• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.233-239
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• 1997

Embryos of most mammalian species grown in vitro would undergo developmental arrest at the approximate time of genomic activation. Stage-specific cell block and the resulting rapid loss of embryo viability in conventional culture media have limited the duration for which embryos may be cultured prior to transfer. As a result, embryos are usually transferred to the uterus at the 4-to 8-cell stage to avoid the loss of viability associated with long-term in vitro culture. Early transfer has led to asynchrony of the endometrium-trophectoderm interaction at the time of implantation and a resultant reduction in the rate of implantation. To overcome these problems, a variety of co-culture systems has been devised in which embryos can develop for a longer period prior to embryo transfer. Vero cells, derived from African green monkey kidney, share a common embryologic origin with cells from the genital tract. In addition, they are potentially safe to use, since they are highly controlled for viruses and other contaminants. Therefore, co-culture using Vero cells has been widely utilized to enhance embryo viability and development, although not without controversies. We thus designed a series of experiments to demonstrate whether Vero cells do indeed enhance mouse embryo development as well as to compare the efficacy of co-culturing mouse 1-cell embryos on Vero cell monolayer in both Ham's F-10 and human tubal fluid (HTF) culture media. 1-cell stage ICR mouse embryos were cultured either in the presence of Vero cells (Group A) or in conventional culture medium alone (Group B). In Ham's F-10 significantly more 3-to-8cell embryos developed in group A than group B (59.8 versus 10.0%; p<0.01). In contrast, there was no significant difference in embryonic development both group A and group B in HTF. However, significant differences were noted only in later embryonic stage (13 and 0%; p<0.05 of group A and B respectively, hatching or hatched). In Ham's F-10, we also could observe the beneficial effect of Vero cell on hatching process (70.7 and 42.1%; p<0.05 of group A and group B respectively).

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.326-333
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• 2020

Nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide (NO) pathway is a major alternative source of NO and is essential for NO - dependent physiological functions in body. Food supplements having nitrate/nitrite can improve metabolic syndromes including hypertension through antioxidant activity or vasodilation. The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of fermented garlic (F. garlic) having high concentration of NO2- on changes in blood flow and nitric oxide synthesis in the cerebral cortex of rodents. The generation of nitric oxide detected by a chemi-luminescence detector was higher in F. Garlic compared with NaNO2 solution under artificial gastric juice with pH 2.0. Ether F. garlic or NaNO2 diluted with artificial cerebrospinal fluid was directly applied into around the needle probe of laser Doppler flow meter that was located on epidural surface of the cortex. Direct application of F. garlic resulted in increase of cerebral blood flow detected by a laser Doppler flow meter with a dose-dependent manner. Compared with NaNO2 solution, F. garlic produced changes in cerebral blood flow at lower concentration of NO2-. Pretreatment of methylene blue, a guanylyl cyclase inhibitor prevented upregulation of cerebral blood flow by the treatment of F. garlic. In addition, the application of F. garlic with 250, 500ppm of NO2- caused significantly the production of NO in the cortical tissue but NaNO2 solution with 500ppm of NO2- did not. In summary, these results suggested that F. garlic with high content of NO2- induce increase in cerebral blood flow through nitric oxide-dependent signal pathway.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.534-541
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• 2018

Kimchi (a traditional Korean fermented vegetable) was prepared with a starter, Lactobacillus zymae GU240 producing ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and one precursor of GABA (glutamic acid, glutamic acid monosodium salt (MSG), or kelp extract). L. zymae GU240, an isolate from kimchi, can grow at 7% NaCl and low temperature. Five different kimchi samples were fermented for 20 weeks at $-1^{\circ}C$. Kimchi with starter alone could not produce GABA. The GABA content was highest in kimchi with co-inoculation of the starter and MSG (1% (w/w)). Kimchi co-inoculated with the starter and kelp extract powder (3% (w/w)) had the second highest GABA content. Addition of glutamic acid powder (1% (w/w)) caused a reduction in the pH level of kimchi and growth inhibition of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts. Kimchi samples with MSG or kelp extract showed improvement of sensory evaluation scores. The results demonstrate the possibility to produce kimchi with improved functionality and taste by using L. zymae GU240 as a starter along with a suitable precursor such as MSG or kelp extract.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.556-567
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• 2021

Purpose: In this study, various methods of deep learning-based automatic damage analysis technology were reviewed based on images taken through Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to more efficiently and reliably inspect the exterior inspection and inspection of railway bridges using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Method: A deep learning analysis model was created by defining damage items based on the acquired images and extracting deep learning data. In addition, the model that learned the damage images for cracks, concrete and paint scaling·spalling, leakage, and Reinforcement exposure among damage of railway bridges was applied and tested with the results of automatic damage analysis. Result: As a result of the analysis, a method with an average detection recall of 95% or more was confirmed. This analysis technology enables more objective and accurate damage detection compared to the existing visual inspection results. Conclusion: through the developed technology in this study, it is expected that it will be possible to analysis more accurate results, shorter time and reduce costs by using the automatic damage analysis technology using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle in railway maintenance.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.41-50
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• 2000

Cement-bonded particleboard is being used as outdoor siding material all over the world, because this composite particularly bears a light weight, high resistance against fire, decay, and crack by cyclic freezing and thawing, anti-shock property, and strength enhancement. Construction systems are currently changing into a frame-building style and wooden houses are being constructed with prefabrication type. Therefore, they require a more durability at outdoor-exposed sides. In this study, the cement hydration property for Korean pine particle, Japanese larch particle and face- and middle layer particles (designated as PB particle below) used in Korean particleboard-manufacturing company was investigated, and the rapid manufacturing characteristics of cement-bonded particleboard by supercritical $CO_2$ curing was evaluated. Korean pine flour showed a good hydration property, however, larch flour showed a bad one. PB particle had a better hydration property than larch flour. The addition of $Na_2SiO_3$ indicated a negative effect on hydration, however, $MgCl_2$ had a positive one. Curing by supercritical $CO_2$ fluid gave a conspicuous enhancement in the performances of cement-bonded particleboards compared to conventional curing. $MgCl_2$ 3%-added PB particle had the highest properties, and $MgCl_2$ 1%-added Korean pine particle had the second class with the conditions of cement/wood ratio of 2.7, a small fraction-screened particle and supercritical curing. On the contrary, the composition of non-hammermilled or large fraction-screened particle at cement/wood ratio of 2.2 was poorer. Also, the feasibility for actual use of 3%-added, small PB particle-screened fraction was greatest of all the conventional curing treatments. Relative superiority of supercritical curing vs. conventional curing at dimensional stability was not so apparent as in strength properties. Through the thermogravimetric analysis, it was ascertained that the peak of a component $CaCO_3$ was highest, and the two weak peaks of calcium silicate hydrate and ettringite and $Ca(OH)_2$ were present in supercritical treatment. Accordingly, it was inferred that the increased formation of carbonates in board contributes to strength enhancement.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.767-773
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• 2014

Rheological and electrical properties of polystyrene (PS)/carbon nanotube (CNT) nanocomposites via coagulated precipitation were investigated. Chemical modification and surfactant wrapping of CNT to improve the dispersion of CNTs may reduce the intrinsic properties of pristine CNT. To avoid this problem, PS and CNTs were dissolved and dispersed in dimethylformamide and then PS/CNT nanocomposites were prepared by the coagulated precipitation of CNT-dispersed PS solution in water. The coagulated precipitation method was highly effective enhancing the electrical conductivity of nanocomposites. Furthermore, the effect of adding poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) crosslinked particles to PS matrix on the rheological and electrical properties was investigated. With the addition of the crosslinked particles, the electrical percolation threshold of CNT reduced to 0.25 wt% and electrical conductivity increased further. It is speculated that CNTs in the volume occupied by crosslinked particles helped electrical pathway formation.

• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.15-19
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• 2019

This work focused on characterization of the starch degradation activity from extremophile strain Deinococcus geothermalis. Glucoamylase gene from D. geothermalis was cloned and overexpressed by pET-21a vector using E. coli BL21 (DE3). In order to characterize starch degrading activity of recombinant glucoamylase, enzyme was purified using HisPur Ni-NTA column. The recombinant glucoamylase from D. geothermalis exhibited the optimum temperature as $45^{\circ}C$ for starch degradation activity. And highly acido-stable starch degrading activity was shown at pH 2. For further optimization of starch degrading activity with metal ion, various metal ions ($AgCl_2$, $HgCl_2$, $MnSO_4{\cdot}4H_2O$, $CoCl_2{\cdot}6H_2O$, $MgSO_4$, $ZnSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$, $K_2SO_4$, $FeCl_2{\cdot}4H_2O$, NaCl, or $CuSO_4$) were added for enzyme reaction. As results, it was found that $FeCl_2{\cdot}4H_2O$ or $MnSO_4{\cdot}4H_2O$ addition resulted in 17% and 9% improved starch degrading activity, respectively. The recombinant glucoamylase from D. geothermalis might be used for simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process at high acidic conditions.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.586-591
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• 2001

This research investigated the feasibility of the accelerated carbonation of cement waste forms with carbon dioxide in a supercritical state. Hydraulic cement has been used as a main solidification matrix for the immobilization of radioactive and/or hazardous wastes. As a result of the hydration reaction for major compounds of portland cement, portlandite (Ca(OH)$_2$) is present in the hydrated cement waste form. The chemical durability of a cement form is expected to increase by converting portlandite to the less soluble calcite (CaCO$_3$). For a faster reaction of portlandite with carbon dioxide, SCCD (supercritical carbon dioxide) rather than gaseous $CO_2$, in ambient pressure is used. The cement forms fabricated with an addition of slated lime or Na-bentonite were cured under ambient conditions for 28days and then treated with SCCD in an autoclave maintained at 34$^{\circ}C$ and 80atm. After SCCD treatment, the physicochemical properties of cement matrices were analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of accelerated carbonation reaction. Conversion of parts of portlandite to calcite by the carbonation reaction with SCCD was verified by XRD (X-ray diffraction) analysis and the composition of portlandite and calcite was estimated using thermogravimetric (TG) data. After SCCD treatment, tile cement density slightly increased by about 1.5% regardless of the SCCD treatment time. The leaching behavior of cement, tested in accordance with an ISO leach test method at 7$0^{\circ}C$ for over 300 days, showed a proportional relationship to the square root of the leaching time, so the major leaching mechanism of cement matrix was diffusion controlled. The cumulative fraction leached (CFL) of calcium decreased by more than 50% after SCCD treatment. It might be concluded that the enhancement of the characteristics of a cement matrix by an accelerated carbonation reaction with SCCD is possible to some extent.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.100-106
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• 2014

Infection with invasive Shigella species results in intestinal inflammation in humans but no symptoms in adult mice. To investigate why adult mice are resistant to invasive shigellae, 6~8-week-old mice were infected orally with S. flexneri 5a. Shigellae successfully colonized the small and large intestines. Mild cell death was seen but no inflammation. The infected bacteria were cleared 24 hours later. Microarray analysis of infected intestinal tissue showed that several genes that are involved with the sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) signaling pathway, a lipid mediator which mediates immune responses, were altered significantly. Shigella infection of a human intestinal cell line modulated host S1P-related genes to reduce S1P levels. In addition, co-administration of S1P with shigellae could induce inflammatory responses in the gut. Here we propose that Shigella species have evasion mechanisms that dampen host inflammatory responses by lowering host S1P levels in the gut of adult mice.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.279-291
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• 1996

The new chelating resins, XAD-2, 4, 16-TAC and XAD-2, 4, 16-TAO were synthesized by Amberlite XAD-2, XAD-4, and XAD-16 macroreticular resins with 2-(2-thiazolylazo)-p-cresol(TAC) and 4-(2-thiazolylazo)orcinol(TAO) as functional groups and were characterized by elemental analysis and FT-IR spectrometry. It was found that the content of functional group in chelating resin was 0.60mmol/g in XAD-16-TAC and 0.68mmol/g in XAD-16-TAO respectively. The chelating resins were stable in acidic and alkaline solution and can be reused over 10 times. The sorption behavior of some metalions to two chelating resins was investigated by batch method, which included batch equilibrium, effect of pH, coexisting ions and masking agent. For the optimum condition of sorption, the time required for equilibrium was about 1 hour and optimum pH was 5. In the presence of anions such as ${SO_4}^{2-}$ and $CH_3COO^-$, the sorption of U(VI) ion was slightly reduced but other anions such as $Cl^-$ and $NO{_3}^-$ revealed no interference effect. Also, sorption capacity of U(VI) ion was decreased by addition of $CO{_3}^{2-}$ ion because of complex formation of $[UO_2(CO_3)_3]^{4-}$, but alkali metals and alkali earth metals including Na(I), K(I), Mg(II), and Ca(II) were not affected for the sorption extent. Masking agent, NTA showed better separation efficiency of U(VI) ion from coexisting metal ions such as Th(IV), Zr(IV), Hf(IV), Cu(II), Cd(II), Pb(II), Ni(II), Zn(II) and Mn(II) than EDTA, CDTA.