• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
• /
• 1998.05a
• /
• pp.280-286
• /
• 1998

In recent years, the interest in noise increases gradually and the low noise level becomes one of the important performances in electrical equipment for railway vehicle. In the auxiliary power supply, most of the noise is made by the current ripple of alternating current reactor(ACL) which filters the output voltage. And this current ripple results from the voltage harmonics across the ACL. So the noise can be reduced by eliminating the voltage harmonics across the ACL. This paper shows harmonic eliminating technique which is making gating signals of upper and lower inverter have a phase difference in the 12-step inverter type auxiliary power supply. This technique was proved by testing on the developed 180KVA auxiliary power supply using IGBT.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.37-43
• /
• 2006

Gap junction is an ion channel forming between adjacent cells. It also acts as a membrane channel like sodium or potassium channels in a single cell. The amino acid residues up to the $10^{th}$ position in the amino (N)-terminus of gap junction hemichannel affect gating polarity as well as current-voltage (I-V) relation. While wild-type Cx32 channel shows negative gating polarity and inwardly rectifying I-V relation, T8D channel in which threonine residue at $8^{th}$ position is replaced with negatively charged aspartate residue shows reverse gating polarity and linear I-V relation. It is still unclear whether these changes are resulted from the charge effect or the conformational change of the N-terminus. To clarify this issue, we made a mutant channel harboring cysteine residue at the $8^{th}$ position (T8C) and characterized its biophysical properties using substituted-cysteine accessibility method (SCAM). T8C channel shows negative gating polarity and inwardly rectifying I-V relation as wild-type channel does. This result indicates that the substitution of cysteine residue dose not perturb the original conformation of wild-type channel. To elucidate the charge effect two types of methaenthiosulfonate (MTS) reagents (negatively charged $MTSES^-$ and positively charged $MTSET^+$) were used. When $MTSES^-$ was applied, T8C channel behaved as T8D channel, showing positive gating polarity and linear I-V relation. This result indicates that the addition of a negative charge changes the biophysical properties of T8C channel. However, positively charged $MTSET^+$ maintained the main features of T8C channel as expected. It is likely that the addition of a charge by small MTS reagents does not distort the conformation of the N-terminus. Therefore, the opposite effects of $MTSES^-$ and $MTSETT^+$ on T8C channel suggest that the addition of a charge itself rather than the conformational change of the N-terminus changes gating polarity and I-V relation. Furthermore, the accessibility of MTS reagents to amino acid residues at the $8^{th}$ position supports the idea that the N-terminus of gap junction channel forms or lies in the aqueous pore.

• Proceedings of the Korean Biophysical Society Conference
• /
• 2003.06a
• /
• pp.44-44
• /
• 2003

$BK_{Ca}$ channels were suggested to contain one or more domains of the ‘regulator of K+ conductance’(RCK) in their cytosolic carboxyl termini (Jiang et al.2001). It was also shown that the RCK domain in mammalian $BK_{Ca}$ channels might sense the intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ with a low affinity (Xia et al. 2002). We aligned the amino acid sequence of the $\alpha$-subunit of rat $BK_{Ca}$ channels (rSlo) with known RCK domains and identified a second region exhibiting about 50％ homology. This putative domain, RCK2, contains the characteristic amino acids conserved in other RCK domains. We wondered whether this second domain is involved in the domain-domain interaction and the gating response to intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ for rSlo channel, as revealed in the structure of RCK domain of E. coli channel (Jiang et al.2001). In order to examine the possibility, site-directed mutations were introduced into the RCK2 domain of rSlo channel and the mutant channels were expressed in Xenopus oocytes for functional studies. One of such mutation, G772D, in the putative nucleotide-binding domain resulted in the enhanced $Ca^{2+}$ sensitivity and the channel gating of rSlo channel. These results suggest that this region of $BK_{Ca}$ channels is important for the channel gating and may form an independent domain in the cytosolic region of $BK_{Ca}$ channels. In order to obtain the mechanistic insights of these results, G772 residue was randomly mutagenized by site-directed mutagenesis and total 17 different mutant channels were constructed. We are currently investigating these mutant channels by electrophysiological techniques.ical techniques.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.240-248
• /
• 2009

Moore's law has driven silicon technology scale down aggressively, and it results in significant increase of leakage current on nano-meter scale CMOS. Especially, in mobile devices, leakage current has been one of designers' main concerns, and thus many studies have introduced low power methodologies. However, there are few studies to minimize implementation cost in the mixed use of the methodologies to the best of our knowledge. In this paper, we introduce industrial applications of low power design methodologies for the decrease of leakage current. We focus on the design cost reduction of power gating and reverse body bias when used together. Also, we present voltage scale as an alternative to reverse body bias. To sustain gate leakage current, we discuss the adoption of high-$\kappa$ metal gate, which cuts gate leakage current by a factor of 10 in 32 nm CMOS technology. A 45 nm mobile SoC is shown as the case study of the mixed use of low power methodologies.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.169-172
• /
• 2008

We attempted to fabricate carbon nanotube field effect transistor (CNT-FET) using single walled carbon nanotube(SWNT) on the heavily doped Si substrate used as a bottom gate, source and drain electrode were fabricated bye-beam lithography on the 500 nm thick $SiO_2$ gate dielectric layer. We investigated electrical and physical properties of this CNT-FET using Scanning Probe Microscope(SPM) and conventional method based on tungsten probe tip technique. The gate length of CNT-FET was 600 nm and the diameter of identified SWNT was about 4 nm. We could observed gating effect and typical p-MOS property from the obtained $V_G-I_{DS}$ curve. The threshold voltage of CNT-FET is about -4.6V and transconductance is 47 nS. In the physical aspect, we could identified SWNT with phase mode of SPM which detecting phase shift by force gradient between cantilever tip and sample surface.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.62-66
• /
• 2018

A-type $K^+$ ($I_A$) channels are transiently activated in the suprathreshold membrane potential and then rapidly inactivated. These channels play roles to control the neuronal excitability in pyramidal neurons in hippocampi. We here electrophysiologically tested if regulatory functions of $I_A$ channels might be targeted by acute activation of glutamatergic synaptic transmission in cultured hippocampal neurons(DIV 6~8). The application of high KCl in recording solutions(10 mM, 2 min) to increase presynaptic glutamate release, significantly reduced the peak of somatic $I_A$ without changes of gating kinetics. This indicates that neuronal excitation induced by the enhancement of synaptic transmission may process with distinctive signaling cascades to affect voltage-dependent ion channels in hippocampal neurons. Therefore, it is possible that short-lasting enhancement of synaptic transmission is functionally restricted in local synapses without effects on intracellular signaling cascades affecting a whole neuron, efficiently and rapidly enhancing synaptic functions in hippocampal network.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.241-249
• /
• 2017

Plasma membrane hyperpolarization associated with activation of $Ca^{2+}$-activated $K^+$ channels plays an important role in sperm capacitation during fertilization. Although Slo3 (slowpoke homologue 3), together with the auxiliary ${\gamma}^2$-subunit, LRRC52 (leucine-rich-repeat-containing 52), is known to mediate the pH-sensitive, sperm-specific $K^+$ current KSper in mice, the molecular identity of this channel in human sperm remains controversial. In this study, we tested the classical $BK_{Ca}$ activators, NS1619 and LDD175, on human Slo3, heterologously expressed in HEK293 cells together with its functional interacting ${\gamma}^2$ subunit, hLRRC52. As previously reported, Slo3 $K^+$ current was unaffected by iberiotoxin or 4-aminopyridine, but was inhibited by ~50% by 20 mM TEA. Extracellular alkalinization potentiated hSlo3 $K^+$ current, and internal alkalinization and $Ca^{2+}$ elevation induced a leftward shift its activation voltage. NS1619, which acts intracellularly to modulate hSlo1 gating, attenuated hSlo3 $K^+$ currents, whereas LDD175 increased this current and induced membrane potential hyperpolarization. LDD175-induced potentiation was not associated with a change in the half-activation voltage at different intracellular pHs (pH 7.3 and pH 8.0) in the absence of intracellular $Ca^{2+}$. In contrast, elevation of intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ dramatically enhanced the LDD175-induced leftward shift in the half-activation potential of hSlo3. Therefore, the mechanism of action does not involve pH-dependent modulation of hSlo3 gating; instead, LDD175 may modulate $Ca^{2+}$-dependent activation of hSlo3. Thus, LDD175 potentially activates native KSper and may induce membrane hyperpolarization-associated hyperactivation in human sperm.

• Journal of Power Electronics
• /
• v.16 no.5
• /
• pp.1706-1715
• /
• 2016

In this paper, a single phase modified switched-diode topology for both symmetrical and asymmetrical cascaded multilevel inverters is presented. It consists of a Modified Switched-Diode Unit (MSDU) and a Twin Source Two Switch Unit (TSTSU) to produce distinct positive voltage levels according to the operating modes. An additional H-bridge synthesizes a voltage waveform, where the voltage levels of either polarity have less Total Harmonic Distortion (THD). Higher-level inverters can be built by cascading MSDUs. A comparative analysis is done with other topologies. The proposed topology results in reductions in the number of power switches, losses, installation area, voltage stress and converter cost. The Nearest Level Control (NLC) technique is employed to generate the gating signals for the power switches. To verify the performance of the proposed structure, simulation results are carried out by a PSIM under both steady state and dynamic conditions. Experimental results are presented to validate the simulation results.

• Journal of Power Electronics
• /
• v.8 no.4
• /
• pp.332-344
• /
• 2008

High frequency AC (HFAC) power distribution systems delivering power through a high frequency AC link with sinusoidal voltage have the advantages of simple structure and high efficiency. In a multiple module system, where multiple resonant inverters are paralleled to the high frequency AC bus through connection inductors, it is necessary for the output voltage phase angles of the inverters be controlled so that the circulating current among the inverters be minimized. However, the phase angle of the resonant inverters output voltage can not be controlled with conventional phase shift modulation or pulse width modulation. The phase angle is a function of both the phase of the gating signals and the impedance of the resonant tank. In this paper, we proposed a pulse phase modulation (PPM) concept for the resonant inverters, so that the phase angle of the output voltage can be regulated. The PPM can be used to minimize the circulating current between the resonant inverters. The mechanisms of the phase angle control and the PPM were explained. The small signal model of a PPM controlled half-bridge resonant inverter was analyzed. The concept was verified in a half bridge resonant inverter with a series-parallel resonant tank. An HFAC power distribution system with two resonant inverters connected in parallel to a 500kHz, 28V AC bus was presented to demonstrate the applicability of the concept in a high frequency power distribution system.

• Proceedings of the KIPE Conference
• /
• 2001.10a
• /
• pp.126-131
• /
• 2001

This paper deals with implementation of inverter systems for DC power regeneration, which can regenerate the excessive DC power from DC bus line to AC supply in substations for traction systems. From the viewpoint of both power capacity and switching losses, a three-phase square-wave inverter system is adopted. To control the regenerated power, the magnitude and phase of fundamental output voltages should be appropriately controlled in spite of the variation of input DC voltage. Inverters are operated with modified a-conduction mode to fix the potential of each arm. The overall system consists of the line-to-line voltage and line current sensors, an actual power calculator using d-q transformation method, a complex power controller with PI control scheme, a gating signal generator for modified $\alpha-conduction\;mode\;with\;\delta\;and\;\alpha$, a DPLL for frequency followup, and power circuit.