• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.131-140
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• 2014

Lava caves could be useful as outposts for the human exploration of the Moon. Lava caves or lava tubes are formed when the external surface of the lava flows cools more quickly to make a hardened crust over subsurface lava flows. The lava flow eventually ceases and drains out of the tube, leaving an empty space. The frail part of the ceiling of lava tube could collapse to expose the entrance to the lava tubes which is called a pit crater. Several pit craters with the diameter of around 100 meters have been found by analyzing the data of SELENE and LRO lunar missions. It is hard to use these pit craters for outposts since these are too large in scale. In this study, small scale pit craters which are fit for outposts have been investigated using the NAC image data of LROC. Several topographic patterns which are believed to be lunar caves have been found and the similar pit craters of the Earth were compared and analyzed to identify caves. For this analysis, the image data of satellites and aerial photographs are collected and classified to construct a database. Several pit craters analogous to lunar pit craters were derived and a morphological pit crater model was generated using the 3D printer based on this database.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.336-342
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• 2010

Obesity-induced disorders contribute to the development of metabolic diseases such as insulin resistance, fatty liver diseases, and type 2 diabetes (T2D). In this study, we evaluated the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of aloe formula in high fat diet (HFD)-fed C57BL/6N mice. Male mice fed HFD for 28 weeks received a supplement of aloe formula, PAG, ALS, Aloe QDM, and an Aloe QDM complex for a further 8 weeks and were then compared with regular diet fed mice. After the experimental period, the blood glucose levels of the Aloe QDM complex-and PGZ-supplemented mice were significantly lower than those of the HFD-fed mice. Aloe formula, especially the Aloe QDM complex, and the PGZ treatment group profoundly affected the IPGTT and HOMA-IR. Immunochemistry was done for the morphological observation and the resulting sizes of adipocytes around the epididymis were significantly decreased when comparing the aloe formula-treated and HFD-fed groups. Further, aloe formula decreased mRNA expression of fatty acid synthesis enzymes and led to reduced hepatic steatosis in both liver and WAT. These results suggest that supplementation of Aloe QDM complex in the HFD-fed mice improved insulin resistance by lowering blood glucose levels and reducing adipocytes. Our data suggest that dietary aloe formula reduces obesity-induced glucose tolerance by suppressing fatty acid synthesis in the WAT and liver, both of which are important peripheral tissues affecting insulin resistance. The Aloe QDM complex could be used as a nutritional intervention against T2D.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.29.1-29.10
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• 2022

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the anti-erosive/abrasive effect of resin infiltration of previous deproteinized dentin. Materials and Methods: Dentin slabs were randomly assigned to 3 groups (n = 15): Control (no deproteinization; no resin infiltrant applied), RI (no deproteinization; resin infiltrant applied), and DRI (deproteinization; resin infiltrant applied). After undergoing the assigned treatment, all slabs were subjected to an in vitro cycling model for 5 days. The specimens were immersed in citric acid (0.05 M, pH = 3.75; 60 seconds; 3 times/day) and brushed (150 strokes). Between the challenges, the specimens were exposed to a remineralizing solution (60 minutes). The morphological alterations were analyzed by mechanical profilometry (㎛) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Data were submitted to one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey tests (p < 0.05). Results: Control and RI groups presented mineral wear and did not significantly differ from each other (p = 0.063). DRI maintained a protective layer preserving the dentin (p < 0.001). After erosive/abrasive cycles, it was observed that in group RI, only 25% of the slabs partially evidenced the presence of the infiltrating, while, in the DRI group, 80% of the slabs presented the treated surface entirely covered by a resin-component layer protecting the dentin surface as observed in SEM images. Conclusions: The removal of the organic content allows the resin infiltrant to efficiently protect the dentin surface against erosive/abrasive lesions.

• Korean Circulation Journal
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.387-403
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• 2023

Background and Objectives: Myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury (MIRI) has high morbidity and mortality worldwide. We aimed to explore the role of long noncoding RNA lysyl oxidase like 1 antisense RNA 1 (LOXL1-AS1) in cardiomyocyte pyroptosis. Methods: Hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury was constructed in human cardiomyocyte (HCM). The level of LOXL1-AS1, miR-761, phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and pyroptosis-related proteins was monitored by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction or western blot. Flow cytometry examined the pyroptosis level. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase-MB and cardiac troponin I levels were detected by test kits. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measured the release of inflammatory cytokines. Dual-luciferase assay validated the binding relationship among LOXL1-AS1, miR-761, and PTEN. Finally, ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) animal model was constructed. Hematoxylin and eosin staining assessed morphological changes of myocardial tissue. NOD-like receptor pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) and casepase-1 expression was determined by immunohistochemistry. Results: After H/R treatment, LOXL1-AS1 and PTEN were highly expressed but miR-761 level was suppressed. LOXL1-AS1 inhibition or miR-761 overexpression increased cell viability, blocked the release of LDH and inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-18), inhibited pyroptosis level, and downregulated pyroptosis-related proteins (ASC, cleaved caspase-1, gasdermin D-N, NLRP3, IL-1β, and IL-18) levels in HCMs. LOXL1-AS1 sponged miR-761 to up-regulate PTEN. Knockdown of miR-761 reversed the effect of LOXL1-AS1 down regulation on H/R induced HCM pyroptosis. LOXL1-AS1 aggravated the MIRI by regulating miR-761/PTEN axis in vivo. Conclusions: LOXL1-AS1 targeted miR-761 to regulate PTEN expression, then enhance cardiomyocyte pyroptosis, providing a new alternative target for the treatment of MIRI.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.31-39
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• 2005

Synapses are contact points where one neuron communicates with another. The morphological change of synapses under various physiological or pathological conditions has long been hypothesized to modify their functional properties. 3-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction of synapses with serial ultrathin sections has contributed to the understanding of ultrastructural dimensions and compositions of synapses. The 3-D reconstruction procedures, however, require a great amount of expertise as well as include prohibitively timeconsuming processes. Here, we introduce efficient 3-D reconstruction technique using high-voltage electron microscopy (HVEM). Primarily, we established an optimal section thickness and staining condition to observe synaptic structures in detail under HVEM. The result showed that synaptic profiles were preserved at the section thickness of 250 nm without the overlapping of synaptic ultrastructures. An increase in the reaction time of en bloc staining was most efficient to enhance contrast than the extension of postembedding staining or the addition of uranyl acetate during dehydration. Then, 3-D reconstruction of parallel fiber-Purkinje cell synapses in the rat cerebellum was carried out with serial HVEM images and reconstruction software. The images were aligned and the contours of synapses were outlined on each section. 3-D synapses were finally extracted from the section files by grouping all the synaptic contours. The reconstructed synapse model clearly demonstrated the configuration of pre and postsynaptic components. These results suggest that 3-D reconstruction of synapses using HVEM is much efficient and suitable for massive quantitative studies on synaptic connectivity than conventional TEM approach using numerous ultrathin sections.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.628-634
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• 1999

We have studied, by a nonisotopic in situ end-labeling(ISEL) technique, frequency of apoptosis in the external granular layer(EGL) of the cerebellum of immature mice by ${\gamma}$-rays irradiation from $^{60}Co$ or diagnostic ultrasound exposure. The total number of normal cells and cells showing morphological features of apoptosis were counted. The frequency of apoptotic cells was expressed as a percentage of the total number of cells in EGL. The extent of changes following 200 cGy(1090 cGy/min) was studied at 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, or 24 hours after exposure. The maximal frequency was found 6~8 hours after exposure. The immature mice that received 18, 36, 54, 108, 198, 396 cGy of ${\gamma}$-rays or diagnostic ultrasound(7.5MHz, 4.2mW, $I_{SPTA}=7.9mW/cm^2$, $I_{SPTA}=114.3W/cm^2$) for 10 or 30 minutes were examined 6 hours after irradiation. Measurements performed after ${\gamma}$-ray irradiation showed a dose-related increase in apoptotic cells in each of the mice studied. The dose-response curves were analyzed by a linear-quadratic model ; frequency of apoptotic cell in the EGL was y = $(0.1349{\pm}0.01175)D$+$(-0.0001522{\pm}0.0000334)D^2$+0.048($r^2$ = 0.981, D = dose in cGy). In the experiment of ultrasound exposure, the frequency of apoptotic cell was $0.106{\pm}0.130$(10 minutes exposure) and $0.167{\pm}0.220$(30 minutes exposure). We estimated the relative dose of the yield from the experiment with ultrasound by substituting the yield from ultrasound exposure into the curve from the ${\gamma}$-irradiation. The relative dose of ultrasound exposure compared with ${\gamma}$-irradiation were 0.432 cGy(10 minutes exposure) and 0.885 cGy(30 minutes exposure). We have found that there is no evidence to indicate that diagnostic ultrasound involves a significant risk.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.415-423
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• 2010

Pore network models are useful tools to investigate soil pore geometry. These models provide quantitative information of pore geometry from 3D images. This study presents a pore network model to quantify pore structure and hydraulic characteristics. The objectives of this work were to apply the pore network model to characterize pore structure from large images to quantify pore structure, calculate water retention and hydraulic conductivity properties from a three dimensional soil image, and to combine measured hydraulic properties from experiments with calculated hydraulic properties from image. Soil samples were taken from a site located at the Baltimore science center, which is located inside of the city. Undisturbed columns were taken from the site and scanned with a computer tomographer at resolutions of 22 ${\mu}m$. Pore networks were extracted by medial-axis transformation and were used to measure pore geometry from one of the scanned samples. Water retention and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity values were calculated from the soil image. Properties of soil bulk density, water retention and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity were measured from three replicates of scanned soil samples. 3D image analysis provided accurate detailed pore properties such as individual pore volumes, pore length, and tortuosity of all pores. These data made possible to calculate accurate estimations of water retention and hydraulic conductivity. Combination of the calculated and measured hydraulic properties gave more accurate information on pore sizes over wider range than measured or calculated data alone. We could conclude that the hydraulic property computed from soil images and laboratory measurements can describe a full structure of intra- and inter-aggregate pores in soil.

• Mycobiology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.297-311
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• 2017

Saprolegniasis is one of the most devastating oomycete diseases in freshwater fish which is caused by species in the genus Saprolegnia including Saprolegnia parasitica. In this study, we isolated the strain of S. parasitica from diseased rainbow trout in Korea. Morphological and molecular based identification confirmed that isolated oomycete belongs to the member of S. parasitica, supported by its typical features including cotton-like mycelium, zoospores and phylogenetic analysis with internal transcribed spacer region. Pathogenicity of isolated S. parasitica was developed in embryo, juvenile, and adult zebrafish as a disease model. Host-pathogen interaction in adult zebrafish was investigated at transcriptional level. Upon infection with S. parasitica, pathogen/antigen recognition and signaling (TLR2, TLR4b, TLR5b, NOD1, and major histocompatibility complex class I), pro/anti-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin $[IL]-1{\beta}$, tumor necrosis factor ${\alpha}$, IL-6, IL-8, interferon ${\gamma}$, IL-12, and IL-10), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP9 and MMP13), cell surface molecules ($CD8^+$ and $CD4^+$) and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase) related genes were differentially modulated at 3- and 12-hr post infection. As an anti-Saprolegnia agent, plant based lawsone was applied to investigate on the susceptibility of S. parasitica showing the minimum inhibitory concentration and percentage inhibition of radial growth as $200{\mu}g/mL$ and 31.8%, respectively. Moreover, natural lawsone changed the membrane permeability of S. parasitica mycelium and caused irreversible damage and disintegration to the cellular membranes of S. parasitica. Transcriptional responses of the genes of S. parasitica mycelium exposed to lawsone were altered, indicating that lawsone could be a potential anti-S. parasitica agent for controlling S. parasitica infection.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.335-336
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• 1996

Artemisinin, a new antimalarial to treat patients infected with strains of Plasmodium jalciparum, derived from the plant Artemisia annua Linn, has immunopharmacologic actions such as enhence the PHA -induced lymphocyte transformation rate, increased the weight of spleen but reduced the weight of thymus, reduced phagocytic function of peritoneal macrophage, remarkably reduced the level of serum IgG and hemolysin fonning capacity (sentitized with SRBC), inhibited the activity of Ts cells of donor mice by supraoptimal immunuization(SOI), but enhenced activity of Ts cells of recipient mice by SOI. These results suggested that Ts cells may be the target cells of artemisinin. To the serum complement C3 level of plasmodium berghei-infeted mice, artemisinin (i. m,) could remarkly increase it. The artemisinin also obviously reduced the prostaglandin E(PGE) in the mouse hind paw swelling induced by carrageenin. Numerous studies have demonstrated that pharmacologic doses of PGE attenuate the development of immunocomplex nephritis. Some autologous immune mechanisms may be invoolved In the pathogensis of some types of glomurulonephritis. Glomerular abnormalities can be induced in animals by variety of immunological manipulations. The resulting disorder has many clinical and pathogical similarities to the disease in human. Our purpose was therefore to test the ability of the artemisinin to lessen the severity of rabbit IgG accelerated nephrotoxic serum glomerulonephritis in mice model. Mice which had treated with rabbit IgG and NTS, administrated with saline, showed Significant inceases of urinary protein, cholesterol level, and decrease of serum albumin in NS group. On the contrary, By i.g. adminstration of artemisinin at dose of 12.5, 25 and 50 mg/kg for 14 days after NTS injection, shown that artemisinin inhibited the nephritic changes in some parameters by means of urinary protein(p<0.05, p<0.01) and serum choleterol(p<0.05, p<0.01) and albumin (p<0.05, p<0.01), blood urea nitrogen (p<0.05, p<0.01), serum albumin(p<0.05, p<0.01); Cyclophosphamide(i.p. 10mg/kg for 14d) had almost same effect as the artemisinin had. Morphological studies shown that The picture of kidney from the mouse with NTS-nephritis accerated with rabbit IgG, treated with i.g. saline as the control, the mesangiocapillary were enlarged and proliferated; There were inflammatory cells infiltrating around the glomeruli; The ethelial cell were proliferated in the wall of Bowman's capsule. Histopatholological picture of kidney from the NTS-nephritis accerated with rabbit IgG mouse treated with i.p. 10mg/kg cyclophosphamide as the positive control. No siginicant histopathological evidence were found. Treaded with i.p. 12.5mg/kg artemisinine, the picture shown that mesangiocapillary were lightly proliferated; There were inflammatory cells infiltrating around the glomeruli; Treaded with i.p. 25mg/kg artemisinine, The picture shown that the mesangiocapillary were lightly proliferated; Treaded with i.p. 50mg/kg artemisinine, The picture shown that both the mesangiocapillary proliferated and the inflammatory cells infiltrating around the glomeruli are less than treated with saline, 12.5 and 25 mg/kg artemisinine. On the basis of these studies we conclude that the artemisinin can relieve pathological change caused by NTS-nephritis aacerated with rabbit IgG.