• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.73-79
• /
• 2001

Recently many studies have reported that total and bioavailable androgens reduced in male and female athletes and that physical exercise reduces the body weight and increases the reproductive abnormalities such as oligomenorrhea, anovulation, inadequate luteal phase, and delayed puberty in women by the inhibition of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis . In addition, high mileage endurance 겨nning, psychological stress, and military endurance training in men also reduce the secretion of reproductive hormones. To investigate the efffcts of physical endurance exercise on the secretion of reproductive hormones in men, androgenic hormones from adrenal glands and testis were measured in serum by the conventional radioimmunoassays after long-term (more than3 months), short-term (1 week), and acute (1${sim}$2 hours) physical exercises. Androgenic hormones from adrenal glands and testis such as total testosterone (TT), free testosterone (fT), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and androstenedione (A) decreased after thesestrenuous endurance trainings, whereas ACTH, cortisol, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfetes (DHEAS) increased. Conadotropins (LH and FSH) were not idluenced by the physical exercises. Based upon the present results, we assume that the decrease in adrenal and testicular androgens by physical endurance exercises might be associated with the reproductive abnormalities in athletes by unknown factor(s) in addition to the HPG axis disturbance.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.307-316
• /
• 2010

Complex terrain refers to irregular surface properties of the earth that influence gradients in climate, lateral transfer of materials, landscape distribution in soils properties, habitat selection of organisms, and via human preferences, the patterning in development of land use. Complex terrain of mountainous areas represents ca. 20% of the Earth's terrestrial surface; and such regions provide fresh water to at least half of humankind. Most major river systems originate in such terrain, and their resources are often associated with socio-economic competition and political disputes. The goals of the TERRECO-IRTG focus on building a bridge between ecosystem understanding in complex terrain and spatial assessments of ecosystem performance with respect to derived ecosystem services. More specifically, a coordinated assessment framework will be developed from landscape to regional scale applications to quantify trade-offs and will be applied to determine how shifts in climate and land use in complex terrain influence naturally derived ecosystem services. Within the scope of TERRECO, the abiotic and biotic studies of water yield and quality, production and biodiversity, soil processing of materials and trace gas emissions in complex terrain are merged. There is a need to quantitatively understand 1) the ecosystem services derived in regions of complex terrain, 2) the process regulation occurred to maintain those services, and 3) the sensitivities defining thresholds critical in stability of these systems. The TERRECO-IRTG is dedicated to joint study of ecosystems in complex terrain from landscape to regional scales. Our objectives are to reveal the spatial patterns in driving variables of essential ecosystem processes involved in ecosystem services of complex terrain region and hence, to evaluate the resulting ecosystem services, and further to provide new tools for understanding and managing such areas.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.385-391
• /
• 2012

The growth of terminal shoots of persimmon (Diospyros kaki) was analyzed during the first two months from the time of bud sprout to understand the dynamics of their early growth. Field-grown, mature 'Fuyu' and 'Nishimurawase' trees were used in a three-year study at two locations in Gyeongnam province. The growth of terminal shoots was most active from late April, about 10 days after foliation, to early May, followed by a gradual decline by late May. The increase in leaf area continued unabated throughout May. The weight of a flower bud increased slowly until early May and rapidly after flowering. Although its extension growth had been ceased by late May, dry weight (DW) of a terminal shoot continued to increase almost linearly throughout May due to shoot thickening and continued growth of leaves and fruits. In late May, the leaves and the stem accounted for more than 60% and less than 20% of total DW of a shoot respectively; fruit proportion increased to 7 to 17% by then. Relative growth rate (RGR) of the terminal shoot was higher than 213 $mg{\cdot}g^{-1}{\cdot}d^{-1}$ in late April, but declined to less than 63 $mg{\cdot}g^{-1}{\cdot}d^{-1}$ in late May. Like the pattern of seasonal changes in RGR, net assimilation rate (NAR) of the shoots decreased from 1.9 to 2 $mg{\cdot}cm^{-2}{\cdot}d^{-1}$ to 0.5 to 0.8 $mg{\cdot}cm^{-2}{\cdot}d^{-1}$. An early-season 'Nishimurawase' did not differ from a late-season 'Fuyu' in RGR and NAR during the first two months of growth. The early growth of the shoots was affected mainly by the reserves redistributed from permanent organs, however, environmental conditions at the time was also involved.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
• /
• v.39 no.4
• /
• pp.347-357
• /
• 2003

This paper describes on the suppression of sea clutter on marine radar display using a cell-averaging CFAR(constant false alarm rate) technique, and on the analysis of radar echo signal data in relation to the estimation of ARPA functions and the detection of the shadow effect in clutter returns. The echo signal was measured using a X -band radar, that is located on the Pukyong National University, with a horizontal beamwidth of $$3.9^{\circ}$$, a vertical beamwidth of $20^{\circ}$, pulsewidth of $0.8 {\mu}s$ and a transmitted peak power of 4 ㎾ The suppression performance of sea clutter was investigated for the probability of false alarm between $l0-^0.25;and; 10^-1.0$. Also the performance of cell averaging CFAR was compared with that of ideal fixed threshold. The motion vectors and trajectory of ships was extracted and the shadow effect in clutter returns was analyzed. The results obtained are summarized as follows；1. The ARPA plotting results and motion vectors for acquired targets extracted by analyzing the echo signal data were displayed on the PC based radar system and the continuous trajectory of ships was tracked in real time. 2. To suppress the sea clutter under noisy environment, a cell averaging CFAR processor having total CFAR window of 47 samples(20+20 reference cells, 3+3 guard cells and the cell under test) was designed. On a particular data set acquired at Suyong Man, Busan, Korea, when the probability of false alarm applied to the designed cell averaging CFAR processor was 10$^{-0}$.75/ the suppression performance of radar clutter was significantly improved. The results obtained suggest that the designed cell averaging CFAR processor was very effective in uniform clutter environments. 3. It is concluded that the cell averaging CF AR may be able to give a considerable improvement in suppression performance of uniform sea clutter compared to the ideal fixed threshold. 4. The effective height of target, that was estimated by analyzing the shadow effect in clutter returns for a number of range bins behind the target as seen from the radar antenna, was approximately 1.2 m and the information for this height can be used to extract the shape parameter of tracked target..

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.34-41
• /
• 2016

Black chokeberries (scientific name Aronia melanocarpa) have been reported to have major effects due to anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer capabilities. In this study, we investigated the anti- wrinkle effects of A. melanocarpa, including collagenase inhibition effects and their molecular biological mechanisms, such as oxidative stress-induced matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, and activator protein (AP)-1 expression and/or phosphorylation. In collagenase inhibition activity, the ethyl acetate fraction of black chokeberry (AE) was 77.2% at a concentration of 500 μg/ml, which was a significant result compared to that of Epigallocatechin gallate (positive control, 83.9% in 500 μg/ml). In the reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay, the AE produced 78% of ROS in 10 μg/ml and 70% of ROS in 75 μg/ml, which was a much lower percentage than the ROS production of H₂O₂-induced CCRF S-180II cells. In the MTT assay, cell viability was increased dose-dependently with AE in H₂O₂-induced cells. In protein expression by western blot assay, the AE suppressed the expression and phosphorylation of MMPs (MMP-1, -3, -9), MAPK (ERK, JNK, and p38), and AP-1 (c-Fos and c-Jun), and expressed the pro-collagen type I in H₂O₂-induced cells. These results suggest that black chokeberries have anti-wrinkle and collagen-production effects, and they may be used in applications for material development in the functional food and cosmetic industries.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.25 no.5
• /
• pp.496-506
• /
• 2015

This study explored adequate water temperature ranges for maintaining stable water quality in a biofloc- based zero-water exchange culture system. Five experimental tanks with the following temperatures were set up: 10℃, 15℃, 20℃, 25℃, and 30℃. First, a biofloc-based culture system was developed in the experimental tanks; then, the tanks were stocked with goldfish and went without a water exchange for 60 days. Conditions for developing a biofloc-based culture system and stable water quality in low concentrations of inorganic nitrogen compounds at 10℃, 15℃, 20℃, 25℃, and 30℃ were maintained after 17, 26, 43, 68, and 78 days, respectively. Beginning from when the goldfish were stocked in the biofloc-based culture tanks, concentrations of $NH_4{^+}-N$ remained constant and at low levels at 10℃ and 15℃, but they showed a gradual increase at 20℃, 25℃, and 30℃. Concentrations of $NO_2{^-}-N$ and $NO_3{^-}-N$ at 10℃ and 15℃ did not remain at low levels and immediately increased. While $NO_2{^-}-N$ concentrations at above 20℃ remained constant and stable at relatively low levels, $NO_3{^-}-N$ concentrations showed a gradual increase. Conditions of 15℃ and below could not maintain low and stable concentrations of $NO_2{^-}-N$. In the pH range of 4.0 to 6.0, $NH_4{^+}-N$ concentration decreased as the pH rose. However, there was no correlation between pH and $NH_4{^+}-N$ concentration in the pH range of 6.0 to 8.0. These results indicate that pH levels should be kept at pH 6.0 and above to maintain a low and stable concentration of $NH_4{^+}-N$ at above 20℃.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.116-124
• /
• 2013

The aim was to examine resistance exercise-related genes after 8 weeks of resistance training. Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: 4 weeks sedentary (4 wks CON, n=8), 8 weeks sedentary (8 wks CON, n=8), 4 weeks exercise training (4 wks REG, n=8), and 8 weeks exercise training (8 wks REG, n=8). The rats were trained to climb a 1-m vertical incline (85-degree), with weights secured to their tails. They climbed 10 times, 3 days per week, for 8 consecutive weeks. Skeletal muscle was taken from the flexor halucis longus after the exercise training. After separating the total RNA, large-scale gene expression was investigated by beadarray (Illumina RatRef-12 Expression BeadChip) analysis, and qPCR was used to inspect the beadarray data and to analyze the RNA quantitatively. The detection p-value for the genes was p<0.01, the M-value {M=$log_2$(condition)-$log_2$(reference)} was >1.0, and the DiffScore was >20. In total, the expression of 30 genes significantly increased 4 weeks after the exercise training, and the expression of six genes decreased. At 8 weeks, the expression of five genes significantly increased and that of 12 decreased. Several genes are potentially involved in resistance exercise and muscle hypertrophy, including 1) regulation of cell growth (IGFBP1, PLA2G2A, OKL38); 2) myogenesis (CSRP3); 3) tissue regeneration and muscle development (MUSTN1, MYBPH); 4) hypertrophy (CYR61, ATF3, NR4A3); and 5) glucose metabolism (G6PC, PCK1). These results may help to explain previously reported physiological changes of the skeletal muscle and suggest new avenues for further investigation.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.215-228
• /
• 1991

In the East Sea of Korea the vertical structure functions of the temperature field were evaluated and the characteristic thermal zone was classified by the use of the empirical orthogonal function(EOF) method. The East Sea of Korea within the hydrographic lines of 10-107 of the Fisheries Research and Development Agency of Korea(FRDA) can be divided into three thermal regions by the characteristics of the vertical temperature variability. They are the North Korean Cold Current(NKCC) region near the coast which extends parallel to the north-south direction, the Warm-Core(WC) region which dominates almost all the hydrographic stations of the Line 104 of the FRDA and occupies a few stations of the Line-103 and -105 with its axis at the Line 104, and the East Korea Warm Current(EKWC) region which is bisected into the northern and the southern part by the WC region, respectively. Considering the two most important modes, $85.20-98.20\%$ of the total variance of temperature variation are explained in the NKCC region, $85.20-92.90\%$ in the EKWC region, and$85.50-91.70\%$ in the WC region. The first mode has its peak value at the surface with the annual cycle of variation. The spatial pattern of the first mode portrays a coherent vertical variation in the EKWC region and a clear anti-correlation both in the NKCC region and in the WC region where the zero-crossing depths are loom and 200m, respectively. The second mode of the NKCC region is particularly noticeable, haying its peak at loom with coherent vertical variation. To study the time dependency of the vertical structure functions, the extended EOF(EEOF) method was used. The persistence of the first mode is less than 4 months in the study area. The annual variation of the first mode in the NKCC region is different from those in the WC region and in the EKWC region.

• Fiber Technology and Industry
• /
• v.2 no.4
• /
• pp.490-508
• /
• 1998

One of the latest fields of research in the area of output devices is tactual display devices [13,31]. These tactual or haptic devices allow the user to receive haptic feedback output from a variety of sources. This allows the user to actually feel virtual objects and manipulate them by touch. This is an emerging technology and will be instrumental in enhancing the realism of wearable augmented environments for certain applications. Tactual displays have previously been used for scientific visualization in virtual environments by chemists and engineers to improve perception and understanding of force fields and of world models populated with the impenetrable. In addition to tactual displays, the use of wearable audio displays that allow sound to be spatialized are being developed. With wearable computers, designers will soon be able to pair spatialized sound to virtual representations of objects when appropriate to make the wearable computer experience even more realistic to the user. Furthermore, as the number and complexity of wearable computing applications continues to grow, there will be increasing needs for systems that are faster, lighter, and have higher resolution displays. Better networking technology will also need to be developed to allow all users of wearable computers to have high bandwidth connections for real time information gathering and collaboration. In addition to the technology advances that make users need to wear computers in everyday life, there is also the desire to have users want to wear their computers. In order to do this, wearable computing needs to be unobtrusive and socially acceptable. By making wearables smaller and lighter, or actually embedding them in clothing, users can conceal them easily and wear them comfortably. The military is currently working on the development of the Personal Information Carrier (PIC) or digital dog tag. The PIC is a small electronic storage device containing medical information about the wearer. While old military dog tags contained only 5 lines of information, the digital tags may contain volumes of multi-media information including medical history, X-rays, and cardiograms. Using hand held devices in the field, medics would be able to call this information up in real time for better treatment. A fully functional transmittable device is still years off, but this technology once developed in the military, could be adapted tp civilian users and provide ant information, medical or otherwise, in a portable, not obstructive, and fashionable way. Another future device that could increase safety and well being of its users is the nose on-a-chip developed by the Oak Ridge National Lab in Tennessee. This tiny digital silicon chip about the size of a dime, is capable of 'smelling' natural gas leaks in stoves, heaters, and other appliances. It can also detect dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. This device can also be configured to notify the fire department when a leak is detected. This nose chip should be commercially available within 2 years, and is inexpensive, requires low power, and is very sensitive. Along with gas detection capabilities, this device may someday also be configured to detect smoke and other harmful gases. By embedding this chip into workers uniforms, name tags, etc., this could be a lifesaving computational accessory. In addition to the future safety technology soon to be available as accessories are devices that are for entertainment and security. The LCI computer group is developing a Smartpen, that electronically verifies a user's signature. With the increase in credit card use and the rise in forgeries, is the need for commercial industries to constantly verify signatures. This Smartpen writes like a normal pen but uses sensors to detect the motion of the pen as the user signs their name to authenticate the signature. This computational accessory should be available in 1999, and would bring increased peace of mind to consumers and vendors alike. In the entertainment domain, Panasonic is creating the first portable hand-held DVD player. This device weight less than 3 pounds and has a screen about 6' across. The color LCD has the same 16:9 aspect ratio of a cinema screen and supports a high resolution of 280,000 pixels and stereo sound. The player can play standard DVD movies and has a hour battery life for mobile use. To summarize, in this paper we presented concepts related to the design and use of wearable computers with extensions to smart spaces. For some time, researchers in telerobotics have used computer graphics to enhance remote scenes. Recent advances in augmented reality displays make it possible to enhance the user's local environment with 'information'. As shown in this paper, there are many application areas for this technology such as medicine, manufacturing, training, and recreation. Wearable computers allow a much closer association of information with the user. By embedding sensors in the wearable to allow it to see what the user sees, hear what the user hears, sense the user's physical state, and analyze what the user is typing, an intelligent agent may be able to analyze what the user is doing and try to predict the resources he will need next or in the near future. Using this information, the agent may download files, reserve communications bandwidth, post reminders, or automatically send updates to colleagues to help facilitate the user's daily interactions. This intelligent wearable computer would be able to act as a personal assistant, who is always around, knows the user's personal preferences and tastes, and tries to streamline interactions with the rest of the world.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
• /
• v.41 no.2 s.113
• /
• pp.150-167
• /
• 2006

This study was conducted to determine the pedogenesis of dense subsurface horizons (denoted either Bx or Bd) observed within closed depressions and in toeslope positions at loess-covered glacial tillplains in southern Wisconsin. Some of these dense subsurface horizons, especially those occurring within depressions, show a close morphological resemblance to fragipans elsewhere, even though the existence of fragipans has not been previously reported in southern Wisconsin. The spatial occurrence of fragipans was first examined over the landscape to characterize general soil-landscape relationships. Detailed physico-chemical and micromorphological analyses were followed to investigate the development of fragipans within a closed depression along a catenary sequence. The formation of fragipans at the study site is a result of sequential processes of physical ripening and accumulation of colloidal materials. A very coarse prismatic structure with a closely packed soil matrix was formed via physical ripening processes of loess deposited in small glacial lakes and floodplains that existed soon after the retreat of the last glacier. The physically formed dense horizons became hardened by the accumulation of colloidal materials, notably amorphous Si. The accumulation intensity of amorphous Si varies with mass balance relationships, which are governed by topography and local drainage conditions. Well-developed Bx horizons evolve at closed depressions where net accumulation of amorphous Si occurs, but the collapsed layers remain as Bd horizons at other locations where soluble Si has continuously been removed downslope or downvalley. Hydromorphic processes caused by the presence of fragipans are degrading upper parts of the prisms, resulting in the formation of an eluvial fragic horizon (Ex).