Soft magnetic powder materials are used throughout industries such as motors and power converters. When manufacturing Fe-based soft magnetic composites, the size and shape of the soft magnetic powder and the microstructure in the powder are closely related to the magnetic properties. In this study, Fe-Si-Al-P alloy powders were manufactured using various manufacturing process parameter sets, and the process parameters of the vacuum induction melt gas atomization process were set as melt temperature, atomization gas pressure, and gas flow rate. Process variable data that records are converted into 6 types of data for each powder recovery section. Process variable data that recorded minute changes were converted into 6 types of data and used as input variables. As output variables, a total of 6 types were designated by measuring the particle size, flowability, apparent density, and sphericity of the manufactured powders according to the process variable conditions. The sensitivity of the input and output variables was analyzed through the Pearson correlation coefficient, and a total of 6 powder characteristics were analyzed by artificial neural network model. The prediction results were compared with the results through linear regression analysis and response surface methodology, respectively.

Maturation-promoting factor (MPF) is well-known as cell cycle regulator during oocyte maturation and fertilization. MPF activity maintains high levels and arrest the cell cycle progression until fertilization. After fertilization, Anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) mediated degradation of cyclin B causes decrease of MPF activity. One of the cytostatic factor (CSF), Emi2 inhibits APC/C activity by binding to APC/C-cdc20, therefore blocks the proteolysis of cyclin B. Degradation of Emi2 requires phosphorylation by Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1). Thus recognition and phosphorylation of Emi2 by Plk1 are essential step for meiotic cell cycle resumption. In our previous research, we found that two phosphorylated threonine regions at amino acid position 152 and 176 in Emi2 are respectively contributed for recognition by polo-box domain of Plk1. Peptidomimetics 103-8 can block the interaction between Plk1-PBD and Emi2, and therefore meiotic maturation and meiosis resumption via parthenogenetic activation were impaired. However, major drawback of 103-8 was the limitation of penetration through the cell membrane. We synthesized the new peptidomimetics and checked bioavailability in mammalian oocyte by injection and media treatment. Medium treatment with peptidomimetics C-4, meiotic maturation has significantly decreased and meiotic resumption via parthenogenetic activation has perfectly impaired. For the next experiment, we are preparing X-ray crystallography to identify the binding modes between Plk1-PBD and peptidomimetics C-4.

Heavy metals have been analyzed on the non-woven from the 24 kinds of wet wipes and 8 kinds of mask packs. The following materials used in the non-woven according to each product are: rayon+polyester for the 12 wet wipe products, rayon+PET for the 5 wet wipe products, and rayon, cotton, rayon+polyester+cotton, pulp+polypropylene for the rest of the wet wipe products. No further information on the materials was found on the 3 wet wipes and 8 mask packs. However, polyester may be applied for the non-woven in wet wipes, because PET is part of the polyester group. The heavy metals analysis in the 24 kinds of wet wipes and 8 kinds of mask packs revealed the following: arsenic was found from 47.14±1.13 to 71.75±1.64 ㎍/L on the 3 products, the amount of nickel in the 2 products were 261.26±5.14 and 1,242.63±43.71 ㎍ /L, 53.69±1.45 and 103.52±2.02 ㎍/L on the 2 mask packs. It was also revealed that lead was detected from 7.23±0.32 to 55.67±1.46 ㎍/L on the 6 wet wipes, antimony was ranged from 187.86±5.24 to 19,558.35±3,537.30 ㎍/L on the 12 wet wipes, and 5.25±0.25 and 8,936±55.22 ㎍/L on the 2 mask packs. No cadmium, mercury, or thallium were detected from all the products. A high concentration of antimony might come from antimony trioxide, which was used as a catalyst when manufacturing the polyester. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that a non-woven used for cosmetic purposes should not use heavy metals as a catalyst when manufacturing, and it’s important to clarify which materials are used in non-woven.