This investigation focused on a comprehensive design for decontamination of actual uranium (U)-contaminated soil/gravel from economical and practical perspectives. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an ultrasonic process in decontaminating U-contaminated soil/gravel. Several decontamination experiments were carried out to investigate the total U concentration in U-contaminated soil/gravel, consisting of (i) soluble U under a neutral pH condition, (ii) insoluble U fine particles at the surface of soil/gravel, and (iii) strongly (or chemically) bound U in soil/gravel. Subsequently, we adopted an ultrasonic process for decontamination of crushed U-contaminated gravel to meet the guideline for the clearance level of U (<1 Bq center dot g(- 1)) suggested by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Normalized decontamination performance tended to increase with increasing ultrasonic frequency, and the U concentration in a relatively low concentration sample met the required clearance level of U after decontamination by relatively high ultrasonic frequency under a neutral pH condition. In addition, the OH center dot concentration in solution during ultrasonication was attributed to the removal of strongly (or chemically) bound U in gravel. Finally, on the basis of an economic analysis comparing the present study with our previous study and permanent disposal of all of the U-contaminated soil/gravel without any decontamination, the suggested comprehensive zero liquid discharge system is expected to be a feasible and viable strategy.

This study aimed to develop an efficient recycling process for wastewater generated from soil-washing used to remediate uranium (U(VI))-contaminated soil. Under acidic conditions, U(VI) ions leached from the soil were precipitated and separated through neutralization using hydrazine (N2H4). N2H4, employed as a pH adjuster, was decomposed into nitrogen gas (N2), water (H2O), and hydrogen ions (H+) by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The residual N2H4 was precipitated when the pH was adjusted using sulfuric acid (H2SO4) to recycle the wastewater in the soil-washing process. This purified wastewater was reused in the soil-washing process for a total of ten cycles. The results confirmed that the soil-washing performance for U(VI)-contaminated soil was maintained when using recycled wastewater. All in all, this study proposes an efficient recycling process for wastewater generated during the remediation of U(VI)-contaminated soil.

In the pyroprocessing of used nuclear fuel, it is difficult to recover U in a recyclable form from LiCl–KCl eutectic salt containing a high concentration of rare earths (REs) by co-deposition of U and RE. To derive a solution to this problem, it is necessary to develop a technology to reduce the RE concentration or separate the RE in the salt. To this end, an integrated process of chemical conversion of UCl3 into an oxide form and electro-deposition of NdCl3 in a metal form was evaluated using a simulated LiCl–KCl salt containing about 1.4 wt

This study investigated, from practical and engineering perspectives, a systematic design and its ability to remediate real U-contaminated soil, with the aim of assessing the performance of a zero liquid discharge system for treating wastewater from a soil-washing process. Specifically, we carried out a purification process for U-contaminated soil and its wastewater; the proposed method consisted of U(VI) precipitation, solid–liquid separation with a filter-press, and distillation of the filtrate on the basis of U(VI) concentration. Experimental results indicated complete separation of uranium from the contaminated soil. Self-disposal of the treated soil was possible because it contained uranium at a concentration less than 1.0 Bq·g−1, which the International Atomic Energy Agency has suggested as the clearance level for radionuclides. In terms of the zero liquid discharge system, the distillation process enabled not only water reuse of the filtrate after solid–liquid separation but also self-disposal of high-purity Na2SO4 in the residues of the distilled filtrate. According to a comparison of the economic analysis between direct disposal and the application of a remediation process to treat U-contaminated soil, the proposed comprehensive zero liquid discharge system for the treatment of U-contaminated soil is a practical and feasible option. We anticipate that the valuable experimental results and implications in this study will play a significant role in both academia and industry given the demonstration of design and applicability of the proposed zero liquid discharge system to treat wastewater generated from real U-contaminated soil.

Decontamination wastewater generated from the HyBRID decontamination process of the primary system in a nuclear power plant contains impurities such as sulfate ions, metal ions containing radioactive nuclides, and hydrazine (carcinogenic agent). For this reason, it is necessary to develop a technology to remove these impurities from the wastewater to a safe level. In this study, it has been conducted to remove the impurities using a decontamination wastewater surrogate, and a treatment process of the HyBRID decontamination wastewater has been established. The performance and applicability of the treatment process have been verified through 1 L scale of replicates and a pilot scale (300 L/batch) test.

It is very important to minimize the secondary waste generation for the decontamination of the primary coolant system. The SP-HyBRID process can obtain a similar decontamination performance to the HP CORD UV process. The SP-HyBRID decontamination wastewater can be purified by a precipitation process using Ba(OH)2, and the waste generation can be greatly reduced. For this reason, removal tests of impurities in a SP-HyBRID decontamination wastewater surrogate were conducted using the precipitation process. As the results, the impurities in the surrogate were effectively removed, and the waste generation was reduced by 60% when compared with the HP CORD UV process.

In this study, the chlorination of uranium oxide (UO2) using ammonium chloride and zirconium as chemical agents was conducted to recover the uranium in the anode basket residues from the pyro-chemical process of used nuclear fuel. The chlorination of UO2 was predicted using thermodynamic equilibrium calculations. The experimental conditions for the chlorination were determined using a chlorination test with cerium oxide (CeO2). In the chlorination test, it was confirmed that UO2 was chlorinated into UCl3 at 320 degrees C, some UO2 remained without changes in the chemical form, and ZrO2, Zr2O, and ZrCl2 were generated as byproducts. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In this study, the chlorination of uranium metal using ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) was conducted to derive an easy and simple uranium chloride production method without impurities. In thermodynamic equilibrium calculations, it was predicted that only uranium chlorides can be produced by the reactions between uranium metal and NH4Cl. Experimental conditions for the chlorination of uranium metal were determined using a chlorination test of cerium metal using NH4Cl. It was confirmed that UCl3 and UCl4 in the form of particles as uranium chlorination products can be obtained from the chlorination method using NH4Cl.

Estimation of centerline temperature of nuclear glass waste form for each waste stream is very essential in the period of storage because the centerline temperature being over its glass transition temperature results in the increase of leaching rate of radioactive nuclides due to the devitrification of glass waste form. Here, to verify the effects of waste form diameter and transuranic element content in the rare earth waste on the centerline temperature of the waste form, the surrogate rare earth glass waste generated from pyrochemical process was immobilized with SiO2-Al2O3-B2O3 glass flit system, and thermal properties of the rare earth glass waste form were determined by thermomechanical analysis and thermal conductivity analysis. The estimation of centerline temperature was carried out using the experimental thermal data and steady-state conduction equation in a long and solid cylinder type waste form. It was revealed that thermal stability of waste form in case of 0.3 m diameter was not affected by the TRU content even in the case of 80% TRU recovery ratio in the electrowinning process, meaning that the waste form of 0.3 m diameter is thermally stable due to the low centerline temperature relative to its glass transition temperature of the rare earth glass waste form. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Background: Arachidonic acid (AA) is an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid present in all mammalian cell membranes, and involved in the regulation of many cellular processes, including cell survival, angiogenesis, and mitogenesis.The dermal papilla, composed of specialized fibroblasts located in the bulb of the hair follicle, contributes to the control of hair growth and the hair cycle.Objective: This study investigated the effect of AA on hair growth by using in vivo and in vitro models.Methods: The effect of AA on human dermal papilla cells (hDPCs) and hair shaft elongation was evaluated by MTT assay and hair follicle organ culture, respectively.The expression of various growth and survival factors in hDPCs were investigated by western blot or immunohistochemistry.The ability of AA to induce and prolong anagen phase in C57BL/6 mice was analyzed.Results: AA was found to enhance the viability of hDPCs and promote the expression of several factors responsible for hair growth, including fibroblast growth factor-7 (FGF-7) and FGF-10.Western blotting identified the role of AA in the phosphorylation of various transcription factors (ERK, CREB, and AKT) and increased expression of Bcl-2 in hDPCs.In addition, AA significantly promoted hair shaft elongation, with increased proliferation of matrix keratinocytes, during ex vivo hair follicle culture.It was also found to promote hair growth by induction and prolongation of anagen phase in telogen-stage C57BL/6 mice.Conclusion: This study concludes that AA plays a role in promoting hair growth by increasing the expression of growth factors in hDPCs and enhancing follicle proliferation and survival.(

The pyrochemical process for the recycling of used nuclear fuels generates LiCl and LiCl–KCl waste salt during a series of processes. In particular, for the reduction of LiCl–KCl waste volume, radioactive rare earth nuclides in the LiCl–KCl waste salt are separated by a phosphorylation precipitation reaction, generating rare earth phosphate waste in a powder form. In this study, for the immobilization of rare earth phosphate wastes, rare earth calcium phosphate (RCP) glass waste forms have been fabricated using a CaO–P2O5 glass system under a moderate vitrification temperature of below 1200°C. Vitrification properties of NdPO4, which is a representative rare earth phosphate material have been investigated through XRD, SEM, EDX, DSC, IR, and density measurements. The RCP glass waste form fabricated from the 4CaO–6P2O5 system showed an immobilization capacity of about 32wt.% NdPO4 waste loading. Also, chemical durabilities of RCP glass waste forms are investigated by PCT-A test.

In this study, the effect of cold drawing and heat treatment on the microstructure of Invar36 alloy wire was investigated. Invar36 alloy wire is used as a transmission line core material, and is required to have high strength. The diameter of the Invar36 alloy wire specimens were reduced from 16 mm to 4.3 mm after three cold drawing and two heat treatment processes, thereby increasing tensile strength. Specimens were taken after each of the cold drawing and heat treatment processes, and their microstructure and tensile properties were analyzed. The Invar36 alloy wire had a gamma(-)(Fe, Ni) phase matrix before the cold drawing and heat treatment processes. After the cold drawing processes, {220} and {200} textures were mainly achieved. After the heat treatment processes, a {220} recrystallization gamma(-)(Fe, Ni) phase was formed with fine carbides. The recrystallization gamma(-)(Fe, Ni) phase grains had low dislocation density, so they probably accommodated a large amount of deformation during the cold drawing processes.

Background Hand eczema is one of the most common skin disorders and negatively affects quality of life. However, a large-scale multicenter study investigating the clinical features of patients with hand eczema has not yet been conducted in Korea. Objective To identify the prevalence of various hand diseases, which is defined as all cutaneous disease occurring in hands, and to investigate the clinical features of patients with hand eczema and the awareness about hand eczema in the general population and to compare the prevalence of hand eczema between health care providers and non-health care providers. Methods To estimate the prevalence of hand diseases, we analyzed the medical records of patients from 24 medical centers. Patients were assessed by online and offline questionnaires. A 1,000 from general population and 913 hand eczema patients answered the questionnaire, for a total of 1,913 subjects. Results The most common hand disease was irritant contact dermatitis. In an online survey, the lifetime prevalence of hand eczema was 31.2%. Hand eczema was more likely to occur in females (66.0%) and younger (20~39 years, 53.9%). Health care providers and housewives were the occupations most frequently associated with hand eczema. Winter (33.6%) was the most common season which people experienced aggravation. The 63.0% and 67.0% answered that hand eczema hinders their personal relationship and negatively affects daily living activities, respectively. Conclusion Hand eczema is a very common disease and hinders the quality of life. The appropriate identification of hand eczema is necessary to implement effective and efficient treatment.

In the pyrochemical process of used nuclear fuel, the purification of waste salts containing radioactive nuclides can greatly contribute to a radioactive waste reduction. For this reason, the purification of LiCl–KCl eutectic salt containing rare earth chlorides was performed using a series of the phosphorylation process and the distillation process. LiCl–KCl eutectic salt recovered from the purification had a very low concentration (<1 ppm) for the rare earth chlorides. The recycling feasibility of the recovered salt was verified through a uranium electro-deposition test using LiCl–KCl eutectic salt as the electrolyte. Based on these results, one body type of reactive distillation equipment with two top covers was designed.

If group II nuclides, which contain high heat-generative elements, in waste salt are fabricated into a waste form rich in group II nuclides, the waste form can be used in radionuclide thermoelectric generator applications. For this reason, the separation of group II nuclides in salt (LiCl, LiCl-KCl) was conducted, after which a waste form rich in them was fabricated. In this study, group II nuclide chlorides in salt were effectively separated into a carbonate or oxychloride form, and the separated nuclides were successfully fabricated into a homogenous and stable glass waste form with high contents (45-50 wt%) of these nuclides. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

TO THE EDITOR Sensitive skin is defined as an exaggerated reaction to environmental factors, characterized by prickling, burning, itching, stinging, pain, or tingling sensation (Berardesca et al., 2006Berardesca E. Fluhr J.W. Maibach H.I. Sensitive Skin Syndrome. 1st. CRC Press, New York2006: 1-5Google Scholar; Farage and Maibach, 2010Farage M.A. Maibach H.I. Sensitive skin: closing in on a physiological cause.Contact Dermatitis. 2010; 62: 137-149Crossref PubMed Scopus (81) Google Scholar). Recently, in addition to a previous notion that sensitive skin is associated with increased neurosensory responses, impaired skin barrier function, and altered immune responsiveness (Ständer et al., 2009Ständer S. Schneider S.W. Weishaupt C. et al.Putative neuronal mechanisms of sensitive skin.Exp Dermatol. 2009; 18: 417-423Crossref PubMed Scopus (106) Google Scholar), we discovered that sensitive skin is closely associated with the dysfunction of muscle contraction, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, and ion balance, by using an unbiased microarray analysis of skin samples obtained from subjects with sensitive or non-sensitive skin (Kim et al., 2014Kim E.J. Lee D.H. Kim Y.K. et al.Decreased ATP synthesis and lower pH may lead to abnormal muscle contraction and skin sensitivity in human skin.J Dermatol Sci. 2014; 76: 214-221Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (16) Google Scholar). However, the critical regulator implicated in the pathogenesis of sensitive skin remains still elusive. Previous microarray findings suggest that adiponectin (ADIPOQ) is one of the downregulated genes in sensitive skin (Kim et al., 2014Kim E.J. Lee D.H. Kim Y.K. et al.Decreased ATP synthesis and lower pH may lead to abnormal muscle contraction and skin sensitivity in human skin.J Dermatol Sci. 2014; 76: 214-221Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (16) Google Scholar). ADIPOQ is an adipocyte-derived adipokine with multiple salutary effects such as anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative activities, as well as anti-obesity and anti-insulin resistance roles in diverse organs and cells including skeletal muscles, liver, and adipose tissues (Goldstein and Scalia, 2004Goldstein B.J. Scalia R. Adiponectin: a novel adipokine linking adipocytes and vascular function.J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004; 89: 2563-2568Crossref PubMed Scopus (572) Google Scholar). Particularly, ADIPOQ is known to regulate muscle phenotypes and functions (Krause et al., 2008Krause M.P. Liu Y. Vu V. et al.Adiponectin is expressed by skeletal muscle fibers and influences muscle phenotype and function.Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2008; 295: C203-C212Crossref PubMed Scopus (128) Google Scholar). ADIPOQ induces vascular smooth muscle cell differentiation, suppresses triglyceride accumulation, and stimulates fatty acid oxidation and glucose uptake in myocytes (Yamauchi et al., 2002Yamauchi T. Kamon J. Minokoshi Y. et al.Adiponectin stimulates glucose utilization and fatty-acid oxidation by activating AMP-activated protein kinase.Nat Med. 2002; 8: 1288-1295Crossref PubMed Scopus (3440) Google Scholar). Healthy volunteers who perceived their skin to be 'sensitive' or 'non-sensitive' were recruited. Sensitive skin individuals were identified based on questionnaires and a 10% lactic acid stinging test as previously described (Farage and Maibach, 2010Farage M.A. Maibach H.I. Sensitive skin: closing in on a physiological cause.Contact Dermatitis. 2010; 62: 137-149Crossref PubMed Scopus (81) Google Scholar; Kim et al., 2014Kim E.J. Lee D.H. Kim Y.K. et al.Decreased ATP synthesis and lower pH may lead to abnormal muscle contraction and skin sensitivity in human skin.J Dermatol Sci. 2014; 76: 214-221Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (16) Google Scholar). Those with underlying skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, and rosacea were excluded. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at Seoul National University Hospital and conducted according to the Declaration of Helsinki. All subjects provided written informed consent. We found that the expression of ADIPOQ mRNA (Figure 1a) and protein (Figures 1b and c, as shown by Western blot and immunofluorescence staining, respectively) was markedly downregulated in sensitive skin tissues, in comparison with non-sensitive skin tissues. ADIPOQ binds to ADIPOQ receptor 1 (ADIPOR1) and ADIPOQ receptor 2 (ADIPOR2) and activates 5′-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). AMPK is a master regulator of glucose and lipid metabolism and is activated by various cellular stresses, physiologic stimuli such as muscle contraction, and hormones such as ADIPOQ (Hardie et al., 2006Hardie D.G. Hawley S.A. Scott J.W. AMP-activated protein kinase–development of the energy sensor concept.J Physiol. 2006; 574: 7-15Crossref PubMed Scopus (649) Google Scholar; Ruderman et al., 2013Ruderman N.B. Carling D. Prentki M. et al.AMPK, insulin resistance, and the metabolic syndrome.J Clin Invest. 2013; 123: 2764-2772Crossref PubMed Scopus (602) Google Scholar). ADIPOQ regulates peripheral and whole-body energy metabolism via controlling AMPK activity (Sattar and Sattar, 2012Sattar A.A. Sattar R. Globular adiponectin activates Akt in cultured myocytes.Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2012; 424: 753-757Crossref PubMed Scopus (7) Google Scholar). Expression of ADIPOR1/2 was reduced in sensitive skin (Figure 1d). In addition, the level of phospho-AMPK was markedly decreased in sensitive skin tissues, whereas the total AMPK level remained unchanged (Figure 1e). These results suggest that decreased expression of ADIPOQ and its receptors, accompanied by low AMPK activity, is implicated in the development of sensitive skin. To examine the contributory role of ADIPOQ in the pathogenesis of sensitive skin, we performed small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of the ADIPOQ gene in vitro. Our previous in vivo results obtained in sensitive skin tissues suggest that decreased synthesis of ATP and lower pH cause abnormal muscle contraction and skin sensitivity (Kim et al., 2014Kim E.J. Lee D.H. Kim Y.K. et al.Decreased ATP synthesis and lower pH may lead to abnormal muscle contraction and skin sensitivity in human skin.J Dermatol Sci. 2014; 76: 214-221Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (16) Google Scholar). Thus, we examined transcript and physiologic changes in human rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cells, as an in vitro model of human skeletal muscle, transfected with ADIPOQ siRNA. Intriguingly, transient transfection of ADIPOQ siRNA into RD cells recapitulated the distinct gene expression signature related to muscle composition, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, and ion balance (Figure 2a), as previously described in human sensitive skin in vivo (Kim et al., 2014Kim E.J. Lee D.H. Kim Y.K. et al.Decreased ATP synthesis and lower pH may lead to abnormal muscle contraction and skin sensitivity in human skin.J Dermatol Sci. 2014; 76: 214-221Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (16) Google Scholar). ATP amount was also significantly decreased in ADIPOQ siRNA–treated RD cells as measured using the ENLITEN ATP Assay System Bioluminescence Detection Kit (Promega, Madison, WI; Figure 2b). To measure intracellular pH, cells were incubated with 4 μM BCECF AM (Invitrogen, Life Technologies, Carlsbad, CA) or 5 μM SNARF-1 AM (Invitrogen), intracellular pH indicators. In comparison with control siRNA–transfected cells, ADIPOQ siRNA–transfected RD cells showed a much lower pH after the lactic acid challenge (Figure 2c) but higher expression of pain-related transcripts such as transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1), acid sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3), and calcitonin gene–related peptide (CGRP; Figure 2d), which is consistent with human sensitive skin in vivo (Kim et al., 2014Kim E.J. Lee D.H. Kim Y.K. et al.Decreased ATP synthesis and lower pH may lead to abnormal muscle contraction and skin sensitivity in human skin.J Dermatol Sci. 2014; 76: 214-221Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (16) Google Scholar). More specifically, we demonstrated that sensitive skin is closely associated with impaired acidic homeostasis and pain provocation via TRPV1, ASIC3, and CGRP. Tissue acidosis elicits pain via TRPV1, ASIC3, and CGRP (Holzer, 2009Holzer P. Acid-sensitive ion channels and receptors.Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2009; : 283-332Crossref PubMed Scopus (209) Google Scholar). Although ASICs are the main mediators of pain caused by moderate acidity, TRPV1, along with ASICs, contributes to pain elicited by more severe acidification (Holzer, 2009Holzer P. Acid-sensitive ion channels and receptors.Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2009; : 283-332Crossref PubMed Scopus (209) Google Scholar; Deval et al., 2010Deval E. Gasull X. Noel J. et al.Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs): pharmacology and implication in pain.Pharmacol Ther. 2010; 128: 549-558Crossref PubMed Scopus (238) Google Scholar). When these nociceptors are activated, several neuropeptides such as substance P and CGRP are released, and pain develops (Reeh and Kress, 2001Reeh P.W. Kress M. Molecular physiology of proton transduction in nociceptors.Curr Opin Pharmacol. 2001; 1: 45-51Crossref PubMed Scopus (140) Google Scholar). Next, we examined whether exogenous administration of ADIPOQ could rescue these alterations. Indeed, treatment of RD cells with ADIPOQ induced a substantial reduction in expressions of TRPV1, ASIC3, and CGRP, which were increased by knockdown of ADIPOQ (Figure 2d), suggesting a potential therapeutic role of ADIPOQ supplementation for sensitive skin. Moreover, in A7r5 muscle cells, which can contract in response to phorbol esters (Dykes et al., 2003Dykes A.C. Fultz M.E. Norton M.L. et al.Microtubule-dependent PKC-alpha localization in A7r5 smooth muscle cells.Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2003; 285: C76-C87Crossref PubMed Scopus (19) Google Scholar), ADIPOQ knockdown induced aberrant muscle contraction, characterized by loss of fiber structure and the formation of peripheral bodies throughout the interval of contraction, even in the vehicle-treated state, as well as following phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate stimulation (Figure 2e). Disruption of metabolic homeostasis can cause variable diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome, which are closely associated with reduced ADIPOQ production (Kadowaki et al., 2006Kadowaki T. Yamauchi T. Kubota N. et al.Adiponectin and adiponectin receptors in insulin resistance, diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome.J Clin Invest. 2006; 116: 1784-1792Crossref PubMed Scopus (2239) Google Scholar). Here, we demonstrated that sensitive skin is also linked to ADIPOQ deficiency and ensuing metabolic alterations. The reduced expression of ADIPOQ and corresponding receptors and the mitigation of AMPK activity in sensitive skin might be responsible for the downregulation of genes involved in carbohydrate and fat metabolism, and decreased ATP content and pH, which could induce dysfunction of muscle contraction, and pain sensation in sensitive skin (Figure 2f). Little is known about the relationship between sensitive skin and metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome. Reduced ADIPOQ production in sensitive skin may influence metabolic disorders or vice versa. If and how obesity, diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome are associated with sensitive skin need to be elucidated in future studies. To better understand the implications of ADIPOQ in sensitive skin, further genetic or prospective studies are needed to address whether reduced ADIPOQ production is an inherited or acquired abnormality. Moreover, as the cellular location of ADIPOQ and its receptors has not been precisely determined in the skin, the roles of ADIPOQ need to be examined in other contributory cells, as well as in other sensitive skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis. Finally, successful reversal of the aforementioned aberrations with ADIPOQ treatment raises the possibility of therapeutic ADIPOQ stimulation in sensitive skin. Further preclinical and clinical studies are warranted to confirm its role in the treatment of sensitive skin in vivo. This study was supported by a grant of the Korea Health Technology R&D Project through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), funded by the Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (grant number: HI14C1277).