• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.83-88
• /
• 2017

Silk is appealing materials for many biomedical applications involving tissue engineering and implantable devices, because of its biocompatibility, environmental stability, controlled proteolytic biodegradability and morphologic flexibility. Silk matrix is required for the treatment of a wide wound area, but the present silk matrix is made by the second processing, and thus, the labor and the cost are high. In this work, we investigated the optimal production condition of natural silk 3D matrix using the silkworms and invented Automatic Silk Matrix Making Machine (ASMMM) for natural silk 3D matrix production. As a result, we determined that optimal production condition for making A4 paper size natural silk 3D matrix was used Rough aquarelle paper on surface at $25^{\circ}C$ and 30 silkworm larvae. These results are expected to provide basic data for the efficient production of the natural silk 3D matrix, and it is suggested that the produced natural silk 3D matrix is useful as a medical biomaterials.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.50 no.10
• /
• pp.763-768
• /
• 2012

The uniform and highly smooth nanofibers of biocompatible poly(${\varepsilon}$-caprolactone) (PCL) composited with different contents of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were successfully prepared by electrospinning. Experimental parameters were MWCNTs addition to a PCL solution and applied voltages. The topographical features of the composite nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and its electrical properties were measured by a four-point probe method. The surface resistance gradually decreased with an increasing content of MWCNTs in PCL fibers because of the excellent electrical conductivity of MWCNTs. The nanofiber diameter could be regulated by varying the solution viscosity and voltages. Our results establish that this kind of electrospinning PCL/MWCNTs nanofibers with the control of fiber diameter and electrical conductivity may be a promising candidate for the application of scaffolds in tissue engineering.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.47 no.12
• /
• pp.881-886
• /
• 2009

Research into the replacement of injured systems and tissue in the human body is advancing rapidly. Recently, Ti-Ni shape memory alloys have shown excellent biofunctionality related to their shape memory effect and superelasticity. In this study, the effect of an acid or an alkali treatment on the bioactivity in 49Ti-Ni and 51.5Ti-48.5Ni alloys is investigated in an effort to utilize Ti-Ni alloy as a biomaterial. In addition, the biocompatibility in a SBF solution is assessed through in vitro testing. A porous surface was formed on the surface of both alloys after a chemical treatment. According to the in vitro test, apatite formed on the surfaces of both alloys. The forming rate of apatite in the Ti-rich alloy was faster that in the Ni-rich alloy. The formation of apatite provided proof of the bioactivity of the Ti-Ni alloy. A small quantity of Ni was eluted at the initial stage, whereas Ni was not found for 12 days in the Ti-rich alloy and for 8 days in the Ni-rich alloy. In the case of the treated 51.5Ti-Ni alloy, the shape memory property was worsened but the biocompatibility was improved.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
• /
• 2002.10a
• /
• pp.366.1-366.1
• /
• 2002

Emerging medical technologies for effective and lasting repair of articular cartilage include delivery of cells or cell-seeded scaffolds to a defective site to initiate de novo tissue regeneration. In this respect. the availability of an appropriate biomaterial scaffold is crucial to allow chondrocyte growth and cartilaginous matrix deposition in a three-dimensional geometry. Hyaluronic acid (HA) molecules are anchored to the chondrocyte membrane via receptors, such as CD44. (omitted)

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.1-9
• /
• 2021

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection often complicates burn wounds. Mupirocin is the antibiotic of choice for superficial MRSA infection, and its resistance is on the rise due to its frequent and widespread use. This study aimed to develop and evaluate Curcuma xanthorriza extract (CXE)-containing gel as a topical agent against MRSA-infected second-degree burn wound in rats. CXE was obtained using maceration with 96% ethanol. Xanthorrhizol level, antibacterial, and antioxidant activity were evaluated using a standardized method. In vivo, the wound's healing and bacterial load were evaluated every three days, whereas the histopathology of the wound was examined on day 12 of treatment. One-Way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis test were used to analyze the data. In this study, 27.0% and 7.10% of the obtained CXE were xanthorrhizol and curcumin, respectively. Additionally, an IC50 of 64.27 ppm was shown in antioxidant activity measurement, and MIC against MRSA was 5 mg/ml. Treatment with CXE-containing gels showed a significant reduction in bacterial load and proliferation of connective tissue in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, CXE-containing gel showed a greater reduction of bacterial load and more advanced wound healing phase than mupirocin.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.255-263
• /
• 2021

Human Astrovirus (HuAstV) is an important gastrointestinal pathogen that is frequently reported worldwide. Monitoring of contaminated groundwater has been suggested since HuAstV is transmitted through the fecal-oral route. This study developed a test method based on conventional reverse transcription (RT)-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) that involves SL^® non-specific reaction inhibitor for unknown non-specific amplification taking place in the groundwater environment. An optimal method for detecting HuAstV in groundwater sample through analysis and comparison against conventionally reported method was also suggested. The developed method enabled the production of nested PCR amplicon of 630 nt, which is a sufficient length for similarity analysis based on sequencing and genotyping. Amplicons suspected to be HuAstV were amplified in two out of the twenty groundwater samples collected in Korea, presenting 99.77% and 99.73% similarity against HuAstV 1 strain lhar/2011/kor (JN887820.1) in sequencing, respectively. These amplicons were identified as HuAstV 1.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.221-231
• /
• 2022

Adiponectin (Ad), a 30 kDa molecule, is an anti-diabetic adipokine; although derived from adipose tissue, it performs numerous activities in various other tissues. It binds to its own receptors, namely adiponectin receptor 1(AdipoR1), adiponectin receptor 2 (AdipoR2), and T-cadherin (CDH13). Ad plays several roles, especially as a regulator. It modulates lipid and glucose metabolism and promotes insulin sensitivity. This demonstrates that Ad has a robust correlation with fat metabolism. Furthermore, although Ad is not in direct contact with other tissues, including the skin, it can be delivered to them by diffusion or secretion via the endocrine system. Recently it has been reported that Ad can impact skin cell biology, underscoring its potential as a therapeutic biomarker of skin diseases. In the present review, we have discussed the association between skin cell biology and Ad. To elaborate further, we described the involvement of Ad in the biology of various types of cells in the skin, such as keratinocytes, fibroblasts, melanocytes, and immune cells. Additionally, we postulated that Ad could be employed as a therapeutic target to maintain skin homeostasis.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.54 no.6
• /
• pp.2204-2212
• /
• 2022

Recently, the demand for alpha imaging detectors for quantifying the distributions of alpha particles has increased in various fields. This study aims to reconstruct a high-resolution image from an alpha imaging detector by applying a super-spatial resolution method combined with the maximum-likelihood expectation maximization (MLEM) algorithm. To perform the super-spatial resolution method, several images are acquired while slightly moving the detector to predefined positions. Then, a forward model for imaging is established by the system matrix containing the mechanical shifts, subsampling, and measured point-spread function of the imaging system. Using the measured images and system matrix, the MLEM algorithm is implemented, which converges towards a high-resolution image. We evaluated the performance of the proposed method through the Monte Carlo simulations and phantom experiments. The results showed that the super-spatial resolution method was successfully applied to the alpha imaging detector. The spatial resolution of the resultant image was improved by approximately 12% using four images. Overall, the study's outcomes demonstrate the feasibility of the super-spatial resolution method for the alpha imaging detector. Possible applications of the proposed method include high-resolution imaging for alpha particles of in vitro sliced tissue and pre-clinical biologic assessments for targeted alpha therapy.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
• /
• v.21 no.6
• /
• pp.83.1-83.14
• /
• 2020

Background: Bovine and porcine teeth are often used in in vitro experiments as substitutes of human teeth. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to perform a comparative analysis of enamel morphology of permanent human, bovine and porcine teeth under the scanning electron microscope. Methods: As many as 10 human, 10 bovine, and 10 porcine teeth were studied. All the teeth were sectioned and the halves were randomly divided into 2 groups according to the examined tissue (vestibular enamel at the mid-height of the dental crown and in the cervical area). Human and bovine enamel was etched for 15 sec and porcine enamel for 30 sec. The scanning electron microscope analysis was performed. The length and width of enamel prisms were determined with the "Met-Ilo" 1.1 computer program. Results: All enamel samples revealed the same etching pattern-Silverstone's type 2. Bovine enamel showed a similar porosity and the amount of interprismatic enamel compared to human enamel while the amount and width of interprismatic enamel bands in porcine enamel were evidently greater. The shape of the porcine prisms was visually similar to human prisms, although dimensions were significantly different. However, bovine prisms differed in form and appeared to be distinctly elongated. Conclusions: Reported findings indicate that the results of experimental studies carried out on bovine and porcine enamel should not be compared with the results obtained on human enamel.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.55 no.8
• /
• pp.2734-2741
• /
• 2023

Brachytherapy is a special case of radiotherapy. It should be arranged according to some principles in medical radiation applications and radiation physics. The primary principle is to use as low as reasonably achievable dose in all ionizing radiation applications for diagnostic and therapeutic treatments. Dosimetric distributions are dependent on radioactive source properties and radiation-matter interactions in an absorber medium such as phantom or tissue. In this consideration, the geometrical structure and material of the seed capsule, which surrounds a radioactive material, are directly responsible for isodose profiles and dosimetric functions. In this study, the radiometric properties of capsule material were investigated on dose distribution in a water phantom by changing its nuclear properties using the EGSnrc Monte Carlo (MC) simulation code. Effective atomic numbers of hypothetic mixtures were calculated by using different elements with several fractions for capsule material. Model 6711 brachytherapy seed was modeled by EGSnrc/Dosrcnrc Code and dosimetric functions were calculated. As a result, dosimetric parameters of hypothetic sources have been acquired in large-scale atomic number. Dosimetric deviations between the data of hypothetic seeds and the original one were analyzed. Unit dose (Gy/Particle) distributions belonging to different types of material in seed capsule have remarkably differed from the original capsule's data. Capsule type is major variable to manage the expected dose profile and isodose distribution around a seed. This study shows us systematically varied scale of material type (cross section or effective atomic number dependent) offers selective material usage in production of seed capsules for the expected isodose profile of a specific source.