• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.187-195
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• 2023

Almost all of the water from agricultural dams located to the upper of the Yeongsan river is supplied as irrigation water for farmland and thus is not discharged to the main stream of the river. Also, most of the irrigation water does not return to the river after use, adding to the lack of flow in the main stream. As a result, the water quality and aquatic health of the river have become the poorest among the four major rivers in Korea. Therefore, in this study, several strategies for water quality improvement of the river were developed considering pollution reduction and flow rate increase, and their effect analysis was performed using a water quality model. The results of this study showed that the target water quality of the Yeongsan river could be achieved if flow increase strategies (FISs) are intensively pursued in parallel with pollution reduction. The reason is because the water quality of the river has been steadily improved through pollution reduction but this method is now nearing the limit. In addition, rainfall-related FISs such as dam construction and water distribution adjustment may be less effective or lost if a megadrought continues due to climate change and then rainfall does not occur for a long time. Therefore, in the future, if the application conditions for the FISs are similar, the seawater desalination facility, which is independent of rainfall, should be considered as the priority installation target among the FISs. The reason is that seawater desalination facilities can replace the water supply function of dams, which are difficult to newly build in Korea, and can be useful as a climate change adaptation facility by preventing water-related disasters in the event of a long-term megadrought.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.183-196
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• 2024

This study investigated the protective effect of the aqueous extract of Eucommia ulmoides leaves (AEEL) against high glucose-induced human colon epithelial HT-29 cells. The 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethyl benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazy (DPPH) radical scavenging activities, ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP), and malondialdehyde (MDA) analyses indicated that AEEL had significant antioxidant activities. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay showed that AEEL increased cell viability against high glucose-, H₂O₂-, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cytotoxicity in HT-29 cells. Also, the 2'-7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCF-DA) assay indicated that AEEL decreased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) against high glucose-, H₂O₂-, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cytotoxicity in HT-29 cells. AEEL showed inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase and inhibited the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). AEEL showed significant positive effects on the viability and titratable acidity of L. brevis. The high-performance liquid chromatogram (HPLC) analysis identified chlorogenic acid and rutin as the major compounds of AEEL. These results suggested that AEEL has the potential to be used as a functional food source to suppress blood glucose levels and protect the gut from high glucose-induced oxidative stress.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.674-684
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• 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of acute listening to music on the cardiovascular reactivity to sympathoexcitation. In this crossover design study, 15 healthy adults(23.1±1.94(yrs) were randomized to either (1)acute listen to the subject's preferred music for 30 minutes and (2)sat as a time control by an experiment coordinator. After completing each trial, the cold pressor test(CPT) was conducted. Heart rate(HR) and blood pressure(BP) were measured for 4 times at baseline, during and after the CPT. Heart rate variability(HRV) were measured for 3 times at baseline, prior and after the CPT. HR and BP increased during the CPT in both trial and returned to baseline after CPT(time effect, p < .001). After CPT, brachial systolic BP reactivity to the CPT was attenuated in listening to music trial compared to control trial(p = . 008). As a result of heart rate variability(HRV), the difference values between the baseline and prior to the CPT showed a significant increase in standard deviation of the NN intervals(SDNN), total power(TP) and high frequency(HF) only in the music trial (p = .001, p = .002, p = .011). The difference value between prior to and after the CPT did not show significance. But compared with the control trial, the music trial was confirmed that SDNN, TP and HF were more activated. Therefore, listening to music alleviated anxiety and tension before the CPT, and it is estimated that it had a favorable effect on stability after the CPT. This findings showed that listening to music may have a positive effect on brachial systolic BP and HRV to sympathoexcitation.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.120-129
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• 2024

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a significant risk factor in the global disease burden. The stem bark of the Betulaceae plant Alnus japonica, which is indigenous to Korea, has been used as a popular folk medicine for hepatitis and cancer. However, the preventive effect of Alnus japonica leaf extracts on alcohol-related liver damage has not been investigated. The objective of this study was to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of the extracts of Alnus japonica leaf (AJL) against ethanol-induced liver damage in HepG2/2E1 cells. Treatment with AJL significantly prevented ethanol-induced cytotoxicity in HepG2/2E1 cells by reducing the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). This protective effect was likely associated with antioxidant potential of AJL, as evidenced by the attenuation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) production and restoration of the depleted glutathione (GSH) levels in ethanol-induced HepG2/2E1 cells. Our findings suggest that FCC might be considered as a useful agent in the prevention of liver damage induced by oxidative stress by increasing the antioxidant defense mechanism.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.339-355
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• 2024

The pulmonary system is a highly complex system that can only be understood by integrating its functional and structural aspects. Hence, in vivo animal models are generally used for pathological studies of pulmonary diseases and the evaluation of inhalation toxicity. However, to reduce the number of animals used in experimentation and with the consideration of animal welfare, alternative methods have been extensively developed. Notably, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) have agreed to prohibit animal testing after 2030. Therefore, the latest advances in biotechnology are revolutionizing the approach to developing in vitro inhalation models. For example, lung organ-on-a-chip (OoC) and organoid models have been intensively studied alongside advancements in three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting and microfluidic systems. These modeling systems can more precisely imitate the complex biological environment compared to traditional in vivo animal experiments. This review paper addresses multiple aspects of the recent in vitro modeling systems of lung OoC and organoids. It includes discussions on the use of endothelial cells, epithelial cells, and fibroblasts composed of lung alveoli generated from pluripotent stem cells or cancer cells. Moreover, it covers lung air-liquid interface (ALI) systems, transwell membrane materials, and in silico models using artificial intelligence (AI) for the establishment and evaluation of in vitro pulmonary systems.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.212-227
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• 2000

This study was designed to testify the reliability and validation on the Korean version of the Social Adaptation Self-rating Scale(SASS) which was developed from Bose et al. for the evaluation of social motivation and behavior of depressed patients in 1997. Interests for the social world, those of social functioning, of patients were involved in the addition of new measure of disturbance. And those were distinct from abnormalities of thought, mood and symptoms of patients with major depression. As the previous reports there were several evidences that treatments may be less likely to be effective if the system they act on is dysfunctional. Thus, a better social situation favoured better outcome. As a matter of fact, however, those reports were developed in the course of the evaluation of interpersonal therapy(IPT) and cognitive therapy. Accordingly the conversed question -whether pharmacological therapy with antidepressants can impact on social functioning in addition to addressing the core features of illness- has been addressed. To date, anyhow, it is accepted that enhancement of social functioning may be a therapeutic principle in its own right and illness rarely divorced from social context. In terms of those concepts the introduction of an assessment of social functioning into pharmacotherapeutic studies of depression has been welcomed and might be a potent instrument for evaluating the relative pharmacoeconomic benefits of different treatments. Despite of many scales which were applied for the evaluation of symptoms in the patients with depression, however, the scale for the evaluation of social functiong has not been introduced in Korea yet. Thus, this study was designed to introduce the concepts of social functioning in the patients with depression and to testify the reliability and validation on Korean version of SASS. This Korean version of SASS was submitted to a reliability and validation procedure based on the data from healthy general population survey in 291 individuals and 40 patients with major depression. Cronbach a was 0.790 in total subjects group and the correlation of test-retest was statistically significant(y=0.653, p<0.0l). Thus, the Korean version of SASS might be shown to be valid and reliable. The results of multivariate analyses allowed the identification of 3 principle factors(factor 1 = intersts in social activities, factor 2 = active interpersonal relationship, factor 3 = selfesteem) in normal group, however, it could be counted as only one factor in the depression group because nearly total items of SASS were involved in factor 1. In the view of these results, the Korean version of SASS may be useful additional tool for the evaluation of social functioning in depression.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.457-473
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• 2002

The purposes of this study is to evaluate the combination effects of TGF-${\beta}_1$ and PDGF-BB on the periodontal ligament cells to use as a regeneration promoting agent of periodontal tissue. Human periodontal ligament cells were prepared from the first premolar tooth extracted for the orthodontic treatment and were cultured in DMEM/100% FBS at the $37^{\circ}C$, 5% $CO_2$ incubator. Authors measured the DNA synthesis, total protein, collagen and noncollagenous protein synthesis according to the concentration of TGF-${\beta}_1$,(1,5ng/ml) and PDGF-BB (1,10 ng/ml) in combination. To explore further this delayed effect of TGF-${\beta}_1$, we preincubated human periodontal ligament cells with TGF-${\beta}_1$ for 4 or 24 hours before PDGF-BB stimulation. The results were as follows: The DNA synthetic activity was increased dose dependently by TGF-${\beta}_1$, PDGF-BB. The combination of TGF-${\beta}_1$ and PDGF-BB consistently enhanced the DNA synthetic activity to PDGF-BB alone. The ability of TGF-${\beta}_1$ to enhance DNA synthetic activity in PDGF-BB treated periodontal ligament cells was dose dependent. The maximum mitogenic effect was at the 5ng/ml of TGF-${\beta}_1$ and l0ng/ml of PDGF-BB. Preincubation of cell with TGF-${\beta}_1$ resulted in significantly greater response to PDGF-BB at all TGF-${\beta}_1$ concentration studied, and may be useful for clinical application in periodontal regenerative procedures. The total protein, collagen and noncollagen synthesis was increased dose pendently by TGF-${\beta}_1$, PDGF-BB. The % of collagen was slightly decreased according to the concentration of TGF-${\beta}_1$, PDGF-BB. The effect of TGF-${\beta}_1$, PDGF-BB were not specific for collagen synthesis since it also increased noncollagenous protein synthesis. This study demonstrates that PDGF-BB is major mitogens for human periodontal ligament cells in vitro, and supports a role for TGF-${\beta}_1$ as a regulation of the mitogenic and total protein formation to PDGF-BB in these cells.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.569-583
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• 1995

Background: The expression of the adhesion molecules on the cell surface is important in the movement of cells and the modulation of immune response. DILD starts as an alveolitis and progresses to pulmonary fibrosis. So adhesion molecules in these patients is expected to be increased. There are several reports about adhesion molecules in DILD in terms of the percentage of positive cells in immuno-stain, in which the interpretation is subjective and the data were variable. Methods: So we measured the relative median fluorescence intensity(RMFI) which is the ratio of the FI emitted by bound primary monoclonal antibody to FI emitted by isotypic control antibody of the cells in BALF of 28 patients with DILD(IPF:10, collagen disease:7, sarcoidosis:9, hypersensitivity pneumonitis:2) and 9 healthy control. Results: RMFI of the ICAM-1 on AM($3.30{\pm}1.16$) and lymphocyte($5.39{\pm}.70$) of DILD were increased significantly than normal control($0.93{\pm}0.18$, $1.06{\pm}0.21$, respectively, p=0.001, P=0.003). RMFI of the CD18 on lymphocyte was also higher($24.9{\pm}14.9$) than normal($4.59{\pm}3.77$, p=0.0023). And there was a correlation between RMFI of ICAM on AM and the % of AM(r=-0.66, p=0.0001) and lymphocyte(r=0.447, p=0.0116) in BALF. Also RMFI of ICAM on lymphocyte had a significant (r=0.593, p=0.075) correlation with the % of IL-2R(+) lymphocyte in BALF. The soluble ICAM(sICAM) in serum was also significantly elevated in DILD($499.7{\pm}222.2\;ng/ml$) compred to normal($199.0{\pm}38.9$) (p=0.00097) and sICAM in BAL fluid was also significantly higher than normal control group($41.8{\pm}23.0\;ng/ml$ vs $20.1{\pm}13.6\;ng/ml$). There was a Significant correlation between sICAM level in serum and the expression of ICAM-l on AM(r=0.554, p=0.0259).Conclusion: These data suggest that in DILD the expression of adhesion molecules is increased in the AM and BAL lymphocytes with elevated serum sICAM, and these parameter may be useful in determining disease activity.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.39-45
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• 2022

This study aimed to investigate the validation and modify the analytical method to determine quercetin-3-𝑜-gentiobioside and isoquercitrin in Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench for the standardization of ingredients in development of functional health products. The analytical method was validated based on the ICH (International Conference for Harmonization) guidelines to verify the reliability and validity there of on the specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision, detection limit and quantification limit. For the HPLC analysis method, the peak retention time of the index component of the standard solution and the peak retention time of the index component of A. esculentus L. Moench powder sample were consistent with the spectra thereof, confirming the specificity. The calibration curves of quercetin-3-𝑜-gentiobioside and isoquercitrin showed a linearity with a near-one correlation coefficient (0.9999 and 0.9999), indicating the high suitability thereof for the analysis. A. esculentus L. Moench powder sample of a known concentration were prepared with low, medium, and high concentrations of standard substances and were calculated for the precision and accuracy. The precision of quercetin-3-𝑜-gentiobioside and isoquercitrin was confirmed for intra-day and daily. As a result, the intra-day precision was found to be 0.50-1.48% and 0.77-2.87%, and the daily precision to be 0.07-3.37% and 0.58-1.37%, implying an excellent precision at level below 5%. As a result of accuracy measurement, the intra-day accuracy of quercetin-3-𝑜-gentiobioside and isoquercitrin was found to be 104.87-109.64% and the daily accuracy thereof was found to be 106.85-109.06%, reflecting high level of accuracy. The detection limits of quercetin-3-𝑜-gentiobioside and isoquercitrin were 0.24 ㎍/mL and 0.16 ㎍/mL, respectively, whereas the quantitation limits were 0.71 ㎍/mL and 0.49 ㎍/mL, confirming that detection was valid at the low concentrations as well. From the analysis, the established analytical method was proven to be excellent with high level of results from the verification on the specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy, detection limit and quantitation limit thereof. In addition, as a result of analyzing the content of A. esculentus L. Moench powder samples using a validated analytical method, quercetin-3-𝑜-gentiobioside was analyzed to contain 1.49±0.01 mg/dry weight g, while isoquercitrin contained 1.39±0.01 mg/dry weight g. The study was conducted to verify that the simultaneous analysis on quercetin-3-𝑜-gentiobioside and isoquercitrin, the indicators of A. esculentus L. Moench, is a scientifically reliable and suitable analytical method.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.141-158
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• 1994

To provide better health care services to the rural population, the government has made the Community Health Practitioner(CHP) a regular government official from April 1, 1992. This study was carried out to study the impact of officialization of CHP on the activities and management system of Primary Health Post(PHP). Fifty PHPs were selected by two stage sampling, cluster and simple random, from 595 PHPs in Kyungnam and Kyungpook provinces. Data were collected by a personal interview with CHPs and review of records and reports kept in the PHPs. The study was done for the periods of January 1-March 31, 1992 (before officialization) and January 1-March 31, 1993 (after officialization). Ninety-six percent of the CHPs wanted to become a regular government official in the hope of better job security and higher salary. The proportion of CHPs who were proud of their iob was increased from 24% to 46% after officialization. Those CHPs who felt insecure for their job decreased from 30% to 10%. Monthly salary was increased by 34% from 802,600 Won to 1,076,000 Won and 90% of the CHPs were satisfied with their salary, also more CHPs responded that they have autonomy in their work planning, implementation of plan, management of the post, and evaluation of their activity. There were no appreciable changes in such CHPs' activities as assessment of local health resources, drawing map for the catchment area, utilization of community organization, grasping the current population structure in the catchment area, keeping the family health records, individual and group health education, and school health service. However, the number of home visits was increased from 13.6 times on the average per month per CHP to 27.5 times. More mothers and children were referred to other medical facilities for the immunization and family planning services. Average number of patients of hypertension, cancer, and diabetes in three months period was decreased from 12.7 to 11.6, from 1.5 to 1.2, and 4.3 to 3.4, respectively. Records for the patient care, drug management, and equipment were well kept but not for other records. The level of record keeping was not changed after officialization. The proportion of PHPs which had support from the health center was increased for drug supply from 14.0% to 30.0%, for consumable commodities from 22.0% to 52.0%, for maintenance of PHP from 54.0% to 68.0%, for supply of health education materials from 34.0% to 44.0%, and supply of equipment from 54.0% to 58.0%. Total monthly revenue of a PHP was increased by about 50,000 Won; increased by 22,000 Won in patient care and 34,700 Won in the government subsidy but decreased in the membership due and donation. However, there was no remarkable changes in the expenditure. The proportion of PHPs which had received official notes from the health center for the purpose of guidance and supervision of the CHPs was increased from 20% to 38% during three months period and the average number of telephone call for supervision from the health center per PHP was increased from 1.8 to 2.1 times(p<0.01). However, the proportion of PHPs that had supervisory visit and conference was reduced from 79% to 62%, and from 88% to 74%, respectively. The proportion of CHPs who maintained a cooperative relationship with Myun Health Workers was reduced from 42% to 36%, that with the director of health center from 46% to 24%, that with the chief of public health administration section from 56% to 36%, and that with the chairman of PHP management council from 62% to 38%. Most of the CHPs (92% before and 82% after officialization) stated that the PHP management council is not helpful for the PHP. CHPs who considered the PHP management council unnecessary increased from 4% to 16%(p<0.05). Suggestions made by the CHPs for the improvement of CHP program included emphasis on health education, assurance of autonomy for PHP management, increase of the kind of drugs that can be dispensed by CHPs, and appointment of an experienced CHP in the health center as the supervisor of CHPs. The results of this study revealed that the role and function of CHPs as reflected in their activities have not been changed after officialization. However, satisfaction in job security and salary was improved as well as the autonomy. Support of health center to the PHP was improved but more official notes were sent to the PHPs which required the CHPs more paper works. Number of telephone calls for supervision was increased but there was little administrative and technical guidance for the CHP activities.