• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.91-100
• /
• 2000

It has been more than ten years since Dukun mine was abandoned. Tailings of waste deposits and slime dumps in the abandoned Dukum mine have been left to be deserted for fifty years. The results of fifty years of neglecting are nothing short of major environmental problems. Slime dumps have been exposed to air and water in the mine over ten years and then soil profile has been formed well. Soil in the upper layer (A horizon) is the light gray color due to the leaching of cations. Soil in the lower layer (A2 horizon, 0.2∼0.3m)is tinted with reddish brown and yellowish brown color due to the development of iron oxides and iron hydroxides. Soil in the lower part of B horizon of (1.0∼3.0m) with the growth of copper and zinc oxides exposes to the bluish green, light blue, and dark gray. Ranging from 3m to 8m in depth, 85 samples were taken from 22 sampling sites with 50m intervals located on the slime dump area with hand auger and trench (open cut). As tailings was distributed, heavy metal elements extracted by the process of surface water and ground water move and disperse in to the hydrosphere. Waste dumps were distributed in and around the mine and water draining from those dumps be a potential source of contamination. Soils, thus, can be dispersed into downslope and downstream through wind and water by clastic movement. These materials may be deposited in another horizon if the water is withdrawn, or if the materials are precipitated as a result of differences in pH, or other conditions in deeper horizons. These were primarily associated with acid mine drainage. The characteristics and rate of release of acid mine drainage are influenced by various chemical and biological reactions at the source of acid generations. Prolonged extration of heavy metal elements has a detrimental effect on the agricultural land and residental area. Twenty soil samples were collected from the agricultural land in the area (0∼30 cm). Seventeen samples were also taken from the sediment in the stream running alongside the dumps. The dispersion patterns of heavy metal elements are as follows: The content of As ranged 2∼6 ppm in a horizon, 20∼125 ppm in B horizon with large amount of clay mineral is concentrated and the content of Cd ranged 1∼2 ppm in A horizon, 4∼22 ppm in B horizon. Like Cd, the content of As, Cu, Zn, Pb in B horizon is higher than that in A horizon (approximately 5∼100 times). When soil formation proceeds in stages, it is necessary to investicate the B horizon with the concentration of heavy metal and preventive measures will have to established.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.14-20
• /
• 2024

Objectives: Frozen shoulder (FS) is one of the most challenging shoulder disorders for patients and clinicians. Its symptoms mainly include any combination of stiffness, nocturnal pain, and limitation of active and passive glenohumeral joint movement. Conventional treatment options for FS are physical therapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, injection therapy, and arthroscopic capsular release, but adverse and limited effects continue to present problems. As a result, pharmacoacupuncture (PA) is getting attention as an alternative therapy for patients with FS. PA is a new form of acupuncture treatment in traditional Korean medicine (TKM) that is mainly used for musculoskeletal diseases. It has similarity and specificity compared to corticosteroid injection and hydrodilatation, making it a potential alternative injection therapy for FS. However, no systematic reviews investigating the utilization of PA for FS have been published. Therefore, this review aims to standardize the clinical use of PA for FS and validate its therapeutic effect. Methods: The protocol was registered in Prospero (CRD42023445708) on 18 July 2023. Until Aug. 31, 2023, seven electronic databases will be searched for randomized controlled trials of PA for FS. Authors will be contacted, and manual searches will also be performed. Two reviewers will independently screen and collect data from retrieved articles according to predefined criteria. The primary outcome will be pain intensity, and secondary outcomes will be effective rate, Constant-Murley Score, Shoulder Pain and Disability Index, range of motion, quality of life, and adverse events. Bias and quality of the included trials will be assessed using the Cochrane handbook's risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials. Meta analyses will be conducted using Review Manager V.5.3 software. GRADE will be used to evaluate the level of evidence for each outcome. Results: This systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted following PRISMA statement. The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Conclusion: This review will provide scientific evidence to support health insurance policy as well as the standardization of PA in clinical practice.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.29-36
• /
• 1999

Aceclofenac is an non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug which has been used in the treatment of rheumatoidal rthritis and osteo-arthritis. In order to decrease the gastric ulcerogenic effects and contol the plasma level of aceclofenac, we have developed the transdermal delivery system of aceclofenac plaster, which were formulated employing matrix polymers of acrylates and penetration-enhancers such as $Lauroglycol^{\circledR}$, $Transcutol^{\circledR}$, oleic acid and linoleic acid. Using Franz diffusion cells mounted with a rat skin, transdermal penetration characteristics of the formulations were evaluated by the HPLC assay of aceclofenac and diclofenac, an active metabolite, in the receptor compartment of pH 7.2 phosphate buffered solution. Skin penetration was increased when the content of aceclofenac increased, showing the flux $(J,\;{\mu}g/cm^2/hr)$ of 0.37 and 2.50 for 2% and 6.75% of the content, respectively. The flux$(J,\;{\mu}g/cm^2/hr)$ from plasters made of $Durotak^{\circledR}$ 87-2074, $Durotak^{\circledR}$ 87-2510 and $Durotak^{\circledR}$ 87-2097 were 2.50, 2.77 and 4.39, respectively. $Durotak^{\circledR}$ 87-2074 showed the lowest penetration due to the carboxylic acid group in the polymer, which might form a strong hydrogen bonding with a secondary amine of aceclofenac. Although both $Durotak^{\circledR}$ 87-2510 and $Durotak^{\circledR}$ 87-2097 are amine-resistant adhesives, $Durotak^{\circledR}$ 872510 showed lower penetration than $Durotak^{\circledR}$ 87-2097 because of the hydroxyl group in $Durotak^{\circledR}$ 87-2510, which might form a weak hydrogen bonding with aceclofenac. These results reveal that the functional group in acrylic polymers would greatly affect the release of aceclofenac from the matrix, which is the rate-limiting step in the penetration of aceclofenac through rat skins. The penetration of aceclofenac from plasters using different penetration-enhancers increased in the following order: Transcutol < linoleic acid < oleic acid. And the flux from the plasters containing oleic acid as a penetrationenhancer was 2.22 times greater than that of creams, which suggest that a newly deveolped aceclofenac plaster could be used in the treatment of rheumatoidal arthritis and osteo-arthritis as an advanced transdermal delivery system.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.499-505
• /
• 2016

To improve the shelf-life of mushrooms, Lentinula edodes GNA01 mushrooms were treated with gel packs containing slow-released chlorine dioxide ($ClO_2$) gas at 5~10 ppm for 5 days at $20^{\circ}C$ and the weight loss rate as well as the changes in pH, color and texture properties of the treated samples were investigated. The weight of the control and $ClO_2$ gas treated samples were decreased slightly, and there were no differences during the storage period. However, the weight of the control changed faster than those of the $ClO_2$ gas treated samples during storage period. The pH in the control and in the $ClO_2$ gas treated samples were decreased during storage period, but the samples treated with 5 and 7 ppm $ClO_2$ gas were the least changed. On the other hand, the samples treated with 10 ppm $ClO_2$ gas showed no difference from the other treatments during 4 days, but the pH was lower than that of the control on the fifth day. The lightness of inside and outside in mushroom were decreased whereas redness and yellowness were increased during storage period. However, color changes in the $ClO_2$ gas treated samples were lower than those of the control. Especially, the samples treated with 5 and 7 ppm $ClO_2$ gas were the least changed. The texture of the mushroom were decreased consistently during storage period. The texture of the control changed faster than those of the $ClO_2$ gas treatments during 5 days. Especially, the samples treated 5 ppm $ClO_2$ gas were the least changed.

• Elastomers and Composites
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.243-250
• /
• 2003

Polyurethane waterproof (PW) coatings are increasingly demanded in Korea for repairing cracks on old building roofs and construction of many sporting facilities. Calcium carbonate, a common filler, is incorporated in PW compositions. In this study, PW coatings were prepared by substituting a part of calcium carbonate with fly ash. The maximum amounts of calcium carbonate which can be substituted by fly ash obtained in the cyclone and bag filter dust collectors were 20 and 10%, respectively. It was found that the curing rate of PWs ran be controlled by varying the amount of Pb-octoate catalyst. The elongations at break as well as tensile strength and tear strength of PW coatings containing fly ash could also be adjusted such that their values were comparable to those of a standard PW coating by varying relative amounts of some components. However, the amount of cadmium, mercury, and lead leached from PW coatings containing fly ash obtained from the bag filter collector exceeded the respective allowed upper limits, mainly due to the initial high contents of them in the fly ash. On the other hand, PW coatings containing fly ash obtained from the cyclone collector exhibited better mechanical properties and did not release any significant amounts of the heavy metals. Thus, it was concluded that PW coatings containing fly ash can be utilized for practical applications as long as an appropriate fly ash is used.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.460-466
• /
• 2015

An isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was developed as a primary method for the quantitative analysis of cholesterol in infant formula. Cholesterol-d₄ was used as an internal standard and spiked into the infant formula sample. In order to release cholesterol out of cholesteryl ester, which is cholesterol bound to fatty acids in infant formula, saponification was carried out. Saponification conditions were optimized with heating temperature, reaction time and the concentration of KOH. The optimum conditions were as follows; heating temperature was 70 ℃, reaction time was 180 min and the concentration of KOH was 0.8 mL of 8 M KOH for about 0.1 g infant formula sample. Extraction of cholesterol out of sample solution was carried out with hexane uisng liquid-liquid extraction. Chromatographic analysis was carried out using Phenomenex Kinetex C₁₈ column. Mobile phase was 0.1% acetic acid in methanol/water (v/v, 99/1) and flow rate was 0.3 mL/min. Cholesterol and cholesterol-d₄ were monitored at mass transfer m/z 369/259 and 373/263 respectively. Reproducibility of the method was evaluated to be 0.23% of the measurement result. The expanded uncertainty of the measurement result of cholesterol in infant formula was approximately 1.9% at a 95% confidence level. NIST standard reference material having certified values of cholesterol in infant formula, was analyzed in order to verify this method. The ID-LC/MS/MS results were well agreed with the certified values of NIST SRM within the uncertainty.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.1-9
• /
• 1992

Catecholamines, serotonin and their metabolites were measured in the posterior hypothalamus of urethane-anesthetized normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) using brain microdialysis which is a recently developed experimental method to measure the release of neurotransmitters and their metabolites at the localized brain area in vivo. Microdialysis probe was implanted stereotaxically to the rat posterior hypothalamus and perfused by Ringer's solution. Monoamines and their metabolites were quantified by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. In vitro recovery test of microdialysis showed that there exist inverse relationship between the perfusion flow rate and the relative recovery of neurochemical compounds. The estimated extracellular concentration of dopamine was about 32 nM, of norepinephrine 50 nM, of epinephrine 50 nM, of serotonin 73 nM, of 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) 281 nM, of homovanillic acid (HVA) 181 nM, and of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5HIAA) 3767 nM in the hypothalamic perfusate of the normotensive rat. There was no difference in the basal level of monoamines between the SHR and the WKY. In contrast, the level of DOPAC, HVA and 5HIAA in SHR was higher than that in the WKY, This study demonstrated that the microdialysis technique should be an applicable tool for in vivo measurement of central neurochemical substances.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.68 no.5
• /
• pp.280-285
• /
• 2010

Background: $QuantiFERON^{(R)}$-TB Gold In Tube (QFT-G IT) has been used for diagnosing latent tuberculosis infection and active tuberculosis (TB) since 2007. However, there has not been enough data on QFT-G IT for universal use in children. In this study, we evaluated the clinical usefulness of the QFT-G IT in pediatric practice. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 70 patients younger than 18 years of age who had taken QFT-G IT and had a tuberculin skin test (TST) between July 2007 and July 2009 at Wonju Christian Hospital. The subjects were divided into two groups, asymptomatic TB exposure group and disease group. Four patients who were taking immunosuppressants during the study period were excluded. Results: A total of 66 immunocompetent children were included in this study. Among 27 asymptomatic children who had contact histories of TB, 6 (22.2%) were found to be positive by QFT-G IT. Eleven (40.7%) and 5 (18.5%) children were found to be positive by TST with cutoff values of ${\geq}5mm$ and ${\geq}10mm$, respectively. Agreement was fair to good between QFT-G IT and TST (${\kappa}=0.59$: cutoff value ${\geq}5mm$, ${\kappa}=0.7$: cutoff value ${\geq}10mm$). In disease group, 14 patients (35.9%) were diagnosed with active tuberculosis, 8/14 (57.1%) were positive on TST and 9/14 (64.3%) on QFT-G IT. The positive rate of acid-fast bacilli smear, TB-polymerase chain reaction, and culture for tuberculosis was 11% (1/9), 27.3% (3/11) and 33.3% (3/9), respectively. Conclusion: Our data support that the QFT-G IT can be used as an additional diagnostic tool for latent and active tuberculosis infection in children.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.307-313
• /
• 2006

The development of in vitro assays has been recommended to screening and testing the potential endocrine disruptors (EDs). These assay systems focus only on identifying the estrogenic or antiestrogenic activity of EDs, whereas a few studies have been carried out to screen the thyroid hormone (TH) disruptors. The aim of this study was to evaluate a test system to detect TH disruptors using rat pituitary tumor $GH_3$ cells. The test system is based on the TH-dependent increase in growth rate. As expected, L-3,5,3-triiodothyronine ($(T_3)$ markedly induced a morphological change in $GH_3$ cells from flattened fibroblastic types to rounded or spindle-shaped types. $T_3$ stimulated $GH_3$ cell growth in a dose-dependent manner with the maximum growth-stimulating effect being observed at a concentration $1{\times}10^9M$. In addition, $T_3$ increased the release of growth hormone and prolactin into the medium of the $GH_3$ cells culture. Using this assay system, the TH-disrupting activities of bisphenol A (BPA) and its related compounds were examined. BPA, dimethy/bisphenol A (DMBPA), and TCI-EP significantly enhanced the growth of $GH_3$ cells in the range of $1{\times}10^{-5}M\;to\;1{\times}10^{-6}M$ concentrations. In conclusion, this in vitro assay system might be useful for identifying potential TH disruptors. However, this method will require further evaluation and standardization before it can be used as a broad-based screening tool.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.209-220
• /
• 2019

Objectives: As a general emotion, everyone can temporarily experience depression, but depressive disorder is a disease that excessively affects daily life. Among the various causes of depression, the deficiency of monoamine-based neurotransmitters such as serotonin and epinephrine are considered significant. Thus, antidepressants that target monoamines are used frequently. However, side effects such as nausea, vomiting, insomnia, anxiety, and sexual dysfunction are observed. Thus, it is necessary to develop a new therapeutic agent with fewer side effects. In this study, we investigated the antidepressant effect of JG02, used to treat depression by normalizing the flow of qi (氣) in Korean medicine. Methods: C57BL/6 mice were selected and randomly divided into six groups: normal, control, amitriptyline, and JG02 (50, 125, 250 mg/kg), respectively. Except for normal, depression was induced by applying restraint stress at the same time for six hours daily for 14 consecutive days. Saline, amitriptyline or JG02 samples were orally administered two hours before applying the stress. After that, a forced swimming test and an open field test were performed. Additionally, serum corticosterone, serotonin mRNA, BDNF mRNA, and protein in the hippocampal region were measured and compared. Results: JG02 decreased immobility time rate in the FST and increased the zone transition number and travel distance in the OFT. Also, JG02 inhibited the release of serum corticosterone, and increased serotonin, BDNF gene expression, and BDNF protein in the hippocampus. Conclusions: In this study, JG02 showed significant antidepressant effects on the chronic restraint stress mice model. When further research is performed based on JG02, the development of a new antidepressant is considered highly possible.