This study was undertaken to develop PCR primers for the identification and detection of Streptococcus anginosus using species-specific forward and reverse primers. These primers targeted the variable regions of the 16S ribosomal RNA coding gene(rDNA). The primer specificity was tested against 12 S. anginosus strains and 6 different species(10 strains) of oral bacteria. The primer sensitivity was determined by testing serial dilutions of the purified genomic DNA of S. anginosus ATCC 33397T. The data showed that species-specific amplicons were obtained from all the S. anginosus strains tested, but not in the six other species. The PCR could detect as little as 0.4pg of the chromosomal DNA from S. anginosus. This suggests that the PCR primers are highly sensitive and applicable to the detection and identification of S. anginosus.

To evaluate parameters influencing on the dust removal of the High Temperature Filter(HTF) system, a computer simulation of fluid dynamics inside the system had been performed. The results showed that the optimum pulse jet periods were 50ms and 90ms for the 1000mm and 1500mm long filter elements respectively. Dust removal effect was very excellent under the pulse jet pressure of 3 bar. But the distance between the pulse jet nozzle and the venturi of a filter element had no meaningful effect on the performance with the variation from 5mm to 10mm. Compared to the dispersion mode of pulse jet, the collective mode of pulse jet flow was preferable in maintaining the pressure inside the system stable.

Human embryonic stem (ES) cells are derived from the inner cell mass of the preimplantation embryo. Human ES cells have the capacity to differentiate into various types of cells in the body. Human ES cells are indefinite source of cells for cell therapy in various degenerative disorders including neuronal disorders. Directed differentiation of human ES cells is a prerequisite for their clinical application. The objective of this study is to develop the culture condition for the derivation of neural precursor cells from human ES cells. Neural precursor cells were derived from human ES cells in a stepwise culture condition. Neural precursor cells in the form of neural rosette structures developed into neurospheres when cultured in suspension. Suspension culture of neurospheres has been maintained over 4 months. Expressions of nestin, soxl, sox2, pax3 and pax6 transcripts were upregulated during differentiation into neural precursor cells by RT-PCR analysis. In contrast, expression of oct4 was dramatically downregulated in neural precursor cells. Immunocytochemical analyses of neural precursor cells demonstrated expression of nestin and SOX1. When induced to differentiate on an adhesive substrate, neuro-spheres were able to differentiate into three lineages of neural systems, including neurons, astrocytes and oligo-dendrocytes. Transcripts of sox1 and pax6 were downregulated during differentiation of neural precursor cells into neurons. In contrast, expression of map2ab was elevated in the differentiated cells, relative to those in neural precursor cells. Neurons derived from neural precursor cells expressed NCAM, Tuj1, MAP2ab, NeuN and NF200 in immunocytochemical analyses. Presence of astrocytes was confirmed by expression of GFAP immuno-cytochemically. Oligodendrocytes were also observed by positive immuno-reactivities against oligodendrocyte marker O1. Results of this study demonstrate that a stepwise culture condition is developed for the derivation of neural precursor cells from human ES cells.

By inverting the brightness integral for the dust-scattered continuum, we have determined how the dust grains are distributed inside the Orion nebula. The scattering characteristics of the Orion dust at a given wavelength is kept constant within the nebula, and the geometry of the nebula is assumed to have a hemispherical shape. The resulting radial distance dependence of the distribution of dust number density, N d ( r ) , shows that the dust grains are depleted at the central region of the Orion nebula and concentrated in the region 5 ′ ∼ 6 ′ away from the Trapezium stars. The scattering characteristics of the Orion dust are of moderately forward throwing nature, and the Orion dust has low values of albedo.

산지하천 만곡부의 홍수피해를 줄이고자 사다리꼴 단면의 돌출줄눈을 하천옹벽에 설치하였다. 본 연구에서는 사다리꼴 형상에 의한 흐름저항 효과를 파악하고자 개수로 측벽에 사다리꼴 돌출줄눈을 설치하여 수리실험을 수행하였다. 벽면조도가 κ형에 해당하는 λnυ가 6, 9, 12인 경우에 대해 유량에 따른 흐름특성을 파악하였다. 흐름저항은 돌줄줄눈의 설치간격이 멀어짐에 따라 전반적으로 증가하였다. 고유량 조건에서 최대마찰계수는 λnυ가 9일 때 발생하였다. 사다리꼴 돌출줄눈은 정사각형 돌출줄눈과 비교해 흐름저항은 상대적으로 작았지만, 사다리꼴의 형상저항은 전체흐름저항의 평균 62%를 차지했다. 벽면조도 증가에 따른 흐름저항 효과를 극대화하기 위한 사다리꼴 돌출줄눈의 최적 설치간격은 돌출줄눈 높이의 9∼12배 범위임을 확인하였다.

The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of paprika dried by various methods. Moisture content of dried paprika was higher in vacuum freeze-dried red paprika (DRP) (11.85%) than in vacuum freeze-drying of osmotic dried red paprika in sugar (RPS), vacuum freeze-drying of osmotic dried red paprika in fructose (RPF) and vacuum freeze-drying of osmotic dried red paprika in corn syrup (RPCS). Carbohydrate content of DRP was the lowest among the dried groups, but fat, protein, and ash contents were the highest in DRP. The pH of paprika was the highest in RPF (5.34), while it was the lowest in DRP (5.05). Reducing sugar and sugar contents of RPF were 28.59 g/100 g and 5.03 °Brix, respectively, which are the highest level among the groups. All color values in inside of paprika were the highest in RPCS, while in outside of paprika, L value is the highest in RPCS, and the value of a, b were the highest in RPS. Regarding the texture characteristics of paprika, strongness, hardness, adhesiveness, chewiness and brittleness were the highest in RPS (p<0.05).

This study presents a system dynamics methodology to evaluate quantitatively the effect of the Korean government’s development policy, such as tax reductions, on the industrial economy. System dynamics is often perceived as an optimized means to identify the dynamic inter-relationships among various factors of development policies, and in particular the industrial characteristics and uncertainties of the coastal shipping industry. The results of simulations used in this study shows that the impact of development policies such as tax reductions would increase shipping demand for about 4 years, and that tax incentives could raise the demand volume for cabotage cargo from 5.26 to 11.11%, through the available freight- down by 90∼95% points. The system dynamics approach used in this paper represents an initial attempt to use this methodology in studies of the coastal shipping industry. On the basis of our simulations, the industrial effects of other development policies, such as ship financing support, investment of social overhead, or crew supply, could also be analyzed effectively. Additionally, it should be possible to extend these results by developing a comprehensive model encompassing these various analyses.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity of Metaplexis japonica by using hot-water and ethanol extracts of its leaf and stem. Yields of hot-water and ethanol extracts of M. japonica leaf were high at 6.89 and 6.23%, respectively. The polyphenol and flavonoid contents in ethanol extracts of M. japonica leaf (ALEE) were high (86.96 and 60.73 mg/g, respectively). The electron-donating ability of all M. japonica extracts increased with an increase in extract concentration, with the highest electron-donating ability of 36.20~68.19% shown by hot-water extracts of M. japonica leaf (ALWE). The superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activities of ALWE and ALEE increased with an increase in extract concentration. The nitrite-scavenging ability of the extracts was the highest at pH 1.2 and that of ALWE was higher than that of ALEE. The reducing power of 62.5 μg/mL ALEE was 0.09 and that of 1,000 μg/mL ALWE was 0.44. The inhibitory effect of an ethanol extract of M. japonica stem (ASEE) on tyrosinase was 13.81% at a concentration of 62.5 μg/mL and that of 1,000 μg/mL ALEE was 57.04%.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) involving two simultaneous vascular territories of acute transmural ischemia is known as a double or combined myocardial infarction. This well described but extremely rare phenomenon may be related to the fact that AMI with multiple vessel obstruction often causes extensive myocardial injury and death before hospitalization. We reported the first case of 45-year-old man with AMI occluded left anterior descending artery and right coronary artery simultaneously in Korea.

본 연구는 3,7-diarylpyrazolo [1,5-α]pyrimidines의 효과적인 one-pot regioselective 합성을 보여준다. 더욱이, 그 유도체는 뛰어난 CB1R 저해 활성을 나타냈다. 3,7-position에 diaryl group이 치환된 pyrazolo [1,5-α]pyrimidine은 CB1R 후보로서 가능성 있는 pharmacophore이다.

Diffuse involvement of the right pulmonary artery (PA) associated with fistula between the PA and coronary artery is report-ed in a woman with Takayasu’s arteritis. Both the subclavian arteries were totally occluded and drained by the meanderinged artery arising from both common carotid arteries. Lung perfusion scan revealed perfusion defect of right lung. Two fistulas were identified. A large fistula was between the right PA and left circumflex artery. A small fistula was between the right PA and left anterior descending artery. This is a rare case of Takayasu’s arteritis presenting with a coronary – pulmonary artery fistula that is secondary to a diffuse unilateral involvement of PA.

Eddy current separation technique to separate non-ferrous metal particles (Al, Mg, Cu, Sn, Pb, Zn, etc.) and non-metallic particles (plastic, ceramic etc.) of crushed materials of laptop computers was established. As preliminary treatment, laptop computers was shredded and optical sorting machine segregated PCB from Non-PCB. Non-PCB sample was pulverized by cut crusher under the size of 12mm for liberation. Upward flow air separator and magnetic separator were used for eliminated shredding dust, vinyl, paper, and ferrous metal particles from Non-PCB sample. The sample was injected into drum type eddy current separator. Recovery of metals was not enough to separate the sample, the non-conducting part (non-metals part) was repeatedly injected into separator. Recovery of metals increased as the step of repetition, but the cumulative recovery until 4th repetition did not exceeded 65%. However, metal content of non-ferrous metals part (the bounced material) was high and it did not change the grade as the repetition. Therefore, drum type eddy current separator has low recovery in case of small particles but also has the advantage of getting high grade non-ferrous metal.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs of approximately 21-nt which play important roles in regulating gene expression in plants. Although many miRNA studies have focused on a few model plants, the miRNAs and their target genes remain largely unknown in pepper, one of the most important crops cultivated worldwide. Here we employed high-throughput small RNA sequencing to extensively identify miRNAs in pepper from 10 different libraries, including leaf, stem, root, flower, and six developmental stage fruits. Based on bioinformatics pipeline, we successfully identified 29 and 35 families of conserved and novel miRNAs, respectively. We noticed that some miRNAs, whose targets were validated experimentally in this study, exhibited prominent changes in expression levels during fruit development stages. From the qRT-PCR analysis of the target mRNAs, including the SBP-transcription factor and F-box protein, we found that expression of these two target mRNAs gradually decreased in general during fruit development and was negatively correlated with the expression of their corresponding miRNAs. The validation of miRNA-directed cleavage of these target mRNAs, combined with the results of qRT-PCR analysis, likely suggests that some miRNAs in pepper may play a role in fruit development. Conclusively, our study first utilizes high-throughput sequencing to identify and characterize conserved and novel miRNAs and their targets in pepper, providing a basis for understanding the functional roles of miRNAs in pepper.

Spontaneous perirenal hematoma is an unusual but serious complication of tumors, vascular disease, ruptured cyst, or infection. The authors report the case of a diabetic patient who presented with spontaneous perirenal hematoma and who was subsequently diagnosed to have emphysematous pyelonephritis.