• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.87-95
• /
• 2008

Neural stem/precursor derived from pluripotent human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) has considerable therapeutic potential due to their ability to generate various neural cells which can be used in cell-replacement therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. However, production of neural cells from hESCs remains technically very difficult. Understanding neural-tube like rosette characteristic neural precursor cells from hESCs may provide useful information to increase the efficiency of hESC neural differentiation. Generally, neural rosettes were derived from differentiating hEBs in attached culture system, however this is time-consuming and complicated. Here, we examined if neural rosettes could be formed in suspension culture system by bypassing attachment requirement. First, we tested whether the size of hESC clumps affected the formation of human embryonic bodies (hEBs) and neural differentiation. We confirmed that hEBs derived from $500{\times}500\;{\mu}m$ square sized hESC clumps were effectively differentiated into neural lineage than those of the other sizes. To induce the rosette formation, regular size hEBs were derived by incubation of hESC clumps($500{\times}500\;{\mu}m$) in EB medium for 1 wk in a suspended condition on low attachment culture dish and further incubated for additional $1{\sim}2$ wks in neuroectodermal sphere(NES)-culture medium. We observed the neural tube-like rosette structure from hEBs after $7{\sim}10$ days of differentiation. Their identity as a neural precursor cells was assessed by measuring their expressions of neural precursor markers(Vimentin, Nestin, MSI1, MSI2, Prominin-1, Pax6, Sox1, N-cadherin, Otx2, and Tuj1) by RT-PCR and immunofluorescence staining. We also confirmed that neural rosettes could be terminally differentiated into mature neural cell types by additional incubation for $2{\sim}6$ wks with NES medium without growth factors. Neuronal(Tuj1, MAP2, GABA) and glial($S100{\beta}$ and GFAP) markers were highly expressed after $2{\sim}3$ and 4 wks of incubation, respectively. Expression of oligodendrocyte markers O1 and CNPase was significantly increased after $5{\sim}6$ wks of incubation. Our results demonstrate that rosette forming neural precursor cells could be successfully derived from suspension culture system and that will not only help us understand the neural differentiation process of hESCs but also simplify the derivation process of neural precursors from hESCs.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.38-53
• /
• 2007

In a seminal judgment of November 2002 (Case C-476/98) relating to the compatibility with Community laws of the 'nationality clause' in the 1996 amending protocol to the 1955 U.S.-German Air Services Agreement, the European Court of Justice(ECJ) decided that the provision constituted a measure of an intrinsically discriminatory nature and was thus contrary to the principle of national treatment established under Art. 52 of the EC Treaty. The Court, rejecting bluntly the German government' submissions relying on public policy grounds(Art. 56, EC Treaty), seemed content to declare and rule that the protocol provision requiring a contracting state party to ensure substantial ownership and effective control by its nationals of its designated airlines had violated the requirement of national treatment reserved for other Community Members under the salient Treaty provision. The German counterclaims against the Commission, although tantalizing not only from the perusal of the judgment but from the perspective of international air law, were nonetheless invariably correct and to the point. For such a clause has been justified to defend the 'fundamental interests of society from a serious threat' that may result from granting operating licenses or necessary technical authorizations to an airline company of a third country. Indeed, the nationality clause has been inserted in most of the liberal bilaterals to allow the parties to enforce their own national laws and regulations governing aviation safety and security. Such a clause is not targeted as a device for discriminating against the nationals of any third State. It simply acts as the minimum legal safeguards against aviation risk empowering a party to take legal control of the designated airlines. Unfortunately, the German call for the review of such a foremost objective and rationale underlying the nationality clause landed on the deaf ears of the Court which appeared quite happy not to take stock of the potential implications and consequences in its absence and of the legality under international law of the 'national treatment' requirement of Community laws. Again, while US law limits foreign shareholders to 24.9% of its airlines, the European Community limits non-EC ownership to 49%, precluding any ownership and effective control by foreign nationals of EC airlines, let alone any foreign takeover and merger. Given this, it appears inconsistent and unreasonable for the EC to demand, $vis-{\grave{a}}-vis$ a non-EC third State, national treatment for all of its Member States. The ECJ's decision was also wrongly premised on the precedence of Community laws over international law, and in particular, international air law. It simply is another form of asserting and enforcing de facto extraterritorial application of Community laws to a non-EC third country. Again, the ruling runs counter to an established rule of international law that a treaty does not, as a matter of principle, create either obligations or rights for a third State. Aside from the legal problems, the 'national treatment' may not be economically justified either, in light of the free-rider problem and resulting externalities or inefficiency. On the strength of international law and economics, therefore, airlines of Community Members other than the designated German and U.S. air carriers are neither eligible for traffic rights, nor entitled to operate between or 'free-ride' on the U.S. and German points. All in all and in all fairness, the European Court's ruling was nothing short of an outright condemnation of established rules and principles of international law and international air law. Nor is the national treatment requirement justified by the economic logic of deregulation or liberalization of aviation markets. Nor has the requirement much to do with fair competition and increased efficiency.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.21 no.7
• /
• pp.255-261
• /
• 2020

This study was undertaken to evaluate the growth, body shape and carcass cutting yield traits of Duroc (D) and crossbred (Duroc×Pietrain×Pietrain; DPP) pigs. A total of 147 D and 101 DPP pigs were used for analyzing the growth trait, whereas 16 D and 16 DPP pigs were evaluated for carcass yields. Backfat thickness (BF) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) were significantly higher in D (14.07±0.24 mm, 2,101 g) than in DPP (12.69±3.25 mm, 1,909 g) (p <0.001). Moreover, D exhibited significantly higher body shape traits including body height (BH), chest depth (CD) and chest width (CW), as compared to DPP pigs (p <0.001). No differences were observed for body length (BL) between the two strains. Analysis of the carcass cutting yield traits determined for D and DPP were in the order: ham (HM; 31.17% and 33.43%), belly (BY; 23.40% and 19.55%), and picnic shoulder (PS; 16.54% and 16.87%), respectively. Then, HM showed a difference of 2.26% P with D(31.17%) and DPP(33.43%), while BY showed a difference of 3.85% P with D(23.40%) and DPP(19.55%). Taken together, our results indicate that DPP has a better feed efficiency than D, and therefore has the potential to increase the production of low-fat pork, targeting consumers having a high preference who have opted for a healthy lifestyle. These results can be used as basic data for developing an ideal pig breed.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.69-78
• /
• 2011

Rice is one of the world's staple foods. Paddy rice fields have unique biophysical characteristics that the rice is grown on flooded soils unlike other crops. Information on the spatial distribution of paddy fields and the timing of irrigation are of importance to determine hydrological balance and efficiency of water resource management. In this paper, we detected the timing of irrigation and spatial distribution of paddy fields using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor onboard the NASA EOS Aqua satellite. The timing of irrigation was detected by the combined use of MODIS-based vegetation index and Land Surface Water Index (LSWI). The detected timing of irrigation showed good agreement with field observations from two flux sites in Korea and Japan. Based on the irrigation detection, a land cover map of paddy fields was generated with subsidiary information on seasonal patterns of MODIS enhanced vegetation index (EVI). When the MODISbased paddy field map was compared with a land cover map from the Ministry of Environment, Korea, it overestimated the regions with large paddies but underestimated those with small and fragmented paddies. Potential reasons for such spatial discrepancies may be attributed to coarse pixel resolution (500 m) of MODIS images, uncertainty in parameterization of threshold values for discarding forest and water pixels, and the application of LSWI threshold value developed for paddy fields in China. Nevertheless, this study showed that an improved utilization of seasonal patterns of MODIS vegetation and water-related indices could be applied in water resource management and enhanced estimation of evapotranspiration from paddy fields.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.30 no.7
• /
• pp.721-728
• /
• 2008

DBPs(Disinfection By-Products) are most formed through the reactions between chlorine and NOM(Natural Organic Matter) in water treatment. In this study, occurrence of DBPs including THMs(Trihalomethanes) is evaluated. Also, influencing factors by the seasons and raw water quality were investigated for correlation among them and the characteristics of THMs formation by prechlorination process. This study investigated the operation condition for THMs removal depending on raw water quality. Water treatment plant from intake station to gauging well flows for about 10 hours in Y Water Supply Office. It is limited to control of THMs formation because of excessive reaction time between chlorine and THMs precursors in the intake station. Therefore, as multi-points prechlorination from intake station to gauging well, THMs formation was decreased in the water treatment, and it was willing to prevent overdosage of chlorine. The concentration of THMs was 0.021 mg/L in the summer, 0.015 mg/L in the winter, respectively. Also, THMs formation showed that 0.013 mg/L in the water of gauging well after prechlorination, 0.014 mg/L in the flocculation/sedimentation/filtration, 0.016 mg/L in the water after postchlorination, respectively. THMFP(Trihalomethane Formation Potential) removed 42.7% and 50% through the flocculation/sedimentation and filtration, respectively, and it is similar TOC removal efficiency. In this study, multi-points prechlorination from intake station to gauging well decreases in contact time and concencrations of NOM and chlorine. Also, it decreases in THMs and amount of chlorine uesd. In the result of multi-points prechlorination in the summer, the concentration of THMs was 0.013mg/L in the treated water. In view of these facts, THMs formation can be decreased approximately 50%.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.52 no.2
• /
• pp.181-186
• /
• 2009

Purpose : Inflammation plays a potential role in the pathogenesis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Strategies for preventing BPD include respiratory management, antioxidants, nutritional treatment, and others such as anti-inflammatory agents. We aimed to assess the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of montelukast (MK), a cysteinyl leukotriene 1 receptor antagonist, as an add-on therapy in BPD. Methods : In addition to currently available standard measures such as oxygen supplementation, bronchodilators, nutritional support, and/or diuretics, montelukast was administered to 15 preterm infants with BPD. MK was given orally (1 mg/kg/d) for a mean period of 12 weeks. We compared safety and efficacy parameters with historical controls. Results : All 15 patients survived, and no differences were found in the incidence of adverse reactions between the 2 groups. The ventilation index was significantly improved after 2 weeks in MK group compared with historical controls. There were no significant differences in other respiratory parameters (MAP, oxygen dependency, and ventilator dependency) between the groups, but the MK group showed trends of greater improvement. Conclusion : Administration of MK 1 mg/kg/d was well tolerated in preterm BPD patients as an add-on therapy. We demonstrated that after 2 weeks of MK administration of 1 mg/kg/d, MK had beneficial therapeutic effects on BPD patients as an add-on to the standard therapy. Further multicenter randomized controlled clinical trials are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of MK as a useful supplement to standard therapy for BPD patients.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.34 no.12
• /
• pp.792-800
• /
• 2012

The study was performed to simulate the reduction efficiency of suspended solids (SS) for cultivated land located at riverine area at the Namhan River and the Bukhan River watershed sites (site A, B, C) under the rainfall conditions using HUFF & SCS UH-based VFS Design module of Web GIS-based VFSMOD System. The study indicates that the field 5% sloped, located at Bukhan River watershed (site A), requires at least 0.5 m width of Vegetative Filter Strip (VFS) to reduce 70% of SS while the field 10% sloped requires the at least 1.0~1.5 m width of VFS to reduce 70% SS, under the condition 106.2 mm of rainfall event and bell pepper or corn of crops. Against the conditions 95.1 mm of rainfall event and sweet potato or soy bean of crops, the field 5% sloped, located at Namhan River watershed (site B) requires at least 0.5 m width of VFS to reduce 70% of SS while the field 10% sloped requires at least 1.0 m width of VFS to reduce 50% SS. The crops sweet potato and soy bean are cultivated in the site C, located at Namhan River watershed, 1 m of VFS is capable of 64.0% and 62.0% of SS reduction against 102.6 mm and 151.2 mm rainfall conditions respectively, for the 5% sloped field. The result supports that VFS is one of most potential methods to reduce SS from cultivated area, which is environment-friendly hydrologic structure. The VFS design, however, needs to be simulated before its installation in the field, the simulation needs to consider not only various characteristics of the field but also different conditions affecting the VFS, using a model capable to consider a lot of factors.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
• /
• v.42 no.1
• /
• pp.33-50
• /
• 2009

The impact on hydrologic components considering future potential climate, land use change and vegetation cover information was assessed using SLURP (Semi-distributed Land-Use Runoff Process) continuous hydrologic model. The model was calibrated (1999 - 2000) and validated (2001 - 2002) for the upstream watershed ($260.4\;km^2$) of Gyeongancheon water level gauging station with the coefficient of determination and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency ranging from 0.77 to 0.60 and 0.79 to 0.60, respectively. Two GCMs (MIROC3.2hires, ECHAM5-OM) future weather data of high (A2), middle (A1B) and low (B1) emission scenarios of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) were adopted and the data was corrected by 20C3M (20th Century Climate Coupled Model) and downscaled by Change Factor (CF) method using 30 years (1977 - 2006, baseline period) weather data. Three periods data of 2010 - 2039 (2020s), 2040 - 2069 (2050s), 2070 - 2099 (2080s) were prepared. To reduce the uncertainty of land surface conditions, future land use and vegetation canopy prediction were tried by CA-Markov technique and NOAA NDVI-Temperature relationship respectively. MIROC3.2 hires and ECHAM5-OM showed increase tendency in annual streamflow up to 21.4 % for 2080 A1B and 8.9 % for 2050 A1B scenario respectively. The portion of future predicted ET about precipitation increased up to 3 % in MIROC3.2 hires and 16 % in ECHAM5-OM respectively. The future soil moisture content slightly increased compared to 2002 soil moisture.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.282-287
• /
• 1996

This study was conducted to identify the parameter better representing the nitrogen supply capacity of soils for the vegetable crops growing in vinylhouse. All the parameters showed significant positive correlation with the yield of chinese cabbage. The correlation coefficients were in the order of $NO{_3}^--N+NH{_4}^+-N(2M\;KCl)$ > $NO{_3}^--N(2M\;KCl)$ > OM > T-N > 0.01M $NaHCO_3$ > 0.01M $CaCl_2$ > $NH{_4}^+-N(2M\;KCl)$ > 6N HCl. Between the soil N and N absorbed by plant, the correlation coefficients were in the order of $NO{_3}^--N+NH{_4}^+-N(2M\;KCl)$ > $NO{_3}^--N(2M\;KCl)$ > 0.01M $NaHCO_3$ > $NH{_4}^+-N(2M\;KCl)$ > 0.01M $CaCl_2$ > OM > T-N > 6N HCl. The results of this study suggest that 2M KCl extractable inorganic N. 2M KCl extractable $NO{_3}^--N$ are recommendable parameters for the estimation of N supply capacity of the vinylhouse soils. The sum of soil $NO{_3}^--N$ and fertilizer nitrogen showed highly significant positive correlation with the yields of chinese cabbage and nitrogen absorbed by the plant, while negative correlation with the nitrogen use efficiency.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.11
• /
• pp.4603-4608
• /
• 2015

Background: To determine the potential value of serum tumor markers in predicting pCR (pathological complete response) during neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively monitored the pro-, mid-, and post-neoadjuvant treatment serum tumor marker concentrations in patients with locally advanced breast cancer (stage II-III) who accepted pre-surgical chemotherapy or chemotherapy in combination with targeted therapy at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center between September 2011 and January 2014 and investigated the association of serum tumor marker levels with therapeutic effect. Core needle biopsy samples were assessed using immunohistochemistry (IHC) prior to neoadjuvant treatment to determine hormone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2), and proliferation index Ki67 values. In our study, therapeutic response was evaluated by pCR, defined as the disappearance of all invasive cancer cells from excised tissue (including primary lesion and axillary lymph nodes) after completion of chemotherapy. Analysis of variance of repeated measures and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were employed for statistical analysis of the data. Results: A total of 348 patients were recruited in our study after excluding patients with incomplete clinical information. Of these, 106 patients were observed to have acquired pCR status after treatment completion, accounting for approximately 30.5% of study individuals. In addition, 147patients were determined to be Her-2 positive, among whom the pCR rate was 45.6% (69 patients). General linear model analysis (repeated measures analysis of variance) showed that the concentration of cancer antigen (CA) 15-3 increased after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in both pCR and non-pCR groups, and that there were significant differences between the two groups (P=0.008). The areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) of pre-, mid-, and post-treatment CA15-3 concentrations demonstrated low-level predictive value (AUC=0.594, 0.644, 0.621, respectively). No significant differences in carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) or CA12-5 serum levels were observed between the pCR and non-pCR groups (P=0.196 and 0.693, respectively). No efficient AUC of CEA or CA12-5 concentrations were observed to predict patient response toward neoadjuvant treatment (both less than 0.7), nor were differences between the two groups observed at different time points. We then analyzed the Her-2 positive subset of our cohort. Significant differences in CEA concentrations were identified between the pCR and non-pCR groups (P=0.039), but not in CA15-3 or CA12-5 levels (p=0.092 and 0.89, respectively). None of the ROC curves showed underlying prognostic value, as the AUCs of these three markers were less than 0.7. The ROC-AUCs for the CA12-5 concentrations of inter-and post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the estrogen receptor negative HER2 positive subgroup were 0.735 and 0.767, respectively. However, the specificity and sensitivity values were at odds with each other which meant that improving either the sensitivity or specificity would impair the efficiency of the other. Conclusions: Serum tumor markers CA15-3, CA12-5, and CEA might have little clinical significance in predicting neoadjuvant treatment response in locally advanced breast cancer.