Electrogenic transport and K(+) ion channel expression by the human endolymphatic sac epithelium.

The endolymphatic sac (ES) is a cystic organ that is a part of the inner ear and is connected to the cochlea and vestibule. The ES is thought to be involved in inner ear ion homeostasis and fluid volume regulation for the maintenance of hearing and balance function. Many ion channels, transporters, and exchangers have been identified in the ES luminal epithelium, mainly in animal studies, but there has been no functional study investigating ion transport using human ES tissue. We designed the first functional experiments on electrogenic transport in human ES and investigated the contribution of K(+) channels in the electrogenic transport, which has been rarely identified, even in animal studies, using electrophysiological/pharmacological and molecular biological methods. As a result, we identified functional and molecular evidence for the essential participation of K(+) channels in the electrogenic transport of human ES epithelium. The identified K(+) channels involved in the electrogenic transport were KCNN2, KCNJ14, KCNK2, and KCNK6, and the K(+) transports via those channels are thought to play an important role in the maintenance of the unique ionic milieu of the inner ear fluid

Corporate Social Responsibility of the Media: Instrument Development and Validation

With the emergence of significant problems in capitalist systems around the world, corporate social responsibility has taken on greater emphasis. In the media industry, in which public interest has been discussed for a long time, the importance of corporate social responsibility is magnified again. Although many studies have already addressed this topic, there is less literature on how to measure corporate social responsibility in the media industry. This study aims to develop an instrument to measure corporate social responsibility in the media industry. Using data from 253 experts who majored in communication, this study verifies a proposed instrument. Results show that corporate social responsibility in the media consists of three major constructs, namely reliability, usefulness, and fairness. The findings of this study are expected to enable practitioners to improve social responsibility in their media and to allow academics to make further headway in this research stream

Thermal durability and fracture behavior of layered Yb-Gd-Y-based thermal barrier coatings in thermal cyclic exposure

The effects of structural design on the thermal durability and fracture behavior of Yb-Gd-Y-based thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) were investigated through thermal cyclic exposure tests, such as furnace cyclic thermal fatigue (FCTF) and jet engine thermal shock (JETS) tests. The effects of composition in the bond coat and feedstock purity for the buffer layer on its lifetime performance were also examined. To overcome the drawbacks of Yb-Gd-Y-based material with inferior thermal durability due to poor mechanical properties and low coefficient of thermal expansion, a buffer layer was introduced in the Yb-Gd-Y-based TBC systems. In FCTF tests, the TBCs with the buffer layer showed a longer lifetime performance than those without the buffer layer, showing the longest thermal durability in the TBC with the Co-Ni-based bond coat and the buffer layer of regular purity. In JETS tests, the TBC with the Ni-based bond coat and the buffer layer of high purity showed a sound condition after 2000 cycles, showing better thermal durability for TBC with the Co-Ni-based bond coat rather than that with the Ni-based bond coat in the single layer coating without the buffer layer. The buffer layer effectively enhanced the thermal durability in slow temperature change (in the FCTF test), while the bond-coat composition and the feedstock purity for the buffer layer were found to be important factor to improve the thermal durability of the TBC in fast temperature change (in the JEET test). Finally, these research findings allow us to control the structure, composition, and feedstock purity in TBC system for improving the thermal durability in cyclic thermal environments

In vitro evaluation of fracture strength of zirconia restoration veneered with various ceramic materials

PURPOSE: Fracture of the veneering material of zirconia restorations frequently occurs in clinical situations. The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the fracture strengths of zirconia crowns veneered with various ceramic materials by various techniques.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 1.2 mm, 360° chamfer preparation and occlusal reduction of 2 mm were performed on a first mandibular molar, and 45 model dies were fabricated in a titanium alloy by CAD/CAM system. Forty-five zirconia copings were fabricated and divided into three groups. In the first group (LT) zirconia copings were veneered with feldspathic porcelain by the layering technique. In the second group (HT) the glass ceramic was heat-pressed on the zirconia coping, and for the third group (ST) a CAD/CAM-fabricated high-strength anatomically shaped veneering cap was sintered onto the zirconia coping. All crowns were cemented onto their titanium dies with Rely X™ Unicem (3M ESPE) and loaded with a universal testing machine (Instron 5583) until failure. The mean fracture values were compared by an one-way ANOVA and a multiple comparison post-hoc test (α=0.05). Scanning electron microscope was used to investigate the fractured interface.RESULTS: Mean fracture load and standard deviation was 4263.8±1110.8 N for Group LT, 5070.8±1016.4 for Group HT and 6242.0±1759.5 N for Group ST. The values of Group ST were significantly higher than those of the other groups.CONCLUSION: Zirconia crowns veneered with CAD/CAM generated glass ceramics by the sintering technique are superior to those veneered with feldspathic porcelain by the layering technique or veneered with glass ceramics by the heat-pressing technique in terms of fracture strength.OAIID:oai:osos.snu.ac.kr:snu2012-01/102/2008003883/4SEQ:4PERF_CD:SNU2012-01EVAL_ITEM_CD:102USER_ID:2008003883ADJUST_YN:NEMP_ID:A078517DEPT_CD:861FILENAME:J Adv Prosthodont 201208 4(3) 162-9.pdfDEPT_NM:치의학과EMAIL:[email protected]_YN:NCONFIRM:

Comparison Between Bioactive Fluoride Modified and Bioinert Anodically Oxidized Implant Surfaces in Early Bone Response Using Rabbit Tibia Model

PURPOSE:: The aim of this study was to investigate whether bioactive surfaces were more favorable to bone than bioinert surfaces by evaluating bone responses around two commercial dental implants.MATERIALS AND METHODS:: Bioactive fluoride-modified implants (Osseospeed) were compared with bioinert oxidized implants (TiUnite). Field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and confocal laser scanning microscopy analyzed the implant surface characteristics. Five New Zealand white rabbits were used to evaluate the bone response. Each rabbit received two implants: a fluoride-modified implant in one tibia and an oxidized implant in the other. Drilling was performed bicortically, and a gap defect was created in the upper cortexonly. Bone-to-implant contact and bone area were measured on the histological specimens 2 weeks after implant insertion.RESULTS:: No significant differences were found in surface roughness (P > 0.05). The gap defects were almost filled with new bone within a period of 2 weeks. The histomorphometry revealed no significant differences in bone-to-implant contact and bone area (P > 0.05).CONCLUSIONS:: Within the limitation of this study, the bioactive fluoride-modified surface may show no superiority to the bioinert anodized surface in early bone response.OAIID:oai:osos.snu.ac.kr:snu2012-01/102/2008003883/1SEQ:1PERF_CD:SNU2012-01EVAL_ITEM_CD:102USER_ID:2008003883ADJUST_YN:NEMP_ID:A078517DEPT_CD:861CITE_RATE:1.05FILENAME:Implant Dent 201204 21(2) 124-8.pdfDEPT_NM:치의학과EMAIL:[email protected]_YN:YCONFIRM: