Changes in the Outdoor Wear Market: Focused on the South Korean Market

People have become interested in wellness and health, which has led to well-being trends and increased participation in activities. Therefore, the outdoor wear market has shown growth for several years. However, the outdoor wear market of South Korea is becoming saturated. Moreover, Outdoor wear consumers are tired of same design products. The sportswear companies are trying to develop athleisure products. Therefore, it is time to develop outdoor products for emotional approach. According to results, when consumers purchase outdoor wear, they consider the functionality of the materials more than they do when purchasing ordinary clothes. Outdoor wear consumers\u27 pursued images were classified into three types: urban, minimalist, and active. Outdoor wear selection criteria were classified into two types: instrumental function and expressive function. Outdoor wear brands need to qualify their products functionally and meet their segmented consumers\u27 demands by developing products depending on their image from the planning stage

NKT cells promote antibody-induced joint inflammation by suppressing transforming growth factor β1 production

Although NKT cells has been known to exert protective roles in the development of autoimmune diseases, the functional roles of NKT cells in the downstream events of antibody-induced joint inflammation remain unknown. Thus, we explored the functional roles of NKT cells in antibody-induced arthritis using the K/BxN serum transfer model. NKT cell–deficient mice were resistant to the development of arthritis, and wild-type mice administrated with α-galactosyl ceramide, a potent NKT cell activator, aggravated arthritis. In CD1d−/− mice, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 was found to be elevated in joint tissues, and the blockade of TGF-β1 using neutralizing monoclonal antibodies restored arthritis. The administration of recombinant TGF-β1 into C57BL/6 mice reduced joint inflammation. Moreover, the adoptive transfer of NKT cells into CD1d−/− mice restored arthritis and reduced TGF-β1 production. In vitro assay demonstrated that interleukin (IL)-4 and interferon (IFN)-γ were involved in suppressing TGF-β1 production in joint cells. The adoptive transfer of NKT cells from IL-4−/− or IFN-γ−/− mice did not reverse arthritis and TGF-β1 production in CD1d−/− mice. In conclusion, NKT cells producing IL-4 and IFN-γ play a role in immune complex–induced joint inflammation by regulating TGF-β1

Discovery of Taeniid Eggs from A 17th Century Tomb in Korea

Even though Taenia spp. eggs are occasionally discovered from archeological remains around the world, these eggs have never been discovered in ancient samples from Korea. When we attempted to re-examine the archeological samples maintained in our collection, the eggs of Taenia spp., 5 in total number, were recovered from a tomb of Gongju-si. The eggs had radially striated embryophore, and 37.5-40.0 µm×37.5 µm in size. This is the first report on taeniid eggs from ancient samples of Korea, and it is suggested that intensive examination of voluminous archeological samples should be needed for identification of Taenia spp

Discovery of Maritrema obstipum (Digenea: Microphallidae) from Migratory Birds in Korea

Adults of Maritrema obstipum (Digenea: Microphallidae) were found in the intestines of 4 species of migratory birds, including the sanderling (Crocethia alba), Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrines), Mongolian plover (Charadrius mongolus), and red-necked stint (Calidris ruficollis), collected from Yubu Island, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea. The worms of were 451×265 µm in size, and were easily identifiable as Maritrema species by the presence of the cirrus sac, and the ring-like distribution of the vitellaria. More specifically, the ejaculatory duct curved posteromedially, and the 2 parts of vitelline follicles were found to be distinct at the posterior end. The eggs were brown-colored, and 19.8×12.3 µm in size. All these findings implicated M. obstipum as the pertinent species of the worms. Beside these, adult worms of Gynaecotyla squatarolae, Parvatrema duboisi, and Acanthoparyphium sp. were also discovered. This is the first report establishing migratory birds as the natural definitive hosts for M. obstipum

Surgical ciliated cyst of the mandible after orthognathic surgery: a case report with review of the literature

Background : Surgical ciliated cysts, also known as postoperative maxillary cysts or implantation cysts, occur mainly in the posterior maxilla after radical maxillary sinus surgery; they rarely develop in the mandible. They are thought to occur when the sinonasal epithelium is infiltrated by a surgical instrument during surgery or as a result of transplantation of bone or cartilage with respiratory epithelium attached. Case presentation : We report a case in which a surgical ciliated cyst developed in the anterior part of the mandible, presumably as a result of bimaxillary orthognathic surgery and genioplasty performed 24 years earlier. We then review the few similar cases reported in the literature. Conclusion : Surgical ciliated cysts in the mandible are extremely rare, but they could occur after simultaneous surgery on the maxilla and mandible, even decades later. To prevent surgical ciliated cysts in the mandible, we recommend that the surgical instruments, especially the saw blade used during bimaxillary surgery, be new or cleaned and that previously placed plates and screws be removed at an appropriate time

Effects of stress, depression, and spousal and familial support on maternal identity in pregnant women

Purpose The objective of this study was to identify the factors influencing maternal identity in pregnant women. Methods Using a descriptive research design, a cross-sectional survey was conducted. In total, 127 pregnant women were recruited from a tertiary hospital in Korea from January to April 2019. Measurements included maternal identity, stress, depression, spousal and familial support, and demographic and obstetric characteristics. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, the independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression using SPSS version 25.0. Results The mean score for maternal identity was 131.15 out of 160, and the mean scores for stress, depression, and spousal and familial support were 14.59 (out of 40), 6.82 (out of 30), and 109.04 (out of 132), respectively. Stress (r=–.38, p<.001), depression (r=–.37, p<.001), and spousal and familial support (r=.37, p<.001) were significantly correlated with maternal identity. In multiple regression analysis, stress (β=–0.27, p=.005) and spousal and familial support (β=0.23, p=.014) were found to be significant factors influencing maternal identity in pregnant women (F=14.19, p<.001). Conclusion It is necessary to develop effective strategies to mitigate stress and to encourage spousal and familial support in pregnant women. Such strategies could further enable pregnant women to enhance their maternal identity

Application of a non-halogenated solvent, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) for recovery of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) [P(HB-co-HV)] from bacterial cells

Conventional solvent-based methods are still the most practical approaches for recovery of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) polymer from cellular biomass, even though potential alternatives exist, including chemical, mechanical, and enzymatic methods. It is still necessary, however, to avoid dangerous and environmentally unfriendly solvents (e.g., chloroform and dichloromethane) in the polymer recovery process. In the work presented here, we applied various solvent systems to recover PHA from Ralstonia eutropha and recombinant Escherichia coli cells. It was demonstrated that methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) is a promising solvent for PHA recovery from bacterial cells, particularly for the copolymer poly(hydroxybutyrate-cohydroxyvalerate) [P(HB-co-HV)], exhibiting > 90% polymer recovery. Even though MEK did not solubilize PHAs to the same extent as chloroform, it can recover a comparable amount of polymer because of its processing advantages, such as the low viscosity of the MEK/PHA solution, and the lower density of MEK as compared to cellular components. MEK was found to be the best alternative, non-halogenated solvent among examined candidates for recovery of P(HB-co-HV) from cells. The MEK treatment of PHAcontaining cells further allowed us to eliminate several costly and lengthy steps in the extraction process, such as cell lysis, centrifugation, and filtration.Korea (South). Ministry of Education (Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF- 2013R1A1A2A10004690))Korea Polar Research Institute (PE14030

Alcohol induces cell proliferation via hypermethylation of ADHFE1 in colorectal cancer cells

BACKGROUND: The hypermethylation of Alcohol dehydrogenase iron containing 1 (ADHFE1) was recently reported to be associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) differentiation. However, the effect of alcohol on ADHFE1 hypermethylation in CRC is still unclear. METHODS: The methylation status and expression levels of ADHFE1 were investigated in primary tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues of 73 patients with CRC, one normal colon cell line, and 4 CRC cell lines (HT-29, SW480, DLD-1, and LoVo) by quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (QMSP) and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (real time PCR), respectively. The effect of alcohol on the methylation status of ADHFE1 was analyzed in HT-29, SW480, DLD-1, and CCD18Co cells using QMSP, real-time PCR, immunoblot, and cell proliferation assay. RESULTS: ADHFE1 was hypermethylated in 69 of 73 CRC tissues (95%) compared to adjacent normal tissues (p < 0.05). The mRNA expression of ADHFE1 was significantly reduced in CRC compared to adjacent normal tissues (p < 0.05) and its expression was decreased in the alcohol consumption group (p < 0.05). ADHFE1 was hypermethylated and its expression was decreased in 4 CRC cell lines compared with normal colon cell line. Alcohol induced hypermethylation of ADHFE1, decreased its expression, and stimulated cell proliferation of HT-29, SW480, and DLD-1cells. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that the promoter hypermethylation of ADHFE1 is frequently present in CRC and alcohol induces methylation-mediated down expression of ADHFE1 and proliferation of CRC cells