• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.41-49
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• 2022

Background Abdominal obesity, a major public health concern, is related to many health problems. In addition, it is influenced by individual characteristics. We investigated sleep quality and physical activity (PA) as risk factors for abdominal obesity, according to the Sasang constitutional medicine. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed data from 5,221 community-based participants. Sleep quality and PA were measured using structured questionnaires, and abdominal obesity was classified according to waist circumference. Sasang constitution (SC) was classified as Taeeumin (TE), Soeumin (SE), or Soyangin (SY) type, using an established SC questionnaire. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were performed to access the association of sleep quality and PA with abdominal obesity in individuals stratified according to the SC types. Results The percentage of poor sleep quality and inactive PA was the highest in the SE type, and the higher prevalence of abdominal obesity was found in the TE type. After adjusting for variables, inactive PA was associated with abdominal obesity in the TE type (OR=1.694, 95% CI=1.42-2.021), and in the SE type, abdominal obesity was associated with poor sleep quality (OR=1.688, 95% CI=1.091-2.611) and low PA (OR=2.127, 95% CI=1.163-3.89). Moreover, the combination of these two factors were also significantly associated with abdominal obesity in the TE and SE types. Conclusion Abdominal obesity was associated with sleep quality and PA, and these results were different in each SC type. Taking various associated lifestyles and individual characteristics in consideration may contribute to better management of abdominal obesity in clinical practice.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.149-154
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• 2007

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of ozone treatment on removal of brown color and ammonia-like odor produced from shark cartilage (SC) and to establish the optimal extraction conditions of chondroitin sulfate (CS) by NaOH and hot water. Treatment of SC with 0.3 ppm ozone water resulted in higher color $L^*$ value but lower $a^*$ and $b^*$ values compared with those of non-treated SC, without affecting its proximate compositions (moisture, protein, lipid, carbohydrate, and ash). Ozone treatment also increased the overall acceptability of SC by reducing ammonia-like odor. The optimum concentration and time for extraction of CS from SC using NaOH at $100^{\circ}C$ were 1 N and 120 min, respectively, with 10.02% of extraction yield. The total yield (10.01%) of CS obtained by 7 times repeated extraction with hot water at $100^{\circ}C$ was comparable to that of the 1 N NaOH extraction for 120 min at $100^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 2013

In order to investigate an influence of carrier trap by quantum dots (QDs) on the solar parameters, in this study, the $p^+-QD-n/n^+$ solar cells with InAs/GaAs QD active layers are fabricated, and their characteristics are investigated and compared with those of a GaAs matrix solar cell (MSC). Two different types of QD structures, the Stranski-Krastanow (SK) QD and the quasi-monolayer (QML) QD, have been introduced for the QD solar cells, and the parameters (open-circuit voltage ($V_{OC}$), short-cirucuit current ($I_{SC}$), fill factor (FF), conversion efficiency (CE)) are determined from the current-voltage characteristic curves under a standard solar illumination (AM1.5). In SK-QSC, while FF of 80.0% is similar to that of MSC (80.3%), $V_{OC}$ and $J_{SC}$ are reduced by 0.03 V and $2.6mA/cm^2$, respectively. CE is lowered by 2.6% as results of reduced $V_{OC}$ and $J_{SC}$, which is due to a carrier trap into QDs. Though another alternative structure of QML-QD to be expected to relieve the carrier trap have been firstly tried for QSC in this study, it shows negative results contrary to our expectations.

• Ceramist
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.378-387
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• 2018

The optimal fabrication conditions for $Gd_{0.1}Ce_{0.9}O_{2-{\delta}}$(GDC) buffer layer and $La_{0.6}Sr_{0.4}Co_{0.2}Fe_{0.8}O_{3-{\delta}}$ (LSCF) cathode on 1mol% $CeO_2-10mol%\;Sc_2O_3$ stabilized $ZrO_2$ (CeScSZ) electrolyte were investigated for application of IT-SOFCs. GDC buffer layer was used in order to prevent undesired chemical reactions between LSCF and CeScSZ. These experiments were carried out with $5{\times}5cm^2$ anode supported unit cells to investigate the tendencies of electrochemical performance, Microstructure development and interface reaction between LSCF/GDC/CeScSZ along with the variations of GDC buffer layer thickness, sintering temperatures of GDC and LSCF were checked, respectively. Electrochemical performance was analyzed by DC current-voltage measurement and AC impedance spectroscopy. Microstructure and interface reaction were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Although the interfacial reaction between these materials could not be perfectly inhibited, We found that the cell, in which $6{\mu}m$ GDC interlayer sintered at $1200^{\circ}C$ and LSCF sintered at $1000^{\circ}C$ were applied, showed good interfacial adhesions and effective suppression of Sr, thereby resulting in fairly good performance with power density of $0.71W/cm^2$ at $800^{\circ}C$ and 0.7V.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.1644-1655
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• 2019

Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) and glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) have been employed to improve the intestinal development of weaned animals. The goal of this study was to determine whether either exogenous S. cerevisiae or GLP-2 elicits major effects on fecal microbiotas and cytokine responses in weaned piglets. Ninety-six piglets weaned at 26 days were assigned to one of four groups: 1) Basal diet (Control), 2) empty vector-harboring S. cerevisiae (EV-SC), 3) GLP-2-expressing S. cerevisiae (GLP2-SC), and 4) recombinant human GLP-2 (rh-GLP2). At the start of the post-weaning period (day 0), and at day 28, fecal samples were collected to assess the bacterial communities via sequencing the V1-V2 region of the 16S-rRNA gene, and piglets' blood was also sampled to measure cytokine responses (i.e., IL-$1{\beta}$, TNF-${\alpha}$, and IFN-${\gamma}$). This study revealed that, on the one hand, although S. cerevisiae supplementation did not significantly alter the growth of weaned piglets, it induced increases in the relative abundances of two core genera (Ruminococcaceae_norank and Erysipelotrichaceae_norank) and decreases in the relative abundances of two other core genera (Lachnospiraceae_norank and Clostridiale_norank) and cytokine levels (IL-$1{\beta}$ and TNF-${\alpha}$) (p < 0.05, Control vs EV-SC; p < 0.05, rh-GLP2 vs GLP2-SC). On the other hand, GLP-2 supplementation had no significant influence on fecal bacterial communities and cytokine levels, but it produced better body weight and average daily gain (p < 0.05, Control vs EV-SC; p < 0.05, rh-GLP2 vs GLP2-SC). Therefore, altered fecal microbiotas and cytokine response effects in weaned piglets were due to S. cerevisiae rather than GLP-2.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.39-49
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to find out how sleep characteristics by Sasang constitution (SC) appear in Vietnamese immigrant women in Korea, and how sleep aberration by SC affected the quality of life. The number of 217 Vietnamese immigrant women joined this study. We surveyed SC with Korea Sasang Constitutional Diagnostic Questionnaire (KS-15) and sleep characteristics with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI) questionnaire. We evaluated quality of life(QoL) with Euro Quality of Life-5Dimension(EQ 5D) questionnaire. A Chi-square test and a one-way ANOVA test were conducted according to SC, and T test also used to compare PSQI groups. Significant p was .05. The number(rate) of Taeeumin(TE), Soeumin(SE), and Soyangin(SY) were 40(18.4%), 55(25.3%), and 122(56.2%) respectively. The distribution of obstructive factors of sleep were significantly different according to SC(Too Cold in Sleeping, x =13.378, p=.037, Too Hot in Sleeping x²=12.834, p=.046). The distribution of daytime drowsiness(x²=15.379, p=.018) and falling concentration power (x²=17.533, p=.008) was significantly different according to SC. The sleep status of the subjects showed a significant negative correlation with the EQ 5D Visual Analogue Scale(VAS) (r =-.399, p<.001), and the EQ 5D Index (r=-.211, p=.002). In the EQ VAS, TE showed a difference between the good and bad sleeping groups (t=3.955, p<.001). SE showed a difference between the two groups in the EQ 5D Index (t=2.332, p=.037). SY did not show a difference between the two groups. This study reveals that sleeping is closely related with QoL and distribution of obstructive factors of sleep may be different according to SC. Further study to confirm the constitutional difference in race at Vietnam is needed.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.19-24
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• 2015

Glycine betaine (GB) is one of the compatible solutes that accumulate in the chloroplasts of certain halotolerant plants under salt or cold stress. The codA gene for choline oxidase, the enzyme that converts choline into GB, has been cloned from a soil bacterium Arthrobacter globiformis. We generated transgenic sweetpotato plants [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam] expressing codA gene in chloroplasts under the control of the SWPA2 promoter (referred to as SC plants) and evaluated SC plants under oxidative and drought stresses. SC plants showed enhanced tolerance to methyl viologen (MV)-mediated oxidative stress and drought stress due to induced expression of codA. At $5{\mu}M$ of MV treatment, all SC plants showed enhanced tolerance to MV-mediated oxidative stress through maintaining low ion leakage and increased GB levels compared to wild type plants. When plants were subjected to drought conditions, SC plants showed enhanced tolerance to drought stress through maintaining high relative water contents and increased codA expression compared to wild type plants. These results suggest that the SC plants generated in this study will be useful for enhanced biomass production on global marginal lands.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.117-121
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• 2009

Soybean curd (SC) is prepared through the elimination of water-insoluble components and molding by pressing. However, whole soybean curd (WSC) is made without the elimination of water-insoluble components and pressing. Therefore, it was considered that the components contained in WSC might be different from those in SC and we compared their contents of various components, hardness, and morphological features for this study. Ash, dietary fiber, and niacin contents were significantly higher in WSC than in SC. In addition, the carbohydrate and vitamin $K_1$ contents of WSC tended to be higher than those in SC, whereas the hardness of WSC was lower than that of SC. Moreover, electron microscopic analysis showed that the morphological characteristic of WSC consisted of considerably more fine retiform tissues in comparison to SC. Based on their compared nutrition, functional, and quality characteristics, it was suggested that WSC might be superior to SC.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.81-87
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• 2018

The objective of this article is to provide analytical tools for the scattering of stratum corneum (SC) and to check whether the optical clearing agents (OCAs) could be applied in optics affecting the scattering reduction. Dark field images of tape striped corneocyte separates scattered light of the SC from others in vitro. Several optical clearing agents were tested to reduce the scattering. Physical properties of SC such as water contents, keratin configuration and volume after OCAs treatment were investigated by FT-IR and 3D laser microscope. Several reducing sugars, monomeric sugars, sugar alcohol, and hyaluronic acid, which were used as humectants in cosmetic field, also reduced scattering. However, unlike dehydration in optics, water penetrated into the keratin in SC and scattering was decreased at low concentration of OCAs. In that condition, the volume of corneocyte was increased and stiffness seemed to decrease. The analyzing of tape-stripped SC, showed the change of optical and physical properties of corneocyte by optical clearing agents. The hydration of SC layer by optical clearing agents decreased the scattering of corneocyte and thus improved the skin appearance and moisturizing effect, which are important benefits in the cosmetic field and could provide new possibility to develop skin care study targeting at SC.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.90-98
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• 2023

Objectives : Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide and is characterized by the loss of the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). In a previous in vitro study, we demonstrated that Sihogyeji-tang (SG), Sihosogan-tang (SS), and Sihocheonggan-tang (SC) have the potential to be candidate medicines for PD. This study aimed to compare the neuroprotective effect of SG, SS, and SC using 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydrophridine (MPTP)-induced PD mouse model. Methods : Eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were intraperitoneally administered with 30 mg/kg of MPTP for 5 days and orally administered SG, SS and SC for 12 days from the first MPTP injection. Motor function was assessed using the pole test and the rotarod test. Dopaminergic neuronal survival in the SN and striatum was evaluated through tyrosine-hydroxylase immunohistochemistry. Results : MPTP administration resulted in behavioral impairment and dopaminergic neuronal death in the SN and striatum. In the pole test, treatment with SG, SS, and SC alleviated the MPTP-induced motor dysfunction on day 5 and 12. In the rotarod test, SS and SG alleviated the MPTP-induced motor dysfunction on day 5, while only SS showed improvement on day 12. SS and SG significantly protected dopaminergic neurons in the SN from MPTP toxicity, and all three compounds (SG, SS, and SC) showed significant protection in the striatum. Notably, SS demonstrated superior efficacy in suppressing MPTP-induced motor dysfunction and dopaminergic neuronal death compared to SG and SC. Conclusions : These findings suggest that SS is the most effective formula among SG, SS, and SC for PD, indicating its potential role in the treatment of PD.