• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.263-267
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• 2008

$(Bi_{1/2}Na_{1/2})TiO_3$-based ceramics have been intensively studied as lead-free piezoelectric ceramics. In this study, the piezoelectric properties and phase transition behaviors of BNT based solid solution $(Bi_{0.5}Na_{0.5})_{1-x}Ca_xTiO_3$ ($X=0.01{\sim}0.25$) were investigated. The morphotropic phase boundary(MPB) zone which BNT is transformed from rhombohedral to cubic structure was appeared by adding $CaTiO_3$ with 0.12 mol by the measurement of permittivity and X-ray diffraction. The behavior which ferroelectric BNT with adding $CaTiO_3$ was changed to antiferroelectric and paraelectric state was confirmed by the measurement ofhysterisis loop and depolarization temperature as a function of temperature. As $CaTiO_3$ concentration was increased, the phase transition temperature was decreased. The piezoelectric properties were highest at 0.01 mol of $CaTiO_3$ concentration. The electromechanical coupling factor($K_t$) and mechanical quality factor($Q_m$) were 42% and 254, respectively.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.59-66
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• 1991

The morphotaxonomic characters and life history of Symphyocladia latiuscula (Harvey) Yamada were investigated with field and laboratory culture materials. The species is well defined by a 5-15 cm hight, entirely corticated thallus and congenital fusion of 5-7 segments between main axis and laterals. Although all the reproductive structures are basically similar to those of other species of the genus, it is characteristic that the pinnulae are transformed into the flabellated tetrasporangial stichidia. Vegetative trichoblasts are known to be absent in the Pterosiphonieae, but their presence in S latiuscula does not accept its taxonomic position in that tribe. As a result, the occurrence of vegetative trichoblast is not useful for a taxonomic character to distinguish the tribes. The species shows a Polysiphonia-type life history involving a dimorphic alternation of gametophytes and sporophytes in culture and field. It grows below the middle intertidal zone in all the coasts of Korea throughout the year, although fertile plants are normally found during the summer months.months.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.174-180
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• 2011

Experiments were carried out to determine the role of Raf-1 kinase in the development of drug resistance to paclitaxel in v-H-ras transformed NIH 3T3 fibroblasts (Ras-NIH 3T3). We established a multidrug-resistant cell line (Ras-NIH 3T3/Mdr) from Ras-NIH 3T3 cells by stepwise increases in paclitaxel. Drug sensitivity assays indicated that the $IC_{50}$ value for drug-resistant Ras-NIH 3T3/Mdr cells was more than 1 ${\mu}M$ paclitaxel, 10- or more-fold higher than for the parental Ras-NIH 3T3 cells. Western blot and RT-PCR analysis showed that the drug efflux pump a P-glycoprotein were highly expressed in Ras-NIH 3T3/Mdr cells, while not being detectable in Ras-NIH 3T3 cells. Additionally, verapamil, which appears to inhibit drug efflux by acting as a substrate for P-glycoprotein, completely reversed resistance to paclitaxel in Ras-NIH 3T3/Mdr cell line, indicating that resistance to paclitaxel is associated with overexpression of the multidrug resistance gene. Interestingly, Ras-NIH 3T3/Mdr cells have higher basal Raf-1 activity compared to Ras-NIH 3T3 cells. Unexpectedly, however, the colocalization of Raf-1 and its negative regulator Spry2 was less observed in cytoplasm of Ras-NIH 3T3/Mdr cells due to translocation of Spry2 around the nucleus in the perinuclear zone, implying that Raf-1 may be released from negative feedback inhibition by interacting with Spry2. We also showed that shRNA-mediated knockdown of Raf-1 caused a moderate increase in cell susceptibility to paclitaxel. Thus, the results presented here suggest that a Raf-1-dependent pathway plays an important role in the development of acquired drug-resistance.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.318-321
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• 2002

To induce recombinant protein under phosphate restricted conditions such as soil, we have constructed the expression vector (pEAAP) with phoA gene promoter of Enterobacter aerogenes. To construct the pEAAP, deletion of the T7 promoter and lac operator from pET-22b(+) by BglII-XhoI digestion and addition of the phoA gene promoter (containing the pho box) were performed. To test pEAAP as an expression vector controled by phosphate limitation, pEAPHY1 was constructed with the phytate gene (Bsa-phy1) of Bacillus subtillis var. amyloliquefaciens (KCTC 8913P). Under the phosphate-limitation condition, CK-PHY1 ( Escherichia coli JM109 was transformed with pEAPHY1) expressed the 41 kD Bsa-Phy1 . Also CK-PHY1 formed the clear zone in solid medium containing phytate as a sole phosphate source.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2011

Insect lysozymes are basic, cationic proteins synthesized in fat body and hemocytes in response to bacterial infections and depolymerize the bacterial cell wall. The c-type lysozyme of the insect Spodoptera litura (SLLyz) is a single polypeptide chain of 121 residues with four disulfide bridges and 17 rare codons and is approximately 15 kDa. The full-length SLLyz cDNA is 1039 bp long with a poly(A) tail, and contains an open reading frame of 426 bp long (including the termination codon), flanked by a 54 bp long 5' UTR and a 559 bp long 3' UTR. As a host for the production of high-level recombinant proteins, E. coli is used most commonly because of its low cost and short generation time. However, the soluble expression of heterologous proteins in E. coli is not trivial, especially for disulfide-bonded proteins. In order to prevent inclusion body formation, GST was selected as a fusion partner to enhance the solubility of recombinant protein, and fused to the amplified products encoding mature SLLyz. The expression vector pGEX-4T-1/rSLLyz was then transformed into E. coli BL21(DE3)pLysS for soluble expression of rSLLyz, and the soluble fusion protein was purified successfully. Inhibition zone assay demonstrated that rSLLyz showed antibacterial activity against B. megaterium. These results demonstrate that the GST fusion expression system in E. coli described in this study is efficient and inexpensive in producing a disulfide-bonded rSLLyz in soluble, active form, and suggest that the insect lysozyme is an interesting system for future structural and functional studies.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.79-93
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• 1996

The differentiation of nail matrix and fine structure of matrix cells were studied with light and electron microscope using specimens from nails of thumb finger in Korean fetuses 14 to 24 weeks old. Fetal nail matrix consisted of two horizontal layers, thicker ventral and thinner dorsal matrices, originating from invagination of epidermis in proximal nail field. Matrix being generally thicker in its distal region than the apex became gradually thickened with increase of the fetal age. Each matrix consisted of single layer of basal cells and multiple layers of squamous cells which are arranged close to and parallel to the central axis of the nail mairix. The process of keratinization of fetal nail matrix was noted to be occured concurrently in the ventral and dorsal matrices along the central axis of matrix toward distal and dorsal direction. Squamous cells became matured with accumulation of tonofilaments, increase of keratohyalin granules, discharge of membrane coating granules, and narrowing of intercellular spaces, thickening of plasma membrane and finally being transformed into horny cells of nail plate. Horny cells of nail plate filled with fibrous elements in the electron dense amorphous substance. These findings of keratinization process of fetal nail matrix appeared to be similar to those of keratinization in epidermis and inner root sheath of the hair. In the nail matrix, however, corresponding region to the keratogenous zone of growing hair follicle was not observed. Vacuolated squamous cells of nail matrix seen on light microscopy was considered to be artefactual product, but squamous cells with condensed small nuclei rarely found adjacent nail plate was considered to be one of the squamous cells with unknown function. Proximal end of nail plate was observed on dorsal surface of nail field distal to the proximal nail fold at 14 and 16 weeks old human embryos. Proximal prolongation of the proximal end of nail plate was occured with advancing fetal age and afterward 21 weeks nail plate invaded into nail matrix. Melanin granule containing cells and Merkel cells were present only on the basal layer of dorsal nail matirx.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.37-43
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• 2001

Crop status monitoring and yield prediction at higher spatial resolution is a valuable tool in various decision making processes including agricultural policy making by the national and local governments. A prototype crop forecasting system was developed to project the size of rice crop across geographic areas nationwide, based on daily weather pattern. The system consists of crop models and the input data for 1,455 cultivation zone units (the smallest administrative unit of local government in South Korea called "Myun") making up the coterminous South Korea. CERES-rice, a rice crop growth simulation model, was tuned to have genetic characteristics pertinent to domestic cultivars. Daily maximum/minimum temperature, solar radiation, and precipitation surface on 1km by 1km grid spacing were prepared by a spatial interpolation of 63 point observations from the Korea Meteorological Administration network. Spatial mean weather data were derived for each Myun and transformed to the model input format. Soil characteristics and management information at each Myun were available from the Rural Development Administration. The system was applied to the forecasting of national rice production for the recent 3 years (1997 to 1999). The model was run with the past weather data as of September 15 each year, which is about a month earlier than the actual harvest date. Simulated yields of 1,455 Myuns were grouped into 162 counties by acreage-weighted summation to enable the validation, since the official production statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is on the county basis. Forecast yields were less sensitive to the changes in annual climate than the reported yields and there was a relatively weak correlation between the forecast and the reported yields. However, the projected size of rice crop at each county, which was obtained by multiplication of the mean yield with the acreage, was close to the reported production with the $r^2$ values higher than 0.97 in all three years.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.176-176
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• 2000

Recently developed Austenite stainless steel,309L was to overlay on 3Cr-1Mo-V-Ti-B steels, using Electroslag welding process, which wide electrodes were adopted. Transition region in welding interlayer relating to disbonding crack was investigated. Also. the effect of welding condition on the width of transition region and coarsening grains of the austenite were studied.1) With increasing welding speed the width of martensite at transient region was increased, but the amount of delta ferrite in weld metal was reduced, being fine grained.2) The form of martensite at the transition region was occured by reversible transition region, leading to increasing Ms point.3) With increasing welding speed, the grain of austenite formed at the welding interface was finer. With increasing welding current under the same welding speed, the grain size of the austenite was finer. At high current, original grain size of the austenite is coarse, but the austenite has fine grains because the austenite was transformed to martensite during cooling.4) In the case of high welding speed, the width of martensite at the welding interface was increased, but the grain size of austenite at the welding interface was finer. This indicates that the inhibition of disbonding crack may be achieved through dispersening fine carbides in the grain boudary.(Received August 3, 1999)

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.49-56
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• 2000

Recently developed Austenite stainless steel, 309L was used to overlay on 3Cr-1Mo-V-Ti-B steels, using Electroslag welding process, which wide electrodes were adopted. Transition region in welding interlayer relating to disbonding crack was investigated. Also, the effect of welding condition on the width of transition region and coarsening grains of the austenite were studied. 1) With increasing welding speed the width of martensite at transient region was increased, but the amount of delta ferrite in weld metal was reduced, being fine grained. 2) The form of martensite at the transition region was occurred by reversible transformation during cooling since the interdiffusion of Cr and Ni from weld metal and Fe and C from base metals at the transition region, causes to lowering the concentration of Cr and Ni at the transition region, leading to increasing Ms point. 3) With increasing welding speed, the grain of austenite formed at the welding interface was finer. With increasing welding current under the same welding speed, the grain size of the austenite was finer. At high current, original grain size of the austenite is coarse, but the austenite has fine grains because the austenite was transformed to martensite during cooling. 4) In the case of high welding speed, the width of martensite at the welding interface was increased, but the grain size of austenite at the welding interface was finer. This indicates that the inhibition of disbonding crack may be achieved through dispersening fine carbides in the gain boundary.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.133-148
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• 2021

The paper presents a simplified force-based seismic design procedure for the preliminary design of steel haunch retrofitting for the seismic upgrade of deficient RC frames. The procedure involved constructing a site-specific seismic design spectrum for the site, which is transformed into seismic base shear coefficient demand, using an applicable response modification factor, that defines base shear force for seismic analysis of the structure. Recent experimental campaign; involving shake table testing of ten (10), and quasi-static cyclic testing of two (02), 1:3 reduced scale RC frame models, carried out for the seismic performance assessment of both deficient and retrofitted structures has provided the basis to calculate retrofit-specific response modification factor Rretrofitted. The haunch retrofitting technique enhanced the structural stiffness, strength, and ductility, hence, increased the structural response modification factor, which is mainly dependent on the applied retrofit scheme. An additional retrofit effectiveness factor (ΩR) is proposed for the deficient structure's response modification factor Rdeficient, representing the retrofit effectiveness (ΩR=Rretrofitted /Rdeficient), to calculate components' moment and shear demands for the retrofitted structure. The experimental campaign revealed that regardless of the deficient structures' characteristics, the ΩR factor remains fairly the unchanged, which is encouraging to generalize the design procedure. Haunch configuration is finalized that avoid brittle hinging of beam-column joints and ensure ductile beam yielding. Example case study for the seismic retrofit designs of RC frames are presented, which were validated through equivalent lateral load analysis using elastic model and response history analysis of finite-element based inelastic model, showing reasonable performance of the proposed design procedure. The proposed design has the advantage to provide a seismic zone-specific design solution, and also, to suggest if any additional measure is required to enhance the strength/deformability of beams and columns.