• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.854-860
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• 2019

This study investigated the optimum pH conditions for efficient extraction of protein from defatted Tenebrio molitor (TM) larvae. We examined the anti-inflammatory effect of protein derived from defatted TM larvae obtained by an alkaline extraction method. Six extraction pH values (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12) and three precipitation pH values (2, 4, and 6) were used. The protein content, browning degree, and recovery yield of the protein obtained under each pH condition were determined. For efficient extraction of protein from defatted TM larvae, a combination of an extraction pH of 9 and precipitation pH of 4 resulted in a 32.4% recovery yield based on the extraction value and degree of browning. To determine whether the protein ameliorated inflammation by inhibition of macrophage activation by lipopolysaccharides (LPS), we measured nitric oxide (NO), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in LPS-stimulated raw 264.7 macrophage cells. The protein markedly inhibited the production of NO without cytotoxicity and reduced the expression level of COX-2 and iNOS protein through the regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor kappa B ($NF-{\kappa}B$) signaling. These results suggested that protein derived from TM larvae could have potential applications in anti-inflammatory therapeutic agents and protein supplements.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.224-255
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• 2022

This study was carried out to examine the changes in vascular flora in the first and second surveys targeting 32 outstanding forest wetlands in Jeonnam area including Gwangju metropolitan city, and based on this, establish a future monitoring system and effectively manage the excellent forest wetlands. The survey investigated the area seasonally every 4-5 years from 2015 to 2021. The change of flora of 32 excellent forest wetlands in Jeollanam-do increased from 103 families, 311 genera, 496 species, 16 subspecies, 38 varieties, 6 varieties, 556 taxa, to 111 families, 362 genera, 599 species, 16 subspecies, 51 varieties, 8 varieties, 674 taxa. Remarkable plants such as Red list and plants endemic to the Korean Peninsula increased also. However, Nepeta cataria and the like are exterminated locally, so an in situ and ex situ conservation strategy must be established. In the case of plants categorized according to wetland preference, the distribution ratio of such wetland plants slightly decreased and the distribution ratio of such terrestrial plants lightly increased for absolute wetland plants. It is necessary to prepare countermeasures for the terrestrialization of forest wetlands and to develop research techniques that can distinguish boundaries. In addition, the forest wetland should be systematically managed and supervised by designating it as a Forest Genetic Resources Reserve that can effectively conserve it.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.11
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• pp.865-871
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• 2022

Tenebrio molitor larvae is well known as edible insect. Then, although it has been widely studied that Tenebrio molitor larvae has various bioactive functions such as antioxidant, anti-wrinkle, and anticancer. Nevertheless, antioxidant effects of Tenebrio molitor larvae water extract (TMH) has not been well described in Adult Retina Pigment Epithelial cell line (ARPE-19). In this study, we demonstrated that antioxidant effects of TMH against H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress in ARPE-19. Thus, we selected for our studies and performed a series of dose-response assay to determine the working concentration that lead to a consistent and high degree of cytotoxicity, which we defined as the level of H₂O₂ that killed 40% of the ARPE-19 cells. ARPE-19 cells were pre-treated with various concentrations of TMH (0.1 up to 2 mg/ml) before exposure to 300 µM H₂O₂. As we expected, TMH effectively prevented ARPE-19 cells from 300 µM H₂O₂-induced cell death in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, TMH inhibited the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) such as extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38. Overall, the inhibitory effects of TMH on H₂O₂-induced apoptosis and oxidative stress were associated with the protection cleaved caspase-3, Bax, Bcl-2, and HO-1. The TMH suppressed H₂O₂-induced cell membrane leakage and oxidative stress in ARPE-19 cells. Thus, these results suggest that the TMH plays an important role in antioxidant effect in ARPE-19.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.211-226
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• 2022

Choline, an essential nutrient for humans, is required for the structural integrity of the cell membranes, methyl-group metabolism, synthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, synthesis of the membrane phospholipid components of the cell membranes, and the transport of lipids and cholesterol. Choline can be synthesized in the body, but it is insufficient to meet the daily requirements and hence it must be obtained through the diet. In the United States/Canada, Australia/New Zealand, Europe, China, and Taiwan, the adequate intake (AI) and tolerable upper intake level (UL) of choline have been established, while the establishment of the 2020 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (KDRI) for choline was postponed due to the lack of a choline database for Korean foods and studies on the choline intake of Koreans. However, as part of the preparation work for the 2020 DRI revision and finalization, choline intake and the possibility of disease occurrence were verified through analysis of published data. The groundwork for the subsequent establishment of a choline DRI was laid through a literature search, evaluation, and review of the literature reported from 1949 up to 2019. This can be regarded as the culmination of this project. According to the results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cohort studies, case-control studies, and cross-sectional observational studies in humans, approximately 400-500 mg/day of choline intake was effective in preventing liver function damage (fatty liver), neural tube damage, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and cognitive function improvement. The same amount of choline intake, however, also correlated with the risk of prostate and colorectal cancer. At present, there is limited information available on choline intake and health outcomes, particularly for the Korean population. More human studies, including clinical trials on the requirements and the physiological benefits associated with dietary intake, are needed to establish the KDRI for choline.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.929-937
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• 2022

To investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of the grains of sorghum, three Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench variants (Hwanggeumchal, Huinchal, and Chal) being cultivated in Korea, the 80% ethanol (EtOH) extracts of individual sorghum grains were compared for their inhibitory activity against nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 murine macrophage cell line. Among them, the EtOH extract of sorghum Hwanggeumchal grains could exert the highest inhibitory effect on the LPS-induced NO production. However, under these conditions, the viability of RAW264.7 cells was not affected. When the EtOH extract of sorghum Hwanggeumchal grains was sequentially fractionated with n-hexane, methylene chloride (MC), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and n-butanol, the anti-NO production activity was predominantly detected in both MC and EtOAc fractions. In particular, treatment with the MC fraction reduced dose-dependently the expression levels of iNOS, COX-2 and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Simultaneously, the MC fraction could prevent LPS-induced activating phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). HPLC analysis of the MC fraction showed gentisic acid and naringenin as the major phenolic components. Both gentisic acid and naringenin commonly exhibited a potent inhibitory activity against LPS-induced NO production in RAW264.7 cells. Together, these results provide the evidence of the inhibitory activity of Hwanggeumchal grains on LPS-induce inflammatory responses in RAW264.7 murine macrophage cells and also suggest that sorghum grains possess beneficial health effects which can be applicable in development of the grain-based functional foods.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.551-561
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• 2022

Geophysical exploration methods are very useful for generating high-resolution images of underground structures, and such methods can be applied to investigation of buried cultural properties and for determining their exact locations. In this study, image feature extraction and image segmentation methods were applied to automatically distinguish the structures of buried relics from the high-resolution ground-penetrating radar (GPR) images obtained at the center of Silla Kingdom, Gyeongju, South Korea. The major purpose for image feature extraction analyses is identifying the circular features from building remains and the linear features from ancient roads and fences. Feature extraction is implemented by applying the Canny edge detection and Hough transform algorithms. We applied the Hough transforms to the edge image resulted from the Canny algorithm in order to determine the locations the target features. However, the Hough transform requires different parameter settings for each survey sector. As for image segmentation, we applied the connected element labeling algorithm and object-based image analysis using Orfeo Toolbox (OTB) in QGIS. The connected components labeled image shows the signals associated with the target buried relics are effectively connected and labeled. However, we often find multiple labels are assigned to a single structure on the given GPR data. Object-based image analysis was conducted by using a Large-Scale Mean-Shift (LSMS) image segmentation. In this analysis, a vector layer containing pixel values for each segmented polygon was estimated first and then used to build a train-validation dataset by assigning the polygons to one class associated with the buried relics and another class for the background field. With the Random Forest Classifier, we find that the polygons on the LSMS image segmentation layer can be successfully classified into the polygons of the buried relics and those of the background. Thus, we propose that these automatic classification methods applied to the GPR images of buried cultural heritage in this study can be useful to obtain consistent analyses results for planning excavation processes.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.242-251
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• 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 8-week β-hydroxybutyrate (β-HB) administration with and without endurance exercise training on endurance exercise performance and skeletal muscle protein synthesis and degradation using a mouse model. Forty-eight male wild-type ICR mice (8 weeks old) were randomly divided into four groups: sedentary control (Sed+Con), (Sed+Con), sedentary β-HB (Sed+β-HB), exercise control (Exe+Con), and exercise β-HB (Exe+β-HB). β-HB was dissolved in PBS (150 mg/ml) and injected subcutaneously daily (250 mg/kg) for 8 weeks. Mice performed 5 days/week of a 20 min treadmill running exercise for 8 weeks. The running exercise was carried out at a speed of 10 m/min at a 10° incline for 5 min, and then the speed was increased by 1 m/min for every 1 min of the remaining 15 min. Following 8 weeks of treatments, visceral fat mass and skeletal muscle mass, blood parameters, and the markers for autophagy and protein synthesis were analyzed. The data were analyzed with one-way ANOVA (p<0.05) using the SPSS 21 program. Eight weeks of Exe+β-HB treatment significantly lowered blood lactate levels compared with the other three groups (Sed+Con, Sed+β-HB, and Exe+β-HB) Exe+β-HB) (p<0.05). Eight weeks of Exe+β-HB significantly increased maximal running time (time to exhaustion) compared with the Sed+Con and Exe+Con groups (p<0.05). Eight weeks of β-HB administration significantly decreased autophagy flux and autophagy-related proteins in the skeletal muscle of mice (p<0.05). Conversely, the combined treatment of β-HB and endurance exercise training increased protein synthesis (mTOR signaling and translation) (p<0.05). The 8-week β-HB treatment and endurance exercise training had synergistic effects on the increase in endurance performance, increase in protein synthesis, and decrease in protein degradation in the skeletal muscle of mice.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.667-685
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• 2022

This paper aims to investigate 4D printing materials for soft robots. 4D printing is a targeted evolution of the 3D printed structure in shape, property, and functionality. It is capable of self-assembly, multi-functionality, and self-repair. In addition, it is time-dependent, printer-independent, and predictable. The shape-shifting behaviors considered in 4D printing include folding, bending, twisting, linear or nonlinear expansion/contraction, surface curling, and generating surface topographical features. The shapes can shift from 1D to 1D, 1D to 2D, 2D to 2D, 1D to 3D, 2D to 3D, and 3D to 3D. In the 4D printing auxetic structure, the kinetiX is a cellular-based material design composed of rigid plates and elastic hinges. In pneumatic auxetics based on the kirigami structure, an inverse optimization method for designing and fabricating morphs three-dimensional shapes out of patterns laid out flat. When 4D printing material is molded into a deformable 3D structure, it can be applied to the exoskeleton material of soft robots such as upper and lower limbs, fingers, hands, toes, and feet. Research on 4D printing materials for soft robots is essential in developing smart clothing for healthcare in the textile and fashion industry.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.305-314
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• 2023

With the development of medical technology and radiation treatment equipment, the frequency of high-precision radiation therapy such as intensity modulation radiation therapy has increased. Image-guided radiation therapy has become essential for radiation therapy in precise and complex treatment plans. In particular, with the introduction of imaging equipment for diagnosis in a linear accelerator, CBCT scanning became possible, which made it possible to calibrate and correct the patient's posture through 3D images. Although more precise reproduction of the patient's posture has become possible, the exposure dose delivered to the patient during the image acquisition process cannot be ignored. Radiation optimization is necessary in the field of radiation therapy, and efforts to reduce exposure are necessary. However, when acquiring 3D CBCT images by changing the imaging conditions to reduce exposure, there should be no image quality or artefacts that would make it impossible to align the patient's position. In this study, Rando phantom was used to scan and evaluate images for each shooting condition. The highest SNR was obtained at 100 kV 80 mA 25 ms F1 filter 180°. As the tube voltage and tube current increased, the noise decreased, and the bowtie filter showed the optimal effect at high tube current. Based on the actual scanned images, it was confirmed that patient alignment was possible under all imaging conditions, and that image-guided radiation therapy for patient alignment was possible under the condition of 70 kV 10 mA 20 ms F0 filter 180°, which showed the lowest SNR. In this study, image evaluation was conducted according to the imaging conditions, and low tube voltage, tube current, and small rotation angle scan are expected to be effective in reducing radiation exposure. Based on this, the patient's exposure dose should be kept as low as possible during CBCT imaging.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.35-50
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• 2022

After the introduction of the central bus lane system, bus traffic was prioritized. This resulted in improved trust from bus users. However, the low capacity at the central bus stop reduces traffic speed and punctuality. In addition, physical constraints are inevitable because the construction of central bus lanes and bus stops considers the city's road geometry. Therefore, this study attempted to optimize the effective green time of the traffic signal system at the entrance and exit of the central bus stop to remedy its insufficient operational capacity. The Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual and Korea Highway Capacity Manual were used as the analysis methodologies. The number of stop areas for central bus stops to be built was determined by excluding variable physical factors, and field survey data collected from nine randomly selected central bus stops currently installed in Seoul were used. A scenario analysis was conducted on the central bus stops with insufficient capacity by adjusting the effective green time, and the capacity of the central bus stop was set as the dependent variable. According to the results, 26.7 percent of the central bus stops with insufficient capacity can solve the problem of insufficient capacity. Therefore, the results of this study can be verified by improving the operation level, and it can be effective even if the number of central bus stops calculated by engineering is not guaranteed during the planning stage of the central bus stop. As the number of central bus stops is expected to increase further as the number of central bus stops increases, it is necessary to improve the number of central bus stops. Therefore, it is hoped that the results presented in this study will be used as basic data for the improvement plan at the operational level before introducing the physical improvement plan.