• Development and Reproduction
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.225-234
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• 2021

The present study aimed to investigate the mechanism of cell surface receptor loss by two constitutively activating mutants (designated L469R, and D590Y) and two inactivating mutants (D417N and Y558F) of the luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) in the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica, known to naturally occur in human LHR transmembrane domains. We investigated cell surface receptor loss using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in HEK 293 cells. The expression level of wild-type eel LHR was considered to be 100%, and the expression levels of L469R and D417N were 97% and 101%, respectively, whereas the expression levels of D590Y and Y558F slightly increased to approximately 110% and 106%, respectively. The constitutively activating mutants L469R and D590Y exhibited a decrease in cell surface loss in a manner similar to that of wild-type eel LHR. The rates of loss of cell surface agonist-receptor complexes were observed to be very rapid (2.6-6.2 min) in both the wild-type eel LHR and activating mutants. However, cell surface receptor loss in the cells expressing inactivating mutants D417N and Y558F was slightly observed in the cells expressing inactivating mutants D417N and Y558F, despite treatment with a high concentration of agonist. These results provide important information on LHR function in fish and the regulation of mutations of highly conserved amino acids in glycoprotein hormone receptors.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.81-90
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• 2023

The maximum drifts are important to the seismic evaluation of steel buildings and connections, but the information can hardly be obtained from the post-earthquake field investigation. This research studies the feasibility of using the loss rate of bolt pretension as an earthquake damage predictor. Full-scale tests were made on four steel connections using bolted-web-welded-flange details. One connection was unreinforced (UN), another was reinforced with double shear plates (DS), and the other two used reduced beam sections (RBS). The preinstalled strain gauges were used to control the pretensions and monitor the losses of the high-strength bolts. The results showed that the loss rate of bolt pretension was highly related to the damage of the connections. The pretensions lost up to 10% in all the connections at the yield drifts of 0.5% to 1%. After yielding of the connections, the pretensions lost significantly until fracture occurred. The UN and DS connections failed with a maximum drift of 4 %, and the two RBS connections showed better ductility and failed with a maximum drift of 6%. Under the far-field-type loading protocol, the loss rate grew to 60%. On the contrary, the rate for the specimen under near-fault-type loading protocol was about 40%. The loss rate of bolt pretension is therefore recommended to use as an earthquake damage predictor. Additionally, the 10% and 40% loss rates are recommended to predict the limit states of connection yielding and maximum strength, respectively, and to define the performance levels of serviceability and life-safety for the buildings.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.197-205
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• 2017

Exposure of Jurkat T cell clone (J/Neo cells) to acacetin (5,7-dihydroxy-4'-methoxyflavone), which is present in barnyard millet (Echinochloa esculenta (A. Braun)) grains, caused cytotoxicity, enhancement of apoptotic $sub-G_1$ rate, Bak activation, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (${\Delta}{\Psi}m$), activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3, degradation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, and FITC-Annexin V-stainable phosphatidylserine exposure on the external surface of the cytoplasmic membrane without accompanying necrosis. These apoptotic responses were abrogated in Jurkat T cell clone (J/Bcl-xL) overexpressing Bcl-xL. Under the same conditions, cellular autophagic responses, including suppression of the Akt-mTOR pathway and p62/SQSTM1 down-regulation, were commonly detected in J/Neo and J/Bcl-xL cells; however, formation of acridine orange-stainable acidic vascular organelles, LC3-I/II conversion, and Beclin-1 phosphorylation (Ser-15) were detected only in J/Neo cells. Correspondingly, concomitant treatment with the autophagy inhibitor (3-methyladenine or LY294002) appeared to enhance acacetin-induced apoptotic responses, such as Bak activation, ${\Delta}{\Psi}m$ loss, activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3, and apoptotic $sub-G_1$ accumulation. This indicated that acacetin could induce apoptosis and cytoprotective autophagy in Jurkat T cells simultaneously. Together, these results demonstrate that acacetin induces not only apoptotic cell death via activation of Bak, loss of ${\Delta}{\Psi}m$, and activation of the mitochondrial caspase cascade, but also cytoprotective autophagy resulting from suppression of the Akt-mTOR pathway. Furthermore, pharmacologic inhibition of the autophagy pathway augments the activation of Bak and resultant mitochondrial damage-mediated apoptosis in Jurkat T cells.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.549-555
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• 2023

Jacking force loss management inside the PSC Box girder of a common high-speed railway is a very important feature in girder performance, and requires detailed management during the maintenance of the girder. This study aimed to analyze the timing of re-tension prediction of PSC Box girder based on the reduction level of the packing force inside the girder and the results of the tension loss measured without the train load test. As a result of predicting the timing of re-tension according to the level of tension reduction of the PSC Box Girder, the Jacking Force Loss curve was gently analyzed before the structure reached 17 years after confirmed completion, and 17 years later, it was found that the jacking force loss curve progressed rapidly. The results confirmed that the tension of the structure decreases with the service life increase, but considerably decreases as the structure ages. Therefore, more data and research on tension loss of facilities over 20 years are much required.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.21-33
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between lymphedema self-care management and quality of life in breast cancer patients with mastectomy and lymphedema. Methods: One hundred and eighty-six breast cancer patients with mastectomy and lymphedema (n=186) were recruited at a medical center located in Seoul. The levels of lymphedema self-care management and quality of life were measured by the scale for measurement of practice in lymphedema self-care management, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer-Quality of Life Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer-Quality of Life Questionnaire Breast Cancer Module (EORTC QLQ BR23), respectively. Data were analyzed with SPSS 18.0 program. Results: There were statistically significant correlations between lymphedema self-care management and general health status/quality of life in mastectomy patients with lymphedema (r=.30, p<.001). The physical function score of cancer related function scale (r=-.15, p=.033), fatigue score of cancer related symptom scale (r=.15, p=.036), systemic side effect score of breast cancer related symptom scale (r=.45, p=.034), and upset by hair loss (r=.27, p=.004) were significantly correlated with quality of life. Conclusion: The findings suggest that these significant factors should be considered when caring for lymphedema patients.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.365-372
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• 2010

Low-fat sausages were prepared with various meats to investigate the effect of the addition of oatmeal at 10% as a fat substitute. The sausages were made with beef, pork and chicken after trimming the visible fat, and the physical and sensory properties of the sausages were evaluated. Beef sausage had the lowest cooking yield and the highest hardness, while chicken sausage showed the opposite properties. The addition of oatmeal resulted in sausage products with less cooking loss and softer texture for all types of meat sausages. Such changes were more pronounced for beef low-fat sausage than for the other types of sausages. The results of moisture absorption suggested that the difference in cooking yield and hardness among sausage products was due to the water-retention properties of different meats and the substitute in response to heat treatment. Sensory evaluation indicated that the greatest overall acceptability of the sausage products were obtained from 10% oatmeal-added pork sausage and that the addition of oatmeal led to better acceptability for all types meat sausages.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.381-388
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was done to investigate nurses' awareness of death and the meaning of life and identify factors influencing the meaning of life. Methods: Participants were 198 women nurses who had experienced the death of patients. They answered a self-administered questionnaire including demographics, awareness of death scale and meaning in life II scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Scheff$\acute{e}$ test, and multiple regression (enter method). Results: The average score for awareness of death was $127.3{\pm}10.14$. This score is moderate not biased toward positive or negative. The average score for meaning of life was $130.3{\pm}9.42$ with 51% for loss steps, 45.5% for pursuit steps and 3.5% for discovery steps to the meaning of life. Factors affecting the meaning of life were religion, Buddhism (${\beta}=6.25$, p=.015) or Atheist (${\beta}=5.91$, p=.017), educational level, Master's or higher (${\beta}=16.22$, p=.003), work department, special department (${\beta}=3.49$, p=.017). Conclusions: Results of the study indicate a need to provide nursing programs that will promote nurses' spiritual and inner maturity.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.497-510
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• 2018

In this study, the decay resistance of larch wood, which was heat treated by superheated steam, was evaluated by the field decay test. During the field decay test of 12 months, non-treated wood has been severely damaged by termite, however, no visible damage has occurred in the preservative-treated wood and superheated steam heat-treated wood. Results of field decay test showed approximately 5% mass loss of the non-treated wood and the preservative-treated wood, and approximately 1% mass loss of the superheated steam heat-treated wood. After the field decay test for 12 months, the residual amount of preservatives remaining in the preservative-treated wood was lower than that before the field decay test. It was considered that the preservative was partially eluted during the field decay test, and the mass loss of the preservative-treated wood was thought to be similar to that of the non-treated wood. Through this study and additional long-term monitoring test, superheated steam heat treatment can be considered to be an environmental-friendly method to enhance the decay resistance of wood against rot fungi and/or insect without chemical treatment such as preservative injection.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.125-132
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• 2017

Objective: Along with increasing livestock products via intensive rearing, the accumulation of livestock manure has become a serious issue due to the fact that there is finite land for livestock manure recycling via composting. The nutrients from livestock manure accumulate on agricultural land and the excess disembogues into streams causing eutrophication. In order to systematically manage nutrient loading on agricultural land, quantifying the amount of nutrients according to their respective sources is very important. However, there is a lack of research concerning nutrient loss from livestock manure during composting or storage on farms. Therefore, in the present study we quantified the nutrients from dairy cattle manure that were imparted onto agricultural land. Methods: Through investigation of 41 dairy farms, weight reduction and volatile solids (VS), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) changes of dairy cattle manure during the storage and composting periods were analyzed. In order to support the direct investigation and survey on site, the three cases of weight reduction during the storing and composting periods were developed according to i) experiment, ii) reference, and iii) theoretical changes in phosphorus content (${\Delta}P=0$). Results: The data revealed the nutrient loading coefficients (NLCs) of VS, TN, and TP on agricultural land were 1.48, 0.60, and 0.66, respectively. These values indicated that the loss of nitrogen and phosphorus was 40% and 34%, respectively, and that there was an increase of VS since bedding materials were mixed with excretion in the barn. Conclusion: As result of nutrient-footprint analyses, the amounts of TN and TP particularly entered on arable land have been overestimated if applying the nutrient amount in fresh manure. The NLCs obtained in this study may assist in the development of a database to assess the accurate level of manure nutrient loading on soil and facilitate systematic nutrient management.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.109-114
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• 2008

This study examined pregnancy and fetal loss rates according to different estrus synchronization protocols and injection of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) after transfer of Korean Native Cattle embryos to Holstein recipients. In Experiment 1, recipients received no treatment (Control, n = 119); two injections of prostaglandin$F_{2{\alpha}}$ ($PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ ) 11 days apart (PGF group, n = 120); GnRH (day 0)-$PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ (day 7)-GnRH (day 9) (Ovsynch group, n = 120); and CIDR (day 0)-$PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ and CIDR removal (day 7)-GnRH (day 9) (CIDR group, n = 110). In Experiment 2, the control group was received no treatment of GnRH. The treatment groups were received GnRH at embryo transfer (ET) (day 0), 7 days later, 14 days later, ET and 7 days later, 7 and 14 days later, or ET, 7 and 14 days later. Recipients were assigned to treatment randomly and received two in vitro produced blastocysts. Pregnancy was diagnosed at day 60 by palpation per rectum. Fetal loss to term was determined by palpation every 90 days thereafter. In Experiment 1, the pregnancy rate in the CIDR group (59.1%) were higher than in the Control group (42.0%) (p<0.01); fetal loss rates were similar for all groups (12.0 to 18.5%). In Experiment 2, the pregnancy rate in Day 0+7+14 group was higher (60.2%) than the control (40.2%) (p<0.01) and resulted in a lower fetal loss (p<0.05) than the control (4.6 vs. 11.4%). There were no significant difference between other treatment and the control (p>0.05). These results show that pregnancy rates of bovine embryos can be enhanced by CIDR insertion or GnRH $3{\times}$ treatment. Additionally, fetal loss may be reduced with GnRH treatment after ET.