• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.34 no.10
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• pp.893-899
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• 2010

A previous study showed that hemodynamics is correlated with stenosis in the coronary artery. The flow characteristics and the distributions of the hemodynamic wall parameters in the coronary artery are investigated under physiological flow condition. The present study also aims to establish the mechanism of the generation of atherosclerosis by analyzing the hemodynamic variables in the coronary artery where atherosclerosis frequently occurs. The stenosis phenomena due to atherosclerosis are related to not only the biochemical reaction between blood and blood vessels but also the hemodynamic factors sush as flow separation and oscillatory wall shear stress. As the bifurcated angle increases, the size of the recirculation area that appears in the cross section increases and disturbed flow is observed in this area. We speculate that this area is the starting point of atherosclerosis in the coronary artery.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.185-192
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• 2010

The acoustic vowel space has been used as an acoustic parameter in dysarthric speech. The aim of this work was to examine mathematical formulae for acoustic vowel space and to apply these to Korean speakers with idiopathic Parkinson's disease(IPD). Five acoustic parameters were chosen from earlier works and one new parameter was proposed, the pentagonal vowel space. The six parameters included triangular vowel space (3 area), irregular quadrilateral vowel space (4 area), irregular pentagonal vowel space (5 area), vowel articulatory index (VAI), formant centralization ratio (FCR) and F2i/F1u ratio (F2 ratio). An experimental group of 32 IPD patients(male:female=16:16) and a control group of twenty healthy people (male:female=8:12) participated in the study and repeated vowels (/a-i-u-e-o/) three times. A correlation analysis was performed among the six parameters, 2-way ANOVA was done with gender and groups as independent factors, and an independent sample t-test was conducted between the male and the female group as post hoc comparison. All parameters were highly correlated with each other and only the FCR showed a high negative correlation with the others. The results of ANOVA showed a significant difference in F2 ratio, 3 area, 4 area and 5 area between gender and in 4 area and 5 area between groups. For the male members of the two groups, significant statistical differences were found in all parameters whereas no such differences were found for the female members. These findings indicated that the vowel space of the female group was wider than the vowel space of the male group. These differences may have been caused by gender-specific speech styles rather than by patho-physiological mechanisms. We also claim that the pentagonal vowel space is better than the other vowel spaces at representing the disordered speech in natural speech situations.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.44-50
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between Trp64Arg polymorphism in the ${\beta}_3$-adrenergic receptor gene and complex phenotypes such as blood pressure, body compositions and bone parameters in young men about 20 years, and to collect the fundamental data in designing the exercise program. Eighty healthy young men including 41 controls and 39 athletes were recruited, Trp64Arg polymorphism in the ${\beta}_3$-adrenergic receptor gene was genotyped by PCR-RFLP method. By association study, there were no significance in genotype and allele frequencies of Trp64Arg polymorphism in the ${\beta}_3$-adrenergic receptor gene between controls and athletes, respectively (p>0.05). When the relationship between physiological parameters and Trp64Arg polymorphism in the ${\beta}_3$-adrenergic receptor gene was tested, this polymorphism was significantly associated with 3th lumber and left femoral neck Z-score values in controls (p<0.05), but these associations were not detected in athletic groups (p>0.05). It is likely that Trp64Arg polymorphism in the ${\beta}_3$-adrenergic receptor gene is a genetic marker for the bone mineral density index in young men, but environmental factors such as exercise modify the significant effect of this polymorphism. Thus, our results suggest that Trp64Arg polymorphism in the ${\beta}_3$-adrenergic receptor gene may be applicable as a predictive marker for osteoporosis in Korean young men, and regular exercise may prevent the disadventageous effect of this polymorphism for bone mineral density in male athletic group.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.102-109
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• 2014

Cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) are aquatic mammals that experienced drastic changes during the transition from terrestrial to aquatic environment. Morphological changes include streamlined body, alterations in the face, transformation of the forelimbs into flippers, disappearance of the hindlimbs and the acquisition of flukes on the tail. For a prolonged diving, cetaceans acquired hypoxia-resistance by developing various anatomical and physiological changes. However, molecular mechanisms underlying these adaptations are still limited. CREB-binding protein (CREBBP) is a transcriptional co-activator critical for embryonic development, growth control, metabolic homeostasis and responses to hypoxia. Natural selection analysis of five cetacean CREBBPs compared with those from 15 terrestrial relatives revealed strong purifying selection, supporting the importance of its role in mammals. However, prediction for amino acid changes that elicit functional difference of CREBBP identified three cetacean specific changes localized within a region required for interaction with SRCAP and in proximal regions to KIX domain of CREBBP. Mutations in CREBBP or SRCAP are known to cause craniofacial and skeletal defects in human, and KIX domain of CREBBP serves as a docking site for transcription factors including c-Myb, an essential regulator of haematopoiesis. In these respects, our study provides interesting insights into the functional adaptation of cetacean CREBBP for aquatic lifestyle.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.781-798
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• 2018

Plants have evolved strategies to cope with drought stress by maximizing physiological capacity and adjusting developmental processes such as flowering time. The WOX13 orthologous group is the most conserved among the clade of WOX homeodomain-containing proteins and is found to function in both drought stress and flower development. In this study, we isolated and characterized OsWOX13 from rice. OsWOX13 was regulated spatially in vegetative organs but temporally in flowers and seeds. Overexpression of OsWOX13 (OsWOX13-ov) in rice under the rab21 promoter resulted in drought resistance and early flowering by 7-10 days. Screening of gene expression profiles in mature leaf and panicles of OsWOX13-ov showed a broad spectrum of effects on biological processes, such as abiotic and biotic stresses, exerting a cross-talk between responses. Protein binding microarray and electrophoretic mobility shift assay analyses supported ATTGATTG as the putative cis-element binding of OsWOX13. OsDREB1A and OsDREB1F, drought stress response transcription factors, contain ATTGATTG motif(s) in their promoters and are preferentially expressed in OsWOX13-ov. In addition, Heading date 3a and OsMADS14, regulators in the flowering pathway and development, were enhanced in OsWOX13-ov. These results suggest that OsWOX13 mediates the stress response and early flowering and, thus, may be a regulator of genes involved in drought escape.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 1995

Alveolar macrophages play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of silicosis since the macrophages may release a wide variety of toxic and inflammatory mediators as well as mitogenic growth factors. In the present study, the effects of in vitro exposure to silica on release of various mediator such as reactive oxygen species, platelet activating factor(PAF), and interleukin-1 (IL-1) by alveolar macrophages were examined. First, hydrogen peroxide release from alveolar macrophages was monitored by measuring the change in fluorescence of scopoletin in the absence or presence of graded concentration of silica. Significantly enhanced release of hydrogen peroxide was observed at 0.5 mg/ml and above. A maximal enhancement of 10 fold above control was observed at 5 mg/ml silica. Similarly, in vitro exposure to silica also significantly stimulated the generation of chemiluminescence from alveolar macrophages at 0.5 mg/ml and above with n maximal enhancement of 8 fold at 5 mg/ml silica. Second, PAF release from alveolar macrophages after 30 min incubation at $37^{\circ}C$ in absence or presence of zymosan and silica was determined by measuring $^{3}H-serotonin$ release ability of the conditioned macrophage supernates from platelets. 5 mg/ml zymosan as a positive control fur the PAF assay increased PAF release by 19 % of total serotonin release. Furthermore, silica also resulted in significant enhancement of the PAF release compared with that in unstimulated (control) cells, i.e., $17.7{\pm}5.8%$ and $24.0{\pm}4.9%$ of total serotonin release at 5 mg/ml and 10 mg/ml silica, respectively, which represents the release of nanomole levels of PAF. Lastly, IL-1 production by alveolar macrophages was analysed following their stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and silica by their capacity to stimulate thymocyte proliferation. $10\;{\mu}g/ml$ LPS resulted in an 11 fold increase in IL-1 production. In comparison, $50\;{\mu}g/ml$ silica resulted in a 4 fold increase in IL-1 release. These data indicate that in vitro exposure of alveolar macrophages to silica activates the release of various bioactive mediators such as reactive oxygen species, PAF and IL-1 which thus contribute to amplification of inflammatory reactions and regulation of fibrotic responses by the lung after inhalation of silica.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.109-118
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• 2002

The present work is aimed at providing additional new pure cultures of oxalate utilizing bacteria and its preliminary characterization for further work in the field of oxalate-metabolism and taxonomic studies. The taxonomy of 14 mesophilic, aerobic oxalotrophic bacteria isolated by an enrichment culture technique from soils rhizosphers, and the juice of the petiole/stem tissue of plants was investigated. Isolates were characterized with 95 morphological, biochemical and physiological tests. Cellular lipid components and carotenoids of isolates were also studied as an aid to taxonomic characterization. All isolates were Gram-negative, oxidase and catalase positive and no growth factors were required. In addition to oxalates, some of the strains grow on methanol and/or formate. The taxonomic similarities among isolates, reference strains or previously reported oxalotrophic bacteria were analysed by using the Simple Matching (S/ sub SM/) and Jaccard (S$\_$J/) Coefficients. Clustering was performed by using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic averages (UPGMA) algorithm. The oxalotrophic strains formed five major and two single-member clusters at the 70-86% similarity level. Based on the numerical taxonomy, isolates were separated into three phenotypic groups. Pink-pigmented strains belonged to Methylobacterium extorquens, yellow-pigmented strains were most similar to Pseudomonas sp. YOx and Xanthobacter autorophicus, and heterogeneous non-pigmented strains were closely related to genera Azospirillum, Ancylobacter, Burkholderia and Pseudomonas. New strains belonged to the genera Pseudomonas, Azospirillum and Ancylobacter that differ taxonomically from other known oxalate oxidizers were obtained. Numerical analysis indicated that some strains of the yellow-pigmented and nonpigmented clusters might represent new species.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.621-629
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• 2012

This study aimed to examine the possibility of data from pulse diagnosis device to be used for diagnosis of Sasang constitution. Systematic searches of 5 major Korean medical database were conducted for articles published up to May 2012. Searching key word was "Sasang" or "Constitution". Studies dealt with correlation between Sasang constitution and the pulse wave data from pulse diagnosis machine were included. Totally 2886 studies are searched and 3 studies are added from references of evaluated articles. Among them, 12 studies were met our inclusion criteria (2 Xishu Mac, 2 Self-made pulse diagnosis machine, 8 3D-Mac). Three of the eight 3D-Mac studies intended to develop a formula of constitutional differential diagnosis, 2 studies compared variables by Sasang constitution in healthy group and 3 studies compared variables by Sasang constitution in healthy group and special disease group. They all reported some significant variables, however results are not consistent between studies. The accuracy of the formula of constitutional differential diagnosis using 3D-Mac pulse diagnosis devices is 46.0% by now. Improvements in measuring pulse are required to achieve more accurate result and be used for diagnosis of Sasang constitution. Compensating B.M.I. among Sasang constitutional groups and separating constitutional pulse factors from acquired characteristics are also needed in further study.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.803-811
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• 2012

Oriental Medicine always attach great importance to the damp diseases. Dampness is related with many organs and many clinical diseases. The cause and the location of the damp disease, nature of the symptoms, combination with other pathogenic factors are very diverse. This article analyzed the concept, cause of disease, pathogenesis, characteristic of symptoms, treatment method and prescriptions of Epidemic Warm Diseases of dampness syndrome and cases of dampness-heat diseases based on the theories of Epidemic Warm Diseases and found that theories of Epidemic Warm Diseases have very wide area of application. Dampness is classified into cold-dampness and dampness-heat by combination of heat or cold. The dampness syndrome is related with organs such as lung, spleen, kidney, triple energizers and bladder, and affects liver and heart. The basic treatment methods are dispelling dampness turbidity and diffusing qi movement. The detail treatment methods are spreading lung qi with lightness and resolving dampness and excreting turbidity in upper energizer, opening and dipping down with pungent-bitter and diffusing qi movement and strengthening the spleen and stomach in the middle energizer, draining dampness with bland in the lower energizer. Warming Yang is the main method of treatment for cold-dampness and clearing heat is for dampness-heat with the assistant methods such as resolving dampness and promoting the flow of qi. 5. Acute fever, virus diseases, epidemic diseases among modern diseases are much related with the dampness-heat syndrome.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.1282-1291
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• 2009

A combined prescription of GGB and CHS (G&C prescription group) was used to investigate its effects on immune related factors and histological changes in atopic dermatitis(AD) induced mice. Significant decrease of atopic dermatitis clinical index in G&C prescription group. In DLN, G&C prescription group significantly modulated the immune cells. G&C prescription group also showed significant effect on the immune cells of the dorsal skin as well as DLN. The group indicated significant decrease of the biosynthesis of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, GM-CSF, cytokines in serum. On the other hand, the biosynthesis of TNF-$\alpha$ was decreased. G&C prescription group significantly decreased the immunoglobulin IgE levels in serum. The results suggest that G&C prescription significantly improves atopic dermatitis through regulation of immune cells and cytokines. Comparative studies with Protopic ointment also showed that G&C prescription showed significant effect in AD patients, and active application of the prescription in clinicals is anticipated. However, the reason for the results that oppose to those of previous studies should be investigated. Also, therapeutic effects of both internal and external applications should be studied individually as well as for any synergistic effects. Safety, toxicity, as well as stability studies should follow to develop G&C prescription into long-term external clinical product.