• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.11-24
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• 2022

It has been reported that the ethanolic extract of the root of Piper methysticum (P. methysticum) inhibits melanogenesis in melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH)-activated B16 melanoma cells. Flavokawain B (FKB) and Flavokawain C (FKC) isolated from this extract have been found to inhibit melanin production based on anti-melanogenesis activity. This study was designed to find out the inhibition and its process of FKB and FKC on melanin synthesis in melan-a melanocytes. FKB and FKC inhibited melanogenesis at 10 μM, 5 μM respectively in melan-a melanocytes. However, they did not inhibit extracellular tyrosinase activity from melan-a melanocytes. FKB reduced the protein level of tyrosinase (Tyr), tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TRP-1), tyrosinase-related protein 2 (TRP-2), microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and the mRNA level of Tyr and TRP-1. FKC reduced the protein level of TRP-2 and MITF and the mRNA level of TRP-1 and Tyr. The reduced expression of Tyr and TRP-1 might be resulted from the decreased MITF which regulates major melanogenic proteins. However, since the mRNA expression of MITF did not change by FKB and FKC treatment, the effects of FKB and FKC on extracellular signal regulating kinase (ERK)/AKT phosphorylation, known to regulate the degradation of MITF, were confirmed. FKB and FKC significantly increased the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, not in AKT. These results suggest that FKB and FKC may be helpful as a potential depigmenting agent for various hyper-pigmentary disorders.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.445-453
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• 2020

Background and objective: Calcium chloride (CaCl₂) and sodium chloride (NaCl) are commonly used as a deicing agent in South Korea and penetrate the soil on the roadside, causing damage to plants. This study was conducted to investigate the salinity reduction effect of Pennisetum alopecuroides and the chemical characteristics of soil leachate. Methods: The plants were treated with five different concentrations of CaCl₂ (0, 1, 2, 5, and 10g·L^-1) and were grouped into the Cont., C1, C2, C5, and C10 groups. CaCl₂ of 200 m·L^-1 was sprayed to each plant once every two weeks. The growth of P. alopecuroides (plant height, leaf length, leaf width and the number of leaves) was measured. The level of EC and pH, and exchangeable cations (K⁺, Ca²⁺, Na⁺, and Mg²⁺) in the leachate of soil was monitored. Results: The pH of soil leachate decreased as the CaCl₂ concentration increased, and the EC increased significantly. The content of K⁺ did not change significantly until the concentration of CaCl₂ reached 5 g·L^-1, but the content of Ca²⁺, Na⁺, and Mg²⁺ significantly increased. The plant height, leaf length, and leaf width of P. alopecuroides showed the highest value in CaCl₂ 1 g·L^-1 followed by CaCl₂ 2 g·L^-1 and the control group. Root fresh weight was the highest in CaCl₂ 2 g·L^-1. On the other hand, there was no change in the shoot fresh weight, dry weight and root dry weight, and P. alopecuroides growth inhibition at the concentration of 5 g·L^-1 or higher in the plant height and leaf length. Conclusion: P. alopecuroides is relatively highly salt-tolerant and can improve the salt damaged soil by lowering the content of the salt-based exchangeable K⁺ ions.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.23-34
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the adhesion properties of polymer cement composites for crack repair of an RC structure. Polymer cement composites are manufactured from cement, three types of polymers and silica fume, and the mixture is designed by adjusting the water cement ratio and AE reducing agent so that the viscosity target of the polymer cement composites is 700mPa·s or less. According to the test results, the Type-A adhesion in tension of the polymer cement composite exceeded the adhesion standard of 1.0MPa of the polymer finishing material, and furthermore, depending on the type of polymer, the adhesion in tension was highest for SAE, followed in descending order by EVA, and SBR. In addition, the adhesion in tension of Type-B is up to 1/4.5 lower than that of Type-A, but the incorporation of silica fume shows a significant improvement in terms of adhesion in tension. Based on this study, the basic mixing design of the polymer cement composites required for viscosity and adhesive performance required for crack repair of the RC structure was completed. It could be proposed as an optimal mixing design under conditions for intermixing polymer type EVA, SAE, and P/C 80%-100%.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.1
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• pp.166-182
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• 2022

Deer antler velvet is widely used in traditional medicine for its anti-aging, antioxidant, and immunity-enhancing effects. However, few studies have reported on the discovery of probiotic strains for deer antler fermentation to increase functional ingredient absorption. This study evaluated the ability of probiotic lactic acid bacteria to enhance the concentrations of bioactive molecules (e.g., sialic acid and gamma-aminobutyric acid [GABA]) in extracts of deer antler velvet. Seventeen strains of Lactobacillus spp. that were isolated from kimchi and infant feces, including L. sakei, L. rhamnosus, L. brevis, and L. plantarum, and those that improved the life span of Caenorhabditis elegans were selected for evaluation. Of the 17 strains, 2 (L. rhamnosus LFR20-004 and L. sakei LFR20-007) were selected based on data showing that these strains increased both the sialic acid and GABA contents of deer antler extract after fermentation for 2 d and significantly improved the life span of C. elegans. Co-fermentation with both strains further increased the concentrations of sialic acid, GABA, and metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids and amino acids. We evaluated the biological effects of the fermented antler velvet (FAV) on the antibacterial immune response in C. elegans by assessing worm survival after pathogen infection. The survival of the C. elegans conditioned with FAV for 24h was significantly higher compared with that of the control worm group fed only normal feed (non-pathogenic E. coli OP50) exposed to E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella typhi, and Listeria monocytogenes. To evaluate the protective effects of FAV on immune response, cyclophosphamide (Cy), an immune-suppressing agent was treated to in vitro and in vivo. We found that FAV significantly restored viability of mice splenocytes and immune promoting-related cytokines (interleukin [IL]-6, IL-10, inducible nitric oxide synthase [iNOS], interferon [IFN]-γ, and tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α) were activated compared to non-fermented deer antlers. This finding indicated the protective effect of FAV against Cy-induced cell death and immunosuppressed mice. Taken together, our study suggests that immune-promoting antler velvet can be produced through fermentation using L. rhamnosus LFR20-004 and L. sakei LFR20-007.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.26-31
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• 2022

Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) is the causal agent responsible for the bacterial canker disease of kiwifruit plants. Psa strains are divided into five different biovars based on genetic and biochemical characteristics. Among them, biovar 2 and 3 strains of Psa were isolated and have been causing widespread damages in Korea. One of the most effective ways to control Psa is to use an antibiotic such as streptomycin. However, Psa strains resistant to this antibiotic were isolated in Korea, and an earlier study revealed that the resistance in the biovar 2 is associated with strA-strB genes. This study aimed to determine the molecular resistance mechanism of Psa biovar 3 strains to streptomycin. Sequencing the rpsL gene encoding ribosomal protein S12 from three streptomycin-resistant strains screened in the laboratory revealed that a spontaneous mutation occurred either at codon 43 or 88. Meanwhile, in four streptomycin-resistant strains of Psa biovar 3 isolated from two kiwifruit orchards, a single nucleotide in codon 43 of the rpsL, which is AAA in streptomycin-sensitive strain, was substituted for AGA causing an amino acid change from lysine to arginine. The resistant mechanism in all biovar 3 strains obtained in Korea was identified as a mutation of the rpsL gene.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.49-55
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• 2022

According to reinforce environmental regulations, coal power plants have used selective catalytic reduction using ammonia as a reducing agent to reduce the amount of nitrogen oxide generation. The purpose of the present study was to derive a mixing device for effectively mixing dilute air and ammonia in the ammonia mixing pipe by performing computational fluid dynamic analysis. The mixing effect was compared by analysing the %RMS of ammonia concentration at the down stream cross section in the mixing pipe and the 16 outlets based on the case 1-1 shape, which is an existing mixing pipe without a mixing device. The mixing device was performed by changing the positions of a square plate on the downstream side of the ammonia supply pipe and an arc-shaped plate on the wall of the mixing pipe. In the case of the existing geometry(Case 1-1), the %RMS of ammonia concentration at the 16 outlets was 29.50%. The shape of the mixing device for Case 3-2 had a square plate on the downstream side of the ammonia supply pipe and an arc plate was installed adjacent to it. The %RMS of ammonia concentration for Case 3-2 was 2.08% at 16 outlets and it could be seen that the shape of Case 3-2 was the most effective mixing shape for ammonia mixing.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.64-73
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• 2023

Before 2022, there was a lot of confusion in the process of planning and implementing the projects for ecological restoration of the stream due to dualization the principal agent of stream management. Because the Ministry of Environment took charge of the project in 2022, securing the health of aquatic ecosystem of stream became an essential factor in the project. Therefore, in this study, the streams that require the project for ecological restoration was selected in Han River estuary, where it is essential to secure the health of the stream aquatic ecosystem as blackish water zone and Ramsar wetland are located. Physical, chemical, spatial/humanistic, health of aquatic ecosystems evaluation indexes were calculated based on the detailed facts and figures of the project for ecological restoration of the stream in the beginning. Ranking, re-scaling, z-score, and t-score normalization methods were applied to the calculated evaluation index, and the values were compared and analyzed. After that, the entropy weight method was applied to each evaluation index. Through this process, the streams(Mokgamcheon, Anyangcheon etc.) that require the project for ecological restoration were selected for the purpose of securing the health of the aquatic ecosystem in Han River estuary. The result of this study can be used as basic research data in the process of selecting the priority determination of the projects for ecological restoration of the stream.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.287-298
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to analyze the compensation law for Special Mission Executors enacted to compensate for sacrifices for the state based on the policy framework proposed by Gilbert and Terrell and to present the limitations and development directions of the compensation policy. In particular, this study presents the characteristics of each dimension of the policy through the bases of social allocation, the types of social provisions, the strategies for the delivery, and the ways to finance. Through the analysis, We deduce problems of the compensation law for Special Mission Executors. Representative limitations of the compensation policy can be summarized as follows. Due to extreme selectivism, the limitations are the narrow selection criteria of the targets, the benefits which are not out of proportional to contributions, delayed benefits and the decrease in the size of public resources. These limitations suggest that the compensation policy for Special Mission Executors does not contain the significance of the Patriots and Veterans Affairs Policy. The value the Patriots and Veterans Affairs can be considered as a means for repaying the contributions who sacrificed for the nation. Therefore, the government needs to make efforts to develop a policy with the true significance of the Patriots and Veterans Affairs.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.196-201
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• 2022

Insects have been proposed as new protein sources for human nutrition, and protein availability is affected by insect characteristics. Fermentation can be used to obtain a variety of insect-based ingredients and products with unique properties, but its effect on protein availability is unknown. Fermented cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus) powder consists mainly of protein, and its oral administration has been reported to improve hair growth in androgenetic alopecia. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hair-promoting activity of fermented cricket powder in an animal model using male C57BL/6 mice (25-30 g). The abdominal hair of the mouse (2x2.5 cm) was gently removed, and the groups fed as follows: Intact controls (no cricket powder); cricket powder only; and fermented cricket powder only. Food was applied daily for 11 weeks. Observational and physical examinations were performed and the results of the different groups compared. The application of fermented cricket powder significantly (p<0.01) promoted hair growth compared to the intact controls. The C57BL/6 results confirmed increased growth after seven weeks when the proportion of anagen follicles had increased by about 125% and 120% in the control and cricket powder groups, respectively. In conclusion, fermented cricket powder can be seen as a promising alternative alopecia treatment because it promotes hair growth, and, given the powder's composition, trace elements such as amino acids may have contributed to these effects.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.215-229
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• 2023

Objectives: To validate the effectiveness of a real-time chemical exposure monitoring system developed by KOSHA (Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency), we applied the system to a workplace in the electronics industry for 153 days. Methods: The monitoring system consisted of a PID chemical sensor, a LTE communication equipment, and a web-based platform. To monitor chemical exposure, four sets of sensors were placed in two manufacturing tasks - inspection and jig cleaning - which used TCE as a degreasing agent. We reviewed previous reports of work environment measurements and conducted a new work environment measurement on one day during the period. The PID sensor systems detected the chemical exposure levels in the workplace every second and transmitted it to the platform. Daily average and maximum chemical exposure levels were also recorded. Results: We compared the results from the real-time monitoring system and the work environment measurement by traditional methods. Generally, the data from the real-time monitoring system showed a higher level because the sensors were closer to the chemical source. We found that 28% of jig cleaning task data exceeded the STEL. Peak exposure levels of sensor data were useful for understanding the characteristics of the task's chemical use. Limitations and implications were reviewed for the adoption of the system for preventing poisoning caused by chemical substances. Conclusions: We found that the real-time chemical exposure monitoring system was an efficient tool for preventing occupational diseases caused by chemical exposure, such as acute poisoning. Further research is needed to improve the reliability and applicability of the system. We also believe that forming a social consensus around the system is essential.