A High Precision Test Method And The Related Equipment For Smart Water Meters

We are now developing a smart water meter dedicated to smart water grid systems. The primary goal of our reseach is to make the smart water meters with higher precision compared with typical water meters. For instance, the range of the allowable measurement errors for the flow rate in the lower zone of the second level precision water meter is set to +-5% by the Korea Standard. However, with ours the range is decreased to +- 3% for the same condition. Therefore it is necessary to build a high precision test method and the related equipment for evaluating the performance of our developing water meters. Both the international standards, ISO-4063-3 and OIML-R049-2 specifications, define the performance tests that are intended to verify that water meters with electronic devices perform and functions as intended in a specified environment and under specified conditions.However, most of the test equipments in Korea does not satisfy completely both of the international standards. In addition, they opt to adopt volumetric measurement method instead of mass measurement method which typically induces a better result for the uncertainty in measurement. In this paper, we present a test method with the mass measurement system. Reference water flow will be measured as a mass by using the load cell. Each smart water meter sends the massured flow reguarly to the centralized system through Zigbee communication protocol. We expect that our proposed test method and equipment fully satisfies the Korea standard as well as both of the international standards

Preclinical Analysis of Irreversible Electroporation on Rat Liver Tissues Using a Microfabricated Electroporator

A microfabricated electroporator (MFE) for the irreversible electroporation (IRE) of tissues has been developed by miniaturizing a clinical electroporator with a two-needle array while keeping the same electric field strength distribution. Since IRE was brought to special attention as one of the local tissue ablation techniques to treat tumors, many preclinical studies have been conducted to investigate the efficacy of IRE on animal tissues. However, some technical difficulties have been frequently encountered due to the macroscale dimension of clinical electroporators, particularly in experiments on small animal models such as the mouse or rat. Here, the MFE was proposed to solve the associated problems, resulting in time-and cost-effective experimental procedures. With the developed MFE, the effect of IRE on rat liver tissues was analyzed with time by immunohistological stainings and electrical measurement, and the experimental results were compared with those operated with the corresponding real-scale clinical electroporator.Choi YS, 2009, ANAL CHEM, V81, P3517, DOI 10.1021/ac900055rMaor E, 2009, PLOS ONE, V4, DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0004757Pavlin M, 2008, BIOELECTROCHEMISTRY, V74, P38, DOI 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2008.04.016Sersa G, 2008, EJSO-EUR J SURG ONC, V34, P232, DOI 10.1016/j.ejso.2007.05.016Rubinsky B, 2007, TECHNOL CANCER RES T, V6, P255Onik G, 2007, TECHNOL CANCER RES T, V6, P295Al-Sakere B, 2007, TECHNOL CANCER RES T, V6, P301Maor E, 2007, TECHNOL CANCER RES T, V6, P307Garon EB, 2007, INT J CANCER, V121, P675, DOI 10.1002/ijc.22723Esser AT, 2007, TECHNOL CANCER RES T, V6, P261Lee EW, 2007, TECHNOL CANCER RES T, V6, P287Kimelman N, 2007, TISSUE ENG, V13, P1135, DOI 10.1089/ten.2007.0096Lavee J, 2007, HEART SURG FORUM, V10, pE162, DOI 10.1532/HSF98.20061202Rubinsky B, 2007, TECHNOL CANCER RES T, V6, P37Liu L, 2006, CANCER RES, V66, P11851, DOI 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-06-1377Marty M, 2006, EJC SUPPL, V4, P3, DOI 10.1016/j.ejcsup.2006.08.002Sersa G, 2006, EJC SUPPL, V4, P52, DOI 10.1016/j.ejcsup.2006.08.007Edd JF, 2006, IEEE T BIO-MED ENG, V53, P1409, DOI [10.1109/TBME.2006.873745, 10.1109/TMBE.2006.873745]Miller L, 2005, TECHNOL CANCER RES T, V4, P699Sel D, 2005, IEEE T BIO-MED ENG, V52, P816, DOI 10.1109/TBME.2005.845212Davalos RV, 2005, ANN BIOMED ENG, V33, P223, DOI 10.1007/s10439-005-8981-8Pliquett U, 2004, BIOELECTROCHEMISTRY, V62, P83, DOI 10.1016/j.biolechem.2003.11.001Davalos RV, 2003, BIOELECTROCHEMISTRY, V61, P99, DOI 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2003.07.001Weaver JC, 2003, IEEE T DIELECT EL IN, V10, P754, DOI 10.1109/TDEI.2003.1237325Gothelf A, 2003, CANCER TREAT REV, V29, P371, DOI 10.1016/S0305-7372(03)00073-2Gehl J, 2003, ACTA PHYSIOL SCAND, V177, P437Leu JI, 2003, J CLIN INVEST, V111, P129, DOI 10.1172/JCI200316712Deng ZS, 2001, PHYSICA A, V300, P521Ryttsen F, 2000, BIOPHYS J, V79, P1993Dev SB, 2000, IEEE T PLASMA SCI, V28, P206, DOI 10.1109/27.842905Duffy DC, 1998, ANAL CHEM, V70, P4974Boone K, 1997, J MED ENG TECHNOL, V21, P201Weaver JC, 1996, BIOELECTROCH BIOENER, V41, P135*I LAB AN RES NAT, 1996, GUID CAR US LAB ANABIDOR IG, 1993, BIOCHIM BIOPHYS ACTA, V1152, P207DILLER KR, 1992, MODELING BIOHEAT TRAMIR LM, 1991, CR ACAD SCI III-VIE, V313, P613DUCK FA, 1990, PHYS PROPERTIES ISSUKINOSITA K, 1979, BIOCHIM BIOPHYS ACTA, V554, P479PENNES HH, 1948, J APPL PHYSIOL, V1, P93

Characteristics of primary and immortalized fibroblast cells derived from the miniature and domestic pigs

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The pig, <it>Sus scrofa domestica </it>includes both the miniature and commercial domestic breed. These animals have influenced the human life and economies and have been studied throughout history. Although the miniature breeds are more recent and have increasingly been used in a variety of biomedical studies, their cell lines have rarely been established. Therefore, we sought to establish primary and immortal cell lines derived from both the miniature and domestic pig to better enable insight into possible <it>in vivo </it>growth differences.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The <it>in vitro </it>lifespan of primary domestic pig fibroblast (PF) and miniature pig fibroblast (MPF) cells using a standard 3T3 protocol was determined. Both of the primary PF and MPF cells were shown to have a two-step replicative senescence barrier. Primary MPF cells exhibited a relatively shorter lifespan and slower proliferation rate compared to those of primary PF cells. Beyond senescence barriers, lifespan-extended PF and MPF cells were eventually established and indicated spontaneous cellular immortalization. In contrast to the immortalized PF cells, immortal MPF cells showed a transformed phenotype and possessed more frequent chromosomal abnormalities and loss of p53 regulatory function. The lifespan of primary MPF and PF cells was extended by inactivation of the p53 function using transduction by SV40LT without any detectable senescent phenotype.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results suggest that p53 signaling might be a major determinant for the replicative senescence in the MPF cells that have the shorter lifespan and slower growth rate compared to PF cells <it>in vitro</it>.</p

Functional analysis of the zinc finger and activation domains of Glis3 and mutant Glis3(NDH1)

The Krüppel-like zinc finger protein Gli-similar 3 (Glis3) plays a critical role in pancreatic development and has been implicated in a syndrome with neonatal diabetes and hypothyroidism (NDH). In this study, we examine three steps critical in the mechanism of the transcriptional regulation by Glis3: its translocation to the nucleus, DNA binding and transcriptional activity. We demonstrate that the putative bipartite nuclear localization signal is not required, but the tetrahedral configuration of the fourth zinc finger is essential for the nuclear localization of Glis3. We identify (G/C)TGGGGGGT(A/C) as the consensus sequence of the optimal, high-affinity Glis3 DNA-binding site (Glis-BS). All five zinc finger motifs are critical for efficient binding of Glis3 to Glis-BS. We show that Glis3 functions as a potent inducer of (Glis-BS)-dependent transcription and contains a transactivation function at its C-terminus. A mutation in Glis3 observed in NDH1 patients results in a frameshift mutation and a C-terminal truncated Glis3. We demonstrate that this truncation does not effect the nuclear localization but results in the loss of Glis3 transactivating activity. The loss in Glis3 transactivating function may be responsible for the abnormalities observed in NDH1

Myocardial Infarction in a Young Man due to a Hypoplastic Coronary Artery

Hypoplastic coronary artery disease (HCAD) is a rare condition that may lead to myocardial infarction (MI) and sudden death. We discovered HCAD in a young man who developed chest pain after heavy drinking and who was found to have suffered an MI. His ECG showed ST-segment elevation with Q waves in the anterior leads, and echocardiography revealed apical dyskinesia with moderate left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Coronary angiography showed hypoplasia of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery. 99mTc-tetrofosmin-gated myocardial perfusion scintigraphy showed a large, fixed perfusion defect in the anteroseptal and apical segments. Sixty-four-slice cardiac CT and cardiac MR imaging demonstrated thinning of the apical wall with calcification and delayed enhancement, supporting the diagnosis of long-standing MI. The patient was discharged symptom-free on medication for ischemic heart failure two weeks after admission. Although HCAD is very uncommon, it should be considered in children and young adults who suffer MI or sudden cardiac death