• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.685-690
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• 2021

Harmful shell-boring species of the genus Polydora (Polychaeta: Spionidae) were frequently reported from commercially important mollusk species in Korea, Japan and China. The traditional approach based on the morphological characteristics showed limitations for species discrimination among shell-boring species. Therefore, DNA barcoding was adopted to identify Polydora species using molecular markers. Two Polydora species (P. haswelli and P. hoplura) in abalone shells were reported from our previous molecular phylogenetic study. In this study, we additionally reported the presence of shell-boring Polydora haswelli in commercially sold shellfish. The taxon-specific cox1 marker used in this study successfully allowed the isolation of P. haswelli from cockle Scapharca subcrenata, mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, oyster Crassostrea gigas and scallop Argopecten irradians. Polydora hoplura was not found in these shellfish species. The genetic variations were found on the intraspecific level of P. haswelli and the same genotype was also detected in different shellfish species. This result can provide information on a new host and accurate parasitic Polydora species. Moreover, this report can be used as the biodiversity data of Polydora species on the invasion and transition of harmful Polydora species in mollusk aquaculture farms.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.181-186
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• 2011

Thermal stability of the $TiO_2$ SCR catalyst with W03 loading was investigated in terms of structural and morphological analyses. The $TiO_2$ catalysts with 10 w% $WO_3$ content and without $WO_3$ were prepared. which were heat-treated at $800^{\circ}C$ for 5 h. It was found that the catalytic acidity was decreased by thermal degradation in the $WO_3-TiO_2$ specimen that relatively less than the $TiO_2$ specimen from FT-IR analysis. The phase transition of the $TiO_2$ catalyst from anatase to rutile was increased by heal-treatment, and the percentage of the rutile phase was 28.4 % in the $WO_3-TiO_2$ and 22.9 % in the $TiO_2$. A shell region of $WO_3$ distinguished from a $TiO_2$ particle was also observed in the grain boundary region, and the $WO_3$ led to the suppression of grain growth. It could be confirmed that the suppression of grain growth can contribute to the improvement of catalytic properties for thermal stability more than the increase of anatase-rutile phase transformation which cause the reduction of the catalytic activity in the $TiO_2$ SCR catalyst by the presence of $WO_3$.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.79 no.3
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• pp.143-152
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• 2016

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and lethal lung disease characterized by the accumulation of excessive fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in the extracellular matrix. The transforming growth factor ${\beta}1$ (TGF-${\beta}1$)-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is thought to be a possible source of fibroblasts/myofibroblasts in IPF lungs. We have previously reported that apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) has anti-fibrotic activity in experimental lung fibrosis. In this study, we determine whether ApoA1 modulates TGF-${\beta}1$-induced EMT in experimental lung fibrosis and clarify its mechanism of action. Methods: The A549 alveolar epithelial cell line was treated with TGF-${\beta}1$ with or without ApoA1. Morphological changes and expression of EMT-related markers, including E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and ${\alpha}$-smooth muscle actin were evaluated. Expressions of Smad and non-Smad mediators and TGF-${\beta}1$ receptor type 1 ($T{\beta}RI$) and type 2 ($T{\beta}RII$) were measured. The silica-induced lung fibrosis model was established using ApoA1 overexpressing transgenic mice. Results: TGF-${\beta}1$-treated A549 cells were changed to the mesenchymal morphology with less E-cadherin and more N-cadherin expression. The addition of ApoA1 inhibited the TGF-${\beta}1$-induced change of the EMT phenotype. ApoA1 inhibited the TGF-${\beta}1$-induced increase in the phosphorylation of Smad2 and 3 as well as that of ERK and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase mediators. In addition, ApoA1 reduced the TGF-${\beta}1$-induced increase in $T{\beta}RI$ and $T{\beta}RII$ expression. In a mouse model of silica-induced lung fibrosis, ApoA1 overexpression reduced the silica-mediated effects, which were increased N-cadherin and decreased E-cadherin expression in the alveolar epithelium. Conclusion: Our data demonstrate that ApoA1 inhibits TGF-${\beta}1$-induced EMT in experimental lung fibrosis.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.10 no.7
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• pp.499-504
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• 2000

Recently there have been many investigations on the synthesis and properties of transition metal trialuminides based on Ti, Zr, V, Nb and Ta for use aircraft structure materials in an elevated environment. The effect of Zr additions on the formation behaviour of Al-Nb alloy was investigated. Al-1.3at.%(Nb+Zr) alloys with different Nb to Zr atomic 1:3, 1:1 and 3:1 were prepared by mechanical alloying(MA). The morphological changes and microstructural evolution of Al-Nb-Zr powders during MA were investigated by SEM, XRD and TEM. The intermetallic compound phase of $Nb_2Al\; and\; Al_3Zr_4$ was identified by X-ray diffraction. The intemetallic compound of $Al_3Zr,\; Al_3Nb$ and $Al_3Zr_4$ were formed by heat treatment for 1 hour at $500^{\circ}C$. The size of intermetallic compounds observed by TEM were approximately below 100nm, when they were heat treated after mechanically alloying for 30 hours.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.186-191
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• 2016

The effects of $Eu^{3+}$ doping on the structural, morphological, and optical properties of $MgMoO_4:Dy^{3+},Eu^{3+}$ phosphors prepared by solid-state reaction technique were investigated. XRD patterns exhibited that all the synthesized phosphors showed a monoclinic system with a dominant (220) diffraction peak, irrespective of the content of $Eu^{3+}$ ions. The surface morphology of $MgMoO_4:Dy^{3+},Eu^{3+}$ phosphors was studied using scanning electron microscopy and the grains showed a tendency to agglomerate as the content of $Eu^{3+}$ ions increased. The excitation spectra of the phosphor powders were composed of a strong charge transfer band centered at 294 nm in the range of 230~340 nm and two intense peaks at 354 and 389 nm, respectively, arising from the $^6H_{15/2}{\rightarrow}^6P_{7/2}$ and $^6H_{15/2}{\rightarrow}^4M_{21/2}$ transitions of $Dy^{3+}$ ions. The emission spectra of the $Mg_{0.85}MoO_4$:10 mol% $Dy^{3+}$ phosphors without incorporating $Eu^{3+}$ ions revealed a strong yellow band centered at 573 nm resulting from the $^4F_{9/2}{\rightarrow}^6H_{13/2}$ transition of $Dy^{3+}$. As the content of $Eu^{3+}$ was increased, the intensity of the yellow emission was gradually decreased, while that of red emission band located at 614 nm began to appear, approached a maximum value at 10 mol%, and then decreased at 15 mol% of $Eu^{3+}$. These results indicated that white light emission could be achieved by controlling the contents of the $Dy^{3+}$ and $Eu^{3+}$ ions incorporated into the $MgMoO_4$ host crystal.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.279-285
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• 2024

The zonula occludens (ZO) protein serves as a scaffolding protein, providing structural support at the junctions between cells and the cytoplasmic surface. It acts as a bridge between integral membrane proteins and the cytoskeleton. Besides its structural role, it also participates in regulating cell growth and proliferation. Recent studies have highlighted the involvement of ZO protein in various diseases, including cancer. Specifically, research has indicated that ZO protein influences the cancer microenvironment surrounding cancer cells, thereby facilitating their growth and development. ZO proteins exert diverse functions in the cancer microenvironment, impacting processes such as angiogenesis, inflammatory responses, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and interactions with mesenchymal stem cells. The specific mechanisms vary depending on the type of cancer and environmental conditions. Recent research unveiled several signaling pathways involving ZO protein, which could potentially impede cancer progression in the tumor microenvironment. Consequently, these insights open avenues for novel treatment strategies. While the numerous physiological, structural, and morphological roles of ZO protein have been observed at the cellular and in vivo levels, understanding the signaling mechanisms it operates in vivo and how these mechanisms influence the cancer microenvironment remains a challenge. In this review, we delineate the characteristics and regulatory mechanisms of ZO protein in the context of the cancer microenvironment. Additionally, we propose leveraging the properties of ZO protein to devise defense mechanisms within the cancer cell environment and provide an overview of its in vivo role.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.169-274
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• 2024

Recent attention has been drawn to materials that undergo reversible expansion and contraction in response to external stimuli, leading to morphological changes. These materials hold potential applications in various fields including soft robotics, sensors, and artificial muscles. In this study, a novel material capable of responding to high temperatures for protection or encapsulation is proposed. To achieve this, liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) with nematic-isotropic transition properties and polyimide (PI) with high mechanical strength and thermal stability were utilized. To utilize a solution process, a dope solution was synthesized and introduced into micro-printing techniques to develop a two-dimensional pattern of LCE/PI bilayer structures with sub-millimeter widths. The honeycomb-patterned LCE/PI bilayer mesh combined the mechanical strength of PI with the high-temperature contraction behavior of LCE, and selective printing of LCE facilitated deformation in desired directions at high temperatures. Consequently, the functionality of selectively and reversibly encapsulating specific high-temperature materials was achieved. This study suggests potential applications in various actuator fields where functionalities can be implemented across different temperature ranges without the need for electrical energy input, contingent upon molecular changes in LCE.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.319-326
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• 1996

The objective of this study was to investigate correlation between the morphology by microscopic assessments of surplus blastocysts produced in human IVF program and their cell number obtained by differential labelling method. For these experiments, 76 surplus human blastocysts were obtained from 36 patients on day 5 after IVF, the embryos were classified to early (ErB), early expanding (EEB), middle expanding (MEB), expanded blastocyst (EdB) according to their blastocoel expansion and zona thickness. When the ovum size and zona thickness of the classified blastocysts were measured using micrometer, although the embryos were produced in the same culture condition, there were significant variances in ovum size ($148.8 217.6{\mu}m$) and zona thickness ($1.2-14.4{\mu}m$). Total blastomere cell number counted after hoechst staining was increased by two to three fold during the transition period from ErB ($39.1{\pm}3.6$) to EdB ($(89.6{\pm}3.3)$) stage on day 5 after IVF. ICM ($11.9{\pm}1.8-22.2{\pm}4.3$) and TE ($24.5{\pm}3.6-70.0{\pm}7.7$) cell numbers using differential labelling were also showed the increased pattern according to the developmental level. Especially, EdB which showed poor ICM morphologically also indicated the low ICM cell number after differential labelling. This demonstrated that there is good correlation between the morphological assessment and the cell number. The count of ICM and TE nuclei using differential labelling can be used as an important criterion, if it is accompanied with morphological assessments, in selecting the better embryos for improving the pregnancy rates in human blastocyst transfer program.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.172-176
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• 2005

Recently, many researches on the high-voltage 5 V class cathode material have focused on $LiNi_{0.5}Mn_{1.5}O_4$, where $Mn^{3+}$ in the existing $LiMn_2O_4 (Li[Mn^{3+}][Mn^{4+}]O_4)$ is replaced by $Ni^{2+}(Li[Ni^{2+}]_{0.5}[Mn^{4+}]_{1.5}O_4)$ in order to utilize $Ni^{2+}/Ni^{4+}$ redox reaction in the 5V region. The partial substitution of Mn in $LiMn_2O_4$ for other transition metal element, $LiM_yMn_{1-y}O_4$(M=Cr, Al, Ni, Fe, Co, Cu, Ga etc) is known as a good solution to overcome the problems associated with $LiMn_2O_4$ like the gradual capacity fading. In this study, we synthesized $LiNi_{0.5}Mn_{1.5}O_4$ through a mechanochemical process and investigated its morphological, crystallographic and electrochemical characteristics. The results showed that 4 V peaks had been found in the cyclic volammograms of the synthesized powders due to the existence of $Mn^{3+}$ from the incomplete substitution of $Ni^{2+}$ for $Mn^{3+}$ implying that the mechanochemical activation alone was not good enough to synthesize an exact stoichiometric compound of $LiNi_{0.5}Mn_{1.5}O_4$. The synthetic condition of mechanochemical process, such as type of starting materials, ball-mill and calcination condition was optimized for the best electrochemical performance.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.6-18
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• 1960

The present experiments were designed in order to clarify the differences between the long and short styled plants and the transgressive gradition in the degree of dimorphism among the three heterostylous species of the Polygonus, P. japonica, F. esculentum, and P. senticosa, based on investigations regarding the floral structure, ecological and physiological traits, the results of which are summarized as follows: (1) P. japonica, although it exhibits typical dimorphism, has undergone so high a differentiation between long and short styled that its long styled individuals behave as if they were female; and short styled individuals as if male. In long-styled individuals, filament, anther, and pollen grains show signs of degeneration, most of the pollen being abortive. On the other hand, in short styled individuals, the filament, anther, and pollen grains have attained remarkable development; the pollen grians are large and fertile. In short-plant the fertilized flowers readily drop off in every stage of their embryo development. This species has completely lost the self-fertile property, which is characteristic of the non-dimorphic Polygonum genus. Although this specsei typically exhibits the physiological characteristics of the non-dimorphic Polygonum genus. Although this specisei typically exhibits the physiological characteristics of dimorphism in controlled pollination, the short-styled individuals bear no seed in nature, thus misleading taxonomists to idenfity the short-styled plant as male. 2) The morphological feature of the flower organ of P. senticosa obviously indicates definite dimorphism. Physiologically, however, no differentiation towards dimorphism was observed, the species still retaining, both in long and short-individuals, the self-fertile property common to the Polygonum genus. Elaborate examinations revealed that regardless of the modes of pollination, both fertiization and seed setting flourish, no differentiation betwen legitimate and illegitimate unions being recognizable. This sort of physiological property has not been observed in the investigations of other heterostylous plants. It is assumed that this species is differentiated structurally into dimorphism, but not yet physiologically. In nature, however, this plant would have more opportunities to be cross-pollinated, i.e., legitimately combined, than self-pollinated because of the development of two forms of flowers. 3) In terms of heterostylism, the F. esculentum just occupies the intermediate position between P. japonica and P. senticosa structurally, ecologically, and physiologically. Doescription of some of the physiological behavior of the plant will suffice to demonstrate the above facts. While P. japonica has completely lost its self-fertile property, P. senticosa still retains it wolly. In F. esculentum 2-6% of self-fertility is the result in illegitimate combination. There occur occasionally hereditary self fertile individuals among some of the F. or 20 min. irradiation plot, when they reach any stage of the same bacterial population. In addition to this increase of total population in the plots with the more dose of UV light irradiation, it seems that the more dose of UV light irradiation is the more shortened the generation time of Azotobacter. Therefore, it is clear that variation of reproductive rate must be, mere or less, due to the genetic effects induced by UV light irradiation. On the other hand, the lag phase or logarithmic growth phase in nonirradiated culture is shortened prominently, and this must be due to the difference in bacterial number of the original inoculm. The generation time of Azotobacter is shortened by exogeneous treatment of nuclei acid derivatives, and the degree is greater in case of DNA derivatives than RNA dervatives. W.H. Price reported that the rate of ribose nucleic acid to protein in Staphylococcus muscae is proportional to the generation time: that is the faster the cell can form ribose nucleic acid, the more rapid its growth. This explains the shortening of generation time by exogeneous RNA derivatives in this work reasonably. On the other hand, it is well known that the desoxyribose nuclic acid content per cell is constant and independent of the generation time. A.D. Laren and W.N. Takahashi reported that the infectious RNA from TMV is 6 times as sensitive to inactivation by UV as it is in the form of intact virus, and that inactivation of infectious TMV involves onlu a local change on RNA chain. But, the effect of exogeneous DNA in this work suggests that irradiated living cell which cotain DNA bring about some change on DNA moleculs as well as RNA molecules. And if the mutagenic effects of UV take into consideration, it is very reasonable. Therefore, it is clear that the variation of the generation time by UV irradiation is, more or less, due to the genetic effects. Therefore, it seems that the shortness of the average lifewpan of Azotobacter by UV irradiation is resulted not only from the influence of the environmental conditions, but also from the variation of genetic factor of the individual.