• Anatomy and Cell Biology
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.69-85
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• 2023

Depression is one of the most common neuropsychiatric disorders and is associated with dysfunction of the neuroendocrine system and alterations in specific brain proteins. Boophone disticha (BD) is an indigenous psychoactive bulb that belongs to the Amaryllidacae family, which is widely used in Southern Africa to treat depression, with scientific evidence of potent antidepressant-like effects. The present study examined the antidepressant effects of BD and its mechanisms of action by measuring some behavioural parameters in the elevated plus maze, brain content of corticosterone, brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), and neuroblast differentiation in the hippocampus of Balb/c mice exposed to the five day repeated forced swim stress (5d-RFSS). Male Balb/c mice were subjected to the 5d-RFSS protocol to induce depressive-like behaviour (decreased swimming, increased floating, decreased open arm entry, decreased time spent in the open arms and decreased head dips in the elevated plus maze test) and treated with distilled water, fluoxetine and BD. BD treatment (10 mg/kg/p.o for 3 weeks) significantly attenuated the 5d-RFSS-induced behavioural abnormalities and the elevated serum corticosterone levels observed in stressed mice. Additionally, 5d-RFSS exposure significantly decreased the number of neuroblasts in the hippocampus and BDNF levels in the brain of Balb/c mice, while fluoxetine and BD treatment attenuated these changes. The antidepressant effects of BD were comparable to those of fluoxetine, but unlike fluoxetine, BD did not show any anxiogenic effects, suggesting better pharmacological functions. In conclusion, our study shows that BD exerted antidepressant-like effects in 5d-RFSS mice, mediated in part by normalizing brain corticosterone and BDNF levels.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.403-408
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• 2009

A number of bifidobacterial species of human origin were screened for the presence of cryptic plasmids. One strain, Bifidobacterium longum FI10564, harbored plasmids of approximately 2.2 kb, 3.6 kb, and 4.9 kb in size. The smallest plasmid, pFI2576(2,197 bp), was studied in detail and its complete nucleotide sequence was determined. Computer-assisted analysis of this novel plasmid(G+C content 62%) identified 9 putative open reading frames(orfs), 3 of which were shown to be probable genes. These putative genes are arranged in an operon-like structure, in which the overlapping orfs 1 and 2 encode putative Rep proteins and are highly homologous to the rep genes of the B. longum plasmid pMBI(1,847 bp). The mechanism of replication of pFI2576 was investigated using Southern blot analysis of whole cell lysates, with and without S1 nuclease treatment, and atomic force microscopy(AFM). The results indicate that pFI2576 is likely to use the theta mode of replication.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.281-285
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• 1996

On farm demonstration of urea treatment (5 kg urea dissolved in 60 litre water/100kg) of straw was performed at 6 different sites and treated straw was stored by three different methods i.e., plastic covered, mud plastered and existing farmers technique (mud plastered on the top and open from sides) to determine the best storage method in field. Untreated and treated samples were taken after 5 week storage period and subjected to crude protein, crude fibre and cell wall constituents analysis. In situ dry matter digestibility of straw was measured by nylon bag technique in buffalo bulls. Crude protein content increased by 100 to 153 percent in treated straw stored by different methods. Maximum increase in crude protein of treated straw was noticed in mud plastered method. Urea treatment of straw resulted in significant decrease in crude fibre contents in all the storage methods. Treatment of straw enhanced the in situ digestibility by 25-49 percent and maximum digestibility (53%) was found in mud plastered storage method. It was concluded that the mud plastered storage method for urea treated straw was found to be the best at farm level.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.1651-1655
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• 2013

Anion exchange membranes for a vanadium redox flow battery (VRB) were prepared by pore-filling on a PE substrate with the copolymerization of vinylbenzyl chloride (VBC) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA). The ion exchange capacity, water uptake and weight gain ratio were increased with a similar tendency up to 65% of GMA content, indicating that the monomer improved the pore-filling degree and membrane properties. The vanadium ion permeability and open-circuit voltage were also investigated. The permeability of the VG65 membrane was only $1.23{\times}10^{-7}\;cm^2\;min^{-1}$ compared to $17.9{\times}10^{-7}\;cm^2\;min^{-1}$ for Nafion 117 and $1.8{\times}10^{-7}\;cm^2\;min^{-1}$ for AMV. Consequently, a VRB single cell using the prepared membrane showed higher energy efficiency (over 80%) of up to 100 cycles compared to the commercial membranes, Nafion 117 (ca. 58%) and AMV (ca. 70%).

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.9
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• pp.2765-2768
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• 2013

The effect of $TiO_2$ nanorods (TNR) and nanoparticles (TNP) composite photoelectrodes and the role of TNR to enhance the energy conversion efficiency in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) was investigated. The 5% TNR content into the TNP photoelectrode significantly increased the short-circuit current density ($J_{sc}$) and the open-circuit potential ($V_{oc}$) with the overall energy conversion efficiency enhancement of 13.6% compared to the pure TNP photoelectrode. From the photochemical and impedemetric analysis, the increased $J_{sc}$ and $V_{oc}$ for the 5% TNR/TNP composite photoelectrode was attributed to the scattering effect of TNR, reduced electron diffusion path and the suppression of charge recombination between the composite photoelectrode and electrolyte or dye.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.289-296
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• 2014

Here, we have studied the effect of water added electrolyte on the photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). It was found that open-circuit voltage ($V_{oc}$) increased and short-circuit current density ($j_{sc}$) decreased with the increase of the amount of added water in the electrolyte of the DSSCs. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) study showed that the electrolyte with added water shifted the dye loaded $TiO_2$ conduction band upward that eventually increased $V_{oc}$ of the cells. On the other hand, the upward shift of $TiO_2$ conduction band decreased the driving force for the electron injection from the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the dye molecules to the conduction band of $TiO_2$ that resulted in decreased $j_{sc}$.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.84-87
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• 2010

Copper-indium-diselenide (CIS) particles were prepared by the electrochemical reduction from the mixture solution of corresponding ion compounds. The prepared CIS was used as an insertion layer or a blending component in the organic photovoltaic bulk heterojunction cells composed of poly(3-octylthiophene) and fullerene. The increase of CIS content resulted in the rapid decrease of the open-circuit voltage as well as short-circuit current. The photovoltaic parameters were analyzed in relation to the structures, composition, and morphology of the photovoltaic blends.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.439-444
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• 2013

Fe foam with above 90% porosity and 2 millimeter pore size was successfully fabricated by a slurry coating process. In this study, the binder contents were controlled to produce the Fe foam with different pore size, strut thickness and porosity. Firstly, the slurry was prepared by uniform mixing with Fe powders, distilled water and polyvinyl alcohol(PVA) as initial materials. After slurry coating on the polyurethane(PU) foam the sample was dried at $80^{\circ}C$. The PVA and PU foams were then removed by heating at $700^{\circ}C$ for 3 hours. The debinded samples were subsequently sintered at $1250^{\circ}C$ with holding time of 3 hours under hydrogen atmosphere. The three dimensional geometries of the obtained Fe foams with open cell structure were investigated using X-ray micro CT(computed tomography) as well as the pore morphology, size and phase.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.262-266
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• 2010

This study was performed to investigate the anti-obesity effect of Eisenia bicyclis in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Male C57BL/6J mice were divided into three groups that were fed a normal diet, an HFD, or an HFD supplemented with a 5% powder of Eisenia bicyclis (PEB) for 8 weeks. The PEB group showed lower body weight gains than the HFD group. The PEB group also exhibited reduced body fat mass and adipose cell size in epididymal adipose tissue. The concentrations of serum cholesterol, leptin, and insulin in the PEB group were significantly lower than those in the HFD group. Liver triglyceride content was significantly decreased by PEB supplementation. Furthermore, hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed that PEB supplementation reduced lipid droplet formation in the liver induced by HFD. These results suggest that PEB supplementation reduces body weight gain and fat accumulation in HFD-induced obese mice.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.96-102
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• 2009

The effect of ultrasonic and alkaline pre-treatments on waste activated sludge (WAS) disintegration was investigated for improved anaerobic digestion. As WAS was treated by either methods, longer capillary suction time (CST) was required due to the break-up of cell walls, and its supernatant demonstrated increase in soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD), protein content and turbidity. Ultrasonic process combined with alkaline pre-treatment demonstrated higher SCOD and protein content in the supernatant as compared with ultrasonic pre-treatment only. However, the degree of disintegration (DDCOD) of WAS decreased with increasing solid concentration as both WAS disintegration methods employed simultaneously.