• Journal of Life Science
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• v.15 no.1 s.68
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• pp.152-159
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• 2005

This research was conducted to make suggestions for the promotion of research activities in the Life Sciences field, and we evaluated the research funding trend and the present status of research funding offered by KOSEF in this field. Researchers in this field have received more research funding from the group-based programme than from the individual-based programme. Also, they have received less money (per project) than did researchers in other Science and Technology fields. The portion of research funds given to the Medical Sciences fields has markedly increased year by year, whereas the portion of funding given to the Agricultural Sciences and Biological Sciences fields has decreased annually. To encourage research activities in the Life Sciences field in Korea, the following actions and systems are required: 1) formulation of a mid-and a long-term research master plan, 2) development of a database on man power in related fields, 3) activation of top-down research topics, and associated increase of individual research grants, 4) development of special national programs for basic researches in Life Sciences, 5) organization of a committee for policy and planning within related societies, and 6) system development for fair evaluation of the results of research activities.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.193-198
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• 1999

The transfection efficiency of plasmid DNA was inspected using multi-cationic polymer, 5, 10, 25 and 50KD polyethylenimine (PEI). The optimal neutralization ratio of PEI/DNA complexes by agarose assay was 1.5-2.0 (nmol/nmol) without much difference in molecular weight of PEI.In vitro transfection assay, most of PEI-mediated plasmid delivery was better compared to the naked DNA. Especially, 25KD PEI at optimal condition gave higher transfection rather than the standard assay of DEAE-dextran or Lipofectin. To enhance the cell targeting delivery, the liposome formulations were introduced using phospholipids. As a result, PC/PE liposomes increased 2-2.5 times of the transfection efficiency of PEI single or PC/PE single delivery, but not the case of 25KD PEI. Moreover, the DOTAP/PE-introduced PEI delivery reduced the transfection of DOTAP/PE single delivery. All these results proved that the PEI can be used not only good transfectants and but also good DNA condensing agents in neutral/anionic liposome for cell targeting delivery.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.20
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• pp.8783-8788
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• 2014

Background: Although the prevalence of cancer is increasing, it is no longer synonymous with death. The number of cancer survivors is estimated to be increasing due to development in medical treatments and social programs; cancer survivors are increasingly returning to work after long-term unemployment. Thus, we examined the quality of life (QOL) and the factors associated with return of cancer survivors to the workplace. Materials and Methods: This study was performed using the 2008 Community Health Survey administered by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (N=548). We used Chi-square tests to compare demographic variables based on self-perceived health status, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare QOL scores among groups. We also performed a mixed-model analysis of the relationship between QOL and factors at the workplaces of cancer survivors. Results: Based on the results of our study, the overall QOL of cancer survivors was associated with 'mutual respect', 'free emotional expression', occupation, and age. Moreover, different trends of QOL according to self-perceived health were identified on additional analysis. In the 'bad' self-perceived health group, QOL was significantly different according to income. The QOL of cancer survivors in the low-income group was lower than in the other groups. Conversely, the 'normal' group had a lower QOL caused by 'no mutual respect' and "no free emotional expression" in the workplace. The QOL in the 'good' group based on self-perceived health was higher in the younger age group. Conclusions: There may be a significant relationship between QOL and workplace factors for cancer survivors, although further study is needed to investigate this relationship in detail. This may facilitate formulation of policy and efforts to prevent and manage the decline in the QOL of cancer survivors returning to work.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.221-229
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• 2018

Tenofovir nanoparticles are novel therapeutic intervention in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection reaching the virus in their sanctuary sites. However, there has been no systemic toxicity testing of this formulation despite global concerns on the safety of nano drugs. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the toxicity of Tenofovir nanoparticle (NTDF) on the liver and kidney using an animal model. Fifteen adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats maintained at the animal house of the biomedical resources unit of the University of KwaZulu-Natal were weighed and divided into three groups. Control animals (A) were administered with normal saline (NS). The therapeutic doses of Tenofovir (TDF) and nanoparticles of Tenofovir (NTDF) were administered to group B and C and observed for signs of stress for four weeks after which animals were weighed and sacrificed. Liver and kidney were removed and fixed in formal saline, processed and stained using H/E, PAS and MT stains for light microscopy. Serum was obtained for renal function test (RFT) and liver function test (LFT). Cellular measurements and capturing were done using ImageJ and Leica software 2.0. Data were analysed using graph pad 6, p values < 0.05 were significant. We observed no signs of behavioural toxicity and no mortality during this study, however, in the kidneys, we reported mild morphological perturbations widening of Bowman's space, and vacuolations in glomerulus and tubules of TDF and NTDF animals. Also, there was a significant elevation of glycogen deposition in NTDF and TDF animals when compared with control. In the liver, there were mild histological changes with widening of sinusoidal spaces, vacuolations in hepatocytes and elevation of glycogen deposition in TDF and NTDF administered animals. In addition to this, there were no significant differences in stereological measurements and cell count, LFT, RFT, weight changes and organo-somatic index between treatment groups and control. In conclusion, NTDF and TDF in therapeutic doses can lead to mild hepatic and renal histological damage. Further studies are needed to understand the precise genetic mechanism.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.154-159
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• 2012

The efficacy of water soluble formulation of diclazuril (Coccimuel-S 0.5%) was tested against $Eimeria$ spp. infection broiler chickens. The experiment was performed both experimentally infection and in the field test. Coccimuel-S composed with diclazuril induced a marked inhibitory effect on the different stages of $Eimeria$ life cycle in experimentally infected broiler chickens treated with the drug. The tested dosage levels of Coccimuel-S (0.5 ml/L, equivalent to diclazuril 2.5 ppm) in drinking water showed the significant effect compared with the control group in controlling coccidial infection and reducing the total oocyst numbers, lesion and fecal scores ($p$ < 0.001). In addition, testing of Coccimuel-S (0.25 and 0.5 ml/L) in naturally infected poultry farms (1,200 broiler chickens), showed the significant anticoccidial effect compared to control ($p$ < 0.001). In conclusion, addition of Coccimuel-S at the dose of 0.25 and 0.5 ml/L in the drinking water, induced efficacious effect for the treatment of coccidiosis in naturally coccidia infected broiler chickens.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.3-10
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Sargassum horneri is an edible brown alga that grows in the subtidal zone as an annual species along the coasts of South Korea, China, and Japan. Recently, an extreme amount of S. horneri moved into the coasts of Jeju Island from the east coast of China, which made huge economic and environmental loss to the Jeju Island. Thus, utilization of this biomass becomes a big issue with the local authorities. Therefore, the present study was performed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential of crude polysaccharides (CPs) extracted from S. horneri China strain in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. MATERIALS/METHODS: CPs were precipitated from S. horneri digests prepared by enzyme assistant extraction using four food-grade enzymes (AMG, Celluclast, Viscozyme, and Alcalase). The production levels of nitric oxide (NO) and pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ and interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$ were measured by Griess assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. The levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), nuclear factor (NF)-${\kappa}B$, and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) were measured by using western blot. The IR spectrums of the CPs were recorded using a fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectrometer. RESULTS: The polysaccharides from the Celluclast enzyme digest (CCP) showed the highest inhibition of NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells ($IC_{50}$ value: $95.7{\mu}g/mL$). Also, CCP dose-dependently down-regulated the protein expression levels of iNOS and COX-2 as well as the production of inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-$1{\beta}$, compared to the only LPS-treated cells. In addition, CCP inhibited the activation of NF-${\kappa}B$ p50 and p65 and the phosphorylation of MAPKs, including p38 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase, in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, FT-IR analysis showed that the FT-IR spectrum of CCP is similar to that of commercial fucoidan. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that CCP has anti-inflammatory activities and is a potential candidate for the formulation of a functional food ingredient or/and drug to treat inflammatory diseases.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.303-312
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• 2022

In this study, Cyperus rotundus (C. rotundus) was fractionated into ethyl acetate to identify α-cyperone, a representative indicator, and its ethyl acetate fraction were evaluated to confirm the possibilityas a functional cosmetic ingredient. As a result of HPLC analysis, it was confirmed that the content of α-cyperone was 5.243%. In order to verify the inflammatory relief effect of the ethyl acetate fraction from C. rotundus (EAFC) and α-cyperone, it was confirmed that nitric oxide (NO) production inhibitory ability in RAW 264.7 macrophages induced an inflammatory reaction with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Real-time qPCR analysis confirmed inhibition of mRNA expression level of inflammatory factors, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, COX-2 and iNOS. As a results of conducting a clinical study using a simple cosmetic formulation containing EAFC, it was confirmed that the skin irritation stimulated by sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) was calming and relieving itching. Through these results, it is believed that the C. rotundus can be used as a natural cosmetic ingredient that has the effect of inhibiting inflammation and relieving itching.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.53-65
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• 2023

Objectives : Present study investigated the hepatoprotective effects and the optimal mixing ratio of fermented Schizandrae Fructus Pomace (fSFP) and Hoveniae Semen Cum Fructus (HSCF) extract combination in carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced acute liver injury mice. Methods : ICR mice were orally administered with 200 mg/kg of fSFP, HSCF and mixtures of fSFP and HSCF [MSH (w:w); 1:1, 1:2, 1:4, 1:6, 2:1, 4:1, 6:1, and 8:1] for 7 consecutive days. Silymarin (100 mg/kg) was administered as a reference drug. 0.5 mL/kg of CCl₄ was injected intraperitoneally to induce acute liver injury. Body weight gain, relative liver weight, serum chemistry, histopathological analysis, and hepatic endogenous antioxidants capacities were observed. Results : All diverse combinations of MSH significantly reduced relative liver weight increase by CCl₄. In addition, MSH administrations significantly decreased the elevation of serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities by CCl₄. Histopathological observation indicated that all MSH treatments significantly reduced the increase of degenerated hepatocytes, inflammatory cell infiltration, and histological activity index score by CCl₄. Moreover, all MSH administrations reduced the elevation of malondialdehyde contents, and ameliorated the reduction of hepatic glutathione contents, superoxide dismutase activity, and catalase activity. Among the various mixing ratio of MSH combinations, MSH 1:1 and 2:1 showed the most potent anti-oxidative stress, and hepatoprotective effect. Conclusion : Present results suggest that 1:1 and 2:1 combinations of MSH is promising herbal formulation with the hepatoprotective effect against oxidative stress.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.283-291
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• 2015

The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes of fruit quality, flavonoid contents and antioxidant activity of Yuzu (Citrus junos Sieb. ex Tanaka) from Go-heung and Jeju according to harvest time. Samples were harvested from August to December on the $1^{st}$ of every month. August and September samples were green colored, whereas November and December samples were yellow. The fruit shape index decreased, changing from globular to elliptical, whereas the $^{\circ}birx$ increased with ripening stage. The yuzu from Jeju was larger than that from Go-heung in each month of cultivation. August samples exhibited the highest amounts of phenolic compounds. In addition, samples from Jeju had higher total phenolic content than those from Go-heung. The content of phenolic compounds decreased with ripening until October and then increased subsequently. Antioxidant activity of the yuzu was evaluated by FRAP and DPPH methods. The antioxidant activity showed a similar trend as total phenolic content. Immature yuzu fruit was found to exhibit the highest amount of flavonoids such as naringin and hesperidin. November and December samples showed almost the same contents of flavonoids. The flavonoid content of yuzu fruit harvested from Jeju was higher than that from Go-heung. Overall, the samples harvested at the early stage, in the month of August, exhibited the highest flavonoid content, phenolic content and antioxidant activity. As the health benefits of these compounds has been demonstrated in various studies, the immature yuzu appears to be preferable for use as a raw material for formulation of pharmaceutical products as well as for functional food production after a proper in-vivo and in-vitro medical tests.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.1-32
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• 2003

An analysis on cause-specific mortality at the provincial level provides essential information for policy formulation and makes it possible to draw hypotheses regarding various diseases and causes of death. Although the mortality level and causes of death at the provincial level are determined by the multiple effects of socioeconomic, cultural, medical and ecological factors, this study primarily intends to examine similarities and differences of cause-specific mortality at the provincial level. Utilizing the registered death and the registered population as of 1998, the delayed death registration and unreported infant deaths were supplemented at the provincial level and age-standardized death rates and life tables were calculated. Regarding the mortality level due to all causes, major findings were as follow: (1) For both sexes as a whole, Seoul showed the lowest mortality level, and Jeonnam showed the highest mortality level; and (2) The differences of the mortality level among provinces were greater for males than females and for those less than 65 years than those 65 years and over. Regarding the cause-specific mortality level revealed in all indicators (cause-specific age-standardized mortality rates and the probability of dying at birth due to a specific cause for males, females, and both sexes combined respectively), the major findings were as follow: (1) The mortality level due to heart diseases was the highest in Busan and the lowest in Gangweon; (2) The mortality level due to liver diseases was the highest in Chonnam; and (3) The mortality level due to traffic accidents was the highest in Chungnam and the lowest in Inchon. As the mortality differentials at the provincial level are related to various factors, exploratory statistical analysis is attempted for the 25 explanatory variables including socioeconomic variables and 90 mortality variables. Mortality due to all causes are related to socioeconomic variables. Among cause-specific mortality, mortality due to liver diseases and traffic accidents is related to socioeconomic variables. Finally, the need to improve the quality of death certificate is discussed.