• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.11-21
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• 2015

Objectives : The cancer incidence and cancer burden is increasing. In addition, the use of botanical agents in cancer care is increasing. This article aims to review a research strategy for botanical agents. Methods : The clinical studies of anticancer botanical agents and the papers about clinical research methodology of botanical agents were reviewed. Results : In phase I study, safety confirmation, optimal dose determination and drug interaction study are important. Most botanical agents have low toxicity and some have non-monotone dose response. Therefore, dose-response curve must be evaluated separately from the dose-toxicity curve to determine optimal dose. Although anticancer botanical agents can't shrink tumor size rapidly, they do extend survival. So, in phase II study, response should be evaluated by the survival. Conclusions : Clinical research of botanical agents in cancer is different from traditional methods and strategies. Considering the characteristics of botanical agents and experimental mechanism is necessary in conducting botanical based clinical trials.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.21 no.6 s.78
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• pp.38-45
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• 2006

Polymeric floorings mainly consisted of PVC are easily decomposed by many kinds of hot environmental factors, then generate hazardous asphyxiate gases and/or toxic gases etc. Therefore the mechanism of decomposition and quantitative toxic indices of products are very important for preventing safety and health disasters, especially in case of confined area. So we have investigated decomposition kinetics, numbers of process involved, toxicity indices of product and so on, using DSC, TGA, FT-IR and Pyrolyzer-GC/MS. The thermal decomposition process of polymeric floorings can be mainly divided by dehydrochlorinated reaction and polyene decomposition step, and activation energies of those are approximately $53.93{\sim}62.42kcal/mol$. Especially lethal concentration($LC_{50}$), fractional effective dose (FED) are calculated by measuring the amount of decomposition product. The values on $LC_{50}$ of sample G are ranged $2,003{\sim}2,019(mg/m^{3})$ in case of sample K and H are $1,877,\;1,998(g/m^{3})$ respectively. Even if the results are estimated by calculation method without animal test and/or clinical demonstration, these values could be very useful data for occupational health, hygiene and safety control.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.23-24
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• 2003

The goal of this study is to develop a biomarker used in monitoring abnormal behaviors of Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) as a model organism caused by hazardous chemicals. Japanese medaka was treated by copper and fluoranthene of appropriate sublethal concentrations after starvation for 48 hr. In this study we investigated neural toxicity of copper and fluoranthene in Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) along with comparative analysis of corresponding behavioral responses. The untreated individuals showed common behavioral characteristics (i.e., smooth and linear movements). Locomotive activity of the fish was monitored using an image processing and automatic data acquisition system. When treated with copper (100 ppb), the fish showed shaking patterns more frequently. As the concentration of copper increased to 1,000 ppb, activity decreased, and the fish showed an erratic movement. The treated with fluoranthene, however, showed stopping and abrupt change of orientation (100 ppb), and severely reduced locomotive activity and enhanced surfacing activity (1,000 ppb).

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.245-252
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• 2014

Arsenic is a unique element with distinct physical characteristics and toxicity whose importance in public health is well recognized. The toxicity of arsenic varies across its different forms. While the carcinogenicity of arsenic has been confirmed, the mechanisms behind the diseases occurring after acute or chronic exposure to arsenic are not well understood. Inorganic arsenic has been confirmed as a human carcinogen that can induce skin, lung, and bladder cancer. There are also reports of its significant association to liver, prostate, and bladder cancer. Recent studies have also suggested a relationship with diabetes, neurological effects, cardiac disorders, and reproductive organs, but further studies are required to confirm these associations. The majority of research to date has examined cancer incidence after a high exposure to high concentrations of arsenic. However, numerous studies have reported various health effects caused by chronic exposure to low concentrations of arsenic. An assessment of the health effects to arsenic exposure has never been performed in the South Korean population; thus, objective estimates of exposure levels are needed. Data should be collected on the biological exposure level for the total arsenic concentration, and individual arsenic concentration by species. In South Korea, we believe that biological exposure assessment should be the first step, followed by regular health effect assessments.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.45-50
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• 2003

Background and Purpose : Chunghyul-dan has been widely used in the Department of Cardiovascular ＆ Neurologic Diseases, Kyung Hee Oriental Medical Center to prevent stroke by lowering serum cholesterol level. Previous experimental and clinical studies revealed that Chunghyul-dan had therapeutic effects on hyperlipidemia by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase and pancreatic lipase. It was also reported that Chunghyul-dan showed an anti-oxidation effect by scavenging free radicals and inhibiting nitric oxide synthesis. Therefore, we examined the safety of Chunghyul-dan on all subjects who had been treated with it. Methods : We performed a retrospective study by reviewing the medical records of those who had been administrated Chunghyul-dan at Kyung Hee Oriental Medical Center from February 8,2001 to December 31,2002. The subjects' general characteristics (gender, age, medical history, and present illness), recorded adverse effects, and the results of laboratory findings were obtained and analyzed to assess the clinical safety of Chunghyul-dan. Results : Six hundred fifty six subjects were treated with Chunghyul-dan. Clinical adverse effects appeared in 13 subjects, the major symptom being indigestion (8 subjects). The apparent frequency of adverse effects was much lower than that in previous reports on the safety of certain medications. On investigation of laboratory findings, we could not find any hepatic or renal toxicity. Conclusion : We suggest that our results contribute towards confirming the safety of Chunghyul-dan by offering clinical evidence.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.44-51
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• 2018

Fluoroquinolone (FQ) antibiotics are an important class of synthetic antibacterial agents. These are the most extensively used drugs for treating bacterial infections in the field of both human and veterinary medicine. Herein, the antibacterial and pharmacological properties of four fluoroquinolones: lomefloxacin, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and ofloxacin have been studied. The objective of this study was to analyze the antibacterial characteristics of the different fluoroquinolones. Also, the pharmacological properties of the compounds including the Lipinski rule of five, absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion, LD50, drug likeliness, and toxicity were evaluated. We found that among all four FQ molecules, ofloxacin showed the highest antibacterial activity through in silico assays with a strong interaction (-38.52 kJ/mol) with the antibacterial target protein (topoisomerase-II DNA gyrase enzyme). The pharmacological and pharmacokinetic analysis also showed that the compounds ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, lomefloxacin and norfloxacin have good pharmacological properties. Notably, ofloxacin was found to possess an IGC50 (concentration needed to inhibit 50% growth) value of $0.286{\mu}g/L$ against the Tetrahymena pyriformis protozoa. It also tested negative for the Ames toxicity test, showing its non-carcinogenic character.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.111-125
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• 2013

Among the hazardous air pollutions(HAPs), characteristics of secondary organic aerosols are not well understood. In this study, the current state for the measurement and analysis of representative secondary PAHs such as oxy-PAHs and nitro-PAHs are presented with the discussion of their toxicity. Also, further research directions for the secondary PAHs are suggested. It was found that the chemical reaction mechanisms and products of PAHs in the air are poorly identified and their toxicities are not well studied. Moreover ambient concentrations of those secondary PAHs are not well documented. Sampling methodologies of those secondary PAHs are similar with PAHs but the analytical protocols for those secondary PAHs are more complicated than PAHs. Future management directions are suggested along with future research directions.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.657-661
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• 2011

The chlorinated dioxins and furans have attracted considerable scientific and public concern because of their environmental persistence and super-toxicity through the foodchain. Recent dioxin scandals in several military bases have also contributed to a higher awareness on the side of food consumers as well as foodwaste combustion. However, there is continuing uncertainty over the relative importance of different sources of dioxins and furans to the soil environment. In difference to those awareness there is a main influence of potential soil contamination on the dioxin contents in groundwater. It is, therefore, important to provide a sound scientific framework and basis by which to evaluate the significance of the presence of dioxin in soils. Consequently, we have to identify the characteristics and nature of dioxin released into the soil environment, especially in agricultural aspect.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.57-62
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of Meles moles application as an edible functional food resource. This study was conducted to estimate the general nutrition composition, amino acid and minerals contents, fatty acid composition of Meles meles oil and the added fermented medicinal herbs liquid, and examine the cell toxicity effects in normal liver and kidney cells. The approximate composition of Meles moles oil was crude fat, 97.64％, crude ash, 1.99％ and crude protein, 0.37％. In the fermented liquid, the approximate composition was moisture, 96.08％, Carbohydrate, 1.53％, crude ash, 0.92％, dietary fiber, 0.65％, crude protein, 0.54％ and crude fat, 0.28％. The amino acid contents were 2.67 and 80.9mg％ in the oil and liquid, respectively. The singularity of the unsaturated fatty acid contents attracted our attention. Especially, the polyunsaturated fatty acid compositions were 32.28 and 54.98％ in oil and liquid, respectively. Negative effects were not found form the results of the cell toxicity respection. These results imply that Meles effects oil and the added fermented medicinal herbs liquid can be used as possible food resources and functional food materials.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.1-8
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• 2018

In this study, formaldehyde and benzene were selected as the arbitrary chemicals in accidental leakage to environment, and their physicochemical and biological characteristics and toxicity were studied. Also, the fate of these chemicals in soil and groundwater was studied based on the results of previous studies. They can be released into the atmosphere as gas or vapor phase, which then can be photochemically degraded. Since they have relatively high water solubility, they are likely to have high mobility in water and soil. Volatilization of these chemicals from soil is affected by the soil moisture content. Biodegradation of formaldehyde and benzene is one of the important pathways as well. Therefore, it is necessary to study the environmental impacts of leakage accidents of flammable chemicals such as formaldehyde and benzene. Further research on the fate of flammable chemicals in the environment is needed to take appropriate response actions to leakage accidents of flammable chemicals, and this will contribute to the development of practical guidelines to cope with leakage accidents.