• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.142-146
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• 2020

Background: Tritium (³H) analysis in groundwater was difficult because of its low activity. Therefore, the electrolytic enrichment method was used. To improve the detection limit and for performing simple analysis, a high-volume counting vial with the available liquid scintillation counter (LSC) was investigated. Further, it was compared with a conventional 20-mL counting vial. Materials and Methods: The LSC with the electrolytic enrichment method was used ³H analysis in groundwater. A high-volume 145-mL counting vial was compared with a conventional 20-mL counting vial to determine the counting characteristics of different LSCs. Results and Discussion: When a Quantulus LSC was used, the counting window between channels 35 and 250 was used. The background count was approximately 1.86 cpm, and the counting efficiency increased from 8% to 40% depending on the mixing ratio of the volume of sample and cocktail solution. For LSC-LB7, the optimum counting window was between 1 and 4.9 keV, which was selected by the factory (Hitachi Aloka Medical Ltd., Japan) by considering quenching using a standard external gamma source. The background count of LSC-LB7 was approximately 3.60 ± 0.29 cpm when the 145-mL vial was used and 2.22 ± 0.17 cpm when the 20-mL vial was used. The minimum detectable activity (MDA) of the 20-mL vial was greater for LSC-LB7 than for Quantulus. The MDA with the 145-mL vial was improved to 0.3 Bq/L when compared with the value of 1.6 Bq/L for the 20-mL vial. Conclusion: The counting efficiency when using the 145-mL vial was 27%, whereas it was 18% when using the 20-mL vial. This difference can be attributed to the vial volume. The figure of merit (FOM) of the 145-mL vial was four times greater than that of the 20-mL vial because the volume of the former vial is approximately seven times greater than that of the latter. Further, the MDA for ³H decreased from 1.6 to 0.3 Bq/L. The counting efficiency and FOM of LSC-LB7 was slightly less than those of Quantulus when the 20-mL vial was used. The background counting rate of the Quantulus was lower than that of the LSC-LB7.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.1057-1063
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• 2013

Citri Pericarpium is one of the most commonly used traditional herbal medicines in Korea, China, and Japan. Its extracts have many properties including the treatment of indigestion and inflammatory respiratory syndromes such as bronchitis and asthma. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of anti-cancer activity and molecular targets are not fully understood. In this work, we investigated the anti-proliferative activity of Citri Pericapium (EMCP) methanol extract on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the association of these effects with apoptotic cell death using U937 human leukemia cells in vitro. EMCP treatment decreased cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner following an increase of the sub-G1 phase, the down-regulation of Bax proteins, the activation of caspases, the degradation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase proteins (PARP), and the induction of ROS generation. However, the quenching of ROS generation by N-acetyl-L-cysteine administration, a scavenger of ROS, reversed the EMCP-induced apoptosis effects. In addition, heme oxygenase-1 expression also recovered by inhibiting the nuclear translocation of phosphorylated NF-E2-related factor 2. Taken together, our data indicate that ROS are involved as key mediators in the early molecular events in the EMCP-induced apoptotic pathway.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.293-299
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• 2004

Antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract of two giant embryonic rices, Nampung giant embryonic rice and Hwachung giant embryonic rice, were investigated mainly focusing on their ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation and scavenge reactive oxygen species in comparison with those of general rice. The results showed that germination process increased reducing power, inhibitory activity on lipid peroxidation and scavenging ability either on superoxide or hydroxyl radicals. Among the cultivars tested, increase in antioxidative action was found to be most prominent for Hwachung giant embryonic rice cultivar. For scavenging of superoxide radicals, the extract from Nampung giant embryonic rice has the most potent activity, however, increasing rate of scavenging activity by germination process was also found to be the greatest for Hwachung giant embryonic rice. We found that the scavenging mechanism for superoxide radicals was attributed to the direct scavenging of the radicals. The scavenging of hydroxyl radicals, the most toxic oxygen radical to biological system, by the rice extracts were also examined, and the results showed that either overall activity or the increasing rate of the activity to scavenge hydroxyl radicals by germination process was the greatest for Hwachung giant embryonic rice. Moreover, the results suggested that the scavenging action to hydroxyl radicals might be mediated by direct quenching of the radicals, not by chelating $Fe^{2+}$. Further studies showed that the antioxidant action of the rice extracts tested in vitro was also operative for suppressing ROS production induced in TPA-stimulated HL-60 cells.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.264-272
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• 2016

This study was carried out to evaluate the preventive effect of the Corni Fructus (SSU) 50 % EtOH extract (SSU-E50) against bisphenol A (BPA) toxicity in Leydig cells and improving testosterone deficiency syndrome in orchidectomized Sprague-Dawly (SD) rats. Antioxidant properties were measured by radical scavenging activity of SSU-E50 in ABTS assay and DPPH assay. Also, real-time polymerase chain reaction(real-time PCR) was performed to quantify the mRNA expression levels of antioxidant enzyme. SD rats were divided into eight group: normal, sham operation (Sham), orchidectomized (ORX), ORX treated with testosterone 1 mg/kg (Tes. 1), ORX treated with SSU water extract 100 mg/kg (SSU-A 100) and 300 mg/kg (SSU-A 300), ORX treated with SSU 50 % EtOH extract 100 mg/kg (SSU-E 100) and 300 mg/kg (SSU-E 300). On a comparative basis, the SSU showed better activity quenching ABTS with an IC50 value of 0.29 mg/ml and DPPH with an IC50 value of 0.33 mg/ml. Cell viability was evaluated by MTS assay as described not cytotoxic at the highest concentration of $500{\mu}g/ml$. Cytotoxicity of BPA showed in $200{\mu}M$, but definitely survived by treatment with SSU in Leydig cells. In addition, SSU increased the mRNA expression levels of antioxidant enzyme in BPA induced Leydig cells. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) level was slightly increased and malondialdehyde (MDA) level was decreased with SSU-A 100 in in-vivo. These results suggest that Corni Fructus extracts have the greatest property as a natural anti-oxidative and improves testosterone deficiency syndrome source.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.38-46
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• 2010

C3GHi, a novel black rice variety developed by conventional breeding has more high contents of cyanidine-3-glucoside (C3G) and a more strong antioxidant than normal black rice. In this study, we investigate the antioxidative potential and anti-diabetic activity of C3GHi and extract of it for the purpose of development of functional materials or replacement meal for diabetic patients. Using in vitro antioxidative activity assay system such as DPPH radical quenching assay, superoxide anion radical scavenging assay, inhibition of lipid peroxidation and DNA breakage assay, C3GHi extract was observed to have more high antioxidative activity than normal black rice breed. The glycemic index of a freeze dried powder of C3GHi brown rice showed $43.7\pm18.8$, which belonged to low GI food (GI of 55 or less). Using in vivo diabetic model such as db/db mice model and streptozotocininduced diabetic model, C3GHi rice extract decrease blood glucose level and inhibit oxidative stress in blood. From the results, we think that the C3GHi varieties have a potential for the functional materials or ingredient of meal replacement for diabetic patients.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.639-645
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• 2016

We herein report efficient triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion (TTA-UC) achieved in various non-toxic and non-volatile vegetable oils as a UC media using platinum-octaethylporphyrin (PtOEP) and 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA) as a sensitizer and acceptor, respectively. Green-to-blue UC was readily achieved from PtOEP/DPA solution in vegetable oils with the quantum yield of 8% without any deoxygenation process. The UC efficiency was found to be significantly dependent on the contents of unsaturated hydrocarbon in vegetable oils and viscosity of the solution, as well. Though the Stern-volmer constant and quantum yield in vegetable oils were measured to be lower than those measured in the deaerated organic solvent, the quenching efficiency was still high enough to be 93%. In the sunflower oil, the UC threshold intensity ($I_{th}$) was approx. $100mW/cm^2$, which is far larger than the sunlight intensity, but we believe that the UC achieved in non-toxic and air-saturated media was still highly applicable to nontraditional visualization techniques such as bioimaging.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.549-553
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• 2010

Yeast strains with good sensory properties were selected, and those yeasts were subjected to mutation to develop high glutathione producing yeasts. In addition, the antiradical activity and flavoring effect of the yeast extract were evaluated. A total of 68 strains were screened, and three strains of Saccharomyces utilis, four strains of Candida utilis, and one strain of Zygosaccharomyces rouxii were selected based on the flavoring effect. Among them, a random mutation was elicited against SEM-Y8, resulting in a high flavoring effect and growth rate. The glutathione production by SEM-Y8 increased 2.0-fold following the mutation, and the DPPH radical quenching effect of the SY8-M2-1-derived extract increased 3.2-fold compared to that of the wild type. The sensory properties of the SY8-M2-1-derived extract were better than those of garlic or onion extract in umami and mouthfulness. Thus, the SY8-M2-1 extract could be used as a functional flavoring material with improved antiradical activity.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.537-543
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• 2003

As pyrite is commonly associated with arsenopyrite, the use of pyrite including arsenopyrite for medicine requires close attention on arsenic toxicity. The toxicity was reduced by traditional processing operations include heating and quenching in vinegar. To verify the scientific effects of this process, pyrite containing many crystals of arsenopyrite was processed at temperatures from 45$0^{\circ}C$ to 85$0^{\circ}C$ and through as many as 5 processing cycles. Arsenopyrite completely disappeared when processed only once at $650^{\circ}C$ while it remained even after 5 processing cycles at 45$0^{\circ}C$. Arsenic was most abundant in medicinal mineral samples processed at 45$0^{\circ}C$ and sharply decreased when processed at $650^{\circ}C$ or 85$0^{\circ}C$ And arsenic extraction test in water was carried out from the processed pyrite medicine on the assumption that pyrite medicines with the lowest As metal content would be most desirable. Arsenic were most abundant in water extracted from medicinal mineral samples processed at 45$0^{\circ}C$ and sharply decreased when processed at $650^{\circ}C$ or 85$0^{\circ}C$. But the extracted As concentrations in water exceeded drinking water standards even when processed at 85$0^{\circ}C$. Increasing temperature promoted elimination of arsenopyrite and reduction of As in medicinal minerals and the extraction solutions. But the effects of processing cycles at the same processing temperature were not clear. Heating temperature is more important than number of processing cycles for the removal of arsenic, and it is necessary to heat pyrite to over $650^{\circ}C$ to remove it.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.73-81
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• 2006

Heat treatment condition for the stabilization of foamed glass block through the foaming process of the hydrolized waste glass was investigated and scale-up test for the manufacturing of foamed glass was also attempted for the actual foaming process. Proper heat treatment condition was quenching from the foaming temperature to $550{\sim}600^{\circ}C$ for stabilization, and then annealing from stabilization temperature to $200^{\circ}C$ and holding up at $200^{\circ}C$ for removal thermal stress, and then annealing to the room temperature with cooling speed of $0.3^{\circ}C/min$. Through this heat treatment conditions, foamed glass block with size of $250mm{\times}250mm{\times}90mm$ was produced successfully. The properties of this foamed glass block showed density of $0.28{\pm}0.06g/cm^3$, thermal conductivity of $0.048{\pm}0.005kcal/hm^{\circ}C$, moisture absorption of $0.5{\pm}0.09vol%$, linear expansion coefficient of $(8.6{\pm}0.2){\times}10^{-6}m/m^{\circ}C$($400^{\circ}C$), flexural strength of $15.0{\pm}0.6kg/cm^2$, and compression strength of $39.5{\pm}0.6kg/cm^2$.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.16-24
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• 1998

Recently Zr-based $AB_2$ type hydrogen absorbing alloy has received much attention as a negative electrode material for the Ni-MH batteries because of its high capacity. In this study $ZrV_{0.1}Mn_{0.7}Ni_{1.2}$ alloy was chosen and the effects of heat treatment and a partial substitution of the Mo in Mn site on the various electrode properties were investigated. The alloys was prepared by arc melting (as-cast sample). Some of them were heat treated at $1,100^{\circ}C$ for 4 hours. After this they were differentiated by the different cooling rates of slow cooling and quenching. Various electrode characteristics such as activation process, high rate dischargeability and self discharge characteristic were investigated with the three types of electrodes. It was found that heat treated alloys resulted in an increase in plateau flatness of P-C isotherms however both discharge capacity and high rate capability were decreased. And the partial substitution of Mo for Mn in $ZrV_{0.1}Mn_{0.7}Ni_{1.2}$ alloy improved the self-discharge characteristic without the loss of discharge capacity (300mAh/g).