• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.61-70
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• 2018

Objectives : Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by the accumulation of hepatic triglycerides (TG) that leads to inflammation and fibrosis. Crataegi Fructus ethanol extract (CE) is a korean traditional herb that used for digestive diseases. It has been investigated that CE has the effect that prevent hepatotoxicity caused by CCl4 or GaIN and regulate the inflammatory in several organs. However, a hypolipidemic effect of CF has not been reported. Methods : The purpose of this study is that examine the lipid accumulation inhibitory effect of CE on NAFLD. We checked the body and liver weight change of MCD-diet induced mice with/without administration of CE. The blood lipid levels of C57BL/6J mice were checked by biochemistry. Also we observed the liver histology of MCD-diet induced mice and investigate the molecular mechanisms in MCD-diet-induced NAFLD in C57BL/6J mice. Results : CE improved MCD-diet-induced lipid accumulation and TG and TC levels. Also, CE decreased hepatic lipogenesis such as SREBP-1, $C/EBP{\alpha}$, $PPAR{\gamma}$, ACC and FAS. Besides, we also found out that CE increased AMPK phosphorylation. These results indicated that CE has the same ability to activate AMPK and then reduce SREBP-1, and FAS expression, finally leading to inhibit hepatic lipogenesis and hepatic antioxidative ability. Conclusions : In this report, we found CE exerted a regulatory effect on lipid accumulation by decreasing lipogenesis in MCD-diet induced NAFLD model. Therefore, CE extract may be active in the prevention of fatty liver.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.346-351
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• 2022

Background Postmastectomy breast reconstruction (PMR) increases patient satisfaction, quality of life, and psychosocial well-being. There is scarce data regarding the safety of PMR in chronic anticoagulated patients. Perioperative complications can reduce patient satisfaction; therefore, it is important to elucidate the safety of PMR in these patients. Methods A retrospective case-control study of patients who underwent PMR with implants and were on chronic anticoagulation was performed at our institution. Inclusion criteria were women ≥ 18 years old. Exclusion criteria included autologous reconstructions, lumpectomy, and oncoplastic procedures. Two controls for every one patient on anticoagulation were matched by age, body mass index, radiotherapy, smoking history, type of reconstruction, time of reconstruction, and laterality. Results From 2009 to 2020, 37 breasts (20 patients) underwent PMR with implant-based reconstruction and were on chronic anticoagulation. A total of 74 breasts (40 patients) who had similar demographic characteristics to the cases were defined as the control group. Mean age for the case group was 53.6 years (standard deviation [SD] = 16.1), mean body mass index was 28.6 kg/m² (SD = 5.1), and 2.7% of breasts had radiotherapy before reconstruction and 5.4% after reconstruction. Nine patients were on long-term warfarin, six on apixaban, three on rivaroxaban, one on low-molecular-weight heparin, and one on dabigatran. The indications for anticoagulation were prior thromboembolic events in 50%. Anticoagulated patients had a higher risk of capsular contracture (10.8% vs. 0%, p = 0.005). There were no differences regarding incidence of hematoma (2.7% vs. 1.4%, p = 0.63), thromboembolism (5% vs. 0%, p = 0.16), reconstructive-related complications, or length of hospitalization (1.6 days [SD = 24.2] vs. 1.4 days [SD = 24.2], p = 0.85). Conclusion Postmastectomy implant-based breast reconstruction can be safely performed in patients on chronic anticoagulation with appropriate perioperative management of anticoagulation. This information can be useful for preoperative counseling on these patients.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.386-391
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• 2022

This study is about a technique for obtaining collagen by extracting fat by treating collagen-containing liposuction effluent in the presence of supercritical fluid. Using a supercritical solvent, a collagen extract could be obtained from animal-derived fat in a short time (about 6 hours), and about 2-3% of collagen by mass compared to the raw material could be obtained. The presence of collagen in the extract obtained by supercritical extraction was confirmed by SDS-PAGE, and it was confirmed that it was type 1 collagen having a relatively large molecular weight. In addition, the growth factors of IGF-1, bFGF, VEGF and NGF were analyzed to find out which growth factors were present in the collagen obtained by supercritical extraction, and it was found that these growth factors were contained in the extract. There was no significant difference in DNA content per mg of sample before and after supercritical treatment. Further in-depth studies are likely to be needed on decellularization technology using the supercritical process. In conclusion, the extracellular matrix obtained through the solvent extraction process using a supercritical fluid contains growth factors above a certain amount even after decellularization and removal of fat, so that it was found that not only biocompatibility is greatly increased, but also tissue regeneration can be rapidly induced.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.1568-1576
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• 2021

Here, we conducted the study on the possibility of using FK-13, a short analog of human-derived antibacterial peptide LL-37, as a cosmetic preservative to discover a natural cosmetic preservative that is safe for human body. For the purpose, FK-13 composed of 13 amino acids was synthesized by solid-phase peptide synthesis, and purified using reversed phase-high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The purity and molecular weight were confirmed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. FK-13 showed high antimicrobial activity on the three gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus epidermidis), the three gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), and also even the fungus Candida glabrata. FK-13 had a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity, showing a suitability as a cosmetic preservative. In addition, FK-13 showed high thermostability and higher antibacterial activity in a comparative test with existing natural herbal cosmetic and chemical preservatives. Therefore, as FK-13 is a safe material and has high antibacterial activity at a low concentration, it is likely to be applied as a peptide natural cosmetic preservative that can replace existing chemical preservatives.

• Composites Research
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.115-119
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• 2022

The performance of carbon fiber is important for the production of these high-quality polymer composite materials such as CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic). For this purpose, it is essential to use an optimized spinning process for improving the mechanical, physical, and structural properties of the precursor fiber, which greatly affects the properties of the carbon fiber, and the use of a suitable precursor polymer. In this study, the content of MAA (Methacrylic Acid), MAA injection time, and concentration of AIBN (2,2'-Azobis(2-methylpropionitrile)) were set as parameters for the polymer synthesis process, and Poly(AN-co-MAA) (poly(acrylonitrile-co-methacrylic acid)) was polymerized by solution polymerization. Poly(AN-co-MAA) with a molecular weight of 305,138 g/mol and an MAA ratio of 4.2% was dissolved in DMF (N,N-dimethylformamide) at a concentration of 16.0 wt%, and then a precursor fiber was prepared through dry-jet-wet spinning. The precursor fiber had a tensile strength of ~1.06 GPa and a tensile modulus of ~22.01 GPa, and no voids and structural defects were observed on the fiber.

• Clean Technology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.232-237
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• 2022

Biorefineries, in which renewable resources are utilized, are an eco-friendly alternative based on biomass feedstocks. Alginic acid, a major component of brown algae, which is a type of marine biomass, is widely used in various industries and can be converted into value-added chemicals such as sugars, sugar alcohols, furans, and organic acids via catalytic hydrothermal decomposition under certain conditions. In this study, ruthenium-supported activated carbon and magnesium oxide were mixed and applied to the depolymerization of alginic acid in a batch reactor. The addition of magnesium oxide as a basic promoter had a strong influence on product distribution. In this heterogeneous catalytic system, the separation and purification processes are also simplified. After the reaction, low molecular weight alcohols and organic acids with 5 or fewer carbons were produced. Specifically, under the optimal reaction conditions of 30 mL of 1 wt% alginic acid aqueous solution, 100 mg of ruthenium-supported activated carbon, 100 mg of magnesium oxide, 210 ℃ of reaction temperature, and 1 h of reaction time, total carbon yields of 29.8% for alcohols and 43.8% for a liquid product were obtained. Hence, it is suggested that this catalytic system results in the enhanced hydrogenolysis of alginic acid to value-added chemicals.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.113-118
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• 2022

In this study, the effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) on Cu electrodeposition was analyzed using cyclic voltammetry. The adsorption of PEG was affected by the specific adsorption of sulfate ion (SO₄^2-) or chloride ion (Cl^-). In SO₄^2--based plating solution, the adsorption of PEG was limited by the adsorbed SO₄^2-. Accordingly, the adsorbed PEG could suppress the electron transfer for Cu electrodeposition, but its effect was not significant. Meanwhile, in the plating solution composed of perchlorate ion (ClO₄^-) which does not specifically adsorb on Cu surface, a strong suppression effect of PEG was observed and it was proportional to the molecular weight of PEG. On the other hand, when Cl^- was specifically adsorbed on Cu surface, the suppression effect of PEG was enhanced because PEG and Cl^- formed an interrelated adsorbate. The synergetic effect of PEG and Cl^- depended on the composition of the plating solution, which means that the synergy between PEG and Cl^- is based on the physical interaction. For example, the hydrophobicity of PEG plays an important role in the interaction, as the suppression effect of PEG derivative having a hydrocarbon tail was further enhanced with the addition of Cl^-.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.316-321
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• 2021

Ligninolytic enzymes were produced by Pleurotus ostreatus No.42, cultivated in a new kind of bioreactor that has a rotating draft tube with a helical ribbon. Maximum laccase (Lac) production (about 8,200 U/bioreactor) was reached after 3 days of incubation, then production decreased. Production of manganese peroxidase (MnP) in this fermenter reached a maximum level of about 8,400 U/bioreactor after 6 days of incubation. Lignin peroxidase (LiP) was not detected under these growth conditions. These results indicate that the rotary draft tube bioreactor (RTB) is compatible with large scale production of ligninolytic enzymes. MnP produced under these fermentation conditions was purified via a multistep process that included chromatography on Sepharose CL-6B, prep grade Superdex 75, and Mono-Q. This major isoenzyme was confirmed to have an apparent molecular weight of 36,400 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and its isoelectric point (IEF) was determined to be 3.95. N-terminal sequencing of the major isoenzyme from this fermentation was identical to that reported for an MnP3 isoenzyme isolated under different cultivation conditions, including stationary and shaking culture.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.67 no.4
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• pp.211-221
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• 2022

Recently, the demand for the cultivation of upland soil has been increasing, and the rate of conversion of paddy soil into upland soil is also increasing. Theincrease in uneven precipitation due to climate change has resulted in dramatic effects of waterlogging stress on upland crops. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the changes in growth characteristics and the expression patterns of proteins at the two-leaf stage of adzuki beans. The domestic cultivar, Arari (Miryang No. 8), was used to test waterlogging stress. At the two-leaf stage of adzuki beans, plant height slightly decreased androot fresh weight showed significant changes after 3 days of waterlogging treatment. Chlorophyll content was also significantly different after 3 days of waterlogging treatment compared to its content in control plants. Using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, more than 400 protein spots were identified. Twenty-one differentially expressed proteins from the two-leaf stage were analyzed using linear trap quadrupole-Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. Of these 21 proteins, 9 were up-regulated and 12 were down-regulated under waterlogging treatment. Protein information resource (https://pir.georgetown.edu/) categories were assigned to all 49 proteins according to their molecular function, cellular component localization, and biological processes. Most of the proteins were found to be involved in the biological process, carbohydrate metabolism and were localized in chloroplasts.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.6-16
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• 2023

To investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of submerged culture using Cordyceps militaris mycelium, culture-including mycelia was extracted and lyophilized into postbiotics (hot-water extract; CM-HW). HW was fractionated into crude polysaccharide (CM-CP) by ethanol precipitation, and CM-CP was further dialyzed into CM-DCP by dialysis with running water using 12~14 kDa dialysis tube. When the cytotoxicity of subfractions against cells was assessed, no subfraction had a cytotoxic impact that was substantially different from the control groups. In an inflammatory model using LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, CM-DCP significantly decreased IL-6 and MCP-1 production levels compared to the LPS-control group. CM-DCP also inhibited IL-6 and IL-8 secretion in HaCaT keratinocytes stimulated with TNF-α and IFN-γ. In the meanwhile, the neutral sugar content and mannose ratio of anti-inflammatory CM-DCP were higher than the other fractions, and CM-DCP contained β-1,3/1,6-glucan of 216.1 mg/g. High pressure size exclusion chromatography revealed that CM-DCP contained molecules with a molecular weight range of 5.6 to 144.0 kDa. In conclusion, postbiotics of C. militaris mycelium significantly promoted anti-inflammatory activity, suggesting that neutral polysaccharides including Glc and Man contribute to the anti-inflammation in RAW 264.7 or HaCaT cells.