• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
• /
• v.19 no.6
• /
• pp.800-808
• /
• 2005

It is required to propose an alternatives for appropriate sludge treatment owing to persistent construction of sewage treatment plant and increase of sewage sludge quantity. In order to treat sludge more efficiently, the methods which reduce the cost of sludge treatment have been studied such as sludge reduction and conditioning. Especially ozone treatment reduces solid quantity and improves separation of solid-liquid at the same time. Therefore ozone treatment have a positive effect on reduction and stabilization of sludge. So, this study applied ozone to sewage sludge and induced cell destruction of sludge. By comparing with the correlation between thickening and dewatering, and evaluating moisture content and solubilization of cake, this study verificates the effect of process improvement for ozone pre-treatment. In J-STP case, according to ozone dose solid flux increased about 12 times from $1kg/m^2{\cdot}h$ to $12kg/m^2{\cdot}h$. Also this plant were capable to shorten thickening time from 40 minutes to 6~7 minutes. Thus it is expected to reduce volume and retention time of thickener. On pH effect factor, dewatering at pH4 was more than at pH11, $3.05{\times}10^{11}$ and $3.82{\times}10^{11}(m/kg)$. But effect of pH was analogous to ozone, $2.81{\times}10^{11}(m/kg)$. The effect of pH on thickening was similar to law sludge, $0.68(kg/m^2{\cdot}h)$, and the effect of ozone injection on thickening was the biggest, $3.45(kg/m^2{\cdot}h)$. The COD solubilization rate improved from about 5 to 30%. So it is judged that we are able to utilize most solubilized sludge to another sewage treatment plants.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.127-135
• /
• 2003

The primary contributors to the total occupational radiation exposure in operating nuclear power plants are operation and maintenance activities doting refueling outages. The Advanced Power Reactor 1400 (APR1400) includes a number of design improvements and plans to utilize advanced maintenance methods and robotics to minimize the annual collective dose. The major radiation exposure reduction features implemented in APR1400 are a permanent refueling pool seal, quick opening transfer tube blind flange, improved hydrogen peroxide injection at shutdown, improved permanent steam generator work platforms, and more effective temporary shielding. The estimated average annual occupational radiation exposure for APR1400 based on the reference plant experience and an engineering judgment is determined to be in the order of 0.4 man-Sv, which is well within the design goal of 1 man-Sv. The basis of this average annual occupational radiation exposure estimation is an eighteen (18) month fuel cycle with maintenance performed to steam generators and reactor coolant pumps during refueling outage. The outage duration is assumed to be 28 days. The outage work is to be performed on a 24 hour per day basis, seven (7) days a week with overlapping twelve (12) hour work shifts. The occupational radiation exposure for APR1400 is also determined by an alternate method which consists of estimating radiation exposures expected for the major activities during the refueling outage. The major outage activities that cause the majority of the total radiation exposure during refueling outage such as fuel handling, reactor coolant pump maintenance, steam generator inspection and maintenance, reactor vessel head area maintenance, decontamination, and ICI & instrumentation maintenance activities are evaluated at a task level. The calculated value using this method is in close agreement with the value of 0.4 man-Sv, that has been determined based on the experience aid engineering judgement. Therefore, with the As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) advanced design features incorporated in the design, APR1400 design is to meet its design goal with sufficient margin, that is, more than a factor of two (2), if operated on art eighteen (18) month fuel cycle.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.61-68
• /
• 2015

Background: Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) is a representative traditional herbal medicine with many different pharmacological properties including anticancer, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-diabetes, and anti-inflammatory activities. Only a few studies have explored the molecular mechanism of KRG-mediated anti-inflammatory activity. Methods: We investigated the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of the protopanaxadiol saponin fraction (PPD-SF) of KRG using in vitro and in vivo inflammatory models. Results: PPD-SF dose-dependently diminished the release of inflammatory mediators [nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, and prostaglandin $E_2$], and downregulated the mRNA expression of their corresponding genes (inducible NO synthase, tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, and cyclooxygenase-2), without altering cell viability. The PPD-SF-mediated suppression of these events appeared to be regulated by a blockade of p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and TANK (TRAF family member-associated NF-kappa-B activator)-binding kinase 1 (TBK1), which are linked to the activation of activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2) and interferon regulatory transcription factor 3 (IRF3). Moreover, this fraction also ameliorated HCl/ethanol/-induced gastritis via suppression of phospho-JNK2 levels. Conclusion: These results strongly suggest that the anti-inflammatory action of PPD-SF could be mediated by a reduction in the activation of p38-, JNK2-, and TANK-binding-kinase-1-linked pathways and their corresponding transcription factors (ATF2 and IRF3).

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.14-18
• /
• 2010

Stevia rebaudiana (SR) is an herb used traditionally as a sweetener in Paraguay and Brazil, whose use is spreading to other countries, such as Japan, Korea and China. In addition to its low calorie sweet taste, SR appears to have other beneficial properties, such as hypotensive capabilities and inflammation reduction. To identify the bioactive natural constituents exerting anti-inflammatory activities, we examined the EtOAc fraction of SR. In the inflammatory mediator inhibitory assay from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated macrophages, the EtOAc fraction significantly, and dose dependently, inhibited the enhanced production of nitric oxide (NO) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression. We also found that treatment of cells with the EtOAc fraction significantly inhibited LPS-stimulated nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$) reporter gene expression. Such inhibition of NF-${\kappa}B$ was closely associated with the inhibition of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and the monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1). Therefore, we suggest that SR has the potential for development as a functional food for the treatment of immune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

• CELLMED
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.8.1-8.7
• /
• 2017

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the major diseases of the urinary system in older men. WSY-0702 is the extracted from the traditional medicinal plant; Seoritae, and it has effects of anti-obesity, chronic cervical pain, and anti-oxidant. The present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of WSY-0702 in the prevention and treatment of BPH. Several parameters including inflammatory mediators, hormones, and oxidative stress (OS) have been considered to play a role in the development of BPH. Prostate tissue damage and OS may lead to compensatory cellular proliferation with resulting hyperplastic growth. An in vitro study showed that proliferation inhibited the human prostate epithelial cell line RWPE-1 in a dose-dependent manner. In cell line, the cell cycle at the G2/M and G0/G1 phase and downregulated the expression of CyclineB1 (CCNB1) and CyclineD1 (CCND1). In addition, we measured the $H_2O_2$-induced OS damage using RWPE-1 cells. We examined the relative expression of protein involved in the regulation of prostate apoptosis: transforming growth factor (TGF)-${\beta}$, a negative growth factor able to induced prostate apoptosis under physiological conditions. These results suggest that WSY-0702 that can inhibit the growth of prostate epithelial cell by a mechanism that may involve arresting the cell cycle and downregulating CCNB1 and CCND1 expression. In addition, WSY-0702 exposure resulted in significant protective effects in $H_2O_2$-stressed PWPE-1 cells by reduction in TGF-${\beta}$ levels.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.19 no.5
• /
• pp.1405-1410
• /
• 2005

Asthma is recognized today as an inflammatory disease of the lung characterized by acute non-specific airway hypersensitiveness in association with chronic pulmonary inflammation. Gamijihwang-tang(GJT), a fortified prescription of YMJHT, is applied for the treatments of chronic coughing and asthma, and post-delivery coughing and asthma in the gynecology. Also in the clinical practice, GJT is known to be very effective for controlling coughing and asthma as a cold sequoia. In this study, we investigated the effects of GJT on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) production, and on the level of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and Cyclooxygenase-2 expression in murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. We found that GJT inhibited LPS-induced NO and $PGE_2$ production in a dose dependent manner. Furthermore, GJT inhibited the expression of LPS-induced iNOS and COX-2 protein and mRNA expression in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Treatment with GJT of RAW 264.7 cells transfected with a reporter construct indicated a reduced level of LPS-induced nuclear factor-KB (NF-kB) activity and effectively lowered NF-kB binding as measured by transient transfection assay. These results suggest that the main inhibitory mechanism of the GJT may be the reduction of iNOS and COX-2 gene expression through blocking of NF-kB activation.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.182-190
• /
• 2015

The Zostera marina ethanolic extract (ZMEE) was tested in this study to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells and mouse model. Nitric oxide production and inducible nitiric oxide synthase expression in cells treated with ZMEE was reduced significantly in a dose-dependent manner. Similarly, the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6, IL-$1{\beta}$, and TNF-${\alpha}$ was inhibited markedly. In addition, the expression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$) and the phosphorylation of JNK, ERK, and p38 MAPKs was suppressed by ZMEE as well. In vivo test, ZMEE attenuated the croton oil-induced mouse ear edema and there were no mortalities in mice administered 5,000 mg/kg body weight of ZMEE during the observation periods. The results in photomicrograph of mice ear tissue showed the reduction of dermal thickness and the number of infiltrated mast cells. These results indicate that ZMEE inhibits the production of LPS-induced pro-inflammatory mediators, suggesting that ZMEE may be a potential material for anti-inflammatory therapies.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.44 no.2
• /
• pp.274-281
• /
• 2020

Background: Ultraviolet (UV) goes through the epidermis and promotes release of inflammatory cytokines in keratinocytes. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), one of the keratinocyte-derived cytokines, regulates proliferation and differentiation of melanocytes. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) and protein kinase C (PKC) signaling pathways regulate expression of GM-CSF. Based on these results, we found that ginsenoside Rh3 prevented GM-CSF production and release in UV-B-exposed SP-1 keratinocytes and that this inhibitory effect resulted from the reduction of PKCδ and ERK phosphorylation. Methods: We investigated the mechanism by which ginsenoside Rh3 from Panax ginseng inhibited GM-CSF release from UV-B-irradiated keratinocytes. Results: Treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) or UV-B induced release of GM-CSF in the SP-1 keratinocytes. To elucidate whether the change in GM-CSF expression could be related to PKC signaling, the cells were pretreated with H7, an inhibitor of PKC, and irradiated with UV-B. GM-CSF was decreased by H7 in a dose-dependent manner. When we analyzed which ginsenosides repressed GM-CSF expression among 15 ginsenosides, ginsenoside Rh3 showed the largest decline to 40% of GM-CSF expression in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Western blot analysis showed that TPA enhanced the phosphorylation of PKCδ and ERK in the keratinocytes. When we examined the effect of ginsenoside Rh3, we identified that ginsenoside Rh3 inhibited the TPA-induced phosphorylation levels of PKCδ and ERK. Conclusion: In summary, we found that ginsenoside Rh3 impeded UV-B-induced GM-CSF production through repression of PKCδ and ERK phosphorylation in SP-1 keratinocytes.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.51-57
• /
• 2015

Bone destruction is a pathological symptom of some chronic inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and periodontitis. Inflammation-induced bone loss of these diseases results from increased number and activity of osteoclasts. Paeoniae Radix Alba has been used in korean traditional medicine to treat disease including inflammation, gynecopathy and various pain. However, these effects have not been tested on osteoclasts, the bone resorbing cells that regulate bone metabolism. Here, we investigated the effects of Paeoniae Radix Alba ethanol extract (PRAE) on receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL)-mediated osteoclast differentiation and formation. Osteoclast differentiation and formation were measured by tartrate resistant acidic phosphatase (TRAP) staining and TRAP solution assay. The treatment of PRAE on bone marrow derived macrophages (BMMs), which is known as osteoclast precursor cells, inhibited osteoclast differentiation and formation in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the expression of osteoclast differentiation marker genes was suppressed by PRAE treatment. This inhibitory effect of PRAE resulted from significant repression of c-Fos expression, and subsequent reduction of NFATc1 expression which was previously reported as a master transcription factor for osteoclastogenesis in vitro and in vivo. These results demonstrate that PRAE negatively regulates osteoclast differentiation and formation and suggest that PRAE can be used as a potent preventive or therapeutic candidate for various bone diseases, such as postmenopausal osteoporosis, periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.34 no.6
• /
• pp.117-124
• /
• 2019

Objective : Broccoli is edible green plant that has a wide variety of health benefits including cancer prevention and cholesterol reduction. However, leaves of broccoli are not eaten and are mostly left as waste. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the broccoli leaf extract (BLE) on prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) production related to nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated macrophages. Methods : BLE was prepared by extracting dried leaf with ethanol. Cell viability was determined by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. PGE₂ and inflammatory cytokines were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Expression level of each protein was monitored by Western blot analysis. Results : In LPS-activated Raw264.7 cells, PGE₂ release into culture medium was dramatically enhanced compared to control cells. However, increased PGE₂ was attenuated dose-dependently by treatment with BLE. Inhibition of PGE₂ production by BLE was due to the suppression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression determined by Western blot analysis. BLE also inhibited the production of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). Inhibition at PGE₂ and cytokine was mediated from inhibition of nuclear translocation of NF-κB due to the repression of inhibitory kappa B alpha (IκBα) phosphorylation and degradation. Conclusion : This study showed that BLE exerted inhibitory activities against PGE₂, which is critical for the initiation and resolution of inflammatory responses, and that inhibition of PGE₂ was mediated by suppression of NF-κB signaling. These results suggest that the waste broccoli leaves could be used for controlling inflammation.