• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.225-231
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• 2014

In this study, we used polypropylene grafted with itaconic acid (PP-g-IA) as a compatibilizer to prevent phase separation phenomenon which occurs upon blending polypropylene (PP) and ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH). A compatibilizer was prepared using graft copolymerization of itaconic acid (IA) onto PP where input ratio of IA was 1, 2, 5, and 10 wt.%. To confirm the structure of PP-g-IA and the graft ratio of IA onto PP, we used $^1H$ NMR and FT-IR. We tested the compatibilizer which has highest graft ratio of 1% in immiscible PP/EVOH blends. The morphologies of PP/PP-g-IA/EVOH blends were analyzed by SEM. Thermal and mechanical properties of the blends were analyzed by DSC and UTM. PP-g-IA enhanced the interfacial adhesion of PP and EVOH copolymer.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 1998

This study was performed to investigate the stimulating effect on oocyte maturation and cumulus cell expansion in TC199 media by human cord serum (HCS) supplementation. Immature mouse oocyte cumulus complexes (OCCs) were cultured in TC199 media supplemented with bovine serum albumin (BSA), HCS and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) instead of luteinizing hormone (LH) respectively, and the expression of cumulus expansion and oocyte maturation were observed. After 4hr and 24hr culture with or without OCCs, media containing 0.4% BSA, 10% HCS and 10 IV hCG respectively were collected and analyzed for changing concentrations of estradiol $(E_2)$, progesterone $(P_4)$, testosterone (T), and $PGF_{2\alpha}$. There were no elevation of $E_2$, T, and $PGF_{2\alpha}$ by OCCs culture, but minute elevation of $P_4$ level by 24hr OCCs culture in hCG supplementation (p=0.048). The stimulating pattern of cumulus expansion of OCCs by HCS and hCG supplementation was similar to our previously report using Ham's F-10 media, however oocyte maturation rates after 24hr OCCs culture in all media were increased by $20\sim30%$ compared to Ham's F-10 media. These results suggest that LH in HCS induce cumulus expansion probably by $P_4$ secretion of OCCs, and TC199 is efficient media for immature mouse oocyte maturation.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.259-269
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• 2022

Objective: Animal-free scaffolds have emerged as a potential foundation for consistent, chemically defined, and low-cost materials. Because of its good potential for high biocompatibility with reproductive tissues and well-characterized scaffold design, we investigated whether polyglycolic acid (PGA) could be used as an animal-free scaffold instead of natural fibrin-agarose, which has been used successfully for three-dimensional human endometrial cell culture. Methods: Isolated primary endometrial cells was cultured on fibrin-agarose and PGA polymers and evaluated various design parameters, such as scaffold porosity and mean fiber diameter. Cytotoxicity, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and immunostaining experiments were conducted to examine cell activity on fabricated scaffolds. Results: The MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay and SEM results showed that endometrial cells grew and proliferated on both scaffolds. Immunostaining showed cytokeratin and vimentin expression in seeded cells after 7 days of culture. On both scaffolds, an epithelial arrangement of cultured cells was found on the top layer and stromal arrangement matrix on the bottom layer of the scaffolds. Therefore, fibrin-agarose and PGA scaffolds successfully mimicked the human endometrium in a way suitable for in vitro analysis. Conclusion: Both fibrin-agarose and PGA scaffolds could be used to simulate endometrial structures. However, because of environmental and ethical concerns and the low cost of synthetic polymers, we recommend using PGA as a synthetic polymer for scaffolding in research instead of natural biomaterials.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.510-522
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• 2005

To assess the clinical applicability of bio-artificial mucosa which was made with autologous oral keratinocytes and human acellular dermal matrix, the formation of basement membrane and stratification of oral keratinocytes were evaluated. Six New Zealand white rabbits (around 2kg in weight) were anesthetized and its buccal mucosa was harvested (1.0 $\times$ 0.5cm size). Oral keratinicytes were extracted and cultured primarily with the feeder layer of pretreated NIH J2 3T3 fibroblast. These confluent cells were innoculated on the human acellular dermal matrix and cultured in multiple layer by air-rafting method. After 3, 5, 7, 10, 14 days of culture, each cultured bio-artificial mucosa was investigated the number of epthelial layer of by H&E stain and toluidine blue stain. The immuhohistochemical methods were used to evaluate the cell division capacity, the formation of basement membrane, and it's property of specific cells (PCNA, cytokeratin 14, laminin). Transmission electromicroscopy was used for the attachment between cells and matrix with the number of hemidesmosome. In result, the numbers of layer of stratified growth of oral keratinocyte cultured on the human acellular dermal matrix and the number of hemidesomal attachment between epithelial cells and human acellular dermal matrix were similar to the layers of normal oral mucosa after 10 days of culture. The cell division rate, basement membrane formation and proliferation rate increased as culture period increased. With these results, bio-artificial mucosa with autologous oral epithelial cells cultured on the acellular dermal matrix had clinically adaptable properties after 10 days' culture and this new bio-artificial mucosa model with relatively short culture time can be expected clinical applicability.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.321-326
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• 2000

To examine the feasibility of the long-term production of the human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (hG-CSF) using the $_{L}-arabinose$ promoter system of Escherichia coli, flask relay culture and cyclic fed-batch culture were performed. In the flask relay culture, it was found that the pismid was maintained stably up to about 170 generations in an uninduced condition, whereby the cells could also maintain the capability of expressing hG-CSF expression were maintained stably up to at least 100 generations. In contrast, in the cyclid fed-batch culture, segregational plasmid instability was observed within about 4 generations after induction, even though the cell growth and hG-CSF production reached their maximum balues, 78.0 g/l of dry cell weight and 7.0 g/l of hG-CSF, respectively. It would appear that, when compared to the flask relay culture, the high-cell density and high-level expression of hG-CSF in the cyclic fed-batch cultrure led to the segregational plasmid instability; in other words, a severe metabolic burden existe on the cells due to the high-level expression of hG-CSF. Accordingly, based on these long-term cultures, the segregational and structural plasmid instability was observed and a strategy to overcome such problems could be designed.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2009

This paper describes the role of ethnoecology in supporting tourism. We conducted a case study on the island of Bali (Indonesia), the famous tourism destination. We review the culture, nature and ecotourism prospects of Bali and then extend our discussion to examine the role of indigenous philosophies in building the destination’s image. Bali has a rich culture and natural resources that have been utilized and managed through an indigenous philosophy called Tri Hita Karana. Ethnoecology is widely applied and appreciated in the society and has produced Balinese cultural landscapes that have become significant tourism attractions. There has been a recent increase in tourist desire to explore genuine Balinese culture, so ethnoecology has a significant role in the quest to preserve and conserve such indigenous cultural landscapes. Ethnoecology is a key to ensuring and sustaining the images and authenticity of Bali Island. In this paper, we considered the landscape of rice paddies as a cultural landscape and resource for tourism. The structure and function of paddy terrace landscapes is based on the ethnoecology of Tri Hita Karana; therefore, in order to understand nature and ecotourism in Bali Island, knowledge of indigenous philosophy is indispensable. Cultural landscapes that link human and natural systems are not only places of natural beauty but also provide background information about the history of human adaptations to nature.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.154-159
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• 2006

Interleukin-18 (IL-18), otherwise known as interferon-gamma-inducing factor (IGIF), is one of several well characterized and important cytokines that contribute to host defenses. The complementary DNA (cDNA) of mature human interleukin-18 gene (hIL-18) was fused with the signal peptide of the rice amylase 1A gene (Ramy1A) and introduced into the plant expression vector under the control of a duplicated CaMV 35S promoter. The recombinant plasmid was transformed into tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv Havana) using the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method. The integration of the hlL-18 gene into the genome of transgenic tobacco plants was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and its expression was observed in the suspension cells that were derived from the transgenic plant callus by using Northern blot analysis. The hlL-18 protein was detected in the extracts of the transgenic callus and in the medium of the transgenic tobacco suspension culture by using immunoblot analysis. Based upon enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) results, the expression level of the hlL-18 protein approximated $166{\mu}g/L$ in the suspension culture medium. Bioassay results from the induction of $interferon-{\gamma}$ from a KG-1 cell line indicated that the hlL-18 secreted into the suspension culture medium was bioactive.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.231-235
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• 1989

Possibility of using microcarriers for the growth of a transformed human embryonic kidney cell line 293 was investigated. The cell grew well in a static culture such as T-flasks with medium of DME/F12 (3:1) mixture supplemented with 5% FBS, but it was most difficult to make the cells grow on microcarriers mainly due to the low attachment efficiency and poor spreading at initial stage of the culture. Consequently, 30-50% of the cells were lost upon inoculation into microcarrier suspension and significant fraction of the mirrocarrier became bald. The medium supplemented with the concentrated conditioned medium by hepatoma cell line HpG2 supported the active growth of the cells on microcarrier and the cells showed a very healthy and well spreading morphology. It was probable that some spreading and attachment factors of HpG2 conditioned medium were effective for 293 cells.

• Composites Research
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.211-215
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• 2019

The cell culture process under in vitro condition is much different from the actual human body environment. Therefore, in order to precisely simulate the human body environment, a dynamic cell culture device capable of delivering mechanical stimulation to cells is essential. However, conventional dynamic cell culture devices require relatively complicated devices such as tubes, pumps, and motors, and the mechanical stimuli delivered is also simple. In this study, an electro-active polymer actuator as a driving component is introduced to design simply driven dynamic cell culture device without complicated components. The device is capable of delivering relatively complex mechanical stimuli to the cells.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.1153-1162
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• 2021

The innovation of enterprises allowed firms to promote technological innovation as an important choice to improve sustainable competitiveness. This study aims to investigate the relationship between absorptive capacity and innovation performance of Chinese high-tech enterprises and focuses on the mediating role of innovation culture in high-tech enterprises. Data came from surveying high-tech enterprises in China, and the reliability analysis, factor analysis, and correlation analysis, path analysis (SEM) were analyzed using SPSS23, AMOS. The results show that intellectual capital composed of human capital, structural capital, and relational has a significant impact on acquisition performance; intellectual capital is composed of human capital; structural capital has a significant influence on innovation performance; and absorptive capital has a significant impact on innovation performance. In addition, innovative culture plays a partial mediating role between absorptive capacity and innovation performance. The findings of this study suggest that, to ensure the better absorption and operation of knowledge, high-tech enterprises can accumulate more knowledge, promote the transformation of knowledge into technology, and strengthen the capability of knowledge absorptive capacity, and at the same time, create an innovation culture atmosphere and encourage employees to develop new products to achieve enterprise goals in order to promote the improvement of innovation performance.