• Applied Microscopy
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2009

Experimental induction of polycystic ovary (PCO) resembling some aspects of human PCO syndrome was produced using the long-acting compound estradiol valerate (EV). Our previous study on the role of Korean red ginseng total saponins (GTS) in a steroid-induced PCO rat model demonstrated that electro-acupuncture modulates nerve growth factor (NGF) concentration in the ovaries. In fact, the involvement of a neurogenic component in the pathology of PCO-related ovarian dysfunction is preceded by an increase in sympathetic outflow to the ovaries. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that therapeutic GTS administration modulates sympathetic nerve activity in rats with PCO. This was done by analyzing NGF protein and NGF mRNA expression involved in the pathophysiological process underlying steroid-induced PCO. EV injection resulted in significantly higher ovarian NGF mRNA expression in PCO rats compared to control rats, and PCO ovaries were counteracted by GTS administration with significantly lower expression of NGF mRNA compared to EV treated ovaries. However, NGF protein was unaffected in both EV and GTS treated ovaries compared to control rats. These results indicate that EV modulates the neurotrophic state of the ovaries, which may be a component of the pathological process by which EV induces cyst formation and anovulation in rodents.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.1060-1065
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• 2006

Non-invasive evaluation of liver function in animal models remains a challenge. Hepatoscintigraphy provides information about changes in liver size and shape, and enables to understand general liver function. Futhermore it is readily used to diagnosis complications of liver transplantation like hepatitis, rejections and biliary complications. In this study, we investigated the usefulness of evaluating the liver function in miniature pigs with $^{99m}Tc-Tin$ colloid and $^{99m}Tc-DISIDA$ which are the most commonly used radiopharmaceuticals in human medicine. In result, $^{99m}Tc-Tin$ colloid was uptaked in lung, liver, gastric wall and kidney in miniature pigs. And $^{99m}Tc-DISIDA$ showed continuous uptake images of heart, lung, liver, gallbladder and duodenum, and it was similar to human's. Therefore we could conclude $^{99m}Tc-Tin$ colloid would not be suitable for evaluating hepatic function because of it's nonspecific affinity, however $^{99m}Tc-DISIDA$ scintigraphy would be an effective method for detecting hepatobiliary function in miniature pigs.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.185-193
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• 2015

Ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) has been developed to overcome the low tensile strengths and brittleness of conventional concrete. Considering that UHPC, owing to its composition and the use of steel fibers, develops a compressive strength of 180 MPa as well as high stiffness, the top flange of the steel girder may be superfluous in the composite beam combining a slab made of UHPC and the steel girder. In such composite beam, the steel girder takes the form of an inverted-T shaped structure without top flange in which the studs needed for the composition of the steel girder with the UHPC slab are disposed in the web of the steel girder. This study investigates experimentally and analytically the flexural behavior of this new type of composite beam to propose details like stud spacing and slab thickness for further design recommendations. To that goal, eight composite beams with varying stud spacing and slab thickness were fabricated and tested. The test results indicated that stud spacing running from 100 mm to 2 to 3 times the slab thickness can be recommended. In view of the relative characteristic slip limit of Eurocode-4, the results showed that the composite beam developed ductile behavior. Moreover, except for the members with thin slab and large stud spacing, most of the specimens exhibited results different to those predicted by AASHTO LRFD and Eurocode-4 because of the high performance developed by UHPC.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.58-72
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• 2009

In this study, the organic matter and biomass was characterized by using respirometry based on ASM No.2d (Activated Sludge Model No.2d). The activated sludge models are based on the ASM No.2d model, published by the IAWQ(International Association on Water Quality) task group on mathematical modeling for design and operation of biological wastewater treatment processes. For this study, OUR(Oxygen Uptake Rate) measurements were made on filtered as well as non-filtered wastewater. Also, GC-FID and LC analysis were applied for the estimation of VFAs(Volatile Fatty Acids) COD(S_A) in slowly bio-degradable soluble substrates of the ASM No.2d. Therefore, this study was intended to clearly identify slowly bio-degradable dissolved materials(S_S) and particulate materials(X_I). In addition, a method capable of determining the accurate time to measure non-biodegradable COD(S_I), by the change of transition graphs in the process of measuring microbial OUR, was presented in this study. Influent fractionation is a critical step in the model calibrations. From the results of respirometry on filtered wastewater, the fraction of fermentable and readily biodegradable organic matter(S_F), fermentation products(S_A), inert soluble matter(S_I), slowly biodegradable matter(X_S) and inert particular matter(X_I) was 33.2%, 14.1%, 6.9%, 34.7%, 5.8%, respectively. The active heterotrophic biomass fraction(X_H) was about 5.3%.