• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.425-437
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• 2021

Although the contributions of sitagliptin to endothelial dysfunction in diabetes mellitus were previously reported, the mechanisms still undefined. Autophagy plays an important role in the development of diabetes mellitus, but its role in diabetic macrovascular complications is unclear. This study aims to observe the effect of sitagliptin on macrovascular endothelium in diabetes and explore the role of autophagy in this process. Diabetic rats were induced through administration of high-fat diet and intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. Then diabetic rats were treated with or without sitagliptin for 12 weeks. Endothelial damage and autophagy were measured. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were cultured either in normal glucose or in high glucose medium and intervened with different concentrations of sitagliptin. Rapamycin was used to induce autophagy. Cell viability, apoptosis and autophagy were detected. The expressions of proteins in c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-Bcl-2-Beclin-1 pathway were measured. Sitagliptin attenuated injuries of endothelium in vivo and in vitro. The expression of microtubuleassociated protein 1 light chain 3 II (LC3II) and beclin-1 were increased in aortas of diabetic rats and cells cultured with high-glucose, while sitagliptin inhibited the over-expression of LC3II and beclin-1. In vitro pre-treatment with sitagliptin decreased rapamycin-induced autophagy. However, after pretreatment with rapamycin, the protective effect of sitagliptin on endothelial cells was abolished. Further studies revealed sitagliptin increased the expression of Bcl-2, while inhibited the expression of JNK in vivo. Sitagliptin attenuates injuries of vascular endothelial cells caused by high glucose through inhibiting over-activated autophagy. JNK-Bcl-2-Beclin-1 pathway may be involved in this process.

• Journal of IKEEE
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.1004-1010
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• 2020

This paper proposes an initial rotor magnetic pole detection method for single-phase permanent magnet synchronous motors. The target motor cannot obtain position information based on the back emf in the low speed and stop state. Therefore, an open loop starting process is required, and in this process, initial rotor position information for low current and soft start is need. The proposed initial rotor magnetic pole detection algorithm considers the effect of asymmetric air- gap and magnetic flux. In addition, the high-frequency voltage signal injection and the offset voltage for accurate detection is used. As a result, the permanent magnet poles are is determined by acquiring the maximum value of the induced current using the virtual dq-axis.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.463-471
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• 2020

A 1,000 ㎥/d DAF(dissolved air flotation) pilot plant was installed to evaluate the performance of the floating process using the Nakdong River. Efficiency of various DAF operations under different conditions, such as hydraulic loading rate, coagulant concentration was evaluated in the current research. The operation conditions were evaluated, based on the removal or turbidity, TOC(total organic carbon), THMFP(trihalomethane formation potential), Mn(manganese), and Al(aluminum). Also, particle size analysis of treated water by DAF was performed to examine the characteristics of particles existing in the treated water. The turbidity removal was higher than 90%, and it could be operated at 0.5 NTU or less, which is suitable for the drinking water quality standard. Turbidity, TOC, and THMFP resulted in stable water quality when replacing the coagulant from alum to PAC(poly aluminum chloride). A 100% removal of Chl-a was recorded during the summer period of the DAF operations. Mn removal was not as effective as where the removal did not satisfy the water quality standards for the majority of the operation period. Hydraulic loading of 10 m/h, and coagulant concentrations of 40 mg/L was determined to be the optimal operating conditions for turbidity and TOC removal. When the coagulant concentration increases, the Al concentration of the DAF treated water also increases, so coagulant injection control is required according to the raw water quality. Particle size distribution results indicated that particles larger than 25 ㎛ showed higher removal rates than smaller particles. The total particel count in the treated water was 2,214.7 counts/ml under the operation conditions of 10 m/h of hydraulic loading rate and coagulant concentrations of 60 mg/L.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.12 no.10
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• pp.5-12
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• 2011

Recently, NDS(Natural and Durable Stabilizer)method and other similar methods are composed of inorganic accelerating agent and the ultra-super fine cement have been studied as the ground improvement material in Korea. However, in the existing research, the chemical changing process of NDS in the strength development mechanism with the elapsed curing time and the principles of strength development did not give an explanation. For the popularization of the inorganic grout material, it determined that the mechanism verifying of the curing process had to be clearly preceded. Therefore, unconfined compression test, SEM and XRD analysis were performed by the elapsed curing time and were analyzed. In addition, the same trial for SGR method, that is the representative example of the water glass grout material, was selected as comparative target in order to distinguish properties of NDS more clearly. The result of experiment, the strength development mechanism of NDS could be investigated through the close correlation of the unconfined compression strength - SEM - XRD analysis, and excellence of a performance was confirmed.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.321-327
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• 2008

Cu based amorphous ($Cu_{54}Zr_{22}Ti_{18}Ni_6$) coating was produced by cold spraying as a new fabrication process. The microstructure and macroscopic properties of amorphous coating layer was investigated and compared with those of cold sprayed pure Cu coating. Amorphous powders were prepared by gas atomization and Al 6061 was used as the substrate plate. X-ray diffraction results showed that Cu based amorphous powder could be successfully deposited by cold spraying without any crystallization. The Cu based amorphous coating layer ($300{\sim}400{\mu}m$ thickness) contained 4.87% porosity. The hardness of Cu based amorphous coating represented $412.8H_v$, which was correspond to 68% of the hardness of injection casted bulk amorphous material. The wear resistance of Cu based amorphous coating was found to be three times higher than that of pure Cu coating. The 3-point bending test results showed that the adhesion strength of Cu based amorphous coating layer was higher than that pure Cu coating. It was also observed that hard Cu base amorphous particle could easily deform soft substrate by particle collisions and thus generated strong adhesion between coating and substrate. However, the amorphous coating layer unexpectedly represented lower corrosion resistance than pure Cu coating, which might be resulted from the higher content of porosity in the cold sprayed amorphous coating.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.67-72
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• 2006

Injection of $CO_2$ into underground saline formations, due to their large storage capacity, is probably the most promising approach for the reduction of $CO_2$ emissions into the atmosphere. $CO_2$ storage must be carefully planned and monitored to ensure that the $CO_2$ is safely retained in the formation for periods of at least thousands of years. Seismic methods, particularly for offshore reservoirs, are the primary tool for monitoring the injection process and distribution of $CO_2$ in the reservoir over time provided that reservoir properties are favourable. Seismic methods are equally essential for the characterisation of a potential trap, determining the reservoir properties, and estimating its capacity. Hence, an assessment of the change in seismic response to $CO_2$ storage needs to be carried out at a very early stage. This must be revisited at later stages, to assess potential changes in seismic response arising from changes in fluid properties or mineral composition that may arise from chemical interactions between the host rock and the $CO_2$. Thus, carefully structured modelling of the seismic response changes caused by injection of $CO_2$ into a reservoir over time helps in the design of a long-term monitoring program. For that purpose we have developed a Graphical User Interface (GUI) driven rock physics simulator, designed to model both short and long-term 4D seismic responses to injected $CO_2$. The application incorporates $CO_2$ phase changes, local pressure and temperature changes. chemical reactions and mineral precipitation. By incorporating anisotropic Gassmann equations into the simulator, the seismic response of faults and fractures reactivated by $CO_2$ can also be predicted. We show field examples (potential $CO_2$ sequestration sites offshore and onshore) where we have tested our rock physics simulator. 4D seismic responses are modelled to help design the monitoring program.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.311-318
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• 1997

Bypassing acrosome reaction and fusion process in intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI), most of injected spermatozoa still contain intact acrosome contents and plasma membrane. It Is not known yet what acrosome contents and plasma membrane of spermatozoa have effect on the development of embryo. For further understanding of fertilization process after ICSI, we studied the time of pronucleus formation, disappearance and first cleavage in human zygote, and pregnancy rate in relation to acrosome reaction rate of spermatozoa after ICSI. Seventy cycles undergoing ICSI program were randomly selected. Sperm suspension from 38 cycles were treated 50% human follicular fluid(hFF) for 3 hours in order to induce acrosome reaction, others were not treated as control. Acrosome reaction in hFF treated and non-treated group was assessed by fluorescein isothiocyanate(FITC)-conjugated Arachis hypogea(PNA) and Pisum sativum agglutinin(PSA). Oocytes were classified into 'good' and 'poor' according to their morphology. After ICSI, fertilization of oocytes were assessed by detection of two pronuclei at 16 hours. The pronuclei disappearance and first cleavage of zygotes were observed at 24 hours, and then embryos were transferred to uterus after culture for 72 hours. The rate of acrosome reaction of spermatozoa in hFF treated group was significantly higher than that in control(p<0.01). Fertilization rates of good oocytes were not different both control and hFF treated group(81.3%(174/206) vs. 72.1%(102/130)). But, in poor oocytes, the fertilization rates in hFF treated group(72.1%(149/183)) were increased compared than those of control group (63.6%(98/140), p<0.01). In either good or poor oocytes, the rates of pronuclei disappearance in hFF treated-spermatozoa injected oocytes were higher than control (59.1%(103/174), 56.4%(84/149) vs. 32.4%(33/102), 37.8%(37/98), p<0.01). Also, the rates of thirst cleavage were increased in hFF treated group (31%(54/174), 24.1%(36/149)) compared than those of control group (10.8%(11/102), 13.2%(13/98), p<0.01). The pregnancy rates of hFF treated group (42.1%(16/38)) were slightly higher than control group (28.1%(9/32), p>0.05). But, the pregnancy rate of group which possessed more than one cleavaged zygote at 24 hours was higher than group which did not (45.2%(19/42) vs. 21.4%(6/28), p<0.05). From these results, the development of zygotes were faster in higher acrosome reacted sperm group than lower acrosome reacted sperm group after ICSI. Our results may be explained that acrosomal membrane and plasma membrane are easily detached from spermatozoa in acrosome reacted spermatozoa compared with acrosome intact sperm in the cytoplasm of oocyte during pronuclear formation. We conclude that the injection of acrosome reacted spermatozoa will increase the pregnancy rate as they can induce fast embryonic development in ICSI.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.261-267
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• 2015

Pioglitazone (PGZ), a synthetic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}$ agonist, is known to regulate inflammatory process and to have neuroprotective effects against neurological disorders. In the present study, we examined the effects of 30 mg/kg PGZ on excitotoxic neuronal damage and glial activation in the mouse hippocampus following intracerebroventricular injection of kainic acid (KA). PGZ treatment significantly reduced seizure-like behavior. PGZ had the neuroprotective effect against KA-induced neuronal damage and attenuated the activations of astrocytes and microglia in the hippocampal CA3 region. In addition, MPO and $NF{\kappa}B$ immunoreactivities in the glial cells were also decreased in the PGZ-treated group. These results indicate that PGZ had anticonvulsant and neuroprotective effects against KA-induced excitotocix injury, and that neuroprotective effect of PGZ might be due to the attenuation of KA-induced activation in astrocytes and microglia as well as KA-induced increases in MPO and $NF{\kappa}B$.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.1459-1474
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• 2006

The present study is focused on the development of the RIF (Representative Interactive Flamelet) model which can overcome the shortcomings of conventional approach based on the steady flamelet library. Due to the ability for interactively describing the transient behaviors of local flame structures with CFD solver, the RIF model can effectively account for the detailed mechanisms of $NO_x$ formation including thermal NO path, prompt and nitrous $NO_x$ formation, and reburning process by hydrocarbon radical without any ad-hoc procedure. The flamelet time of RIFs within a stationary turbulent flame may be thought to be Lagrangian flight time. In context with the RIF approach, this study adopts the Eulerian Particle Flamelet Model (EPFM) with mutiple flamelets which can realistically account for the spatial inhomogeneity of scalar dissipation rate. In order to systematically evaluate the capability of Eulerian particle flamelet model to predict the precise flame structure and NO formation in the multi-dimensional elliptic flames, two methanol bluffbody flames with two different injection velocities are chosen as the validation cases. Numerical results suggest that the present EPFM model has the predicative capability to realistically capture the essential features of flame structure and $NO_x$ formation in the bluff-body stabilized flames.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.79-80
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• 2008

Including malignancy, various disease can show abnormal uptake in bone marrow. We report a case of non-specific inflammatory FDG uptake in bone marrow mimicking malignancy. A 35-year old woman with fever of unknown origin (FUO) underwent $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT to find out fever $^{18}F$-FDG and unknown malignancy. $^{18}F$-FDG was injected and imaged 1hr after injection with Discovery ST (GE, USA), $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT whole body image showed abnormal uptake in lower extremities (Fig. 1). MRI and biopsy was also done in the sites of abnormal uptake. PET and MRI suspect malignancy (Fig. 2, 3), but biopsy result was non-specific inflammatory process (Fig. 4). The patient was improved her clinical condition after antibiotics therapy.