• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.255-263
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• 2023

Objectives: The study investigated the association between indoor air pollution (IAP) and risk factors for acute respiratory infection (ARI) symptoms in children under 5 years of age. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data derived from Indonesia Demographic and Health Survey in 2017. Binary logistic regression modeling was employed to examine each predictor variable associated with ARI among children under 5 years of age in Indonesia. Results: The study included a total of 4936 households with children. Among children under 5 years old, 7.2% reported ARI symptoms. The presence of ARI symptoms was significantly associated with the type of residence, wealth index, and father's smoking frequency, which were considered the sample's socio-demographic characteristics. In the final model, living in rural areas, having a high wealth index, the father's smoking frequency, and a low education level were all linked to ARI symptoms. Conclusions: The results revealed that households in rural areas had a substantially higher level of reported ARI symptoms among children under 5 years old. Furthermore, the father's smoking frequency and low education level were associated with ARI symptoms.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.279-286
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• 2020

Purple loosestrife-Lythrum anceps (Koehne) Makino is a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the Lythraceae family. It has been used for centuries in Korea and other Asian traditional medicine. It has been showed pharmacological effects, including anti-oxidant and anti-microbial effects. However, the mechanisms underlying its anti-cancer effect are not yet understood. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of apoptosis signaling pathways by ethanol extract of Lythrum anceps (Koehne) Makino (ELM) in human leukemia U937 cells. Treatment with ELM significantly inhibited cell growth in a dose-dependent manner by inducing apoptosis, as evidenced by the formation of apoptotic bodies (ApoBDs), DNA fragmentation and increased populations of sub-G1 ratio. Induction of apoptosis by ELM was connected with up-regulation of death receptor (DR) 4 and DR5, pro-apoptotic Bax protein expression and down-regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein, and inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family proteins, depending on dosage. This induction was associated with Bid truncation, mitochondrial dysfunction, proteolytic activation of caspases (-3, -8 and -9) and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase protein. Therefore, our data indicate that ELM suppresses U937 cell growth by activating the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis pathways, and thus may have applications as a potential source for an anti-leukemic chemotherapeutic agent.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.120-128
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• 2008

The death ligand tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)/ Apo1L is a cytokine that activates apoptosis through cell surface death receptors. TRAIL has sparked growing interest in oncology due to its reported ability to selectively trigger cancer cell death. Euphorbiae humifusae Wind has been used in traditional Oriental medicine as a folk remedy used for the treatment of cancer. However, the mechanism responsible for the anticancer effects of E. humifusae not clearly understood. Here, we show that treatment with subtoxic doses of water extract of E. humifusae (WEEH) in combination with TRAIL induces apoptosis in TRAIL-resistant human gastric carcinoma AGS cells. Combined treatment with WEEH and TRAIL induced chromatin condensation and sub-G1 phase DNA content. These indicators of apoptosis were correlated with the induction of caspase activity that resulted in the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. Combined treatment also triggered the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Furthermore, co-treatment with WEEH and TRAIL down-regulated the protein levels of the anti-apoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, XIAP and cIAP-1. Although more study will be needed to examine the detailed mechanisms, this combined treatment may offer an attractive strategy for safely treating gastric adenocarcinomas and the results provide important new insights into the possible molecular mechanisms of the anticancer activity of E. humifusae.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.389-398
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• 2013

Platycodin D is a major constituent of triterpene saponins, which is found in the root of Platycodon grandiflorum, Platycodi Radix, which is widely used in traditional Oriental medicine for the treatment of many chronic inflammatory diseases. Several pharmacological effects of this compound have been reported recently, such as anti-inflammation, immunogenicity, anti-adipogenesis, lowered cholesterol, and anti-cancer activity. However, the mechanism by which this action occurs is poorly understood. In this study, we found that platycodin D greatly increased the potential of the anti-proliferative effect in various cancer cell lines. Our data revealed that platycodin D treatment resulted in a time- and concentration-response growth inhibition of U937 cells by inducing apoptosis, as evidenced by the formation of apoptotic bodies, chromatin condensation, and the accumulation of cells in the sub-G1 phase. Apoptosis induction of U937 cells by platycodin D correlated with an increase in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and caused the down-regulation of IAP family members. In addition, platycodin D treatment resulted in proteolytic activation of caspase-3, the concomitant degradation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases, and the collapse of the mitochondria membrane potential (${\Delta}{\Psi}_m$). However, the cytotoxic effects induced by platycodin D treatment were significantly inhibited by z-DEVD-fmk, a caspase-3 inhibitor, which demonstrated the important role that caspase-3 played in the observed cytotoxic effect. These findings suggest that platycodin D may be a potential chemotherapeutic agent for use in the control of human leukemia U937 cells. These findings also provided important new insights into possible molecular mechanisms of the anti-cancer activity of platycodin D.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.909-921
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• 2000

Background : Defects in apoptotic signaling pathways play important role in tumor initiation, progression, metastasis and resistance to treatment. Several proteins which may promote tumorigenesis by inhibiting apoptosis were identified. The survivin protein is the member of inhibitor of apoptosis protein(IAPs) family which inhibits apoptosis. Unlike other IAPs, it is expressed in during the fetal period but not in adult differentiated tissues. Many reports have stated that survivin is selectively expressed in many cancer cell lines and cancer tissues. We performed immunohistochemical analysis for survivin expression in non-mall cell lung cancer to get evaluate its clinical implication. Methods : Twenty nine surgically resected lung cancers were examined. Immunohistochemical staining were performed by immuno-peroxidase technique using avidin-biotinylated horseradish pemxidase complex in the formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue $4{\mu}m$ section. Anti-survivin polyclonal antibody was used for primary antibody and anti-p53 monoclonal antibody was also used to analyze the correlation between survivin and p53 expression. The survivin expression scores were determined by as the sum of the stained area and intensity. Results : Immunohistochemical analysis showed cancer specific expression of survivin in 20 of 29 cases (69.0%). Western blot analysis also showed the selective survivin expression in tumor tissue. There was no correlation between survivin expression and clinicopathological parameters and prognosis. We analyzed the ∞π'elation between survivin expression and p53 expression, but found none. Conclusion: We confirmed the tumor specific expression of survival in non-small cell lung canær. But this expression was not correlated with clinical parameters as well as histology, tumor stage, recurrence, and survival rate. Also it was not statistically correlated with the expression of p53.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.59-74
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• 2008

목적 : 이 연구는 봉약침의 봉독과 그 주요성분인 멜리틴이 $NF-{\kappa}B$의 활성억제와 세포자멸사 관련 단백질의 발현 조절을 통하여 세포자멸사를 유도하고 전립선 암세포주인 LNCaP 세포의 성장을 억제하는지를 확인하고 해당 기전을 살펴보고자 하였다. 방법 : 봉독이나 멜리틴을 처리한 후 LNCaP의 성장억제를 관찰하기 위해 WST-1 assay, CCK-8 assay를 시행하였고, 세포자멸사의 관찰에는 DAPI, TUNEL staining assay를 시행하였으며, 세포자멸사 조절단백질의 변동 관찰에는 western blot analysis를 시행하였고, 세포자멸사와 연관된 $NF-{\kappa}B$의 활성 변화를 관찰하기 위해 EMSA를 시행하였으며, LNCaP에서 봉독이나 멜리틴과 $NF-{\kappa}B$의 상호작용을 관찰하기 위해 transient transfection assay를 시행 시 세포생존율과 $NF-{\kappa}B$의 활성 변동을 측정하였다. 결과 : LNCaP 세포에 봉독이나 멜리틴을 처리한 후, 전립선암세포의 성장, 세포자멸사의 유발, 세포자멸사 관련 단백질의 발현, $NF-{\kappa}B$의 활성, $NF-{\kappa}B$의 p50 치환 후 $NF-{\kappa}B$의 활성과 LNCaP 세포 증식에 미치는 영향을 관찰하여 다음과 같은 결과를 얻었다. 1. LNCaP 세포에서 봉독이나 멜리틴을 처리한 후 세포자멸사가 유도되어 세포성장이 억제되었고, 세포자멸사 관련 단백질 중 분리된 PARP, caspase-9, Bax는 유의한 증가를, Bcl-2, p-Akt, MMP 13, XIAP, cXIAP는 유의한 감소를 나타내었다. 2. LNCaP 세포에서 봉독이나 멜리틴을 처리한 후 $NF-{\kappa}B$의 활성의 유의한 감소를 나타내었다. 3. LNCaP 세포에서 $NF-{\kappa}B$ p50를 치환하여 작용기를 없애고 봉독이나 멜리틴을 처리하였을 경우에도 $NF-{\kappa}B$의 활성의 유의한 감소를 나타내었다. 결론 : 이상의 결과는 봉독이나 멜리틴이 $NF-{\kappa}B$의 활성 억제를 통하여 인간 전립선암세포주인 LNCaP의 세포자멸사를 유발함으로써 증식억제 효과가 있음을 입증한 것으로 전립선암의 예방과 치료에 대한 효과적인 치료제 개발에 도움이 될 것으로 기대된다. 다만 그 기전에서 봉독이나 멜리틴은 기존연구와 달리 $NF-{\kappa}B$ p50의 작용기와 직접적으로 상호작용을 하지는 않는 것으로 보이므로 심화 연구를 요한다.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.89-119
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• 2020

Species invasions have rapidly increased due to the substantial growth of global trade in the recent past. As the awareness of the negative effects on natural ecosystems derived from alien species has grown, many countries and lawmakers have enacted rules and policies on the conservation of indigenous plants. Unfortunately, in Korea, research on species invasion is seriously lacking despite the growing number of alien species. In the current study, we report alien plants that have intentionally and/or unintentionally been introduced in Korea and also presented a checklist of invasive plants found both in the literature and in field surveys. We reviewed all documented records of alien plants, i.e., scientific papers, illustrated books, and annual reports. We also categorized alien plants by origin, time of introduction, naturalization, and the rate of their spread. The results revealed that there are 619 alien plant taxa (96 families, 353 genera, 595 species, 6 subspecies, 11 varieties, 1 forma, and 6 hybrids) occurring in Korea. Among these, 30 taxa are archaeophytes (Arc.), 214 are potentially invasive plants (PIPs), and 375 are invasive alien plants (IAPs). In addition, IAP taxa consist of grades 5 (widespread, WS) to 1 (potential spread, PS) of alien plants according to the rate of spread in Korea. Our results suggested that the number of alien plants is likely to keep growing; thus, the distribution should be regularly monitored and the list of alien plants must be updated.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.19-27
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• 2010

The roots and leaves of Angelica keiskei (AK) have been used for the treatment of various diseases including coronary heartdisease, hypertension, and cancer in the Korean folk medicine. However, the mechanism by which methylenechloride fraction (MF) from AK exerts anti-tumorigenic activity in human prostate cancer cells has not been fully understood. In the present study, we report the MF exerted the highest cytotoxicity against prostate cancer DU145 cells compared with other fractions. Especially, MF caused the accumulation of sub-G1 DNA contents of cell cycle and increased annexin V-positive apoptotic bodies and DNA fragmentation. MF down-regulated several proliferative (Cyclin D1) and anti-apoptotic (Bcl-xl, Bcl-2, IAP-1/2, and survivin)gene products in these cells. Hence, MF induced apoptosis through the caspase-3 activation in DU145 cells. We further confirmed that caspase-3 plays an importance role in MF-induced apoptosis in DU145 cells by using caspase-3 inhibitor. Additionally, we observed that MF potentiated Dox-induced apoptosis in DU145 cells. Taken together, our data demonstrate the evidence that MF induces apoptosis depend on caspase-3 activation of and overcomes resistance to chemotherapy in human prostate cancer cells.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.179-191
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• 2017

Objectives : Increased oxidative stress by reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been suggested as a major cause of muscle fatigue. Although several studies have demonstrated the various biological properties of Sophora flavescens Aiton, Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fischer and Dictamnus dasycarpus Turcz, but the antioxidative potentials have not been clearly demonstrated. The present study was designed to investigate the protective effects of their water and ethanol extract mixtures (medicinal herbal mixtures, MHMIXs) on hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$)-induced cell damage and apoptosis in C2C12 myoblasts. Methods : Cytotoxicity was assessed by an MTT assay. Quantitative evaluation of apoptosis induction and ROS production was evaluated by flow cytometry analysis. Expression levels of apoptosis regulatory and DNA-damage proteins were detected by Western blotting. Result : The inhibition of $H_2O_2$-induced cell proliferation was effectively blocked in extracts of 3: 1: 1 (EMHMIXs-1) or 2: 2: 1 (EMHMIXs-2) of S. flavescens, G. uralensis and D. dasycarpus Turcz, ethanol extracts from various complex extracts in C2C12 myoblasts. EMHMIXs-1 and EMHMIXs-2 also effectively attenuated $H_2O_2$-induced C2C12 cell apoptosis, which was associated with the restoration of the upregulation of Bad and death receptor 4, and downregulation of XIAP and cIAP-1 induced by $H_2O_2$. In addition, these herbal mixtures significantly blocked the $H_2O_2$-induced ROS generation and phosphorylation of $p-{\gamma}H2A.X$, which suggests that they can prevent $H_2O_2$-induced cellular DNA damage. Conclusions : The results suggest that EMHMIXs-1 and EMHMIXs-2 could block the DAN damage and apoptosis of C2C12 myoblasts by oxidative stress through blocking ROS generation.

• Journal of KIISE:Computer Systems and Theory
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.265-273
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• 2002

With the explosive growth of WWW traffic, there is an increasing demand for the high performance Web servers to provide a stable Web service to users. The cluster-based Web server is a solution to core with the heavy access from users, easily scaling the server according to the loads. In the cluster-based Web sewer, a back-end node may not be able to serve some HTTP requests directly because it does not have the requested contents in its main memory. In this case, the back-end node has to retrieve the requested contents from its local disk or other back-end nodes in the cluster. To reduce service latency, we introduce a new prefetch scheme. The back-end nodes predict the next HTTP requests and prefetch the contents of predicted requests before the next requests arrive. We develop three prefetch algorithms bated on some useful information gathered from many clients'HTTP requests. Through trace-driven simulation, the service latency of the prefetch scheme is reduced by 10 ~ 25% as compared with no prefetch scheme. Among the proposed prefetch algorithms, Time and Access Probability-based Prefetch (TAP2) algorithm, which uses the access probability and the inter-reference time of Web object, shows the best performance.