Obesity, a global health concern characterized by excessive fat accumulation, necessitates the discovery of anti-obesity compounds. Rottlerin, known for its anti-cancer effects as a mitochondrial uncoupler, has been a subject of interest. However, its impact on reducing intracellular lipid accumulation remains a gap in our understanding. This study aimed to fill this gap by dissecting the mechanism of rottlerin in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. We treated differentiated 3T3-L1 cells with 0-20 mM of rottlerin for 48 hours to assess its capability to induce lipid accumulation. Notably, we observed no cytotoxicity associated with the treatment of rottlerin up to 20 mM, indicating its safety at these concentrations. Lipid accumulation, measured by oil Red O, was downregulated dose-independently by rottlerin. We also found that key lipogenic enzymes, including SCD1 and DGAT1, were decreased. The transcription factor of lipogenic genes, SREBP1, was reduced by approximately 80% with rottlerin. LRP6, a crucial link between de novo lipogenesis mechanism reactions and Wnt signaling, was also degraded by around 70%. Interestingly, the downstream regulation of LRP6, b-catenin, and TCFL2 was diminished by rottlerin. Our data indicate that rottlerin alleviates adipocyte lipid accumulation by suppressing the LRP6/β-catenin/SREBP1c pathway. These findings underscore the potential of rottlerin as a safe nutraceutical for combating obesity.

The information products dramatically reduce the production costs of vertically differentiated products. Information products are also more likely to be affected by network externalities. Thus the proliferation of digital products is increasing the interests in network externality and vertical product differentiation. In step with this trend, the impact of network externalities on price competition in vertically differentiated markets has been continuously studied. Existing studies related to this topic have assumed that network externalities increase consumers' willingness to pay per unit quality. The results show that higher quality products are affected more by network externality. However, network externality is essentially a concept affected by the size of the consumer, not a concept associated with quality. In this work, unlike previous studies, we present a new market model that reflects the essential definition of network externality. Based on the proposed market model, we derive both simultaneous and sequential Nash equilibria and analyze them numerically. The main results obtained from the analysis can be summarized as follows. First, network externalities primarily increase the demand for low-quality products and have a secondary impact on the demand for high-quality products. Second, the larger the quality difference between products, the more profitable they are. It also has been shown that sequential pricing methods are more advantageous in terms of revenue than simultaneous pricing method.

The purpose of this study was to investigate university learners’ preferences and other related factors for two general English courses, one course focusing on reading and another on conversation, with students divided by their language proficiency level. The participants were 554 students at an engineering university. A 4-point Likert-type scale was used to record general tendency. Students were evaluated and divided into three and four proficiency levels for the reading and conversation course, respectively. 88.1% of participants had a favorable opinion of the level-divided conversation course, and 87.7% had a positive view of the level-divided reading course. Cross tabulation analysis was conducted to examine any relationships between the preferences and other factors such as sex, favorable feelings toward English, students’ majors, and English proficiency. The chi-square analysis showed no significant relationship between level-divided course preference and factors like sex or fondness for English. However, there appears to be a significant relationship between students’ majors and level-divided course preference for both the conversation and reading courses as well as a preference relationship between English proficiency and the reading course. The participants liked the effectiveness of the level-divided course content and the tailoring of educational content according to students’ proficiency.

The purpose of this study is to suggest the characteristics of online shopping malls and find a way to establish a differentiated marketing Strategy for online shopping malls in China. This study investigated the effect on the loyalty by applying the perceived shopping value (Hedonic Value, Utilitarian Value) of consumers in online shopping malls. In addition, In order to grasp the factors affecting consumer loyalty in online shopping malls, the characteristics of online shopping malls are multidimensional, consisting of product characteristics, recommended quality, benefit services, and community services. In order to obtain the purpose of the study, a questionnaire was surveyed for chinese online shopping experience and the research model was verified through empirical analysis method. Statistical analysis program was used together with SPSS 24.0 and AMOSS 24.0. Looking at the results of the analysis, firstly, the recommended quality and benefit service of online shopping malls are positive for the perceived hedonic value of consumers. The product characteristics and community service were found to have no effect on the hedonic shopping value. Secondly, the product characteristics, recommended quality, benefit service, and community service of online shopping malls on the utilitrian value perceived by consumers were positively affected. Thirdly, the perceived hedonic value has a positive effect on loyalty. Finally, it was confirmed that perceived utilitrian value affects loyalty. Based on the results of this study, a differentiated marketing strategy was established for existing chinese online shopping mall operators and potential new operators as well.

It is a general phenomenon for manufacturers to provide vertically differentiated product line for more profit through improved market coverage. For such manufacturers, the compatibility between vertically differentiated products is an important decision issue. Some manufacturers provide full compatibility between high and low version products, whereas some provide only downward compatibility for the purpose of recommending high version product. In this study, the two representative compatibility strategies, full or downward, between vertically differentiated products produced by a single manufacturer are analyzed, especially under network externality and in the viewpoint of profit maximization. To do this we used a market model which captures the basic essence of vertical differentiation and network externality. Based on the proposed market model, the profit maximizing solutions are derived and numerically analyzed. The results can be summarized as follows : (1) Regardless of compatibility strategy, under network externality, vertical differentiation is always advantageous in terms of profit. (2) The full compatibility strategy is shown to be the most advantageous in terms of profit. In addition, it is necessary to make quality difference between differentiated products as wide as possible to maximize profit. (3) To gradually drive low version product out of the market and shift the weight pendulum of market to high version product, it is shown that the downward compatibility strategy is essential. Unlike intuition, however, it is also shown that in order to drive low version product out of market, it is necessary to raise the quality of the low version product rather than to lower it.

Network externalities are essentially dynamic in that the value consumers feel about a product is affected by the size of the existing customer base that uses that product. However, existing studies on network externalities analyzed the effects of network externalities in a static way, not dynamic. In this study, unlike previous studies, the impact of network externalities on price competition in a vertically differentiated market is dynamically analyzed. To this end, a two-period duopoly game model was used to reflect the dynamic aspects of network externalities. Based on the game model, the Nash equilibria for price, sales volume, and revenue were derived and numerically analyzed. The results can be summarized as follows. First, if high-end product has strong market power, the high-end product vendor takes almost all benefits of the network externality. Second, when high-end product has strong market power, the low-end product will take over most of the initial sales volume increase. Third, when market power of high-end product is not strong, it can be seen that the effects of network externalities on the high and low-end products are generally proportional to the difference in quality. Lastly, if there exists a strong network externality, it is shown that the presence of low-end product can be more profitable for high-end product vendor. In other words, high-end product vendor has incentive to disclose some technologies for the market entrance of low-end product, even if it has exclusive rights to the technologies. In that case, however, it is shown that the difference in quality should be maintained significantly.

Characteristics of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are consistent with those of embryonic stem (ES) cells. However, exogenous genes integrated by using retrovirus delivery systems cannot be completely removed from the cells. In a recent report, activation-induced cytosine deaminase (AID) and thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG) can induce pluripotency state in mouse differentiated cells through the process of DNA demethylation. Thus, we hypothesized that the two reprogramming factors may convert efficiently bovine differentiated cells into pluripotency state. So, genes of AID and TDG were integrated into pCMV6-AC-IRES-GFP-Puro expression vector, which was transfected into bovine differentiated cells. As results, the colonies derived from AID+TDG-induced bovine cells were formed on day 7 after culture. The number of AP positively colonies in AID+TDG-induced bovine cells was significantly higher than in AID-induced bovine cells (p<0.05). Additionally, expression of pluripotent genes (OCT-3/4, NANOG, SOX2) was slightly increased in AID+TDG-induced bovine cells, as compared to AID-induced bovine cells. Protein expressions of OCT-3/4, NANOG and SOX2 in AID+TDG-induced bovine cells were slightly increased rather than AID-induced bovine cells. Finally, DNA demethylation in the promoter regions of pluripotent markers in AID+TDG-induced bovine cells was increased than that of AID-induced bovine cells. In conclusion, pluripotent stem cells could be efficiently produced from bovine differentiated cells by using non-integrating delivery system with the reprogramming factors (AID and TDG).

This study investigated the test scores and student responses about placement in the General Education English Program by level and major. Using composite scores of College Scholastic Ability Test for English (CSAT) and the in-house speaking test (SEPT), the study placed students into four levels (2–5). It also categorized 1,847 students into three groups: Humanities and Social Science (HS), Business Administration and Law (BL), and Science and Engineering (SE). Higher levels showed significant differences in oral proficiency while having similar results on the CSAT. Lower levels attained similar scores on the SEPT but represented a vast range of CSAT scores. Participants across all levels understood the purpose of the placement test, perceived the content of the SEPT as appropriate, and positively responded toward the accuracy of placement. HS and BL scored higher on the test than SE, confirming the contrast between engineering and non-engineering majors. HS, however, showed more positive evaluation on the accuracy of placement than BL and SE. Across groups and levels, all participants opposed exclusively using CSAT in course placement. This study discusses utilizing data by various variables to enhance differentiated instruction and to meet unique needs of students at all levels with different majors; it also addresses using CSAT scores as the exclusive criterion.

In this paper, we study the bargaining strategy of a distributor who sells vertically differentiated, i.e. high and low brand products. We derive and analyze the equilibrium solutions for both simultaneous and sequential bargaining games among the distributor, the high brand product manufacturer and the low brand product manufacturer. The result shows that the optimal bargaining strategy for the distributor heavily depends on the relative quality and price level of the low brand product comparing to those of the high brand product. It is also shown that, for more bargaining profit, the distributor has strong motivation to prefer a low brand product which has lower quality level per unit price.

본 연구는 직업선택과 직업만족에 중요한 영향을 미치는 직업가치가 입사이후에 어떻게 변화하며, 이러한 변화가 직장생활에 어떠한 영향을 미치게 되는지를 고찰하고자 하였다. 이를 위해 직장을 선택하는 입사시점에서의 직업가치와 입사이후 현재 시점에서의 직업가치 사이의 차이를 조사하여 이러한 차이가 조직몰입, 직무만족, 이직의도 등의 조직 및 직무관련 태도에 미치는 영향을 검정하고자 하였다. 또한 종업원이 직장에서 직업가치를 실현하는 과정에서 조직지원과 개인의 성장욕구에 따라 직업가치에 대한 만족과 평가가 달라질 수 있으므로, 입사전후 직업가치 인식차이와 종업원 태도 사이에 대한 조직지원인식과 성장욕구강도의 조절효과를 알아보았다. 그 결과, 입사 전에 인식하였던 직업가치가 입사이후에도 기대한 바대로 추구되고 있거나 그 가치의 인식정도가 높아질 경우는 조직몰입도와 직무만족도를 증대시키며, 이직의도를 낮추게 된다. 그리고 일부직업가치 요인에서는 조직지원 인식과 성장욕구 강도가 직업가치 인식 차와 종업원태도의 관계에 중요한 영향을 미치게 된다는 것을 알 수 있다. 따라서 조직의 유효성을 제고하기 위해서는 종업원들이 입사 시기대한 바와 같이 직업가치를 계속적으로 추구하도록 하고, 이를 실현하는데 있어서 조직이 종업원들을 적극적으로 지원하며 개인의 성장욕구를 높여주는 것이 필요하다.

본 연구는 규모가 작고 역동적인 벤처기업의 성장에 영향을 줄 수 있는 요인들 중에서 기업의 전략적 행동이나 경영자의 경영 역량과 관련된 제품 전략과 CEO(최고경영자) 특성의 효과를 실증적으로 분석하였다. 벤처기업의 표본을 이용하여 FGLS 추정법에 기반한 회귀분석의 결과에 따르면, 제품 전략과 CEO 특성은 기업 성장에 유의한 영향을 주며 추가적인 설명력을 가진다. 일반적으로 제품의 다양화와 마케팅을 강조할수록, 변화혁신을 완화할수록 성장률이 높았다. 그리고 CEO가 경영지배력을 가진 창업자가 아니거나, 현재 사업관련 분야에서 실무경험이 많을수록 성장률이 높았다. 또한, 연구개발 위주 업무경력보다 일반경영 중심의 업무경력을 가진 CEO가 관리하는 기업이 성장률이 더 높았다. 제품 전략과 CEO 특성이 벤처기업의 성장에 미치는 이런 효과들은 조직수명주기 단계에 따라서 달라졌다. 창업기 및 초기 성장기에 있는 기업에서 제품의 마케팅 강조 전략과 CEO의 일반경영 중심 업무경력이 기업 성장에 미치는 긍정적 효과가 상대적으로 강화된 반면, 성숙기 및 정체기에 있는 기업에서 이런 제품 전략과 CEO 특성이 기업 성장에 미치는 효과가 부정적이거나 유의하지 않았다.

국내외 교량의 내진성능 평가관련 연구들을 조사, 분석한 결과 국내에서 휨 거동 교각의 내진성능에 대한 연구는 상당히 이루어졌으나, 국내에 상당수 분포하는 것으로 분석된 휨-전단 교각에 대해서는 연구실적이 부족한 것으로 파악되었다. 따라서, 이 연구에서는 휨-전단 복합거동이 예측되는 형상비 2.67과 전단거동이 예측되는 형상비 2.25의 실물크기 실험체 및 형상비 2.67의 축소모형 실험체를 제작하여 준정적 내진성능 실험을 실시하였으 며, 주철근의 겹침이음과, 형상비 변화에 따른 파괴거동을 조사 및 분석하였다. 실험결과 휨-전단거동이 예상되는 형상비 부근의 교각은 형상비와 철근상세 변화에 따라 파괴거동 특성이 휨-전단 파괴에서 전단 파괴 또는휨 파괴, 그리고 주철근 부착파괴로 변하는 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 이와 같은 실험결과들로부터 비내진 원형 철근콘크리트 교각에 대한항복변위 및 극한변위 산정식을 제안하여 실험을 실시하지 않고도 실제 비내진 교각의 내진성능을 파악할 수 있도록 하였으며, 이는 추후비내진으로 분류되는 실제 교량의 내진성능 조사 및 보수보강에 큰 도움이 될 것으로 판단된다.

A 78 year-old male complained of mild pain at a gingival mass on his anterior mandible, injured and ulcerated by autobicycle accident six months ago. He had suffered from uncontrolled diabetes. The tumor specimens from his chin and gingiva were examined by immunohistochemical method, and their microsections showed poorly differentiated polygonal tumor cells, occasionally formed ductal structures. The tumor cells grew infiltratively into adjacent fibromuscular tissue with frequent atypical mitosis, exhibiting the features of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. However, in the computed tomography(CT) view a tumor mass was also found in his lung, and diagnosed lung cancer. In the immunohistochemical observation the tumor cells were strongly positive for thyroid transcription factor 1(TTF-1), cytokeratin 7, PCNA, p53, and PIM-1, occasionally positive for p63, but sparsely positive for survivin. The tumor cells were almost negative for S-100, cytokeratin 14, and α-SMA, while the vascular structures in the tumor tissue were conspicuously demarcated by the stains of α-SMA. Taken together, the present case was finally diagnosed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, metastasized from lung adenocarcinoma. And it was presumed that the metastatic tumor cells tended to be anchored in the traumatized area of anterior mandible, where the wound healing was undergoing with de novo angiogenesis and the activation of different cytokines and growth factors

Genomic reprogramming factors in the GV cytoplasm improved cloning efficiency in mice through the pre‐exposure of somatic cell nuclei to a GV cytoplasmic extract prior to nuclear transfer. In this study, a pig GV oocyte extract (pGV extract) was developed. Treatment of pig fibroblasts with the pGV extract promoted colony formation after 2–3 weeks in culture, concomitant with the expression of stem cell markers (Oct‐4, Rex1, Nanog, Sox2) and repression of differentiated cell markers (CKAP2, NPR3 ). Using fibroblasts transfected with human Oct‐4 promoter‐driven enhanced green fluorescent protein (Oct4‐EGFP), pGV extract treatment induced the reactivation of the Oct‐4 promoter in Oct4 ‐ EGFP cells by 10 days post‐treatment. These transgenic donor cells were injected into 8‐cell embryos. Oct‐4 promoter activity was subsequently detected in most ICM cells of the host blastocyst. Interestingly, reconstructed embryos with pGV extract‐treated Oct4‐ EGFP fibroblast nuclei showed prolonged expression of Oct4 in the ICM of embryos. Additionally, the pGV extract promoted somatic cell reprogramming and cloned embryo development when assessed by measuring histone H3‐K9 hypomethylation, the expression of Oct4 and Nanog in blastocysts, and the production of increased numbers of high‐ quality blastocysts. Under specific culture conditions, pGV extract‐treated fibroblast cells differentiated into neuronal, pancreas, cardiac, and endothelial lineages that were confirmed by antibodies against specific marker proteins. These data provide evidence for the generation of stem‐like cells from differentiated somatic cells by treatment with GV oocyte extracts in pig.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are one of the most cause of death around the world and fields of interest for cardiac stem cells. Also, current use of terminally differentiated adult cardiomyocytes for CVDs has limited regenerative capacity therefore any significant cell loss may result in the development of progressive heart failure. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) derived from blastocyst‐stage embryos spontaneously have ability to differentiate via embryo‐like aggregates (endoderm, ectoderm and mesoderm) in vitro into various cell types including cardiomyocyte. However, most effective molecule or optimized condition which can induce cardiac differentiation of hESCs is rarely studied. In this study, we developed both spontaneous and inductive cardiomyocyte‐like cells differentiation from hESCs by treatment of induced‐factors, 5‐azacytidine, BMP‐4 and cardiogenol C. On the one hand, spontaneous and inductive cardiomyocyte‐like cells showed that cardiac markers are expressed for further analysis by RT‐PCR and immunocytochemistry. Interestingly, BMP‐4 greatly improved mogeneous population of the cardiomyocyte‐like cells from hESCs CHA15 and H09. In conclusion, we verified that spontaneously differentiated cells showed cardiac specific markers which characterize cardiac cells, treated extrinsic factors can manage cellular signals and found that hESCs can undergo differentiation into cardiomyocytes better than spontaneous group. This finding offers an insight into the inductive factor of differentiated cardiomyocytes and provides some helpful information that may offer the potential of cardiomyocytes derived from hESCs using extrinsic factors.