• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.528-533
• /
• 2009

In the current study, the mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) isolated and propagated from the human umbilical cord blood (UCB) were tested for their capabilities of differentiation into chondrocytes in vitro. The mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs) collected from UCB were cultured in a low glucose DMEM medium with 10% FBS, L-glutamine and antibiotics. The human MSC colonies were positively stained by PAS reaction. When the immunophenotypes of surface antigens on the MSCs were analyzed by fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis, these cells expressed positively MSC-related antigens of CD 29, CD44, CD 90 and CD105, whereas they did not express antigens of CD14, CD31, CD34, CD45, CD133 and HLA-DR. Following induction these MSCs into chondrocytes in the chondrogenic differentiation medium for 3 weeks or more, the cells were stained positively with safranin O. We clearly confirmed that human MSCs were successfully differentiated into chondrocytes by RT-PCR and immunofluorescent stain of type-II collagen protein. These data also indicate that the isolation, proliferation and differentiation of the hUCB-derived MSCs in vitro can be used for elucidating the mechanisms involved in chondrogenesis. Moreover this differentiation technique can be applied to developing cell-based tissue regeneration or repair damaged tissues.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2008

The purpose of this study was to determine the possible additive effects of endurance exercise training (EXER) and selenium (SELE) on the improvements of glucose and lactate transport capacities in diabetic Goto-kakizaki rats. Animals either remained sedentary control (SED) or performed EXER or received SELE [$5{\mu}mol$ kg body wt (-1) day (-1)], or underwent both EXER and SELE (COMBI), which lasted for 6 wk. Compared with sedentary control, EXER alone or the SELE alone group, or the combined treatment group had significant reduction in glucose response measured at 90 min and 120 min during an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) and body weight after 6week treatment. EXER alone, or combined group individually had significantly higher glycogen contents in liver compared with SED or SELE groups. EXER alone increased glycogen content in soleus and plantaris compared with SED, and this parameter was increased to greatest extent in the combined treatment groups compared with SED or SELE groups. EXER alone, SELE alone or COMBI, caused significant decreases in the plasma lactates, serum glucose, insulin, total cholesterol and HOMA-IR along with a significant increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol compared with SED. In addition, EXER or COMBI individually had significantly lower serum triacylglycerol compared with SED or SELE. With respect to protein expression related to glucose and lactate transport capacities, EXER alone, SELE alone, or COMBI increased in MCT1 and MCT4 protein level in soleus and plantaris. Furthermore, EXER alone, SELE alone or COMBI caused significant increases in mt MCT1 protein level in soleus and plantaris. The findings of the current study suggest that endurance exercise training and selenium treatment may provide therapeutic values to type II diabetic patients with peripheral insulin resistance and hyperlactatecemia by improving glucose and lactate transport capacities, leading to improvements in plasma lactate, serum glucose, insulin and lipid profiles (TC, TG, HDL).

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.11 no.5
• /
• pp.367-371
• /
• 2001

In this paper, theS $r_2$(T $a_{1-x}$ , N $b_{x}$)$_2$ $O_{7}$(STNO) films among ferroelectric materials having a low dielectric constant for metal-ferroelectric-semiconductor field effect transistor(MFS-FET) were discussed. The STNO thin films were deposited on p-type Si(100) at room temperature by co-sputtering with S $r_2$N $b_2$ $O_{7(SNO)}$ ceramic target and T $a_2$ $O_{5}$ ceramic target. The composition of STNO thin films was varied by adjusting the power ratios of SNO target and T $a_2$ $O_{5}$ target. The STNO films were annealed at 8$50^{\circ}C$, 90$0^{\circ}C$ and 9$50^{\circ}C$ temperature in oxygen ambient for 1 hour. The value of x has significantly influenced the structure and electrical properties of the STNO films. In the case of x= 0.4, the crystallinity of the STNO films annealed at 9$50^{\circ}C$ was observed well and the memory windows of the Pt/STNO/Si structure were 0.5-8.3 V at applied voltage of 3-9 V and leakage current density was 7.9$\times$10$_{08}$A/$\textrm{cm}^2$ at applied voltage of -5V.of -5V.V.V.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.247-272
• /
• 2005

The Philadelphus schrenkii complex including P. schrenkii var. schrenkii, P. schrenkii var. jackii, P. schrenkii var. mandshuricus, P. tenuifolius, P. pekinensis, P. seoulensis, P. lasiogynus, and P. scaber, is distributed in China, Korea, japan, and far eastern Russia. Their taxonomic delimitations are obscure because quantitative characters, such as presence/absence and density of hair on leaf, petiole, style, disc, calyx-tube, and pedicel, are highly variable with no apparent characteristics that consistently distinguish from each other within the group. Thus, these morphological characters are reexamined using univariate analyses. P. pekinenesis is distinct from other taxa in having glabrous disk, calyx, pedicel, and leaf blade. In addition, the number of flowers in an inflorescence [(5)7-9(11) vs 5-7 in other taxa], smaller calyx tube [2.5-3 mm vs. (2.5)3-4(5.9) in other taxa], and slightly divided styles help distinguish P. pekinenesis from other related taxa in Korea. However, P. schrenkii var. schrenkii, P. schrenkii var. jackii, P. schrenkii var. mandshuricus, and P. lasiogynus show continuous variation in the pubescence of disk, calyx, pedicel, and leaf blade, and this may reflect a lack of divergence among them. Particular emphases are placed on P. tenuifolius and P. seoulensis, because of the high degree of morphological intergradation with respect to the degree of pubescence in disk, calyx, pedicel, and leaf blade and their inconsistent circumscription across various systematic treatments. P. scaber, distributed in the southern Korea, has often been treated as an independent species having exfoliated branchlets, distinct serrated leaf margin, and recurved styles. However, this current study suggests that P. scaber should be recognized as a form of P. tenuifolius because these distinguishing characters are continuous between P. tenuifolius and P. scaber. In geographical distribution, P. pekinensis is mainly distributed in the southern part of Korea, while P. tenuifoilus and P. schrenkii are commonly found all over the country.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
• /
• v.5 no.4
• /
• pp.371-376
• /
• 1996

Au films with a thickness around 1600 $\AA$ were deposited onto glass at room temperature by ion beam sputtering with a 5 cm cold-hollow ion gun at pressure $1\times 10^{-6}-1\times 10^{-5}$ Torr. Irradiation of the Au deposited samples was carried out at pressure of $7\times 10^{-6}$ Torr. For the sputter depositions, $Ar^+$ ion energy was 1 keV, and the current density at the substrate surface was 15 $\mu$A/$\textrm{cm}^2$. Effects of 1 keV $Ar^+$ ion dose($I_d$) between $1\times 10^{16}\; and\;2\times 10^{17}\;Ar^+\textrm{cm}^{-2}$on properties such as crystallinity, surface roughness and adhesion, etc. of the films have been investigated. The Au films sputtered by $Ar^+$ ion beam had only (111) plane and the X-ray intensity of the films decreased with increase of $I_d$. The thickness of Au films reduced with Id. $R_{ms}$ surface roughness of the films increased from 16 $\AA$ at as-deposited to 1118 $\AA$ at ion dose= $2\times 10^{17}\;Ar^+\textrm{cm}^{-2}$. Adhesion of Au film on sputtered at $I_d$= $2\times 10^{17}\;Ar^+\textrm{cm}^{-2}$ was 9 times greater than that of Au film with untreated, as determined by a scratch test.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.1-18
• /
• 1996

This study examines the spatial characteristics of postal office patronage in rural areas. in the light of future possible relocation and closures of the postal facilities. Most of private services have flown out small rural central places due to the decrease of supporting population, and there consequently remain only a few public services including government-run post offices at the Myon seats, the lowest level among rural central places in Korea. The small local population and its further decline undermine the rationale for maintaining such public services in depleted rural areas. For the worse of it, the government recently plans to transform the postal system to a quasi-private, corporational structure. One can fear that the profit-seeking nature of the new postal corporation will inevitably force to close many of such small rural facilities. The study first analysed nation-wide censuses of postal offices for the years of 1986 and 1992. The postal services examined are per capita number of postal stamps and revenue stamps sold, and letters, parcels, telegrams and monetary transactions handled at the post offices. It is found that, while the usage of postal services has increased substantially throughout the nation during the period of 1986-1992, the increment has largely been occurred by urban post offices rather than by those in Gun seats (i.e., rural counties); and that the gap of the service levels between urban and rural post offices is ever widening. The study further examined the service differentials among the post offices within rural counties to find that those post offices adjacent to the county (Gun) seats and larger urban centers rendered less amount of services than remote rural post offices, indicating that rural residents tend to partonize larger centers more and more than local Myon seats. At the second stage of the study, questionnaire surveys were conducted in Muju, Kimpo, and Hongsung-Gun's. These three counties are meant to represent respectively the remote, suburban, and intermediary counties in Korea. The analyses of survey data reveal that the postal hinterlands of the county seats extend to much of nearby Myons, the subdivisions of a Gun. It is also found that the extent of postal hinterlands of the three counties and the magnitude of patronage and quite different from each other depending upon the topography, population density, and the propinquity of the counties to metropolitan centers. The findings suggest to reappraise the current flat allocation scheme of public facilites to each of rural subdivisions throughout the nation. A detailed analysis on the travel behavior of the survey respondents yields that age is the most salient variable to distinguish activity spaces of rural residents. The activity spaces of older respondents tend to be more limited within their Myon, whereas those of younger respondents extend across the Myon boundary, toward the central towns and even distant larger cities. The very existence of several activity spaces in rural areas calls for an attention in the future locational decisions of public facilities. The locational criteria, employed by the Ministry of Communication of Korean government to establish a post office, are the size of hinterland population and the distance from adjacent postal facilities. The present study findings suggest two additional criteria: the order in rural central place hierarchy and the propinquity to the upper-level centers of the central hierarchy. These old and new criteria are complementary each other in that the former criteria are employed to determine new office locations, whereas the latter are appropriate to determine facility relocation and closures.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.93-111
• /
• 2005

Defining soil quality in scopes and applications is one of the prerequisite for the sustainable management of soil environment to orient researches, strategies and policies. However, definition of soil quality is controversial depending upon a viewpoint of soil science or soil environment. Soil quality can be, irrespective of the disciplines, defined as the capacity of a soil to function within ecosystem boundaries to sustain biological productivity, maintain environmental quality and promote plant and animal health. Common to all of the soil quality concepts can be summarized as the capacity of soil to function effectively at present and in the future. The OECD includes soil quality as one of the agri-environment indicators. This article intends to i) summarize the current soil quality research, and ii) provide information on protocol of soil quality assessment. A framework for soil quality was divided into three steps: indicator selection as minimum data set (MDS), scoring of the selected indicators, and integration of scores into soil quality index. Korean government suggested possible physical and chemical indicators such as bulk density and organic matter for paddy and upland soils to OECD. The framework of soil quality assessment is not yet implemented in Korea. Countries such as USA, Canada and New Zealand have constructed the framework on soil quality assessment and developed a user-friendly version of soil quality assessment tools to evaluate the integrated effects of various soil management practices. The protocol provided in this review might help policymakers, scientists, and administrators improve awareness about soil quality and understand the way of soil environment management.

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.35-45
• /
• 2006

Plants of Vitex negundo are known to develop numerous trichomes throughout their body, where certain trichome types have been believed to be one of the plausible structures for the unique scents. In the current study. structural aspects of the trichomes have been examined in leaves and stems of Vitex negundo using TEM and SEM. Trichome types as well as structural changes that occurred in certain trichomes during secretion have been mainly focused. Three type of glandular trichomes and two types of non-glandular trichomes were developed in the epidermis of young and mature Vitex negundo plants. The glandular trichomes included the peltate type (Type 1), the capitate type (Type 2), and degraded capitate type (Type 3), whereas the non-glandular warty trichomes contained the multicellular (Types 4) and unicellular type (Type 5). Type 1 and 2 consisted of head and stalk cells, but their number and size were different. One secretory cavity was formed from the four head cells in the former, but only two head cells were involved in the latter. The cytoplasmic density in the head cell was quite high and in particular, sER and Golgi bodies were well developed. At initiation of their development, the cuticle layer of the head cells separated from the outer tangential wall to form a secretory cavity. Subsequently the cavity expanded acropetally and a large number of secretory vesicles continuously produced from the head cells until they filled the entire cavity. The cavity contained materials that would be soon discharged into intercellular spaces and/or into the air. The cavity began to decrease the volume by contracting at initial secretion but degrade rapidly within short time. It has been suggested that the mode of secretion in V. negundo is probably the eccrine secretion, since no break or rupture of the cavity has been observed during examination. Contrastingly Type 3 exhibited deterioration of the head cell at early stage. Type 4 was about $110{\sim}190{\mu}m$ long, consisting of $2{\sim}3$ cells, and distributed more in the adaxial epidermis compared to the abaxial surface. However, $20{\sim}30{\mu}m$ long Type 5 was extremely dense in both epidermis. Among several trichome types, Type 1 and 2 probably play an important role in discharging unique aromatic scents in plants of V. negundo.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
• /
• v.10 no.1_2 s.11
• /
• pp.23-33
• /
• 2004

The Lago Sofia conglomerate in southern Chile is a lenticular unit encased within mudstone-dominated, deep-sea successions (Cerro Toro Formation, upper Cretaceous), extending from north to south for more than $120{\cal}km$. The Lago Sofia conglomerate is a unique example of long, gravelly deep-sea channels, which are rare in the modern environments. In the northern part (areas of Lago Pehoe and Laguna Goic), the conglomerate unit consists of 3-5 conglomerate bodies intervened by mudstone sequences. Paleocurrent data from these bodies indicate sediment transport to the east, south, and southeart. The conglomerate bodies in the northern Part are interpreted as the tributary channels that drained down the Paleoslope and converged to form N-S-trending trunk channels. In the southern part (Lago Sofia section), the conglomerate unit comprises a thick (> 300 m) conglomerate body, which probably formed in axial trunk channels of the N-5-trending foredeep trough. The well-exposed Lago Sofia section allowed for detailed investigation of sedimentary facies and large-scale architecture of the deepsea channel conglomerate. The conglomerate in Lago Sofia section comprises stratified conglomerate, massive-to-graded conglomerate, and diamictite, which represent bedload deposition under turbidity currents, deposition by high-density turbidity currents, and muddy debris flows, respectively. Paleocurrent data suggest that the debris flows originated from the failure of nearby channel banks or slopes flanking the channel system, whereas the turbidity currents flowed parallel to the orientation of the overall channel system. Architectural elements produced by turbidity currents represent vertical stacking of gravel sheets, lateral accretion of gravel bars, migration of gravel dunes, and filling of channel thalwegs and scoured hollows, similar to those in terrestrial gravel-bed braided rivers. Observations of large-scale stratal pattern reveal that the channel bodies are offset stacked toward the east, suggestive of an eastward migration of the axial trunk channel. The eastward channel migration is probably due to tectonic tilting related to the uplift of the Andean protocordillera just west of the Lago Sofia deep-sea channel system.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.227-235
• /
• 2015

Food-Health indicators have been developed and utilized internationally in the 'Food' domain of environment and health indicators. In Korea, however, Food Safety Health Indicators which are in the introductory stage had been developed separately from Environmental Health Indicators. The aim of the current study is to suggest feasible applications of the domestic Food Safety Health Indicators as a case study. We introduced 3 possible applications which are as follows: 1) production of two types of Integrated Food Safety Health Index; 2) conduction of correlation analysis between the Integrated Food Safety Health Index and Food Safety Health Indicators; 3) conduction of regression analysis to evaluate the relationship between the Integrated Food Safety Health Index and socioeconomic status. As a result, we provided the calculated Integrated Food Safety Health Index I and Integrated Food Safety Health Index II, which represents the regional food safety level in relative and absolute terms, respectively. Integrated Food Safety Health Index I was significantly correlated with the outbreaks of food-borne diseases (caused by Campylobacter jejuni, Bacillus cereus, Salmonella spp. and unknown cause) and incidence of E.coli infections. Integrated Food Safety Health Index II significantly decreased as the proportion of foreigners and women increased, and increased as the population density increased. Utilization of such Integrated Food Safety Health Indicators may be helpful in understanding the overall domestic food safety level and identifying the indicators which must be considered with priorities to enhance the food safety levels regionally and domestically. Furthermore, analyzing the association between Integrated Food Safety Health Index and factors other than food safety could be useful in conducting risk management and identifying susceptible populations. Food Safety Health Indicators can be useful in other applications, and may serve as a supporting material in establishing or modifying policy plans to enhance food safety. Therefore, keen interests by researchers accompanied by further studies on food safety health indicators are needed.