• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SC
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• v.44 no.4 s.316
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• pp.42-47
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• 2007

To reduce the chattering errors of reed switch sensors in the automatic remote measurement of water meter a reed switch sensor was analyzed and improved. The operation of reed switch sensors can be described as a mechanical contact switch by approximation of permanent magnet piece to generate an electrical pulse. The reed switch sensors are used mostly in measurement application to detect the rotational or translational displacement. To apply for water flow measurement devices, the reed switch sensors should keep high reliability. They are applied for the electronic digital type of water flow meters. The reed switch sensor is just mounted simply on the conventional mechanical type flow meter. A small magnet is attached on a pointer of the water meter counter rotor. Inside the reed sensor two steel leaf springs make mechanical contact and apart repeatedly as rotation of flow meter counter. The counting electrical contact pulses can be converted as the water flow amount. The MCU sends the digital flow rate data to the server using the wireless communication network. But the digital data is occurred difference or won by chattering noise. The reed switch sensor contains chattering error by it self at the force equivalent position. The vibrations such as passing vehicle near to the switch sensor installed location causes chattering. In order to reduce chattering error, most system uses just software methods, for example using filter algorithm and also statistical calibration methods. The chattering errors were reduced by changing leaf spring structure using mechanical characteristics.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.50 no.11
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• pp.206-216
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• 2013

The emotion plays a critical role in human's daily life including learning, action, decision and communication. In this paper, emotion discrimination classifier is designed to reduce system complexity through reduced selection of dominant features from biosignals. The photoplethysmography(PPG), skin temperature, skin conductance, fontal and parietal electroencephalography(EEG) signals were measured during 4 types of movie watching associated with the induction of neutral, sad, fear joy emotions. The genetic algorithm with support vector machine(SVM) based fitness function was designed to determine dominant features among 24 parameters extracted from measured biosignals. It shows maximum classification accuracy of 96.4%, which is 17% higher than that of SVM alone. The minimum error features selected are the mean and NN50 of heart rate variability from PPG signal, the mean of PPG induced pulse transit time, the mean of skin resistance, and ${\delta}$ and ${\beta}$ frequency band powers of parietal EEG. The combination of parietal EEG, PPG, and skin resistance is recommendable in high accuracy instrumentation, while the combinational use of PPG and skin conductance(79% accuracy) is affordable in simplified instrumentation.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.102-108
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• 1996

This was an open trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of moclobemide twice daily for treatment of Korean patients with major depressive disorder(DSM-III-R). The duration of the trial was 6 weeks with the initial dose of moclobemide being fixed lor the first two weeks at 300mg/day(150mg twice daily, each token after morning and evening meals). Thereafter, when necessary, the dose was allowed to increase to 600mg/day or decrease to 150mg/day according to the seventy of the depression and/or the tolerability of the drug. Hypnotics and/or sedatives from a benzodiazepine group could be concomitantly administered at usual dosage. Patients were assessed at baseline and at days 14, 28 and 42. Efficacy was primarily judged on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression(HAM-D) and Beck Depression Inventory(BDI). Patients had to score at least 17 respectively an both scales to enter the trial. Secondary efficacy parameters included Clinical Global Impression(CGI) for severity of illness and improvement. Safety and tolerability were judged on reported adverse events, vital signs and laboratory parameters. In addition, there was a series of questions and assessments for the psychiatrists and patients to complete at the end of the trial Twenty nine patients completing trial were included in the analysis of efficacy : of thirty one patients participating in the safety and tolerability analysis, those who withdraw voluntarily without particular reasons or violated the treatment schedule were not included. The efficacies as determined by HAM-D, BDI or CGI were found to be significant compared to baseline. The number of responders defined as patients with a total score of 10 or less or with a total score of 50% or less of the baseline score on HAM-D and BDI were 17(59%) and 18(62%) respectively. Regarding safety and tolerability, nine patients(29%) reported mild adverse events probably related to moclobemide : of these one patient dropped out because of poor tolerability : however, there were no appreciable changes in blood pressure, pulse rate, body weight or laboratory parameters for all patients over the trial period. Furthermore, the physicians' and patients' opinions at final evaluation showed that moclabemide has a good antidepressant effect as well as a favorable tolerability. In conclusion, a twice-daily dosage schedule with maclobemide is recommendable for the treatment of Korean patients with major depressive disorder since its efficacy and safety were demonstrated in this study.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.73-82
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• 1998

Purpose : A precise NMR technique for measuring the rate of water exchange and cell membrane permeability across the hepatocyte membrane using liver-specific MR contrast agent is described. Materials and Methods : The rat hepatocytes isolated by perfusion of the livers were used for the NMR measurements. All experiments were performed on an IBM field cycling relaxometer operating from 0.02MHz to 60 MHz proton Larmor frequency. spin-echo pulse sequence was empolyed to measure spin-lattice relaxation time, T1. The continuous distribution analysis of water proton T1 data from rat hepatocytes containing low concentrations of the liver specific contrast agent, Gd-EOB-DTPA, modeled by a general two compartment exchange model. Results : The mean residence time of water molecule inside the hepatocyte was approximately 250 msec. The lower limit for the permeability of the hepatocyte membrane was $(1.3{\pm}0.1){\;}{\times}{\;}10^{-3}cm/sec$. The CONTIN analysis, which seeks the natural distribution of relaxation times, reveals direct evidence of the effect of diffusive exchange. the diffusive water exchange is not small in the intracellular space in the case of hepatocytes. Conclusions : Gd-EOB-DTPA, when combined with continuous distribution analysis, provides a robust method to study water exchange and membrane permeability in hepatocytes. Water exchange in hepatocyte is much slower thatn that in red blood cells. Therefore, tissue-specific contrast agent may be used as a functional agent to give physiological information such as cell membrane permeability.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.499-508
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• 2005

The purpose of this study were to evaluate the effect on the reversion of sedation induced by midazolam with flumazenil and to determine the plasma concentration of flumazenil according to the method of administration. Intranasal and intravenous flumazenil were administered to sedated health volunteers aged from 23 to 25 years, in doses typical of those used clinically to induce sedation with midazolam and for reversal with flumazenil. Objective assessment for degree of sedation and vital signs, plasma concentration were made for 2 hours period. 1. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, $SpO_2$ were not changed by adminstration of flumazenil in sedated subject with midazolam, but pulse rate was increased temporarily. 2. Flumazenil showed the reversal of the sedative effect induced by midazolam regardless of administration methods. But intravenous administration showed more effect on the degree and the duration of reversion than intranasal administration with the exception of on set time. 3. Peak plasma concentration of flumazenil administered by intranasal route reached after 2 min and that of flumazenil administered by intravenous route was 4 min. Thus uptake of flumazenil did not showed any difference in accordance with the adminstration route. 4. Administration of flumazenil resulted in the temporary increase of midazolam plasma concentration.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.24 no.11
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• pp.1659-1663
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• 2003

$Al_2O_3$ thin films were grown on H-terminated Si(001) substrates using dimethylaluminum isopropoxide [DMAl: $(CH_3)_2AlOCH(CH_3)_2$], as a new Al precursor, and water by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The selflimiting ALD process by alternate surface reactions of DMAI and $H_2O$ was confirmed from measured thicknesses of the aluminum oxide films as functions of the DMAI pulse time and the number of DMAI-$H_2O$ cycles. Under optimal reaction conditions, a growth rate of ~1.06 ${\AA}$ per ALD cycle was achieved at the substrate temperature of $150\;^{\circ}C$. From a mass spectrometric study of the DMAI-$D_2O$ ALD process, it was determined that the overall binary reaction for the deposition of $Al_2O_3\;[2\;(CH_3)_2AlOCH(CH_3)_2\;+\;3\;H_2O\;{\rightarrow}\;Al_2O_3\;+\;4\;CH_4\;+\;2\;HOCH(CH_3)_2]$can be separated into the following two half-reactions: where the asterisks designate the surface species. Growth of stoichiometric $Al_2O_3$ thin films with carbon incorporation less than 1.5 atomic % was confirmed by depth profiling Auger electron spectroscopy. Atomic force microscopy images show atomically flat and uniform surfaces. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and cross-sectional high resolution transmission electron microscopy of an $Al_2O_3$ film indicate that there is no distinguishable interfacial Si oxide layer except that a very thin layer of aluminum silicate may have been formed between the $Al_2O_3$ film and the Si substrate. C-V measurements of an $Al_2O_3$ film showed capacitance values comparable to previously reported values.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.283-290
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• 1988

A spontaneous revertant of mutation rbsB103 that is ribose taxis-positive was characterized. This revertant was found to be export-competent in the export of ribose-binding protein shown by the disappearance of accumulated mutant precursor protein and the export of mature ribose-binding protein to the periplasm. The reversional change was shown to be in the region of risB gene that codes for the amino terminal portion of ribose-binding protein. Analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography of peptide patterns of ribose-binding proteins confirmed the relationship between the wild-type and the revertant proteins as shown for the mutant previously (Iida et al., 1985). When the processing rate of presursor proteins from the wild type and the revertant strain in vivo was compared by pulse-chase experiment, it was found that processing is less efficient than normal in the revertant. Purified mature proteins from both wild-type and revertant were subjected to amino acid sequencing. The results confirmed the amino acid changes deduced from the DNA sequencing and showed that processing of the revertant precursor occured in the correct position even though there are two different amino acids present in the signal sequence.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.1175-1183
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• 1997

Lethal effects of high voltage pulsed electric fields (PEF) on suspensions of Lactobacillus plantarum cells in phosphate buffer solution were examined by using continuous recycle treatment system. Critical electric field strength and treatment time needed for inactivation of L. plantarum were 13.6 kV/cm and $16.1\;{\mu}s$ at room temperature, respectively. As decrease in frequency (decreasing pulse number), the degree of inactivation of L. plantarum was increased. A 2.5 log reduction in microbial population could be achieved with an electric field strength of 80 kV/cm, 300 Hz frequency and $2000\;{\mu}s$ treatment time. Survivability was decreased with increase in total treatment time (cycle number) and frequency at the same cycle number. As sterilization model of continuous recycle PEF treatment, $logS=-N_m\;log\;m+B$ and $N_m=k_1\;P_n+k_2$ were established. This model was very well fitted to tile empirical data. The rate of inactivation increased with increase in the processing temperature. The maximum reduction in survivability (5.6 log reduction) was obtained with 80 kV/cm electric field strength at $50^{\circ}C$ for $1000\;{\mu}s$ treatment.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.96-104
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• 1986

Higenamine, dl-1-( 4-hydroxybenzyl)-6, 7-dihydroxy-1 ,2, 3 ,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline has been synthesized and evaluated for hemodynamic actions using rabbits under pentobarbital anesthesia. Concentration-related fall of mean blood pressure was observed, where diastolic blood presure was significantly lowered at 10 ug/kg/min or above (p<.05), while the systolic blood pressure was slightly increased or unaffected, thereby, causing increment of pulse pressure. No significant change was occured in heart rate, however, carotid artery blood flow was significantly (p<.05) increased. These actions were inhibited with pretreatment of 0.3 mg/kg of propranolol, beta-adrenoceptor antagonist, 5 minutes before infusion of higenamine indicating that higenamine compete with propranolol for the so-called beta adrenergic receptor. As comparison, the same procedure was applied to isoproterenol as well, where typical antagonism of propranolol against isoproterenol was shown. From these findings the vasodilating and diastolic blood pressure lowing effects could be explained in terms of cardiac beta stimulating action, however, dopamine receptor activation could not be excluded because no significant changes observed in chronotropism.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.7-15
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• 2004

Nitric oxide (NO) system has been implicated in a wide range of physiological functions in the nervous system. However, the role of NO in regulating the neural activity in the gustatory zone of nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) has not been established. The present study was aimed to investigate the role of NO in the gustatory NTS neurons. Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing about 50 g, were used. Whole cell patch recording and immunohistochemistry were done to determine the electrophysiological characteristics of the rostral gustatory nucleus of the tractus solitaries and distribution of NO synthases (NOS). Neuronal NOS (nNOS) immunoreactivity was strongly detected along the solitary tract extending from rostral to caudal medulla. Resting membrane potentials of NTS neurons were $-49.2{\pm}2\;mV$ and action potential amplitudes were $68.5{\pm}2\;mV$ with a mean duration measured at half amplitude of $1.7{\pm}0.3\;ms$. Input resistance, determined from the response to a 150 ms, -100 pA hyperpolarizing current pulse, was $385{\pm}15\;M{\Omega}$, Superfusion of SNAP or SNP, NO donors, produced either hyperpolarization (68%), depolarization (5%), or no effect (27%). The hyperpolarization was mostly accompanied by a decrease in input resistance. The hyperpolarization caused by SNAP or SNP increased the time to initiate the first action potential, and decreased the number of action potentials elicited by current injection. SNP or SNAP also markedly decreased the number of firing neural discharges of the spontaneous NTS neural activity under zero current. Superfusion of L-NAME, a NOS inhibitor, slightly depolarized the membrane potential and increased the firing rate of NTS neurons induced by current injection. ODQ, a soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor, ameliorated the SNAP-induced changes in membrane potential, input resistance and firing rates. 8-Br-cGMP, a non-degradable cell-permeable cGMP, hyperpolarized the membrane potential and decreased the number of action potentials. It is suggested that NO in the gustatory NTS has an inhibitory role on the neural activity of NTS through activating soluble guanylate cyclase.