• Journal of Communications and Networks
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.160-166
• /
• 2011

In u-healthcare services based on wireless body sensor networks, reliable connection is very important as many types of information, including vital signals, are transmitted through the networks. The transmit power requirements are very stringent in the case of in-body networks for implant communication. Furthermore, the wireless link in an in-body environment has a high degree of path loss (e.g., the path loss exponent is around 6.2 for deep tissue). Because of such inherently bad settings of the communication nodes, a multi-hop network topology is preferred in order to meet the transmit power requirements and to increase the battery lifetime of sensor nodes. This will ensure that the live body of a patient receiving the healthcare service has a reduced level of specific absorption ratio (SAR) when exposed to long-lasting radiation. We propose an efficientmethod for delivering delay-intolerant data packets over multiple hops. We consider forward error correction (FEC) in an erasure correction mode and develop a mathematical formulation for packet-level scheduling of delay-intolerant FEC packets over multiple hops. The proposed method can be used as a simple guideline for applications to setting up a topology for a medical body sensor network of each individual patient, which is connected to a remote server for u-healthcare service applications.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
• /
• v.55 no.9
• /
• pp.592-603
• /
• 2017

Purpose: The effects of various concentrations of ascorbic acid on stem cell spheroids derived from intraoral areas are not known yet. Thus, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of different concentrations of ascorbic acid on the morphology and cellular viability of stem cell spheroids derived from the gingival tissues. Materials and Methods: Stem cells were plated onto silicon elastomer-based concave microwells and grown in the presence of ascorbic acid at concentrations ranging from 0.003% to 0.3%. The morphology of the cells was viewed under an inverted microscope at day 1, 2, 3 and 5. Qualitative live/dead assay and quantitative cellular viability using Cell Counting Kit-8 were performed on day 2 and day 5. Results: Gingiva-derived stem cells formed spheroids irrespective of ascorbic acid concentration in silicon elastomer-based concave microwells. Increase in the diameter of spheroid were seen with higher concentrations of ascorbic acid. Higher cellular viability was seen in higher concentrations of ascorbic acid. Conclusion: Within the experimental setting, the application of ascorbic acid on stem-cell spheroids produced an increase in the size and higher viability with higher dosage. It can be suggested ascorbic acid be applied with stem cell spheroids for tissue engineering purposes.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.49 no.3
• /
• pp.291-294
• /
• 2011

Trichomonas vaginalis is a flagellated lumen-dwelling extracellular protozoan parasite that causes human trichomoniasis via sexual intercourse. Human neutrophils play a crucial role in acute tissue inflammatory responses in T. vaginalis infection. In this study, we investigated the signaling mechanism of neutrophil responses when stimulated with T. vaginalis-derived secretory products (TvSP), which were collected from $1{\times}10^7$ live trichomonads. Incubation of human neutrophils isolated from peripheral blood with TvSP induced up-regulation of IL-8 protein secretion. In addition, stimulation with TvSP induced phosphorylation of NF-${\kappa}B$ and CREB in neutrophils. Moreover, TvSP-induced IL-8 production was also significantly inhibited by pretreatment of neutrophils with $i{\kappa}B$ inhibitor or CREB inhibitor. These results suggest that transcription factors NF-${\kappa}B$ and CREB are involved in IL-8 production in human neutrophils induced by stimulation with T. vaginalis infection.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.61 no.4
• /
• pp.388-396
• /
• 2023

Entamoeba histolytica is an enteric tissue-invasive protozoan parasite causing amoebic colitis and liver abscesses in humans. Amoebic contact with host cells activates intracellular signaling pathways that lead to host cell death via generation of caspase-3, calpain, Ca²⁺ elevation, and reactive oxygen species (ROS). We previously reported that various NADPH oxidases (NOXs) are responsible for ROS-dependent death of various host cells induced by amoeba. In the present study, we investigated the specific NOX isoform involved in ROS-dependent death of hepatocytes induced by amoebas. Co-incubation of hepatoma HepG2 cells with live amoebic trophozoites resulted in remarkably increased DNA fragmentation compared to cells incubated with medium alone. HepG2 cells that adhered to amoebic trophozoites showed strong dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCF-DA) fluorescence, suggesting intracellular ROS accumulation within host cells stimulated by amoebic trophozoites. Pretreatment of HepG2 cells with the general NOX inhibitor DPI or NOX2-specific inhibitor GSK 2795039 reduced Entamoeba-induced ROS generation. Similarly, Entamoeba-induced LDH release from HepG2 cells was effectively inhibited by pretreatment with DPI or GSK 2795039. In NOX2-silenced HepG2 cells, Entamoeba-induced LDH release was also significantly inhibited compared with controls. Taken together, the results support an important role of NOX2-derived ROS in hepatocyte death induced by E. histolytica.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.351-357
• /
• 2011

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of castration on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of goat kids. Fourteen Boer-cross buck and wether goat kids (n = 7; initial body weight (BW) $38.0{\pm}0.35\;kg$ and $34.8{\pm}0.35\;kg$, for bucks and wethers, respectively) were grazed on annual Marshall ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) for 56 days. Body weights were recorded after 4 h withdrawal from feed and water for two consecutive days, every 2 wk. After d 56, animals were harvested and hot carcass weight (HCW), cold carcass weight (CCW), dressing percent (DP), kidney and pelvic fat (KPF), longissimus muscle (LM) area, back fat (BF), and other carcass parameters were measured. Day 0 BW was used as a covariate for analyses. However, bucks were heavier than wethers at d 15 (p = 0.09), 42 (p = 0.001) and 56 (p = 0.001). Bucks had higher ADG (146 vs. 74 g/d; p = 0.001), HCW (21.2 vs. 18.8 kg; p = 0.06) and CCW (20.3 vs. 17.9 kg; p = 0.04) when compared with wether goats. Dressing percentage (51 vs. 47%; p = 0.06), KPF (0.44 vs. 0.16%; p = 0.02) and BF (0.41 vs. 0.21 cm; p = 0.05) were higher in wethers vs bucks, respectively; however, USDA live or carcass grades were similar. Longissimus muscle tissue from wethers and bucks were similar in darkness ($L^*$) and redness ($a^*$), but wethers had more (p = 0.02) yellow tint ($b^*$). Palmitic (C16:0), stearic (C18:0) and oleic (C18:1) acids were higher (p = 0.001) in muscle tissue from wethers compared to bucks. The saturated fatty acid (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) contents of muscle tissue were lower (p = 0.001) for bucks with no difference in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Longissimus muscle initial temperature was higher in bucks (p<0.04) and pH change post-mortem was similar for bucks and wethers. These results indicated that castration of young market goats reduced growth performance and produced carcasses with more fat and higher SFA.

• Korean Journal of Hospice Care
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.1-11
• /
• 2006

There are various understandings how to define death. In the context of medicine, death is defined as the irreversible change of the tissue according to the cessation of circulation and respiration. According to the psychologists, a person need to accept the finiteness as a human being and remain conscious that the death is not avoidable. And they say if a person doesn't regard death as unavoidable reality of life he or she will not confront the humanistic death and after all will die like animals. In philosophy, death is viewed as an unwelcome reality in the end of the journey of life. Sociologists usually understand that the society is the organization composed with living persons and human beings which construct and transmit the culture from generation to generation between the both ends of life and death. In society, the generation is changed, maintained, and developed through the phenomenon of death. Although death of human being is natural event in society, the death of a specific person brings a sense of loss, crisis, and anxiety to the communities like family, regional society, nation, and the world. In this context, death is not confined to personal dimension and it can be regarded as a social problem. It is valuable to summarize the religious perspectives on the meaning of death for the better hospice care. In shamanism, there are basic idea that although the flesh of human being disappears, soul never die. If human dies, the flesh of human being disappears but soul never disappear and come back to the origin of soul as it is called chaos. So in shamanism, it is said that shaman can solve the mortified feeling, restore the broken harmony, send the soul to comfortable space- the origin, and guarantee the blessing of descendents. Buddhists regard the death as an essential component through the cycles of life. Through this cycle, human being exits as an endlessly transmigrating being and the death is just a restoration to the original status. In Confucianism, the view on the death based on the philosophy of the "Yin and Yang" and "Five elements". In Buddhist tradition, many believers said the philosophy of "Death is the same as life". Unlike usual thoughts that a god governs "life and death" and "fortune and misfortune", Confucianists deny the governance of a god and emphasize the natural orders in which every phenomenon in the world moves according to the principle. Confucianists understand the death as a natural order with this principle. In Confucianists' belief, the essence of human being remains in their own descendent's lives after the death of ancestor, so in Confucianism there is no concept of immortality of the soul. In the history of Christianity, death has been defined generally as the separation of the immortal soul from the mortal body. In the earlier days of Old Testament, the death is regarded as a disappearance of just a flesh and human never disappear and always live in the relationship with God. Later days in Old Testament, we can find the growing concern for the life after the death because of the entrance of the theodicy. In the New Testament, the death is not regarded as the normal process of the human life and regarded as the abnormal status in which death come to human because of sin as a decisive factor and it should be conquered. In fact, the most of us afraid death because not of the fear of death itself but of the sense of the emptiness and regrets. so many people often make the monument hoping to live forever. But Christian usually regard this behavior as a sinful act because human being usually think themselves as a master of their life and attempt to become immortal in this kind of trial mortal. But if we live with God, we cannot confront such a condition because we aware limits as a mortal human being and entrust everything on Him and want to live according to His guidance. Therefore, in the Christian tradition, the death is regarded as accomplishment of life, fruits of life, invitation to the eternal life, and the last stage of human growth. For human being, the death is the great step of maturation as a human in the final stage of life.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.681-685
• /
• 2009

L-carnitine promotes mitochondrial ${\beta}$-oxidation of long chain fatty acids and their subsequent transport across the inner mitochondrial membrane. Although the role of L-carnitine in fatty acid metabolism has been extensively studied, its role in live performance and carcass responses of commercial broilers is less understood. The objective of this research was to determine if Lcarnitine fed at various levels in diets differing in CP and amino acids impacted on live performance and carcass characteristics of commercial broilers. Two floor pen experiments were conducted to assess the effect of dietary L-carnitine in grower diets. In Exp. 1, Ross${\times}$Hubbard Ultra Yield broilers were placed in 48 floor pens (12 birds/pen) and fed common diets to d 14. A two (0 or 50 ppm Lcarnitine) by three (173, 187, and 202 g/kg CP) factorial arrangement of treatments was employed from 15 to 35 d of age (8 replications/treatment). An interaction (p<0.05) in carcass yield indicated that increasing CP (187 g/kg) resulted in improved yield in the presence of L-carnitine. Increasing CP from 173 to 202 g/kg increased (p<0.05) BW gain and decreased (p<0.05) feed conversion and percentage abdominal fat. Feeding dietary L-carnitine increased back-half carcass yield which was attributable to an increase (p<0.05) in thigh, but not drumstick, yield relative to carcass. In Exp. 2, $Ross{\times}Ross$ 708 broilers were fed common diets until 29 d. From 30 to 42 d of age, birds were fed one of seven diets: i) 200 g/kg CP, 0 ppm L-carnitine; ii) 200 g/kg CP, 40 ppm L-carnitine; iii) 180 g/kg CP, 0 ppm L-carnitine; iv) 180 g/kg CP, 10 ppm L-carnitine; v) 180 g/kg CP, 20 ppm L-carnitine; vi) 180 g/kg CP, 30 ppm L-carnitine; and vii) 180 g/kg CP, 40 ppm L-carnitine (6 replications of 12 birds each). BW gain, feed conversion, mortality (30 to 42 d), and carcass traits (42 d) were measured on all birds by pen. There were no treatment differences (p<0.05). However, the addition of 40 ppm L-carnitine in the 200 g CP/kg diet increased (p = 0.06) thigh yields relative to BW in comparison to birds fed diets without L-carnitine, which was further confirmed via a contrast analysis (0 vs. 40 ppm L-carnitine in the 200 and 180 g CP/kg diets; p<0.05). These results indicated that dietary L-carnitine may heighten metabolism in dark meat of commercial broilers resulting in increased relative thigh tissue accretion without compromising breast accretion.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.17 no.8
• /
• pp.1080-1087
• /
• 2004

A trial with twenty-four newly weaned Awassi lambs (initial body weight=21.5$\pm$0.8 kg) was conducted using a 3$\times$2 factorial design to study the effect of feeding three sources of protein supplements (soybean meal (SBM), sunflower seed meal (SSM), and cottonseed meal (CSM)), either untreated or formaldehyde-treated on the growth performance and carcass traits of Awassi lambs. Lambs were randomly assigned to one of the six diets (4 lambs/treatment diet) and were individually fed for a period of 107 days. Experimental diets were isonitrogenous and isocaloric. Final live weight and average daily gain (ADG) were affected by both source of protein and formaldehyde treatment (undegradable protein). Lambs fed untreated diets had better (p<0.01) daily gain compared to those fed formaldehyde-treated diets. Similarly total feed intake per animal was significantly (p<0.05) affected by protein source and formaldehyde treatment. Formaldehyde treatment caused a significant decrease (p<0.01) in feed intake compared to lambs fed untreated diets. Feed requirement per unit of gain was not affected by formaldehyde treatment during all periods of the experiment except for the second period (the second 28 day period), whereby untreated SBM, SSM and CSM had better feed conversion ratio (FCR) than the treated groups. Source of protein had a moderate effect (p<0.10) on FCR but had a significant effect (p<0.05) on hot and cold carcass weight, digestive tract empty weight and liver weight, with lambs fed SBM having higher values than lambs fed SSM and CSM diets. Supplementation with undegradable protein had a significant effect (p<0.05) on dressing-out percentage (p<0.05), final live weight, and hot and cold carcass weight (p<0.01). The lower values pertain to lambs fed treated diets compared to lambs fed untreated diets. In general, there were no significant differences among all carcass linear dimensions, carcass cut weights and dissected loin tissue weights for both treatments (protein source and formaldehyde treatment). Supplementation with undegradable protein but not the source of protein resulted in significantly higher dissected leg total bone weight (p<0.05), tibia and femur weight (p<0.05), and femur length (p<0.01) at the same carcass weight. Results suggest that the treatment of SBM, SSM and CSM with formaldehyde did not improve efficiency of feed utilization, lamb performance or carcass traits and that the SBM diet resulted in an increase in lamb performance compared to other experimental diets.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
• /
• v.44 no.1
• /
• pp.51-73
• /
• 2024

This study investigated how birth weight differences in piglets affected carcass and muscle fiber properties as well as meat quality at slaughter. Within litters, piglets were grouped according to their birth weight as either normal (NBW; 1.62-1.73 kg) or low (LBW; 1.18-1.29 kg). At 5 weeks of age, NBW piglets were randomly transitioned to control (C) or isocaloric high fat diets derived from non-dairy (HF), while LBW piglets were randomly transitioned to high fat diets derived from non-dairy (HF) or dairy sources (HFHD). Piglets were reared in individual pens under standardized housing and feeding conditions. Live weight was recorded weekly, and pigs were slaughtered at 12 weeks of age. Hot carcass weights, dressing percentages, lean meat yield, and primal cut proportions were determined. The m. longissimus thoracis was collected from the right side of the carcass for measurement of physical and chemical properties of meat and muscle fiber characteristics. Results indicated that LBW pigs compensated for their live weight compared to NBW pigs at 6 weeks of age. The mean muscle fiber diameter of LBW-HFHD group is significantly higher than NBW-C and NBW-HF group, and the type I muscle fiber diameter is significantly higher than NBW-C group. Dairy fat inclusion in LBW pig diet reduced carcass back fat thickness. This increased the calculated lean meat yield to be comparable to that of NBW pigs fed a commercial diet. Incorporating dairy-sourced high-fat into LBW pigs' diets appears to be an effective strategy for producing carcasses equivalent to NBW pigs.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
• /
• v.51 no.2
• /
• pp.149-164
• /
• 2024

This study compared the solubility, water absorption, dimensional stability, release of various ions (hydroxyl, calcium, sulfur, strontium, and silicon), and cytotoxicity of light-cured resin-modified pulp-capping materials. Resin-modified calcium hydroxide (Ultra-blend^TM plus, UBP), light-cured resin-modified calcium silicate (TheraCal LC^TM, TLC), and dual-cure resin-modified calcium silicate (TheraCal PT^TM, TPT) were used. Each material was polymerized; solubility, 24-hour water absorption, and 30- day dimensional stability experiments were conducted to test its physical properties. Solubility was assessed according to the ISO 6876 standard, and 24 hours of water absorption, 30 days of dimensional stability were assessed by referring to the previous protocol respectively. Eluates at 3 and 24 hours and on 7, 14, and 28 days were analyzed according to the ISO 10993-12 standard. And the pH, Ion-releasing ability, cell proliferation rate, and cell viability were assessed using the eluates to evaluate biochemical characteristics. pH was measured with a pH meter and Ion-releasing ability was assessed using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Cell proliferation rate and cell viability were assessed using human dental pulp cells (hDPCs). The former was assessed by an absorbance assay using the CCK-8 solution, and the latter was assessed by Live and Dead staining. TPT exhibited lower solubility and water absorption than TLC. UBP and TPT demonstrated higher stability than TLC. The release of sulfur, strontium, calcium, and hydroxyl ions was higher for TLC and TPT than for UBP. The 28-day release of hydroxyl and silicon ions was similar for TLC and TPT. TLC alone exhibited a lower cell proliferation rate compared to the control group at a dilution ratio of 1 : 2 in cell proliferation and dead cells from Live and Dead assay evaluation. Thus, when using light-cure resin-modified pulp-capping materials, calcium silicate-based materials can be considered alternatives to calcium hydroxide-based materials. Moreover, when comparing physical and biochemical properties, TPT could be prioritized over TLC as the first choice.