• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.362-369
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• 2002

Background : Anemia is still the most common nutrient deficiency worldwide, especially in adolescence because of an insufficient supply of iron, an increased iron requirement due to accelerated physical growth and blood loss due to menstruation in girls. This study was designed to assess the anemia and serum iron status of middle school girls. Methods : Hematologic examinations, physical examinations and questionnaires were performed for middle school girls in 1990, 1997, 1999 and 2000. Anemia was defined as a serum hemoglobin level of less than 11.5 g/dL. Iron deficiency was defined as a serum ferritin level of less than 10 ng/mL. Iron deficiency anemia was defined as anemia plus one of the following; MCV less than 78 fL, Ferritin level less than 10 ng/mL or Transferrin saturation rate less than 10%. Results : There was no significant difference in mean Hb between urban and rural areas and decreases in mean Hb as with age. The prevalence of anemia decreased by year; 13.5% in 1990, 6.9 % in 1997, 6.0% in 1999, and 5.7% in 2000. It was high in high school girls(10.1% in 1997 and 12.6% in 2000). The prevalence of iron deficiency decreased by year; 36.1% in 1990, 13.9% in 1997, 13.3% in 1999, and 23.2% in 2000. It was 21.3% in 1997 high school girls and 37.8% in 2000. The prevalence of iron deficiency anemia(IDA) decreased by year; 10.0% in 1990, 4.6% in 1997, 8.3% in 1999, and 6.1% in 2000. It was 11.6% in 1997 high school girls and 18.6% in 2000. Conclusion : Although the prevalence of iron deficiency decreased during this period, the prevalence of anemia in the elder adolescence girls was high. Two things are recommended; first, it is necessary to screen for anemia in middle school girls and high risk groups, second, it is important to evaluate the knowledge of nutrition and to enforce effective nutritional education, leading to subjects receiving adequate nutrition.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.8
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• pp.129-138
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• 1990

This study investigated the relationship between the cutflow of rural population and agricultural policy by using time series method. For the analytical tools, decomposition time series methods and regression technique were employed in computing seasonal fluctuation and cyclical fluctuation of population migration. Also, this study predicted farmhouse, rural population till the 2000's by means of the mathematical methods. The analytical forms employed in forecasting farmhouse, rural population were Exponential curve, Gompertz curve and Transcendental form. The major findings of this study were identified as follows: 1) Rural population and farmhouse population began to decrease from 1965 and hastily went down since 1975. Rural population which accounted for 36.4 percent, 35.6 percent of national population respectively in 1960 diminished about two times: 17.5 percent, 17.1 percent respectively. 2) The rapid decreasing of the rural population was caused because of the outflow of rural people to the urban regions. Of course, that was also caused from the natural decreases but the main reason was heavily affected more the former than the latter. In the outflowing course shaped from rural to the urban regions, rural people concentrated on such metropolis as Seoul, Pusan, Keanggi. But these trends were diminishing slowly. On the other hand, compared with that of the 1970's the migration to Keanggi was still increasing in the 1980's. That is, people altered the way of migration from the migration to Seoul, Pusan to the migration to the out-skirts of Seoul. 3) The seasonal fluctuation index of population migration has gone down since the June which the request of agricultural labor force increases and has turned to be greatly wanted in the March as result of decomposition time series method. As result of cyclical analysis, the cyclical patterns of migration have greatly 7 cycle. 4) As result of forecasting the rural and farmhouse population, rural and farmhouse population in the 2000 will be about 9,655(thousand/people) and 4,429(thousand/people) respectively. Thus, it is important to analyze the probloms that rural and farmhouse population will decrease or increase by the degree. But fairly defining the agricultural into a industry that supply the food, this problem - how much our nation need the rural and farmhouse population - is greatly significant too. Therefore, the basic problems of the agricultural including the outflows of rural people are the earning differentials between rural and urban regions. And we should regard the problems of the gap of relative incomes between rural and urban regions as the main task of the agricultural policy and treat the agricultural policy in the viewpoint of developing economic equilibrium than efficiency by using actively the natural resources of the rural regions.

• Food Industry
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• s.180
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• pp.27-64
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• 2004

국내 제조업 전체에서 식음료품은 $6.31\%$를 차지하고 있다. 2000년을 기준으로 식품산업의 총매출실적을 보면 32조 3,463억원을 기록하고 있는데, 이 중 식료품은 26조 921억원, 알콜올음료를 포함한 음료품은 6조 2,516억원을 차지하고 있다. 2001년, 음료시장의 규모는 약 2조 7,900억원 정도였다. 빠르게 성장하던 전체 음료시장의 매출은 IMF 이후 약간 주춤하는 경향을 보였지만 지속적으로 매출액이 상승하여 2002년에는 3조 4천억원의 매출을 기록하였다. 이것은 사이다, 후레바, 정통주스, 냉장주스, 스포츠 음료, 두유 및 기능성음료 등이 성장을 주도하였다. 2003년 상반기, 1조 6,500억원으로 전년 동기대비 $3\%$ 감소하였지만 2003년 전체 실적은 대략 지난해와 비슷한 3조 5,000억원 규모로 전망된다. 내수량의 경우 탄산음료와 과즙음료가 감소하는 경향을 나타냈지만, 전체적으로는 증가하였다. 다류시장의 규모는 약 650억원, 캔커피시장의 규모는 2,400억원 정도로 나타났다. 이처럼 음료$\cdot$다류 시장은 전체적으로 약 4조원의 거대시장규모를 형성하고 있으며 내수가 지속적으로 증가되고 있어, 점차 시장규모도 증가할 것으로 전망되고 있다. 최근에는 기능성 음료 및 다류의 시장규모가 전체의 $20\%$에 달할 정도로 신장하였으며, 기능성음료 및 다류의 특허출원도 지속적으로 증가하고 있는 실정이다. 이는 비단 국내에서 뿐만 아니라 세계적인 현상이며 이러한 추세는 앞으로 지속될 것으로 전망되고 있다. 이처럼 기능성음료 및 다류의 성장이 두드러지고 있는 것은 시대가 변하면서 현대인들의 생활방식과 식생활 변화, 질병형태 다양화 등 여러 사회적 여건이 변화되고 있는데 기인하며, 현대인의 건강에 대한 관심의 증대는 음료시장의 쾌속성장과 틈새수요를 지속적으로 창출하고 있다. 현재 세계 건강기능성 식품의 시장 규모는 약 160조원이며, 국내의 경우 약 1조원에 이르는 실정이다. 이 중 기능성음료 시장은 국내에서 약 4천억원 규모로 기능성식품 시장의 $40\%$를 차지하고 있다. 이처럼 기능성음료 시장은 최근 연간 $7\%$ 정도의 빠른 성장률을 보이고 있으며 향후에도 $6.7\%$의 실질 연간 성장률을 지속할 것으로 전망되고 있다. 전해질(이온)음료나 식이섬유를 포함하는 다이어트음료에서 출발한 기능성음료는 숙취해소, 성인병 예방, 스트레스 해소에 이르기까지 각종 질병의 치료 및 예방으로 확대되고 있다. 앞으로는 BT 및 나노 기술 등을 이용한 신기능 소재들에 대한 다각적인 효능의 규명에 따른 음료$\cdot$다류 소재의 개발과 더불어 체질개선, 다이어트, 숙취해소 등의 특정한 기능성과 관련한 음료$\cdot$다류의 특허출원이 계속될 것으로 전망된다. 복잡한 한약의 제조과정을 단순화하여 티백이나 캔 형태로 만든 맛과 기능이 조화된 음료$\cdot$다류 분야의 연구개발이 지속될 것으로 보이며, 시장 규모의 확대와 더불어 기능성과 간편성을 동시에 추구하는 신세대 소비자들의 성향을 겨냥하여 기존의 음료$\cdot$다류 전문 업체 외에도 제약회사 등의 비음료 업체도 다양한 형태의 음료$\cdot$다류 기술개발을 지속할 것으로 예상되고 있다. 특히 새로운 신기능성 소재를 개발하는 것은 고부가가치 기술로써 BT, NT 등의 최첨단 기술의 발전과 도입으로 인해 그동안 수입에 의존하던 기능성 소재들도 국내 기업들의 축전된 기반기술을 통하여 대거 참입할 것으로 보인다. 하지만, 여러 업체의 음료$\cdot$다류시장 진출에 따라 야기될 수 있는 비위생이고 효능이 불확실한 식품의 유통, 업체간의 과열경쟁에 따른 유통질서 문란 등은 모처럼 활기를 되찾은 음료$\cdot$다류 분야의 기술개발을 위축시킬 수도 있으므로 정부차원에서 체계적이고 효율적인 관리가 조속히 이루어져야 할 것이며 이를 제도적으로 뒷받침하기 위한 정책이 수립되고 시행되어야 할 것으로 보인다. 특히, 원료적인 측면에서의 무역 불균형은 반드시 해소되어야 할 부분이다. 대부분이 수입 기능성 원료에 의존하고 있는 현실에서 국내의 BT 기술 확충에 더욱 많은 투자와 노력이 집중되어야 할 것이다. 세계적으로 경쟁이 될 수 있는 기능성 소재의 개발과 이를 통한 신기능 음료의 개발은 단순한 수학적 계산을 넘어서 국가의 기술력을 홍보할수 있는 좋은 계기가 되기 때문이다. 바야흐로 음료$\cdot$다류 분야에 대한 열기가 식품시장을 주도하면서, 시장이 안정적으로 확대되기 위해서는 지속적인 기술개발이 이루어져야 한다는 것은 재론의 여지가 없다고 하겠다.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.5 no.1 s.9
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• pp.55-92
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• 2005

The factors contributing to the formation of an important scientific concept in South Korea and its circulation in the society are the scientific knowledge that had been already formed, matured, and established in the U.S.A, Europe and Japan and has been introduced into Korea, and the institutions that have been formed during the recent modernization in South Korea. The concept of 'genetic information' cannot be an exception in this context. The concept of genetic information is the one that has been extended and intensified by the genomics and bioinformatics formed and matured through the Human Genome Projects from the former concept of inheritance or heredity within the framework of classical and molecular genetics. The purpose of this study was to find out 'how the production structure of genetic information in South Korea has been formed', under the perspective of the conceptual, epistemic, and institutional holisticity or integratedness in the concept and knowledge production structure idealized in Western advanced nations. The discourse of genetic engineering popular in the mid 1980's in South Korea has catalyzed the development of molecular biology. However, the institutional balance that had been established for the biochemistry departments in Natural Science College and Medical College was not formed between the genetic engineering and genetics departments in South Korea. Therefore, they were unable to achieve the more integrative and macro-level disciplinary impact on life sciences, largely due to institutional lack of the capable (human) genetics departments in some leading Korean colleges of Medicine. In genomics, the cutting-edge reprogramming and restructuring of the traditional genetics in the West, South Korea has not invested, even meagerly, in the infrastructure, fund, and research and development (R & D) for the Basic or First Phase of the research trajectory in the Human Genome Project. Without a minimal Basic Phase, the genomics research and development in Korea has been running more or less for the Advanced or Second Phase. Bioinformatics has started developing in Korea under a narrow perspective which regards it as a mere sub-discipline of information technology (IT). Having developed itself in parallel with genomics, bioinformatics contains its own unique logics and contents that can be both directly and indirectly connected to the information science and technology. As a result, bioinformatics reveals a defect in respect of being synergistically integrated into genetics and life sciences in Korea. Owing to the structural problem in the production, genetic information appears to be produced in a fragmented pattern in the Korean society since its fundamental base is weak and thin. A good example of the conceptual and institutional fragmentedness is that 'the genetics of individual identification' is not a normal integrated part of the Korean genetics, but a scientific practice exercised in the departments of legal medicine in a few Medical Colleges. And the environment contributing to the production structure of genetic information in South Korea today comprises 'sangmyung gonghak'(or life engineering) discourse and non-governmental organization movement.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.62-72
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• 1992

Background: T-cell mediated cellular immunity has been suggested as an important mechanism in mycobacterial infection and imbalance between helper/inducer and suppressor/cytotoxic T-cell has been suggested as an important immunological abnormality in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis in human. Method: To determine whether there is any difference in T-cell mediated immunity in the pathogenesis of pulmonary and extra pulmonary tuberculosis, total numbers of WBC&lymphocytes were counted and helper/inducer and suppressor/cytotoxic cells were calculated by flow cytometry. Blastogenesis after stimulation with Concanavalin-A, Phytohemagglutinin and PPD were measured by $^3H$-thymidine uptake. PPD skin test was performed as an in vivo test. Results: 1)There was no significant difference in the size of PPD skin test between pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis groups. 2)Number of total lymphocytes significantly decreased in tuberculosis patients compared with healthy control group. But there was no significant difference between pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis groups. 3) Number of HLA-DR and Interleukin-2 receptor (+) cells were significantly increased in tuberculosis patients. But there was no significant difference between pulmonary and extra pulmonary tuberculosis groups. 4) There was no significant difference in the numbers of WBC, $T_3$, $T_4$ and $T_8$ lymphocytes and $T_4/T_8$ ratio between tuberculosis patients and healthy controls. 5) There was no significant difference in the blastogenesis after stimulation with specific and non-specific blastogens between tuberculosis patients and healthy controls. 6) The percentage and absolute number of $T_4$ lymphocyte were significantly correlated with the size of PPD skin test. (r=0.689 and 0.598). Conclusion: From these results, it is concluded that there was no difference in T-cell mediated immunity between pulmonary and extra pulmonary tuberculosis group. But, because it is suspected that there might be some difference in the role of T-cell mediated immunity in the pathogenesis of pulmonary and extra pulmonary tuberculosis or even among the extrapulmonary tuberculosis patients, further studies would be required.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.127-148
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• 1990

A Milgrom-Roberts style signalling model of limit pricing is developed to analyze the possibility and the scope of limit pricing in general, noncooperative oligopolies. The model contains multiple incumbent firms facing a potential entrant and assumes an information asymmetry between incombents and the potential entrant about the market demand. There are two periods in the model. In period 1, n incumbent firms simultaneously and noncooperatively choose quantities. At the end of period 1, the potential entrant observes the market price and makes an entry decision. In period 2, depending on the entry decision of the entrant, n' or (n+1) firms choose quantities again before the game terminates. Since the choice of incumbent firms in period 1 depends on their information about demand, the market price in period 1 conveys information about the market demand. Thus, there is a systematic link between the market price and the profitability of entry. Using Bayes-Nash equilibrium as the solution concept, we find that there exist some demand conditions under which incumbent firms will limit price. In symmetric equilibria, incumbent firms each produce an output that is greater than the Cournot output and induce a price that is below the Cournot price. In doing so, each incumbent firm refrains from maximizing short-run profit and supplies a public good that is entry deterrence. The reason that entry is deterred by such a reduced price is that it conveys information about the demand of the industry that is unfavorable to the entrant. This establishes the possibility of limit pricing by noncooperative oligopolists in a setting that is fully rational, and also generalizes the result of Milgrom and Roberts to general oligopolies, confirming Bain's intuition. Limit pricing by incumbents explained above can be interpreted as a form of credible collusion in which each firm voluntarily deviates from myopic optimization in order to deter entry using their superior information. This type of implicit collusion differs from Folk-theorem type collusions in many ways and suggests that a collusion can be a credible one even in finite games as long as there is information asymmetry. Another important result is that as the number of incumbent firms approaches infinity, or as the industry approaches a competitive one, the probability that limit pricing occurs converges to zero and the probability of entry converges to that under complete information. This limit result confirms the intuition that as the number of agents sharing the same private information increases, the value of the private information decreases, and the probability that the information gets revealed increases. This limit result also supports the conventional belief that there is no entry problem in a competitive market. Considering the fact that limit pricing is generally believed to occur at an early stage of an industry and the fact that many industries in Korea are oligopolies in their infant stages, the theoretical results of this paper suggest that we should pay attention to the possibility of implicit collusion by incumbent firms aimed at deterring new entry using superior information. The long-term loss to the Korean economy from limit pricing can be very large if the industry in question is a part of the world market and the domestic potential entrant whose entry is deterred could .have developed into a competitor in the world market. In this case, the long-term loss to the Korean economy should include the lost opportunity in the world market in addition to the domestic long-run welfare loss.

• The Korean Journal of Financial Management
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.41-79
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• 2007

This study examines the expiration-day effects of stock index futures and options in the Korean stock market. The so-called 'expiration-day effects', which are the abnormal stock price movements on derivatives expiration days, arise mainly from cash settlement. Index arbitragers have to bear the risk of their positions unless they liquidate their index stocks on the expiration day. If many arbitragers execute large buy or sell orders on the expiration day, abnormal trading volumes are likely to be observed. If a lot of arbitragers unwind positions in the same direction, temporary trading imbalances induce abnormal stock market volatility. By contrast, if some information arrives at market, the abnormal trading activity must be considered a normal process of price discovery. Stoll and Whaley(1987) investigated the aggregate price and volume effects of the S&P 500 index on the expiration day. In a related study, Stoll and Whaley(1990) found a similarity between the price behavior of stocks that are subject to program trading and of the stocks that are not. Thus far, there have been few studies about the expiration-day effects in the Korean stock market. While previous Korean studies use the KOSPI 200 index data, we analyze the price and trading volume behavior of individual stocks as well as the index. Analyzing individual stocks is important for two reasons. First, stock index is a market average. Consequently, it cannot reflect the behavior of many individual stocks. For example, if the expiration-day effects are mainly related to a specific group, it cannot be said that the expiration of derivatives itself destabilizes the stock market. Analyzing individual stocks enables us to investigate the scope of the expiration-day effects. Second, we can find the relationship between the firm characteristics and the expiration-day effects. For example, if the expiration-day effects exist in large stocks not belonging to the KOSPI 200 index, program trading may not be related to the expiration-day effects. The examination of individual stocks has led us to the cause of the expiration-day effects. Using the intraday data during the period May 3, 1996 through December 30, 2003, we first examine the price and volume effects of the KOSPI 200 and NON-KOSPI 200 index following the Stoll and Whaley(1987) methodology. We calculate the NON-KOSPI 200 index by using the returns and market capitalization of the KOSPI and KOSPI 200 index. In individual stocks, we divide KOSPI 200 stocks by size into three groups and match NON-KOSPI 200 stocks with KOSPI 200 stocks having the closest firm characteristics. We compare KOSPI 200 stocks with NON-KOSPI 200 stocks. To test whether the expiration-day effects are related to order imbalances or new information, we check price reversals on the next day. Finally, we perform a cross-sectional regression analysis to elaborate on the impact of the firm characteristics on price reversals. The main results seem to support the expiration-day effects, especially on stock index futures expiration days. The price behavior of stocks that are subject to program trading is shown to have price effects, abnormal return volatility, and large volumes during the last half hour of trading on the expiration day. Return reversals are also found in the KOSPI 200 index and stocks. However, there is no evidence of abnormal trading volume, or price reversals in the NON-KOSPI 200 index and stocks. The expiration-day effects are proportional to the size of stocks and the nearness to the settlement time. Since program trading is often said to be concentrated in high capitalization stocks, these results imply that the expiration-day effects seem to be associated with program trading and the settlement price determination procedure. In summary, the expiration-day effects in the Korean stock market do not exist in all stocks, but in large capitalization stocks belonging to the KOSPI 200 index. Additionally, the expiration-day effects in the Korean stock market are generally due, not to information, but to trading imbalances.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.105-111
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• 2007

Correlation between occlusal contact pattern and TMD have been hypothesized and partially investigated but results are controversial and not conclusive. The purposes of this study were to compare right-to-left difference of occlusal contact pattern, through contact points, contact force and occlusal balance, in the patients with unilateral TMD and also to evaluate its change related with TMD treatment. 36 patients with unilateral TMD from Department of Oral Medicine in Dankook University Dental Hospital were selected in this study (M:F=7:29, mean age of $29.2{\pm}14.8$ years). A computerized T-Scan II system (Tekscan, INC., USA) was employed for occlusal analysis and the simultaneity and occlusal balance through the number of tooth contact and magnitude of contact force were determined before and after TMD treatment. The number of contact points and contact force was more on the unaffected side than the affected side before treatment (p=0.056 and p=0.060, respectively) while significant difference between both sides was not found after treatment. The number of contact points and contact force on the affected sides significantly increased after treatment (p=0.038 and p=0.052), but the unaffected sides exhibited no significant difference between before and after treatment. In addition, sides difference in relative contact force decreased from about 27% to about 12% after TMD treatment (p=0.001). According to the results of this study, it is likely that unilateral TMD impairs right-to-left occlusal balance and that conservative TMD treatment alleviates the imbalance, subsequently leading to more symmetrical occlusal condition with increased contact points and force.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.139-148
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• 2004

MMPs(Matrix metalloproteinases)는 치주질환에서 주된 조직파괴단백분해효소인 것은 알려져 있고 TIMPs(Tissue inhibitor of Matrix metalloproteinase)는 MMPs의 작용을 억제한다라고 알려져 있다. 이 둘간의 불균형으로 인해서 조직파괴가 더 가속화될 수 있다. 이 두 연구의 목적은 ELISA kit를 사용하여 특정 MMPs(1,2,3,8,9,13)과 TIMPs(1,2)의 양이 건강한 환자와 비교하여서 치주염 환자에서 달라지는지 알아보고 MMPs(1,2,3,8,9,13), TIMPs(1,2)와 치은열구깊이와 GI score와의 관계를 알아보기로 한다. 8명의 만성 치주염 환자와 4명의 급속진행형 치주염 환자가 실험군으로 참여하였고 5명의 건강한 치주조직을 환자가 대조군으로 참여하였다. 임상적인 측정은 GI score와 치주낭측정을 통하여 이루어졌다. 8명의 만성 치주염을 가진 환자와 4명의 급속진행형 치주염을 가진 환자에서 각각 치주낭 깊이가 3mm이하인 부위에서 6개의 치은열구액 표본과 치주낭 깊이가 6mm 이상인 곳에서 6개의 치은열구액 표본을 채취하였다. 건강한 치주조직을 가진 5명의 환자는 단지 치주낭깊이가 3mm 이하인 건강한 부위에서만 치은열구액 표본을 제공하였다. MMPs(1,2,3,8,9,13)과 MIMPs(1,2)의 측정은 Human Biotrack ELISA kit를 사용하여서 측정하였다. 통계처리는 MMPs, MIMPs의 실험군과 대조군의 차이는 Kruskal-Wallis test를 사용하였고 MMPs, TIMPs와 치주낭 깊이와 GI score의 관계정도는 Pearson's correlation coefficient를 사용하였다. 실험결과 대조군과 비교하여 만성 치주염 환자에서 치주낭 깊이가 6mm 이상인 부위에서 MMP9의 수치가 통계적으로 유의할만하게 높았으며(p=0.04) MIMP2의 수치가 대조군과 비교하여 치주낭 깊이가 3mm 이하인 부위를 가진 만성치주염 환자에서 통계적으로 유의할만하게 높았다(=0.049). MMPs(1,2,3,8,9,13), MIMPs(1,2)의 활동성과 치주낭 깊이의 관계에서 둘간의 통계적으로 유의할만한 관계는 존재하지 않았으나 MMP1(r=0.35)과 MMP2(r=0.31)가 상대적으로 높은 관계를 보였다. 또한 MMPs(1,2,3,8,9,13), MIMPs(1,2)의 활동성과 GI score의 관계에서도 둘간의 통계학적으로 유의할만한 관계는 존재하지 않으나 MMP1(r=0.4), MMP2(r=0.29), MMP9(r=0.26)가 상대적으로 높은 관계를 보였다. 이 실험의 결과로 볼 때 MMP9가 만성치주염 환자의 질환이 있는 부위에서만 염증의 지표가 될 수 있으며 MIMP2가 만성치주염 환자의 염증이 없는 부위에서 높은 농도로 존재하는 것으로 보아서 MIMP2가 MMPs에 대한 억제작용을 하여서 염증의 진행을 방해하는 역할을 한다라고 볼 수 있다.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.171-180
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• 2003

The development of calvarial bones is tighly co-ordinated with the growth of the brain and needs of harmonious interactions between different tissues within the calvarial sutures. Premature fusion of cranial sutures, known as craniosynostosis, presumably involves disturbance of these interactions. Mutations in the homeobox-containg gene Msx2 cause human craniosynostosis syndrome. Msx genes, which are consist of Msx1, Msx2 and Msx3, are homeobox-containg transcripton factors, and were originally identified as homologue of Drosophila msh(muscle segment homeobox) gene. Msx1 and Msx2 genes, expressed mostly in overlapping patterns at multiple site of tissue interactions during vertebrate development, are associated with epithelial-mesenchymal interactions during organogenesis, targets of BMP and FGF signaling. To elucidate the function of Msx genes in the early morphogenesis of mouse cranial suture, we analyzed the expression of them by in situ hybridization during embryonic(E15-E18) stage, and did vivo experiments in E15.5 mouse using rhBMP-2, rhFGF-2 protein soaked bead. In the sagittal suture, Msx1 was expressed in the mesenchyme of suture and the dura mater, Msx2 was intensely expressed in the sutural mesenchyme and the dura mater. In the coronal suture both of Msx genes were expressed intensely in the sutural mesenchyme and expressed in the periosteum also. Msx1 had a broader expression pattern than Msx2. BMP2 beads induced expression of both Msx1 and Msx2, FGF2 beads induced expression of Msx1, but not Msx2. Taken together, these data suggest that Msx1 and Msx2 genes have important role in regulating the morphogenesis and maintenance of embryonic cranial suture. Both of Msx genes are expressed similarly but because of their upstream signaling, they function dependently or cooperatively according to change of signaling molecule.