• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.38
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• pp.15-36
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• 1988

In this paper, I consider the development of methods in contemporary human geography in terms of a dialectical relation of action and structure, and try to draw a new horizon of method toward which geographical research and spatial theory would develop. The positivist geography which was dominent during 1960s has been faced both with serious internal reflections and strong external criticisms in the 1970s. The internal reflections that pointed out its ignorance of spatial behavior of decision-makers and its simplication of complex spatial relations have developed behavioural geography and systems-theoretical approach. Yet this kinds of alternatives have still standed on the positivist, geography, even though they have seemed to be more real and complicate than the previous one, The external criticisms that have argued against the positivist method as phenomenalism and instrumentalism suggest some alternatives: humanistic geography which emphasizes intention and action of human subject and meaning-understanding, and structuralist geography which stresses on social structure as a totality which would produce spatial phenomena, and a theoretical formulation. Human geography today can be characterized by a strain and conflict between these methods, and hence rezuires a synthetic integration between them. Philosophy and social theory in general are in the same in which theories of action and structural analysis have been complementary or conflict with each other. Human geography has fallen into a further problematic with the introduction of a method based on so-called political ecnomy. This method has been suggested not merely as analternative to the positivist geography, but also as a theoretical foundation for critical analysis of space. The political economy of space with has analyzed the capitalist space and tried to theorize its transformation may be seen either as following humanistic(or Hegelian) Marxism, such as represented in Lefebvre's work, or as following structuralist Marxism, such as developed in Castelles's or Harvey's work. The spatial theory following humanistic Marxism has argued for a dialectic relation between 'the spatial' and 'the social', and given more attention to practicing human agents than to explaining social structures. on the contray, that based on structuralist Marxism has argued for social structures producing spatial phenomena, and focused on theorising the totality of structures, Even though these two perspectives tend more recently to be convergent in a way that structuralist-Marxist. geographers relate the domain of economic and political structures with that of action in their studies of urban culture and experience under capitalism, the political ecnomy of space needs an integrated method with which one can overcome difficulties of orthhodox Marxism. Some novel works in philosophy and social theory have been developed since the end of 1970s which have oriented towards an integrated method relating a series of concepts of action and structure, and reconstructing historical materialism. They include Giddens's theory of structuration, foucault's geneological analysis of power-knowledge, and Habermas's theory of communicative action. Ther are, of course, some fundamental differences between these works. Giddens develops a theory which relates explicitly the domain of action and that of structure in terms of what he calls the 'duality of structure', and wants to bring time-space relations into the core of social theory. Foucault writes a history in which strategically intentional but nonsubjective power relations have emerged and operated by virtue of multiple forms of constrainst wihthin specific spaces, while refusing to elaborate any theory which would underlie a political rationalization. Habermas analyzes how the Western rationalization of ecnomic and political systems has colonized the lifeworld in which we communicate each other, and wants to formulate a new normative foundation for critical theory of society which highlights communicatie reason (without any consideration of spatial concepts). On the basis of the above consideration, this paper draws a new norizon of method in human geography and spatial theory, some essential ideas of which can be summarized as follows: (1) the concept of space especially in terms of its relation to sociery. Space is not an ontological entity whch is independent of society and has its own laws of constitution and transformation, but it can be produced and reproduced only by virtue of its relation to society. Yet space is not merlely a material product of society, but also a place and medium in and through which socety can be maintained or transformed.(2) the constitution of space in terms of the relation between action and structure. Spatial actors who are always knowledgeable under conditions of socio-spatial structure produce and reproduce their context of action, that is, structure; and spatial structures as results of human action enable as well as constrain it. Spatial actions can be distinguished between instrumental-strategicaction oriented to success and communicative action oriented to understanding, which (re)produce respectively two different spheres of spatial structure in different ways: the material structure of economic and political systems-space in an unknowledged and unitended way, and the symbolic structure of social and cultural life-space in an acknowledged and intended way. (3) the capitalist space in terms of its rationalization. The ideal development of space would balance the rationalizations of system space and life-space in a way that system space providers material conditions for the maintainance of the life-space, and the life-space for its further development. But the development of capitalist space in reality is paradoxical and hence crisis-ridden. The economic and poltical system-space, propelled with the steering media like money, and power, has outstriped the significance of communicative action, and colonized the life-space. That is, we no longer live in a space mediated communicative action, but one created for and by money and power. But no matter how seriously our everyday life-space has been monetalrized and bureaucratised, here lies nevertheless the practical potential which would rehabilitate the meaning of space, the meaning of our life on the Earth.

• ETRI Journal
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.417-427
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• 2015

With recent advances in media technology, the creation of a relatively new service, N-screen, has been realized. N-screen provides seamless connections among various media and enables users to enjoy entertainment content at any time and any location. With such recent advances comes opportunity; therefore, for those N-screen service providers who have established an early edge in the ICT industry, it is imperative that they maintain this and stay ahead of the ensuing competition. In this context, the objective of this study is two-fold; first, we aim to find factors influencing the behavior of existing and potential N-screen service users, and then second, to examine the differences in how these factors operate within the two user types. The results of this study show that the perceived value and subjective norm are important influencers in both user types. However, price fairness and innovativeness are only influential on the attitude and intention of potential users, while some aspects of media usage have only significant influences on the behavior and loyalty of existing users. Based on these results, we provide some implications for both researchers and practitioners who wish to better understand the nature of N-screen users.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.108-115
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• 2012

The hyperpolarization-activated current ($I_h$) is an inward cation current activated by hyperpolarization of the membrane potential and plays a role as an important modulator of action potential firing frequency in many excitable cells. In the present study we investigated the effects of extracellular divalent cations on $I_h$ in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons using whole-cell voltage clamp technique. $I_h$ was slightly increased in $Ca^{2+}$-free bath solution. BAPTA-AM did not change the amplitudes of $I_h$. Amplitudes of $I_h$ were decreased by $Ca^{2+}$, $Mg^{2+}$ and $Ba^{2+}$ dose-dependently and voltage-independently. Inhibition magnitudes of $I_h$ by external divalent cations were partly reversed by the concomitant increase of extracellular $K^+$ concentration. Reversal potential of $I_h$ was significantly shifted by $Ba^{2+}$ and $V_{1/2}$ was significantly affected by the changes of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentrations. These results suggest that $I_h$ is inhibited by extracellular divalent cations ($Ca^{2+}$, $Mg^{2+}$ and $Ba^{2+}$) by interfering ion influxes in cultured rat DRG neurons.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.2827-2835
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• 2010

When the inferiorthreshold potential is applied on the membrane, the resting status membrane does not display any specific reaction, in the meanwhile if it receives somewhat higher voltages then it shows entirely different configuration. The fact that there is this kind of characteristics on the exciting membrane has been known for a long time, and some researchers have tried to analyze this situation using the electrical circuits but only limitted to inferiorthreshold potential case. The quantitative studies of especially for transthreshold stimulus is extremely rare up to now. The direct application of electrical circuit to biostatus is somewhat uneasonable because there may be much differences between them. We studied the electrical reaction quantitatively of biomembrane when it receives the transthreshold stimulus in point of electricity in this paper.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.156-164
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• 2018

Environmental contaminants are one of the important causal factors for development of various human diseases. In particular, the perinatal period is highly vulnerable to environmental toxicants and resultant dysregulation of fetal development can cause detrimental health outcomes potentially affecting life-long health. Perfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs), emerging environmental pollutants, are man-made organic molecules, which are widely used in diverse industries and consumer products. PFCs are non-degradable and bioaccumulate in the environment. Importantly, PFCs can be found in cord blood and breast milk as well as in the general population. Due to their physicochemical properties and potential toxicity, many studies have evaluated the health effects of PFCs. This review summarizes the epidemiological and experimental studies addressing the association of PFCs with neurotoxicity and immunotoxicity. While the relationships between PFC levels and changes in neural and immune health are not yet conclusive, accumulative studies provide evidence for positive associations between PFC levels and the incidence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and reduced immune response to vaccination both in children and adults. In conclusion, PFCs have the potential to affect human health linked with neurological disorders and immunosuppressive responses. However, our understanding of the molecular mechanism of the effects of PFCs on human health is still in its infancy. Therefore, along with efforts to develop methods to reduce exposure to PFCs, studies on the mode of action of these chemicals are required in the near future.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.10-22
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• 2023

Objectives The aim of this study is to explore the mechanism of action and target diseases of Sasang constitutional prescriptions using a multiscale interactome approach. Methods The compound and target information of Sasang constitutional prescriptions were retrieved from various databases such as the TM-MC, STITCH, and TTD. Key targets for Sasang constitutional prescriptions were identified by selecting the top 100 targets based on the number of simple paths within the constructed network. Diffusion profiles for Sasang constitutional prescriptions and diseases were calculated based on a biased random walk algorithm. Potential diseases and key mechanisms of Sasang constitutional prescriptions were identified by analyzing diffusion profiles. Results We identified 144 Sasang constitutional prescriptions and their targets, finding 80 herbs with effective biological targets. A cluster analysis based on selecting up to 100 key targets for each prescription revealed a more cohesive grouping of prescriptions according to Sasang constitution. We then predicted potential diseases for 62 Sasang constitutional prescriptions using diffusion profiles calculated on a multiscale interactome. Finally, our analysis of diffusion profiles revealed key targets and biological functions of prescriptions in obesity and diabetes. Conclusions This study demonstrates the effectiveness of a multiscale interactome approach in elucidating the complex mechanisms and potential therapeutic applications of prescriptions in Sasang constitutional medicine.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.16
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• pp.7003-7006
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• 2015

Background: Nanoparticles of gold and silver are offering revolutionary changes in the field of cancer therapy. N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) metal complexes possess diverse biological activities and are being investigated as potential chemotherapeutic agents. The purpose of this study was to examine the cytotoxicity and possible mechanisms of action of two types of newly synthesized nanofiber composites containing BIAN N-heterocyclic gold carbene complexes in two types of human cancer cells, namely breast cancer (MCF7) and liver cancer (HepG2) cells and also in normal human embryonic kidney cells (HEK 293). Materials and Methods: Cytotoxicity was assessed by MTT cell viability assay and oxidative stress by checking the total glutathione level. Results: Both compounds affected the cell survival of the tested cell lines at very low concentrations (IC50 values in the micro molar range) as compared to a well-known anti-cancer drug, 5 fluorouracil. A 60-80% depletion in total glutathione level was detected in treated cells. Conclusions: Reduction in total glutathione level is one of the biochemical pathways for the induction of oxidative stress which in turn could be a possible mechanism of action by which these compounds induce cytotoxicity in cancer cell lines. The in vitro toxicity towards cancer cells found here means that these molecules could be potential anticancer candidates.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.287-294
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• 2018

Purpose: The neurodynamic test used to implicate symptoms arising from the nerve is proposed to selectively increase the strain of the nerve without increasing the strain of adjacent tissue, although this has not yet been established in the time of nerve tension application. This study aimed to investigate the acute effects of nerve stretching time on nerve excitability using compound nerve action potential (CNAP) analysis. Methods: Thirty healthy young adults (mean age=23.10 years) with no medical history of neurological or musculoskeletal disorder voluntarily participated in this study. Nerve excitability was assessed using the median nerve conduction velocity test. The amplitude of the CNAP was measured under three conditions: resting phase (supra-maximal stimulus, without nerve stretching), baseline phase (two-thirds of the supra-maximal stimulus, without nerve stretching), and stretch phase (two-thirds of the supra-maximal stimulus, with 1-5 minutes nerve stretching). One-way repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to compare the latency and amplitude of CNAP. A post-hoc test was analyzed using the contrast test. Results: The latency was significantly delayed after 1 min. of nerve stretching in comparison with the baseline test. However, no significant difference was found during the nerve stretching (1-5 min.). The amplitude was significantly increased by nerve stretching. Conclusion: Nerve stretching can induce nerve excitability without any nerve injury. Based on the results, more than 1 min. of nerve stretching as a neurodynamic test can be a useful method in the clinical setting.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.104.1-104
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• 2003

To screen for potential biocontrol agents against postharvest disease of garlics caused by Penicillium hirsutum, a total of 933 isolates (432 fungi and 501 bacteria) were isolated from the rhizoshere or rhizoplane of garlics. Among them, Pantoea agglomerans isolate 59-4 (Pa 59-4) was selected for a potential biocontrol agent by in vivo wounded garlic bulb assay, When the spore suspension (10$\^$5/ spores/$m\ell$) of Penicillium hirsutum was co-inoculated with spore or cell suspension of each fungal or bacterial isolate on wounded garlics, the isolate highly suppressed disease development. Soaking garlic bulbs in the suspension of Pa 59-4 significantly reduced garlic decay from p. hirsutum. However, Pa 59-4 did not inhibit the mycelial growth of P. hirsutum in dual-culture with P. hirsutum on Tryptic soy agar. In order to elucidate mode of action of Pa 59-4 nutrient competition between Pa 59-4 and P. hirsutum was investigated using tissue culture plates with cylinder inserts containing defusing membrane reported by Janisiewicz et al. The results showed that Pa 59-4 effectively suppressed spore germination and mycelial growth of blue mold in the low concentration (0.5％) of garlic juice, but did not suppress those of blue mold in the higher concentration (5％) of garlic juice. This result suggests that the mechanism in biocontrol of garlic blue mold by Pa 59-4 may involve in nutrient competition with P. hirsutum on garlic bulbs.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.287-293
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• 2013

Cochlear implant (CI) is an auditory prosthesis that delivers electrical stimulation via inserted electrodes into a cochlea. To evaluate CI performance, it is important to understand how auditory nerves are responded to electrical stimulations. In clinic, electrically evoked compound action potential (ECAP) is measured. In this study, we developed 3D finite element (FE) cochlear model to simulate ECAP in response to electrical stimulation. The model prododuced ECAP similar to that measured in animal experiments and clinics. This 3D FE cochlear model could be used in electrical stimulus method study to improve CI by analyzing neural responses to electrical stimulations.