• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.682-688
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• 2013

We investigated a physiological function by fermenting a medicinal mushroom, (Cudrania tricuspidata fruit). A fermentation using lactic acid bacteria and the extracts isolated from 70% ethanol fractionation was included in cultured mouse spleen cells for cytokine secretion. As a result, total polyphenol content improved by 47% by organic acid fermentation. This was regarded as immune activity in fermented C. tricuspidata fruits, as the levels of interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-4 secretion increased. In addition, when the extracts were treated with a stimulant lipopolysaccharide, the secretion of helper T (Th) 1 cytokines IL-2, IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ was suppressed, while the secretion of Th2 cytokines IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, and IL-10 significantly increased. Therefore, this study suggests that fermentative C. tricuspidata fruit extracts can contribute to the suppression of cellular immune reactions induced by the expression of Th1 cells and activation of the expression of Th2 cells inducing humoral immune reactions associated with the antibody generation by B lymphocytes.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.347-352
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• 2014

Most known osteoporosis medicines are effective for bone resorption, and so there is an increasing demand for medicines that stimulate bone formation. Watercress (N. officinale R. Br.) is widely used as a salad green and herbal remedy. This study analyzed a watercress extract using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, and identified a rutin as one of its major constituents. Osteogenic-related assays were used to compare the effects of watercress containing rutin (WCR) and rutin alone on the proliferation and differentiation of human osteoblast-like MG-63 cells. The reported data are expressed as percentages relative to the control value (medium alone; assigned as 100%). WCR increased cell proliferation to $125.0{\pm}4.0%$ ($mean{\pm}SD$), as assessed using a cell viability assay, and increased the activity of alkaline phosphatase, an early differentiation marker, to $222.3{\pm}33.8%$. In addition, WCR increased the expression of collagen type I, another early differentiation marker, to $149.2{\pm}2.8%$, and increased the degree of mineralization, a marker of the late process of differentiation, to $122.9{\pm}3.9%$. Rutin alone also increased the activity of ALP (to $154.4{\pm}12.2%$), the expression of collagen type I (to $126.6{\pm}6.2%$), and the degree of mineralization (to $112.3{\pm}5.0%$). Daidzein, which is reported to stimulate bone formation, was used as a positive control; the effects of WCR on proliferation and differentiation were significantly greater than those of daidzein. These results indicate that WCR and rutin can both induce bone formation via the differentiation of MG-63 cells. This is the first study demonstrating the effectiveness of either WCR or rutin as an osteoblast stimulant.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.17-24
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• 2018

In this study, static load test and dynamic load test were performed to evaluate pile-filling material (ZA-Soil) of soil-cement injected precast pile method which was developed by using the ash of circulating fluidized boiler as a stimulant for alkali activation reaction of blast furnace slag. As a result of the static load test, the allowable bearing capacity of pile was 1,350 kN, which was the same as the result of using ordinary portland cement. And total settlement was 6.97 mm, and net settlement was 1.48 mm. These are similar to the total settlement, 7.825 mm, and net settlement, 2.005 mm of ordinary portland cement. As a result of the dynamic load test and CAPWAP analysis, the skin friction was 375.0 kN, the end bearing capacity was 3,045.9 kN, and the allowable bearing capacity was 1,368.36 kN. These results are similar to the results of using ordinary portland cement as pile-filling material.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.3-11
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• 2003

Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity disorder(ADHD) is the most common psychiatric disorder of childhood and among the most prevalent chronic health conditions affecting school-aged children. Children with ADHD experience significant functional problems, such as school difficulties, academic underachievement, troublesome interpersonal relationships with family members and peers, and low self-esteem. The most widely used pharmacological treatments for ADHD are psychostimulants, such as methylphenidate and amphetamine salts. These medications provide clinical efficacy by increasing the availability of catecholamines, primarily dopamine, in the frontal lobe of the brain. immediate-release(IR) formulations of sychostimulants were among the most effective psychotrophic medications in the psychopharmacological treatment. However, there are some limitations of IR formulations：the short half-life and duration of efficacy, which result in the need for multiple daily dosing and the poor compliance. These limitations have led to the development of once-daily, extended-release(ER) formulations of methylphenidate and amphetamine salts. However, these ER formulations may not be as immediately helpful to ADHD children due to delayed onset of action and the acute tolerance which is the failure to sustain the efficacy with the same concentration of drug as the initial stage of medication. OROS-methylphenidate(Concerta$^{\circledR}$) given once a day produces an ascending-pattern plasma drug level generated by the osmotically released, timed drug-delivery system. These new formulations of the psychostimulants have been shown to be a useful alternative to old stimulant medications through the evidence by the clinical trials.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1024-1031
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• 2006

The role of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in the decreased contractile response to phorbol ester in aortic smooth muscle strips from deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rats was examined. Norepinephrine (NE) evoked greater contractility in aortic strips from DOCA rats than in those of sham-operated rats. 12-Deoxyphorbol 13-isobutyrate (DPB) induced contraction in $Ca^{2+}-free$ medium, which was diminished in strips from DOCA rats compared to sham-operated rats. Vasoconstrictions induced by these stimulants were inhibited by SB203580 and PD098059, inhibitors of p38 MAPK and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2, respectively, in both strips. The phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and ERK1/2 induced by NE was greater in strips from DOCA rats compared to those from sham-operated rats, and this phosphorylation was inhibited by the kinase inhibitors. DPB increased the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and ERK1/2 in strips from both animals, and the increment of p38 MAPK phosphorylation by the stimulant was diminished in strips from DOCA rats compared to sham-operated rats. These findings suggest that the $Ca^{2+}-independent$ contraction evoked by DPB results from the activation of MAPKs in rat aortic smooth muscle and that the attenuated contractility by DPB in DOCA rat appears to be associated with diminished p38 MAPK activity.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.87-94
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• 2013

An analytical methodology based on solid-space extraction (SPE) with with Bond Elut Certify cartridge (Varian, 130 mg) has been developed for the qualification and quantitation of strychnine in blood. After the elution layer was evaporated, the residue was reconstituted with methanol for GC/MS. Internal standard was used 10 mg/l dextromethorphan. Strychnine is a potent central nervous stimulant and convulsant, and an alkaloid found in seeds of Strychnos nux-vomica. It was used therapeutically to improve circulation and muscle tone in oral or intramuscular doses of 0.05~8 mg. The fatal dose of strychnine for humans is 50~100 mg. A man was found dead lying curled up the corner of the large room in a roof house after the fire fighter opened a locked door inside to put out the fire. The postmortem blood and gastric contents were analyzed for toxicological testing. Strychnine and brucine were detected using GC/MS first in gastric contents extracts. The contents of strychnine was 0.083 mg/l in heart blood, 0.088 mg/l in peripheral blood and 4.0 mg/kg in gastric contents, respectively. Method validation was carried out in terms of linearity, accuracy, precision (intraday, interday) in blood. The assay is linear over 0.05~10 mg/l ($r^2$=0.999). Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) in blood were determined 0.02 mg/l (S/N=3) and 0.07 mg/l (S/N=10), respectively. Accuracy (bias%) of strychnine with 0.1, 1 and 10 mg/l was 12.0% (n=6), 9.3% (n=6) and 6.9% (n=6), respectively. Intraday precision (CV%) of strychnine with, 0.1, 1 and 10 mg/l were 6.4%, 10.4%, 1.2% (n=6), respectively. Interday precision (CV%) of strychnine with 0.1, 1 and 10 mg/l over three days were 24.0%, 18.5%, 13.8% (n=18), respectively. Relative recovery with 0.1, 1 and 10 mg/l (in blood) were 114.9%, 99.3% and 87.4% (n=6), respectively. The described method can be applied in forensic toxicology to determine strychnine in blood samples.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.976-982
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• 2009

Little is known about the cardiovascular roles of alliin, a functional component in garlic that has been used as food material. Thus, we examined a broad range of cardiovascular activities of alliin in this study. From our in vitro experiments, alliin was determined to act as a stimulant to induce endothelial cell proliferation and endothelial cell migration. Since endothelial cell proliferation and migration are highly associated with angiogenesis and wound healing, alliin is suggested as a regulator to control angiogenesis and wound healing. In addition, alliin was elucidated to prevent lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced adhesion of THP-1 leukocytes to endothelial cells and LPS-induced homotypic THP-1 cell aggregation. These inhibitory effects indicate that alliin is likely to act as an anti-atherosclerotic and anti-thrombotic factor, because leukocytic adhesion to endothelial cells and homotypic leukocyte aggregation are highly associated with atherosclerosis and thrombosis, respectively. Our additional findings show that alliin has no effect on the production of nitric oxide (NO), an important vasoregulator. In conclusion, alliin is suggested as a regulator for controlling various cardiovascular functions.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.1093-1099
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• 2010

Little is known about the cardiovascular effects of Lycopene, an anti-cancer and anti-oxidative agent. In this study, we executed a series of experiments with vascular endothelial cells to disclose the cardiovascular functions of lycopene. From our in vitro experiments, lycopene was determined to act as a stimulant to induce endothelial cell proliferation and migration. In addition, lycopene was shown to inhibit lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced adhesion of THP-1 leukocytes to endothelial cells, as well as activating mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) family members, ERK, JNK and p38 MAPK. Both ERK and p38 MAPK were involved in lycopene-induced cell proliferation, while JNK was involved in lycopene-dependent cell migration. Taken together, lycopene activates MAPK family members which regulate cell proliferation and migration. Lycopene differentially blocks LPS-dependent adhesion for THP-1 to endothelial cells, indicating that lycopene is likely to regulate a variety of vascular functions.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.229-240
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• 2020

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of phosphorus acid (H₃PO₃) addition to the horticultural bed soil on the initial growth of red pepper (Capsicum annuum L. cv.), cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. cv.), and kimchi cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. pekinensis (Lour.) Rupr. cv.). The stem heights of red pepper and cucumber were 46.1% and 23.0% greater in the 50 mg/L of phosphorus acid treatment than the untreated (control). Further, the stem diameter of pepper and cucumber were 48.7% and 23.0% greater in the 50 mg/L of phosphorus acid treatment than the control. In addition, the number of kimchi cabbage leaves was 47.5% greater in the 50 mg/L of phosphorus acid treatment than the control. The dry weights of red pepper, cucumber and kimchi cabbage were 72.9%, 16.5%, and 30.4% heavier in the 50 mg/L than the control, respectively. Cations (K, Ca, and Mg) and total phosphorus (T - P) were quantitatively analyzed for these three horticultural crops. The concentrations of K, Ca, and Mg, and T - P were higher in the 50 mg/L of phosphorus acid than the control, respectively. Based on the results obtained in this study, it appears that treatment of phosphorus acid in horticultural bed soil enhanced the growth of red pepper, cucumber and Kimchi cabbage.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.90-97
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• 2009

The purpose of the study was to examine basic property at the time of applying cast ('CS' below) and high fineness fine particle cement ('FC' below) as a stimulant to 20% substitution cement mortar of ground granulated blast-furnace slag ('BS' below) to settle a problem that early strength of BS mortar is lowered. The results were as follows. First of all, as a characteristic of fresh mortar, liquidity was reduced as much as BS substitution rate was increased. When substituting CS for BS 20%, it didn't have a large effect regardless of substitution rate. When substituting FC, it was reduced as much as substitution was increased. In the event of compressive strength, it was reduced as much as BS substitution was increased in early age. In age 28, it was somewhat increased by reflection of potential hydraulicity. With regard to improvement of early compressive/bending strength of BS 20% substitution mortar, when substituting CS, in early age, they were a little increased as much as addition rate was increased. When substituting FC, in early and 28 age, they were largely increased as much as substitution rate was increased. To settle a problem that early strength of BS 20% substitution mortar was lowered, CS substitution has a little effect and FC 25% substitution was similar to plain with only OPC. Therefore, when substituting FC 25%, it is expected that its quality will be improved.