• Current Optics and Photonics
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.40-45
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• 2019

Adding tunability to biological light emitters offers an unprecedented technique in biological sensing and imaging. Here, we report a tunable, lithographic-free, planar, and ultrathin metal-insulator-metal (MIM) resonator capable of tuning the optical properties solely by a silk/sodium fluorescein hydrogel layer, a biocompatible light emitter. In water, the volume of the resonator was expanded by swelling, and then the resonant mode could be shifted. Simulations predicted the red-shifted resonance peak in transmission when the MIM was swollen in water. The red-shift could be attributed to the increase in the thickness of the silk hydrogel layer due to the absorbed water. The shift of the resonance could affect the fluorescence of the dye in the silk hydrogel layer.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.115-122
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• 2011

The effect of dietary feeding of silk fibroin/sericinmixtureson the antioxidative status and glucose metabolism in high fat-fed mice was investigated. The mice weregiven experimental diets for 6 weeks: normal control (NC),high fat (HF) andhigh fat supplemented with F100 (pure fibroin, HF-F100), F81 (81:19 fibroin-sericin, w/w, HF-F81) or F50 (50:50 fibroin-sericin, w/w, HF-F50). The silk protein-fed mice showed decreased lipid peroxidation, enhancedantioxidant enzymesactivities and lower blood glucose level relative to HF group. The HF-F50 animals exhibited significantly lower insulin level, higher glycogen concentration, enhanced hepatic glucokinaseactivity and reduced glucose-6-phosphate and phosphoenolpyruvatecarboxynaseactivities than the HF ones. The $in$ $vivo$ antioxidant activity and hypoglycemic action tended to increase with increased amount of sericin and decreased fibroin content in the diet. These findings demonstrate that silk protein, particularly sericin, may be beneficial in suppressing high fat diet-induced hyperglycemiaand oxidative stress.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.30-34
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• 2024

We report a purely protein-based platform for green fluorescence by mixing silk protein with green fluorescence protein, and also report its enhancement by the incorporation of TiO₂ nanoparticles. The TiO₂ nanoparticles employed have diameters of 100 and 300 nm, with a significant increase in fluorescence (by a factor of 7.5) observed when introducing 300-nm TiO₂ nanoparticles. Furthermore, an increase in particle distribution density is found to enhance fluorescence amplification. These research findings suggest that protein-based fluorescent films can be enhanced by the characteristics of nanoparticles, opening up new possibilities in the fields of optics and fluorescence applications.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.72-76
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• 2004

We have studied the effect of silk proteins to the cell proliferation of human skin fibroblast cells (CCD-986sk) after injury. Silk proteins were extracted treatment with enzyme or NaOH solution from raw silk and culled-cocoon shell of Bombyx mori, Antheraea yamamai and A. pernyi. The cell proliferation after in vitro injury are increased in treatment by Bombyx mori (BM-1,2), Antheraea yamami (AY-1,2) and A. pernyi (AP-1,2). The silk protein fractions-treated cells exhibited proliferation in a dose dependent between $0.1\;{\mu}g/ml$ and $10\;{\mu}g/ml$. But, the macrophage, RAW 264. 7 cell viability was unaffected by the silk protein fractions by MTT assay. The molecular weights of the silk protein fractions were from 300-600 to 900-1500. These results results that the silk protein fractions may function through skin fibroblast proliferation.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.51-55
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• 2020

The objective of this study was to evaluate the changes in gene expression after incubation of cells with soluble fraction from different silk mat layers. A silk cocoon from Bombyx mori was separated into 4 layers of equal thickness. The layers were numbered from 1 to 4 (from the inner to outer layer). Each silk mat was placed into normal saline and collected soluble fraction. They were administered to RAW264.7 cells, and changes in the expression of genes were evaluated by cDNA microarray analysis. Layer 1 and 4 groups showed significantly higher expression of BMP-2 at 8 h after administration of soluble fraction (P < 0.05). Runx2 expression was significantly higher in Layer 4 group at 8h (P < 0.05). The silk mat from the innermost and outermost portion of the silkworm cocoon showed a significant change in the expression of genes that are associated with osteoinduction such as BMP-2 and runx2.

• Proceedings of the Korean Fiber Society Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.87-87
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• 2003

Three kinds of acrylic polymers containing silk protein were synthesized, which are (1) blending of silk fibroin (SF) fiber and polyacrylonitrile (PAN); (2) graft-copolymer of PAN onto SFs; (3) random-copolymer synthesized by copolymerization of acrylonitrile (AN) and silk fibroin peptide (SFP) with vinyl groups, and their solubility, thermal property, and moisture absorption was investigated, respectively. These polymers have difference solubility and attributable to their structure. Their excellent thermal stabilities and better moisture absorptions were indicated.

• Advanced Composite Materials
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.349-360
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• 2007

Recently, natural fiber reinforced composite is attracting attention and considered as an environmentally friendly material. Usually cellulosic fibers are used to reinforce the composites, but some protein fibers such as silk and wool serve the same purpose. In this paper, we proposed a method of producing artistic composite from artistic fabric by using silk fiber reinforced biodegradable plastic, which is designated as 'silk composite', for reinforcement. In order to expand applications of the silk composite, we performed the compression molding of decorative laminates with woody material, which was selected as a core material, and examined the properties of molded decorative laminates with various content of the silk composite. Since plywood and medium-density fiberboard (MDF) are widely used for decorative laminates, we selected them as core materials. As a result, flexible decorative laminates with high flexural strength were obtained by compounding the silk composite with wood materials.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.2
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• pp.1-31
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• 1962

The purpose of this treatise is to prove the presence of cystine in silk fiber through wide sampling throughout all the sericultural processes of Bombyx mori.; also to show that disulfide cross linkages exist in the silk fiber. The conclusions reached were as follows: 1. Crystalline cystine was obtained from silk fibroin using Folin's Method. 2. Analytical data showing the cystine content of silk fiber and its related materials were obtained using Sullvan's Method as follows: Material Percent Cystine A. Mulberry leaf protein 0.175 B. Silkworm egg 0.33 C. Silkworm Body, matured, fat extracted, without silk gland 0.41 D. Silk gland, matured 1.23 E. Silkworm feces none F. Silkworm pupa, fat extracted 0.30 G. Silkworm moth, fat extracted 0.60 H. Raw Silk 0.22 I. Fibroin 0.175 J. Sericin 0.30 3. The presence of cystine in the silkworm was substantiated the existence of 0.175 % methionine in mulberry leaves and 0.12% methionine in the silk gland. 4. Part of the sulfhydryl compounds in the silk gland is believed to transfer to serine and methionine, with the former being secreted into the liquid silk finally as silk fiber and the latter used for nutritive purposes in the growing of silk gland tissue. 5. The cystine content is variable by mulberry species, silkworm species, sex, breeding process, and other culturing environments. 6. Hybrid silkworms require more nutritive amino acids for effective growth than the original parents, and secrete less of them as silk fiber. 7. From such an observation, the amino acid composition of silk fiber is believed to be fairly flexible. Cystine if included in the amorphous part of the fiber, especially in sericin. 8. The result from enriching the silkworm diet with pure cystine or wool cystine did not result in any advantage, therefore it is believed that the natural cystine and methionine contents in the mulberry leafaregoodenoughforsilkwormnutrition. 9. The disulfide cross linkage in silk fiber was verified by using the Harris Method. Contraction took place following the treatment of the fiber with various salts and acids. Comparisons were made with wool fiber. 10. During these experiments, the fibrious structure of silk fiber and the net-globular liquid form were photographed microscopically. It is believed that the globules of liquid silk are net-formed by the inter attraction of the OH ion of the globular peptide and the H ion of water as shown by the hair cracking behavior of the film. The net-globular protein precipitation from the mulberry protein solution showed that mulberry is a proper diet for the formation of fibrous protein in the silk fiber. 11. The significance of the presence of cystine in silk fiber as emphasized in this paper should result in modification of the general conception that cystine is absent from this fiber. NOTICE: A part of this treatise was presented at the annual Korea Sericultural Society meeting held in 1961.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Sericultural Science Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.34-38
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• 2003

The silk fibre Produced by the larvae of the lepidopter of the Bombyx mori species is no doubt one of the most precious raw materials employed in manufacturing textile products. The present report, however, deals with silk not as a traditional textile fibre, but as a starting material fer biomedical applications. In recent years, the unique chemical and mechanical properties of silk have made this protein polymer highly attractive for innovative applications, which mainly focus on the development of devices for biomedical uses. (omitted)

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Sericultural Science Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.56-56
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• 2003

Using gel filtration chromatography (GFC), pure separation of high molecular silk fibroin was obtained and silk fibroin microsphere particles (SFMP) could be simply made by spray dryer method. Also, some of its physicochemical properties and morphology were investigated. The average molecular weight (Mw) of pure silk fibroin protein dissolved in calcium chloride is about 61, 500 g/mol as measured by gel permeation chromatography(GPC). (omitted)