• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.12
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• pp.907-911
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• 2014

The function of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as second messengers in cell differentiation has been demonstrated only for a limited number of cell types. Here, we used a well-established protocol for BMP2-induced neuronal differentiation of neural crest stem cells (NCSCs) to examine the function of BMP2-induced ROS during the process. We first show that BMP2 indeed induces ROS generation in NCSCs and that blocking ROS generation by pretreatment of cells with diphenyleneiodonium (DPI) as NADPH oxidase (Nox) inhibitor inhibits neuronal differentiation. Among the ROS-generating Nox isozymes, only Nox4 was expressed at a detectable level in NCSCs. Nox4 appears to be critical for survival of NCSCs at least in vitro as down-regulation by RNA interference led to apoptotic response from NCSCs. Interestingly, development of neural crest-derived peripheral neural structures in Nox4-/- mouse appears to be grossly normal, although Nox4-/- embryos were born at a sub-Mendelian ratio and showed delayed over-all development. Specifically, cranial and dorsal root ganglia, derived from NCSCs, were clearly present in Nox4-/- embryo at embryonic days (E) 9.5 and 10.5. These results suggest that Nox4-mediated ROS generation likely plays important role in fate determination and differentiation of NCSCs, but other Nox isozymes play redundant function during embryogenesis.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2002.08a
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• pp.9-10
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• 2002

Human circulatory system between heart and tissue is not directly connected in normal condition but mandatory to go through the capillary system in order to fulfill its physiologic aim to deliver oxygen and nutrients, etc. to the tissue and retrieve used blood together with waste products from the tissue properly. When abnormal connection between arterial and venous system (AV fistula), these two circulatory systems respond differently to the hemodynamic impact of this abnormal connection between high pressure (artery) and low pressure (vein) system. Depending upon the location and/or degree (e.g. size and flow) of fistulous condition, each circulatory system exerts different compensatory hemodynamic response to this newly developed abnormal inter-relationship between two systems in order to minimize its hemodynamic impact to own system of different hemodynamic characteristics. Pump action of the heart can assist the failing arterial system directly to maintain arterial circulation against newly established low peripheral resistance by the AV fistula during the compensation period, while it affects venous system in negative way with increased venous loading. However, the negative impact of increased heart action to the venous system is partly compensated by the lymphatic system which is the third circulatory system to assist venous system independently with different hemodynamics. The lymphatic system with own unique Iymphodynamics based on peristaltic circulation from low resistance to high resistance condition, also increases its circulation to assist the compensation of overloaded venous system. Once these compensation mechanisms should fail to fight to newly established hemodynamic condition due to this abnormal AV connection, each system start to show different physiologic ${\underline{de}compensation}$ including heart and lymphatic system. The vicious cycle of decompensation between arterial and vein, two circulatory system affecting each other by mutually negative way steadily progresses to show series of hemodynamic change throughout entire circulation system altogether including heart. Clinical outcome of AV fistula from the compensated status to decompensated status is closely affected by various biological and mechanical factors to make the hemodynmic status more complicated. Proper understanding of these crucial biomechanical factors iii particular on hemodyanmic point of view is mandatory for the advanced assessment of biomechanical impact of AV fistula, since this new advanced concept of AY fistula based on blomechanical information will be able to improve clinical control of the complicated AV fistula, either congenital or acquired.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.134-139
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• 2020

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a part of the normal skin flora of humans. However, it can cause serious infections in people exposed to foreign bodies or in immunocompromised patients. A 13-year-old boy was hospitalized with fever and myalgia. Painful nodular lesions were detected on the scalp, arms, and legs. Pancytopenia and blasts were present in the peripheral blood. He was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Magnetic resonance imaging of the whole body showed multiple peripheral rim-enhancing, cyst-like lesions. Ultrasonography showed echogenic nodules inside the cystic lesions in the intramuscular space of the arms and legs. Therefore, cysticercosis was strongly suggested initially. However, an abscess was confirmed on sono-guided biopsy and S. epidermidis was isolated from a microbial culture of the tissue. We report a case of multiple disseminated lesions caused by S. epidermidis in a leukemia patient, initially mistaken for cysticercosis.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 1999

The pharmacological actions of ambrein were investigated alone or in combination as a pretreatment with agonists (adrenaline, noradrenaline, acetylcholine, histamine, nicotine), antagonists (atropine, atenolol) and calcium channel blocker (verapamil) in vivo in anaesthetized SWR rats using blood pressure, heart rate and myocardial contractility as parameters. Ambrein in the dose range of 50-200 mg/kg to the normotensive anaesthetized rats demonstrated negative chronotropic effect and increased the myocardial contractility significantly. At the mid dose (100 mg/kg) this increase in contractile force was 36% and 44% above the normal at 30 min and 60 min intervals post-treatment, respectively. Both of the lower and high doses (50 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg) had similar effects. Furthermore, this contractile response was dose related. Also, this compound produced a considerable increase in myocardial contractility when used as a pretreatment with some agonists and antagonists. The results on blood pressure did not show a considerable change when ambrein was used alone. However, ambrein pretreatment at the dose of 100 mg/kg did not block the effects of adrenaline, noradrenaline, isoprenaline and acetylcholine on heart rate and blood pressure. On the other hand, this pretreatment attenuated the sympathoadrenal effects of nicotine significantly. Chronotropic and blood pressure changes produced by histamine were also inhibited by ambrein pretreatment. This pretreatment significantly reversed the effects of atenolol but failed to demonstrate any change in the negative chronotropic, inotropic and hypotensive responses induced by verapamil. It is concluded that ambrein induced nonselective dose dependent antagonism of the effects of some agonists and antagonists require contribution of some neuromediators. However, the positive isotropic effects of ambrein possibly involve the enhancement of slow Ca channels and/or activation of ${\beta}-adrenergic$ receptors in the heart. At this moment it is difficult to explain the exact mode of action of ambrein and the studies dealing with Ca channel blocker and adrenergic blocker followed by ambrein may help to define the factors which contribute to its positive inotropic effects.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.279-282
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• 2012

Clinical-chemical traits are commonly used biomarkers to examine the health status of individuals. There is an appreciable range of normal variation in most clinical-chemical traits and the determining factors of this variation have been relatively uninvestigated in chickens. The aim of this study was to estimate the genetic parameters (i.e., heritability, genetic correlation) for 8 clinical-chemical traits (glucose, total protein, creatinine, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase and amylase) in an $F_1$ intercross established by purebred breeding among the 5 lines of Korean native chickens. Phenotypic data were collected from approximately 600 $F_1$ animals. The genetic parameters for the clinical-chemical traits estimated by a mixed animal model using the restricted maximum likelihood method were presented. Estimated heritabilities ranged from 8.9% (glucose) to 39.6% (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol). Interestingly, both the sign and the size of the genetic and phenotypic correlations were largely different between the same several pair of clinical-chemical traits. The findings in this study will provide useful information to address issues in both quantitative trait locus study and genetic management in Korean native chickens.

• Transactions of the KSME C: Technology and Education
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.183-191
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• 2015

In this study, the finite element analysis was carried out to investigate dynamic characteristics of the AGF(Active Gurney Flap) which is under development for reducing vibration and noise of the helicopter rotor system. The Gurney flap is a kind of small flat plate, mounted normal to the lower surface of the airfoil near to the trailing edge. An electric motor, L-shaped linkages and flap parts were integrated into a rotor bade, and 3~5/rev control was given to the AGF to reduce the vibration in the fixed frame. Thus, an explicit time integration method was adopted to investigate the dynamic response of the AGF with considering both centrifugal force due to the rotor rotation and active control input, and it can be seen that the vertical displacement of the AGF was satisfied to meet the design requirement.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.780-786
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• 2005

This study presents a non-video, non-invasive, automatic, on-site monitoring system the system employs ultrasonic transducers to detect behavior in sows before, during and after parturition. An ultrasonic transmitting/receiving (T/R) circuit of 40 kHz was mounted above a conventional parturition bed. The T/R units use ultrasonic time-of-flight (TOF) ranging technology to measure the height of the confined sows at eight predetermined locations. From this data, three momentary postures of the sow are determined, characterized as standing-posture (SP), lateral-lying-posture (LLP) and sitting posture (STP). By examining the frequencies of position switch Stand-Up-Sequence (SUS) between standing-posture (SP), lateral-lying-posture (LLP) and sitting-posture (STP) rate can be determined for the duration of the sow' confinement. Three experimental pureblooded Landrace sows undergoing normal gestation were monitored for the duration of confinement. In agreement with common observation, the sows exhibited increased restlessness as parturition approached. Analysis of the data collected in our study showed a distinct peak in Stand-Up-Sequence (SUS, i.e. the transition from lying laterally to standing up ) and sitting-posture (STP) rate approximately 12 h prior to parturition, the observed peak being 5 to 10 times higher than observed on any other measurement day. It is concluded that the presented methodology is a robust, low-cost, lowlabor method for the continuous remote monitoring of sows and similar large animals for parturition and other behavior. It is suggested that the system could be applied to automatic prediction of sow parturition, with automatic notification of remote management personnel so human attendance at birth could reduce rates of sow and piglet mortality. The results of this study provide a good basis for enhancing automation and reducing costs in large-scale sow husbandry and have applications in the testing of various large mammals for the effects of medications, diets, genetic modifications and environmental factors.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.67-79
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• 2014

In order to investigate the efficacy of BJBB on atopic dermatitis, various immune related factors were studied. The results and conclusions are as follows. Atopic dermatitis symptoms were improved in BJBB treated group and significant decrease in dermatitis index were observed in 13 weeks. ALT, AST and BUN, Cr levels were all with in the normal ranges in BJBB treated group, indicating no induced toxicity. BJBB treated group showed significant decrease in CD4+, CD11b+/Gr-1+ immune cell ratio in dorsal skin by 33% and 62% respectively. BJBB treated group showed significant decrease in the expression of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 and histamine by 83%, 62%, 53% and 61% respectively. Also the group showed decrease in the transcription of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 mRNA in spleen by 41%, 52% and 50% respectively. BJBB treated group showed decrease in the expression of IgE by 57% respectively. The results above indicated that treatment of BJBB improved atopic dermatitis symptoms by immune modulation activity a clinical evidence. thus, BJBB has a potential use as a composition of medicinal plants for treatment against inflammation related disease.

• International Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.105-113
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• 2003

This study developed a practical two-microphone impedance tube method to measure the sound transmission loss of sound isolation materials without the use of an expensive reverberation room or an acoustic intensity probe. In order to evaluate the validation and applicability of the two-microphone impedance tube method, sound transmission losses for several sound isolation materials with different surface density and bending stiffness were measured, and the measured values were compared with the results from the reverberation room method and the theory. From the experimental results, it was found that the accuracy of sound transmission loss obtained by the impedance tube method depends upon the diameter size of the impedance tube (i.e., tested sample size). For sound isolation materials having relatively large bending stiffness such as acryl, wood, and aluminum plates, it was found that the impedance tube method proposed by this study was not valid to measure the sound transmission loss. On the other hand, for sound isolation materials having relatively small bending stiffness such as rubber, polyvinyl, and asphalt sheets, the comparisons of transmission loss between the results from the impedance tube method and the theory showed a good agreement within the range of the frequencies satisfying the normal incidence mass law. Therefore, the two-microphone impedance tube method proposed by this study can be an effective measurement method to evaluate the sound transmission loss for soft sound isolation sheets having relatively small bending stiffness.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.84-107
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• 2011

Purposes : The purpose of present study is to detect the effects of ointment contained Takrisodok-Eum on the skin barrier's recovery of the Atopic dermatitis. Methods : A total of 44 patients who visited Semyung Oriental Medical Center from April 27th, 2011 to September 20th, 2011 were included in the study. In this study, the patients were treated with Takrisodok-Eum (experimental group) and positive control group. For 8 weeks of gross examination, hematological examination and instrumental asessment were made before and after the study to examine how well the products for experimental group with those for control group in recovering the damaged skin barriers by Atopic dermatitis. Results : 1. In the primary endpoint, SCORAD Index showed a statistically significant decline in experimental group. 2. In the secondary endpoint index of skin hydration, both the experimental group and the control group showed statistical significance. 3. In the secondary endpoint index of TEWL, the experimental group showed greater statistical significance than the control group. 4. In the secondary endpoint index of skin pH, skin pH showed a statistically significant decline in both the control group and the experimental group within the normal range. 5. In the secondary endpoint index of Total IgE, Eosinophil count, IL-10, IL-13, both the experimental group and the control group showed no statistical significance. 6. To evaluate the safety of the products for the human body, hematological examination and hematological biochemical examination, vital sign check were conducted; both control group and experimental group showed no abnormal level. And There were no severe adverse events during this study. Therefore, it is suggested that the safety of the products, if used for certain period, should be safe for the human body. Conclusions : According to the above experiments, it is suggested that Takrisodok-Eum should be effective for the Atopic dermatitis.