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PT. XYZ merupakan sebuah perusahaan yang bergerak dibidang pembuatan tools. Perusahaan ini tidak memiliki metode penilaian khusus dalam melaksanakan penilaian kinerja. Hal ini mempengaruhi proses penilaian dan reward yang didapatkan oleh para karyawan. Para karyawan merasa penilaian kurang objektif sehingga dirasa kurang adil dan menyebabkan turnover intention. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah membuat rancangan sistem penilaian kerja usulan untuk perusahaan yang lebih objektif sehingga bisa mengurangi turnover intention. Metode yang diusulkan adalah metode BARS (Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales). Ada 3 jabatan yang akan dinilai, yaitu factory manager, supervisor, dan staff. Dalam penelitian ini kriteria penilaian dibentuk menggunakan big data analytic dengan metode LDA (Latent Dirichlet Allocation). Didapatkan 7 kriteria dan 15 sub-kriteria yang akan digunakan dalam penilaian kinerja usulan. Untuk proses pembobotan digunakan metode AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process). Semua hal tersebut akan dijadikan pedoman dalam pembuatan rancangan sistem penilaian kinerja usulan. Untuk mengetahui ada tidaknya perbedaan diantara kedua sistem penilaian kinerja tersebut maka dilakukan paired t-test. Dari uji tersebut didapatkan 3 variabel yang tidak terdapat perbedaan yang signifikan diantara kedua sistem penilaian kinerja dan 6 variabel yang terdapat perbedaan yang signifikan diantara kedua sistem penilaian kinerja

Maraknya penggunaan internet menjadikan online reviews sebagai salah satu media bagi konsumen untuk mengungkapkan pengalamannya. Untuk meningkatkan kualitas layanan, pemilik bisnis perlu melakukan evaluasi dalam rangka memenuhi kebutuhan pelanggan. Penggunaan media sosial sebagai alat untuk riset dan pengembangan produk mencapai sebesar 76,1% dari total pengguna internet usia produktif. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengamati hubungan antara kebutuhan pelanggan yang didapatkan dari online reviews dengan kualitas layanan dari coffee shop serta memberikan usulan perbaikan bagi coffee shop. Berdasarkan online reviews Zomato dan Google yang diolah dengan menggunakan metode sentiment analysis Naïve-Bayes Classifier, maka akan didapatkan voice of the customer yang menjadi input dalam metode pengembangan kualitas layanan Quality Function Deployment. Bluemoon Container Café menjadi studi kasus dalam penelitian ini untuk dilakukan perbaikan dan pengembangan. Dari hasil penelitian ini, didapatkan 5 rekomendasi perbaikan dan pengembangan terhadap Bluemoon Container Café, yaitu memberikan pengembangan pelatihan (on the job training), menyediakan formulir check-list untuk setiap pengendalian mutu, bekerja sama dengan UMKM lokal untuk menghadirkan berbagai cemilan, menyediakan hand sanitizer di setiap meja, serta melakukan evaluasi secara berkala.

Ginseng is one of the most widely used herbal remedies for various diseases worldwide. Ginsenoside Rg3 (G-Rg3), the main component of ginseng, possesses several pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, antioxidant, anti-obesity, and immunomodulatory activities. However, the effect of G-Rg3 on natural killer (NK) cells in humans is not fully understood. Here, we investigated the effect of G-Rg3 on NK cell function and differentiation and elucidated the underlying mechanism. G-Rg3 increased NK cell cytotoxicity and simultaneously increased the expression of NK-activating receptors, NKp44, NKp46, and NKp30. Additionally, G-Rg3 increased the mRNA expression of NK cytolytic molecules, granzyme B and perforin. The expression of CD107a, a marker of NK cell degranulation, also increased in G-Rg3-treated NK cells. We therefore proceeded to identify which MAPK signaling pathway was involved in G-Rg3-mediated cytolytic activity. Treatment with G-Rg3 increased the phosphorylation levels of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), whereas ERK inhibition eliminated G-Rg3-induced NK cell cytotoxicity, suggesting the involvement of the ERK pathway. G-Rg3 did not affect the rate of differentiation of human cord-blood-derived NK cells; however, it increased the functional maturation of differentiated NK cells and promoted their cytotoxicity. The G-Rg3 isomer, 20(R)-Rg3, effectively activated NK cells via the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway, whereas 20(S)-Rg3 had no effect on NK cell activity. Altogether, the results demonstrated that 20(R)-Rg3 promoted NK cell activity via activation of the MAPK/ERK pathway, suggesting that 20(R)-Rg3 may be used as an activator of NK cell cytotoxicity for the treatment of diverse types of cancers.

Mesenchymal stem cells derived from Wharton’s jelly of the umbilical cord (UC-MSCs) have immunomodulatory properties. The aim of this study was to explore whether extracts of MSCs (MSC-Ex) could augment the low therapeutic efficacy of the whole cells in an Aspergillus fumigatus (Af)-induced atopic dermatitis (AD) model. LPS- or TNF-α/IFN-γ-stimulated keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) were treated with MSC-Ex, and the Af-induced AD model was established in BALB/c mice. In HaCaT cells, MSC-Ex treatment significantly reduced the inflammatory cytokine (IL-6, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-5 and TNF-α), iNOS and NF-κB levels, and upregulated the anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10 and TGF-β1). In the AD mice, the MSC-Ex group showed greatly reduced dermatitis, and lower clinical symptom scores and IgE levels. The histological dermatitis scores were also markedly lower in the MSC-Ex-treated animals compared with the MSC-treated group. Decreased levels of IFN-γ (Th1) and IL-17 (Th17), IL-4 and IL-13 (Th2) were detected in T cells and the skin tissue from the MSC-Ex treated AD mice. The therapeutic capacity of MSC-Ex was preserved after lyophilization and reconstitution. MSC-Ex treatment reproducibly suppresses dermatitis and inhibits the induction of inflammatory cytokines in the skin of AD mice. MSC-Ex is therefore a potential new treatment agent for AD.

막 단백질은 심장질환, 암과 같은 우리 주변에서 흔히 발생하는 질병에 관련되어 있다. 이러한 암과 같은 특정한 질환 상태에서, 막 단백질과 관련된 신호 전달의 비정상은 세포분열을 통제하지 못하고 증가시킬 수 있으며 막 단백질의 발현에 변화가 생긴다. 막 단백질은 지질 이중층으로 이루어진 소수성 환경을 가지고 있어 불안정하기 때문에 막 단백질을 추출해서 연구를 수행하는데 어려움이 있다. 이번 연구에서는 최적화된 막 단백질 추출법을 확인하고자 서로 다른 두 가지 추출법의 효율성을 평가하였다. 두 가지 방법으로, high-speed centrifuge법과 reagent법이 비교되었다. 비교 분석결과, 미토콘드리아 내막 단백질 분석에는 high-speed centrifuge법이 효율적이고, 소포체막 단백질 분석에는 reagent법이 유용함을 확인하였다. 게다가 유전자 온톨로지 소프트웨어를 이용해서 추출된 막 단백질의 기능분석을 진행하였을 때, 유전자 온톨로지는 reagent법에서 소포체 막 단백질에 연관된 반응이 활성화 되는 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 프로세스 네트워크 분석에서, high-speed centrifuge법에서는 하나의 클러스터를 형성화는 반면, reagent법에서는 네 개의 클러스터를 형성하는 것을 시각화하여 확인하였다. 결론적으로, 두 가지 분석법은 서로 다른 하위 막 단백질의 분석에 유용함을 확인할 수 있었다. 이러한 결과를 토대로, 막 단백질을 분석할 때, 표적의 세부 막 단백질을 고려하여 방법론을 선택하는데 도움을 줄 것으로 기대된다.

Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic and relapsing inflammatory skin disease mediated by T helper type 2 (Th2) cells in acute phase. Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) play a role in the initiation of the Th2 response. Although mold exposure is associated with the development of AD, studies on the underlying mechanisms are lacking. This study investigated whether group 2 ILCs are involved in inflammation in AD-like skin induced by Aspergillus fumigatus (Af). Methods We investigated changes of group 2 ILCs population in Af-induced AD-like skin lesions. To induce AD-like skin lesions, Af extracts were applied to the dorsal skin of BALB/c and Rag1−/− mice five times per week, with repeat exposures at 2-week intervals. Results The clinical parameters were higher in the Af-treated group than in the control group. Histologic findings revealed epiderrmal and dermal thickening as well as eosinophil and mast cell infiltration into the skin of Af-treated mice. Populations of group 2 ILCs in the skin were also significantly higher in the Af-treated group. In addition, interleukin-33 mRNA expression was significantly higher in the skin lesions of the Af-treated mice. In the Rag1−/− mice lacking mature lymphocytes, AD-like skin lesions were still induced by Af and ILCs depletion using an anti-CD90.2 mAb lowered the Af-induced inflammatory response. Conclusions Group 2 ILCs may play a role in a murine model of Af-induced AD-like skin lesions.

Korean herbal formulation, MYOMI-14, has been reported to improve the idiopathic male infertility condition with poor semen. In this study, four MYOMI formulations were modified from MYOMI-14 by reducing the number of constituents. We investigated the therapeutic effect of MYOMI formulations on cyclophosphamide-induced male infertility using mice model. Cyclophosphamide treatment significantly decreased body weight, testicular weight, sperm count, normal-shaped sperm rate and sperm motility compared to untreated control group, whereas MYOMI formulations restore the cyclophosphamide-induced dysfunction, as determined by increased sperm count and motility, and decreased abnormally shaped spermatozoa. In addition, treatment with MYOMI formulations reduced cyclophosphamide-induced apoptosis of germ cells and oxidative stress. MYOMI-treated mice also showed improved spermatogenesis as shown by the increased expression of spermatogenesis-related genes, as cAMP-responsive element modulator (CREM) and cAMP response element-binding (CREB) protein. Among the MYOMI formulations, MYOMI-7 showed better results in terms of recovering CP-induced damages to testis and improving the fertility. Taken together, this study is expected to make significant contribution to the literature by exploring various formulations that reduced constituents of MYOMI-14, a Korean herbal medicine, in treating CP-induced male infertility.

Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic and relapsing inflammatory skin disease mediated by T helper type 2 (Th2) cells in acute phase. Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) play a role in the initiation of the Th2 response. Although mold exposure is associated with the development of AD, studies on the underlying mechanisms are lacking. This study investigated whether group 2 ILCs are involved in inflammation in AD-like skin induced by Aspergillus fumigatus (Af). Methods We investigated changes of group 2 ILCs population in Af-induced AD-like skin lesions. To induce AD-like skin lesions, Af extracts were applied to the dorsal skin of BALB/c and Rag1-/- mice five times per week, with repeat exposures at 2-week intervals. Results The clinical parameters were higher in the Af-treated group than in the control group. Histologic findings revealed epiderrmal and dermal thickening as well as eosinophil and mast cell infiltration into the skin of Af-treated mice. Populations of group 2 ILCs in the skin were also significantly higher in the Af-treated group. In addition, interleukin-33 mRNA expression was significantly higher in the skin lesions of the Af-treated mice. In the Rag1-/- mice lacking mature lymphocytes, AD-like skin lesions were still induced by Af and ILCs depletion using an anti-CD90.2 mAb lowered the Af-induced inflammatory response. Conclusions Group 2 ILCs may play a role in a murine model of Af-induced AD-like skin lesions.

Ischemic stroke is caused by blood clot formation and consequent vessel blockage. Proteomic approaches provide a cost-effective alternative to current diagnostic methods, including computerized tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To identify diagnostic biomarkers associated with ischemic stroke risk factors, we performed individual proteomic analysis of serum taken from 20 healthy controls and 20 ischemic stroke patients. We then performed SWATH analysis, a data-independent method, to assess quantitative changes in protein expression between the two experimental conditions. Our analysis identified several candidate protein biomarkers, 11 of which were validated by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) analysis as novel diagnostic biomarkers associated with ischemic stroke risk factors. Our study identifies new biomarkers associated with the risk factors and pathogenesis of ischemic stroke which, to the best of our knowledge, were previously unknown. These markers may be effective in not only the diagnosis but also the prevention and management of ischemic stroke.

Stroke has a high incidence rate and often leads to permanent disability, particularly if it is not treated promptly. However, no blood biomarkers for early diagnosis are available to date. Therefore, we sought to detect stroke-specific blood biomarkers by identifying proteins associated with the underlying coagulation mechanism, which accounts for more than 80% of all stroke cases. Protein profiling was performed using blood samples from 16 healthy controls and 18 patients who suffered a stroke as the discovery set. We identified upregulated proteins (> 1.5-fold change and p value

The sustainability of SNSs (social networking services) is a major issue for both business strategists and those who are simply academically curious. The &ldquo, network effect&rdquo, is one of the most important theories used to explain the competitive advantage and sustainability of the largest SNSs in the face of the emergence of multiple competitive followers. However, as numerous cases can be observed when a follower manages to overcome the previously largest SNS, we propose the following research question: Why are the largest social networking services sometimes unable to sustain themselves? This question can also be paraphrased as follows: When (under what conditions) do the largest SNSs collapse? Although the network effect generally enables larger networks to survive and thrive, exceptional cases have been observed, such as NateOn Messenger catching up with MSN Messenger in Korea (Case 1), KakaoTalk catching up with NateOn in Korea (Case 2), Facebook catching up with Myspace in the USA (Case 3), and Facebook catching up with Cyworld in Korea (Case 4). To explain these cases, hypothesis-building and practice-oriented methods were chosen. While developing our hypothesis, we coined the concept of a &ldquo, larger population social network&rdquo, (LPSN) and proposed an &ldquo, LPSN effect hypothesis&rdquo, as follows: The largest SNS in one area can collapse when a new SNS grows in another larger population&rsquo, s social network. For the validity and reliability of our case studies, we used an evidence chain and case study protocol with a publicly-accessible LPSN index to determine which SNS is better for participating in or adding offline social networks to their platform.

Prostate-specific antigen, a biomarker used to diagnose prostate cancer, exhibits poor sensitivity. Although previous studies have focused on identifying a new diagnostic biomarker, the molecules or networks identified in these studies are also present in other cancers, making it difficult to detect prostate cancer specifically. A unique characteristic of the prostate gland is the increased mitochondrial energy metabolism when normal prostate cells progress to cancer cells. Thus, we attempted to find a prostate cancer-specific signature present in this unique environment. Proteins that were differentially expressed between a prostate cell line and three prostate cancer cell lines were identified using proteomic analysis. Not surprisingly, the most prevalent proteins detected by network analysis of proteins that were up-regulated at least 1.2-fold in cancer cells, compared to that in normal prostate cells, were those involved in mitochondrial energy metabolism. In addition, we showed that Yin Yang 1 (YY1) was a major transcription factor involved in regulating energy metabolism. To determine whether YY1 regulates genes associated with mitochondrial energy metabolism in prostate cells, cells were subjected to quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis in the presence or absence of the YY1 inhibitor NP-001. Notably, inhibition of YY1 resulted in reduced expression of genes related to the Krebs cycle and electron transport chain in prostate cancer cell lines. Based on this finding, we suggest that there is a tumor-specific signature that regulates mitochondrial energy metabolism in prostate cancer cells. This work provides a foundation for further work on identifying a means for the specific diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes serious functional loss in patients. Early and accurate diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis may attenuate its severity. Despite a diagnosis guideline in the 2010 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis, the practical difficulties in its diagnosis highlight the need of developing new methods for diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis. The current study aimed to identify rheumatoid arthritis diagnostic biomarkers by using a proteomics approach. Serum protein profiling was conducted using mass spectrometry, and five distinguishable biomarkers were identified therefrom. In the validation study, the five biomarkers were quantitatively verified by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) analysis. Two proteins, namely serum amyloid A4 and vitamin D binding protein, showed high performance in distinguishing patients with rheumatoid arthritis from healthy controls. Logistic analysis was conducted to evaluate how accurately the two biomarkers distinguish patients with rheumatoid arthritis from healthy controls. The classification accuracy was 86.0% and 81.4% in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and in healthy controls, respectively. Serum amyloid A4 and vitamin D binding protein could be potential biomarkers related to the inflammatory response and joint destruction that accompany rheumatoid arthritis.

Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic and relapsing inflammatory skin disease. Great efforts have been recently made to treat AD using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which have immunomodulatory functions. However, the immunomodulatory effects of MSCs need to be enhanced for clinical application in the treatment of AD. Objectives To evaluate and characterise the therapeutic effects of human Wharton’s jelly-derived MSCs (WJ-MSCs) primed with the Toll-like receptor 3 agonist poly I:C or interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in a murine model of AD. Methods Mice were treated with Aspergillus fumigatus extract to induce AD and then subcutaneously injected with non-primed, poly I:C-primed or IFN-γ-primed WJ-MSCs. Clinical symptom scores, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), histological characteristics and cytokine levels were determined. Transcriptome profiling and pathway analyses of primed WJ-MSCs were conducted. Results The clinical symptom score and TEWL in skin lesions were reduced in mice administered non-primed and primed WJ-MSCs. Epidermal thickness and inflammatory cell infiltration in skin lesions were reduced more in mice administered primed WJ-MSCs than in mice administered non-primed WJ-MSCs. Secretion of interleukin-17 was significantly reduced in skin draining lymph nodes of mice administered primed WJ-MSCs. Genomics and bioinformatics analyses demonstrated the enrichment of certain pathways specifically in WJ-MSCs primed with poly I:C or IFN-γ. Conclusions Priming with poly I:C- or IFN-γ improved the therapeutic effects of WJ-MSCs in a murine model of AD. This study suggests that priming with poly I:C or IFN-γ enhances the immunomodulatory functions of WJ-MSCs and can be used as a novel therapeutic approach for AD. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13287-019-1164-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

We investigate the determinants of NFC reuse intention and Expo loyalty on Expo.We used motivation-opportunity-ability framework and satisfaction transfer.Motivation, opportunity and ability are significant to the NFC value.NFC users self-efficacy does not affect the NFC satisfaction.NFC value, NFC satisfaction and Expo satisfaction affects Expo loyalty. Utilization of advanced smart technologies and online-to-offline/offline-to-online marketing has resulted in the adoption of near field communication (NFC) in many expositions (Expos). The objective of NFC is to enhance and revitalize the Expo experience of visitors. Thus, this study focused on the motivation-opportunity-ability framework and satisfaction transfer of visitors who process information using NFC to understand NFC reuse intention and Expo loyalty. We hypothesized that information quality (motivation), organizational support for using NFC at an Expo (opportunity), and self-efficacy (ability) influence NFC value and NFC satisfaction. NFC value would influence satisfaction with NFC and with the Expo, which then influences NFC reuse intention and Expo loyalty, respectively. A survey of 309 visitors at the Expo showed that information quality and organizational support influenced perceived value and satisfaction of NFC. Self-efficacy influenced the perceived value of but not the satisfaction with NFC. Further, the perceived NFC affected NFC reuse intention and Expo loyalty through satisfaction with NFC and satisfaction with the Expo, respectively. This study thus expands the scope of study on NFC by demonstrating the need for utilization of NFC and by empirically demonstrating the importance of NFC.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, and before it progresses and metastasizes, the anticancer drug bicalutamide is often administered to patients. Many cases of androgen-dependent prostate cancer develop resistance during treatment with bicalutamide. Therefore, the effect of bicalutamide on androgen-dependent LNCaP prostate cancer cells is of clinical interest. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the effects of the anticancer drug bicalutamide on LNCaP prostate cancer cells by using a proteomics approach. Based on the results, 314 proteins were differentially expressed between the LNCaP and LNCaP treated with bicalutamide. The apoptosis pathway associated with differentially expressed proteins was shown in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome pathway mapper. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome pathway mapper results revealed that the fodrin-mediated apoptosis pathway is associated with the actions of bicalutamide and Western blotting was performed to validate these results. Impact statement We studied bicalutamide’s anticancer action by using proteomics. The effect of bicalutamide on androgen-exposed LNCaP cells was also studied. KEGG identified >1.8-fold differentially expressed proteins between test group cells. KEGG mapper showed fodrin-mediated apoptosis involvement in bicalutamide’s action. The anticancer effects of bicalutamide, which was further confirmed using Western blotting. Therefore, this drug is a potential candidate for understanding bicalutamide’s effect on LNCaP and fodrin can be used as a biomarker monitoring status in metastatic carcinoma.

Cotesia plutellae bracovirus (CpBV) is a polydnavirus symbiotic to C. plutellae parasitizingyoung larvae of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella. Several CpBV genes play important roles insuppressing immune responses of the parasitized larvae. This study tested a hypothesis that the CpBV genesinducing host immunosuppression could be applied to develop a potent recombinant baculovirus. Based on aprevious study, a recombinant baculovirus expressing CpBV-ELP1 (AcMNPV-ELP1) was selected andmultiplied using larvae of the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua. The recombinant viruses were produced ina yield of 5× 10 10 polyhedral inclusion body (PIB)/larva. The cultured AcMNPV-ELP1 exhibited a muchhigher pathogenicity against S. exigua larvae. However, its insecticidal activity was varied among larvalinstars of S. exigua, in which first and late instars were high susceptible. Spray of the recombinantbaculovirus (5× 10 6 PIB/mL) exhibited higher control efficacy ( 88%) against S. exigua larvae infestingcabbage than a chemical insecticide, tebufenozide, at 7 days after treatment. These results indicate thatAcMNPV-ELP1 mass-cultured using host insect system is highly pathogenic and can be applied to develop anovel microbial control agent. Key words Baculovirus, Cotesia plutellae, Plutella xylostella, Polydnavirus, Recombinant, Spodoptera exigua

Services based on Internet of Things (IoT) technologies have emerged in various business environments. To enhance service quality at conventions and maximize the experience of attendees, this study developed a customer-driven smart and sustainable service, applying a smart button as an IoT technology. An application of the IoT technology-based smart button was adopted by comparing advantages and disadvantages of technologies. We also identified the need for customer-driven smart and sustainable service by analyzing cases. Then, we designed, constructed and evaluated the service with the action research framework, which includes phases such as diagnosis, action planning, action taking, evaluation, and specify learning. In the first phase, various challenges and problems of the smart convention were diagnosed through interviews with organizers. In the action planning phase, service models were designed to solve the problems. In the action taking phase, which IoT technology would be the most appropriate was discussed and it was applied to the convention space. In the evaluation phase, we derived the role of IoT technology for smart conventions and summarized the results of the smart convention service. Finally, we presented implications for a business.

Interest in the nutritional value and pharmacological activities of blue-green algae has gradually increased. Spirulina extracts show protective effects against apoptosis and inflammatory damage in various cell types. Here, we investigated the protective effects of extracts from Spirulina maxima in a cytokine-mediated type 1 diabetes model in vitro and in streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar rats in vivo. Interleukin-1β and interferon-gamma induced substantial cytotoxicity to RINm5F rat insulinoma cells, increasing nitric oxide (NO) production, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activity, the expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress genes, and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases and key genes related apoptosis. However, the cytotoxicity of cytokines was significantly attenuated by Spirulina extract, which effectively prevented NO production by inhibiting the synthesis of cytokine-activated NO synthase (iNOS), and apoptosis was suppressed. These results suggest that Spirulina extract might be effective to preserve the viability and function of pancreatic β-cells against cytotoxic conditions. Moreover, diabetic mice orally administered Spirulina extract showed decreased glucose levels, increased insulin, and improvement in liver enzyme markers. The antioxidant effect of Spirulina extract may be helpful in treating type 1 diabetes by enhancing the survival, and reducing or delaying cytokine-mediated β-cells destruction.

Services based on the IoT technologies have emerged in various business environments. To enhance service quality of exhibition and maximize experience of visitors, this study applies IoT technology for stakeholders of exhibition. An application of the IoT technology based on button service was conducted for a special exhibition, and the development and evaluation results are aligned to action research framework including diagnosing, action planning, action taking, evaluation, and specifying learning phases. At the first and two phases, various difficulties and problems of the exhibition were diagnosed through interview with practitioners and service models were designed for solving the problems. Service models were applied to the exhibition by installing smart button at the third phase. At the fourth and the last phase, issues and knowledge on the whole application process were derived and summarized in the role of Internet of things technology and value of data through data analysis in business perspective.

Rheumatoid factor (RF) is an auto-antibody against antigen-antibody immune complexes. RF is valuable as a biomarker for the screening of autoimmune and infectious diseases. However, it is suggested that RF would be a more powerful biomarker when used complementarily with RF-correlated proteins. In this study, we utilized a proteomic approach to analyze global protein expression in RF-low and RF-high subjects using high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) were found to be differentially expressed between RF-low and RF-high subjects (cut-off 2-fold, p 0.05), which was validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. To evaluate whether both proteins allow discriminating rheumatoid arthritis patients from healthy controls, receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were analyzed. Areas under the ROC curves of HRG and LBP were 0.861 and 0.888, respectively. The correlation between RF and HRG was statistically significant (p = 0.003), and LBP was also correlated with RF (p = 0.044), as indicated by correlation analysis. HRG and LBP are reportedly involved in RF-producing and RF-correlated diseases. Thus, we propose that HRG and LBP could be useful screening markers for RF-correlated diseases.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that progresses into systemic inflammation and joint deformity. RA diagnosis is a complicated procedure, and early diagnostic methods are insufficient. Therefore, in this study, we attempted to identify new markers to improve the accuracy of RA prescreening. e identified differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) by using liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry in health-prescreening sera with high rheumatoid factor (RF) values, and compared the findings with those from sera with normal RF values. We identified 93 DEPs; of these, 36 were upregulated, and 57 were downregulated in high-RF sera. Pathway analysis revealed that these DEPs were related to immune responses. Additionally, four DEPs were statistically analyzed by proteomic analysis; of these, SAA4 was significantly validated in individual enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Moreover, SAA4 was significantly upregulated in RA patients (n = 40, 66.43 ± 12.97 ng/mL) compared with normal controls (n = 40, 4.79 ± 0.95 ng/mL) and had a higher area under the curve than C-reactive protein. Thus, we identified SAA4 as a protein that was positively correlated with RF and RA. SAA4 may represent a novel prescreening marker for the diagnosis of RA.

This article examines female asexual reproduction, or parthenogenesis, in Hesiod's Theogony and argues that it is a symptom of the unprecedented and unparalleled female presence Hesiod inserts into his cosmos. This presence in turn reflects Hesiod's incorporation of gender difference and conflict as indispensable both to the creation and, paradoxically, to the stability of the universe. Five of Hesiod's deities reproduce parthenogenetically: Chaos, Gaea, Night, Strife, and Hera, of whom all but the sexually indeterminate Chaos are female. Hesiod's male gods have no analogous reproductive ability. The parthenogenetic phases of the early goddesses form much of the fundamental shape and character of the universe, while in the case of Hera, parthenogenesis serves initially as an act of defiance against Zeus but ultimately enforces his reign. Parthenogenesis does not have these functions in either the Near Eastern or other Greek cosmogonic traditions, a difference that reflects Hesiod's greater emphasis on female participation in his succession myth. Yet Hesiod's cosmogonic narrative, like others, culminates in the lasting reign of a male god, Zeus. In this context parthenogenesis is a manifestation of female creation, which ultimately reinforces the stability of a male sovereign. The relative prominence of parthenogenesis in the Theogony reflects Hesiod's emphasis on gender difference and conflict as indispensable to a cosmos in which conflict and concord coexist as equal partners in creation and stability.