• Korean journal of applied entomology
• /
• v.25 no.4 s.69
• /
• pp.221-228
• /
• 1986

An empirical model to predict initial disease occurrence and subsequent progress of Alternaria leaf spot was constructed based on the modified degree day temperature and frequency of rainfall in three years field experiments. Climatic factors were analized 10-day bases, beginning April 20 to the end of August, and were used as variables for model construction. Cumulative degree portion (CDP) that is over $10^{\circ}C$ in the daily average temperature was used as a parameter to determine the relationship between temperature and initial disease occurrence. Around one hundred and sixty of CDP was needed to initiate disease incidence. This value was considered as temperature threshhold. After reaching 160 CDP, time of initial occurrence was determined by frequency of rainfall. At least four times of rainfall were necessary to be accumulated for initial occurrence of the disease after passing temperature threshhold. Disease progress after initial incidence generally followed the pattern of frequency of rainfall accumulated in those periods. Apparent infection rate (r) in the general differential equation dx/dt=xr(1-x) for individual epidemics when x is disease proportion and t is time, was a linear function of accumulation rate of rainfall frequency (Rc) and was able to be directly estimated based on the equation r=1.06Rc-0.11($R^2=0.993$). Disease severity (x) after t time could be predicted using exponential equation $[x/(1-x)]=[x_0/(1-x)]e^{(b_0+b_1R_c)t}$ derived from the differential equation, when $x_0$ is initial disease, $b_0\;and\;b_1$ are constants. There was a significant linear relationship between disease progress and cumulative number of air-borne conidia of Alternaria mali. When the cumulative number of air-borne conidia was used as an independent variable to predict disease severity, accuracy of prediction was poor with $R^2=0.3328$.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.57-78
• /
• 2023

COVID-19, which started in Wuhan, China in November 2019, spread beyond China in 2020 and spread worldwide in March 2020. It is important to prevent a highly contagious virus like COVID-19 in advance and to actively treat it when confirmed, but it is more important to identify the confirmed fact quickly and prevent its spread since it is a virus that spreads quickly. However, PCR test to check for infection is costly and time consuming, and self-kit test is also easy to access, but the cost of the kit is not easy to receive every time. Therefore, if it is possible to determine whether or not a person is positive for COVID-19 based on the sound of a cough so that anyone can use it easily, anyone can easily check whether or not they are confirmed at anytime, anywhere, and it can have great economic advantages. In this study, an experiment was conducted on a method to identify whether or not COVID-19 was confirmed based on a cough sound. Cough sound features were extracted through MFCC, Mel-Spectrogram, and spectral contrast. For the quality of cough sound, noisy data was deleted through SNR, and only the cough sound was extracted from the voice file through chunk. Since the objective is COVID-19 positive and negative classification, learning was performed through XGBoost, LightGBM, and FCNN algorithms, which are often used for classification, and the results were compared. Additionally, we conducted a comparative experiment on the performance of the model using multidimensional vectors obtained by converting cough sounds into both images and vectors. The experimental results showed that the LightGBM model utilizing features obtained by converting basic information about health status and cough sounds into multidimensional vectors through MFCC, Mel-Spectogram, Spectral contrast, and Spectrogram achieved the highest accuracy of 0.74.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.38 no.6
• /
• pp.829-834
• /
• 2006

LP-BM5 murine leukemia retrovirus induces the immune dysfunction by imbalanced secretion of Th1 and Th2 cytokines in the murine AIDS model. In the present study, it was investigated whether pycnogenol (Pyc) administration could deactivate $NF-{\kappa}B$ to regulate the gene expression of Th1 and Th2 cytokines in C57BL/6 mice with murine AIDS. Treatment with Pyc for 12 weeks significantly inhibited the loss of body weight and enlargement of spleen and lymph node usually seen with AIDS. Moreover, Pyc increased the plasma level of Th1 cytokines, IL-2 and $IFN-{\gamma}$, while reducing the plasma level of Th2 cytokines, IL-6, IL-10, and $TNF-{\alpha}$. In primary culture of splenocytes, mRNA expression of Th2 cytokines was suppressed, but that of Th1 cytokines was not affected. The LP-BM5 retrovirus infection stimulated the cytoplasmic activation of $NF-{\kappa}B$ and nuclear translocation of $I-{\kappa}B$, whereas Pyc administration significantly reduced $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation and $I-{\kappa}B$ degradation. These results suggested that the inhibitory effect of Pyc on Th2 cytokines in mice with murine AIDS was dependent on suppression of the $NF-{\kappa}B$ signaling pathway and was not dependent on $INF-{\gamma}$ level, which regulates Th2 cytokines.

• Research in Plant Disease
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.196-204
• /
• 2019

Rice panicle blast occurred severely in southern provinces of Korea in 2014. The proportion of panicle blast incidence area to cultivated area of rice were 11.0% and 14.6% in Jeollanam-do and Gyeongsangnam-do, respectively. To identify the causal factors of the outbreak, we investigated weather conditions in August, amount of cultivated area of mainly grown cultivars, and nitrogen contents in plants with different disease incidences in 2014. 'Saenuri,' 'Ilmibyeo,' 'Unkwang,' 'Dongjin 1 ho,' 'Nampyeongbyeo,' and 'Hwangkeumnuri' were mainly grown cultivars. Monthly average of daily air temperature in August 2014 was 3.2℃ and 3.1℃ less than 2018 in Haenam and Miryang, respectively. Rainfall in August 2014 was 70.0% and 42.0% greater than 2018 in Haenam and Miryang, respectively. The numbers of blast warning days in August calculated nationwide using a forecast model for blast infection were higher in 2014 than in 2018, and they were in high level throughout the country in 2014. Nitrogen contents in plant samples from high-incidence plots were significantly higher than those from low-incidence plots. Consequently, excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers was the main factor for the disease outbreak at the level of specific farms, in addition to the collective cultivation of susceptible cultivar, low temperatures and frequent rainfalls in August.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.49 no.1
• /
• pp.51-57
• /
• 2013

As facilities and equipments for learning activities in college campuses are handled by mass public, their contact surfaces may function as major routes of cross-infection of microbial pathogens. However, unlike items in cafeteria which is the typical target for campus hygiene, those surfaces are not under regular surveillance or sanitary maintenance. In this study, I made a quantitative comparison of the risk of being exposed to microbial pathogens from use of learning facilities such as classrooms and library to the risk from use of cafeteria, for about 1,500 students in a college. Regarding total coliforms as surrogate model of bacterial pathogens, exposure rates were estimated for each item in learning facilities and cafeterias by devising deterministic exposure algorithms based on bacterial abundance, contract rates and transfer rates. The exposure rate in cafeterias was 1.0 CFU/day while learning facilities imposed the rate of 0.5 CFU/day, which reaches a half of the exposure rate in cafeterias. However, 70% of students were exposed more in learning facilities than cafeteria because individuals had different frequencies in using cafeteria. Based on the results, some human-contact surfaces of learning facilities, including elevator buttons, may require regular sanitary maintenance. An efficient sanitary maintenance considering seasonality in diversity of pathogens involved with cross-infections is suggested besides improvement of personal hygiene among students.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.8-17
• /
• 1996

The purpose of this study is a comparative evaluation of range motion, especially extension deficit between the group of total patellectomy and that of intact patella, after reconstruction of the patellar tendon in the prosthetic replacement of a proximal tibia. Between 1990 and 1994, 15 patients who had a primary malignancy on proximal tibia were operated on. All patients were evaluated clinically and radiographically. Two patients were excluded because one had a deep infection treated with arthrodesis of the knee and the other was a composite allograft. The mean follow-up of the 13 patients was 27 months(15-47), including 10 osteosarcomas, 1 chondrosarcoma, 1 malignant fibrous histiocytoma and 1 malignant giant cell tumor. Eleven patients had a resection of the proximal tibia and 2 had an extracapsular total knee resection with distal femur. Reconstruction of the defect was done in 8 cases with a custom-made Link Endo-Model Total Rotation Knee Joint Prosthesis, and in 5 with How Medica Modular Resection System (HMRS). We used two methods to reconstruct the ligamentum patellae. Fixation of the patellar tendon to the prosthesis only with suturing and/or stapling(group SS) was done in 7. Transposition of gastrocnemius muscle to enhance fixation and to cover the prosthesis(group TG) was done in 6. Regardless of fixation methods, total patellectomy was done in 5 either to lengthen the patellar tendon or to make primary skin closure easier or for both. In 8 cases, patella was left intact or resurfaced with polyethylene prosthesis. Active extension was measured while the patient was in a sitting position. There is no statistically meaningful difference in terms of extension deficit (Wilcoxon rank test, p=0.8800) between patellectomy group and intact patella group, and between group of fixation only with suturing and that of gastrocnemius transposition. Two cases of extension deficit over 30 degree were seen in group SS and in the group of intact patella. Conclusively, total patellectomy could be an option without increasing the risk of extension deficit when primary skin closure is difficult or patellar tendon is a little bit short to be fixed. There is no rating in the Enneking system of functional evaluation that this finding into consideration.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.13-20
• /
• 1996

A Recent discovery of surface antigens in cells has led to the success of quantitative measurement of T-cell subpopulations, and this has especially opened the way for an epoch-making development in the understanding and classification of cellular immune mechanisms. It is known that phenotypes of T-cell subpopulations exist in many forms according to the variation of species or animal experimental models. In Korea, Clonorchis sinensis still gives rise to public concern as it infects more than eighty million people and threatens the public by causing cirrhosis of the liver, or liver cancer when liver infection becomes prolonged and chronic. Up until now there has been much progress in research and improvement in the classification system of Clonorchis sinensis in the area of humoral immunity, but as for research in the area of cellular immune mechanisms, there is almost none. Knowing all these circumstances, the authors delved for the characterization of Iymphocyte subpopulations with mice as Clonorchis sinensis in the area of cellular immunity, and obtained the following results. That is, we injected Clonorchis sinensis antigens mixed in Freund's ajuvant solution intraperitoneally in mice and measured the T-cell subpopulation characterization of spleen lymphocytes with flow cytometry. The results of these measurements showed that CD2, CD5 and CD8 decreased early following injections but then in-creased again seven weeks after the injections. CD4, however, showed a slight increase shortly after the injection but then a fair increase seven weeks after the injection.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.528-533
• /
• 2004

The immune system acts to protect the host from infectious agents that exist in the environment and from other noxious insults. The immune system has two functional divisions: the innate and the acquired. Both components involve various factors such as cytokines. A number of methodologies exist to assess aspects of immune function. There are large inter-individual variations in many immune functions even among the healthy. Genetics, age, gender, smoking habits, habitual levels of exercise, alcohol consumption, diet, stage in the female menstrual cycle, stress, history of infections and vaccinations, and early life experiences are likely to be important contributors to the observed variation. While it is clear that individuals with immune responses significantly below 'normal' are more susceptible to infectious agents and exhibit increased infectious morbidity and mortality, it is not clear how the variation in immune function among healthy individuals relates to variation in susceptibility to infection. Oriental medicine is an important factor contributing to immune competence. The author investigated the immune enhancement effects of Bojungikkitanggami-bang (BITB). The forced swimming test (FST) has been used as a screening model for new immune enhancement agents. In the present study, the author investigated the effects of BITB on FST and blood biochemical parameters related to fatigue, glucose (Glc); blood urea nitrogen (BUN); lactate dehydrogenase (LDH); creatinine; and total protein (TP). The author found that BITB (1 g/kg) significantly reduced the immobility time in the FST compared to the control. In addition, the contents of Glc, LDH, BUN, TP in the blood serum were increased in BITB (1g/kg)-fed group. Also, the author investigated the effects of BITB on the production of cytokines in human T-cell line, MOLT-4 cells. BITB (1 mg/ml) significantly increased the interferon (IFN)-vproduction compared with media control (about 2.2-fold for IFN-γ) at 24 h. However, BITB has not affect the production of IL-2 and IL-4. In addition, BITB increased the protein expression level of IFN-γ in MOLT-4 cells. Thus, BITB may have therapeutic value in generating or enhancing immune function in a clinical setting.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.313-319
• /
• 1995

The involvement of the cell-wall degrading enzymes in Rhizobium has long been an unsolved question about the infection process in the formation of root nodule. To assess the contribution of the cellulase to the nodulation of rhzobia, here we report the production of cellulase from R. meliloti TAL1372 which degrade carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) model substrate with CMC-plate method. We constructed a genomic library by cloning Sau3A-digested genomic DNA from R. meliloti TAL1372 into the BamHI site of the cosmid vector pLAFR3. Out of more than one thousand transductants of E. coli, one clone (pRC8-71) had CM-cellulase activity and contained pLAFR3 cosmid with 30 kb insert of R. meliloti DNA The product of CM-cellulase gene was analyzed by native PAGE. About 45 kD protein was considered to be a product of the gene. Tn5 mutagenesis reveals that the structural gene located in a ca. 3 kb KpnI fragment. The cellulase-minus mutants of R. meliloti TAL1372 were obtained by Tn5 mutagenesis of pRC8-71 and marker exchange techniques. Analyses of the nodulation ability of these Tn5 mutants showed that the CM-cellulase gene of R. meliloti TAL1372 may be involved in early nodulation development on alfalfa (Medicago satiua).

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
• /
• v.1997 no.05
• /
• pp.374-378
• /
• 1997

Operative procedures such as core drilling with and without fibular bone grafting have been recognized as the treatment methods for osteonecrosis of femoral head(ONFH) by delaying or preventing the collapse of the femoral head. In addition, core drilling with cementation using polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) has been proposed recently as another surgical method. However, no definite treatment modality has been found yet while operative procedures remain controversial to many clinicians In this study, a finite element method(FEM) was employed to analyze and compare various surgical procedures of ONFH to provide a biomechanical insight. This study was based upon biomechanical findings which suggest stress concentration within the femoral head may facilitate the progression of the necrosis and eventual collapse. For this purpose, five anatomically relevant hip models were constructed in three dimensions : they were (1) intact(Type I), (2) necrotic(Type II), (3) core drilled only(Type III), (4) core drilled with fibular bone graft(Type IV), and (5) core drilled with cementation(Type V). Physiologically relevant loading were simulated. Resulting stresses were calculated. Our results showed that the volumetric percentage subjected to high stress in the necrotic cancellous region was greatest in the core drilled only model(Type III), followed by the necrotic(Type II), the bone graft (Type IV), and the cemented(Type V) models. Von Mises stresses at the tip of the graft(Type IV) was found to be twice more than those of cemented core(Type V) indicating the likelihood of the implant failure. In addition, stresses within the cemented core(Type V) were more evenly distributed and relatively lower than within the fibular bone graft(Type IV). In conclusion, our biomechanical analyses have demonstrated that the bone graft method(Type IV) and the cementation method(Type V) are both superior to the core decompression method(Type III) by reducing the high stress regions within the necrotic cancellous bone. Also it was found that the core region filled with PMMA(Type V) provides far smoother transfer of physiological load without causing the concentration of malignant stresses which may lead to the failure than with the fibular bone graft(Type IV). Therefore, considering the above results along with the degree of difficulties and risk of infection involved with preparation of the fibular bone graft, the cementation method appears to be a promising surgical treatment for the early stage of osteonecrosis of the femoral head.