• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.123-131
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• 2019

In this study, the development of transparent UV blocking material using $TiO_{2-x}$ oxide thin film process was developed. A process technology is related to a process technology for making a sample with ultraviolet-shielding property of visible light transmittance of 78 % or more (total light transmittance at 550 nm) and of a UV cut-off characteristic of more than 95 % at 315 nm in ultraviolet wavelength band. In this study, it is possible to establish a flexible device process condition of high performance ultraviolet (UV) shielding thin film, to design mixed type of transparent flexible device with heterogeneous characteristics and to formulate composite deposition technology, according to various market demands. Establishment of actual roll-to-roll continuous process and equipment and process technology will affect related industries greatly.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.524-538
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• 2018

Objective: This study aimed to identify the size distributions of particulate matter emitted during 3D printing according to operational conditions and estimate particle inhalation exposure doses at each respiratory region. Methods: Four types of printing filaments were selected: acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polylactic acid (PLA), Laywood, and nylon. A fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer was used for printing. Airborne particles between 10 nm and $10{\mu}m$ were measured before, during, and after printing using real-time monitors under extruder temperatures from 215 to $290^{\circ}C$. Inhalation exposures, including inhaled and deposited doses at the respiratory regions, were estimated using a mathematical model. Results: Nanoparticles dominated among the particles emitted during printing, and more particles were emitted with higher temperatures for all materials. Under all temperature conditions, the Laywood emitted the highest particle concentration, followed by ABS, PLA, and nylon. The particle concentration peaked for the initial 10 to 20 minutes after starting operations and gradually decreased with elapsed time. Nanoparticles accounted for a large proportion of the total inhaled particles in terms of number, and about a half of the inhaled nanoparticles were estimated to be deposited in the alveolar region. In the case of the mass of inhaled and deposited dose, particles between 0.1 and $1.0{\mu}m$ made up a large proportion. Conclusion: The number of consumers using 3D printers is expected to expand, but hazardous emissions such as thermal byproducts from 3D printing are still unclear. Further studies should be conducted and appropriate control strategies considered in order to minimize human exposure.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.607-613
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• 2019

Objective: Intramuscular fat (IMF) content plays an important role in meat quality. Identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and genes related to pig IMF, especially using pig populations with high IMF content variation, can help to establish novel molecular breeding tools for optimizing IMF in pork and unveil the mechanisms that underlie fat metabolism. Methods: We collected muscle samples of 453 Chinese Lulai black pigs, measured IMF content by Soxhlet petroleum-ether extraction method, and genotyped genome-wide SNPs using GeneSeek Genomic Profiler Porcine HD BeadChip. Then a genome-wide association study was performed using a linear mixed model implemented in the GEMMA software. Results: A total of 43 SNPs were identified to be significantly associated with IMF content by the cutoff p<0.001. Among these significant SNPs, the greatest number of SNPs (n = 19) were detected on Chr.9, and two linkage disequilibrium blocks were formed among them. Additionally, 17 significant SNPs are mapped to previously reported quantitative trait loci (QTLs) of IMF and confirmed previous QTLs studies. Forty-two annotated genes centering these significant SNPs were obtained from Ensembl database. Overrepresentation test of pathways and gene ontology (GO) terms revealed some enriched reactome pathways and GO terms, which mainly involved regulation of basic material transport, energy metabolic process and signaling pathway. Conclusion: These findings improve our understanding of the genetic architecture of IMF content in pork and facilitate the follow-up study of fine-mapping genes that influence fat deposition in muscle.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.218-231
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• 2019

Background: We recently reported that Salvia plebeia R. Br. extracts suppress leukotriene production and effectively inhibit the airway inflammatory response by modulating inflammatory chemokine and cytokine expression. Here, we investigated the synergistic airway anti-inflammation effect of Salvia plebeia and Panax ginseng (Korean red ginseng, KRG) that has been used to treat various immune diseases such as asthma. Methods and Results: To evaluate the synergistic airway anti-inflammatory effect of Salvia plebeia and KRG, we measured the inhibitory effect of monotheraphy with either or co-theraphy with both on leukotriene and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Using coal a combustion, fly ash, and diesel exhaust particle (CFD)-induced respiratory disease mouse model, we found that co-theraphy synergistically suppressed airway inflammatory signs such as alveolar wall thickness and collagen fibers deposition, and decreased the number of total cell, $CD11b^+Gr-1^+$ cells, and inflammatory cytokines (IL17A, TNF, MIP-2 and CXCL-1) in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. Conclusions: We confirmed respiratory protection as a therapeutic effect of the Salbia plebeia-KRG 3 : 1 complex (KGC-03-PS) via anti-tracheal muscle contraction and expectorant animal studies using a CFD-induced respiratory disease mouse model.

• Biomaterials Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.271-278
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• 2018

Background: The chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is regulated by many factors, including oxygen tensions, growth factors, and cytokines. Evidences have suggested that low oxygen tension seems to be an important regulatory factor in the proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation in various MSCs. Recent studies report that synovium-derived mesenchymal stem cells (SDSCs) are a potential source of stem cells for the repair of articular cartilage defects. But, the effect of low oxygen tension on the proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation in SDSCs has not characterized. In this study, we investigated the effects of hypoxia on proliferation and chondrogenesis in SDSCs. Method: SDSCs were isolated from patients with osteoarthritis at total knee replacement. To determine the effect of oxygen tension on proliferation and colony-forming characteristics of SDSCs, A colony-forming unit (CFU) assay and cell counting-based proliferation assay were performed under normoxic (21% oxygen) or hypoxic (5% oxygen). For in vitro chondrogenic differentiation, SDSCs were concentrated to form pellets and subjected to conditions appropriate for chondrogenic differentiation under normoxia and hypoxia, followed by the analysis for the expression of genes and proteins of chondrogenesis. qRT-PCR, histological assay, and glycosoaminoglycan assays were determined to assess chondrogenesis. Results: Low oxygen condition significantly increased proliferation and colony-forming characteristics of SDSCs compared to that of SDSCs under normoxic culture. Similar pellet size and weight were found for chondrogensis period under hypoxia and normoxia condition. The mRNA expression of types II collagen, aggrecan, and the transcription factor SOX9 was increased under hypoxia condition. Histological sections stained with Safranin-O demonstrated that hypoxic conditions had increased proteoglycan synthesis. Immunohistochemistry for types II collagen demonstrated that hypoxic culture of SDSCs increased type II collagen expression. In addition, GAG deposition was significantly higher in hypoxia compared with normoxia at 21 days of differentiation. Conclusion: These findings show that hypoxia condition has an important role in regulating the synthesis ECM matrix by SDSCs as they undergo chondrogenesis. This has important implications for cartilage tissue engineering applications of SDSCs.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.1309-1320
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• 2021

Objective: Investigation of muscle growth at different developmental stages is an appropriate strategy for studying the mechanisms underlying muscle development and differences in phenotypes. In particular, the muscle development mechanisms and the difference between the fastest and slowest growth rates. Methods: In this study, we used a growth curve model to fit the growth inflection point (IP) of QingYu pigs and compared differences in the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) transcriptome of muscle both at the growth IP and plateau phase (PP). Results: The growth curve of the QingYu pig had a good fit (R² = 0.974) relative to a typical S-curve and reached the IP at day 177.96. At the PP, marbling, intramuscular fat, and monounsaturated fatty acids had increased significantly and the percentage of lean muscle and polyunsaturated fatty acids had decreased. A total of 1,199 mRNAs and 62 lncRNAs were differentially expressed at the IP compared with the PP. Additional to gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway analyses, these differentially expressed protein coding genes were principally related to muscle growth and lipid metabolism. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the identified differentially expressed lncRNAs, could play roles in muscle growth, fat deposition and regulation of fatty acid composition at the IP and PP.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.58-66
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• 2021

Spiral-wound woven wire meshes packed bed rotating cylinder electrode was used for the simultaneous removal of cadmium (Cd) and copper (Cu) from a binary solution. The effects of weight percent of each metal on the removal and current efficiencies were studied at an operating current of 345A, while the effect of current on the removal efficiency of both metals was investigated at three levels of current (240, 345.and 400 mA). The experiments were carried out at constant rotation speed 800 rpm, pH = 3, and a total concentration of metals (500 ppm). The results showed that the removal efficiency of copper increased from 89% to 99.4% as its weight percent increased from 20% to100%. In a similar fashion, the removal efficiency of cadmium increased from 81% to 97% as its weight percent increased from 20% to100%. The results confirmed that the removal efficiency of any metals declined in the presence of the other. Increasing of current resulted in increasing the removal efficiency of both metals at different weight percents. The results confirmed that current efficiencies for removing of copper and cadmium simultaneously decline with increasing of electrolysis time and weight percent of cadmium or with decreasing the weight percent of copper. Current efficiency was higher at the initial stage of electrolysis for all weight percents of metals. The results showed that the decay of copper concentration was exponential at all weight percents of copper, confirming that the electrodeposition of copper is under mass transfer control in the presence of cadmium. While the decay of cadmium concentration was linear at lower weight percent of cadmium then changed to an exponential behavior at high weight percent of cadmium in the presence of copper.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.342-354
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• 2021

Purpose: Obesity is a serious public health issue for the modern society and is considered a chronic health hazard. There are many surgical and pharmacological approaches to treat obesity. However, various potentially hazardous side effects remain the biggest challenge. Therefore, diets based on foods derived from natural products have gained increasing attention compared to anti-obesity drugs. Recently, research on edible insects as a food source has been a topic of considerable interest in the scientific communities. This study examined the anti-obesity effects of ingesting an edible insect by feeding a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mouse models with a diet containing Tenebrio molitor larvae powder (TMLP). Methods: Six-week-old female C57BL/6J mice were divided into 4 groups according to treatment: 100% normal diet (ND), 100% HFD (HFD), HFD 99% + TMLP 1% (TMLP), and HFD 97% + TMLP 3% (TMLP 3%). TMLP was added to the HFD for 6 weeks for the latter two groups. Results: Compared to the HFD group, mice in the TMLP group showed weight loss, and micro-computed tomographic imaging revealed that the volume of the adipose tissue in the abdominal area also showed significant reduction. After an autopsy, the fat weight was found to be significantly reduced in the TMLP group compared to the HFD group. In addition, the degree of fat cell deposition in the liver tissue and the size of the adipocytes significantly decreased in the TMLP group. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis for the mRNA expression of adipogenesis-related genes namely CCAAT-enhancer-binding proteins (C/EBP-β, C/EBP-δ), and fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) showed that the expression levels of these genes were significantly reduced in the TMLP group compared to the HFD group. Serum leptin level also decreased significantly in the TMLP group in the comparison with the HFD group. In addition, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and glucose levels in mouse serum also decreased in the TMLP group. Conclusion: Taken together, our results showed that TMLP effectively inhibited adipocyte growth and reduced body weight in obese mice.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.255-264
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• 2021

Asian dust (Hwangsa) deposited on the surface of the Korean Peninsula is difficult to recognize their existence in mountainous terrain undergoing active erosion and weathering. This study examined Asian dust sediments mixed in soils by analysing clay mineralogy, mineral composition, and microtextures of fine silt (< 20 ㎛) in the alkali feldspar granite area of Seoraksan. The fine silt was composed of detrital particles derived from bedrocks, Asian dust sediments, and their weathering products. Clay minerals of 2:1 structural type, chlorite, amphibole, epidote, and Ca-bearing plagioclase were identified as eolian mineral particles. During the weathering of the bedrock composed of quartz and alkali feldspars, albite was partially weathered to produce small amounts of gibbsite and kaolin minerals. Hydroxy-Al interlayered clay minerals were formed by the exchange and fixation of polynuclear Al cationic species into the interlayers of expandable 2:1 clay minerals dominated by illite-smectite series clay minerals. Contribution of Asian dust to the fine silt of soils was estimated around 70% on the basis of total contents of 2:1 phyllosilicates.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.304-309
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• 2022

Background Laminin 5, which is found in the basement membrane of dermal-epidermal junction (DEJ), is a major adhesive component and associated with proliferating and migrating keratinocytes. In this study, we hypothesized that the topical application of the skin care products containing the novel peptides might restore the DEJ structure by deriving deposition of laminin 5 and promoting the keratinocyte migration. Here, we evaluated the restoration of DEJ by measuring the skin thickness. Methods Single-center retrospective analysis was performed on a total of 13 patients who underwent skin care using Baume L.C.E. (France, Laboratories d' Anjou) between January and March 2021. All patients applied the skin care agent for 2 weeks only on their left hand dorsum. Before the initiation of the application and after 2 weeks, both their hands were evaluated on photography and ultrasound. And the patients were asked to rate their satisfaction with the questionnaire after 2 weeks. Results There was no obvious improvement in photographic assessment and questionnaire. The post-pre difference of skin thickness in ultrasound images was, in left hand, 0.1 ± 0.37 in distal point and 0.1 ± 0.35 in proximal point; and, in right hand, 0 ± 0.17 in distal point and 0 ± 0.15 in proximal point, respectively. The pre-post difference was statistically significant in proximal point (p = 0.035). Conclusion Topical application of novel peptide derivative comprising laminin 5 demonstrated cutaneous changes including skin thickness, as assessed by ultrasound. Further studies using other modalities including dermal density measurement, three-dimensional photography, optical coherence tomography, or skin biopsy would be helpful to determine the skin-improving effects.