Codium fragile (Suringar) Hariot is an edible green seaweed that belong to the Codiaceae family and has been used in Oriental medicine for the treatment of enterobiasis, dropsy, and dysuria. Methanol extract of codium fragile has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, although the anti-cancer effect on oral cancer has not yet been reported. In this study, we investigated the anti-cancer activity and the mechanism of cell death by methanol extracts of Codium fragile (MeCF) on human FaDu hypopharyngeal squamous carcinoma cells. Our data showed that MeCF inhibits cell viability in a dose-dependent manner, and markedly induced apoptosis, as determined by the MTT assay, Live/Dead assay, and DAPI stain. In addition, MeCF induced the proteolytic cleavage of procaspase -3, -7, -9 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase(PARP), and upregulated or downregulated the expression of mitochondrial-apoptosis factor, Bax(pro-apoptotic factor), and Bcl-2(anti-apoptotic factor), . Futhermore, MeCF induced a cell cycle arrest at the G1/S phase through suppressing the expression of the cell cycle cascade proteins, p21, CDK4, CyclinD1, and phospho-Rb. Taken together, these results indicated that MeCF inhibits cell growth, and this inhibition is mediated by caspase- and mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathways through cell cycle arrest at the G1/S phase in human FaDu hypopharyngeal squamous carcinoma cells. Therefore, methanol extracts of Codium fragile can be provided as a novel chemotherapeutic drug due to its growth inhibition effects and induction of apoptosis in human oral cancer cells.

We investigated the effects of two Brucella proteins expressed in a pMAL expression system, RocF and EF-Ts, as subunit vaccines on immune modulation and protective efficacy using a mouse model. Mice vaccinated with MBP-RocF and MBP-EF-Ts displayed increased production of TNF, IFN-, MCP-1, IL-10 and IL-6, and TNF and MCP-1, respectively. Furthermore, mice vaccinated with MBP-EF-Ts showed decreased induction of IFN- and Th2-related cytokines, IL-10 and IL-6. Higher proportions of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were observed in the blood of mice vaccinated with MBP-RocF than in the PBS-vaccinated group, although the increases were not significant. Furthermore, significantly reduced Brucella proliferation in the spleens of the MBP-RocF and MBP-EF-Ts groups were observed, but inflammation of these organs was not attenuated. Overall, these results indicate that RocF and EF-Ts could be potential subunit vaccine candidates against animal brucellosis.

Mycoplasma spp. are extracellular bacteria that colonize on the respiratory epithelium of humans and animals. It is a causative agent of pneumonia commonly complicated by opportunistic infectious bacteria. Mycoplasma spp. infection cause relatively mild disease in the absence of environmental stressors, but when complicated by secondary bacterial invaders the resultant disease can cause obvious clinical disease and severe production losses in intensively reared pigs Mycoplasma spp. are highly fastidious bacteria, difficult to culture and slow growing. Many species of Mycoplasma spp. are important pathogens causing respiratory infection in animals and known to induce huge economic losses. The aims of the present study were to develop a rapid isolation and culture method of wild type Mycoplasma spp. in pigs. We used Mycoplasma spp. genus specific direct PCR without DNA extraction procedure using PhireⓇ Animal Tissue Direct PCR Kit from the lung tissues with pneumonia lesions. Therefore, we could save the time for tissue processing and increase the accuracy of Mycoplasma spp. inclusion prediction in lung tissues. Thereafter, we used the optimized media to isolate and culture Mycoplasma spp. As the results, Mycoplasma spp. could be isolated and cultured quickly and efficiently. These results could provide an efficient strategy and method for the rapid and accurate isolation and culture of wild type Mycoplasma spp. in pigs.

Based on documentary research, this study intends to provide information relevant to the effect of flavonoids over women’s health. In general, flavonoids act on cell regulation to cancer proliferation and possess antioxidant, anti-inflammation and anti-metastatic effects. This study focuses on the therapeutic effect of flavonoids in women. Using recent researches published from 2000 to 2017 relevant to women’s health and flavonoids, data acquired from searches such as RISS and Google were analyzed, compared and arranged. Flavonoids are classified with various phenolic compounds, and it activates upon various conditions in women’s body. According to several outcomes that involve the relation of flavonoids in women’s health; it brings out significant implications in bone density, muscle, nerve, breast cancer, uterus cervical cancer and obesity. Hoping this literature review supports women patients and helps in the wellness of women, we sincerely look forward to disseminate this instructive and proper information to exploit flavonoids for enhancing health promotion.

The main materials composing the outdoor space are the landscape plant materials. Even though grass plants out of landscape plant materials are efficient for water consumption and management, still, the types of grass used for landscape are extremely few. Thus, this study explores the preference on grass plants in apartment complexes to provide basic information for grass planting plan and design in the future. For this study, 171 questionnaires of two sites in Daegu and one site in Seoul were used for final analysis and the results are as follows. First, in the results of the awareness of grass plants, “do not know” (80.7%) was considerably higher than “do know” (19.3%). Second, in the results of the most preferred place for planting grass plants in apartment complexes, “trail” (31.2%) was the highest, followed by “space around the apartment building” (17.5%) and “waterscape” (15.4%). Third, for the preference on the shape of grass plants, “Upright-arching” (38.0%) was the highest, followed by “Upright-divergent” (29.2%), “Tufted” (19.9%), and “Mounded” (12.9%). Fourth, for the preferred height of grass plants, “Short size” (50.3%) was the highest, followed by “Medium size” (36.8%), and “Tall size” (12.9%). Fifth, for the preferred color of grass plants, “white” (27.7%) was the highest, followed by “green” (25.7%), “red” (20.5%), “yellow” (17.2%), and “blue” (9.0%). This information could be used as reference in case when planning and designing of grass plants in apartment complexes and further research including different regions is needed.

사용자의 수요가 증가함으로 인하여 최근의 마커 기반 증강현실 기술은 제스처 기반 인간-컴퓨터 상호작용 분야에서 주목을 받고 있다. 그러나 개체가 프레임에서 빠른 움직임을 보일 때 발생하는 모션 블러 효과에 의하여 마커의 추적 및 감지의 한계점이 발생한다. 기존의 디블러링 기술들에서 전체 프레임 중 특정 프레임을 추출하는 작업이 없다면 실시간 비디오에서 사용하기에 문제가 있다. 본 논문에서는 인간-컴퓨터 상호작용을 위하여 ArUco 마커를 사용한 특징점 기반 광학흐름 추적 방법을 제안하며, 마커를 이용한 자세 추정 방법을 설명한다. 이 방법은 ArUco 마커를 감지하고 특수한 마커 추적 방법을 통해 마커 감지를 보완한다. 특히 마커 추적 방법은 FAST 알고리즘을 사용하여 특징점을 추출하고 루카스-카나데 방법을 사용하여 특징점의 움직임을 분석하여 움직임 벡터를 계산한다. 또한 Perspective-n-Point 문제를 해결하여 마커 포즈 추정을 구현했다. 제안된 시스템은 기존의 방법보다 높은 검출률을 보였으며, 마커를 포함한 비디오 에서 프레임 처리 속도가 약 37% 향상되었다. 또한 마커 포즈 추정을 그래픽으로 구현하였다. 이 연구는 실제 환경에서 카메라를 통한 제스처 기반 인간-컴퓨터 상호작용 분야와 또한 이동 로봇 분야에도 도움이 될 것이라 기대된다.