• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.267-273
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• 2020

To determine the biological effects of exercise on hippocampus in mice brain exposed to radiofrequency radiaton (RF), the expression of AMPKα, p-AMPKα, ERK1/2, p-ERK1/2, p38, and p-p38 protein in the mouse exposed to RF were investigated in the hippocampal tissues, Western blot method was used to compare the protein expression levels for each molecule. Significant increases in protein expression of individual and phosphorylated molecules were observed in the spontaneous exercise group, and the expression of these molecules was notably decreased in the RF exposure and spontaneous exercise group. This study shows that neuroplasticity can be increased by exercise in hippocampus that is responsible for memory, but memory and cognitive function may be affected by exposure to RF. We may expect clinically interesting results on dementia or Alzheimer disease if we proceed further investigation on the effect of RF.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.1214-1223
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• 2012

This study analyzed the in vitro physiological activity of Aconitum pseudolaeve var erectum Nakai (AP) and its effect on perfume on an electroencephalogram (EEG). The results indicated that the absolute alpha power spectrum (AA) and the absolute theta power spectrum (AT) decreased significantly during more than before the inhalation of the AP perfume and its reconstruction perfume. Although there were a little different pattern in the induced part of the wave generated by the inhalation of the AP perfume and its reconstruction perfume, alpha- and theta- were shown equally. In addition, there was the same pattern in which the rate of increase reduced. The results suggest that the perfume of the AP and its reconstruction perfume have a stimulating effect on the brain. In terms of the physiological activity of AP, the activity of AP ethanol extract was significantly higher than that of water extract in DPPH, collagenase, and nitric oxide, except for an astringent effect. The AP ethanol extract was about 80% at 500 ppm in collagenase inhibition activity. In addition, the AP water and ethanol extracts were 50% at 100 ppm in the NO inhibition activity. Based on these results, we conclude that this natural substance could be used in cosmetics and in the development of perfumes.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.462-467
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• 2019

Many studies in recent decades have revealed that olfactory stimulation by perfume or malodor inhalation exerts various psychological and physiological effects on humans. The most recent studies have examined the electrophysiological response of olfactory stimulation on the activity of human cortical nerve cells. The purpose of this current study is to quantitatively analyze what changes occur in the alpha activity in healthy participants (N=12) on olfactory stimulation using two types of odors (acacia and butanol). Exposure to the odor of acacia perfume was associated with a significant increase (66.7%) in alpha activity when compared with that of the no-odor background EEG. Exposure to the odor of butanol was associated with a significant reduction (33.3% to 41.7%) in EEG alpha activity when compared with that of the no-odor control. The results of this study demonstrated the potential to alter the cerebral cortex activity by olfactory stimulation. The results also suggest that olfactory perception has stimulatory effects on the function of the nervous system. In other words, it could be concluded from this study that inhalation of olfactory stimulation affected brain wave activities and mood states. Further research is needed to completely understand and describe the electrophysiological effects of different odors on the central nervous system.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.166-170
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• 2019

Objectives: Attentional and memory functions are important aspects of neural plasticity that, theoretically, should be amenable to pharmacopuncture treatments. A previous study from our laboratory suggested that quantitative electroencephalographic (qEEG) measurements of theta/beta ratio (TBR), an index of attentional control, may be indicative of academic performance in a first-semester medical school course. The present study expands our prior report by extracting and analyzing data on frontal theta and beta asymmetries. We test the hypothesis that the amount of frontal theta and beta asymmetries (fTA, fBA), are correlated with TBR and academic performance, thereby providing novel targets for pharmacopuncture treatments to improve cognitive performance. Methods: Ten healthy male volunteers were subjected to 5-10 min of qEEG measurements under eyes-closed conditions. The qEEG measurements were performed 3 days before each of first two block examinations in anatomy-physiology, separated by five weeks. Amplitudes of the theta and beta waveforms, expressed in ${\mu}V$, were used to compute TBR, fTA and fBA. Significance of changes in theta and beta EEG wave amplitude was assessed by ANOVA with post-hoc t-testing. Correlations between TBR, fTA, fBA and the raw examination scores were evaluated by Pearson's product-moment coefficients and linear regression analysis. Results: fTA and fBA were found to be negatively correlated with TBR (P<0.03, P<0.05, respectively) and were positively correlated with the second examination score (P<0.03, P=0.1, respectively). Conclusion: Smaller fTA and fBA were associated with lower academic performance in the second of two first-semester medical school anatomy-physiology block examination. Future studies should determine whether these qEEG metrics are useful for monitoring changes associated with the brain's cognitive adaptations to academic challenges, for predicting academic performance and for targeting phamacopuncture treatments to improve cognitive performance.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 2021

A study was conducted on the effects of improving concentration by obscuring the peripheral vision using a blindfold that only covers the left and right sides of the field of view. The blindfold was trapezoidal in shape (5 × 4.8 cm in length and width) and was fixed to the left and right sides of the glasses with fixing clips. The material was a black-colored polypropylene (PP) and weighed 2.3 g including the clip. Qualitative and quantitative evaluations were performed on 50 healthy college students during the 15 days of using a blindfold. The qualitative analysis was performed utilizing a questionnaire regarding the improvement of concentration and the structure of the blindfold. EEG was measured while watching a learning video that required attention for quantitative analysis, and signal power and ERD/S analyses were performed for the mid β band (15-20 Hz) at the F4 position, which was the frontal lobe. The results showed that 40 of the 50 people reported improved concentration when they wore a vision shield, and 80% of the total subjects found it to be effective. From the quantitative evaluation, the ERS peak (p = 0.023) and the ERD + ERS peak value showed a significant difference (p = 0.017). In conclusion, concentration still improved even if only the left and right visual fields were used. Thus, it is expected that blindfolding could be used in various environments that require concentration.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.356-362
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• 2009

In modern society, most people of the world are densely populated in cities so that the traffic sound has a very significant meaning. people tend to classify traffic sound as a noise pollution while they are likely to categorize most nature sound as positive. In this paper, we applied various forms of FFT filters into white noise belonged in nature sound to find frequency characteristics of white noise which preferred by people and confirm its correlation with nature sound. In addition, we conducted an analysis through the comparison of various traffic and nature sound waveforms and spectra. As a result of analysis, the traffic sound have characteristics which sound energy had concentrated on specific frequency bandwidth and point of time compared to nature sound. And we confirmed the fact that these characteristics had negative elements to which could affect to people. Lastly, by letting the subjects listen directly to both traffic and nature sound through brainwave experiment using electrode, the study measured the energy distribution of alpha waves and beta waves. As a result of experiments, it has been noted that urban sound created a noticeably larger amount of beta waves than nature sound; on the contrary, nature sound generated positive alpha waves. These results could directly confirm the negative effects of traffic sound and the positive effects of nature sound.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.300-307
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• 2017

Electroencephalography (EEG) is distinct from other medical imaging tests in that it is a functional test that helps to diagnosis disorders related to the brain, such as epilepsy. The most important abilities for a medical technologist when performing an EEG are knowing the exact location of the electrode and recording the EEG wave clearly, except for artifacts. Although theoretical education and practical training are both included in the curriculum for improving these abilities, sufficient practical training has been lacking due to problems like expensive equipment and insufficient practical training time. We try to solve these issues by manufacturing the training 10-20 electrode system and by estimating the efficiency and satisfaction of the training 10-20 electrode system through a questionnaire. The time required for practical training using this system was $43.58{\pm}9.647min$, which proved to be efficient. The satisfaction score of participants who experienced curriculum practical training was improved from $7.21{\pm}2.285$ to $9.46{\pm}1.166$. Based on these findings, it is considered that practical training via the use of the training 10-20 electrode system will solve the problems, such as lack of equipment and insufficient practical training time. Nonetheless, to further improve the training 10-20 electrode system, it must overcome the limitations of developing a device capable of checking the actual brain waves and validating the exact location of electrode attachment.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.2049-2056
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• 2013

With the advance in information communication, the information age has come, and desire of human being in increasing. In this circumstance, the necessity for design for building of superhighways is arising to improve the mobility in the field of transportation, too. This study was conducted to analyze if driver can drive at a design speed on a superhighway with a design speed exceeding 120km/h. For this study, it was experimented if the running speed that makes a driver feel anxious, increased, when road alignment and standard improved, due to the differences of design speed. For the experiment, 30 subjects were asked to attach brain wave analyzers to bodies. Then, this study compared powers of ${\beta}$ waves generated, when they felt anxious, driving on the roads with different design speeds, and driving virtually through a simulator. Here, Kangbyeonbukro (90km/h), Jayuro(100km/h), Joongang Expressway(110km/h), and Seohaean Expressway(120km/h) were selected as experimental sections. While drivers drove on the Kangbyeonbukro and Jayuro at a speed of 80km/h - 130km/h, on the Joongang Expressway at a speed of 100km/h - 150km/h, and Seohaean Expressway at a speed of 110km/h - 180km/h, powers of anxiety EEGs(electroencephalogram) were compared, and during the simulation driving at the same speed of 110km/h - 180km/h, powers of anxiety EEGs were compared and analyzed. Moreover, the speed when anxiety EEGs increased, was statistically verified through paired t-test. As the result, the speed when anxiety EEGs increased during the simulation driving was nearly 30km/h higher than when they increased during the actual driving on the expressways, and anxiety EEGs increased at the same speed, when subjects drove on the roads with a design speed of 90km/h and 100km/h. It means that there were small differences in road alignment and standard. However, the running speed to make drivers feel anxious was increased at both roads with a design speed of 110km/h and 120km/h. It implies that drivers can drive at a higher speed, as road alignment and standard improve.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 1999

Purpose: To simulate and measure the signal intensity of various tissues near bone interface in 2D and 3D neurological MR images. Materials and Methods: In neurological proton density (PD) weighted images, every component in the head including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), muscle and scalp, with the exception of bone, are visualised. It is possible to acquire images in 2D or 3D. A 2D fast spin-echo (FSE) sequence is chosen for the 2D acquisition and a 3D gradient-echo (GE) sequence is chosen for the 3D acquisition. To find out the signal intensities of CSF, muscle and fat (or scalp) for the 2D spin-echo(SE) and 3D gradient-echo (GE) imaging sequences, the theoretical signal intensities for 2D SE and 3D GE were calculated. For the 2D fast spin-echo (FSE) sequence, to produce the PD weighted image, long TR (4000 ms) and short TE$_{eff}$ (22 ms) were employed. For the 3D GE sequence, low flip angle (8$^{\circ}$) with short TR (35 ms) and short TE (3 ms) was used to produce the PD weighted contrast. Results: The 2D FSE sequence has CSF, muscle and scalp with superior image contrast and SNR of 39 - 57 while the 3D GE sequence has CSF, muscle and scalp with broadly similar image contrast and SNR of 26 - 33. SNR in the FSE image were better than those in the GE image and the skull edges appeared very clearly in the FSE image due to the edge enhancement effect in the FSE sequence. Furthermore, the contrast between CSF, muscle and scalp in the 2D FSE image was significantly better than in the 3D GE image, due to the strong signal intensities (or SNR) from CSF, muscle and scalp and enhanced edges of CSF. Conclusion: The signal intensity of various tissues near bone interface in neurological MR images has been simulated and measured. Both the simulation and imaging of the 2D SE and 3D GE sequences have CSF, fat and muscle with broadly similar image intensity and SNR's and have succeeded in getting all tissues about the same signal. However, in the 2D FSE sequence, image contrast between CSF, muscle and scalp was good and SNR was relatively high, imaging time was relatively short.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.128-141
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• 1985

To investigate the influence of phenobarbital sodium on the action of morphine and on the diurnal rhythms of both opiate receptor binding and ${\beta}-endorphin$ contents, the amount of specifically bound $(^3H)$-morphine and immunoreactive ${\beta}-endorphin$ were measured in the midbrain of phenobarbital-treated rats at 4h intervals in a day. Rats were housed and adapted to a controlled cycle of either 12 h light-12 h dark or 24 h constant dark. After 3 weeks of adaptation, 0.5 ml of physiological saline or phenobarbital sodium (20mg/kg/day, i.p.) were administered twice a day for 2 weeks. Highly significant diurnal rhythms of opiate receptor binding and ${\beta}-endorphin$ were present in rat midbrain. In control group, the peak of maximum $(^3H)$-morphine binding was observed at 22:00 h, whereas the peak of ${\beta}-endorphin$ content was found at 06:00 h. Even in the absence of time cues these diurnal rhythms persisted, but they were highly modified with respect to the wave form as well as differences in the timing of peak and nadir. In the phenobarbital-treated group, these diurnal rhythms were also modified in shape, phase and amplitude, as well as in timing of peak and nadir. In this group, 24 h mean of opiate receptor binding was significantly decreased, while the 24 h mean level of ${\beta}-endorphin$ content was highly increased. However, Kd values in all experimental groups did not change. This indicates that differences in binding were not due to changes in the affinity, but in the number of binding sites. Statistical analysis of regression line indicates that changes of receptor binding were closely correlated with the changes of ${\beta}-endorphin$ content. These results suggest that phenobarbital may influence the action of morphine by changing the number of opiate receptors and that the modification of diurnal rhythm of opiate receptor by the agent is possibly due to changes of ${\beta}-endorphin$ content.