• Resources Recycling
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.3-9
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• 2017

In this study, plasma arc remelting behaviors according to arc current, arc voltage, and types of plasma gas were investigated using Kroll processed Ti sponges as anode. In the discharge pressure range of vacuum pump ($200{\sim}300kgf/cm^2$), the arc voltage did not vary greatly with the increase of discharge pressure at a given arc length. This means that the pressure in the vacuum chamber during operation hardly changes and the atmospheric pressure maintains. Under various conditions of arc currents (700~900A), the arc voltage slightly increased with arc current. The effects of anode materials and operational variables on the arc length-arc voltage relationship were compared with the results in previous studies. When the atmospheric gas changed from argon to helium, double effect of improvement on the output of the steady state was observed. The increase of output in the plasma arc device was accompanied by an increase in the melting rate of the Ti sponge and the quality of the ingot surface was also improved. The plasma arc remelting of the new scrap titanium and the old scrap zirconium alloy could result in the fabrication of an ingot with high surface quality.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.493-498
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• 2015

For biomaterials for skin regeneration with minimized inflammatory response, high bioactivity and biocompatibility are highly required. Also, it should have a porous microstructure to improve cell adhesion and growth. In this study, we extracted a new collagen source from duck's feet which is by-product, and made the shape of sponges from duck's feet collagen (DC) to compare with DBP and SIS. To analyze physical and chemical property of the scaffold, SEM and FTIR were used. MTT assay was used to measure the attachment and proliferation of NIH/3T3 in the scaffolds. RTPCR was used to evaluate the expression of proinflammatory cytokine. Also, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) was used to measure the ability of antioxidant activity. Overall, this study shows that DC scaffold is biocompatible and has good physical property. Additionally, DC scaffold shows the potential as wound healing biomaterials.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.240-248
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• 1999

To investigate the expression pattern of noncollagenous bone matrix proteins such as osteonectin(OSN), osteopontin(OPN) and osteocalcin(OSC) mRNA during bony healing procedure induced by guided bone regeneration method, we made artificial defects on bilateral femur of rats. Then induced bony healing by application of a nonabsorbable PTFE membrane in experimental sites and without its application in control sites for 3 weeks. The mRNA expression pattern at specimens obtained at 1, 2 and 3 weeks after operation was detected by in situ hybridization method using its antisense mRNA probes. The experimental sites revealed more rapid and favorable bony healing than control sites and new bone formation was limited within defected area by inhibitory activity of bone marrow cells. In experimental sites, the OSN and OSC mRNA were expressed strongly on osteoblasts of regenerating cortical bone at 1st week and on osteoblasts lining the trabecular bone in marrow space at 3rd week, whereas, in control sites, their expression were noted on osteoblasts lining the reactively formed sponge bones at 2nd and 3rd week. In addition, the OPN mRNA was expressed on osteoblasts and osteoclasts at sites of remodeling and osteocytes of remained trabecular bone of defected area in experimental sites and on macrophages at 1st week and osteoclasts at sites of remolding at 2nd and 3rd week in control sites. The above findings suggest that the more rapid and favorable bony healing might be induced by blocking of invading fibrous connective tissue into bony defects. And the earlier expression of OSN and OSC mRNA on osteoblasts of experimental sites suggest that the formation and resorption of regenerating bone was more rapidly progressed in confined spaces made by applicate membranes.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.227-232
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• 2010

Purpose: Continuous irrigation method is an important step in managing wound infection. V.A.C. devices have been used in intractable wounds for reducing discharge, improving local blood flow, and promoting healthy granulation tissue. We expect synergistic effects of reduced infection and more satisfactory, accelerated wound healing when using both methods simultaneously. This study evaluated continuous irrigation combined with V.A.C. appliance for treatment of infected chronic wounds. Methods: We reviewed data from 17 patients with infected intractable chronic wounds. V.A.C. device (Group A) was used in 9 patients, and V.A.C. with antibiotics irrigation (Group B) was used in 8 patients. We placed Mepitel$^{(R)}$ on the surface of wound and placed an irrigation and aspiration tube on each side. A sponge was placed on the Mepitel$^{(R)}$ and covered with film dressing. The wound was irrigated continuously with mixed antibiotics solution at the speed of 200 cc/hr and aspirated through the wall suction at the pressure of -125 mmHg. V.A.C. applied time, wound culture and wound size were compared between the two groups. Results: No complication were seen in two groups. Compared with Group A, in the Group B, V.A.C. applied time was shortened from 32.7 days to 25.6 days and showed efficacy in the reduction rate of wound size. No statistical differences were shown in bacterial reversion. Conclusion: V.A.C. appliance with continuous irrigation is an effective new method of managing infected chronic wounds and useful to reduce treatment duration and decrease wound size. Moreover it could be applied more widely to infected wound.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.249-260
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• 1990

Maximal cardiac output and oxygen uptake $(VO_{2max})$ were measured during treadmill exercise for seven top-class marathoners and nine non-athletes using impedance cardiograph developed by one of the authors (DW Kim). Results of this study are summarized as belows. 1) New shoes with sponge and silicon rubber attached to the soles were developed to reduce motion artifact during treadmill exercise. Ensemble everaging techneque with the developed shoes was also used to improve the measurement of stroke volume using impedance cardiography. 2) Maximal cardiac output of the athletes, 14.98 L/min, was significantly higher than that of the non-athletes, 13.46 L/min. As maximal heart rate of the marathoners is lower than that of non-athletes, stroke volume of the former is significantly larger than that of the latter. 3) $VO_{2max}$ of the marathoners, 59.38 ml/kg/min, was higher than that of the non-athletes, 40.22 ml/kg/min. At the anaerobic threshold. $VO_{2max}$ of the former was 62.3% of $VO_{2max}$ and this was significantly higher than that of the non-athletes, 57.2%, This results indicates that the marathoners have higher aerobic capacity than the non-athletes. 4) The marathoners showed larger $VO_2$ than the non-athletes at the same cardiac output, indicating that a-v $O_2$ of the former is higher than that of the latter. 5) Maximal systolic pressure of the marathoners was higher than that of the non-athletes, and so was maximal rate-pressure products. These results indicate that heart oxygen consumption rate $(hVO_2)$ of the marathoner is higher than that of the non-athletes is mainly due to higher stroke volume. And higher oxygen consumption of the marathoners is due to higher stroke volume. And higher oxygen consumption of the marathoners is due to their larger a-v $O_2$. The marathoners show both higher threshold and $VO_{2max}$. Especially, measurement of cardiac output during treadmill exercise by improved impedance cardiography is expected to contribute in study of cardiac function of athletes.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.63-70
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• 2006

Natural product compounds are the source of numerous therapeutic agents. The marine environment produces natural products from a variety of structural classes exhibiting activity against numerous disease targets including anticancer agents. Among these, pectenotoxin-2 (PTX-2), which was first identified as a cytotoxic entity in marine sponges, which depolymerizes actin filaments, was found to be highly effective and more potent to activate an intrinsic pathway of apoptosis in p53-deficient tumor cells compared to those with functional p53 both in vitro and in vivo. However, the anti-proliferative mechanism of the compound at non-cytotoxic concentrations has not yet been explored. In the current study, we sought to investigate anti-proliferation and apoptosis of PTX-2 against U937 human leukemic cells and its underlying molecular mechanism. Exposure of U937 cells to PTX-2 resulted in growth inhibition and induction of apoptosis in dose- and time-dependent manner as measured by MTT assay, fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometric analysis. The anti-proliferative effect of PTX-2 was associated with a marked increase in the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase p21 (WAF1/CIP1) mRNA which was tumor suppressor p53-independent. The increase in apoptosis was connected with a time-dependent down-regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-XL and inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) family such as XIAP and cIAP-2. Though additional studies are needed, these findings suggested that PTX-2-induced inhibition of U937 cells was associated with the induction of apoptotic cell death and the results provided important new insights into the possible molecular mechanisms of the anti-cancer activity of PTX-2.