Hak-Soo Shin

Use of Magnetic Nanoparticles to Visualize Threadlike Structures Inside Lymphatic Vessels of Rats

A novel application of fluorescent magnetic nanoparticles was made to visualize a new tissue which had not been detectable by using simple stereomicroscopes. This unfamiliar threadlike structure inside the lymphatic vessels of rats was demonstrated in vivo by injecting nanoparticles into lymph nodes and applying magnetic fields on the collecting lymph vessels so that the nanoparticles were taken up by the threadlike structures. Confocal laser scanning microscope images of cryosectioned specimens exhibited that the nanoparticles were absorbed more strongly by the threadlike structure than by the lymphatic vessels. Further examination using a transmission electron microscope revealed that the nanoparticles had been captured between the reticular fibers in the extracellular matrix of the threadlike structures. The emerging technology of nanoparticles not only allows the extremely elusive threadlike structures to be visualized but also is expected to provide a magnetically controllable means to investigate their physiological functions.

Biophoton emission from fingernails and fingerprints of living human subjects.

Biophotons emitted from the center of fingernails and fingerprints from living humans are measured for twenty healthy subjects. We devised a dark box with a photo multiplier tube (H6180-01, Hamamatsu, Japan) whose spectral range is 300 nm to approximately 650 nm and a mount with a light-receiving hole of diameter 8 mm such that biophotons from the small circular area of nail or print of each finger are detected. Significantly more biophotons are emitted from fingernail than fingerprint for each finger of every subject. For thumb the average biophoton emission rate is 23.0 +/- 4.5 counts per second, and 17.2 +/- 2.0 counts per second from the nail, and print, respectively. There is a slight tendency that the little finger emits less than the other fingers. But some fingers emit far stronger than others, and it depends upon each individual subject which finger emits strongest.

Black hole formation by sine-Gordon solitons in two-dimensional dilaton gravity.

The CGHS model of two-dimensional dilaton gravity coupled to a sine-Gordon matter field is considered. The theory is exactly solvable classically, and the solutions of kink- and two-kink-type solitons are studied in connection with black hole formation.

Coherence and emergence of classical spacetime

Using the coherent-state representation we show that the classical Einstein equation for the FRW cosmological model with a general minimal scalar field can be derived from the semiclassical quantum Einstein equation.

BLACK HOLES IN TWO-DIMENSIONAL DILATON GRAVITY AND NONLINEAR KLEIN-GORDON SOLITON

Two-dimensional dilaton gravity coupled to a Klein-Gordon matter field with a quartic interaction term is considered. The theory has a classical solution which exhibits black hole formation by a soliton. The geometry of a black hole induced by a soliton is investigated.

Nanoparticles for tracing acupuncture meridians and Bonghan ducts

Nanoparticles are increasingly used in various fields, especially in biomedical research such as enzyme immobilization, contrast enhancing media, and imaging of cellular and molecular structures. We report on the use of fluorescent magnetic nanoparticles for tracing acupuncture meridians and their anatomical structures, that is, Bonghan ducts. By injecting nanoparticles into the acupuncture points (LR9) of mice we observed them at other acupoints (LR3) of the same liver meridian, which implied the propagation of nanoparticles along the meridian. Another use of nanoparticles was injecting them into a Bonghan corpuscle and observing them to flow along the Bonghan duct on the surface of mammalian internal organs. The third application was injecting them into lymph nodes so that Bonghan ducts inside lymphatic vessels were detected and visualized by the fluorescence of nanoparticles. Confocal laser scanning microscope images of cryo-sectioned specimens showed that the nanoparticles were preferentially taken up by Bonghan ducts. Transmission electron microscope images revealed the nanoparticles captured in the extra cellular matrix of Bonghan ducts.

Alcian Blue Staining Technique for Tracing the Governing Vessel (GV) Meridian in Rat

There has been much effort in search for the anatomical structure corresponding to acupuncture meridians without success. For this work one needs specific dyes that stain exclusively the tissues of acupuncture meridians. Until the present time no one was able to find the necessary dyes except Bong Han Kim who claimed finding such a dye to trace all the meridians. Unfortunately he kept this dye secret and no one was able to reproduce his result. Only very recently we found a staining dye, Alcian blue that stains the acupuncture meridian and were able to trace the governing vessel (GV) of a rat using this dye. After injection of Alcian blue at LSP (lumbar sacral point) of the GV meridian, we observed a blue line at the GV meridian above loose connective tissue. The dye flowed along the meridian from the acupuncture point, while it spread by diffusion process when injected at non-acupoints. The dye stains hyaluronic acid which is known to be highly concentrated in Bonghan duct system. Thus our observation is in agreement with Bonghan theory, and can be a starting point of tracing all other meridians.