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The objectives of this study were to determine how U.S. consumers perceive 6 Korean traditional beverages (Bokbunja, Hongsaam, Korean date, Omija, Sansuyu and Yuja) and to find out the influence of extrinsic information (name, nutritional information, picture of raw material and stories related to each sample) on acceptability, liking and intensity appropriateness of sweetness and bitterness, and emotion when consuming novel beverages. Bokbunja, Yuja and Korean date were samples received high acceptability, had adequate intensity of sweetness and bitterness, and evoked positive emotions. When the extrinsic information of the samples was provided, acceptability of all six samples tended to increase. Percentage of consumers who perceived the intensity of sweetness and bitterness of products as “just about right” increased when evaluated the samples in the informed condition. Also principal component analysis (PCA) biplot of emotions revealed the influence of information during evaluation. When tested in the informed condition, samples evoked relatively positive emotion compare to samples tested in the blind condition. The disliked products showed the greater increase of acceptability from the blind to the informed conditions. Practical Applications There is not much research conducted to evaluate acceptability of Korean traditional beverages with foreign consumers. In our study, we used these traditional beverages, which were still novel to U.S. consumers, and measured overall acceptability, liking and intensity appropriateness of sweetness and bitterness, and emotion using EsSense Profile™. Among six beverage samples we used, three samples (Bokbunja, Yuja and Korean date) received positive scores for all measurements. Also by comparing the results of evaluations conducted in blind and informed conditions, importance of information when evaluating the samples was shown. Our work provided the basis of launching favored Korean traditional beverage products in the U.S. market and demonstrated importance of the information when introducing the novel products to consumers.

The cis-octahedral complex [NiL2](ClO4)2·H2O (1) (L2 = C-racemic-1,8-bis(N-2-aminoethyl)-5,5,7,12,12,14-hexamethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane), bearing two coordinated N-CH2CH2NH2 pendant arms, has been prepared by a reaction of the N-CH2CN groups of [Ni(L1)(CH3COO)]+ (L1 = C-racemic-1,8-bis(cyanomethyl)-5,5,7,12,12,14-hexamethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane) with NaBH4 in acetonitrile. The trigonal bipyramidal complex [Ni(HL2)](ClO4)3·H2O (2) (HL2 = a mono-protonated form of L2), in which the primary amino group of the coordinated N-CH2CH2NH2 group occupies one of the three equatorial positions, has also been prepared by the addition of HClO4 to a methanol solution of 1. The equatorial Ni–N (N-CH2CH2NH2 group) distance (2.076(2) A) of 2 is similar to other equatorial Ni–N (macrocyclic ring) distances (2.073(2) and 2.075(2) A), but is significantly shorter than the Ni–N (N-CH2CH2NH2 groups) distances (2.170(3) and 2.190(3) A) of 1. Interestingly, the coordinated N-CH2CH2NH2 group of 2 is inert to protonation.

The renin–angiotensin system (RAS) has an important role in hepatic fibrosis and portal hypertension. RAS inhibitors are already accepted in clinical fields for antihypertensive management, but their effects on hepatic fibrosis are controversial. The aim of this study was to systematically review the effects of RAS inhibitors on hepatic fibrosis based on histological assessment. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis (MA) of the literature using the Ovid-MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases (up to January 2015) to identify clinical studies evaluating the effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers on hepatic fibrosis or cirrhosis patients based on histological assessment. Of the 455 studies identified, we analyzed 7, including a total of 1066 patients, which met our selection criteria. According to the MA, patients treated with RAS inhibitors had significantly lower fibrosis scores (SMD −0.68, 95 % CI −1.03, −0.34, I 2 = 0 %, p

In this study, core-crosslinked amphiphilic polymer (CCAP) nanoparticles prepared using a reactive amphiphilic polymer precursor (RARP) were used for preparing some valuable compounds encapsulated polymer nanoparticles with high payload through nanoprecipitation process. Various solvents (acetone, ethanol, and THF) having different polarity and CCAP nanoparticles prepared using different amphiphilicity were used for the preparation of -tocopherol encapsulated polymer nanoparticles to investigate their effects on the encapsulation efficiency, payload, nanoparticle size, and stability. CCAP dissolved in hydrophobic solvent, THF, could form -tocopherol encapsulated polymer nanoparticles dispersed in water with the high payload of -tocopherol and encapsulation efficiency. Because of their physically and chemically robust nano-structure originated from crosslinking of the hydrophobic core, CCAP nanoparticles could encapsulate -tocopherol with the high payload (33 wt%) and encapsulation efficiency (97%), and form 70 nm-sized stable nanoparticles in water.

Background Because of the long asbestos-related disease latencies (10–50 years), detection, diagnosis, and epidemiologic studies require asbestos exposure history. However, environmental asbestos exposure source (EAES) data are lacking. Objectives To survey the available data for past EAES and supplement these data with interviews. Methods We constructed an EAES database using a literature review and interviews of experts, former traders, and workers. Exposure sources by time period and type were visualized using a geographic information system (ArcGIS), web-based mapping (Google Maps), and OpenWeatherMap. The data were mounted in the GIS to show the exposure source location and trend. Results The majority of asbestos mines, factories, and consumption was located in Chungnam; Gyeonggi, Busan, and Gyeongnam; and Gyeonggi, Daejeon, and Busan, respectively. Shipbuilding and repair companies were mostly located in Busan and Gyeongnam. Conclusions These tools might help evaluate past exposure from EAES and estimate the future asbestos burden in Korea.

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the relationships between short cervical length (CL) and levels of cervical fluid neutrophil elastase (NE), secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI), and interleukin 8 (IL-8) in the second trimester of pregnancy of women who underwent ultrasound-indicated cervical cerclage. Materials and methods: CL of

The doping effect of (Na0.5K0.5)NbO3 (NKN) on the dielectric properties of BaTiO3 have been investigated through the local atomic structure analyses. The dielectric constant of a specimen with x=0.05 was about 105% higher than that of pure BaTiO3. Through Ti K-edge x-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, it could be determined that the improved dielectric properties are due to the donor substitution by Nb-doping in the B-site. An increase in the XANES intensities with x indicates an increase in degree of hybridization, relating to the donor level, which leads to an increase in conduction electrons. Thus, the enhancement of the dielectric properties is attributed to the increased polarization interaction between the conduction electrons and the relaxation mode. The polarization of the electrons is confirmed by the comparative analysis of bond length data between Ti O and Nb O, derived from Ti and Nb K-edge extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of oral exercise on oral function and denture satisfaction of the elderly using dentures. Methods: The study was conducted with targets of the elderly in the 13 senior community centers in Cheongsong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do from September 2013 to April 2014. The study subjects were divided into two groups, the intervention group provided with 8 week oral exercise program and the control group without exercise. The data on oral function, denture satisfaction and oral health related quality of life (OHIP-14) were analyzed among the 79 subjects from the intervention group and the 71 subjects from the control group. Results: For oral function, salivary flow rate, mouth opening, pronunciation and salty taste were significantly improved in the intervention group (p＜0.01). There were significant differences in salivary flow rate, mouth opening, pronunciation and salty taste between the two groups (p＜0.01). For denture satisfaction, there were significant differences in masticatory function, fixing function, general treatment satisfaction and total denture satisfaction between the two groups (p＜0.05). There were significant differences between the two groups in the total points of oral health related quality of life. Conclusion: Oral exercise was effective in improving oral function and denture satisfaction of the elderly using dentures. To improve oral health related quality of life of the elderly further researches and programs will be necessary.

This study was a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the effects of aquatic exercise and land-based exercise in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. 7 studies (n=449) met selection and exclusion criteria out of 287 potential studies obtained from the literature search via Ovid-Medline, Cochrane Library CENTRAL, CINAHL,RISS and KISS. The overall risk of bias of selected studies using SIGN (Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network)checklist for randomized controlled trials (RCT) was regarded as low. As a result of meta analysis, Standardized Mean Difference (SMD) for pain was -0.26(95% CI -0.49, -0.03, p=0.03, I²=14%), which implies that aquatic exercise groups had significant less pain than land-based exercise groups. On the other hand, there was no significant difference between aquatic exercise groups and land based exercise groups for flexion Range of Motion (ROM) (-0.12,95% CI -0.51, 0.27, p=0.53, I²=0%), extension ROM (-0.04, 95% CI -0.55, 0.48, p=0.89, I²=43%), physical function(-0.12, 95% CI -0.44, 0.19, p=0.44, I²=0%), Quality of Life (QOL) (-0.15, 95% CI -0.54, 0.24, p=0.46, I²=0%). Thisstudy has some limitations due to few RCTs comparing aquatic exercise groups and land-based exercise groups inthe treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Therefore, further RCTs should be conducted along with long-term outcomes.

IL-6 is a major causative factor of inflammatory disease. Although IL-6 and its signaling pathways are promising targets, orally available small-molecule drugs specific for IL-6 have not been developed. To discover IL-6 antagonists, we screened our in-house chemical library and identified LMT-28, a novel synthetic compound, as a candidate IL-6 blocker. The activity, mechanism of action, and direct molecular target of LMT-28 were investigated. A reporter gene assay showed that LMT-28 suppressed activation of STAT3 induced by IL-6, but not activation induced by leukemia inhibitory factor. In addition, LMT-28 downregulated IL-6–stimulated phosphorylation of STAT3, gp130, and JAK2 protein and substantially inhibited IL-6–dependent TF-1 cell proliferation. LMT-28 antagonized IL-6–induced TNF-α production in vivo. In pathologic models, oral administration of LMT-28 alleviated collagen-induced arthritis and acute pancreatitis in mice. Based on the observation of upstream IL-6 signal inhibition by LMT-28, we hypothesized IL-6, IL-6Rα, or gp130 to be putative molecular targets. We subsequently demonstrated direct interaction of LMT-28 with gp130 and specific reduction of IL-6/IL-6Rα complex binding to gp130 in the presence of LMT-28, which was measured by surface plasmon resonance analysis. Taken together, our data suggest that LMT-28 is a novel synthetic IL-6 inhibitor that functions through direct binding to gp130.

Artemisia capillaris Thunberg (AC) has been widely used to treat various diseases including hepatitis and is known to affect many cellular events such as cell proliferation and apoptosis. Herein a potent ethyl acetate fraction (AC68) was newly extracted from AC, and was assessed for its anti-cancer efficacy in progression and growth of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). AC68 dose-dependently inhibited the growth and proliferation of two HCC cell lines. The AC68-induced apoptosis was observed by increased levels of cleaved caspase-3 and decreased survivin, XIAP, and MCL-1 expression via mitochondria membrane potential change, as well as elevated numbers of TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells. AC68 was also found to suppress invasion and migration of HCC cells. Moreover, it inhibited PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo. In vivo study showed that AC68 significantly inhibited tumor growth in HCC mouse xenograft model, and induced apoptosis by increasing the expression of cleaved caspase-3. The expression of PCNA was decreased by the treatment of AC68. Taken together, our data demonstrated that AC68 not only induced apoptosis but also inhibited cell growth, migration, and invasion of liver cancer cells by blocking the PI3K/AKT pathway. We suggest that AC68 may be a potent chemotherapeutic candidate for the treatment of HCC.

Aim This study aimed to examine the effect of tepid massage in febrile children comparing with other fever management. Methods Experimental studies published in English were included; quasi-experimental research studies were also included in consideration of rare experimental studies in Korean. The search strategy sought to identify published research reports in the English language and covered all major databases up to 2016. The methodological quality of each study was assessed by 2 independent reviewers using a Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network's Methodology Checklist. Means and standard deviations were used for continuous variables, and standardized mean difference was used for variables of different scales. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistics after visual reviewing with forest plots. Results This study reviewed mainly the effect of tepid massage on temperature compared with the use of antipyretics, along with other adverse effects in relation with fever management. The results revealed no significant effect of tepid massage on temperature in febrile children. In addition, incidence rates of adverse effects including chills, goose pimples, and discomfort were higher in tepid massage groups. Conclusion This meta-analysis showed the need for re-verification of commonly used practice including the use of tepid massage and proper body temperature measurement.

Since traffic accident data has been typically collected by the police who record accident information based on estimation through the engineering methods and statements of accident-involved people and witnesses in the vicinity of an accident, accident data recorded by the police may inevitably include errors. However, the technological progression of in-vehicle driving recording devices such as event data recorder, vehicle black box (VBB), and various sensors using in naturalistic driving study tackles the change of methodological paradigms in traffic safety research. The objective of this study is to analyze injury severity in taxi-pedestrian crashes using more accurate crash data by VBBs such as time-to-collision, crash speed, crash angle, and crash region of vehicle and pedestrian. To carry out this study, VBB data for two years (2010–2011) collected by taxies operating in Incheon, Korea are used. Then, the ordered probit model is applied to analyze injury severity in taxi-pedestrian crashes.

Cuticular wax is an important hydrophobic layer that covers the plant aerial surface. Cuticular wax biosynthesis is shaped by multiple layers of regulation. In particular, a pair of R2R3-type MYB transcription factors, MYB96 and MYB30, are known to be the main participants in cuticular wax accumulation. Here, we report that the MYB30-INTERACTING E3 LIGASE 1 (MIEL1) E3 ubiquitin ligase controls the protein stability of the two MYB transcription factors and thereby wax biosynthesis in Arabidopsis. MIEL1-deficient miel1 mutants exhibit increased wax accumulation in stems, with up-regulation of wax biosynthetic genes targeted by MYB96 and MYB30. Genetic analysis reveals that wax accumulation of the miel1 mutant is compromised by myb96 or myb30 mutation, but MYB96 is mainly epistatic to MIEL1, playing a predominant role in cuticular wax deposition. These observations indicate that the MIEL1-MYB96 module is important for balanced cuticular wax biosynthesis in developing inflorescence stems.

Cuticular waxes act as a protective barrier against environmental stresses. In the present study, we investigated developmental and genotypic variation in wax formation of cabbage lines, with a view to understand the related morphology, genetics and biochemistry. Our studies revealed that the relative expression levels of wax biosynthetic genes in the first-formed leaf of the highest-wax line remained constantly higher but were decreased in other genotypes with leaf aging. Similarly, the expression of most of the tested genes exhibited decrease from the inner leaves to the outer leaves of 5-month-old cabbage heads in the low-wax lines in contrast to the highest-wax line. In 10-week-old plants, expression of wax biosynthetic genes followed a quadratic function and was generally increased in the early developing leaves but substantially decreased at the older leaves. The waxy compounds in all cabbage lines were predominately C29-alkane, -secondary alcohol, and -ketone. Its deposition was increased with leaf age in 5-month-old plants. The high-wax lines had dense, prominent and larger crystals on the leaf surface compared to low-wax lines under scanning electron microscopy. Principal component analysis revealed that the higher expression of LTP2 genes in the lowest-wax line and the higher expression of CER3 gene in the highest-wax line were probably associated with the comparatively lower and higher wax content in those two lines, respectively. This study furthers our understanding of the relationships between the expression of wax biosynthetic genes and the wax deposition in cabbage lines. Highlight: In cabbage, expression of wax-biosynthetic genes was generally decreased in older and senescing leaves, while wax deposition was increased with leaf aging, and C29-hydrocarbon was predominant in the wax crystals.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to suggest a method of selecting efficient customer service programmes and of providing relevant customer information to dealers, based on the analysis of repeat-purchase behaviour data in the automobile industry. Design/methodology/approach – A recurrent event model is proposed and employed to determine which variables affect repurchasing behaviour in consumers' repurchase cycles. Unlike the conventional recurrent event model, the proposed model uses common variables for all strata, as well as stratum-specific variables. Findings – Empirical results show that age, price difference, change in vehicle type, and marketing promotion affect the likelihood of repeat purchase. VIP service centres and repair services are effective marketing tools, and dealers should pay more attention to existing customers having certain characteristics, depending on prior purchase behaviour. Practical implications – Though many customer service programmes are devised and implemented at great cost, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) data reveal that classic car-care services are the most essential. CRM can provide dealers with essential customer information that enables real purchases. Originality/value – Collecting primary data on automobile purchase behaviour and customer service usage is difficult, and therefore, customer behaviour strategy is often formulated using basic principles alone. The paper proposes a method to construct a service strategy and formulate deal guidelines based on CRM data and statistical modelling.

지르코니아를 고정한 실리카(ZrO2-SiO2)와 망가니즈 산화물(MnOx)에 백금을 담지하여 제조한 촉매에서 수소에 의한 일산화질소의 선택적 촉매 환원(H2-SCR) 반응을 조사하였다. Pt-MnOx 촉매에서는 NO 전환율이 낮으며, N2O와 NO2생성이 억제되었다. 반면, Pt/ZrO2-SiO2 촉매에서는 NO 전환율이 높지만, 100~150 ℃에서는 N2O가, 200~300 ℃에서는 온도가 높아지면 NO2 수율이 높아져, N2 수율이 낮았다. ZrO2-SiO2에 MnOx와 백금을 같이 담지한 Pt-MnOx/ZrO2-SiO2 촉매에서는 100~150 ℃에서 이들 성분의 상승작용으로 N2 수율이 조금 높아졌다. 이들 촉매에서 표면 조성, 산화 상태, 산성도를 조사하고, NO가 흡착되어 수소와 반응하는 과정의 IR 스펙트럼을 그렸다. NO의 H2-SCR 반응에서 전환율과 생성물 수율을 촉매 구성 성분의 촉매작용과 연계지어 고찰하였다.

Objective : Portulaca oleracea (PO) has been used as an important traditional medicine for inflammatory and bacterial diseases in East Asia. However, the protective effects of PO on acute pancreatitis (AP) is not well-known. Therefore, this study was performed to identify the anti-inflammatory and prophylactic effects of PO on cerulein-induced AP. Methods : AP was induced in mice via intraperitoneal injection of supramaximal concentrations of the stable cholecystokinin analogue cerulein (50 ㎍/㎏) given every hour for 6 times. Water extracts of PO (100, 300, or 500 ㎎/㎏) was administrated intra-peritoneally 1 h prior to the first injection of cerulein. The mice were killed at 6 h after the final cerulein injection. Pancreas and lung we re rapidly removed for morphologic and histochemical examination, myeloperoxidase (MPO) assay. Blood samples were taken to determine serum amylase and lipase activities. Results : Administration of PO significantly inhibited pancreatic weight /body weight ratio, pancreas and lung histological injury. And MPO activity which indicates neutrophi l infiltration was inhibited by PO extracts on cerulein-induced pancreatitis. In addition, PO administration i nhibited digestive enzymes such as serum amylase and lipase activity on cerulein-induced pancreatitis. Conclusion : Our results could suggest that pre-treatment of PO reduces the severity of cerulein-induced AP, thereby, PO could be used as a protective agent against AP. Also, this study could give a clinical basis that PO could be a drug or agent to prevent AP.

The present article examines how learning differs depending on the presence or absence of feedback and whether the impact of learning is sufficiently strong to override the attraction effect. The influence of repeated choices and immediate feedback was investigated in two studies. In study 1, participants were asked to choose the best quality option between two (a core set) and three (an extended set with an asymmetrically dominated option) options before and after learning, with or without feedback. Study 2 was a replication of study 1 with a more complex choice task. The results of both studies demonstrated that learning from feedback induced trade-off rule learning and decreased the magnitude of the attraction effect.

Because iron-based materials that are used for the permeable reactive barrier systems come in various shapes, sizes, and with various surface properties depending on the manufacturing sources, their reductive powers vary in a wide spectrum. A new experimental procedure to evaluate the reductive power of iron material was developed in this study. Tri-iodide (I3(-)) was used as the representative oxidizing agent that reacts with zero-valent iron (ZVI). Three iron-based materials (two scraps, two powders) and four chlorinated chemicals [perchloroethene (PCE), trichloroethene (TCE), 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA), and pentachlorophenol (PCP)] were used in this study. Redox reactions were conducted in glass vials containing aqueous solutions of chlorinated compounds or tri-iodide with known masses of iron material. After a predetermined reaction time each vial was opened and the solution was analyzed for the concentration of reduced compound. The apparent rate contant (k(i)(obs)) of iodine reduction reaction with ZVIs was found to be proportional to that (k(c)(obs)) of chlorinated contaminant. The surface area-normalized reduction rate constants (k(c)(nor)) for contaminants and tri-iodide (k(i)(nor)) were also proportional to each other. The ratio of rate constants, K(nor) (= k(c)(nor)/k(i)(nor)) was estimated for each contaminant; 3.29 × 10(-7), 5.86 × 10(-7), 6.70 × 10(-7), and 7.87 × 10(-10) M, for PCE, TCE, TCA, and PCP, respectively. The results of this study suggest that the reductive power of ZVI materials can be standardized using tri-iodide, and thus, can provide a good reference for the quantitative assessment of the reactivity of metallic reducing agents of environmental interest including ZVIs.

Since vegetable oils (usually triacylglycerol [TAG]) are extensively used as food and raw materials, an increase in storage oil content and production of valuable polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in transgenic plants is desirable. In this study, a gene encoding glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase 9 (GPAT9), which catalyzes the synthesis of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) from a glycerol-3-phosphate and acyl-CoA, was isolated from Physcomitrella patens, which produces high levels of very-long-chain PUFAs in protonema and gametophores. P. patens GPAT9 shares approximately 50%, 60%, and 70% amino acid similarity with GPAT9 from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Klebsormidium nitens, and Arabidopsis thaliana, respectively. PpGPAT9 transcripts were detected in both the protonema and gametophores. Fluorescent signals from the eYFP:PpGPAT9 construct were observed in the ER of Nicotiana benthamiana leaf epidermal cells. Ectopic expression of PpGPAT9 increased the seed oil content by approximately 10% in Arabidopsis. The levels of PUFAs (18:2, 18:3, and 20:2) and saturated FAs (16:0, 18:0, and 20:0) increased by 60% and 43%, respectively, in the storage oil of the transgenic seeds when compared with the wild type. The transgenic embryos with increased oil content contained larger embryonic cells than the wild type. Thus, PpGPAT9 may be a novel genetic resource to enhance storage oil yields from oilseed crops.

The very nature of their position requires superiors to engage in behavior that may have adverse consequences on subordinates. Such deportment might harm the individual (employee) yet enhance the overall good of the organization. Researchers in organizational behavior refer to supervisor demeanor that is hurtful to subalterns as “necessary evils”(Margolis & Molinsky, 2008; Molinsky & Margolis, 2005).Their research suggests that several factors influence whether “necessary evils” are executed using interpersonal sensitivity—a variable that has been found to have a salubrious impact on a firm. The present study develops subscales to assess those mediating factors, as well as interpersonal sensitivity. After conducting psychometric analyses, 65 measurement items are identified that tap 20 distinct constructs. Evidence is presented for sufficient reliability and validity of the constructs. Nonetheless, the developed scales require further refinement.

Objectives We evaluated isolated fractures of the greater trochanter (IFGT) on plain radiographs with multiplanar reformation computed tomography (MPR CT). Design Retrospective review of patients. Setting University teaching hospital. Patients This study included 27 consecutive patients with apparently IFGT. Main outcome measurements The clinical results, X-ray, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, bone scintigraphy findings were investigated. Results Four of 27 cases demonstrated anterior cortical breakage or extensive damage of the trabecular bone in the intertrochanteric area on MPR CT images. Surgical fixation was necessary for these 4 cases. The other 23 cases, in which no structural damage was detected, were treated conservatively, and the results were satisfactory without progression to a complete intertrochanteric fracture. All 9 cases evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated extension into the intertrochanteric area. In 5 cases, the extension crossed the midline on the mid-coronal image. Two of the cases were treated surgically because of anterior cortical breakage and extensive trabecular impaction on MPR CT, respectively. However, the other 3 cases and 4 cases with mild intertrochanteric extension were treated conservatively without problem. Conclusions The evaluation of IFGT with MPR CT was shown to be valuable for determining the optimal treatment method.

Very-long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) with chain lengths from 20 to 34 carbons are involved in diverse biological functions such as membrane constituents, a surface barrier, and seed storage compounds. The first step in VLCFA biosynthesis is the condensation of two carbons to an acyl-coenzyme A, which is catalyzed by 3-ketoacyl-coenzyme A synthase (KCS). In this study, amino acid sequence homology and the messenger RNA expression patterns of 21 Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) KCSs were compared. The in planta role of the KCS9 gene, showing higher expression in stem epidermal peels than in stems, was further investigated. The KCS9 gene was ubiquitously expressed in various organs and tissues, including roots, leaves, and stems, including epidermis, silique walls, sepals, the upper portion of the styles, and seed coats, but not in developing embryos. The fluorescent signals of the KCS9::enhanced yellow fluorescent protein construct were merged with those of BrFAD2::monomeric red fluorescent protein, which is an endoplasmic reticulum marker in tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) epidermal cells. The kcs9 knockout mutants exhibited a significant reduction in C24 VLCFAs but an accumulation of C20 and C22 VLCFAs in the analysis of membrane and surface lipids. The mutant phenotypes were rescued by the expression of KCS9 under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. Taken together, these data demonstrate that KCS9 is involved in the elongation of C22 to C24 fatty acids, which are essential precursors for the biosynthesis of cuticular waxes, aliphatic suberins, and membrane lipids, including sphingolipids and phospholipids. Finally, possible roles of unidentified KCSs are discussed by combining genetic study results and gene expression data from multiple Arabidopsis KCSs.

Cuticular waxes act as a protective barrier against environmental stresses. In the present study, we investigated developmental and genotypic variation in wax formation of cabbage lines, with a view to understand the related morphology, genetics and biochemistry. Our studies revealed that the relative expression levels of wax biosynthetic genes in the first-formed leaf of the highest-wax line remained constantly higher but were decreased in other genotypes with leaf aging. Similarly, the expression of most of the tested genes exhibited decrease from the inner leaves to the outer leaves of 5-month-old cabbage heads in the low-wax lines in contrast to the highest-wax line. In 10-week-old plants, expression of wax biosynthetic genes followed a quadratic function and was generally increased in the early developing leaves but substantially decreased at the older leaves. The waxy compounds in all cabbage lines were predominately C29-alkane, -secondary alcohol, and -ketone. Its deposition was increased with leaf age in 5-month-old plants. The high-wax lines had dense, prominent and larger crystals on the leaf surface compared to low-wax lines under scanning electron microscopy. Principal component analysis revealed that the higher expression of LTP2 genes in the lowest-wax line and the higher expression of CER3 gene in the highest-wax line were probably associated with the comparatively lower and higher wax content in those two lines, respectively. This study furthers our understanding of the relationships between the expression of wax biosynthetic genes and the wax deposition in cabbage lines. Highlight: In cabbage, expression of wax-biosynthetic genes was generally decreased in older and senescing leaves, while wax deposition was increased with leaf aging, and C29-hydrocarbon was predominant in the wax crystals.

Objectives: Spatial analysis is useful for understanding complicated causal relationships. This paper focuses trends and appling methods for spatial analysis associated with environmental asbestos exposure. Methods: Literature review and reflection of experience of authors were conducted to know academic background of spatial analysis, appling methods on epidemiology and asbestos exposure. Results: Spatial analysis based on spatial autocorrelation provides a variety of methods through which to conduct mapping, cluster analysis, diffusion, interpolation, and identification. Cause of disease occurrence can be investigated through spatial analysis. Appropriate methods can be applied according to contagiousness and continuity. Spatial analysis for asbestos exposure source is needed to study asbestos related diseases. Although a great amount of research has used spatial analysis to study exposure assessment and distribution of disease occurrence, these studies tend to focus on the construction of a thematic map without different forms of analysis. Recently, spatial analysis has been advanced by merging with web tools, mobile computing, statistical packages, social network analysis, and big data. Conclusions: Because the trend in spatial analysis has evolved from simple marking into a variety of forms of analyses, environmental researchers including asbestos exposure study are required to be aware of recent trends.

Thermal shock behavior of porous ceramic nozzles with various pore sizes for continuous casting process of steel was investigated in terms of physical properties and microstucture. Porous nozzle samples with a composition of Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 -ZrO 2 were fabricated by adding various sizes of graphite as the pore forming agent. As the graphite size increased from 45~75 to 150~180 μm, both the resulting pore size and the flexural strength also increased. A thermal shock test was carried out at temperatures (ΔT) of 600, 700, 800, and 900℃. Microstructure analysis revealed a small number of cracks on the sample with the largest mean pore size of 22.32 μm. In addition, increasing the pore size led to a smaller decrease in both pressure drop and elastic modulus. In conclusion, controlling the pore size can enhance thermal shock behavior.

The thermodynamic behavior of phenolic resin was investigated to verify the relation between the properties of porous ceramics with ZrO₂-C system for submerged entry nozzle and the characteristics of phenolic resin with various relative humidity. The green and the sintered density were decreased between 25% and 50% relative humidity, whereas they were gradually enhanced above 50% relative humidity. The highest value of apparent porosity was 20.1% and the minimum compressive strength was 69㎫ in the specimen using the powder exposed to 50% relative humidity. As a result of thermal analysis for phenolic resin, the shift of endothermic peak to low temperature and the reduction of exothermic peak were observed, and the peaks corresponded to melting and curing of phenolic resin, respectively. The melting and the curing of phenolic resin generate the change of green density, and it can affect the properties of submerged entry nozzle.

To analyze the effect of the pore size of graphite in a pore-forming agent, graphite was added to porous ceramics of Al2O3-SiO2-ZrO2 systems. The graphite had 45~75, 100~125, 150~180, and 75~180㎛ dimensions. The properties of the ceramics, such as apparent porosity, density, dynamic elastic modulus, mechanical strength, and permeability, were investigated. The average pore size increased from 15.35㎛ to 22.32㎛ with the increase of the graphite size. The sample with the largest average pore size showed the highest mechanical strength and gas permeability. This was due to the sample with the largest pore size at the same porosity having fewer pores and larger distance between the pores than the sample with the smallest pore size, making cracks less likely to propagate. In addition, the large pore size reduced the repulsive power originating from the drag force between the gas and internal pore walls.

Sales managers often are required to give negative information to their sales personnel. Perhaps the salespeople's territories will be reduced, their compensation or expense program decreased, or their positions realigned or eliminated. Although extensive research has examined delivering negative news to sales personnel, no empirical work has yet explored how that inimical information should be disseminated to sales subordinates. Scholars in organizational psychology argue that providing adverse news to employees using interpersonal sensitivity is advantageous for both the individual and the organization. To date, though, this issue has not been investigated in a selling context. Therefore, this article reports the results of an exploratory study that investigated factors that influence whether sales managers provide negative communication to salespeople in an interpersonally sensitive fashion. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

BACKGROUND: Extensive physiological and biological emphasis has been placed on pharmaceutical and medicinal uses of mushrooms containing β-glucans, but their incorporation into processed functional foods is quite limited. Thus, low-grade Lentinus edodes mushrooms were utilised to produce β-glucan-enriched materials (BGEMs), which were evaluated as a high-fibre and low-calorie substitute for wheat flour. RESULTS: The fractions obtained from Lentinus edodes mushrooms contained 514 g kg−1 of (1–3)-β-glucans with (1–6)-β-linked side chains and the chemical structure was confirmed by 13C NMR and FTIR spectroscopy. Replacement of a portion of the wheat flour with BGEMs resulted in the solutions with lower values of pasting parameters and also caused significant changes in starch gelatinisation. When BGEMs were incorporated into cake formulations, batter viscosity increased with more shear-thinning behaviours and elastic properties improved. Overall, the cakes containing more BGEMs showed decreased volume and increased hardness while no significant differences were observed between the control and BGEM cakes containing 1 g of β-glucan per serving. CONCLUSION: As a wheat flour substitute, the BGEMs that were prepared from low-grade Lentinus edodes mushrooms, could be successfully used to produce cakes containing 1 g of β-glucan per serving with quality attributes similar to those of the control. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry

Sales force automation (SFA) technologies are increasingly used to support customer relationship management strategies. However, previous studies have reported mixed results about the performances of SFA technologies. Therefore, this study seeks to further examine the impact of SFA usage on both customer relationship quality and sales performance. Additionally, the mediating roles of learning and adaptive selling behaviors on the outcomes of SFA usage are investigated. The results highlight the mediating role of salesperson learning and adaptive selling behaviors in the SFA usage and sales performance relationship. Especially noteworthy is the impact of learning through adaptive selling on those outcome variables. Implications for SFA research and practice that may further improve our understanding of this increasingly relevant topic are also offered.

Lentinus edodes mushroom powders (LMP) were separated into three fractions with different particle sizes (379.7, 232.6 and 62.5 µm), and their effects on physicochemical, rheological and oil-resisting properties of frying batters were investigated. While the fractionation of LMP by particle size did not cause a change in their chemical compositions, it decreased the final viscosity and setback in the pasting properties of wheat flour which were measured by a starch pasting rheometer. The use of LMP with smaller particle size increased the viscosity of frying batters with more dominant shear-thinning behavior, which was satisfactorily characterized by the Power law equation. The elastic properties of frying batters were also enhanced as LMP powders became finer. Moreover, LMP was evaluated as an oil barrier in fried foods, showing that the finer LMP fractions had a significant impact on the reduction of oil uptake. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Even though edible mushrooms are consumed worldwide due to their beneficial health effects as well as specific texture and flavor, the applications of edible mushrooms to processed foods are very limited. In this study, edible mushroom (Lentinus edodes) powders were incorporated into frying batter formulations, demonstrating that they possessed oil-resisting properties during frying depending on their particle size. Thus, this study provides a new opportunity to utilize edible mushrooms, positively extending their use in a wider variety of processed foods.

Transportation network design problem (NDP) is inherently multi-objective in nature, because it involves a number of stakeholders with different needs. In addition, the decision-making process sometimes has to be made under uncertainty where certain inputs are not known exactly. In this paper, we develop three stochastic multi-objective models for designing transportation network under demand uncertainty. These three stochastic multi-objective NDP models are formulated as the expected value multi-objective programming (EVMOP) model, chance constrained multi-objective programming (CCMOP) model, and dependent chance multi-objective programming (DCMOP) model in a bi-level programming framework using different criteria to hedge against demand uncertainty. To solve these stochastic multi-objective NDP models, we develop a solution approach that explicitly optimizes all objectives under demand uncertainty by simultaneously generating a family of optimal solutions known as the Pareto optimal solution set. Numerical examples are also presented to illustrate the concept of the three stochastic multi-objective NDP models as well as the effectiveness of the solution approach.

The fatty acid compositions of seven edible vegetable oils were investigated and correlated with their rheological behaviours and the amount of absorbed oils to fried products. All oil samples showed constant viscosity as a function of shear rate, exhibiting Newtonian behaviours. The highest viscosity was observed in hazelnut oil, followed by olive, canola, corn, soybean, sunflower, and grapeseed oils. In addition, a high correlation ( R 2 = 0.94) demonstrated that the flow behaviours of vegetable oils were positively governed by their major components (18:1 and 18:2 fatty acids). It was also shown that a more rapid change in viscosity with temperature was observed in the oils containing more double bonds ( R 2 = 0.71). Furthermore, even though the overall tendency was that the potato strips fried in the oils with high viscosity appeared to cause more oil uptake, a significant effect of oil types on oil uptake was not observed.

The network design problem (NDP) is one of the most difficult and challenging problems in transportation. Traditional NDP models are often posed as a deterministic bilevel program assuming that all relevant inputs are known with certainty. This paper presents three stochastic models for designing transportation networks with demand uncertainty. These three stochastic NDP models were formulated as the expected value model, chance-constrained model, and dependent-chance model in a bilevel programming framework using different criteria to hedge against demand uncertainty. Solution procedures based on the traffic assignment algorithm, genetic algorithm, and Monte-Carlo simulations were developed to solve these stochastic NDP models. The nonlinear and nonconvex nature of the bilevel program was handled by the genetic algorithm and traffic assignment algorithm, whereas the stochastic nature was addressed through simulations. Numerical experiments were conducted to evaluate the applicability of the stochastic NDP models and the solution procedure. Results from the three experiments show that the solution procedures are quite robust to different parameter settings.