Kisspeptin (Kiss) and its cognate receptor, kisspeptin receptor (KissR; G protein coupled receptor 54, GPR54), have recently been recognized as potent regulators of reproduction in teleosts. Additionally, leptin plays an important role in energy homeostasis and reproductive function in teleosts. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in the concentration of the hormones of the Kiss/KissR system and leptin and the expression of their underlying genes, all of which are involved in the sexual maturation of female goldfish, Carassius auratus, following treatment with Kiss. The expression levels of KissR increased after the Kiss injection. Furthermore, the peptide hormone leptin also increased after the injection (in vivo and in vitro). Additionally, the expression of GnRH and GTHs (GTHα, FSHβ, and LHβ) increased in the brain and pituitary (in vitro and in vitro). These results support the hypothesis that Kiss plays important roles in the direct regulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad axis and leptin in goldfish. Therefore, we suggest that Kiss system gene expression is correlated with energy balance and reproduction.

In 2010, Gwanmaedo was selected by the National Park Service as the brand village to develop tourism. The purpose of this research was to identify the factors influencing the island’s residents’ understanding of, and attitudes toward, emerging socioeconomic and environmental changes in relation to creating the brand village and to define the most influential and significant factor. This study used the SPSS 21.0 program to perform frequency, reliability, factor, and principal component regression analysis. An adequate 18 of the total 23 variables were used to conduct the factor analysis. As a result, a total of five factors were extracted, and these factors can determine 73.35 % of the total variances. To predict the most influential factor affected the residents’ attitudes toward tourism development, a multiple regression analysis was carried out; the analysis of four elements that relate to the social factor, such as increased crime rate, gambling, moral disorder, and loss of local traditions, indicate that the development of tourism and designation of Gwanmaedo as the brand village have not had negative effects in the area. Compared with previous studies, the results of this research show that the residents’ attitudes have positively changed toward the brand village. The findings also emphasize that enabling, supporting, and motivating the locals’ involvement in the planning and implementation processes of a project can be important for its successful development.

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fibers have high specific strength, elastic modulus, thermal resistance, and thermal conductivity. Due to these properties, they have been increasingly widely used in various spheres including leisure, aviation, aerospace, military, and energy applications. However, if exposed to air at high temperatures, they are oxidized, thus weakening the properties of carbon fibers and carbon composite materials. As such, it is important to understand the oxidation reactions of carbon fibers, which are often used as a reinforcement for composite materials. PAN-based carbon fibers T300 and T700 were isothermally oxidized in air, and microstructural changes caused by oxidation reactions were examined. The results showed a decrease in the rate of oxidation with increasing burn-off for both T300 and T700 fibers. The rate of oxidation of T300 fibers was two times faster than that of T700 fibers. The diameter of T700 fibers decreased linearly with increasing burn-off. The diameter of T300 also decreased with increasing burn-off but at slower rates over time. Cross-sectional observations after oxidation reactions revealed hollow cores in the longitudinal direction for both T300 and T700 fibers. The formation of hollow cores after oxidation can be traced to differences in the fabrication process such as the starting material and final heat treatment temperature.

This study aims to understand the their characteristics and analyze the diverse landscape plants distributed in the traditional temples. We surveyed the landscape plants that the planting species around building and terraced flower bed, excluded the spontaneous species. The contents of analysis were form, leaf fall and type, exotic species and the Buddhist symbol plant. Mostly, the families of landscape plants that rosaceae, compositae and liliaceae were much used. The rosaceae were used in landscape planting, and compositae and liliaceae were used in terraced flower bed and flower garden. Especially, a single planting, a linear planting and symmetrical planting most occupied in the planting types. This reason seemed the object and function of religion. There were lots of trees and shrubs in the form, and they were main material for formation of landscape and frame. Therefore, the temple landscape was composed of landscape plants and planting types and fell into chime with these components. The deciduous broad leaved was many in the leaf fall and type. The aesthetic value is a deciduous broad leaved directed by the external features of nutrition and reproductive organs with plants and flowers, recording, leaves, fruits, and non-seasonal forms along with the variety of landscapes inspectors by providing visual variety, because expression. Exotic species were introduced intentionally, unintentionally for a variety of purposes in a foreign species, naturalized plants invasive species was the wild country to adapt to the environment. Exotic materials will have to be rejected unconditionally, but indiscriminate use of space in a traditional review of the planting material is necessary because of the high potential to inhibit and distort the traditional landscape. Buddhist symbol plant is a very important feature as plants that have the least Buddhist doctrine and has a meaning and a symbol representing the Buddhist, the inspectors can show the difference with other scenic areas.

The present study investigated which facets of perceived self-efficacy (PSE) in L2 reading are significantly related to L2 reading proficiency (L2RP), which type of linguistic knowledge feeds into PSE, and how they are related to L2RP when considered together. Participants (n = 95) were college students from two universities in Seoul. Four subcomponents of PSE were identified for investigation: text-based PSE, general PSE, PSE in linguistic knowledge, and PSE in authentic reading. The result of stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that the general PSE whose items reflect dimensions of social comparative influences and perceived controllability over environments was the only significant predictor of L2RP (R2 = 17.7%). For the relationships between linguistic knowledge and PSE, vocabulary knowledge (VK) was shown to be the only significant predictor of PSE when considered together with grammar knowledge (GK) and L2RP (R2 = 22.9%), while VK and GK were significant predictors of L2RP (R2 = 69.4%). PSE was not found to make an independent contribution to L2RP when considered with linguistic knowledge.

Three kinds of porous polymer were synthesized using a solvothermal of tri-4,4’- diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI-trimer) and different diamino monomers. The effects of the synthesis conditions and the monomer selection on the synthesis of porous polymer properties were studied. The results show that the synthesis of NH2-containing monomer molecules smaller the microporous polymers was easy to implement; the specific surface areas of the polymers are related to the monomer ratio and the reaction time. The results show that the synthesized porous polymer had good hydrogen storage performance; the hydrogen storage ability improved with the addition of heterocyclic nitrogen.

PURPOSES: This study analyzed the lane-by-lane traffic flow characteristics in Korea by using real-world data, including congestion levels, for 2-, 3-, and 4-lane freeways. METHODS : On the basis of a literature review, lane flow and speed characteristics were analyzed using flow measurements and speed ratios. In addition, the effect of congestion levels on traffic flow were visualized using rescaled cumulative plots. RESULTS: Driver behavior varied depending on the congestion level. During free-flow conditions, the lane-use ratio of individual lanes varied largely, whereas during congestion, the ratio was nearly the same for all lanes (i.e., equilibrium). During maximum-flow and congestion conditions, the median lane was used more than the shoulder lane, whereas during all other conditions, the shoulder lane had a higher lane-use ratio. In 3- or 4-lane freeways, the lane-use ratio of the median lane always exceeded 1 and was the highest during free-flow conditions. CONCLUSIONS : The results of the present analysis can be used as an index to predict congestion before a lane is overcapacitated. Moreover, the results can be applied in variable lane guidance systems, such as car navigation systems and variable message displays, to control traffic flow.

The exploitation of the underwater cultural heritage (UCH) involves various competing interests, which are of private and public, commercial and non-commercial nature. The 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (CPUCH) aims to deal with various issues apropos those competing interests. Its basic concerns include how UCH should be best protected, how in situ preservation should be practised, whether UCH should be commercialized at all or not, and whether salvage should be included in the UCH law. This paper examines these said competing interests and then looks for a balance between them. With an in-depth analysis of the concerned principles and rules, it argues for combination of ‘mutuality interests’ in consonance with the basic legislative scheme of the CPUCH. This approach is meant for the exploitation of UCH both for commercial and noncommercial purposes, which would, in fact, fulfill the expectation of the international community.

The effect of heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of cast Ti-6%Al-4%V alloy was investigated. Heat treatment of cast Ti-6Al-4V alloy was conducted by solution treatment at 950 oC for 30 min; this was followed by water quenching and then aging at 550 oC for 1 to 1440 min. The highest hardness of the heat-treated specimens was obtained by solution treatment and subsequent aging for 5 min due to precipitates of fine α that formed from retained β phase. The tensile strength of this alloy increased without dramatic decrease of the ductility due to microstructural refinement resulting from the decomposition of α' martensite into fine α and β phases, and also due to the fine α phase formed from the retained β phase by aging treatment for 5 min. In addition, this strengthening might be caused by the transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) effect, which is a strain-induced martensite transformation from the retained β phase during deformation, and which occurs even after aging treatment at 550 oC for 5 min.

Background: Several studies have discussed diverse exercise methods considered to be useful for the selective contraction of the vastus medialis oblique (VMO) muscle for the treatment of patellofemoral pain syndrome. Some studies have reported that exercise methods, including hip adduction, in closed kinetic chain exercises are more effective in terms of the muscle activation of the VMO and the timing of the muscle’s initial contraction. We focused on isometric contraction during a closed kinetic chain exercise with hip adduction. Objects: The purpose of this study was to examine muscle activation in the VMO and the vastus lateralis (VL) and the onset time difference between their initial contractions via closed kinetic chain isometric quadriceps femoris exercises including hip adduction. Methods: In total, 36 healthy subjects adopted two hip positions during isometric contraction of the quadriceps femoris in a closed kinetic chain exercise (hip neutral and hip adduction position). Statistical analyses were conducted using a paired t-test (α=.05). Results: Isometric contraction of the quadriceps femoris in a closed kinetic chain exercise caused a greater increase in VMO muscle activity in the hip adduction position [52.68±22.21 percentage of maximal voluntary isometric contraction (%MVIC)]than the hip neutral position (43.43±19.85 %MVIC). The onset time difference (VL-VMO) decreased more in the hip adduction position (-82.14±34.2 ㎳) than the hip neutral position (73.94±2.94 ㎳). Conclusion: We recommend this exercise as a clinically useful therapeutic method for patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome due to weakening of the VMO muscle and lateral inclination of the patella.

Cho Hye-jin. 2016. “Negotiation of Meaning in Computer-Mediated Communication in Relation to Task Types”. The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea 24(1). 271~309. The present study aims to explore how negotiation of meaning occurs in a task-based CMC among ESL students. Paired with one another, 18 ESL students were asked to engage in online discussion once a week for 3 weeks in order to complete 3 types of language task: jigsaw, information-gap, and decision-making tasks. The finding shows that only a few examples (11%) contributed to negotiation routines. Twenty-one percent of the negotiation routines were identified as modified interactions. The information-gap task elicited the most negotiation routines. However, what the students perceived was different from the numerical results regarding task types. They reported that the jigsaw was the most intriguing and beneficial task rather than the information-gap. Relatively little negotiation routine can be attributed to learner perceptions of tasks. Learner behaviors such as not asking questions, their eagerness to proceed with the task, and face-saving action were observed as efforts to maintain social communication. Sending segmented messages instead of complete sentences was found as a face-saving action as well.