• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.26-36
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• 2015

Objectives In this study, effect of Geumsuyukgunjeon (GYJ) on the increase in airway epithelial mucosubstances of rats with acute bronchitis and EGF-induced MUC5AC mucin production from human airway epithelial cells were investigated. Materials and Methods Hypersecretion of airway mucus was induced by exposure of rats to SO2 during 3 weeks. Effect of orally-administered GYJ during 2 weeks on increase in airway epithelial mucosubstances from tracheal goblet cells of rats was assesed using histopathological analysis after staining the epithelial tissue with PAS-alcian blue. Possible cytotoxicity of GYJ was assessed by examining the potential damage of kidney and liver functions by measuring serum GOT/GPT activities and serum BUN and creatinine concentrations of rats and the body weight gain during experiment, after administering GYJ orally. Effect of GYJ on EGF-induced MUC5AC mucin production from human airway epithelial cells (A549) was investigated. Confluent A549 cells were pretreated for 30 min in the presence of GYJ and treated with EGF (25 ng/ml) for 24 hrs, to assess the effect of GYJ on EGF-induced MUC5AC mucin production using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results (1) GYJ decreased the amount of intraepithelial mucosubstances of trachea of rats. (2) GYJ did not show kidney and liver toxicities and did not affect body weight gain of rats during experiment. (3) GYJ significantly inhibited EGF-induced MUC5AC mucin production from A549 cells. Conclusions The result from the present study suggests that GYJ might control both the mucus hypersecretion in vivo and do not show in vivo toxicity to liver and kidney functions after oral administration and the production of pulmonary mucin.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.53.2-53.2
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• 2016

We present surface photometry results of the dwarf galaxies in the nearby NGC 2784 galaxy group. We newly detected about 30 dwarf galaxy candidates at about 30 square degree area around the nearby NGC 2784 galaxy (D~10 Mpc and MV=-20.5) applying a visual inspection technique on the wide-field optical images taken by the KMTNet Supernova Program (KSP). Surface brightnesses of the objects estimated from the stacked-images with total exposure time of about 6 hours reach approximately ${\mu}V$ ~28.5 mag/arcsec2 around $3{\sigma}$ above sky background. The central surface brightness and the total absolute magnitude for the faintest candidate dwarf galaxy among about 40 galaxies including the previously known ones is ${\mu}0$, V~26.1 mag/arcsec2 and MV~-9.5 mag, respectively. The effective radii of the candidates are larger than ~200 pc. The radial number density of the dwarf galaxy candidates from the center of NGC 2784 is decreasing. The mean color (<(B-V)0>~0.7) and $S{\acute{e}}rsic$ structure parameters of the dwarfs, assuming them to be located in the NGC 2784 group, are well consistent with those of the dwarf galaxies in other groups (e.g. M83 group and the Local Group (LG)). The faint-end slope of the cumulative luminosity function (CLF) of the galaxies in NGC 2784 group is about ${\alpha}=-1.2$, which is steeper than that of the LG galaxies, but is much flatter than that of the CLF expected by a ${\Lambda}CDM$ model.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.43-50
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• 2003

This study describes a practical method for interpretation of bioassay results of inhaled uranium to assess the committed effective doses both for chronic and acute intake situations. Organs in the body were represented by a series of mathematical compartments for analysis of the behavior of uranium in the body according to the gastrointestinal track model, respiratory track model and biokinetic model recommended by the ICRP. An analytical solutions of the system of balance equations among the compartments were obtained using the Birchall's algorithm, and the urinary excretion function and the lung retention function of uranium were obtained. An initial or total intakes by intake modes were calculated by applying excretion and retention functions to the urinary uranium concentration and the lung burden measured with a lung counter. The dose coefficients given in ICRP 78 are used to estimate the committed effective doses from the calculated intakes.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.81-98
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• 2013

Mercury (Hg) dynamics in the boreal environment have been a subject of concern in recent decades, due to the exposure of local populations to the contaminant. Land use, because of its impact on mercury inputs, has been highlighted as a key player in the sources and eventual concentrations of the heavy metal. In order to evaluate the impact of watershed disturbances on Hg dynamics in frequently fished, large boreal lakes, we studied sediment cores retrieved at the focal point of eight large lakes of Qu$\acute{e}$bec (Canada), six with watersheds affected by land uses such as logging and/or mining, and two with pristine watersheds, considered as reference lakes. Using a Geographical Information System (GIS), we correlated the recent evolution of land uses (e.g., logging and mining activities) and morphological characteristics of the watershed (e.g., mean slope of the drainage area, vegetation cover) to total Hg concentrations (THg) in sedimentary records. In each core, THg gradually increased over recent years with maximum values between 70 and 370 ng/g, the lowest mercury concentrations corresponding to the pristine lake cores. The Hg Anthropogenic Sedimentary Enrichment Factor (ASEF) values range from 2 to 15. Surprisingly, we noticed that the presence of intense land uses in the watershed does not necessarily correspond to noticeable increases of THg in lake sediments, beyond the normal increment that can be attributed to Hg atmospheric deposition since the beginning of the industrial era. Rather, the terrestrial Hg inputs of boreal lakes appear to be influenced by watershed characteristics such as mean slopes and vegetation cover.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.9-17
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• 2013

Butanethiol is known as a typical odorant with hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, methyl sulfide, but on the physical and chemical properties and biological hazard assessment, including inhalation toxicity data are very scarce. Butanethiol as a colorless transparent liquid, and has physic-chemical characteristics with flash point as $-23^{\circ}C$ and strong fire risk, boiling point $84-85^{\circ}C$, vapor pressure 80.71 mmHg ($25^{\circ}C$), freezing point $-140.14^{\circ}C$. From whole body exposure with SD rats, the $LC_{50}$ is above 2,500 ppm (9.22mg/L), and then it is classified as the acute toxic chemical (inhalation) category 4 according to the governmental notification No. 2012-14.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.26
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• pp.11.1-11.6
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• 2011

Objects: The prevalence of asthma has increased in recent decades globally. The objective of the present study is to elucidate whether hospitalization for bronchiolitis in infancy and low socioeconomic status interact for bronchial hyperreactivity during teenage years. Method: We studied 522 children age 13-14 years attending schools in rural and urban areas to investigate the risk factors for bronchial hyperreactivity (BHR), defined as a provocation concentration of methacholine that causes a decrease of 20% ($PC_{20}$) in forced expiratory volume within 1 second. Clinical examination, skin prick test, spirometry, and methacholine challenge were performed on all study subjects, who provided written consent. We used multivariate logistic regression to investigate the risk factors for BHR, and analyze the interaction between hospitalization for bronchiolitis in infancy and low socioeconomic status. Results: Forty-six (10.3%) positive BHR cases were identified. In the multivariate logistic analysis, as independent predictors of BHR, adjusted odds ratio of bronchiolitis diagnosed before 2 years of age in low income families was 13.7 (95% confidence interval, 1.4 to 135.0), compared to reference group, controlling for age, gender, parental allergy history, skin prick test, and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure. Interaction was observed between bronchiolitis before 2 years old and low socioeconomic status on children's bronchial hyperreactivity (p-interaction=0.025). Conclusions: This study showed that bronchiolitis diagnosed before 2 years of age and low socioeconomic status interacted on children's bronchial hyperreactivity. Prevention of acute respiratory infection in early childhood in low socioeconomic status is important to prevent BHR as a precursor of asthma.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.472-477
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• 2004

To study the radiation related gene expression in mutants of Bacillus lentimorbus WJ5 induced by gamm radiation, the simultaneous gene expression was analyzed by DNA micro array. We constructed DNA chips including two thousand randomly digested genome spots of B. lentimorbus WJ5 and compared its quantitative aspect with seven mutants induced by gamma radiation $(^{60}/Co)$. From the cluster analysis of gene expression pattern, totally 408 genes were expressed and 27 genes were significantly upregulated by the gamma radiation in all mutants. Especially, genes involved in repair (mutL, mutM), energy metabolism (acsA, sdhB, pgk, yhjB, citB), protease (npr), and reduction response to oxidative stress (HMM) were simultaneously upregulated. It seems that the induction of the direct and/or indirect repair related genes in mutants induced by gamma radiation could be remarkably different from the adaptive responses against acute exposure to radiation.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.305-313
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• 2017

Accumulating epidemiological evidence indicates that exposure to fine air pollution particles (APPs) is associated with a variety of adverse health effects. However, the exact physiochemical properties and biological toxicities of fine APPs are still not well characterized. We collected four types of fine particle (FP) (diesel exhaust particles [DEPs], natural organic combustion [NOC] ash, synthetic organic combustion [SOC] ash, and yellow sand dust [YSD]) and investigated their physicochemical properties and in vitro biological toxicity. DEPs were almost entirely composed of ultrafine particles (UFPs), while the NOC, SOC, and YSD particles were a mixture of UFPs and FPs. The main elements in the DEPs, NOC ash, SOC ash, and YSD were black carbon, silicon, black carbon, and silicon, respectively. DEPs exhibited dose-dependent mutagenicity even at a low dose in Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 and 100 strains in an Ames test for genotoxicity. However, NOC, SOC, and YSD particles did not show any mutagenicity at high doses. The neutral red uptake assay to test cell viability revealed that DEPs showed dose-dependent potent cytotoxicity even at a low concentration. The toxicity of DEPs was relatively higher than that of NOC, SOC, and YSD particles. Therefore, these results indicate that among the four FPs, DEPs showed the highest in vitro biological toxicity. Additional comprehensive research studies such as chemical analysis and in vivo acute and chronic inhalation toxicity tests are necessary to determine and clarify the effects of this air contaminant on human health.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.26 no.2 s.42
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• pp.231-250
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• 1993

Thirty five male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with cadmium chloride solution ranging from 0.2 to 3.2mg $CdCl_2/kg$ by intravenous single injection. At 48 hours after administration of cadmium, total cadmium, MT bound cadmium and histopathologic finding in liver, kidney, lung, heart, testis, metallothionein in liver, kidney and total cadmium in bleed were examined. Tissue cadmium concentration was highest in liver, followed by in kidney, heart, lung and testis. Cadmium bound to rnetallothionein (MT-Cd) and ratio of MT-Cd to total cadmium were increased in liver and kidney dependently of cadmium exposure dose, but not significantly changed in other organs. On histopathologic finding, the most susceptible organ was heart in considering cadmium exposed dose, but testis in considering cadmium concentration. Blood cadmium concentration was increased with dose-dependent pattern, and significantly correlated with tissue cadmium concentration, so that we may estimate tissue cadmium concentration by measurement of blood cadmium concentration. Metallothionein in liver and kidney was increased with dose-dependent pattern, higher in liver than in kidney, and was significantly correlated with tissue cadmium concentration. However, metallothionein induction efficiency of tissue cadmium(${\mu}g\;MT/{\mu}g\;Cd$) was eater in liver than in kidney, and reverse to tissue concentration or exposed dose of cadmium.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.457-462
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• 2008

Lactococcus lactis NK34, isolated from jeotgal (Korean traditional fermented fish), produces bacteriocin against bovine mastitis pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus 7, S. aureus 8, Staphylococcus chromogenes 10, S. chromogenes 19, Staphylococcus hominis 9, Streptococcus uberis E290, Enterococcus faecium E372, Streptococcus agalactiae ATCC 13813, Pseudonocardia autotrophia KCTC 9455, and Staphylococcus simulans 78. Lacticin NK34 was inactivated by protease XIV but not by protease IX, protease XIII, proteinase K, $\acute{a}$-chymotrypsin, trypsin, and pepsin. Also, lacticin NK34 was stable over a pH range of 2 to 9 for 4 hr and withstood exposure to temperatures of 30-$100^{\circ}C$ for 30 min. Lacticin NK34 showed bactericidal effects against S. simulans 78. This bacteriocin was purified using ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion exchange chromatography, ultrafiltration, and hydrophobic chromatography. Tricin-SDS-PAGE of purified bacteriocin gave the same molecular weight (3.5 kDa) as nisin. The gene encoding this bacteriocin was amplified by PCR using nisin gene-specific primers. It showed similar sequences to this nisin Z gene. These results indicate that lacticin NK34 is a nisin-like bacteriocin, and could be used as an antimicrobial alternative for livestock.