• Title/Summary/Keyword: EPI

Search Result 545, Processing Time 0.023 seconds

Fabrication of Ex vivo Cornea Model for a Drug Toxicity Evaluation (약물 독성 평가용 생체외 각막 모델 제작 연구)

  • Kim, Seon-Hwa;Park, Sang-Hyug
    • Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
    • /
    • v.40 no.5
    • /
    • pp.143-150
    • /
    • 2019
  • To evaluate the toxicity of ophthalmic drug, the Draize test and Bovine Corneal Opacity and Permeability (BCOP) test commonly used. In Draize test, experimental animals were under stress and pain due to long-term exposure of drug. In addition, regarding physiological functions, animal model is not perfectly reflected a human eye condition. Although some models such as $EpiOcular^{TM}$, HCE model, LabCyte Cornea-Model, and MCTT $HCE^{TM}$ were already presented advanced cornea ex-vivo model to replace animal test. In this sense, cornea tissue structure mimicked ex-vivo toxicity model was fabricated in this study. The corneal epithelial cells (CECs) and keratocytes (CKs) isolated from rabbit eyeball were seeded on non-patterned silk film (n-pSF) and patterned silk film (pSF) at $32,500cells/cm^2$ and $6,500cells/cm^2$. Sequentially, n-pSF and pSF were stacked to mimic a multi-layered stroma structure. The thickness of films was about $15.63{\mu}m$ and the distance of patterns was about $3{\mu}m$. H&E stain was performed to confirm the cell proliferation on silk film. F-actin of CKs was also stained with Phalloidin to observe the cytoskeletal alignment along with patterns of the pSF. In the results, CECs and CKs were shown the good cell attachment on the n-pSF and pSFs. Proliferated cells expressed the specific phenotype of cornea epithelium and stroma. In conclusion, we successfully established the ex-vivo cornea toxicity model to replace the eye irritation tests. In further study, we will set up the human ex-vivo cornea toxicity model and then will evaluate the drug screening efficacy.

A Study on the Cost Impact of Additional Construction as Rating G-SEED Certification of Medium-Sized Office Buildings in Korea - Based on G-SEED 2016-2(Effective September 1, 2018) - (국내 중규모 업무용 건물의 녹색건축인증 등급별 추가공사 비용 영향에 관한 연구 - G-SEED 2016-2 기준으로(2018년 9월 1일 시행) -)

  • Lee, Du-Hwan;Kim, Jae-Moon
    • Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Structure & Construction
    • /
    • v.35 no.10
    • /
    • pp.225-234
    • /
    • 2019
  • The purpose of this paper is to analyze the additional construction cost of G-SEED certification for domestic office building reflecting the latest standard(G-SEED 2016-2), and to derive cost impact by category and level. Therefore, it is intended to provide quantitave cost data according to G-SEED certification at the planning phase of the project, estimate the additional construction cost per level according to G-SEED Certification of similar project to be carried out in the future, and encourage G-SEED certification by supporting the decision of the owners. Method: The Process and method of this study are summarized in five steps, 1) Review of previous research, 2) Selection of target project, 3) Scenario setting by level, 4) Additional construction cost for each evaluation category, 5) Extraction of additional construction cost ratio by level. Result: This paper analyzed the cost impact by deriving the additional construction cost of detailed category for level improvement according to the revised G-SEED certification(G-SEED 2016-2). In conclusion, an additional construction cost(ratio) of G-SEED projects to the reference building is drawn as good level; 157,426,241 KWN(+0.43%), very good level; 321,907,802 KWN(+0.88%), excellent level; 999,371,478 KWN(+2.74%), and outstanding level; 1,467,047,718 KWN(+4.02%).

Protection Motivation Theory and Rabies Protective Behaviors Among School Students in Chonburi Province, Thailand

  • Laorujisawat, Mayurin;Wattanaburanon, Aimutcha;Abdullakasim, Pajaree;Maharachpong, Nipa
    • Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
    • /
    • v.54 no.6
    • /
    • pp.431-440
    • /
    • 2021
  • Objectives: The aim of this study was to predict rabies protective behaviors (RPB) based on protection motivation theory (PMT) among fourth-grade students at schools in Chonburi Province, Thailand. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2020 to February 2021. A multistage sampling technique was used for sample selection. The questionnaire was divided into socio-demographic data and questions related to PMT and RPB. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted using the EpiData program and inferential statistics, and the results were tested using the partial least squares model with a significance level of less than 5%. Results: In total, 287 subjects were included, of whom 62.4% were girls and 40.4% reported that YouTube was their favorite media platform. Most participants had good perceived vulnerability, response efficacy, and self efficacy levels related to rabies (43.9, 68.6, and 73.2%, respectively). However, 54.5% had only fair perceived severity levels related to rabies. Significant positive correlations were found between RPB and the PMT constructs related to rabies (β, 0.298; p<0.001), and the school variable (S4) was also a predictor of RPB (β, -0.228; p<0.001). Among the PMT constructs, self efficacy was the strongest predictor of RPB (β, 0.741; p<0.001). Conclusions: PMT is a useful framework for predicting RPB. Future RPB or prevention/protection intervention studies based on PMT should focus on improving self efficacy and response efficacy, with a particular focus on teaching students not to intervene with fighting animals. The most influential PMT constructs can be used for designing tools and implementing and evaluating future educational interventions to prevent rabies in children.

Characterization of Bioactive Sialyl Oligosaccharides Separated from Colostrum of Indonesia Dairy Goat

  • Taufik, Epi;Arief, Irma Isnafia;Budiman, Cahyo;Wibisono, Yusuf;Noviyanto, Alfian
    • Food Science of Animal Resources
    • /
    • v.42 no.3
    • /
    • pp.426-440
    • /
    • 2022
  • The bioactive functions of oligosaccharides from human milk have been reported by many studies. Many of oligosaccharides isolated from colostrum and/or milk of dairy animals have been reported to have similar chemical structures with those in human colostrum and/or milk. It has been proved by several studies that the oligosaccharides with similar chemical structure shared common bioactivities. Among domesticated dairy animals, bovine/cattle, caprine/goat, and ovine/sheep are the most commonly used species to isolate oligosaccharides from their colostrum and/or milk. Several studies on the oligosaccharides from goat colostrum and milk have revealed similar properties to that of human milk and possess the highest content of sialyl oligosaccharides (SOS) as compared to other ruminants. Indonesia ranks first in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for goat milk production. Therefore, goat milk is the second most consumed milk in the country. The most reared dairy goat breed in Indonesia is Etawah Grade. However, oligosaccharides from Indonesia dairy animals including goat, have not been characterized. This is the first study to characterize oligosaccharides from Indonesia dairy animals. The present study was aimed to isolate and characterize oligosaccharides, specifically SOS from the colostrum of Etawah Grade goats by using proton/1H-nuclear magnetic resonance. The SOS successfully characterized in this study were: Neu5Ac(α2-3)Gal(β1-4)Glc (3'-N-acetylneuraminyllactose), Neu5Ac(α2-6)Gal(β1-4)Glc (6'-N-acetylneuraminyllactose), Neu5Gc(α2-3)Gal(β1-4)Glc (3'-N-glycolylneuraminyllactose), Neu5Gc(α2-6)Gal(β1-4)Glc (6'-N-glycolylneuraminyllactose), Neu5Ac(α2-6)Gal(β1-4) GlcNAc (6'-N-acetylneuraminyllactosamine) and Neu5Gc(α2-6)Gal(β1-4)GlcNAc (6'-N-glycolylneuraminyllactosamine). This finding shows that Etawah Grade, as a local dairy goat breed in Indonesia, is having significant potential to be natural source of oligosaccharides that can be utilized in the future food and pharmaceutical industries.

α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity of Phenolic Compounds Isolated from the Stems of Caesalpinia decapetala var. japonica

  • Le, Thi Thanh;Ha, Manh Tuan;Hoang, Le Minh;Vu, Ngoc Khanh;Kim, Jeong Ah;Min, Byung Sun
    • Natural Product Sciences
    • /
    • v.28 no.3
    • /
    • pp.143-152
    • /
    • 2022
  • In our study, sixteen known phenolic compounds, including quercetin (1), methyl gallate (2), caesalpiniaphenol C (3), 8S,8'S,7'R-(-)-lyoniresinol (4), 7,3',5'-trihydroxyflavanone (5), sappanchalcone (6), sappanone A (7), taxifolin (8), fisetin (9), fustin (10), (+)-catechin (11), brazilin (12), 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl β-ᴅ-glucopyranoside (13), 1-(2-methylbutyryl)phloroglucinol-glucopyranoside (14), (+)-epi-catechin (15), and astragalin (16) and one mixture of two conformers of protosappanin B (17/18) were isolated from the stems of Caesalpinia decapetala var. japonica. Their structures were elucidated based on a comparison of their physicochemical and spectral data with those of literature. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first isolation of compounds 3, 4, 8, 9, and 10 from C. decapetala and compounds 13 and 14 from the Caesalpinia genus. All the isolated compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory effect against the α-glucosidase enzyme. Among them, two flavonols (1 and 9), one chalcone (6), and one homoisoflavanone (7) exhibited an inhibitory effect on α-glucosidase action with an IC50 range value of 5.08-15.01 μM, stronger than that of the positive control (acarbose, IC50 = 152.22 μM). Kinetic analysis revealed that compounds 1 and 9 showed non-competitive α-glucosidase inhibition, while the inhibition type was mixed for compounds 6 and 7.

The Ability of Muscle Functional MRI to Detect the Slight Effect of Exercise on Trunk Muscle Activity

  • Tawara, Noriyuki
    • Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
    • /
    • v.26 no.2
    • /
    • pp.117-124
    • /
    • 2022
  • Purpose: In this study, we provide a way to assess even a slight effect of exercise on trunk-muscle activity. Materials and Methods: Seven healthy male participants (mean age, 24.7 ± 3.2 years; height, 171.2 ± 9.8 cm; and weight, 63.8 ± 11.9 kg) performed 15 sets of an exercise with 20 repetitions of 90° hip and right-knee flexion while lying supine. The exercise intensity was measured using the 10-point Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale after the first and 15th sets of exercises. Although cross-sectional areas and functional T2 mapping using ultrafast imaging (fast-acquired muscle functional magnetic resonance imaging, fast-mfMRI) have been proposed for imaging to evaluate exercise-induced muscle activity in real time, no previous studies have reported on the evaluation of trunk-muscle activity using functional T2 mapping. As a method for assessing trunk-muscle activity, we compared functional T2 mapping using ultrafast imaging (fast-mfMRI) with cross-sectional areas. Results: Although the muscle cross-sectional areas were increased by the exercise, there was no significant difference at rest. On the other hand, for all sets, the changes in T2 were significant compared with those at rest (P < 0.01). These results demonstrate that T2, calculated from fast-mfMRI images can be used to detect even a small amount of muscle activity induced by acute exercise, which was impossible to do with cross-sectional areas. Conclusion: Fast-mfMRI, which can also display functional information with detailed forms, enabled non-invasive real-time imaging for identifying and evaluating the degree of deep trunk-muscle activity induced by exercise.

AlInGaN - based multiple quantum well laser diodes for Blu-ray Disc application

  • O. H. Nam;K. H. Ha;J. S. Kwak;Lee, S.N.;Park, K.K.;T. H. Chang;S. H. Chae;Lee, W.S.;Y. J. Sung;Paek H.S.;Chae J.H.;Sakong T.;Kim, Y.;Park, Y.
    • Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
    • /
    • 2003.11a
    • /
    • pp.20-20
    • /
    • 2003
  • We developed 30 ㎽-AlInGaN based violet laser diodes. The fabrication procedures of the laser diodes are described as follows. Firstly, GaN layers having very low defect density were grown on sapphire substrates by lateral epitaxial overgrowth method. The typical dislocation density was about 1-3$\times$10$^{6}$ /$\textrm{cm}^2$ at the wing region. Secondly, AlInGaN laser structures were grown on LEO-GaN/sapphire substrates by MOCVD. UV activation method, instead of conventional annealing, was conducted to achieve good p-type conduction. Thirdly, ridge stripe laser structures were fabricated. The cavity mirrors were formed by cleaving method. Three pairs of SiO$_2$ and TiO$_2$ layers were deposited on the rear facet for mirror coating. Lastly, laser diode chips were mounted on AlN submount wafers by epi-down bonding method. The lifetime of the laser diodes was over 10,000 hrs at room temperature under automatic power controlled condition. We expect the performance of the LDs to be improved by the optimization of the growth and fabrication process. The detailed characteristics and important issues of the laser diodes will be discussed at the conference.

  • PDF

Chronic Respiratory Symptoms and Associated Factors among Fruit and Vegetable Workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A Comparative Cross sectional Study

  • Mulualem Gete Feleke;Yidnekachew Alemu;Meaza Gezu Shentema;Samson Wakuma;Zerihun Emiru;Tesfaye Yitna Chichiabellu
    • Safety and Health at Work
    • /
    • v.14 no.3
    • /
    • pp.287-294
    • /
    • 2023
  • Background: Fruit and vegetable market is an abundant source of bioaerosols. Exposure to organic and inorganic waste and long-term inhalation of bioaerosols during working hours leads to chronic respiratory symptoms. Hence, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms and related factors among fruit and vegetable workers compared with the control group in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods and materials: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from 2020 to 2021. Data were entered in EpiData 3.1 and exported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Logistic regressions were computed to depict the data and related factors. The culture method was done to count and compare bacterial and fungal concentrations between fruit and vegetable workers and office workers. Results: In this study, the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms (PR = 2.87, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.772-4.66) was significantly higher among fruit and vegetable workers (46.7%) than controls (23.4%). Sex (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.12-3.98), educational status (AOR = 1.34, 95% CI = 0.78-2.32), working hours per day (AOR = 3.91, 95% CI = 1.586-9.65), and working department (AOR = 3.20, 95% CI = 0.90-11.40) were associated with chronic respiratory symptoms. Bacterial and fungal concentrations were significantly higher in the air of the vegetable market (276 colony-forming unit) than the air in the workplace of controls (7 colony-forming unit). Conclusion: The fruit and vegetable market workers (greengrocers) had a higher prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms relative to office workers. Respiratory protective devices should be given to deliver preventive measures.

Limited in vitro differentiation of porcine induced pluripotent stem cells into endothelial cells

  • In-Won Lee;Hyeon-Geun Lee;Dae-Ky Moon;Yeon-Ji Lee;Bo-Gyeong Seo;Sang-Ki Baek;Tae-Suk Kim;Cheol Hwangbo;Joon-Hee Lee
    • Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
    • /
    • v.38 no.3
    • /
    • pp.109-120
    • /
    • 2023
  • Background: Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) including embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offer the immense therapeutic potential in stem cell-based therapy of degenerative disorders. However, clinical trials of human ESCs cause heavy ethical concerns. With the derivation of iPSCs established by reprogramming from adult somatic cells through the transgenic expression of transcription factors, this problems would be able to overcome. In the present study, we tried to differentiate porcine iPSCs (piPSCs) into endothelial cells (ECs) for stem cell-based therapy of vascular diseases. Methods: piPSCs (OSKMNL) were induced to differentiation into ECs in four differentiation media (APEL-2, APEL-2 + 50 ng/mL of VEGF, EBM-2, EBM-2 + 50 ng/mL of VEGF) on cultured plates coated with matrigel® (1:40 dilution with DMEM/F-12 medium) for 8 days. Differentiation efficiency of these cells were exanimated using qRT-PCR, Immunocytochemistry, Western blotting and FACS. Results: As results, expressions of pluripotency-associated markers (OCT-3/4, SOX2 and NANOG) were higher observed in all porcine differentiated cells derived from piPSCs (OSKMNL) cultured in four differentiation media than piPSCs as the control, whereas endothelial-associated marker (CD-31) in the differentiated cells was not expressed. Conclusions: It can be seen that piPSCs (OSKMNL) were not suitable to differentiate into ECs in the four differentiation media unlike porcine epiblast stem cells (pEpiSCs). Therefore, it would be required to establish a suitable PSCs for differentiating into ECs for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Functional MR Imaging of Working Memory in the Human Brain

  • Dong Gyu Na;Jae Wook Ryu;Hong Sik Byun;Dae Seob Choi;Eun Jeong Lee;Woo In Chung;Jae Min Cho;Boo Kyung Han
    • Korean Journal of Radiology
    • /
    • v.1 no.1
    • /
    • pp.19-24
    • /
    • 2000
  • Objective: In order to investigate the functional brain anatomy associated with verbal and visual working memory, functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed. Materials and Methods: In ten normal right handed subjects, functional MR images were obtained using a 1.5-T MR scanner and the EPI BOLD technique. An item recognition task was used for stimulation, and during the activation period of the verbal working memory task, consonant letters were used. During the activation period of the visual working memory task, symbols or diagrams were employed instead of letters. For the post-processing of images, the SPM program was used, with the threshold of significance set at p < .001. We assessed activated brain areas during the two stimulation tasks and compared the activated regions between the two tasks. Results: The prefrontal cortex and secondary visual cortex were activated bilaterally by both verbal and visual working memory tasks, and the patterns of activated signals were similar in both tasks. The superior parietal cortex was also activated by both tasks, with lateralization to the left in the verbal task, and bilaterally without lateralization in the visual task. The inferior frontal cortex, inferior parietal cortex and temporal gyrus were activated exclusively by the verbal working memory task, predominantly in the left hemisphere. Conclusion: The prefrontal cortex is activated by two stimulation tasks, and this is related to the function of the central executive. The language areas activated by the verbal working memory task may be a function of the phonological loop. Bilateral prefrontal and superior parietal cortices activated by the visual working memory task may be related to the visual maintenance of objects, representing visual working memory.

  • PDF