• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.905-914
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• 2023

To evaluate the effectiveness of the skin barrier improvement of lactic acid (LA) and gluconolactone (GL), the expression of filaggrin, loricrin, hyaluronic acid (HA), hyaluronan syhthase-2 (HAS2), and aquaporine-3 (AQP3) in keratinocytes, and the moisture content and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) by clinical trials were evaluated. The expression levels of filaggrin and locricrin, which are the main factors affecting the proper functioning of skin barrier function, and HA, HAS2, and AQP3, which are skin moisturizing-related proteins measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting. The results showed that the expression levels of the factors that decreased by H2O2 treatment were significantly increased by LA, GL, and a mixture of LA and GL at the mRNA and protein levels (p<0.05). The nanoemulsion containing a mixture of LA and GL was prepared using the emulsion inversion method, and the average particle size was 299.9 ± 0.287 nm. After measuring the TEWL of nanoemulsion using Vapometer, it was found that TEWL significantly decreased by 15.53% and 26.73% after two weeks and four weeks of product use, respectively, compared to TEWL before product use (p<0.001). Similarly, the skin moisture content of the nanoemulsion significantly increased by 15.40% and 26.59% after two weeks and four weeks of product use, respectively, compared to skin moisture content before product use (p<0.001). Therefore, the skin barrier function and moisturizing effect of a mixture of LA and GL are shown by increasing the moisture content and decreasing the TEWL by increasing the expression of filaggrin, loricrin, HA, HAS2, and AQP3. This suggests the possibility for the development of functional cosmetic ingredients in the future.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.923-935
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• 2023

Rubus crataegifolius (RC), Ulmus macrocarpa (UM), and Gardenia jasminoides (GJ) are well-known folk medicines in Asia used to treat various gastrointestinal disturbances. The present study evaluated the gastroprotective effect of LS-RUG-com, a mixture of commercially prepared powders of RC, UM, and GJ with a ratio of 3:1:2(w/w/w) against HCl/ethanol-induced gastritis, indomethacin-induced ulcers, and esophageal reflux-induced esophageal mucosal damage and Helicobacter pylori infections. In addition, TNF-α and IL-1β expressions were also determined and measured in esophageal tissue. As to HCl/ethanol-induced gastritis, the LS-RUG-com treatment at a dose of 150 mg/kg showed a remarkable anti-gastritis effect. Regarding indomethacin-induced gastric ulcers, the LS-RUG-com treatment had a significant anti-gastric ulcer effect. Furthermore, in the gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) model experiment, the LS-RUG-com treatment resulted in the histological recovery of stomach damage and mucosal injuries. Furthermore, the LS-RUG-com treatment led to an increase in gastric content pH, an increase in mucus protection, and a decrease in gastric pepsin output with a significant decrease in TNF-α and IL-1β. As to the Helicobacter pylori infected animal model, LS-RUG-com had a notable inhibitory effect on Helicobacter growth. The use of RC, UM, or GJ in isolation or the LS-RUG-com treatment as whole had good effects in terms of anti-oxidation, anti-neutralization, gastric acid secretion inhibition, and anti-lipid peroxidation, which supported the use of natural products as systemic gastric protective agents. Our results suggest that the LS-RUG-com might be a significant systemic gastroprotective agent that could be utilized for the treatment and/or protection from gastric disturbances and related damage.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.897-904
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• 2023

This study was done to develope genetic markers with the unique characteristics of genes according to the genomic information of Bacillus velezensis K10. B. velezensis K10 maintained a total of 4,159,835 bps, which was found to encode 5,136 open reading frames (orfs). B. velezensis K10 was found to have much more gene migration due to external factors overall compared to standard strain B. velezensis JS25R. In order to discover genetic selection markers, orfs on the genome to be easily induced to gene mutation were surveyed such as recombinase, integrase, transposase, and phage-related genes. As a result of the investigation, 9 candidate markers were isolated with high possibility as genetic selection markers. Although a part in the various origin's areas showed specificities in comparison with homology, the selected markers were all existed in phage-related areas because they were relatively lower homologies in phage-related genes. PCR analysis was done on B. licheniformis K12, B. velezensis K10, B. subtilis, and B. cereus to establish them as inter-species candidate selection markers. As a result, it was confirmed that B. velezensis K10-specific PCR products were formed in a total of 6 primer sets such as BV3 and BV5 to 9. On the other hand, analysis at the subspecies level observed the formation of B. velezensis K10-specific PCR products in 4 primer sets such as BV3, 5, 8, and 9. Among them, since BV5 and BV8 were detected by very specific results, we suggest that BV5 and 8 can be used as B. velezensis K10 gene selection markers at the species and sub-species level.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.868-875
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• 2023

Kinesin-1 is a motor protein identified as the first member of the kinesin superfamily (KIF), which plays a role in intracellular cargo transport by acting as microtubule-dependent motor proteins within cells. Kinesin-1 consists of two heavy chains (KHCs, also known as KIF5s) and two light chains (KLCs). The 93 amino acids in the carboxyl (C)-terminal tail region of KIF5A are not homologous to the C-terminal tail region of KIF5B or the C-terminal tail region of KIF5C. In this study, we used a yeast two-hybrid screen to identify the binding proteins that interacted with the C-terminal region of KIF5A. We found an association between KIF5A and CUE domain containing 2 (CUEDC2), which is proposed to function as an adaptor protein involved in ubiquitination pathways and protein trafficking. CUEDC2 bound to the C-terminal region of KIF5A and did not interact with KIF5B (the motor of kinesin-1), KIF3A (the motor of kinesin-2), or kinesin light chain 1 (KLC1). KIF5A specifically bound to the C-terminal region of CUEDC2. Furthermore, KIF5A did not interact with another isoform: CUEDC1. In addition, glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-downs showed that KIF5A directly bound GST-CUEDC2 but did not interact with GST-CUEDC1 and GST alone. When myc-KIF5A and EGFP-CUEDC2 were co-expressed in HEK-293T cells, CUEDC2 co-immunoprecipitated with kinesin-1, and myc-KIF5A and FLAG-CUEDC2 colocalized in the cells. These results suggest that in intracellular cargo transport by kinesin-1, CUEDC2 serves as an adaptor protein connecting kinesin-1 and cargo by binding to KIF5A.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.104-114
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• 2023

As plastic usage increases globally, the amount of plastic waste entering the marine environment is steadily rising. Microplastics, in particular, can be ingested by marine organisms and accumulated in their digestive tracts, causing harmful effects on their growth and reproduction. Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes are known to metabolize various environmental pollutants as detoxification enzymes, but their role in crustaceans is not well understood. In this study, sequences of nine CYP genes (CYP370A4, CYP370C5 from clan 2; CYP350A1, CYP350C5, CYP361A1 from clan 3; CYP4AN-like, CYP4AP2, CYP4AP3, CYP4C33-like1 from clan 4) were analyzed using conserved domains in the brackish water flea Diaphanosoma celebensis. Additionally, after exposure to three different sizes of polystyrene beads (0.05-, 0.5-, 6-㎛ PS beads; 0.1, 1, and 10 mg/L) for 48 hours, the expression of these nine CYP genes were investigated using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results showed that all CYP genes possessed conserved motifs, indicating that D. celebensis CYP has evolutionarily conserved functions. Among these CYP genes, the expression of CYP370C5, CYP360A1, and CYP4C122 showed a significant increase after exposure to 0.05-㎛ PS beads, suggesting their involvement in PS metabolism. This research will contribute to understanding the molecular mode of actions of microplastics on marine invertebrates.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.166-177
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• 2023

The giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) suffers economic losses in aquaculture facilities due to problems such as poor body color and carapace weakness. While this species is farmed on an animal-based diet, in the wild it consumes a detritus diet with a high proportion of plant matter. The plant matter they consume in the wild is not only a source of basic nutrients, but also carotenoids, which are responsible for body color. Korean goldenbell (Forsythia koreana) is a flowering tree widely distributed in Korea, and its leaves contain carotenoids comparable to yellow carrots. In this study, we investigated the effects of feeding Forsythia leaves to M. rosenbergii on their body color and health. The experimental diets were 100% commercial feed (control), CON, 80% commercial feed plus 20% Forsythia leaf powder, FP, and 80% commercial feed plus 20% unprocessed Forsythia leaves, FL, and each diet was fed to juvenile prawn with an average weight of 1.1 ± 0.2 g for 10 weeks. In terms of body color, the CON prawn were consistently clear ivory in color, while the FP and FL prawn changed from blue to dark brown as the days of rearing progressed. Survival and growth were not significantly different between CON and FP or FL. Histological comparison of the hepatopancreas revealed that the vacuole size of B cells, the constituent cells of the hepatopancreatic tubule, was significantly larger in FP and FL compared to CON. The vacuoles of B cells are responsible for the absorption and digestion of nutrients, suggesting that the supply of Forsythia leaves may have had a positive effect on the health of the M. rosenbergii. The above results show that the use of Forsythia leaves in the aquaculture of M. rosenbergii can be expected to improve body color and health without inhibiting growth.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.315-323
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• 2023

This study is to quantify α-quartz, cristobalite and kaolinite using by FTIR in respirable dust generated in the mining workplace. Various minerals in mines can interfere with peaks when quantifying respirable crystalline silica by FTIR. Therefore, for accurate quantification, it is necessary to remove interfering substances or correct the peaks that cause interference. To confirm the peaks occurring in α-quartz, cristobalite and kaolinite, each standard material was diluted with KBr and scanned in the range of 400 cm^-1 to 4000 cm^-1 using by FTIR. As a result of scanning the analytes, it was decided to use the peaks of 797.66 cm^-1 and 695.25 cm^-1 for α-quartz, 621.58 cm^-1 for cristobalite, and 3696.47 cm^-1 for kaolinite. When the above materials are mixed, interference occurs at the peak for quantification, which is corrected by the calculation formula. The analysis of the mixture of α-quartz and cristobalite shows the average bias (%) of 2.64 (corrected) at α-quartz (797.66 cm^-1), 5.61 (uncorrected) at α-quartz (695.25 cm^-1) and 1.51 (uncorrected) at cristobalite (621.58 cm^-1). The analysis of the mixture of α-quartz and kaolinite shows the average bias(%) of 1.79(corrected) at α-quartz (797.66 cm^-1), 3.92 (corrected) at α-quartz (695.25 cm^-1) and 2.58 (uncorrected) at kaolinite (3696.47 cm^-1). The analysis of the mixture of cristobalite and kaolinite shows the average bias (%) of 2.15 (corrected) at cristobalite (621.58 cm^-1), 4.32 (uncorrected) at kaolinite (3696.47 cm^-1). The analysis of the mixture of αquartz and cristobalite and kaolinite shows the average bias (%) of 1.93(corrected) at α-quartz (797.66 cm^-1), 6.47 (corrected) at α-quartz (695.25 cm^-1) and 1.77 (corrected) at cristobalite (621.58 cm^-1) and 2.61 (uncorrected) at kaolinite (3696.47 cm^-1). The experimental results showed that the deviation caused by peak interference by two or three substances could be corrected to less than 6 % of the average deviation. This study showed the possibility of correcting and quantifying when various interfering substances that are difficult to remove are mixed.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.291-299
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• 2023

The benzo[a]pyrene in edible oils is extracted using methods such as Liquid-liquid, soxhlet and ultrasound-assisted extraction. However these extraction methods have significant drawbacks, such as long extraction time and large amount of solvent usage. To overcome these drawbacks, this study attempted to improve the current complex benzo[a]pyrene analysis method by applying the QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) method that can be analyzed in a simple and short time. The QuEChERS method applied in this study includes extraction of benzo[a]pyrene into n-hexane saturated acetonitrile and n-hexane. After extraction and distribution using magnesium sulfate and sodium chloride, benzo[a]pyrene is analyzed by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector (LC/FLR). As a result of method validation of the new method, the limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 0.02 ㎍/kg and 0.05 ㎍/kg, respectively. The calibration curves were constructed using five levels (0.1~10 ㎍/kg) and coefficient (R²) was above 0.99. Mean recovery ratio was ranged from 74.5 to 79.3 % with a relative standard deviation (RSD) between 0.52 to 1.58 %. The accuracy and precision were 72.6~79.4 % and 0.14~7.20 %, respectively. All results satisfied the criteria ranges requested in the Food Safety Evaluation Department guidelines (2016) and AOAC official method of analysis (2023). Therefore, the analysis method presented in this study was a relatively simple pretreatment method compared to the existing analysis method, which reduced the analysis time and solvent use to 92 % and 96 %, respectively.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.94-101
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• 2023

In this study, the development performance of the head bars, which is SD700, was experimentally evaluated at the RC (reinforced concrete) or SFRC (steel fiber reinforced concrete external beam-column joint. A total of 10 specimens were tested, and variables such as steel fibers, length of settlement, effective depth of the beam, and stirrups of the column were planned. As a result of the experiment, the specimens showed side-face blowout, concrete breakout, and shear failure depending on the experimental variables. In the RC series experiments with development length as a variable, it was confirmed that the development strength increased by 26.5~42.2% as the development length increased by 25-80%, which was not proportional to the development length. JD-based experiments with twice the effective depth of beams showed concrete breakout failure, reducing the maximum strength by 31.5% to 62% compared to the reference experiment. The S-series experiment, in which the spacing of the shear reinforcement around the enlarged head reinforcement was 1/2 times that of the reference experiment, increased the maximum strength by 8.4 to 9.7%. The concrete compressive strength of SFRC was evaluated to be 29.3% smaller than the concrete compressive strength of RC, but the development strength of SFRC specimens increased by 7.3% to 12.2%. Accordingly it was confirmed that the development performance of the head bar was greatly improved by reinforcing the steel fiber. Considering the results of 92% and 99% of the experimental maximum strength of the experiment arranged with 92% and 110% of the KDS-based settlement length, it is judged that the safety rate needs to be considered even more. In addition, it is required to present a design formula that considers the effective depth of the beam compared to the development length.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.112 no.4
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• pp.502-514
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• 2023

This study was conducted to understand the long-term changes in soil physiochemical properties and seedling growth in Larix kaempferi (larch) stands planted in clear-cut larch and Pinus rigida (pine) forest soils over an 11-year period after reforestation. Two-year-old bare-root larch seedlings were planted in 2009-2010 at a density of 3,000 seedlings ha^-1 in clear-cut areas that harvested larch (Chuncheon and Gimcheon) and pine (Wonju and Gapyeong) stands. We analyzed the physiochemical properties of the mineral soils sampled at 0-20 cm soil depths in the planting year, and the 3^rd, 7^thand 11^th years after planting, and we measured seedling height and root collar diameter in those years. We found significant differences in soil silt and clay content, total carbon and nitrogen concentration, available phosphorus, and cation exchangeable capacity between the two stands; however, seedling growth did not differ. The mineral soil was more fertile in Gimcheon than in the other plantations, while early seedling growth was greatest in Gapyeong. The seedling height and diameter at 11 years after planting were largest in Wonju (1,028 tree ha^-1) and Chuncheon (1,359 tree ha^-1) due to decreases in stand density after tending the young trees. The soil properties in all plantations were similar 11 years after larch planting. In particular, the high sand content and high available phosphorus levels (caused by soil disturbance during clear-cutting and planting) showed marked decreases, potentially due to soil organic matter input and nutrient uptake, respectively. Thus, early reforestation after clear-cutting could limit nutrient leaching and contribute to soil stabilization. These results provide useful information for nutrient management of larch plantations.