• (The)Korea Educational Review
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.225-251
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to examine study abroad participation and its relationship with career decision self-efficacy. It also aims to explore the explanatory factors for this relationship using mixed methods. Data were collected from 258 study abroad participants using pre- and post-test surveys at the A university. Subsequently, qualitative interviews with 16 participants were conducted to explain quantitative results. Findings showed that the career-related achievement goal and participants' interactions with local students played an important role in participants' career development. On the other hand, the group of participants whose career decision self-efficacy decreased after participation were also identified. This finding can be understood from the qualitative finding that participants bounced back to their previous career plans after return, re-experiencing the barrier of reality in finding a job in the Korean society. This is different from the circumstances in a destination country they studied abroad in. In addition, the quantitative finding can be understood from the qualitative finding that some students decided to participate in study abroad program simply for vacation and international experiences, without trying to relate it to career exploration. Based on findings from this study, implications for higher education institutions running a study abroad program were discussed and suggestions for future research were provided.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.169-180
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• 2022

Streptococcus sp. is generally known as a strain that produces hyaluronic acid. In this study, we focused on ingredients other than hyaluronic acid among several metabolites produced by Streptococcus sp. during cultivation. The hair experimental sample (HAIRCLE^TM) was prepared with Streptococcus sp. culture filtrate under the condition that hyaluronic acid was not produced and the effect on the hair was identified. Tensile strength of hair was tested with a universal testing machine (UTM). Surface properties of a hair were examined with an atomic force microscope (AFM). Our results suggest that HAIRCLE^TM could prevent damage to a hair such as destroyed-cuticle, increased-faction force, and broken-hair. Furthermore, hair-related experiments confirmed that HAIRCLE^TM could promote the expression of hair growth factors VEGF, HGF, and Wnt10b and mitigate male hair loss by inhibiting androgen receptors and TGF-β2 expression. In addition, it was confirmed that the expression of barrier-related factors (INV, CLDN-1) was increased for oxidative stress, and the COX-2 expression, an inflammatory factor, was inhibited, thereby improving damaged scalp barriers and alleviating induced inflammation.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.42-56
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• 2023

In deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW), the natural barrier must physically support the disposal facility and delay the movement of radionuclides for at least hundreds of thousands of years. To evaluate the long-term geological evolution of the natural barriers, it is essential to analyze the long-term behavior of rock joints, including the frictional healing behavior. This study aimed to experimentally analyze the frictional healing behavior of rock joints under hydro-mechanical (H-M) conditions through the slide-hold-slide (SHS) test. The SHS tests were performed under mechanical and H-M conditions for joint specimens of different roughness. In the H-M conditions, the frictional healing rate tended to increase, which was more evident in the specimens with large roughness. In addition, it was confirmed that the effect of the hydro-mechanical conditions was more significant when the effective normal stress acting on the joint surface was small. These results are expected to be used as fundamental data to understand the frictional healing behavior of rock joints in the natural barriers.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.507-514
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• 2023

The selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of nitrogen oxides (NO_x) was investigated in a catalyst (Ag/γ-Al₂O₃) packed dielectric barrier discharge plasma reactor. The intermittent generation of plasma in the catalyst bed partially oxidized the hydrocarbon reductant for NO_x removal to several aldehydes. Compared to using the catalyst alone, higher NO_x conversion was observed with the intermittent generation of plasma due to the formation of highly reductive aldehydes. Under the same operating conditions (temperature: 250 ℃; C/N: 8), the NO_x reduction efficiencies were 47.5%, 92%, and 96% for n-heptane, propionaldehyde, and butyraldehyde, respectively, demonstrating the high NO_x reduction capability of aldehydes. To determine the optimal condition for intermittent plasma generation, the high voltage on/off cycle was adjusted from 0.5 to 3 min. The NO_x reduction performance was compared between continuous and intermittent plasma generation on the same energy density basis. The highest NO_x reduction efficiency was achieved at 2-min high voltage on/off intervals. The reason that the intermittent plasma discharge exhibited higher NO_x reduction efficiency even at the same energy density, compared to the continuous plasma generation case, is that the intermediate products, such as aldehydes generated from hydrocarbon, were more efficiently utilized for the reduction of nitrogen oxides.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.689-696
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• 2024

Objective: Our study examined the impact of propriety blends of Bacillus strain probiotics on the performance, egg quality, and faecal microflora of laying hens. Methods: A total of 183 Institut de selection Animale (ISA) brown laying hens aged 23 weeks with an average body weight of 1,894±72 g were randomly allocated into 3 groups as control (corn-soybean meal based diet, CON), 0.5 g/kg Enterosure probiotics (ET1, 3×10⁸ colony-forming unit [CFU]/kg feed), and 5 g/kg Enterosure probiotics (ET2, 3×10⁹ CFU/kg feed) administered in mashed form. At the completion of each phase hen day egg production (HDEP), average egg weight (AEW), feed intake, and faecal microbiota were evaluated. Results: HDEP and AEW were higher (p<0.05) in the ET2-supplemented diet in phase 3 (week 9 to 12) compared with CON. Egg mass (EM) was higher (p<0.05) in phase 2 at ET2, and also higher (p<0.05) in phase 3 at the ET1 and ET2-supplemented diets compared with CON. Feed conversion ratio was lower (p<0.05) in phase 3 at the ET1 and ET2-supplemented diets, with ET2 being the lowest compared with ET1 and CON. Yolk colour was higher (p<0.05) in the ET-supplemented diets at phase 3 compared with CON. Bifidobacterium spp. was higher (p<0.05) in the ET2- supplemented diet compared with CON in phase 2, while in In phase 3, Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. were higher (p<0.05) in the ET-supplemented diets compared with CON. Coliforms were lower (p<0.05) in the ET-supplemented diets compared with CON in phase 3. Conclusion: The propriety blends of Bacillus strain probiotics supplements at 0.5 g/kg and 5 g/kg could improve the production and quality of eggs with more significance at 5 g/kg for HDEP, AEW and EM, which was achieved via the increase of beneficial microbiomes such as Lactobacillus spp., Bifidobacterium spp., and the decrease of pathogenic microbiomes like Escherichia coli and Coliforms which was speculated to improve gut barrier function and the reproductive hormone.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.126-137
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• 2024

In this study, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) were synthesized using three distinct zinc salts: zinc acetate, zinc chloride, and zinc nitrate. These ZnONPs were subsequently utilized in the fabrication of carrageenan-ZnONPs (Car-ZnONPs) composite films. The study assessed influence of the various ZnONPs on the morphological, water vapor barrier, color, optical, and antimicrobial properties of the Car-ZnONPs composite films. The surface morphology and UV-blocking attributes of the composite films were affected by the type of ZnONPs used, but their surface color, transparency, and chemical structure remained unaltered. The composite film's thickness and elongation at break (EB) significantly increased, while the tensile strength significantly decreased. In contrast, film's elastic modulus (EM) and water vapor permeability coefficient (WVP) showed no significant difference. All the composite films with added ZnONPs demonstrated potent antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes . Among the carrageenan-based composite films, Car-ZnONPs^ZC showed the highest antibacterial and UV-blocking properties, and its elongation at break was significantly higher than that of the pure carrageenan films. This suggests that ZnONPs composite films have the potential to be used as an active packaging film, preserve the safety of the packaged food and extend shelf life.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 2024

Recently, there have been attempts to claim the hair moisturizing effect for a hair care product, however there has not yet been an official evaluation method because heating temperature for hair has not been established. This study was conducted to establish a quantitative evaluation for hair water content. In order to observe the behavior of water inside hair, heat was applied to hair with various temperatures using thermogravimetric dry residue. As the heating temperature increased, the amount of moisture released from the hair increased. As a result of evaluating hair using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), a unique phenomenon in which a rapid endothermic reaction occurs around 75 ℃ was observed. This phenomenon was also observed in different ethnic hair. In hair that damaged the hair cuticle barrier with oxidation and heat, this rapidly rising endothermic reaction temperature occurred at 77 ℃, which was slightly higher, and 73 ℃ was observed when this hair was applied with polar oil, conditioning polymer, or keratin protein. To determine how this reaction affects the hair surface, friction test was performed using an atomic force microscope. When heated above 75 ℃, cuticle friction increased, however when heated above 90 ℃, there was no change in hair cuticle friction. Finally, it was confirmed that around 75 ℃ is the critical temperature at which desorption of water bound to the hair occurs. It is suggested that a heating temperature of 75 ℃ is the optimal temperature for detecting and quantifying the moisture content of hair, and that approximately 10% detected at 75 ℃ can be a standard value for hair moisture content.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.58-68
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• 2024

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of treadmill exercise treadmill exercise (TE) and environmental enrichment (EE) interventions on cognitive function, muscle function, and the expression of tight junction proteins in an Alzheimer's disease (AD) animal model. To create the AD animal model, aluminum chloride (AlCl₃) was administered for 90 days (40mg/kg/day), while simultaneously exposing the animals to TE (10-12m/min, 40-60min/day) or EE. The results showed that cognitive impairment and muscle dysfunction induced by AlCl₃ administration were alleviated by TE and EE. Furthermore, TE and EE reduced the increased expression of β-amyloid(Aβ), alpha-synuclein, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) proteins observed in AD pathology. Additionally, TE and EE significantly increased the expression of decreased adhesive adjacent proteins (Occludin, Claudin-5, and ZO-1) induced by AlCl₃ administration. Lastly, correlation analysis between Aβ protein and tight junction proteins showed negative correlations (Occludin: r=-0.853, p=0.001; Claudin-5: r=-0.352, p=0.915; ZO-1: r=-0.424, p=0.0390). In conclusion, TE or EE interventions are considered effective exercise methods that partially alleviate pathological features of AD, improving cognitive and muscle function.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.420-429
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• 2018

Skin ageing is associated with compromised performance of its fundamental barrier functions, with undesirable changes in appearance. Since this may introduce a detrimental impact on the quality of life, significant effort to discover effective ingredients against ageing is being invested. Recently, collagen hydrolysates containing tripeptides such as GlyPro-Hyp (GPH) have been developed with anticipation of improved effects compared to that of existing collagen hydrolysate-products. To evaluate the cutaneous hydration effect of collagen tripeptides (CTP), meaningful biomarkers in human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) and NC/Nga Tnd mice were analyzed in this study. Increased levels of ceramide kinase, hyaluronic acid, collagen 1A, and hyaluronan synthase-2 (HAS2), and decreased levels of hyaluronidase-1 (HYAL1) and CD44 in HDF cells were demonstrated. Furthermore, significant reduction of transepidermal water loss (TEWL), scratching behavior, HYAL1, $TNF-{\alpha}$ and IL-6 and increased water content and HAS2 were verified by in vivo tests. These results strongly suggest the potential of CTP as a skin hydration agent.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.157-164
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• 2017

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) is a perennial plant of the genus Stevia, originated in South America. It stores many forms of glycosides, mainly stevioside and rebaudioside A, in which steviol is the basic structure. Steviol glycosides, widely used as sweeteners, are superior to sugar in sweetness. Recently, it has been reported that steviol glycosides are involved not only in the skin whitening and anti-inflammatory effect but also in enhancing skin barrier function through tight junction regulation. Thus, we examined anti-inflammatory effect of rebaudioside A and tried to identify its potential for improving atopic dermatitis as cosmetic ingredients. To investigate the anti-inflammatory effect, cell viability and mRNA expression level of inflammation-related cytokines were measured using mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells. Cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8) assay was carried out to measure cell viability and the maximum concentration without cytotoxicity was set to $250{\mu}M$. A quantitative real-time RT-PCR method was used for the study of the inflammatory suppression of rebaudioside A. Rebaudioside A inhibited expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) up to 47% and COX-2 up to 41% compared to LPS treated condition. NO synthesis was decreased by rebaudioside A. Also, mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-$1{\alpha}$, IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6 in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells was decreased to 40%, 45% and 59%, respectively, as a concentration-dependent manner. In conclusion, rebaudioside A inhibited the inflammatory response by regulation of cytokine gene expression. From these results, we expect that steviol glycoside, such as rebaudioside A, can be used as a material for improving atopic dermatitis in the future.