• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.575-592
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• 2018

Tunnelling is getting more important solutions for problems induced by the growth population in urban areas. Many studies on tunnelling below existing structure are carried out by many researchers. In general, however, ground water condition is ignored for most of researches using laboratory model test, so far. In case of ground behavior, error can occur if the result of effective stress related to hydraulic condition can't be taken into considerations. In this study, therefore, laboratory model test and the close range photogrammetry were conducted to investigate behaviour of ground and shallow foundation using newly device drainage system which is available to express the ground water condition. Also, numerical analysis was carried out to compare to results from the laboratory model test, and was performed with two methods, one is plastic and the other one is fully coupled analysis. Results from those two methods were compared to that of the laboratory model test.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2009

Curcumin is a major active component of the food flovour tumeric. It has been used for the treatment of many diseases such as inflammatory and infectious diseases, cancer and other disease due to its antioxidant properties. Curcumin is a powerful scavenger of many free radicals such as superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical and nitric oxide. The objective of this study was to investigate the antioxidative effects of curcumin against hydrogen peroxide on semen quality during in vitro storage of boar semen. The sperm treated with different concentration of curcumin (1, 5 and 10 ${\mu}M$) in the presence or absence of hydrogen peroxide (250 ${\mu}M\;H_2O_2$) were incubated for 3, 6 and 9 hr at $37^{\circ}C$ and analyzed sperm characteristics such as motility, membrane integrity (MI), lipid peroxidation (LPO), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and DNA fragmentation (DF). The sperm motility and MI in $H_2O_2$ treated group ($47.8%{\pm}6.8$ and $24.8%{\pm}2.2$) were significantly decreased when compare to curcumin treated group ($79.8%{\pm}2.7$ and $34.6%{\pm}1.0$, respectively) irrespective of incubation periods(p<0.05). The LPO of spermatozoal plasma membrane was measured by thiobarbituric acid (TBA) reactions for malondialdehyde (MDA), MDA level in control ($11.6{\pm}0.6\;nmol/L{\times}10^6$) and curcumin groups ($10.7{\pm}0.3\;nmol/L{\times}10^6$) were lower than those of curcumin plus $H_2O_2$ ($17.1{\pm}0.8\;nmol/L{\times}10^6$) or $H_2O_2$ group ($22.5{\pm}1.9\;nmol/L{\times}10^6$) from 3 to 9 hr incubation periods. The DF by sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD) test and ROS production measured by 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein (DCF) fluorescence intensity were no significantly difference through all experimental groups (p>0.05). Correlation among evaluation methods for sperm quality, motility vs MI and DF vs ROS was positively correlated while motility vs DF and ROS vs LPO were negatively correlated in all treatment groups. These results demonstrate that curcumin can effectively improve the sperm quality during in vitro storage of boar semen through its hydrogen peroxide scavenging mechanism as an antioxidant.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.315-324
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• 2016

Human cardiac fibroblasts (HCFs) have various voltage-dependent $K^+$ channels (VDKCs) that can induce apoptosis. Hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) modulates VDKCs and induces oxidative stress, which is the main contributor to cardiac injury and cardiac remodeling. We investigated whether $H_2O_2$ could modulate VDKCs in HCFs and induce cell injury through this process. In whole-cell mode patch-clamp recordings, application of $H_2O_2$ stimulated $Ca^{2+}-activated$ $K^+$ ($K_{Ca}$) currents but not delayed rectifier $K^+$ or transient outward $K^+$ currents, all of which are VDKCs. $H_2O_2-stimulated$ $K_{Ca}$ currents were blocked by iberiotoxin (IbTX, a large conductance $K_{Ca}$ blocker). The $H_2O_2-stimulating$ effect on large-conductance $K_{Ca}$ ($BK_{Ca}$) currents was also blocked by KT5823 (a protein kinase G inhibitor) and 1 H-[1, 2, 4] oxadiazolo-[4, 3-a] quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, a soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor). In addition, 8-bromo-cyclic guanosine 3', 5'-monophosphate (8-Br-cGMP) stimulated $BK_{Ca}$ currents. In contrast, KT5720 and H-89 (protein kinase A inhibitors) did not block the $H_2O_2-stimulating$ effect on $BK_{Ca}$ currents. Using RT-PCR and western blot analysis, three subtypes of $K_{Ca}$ channels were detected in HCFs: $BK_{Ca}$ channels, small-conductance $K_{Ca}$ ($SK_{Ca}$) channels, and intermediate-conductance $K_{Ca}$ ($IK_{Ca}$) channels. In the annexin V/propidium iodide assay, apoptotic changes in HCFs increased in response to $H_2O_2$, but IbTX decreased $H_2O_2$-induced apoptosis. These data suggest that among the VDKCs of HCFs, $H_2O_2$ only enhances $BK_{Ca}$ currents through the protein kinase G pathway but not the protein kinase A pathway, and is involved in cell injury through $BK_{Ca}$ channels.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.677-687
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• 2017

Aircraft can often be exposed to a variety of environments and vibrations such as engine, hydraulic pump, aerodynamic force. These may cause cracking and destruction of the mechanical structure and sub-components by high-cycle fatigue. The axial piston type pump which is usually applied to the aircraft hydraulic pump can be necessarily accompanied by the fluid pulsation by continuous rotation of the axial piston. The fatigue crack was identified at the dampener fitting welding zone to prevent vibration damping during the running of aircraft equipped with this type of pulsation hydraulic pump. In order to understand the root cause of this matter, fracture and component analyses were carried out and also integral type dampener fitting was applied to prevent recurrence of the crack as a subject of design improvements. Structural integrity stress analysis, fatigue analysis, qualification test and aircraft system equipped test was conducted to verify the design validity in application to integral type dampener fitting. The test results were sufficiently satisfactory with the demand lifetime of the material from the various types of test as conducted and the subject of design improvement in this study could be objectively evaluated that shall be applied to the operational aircraft.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.350-358
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• 1997

We studied the effects of adding a single bolus(500 mg) of sodium thiopental to a continuous infusion of low-dose fentanyl on plasma beta-endorphin immunoreactivity(iBE) responses to cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB) in 28 patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass grafting or valve procedures. Thiopental was injected just prior to the initiation of CPB. The iBE levels and the hemodynamic indices such, as mean arterial pressure, cardiac output and systemic vascular resistance were measured before CPB, at 30 min and again at 60 min after the initiation of the bypass. The results were as follows. After the initiation of CPB, iBE levels increased at 30 min and 60 min(P=0.006, P=0.004 respectively) in the control group, but not in the thiopental group. There were significant differences in the changes of iBE levels between the groups(F=8.7, G-G=0.002, P=0.001). The hemodynamic indices were similar in both groups. In conclusion, pretreatment with thiopental just before the initiation of CPB prevents the stress-induced beta-endorphin response to CPB.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.57-64
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• 2013

Cells can resist and even recover from stress induced by acute hypoxia, whereas chronic hypoxia often leads to irreversible damage and eventually death. Although little is known about the response(s) to acute hypoxia in neuronal cells, alterations in ion channel activity could be preferential. This study aimed to elucidate which channel type is involved in the response to acute hypoxia in rat pheochromocytomal (PC12) cells as a neuronal cell model. Using perfusing solution saturated with 95% $N_2$ and 5% $CO_2$, induction of cell hypoxia was confirmed based on increased intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ with diminished oxygen content in the perfusate. During acute hypoxia, one channel type with a conductance of about 30 pS (2.5 pA at -80 mV) was activated within the first 2~3 min following onset of hypoxia and was long-lived for more than 300 ms with high open probability ($P_o$, up to 0.8). This channel was permeable to $Na^+$ ions, but not to $K^+$, $Ca^+$, and $Cl^-$ ions, and was sensitively blocked by amiloride (200 nM). These characteristics and behaviors were quite similar to those of epithelial sodium channel (ENaC). RT-PCR and Western blot analyses confirmed that ENaC channel was endogenously expressed in PC12 cells. Taken together, a 30-pS ENaC-like channel was activated in response to acute hypoxia in PC12 cells. This is the first evidence of an acute hypoxia-activated $Na^+$ channel that can contribute to depolarization of the cell.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.97-105
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• 2012

$Schizandra$ $chinensis$ Baillon is a traditional folk medicine plant that is used to treat and prevent several inflammatory diseases and cancer in Korea, but the underlying mechanisms involved in its anti-allergic activity are not fully understood. This study was designed to investigate mechanisms of anti-allergic activity of a $Schizandra$ $chinensis$ Baillon water extract (SCWE) in immunoglobulin E (IgE)-antigen complex-stimulated RBL2H3 cells and to assess whether gastric and intestinal digestion affects the anti-allergic properties of SCWE. Oxidative stress is an important consequence of the allergic inflammatory response. The antioxidant activities of SCWE increased in a concentration-dependent manner. RBL-2H3 cells were sensitized with monoclonal anti-dinitrophenol (DNP) specific IgE, treated with SCWE, and challenged with the antigen DNP-human serum albumin. SCWE inhibited ${\beta}$-hexosaminidase release and expression of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-13, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$) mRNA and protein in IgE-antigen complex-stimulated RBL2H3 cells. We found that digested SCWE fully maintained its antioxidant activity and anti-allergic activity against the IgE-antigen complex-induced activation of RBL-2H3 cells. SCWE may be useful for preventing allergic diseases, such as asthma. Thus, SCWE could be used as a natural functional ingredient for allergic diseases in the food and/or pharmaceutical industries.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.1303-1311
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• 2019

This study was to investigate the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuronal cell protective effects of Poria cocos Wolf and Corni fructus extracted by water and 70% ethanol. Total polyphenol content in water extract of Poria cocos Wolf was significantly higher than those of other extracts. DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging activity in water extract of Corni fructus was higher than those of other extracts. DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging activity were increased in a dose-dependent manners. In order to effectively extract total polyphenol contents and anti-oxidant components in Poria cocos Wolf and Corni fructus, hot water extraction method is more efficient than ethanol extraction method. Poria cocos extracts were found to be a superior NO production inhibitory effect compared to Corni fructus extracts. In a neuronal cell viability assay using MPP⁺, the water extract of Poria cocos Wolf protected against MPP⁺-induced neurotoxicity than those of Corni fructus extract. It is considered to be a potential functional material with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuronal protective effect against to oxidative stress according to the extract methods of extracting Poria cocos Wolf and Corni fructus.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.48-61
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• 2012

It is of great importance to assure the running safety, ride comfort and serviceability in designing the floating slab track for mitigation of train-induced vibration. In this paper, for this, analyzed are the system requirements for the running safety, ride comfort and serviceability, and then, the behavior of train and track at the floating slab track including the transition zone to the conventional concrete slab track according to several main design variables such as system natural frequency, arrangement of spring at transition, spacing of spring isolators, damping ratio and train speed, using the dynamic analysis technique considering the train-track interaction. The results of this study demonstrate that the discontinuity of the support stiffness at the transition results in a drastic increase of the dynamic response such as wheel-rail interaction force, rail bending stress and rail uplift force. Hence, it is efficient to decrease the spacing of springs or to increase the spring constants at the transition to obtain the running safety and serviceability. On the other hand, the vehicle body acceleration as a measure of ride comfort is little affected by the discontinuity of the stiffness at the transition, but by the system tuning frequency; thus, to obtain the ride comfort, it is of great significance to select the appropriate system tuning frequency. In addition, the effects of damping ratio, spacing of springs and train speed on the dynamic behavior of the system have been discussed.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.18-22
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• 2000

In previous reports we have shown that ginsenosides inhibit high threshold voltage-dependent $Ca^{2+}$ channels in neuronal cells. However, these studies did not show whether ginsenosides-induced inhibition of $Ca^{2+}$ currents discriminates among the various $Ca^{2+}$ channel subtypes, although it is known that there are at least five different $Ca^{2+}$ channel subtypes in neuronal cells. In this study we investigated the effect of ginsenosides on high threshold voltage-dependent $Ca^{2+}$ channel subtypes using their selective $Ca^{2+}$ channel blockers nimodipine (L-type), $\omega$-conotoxin GVIA (N-type), or $\omega$-agatoxin IVA (P-type) in bovine chromaffin cells. We could observe that ginsenosides inhibited high threshold voltage-dependent $Ca^{2+}$ currents in a dose-dependent manner. The $IC_{50}$/ was about 120 $\mu$g/ml. Nimodipine had no effect on ginsenosides response. However, the effect of ginsenosides on $Ca^{2+}$ currents was reduced by $\omega$-conotoxin GVIA, $\omega$-agatoxin IVA, and mixture of nimodipine, $\omega$-contoxin GVIA, and $\omega$-agatoxin IVA. These data suggest that ginsenosides are negatively coupled to three types of calcium channels in bovine chromaffin cell, including an $\omega$-conotoxin GVIA-sensitive (N-type) channel, an $\omega$-agatoxin IVA-sensitive (P-type) channel and nimodipine/$\omega$-conotoxin GVIA/$\omega$-agatoxin IVA-resistant (presumptive Q-type) channel.Q-type) channel.