Heumgyeonggaknu is a water-hammering type automatic water clock which was made by Jang Yeong-Sil in 1438. The water clock that is located in Heumgyeonggaknu consists of Suho which is equipped with 2-stage overflow. Constant water wheel power is generated by supplying a fixed amount of water of Suho to Sususang, and this power is transferred to each floor at the same time. The 1st floor rotation wheel of Gasan consists of the operation structure which has the shape of umbrella ribs. The 2nd floor rotation wheel is made so that the 12 hour signal, Gyeong-Jeom signal, and Jujeon constitute a systematic configuration. The 3rd floor rotation wheel is made so that the signal and rotation of Ongnyeo and four gods can be accomplished. Based on the above conceptual design, this paper analyzed the internal signal generation and power transmission of Heumgyeonggaknu.

본 연구에서는 감태 효소 추출물과 그것의 폴리페놀 추출물의 화장품 원료로서의 효능을 알아보기 위하여 항산화, 항당화, 미백, 항염 효과와 관련된 실험을 실시하였다. 감태 효소 추출물과 폴리페놀 추출물은 강력한 라디컬 소거능을 가지고 있으며 BSA/Glucose 시스템에서 최종당화생성물의 형성을 저해하는 항당화 활성과 타이로시네이즈 저해를 통한 우수한 미백력을 가지고 있음을 확인하였다. 또한 두 추출물 모두 세포 내에서 PGE2와 NO 생성 저해를 통한 항염 효과를 나타내었다. 이러한 결과를 종합해 볼 때, 감태 효소 추출물과 그 폴리페놀추출물은 화장품 원료로서의 응용 가능성이 있을 것으로 사료된다.

Gene expressions of cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A), aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and vitellogenin (Vg) by endocrine disruptors, benzo[]pyrene (B[a]P) and tributyltin (TBT) were examined in cultured eel hepatocytes which were isolated from eels treated previously with B[a]P (10 mg/kg) or estradiol- (20 mg/kg) in vivo, and the relationship between CYP1A, AhR and Vg genes were studied. When the cultured eel hepatocytes were treated with B[a]P () the gene expressions of CYP1A and AhR were enhanced in a concentration-dependent manner. However, when treated with TBT () the gene expressions of CYP1A and AhR were suppressed at high concentrations (), while having no effects at low concentrations (). Gene expression of Vg was also suppressed by TBT in a concentration-dependent manner in cultured eel hepatocytes which was previously treated in vivo with estradiol-.

Space-borne remote sensing is an effective and inexpensive way to identify crop fields and detect the crop condition. We examined the multi-temporal spectral characteristics of rice fields in South Korea to detect their phenological development and condition. These rice fields are compact, small-scale parcels of land. For the analysis, moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) and RapidEye images acquired in 2011 were used. The annual spectral tendencies of different crop types could be detected using MODIS data because of its high temporal resolution, despite its relatively low spatial resolution. A comparison between MODIS and RapidEye showed that the spectral characteristics changed with the spatial resolution. The vegetation index (VI) derived from MODIS revealed more moderate values among different land-cover types than the index derived from RapidEye. Additionally, an analysis of various VIs using RapidEye satellite data showed that the VI adopting the red edge band reflected crop conditions better than the traditionally used normalized difference VI.

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are promising cell source because of their unique self-renewal and pluripotency. Although hESC-derived cardiac cells are currently generated worldwide, cryopreservation of these cells is still limited due to low rate of post-thaw survival. Cryopreservation of hESC-derived cardiac cells is critical in that their long-term storage can accelerate their use in regenerative medicine. However, to date, there are few reports on efficient cryopreservation and post-thaw survival of hESC-derived cardiac cells. In this study, we evaluated the effects of ginsenoside, which is known to improve survival of rat embryonic cardiomyocytes against myocardial ischemia injury in diabetic rats (Wu et al., 2011), on the survival of hESC-derived cardiac cells after thawing. We induced differentiation into cardiac cells using our previously reported method (Kim et al., 2011). Differentiated, pre-beating stage cardiac cells were cryopreserved using either mass cryopreservation or vitrification. To evaluate the effects of ginsenoside (Re, Rb), we compared three sets: pre- and post-thaw treatment, pre- or post-thaw treatment only. The survival of post-thaw cardiac cells were evaluated using Trypan-blue and Annexin V staining. In addition, the three groups were treated with ROCK inhibitor Y-27632, and compared with non-treatment groups. The effect of ginsenoside was significant in post-thaw treatment group, i.e, thawed cells expressed cardiac specific genes and showed specific functionality such as spontaneous beating. Taken together, we demonstrated favorable effects of ginsenoside on the survival of hESC-derived cardiac cells after cryopreservation and thawing. These results suggest a possible application of well-known cardioprotectant ginsenoside in cell-based tissue engineering using hESC-derived cardiac cells.

To produce abiotic stress resistant transgenic cucumber, the cotyledonary node explants of cucumber (c.v. Eunsung) were inoculated with A. tumefaciens strain EHA105 containing the binary vector (pPZP211) carrying Nit gene. The 491 explants inoculated with bacterium solution for 30 min were maintained on 50 mg/L paromomycin contained shoot induction (SI) medium for first 2 weeks and then subcultured on 100 mg/L paromomycin to obtain transgenic adventitious shoots for 4 x 14 days. So far, 5 plant were selected, and then acclimated in soil. Of them, 3 transgenic plants with Nit gene were confirmed by Southern blot analysis.

For genetic mapping studies, biparental segregating populations are often useful, however recombination is limited, giving rise to large genomic regions under QTL, and one can only study alelles present in both parents. In Wageninegn UR, a core collection is being developed representing all Brassica rapa morphotypes and geographic origins. As most B. rapa accessions are heterozygous and heterogeneous, we started a project to fix the collection through microspore culture. The resulting Diversity Fixed Foundation Set will be an interesting resource for association mapping studies, which have as advantage that they present the allelec variation present in the collection, and for mapping studies recombination is increased. Nineteen accessions of eight subspecies of Brassica rapa were used for microspore culture to developdoubled haploid lines. Eight morphotypes were represented: 3 Chinese cabbage, 2 Chinese turnip cabbage, 3 Pak choi, 5 Turnip, 3 Broccolleto, 1 Mizuna, 1 Komatsuna and 1 Turnip greenfrom the 19acessions examined, embryos were obtained for 13, representing six subspecies (Komatsuna and Turnip Green had no response). The embryo yields differed significantly between these 13 accessions. We regenerated normal plants from 10 accessions that survived more than 4 weeks in the soil using microspore culture. Nine accessions flowered after 4 weeks vernalization at 5℃ and seeds were harvested from 5 accessions. From a Mizuna, we obtained 3791 seeds from one plant and total 7318 seeds were harvested from 5 accessions representing 4 subspecies(Chinese cabbage, Chinese turnip cabbage, Pak choi, Mizuna). At present, we carry out experiment for obtain more seeds and induce embryos from the other plant materials.

In order to adapt to various environmental stresses, plants have employed diverse regulatory mechanisms of gene expression. Epigenetic changes, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications play an important role in gene expression regulation under stress condition. It has been known that some of epigenetic modifications are stably inherited after mitotic and meiotic cell divisions, which is known as stress memory. To understand molecular mechanisms underlying stress memory mediated by epigenetic modifications, we developed Arabidopsis suspension-cultured cell lines adapted to high salt by stepwise increases in the NaCl concentration up to 120 mM. Adapted cell line to 120 mM NaCl, named A120, exhibited enhanced salt tolerance compared to unadapted control cells (A0). Moreover, the salt tolerance of A120 cell line was stably maintained even in the absence of added NaCl, indicating that the salt tolerance of A120 cell line was memorized even after the stress is relieved. By using salt adapted and stress memorized cell lines, we intend to analyze the changes of DNA methylation, histone modification, transcriptome, and proteome to understand molecular mechanisms underlying stress adaptation as well as stress memory in plants.

The most important factor in breeding program is to obtain the value-added genetic line. Generally, breeders develop genetic sources using several methods such as segregation-breeding, cross-breeding, backcross-breeding, mutation induction, tissue culture and so on. Here, we present one classical way but very valuable method called cell fusion or protoplast fusion to create genetic sources for the breeding practice. The method we developed was the asymmetric somatic-hybridization of protoplast isolated from carrots. This is rather to transfer the nucleus from the high quality F1 hybrid to other mediocre line to produce a new carrot line. Since the breeding a carrot line for higher quality and purity takes a long time, therefore this nuclear transfer technology is very beneficial to generate a new line that could be useful to breed elite varieties. We had obtained around 200 fused carrots (cybrids), 12 cybrids were self pollinated and produced seeds. Selected progenies are currently being evaluated for horticultural characteristics including self fertility.

Cereal seeds, sorghum, foxtail millet, hog millet, adlay, and corn are traditionally used as health assistant as well as energy supplying food in Korea. While beneficial phytochemicals to human have revealed in cereals, the information on peptides from cereals is far less accumulated than major reserve protein. Here, we analyzed peptide profiles using surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS) in cereal seeds for construction of peptide information and attempted to develop peptide biomarkers for cereal identification. To optimize the analysis condition of SELDI-TOF MS, the effect of dilution factor on binding affinity to protein chips was tested using CM10 and Q10 arrays. Peptide clusters were significantly different at the level of 0.01 p-value. Peak spectra were the most stable in 1:50 of dilution factor in both chip arrays. Numbers of detected peak of 5 cereal seeds were 131 in CM10 and 74 in Q10 array. Each cereal was grouped as a cluster and well discriminated into different cluster in the level of 0.01 p-value. Numbers of potentially identified peptide biomarkers are 11, 13, 9, 5 and 12 in sorghum, foxtail millet, hog millet, adlay and corn, respectively. This study demonstrates that each cereal seed have own distinguishable specific peptides although their function are not identified yet in this study. In addition, the proteomic profiling using SELDI-TOF MS techniques could be a useful and powerful tool to discover peptide biomarker for discrimination and assess crop species, especially under 20 kDa.

This study deals with the design of a spring backboned soft arm, which will be employed for generation of human gesture as an effective means of Human‐Robot interaction. The special features of the proposed mechanism are the light weight and the flexibility of the whole mechanism by using a spring backbone. Thus, even in the case of collision with human, this device is able to absorb the impact structurally. The kinematics and the design for the soft arm are introduced. The performance of this mechanism was shown through experiment emulating several human gestures expressing human emotion and some service contents. Finally, this soft arm was implemented as the wing mechanism of a penguin robot.