• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.46-54
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• 2001

Background and Objectives : Nitric oxide(NO) is a short-lived molecule with messenger and cytotoxic functions in nervous, cardiovascular, and immune systems. Among the three distinct NOS isoforms, the neuronal isoform is expressed in small, discrete neuronal populations of CNS and PNS. Axonal injury in adult animals results in a dramatic NOS up-regulation in many types of central and peripheral neurons which normally lack the enzyme or express it only at very low levels. In previous study, we confirmed the efficacy of PEMS on the early functional recovery in rats with surgically transected and reanastomosed recurrent laryngeal nerve. Therefore, after we obtained functionally recovered rats using PEMS in this study, we studied to evaluate the expression of nNOS through the analysis of the difference between functional recovery group and non-recovery group in the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Materials and Method : Using 84 healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats, transections and primary anastomosis were performed on their left recurrent laryngeal nerves. Rats were then randomly assigned to 2 groups. The rats in group A(n=42) received PEMS by placing them in custom cages equipped with Helm-holz coils(3 hr/day, 5 days/wk, for 12 wk). The rats in group B(n=42) were handled the same way as the group A, except that they did not receive PEMS. Laryngovideoendoscopy was performed before and after surgery and followed up weekly. Laryngeal EMG was obtained in both PCA and TA muscles. Immunohistochemisty staining using monoclonal anti-neuronal nitric oxide synthase(nNOS) antibody was performed to detect nNOS in recurrent laryngeal nerve and nodose ganglion. Results : 20 rats(63%) in group A and 5 rats(17%) in the group B showed recovery of vocal fo1d motion. The number of NOS-positive cells was increased in functionally-recovered rats. NOS-staining intensity was reduced 12 weeks after nerve injury. The difference between PEMS group and non-stimulated group was not found. Conclusion : This study shows that nNOS may exert a beneficial effect on nerve regeneration and functional repair.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.213-220
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• 2001

Background: A previous study has shown that Euonymus alatus (EA) has an antidotic activities against inflammation, suggesting possibility that EA can exert this beneficial effects to liver injury by an initial protection against drug-induced hepatocyte demage. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the protective effect of EA-extract on experimentally induced hepatitis in ICR mice and to investigate some mechanisms responsible for its action. Methods: Water EA extract was used in this experiments. The mice received i.p. a dose of 700 mg/kg galactosamine (GalN) together with $5{\mu}g/kg$ of endotoxin (LPS), or received i.v. 12 mg/kg of concanavalin A (Con A). EA (4 mg/mouse) was administrated on day -2, -1 and 0 before induction of liver injury. Liver injury was assessed by measurement of serum alanin amino-transferase (SGPT) levels on 9 hr after GaIN.LPS, or 8 hr after con A administration. Results: Treatment with either GaIN or LPS alone did not cause hepatitis. However, simultaneous administration of GalN and LPS to mice resulted in LPS-dose dependent fulminant hepatitis. GaLN/LPS-induced liver injury was reduced when mice were given EA for 3 days before induction. This preventive effect of Ea was more prominent when EA was given by intraperitoneal route rather then by oral route. Pretreatment of EA or dexamethasone inhibited significantly $TNF{\alpha}$ production in GalL/LPS-injured mice. However, EA-treatment did not influence $TNF{\alpha}$-induced hepatitis in GalN-sensitized mice, suggesting that $TNF{\alpha}$ is likely to act as one of final mediators of endotoxin action and the protective effect of EA might be manifested chiefly by inhibition of endotoxin-induced $TNF{\alpha}$ production, not by blocking the $TNF{\alpha}$-action. Injection of Con A into mice evoked remarkable liver injury in a dose dependent fashion. This liver damage was reduced by EA-pretreatment. Dexamethasone significantly reduced both GalL/LPS-induced and Con A-induced liver damages, showing synergism with EA. However, indomethacin reduced only GalN/ LPS-induced hepatitis, not for Con A-induced hepatitis. Conclusion: These results led to the conclusion that EA may be able to contribute at least in part to prevent the drug-induced hepatotoxicity, and that its anti-hepatitis effects might be manifested directly by modulation of endogenous mediators, such as leukotriese D4, $TNF{\alpha}$ and free radical, and indirectly by regulation of immune mediated responses. Also these results suggested that EA could be developed as a potential antidotic agent.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.197-202
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• 2008

In our previous publication we compared the gene expression profiles on hepatotoxicants exposure to assess the comparability between in vivo and in vitro test systems. We investigated global gene expression from both mouse liver and mouse hepatic cell line treated with thioacetamide (TAA) and identified several common genes. In this study, we selected genes to validate them as potential biomarkers for hepatotoxicity on the relevance of in vitro and in vivo system. Three up-regulated, aquaporin 8 (Aqp8), glutathione peroxidase 1 (Gpx1), succinate-CoA ligase, GDP-forming, alpha subunit (Suclg1) and two down-regulated, DnaJ (Hsp40) homolog subfamily C member 5 (Dnajc5) and tumor protein D52 (Tpd52) genes were tested for their effects in vitro. For characterization of gene function, short interfering RNA (siRNA) for each gene was synthesized and transfected in mouse hepatic cell line, BNL CL.2. Cell viability, mRNA expression level and morphological alterations were investigated. We confirmed siRNA transfection against selected five genes induced down-regulation of respective mRNA expression. siRNA transfection in general decreased cell viability in different degrees and induced morphological changes such as membrane thickening and alterations of intracellular structures. This suggests that these genes could be associated with TAA-induced toxicity. Furthermore, these genes may be used in the investigation of hepatotoxicity for better understanding of its mechanism.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.557-565
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• 2010

Recently, regulations on toxic compounds in aquatic environment have been strengthened in korea due to the increasing public awareness of the water quality. Typically, these regulations include introduction of emerging toxic compounds and stricter effluent limitations for the already regulated compounds. However, too strict regulations may cause excessive burden on the industry. Therefore it is also important to assess the economic impacts when the new effluent limitation guidelines are introduced. The estimation of the additional cost for the wastewater dischargers to meet the new guidelines are based on the selected treatment technology to handle the hazardous substances and the regulatory levels for effluent limitations. To explore the procedures for cost estimation in enforcing new effluent limitations, a case study was performed specially for 1,4-dichlorobenzene. The pollutants of concern are surveyed for different industrial categories and various treatment technologies. For a given pollutant, the general performances of the treatment technologies are surveyed and a representative technology is selected. For a given technology, the capital cost and annual Operation and Maintenance (O&M) cost was calculated. The calculation of baseline costs to operate ordinary treatment technologies is also important. The ratio between the cost for introducing new treatment process and the baseline cost required for conventional technology was used to evaluate the economic impact on the industry. For 1,4-dichlorobenzene, steam stripping and activated carbon processes were selected as the specific treatment technologies. The cost effects to the regulation of the compound were found to be 6.4% and 14.5% increase in capital cost and O&M cost, respectively, at the flow rate over $2,000m^3/d$ for the categories of synthetic resin and other plastics manufacturing industry. For the case of petrochemical basic compounds manufacturing industry, the cost increases were 5.8% and 12.4%, respectively. It was suggested that cost effect analysis to evaluate the economic impacts of new effluent limitations on the industry is crucial to establish more balanced and reasonable effluent limitations to manage the industrial wastewater containing emerging toxic compounds in the wastewater.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.461-467
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• 1990

To investigate the neurological effect of acrylamide, whole brain of Intoxicated mouse induced early hindlimbs ataxia was examined by using the methods of SDS-PAGE and two-dimensional electrophoresis. In the gel patterns by SDS-PAGE, when the patterns of each group were compared relatively, there were no remakable changes but in the patterns of 2D-PAGE, some protein alterations were observed. Especially, the spots containing 20 (14,500, 5.64) and 21 (19,900, 6.78) were disappeared, and the spots 9 (31,300, 5.82), 11 (31,300, 5.36) and 19 (16,400, 5.42) showed marked decrease relatively in the case of treatment group. Among these changed spots, the spot 20 (14,500, 5.64) showed higher quantity than that of control group but several spots containing the spots 11 (31,300, 5.36), and 19(16.400, 5.42) were identical or equal to those of control In quantity in the case of recovery group. It seems that acrylamide might already inhibit the brain protein synthesis mechanism at the time of onset of distal neuropathy by participation in the protein metabolism so as to impair the brain regulation ability followed by a malfunction of mouse central nervous system (CNS) and recovery is gradually progressed with the dose and duration dependence after the cessation of acrylamide administration.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.91-96
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• 2004

Accumulation of nitrate in edible crops is undesirable due to potential risks to human health. Since nitrate has a role in the osmotic regulation of plants, salt accumulation in soil is expected to stimulate nitrate accumulation in plants. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) was grown in soils of different salinities, 9.69 and $4.49dS\;m^{-1}$, in a greenhouse, and the effect of soil salinity on nitrate accumulation in lettuce was investigated. Content of nitrate in the lettuce increased significantly as soil salinity increased under low light intensity and ample supply of nitrate in root media. Soluble sugar and oxalate contents in lettuce were also significantly higher in the soil of higher salinity. Phosphate, Cl, and $SO_4$ contents in lettuce were not significantly different in soils of different salinities. Among the cations, K content in lettuce was significantly higher in the soil of higher salinity, but Na, Ca, and Mg comtents were not much influenced. Comparing to the lettuce grown in low salinity soil, although the growth of lettuce was decreased by 9% in the soil of higher salinity, nitrate accumulation in the lettuce was increased by 18.6%. These results indicate that higher nitrate content in lettuce of higher salinity soil is a positive accumulation to adapt to the water stress condition. The nitrate accumulation of vegetables grown in plastic film houses is known to be due to the heavy fertilization and low light intensity, but salt accumulation in the soil, which can lower soil water potential, is expected to stimulate the nitrate accumulation further.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.483-491
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• 2014

In this study, we developed an M-COS (molit coagulant-dosing optimization system), which enables to apply the optimum coagulant dose determined in real time, in order to satisfy the total phosphorus (TP) regulation (0.5 mg/L), and then tested its field applicability. Field tests were conducted at three different periods in 2014 in a pilot plant where the M-COS was installed. Coagulant reduction rate by the M-COS was 10.4%, 15.3%, and 9.0% for each period (average 11.6%), when comparing with a control where coagulants were applied at a constant rate. Total cost for the M-COS or control was estimated by summing up the coagulant cost and sludge treatment cost, and then the resulting cost increase was predicted. Cost reduction rate by the M-COS was 13.8%, 20.0%, and 11.4% for each period (average 15.0%). This study indicates that the M-COS can be an alternative to a conventional system for TP treatment, with a better cost efficiency.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.563-571
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• 2020

The purpose of a utility tunnel is to prevent repeated excavation as well as disasters and calamity. Domestic utility tunnels have been built in new town development plans. Currently, it is difficult to establish a utility tunnel due to a conflict of opinions by organization and financing. In this paper, research was conducted based on systematic procedures to suggest ways of improving the activation of utility tunnels in new cities and existing cities. First, a survey was conducted on the laws and status of utility tunnels, and problems were derived based on the review and analysis of the status. Finally, a method suggesting improvement measures to solve problems was applied. Based on the related laws and problems, the status of the development project was analyzed to select the installation scale in the utility tunnel, and the appropriate scale was reviewed through economic feasibility analysis of the installation scale under 2 million square meters. Considering the new city and the existing city, it was proposed to support administrative expenses to reduce the burden on additional installation areas and occupied institutions in a utility tunnel. In addition, improvement plans were presented for the details of the master plan for reviewing the installation regional of the utility tunnel. This paper will help officials to work smoothly when planning and installing utility tunnels in the future.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.301-310
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• 2010

Bacillus subtilis strains produce a broad spectrum of bioactive peptides. The lipopeptide surfactin belongs to one well-known class, which includes amphiphilic membrane-active biosurfactants and peptide antibiotics. Both the srfA promoter and the ComP-ComA signal transduction system are an important part of the factor that results in the production of surfactin. Bs-M49, obtained by means of low-energy ion implantation in wild-type Bs-916, produced significantly lower levels of surfactin, and had no obvious effects against R. solani. Occasionally, we found strain Bs-M49 decreased spore formation and the development of competence. Blast comparison of the sequences from Bs-916 and M49 indicate that there is no difference in the srfA operon promoter PsrfA, but there are differences in the coding sequence of the comA gene. These differences result in three missense mutations within the M49 ComA protein. RT-PCR analyses results showed that the expression levels of selected genes involved in competence and sporulation in both the wild-type Bs-916 and mutant M49 strains were significantly different. When we integrated the comA ORF into the chromosome of M49 at the amyE locus, M49 restored hemolytic activity and antifungal activity. Then, HPLC analyses results also showed the comA-complemented strain had a similar ability to produce surf actin with wild-type strain Bs-916. These data suggested that the mutation of three key amino acids in ComA greatly affected the biological activity of Bacillus subtilis. ComA protein 3D structure prediction and motif search prediction indicated that ComA has two obvious motifs common to response regulator proteins, which are the N-terminal response regulator receiver motif and the C-terminal helix-turn-helix motif. The three residues in the ComA N-terminal portion may be involved in phosphorylation activation mechanism. These structural prediction results implicate that three mutated residues in the ComA protein may play an important role in the formation of a salt-bridge to the phosphoryl group keeping active conformation to subsequent regulation of the expression of downstream genes.

• Journal of architectural history
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• v.12 no.1 s.33
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• pp.25-41
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• 2003

This paper is a study of Le Corbusier's trace regulateur of the 1920s, particularly its role in the design of the Villas La Roche-Jeanneret and Stein-de Monzie. It proceeds on the basis of the following three themes: first, the relation between the regulating line and the dom-ino frame; second, its status as a proportional device based not on a module system but one that defines relations; third, its function as an essential practical device in the design process. In the Villa La Roche-Jeanneret, the embedded horizontal planes of the dom-ino frame were constant, but the vortical lines of the columns were altered according to the changes in plan. Initially, a left-hand bay window formed a symmetry with the right-hand bay window, the only constant in the design process. With subsequent changes, mullion sections of the horizontal window and roof elements came to provide the reference points for the regulating line. Eventually, a regulating line different from the one that controlled the bay window and the elongated volume came to control the entrance hall of Villa La Roche, resulting in three different kinds of regulating lines in the final version. In contrast to the Villa La Roche-Jeanneret, a singular and consistent regulation line was anticipated in the earliest design stages of the Villa Stein-de Monzie. The repetition of its A:B grid and the standard $2.5m{\times}1.0m$ sliding window determined the proportions of both its plan and elevation, and thus the regulating line became 'automatic,' losing its viability as a practical tool. Though the regulating titles of the La Roche-Jeanneret look as if they were an afterthought, drawn after the design was complete, they were most active, requiring tenacity and discipline in their application. On the other hand, the seemingly 'redundant' regulating line of the Villa Stein-de Monzie gains its raison d'etre from the dom-ino frame. Its cantilevers and uninterrupted horizontal window could be used in decisive fashion because of the guarantee that the correct proportion would always be maintained. Thus we discover that Le Corbusier's discipline of the 1920s had a certain spectrum of flexibility. His 'parti' ranged from the extremely loose and malleable grid of the Villa La Roche-Jeanneret to the fixed grid of the Villa Stein-de Monzie. In different ways, these projects retain the tension between the dom-ino frame and the regulating line. For Le Corbusier, as much as the grid was an object with fixed attributes, it was also an active medium manipulated by the will of the architect.