• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.41 no.6
• /
• pp.821-830
• /
• 2009

In this paper, modal testing and finite element modeling results to identify the modal parameters of a nuclear fuel rod as well as its cladding tube are discussed. A vertically standing full-size cladding tube and a fuel rod with lead pellets were used in the modal testing. As excessive flow-induced vibration causes a failure in fuel rods, such as fretting wear, the vibration level of fuel rods should be low enough to prevent failure of these components. Because vibration amplitude can be estimated based on the modal parameters, the dynamic characteristics must be determined during the design process. Therefore, finite element models are developed based on the test results. The effect of a lumped mass attached to a cladding tube model was identified during the finite element model optimization process. Unlike a cladding tube model, the density of a fuel rod with pellets cannot be determined in a straightforward manner because pellets do not move in the same phase with the cladding tube motion. The density of a fuel rod with lead pellets was determined by comparing natural frequency ratio between the cladding tube and the rod. Thus, an improved fuel rod finite element model was developed based on the updated cladding tube model and an estimated fuel rod density considering the lead pellets. It is shown that the entire pellet mass does not contribute to the fuel rod dynamics; rather, they are only partially responsible for the fuel rod dynamic behavior.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.79-82
• /
• 2014

Mowat-Wilson syndrome is an extremely rare genetic disease that is characterized by intellectual disability, facial dysmorphism, Hirschsprung's disease, and other congenital anomalies. This disorder is caused by heterozygous mutations or deletions in the zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox-2 gene (ZEB2). Thus far, approximately 200 cases of Mowat-Wilson syndrome have been reported worldwide. In Korea, only one case with a 2q22 deletion, which also affects ZEB2, has been previously reported. Here, we describe a patient with Mowat-Wilson syndrome who presented with developmental delays, typical facial dysmorphism, and Hirschsprung's disease. Molecular analysis of ZEB2 identified a novel heterozygous mutation at c.190dup ($p.S64Kfs^*6$). To our knowledge, this is the second report of a Korean patient with Mowat-Wilson syndrome that has been confirmed genetically.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.9 no.5
• /
• pp.517-522
• /
• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate food allergens and prevalence rates of food allergies, followed by comparison of consumer attitudes and preferences regarding food allergy labeling by diagnosis of food allergies. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 543 individuals living in Seoul and Gyeonggi area participated in the survey from October 15 to 22 in 2013. RESULTS: The results show that the prevalence of doctor-diagnosed food allergies was 17.5%, whereas 6.4% of respondents self-reported food allergies. The most common allergens of doctor-diagnosed and self-reported food allergy respondents were peaches (30.3%) and eggs (33.3%), respectively, followed by peanuts, cow's milk, and crab. Regarding consumer attitudes toward food labeling, checking food allergens as an item was only significantly different between allergic and non-allergic respondents among all five items (P < 0.001). All respondents reported that all six items (bold font, font color, box frame, warning statement, front label, and addition of potential allergens) were necessary for an improved food allergen labeling system. PLSR analysis determined that the doctor-diagnosed group and checking of food allergens were positively correlated, whereas the non-allergy group was more concerned with checking product brands. CONCLUSIONS: An effective food labeling system is very important for health protection of allergic consumers. Additionally, government agencies must develop policies regarding prevalence of food allergies in Korea. Based on this information, the food industry and government agencies should provide clear and accurate food labeling practices for consumers.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
• /
• v.38 no.5 s.118
• /
• pp.54-59
• /
• 2006

Paperboards used for linerboard of corrugated fiberboard box were coated with different concentrations of polylactic acid (PLA) solution and the effects of harsh environmental conditions such as high humidity and temperature (96% RH at $30^{\circ}C$ for up to 5 days), and freeze-thaw ($-20^{\circ}C$ for a day and then thaw at room temperature for 30 min) conditions on the ring crush (RC) strength of the boards were investigated. One to five percent PLA solutions were coated onto SC manila linerboard ($20{\times}27cm$) using a No. 20 wire bar coater and the ring crush strength was measured using a computer-controlled Advanced Universal Testing System in accordance with TAPPI Test Method T 822 om-93. The RC strength increased significantly when the concentration of coating solution increased and appreciable changes were found when the concentration increased from 0 to 2% (P<0.05). Similar pattern of results was found after 5-day storage at $30^{\circ}C$ and 96% RH. Although such highly humid condition increased moisture content in the samples up to 3.95 from 0.97 times, the RC strength decreased in the range from 29.9 to 48.5%. The freeze-thaw treatment increased the moisture content only up to 1.27% and the reduction in the RC strength ranged from 21.1 to 28.1 %. The results were promising: the samples coated with 5% PLA solution showed 29.9% reduction in the RC strength while that of control was 48.5% during highly humid condition stated above.

• Tribology and Lubricants
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.71-76
• /
• 2021

As opposed to using fossil fuels, we need to use eco-friendly resources such as sunlight, raindrops and wind to produce electricity and combat environmental pollution. A triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is a device that converts mechanical energy into electricity by inducing repetitive contact and separation of two dissimilar materials. During the contact and separation processes, electron flow occurs owing to a change in electric potential of the contacting surface caused by contact electrification and electrostatic induction mechanisms. A solid-solid contact TENG is widely known, but it is possible to generate electricity via liquid-solid contact. Therefore, by designing a hydrophobic TENG, we can gather electricity from raindrop energy in a feasible manner. To fabricate the superhydrophobic surface of TENGs, we employ a dip coating technique to synthesize an octadecylamine (ODA)- and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based coating on polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The synthesized coating exhibits superhydrophobicity with a contact angle greater than 150° and generates a current of 2.2 ㎂/L while water droplets fall onto it continuously. Hence, we prepare a box-type TENG, with the ODA/PDMS coating deposited on the inside, and place a 1.5 mL water droplet into it. Resultantly, we confirm that the induced vibration causes continuous impacts between the ODA/PDMS coating and the water, generating approximately 100 pA for each impact.

• Animal Bioscience
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.22-28
• /
• 2022

Objective: Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress engages the unfolded protein response (UPR) that serves as an important mechanism for modulating hepatic fatty acid oxidation and lipogenesis. Chronic fasting in mice induced the UPR activation to regulate lipid metabolism. However, there is no direct evidence of whether negative energy balance (NEB) induces ER stress in the liver of cows. This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between the NEB attributed to feed deprivation and ER stress in bovine hepatocytes. Methods: Blood samples and liver biopsy tissues were collected from 6 non-lactating cows before and after their starvation for 48 h. The blood non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), β-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) and glucose level were analyzed. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were used to explore the regulation of genes associated with UPR and lipid metabolism. Results: The starvation increased the plasma BHBA and NEFA levels and decreased the glucose level. Additionally, the starvation caused significant increases in the mRNA expression level of spliced X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1s) and the protein level of phosphorylated inositol-requiring kinase 1 alpha (p-IRE1α; an upstream protein of XBP1) in the liver. The mRNA expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha and its target fatty acid oxidation- and ketogenesis-related genes were significantly upregulated by the starvation-mediated NEB. Furthermore, we found that the mRNA expression levels of lipogenic genes were not significantly changed after starvation. Conclusion: These findings suggest that in the initial stage of NEB in dairy cows, the liver coordinates an adaptive response by activating the IRE1 arm of the UPR to enhance ketogenesis, thereby avoiding a fatty liver status.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.53-62
• /
• 2023

Purpose : This study evaluated the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation and a virtual reality program on the depression, hand functions, cognitive function, and activities of daily living of patients with mild cognitive impairment by dividing 20 patients with mild cognitive impairment and depression. The 20 patients were divided into a treatment group (transcranial direct current stimulation + a virtual reality program) and a control group (placebo transcranial direct current stimulation + a placebo virtual reality program). Methods : This study allocated ten subjects to the treatment group and ten subjects to the control group. The treatment was given five times per week for six weeks (30 sessions), and each session was 30 minutes. This study screened depression by using SGDS-K, a short geriatric depression scale, to examine depression before and after treatment intervention. This study also used the box and block test, NCSE, and FIM to evaluate hand functions, cognitive function, and activities of daily living, respectively. Results : The results showed that depression significantly decreased, hand functions significantly increased, cognitive function significantly improved, and activities of daily living significantly increased after intervention in the treatment and control groups. The magnitude of changes in depression, hand functions, cognitive function, and activities of daily living was significantly different between the two groups after intervention (p>.05). Conclusion : The results showed that the application of transcranial direct current stimulation and a virtual reality program could improve cognitive function, hand functions, and activities of daily living by decreasing depression. Therefore, it can be concluded that the simultaneous application of transcranial direct current stimulation and a virtual reality program is an intervention method, which can be applied for decreasing depression, enhancing hand functions, improving cognitive function, and increasing activities of daily living in patients with mild cognitive impairment.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.47 no.2
• /
• pp.228-236
• /
• 2023

Background: QiShen YiQi pills (QSYQ) is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formula, which has a significant effect on the treatment of patients with myocardial infarction (MI) in clinical practice. However, the molecular mechanism of QSYQ regulation pyroptosis after MI is still not fully known. Hence, this study was designed to reveal the mechanism of the active ingredient in QSYQ. Methods: Integrated approach of network pharmacology and molecular docking, were conducted to screen active components and corresponding common target genes of QSYQ in intervening pyroptosis after MI. Subsequently, STRING and Cytoscape were applied to construct a PPI network, and obtain candidate active compounds. Molecular docking was performed to verify the binding ability of candidate components to pyroptosis proteins and oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) induced cardiomyocytes injuries were applied to explore the protective effect and mechanism of the candidate drug. Results: Two drug-likeness compounds were preliminarily selected, and the binding capacity between Ginsenoside Rh2 (Rh2) and key target High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1)was validated in the form of hydrogen bonding. 2 μM Rh2 prevented OGD-induced H9c2 death and reduced IL-18 and IL-1β levels, possibly by decreasing the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, inhibiting the expression of p12-caspase1, and attenuating the level of pyroptosis executive protein GSDMD-N. Conclusions: We propose that Rh2 of QSYQ can protect myocardial cells partially by ameliorating pyroptosis, which seems to have a new insight regarding the therapeutic potential for MI.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.406-422
• /
• 2023

Sarcopenia is an age-related, progressive skeletal muscle disorder involving the loss of muscle mass and strength. Previous studies have shown that γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) from fermented oysters aids in regulatory T cells (Tregs) cell expansion and function by enhancing autophagy, and concomitantly mediate muscle regeneration by modulating muscle inflammation and satellite cell function. The fermentation process of oysters not only increases the GABA content but also enhances the content of branched amino acids and free amino acids that aid the level of protein absorption and muscle strength, mass, and repair. In this study, the effect of GABA-enriched fermented sarco oyster extract (FSO) on reduced muscle mass and functions via Treg modulation and enhanced autophagy in aged mice was investigated. Results showed that FSO enhanced the expression of autophagy markers (autophagy-related gene 5 [ATG5] and GABA receptor-associated protein [GABARAP]), forkhead box protein 3 (FoxP3) expression, and levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-10 and transforming growth factor [TGF]-β) secreted by Tregs while reducing pro-inflammatory cytokine levels (IL-17A and interferon [IFN]-γ). Furthermore, FSO increased the expression of IL-33 and its receptor IL-1 receptor-like 1 (ST2); well-known signaling pathways that increase amphiregulin (Areg) secretion and expression of myogenesis markers (myogenic factor 5, myoblast determination protein 1, and myogenin). Muscle mass and function were also enhanced via FSO. Overall, the current study suggests that FSO increased autophagy, which enhanced Treg accumulation and function, decreased muscle inflammation, and increased satellite cell function for muscle regeneration and therefore could decrease the loss of muscle mass and function with aging.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.17-38
• /
• 1999

The effects of Sahyangsohapwon on the affective reactivity of rats were studied with open-field behavior. Sample group was treated with the medicine for 8 weeks, whereas control group was treated with the vehicle. The effects of Sahyangsohapwon on the enhancement of learning and memory of AD model rats were studied with two-way avoidance task. Sample group electrically lesioned on nbM(nucleus basalis of Meynert) was treated with the medicine for 8 weeks, whereas control group with nbM lesion and sham group with the sham operation were treated with the vehicle. 1. In the open-field behavior task, the start latency from start box was measured $27.08{\pm}7.51sec$ in control group, $23.15{\pm}5.98sec$ in sample group. Rats in sample group showed a tendency of shortened latency going out to a strange place compared with those in control group, but with no statistical significance(p>0.05). 2. In the open-field behavior task, the number of locomotion crossing the grid lines was measured $84.54{\pm}3.55$ in control group, $116.93{\pm}6.41$ in sample group. There was an increased locomotion in sample group compared with control group with statistical significance(p<0.01). This can be interpreted as rats in sample group showed lowerd anxiety under a strange environment. 3. In the open-field behavior task, the rearing number was measured $7.46{\pm}0.57$ in control group, $10.13{\pm}0.95$ in sample group. There was an increased rearing in sample group compared with control group with statistical significance(p<0.05). This can also be interpreted as rats in sample group showed lowerd anxiety under a strange environment. 4. In the open-field behavior task, the number of crossing behavior was measured $5.54{\pm}1.50$ in control group, $9.20{\pm}1.67$ in sample group. There was a increasing tendency of crossing behavior in sample group compared with control group, but with no statistical significance(p<0.05). 5. In the open-field behavior task, the total activity was measured $97.54{\pm}4.70$ in control group, $136.27{\pm}792$ in sample group. There was an increased total activity in sample group compared with control group with statistical significance(p<0.01). This can also be interpreted as rats in sample group showed lowerd anxiety under a strange environment. 6. In the analysis of effects on the learning and memory in AD model rats with two-way avoidance task, the response latency was measured $6717{\pm}134msec$ in the 1st session, $5416{\pm}160msec$ in the 2nd session, $5252{\pm}148msec$ in the 3rd session in control group. It was measured $6724{\pm}155msec$ in the 1st session, $4642{\pm}139msec$ in the 2nd session, $4914{\pm}148msec$ in the 3rd session in sample group and $4357{\pm}144msec$ in the 1st session, $3125{\pm}115msec$ in the 2nd session, $3091{\pm}98msec$ in the 3rd session in sham group. There were differences between sham group and nbM lesioned groups with statistical significance in post hoc analysis(p<0.000). And in the 2nd session, there was a reduction of latency in sample group compared with control group with statistical significance (p<0.000). This showed that sample group had better learning capacity than control group. 7. In the analysis of effects on the learning and memory in AD model rats with two-way avoidance task, the number of avoidance response was measured $5.85{\pm}1.41$ in the 1st session, $14.23{\pm}2.89$ in the 2nd session, $15.69{\pm}2.56$ in the 3rd session in control group. It was measured $7.92{\pm}1.94$ in the 1st session, $16.83{\pm}2.29$ in the 2nd session, $15.42{\pm}2.81$ in the 3rd session in sample group and $14.38{\pm}1.62$ in the 1st session, $22.88{\pm}0.89$ in the 2nd session, $23.88{\pm}1.64$ in the 3rd session in sham group. There were differences between sham group and nbM lesioned groups with statistical significance in post hoc analysis(p<0.001). But between control and sample group, there was no significant difference. With the experimental results above, Sahyangsohapwon can be supposed to have the enhancing effects on the affect reactivity and learning with memory of AD model rats induced by electrolyte injury of nbM.