There have been a lot of reporting regarding continued problems of English education instructions in Korea because of too much emphasis on grammar-translation method. This study focuses on the effectiveness of three different English instruction approaches, Whole Language Approach (Whole), English for Specific Purposes (ESP), and E-mail for English Teaching (E-mail). The data were collected in May, 2017 by distributing survey questionnaire to the first and second year students in four classes in the Department of Tourism English at a selected university in Jeju. 12 questions in the questionnaire were used to measure how the participants perceived the importance of various goals regarding three different communication-based English instruction approaches, Whole Language Approach (Whole), English for Specific Purposes (ESP), and E-mail for English Teaching (E-mail). Participants in this study are most interested in Whole Language Approach (Whole) followed by English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and E-mail for English Teaching (E-mail).

규산 시비가 토마토 플러그 묘소질에 미치는 영향과 묘의 저온저장시 규산의 저온장해 경감효과를 검토하였다. ‘Rapito’품종을 공시하여 30일간 32구 규격의 플러그 트레이에서 육묘한 뒤, 여섯 개의 규산 처리 농도구 (8, 16, 32, 64, 128 및 256mM)를 설계하여 20일 동안 주 2회 관주 처리한 뒤, 묘소질을 대조구와 비교하였다. 처리 농도는 16mM과 32mM 처리가 초장, 엽면적, 생체중, T/R율 및 근권부 발육 등 대부분의 생육 지표에서 타 처리구에 비해 양호했으며, 특히 16mM의 농도에서 가장 좋은 묘소질을 보였으나, 64mM 이상의 고농도에서는 대조구에 비해 전반적으로 생육이 억제되는 경향을 보였다. 토마토 묘의 생리적 반응에서 엽온에서는 처리구별 차이가 나타나지 않았으나, 증산율은 32mM이상의 농도 처리구에서 기공확산 저항이 증가하면서 증산율이 감소되는 경향을 보였다. 또한, 처리 횟수에 따른 효과를 검토하기 위해 16mM농도의 규산을 20 일 동안 6, 10, 20회 관주처리 한 결과, 대부분의 생육지표에서 처리 횟수간에는 큰 차이가 없었으나, 무처리구에 비해 묘소질이 향상되었으며, 특히 뿌리표면적, 근장, root tip수등 근권부의 생육이 현저히 증가하였다. 아울러 규산처리가 저온저장시 토마토 묘의 저온장해를 감소시키는 효과가 있음을 확인하였다.

Infection with Helicobacter pylori leads to gastritis, peptic ulcers and gastric cancer. Moreover, when the gastric mucosa is exposed to H. pylori, gastric mucosal inflammatory cytokine interleukin-8 (IL-8) and reactive oxygen (ROS) species increase. Tribulus terrestris L. is an annual creeping herb of the family Zygophyllaceae. In this study, the effect of Tribulus terrestris L. fruits extract (TTE) extract on H. pylori-infected human gastric epithelial cells was examined. Cell viability was determined by the tetrazolium salt reduction method using WST-1 according to the manufacturer's instructions. AGS cells were pretreated with TTE extract for 24 hrs followed by H. pylori infection for up to 24 hrs. IL-8 secretion in AGS cells was measured by ELISA. The extract yield of the fruits of Tribulus terrestris with 50% ethanol was 20.60%. We analyzed TFE composition by LC. The concentration of Protodioscin in TFE was 310 μg/mL. It was confirmed that exposure to 100 μg/mL of TTE had no significant effect on cell proliferation at the concentrations examined (12.5–200 μg/mL). It was therefore concluded that TTE at these concentrations had no cytotoxic effects on AGS cells and could be used in this study. Pretreatment of H. pylori-infected AGS cells with 12.5, 25, 50 and 100 μg/mL of TTE for 24 hrs significantly decreased IL-8 production by 12.5%, 25%, 27.5% and 50%, respectively, compared to H. pylori-infected cells without TTE. In this study, we found that TTE inhibited H. pylori-induced IL-8 secretion, thus augmenting their benefit in regard to protection of gastric epithelial cells. This study suggests that ingestion of these plant extracts could have therapeutic implications for patients with H. pylori induced gastritis and duodenal ulcer.

A 2-year-old, spayed male Bengal cat was referred to our clinic due to a mass lesion on the upper lip, as well as lower lip swelling and redness. Furthermore, well-circumscribed, raised, pink lesions were found in the oral cavity. Complete blood counts (CBC) and serum biochemistry profiles revealed no remarkable findings. Bacterial and fungal cultures of the lesion in the oral cavity were negative. Fine needle aspiration of the lesions revealed numerous eosinophils. Based on both clinical examination and cytological evaluation, the cat was diagnosed with feline eosinophilic granuloma. As an initial treatment, oral prednisolone (PDS) with cyclosporine was administered. However, the cyclosporine caused the cat to vomit. The lesion was markedly improved after 2 weeks of PDS-only therapy; this was subsequently tapered for 2 months and discontinued. However, one month later, the lesion had relapsed. The cat was then treated for one month using tacrolimus with PDS, and the clinical signs of eosinophilic granuloma gradually improved. The tacrolimus was gradually tapered for 1 month, and the PDS was gradually tapered for 4 months. There is no standard protocol for the investigation and treatment of feline eosinophilic granuloma. The cat in this report was administered immunosuppressive therapies to treat eosinophilic granuloma. This case report provides evidence the combination of PDS and tacrolimus is effective for reducing relapse in feline eosinophilic granuloma.

Ras activates a series of downstream effectors, including the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway and the Rac/Rho pathway after insulin stimulation. Mutations in Ras are found in approximately 30% of all human cancers and are critical factors in tumor initiation and maintenance. There are four Ras proteins with 80-90% amino acid sequence homology with major differences in the carboxyl termini. Ras proteins undergo farnesylation on their carboxyl termini catalyzed by the enzyme protein farnesyltransferase (FTase), which facilitates localization of Ras proteins to the inner surface of the plasma membrane. Because inhibition of FTase would prevent Ras from processing into its active form, FTase is viewed as a potential therapeutic target. A variety of FTase inhibitors have showed great potency against tumor cells in preclinical studies. Although many farnesyltransferase inhibitors have been developed, their adverse effects on the mitogenic and metabolic actions of insulin are not completely understood. Here we show that YH3096, a farnesyltransferase inhibitor, inhibits insulin-mediated DNA synthesis in HIRc-B cells without affecting c-Jun expression and membrane ruffling in HIRc-B cells. Moreover, YH3096 and its derivatives did not affect insulin-induced glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Our results provide a laboratory evaluation of the effects of Ras inhibitors on insulin functions.

The vase life of gerbera is affected by the hardness of the scape. However, although hardening of the cell wall is thought to be caused by calcium ions binding with pectin, the effect of calcium on the pectin fractions in the scape of gerbera has not yet been described. Therefore, this study assessed the calcium and pectin contents of the gerbera scape during bending. The scape of the gerbera cultivar ‘Harmony’ mostly e xhibited b ending i n the S1 and S 2 sections, and the bent scape had poor hardness compared with a normal, unbent scape. The calcium contents of the S1 and S2 sections of the bent scape were 2.9 mg·L-1 and 2.6 mg·L-1 lower than that of the normal scape. Furthermore, the total pectin contents were also generally lower in t he b ent scape, p articularly in t he S 1 section.

Locomotion can be investigated using visual locomotion scoring or computer-assisted techniques such as force plates or pressure plates. Although visual locomotion scoring is inexpensive, it is subjective and depends on observers. Conversely, computer-assisted techniques are objective and more sensitive than visual assessment. Many studies of gait in large breed dogs have been conducted using these techniques; however, there have been few investigations of small to toy breed dogs. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to conduct gait analysis in small to toy breed dogs and to suggest normal reference ranges for clinical application. Twenty healthy dogs with no lameness or orthopedic pain weighing from 2 kg to 12 kg were used. The dogs were divided into two groups according to their weight, after which gait analysis was conducted using a pressure plate. The pressure force ratio between the forelimb and hindlimb was significantly lower in group 2 (mean 4.2 kg) than group 1 (mean 10.4 kg), while the stance time ratio between the forelimb and hindlimb tended to increase in group 2, but there was no significant difference. Other numerical values in group 2 tended to decrease, with some significant differences being observed. Overall, the results suggest that there are different gait features in small to toy breed dogs when compared with middle and large breed dogs.

This study was conducted to estimate the effect of home or hetero fermentative lactic acid bacteria(LAB) on chemical composition, fermentation quality, and aerobic stability of rye silage. Rye forage was harvested at dough stage(28.9% of dry matter), chopped to 3-5 cm length, and divided into 4 piles for different inoculations as treatment, following 1) No additives(CON); 2) Lactobacillus plantarum at rate of 1.5 x 105 cfu/g of fresh forage(LP); 3) L. buchneri at rate of 1.2 x 105 cfu/g of fresh forage(LB); and 4) Mixture of LP and LB at 1:1 ratio(MIX). Rye silage was ensiled into 20 L bucket silo in quadruplicate for 0, 1, 4, 7, and 100 day periods. After 100 days of ensiling, the silage treated with LB had lower acid detergent fiber content(p<0.05), but higher in vitro dry matter digestibility(p<0.05). The LB and MIX reduced (p<0.05) pH more rapidly than CON and LP across the ensiling days, but had no difference on 100 days. Silage treated LP had lowest(p<0.05) acetic acid, but highest(p<0.05) propionic acid. In contrast, LB treated silage had highest(p<0.05) acetic acid, but lowest(p<0.05) propionic acid with the absence of butyric acid. On microbial count, LP treated silage had lowest(p<0.05) LAB, yeast, and aerobic stability, whereas LB and MIX treated silages had highest(p<0.05). Mold was not detected across all silages. Therefore, it could be concluded that heterofermentative LAB solely or combo with homofermentative LAB might improve in vitro dry matter digestibility, fermentation characteristics, and aerobic stability of rye silage harvested at dough stage.

Intelligibility of second language (L2) English has become an important goal in English pronunciation teaching. However, intelligibility research primarily focused on L2 English users and L2 production features; only a handful of studies have examined other effects on the intelligibility of L2 English. In line with the three-part model of intelligibility (Munro, 2008), this study focuses on listener factors by examining how listener experience with Thai English affects the actual understanding of Thai English utterances. Study participants were 40 students at a U. S. university. Data were collected through a questionnaire and a 38-item intelligibility test. While controlling for participants’ English proficiency, Analysis of Covariance confirmed that participants with experience in Thai English outperformed those with no experience in Thai English, as measured by the Thai English intelligibility task. The findings suggest that listeners’ communicative experiences in an L2 English variety improves the intelligibility of that English variety regardless of the listeners’ first languages. Implications for research and pronunciation pedagogy are discussed.

Recently, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) has been widely used in the areas of diagnosis, monitoring treatment efficiency, and prognosis for various heart diseases, especially heart failure (HF). In this paper, we try to estimate the prognostic significance of NT-proBNP as a risk evaluation marker in Non-ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (NSTEMI) patients. We selected NSTEMI patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) primarily using a drug-eluting stent within 24 h after the onset of chest pain. We compared incidences of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) including death, myocardial infarction (MI), stent thrombosis (ST), and target vessel revascularization (TVR) in two patient groups according to a high or low serum concentration of NT-proBNP, which was measured in the emergency room (ER). We intend to minimize selection bias selecting comparing groups, considering covariate of observed variables together using propensity score matching (PSM) and propensity score weighting (PSW) based on propensity score (PS) to control the difference in baseline characteristics between high- and low NT-proBNP groups. We found that as the log NT-proBNP value increases by 1 through a hazard function of COX’s analysis, the risk of MACE increases by 1.312 times. This result indicated that the NT-proBNP level on ER admission can be used as a significant prognostic indicator to estimate 1 year of MACE in NSTEMI patients who were treated with PCI within 24 h after the onset of chest pain.

This study investigates the core competencies required of Korean secondary-school English teachers and how they perceive these competencies in terms of importance, applicability, and teachers’ competency level ahead of implementing the 2015 revised national English curriculum in secondary schools. After the literature research, interviews, and expert review processes, five core competencies were extracted: curriculum and content reorganization competency; learner-centered teaching competency; innovative assessment competency; multicultural (intercultural) education competency; and information literacy and ICT use. From the results of a survey administered to 93 secondary school English teachers, it was found that the perceived competency level was lower than required, but it was higher than applicability. Overall, teachers felt insecure about how to apply the required competencies to their lessons. There was also a difference between middle school teachers and high school teachers in the self-rating results. These results provide implications for teacher preparation and the direction of teacher education toward the successful implementation of the 2015 revised curriculum.

Background: Scapular posterior tilt (SPT) is important in the prevention of abnormal scapular movement and pain during elevation of the arm. However, previous studies have overlooked increased upper trapezius (UT) muscle activity interrupting the normal force couple of scapular motion and compensation of levator scapulae (LS) muscle activated simultaneously with UT during SPT exercise. Objects: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of modified SPT with depression exercise versus SPT exercise on serratus anterior (SA), lower trapezius (LT), UT, and LS muscle activities and the clavicular tilt angle, in subjects with rounded shoulder posture (RSP) and myofascial pain in the UT muscle region. Methods: Eighteen subjects with RSP were recruited and randomly allocated to 2 groups; 9 in the SPT group and 9 in the SPT with depression group. All subjects met the specific RSP criteria and had myofascial pain of UT region. Depending on the allocated group, subjects performed the assigned SPT exercise and EMG data were recorded during the each exercise. Clavicular tilt angle was defined as the angle between the line joining the medial and lateral end of the clavicle and a horizontal line. Results: The SA muscle activity was significantly greater in SPT with depression than with SPT exercise (p<.05). The UT, LS muscle activity and the clavicular tilt angle was significantly lower in SPT with depression than with SPT exercise (p<.05). Conclusion: These findings were insightful because the potential risk of pain from overactivation of the UT and LS was considered, in contrast with SPT exercise. SPT with depression exercise can be implemented as an effective method to facilitate scapular muscle activity for stability and to prevent myofascial pain in the neck and shoulder.

This study examined differences in South Korean students’ motivation to learn English as a foreign (EFL) from elementary to high school, and investigated the impact of private education experience on their English learning. A questionnaire was administrated to 7,957 students in elementary through high school. This crosssectional survey results revealed that EFL students’ motivation to learn English presented different levels of medians depending on their school grades and levels; it showed lowering trends from the elementary to high school levels. However, during the same period, students’ perceptions of the importance of learning English was not in a downward trend. Students with private education experience tended to have a higher level of motivation than did those without private education experience, especially with respect to instrumental, intrinsic, and integrative motivations. Socioeducational factors in South Korea, such as excessive pressure from the College Scholastic Ability Test and hakbul orientation, are discussed.

In order to identify effective approaches for creating more viral Facebook posts, this research conducted an empirical content analysis of leading Korean brands' Facebook fan-pages (Samsung Mobile, SK Telecom, Kia Motors, and POSCO). Their distinctive visual storytelling and communication patterns were investigated as effective user engagement triggers. Through analysis of the research results, it was statistically proved that the different industrial attributes of the four brands, which are primarily characterized by their product (or service) types, affect their Facebook posting patterns by showing different engaging rates (measured by like, comment, and share metrics). In addition, the user engagement rates of the posts were influenced by their visual storytelling factors (i.e. ad objective, value scale, and visual media types). In line with these statistical findings, the distinctive visual storytelling strategies of the four brands were identified. Moreover, competitive and uncompetitive visual storytelling tactics were suggested according to the ad objectives and visual media types on Facebook.

Colletotrichum acutatum J. H. Simmonds is an important fungal pathogen that causes anthracnose disease in crops. In this study, 59 C. acutatum isolates from regions in South Korea were collected and phenotypically compared. The average colony diameters of isolates from Gyeongsangbuk-do, Chungcheongbuk-do, and Gangwon-do were 4.36 cm, 4.24 cm, and 4.38 cm, respectively, following 6 days of growth on V8 juice agar. The average conidium concentrations of the isolates from each province were 14.43, 12.83, and 10.17 × 104/mL after 7 days of growth on V8A. Amplified fragment length polymorphism(AFLP) analysis using three primer pairs identified 5 polymorphic bands and 56 monomorphic bands. Two polymorphic bands were identified using the E-ACC/M-CTT primer pair, one polymorphic band was identified using the E-ACG/M-CTG primer pair, and two polymorphic bands were identified using the E-ACG/M-CTT primer pair. A dendrogram was constructed using the AFLP data, and four clusters were identified.

Postharvest apple rot causes severe economic losses and lowers apple quality, and is one of the most important limiting factors of apple exports. Apples with rot symptoms were sampled from Geochang, South Korea. Isolation of the causal fungus was performed by culturing small pieces of diseased tissues on potato dextrose agar. Two different rot genera, Fusarium and Alternaria, were identified according to their morphological characteristics. To confirm the identity of the causal fungus, we sequenced the DNA of the complete internal transcribed spacer(ITS) rDNA gene region and translation elongation factor 1-alpha(EF1-α) region. Koch’s postulates were supported by pathogenicity tests conducted on apple fruit. Based on mycological characteristics, molecular identification, and pathogenicity tests, the two fungi were identified as Fusarium tricinctum and Alternaria alternata. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of postharvest apple rot caused by F. tricinctum and A. alternata in South Korea.