• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.79-90
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• 1987

The present experiment was performed in 35 normal male volunteers to evaluate the effect of electroacupuncture on the human nociception more clearly and to demonstrate the effect of different parameters of electrical stimulation through acupuncture needles. The threshold of the pain(Tp) and the nociceptive flexion reflex(Tr), the threshold for intolerable pain(Tip) and that for obtaining maximal reflex response(Tmr) were studied before and after electroacupuncture performed on the acupoints of tsusanli and hsuanchung. 1) For the pricking pain, electroacupuncture with intermittent stimulation induced a significant decrease in Tp which recovered after removal of the needles. There was no significant change in other thresholds. 2) For the dull pain, electroacupuncture with intermittent stimulation produced a significant increase in Tp which continued after removal of the needles. But there was no signifcant change in Tip. Electroacupuncture with continuous stimulation induced a slight increase in Tp. 3) After resting without electroacupuncture, Tp and Tip of the dull pain were slightly decreased. These results suggest that electroacupuncture had no significant analgesic effect on the pricking pain induced by electrical stimulation of the foot skin. However, electroacupuncture with intermittent stimulation had significant analgesic effect on the weak dull pain and it had slightly greater analgesic effect than electroacupuncture with continuous stimulation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Technology Engineers
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.285-291
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• 2017

Micro-needles are used as transferring devices for sampling of tiny constitute substances from biological bodies. Typically, nickel is used as a coating to improve the rigidity of micro-needles. This study introduces the methodology to manufacture a WC needle with very high hardness and toughness. Micro-EDM technology was used to manufacture micro-needles with holes $130{\mu}m$ in diameter and $2300{\mu}m$ in length. A micro-needle was aligned to the micro-EDM electrode using a custom two degree-of-freedom alignment system. A three-step manufacturing technique was developed to drill a micro-hole using a WC electrode. In the first process, an electrode $105{\mu}m$ in diameter was used to make a hole. Electrodes of 90 and $105{\mu}m$ diameters were used in the second and third process, respectively. Consequently, a WC micro-needle with an inner hole of $135{\mu}m$ diameter, length of $2300{\mu}m$, and outer diameter of $300{\mu}m$ was developed.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.180-190
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• 2004

Objectives : To present criteria for acupuncture standardization, which will improve quality of acupuncture and secure safety, through studies of the biocompatibility of acupuncture materials. Methods : Acupuncture needles distributed in Korea were studied. Intracutaneous reaction tests and sterility tests were executed to study the biocompatibility of acupuncture. Results & Conclusions : All 4 kinds of acupuncture needles distributed in Korea were found suitable for medical use, through intracutaneous reaction tests and sterility tests. However, the medical instrument standards of the Korea Food and Drug Administration lack criteria concerning intracutaneous reaction tests and sterility tests. The criteria for these tests should be standardized in order to secure the biocompatibility of acupuncture needles.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.48-52
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• 2001

The needles of Pinus densiflora, grown in the campus of Kangwon National University were collected, extracted with acetone-$H_2O$ (7:3, v/v) and freeze dried to give 10.4 g of ethylacetate soluble powder. A portion of the freeze dried powder was chromatographed on a Sephadex LH-20 column using a series of aqueous methanol and ethanol, and ethanol-hexane mixture as eluents. The extractives contained a large amount of flavan compounds in addition to a small amount of flavonoid derivatives such as kaempferol-3-O-glucopyranoside, and quercetin-(6"-O-acetyl)-glucopyranoside which has not been isolated from this species yet. Some spectrometric analyses such as NMR and FAB-MS were performed to identify the structures of the isolated flavonoid derivatives.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.337-342
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• 2006

The total monoterpenoid content of the pine litter layer and the availability of these compounds as inhibitors/stimulators on Polysphondylium violaceum of cellular slime molds were investigated. In order to determine the several monoterpenoids in the natural environment, we examined their concentrations in fresh, senescent, and decaying needles from 3 pine species (Pinus densiflora, P. thunbergii, P. rigida) by litter bag method. Total monoterpenoid content was highest in the fresh needles, but also remained relatively high in senescent needles. The effect of monoterpenoids identified from Pinus plants on the growth of P. violaceum was studied. We tested four concentrations (1, 0.1, 0.01, and $0.001\;{\mu}g/{\mu}L$) of each compound by using a disk volatilization technique. Each compound was treated after germination of spores of P. violaceum. All of the compounds at $1\;{\mu}g/{\mu}L$ concentration had a very strong inhibitory effect on cell growth of P. violaceum. Fenchone at all concentrations, myrcene, verbenone, bornyl acetate, and limonene at low concentrations stimulated the growth of P. violaceum. These results suggest that inhibitory or enhancing effects of selected monoterpenoids depend upon the concentration of the individual compound.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Illuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.98-105
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• 2014

Soil discharges near the ground rod play an important role to reduce the ground potential rise and the ground impedance and to help the fault current to spread into the earth. This paper presents the effects of soil discharges on the transient and conventional ground impedances when the lightning impulse voltage was applied to a ground rod with radial needles. The current-voltage (I-V)curves and transient ground impedance curves were calculated based on the measured current and potential traces. Soil discharge behaviors related to I-V curves and transient ground impedance curves were analyzed as a function of the magnitude of lightning impulse voltages. As a result, the soil discharges occurred near the ground electrode contribute to the reduction of conventional ground impedance and limits the ground potential rise effectively under lightning impulse voltages.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.300-308
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• 2021

Usually, during slaughter, the meat is divided into large chunks by part after deboning. The meat chunks are inspected for the presence of needles with an X-ray scanner. Although needles in the meat chunks are easily detectable, they can also be found in trimmings and meat offals, where meat skins, fat chunks, and pieces of meat from different parts get agglomerated. Detection of needles in trimmings and meat offals becomes challenging because of many needle-like patterns that are detected by the X-ray scanner. This problem can be solved by learning the trimmings or meat offals using deep learning. However, it is not easy to collect a large number of learning patterns in trimmings or meat offals. In this study, we demonstrate the use of deep convolutional generative adversarial network (DCGAN) to create fake images of trimmings or meat offals and train them using a convolution neural network (CNN).

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.87-93
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• 2012

Objectives : The present study is to verify whether the deformation of ear acupuncture needle tips that are currently on the market is caused during the process of initial packaging. Methods : Ear acupuncture needles distributed from three different companies were collected to measure the size of the groove on the transparent plate which is used in for the intial packaging. Then the tolerance range for off-centered tips, which represent the range of the groove size that is safe from damaging the needle tip, was determined based on the vertical length measured from tip to handle. 200 ear acupuncture needles were dipped in alcohol and scanned to confirm the position of the needles. Stereo-microscope was used to observe the needle tips that were located outside the tolerance range. Results : The increased number of ear acupuncture needle tips placed outside the tolerance range were seen from in the order of C company, A company and B company. The increased deformation of the needle tips caused by initial packaging was observed in the order of A company, C company and B company. Conclusion : Only the ear acupuncture needles from B company showed the strong correlation between needle tip deformation and initial packaging. It has been observed that the deformation of the ear acupuncture needles is mainly due to manufacturing process, not the packaging process.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.517-522
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• 2013

The effect on methanogens attached to the surface of rumen ciliate protozoa by the addition of plant extracts (pine needles and ginkgo leaves) was studied with particular reference to their effectiveness for decreasing methane emission. The plant extracts (pine needles and ginkgo leaves) were added to an in vitro fermentation incubated with rumen fluid. The microbial population including bacteria, ciliated-associated methanogen, four different groups of methanogens and Fibrobacter succinogenes were quantified by using the real-time PCR. Gas profiles including methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen, and runinal fermentation characteristics were observed in vitro. The methane emission from samples with an addition of individual juices from pine needles, ginkgo leaves and 70% ethanol extract from ginko leaves was significantly lower (p<0.05, 27.1, 28.1 and 28.1 vs 34.0 ml/g DM) than that of the control, respectively. Total VFAs in samples with an addition of any of the plant extracts were significantly lower than that of the control (p<0.05) as well. The order Methanococcales and the order Methanosarcinales were not detected by using PCR in any incubated mixtures. The ciliate-associated methanogens population decreased from 25% to 49% in the plant extacts as compared to control. We speculate that the supplementation of juice from pine needles and ginkgo leaves extract (70% ethanol extract) decreased the protozoa population resulting in a reduction of methane emission in the rumen and thus inhibiting methanogenesis. The order Methanobacteriales community was affected by addition of all plant extracts and decreased to less than the control, while the order Methanomicrobiales population showed an increase to more than that of the control. The F. succinogenes, the major fibrolytic microorganism, population in all added plant extracts was increased to greater than that of the control. In conclusion, pine needles and ginkgo leaves extracts appear to have properties that decrease methanogenesis by inhibiting protozoa species and may have a potential for use as additives for ruminants.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.353-359
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• 2011

The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of supplementation with the needles of Pinus densiflora on the fermentation characteristics of honey wine (Pinus densiflora-honey wine). Honey without supplementation with needles of Pinus densiflora (honey wine) was included as a control. Physiochemical changes were investigated during 30 days of fermentation at $20^{\circ}C$, and following aging. At the beginning of fermentation, pH and viable cell counts of Pinus densiflora-honey wine changed rapidly, while $^{\circ}Bx$ decreased gradually. Viable yeast counts reached maximum levels at 5 to 10 days of fermentation. At day 0, the pH of Pinus densiflora-honey wine was 3.8, while the non-supplemented honey wine had a pH of 3.4. Decease in $^{\circ}Bx$ was faster in Pinus densiflora-honey wine than in non-supplemented honey wine. Supplementation of honey with needles of Pinus densiflora prior to fermentation shifted the initial pH to a more neutral pH, and the presence of Pinus densiflora needles increased the fermentation speed. The final $^{\circ}Bx$, pH, ethanol content, and total titratable acidity of Pinus densiflora-honey wine were $13.7^{\circ}Bx$, pH 3.05, 13.5%, and 0.37%, respectively. A sensory evaluation demonstrated that addition of 4% (w/v) fructose to honey wine supplemented with neddles of Pinus densiflora raised the level of product acceptability.