• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1027-1033
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• 2019

Recently, Korea has seen a rapid increase in the elderly population. As a result, osteoporosis, a geriatric disease, has become a social problem. To investigate the novel and natural materials for promoting osteoblastogenesis, we investigated the osteoblastogenic activity of Tenebrio molitor larvae oil (TMO) on the MG-63 preosteoblast cells. The cytotoxicity and proliferation effects of TMO on MG-63 cells were measured by MTS assay. There was no cytotoxicity up to $80{\mu}g/ml$. At 40 and $80{\mu}g/ml$ of TMO (treated for 48 hr), cell proliferation was elevated about 120% compared to the control. The osteoblastogenic activity of TMO was measured with alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity at 5 days. Doses of 5 to $80{\mu}g/ml$ of TMO increased ALP activities significantly compared with the control. In addition, expression of ALP and Runx2 (osteoblastogenic markers) were markedly increased after treatment of TMO for 5 days. These results provide evidence that TMO promotes osteoblastogenesis by increasing the gene and protein expression of ALP and Runx2, and they suggest that TMO may be a potential agent for bone formation and preventing osteoporosis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.1096-1103
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• 2019

Neuroinflammation is mediated by the activation of microglia and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Therefore, the inhibition of neuroinflammation may be an effective solution to treat these brain disorders. Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis is an insect belonging to the order Coleoptera and inhabits Korea, China, Japan and Siberia. P. brevitarsis seulensis is an edible insect that can be consumed as a protein source for humans. It has been reported that P. brevitarsis seulensis contains useful bioactive substances for hepatoprotection and improving blood circulation, such as indole alkaloids. Microglia cells are the main source of proinflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide (NO) in the central nervous system, which Perform neuroimmune, inflammatory, and other neurobilogical functions. In this study, we investigated the anti-neuroinflammatory effects of P. brevitarsis seulensis ethanol extract (PBE) in activated microglia cells treated with lipopolysaccgarude (LPS, 100 ng/ml). As a result, PBE significantly inhibited NO production without cytotoxicity and decreased the expression levels of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2. In addition, the production of inflammatory cytokine secreted by LPS was also reduced by PBE. These results suggest that PBE could be a good source of functional substances to prevent neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.1104-1110
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• 2019

Recently, there has been an increase in the elderly population of the world. Consequently, bone metabolic diseases such as osteoporosis are emerging as a social problem. Osteoclasts play a role in bone resorption, and osteoporosis is induced when bone resorption occurs excessively. Because currently used bone resorption inhibitors may cause side effects when used for a long period of time, it is necessary to develop a new material that effectively inhibits osteoclast differentiation. This study aimed to confirm the inhibitory effect of ethanol extract of Locusta migratoria on RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation and its mechanism. The toxicity and proliferation effects of LME on RAW264.7 osteoclasts were measured by an MTS assay. There was no cytotoxicity or proliferation when the osteoclasts were treated with up to $2,000{\mu}g/ml$ of LME. In order to confirm the effect of LME on the differentiation of osteoclasts, osteoclasts were treated with RANKL alone or with LME for 3 days. As a result of a TRAP (tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase) assay, the increasing osteoclast differentiation by RANKL decreased in a concentration-dependent manner with the treatment of LME. In addition, LME suppressed the expression of differentiation-related marker genes (TRAP, RANK, NFATc1, and CK) and proteins (NFATc1 and c-Src) that had been increased by RANKL. Also, LME influenced the $NF-{\kappa}B$, ERK and JNK signaling pathways, resulting in the inhibition of osteoclast differentiation. These results suggest that LME may be used as a novel functional material for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis by playing a role in inhibiting bone absorption.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.854-860
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• 2019

This study investigated the optimum pH conditions for efficient extraction of protein from defatted Tenebrio molitor (TM) larvae. We examined the anti-inflammatory effect of protein derived from defatted TM larvae obtained by an alkaline extraction method. Six extraction pH values (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12) and three precipitation pH values (2, 4, and 6) were used. The protein content, browning degree, and recovery yield of the protein obtained under each pH condition were determined. For efficient extraction of protein from defatted TM larvae, a combination of an extraction pH of 9 and precipitation pH of 4 resulted in a 32.4% recovery yield based on the extraction value and degree of browning. To determine whether the protein ameliorated inflammation by inhibition of macrophage activation by lipopolysaccharides (LPS), we measured nitric oxide (NO), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in LPS-stimulated raw 264.7 macrophage cells. The protein markedly inhibited the production of NO without cytotoxicity and reduced the expression level of COX-2 and iNOS protein through the regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor kappa B ($NF-{\kappa}B$) signaling. These results suggested that protein derived from TM larvae could have potential applications in anti-inflammatory therapeutic agents and protein supplements.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.2-8
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• 2021

Since the first reported case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in December 2019, the numbers of confirmed cases and deaths have continued to increase exponentially despite multi-factorial efforts. Although various attempts have been made to improve the level of evidence for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment over the past 10 years, most experts still hesitate to take an active position on whether to apply ECMO in COVID-19 patients. Several ECMO management guidelines have been published recently, but they reflect some important differences from the Korean medical system and aspects of real-world medical practice in Korea. We aimed to find evidence on the efficacy of ECMO for COVID-19 patients by reviewing the published literature and to propose expert recommendations by analyzing the Korean COVID-19 ECMO registry data.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.1078-1084
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• 2020

Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis is an insect belonging to the order Coleoptera. This insect is reported to contain large amounts of physiologically active substances useful for liver protective effect and improvements in blood circulation as well as a broad source of edible protein. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are found in a variety of species, from microorganisms to mammals, and play an important role in the innate immune systems of living things. Microglia are the main source of proinflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide (NO) in the central nervous system. Activated microglia secrete large amounts of neuroinflammatory mediators (e.g., TNF-α, NO, and ROS), which are the main cause of neuronal cell death. In the present study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of Protaetiamycine 6 (PKARKLQKLSAYKTTLRN-NH2), an AMP derived from Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis, on LPS-induced neuroinflammation in BV-2 microglia. Protaetiamycine 6 significantly inhibited NO production without cytotoxicity and decreased the expression levels of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2. In addition, Protaetiamycine 6 also reduced the production of neuroinflammatory cytokines on activated BV-2 microglia. These results suggest that Protaetiamycine 6 could be a good source of functional substance to prevent neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.55-64
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• 2022

The potassium cream soap with fatty acid called cleaning foam has a crystal gel structure, and unlike an emulsion system, it is weak to shear stress and shows characteristics that are easily separated under high temperature storage conditions. The crystal gel structure of cleansing foams is significantly influenced by the nature and proportion of fatty acids, degree of neutralization, and the nature and proportion of polyols. In order to investigate the effect of these parameters on the crystal gel structure, a ternary system consisting of water/KOH/fatty acid was investigated in this study. The investigation of differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) revealed that the eutectic point was found at the ratio of myristic acid (MA) : stearic acid (SA) = 3 : 1 and ternary systems were the most stable at the eutectic point. However, the increase in fatty acid content had little effect on stability. On the basis of viscosity and polarized optical microscopy (POM) measurements, the optimum degree of neutralization was found to be about 75%. The system was stable when the melting point (T_m) of the ternary system was higher than the storage temperature and the crystal phase was transferred to lamellar gel phase, but the increase in fatty acid content had little effect on stability. The addition of polyols to the ternary system played an important role in changing the T_m and causing phase transition. The structure of the cleansing foams were confirmed through cryogenic scanning electron microscope (Cryo-SEM), small and wide angle X-ray scattering (SAXS and WAXS) analysis. Since butylene glycol (BG), propylene glycol (PG), and dipropylene glycol (DPG) lowered the T_m and hindered the lamellar gel formation, they were unsuitable for the formation of stable cleansing foam. In contrast, glycerin, PEG-400, and sorbitol increased the T_m, and facilitated the formation of lamellar gel phase, which led to a stable ternary system. Glycerin was found to be the most optimal agent to prepare a cleansing foam with enhanced stability.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.485-492
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• 2024

Sea cucumbers contain more than 50% protein in their solid content, and they also possess various bioactive substances such as saponins and mucopolysaccharides. This study analyzed the activities of various enzymes derived from Bacillus and lactic acid bacteria and determined to degrade the components of sea cucumbers. Among the analyzed strains, B. subtilis K26 showed the highest activities in protease and xylanase and relatively high activity in cellulase. Accordingly, samples of sea cucumber and water were mixed in equal proportions, sterilized, and then fermented by inoculating them with B. subtilis K26. Following this, a higher amino acid content was observed between 1.5 and 7.5 hr, a lower residual solid content in this time, and a lesser fermentation odor. The saponin content in fermented sea cucumber powder extracted with butanol was measured to be 1.12 mg/g. The chondroitin sulfate content was evaluated to be 5.11 mg/g in raw sea cucumber. The total polyphenol content, flavonoid content, and antioxidant activities were 6.95 mg gallic acid equivalent/g, 3.69 mg quercetin equivalent/g, and 3.69 mg quercetin equivalent/g in raw sea cucumber, respectively. Moreover, the DNA damage protective effect of fermented sea cucumber extract was found to be concentration-dependent, with a very strong effect at very low concentrations. Overall, we suggest that sea cucumber fermented with B. subtilis K26 has a high potential as a food for inhibiting oxidation, enhancing immunity, and improving muscle function in the human body thanks to its high free amino acid content.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.45-56
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• 2024

The purpose of this study was to suggest evaluation items and standards for diagnosing the growth status of protected trees designated and managed by the Korea Forest Service. The research results are as follows. First, based on the Cultural Heritage Administration's standards for evaluating the growth status of old trees, which are natural monuments, and related data, items related to the 'growth status of the above-ground part' of the trees were revised and supplemented. Simultaneously new items such as 'location', 'usability', 'artificial cover rate within the crown width', 'soil physical properties', and 'soil chemical properties' were discovered. By combining these items, six items were derived to evaluate the growth status of protected trees. Second, evaluation items made through visual inspection, such as 'tree vigor' and 'leaf color' in the 'growth status of the above-ground part', were replaced with quantifiable items such as measuring the electrical resistance value of the cambium or chlorophyll content. Third, 'artificial cover rate within crown width' was introduced as an item to evaluate the growth environment, and classification criteria for 'soil physical properties' and 'chemical properties' were presented. Fourth, a method to evaluate the health of protected trees was specified by combining 10 above-ground growth conditions, 3 growth environments, and 8 soil environment items. In addition, a record format for diagnosing the growth status was shaped up. The significance of this study is that it proposed an evaluation and recording method for protected trees, which do not have an evaluation system compared to natural monuments, but there were limitations in developing a method that takes into account the importance of each evaluation item. In order to overcome these, research should be conducted to evaluate effectiveness for each item and to replace qualitative evaluation of trees with quantitative evaluation based on scientific data.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.58 no.5
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• pp.498-506
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• 2005

Background : This study compared the bronchodilator efficacy and safety of tiotropium inhalation capsules ($18{\mu}g$ once daily) with a ipratropium metered dose inhaler (2 puffs of $20{\mu}g$ q.i.d.) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Method : After the initial screening assessment and a two-week run-in period, patients received either tiotropium $18{\mu}g$ once daily or ipratropium $40{\mu}g$ four times daily over a period of 4 weeks in a double blind, double dummy, parallel group study. The outcome measures were the lung function, the daily records of the peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), the patients' questionnaire, and the use of concomitant salbutamol. The forced expiratory volume in one second ($FEV_1$) and the forced vital capacity (FVC) were measured 5 minutes before inhalation, and 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 hours after inhaling the study drug on days 0, 14 and 28. Result : In 16 centers, 134 patients with a mean (SD) age of 66 (7) years and a predicted $FEV_1$ of 42 (12)% were analyzed. The trough $FEV_1$ response was significantly higher in the tiotropium group than in the ipratropium group after a four-week treatment period. The weekly mean morning PEFR of the tiotropium group was consistently higher than that of the ipratropium group during the 4-week treatment period with differences ranging from 12.52 to 13.88 l/min, which were statistically significant. Tiotropium was well tolerated by the COPD patients during the 4-week treatment period and had a similar safety profile to ipratropium. Conclusion : This study shows that tiotropium administrated once daily has a superior bronchodilator effect with a similar safety profile in treating COPD patients compared with ipratropium, inhaled four times daily.