• Biomaterials Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.346-351
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• 2018

Background: Carbonate apatite ($CO_3Ap$) and silica-calcium phosphate composite (SCPC) are bone substitutes with good prospect for dental application. SCPC creates a hydroxyapatite surface layer and stimulate bone cell function while, $CO_3Ap$ induce apatite crystal formation with good adaptation providing good seal between cement and the bone. Together, these materials will add favorable properties as a pulp capping material to stimulate mineral barrier and maintain pulp vitality. The aim of this study is to investigate modification of $CO_3Ap$ cement combined with SCPC, later term as $CO_3Ap-SCPC$ cement (CAS) in means of its chemical (Calcium release) and physical properties (setting time, DTS and pH value). Methods: The study consist of three groups; group 1 (100% calcium hydroxide, group 2 $CO_3Ap$ (60% DCPA: 40% vaterite, and group 3 CAS (60% DCPA: 20% vaterite: 20% SCPC. Distilled water was employed as a solution for group 1, and $0.2mol/L\;Na_3PO_4$ used for group 2 and group 3. Samples were evaluated with respect to important properties for pulp capping application such as pH, setting time, mechanical strength and calcium release evaluation. Results: The fastest setting time was in $CO_3Ap$ cement group without SCPC, while the addition of 20% SCPC slightly increase the pH value but did not improved the cement mechanical strength, however, the mechanical strength of both $CO_3Ap$ groups were significantly higher than calcium hydroxide. All three groups released calcium ions and had alkaline pH. Highest pH level, as well as calcium released level, was in the control group. Conclusion: The CAS cement had good mechanical and acceptable chemical properties for pulp capping application compared to calcium hydroxide as a gold standard. However, improvements and in vivo studies are to be carried out with the further development of this material.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.14-22
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• 2021

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of alkali-washing with different sodium hydroxide concentrations on the chemical compositions of steam-treated Betung bamboo strand. Strands were subjected to steam treatment at 126 ℃ for 1 h under 0.14 MPa pressure and followed by washing with 1-5% sodium hydroxide solution for 30 sec. The alteration of structural and non-structural chemical components content of bamboo strands was evaluated. Steam and washing treatments with various concentrations of sodium hydroxide solution considerably reduced the extractive content of bamboo strands, and the cell wall chemical components of the strand in the small degree. FTIR analysis showed noticeable changes in peaks related to hemicellulose and lignin. The relative crystallinity increased significantly after steam and washing treatment with sodium hydroxide up to 3% concentration. SEM Images showed smooth and clean strands surface after washing with 3% sodium hydroxide.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.239-245
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• 2021

The SnSe single crystal shows an outstanding figure of merit (ZT) of 2.6 at 973 K; thus, it is considered to be a promising thermoelectric material. However, the mass production of SnSe single crystals is difficult, and their mechanical properties are poor. Alternatively, we can use polycrystalline SnSe powder, which has better mechanical properties. In this study, surface modification by atomic layer deposition (ALD) is chosen to increase the ZT value of SnSe polycrystalline powder. SnSe powder is ground by a ball mill. An ALD coating process using a rotary-type reactor is adopted. ZnO thin films are grown by 100 ALD cycles using diethylzinc and H₂O as precursors at 100℃. ALD is performed at rotation speeds of 30, 40, 50, and 60 rpm to examine the effects of rotation speed on the thin film characteristics. The physical and chemical properties of ALD-coated SnSe powders are characterized by scanning and tunneling electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive spectroscopy. The results reveal that a smooth oxygen-rich ZnO layer is grown on SnSe at a rotation speed of 30 rpm. This result can be applied for the uniform coating of a ZnO layer on various powder materials.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.710-718
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• 2021

Recently, due to high theoretical capacitance and excellent ion diffusion rate caused by the 2D layered crystal structure, transition metal hydroxides (TMHs) have generated considerable attention as active materials in supercapacitors (or electrochemical capacitors). However, TMHs should be designed using morphological or structural modification if they are to be used as active materials in supercapacitors, because they have insulation properties that induce low charge transfer rate. This study aims to modify the morphological structure for high cycling stability and fast charge storage kinetics of TMHs through the use of nickel cobalt hydroxide [NiCo(OH)₂] decorated on nickel foam. Among the samples used, needle-like NiCo(OH)₂ decorated on nickel foam offers a high specific capacitance (1110.9 F/g at current density of 0.5 A/g) with good rate capability (1110.9 - 746.7 F/g at current densities of 0.5 - 10.0 A/g). Moreover, at a high current density (10.0 A/g), a remarkable capacitance (713.8 F/g) and capacitance retention of 95.6% after 5000 cycles are noted. These results are attributed to high charge storage sites of needle-like NiCo(OH)₂ and uniformly grown NiCo(OH)₂ on nickel foam surface.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-19
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• 2022

In this report, new standard, published by Japanese Geotechnical Society, on in-situ stress measurements by hydraulic fracturing was reviewed. In the standard, modification was made for the calculation of fracture re-opening pressure in consideration of fracture surface roughness and residual aperture. The standard also presents how much the system compliance influences the estimation of the fracture re-opening pressure and subsequent in-situ stresses. It is shown that the stiffer the rock mass is, the system compliance should be sufficiently small enough so as to obtain in-situ stress measurement with higher confidence.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.7
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• pp.479-494
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• 2022

Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells that have been intensively studied as therapeutic tools for a variety of disorders. To enhance the efficacy of MSCs, therapeutic genes are introduced using retroviral and lentiviral vectors. However, serious adverse events (SAEs) such as tumorigenesis can be induced by insertional mutagenesis. We generated lentiviral vectors encoding the wild-type herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) gene and a gene containing a point mutation that results in an alanine to histidine substitution at residue 168 (TK(A168H)) and transduced expression in MSCs (MSC-TK and MSC-TK(A168H)). Transduction of lentiviral vectors encoding the TK(A168H) mutant did not alter the proliferation capacity, mesodermal differentiation potential, or surface antigenicity of MSCs. The MSC-TK(A168H) cells were genetically stable, as shown by karyotyping. MSC-TK(A168H) responded to ganciclovir (GCV) with an half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value 10-fold less than that of MSC-TK. Because MSC-TK(A168H) cells were found to be non-tumorigenic, a U87-TK(A168H) subcutaneous tumor was used as a SAE-like condition and we evaluated the effect of valganciclovir (vGCV), an oral prodrug for GCV. U87-TK(A168H) tumors were more efficiently ablated by 200 mg/kg vGCV than U87-TK tumors. These results indicate that MSC-TK(A168H) cells appear to be pre-clinically safe for therapeutic use. We propose that genetic modification with HSV-TK(A168H) makes allogeneic MSC-based ex vivo therapy safer by eliminating transplanted cells during SAEs such as uncontrolled cell proliferation.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.423-438
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• 2021

The blade of motor grader is used for scattering and leveling the aggregates on the foundation of road construction site. The paper performed a design improvement research of the blade part to enhance the working efficiency of motor graders. The scattering works of aggregates by blade driving were simulated by DEM (discrete element method) of a dynamic code. The four design parameters were selected and a specific leveling scenario for the simulation was determined. The nine blade models were numerically experimented, and the sensitivity of each factors was analyzed. Next, the design factors that influence a blade performance have been selected by ANOVA, and these key design factors were applied to the progressive quadratic response surface method (PQRSM). The optimum set of design factors of the blade was finally proposed.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.3D
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• pp.431-436
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• 2008

Recently, the rapid development of GIS technology has made it possible to handle a various data associated with spatially hydrological parameters with their attribute information. Therefore, there has been a shift in focus from lumped runoff models to distributed runoff models, as the latter can consider temporal and spatial variations of discharge. In this research, a distributed rainfall-runoff model based on physical kinematic wave for analysis of surface and river flow was used to simulate temporal and spatial distribution of long-term discharge. The snowfall and melting process model based on Hydro-BEAM was developed, and various hydrological parameters for input data of the model was extracted from basic GIS data such as DEM, land cover and soil map. The developed model was applied for the Shonai River basin(532) in Japan, which has sufficient meteorological and hydrological data, and displayed precise runoff results to be compared to the hydrograph.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.239-245
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• 2023

Cellulose is an abundant biodegradable material in nature with excellent properties, but due to its poor processability, it has been widely studied for processing through modification. Cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) is a cellulose derivative in which the hydroxyl group of cellulose is replaced by acetyl and propionyl groups. CAP has several advantages, such as excellent solubility, structural stability, light and weather resistance, and good transparency. Porous nanofibers with excellent specific surface area, which can be applied in various fields, can be easily formed by the phase separation method using highly volatile solvents. High speed centrifugal spinning is a nano/micro fiber preparation method with advantages such as fast spinning and easy alignment control. In this study, a CAP/polybutylene succinate (PBS) spinning solution with chloroform as solvent was prepared to prepare porous microfibers and the fiber morphology was examined as a function of the disk rotation speed in an high speed centrifugal spinning device.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.46 no.12
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• pp.764-777
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• 2023

Recombinant immunotoxins (RITs) are fusion proteins consisting of a targeting domain linked to a toxin, offering a highly specific therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. In this study, we engineered and characterized RITs aimed at mesothelin, a cell surface glycoprotein overexpressed in various malignancies. Through an extensive screening of a large nanobody library, four mesothelin-specific nanobodies were selected and genetically fused to a truncated Pseudomonas exotoxin (PE24B). Various optimizations, including the incorporation of furin cleavage sites, maltose-binding protein tags, and tobacco etch virus protease cleavage sites, were implemented to improve protein expression, solubility, and purification. The RITs were successfully overexpressed in Escherichia coli, achieving high solubility and purity post-purification. In vitro cytotoxicity assays on gastric carcinoma cell lines NCI-N87 and AGS revealed that Meso(Nb2)-PE24B demonstrated the highest cytotoxic efficacy, warranting further characterization. This RIT also displayed selective binding to human and monkey mesothelins but not to mouse mesothelin. The competitive binding assays between different RIT constructs revealed significant alterations in IC₅₀ values, emphasizing the importance of nanobody specificity. Finally, a modification in the endoplasmic reticulum retention signal at the C-terminus further augmented its cytotoxic activity. Our findings offer valuable insights into the design and optimization of RITs, showcasing the potential of Meso(Nb2)-PE24B as a promising therapeutic candidate for targeted cancer treatment.