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The increasing incidence of diabetes is a global concern. Current treatment modalities involving lifestyle modifications and pharmacotherapy are not effective in 50% of patients. Unripe apples contain polyphenols which are known to have antidiabetic effects. To verify the effects of unripe apple extract (UAE), the antioxidant activity of UAE was confirmed using a cell-free DPPH assay; and nitric oxide production and cytotoxicity were investigated in RIN-m5F cells. Biochemical analysis, oral glucose tolerance test, and histological analyses of the pancreas and liver were also conducted. UAE treatment induced hypoglycaemic conditions in alloxan-induced RIN-m5F cells. Further, UAE treatment showed antidiabetic effects in db/db mice by reducing plasma glucose and fructosamine levels without affecting the food intake and body weight. Additionally, UAE improved glucose tolerance and lipid parameters, and restored the pancreatic tissue in db/db mice. These results demonstrated the antidiabetic effects of UAE on alloxan-treated pancreatic islet-derived cells and in db/db mice, and suggested that UAE can be potentially used as a medicine and dietary supplement or functional food in antidiabetic therapy.

Doenjang had phytochemicals as the potent anti-inflammatory. Doenjang may reduce inflammatory factors in DSS-induced colitis in mice. Doenjang protects against UC and may be possibly use in developing functional foods.

Immunity is the defense against external invasion and breakdown of the immune system that causes various diseases. In this study, the immunomodulatory function of brown rice fermented vinegar (FV) was investigated using a cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced immunosuppression model. In the in vitro study, splenocytes were treated with CP to induce immunosuppression and to measure splenocyte proliferation and natural killer (NK) cell activity. Here, 5 mg/kg of CP was orally administered to induce immunosuppression in the animal model, and was then orally treated with 0.5 ml/kg, 1 ml/kg, and 2 ml/kg of FV each. The results from the in vitro studies showed that CP treatment decreased the activities of splenocytes, cytokines, and NK cells, which was later increased with FV treatment. Additionally, in the CP-induced immunosuppression animal model the number of immune cells, cytokines, and weights of the immune organs decreased, and the spleen tissues were destroyed compared to the normal control group. However, in the FV-treated groups, the immune cells and cytokines increased, in addition to the weights of the liver, thymus, and spleen, and the damaged spleen tissues recovered. Therefore, these results demonstrate that FV had an immunomodulatory function.

This paper discusses the design of axisymmetric structures with self-supporting features that can be additively manufactured without requiring internal support structures. This is motivated by wire-fed additive manufacturing processes, many of which can fabricate designs with enclosed pores that inherently exist in many axisymmetric structures, such as double walled pressure vessels. Although enclosed pores are possible, features that rise at shallow angles from the build plate typically cannot be fabricated without the use of support structures, which require removal and thus are unfavorable in such applications. In this paper, an overhang constraint is applied to ensure that all designed features rise at a designer-prescribed self-supporting angle to eliminate the need for such support structures. This is achieved by coupling the projection-based overhang constraint approach with topology optimization and axisymmetric finite elements whose stiffness is interpolated using Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization (SIMP). Gradients are computed with the adjoint method and the Method of Moving Asymptotes (MMA) is employed as the gradient-based optimizer. Two numerical examples related to a canonical pressure vessel and an optical mirror support structure are used to demonstrate the approach. Solutions are shown to satisfy minimum feature size requirements and designer-prescribed (process dependent) overhang constraint angles, while providing clear and crisp representations of topology. As observed in past works on overhang constraints, a clear trade-off is illustrated between the magnitude of the overhang constraint angle and the structural performance (mass or stiffness), with more strict requirements producing designs with lower performance.

Portulaca oleracea L. is a traditional oriental medicine known for its pharmacological effects. The present study aimed to investigate the immunostimulatory effects of PPCE on cyclophosphamide-stimulated rat model and in isolated spleen cells. The result showed that PPCE exerted an immunostimulatory effect in vivo and in vitro. Specifically, PPCE significantly enhanced splenocyte proliferation and upregulated inflammatory cytokines (IL-2, IL-12, TNF-α, and IFN-γ) and NK cell activity in vitro. The immunostimulatory effect was further investigated through various immunological assays. Oral administration of PPCE increased the swimming time and number of immune cells in rats. Histological analysis revealed that PPCE administration exerted splenic recovery. Thus, P. oleracea L. based complex extracts may be used as an immunostimulatory agent in medicine or functional foods.

Four lipase enzymes were investigated as catalysts in the synthesis of regioselectively monosubstituted dextrin esters from dextrin and vinyl acetate. An immobilized lipase enzyme (Lipozyme TL IM) exhibited the highest activity. This enzyme showed regioselective substitution of the dextrin at the primary hydroxyl group (C6 position) under optimal conditions (60 °C for 24 h, using a 1:3 molar ratio of glucose unit/vinyl acetate and 2.5 U/mL enzyme dosage in an organic solvent). To compare the reactivity of other vinyl esters, monosubstituted dextrin esters (degrees of substitution [DS] ≈ 1) with varying side-chain lengths (C2-C12) were synthesized. With increasing side-chain length, the initial catalytic activity of the lipase enzyme decreased, resulting in lower DS values. However, the final DS values of the monosubstituted dextrin esters with longer side chains were higher than those of the shorter-chain analogues, because of an increase in affinity between the substrate and acyl donor.

To improve the mechanical and thermal properties of polyurethane, two prepolymers, polyurethane acrylate (PUA) and epoxy acrylate (EPA) which have acrylate-ended groups, were synthesized. The obtained prepolymers were homogeneously mixed with various compositions and cured by UV. After UV curing, the properties of PU/EP copolymers were investigated by using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, universal testing machine, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. The thermal and tensile properties of PU/EP copolymers gradually increased with the amount of EP due to the intermolecular interaction whereas their elongation properties decreased. These results indicate that the copolymerization of PU with EP could control their mechanical properties.

Three-dimensional (3D) weaving has recently arisen as viable means for manufacturing metallic, architected microlattices. Herein, we describe a topology optimization approach for designing the architecture of such 3D woven lattices. A ground structure design variable representation is combined with linear manufacturing constraints and a projection mapping to realize lattices that satisfy the rather restrictive topological constraints associated with 3D weaving. The approach is demonstrated in the context of inverse homogenization to design lattices with maximized fluid permeability. Stokes flow equations with no-slip conditions governing unit cell flow fields are interpolated using the Darcy–Stokes finite element model, leveraging existing work in the topology optimization of fluids. The combined algorithm is demonstrated to design manufacturable lattices with maximized permeability whose properties have been experimentally measured in other published work.

In this study, we evaluated the immunity-enhancing effects of Orostachys japonicus A. Berger (OJ). To examine the immune protective effect in vitro, primary mouse splenocytes were treated with water or ethanol extracts of OJ in the absence or presence of cyclophosphamide (CY), which is a cytotoxic, immunosuppressive agent. The extracts increased the propagation of splenocytes and inhibited CY-induced cytotoxicity. Further, to examine the immunostimulatory effects in vivo, adult Wistar rats were orally administered OJ extracts with or without CY treatment. With the administration of OJ extracts, CY-treated immunosuppressed rats showed improved physical endurance, as assessed by the forced swim test. In addition, extract administration increased not only the number of immunity-related cells but also the levels of plasma cytokines. OJ extracts also recovered splenic histology in CY-treated rats. These findings suggest that an OJ regimen can enhance immunity by increasing immune cell propagation and specific plasma cytokine levels.

To develop carbon dioxide (CO2)-reducible polymeric materials, block copolymers (PLA-PEC-PLA) of CO2-reducible polymers, poly(lactide) (PLA) and poly(ethylene carbonate) (PEC) were synthesized by the ring-opening polymerization of lactide in the presence of PEC diol using stannous octoate. Differential scanning calorimetry and contact angle measurements showed that the incorporation of the PEC block decrease the crystallinity of PLA and increases the hydrophilicity and flexibility due to its compatibility. The enzymatic degradation in Tris-HCl buffer containing proteinase K showed that the degradation rate of L-PLA-PEC-L-PLA was faster than that of L-PLA due to the decreased crystallization and increased hydrophilicity after copolymerization as well as degradation of PEC.

Two type of triblock copolymers [poly(l-lactide)-b-perfluoro polyether-b-poly(l-lactide) (fluoro l-PLA) and poly(d-lactide)-b-perfluoro polyether-b-poly(d-lactide) (fluoro d-PLA)] (fluoro PLAs) were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization. The synthesized triblock copolymers showed more hydrophobic properties than pristine l-PLA due to the perfluoro polyether (PFPE). To control the surface properties, the blends were prepared by mixing fluoro PLAs with l-PLA. The degradation rates of the fluoro PLAs/l-PLA blends were retarded due to the surface segregation of PFPE which has lower surface energy. In case of the fluoro d-PLA/l-PLA blends, however, the stereocomplex formation between the l-lactide and d-lactide sequences enhanced the thermal and enzymatic stabilities of l-PLA. As a result, the biodegradability of l-PLA can be controlled by copolymerization or the formation of a stereocomplex.

Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) occurs when an electromagnetic (EM) wave hits a metal nanoparticle. The interaction between a gold (Au) nanoparticle and a thin metal film produces a strong EM wave called as LSPR at the small gap between the nanoparticle and the film. The field strength of the LSPR increases dramatically as the distance between the Au nanoparticle and the film decreases. In this study, we focus on the field enhancement at the small gap by obtaining the appropriate shape of the Au nanoparticle. Since the shape or the size of a nanoparticle to enhance the LSPR is hard to be determined theoretically, the structural optimization method based on the phase field method is employed to design the shape of the nanoparticle. To obtain reliable results taking the small gap of 2 nm into account, we proposed a new filtering scheme based on a smoothed Heaviside function and applied it to nanoparticle design.

A biocompatible polymer composite film was prepared by casting method of the mixed solution of poly(L-lactide) (PLA) and lotus leaf powder (LLP) in chloroform. The obtained composite film showed hydrophobic properties. The surface wettability and change in the surface morphology of the film before and after degradation in the enzyme solution were analyzed by contact angle measurement and high resolution scanning electron microscopy. The degradation rate of PLA could be controlled by mixing the right composition of LLP to PLA.

Black rice bran extract (BRBE), containing various biologically active compounds, such as anthocyanin, has antioxidant activity and numerous pharmacological effects. Here, we aimed to confirm the immunostimulatory effects of BRBE in cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced immunosuppressed cells. Our results confirmed that BRBE exerted an immunostimulatory effect. In vitro, BRBE treatment enhanced cell proliferation, activity of natural killer cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes, and production of CP-repressed cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ, interleukin (IL)-2, and IL-12, and immunoglobulins G and A in isolated splenocytes. Additionally, in vivo, BRBE treatment increased the number of immune cells, such as white blood cells, lymphocyte counts, mid-range absolute counts, and neutrophils in CP-induced immunosuppressed rats. Furthermore, BRBE increased the serum levels of abovementioned inflammatory cytokines and immunoglobulins in CP-induced immunosuppressed rats. In addition, BRBE protected against CP-mediated spleen and thymic tissue damage. Our findings suggest that BRBE could be potentially used as a component of functional food for immunity enhancement.

Two cats were obtained from a cat kennel. Over the previous 7 days, the cats had shown cough, anorex-ia, depression and nasal discharge. In this study, the consensus PCR was able to detect successfully Mycoplasma species in nasal swab samples of the cats. To identify feline mycoplasma species from the lung tissue of the cats with pneumonia, Mycoplasma species-specific PCR reactions were conducted. As the results, we could identify M. felis by the positive amplified DNAs. On the other hand, we could not detect any positive reactions with the PCR reaction for M. arginini , M. canis , M. edwardii , M. cynos , M. gateae , M. maculosum , M. molared , M. opalescens , M. spumans and Mycoplasma HRC-689. In conclusion, we detected M. felis from the kenneled cats with pneumonia. We suggested that this con-sensus PCR would be useful and effective for monitoring Mycoplasma species in various kinds of ani-mals including cats. The application of preceding consensus PCR before the species-specific PCRs may be the most recommended strategy for the identification of

The aim of the present study was to compare the non-invasive methods for the diagnosis of H. felis with HpSA kit-based detection method and H. felis-specific PCR assay with dog’s stool samples without sacrifice. Male Beagle dogs (n=6) were infected with H. felis ATCC 49179 (1.0×10 9 CFU/dog) by intragastric inoculation two times at 3-day intervals, and the stool specimens of dogs were collected 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21 days after infection to submit to HpSA test and H. felis-specific PCR. As the results, the sensitivity of the HpSA and the PCR analysis was 50.0%, 83.3% respectively. Although HpSA test is less sensitive, it could be used for rapid, cheap and easy screening assay for H. felis infection in dog and cats. We suggest that the H. pylori stool antigen kit, HpSA, is useful and effective for monitoring H. felis infection. If HpSA test would be made with H. felis antibodies in the future, its sensitivity could be increased. Also, PCR assay could be successfully used to detect the H. felis in stools. Applying the H. pylori stool antigen kit and PCR assay may be the recommended non-invasive strategy to identify H. felis in dog and cats.

Canine respiratory coronavirus (CRCoV) is commonly associated with canine kennel cough worldwide. Clinically infected dogs present coughing, sneezing, and nasal discharge. Severe infections may progress to pneumonia. Through serological surveys, CRCoV has been identified as a worldwide pathogen found in the respiratory tracts of dogs suffering from mild or severe respiratory disease. In this study, three dogs were obtained from a dog kennel. Over the previous 5 days, the dogs showed coughing, sneezing, and nasal discharge. To detect the etiologic pathogen, we performed multiplex RT-PCR (mRT-PCR) to amplify the genes encoding canine influenza virus matrix protein, canine distemper virus nucleocapsid protein, and CRCoV spike protein. Dot blotting was achieved with a CRCoV-specific probe. Nasal-secreting CRCoV was detected by the 442 bp CRCoV-positive PCR reaction in the nasal swabbing samples from dogs. Further, CRCoV-positive reactions by dot blot hybridization were detected in the nasal swabbing samples from dogs. In conclusion, we detected CRCoV in kenneled dogs with respiratory disease in Korea. Multiplex RT-PCR was able to detect successfully CRCoV infection in dogs. We suggest that mRT-PCR would be useful and effective for monitoring CRCoV infection in various kinds of dogs.

Toxoplasmosis is an important cause of foodborne, inflammatory, as well as congenital abnormalities. There is an urgent need for safe and effective therapies to eliminate or treat this cosmopolitan infectious disease. A medicinal herbal plant, Meliae fructus, has been used to soothe the liver and kills worms in Chinese medicine. In this study, Meliae fructus ethanol extract was examined and screened for its anti-T. gondii activity. For anti-T. gondii activity screening, in vitro study of Meliae fructus extract using tachyzoit of T. gondii RH strain-infected HeLa cells was performed. Further, in vivo anti-T. gondii study using a mouse infection model was conducted. Safety of herbal compounds was evaluated in SD rats by treatment with Meliae fructus extract for 28 days. As a result, selectivity of Meliae fructus ethanol extract was 5.85, which was higher than sulfadiazine selectivity (2.06). We also performed an in vivo study to evaluate the anti-T. gondii activity of Meliae fructus extract in a mouse model. The inhibition rate of Meliae fructus extract was as high as that of sulfadiazine. These results demonstrate that Meliae fructus can successfully cure T. gondii infection and could be a promising native herb treatment for prevention of T. gondii infection.

A series of fully-acylated dextrin esters (DS = 3) with varying side-chain lengths (C2–12) were synthesized by heterogeneous esterification using trifluoroacetic anhydride/carboxylic acid. The influence of side-chain lengths on structure and properties of dextrin esters were investigated by structural, thermal, mechanical and hydrophobic analysis. The thermal stability of dextrin was enhanced by esterification, presenting ca. 40–60 °C higher decomposition temperatures than that of neat-dextrin. The transition temperatures of melting and crystallization were not observed for all dextrin esters because they were amorphous polymers. The glass transition temperature (Tg) was not observed in dextrin but was observed in dextrin esters. As increasing side-chain length, Tgs of dextrin esters decreased ranged from 162.2 °C (C2) to 49.2 °C (C12). Colorless and transparent dextrin ester films were prepared to measure the film properties. Tensile strength of dextrin ester films tended to decrease with increasing side-chain lengths, whereas the elongation at break increased. And, dextrin ester films showed significantly increased hydrophobicity with a contact angle of up to 102° (C12).

Sprouting of peanut usually promotes de novo biosynthesis of phenolic compounds such as resveratrol. As phenolic compounds have been reported to possess anti-obesity activity, we investigated the effect of peanut sprout extract (PSE) on weight gain induced by high-fat diet (HF) in C57BL/6J mice. Administration of PSE effectively suppressed the body weight gain induced by HF without altering food intake. Furthermore, blood parameters, including levels of TG and total cholesterol, were significantly improved by administration of 0.5 g/kg BW of PSE compared to mice fed HF alone. Although its mechanism of action remains unclear, the anti-obesity activity of PSE appears to be associated with its inhibition of carbohydrate digestion enzymes, as it dose-dependently inhibited the activities of α-amylase and α-glucosidase but not pancreatic lipase while PSE did not have any inhibitory effect against lipid accumulation in differentiated 3T3L1 adipocyte. In conclusion, PSE deserves further study as a health functional ingredient for body weight control.

There are many economical and industrial as well as social demands enabling smart management of railway vehicle including parts management by introducing RFID system in railway vehicle. In this paper, overseas researches and developments which use cases of RFID were investigated and analyzed. In this process, cases of various industries adopting RFID technology as well as cases of railway part were investigated. RFID system is used mainly for railway vehicle position detection and identification of vehicles in the field of railway. Also there are cases of application on traceability management of railway vehicle parts. The system in which RFID technology can be applied to railway parts management and traceability management is necessary for smart management of domestic railway vehicle.

Currently, smartphone users often dissatisfy from the specifications provided by the manufacturer while using some services. Using swap operation is one way to solve this problem. In this paper, we evaluate the effect of swap in application switching for Android platform. By utilizing swap, the number of active applications is increased, and the application loading time is decreased, improving users experience performance. In addition, due to less time consumption, the swap also contributes to reduce the total energy consumption. Finally, from our experiments, in order to better support the swap, we realized that the sequential performance of storage with large I/O is important due to storage feature. 