• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.69-80
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• 2009

Purpose: We investigated validity of a monitor-based computer eye test program, Test Chart 2000 Pro (developed by Thomson Software Solutions, UK). Methods: We chose ten common eye tests of the Test Chart 2000 Pro and Korean Standard Eye Test, applying them to same subject groups each by each, followed by comparison and analyses of agreement degree of the results. Results: Among the ten eye tests, Snellen Chart, Cross-cyl target, Duochrome test, Fan and Block test, and Random dot stereograms showed statistically significant agreement between both the Korean standard eye test method and Test Chart 2000 Pro. On the other hand, some disagreements were found between the two eye test methods in LogMAR Chart, Single Letter Chart, Phoria Test, Fixation Disparity Test, and Worth 4 Dot Test. Conclusions: Comparing to the Korean Standard Eye Test that consists of Han eye chart and Phoroptor, validity of the Test Chart 2000 Pro is not so high. Further improvements of the Test Chart 2000 Pro in accuracy are required.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.1207-1210
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• 2009

• ETRI Journal
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.534-542
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• 2023

The large amount of secondary effects in complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor technology limits its application in the ultra-nanoscale region. Circuit designers explore a new technology for the ultra-nanoscale region, which is the quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA). Low-energy dissipation, high speed, and area efficiency are the key features of the QCA technology. This research proposes a novel, low-complexity, QCA-based one-bit digital comparator circuit for the ultra-nanoscale region. The performance of the proposed comparator circuit is presented in detail in this paper and compared with that of existing designs. The proposed QCA structure for the comparator circuit only consists of 19 QCA cells with two clock phases. QCA Designer-E and QCA Pro tools are applied to estimate the total energy dissipation. The proposed comparator saves 24.00% QCA cells, 25.00% cell area, 37.50% layout cost, and 78.11% energy dissipation compared with the best reported similar design.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.117-125
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• 2004

Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) plays an important role in the disease pathogenesis of acne vulgaris, a disorder of pilosebaceous follicles, seen primarily in the adolescent age group. In the present study, the presence of antibodies against P. acnes (MTCC1951) were detected in acne patient (n=50) and disease free controls (n=25) using dot-ELISA and Western blot assay. The ability of P. acnes to induce pro-inflammatory cytokines by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), obtained from acne patients and healthy subjects, were also analysed. The patients (n=26) who were culture positive for skin swab culture, were found to have a more advanced disease and higher antibody titres (1:4000 to >1:16000) compared to the P. acnes negative patients (n=24) and normal controls (n=25). An analysis of patients' sera by western blot assay recognized a number of antigenic components of P. acnes, rang-ing from 29 to 205 kDa. The major reactive component was an approximately 96 kDa polypeptide, which was recognised in 92％ (24 of 26) of the patients sera. Further, the P. acnes culture supernatant, crude cell lysate and heat killed P. acnes whole cells, obtained from 72-h incubation culture, were observed to be able to induce significant amounts of IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$) by the PBMCs in both the healthy subjects and patients, as analysed by cytokine-ELISA. The levels of cytokines were significantly higher in the patients than the healthy subjects. A major 96 kDa polypep-tide reactant was eluted from the gel and was found to cause dose dependent stimulation of the pro-ductions of IL-8 and TNF-${\alpha}$. Thus, the above results suggest that both humoral and pro-inflammatory responses play major roles in the pathogenesis of acne.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.43-54
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• 2014

In textile industry, needs for various weave drafts have been increased to produce high qualified textile goods. One of disadvantages of traditional textile industry was spending time and money on manual sampling. Nowadays, however, weave draft design and sampling using CAD programs reduce these consumption efficiently. Therefore, this study aimed to provide high qualified woven fabrics by weave draft designs influenced by geometric patterns. First, We analyzed geometric patterns, except for dot, stripe, and checks, in fashion collections from 2009 to 2014 S/S. Then, based on these analyses, design concepts were decided. Third, weave drafts influenced by geometric patterns were designed with weave CAD program, TEX PRO 10.0 by Youngwoo CNI inc. Forth, We simulated fabrics woven by new drafts using CAD programs, depending on fibers, yarns, density of woven, colors, and finishes. Unclassified geometric patterns would be expressed by small size patterns that influenced by retro moods, square patterns with various color variation, zigzag lines, and pieces of puzzles. Three design concepts were decided as greenness, neoclassic, and romantic chic. Thus, geometric patterns for printing were created as drafts for general looms, and one repeat of each draft were provided. According to the design concepts, we designed 13 fabrics with 4 geometric patterns weaving drafts. All Drafts were designed with CAD programs. Finally, same drafts were simulated as woven fabrics for both S/S and F/W seasons by changing each element, such as fiber, yarns, density, colors, and finishes.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.465-471
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• 2005

Ofloxacin has antimycobacterial activity that possibly contributes a pivotal role in the second-line drug regimens that are used for the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. However, in some communities, the resistance rate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to this agent is surging. Therefore, a rapid and accurate method that can be used to determine the resistance of M tuberculosis to the ofloxacin can be very useful for effective treatment of the patients. As an effort to develop such a method, this study was set up to reveal general types of mutations that are related to ofloxacin resistance of M tuberculosis. From previous studies, it has been well known that ofloxacin resistance is associated with mutations in a gene encoding the gyrase A subunit protein. In this study, we obtained 43 ofloxacin-resistant and 50 ofloxacin-susceptible M tuberculosis clinical isolates from Masan National TB Hospital, and sequences of DNA fragment of 320 bp, region of gyrA corresponding to the ofloxacin resistance-determining region were analyzed. In brief, the results showed that a total of seven mutation types were found at gyrA. Theses mutations were all clustered within nucleotides 2574 to 2586 of the gyrA gene (codons 88 to 94). Codon 94 was the most frequently substituted site. Twenty-four of the 43 isolates had mutations at this position resulting in a total of five different types of amino acid changes $(Asp{\to}Ala,\;Asp{\to}Gly,\;Asp{\to}His,\;Asp{\to}Tyr,\;and\;Asp{\to}Asn)$. Five isolates contained a mutation at codon 90 resulting $Ala{\to}Val$ change. Four isolates had mutations at codon 91 causing a $Ser{\to}Pro$ change at this site. Two isolates contained a mutation at codon 88 and each of them resulted in different types of amino acid changes $(Gly{\to}Cys,\;Gly{\to}Ala)$. On the other hand, polymorphic site at codon 95 was found in both ofloxacin-resistant and ofloxacin-susceptible isolates. From these results, we concluded that the rate of mutations present in gyrA among ofloxacin-resistant M. tuberculosis in Korea is similar to the general rates of mutations found throughout the world. Subsequently, an oligonucleotide probe was designed based on the results of sequence analysis and was used to develop a dot blot hybridization assay system to determine ofloxacin-resistance of M tuberculosis. To evaluate this probe, dot-blot hybridization was carried out using other 57 clinical isolates, and the results showed that the dot-blot hybridization assay is good for detecting sequence alterations atgyrA gene.

• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.161-169
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• 1998

TThe reactive oxygen species oxidatively modify the biological macromolecules, including proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Iron- and heme-mediated Fenton-like reactions produce different pro-oxidants. However, these reactive products have not been clearly characterized. We examined the nature of the oxidizing species from the different iron sources by measuring oxidative protein modification and spectroscopic study. Hemoglobin (Hb) and methemoglobin (metHb) were oxidatively modified in $O{\array-\\\dot{2}}$ and $H_{2}O_{2}$ generating systems. Globin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were also modified by iron, iron-EDTA, hematin, and Hb in an $O{\array-\\\dot{2}}$ generating system. In a $H_{2}O_{2}$ generating system, the iron- and iron-EDTA-mediated protein modifications were markedly reduced while the Hb-and hematin-mediated modifications were slightly increased. In the $O{\array-\\\dot{2}}$ generating system, the iron- and iron-EDTA-mediated protein modifications were strongly inhibited by superoxide dismutase (SOD) or catalase, but heme- and Hb-mediated protein modifications were inhibited only by catalase and slightly increased by SOD. Mannitol, 5,5-dimethyl-l-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO), deoxyribose, and thiourea inhibited the iron-EDTA-mediated protein modification. Mannitol and DMPO, however, did not exhibit significant inhibition in the hematin-mediated modification. Desferrioxamine (DFO) inhibited protein modification mediated by iron, but cyanide and azide did not, while the hematin-mediated protein modification was inhibited by cyanide and azide, but not significantly by DFO. The protein-modified products by iron and heme were different. ESR and UV-visible spectroscopy detected the DMPO spin adduct of the hydroxyl radical and ferryl ion generated from iron-EDTA and metHb, respectively. These results led us to conclude that the main oxidizing species are hydroxyl radical in the iron-EDTA type and the ferry I ion in the hematin type, the latter being more effective for protein modification.

• BMB Reports
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.720-725
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• 2004

A number of signaling molecules contain small pleckstrin homology (PH) domains capable of binding phosphoinositides or proteins. Phospholipase C (PLC)-${\gamma}1$ has two putative PH domains, an $NH_2$-terminal (PH1) and a split PH domain ($nPH_2$ and $cPH_2$). We previously reported that the split PH domain of PLC-${\gamma}1$ binds to phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI(4)P) and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)$P_2$) (Chang et al., 2002). To identify the amino acid residues responsible for binding with PI(4)P and PI(4,5)$P_2$, we used site-directed mutagenesis to replace each amino acid in the variable loop-1 (VL-1) region of the PLC-${\gamma}1$ $nPH_2$ domain with alanine (a neutral amino acid). The phosphoinositide-binding affinity of these mutant molecules was analyzed by Dot-blot assay followed by ECL detection. We found that two PLC-${\gamma}1$ nPH2 domain mutants, P500A and H503A, showed reduced affinities for phosphoinositide binding. Furthermore, these mutant PLC-${\gamma}1$ molecules showed reduced PI(4,5)$P_2$ hydrolysis. Using green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein system, we showed that both $PH_1$ and $nPH_2$ domains are responsible for membrane-targeted translocation of PLC-${\gamma}1$ upon serum stimulation. Together, our data reveal that the amino acid residues $Pro^{500}$ and $His^{503}$ are critical for binding of PLC-${\gamma}1$ to one of its substrates, PI(4,5)$P_2$ in the membrane.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.1093-1098
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• 2001

The gene coding for a Lepidoptera-specific insecticidal crystalline (or control) protein (ICP), recognized as cryIAc, from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD-73, was cloned into the vector pBluscript ll SK-, and then transformed in Escherichia coli $DH5{\alpha}$. The clone was named EBtIAc and the chimeric phagemid, as pEBtIAc. Hyperexpression of CryIAc protoxin was observed in the extract of the culture of E. coli harboring pEBtIAc. Crystalline protoxin was purified by differential solubility. It was dissolved in alkaline pH, and exposed to trypsin to be activated. The molecular weights of the pro- and activated toxins on SDS-PAGE were estimated to be ca. 130 kDa and 60 kDa, respectively. The toxicity was tested by force-feeding larvae of gypsi moth (Lymantria diapar) with trypsinized protoxin. Using the batch of biologically active form of the toxin as an immunogen, anti-CryIAc antiserum was raised in a New Zealand white rabbit. Immunoglobulin G was fractionated from the seam by Protein-A sepharose affinity chromatography. Immunoreactivity of the antibody was examined by dot and Westerns blottings. It has been found that the anti- CryIAc antibody recognized the purified toxin at a level below a nanogram in terms of quantity. Using the antibody some of Bt-corns were able to be differentiated from tons of corn kernels which were imported from America as forage crops.