• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.509-513
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• 2009

For examining an effect of lithium bromide on structure and property of chitosan/fibroin blend, we investigated the structural characteristic of chitosan/fibroin blend films using solution with lithium bromide which was removed during a casting. The chitosan/fibroin blend formed a complex with the dissolved bromine/lithium ions. The crystalline phase of the complex was found in the blend film at LiBr concentration of 0.6 mol/L. The degree of crystallization was decreased with increasing the concentration of LiBr. The hydrated crystalline phase of chitosan was formed in the blend film that lithium bromide was removed in the process of casting by neutralization and osmotic action. The crystallinity of this film was increased largely as compared with that of the film without lithium bromide. The complexed blend film formed hydrogel absorbing plenty of water.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.130-135
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• 2006

Objective : After ischemic stroke, partial recovery of function frequently occurs and may depend on the plasticity of axonal connections. Here, we examine whether blockade of the Nogo/NogoReceptor[NgR] pathway might enhance axonal sprouting and thereby recovery after focal brain infarction. Methods : Adult male Sprague Dawley rats weighing $250{\sim}350g$ were used. Left middle cerebral artery occlusion[MCAO] was induced with a intraluminal filament. An osmotic mini pump [Alzet 2ML4, Alza Scientific Products, Palo Alto, CA] for the infusion of NgR-Ecto[310]-Fc to block Nogo/NgR pathway was implanted 1 week after cerebral ischemia. Prior to induction of ischemia, all animals received training in the staircase and rotarod test. Two weeks after biotin dextran amine injection, animals were perfused transcardially with PBS, followed by 4% paraformadehyde/PBS solution. Brain and cervical spinal cord were dissected. Eight coronal sections spaced at 1mm intervals throughout the forebrain of each animal with cresyl violet acetate for determination of infarction size. Images of each section were digitized and the infarct area per section was measured with image analysis software. Results : Histological examination at 11 weeks post-MCAO demonstrates reproducible stroke lesions and no significant difference in the size of the stroke between the NgR[310]Ecto-Fc protein treated group and the control group. Behavioral recovery is significantly better and more rapid in the NgR-Ecto[310]-Fe treated group. Blockade of NgR enhances axonal sprouting from the uninjured cerebral cortex and improves the return of motor task performance. Conclusion : Pharmacological interruption of NgR allows a greater degree of axonal plasticity in response this is associated with improved functional recovery of complicated motor tasks.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.123-131
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• 2008

Vitrification methods are convenient for cryopreserving plant specimens, as the specimens are plunged directly into liquid nitrogen (LN) from ambient temperatures. However, tissues and species with poor survival are still not uncommon. The development of vitrification solutions with high survival that cover a range of materials is important. We attempted to develop new vitrification solutions using bromegrass cells and found that VSL, comprising 20% (w/v) glycerol, 30% (w/v) ethylene glycol, 5% (w/v) sucrose, 10% (w/v) DMSO and 10 mM $CaCl_2$, gave the highest survival following cryopreservation, as determined by fluorescein diacetate staining. However, the cryopreserved cells showed little regrowth, for unknown reasons. To check its applicability, VSL was used to cryopreserve gentian axillary buds and the performance was compared with those of conventional vitrification solutions. Excised gentian stem segments with axillary buds (shoot apices) were two-step precultured with sucrose to induce osmotic tolerance prior to cryopreservation. Gentian axillary buds cryopreserved using VSL following the appropriate preculturing approach exhibited 78% survival (determined by the regrowth capacity), which was comparable to PVS2 and PVS1 and far better than PVS3. VSL had a wider optimal incubation time (20-45 min) than PVS2 and was more suitable for cryopreserving gentian buds. The optimal duration of the first step of the preculture was 7-11 days, and preculturing with sucrose and glucose gave a much higher survival than fructose and maltose. VSL was able to vitrify during cooling to LN temperatures, as glass transition and devitrification points were detected in the warming profiles from differential scanning calorimetry. VSL and its derivative, VSL+, seem to have the potential to be good alternatives to PVS2 for the cryopreservation of some materials, as exemplified by gentian buds.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.533-538
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• 2013

Sodium chloride is present in our body fluids, and the blood contains approximately 0.9 wt% salt, which plays an important role in maintaining the osmotic pressure. However, the amount of salt intake has consistently increased, and an excessive intake can be the cause of high blood pressure, etc. In this study, it was investigated in vivo and in vitro whether biocompatible ionic polymers with K or Ca ions can be replaced by Na ions through an ion exchange process to be excreted. Among the polymers, Ca-polystyrene sulfonate, K-polystyrene sulfonate, Ca-carrageenan, and Ca-tamarind had an excellent Na exchange ability in the body temperature, simulated gastric fluid and also simulated intestinal fluid. The mechanism of Na removal by absorption and excretion without changing food taste in the mouth through the insolubility properties of these polymers is expected to be a solution for the current problems related with excess sodium intake.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.349-353
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• 2013

The objective of this study was to compare the effect of semen extenders on the sperm motility, viability, acrosome integrity and functional integrity of plasma membrane (HOST: hypo-osmotic swelling test) during liquid preservation of Korean Native boar semen. In this experiment, semen was diluted in Androhep plus, Beltsville Thawing Solution (BTS), ModenaTM, Seminark and Vitasem LD. Sperm-rich fractions were collected from three Korean Native boars and sub-samples were diluted ($30{\times}10^6$ spermatozoa/ml) in different semen extenders. Semen samples were stored at $17^{\circ}C$ for 96 hours. On everyday (0, 24, 48, 72, 96 h) after storage, the sperm characteristics relevant for fertility, such as sperm motility, viability, acrosome integrity and HOST positive were evaluated. The motility of spermatozoa stored in different extenders was no significantly different among other extenders (P>0.05). Also, no difference was observed among samples processed with different extenders in the percentage of sperm viability, acrosome integrity and HOST positive. All extenders maintained a high percentage (70%) of sperm motility, viability and acrosome integrity through 96 h of storage. The result of this study show that there was no significant differences among extenders in their capacity to preserve motility, viability and membrane integrity of spermatozoa from normal, fertile Korean Native boars for 96 h of liquid preservation at $17^{\circ}C$.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.126-132
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• 2022

Water purifiers have a quite different characteristic in comparison with general membrane water treatment processes in which the running and resting are repeated dozens of times a day. In the case of water purifiers using reverse osmosis membranes, this characteristic makes a phenomenon that the total dissolved solids (TDS) of permeate in water purifiers at the beginning of running shows a higher value than a normal value (TDS reduction is lower than a normal value). It is called "TDS creep". The effects of resting times and feed concentrations on the TDS creep were investigated. The feed flushing, the volume increase in permeate side and the flushing with purified water were applied to reduce TDS creep and the effectiveness were observed. Among these trials, the minimization of concentration between feed and permeate side of reverse osmosis membrane like the flushing with purified water can be an ultimate solution to reduce the TDS creep.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.720-726
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• 2022

The behavior changes of the lipid bilayer, induced by the hydroxybutyric-acid incorporation, were investigated with respect to each phase of the layer using fluorescence intensity change. Spherical phospholipid bilayers, called vesicles, were prepared using an emulsion technique. Only in the aqueous inside of the vesicles was encapsulated 8-Aminonaphthalene-1,3,6-trisulfonic-acid-disodium-salt(ANTS). p-Xylene-bis-N-pyridinium-bromide(DPX) was included as a quencher only outside of the vesicles. The fluorescence scale was calibrated with the ANTS-encapsulated vesicles in DPX-dispersed-buffer taken as 100% and the mixture of ANTS and DPX in the buffer as 0%. Hydroxybutyric-acid addition into the vesicle solution led the change in the bilayer. The change was found to be related to the phase of each layer according to the ratio of hydroxybutyric-acid to lipid. These results seem to depend on the stability of the vesicles, due to the osmotic and volumetric effects on the arrangement in both head-group and tail-group.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.687-692
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• 1997

The barley grown in pot-soil was treated with the NaCl solution of -20 bar in osmotic potential for 10 days, varying the time of treatment: from 20th day before heading; from 10th day before heading and the time of heading. The greatest injury was observed in the case of salt stress at heading or at 10th day before heading: Culm length decreased by 87% : the number of spikes per plant by 82% ; the number of grain per spike by 92% : 1, 000-grain weight by 94% ; yield per pot by 75%. The results also greatly varied depending upon the cultivars and the time of salt stress. Salt stress at the time of heading or at 10th day before heading remarkably decreased yield and yield components. And in terms of grain yield the salt resistance was high in the order of Baegdong, Albori, Hyangmaeg, Olbori and Durubori.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.493-500
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• 2023

In this study, we developed an impedance sensor capable of controlling electrode polarization by coating iridium oxide (IrO_x) on the surface of the screen-printed carbon electrode. IrO_x was deposited on the surface of carbon electrodes according to the number of cycles (0~50 cycles) by cyclic voltammetry. Observation of scanning electron microscope images revealed that the size and number of IrO_x particles increased as the number of cycles increased. The changes in impedance responses as a function of the NaCl concentration of the as-obtained sensors were investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The sensors manufactured in 50 cycles exhibited the best coefficient of determination and reproducibility, attributed to the well-controlled electrode polarization. We further demonstrated the usefulness of the IrO_x-based sensor as a diagnosis sensor for dry eye syndrome by comparing the results of the commercially available osmometer and our sensor using actual solution samples.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.534-538
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• 1997

Some physiological characteristics and cultivar differences of winter barley to salt stress were studied during seedling stage. Salt stress was caused by adding NaCl solution to the pot culture soil. Measurements of the responses to salt stress and of the responses after relief from stress were done in terms of leaf water potential, chlorophyll and free proline contents, seedling height and seedling dry weight, and survival rate of leaves. Under salt stress ($\Psi_{\pi}$ =-20bar) seedling height and seedling weight were decreased by 2~22% and by 25~39% respectively, showing some differences among cultivars. Chlorophyll contents was decreased by 33~49%, and free proline content was remarkably increased from control 0.2~0.3mg to salt stress 9.6~14.7mg. The leaf water potential of seedling grown under salt stress with NaCl solution($\Psi_{\pi}$ =-10 or -20bar) was decreased from control -3.3bar to salt stress -9.0bar or -16.2bar respectively but there were no large differences among cultivars with time after relief from salt stress. Leaf survival rate was high in order of Baegdong, Milyang12, Olbori, Durubori and Hyangmaeg, and decrease rate of seedling dry weight was low in the order of Baegdong, Olbori, Hyangmaeg, Milyang12, Durubori. The increase in free proline contents was high in the order of Milyang12, Hyangmaeg, Baegdong, Durubori and Olbori.