• Journal of Multimedia Information System
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.189-196
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• 2020

We have developed a device for recording biological data by inserting three electrodes and a needle with an angular velocity sensor into the moth for the purpose of measuring the electromyogram of the flapping and the corresponding lift force. With this measurement, it is possible to evaluate the moth-physiological function of moths, and the amount of pesticides that insects are exposed to (currently LD50-based standards), especially the amount of chronic low-concentration exposure, can be reduced the dose. We measured and recorded 2-channel electromyography (EMG) and angular velocity corresponding to pitch angle (pitch-like angle) associated with wing flapping for 100 sweet potato hawkmoths (50 females and 50 males) with the animals suspended and constrained in air. Overall, the angular velocity and amplitude of EMG signals demonstrated high correlation, with a correlation coefficient of R = 0.792. In contrast, the results of analysis performed on the peak-to-peak (PP) EMG intervals, which correspond to the RR intervals of ECG signals, indicated a correlation between ΔF fluctuation and angular velocity of R = 0.379. Thus, the accuracy of the regression curve was relatively poor. Using a DC amplification circuit without capacitive coupling as the EMG amplification circuit, we confirmed that the baseline changes at the gear change point of wing flapping. The following formula gives the lift provided by the wing: angular velocity × thoracic weight - air resistance - (eddy resistance due to turbulence). In future studies, we plan to attach a micro radio transmitter to the moths to gather data on potential energy, kinetic energy, and displacement during free flight for analysis. Such physiological functional evaluations of moths may alleviate damage to insect health due to repeated exposure to multiple agrochemicals and may lead to significant changes in the toxicity standards, which are currently based on LD50 values.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제28권3호
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• pp.250-258
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• 2020

Emphysema, a major component of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is a leading cause of human death worldwide. The progressive deterioration of lung function that occurs in the disease is caused by chronic inflammation of the airway and destruction of the lung parenchyma. Despite the main impact of inflammation on the pathogenesis of emphysema, current therapeutic regimens mainly offer symptomatic relief and preservation of lung function with little therapeutic impact. In the present study, we aimed to discover novel therapeutics that suppress the pathogenesis of emphysema. Here, we show that LJ-2698, a novel and highly selective antagonist of the adenosine A₃ receptor, a G protein-coupled receptor involved in various inflammatory diseases, significantly reversed the elastase-induced destructive changes in murine lungs. We found that LJ-2698 significantly prevented elastase-induced airspace enlargement, resulting in restoration of pulmonary function without causing any obvious changes in body weight in mice. LJ-2698 was found to inhibit matrix metalloproteinase activity and pulmonary cell apoptosis in the murine lung. LJ-2698 treatment induced increases in anti-inflammatory cytokines in macrophages at doses that displayed no significant cytotoxicity in normal cell lines derived from various organs. Treatment with LJ-2698 significantly increased the number of anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages in the lungs. These results implicate the adenosine A₃ receptor in the pathogenesis of emphysema. Our findings also demonstrate the potential of LJ-2698 as a novel therapeutic/preventive agent in suppressing disease development with limited toxicity.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• 제7권4호
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• pp.395-408
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• 2007

This study reports the analgesic, anti-inflammatory and membrane-stabilizing property of alcoholic extract of Ophiorrhiza nicobarica (ON), a wild herb, used as an anti-infective ethnomedicine of Nicobarese and Shompen tribes of Great Nicobar Island, India. We for the first time investigated the analgesic and antiinflammatory potential of this herb in acute, subacute and chronic model of inflammation in Swiss albino mice and Wistar albino rats, along with sheep RBC-induced sensitivity and membrane stabilization. The acetic acid induced writhing, tail flick and tail immersion tests are used as a model for evaluating analgesic activity; while the carrageenin-induced paw oedema was used as the model for acute inflammation, dextran-induced oedema as sub-acute and cotton-pellateinduced granuloma as chronic inflammatory model. The probable mode by which ON mediate its effect on inflammatory conditions was studied on sheep RBC-induced sensitivity and membrane stabilization. The in vitro results revealed that the ON extract possesses significant (P < 0.05) dose dependent analgesic and antiinflammatory activity at 200 and 300 mg/kg and its fractions at 50 mg/kg, p.o. respectively, compared to the control groups. However, the extract failed to exhibit membrane-stabilizing property as it unable to reduce the level of haemolysis of RBC exposed to hypotonic solution. The acute toxicity studies of ON extract in rats and mice revealed that the extract was nontoxic even up to 3.0 g/kg body weight of the animals, with a high safety profile. We have isolated ursolic acid, ${\beta}$-sitosterol and harmaline respectively, from the bioactive part of the extract. The results indicated that the O. nicobarica is indeed beneficial in primary health care, and suggest that its anti-inflammatory activity may not be related to membrane-stabilization.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제30권3호
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• pp.530-539
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• 1997

This study was conducted to assess the health risk on the volatile organic compounds such as toluene, xylene, and styrene in painting workplace. It was monitored through personal air sampling during working time in selected 5 workplaces and analysed using gas chromatography. For the settlement of exposure situation, there were regarded working conditions such as working hours, yearly working days, and working years. Also, Monte-Carlo simulation was used for the induction of hazard index using toxicity value from IRIS(Integrated risk information system) database. The results of risk assessment were summarized as follows. 1. The air concentration of toluene was $7.096{\pm}15,644ppm,\;2.586{\pm}4.275ppm\;for\;xylene,\;1.914{\pm}5.320ppm$ for styrene in blast painting workplaces. The level of toluene was different significantly compared with the level of xylene and styrene. 2. Computated chronic daily intake values of 95th percentile on toluene, xylene and styrene treated by Monte-Carlo simulation were 9.616, 3.567, 2.782 mg/kg/day, respectively. 3. Computated hazard index values of 75th percentile on toluene, xylene and styrene treated by Monte-Carlo simulation were 3.5, 1.0 and 1.6, respectively. Adverse health effects on the toluene, xylene and styrene would be expected by working exposure in selected 5 workplaces since the hazard indices of three compounds were exceeded 1 in the surroundings of 75th percentile though having the low emerged frequency.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제87권1호
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• pp.52-64
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• 2024

Chronic respiratory diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and respiratory infections injure the alveoli; the damage evoked is mostly irreversible and occasionally leads to death. Achieving a detailed understanding of the pathogenesis of these fatal respiratory diseases has been hampered by limited access to human alveolar tissue and the differences between mice and humans. Thus, the development of human alveolar organoid (AO) models that mimic in vivo physiology and pathophysiology has gained tremendous attention over the last decade. In recent years, human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have been successfully employed to generate several types of organoids representing different respiratory compartments, including alveolar regions. However, despite continued advances in three-dimensional culture techniques and single-cell genomics, there is still a profound need to improve the cellular heterogeneity and maturity of AOs to recapitulate the key histological and functional features of in vivo alveolar tissue. In particular, the incorporation of immune cells such as macrophages into hPSC-AO systems is crucial for disease modeling and subsequent drug screening. In this review, we summarize current methods for differentiating alveolar epithelial cells from hPSCs followed by AO generation and their applications in disease modeling, drug testing, and toxicity evaluation. In addition, we review how current hPSC-AOs closely resemble in vivo alveoli in terms of phenotype, cellular heterogeneity, and maturity.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• 제3권1호
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• pp.22-34
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• 2016

유해 남조류 Microcystis와 Dolichospermum의 친환경적인 제어를 위해 생물유래 물질을 기반으로 한 Naphthoquinone(NQ) 계열의 녹조제어 물질을 개발하였다. NQ의 기본구조를 바탕으로 치환기 ($R_n$)를 변화시켜 총 92종의 NQ 유도체를 합성 확보하였고, 대상 남조류 Microcystis와 Dolichospermum에 대하여 농도별 살조효과를 평가하여 $1{\mu}M$의 농도에서 80% 이상의 제어가 가능한 NQ 화합물을 각각 22종을 선정하였다. 그 중에서, NQ 40 물질은 최적 적용 농도인 $1{\mu}M$에서 Microcystis와 Dolichospermum 종에 각각 99.6%과 100%의 높은 제어효과가 관찰되었다. NQ 40 물질 ($1{\mu}M$)은 규조류 Stephanodiscus, Cyclotella와 와편모조류 Peridinium에는 살조효과가 없었으며, 대상 유해 남조류 Microcystis와 Dolichospermum에만 선택적으로 작용하였다. 또한, NQ 40 물질의 급성독성을 평가 결과, Selenastrum capricornutum, Daphnia magna 및 Danio rario 종에 대하여 $EC_{50}$/$LC_{50}$ 값이 각각 3.2, 14.5 및 $15.7{\mu}M$로 측정되었다. 더불어, D. magna를 이용한 만성독성 평가 결과, NQ 40 물질 $1{\mu}M$에서 생존, 성장, 번식에 대한 영향은 없었다. 따라서, 최종 선정된 NQ 40 물질을 현장에서 $1{\mu}M$로 적용한다면, 다른 수생생물에 미치는 영향 없이 대상 조류인 Microcystis와 Dolichospermum 종만 선택적으로 제어 가능한 친환경적인 살조물질로 사용될 것으로 판단된다.

• 대한환경공학회지
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• 제38권7호
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• pp.395-401
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• 2016

최근 나노물질의 산업 및 생활분야의 광범위한 사용으로 인한 나노안전성이 대두되고 있다. 특히 다양한 목적에 의해 가공된 나노물질의 잠재적 독성이 문제가 되고 있기 때문에, 지속가능한 나노물질 산업의 발전을 위해서는 적극적인 나노 안전성에 대한 연구가 진행되어야 한다. 현재까지 나노물질의 일반적 급성, 만성독성에 대한 연구는 비교적 활발하게 진행되고 있지만, 나노물질의 다세대 영향에 대한 연구는 시간적 및 실험적 제약으로 인해 미흡한 실정이다. 생태계 내 나노물질의 다세대 연구는 일반적 독성 종말점을 이용한 후세대 영향 연구와 나노물질의 세대 간 거동을 확인한 세대전이 연구로 나뉘어 진행되고 있다. 본 연구는 나노물질의 다세대 영향 및 전이연구 추세를 확인하고 제한점을 제시하여 앞으로의 연구방향을 제시하는데 그 목적이 있다. 나노물질에 대한 학술연구를 대상으로 문헌조사를 실시하였으며, 각 분야별 자료를 수집하고 비교분석하였다. 조사결과 후세대 영향을 확인한 연구는 총 13건 이었으며, 생존률, 생식률 그리고 운동성과 같은 지표를 이용하여 다음세대에 전달되는 영향을 확인하였다. 그리고, 7건의 세대전이 연구에서는 후세대로 전달된 나노물질을 다양한 이미징 기법을 통하여 확인하였다. 현재까지 나노물질이 후세대에 미치는 독성영향의 메커니즘은 밝혀진 바가 거의 없다. 본 연구에서는 나노물질의 다세대 연구추세를 분석하고, 후세대영향과 세대전이의 상호보완적 연구방향을 제시하였다.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.138-146
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• 2014

Purpose: This single institutional study is aimed to observe the outcome of patients who received postoperative radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy. Materials and Methods: A total of 59 men with histologically identified prostate adenocarcinoma who had received postoperative radiation after radical prostatectomy from August 2005 to July 2011 in Seoul St. Mary's Hospital of the Catholic University of Korea, was included. They received 45-50 Gy to the pelvis and boost on the prostate bed was given up to total dose of 63-72 Gy (median, 64.8 Gy) in conventional fractionation. The proportion of patients given hormonal therapy and the pattern in which it was given were analyzed. Primary endpoint was biochemical relapse-free survival (bRFS) after radiotherapy completion. Secondary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Biochemical relapse was defined as a prostate-specific antigen level above 0.2 ng/mL. Results: After median follow-up of 53 months (range, 0 to 104 months), the 5-year bRFS of all patients was estimated 80.4%. The 5-year OS was estimated 96.6%. Patients who were given androgen deprivation therapy had a 5-year bRFS of 95.1% while the ones who were not given any had that of 40.0% (p < 0.01). However, the statistical significance in survival difference did not persist in multivariate analysis. The 3-year actuarial grade 3 chronic toxicity was 1.7% and no grade 3 acute toxicity was observed. Conclusion: The biochemical and toxicity outcome of post-radical prostatectomy radiotherapy in our institution is favorable and comparable to those of other studies.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.73-80
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• 2016

Chronic exposure to cadmium (Cd) is known to adversely affect renal function. Our previous studies indicated that Cd induces p53-dependent apoptosis by inhibiting gene expression of the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (Ube) 2d family in both human and rat proximal tubular cells. In this study, the effects of Cd on protein expression of p53 and apoptotic signals in the kidney and liver of mice exposed to Cd for 12 months were examined, as well as the effects of Cd on p53 protein levels and gene expression of the Ube2d family in various cell lines. Results showed that in the kidney of mice exposed to 300 ppm Cd for 12 months, there was overaccumulation of p53 proteins in addition to the induction of apoptosis, which was triggered specifically in the proximal tubules. Interestingly, the site of apoptosis was the same as that of p53 accumulation in the proximal tubules. In the liver of mice chronically exposed to Cd, gene expression of the Ube2d family tended to be slightly decreased, together with slight apoptosis without the accumulation of p53 protein. In rat small intestine epithelial (IEC-6) cells, Cd decreased not only the p53 protein level but also gene expression of Ube2d1, Ube2d2 and Ube2d4. In human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs), Cd did not suppress gene expression of the Ube2d family, but increased the p53 protein level. In human brain astrocytes (HBASTs), Cd only increased gene expression of UBE2D3. These results suggest that Cd-induced apoptosis through p53 protein is associated with renal toxicity but not hepatic toxicity, and the modification of p53 protein by Cd may vary depending on cell type.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제35권2호
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• pp.191-200
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• 2019

Alismatis rhizoma (AR), the dried rhizome of Alisma orientale (Sam.) Juzep, is a well-known, traditional medicine that is used for the various biological activities including as a diuretic, to lower cholesterol and as an anti-inflammatory agent. The present study was carried out to investigate the potential toxicity of the Alismatis rhizoma aqueous extract (ARAE) following 90-day repeated oral administration to Sprague-Dawley rats. ARAE was administered orally to male and female rats for 90 days at 0 (control), 500, 1,000 and 2,000 mg/kg/day (n = 10 for male and female rats for each dose). Additional recovery groups from the control group and high dose group were observed for a 28-day recovery period. Chromatograms of ARAE detected main compounds with four peaks. Treatment-related effects including an increase in the red blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, albumin, total protein, and urine volume were observed in males of the 2,000 mg/kg/day group (p < 0.05). However, the diuretic effect of ARAE was considered, a major cause of hematological and serum biochemical changes. The oral no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of the ARAE was > 2,000 mg/kg/day in both genders, and no target organs were identified.