• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.134-147
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• 2022

The anti-oxidant enzyme heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is known to exert anti-inflammatory effects. From a library of pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines, we identified a novel compound KKC080096 that upregulated HO-1 at the mRNA and protein levels in microglial BV-2 cells. KKC080096 exhibited anti-inflammatory effects via suppressing nitric oxide, interleukin1β (IL-1β), and iNOS production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged cells. It inhibited the phosphorylation of IKK and MAP kinases (p38, JNK, ERK), which trigger inflammatory signaling, and whose activities are inhibited by HO-1. Further, KKC080096 upregulated anti-inflammatory marker (Arg1, YM1, CD206, IL-10, transforming growth factor-β [TGF-β]) expression. In 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridinetreated mice, KKC080096 lowered microglial activation, protected the nigral dopaminergic neurons, and nigral damage-associated motor deficits. Next, we elucidated the mechanisms by which KKC080096 upregulated HO-1. KKC080096 induced the phosphorylation of AMPK and its known upstream kinases LKB1 and CaMKKbeta, and pharmacological inhibition of AMPK activity reduced the effects of KKC080096 on HO-1 expression and LPS-induced NO generation, suggesting that KKC080096-induced HO-1 upregulation involves LKB1/AMPK and CaMKKbeta/AMPK pathway activation. Further, KKC080096 caused an increase in cellular Nrf2 level, bound to Keap1 (Nrf2 inhibitor protein) with high affinity, and blocked Keap1-Nrf2 interaction. This Nrf2 activation resulted in concurrent induction of HO-1 and other Nrf2-targeted antioxidant enzymes in BV-2 and in dopaminergic CATH.a cells. These results indicate that KKC080096 is a potential therapeutic for oxidative stress-and inflammation-related neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.64-77
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• 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to objectify the level of case management performance and the factors influencing performance, to improve the case management performance at the Korea Worker's Compensation & Welfare Service (KWCWS) on the basis of the recognition of the objective realities of case management by job coordinators at the KWCWS, to develop a model of case management fit for the KWCWS, and to provide a basis for establishing guidelines for standardized case management. Methods: A total of 156 questionnaires were distributed to job coordinators at the KWCWS's headquarters, six regional headquarters, and 55 branches. One hundred forty-one questionnaires were collected and 126 were analyzed statistically using SPSS 21.0. Factor analysis and reliability analysis were conducted to verify the validity and reliability of the main measurement items in the research model. Frequency analysis was conducted for general characteristics of survey subjects. Frequency analysis or descriptive statistics were conducted to identify the level of independent variables (case manager's individual variables, job variables, institutional and organizational variables). Dependent variables (case management performance) and the degree of correlation were analyzed through correlation analysis between research variables. Multiple regression analysis and hierarchical regression analysis were conducted to examine the effect of independent variables on case management performance. Results: The results of the study showed that the level of overall performance in the five stages of case management was ordinary, with an average level of 3.45 on a 5-point scale. Levels of performance by step were institutional approach and intake (3.69), assessment (3.63), goal setting and intervention planning (3.46), implementation of intervention plan (3.32), and evaluation and termination (3.20), in that order. The explanatory power of case management performance (overall) by case managers with the KWCWS was case manager's institutional and organizational variables, job variables, and individual variables, in that order. At each stage of case management, the explanatory power of a case manager's institutional and organizational variables was found to be the greatest. The model changes at each stage of case management assume similar aspects statistically. In hierarchical regression analysis, it was institutional support that had a significant effect on case management performance (overall), and institutional support had the greatest effect. The results of multiple regression analysis in which all variables are input simultaneously showed that institutional support and expertise as well as self-efficacy had a positive effect. However, case management work experience, expertise (technology), and autonomy were found to have a negative effect during the stage of case management performance. Conclusions: As a result of the study, it was confirmed that raising the case manager's expertise and support from the institution and organization are important factors to improve the level of case management performance. The research also derived practical ways of reinforcement of case manager capacity, institutional and organizational support, operation of rehabilitation-case management teams, and occupational health-related aspects.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.682-697
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Tibetan tea is a kind of dark tea, due to the inherent complexity of natural products, the chemical composition and beneficial effects of Tibetan tea are not fully understood. The objective of this study was to unravel the composition of Tibetan tea using knowledge-guided multilayer network (KGMN) techniques and explore its potential antioxidant and hypolipidemic mechanisms in mice. MATERIALS/METHODS: The C57BL/6J mice were continuously gavaged with Tibetan tea extract (T group), green tea extract (G group) and ddH2O (H group) for 15 days. The activity of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in mice was detected. Transcriptome sequencing technology was used to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the antioxidant and lipid-lowering effects of Tibetan tea in mice. Furthermore, the expression levels of liver antioxidant and lipid metabolism related genes in various groups were detected by the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method. RESULTS: The results showed that a total of 42 flavonoids are provisionally annotated in Tibetan tea using KGMN strategies. Tibetan tea significantly reduced body weight gain and increased T-AOC and SOD activities in mice compared with the H group. Based on the results of transcriptome and qPCR, it was confirmed that Tibetan tea could play a key role in antioxidant and lipid lowering by regulating oxidative stress and lipid metabolism related pathways such as insulin resistance, P53 signaling pathway, insulin signaling pathway, fatty acid elongation and fatty acid metabolism. CONCLUSIONS: This study was the first to use computational tools to deeply explore the composition of Tibetan tea and revealed its potential antioxidant and hypolipidemic mechanisms, and it provides new insights into the composition and bioactivity of Tibetan tea.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.30 no.6C
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• pp.255-263
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• 2010

This paper investigates the effects of tunnelling-induced ground movements on nearby structures, considering soil-structure interactions of different construction (ground loss) and soil characteristics. The response of four-story block structures, which are subjected to tunnelling-induced ground movements, has been investigated in different construction (ground loss) and soil conditions using numerical analysis. The structures for numerical analysis has been modelled using Discrete Element Method (DEM) to have real cracks when the shear and tensile stress exceed the maximum shear and tensile strength. The response of four-story block structures has been investigated with a ground movement magnitude and compared in terms of construction (ground loss) and soil conditions considering the magnitude of deformations and cracks in structures. In addition, the damage levels, which are possibly induced in structures, has been provided in terms of construction (ground loss) and soil conditions using the state of strain damage estimation criterion (Son and Cording, 2005). The results of this study will provide a background for better understandings for controlling and minimizing building damage on nearby structures due to tunnelling-induced ground movements.

• 한국노년학
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.97-109
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• 2011

The purpose of this work is to examine how work stressors are related to the burnout among staff in long-term care facilities for the elderly. This study offers some responses to a growing stress and burnout for the long-term care workers. The demand for long-term care workers is set to rise in light of an increasing share of older people and dependent elderly. Long-term care workers provide long-term care services to persons with a reduced degree of functional, physical or cognitive capacity. Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 216 staff in long-term care facilities. The standardised Maslach Burnout Inventory(MBI) was used to assess levels of burnout in long-term care workers. The MBI consists of 22 items using a 5-point Likert scale, measuring three sub-scales of burnout; Emotional exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal accomplishment. Data were analyzed using regression. This study is empirically tested the degree of association between burnout and its antecedents. The majority of differences in burnout could be explained by work stressors such as client relationship, job overload, job role conflict, and conflicts with clients' family. The study also identified workers' perceptions of their image in society and emotional support as predictors of burnout. Therefore long-term care facilities are encouraged to review their practices so that workers well-being is supported. The study findings suggest attention for organizational oriented initiatives to cope with burnout.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.903-920
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• 2019

This study was aimed to prepare the evidences for establishing policies on nursing manpower by identifying the relationship among delegation level of nursing activities, nursing professionalism and turnover intention in long-term care hospital nurses. The study was a descriptive survey research that used a structured questionnaire. 146 nurses agreed to take part in the research. They worked in six long-term care hospitals located in A and B province. Data were collected from July to August 2016 and analyzed through SPSS 20.0 program, using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA and pearson's correlation coefficients. As a results, first, as for the delegation of nursing activities by long-term care hospital nurses, the levels of delegation of direct nursing activities were 34.63±14.12, and the level of delegation of indirect nursing activities were 1.71±1.75. Second, the mean score of nursing professionalism and the turnover intention of long-term care hospital nurses were 3.62±0.77 and 2.71±0.97, respectively. Third, the delegation of direct nursing activities by long-term care hospital nurses significantly differed depending on the number of nurses in the ward and the number of caregivers in the ward. The delegation of indirect nursing activities significantly differed depending on the number of nurses in the ward, the presence of conflicts and stress related to delegation. Forth, there was no significant correlation of the delegation of nursing activities by long-term care hospital nurses with nursing professionalism and with turnover intention. Most of nursing activities, were delegated to nurse aids, since there were no clear guidelines or legal procedures on nursing activities in long-term care hospital nurses. Therefore it is required to find how to clearly establish positive nursing professionalism and to develop a proper nursing manpower arrangement and the guidelines for the delegation of nursing activities in a long-term care hospital in terms of policy.

• Korean Journal of School Psychology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.289-309
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• 2012

This is a longitudinal study which analyzed suppression effects of active/passive coping strategies on academic burnout, using a structural equation modeling. A total of 357 middle school students participated in this study for two waves. In order to measure the levels of students' coping strategies and academic burnout, the Ways of Coping Checklist and the Korean version of Maslach Burnout InventoryStudent Survey(MBI-SS) were used. Latent variables were constructed with standardized residuals computed from a simple linear regression in order to capture the intra-individual changes between two time points. The results of this study are like below. First, the relationship between the change of active coping strategy and the change of passive coping strategy is positively and significantly related with each other. This result indicates that students under stress use various coping strategies simultaneously. Second, significant suppression effects were revealed between the change of active coping strategy and the change of passive coping strategy. That is, when controlling passive coping strategy, the negative relationship between the change of active coping strategy and the change of academic burnout increased. On the other hand, when controlling active coping strategy, the positive relationship between the change of passive coping strategy and the change of academic burnout increased. Based on these results, the value of this study and implications for counseling were discussed.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.73-82
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• 2023

Purpose : Cymbopogon citratus, also known as lemongrass, has widely spread around the world and its essential oil is usually applied in food, perfume, and other industrial purposes. In addition, C. citratus has also been used for the treatment of inflammation, digestive disorders, and diabetes in traditional medicine. In this study, the antioxidative activity of C. citratus ethanol extract (CCEE) was analyzed in RAW 264.7 cells through the induction of one of phase II enzymes, heme oxygenase (HO)-1 by nuclear factor-erythroid 2 p45-related factor (Nrf)2, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt. Methods : The antioxidative activity of CCEE against oxidative stress and its underlying molecular mechanisms were analyzed by the cell viability assay, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation assay, and Western blot analysis in RAW 264.7 cells. Results : The results exhibited that CCEE potently attenuated tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) induced intracellular ROS levels in a dose-dependent manner without any cytotoxicity. CCEE treatment significantly induced the expression of HO-1 which is known for its antioxidative capacity. In addition, CCEE treatment significantly upregulated the expression of Nrf2, a corresponding transcription factor for the regulation of antioxidative enzymes, which was in accordance with the HO-1 overexpression. MAPK and PI3K/Akt were also evaluated for their important roles in the regulation of cellular redox homeostasis against oxidative damage. As a result, the potent HO-1 expression was mediated by not extracellular regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun NH2 terminal kinase (JNK), p38, but phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) phosphorylation. To confirm the antioxidative activity of CCEE-induced HO-1 expression, oxidative damage was initiated by t-BHP and attenuated by CCEE treatment, which was identified by HO-1 selective inhibitor and inducer. Conclusion : Consequently, CCEE potently induced the HO-1-mediated antioxidative potential through the modulation of Nrf2 and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways in RAW 264.7 cells. These results suggest that CCEE could be a promising strategy for the mitigation against cellular oxidative damage.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.150-159
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• 2023

To determine the toxic effects of the mirror carp, Cyprinus carpio nudus on waterborne nitric acid exposure, they were exposed to waterborne nitric acid at 0, 4, 20, 100, 500, and 2,500 mg NO₃^-/L for 96 h. The semi-lethal concentration (LC₅₀) of the scented fish by 96 hours of acute exposure to nitric acid was 1,433.54 mg NO₃^-/L. The physiological changes of waterborne nitric acid exposure on mirror carp were evaluated through hematologic properties, and RBC count showed a significantly decreased (p < 0.05). The change in the ion control ability of the mirror carp according to exposure to waterborne nitric acid was evaluated through the plasma inorganic component, and calcium and magnesium were significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in the plasma inorganic component. The health and stress status of the mirror carp due to exposure to waterborne nitric acid were evaluated through plasma organic ingredients, and the plasma organic component glucose showed a significantly increase (p < 0.05). Changes in liver damage and enzyme activity due to waterborne nitric acid exposure were evaluated through plasma enzyme components, the enzymatic activities of plasma AST, ALT, and ALP were significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in high levels of waterborne nitric acid exposure. The results of the present study suggest that waterborne nitric acid exposure to C. carpio nudus can toxicly affect survival, hematologic properties, and plasma components.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.14 no.1_spc
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• pp.427-468
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• 2008

This article examines the role and influence of educational achievement on Korean society and its future. Four major factors that associated with and influence educational achievement in Korea (i.e., trust, efficacy beliefs, quality of life, and societal transformation) are reviewed. First, the role of educational achievement on establishing a basis for trust in Korean society is examined. By reviewing studies of perception of Korean society, people and institutions, the importance of establishing trust in Korean society is outlined. Second, the role of efficacy belief in promoting educational achievement is examined. The importance of collective efficacy, at the adolescent, adult and political levels is emphasized. In addition, the concept and application of self-efficacy for teachers and parents is reviewed. Third, the role and influence of educational achievement on quality of life is outlined. Studies indicate that educational achievement plays an important role in improving the quality of life. The pressure to achieve, however, can have negative impact on stress and mental health and support systems need to be developed to alleviate their impact. Fourth, the future and prospects for Korean society through educational achievement is discussed. Through education, the importance of bridging the divide with North Korea is an important agenda for the future of Korean society. Finally, the importance of indigenous psychological perspective in understanding Korean society and providing direction for the future is discussed.