• Nano
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.1850131.1-1850131.19
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• 2018

In this paper, an electrochemical sensor for epinephrine (EP), a neurotransmitter was developed by anchoring molecularly imprinted polymeric matrix (MIP) on the surface of gold-coated quartz crystal electrode of electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) using starch nanoparticles (Starch NP) - reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposite as polymeric format for the first time. Use of EP in therapeutic treatment requires proper dose and route of administration. Proper follow-up of neurological disorders and timely diagnosis of them has been found to depend on EP level. The MIP sensor was developed by electrodeposition of starch NP-RGO composite on EQCM electrode in presence of template EP. As the imprinted sites are located on the surface, high specific surface area enables good accessibility and high binding affinity to template molecule. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and piezoelectrogravimmetry were used for monitoring binding/release, rebinding of template to imprinted cavities. MIP-coated EQCM electrode were characterized by contact angle measurements, AFM images, piezoelectric responses including viscoelasticity of imprinted films, and other voltammetric measurements including direct (DPV) and indirect (using a redox probe) measurements. Selectivity was assessed by imprinting factor (IF) as high as 3.26 (DPV) and 3.88 (EQCM). Sensor was rigorously checked for selectivity in presence of other structurally close analogues, real matrix (blood plasma), reproducibility, repeatability, etc. Under optimized conditions, the EQCM-MIP sensor showed linear dynamic ranges ($1-10{\mu}M$). The limit of detection 40 ppb (DPV) and 290 ppb (EQCM) was achieved without any cross reactivity and matrix effect indicating high sensitivity and selectivity for EP. Hence, an eco-friendly MIP-sensor with high sensitivity and good selectivity was fabricated which could be applied in "real" matrices in a facile manner.

• International Neurourology Journal
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.246-251
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• 2018

Purpose: To determine whether responses to serotonin are altered in bladder strips from cats diagnosed with a naturally occurring form of bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis termed feline interstitial cystitis (FIC). Methods: Full thickness bladder strips were isolated from aged matched healthy control cats and cats with clinically verified FIC. Bladder strips were mounted in an organ bath and connected to a tension transducer to record contractile activity. A serotonin dose response ($0.01-10{\mu}M$) was determined for each strip with the mucosa intact or denuded. Results: Bladder strips from control and FIC cats contracted in response to serotonin in a dose-dependent manner. The normalized force of serotonin-evoked contractions was significantly greater in bladder strips from cats with FIC (n=7) than from control cats (n=4). Removal of the mucosa significantly decreased serotonin-mediated responses in both control and FIC bladder preparations. Furthermore, the contractions in response to serotonin were abolished by $1{\mu}M$ atropine in both control and FIC bladder strips. Conclusions: The effect of serotonin on contractile force, but not sensitivity, was potentiated in bladder strips from cats with FIC, and was dependent upon the presence of the mucosa in control and FIC groups. As atropine inhibited these effects of serotonin, we hypothesize that, serotonin enhances acetylcholine release from the mucosa of FIC cat bladder strips, which could account for the increased force generated. In summary, FIC augments the responsiveness of bladder to serotonin, which may contribute to the symptoms associated with this chronic condition.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.362-370
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• 2019

The internal pressure capacity of a modular containment structure requires analysis to prevent the release of radioactive material in the case of an accident. To analyze the capacity, FEM models were prepared while considering the tendon arrangements and the contact surfaces between precast concrete modules, and then static analyses were carried out. The changing characteristics in the displacement and stress under step-wise loading were analyzed, along with the effects of selected parameters. For comparison, the capacity of a monolithic containment structure was also analyzed. Parametric analyses were done to suggest ranges of parameters such as the tendon force, tendon spacing, tendon location in concrete thickness direction, friction coefficient, and concrete thickness. The tendon force and frictional force provide a combined effect between contact surfaces of modules. The same level of internal pressure capacity can be secured even in the modular containment structure as in the monolithic containment structure by increasing the tendon force with additional tendons.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.113-120
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• 2018

The one-way gas valve developed in this study was designed to prevent the breakage of packages from increased internal pressure, which is a problem in packaged Kimchi, and simultaneously reduce the outflow of the offodor release. The effect of the one-way gas valve on the headspace atmospheric compositions was investigated in the packaging system. The changes of atmospheric compositions and quality factors of Kimchi, such as $CO_2$ accumulation, pH, titratable acidity, and salinity, were measured during a 4-week storage period at $4^{\circ}C$. The Kimchi package with the one-way gas valve dramatically reduced pressure build-up in the pouch by allowing the controlled flow of gas to the atmosphere. In addition, the package design allows the possibility of controlling the gas generated from Kimchi by adjusting the viscosity of the open pressure control oil. The one-way gas valve did not affect the sensory characteristics of Kimchi products during the storage period. Furthermore, the deodorizing capability of the activated carbon contained in the one-way gas valve effectively reduced the off-odor of Kimchi products released along with carbon dioxide. The novel one-way gas valve is considered to be an active packaging system that can solve major problems of expansion and off-odor leakage in the packaging of Kimchi.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.217-223
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• 2019

Acanthamoeba castellanii has ubiquitous distribution and causes primary acanthamoebic keratitis (AK). AK is a common disease in contact lens wearers and results in permanent visual impairment or blindness. In this study, we observed the cytopathic effect, in vitro cytotoxicity, and secretion pattern of cytokines in human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) induced by A. castellanii trophozoites and/or cysts. Morphological observation revealed that panked dendritic HCECs co-cultured with amoeba cysts had changed into round shape and gradually died. Such changes were more severe in co-culture with cyst than those of co-cultivation with trophozoites. In vitro cytotoxicity assay revealed the highest cytotoxicity to HCECs in the co-culture system with amoeba cysts. A. castellanii induced the expression of $IL-1{\alpha}$, IL-6, IL-8, and CXCL1 in HCECs. Secreted levels of $IL-1{\alpha}$, IL-6, and IL-8 in HCECs co-cultured with both trophozoites and cysts were increased at an early incubation time (3 and 6 hr). These results suggested that cytopathic changes and pro-inflammatory cytokines release of HCECs in response to A. castellanii, especially amoebic cysts, are an important mechanism for AK development.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.281-291
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• 2021

The Islamic jurisprudential legal system represents an essential component of the Islamic religion, that governs many aspects of Muslims' daily lives. This creates many questions that require interpretations by qualified specialists, or Muftis according to the main sources of legislation in Islam. The Islamic jurisprudence is usually classified into branches, according to which the questions can be categorized and classified. Such categorization has many applications in automated question-answering systems, and in manual systems in routing the questions to a specialized Mufti to answer specific topics. In this work we tackle the problem of automatic categorisation of Islamic jurisprudential legal questions using deep learning techniques. In this paper, we build a hierarchical deep learning model that first extracts the question text features at two levels: word and sentence representation, followed by a text classifier that acts upon the question representation. To evaluate our model, we build and release the largest publicly available dataset of Islamic questions and answers, along with their topics, for 52 topic categories. We evaluate different state-of-the art deep learning models, both for word and sentence embeddings, comparing recurrent and transformer-based techniques, and performing extensive ablation studies to show the effect of each model choice. Our hierarchical model is based on pre-trained models, taking advantage of the recent advancement of transfer learning techniques, focused on Arabic language.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.1-11
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• 2021

Objectives Hwanggeumjakyak-tang (HJT) has traditionally been used to treat gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases; however, its protective effects against neuronal inflammation are still undiscovered. Methods We investigated the anti-neuroinflammatory effects of HJT water extract on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV2 mouse microglia cells. BV2 cells were treated with LPS (1 ㎍/mL) 1 hour prior to the addition of HJT. We measured cell viability using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and nitrite production using the Griess assay. We performed a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay to measure messenger RNA expression of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Western blot analysis was performed to determine protein expression of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB)α. Results HJT inhibited excessive nitrite release in LPS-stimulated BV2 cells and also significantly inhibited inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in LPS-stimulated BV2 cells. Moreover, HJT significantly suppressed LPS-induced MAPK and NF-κB activation and inhibited the elevation of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in the brain of LPS-injected mice. Conclusions Our study highlights the anti-neuroinflammatory effects of HJT via MAPK and NF-κB deactivation.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.395-401
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• 2021

Extended inflammation and cytokine production pathogenically contribute to a number of inflammatory disorders. Formosanin C (FC) is the major diosgenin saponin found in herb Paris formosana Hayata (Liliaceae), which has been shown to exert anti-cancer and immunomodulatory functions. In this study, we aimed to investigate anti-inflammatory activity of FC and the underlying molecular mechanism. RAW264.7 macrophages were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or pretreated with FC prior to being stimulated with LPS. Thereafter, the macrophages were subjected to analysis of the expression levels of pro-inflammatory mediators, including nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E₂ (PGE), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and IL-6, as well as two relevant enzymes, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). The analysis revealed that FC administration blunted LPS-induced production of NO and PGE in a dose-dependent manner, while the expression of iNOS and COX-2 at both mRNA and protein levels was inhibited in LPS-stimulated macrophages pre-treated with FC. Moreover, LPS stimulation upregulated mRNA expression and medium release of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, whereas this effect was blocked upon FC pre-administration. Mechanistic studies showed that inhibitory effects of FC on LPS-induced inflammation were associated with a downregulation of IκB kinase, IκB, and p65/NF-κB pathway. Taken together, these data suggest that FC possesses an inflammation-suppressing activity, thus being a potential agent for the treatment of inflammation-associated disorders.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.370-379
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• 2021

In the past, PVAc [poly(vinyl acetate)] was used as a fixative for the conservation of the murals in the murals of the Payathonzu temple located in Bagan, Myanmar. In this study, attention was paid to gel cleaning as a method for stably removing such PVAc fixatives. Based on the recent research trend related to the cleaning of murals in Bagan ruins, 3 types of gelling agents (Nevek^®, Laponite^®RD, Carbopol^®980) and 2 types of organic solvents (Acetone, Dimethyl carbonate) were selected. Six types of gel cleaners were prepared by mixing gelling agents and organic solvents, and the properties and fixative removability of these cleaners were compared. As a result of confirming the properties of the prepared gel cleaners, the pH of the cleaners was all in the weak acidic to weakly alkaline range, which was a stable condition for mural application. Also, there was no difference in the viscosity of the cleaners depending on the type of solvent, but there was a difference depending on the type of gelling agent used. Regarding the weight loss ratio of PVAc, which is an indicator of removability, the exposure conditions of the gel cleaners, the boiling point of the solvent used, and the viscosity of the gelling agent acted as factors affecting. As a result of comparing the removability of gel cleaners, it was confirmed that the solvent's fixative solubility, the volatility of the solvent itself, and the solvent release control properties of the gelling agent had a great effect on the removability of the gel cleaners. In Part 2, the stability and the running applicability of the gel cleaners will be investigated by making mockup samples reflecting the properties of the materials and techniques used to produce the mural paintings in the Payathonzu Temple.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.593-618
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• 2021

This study is to investigate the contents and bibliography through data collection and data release produced in the Gwangju Student Independence Movement and the activities of the Reading Association, and to propose an efficient management plan for the formation of the Reading Association archive. This study was conducted using literature research and visits to institutions and organizations related to the independence movement, data research, and interviews. The results of the study were presented the significance of the Gwangju Student Independence Movement, three occurrences, the number of participating schools and students, the organization and activities of the reading society, the type of participation in the Independence Movement, the record information of the Gwangju Student Independence Movement, the characteristics of the records information resources, the current status of the management of records and information resources, a collection system and archiving of records and information resources, and the expected effect and utilization plan were presented.