• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.65 no.2
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• pp.204-214
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• 2022

Objective : Osteoporosis result from age-related decline in the number of osteoblast progenitors in the bone marrow. Probiotics have beneficial effects on the host, when administered in appropriate amounts. This study investigated the effects of probiotics expressing specific genes, especially the effects of genetically modified bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2-expressing Lactobacillus plantarum CJNU 3003 (LP) on ovariectomized rats. Methods : Twenty-eight female Wistar rats (250-300 g, 12 weeks old) were divided into four groups : the sham (control), the ovariectomy (OVX)-induced osteoporosis group (OVX), the OVX and LP (OVX/LP), OVX and genetically modified BMP-2-expressing LP (OVX/LP with BMP) groups. The three groups underwent bilateral OVX and two of these groups were administered two different types of LP via oral gavage daily. At 16 weeks post-OVX, blood was collected from the heart and the bilateral tibiae were extracted and were scanned by ex-vivo micro-computed tomography and stained with hematoxylin-and-eosin (H&E) and Masson's trichrome stain for pathological assessment. The serum levels of osteocalcin (OC), rat C-telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX-I), BMP-2, and receptor activator of nuclear factor-ĸB ligand (RANKL) were measured. Results : The 3D-micro-computed tomography images showed that the trabecular structure in the OVX/LP with BMP group was maintained compared with OVX and OVX/LP groups. No significant differences were detected in trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) between control and OVX/LP with BMP groups (p>0.05). Furthermore, a tendency toward increased BMD, trabecular bone volume, Tb.Th, and trabecular number and decreased trabecular separation was found in rats in the OVX/LP with BMP groups when compared with the OVX and OVX/LP groups (p>0.05). The H&E and Masson's trichrome stained sections showed a thicker trabecular bone in the OVX/LP with BMP group compared with the OVX and OVX/LP groups. There was no difference in serum levels of OC, CTX and RANKL control and OVX/LP with BMP groups (p>0.05). In contrast, significant differences were found in OC and CTX-1 levels between the OVX and OVX/LP with BMP groups (p<0.05). Conclusion : Our results showed that the expression of genetically modified BMP-2 showed inhibition effect for bone loss in a rat model of osteoporosis.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.50-55
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• 2015

This study examined the relationship between the shape of the inside of the PRV and the cavitation of the water supply system of an apartment house. In this paper, nine types of PRV with different gaps and shapes were analyzed numerically using a 3D model embedded in the commercial code, ANSYS-CFX. The lowest pressure and the maximum velocity occurred at the narrow gap, which is located at the between the stem and the disk. When the gap size was increased, the vapor volume fraction was always greater than 0, but the vapor volume fraction of the type of expansion pipe approached 0. These results indicate that the cavitation of PRV can be reduced by a shape change to the type of expansion pipe.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.103-110
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• 2012

PURPOSES : In Korea, over 70 percent of the land consists of mountainous and rolling area. Thus, tunnels continue its upward trend as road network are extended. In these circumstances, the importance of tunnel has been increased nowadays and then its safety investigation and research should be performed. This study is focus on confirming and improving the safety of tunnel. On tunnel hood, sunglare effect can irritate driver's behavior instantly and this can result in incident. METHODS : The study of this phenomenon is rarely conducted in domestic and foreign papers, so there is no proper measure for this. This study analyzes the driving environment of the effect of sunglare effect on tunnel hood. RESULTS : Traffic accidents stem from complex set of factors. This study build the Traffic Accident Prediction Models to find out the effect of sunglare effect on tunnel's hood. The independent variables are traffic volume, geometric design of road, length of tunnel and road side environment. Using these variables, this model estimates accident frequency on tunnel hood by Poisson regression model and Negative binomial regression model. Although Poisson regression model have more proper goodness of fit than Negative binomial regression model, Poisson regression model has overdipersion problem. So the Negative binomial regression model is used in this analysis. CONCLUSIONS : Consequently, the model shows that sunglare effect can play a role in driving safety on tunnel hood. As a result, the information of sunglare effect should be noticed ahead of tunnel hood so this can prevent drivers from being in hazard situation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.991-996
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• 2015

Side population (SP) cells have stem cell-like properties with a capacity for self-renewal and are resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Therefore the presence of SP cells in human breast cancer probably has prognostic value. Objective: To investigate the characteristics of SP cells and identify the relationship between the SP cells levels and clinico-pathological parameters of the breast tumor and disease-free survival (DFS) in breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 122 eligible breast cancer patients were consecutively recruited from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2007 at Yunnan Tumor Hospital. All eligible subjects received conventional treatment and were followed up for seven years. Predictors of recurrence and/or metastasis and DFS were analyzed using Cox regression analysis. Human breast cancer cells were also obtained from fresh human breast cancer tissue and cultured by the nucleic acid dye Hoechst33342 with Verapami. Flow cytometry (FCM) was employed to isolate the cells of SP and non-SP types. Results: In this study, SP cells were identified using flow cytometric analysis with Hoechst 33342 dye efflux. Adjusted for age, tumor size, lymph nodal status, histological grade, the Cox model showed a higher risk of recurrence and/or metastasis positively associated with the SP cell level (1.75, 1.02-2.98), as well as with axillary lymph node metastasis (2.99, 1.76-5.09), pathology invasiveness type (1.7, 1.14-2.55), and tumor volume doubling time (TVDT) (1.54, 1.01-2.36). Conclusions: The SP cell level is independently associated with tumor progression and clinical outcome after controlling for other pathological factors. The axillary lymph node status, TVDT and the status of non-invasive or invasive tumor independently predict the prognosis of breast cancer.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.245-250
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• 2015

This study investigates the lubrication characteristics of fuel injection pumps with reference to different fuel oils. Medium-speed diesel engines use fuel oils with various viscosities, such as heavy fuel oil (HFO, which is a high-viscosity fuel oil) and light diesel oil (LDO, which is a low-viscosity fuel oil). When fuel oil with a low viscosity is used, both fuel oil and lubricating oil lubricate the system. Thus, the lubrication of the fuel injection pump is in a multi-viscosity condition when the fuel oil in use changes. We suggest three cases of multi-viscosity models, and divide the fuel injection pump into three lubrication sections: a, the new oil section; b, the mixed oil section; and c, the used oil section. This study compares the lubrication characteristics with variation of the multi-viscosity model, clearance. The volume of Section b does not affect the lubrication characteristics. The lubrication characteristics of the fuel injection pump are poor when high-viscosity fuel oil transfers to low-viscosity fuel oil. This occurs because the viscosity in the new oil section (i.e., Section a) dominates the lubrication characteristics of the fuel injection pump. However, the lubricant oil supply in the used oil section (i.e., Section c) can improve the lubrication characteristics in this condition. Moreover, the clearances of the stem and head significantly influence the lubrication characteristics when the fuel oil changes.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.111-117
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• 2006

An area of current research is investigating the app1ication of human mesenchymal stem cells or hMSCs as a cell-based regenerative therapy. In order to achieve effective bone regeneration, appropriate matrices functioning as cell-carriers must be identified and optimized in terms of function, efficacy and biocompatibility. Two methods of approaching optimization of matrices are to facilitate adhesion of the donor hMSCs and furthermore to facilitate recruitment of host progenitor cells to osteoblastic differentiation. Pleiotrophin is an extracellular matrix protein that was first identified in developing rat brains and believed to be associated with developing neuronal pathways. A recent publication by Imai and colleagues demonstrated that transgenic mice with upregulated pleiotrophin expression developed a greater volume of cortical as well as cancellous bone. The proposed mechanism of action of pleiotrophin is demonstrated here. Through either environmental stresses and/or intracellular regulation, there is an increase in pleiotrophin production. The pleiotrophin is released extracellularly into areas requiring bone deposition. A receptor-mediated process recruits host osteoprogenitor cells into these areas. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate the osteoconductive properties of pleiotrophin. We wanted to determine if pleiotrophin coating facilitates cellular adhesion and furthermore if this has any effect on hMSCs derived bone formation in an animal model. The results showed a dose dependent response of cellular adhesion in fibronectin samples, and cellular adhesion was facilitated with increasing pleiotrophin concentrations. Histologic findings taken after 5 weeks implantation in SCID mouse showed no presence of bone formation with only a dense fibrous connective tissue. Possible explanations for the results of the osteogenesis assay include inappropriate cell loading.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.246-252
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• 2016

In this study, conceptual design of the fore-body hull form of catamaran type dredging vessel was performed that can effectively remove the contaminated sediments in coastal seabed. The hull form was simpled for the easy hull construction and the resistance performance was investigated to find out the effect of hull form parameters between variation of waterline and angle of entrance, etc. The relation between resistance performance and characteristics of free surface flows according to variation of bow forms was investigated by model testing in the circulating water channel and using Ansys CFX. The improvement of ship resistance performance to the wave resistance decrease due to improved wave pattern has been verified according to move the stem and the volume of the shoulder to the fore part of the vessel.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.63 no.2
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• pp.163-170
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• 2020

Objective : Milk fat globule-epidermal growth factor VIII (MFG-E8) may play a key role in inflammatory responses and has the potential to function as a neuroprotective agent for ameliorating brain injury in cerebral infarction. This study aimed to determine the role of MFG-E8 in brain injury in the subacute phase of cerebral ischemia in a rat model. Methods : Focal cerebral ischemia was induced in rats by occluding the middle cerebral artery with the modified intraluminal filament technique. Twenty-four hours after ischemia induction, rats were randomly assigned to two groups and treated with either recombinant human MFG-E8 or saline. Functional outcomes were assessed using the modified Neurological Severity Score (mNSS), and infarct volumes were evaluated using histology. Anti-inflammation, angiogenesis, and neurogenesis were assessed using immunohistochemistry with antibodies against ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba-1), rat endothelial cell antigen-1 (RECA-1), and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)/doublecortin (DCX), respectively. Results : Our results showed that intravenous MFG-E8 treatment did not reduce the infarct volume; however, the mNSS test revealed that neurobehavioral deficits were significantly improved in the MFG-E8-treated group than in the vehicle group. Immunofluorescence staining revealed a significantly lower number of Iba-1-positive cells and higher number of RECA-1 in the periinfarcted brain region, and significantly higher numbers of BrdU- and DCX-positive cells in the subventricular zone in the MFG-E8-treated group than in the vehicle group. Conclusion : Our findings suggest that MFG-E8 improves neurological function by suppressing inflammation and enhancing angiogenesis and neuronal proliferation in the subacute phase of cerebral infarction.

• Journal of computational fluids engineering
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.98-109
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• 2016

The flow and heat transfer characteristics of a heat exchanger having rectangular pin-fin in the flow direction have been investigated numerically. On the bottom plate, the convective boundary conditions for the hot side was given, and the fins were arranged in a channel-type geometric model using the periodic boundary condition in the span-wise direction. Three-dimensional numerical calculations for the flow and conjugate heat transfer problem were conducted using SIMPLE algorithm and $k-{\varepsilon}$ turbulence model. For the slanted pin-fin models, it was found that the downward cooling flow is generated due to the downward pressure gradient component, which can enhance the heat transfer performance near the bottom surface and the fin stem region. Four different inclined angles were considered in the Reynolds number range of 13,500-55,000. The aero-thermal performance of the slanted pin-fin heat exchangers, such as the volume and area goodness factors, were summarized and compared with the baseline plate-fin type heat exchanger quantitatively.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.20-37
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• 2023

Purpose: Our pilot study showed that a 3-dimensional dual drug delivery scaffold (DDDS) loaded with Chinese herbs significantly increased the regenerated bone volume fraction. This study aimed to confirm the synergistic anti-inflammatory and osteogenic preclinical effects of this system. Methods: The targets and pathways of parthenolide and naringin were predicted. Three cell models were used to assess the anti-inflammatory effects of parthenolide and the osteogenic effects of naringin. First, the distance between the cementoenamel junction and alveolar bone crest (CEJ-ABC) and the bone mineral density (BMD) of surgical defects were measured in a rat model of periodontitis with periodontal fenestration defects. Additionally, the mRNA expression levels of matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were measured. Furthermore, the number of inflammatory cells and osteoclasts, as well as the protein expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and levels of ALP were determined. Results: Target prediction suggested prostaglandin peroxidase synthase (PTGS2) as a potential target of parthenolide, while cytochrome P450 family 19 subfamily A1 (CYP19A1) and taste 2 receptor member 31 (TAS2R31) were potential targets of naringin. Parthenolide mainly targeted inflammation-related pathways, while naringin participated in steroid hormone synthesis and taste transduction. In vitro experiments revealed significant antiinflammatory effects of parthenolide on RAW264.7 cells, and significant osteogenic effects of naringin on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and MC3T3-E1 cells. DDDS loaded with parthenolide and naringin decreased the CEJ-ABC distance and increased BMD and ALP levels in a time-dependent manner. Inflammation was significantly alleviated after 14 days of DDDS treatment. Additionally, after 56 days, the DDDS group exhibited the highest BMD and ALP levels. Conclusions: DDDS loaded with parthenolide and naringin in a rat model achieved significant synergistic anti-inflammatory and osteogenic effects, providing powerful preclinical evidence.