This study was conducted to compare the reproduction ability of the wild type boar and recombinant human erythropoietin (hEPO) transgenic boar semen. Ejaculated boar semen was analyzed by flow cytometry, Elisa and IVF methods. In experiment 1, flow cytometric analysis showed that the live sperm ratio of transgenic boar sperm significantly lower (P<0.05) than that of wild type boar after incubation at 20, 22, 24 and 26 hr. In experiment 2, the presence and levels of various cytokines (IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α) to related animal reproduction in the seminal and blood plasma were examined using specific enzyme immunoassay. There was no significant difference between both groups. In experiment 3, the fertilizing capacity and developmental ability of both boar sperm were compared. The transgenic boar sperm had a significantly low capacity of penetration, sperm-zona binding, embryo development, and blastocyst formation compared to wild type sperm (P<0.05). These results suggest that transgenic boar sperm harboring hEPO gene has low sperm viability than wild type boar, and it is a reason to decrease of fertility and litter size.

Three point bending tests of single edge notched beam (SENB) specimens were carried out to evaluate the fracture behavior of the fine-grain isotropic nuclear grade graphite, IG-11. To measure the crack initiation point and the subsequent crack growth, the direct current potential drop (DCPD) method and a traveling microscope were used. The effects of test variables like initial crack length, specimen thickness, notch type and loading rate on the measured fracture toughness, KQ, were investigated. Based on the test results, the ranges of the test variables to measure the reliable fracture toughness value were proposed. During the crack growth, the rising R-curve behavior was observed in IG-11 graphite when the superficial crack length measured on the specimen surface was used. The increase of crack growth resistance was discussed in terms of crack bridging, crack meandering, crack branching, microcracking and crack deflection, which increase the surface energy and friction force.

Recently, there has been a remarkable trend of using aggregates at sizes smaller than 13 mm for drainage asphalt pavement (DAP) in order to reduce the noise generated between vehicle tires and road surface. These DAPs have their performance and durability seriously worsen after several years in-service due to the clogging of void space and the abrasion. This paper proposes the use of large size aggregates in porous asphalt mixtures to overcome these defects. Results of laboratory and field experiments on asphalt mixtures with several aggregate gradations are investigated and compared. The study focuses on advantages of DAP using large size aggregate and on particle size combinations containing no fine aggregates of size 2.36 mm or less, which have not been considered in current engineering practice.

Corrosion level of reinforcing bar is investigated in this study. Seventy-two specimens are designed with 12 different target corrosion levels, two types of reinforcing bars, 3 different concrete covers. Corrosion current density, corrosion potential and ohmic resistance of concrete are measured on these specimens using Gecor device. Metal loss measurements are performed in accordance with ASTM G1-90[1], method C3.5[2], after specimens cracked. The actual corrosion weight loss of the steel reinforcing bars is then compared to the result obtained from the corrosion level measurement. Finally, the estimation of corrosion level can be made using electrical potential and current intensity measured. The experimental results show that the actual corrosion levels of steel bars embedded in concrete are less than the expected corrosion levels. And non-destructive corrosion measurement technique is applicable in order to assess corrosion level in reinforcing bars. This study suggests the relationship between corrosion level and measured electrical potential and measured current intensity.

We present BV CCD photometry for the open clusters Czernik 24 and Czernik 27. These clusters have never been studied before, and we provide, for the first time, the cluster parameters; reddening, distance, metallicity and age. Czernik 24 is an old open cluster with age 1.8 ± 0.2 Gyr, metallicity [Fe/H]=-0.41 ± 0.15 dex, distance modulus (m-M)0=13.1 ± 0.3 mag (d=4.1 ± 0.5 kpc), and reddening E(B-V)=0.54 ± 0.12 mag. The parameters for Czernik 27 are estimated to be age=0.63 ± 0.07 Gyr, [Fe/H]=-0.02 ± 0.10 dex, (m-M)0=13.8 ± 0.2 mag (d=5.8 ± 0.5 kpc), and E(B-V)=0.15 ± 0.05 mag. The metallicity and distance values for Czernik 24 are consistent with the relation between the metallicity and the Galactocentric distance of other old open clusters. We find the metallicity gradient of 51 old open clusters including Czernik 24 to be Δ[Fe/H]/ΔRgc = -0.064±0.009 dex kpc-1.

In the present study, performances of several in vitro maturation (IVM) systems for porcine follicular oocytes were evaluated, and an efficient chemically defined IVM system for porcine oocytes was proposed. The proposed one-step culture system supplemented with polyvinylalcohol (PVA) gave competitive efficiencies in terms of oocyte maturation and blastocyst development after parthenogenetic activation and in vitro culture, compared with the conventional two-step culture system by a supplementation of porcine follicular fluid (pFF). Additionally, it is identified that the proposed chemically defined one-step culture system yielded the comparable level of blastocyst production to the conventional maturation system in porcine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Therefore, one can eliminate un-expected effects accompanied by supplementation of pFF. No medium replacement during whole maturation period is an additional benefit by applying this new system. Thus, these data support that the developed PVA supplemented chemically defined one-step IVM system for porcine follicular oocyte might be used in porcine SCNT program.

We conducted a year-long survey in 2000 to examine seasonal fluctuations in the abundance of the demersal copepod Pseudodiaptomus sp., the dominant copepod in the Seomjin River estuary, where the spring tide strongly affects changes in salinity gradients.

The exposed strain of C. riparius treated with di (ethyl- hexyl)-phthalate (DEHP) did not result in a consistent relationship between mortality or sex ratio and chemical concentrations. And after treating with DEHP, the emergent female from the exposed st

On the analysis of triacylglycerol (TG) from the kernels of Acanthopanax sessiliflorus by reversed phase-HPLC, it was separated into three main fractions of PN 44, 46 and 48, according to partition number (PN). On the contrary, it could be clearly classified into seven fractions of SMM, MMM, SMD, MMD, SDD, MDD and MDT by silver ion-HPLC by the number of double bond in the acyl chains of TG species. But resolution of so-called critical pairs of TG molecular species such as molecular pairs of PeLL [C18:1Ω12/(C18:2Ω6)2] and OLL [C18:1Ω9/(C18:2Ω6)2] and OOL [(C18:1Ω9)2/C18:2Ω6], and PePeL [(C18:2Ω12)2/C18:1Ω6] was not achieved (Pe; petroselinic acid, L; linoleic acid, O; oleic acid). On the other hand, TG extracted from Aralia continentalis kernels were also fractionated into seven groups of SSM, SMM, MMM, SMD, MMD, SDD and MDD (S; saturated acid, M; monoenoic acid, D; dienoic acid) by silver ion-HPLC, although it's were classified into three groups of PN 44, 46 and 48 by reversed phase-HPLC. The fractions of SMM, MMM, MMD and MDD were divided into two subfractions, respectively; the fractions of SMM, MMM, MMD and MDD were resolved into the subfraction of PPe/Pe and POO (critical pairs from each other), that of Pe/Pe/Pe and OOO, that of Pe/Pe/L and OOL, and that of Pe/L/L and OLL.

Dinoflagellates were investigated from the coastal waters of Korea. The total 100 thecate dinoflagellates taxa, comprising of 93 species five varieties and two forms were identified, which were attributed to four orders nine families, 13 genera in Korean

Potato (Solamum tuberosum 'Dejima') plantlets were investigated on culture type and initial quantity of inoculation in bioreactor and survival rate by hydroponics for mass production. rode stems (1 to 1.5cm in length) of potato plantlets multiplied in vitro were grown for 3 weeks in liquid Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with sucrose 30 g L-1. When plantlets (80-node inoculation) were raised in 10L balloon type bubble (BB) bioreactor, the healthiest growth of plantlets was obtained from explants cultured in ebb & flow culture with medium supplied periodically 12 times per day. The suitable inoculation quantity of 20L BB bioreactor was 120 pieces of stem segments (mean 2.2g fresh weight) in ebb & flow culture. Number of nodal shoot was eight on the average. In controlled culture room, survival rate of plantlets at 7 days after stem cutting was above 70% when they were acclimatized by hydroponics grown in deep flow and solid medium culture. The highest survival rate of the stem cutting plantlets was in nutrient solution adjusted to EC 1.4dS·m-1. Stem cutting plantlets through one culture could be obtained 670~900, when plantlets were grown in ebb & flow culture during 3 weeks using a 20L bioreactor with initial 120 pieces of nodal segments. 11 is possible In do mass production of seedlings cultured in bioreactor and hydroponics.

Silver impregnated activated carbon fibers were post-modified using hydrochloric acid. Adsorption behaviors, SEM morphologies, and functional groups for the silver impregnated ACFs were compared with those of post-modified ACFs. Adsorption isotherms were used to characterize SBET, the pore structure and volume of silver-activated carbon fibers (ACFs) before and after acid post-treatment. In order to the reveal the causes of the differences surface states after the samples were washed with hydrochloric acid, outer surface and pore structure were investigated by SEM. And the type and quality of various functional groups were studied from FT-IR spectra and Boehm titration method. Finally, the quantitative properties in silver contents were also examined by EDX spectra.

Methods for activation of reconstructed oocytes were examined for the production of nuclear transfer (NT) rat embryos using fetal neural stem cells as donor. Neural stem cells were isolated from Day 14.5 rat fetuses, and the oocytes for recipient cytoplasm were recovered from 4-week old Sprague Dawley rats. After enucleation and nuclear injection, the reconstructed oocytes were immediately exposed to activation medium consisting of 10 mM SrCl₂ for 4 h (immediate activation after injection; IAI), or cultured in vitro for 2~3 h before activation treatment (injection before activation; IBA). Pre-activated oocytes were also used for NT to test reprogramming potential of artificially activated oocytes. The oocytes were grouped as IIA (immediate injection after activation) and ABI (activation 2~3 h before injection). Following NT, the oocytes were cultured in vitro. Development of the NT embryos was monitored at 44 and 119 h after activation. The embryos in groups IAI, mA, and IIA were cleaved to the 2-cell stage at the rates of 36.6%(15/41), 39.5% (17/43) and 46.3% (25/54), respectively. However, in the ABI group, only one embryo (1.8%, 1/55) was cleaved after activation. After in vitro culture, two NT embryos from IAI group had developed to the morula stage (4.9%, 2/41). However, no morula or blastocyst was obtained in the other groups. These results suggest that immediate activation after injection (IAI) method may be used for the production of rat somatic cell NT embryos.

Education in Indonesia is facing some major problems related to access and quality. Only about half of the eligible children are enrolled in school at the junior secondary level and only one-third at the senior secondary level. Regarding quality, large proportions of students fail to meet the cutoff scores in various subjects at all levels in school completion examinations. ICT is viewed as a potential contributor to solutions for these problems. In terms of government policy for ICT, Telematika which refers to the utilization of ICT in various sectors and aspects of life, was established based on a presidential decree, and Telematika Pendidikan (utilization of ICT in education) has been developed, and a five-year action plan was implemented in the years 2001 to 2005. The success of Telematika depends on the availability of appropriate infrastructure. Currently, Indonesia has 8 million Internet users (about 3% of the population); other statistics show that the ICT infrastructure is less extensive compared with neighboring countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. In addition, Internet access costs are still prohibitive in Indonesia. The implementation of E-Learning in Indonesian education can be viewed as a supplement, a complement, or a substitute for the traditional teaching-learning process. To date some subjects of the senior secondary school and vocational school curriculum have been developed in the form of E-Learning as a substitute for face-to-face instruction. In the near future this will be expanded to some subjects of the junior secondary school curriculum. At the tertiary education level, there are some universities that have implemented E-Learning, especially as a supplement for their regular teaching-learning process. In regard to extending access into schools, the Ministry of National Education has been piloting Open Senior Secondary School in seven districts of six provinces by implementing E-Learning.

Hereditary dentin defects consists of dentin dysplasia(DD) and denti nogenesis imperfecta(Dr) ‘ The Dl associated with osteogenesis imperfecta has been classified as DI type 1. whereas isolated inherited defects have been categori zed as DI types II and III , However‘ whether DI type III should be considered a distinct phenotype 01' a variation of DI type 1I is debatable , Recent genetic findings have focused attention on the role of the dentin sialo phosphoprotein(DSPP) gene in the etiology of inherited defects of tooth dentin, We have identified novel mlltation( c,727G - > A, p,D243N) at the 243th codon of exon 4 of the DSPP gene in a Korean patient with DI type III The radiographic and histologic features of the patient revealed the classic phenotype of shell teeth These findings sllggest that DI type II and III are not separate diseases bllt rather the phenotypic variation 01' a s ingle disease

1'0 determine Lhe ll1echanism of cell c1eath incluced by iron chelators. we explored the pathways of the three structurally relatecl ll1 itogen-activatecl protein(MAP) kinase subfami li esduring iron cbelator- inclucecl apoptosis ancl differentiation of oral precancerous ancl cancel‘ cells. The iron chelator c1 eferoxamine(DFO) exertecl potent timeancl c1ose-c1epenclent inhi bitory effects on the growth of IHOK and HN4 cells The major mechanism of growth inhibition following DFO treatment was fOllncl to be apoptosis incluction. as assessecl by annexin V-FITC staining. cell cycle analysis‘ DNA lacldering, a ncl Hoechst staining. We report that DF'O s trongly activates the p38 MAP kinase and extracell ular signal- regu lated kinase(ERK). but c10es not activate the c-Jun N-terminal kin ase/ stl않s-activaLecl protein kinase(JNK/8APK) . Of the three MAP kinase blockers usecl‘ the selective p38 MAP kinase inhibitor 8ß203580 ancl ERK inhibitor PD98059 protected oral premaIignant ancl malignant cells againsL iron chelator- nclllced cell death. which incl icates that the p38 MAP kinase serves as a major mecliator 01' apoptos is induced by this iron chelator DFO also evoked the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, and incluced the activation of caspase-3 ancl caspase-8 in oral cancer cells, which suggests that apoptosis occurs via the mi tochoncl ri on - mecl iaLed pathway. DFO enhanced the expression of Bax in IHOK ancl HN4 cells. consistent witll thei r p53 status Moreover. DFO downregulatecl the expression 01' Bcl-2 in oral cancer cells. which suggests that DFO- incluced apoptos is 01' oraJ cancer and precancerous cells may be mediatecl by an increase in the ratio of pro-apoptotic to anti-apoptotic proteins. ln terestingJy, trcatmcnt 01' IHOK ancl HN4 cel ls with 8B203580 abolishecl cytochrome c release‘ as wel l as the activation of caspase-3 and caspase-8. DFO suppressecl the expression of epithelial di ffe rentiation markers, such as involucrin, t ransglutaminase II. CK6. and CK19. ancl this suppression was blockecl by p38 ancl ERK MAP kinase ll1hlbltors The oral premalignant(IHOK) ancl malignant cell s(I-lN4) showed differential responses to DFO with respect to the expression of cel l cycle regulatory proteins. cell growth. ancl apoptosis. Coll ectively. the current study reveals that p38 MAP kinase plays an ill1 portant role in iron chela tor-mecliatecl cel l cleath and in the suppression of differentiation of oral premalignantandmalignanLcell s.by activating a c10wnstream apoptotic cascade that executes the ceIl c1eath pathway

A novel indil‘ubin analog‘ 5’ nitro-indirubinoxime(Ol1) inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis again st variolls hllman cancer cell s. ln this stlldy, we performed the microarray analysis to identify genes diffel'enti ally expressed in the KB oral sqllamollS carcinoma cells after treatment with 011 Of the 10‘ 800 genes a nalyzed , 1700 genes(15.7%) showed di fferent expression level in the 011-treated cells with respect to untreated control cel1s Arnong those‘ 263 genes(15, 5%) were down -reg띠 ated and 220 genes(12, 9%) were IIp-regulated more than 2-fold, Functionally related gene clllsters inclllde genes associated with signal transdllction(18, 1%) , especially genes re lated with a poptosis(3, 5%) and cell cycle reglllation(5. 8%) . Our application of microarray ar뻐ysis on 01l-treated 01'외 cancer cells al lows the identifi cati on of candidate genes for providing novel insights into the 011-mediated anti -tllmor actl Vl ty ,