Emotional intelligence for pastoral leadership : an evaluative study of the teaching modules on emotional intelligence for pastoral leaders at Seoul Theological Seminary in South Korea

https://place.asburyseminary.edu/ecommonsatsdissertations/2412/thumbnail.jp

Separation of Phosvitin from Egg Yolk without Using Organic Solvents

The objective of this study was to develop a new method to separate phosvitin from egg yolk without using organic solvents. Phosvitin was extracted from yolk granules using 10% NaCl or 10% (NH4)2SO4 (final concentration) and then treated with heat to precipitate the lipoproteins from the extracted solution. The optimal pH for the phosvitin extraction from yolk granules was determined, and the iron-binding ability of the extracted phosvitin (final product) was tested. Adding 10% (NH4)2SO4 disrupted the granules, and the subsequent thermal treatment at 90°C for 1 h precipitated low density and high density lipoproteins, which enabled separation of phosvitin by centrifugation. The phosvitin concentration in the extract was significantly higher when the pH of the solution was adjusted to pH ≥9. The purity and recovery rate of phosvitin at the end of the separation process were approximately 78% and 56%, respectively. The separated phosvitin was confirmed to have ferrous and ferric iron binding ability. The advantages of this new method compared with the traditional methods include no organic solvents and high-priced equipment are needed for the separation. Also, this method is more environment and consumer friendly than that of the traditional methods

Selective function-blocking monoclonal human antibody highlights the important role of membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) in metastasis.

The invasion-promoting MT1-MMP is a cell surface-associated collagenase with a plethora of critical cellular functions. There is a consensus that MT1-MMP is a key protease in aberrant pericellular proteolysis in migrating cancer cells and, accordingly, a promising drug target. Because of high homology in the MMP family and a limited success in the design of selective small-molecule inhibitors, it became evident that the inhibitor specificity is required for selective and successful MT1-MMP therapies. Using the human Fab antibody library (over 1.25×109 individual variants) that exhibited the extended, 23-27 residue long, VH CDR-H3 segments, we isolated a panel of the inhibitory antibody fragments, from which the 3A2 Fab outperformed others as a specific and potent, low nanomolar range, inhibitor of MT1-MMP. Here, we report the in-depth characterization of the 3A2 antibody. Our multiple in vitro and cell-based tests and assays, and extensive structural modeling of the antibody/protease interactions suggest that the antibody epitope involves the residues proximal to the protease catalytic site and that, in contrast with tissue inhibitor-2 of MMPs (TIMP-2), the 3A2 Fab inactivates the protease functionality by binding to the catalytic domain outside the active site cavity. In agreement with the studies in metastasis by others, our animal studies in acute pulmonary melanoma metastasis support a key role of MT1-MMP in metastatic process. Conversely, the selective anti-MT1-MMP monotherapy significantly alleviated melanoma metastatic burden. It is likely that further affinity maturation of the 3A2 Fab will result in the lead inhibitor and a proof-of-concept for MT1-MMP targeting in metastatic cancers

Comparative Analysis of Tongue Indices between Patients with and without a Self-Reported Yin Deficiency: A Cross-Sectional Study

We investigated the hypothesis that Yin-deficient patients have a reddened tongue with less coating. We screened 189 participants aged 20 to 49 years, complaining of headache. To classify patients in terms of Yin deficiency, we used two self-reporting Yin-deficiency questionnaires (Yin-Deficiency Questionnaire and Yin-Deficiency Scale) and diagnosis by a doctor. Based on the tests, a total of 33 subjects were assigned to a Yin-deficient group and 33 subjects were assigned to a nondeficient control group. Tongue images were acquired using a computerized tongue diagnostic system, for evaluating tongue indices. The tongue coating percentage and tongue redness were calculated as the mean a⁎ value of both the whole tongue area (WT a⁎) and the tongue body area (TB a⁎). The tongue coating percentage of the Yin-deficient group (34.79 ± 10.76) was lower than that of the nondeficient group (44.13 ± 14.08). The WT a⁎ value of the Yin-deficient group (19.39 ± 1.52) was significantly higher than that of the nondeficient group (18.21 ± 2.06). However, the difference in the TB a⁎ value between the two groups was not significant. In conclusion, we verified that Yin-deficient patients had less tongue coating and tended to have a more reddish tongue than nondeficient patients

Investigation of the physicochemical features and mixing of East/Japan Sea Intermediate Water: An isopycnic analysis approach

We present spatial distributions of the mixing ratio and properties of the East/Japan Sea Intermediate Water (ESIW) at its core density layer (σθ = 27.2–27.3) based on high-quality hydrographic data observed in the East/Japan Sea (EJS) during summer 1999. ESIW is defined as a source water type showing minimum salinity and maximum dissolved oxygen concentration. ESIW plays an important role in supplying dissolved oxygen and transporting anthropogenic carbon into the intermediate/deep layers in EJS. Studying the ESIW formation and distribution processes may provide insights on EJS\u27s shallow- to mid-depth thermohaline circulation and recent ocean changes. Here, we combine the previously estimated mixing ratio of ESIW, based on Optimum Multi-Parameter (OMP) analysis, and its physicochemical properties, such as pressure, dissolved oxygen, and phosphate, interpolated onto several isopycnic surfaces (σθ = 27.20, 27.25, and 27.30). The physicochemical properties of ESIW show steep north-south gradients across the subpolar front at 40–41°N. Higher dissolved oxygen concentrations (≥335 μmol kg–1) of ESIW are found in the western Japan Basin particularly off the Primorye coast, indicating a potential source region. The spatial and depth distributions of apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) on the ESIW isopycnic surfaces indicate that the subduction of ESIW occurs at 131–133°E (Ulleung Basin) across the subpolar front to the south. The density layer of ESIW shoals near the Korean coast in the Ulleung Basin, implying a potential link to coastal upwelling. The relative age of ESIW at its core layer is estimated from the oxygen utilization rate and AOU. The correlation between the pCFC12 and relative ages, and AOU estimated at 90% surface water oxygen saturation condition suggests a decadal-scale ventilation of ESIW (≤24 years). Younger waters at the ESIW coexist with the high-salinity intermediate water at the same density layer in the eastern Japan Basin. Our analysis suggests that ESIW is sensitive to climate forcing and an important shallow- to mid-depth thermohaline circulation component of EJS

AoA-based Position and Orientation Estimation Using Lens MIMO in Cooperative Vehicle-to-Vehicle Systems

Positioning accuracy is a critical requirement for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) use cases. Therefore, this paper derives the theoretical limits of estimation for the position and orientation of vehicles in a cooperative vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) scenario, using a lens-based multiple-input multiple-output (lens-MIMO) system. Following this, we analyze the Cram$\acute{\text{e}}$r-Rao lower bounds (CRLBs) of the position and orientation estimation and explore a received signal model of a lens-MIMO for the particular angle of arrival (AoA) estimation with a V2V geometric model. Further, we propose a lower complexity AoA estimation technique exploiting the unique characteristics of the lens-MIMO for a single target vehicle; as a result, its estimation scheme is effectively extended by the successive interference cancellation (SIC) method for multiple target vehicles. Given these AoAs, we investigate the lens-MIMO estimation capability for the positions and orientations of vehicles. Subsequently, we prove that the lens-MIMO outperforms a conventional uniform linear array (ULA) in a certain configuration of a lens's structure. Finally, we confirm that the proposed localization algorithm is superior to ULA's CRLB as the resolution of the lens increases in spite of the lower complexity.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figure

Structural and optical properties of ZnS thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering

Zinc sulfide [ZnS] thin films were deposited on glass substrates using radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The substrate temperature was varied in the range of 100°C to 400°C. The structural and optical properties of ZnS thin films were characterized with X-ray diffraction [XRD], field emission scanning electron microscopy [FESEM], energy dispersive analysis of X-rays and UV-visible transmission spectra. The XRD analyses indicate that ZnS films have zinc blende structures with (111) preferential orientation, whereas the diffraction patterns sharpen with the increase in substrate temperatures. The FESEM data also reveal that the films have nano-size grains with a grain size of approximately 69 nm. The films grown at 350°C exhibit a relatively high transmittance of 80% in the visible region, with an energy band gap of 3.79 eV. These results show that ZnS films are suitable for use as the buffer layer of the Cu(In, Ga)Se2 solar cells

TSLP Induces Mast Cell Development and Aggravates Allergic Reactions through the Activation of MDM2 and STAT6

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is known to promote T helper type 2 cell–associated inflammation. Mast cells are major effector cells in allergic inflammatory responses. We noted that the population and maturation of mast cells were reduced in TSLP-deficient mice (TSLP-/-). Thus, we hypothesized that TSLP might affect mast cell development. We found that TSLP induced the proliferation and differentiation of mast cells from bone marrow progenitors. TSLP-induced mast cell proliferation was abolished by depletion of mouse double minute 2 (MDM2) and signal transducers and activators of transcription 6 (STAT6), as an upstream activator of MDM2. TSLP-/-, in particular, had a considerable deficit in the expression of MDM2 and STAT6. Also, the TSLP deficiency attenuated mast cell–mediated allergic reactions through the downregulation of STAT6 and MDM2. In an antibody microarray chip analysis, MDM2 expression was increased in atopic dermatitis patients. These observations indicate that TSLP is a factor for mast cell development, and that it aggravates mast cell–mediated immune responses

Sparse RF Lens Antenna Array Design for AoA Estimation in Wideband Systems: Placement Optimization and Performance Analysis

In this paper, we propose a novel architecture for a lens antenna array (LAA) designed to work with a small number of antennas and enable angle-of-arrival (AoA) estimation for advanced 5G vehicle-to-everything (V2X) use cases that demand wider bandwidths and higher data rates. We derive a received signal in terms of optical analysis to consider the variability of the focal region for different carrier frequencies in a wideband multi-carrier system. By taking full advantage of the beam squint effect for multiple pilot signals with different frequencies, we propose a novel reconfiguration of antenna array (RAA) for the sparse LAA and a max-energy antenna selection (MS) algorithm for the AoA estimation. In addition, this paper presents an analysis of the received power at the single antenna with the maximum energy and compares it to simulation results. In contrast to previous studies on LAA that assumed a large number of antennas, which can require high complexity and hardware costs, the proposed RAA with MS estimation algorithm is shown meets the requirements of 5G V2X in a vehicular environment while utilizing limited RF hardware and has low complexity.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figure