This study was carried out to investigate the management characteristics and techniques by comparing and analyzing the process of mixing, sterilization, cooling, inoculation and incubation for bag cultivation of L. edodes. The medium was sterilized after mixing it for 30 minutes, 1 and 2 hours respectively. The general moisture content of the sawdust substrate has been adjusted to 65%, while the case of the L. edodes substrate was 55%. Only 5% of wood chips of 5-8 mm in particle size were mixed to secure the space of the sawdust particles. As a result, mycelial growth was 1.4cm faster and the density was better(+++) than control(++). Wood chips are soaked in advance for a week during winter and 4 days during summer. There is an average number of 1.6x108 (cfu) of microorganisms in the sawdust that has been piled for six months outdoor. In summer, it has to be used immediately after mixing sawdust. High-pressure sterilization should be performed to use as a mushroom spawn, and to improve physical properties, it was great to sterilize the medium at a normal-pressure. There are height and width type for bags to be consumed for bagging. When the height was reduced into 17cm and the width was increased into 13cm, the browning period was shortened by 30 days and the period of mycelial growth was shortened by 25 days. The sterilized medium had an average of 4x103(cfu) of microorganisms at 25°C and 1.3×102 (cfu) at 15°C. After 25 days from inoculation in vitro, the growth condition of sawdust was the best with 13.2 cm, followed by grain spawn and liquid respectively. When inoculated with liquid spawn, the moisture content of substrate should be adjusted to 55% to 50% in advance.

We investigated the effects of parametric synthesis conditions of catalysts such as sintering temperature, sorts of supports and compositions of catalysts on alignment and length-control of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using catalyst powders. To obtain aligned CNTs, several parameters were changed such as amount of citric acid, calcination temperature of catalysts, and the sorts of supports using the combustion method as well as to prepare catalyst. CNTs with different lengths were synthesized as portions of molybdenum and iron using a chemical vapor deposition reactor. In this work, the mechanisms of alignment of CNTs and of the length-control of CNTs are discussed.

Wrinkles are an outward sign of cutaneous aging appearing preferentially on ultraviolet B (UVB)-exposed areas. The anti-wrinkle effects of herbal extracts were investigated in an animal model. Female albino hairless mice (HR/ICR) were randomly allocated to the control group (non-irradiated vehicle), positive control group (UVB irradiated-vehicle), and two herbal extract mixture groups (HE-1 and HE-2). HE-1 included Glycyrrhizae radix, Rhei Rhizoma, Cornus officinalis, and Sesami semeni, and HE-2 included Swertia pseudo-chinensis, Sophora flavescens, Scutellaria baicalensis, and Salvia miltiorrhiza. The herbal extract mixtures were pre-treated dorsally with 0.2 ml per individual five times per week for four weeks prior to the start of UVB irradiation. At the fifth week, the animals were exposed to UVB irradiation for a subsequent eight weeks, three times per week. The intensity of irradiation showed a gradual increase, from 30 mJ/cm 2 to 240 mJ/cm2 (1 MED: 60 mJ/cm2 ). Dorsal skin samples were stained with H&E in order to examine the epidermal thickness. In addition, Masson-Trichrome staining was performed for determination of the amount of collagen fiber. Treatments with HE-1&2 resulted in an increase in the amount of collagen fiber, a better appearance, and fewer wrinkles, compared with the positive control. As determined by hydroxyproline assay, treatments with HE-1&2 led to a significant increase in the amount of collagen, compared with the positive control group (p<0.05). Chronic UVB irradiation to skin of hairless mice resulted in an increase in expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), however, treatments with HE-1&2 tended to decrease the expression of MMP-1. These results indicate that the herbal extracts used in this study have a preventive effect on UVB-induced wrinkle formation in a hairless mouse model, due in part to inhibition of MMP-1 expression and increment of collagen amount.