• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.546-555
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• 2024

Aromadendrin is a phenolic compound with various biological effects such as anti-inflammatory properties. However, its protective effects against acute lung injury (ALI) remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the ameliorative effects of aromadendrin in an experimental model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI. In vitro analysis revealed a notable increase in the levels of cytokine/chemokine formation, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation, and myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88)/toll-like receptor (TLR4) expression in LPS-stimulated BEAS-2B lung epithelial cell lines that was ameliorated by aromadendrin pretreatment. In LPS-induced ALI mice, the remarkable upregulation of immune cells and IL-1β/IL-6/TNF-α levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and inducible nitric oxide synthase/cyclooxygenase-2/CD68 expression in lung was decreased by the oral administration of aromadendrin. Histological analysis revealed the presence of cells in the lungs of ALI mice, which was alleviated by aromadendrin. In addition, aromadendrin ameliorated lung edema. This in vivo effect of aromadendrin was accompanied by its inhibitory effect on LPS-induced NF-κB activation, MyD88/TLR4 expression, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 activation. Furthermore, aromadendrin increased the expression of heme oxygenase-1/ NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 in the lungs of ALI mice. In summary, the in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that aromadendrin ameliorated endotoxin-induced pulmonary inflammation by suppressing cytokine formation and NF-κB activation, suggesting that aromadendrin could be a useful adjuvant in the treatment of ALI.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.24-29
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• 2013

In the present study, the effects of prebiotics and prebiotics+probiotics on intestinal microflora and fermentation products were evaluated in a pig in vitro fermentation model. The substrates used in this study were iso-malto oligosaccharide (IMO), partially digested chicory-inulin (CI), raffinose (RA), and cyclodextrin (CD) as prebiotics and Lactobacillus reiteri as probiotics. For a pig in vitro fermentation, the experimental diet for growing pigs was predigested using digestive enzymes secreted by small intestine and this hydrolyzed diet was mixed with a buffer solution containing 5% fresh swine feces. The mixture was then incubated with either prebiotics or prebiotics+probiotics for 24 h. Samples were taken at 24 h, and viable counts of microflora, gas, pH, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) were analyzed. The viable count of Enterobacteriaceae was significantly decreased (p<0.001) in all treatments containing prebiotics and prebiotics+probiotics when compared to the control. However, the number of lactic acid bacteria increased in the prebiotics and prebiotics+probiotics treatment. The pH values in the fermentation fluid decreased in all treatments when compared to the control, and their effects were greater in the prebiotics+probiotics group than prebiotics group. Fermentation with prebiotics resulted in a reduction in malodorous compounds such as ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and skatole when compared to the prebiotics+probiotics group. Short-chain fatty acid production was also higher for treatment with prebiotics+probiotics than treatment with prebiotics. In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrated that fermentation with prebiotics was effective in reducing the formation of malodorous compounds and prebiotics+probiotics was effective in increasing lactic acid bacteria and SCFA and reducing the pH. Moreover, further studies will be needed to determine whether the results observed in the in vitro model would occur in pigs that ingest these prebiotics or probiotics.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.400-425
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• 2018

This study presents the research results and current status of the DECOVALEX-2019 project Task B. Task B named 'Fault slip modelling' is aiming at developing a numerical method to simulate the coupled hydro-mechanical behavior of fault, including slip or reactivation, induced by water injection. The first research step of Task B is a benchmark simulation which is designed for the modelling teams to familiarize themselves with the problem and to set up their own codes to reproduce the hydro-mechanical coupling between the fault hydraulic transmissivity and the mechanically-induced displacement. We reproduced the coupled hydro-mechanical process of fault slip using TOUGH-FLAC simulator. The fluid flow along a fault was modelled with solid elements and governed by Darcy's law with the cubic law in TOUGH2, whereas the mechanical behavior of a single fault was represented by creating interface elements between two separating rock blocks in FLAC3D. A methodology to formulate the hydro-mechanical coupling relations of two different hydraulic aperture models and link the solid element of TOUGH2 and the interface element of FLAC3D was suggested. In addition, we developed a coupling module to update the changes in geometric features (mesh) and hydrological properties of fault caused by water injection at every calculation step for TOUGH-FLAC simulator. Then, the transient responses of the fault, including elastic deformation, reactivation, progressive evolutions of pathway, pressure distribution and water injection rate, to stepwise pressurization were examined during the simulations. The results of the simulations suggest that the developed model can provide a reasonable prediction of the hydro-mechanical behavior related to fault reactivation. The numerical model will be enhanced by continuing collaboration and interaction with other research teams of DECOLVAEX-2019 Task B and validated using the field data from fault activation experiments in a further study.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.67 no.2
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• pp.95-104
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• 2009

Background: The pathophysiologic mechanisms of early acute lung injury (ALI) differ according to the type of primary insult. It is important to differentiate between direct and indirect pathophysiologic pathways, and this may influence the approach to treatment strategies. NF-$\kappa$B decoy oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) is a useful tool for the blockade of the expression of NF-$\kappa$B-dependent proinflammatory mediators and has been reported to be effective in indirect ALI. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of NF-$\kappa$B decoy ODN in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced direct ALI model. Methods: Five-week-old specific pathogen-free male BALB/c mice were used for the experiment. In the preliminary studies, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-$\alpha$, interleukine (IL)-6 and NF-$\kappa$B activity peaked at 6 hours after LPS administration. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and ALI score were highest at 36 and 48 hours, respectively. Therefore, it was decided to measure each parameter at the time of its highest level. The study mice were randomly divided into three experimental groups: (1) control group which was administered 50 ${\mu}L$ of saline and treated with intratracheal administration of 200 ${\mu}L$ DW containing only hemagglutinating virus of Japan (HVJ) vector (n=24); (2) LPS group in which LPS-induced ALI mice were treated with intratracheal administration of 200 ${\mu}L$ DW containing only HVJ vector (n=24); (3) LPS+ODN group in which LPS-induced ALI mice were treated with intratracheal administration of 200 ${\mu}L$ DW containing 160 ${\mu}g$ of NF-$\kappa$B decoy ODN and HVJ vector (n=24). Each group was subdivided into four experimental subgroups: (1) tissue subgroup for histopathological examination for ALI at 48 hours (n=6); (2) 6-hour bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) subgroup for measurement of TNF-$\alpha$ and IL-6 in BAL fluid (BALF) (n=6); (3) 36-hour BAL subgroup for MPO activity assays in BALF (n=6); and (4) tissue homogenate subgroup for measurement of NF-$\kappa$B activity in lung tissue homogenates at 6 hours (n=6). Results: NF-$\kappa$B decoy ODN treatment significantly decreased NF-$\kappa$B activity in lung tissues. However, it failed to improve the parameters of LPS-induced direct ALI, including the concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$ and interleukin-6 in BALF, myeloperoxidase activity in BALF and histopathologic changes measured by the ALI score. Conclusion: NF-$\kappa$B decoy ODN, which has been proven to be effective in indirect models, had no effect in the direct ALI model.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.85-94
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• 2002

XRF, XRD, EPMA have been used to investigate microstructures and mineralogical changes caused by the faulting and fluids associated with faulting in the Quaternary fault gouge zones at the Sangchon, Ipsil and Wangsan faults located at the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula. The chemical compositions of faulted rocks and protoliths analyzed by XRF show that the fault gouges are relatively enriched in TiO$_2$, P$_2$O$_{5}$, MgO, and Fe$_2$O$_3$) compared with protoliths, indicating that the fluids associated with faulting were highly activated. XRD results show that the fault gouges predominantly consist of quartz, feldspar, calcite and clay minerals. Clay minerals formed in the gouge zones are mainly composed of smectite characterized by a dioctahedral sheet. Based on EPMA analyses various kinds of sulfide, carbonate, phosphate minerals were identified in the gouge zones and protoliths. Xenotime of grey fault gouge of the Sangchon fault and sulfide minerals of contact andesitic rock of Ipsil fault and contact grey andesitic rock of Wangsan fault were probably formed by inflow of hydrothermal solution associated with faulting prior to the Quaternary. Carbonate minerals of contact andesitic rock and gouge zone of the Ipsil fault were formed by inflow of fluid associated with faulting prior to the Quaternary. They are heavily fractured and have reaction rim on their edge, indicating that faultings and inflow of fluids were highly activated after carbonate minerals were formed. Calcites of Wangsan fault seemed to be formed in syntectonic or posttectonic Quaternary faulting.g.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.233-240
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• 2005

To discover new functional materials using edible plants, antioxidant activities of methanol extracts from various parts of seven wild vegetables were investigated in vitro. Total polyphenol contents, determined by Folin-Denis method, varied from 16.74 to $130.22{\mu}g/mg$. Radical-scavenging activities of methanol extracts were examined using ${\alpha},\;{\alpha}-diphenyl-{\beta}-pirrylhydrazyl$ (DPPH) radicals and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assay. Inhibition effects on peroxidation of linoleic acid determined by ferric thiocyanate (FTC) method and on oxidative degradation of 2-deoxy-D-ribose in Fenton-type reaction system were dose-dependent. Athyrium acutipinulum Kodama (leaf and rood), Achyranthes japonica (Miq.) Nakai (seed), and Solidago virga-aurea var. gigantea Nakai (root) showed relatively high antioxidant activities in various systems.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.515-528
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• 2019

Purpose: This study examined the immunological activity and optimized the mixture conditions of Sargassum horneri (S. horneri) extracts in vitro and in vivo models. Methods: S. horneri was extracted using three different methods: hot water extraction (HWE), 50% ethanol extraction (EE), and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). Splenocyte proliferation and cytokine production (Interleukin-2 and Interferon-γ) were measured using a WST-1 assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. The levels of nitric oxide and T cell activation production were measured using a Griess assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The natural killer (NK) cell activity was determined using an EZ-LDH kit. Results: Among the three different types of extracts, HWE showed the highest levels of splenocyte proliferation and cytokine production in vitro. In the animal model, three different types of extracts were administrated for 14 days (once/day) at 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight. HWE and SFE showed a high level of splenocyte proliferation and cytokine production in the with and without mitogen-treated groups, whereas EE administration did not induce the splenocyte activation. When RAW264.7 macrophage cells were treated with different mixtures (HWE with 5, 10, 15, 20% of SFE) to determine the optimal mixture ratio of HWE and SFE, the levels of nitric oxide and cytokine production increased strongly in the HWE with 5% and 10% of SFE containing group. In the animal model, HWE with 5% and 10% of SFE mixture administration increased the levels of splenocyte proliferation, cytokine production, and activated CD4⁺ cell population significantly, with the highest level observed in the HWE with 5% of SFE group. Moreover, the NK cell activity was increased significantly in the HWE with 5% of SFE mixture-treated group compared to the control group. Conclusion: The optimal mixture condition of S. horneri with immune-enhancing activity is the HWE with 5% of SFE mixture. These results confirmed that the extracts of S. horneri and its mixtures are potential candidate materials for immune enhancement.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.141-154
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• 2021

In this study, the effect of the restoration of Yaksa stream and the construction of an apartment complex by the urban renewal project in the Yaksa district of Chuncheon on air quality in the surrounding area was evaluated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model simulations. In orderto compare the impact of the project, wind and pollutant concentration fields were simulated using topographic data in 2011 and 2017, which stand for the periods before and after the urban renewal project, respectively. In the numerical experiments, the scenarios were set to analyze the effect of the construction of the apartment complex and the effect of stream restoration. Wind direction and wind speed data obtained from the Chuncheon Automated Synoptic Observing System (ASOS) were used as the inflow boundary conditions, and the simulation results were weighted according to the frequencies of the eight-directional inflow wind directions. The changes in wind speed and NO_X concentration distribution according to the changes in building and terrain between scenarios were compared. As a result, the concentration of NO_X emitted from the surrounding roads increased by the construction of the apartment complex, and the magnitude of the increase was reduced as the result of including the effect of stream restoration. The concentration of NO_X decreased around the restored stream, while the concentration increased significantly around the constructed apartment complex. The increase in the concentration of NO_X around the apartment complex was more pronounced in the place located in the rear of the wind direction to the apartment complex, and the effect remains up to the height of the building. In conclusion, it was confirmed that the relative arrangement of apartment complex construction and stream restoration in relation to the main wind direction of the target area was one of the major factors in determining the surrounding air quality.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.60 no.4
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• pp.535-543
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• 2022

A CPFD (Computational particle fluid dynamics) model of solar fluidized bed receiver of silicon carbide (SiC: average d_p=123 ㎛) particles was established, and the model was verified by comparing the simulation and experimental results to analyze the effect of particle behavior on the performance of the receiver. The relationship between the heat-absorbing performance and the particles behavior in the receiver was analyzed by simulating their behavior near bed surface, which is difficult to access experimentally. The CPFD simulation results showed good agreement with the experimental values on the solids holdup and its standard deviation under experimental condition in bed and freeboard regions. The local solid holdups near the bed surface, where particles primarily absorb solar heat energy and transfer it to the inside of the bed, showed a non-uniform distribution with a relatively low value at the center related with the bubble behavior in the bed. The local solid holdup increased the axial and radial non-uniformity in the freeboard region with the gas velocity, which explains well that the increase in the RSD (Relative standard deviation) of pressure drop across the freeboard region is responsible for the loss of solar energy reflected by the entrained particles in the particle receiver. The simulation results of local gas and particle velocities with gas velocity confirmed that the local particle behavior in the fluidized bed are closely related to the bubble behavior characterized by the properties of the Geldart B particles. The temperature difference of the fluidizing gas passing through the receiver per irradiance (∆T/I_DNI) was highly correlated with the RSD of the pressure drop across the bed surface and the freeboard regions. The CPFD simulation results can be used to improve the performance of the particle receiver through local particle behavior analysis.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.28-36
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• 2001

Objective: To provide a systematic overview of the effects of various parameters on contrast enhancement within the same population, an animal experiment as well as a computer-aided simulation study was performed. Materials and Methods: In an animal experiment, single-level dynamic CT through the liver was performed at 5-second intervals just after the injection of contrast medium for 3 minutes. Combinations of three different amounts (1, 2, 3 mL/kg), concentrations (150, 200, 300 mgI/mL), and injection rates (0.5, 1, 2 mL/sec) were used. The CT number of the aorta (A), portal vein (P) and liver (L) was measured in each image, and time-attenuation curves for A, P and L were thus obtained. The degree of maximum enhancement (Imax) and time to reach peak enhancement (Tmax) of A, P and L were determined, and times to equilibrium (Teq) were analyzed. In the computed-aided simulation model, a program based on the amount, flow, and diffusion coefficient of body fluid in various compartments of the human body was designed. The input variables were the concentrations, volumes and injection rates of the contrast media used. The program generated the time-attenuation curves of A, P and L, as well as liver-to-hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) contrast curves. On each curve, we calculated and plotted the optimal temporal window (time period above the lower threshold, which in this experiment was 10 Hounsfield units), the total area under the curve above the lower threshold, and the area within the optimal range. Results: A. Animal Experiment: At a given concentration and injection rate, an increased volume of contrast medium led to increases in Imax A, P and L. In addition, Tmax A, P, L and Teq were prolonged in parallel with increases in injection time The time-attenuation curve shifted upward and to the right. For a given volume and injection rate, an increased concentration of contrast medium increased the degree of aortic, portal and hepatic enhancement, though Tmax A, P and L remained the same. The time-attenuation curve shifted upward. For a given volume and concentration of contrast medium, changes in the injection rate had a prominent effect on aortic enhancement, and that of the portal vein and hepatic parenchyma also showed some increase, though the effect was less prominent. A increased in the rate of contrast injection led to shifting of the time enhancement curve to the left and upward. B. Computer Simulation: At a faster injection rate, there was minimal change in the degree of hepatic attenuation, though the duration of the optimal temporal window decreased. The area between 10 and 30 HU was greatest when contrast media was delivered at a rate of 2 3 mL/sec. Although the total area under the curve increased in proportion to the injection rate, most of this increase was above the upper threshould and thus the temporal window was narrow and the optimal area decreased. Conclusion: Increases in volume, concentration and injection rate all resulted in improved arterial enhancement. If cost was disregarded, increasing the injection volume was the most reliable way of obtaining good quality enhancement. The optimal way of delivering a given amount of contrast medium can be calculated using a computer-based mathematical model.