• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.1070-1077
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• 2017

Chondrocyte apoptosis induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. Schisandrin A, a bioactive compound found in fruits of the Schisandra genus, has been reported to possess multiple pharmacological and therapeutic properties. Although several studies have described the antioxidant effects of analogues of schisandrin A, the underlying molecular mechanisms of this bioactive compound remain largely unresolved. The present study investigated the cytoprotective effect of schisandrin A against oxidative stress (hydrogen peroxide [$H_2O_2$]) in SW1353 human chondrocyte cells. The results showed that schisandrin A preconditioning significantly inhibited $H_2O_2-induced$ growth inhibition and apoptotic cell death by blocking the degradation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase proteins and down-regulating pro-caspase-3. These antiapoptotic effects of schisandrin A were associated with attenuation of mitochondrial dysfunction and normalization of expression changes of proapoptotic Bax and antiapoptotic Bcl-2 in $H_2O_2-stimulated$ SW1353 chondrocytes. Furthermore, schisandrin A effectively abrogated $H_2O_2-induced$ intracellular ROS accumulation and phosphorylation of histone H2AX at serine 139, a widely used marker of DNA damage. Thus, the present study demonstrates that schisandrin A provides protection against $H_2O_2-induced$ apoptosis and DNA damage in SW1353 chondrocytes, possibly by prevention of ROS generation. Collectively, our data indicate that schisandrin A has therapeutic potential in the treatment of oxidative disorders caused by overproduction of ROS.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.43-56
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• 1998

The purpose of this study is to identify distributional characteristics of climatic elements and to analyze synoptic characteristics on the pressure fields for spring droughts in Korea. In the distributions of minimum temperature during the spring droughts, positive anomalies and negative anomalies are mixed up, but in March the negative anomaly areas are widely distributed in Korea. It implies that the droughts of March have more frequent occurrences of the west-high, east-low pressure patterns. In the maximum air temperatures, the positive anomalies appear in Korea. It indicates that the spring droughts have rain days, cloud amount and humidities less than normal. As a result, the amount of evaporation is increased in Korea. In the pressure anomaly of surface pressure fields, the positive anomalies appear in the west, negative anomalies in the east in March, but in May the positive anomalies appeared zonally around the Korean peninsula. It indicates that March droughts have more frequent occurrences of the west-high. east-low patterns, but in May the Korean Peninsula has more frequent recurrences of the migratory anticyclone patterns. The height anomaly patterns of 500hPa pressure surface in spring droughts are similarly shown to those of surface fields. In March droughts, the positive height anomalies appear in the west, the negative height anomalies in the east, but in April the negative height anomaly areas are extended to the west part. In May the positive anomalies appear zonally around the Korean Peninsula, and strong positive height anomalies appear around the Kamchatka Peninsula and the sea of Okhotsk. These are the result of circulations that inhibit the eastward movement of westerlies and that has persistent anticyclone circulation patterns around the Korean Peninsula. As a result, the zonal indices of westerlies during March and April droughts are lower than normal, but higher in May. These data indicate that early spring droughts are associated with weak zonal flow, but the late spring droughts are obviously related with strong zonal flow. In addition, during early spring droughts the abnormally deep trough over the west coast of the North Pacific Ocean that accompanied the anticyclone was associated with frequent advection of air from the dry regions in the Central Asia into the Korean Peninsula. The atmospheric circulation patterns at the height of the 500hPa pressure surface in May was quite different from March and April circulation patterns. Instead of the abnormal ridge in the west and trough in the east, the circulation pattern in May was characterized by a much stronger than normal anticyclone over the Korean Peninsula. Also, the zonal indices of westerlies in May are higher than normal. The occurrences of drought in early spring, therefore, have mechanism different from those of late spring.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 1986

Prevention of thrombombolism after rosthetic cardiac valve replacement is essential for the patients. About 90% of patients are free of major and minor thromboembolic complications 5 year after replacement of cardiac valves with prosthetic devices when they are under control of anticoagulant therapy. Ticlopidine is a drug that alter platelet function to have an antithrombotic effect. It is an antiaggregating agent which inhibits primary platelet function to have an antithrombotic effect. It is an antiaggregating agent which inhibits primary platelet aggregation induced by ADP and increases the production of prostaglandin $D_{2}$. Aspirin in small doses inhibits platelet synthesis of prostaglandins by irreversibly blocking the enzyme cyclo-oxygenase. Platelet secretion and aggregation are impaired with Ticlopidine and Aspirin. the thromboembolic event sof 54 patient s who were treated with Ticlopidine and Aspirin after cardiac valve replacement were evaluated and compared with that of 79 patients who were treated with Wafarin and Aspirin after the same type of operation. The follow-up period ranged from 4 to 110 months (mean of 48 months). there were 11 major thromboembolic episodes including three deaths in the warfarin goup during mean follow-up period of 56 months. two cases of CVA and one hemoarthrosis were noted due to overdose of Warfarin. Inticlopidine group, there was only one fatal thromboembolic epdisode three month after mitral valve replacement during mean follow-up period of 18 months. Two episodes of hypermenorrhea resulting anemia ere noted in the ticlopidine group. We measured the parameters of platelet function in aggreagation curve of platelet with platelet aggregometer (chrono-log Aggregometer, Model No. 430) Aggregation test was performed with three final concentrations of epinephrine in 10 uM/L, ADP in 5uM/L. 28 patients with prosthetic cardiac valves and 35 healthy volunteers were subgrouped as follows to analyze the effect of antithrombotic drugs used. Group I ; 11 patients treated with 250-500 mg of ticlopidine and 0.5gm of Aspirin as a daily single dose after cardiac valve replacement (14 St. Jude Medical and 1 Carpentier-Edwards, 9 patients with atrial fibrillation among them) Group II ; 10 patients treated with 3-5 mg of Warfarin and 0.75 gm of Aspirin daily to prolong prothrombin time around 20 seconds for more than 6 months and single Aspirin dose was maintained afterward as a life-long regimes(3 St. Jude Medical, 1 Hall-Kaster and 7 Carpentier-Edwards valve, 9 patients in atrial fibrilation). Group III ; 7 patients who quit anticoagulant treatment (Warfarin + Aspirin) 6-12 months after the regime as group II (3 St. Jude Medical. 1 bjork-Shiley, 1 Hall-Kaster, 3 Carpentier-Edwards valve, 2 of them are with atrial fibrillation). Group IV ; 35 healthy vounteers (28 males and 7 females). The following results were obtained. 1. The mean maximal platelet aggregability in Group I induced by 10uM/L epinephrine was 15.6%, and 17.5 and 18.7% in BM in proportion to the induction by 5 and 10 uM/L ADP. 2. The mean maximal platelet aggregability in Group II induced by 10uM/L epinephrine was 16.5%, and 27.4 and 44.7% in BM in proportion to the induction by 5 and 10uM/L ADP. 3. The mean maximal platelet aggregability in group III induced by 10uM/L epinephrine was 65%, and 56.5 and 51.8% in BM in proportion to the induction by 5 and 10 uM/L ADP. 4. The mean maximal platelet aggregability in the normal subjects induced by 10 uM/L epinephrine was 64%, and 65 and 69% in Bm inproportion to the induction by 5 and 10 uM/L ADP. 5. Reversible change of platelet aggregation curve induced by 5 and 10uM/L was noted all of the patients in Group I. conclusion : Ticlopidine is an antiaggregating agent which inhibits primary platelet aggregation induced by ADP, and increases the production of prostaglandin $D_{2}$. Ticlopidine and Aspirin produced a significant inhibition of platelet in the presence of ADP and epinephrine in our study. Acccording to our brief experience, 250 mg of ticlopidine and low dose of Aspirin resulted synergistic superior effect to each drug alone in prevention of thromboembolism after prosthetic cardiac valve replacement.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.22-31
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• 1991

Three crystal structures of dehydrated $Ag^+$-and $Ca^{2+}$- exchanged zeolite $A(Ag_4Ca_4-A,\;Ag_^Ca_3-A,\;and\;Ag_8Ca_2-A)$ treated at 250${\circ}C$ with 0.1 Torr of Rb vapor have been determined by single-crystal x-ray diffraction techniques in the cubic space group Pm3m at 21(1)${\circ}C$ (a=12,271(1)${\AA}$, 12.255(1)${\AA}$, and 12.339(1)${\AA}$, respectively). Their structures were refined to the final error indices. R(weighted) of 0.072 with 130 reflections, 0.050 with 110 reflections, and 0.083 with 86 reflections, respectively, for which $I>3{\rho}(I)$. In each structure, Rb species are found at three different crystallographic sites:3$Rb^+$+ions per unit cell are located at 8-ring centers, ca. 5.6 to 6.4 $Rb^+$ ions are found opposite 6-rings on threefold axes in the large cavity, and ca. 2.5 to 3.0 $Rb^+$ ions are found on threefold axes in the sodalite unit. Also, Ag species are found at two different crystallographic stites: ca. 0.7 to 2.1 $Ag^+$ lie opposite 4-rings and ca. 2.2 to 4.8 Ag atoms are located near the center of the large cavity. In these structures, the numbers of Ag atoms per unit cell are 2.2, 2.4, and 4.8, respectively, and these may form hexasilver clusters at the centers of the large cavities. The $Rb^+$ ions, by blocking 8-rings, may have prevented silver from migrating out of the structure. Each hexasilver cluster is stabilized by coordination to up to 13 $Rb^+$ions. An excess absorption of about 0.8 Rb atom per unit cell indicates that the presence of a triangular symmetric $(Rb_3)2^{+}$ cation in sodalite cavity. At least one large-cavity six-ring $Rb^+$ ion must necessarily approach this cluster and may be viewed as a member of it to give $(Rb)_4^{3+}$, $(Rb)_5^{4+}$ or $(Rb)_6^{5+}$.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.261-270
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• 2002

Purpose: Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), which mediate excitatory neurotransmission, are known to participate in various neurophysiological functions. Severe losses of nAChRs have been noted in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Therefore, noninvasive and quantitative imaging of nAChRs would offer a better understanding on the function of these receptors. In this study, $2-[^{18}F]fluoro-A85380\;([^{18}F]1)$, an ${\alpha}_4{\beta}_2$ nAChRs radioligand, was prepared using one HPLC purification and evaluated in mouse brain, and the results were compared with those in the literature. Materials and Methods: $[^{18}F]1$ was prepared by $[^{18}F]$fluorination of the iodo precursor followed by acidic deprotection and then purified by HPLC. Tissue distribution studies were performed in mouse brain at the indicated time points and the result was expressed as %ID/g. Inhibition studies were also carried out with pretreatment of various ligands. Results: One HPLC purification method gave the desired product in 15-20% radiochemical yield and with high specific activity ($38-55GBq/{\mu}mol$). Tissue distribution studies showed that $[^{18}F]1$ specifically labeled nAChRs in mouse brain with a high thalamus to cerebellum uptake ratio (13.8 at 90 min). Inhibition studios demonstrated selective binding of $[^{18}F]1$ to nAChRs, blocking the uptake of the $[^{18}F]1$ in nAChR-rich legions by selective ligands such as cytisine and nicotine which are well-known nAChRs agonists. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the $[^{18}F]1$ produced by the method using one HPLC purification gave the results similar to those reported in the literature. Therefore, this synthetic method can be readily applied to the routine preparation of $[^{18}F]1$, a PET radioligand for ${\alpha}_4{\beta}_2$ nAChRs imaging.

• Journal of KIISE:Databases
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.742-757
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• 2001

Since database management systems(DBMSS) have limited lock resources, transactions requesting locks beyond the limit mutt be aborted. In the worst carte, if such transactions are aborted repeatedly, the DBMS can become paralyzed, i.e., transaction execute but cannot commit. Lock escalation is considered a solution to this problem. However, existing lock escalation methods do not provide a complete solution. In this paper, we prognose a new lock escalation method, adaptive lock escalation, that selves most of the problems. First, we propose a general model for lock escalation and present the concept of the unescalatable look, which is the major cause making the transactions to abort. Second, we propose the notions of semi lock escalation, lock blocking, and selective relief as the mechanisms to control the number of unescalatable locks. We then propose the adaptive lock escalation method using these notions. Adaptive lock escalation reduces needless aborts and guarantees that the DBMS is not paralyzed under excessive lock requests. It also allows graceful degradation of performance under those circumstances. Third, through extensive simulation, we show that adaptive lock escalation outperforms existing lock escalation methods. The results show that, compared to the existing methods, adaptive lock escalation reduces the number of aborts and the average response time, and increases the throughput to a great extent. Especially, it is shown that the number of concurrent transactions can be increased more than 16 ~256 fold. The contribution of this paper is significant in that it has formally analysed the role of lock escalation in lock resource management and identified the detailed underlying mechanisms. Existing lock escalation methods rely on users or system administrator to handle the problems of excessive lock requests. In contrast, adaptive lock escalation releases the users of this responsibility by providing graceful degradation and preventing system paralysis through automatic control of unescalatable locks Thus adaptive lock escalation can contribute to developing self-tuning: DBMSS that draw a lot of attention these days.

• Journal of the Korean Child Neurology Society
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.205-209
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• 2018

Purpose: Several studies have shown that magnesium plays an important role in modulating N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-related seizures by blocking NMDA ion channel receptors. Clinicians usually measure total serum magnesium levels instead of biologically active ionized magnesium levels. We compared the serum ionized magnesium ($iMg^{2+}$) level between epileptic children with and without a history of fever-triggered seizure (FTS). Methods: All epileptic children who visited the outpatient clinic or pediatric emergency department at Korea University Guro Hospital between January 2015 and July 2017 were included. Only epileptic children aged 1-8 years who were newly diagnosed within 2 years were included. Results: There were 12 children with FTS and 16 without FTS. Median serum $iMg^{2+}$ level was 0.93 (0.85-1.14, quartile) mEq/L. Serum $iMg^{2+}$ level was significantly lower in epileptic children with FTS (0.86 mEq/L) compared to those without FTS (1.10 mEq/L) (P=0.005). No difference was noted in clinical variables between the two groups. Lower serum $iMg^{2+}$ level significantly increased the risk of having FTS in epileptic children based on multivariable logistic regression analysis (odds ratio [OR]=0.028). Conclusion: Serum $iMg^{2+}$ level was significantly lower in epileptic children with FTS than in those without FTS. Measurement of biologically active serum $iMg^{2+}$ level could be considered in epileptic children with recurrent FTS. A large-scale prospective study is warranted.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2015.05a
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• pp.237-237
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• 2015

The district of Marlborough has had more than its share of river management projects over the past 150 years, each one uniquely affecting the geomorphology and flood hazard of the Wairau Plains. A major early project was to block the Opawa distributary channel at Conders Bend. The Opawa distributary channel took a third and more of Wairau River floodwaters and was a major increasing threat to Blenheim. The blocking of the Opawa required the Wairau and Lower Wairau rivers to carry greater flood flows more often. Consequently the Lower Wairau River was breaking out of its stopbanks approximately every seven years. The idea of diverting flood waters at Tuamarina by providing a direct diversion to the sea through the beach ridges was conceptualised back around the 1920s however, limits on resources and machinery meant the mission of excavating this diversion didn't become feasible until the 1960s. In 1964 a 10 m wide pilot channel was cut from the sea to Tuamarina with an initial capacity of $700m^3/s$. It was expected that floods would eventually scour this 'Wairau Diversion' to its design channel width of 150 m. This did take many more years than initially thought but after approximately 50 years with a little mechanical assistance the Wairau Diversion reached an adequate capacity. Using the power of the river to erode the channel out to its design width and depth was a brilliant idea that saved many thousands of dollars in construction costs and it is somewhat ironic that it is that very same concept that is now being used to deal with the aggradation problem that the Wairau Diversion has caused. The introduction of the Wairau Diversion did provide some flood relief to the lower reaches of the river but unfortunately as the Diversion channel was eroding and enlarging the Lower Wairau River was aggrading and reducing in capacity due to its inability to pass its sediment load with reduced flood flows. It is estimated that approximately $2,000,000m^3$ of sediment was deposited on the bed of the Lower Wairau River in the time between the Diversion's introduction in 1964 and 2010, raising the Lower Wairau's bed upwards of 1.5m in some locations. A numerical morphological model (MIKE-11 ST) was used to assess a number of options which led to the decision and resource consent to construct an erodible (fuse plug) bank at the head of the Wairau Diversion to divert more frequent scouring-flows ($+400m^3/s$)down the Lower Wairau River. Full control gates were ruled out on the grounds of expense. The initial construction of the erodible bank followed in late 2009 with the bank's level at the fuse location set to overtop and begin washing out at a combined Wairau flow of $1,400m^3/s$ which avoids berm flooding in the Lower Wairau. In the three years since the erodible bank was first constructed the Wairau River has sustained 14 events with recorded flows at Tuamarina above $1,000m^3/s$ and three of events in excess of $2,500m^3/s$. These freshes and floods have resulted in washout and rebuild of the erodible bank eight times with a combined rebuild expenditure of $80,000. Marlborough District Council's Rivers & Drainage Department maintains a regular monitoring program for the bed of the Lower Wairau River, which consists of recurrently surveying a series of standard cross sections and estimating the mean bed level (MBL) at each section as well as an overall MBL change over time. A survey was carried out just prior to the installation of the erodible bank and another survey was carried out earlier this year. The results from this latest survey show for the first time since construction of the Wairau Diversion the Lower Wairau River is enlarging. It is estimated that the entire bed of the Lower Wairau has eroded down by an overall average of 60 mm since the introduction of the erodible bank which equates to a total volume of $260,000m^3$. At a cost of $$0.30/m^3$ this represents excellent value compared to mechanical dredging which would likely be in excess of $$10/m^3$. This confirms that the idea of using the river to enlarge the channel is again working for the Wairau River system and that in time nature's "excavator" will provide a channel capacity that will continue to meet design requirements.

• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
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• v.147
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• pp.117-146
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• 2018

This paper discusses, whether religion is possible even in the age of artificial intelligence, and whether humans alone are the subject of religious faith or ultra intelligent machines with human minds can be also subjects of faith. In order for ultra intelligent machines to be subjects of faith in the same conditions as humans, they must be able to have unique characteristics such as emotion, will, and self-consciousness. With the advent of ultra intelligent machines with the same level of cognitive and emotional abilities as human beings, the religious actions of artificial intelligence will be inevitable. The ultra intelligent machines after 'singularity' will go beyond the subject of religious belief and reign as God who can rule humans, nature and the world. This is also the common view of Morabeck, Kurzweil and Harari. Leonhart also reminds us that technological advances should make us used to the fact that we are now 'gods'. But we fear we may face distopia despite the general affluence of the 'Star Trec' economy. For this reason, even if a man says he has learned the religious truth, one can't help but wonder if it is true. Kant and Bloch are thinkers who critically reflected on our religious ideals and highest concept in different world-view premises. Kant's concept of God as 'idea of pure reason' and 'postulate of practical reason', can seem like a 'god of gap' as Jesse Bering said earlier. Kant recognized the need for religious faith only on a strict basis of moral necessity. The subjects of religious faith should always strive to do the moral good, but such efforts themselves were not enough to reach perfection and so postulated immortality of the soul. But if an ultra intelligent machines that has emerged above a singularity is given a new status in an intellectual explosion, it can reach its morality by blocking evil tendencies and by the infinite evolution of super intelligence. So it will no longer need Kant's 'Postulate for continuous progress towards greater goodness', 'Postulate for divine grace' and 'Postulate for infinite expansion of the kingdom of God on earth.' Artificial intelligence robots would not necessarily consider religious performance in the Kant's meaning, and therefore religion will also have to be abolished. Ernst Bloch transforms Kant's postulate to be Persian dualism. Therefore, in Bloch, even though the ultra intelligent machines is a divine being, one must critically ask whether it is a wicked or a good God. Artificial intelligence experts warn that ultra intellectual machine as Pandora's gift will bring disaster to mankind. In the Kant's Matrix, a ultra intelligent machines, which is the completion of morality and God itself, may fall into a bad god in Bloch's Matrix. Therefore, despite the myth of singularity, we still believe that ultra intelligent machines, whether as God leads us to the completion of one of our only religious beliefs, or as bad god to the collapse of mankind through complete denial of existence.

• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.52
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• pp.53-78
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• 2018

In the moral culture of the West, love and justice are two commands with roots in ancient times. One is the heritage of Hebraism, and the other belongs to the tradition of Hebraism and Hellenism. The two concepts are the most important virtues required for preserving stability in society. These two commands are compatible, in an exclusive relationship to each other. To ultimately seek their reconciliation, the precise concept analysis and understanding of each of them should be premised on, due to the multi-layered meaning of implications of the two concepts. To this end, we first have started with a lexical meaning and have done a conceptual analysis of what these two concepts are expressing. We have looked at Paul $Ric{\oe}ur$ in his interpretation of the discourse of love and justice. Finally, we looked at how these two concepts are narrated in literature. Through the literary works of Stendal, Albert Camus, and Dostoevsky, we have seen examples of literary configurations that have been embodied in life. In this way, through conceptual analysis, discourse analysis, and narrative analysis of the two concepts, the following conclusions were drawn. Love and justice were not a matter of choice. We could see coldness and unrealism of a society lacking love or with a problem of unclean love, through Stendhal's and Albert Camus' novels and their actual debate. In addition, in unclean paternalism, risk of the power of love blocking certain a certain touch of justice was also confirmed. So, it was necessary for a healthy future society to explore the possibility of the coexistence of love and justice. We confirmed the possibility of compatibility in a 'considerate balance' wherein the 'moral judgment in situation' is required, as Paul $Ric{\oe}ur$ expressed. This ideal situation may be realized when forms of love involving solidarity, mutual care, and compassion with pain like Dostoevsky are combined with the principle of distributional justice. When Albert Camus pursued justice and eventually faced reality and mentioned the need for mercy, he could have made a moral judgment based on this situation. In the end, love protects justice, and justice contributes to the realization of love. Justice reduces super-ethical love to moral categories, and love plays a role in enabling justice to exert its full force.