• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.374-384
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• 2016

Concern about air pollution is gradually rising up in domestic and foreign, automotive and fuel researchers are trying to reduce vehicle exhaust emissions, through a lot of approaches, which consist of new engine design and innovative after-treatment systems, using clean (eco-friendly alternative) fuels and fuel quality improvement. This research is proceeding by two main issues : exhaust emissions and PM particle emissions of gasoline vehicle. Exhaust emissions, non-regulated emissions and PM (particulate matter) particles of automotive are causing many problems which ambient pollution and harmful effects on the human body. The main particulate fraction of automotive exhaust emissions consists of small particles. Because of their small size, inhaled particles can easily penetrate deep into the lungs. The rough surfaces of these particles make it easier for them to combine with other toxins in the environment. Thus, the hazards of particle inhalation are increased. Based on the oxygenated fuel additive types (MTBE, Bio-ETBE, Bio-ethanol, Bio-butanol), this paper discussed the influence of oxygen contents on gasoline vehicle exhaust emissions, non-regulated emissions and nano-particle emissions. Also, this paper assessed exhaust emission characteristics at 2 type test modes. The test modes were FTP-75 and HWFET. All measurement items be verified less than the value of regulated emissions. It could be known difference increase and decrease by each measurement item depending on increase the oxygen contents.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.588-593
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• 2014

Tumor angiogenesis is important in tumorigenesis and therapeutic interventions in cancer. To know inhibitor and effector of tumor angiogenesis in cancer, the specific gene of tumor and angiogenesis may develop the mechanisms of cancer suppression and therapy. Recently, we described the role of RalA-binding protein 1 (RLIP76) in tumor angiogenesis. Tumor vascular volumes were diminished, and vessels were fewer in number, shorter, and narrower in RLIP76 knockout mice than in wild-type mice. Moreover, angiogenesis in basement membrane matrix plugs was blunted in the knockout mice in the absence of tumor cells, with endothelial cells isolated from the lungs of these animals exhibiting defects in migration, proliferation, and cord formation in vitro. RLIP76 is expressed in most human tissues and is overexpressed in many tumor types. In addition, the protein regulates tumorigenesis and angiogenesis in vivo and in vitro. As the export of chemotherapy agents is a prominent cellular function of RLIP76, it is a major factor in mechanisms of drug resistance. Moreover, RLIP76 acts as a selective effector of the small GTPase, R-Ras, and regulates R-Ras signaling, leading to cell spreading and migration. Furthermore, in skin carcinogenesis, RLIP76 knockout mice are resistant, with tumors that form showing diminished angiogenesis. Thus, RLIP76 is required for efficient endothelial cell function and angiogenesis in solid tumors.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.443-450
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• 2018

The Geant 4 simulated the linear accelerator (VARIAN CLINAC) based on the previously implemented BEAMnrC data, using the head structure of the linear accelerator. In the 10 MV photon flux, Geant4 was compared with the measured value of the percentage of the deep dose and the lateral dose of the water phantom. In order to apply the dose calculation to the body part, the actual patient's lung area was scanned at 5 mm intervals. Geant4 dose distributions were obtained by irradiating 10 MV photons at the irradiation field ($5{\times}5cm^2$) and SAD 100 cm of the water phantom. This result is difficult to measure the dose absorbed in the actual lung of the patient so the doses by the treatment planning system were compared. The deep dose curve measured by water phantom and the deep dose curve calculated by Geant4 were well within ${\pm}3%$ of most depths except the build-up area. However, at the 5 cm and 20 cm sites, 2.95% and 2.87% were somewhat higher in the calculation of the dose using Geant4. These two points were confirmed by the geometry file of Genat4, and it was found that the dose was increased because thoracic spine and sternum were located. In cone beam CT, the dose distribution error of the lungs was similar within 3%. Therefore, if the contour map of the dose can be directly expressed in the DICOM file when calculating the dose using Geant4, the clinical application of Geant4 will be used variously.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.657-664
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• 2012

The aim of this study is to screen a therapeutic agent with a cognitive function. The inhibitory effect of $Curcuma$ $longa$ hot water extract (CLWE) on the angiotension-converting enzyme and acetylcholinesterase derived from rabbit lungs and neural cells (PC12), as well as its antioxidant effect, was investigated in this study. Thus, for the first time, the direct scavenging effect of CLWE on DPPH radicals, superoxide anions, hydroxyl radicals, lipid peroxidation, reducing power, and the protective effect of DNA oxidation related to oxidative stress was evaluated in vitro. In addition, it was observed that CLWE especially exhibited a scavenging effect on reducing power and superoxide anions in this study. CLWE showed a protective effect on DNA oxidation produced by hydroxyl radicals. Furthermore, CLWE inhibited the activity of angiotensin-converting enzymes above 0.25%. Additionally, the extract inhibited oxidative stress and inducible nitric oxide in neuronal cells. Therefore, these results demonstrated that CLWE has antioxidant activity and neuronal cell protective effects, suggesting that it may have great potential as a natural source for human health.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.1499-1506
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• 2016

Background: Crocus sativus and its major constituent crocin are well established to have anti-cancer properties in breast cancer cells (MCF-7). However the role of C. sativus extract (CSE) and crocin on caspase signaling mediated MCF-7 cell death at molecular level is remains unclear. In this study, we tried to unravel role of CSE and crocin on caspase mediated MCF-7 cells death and their in vivo preclinical toxicity profiling and immune stimulatory effect. Materials and Methods: CSE extract was fractionated by HPLC and crocin was isolated and characterized by NMR, IR, and MS. MCF-7 cells were treated with both CSE and crocin and expression of Bcl-2 and Bax was assessed after 24 and 36 hours. Furthermore, caspase 3, caspase 8 and caspase 9 expression was determined by Western blotting after 24 hours of treatment. DNA fragmentation analysis was performed for genotoxicity of CSE and crocin in MCF-7 cells. The in vivo toxicity profile of CSE (300 mg/kg of b.wt) was investigated in normal Swiss albino mice. In addition, peritoneal macrophages were collected from crocin (1, 1.5 and 2 mg/kg body weight) treated mice and analyzed for ex vivo yeast phagocytosis. Results: Immunoblot analysis revealed that there was time dependent decline in anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 with simultaneous upregulation of Bax in CSE and crocin treated MCF-7 cells. Further CSE and crocin treatment downregulated caspase 8 and 9 and cleaved the caspase 3 after 24 hours. Both CSE and crocin elicited considerable DNA damage in MCF-7 cells at each concentration tested. In vivo toxicity profile by histological studies revealed no observable histopathologic differences in the liver, kidney, spleen, lungs and heart in CSE treated and untreated groups. Crocin treatment elicited significant dose and time dependent ex vivo yeast phagocytosis by peritoneal macrophages. Conclusions: Our study delineated involvement of pro-apoptotic and caspase mediated MCF-7 cell death by CSE and crocin at the molecular level accompanied with extensive DNA damage. Further we found that normal swiss albino mice can tolerate the maximum dose of CSE. Crocin enhanced ex vivo macrophage yeast phagocytic ability.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.69-75
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• 2020

Background: Dose conversion coefficients (DCCs) have been commonly used to estimate radiation-dose absorption by human organs based on physical measurements of fluence or kerma. The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has reported a library of DCCs, but few studies have been conducted on their applicability to non-Caucasian populations. In the present study, we collected a total of 8 Korean pediatric and adult voxel phantoms to calculate the organ DCCs for idealized external photon-irradiation geometries. Materials and Methods: We adopted one pediatric female phantom (ETRI Child), two adult female phantoms (KORWOMAN and HDRK Female), and five adult male phantoms (KORMAN, ETRI Man, KTMAN1, KTMAN2, and HDRK Man). A general-purpose Monte Carlo radiation transport code, MCNPX2.7 (Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport extended version 2.7), was employed to calculate the DCCs for 13 major radiosensitive organs in six irradiation geometries (anteroposterior, posteroanterior, right lateral, left lateral, rotational, and isotropic) and 33 photon energy bins (0.01-20 MeV). Results and Discussion: The DCCs for major radiosensitive organs (e.g., lungs and colon) in anteroposterior geometry agreed reasonably well across the 8 Korean phantoms, whereas those for deep-seated organs (e.g., gonads) varied significantly. The DCCs of the child phantom were greater than those of the adult phantoms. A comparison with the ICRP Publication 116 data showed reasonable agreements with the Korean phantom-based data. The variations in organ DCCs were well explained using the distribution of organ depths from the phantom surface. Conclusion: A library of dose conversion coefficients for major radiosensitive organs in a series of pediatric and adult Korean voxel phantoms was established and compared with the reference data from the ICRP. This comparison showed that our Korean phantom-based data agrees reasonably with the ICRP reference data.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2003

As is well known that N-nitroso-N-methylurethane (NNNMU) causes acute lung injury (ALI) in experimental animals. And ALI caused by NNNMU is very similar to ARDS in human being in its pathology and progress. In its context, we investigated the pathogenetic mechanism of ARDS associated with oxidative stress by neutrophils in Sprague-Dawley rat model of NNNMU-induced ALI. NNNMU had increased lung weight/body weight ratio (L/B ratio), lung myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, protein content and number of neutrophils in bronchoalveolar fluid (BALF) compared with those of control rat (p<0.001, respectively). In contrast, the amount of pulmonary surfactant in BALF was decreased by NNNMU (p<0.001). Morphologically, light microscopic examination denoted pathological findings such as formation of hyaline membrane, infiltration of neutrophils and perivascular cuffing in the lungs of NNNMU-treated rats. In addition, ultrastructural changes such as the necrosis of endothelial cells, swelling and vacuolization of lamellar bodies of alveolar type II cells, and the degeneration of pulmonary surfactant were identified after treatment of NNNMU. Very interestingly, cerium chloride electron microscopic cytochemistry showed that NNNMU had increased the production of cerrous-peroxide granules in the lung, which signified the increased production of hydrogen peroxide in the lung. Collectively, we conclude that NNNMU causes acute lung leak by the mechanism of neutrophilic oxidative stress of the lung.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.133-173
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• 2011

Since mid-1960s the reports from the Surgeon General, the World Health Organization, and other health experts state that there is no risk-free level exposure to smoking and secondhand smoke. Tobacco smoke is made up of more than 7,000 chemicals. Hundreds are toxic, and at least 70 are carcinogens. The chemicals in tobacco smoke reach smoker's lungs quickly every time smoker inhale causing damages immediately. Inhaling even the smallest amount of tobacco smoke can also damage smoker's DNA, which can lead to cancers. Smoking is responsible for more than 87% of lung cancers, but there are a host of other chronic diseases directly related to exposure to tobacco smoke. It's also a major cause of heart disease, stroke, aortic aneurysm, peripheral arterial disease and most of the other diseases. In the United States, each year with more than from 440,000 to 520,000 deaths caused by smoking and exposure to involuntary smoke. They conclude that smoking is the single most important source of preventable morbidity and mortality. The United States of America have about 60-year history of tobacco litigation. Tobacco litigation has been an important tool in tobacco control strategies aimed at limiting the activities of tobacco companies and providing redress to people who have become ill as a result of their use of tobacco products. Tobacco litigation is a kind of tort litigation. Quite often, as in the asbestos and other mass tort litigation episodes, tobacco litigation can play an educational role, warning the public about the magnitude of health risks that might otherwise be less clearly perceived. Tobacco litigation allows smokers, their families or other victims of smoking to sue tobacco companies in order to be compensated for the harm they have suffered. Potential benefits of tobacco litigation include compensation for smoking-related damages, strengthening regulatory activity, publicity, documents disclosure and changing tobacco industry behavior. And also tobacco litigation can limit the political activities of tobacco industry, protect human rights of smokers and non-smokers, increase burden to tobacco price-up and enhance the effects of law and politics in public health.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.58 no.6
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• pp.19.1-19.7
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• 2016

Background: Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.]) is a legume cultivated throughout most tropical countries and is valued as food and feed for human and livestock respectively. The search for an improved cowpea variety has been on-going with the aim of improving traits such as grain yield, drought and pest resistance. But no information exist on the feeding value of these improved varieties. Phosphate (P) fertilizer application is recommended to augment grain yield in grain legumes but data on the effect of P fertilizer on haulm quality is limited. Results: Two separate experiments were conducted to determine the effect of P fertilizer dose on the nutritive value of haulms from different cowpea varieties (V). In experiment 1, effect of three P doses (30, 60 and 90 kg $P_2O_5/ha$) on in vitro gas production (IVGP) characteristics, concentrations of digestible organic matter (DOM), crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) of haulms from five cowpea varieties (Zaayura-SARC 4-75, Songotra-IT97K-499-35, Hewale-IT93K-192-4, IT99K 573-1-1 and Asomdwe-IT94K-410-2) were investigated using the $3(P){\times}5(V)$ factorial treatment arrangements in a completely randomized design. In experiment 2, the effects of two P doses (30 and 90 kg $P_2O_5/ha$) and two varieties (Zaayura-SARC 4-75 and Hewale-IT93K-192-4) on the voluntary feed intake, live weight, haematology and carcass characteristics of Djallonke lambs were also assessed using a $2(P){\times}2(V)$ factorial treatment arrangement. The $V{\times}P$ interaction significantly affected CP, NDF and ADF with CP concentration increasing with increase in P doses in Zaayura-SARC 4-75 and Asomdwe-IT94K-410-2. Whilst an increase (P < 0.05) in NDF was observed in Songotra-IT97K-499-35and Asomdwe-IT94K-410-2 as P doses increased, the other V only increased from P dose 30 to 60 kg/ha and declined at P dose 90 kg/ha. The ADF decreased (P < 0.05) with increase in P dose for all V with the exception of Songotra-IT97K-499-35. There was a significant V effect on DOM with the highest reported in Zaayura-SARC 4-75 (43.44 %). Daily DM intake, carcass length and blood urea nitrogen of the lambs were significantly affected by the V x P interaction. There was a significant V effect on globulin and P effect on live weight at slaughter, dressed weight, chuck, leg, loin, rib and flank and liver and lungs. Conclusion: It can be concluded that nutrient concentrations of cowpea haulms were positively influenced by different P dose and varieties with favorable effects on growth, haematology and carcass composition of lambs. Varieties Zaayura-SARC 4-75 and Hewale-IT93K-192-4 at P dose at 90 kg/ha are recommended to enhance growth performance and carcass yield of Djallonke lambs.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.168-172
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• 2003

Radiation synovectomy is one of the most useful methods for treating patients with refractory synovitis because of its convenience, long-term effects, repeatability and the avoidance of surgery. In this study, we investigated the toxicity, stability and biodistribution of a rhenium-188 ($^{188}$Re)-tin colloid to evaluate its suitability as a synovectomy agent. Twenty four hours after injecting the $^{188}$Re-tin colloids (74 KBq/0.1 mL) into the tail vein of ICR mice, most of the $^{188}$Retin colloidal particles was found in the lungs. In addition, there were no particle size changes at either room temperature or at $37^{\circ}C$ after injecting the $^{188}$Re-tin colloids in human plasma and synovial fluid. In vitro stability tests showed that the $^{188}$Re-tin colloid remained in a colloidal form without a critical size variation over a 2-day period. We investigated the leakage of $^{188}$Retin colloids from the intraarticular injection site with gamma counting in New Zealand white rabbits. The $^{188}$Re-tin colloids (55.5 MBq/0.15 mL) were injected at the cavum articular and the mean retention percentage of the $^{188}$Re-tin colloid was 98.7% for 1 day at the injection site, which suggests that there was neither change in the particle size nor leakage at the injection sites. In the biodistribution study with the SD rats, the liver showed the highest radioactivity (0.0427% ID/organ) except for the injected knees (99.49%). In the SD rats, mild toxicities including the skin or a synovium inflammation were observed as a result of a radioactivity of 15 mCi/kg at the intraarticular injection site. However, there was no systemic toxicity. In the Ovalbumin (OVA)-induced arthritic rabbits, the $^{188}$Re-tin colloid improved the macroscopic, the histological score and reduced the knee joint diameter when compared to the arthritic control. In conclusion, a $^{188}$Re-tin-colloid is considered as a strong candidate for radiation synovectomy with a superior efficacy and safety.