• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.345-352
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• 2008

The cerebral microvessels possess barrier characteristics which are tightly sealed excluding many toxic substances and protecting neural tissues. The specialized blood-neural barriers as well as the cerebral microvascular barrier are recognized in the retina, inner ear, spinal cord, and cerebrospinal fluid. Microvascular endothelial cells in the brain closely interact with other components such as astrocytes, pericytes, perivascular microglia and neurons to form functional 'neurovascular unit'. Communication between endothelial cells and other surrounding cells enhances the barrier functions, consequently resulting in maintenance and elaboration of proper brain homeostasis. Furthermore, the disruption of the neurovascular unit is closely involved in cerebrovascular disorders. In this review, we focus on the location and function of these various blood-neural barriers, and the importance of the cell-to-cell communication for development and maintenance of the barrier integrity at the neurovascular unit. We also demonstrate the close relation between the alteration of the blood-neural barriers and cerebrovascular disorders.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.145-149
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• 2006

Textile and pigment wastewater samples collected from an industrial complex showed toxic effect on Daphnia magna. For textile wastewater, 48 h acute toxicity of effluent was not detected while toxic unit (TU) of influent was 1.79. The toxicity of influent was completely disappeared by gamma-ray treatment at 10 kGy or by suspended solids (SS) removal. In case of pigment wastewater, both influent and effluent were toxic to D. magna though the effluent satisfied current water quality standards. Gamma-ray treatment had little effect on the toxicity reduction of pigment wastewater since the toxicity was mainly caused by metal ions, in particular, Cr(VI). This work suggests the bioassay technique for monitoring adverse effects of wastewater should be introduced, and also shows the usefulness of gamma-rays as an advanced treatment technique for textile wastewater.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.94-101
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• 2020

Purpose: This study examined the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of intensive care unit (ICU) patients admitted or died in the emergency medical center with acute-poisoning to investigate the variables related to the prognosis. Methods: The data were collected from poisoning patients admitted or died in the emergency medical center of a general hospital located in Seoul, from January 2014 to February 2020. The subjects of this study were 190 patients. The medical records were screened retrospectively, and the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the patients in the emergency room (ER) and ICU were examined to investigate the contributing factors that influence the poor prognosis. Results: The study analyzed 182 patients who survived after being admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). The results are as follows. The mental change (87.4%) was the most common symptom. Sedative poisoning (49.5%) was the commonest cause. For most patients, pneumonia (26.9%) was the most common complication. Hypotension (23.7%), tachycardia (42.1%), fever (15.8%), seizures (10.5%), dyspnea (2.6%), high poisoning severity score (PSS), type of toxic material, mechanical ventilator application (39.5%), inotropes application (39.5%), and pneumonia (55.3%) were correlated the LOS over 5 days in the ICU. 8 patients died. In the case of death pesticides and carbon monoxide were the main toxic materials; tachycardia, bradycardia, and hypotension were the main symptoms, and a mechanical ventilator and inotropes were applied. Conclusion: Patients with unstable vital signs, high PSS, and non-pharmaceutical poisoning had a prolonged LOS in the ICU and a poor prognosis.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.9-13
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• 2007

Hexane extract of Porteresia coarctata (Roxb.) exhibits a toxic effect on the tissues of Spodoptera litura (F) while fed at the dose of 1000 and 2000 ppm thoroughly mixing with castor leaves (Ricinus communis L) after dissolving in DMSO at late fourth instar whereas only DMSO treated castor leaves were fed to control group. The larvae were put to rear at $28^{\circ}C{\pm}1^{\circ}C$, $76{\pm}4%$ R.H. under 12 L + 12 D photoperiodic regime. In test group insects substantial reduction of protein and DNA content was marked in fat body and midgut tissues compared to DMSO treated control group. The significant biochemical alterations in the midgut tissues and fat body of test group insects indicate the insecticidal property of the said plant extract that could be tested in facilitating the phenomenal stride in Integrated Pest Management.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.117-122
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• 2008

Purpose: Surveys on poisoning usually involves intoxication rather than inhalation, skin contact, etc. Therefore, we examined the characteristics of patients who visited the emergency department in an industrial complex after acute industrial exposure to toxic materials. Methods: Medical records of patients exposed to toxic materials in the work places from April, 2006, to March, 2008, were analyzed retrospectively. Inhalation patients due to fire were excluded. Results: Subjects included 66 patients, with a mean age of $35.4{\pm}10.9$ years, mostly men (91%). Toxicity occurred in 51 patients (77%) by contact, 15 patients (23%) by inhalation, and none by oral ingestion. For toxic materials, 10 patients were exposed to hydrofluoric acid, 8 to hydrochloric acid, 7 to sodium hydroxide, 7 to metals, and others. The face and hands were the most frequent exposure site by contact. Most exposures were caused by accidents, with 29 cases (42%) exposed because of carelessness or not wearing protective equipment. Most complaints were pain on exposure site, but 7 of the inhalation patients complained of dyspnea. The majority of patients with contact exposure were discharged after wound care or observation. After inhalation exposure, 1 patient died and 5 patients were admitted to the intensive care unit. Conclusion: Major causes of workplace exposure were not wearing protective equipment or carelessness. Although contact exposures are usually benign, cautious observation and management are required in patients with inhalation exposure.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.221-226
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• 1985

To screen biologically active components of the higher fungi of Korea, the dried carpophores of Auricularia polytricha were extracted with water. The extract was examined for acute toxicity in ICR mice. A low molecular weight toxin of this fungus was purified by acetone precipitation followed by cellulose, silica gel and LH-20 Sephadex column chromatography. Major symptoms of this toxin were eye extrusion, hair erection, trembling of head, paralysis, rapid running or moving before death and depression of respiration. The median lethal doses of the total extract were 1.25 g/kg and 4.18 g/kg by i.p. and p.o. administrations, respectively. The amounts of one mouse lethal unit (MLU) of the total extract and final fraction that killed a 20-g mouse within 30 minutes were 28.5 mg/mouse and 12 mg/mouse, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.56-66
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• 2013

The gas production plants supply the inert gas to production plants for maintaining safe operation and also supply combustible, flammable, explosive and toxic gases as functions of basic materials needed for producing chemical goods. In addition, gas plants need to be safe and reliable operation because they are operated under high temperature, high pressure, cryogenic and catalytic reactions. As these plants have a complex process in operation, there has been a risk that major industrial accidents such as a fire, explosion and toxic gas released, also risks of asphyxiations by inert gases and burns caused by high temperature and cryogenic substances. This study is to carry out the semi quantitative risk assesment method which is the generic risk analysis (GRA). This method is applied to air separation unit(ASU) to identify its initial risk, safety barriers, residual risk and elements important for safety(EIS). The result of this study, suggested the management tools and procedures of implementation for EIS management.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.345-350
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• 2015

The toxicity of red mud (RM) pellets for water purification was evaluated using Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and Daphnia magna in a lab-scale experiment. According to the algal growth inhibition test, both specific growth rates and relative growth rates of P. subcapitata decreased, and the growth inhibition rates increased ($R^2=0.97$, p<0.001) as the concentration of RM pellets in the aqueous solution increased (>1.6 g/L). Also, based on the acute toxicity evaluation test on D. magna, toxic unit (TU) values ranged between 0.00 and 2.83, and increased with an increase in the concentration of RM pellets in the aqueous solution. A correlation analysis indicated that the pH of RM pellets was statistically correlated with TU values ($R^2=0.77$, p=0.02). The environmental implication from this study is that the concentration of RM pellets in an aqueous solution needs to be lower than 4.4 g/L to keep the maximum permissible TU value less than 1.0.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.307-315
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• 2014

Recently seaweed polysaccharides have been extensively studied for alternative energy application. Because their producing cost is high and efficiency low, their industrial applications have been limited. The main component of cell wall of red algae represented by Gelidiales and Gracilariales is agar. Red-algae agar or galactan, consisting of D-galactose and 3, 6-anhydro-L-galactose, is suitable for bio-product application if hydrolyzed to monomer unit. For the hydrolysis of algae, chemical or enzymatic treatment can be used. A chemical process using a strong acid is simple and efficient, but it generates together with target sugar and toxic compounds. In an enzymatic hydrolysis process, target sugar without toxic compounds generation. The objective of this review is to summary the recent data of saccharification by chemical and enzymatic means from red seaweed for especially focused on automobile industry.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.143-149
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• 2005

We have demonstrated previously on a replication incompetent recombinant adenoviral vector, AdLPCD, in which the expression of cytosine deaminase (CD) gene is driven by the tumor-specific L-plastin promoter. The object of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of AdLPCD together with 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) in suppression of the growth of established human tumor cells of ovary, Consistent with the knowledge that infection of OVCAR-3 cells with AdLPCD resulted in expression of a functional intracellular CD enzyme capable of converting 5-FC to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) (Chung and Deisseroth, 2004), statistically significant differences in cytotoxicity were observed when AdLPCD infected cells were also exposed to 5-FC for 6 days (p=0.05), 9 days (p<0.0005) and 12 days (p<0.005), compared to 5-FC exposure alone, These results indicate that the CD gene delivered by adenoviral vector could efficiently sensitize OVCAR-3, otherwise non-toxic 5-FC. On the other hand, SKOV-3 cells, an ovarian carcinoma cell line, were more resistant to the CD/5-FC strategy compared with OVCAR-3 cells under the same condition. The results of present study suggest that the replacement of 5-FU with CD/5-FC in combination chemotherapy would be less toxic and much greater cytotoxicity than the conventional combination chemotherapy in some patients.