• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2023.04a
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• pp.50-50
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• 2023

Prostaglandin E2(PGE2), a major product of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), plays an important role in the carcinogenesis of many solid tumors, including colorectal cancer. Because PGE2 functions by signaling through PGE2 receptors (Eps), which regulate tumor cell growth, invasion, and migration, there has been a growing amount of interest in the therapeutic potential of targeting Eps. In the present study, we investigated the role of EP4 on the effectiveness of cordycepin in inhibititing the migration and invasion of HCT116 human colorectal carcinoma cells. Our data indicate that cordycepin suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-enhanced cell migration and invasion through the inactivation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-9 as well as the down-regulation of COX-2 expression and PGE2 production. These events were shown to be associated with the inactivation of EP4 and activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Moreover, the AMPK inhibitor, compound C, as well as AMPK knockdown via siRNA, attenuated the cordycepin-induced inhibition of EP4 expression. Cordycepin treatment also reduced the activation of CREB. These findings indicate that cordycepin suppresses the migration and invasion of HCT116 cells. Through modulating EP4 expression and the AMPK-CREB signaling pathway. Therefore, cordycepin has the potential to serve as a potent anti-cancer agent in therapeutic strategies against colorectal cancer metastasis.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.12-20
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• 2013

Objectives We investigated the tolerability, safety, and treatment response to flexible-dose paliperidone ER in patients with non-acute schizophrenia in whom previous antipsychotic drugs were ineffective. Methods This 24-week interim analysis of the 48-week multicenter, prospective, open-label study assessed effectiveness using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Clinical Global Impression-Schizophrenia-Severity (CGI-SCH-S) Scale, Personal and Social Performance (PSP) and Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI). Safety and tolerability were assessed using the Drug-Induced Extrapyramidal Symptoms Scale (DIEPSS) and Liverpool University Neuroleptic Side Effect Rating Scale (LUNSERS). Results Effectiveness was assessed in 169 patients. Significant improvement in the PANSS total score was observed by week-1 and continued until week-24. The response rate was 33%. The CGI-SCH-S and PSP total scores significantly improved during 24 weeks ; however, no change occurred in the total DAI. Fifty-nine percent of patients reported adverse events, of which extrapyramidal symptoms were the most frequent (19.0%). The DIEPSS and LUNSERS scores were improved after 24 week. Conclusions Switching to the flexible-dose paliperidone ER from an ineffective antipsychotic drug was safe, tolerable, and showed a good treatment response in Korean patients with schizophrenia.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.184-195
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• 2023

To develop an effective management plan for Ambrosia trifida L., an invasive alien plant in Korea, we assessed the potential of Ophraella communa LeSage as a biological control agent. This involved investigating the host specificity of the herbivore Ophraella communa LeSage, its annual travel distance, and the impact of this insect on the fitness of Ambrosia trifida L. We confirmed the host plant preference of Ophraella communa LeSage. The travel distance of this insect was determined by monitoring its appearance in selected Ambrosia trifida L. communities without these insects at distances of 10, 20, 30, and 100 meters, based on the locations where the presence of Ophraella communa LeSage was observed. The growth, reproductive, and physiological responses of Ambrosia trifida L. were measured according to feeding by Ophraella communa LeSage. As a result, Ophraella communa LeSage fed on only three taxa and moved short distances within a radius of 30 m per year from the host. The feeding behavior of the herbivore had a negative impact on the growth, reproductive, and physiological responses of Ambrosia trifida L. And the plant's growth and reproduction improved with increasing distance from the herbivore. Furthermore, the introduction of herbivores was able to control over 90% of Ambrosia trifida L. when the coverage of the Ambrosia trifida L. group was below 50%. However, the effectiveness of the removal decreased when the coverage exceeded 90%. These results are likely to be utilized by Ophraella communa LeSage as an ecological control agent. It is advantageous to introduce them in spring (May) when the coverage is low to maximize the effectiveness of control.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.129-132
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• 2003

Fusarium wilt of cucumber caused by Fusarium oxy-sporum f. sp. cucumerinum is a serious vascular disease worldwide. Biological control of Fusarium wilt in several crops has been accomplished by introducing non-pathogenic Fusarium sup. and other biocontrol agents in soil or in infection courts. In this study, quantitative models were used to determine the biocontrol efficacy of inundatively applied antagonist formulations and the length of their effectiveness in controlling Fusarium wilt of cucumber. Quantitative model of the form [Y=L (1${-exp}^{-kx}$)] best described the relationship between disease incidence (Y, %) and inoculum density (X) of isolates F51 and F55. Isolate F51 was selected as a more virulent isolate based on the extent of its effectiveness in causing the wilt disease. The degree of disease control (Xi/X) obtained with the density of the biocontrol agent (Z), was described by the model [Xi/X=A (1${-exp}^{-cz}$)]. The zeolite-based antagonist formulation amended with chitosan (ZAC) was better at lower rates of application and peaked at around 5 g/ kg of the potting medium, whereas the peat-based antagonist formulation (PA) peaked at around 10 g/kg of the potting medium. ZAC formulation provided significantly better suppression of Fusarium wilt as described by the curvilinear relationship of the type Y= a+bX+c$X^2$, where Y represents percent disease incidence and X represents sustaining effect of the biocontrol agent.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.143-159
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• 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide evidence for future research by analyzing the contents, delivery methods, and educational effects of educational programs for hemodialysis patients. Methods: A literature review was conducted in the following order: problem identification, literature search and data collection, data evaluation, data analysis, and data presentation. In total, 936 documents were retrieved from the search, and 24 documents were finally included in this study. Results: The contents of the educational programs were comprehensive hemodialysis-related knowledge education in seven studies, exercise-related education in 10 studies, diet-related education in four studies, drug-related education in one study, and complex education in two studies. The delivery methods were pamphlets in six studies, audio-visual materials in four studies, direct guidance by researchers in six studies, and multiple methods in seven studies. The effects of the educational program were divided into physical indicators, emotional indicators, and knowledge and performance related to hemodialysis. Sixteen out of 20 articles using physical indicators showed significant outcomes, and 10 out of 12 articles using emotional indicators derived positive results. Hemodialysis-related knowledge and performance were measured in eight and 10 studies, respectively, and meaningful results were found in six studies for knowledge and seven studies for performance. Conclusion: Future research will require the development of a systematic and standardized educational program with comprehensive content that can be provided to all hemodialysis patients, as well as a highly accessible education delivery method to enhance the effectiveness of education.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.65-76
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• 2019

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to investigate economical ventilation effectiveness to reduce hazardous materials exposure and damage of workers by analyzing exposure amount of noxious substances under various ventilation conditions of nail salon for indoor environments. Research design, data, and methodology - This study was carried out with cooperation of Nail shop located in SeongNam city to involve an analysis of the environmental impact indoor air quality, pollutant exposure and economical cost-effectiveness in the nail workplace. The hazardous substances were PM-10(Particulate Matter-10㎛), VOCs(Volatile Organic Compounds) and Formaldehyde, which are the major materials of nail workplace. Results - PM-10 is reduced by about 60% with air cleaner, forced artificial ventilation by 32%, and natural ventilation by about 12%. TVOCs and Formaldehyde showed similar efficiency (80~100%) after natural ventilation and ventilation after 60 minutes. The removal efficiencies of VOCs and formaldehyde were similar to those of natural ventilation and mechanical ventilation system. However, in case of dust, natural ventilation was reduced by artificial ventilation system due to inflow of external dust during natural ventilation. Conclusions - If the pollution degree of outdoor air is not high, air volume is high, and natural ventilation is performed when the air conditioning and heating system is not operated. Even at the end of the work, it keeps operating for 60 minutes to remove the pollutants generated. Results of this analysis demonstrated that the worker environment can be improved by adopting institutional legislation and guidelines for ventilation.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.250-259
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• 2019

Ophthalmic Laser System is widely used in Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty of Open Angle Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension. Versatile ophthalmic laser system is a medical device with technology that checks the condition of the treatment area by irradiating a continuous laser pulse on the treatment area, and monitoring the microbubble reaction caused by the temperature increase of the melanosome through the ultrasonic signal and the optical signal sensor. It performs selective laser treatment without damaging the photoreceptor by controlling the wavelength of the laser when microbubbles are detected. This study aims to suggest a guideline for evaluating safety, performance and clinical effectiveness of Versatile Ophthalmic Laser System in accordance with the growing technology. International Standards, Regulations, and Clinical Trial Protocols were investigated and analyzed for this study. As a result of this study, the safety, performance and clinical effectiveness test guideline for Versatile Ophthalmic Laser System were proposed. This guideline will ensure the safety and efficacy of Medical device, and furthermore it is expected to be able to promote the development of technology development by supporting a clinical trial plan.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.140-145
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• 1999

Livestock manure is generally beneficial to soil and crop production when appropriate amount is applied, but excessive application may be detrimental to soil and water environments. A proper protocol of livestock waste treatment is required to manage the quality of soil and water. A trickling filter system using rice straw media was employed to treat piggery wastewater from small-scaled livestock farms as an alternative to the currently available methods. Batches of piggery wastewater were treated with this system, and the byproducts of rice straw media and trickling filtrate were applied to the soil with cultivating rye (Secale cereale L.). Objective of this research was to characterize these byproducts for the sustainable soil amendments and rye production. Both the treated straw medium and filtrate were proven to be effective organic fertilizers for rye plant development, with the enhanced but balanced absorption of nutrients. The synergistic effects of filtrate in addition to straw application did not show, but the filtrate appeared to lead to a higher water content of the plant. No specific nutrient deficiency or toxicity symptom was shown due to the salts derived from the byproducts applied. Chemical parameters of the soil quality were significantly improved with the application of straw medium either with or without the filtrate. Judging from parameters relating to the salt accumulations, such as sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), electrical conductivity (EC), exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), potassium adsorption ratio (KAR), and residual P concentrations, the byproducts from piggery wastewater exhibited no detrimental effects on soil quality within the ranges of treatments used. In addition to the effectiveness of the rice straw trickling filter system for the small-scaled swine farms, both rice straw medium and filtrate could be recycled for the sustainable soil amendment and plant nutrition.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.1463-1470
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• 2010

E. coli has long been widely used as a host system for the manufacture of recombinant proteins intended for human therapeutic use. When considering the impurities to be eliminated during the downstream process, residual host cell DNA is a major safety concern. The presence of residual E. coli host cell DNA in the final products is typically determined using a conventional slot blot hybridization assay or total DNA Threshold assay. However, both the former and latter methods are time consuming, expensive, and relatively insensitive. This study thus attempted to develop a more sensitive real-time PCR assay for the specific detection of residual E. coli DNA. This novel method was then compared with the slot blot hybridization assay and total DNA Threshold assay in order to determine its effectiveness and overall capabilities. The novel approach involved the selection of a specific primer pair for amplification of the E. coli 16S rRNA gene in an effort to improve sensitivity, whereas the E. coli host cell DNA quantification took place through the use of SYBR Green I. The detection limit of the real-time PCR assay, under these optimized conditions, was calculated to be 0.042 pg genomic DNA, which was much higher than those of both the slot blot hybridization assay and total DNA Threshold assay, where the detection limits were 2.42 and 3.73 pg genomic DNA, respectively. Hence, the real-time PCR assay can be said to be more reproducible, more accurate, and more precise than either the slot blot hybridization assay or total DNA Threshold assay. The real-time PCR assay may thus be a promising new tool for the quantitative detection and clearance validation of residual E. coli host cell DNA during the manufacturingprocess for recombinant therapeutics.

• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.170-179
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• 2021

Hulunbuir steppe, one of the four largest steppes in China, has experienced rapidly progressing desertification partly due to overgrazing by livestock. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of various vegetation recovery methods, including the selection of unpalatable plants less affected by grazing livestock. To determine livestock grazing preferences at Hulunbuir restoration sites, we used DNA barcoding methods to analyze fecal materials of horses and cattle grazing on four restored plants: two trees (Pinus sylvestris L. var. mongolica and Populus canadensis) and two shrubs (Caragana microphylla and Corethrodendron fruticosum). Neither of the two tree species were detected in livestock feces, whereas both shrub species were detected at lo w frequencies. There were no significant differences in compositions of species consumed by horses and cattle except that Asteraceae species were more often consumed by cattle. Our results showed that the four plants used for restoration may be classified as unpalatable or less palatable species in the Hulunbuir restoration area. Our results may help inform restoration strategies implemented in restoration areas, especially regarding negative effects of livestock grazing during the initial stage of restoration in Hulunbuir.