanism also appears in the case of $\Phi$=0.5, 2 for d=6mm, and $\eta_m$. reaches its maximum value at s=24mm for $\Phi$=0.5 and at s=42mm for $\Phi$=2. (2) In the case of injector diameter d varied at $\Phi$=1 for s=30mm, $\eta_m$. has its maximum value at d=3mm. The reason is that decrease of $\eta_m$ by increasing injector diameter competes with increase of $\eta_m$ by decreasing Rq at d=constant.(3) In the case of s varied at $\Phi$=0.5, 1,2 for d=3mm, the injector spacing at which mixing efficiency has its maximum value is s= 18mm for $\Phi$=0.5, s=24mm for $\Phi$=1, s=24mm for $\Phi$=2. Therefore it is found that d=3mm and s=24mm can be optimum configuration over a range of $\Phi$=0.5~2.(4) The effect of h on the optimum spacing is investigated. s is varied for d=6mm at step height h=4, 6, 8mm. The simulation results do not show significant change on the step height.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.197-206
• /
• 2016

Introduction: This study aims to investigate the effects of acupuncture stimulation on the radial artery's pressure pulse wave, along with various hemodynamic parameters, and to explore the possible underlying mechanism of pulse diagnosis in healthy participants in their twenties. Methods and analysis: This study is a prospective, single-arm, exploratory clinical study. A total of 25 healthy participants, without regard to gender, in their twenties will be recruited by physicians. Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants. The participants will receive acupuncture once at ST36 on both sides. The radial arterial pulse waves will be measured on the left arm of the subjects by using an applicable pulse tonometric device (KIOM-PAS). On the right arm (appearing twice), electrocardiogram (ECG), photoplethysmogram (PPG), respiration and cardiac output (CO) signals, will be measured using a physiological data acquisition system (Biopac module), while the velocity of blood flow, and the diameter and the depth of the blood vessel will be measured using an ultrasonogram machine on the right arm (appearing twice). All measurements will be conducted before, during, and after acupuncture. The primary outcome will be the spectral energy at high frequencies above 10 Hz ($SE_{10-30Hz}$) calculated from the KIOM-PAS device signal. Secondary outcomes will be various variables obtained from the KIOM-PAS device, ECG, PPG, impedance cardiography modules, and an ultrasonogram machine. Discussion: The results of this trial will provide information regarding the physiological and the hemodynamic mechanisms underlying acupuncture stimulation and clinical evidence for the influence of acupuncture on the pressure pulse wave in the radial artery. Ethics and dissemination: This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Kyung Hee University's Oriental Medical Center, Seoul, Korea (KOMCIRB-150818-HR-030). The study findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international conferences. Trial registration number: This trial was registered with the Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS) at the Korea National Institute of Health (NIH), Republic of Korea (KCT0001663), which is a registry in the World Health Organization's (WHO's) Registry Network.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
• /
• v.53 no.3
• /
• pp.155-166
• /
• 2020

In this study, we applied the Radar-AWS Rainrates (RAR), weather radar-based quantitative precipitation estimations (QPEs), to the Yongdam study watershed in order to perform the flood runoff simulation and calculate the inflow of the dam during flood events using hydrologic model. Since the Yongdam study watershed is a representative area of the mountainous terrain in South Korea and has a relatively large number of monitoring stations (water level/flow) and data compared to other dam watershed, an accurate analysis of the time and space variability of radar rainfall in the mountainous dam watershed can be examined in the flood modeling. HEC-HMS, which is a relatively simple model for adopting spatially distributed rainfall, was applied to the hydrological simulations using HEC-GeoHMS and ModClark method with a total of eight independent flood events that occurred during the last five years (2014 to 2018). In addition, two NCL and Python script programs are developed to process the radar-based precipitation data for the use of hydrological modeling. The results demonstrate that the RAR QPEs shows rather underestimate trends in larger values for validation against gauged observations (R² 0.86), but is an adequate input to apply flood runoff simulation efficiently for a dam watershed, showing relatively good model performance (E_NS 0.86, R² 0.87, and PBIAS 7.49%) with less requirements for the calibration of transform and routing parameters than the spatially averaged model simulations in HEC-HMS.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.297-309
• /
• 2005

As a number of potential endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) are released into the environment, recently growing attention has been drawn to them. Therefore sensitive and reliable analytical methods are essential to monitor those compounds. In this study, complementary CC-MS and LC-MS were employed to analyze the endocrine disrupters, and the results of two methods were compared for di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), benzylbutylphthalate (BBP), pentachlorophenol (PCP), and 4,4'-Isopropylidenediphenol (Bisphenol-A, or BPA). The results indicate that it was possible to lower the detection limits of EDCs by LC-MS. Also, LC-MS enabled to identify the EDCs as almost intact molecules. Furthermore, this study presented a nanofiltration membrane (MWCO 250) and a ultrafiltration membrane (MWCO 1,000) filtration system as methods far removing EDCs from drinking water containing $\gamma$-BHC, p,p'-DDE, BBP, p,p'-DDT, DEHP, PCP, and BPA. Cross-flow type nanofiltrations showed $100\%$ removal of EDCs, and the result implies that MWCO 250 nanofilter was sufficient for treatment of EDCs. The ratio of permeate flux to mass transfer coefficient of nanofiltration, high flux ultrafiltration, and low flux ultrafiltration with ultrapure water were 0.67, 3.4, and 0.44, respectively. It was found that nanofiltration and low flux ultrafiltration were operated at a diffusion dominant condition, and the high flux ultrafiltration was operated at a convection dominant condition. Furthermore, a diffusion dominant process attained reasonable rejection of EDCs. The removal in the ultrafiltration was depending on the molecular weight of an EDC, and the filtration was governed by diffusion-dominant hydrodynamic conditions.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.69 no.2
• /
• pp.81-94
• /
• 2010

Background: Autophagy is an important adaptive mechanism in normal development and in response to changing environmental stimuli in cancer. Previous papers have reported that different types of cancer underwent autophagy to obtain amino acids as energy source of dying cells in nutrient-deprived conditions. However, whether or not autophagy in the process of lung cancer causes death or survival is controversial. Therefore in this study, we investigated whether nutrient deprivation induces autophagy in human H460 lung cancer cells. Methods: H460, lung cancer cells were incubated in RPMI 1640 medium, and the starved media, which are BME and RPMI media without serum, including 2-deoxyl-D-glucose according to time dependence. To evaluate the viability and find out the mechanism of cell death under nutrient-deprived conditions, the MTT assay and flow cytometry were done and analyzed the apoptotic and autophagic related proteins. It is also measured the development of acidic vascular organelles by acridine orange. Results: The nutrient-deprived cancer cell is relatively sensitive to cell death rather than normal nutrition. Massive cytoplasmic vacuolization was seen under nutrient-deprived conditions. Autophagic vacuoles were visible at approximately 12 h and as time ran out, vacuoles became larger and denser with the increasing number of vacuoles. In addition, the proportion of acridine orange stain-positive cells increased according to time dependence. Localization of GFP-LC3 in cytoplasm and expression of LC-3II and Beclin 1 were increased according to time dependence on nutrient-deprived cells. Conclusion: Nutrient deprivation induces cell death through autophagy in H460 lung cancer cells.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.401-408
• /
• 2009

PME88 (gliadin-combined) melon superoxide dismutase (SOD) is known to promote the production of the body‘s own natural antioxidants including superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of PME88 melonSOD on the ultraviolet-induced photo-aging by the evolution of minimal erythemal dose (MED), erythema quotation and spectrocolorimetric measurements of erythema. The analysis of the evolution of the MED showed a significant increase 28 days after the daily taken of the PME88 melonSOD. The analysis of the erythema quotation showed that on D29, for the dose 1.25 MED, erythema intensity is significantly higher for placebo group than for PME88 melonSOD group. At doses 0.64 MED$_{D14}$, 0.80 MED$_{D14}$ and 1 MED$_{D14}$ the value of parameter $a^*$ (the most sensitive to the colour changes bound to the variations of blood flow. It permits to assess the evolution of erythema) is significantly higher for placebo group. No significant difference has been observed between groups (PME88 melonSOD and placebo) on the evolution of the number and consistency of feces after 4 weeks of treatment. No intolerance has been observed during the 4 weeks of treatment. These results mean that PME88 melonSOD as a dietary supplement could be useful to attenuate ultraviolet-induced skin photo-aging.