Many recent satellites have mission periods longer than 10 years; thus, satellite-based local space weather monitoring is becoming more important than ever. This article describes the instruments and data applications of the Korea Space wEather Monitor (KSEM), which is a space weather payload of the GeoKompsat-2A (GK-2A) geostationary satellite. The KSEM payload consists of energetic particle detectors, magnetometers, and a satellite charging monitor. KSEM will provide accurate measurements of the energetic particle flux and three-axis magnetic field, which are the most essential elements of space weather events, and use sensors and external data such as GOES and DSCOVR to provide five essential space weather products. The longitude of GK-2A is 128.2° E, while those of the GOES satellite series are 75° W and 135° W. Multi-satellite measurements of a wide distribution of geostationary equatorial orbits by KSEM/GK-2A and other satellites will enable the development, improvement, and verification of new space weather forecasting models. KSEM employs a service-oriented magnetometer designed by ESA to reduce magnetic noise from the satellite in real time with a very short boom (1 m), which demonstrates that a satellite-based magnetometer can be made simpler and more convenient without losing any performance.

This paper investigated the thermal and mechanical properties of high-volume fly ash concrete for potential application in mass concrete.

In order to improve the prediction of the regional air quality modeling in the Seoul metropolitan area, a sensitivity analysis using two PBL and microphysics (MP) options of the WRF model was performed during four seasons. The results from four sets of the simulation experiments (EXPs) showed that meteorological variables (especially wind field) were highly sensitive to the choice of PBL options (YSU or MYJ) and no significant differences were found depending on MP options (WDM6 or Morrison) regardless of specific time periods, i.e. day and night, during four seasons. Consequently, the EXPs being composed of YSU PBL option were identified to produce better results for meteorological elements (especially wind field) regardless of seasons. On the other hand, the accuracy of all simulations for summer and winter was somewhat lower than those for spring and autumn and the effect according to physics options was highly volatile by geographical characteristics of the observation site.

Rice seed storage proteins (SSPs) are accumulated in storage organelles of the endosperm during seed maturation. The SSPs from the rice seeds consist of glutelins as a major SSP, and prolamins and globulins comprise about the rest 20 % of the SSPs. To improve the nutritional quality of rice seeds or processing properties of rice flour, we are attempting to change the composition of the SSPs in rice seeds. For this purpose, we generated many transgenic rice plants, which show the altered levels of the SSPs, by using the RNA interference (RNAi). Accumulation of glutelins was 76% reduced in the GluA-RNAi lines. The Pro-RNAi lines revealed the reduced levels of prolamins to 36%. The protein level of globulins was 61% reduced in the Glb-RNAi lines. Interestingly, an obvious reduction of glutelins, prolamins, and globulins was not examined in the GluA:Pro:Glb-RNAi lines. This suggests that a reduction of a few SSPs could be compensated by the increases of other SSPs at the protein levels. We are also attempting to generate transgenic rice plants expressing both a high-molecular-weight (HMW) glutelin subunit and a low-molecular-weight (LMW) glutelin subunit. These manipulations of rice SSPs might be an important contribution on improving the functional properties of rice seeds.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are of great interest for cell-based therapies and tissue engineering approaches, as these cells are capable for extensive self-renewal and display a multilineage differentiation potential. Clinical application of these cells for degenerative and age-related diseases has been accumulating. However, preparation of MSC before the onset of the diseases, it needs to develop the cryopreservation method. Most cryopreservation methods include fetal bovine serum (FBS) which is essential for effective cryopreservation. Yet it should not be used clinically because of the potential risk of infection. In the present study, we investigated whether human serum albumin (HSA), human serum (HS), and knockout serum replacement (KSR) can be used as an alternative of FBS for cryopreservation of human adipose derived stem cells (hADSC). Cells cryopreserved with 9% HSA showed much higher viability after thawing compared with cells frozen with 5% or 1% HSA. Cells cryopreserved with 90% HS or KSR exhibited greater viability than cells frozen with 25% and 5% HS or KSR, respectively. Viability of cells frozen with 9% HSA, 90% HS or 90% KSR was comparable to that with 90% FBS. Morphology and proliferation ability of these cells were not affected by cryopreservation when compared the freshly obtained cells. Cryopreserved hADSC expressed transcription factor genes including Oct3/4, Nanog, Nestin and Sox2, which are related to the self-renewal of stem cells. Flow cytometric analyses showed that both fresh and cryopreserved hADSC were positive for the antigens of HLA-ABC, CD44, CD73, CD90, and CD105, CD166, and negative for HLA-DR, CD31, and CD34. Similar to fresh cells, cryopreserved hADSC could differentiate into mesodermal lineages, adipogenic, osteogenic, or chondrogenic cells. These results suggest that 9% HSA, 90% HS or 90% KSR can be used to replace FBS during successful cryopreservation of hADSC.

The human eyelid adipose-derived stem cells (HEACs) are known as a candidate source for stem cell-based therapy. HEACs possess the ability to proliferate in vitro and multipotency to differentiate into adipogenic, osteogenic and chondrogenic cells. To be used later than the time of collection, a long-term storage is needed. In this study, we investigated stem cell characteristics after cryopreservation of HEACs for 6 months and 1 year in liquid nitrogen. Frozen-thawed stem cells have shown that cumulative cell and doubling numbers were similar to those of fresh HEACs. After thawing, HEACs expressed stem cell-related genes of SCF, NANOG, OCT4, and TERT, ectoderm-related genes of NCAM and FGF5, mesoderm/endoderm-related genes of CK18 and VIM. They also consistently expressed transcripts of the immune-related genes of HLA-ABC and β2M. To induce mesodermal differentiation, cell were cultivated in adipogenic, osteogenic or chondrogenic medium for 2～3 weeks. After each differentiation culture, HEACs expressed adipocyte-, osteocyte- and chondrocytespecific genes. They were also stained with Oil red O, von Kossa, or alcian blue, revealing adipogenic, osteogenic, or chondrogenic character, respectively. The results suggest that long-term storage up to 1 year do not affect their biological properties, HEACs may be suitable for clinical application on cell-based therapies.

Previously we have succeeded to isolate stem cells (HEAC) from human eyelid adipose tissue, and functionally differentiate them into insulin-secreting cells. In the present study, we examined whether insulin family members might affect the insulinogenic differentiation of HEAC. Insulin treatment during culture affected little on the insulin and c-peptide secretions from HEAC after culture. However, insulin-like growth factor (IGF) 1 treatment decreased both secretions, whereas IGF2 greatly increased the secretions in a glucose-dependent manner. HEAC treated with IGF2 showed stronger expression of Pdx1, Isl1, Pax6 and PC1/3 genes compared to the control. They also showed distinct staining with insulin and c-peptide antibodies, and dithizone. While insulin or IGF2 treatment increased total cell number by 1.3- or 1.5-fold, respectively, each treatment increased the amount of insulin secretion by 27.1- or 78.1-fold, respectively. IGF2-enhanced insulinogenic differentiation was completely blocked by an antibody against insulin receptor (IR), but not by an antibody against IGF1 receptor (IGF1R). Differentiated HEAC showed expression of both IR and IGF1R genes while they expressed neither IGF2 nor IGF2R genes. Based upon these results, it is suggested that whereas IGF1 might inhibit the insulinogenic differentiation of HEAC, insulin and IGF2 could enhance the differentiation, and that the enhancing effect could be mediated via IR.