• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.661-667
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• 2005

Since conflicting results have been reported on non-specific immune response in type 1 diabetes, this study evaluates polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) functions in the infection free Long Evan diabetic rats (type 1) by using tests that include: polarization assay, phagocytosis of baker's yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) dye reduction. Polarization assay showed that neutrophils from diabetic rats were significantly activated at the basal level compared to those from the controls (p < 0.001). After PMN activation with N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP), control neutrophils were found to be more polarized than those of the diabetic neutrophils and the highest proportions of polarization were found to be 67% and 57% at $10^{-7}\;M$ FMLP, respectively. In the resting state, neutrophils from the diabetic rats reduced significantly more NBT dye than that of the controls (p < 0.001). The percentages of phagocytosis of opsonized yeast cells by the neutrophils from control and diabetic rats were 87% and 61%, respectively and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Evaluation of the phagocytic efficiency of PMNs revealed that control neutrophils could phagocytose $381{\pm}17$ whereas those from the diabetic rats phagocytosed $282{\pm}16$ yeast cells, and the efficiency of phagocytosis varied significantly (p < 0.001). Further, both the percentages of phagocytosis and the efficiency of phagocytosis by the diabetic neutrophils were inversely related with the levels of their corresponding plasma glucose (p = 0.02; r = -0.498 and p < 0.05; r = -0.43, respectively), which indicated that increased plasma glucose reduced the phagocytic ability of neutrophils. Such relationship was not observed with the control neutrophils. These data clearly indicate that PMN functions are altered in the streptozotocin (STZ) - induced diabetic rats, and hyperglycemia may be the cause for the impairment of their functions leading to many infectious episodes.

• BMB Reports
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• v.53 no.11
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• pp.600-604
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• 2020

Macrophages are re-educated and polarized in response to myocardial infarction (MI). The M2 anti-inflammatory phenotype is a known dominator of late stage MI. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represent a promising tool for cell therapy, particularly heart related diseases. In general, MSCs induce alteration of the macrophage subtype from M1 to M2, both in vitro and in vivo. We conjectured that hypoxic conditions can promote secretome productivity of MSCs. Hypoxia induces TGF-β1 expression, and TGF-β1 mediates M2 macrophage polarization for anti-inflammation and angiogenesis in infarcted areas. We hypothesized that macrophages undergo advanced M2 polarization after exposure to MSCs in hypoxia. Treatment of MSCs derived hypoxic conditioned medium (hypo-CM) promoted M2 phenotype and neovascularization through the TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway. In addition, hypo-CM derived from MSCs improved restoration of ischemic heart, such as attenuating cell apoptosis and fibrosis, and ameliorating microvessel density. Based on our results, we propose a new therapeutic method for effective MI treatment using regulation of macrophage polarization.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.68-74
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• 2018

Background: Ginsenosides have been reported to have many health benefits, including anti-inflammatory effects, and the resolution of inflammation is now considered to be an active process driven by M2-type macrophages. In order to determine whether ginsenosides modulate macrophage phenotypes to reduce inflammation, 11 ginsenosides were studied with respect to macrophage polarization and the resolution of inflammation. Methods: Mouse peritoneal macrophages were polarized into M1 or M2 phenotypes. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and measurement of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin $E_2$ levels were performed in vitro and in a zymosan-induced peritonitis C57BL/6 mouse model. Results: Ginsenoside $Rg_3$ was identified as a proresolving ginseng compound based on the induction of M2 macrophage polarization. Ginsenoside $Rg_3$ not only induced the expression of arginase-1 (a representative M2 marker gene), but also suppressed M1 marker genes, such as inducible NO synthase, and NO levels. The proresolving activity of ginsenoside $Rg_3$ was also observed in vivo in a zymosan-induced peritonitis model. Ginsenoside $Rg_3$ accelerated the resolution process when administered at peak inflammatory response into the peritoneal cavity. Conclusion: These results suggest that ginsenoside $Rg_3$ induces the M2 polarization of macrophages and accelerates the resolution of inflammation. This finding opens a new avenue in ginseng pharmacology.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.221-237
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• 2022

This paper is concerned with nonlinear modeling and efficient numerical simulation of electrostrictive materials and structures. Two types of such materials are considered: relaxor ferroelectric ceramics and electrostrictive polymers. For ceramics, a geometrically linear formulation is developed, whereas polymers are studied in a geometrically nonlinear regime. In the paper, we focus on constitutive modeling first. For the reversible constitutive response under consideration, we introduce the augmented Helmholtz free energy, which is composed of a purely elastic part, a dielectric part and an augmentation term. For the elastic part, we involve an additive decomposition of the strain tensor into an elastic strain and an electrostrictive eigenstrain, which depends on the polarization of the material. In the geometrically nonlinear case, a corresponding multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient tensor replaces the additive strain decomposition used in the geometrically linear formulation. For the dielectric part, we first introduce the internal energy, to which a Legendre transformation is applied to compute the free energy. The augmentation term accounts for the contribution from vacuum to the energy. In our formulation, the augmented free energy depends not only on the strain and the electric field, but also on the polarization and an internal polarization; the latter two are internal variables. With the constitutive framework established, a Finite Element implementation is briefly discussed. We use high-order elements for the discretization of the independent variables, which include also the internal variables and, in case the material is assumed incompressible, the hydrostatic pressure, which is introduced as a Lagrange multiplier. The elements are implemented in the open source code Netgen/NGSolve. Finally, example problems are solved for both, relaxor ferroelectric ceramics and electrostrictive polymers. We focus on thin plate-type structures to show the efficiency of the numerical scheme and its applicability to thin electrostrictive structures.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.127-141
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• 2016

Electrodialysis (ED) is known to be a useful membrane process for desalination, concentration, separation, and purification in many fields. In this process, it is desirable to work at high current density in order to achieve fast desalination with the lowest possible effective membrane area. In practice, however, operating currents are restricted by the occurrence of concentration polarization phenomena. Many studies showed the occurrence of a limiting current density (LCD). The limiting current density in the electrodialysis process is an important parameter which determines the electrical resistance and the current utilization. Therefore, its reliable determination is required for designing an efficient electrodialysis plant. The purpose of this study is the development of a predictive model of the limiting current density in an electrodialysis process using response surface methodology (RSM). A two-factor central composite design (CCD) of RSM was used to analyze the effect of operation conditions (the initial salt concentration (C) and the linear flow velocity of solution to be treated (u)) on the limiting current density and to establish a regression model. All experiments were carried out on synthetic brackish water solutions using a laboratory scale electrodialysis cell. The limiting current density for each experiment was determined using the Cowan-Brown method. A suitable regression model for predicting LCD within the ranges of variables used was developed based on experimental results. The proposed mathematical quadratic model was simple. Its quality was evaluated by regression analysis and by the Analysis Of Variance, popularly known as the ANOVA.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.417-429
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• 2019

Poly Sulfone nanofibers were electrospun to fabricate membranes of different characteristics. To fabricate the fiber mats, polymer concentration, flowrate, and current density were determined as the most influencing factors affecting the overall performance of the membranes and studied through Response Surface Methodology. The Box-Behnken Design method (three factors at three levels) was used to design, analyze, and optimize the parameters to achieve the best possible performance of the electrospun membranes in forward osmosis process. Also, internal concentration polarization that characterizes the efficiency of the forward osmosis membranes was determined to better assess the overall performance of the fabricated electrospun membranes. Water flux to reverse salt flux was considered as the main response to assess the performance of the membranes. As confirmed experimentally, best membrane performance with the minimal structural parameter value could be achieved when predicted optimal values were used to fabricate the membranes through electrospinning process.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.1196-1203
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• 2012

This paper presents a study on the calibration of a C-band HPS(Hongik Polarimetric Scatterometer) system using the DMMCT(Differential Mueller Matrix Calibration Technique). For calibration of the polarimetric scatterometer system, a fully-polarimetric antenna pattern(magnitudes and phase-differences) of the antenna main-beam is measured using a conducting sphere at anechoic chamber. The polarimetric scatterometer system could be accurately calibrated after retrieving its distortions using the DMMCT. Unlike a single-polarimetric system, in a fully-polarimetric system, not only backscattering coefficients but also phase differences are important parameters. This calibrated HPS system can be used to measure accurate Mueller matrices of bare soil surfaces, rice paddies, and vegetation fields. The phase-difference parameters as well as the backscattering coefficients for co- and cross-polarizations can then be obtained. The accuracy of calibration was verified by comparing the measured backscattering coefficients with a scattering model. The measured polarization response of a plowed bare field was also compared with the polarization response which was synthesized using a polarimetric scattering model for verifying the calibration technique.

• The Proceeding of the Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.3-9
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• 1992

The reponse of the angled two-strip transmission lines illuminated by an external electromagnetic field is estimated by using the circuit concept approach. Calculated terminal voltages reveal convergence to a fixed value as the number of discretization increases. The amplitude patterns of two terminal voltages to all the direction and polarization of the incident field are also calculated.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.199.1-199.1
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• 2014

In nonlinear optics, the properties of nonlinear optical responses such as polarization and nonlinear analysis of the nonlinear surfaces were investigated using the jellium model by optical second harmonic generation. The nonlinear response of the Al metal surfaces were calculated using TDLDA. Band structure, lattice constant and bulk modulus of the Al metal were investigated. Effective potential and electron density were compared by changing different.

• KSTLE International Journal
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.14-17
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• 2003

The electrical and rheological properties of a chitosan malonate suspension in silicone oil was investigated by varying the electric fields, volume fractions of particles, and shear rates, respectively, The chitosan malonate susepnsion showed a typical electrorheological (ER) response caused by the polarizability of an amide polar group and shear yield stress due to the formation of multiple chains upon application of an electric field. The shear stress fur the suspension exhibited a linear dependence on the volume fraction and an electric field power of 1.88. On the basis of the experimental results, the newly synthesized chitosan malonate suspension was found to be an anhydrous ER fluid.