• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.305-312
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• 2007

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of split insemination method in treatments for non-male factor infertility. Method: Laboratory and clinical data were collected from 505 cycles of split insemination during 2002$\sim$2005 in our center. The subjects were non-male factor infertility such as endometriosis, tubal, uterine, PCOS and idiopathic infertility without any sperm defects. Retrieved oocytes were randomly divided, and inseminated by conventional IVF or ICSI. Fertilized zygotes were cultured for 2$\sim$5 days to ET date, and surplus zygotes and embryos were frozen for subsequent frozen-thawed ET cycles. Clinical outcomes according to insemination method were compared by statistical analysis. Results: The overall fertilization per retrieved oocytes was significantly higher in ICSI than that of conventional IVF in sibling oocytes (62.5$\pm$22.3% vs 52.9$\pm$28.0%, p<0.01). Total fertilization failure occurred only in 2 of 505 cycles (0.4%) in split insemination cycles. Incidence of fertilization failure and poor fertilization rate less than 30% by ICSI were significantly lower than those of conventional IVF (1.1% and 7.5% vs 8.5% and 22.0%, p<0.01). Delivery rates after transfer of fresh and thawed embryos from split insemination cycles were 40.0% (185/462) and 35.0% (55/157), respectively. There was no significant difference in the implantation and delivery rates of ET with embryos from conventional IVF or ICSI. Conclusion: Taken together, the split insemination method improves poor fertilization rates resulting in successful clinical outcomes and thus could be used for non-male factor infertile couples in human ART program.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.125-131
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• 2007

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare GnRH antagonist and agonist flare-up treatment in the management of poor responder patients. Methods: One hundred forty-four patients from Jan. 1, 2002 to Aug. 31, 2005 undergoing IVF/ICSI treatment who responded poorly to the previous cycle (No. of oocyte retrieved$\leq$5) and had high early follicular phase follicle stimulating hormone (FSH>12 mIU/ml were selected. Seventy-five patients received agonist flare-up protocol and 71 patients received antagonist protocol. We analyzed the number of oocytes retrieved, number of good embryos (GI, GI-1), total dose of hMG administered, implantation rate, cycle cancellation rate, pregnancy rate, live birth rate. Results: The cancellation rate was high in antagonist protocol (53.5% vs. 30.1%). The number of oocyte retrieved, the number of good embyos were high in agonist flare-up group. There was no statistical difference between GnRH agonist flare up protocol and GnRH antagonist protocol in implantation rate (14.5%, 10.1%), clinical pregnancy rate per transfer (29.4%, 21.2%) and live birth rate per transfer (21.6%, 18.2%). Although the result was not statistically significant, GnRH agonist flare up group showed a nearly doubled pregnancy rate and live birth rate per initial cycle than GnRH antagonist group. Conclusions: The agonist flare-up protocol appears to be slightly more effective than the GnRH antagonist protocol in implantation rate, pregnancy rate, live birth rate but shows statistically no significance. Agonist flare-up protocol improved the ovarian response in poor responders. However, based of the result of the study, we can expect improved ovarian response in poor responders by GnRH agonist flare up protocol.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.280-290
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• 2002

Three-dimensional (3-D) electromagnetic (EM) modeling algorithm has been developed using finite element method (FEM) to acquire more efficient interpretation techniques of EM data. When FEM based on nodal elements is applied to EM problem, spurious solutions, so called 'vector parasite', are occurred due to the discontinuity of normal electric fields and may lead the completely erroneous results. Among the methods curing the spurious problem, this study adopts vector element of which basis function has the amplitude and direction. To reduce computational cost and required core memory, complex bi-conjugate gradient (CBCG) method is applied to solving complex symmetric matrix of FEM and point Jacobi method is used to accelerate convergence rate. To verify the developed 3-D EM modeling algorithm, its electric and magnetic field for a layered-earth model are compared with those of layered-earth solution. As we expected, the vector based FEM developed in this study does not cause ny vector parasite problem, while conventional nodal based FEM causes lots of errors due to the discontinuity of field variables. For testing the applicability to high frequencies 100 MHz is used as an operating frequency for the layer structure. Modeled fields calculated from developed code are also well matched with the layered-earth ones for a model with dielectric anomaly as well as conductive anomaly. In a vertical electric dipole source case, however, the discontinuity of field variables causes the conventional nodal based FEM to include a lot of errors due to the vector parasite. Even for the case, the vector based FEM gave almost the same results as the layered-earth solution. The magnetic fields induced by a dielectric anomaly at high frequencies show unique behaviors different from those by a conductive anomaly. Since our 3-D EM modeling code can reflect the effect from a dielectric anomaly as well as a conductive anomaly, it may be a groundwork not only to apply high frequency EM method to the field survey but also to analyze the fold data obtained by high frequency EM method.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.223-235
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• 2002

Since weak Bones or geological lineaments are likely to be eroded, there may develop weak Bones beneath rivers, and a careful evaluation of ground condition is important to construct structures passing through a river. DC resistivity method, however, has seldomly applied to the investigation of water-covered area, possibly because of difficulties in data aquisition and interpretation. The data aquisition having high quality may be the most important factor, and is more difficult than that in land survey, due to the water layer overlying the underground structure to be imaged. Through the numerical modeling and the analysis of a case history, we studied the method of resistivity survey at the water-covered area, starting from the characteristics of measured data, via data acquisition method, to the interpretation method. We unfolded our discussion according to the installed locations of electrodes, ie., floating them on the water surface, and installing them at the water bottom, because the methods of data acquisition and interpretation vary depending on the electrode location. Through this study, we could confirm that the DC resistivity method can provide fairly reasonable subsurface images. It was also shown that installing electrodes at the water bottom can give the subsurface image with much higher resolution than floating them on the water surface. Since the data acquired at the water-covered area have much lower sensitivity to the underground structure than those at the land, and can be contaminated by the higher noise, such as streaming potential, it would be very important to select the acquisition method and electrode array being able to provide the higher signal-to-noise ratio (S/N ratio) data as well as the high resolving power. Some of the modified electrode arrays can provide the data having reasonably high S/N ratio and need not to install remote electrode(s), and thus, they may be suitable to the resistivity survey at the water-covered area.

• Solar Energy
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.53-61
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• 1991

In this research, Octacosane($C_{28}H_{58}$) and Sodium Acetate Trihydrate($CH_3COONa{\cdot}3H_2O$) were selected as latent heat storage materials to store off-peak electricity or waste heat of an industrial plant. Experimental analyses were performed in terms of the variation of phase change temperature and latent heat, phase change stability for the long term utilization. The results were as follows. 1. The phase change temperatures of industrial grade Octacosane and Sodium Acetate Trihydrate were $60.7^{\circ}C$ and $57.4^{\circ}C$, the latent heat were 60.6kcal/kg and 51.1kcal/kg respectively. 2. The latent heat quantity of Octacosane was decreased with the increasing number of phase change cycles. It decreased from 60.6kcal/kg to 47.2kcal/kg upto 200 cycles and then no variation was observed after 200 cycles. 3. To prevent the supercooling of Sodium Acetate Trihydrate, the nucleating agent, Sodium Pyrophosphate Decahydrate of 3 wt% was added, and then the supercooling temperature (Tm-Tsc) was decreased from $25.7^{\circ}C$ to $1^{\circ}C$. The phase separation was disappeared by the addition of CMC-Na of 3 wt% as a thickener. It was found that the optimal quantity of nucleating agent and thickener was 4wt% considering the stability of SAT as a latent heat storage material. 4. The phase change temperature of Sodium Acetate Trihydrate($CH_3COONa{\cdot}3H_2O$) was adjusted from 57.4 to $46.2^{\circ}C$ by the addition of UREA. And then the latent heat quantity was decreased from 51.1 to 38.3kcal/kg. 5. When the heat storage capacities between the sensible and latent heat storage materials were analyzed and compared in heating process from 30 to $90^{\circ}C$, the heat storage capacity of Octacosane was 2.45 times larger than water and 12.5 times than granite at $60.7^{\circ}C$, and the heat storage capacity of Sodium Acetate Trihydrate was 2.53 times larger than water and 12.91 times than granite at $57.4^{\circ}C$.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.102-109
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• 2014

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of diffused light materials on marketable yield and quality of sunlight dried red pepper in plastic film house. The after ripening methods were composed of 3 treatments; using electric bulk dryer (Bulk), sealing house (House), and PE sealing. The diffused light materials were control, tent, shading 35% (Shading net), white polypropylene (PP (white)), and black polypropylene (PP (Black)). The marketable yield was high in order of Bulk as 300 g, House as 275 g, and PE sealing as 112 g. The redness of PE sealing was the highest as 17.85 and that of Bulk was the lowest as 10.65. There was significant difference in redness among the treatments. The moisture content of red pepper was the most rapidly reduced in control, and was the most slowly reduced in Shading net treatment. The marketable yield index was the higher in PP (white) as 114% than control. The redness had a significant difference in PP (Black) and tent compared to the other treatments. The capsaicin content showed the highest as $160mg{\cdot}100g^{-1}$ in PP (white) treatment. Conclusively, the most effective method for sunlight drying red pepper was House with PP (White) treatment. It delayed drying for 2 days but increased marketable yield at 114% than control when sunlight dried red pepper in plastic house. Our results also provided an optimized method for improvement of drying red pepper with sunlight, and will be useful for further drying red pepper research.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.47-65
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• 2000

The meridian, the meridian point and the Acupuncture-Bu-Xie(鍼灸補瀉) of oriental medicine are very important in the Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion. Until now it has been confused at the practical use, and it showed up many transformation to the ages and many scholars. And then, I made a study of effects on the thermal changes of Sangyang($LI_1$,商陽), Igan($LI_2$,二間), Samgan($LI_3$,三間), Hapkok($LI_4$,合谷), Yanggye($LI_5$,陽谿), Kokchi($LI_{11}$,曲池), Yonghyang($LI_{20}$,迎香) following acupuncture on the Hapkok with the Rotated Acupuncture-Bu-Xie(捻轉補瀉) stimulation. This study researched into clinical statistics for 140 men who are in good health, and they are studying oriental medicine at Woosuk university in Korea. This study was covered a period of 3 months form June, 1999 to August, 1999. The objective was divided into seven groups, those are the control group(CON, N=20), the acupuncture stimulation group with non-rotation on Hapkok of left hand(A-I, N=20), the acupuncture stimulation group with non-rotation on non-meridian point(NA) of left hand(A-II, N=20), the acupuncture stimulation group with Bu-rotation(捻轉補法) on Hapkok of left hand(B-I, N=20), the acupuncture stimulation group with Bu-rotation on non-meridian point(NA) of left hand(B-II, N=20), the acupuncture stimulation group with Xie-rotation(捻轉瀉法) on Hapkok of left hand(C-I, N=20), and the acupuncture stimulation group with Xie-rotation on non-meridian point of left hand(C-II, N=20). The first, I took a picture for 140 men with the Digital infrared thermal image(D.I.T.I.). After 10 minutes, I took a second picture for each group following experimental methods, those were followed acupuncture on the Hapkok and the non-meridian point with the retentive and Rotated Acupuncture-Bu-Xie stimulation. The results are summarized as follows : 1. The thermal changes of the area which is a meridian point in the Large Intestine Meridian of the acupuncture stimulation group on Hapkok different from the control groups with significantly change. 2.The thermal changes of the area which is a meridian point in the Large Intestine Meridian of acupuncture stimulation groups on non-meridian point was not significantly different from the control group. 3. The thermal changes of the area which is a meridian point in the Large Intestine Meridian of the acupuncture stimulation group with Bu-rotation on Hapkok different from the control group with significant increase. 4. The thermal changes of the area which is a meridian point in the Large Intestine Meridian of acupuncture stimulation group with Bu-rotation on non-meridian point was not significantly different from the control group. 5. The thermal changes of the area which is a meridian point in the Large Intestine Meridian of the acupuncture stimulation group with Xie-rotation on Hapkok different from the control group with significant decrease and increase following the decreasing or increasing temperature class, and the increasing temperature class of the acupuncture stimulation group with Xie-rotation on Hapkok significantly different from the acupuncture stimulation group with Bu-rotation on Hapkok. 6. The thermal changes of the area which is a meridian point in the Large Intestine Meridian of acupuncture stimulation group with Xie-rotation on non-meridian point was not significantly different from the control group. As a conclusion, I could think that the acupuncture stimulation with Bu-rotation or Xie-rotation on Hapkok affected the thermal change of the area which is a meridian point in the Large Intestine Meridian. And then I could relate these results with the existence of the meridian and meridian point, and with the Rotated Acupuncture-Bu-Xie theory of oriental medicine.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.416-424
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• 2015

Pinosylvin is a stilbenoid found in the Pinus species. Pinosylvin at ~pM to ~nM concentrations induces cell proliferation, cell migration and anti-inflammatory activity in endothelial cells. However, it was recently reported that pinosylvin at high concentrations (50 to 100 μM) induces cell death in bovine aortic endothelial cells. In this study, we conducted a series of experiments to discover how pinosylvin at a high concentration (50 μM) induces endothelial cell death. Pinosylvin at the high concentration was shown to induce endothelial cell apoptosis through enhancing caspase-3 activity, flip-flop of phosphatidyl serine, and nuclear fragmentation. We found that pinosylvin at the high concentration additively increased caspase-3 activity enhanced by serum-starvation or treatment with 100 μM etoposide. We also determined that pinosylvin at the high concentration promoted activations of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and endothelial nitric oxide synthetase (eNOS). We further ran a series of experiments to find out which signaling molecule plays a critical role in the pinosylvin-induced apoptosis. We finally found that SP-600125, a JNK inhibitor, had an inhibitory effect on the pinosylvin-induced endothelial cell death, but L-NAME, an eNOS inhibitor, had no effect. These data indicate that JNK is involved in the pinosylvin-induced apoptosis. Collectively, pinosylvin at high doses induces cell apoptosis via JNK activation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.710-716
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• 2010

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of Makgeolli (MG) and Makgeolli GiGemi (MGG) on blood flow, serum lipid improvement in vivo, and inhibition of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) in vitro. The activities of serum AST and ALT were increased by ovariectomy. Serum AST levels were decreased to $77.71{\pm}13.97$ and $74.57{\pm}14.90\;unit/ml$ in the OVX-MG50 and OVX-MGG50 groups compared to the OVX-control group ($91.14{\pm}12.02\;unit/ml$). Serum ALT levels were decreased to $34.00{\pm}8.41$ and $30.43{\pm}3.60\;unit/ml$ in OVX-MG50 and OVX-MGG50 groups compared to the OVX-control group ($37.14{\pm}5.40\;unit/ml$). Serum total cholesterol and triglyceride contents decreased in the sham group compared with OVX-control group by ovariectomy. Six weeks feeding of MG and MGG resulted in a decrease to $116.14{\pm}36.02$ and $109.14{\pm}11.55\;mg/dl$ compared to the OVX-control group ($120.43{\pm}8.36\;mg/dl$) in serum total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were decreased to $52.43{\pm}12.41$ and $47.29{\pm}12.08\;mg/dl$ in the OVX-MG50 and OVX-MGG50 groups compared to the OVX-control group ($58.57{\pm}5.47\;mg/dl$). The level of HDL-cholesterol in the OVX-control group was significantly reduced to $51.29{\pm}20.49\;mg/dl$ compared to the sham group ($72.29{\pm}10.29\;mg/dl$), but it was increased to $70.71{\pm}19.53$ and $62.00{\pm}20.20\;mg/dl$ with MG and MGG supplementation. Furthermore, the effect of the MG group was higher than the MGG group. Microscopic observation showed that whole blood passed smoothly through the micro channels in the MG and MGG supplemented groups. The platelet aggregation ability of the groups treated with MG and MGG was less than that of the OVX-control group. In vitro assay, the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity was significantly inhibited by MG and MGG (82.6% and 68.9% inhibition at 0.4 g/ml). These results suggest that the beneficial effects of MG and MGG may be used to improve on the lipid metabolic syndrome of menopausal women. In addition, MG and MGG might improve blood homeostasis mediated activities via antiplatelets and MG and MGG may be used as antihypertensive functional foods and nutraceuticals.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.975-985
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• 2017

To investigate the beneficial effects of an agar gel mask (AGM) on UV-induced photoaging, SKH-1 hairless mice were treated with a topical application of AGM and an AGM dipped in essence (AGMdE). The mice were divided into an no radiation group, UV + AGM, UV + AGMdE, and UV + vehicle (PBS) treatment groups. Alterations in skin wrinkles, skin phenotype, histological structures, oxidative status, and toxicity were then evaluated during 4 weeks of exposure. The topical application of AGM and AGMdE inhibited wrinkle formation, suppressed the erythema index, prevented transepidermal water loss, and enhanced skin hydration. In addition, epidermal thickness recovered to a similar level as that in the no irradiation group in the UV + AGM and UV + AGMdE treatment groups compared with the UV + vehicle (distilled water) group. Furthermore, the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and tyrosinase were reduced in the UV + AGM and UV + AGMdE treatment groups, although the highest level varied. Moreover, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was significantly lower in the UV + AGM and UV + AGMdE treatment groups as compared with the UV + vehicle group. No significant alterations induced by most toxic compounds were measured in serum biochemical markers and liver and kidney histological features of the UV + AGM and UV + AGMdE treatment groups. These results suggest that AGM may protect against skin aging by regulating skin morphology, histopathological structures, and oxidative conditions.