• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.320-320
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• 2016

Nanocrystalline Carbon thin films have numerous applications in different areas such as mechanical, biotechnology and optoelectronic devices due to attractive properties like high excellent hardness, low friction coefficient, good chemical inertness, low surface roughness, non-toxic and biocompatibility. In this work, we studied the comparison of pure DC power and pulsed DC power in plasma sputtering process of carbon thin films synthesis. Using a close field unbalanced magnetron sputtering system, films were deposited on glass and Si wafer substrates by varying the power density and pulsed DC frequency variations. The plasma characteristics has been studied using the I-V discharge characteristics and optical emission spectroscopy. The films properties were studied using Raman spectroscopy, Hall effect measurement, contact angle measurement. Through the Raman results, ID/IG ratio was found to be increased by increasing either of DC power density and pulsed DC frequency. Film deposition rate, measured by Alpha step measurement, increased with increasing DC power density and decreased with pulsed DC frequency. The electrical resistivity results show that the resistivity increased with increasing DC power density and pulsed DC frequency. The film surface energy was estimated using the calculated values of contact angle of DI water and di-iodo-methane. Our results exhibit a tailoring of surface energies from 52.69 to $55.42mJ/m^2$ by controlling the plasma parameters.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.255-260
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• 2018

Chung-Sang (CS) is an experimental herbal remedy that is formulated to treat respiratory diseases implicated by inflammation. The herbs comprised of CS are frequently prescribed for treating various inflammatory symptoms: Menthae haplocalycis Herba, Magnoliae Flosis, Xanthii Fructus, Herba Asari, and Caryphylli Flos. Here, we prepared the extract of CS with boiling water (wCS) or with 50 % ethanol (eCS) and examined whether the two different extracts of CS exhibit a toxicity to cultured cells and mice. RAW 264.7 cells were treated with wCS or eCS, and the cytotoxicity of these extracts to RAW 264.7 cells was determined by an MTT assay. Although the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species that are detrimental to the cells was not increased by the extracts, the cytotoxicity to the cells was evident from 10 mg/ml of wCS and 100 mg/ml of eCS, suggesting that eCS is less cytotoxic. When mice (n = 10/group) received a single intratracheal wCS or eCS daily for 14 days, wCS yielded 40 % mortality, whereas eCS showed none. Both wCS and eCS did not significantly affect the weight of the body and of vital organs, except the lung. Biochemical analyses of mice blood indicated no damage to liver or kidney. However, unlike eCS, wCS significantly increased the level of IgE in serum. Collectively, our results show that eCS was less toxic than wCS, suggesting that CS prepared with 50 % ethanol is preferential over the conventional way of preparing CS.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.39-66
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• 2015

Objectives The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of Sesamum indicum extracted (SEI) on atopic dermatitis in an in-vitro and in-vivo experiment using a MC/9 murine mast cells and a NC/Nga mouse. Methods In-vitro experiment, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-13, TNF-${\alpha}$ and GM-CSF mRNA expression were evaluated by Real-time PCR, IL-13, MIP-$1{\alpha}$ production by ELISA and manifestations of NFAT-1, NFAT-2, c-jun, c-fos, NF-${\kappa}B$ p65 transcription factors by western blotting. In-vivo experiment, we measured WBC, Eosinophil, Neutrophil, and serum IL-5, IL-13 in NC/Nga atopic dermatitis mouse, IL-5, IL-13, IFN-${\gamma}$, IL-4 in the spleenocyte culture supernatant by ELISA, the absolute cell numbers of CD4+, CD8+, +Gr-1+CD11b, B220+CD23+ in the axillary lymph node (ALN), peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and dorsal skin tissue, IL-5, IL-13 by Real-time PCR, the distribution of tissue inflammation and cellular infiltration by H&E and toluidine blue. Results SEI decreased IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-13, GM-CSF, TNF-${\alpha}$ mRNA expression, IL-13, MIP-$1{\alpha}$ production and the expression of transcription factors including NFAT-1, c-jun, NF-${\kappa}B$ p65 in MC/9 murine mast cells. SEI orally administration decreased cell number of WBC, Eosinophil, the level of serum IgE, total cell number of ALN and dorsal skin tissue, absolute cell number of CD4+, CD8+, B220+CD23+ in the ALN. SEI orally administration also increased absolute cell number of CD8+/CD3+ and decreased Gr-1+/CD11b+ in PBMCs, decreased CD4+ in dorsal skin tissue, inhibited IL-5, IL-13 mRNA expression. Infiltration levels of inflammatory immune cells, mast cells and thickness of epidermis decreased in dorsal skin tissue. Conclusions SEI can regulate allergic inflammatory response suppressed the gene expression and production of cytokines that mediate allergic reactions, and will be able to be effectively utilized in the treatment of atopic dermatitis future.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.39-62
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• 2007

Objectives : The aim of this study was to investigate the asthma-suppressive and immuno-regulatory effect of Lepidii Semen Herbal-acupu ncture(LS-HA) at $Joksanmi(ST_{36})$ on ovalbumin(OVA)-induced asthma in mice. Methods : C57BL/6 mice out of all the experimental groups, except the Normal group and the LS-HA group, were sensitized and challenged with OVA. The mice in the LS-HA group and the OVA-LS-HA group were treated with LS-HA(1%) at $Joksanmi(ST_{36})$. The mice in the OVA-Saline group were injected with saline at $Joksanmi(ST_{36})$. The mice in the OVA-Needle-Prick group were treated with a single prick with an injection needle at $Joksanmi(ST_{36})$. LS-HA, saline injection and needle prick were administered for 8 weeks, three times a week. Results : The lung weight and total cells in lung of the OVA-LS-HA group decreased significantly compared with those of the OVA-Control group. Total leukocytes and eosinophils in BALF of the OVA-LS-HA group decreased significantly compared with those of the OVA-Control group. The collagen accumulation in the lung sections of the OVA-LS-HA group decreased significantly compared with that of the OVA-control group. The concentrations of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, IgE in BALF and serum of the OVA-LS-HA group decreased significantly compared with those of the OVA-Control group. The numbers of $Gr-1^+/CD11b^+$, $CCR3^+$, $CD3e^+$, $CD19^+$, $CD3e^+/CD69^+$cells in the OVA-LS-HA group decreased significantly compared with those of the OVA-Control group. The mRNA expressions of $TNF-{\alpha}$, IL-5, IL-4 and IL-13 in lung of the OVA-LS-HA group decreased significantly compared with those of the OVA-Control group. Conclusions: These results suggest that LS-HA at $Joksamni(ST_{36})$ is considered to be effective in treating asthma and to be put to practical use in the future asthma clinic.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.396-408
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• 2016

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to determine the relationship between the prevalence of allergic diseases and urinary cadmium concentration among children from six to 12 years of age, and to evaluate the association between cadmium in urine and other immunologically related factors in two elementary schools with different environmental conditions. Methods: Data on physician-diagnosed prevalence over the past 12 months and potential risk factors for allergic disease were collected from survey results drawn from 236 children living in different regions (central urban vs. suburban) from April to July in 2014 by an ISAAC questionnaire. We analyzed cytokine levels in serum through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and urinary cadmium concentration by use of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Results: Concentrations of urinary cadmium in suburban and central urban children were $0.11{\pm}0.11ug/L$, $0.14{\pm}0.17ug/L$, respectively (p>0.05). Results from the analysis of the t-test and chi-square test showed that urinary cadmium levels were positively associated with environmental factors (paternal smoking status, passive smoking, traffic volume and experiences of outdoor odors) and individual genetic factors (parental allergic disease). Cadmium concentrations in urine were also positively associated with the prevalence of allergic disease and immune-related cytokines (eosinophils, IgE, IL-5, IL-33, IL-17). Conclusion: This study suggests that genetic factors (parental history of allergic diseases), environmental factors, and regional status (suburban and central urban) should be considered as probable factors increasing the concentration of urinary cadmium, which has the potential to influence the allergic disease prevalence of school-age children.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.9
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• pp.1263-1269
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• 2010

This study was performed to evaluate the antioxidant activities and anti-asthma effects of Morus bark water extracts. Inhibitory effect of Morus bark onto free radical generation was determined by measuring DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities in vitro. Anti-asthma activities of Morus bark water extracts were assessed by testing their effects on the degranulation of mast cell. For this, $\beta$-hexosaminidase released from a basophilic cell line, RBL-2H3 was used and pro-inflammatory cytokines were measured by ELISA kit. The antioxidant activities of water extracts of Morus bark was 59.2% in the DPPH assay at $2,000\;{\mu}g/mL$ and 78.8% in the hydroxyl radical scavenging assay at $2,000\;{\mu}g/mL$. Our results indicated that Morus bark water extracts effectively inhibited free radical generation. Morus bark water extracts inhibited inflammation-mediating substances such as histamine and $\beta$-hexosaminidase release from RBL-2H3 cells. Cytokine release demonstrated a more effective blockading ability of the Morus bark water extracts to the release of IL-4 and TNF-$\alpha$ compared to control. These results demonstrate that Morus bark may be beneficial in the treatment of allergic inflammatory disease.

• Journal of Broadcast Engineering
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.561-572
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• 2009

In this paper, we propose an efficient layer-separable PES packetization and processing scheme for DVB-S2 satellite broadcasting service based on SVC video. Unlike the conventional single layer-based video coding such as MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and H.264, SVC can combine numerous number of video layers, which are aggregated to a single bitstream. Therefore, it is necessary to devise a new PES packetization scheme that can efficiently separate multiple video layers of SVC. In order to combine the layered characteristics of the SVC video and the robust channel coding capability of LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) of DVB-S2 for unequal error protection, we propose an efficient PES packetization in the transmitter side and PES packet processing scheme in the receiver side of DVB-S2. We prove the effectiveness of the proposed scheme in terms of processing speed and time delay required for processing of the separated layers of SVC video in the satellite broadcasting service.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.204-208
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• 1992

This study was carried out to develop a practical enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) for the determination of soy protein in processed meat products as a preliminary study. The titer of antiserum raised in rabbit by injection of SDS-treated whole buffer extract(WBE) from isolates soy protein(ISP) was above 1:10,000 in indirect ELISA. When the SDS concentration was higher than 0.03% the antibody-antigen reaction was inhibited significantly. However, the antibody-antigen reaction inhibition was not observed when the SDS concentration was less than 0.02%. The antibodies used in this experiment also reacted with renatured antigen after removing SDS by dialysis, though not better than with SDS-denatured antigen(immunogen). The calibration curve with $100\;{\mu}g/100\;ml$ of sensitivity was obtained in indirect competitive ELISA.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.89-93
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• 2017

The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors of fascioliasis in yaks, Bos grunniens, from 3 counties of Gansu Province in China. A total of 1,584 serum samples, including 974 samples from white yaks from Tianzhu, 464 from black yaks from Maqu, and 146 from black yaks from Luqu County, were collected and analyzed using ELISA to detect IgG antibodies against Fasciola hepatica. The overall F. hepatica seroprevalence was 28.7% (454/1,584), with 29.2% in white yaks (284/974) and 27.9% in black yaks (170/610). The seroprevalence of F. hepatica in yaks from Tianzhu, Luqu, and Maqu was 29.2%, 22.6%, and 29.5%, respectively. Female yaks (30.9%) had higher F. hepatica seroprevalence than male yaks (23.4%). Also, F. hepatica seroprevalence varied by different age group from 24.1% to 33.8%. Further, the seroprevalence ranged from 21.8% to 39.1% over different seasons. Interestingly, the season and age of yaks were associated with F. hepatica infection in yaks in the investigated areas. These findings provided a basis for further studies on this disease in yaks from 3 counties of Gansu Province in northwestern China, which may ultimately support the development of effective control strategies of fascioliasis in these areas.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.857-872
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• 2011

The variation of groundwater level in Jeju Island is analyzed with the data of precipitation observed from 48 monitoring post and groundwater level observed from 84 monitoring wells during 2001 to 2009. The groundwater level rises in summer and falls in winter. The rise of groundwater level by precipitation is fast and small in the eastern region and slow and large in the western region. However, the speed of fall during the period of no rain is slower in the eastern region than in the western region. It tells that permeability is greater in the eastern region than in the western region. In this paper, we set up the base level of groundwater and calculate recharge volume between the base level and groundwater surface. During the period, the average recharge volume was $9.83{\times}10^9m^3$ and the maximum recharge volume was $2.667{\times}10^{10}m^3$ after the typhoon Nari. With these volume and the recharge masses obtained by applying the recharge ratio of 46.1%, estimated by Jeju Province (2003), the porous ratio over the whole Jeju Island is 16.8% in average and 4.6% in the case of maximum recharge volume just after typhoon Nari. A large difference in the two ratios is because that it takes time for groundwater permeated through the ground just after rain fall to fill up the empty porous part. Although the porous ratios over the whole Jeju Island obtained in this way has a large error, they give us the advantage to roughly estimate the amount of recharged groundwater mass directly from observing the groundwater level.