• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.680-686
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• 2023

Aging is a complex series of multi-organ processes that occur in various organisms. As such, an in vivo study using an animal model of aging is necessary to define its exact mechanisms and identify anti-aging substances. Using Drosophila as an in vivo model system, we identified Crataegus pinnatifida extract (CPE) as a novel anti-aging substance. Regardless of sex, Drosophila treated with CPE showed a significantly increased lifespan compared to those without CPE. In this study, we also evaluated the involvement of CPE in aging-related biochemical pathways, including TOR, stem cell generation, and antioxidative effects, and found that the representative genes of each pathway were induced by CPE administration. CPE administration did not result in significant differences in fecundity, locomotion, feeding amount, or TAG level. These conclusions suggest that CPE is a good candidate as an anti-aging food substance capable of promoting a healthy lifespan.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.18-22
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• 2024

In this study, we performed whole-genome sequencing of Levilactobacillus brevis KL251 (KL251) isolated from kimchi. The KL251 genome, characterized by a circular chromosome spanning 2,345,062 base pairs with a GC content of 45.78%, was analyzed. KL251 contains 2,275 coding DNA sequences (CDSs), 56 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), and 4 ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs). Genes associated with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) production and CRISPR-Cas systems were identified and could potentially be used for GABA synthesis and defense against foreign DNA. Additionally, the presence of functional genes involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis, glutathione generation, and redox sensing showed that cellular metabolism and stress responses were important characteristics of this genome. These genomic findings suggest that the KL251 strain could potentially have several applications, including food fermentation, probiotics, dairy product starters, and the development of health-enhancing products.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.427-435
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• 2008

In this review, we discuss the genes and the related signal pathways that regulate aging and longevity by reviewing recent findings of genetic longevity models in rodents in reference to findings with lower organisms. We also paid special attention to the genes and signals mediating the effects of calorie restriction (CR), a powerful intervention that slows the aging process and extends the lifespan in a range of organisms. An evolutionary view emphasizes the roles of nutrient-sensing and neuroendocrine adaptation to food shortage as the mechanisms underlying the effects of CR. Genetic and non-genetic interventions without CR suggest a role for single or combined hormonal signals that partly mediate the effect of CR. Longevity genes fall into two categories, genes relevant to nutrient-sensing systems and those associated with mitochondrial function or redox regulation. In mammals, disrupted or reduced growth hormone (GH)-insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 signaling robustly favors longevity. CR also suppresses the GH-IGF-1 axis, indicating the importance of this signal pathway. Surprisingly, there are very few longevity models to evaluate the enhanced anti-oxidative mechanism, while there is substantial evidence supporting the oxidative stress and damage theory of aging. Either increased or reduced mitochondrial function may extend the lifespan. The role of redox regulation and mitochondrial function in CR remains to be elucidated.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.197-203
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• 2001

Micro-defects induced by design and production failure or working environments are known as the cause of SCC(Stress Corrosion Cracking) in aged structures. Therefore, the evaluation of structural integrity based on micro-cracks is required not only a manufacturing step but also in-service term. So we introduce a new nondestructive inspection method using the magneto-optical film to detect micro-cracks. The method has some advantage such as high testing speed, real time data acquistion and the possibility of remote sensing by using of a magneto-optical film that takes advantage of the change of magnetic domains and domain walls. This paper introduces the concept of the new nondestructive inspection method using the magneto-optical film, also proves the possibility of this method as a remote testing system under oscillating load considering application on real fields by applying the method to four types of specimens.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Surveying, Geodesy, Photogrammetry and Cartography
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.81-91
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• 1991

This thesis aims to improve the analysis accuracy of remotely sensed digital imagery, and the improvement is achieved by considering the weight factors(a priori probabilities) of Bayesian MLC in the classification stage. To be concrete, Bayesian decision theory is studied from remote sensing field of view, and the equations in the n-dimensional form are derived from normal probability density functions. The amount of the misclassified pixels is extracted from probability function data using the thres-holding, and this is a basis of evaluating the classification accuracy. The results indicate that 5.21% of accuracy improvement was carried out. The data used in this study is LANDSAT TM(1985.10.21 ; 116-34), and the study area is within the administrative boundary of Seoul.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.6 no.5_6
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• pp.641-659
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• 2010

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) gradually becomes a technique for ensuring the health and safety of civil infrastructures and is also an important approach for the research of the damage accumulation and disaster evolving characteristics of civil infrastructures. It is attracting prodigious research interests and the active development interests of scientists and engineers because a great number of civil infrastructures are planned and built every year in mainland China. In a SHM system the sheer number of accompanying wires, fiber optic cables, and other physical transmission medium is usually prohibitive, particularly for such structures as offshore platforms and long-span structures. Fortunately, with recent advances in technologies in sensing, wireless communication, and micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS), wireless sensor technique has been developing rapidly and is being used gradually in the SHM of civil engineering structures. In this paper, some recent advances in the research, development, and implementation of wireless sensors for the SHM of civil infrastructures in mainland China, especially in Dalian University of Technology (DUT) and Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), are introduced. Firstly, a kind of wireless digital acceleration sensors for structural global monitoring is designed and validated in an offshore structure model. Secondly, wireless inclination sensor systems based on Frequency-hopping techniques are developed and applied successfully to swing monitoring of large-scale hook structures. Thirdly, wireless acquisition systems integrating with different sensing materials, such as Polyvinylidene Fluoride(PVDF), strain gauge, piezoresistive stress/strain sensors fabricated by using the nickel powder-filled cement-based composite, are proposed for structural local monitoring, and validating the characteristics of the above materials. Finally, solutions to the key problem of finite energy for wireless sensors networks are discussed, with future works also being introduced, for example, the wireless sensor networks powered by corrosion signal for corrosion monitoring and rapid diagnosis for large structures.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.120-122
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• 2007

All living organisms use numerous signal-transduction pathways to sense and respond to their environments and thereby survive and proliferate in a range of biological niches. Molecular dissection of these signalling networks has increased our understanding of these communication processes and provides a platform for therapeutic intervention when these pathways malfunction in disease states, including infection. Owing to the expanding availability of sequenced genomes, a wealth of genetic and molecular tools and the conservation of signalling networks, members of the fungal kingdom serve as excellent model systems for more complex, multicellular organisms. Here, we employed Cryptococcus neoformans as a model system to understand how fungal-signalling circuits operate at the molecular level to sense and respond to a plethora of environmental stresses, including osmoticshock, UV, high temperature, oxidative stress and toxic drugs/metabolites. The stress-activated p38/Hog1 MAPK pathway is structurally conserved in many organisms as diverse as yeast and mammals, but its regulation is uniquely specialized in a majority of clinical Cryptococcus neoformans serotype A and D strains to control differentiation and virulence factor regulation. C. neoformans Hog1 MAPK is controlled by Pbs2 MAPK kinase (MAPKK). The Pbs2-Hog1 MAPK cascade is controlled by the fungal "two-component" system that is composed of a response regulator, Ssk1, and multiple sensor kinases, including two-component.like (Tco) 1 and Tco2. Tco1 and Tco2 play shared and distinct roles in stress responses and drug sensitivity through the Hog1 MAPK system. Furthermore, each sensor kinase mediates unique cellular functions for virulence and morphological differentiation. We also identified and characterized the Ssk2 MAPKKK upstream of the MAPKK Pbs2 and the MAPK Hog1 in C. neoformans. The SSK2 gene was identified as a potential component responsible for differential Hog1 regulation between the serotype D sibling f1 strains B3501 and B3502 through comparative analysis of their meiotic map with the meiotic segregation of Hog1-dependent sensitivity to the fungicide fludioxonil. Ssk2 is the only polymorphic component in the Hog1 MAPK module, including two coding sequence changes between the SSK2 alleles in B3501 and B3502 strains. To further support this finding, the SSK2 allele exchange completely swapped Hog1-related phenotypes between B3501 and B3502 strains. In the serotype A strain H99, disruption of the SSK2 gene dramatically enhanced capsule biosynthesis and mating efficiency, similar to pbs2 and hog1 mutations. Furthermore, ssk2, pbs2, and hog1 mutants are all hypersensitive to a variety of stresses and completely resistant to fludioxonil. Taken together, these findings indicate that Ssk2 is the critical interface protein connecting the two-component system and the Pbs2-Hog1 pathway in C. neoformans.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.295-301
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• 2011

Aquaporin is a water channel protein, which is classified as Major Intrinsic Protein (MIP), found in almost all organisms from bacteria to human. To date, more than 200 members of this family were identified. There are two major categories of MIP channels, orthodox aquaporins and aquaglyceroporins, which facilitate the diffusion across biological membranes of water or glycerol and other uncharged compounds, respectively. The full genome sequencing of various fungal species revealed 3 to 5 aquaporins in their genome. Although some functions of aquaporins found in yeast were characterized, however, no functional characteristics were studied so far in filamentous fungi, including Aspergillus sp. In this study, one orthodox aquaporin homolog gene, aqpA, and four aquaglyceroporin homologs, aqpB-E, in a model filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans were identified and the function of the aqpA gene was characterized. Knock-out of the aqpA gene didn't show any obvious phenotypic change under the osmotic stress, indicating that the function of the gene does not involved in the osmotic stress response or the function could be redundant. However, the mutant showed antifungal susceptibility resistance phenotype, suggesting that the function of the aqpA gene could be involved in sensing the antifungal substances rather than the osmotic stress response.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.130-134
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• 2019

In this paper, a laser-based non-contact load cell is newly developed for measuring forces in prestressed concrete tendons. First, alumina particles have been sprayed onto an empty load cell which has no strain gauges on it, and the layer has been used as a passive stress sensor. Then, the spectral shifts in fluorescence spectroscopy have been measured using a laser-based spectroscopic system under various force levels, and it has been found that the relation of applied force and spectral shift is linear in a lab-scale test. To validate the field applicability of the customized load cell, a full-scale prestressed concrete specimen has been constructed in a yard. During the field test, it was, however, found that the coating surface has irregular stress distribution. Therefore, the location of a probe has to be fixed onto the customized load cell for using the coating layer as a passive stress sensor. So, a prototype customized load cell has been manufactured, which consists of a probe mount on its casing. Then, by performing lab-scale uniaxial compression tests with the prototype load cell, a linear relation between compression stress and spectrum shift at a specific point where laser light had been illuminated has been detected. Thus, it has a high possibility to use the prototype load cell as a force sensor of prestressed concrete tendons.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.369-374
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• 2015

In this paper, an EM sensing based prestressing force estimation method is proposed, in which it can estimate tensile force of PS tendon for PSC girder. The PSC girder has more improved performance than the general concrete girder by introducing the prestressing to the concrete. Thus the PSC girder bridge is widely constructed due to its high performance and low cost. However, the prestressing force has not been managed nevertheless it is major factor for the maintenance of the PSC girder bridge. The prestressing force was just measured during construction using jacking device and after that, it can not be managed. For this reason, this paper proposes a tensile force estimation method of PS tendon based on EM sensor. The permeability of ferroelectric material is changed according to the induced stress to the material, in which it can be measured using EM sensor. To measure the permeability of PS tendon, the EM sensor was fabricated and verified by performing the MTS test. The test was performed using 7-wire steel tendon under the 0, 40, 80, 120, 160, 200 KN of tensile force. The permeability of PS tendon was gradually decreased according to the increasement of tensile force. The regression method was used to find the relation between permeability and stress. As a result, the permeability has linear relation with the tensile force of PS tendon and the pre-stressing force can be estimated by the derived estimation equation.