• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.313-319
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• 2022

Consumption of high fat diet (HFD) induces obesity by accumulating triglycerides and inflammation in the body. In the present study, we investigated the effects of black onion vinegar (BV) on HFD-induced C57BL/6 obese mice model. The HFD-fed obese mice were administered black onion juice (BJ) and BV, respectively, for 6 weeks. The HFD-fed group increased body and organ weights compared with normal control diet-induced group. However, administration of BV significantly reduced body and organ weights compared with HFD-fed group. The BJ- and BV-administered groups improved the serum lipid profiles such as total cholesterol and triglyceride, compared with HFD-fed group. In addition, BV-administered group significantly improved serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The BV-administered mice had increased the number and size of adipose cells in the liver and adipose tissues. The administrations of BJ and BV significantly down-regulated adipogenesis transcription factors and proinflammatory proteins in the liver compared with HFD-fed group. In particular, BV-administered group showed stronger attenuation of adipogenesis-related proteins than the BJ-administered group. Therefore, this study demonstrated that administration of BV attenuated HFD-induced obesity, in particular down-regulation of adipogenesis, and it could be developed as a functional vinegar for anti-obesity.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.39-50
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• 2009

Objectives : Smilacis glabrae rhizoma (SG) has been traditionally used as a herbal medication of musculoskeletal disorders like arthritis, pain, convulsions, and syphilis in traditional Korean medicine. This study was investigated anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effect of fractionated extracts of Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cell (HUVEC). Methods : SG extract prepared with methanol, and then fractionated with hexane, dichloromethane, ethylacetate, n-butanol and water. Inhibitory effect of SG onto free radical generation was determined by measuring DPPH, superoxide anions and nitric oxide scavenging activities in vitro. Cytotoxic activity of extracts on RAW 264.7 cells was measured using 5-(3-caroboxymethoxyphenyl)-2H-tetra-zolium inner salt (MTS) assay. Intracelluar oxidation was analysed by DCF-DA assay. The nitric oxide (NO) production was measured by Griess reagent system. The levels of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression were confirmed by western blot. And proinflammatory cytokines were measured by ELISA kit. Results : Our results indicated that fractionated extracts, especially ethyl acetate (EA) extract, significantly inhibited free radical generation, the TNF-$\alpha$-induced intracellular oxidation. Furthermore, the EA extract protected TNF-$\alpha$-induced adhesion to THP-1, expression of adhesion molecules accompanied by an attenuation of IL-6 and IL-8 formation in HUVEC. Conclusions : These results indicate that EA extract of SG have potential as an agent of atherosclerosis and other chronic inflammatory diseases including diabetes, hypertension, and arthritis.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.371-385
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Soy isoflavone (SIF) and soy lecithin (SL) have beneficial effects on many chronic diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases. Regretfully, there is little evidence to show the combined effects of these soy extractives on the impairment of cognition and abnormal cerebral blood flow (CBF). This study examined the optimal combination dose of SIF + SL to provide evidence for improving CBF and protecting cerebrovascular endothelial cells. MATERIALS/METHODS: In vivo study, SIF50 + SL40, SIF50 + SL80 and SIF50 + SL160 groups were obtained. Morris water maze, laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI), and hematoxylin-eosin staining were used to detect learning and memory impairment, CBF, and damage to the cerebrovascular tissue in rat. The 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and the oxidized glutathione (GSSG) were detected. The anti-oxidative damage index of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) in the serum of an animal model was also tested. In vitro study, an immortalized mouse brain endothelial cell line (bEND.3 cells) was used to confirm the cerebrovascular endothelial cell protection of SIF + SL. In this study, 50 µM of Gen were used, while the 25, 50, or 100 µM of SL for different incubation times were selected first. The intracellular levels of 8-OHdG, SOD, GSH, and GSSG were also detected in the cells. RESULTS: In vivo study, SIF + SL could increase the target crossing times significantly and shorten the total swimming distance of rats. The CBF in the rats of the SIF50 + SL40 group and SIF50 + SL160 group was enhanced. Pathological changes, such as attenuation of the endothelium in cerebral vessels were much less in the SIF50 + SL40 group and SIF50 + SL160 group. The 8-OHdG was reduced in the SIF50 + SL40 group. The GSSG showed a significant decrease in all SIF + SL pretreatment groups, but the GSH showed an opposite result. SOD was upregulated by SIF + SL pretreatment. Different combinations of Genistein (Gen)+SL, the secondary proof of health benefits found in vivo study, showed they have effective anti-oxidation and less side reaction on protecting cerebrovascular endothelial cell. SIF50 + SL40 in rats experiment and Gen50 + SL25 in cell test were the optimum joint doses on alleviating cognitive impairment and regulating CBF through protecting cerebrovascular tissue by its antioxidant activity. CONCLUSIONS: SIF+SL could significantly prevent cognitive defect induced by β-Amyloid through regulating CBF. This kind of effect might be attributed to its antioxidant activity on protecting cerebral vessels.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.43-54
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• 2006

The scope of this paper covers the applications of bender element tests in consolidation, tomography, and liquefaction. Loading and unloading time during consolidation are evaluated based on shear wave velocity. As S-wave velocity is dependent on effective stress, the loading step may be determined. However, cautions are required due to the different mechanism between the settlement and effective stress criteria. The stress history may be evaluated because the S-wave shows the cement controlled regime and stress controlled regimes. A fixed frame complemented with bender elements permits S-wave tomography The tomography system is tested at low confinement within a true triaxial cell. Results show that shear wave velocity tomography permits monitoring changes in the velocity field which is related to the average effective stress. To monitor the liquefaction phenomenon, S-wave trans-illumination is implemented with a high repetition rate to provide detailed information on the evolution of shear stiffness during liquefaction. The evolution of shear wave propagation velocity and attenuation parallel the time-history of excess pore pressure during liquefaction. Applications discussed in this paper show that bender elements can be a very effective tool for the detection of shear waves in the laboratory.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.37-51
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• 2023

The ground roll is the most common coherent noise in land seismic data and has an amplitude much larger than the reflection event we usually want to obtain. Therefore, ground roll suppression is a crucial step in seismic data processing. Several techniques, such as f-k filtering and curvelet transform, have been developed to suppress the ground roll. However, the existing methods still require improvements in suppression performance and efficiency. Various studies on the suppression of ground roll in seismic data have recently been conducted using deep learning methods developed for image processing. In this paper, we introduce three models (DnCNN (De-noiseCNN), pix2pix, and CycleGAN), based on convolutional neural network (CNN) or conditional generative adversarial network (cGAN), for ground roll suppression and explain them in detail through numerical examples. Common shot gathers from the same field were divided into training and test datasets to compare the algorithms. We trained the models using the training data and evaluated their performances using the test data. When training these models with field data, ground roll removed data are required; therefore, the ground roll is suppressed by f-k filtering and used as the ground-truth data. To evaluate the performance of the deep learning models and compare the training results, we utilized quantitative indicators such as the correlation coefficient and structural similarity index measure (SSIM) based on the similarity to the ground-truth data. The DnCNN model exhibited the best performance, and we confirmed that other models could also be applied to suppress the ground roll.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.352-362
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• 2022

Photosynthesis and respiration of seagrasses are mainly controlled by water temperature. In this study, the photosynthetic physiology and respiratory changes of the Asian surfgrass Phyllospadix japonicus, which is mainly distributed on the eastern and southern coasts of Korea, were investigated in response to changing water temperature (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30℃) by conducting mesocosm experiments. Photosynthetic parameters (maximum photosynthetic rate, P_max; compensation irradiance, I_c; and saturation irradiance, I_k) and respiration rate of surfgrass increased with rising water temperature, whereas photosynthetic efficiency (α) was fairly constant among the water temperature conditions. The P_max and I_k dramatically decreased under the highest water temperature condition (30℃), whereas the I_c and respiration rate increased continuously with the increasing water temperature. Ratios of maximum photosynthetic rates to respiration rates (P_max : R) were highest at 5℃ and declined markedly at higher temperatures with the lowest ratio at 30℃. The minimum requirement of H_sat (the daily period of irradiance-saturated photosynthesis) of P. japonicus was 2.5 hours at 5℃ and 10.6 hours at 30℃ for the positive carbon balance. Because longer H_sat was required for the positive carbon balance of P. japonicus under the increased water temperature, the rising water temperature should have negatively affected the growth, distribution, and survival of P. japonicus on the coast of Korea. Since the temperature in the temperate coastal waters is rising gradually due to global warming, the results of this study could provide insights into surfgrass responses to future severe sea warming and light attenuation.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2023

Purpose PET-CT imaging require an appropriate quality assurance system to achieve high efficiency and reliability. Quality control is essential for improving the quality of care and patient safety. Currently, there are performance evaluation methods of UN2-1994 and UN2-2001 proposed by NEMA and IEC for PET-CT image evaluation. In this study, we compare phantom images with the same experiments before and after PET-CT 3D normalization and well counter correction and evaluate the usefulness of quality control. Materials and methods Discovery 690 (General Electric Healthcare, USA) PET-CT equiptment was used to perform 3D normalization and well counter correction as recommended by GE Healthcare. Based on the recovery coefficients for the six spheres of the NEMA IEC Body Phantom recommended by the EARL. 20kBq/㎖ of ¹⁸F was injected into the sphere of the phantom and 2kBq/㎖ of ¹⁸F was injected into the body of phantom. PET-CT scan was performed with a radioacitivity ratio of 10:1. Images were reconstructed by appliying TOF+PSF+TOF, OSEM+PSF, OSEM and Gaussian filter 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6,5 mm with matrix size 128×128, slice thickness 3.75 mm, iteration 2, subset 16 conditions. The PET image was attenuation corrected using the CT images and analyzed using software program AW 4.7 (General Electric Healthcare, USA). The ROI was set to fit 6 spheres in the CT image, RC (Recovery Coefficient) was measured after fusion of PET and CT. Statistical analysis was performed wilcoxon signed rank test using R. Results Overall, after the quality control items were performed, the recovery coefficient of the phantom image increased and measured. Recovery coefficient according to the image reconstruction increased in the order TOF+PSF, TOF, OSEM+PSF, before and after quality control, RCmax increased by OSEM 0.13, OSEM+PSF 0.16, TOF 0.16, TOF+PSF 0.15 and RCmean increased by OSEM 0.09, OSEM+PSF 0.09, TOF 0.106, TOF+PSF 0.10. Both groups showed a statistically significant difference in Wilcoxon signed rank test results (P value<0.001). Conclusion PET-CT system require quality assurance to achieve high efficiency and reliability. Standardized intervals and procedures should be followed for quality control. We hope that this study will be a good opportunity to think about the importance of quality control in PET-CT

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.28 no.spc
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• pp.40-54
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• 2023

산업혁명 이후 화석연료의 광범위한 사용, 삼림 벌채, 토지사용의 변화 등과 같은 인위적 활동은 대기 중 온실가스(GHGs, greenhouse gases) 농도를 지속적으로 증가시켜 지구의 기후위기를 유발하였다. 우리나라의 경우 최근 30년 사이 평균 온도가 1.4℃ 상승하였으며, 국제사회의 일원으로 책임을 다하기 위해 2016년 11월 3일 파리협정을 비준하였다. 이에 파리협정의 목표인 산업화 이전 대비 지구 평균온도 상승을 2℃ 아래, 가능한 1.5℃ 아래로 억제하기 위해 2050년까지 CO₂ 순배출량을 0으로 만들어야 하며, 이를 위해 다양한 정책 마련과 함께 경제 및 사회 전반에 걸쳐 많은 노력이 경주되고 있는 실정이다. 탄소중립을 달성하기 위해서는 첫 번째로 GHGs 배출을 줄이고, 두번째로 대기에서 CO₂ 포집을 촉진하기 위해 현재 가동되는 다양한 산업분야의 생산 시스템을 개혁하는 것이 가장 중요한 과제로 고려되고 있다. 그동안 지하수토양 관련 연구분야에서는 지속가능성(sustainability), 복원성(resilience), 녹색성장(green growth) 등과 같은 사회적 요구에 부응하여, 녹색정화(green remediation), 자연 저감(natural attenuation), 탄소포집저장(carbon capture and sequestration), 지열발전등의 기술이 초기단계로 개발이 되고 연구가 되어 왔다. 이러한 기존 연구들은 탄소중립2050의 달성을 위해 고도화되어야하며, 추가적으로 자연 및 인위기원 탄소배출 연구, 토양의 역할을 고려한 저탄소 토지이용 기술, 광물탄산화 등의 연구 및 기술개발이 필요하다고 판단된다. 본 논문에서는 탄소중립2050의 간단한 내용과 함께, 이를 달성하기 위한 지하수토양 분야의 혁신기술 및 선도연구를 소개하였다.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.30 no.1B
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• pp.89-100
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• 2010

The performance evaluation of a conventional Wave Resonator at the entrance of harbors against solitary wave has been performed using 3D numerical wave flume. A wave resonator has been designed for the attenuation of the transmitted wave energy by trapping the short periodic incident waves only. In this study, however, the controlled performance of the wave resonator by its various widths has been numerically investigated for solitary waves. Source distribution method based on the Green function and the 3D one-field Model for immiscible TWO-Phase flows (TWOPM-3D) using 3D numerical wave flume were used for the short-periodic waves and the solitary waves, respectively, and these models were verified through the comparisons with the previous experimental and numerical results by other researchers. It was confirmed that the wave resonator is effective enough to control the solitary waves as well as the periodic waves when it compares with the case of no resonance system. Further, it was found that there is the optimal width of a wave resonator to attenuate the target solitary waves.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.167-174
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• 2023

Background: A nondestructive test is commonly used to inspect the surface defects and internal structure of an object without any physical damage. X-rays generated from an electron accelerator or a tube are one of the methods used for nondestructive testing. The high penetration of X-rays through materials with low atomic numbers makes it difficult to discriminate between these materials using X-ray imaging. The interaction characteristics of neutrons with materials can supplement the limitations of X-ray imaging in material discrimination. Materials and Methods: The radiation image acquisition process for air-cargo security inspection equipment using X-rays and neutrons was simulated using a GEometry ANd Tracking (Geant4) simulation toolkit. Radiation images of phantoms composed of 13 materials were obtained, and the R-value, representing the attenuation ratio of neutrons and gamma rays in a material, was calculated from these images. Results and Discussion: The R-values were calculated from the simulated X-ray and neutron images for each phantom and compared with those obtained in the experiments. The R-values obtained from the experiments were higher than those obtained from the simulations. The difference can be due to the following two causes. The first reason is that there are various facilities or equipment in the experimental environment that scatter neutrons, unlike the simulation. The other is the difference in the neutron signal processing. In the simulation, the neutron signal is the sum of the number of neutrons entering the detector. However, in the experiment, the neutron signal was obtained by superimposing the intensities of the neutron signals. Neutron detectors also detect gamma rays, and the neutron signal cannot be clearly distinguished in the process of separating the two types of radiation. Despite these differences, the two results showed similar trends and the viability of using simulation-based radiation images, particularly in the field of security screening. With further research, the simulation-based radiation images can replace ones from experiments and be used in the related fields. Conclusion: The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute has developed air-cargo security inspection equipment using neutrons and X-rays. Using this equipment, radiation images and R-values for various materials were obtained. The equipment was reconstructed, and the R-values were obtained for 13 materials using the Geant4 simulation toolkit. The R-values calculated by experiment and simulation show similar trends. Therefore, we confirmed the feasibility of using the simulation-based radiation image.