• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.169-177
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• 2020

Purpose: To assess the effectiveness of mixed grafts in lumbar posterolateral fusion (PLF) by comparing the bone union rates of an autobone with a bone substitute mixed graft. Materials and Methods: The patients were followed-up for at least two years after PLF and divided into four groups according to the mixed graft retrospectively. Group I was 48 cases using a femoral head allobone. Group II was 38 cases using β-tricalcium phosphate. Group III was 92 cases using biphasic calcium phosphate. Group IV was 38 cases using biphasic calcium phosphate and autologous bone marrow. Union was evaluated by the work up simple radiographs after two years from PLF. Union was defined if the radiographs demonstrated a bilateral continuity in the fusion mass between the cephalad and caudal transverse processes with less than 2° of angular motion and no translation between the vertebrae at the level of fusion on the lateral flexion-extension radiographs. Results: According to simple radiographs after two years from PLF, the rate of union was highest in Group IV using local autobone, biphasic calcium phosphate and autologous bone marrow mixed graft. Conclusion: Biphasic calcium phosphate is an osteoconductive bone substitute that increases the bio-absorbability and mechanical strength. Autologous bone marrow has osteoinductive and osteogenic properties. These features can increase the rate of bone union. Therefore, a local autobone, biphasic calcium phosphate and autologous bone marrow mixed graft can be considered an effective bone graft substitute for lumbar PLF instead of an autobone graft.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.277-286
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• 2023

Sarcopenia is the age-related loss of muscle mass and function. It is a natural part of aging and can lead to decreased mobility and increased frailty. The ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, which is involved in muscle protein degradation, is closely linked to sarcopenia. Germinated Rhynchosia nulubilis hydrolysate (GRH) has been reported to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, but there have been no reports on its inhibitory effect on muscle reduction. However, no study has yet explored the relationship between GRH and muscle loss inhibition. In this study, we evaluated the effects of GRH on muscle atrophy inhibitory activity in dexamethasone (Dexa)-induced muscle atrophy C2C12 myotubes and mouse models. Moreover, we identified a molecular pathway underlying the effects of GRH on skeletal muscle. May Grunwald-Giemsa staining showed that the length and area of myotubes increased in the groups treated with GRH. In addition, the GRH-treated group significantly reduced the expression of muscle ring finger protein 1 and muscular atrophy F-box (MAFbx) in the Dexa-induced muscular atrophy C2C12 model. GRH also improved muscle strength in C57BL/6 mice with Dexa-induced muscle atrophy, resulting in prolonged running exhaustive time and increased grip strength. We found that muscle strengthening by GRH was correlated with a decreased expression of the MAFbx gene in mouse muscle tissue. In conclusion, GRH can attenuate Dexa-induced muscle atrophy by inhibiting the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway via downregulation of the MAFbx gene expression.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.147-158
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• 2007

To clarify the bloom pattern and species succession in phytoplankton community, the population dynamics with the determination of physico-chemical factors have been studies in Masan Bay, the south sea of Korea, for the periods November 2003-October 2004. Concentration of $NH_4-N$ was always higher than that of $NO_3-N$, which was similar level as compared to other costal areas. $PO_4-P$ concentration was lower than those in other coastal areas but similar to oligotrophic environments. Thus, phosphate seems the limiting nutrient rather than nitrogen. $SiO_2-Si$ concentration was also low as compared to other costal areas. Si:P ratio was low from autumn to winter, suggesting silicate and/or phosphate limitation during this period. The cell density of phytoplankton was high in winter 2003 and early autumn 2004. The carbon biomass was high in winter 2003 and summer 2004. And chlorophyll-a concentration was high in late autumn 2003 and summer 2004. Among 78 species of phytoplankton found in the bay during the investigated period, dominant species were two diatoms of Cylindrotheca closterium, Skeletonema costatum, and three dinoflagellates of Heterocapsa triquetra, Prorocentrum minimum, P. triestinum, and one raphidophyte of Heterosigma akashiwo. P. minimum dominated from late autumn to winter, but it was replaced by H. triquetra in late winter. P. triestinum dominated from late spring to early summer. Simultaneously, H. akashiwo cell density steadily increased, and it became dominant with C. closterium in late summer. With decreasing of H. akashiwo and C. closterium, S. costatum became the most dominant species in autumn. The canonical analyses showed that total phytoplankton cell density related to diatom cell density and it was affected by temperature, and concentrations of $NO_3-N\;and\;PO_4-P$. The carbon bio-mass and $chlorophyll-{\alpha}$ concentration related to diatom- and dinoflagellate cell densities and these were affected by flagellate cell density, salinity, and concentrations of $SiO_2-Si\;and\;PO_4-P$. Last six years monitoring data in Masan city obtained from Korean Meteorological Agency indicates gradual increase in air temperature. And the precipitation decreased especially in spring season. The winter bloom found in 2003 may be caused by the increase in the temperature and this bloom subsequently induced the nutrients depletion, which continued until next spring probably due to no precipitation. Therefore, the spring bloom, which had been usually observed in the bay, might disappear in 2004.