• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.393-397
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• 2016

BACKGROUND/OBJECFTIVES: Artemisinin, a natural product isolated from Gaeddongssuk (artemisia annua L.) and its main active derivative, dihydroartemisinin (DHA), have long been used as antimalarial drugs. Recent studies reported that artemisinin is efficacious for curing diseases, including cancers, and for improving the immune system. Many researchers have shown the therapeutic effects of artemisinin on tumors such as breast cancer, liver cancer and kidney cancer, but there is still insufficient data regarding glioblastoma (GBM). Glioblastoma accounts for 12-15% of brain cancer, and the median survival is less than a year, despite medical treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. In this study, we investigated the anti-cancer effects of DHA and transferrin against glioblastoma (glioblastoma multiforme, GBM). MATERIALS/METHODS: This study was performed through in vitro experiments using C6 cells. The toxicity dependence of DHA and transferrin (TF) on time and concentration was analyzed by MTT assay and cell cycle assay. Observations of cellular morphology were recorded with an optical microscope and color digital camera. The anti-cancer mechanism of DHA and TF against GBM were studied by flow cytometry with Annexin V and caspase 3/7. RESULTS: MTT assay revealed that TF enhanced the cytotoxicity of DHA against C6 cells. An Annexin V immune-precipitation assay showed that the percentages of apoptosis of cells treated with TF, DHA alone, DHA in combination with TF, and the control group were $7.15{\pm}4.15%$, $34.3{\pm}5.15%$, $66.42{\pm}5.98%$, and $1.2{\pm}0.15%$, respectively. The results of the Annexin V assay were consistent with those of the MTT assay. DHA induced apoptosis in C6 cells through DNA damage, and TF enhanced the effects of DHA. CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrated that DHA, the derivative of the active ingredient in Gaeddongssuk, is effective against GBM, apparently via inhibition of cancer cell proliferation by a pharmacological effect. The role of transferrin as an allosteric activator in the GBM therapeutic efficacy of DHA was also confirmed.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.129-138
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• 2013

The water uptake by fine aerosol in the atmosphere has been investigated at Gosan, Korea during ABC-EAREX 2005. The concentration of inorganic ion and carbon components, size distribution, and light scattering coefficients in normal and dry conditions were simultaneously measured for $PM_{2.5}$ by using a parallel integrated monitoring system. The result of this study shows that ambient fine particles collected at Gosan were dominated by water-soluble ionic species (35%) and carbonaceous materials (18%). In addition, it shows the large growth of aerosol in the droplet mode when RH is higher than 70%. Size distribution of the particulate surface area in a wider size range ($0.07-17{\mu}m$) shows that the elevation of RH make ambient aerosol grow to be the droplet mode one around $0.6{\mu}m$ or the coarse mode one, larger than $2.5{\mu}m$. Hygroscopic factor data calculated from the ratio of aerosol scattering coefficients at a given ambient RH and a reference RH (25%) show that water uptake began at the intermediate RH range, from 40% to 60%, with the average hygroscopic factor of 1.10 for 40% RH, 1.11 for 50% RH, and 1.17 for 60% RH, respectively. Finally, average chemical composition and the corresponding growth curves were analyzed in order to investigate the relationship between carbonaceous material fraction and hygroscopicity. As a result, the aerosol growth curve shows that inorganic salts such as sulphate and nitrate as well as carbonaceous materials including OC largely contribute to the aerosol water uptake.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.38-55
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• 2013

This study has been performed to select several indicators of long-range transport process that can be applied to the Northeast Asia. We first classified high air pollution days into long-range transport (LRT) dominant cases and the local emission dominant (LED) cases based on the synoptic meteorological variables including vorticity and geostrophic wind speed/direction at a geopotential level of 850 hPa. LRT cases were further categorized into two types: LRT-I type with air mass pathways from northern China and/or Mongolia, and LRT-II type from central and southern China. In each categorized case, we examined the difference of both measured aerosol optical properties of AERONET at two sites in western Korea, and the simulated characteristics of LRT process by MM5-CMAQ model. We contrasted LRT case with LED case, and then generated the LRT indicators applicable to Northeast Asia. The results showed that fine and coarse modes of LRT-II were relatively smaller than LED and LRT-I cases, respectively. Aerosol size distribution showed significantly higher concentration of fine-mode particle (mainly smoke or urban aerosols) in LED case in comparison with that of LRT groups (LRT-I, II), suggesting the amplitudes fine modes of LRT relative to LED as a possible LRT indicator. From the results of MM5-CMAQ modeling, we concluded that the conversion ratios for sulfur ($F_s$) were the most effective indicators of LRT cases, and the ratio of VOC to NOx and NOx to CO were found to be the second most effective indicators of LED case.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.165-177
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• 2018

Particulate matter (PM) measurements are important in air quality, public health, epidemiological studies and decision making for short and long-term policies implementation. However, only few cities in the word have advance air quality-monitoring networks able to provide reliable information of PM leaves in the ambient air, trends and extent of the pollution. In Colombia, only major cities measure PM concentrations. Available measurements from Bogota, Medellin and Bucaramanga show that PM concentration are well above World Health Organization guidelines, but up to now levels and trends of PM in other cities and regions of the country are not well known. Satellite measurements serve as an alternative approach to study air quality in regions were surface measurements are not available. The aim of this study is to perform a spatial and temporal assessment of PM in the ambient air of Colombia. We used Aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieved by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite of NASA and surface measurements from the air quality networks of Bogota, Medellin and Bucaramanga. In a first step, we estimated the correlation between MODIS-AOD and monthly average surface measurements (2000 to 2015) from these three cities, obtaining correlation coefficient R values over 0.4 for the cities under study. After, we used AOD and $PM_{10}$ measurements to study the temporal evolution of PM in different cities and regions. Finally, we used AOD measurements to identify cities and regions with the highest AOD levels in Colombia. All the methods presented in this paper may serve as an example for other countries or regions to identify and prioritize locations that require the implementation of more accurate air quality measurements.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.557-562
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• 2018

High molecular weight sodium alginate (HMWSA)/low molecular weight sodium alginate (LMWSA) microcapsules containing phytoncide oil were prepared with different LMWSA contents. The effects of the stirring rate and ratio of HMWSA/LMWSA on the diameter and morphology of the phytoncide/alginate beads were investigated by optical microscopy and the release behaviors of phytoncide oil from the phytoncide/alginate beads were characterized by UV/Vis. spectrophotometry. The mean particle size of the phytoncide/alginate beads decreased with increasing stirring rate and concentration of the calcium chloride solution. The surface morphology of the phytoncide/alginate beads changed from smooth surfaces to skin-like rough surfaces with increasing LMWSA content. These results were due mainly to the increased hydrophilic groups at the bead surface, resulting in an increase in the release rate of phytoncide oil in the phytoncide/alginate beads.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.182-188
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• 2009

The surface plasmon resonance ellipsometer (SPRE), using a multiple air injection system with an extraction of air system, has been proposed and developed to minimize measurement error of signals due to diffusion of reagent into running buffer. Since the diffusion of reagent into running buffer affects the refractive index of the running buffer by changing the concentration, characteristics of binding between various bio-molecules don't appear clearly in measurement results. The diffusion between running buffer and reagent can be blocked by using an air bubble injection system. An extraction of air system is used to remove the noise signal due to unnecessary air bubbles flowing in a channel. Reliability of measurement results has been improved by using the valve system.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.100-104
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• 2007

A protocol for the production of transgenic Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer was established via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation of direct somatic embryos. A number of conditions related to the co-cultivation were tested with respect to maximizing transformation efficiency. The results showed that pH of the co-cultivation medium (5.7), the bacterial growth phase (optical density; $OD_{600}$ = 0.8), co-cultivation period (3 days), and acetosyringone concentration $(100\;{\mu}M)$ had positive effects on transformation. Selected plantlets were cultured on the medium at an elevated hygromycin level(30 mg/l). Integration of the transgenes into the P. ginseng nuclear genome was confirmed by PCR analysis using hpt primers and by Southern hybridization using hpt-specific probe. The transgenic plantlets were obtained after 3-month cultivation and did not show any detectable variation in morphology or growth characteristics compared to wild-type plants.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.144-149
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• 1997

Organic electroluminescence devices(ELD) were fabricated using by molecularly doped method with N,N'-diphenyl-N,N'-bis(3-methylphenyl)-1,1'-biphenyl-4,4'-diamine(TPD) as a hole transport agent, squarylium dye as an emitting agent, and side chain liquid crystalline polymer(MCH) as matrix for TPD. An indium-tin-oxide(ITO) coated glass and an Mg electrode were used as the hole and the electron injecting electrode, respectively. The highest stability of ELD was obtained by spin coating method using dichloroethane as a solvent at a polymer/TPD concentration of 0.005 wt%. For the EL cell with ITO/polymer-TPD/SQ dye/Mg structure, we achieved light red luminescence at a current of 102 mA/$cm^2$ with an applied voltage of 23 V.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.111-115
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• 2015

$Er^{3+}$ doped $Y_3Al_5O_{12}$ (Er:YAG) single crystals, in which the concentrations of $Er^{3+}$ ion were 5, 7.3, 8, and 10 at.%, were grown by the Czochralski method under nitrogen atmosphere. The <111> oriented Er:YAG single crystals with diameters of up to 50 mm were grown at a pulling rate of 1.0 mm/h and rotation rate of 10 rpm. The thick part of the core region was generated mainly when there was a diameter change during the crystal growth. The concentrations of $Er^{3+}$ ion in the crystals were the same as it was in the melt. $Er^{3+}$ concentration of core region was slightly higher than the other regions in the compositional analysis. The fluorescence lifetime was saturated according to the increase of $Er^{3+}$ doping concentrations.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.135-139
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• 2014

Pathogenic E. coli associated post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) and edema disease are common diseases in commercially-housed weanling pigs. An enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) oral challenge model has been used to mimic the physiological responses observed in commercial conditions. However, an oral challenge procedure has two major limitations: (1) the ETEC cell density is unknown at the point of oral inoculation, and (2) blending ETEC with traditional TSB (trypticase soy broth) is not palatable and hence decreases acceptability by piglets. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to (1) establish a regression equation that can be used for estimation of ETEC concentration in dilution media using the spectrophotometric measurement of cell density; and (2) examine survival of ETEC after blending either with TSB, sweetener or dextrose. A strain of ETEC (serogroup beta-hemolytic E. coli O149; K91; F4; toxins LT, STa, STb) was grown in TSB for 3.5 hours, centrifuged, the supernatant was discarded, and the ETEC pellet was then blended either with TSB (100 mL), sweetener (60 mL TSB + 40 mL fruit flavored concentrate), or dextrose (50 mL TSB + 50 mL dextrose; 0.5g/mL dextrose). Cell density was measured using the colorimetric method and also plated on a 5% sheep blood agar for counting of ETEC colony forming units at 0, 5, 35, 65 and 125 min after blending. The optical density at 600 nm explained 83% of ETEC colony forming units, indicating that the established linear equation (y= 6E+08x - 4E+07, P<0.004) can be used for robust quantification of ETEC cell density in TSB, sweetener and dextrose media. When ETEC was blended with sweetener and dextrose, survival of ETEC was decreased by 45% and 72% within 5 min post-blending. Therefore, further research is required to find out the suitable medium that has potential to improve palatability without compromising survival of ETEC.