Development of a Reliable Method to Express and Purify Vaccinia Virus Transcription Factors A7 and D6 in Bacteria

Poxvirus early genes code for viral products involved in host interaction, immune evasion, replication, and transcription of the viral genome. These viral early genes contain a unique and conserved promoter sequence that is recognized by early transcription factors (ETFs). The working hypothesis is pharmacologically targeting the structure of the poxvirus early promoters can inhibit transcription of poxvirus early genes. Our group has identified unique secondary structure which deviates from a scrambled control near the Vaccinia Virus (VACV) E9L promoter. Targeting these unique structures, which most likely may be G-quadruplexes, with structure specific ligands may distort local DNA structures at the promoter. In turn, this may affect the ability of viral transcription factors to recognize the target sequence. As the E9L gene codes for the viral DNA polymerase, inhibition of E9L transcription would prevent replication of the VACV DNA during infection. To assess potential antiviral activity of G-quadruplex ligands, the central goal of this thesis is to develop an in-vitro­ system to identify compounds that prevent binding of ETFs to target promoters. Using VACV ETFs (VETFs) as a model system, VETFs, A7L and D6R, were cloned into a bacterial expression vector with a His epitope tag for purification. A7 and D6 have successfully been expressed and detected in bacterial cell lysates via immunoblotting with anti-His antibodies. Currently, protocols are being optimized for large-scale purification of viral proteins to use in an in vitro binding assay

Smart TV business regulation and collaboration among business operators and regulators: Focus on the case analysis of Smart TV blocking and IPTV regulation process in Korea

The lack of detailed guideline of network traffic management has led complex conflicts among ICT players. Among them, the most severe case was KT and Samsung's case: Korea Telecom (KT) once blocked Internet connection of Samsung Smart TV service users. This aroused the needs of a reasonable policy establishment. On the process of making policy regarding network management, participants, for example network operators, device and platform providers, and contents providers, are sticking to their own stances. Their passive responses are now leading deepen problems. Thus, we focused on the way of conflict management in a policy level. With internal and external case studies and conflict management grid, we substantiated that the dispute participants will be better off altogether under a reasonable regulation and collaboration

Determinants of user satisfaction in internet use among socio-economically advantaged and disadvantaged groups: The role of digital access and government policy

Digital divide is one of the most concerning issues today. It positions those who 'have-no' access to technology at disadvantage socially and economically. The key to reduce digital divide is to provide access to basic technology and information content. This study explored the role of government policy support in affecting digital access which in turns determining user satisfaction toward Internet use. A large data set that was provided by the Korea Information Society Development Institute confirmed the existence of digital divide in South Korea along the line of education and income. The proposed research model was tested using survey data of 233 socio-economically advantaged (SEA) individuals and 319 socioeconomically disadvantaged (SED) individuals. All hypotheses were supported with the exception of the relationship between policy support and social access for the SEA group. The study has implications on how governments should devise policies to facilitate technology and social access for different socio-economic groups within the country

AN ANALYSIS OF 500 M INLINE SKATE STARTING MOTIONS

The purpose of this study was to examine if there are kinematical variables differences between national representative players (NRP) and non national representative players (NNRP) during 500 m inline skate starting motion. Four NRP and six NNRP were recruited for the study. Each subject executed starting motion five times on a 2x12 m start way in a gymnasium. Kinematical variables were analyzed by the three-dimensional motion analysis system (60Hz). It was hypothesized that there are time and center of mass acceleration differences in starting phase between groups since starting phase has been considered important in sprinting. The results showed that the NRP had significantly shorter starting phase time than that of NNRP

Innovative Information and Knowledge Sharing Platform for Business Sector: Focus on Intranet-based Social Network Service

Recently, ICT ecosystems are changing rapidly due to the increasing number of innovative products and services in these ecosystems. Among them, SNS is one of the most important elements that make up the ICT ecosystem. With the phenomenal boom of personal SNS, information and knowledge sharing within an organization through enterprise SNS is increasing exponentially. Many companies are adopting and using intranet-based SNS for communicating and sharing information within the firm. However, there have not been many studies exploring the impact of group intentions on the SNS service within a firm. In this study, we investigate user intentions as they relate to intranet-based SNS as better information and knowledge sharing communication tools which improve existing internal communication methods due to their system-wide implementation of a top-down approach and mandatory participation. To do this, this study developed a research model for an intranet-based SNS service based on social exchange theory, social learning theory, motivation theory and We-Intention theory. The results indicated that employees desire to use SNS service when they perceive a reciprocal benefit for themselves and other employees. Usability only affects desire and sociability affects what is termed here as We-Intention. However, sociability's result is opposite in that sociability directly affects We-Intention. Considering that communication and interaction between group members are recently increasingly important, this research results are academically significant because they suggest a meaningful implication to vitalizing information and knowledge sharing in organizations through the use of intranet-based SNS

Gender digital divide and online participation: A cross-national analysis

To achieve the information society for all, access for all is crucial. However, many countries have reported to have large gender discrepancies in online access and participation. This study empirically verified user perception data and compared the data across countries and genders to determine the differences between countries and genders. The results of surveys in Cambodia, Iran, and Korea verify that each aspect of the digital divide and online participation has a different influence on each aspect of digital access and online participation between the genders in each country. In this study, we propose measurement items of digital access and user participation in the online context. This paper also offers guidelines for online policy and business strategy for targeting users with different levels of digital access

Determinants of user satisfaction and continuance intention of smartphones: Focus on interactivity perspective

The development and complexity of mobile and smart technologies continues to evolve with a greater speed, attention needs to be turned to the possibility of continuous development. It has become important to monitor users’ post-purchase behavior in order to understand their continued use of smartphones and other smart devices. This study posits interactivity as a key variable to describe customer satisfaction and continuance intention in using smartphones. We classify interactivity into five sub-dimensions: system quality, network quality, contents quality, customer support, and compatibility. The established model in this study was empirically examined through survey research. Structural equation modeling demonstrated several key findings: contents quality is the most influential factor in shaping satisfaction, followed by compatibility, system quality, and customer support. The results also showed that satisfaction has a positive effect on the continuance intention. In addition, network quality had a positive direct effect on the continuance intention. Users also exhibit significant differences in post-purchase behavior, depending on their operating systems. These results will be helpful for the practitioners to further deliver appropriate service strategies for strengthening ongoing relationship with their customers

HOW CAN WE TEACH STUDENT TO ESTIMATE VERTICAL JUMP HEIGHTS USING GROUND REACTION FORCE DATA

The purpose of this study was to estimate vertical jump heights using ground reaction force (GRF) data and to suggest one practical example of biomechanical theory application to a real human motion. Vertical jump heights of impulse and flight time method were statistically smaller than three-dimensional video method. The causes of height differences seemed mainly from the fact that impulse was used to move jumper into the horizontal direction as well as into the vertical direction. Other important factors for accurate height calculation are jumper's mass and threshold value of GRF data collection. Vertical jump height calculation with GRF data showed an example of practical application of biomechanical theory to human motion and demonstrated a way of GRF equipment use for effective biomechanical theory education