• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.1193-1198
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• 2011

Encapsulation of biological material in the permiselective membrane allows to construct a system separating cells from their products, which may find biotechnological as well as biomedical applications in biological processes regulation. Application of a permiselective membrane allows avoiding an attack of the implanted microorganisms on the host. Our aim was to evaluate the performance of Bacillus subtilis encapsulated in an elaborate membrane system producing listeriolysin O, a cytolysin from Listeria monocytogenes, with chosen eukaryotic cells for future application in anticancer treatment. The system of encapsulating in membrane live Bacillus subtilis BR1-S secreting listeriolysin O was proven to exert the effective cytotoxic activity on eukaryotic cells. Interestingly, listeriolysin O showed selective cytotoxic activity on eukaryotic cells: more human leukemia Jurkat T cells were killed than human chronic lymphocytic B cells leukemia at similar conditions in vitro. This system of encapsulated B. subtilis, continuously releasing bacterial products, may affect selectively different types of cells and may have future application in local anticancer treatment.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.100-102
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• 2021

The chromosome number of myoga ginger (Zingiber mioga (Thunb.) Roscoe: Zingiberaceae) has been reported as 2n = 22 for Chinese plants and 2n = 55 for Japanese plants. We checked the chromosome number of Z. mioga in plants collected in Jeollabuk-do and Jeollanam-do, Korea, and counted 2n = 44, the first report of this number for the species. As the basic chromosome number of Z. mioga is thought to be x = 11, Z. mioga plants in China, Korea, and Japan appear to be diploids, tetraploids, and pentaploids, respectively. In finding the tetraploid race of Z. mioga in Korea, we can hypothesize that the pentaploid race in Japan is derived through the fertilization of reduced gametes of the diploid race and unreduced gametes of the tetraploid race.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 2013

Rhus verniciflua Stokes (Anacadiaceae) is a plant that is native to East Asian countries, such as Korea, China, and Japan, and it has been found to exert various biological activities including antioxidative, anti-aggregatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, and apoptotic effects. Sulfuretin is one of the major flavonoid component isolated from the heartwood of R. verniciflua. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), produced via dental adhesive bleaching agents and pulpal disease, can cause oxidative stress. In the present study, we isolated sulfuretin from R. verniciflua and demonstrated that sulfuretin possesses cytoprotective effects against hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$)-induced dental cell death. $H_2O_2$ is a representative ROS and causes cell death through necrosis in human dental pulp (HDP) cells. $H_2O_2$-induced cytotoxicity and production of ROS were blocked in the presence of sulfuretin, and these effects were dose dependent. Sulfuretin also increased heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) protein expression. In addition, to determine whether sulfuretin-induced HO-1 expression mediated this cytoprotective effect, HDP cells were cotreated with sulfuretin in the absence or presence of SnPP, an inhibitor of HO activity. Sulfuretin-dependent HO-1 expression was required for suppression of $H_2O_2$-induced HDP cell death and ROS generation. These results indicate that sulfuretin-dependent HO-1 expression was required for the inhibition of $H_2O_2$-induced cell death and ROS generation. In addition, sulfuretin may be used to prevent functional dental cell death and thus may be useful as a pulpal disease agent.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.38 no.7
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• pp.503-511
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• 2005

In this study we investigated the biological activity of Chondria Crassicaulis (CC) on the human cancer cells. CC was extracted with methanol and further fractionated into four different types: hexane (CCMH), methanol (CCMM), butanol (CCMB), and aqueous (CCMA) partition layers. We determined the cytotoxic effect of these layers on human cancer cells by MTT assay. Among various partition layers of CC, the CCMM and CCMB showed the strong cytotoxic effects at 150 ${\mu}g$/ml which resulted $98.91\%$, $92.96\%$ on HeLa cell lines and $95.47\%$, $77.05\%$ on MCF-7 cell lines. And, the anti-proliferative effect of CC was accompanied by a marked inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX-2), Caspase-3 and IAP (cIAP-1, cIAP-2 and XIAP) protein and concomitant induction of p53, p21 and Survivin protein. However, CC did not affect the level of Bax, Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL- protein. Also, we observed quinone reductase (QR) induced effects in all fraction layers of CC on HepG2 cells. The QR induced effects of the CCMH and CCMM on HePG2 cells at 120 ${\mu}g$/mL concentration indicated 3.73 and 2.45 with the control value of 1.0. Although further studies are needed, the present work suggests that CC may be a chemopreventive agent for the treatment of human cancer cells.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.2330-2334
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• 2013

A highly selective molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for sarcosine, a cancer marker, was prepared and its use as solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbent material was demonstrated. The MIP was prepared by a very simple procedure using methacrylic acid as functional monomer and a mixture acetonitrile/water (4/1, v/v) as porogen, overcoming in this way the problems usually related to the imprinting of biological polar compounds. The MIP was tested in batch experiments in order to evaluate its binding properties and then used as SPE sorbent for the selective clean-up and pre-concentration of sarcosine. The extraction protocol was successfully applied to the direct extraction of sarcosine from spiked human urine indicating that the MIP allowed sarcosine to be pre-concentrated while simultaneously interfering compounds were removed from the matrix.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.594-601
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• 2022

This study evaluated the biological properties of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) extracts. The EtOAc extract of lemongrass had DPPH, TEAC, and nitric oxide-scavenging activity assay results of 58.06, 44.14, and 41.08% at the concentration of 50, 10, and 50 ㎍/ml, respectively. The EtOAc extract had higher elastase and collagenase inhibitory activities than the 80% MeOH, n-hexane, BuOH, and water extracts and comparable whitening activity toward monophenolase or diphenolase. Also, the EtOAc fraction had higher lipase inhibitory and antimicrobial activities against Cutibacterium acnes among extracts which is known to an important contributor to the progression of inflammatory acne vulgaris, and an opportunistic pathogen present in human skin. Total phenolic and flavonoid concentrations in the EtOAc extract were 132.31 mg CAE/g extract and 104.50 mg NE/g extract, respectively. Biologically active compounds in lemongrass extracts were analyzed by LC-MS. This study confirms that lemongrass extracts have potential use as cosmetic skincare ingredients. Thus, lemongrass can be considered a promising natural source of readily available, low-cost extracts rich in antioxidant, skincare, and antimicrobial compounds that might be suitable for replacing synthetic compounds in the cosmeceutical industry.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1997 no.05
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• pp.439-442
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• 1997

For the treatment of arteriovenous malformations (AVM), we developed a new liquid embolic material and named it Embol. The material was pre-tested in an in vitro AVM model and tested in rete mirabile of pigs that is similar in structure with the AVM in human. We report on the construction of the in vitro AVM model, the pre-test results of Embol in the AVM model, and the animal test result in pig rete mirabile.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.37 no.8
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• pp.1051-1057
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• 2013

In this study, an automatic surface-strain measurement system called "ASIAS-bio" has been developed. This system can be used even in cases in which it is very difficult to apply a regular grid pattern necessary for measuring surface-strain, such as curved or uneven surfaces; surfaces damaged by corrosion or contamination; or soft materials such as rubber, foam, and biological tissues. This system works independently of the measurement conditions including the material and its surface condition, grid pattern and size, grid marking method, and degree of deformation. A comparison between the strain distributions of the sheet metal parts measured by using this system and those obtained by a commercial system showed that this system was sufficiently reliable. In addition, the deformation of the swine joint capsule and human knee skin was measured by using this system to demonstrate its usefulness.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.533-539
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• 2014

Mine wastes such as acid mine drainage (AMD) can cause the detrimental effects on surrounding environment, thereby eventually threatening human health. Main objective of this study was to evaluate the neutralizing effect of fly ash (FA) as a stabilizing material AMD. Field plot was constructed in a coal waste depot which has caused aluminium-whitening adjacent to the stream. Different mixing ratios of FA were applied on a top of the soil, and then the physicochemical properties of runoff and soil were monitored. Constructed plots were as following: control (mine waste only (W)), mine waste + 20% ($w\;w^{-1}$)of FA (WC20M), mine waste + 40% ($w\;w^{-1}$)of FA (WC40M), and WC40M dressed with a fresh soil at the top (WC40MD). Result showed that initial pH of runoff in control was 5.09 while that in WC40M (7.81) was significantly increased. For a plot treated with WC40M, the concentration of Al in runoff was decreased to $0.22mg\;L^{-1}$ compared to the W as the control ($4.85mg\;L^{-1}$). Moreover, the concentration of Fe was also decreased to less than half at the WC40M compared to the control. Application of FA can be useful for neutralizing AMD and possibly minimizing adverse effect of AMD in mining area.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.3-26
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• 2005

In recent years, there is growing concern about the potential use of biological agents in war or acts of terrorism accompanied an increased realization that rapid preparedness and response are needed to prevent or treat the human damage that can be caused by these agents. The threat is indeed serious, and the potential for devastating numbers of casualties is high. The use of agents as weapons, even on a small scale, has the potential for huge social and economic disruption and massive diversion of regional and national resources to combat the threat, to treat primary disease, and to clean up environmental contamination. Biological weapons are one of weapons of mass destruction (or mass casualty weapons, to be precise. since they do not damage non-living entities) that are based on bacteria, viruses, rickettsia, fungi or toxins produced by these organisms. Biological weapons are known to be easy and cheap to produce and can be used to selectively target humans, animals, or plants. Theses agents can cause large numbers of casualties with minimal logistical requirements (in wide area). The spread of disease cannot be controlled until there is awareness of the signs of infection followed by identification of agents; and if the organism is easily spread from person to person, as in the case of smallpox, the number of casualties could run into the tens of thousands. Biological weapons could be used covertly, there can be a lot of different deployment scenarios. A lot of different agents could be used in biological weapons. And, there are a lot of different techniques to manufacture biological weapons. Terrorist acts that make use of Biological Agents differ in a number of ways from those involving chemicals. The distinction between terrorist and military use of Biological Weapon is increasingly problematic. The stealthy qualities of biological weapons further complicate the distinction between terrorism and war. In reality, all biological attacks are likely to require an integrated response involving both military and civilian communities. The basic considerations when public health agencies establish national defence plan against bioterrorism must be 1) arraying various laws and regulations to meet the realistic needs, 2)education for public health personnels and support of concerned academic society, 3)information collection and cooperative project with other countries, 4)Detection and surveillance(Early detection is essential for ensuring a prompt response to biological or chemical attack, including the provision of prophylactic medicines, chemical antidotes, or vaccines) and 5) Response(A comprehensive public health response to a biological or chemical terrorist event involves epidemiologic investigation, medical treatment and prophylaxis for affacted persons, and the initiation of disease prevention or environmental decontamination measures). The purpose of this paper is providing basic material of preparedness and response for biological terrorism in modern society.