• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.605-614
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• 2018

Bee pollen has an outer wall which is resistant to both acidic and basic solutions and even the digestive enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, the oral bioavailability of bee pollen is only 10-15%. A previous study reported on wet-grinding technology which increased the extraction of active ingredients from bee pollen by 11 times. This study was designed to investigate the safety of wet-ground bee pollen. First, a single dose of wet-ground bee pollen was tested in both rats and beagle dogs at dosages of 5, 10, and 20 g/kg and 1.5, 3, and 6 g/kg, respectively. In rats, compound-colored stools were found in those administered 10 g/kg or more of wet-ground bee pollen. In beagle dogs, 6 g/kg of wet-ground bee pollen induced diarrhea in one male for four hours. However, no obvious clinical signs were found through the end of the experiment in rats and beagle dogs. In addition, no histological abnormality was found in all animals. The data indicates that a single dose of up to 20 g/kg of wet-ground bee pollen is safe. Next, the genetic toxicity of nano-sized bee pollen was tested. This study employed a bacterial reverse mutation test, a micronucleus assay, and a chromosomal aberration assay. In the micronucleus assay, there was no genetic toxicity up to the dosage of 2 g/kg. There was also no genetic toxicity in the bacterial reverse mutation test and chromosomal aberration assay. This data provides important information in developing nano-sized bee pollen into more advanced functional foods and herbal medicines.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.82-86
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• 2011

Objectives: The Berlin Questionnaire (BQ) has been used to help identify patients at high risk of having sleep apnea in primary care. But it has not been validated in a sleep clinic for Korean patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of the BQ as a screening tool for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) for Korean patients in a sleep clinic. Methods: The BQ was prospectively applied to 121 subjects with OSA suspicion who visited to our sleep clinic. All subjects performed overnight polysomnography. OSA was defined as an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ${\geq}5$. We investigated the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of the BQ according to severity by AHI. Results: In 121 subjects, 73.6% were males, with a mean age of $48.8{\pm}13.0$ years. Twenty-five (20.6%) patients did not have OSA (AHI<5), 30 (25%) patients had mild OSA ($AHI{\geq}5$ and <15), 26 (21.4%) had moderate ($AHI{\geq}15$ and <30), and 40 (33%) had severe OSA ($AHI{\geq}30$). The BQ identified 69.4% of the patients as being at high risk for having OSA. The sensitivity and specificity of the BQ were 71.9% and 40%, for $AHI{\geq}5$, 75.8% and 38.2% for $AHI{\geq}15$, 77.5% and 34.6% for $AHI{\geq}30$, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values of the BQ were 82.1% and 27.0% for $AHI{\geq}5$, respectively. Positive and negative likelihood ratios were 1.2 and 0.7, and the overall diagnostic accuracy of the BQ was 65.3%, using an AHI cut-off of 5. Conclusion: Due to modest sensitivity and low specificity, the BQ does not seem to be an appropriate tool for identifying patients with obstructive sleep apnea in a sleep clinic population.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.437-447
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• 2001

Background: TNF-alpha is related to the generation of lung fibrosis in patients with UIP. The precise mechanism leading to lung fibrosis by TNF-alpha is unknown. However, the activation of a transcription factor like AP-1(down stream of c-jun N-terminal kinase, JNK) by TNF-alpha may be related to the induction of fibrogenic cytokines like PDGF or IGF-I. Furthermore, JNK was reported to be activated in the radiation-induced lung fibrosis model. This study examined JNK activity in patients with UIP. Methods : The expression of phosphorous JNK(p-JNK), macrophage/monocyte specific markers, CD68, and cytokeratin was evaluated by immunohistochemical(IHC) staining of lung tissues from patients with UIP and lung cancer. An in vitro kinase assay was performed with alveolar macrophages obtained by a bronchol-avleolar lavage from patients with UIP and healthy persons as the control. Results : The IHC stain showed that p-JNK is expressed in the almost all of the alveolar macrophages and smooth muscle cells in patients with UIP. In case of the normal areas of the lung from patients with lung cancer, the alveolar macrophages showed little p-JNK expression. Interestingly, increased JNK activity was not found in the in vitro kinase assay of the alveolar macrophages obtained from both patients with UIP and healthy persons as the control. Furthermore, 10 ng/mL of TNF-alpha failed to increase the JNK activity of the alveolar macrophages in both patients with UIP and healthy people. Conclusion : The JNK was activated constitutionally in patients with UIP. However, the role of JNK in the pathogenesis of lung fibrosis needs to be clarified.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.467-477
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• 2003

Background : Pleural effusions are generally divided into transudates and exudates. If it is exudative, more diagnostic tests are required in order to determine the cause of the local disease. A malignancy is a common and important cause of exudative pleural effusions. Because the pleural fluid cytology and pleural biopsy specimens do not provide a diagnosis in a high percentage of malignant effusions, several tumor markers have been examined. In order to overcome this limitation, this study hypothesized that C-reactive protein(CRP) and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) measurements would be useful for differentiating trasudates from exudates and determining the differences between a benign and malignant effusion. Methods : Eighty consecutive patients with a pleural effusion (tuberculous 20, parapneumonic 20, malignant 20, transudative 20) were examined prospectively: 60 of them were classified according to Light's criteria as having an exudative fluid and 20 had a transudative fluid. The standard parameters of a pleural effusion were examined and the serum and pleural effusion VEGF levels were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). CRP in the serum and pleural fluid was determined by a turbidimetric immunoassay. Results : The pleural CRP levels in the exudates were significantly higher than those in the transudates, $4.19{\pm}4.22mg/d{\ell}$ and $1.29{\pm}1.45mg/d{\ell}$, respectively. The VEGF levels in the pleural effusions were significantly elevated in the exudates compared to the transudate, $1,011{\pm}1,055pg/m{\ell}$ and $389{\pm}325pg/m{\ell}$, respectively. The VEGF ratio in the exudative effusion is significantly higher than a transudative effusions, $3.9{\pm}4.7$ and $1.6{\pm}0.9$, respectively. The pleural CRP levels in the patients with a benign effusion($4.15{\pm}4.20mg/d{\ell}$) were significantly higher than those in the malignant effusion($1.43{\pm}1.91mg/d{\ell}$). The VEGF ratio is significantly higher in malignant effusions($4.9{\pm}5.5$) than in benign effusions($2.8{\pm}3.6$). Conclusion : In conclusion, the CRP and VEGF levels in the serum and pleural effusion can distinguish between transudates and exudates. Moreover it can differentiate between benign and malignant pleural effusions.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.361-367
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• 2005

Background : Differential diagnosis of lymphocytic pleural effusion is difficult even with many laboratory findings. Nitric oxide(NO) level is higher in the sputum or exhaled breath of patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis than in those without tuberculosis. In addition, there are some reports about the increased level of NO metabolites in body fluids of cancer patients. However, there is no data on the NO levels in the pleural fluid of patients with tuberculous pleurisy. Method : The serum and pleural fluid NO in the patients with acute lymphocytic pleural effusion were analyzed. Results : Of total 27 patients, there were 14 males and average age of patients was 48 years. The final diagnosis was tuberculous pleurisy in 17 cases and malignant pleural effusion in 10. The pleural fluid NO level was $540.1{\pm}116.4{\mu}mol$ in the tuberculous pleurisy patients and $383.7{\pm}71.0{\mu}mol$ in the malignant pleural effusion patients. The serum NO level was $624.7{\pm}142.0{\mu}mol$ in tuberculous pleurisy patients and $394.4{\pm}90.4{\mu}mol$ in malignant pleural effusion patients. There was no significant difference in the serum and pleural fluid NO level between the two groups. The NO level in the pleural fluid showed a significant correlations with the pleural fluid neutrophil count, the pleural fluid/serum protein ratio, and pleural fluid/serum albumin ratio (p<0.05 in each). The protein concentration, leukocyte and lymphocyte count in the pleural fluid were significantly higher in the tuberculous pleurisy patients than the malignant pleural effusion patients (p<0.05 in each). Conclusion : NO is not a suitable marker for a differential diagnosis of lymphocytic pleural effusion. However, the NO level in the pleural fluid might be associated with the neutrophil recruitment and protein leakage in the pleural space.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.495-500
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• 2017

Hippophae rhamnoides L. (sea buckthorn) is a shrub wood that belongs to the bamboo tree family, and is rich in vitamin C, D, and E; it is referred to as a vitamin tree. It is mainly grown in the high mountains of Europe and Central Asia, and has been widely used in China and Russia as natural medicine. Recent studies have shown that it is effective in the treatment of cancer, liver diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and gastrointestinal diseases. However, results of studies on its effect on the regulation of pain are insufficient. In this study, we investigated the effect of sea buckthorn on the development and control of pain in two facial areas. The experimental animals included 7- to 8-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats (240~260 g). Formalin (5%), which is known as an inflammation inducer, was injected into the vibrissa pad or temporomandibular joints to induce orofacial acute pain. Rubbing or scraping of the region injected with formalin was regarded as a pain index, and the behavioral response was observed for 45 minutes after the injection. Sea buckthorn extract diluted to 150, 300 mg/kg (in 1 ml of distilled water) was orally administered 30 minutes prior to the acute pain. The facial pain behavior was effectively reduced in the 300 mg/kg group when compared to the control group (vehicle). Likewise, in an experiment in which formalin was injected into the temporomandibular joints, effective pain alleviation was confirmed at the same drug concentration. These results suggest that sea buckthorn extract may be useful in the development of therapeutic agents for acute inflammatory pain in the orofacial area and for controlling temporomandibular joint pain.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.77-98
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• 2011

The igneous complex consisting of mangerite and gabbro in the Odaesan area, the eastem part of the Gyeonggi Massif, South Korea, intruded early Paleo-proterozoic migmatitic gneiss. The mangerite is composed of orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, amphibole, biotite, plagioclase, pethitic K-feldspar, quartz. The gabbro has similar mineral assemblage but gabbro has minor amounts of amphibole and no perthitic K-feldspar. The gabbro occurs as enclave and irregular shaped body within the mangerite, and the boundary between the mangerite and gabbro is irregular. Leucocratic lenses with perthitic K-feldspar are included in the gabbro enclaves. These textures represent mixing of two different magmas in liquid state. SHRIMP U-Pb zircon age dating gave $234{\pm}1.2$ Ma and $231{\pm}1.3$ Ma for mangerite and gabbro, respectively. These ages are similar with the intrusion ages of post collision granitoids in the Hongseong (226~233 Ma) and Yangpyeong (227~231 Ma) areas in the Gyeonggi Massif. The mangerite and gabbro are high Ba-Sr granites, shoshonitic and formed in post collision tectonic setting. These rocks also show the characters of subduction-related igneous rock such as enrichment in LREE, LILE and negative Nb-Ta-P-Ti anomalies. These data represent that the mangerite and gabbro formed in the post collision tectonic setting by the partial melting of an enriched lithospheric mantle during subduction which occurred before collision. The heat for the partial melting was supplied by asthenospheric upwelling through the gab between continental and oceanic slabs formed by slab break-off after continental collision. The distribution of post-collisional igneous rocks (ca. 230 Ma) in the Gyeonggi Massif including Odaesan mangerite and gabbro strongly suggests that the tectonic boundary between the North and South China blocks in Korean peninsula passes the Hongseong area and futher exteneds into the area between the Yangpyeong-Odaesan line and Ogcheon metamorphic belt.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.947-955
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• 2020

The foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), a member of the Aphthovirus genus in the Picornaviridae family, affects wild and domesticated ruminants and pigs. During replication of the FMDV RNA (ribonucleic acid) genome, FMDV-encoding RNA polymerase 3D acts in a highly location-specific manner. This suggests that specific RNA structures recognized by 3D polymerase within non-coding regions of the FMDV genome assist with binding during replication. One such region is the cis-acting replication element (CRE), which functions as a template for RNA replication. The FMDV CRE adopts a stem-loop conformation with an extended duplex stem, supporting a novel 15-17 nucleotide loop that derives stability from base-stacking interactions, with the exact RNA nucleotide sequence of the CRE producing different RNA secondary structures. Here, we show that CRE sequences of FMDVs isolated in Korea from 2010 to 2017 exhibit A and O genotypes. Interestingly, variations in the RNA secondary structure of the Korean FMDVs are consistent with the phylogenetic relationships between these viruses and reveal the specificity of FMDV infections for particular host species. Therefore, we conclude that each genetic clade of Korean FMDV is characterized by a unique functional CRE and that the evolutionary success of new genetic lineages may be associated with the invention of a novel CRE motif. Therefore, we propose that the specific RNA structure of a CRE is an additional criterion for FMDV classification dependent on the host species. These findings will help correctly analyze CRE sequences and indicate the specificity of host species for future FMDV epidemics.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.165-170
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• 2013

In this study, physico-chemical properties and environmental fate were investigated and ecotoxicity tests using fish, daphnia and algae were conducted for an initial ecological risk assessment of 1,2-Benzisothiazol-3-one. Due to low volatility of the test substance under environmental conditions, it is likely to distributed in soil and water environment. The compound has low adsorption in the soil, with low bioconcentration potential. Acute toxicity results showed that 96 h-$LC_{50}$ for Oryzias laties was 4.7 mg/L (measured) and 48h-$EC_{50}$ for Daphnia magna was 3.3 mg/L (measured). In a growth inhibition test with Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, 72 h-$EC_{50}$ was 0.456 mg/L (growth rate, nominal) and 0.262 mg/L (yield, nominal). Using the acute toxicity value of algae, predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) in the aquatic environment was determined to be 2.62 ${\mu}g/L$ using an factor of 100. According to globally harmonized system (GHS), the compound was categorized as aquatic acute 1 for algae, while it was categorized as aquatic acute 2 for fish and daphnia. This screening assessment suggests that the test substance may pose ecological risks in the aquatic environment.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.1-15
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• 2015

For the consumption extension of Chinese artichoke(Stachys sieboldii MIQ), the quality characteristics and sensory evaluation of white pan bread prepared with different levels of added Chinese artichoke powder(0, 3, 6, 9, and 12%) were investigated. Volume changes of dough, moisture contents(p<0.001), and baking loss rate(p<0.001) decreased with increasing levels of Chinese artichoke powder. In addition, with an increase in the level of Chinese artichoke powder, the volume and specific volume of white pan breads significantly decreased(p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively) whereas the weight of white pan breads significantly increased (p<0.001). In terms of color, the lightness(L) decreased, but the redness(a) and yellowness(b) increased with increasing Chinese artichoke powder levels(p<0.001). From the texture profile analysis(TPA) of white pan breads, hardness, chewiness(p<0.05), gumminess(p<0.001), and adhesiveness(p<0.001) increased whereas springiness and cohesiveness(p<0.01) decreased according to the levels of added Chinese artichoke powder. In the attribute difference test, crumb color(p<0.001), grain size(p<0.05) decreased whereas grain uniformity, yeast flavor, acridity flavor(p<0.001), plainer taste(p<0.05), sweet taste(p<0.01), acridity taste(p<0.001), firmness, springiness, moistness, softness, and chewiness increased in accordance with levels of added Chinese artichoke powder. Overall acceptability showed that the sample containing 9% Chinese artichoke powder had the highest score (p<0.001). As a result, the optimal ratio of Chinese artichoke powder for white pan bread was determined to be 9%.