• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.08a
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• pp.298-298
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• 2013

Finding renewable and clean energy resources is essential research to solve global warming and depletion of fossil fuels in modern society. Recently, complex harvesting of energy from multiple sources is available in our living environments using a single device has become highly desirable, representing a new trend in energy technologies. We report that when simultaneously driving the fusion and composite cells of two or more types, it is possible to make an affect the other cells to obtain a greater synergistic effect. To understand the coupling effect of photovoltaic and piezoelectric device, we fabricate the serially integrated hybrid cell (s-HC) based on organic solar cell (OSC) and piezoelectric nanogenerator (PNG). The size of increased voltage peaks when OSC and PNG are working on is larger than the case when only PNG is working. This voltage difference is the Voc change of OSC, not the voltage change of PNG and current density difference between these two cases is manifested more clearly. When the OSC and PNG are working in s-HC at the same time, piezoelectric potential (VPNG) is generated in ZnO and theoretical total voltage is sum of voltage of an OSC (VOSC) and VPNG. However, electrons from OSC are influenced by piezoelectric potential in ZnO and current loss of OSC in whole circuit decreases. As a result, VOSC increases temporarily. Current shows the similar behavior. PNG acts a resistance in the whole circuit and current loss occurs when the electrons from OSC pass through the PNG. But piezoelectric potential recover current loss and decrease the resistance of PNG. Our PNG can maintain piezoelectric potential when the strain is held owing to the LDH layer while general PNG cannot maintain piezoelectric potential. During the section that strain is held, voltage enhancement effect is maintained and same effect appeared even turn off the light. Actually at this time, electrons in ZnO nanosheets move to LDH and trapped by the positive charges in this layer. After this strain is held, piezoelectric potential of ZnO nanosheets is disappeared but potential difference which is developed by negative charge dominant LDH layer is remained. This potential acts similar role like piezoelectric potential in ZnO. Electrons from the OSC also are influenced by this potential and the more current flows.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.259-264
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• 2010

This study was designed to investigate the effects of nitric oxide on the neuronal activity of rat cerebellar Purkinje cells. Sprague-Dawley rats aged 14 to 16 days were decapitated under ether anesthesia. After treatment with pronase and thermolysin, the dissociated Purkinje cells were transferred into a chamber on an inverted microscope. Spontaneous action potentials and potassium current were recorded by standard patch-clamp techniques under current and voltage-clamp modes respectively. 15 Purkinje cells revealed excitatory responses to $20\;{\mu}M$ of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and 4 neurons (20%) did not respond to SNP. Whole potassium currents of Purkinje cells were decreased by SNP (n=10). Whole potassium currents of Purkinje cells were also decreased by L-arginine, substrate of nitric oxide (n=10). These experimental results suggest that nitric oxide increases the neuronal activity of Purkinje cells by altering the resting membrane potential and after hyperpolarization.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.3 no.6
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• pp.615-621
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• 1999

In spite many evidences has supported the cardioprotective effect of bradykinin, its direct effects at the cell level are still under question. We investigated the both effects of bradykinin (BK) on $Ca^{2+}-related$ ionic currents using whole cell voltage clamp technique in rabbit cardiomyocytes and on the intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ transient using calcium sensitive fluorescence dye, indo-1AM. Simultaneously with recording intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ transients, cell contractility was estimated from the changes in length of the electrical stimulated rat cardiac myocytes. L-type $Ca^{2+}$ current decreased by bradykinin at the entire voltage range. Inward tail current increased initially up to its maximum about 4 min after exposing myocytes to BK, and then gradually decreased again by further exposure to BK. This tail current decreased remarkably at washing BK off but slowly recovered ca. 20 min later. The change in cell contractility was similar to that in tail current showing initial increase followed by gradual decrease. Removal of BK brought remarkable decrease in contractility, which was recovered $15{\sim}20$ min after cessation of electrical stimulation. Bradykinin increased $Ca^{2+}$ transient initially but after some time $Ca^{2+}$ transient also decreased coincidentally with contractility. From these results, it is suggested that bradykinin exerts directly its cardioprotective effect on the single myocytes by decreasing the intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ level followed by an initial increase in $Ca^{2+}$ transient.

• Hanyang Medical Reviews
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.59-64
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• 2013

Cancer remains the leading cause of death worldwide despite intense efforts in developing innovative treatments. Current approaches in cancer therapy are mainly directed to a selective targeting of cancer cells to avoid potential side effects associated with conventional therapy. In this respect, Natural killer (NK) cells have gained growing attention and are now being considered as promising therapeutic tools for cancer therapy owing to their intrinsic ability to rapidly recognize and kill cancer cells, while sparing normal healthy cells. NK cells play a key role in the first line of defense against transformed and virus-infected cells. NK cells sense their target through a whole array of receptors, both activating and inhibitory. Functional outcome of NK cell against target cells is determined by the balance of signals transmitted from diverse activating and inhibiting receptors. Despite significant progress made in the role of NK cells attack as a pivotal sentinel in tumor surveillance, the molecular has been that regulate NK cell responses remain unclear, which restricts the use of NK cells as a therapeutic measure. Accordingly, current efforts for NK cell-based cancer therapy have largely relied on the strategies that are based on the manipulation of inhibitory receptor function. However, if we better understand the mechanisms governing NK cell activation, including those mediated by diverse activating receptors, this knowledge can be applied to the development of optimal design for cancer immunotherapy by targeting NK cells.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.280-289
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• 1998

Voltage-sensitive ion channels contribute to establishment of the cell excitablity and the generation of the cellular function. At hamster oocytes in the primitive stage during developing process, an inward current elicited by voltage pulses was found to be carried mainly by $Ca^{2+}$. Even at present, $Ca^{2+}$ channels serve as the most probable route to pass this inward current but there is no evidence of the presence of this channels in eggs. To date, both the characteristic properties and the physiological role in the early stage of development remain unclear. Here we examined the characteristic properties of the inward current and changes in this currents at unfertilized oocytes, fertilized zygotes and two-cell embryos using whole-cell voltage clamp technique. The inward current carried reportedly by $Ca^{2+}$ was remained following removing external $Ca^{2+}$ but completely abolished by further replacement of impermeants such as tetramethylammonium ion ($TMA^+$) or $choline^+$ instead of $[Na^+]_0$. Tetrodotoxin did not affect on this inward current remained at $[Ca^{2+}]_0$-free condition. Removal of $Na^+$ ion out of the experimental solution clearly decreased the current. After adding 2mM $Ca^{2+}$ to the $Na^+$-free media, the inward current was restored. Interestingly, this current carried by either $Ca^{2+}$ or $Na^+$ was decreased by the reduction of intracellular $Cl^-$ concentration, or by $Cl^-$ channel blockers such as niflumic acid, DIDS and SITS. When $Cl^-$ concentration was lowered without changes in other ionic components, this inward current was reduced. At fertilized oocytes and two-cell embryos, the inward current carried by $Ca^{2+}$ and $Na^+$ was severely reduced. Also $Cl^-$ component could not be observed. From these results, the inward current is composed of $Ca^{2+}$, $Na^+$ and $Cl^-$ component, suggesting that the channel carrying this inward current is not selective specifically to $Ca^{2+}$. During early stage of development, the voltage-sensitive ion current seems not to contribute essentially to the cell cleavage and differentiation. The loss of $Cl^-$ component after fertilization suggests that $Cl^-$ may play a role in maintaining the viability of unfertilized ova.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.11
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• pp.55-59
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• 1993

The packed cell volume(PCV) of Korean native goat, volume percentage of red blood cell in whole blood, was reshuffled of 20%, 40% and 60% using autoplasma, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate was measured in Westergren tubes at room temperature ($27{\pm}1^{\circ}C$) and low temperature ($8{\pm}1^{\circ}C$). The sedimentation rates of red blood cell obtained are summarized as follows. The erythrocyte sedimentation rates of Korean native goat are accelerated more at high temperature than low temperature. The erythrocyte sedimentation rates of reshuffled Korean native goat upon time are almost linear for several hours. The erythrocyte sedimentation rates of Korean native goat are settled faster at low PCV than higher PCV, i. e., there is a reverse relationshif between the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and packed cell volume.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.269-273
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• 2005

In horizontal cells (HCs) that were freshly dissociated from goldfish retina, two types of voltagedependent calcium currents ($I_{Ca}$) were recorded using a patch-clamping configuration: a transient type current and a sustained type current. The cell was held at -40 mV, and the prepulse step of -90 mV was applied before command pulse between -65 and +55 mV. The transient $Ca^{2+}$ current was activated by depolarization to around -50 mV from a prepulse voltage of -90 mV lasting at least 400 ms and reached a maximal value near -25 mV. On the other hand, the sustained $Ca^{2+}$ current was induced by pre-inactivation for less than 10 ms duration. Its activation started near -10 mV and peaked at +20 mV. $Co^{2+}$ (2 mM) suppressed both of these two components, but nifedipine ($20{\mu}M$), L-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel antagonist, blocked only the sustained current. Based on the activation voltage and the pharmacolog$I_{Ca}$l specificity, the sustained current appears to be similar to L-type $I_{Ca}$ and the transient type to T-type $I_{Ca}$. This study is the first to confirm that transient type $I_{Ca}$ together with the sustained one is present in HCs dissociated from goldfish retina.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.19-22
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• 2008

In this paper, the cell balance of secondary battery using a large number of MOSFETs is discussed. We can balance the cells by controlling battery charging current with help of MOSFETs. If the cells are not balanced, we can not use the whole energy of the battery while charging and discharging, therefore, the energy efficiency is decreased. To increase the energy efficiency, we propose the MOSFET control algorithm which will perform cell balancing by controlling the charging current.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1992.07b
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• pp.1038-1040
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• 1992

Booster is used widely as one of the step-up DC/DC power converter in power conversion process for fuel cell power plant which have the electrical characteristic of the high current density and low cell voltage. In view of control system, booster can be unstable when it is operated in broad operation range because the transfer function of booster has zero in right half plane of s-domain. So for reliable operation, controller must make the system stable in whole working range. In this paper, the two control method such as digital PID control and fuzzy control is studied for booster output voltage regulation in fuel cell plant. The design procedure of PID control and fuzzy control is described. And the experiment of designed controller action is performed in various operation points for controller performance test.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.230-234
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• 1999

Potassium channels play an important role in regulating vascular smooth muscle tone. Four types of $K^+$ channels areknown to be expressed in vascular smooth muscle cells, and maxi $Ca^{2+}-activated\;K^+$ channel $(BK_{Ca})$ is a dominant type of $K^+$ channels in these cells. Because total ginseng saponins and ginsenoside $Rg_3$ cause vasodilation with unclear mechanisms, we hypothesized that total ginseng saponins and ginsenoside $Rg_3$ induce vasodilation via activation of maxi $Ca^{2+}-activated\;K+$ channels. Whole-cell BKe. currents were voltage-dependent with half maximum activation at -14 mV, and the currents were sensitive to nanomolar ChTX and millimolar TEA. External application of total ginseng saponins increased the anlplitude of the whole-cell BKe. current in a concentration-dependent manner. Single-channel analysis indicates that total ginseng saponins caused the channel opening for a longer period of time. Ginsenoside $Rg_3$ increased the amplitude of whole-cell $K_{Ca}$ currents without affecting voltage dependence of the currents and increased single-channel open time. Hence, the results suggest that ginseng saponin-induced vasodilation may be due to activation of $K_{Ca}$.