• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
• /
• v.21 no.6
• /
• pp.322-327
• /
• 2012

The strain effects of ZnSe epilayer on ZnSe/GaAs heterojunction structure grown by molecular beam epitaxy have been investigated by using electroreflectance (ER) spectroscopy. The ER measurements were performed as a function of modulation voltage, dc bias voltage, and temperature. From the room temperature ER spectrum, we observed a heavy-hole (HH: 2.609 eV) and light-hole (LH: 2.628 eV) transitions due to a compressive strain. With increasing the bias voltage, the amplitude of HH transition signal decreased and the amplitude of LH transition signal was almost the same. From the temperature dependence of ER spectra, we have studied the interaction between the strain and the thermal expansion coefficient.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
• /
• v.26 no.5
• /
• pp.401-407
• /
• 2018

Background: In Korea, seeds of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer need to be stored under cold temperature and high humidity condition for months to break physiological dormancy, making storage difficult until spring-sowing. This study was conducted to test the effects of seed storage conditions and seed treatment on the emergence of seedling after spring-sowing in a nursery greenhouse. Methods and Results: After dehiscence, endocarp dried seeds in mild or completely, and wet seeds were stored in $2^{\circ}C$ and $-3.5^{\circ}C$ during winter. Storage at $-3.5^{\circ}C$ resulted in a lower emergence rate (ER) than that at $2^{\circ}C$, and additional cold ($2^{\circ}C$) treatment before or after storage at $-3.5^{\circ}C$ increased the ER. Endocarp dehydration prevented pre-germination at $2^{\circ}C$ storage and increased the ER of seeds stored at $-3.5^{\circ}C$. ER was also dependent on the batch of seeds. However, seed treatments before sowing had only limited effects on ER. Root loss was the main reason for damping-off; prolonged cold storage of seeds increased damping-off, as the detection of pathogens was not high. Conclusions: This study showed that storage conditions such as temperature and moisture content of seeds, affect the ER after spring-sowing and vitality of seedlings, suggesting further attention on seed control for secure seedling stands after spring-sowing.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.6
• /
• pp.2729-2734
• /
• 2012

Despite clinical advances in anticancer therapy, there is still a need for novel anticancer metabolites, with higher efficacy and lesser side effects. Oroxylum indicum (L.) Vent. is a small tree of the Bignoniaceae family which is well known for its food and medicinal properties. In present study, the chemopreventive properties of O. indicum hot and cold non-polar extracts (petroleum ether and chloroform) were investigated with MDA-MB-231 (cancer cells) and WRL-68 (non-tumor cells) by XTT assay. All the extracts, and particularly the petroleum ether hot extract (PHO), exhibited significantly (P<0.05) higher cytotoxicity in MDA-MB-231 when compared to WRL-68 cells. PHO was then tested for apoptosis induction in estrogen receptor (ER)-negative (MDA-MB-231) and ER-positive (MCF-7) breast cancer cells by cellular DNA fragmentation ELISA, where it proved more efficient in the MDA-MB-231 cells. Further, when PHO was tested for anti-metastatic potential in a cell migration inhibition assay, it exhibited beneficial effects. Thus non-polar extracts of O. indicum (especially PHO) can effectively target ER-negative breast cancer cells to induce apoptosis, without harming normal cells by cancer-specific cytotoxicity. Hence, it could be considered as an extract with candidate precursors to possibly harness or alleviate ER-negative breast cancer progression even in advanced stages of malignancy.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.341-348
• /
• 2024

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress plays a crucial role in liver diseases, affecting various types of hepatic cells. While studies have focused on the link between ER stress and hepatocytes as well as hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), the precise involvement of hepatic macrophages in ER stress-induced liver injury remains poorly understood. Here, we examined the effects of ER stress on hepatic macrophages and their role in liver injury. Acute ER stress led to the accumulation and activation of hepatic macrophages, which preceded hepatocyte apoptosis. Notably, macrophage depletion mitigated liver injury induced by ER stress, underscoring their detrimental role. Mechanistic studies revealed that ER stress stimulates macrophages predominantly via the PERK signaling pathway, regardless of its canonical substrate ATF4. hnRNPA1 has been identified as a crucial mediator of PERK-driven macrophage activation, as the overexpression of hnRNPA1 effectively reduced ER stress and suppressed pro-inflammatory activation. We observed that hnRNPA1 interacts with mRNAs that encode UPR-related proteins, indicating its role in the regulation of ER stress response in macrophages. These findings illuminate the cell type-specific responses to ER stress and the significance of hepatic macrophages in ER stress-induced liver injury. Collectively, the PERK-hnRNPA1 axis has been discovered as a molecular mechanism for macrophage activation, presenting prospective therapeutic targets for inflammatory hepatic diseases such as acute liver injury.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.558-563
• /
• 2000

The lasers have been used in dentistry for more than 30 years and the application of lasers for drilling dental hard tissue has been investigated since the early developement of lasers. Recently, the Er:YAG laser was invented for hard tissue ablation. The Er:YAG laser, having a wavelength of 2.94um, is highly absorbed in both water and hydroxiapatite, leading to a very effective material for hard tissue removal by bursting off the solid tissue component that is, enamel and dentin are removed by the Er :YAG laser by water vaporization and microexplosion, without any melting of inorganic tissues. Therefore, the Er:YAG laser produced round craters with well defined margins and the surrounding tissues had no cracks and no charring. When used for cavity preparation, pulpal damage should not occur if hear buildup is minimized by careful selection of exposure parameters and by use of a water spray. The present study demonstrated that the Er:YAG laser cut the tooth substance adequately for composite resin restoration, without having undesirable side effects such as harmful effects on the pulp, discoloration or cracking etc. Also, the child patients were well cooperative during laser treatment mainly because of little noise, lesser vibration and minimal pain compared to conventional means of cavity preparation.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.24-32
• /
• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of discharge planning on patient satisfaction, the readmission rate and preparedness for discharge in the elderly admitted to the emergency room (ER) for pulmonary disease. Methods: A quasi-experimental intervention study design was used. Older adults with pulmonary health problems in the ER in one general hospital were randomly allocated to either an experimental (n=21, 74.2 years) or control group (n=19, 70.7 years). The experimental group participated in a discharge planning program by a geriatric nurse practitioner. Data were collected from medical records, physical measurements and structured questionnaires including information on demographics, patient satisfaction, readmission, and preparedness for discharge. Results: Participants in the experimental group had significantly better outcomes with regard to patient satisfaction with nursing services (p=.003) and preparedness for discharge (p=.034). However, there was no significant effect on the readmission rate (p=.392) Conclusion: The results suggested that a discharge planning program could bolster nursing service satisfaction and preparedness for discharge in older patients admitted to the ER for pulmonary health problems. To clarify the effects of discharge planning on older patients admitted to the ER, a larger sample population, better instruments for various measures, a new manual on discharge planning and frequent follow-up will be necessary.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.42-49
• /
• 2012

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of Red Ginseng-Ejung-tang Water Extract (ER) on cytokine production in RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Methods: Levels of various cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-2, IL-12p70, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2, keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) were measured by high-throughput multiplex bead array cytokine assay based on xMAP (multi-analyte profiling beads) technology. Results: ER significantly decreased levels of IL-6, IL-10, IL-2, IL-12p70, VEGF, and MCP-1 for 24 hrs incubation at the concentrations of 25, 50, and $100{\mu}g/mL$ in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells (P < 0.05). But ER did not exert significant effects on production of MIP-2, KC, TNF-${\alpha}$, and GM-CSF in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Conclusions: These results suggest that ER has an anti-inflammatory property related with its inhibition of cytokine production in LPS-induced macrophages.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.479-486
• /
• 2004

Phytoestrogens display estrogen-like activity because of their structural similarity to human estrogens and exhibit high affinity binding for the estrogen receptors (ERs). The prevalence of phytoestrogens in our diets and the biological effects that they may cause need to be fully examined. ER is the ancestral receptor from which all other steroid receptors have evolved. Although phytoestrogens serve specific signaling functions between the plants and insects, fungi, and bacteria, many chemical signals are often misinterpreted as estrogenic signals in non-target organisms such as vertebrates. There are no ERs in plants or in their most common partners, insects. However, Rhizobium soil bacteria have NodD proteins which is an intended target of phytoestrogen signaling and share genetic homology with the ER. These two evolutionarily distant receptors both recognize and respond to a shared group of chemical signals and ligands, including both agonists and antagonists. This review briefly summarizes estrogen and estrogen receptors, kinds of important phytoestrogens, their health effects as well as some of the evolutionary aspects of mechanism by which phytoestrogen mimics the endogenous ER signaling in our body.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.291-297
• /
• 2015

The Homeobox B13 (HOXB13):Interleukin 17 Receptor B (IL17BR) index of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer (ER (+) BC) patients may be a potential biomarker of recurrence/ metastasis. However, effects of microRNA (miRNA) binding to the 3' untranslated region (3' UTR) of HOXB13 and IL17BR and its function on recurrence/metastasis in ER (+) BC remains elusive. The aims of this study were to determine the expression of miRNAs that bind to 3' UTR of HOXB13 and IL17BR in ER (+) BC patients and asess the effects of these miRNAs on recurrence/metastasis. The expression profiles of HOXB13 and IL17BR were evaluated using RT-PCR in tumors and normal tissue samples from 40 ER (+) BC patients. The expression level of 4 miRNAs, which were predicted to bind the 3' UTR of HOXB13 and IL17BR using TargetScan, microRNA.org and miRDB online databases, were further evaluated with RT-PCR. Our findings demonstrated that high miR-1266 levels might be significant prognostic factor for recurrence/metastasis occurrence (3.05 fold p=0.004) and tamoxifen response (3.90 fold; p=0.2514) in ER (+) BC cases. Although we suggest that modulation of miR-1266 expression may be an important mechanism underlying the chemoresistance of ER (+) BC, advanced studies and validation are required.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• /
• v.28 no.5
• /
• pp.454-469
• /
• 2006

Today, there is considerable evidence to support a cause-effect relationship between microbial colonization and the pathogenesis of implant failures. The presence of bacteria on implant surfaces may result in an inflammation of the peri-implant mucosa, and, if left untreated, it may lead to a progressive destruction of alveolar bone supporting the implant, which has been named as peri-impantitis. Several maintenance regimens and treatment strategies for failing implants have been suggested. Recently, in addition to these conventional tools, the use of different laser systems has also been proposed for treatment of peri-implant infections. As lasers can perform excellent tissue ablation with high bactericidal and detoxification effects, they are expected to be one of the most promising new technical modalities for treatment of failing implants. It is introduced that Er,Cr:YSGG laser, operating at 2780nm, ablates tissue by a hydrokinetic process that prevents temperature rise. We studied the change of the titanium implant surface under scanning electron microscopy after using Er,Cr:YSGG laser at various energies, irradiation time. In this study, Er,Cr:YSGG laser irradiation of implant fixture showed different effects according to implant surface. Er,Cr:YSGG laser in TPS surface with RBM not alter the implant surface under power setting of 4 Watt(W) and irradiation time of 30sec. But in TPS surface with $Ca_3P$ coating alter above power setting of 2W and irradiation time of 10sec. TPS surface with RBM showed microfracture in 4W, 30sec and TPS surface with $Ca_3P$ coating showed destruction of fine crystalline structure, melting in excess of 2W, 10sec. We concluded that proper power setting, air, water of each implant surface must be investigated and implant surface must be irradiated under the damaged extent.