• Applied Microscopy
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.67-76
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• 2012

The biomimetic approach on the cuticular spinning nozzles of the major ampullate silk glands in the golden-web spider Nephila calvata has been attempted using various visualizing techniques of light and electron microscopes to improve the design of spinning nozzle for producing synthetic nanofibers spun from electrospinning apparatus. The major ampullate spigot which has the most effective nozzle system to produce nanofibers for dragline silk with high strength and elasticity is connected via the bullet type spigot on anterior spinneret with flexible terminal segment. The excretory duct which transports the liquid silk feedstock from ampulla to spigot is divided into 3 limbs by loops back on itself to form an S-shape morphology that is bundled in connective tissue. Final diameter of the nanofibers at nozzle was dramatically reduced by gradual narrowing of duct cuticle less than 10 times comparing to its original size of funnel region. Moreover, the funnel has a characteristic cuticular organization with porous microstructure which seems to be related to water removal from feedstock of silk precursors. High magnification electron micrographs also reveal the presence of the spiral grooves on the surface of the cuticular intima near the valve which presumed to reduce friction during rapid flow of liquid silk.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.341-346
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• 2013

The disappearance of seaweed flora in some rocky areas, which is known as algal whitening, barren ground, coralline flats, or deforested areas, is associated with some species of coralline algae. To determine the biological characteristics of a representative species of crustose coralline alga, the 18S rDNA gene was sequenced to identify the genus Lithophyllum. According to its morphological and distributional characteristics, it was deduced to be L. yessoense. Viability was measured using triphenyl tetrazolium chloride and showed high viability from December to February. Culture conditions of $16^{\circ}C$, a 16 hr light, 8 hr dark cycle, and 30 ${\mu}E/m^2/s$ light intensity were optimal for maintaining the viability of the alga for up to five days. Included in the fatty acids was 9.7% ${\omega}$-3 eicosapentaenoic acid. An electron microscopy scan of the surface structure revealed round craters about 3.6 ${\mu}m$ in diameter, which were covered with rough, irregular, and angular polygon-shaped structures about 1.0 to 3.7 ${\mu}m$ in size. Based on the composition and structure found in our study, biomimetic coralline alga might become an environmentally friendly antifouling material against the attachment of soft foulants.

• Proceedings of the Technology Innovation Conference
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• 1997.07a
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• pp.222-223
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• 1997

By analyzing the successful innovation case of potato microtuber mass production technology, a representative case of technology-push type creative innovation in an imitation oriented research culture, this paper attempts to figure out conceptual model of creative innovation that is initiated by the public laboratories in catching-up country, Stages of creative innovation can be divided into the internal R&D stage and the external commercialization stage. Success of the internal R&D stage depended on autonomy to secure creative research idea and commitment of individual researchers. Psychological pressure evoked from sportlights of mass media and commitment of sponsor increased the intensity of research efforts of the researcher Recognition of research problem and its significance was intensified by site visits of agricultural fields, and the recognized higher impacts of expected research results and knowledge creation achieved were a fundamental source of self-motivation. In the stage of commercialization stage, various legal, socio-economic, and psychological barriers were confronted. In a catching-up country lacking of experiences of creative innovation, creative innovation process can be regarded as a barrier elimination and cultural revolution process. Among the barriers, psychological refusal of farmers to corn-sized potato seeds was critical, which finally enforced to further researches to enlarge the size of potato seeds. In addition, the researcher has concentrated his research efforts in one specialized research area by getting a series of similar research project funds rather than diversification. It was lucky for him to have a chance to carry out a series of similar researches in one research area during the last 10 years. In getting research funds from government and private companies continuously in one research area, both internal and external promoters played significant roles.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.705-709
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• 2016

Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) gyroscopes are widely used in various robot applications. However, these conventional gyroscopes need to vibrate the proof mass using a built-in actuator at a fixed resonance frequency to sense the Coriolis force. When a robot is not moving, the meaningless vibration of the gyroscope wastes power. In addition, this continuous vibration makes the sensor vulnerable to external sound waves with a frequency close to the proof-mass resonance frequency. In this paper, a feasibility study of a new type of gyroscope inspired by insect halteres is presented. In dipterous insects, halteres are a biological gyroscope that measures the Coriolis force. Wing muscles and halteres are mechanically linked, and the halteres oscillate simultaneously with wing beats. The vibrating haltere experiences the Coriolis force if the insect is going through a rotational motion. Inspired by this haltere structure, a gyroscope using a thin mast integrated with a robot actuation mechanism is proposed. The mast vibrates only when the robot is moving without requiring a separate actuator. The Coriolis force of the mast can be measured with an accelerometer installed at the tip of the mast. However, the signal from the accelerometer has multiple frequency components and also can be highly corrupted with noise, such that raw data are not meaningful. This paper also presents a suitable signal processing technique using the amplitude modulation method. The feasibility of the proposed haltere-inspired gyroscope is also experimentally evaluated.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.33-38
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• 2010

A microfluidic system has been developed using biomaterial for the measurement of cupric ion concentration. The cell-membrane-mimicking bilayer lipid membrane(BLM)-coated silver electrode was used for the sensing of cupric ion concentration. The silver-supported BLM could increase its stability. A silver-supported bilayer lipid membrane(s-BLM) was easily obtained using its self-assembling characteristics by immersing silver wire into lipid(phosphatidylcholine; PC) solution and then dipping into aqueous KCl solution. These s-BLMs were used to determine the relationship between $Cu^{2+}$ concentration and current crossing s-BLM. Their relationship showed high linearity and reproducibility. The calibration curve was constructed to express the relationship between $Cu^{2+}$ concentration and current in the $Cu^{2+}$ concentration range of 10 and $130{\mu}M$. This calibration curve was used to measure $Cu^{2+}$ concentration in an unknown sample. Microfluidic system with s-BLM was made of PDMS(polydimethyl siloxane) using typical soft photolithography and molding technique. This integrated system has various functions such as activation of the silver surface without cutting silver wire, coating of BLM on silver surface, injection of KCl buffer solution, injection of $Cu^{2+}$ sample and measurement of $Cu^{2+}$ concentration in the sample.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.643-650
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• 1999

An artificial photoreceptor composed of bacteriorhodopsin(bR)/flavin complex Langmuir-Blodgett(LB) films was developed by mimicking the human visual system. bR and flavin molecules were deposited onto solid substrate by LB technique, and the deposition of two molecules was proved by UV/VIS absorption spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy(AFM). Based on AFM images and photocurrent generation from the LB films, the optimal conditions for device fabrication were determined. With a series of light illuminations, the generated photocurrent could be detected, and the response characteristics of two molecules could be clearly distinguished from each other. According to the obtained signal shapes, three distinctive regions could be found in the obtained action spectrum. Using a correlation between the photocurrent generation and the wavelength of the input light, it was possible to organize the basic rules to interpret the wavelength of the input light. It is concluded that the proposed artificial photoreceptor would e applicable to the bioelectronic device for color recognition.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.23-32
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• 1999

Combined MRI and Relaxogram approach was introduced as a very useful tool for fat study. The phantoms simulating homogeneous mixture of fat and non-fat environments were measured with spin echo pulse sequence on a 0.15 T whole body imager. From 45 scans, the Tl values were obtained by fitting the data to continuous distribution (CONTIN) of relaxation time. This relaxogram gives broad distributions of relaxation time, which are characterized by a number of peaks with characteristic T1 values. Two distinct peaks in relaxogram were observed and identified as signals from com oil and gelatin gel. This model system can be served as simulating the distribution of fat in muscle. Also the relative ratio of two components, which is proportional to the area under the peak, is estimated and compared to nominal values. Based on the good agreement between two predictions, the values from our proposed method agreed with nominal values within $\pm$7 % error. The effects of different concentration of contrast agent and different region of interest are presented. To optimize total scan times, the minimum required data points and so further reduction in total scan times are discussed.