• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.145-150
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• 2009

This study investigated the protective roles and mechanism of magnolol, from the stem bark of Magnolia officinalis against potential neurotoxin 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK)-induced neuronal cell death. For the evaluation of protective role of magnolol, we examined cell viability, apoptotic nuclei, change of mitochondrial membrane potential and caspase activity in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. It was found that 3-HK induces neuronal cell death in the human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line. The reduced cell viability produced characteristic features such as cell shrinkages, plasma membrane blebbing, chromatin condensation, and nuclear fragmentation. The cells treated with 3-HK showed an increase in the concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as well as in caspase activity. In addition, both are involved in the 3-HK-induced apoptosis. Magnolol attenuated the cell viability reduction by 3-HK in both a dose- and time-dependent manner. Optical microscopy showed that magnolol inhibited the cell morphological features in the 3-HK-treated cells. Furthermore, the increase in the ROS concentration and the caspase activities by 3-HK were also attenuated by magnolol. These results showed that magnolol has a protective effect on the 3-HK induced cell death by inhibiting ROS production and caspase activity.

• ALGAE
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.161-174
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• 2004

Phonological, morphological and molecular characteristics of Spatoglossum pacificum Yendo are examined. S. pacificum has an annual life cycle composed of saprophytes with apparent absence of male and female gametophytes in Korea. The seasonal growth of this species explains that the annual growth is closely related to the monthly variation of water temperature. S. pacificum has protruding reproductive structures above the outmost cortical layer. Although this observation is restricted to several species, reproductive structures on the thallus can make S. pacificurn distinguishable from S. crassum and S. lacturn. The morphogenesis of a midrib at the base of S. pacificum in this study is the same as those of Dictyopteris but different from those of S. crassum and S. lacturn, suggesting that S. pacificum is closely related to Dictyopteris. In the comparison of plastid gene sequences among species of Spatoglossum and Dictyopteris, S. pacificum is more similar to D. divaricata and D. undulate than those of S. crassum in rbcL, rbcS, psbA and psaA. This result is congruent with the anatomical characteristic of a midrib at the base of the thallus and the protrusion of reproductive organs on the thallus. The phylogenetic relationship based on these plastid genes also shows that S. pacifism is included in Dictyotpteris Glade and separated from S. crassum. We propose the new combination of Dictyopteris pacifica (Yendo) I.K. Hwang, H.S. Kim et W.J. Lee, comb. nov. based on the differences of anatomical characteristics of the midrib, the existence of reproductive organs on thallus and the molecular analyses.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea CI
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.9-15
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• 2011

In this paper, we propose a method to extract the external oblique muscle of abdomen images that is often excluded by previous method due to image distortion. In the preprocessing phase of the proposed method, we emphasize the brightness contrast with Ends-in search stretching algorithm after removing noise from the initial ultrasonic images. Then we apply average binarization in vertical direction to extract candidate fascia areas. After removing other areas than fascia with morphological characteristics, the lost part in the fascia during the process is restored with such characteristic information and location information. Then the skin area is also removed with information from the arc appearing in convex filming and the candidate muscle areas are extracted by overlapping two results two way up-down search algorithm. Another noise removing process is done to determine the muscle area. In case of obtaining obscure result, after restoring the muscle area by smearing method, the thickness of the muscle is measured by min square method. The experiment verifies that the proposed method is sufficiently effective to analyze the size and shape of muscles in abdomen in ultrasonography than previously used methods.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.1-12
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• 2013

Objectives: This was study about identifying fine seed herbs that are highly mixed together: Celosiae Semen, Celoisae Cristatae Semen, Cuscutae Semen, Perillae Semen. Methods: In non-distinctive herbs through sensory test, we can find accurate discriminative points by using a stereoscope. As a result, a new discriminative key was completed. Results: We identified a comparison of herbs which are mixed up in distribution. 1) In the case of Celosiae Semen and Celoisae Cristatae Semen, Celoisae Cristatae Semen which is mixed up is bigger and more glossy and especially have the sunk umbilicus. 2) In the case of Cuscutae Semen and Perillae Semen, Perillae Semen is discriminated by characteristic morado netting surface and impression of fruit stalk in the single-ended. 3) In the case of Cuscutae Semen which is distributed in three species, we discriminated by beak shape, location of umbilicus and vomiting thread shape or not when put in water. (1) Cuscuta chinensis has a weak beaky shape, an umbilicus in center and is vomiting thread shape when put in water. (2) C. australis has very weak beaky shape, an umbilicus beneath and is vomiting thread shape when put in water. (3) C. japonica has clear beaky shape, an umbilicus beneath and is not vomiting thread shape when put in water. Conclusions: A stereoscope can be effectively used for identifying fine seed herbs hardly distinguishable by sensory tests.

• Journal of Digital Contents Society
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.1207-1212
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• 2018

The ultrasound image uses ultrasonic pulses to receive the reflected waves and construct an image necessary for diagnosis. At this time, when the signal becomes weak, noise is generated and a slight difference in brightness occurs. In addition, fluctuation of image due to breathing phenomenon, which is the characteristic of ultrasound image, and change of motion in real time occurs. Such a noise is difficult to recognize and diagnose visually in the analysis process. In this paper, morphological features are automatically extracted by using image processing technique on ultrasound acquired images. In this paper, we implemented a GPU - based fast filter using a cloud big data processing platform for image processing. In applying the GPU - based high - performance filter, the algorithm was run with performance 4.7 times faster than CPU - based and the PSNR was 37.2dB, which is very similar to the original.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.63-74
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• 2004

The genus Suaeda is one of the most popular plants on salt marsh areas in Korean Peninsular. The entities that comprise taxa in Korea exhibit widely overlapping ranges in all morphological attributes. Ramdom amplified polimorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to clarify taxonomic delimitation among the Korean taxa of Suaeda and to analyse genetic variations among the populations of S. japoniro in western and southern coastal regions. Six decamer primers amplified a total of 65 scorable bands, of which 61 were polymorphic. In all primers investigated, S. glauro of sect. Schanginia is the most distinctive species, compared with others of sect. Heterosperma. S. japonica, S. maritima, and S. malacosperma, which have been hardly distinguished each other by external morphology, were readily recognized by its specific DNA bands. The characteristic RAPD markers were identified local populations of S. japonica, but this feature was not revealed within population.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.157-163
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• 1998

Preimplantation embryos of the rat was examined by the morphological changes in the cortical granule envelope (CGE), blastomere surface, and zona pellucida (ZP) of embryo after cortical reaction. The ultrastructural characteristics and CGE of embryos were observed with the scanning electron microscope and fluorescence microscope. In the ultrastructural characteristic of embryo surface, surface microvilli were shortened and the CGE-like structure existed above microvilli in eight-cell embryo. Rough spongy surface and decreased network numbers were key characters of embryonic ZP compared to unfertilized oocyte. The CGE formed by cortical reaction existed in perivitelline space during embryo development but it was thin and locally distributed ill contrast to fertilized oocyte. The present results indicate that cortical reaction forms cortical granule envelope in perivitelline space and causes not only zona hardening, but also ultrastructural changes in ZP and cell membrane of preimplantation embryos.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.109-118
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• 2006

The physicochemical properties of damaged hair by irradiation of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) have been investigated by using transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscope. The range of irradiation of hair irradiated for expectative 6 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours with stimulated ultraviolet ray. The treated hairs showed characteristic morphological damage pattern in the cornified cell of matrix and the cuticle following time past. The various sized vacuoles in the endocuticle of the cuticular cells was formed. The statistically significant differences in diameter of cuticular cell were observed in terms of tranverse swelling by formation of vacuoles. The hair cortex and matrix undergo long term exposure to UV-B radiation. The macrofibrils of cortex appeared to be affected most by UV-B, although the morphology and volume of melanin granule was not changed. The physicochemical destruction of hair matrix and cuticular cells is largely accelerated by long term irradiation of UV-B.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-20
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• 1990

Follicular atresia is a universal and characteristic phenomenon of both non-mammalian and mammalian vertebrates. Generally it is estimated that greater than 99% of follicles become atretic in higher domestic animals and human. The number of selected follicles developing to the preovulatory stage are thus fewer. Follicles can become atretic at any stage of development. The previous studies emphasized on descriptive and retrospect aspects of a limited population of the fully grown preovulatory follicle. The main efforts in ovarian physilogical researches are focused on follicular development culminating in ovulation but recent advances have resulted in a better understanding of atresia. Nowadays, recent studies are concentrated on the induction of atresia in a selected population of follicles and of the associated cellular, endocrine, biochemical and molecular changes. The factors initiating atresia and follicle selections are worthy of investigations. Another intriguing question is whether one can predict when a follicle will become atretic, i.e., what biochemical markers indicate that a follicle is destined for atresia. It is generally agreed that atretic process may vary even in antral follicles at different stages of their differentiations and among species. The dicisive factors are follicular responsiveness and the hormonal milieu. Some generalizations can be made on the basis of experimental induction of atresia. Alteration of the pattern of follicular steroid production is associated with the initiation stage of atretic process. Atresia appears to be a process unfolding gradually and affecting progressively in increasing number of functions and components of the follicle. The oocyte may be the latest to be afflicted in the atretic process. The high steroidogenic activity of atretic follicles lends support to the notion that atresia is not necessarily a degenerative process and that atretic follicles may play an essential role in ovarian physiology. The simultaneous occurence of growth and atretic processes may render the search for regulatory mechanisms involved in atresia difficult extremely. The questions such as how follicles are selected to undergo ovulation rather than atresia or what the mechanism of atresia is remain unanswered. However, the factors regulating or modifying ovarian hormonal milieu for the initiation of follicular growth and maturation or of atresia are being elucidated.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.260-267
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• 2004

Fusarium spp. were isolated from the postharvest fruit rot of oriental melon fruits at commercial fruit markets in Korea during 2001 to 2003. The decayed fruits were covered with the fungal mycelia and eventually soft rotted. The disease started at the fruit stalk area, the calyx end of the fruit and skin of fruit. As the disease advanced, white to pinkish mycelia covered with the surface of decayed fruit. The cultural and morphological characteristic of Fusarium spp. were compared with descriptions of those reported previously, and identified as Fusarium equiseti, F. graminearum, F. moniliforme, F. proliferatum, F. sambucinum, and F. semitectum. Pathogenicity of the isolates was proved by artificial wound and unwound inoculation onto the healthy fruits. Two days after inoculation, aerial mycelia were noticed on the wound inocultion region of the fruit and developed soft rot symptoms. Although Fusarium spp. causing fruit rot disease in oriental melon have been reported in Korea, identification of the those species was not described. Therefore, this is the first report of Fusarium spp. causing postharvest fruit rot on oriental melon in Korea.