• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.10
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• pp.3015-3020
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• 2014

The behavior of benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dione (BPQ) in aqueous solution and its interaction with native DNA was investigated using conventional absorption and linear dichroism (LD) spectroscopy. The appearance of a broad absorption maximum at long wavelengths and its proportional relationship to solvent polarizability suggested that BPQ adopts a aggregated state for all solutions examined. Disappearance of this absorption band at higher temperatures in aqueous solution also supported BPQ aggregation. When associated with DNA absorption spectral properties were essentially the same as that in aqueous solution. However, two isosbestic wavelengths were found in the concentration-dependent absorption spectrum of the BPQ-DNA complex, suggesting the presence of at least two or more DNA-bound BPQ species. Both species produced $LD^r$ spectra whose magnitude in BPQ absorption region is larger or comparable to that in the DNA absorption region, suggesting that the molecular BPQ plane is near perpendicular relative to the local DNA helical axis. Therefore, BPQ molecules are aligned along the DNA stem in both DNA-aggregated BPQ species.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.16-17
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• 2003

Objectives : This study was designed to evaluate effects of 'Soyeum' on cancer patients accompanied by pain. Materials and Methods : We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 9 patients accompanied by pain who had been injected with 'Soyeum' for over 14 days continuously in East-West Cancer Center of Oriental Hospital of Daejeon University from June 2002 through august 2002. Results : The statistical significance between the pre-treatment and post-treatment results (Changes of Cytokine Level, QOL, BPQ and Pain relief after pain management) were analyzed. Analysis of cytokines (IL-12, IFN- ) level showed that the percentage of increase of lL-12 is $60\%$, IFN- is $60\%$. Analysis of QOL showed that the percentage of maintenance and improvement is $77.8\%$. $55.5\%$ of the patients reported a 'worst pain' intensity score of 3 or greater, $44.5\%$ reported a 'least pain' intensity score of 2 or greater, and $66.7\%$ reported 'average pain' intensity score of 2 or greater. $33.3\%$ of the patients were in pain at the time of interview and $22.2\%$ had a current intensity score of 2 or greater. Analysis of pain relief after pain management showed that the percentage of pain relief score of 2 and 3 is $55.6\%$. The data was expressed as Mean SE by using descriptive statistics. Statistical significance examined by using paired t-test. Conclusions : It is suggested that 'Soyeum' has effects on pain of cancer patients, also expected that 'Soyeum' is useful to improve immunoactivity and for cancer patients

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.1113-1122
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• 1999

The author investigated pain experiences of 90 cancer patients and the adequacy of pain treatment they have received during their stay at a large medical center in T city between October 1994 and August 1995. Pain was assessed by the Shortened BPQ and results are summarized as follows: As for ratings of “worst pain” during the 24 hour period, 70% of the patients reported they had “severe” pain. As for ratings on “pain now,” 43% of the cancer patients reported “moderate to severe” pain. Over 46% of the patients reported a pain relief score of 0(not at all) or 1(somewhat) even after receiving pain medication. Adequacy of analgesic treatment was evaluated by comparing the patient's reported level of pain and the analgesic use, namely, the pain management index(PMI). The PMI indicated that 58% of the patients were undertreated for the pain control. In review of nurse's notes. systematic pain assessment was scarcely recorded, although pain documentation appeared in 70% of the notes; and the contents were mostly simple description. In conclusion, the results of patient's pain ratings, the PMI and poor pain documentation in the nurse's notes implied poor pain assessment and management.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Bioinformatics Conference
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• 2005.09a
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• pp.421-426
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• 2005

In this paper, we investigate the nonlinear dynamic behavior of TPP (thiamine pyrophosphate) riboswitches in E. coli (Escherichia coli). TPP riboswitches are highly conserved RNA regulatory elements, embedded within the 5’'untranslated region of three TPP biosynthesis operons. The three operons thiCEFSGH, thiMD, and thiBPQ are involved in the biosynthesis, salvage, and transport of TPP, respectively. TPP riboswitches modulate their expressions in response to changing TPP concentration, without involving protein cofactors. Interestingly, the expression of thiMD is regulated at the translational level, while that of thiCEFSGH at both levels of transcription and translation. We develop a mathematical model of the TPP riboswitch’s regulatory system possessed by thiCEFSGH and thiMD, so as to simulate the time-course experiments of TPP biosynthesis in E. coli. The simulation results are validated against three sets of reported experimental data in order to gain insight into the nature of steady states and the stability of TPP riboswitches, and to explain the biological significance of regulating at level of transcription or translation, or even both. Our findings suggest that in the TPP biosynthesis pathway of E. coli, the biological effect of down-regulating thiCEFSGH operon at the translational level by TPP riboswitch is less prominent than that at the transcriptional level.