A Phenomenological Approach to the Korean "We": A Study in Social Intentionality

This paper explores the phenomenological concept “we” based on a pre-existing understanding of traditional phenomenology alongside a new aspect of the concept by introducing an analysis of “we” in Korean. The central questions of this paper are whether the “we” can be understood as more than a collection of individuals, whether the “we” can precede both “I” and “thou,” and whether the “we” as an extension of the “I” or an extended self should necessarily mean the plural of the “I.

Dynamic Cortical Actin Contractions During Convergence and Extension of Frog Embryo

Actomyosin networks linked to the micro-environment through the plasma membrane are thought to be key players regulating cell behaviors. Even after decades of studies dedicated to reveal the role of actin cytoskeleton in single cell migrations, we do not understand how actomyosin networks drive cell movements within multicellular tissues, like those in developing embryos. Here we use the converging and extending mesoderm tissues of Xenopus embryo as a model system to understand the role of cortical actin cytoskeleton during cell rearrangement within a multicellular organism. Using high resolution live imaging of F-actin, we observe the unique dynamic actin contractions called "punctuated actin contractions" in the mid-cell body of mesenchymal cells. These contraction dynamics are a common feature of Xenopus embryonic cells and mediate cell shape changes during morphogenesis. Quantitative morphological analysis of these F-actin dynamics indicates that frequent and aligned movements of multiple actin contractions accompany mesoderm cells as they intercalate and elongate. Moreover, we found levels of punctuated actin contractions are permissively regulated by the non canonical Wnt-signaling pathway. Over-expression on Xfz7 can induce early maturation of actin contractions in mesoderm and produce mesoderm-like actin contractions in ectoderm cells. In contrast, expression of the dominant negative Disheveled constructs Xdd1 block the progression of actin contractions to their late mesoderm dynamics, it but has no effect in ectoderm. Additionally, using inhibitors combined with FRAP analysis we find the dynamics of actin contractions are regulated by both myosin contractility and F-actin polymerization. We also show the actin contractions can be induced by microtubules via RhoGEFs in mesoderm tissue. In summary, this study reveals punctuated actin contractions within converging and extending mesoderm, and uncovers permissive roles for non-canonical Wnt-signaling, myosin contractility, and F-actin polymerization which play a role in regulating those dynamics

Toward Customer Love: Investigating the Antecedents and Outcomes of Satisfied Customers’ Emotional Attachments to Retailers

This study was designed to examine “customer love,” a new customer-retailer relationship construct, within a comprehensive nomological net. The specific research objectives of this study were: (a) to investigate whether relationship-inducing factors (i.e., tangible rewards, interpersonal communication, preferential treatment, and service quality) have a differential impact on perceived relationship investment; (b) to investigate whether customer love is predicted by perceived relationship investment; (c) to analyze whether the effect of perceived relationship investment on customer love is contingent on two consumer characteristics (i.e., emotional intensity and need for variety); (d) to investigate whether customer love is predicted by two emotion-inducing factors (hedonic store experience and symbolic store experience); and (e) to investigate whether customer love affects four relational outcomes (i.e., self-disclosure, positive word-of-mouth, behavioral loyalty, and competitive insulation). This study was conducted in the context of apparel and grocery stores. An online self-administered, cross-sectional survey methodology was employed to collect the data. 604 completed responses (301 for apparel and 303 for grocery) were used for the data analysis. Regardless of retail category, the positive relationship between service quality and perceived relationship investment was confirmed. Also, perceived relationship investment, hedonic store experience, and symbolic store experience played an important role in predicting customer love. Across both samples, customer love was found to be a significant predictor of each of the four relational outcome variables. Managerial implications and suggestions for future research based on the findings were provided

Knots and Consciousness: Knotted Models Applied to Uriah Kriegel's "Consciousness, Permanent Self-Awareness, and Higher-Order Monitoring"

International audienceThis paper is a response to Uriah Kriegel's "Consciousness, Permanent Self-Awareness, and Higher-Order Monitoring" (Kriegel 2002) interpreted with my knot models of consciousness. In his paper, Kriegel argues that permanent self-awareness accompanies every conscious state, which I present in a trefoil knot model that provides some features of consciousness which were not captured in the pre-existing models of consciousness. By doing so, I will also show that the core of the consciousness discussion is related to the structure and the relationship between the observing and the observed self

Here and there: a continuous narrative

How can we transcend our literal place by connecting with natural space? As industrialization and globalization have increasingly shaped our society, we have become more and more disconnected from nature, ourselves, and our memories. Furthermore, living busy lives, we have lost the ability to appreciate and be grateful for our surroundings. Nonetheless, we can reconnect with what has been lost—nature, ourselves, and our memories— with a small shift in our mindset and a habitual practice of walking, which pulls our footsteps not toward a certain place but toward an understanding of the passage of time, the resonance of longing, and an understanding of who we are. It is in these moments of peripatetic reminiscence that we can travel back in time with our memories and catch a glimpse of ourselves in other places. Ultimately, this makes us capable of taking in our surroundings in the now. Truly, noticing our environment is a way of reconnecting with oneself and one’s history. teMy textile work—fine-art woven and printed fabric installations—offers a collective pictorial representation of my personal experiences living in various parts of the world. Bringing these places into one body of work represents transcendence and connection. Memories that pull me into a state of recollection consist of locations relating to my mother’s love, my childhood homes, and my current residential circumstances. These are all connected directly with my work. The work has come to life in two forms. One, each location is separate in and of itself, as I nailed down a memorable location. Two, the different places are connected through the physical act of walking and the physical medium of pathways. All of my thoughts, realizations, and feelings as I journeyed through my life are embodied within the work. To me, a place does not have any physical limitations, as the trace of memory it leaves behind becomes a never-ending story that lives on inside of me. This thesis is a collection of short essays on my experience and my research into the literature of repair, walking, nature, place, and memory. I hope readers will find their own relationships to the ideas. Everyone endeavors to communicate through experience. Just as places lead us naturally by the hand into our memories, so these locations enable us to communicate and connect with each other, even if the memories recollected have a different meaning to each of us. Because all human beings go through life with their own collection of memories, I hope that this work becomes a channel for mutual interaction and understanding for the places that I have represented and those that others might, too

Effect of diabetes index on periodontal disease in Korean adults

Background: It is known that diabetes can cause complications in various organs and affect oral health. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between oral health and diabetes mellitus among Korean adults. Materials and methods: The study was conducted by the National Institute of Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2015), produced by the Korea Centers for Disease Prevention and Control. A total of 4,780 patients took part in the survey of which 554 were diabetic patients. Descriptive statistics were used to identify the periodontal disease status of non-diabetics and people with diabetes mellitus, and multiple regression analysis was performed to analyze the effect of diabetes index on periodontal disease status. Results: Normal people showed better periodontal disease and oral care status than diabetic patients. However, all three diabetic factors (glycated hemoglobin, fasting blood sugar, insulin) had no statistically significant influence on periodontal disease. Conclusions: The increase in the diabetic index may have a negative effect on various periodontal diseases, which may ultimately lead to poor oral hygiene and cause disease. Therefore, diverse studies on the diabetic index and periodontal disease are needed, and it is necessary to address the dental hygiene health of Korean adults through early education and campaigns to improve oral health. [Ethiop.J. Health Dev. 2020;34(Special issue-3):78-83] Keywords: Diabetes index, periodontal disease, oral health, Korean adult

Effect of dose and dosing rate on the mutagenesis of nitric oxide in supF shuttle vector

Purpose: To determine how the dose and rate of NO• treatment affects mutagenic responses.Methods: Shuttle vector pSP189 was used to determine the genotoxicity resulting from in vitro exposure to NO• using three delivery methods (reactor and Transwell co-culture systems, and NO• donor sodium nitroprusside), followed by plasmid replication in bacteria MBL50 and human AD293 cells.Results: When exposed to preformed 100% NO• for 3 h or 1% NO• for 35 h using a reactor system, a cumulative dose of 1260 μM × min reduced AD293 cell viability by 46 and 18% and increased mutation frequencies (MFs) 1.9- and 5.3-fold higher than argon control, respectively. Roughly 5-fold increase in MF of the supF gene of AD293 cells co-cultivated with macrophages stimulated with IFN-γ/LPS was also observed. When AD293 cells were treated by SNP, DNA strand breaks were induced and MFs were increased in a dose-dependent manner.Conclusion: These results provide important clues to how dose and dosing rate of introducing NO• may contribute to potential genotoxicity resulting from NO• formation in vivo.Keywords: AD293 cells, Delivery method, Genotoxicity, Nitric oxide, supF Gene of pSP189 shuttle vecto

PHYTOCHEMICAL AND ANTIOXIDANT CHARACTERIZATION OF THINNED IMMATURE CITRUS UNSHIU FRUITS

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the characterization of thinned immature Citrus unshiu fruits with regard to their phytochemical profile and antioxidant capacity.Methods: Determination of total phenolic, flavonoid, and carotenoid and ascorbic acid contents was done by UV-Visible spectrophotometry, whereas UPLC-mass detection was used for the analysis of individual flavanone (naringin, hesperidin, hesperetin, neohesperedine and narirutin) and flavonol (rutin). In addition, free radicals (DPPH, O2-, H2O2 and NO) scavenging assays were used to determine the antioxidant capacity.Results: Naringin, hesperidine, neohesperedine and narirutin were the main flavanones in all thinned immature Citrus unshiu fruits. The contents of total phenolic, flavonoid and carotenoid were more prevalent in immature fruits than the level found in mature fruits. All thinned immature Citrus unshiu fruits possess an evident antioxidant capacity. The immature Citrus extract concentrations providing 50% inhibition (IC50) for free radicals; 1.2-1.49 mg/ml for DPPH, 1.03-1.46 mg/ml for superoxide, 1.95-3.43 mg/ml for hydrogen peroxide and 1.64-3.45 mg/ml for nitric oxide was lower than those of mature Citrus extracts.Conclusion: Thinned immature Citrus unshiu fruits could be an economic and readily accessible source of natural antioxidants and as a possible food and pharmaceutical supplement