• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.36
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• pp.147-165
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• 2014

Around the turn of 21st century, there has been a major technological shift in the animation industry. With development of reality-based computer graphics, major American animation studios replaced hand-drawn method with the new 3D computer graphics. Traditional animation was known for its simplified shapes such as circles and triangle that makes characters' movements distinctive from non-animated feature films. Computer-generated animation has largely replaced it, but is under continuous criticism that automated movements and reality-like graphics devaluate the aesthetics of animation. Although hand-drawn animation is still produced, 3D computer graphics have taken commercial lead and there has been many changes to acting of animated characters, which calls for detailed investigation. Firstly, the changes in acting of 3D characters can be traced from looking at human-like rigging method that mimics humanistic moving mechanism. Also, if hair and clothing was part of hand-drawn characters' acting, it has now been hidden inside mathematical simulation of 3D graphics, leaving only the body to be used in acting. Secondly, looking at "Stretch and Squash" method, which represents the distinctive movements of animation, through the lens of media, a paradox arises. Hand-drawn animation are produced frame-by-frame, and a subtle change would make animated frames shiver. This slight shivering acts as an aesthetic distinction of animated feature films, but can also require exaggerated movements to hide the shivering. On the contrary, acting of 3D animation make use of calculated movements that may seem exaggerated compared to human acting, but seem much more moderate and static compared to hand-drawn acting. Moreover, 3D computer graphics add the third dimension that allows more intuitive movements - maybe animators no longer need fine drawing skills; what they now need is directing skills to animate characters in 3D space intuitively. On the assumption that technological advancement and change of artistic expressionism are inseparable, this paper compares acting of 3D animation studio Pixar and classical drawing studio Disney to investigate character acting style and movements.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.375-384
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• 2005

Background and Aims : Pre-induction of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) is known to effectively attenuate the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response in lung tissue. However, it is unclear if HSP70 induction after LPS exposure attenuates the subsequent LPS-induced inflammatory response in alveolar epithelial cells. This study examined the effects of HSP70 induction after LPS exposure on the IL-6 production and the cell viability after a subsequent LPS challenge in murine alveolar epithelial cells, and investigated whether or not HSP70 itself may be involved in those effects. Methods : Murine alveolar epithelial cells were cultured and divided into two groups; the Non-Pre-LPS group without a LPS pre-treatment and the Pre-LPS group with a LPS pre-treatment. Each group was subdivided into the following four subgroups: subgroup C (control), subgroup Q (quercetin), subgroup HSP70 (HSP70 induction), and subgroup HSP70-Inh (HSP70 inhibition). HSP70 expression, which was induced by sodium arsenite and inhibited by quercetin, was analyzed by western blot analysis. The IL-6 levels in the culture supernatant were measured by ELISA, and the cell viability was measured using a simplified MTT assay. Results : The IL-6 levels were lower in subgroup HSP70 than in subgroup C (P<0.01), and were higher in subgroup HSP70-Inh than in subgroup HSP70 in both the Non-Pre-LPS and Pre-LPS groups (P<0.05, P<0.01). The cell viability tended to decrease in the Pre-LPS group compared with the Non-Pre-LPS group. While the cell viability was higher in subgroups Q, HSP70, and HSP70-Inh than in subgroup C in the Non-Pre-LPS group (P<0.05, P<0.05, P<0.01), there was no difference in cell viability among the subgroups in the Pre-LPS group. Conclusion : HSP70 induction after a LPS pre-treatment in murine alveolar epithelial cells inhibits the subsequent LPS-induced IL-6 production without affecting the cell viability, and HSP70 by itself may play an important role in this proccess.