• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.653-659
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• 2018

In this study, we investigated the antioxidant activities and anti-aging efficacy in terms of suppression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells by adding the ethanol extracts of Josaengheogchal (JE) and Shintoheug rice (SRE). In the electron-donating ability and ABTS radical-scavenging assays, we observed that both JE and SRE had scavenging activities and in a collagenase inhibition assay, both extracts showed inhibition effects of over 73% at $1,000{\mu}g/mL$ concentration. The expression of MMP-1 and -3, when the extracts were treated with UVB $50mJ/cm^2$, irradiated human HaCaT keratinocytes, was analyzed by western blotting and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results showed that MMP-1 and -3 proteins and mRNAs were downregulated in a concentration-dependent manner in response to both extracts. Therefore, we expect that these compounds have a potential for the use as functional ingredients with anti-aging effects in the cosmetic and food industries.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.61 no.5
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• pp.245-253
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• 2019

Pathogen-associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs) are highly conserved structural motifs that are recognized by Pathogen Recognition receptors (PRRs) to initiate immune responses. Infection by these pathogens and the immune response to PAMPS such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Peptidoglycan (PGN), bacterial oligodeoxynucleotides [CpG oligodeoxynucleotides 2006 (CpG ODN2006) and CpG oligodeoxynucleotides 2216 (CpG ODN2216)], and viral RNA Polyinosinic-Polycytidylic Acid (Poly I:C), are associated with infectious and metabolic diseases in animals impacting health and production. It is established that PAMPs mediate the production of cytokines by binding to PRRs such as Toll-like receptors (TLR) on immune cells. Galectins (Gal) are carbohydrate-binding proteins that when expressed play essential roles in the resolution of infectious and metabolic diseases. Thus it is important to determine if the expression of galectin gene (LGALS) and Gal secretion in blood are affected by exposure to LPS and PGN, PolyI:C and bacterial CpG ODNs. LPS increased transcription of LGALS4 and 12 (2.5 and 2.02 folds respectively) and decreased secretion of Gal 4 (p < 0.05). PGN increased transcription of LGALS-1, -2, -3, -4, -7, and -12 (3.0, 2.3, 2.0, 4.1, 3.3, and 2.4 folds respectively) and secretion of Gal-8 and Gal-9 (p < 0.05). Poly I:C tended to increase the transcription of LGALS1, LGALS4, and LGALS8 (1.78, 1.88, and 1.73 folds respectively). Secretion of Gal-1, -3, -8 and nine were significantly increased in treated samples compared to control (p < 0.05). CpG ODN2006 did not cause any significant fold changes in LGALS transcription (FC < 2) but increased secretion of Gal-1, and-3 (p < 0.05) in plasma compared to control. Gal-4 was however reduced in plasma (p < 0.05). CpG ODN2216 increased transcription of LGALS1 and LGALS3 (3.8 and 1.6 folds respectively), but reduced LGALS2, LGALS4, LGALS7, and LGALS12 (-1.9, -2.0, -2.0 and; -2.7 folds respectively). Secretion of Gal-2 and -3 in plasma was increased compared to control (p < 0.05). Gal-4 secretion was reduced in plasma (p < 0.05). The results demonstrate that PAMPs differentially modulate galectin transcription and translation of galectins in cow blood.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.1071-1079
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• 2019

In this study, we investigated the antioxidant and anti-aging activities of Schisandra chinensis seed fractions by adding them to UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells and analyzing the suppression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). An electron-donating assay, ABTS radical scavenging assay, and hydrogen peroxide scavenging assay showed that the ethyl acetate fraction of S. chinensis seed (SCEAf) has scavenging activities. A collagenase inhibition activity assay showed that SCEAf had inhibitory effects of over 92.3% at $500{\mu}g/ml$ concentration. An MTT assay was performed to determine the cytotoxicity of SCEAf in HaCaT cells and the results showed that SCEAf increased cellular viability in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, SCEAf was found to increase the viability of cells irradiatged by UVB $50mJ/cm^2$. To examine the anti-aging effects of SCEAf on HaCaT cells irradiated with UVB $50mJ/cm^2$, the expression of MMP-1 and -3 was analyzed by Western blotting and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that MMP-1 and -3 proteins and mRNA levels were downregulated in a concentration-dependent manner in response to SCEAf. These results suggest that SCEAf can prevent aging and alleviate aging symptoms by inhibiting collagenase activity in skin keratinocytes damaged by UVB. Therefore, S. chinensis seeds may have the potential for use as functional ingredients with anti-aging effects in the cosmetic and food industries.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.503-509
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• 2019

The demand for smaller, faster, and multi-functional mobile devices in increasing at a rapidly increasing rate. In response to these trends, Stacked Chip Scale Package (SCSP) is used widely in the assembly industry. A film type adhesive called die attach film (DAF) is used widely for bonding chips in SCSP. The DAF requires high flowability at high die attachment temperatures for bonding chips on organic substrates, where the DAF needs to feel the gap depth, or for bonding the same sized dies, where the DAF needs to penetrate bonding wires. In this study, the mixture design of experiment (DOE) was performed for three raw materials to obtain the optimized DAF recipe for low elastic modulus at high temperature. Three components are acrylic polymer (SG-P3) and two solid epoxy resins (YD011 and YDCN500-1P) with different softening points. According to the DOE results, the elastic modulus at high temperature was influenced greatly by SG-P3. The elastic modulus at $100^{\circ}C$ decreased from 1.0 MPa to 0.2 MPa as the amount of SG-P3 was decreased by 20%. In contrast, the elastic modulus at room temperature was dominated by YD011, an epoxy with a higher softening point. The optimized DAF recipe showed approximately 98.4% pickup performance when a UV dicing tape was used. A DAF crack that occurred in curing was effectively suppressed through optimization of the cure accelerator amount and two-step cure schedule. The imizadole type accelerator showed better performance than the amine type accelerator.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.685-696
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• 2021

In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), a heme precursor, on inflammatory and oxidative stress activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in RAW 264.7 macrophages by estimating nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), cytokines, and reactive oxygen species (ROS). We also evaluated the molecular mechanisms through analysis of the expression of their regulatory genes, and further evaluated the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant efficacy of ALA against LPS in the zebrafish model. Our results indicated that ALA treatment significantly attenuated the LPS-induced release of pro-inflammatory mediators including NO and PGE2, which was associated with decreased inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression. ALA also inhibited the LPS-induced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6, reducing their extracellular secretion. Additionally, ALA abolished ROS generation, improved the mitochondrial mass, and enhanced the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and the activation of nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. However, zinc protoporphyrin, a specific inhibitor of HO-1, reversed the ALA-mediated inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines production and activation of mitochondrial function in LPS-treated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Furthermore, ALA significantly abolished the expression of LPS-induced pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines, and showed strong protective effects against NO and ROS production in zebrafish larvae. In conclusion, our findings suggest that ALA exerts LPS-induced anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects by upregulating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, and that ALA can be a potential functional agent to prevent inflammatory and oxidative damage.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.64 no.1
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• pp.78-87
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• 2021

Objective : Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) has been widely used during spine surgery to reduce or prevent neurologic deficits, however, its application to the surgical management for cervical myelopathy remains controversial. This study aimed to assess the success rate of IONM in patients with cervical myelopathy and to investigate the factors associated with successful baseline monitoring and the effect of increasing the stimulation intensity by focusing on motor evoked potentials (MEPs). Methods : The data of 88 patients who underwent surgery for cervical myelopathy with IONM between January 2016 and June 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. The success rate of baseline MEP monitoring at the initial stimulation of 400 V was investigated. In unmonitorable cases, the stimulation intensity was increased to 999 V, and the success rate final MEP monitoring was reinvestigated. In addition, factors related to the success rate of baseline MEP monitoring were investigated using independent t-test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, chi-squared test, and Fisher's exact probability test for statistical analysis. The factors included age, sex, body mass index, diabetes mellitus, smoking history, symptom duration, Torg-Pavlov ratio, space available for the cord (SAC), cord compression ratio (CCR), intramedullary increased signal intensity (SI) on magnetic resonance imaging, SI length, SI ratio, the Medical Research Council (MRC) grade, the preoperative modified Nurick grade and Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score. Results : The overall success rate for reliable MEP response was 52.3% after increasing the stimulation intensity. No complications were observed to be associated with increased intensity. The factors related to the success rate of final MEP monitoring were found to be SAC (p<0.001), CCR (p<0.001), MRC grade (p<0.001), preoperative modified Nurick grade (p<0.001), and JOA score (p<0.001). The cut-off score for successful MEP monitoring was 5.67 mm for SAC, 47.33% for the CCR, 3 points for MRC grade, 2 points for the modified Nurick grade, and 12 points for the JOA score. Conclusion : Increasing the stimulation intensity could significantly improve the success rate of baseline MEP monitoring for unmonitorable cases at the initial stimulation in cervical myelopathy. In particular, the SAC, CCR, MRC grade, preoperative Nurick grade and JOA score may be considered as the more important related factors associated with the success rate of MEP monitoring. Therefore, the degree of preoperative neurological functional deficits and the presence of spinal cord compression on imaging could be used as new detailed criteria for the application of IONM in patients with cervical myelopathy.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.192-198
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• 2021

Red yeast rice has been extensively used as food and traditional medicine for thousands of years in East Asian countries. It is produced by the fermentation of a particular yeast (in general, Monascus purpureus) as rice and various cereals (barley, soybean, etc.). Monascus sp. produces many secondary metabolites during its growth, including pigments, monacolins, and γ-aminobutyric acid. Some metabolites―specifically, monacolin K, γ-aminobutyric acid, dimerumic acid, and monascus pigments―have been reported to lower cholesterol and blood pressure while showing anti-obesity effects. In this study, we investigated the anti-obesity effect of ethanol extract from red yeast barley (RYB) fermented with Monascus sp. BHN-MK 2 on 3T3-L1 cells. The anti-obesity effects of RYB extract were examined: its lipid accumulation inhibitory effect was tested by Oil Red O staining, and obesity-related mRNA expression levels were tested by real-time RT-PCR in MDI stimulated 3T3-L1 cells. The intracellular lipid content of MDI-stimulated 3T3-L1 cells decreased significantly to 5.04%, 12.24%, and 23.52% in response to 200, 400, and 800 ㎍/ml RYB, respectively. Moreovers, we evaluated that RYB extract significantly downregulated the expression of C/EBPα, SREBP-1, and PPAR-γ gene in a dose-dependent manner. As a result, red yeast barley ethanol extracts exerted the strongest anti-obesity effects. Also, the results indicate that red yeast barley could be used as a functional anti-obesity food material.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.99-107
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• 2020

Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by the core symptom of chronic widespread pain, along with fatigue, sleep disturbances, mood changes, and cognitive difficulties. The etiology of fibromyalgia involves a combination of biological factors, such as genetic vulnerability, alterations in pain processing and stress response system ; psychological factors, such as anxiety, depression, anger, and perceived stress ; environmental factors, such as infections, febrile diseases, and trauma. Central sensitization, which is amplified in the process of sensory stimulation, has been emphasized as a key etiological factor, as supported by enhanced wind-up, delayed aftersensation, decreased nociceptive flexion reflex threshold and functional imaging studies. Several guidelines recommend that a multimodal approach be used to treat fibromyalgia, including both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments, tailored to each individual, and that clinicians should provide an intellectual framework through sufficient education and emphasis on the importance of self-management. The prevalence of mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and other psychiatric problems is 7-9 times higher in patients with fibromyalgia than in the general population ; moreover, the association between fibromyalgia and certain psychopathologies or sleep problems has also been suggested. Since psychiatric problems, with shared vulnerabilities and risk factors, interact with fibromyalgia bidirectionally and also affect the disease course, an integrated management approach is needed to determine the risk of comorbidities.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.321-329
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• 2021

This study examined the growth inhibitory effect of the methanol fraction of maesil (Prunus mume) extract (MMF) on LNCaP, PC-3, and RC-58T human prostate cancer cell lines. Among these cell lines, LNCaP was the most sensitive to the inhibitory effects of MMF. Observation of the morphology and apoptotic body formation in the LNCaP cells revealed morphological changes, nuclear damage, and condensation in response to MMF treatment. The suppressive effect of MMF was related to the intrinsic apoptosis pathway, as indicated by increased expression of the pro-apoptotic proteins Bax, capase-3, capase-9, and PARP and decreased expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. Combined treatment with MMF and the AIF inhibitor N-phenylmalemide (N-PM) indicated that MMF treatment alone had a significant growth suppression effect. The involvement of the extrinsic apoptosis pathway was also confirmed by increased expression of AIF and Endo G. The growth suppression effect of MMF was also significant when compared to the effects of a combination of the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 and MMF. The reduced expression of PI3K, p-Akt, and p-mTOR confirmed the involvement of the PI3K/Akt/ mTOR signaling pathway in regulating the anti-proliferative properties of MMF. In conclusion, the growth suppression effect of MMF in the LNCaP human prostate cancer cell line shows the possibility of using this natural product in functional foods.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2021

This study developed low-cost and high-efficiency pavement condition monitoring technology to produce the key information required for pavement management. A noise and artificial intelligence-based monitoring system was devised to compensate for the shortcomings of existing high-end equipment that relies on visual information and high-end sensors. From idea establishment to system development, functional definition, information flow, architecture design, and finally, on-site field evaluations were carried out. As a result, confidence in the high level of artificial intelligence evaluation was secured. In addition, hardware and software elements and well-organized guidelines on system utilization were developed. The on-site evaluation process confirmed that non-experts could easily and quickly investigate and visualized the data. The evaluation results could support the management works of road managers. Furthermore, it could improve the completeness of the technologies, such as prior discriminating techniques for external conditions that are not considered in AI learning, system simplification, and variable speed response techniques. This paper presents a new paradigm for pavement monitoring technology that has lasted since the 1960s.