• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2012.05a
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• pp.1-10
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• 2012

Throughout much of the world, many ecological problems have arisen in watersheds where a significant portion of stream flows are diverted to support agriculture production. Within endorheic watersheds (watersheds whose terminus is a terminal lake) these problems are magnified due to the cumulative effect that reduced stream flows have on the condition of the lake at the stream's terminus. Within an endorheic watershed, any diversion of stream flows will cause an imbalance in the terminal lake's water balance, causing the lake to transition to a new equilibrium level that has a smaller volume and surface area. However, the total mass of Total Dissolved Solids within the lake will continue to grow; resulting in a significant increase in the lake's TDS concentration over time. The ecological consequences of increased TDS concentrations can be as limited as the intermittent disruption of productive fisheries, or as drastic as a complete collapse of a lake's ecosystem. A watershed where increasing TDS concentrations have reached critical levels is the Walker Lake watershed, located on the eastern slope of the central Sierra Nevada range in Nevada, USA. The watershed has an area of 10,400 sq. km, with average annual headwater flows and stream flow diversions of 376 million $m^3/yr$ and 370 million $m^3/yr$, respectively. These diversions have resulted in the volume of Walker Lake decreasing from 11.1 billion m3 in 1882 to less than 2.0 billion $m^3$ at the present time. The resulting rise in TDS concentration has been from 2,560 mg/l in 1882 to nearly 15,000 mg/l at the current time. Changes in water management practices over the last century, as well as climate change, have contributed to this problem in varying degrees. These changes include the construction of reservoirs in the 1920s, the pumpage of shallow groundwater for irrigation in the 1960s and the implementation of high efficiency agricultural practices in the 1980s. This paper will examine the impacts that each of these actions, along with changes in the region's climate, has had on stream flow in the Walker River, and ultimately the TDS concentration in Walker Lake.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.630-635
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Naeso-san in interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) in murine small intestine. First, we isolated ICCs from murine small intestine. After that, we cultured these cells for 1 days. The patch-clamp technique was applied on ICCs that formed network-like structures in culture (1 days). Spontaneous rhythms were routinely recorded from cultured ICCs under current-clamp conditions, and the ICCs within networks displayed more robust electrical rhythms (pacemaker potentials). To understand the relationship between Naeso-san and pacemaker activity in ICCs, we examined the effects of Naeso-san on pacemaker potentials of ICCs. In current clamp mode (I = 0), the addition of Naeso-san (10 mg/ml - 50 mg/ml) decreased the amplitude and frequency of the pacemaker potentials of ICCs in a dose dependent manner. However, these effects were blocked by intracellular $GDP{\beta}S$, a G-protein inhibitor, and glibenclamide, a specific ATP-sensitive K+ channels blocker. Pretreatment with SQ-22536, an adenylate cyclase inhibitor, did not block the Naeso-san induced effects, whereas pretreatment with ODQ, a guanylate cyclase inhibitor, or L-NAME, an inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthase blocked the Naeso-san induced effects. Our findings provide insight into unraveling the modulation of Naeso-san in pacemaker potentials of ICCs and developing therapeutic agents against gastrointestinal motility disorders.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.85-97
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• 2007

Statement of problem: Recently, anodic oxidation of cp-titanium is a popular method for treatment of titanium implant surfaces. It is a relatively easy process, and the thickness, structure, composition, and the microstructure of the oxide layer can be variably modified. Moreover the biological properties of the oxide layer can be controlled. Purpose: In this study, the roughness, microstructure, crystal structure of the variously treated groups (current, voltage, frequency, electrolyte, thermal treatment) were evaluated. And the specimens were soaked in simulated body fluid (SBF) to evaluate the effects of the surface characteristics and the oxide layers on the bioactivity of the specimens which were directly related to bone formation and integration. Materials and methods: Surface treatments consisted of either anodization or anodization followed thermal treatment. Specimens were divided into seven groups, depending on their anodizing treatment conditions: constant current mode (350V for group 2), constant voltage mode (155V for group 3), 60 Hz pulse series (230V for group 4, 300V for group 5), and 1000 Hz pulse series (400V for group 6, 460V for group 7). Non-treated native surfaces were used as controls (group 1). In addition, for the purpose of evaluating the effects of thermal treatment, each group was heat treated by elevating the temperature by $5^{\circ}C$ per minute until $600^{\circ}C$ for 1 hour, and then bench cured. Using scanning electron microscope (SEM), porous oxide layers were observed on treated surfaces. The crystal structures and phases of titania were identified by thin-film x-ray diffractmeter (TF-XRD). Atomic force microscope (AFM) was used for roughness measurement (Sa, Sq). To evaluate bioactivity of modified titanium surfaces, each group was soaked in SBF for 168 hours (1 week), and then changed surface characteristics were analyzed by SEM and TF-XRD. Results: On basis of our findings, we concluded the following results. 1. Most groups showed morphologically porous structures. Except group 2, all groups showed fine to coarse convex structures, and the groups with superior quantity of oxide products showed superior morphology. 2. As a result of combined anodization and thermal treatment, there were no effects on composition of crystalline structure. But, heat treatment influenced the quantity of formation of the oxide products (rutile / anatase). 3. Roughness decreased in the order of groups 7,5,2,3,6,4,1 and there was statistical difference between group 7 and the others (p<0.05), but group 7 did not show any bioactivity within a week. 4. In groups that implanted ions (Ca/P) on the oxide layer through current and voltage control, showed superior morphology, and oxide products, but did not express any bioactivity within a week. 5. In group 3, the oxide layer was uniformly organized with rutile, with almost no titanium peak. And there were abnormally more [101] orientations of rutile crystalline structure, and bonelike apatite formation could be seen around these crystalline structures. Conclusion: As a result of control of various factors in anodization (current, voltage, frequency, electrolytes, thermal treatment), the surface morphology, micro-porosity, the 2nd phase formation, crystalline structure, thickness of the oxide layer could be modified. And even more, the bioactivity of the specimens in vitro could be induced. Thus anodic oxidation can be considered as an excellent surface treatment method that will able to not only control the physical properties but enhance the biological characteristics of the oxide layer. Furthermore, it is recommended in near future animal research to prove these results.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.153-159
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• 2004

The interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) are the pacemaker cells in gastrointestinal tract and generate electrical rhythmicity in gastrointestinal muscles. Therefore, ICC may be modulated by endogenous agents such as neurotransmitter, hormones, and prostaglandins (PGs). In the present study, we investigated the effects of prostaglandins, especially $PGE_2$, on pacemaker currents in cultured ICCs from murine small intestine by using whole-cell patch clamp techniques. ICCs generated spontaneous slow waves under voltage-clamp conditions and showed a mean amplitude of $-452{\pm}39\;pA$ and frequency of $18{\pm}2$ cycles/min (n=6). Treatments of the cells with $PGE_2$ $(1\;{\mu}M)$ decreased both the frequency and amplitude of the pacemaker currents and increased the resting currents in the outward direction. $PGE_2$ had only inhibitory effects on pacemaker currents and this inhibitory effect was dose-dependent. For characterization of specific membrane EP receptor subtypes, involved in the effects of $PGE_2$ on pacemaker currents in ICCs, EP receptor agonists were used: Butaprost $(1\;{\mu}M)$, $EP_2$ receptor agonist, reduced the spontaneous inward current frequency and amplitude in cultured ICCs (n=5). However sulprostone $(1\;{\mu}M)$, a mixed $EP_1$ and $EP_3$ agonist, had no effects on the frequency, amplitude and resting currents of pacemaker currents (n=5). SQ-22536 (an inhibitor of adenylate cyclase; $100\;{\mu}M$) and ODQ (an inhibitor of guanylate cyclase; $100\;{\mu}M$) had no effects on $PGE_2$ actions of pacemaker currents. These observations indicate that $PGE_2$ alter directly the pacemaker currents in ICCs, and that the $PGE_2$ receptor subtypes involved are the $EP_2$ receptor, independent of cyclic AMP- and GMP-dependent pathway.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.549-574
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• 2007

This paper was intended to evaluate environmental policies of South Korea and compare its environmental sustainability with other Eastern Asian countries in terms of some sustainability measures. To meet the purpose, the paper is composed of three parts: a brief and critical review of Korea's current environmental policies, comparison of its sustainability with other Eastern Asian countries in terms of well-known environmental sustainability indices, and comparison in terms of a less well-known alternative measure. Korea's environmental policies as stipulated in "Green Vision 21", "Green Korea 2005" were evaluated in light of OECD EPRK 2006. Korea's environmental performance is then compared with other countries based on such environmental sustainability indices as EF, ESI, EPI and EVI. Unfortunately the well-publicized indices to measure sustainable development (SD) seem to fail in measunng SD and in providing comparability, because it does not base on the genuine concept of SD. Therefore, we tried to suggest an alternative measurement in terms of sustainability quantity (SQ), which is presented for South Korea and her major trading partners, such as USA, Japan and China.