• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.967-972
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• 2011

The methanolic product of assai(Euterpe oleracea Mart) scavenged the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and 1,1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, and prevented lipid peroxidation. The radical-scavenging activity of assai palm methanolic extract protected the viability of peritoneal macrophage cells exposed to hydrogen peroxide($H_2O_2$). Furthermore, the extract reduced the apoptotic-cell formation induced by $H_2O_2$, as demonstrated by the decrease in the number of hypodiploid cells and in the apoptotic-cell body formation. These results indicate that assai palm methanolic extract has radical-scavenging activity and ameliorates $H_2O_2$-induced cytotoxicity.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.1160-1167
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• 2018

The objective of this study was to evaluate the composition, pH, titratable activity, microbial properties, and antioxidant effect of yogurt using ginseng extract powder (GEP), Lactobacillus plantarum NK181, and Streptococcus thermophilus as the starter culture. Different concentration of GEP (0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% (w/v)) were used in the yogurt. During yogurt fermentation, pH was decreased; however, titratable acidity and viable cell counts were increased. The addition of GEP to yogurt led to a decrease in moisture content and an increase in the fat, ash, and total solids content. The antioxidant effect using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging, ${\beta}$-carotene bleaching, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay gradually increased with added GEP. Overall, yogurt fermented with 1% GEP was acceptable in terms of cell viability and antioxidant effect. These results might provide information regarding development of ginseng dairy products with enhanced antioxidant activities and probiotic properties.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.507-513
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• 2018

This study investigates the viability of using a Na-ion battery with a tin(Sn) anode to mitigate the vulnerability caused by volume changes during discharge and charge cycling. In general, the volume changes of carbon material do not cause any instability during intercalation into its layer structure. Sn has a high theoretical capacity of $847mAh\;g^{-1}$. However, it expands dramatically in the discharge process by alloying Na-Sn, placing the electrode under massive internal stress, and particularly straining the binder over the elastic limit. The repeating strain results in loss of active material and its electric contact, as well as capacity decrease. This paper expands the scope of fabrication of Na-ion batteries with Sn by fabricating the binder as an auxetic structure with a unique feature: a negative Poisson ratio (NPR), which increases the resistance to internal stress in the Na-Sn alloying/de-alloying processes. Electrochemical tests and micrograph images of auxetic and common binders are used to compare dimensional and structural differences. Results show that the capacity of an auxetic-structured Sn electrode is much larger than that of a Sn electrode with a common-structured binder. Furthermore, using an auxetic structured Sn electrode, stability in discharge and charge cycling is obtained.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.189-195
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• 2021

Fluoxetine (FLX), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant, exhibits various other mechanisms of action in numerous cell types and has been shown to induce cell death in cancer cells, paving the way for its potential use in cancer therapy. The aim of this study was to determine the off-target effects of the anti-depressant drug FLX, on the human ovarian granulosa tumor COV434 cells stimulated by forskolin (FSK), by measuring the real-time kinetics of intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP), ATP level, cytoplasmic calcium ([Ca2+]cyt) and survival of COV434 cells. We show that incubating COV434 cells with FLX (between 0.6 and 10 μM) induces a decrease in intracellular cAMP response to FSK, a drop in ATP content and stimulates cytoplasmic Ca2+ accumulation in COV434 cells. Only the highest concentrations of FLX (5-10 μM) diminished cell viability. The present report is the first to identify an action mechanism of FLX in human tumor ovarian cells COV434 cells and thus opening the way to potential use of fluoxetine as a complementary tool, in granulosa tumor treatments.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.696-704
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• 2021

Levan is an industrially important, functional biopolymer with considerable applications in the food and pharmaceutical fields owing to its safety and biocompatibility. Here, levan-type exopolysaccharide produced by Pantoea agglomerans ZMR7 was purified by cold ethanol precipitation and characterized using TLC, FTIR, ¹H, and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The maximum production of levan (28.4 g/l) was achieved when sucrose and ammonium chloride were used as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively, at 35℃ and an initial pH of 8.0. Some biomedical applications of levan like antitumor, antiparasitic, and antioxidant activities were investigated in vitro. The results revealed the ability of levan at different concentrations to decrease the viability of rhabdomyosarcoma and breast cancer cells compared with untreated cancer cells. Levan appeared also to have high antiparasitic activity against the promastigote of Leishmania tropica. Furthermore, levan had strong DPPH radical scavenging (antioxidant) activity. These findings suggest that levan produced by P. agglomerans ZMR7 can serve as a natural biopolymer candidate for the pharmaceutical and medical fields.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.107-114
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• 2022

Carboxymethyl cellulose/poly(ethylene glycol) (CMC/PEG) hydrogels crosslinked with citric acid (CA) are synthesized to evaluate the effect of CMC molecular weight (Mw), PEG and CA concentration on the optical property, swelling rate (SR), degradation rate (DR), and cytotoxicity and cell proliferation of hydrogels. For crosslinked CMC/PEG hydrogels, the FT-IR peak intensity associated with hydroxyl groups decreases due to PEG intercalation (esterification crosslinking) between CMC chains in a similar manner as the concentration of CA crosslinker increases. Crosslinked CMC (Mw = 90,000)/PEG hydrogels with 10 % CA dissolve regardless of PEG content. However, the SR of the CMC (Mw = 250,000)/PEG hydrogels decrease from 4923 % to 168 % with increasing PEG and CA concentrations from 0 to 20 % and from 0 to 25 %, respectively. As the Mw of CMC increases, the DR of the hydrogel is greatly improved. CMC (Mw = 250,000)/PEG10 hydrogels with 10 % CA exhibit the optimum properties of high absorbing capacity (3,200 %) with moderate DR (54 %), stiffness (1.39 ± 0.19 GPa), and cell viability (94.8 ± 1.3 %). CA-crosslinked CMC/PEG hydrogels are highly suitable for wound dressing or personal care applications due to their non-toxicity, good cell proliferation, SR, and mechanical properties.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.228-234
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• 2021

Hwangryunhaedoktang is one of the prescriptions used in traditional medicine for skin diseases. In this study, Hwangryunhaedoktang-Gamibang (HG) was fermented with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, a probiotic lactic acid bacterium, to evaluate its potential as a functional cosmetic composition. Strains with anti-inflammatory activity were selected by isolating lactic acid bacteria from kimchi, a traditional Korean fermented food. HG was inoculated with lactic acid bacteria and the viability was measured. The supernatant was obtained by centrifugation of fermented Hwangryunhaedoktang-Gamibang (HGF) and HG, and the filtered supernatant was freeze-dried and used in the experiment. By measuring DPPH and ABTS scavenging activity, it was confirmed that the antioxidant activity was increased. RAW264.7 cells were inoculated with HG and HGF to confirm anti-inflammatory activity through NO assay, and production levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) were measured through ELISA assay. It was confirmed that HGF had a greater decrease in production than HG. Through lactobacilli fermentation, the beneficial probiotic properties and antioxidant and pro-inflammatory activities of lactic acid bacteria suggest potential clinical or technical applications.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.203-211
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• 2009

Korean public owners who order public multi-family housing construction projects have yet to gain access to a model for predicting construction cost. For this reason, their construction cost prediction is mainly dependent upon historic data and experience. In this paper, a cost-prediction model based on Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) in the design phase of public multi-family housing construction projects was developed. The developed model can determine the total construction cost by estimating the different Building, Civil, Mechanical, Electronic and Telecommunication, and Landscaping work costs. Model validation showed an accuracy of 97.56%, confirming the model's excellent viability. The developed model can thus be used to predict the construction cost to be shouldered by public owners before the design is completed. Moreover, any change orders during the design phase can be immediately applied to the model, and various construction costs by design alternative can be verified using this model. Therefore, it is expected that public owners can exercise effective design management by using the developed cost prediction model. The use of such an effective cost prediction model can enable the owners to accurately determine in advance the construction cost and prevent increase or decrease in cost arising from the design changes in the design phase, such as change order. The model can also prevent the untoward increase in the duration of the design phase as it can effectively control unnecessary change orders.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.91-99
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• 2023

To test the effect of various pile tip shape series of model scale loading tests were carried out on test piles with special pile tips. Special pile tips were made using the 3D printer and were attached to the bottom end of the test pile for loading tests. The pile tips were made to have 30°, 45°, 60° inclined tips, as well as a rounded tip. The main objective of the test was to observe the effect of various pile tip shapes on settlement and penetrability of the pile. Moreover, a numerical model simulating the pile loading test carried out in this study was established and verified based on the loading test results. From this, the stress concentration around the pile tip was investigated. This will allow us to analyze the decrease of stress concentration around the pile tip which is the main cause of the pile tip damage during pile installation. However, modifying the pile tip shape will eventually increase the settlement of the pile. By estimating the degree of increase in pile settlement, the viability and the efficiency of the pile shape modification was judged. In addition, case studies on the effect of different pile tip shape and ground conditions on pile settlement and stress dispersion was conducted.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.797-810
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• 2023

Elaeagnus umbellata leaves have been reported to suppress inflammation, allergic responses, lung cancer proliferation and oral bacterial growth. Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal that has been found to cause many toxicities, including liver toxicity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the capacity of 70% ethanol extract of E. umbellata leaves (EUL) to protect human hepatocytes from Cd toxicity. After exposure of HepG2 cells to Cd at 10 𝜇M for 24 h, cell viability, expression levels of apoptosis- and antioxidant-related proteins, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and Cd uptake were assessed. EUL protected HepG2 cells from Cd-induced apoptosis as determined by MTT assay. A decrease in caspase-3 and p-p53 protein levels was observed in cells pretreated with EUL prior to Cd exposure. Furthermore, the Cd-induced increase in intracellular DCF fluorescence was attenuated by EUL, indicating that the Cd-induced apoptosis preventing effect was associated with the suppression of ROS accumulation. Moreover, EUL's effects on the inhibition of p38, JNK, and AKT phosphorylation also appear to be associated with protection against Cd toxicity. Moreover, EUL upregulated Cd-depressed expression of Nrf2, HO-1, catalase, and MT-1,2 proteins, suggesting that Cd uptake-induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells may be inhibited by EUL's antioxidative potential.