Taste is a critically important sense for the survival of an organism. However, structure and distribution of taste receptors were only recently investigated. Although expression of the ion channels responsible for the sense of salty taste and acidity was observed in the non-taste cells, receptors for sweet and bitter taste were only identified in taste cells. Salivary glands are involved in the sensing of taste and plays important roles in the transduction of taste. The purpose of this study is to examine whether taste receptors are present in the salivary glands and to provide clues for the investigation of the taste-salivary glands interaction. Using microarray and RT-PCR analyses, the presence of taste receptor mRNAs in the rat von Ebner gland and submandibular gland was confirmed. Type I taste receptors were preferentially expressed in von Ebner gland, whereas type II taste receptors were expressed in both von Ebner gland and submandibular gland. The tastespecific signal tranducing proteins, Gαgustducin and phospholipase C β2, were also detected in both salivary glands by immunohistochemistry. Finally, the activation of the calcium signal in response to bitter taste in the acinar cells was also observed. Taken together, these results suggest that taste receptors are present in the von Ebner gland and submandibular gland and that type II taste receptors are functionally active in both salivary glands.

This study was performed to investigate the relationship between PSS-HSP70 gene polymorphism and artificial insemination (AI) reproductivity in the pigs. The RFLP polymorphism of PSS and the SSCP polymorphisms of HSP70 K1, K3 and K4 PCR product were detected different patterns. In the experiment for AI of fresh semen, spring and fall season showed higher litter size born of 10.89 head than 10.47 head of summer season. Landrace was showed higher litter size of 9.96 head than that of Duroc and Yorkshire (p<0.05). Stress relating PSS and HSP70 polymorphism of PSS-Normal, HSP70 K1-BB, K3-AB, K4-AA showd a highest litter size born of 10.97 head and litter size born alive of 10.69 head than that of the other polymorphisms(p<0.05). In the experiment for AI of frozen semen, effects of season and pig breeds were not showed for litter size born. The stress relating polymorphism of PSS-Carrier, HSP70 K1-BB, K3-BB, K4-AB showed highest litter size born of 11.29 head and litter size born alive of 10.82 head and PSS-Normal, HSP70 K1-BB, K3-AB, K4-AA showed the lowest litter size born of 8.48 head and litter size born alive of 7.33 head than that of the other polymorphisms(p<0.05). These results suggest that AI litter size born for the stress of forzen thawed semen may be affected by PSS and HSP70 polymorphism in pigs.

This study was carried out to examine on developmental competence of Hanwoo embryos cultured in vitro according to culture conditions and freezing methods. The in vitro developmental competence to blastocyst stage at Day 8 of culture in SOF was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that in CR1aa (30.3% vs. 18.4%). The in vitro developmental rate of morula and blastocysts cultured in group culture was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that in individual culture (41.4% and 36.0% vs. 21.1% and 10.5%, respectively). The cell number of Day 8 blastocysts in group culture was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that in the individual culture (, respectively). The survival rates of frozen-thawed balstocysts that were exposed in 1.5 M ethylene glycol or 1.5 M ethylene glycol containing 0.1 M sucrose were 77.5% and 78.7%, respectively. The survival rates of blastocysts cultured for 48 h in slow freezing and vitrification was not significantly different (73.3 and 74.0%). In conclusion, in vitro developmental competence of bovine embryos was influenced on the culture medium (SOF) and culture method (Group culture). Survival rate of frozen-thawed of bovine embryos was not influenced on freezing solutions and freezing methods.

This study was performed to establish the early pregnancy diagnosis with evaluation of size of embryonic vesicles and change of crown-rump length (CRL) by transrectal ultrasonography in the Korean black goats. Early pregnancy diagnosis was performed in the 114 goats from 19 to 35 days after coitus by transrectal 5.0 MHz transducer. Embryonic vesicles and CRL in the 142 goats from 19 to 42 days was measured to establish the correlation between gestational age and these parameters. The early pregnancy diagnosis achieved 80% accuracy after days 25 and 100% accuracy after days 28 after breeding. Diameters of embryonic vesicle and CRL were significantly increased with the gestational age. In these facts, early pregnancy diagnosis is possible on Days 25 after breeding and measurement of embryonic vesicles and CRL were useful to predict the gestational age in Korean black goat.

The international cooperation project CIBER (Cosmic Infrared Background ExpeRiment) is a rocket-borne instrument, of which the scientific goal is to measure the cosmic near-infrared extra-galactic background to search for signatures of primordial galaxy formation. CIBER consists of a wide-field two-color camera, a low-resolution absolute spectrometer, and a high-resolution narrow-band imaging spectrometer. Currently, all the subsystems have been built, and the integration, testing, and calibration of the CIBER system are on process for the scheduled launch in June 2008.

A survey project of TRAO with the fifteen beam array receiver system is presented. A multibeam array receiver system has been purchased from FCRAO, and is being installed on TRAO 14m telescope. The target region of the survey is from ι=120° ~137°, b=-1°~+1°, and velocity resolution would be 1 km/sec after smoothing from the original resolution of 0.64km s-1in the transition of J = 1-0 of 13CO The survey region is a part of the 12CO Outer Galaxy Survey(OGS), and would be an extension of the Bell Laboratories 13CO Galactic Plane Survey. By combining with the existing 12CO database of the Outer Galaxy Survey, we will derive physical properties of identified molecular clouds and will conduct and statistical analysis of the Outer Galalxy molecular clouds. Reduction process and analysis methods will be introduced.

Polypropylene (PP) composites with wood flour/wax/coupling agent were manufactured by melt compounding and injection molding. The influence of wood flour(WF), wax, and coupling agent on the mechanical and thermal properties of the composites was investigated. The addition of wood flour to neat PP has the higher tensile modulus and strength compared with neat PP. The presence of wax also improved the tensile modulus. At the same loading of PP and WF, the addition of coupling agent highly decreased the tensile modulus, and increased the tensile strength. From thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), the addition of wax improved the thermal stability of the composites in the later stages of degradation. The presence of MAPP and wood flour in turn decreased thermal stabilities of composites. From differential scanning calorimetry analysis (DSC), neither the loading of wax. nor the presence of MAPP has shown significant effect on the thermal transition of composites.

As a part of enhancing the performance of wood-plastic composites (WPC), polypropylene (PP)/ nanoclay (NC)/ wood flour (WF) nanocomposites were prepared using melt blending and injection molding process to evaluate their thermal stability. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was employed to investigate thermal degradation kinetics of the nanocomposites both dynamic and isothermal conditions. Dynamic scans of the TGA showed an increased thermal stability of the nanocomposites at moderate wood flour concentrations (up to 20 phr, percentage based on hundred percent resin) while it decreased with the addition of 30 phr wood flour. The activation energy (Ea) of thermal degradation of nanocomposites increased when nanoclay was added and the concentration of wood flour increased. Different equations were used to evaluate isothermal degradation kinetics using the rate of thermal degradation of the composites, expressed as weight loss (%) from their isothermal TGA curves. Degradation occurred at faster rate in the initial stages of about 60 min., and then proceeded in a gradual manner. However, nanocomposites with wood flour of 30 phr heated at 300℃ showed a drastic difference in their degradation behavior, and reached almost a complete decomposition after 40 min. of the isothermal heating. The degree of decomposition was greater at higher temperatures, and the residual weight of isothermal degradation of nanocomposites greatly varied from about 10 to 90%, depending on isothermal temperatures. The isothermal degradation of nanocomposites also increased their thermal stability with the addition of 1 phr nanoclay and of wood flour up to 20 phr. But, the degradation of PP100/NC1/MAPP3/WF30 nanocomposites with 30 phr wood flour occurs at a faster rate compared to those of the others, indicating a decrease in their thermal stability.

A series of activated carbons (ACs) were derived from sugarcane bagasse under two activation schemes: steam-pyrolysis at 600-800℃ and chemical activation with H3PO4 at 500℃. Some carbons were treated at 400, 600℃, or for 1-3 h, and/or in flowing air during pyrolysis of acid-impregnated mass. XRD profiles displayed two broad diffuse bands centered around 2θ=23 and 43˚, currently associated with diffraction from the 002 and 100/101 set of planes in graphite, respectively. These correspond to the interlayer spacing, Lc, and microcrystallite lateral dimensions, La, of the turbostratic (fully disordered) graphene layers. Steam pyrolysis-activated carbons exhibit only the two mentioned broad bands with enhancement in number of layers, with temperature, and small decrease in microcrystallite diameter, La. XRD patterns of H3PO4-ACs display more developed and separated peaks in the early region with maxima at 2θ=23, 26 and 29˚, possibly ascribed to fragmented microcrystallites (or partially organized structures). Diffraction within the 2θ=43˚ is still broad although depressed and diffuse, suggesting that the intragraphitic layers are less developed. Varying the conditions of chemical activation inflicts insignificant structural alterations. Circulating air during pyrolysis leads to enhancement of the basic graphitic structure with destruction and degradation in the lateral dimensions.