• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제45권4호
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• pp.225-231
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• 2020

Glial cells, including astrocytes and microglia, interact closely with neurons and modulate pain transmission, particularly under pathological conditions. In this study, we examined the excitability of substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons of the spinal dorsal horn using a patch clamp recording to investigate the roles of microglial activation in the nociceptive processes of rats. We used xanthine/xanthine oxidase (X/XO), a generator of superoxide anion (O2·-), to induce a pathological pain condition. X/XO treatment induced an inward current and membrane depolarization. The inward current was significantly inhibited by minocycline, a microglial inhibitor, and fluorocitrate, an astrocyte inhibitor. To examine whether toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in microglia was involved in the inward current, we used lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a highly specific TLR4 agonist. The LPS induced inward current, which was decreased by pretreatment with Tak-242, a TLR4-specific inhibitor, and phenyl N-t-butylnitrone, a reactive oxygen species scavenger. The X/XO-induced inward current was also inhibited by pretreatment with Tak-242. These results indicate that the X/XO-induced inward current of SG neurons occurs through activation of TLR4 in microglial cells, suggesting that neuroglial cells modulate the nociceptive process through central sensitization.

• 한국지형학회지
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• 제27권2호
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• pp.19-28
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• 2020

Grain size analysis is the most basic procedure for identifying the origin, transport and sedimentation processes of sediments, and is widely used in geomorphology and sedimentology. Traditionally, grain size was determined by a sieve-pippette method, but the use of automated analyzers is increasing in recent years. These analyzers have many advantages over traditional techniques, but the measurement results are not always the same. It is still difficult to solve the pretreatment problem such as incomplete diffusion and residual organic matter, and inappropriate results may be obtained. This study compared image-based grain size analysis and sieve analysis to verify its statistical reliability, and conducted experiments to enhance the measurement accuracy using shape parameters. The results showed that the image-based analysis overestimated the grain size of sand dunes by about 7% compared to the sieve analysis, but the two measurements were not statistically different. In addition, by using shape parameters, such as aspect ratio, sphericity, and convexity, improved statistics were obtained compared to the original data. Using the morphological properties of the individual grains is a complementary method to the incomplete pretreatment of the grain size analysis process, and at the same time, it will contribute to improving the accuracy and reliability of the results.

• KSBB Journal
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.357-362
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• 2010

Green alga, Ulva pertusa kjelmann has been known to be one of the largest pollutants in Korea. Therefore, the efficient pretreatment processes have been required to improve the yields of fermentable sugar. The optimal pretreatment conditions were determined to be $195^{\circ}C$ for 15 min. The sugar yield of glucose and xylose were estimated as 20.5%, and 5.0% respectively, based on theoretical yields. However solid residues were estimated enzymatic digestibility of 90-95% with cellulase loading of 15 FPU/g glucan. This process was proved to generate the low concentration of Hydroxy-Methyl-Furfural (51 ppm), which resulted in ethanol production with 95% of the maximum conversion yield from glucose in the culture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ATCC, 24858). This study showed that Ulva pertusa kjellmann can be used as a bioetahnol resource using the high temperature liquefaction process.

• 유기물자원화
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• 제11권3호
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• pp.60-66
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• 2003

본 연구는 혐기성 소화를 이용한 음식물쓰레기와 하수슬러지 병합처리를 위한 음식물쓰레기 전처리 공정 방안을 모색하기 위하여 수행되었다. 음식물쓰레기 전처리 공정에 따른 음식물쓰레기 단위 공정별 성상 변화와 산발효조 적정 투여 기초조사 및 음식물쓰레기와 하수슬러지 혼합비 특성변화를 통한 산발효조의 효율 향상방안을 검토하였다. 연구결과, 음식물쓰레기의 구성성분은 대부분이 곡류와 채소류로 산발효 공정에서 유기산으로 전환될 가능성이 충분한 것으로 판단되며, 산발효조 투입시 TS의 적정한 범위를 위한 음식물쓰레기와 희석수의 비율은 1:5가 적합한 것으로 나타났다. 음식물쓰레기 분쇄 후 입도 분포 특성을 고려할 때 약 8mm 이하의 입자가 적합하며, 음식물쓰레기와 하수슬러지 슬러지의 혼합비는 3:7 이하가 적합한 것으로 나타났다.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제38권4호
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• pp.287-292
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• 2005

Objective : Kainic acid[KA] enhances the expression of nitric oxide synthase, increases nitric oxide[NO], and thus evokes epileptic convulsion, which results in neuronal damage in the rat brain. NO may stimulate cyclooxygenase type-2 [COX-2] activity, thus producing seizure and neuronal injury, but it has also been reported that KA-induced seizure and neurodegeneration are aggravated on decreasing the COX-2 level. This study was undertaken to investigate whether the suppression of NO using the NOS inhibitor, N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester[L-NAME], suppresses or enhances the activity of COX-2. Methods : Silver impregnation and COX-2 immunohistochemical staining were used to localize related pathophysiological processes in the rat forebrain following KA-induced epileptic convulsion and L-NAME pretreatment. Post-injection survival of the rat was 1, 2, 3days and 2months, respectively. Results : After the systemic administration of KA in rats, neurodegeneration increased with time in the cornu ammonis [CA] 3, CA 1 and amygdala, as confirmed by silver impregnation. On pretreating L-NAME, KA-induced neuronal degeneration decreased. COX-2 enzyme activities increased after KA injection in the dentate gyrus, CA 3, CA 1, amygdala and pyriform cortex, as determined by COX-2 staining. L-NAME pretreatment prior to KA-injection, caused COX-2 activities to increase compared with KA- injection only group by 1day and 2days survival time point. Conclusion : These results suggest that L-NAME has a neuroprotective effect on KA-induced neuronal damage, especially during the early stage of neurodegeneration.

• 한국결정성장학회지
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• 제22권5호
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• pp.247-253
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• 2012

본 연구에서는 zirconium diboride($ZrB_2$)의 소결성 향상을 위해 두 가지 전처리 공정을 사용하였다. 물리적 전처리 공정으로 SPEX mill을 사용하여 as-received $ZrB_2$ powder의 입도를 $2.61{\mu}m$에서 $0.35{\mu}m$까지 감소시킬 수 있었다. 화학적 전처리 공정으로 희석된 불산 용액을 사용하여 $ZrB_2$ powder의 산화도를 4.20 wt%에서 2.22 wt%까지 감소시킬 수 있었다. 소결된 $ZrB_2$의 상대 밀도는 입도와 산화도가 감소함에 따라 증가하였다. $ZrB_2$의 치밀화에는 산화도 보다 입도의 영향이 더 크다는 것을 확인하였다. 두 가지 전처리 공정을 통해 소결 조제의 사용 없이 치밀한 $ZrB_2$ 소결체를 제조하였다. 물리적 화학적 전처리 공정을 사용함으로써 $ZrB_2$의 소결성을 향상시킬 수 있었다.

• 한국물환경학회지
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.55-68
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• 2020

Because of the intensified environmental problems such as climate change and resource depletion, sewage treatment technology focused on energy management has recently attracted attention. The conversion of primary sludge from the primary sedimentation tank and excessive sludge from the secondary sedimentation tank into biogas is the key to energy-positive sewage treatment. In particular, the primary sedimentation tanks recover enriched biodegradable organic matter and anaerobic digestion process produces methane from the organic wastes for energy production. Such technologies for minimizing oxygen demand are leading the innovation regarding sewage treatment plants. However, sewage treatment facilities in Korea lack core technology and operational know-how. Actually, the energy potential of sewage is higher than sewage treatment energy consumption in the sewage treatment, but current processes are not adequately efficient in energy recovery. To improve this, it is possible to apply chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT), high-rate activated sludge (HRAS), and anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) to the primary sedimentation tank. To maximize the methane production of sewage treatment plants, organic wastes such as food waste and livestock manure can be digested. Additionally, mechanical pretreatment, thermal hydrolysis, and chemical pretreatment would enhance the methane conversion of organic waste. Power generation systems based on internal combustion engines are susceptible to heat source losses, requiring breakthrough energy conversion systems such as fuel cells. To realize the energy positive sewage treatment plant, primary organic matter recovery from sewage, biogas pretreatment, and co-digestion should be optimized in the energy management system based on the knowledge-based operation.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
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• 제45권1호
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• pp.51-56
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• 2017

목질계 바이오 매스 전처리에 사용되는 ionic liquid는 전처리 후 100% 회수되지 않아 잔존하는 ionic liquid의 독성이 직접적으로 미생물 균주의 생육에 나쁜 영향을 미쳐 에탄올 발효의 수율 및 생산성을 저해하는 문제를 가지고 있다. 본 연구에서는 ionic liquid에 저해를 받지 않으며 높은 ethanol 생산 효율을 가진 균주를 얻고자 유도적 돌연변이 유발 실험을 진행하였다. 선별된 돌연변이 균주 D452-B2와 D452-S3는 3% [EMIM][Ac]가 포함된 배지에서 glucose 소비속도는 $4.5g{\cdot}l^{-1}{\cdot}h^{-1}$와 $4.4g{\cdot}l^{-1}{\cdot}h^{-1}$로 모균주인 S. cerevisiae D452-2 균주에 비해 6배 가량 증가하였으며, ethanol 생산성은 각각 $1.99g{\cdot}l^{-1}{\cdot}h^{-1}$와 $2.0g{\cdot}l^{-1}{\cdot}h^{-1}$로 27배 가량 증가하였다.

• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2013년도 제45회 하계 정기학술대회 초록집
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• pp.277.1-277.1
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• 2013

Molecular diagnostics consists of three processes, which are a sample pretreatment, a nucleic acid amplification, and an amplicon detection. Among three components, sample pretreatment is an important process in that it can increase the limit of detection by purifying nucleic acid in biological sample from contaminants that may interfere with the downstream genetic analysis such as nucleic acid amplification and detection. To achieve point-of-care virus detection system, the sample pretreatment process needs to be simple, rapid, and automatic. However, the commercial RNA extraction kits such as Rneasy (Qiagen) or MagnaPure (Roche) kit are highly labor-intensive and time-consuming due to numerous manual steps, and so it is not adequate for the on-site sample preparation. Herein, we have developed a rotary microfluidic system to extract and purify the RNA without necessity of external mechanical syringe pumps to allow flow control using microfluidic technology. We designed three reservoirs for sample, washing buffer, and elution buffer which were connected with different dimensional microfluidic channels. By controlling RPM, we could dispense a RNA sample solution, a washing buffer, and an elution buffer successively, so that the RNA was captured in the sol-gel solid phase, purified, and eluted in the downstream. Such a novel rotary sample preparation system eliminates some complicated hardwares and human intervention providing the opportunity to construct a fully integrated genetic analysis microsystem.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제29권5호
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• pp.498-505
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• 2021

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a lethal neurological disorder characterized by the deterioration of motor neurons. The aim of this study was to investigate alteration of cationic amino acid transporter (CAT-1) activity in the transport of lysine and the pretreatment effect of lysine on pro-inflammatory states in an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cell line. The mRNA expression of cationic amino acid transporter 1 was lower in NSC-34/hSOD1^G93A (MT) than the control cell line (WT), lysine transport is mediated by CAT-1 in NSC-34 cell lines. The uptake of [³H]L-lysine was Na⁺-independent, voltage-sensitive, and strongly inhibited by inhibitors and substrates of cationic amino acid transporter 1 (system y⁺). The transport process involved two saturable processes in both cell lines. In the MT cell line, at a high-affinity site, the affinity was 9.4-fold higher and capacity 24-fold lower than that in the WT; at a low-affinity site, the capacity was 2.3-fold lower than that in the WT cell line. Donepezil and verapamil competitively inhibited [³H]L-lysine uptake in the NSC-34 cell lines. Pretreatment with pro-inflammatory cytokines decreased the uptake of [³H]L-lysine and mRNA expression levels in both cell lines; however, the addition of L-lysine restored the transport activity in the MT cell lines. L-Lysine exhibited neuroprotective effects against pro-inflammatory states in the ALS disease model cell lines. In conclusion, studying the alteration in the expression of transporters and characteristics of lysine transport in ALS can lead to the development of new therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.