• Molecules and Cells
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.235-240
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• 2005

Extracts of pine needles (Pinus densiflora Sieb. et Zucc.) have diverse physiological and pharmacological actions. In this study we show that pine needle extract alters pacemaker currents in interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) by modulating ATP-sensitive $K^+$ channels and that this effect is mediated by prostaglandins. In whole cell patches at $30^{\circ}C$, ICC generated spontaneous pacemaker potentials in the current clamp mode (I = 0), and inward currents (pacemaker currents) in the voltage clamp mode at a holding potential of -70 mV. Pine needle extract hyperpolarized the membrane potential, and in voltage clamp mode decreased both the frequency and amplitude of the pacemaker currents, and increased the resting currents in the outward direction. It also inhibited the pacemaker currents in a dose-dependent manner. Because the effects of pine needle extract on pacemaker currents were the same as those of pinacidil (an ATP-sensitive $K^+$ channel opener) we tested the effect of glibenclamide (an ATP-sensitive $K^+$ channels blocker) on ICC exposed to pine needle extract. The effects of pine needle extract on pacemaker currents were blocked by glibenclamide. To see whether production of prostaglandins (PGs) is involved in the inhibitory effect of pine needle extract on pacemaker currents, we tested the effects of naproxen, a non-selective cyclooxygenase (COX-1 and COX-2) inhibitor, and AH6809, a prostaglandin EP1 and EP2 receptor antagonist. Naproxen and AH6809 blocked the inhibitory effects of pine needle extract on ICC. These results indicate that pine needle extract inhibits the pacemaker currents of ICC by activating ATP-sensitive $K^+$ channels via the production of PGs.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.220-229
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• 2013

Respiratory-induced dynamic tumors render free-breathing cone-beam computed tomography (FBCBCT) images with motion artifacts complicating the task of quantifying the internal target volume (ITV). The purpose of this paper is to study the visibility of the revealed ITV when the imaging dose parameters, such as the kVp and mAs, are varied. The $Trilogy^{TM}$ linear accelerator with an On-Board Imaging ($OBI^{TM}$) system was used to acquire low-imaging-dose-mode (LIDM: 110 kVp, 20 mA, 20 ms/frame) and high-imaging-dose-mode (HIDM: 125 kVp, 80 mA, 25 ms/frame) FBCBCT images of a 3-cm diameter sphere (density=0.855 $g/cm^3$) moving in accordance to various sinusoidal breathing patterns, each with an unique inhalation-to-exhalation (I/E) ratio, amplitude, and period. In terms of image ITV contrast, there was a small overall average change of the ITV contrast when going from HIDM to LIDM of $6.5{\pm}5.1%$ for all breathing patterns. As for the ITV visible volume measurements, there was an insignificant difference between the ITV of both the LIDM- and HIDM-FBCBCT images with an average difference of $0.5{\pm}0.5%$, for all cases, despite the large difference in the imaging dose (approximately five-fold difference of ~0.8 and 4 cGy/scan). That indicates that the ITV visibility is not very sensitive to changes in imaging dose. However, both of the FBCBCT consistently underestimated the true ITV dimensions by up to 34.8% irrespective of the imaging dose mode due to significant motion artifacts, and thus, this imaging technique is not adequate to accurately visualize the ITV for image guidance. Due to the insignificant impact of imaging dose on ITV visibility, a plausible, alternative strategy would be to acquire more X-ray projections at the LIDM setting to allow 4DCBCT imaging to better define the ITV, and at the same time, maintain a reasonable imaging dose, i.e., comparable to a single HIDM-FBCBCT scan.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.51-64
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• 1996

After the model open-ended pile attached with strain gages was driven into a pressure chamber, in which the saturated microfine sand was contained, the static compression loading test was performed for that pile. Based on the test results, ultimate pile capacity was determined. Then, either simulated earthquake shaking or sinusoidal shaking was applied to the pile with the sustained certain level OP ultimate pile load. Then, pile capacity degradations characteristics during shaking were studied. Pile capacity degradation during two different shakings were greatly different. During the simulated earthquake shaking, capacity degradation depended upon the magnitude of applied load. When the load applied to the pile top was less than 70% of ultimate pile capacidy, pile capacity degradation rate was less than 8%, and pile with the sustained ultimate pile load had the degradation rate of 90%. Also, most of pile capacity degradation was reduced in outer skin friction and degradation rate was about 80% of ultimate pile capacity reduction. During sinusoidal shaking, pile capacity degradation did not depend on the magnitude of applied load. It depended on the amplitude and the frequency , the larger the amplitude and the fewer the frequency was, the higher the degradation rate was. Reduction pattern of unit soil plugging (once depended on the mode of shaking. Unit soil plugging force by the simulated earthquake shaking was reduced in the bottom 3.0 D, of the toe irrespective of the applied load, while reduction of unit soil plugging force by sinusoidal shaking was occurred in the bottom 1.0-3.0D, of the toe. Also, the soil plugging force was reduced more than that during simulated earthquake shaking and degradation rate of the pile capacity depended on the magnitude of the applied load.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.1054-1065
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• 1993

A computer simulation is performed on the effectiveness of the active minimization of harmonically excited enclosed sound fields for producing global reduction in the amplitude of the pressure fluctuations. In this study for the appreciable reductions in total time averaged acoustic potential energy, $E_{pp}$, the transducer location strategies for three dimensional active noise control is presented based on a state space modal which approximates the closed acoustic field.In this study, the above theoretical basis is used to investigate the application of active control to sound fields of low modal density. By the used of room-like 3-dimensional rectangular enclosure it is demonstrated that the reductions in $E_{pp}$ can be achieved by using a single secondary source, provided that the source is placed within the half a wavelength from the primary source and placed away from nodal line of the sound field. Concerning the reductions in $E_{pp}$ by minimzing the pressure in sound fields by the use of 3-dimensional rectangular enclosure, the effects of the number of sensors and the locations of these sensors are investigated. When a few modes dominate the response it is found that if only a limited number of sensors are located away from nodal line and located at the pressure maxima of the sound field such as at each corner of a rectangular enclosure.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.121-126
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• 2003

The purpose of this work was to assess and quantify whether the beneficial effects in long-term gas exchange at exciting frequency were obtained at different frequencies as well and then to develop a vibrating intravascular lung assist device(VIVLAD), for Patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS) or chronic respiratory problems. We investigate the optimal condition of the frequency band excited with new vibrator at state of limit hemolysis when blood hemolysis came to through a membrane vibration action. The experimental design and procedures were given for a device used to assess the effectiveness of membrane vibrations. Quantitative experimental measurements were performed to evaluate the performance of the device . and to identify membrane vibration dependence on blood hemolysis. We developed an analytical solution for the hydrodynamics of flow through a bundle of sinusoidally vibrated hollow fibers that is used to provide some insight into how wall vibrations might enhance the performance of the VIVLAD. In the result, it was measured that the effect of various excited frequencies in gas transfer rate and hemolysis from the maximum gas transfer rate at no vibration when the maximum gas transfer rates showed at module type 6, module type 6 consisted of 675 hollow fiber membranes The maximum oxygen transfer rate was caused by the occurrence of maximum amplitude and transfer of vibration to hollow fiber membranes when it was excited by the frequency band of 7Hz at each blood flow rate. because this frequency became the End mode resonance frequency of the flexible in blood flow. Also, when module type 6 was excited at an excited frequency of 7Hz. blood hemolysis was low. Therefore, we decided that the limit of hemolysis frequency is 7Hz . because maximum amplitude occurred at this frequency.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.651-659
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• 2010

In this paper, a new six-port direct conversion receiver for high-speed multi-band multi-mode wireless communication system such as software defined radio(SDR) is proposed. The designed receiver is composed of two CMOS four-port BPSK receivers and a dual-band one-stage polyphase filter for quadrature LO signal generation. The four-port BPSK receiver, implemented in 0.18 ${\mu}m$ CMOS technology for the first time in microwave-band, is composed of two active combiners, an active balun, two power detector, and an analog decoder. The proposed polyphase filter adopt type-I architecture, one-stage for reduction of the local oscillator power loss, and LC resonance structure instead of using capacitor for dual-band operation. In order to extent the operation RF bandwidth of the proposed six-port receiver, we include I/Q phase and amplitude calibration scheme in the six-port junction and the power detector. The calibration range of the phase and amplitude mismatch in the proposed calibration scheme is 8 degree and 14 dB, respectively. The validity of the designed six-port receiver is successfully demonstrated by modulating M-QAM, and M-PSK signal with 40 Msps in the two-band of 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.485-495
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• 2001

It was investigated whether $Ca^{2+}$ and $K^+$ channels were involved in the inhibitory action of nitric oxide (NO) on the contractile and slow wave activity of guinea pig gastric antral circular muscle. The gastric antral circular muscle showed spontaneous phasic contraction and slow wave. NO donors, 3-morpholinosydnonimine hydrochloride (SIN-1, $0.01{\sim}100{\mu}M$) and S-nitroso-L-cysteine (CysNO, $0.001{\sim}10{\mu}M$), reduced not only the amplitude of phasic contraction but also that of slow wave in a concentration-dependent manner. Both the perfusion of $Ca^{2+}$-free solution and the administration of $Ni^{2+}$, a nonselective $Ca^{2+}$ channel blocker, reduced the phasic contraction as well as the amplitude and frequency of the slow wave. The effects of these treatments were similar to those of NO donors. Nifedipine ($10{\mu}M$), a specific L-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel blocker, abolished the phasic contraction and remarkably reduced the plateau of slow wave but had no profound effect on the upstroke of slow wave. In the whole-cell patch clamp mode, CysNO shifted the steady-state activation curve for L-type $Ca^{2+}$ current to the right and the steady-state inactivation curve to the left. Pretreatment of various $K^+$ channel blockers such as tetraethylammonium (1 mM), 4-aminopyridine (0.5 mM), glibenclamide (10 mM), apamin ($0.1{\mu}M$), and iberiotoxin ($0.1{\mu}M$) did not affect the inhibitory action of SIN-1. These results suggest that NO donors suppress mechanical and electrical activity of guinea pig gastric antral circular muscle by inhibition of L-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel rather than by activation of $K^+$ channels.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.361-373
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• 2013

The monitoring of urban area, target detection and building reconstruction have been actively studied and investigated since high resolution X-band SAR images could be acquired by airborne and/or satellite SAR systems. This paper describes an efficient approach to reconstruct artificial structures (e.g. apartment, building and house) in urban area using high resolution X-band SAR images. Building footprint was first extracted from 1:25,000 digital topographic map and then a corner line of building was detected by an automatic detecting algorithm. With SAR amplitude images, an initial building height was calculated by the length of layover estimated using KS-test (Kolmogorov-Smirnov test) from the corner line. The interferometric SAR phases were simulated depending on SAR geometry and changable building heights ranging from -10 m to +10 m of the initial building height. With an interferogram from real SAR data set, the simulation results were compared using the method of the phase consistency. One of results can be finally defined as the reconstructed building height. The developed algorithm was applied to repeat-pass TerraSAR-X spotlight mode data set over an apartment complex in Daejeon city, Korea. The final building heights were validated against reference heights extracted from LiDAR DSM, with an RMSE (Root Mean Square Error) of about 1~2m.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.75-82
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• 2007

As one of the main support systems, rock bolts play a crucial role in the reinforcement of tunnels. Numerical and experimental studies using a transmission method of ultrasonic guided waves are performed to evaluate the integrity of rock bolts encapsulated by grouting paste. Numerical simulations using "DISPERSE" are carried out for the selection of the optimal experimental setup, i.e. non-destructive testing (NDT) system of the rock bolt. Based on results of the numerical simulation, the calculated frequency range for NDT testing is between 20kHz and 70kHz with the first longitudinal L(1) mode. Laboratory transmission tests are performed by attaching the piezo electric sensor at the tip of the rock bolt before embedding. Both of analytical and experimental results show that the amplitude of signals as well as the wave velocity increases with increase in the defect ratio of grouting paste. The defect in grouting paste means that the space around the rock bolt is not fully filled with the grouting paste. Experimental results also show that the increase of the wave velocity is more sensitive to the defect ratio increase than that of the amplitude. This study demonstrates that the transmission technique of ultrasonic guided waves may be a valuable tool in the evaluation of the rock bolt integrity.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.276-285
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• 2020

Circadian rhythm is an endogenous oscillation of about 24-h period in many physiological processes and behaviors. This daily oscillation is maintained by the molecular clock machinery with transcriptional-translational feedback loops mediated by clock genes including Period2 (Per2) and Bmal1. Recently, it was revealed that gut microbiome exerts a significant impact on the circadian physiology and behavior of its host; however, the mechanism through which it regulates the molecular clock has remained elusive. 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid (4-OH-PPA) and 3-phenylpropionic acid (PPA) are major metabolites exclusively produced by Clostridium sporogenes and may function as unique chemical messengers communicating with its host. In the present study, we examined if two C. sporogenes-derived metabolites can modulate the oscillation of mammalian molecular clock. Interestingly, 4-OH-PPA and PPA increased the amplitude of both PER2 and Bmal1 oscillation in a dose-dependent manner following their administration immediately after the nadir or the peak of their rhythm. The phase of PER2 oscillation responded differently depending on the mode of administration of the metabolites. In addition, using an organotypic slice culture ex vivo, treatment with 4-OH-PPA increased the amplitude and lengthened the period of PER2 oscillation in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and other tissues. In summary, two C. sporogenes-derived metabolites are involved in the regulation of circadian oscillation of Per2 and Bmal1 clock genes in the host's peripheral and central clock machineries.