• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2002.11c
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• pp.19-22
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• 2002

In this paper, we aims to develop a microcontroll er-based ECG monitoring system and portable pulse oximeter using Compact Flash Interface. First, portable pulse oximeter system is designed to record 2 channel of biosignals simultaneously, including 1 channel of $SpO_2$ and 1 channel of pulse rate. It is very small and portable. Besides, the system makes it possible to measure a patient's condition without an additional medical equipment. We tried to solve the problems generated by a patient's motion. That is, we added an analog circuit to a traditional pulse oximeter in order to eliminate the change of the base line. And we used 2D sector algorithm. As present, SpO2 modules are completed. But there are still many further development needed in order to enhance the function. Especially, compact falsh interface remains the most to complete. Second, ECG monitoring system uses almost same as present 3-lead ECG system. But we focus on the analog part, especially in filter. The proposed filter is composed of two parts. One is a filter to remove the power-line interface. The other is a filter to remove the baseline drift. A filter to remove the power-line and the baseline drift is necessarily used in the ECG system. The implemented filter have three features; minimizing the distortion in DC component, removing the harmonic component of power-line frequency. Using compact flash interface, we can easily transfer a patient's personal information and the measured signal data to a network based server environment. That means, it is possible to implement a patient's monitoring system with low cost.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.1903-1907
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• 2013

Heart condition should be observed for long periods of time because it does not appear abnormal all the time. However, there are many difficulties checking our health for a long time due to its size, operation of equipment, and cost. To solve these problems, an electrocardiograms(ECG), specially interfacing three gel-less metal electrodes for low cost portable applications, is designed and implemented. Gel-less metal electrodes are used for ECG monitoring system instead of gel-type electrodes that can cause skin rashes and itching problem. The whole ECG system consists of two parts-analog and digital circuits. The analog measurement circuit that has a 18*25mm size is made up of op-amps maintaining a sufficiently high common-mode noise rejection and passive elements of SMD type. Analog heart signal is converted to digital stream suitable for display on a TFT-LCD by an 8-bit microcontroller. The size of the completed ECG system is 25*80*50mm and its weighing is about 150g, which is small enough to be easily used. Therefore, the implemented ECG system can be used as a portable one.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.189-195
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• 2005

Several models predict large and potentially abrupt ocean circulation changes due to anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions. These circulation changes drive-in the models-considerable oceanic oxygen trend. A sound estimate of the observed oxygen trends can hence be a powerful tool to constrain predictions of future changes in oceanic deepwater formation, heat and carbon dioxide uptake. Estimating decadal scale oxygen trends is, however, a nontrivial task and previous studies have come to contradicting conclusions. One key potential problem is that changes in the historical observation network might introduce considerable errors. Here we estimate the likely magnitude of these errors for a subset of the available observations in the Southern Ocean. We test three common data analysis methods south of Australia and focus on the decadal-scale trends between the 1970's and the 1990's. Specifically, we estimate errors due to sparsely sampled observations using a known signal (the time invariant, temporally averaged, World Ocean Atlas 2001) as a negative control. The crossover analysis and the objective analysis methods are for less prone to spatial sampling location biases than the area averaging method. Subject to numerous caveats, we find that errors due to sparse sampling for the area averaging method are on the order of several micro-moles $kg^{-1}$. for the crossover and the objective analysis method, these errors are much smaller. For the analyzed example, the biases due to changes in the spatial design of the historical observation network are relatively small compared to the tends predicted by many model simulations. This raises the possibility to use historic oxygen trends to constrain model simulations, even in sparsely sampled ocean basins.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.370-379
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• 2020

Econazole, a potent broad-spectrum antifungal agent and a Ca²⁺ channel antagonist, induces cytotoxicity in leukemia cells and is used for the treatment of skin infections. However, little is known about its cytotoxic effects on solid tumor cells. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanism underlying econazole-induced toxicity in vitro and evaluated its regulatory effect on the metastasis of gastric cancer cells. Using the gastric cancer cell lines AGS and SNU1 expressing wild-type p53 we demonstrated that econazole could significantly reduce cell viability and colony-forming (tumorigenesis) ability. Econazole induced G0/G1 phase arrest, promoted apoptosis, and effectively blocked proliferation- and survival-related signal transduction pathways in gastric cancer cells. In addition, econazole inhibited the secretion of matrix metalloproteinase- 2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9, which degrade the extracellular matrix and basement membrane. Econazole also effectively inhibited the metastasis of gastric cancer cells, as confirmed from cell invasion and wound healing assays. The protein level of p53 was significantly elevated after econazole treatment of AGS and SNU1 cells. However, apoptosis was blocked in econazole-treated cells exposed to a p53-specific small-interfering RNA to eliminate p53 expression. These results provide evidence that econazole could be repurposed to induce gastric cancer cell death and inhibit cancer invasion.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.187-192
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• 2017

This paper presents an ongoing study to develop a novel pressure sensor by means of a Nano Carbon Piezoresistive Composite (NCPC). The sensor was fabricated using the 3D printing process. We designed a miniaturized cantilever-type sensor electrode to improve the pressure sensing performance and utilized a 3D printer to build a small-sized body. The sensor electrode was made of 2 wt％ MWCNT/epoxy piezoresistive nano-composite, and the sensor body was encapsulated with a pipe plug cap for easy installation to any pressure system. The piezoresistivity responses of the sensor were converted into stable voltage outputs by using a signal processing system, which is similar to a conventional foil strain gauge. We evaluated the pressure-sensing performances using a pressure calibrator in the lab environment. The 3D-printed cantilever electrode pressure sensor showed linear voltage outputs of up to 16,500 KPa, which is a 200％ improvement in the pressure sensing range when compared with the bulk-type electrode used in our previous work.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.131-137
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• 2009

Plant defensins are small (5-10 kDa) basic peptides thought to be an important component of the defense pathway against fungal and/or bacterial pathogens. To understand the role of plant defensins in protecting plants against the brown planthopper, a type of insect herbivore, we isolated the Brassica rapa Defensin 1 (BrD1) gene and introduced it into rice (Oryza sativa L.) to produce stable transgenic plants. The BrD1 protein is homologous to other plant defensins and contains both an N-terminal endoplasmic reticulum signal sequence and a defensin domain, which are highly conserved in all plant defensins. Based on a phylogenetic analysis of the defensin domain of various plant defensins, we established that BrD1 belongs to a distinct subgroup of plant defensins. Relative to the wild type, transgenic rices expressing BrD1 exhibit strong resistance to brown planthopper nymphs and female adults. These results suggest that BrD1 exhibits insecticidal activity, and might be useful for developing cereal crop plants resistant to sap-sucking insects, such as the brown planthopper.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.172-179
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• 1988

A cartridge type hydraulic logic valve consists of simple two port valve whose poppet is closed or opened by means of pressure signal of a pilot line. Accordingly, the logic valve can be used not only for direction, flow and pressure control purpose but also for versatile function valve which enables all above mentioned functions. In addition, the valve has little internal leakage and pressure loss, superior response characteristics and easiness in making small block type valve. The above mentioned good performances being recognized recently, the logic valve has been used widely in the large scale hydraulic system such as a hydraulic press system, for the performance requirements of high speed operation and precise control characteristics. However, there are scarce reports until now, except for a few ones from Aachen Institute of Technology in West Germany, so it is necessary to be studied on development and investigation for practical application. This paper showed that the static and dynamic characteristics of a logic valve when the logic valve is used for directional control, to investigate the relations between the valve operating characteristics and the valve design conditions. From the above mentioned procedure, it was ascertained that the valve operation characteristics obtained by numerical analysis showed good agreements with experimental results. The representative results obtained are as follows; 1. During the valve is closing, the poppet velocity is almost constant in the logic valve. 2. The pilot pressure P sub(3) and the resistance R in the pilot line have much influences on the valve operation time. 3. Spring strength have not such a severe influence on the valve operating time. 4. The operation characteristics of the logic valve can be estimated with good accuracy comparatively by numerical analysis with the equations describing poppet motion.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.253-261
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• 2020

In this paper, we present an experimental investigation of the frequency characteristics and a visual inspection of an oxidizer pump with a modified rear-floating ring seal for a 7-tonf turbopump. An oxidizer pump typically operates at high rotational speeds and under cryogenic conditions. Despite its low hydraulic efficiency, the floating ring seal is frequently employed as a leakage control solution for turbomachinery because it effectively reduces abrasion by friction. When the oxidizer pump starts up, the floating ring moves excursively but locks up stably against the pump casing when the contact pressure increases. The compressive force on the floating ring depends on the hydrodynamic forces induced by the flow through the floating ring. This force is controlled by the nose position of the floating ring. Based on a validation test for a 7-tonf turbopump with two types of floating rings, we concluded that the floating ring with a small diameter nose can move easily with a low contact pressure in the cooling path. This leads to instability of the pressure fluctuation around the floating ring. In contrast, a floating ring with a large diameter nose has a high contact pressure and attaches strongly to the casing, which causes wear and frictional oxidation between the contact surfaces of the impeller and the floating ring.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.1666-1672
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• 2005

Oriental medicinal drugs have a broad spectrum of clinical use for the cure of nervous system diseases including brain ischemic damages or neuropathies. Yet, specific drugs or drug components used in the oriental medicine in relation to none fiber regeneration are not known. In the present study, possible growth promoting effects of oriental medicinal drugs were investigated in the injured sciatic nerve system in the rat. By immunofluorescence staining, we found that Jahageo (JHG, Hominis placenta) increased Induction levels of axonal growth associated protein GAP-43 in the rat sciatic none. Small growth promoting activity was found in Golsebo (GSB, Drynariae rhizoma) and Baikhasuo (BHSO, Polygoni multiflori radix) drugs. JHG also increased cell cycle protein Cdc2 levels in the injured area of the sciatic nerves. Immunofluorescence staining indicated that induced Cdc2 protein was mostly localized in the Schwann cells in the injury area, implying that JHG activity might be related to increased Schwann cell proliferation during axonal regeneration. Moreover, levels of phospho-extracellular signal-regulated (ERK) pathway in the injured neNes were elevated by JHG treatment while levels of total ERK were unaltered. In vivo measurement of axonal regeneration using retrograde tracer showed that JHG, GSB and BHSO significantly enhanced Dil-labeled regenerating motor neurons compared with saline control. The present data suggest that oriental medicinal drugs such as JHG, GSB, and BHSO may be a useful target for developing specific drugs of axonal regeneration.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.117-124
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• 2009

Toxoplasma gondii provokes rapid and sustained nuclear translocation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) in HeLa cells. We observed activation of STAT6 as early as 2hr after infection with T. gondii by the nuclear translocation of fluorescence expressed from exogenously transfected pDsRed2-STAT6 plasmid and by the detection of phosphotyrosine-STAT6 in Western blot. STAT6 activation occurred only by infection with live tachyzoites but not by co-culture with killed tachyzoites or soluble T. gondii extracts. STAT6 phosphorylation was inhibited by small interfering RNA of STAT6 (siSTAT6). In view of the fact that STAT6 is a central mediator of IL-4 induced gene expression, activation of STAT6 by T. gondii infection resembles that infected host cells has been stimulated by IL-4 treatment. STAT1 was affected to increase the transcription and expression by the treatment of siSTAT6. STAT6 activation was not affected by any excess SOCS's whereas that with IL-4 was inhibited by SOCS-1 and SOCS-3. T. gondii infection induced Eotaxin-3 gene expression which was reduced by $IFN-{\gamma}$. These results demonstrate that T. gondii exploits host STAT6 to take away various harmful reactions by $IFN-{\gamma}$. This shows, for the first time, IL-4-like action by T. gondii infection modulates microbicidal action by $IFN-{\gamma}$ in infected cells.