• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.611-621
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• 2022

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is commonly used as control or vehicle solvent in preclinical research of neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) due to its ability to dissolve lipophilic compounds and cross the blood brain barrier. However, the biochemical effects of DMSO on the outcomes of preclinical research are often overlooked. In the present study, we investigated whether the long-term oral administration of 5% DMSO affects the neurological, functional, and histological disease phenotype of the copper/zinc superoxide dismutase glycine 93 to alanine mutation (SOD1-G93A) mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. SOD1-G93A transgenic mice showed shortened survival time and reduced motor function. We found that administration with DMSO led to increased mean survival time, reduced neurological scores, and improved motor performance tested using the rotarod and grip strength tests. On the other hand, DMSO treatment did not attenuate motor neuron loss in the spinal cord and denervation of neuromuscular junctions in the skeletal muscle. These results suggest that DMSO administration could improve the quality of life of the SOD1-G93A mouse model of ALS without affecting motor neuron denervation. In conclusion, the use of DMSO as control or vehicle solvent in preclinical research may affect the behavioral outcomes in the SOD1-G93A mouse model. The effect of the vehicle should be thoroughly considered when interpreting therapeutic efficacy of candidate drugs in preclinical research.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.295-303
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• 2023

Immune and metabolic systems are important factors in maintaining homeostasis. Immune response and metabolic regulation are highly associated, so, when the normal metabolism is disturbed, the immune response changed followed the metabolic diseases occur. Likewise, obesity is highly related to immune response. Obesity, which is caused by an imbalance in energy metabolism, is associated with metabolic diseases, such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver diseases, atherosclerosis and hypertension. As known, obesity is characterized in chronic low-grade inflammation. In obesity, the microenvironment of immune cells became inflammatory by the unique activation phenotypes of immune cells such as macrophage, natural killer cell, T cell. Also, the immune cells interact each other in cellular or cytokine mechanisms, which intensify the obesity-induced inflammatory response. This phenomenon suggests the possibility of regulating the activation of immune cells as a pharmacological therapeutic strategy for obesity in addition to the common pharmacological treatment of obesity which is aimed at inhibiting enzymes such as pancreatic lipase and α-amylase or inhibiting differentiation of preadipocytes. In this review, we summarize the activation phenotypes of macrophage, natural killer cell and T cell, and their aspects in obesity. We also summarize the pharmacological substances that alleviates obesity by regulating the activation of immune cells.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.95-102
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• 2023

Despite the easing of social distancing, demand for non-face-to-face services continues to rise. Recently, the EU is pursuing a comprehensive plastic use reduction by expanding the scope of plastic use regulations for packaging plastics according to the New Cyclical Economy Action Plan(NCEAP). In response to this trend, the packaging industry is moving away from conventional non-degradable/petroleum-based plastics and conducting research on packaging materials using biodegradable plastics such as PLA(Poly Lactic Acid), PBAT(Poly Butylene Adipate-co-butylene Terephthalate). On the other hand, ginkgo leaves occur in large quantities in Korea and act as a cause of slip accidents and flooding. In this study, a method to utilize ginkgo biloba leaf as a new alternative biomass resource was proposed by producing lactic acid through pretreatment, enzymatic saccharification, and fermentation processes. For the efficiency of lactic acid production, a comparative analysis of lignin content from before and after browning was performed. In addition, the degree of glucan extraction was evaluated by applying a pretreatment method using three catalysts: hot water, sulfuric acid, and sodium hydroxide. It is difficult to expect high production of lactic acid with single process. Therefore, an integrated process operation using both the pretreated hydrolyzate and the residual solid enzymatic saccharification solution must necessarily be applied.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.35-41
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• 2023

The carbon-coated silicon monoxide (c-SiO_x), which is a negative electrode active material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), has a limited cycle performance due to severe volume changes during cycles, despite its high specific capacity. In particular, the significant volume change of the active material can deform the electrode structure and easily damage the electron transfer pathway. To improve performance and mitigate electrode damage caused by volume changes, we replaced parts of the carbon black conducting agent with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) having a linear shape. The content of the entire conductive material in the electrode was fixed at 10% by mass, and the relative content of CNTs ranged from 0% to 25% by mass to prepare electrodes and evaluate electrochemical performance. As the CNT content in the electrode increased, both cycle life and rate capability improved. Even a small amount of CNT can significantly improve the electrochemical performance of a c-SiO_x negative electrode with large volume changes. Furthermore, dispersing CNTs effectively can lead to achieving the equivalent performance with a reduced quantity of CNTs.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2020.06a
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• pp.18-18
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• 2020

금강하구와 같이 막힌 대형 하구는 근본적으로 복잡한 물리화학적 프로세스와 다양한 이해당사자간의 갈등 때문에 단편적인 접근으로는 관리의 한계가 있을 수밖에 없는 환경이다. 더욱이 하굿둑의 갑문을 열어 하구순환을 복원하는 해수유통 사업은 그 자체가 가지는 환경적 효용성의 확인과 기존 용수이용 체계의 전면적 변화와 관련된 상당한 비용이 요구된다는 면에서 특별한 논란이 되어왔다. 본 연구는 해수유통으로 인한 금강 하구해역의 수리, 수질, 퇴적 및 생태 등 다양한 환경적 변화를 집중적인 현장 조사 및 통합 모델링을 통해 정량적으로 예측하고 이를 지역 이해당사자 논의 체계인 금강하구해역정책협의회에 제공함으로써 해수유통과 연관된 이해당사자 간 갈등을 완화하고 과학적 자료에 근거한 정책결정을 지원하기 위해 수행되었다(과학-정책의 통합). 조사연구는 하굿둑 갑문 개방에 따른 다양한 시나리오별로 해수유통으로 인한 영향을 하구해역(하굿둑의 바다 쪽 해역)과 하구호(하굿둑의 하천 쪽 담수역)에 미치는 영향을 검토하였다(하천-하구호-연안해역의 공간적 통합). 시나리오는 하구해역정책협의회의 요구사항을 반영하여 개발되었고, 시나리오별 영향파악은 수리(조석 및 파랑 포함), 퇴적물 이동 및 수질은 Delft3D모델을, 유역으로부터의 유량 및 오염물질 부하량은 분포형 비점모델인 STREAM을, 김양식과 이매패류 생산량을 추정하는 생태모델은 통계기반의 포인트 모델을 통해 이루어졌다(수리-퇴적-수질-생태계 모델의 통합). 시나리오 분석결과, 상시 해수유통을 제외한 대부분의 하굿둑 부분 개방 시나리오에서는 하구해역에 미치는 영향이 제한적으로 나타나는 것으로 예측되었다. 이는 하굿둑 부분 개방에 따른 담수방류량 및 이에 대응하는 해수의 유동패턴이 현재와 크게 달라지지 않음을 반영한다. 반면 하구호에 대한 영향은 하구해역에 비해 하굿둑 갑문 운영시나리오에 따라 상대적으로 민감하게 변화되는 것으로 예측되었다. 갑문의 부분 개방을 통해 하구호의 수위를 현재 대비 5cm~50cm 변화시켰을 때 1psu 염분의 저층에서의 침투거리는 하굿둑 상류 6km~18km 정도로 예측되었고 갑문 개방에 의해 염분 침투 거리의 조절이 가능할 것으로 나타났다. 단, 사용된 통합모델은 수년간의 검보정 과정을 반복적으로 수행하여 예측의 정확도를 지속적으로 개선하였지만, 모델운영 자체의 불확실성을 고려할 때 실제 해수유통을 위해서는 시범개방을 통해 모델 예측의 결과를 확인할 필요가 있다.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.77-84
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• 2023

As the installation of solar panel accelerates, so does the number of solar panels reaching their end-of-life (EOL). However, the EOL solar panels is becoming a concern, as they contain potentially hazardous materials and are not easily recycled. Coping strategies such as effective collection, disposal, and recycling methods will be important to manage the growing number of EOL solar panels in the coming years.Therefore, many studies have focused on the development of EOL solar panel recycling technology. One recycling technology for EOL solar panels applicable to the construction field is the application of extracted tempered glass from EOL solar panels as construction materials. This study summarized the EOL solar panel disassembly technology and evaluated the mechanical properties of mortar using extracted tempered glass as fine aggregate. The results showed that when tempered glass was used as a fine aggregate in mortar, the compressive strength, flexural strength, and macro pores in the 1-3 ㎛ with 200-300 ㎛ range were affected, regardless of the disassembly technology of EOL solar panels. Especially, we found that the mechanical performance of mortar using chemically treated tempered glass was noticeably decreased due to changes in the chemical composition of the extracted tempered glass resulting from the removal of K₂O and CuO due to chemical reactions. Meanwhile, it was found that when fly ash was used as a binder, the reduction of mechanical performance could be alleviated.

• 한국노년학
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.463-478
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• 2011

This study examined the impact of late-life poverty on self-rated health, focusing on the mediating and moderating effects of health behaviors and social support. Despite the significant associations among poverty, health behaviors, and health outcomes, little studies have tested complex structural pathways among them. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify multiple causal pathways between poverty and self-rated health, mediated and moderated by health behaviors and social support. To test the structural pathways, the structural equation modeling was utilized using the 2006 Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging data. The results of this study indicated that poverty had the direct negative impact not only on the health behaviors such as smoking and lack of regular exercise but also on the self-rated health. In addition, regular exercise significantly mediated the relationship between poverty and self-rated health. Finally, informal social support from family and friends buffered the negative impact of poverty on the self-rated health. Findings suggested that providing informal social support to the low income elderly is important in addition to the economic support. It is also necessary to develop programs for promoting healthy behaviors, especially regular exercise.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.158-177
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• 2023

An estuary is a transitional water area that links the land and sea through rivers and streams, transporting various components from the land to the sea, which plays an important role in determining primary productivity in the coastal environment, and this coastal ecosystem captures a huge amount of carbon into biomass, known as blue carbon, which mitigates climate change as a potential carbon reservoir. This study examined the variation of mean grain size and organic carbon content of the surface sediments for 6 years and analyzed their relationship in the western and southern estuarine areas (Han River Estuary, Geum River Estuary, Yeongsan River Estuary, Seomjin River Estuary, and Nakdong River Estuary) and the East Sea upwelling area. During the sampling period (2015 to 2020), seasonal variation of both properties was not observed, because their variations might be controlled by diverse oceanographic environments and hydrographic conditions within each survey area. However, despite the synoptic problem of all samples, the positive relationship was obtained between the averages of mean grain size and organic carbon content, which clearly distinguishes each survey area. The unique positive relationship in all estuarine areas implies that the same process by sediment clay particles is important in the organic carbon accumulation. However, additional important factor may be expected in the organic carbon accumulation in the East Sea upwelling area. Further necessary data (sedimentation rate, dry bulk density etc) should be required for the estimation of carbon stock to evaluate the major estuaries in Korea as potential carbon reservoirs in the coastal environment.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.85-93
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• 2024

In this study, we prepared fractions from Cynanchum paniculatum (C. paniculatum) with ethyl acetate and identified the structure and content of paeonol, an indicator substance. Fractions were obtained by sequential solvent fractions using n-hexane, methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and distilled water, and showed the highest paeonol content in ethyl acetate (EtOAc). The structure of the ethyl acetate fraction (EA) was confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and the content was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The antioxidant activity of EA was tested through its ability to scavenge 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), and its ability to inhibit nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 cells induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was tested for its ability to inhibit NO production in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, MMP-1 production induced by ultraviolet B (UVB) was decreased in a concentration-dependent manner by the EA, and the ability to produce procollagen type-I was increased in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, as a result of conducting clinical trials using cosmetic formulations containing EA, the effect of improving wrinkles around the eyes was confirmed. Thus, it is expected that Cynanchum paniculatum can be used as a natural functional cosmetic material with antioxidant and anti-aging effects.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.32-39
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• 2024

The key components of a Phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) are an electrode catalyst, an electrolyte matrix and a gas diffusion layer (GDL). In this study, we introduced a microporous layer on the GDL of PAFC to enhance liquid electrolyte management and overall electrochemical performance of PAFC. MPL is primarily used in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells to serve as an intermediate buffer layer, effectively managing water within the electrode and reducing contact resistance. In this study, electrodes were fabricated using GDLs with and without MPL to examine the influence of MPL on the performance of PAFC. Internal resistance and polarization curves of the unit cell were measured and compared to each other to assess the impact of MPL on PAFC electrode performance. As the results, the application of MPL improved power density from 170.2 to 192.1 mW/cm². MPL effectively managed electrolyte and water within the matrix and electrode, enhancing stability. Furthermore, the application of MPL reduced internal resistance in the electrode, resulting in sustained and stable performance even during long-term operation.