Chung-Ang University

About: Chung-Ang University is a education organization based out in Seoul, South Korea. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Thin film. The organization has 13381 authors who have published 26978 publications receiving 416735 citations. The organization is also known as: CAU & Chung.

Mesenchymal stem cell transplantation in a rabbit corneal alkali burn model: engraftment and involvement in wound healing.

Abstract: To investigate whether systemically transplanted mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can home and engraft in tissue to promote cornea wound healing after alkali burn, as a new source for treatment. Corneal alkali burn was created in four group rabbits: Group I, normal bone marrow function, without MSCs transplantation; Group II, normal bone marrow function, with MSCs transplantation; Group III, bone marrow suppressed by cyclophosphamide, without MSCs; Group IV, bone marrow suppressed by cyclophosphamide, with MSCs. Clinical outcome was evaluated by cornea re-epithelization, cornea opacity, and neovascularization. Cell engraftment into bone marrow, circulation, and cornea was monitored. Immunohistochemistry, using proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), P63, vimentin, and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was carried out to assess the cell proliferative and differentiative ability. At the time of 1-month follow-up, Group II rabbits showed the best clinical results with a clearer healed cornea compared with other groups. Well-formed neovascularization appeared on day 14 after alkali burn in Group II, that coincided with the maximum engraftment of MSCs. PCNA, P63, vimentin were more strongly expressed in Group II at multiple time points. DiI-labelled MSCs were differentiated into myofibroblast by the expression of α-SMA. Delayed and insufficient cell engraftment, with malformed neovascularization and retarded corneal wound healing was found in Groups III and IV. Systemically transplanted MSCs can engraft to injured cornea to promote wound healing, by differentiation, proliferation, and synergizing with haemotopoietic stem cells.

β-Decay Half-Lives of 110 Neutron-Rich Nuclei across the N ¼ 82 Shell Gap: Implications for the Mechanism and Universality of the Astrophysical r Process

Abstract: The $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay half-lives of 110 neutron-rich isotopes of the elements from $_{37}\mathrm{Rb}$ to $_{50}\mathrm{Sn}$ were measured at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory. The 40 new half-lives follow robust systematics and highlight the persistence of shell effects. The new data have direct implications for $r$-process calculations and reinforce the notion that the second ($A\ensuremath{\approx}130$) and the rare-earth-element ($A\ensuremath{\approx}160$) abundance peaks may result from the freeze-out of an $(n,\ensuremath{\gamma})\ensuremath{\rightleftarrows}(\ensuremath{\gamma},n)$ equilibrium. In such an equilibrium, the new half-lives are important factors determining the abundance of rare-earth elements, and allow for a more reliable discussion of the $r$ process universality. It is anticipated that universality may not extend to the elements Sn, Sb, I, and Cs, making the detection of these elements in metal-poor stars of the utmost importance to determine the exact conditions of individual $r$-process events.

Influence of Soil Components on the Biodegradation of Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and o-, m-, and p-Xylenes by the Newly Isolated Bacterium Pseudoxanthomonas spadix BD-a59

Abstract: A bacterium designated strain BD-a59, able to degrade all six benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and o-, m-, and p-xylene (BTEX) compounds, was isolated by plating gasoline-contaminated sediment from a gasoline station in Geoje, Republic of Korea, without enrichment, on minimal salts basal (MSB) agar containing 0.01% yeast extract, with BTEX as the sole carbon and energy source. Taxonomic analyses showed that the isolate belonged to Pseudoxanthomonas spadix, and until now, the genus Pseudoxanthomonas has not included any known BTEX degraders. The BTEX biodegradation rate was very low in MSB broth, but adding a small amount of yeast extract greatly enhanced the biodegradation. Interestingly, degradation occurred very quickly in slurry systems amended with sterile soil solids but not with aqueous soil extract. Moreover, if soil was combusted first to remove organic matter, the enhancement effect on BTEX biodegradation was lost, indicating that some components of insoluble organic compounds are nutritionally beneficial for BTEX degradation. Reverse transcriptase PCR-based analysis of field-fixed mRNA revealed expression of the tmoA gene, whose sequence was closely related to that carried by strain BD-a59. This study suggests that strain BD-a59 has the potential to assist in BTEX biodegradation at contaminated sites.