• Advances in nano research
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.167-179
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• 2016

The detailed study of acute and sub-acute toxicity of the complex polyvinylpyrrolidon (PVP 20 kDa)-wrapped fullerene $C_{60}$ after intraperitoneal (ip) administration was carried out on adult male Wistar rats. The $LD_{50}$ value of $C_{60}/PVP$ complex was found to be 7, 8 g/kg. In sub-acute study which lasted for 30 days the rats were exposed to daily administration of the complex in the doses of 350 or 700 mg/kg. All animals survived during the study and had no significant changes in clinical signs, organ weight, hematological and biochemical parameters of blood. The electrophysiological properties of myocardium and the excretory function of kidneys remained normal. Histological analysis of liver, kidney and spleen at the end of the study also did not demonstrate toxic alterations. It was thus established that intraperitoneal administration of complex $C_{60}/PVP$ has no toxic effect. These results suggest that $C_{60}/PVP$ has no acute and sub-acute toxicity and is a perspective substance for potential application in biology and medicine.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.26
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• pp.3.1-3.6
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• 2011

Objectives: Titanium dioxide ($TiO_2$), a common nanoparticle widely used in industrial production, is one of nano-sized materials. The purpose of this study was to determine the acute and chronic toxicity of $TiO_2$ using different size and various concentrations on Daphnia magna. Methods: In the acute toxicity test, four concentrations (0, 0.5, 4, and 8 mM) for $TiO_2$ with 250 or 500 nm and five concentrations (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1 mM) for $TiO_2$ with 21 nm were selected to analyze the toxic effect to three groups of ten daphnia neonates over 96 hours. In addition, to better understand their toxicity, chronic toxicity was examined over 21 days using 0, 1, and 10 mM for each type of $TiO_2$. Results: Our results showed that all organisms died before the reproduction time at a concentration of 10 mM of $TiO_2$. In addition, the exposure of anatase (21 nm) particles were more toxic to D. magna, comparing with that of anatase (250 nm) and rutile (500 nm) particles. Conclusions: This study indicated that $TiO_2$ had adverse impacts on the survival, growth and reproduction of D. magna after the 21days exposure. In addition, the number of test organisms that were able to reproduce neonates gradually were reduced as the size of $TiO_2$ tested was decreased.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.9
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• pp.3051-3057
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• 2021

The concrete is considered as an important radiation shielding material employed widely in nuclear reactors, particle accelerators, laboratory hot cells and other different radiation sources. The present research is dedicated to the shielding properties study of the ordinary concrete reinforced with different weight fractions of lead oxide micro/nano particles. Lead oxide particles were fabricated by chemical synthesis method and their properties including the average size, morphological structure, functional groups and thermal properties were characterized by XRD, FESEM-EDS, FTIR and TGA analysis. The gamma ray mass attenuation coefficient of concrete composites has been calculated and measured by means of the Monte Carlo simulation and experimental methods. The simulation process was based on the use of MCNP Monte Carlo code where the mass attenuation coefficient (μ/ρ) has been calculated as a function of different particle sizes and filler weight fractions. The simulation results showed that the employment of the lead oxide filler particles enhances the mass attenuation coefficient of the ordinary concrete, drastically. On the other hand, there are approximately no differences between micro and nano sized particles. The mass attenuation coefficient was increased by increasing the weight fraction of nanoparticles. However, a semi-saturation effect was observed at concentrations more than 10 wt%. The experimental process was based on the fabrication of concrete slabs filled by different weight fractions of nano lead oxide particles. The mass attenuation coefficients of these slabs were determined at different gamma ray energies using ²²Na, ¹³⁷Cs and ⁶⁰Co sources and NaI (Tl) scintillation detector. The experimental results showed that the HVL parameter of the ordinary concrete reinforced with 5 wt% of nano PbO particles was reduced by 64% at 511 keV and 48% at 1332 keV. Reasonable agreement was obtained between simulation and experimental results and showed that the employment of nano PbO particles is more efficient at low gamma energies up to 1Mev. The proposed concrete is less toxic and could be prepared in block form instead of toxic lead blocks.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.279-287
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• 2020

This paper focuses on the engineering properties of Bentonite-Cement-Sodium silicate (BCS) grout, which was prepared by partially replacing the ordinary Portland cement in Cement-Sodium silicate grout with lithium bentonite (Li-bent) and sodium bentonite (Na-bent), respectively. The effect of different Water-to-Solid ratio (W/S) and various replacement percentages of bentonite on the apparent viscosity, bleeding, setting time, and early compressive strength of BCS grout were investigated. The XRD method was used to detect its hydration products. The results showed that both bentonites played a positive role in the stability of BCS grout, increased its apparent viscosity. Na-bent prolonged the setting time of BCS, while 5% of Li-bent shortened the setting time of BCS. The XRD analysis indicated that the hydration products between the mixture containing Na-bent and Li-bent did not differ much. Using bentonite as supplementary cementitious material (SCM) to replace partial cement is a promising way to cut down on carbon dioxide emissions and to produce low-cost, eco-friendly, non-toxic, and water-resistant grout. In addition, Li-bent was superior to Na-bent in improving the strength and the thickening of BCS grouts.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.151-157
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• 1999

In order to find less toxic antiherpetic agents, the effect of natural quercetin on the plaque formation of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) was studied in vitro in cell culture monolayers employing the technique of viral plaque reduction assay. Quercetin caused a concentration-dependent reduction in the plaque formation of herpesviruses. It also exhibited more potent antiherpetic activity on HSV-1 with effective concentration $(EC_{50})$ of $18.7\;{\mu}g/ml$ than on HSV-2 with $EC_{50}$ of $24.5\;{\mu}g/ml$. The combined antiherpetic effects of quercetin with nucleoside antiherpetic agents, acyclovir and vidarabine, were examined on the multiplication of these two strains of herpesviruses in Vero cells by the combination assay. The results of combination assay were evaluated by the combination index (CI) that was calculated by the multiple drug effect analysis. The combinations of quercetin with acyclovir on HSV-1 and HSV-2 showed more potent synergism with CI values of $0.19{\sim}0.89$ for 50%, 70%, 90% effective levels than those with vidarabine with CI values of $0.43{\sim}1.46$.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.211-221
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute (4 hours) and repeated-dose (6 hours a day, 5 days a week, 4 weeks) toxic effects of 1-hexene on Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats which were treated by inhalation. The results were as follows; 1. The median lethal concentration(LC$_{50}$) was estimated 52,694 ppm (confidence limit 95％; 49,494~55,447 ppm) in acute inhalation. Abnormal clinical signs related to the 1-Hexene were not observed with the acute inhalation dose. Cross findings of necropsy revealed on evidence of specific toxicity related to the 1-hexene. II. By repeated inhalation exposure the body weight of male were more or less reduced by the dose of 2,500 ppm and 5,000 ppm compared with control group. However there were no significant variation hematology and blood biochemistry for the exposed rats compared with the control rats. Abnormal clinical signs and gross findings of necropsy related to the 1-hexene were not shown. In conclusion when we exposed 1-hexene to SD rats for 4 weeks, 5 days per week, 6 hours per day, the Lowest observed effect level (LOEL) was over 2,500 ppm and Non observed effect level (NOEL) was below 500 ppm.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.375-382
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• 2004

This study was designed to investigate potential endocrine disrupting effects of several industrial wastewater effluents discharged from cosmetic, plaiting, paint, textile industry using EROD bioassay and E-Screen assay. The results of E-screen assay showed that textile industrial wastewater could act as a full agonist and cosmetics and plaiting industrial wastewater could act as a partial agonist. On the contrary, the wastewater discharged from paint industry did not show any estrogenic effect. Estrogenic activity in the effluents of cosmetic and paint industrial wastewater was lower than that in the influents indicating that the wastewater treatment process minimized the effects of discharges on water quality. Despite of these results, it was recognized that wastewater treatment was not always minimize toxic impact. In this study, increased estrogenic effect was observed in the effluents of plating and textile wastewater, and EROD activity was increased in the effluents of cosmetic and plating wastewater.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.163-174
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• 2011

Butyltin compounds in seawater, sediments and organisms inside Jeju Harbor of Jeju Island, Korea, were quantitatively determined to assess the extent of contamination and to evaluate the bioaccumulation in Thais clavigera (gastropod), Liolophura japonica and Cellana nigrolineata. In addition, imposex in T. clavigera was used to assess the sublethal effect of tributyltin compounds and its usage as a specific biomarker for these compounds was also studied. The main species in seawater was tributyltin (TBT) in March and June, monobutyltin (MBT) in August, but in sediments and organisms it was dibutyltin (DBT) and TBT, respectively, irrespective of survey time. TBT, the most toxic to aquatic organisms among BTs, was found at concentrations which were sufficient to have a serous effect on the sensitive organisms upon chronic exposure. The high correlations (r>0.7) between BTs indicated that DBT and MBT were mainly degraded from TBT based on antifouling paints and their sources were negligible. The sedimentary organic matters have little influence on the distribution of BTs in marine environment and the lipid content in T. clavigera showed a significant correlation with TBT concentrations. Measurement of imposex T. clavigera was expected to be a very helpful tool for preliminary survey of BTs prior to trace analysis of those.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.244-249
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• 1999

In order to find less toxic antiviral agents from Basidiomycetes, EA, the water soluble substance, was prepared from the carpophores of Elfvingia applanata(Pers.) Karst. Antiviral activity of EA against vesicular stomatitis virus [Indiana serotype, VSV(IND)] was examined in Vero cells using plaque reduction assay in vitro. And the combined antiviral effects of EA with interferon (IFN) alpha or gamma were examined on the multiplication of VSV(IND). EA caused a concentration-dependent reduction in the plaque formation of VSV(IND) with 50% effective concentration $(EC_{50})$ of $104.02\;{\mu}g/ml$. The results of combination assay were evaluated by the combination index (CI) that was analysed by the multiple drug effect analysis. All cases of the combination of EA with IFN alpha or IFN gamma showed potent synergism with CI values of $0.38{\sim}0.52$ for $50{\sim}90%$ effective levels.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.309-316
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• 2001

Helianthus tuberosus has been known to inhibit the growth of weeds and other plants sharing its habitat. This study was conducted to identify the allelochemicals of Helianthus tuberosus which were extracted with water and solvents. Aqueous extracts of leaf, stem, root, tuber and tuber peel of Helianthus tuberosus except tuber did not show significant differences in phytotoxicity to alfalfa seedlings. It was considered that Helianthus tuberosus contained fewer or less potential water-soluble substances that were toxic to alfalfa. Methanol extract of leaves of Helianthus tuberosus was sequentially partitioned in increasing polarity with n-hexane, ethylacetate and n-butanol. Each extract had a yield of 148, 12, 15.7 and 9.5g, respectively. Inhibitory effects on germination of alfalfa seeds treated with four fractions were not significantly different. But the significant reductions on hypocotyl length were observed for all the solvent extracts. Among the four fractions, the ethylacetate fraction showed the most significant inhibition effect on bioassay with alfalfa. Further separation of the active ethylacetate fraction by open column chromatography led to the 25 subfractions. In bioassay of each sub-fraction with alfalfa seeds, sub-fraction No. 13 showed the most inhibitory effect on seedling growth. $^1$H NMR and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed that sub-fraction No. 13 was the mixture of straight-chain saturated fatty acids.