• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.1690-1691
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• 2008

Micro cell stimulation device is interested in many researchers because it has several advantages such as saving time and reagents. We introduce new micro-bioreactor using micro bead and conduct cell stimulation experiments to verify effective time because cell have operated by cell-cycle (G1, S, G2, and M phase). Micro-bioreactor was made by soft lithography and CAPE (calf pulmonary artery endothelial cell) was cultured in PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) micro device for 12 hour and cell starvation process was performed for 24 hours. Micro glass beads were rolled only by slating device every hour during 15 hour because of minimizing other stimulation force like flow and pressure. The result represents that cells under exposed under micro bead stimulation show higher growth rate than normal condition and earlier and later stimulation time are more effective.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.273-276
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• 2009

A 54-year-old man experienced injury to the second finger of his left hand due to damage from a paintball gun shot 8 years prior, and the metacarpo-phalangeal joint was amputated. He gradually developed mechanical allodynia and burning pain, and there were trophic changes of the thenar muscle and he reported coldness on his left hand and forearm. A neuroma was found on the left second common digital nerve and was removed, but his symptoms continued despite various conservative treatments including a morphine infusion pump on his left arm. We therefore attempted median nerve stimulation to treat the chronic pain. The procedure was performed in two stages. The first procedure involved exposure of the median nerve on the mid-humerus level and placing of the electrode. The trial stimulation lasted for 7 days and the patient's symptoms improved. The second procedure involved implantation of a pulse generator on the left subclavian area. The mechanical allodynia and pain relief score, based on the visual analogue scale, decreased from 9 before surgery to 4 after surgery. The patient's activity improved markedly, but trophic changes and vasomotor symptom recovered only moderately. In conclusion, median nerve stimulation can improve chronic pain from complex regional pain syndrome type II.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.629-636
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• 2009

Mechanical stimulation is known to play a vital role on the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to pre-osteoblasts. In this research, we developed a tensile cell stimulator, composed of a DC motor-driven actuator and LVDT sensor for measuring linear displacement, to study the effects of tensile stress on osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. First, we demonstrated the reliability of this device by showing the uniform strain field in the silicon substrate. Secondly, we investigated the effects of tensile stretching on osteogenic differentiation. We imposed a pre-set cyclic strain at a fixed frequency on cell monolayer cultured on a flexible silicon substrate while varying its amplitude and duration. 60 min of resting period was allowed between 30 min of cyclic stretching and this cycle is repeated up to 7 days. Under the combined stimulation with osteogenic media and mechanical stretching, the osteogenic markers such as alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osterix, and osteopontin began to get expressed as early as 4 days of stimulation, which is much shorter than what is typically required for osteogenic media induced differentiation. Moreover, different markers were induced at different magnitudes of the applied strains. Lastly, for the case of ALP, we observed the antagonistic effects of osteogenic media when combined with mechanical stretching.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.1-6
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• 2012

Purpose : This study is to investigate the modulatory effects to the ultraviolet induced erythema of pain processing system. Methods : Thirty six healthy volunteers were divided into none treatment group (n=6), indomethacine group (n=6), subsensory level electrical stimulation group (n=6), sensory level electrical stimulation group (n=6), motor level electrical stimulation group (n=6), noxious level electrical stimulation group (n=6). Subjects were induced erythema for three times minimal erythema dose (MED) at upper arm of dermatome C6 level. Each experimental group had mechanical pain threshold (MPT), electrical pain threshold (EPT), thermal pain threshold (TPT). Results : This study revealed that we observed that pain thresholds were significantly correlated with each other in pain processing system. The effect of electrical stimulation levels evaluates were shown to be significant differences pain control effect in electrical stimulation group (sensory, motor level electrical stimulation groups) more than indomethacine group, subsensory level and control group. Conclusion : In this study, it was found that the effect of ultraviolet induced erythema of pain control by modulatory electrical stimulation.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.462-469
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• 2007

Objective : This study characterized the neurons in the lumbosacral cord that express phospho ERK (pERK) after distension or irritation of the bladder, and their relation to the vanilloid receptor 1 (VR1) positive primary afferents. Methods : Mechanical distension and chemical irritation of the bladder were induced by intravesical injection of the saline and mustard oil, respectively. Spinal neurons expressing pERK and the primary afferent fibers were characterized using multiple immunofluorescence for neurokinin 1 (NK1), neuronal nitric oxide synthetase (nNOS) and VR1. Results : Neurons in lamina I, medial dorsal horn (MDH), dorsal gray commissure (DGC) and sacral parasympathetic nucleus (SPN) were immunoreactive for pERK after either mechanical or chemical stimulation. The majority of pERK positive cells were positive for NK1 in lamina I and SPN, but not in the DGC. Most of pERK positive cells are not stained for nNOS except in a small population of the cells in the SPN and DGC. Contacts between perikarya and dendrites of pERK-positive cells and terminals of primary afferents expressing VR1 were identified in lamina I. lateral collateral path (LCP) and SPN. Conclusion : In this study, the lumbosacral neurons activated by mechanical and chemical stimulation of the urinary bladder were identified with expression of the pERK, and also provided the evidence that VR1-positive primary afferents may mediate the activation of these neurons.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.1401-1403
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• 2008

Considering that human body is continuously experiencing mechanical stimuli due to daily activities, the micro-physical environments of cells/tissues should be considered for the successful outcomes in tissue engineering and/or related researches. Obviously, there are many factors involved in cell-based researches. In this presentation, the current trends and some of outcomes are introduced. Through this studies, the roles of mechanical engineering in relation to medical/biological researches are to be emphasized.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers D
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• v.52 no.10
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• pp.611-617
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• 2003

A mechanical or electrical stimulation to the mandibular symphysis during a maximal voluntary clenching of the teeth always produces a jaw jerk followed by a silent period (transient stops) in the masseteric EMG (electromyogram). Generally, a mechanical stimulation is followed by a single silent period, and an electrical stimulation is followed by multiple silent periods. In this paper, we propose a new algorithm for determining the duration of the masseter silent period. The decision approach in essentially based upon a segmentation algorithm consisted of variance filter, median filter and gaussian filter. The new adaptive digital notch filter using R-CLMS(reverse constrained least mean-squared) algorithm is proposed for the elimination of powerline(60Hz) noise. At the same time, we design a real time measurement system for the EMG silent period under Window base.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.205-209
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• 2023

Mechanical stimulation induce the morphological changes in plants. In this study, we investigated the growth changes of tomato seedlings applicated to mechanical stimulation. The brushing treatment was used for mechanical stimulation. The brushing treatment interval was 2 hr using transfer device attached acrylic film from 10 days after sowing. Growth parameter of tomato seedlings were measured 3-day intervals to investigate the growth changes during brushing treatment. The plant height and leaf area were decreased in brushing treatment than the control, and the fresh and dry weights of shoot didn't have significant difference in the control and brushing treatment. The total root length and root surface area were increased in brushing treatment compared than the control, and root volume has no significant difference in the control and brushing treatment. In conclusion, these results suggest that the application of brushing treatment on tomato seedling make shorten plant height and well-development root morphological characteristics.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.118-125
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• 2014

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone tumor with a very poor prognosis. Treating osteosarcoma remains a challenge due to its high transitivity. Tenascin-C, with large molecular weight variants including different combinations of its alternative spliced FNIII repeats, is specifically over expressed in tumor tissues. This study examined the expression of Tenascin-C FNIIIA1 in osteosarcoma tissues, and estimated the effect of mechanical stimulation on A1 expression in MG-63 cells. Through immunohistochemical analysis, we found that the A1 protein was expressed at a higher level in osteosarcoma tissues than in adjacent normal tissues. By cell migration assay, we observed that there was a significant correlation between A1 expression and MG-63 cell migration. The relation is that Tenascin-C FNIIIA1 can promote MG-63 cell migration. According to our further study into the effect of mechanical stimulation on A1 expression in MG-63 cells, the mRNA and protein levels of A1 were significantly up-regulated under mechanical stress with the mTOR molecule proving indispensable. Meanwhile, 4E-BP1 and S6K1 (downstream molecule of mTOR) are necessary for A1 normal expression in MG-63 cells whether or not mechanical stress has been encountered. We found that Tenascin-C FNIIIA1 is over-expressed in osteosar-coma tissues and can promote MG-63 cell migration. Furthermore, mechanical stress can facilitate MG-63 cell migration though facilitating A1 overexpression with the necessary molecules (mTOR, 4E-BP1 and S6K1). In con-clusion, high expression of A1 may promote the meta-stasis of osteosarcoma by facilitating MG-63 cell migration. Tenascin-C FNIIIA1 could be used as an indicator in metastatic osteosarcoma patients.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.241-249
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• 1997

The aim of the present study is to examine the brainstem sites where the electrical stimulation produces a suppression of dorsal horn neuron responses of neuropathic rats. An experimental neuropathy was induced by a unilateral ligation of L5-L6 spinal nerves of rats. Ten to 15 days after surgery, the spinal cord was exposed and single-unit recording was made on wide dynamic range (WDR) neurons in the dorsal horn. Neuronal responses to mechanical stimuli applied to somatic receptive fields were examined to see if they were modulated by electrical stimulation of various brainstem sites. Electrical stimulation of periaqueductal gray (PAG), n. raphe magnus (RMg) or n. reticularis gigantocellularis (Gi) significantly suppressed responses of WDR neurons -to both noxious and non-noxious stimuli. Electrical stimulation of other brainstem areas, such as locus coeruleus. (LC) and n. reticularis paragigantocellularis lateralis (LPGi), produced little or no suppression. Microinjection of morphine into PAG, RMg, or Gi also produced a suppression as similar pattern to the case of electrical stimulation, whereas morphine injection into LC or LPGi exerted no effects. The results suggest that PAG, NRM and Gi are the principle brainstem nuclei involved in the descending inhibitory systems responsible for the control of neuropathic pain. These systems are likely activated by endogenous opioids and exert their inhibitory effect by acting on WDR neurons in the spinal cord.