• BMB Reports
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.92-97
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• 2024

Elevated blood glucose is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis. Data from the current study showed that glucosamine (GlcN), a normal glucose metabolite of the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP), promoted lipid accumulation in RAW264.7 macrophage cells. Oleic acid- and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lipid accumulation was further enhanced by GlcN in RAW264.7 cells, although there was no a significant change in the rate of fatty acid uptake. GlcN increased acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC), fatty acid synthase (FAS), scavenger receptor class A, liver X receptor, and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) mRNA expression, and; conversely, suppressed ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA-1) and ABCG-1 expression. Additionally, GlcN promoted O-GlcNAcylation of nuclear SREBP-1 but did not affect its DNA binding activity. GlcN stimulated phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and S6 kinase. Rapamycin, a mTOR-specific inhibitor, suppressed GlcN-induced lipid accumulation in RAW264.7 cells. The GlcN-mediated increase in ACC and FAS mRNA was suppressed, while the decrease in ABCA-1 and ABCG-1 by GlcN was not significantly altered by rapamycin. Together, our results highlight the importance of the mTOR signaling pathway in GlcN-induced macrophage lipid accumulation and further support a potential link between mTOR and HBP signaling in lipogenesis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.1521-1530
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• 2023

An α-L-rhamnosidase gene from Thermoclostridium. stercorarium subsp. thermolacticum DSM 2910 (TstRhaA) was cloned and expressed. The maximum TstRhaA activity of the protein reached 25.2 U/ml, and the molecular mass was approximately 106.6 kDa. The protein was purified 8.0-fold by Ni-TED affinity with an overall recovery of 16.6% and a specific activity of 187.9 U/mg. TstRhaA activity was the highest at 65℃ and pH 6.5. In addition, it exhibited excellent thermal stability, better pH stability, good tolerance to low concentrations of organic reagents, and high catalytic activity for p-nitrophenyl-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (pNPR). Substrate specificity studies showed that TstRhaA exhibited a high specific activity for rutin. At 60℃, pH 6.5, and 0.3 U/ml enzyme dosage, 60 g/l rutin was converted to 45.55 g/l isoquercitrin within 150 min. The molar conversion rate of rutin and the yield of isoquercitrin were 99.8% and 12.22 g/l/h, respectively. The results suggested that TstRhaA could be used for mass production of isoquercitrin.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.634-643
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• 2024

Juglans mandshurica Maxim. walnut (JMW) is well-known for the treatment of dermatosis, cancer, gastritis, diarrhea, and leukorrhea in Korea. However, the molecular mechanism underlying its antiobesity activity remains unknown. In the current study, we aimed to determine whether JMW can influence adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and high-fat diet rats and determine the antioxidant activity. The 20% ethanol extract of JMW (JMWE) had a total polyphenol content of 133.33 ± 2.60 mg GAE/g. Considering the antioxidant capacity, the ABTS and DPPH values of 200 ㎍/ml of JMWE were 95.69 ± 0.94 and 79.38 ± 1.55%, respectively. To assess the anti-obesity activity of JMWE, we analyzed the cell viability, fat accumulation, and adipogenesis-related factors, including CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBPα), sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP1c), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). We found that total lipid accumulation and triglyceride levels were reduced, and the fat accumulation rate decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, JMWE suppressed adipogenesis-related factors C/EBPα, PPARγ, and SREBP1c, as well as FAS and ACC, both related to lipogenesis. Moreover, animal experiments revealed that JMWE could be employed to prevent and treat obesity-related diseases. Hence, JMWE could be developed as a healthy functional food and further explored as an anti-obesity drug.

• The Korean journal of internal medicine
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.306-317
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• 2024

Background/Aims: To determine whether metformin, which is considered a host-directed therapy for tuberculosis (TB), is effective in improving the prognosis of patients with TB and diabetes mellitus (DM), who have higher mortality than those without DM. Methods: This cohort study included patients who were registered as having TB in the National Tuberculosis Surveillance System. The medical and death records of matched patients were obtained from the National Health Information Database and Statistics Korea, respectively, and data from 2011 to 2017 were collected retrospectively. We classified patients according to metformin use among participants who used diabetes drugs for more than 28 days. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality during TB treatment. Double propensity score adjustment was applied to reduce the effects of confounding and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: The all-cause mortality rate during TB treatment was lower (9.5% vs. 12.4%, p < 0.01) in the metformin user group. The hazard of death due to all causes after double propensity score adjustment was also lower in the metformin user group (aHR 0.76, 95% CI 0.67-0.86, p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in mortality between metformin users and non-users for TB-related deaths (p = 0.22); however, there was a significant difference in the non-TB-related deaths (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Metformin use in patients with TB-DM co-prevalence is associated with reduced all-cause mortality, suggesting the potential for metformin adjuvant therapy in these patients.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.111-117
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• 2024

Due to global CO₂ emission reductions and fuel efficiency regulations, the trend toward transitioning from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs) has accelerated. Consequently, the problem of EV failures has become a focal point of active research. The parasitic capacitance generated during motor-shaft rotation induces voltage that deteriorates the raceway and ball surfaces of bearings, causing electrical damage in EVs. Despite numerous attempts to address this issue, most studies have been conducted under high viscosity lubricant and low load conditions. However, due to factors such as high-speed operation, rapid acceleration and deceleration, motor heating, and motor system-decelerator integration, current EV applications have shown diminished stability in lubrication films of motor bearings, thereby leveraging the investigation to address the risk of electrical damage. This study investigates the electrical damage to rolling bearing elements in EV motor drive systems. The experimental analysis focuses on the effects of electric currents and operational loads on bearing integrity. A test rig is designed to generate high-rate voltage specific to a motor system's parasitic capacitance, and bearing samples are exposed to these currents for specified durations. Component evaluation involves visual inspections and vibration measurements. In addition, a predictive model for electrical failure is developed based on accumulated data, which demonstrates the ability to predict the likelihood of electrical failure relative to the duration and intensity of current exposure. This in turn reduces uncertainties in practical applications regarding electrical erosion modes.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2024.07a
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• pp.1316-1316
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• 2024

Greenhouses require various control systems to create an optimal environment, and from an architectural engineering perspective, the uniformity of the internal environment is crucial for crop growth. However, greenhouses are structurally exposed to external weather conditions, leading to a high probability of variations in temperature, humidity, CO2 levels, lighting, etc., across different zones within the greenhouse. Such non-uniformity can impact the growth rate, quality, and yield of crops, highlighting the necessity of maintaining a consistent environment within the greenhouse. To address this, experiments utilizing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted targeting greenhouses in Pocheon, South Korea, focusing on the central heating and cooling systems to propose an optimal design considering the uniformity of internal temperatures. Subsequently, validation was performed using measurements from temperature and humidity sensors within the greenhouses. The heating and cooling systems operate based on indoor temperatures, activating cooling when indoor temperatures exceed the set cooling temperature in summer and heating when temperatures fall below the set heating temperature in winter. A standard greenhouse model was set as case 1, and experiments were conducted by adjusting the position and spacing of the fabric ducts of the heating and cooling systems, resulting in six categorized cases. Variations in temperature and humidity distribution were observed among the cases, and quantitative analysis provided optimal positions and spacing for the fabric ducts. The results of this study can serve as foundational data for developing environmental control solutions for agricultural facilities.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.263-276
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• 2024

Background: Repeated and severe fires have led to a large investment in research directed towards recapturing the natural values of Indonesia's peatland forest resources. The aim of this study was to identify the patterns and trends in research on peatland restoration-related literature available on the Scopus database. Methods in this paper a bibliometric methodology, the Scopus database and VOSviewer were used explore the trends in the published peatland restoration literature in the period 1994-2021; the leading journals and most influential authors, affiliations, countries, documents and research themes were identified. Results: Three hundred and seventeen documents including 266 journal articles were identified. The leading journals based on numbers of articles published and citations were Restoration Ecology and Ecological Engineering. Authors affiliated to institutions in Canada and the United Kingdom were the most influential. Indonesia was the third most influential based on numbers of documents. The most influential article was "The underappreciated potential of peatlands in global climate change mitigation strategies" by Liefield J in Nature Communications with an annual average citation rate of 66/year. A keyword co-occurrence network identified nine main themes in peat restoration research. Conclusions: The findings of the study are used to outline the types of research in peat restoration now required to meet the outstanding and unmet challenges confronted in Indonesia. Three significant challenges have been identified: (1) anthropogenic, those that encompass issues related to community acceptance and participation in peatland restoration, (2) ecological, those associated with severely degraded peatlands, and (3) economic, the absence of secure funding to cover substantial costs.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.129-135
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• 1973

The accumulation of peroxides, acid values, and carbonyl values during irradiation and post-irradiation storage of the ricebran oil has been studied. The rice bran oils were irradiated two doses of 2 and 7 megarads (300 rads/sec) at $23^{\circ}C$ atmospheric circumstance. The acid values, peroxide values and carbonyl values were measured at regular intervals of one week during the storage at $5^{\circ}C$ and $25^{\circ}C$. 1) During the storage, the acid values of the irradiated rice bran oils increased or decreased insignificantly regardless of the addition of antioxidants and storage temperature. 2) The peroxide values were not increased continuously but increased zigzag. The result was indicated that the composition and decomposition of peroxides occurred continuously throughout the storage. 3) As the peroxide values increased, carbonyl values decreased and changed quite differently, but, especially in 7th week, they were constant or insignificant. 4) Dibutylhydroxytoluene is more effective than caffeic acid in retarding the formation of peroxides during irradiation of rice bran oils and post-irradiation storage. The effect of antioxidant is more efficient at 2 megarads than at 7 megarads irradiation. When we store the rice bran oil, the addition of antioxidants of post-irradiation is more desirable than that of preirradiation. 5) In spite of changing conditions such as storage temperature and addition of antioxidants, the peroxide values of rice bran oils irradiated at 2 megarads were always greater than those at 7 megarads during the storage. Peroxide values of samples at high temperature $(25^{\circ}C)$ storage increased as twice as those of low temperature $(5^{\circ}C)$ storage samples. At low temperature, peroxide values in the first week increased twice during the period of 8th weeks storage, but those did from three to four times at higher temperature in the same period Therefore, the low temperature storage is recommandable too.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.294-306
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• 1995

There has recently been increasing interest in the use of NMDA receptor antagonists as potential neuroprotective agents for the treatment of ischemic stroke. To evaluate the neuroprotective effect of the selective non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 in focal cerebral ischemia, local cerebral glucose utilization (ICGU) was examined in 15 neuroanatomically discrete regions of the conscious rat brain using the 2-deoxy-D[$^{14}C$] glucose quantitative autoradiographic technique 24 hr after left middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Animals received MK-801 (5 mg/kg i.v.) or saline vehicle before (20-30 min) or after (30 min) MCAO. Both pretreatment and posttreatment of MK-801 increased occluded/non-occluded ICGU ratio in 7 and 5 of the 15 regions measured, respectively (most notably in cortical structures). Following MK-801 pretreatment, there was evidence of widespread increases in ICGU not only in the non-occluded hemisphere (12 of the 15 areas studied) but also in the occluded hemisphere (13 of the 15 areas studied), while MK-801 postreatment did not significantly increase ICGU both in the normal and occluded hemispheres. These data indicate that MK-801 has a neuroprotective effect in focal cerebral ischemia and demonstrate that MK-801 provides widespread alterations of glucose utilization in conscious animals.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.603-613
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• 1995

Plasma progesterone($P_4$) assay has been introduced to apply to the differential diagnosis of reproductive disorders and the monitoring of responses of ovarian dysfunction to $PGF_2{\alpha}$ or GnRH treatment in the 204 postpartum and postinsemination subestrus dairy cows. 1. The incidence rate of reproductive disorders in 204 subestrus cows, diagnosed by palpation per rectum and plasma $P_4$ determination using 'Two sample test'(Day 0+Day 10) were as follows; silent heat or error of estrus detection 110(53.9%), persistent corpus luteum 26(12.7%), follicular cyst 16(7.8%), inactive ovary 12(5.9%), luteal cyst 11(5.4%), granulosa cell tumor of ovary 1(0.5%), fetal mummification 1(0.5%), endometritis 15(7.4%) and pyometra 12(5.9%), respectively. 2. After the $PGF_2{\alpha}$ treatment to the 76 cows with silent heat or error of estrus detection, persistent corpus luteum, or luteal cyst, plasma $P_4$ concentrations at day 3 post treatment using 'Two sample test'(Day 0+Day 3) remained low(<1.0ng/ml) in all 76 cows. Therefore all 76 cows responded positively to $PGF_2{\alpha}$ treatment. Seventeen cows with follicular cyst or inactive ovary were treated with GnRH. All 7 cows with follicular cyst and 4 cows with inactive ovary remained high($${\geq_-}1.0ng/ml$$) a plasma $P_4$ concentrations at day 12 post treatment using 'Two sample test'(Day 0+Day 12), but 6 cows with inactive ovary remained low(<1.0ng/ml) a plasma $P_4$ concentrations. Therefore all 7 cows with follicular cyst and 4 cows with inactive ovary responded positively, but 6 cows with inactive ovary responded negatively to GnRH treatment. 3. The mean days from treatment to first service, number of cows conceived on first service(%), mean number of services per conception, mean days from initial treatment to conception, and mean number of cows conceived by 100 days post treatment(%) were 5.0 and 26.2 days, 45(59.2%) and 6(35.3%) cows, 1.5 and 1.7 services, 13.6 and 22.6 days, and 62(81.6%) and 9(52.9%) cows in group of $PGF_2{\alpha}$ and GnRH treatment, respectively. These results indicated that plasma $P_4$ assay was practical as an aid to diagnosing reproductive disorders and to monitoring responses of ovarian dysfunction to $PGF_2{\alpha}$ and GnRH treatment in subestrus cows.