• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.347-354
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• 2014

Larrea nitida is a plant that belongs to the Zygophyllaceae family and is widely used in South America to treat inflammatory diseases, tumors and menstrual pain. However, its pharmacological activity remains unclear. In this study we evaluated the property of selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) of Larrea nitida extracts (LNE) as a phytoestrogen that can mimic, modulate or disrupt the actions of endogenous estrogens, depending on the tissue and relative amount of other SERMs. To investigate the property of SERM of LNE, we performed MCF-7 cell proliferation assays, estrogen response element (ERE)-luciferase reporter gene assay, human estrogen receptor (hER) binding assays and in vivo uterotrophic assay. To gain insight into the active principles, we performed a bioassay-guided analysis of LNE employing solvents of various polarities and using classical column chromatography, which yielded 16 fractions (LNs). LNE showed high binding affinities for $hER{\alpha}$ and $hER{\beta}$ with $IC_{50}$ values of $1.20{\times}10^{-7}$ g/ml and $1.00{\times}10^{-7}$ g/ml, respectively. LNE induced $17{\beta}$-estradiol (E2)-induced MCF-7 cell proliferation, however, it reduced the proliferation in the presence of E2. Furthermore, LNE had an atrophic effect in the uterus of immature rats through reducing the expression level of progesterone receptor (PR) proteins. LN08 and LN10 had more potent affinities for binding on $hER{\alpha}$ and ${\beta}$ than other fractions. Our results indicate that LNE had higher binding affinities for $hER{\beta}$ than $hER{\alpha}$, and showed SERM properties in MCF-7 breast cancer cells and the rat uterus. LNE may be useful for the treatment of estrogen-related conditions, such as female cancers and menopause.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.23-29
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• 2002

A wall-frame type structural system has been widely used to make full use of a limited land in large cities to satisfy the several functional requirement in one building. However, this type of hybrid structure brought some problems due to the vertical discontinuity of a structural system. The response of a wall-frame type structural system having a deep transfer girder was observed. An arch system was introduced to replace the deep transfer girder. The adequacy of an arch system was observed for the various boundary conditions of a system. The proposed system was compared to a general transfer girder system by applying both gravity load and lateral load. It was observed that an arch system fairly distributes the stress without concentrating stress at a certain location of a system differently from the current transfer girder system. The moment decrement effect of a column can also be obtained by eliminating the large mass of a transfer girder. Also it was investigated that an arch system is more economical and effective than the current transfer girder system.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.168-177
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• 1998

Five and a half months after the Keumdong oil spill accident on the 21$^{st}$ of September 1993, 34 seawater samples and 94 sediment samples were collected from Kwangyang Bay and Namhaedo area to assess its environmental impacts. Hydrocarbon concentration in the seawater ranged from 0.8 to 9.2 ${\mu}$g/1 with an average of 3.3 ${\mu}$g/1. This average value was nearly the same as the value(3.7 ${\mu}$g/1) before the oil spill accident. This suggests that by the early March of 1994 majority of the coastal water in the study area restored to its background hydrocarbon concentration before the oil spill accident. Nutrients, heavy metals and other general environmental parameters of the seawater did not show any aggravated seawater quality compared with the previous records. From the regression analysis of time-course observation of hydrocarbon in the seawater, except the sediment environment, the effect of oil spill on the water column was estimated to last at least 4 months in the study area after the oil spill accident. In the shoreline sediments, oil deposits were, however, still found at the high water marks at several stations, and very high values were found in the west of Namhaedo, ranging from 3.7 to 40.1 mg/g of wet sediment. Gas chromatography of these samples showed a very distinct Bunker C chromatogram identical to the Keumdong oil spill. Hydrocarbons in the subtidal bottom sediments in the study area and the reference stations (YB and CB) ranged from 0.45 to 18.08 ${\mu}$g/g of wet sediment with an average of 3.09 ${\mu}$g/g. West of Namhaedo (Stations Bl2-B33) generally showed much higher values than inner Kwangyang Bay and in Chinju Bay. Chinju Bay generally showed the lowest value among the study area. Subtidal bottom sediments in inner Kwangyang Bay and Chinju Bay seemed to be less affected than west of Namhaedo. Heavy metal concentrations in the sediment were relatively higher in the Kwangyang Bay than in the Chinju Bay. However, metal concentrations in the study area were in general comparable to the reference areas.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.151-160
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• 2010

The number of cases of collapsed plastic greenhouses in farmlands has increased due to the heavy local snowfall caused by extraordinary atmospheric phenomena. Consequently, the economic losses of farmers have also increased. However the government policy in relation to damage pretension is insufficient and collapse case is repeated every year. The main reason for frame collapse is that the moment capacity of a steel pipe is not sufficient to resist a heavy snowload. In this study, experiments were conducted on the current frame system of a greenhouse with a tension tie. The frame consisted of two sections(${\phi}25.4{\times}1.5$, ${\phi}31.8{\times}1.5$), and its span length was 6.5 m. A temporary tension tie using a steel wire and a fabric rope was connected to the two joints, to which a curved beam and a straight column were connected. The pretension force was applied at the tension tie, and a vertical force simulating snowfall was applied until failure. The fabric rope frame increased the load-carrying capacity by 10-45% compared to the normal frame without a tension tie, and the steel wire frame increased the load-carrying capacity by 58-73% compared to the normal frame without a tension tie. Steel wire was found to be more effective as far as strength is concerned, but its connection details and pretension application are more difficult and complicated than those of the fabric rope. The test results thus show that the fabric rope is more preferable.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.101-107
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• 2009

Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as stabilizer is expected to facilitate in-situ delivery of zero-valent iron (ZVI) nanoparticles in a contaminated aquifer because it increases dispersity of ZVI nanoparticles. This work investigated the transport of CMC-stabilized ZVI nanoparticles (CMC-Fe) using column breakthrough experiments. The ZVI nanoparticles (100 mg/L Fe) were transportable through sand porous media. In contrast, non-stabilized ZVI nanoparticles rapidly agglomerate in solution and are stopped in sand porous media. At pH 7 of solution approximately 80% CMC-Fe were eluted. When the pH of solution is below 5, 100% CMC-Fe were eluted. These results suggest that the mobility of CMCFe was increased as pH decreases. In the mobility test under different ionic strengths using $Na^+$ and $Ca^{2+}$ ions, there was no signigficant difference in the mobility of CMC-Fe. Also, in the experiments of effect of clay and natural organic mater (NOM) on the mobility of ZVI, there was no significant difference in the mobility of CMC-Fe not only between 1 and 5% clay, but 100 and 1000 mg/L NOM. The results from this work suggests that the CMC-Fe nanoparticles could be easily delivered into the subsurface over a broad range of ionic strength, clay and NOM.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.142-148
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• 2004

Erythropoietin is a main regulator of human erythropoiesis. Recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) is one of the glycoproteins produced in animal cells, and it has oligo saccharides chains which comprise about 40％ of its molecular mass. Because the content of sialic acid can extend circulatory lifetime, the high degree of sialylation is often a desirable feature of therapeutic glycoproteins. In this study, the sialylation of rhEPO produced by chinese hamster ovary cell culture was maximized by supplementing the culture medium with N-acetylm-annosamine (ManNAc), a direct intracellular precursor for sialic acid synthesis and 2-deoxy-2,3-dehydro-N-acetylneuraminic acid (NeuAc2en), a sialidase inhibitor. Feeding of 20 mM ManNAc/0.5 mM NeuAc2en into culture medium increased the sialic acid content by nearly tenfold compared with unsupplemented medium. This effect was achieved without affecting the cell growth or product yield. Six erythropoietin fractions differing in sialic acid content, ranging from 11∼15％ of EPO, were identified from chinese hamster ovary cell-derived rhEPO by mono Q column chromatography. It was found that, at 20 mM ManNAc/0.5 mM NeuAc2en feeding, productivity of hyper-glycosylated EPO increased up to 50％, compared with the unsupplemented medium.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.509-512
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• 2012

Objective : The purpose of this study is to evaluate neuroprotective effect of sacral neuromodulation in rat spinal cord injury (SCI) model in the histological and functional aspects. Methods : Twenty-one female Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups : the normal control group (CTL, n=7), the SCI with sham stimulation group (SCI, n=7), and the SCI with electrical stimulation (SCI+ES, n=7). Spinal cord was injured by dropping an impactor from 25 mm height. Sacral nerve electrical stimulation was performed by the following protocol : pulse duration, 0.1 ms; frequency, 20 Hz; stimulation time, 30 minutes; and stimulation duration, 4 weeks. Both locomotor function and histological examination were evaluated as scheduled. Results : The number of anterior horn cell was $12.3{\pm}5.7$ cells/high power field (HPF) in the CTL group, $7.8{\pm}4.9$ cells/HPF in the SCI group, and $6.9{\pm}5.5$ cells/HPF in the SCI+ES group, respectively. Both the SCI and the SCI+ES groups showed severe loss of anterior horn cells and myelin fibers compared with the CTL group. Cavitation and demyelinization of the nerve fibers has no significant difference between the SCI group and the SCI+ES group. Cavitation of dorsal column was more evident in only two rats of SCI group than the SCI+ES group. The locomotor function of all rats improved over time but there was no significant difference at any point in time between the SCI and the SCI+ES group. Conclusion : In a rat thoracic spinal cord contusion model, we observed that sacral neuromodulation did not prevent SCI-induced myelin loss and apoptosis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.8
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• pp.1208-1213
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• 2016

Advanced glycation end product (AGE) formation and reactive oxygen species are potential therapeutic targets for the prevention of diabetic nephropathy and other pathogenic complications. Activity-guided isolation of an ethylacetate-soluble portion of 80% methanolic extract from fruits of Sorbus commixta of the Ulleung Island origin using AGE formation inhibition assay led to the isolation and identification of three caffeoylquinic acid derivatives of a previously known structure, 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid (neochlorogenic acid; 1), 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid (cryptochlorogenic acid; 2), and 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (chlorogenic acid; 3). The structures of these compounds were confirmed by interpretation of nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry data. Among the isolates, the major metabolite, neochlorogenic acid (1) showed the most potent inhibitory effect against AGE formation with an $IC_{50}$ value of $167.5{\pm}3.5{\mu}M$. Furthermore, all isolated chlorogenic acid isomers were evaluated for their radical scavenging activity against peroxynitrite, and structurally related isomers 1, 2, and 3 exhibited potent inhibitory effects in this radical scavenging assay. This result suggests that the monocaffeoyl quinic acid derivatives isolated from S. commixta might be beneficial for the regulation of diabetic complications and related diseases.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.41-46
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• 2011

Objectives : To quantitate the main compounds and investigate the biological activity of Sosiho-tang (Xiao-Chai-Hu-Tang, SST), simultaneous determination of baicalin and glycyrrhizin, and anti-inflammatory activity were estimated. Methods : A quantitative analysis was performed using a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Reference compounds were separated on a reversed-phase column using gradient elution with water and acetonitrile each containing acetic acid at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. And the productions of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin $(PE)E_2$ were examined by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW 264.7 cells in the presence of the SST. The anti-inflammatory activity of SST was investigated by carrageenin-induced paw edema in rats. The paw volume was measured at 2 and 4 hr following carrageenin-induced paw edema in rats. Results : The correlation coefficients of the compounds showed good linearity ($r^2$ > 0.9992) over the linear range. The precisions of intra- and inter-day were less than 7.0% of relative standard deviation (RSD) values for baicalin and less than 3.5% of RDS valuse for glycyrrhizin. Recovery rates were within the range of 95.41-101.5%. The contents of baicalin and glycyrrhizin in SST were average 70.52, 6.18 mg/g, respectively. And SST exhibited inhibitory effect on NO production in LPS-treated RAW 264.7 cells but not on $PGE_2$ production. Oral administration of SST (1 g/kg) showed a reduction in carrageenin-induced paw edema on rats. Conclusions : The analytical method was applied successfully to measure the contents of baicalin and glycyrrhizin in SST which exhibited anti-inflammatory activities.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.115-131
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• 2000

In the study of craniofacial deformity, it is very important that identifying the factor which can affect the morphology and which is closely related to the morphology, because it can not only improve the comprehension of growth and developmental process but also be applied in growth prediction and treatment modality. Several investigators have already mentioned the characterstics of head posture and airway space in relations to morphologic difference. But it is very meaningful work in clarifying the correlation between morphology, head posture and airway space that observing the change of head posture after morplologic change caused by operation and the change of airway space after same procedure. To investigate above correlation, I selected normal group which is consisted of 43 adults and mandibular prognathism group which is consisted of 47 adults who had been operated by sagittal split ramus osteotomy and were followed up more than 1 year. With their lateral skull radiograghs, reference lines which can evaluate each measuring points and areas without effect of postural change were first determined. And using above reference lines, change of airway space, positional change of tongue and hyoid, change of cranial and cervical angulations were measured. The results obtained from the study were as follows 1. In the change of head posture, the position of tongue and hyoid neighboring to pharynx is more closely related to the reference line of cervical column than to reference line of cranium. 2. After mandibular setback operation, the airway dimension was decreased to 81.6% of preoperative state at 1 month postoperatively and was slightly increased to 89.7% at 1 year postoperatively. 3. Posterior movement of tongue plays important role in decrease of airway dimension and inferior movement of hyoid was closely correlated with posterior movement of tongue. 4. Postoperative anterior movement of mandible, namely, morphologic relapse had correlation with relapse phenomenon of airway dimension. 5. Craniocervical angulation increased postoperatively. Especially in the postoperative early state, there was increased foreward inclination of cervical angulation rather than increase of cranial angulation. But at postoperative 1 year it was observed that cervical inclination was returned to preoperative state and cranial angulation was increased gradually. 6. Increase rate of airway dimension was correlated with the increase of cranial angulation from postoperative 1 month to 1 year. In conclusion, relapse tendency of airway dimension following increase of cranial angulation was found after mandibular setback operation and it is considered that increase of cranial angulation is one of compensatory mechanism in airway maintenance.