• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.171-177
• /
• 2019

Parasitic infections have remained a significant burden on human and animal health. In part, this is due to lack of clinically-approved, novel antimicrobials and a lack of interest by the pharmaceutical industry. An alternative approach is to modify existing clinically-approved drugs for efficient delivery formulations to ensure minimum inhibitory concentration is achieved at the target site. Nanotechnology offers the potential to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of drugs through modification of nanoparticles with ligands. Amphotericin B, nystatin, and fluconazole are clinically available drugs in the treatment of amoebal and fungal infections. These drugs were conjugated with gold nanoparticles. To characterize these gold-conjugated drug, atomic force microscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were performed. These drugs and their gold nanoconjugates were examined for antimicrobial activity against the protist pathogen, Acanthamoeba castellanii of the T4 genotype. Moreover, host cell cytotoxicity assays were accomplished. Cytotoxicity of these drugs and drug-conjugated gold nanoparticles was also determined by lactate dehydrogenase assay. Gold nanoparticles conjugation resulted in enhanced bioactivity of all three drugs with amphotericin B producing the most significant effects against Acanthamoeba castellanii (p < 0.05). In contrast, bare gold nanoparticles did not exhibit antimicrobial potency. Furthermore, amoebae treated with drugs-conjugated gold nanoparticles showed reduced cytotoxicity against HeLa cells. In this report, we demonstrated the use of nanotechnology to modify existing clinically-approved drugs and enhance their efficacy against pathogenic amoebae. Given the lack of development of novel drugs, this is a viable approach in the treatment of neglected diseases.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.46 no.4
• /
• pp.536-542
• /
• 2022

Background: In aged skin, reactive oxygen species (ROS) induces degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM), leading to visible aging signs. Collagens in the ECM are cleaved by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Syringaresinol (SYR), isolated from Panax ginseng berry, has various physiological activities, including anti-inflammatory action. However, the anti-aging effects of SYR via antioxidant and autophagy regulation have not been elucidated. Methods: The preventive effect of SYR on skin aging was investigated in human HaCaT keratinocytes in the presence of H₂O₂, and the keratinocyte cells were treated with SYR (0-200 ㎍/mL). mRNA and protein levels of MMP-2 and -9 were determined by real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Radical scavenging activity was researched by 2,2 diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) assays. LC3B level was assessed by Western blotting and confocal microscopy. Results: SYR significantly reduced gene expression and protein levels of MMP-9 and -2 in both H₂O₂-treated and untreated HaCaT cells. SYR did not show cytotoxicity to HaCaT cells. SYR exhibited DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities with an EC₅₀ value of 10.77 and 10.35 ㎍/mL, respectively. SYR elevated total levels of endogenous and exogenous LC3B in H₂O₂-stimulated HaCaT cells. 3-Methyladenine (3-MA), an autophagy inhibitor, counteracted the inhibitory effect of SYR on MMP-2 expression. Conclusion: SYR showed antioxidant activity and up-regulated autophagy activity in H₂O₂-stimulated HaCaT cells, lowering the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 associated with skin aging. Our results suggest that SYR has potential value as a cosmetic additive for prevention of skin aging.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
• /
• 2022.10a
• /
• pp.2-5
• /
• 2022

Human organs in the body have a complex structure, and in particular, the small intestine is about 7m long, so endoscopy is not easy and the risk of endoscopy is high. Currently, the test is performed with a capsule endoscope, and the test time is very long. The doctor connects the removed storage device to the computer to store the patient's capsule endoscope image and reads it using a program, but the capsule endoscope test results in a long image length, which takes a lot of time to read. In addition, in the case of the small intestine, there are many curves due to villi, so the occlusion area or light and shade of the image are clearly visible during the examination, and there may be cases where lesions and abnormal signs are missed during the examination. In this paper, we provide a method of assisting small intestine capsule endoscopic lesion examination using artificial neural networks to shorten the doctor's image reading time and improve diagnostic reliability.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.50 no.6
• /
• pp.621-626
• /
• 2023

In the first half of the third century B.C., Herophilus and Erasistratus performed the first systematic dissection of the human body. For subsequent centuries, these cadaveric dissections were key to the advancement of anatomical knowledge and surgical techniques. To this day, despite various instructional methods, cadaver dissection remained the best way for surgical training. To improve the quality of education and research through cadaveric dissection, our institution has developed a unique method of perforator-preserving cadaver injection, allowing us to achieve high-fidelity perforator visualization for dissection studies, at low cost and high efficacy. Ten full body cadavers were sectioned through the base of neck, bilateral shoulder, and hip joints. The key was to dissect multiple perfusing arteries and draining veins for each section, to increase "capture" of vascular territories. The vessels were carefully flushed, insufflated, and then filled with latex dye. Our injection dye comprised of liquid latex, formalin, and acrylic paint in the ratio of 1:2:1. Different endpoints were used to assess adequacy of injection, such as reconstitution of eyeball volume, skin turgor, visible dye in subcutaneous veins, and seepage of dye through stab incisions in digital pulps. Dissections demonstrated the effectiveness of the dye, outlining even the small osseous perforators of the medial femoral condyle flap and subconjunctival plexuses. Our technique emphasized atraumatic preparation, recreation of luminal space through insufflation, and finally careful injection of latex dye with adequate curing. This has allowed high-fidelity perforator visualization for dissection studies.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
• /
• v.34 no.2_2
• /
• pp.327-338
• /
• 2018

The possibility of ship detection monitoring at operational level using KOMPSAT-5 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Automatic Identification System (AIS) data is investigated. For the analysis, the KOMPSAT-5 SLC images, which are collected from the west coast of Shinjin port and the northern coast of Jeju port are used along with portable AIS data from near the coast. The ship detection algorithm based on HVAS (Human Visual Attention System) was applied, which has significant advantages in terms of detection speed and accuracy compared to the commonly used CFAR (Constant False Alarm Rate). As a result of the integrated analysis, the ship detection from KOMPSAT-5 and AIS were generally consistent except for small vessels. Some ships detected in KOMPSAT-5 but not in AIS are due to the data absence from AIS, while it is clearly visible in KOMPSAT-5. Meanwhile, SAR imagery also has some false alarms due to ship wakes, ghost effect, and DEM error (or satellite orbit error) during object masking in land. Improving the developed ship detection algorithm and collecting reliable AIS data will contribute for building wide integrated surveillance system of marine territory at operational level.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.74-81
• /
• 1997

In this study, we tried to figure out how phenol effects on cancer prevention, and for this purpose we focused on phenol effects on TBARS and the relationship between TBARS(thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances) and cancer. A protocol using a nutritionally adequate amino acid-based diet and a transgenic mouse model of neurofibromatosis was used to evaluate the effect of dietary phenols on body tissue oxidation and tumor onset. The mice carry the human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 transactivator(texl) gene and spontaneously develop externally visible tumors. Twenty-five male transgenic mice were systematically assigned into five groups, control group, 2 mmol, 4 mmol, 8 mmol catechin/kg diet groups and wine solid group. Mice in control group were without catechin, Mice in wine solid group received red wine 750 mL/kg diet, Mice were examined daily, and the age at which a first tumor appeared was recorded. Transgenic mice consuming catechin and wine solid were older when a first tumor appeared. No tumor was found in one mouse of 4 mmol catechin/kg diet and one mouse of 8 mmol catechin diet group. Levels of TBARS in brain and spleen of 8 mmol catechin group and wine solid group were significantly decreased as compared to the same tissue in control group. TBARS levels in tissues were significantly correlated with tumor onset. Results from this study suggest that dietary phenol effects on cancer prevention through tissue antioxidation in spite of different kinds of phenols.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.51-70
• /
• 1999

Dental porcelain is one of the materials of choice for restoration where esthetics is of concern, but has a considerable potentials of wear. The wear of enamel is variable when opposed by different porcelain systems and surface conditions, and the exposed dentine and opaque porcelain due to clinical failure is expected to have high potentials of wear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the wear effects of self-glazed, polished incisal porcelain. polished dentine and opaque porcelain against human enamel in the laboratory by use of a pin-on-disk type wear tester. 4 types of dental porcelain($Vita-{\Omega}$, Ceramco-II, Vintage powder $Vita-{\alpha}$ of In-Ceram system) and type IV gold alloy as cotrol group were used for test specimens. Intact buccal cusps of maxillary premolar were used for enamel specimens, and the cusp converged to a point and was devoid of visible abrasion, caries, decalcification. The upper part was the cusp of a maxillary premolar and the lower part was a porcelain specimen. The enamel wear was deter-mined by weighing the cusp before and after each test. Surface profilometer was used to quantitate wear of the porcelain specimens. Vicker's hardness tester was used to evaluate the surface hardness of test specimens. The SEM was used to evaluate the wear surfaces. The results were as follows : 1 Self-glazed porcelain produced more enamel wear than polished porcelain, especially the enamel wear of $Vita-{\alpha}$ self-glazed porcelain was 3.2 times more than that of other groups. 2. Opaque porcelain produced least porcelain wear, $Vita-{\alpha}$ self-glazed porcelain produce greatest porcelain wear, but there was no statistically significant difference between the groups(p>0.05). 3. The enamel wear of dentine porcelain was 3.8 times more than that of polished inisal porcelain(p<0.05), and the enamel wear of opaque porcelain was 1.9 times more than that of polished inisal porcelain, but there was no statistically significant difference between the groups(p>0.05) 4. Overglazed porcelain produced less enamel wear than self-glazed porcelain, and more enamel wear than polished porcelain, but there was no statistically significant difference between the groups(P>0.05). 5. The hardness number of $Vita-{\Omega}$ dentine and Ceramco-II opaque porcelain was larger, but that of Vintage dentine and $Vita-{\alpha}$ self-glazed porcelain was similar to other groups. 6. Examination of SEM photographs revealed that overglazed porcelain had smoother surface than self-glazed porcelain, and self-glazed porcelain had smoother surface than polished porcelain. Much polishing scratches and larger porosities were observed on the opaque porcelain specimen, and much polishing scratchess and small porosities were observed on the dentine porcelain specimen.

• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
• /
• v.144
• /
• pp.339-369
• /
• 2017

Mengzi's biological analogies of man's moral tendency need to be analyzed in order to understand his ethical perspective because he uses lots of analogies to advocate his own moral naturalism. The biological analogies he uses are composed of human body, plant's seeds and sprouts. First, Mengzi thinks that human beings have inborn moral nature as if our bodies are given and plants can be grown from their seeds. His ethical approach to define morality in terms of natural properties such as the Four Sprouts(四端) causes a philosophical debate with Gaozi who thinks that morality cannot be described by natural property. Second, we have a moral preference as if we have a physical desire. This kind of moral sentimentalism emphasizing the preference is continued to Jeong Yakyong's ethical theory that nature is a preference(性嗜好說). Third, if we examine our preference and desire, then we can find that the moral preference is more valuable than the physical desire. Fourth, the biological analogies accepts monism that mind and body are composed of material force(氣). For this reason, the innate moral tendency is manifested on body such as a facial expression, a visceral reaction, and affect. Finally, Mengzi's theory of Four Sprouts causes two different interpretation. One is Zhuxi's interpretation that Duan端 is the visible end(緖) of a thread out of pack, the other is Jeong Yakyong's interpretation that Duan端 is a starting point(始) to cultivate virtues. While Zhuxi considers the Four Sprouts as a clue to find virtues in one's mind, Jeong Yakyong believes that we can cultivate our virtues by preserving the Four Sprouts.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.47 no.6
• /
• pp.540-547
• /
• 2021

Background: Indoor air pollutants are caused by a number of factors, such as coming in from the outside or being generated by internal activities. Typical indoor air pollutants include nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide from household items such as heating appliances and volatile organic compounds from building materials. In addition there is carbon dioxide from human breathing and bacteria from speaking, coughing, and sneezing. Objectives: According to recent research results, most indoor air pollution is known to be greatly affected by internal factors such as burning (biomass for cooking) and various pollutants. These pollutants can have a fatal effect on the human body due to a lack of ventilation facilities. Methods: We fabricated a polydopamine (PDA) layer with Ti substrates as a coating on supported glass fiber fabric to enhance its photo-activity. The PDA layer with TiO₂ was covalently attached to glass fiber fabric using the drop-casting method. The roughness and functional groups of the surface of the Ti substrate/PDA coated glass fiber fabric were verified through infrared imaging microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The obtained hybrid Ti substrate/PDA coated glass fiber fabric was investigated for photocatalytic activity by the removal of ammonia and an epidermal Staphylococcus aureus reduction test with lamp (250 nm, 405 nm wavelength) at 24℃. Results: Antibacterial properties were found to reduce epidermal staphylococcus aureus in the Ti substrate/PDA coated glass fiber fabric under 405 nm after three hours. In addition, the Ti substrate/PDA coated glass fiber fabric of VOC reduction rate for ammonia was 50% under 405 nm after 30 min. Conclusions: An electron-hole pair due to photoexcitation is generated in the PDA layer and transferred to the conduction band of TiO₂. This generates a superoxide radical that degrades ammonia and removes epidermal Staphylococcus aureus.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
• /
• v.34 no.4 s.105
• /
• pp.325-332
• /
• 2004

A self-etching primer that combines the etchant and primer in one chemical compound saves time and should be mote cost-effective to the clinician and patient. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of a self-etching primer by measuring shear bond strengths according to various conditions and observing adhesive failure patterns. For this Investigation, 120 upper and lower premolars extracted for orthodontic purposes were used and randomly divided into six groups of twenty teeth each. Human premolars were embedded in a metal cylinder with orthodontic resin. Metal brackets and ceramic brackets were bonded with XT primer and self-etching primer by means of XT adhesive. Upon curing, plasma arc light and visible light were used. After bonding, the shear bond strength was tested by Instron universal testing machine, and the amount of residual adhesive that remained on the tooth after debonding was measured by stereoscope and assessed with an adhesive remnant index. The results were as fellows: 1. When brackets were bonded, if other conditions remained the same, there was no significant difference in shear bond strength due to the type of primer - either self-etching primer or XT primer. 2. When metal brackets were bonded, there was no significant difference in shear bond strength according to the source of light - plasma arc light or visible light - and type of primer. 3. There was a very significant difference in shear bond strength according to the type of brackets - metal or ceramic brackets. The shear bond strength of ceramic brackets was stronger than metal brackets. 4. When the adhesive failure patterns of metal brackets bonded with self-etching primer were observed by using the adhesive remnant index, the bond failure of the metal bracket occurred more frequently at the bracket-adhesive. The failure of the ceramic bracket, however, occurred more frequently at the enamel-adhesive interface. The adhesive failure patterns of metal brackets bonded with XT primer observed the same patterns. The above results suggest that self-etching primer can be clinically useful for bonding the brackets without fear of a decrease in shear bond strength.