Temperature signaling can be initiated by members of transient receptor potential (thermo-TRP) channels. Hot and cold substances applied to teeth usually elicit pain sensation. Since odontoblasts constitute a well-defined layer between the pulp and the mineralized dentin, being first to encounter thermal stimulation from oral cavity, they may be involved in sensory transduction process, in addition to their primary function as formation of dentin. We investigated whether thermo-TRP channels are expressed in a odontoblast cell line, MDPC-23. The expressions of thermo-TRP channels were examined using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunohistochemistry, fluorometric calcium imaging. Analysis of RT-PCR revealed mRNA expression of TRPV1, TRPV2, TRPV4 and TRPM8, but no TRPV3, TRPA1. Immunohistochemical approach failed to detect TRPV1 expression. Whereas the application of 4-phorbol-12,13-didecanoate(10 μM, a TRPV4 agonist), menthol(1 mM, a TRPM8 agonist) and icilin(10 μM, a TRPM8 agonist) produced the enhancement of intracellular calcium concentration, capsaicin(1 μM, a TRPV1 agonist) did not. Our results suggest that subfamily of thermo-TRP channels expressed in odontoblasts may serve as thermal or mechanical transducer in teeth.

We present JHK-band near-infrared photometry of the star clusters in the dwarf irregular galaxy IC 5152. After excluding possible foreground stars, a number of candidate star clusters are identified in the near-infrared images of IC 5152, which include young populations. Especially, five young star clusters are identified in the(J-H, H-K) two color diagram and the total extinction values toward these clusters are estimated to be Av=2-6 from the comparison with the theoretical values given by the Leitherer et al.(1999)'s theoretical star cluster model.

In Korea, the ozone profiles have been acquired by using ozonesonde at Pohang station of the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) since 1995. These ozone soundings were performed at 0500 UTC on a weekly basis (every Wednesday) in a clear sky. The ozonesonde is equipped with the model 5A ECC sensor, which is one of the most common ozonesonde systems. There have been no attempts to evaluate the Pohang ozonesonde profiles compared with satellite. This paper will provide the first evaluation results for the ozonesonde profiles against HALogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) measurements over Korea. During 1995-2004 periods, a total of 450 and 188 ozone profiles were obtained from the ozonesonde measurements from HALOE measurements over Korea, respectively. Hence, a total of 34 coincident profile pairs are extracted. Among those total profiles, 26 profiles from ozonesonde are compared against nearly coincident HALOE measurements in time and space. For ozone profiles, the results of statistical analyses showed that the best agreement between two measurements occurs in the 20-25 km and 30-35 km region, where the mean and RMS percent differences are less than ±5 and 14%, respectively. For temperature profiles, the mean and RMS percent differences in 20-25 km region are estimated to be about -0.1 and 1.7%, respectively. According to the scatter plots between two measurements, ozone data are strongly correlated each other above 20 km altitude range with more than 0.8 correlation coefficients. It is found that the altitude (pressure level) differences between two measurements would mainly lead to the discrepancy (over 40% below 18 km) below 20 km in ozone profiles.

한국원자력연구소 내 부지에 건설된 지하처분연구시설(KURT, KAERI Underground Research Tunnel)에 대한 기초적인 광물 풍화 및 지화학적 특성을 살펴보았다. 분석 대상 시료는 건설 과정중에 노출된 암석에 대해서 화학적 풍화에 따른 암석의 미시적인 변화를 현미경 및 화학성분 분석 등을 통해 관찰하였다. 풍화가 진행된 화강암의 경우 암석을 구성하고 있는 광물들 주변에 미세하고 작은 균열들이 발달하였다. 특히, 장석 광물의 풍화가 특징적으로 관찰되었고 광물 용해에 따른 Ca 성분의 선택적 용출 현상이 심하였다. 또한, 를 함유한 흑운모의 용해에 의한 성분의 용출에 의해 주변 광물의 미세균열에 이차생성물로 철산화물 침전이 두드러졌다. 광물내부로 부터 발생된 미세균열은 풍화가 진행되면서 점차 그 규모가 커지고 grain boundary를 따라 매우 먼 거리까지 확장되는 특성을 보여 주었다. 신선한 암석 이 풍화됨에 따라 암석 내에 존재하거나 용출된 화학 성분들은 이러한 미세 균열들을 통해 새로운 이차광물 생성에 관여하거나 그들과 상호 반응하면서 이동하는 것으로 추정된다.

Porous carbon materials were prepared with a thermal treatment of coal tar pitch at 550 in the Ar gas. Growth, merger, and distribution of pore were characterized with scanning electron microscopy as variation ascending temperature gradient and chamber pressure. After graphitizing at the 2600 (1 hr.), walls and connecting parts between pores were investigated with X-ray diffraction patterns. Wall thickness and pore size decreases as increasing ascending temperature gradient, and pore size becomes homogeneous. Graphite quality and thermal conductivity become higher due to the enhanced orientation of walls and connecting parts between pores.

Carbon-coated TiO2 was prepared by CCl4 solvent mixing method with the different heat treated temperatures (HTTs). Since the carbon layers derived from pitch on the TiO2 particles were porous, the carbon-coated TiO2 sample series showed a good adsorptivity. The values of BET surface areas measured were shown independently on the HTTs. The surface states by SEM present to the characterization of porous texture on the carbon-coated TiO2 sample and carbon distributions on the surfaces. From XRD data, PT700 and PT750 were shown the X-ray diffraction patterns of the anatase TiO2, but PT800 and PT850 were kept anatase-type structure even after heating at 800℃, though small amount of the rutile-type structure appears. The results of EDX microanalyses were observed for each sample show the spectra corresponding to almost all samples similar to C, O and Ti elements with an increase of HTTs. Finally, the excellent photoactivity of carbon-coated TiO2 (especially, PT700 and PT750) could be attributed to the homogeneous coated carbon on the external surface and the structural anatase phase.

This paper reports the application of Wood's national policy framework (Wood, 2002) to the use of computers in Chinese schools in order to evaluate the impact of and reaction to information and communications technology (ICT) policy on the future of schooling and society. With its highly centralized system of schooling, the "centralized regulation of schooling" scenario is considered to be sufficiently close to enable current ICT policy and possible future developments to be examined. The analysis arising/rom Wood's framework has significant implications for developing countries, such as China, which have limited funding and experience to address the range of issues relating to ICT integration. 81

Among Information Communication Technology (ICT) applications in education, Project-based Learning (PBL) is regarded as an effective intervention in the area of science and technology education. In this article, we present PBL classroom experiments using robot-oriented concepts to motivate students' interests describing what they do in PBL classes, how they create their ideas and products, and how their attitudes toward robot use have changed.

The circle hook experiments were conducted to compare the catch rates of target and bycatch species between J hook and circle hooks in the tuna longline fishery of the eastern Pacific Ocean between 1˚48'S-7˚00'S and 142˚00'-149˚13'W from July 15 to August 12, 2005. In the target species group no significant differences among 3 types hook, between size 4.0 traditional tuna hooks(J-4) and size 15 circle hooks(C15), and between C15 and size 18 circle hooks(C18) were revealed, but significant differences were found between J-4 and C18. In the bycatch species group significant differences were found among 3 types hook, between J 4 and C15, and between J-4 and C18, but no significant differences were revealed between C15 and C18. Large circle hook(C18) had the lowest catch rate for tunas and for other fishes, and the small circle hook(C15) had lowest rate for billfishes and sharks. The length distributions for bigeye tuna are very similar for the 3 hook types. There were very slight differences in length size between hook types in the bycatch species.

This study examined the effects of socket flexion angle in trans-tibial prosthesis on stump/socket interface pressure. Ten trans-tibial amputees voluntarily participated in this study. F-socket system was used to measure static and dynamic pressure in stump/socket interface. The pressure was measured at anterior area (proximal, middle, and distal) and posterior area (proximal, middle, and distal) in different socket flexion angles (5°, 0°, and 10°). Paired t-test was used to compare pressure differences in conventional socket flexion angle of 5° with pressures in socket flexion angles of 0° and 10° (α=.05). Mean pressure during standing in socket flexion angle of 10° decreased significantly in anterior middle area (19.7%), posterior proximal area (10.4%), and posterior distal area (16.3%) compared with socket flexion angle of 5°. Mean pressure during stance phase in socket flexion angle of 0° increased significantly in anterior proximal area (19.3%) and decreased significantly in anterior distal area (19.7%) compared with socket flexion angle of 5°. Mean pressure during stance phase in socket flexion angle of 10° decreased significantly in anterior proximal area (19.6%) and increased significantly in anterior distal area (8.2%) compared with socket flexion angle of 5°. Peak pressure during gait in socket flexion angle of 0° increased significantly in anterior proximal area (23.0%) compared with socket flexion angle of 5° and peak pressure during gait in socket flexion angle of 10° decreased significantly in anterior proximal area (22.7%) compared with socket flexion angle of 5°. Mean pressure over 80% of peak pressure (MP80+) during gait in socket flexion angle of 0° increased significantly in anterior proximal area (23.9%) and decreased significantly in anterior distal area (22.5%) compared with socket flexion angle of 5°. MP80+ during gait in socket flexion angle of 10° decreased significantly in anterior distal area (34.1%) compared with socket flexion angle of 5°. Asymmetrical pressure change patterns in socket flexion angle of 0° and 10° were revealed in anterior proximal and distal region compared with socket flexion angle of 5°. To provide comfortable and safe socket for trans-tibial amputee, socket flexion angle must be considered.

This study examined the effects of the abdominal drawing-in (ADI) maneuver using a pressure biofeedback on muscle recruitment pattern of erector spinae and hip extensors and anterior pelvic tilt during hip extension in the prone position. Fourteen able-bodied volunteers, who had no medical history of lower extremity or lumbar spine disease, were recruited for this study. The muscle onset time of erector spinae, gluteus maximus, and medial hamstring and angle of anterior pelvic tilt during hip extension in prone position were measured in two conditions: ADI maneuver condition and non-ADI maneuver condition. Muscle onset time was measured using a surface electromyography (EMG). Kinematic data for angle of anterior pelvic tilt were measured using a motion analysis system. The muscle onset time and angle of anterior pelvic tilt were compared using a paired t-test. The study showed that in ADI maneuver during hip extension in prone position, the muscle onset time for the erector spinae was delayed significantly by a mean of 43.20 ms (SD 43.12), and the onset time for the gluteus maximus preceded significantly by a mean of -4.83 ms (SD 14.10) compared to non-ADI maneuver condition (p<.05). The angle of anterior pelvic tilt was significantly lower in the ADI maneuver condition by a mean of 7.03 degrees (SD 2.59) compared to non-ADI maneuver condition (15.01 degrees) (p<.05). The findings of this study indicated that prone hip extension with the ADI maneuver was an effective method to recruit the gluteus maximus earlier than erector spinae and to decrease anterior pelvic tilting.

This study examined the ability of human subjects to match a force in their quadriceps muscle during fatigue. Twenty subjects (mean age: 23.4 yrs, mean height: 167.8 cm, mean weight, 62.6 kg) were enrolled in the experiment. In the force-matching task, the quadriceps muscle generated 50% of the MVIC (maximum voluntary isometric contraction) torque under visual control and then without visual feedback. After inducing fatigue in the quadriceps muscle, the subjects were required to match 50% of the MVIC torque without visual feedback. The perceived magnitude of the force and force-matching errors were measured. 50% of the MVIC torque was perceived from 39.96 Nm in the pre-fatigue condition to 44.95 Nm in the post-fatigue condition. 50% of the MVIC torque-matching errors increased significantly from .55% in the pre-fatigue condition to 9.6% in the post-fatigue condition (p<.001). in addition, there were significantly more force-matching errors in women than in men (p<.01). In conclusion muscle fatigue can interfere with a subject's ability to match a force. This suggests that muscle fatigue may contributes to the sensitization of the proprioception.