• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.13-24
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• 2012

Objectives : Yukmijihwang-tang(Wan), a well-known formula for invigorating yin-particular kidney yin, was first recorded in "Xiao er Yao Zheng Zhi Jue", consisting of Radix Rehmanniae Preparata, Fructus Macrocarpii, Rhizoma Dioscoreae Oppositae, Poria, Rhizoma Alismatis and Cortex Moutan Radicis with dose proportion of 8:4:4:3:3:3. Although clinical trials have been lacking, various pharmacological actions for Yukmijihwang-tang has been identified newly using animal models. In addition, it was reported that Yukmijihwang-tang increases structural chromosome aberrations significantly in Chinese hamster lung cells. In this article, it is purposed that new studies for pharmacology and toxicology of Yukmijihwang-tang are reviewed. Insight into new studies of Yukmijihwang-tang at the cellular and animal levels will enhance our understanding of Yukmijihwang-tang against various diseases will provide new tools to diagnose and treat patients. Methods : Recent researches for Yukmijihwang-tang were reviewed and summarized in terms of pharmacological action and toxicity. All sources for review were based on recent studies loaded on data base of web sites such as Science Direct and National Center for Biotechnology Information. Results and Conclusions : Recently, reports showed that YMJ had antiaging effects, antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities, anti-renal hypertension and prevented tumors, and diabetes mellitus. However, there is little information on its safety except general toxicity, acute and sub-chronic oral toxicity, or genotoxicity. In addition, clinical trial for Yukmijihwang-tang was limited even though Yukmijihwang-tang has been used extensively in Korean traditional medicine. Thus, further studies are necessary to focus on safety evaluation and clinical trial for Yukmijihwang-tang.

• Informatization Policy
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.85-101
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• 2014

This study analyzed the influencing factors for knowledge sharing at GKMC, and then tried to illuminate the policy meanings implied in the results. To build a framework of analysis, reviewing the KM-related studies, the author selected five influencing factors for knowledge sharing, such as CMC quality, community commitment, structural social capital, cognitive social capital, and relational capital, and actors, and identified the fact that all the factors have a positive effect on knowledge sharing. In the case of Kwang-ju metropolitan city, the first factor that affects knowledge sharing is community commitment, the second one is CMC quality, and the third one is structural social capital. This result means that to succeed in knowledge sharing, the local government managers should try to shape the bonding among members, and then to get rid of the causes of complaints. In addition, local government also needs to predict problems claims and take proper actions for GKMC to be used conveniently through monitoring their work continuously. Furthermore, they should make a free and happy working environment, closely examining the change of the relationship among social capitals.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.79-84
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• 2001

Objectives : To investigate the effects of (-)-3-PPP(0.5, 2, and 10mg/kg, s.c.) and haloperidol(0.1, 0.5, and 2mg/kg, s.c.) on the extracellular dopamine concentrations, and the effect of pretreatment with (-)-3-PPP(2mg/kg) on the haloperidol(2mg/kg)-induced extracellular dopamine concentrations in the nucleus accumbens(NAS) of free moving rats. Methods : Dopamine levels in dialysate were determined with high pressure liquid chromatography(HPLC) with electrochemical detection(ECD). Results : (1)(-)-3-PPP had dual actions depending on the doses: at 2mg/kg, it decreased and at 10mg/kg, increased extracellular dopamine concentrations ; (2) haloperidol at all doses increased dopamine levels with higher dose having a greater increase; and (3) pretreatment of (-)-3-PPP reduced the increase in dopamine levels elicited by acute treatment with haloperidol. Conclusions : These findings suggest that pretreatment of (-)-3-PPP in low dose could accelerate the onset of therapeutic effect of haloperidol by diminishing the haloperidol-induced dopamine release in the limbic system.

• Proceedings of the Korea Inteligent Information System Society Conference
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• 2001.01a
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• pp.59-64
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• 2001

The robot soccer simulation game is a dynamic multi-agent environment. In this paper we suggest a new reinforcement learning approach to each agent's dynamic positioning in such dynamic environment. Reinforcement learning is the machine learning in which an agent learns from indirect, delayed reward an optimal policy to chose sequences of actions that produce the greatest cumulative reward. Therefore the reinforcement learning is different from supervised learning in the sense that there is no presentation of input pairs as training examples. Furthermore, model-free reinforcement learning algorithms like Q-learning do not require defining or learning any models of the surrounding environment. Nevertheless it can learn the optimal policy if the agent can visit every state- action pair infinitely. However, the biggest problem of monolithic reinforcement learning is that its straightforward applications do not successfully scale up to more complex environments due to the intractable large space of states. In order to address this problem. we suggest Adaptive Mediation-based Modular Q-Learning (AMMQL)as an improvement of the existing Modular Q-Learning (MQL). While simple modular Q-learning combines the results from each learning module in a fixed way, AMMQL combines them in a more flexible way by assigning different weight to each module according to its contribution to rewards. Therefore in addition to resolving the problem of large state effectively, AMMQL can show higher adaptability to environmental changes than pure MQL. This paper introduces the concept of AMMQL and presents details of its application into dynamic positioning of robot soccer agents.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.187-199
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• 1999

Bone remodeling is characterized by the continuing processes of osteoblast-mediated bone formation and osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. Bone metabolism is tightly regulated at the local level by networks of hormones, cytokines, and other factors. In pathological conditions of bone remodeling, including osteoporosis and periodontal diseases, inflammatory cytokines and local mediators are responsible for enhancement of osteoclast resorption and inhibition of repair at the sites of bone resorption. TNF-${\alpha}$ is a pleiotropic hormone with actions on the differentiation, growth, and functional activities of normal and malignant cells from numerous tissues. TNF-${\alpha}$ has been proposed as a local mediator of the control of bone turnover in situations of chronic inflammation, and it has been assumed that the local source of TNF-${\alpha}$ is the monocyte in the adjacent bone marrow or the local circulation. TNF-${\alpha}$ is a potent inducer of bone resorption. TNF-${\alpha}$ is known to induce the activation of apoptotic signaling pathway, which leads to the apoptosis of bone cells. We demonstrated that treatment of murine osteoblastic MC3T3E1 cells with TNF-${\alpha}$ decreases proliferation as well as alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in a dose depenent manner. In addition, TNF-${\alpha}$ increases osteoclast-like cell formation in $1{\alpha}$, 25(OH)2D3 or PGE2-treated bone marrow cell culture. When cells were cultured in TNF-${\alpha}$ free ${\alpha}$-MEM, this inhibitory effect of ALP activity was reversible up to 10 ng/ml TNF-${\alpha}$, in contrast, at the 20 ng/ml TNF-${\alpha}$, irreversible. In this concentration, TNF-${\alpha}$ may induce apoptosis in MC3T3E1 cells. In this study, TNF-${\alpha}$ induces apoptosis resulting in chromosomal DNA fragmentation, preceded by JNK/SAPKs and caspase-3 activation. Our present results show that JNK/SAPKs and caspase-3 are activated by TNF-${\alpha}$, suggesting that the JNK/SAPKs and caspase-3 participate in the bone resorption, associated with apoptosis.

• KIPS Transactions on Software and Data Engineering
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• v.2 no.11
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• pp.801-808
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• 2013

In the virtual space with the interactive 3D contents, the degree of mental satisfaction is determined by how fully it reflect the real world. There are a few factors for getting the high completeness of virtual space. The first is the modeling technique with high-polygons and high-resolution textures which can heighten an visual effect. The second is the functionality. It is about how realistic represents dynamic actions between the virtual space and the user or the system. Although the studies on the techniques for animating and controlling the virtual characters have been continued, there are problems such that the long production time, the high cost, and the animation without expected behaviors. This paper suggest a method of behavior control of animation by designing the optimized skeleton which produces the movement of character and applying the procedural technique using physical law and mathematical analysis. The proposed method is free from the constraint on one-to-one correspondence rules, and reduce the production time by controlling the simple parameters, and to increase the degree of visual satisfaction.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.349-357
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• 2013

6'-O-galloylpaeoniflorin (GPF) is a galloylated derivate of paeoniflorin and a key chemical constituent of the peony root, a perennial flowering plant that is widely used as an herbal medicine in East Asia. This study is the first investigation of the cytoprotective effects of GPF against hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$)-induced cell injury and death in human HaCaT keratinocytes. GPF demonstrated a significant scavenging capacity against the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical, $H_2O_2$-generated intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), the superoxide anion radical ($O_2^-$), and the hydroxyl radical (${\cdot}$OH). GPF also safeguarded HaCaT keratinocytes against $H_2O_2$-provoked apoptotic cell death and attenuated oxidative macromolecular damage to DNA, lipids, and proteins. The compound exerted its cytoprotective actions in keratinocytes at least in part by decreasing the number of DNA strand breaks, the levels of 8-isoprostane (a stable end-product of lipid peroxidation), and the formation of carbonylated protein species. Taken together, these results indicate that GPF may be developed as a cytoprotector against ROS-mediated oxidative stress.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.129-136
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• 1992

The effects of $Cd^{2+}$ on spontaneous contraction, and the contractures induced by $0mM\;Na^+,\;60mM\;K^+\;and\;10^{-6}\;M$ acetylcholine, 1mM caffeine were studied in order to elucidate diverse actions of $Cd^{2+}$ on the $Ca^{2+}$ mobilization related with contractility in the antral circular muscle of guinea pig stomach. $Cd^{2+}$ inhibited the spontaneous contraction in a does dependent manner $(10^{-6}\;M\;10^{-4}\;M).\;Cd^{2+}\;(3{\times}10^{-5}M)$ suppressed 60 mM $K^+$ induced contracture composed or a phasic and a tonic response and the increased tonic response by the increased external $Ca^{2+}$ concentration. $Cd^{2+}$ also suppressed acetylcholine induced contracture composed of repetitive phasic and a tonic component and the increased tonic response by the increased external $Ca^{2+}$ concentration. Caffeine in the concentration of 1mM evoked contracture but $Cd^{2+}$ suppressed the contracture. $Cd^{2+}$ suppressed the amplitude of the $Na^+$ tee contracture dose dependently and the amplitude of $Na^+$ free contracture almost decreased to 20% of control amplitude in the concentration of $10^{-4}\;M\;Cd^{2+}$. From the above results, it is suggested that $Cd^{2+}$ may inhibit not only $Ca^{2+}$ influx via voltage sensitive, receptor operated $Ca^{2+}$ channel and Na/ca exchange but also intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum in the antral circular muscle of guinea pig stomach.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.104-109
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• 1998

Methanol extracts from 84 Indian plant samples (50 species in 31 families) and 27 African plant samples (20 species in 12 families) in vitro were tested for their growth-inhibitory activities against Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Clostridium perfringens, and Escherichia coli, using a paper disc agar diffusion method under $O_2-free$ conditions. The responses varied with bacterial strain, plant species and plant part. Extracts from Cymbopogon citratus whole plants, Ocimum basilicum whole plant, Madhuca indica flowers, and Aegle marmelos leaves among Indian plant samples moderately or strongly inhibited the growth of Cl, perfringens whereas moderate growth-inhibitory activity against E. coli was obtained from extract of Indian O. basilicum whole plants. These plant extracts did not affect the growth of the lactic acid forming bacteria tested. These results may be an indication of at least one of the pharmacological actions of these tropical plants.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.2913-2921
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• 2012

Introduction: The impact of cervical cancer prevention programs depends on persuading women to go for screening and, if needed, treatment. As part of an evaluation of a pilot project in Indonesia, qualitative research was conducted to explore the factors that influence women's decisions regarding screening and treatment and to generate practical recommendations to increase service coverage and reduce loss to follow up. Methods: Research was conducted at 7 of the 17 public health centers in Karawang District that implemented the pilot project. Interviews and focus group discussions were held with 20 women, 20 husbands, 10 doctors, 18 midwives, 3 district health officials, and 16 advocacy team members. Results: Free services and mobile outreach events encouraged women to go for screening, along with promotional efforts by community health workers, advocacy teams, and the mass media. Knowledge and perceptions were the most important barriers to screening: women were not aware of cervical cancer risks, did not know the disease was treatable, and were fatalistic. Factors facilitating treatment were social support from husbands, relatives, and friends and the encouragement and role modeling of health workers. Barriers to prompt treatment included limited access to services and the requirement for husband's consent for cryotherapy. Conclusion: As cervical cancer prevention services are scaled up throughout Indonesia, the findings suggest three strategies to expand screening coverage and ensure prompt treatment: strengthening community mobilization and advocacy activities, modifying the service delivery model to encourage a single visit approach to screening and treatment, and working to gain men's support.