• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.363-368
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• 2009

The Korean water deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus) is an endemic species and one of the common species in Korea. The species ranges throughout the Korean peninsula and plays an important role as herbivores in natural ecosystem. Therefore, the species could be used as a good bio-indicator to monitor the quality of habitats. This study was to estimate the concentrations of five heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) from three different organs (kidney, liver and spleen) in the Korean water deer. According to the analyses of heavy metal accumulations, the concentration of Fe is higher than Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb from all the organs. Among the organs, spleen (286.50) showed higher heavy metal concentrations than kidney (39.40) and liver ($23.21\;{\mu}g\;g^{-1}$). In general, the concentrations of the heavy metals were about two times higher in Cheorwon, Gangwon province than in the Eastern part of Jeonnam province. In particular, Cd and Pb showed a significant difference (P<0.05). Except for Fe in spleen, all of the heavy metal concentrations were below background levels.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.203-210
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• 2016

Background: Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) is a well-known natural product with anticarcinogenic and antioxidant effects. We evaluated the antifatigue effect of KRG in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods: Eighty patients with NAFLD were prospectively randomized to receive 3 wk of KRG or placebo in addition to counseling on healthy eating and regular exercise. Liver function test, proinflammatory cytokines, adiponectin, antioxidant activity, and fatigue score were measured and compared according to the body mass index between the KRG and placebo groups. Results: The liver function tests were significantly improved after 3 wk of treatment in both groups. The mean levels (at baseline and after treatment) of tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ were $108.0pg/mL{\pm}54.8pg/mL$ and $92.7pg/mL{\pm}39.0pg/mL$ (p = 0.018) in the KRG group and $123.1pg/mL{\pm}42.1pg/mL$ and $127.5pg/mL{\pm}62.2pg/mL$ (p = 0.694) in the placebo group, respectively. There was a significant difference in change of adiponectin levels between the KRG ($7,751.2pg/mL{\pm}3,108.1pg/mL$ and $8,197.3pg/mL{\pm}2,714.5pg/mL$) and placebo groups ($7,711.6pg/mL{\pm}3,041.3pg/mL$ and $7,286.1pg/mL{\pm}5,188.7pg/mL$, p = 0.027). In patients with overweight, the fatigue score was significantly decreased in the KRG group ($35.0{\pm}13.2$ and $24.5{\pm}8.9$, p = 0.019). Conclusion: Our results show that KRG might be effective in reducing proinflammatory cytokine and fatigue in overweight patients with NAFLD, in addition to improvements in adiponectin levels.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.447-454
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• 2018

Background: Korean ginseng has been widely evaluated to treat human diseases; however, most studies on Korean ginseng have focused on its root. In this study, polysaccharides [acidic-polysaccharide-linked glycopeptide (APGP) extracted with 90% ethanol and hot water] were prepared from Korean ginseng berries, and their effect on immunosenescence was explored. Methods: The effect of APGP on thymic involution was evaluated by measuring the size of thymi dissected from aged mice. The effect of APGP on populations of immune cells, including natural killer (NK) cells, dendritic cells, age-correlated CD11c-positive B cells, and several subtypes of T cells [CD4-positive, CD8-positive, and regulatory (Treg) T cells] in the thymi and spleens of aged mice was analyzed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis. Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-6 were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analysis. Profiles of APGP components were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. Results: APGP suppressed thymic involution by increasing the weight and areas of thymi in aged mice. APGP increased the population of NK cells, but showed no effect on the population of dendritic cells in the thymi and spleens of aged mice. APGP decreased the population of age-correlated CD11c-positive B cells in the spleens of aged mice. APGP showed no effect on the populations of CD4- and CD8-positive T cells in the thymi of aged mice, whereas it increased the population of Treg cells in the spleens of aged mice. APGP further decreased the reduced serum levels of IL-2 in aged mice, but serum levels of IL-6 were not statistically changed by APGP in aged mice. Finally, HPLC analysis showed that APGP had one major peak at 15 min (a main type of polysaccharide) and a long tail up to 35 min (a mixture of a variety of types of polysaccharides). Conclusion: These results suggested that APGP exerted an anti-immunosenescent effect by suppressing thymic involution and modulating several types of immune cells.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.57-62
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• 2017

BACKGROUND: Pesticide residue analysis is essentially required for safety evaluation of agricultural products. Bistrifluron and chlorantraniliprole have been currently considered as potentials to deeply evaluate their residues in agricultural products because they are frequently found in strawberry. This work was performed to investigate the residual patterns of bistrifluron and chlorantraniliprole in strawberry after harvest. METHODS AND RESULTS: Strawberry was treated with bistrifluron and chlorantraniliprole 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 10 days before harvest under greenhouse conditions. The strawberry samples were subjected to solvent and solid phase extractions followed by LC-MS/MS analysis. There covery percentages of bistrifluron and chlorantraniliprole for tified in the control samples ranged from approximately 82 to 103% with the method limit of 0.005 mg/kg. The concentrations of bistrifluron and chlorantraniliprole in strawberry samples decreased significantly in 10 days after treatment, giving the safety levels of 0.04 to 0.06 mg/kg at 10 days after application, as considered maximum residue limit. The half-lives of bistrifluron and chlorantraniliprole based on first order kinetics were determined to 6.3 days and 6.4 days, respectively. CONCLUSION: Bistrifluron and chlorantraniliprole are suggested to use in strawberry 10 days before harvest to reach residual safety levels.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.43-49
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• 2017

BACKGROUND: Greenhouse crops are one of agricultural products consumed largely in Korea. Cucumber is a typical example as main vegetables of greenhouse crops. Thus, pesticide residue analysis is an important requirement to guarantee pesticide safety of cucumber. This work was aim to investigate the residues of penthiopyrad and pyriofenone in cucumber after harvest. METHODS AND RESULTS: Cucumber was subjected to treat with penthiopyrad and pyriofenone at a level of recommended dose 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 10 days before harvest under greenhouse conditions. The samples were extracted with organic solvent by using a homogenizer and purified on solid phase cartridge column followed by LC-MS/MS analysis. The recovery levels of penthiopyrad and pyriofenoneranged from approximately 81 to 93% with the method limit of 0.005 mg/kg and coefficient of variation less than 10%. Penthiopyrad and pyriofenone were detected at a level less than maximum residue limit in cucumber at 10 days before. The half-lives of penthiopyrad and pyriofenone were determined to 2.4 ~ 2.6 days. CONCLUSION: Penthiopyrad and pyriofenone are suggested to use in cucumber 10 days before harvest to reach their levels less than maximum residue limit.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2011

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of massage, stretching exercise, and scapular stabilization exercise in patients with upper trapezius myofascial pain syndrome (MPS). Methods: Twenty-three female patients with upper trapezius MPS were randomly allocated to three groups: massage, stretching exercise, and scapular stability exercise groups. Therapeutic intervention for all groups included general therapy such as hot pack, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and ultrasound. Patients in the massage group (n=8), stretching group (n=7), and stabilization exercise group (n=8) received their respective therapy program after general therapy for 15 minutes. Therapeutic intervention for each group was performed three times per week for six weeks. All groups were tested four times: prior to the test, at three weeks, at six weeks, and at nine weeks. Results: Pain levels decreased significantly in the stretching and stabilization exercise groups over time (p<.05). The rate of change in pain level was significantly different among all groups (p<.01), and the stability exercise group experienced the lowest pain level. Pressure-pain level increased significantly in the stabilization exercise group over time (p<.05). The rate of change in pressure-pain level was significantly different among all groups (p<.01), and the stability exercise group had the highest pressure-pain level. The level of upper-extremity stability increased significantly in the stability exercise group over time (p<.05). The rate of change in the upper-extremity stabilization level was significantly different among all groups (p<.01), and the stability exercise group had the highest upper-extremity stability level. Conclusions: Scapular stabilization exercises proved to be the most effective therapy for MPS patients.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.165-171
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• 2014

BACKGROUND: Groundwater is believed to possess many beneficial effects due to its natural source of various minerals. In this study, we examined the effects of natural Jeju groundwater S1 (Samdasoo$^{TM}$), S2 and S3 pumped up from different locations of Jeju Island, Korea, along with local tap water, on body weight gain, serum lipids and lipoproteins, and liver histopathology in high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic rats. MATERIALS/METHODS: Rats were randomly and equally divided into 6 groups. Different water samples were supplied to the hyperlipidemic rats as their daily drinking water and the widely-used anti-hyperlipidemic drug simvastatin was used as a positive control. Body weight, serum lipids and lipoproteins were measured weekly. Liver weight, liver index and liver histopathology were examined after the execution of the rats. RESULTS: After drinking Jeju groundwaters for two months, S2 but not S3 significantly reduced weight growth and serum triglycerides levels and increased high density lipoprotein-C (HDL-C) without affecting total cholesterol or LDL-C. S1 and particularly S2 significantly reduced the severity of liver hypertrophy and steatosis. All Groundwaters had much higher contents of vanadium (S3>S2>S1>>tap water) whereas S1 and S2 but not S3 markedly blocked autoxidation of ferrous ions. CONCLUSION: Jeju Groundwater S1 and particularly S2 exhibit protective effects against hyperlipidemia and fatty liver and hypothesize that the beneficial effect of Jeju Groundwaters may be contributed from blockade of autoxidation of ferrous ions rather than their high contents of vanadium.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.429-438
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• 2022

The composition of crops reveal natural variation according to genetic characteristics and environmental factors such as the cultivated regions. For comparative investigation of the impact of genetic difference and environmental influence on the levels of bioactive components in rice seeds, 23 cultivars including indica, japonica, and tongil rice were grown in two location in Korea (Jeonju and Cheonan) for two years (2015 and 2016). Sixteen compounds consisting of tocopherols, tocotrienols, phytosterols, and policosanols were identified from 368 rice samples and the compositional data were subjected to data mining processes including principal component analysis and Pearson's correlation analysis. Under 4 different environmental conditions (Jeonju in 2015, Cheonan in 2015, Jeonju in 2016, Cheonan in 2016), the natural variability of rice seeds showed that the genetic background (indica vs japonica vs tongil) had more impact on the compositional changes of bioactive components compared to the environments. Especially, the results of correlation analysis revealed negative correlation between α-, β-tocopherols and γ-, δ-tocopherols as a representative genetic effect that did not changed by the environmental influence.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.118-126
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• 2012

To investigate the effect of aircraft traffic emissions on soil pollution, metal levels were analyzed for 8 metals (Fe, Cr, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, Mn and Cd) from the vicinity of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport in Delhi, India. The texture of the airport soil was observed to be sandy. Among the metals, Cd showed minimum concentration ($2.07{\mu}g\;g^{-1}$), while Fe showed maximum concentration ($4379{\mu}g\;g^{-1}$). The highest metal accumulation was observed at the landing site. Significant correlations were observed between metals and different textures (sand, silt, and clay) as well as with organic carbon (OC). The results indicate that grain size play a major role in OC retention in soil and subsequently helps in adsorption of metals in soil. M$\ddot{u}$ller's geoaccumulation index (I-geo) showed that airport soil was contaminated due to Cd and Pb with the pollution class 2 and 1, respectively. Pollution load index of the airport site was 1.34-3 times higher than the background site. The results of factor analysis suggested that source of the soil metal is mainly from natural weathering of soil, aircraft exhaust, and automobile exhaust from near by area. With respect to Dutch target values, the airport soils showed ~3 times higher Cd concentration. The study highlighted the future risk of enhanced metal pollution with respect to Cd and Pb due to aircraft trafficking.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.254-260
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• 2019

Background: The primary aims of periodontal disease treatment is to remove dental plaque and calculus, the main causes of tooth loss, and restore periodontal tissue destroyed by inflammation. Periodontal disease treatment should also help maintain the alveolar bone, alleviate inflammation, and promote periodontal ligament cell proliferation, which is essential for tissue regeneration. Conventional antibiotics and anti-inflammatories have adverse side effects, especially during long-term use, so there is a need for adjunct treatment agents derived from natural products. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the herbal flavone baicalein has the osteogenic activity under inflammatory conditions, and assess the involvement of osteoblast immediate early response 3 (IER3) expression. Methods: Human osteoblastic MG-63 cells were cultured with the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 1β in the presence and absence of baicalein. Proliferation was assessed using the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, and expression of IER3 mRNA was assessed using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The expression of IER3 protein levels and activation of associated signal transduction pathways were assessed using western blotting. Results: Baicalein increased IER3 mRNA and protein expression synergistically. In addition, baicalein reversed the suppression of cell proliferation, and the downregulation of osteogenic transcription factor runt-related transcription factor 2 and osterix induced by pro-inflammatory cytokines. Baicalein also upregulated the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK 1/2). The upregulation of IER3 by pro-inflammatory cytokines was blocked by pretreatment with inhibitors of AKT, p38, JNK, and ERK 1/2. Conclusion: Baicalein mitigates the deleterious responses of osteoblasts to pro-inflammatory cytokines. Further, IER3 enhanced the effect of baicalein via activation of AKT, p38, JNK, and ERK pathways.