• Journal of dental hygiene science
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.296-303
• /
• 2013

Lysyl oxidase (LOX), extracellular matrix enzyme, is catalyzing lysine-derived crosslinks in collagen and elastin. Recently, several LOX-like proteins (LOXL, LOXL2, LOXL3 and LOXL4) have been identified in human but their specific functions are still largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the function of the LOX family genes during odontoblastic differentiation of human dental pulp (HDP) cells induced with odontogenic supplement (OS). The messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of LOX family genes and differentiation markers was assessed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis (RT-PCR). The formation of mineralization nodules was evaluated by alrizarin red S staining. Amine oxidase activity of HDP cells was measured by peroxidase-coupled fluormetric assay. The expressions of differentiation markers, such as alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteopontin (OPN), osteocalcin (OCN), dentin matrix protein1 (DMP1), dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) in HDP cells were increased after treatment with OS media. The LOX and LOXL mRNA expression were gradually increased in OS media, whereas LOX enzyme activities were markedly detected on day 7. The mRNA expression and LOX enzyme activity of collagen type I was very similar to the pattern of LOX gene. In this study, the expression of LOX and its isoforms, and activity of LOX were highly regulated during odontoblastic differentiation. Thus, these results suggest that LOX plays a key role in odontoblastic differentiation of HDP cells.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
• /
• v.22 no.6
• /
• pp.204-209
• /
• 2012

We measure the ferromagnetic resonance signals in order to analyze the exchange coupling energy due to the uncompensated antiferromagnetic spins in exchange coupled CoFe/MnIr bilayers. The exchange bias fields ($H_{ex}$) and rotatable anisotropy fields ($H_{ra}$) are obtained from the ferromagnetic resonance fields measured with in-plane angle in thermal annealed samples with $t_{AF}$= 0, 3, and 10 nm. The sum of the $H_{ex}$ and $H_{ra}$ do not depend on the MnIr thickness, which means that all the uncompensated AF spins are aligned to one direction in $300^{\circ}C$ annealed samples. Therefore, the uncompensated AF spins are divided into two different parts. One parts are fixed at the interface between CoFe/MnIr bilayers and induces the $H_{ex}$, other parts are rotatable with magnetic field and induces the $H_{ra}$. Finally, the exchange coupling energy can be expressed by the sum of the exchange bias energy and rotatable anisotropy energy.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
• /
• v.53 no.6
• /
• pp.437-450
• /
• 2020

This study presents a probabilistic distributed hydrological model for Ephemeral catchment, where zero flow often occurs due to the influence of distinct climate characteristics in South Korea. The gridded hydrological model is developed by combining the Sacramento Soil Moisture Accounting Model (SAC-SMA) runoff model with a routing model. In addition, an error model is employed to represent a probabilistic hydrologic model. To be specific, the hydrologic model is coupled with a censoring error model to properly represent the features of ephemeral catchments. The performance of the censoring error model is evaluated by comparing it with the Gaussian error model, which has been utilized in a probabilistic model. We first address the necessity to consider ephemeral catchments through a review of the extensive research conducted over the recent decade. Then, the Yongdam Dam catchment is selected for our study area to confirm the usefulness of the hydrologic model developed in this study. Our results indicate that the use of the censored error model provides more reliable results, although the two models considered in this study perform reliable results. In addition, the Gaussian model delivers many negative flow values, suggesting that it occasionally offers unrealistic estimations in hydrologic modeling. In an in-depth analysis, we find that the efficiency of the censored error model may increase as the frequency of zero flow increases. Finally, we discuss the importance of utilizing the censored error model when the hydrologic model is applied for ephemeral catchments in South Korea.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.83-94
• /
• 2009

Background and Objectives: The skin barrier protects skin against a harmful environment. Its function includes an antimicrobial barrier as well as a physical barrier. Stress is harmful to the skin barrier and there are many studies on this, but there are few about the effect of stress during pregnancy on the skin barrier of offspring. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of stress during pregnancy on the skin barrier of offspring by examination with the naked eye, cortisol, weight, TEWL and histologic tests. Materials and Methods: Male hairless mice ten weeks old were coupled with females for three days. After twelve days the females were divided into two groups. We stressed one group and not the other group. The offspring from the non-stressed (N group) and stressed (S group) grew up until four weeks. The S group was exposed to chronic mild stress using the chronic stress model protocol modified method of Wilner and Towell for a week. We made examinations with the naked eye, assessment of cortisol, weight, TEWL, and histologic test to contrast the S group with the N group. Statistical analysis was performed by using Mann-Whitney and Friedman test. Statistical significance was achieved if the probability was less than 5% (p<0.05). Results: 1. By making an examination with the naked eye, S group showed papules, creases and dryness on their skin, but N showed no change compared with normal skin. 2. There was no statistically significant difference between S group and N group in cortisol (p>0.05). 3. There was no statistically significant difference between S group and N group in weight. N group had less weight than S group (p<0.05). 4. There was no statistically significant difference between S group and N group in TEWL (p>0.05). 5. There was no statistically significant difference between S group and N group in TEWL recovery (p>0.05). 6. In TEWL and TEWL recovery, there was statistically significant difference by time between S group and N group (p<0.005). Histologically, S group showed a thicker epidermis and epidermal crest than N group. Conclusions: We found that stress during pregnancy has negative effects on the skin barrier of offspring. Though there were no statistically significant differences between S group and N group in TEWL recovery, we found evidence that the recovery of skin barrier function is interrupted by stress during pregnancy by examination with both the naked eye and histology.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.1-5
• /
• 2005

Contents of heavy metals [mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As)] in 218 samples including soybean curds (n = 138), processed bean curds (n = 37), starch jellies (n = 33), and mixed starch jellies (n = 10) were determined using mercury analyzer, atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) or inductively coupled plasma spectrometer (ICP). Ranges and means of heavy metals in soybean curds and starch jellies were as follows [min-max (mean) values]: soybean curds -Hg $0.1-8.2(0.3)$, Pb not detectable (ND)-203.9(23.3),\ Cd ND-46.0 (8.1), and As ND-61.3 (0.7)${\mu}g/kg$, starch jellies-Hg 0.1-1.3(0.3)${\mu}g/kg$, Pb ND-90.2(22.4)${\mu}g/kg$, Cd ND-31.0(3.7) and As ND-23.6(1.1)${\mu}g/kg$. Daily intakes of Hg, Pb, and Cd from soybean curds and starch jellies were 0.001-0.3% of Provisional tolerable weekly intake established by FAO/WHO.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.98 no.5
• /
• pp.548-557
• /
• 2009

For centuries, forests have been a key component of rural livelihood. They are important both socially and economically in Nepal. Firewood and fodder are the basic forest products that are extracted daily or weekly basis in most of the rural areas in Nepal. In this study, a field survey of 100 households was conducted to examine the degree of forest dependency and forest resource availability, households' livelihood strategy and their relationship with forest dependency in Chitwan, Nepal. A household' response indexes were constructed, Gini coefficient, Head Count Poverty Index (HCI) and Poverty Gap Index (PGI) were calculated and one way ANOVA test was also performed for data analysis. Data revealed that 82/81% of all households were constantly used forest for firewood and fodder collection respectively while 42% of households were used forest or forest fringe for grazing. The Forest Product Availability Indexes (FPAI) showed a sharp decline of forest resources from 0.781 to 0.308 for a 20-yr time horizon while timber wood was noticeably lowered than the other products. Yet, about 33% of households were below the poverty threshold line with 0.0945 PGI. Income distribution among the household showed a lower Gini coefficient 0.25 than 0.37 of landholdings size. However, mean income was significantly varies with F-statistics=246.348 at P=0.05 between income groups (rich, medium and poor). The extraction of firewood, fodder and other forest products were significantly different between the income group with F-statistics=16.480, 19.930, 29.956 at P=0.05 respectively. Similarly, landholdings size and education were also significantly different between the income groups with F-statistics=4.333, 5.981 at P=0.05 respectively. These findings suggested that income status of households was the major indicator of forest dependency while poor and medium groups were highly dependent on the forests for firewood, fodder and other products. Forest dependency still remains high and the availability of forest products that can be extracted from the remaining forestlands is decreasing. The high dependency of households on forest coupled with other socioeconomic attributes like education, poverty, small landholders and so on were possibly caused the forest degradation in Chitwan.Therefore, policy must be directed towards the poor livelihood supporting agenda that may enhance the financial conditions of rural households while it could reduce the degree of forest dependency inspired with other income generating activities in due course.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Telematics and Electronics D
• /
• v.36D no.8
• /
• pp.36-44
• /
• 1999

This paper presents the design and fabrication of the duplexer for a Ka-band satellite transponder which is analyzed transmission characteristics by calculating the generalized scattering matrix using mode matching method. It is composed of 2 bandpass filters, coupled with H-plane T-junction having symmetrical inductive iris and E-plane metal insert structures. Compared with the size and weight of the Rx and Tx filter loaded with a transponders respectively, those of the duplexer can be effectively reduced. In a high power transmission, the variation of the filter characteristics is minimized by the scheme that irises are extended to the exterior of H-plane of the waveguide. This scheme needs no extra heat sinks for dissipating high power. The duplexer is designed to improve the simplification, durability and reliability by eliminating tuning screws, which have been used to compensate for the characteristics of fabricated filters. The bandpass filters of the duplexer show the insertion loss of less than 1.2 dB and the return loss in excess of 15 dB. The isolations of more than 65 dB have been achieved between Rx and Tx filter.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
• /
• 2003.05a
• /
• pp.32-33
• /
• 2003

Mechanism of a periodic oscillation of shock-induced combustion over a two- dimensional wedges and axi-symmetric cones were investigated through a series of numerical simulations at off-attaching condition of oblique detonation waves(ODW). A same computational domain over 40 degree half-angle was considered for two-dimensional and axi-symmetric shock-induced combustion phenomena. For two-dimensional shock-induced combustion, a 2H2+02+17N2 mixture was considered at Mach number was 5.85with initial temperature 292 K and initial pressureof 12 KPa. The Rankine-Hugoniot relation has solution of attached waves at this condition. For axi-symmetric shock-induced combustion, a H2+2O2+2Ar mixture was considered at Mach number was 5.0 with initial temperature 288 K and initial pressure of 200 mmHg. The flow conditions were based on the conditions of similar experiments and numerical studies.[1, 3]Numerical simulation was carried out with a compressible fluid dynamics code with a detailed hydrogen-oxygen combustion mechanism.[4, 5] A series of calculations were carried out by changing the fluid dynamic time scale. The length wedge is varied as a simplest way of changing the fluid dynamic time scale. Result reveals that there is a chemical kinetic limit of the detached overdriven detonation wave, in addition to the theoretical limit predicted by Rankine-Hugoniot theory with equilibrium chemistry. At the off-attaching condition of ODW the shock and reaction waves still attach at a wedge as a periodically oscillating oblique shock-induced combustion, if the Rankine-Hugoniot limit of detachment isbut the chemical kinetic limit is not.Mechanism of the periodic oscillation is considered as interactions between shock and reaction waves coupled with chemical kinetic effects. There were various regimes of the periodicmotion depending on the fluid dynamic time scales. The difference between the two-dimensional and axi-symmetric simulations were distinct because the flow path is parallel and uniform behind the oblique shock waves, but is not behind the conical shock waves. The shock-induced combustion behind the conical shockwaves showed much more violent and irregular characteristics.From the investigation of characteristic chemical time, condition of the periodic instability is identified as follows; at the detaching condition of Rankine-Hugoniot theory, (1) flow residence time is smaller than the chemical characteristic time, behind the detached shock wave with heat addition, (2) flow residence time should be greater than the chemical characteristic time, behind an oblique shock wave without heat addition.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.359-367
• /
• 2016

Background: As new legislation has come into force implementing radiation safety management for the use of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), it is necessary to establish a rapid and accurate measurement technique. Measurement of $^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$ using conventional methods encounter the most significant difficulties for pretreatment (e.g., purification, speciation, and dilution/enrichment) or require time-consuming processes. Therefore, in this study, the applicability of ED-XRF as a non-destructive and rapid screening method was validated for raw materials and by-product samples. Materials and Methods: A series of experiments was conducted to test the applicability for rapid screening of XRF measurement to determine activity of $^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$ based on certified reference materials (e.g., soil, rock, phosphorus rock, bauxite, zircon, and coal ash) and NORM samples commercially used in Korea. Statistical methods were used to compare the analytical results of ED-XRF to those of certified values of certified reference materials (CRM) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results and Discussion: Results of the XRF measurement for $^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$ showed under 20% relative error and standard deviation. The results of the U-test were statistically significant except for the case of U in coal fly ash samples. In addition, analytical results of $^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$ in the raw material and by-product samples using XRF and the analytical results of those using ICP-MS ($R^2{\geq}0.95$) were consistent with each other. Thus, the analytical results rapidly derived using ED-XRF were fairly reliable. Conclusion: Based on the validation results, it can be concluded that the ED-XRF analysis may be applied to rapid screening of radioactivities ($^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$) in NORM samples.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
• /
• 2002.11a
• /
• pp.477-480
• /
• 2002

Si-O-C(-H) thin film with a tow dielectric constant were deposited on a P-type Si(100) substrate by an inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition (ICPCVD). Bis-trimethylsilymethane (BTMSM, H$_{9}$C$_3$-Si-CH$_2$-Si-C$_3$H$_{9}$) and oxygen gas were used as Precursor. Hybrid type Si-O-C(-H) thin films with organic material have been generated many voids after annealing. Consequently, the Si-O-C(-H) films can be made a low dielectric material by the effect of void. The surface characterization of Si-O-C(-H) thin films were performed by SEM(scanning electron microscope). The characteristic analysis of Si-O-C(-H) thin films were performed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).