• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.95-101
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• 2010

The aim of this study was to detect longitudinal alterations on lumbar vertebral trabecular bone quality (microarchitecture and degree of mineralization) and bone mineral density (BMD) during pregnancy Virginal eighteen mice were used. Then, twelve mice were mated. Mice lumbar vertebrae were scanned before mate, at 7 days of pregnancy (early pregnancy, 6 mice) and immediately after delivery (late pregnancy, 6 mice) by using in-vivo micro-computed tomography Structural parameters, degree of mineralization and BMD were measured. During early pregnancy, there were no significant alterations on structural parameters, degree of mineralization and BMD. At late pregnancy, Tb.Th (11.8%) and BMD (12.7%) were significantly decreased and Tb.N (6.3%), Tb.Pf (43.0%) and BS/BV (15.1%) were significantly increased (p<0.05). Additionally, the lower degree of mineralization was increased, although, the higher degree of mineralization was decreased. These results indicated that the quality and BMD might be not affected during early pregnancy. At late pregnancy, however the bone quality and BMD were likely to be negatively affected.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.559-564
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• 2011

Soil microbial functions are considered to be effective in assessing the severity of heavy metal pollution. Therefore, this study was carried out to examine the effect of heavy metals on nitrogen mineralization by measuring the releasing pattern of inorganic nitrogen ($NH_4^+$-N and $NO_3^-$-N) in a soil treated with heavy metals. A factorial combination of two heavy metals (Zn and Cd) treated with three concentrations (50, 100 and $150{\mu}mol\;g^{-1}$ soils) was used in a laboratory incubation. Nitrogen mineralization was determined at 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 42 and 56 days after the treatments replicated four times. Soil sample free from heavy metals was served as the control. The amount of nitrogen mineralization from heavy metal treated soils was found to be decreased at an increasing rate during the first 21 days of incubation. However, as the incubation progressed, nitrogen mineralization was found to be decreased at decreasing rates. Furthermore, during this period, nitrogen mineralization in Cd treated soils was significantly lower ($P{\leq}0.05$) than that of the control. Soils treated with Cd at the concentration of $150{\mu}mol\;g^{-1}$ showed the lowest N mineralization throughout the incubation. Nitrogen mineralization in Zn treated soils ($50{\mu}mol\;g^{-1}$) was found to be higher than the other heavy metal treated soils. On the base of present findings, nitrogen mineralization of soil could be considered as a viable assessment of the degree of heavy metal pollution.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.527-533
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• 2011

Decomposition of compost applied to soils is affected basically by its biological stability; but, many other chemical properties of the compost may also influence compost organic-C mineralization. This study was conducted to investigate the principal substrate quality factors of composts that determine C mineralization of compost with similar stability degree (SD). Three composts samples with similar SD but different chemical properties such as pH, C/N, $K_2SO_4$-extractable C, and molar ratio of $NH_4^+$ to $NO_3^-$ were mixed with an acid loamy soil and $CO_2$ emission was monitored during the laboratory incubation for 100 days. Temporal pattern of cumulative compost organic-C mineralization expressed as % of total organic C ($C_{%\;TOC}$) followed double exponential first order kinetics model and the $C_{%\;TOC}$ ranged from 4.8 to 11.8% at the end of incubation. The pattern of C%TOC among the composts was not coincident with the SD pattern (40.1 to 58.6%) of the composts; e.g. compost with the lowest SD resulted in the least $C_{%\;TOC}$ and vice versa. This result indicates that SD of compost can not serve as a concrete predictor of compost mineralization as SD is subject not only to maturity of compost but also to characteristics of co-composting materials such as rice hull (low SD) and sawdust (high SD). Meanwhile, such pattern of $C_{%\;TOC}$ collaborated with pH, C/N, $K_2SO_4$-extractable C, and molar ratio of $NH_4^+$ to $NO_3^-$ of the composts that are regarded as chemical indices of the progress of composting. Therefore, for better prediction of compost mineralization in soils, it is necessary to consider both SD and other chemical indices (pH, C/N, and molar ratio of $NH_4^+$ to $NO_3^-$).

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.444-451
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• 2009

Purpose: The aim of present study is to detect longitudinal alterations of mechanical characteristic determined by bone quality (microarchitecture and degree of mineralization) on femur trabecular bone due to metastatic bone tumor Materials and Methods: Each 6 female SD rats (12 weeks old, approximate 250g) were allocated in SHAM and TUMOR Group. W256 (Walker carcinosarcoma 256 malignant breast cancer cell) was injected into the right femur (intraosseous injection) in TUMOR Group, whereas 0.9% NaCl (saline solution) was injected in SHAM Group. The right hind limbs of all rats were scanned by in-vivo micro-CT to acquire structural parameters, bone mineral density, X-ray attenuation and bone mineralization distribution at 0 week and 4 weeks after surgery. Results: BMD, BV/TV and Tb.N of trabecular bone in TUMOR group were markedly decreased (26%, 11% and 23%) while those in SHAM group were significantly increased (34%, 48% and 11%) (p<0.05). BS/BV, Tb.Sp and SMI in TUMOR group were significantly increased (-16%, 38% and 2%) compared with those in SHAM group (-33%, 12% and -16%) (p<0.05). Additionally, bone mineralization in TUMOR group significantly decreased while those in SHAM group was significantly increased (p<0.05). Conclusion: It is identified that how much bone microarchitecture and mineralization are diminished due to the metastatic bone tumor. The results may be helpful to prediction of fracture risk by metastatic bone tumor.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.213-222
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• 2012

While much has been learned about the mechanisms of metastatic spread of cancer to bone, there has been little headway in establishing guidelines for monitoring the alteration in bone quality and estimating fracture risk. The aims of this study are, therefore, 1) to evaluate bone quality induced by metastatic bone tumor by analyzing the characteristics on bone microarchitecture and degree of bone mineralization and 2) analyze fracture risk increased secondary to the bone quality changes by metastatic bone tumor through calculating mechanical rigidities based on in-vivo micro CT images. For this study, eighteen female SD rats (12 weeks old, approximate 250 g) were randomly allocated in Sham and Tumor groups. W256 (Walker carcinosarcoma 256 malignant breast cancer cell) was inoculated in the right femur (intraosseous injection) in Tumor group, while 0.9% NaCl (saline solution) was injected in Sham group. The right hind limbs of all rats were scanned by in-vivo micro-CT to acquire structural parameters and degree of bone mineralization at 0 week, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks after surgery. At the same time, urine was collected by metabolic cages for a biochemical marker test in order to evaluate bone resorption. Then, bone metastasis had been directly identified by positron emission tomography. Finally, axial, bending and torsional rigidities had been calculated based on in-vivo micro CT images for predict fracture risk. The results of this study showed that metastatic bone tumor might induce significant decrease in bone quality and increase of fracture risk. This study may be helpful to monitoring a degree of bone metastasis and predicting fracture risk due to metastatic bone tumor. In addition, this noninvasive diagnostic methodology may be utilized for evaluating other bone metabolic diseases such as osteoporosis.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.4 s.50
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• pp.325-336
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• 2006

Domestic serpentinite is one of the important industrial minerals utilizing in the iron manufacturing company such as POSCO in Korea. Serpentinite is distributed in the Ulsan Fe deposit, Andong, Hongseong-Cheongyang, and Gapyeong areas. This study tries to interpret the relationship among the formation of carbonate rocks, iron mineralization, and serpentinite alteration throughout the study of field occurrence, mineralogy, and chemical compositions. Serpentine is formed by the break-down of olivine and pyroxene of parent peridotite. The serpentinization is inferred to be formed by the hydrothermal fluid derived from intruded Cretaceous granite and the addition of meteoric water. Variation of major oxides such as $SiO_2,\;Fe_2O_3$, and MgO in serpentinized rocks are controlled by the degree of serpentinization and Fe mineralization. Variation of $Al_2O_3$ and CaO contents of altered rocks is dependent on the amount of the residual minerals such as calcite and homblende, and on the degree of chloritization. The presence of carbonate rocks reported in the sedimentary origin or igneous origin (carbonatite) provided a geological environment to form skarn type Fe deposit regardless of its origin. The geological processes of Ulsan Fe deposits are inferred to be formed as the order of the formation of carbonate rocks ${\to}$ the intrusion of Cretaceous granite ${\to}$ serpentinization ${\to}$ Fe mineralization by the interprelation of field occurrence and mineralogical characteristics.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.323-336
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• 2019

The Mesozoic activity on the Korean Peninsula is mainly represented by the Triassic post-collisional, Jurassic orogenic, and Cretaceous post-orogenic igneous activities. The diversity of mineralization by each geological period came from various geothermal systems derived from the geochemical characteristics of magma with different emplacement depth. The Cretaceous metallic mineralization has been carried out over a wide range of time periods from ca. 115 to 45 Ma (main stage; ca. 100 to 60 Ma) related to post-orogenic igneous activity, and spatial distribution patterns of most metal deposits are concentrated along small granitic stocks. The late Cretaceous metal deposits in the Gyeonggi and Yeongnam massifs are generally distributed along the boundary among the Gongju-Eumseong fault system and the Yeongdong-Gwangju fault system and the Gyeongsang Basin, most of them are in the form of a distal epithermal~mesothermal Au-Ag vein or a transitional mesothermal Zn-Pb-Cu vein. On the other hand, diverse metal commodities in the Taebaeg Basin, the Okcheon metamorphic belt and the Gyeongsang Basin are produced from various deposit types such as skarn, carbonate-replacement, vein, porphyry, breccia pipe, and Carlin type. In the late Cretaceous metallic mineralization, various mineral deposits and commodities were induced not only by the pathway of the hydrothermal solution, but also by the diversity of precipitation environment in the proximity difference of the granitic rocks. The diversity of these types of Cretaceous deposits is fundamentally dependent on the geochemical characteristics such as degree of differentiation and oxidation state of related igneous rocks, and ore-forming fluids generally exhibit the evolutionary characteristics of intermediate- to low-sulfur hydrothermal fluids.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.99-103
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• 2005

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), members of a large group of TGF-beta family, are important molecular regulators of morphogenesis of numerous tissues and organs, including bones and teeth. Most BMPs are capable of inducing bone formation in vivo and therefore are of considerable clinical interest for regenerating mineralized tissues. Recently, we have developed a method to culture cells from human cementum (human cementum-derived cells, HCDCs). HCDCs, when attached to synthetic hydroxyapatite/tricalcium phosphate (HA/TCP) ceramic and transplanted into immunodeficient mice, formed histologically identifiable cementum-like tissue. Since it is unclear to what extent BMPs are involved in cementogenesis, the aim of this study was to establish which BMPs are expressed by cementogenic HCDCs and whether the expression of BMPs is related to the degree of cellular differentiation in vitro. HCDCs were maintained in growth medium (DMEM/F12 supplemented with 10% FBS) until confluent (proliferation stage). Upon reaching confluence, cells were incubated in the differentiation medium (DMEM/F12 medium containing 10% FBS and 50 mg/ml ascorbic acid) for 14 days (differentiation stage). Next, HCDCs were incubated in mineralization medium (DMEM/F12, 50 mg/ml ascorbic acid, 2.5 mg/ml of ITS (insulin-transferrinselenium), 5 mM beta-glycerophosphate and $10^{-8}M$ dexamethasone) for another 14 days (mineralization stage). At the end of each differentiation stage, total RNA was isolated and evaluated for BMPs (2 through 8) expression by employing real time RT-PCR. HCDCs expressed most of BMPs examined except BMP-7 and BMP-8. Furthermore, on average, the highest levels of BMPs were expressed at the earlier differentiation stage, prior to the initiation of mineralization in vitro. These results indicate that several BMPs are expressed during cementoblastic differentiation and suggest that BMPs may be involved in the homeostasis of human cementum.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 1999.11a
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• pp.158-164
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• 1999

This paper investigated and evaluated the NASA's Shuttle Imaging Radar-C (SIR-C) multiple frequency SAR data for differential backscattering effects of microwave from the surface geological materials overlying the skarn type mineralization. Although an integrated approach in mineral exploration is more cost effective and is well in use, there are still many technical and scientific issues to be further investigated and researched. In this study we have reprocessed several sets of previously surveyed exploration data and experimented with fuzzy logic digital fusion of the preprocessed data with respect to chosen exploration targets. Among the numerous fuzzy logic operators, which are currently available for a data driven integrated exploration strategy, we used varying combinations of fuzzy MIN, fuzzy MAX, and fuzzy SUM operators along with Gamma operator for fusion of exploration data, including the contact metamorphic zone information. The final exploration target tested was a skarn type W-Mo-F mineralization in the study area. The fuzzy logic derived mineral potential anomaly almost exactly matched the differential backscattering anomalies on the C-band and L-band SIR_C data when overlaid on each other. Although this high degree of correlation between these two data sets is remarkable, the differential backscattering anomaly over the skarn type W-Mo-F mineralization in the study area requires further investigation.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.425-440
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• 2020

The study area is located in the southern part of the M'aider Paleozoic basin in the Moroccan Eastern Anti-Atlas. It is an arid region, characterized by minimal vegetation cover, which can provide an ideal environment to apply remote sensing. In this study, remote sensing and field investigations were integrated for lithological and structural lineaments mapping. The Landsat 8 OLI data were processed in order to understand the role of lithology and geological structures in the distribution of mineral deposits in the study area. To achieve this purpose, the Color Composite (CC), the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Band Rationing transformation (BR) tests were performed. The results of remote sensing techniques coupled with field investigations have shown that the zones of high lineaments densities are highly correlated with the occurrences of barite mineralization. These findings depict a spatial relationship between structural lineaments and the mineralization distribution zones. Therefore, the barite and Iron oxides mineralization veins, which occur mainly in the Ras Kammouna district, seem to have a structural control. The methodological approach used in this study examining lithological mapping and lineament extractions can be used to explore mineral deposits in arid regions to a high degree of efficiency.