• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.11
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• pp.855-864
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• 2022

The pharmacological efficacy of Dipterocarpus tuberculatus Roxb. has been verified in only several fields including photoaging, inflammation, hepatotoxicity, acute gastritis and osseointegration. To identify the novel functions of Dipterocarpus tuberculatus Roxb. on anti-obesity, inhibitory effect on lipid accumulation and stimulatory effect on lipolysis were investigated in MDI (3-isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine, dexamethasone, and insulin) stimulated 3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with methanol extracts of Dipterocarpus tuberculatus Roxb. (MED). Lipogenic targets, including lipid accumulation, level of lipogenic transcription factors, and expression of lipogenic regulators, were downregulated in MDI-stimulated 3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with MED without any significant cytotoxicity. Also, MED treatment inhibited the mRNA levels of adipogenic targets including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ and CCAAT-enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) α, as well as lipogeic targets including adipocyte fatty acid binding protein 2 (aP2) and fatty acid synthetase (FAS) in MDI-stimulated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. A similar decrease patterns were detected in Oil red O stained lipid droplets of MED treated MDI-stimulated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Furthermore, several lipolytic targets, such as cAMP concentration, concentration of free glycerol, expression level of lipases, including ATGL, perilipin and HSL, were upregulated in MDI-stimulated 3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with MED. These results show that MED has a novel role as a lipogenesis inhibitor and lipolysis stimulator in MDI-stimulated 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.115-125
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of packaging on quality maintenance of paprika (Capsicum annuum L. cv. Nagano RZ) stored at three different temperatures. In Korea, paprika is stored and distributed under ambient conditions. To ensure the freshness maintenance, determining optimal storage temperature is necessary. Paprika were unpacked (control) or packed with polyamide film and stored at 5℃, 10℃ and 20℃ for 35 days. Quality characteristics such as weight loss and appearance were examined. Paprika packed with polyamide film showed less quality changes compared to unpacked paprika under all the storage temperatures. The commercial properties tended to decrease rapidly during storage at 20℃ regardless of packing. The degree of weight loss was significantly lower in packed paprika compared to unpacked paprika. It was found that soluble solids, pigments, hardness, etc. were complexly affected by storage temperature and film packaging. For paprika, the storage temperature of 5℃ or 10℃ was effective in maintaining freshness; paprika packed in polyamide film packing maintained greater freshness than unpacked paprika. Our results showed that, packaging is required to preserve the freshness and to improve the marketability of paprika in the domestic market. It seems that it is necessary to continuously search for an effective packaging method.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.723-737
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• 2021

This study analyzed the composition and structure of materials with Buddhist paper scriptures excavated from architectural sites in 'Sum Tolgoi' of the 17^th century and carried out conservation treatment base on the result of the analysis. The scriptures were covered in dust and foreign sub stances, and were so crumpled that it was impossible to identify the form. The damage, loss, and discoloration have been identified. Buddhist scriptures written in Tibetan used indigo and ink sticks on paper as a result of UV-Vis analysis, and ink sticks as black character materials from scriptures written ancient Mongolian. SEM-EDS and Micro-XRF analyses revealed that the outlines were drawn with red lines using a mix of Minium (Pb₃O₄) and Cinnabar (HgS), or Cinnabar (HgS) alone, and the contents of the scriptures were written with silver paint. Silver chloride (AgCl) and Calcium (Ca) were identified in the silver paint component of the characters, while Calcium and Orpiment (As₂S₃) were identified in the yellow lines. Concerning the paper ground, Buddhist scriptures written in ancient Mongolian were characterized by herbal plant fiber and bast fiber, and those written in Tibetan, by bast fiber. Radiocarbon dating indicates that the paper for the scriptures was produced between the 15^th and 17^th centuries. Conservation treatment of the scriptures was carried out based on the experiment on the production of pre-coated paper and how to coat that to prevent the second damage due to the deformation and fragility of the excavated paper. The scriptures were preserved and mounted, and a neutral box was made to identify the contents of the scriptures recorded on both sides after the treatment. This conservation treatment is the result of a study that applied new conservation treatment materials and methods according to the principle of conservation treatment reversibility.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.84-95
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• 2022

Purpose: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common serious bacterial infections in young infants. Lumbar puncture (LP) has been used to diagnose coexisting meningitis in infants under 90 days of age with suspected UTI in many hospitals. However, the incidence of bacterial meningitis associated with UTIs is low. We aimed to describe the prevalence of concomitant bacterial meningitis in young infants with UTIs. Methods: The medical records of infants with the first episode of UTI admitted to the Chung-Ang University Hospital from January 2010 to December 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Infants aged < 90 days who underwent LP with initial evaluation were included. Demographic and clinical features, laboratory findings, and imaging findings were collected and analyzed. Results: Eighty-six infants with UTIs were enrolled in the study. The median age was 61.5 days (interquartile range, 42.3-73.8 days) and boys (90.7%) were predominant. Escherichia coli was the most common pathogen (n=80, 93.0%) and followed by Klebsiella species (n=5, 5.8%). Fifteen (18.1%) specimens produced extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL). Five (5.8%) infants had positive blood culture results. Seven (8.1%) infants showed pleocytosis in the cerebrospinal fluid, but none had coexisting bacterial meningitis. Twenty-four (30.8%) infants showed renal dilatation or hydronephrosis on ultrasonography. Dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scans revealed cortical defects in 17 (21.3%) infants while voiding cystourethrography revealed vesicoureteral reflux in 6 (46.2%) infants. Conclusion: Co-existing bacterial meningitis was not observed in young infants with UTIs. LP could not be routinely performed considering the clinical condition of <90 days old UTI patients.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.221-227
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• 2022

In accordance with Article 6 of the 「Insect Industry Promotion and Support Act」, the National Institute of Agricultural Sciences conducted a fact-finding investigation in the insect industry for related workers in 2020. Most commonly, insect industry workers were involved in production (98.5%), the male ratio was high (80.4%), while those in their 50s comprised 36.4% of the workers. As for the uses of industrial insects, 66.5% was for food and medicine, 12.7% for feed, and 20.7% as pets. The most commonly produced industrial insect species by use were the white-spotted flower chafer (69.6%), Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis (Kolbe), for food and medicine; crickets (31.2%) for feed; and the rhinoceros beetle (45.6%), Allomyrina dichotoma (Linnaeus), as pets. Powder was the most common product form at 68.5%, and live insects constituted 40.9%. Insect farms with an annual income accounted for 77.3%, of which 65.4% had annual sales of less than 20 million won. Market acquisition was rated by most insect industry workers (84.0%) as the primary challenge. In conclusion, although the number of people employed in the insect industry is increasing annually, the number of young insect farmers (20s to 40s) is decreasing. The production of industrial insects was limited to a few species, and more than half of insect farms have very low incomes. Furthermore, insect farms have the greatest difficulty in market acquisition, necessitating the development of utilization technology to promote the consumption of industrial insects.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.120-132
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• 2022

Recently, the rapid increase in vacant houses in urban areas has caused various problems such as worsening urban landscape, causing safety accidents, crime accidents, and hygiene problems. According to the Statistics Korea Future Population Estimation results, the growth rate of Korean population and households is expected to continue to decrease, which is likely to lead to an increase in the occurrence of vacant houses. If the problem caused by the occurrence of vacant houses is neglected, it causes not only a physical decline such as a deterioration of the residential environment but also a social and economic decline. In order to solve this problem, it is necessary to grasp the spatial distribution characteristics of vacant houses at the local level considering the existence of regional characteristics and spatial influence. Therefore, in this study, in order to measure global spatial autocorrelation, the analysis was conducted centering on the old downtown area of Busan, where there are many vacant houses through Moran's I and Geographically Weighted Regression(GWR). In addition, the distribution of vacant houses in different spatial units in Eup_Myeon_Dong and Census was analyzed to evaluate the possibility of Modifiable Areal Unit Problem(MAUP), which differ in the results of spatial analysis as the spatial analysis units change. As a result of the analysis, the occurrence of vacant houses by Eup_Myeon_Dong in the old downtown area of Busan had spatial heterogeneity, and the spatial analysis results of vacant houses were different as the spatial analysis units were different. Accordingly, in order to understand the exact distribution characteristics of vacant house occurrence, spatial dimensions using the GWR model should be considered, and it is suggested that consideration of the MAUP is necessary.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.67-77
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• 2022

Objective: This study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an individually tailored program based on self-measurement of blood glucose on health behavior and HbA1c in diabetes and pre-diabetes patients. Methods: The program consisted of seven sessions for 12 weeks which were carried out every two weeks. Almost all sessions were progressed on untact method except for the first and last session. The 71 subjects were assessed for their knowledge of diabetes, health behavior, the experience of self-measurement of blood glucose, body mass Index (BMI) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) at before and after the program. They were also evaluated on their degree of utilization of blood glucose measurements after the program. Results: Each mean score on their knowledge of diabetes, health behavior and the experience of self-measurement of blood glucose was significantly increased from 14.77, 25.50, and 2.70 to 15.41, 28.40, and 4.81, respectively. Each mean score on both BMI and HbA1c (n=53) was significantly decreased from 24.47kg/m² and 7.27% to 24.01kg/m² and 6.67%, respectively. The post-HbA1c had a significant negative correlation(r=-0.415) with the degree of utilization of blood glucose measurements. The degree of utilization of blood glucose measurements had a significant positive correlation(r=0.581) with post-health behavior. Conclusions: The program shows effectiveness in improving HbA1c in Type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes patients. The post-HbA1c might be related to the degree of utilization of blood glucose measurements which might be related to the health behavior.

• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2023

Demand for energy consumption reduction is increasing according to the development expectations of future mobility. Lightweight structural materials are known as a method to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency. In particular, fiber reinforced polymer composite (FRP) is attracting attention as a material that can replace existing metal alloys due to its excellent mechanical properties and light weight. In this paper, industrial applications and research trends of carbon fiber reinforced composites (CFRP, carbon FRP) and self-reinforced composites (SRC) were reviewed based on the reinforcement, polymer matrix, and manufacturing process. In order to overcome the expensive process cost and long manufacturing time of the epoxy resin-based autoclave method, which is mainly used in the aircraft field, mass production of CFRP-applied electric vehicles has been reported using a high-pressure resin transfer molding process including fast-curing epoxy. In addition, thermoplastic resin-based CFRP and interface enhancement methods to solve the recycling issue of carbon fiber composites were reviewed in terms of materials and processes. To form a perfect matrix-reinforcement interface, which is known as the major factor inducing the excellent mechanical properties of FRP, studies on SRC impregnated with the same matrix in polymer fibers have been reported. The physical and mechanical properties of SRC based on various thermoplastic polymers were reviewed in terms of polymer orientation and composite structure. In addition, a copolymer matrix strategy for extending the processing window of highly drawn polypropylene fiber-based SRC was discussed. The application of CFRP and SRC as lightweight structural materials can provide potential options for improving the energy efficiency of future mobility.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.15-25
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• 2023

Myriophyllum spicatum L. has been used as an ornamental in ponds and aquariums, and as a folk remedy for inflammation and pus. Nevertheless, the biological activity and underlying mechanisms of anti-inflammatory effects are unclear. This study is aimed at investigating the antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities of ethanol extract of Myriophyllum spicatum L. (EMS) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Antioxidant activity of EMS was assessed by radical-scavenging effects on ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals. As inflammatory response parameters produced by LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells were quantified to assess the anti-inflammatory activity of EMS. Our results showed that EMS increased FRAP and DPPH radical-scavenging activity. In EMS-treated RAW 264.7 cells, the production of NO, PGE₂, TNF-α and IL-1β was significantly inhibited at the non-cytotoxic concentration. In addition, EMS significantly attenuated LPS-stimulated the toll-like receptor (TLR) 4/myeloid differentiation protein (MyD) 88 signaling pathway, and inhibited nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB). Positive correlations were noted between anti-inflammatory activity and antioxidant activity. In conclusion, it was indicated that EMS suppresses the transcription of inflammatory factors by inhibiting the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway, thereby suppressing LPS-stimulated inflammation in RAW 264.7 cells. This study highlights the potential role of EMS against inflammation and associated diseases.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.12
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• pp.896-910
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• 2022

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a highly transmissible and potentially fatal virus. So far, most comprehensive analyses encompassing clinical and transcriptional manifestation have concentrated on the lungs. Here, we confirmed evident signs of viral infection in the lungs and spleen of SARS-CoV-2-infected K18-hACE2 mice, which replicate the phenotype and infection symptoms in hospitalized humans. Seven days post viral detection in organs, infected mice showed decreased vital signs, leading to death. Bronchopneumonia due to infiltration of leukocytes in the lungs and reduction in the spleen lymphocyte region were observed. Transcriptome profiling implicated the meticulous regulation of distress and recovery from cytokine-mediated immunity by distinct immune cell types in a time-dependent manner. In lungs, the chemokine-driven response to viral invasion was highly elevated at 2 days post infection (dpi). In late infection, diseased lungs, post the innate immune process, showed recovery signs. The spleen established an even more immediate line of defense than the lungs, and the cytokine expression profile dropped at 7 dpi. At 5 dpi, spleen samples diverged into two distinct groups with different transcriptome profile and pathophysiology. Inhibition of consecutive host cell viral entry and massive immunoglobulin production and proteolysis inhibition seemed that one group endeavored to survive, while the other group struggled with developmental regeneration against consistent viral intrusion through the replication cycle. Our results may contribute to improved understanding of the longitudinal response to viral infection and development of potential therapeutics for hospitalized patients affected by SARS-CoV-2.