• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.238-243
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• 2006

The methanol extract of waxy brown rice fermented with Agrocybe cylindracea was prepared. The extract was then freeze dried and fed to rats at the level of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 g/kg body weight for 14 days, followed by the treatment with carbon tetrachloride for three consecutive days to induce hepatotoxicity. After sacrificing the rats, the enzyme activity of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and ${\gamma}$-glutamyl transpeptidase (${\gamma}$-GTP) in serum was determined. Biochemical analysis on serum for albumin, total protein, triglyceride, and total as well as HDL-cholesterol were carried out along with a histopathological study of liver tissues. Based on these data, we suggest that the waxy brown rice cultured with A. cylindracea may exert hepatoprotective activity against hepatotoxicity caused by chemicals such as carbon tetrachloride.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.1656-1658
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• 2005

The effects of chloroform extract from Lepidolaena tayiorii (L. tayiorii) on antifungal activity were investigated. The crude chloroform extract of L. tayiorii inhibited the growth of the Gram positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis ATCC 19659, (5 mm inhibition zone at $150{\mu}g/disc$) and the dermatophytic fungus Trichophyton mentagrophytes ATCC 28185, (6 mm inhibition zone at $150{\mu}g/disc$), and cytotoxic to P388 murine leukaemia cells ATCC CCL 46 P388D1, ($IC_{50}\;405.0{\mu}g/mL\;at\;150{\mu}g$/disc) and cytotoxic to BSC monkey kidney cells (@ 5 mg/mL, $150{\mu}g/disc;$ +++: 100% activity). We suppose that this crude chloroform extract of L. tayiorii is the strong antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.100-106
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• 1992

The fluorescence characteristics of copolymers of styrene-maleic anhydride(PSMAn), styrene-maleic acid (PSMA), and PSMA complexed with $Eu^{3+}$ (PSMA-Eu) in tetrahydrofuran were studied. The excimer of PSMA and PSMA-Eu with 75% mole fraction of styrene appears to have larger binding energy than that with 50% or 67% styrene. The ratio of excimer to monomer intensities showed little change with the increase of styrene concentration up to $8.0{\times}10^{-3}M$, indicating the excimer formation is due to intramolecular process. Three existing mechanisms for intramolecular excimer formation are considered inadequate to explain the observed behavior. The quenching of excimer intensity by benzyl-acetate, mesitylene, and $CCl_4$ is interpreted in terms of the molar volume of quencher.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.361-369
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• 1987

The four azo dyes such as Amaranth (FD & C Red No. 2), Tartrazine (FD & C Yellow No. 4), sunset Yellow (FD & C Yellow No. 5) and Allura red (FD & C Red No. 40) are currently employed as a food additives in Korea. In this study, the effects of these azo dyes on the hepatic microsomal mixed function oxidase systems in Rats. (i.e., Cyt. P-450, Cyt. b$_5$, NADPH cyt. c-reductase and azo reductase) were investigated. Furthermore, to determine the relationship among the electron transport systems, each level of azo reductase, Cyt. P-450 and NADPH cyt. c-reductase was measured upon the administration of phenobarbital (known as an inducer of Cyt. P-450), 3-methylcholanthrene (Known as an inducer of Cyt. P-448), CoCl$_2$ (inhibitor on Cyt. P-450) or $CCl_4$ (inhibitor on Cyt. P-450). The results of these studies are as follows; (1) The levels of Cyt. P-450 and Cyt. b$_5$ were decreased upon the administration of these azo dyes. (2) When the level of Cyt. P-450 was decreased, the azo reductase activity was also decreased. (3) These azo dyes did not show any significant effect on the level of NADPH cyt. c-reductase. (4) The administration of 3-methylcholanthrene resulted in the elevation of azo reductase activity. The 3-methylcholanthrene may be responsible for the induction of CO-insensitive electron transport system.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.68-80
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• 1995

A series of parametric calculations have been performed in order to investigate the short-term and short-range plume and puff behavior of toxic gaseous and solid pollutant dispersion in an open atmosphere. The simulation is made by the use of the computer program developed by this laboratory, in which a control-volume based finite-difference method is used together with the SIMPLEC algorithm for the resolution of the pressure-velocity coupling appeared In Wavier-Stokes equation. The Reynolds stresses are solved by the standard two-equation k-$\varepsilon$ model modified for buoyancy together with the RNG(Renormalization Group) k-$\varepsilon$ model. The major parameters considered in this calculation are pollutant gas density and temperature, the relative velocity of pollutants to that of the surrounding atmospheric air, and particulate size and density together with the height released. The flow field is typically characterized by the formation of a strong recirculation region for the case of the low density gases such as $CH_4$ and air due to the strong buoyancy, while the flow is simply declining pattern toward the downstream ground for the case of heavy molecule like the $CH_2C1_2$and $CCl_4$, even for the high temperature, $200^{\circ}C$. The effect of gas temperature and velocity on the flow field together with the particle trajectory are presented and discussed in detail. In general, the results are physically acceptable and consistent.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.508-510
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• 2005

The crude extract of Quintinia acutifolia Kirk inhibited the growth of the Gram positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis ATCC 19659, (3 mm inhibition zone at $150\;{\mu}g/disc$) and the dermatophytic fungus Trichophyton mentagrophytes ATCC 28185, (3 mm inhibition zone at $150\;{\mu}g/disc$), and cytotoxic to P388 murine leukaemia cells ATCC CCL 46 P388D1, ($IC_{50}$ $50,000\;{\mu}g/mL$ at $150\;{\mu}g/disc$). However, Candida albicans (ATCC 14053) did not observed the antimicrobial activity and the cytotoxic activity to BSC monkey kidney cells ($({\alpha})$ 5 mg/mL, $150\;{\mu}g/disc$).

• Toxicological Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.117-121
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• 2010

The crude ethanol extract of B. repanda showed the cytotoxic activity against Polio virus (25% activity at $150{\mu}g$/disk) and the minor cytotoxic activity against BSC cells (African green monkey kidney). However, the crude ethanol extract of B. repanda was non-toxic to murine leukaemia cells CCL 46 P388D1 ($IC_{50}$, > 62,500 ng/ml). Cytotoxic and antifungal activities were strongly shown by Fr. 64-3 which was eluted with 90% $CH_3CN/H_2O$, 100% $CH_3CN$, and 50% $CH_3CN/H_2O$(SM 2 at $150{\mu}g$/disk). The fraction 64-3 also showed the most cytotoxic activity against murine leukaemia cells (128 mg, $IC_{50}$ 10,051 ng/ml at $75{\mu}g$/disk). These results suggest that this fraction has a potent antifungal activity against the dermatophytic fungus Trichophyton mentagrophytes ATCC 28185.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.551-561
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• 2018

The percolation of interfacial transition zone (ITZ) in cementitious materials is of great importance to the transport properties and durability issues. This paper presents numerical simulation research on the ITZ percolation threshold of mortar specimens at meso-scale. To simulate the meso-scale model of mortar as realistically as possible, the aggregates are simplified as ellipsoids with arbitrary orientations. Major and minor aspect ratios are defined to represent the global shape characteristics of aggregates. Some algorithms such as the burning algorithm, Dijkstra's algorithm and Connected-Component Labeling (CCL) algorithm are adopted for identification of connected ITZ clusters and percolation detection. The effects of gradation and aspect ratios of aggregates on ITZ percolation threshold are quantitatively studied. The results show that (1) the ITZ percolation threshold is mainly affected by the specific surface area (SSA) of aggregates and shows a global decreasing tendency with an increasing SSA; (2) elongated ellipsoidal particles can effectively bridge isolated ITZ clusters and thus lower the ITZ percolation threshold; (3) as ITZ volume fraction increases, the bridging effect of elongated particles will be less significant, and has only a minor effect on ITZ percolation threshold; (4) it is the ITZ connectivity that is essentially responsible for ITZ percolation threshold, while other factors such as SSA and ITZ volume fraction are only the superficial reasons.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.123-132
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• 2016

Trichomonas vaginalis causes the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection worldwide. Trichomonads have been detected in prostatic tissues from prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and prostate cancer. Chronic prostatic inflammation is known as a risk factor for prostate enlargement, benign prostatic hyperplasia symptoms, and acute urinary retention. Our aim was to investigate whether T. vaginalis could induce inflammatory responses in cells of a benign prostatic hyperplasia epithelial cell line (BPH-1). When BPH-1 cells were infected with T. vaginalis, the protein and mRNA of inflammatory cytokines, such as CXCL8, CCL2, IL-$1{\beta}$, and IL-6, were increased. The activities of TLR4, ROS, MAPK, JAK2/STAT3, and NF-${\kappa}B$ were also increased, whereas inhibitors of ROS, MAPK, PI3K, NF-${\kappa}B$, and anti-TLR4 antibody decreased the production of the 4 cytokines although the extent of inhibition differed. However, a JAK2 inhibitor inhibited only IL-6 production. Culture supernatants of the BPH-1 cells that had been incubated with live T. vaginalis (trichomonad-conditioned medium, TCM) contained the 4 cytokines and induced the migration of human monocytes (THP-1 cells) and mast cells (HMC-1 cells). TCM conditioned by BPH-1 cells pretreated with NF-${\kappa}B$ inhibitor showed decreased levels of cytokines and induced less migration. Therefore, it is suggested that these cytokines are involved in migration of inflammatory cells. These results suggest that T. vaginalis infection of BPH patients may cause inflammation, which may induce lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

• BMB Reports
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2017

In the central nervous system, viral infection can induce inflammation by up-regulating pro-inflammatory mediators that contribute to enhanced infiltration of immune cells into the central nervous areas. Celastrol is known to exert various regulatory functions, including anti-microbial activities. In this study, we investigated the regulatory effects and the mechanisms of action of celastrol against astrocytes activated with polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)), a synthetic dsRNA, as a model of pro-inflammatory mediated responses. Celastrol significantly inhibited poly(I:C)-induced expression of adhesion molecules, such as ICAM-1/VCAM-1, and chemokines, such as CCL2, CXCL8, and CXCL10, in CRT-MG human astroglioma cells. In addition, celastrol significantly suppressed poly(I:C)-induced activation of JNK MAPK and STAT1 signaling pathways. Furthermore, celastrol significantly suppressed poly(I:C)-induced activation of the $NF-{\kappa}B$ signaling pathway. These results suggest that celastrol may exert its regulatory activity by inhibiting poly(I:C)-induced expression of pro-inflammatory mediators by suppressing activation of JNK MAPK-STAT1/$NF-{\kappa}B$ in astrocytes.