• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.399-415
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• 1999

From bacteria to mammalian cells, one of the most important mediators of intracellular signal transduction mechanisms which regulate a variety of intracellular processes is free calcium. In salivary acinar cells, elevation of intracellular calcium concentration ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$) is essential for the salivary secretion induced by parasympathetic stimulation. However, in addition to $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, gap junctions which couple individual cells electrically and chemically have also been reported to regulate enzyme secretion in pancreatic acinar cells. Since the plasma membrane of salivary acinar cells has a high density of gap junctions, and these cells are electrically and chemically coupled with each other, gap junctions may modulate the secretory function of salivary glands. In this respect, I planned to investigate the role of gap junctions in the modulation of salivary secretion and $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, using mandibular salivary glands of rats. In order to measure the salivary flow rate, fluid was collected from the cannulated duct of the isolated perfused rat mandibular glands at 2 min intervals. $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, was measured from the cells loaded with fura-2 by spectrofluorometry. The results obtained were as follows: 1. CCh-induced salivary secretion was reversibly inhibited by 1 mM octanol, a gap junction blocker. 2. CCh-induced increase in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, was also reversed by the application of 1 mM octanol. 3. Octanol did not block the initial increase in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ caused by CCh, which suggested that the reduction of $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, caused by gap junction blockade was not resulted from the inhibition of $Ca^{2+}$ release from intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ stores. 4. Addition of octanol during stimulation with $1{\mu}M$ thapsigargin, a potent microsomal ATPase inhibitor, reduced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, to the basal level. This suggested that inhibition of gap junction permeability closed plasma membrane $Ca^{2+}$ channels. 5. 2,5-di-tert-butyl-1,4-benzohydroquinone (TBQ) generated $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ oscillations resulting from periodic influx of $Ca^{2+}$ via plasma membrane. The TBQ-induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ oscillations were stopped by the application of 1mM octanol which implicated that gap junctions modulate the permeability of plasma membrane $Ca^{2+}$ channels. 6. Glycyrrhetinic acid, another well known gap junction blocker, also inhibited CCh-induced salivary secretion from rat mandibular glands. These results suggested that gap junctions play an important role in the modulation of fluid secretion from the rat mandibular glands and this was probably due to the inhibition of $Ca^{2+}$ influx through the plasma membrane $Ca^{2+}$ channels.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.23-30
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• 1981

1) Effects of McN-A-343, clonidine and cocaine on the contractile response of the rat and rabbit vas deferens to field stimulation were investigated. The action mechanisms of these drugs have shown to be associated with endogenous norepinephrine(NE). 2) The contractile response to the stimulation of 5-10 Hz was markedly inhibited by the cumulative doses of McN-A-343 (0.003, 0.03, $0.3{\mu}g/ml$), clonidine (0.003, $0.3{\mu}g/ml$) and cocaine $(0.03\;{\mu}g/ml)$. The inhibition was antagonized by yohimbine and pjperoxan. 3) The inhibitory effect of McN-A-343 $(0.03{\mu}g/ml)$ and cocaine $(0.03{\mu}g/ml)$ was markedly enhanced by the same dose of cocaine and McN-A-343, respectively. This enhanced inhibition was also antagonized by yohimbine. 4) The contractile response to the stimulation of 0.01 Hz and 5-10 Hz was markedly potentiated by comparatively large doses of McN-A-343 $(30\;{\mu}g/ml)$ and $(3\;{\mu}g/ml)$. This potentiation was not observed in the presence of thymoxamine. The potentiation by McN-A-343 also did not appear in the presence of atropine. 5) The contractile response to the above stimulation was potentiated by muscarine and the potentiation was markedly attenuated in the presence of thymoxamine and atropine.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Illuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.1-8
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• 2005

The quantity of light available for a space can be translated in term of the amount of energy savings through a process of a building energy simulation. To get significant energy savings in general illumination, the electric lighting system must be incorporated with a daylight - activated dimmer control. A prototype configuration of an once interior has been established and the integration between the building envelope and lighting and HVAC systems is evaluated based on computer modeling of a lighting control facility. First of all, an energy-efficient luminaire system is designed and the lighting analysis program, Lumen-Micro 2000 predicts the optimal layout of a conventional fluorescent lighting future to meet the designed lighting level and calculates unit power density, which translates the demanded met of electric lighting energy. A dimming control system integrated with the contribution of daylighting has been applied to the operating of the artificial lighting. Annual cooling load due to lighting and the projecting saving amount of cooling load due to daylighting under overcast diffuse sky m evaluated by computer software ENER-Win. In brief, the results from building energy simulation with measured daylight illumination levels and the performance of lighting control system indicate that daylighting can save over 70 percent of the required energy for general illumination in the perimeter zones through the year A 25[%] of electric energy for cooling and almost all off heating energy may be saved by dimming and turning off the luminaires in the perimeter zones.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.43-55
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• 2023

Mass transport through nanoporous structures such as nanopores or nanochannels has fundamental electrochemical implications and many potential applications as well. These structures can be particularly useful for water treatment, energy conversion, biosensing, and controlled delivery of substances. Earlier research focused on creating nanopores with diameters ranging from tens to hundreds of nanometers that can selectively transport cationic or anionic charged species. However, recent studies have shown that nanopores with diameters of a few nanometers or even less can achieve more complex and versatile transport control. For example, nanopores that mimic biological channels can be functionalized with specific receptors to detect viruses, small molecules, and even ions, or can be made hydrophobic and responsive to external stimuli, such as light and electric field, to act as efficient valves. This review summarizes the latest developments in nanopore-based systems that can control mass transport based on the size of the nanopores (e.g., length, diameter, and shape) and the physical/chemical properties of their inner surfaces. It also provides some examples of practical applications of these systems.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.845-850
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• 2015

This study was designed to investigate the feasibility of utilizing an adaptation for selective elicitation of tactile sensations by means of transcutaneous electrical stimulation. We conducted the first experiment to investigate how the stimulation frequency affected the adaptation. Twenty healthy subjects participated in the second experiment to confirm our proposal that the perception intensity of the low-frequency vibration can be enhanced after a high-frequency adaptation, and vice versa. It was found that (1) a low-frequency stimulation did not adapt the nerve afferents responsible for the high-frequency vibration, (2) a high-frequency stimulation affected the nerve afferents responsible for the low-frequency vibration, but adapted to the pressure sensation more intensely, and (3) more than 62% of the subjects reported a more clear selective sensation after the adaptation had lessened or depressed the unwanted sensation. The observations showed that adaptation of the nerve afferent could be utilized for selective elicitation of tactile sensations.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.22 no.6 s.171
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• pp.207-212
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• 2005

The purpose of this work is to develop the FES controller that can cope with the muscle fatigue which is one of the most important problems of current FES (Functional Electrical Stimulation). The feasibility of the proposed FES controller was evaluated by simulation. We used a fitness function to describe the effect of muscle fatigue and recovery process. The FES control system was developed based on the biological neuronal system. Specifically, we used PD (Proportional and Derivative) and GC (Gravity Compensation) control, which was described by the neuronal feedback structure. It was possible to control of multiple joints and muscles by using the phase-based PD and GC control method and the static optimization. As a result, the proposed FES control system could maintain the cycling motion in spite of the muscle fatigue. It is expected that the proposed FES controller will play an important role in the rehabilitation of SCI patient.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.187-202
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• 2013

The electronic medical device industry and the relevant market have been greatly expanded owing to various factors, such as the advent of the aged society and the spread of the desire for well-being in developed countries, and rapid development of China, India and other emerging markets. The electrical stimulator is one of electronic medical devices most commonly used in homes. The electrical stimulator is widely used for pain relief, rehabilitation, muscle conditioning and others. Since it is mainly used in homes, it is very important to assure the safety and performance for protection of users. However, there is no guideline on evaluation of safety and performance of such electrical stimulator for home use. In this study, various local and foreign references were reviewed to develop the internationally harmonized procedures for safety and performance evaluation of the electrical stimulator and test items, specifications and methods are proposed. In addition, such proposed test items were validated to decide the internationally harmonized tests for safety and performance evaluation. This study will contribute to improvement of quality and safety of electrical stimulators for home use and help the Korean medical device industry have the international competitiveness.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.95-102
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• 2012

To examine the new practical utilization of mucilages in Opuntia humifusa, the Korean pear cactus, the polysaccharides were isolated from O. humifusa, and immuno-stimulating activities were assayed. The main polysaccharide, CNC-E, was prepared by a commercial enzyme treatment, water extraction, and ethanol precipitation. The molecular mass of CNC-E was estimated to be about 700 kDa, and it consisted mainly of arabinose, galactose and xylose in addition to two minor sugars such as rhamnose and fucose. On the other hand, CNC-E showed considerably high splenocyte proliferation activity in a dose-dependent manner. Peritoneal macrophages stimulated with CNC-E produced cytokines such as IL-6, IL-12, IL-10, and TNF-${\alpha}$. The intravenous administration of CNC-E significantly augmented the cytotoxicity of natural killer (NK) cells against Yac-1 tumor cells. Especially, NK cells obtained from the mice treated with $100{\mu}g$ of CNC-E showed threefold higher cytolytic activity than those of untreated mice. CNC-E also showed potent anti-complementary activity in a dose-dependent fashion. Identification of C3 activation products by the crossed immunoelectrophoresis using anti-human C3 and the anti-complementary activity of CNC-E in a $Ca^{2+}$-free condition suggested complement activations by CNC-E that occur via both alternative and classical pathways. These results indicate that Korean pear cactus contains selected polysaccharides that provide immuno-stimulating activities beneficial to human health.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.177-186
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• 2018

The mechanism of emotion is complex and influenced by a variety of factors, so that it is crucial to analyze emotion in broad and diversified perspectives. In this study, we classified neutral and negative emotions(sadness, fear, surprise) using arousal evaluation, which is one of the psychological evaluation scales, as well as physiological signals. We have not only revealed the difference between physiological signals coupled to the emotions, but also assessed how accurate these emotions can be classified by our emotional recognizer based on neural network algorithm. A total of 146 participants(mean age $20.1{\pm}4.0$, male 41%) were emotionally stimulated while their physiological signals of the electrocardiogram, blood flow, and dermal activity were recorded. In addition, the participants evaluated their psychological states on the emotional rating scale in response to the emotional stimuli. Heart rate(HR), standard deviation(SDNN), blood flow(BVP), pulse wave transmission time(PTT), skin conduction level(SCL) and skin conduction response(SCR) were calculated before and after the emotional stimulation. As a result, the difference between physiological responses was verified corresponding to the emotions, and the highest emotion classification performance of 86.9% was obtained using the combined analysis of arousal and physiological features. This study suggests that negative emotion can be categorized by psychological and physiological evaluation along with the application of machine learning algorithm, which can contribute to the science and technology of detecting human emotion.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.1205-1211
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• 2011

In this paper, we developed a pacemaker that can increase the efficacy of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) and increase the survival rate for patients suffering end-stage heart failure. Because LVAD patients can experience arrhythmia, the pacemaker incorporated into the LVAD has the important role of sustaining sufficient blood circulation during arrhythmia. The electrode of the pacemaker is located at the apex of the left ventricle, where the VAD's inlet cannula is connected. This is efficient placement, in that the electrode can transmit electrical stimulation directly to the Purkinje fibers of the myocardium. The pacemaker can change the stimulation rate from 0 bpm to 191.4 bpm when a button is pressed on the external control module, and the pacemaker normally stimulates the heart at 60 bpm with 0.25 J of energy. We performed animal experiments to evaluate the performance and reliability of the combination of the LVAD and pacemaker. At pacemaker stimulation rates of 86.4 bpm, 100.2 bpm, 126.6 bpm, we recorded the ECGs, aortic pressures, and flow rates to analyze the heart loads.