• BMB Reports
• /
• v.52 no.5
• /
• pp.295-303
• /
• 2019

Breakthroughs in stem cell technology have contributed to disease modeling and drug screening via organoid technology. Organoid are defined as three-dimensional cellular aggregations derived from adult tissues or stem cells. They recapitulate the intricate pattern and functionality of the original tissue. Insulin is secreted mainly by the pancreatic ${\beta}$ cells. Large-scale production of insulin-secreting ${\beta}$ cells is crucial for diabetes therapy. Here, we provide a brief overview of organoids and focus on recent advances in protocols for the generation of pancreatic islet organoids from pancreatic tissue or pluripotent stem cells for insulin secretion. The feasibility and limitations of organoid cultures derived from stem cells for insulin production will be described. As the pancreas and gut share the same embryological origin and produce insulin, we will also discuss the possible application of gut organoids for diabetes therapy. Better understanding of the challenges associated with the current protocols for organoid culture facilitates development of scalable organoid cultures for applications in biomedicine.

• Composites Research
• /
• v.33 no.6
• /
• pp.321-328
• /
• 2020

Recently, development of nanocomposite materials for applying in various fields has been actively underway. Of the two-dimensional nanomaterials, graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs) are highly utilized because of their excellent properties, but a problem of strong aggregations is occurred when GnPs are fabricated with polymer nanocomposites, so there is a growing demand for research on the methods of dispersion. In this review paper, the research on GnP nanocomposites with improved properties through various dispersion methods of GnPs. The welldispersed GnP nanocomposites will be applied in more diverse fields in the future.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.110 no.1
• /
• pp.106-115
• /
• 2021

The aim of the study was to analyze the spatial characteristics of the main producing areas of nontimber forest products. We analyzed the spatial aggregations of the main producing area and their changes using the Moran's I index. We found that 45% of nontimber forest products were significanty spatially clustered. Additionally, in five major products, we observed that the main producing area has expanded and the degree of aggregation has also strengthened over the last ten years. The results of this study can be effectively used for forest policies, such as determining the location and size of the distribution centers of specific forest products.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems Conference
• /
• 2003.09a
• /
• pp.28-31
• /
• 2003

In the present work, a main purpose is to propose a fuzzy integral-based aggregation framework to complementarily combine partial information due to lack of completeness. Based on Choquet integral (CI) viewed as monotone expectation, we take into account complementary, non-interactive, and substitutive aggregations of different sources of defective information. A CI-based system representing upper, conventional, and lower expectations is designed far handling three aggregation attitudes towards uncertain information. In particular, based on Choquet integrals for belief measure, probability measure, and plausibility measure, CI$\_$bi/-, CI$\_$pr/ and CI$\_$pl/-aggregator are constructed, respectively. To illustrate a validity of proposed aggregation framework, multiple matching systems are developed by combining three simple individual template-matching systems and tested under various image variations. Finally, compared to individual matchers as well as other traditional multiple matchers in terms of an accuracy rate, it is shown that a proposed CI-aggregator system, {CI$\_$bl/-aggregator, CI$\_$pl/-aggregator, Cl$\_$pl/-aggregator}, is likely to offer a potential framework for either enhancing completeness or for resolving conflict or for reducing uncertainty of partial information.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society for Simulation Conference
• /
• 2003.06a
• /
• pp.91-100
• /
• 2003

In this paper we investigate the role that warfare played In the formation of the network of alliances between sites that are associated with the formation of the state in the Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico. A model of state formation proposed by Marcos and Flannery (1996) is used as the basis for an agent-based simulation model. Agents reside in sites and their actions are constrained by knowledge extracted from the Oaxaca Surface Archaeological Survey (Kowalewski 1989). The simulation is run with two different sets of constraint rules for the agents. The first set is based upon the raw data collected in the surface survey. This represents a total of 79 sites and constitutes a minimal level of warfare (raiding) in the Valley. The other site represents the generalization of these constraints to sites with similar locational characteristics. This set corresponds to 987 sites and represents a much more active role for warfare in the Valley. The rules were produced by a data mining technique, Decision Trees, guided by Genetic Algorithms. Simulations were run using the two different rule sets and compared with each other and the archaeological data for the Valley. The results strongly suggest that warfare was a necessary process in the aggregations of resources needed to support the emergence of the state in the Valley.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.445-452
• /
• 2023

Temperature is one of the important factors affecting the permeability of water in the soil. In the present study, the impact of water temperature on hydraulic conductivity (k) with and without coarse aggregations by considering six types of soils was analyzed. Moreover, the effect of sand and gravel presence in the soil was investigated through the infiltration based on constant and inconstant water head experiments. Results indicated that by increasing the water temperature, adding gravel to sandy soil caused the hydraulic conductivity to raise. It is supposed that the gravel decreased the contact surface between the water and the soil aggregates. It is deduced that due to decreasing kinetic energy, k tends to have lower values. Furthermore, adding the sand to sandy silt-clay soil showed that the sand did not have a marginal effect on the variation of k since the added sand cannot increase the contact surface like gravel. Finally, increasing the main diameter of the soil will increase the effect of the water temperature on hydraulic conductivity.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.437-447
• /
• 2023

The failures of tailing dams have caused irreparable damage to human lives, assets and environment and this has ultimately resulted in great economic, social and environmental challenges worldwide. Due to this, investigation into mechanical behaviour of tailings has received some attention. However, the knowledge and understanding of mechanics of behaviour in iron tailings is still limited. This study investigates the mechanics of iron tailings from Nigeria considering grading, effects of fabric resulting from different sample preparations and the possibility of non-convergent behaviour. This was achieved by conducting series of one-dimensional compression tests in conjunction with index, microstructural, chemical and mineralogical tests. The materials are predominantly poorly graded, non-clayey and non-plastic. The tailings are characterised by angular particles with no obvious particle aggregations and dominated by silicon, iron, aluminium, haematite and quartz. The compression paths do not converge and unique normal compression lines are not found and this is an important feature of the transitional mode of behaviour. The behaviour of these iron tailings therefore depends on initial specific volume. The preparation methods also have effect on the compression paths of the samples. The gradings of the samples have an influence on the degree of transitional behaviour but the preparation methods do affect the degree of convergence. The transitional mode of behaviour in these iron tailings investigated is very strong.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.31-41
• /
• 2024

Calcium ions play an important role in development and intracellular signaling. Dictyostelium discoideum has 14 genes encoding calcium -binding proteins (CBPs), but the function of most CBPs during development has not yet been studied. In this study, we investigated the specific functions of CBP7, one of 14 CBPs, in development using RNA interference cell lines of CBP7, cell lines overexpressing CBP7, cell lines with point mutations in the EF-hand domain, and cell lines expressing fragment proteins. was intended to reveal. CBP7 consists of 169 amino acids and contains 4EF-hand domains. The CBP7-overexpressing cells showed complete loss of developmental process. These cells remained in the single-cell growth stage under development -inducing conditions, while wild-type cells formed aggregations within 6-8h of development and eventually formed fruiting bodies. The experiments using point-mutated CBP7 protein showed that all EF-hand domains of CBP7 were important for CBP7 to function during developmental process. These results suggest that CBP7 plays an important role in developmental processes across all EF-hand domains.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.55 no.3
• /
• pp.335-340
• /
• 2011

The solution properties of sodium n-dodecyl sulfate, as an anionic surfactant in the presence of a cationic watersoluble 5, 10, 15, 20-tetrakis (N-methylpyridinium-4-yl) porphyrin (TMPyP) has been comprehensively studied by means of conductometry, UV-vis and resonance light scattering (RLS) spectroscopies. The results represent the decreasing of critical micelle concentration of SDS solution due to increasing of TMPyP concentration. The stabilization of SDS micelle is due to neutralization of negative charge at the micelle surface. The presence of three different species of TMPyP in SDS solution has been unequivocally demonstrated: free porphyrin monomers, porphyrin monomers or aggregates bound to the micelles, and nonmicellar porphyrin/surfactant aggregates. Our results show SDS induced an aggregation in TMPyP. In fact two kinds of J-aggregations were observed: one of them for porphyrin monomers or aggregates bound to the micelles and the other for nonmicellar porphyrin/surfactant aggregates. However, the results represent the electrostatic interaction of TMPyP with SDS anion below the cmc.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.45 no.1
• /
• pp.112-117
• /
• 2012

The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) is a revision of the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). However, changes for each factor of the USLE have been made in RUSLE which can be used to compute soil loss on areas only where significant overland flow occurs. RUSLE which requires standardized methods to satisfy new data requirements estimates soil movement at a particular site by utilizing the same factorial approach employed by the USLE. The rainfall erosivity in the RUSLE expressed through the R-factor to quantify the effect of raindrop impact and to reflect the amount and rate of runoff likely is associated with the rain. Calculating the R-factor value in the RUSLE equation to predict the related soil loss may be possible to analyse the variability of rainfall erosivity with long time-series of concerned rainfall data. However, daily time step models cannot return proper estimates when run on other specific rainfall patters such as storm and daily cumulative precipitation. Therefore, it is desirable that cross-checking is carried out amongst different time-aggregations typical rainfall event may cause error in estimating the potential soil loss in definite conditions.