• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.333-338
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• 2014

A simple and sensitive analytical method for fluoride in urine by ion selective electrode (ISE) method was presented. Traditional buffer for fluoride determination using ISE is acetate-based one. Researchers have pointed out some drawbacks of the buffer for fluoride ISE analysis, and some other buffers including citrate-ammonium buffer and MES buffer have been studied for accurate determination of fluoride in urine here. These buffers provided promising results in environmental field, and this author focused on overcoming the interference of co-existing aluminium. The results show that MES-CyDTA buffer gave the best recovery with accuracy of 95-97.5% and precision of 1.9-7.9% for reference sample of 1.8-7.8 mg/L fluoride in urine, with smaller amount of samples and shorter analysis time compared with the traditional method which used acetate buffer. The method was applied to field samples, and which showed urinary of $0.98{\pm}0.38mg/g$ creatinine for workers in electric cable manufacturing factory (n=15) and $0.59{\pm}0.30mg/g$ creatinine for non-exposed workers (n=12).

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.104-109
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• 2014

Nonmedical use of prescription stimulants such as methylphenidate (MPH) and amphetamine (AP) by normal persons has been increased to improve cognitive functions. Due to high potential for their abuse, reliable analytical methods were required to detect these prescription stimulants in biological samples. A direct injection liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and implemented for simultaneous determination of MPH, AP and their metabolites ritalinic acid (RA) and 4-hydroxyamphetamine (HAP) in human urine. Urine sample was centrifuged and the upper layer ($100{\mu}L$) was mixed with $800{\mu}L$ of distilled water and $100{\mu}L$ of internal standards ($0.2{\mu}g/mL$ in methanol). The mixture was then directly injected into the LC-MS/MS system. The mobile phase was composed of 0.2% formic acid in distilled water (A) and acetonitrile (B). Chromatographic separation was performed by using a Capcell Pak MG-II C18 ($150mm{\times}2.0mm$ i.d., $5{\mu}m$, Shiseido) column and all analytes were eluted within 5 min. Linear least-squares regression with a 1/x weighting factor was used to generate a calibration curve and the assay was linear from 20 to 1500 ng/mL (HAP), 40-3000 ng/mL (AP and RA) and 2-150 ng/mL (MPH). The intra- and inter-day precisions were within 16.4%. The intra- and inter-day accuracies ranged from -15.6% to 10.8%. The limits of detection for all the analytes were less than 4.7 ng/mL. The suitability of the method was examined by analyzing urine samples from drug abusers.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 1998.09a
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• pp.301-306
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• 1998

Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) is developing a Korea Multi-Purpose Satellite I (KOMPSAT-I) which accommodates Electro-Optical Camera (EOC), Ocean Scanning Multi-spectral Imager (OSMI), and Space Physics Sensor (SPS). The satellite has the weight of about 500kg and will be operated on the 10:50 AM sun-synchronized orbit with the altitude of 685 km. The satellite will be launched in 1999 and its lifetime is expected to be over 3 years. The main mission of EOC is the cartography to provide the images from a remote earth view for the production of 1/25000-scale maps of KOREA. EOC collects 510 ~ 730 nm panchromatic imagery with the ground sample distance(GSD) of 6.6 m and the swath width of 17 km by push broom scanning. EOC also can scan $\pm$45 degree across the ground track using body pointing method. The primary mission of OSMI is worldwide ocean color monitoring for the study of biological oceanography. It will generate 6 band ocean color images with 800 km swath width and 1km GSD by whiskbroom scanning. OSMI is designed to provide on-orbit spectral band selectability in the spectral range from 400 nm to 900 nm through ground command. This flexibility in band selection can be used for various applications and will provide research opportunities to support the next generation sensor design. SPS consists of High Energy Particle Detector (HEPD) and ionosphere Measurement Sensor (IMS). HEPD has missions to characterize the low altitude high-energy Particle environment and to study the effects of radiation environment on microelectronics. IMS measures densities and temperature of electrons in the ionosphere and monitors the ionospheric irregularities at the KOMPSAT orbit.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 1998.09a
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• pp.319-324
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• 1998

Ocean Scanning Multispectral Imager (OSMI) is a payload on the Korean Multi-purpose SATellite (KOMPSAT) to perform worldwide ocean color monitoring for the study of biological oceanography. The instrument images the ocean surface using a whisk-broom motion with a swath width of 800 km and a ground sample distance (GSD) of < 1 km over the entire field-of-view (FOV). The instrument is designed to have an on-orbit operation duty cycle of 20% over the mission lifetime of 3 years with the functions of programmable gain/offset and on-board image data storage. The instrument also performs sun calibration and dark calibration for on-board instrument calibration. The OSMI instrument is a multi-spectral imager covering the spectral range from 400 nm to 900 nm using a CCD Focal Plane Array (FPA). The ocean colors are monitored using 6 spectral channels that can be selected via ground commands after launch. The instrument performances are fully measured for 8 basic spectral bands centered at 412nm, 443nm, 490nm, 510nm, 555nm, 670nm, 765nm and 865nm during ground characterization of instrument. In addition to the ground calibration, the on-board calibration will also be used for the on-orbit band selection. The on-orbit band selection capability can provide great flexibility in ocean color monitoring.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.89-94
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• 1998

Marine sponges are recognized as a plentiful source of diverse biologically active secondary metabolites. Recently, we have initiated a research to discover antitumor constituents from the marine sponges collected from Korean Waters. Marine sponges collected from the South Sea of Korea were screened for several biological activities including such as brine shrimp lethality and cytotoxicity. Significant brine shrimp lethality was detected in the crude extract of a two-sponge association of Poecillastra sp. and Jaspis sp. A cross-section of this sample showed two layers of morphologically distinct sponges. The thin and dirty yellow outer layer was identified as Poecillastra sp. (Pachastrellidae), the surface of which was very rough. The light-grey inner layer was identified as Jaspis sp. (Jaspidae), the surface of which was smooth. This two-sponge association appears to be consistent as these sponges were always found in associated form regardless of collection site or collection period. Investigation of the bioactive constituents monitored by brine shrimp lethality assay led to the isolation of pectenotoxin II (PTX2) and psammaplin A as causative compounds for the brine shrimp lethality. $^1$H- and $\^$13/C-nmr signals of PTX2 was fully assigned utilizing TOCSY, HETCOR, Long-range HETCOR, and Homonuclear J-resolved 2D experiments. PTX2 displayed very potent and selective cytotoxicities in the 60 cell line panel antitumor assay at the NCI. PTX2 has progressed to acute toxicity determination and in vivo antitumor assay at the NCI (Table 1). However, significant in vitro antitumor activity of PTX2 can not be affirmed in the in vivo assay.

• Ocean Science Journal
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.127-143
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• 2005

The taxonomic sufficiency approach has been proposed as a surrogate for the typical analysis of species-abundance data, especially in conditions involving prominent pollution gradients. Here, we evaluate the use of taxonomic sufficiency with infralittoral macrobenthic data derived from samples taken in a moderate polluted subtropical environment in southeastern Brazil, analysing five taxonomic levels and including two functional levels throughout polychaete feeding guilds and trophic groups. The data were collected seasonally at nine stations and studied for two abundance data series (0.5 and 1.0 mm sieve mesh-size). The results showed a similar ordination pattern between the two sieve mesh-size, but with the 0.5 mm sieve data a different pattern was observed during austral summer. A slight loss of information was detected using genus, family, polychaete species and their feeding guilds as taxonomic/functional units. These results together with those of the cost! benefit ratio, suggested that the family level seemed to be sufficient to detect the impact caused by moderate pollution in this shallow-water, subtropical environment. In additional, through the use of feeding guilds, similar patterns are obtained. Correlation analysis showed that chlorophyll a, total organic matter, zinc, and chromium sediment content were the variables that best explained the biological pattern observed and not always the best correlation coefficient occurring at the species level. The feeding guild approach seems to be useful and generates interpretable results similar to those obtained with the species level of the whole macroinfauna. The results showed an important cost reduction in the sample processing, suggesting that it is possible to adopt a coarser taxonomic level monitoring program even in species-rich communities.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.223-230
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• 1997

The skeletal chemistry of calcareous microfossils may contribute to the classification of various biological processes and be used as an environmental indicator for future pollution. In order to examine the degree of heavy metal pollutions in marine environments, samples of sediment and benthonic foraminifera were taken from 5 study areas from 3 different stations in coastal offshore regions of Korea. After sieving, cleaning and acid digestion, sample were analyzed for heavy metals by ICP-MS, ICP-AES and AAS. Concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in most of marine sediments from 5 study areas are not higher than those in sediments from unpolluted marine environment in the U.K.. However, pollution indices are up to 0.96~0.99 in the Gwangyang and Yulchon areas which are classified as the special control distric along the coast for pollution. The pollution indices decrease in order of Yulchon > Gwangyang > Mokpo > Gamak = Yoja > Yonggwang areas. Concentrations of Mg, Pb, Sr and Zn in Ammonia beccarii Pseudorotalia gaimardii, Quinqueloculina lamarckiana are reduced after pre-treatment of samples. From the result of bioconcentration index, Mg is easily accumulated in microfossils and Quinqueloculina lamarckiana may be used as the best indicator for future pollution.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.111-114
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• 2012

The scanning electron microscopy is an ideal technique for examining plant surface at high resolution. Most hydrate samples, however, must be fix and dehydrate for observation in the scanning electron microscope. Because the microscopes operate under high vacuum, most specimens, especially biological samples, cannot withstand water removal by the vacuum system without morphological distortion. Cryo-techniques can observe in their original morphology and structure without various artifacts from conventional sample preparation. Rapid cooling is the method of choice for preparing plant samples for scanning electron microscopy in a defined physiological state. As one of cryo-technique, high-pressure freezing allows for fixation of native non-pretreated samples up to $200{\mu}M$ thick and 2 mm wide with minimal or no ice crystal damage for the freezing procedure. In this study, we could design to optimize structural preservation and imaging by comparing cryo-SEM and convention SEM preparation, and observe a fine, well preserved Arabidopsis stem's inner ultrastructure using HPF and cryo-SEM. These results would suggest a useful method of cryo-preparation and cryo-SEM for plant tissues, especially intratubule and vacuole rich structure.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.193-201
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• 2003

In this paper, a classifier of urine analysis system was designed using preprocessing and fuzzy algorithm. Preprocessing were processed by normalizing data of strip using calibration curve composed of achromatic colors value and by calculating three stimulus. FUZZY classifier capable of analyzing a qualitative concentration of test items was composed of fuzzifier by gaussian shaped membership function, inference of MIN method, and defuzzifier of centroid method through verification by measuring standard solution and by classifying concentration classes. After tuning membership function according to relating standard solution with urinalysis sample, the possibility to adapt classifier designed for urine analysis system near a bed was verified as classifying measured urinalysis samples and observing classified result. Of all test items, experimental results showed a satisfactory agreement with test results of reference system.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.323-327
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• 2002

Chronic diabetic patients need to sample capillary blood for monitoring and controlling the blood sugar level. Frequent sampling requires to minimize pain during skin puncture. The present study developed mechanisms to minimize pain with effective sampling procedure. which consisted of tapered spring, guiding tunnel, and 30G needle Penetration depth was limited to within 2mm for pain reduction as well as for safety. Simple no-reuse mechanism also prevented the cross-patient and secondary infection possibility. Clinical experiments demonstrated the best convenience and safety with minimal pain in the diabetes, normal, and nursing students groups. Sing1e blood sampling was enough for successful blood sugar test by portable analyzer. The present sing1e use auto-lancet should be of great convenience in frequent capillary blood sampling for the diabetes.