Armed forces and national development in Korea.

During the last thirty years, Korean society has experienced a significant increase in the role, influence, responsibility, and expertise of the military. The role and contribution of the military has been extensive for the nation-building of the newly independent country, the maintenance of national security, economic and social development, and to the cultivation of nationalism and national spirit. Even though the military is composed of all strata of society and contains the same ideology and values as the civilian population, there still exists a communication and understanding gap between the military and civilian population. In order to decrease this gap and enhance mutual understanding, the military must take active effort to improve public relations through an increasing awareness of what the military does in Korea, and how it supports civilian population activities.http://archive.org/details/armedforcesnatio00leesMajor, Republic of Korea ArmyApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Circuit Structure and Control Method to Reduce Size and Harmonic Distortion of Interleaved Dual Buck Inverter

A new circuit structure and control method for a high power interleaved dual-buck inverter are proposed. The proposed inverter consists of six switches, four diodes and two inductors, uses a dual-buck structure to eliminate zero-cross distortion, and operates in an interleaved mode to reduce the current stress of switch. To reduce the total harmonic distortion at low output power, the inverter is controlled using discontinuous-current-mode control combined with continuous-current-mode control. The experimental inverter had a power-conversion efficiency of 98.5% at output power = 1300 W and 98.3% at output power = 2 kW, when the inverter was operated at an input voltage of 400 V-DC, output voltage of 220 V-AC/60 Hz, and switching frequency of 20 kHz. The total harmonic distortion was < 0.66%, which demonstrates that the inverter is suitable for high-power dc-ac power conversion.11Ysciescopu

Peroxisome Proliferators-Activated Receptor (PPAR) Modulators and Metabolic Disorders

Overweight and obesity lead to an increased risk for metabolic disorders such as impaired glucose regulation/insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Several molecular drug targets with potential to prevent or treat metabolic disorders have been revealed. Interestingly, the activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR), which belongs to the nuclear receptor superfamily, has many beneficial clinical effects. PPAR directly modulates gene expression by binding to a specific ligand. All PPAR subtypes (α, γ, and σ) are involved in glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, and energy balance. PPAR agonists play an important role in therapeutic aspects of metabolic disorders. However, undesired effects of the existing PPAR agonists have been reported. A great deal of recent research has focused on the discovery of new PPAR modulators with more beneficial effects and more safety without producing undesired side effects. Herein, we briefly review the roles of PPAR in metabolic disorders, the effects of PPAR modulators in metabolic disorders, and the technologies with which to discover new PPAR modulators

Improvement of Lipids and Reduction of Oxidative Stress With Octacosanol After Taekwondo Training

Athletes in combat sports undergo rapid changes in body weight prior to competition in order to gain a size advantage over their opponent. However, these large weight changes with concomitant high-intensity exercise training create poor lipid profiles and high levels of oxidative stress, which can be detrimental to health and sport performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of the nutritional supplement octacosanol to combat the physiological detriments that occur in taekwondo players during rapid weight loss with high-intensity exercise training. Methods: A total of 26 male taekwondo players were randomly divided into 2 groups: An experimental group performed a 5% weight-loss and taekwondo training program with 40-mg octacosanol intake (OCT; n = 13) for 6 d, and a control group performed the same weight-loss and taekwondo training program with a placebo (CON; n = 13). Results: There were significant (P \u3c .05) group × time interactions for low-density lipoprotein and triglycerides, which significantly decreased (Δ18 [5] mg/dL and Δ80 [7] mg/dL, respectively), and high-density lipoprotein, which significantly increased (Δ10 [7] mg/dL), in the OCT group compared with the CON group. There were also significant (P \u3c .05) group × time interactions for superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and malondialdehyde (MDA), with SOD increasing (Δ226 [121] U/gHb) in the OCT group, while GPx decreased (Δ20 [13] U/gHb) and MDA increased (Δ72 [0.04] nmol/mL) in the CON group. Conclusion: These results suggest that octacosanol may be a beneficial supplement to protect against the poor cholesterol levels and oxidative stress that occurs during taekwondo training

Ambient seismic noise tomography of the southern East Sea (Japan Sea) and the Korea Strait

Group velocity maps were derived for the southern East Sea (Japan Sea) and the Korea Strait (Tsushima Strait) for the 5–36 s period range, which is sensitive to shear wave velocities of the crust and the uppermost mantle. Images produced in our study enhance our understanding of the tectonic evolution of a continental margin affected by subducting oceanic slabs and a colliding continental plate. The seismic structure of the study area has not been described well because seismic data for the region are scarce. In this study, we applied the ambient noise tomography technique that does not rely on earthquake data. We calculated ambient noise cross-correlations recorded at station pairs of dense seismic networks located in the regions surrounding the study area, such as the southern Korean Peninsula and southwestern part of the Japanese Islands. We then measured the group velocity dispersion curves of the fundamental mode Rayleigh waves from cross-correlograms and constructed 2-D group velocity maps reflecting group velocity structure from the upper crust to uppermost mantle. The results show that three distinct anomalies with different characteristics exist. Anomalies are located under the Ulleung Basin (UB), the boundary of the Basin, and the area between Tsushima Island and the UB. 1-D velocity models were obtained by inversion of dispersion curves that represent vertical variations of shear wave velocity at locations of three different anomalies. The 1-D velocity models and 2-D group velocity maps of lateral variations in shear wave group velocities show that the high velocity anomaly beneath the UB originates from crustal thinning and mantle uplift. Confirming the exact causes of two low velocity anomalies observed under the UB boundary and between Tsushima Island and the UB is difficult because additional information is unavailable. However, complex fault systems, small basins formed by faulting, and deep mantle flow can be possible causes of the existence of low velocity anomalies in the region.This work was funded by the Korean Meteorological Administration and Development Program under Grant CATER 2012-5051

Efekti korišćenja astaksantina u ishrani na rast, pigmentaciju mišića i antioksidantne aktivnosti mlađi kalifornijske pastrmke (oncorhynchus mykiss)

This study was designed to test the effects of dietary astaxanthin on growth, muscle pigmentation, antioxidant activity and biochemical composition of juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Experimental diets were formulated to contain 50, 75 and 100 ppm astaxanthin (designed as AS50, AS75 and AS100). The diet without supplementation of astaxanthin was considered as the control diet. Each experimental diet was fed to three replicate groups of fish (18.5 g/fish) to visual satiation two times a day for 10 weeks. Growth performance and proximate composition of muscle of fish were not affected by dietary AS levels (P> 0.05). Total carotenoid concentration in the muscle of fish fed the AS50 diet was higher than that of fish fed the control diet, but no different to that of fish fed the AS75 and AS100 diets. The astaxanthin concentration in the muscle of fish fed AS50, AS75 and AS100 diets were higher than that of control diet. The redness (a*) of the muscle of fish fed AS50, AS75 and AS100 diets were higher than that of fish fed the control diet (P 0.05) nije uticao na performansu rasta i hemijski sastav mišića ribe. Ukupna koncentracija karotenoida u mišiću ribe koja je hranjena AS50 hranom bila je viša nego kod riba hranjenih kontrolnom hranom, ali nije bila drugačija od riba hranjenih AS75 i AS100 hranom. Koncentracija astaksantina u mišiću riba hranjenih AS50, AS75 i AS100 hranom bila je viša nego kod riba hranjenih kontrolnom hranom. Crvena boja (a*) mišića ribe koja je hranjena AS50, AS75 i AS100 hranom bila je jača nego kod ribe hranjene kontrolnom hranom (P< 0.05). Antioksidantna aktivnost DPPH, radikala hidroksila i alkila u plazmi i jetri riba nisu zavisili od nivoa astaksantina osim kod plazme koja je imala antioksidantnu aktivnost alkilnih radikala. Rezultati ove studije nagoveštavaju da se hrana koja sadrži 50 ppm astaksantina može koristiti da bi se poboljšala crvena boja mišične pigmentacije kod mlađi kalifornijske pastrmke