• Korean Journal of Audiology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.146-151
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• 2021

Background and Objectives: The relationship between hearing aid (HA) use and improvement in cognitive function is not fully known. This study aimed to determine whether HAs could recover temporal resolution or hearing in noise functions. Materials and Methods: We designed a prospective study with two groups: HA users and controls. Patients older than 45 years, with a pure tone average threshold of worse than 40 dB and a speech discrimination score better than 60% in both ears were eligible. Central auditory processing tests and hearing in noise tests (HINTs) were evaluated at the beginning of the study and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the use of a monaural HA in the HA group compared to the control group. The changes in the evaluation parameters were statistically analyzed using the linear mixed model. Results: A total of 26 participants (13 in the HA and 13 in the control group) were included in this study. The frequency (p<0.01) and duration test (p=0.02) scores showed significant improvements in the HA group after 1 year, while the HINT scores showed no significant change. Conclusions: After using an HA for one year, patients performed better on temporal resolution tests. No improvement was documented with regard to hearing in noise.

• Journal of Audiology & Otology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2020

Background and Objectives: Bilateral microphones with contralateral routing of signal (BiCROS) hearing aid is an option for hearing rehabilitation in individuals with asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss (ASNHL). The clinical factors influencing the trial and purchase of BiCROS were investigated. Subjects and Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 78 patients with ASNHL who were recommended to use BiCROS and analyzed the demographic and audiological factors influencing the trial and purchase of BiCROS. Results: Among the 78 patients, 52 (66.7%) availed of the free BiCROS trial and 21 (26.9%) purchased BiCROS. The mean pure tone audiometry (PTA) air conduction (AC) threshold of the better- and worse-hearing ears were 44.2±12.8 dB and 90.7±22.5 dB HL, respectively. The decision for trial or purchase of BiCROS was not influenced by age, sex, duration of hearing loss of the worse-hearing ear, or PTA AC threshold or speech discrimination score of both ears. The first and third quartiles of the PTA AC thresholds for the better-hearing ear of BiCROS buyers were 38.75 dB and 53.75 dB HL, respectively. The counterpart values for the worse-hearing ear were 72.50 dB and 118.75 dB HL, respectively. Conclusions: The clinical factors analyzed in this study were found to be irrelevant to the trial and purchase of BiCROS in patients with ASNHL. Nevertheless, the distribution range of the auditory thresholds of the subjects using BiCROS can be a useful basis for the counseling of patients with ASNHL and selection of candidates for BiCROS use.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.359-376
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• 2023

Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) has become an attractive cast-in-place repairing material for existing engineering structures. The present study aims to investigate age-dependent high-early-strength UHPC (HESUHPC) material properties (i.e., compressive strength, elastic modulus, flexural strength, and tensile strength) as well as interfacial shear properties of HESUHPC-normal strength concrete (NSC) composites cured at different season temperatures (i.e., summer, autumn, and winter). The typical temperatures were kept for at least seven days in different seasons from weather forecasting to guarantee an approximately consistent curing and testing condition (i.e., temperature and relative humidity) for specimens at different ages. The HESUHPC material properties are tested through standardized testing methods, and the interfacial bond performance is tested through a bi-surface shear testing method. The test results quantify the positive development of HESUHPC material properties at the early age, and the increasing amplitude decreases from summer to winter. Three-day mechanical properties in winter (with the lowest curing temperature) still gain more than 60% of the 28-day mechanical properties, and the impact of season temperatures becomes small at the later age. The HESUHPC shrinkage mainly occurs at the early age, and the final shrinkage value is not significant. The HESUHPC-NSC interface exhibits sound shear performance, the interface in most specimens does not fail, and most interfacial shear strengths are higher than the NSC-NSC composite. The HESUHPC-NSC composites at the shear failure do not exhibit a large relative slip and present a significant brittleness at the failure. The typical failures are characterized by thin-layer NSC debonding near the interface, and NSC pure shear failure. Two load-slip development patterns, and two types of main crack location are identified for the HESUHPC-NSC composites tested in different ages and seasons. In addition, shear capacity of the HESUHPC-NSC composite develops rapidly at the early age, and the increasing amplitude decreases as the season temperature decreases. This study will promote the HESUHPC application in practical engineering as a cast-in-place repairing material subjected to different natural environments.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.577-592
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• 2023

In this study, nanofiber-based textile sensors were developed for motion detection and monitoring. Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) nanofibers containing zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and silver nanowires (AgNW) were fabricated using electrospinning. PVDF was chosen as a piezoelectric polymer, zinc oxide as a piezoelectric ceramic, and AgNW as a metal to improve electric conductivity. The PVDF/ZnO/AgNW nanocomposite fibers were used to develop a textile sensor, which was then incorporated into an elbow band to develop a wearable smart band. Changes in the output voltage and peak-to-peak voltage (V_p-p) generated by the joint's flexion and extension were investigated using a dummy elbow. The β-phase crystallinity of pure PVDF nanofibers was 58% when analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; however, the β-phase crystallinity increased to 70% in PVDF nanofibers containing ZnO and to 78% in PVDF nanocomposite fibers containing both ZnO and AgNW. The textile sensor's output voltage values varied with joint-bending angle; upon increasing the joint angle from 45° to 90° to 150°, the V_p-p value increased from 0.321 V_p-p to 0.542 V_p-p to 0.660 V_p-p respectively. This suggests that the textile sensor can be used to detect and monitor body movements.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.277-286
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• 2023

It is difficult to distinguish the pure signal produced by an orbiting planetary companion around giant stars from other possible sources, such as stellar spots, pulsations, or certain activities. Since 2003, we have obtained radial (RV) data from evolved stars using the high-resolution, fiber-fed Bohyunsan Observatory Echelle Spectrograph (BOES) at the Bohyunsan Optical Astronomy Observatory (BOAO). Here, we report the results of RV variations in the binary star HD 135438. We found two significant periods: 494.98 d with eccentricity of 0.23 and 8494.1 d with eccentricity of 0.83. Considering orbital stability, it is impossible to have two companions in such close orbits with high eccentricity. To determine the nature of the changes in the RV variability, we analyzed indicators of stellar spot and stellar chromospheric activity to find that there are no signals related to the significant period of 494.98 d. However, we calculated the upper limits of rotation period of the rotational velocity and found this to be 478-536 d. One possible interpretation is that this may be closely related to the rotational modulation of an orbital inclination at 67-90 degrees. The other signal corresponding to the period of 8494.1 d is probably associated with a stellar companion orbiting the giant star. A Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation considering a single companion indicates that HD 135438 system hosts a stellar companion with 0.57^+0.017 _-0.017 M_⊙ with an orbital period of 8498 d.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 2024

1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecytriethoxysilane (C₁₆H₁₉F₁₇O₃Si) be successfully applied to the hydrophobic modification of Al₂O₃ tubular ceramic membrane. Taking the concentration of modification solution, modification time, and modification temperature as factors, orthogonal experiments were designed to study the hydrophobicity of the composite membranes. The experiments showed that the modification time had the greatest impact on the experimental results, followed by the modification temperature, and the modification solution concentration had the smallest impact. Concentration of the modified solution 0.012 mol·L^-1, modification temperature 30 ℃ and modification time 24 h were considered optimal hydrophobic modification conditions. And the pure water flux reached 274.80 kg·m^-2·h^-1 at 0.1MPa before hydrophobic modification, whereas the modified membrane completely blocked liquid water permeation at pressures less than 0.1MPa. Air gap membrane distillation experiments were conducted for NaCl (2wt%) solution, and the maximum flux reached 4.20 kg·m^-2·h^-1, while the retention rate remained above 99.8%. Given the scarcity of freshwater resources in coastal areas, the article proposed a system for seawater desalination using air conditioning waste heat, and conducted preliminary research on its freshwater production performance using Aspen Plus. Finally, the proposed system achieved a freshwater production capacity of 0.61 kg·m^-2·h^-1.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.90-102
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• 2024

Haploid/double haploid plants developed from isolated microspores can significantly accelerate plant breeding. Haploid plants can naturally double their chromosomes to create a pure homozygous line of diploid plants. We present a method for producing embryos from isolated microspores of hot peppers (Capsicum annuumL.). We analyzed the polyploidization levels of the regenerated plants. The donor plants produced the optimal stage of microspores following short-term growth under low-intensity light, which resulted in high rates of embryogenesis and cotyledonary embryogenesis. To find an efficient culture method, liquid, doubled-layer, and 2-step cultures were tested. Liquid culture yielded the highest number of embryos, whereas the highest efficiency for cotyledonary embryogenesis was afforded by the doubled-layer culture. When normal cotyledonary embryos were transplanted onto a regeneration medium, they developed into complete plants. From these, 208 plants were tested via flow cytometric analysis, and 35.6% and 72.7% of the chromosomes from the Milyang-jare and LV2319 genotypes, respectively, were found to be spontaneous double haploids. These results are the same as those obtained on analyzing horticultural characteristics, including the size of leaves and the size and shape of fruits. The present study provides information on the practical application of isolated microspore culture of hot peppers, factors that affect embryogenesis, and methods for polyploidy testing.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.25 no.4 s.83
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• pp.257-267
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• 1997

Fruit bodies similar to the Phellinus sp. residing on the mulberry were collected at Yang-yang in Kang-won-do province and one strain of Phellinus sp. was isolated from the fruit bodies. For mass production of the isolated mycelia in a submerged culture, the culture conditions, medium composition, and the effect of various culture systems on the mycelial growth, were investigated. The morphological characteristics of the fruit body were as follows: covered with blackish to black and rough, lower surface with yellowish-brown to dull-brown and smooth, 5-7 cm thick and hard woody. Also, the pure cultured mycelia showed yellowish-brown color, capability of purplish-brown pigment production on the PDA plate media, no-formation of clamp-connection, much binding branch, and enzyme activities such as laccase, tyrosinase and peroxidase. Therefore, pure cultured strain was identified to be Phellinus sp. In the flask culture, the optimum culture conditions for the mycelial production were obtained after cultivation of 8 days at inoculum level of 5%(v/v), media volume of 70 mL, 150 rpm, initial pH 6, and temperature of $30^{\circ}C$. Optimum medium composition from the response surface analysis were determined to be glucose 12.12 g/L, sucrose 12.12 g/L, yeast extract 11.15 g/L, malt extract 11.15 g/L, $KH_2PO_4$ 0.855 g/L and $CaCl_2$ 0.855 g/L. The production of the mycelia after 4 and 8 days of cultivation was 1.95 and 9.89 g/L, respectively. The maximum specific growth rate and productivity were $0.020\;hr^{-1}$ and 1.25 g/L/day, respectively. Among the three different culture systems for the growth of mycelia, the maximum mycelial dry weight of 7.5 g/L was obtained after cultivation of 4 days in the air-lift fermentor under aeration rate of 2.5 vvm. The maximum specific growth rate and productivity were $0.033\;hr^{-1}$ and 1.9 g/L/day, respectively, which were about 1.7 and 4.2 times higher than those of flask culture.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.215-224
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• 1994

The presence of a calcium current $(i_{Ca^{2+}})$ passed via a specific channel was examined in the unfertilized hamster egg using the whole-cell voltage clamp technique. Pure inward current was isolated using a $Ca^{2+}-rich$ pipette solution containing 10 mM TEA. This current was independent of external $Na^+$ and was highly sensitive to the $Ca^{2+}$ concentration in the bathing solution, indicating that the inward current is carried by $Ca^{2+}$. The maximal amplitude was $-4.12{\pm}0.58nA\;(n=12)$ with 10mM $Ca^{2+}$ at -3OmV from a holding potential of -8OmV. This current reached its maximum within 20ms beyond -3OmV and decayed rapidly with an inactivation time constant $({\tau})$ of 15ms. Activation and inactivation of this $i_{Ca^{2+}}$ was steeply dependent on the membrane potential. The $i_{Ca^{2+}}$ began to activate at the lower voltage of -55 mV and reached its peak at -35 mV, being completely inactivated at potentials more positive than -40 mV. These result suggest that $i_{Ca^{2+}}$ in hamster eggs passes through channels with electrical properties similar to low voltage-activated T-type channels. Other results from the present study support this suggestion; First, the inhibitory effect of $Ni^{2+}\;(IC_{50}=13.7\;{\mu}M)$ was more potent than $Cd^{2+}\;(IC_{50}=123\;{\mu}M)$. Second, $Ba^{2+}$ conductance was equal to or below that of $Ca^{2+}$. Third, $i_{Ca^{2+}}$ in hamster eggs was relatively insensitive to nifedipine $(IC_{50}=96.6\;{\mu}M)$, known to be a specific t-type blocker. The physiological role of $i_{Ca^{2+}}$ in the unfertilized hamster eggs remains unclear. Analysis from steady-state inactivation activation curves reveals that only a small amount of this current will pass in the voltage range $(-70{\sim}-30\;mV)$ which partially overlaps with the resting membrane potential. This current has the property that it can be easily activated by a weak depolarization, thus it may trigger a certain kind of a intracellular event following fertilization which may cause oscillations in the membrane potential.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.659-681
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• 2001

Platelet-rich plasma(PRP) has been known to increase the rate and degree of bone formation by virtue of growth factors in concentrated platelets. Although its great healing effect on bone defect or pre-implantation site preparation in conjunction with bone substitute has been reported, the effect associated with implant is unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of PRP on rapid osseointegration of endosseous dental implants in the rabbit tibiae. Twenty two adult female New Zealand white rabbits, weighing approximately 2.7-3.3kg, were used for this study. Twelve of the 22 animals were used for histomorphometric analysis and ten of the 22 were for removal torque test. Each animal received two implants in each tibia (two treated with PRP and two as control) and was given fluorochrome intramuscularly. For histomorphometric analysis, rabbits were divided into four groups according to the healing period. At 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 8 weeks postoperatively, each three animals were sacrificed serially and the amount and rate of bone formation around dental implant were examined on the undecalcified sections under fluorescent microscope, polarized microscope and light microscope connected to a personal computer equipped with image analysis system. For removal torque test, rabbits were divided into two groups and removal torque tests were performed at 4 weeks, 10 weeks after implant placement. In total, 88 screw shaped, commercially pure titanium implants (Neoplant, Neobiotech, Seoul, Korea) were used in this study. Labeling pattern reflected differences of two groups in bone formation rate at each period. Histomorphometrically, PRP group showed significantly higher bone volume within threads compared to control group at 2 weeks ($70.30{\pm}4.96%$ vs. $50.68{\pm}6.33%$; P < .01) and 4 weeks ($82.59{\pm}5.94%$ vs. $72.94{\pm}4.57%$; P < .05 ). PRP group at 1, 2 and 4 weeks revealed similar degree of bone volume formation comparable to control group at 2, 4 and 8 weeks, respectively. On the other hand, while PRP group showed higher bone-implant contact ($47.37{\pm}8.09%$) than control group ($33.16{\pm}13.47%$) at 2 weeks, there were no significant differences between PRP group and control group for any experimental period. Removal torque values also showed no significant differences between PRP group and control group at any experimental period (P > .05). These findings imply that PRP could induce rapid, more bone formation around implant during early healing period and get faster secondary stability for reducing healing period, though it has not induced bone maturation enough to resist functional loading.