• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.233-243
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• 2021

Rib spalling is a major issue affecting the safety of steeply inclined coal seam. And the failure coal face and support system can be affected with each other to generate a vicious cycle along with inducing large-scale collapse of surrounding rock in steeply inclined coal seam. In order to analyze failure mechanism and propose the corresponding prominent control measures of steeply inclined coal working face, mechanical model based on coal face-support-roof system and mechanical model of coal face failure was established to reveal the disaster mechanism of rib spalling and the sensitive analysis of related factors was performed. Furthermore, taking 3402 working face of Chen-man-zhuang coal mine as engineering background, numerical model by using FLAC3D was built to illustrate the propagation of displacement and stress fields in steeply inclined coal seam and verify the theory analysis as mentioned in this study. The results show that the coal face slide body in steeply inclined working face can be observed as the failure height of upper layer smaller than that of lower layer exhibiting with an irregular quadrilateral pyramid shape. Moreover, the cracks were originated from the upper layer of sliding body and gradually developed to the lower layer causing the final rib spalling. The influence factors on the stability of coal face can be ranked as overlying strata pressure (P) > mechanical parameters of coal body (e.g., cohesion (c), internal fraction angle (φ)) > support strength (F) > the support force of protecting piece (F') > the false angle of working face (Θ). Moreover, the corresponding control measures to maintain the stability of the coal face in the steeply inclined working face were proposed.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.46-51
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• 2022

Purpose: Delta neutrophil index (DNI) indicates immature granulocytes in peripheral blood and has been confirmed to be effective as a prognostic factor for neonatal sepsis. Also, it has been reported to have diagnostic value in acute pyelonephritis and in predicting vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in the infant. We conducted the study to verify whether DNI is also helpful in the entire pediatric age group with febrile urinary tract infection (UTI). Methods: Medical records of children hospitalized for febrile UTIs were analyzed retrospectively. All subjects underwent kidney ultrasound and voiding cystourethrography. In the group with and without VUR, we compared sex and age, and the following laboratory values: the white blood cell count, neutrophil, polymorphonuclear leucocyte, eosinophil, hemoglobin, platelet count, C-reactive protein, DNI value, and the finding of ultrasound. Results: A total of 315 patients (163 males and 152 females; range, 0-127 months) were eligible, and 41 patients (13%) had VUR. As a result of univariate analysis, the white blood cell count, neutrophil, DNI, and ultrasonic abnormalities were high in the reflux group, and the hemoglobin and lymphocyte fraction values were low. The value of DNI and the abnormal ultrasound were significantly higher in the reflux group on the multivariate analysis. The area under the curve value of the receiver operating curve was higher in DNI (0.640; 95% confidence interval, 0.536-0.744; P=0.004), and the DNI cutoff value for VUR prediction was 1.85%. Conclusions: We identified that ultrasound findings and DNI values were helpful predictors of VUR in pediatric febrile UTIs.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.20-37
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• 2023

Purpose: Our pilot study showed that a 3-dimensional dual drug delivery scaffold (DDDS) loaded with Chinese herbs significantly increased the regenerated bone volume fraction. This study aimed to confirm the synergistic anti-inflammatory and osteogenic preclinical effects of this system. Methods: The targets and pathways of parthenolide and naringin were predicted. Three cell models were used to assess the anti-inflammatory effects of parthenolide and the osteogenic effects of naringin. First, the distance between the cementoenamel junction and alveolar bone crest (CEJ-ABC) and the bone mineral density (BMD) of surgical defects were measured in a rat model of periodontitis with periodontal fenestration defects. Additionally, the mRNA expression levels of matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were measured. Furthermore, the number of inflammatory cells and osteoclasts, as well as the protein expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and levels of ALP were determined. Results: Target prediction suggested prostaglandin peroxidase synthase (PTGS2) as a potential target of parthenolide, while cytochrome P450 family 19 subfamily A1 (CYP19A1) and taste 2 receptor member 31 (TAS2R31) were potential targets of naringin. Parthenolide mainly targeted inflammation-related pathways, while naringin participated in steroid hormone synthesis and taste transduction. In vitro experiments revealed significant antiinflammatory effects of parthenolide on RAW264.7 cells, and significant osteogenic effects of naringin on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and MC3T3-E1 cells. DDDS loaded with parthenolide and naringin decreased the CEJ-ABC distance and increased BMD and ALP levels in a time-dependent manner. Inflammation was significantly alleviated after 14 days of DDDS treatment. Additionally, after 56 days, the DDDS group exhibited the highest BMD and ALP levels. Conclusions: DDDS loaded with parthenolide and naringin in a rat model achieved significant synergistic anti-inflammatory and osteogenic effects, providing powerful preclinical evidence.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.523-529
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• 2023

Cemented uranium tailings backfill created from alkali-activated slag (CUTB) is an effective method of disposing of uranium tailings. Using some environmental functional minerals with ion exchange, adsorption, and solidification abilities as backfill modified materials may improve the leaching resistance of the CUTB. Natural zeolite, which has good ion exchange and adsorption characteristics, is selected as the backfill modified material, and it is added to the backfill materials with cementitious material proportions of 4%, 8%, 12%, and 16% to prepare CUTB mixtures with environmental functional minerals. After the addition of natural zeolite, the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of the CUTB decreases, but the leaching resistance of the CUTB increases. When the natural zeolite content is 12%, the UCS reaches the minimum value of 8.95 MPa, and the concentration of uranium in the leaching solution is 0.28-8.07 mg/L, the leaching rate R₄₂ is 9.61×10^-7 cm/d, and cumulative leaching fraction P₄₂ is 8.53×10^-4 cm, which shows that the alkali-activated slag cementitious material has a good curing effect on the CUTB, and the addition of environmental functional minerals helps to further improve the leaching resistance of the CUTB, but it reduces the UCS to an extent.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.30.1-30.1
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• 2020

The ASKAP-EMU survey is a deep wide-field radio continuum survey designed to cover the entire southern sky and a significant fraction of the northern sky up to +30°. Here, we report a discovery of a radio relic in the merging cluster SPT-CL J2023-5535 at z=0.23 from the ASKAP-EMU pilot 300 square degree survey (800-1088 MHz). The deep high-resolution data reveal a ~2 Mpc-scale radio halo elongated in the east-west direction, coincident with the intracluster gas. The radio relic is located at the western edge of this radio halo stretched ~0.5 Mpc in the north-south orientation. The integrated spectral index of the radio relic within the narrow bandwidth is α1088MHz800MHz = -0.76 ± 0.06. Our weak-lensing analysis shows that the system is massive (M200 = 1.04 ± 0.36 × 1015M⊙) and composed of at least three subclusters. We suggest a scenario, wherein the radio features arise from the collision between the eastern and middle subclusters. Furthermore, the direct link between the local AGN and the relic along with the discontinuities in X-ray observation hint us that we are looking at the site of re-acceleration.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.5-9
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• 2023

The effect of La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃ (LSMO) addition on the superconducting property of Bi_1.6Pb_0.4Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O_10+δ ((Bi, Pb)-2223) polycrystalline samples was studied. LSMO (0.3 wt.% to 2.0 wt.%) added (Bi, Pb)-2223 samples were prepared by using a solid-state reaction method. The XRD analyses show that as the LSMO addition increases, the volume fraction of the Bi-2223 phase is gradually decreased. The critical temperature (T_c) exhibits a gradual decrease with a single transition as the LSMO amount increases up to 1.0 wt.%, but a further addition of LSMO induces an abrupt decrease of T_c with a dual transition. The analyses on the local structure of the CuO₂ plane from the X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements showed that for the samples with low concentration of LSMO up to 1.0 wt.%, the Cu-O bond length and the CuO₂ plane ordering do not degrade from the values of pure (Bi, Pb)-2223, while they get worsen with a further increase of LSMO addition. These results open up the possibility of LSMO as artificial pinning centers of the (Bi, Pb)-2223 system for power application.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.67-82
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• 2022

In this paper, buckling and free vibration of imperfect, functionally graded beams, including porosities, are investigated, using a higher order shear strain theory. Due to defects during the manufacturing process, micro porosities may appear in the material, hence the appearance of this imperfection in the structure. The material properties of the beams are assumed to vary regularly, with power and sigmoid law, in the direction of thickness. A novel porosity distribution affecting the functionally graded volume fraction is presented. For the compact formulation used for cementite-based materials and already used in P-FGM, we have adapted it for the distribution of S-FGM. The equations of motion in the FG beam are derived using Hamilton's principle. The boundary conditions for beam FG are assumed to be simply supported. Navier's solution is used to obtain the closed form solutions of the FG beam. The numerical results of this work are compared with those of other published research to verify accuracy and reliability. The comparisons of different shear shape functions, the influence of porosity, thickness and inhomogeneity parameters on buckling and free vibration of the FG beam are all discussed. It is established that the present work is more precise than certain theories developed previously.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2023.04a
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• pp.54-54
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• 2023

Nypa fruticans Wurmb (N. fruticans) is a plant that belongs to Araceae and N. fruticans is mainly found in tropical mangrove systems. The parts (leaves, stems, and roots) of N. fruticans are traditionally used for asthma, sore throat, and liver disease. N. fruticans contains flavonoids and polyphenols, which are substances that have inhibitory effects on cancer and oxidant. In previous studies, some pharmaceutical effects of N. fruticans on melanogenesis and inflammation have been reported. The present study is conducted to investigate the effect of the ethyl acetate fraction of N. fruticans (ENF) on oxidative DNA damage and UVB-induced DNA damage. DNA damage response (DDR) pathway is important in research on cancer, apoptosis, and so on. DDR pathways are considered a crucial factor affecting the alleviation of cellular damage. ENF could reduce oxidative DNA damage derived from reactive oxygen species by the Fenton reaction. Also, ENF reduced the intensity of intracellular ROS in the live cell image by DCFDA assay. UVB is known to cause skin and cellular damage, then finally contribute to causing the formation of tumors. As for the strategies of reducing DNA damage by UVB, inhibition of p53, H2AX, and Chk2 can be important indexes to protect the human body from DNA damage. As a result of confirming the protective effect of ENF for UVB damage, MMPs significantly decreased, and the expression of apoptosis-related factors tended to decrease. In conclusion, ENF can provide protective effects against double-stranded DNA break (DSB) caused by oxidative DNA damage and UVB-induced DNA damage. These results are considered to be closely related to the protective effect against radicals based on catechin, epicatechin, and isoquercitrin contained in ENF. Based on these results, it is thought that additional mechanism studies for inhibiting cell damage are needed.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2023.04a
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• pp.56-56
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• 2023

The cone of Pinus rigida × Pinus taeda (PRT), a plant in the Pinaceae family, has long been used in traditional medicine to treat hemostasis, bruises, and burns. Previous research has shown that regulating oxidation-reduction reactions in reactive oxygen species can help inhibit melanogenesis, the process of melanin synthesis, which is a common target for addressing hyperpigmentation. Inhibiting tyrosinase is also known to be effective in this regard. Based on these findings, we conducted an investigation into the inhibitory effect of the ethyl acetate fraction of PRT (ERT) on melanogenesis in B16 F10 cells. We know that the expression levels of melanin biosynthesis-related proteins, including tyrosinase, TRP-1, and TRP-2, are regulated by MITF (microphthalmia-associated transcription factor) and cAMP, with cAMP affecting the activity of protein kinase A (PKA). PKA can reduce melanogenesis, and CREB reduces the phosphorylation of melanin-producing enzymes. In addition, the MAPK signaling pathway, composed of ERK, JNK, p38, and other factors, is also known to play a role in the inhibition of melanogenesis in melanocytes. Our immunoblotting results showed that ERT inhibited the expression of melanin production-related proteins (tyrosinase, TRP-1, TRP-2, and MITF) that were significantly increased by a-MSH treatment to promote melanin production. Furthermore, the phosphorylation levels of factors related to cAMP/PKA/CREB and MAPK signaling pathways were significantly reduced without affecting the total form. In conclusion, we believe that treatment with ERT can inhibit melanin synthesis by modulating the phosphorylation of cAMP/PKA/CREB and MAPK signaling pathways at the cellular level. These findings suggest the potential of ERT as a raw material for functional cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, thanks to its antioxidant activity and ability to inhibit melanogenesis. We thought that these findings of ERT as a natural plant resource will inspire further research and development in this area.

• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.91-104
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• 2024

PURPOSE. The objectives of the current study were to estimate the influence of self-reinforced hollow structures with a graded density on the dimensional accuracy, weight, and mechanical properties of Co-Cr objects printed with the direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Sixty-five dog-bone samples were manufactured to evaluate the dimensional accuracy of printing, weight, and tensile properties of DMLS printed Co-Cr. They were divided into Group 1 (control) (n = 5), Group 2, 3, and 4 with incorporated hollow structures based on (spherical, elliptical, and diamond) shapes; they were subdivided into subgroups (n = 5) according to the volumetric reduction (10%, 15%, 20% and 25%). Radiographic imaging and microscopic analysis of the fractographs were conducted to validate the created geometries; the dimensional accuracy, weight, yield tensile strength, and modulus of elasticity were calculated. The data were estimated by one-way ANOVA and Duncan's tests at P < .05. RESULTS. The accuracy test showed an insignificant difference in the x, y, z directions in all printed groups. The weight was significantly reduced proportionally to the reduced volume fraction. The yield strength and elastic modulus of the control group and Group 2 at 10% volume reduction were comparable and significantly higher than the other subgroups. CONCLUSION. The printing accuracy was not affected by the presence or type of the hollow geometry. The weight of Group 2 at 10% reduction was significantly lower than that of the control group. The yield strength and elastic modulus of the Group 2 at a 10% reduction showed means equivalent to the compact objects and were significantly higher than other subgroups.