• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.403-408
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• 2008

Keratin is the major structural fibrous protein providing outer covering such as wool, hair, and nail. Keratin is useful as natural protein. We developed the keratin loaded poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) scaffolds (keratin/PLGA) for the possibility of the application of the tissue engineering using bone marrow mesenchymal (BMSCs). Keratin/PLGA (contents 0%, 10%, 20% and 50% of PLGA weight) scaffolds were prepared by solvent casting/salt leaching method. We characterized porosity, wettability, and water uptake ability, DSC of keratin/PLGA scaffold. We seeded BMSCs isolated from the femurs of rat into the inner core of the hybrid scaffold. Celluar viability were assayed by 3- (4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl) -2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) test. We confirmed that keratin/PLGA scaffold is hydrophilic by wettability, and water uptake ability measurement results. In MTT assay results, cell viability in scaffolds impregnated 10 and 20 wt% of keratin were higher than other scaffolds. In conclusion, we suggest that keratin/PLGA scaffold may be useful to tissue engineering using BMSCs.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.555-559
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• 1997

The three different batches of an oral sustained release melatonin (MT) delivery system were prepared by aqueous-based fluid-bed coating of the sugar spheres for the evaluation of in vitro release characteristics and plasma concentration profiles in human subjects. The MT contents in 20% coated sugar spheres of three batches (B1, B2 and B3) were $3.3{\pm}0.08$, $2.4{\pm}0.1$ and $2.5{\pm}0.13$ mg per gram of coated sugar spheres, respectively. The release profiles of three different batches had a very similar fashion. However, the release profiles of three different batches had a very similar fashion. However, the release half-lives $(T_{50%})$ of MT from B1, B2 and B3 was $3.70{\pm}0.2$, $5.2{\pm}0.2$ and $4.9{\pm}0.07h$, respectively. Plasma concentration profiles of sustained release 0.2mg melatonin-loaded sugar spheres containing 10% immediate release melatonin in gelatin capsules (B1 and B2) were then evaluated in human subjects. The in vivo plasma concentration profies of the two batches (B1 and B2) were very similar each other and located between the physiological endogenous ranges. The time to reach the peak concentration $(T_max)$ was more advanced in case of B1 when compared to B2. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the maximum concentration $(C_max)$ and the area under the curve (AUC) between B1 and B2. The AUC of melatonin-loaded sugar spheres containing 10% and 20% immediate release MT in human subjects had a good linearity between dose and AUC, regardless of the fraction of immediate release MT, indicating the first order elimination process of MT within these doses. The current oral sustained release MT delivery system may be utilized to treat circadian rhythm disorders if it is proven to be more clinically useful when compared to immediate release MT.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.171-176
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• 1975

The rate and extent of decomposition of rice straw and compost in an acid sulfate soil amended with urea and lime and incubated under aerobic and anaerobic(flooded) conditions were investigated in the laboratory. Results are summarized as follows: 1. The rate of compost(alone) decomposition in a flooded soil was more than twice as high as all other treatments, which included rice straw+urea, rice straw+lime, rice straw (alone), and compost+lime. Lime appeared to suppress the decomposition of compost in a flooded soil but actually enhanced its decomposition under aerobic conditions. 2. Compost decomposition in both anaerobic and aerobic environments was characterized by single maximum peak rates of $CO_2$ evolution that were reached soon after the start of incubation. 3. Both urea and lime greatly increased the rate and extent of rice straw decomposition in the soil when incubated aerobically, although urea had a greater effect than did liming. Decomposition rates were characterized by the appearance of two maximum peak rates, a greater primary peak and a smaller secondary peak. 4. The percent decomposition of rice straw in soil incubated aerobically was approximately half (10.8%) that of compost(23.1%). However, percent decomposition of these substrates in soil amended with lime was essentially the same; i.e., rice straw+lime (29.4%) and compost+lime(31.6%). 5. There is a need to investigate the possible interaction between the addition of lime (pH) and supplemental nitrogen applied to acid sulfate soils and how this interaction might affect the decomposition of organic wastes and residues.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.166-170
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• 2019

Objectives: Attentional and memory functions are important aspects of neural plasticity that, theoretically, should be amenable to pharmacopuncture treatments. A previous study from our laboratory suggested that quantitative electroencephalographic (qEEG) measurements of theta/beta ratio (TBR), an index of attentional control, may be indicative of academic performance in a first-semester medical school course. The present study expands our prior report by extracting and analyzing data on frontal theta and beta asymmetries. We test the hypothesis that the amount of frontal theta and beta asymmetries (fTA, fBA), are correlated with TBR and academic performance, thereby providing novel targets for pharmacopuncture treatments to improve cognitive performance. Methods: Ten healthy male volunteers were subjected to 5-10 min of qEEG measurements under eyes-closed conditions. The qEEG measurements were performed 3 days before each of first two block examinations in anatomy-physiology, separated by five weeks. Amplitudes of the theta and beta waveforms, expressed in ${\mu}V$, were used to compute TBR, fTA and fBA. Significance of changes in theta and beta EEG wave amplitude was assessed by ANOVA with post-hoc t-testing. Correlations between TBR, fTA, fBA and the raw examination scores were evaluated by Pearson's product-moment coefficients and linear regression analysis. Results: fTA and fBA were found to be negatively correlated with TBR (P<0.03, P<0.05, respectively) and were positively correlated with the second examination score (P<0.03, P=0.1, respectively). Conclusion: Smaller fTA and fBA were associated with lower academic performance in the second of two first-semester medical school anatomy-physiology block examination. Future studies should determine whether these qEEG metrics are useful for monitoring changes associated with the brain's cognitive adaptations to academic challenges, for predicting academic performance and for targeting phamacopuncture treatments to improve cognitive performance.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.11
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• pp.1811-1821
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• 2021

Objective: A trial was conducted to investigate the effects of supplemental levels of Mn provided by organic and inorganic trace mineral supplements on growth, tissue mineralization, mineral balance, and antioxidant status of growing broiler chicks. Methods: A total of 500 male chicks (8-d-old) were used in 10-day feeding trial, with 10 treatments and 10 replicates of 5 chicks per treatment. A 2×5 factorial design was used where supplemental Mn levels (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 mg Mn/kg diet) were provided as MnSO₄·H₂O or MnPro. When Mn was supplied as MnPro, supplements of zinc, copper, iron, and selenium were supplied as organic minerals, whereas in MnSO₄·H₂O supplemented diets, inorganic salts were used as sources of other trace minerals. Performance data were fitted to a linearbroken line regression model to estimate the optimal supplemental Mn levels. Results: Manganese supplementation improved body weight, average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared with chicks fed diets not supplemented with Mn. Manganese in liver, breast muscle, and tibia were greatest at 50, 75, and 100 mg supplemental Mn/kg diet, respectively. Higher activities of glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase (total-SOD) were found in both liver and breast muscle of chicks fed diets supplemented with inorganic minerals. In chicks fed MnSO₄·H₂O, ADG, FCR, Mn balance, and concentration in liver were optimized at 59.8, 74.3, 20.6, and 43.1 mg supplemental Mn/kg diet, respectively. In MnPro fed chicks, ADG, FCR, Mn balance, and concentration in liver and breast were optimized at 20.6, 38.0, 16.6, 33.5, and 62.3 mg supplemental Mn/kg, respectively. Conclusion: Lower levels of organic Mn were required by growing chicks for performance optimization compared to inorganic Mn. Based on the FCR, the ideal supplemental levels of organic and inorganic Mn in chick feeds were 38.0 and 74.3 mg Mn/kg diet, respectively.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.263-268
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• 2022

Health care workers (HCWs) are more than ten times more likely to be infected with coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) than the general population, thus demonstrating the burden of COVID-19 among HCWs. Factors that expose HCWs to a differentially high-risk of COVID-19 acquisition are important to elucidate, enable appropriate public health interventions to mitigate against high risk and reduce adverse outcomes from the infection. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize and critically analyze the existing evidence on SARS-CoV-2 risk factors among HCWs. With no geographical limitation, we included studies, in any country, that reported (i) the PCR laboratory diagnosis of COVID-19 as an independent variable (ii) one or more COVID-19 risk factors among HCWs with risk estimates (relative risk, odds ratio, or hazard ratio) (iii) original, quantitative study design, and published in English or Mandarian. Our initial search resulted in 470 articles overall, however, only 10 studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. Out of the 10 studies included in the review, inadequate/lack of protective personal equipment, performing tracheal intubation, and gender were the most common risk factors of COVID-19. Based on the random effects adjusted pooled relative risk, HCWs who reported the use of protective personal equipment were 29% (95% CI: 16% to 41%) less likely to test positive for COVID-19. The study also revealed that HCWs who performed tracheal intubations were 34% (95% CI: 14% to 57%) more likely to test positive for COVID-19. Interestingly, this study showed that female HCWs are at 11% higher risk (RR 1.11 95% CI 1.01-1.21) of COVID-19 than their male counterparts. This article presents initial findings from a living systematic review and meta-analysis, therefore, did not yield many studies; however, it revealed a significant insight into better understanding COVID-19 risk factors among HCWs; insights important for devising preventive strategies that protect them from this infection.

• Korean small business review
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.117-137
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• 2020

We examine the current status of smart factory deployment and diffusion programs in Korea, and seek to promote manufacturing innovation from the perspective of SMEs. The main conclusions of this paper are as follows. First, without additional market creation and supply chain improvement, smart factories are unlikely to raise profitability leading to overinvestment. Second, new business models need to connect "manufacturing process efficiency" with "R&D" and "marketing" in value chain in smart factories. Third, when introducing smart factories, we need to focus on the areas where process-embedded technology is directly linked to corporate competitiveness. Based on the modularity-maturity matrix (Pisano and Shih, 2012) and the examples of U.S. Manufacturing Innovation Institute (MII), we establish the new smart factory deployment policy measures as follows. First, we shift our smart factory strategy from quantitative expansion to qualitative upgrading. Second, we promote by each sector the formation of industrial commons that help SMEs to jointly develop R&D, exchange standardized data and practices, and facilitate supplier-led procurement system. Third, to implement new technology and business models, we encourage partnerships, collaborations, and M&As between conventional SMEs and start-ups and business ventures. Fourth, the whole deployment process of smart factories is indexed in detail to identify the problems and provide appropriate solutions.

• Journal of the speleological society of Korea
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• no.4
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• pp.41-50
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• 1996

The coastal plains of the Puna and Ka' u Districts of the island of Hawaii are a contradiction to the popular view that the island of Hawaii is a tropical rain forest or a vegetated landscape with abundant water sour This section of the island lies in the rain shadow of Mauna Loa a Kilauea Volcanoes and receives less than 30 inches of annual precipita When rain does come. it is in the form of sudden down pours. givi residents of the area little time to collect and conserve water. Due to porous nature of the rock. there is no standing surface water. In spite of these harsh climatic conditions. archeological evidence indic that an extensive agriculture complex existed not only along the coast. into the most remote parts of what is called the Ka'u Desert. Pass through these agricultural areas are historic and pre - historic t systems. These trail systems apparently played a significant suppor role for exchange between the ahupua's (classic land divisions of Haw and the geopolitical districts. The question arises as to how could vast agricultural complexes a heavy foot travel over miles of arid land exist without dependable wa sources\ulcorner While planting - pits and mounds were designed to make most efficient use of available water and conserve moisture(Carter 19 9). people involved in planting also needed potable water for surv Most publications and research papers dealing with the early population this area make only oblique reference to springs and wells which t populations depended upon. The Federal Cave Resource Protection Act(1988) has served as imprtus for the National Park Service to look closer at the lava tu caves and fault cracks within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. P visitors to these underground areas found large volumes of standing wa in fault cracks. and abundant drip areas with the lava tubes. Re observes noted that in most cases. where the cracks and caves we located in the arid sections of the park. there has been extens modifiacation or utilization of these water sources by the early Hawaii and others. The variety of western containers used for collection indica that these water sources were used during historic times. William E described similar water sources in his narrative of his trip around island in 1823(Eills 1979), This report is directed at documenting recent observations and a stimulating further research into early Hawaiian water collection syst It also explores the implications that power and political influence of e chiefs in the arid portions of Hawaii could have been linked to the con of the water resources.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.227-239
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• 2023

Major depressive disorder is a leading cause of disability in more than 280 million people worldwide. Monoamine-based antidepressants are currently used to treat depression, but delays in treatment effects and lack of responses are major reasons for the need to develop faster and more efficient antidepressants. Studies show that ketamine (KET), a PCP analog, produces antidepressant effects within a few hours of administration that lasts up to a week. However, the use of KET has raised concerns about side effects, as well as the risk of abuse. 4 -F-PCP analog is a novel PCP analog that is also an NMDA receptor antagonist, structurally similar to KET, and might potentially elicit similar antidepressant effects, however, there has been no study on this subject yet. Herein, we investigate whether 4-F-PCP displays antidepressant effects and explored their potential therapeutic mechanisms. 4-F-PCP at 3 and 10 mg/kg doses showed antidepressant-like effects and repeated treatments maintained its effects. Furthermore, treatment with 4-F-PCP rescued the decreased expression of proteins most likely involved in depression and synaptic plasticity. Changes in the excitatory amino acid transporters (EAAT2, EAAT3, EAAT4) were also seen following drug treatment. Lastly, we assessed the possible side effects of 4-F-PCP after long-term treatment (up to 21 days). Results show that 4-F-PCP at 3 mg/kg dose did not alter the cognitive function of mice. Overall, current findings provide significant implications for future research not only with PCP analogs but also on the next generation of different types of antidepressants.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2023.05a
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• pp.32-32
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• 2023

Incidences of urban flood and extreme heat waves (due to the urban heat island effect) are expected to increase in New Zealand under future climate change (IPCC 2022; MfE 2020). Increasingly, the mitigation of such events will depend on the resilience of a range Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) used in Sustainable Urban Drainage Schemes (SUDS), or Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) (Jamei and Tapper 2019; Johnson et al 2021). Understanding the impact of changing precipitation and temperature regimes due climate change is therefore critical to the long-term resilience of such urban infrastructure and design. Cuthbert et al (2022) have assessed the trade-offs between the water retention and cooling benefits of different urban greening methods (such as WSUD) relative to global location and climate. Using the Budyko water-energy balance framework (Budyko 1974), they demonstrated that the potential for water infiltration and storage (thus flood mitigation) was greater where potential evaporation is high relative to precipitation. Similarly, they found that the potential for mitigation of drought conditions was greater in cooler environments. Subsequently, Jaramillo et al. (2022) have illustrated the locations worldwide that will deviate from their current Budyko curve characteristic under climate change scenarios, as the relationship between actual evapotranspiration (AET) and potential evapotranspiration (PET) changes relative to precipitation. Using the above approach we assess the impact of future climate change on the urban water-energy balance in three contrasting New Zealand cities (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Invercargill). The variation in Budyko curve characteristics is then used to describe expected changes in water storage and cooling potential in each urban area as a result of climate change. The implications of the results are then considered with respect to existing WSUD guidelines according to both the current and future climate in each location. It was concluded that calculation of Budyko curve deviation due to climate change could be calculated for any location and land-use type combination in New Zealand and could therefore be used to advance the general understanding of climate change impacts. Moreover, the approach could be used to better define the concept of urban infrastructure resilience and contribute to a better understanding of Budyko curve dynamics under climate change (questions raised by Berghuijs et al 2020)). Whilst this knowledge will assist in implementation of national climate change adaptation (MfE, 2022; UNEP, 2022) and improve climate resilience in urban areas in New Zealand, the approach could be repeated for any global location for which present and future mean precipitation and temperature conditions are known.