Skeletal muscle is an organ that regulates biological metabolic energy. Its dysfunction causes decline of body functions and disability, thus deteriorating the overall quality of life. Various materials are being developed with an anti-sarcolytic effect. However, anti-sarcolytic effect of Sinomenium acutum rhizomes extract (SAE) remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate anti-muscle atrophy effects of SAE and its alkaloids, including sinomenine (SIN), magnoflorine (MF), acutumine (ACU), and N-ferultyramine (NFT) isolated from SAE, on dexamethasone (Dex)-induced myotubules. C2C12 myogenic cells differentiated for 6 days were treated with 1 mM Dex for 24 hours. Induction of muscular atrophy was confirmed by a decrease in myogenin expression. We found that Dex increased expression levels of muscle-specific ubiquitin ligases MuRF1 and MAFbx/atrogin-1. However, mRNA and protein levels of these muscle-specific ubiquitin ligases were significantly reduced by cotreatment with SIN, MF, and NFT in myotubes. Glucose uptake reduced by Dex in myotubules were also restored by SIN, MF, and NFT treatments. These results suggest that SIN, MF, and NFT can reduce muscle wasting and enhance glucose uptake in Dex-treated myotubes, highlighting their potential as therapeutic agents to prevent muscle atrophy.

Interim dry cask storage systems comprising AISI 304 or 316 stainless steel canisters have become critical for the storage of spent nuclear fuel from light water reactors in the Republic of Korea. However, the combination of microstructural sensitization, residual tensile stress, and corrosive environments can induce chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking (CISCC) for stainless steel canisters. Suppressing one or more of these three variables can effectively mitigate CISCC initiation or propagation. Surface-modification technologies, such as surface peening and burnishing, focus on relieving residual tensile stress by introducing compressive stress to near-surface regions of materials. Overlay coating methods such as cold spray can serve as a barrier between the environment and the canister, while also inducing compressive stress similar to surface peening. This approach can both mitigate CISCC initiation and facilitate CISCC repair. Surface-painting methods can also be used to isolate materials from external corrosive environments. However, environmental variables, such as relative humidity, composition of surface deposits, and pH can affect the CISCC behavior. Therefore, in addition to research on surface modification and coating technologies, site-specific environmental investigations of various nuclear power plants are required.

Hangovers, resulting from excessive alcohol intake, manifest hours after drinking, causing symptoms like thirst, headache, and fatigue. Alcohol is metabolized in the liver by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), with acetaldehyde and reactive oxygen species contributing to toxic effects. Morning Care (MC) products were evaluated in male and female mice to assess their impact on alcohol metabolism and hangover alleviation. The study revealed that pre-administration of MC products led to a significant reduction in blood ethanol and acetaldehyde concentrations postalcohol ingestion. This remarkable finding suggests a potential breakthrough in hangover relief. Enhanced ADH and ALDH activities were observed in blood and liver samples, indicating improved alcohol metabolism. Interestingly, gene expression levels of ADH and ALDH in the liver did not show significant differences, suggesting that MC products likely enhance enzyme activities through post-translational modifications rather than altering gene expression. These findings underscore the potential of MC products to mitigate hangover symptoms by enhancing alcohol metabolism.

높은 내화학성과 소수성 특성을 갖는 polymethylpentene (PMP) 소재는 polypropylene 소재 대비 결정성이 낮아 dense skin층을 갖는 비대칭 분리막을 제조하기 수월하지만 녹는점이 높아 가공이 용이하지 않다. 본 연구에서는 비용매 유도 상분리법(NIPS)과 열유도 상분리법(TIPS)을 혼합한 N-TIPS 법을 활용하여 polymethylpentene (PMP) 고분자 분리막을 제조 하고 성능과 특성을 평가하였다. Cyclohexane을 용매로 사용하여 PMP 도프용액을 제조하였으며, 상전이조로 물, EtOH, IPA 를 사용하였다. Cyclohexane과 섞이지 않는 물을 비용매로 상전이한 분리막은 TIPS 영향으로 인해 큰 기공과 높은 기체 투과 도를 보였으나, 표면이 거칠고 구조가 불안정한 특성을 보였다. 반면, cyclohexane과 혼합될 수 있는 알코올류(ethanol, isopropanol) 를 상전이조로 사용한 경우 NIPS 효과로 인해 dense skin층이 형성됨을 확인하며, 높은 기계적 강도를 보였다. 추가 적인 기공형성을 위해 polyethylene glycol (PEG)를 첨가한 경우 기체투과도가 높아지는 결과를 얻을 수 있었다.

With the wide application of portable wearable devices, a variety of electronic energy storage devices, including microsupercapacitors (MSCs), have attracted wide attention. Laser-induced graphene (LIG) is widely used as electrode material for MSCs because of its large porosity and specific surface area. To further improve the performance of MSCs, it is an effective way to increase the specific surface area and the number of internal active sites of laser-induced graphene electrode materials. In this paper, N-doped polyimide/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as precursor was used to achieve in situ doping of nitrogen atoms in laser-induced graphene by laser irradiation. Through the addition of N atoms, nitrogen-doped laser-induced threedimensional porous graphene (N-LIG) exhibits large specific surface area, many active sites, and good wettability all of which are favorable conditions for enhancing the capacitive properties of laser-induced graphene. After assembly with PVA/H2SO4 as gel electrolyte, the high surface capacitance of the MSC device with N-LIG as electrode material is 16.57 mF cm− 2 at the scanning rate of 5 mV s− 1, which is much higher than the 2.89 mF cm− 2 of the MSC device with LIG as electrode material. In addition, MSC devices with N-LIG as electrode materials have shown excellent cyclic stability and flexibility in practical tests, so they have a high application prospect in the field of flexible wearable microelectronics.

The electrochemical properties of a CFX cathode were improved by defluorination of the surface with a N2 plasma and using a silica wafer. Compared to the N2 plasma treatment alone, when the CFX and silica were reacted together, the C-F bonds were modified and the surface was etched efficiently, so defluorination was enhanced. An electrochemical analysis confirmed that Half-cells prepared by treating CFx and silica with nitrogen plasma exhibited a capacity of about 400 mAh/g at 5C. In addition, it was confirmed that the loss of charge transfer was reduced by up to 71% compared to that for pristine CFX. As shown by a GITT analysis, when the CFx and silica were treated with N2 plasma together, the ion conductivity gradually increased due to a decrease in the ion diffusion barriers and the formation of a carbon layer. Therefore, this is a simple and effective way to improve the conductivities of CFX cathode materials with the energy of a N2 plasma and the silica-fluorine reaction.

Background: Despite its anticancer activity, cisplatin exhibits severe testicular toxicity when used in chemotherapy. Owing to its wide application in cancer therapy, the reduction of damage to normal tissue is of imminent clinical need. In this study, we evaluated the effects of catechin hydrate, a natural flavon-3-ol phytochemical, on cisplatin-induced testicular injury. Methods: Type 2 mouse spermatogonia (GC-1 spg cells) were treated with 0-100 μM catechin and cisplatin. Cell survival was estimated using a cell proliferation assay and Ki-67 immunostaining. Apoptosis was assessed via flow cytometry with the Dead Cell Apoptosis assay. To determine the antioxidant effects of catechin hydrate, Nrf2 expression was measured using qPCR and CellROX staining. The anti-inflammatory effects were evaluated by analyzing the gene and protein expression levels of iNOS and COX2 using qPCR and immunoblotting. Results: The 100 μM catechin hydrate treatment did not affect healthy GC-1 spg cells but, prevented cisplatin-induced GC-1 spg cell death via the regulation of anti-oxidants and inflammation-related molecules. In addition, the number of apoptotic cells, cleaved-caspase 3 level, and BAX gene expression levels were significantly reduced by catechin hydrate treatment in a cisplatin-induced GC-1 spg cell death model. In addition, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory marker genes, including Nrf2 , iNOS, and COX2 were significantly downregulated by catechin hydrate treatment in cisplatintreated GC-1 cells. Conclusions: Our study contributes to the opportunity to reintroduce cisplatin into systemic anticancer treatment, with reduced testicular toxicity and restored fertility.

Background: Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a toxic metabolite generated by Aspergillus species and is commonly detected during the processing and storage of food; it is considered a group I carcinogen. The hepatotoxic effects, diseases, and mechanisms induced by AFB1 owing to chronic or acute exposure are well documented; however, there is a lack of research on its effects on the intestine, which is a crucial organ in the digestive process. Dogs are often susceptible to chronic AFB1 exposure owing to lack of variation in their diet, unlike humans, thereby rendering them prone to its effects. Therefore, we investigated the effects of AFB1 on canine small intestinal epithelial primary cells (CSIc). Methods: We treated CSIc with various concentrations of AFB1 (0, 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 μM) for 24 h and analyzed cell viability and transepithelial-transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) value. Additionally, we analyzed the mRNA expression of tight junction-related genes (OCLN, CLDN3, TJP1, and MUC2), antioxidant-related genes (CAT and GPX1), and apoptosis-related genes (BCL2, Bax, and TP53). Results: We found a significant decrease in CSIc viability and TEER values after treatment with AFB1 at concentrations of 20 μM or higher. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis indicated a downregulation of OCLN, CLDN3, and TJP1 in CSIc treated with 20 μM or higher concentrations of AFB1. Additionally, AFB1 treatment downregulated CAT , GPX1, and BCL2. Conclusions: Acute exposure of CSIc to AFB1 induces toxicity, and exposure to AFB1 above a certain threshold compromises the barrier integrity of CSIc.

Obesity occurs when the body consumes more energy than it requires and uses less energy, resulting in the accumulation of fat, which increases the number and size of fat cells in the body. It causes high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and joint crowding, making it difficult to fully treat. We investigated the effects of chito oligosaccharide(CHO) functional material, which suppresses fat accumulation, restores dyslipidemia values, and has no side effects.In this study, we investigated the ameliorative effects of CHO on obese mice fed a high-fat diet. The experimental groups were divided into 5 groups (n=10) of C57BL/6 mice: normal control (N), control group (C), and chito oligosaccharide low concentration (L), medium concentration (M), and high concentration (H) groups. We tested whether CHO has an effect on obesity through body weight and adipose tissue weighing, serum lipid testing, and histological examination. Experimental analysis showed that CHO reduced body weight and adipose tissue weight, improved the concentrations of TCHO, TG, HDL, and LDL, which are factors for dyslipidemia diagnosis, and decreased the diameter size of adipose tissue. These results suggest that CHO alleviates the levels of fat growth inhibition and dyslipidemia levels in obese-induced mice, and has a positive effect on obesity.

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is considered to be a significant cause of drug wastage. To mitigate clinical DILI risks, assessing drugs using human liver models is crucial since animal studies may fall short due to species-specific liver pathway variations. Cell-based preclinical hepatotoxicity testing is often pertinent. In the present study, cells from a human liver cancer line (HepG2 and HepaRG) were cultured in both formats of 2D and 3D spheroids to explore their responses to drugs. Liver-specific marker expressions across cell lines and culture formats were also examined to assess disparities in DILI marker expressions. After treating each cell with the drugs, cytotoxicity and liver injury markers aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase were increased. In addition, liver specific markers albumin and urea decreased in a drug concentration-dependent manner. These findings were consistent with drug sensitivity. Additionally, mRNA expression levels of cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) involved in hepatocellular drug metabolism were compared following treatment with enzyme inducers. CYP1A2 and CYP2C9 were not epxressed in HepG2 cells. HepaRG cells exhibited significantly increased expression of CYP1A2, 2C9, and 3A4 post-treatment. Notably, enzyme expression was notably higher in 3D cultures than in 2D cultures. Collectively, these findings suggest that HepaRG cells and 3D cultures hold promise for evaluating DILI during early-stage drug development.

Diabetes, a chronic hyperglycemic condition, is caused by insufficient insulin secretion or functional impairment. Long-term inadequate regulation of blood glucose levels or hyperglycemia can lead to various complications, such as retinopathy, nephropathy, and cardiovascular disease. Recent studies have explored the molecular mechanisms linking diabetes to bone loss and an increased susceptibility to fractures. This study reviews the characteristics and molecular mechanisms of diabetes-induced bone disease. Depending on the type of diabetes, changes in bone tissue vary. The molecular mechanisms responsible for bone loss in diabetes include the accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), upregulation of inflammatory cytokines, induction of oxidative stress, and deficiencies in insulin/IGF-1. In diabetes, alveolar bone loss results from complex interactions involving oral bacterial infections, host responses, and hyperglycemic stress in periodontal tissues. Therapeutic strategies for diabetes-induced bone loss may include blocking the AGEs signaling pathway, decreasing inflammatory cytokine activity, inhibiting reactive oxygen species generation and activity, and controlling glucose levels; however, further research is warranted.

Meristem culture (MC) is a technique for producing virus-free garlic plants with high vigor and productivity. We assessed the changes in the agronomic traits of “Namdo” garlic over several generations after the cultivation of MC-induced bulbils. We examined the plant height, leaf sheath length and diameter, leaf number, bulb weight and diameter, clove number, and bulb size distribution. Compared with that of the control, bulb weights of the first-generation bulbils cultivated for three and two years and the second-generation bulbils cultivated for one year increased by 8.7–27.2, 13.9–30.4, and 36.6–46.9%, respectively. In three and two-year cultivation of the firstgeneration bulbils and one-year cultivation of the second-generation bulbils, the proportions of extra-large-sized bulb weight in meristem-cultured plants were 16.2–38.6, 24.0–35.8, and 27.1–51.1%, respectively, whereas that of the control was 7.6%. Thus, the first-generation bulbils can be cultivated for three years to renew the seed bulbs while maintaining productivity.

The structure and magnetic properties of composite powders prepared by ball milling a mixture of Fe2O3 ‧ (0.4-1.0)Fe were investigated. Hysteresis loops and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curves are used to characterize the materials and to examine the effect of the solid state reaction induced by ball milling. The results showed that a solid state reaction in Fe2O3 ‧ (0.4-1.0)Fe clearly proceeds after only 1 h of ball milling. The system is characterized by a positive reaction heat of +2.23 kcal/mole. The diffraction lines related to Fe2O3 and Fe disappeared after 1 h of ball milling and, instead, diffraction lines of the intermediate phase of Fe3O4 plus FeO formed. The magnetization and coercivity of the Fe2O3 ‧ 0.8Fe powders were changed by the solid state reaction process of Fe2O3 by Fe during ball milling. The coercivity of the Fe2O3 ‧ 0.8Fe powders increased with increasing milling time and reached a maximum value of 340 Oe after 5 h of ball milling. This indicates the grain size of Fe3O4 was clearly reduced during ball milling. The magnetic properties of the annealed powders depend on the amount of magnetic Fe and Fe3O4 phases.

최근 원자력 지진 PSA(Probabilistic Safety Assessment)를 토대로 산업시설물의 지진 PSA를 수행하는 연구가 진행되었다. 해당 연 구는 원자력 발전소와 산업시설물의 차이를 파악하고, 최종적으로 운영정지를 목표로 하는 고장수목(Fault Tree)를 구축한 후 시각적 확률도구인 베이지안 네트워크(Bayesian Network, BN)으로 변환하였다. 본 연구는 선행연구를 기반으로 지진으로 유발된 구조손상 으로 인해 발생 가능한 화재･폭발에 대해 PSA를 수행하고자 하였다. 이를 위해 화재･폭발을 사건수목(Event Tree)으로 표현하고, BN 으로 변환하였다. 변환된 BN은 화재･폭발 모듈로서 선행연구에서 제시된 고장수목 기반 BN과 연계되어 최종적으로 지진 유발 화재･ 폭발 PSA를 수행할 수 있는 BN 기반 방법론이 개발되었다. 개발된 BN을 검증하기위해 수치예제로서 가상의 가스플랜트 Plot Plan을 생성하였고, 가스플랜트의 설비 종류가 구체적으로 반영된 대규모 BN을 구축하였다. 해당 BN을 이용하여 지진 규모에 따른 전체시 스템의 운영정지 확률 및 하위시스템들의 고장확률 산정과 더불어 역으로 전체시스템이 운영 정지되었을 때 하위시스템들의 영향도 분석과 화재･폭발 가능성을 산정하여 다양한 의사결정을 수행할 수 있음을 제시함으로써 그 우수성을 확인하였다.

The objective of this study was to investigate the anticancer effects of EMPS (edible mushroom mycelium polysaccharide: Tremella fuciformis) in animal models with colorectal cancer induced by AOM/DSS. The experimental groups consisted of Nor (normal), NC (AOM/DSS), EMPS (EMPS 50, EMPS 100), and PC (Fluorouracil). The NC group had the highest number of colon tumors, whereas it was observed that tumor occurrence was significantly reduced in the EMPS consumption group. The expression of Bcl-2, an apoptosis inhibitor, was significantly lower in the EMPS 50 & 100 and PC groups. On the other hand, the mRNA gene expression of Bax, a factor that induces apoptosis, was significantly higher in the EMPS 50 & 100 and PC groups compared to the NC group. The mRNA expression levels of TNF-α and COX-2 significantly increased in the NC group, but showed a significant decrease in the EMPS and PC groups, indicating inhibition of the cancer-promoting response of cells. At the phylum level of the mice's intestinal microbial composition, the proportion of Bacteroidetes tended to decrease, while the proportion of Firmicutes tended to increase with EMPS administration. This suggests that changes in the gut microbiota caused by inflammation can be influenced by dietary intake.

In this study, laser-induced graphene oxide (LIGO) was synthesized through a facile liquid-based process involving the introduction of deionized (DI) water onto polyimide (PI) film and subsequent direct laser irradiation using a CO2 laser (λ = 10.6 μm). The synthesized LIGO was then evaluated as a sensing material for monitoring changes in humidity levels. The synthesis conditions were optimized by precisely controlling the laser scribing speed, leading to the synthesis of LIGO with different structural characteristics and varying oxygen contents. The increased number of oxygen-containing functional groups contributed to the hydrophilic properties of LIGO, resulting in a superior humidity sensing capabilities compared with laser-induced graphene (LIG). The LIGO-based sensors outperformed LIG-based sensors, demonstrating approximately tenfold higher sensing responsivity when detecting changes at each humidity level, along with 1.25 to 1.75 times faster response/recovery times, making LIGO-based sensors more promising for humidity-monitoring applications. This study demonstrated laser ablation in a renewable and natural precursor as an eco-friendly and energy-efficient approach to directly synthesize LIGO with controllable oxidation levels.