• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.138-144
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• 2017

The pharmacological rationale of Agastache rugosa (AR) or Pogostemon cablin (PC), which have been used in traditional Korean medicine to treat dampness pattern or syndrome in gastrointestinal tract, was investigated on the gastrointestinal disorders. In-vivo model studies that examined the effect on the gastrointestinal disorders of AR or PC were collected. They were classified into disease-induced in-vivo models or non-disease in vivo models. The target disease, animal species, induction method, administration, and outcomes (changes in morphological and histological parameter, or blood and fluid) of each study were analyzed. The therapeutic mechanism of AR or PC extract was evaluated by the induced diseases and the changes in outcomes. There were contradictory reports on gastrointestinal motility of AR or PC in disease non-disease in-vivo model. AR or PC inhibited gastrointestinal motility in disease model of increased gastrointestinal motility, while promoted motility in disease model of decreased gastrointestinal motility. AR or PC also inhibited inflammatory changes in gastrointestinal inflammation model. These results suggest that the bidirectional regulation of gastrointestinal motility and the improvement of gastrointestinal inflammatory disorders might underpin traditional therapeutic effect of AR or PC, that is effect to resolve dampness of gastrointestinal tract.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.601-606
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• 2017

One-dimensional nanostructured metal oxide can be formed through an anodic oxidation, which is a typical technique of metal surface treatment. Studies on $TiO_2$ nanotubes have been widely carried out with increasing interests in $TiO_2$, which has an excellent functionality among various metal oxides. The present article reviews the principles of formation of $TiO_2$ nanotubes, which have been studied so far. In particular, the article discussed the equilibrium relationship between the oxide formation and etching, which is a key parameter of $TiO_2$ nanotube growth, and the formation of the porous structure. Furthermore, morphological considerations of $TiO_2$ nanotubes according to electrolyte conditions will be explained to the researchers who will study the application of $TiO_2$ nanotubes formed through the anodic oxidation in the future.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.223-228
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• 2011

White light scanning interferometry has been employed to analyze surface features of diverse specimens. Long established in the field of materials engineering, the technique provides quantitative three-dimensional data as well as qualitative morphological images. It uses white light that is split and reflected from a reference mirror and an object. Merged together, the light generates interference patterns representing topographical contours of the object surface. The amplitude of the z-axis data is differentiated by gray scale. The technique allows the rapid, noncontact, and wide-field measurements for morphometry of biological specimens including chondrocytes, tooth enamel, and plant leaves. Quantification of the dimension of surface structures such as width, length, and elevation angle could be achievable by white light scanning interferometry. The light reflection from plant leaves has been assumed to be sufficient for the technique. Without special specimen preparations like conductive metal coating, the technique can be increasingly used for quantitative three-dimensional surface measurements of biological specimens.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.137-145
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• 2010

Four specimens of unknown Coilia sp. were collected for the first time from the Yellow Sea in 2008 and compared with Coilia mystus and Coilia nasus. Coilia sp. showed similar morphology to C. mystus and C. nasus, but differed in that its tail was considerably shorter. We conducted an analysis of the morphological and genetic characteristics in an effort to clarify the taxonomic position of Coilia sp. In counts and measurements, Coilia sp. were well distinguished from C. nasus by the number of scutes (42-44 in Coilia sp. vs. 40-45 in C. mystus vs. 45-55 in C. nasus), ratio of dorsal base length to head length (43.4-47.6 vs. 37.9-47.6 vs. 33.0-41.0), and eye length to head length (19.2-20.8 vs. 17.0-22.4 vs. 13.8-18.2). In caudal skeleton of Coilia sp., urostyle, hypural and epural bones were not observed; instead of them, caudal fin rays were supported by the last vertebra, neural and haemal spines' extension. The molecular phylogenetic relationship was analyzed using 414 base-pair 12S rRNA mitochondrial DNA sequences. The Kimura-2-parameter distance between Coilia sp. and C. mystus was 0.3%, but was 1.3% between Coilia sp. and C. nasus. Both the neighbor-joining tree and maximum-likelihood tree showed that Coilia sp. are closely clustered with C. mystus. Therefore, our results suggest that the Coilia sp. may be a deformed fish of C. mystus.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.135-139
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• 2015

$Cu_2SnS_3$ (CTS) based thin film solar cells (TFSCs) are of great interest because of its earth abundant, low-toxic and eco-friendly material with high optical absorption coefficient of $10^4cm^{-1}$. In this study, the DC sputtered precursor thin films have been sulfurized using rapid thermal annealing (RTA) system in the graphite box under Ar gas atmosphere for 10 minute. The systematic variation of sulfur powder during annealing process has been carried out and their effects on the structural, morphological and optical properties of CTS thin films have been investigated. The preliminary power conversion efficiency of 1.47% with a short circuit current density of $33.9mA/cm^2$, an open circuit voltage of 159.7 mV, and a fill factor of 27% were obtained for CTS thin film annealed with 0.05g of S powder, although the processing parameter s have not yet been optimized.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.465-474
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• 1998

This study was examined on the effect of ex-vivo immunotherapy in 7, 12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced rat mammary carcinogenesis. Sprague-Dawley female 40 rats were divided into Jour groups. As a positive control, Group I was intubated with DMBA, 5 mg /100 g body weight and single dose, at experimental onset. Group II was treated ex-vivo immunotherapy with polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (Poly I : C) and Group III was treated with Interleukin-2 (IL-2). Group IV was negative control. All rats were sacrificed at 16 weeks after DMBA intubation. Mammary gland wet weight, dry fat free tissue weight, incidence of tumor, and the number of lobules, alveolar buds, terminal end buds, and terminal ducts were examined. Morphological changes of the mammary gland after treated with DMBA were analyzed by whole mount and histopathological method. As results, the induced mammary tumors of Group I, II and III were 60%, 33% and 0%, respectively. Histopathological types of induced-mammary tumors were adenoma, adenocarcinoma and carcinosarcoma. In analysis of the whole mount method, the number of the terminal end buds, terminal ducts and lobules were significantly lower in Group II (p<0.01) and III (p<0.01) than DMBA alone treated Group I. In microscopic observation, hyperplastic alveolar nodules were significantly lower in Group III than Group I (p<0.01). In conclusion, IL-2 had strong inhibitory effect on the mammary gland tumorigenesis induced by DMBA in rats. Whole mount method may be a useful technique to assess the mammary carcinogenesis. Moreover, hyperplastic alveolar nodules were very sensitive parameter to assess the mammary carcinogenesis.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.236-239
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• 2005

This study investigated the effect of ovariectomy (OVX) on the rat bone fur long term (22 weeks). In previous researches, there were many studies for morphology of OVX-induced osteoporotic bones based on micro-Computed Tomography (micro-CT). However, there were few studies fpr detecting and tracking changes of mechanical characteristics in the lumbar vertebrae of OVX rat fur long-term. For this study, one female Sprague-Dawley rat was used: an OVX rat. The 4th lumbar of the OVX rat was utilized as a specimen. Morphological characteristics could be investigated fur the lumbar vertebrae in an OVX rat by using in-vivo Micro-CT. An OVX rat was scanned at week 0 (just before surgery), at week 4, at week 8, at week 16 and at week 22 after surgery. Micro finite element $({\mu}FE)$ analysis was used to investigate mechanical characteristics in the lumbar vertebrae for an OVX rat.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.9
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• pp.3051-3057
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• 2021

The concrete is considered as an important radiation shielding material employed widely in nuclear reactors, particle accelerators, laboratory hot cells and other different radiation sources. The present research is dedicated to the shielding properties study of the ordinary concrete reinforced with different weight fractions of lead oxide micro/nano particles. Lead oxide particles were fabricated by chemical synthesis method and their properties including the average size, morphological structure, functional groups and thermal properties were characterized by XRD, FESEM-EDS, FTIR and TGA analysis. The gamma ray mass attenuation coefficient of concrete composites has been calculated and measured by means of the Monte Carlo simulation and experimental methods. The simulation process was based on the use of MCNP Monte Carlo code where the mass attenuation coefficient (μ/ρ) has been calculated as a function of different particle sizes and filler weight fractions. The simulation results showed that the employment of the lead oxide filler particles enhances the mass attenuation coefficient of the ordinary concrete, drastically. On the other hand, there are approximately no differences between micro and nano sized particles. The mass attenuation coefficient was increased by increasing the weight fraction of nanoparticles. However, a semi-saturation effect was observed at concentrations more than 10 wt%. The experimental process was based on the fabrication of concrete slabs filled by different weight fractions of nano lead oxide particles. The mass attenuation coefficients of these slabs were determined at different gamma ray energies using ²²Na, ¹³⁷Cs and ⁶⁰Co sources and NaI (Tl) scintillation detector. The experimental results showed that the HVL parameter of the ordinary concrete reinforced with 5 wt% of nano PbO particles was reduced by 64% at 511 keV and 48% at 1332 keV. Reasonable agreement was obtained between simulation and experimental results and showed that the employment of nano PbO particles is more efficient at low gamma energies up to 1Mev. The proposed concrete is less toxic and could be prepared in block form instead of toxic lead blocks.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.38-47
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• 2022

Hymenodictyon orixensis (Roxb.) Mabberley (locally known as Bhutum in Bangladesh) is both an ecologically and economically valuable multipurpose tree species for afforestation and reforestation programs in Bangladesh. Seed germination and seedling development study of H. orixense were conducted to find out the response to different growing medium, e.g., polybag (15×10 cm (T₀) and 20×15 cm (T₁)), sand medium in propagator house (T₂), conventional nursery bed (T₃), and root trainer (T₄) in the Nursery. Consequently, germination behavior and seedling morphological parameters of H. orixense were assessed. The results revealed that the sand medium of the propagator house (T₂) provided the highest germination % (58.57±22.30) and the highest germination energy (11.43±2.43) followed by seedlings growing in 20×15 cm polybags (T1) containing forest topsoil and cow-dung at a ratio of 3:1. Except for germination energy, germination values, and germination capacity, other seed biology parameters, particularly imbibition, germination period, germination rate, and plant survival percent in T₁, T₂, T₃, and T₄ were significantly (p<0.05) different from T₀. Each phenotypic parameter of seedlings and dry matter of shoot and root significantly differed from control except root length (p<0.992). Based on this study, Polybags of 20×15 cm size are regarded as the best medium for quality seedling development of H. orixense. The nursery bed (T₃) had the lowest germination performance and developed more inferior quality seedlings. Thereby, 20×15 cm size of polybags with conventional soil and cow-dung media is recommended for maximum germination and to grow the quality seedlings of H. orixense in the Nursery.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.30-36
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• 2022

We collected a total of four butterfly ray specimens (Gymnura japonica, 213.4-695.0 mm in total length) in Korea from 2016 to 2021 and investigated their morphological and molecular characteristics in order to clarify their taxonomic status. These features are summarized as follows. Disc lozenge-shaped, 1.8-2.0 times broader than long. Tail very short, post-cloaca length 23.9-28.2% in disc width. Snout short, no rostral cartilage. Clasper short, no hook. Dorsal surface uniform yellow or brownish grey, with or without rounded light yellow spots. An analysis of 434 base-pair sequences of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit I showed that all four specimens corresponded to G. japonica from Japan (Kimura-2-parameter distance = 0-0.2%), suggesting that the color patterns found may be due to intraspecific color variation. G. japonica resembles Gymnura poecilura but differs in that it has a shorter tail length to disc width (23.9-28.2% in G. japonica vs. 40.1-48.3% in G. poecilura). This study revealed that G. japonica occurred in areas affected by the Tsushima Warm Current, tentatively suggesting that G. japonica may be an indicator species for monitoring marine ecosystem changes due to climate change.