• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.234-243
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• 2006

The recent rapid development of HCI and surveillance technologies has brought great interests in application systems to process faces. Much of research efforts in these systems has been primarily focused on such areas as face recognition, facial expression analysis and facial feature extraction. However, not many approaches have been reported toward face direction detection. This paper proposes a method to detect the direction of a face using a facial feature called facial triangle, which is formed by two eyebrows and the lower lip. Specifically, based on the single monocular view of the face, the proposed method introduces very simple formulas to estimate the horizontal or vertical rotation angle of the face. The horizontal rotation angle can be calculated by using a ratio between the areas of left and right facial triangles, while the vertical angle can be obtained from a ratio between the base and height of facial triangle. Experimental results showed that our method makes it possible to obtain the horizontal angle within an error tolerance of ${\pm}1.68^{\circ}$, and that it performs better as the magnitude of the vertical rotation angle increases.

• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.388-393
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• 2008

The Pphsc70 (heat shock cognate 70) gene was isolated from the endoparasitoid Pteromalus puparum and then characterized. The full-length cDNA was 2204 base pair (bp) and contained a single 1968 bp ORF that encoded a polypeptide of 656 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 71.28 kDa. Phylogenetic analysis based on Hsc70 amino acid sequences from fifteen insect species agreed with the present phylogeny. In addition, genomic DNA confirmed the presence of three introns located at the coding region as well as the 5'UTR. A significant elevation of Pphsc70 expression was observed following heat treatment, however, continued exposure to heat shock or recovery caused the expression of induced mRNA to gradually decline to levels that were significantly lower than those of control pupae (P < 0.05). In addition, a significant increase was observed in the emergence rate of pupae that were preheated at $40^{\circ}C$ and then exposed to $50^{\circ}C$ for 1 h when compared with the pupae that were not preheated, but instead directly exposed to $50^{\circ}C$. Taken together, these results revealed that exposure to gradually increasing temperatures can enhance an insects thermo-tolerance.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.177-184
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• 2009

Three hundred lactic acid bacteria isolated from human feces were studied their probiotic characters to develop potential probiotics. The properties were tested on the basis of guideline for probiotic selection protocol such as tolerance for acid or bile salt, thermal stability, antimicrobial, anticancer cell, and antiviral activity. Strain Miny-148 was selected as a potential probiotic bacterium which showed resistance to low pH, bile salts and thermal stability. On the basis of fatty acid profiles and 16S rDNA sequences analysis, the strain was identified as Lactobacillus pentosus (similarity 99.9%). The strain, L. pentosus Miny-148, showed broad antimicrobial spectrum against E. coli O157:H7, Shigella flexneri, Bacillus anthracis, Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, Vibrio cholerae, V. vulnificus, Salmonella typhimurium, and Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Cell-free culture supernatant of the strain also inhibited against the growth of HT-29 colon cancer cell and transmissible gastroenterits virus.

• Journal of KIISE:Computer Systems and Theory
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.445-453
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• 2003

As cluster systems used for high performance computing consist of large number of running servers, one has to solve the low availability problems occurred by the high chance of the server failures. To handle the problems, it is necessary to have the precise definition of available performance of cluster systems that represents availability and performability of the systems simultaneously. Previous research results that mention availability issues lack for concerning system performance such as waiting time and response time in their availability definition. In this paper, we propose a new availability metric for (n, k)-way cluster systems which compose of n primary servers and k backup servers. With the metric, the change of system performance according to arrival rates is captured and the waiting time of a request can be kept below to a certain level. Using various system operating parameters, we calculate availability and downtime of cluster systems along with waiting tine deadline.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1966-1974
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• 2008

A typical tropical soil from the northeast of Brazil, where an important terrestrial oil field is located, was accidentally contaminated with a mixture of oil and saline production water. To study the bioremediation potential in this area, molecular methods based on PCR-DGGE were used to determine the diversity of the bacterial communities in bulk and in contaminated soils. Bacterial fingerprints revealed that the bacterial communities were affected by the presence of the mixture of oil and production water, and different profiles were observed when the contaminated soils were compared with the control. Halotolerant strains capable of degrading crude oil were also isolated from enrichment cultures obtained from the contaminated soil samples. Twenty-two strains showing these features were characterized genetically by amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) and phenotypically by their colonial morphology and tolerance to high NaCl concentrations. Fifteen ARDRA groups were formed. Selected strains were analyzed by 16S rDNA sequencing, and Actinobacteria was identified as the main group found. Strains were also tested for their growth capability in the presence of different oil derivatives (hexane, dodecane, hexadecane, diesel, gasoline, toluene, naphthalene, o-xylene, and p-xylene) and different degradation profiles were observed. PCR products were obtained from 12 of the 15 ARDRA representatives when they were screened for the presence of the alkane hydroxylase gene (alkB). Members of the genera Rhodococcus and Gordonia were identified as predominant in the soil studied. These genera are usually implicated in oil degradation processes and, as such, the potential for bioremediation in this area can be considered as feasible.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.437-447
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• 2012

Natural and beneficial associations between plants and bacteria have demonstrated potential commercial application for several agricultural crops. The sunflower has acquired increasing importance in Brazilian agribusiness owing to its agronomic characteristics such as the tolerance to edaphoclimatic variations, resistance to pests and diseases, and adaptation to the implements commonly used for maize and soybean, as well as the versatility of the products and by-products obtained from its cultivation. A study of the cultivable bacteria associated with two sunflower cultivars, using classical microbiological methods, successfully obtained isolates from different plant tissues (roots, stems, florets, and rhizosphere). Out of 57 plant-growth-promoting isolates obtained, 45 were identified at the genus level and phylogenetically positioned based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing: 42 Bacillus (B. subtilis, B. cereus, B. thuringiensis, B. pumilus, B. megaterium, and Bacillus sp.) and 3 Methylobacterium komagatae. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis showed a broad diversity among the Bacillus isolates, which clustered into 2 groups with 75% similarity and 13 subgroups with 85% similarity, suggesting that the genetic distance correlated with the source of isolation. The isolates were also analyzed for certain growth-promoting activities. Auxin synthesis was widely distributed among the isolates, with values ranging from 93.34 to 1653.37 ${\mu}M$ auxin per ${\mu}g$ of protein. The phosphate solubilization index ranged from 1.25 to 3.89, and siderophore index varied from 1.15 to 5.25. From a total of 57 isolates, 3 showed an ability to biologically fix atmospheric nitrogen, and 7 showed antagonism against the pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. The results of biochemical characterization allowed identification of potential candidates for the development of biofertilizers targeted to the sunflower crop.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.127-133
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• 2002

The general requirements to achieve the structural integrity of the airframe are described in the military specification, MIL-STD-1530A. One of these requirements is the durability and damage tolerance of the airframe, which should be shown through the analysis and test based on the related specifications. This paper introduces the full scale durability test to evaluate the structural safety and durability of the basic trainer, KT-1. The test was performed according to the procedure in the military specification. The flight by flight load spectrum was developed by KT-1 fatigue load criteria and used for the durability test. The durability test had been performed for 4 service lives and was completed successfully. Therefore, it was shown that KT-1 airframe satisfied the durability requirements.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.123-131
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• 2008

Vitrification methods are convenient for cryopreserving plant specimens, as the specimens are plunged directly into liquid nitrogen (LN) from ambient temperatures. However, tissues and species with poor survival are still not uncommon. The development of vitrification solutions with high survival that cover a range of materials is important. We attempted to develop new vitrification solutions using bromegrass cells and found that VSL, comprising 20% (w/v) glycerol, 30% (w/v) ethylene glycol, 5% (w/v) sucrose, 10% (w/v) DMSO and 10 mM $CaCl_2$, gave the highest survival following cryopreservation, as determined by fluorescein diacetate staining. However, the cryopreserved cells showed little regrowth, for unknown reasons. To check its applicability, VSL was used to cryopreserve gentian axillary buds and the performance was compared with those of conventional vitrification solutions. Excised gentian stem segments with axillary buds (shoot apices) were two-step precultured with sucrose to induce osmotic tolerance prior to cryopreservation. Gentian axillary buds cryopreserved using VSL following the appropriate preculturing approach exhibited 78% survival (determined by the regrowth capacity), which was comparable to PVS2 and PVS1 and far better than PVS3. VSL had a wider optimal incubation time (20-45 min) than PVS2 and was more suitable for cryopreserving gentian buds. The optimal duration of the first step of the preculture was 7-11 days, and preculturing with sucrose and glucose gave a much higher survival than fructose and maltose. VSL was able to vitrify during cooling to LN temperatures, as glass transition and devitrification points were detected in the warming profiles from differential scanning calorimetry. VSL and its derivative, VSL+, seem to have the potential to be good alternatives to PVS2 for the cryopreservation of some materials, as exemplified by gentian buds.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2015

Bee venom has been used as to prevent and treat bovine mastitis as natural antimicrobial compounds in some dairy cattle farms in Korea. It is needed to determine the residual of bee venom in milks of dairy cattle treated with bee venom. Since bee venom is not approved as a raw material for animal drugs, the preprocessing method to detect bee venom residual in milk and the tolerance limit for its residue has not been established yet in Korea. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop pre-processing method not affecting major component of bee venom for detection of its residue in milks using ultra-high performance liauid chromatography (UHPLC). In addition, bee venom residue was also analyzed in milk samples of dairy cattle treated for mastitis with bee venom using UHPLC with the developed pre-processing method in this study. As a result, melittin, histamin and phospolipase A2, the major components of bee venom, were all detected by UHPLC with the pre-processing method developed in this study. The results of this study suggest that the pre-processing method developed in this study can be useful to detect bee venom residue in dairy cattle milk. We also found that no bee venom residues were detected in milk samples collected from dairy cattle treated with bee venom after 1 and 3 days, respectively.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.104-109
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• 2016

Purpose: Regurgitation is a common physiological phenomenon in infants. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of a new anti-regurgitation (AR) formula (Novalac), thickened with an innovative complex including fibres, on the daily number of regurgitations and to assess its impact on stool consistency and frequency. Methods: Infants younger than five months, presenting at least 5 regurgitations per day were recruited in this trial. The efficacy of the new formula on regurgitation (daily number and Vandenplas score), stool frequency and consistency were assessed at day 14 and 90. Growth data were recorded at each study visit. Results: Ninety babies (mean age $9.6{\pm}5.8weeks$) were included in the full analysis data set. The mean number of regurgitation episodes at inclusion was $7.3{\pm}3.4$. In all infants, regurgitations improved after 2 weeks. The daily number of regurgitations decreased significantly ($-6.3{\pm}3.3$, p<0.001) including in those previously fed a thickened formula ($-6.2{\pm}3.0$, p<0.001). There was no significant change in stool consistency at day 14. After 3 months, 97.5% of infants had formed or soft stools. Growth was appropriate with a slight increase of weight-for-age z-score (from $-0.5{\pm}1.0$ to $-0.1{\pm}0.9$) and no change of weight-for length z-score ($-0.1{\pm}1.1$ to $-0.1{\pm}-1.1$). Conclusion: The new AR formula thickened with an innovative complex is very effective in reducing the daily number of regurgitations without having a negative impact on stools consistency.