• Title/Summary/Keyword: substance use

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Himalayan Medicinal Resources: Present and Future. A Case Study: Andidiabetic Activity of Shilajit

  • Basnet, Purusotam
    • Plant Resources
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    • v.4 no.3
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    • pp.161-170
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    • 2001
  • A major portion of drugs used in Ayurvedic system of medicine which has been practiced since the early human civilization in Indian subcontinent were of plant origin. It should be noted that 70% of the population in this region depends on Ayurveda for their medical treatment and 60% of the drug resources are obtained from the Himalayan region. Therefore, Nepal becomes a potential source of plant drug resource since it occupies a major portion of the Himalaya. In the present paper, in general a current status of medicinal plant resources of Himalayan region especially Nepal will be discussed. In addition to this, a typical example of antidiabetic activity of Shilajit will be taken for the discussion. Shilajit is one of the crucial elements in several formulations including those of Rasayana, a therapy in Ayurveda, which has been practiced in the prevention of ageing and mental disorder. Although, Shilajit is widely used for the treatment of diabetes, no satisfactory scientific reports are available up to now. The crude Shilajit in the market is a dark brown or black rock-like substance collected from the Himalayan region with a strong smell of cow's stale urine. In our studies, Shilajit (collected in the central Himalayan region) prevented the diabetes in nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice model. Shilajit also prevented the diabetes in the rats against the action of multiple low-dose (10 mg/kg, i.v., 5 times) of streptozotocin. On the other hand, Shilajit did not show antioxidative activity. The preventive action of Shilajit on diabetes is mainly focused on the Thl and Th2 cell activities, since Th2 cells activity was found to be significantly upregulated. Shilajit, however, showed a mild action in controlling the blood sugar level in young, old, and mild diabetic rats, but not in the severe diabetic rats. It also stimulated the nitric oxide production in macrophages. Based on these evidences, the antidiabetic activities of Shilajit appear to be immunomodulative probably by protecting or strengthening insulin-producing b-cells in the pancreas. Further systematic research on constituents of Shilajit and its quality evaluation is necessary to enable the use of natural medicines in the treatment of diabetes.

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Invirto alternatives to photosensitization Test (광감작성 시험에서의 동물대체 시험법)

  • Lee, Ho;Nam, Ki-Taek;Koh, Jae-Sook;Park, Won-Jae
    • Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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    • v.22 no.1
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    • pp.84-101
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    • 1996
  • To minimize the use of animals in toxicity testing, and to reduce the cost in vivo test, more rational test method was described which determines, in the same animal, photoxic and photoallergic potential of a substance, and is daptable to routine testing. The other purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of in vivo alternatives ; photostability and spectrophotometric carbonyl assay. In this modified photosensitization model, animal numbers and resting periods, the number and method of topical application were simplified. Two positive photoreactive agents, Benzocaine and 6-methyl coumarine, showed a similar photoallergic potential to that of Ichikawa's method. Two sunscreens, Octyl methoxy cinnamate, Butyl methoxyl dibenzoyl methane, hardly showed photoallergic potentials. The photostability test could be used in the step of prescreening of photosensitization potential because most of the photoreactive agents represented the reduction of more than 20% in the absorbance. And photoreactive agents have a high potential of photosensitization in the sddessment of spectrophotometric carbonyl level although two sunscreens have a low possibility of photosensitization. Therefore this method was assumed as a valuable in vivo alternatives in the respect even in the very low concentrations which phototoxicity test using almonella showed no phototoxic potential.

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Toxicity of Methylcyclohexane and Its Effect on the Reproductive System in SD Rats

  • Kim, Hyeon-Yeong;Kang, Min-Gu;Kim, Tae-Gyun;Kang, Chung-Won
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.2 no.3
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    • pp.290-300
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    • 2011
  • Objectives: There is limited data regarding the toxicity of methylcyclohexane, despite its wide use in rubber adhesives, paint diluents, and cleansing agents. This study aimed to verify the toxicity and influence on the reproductive system of methylcyclohexane after its repeated injection in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. Methods: Methylcyclohexane was injected subcutaneously into male and female SD rats once a day, five times a week, for 13 weeks at different doses (0, 10, 100, and 1,000 mg/kg/day) for each group. The toxicity of testing material was verified by observing the change in body and organ weight, hematological change, pathological findings, and effect on the reproductive system at each different concentration. Results: In the 1,000 mg/kg/day group, there were cases of animal deaths. In animals that survived, hematological changes, including a decrease in the red blood cell count, were observed. A considerable weight gain or loss and pathological abnormalities in the liver, kidney, and other organs were found. However, the 10 and 100 mg/kg/day groups did not cause deaths or other specific abnormalities. In terms of reproductive toxicity, there were changes in hormone levels, including a significant decrease in hormones such as estradiol and progesterone (p < 0.001) in male animals. Menstrual cycle change for female animals did not show concentration dependency. Conclusion: When injected repeatedly for 13 weeks, methylcyclohexane proved to be toxic for the liver, heart, and kidney at a high dose. The absolute toxic dose was 1,000 mg/kg/day, while the no observed adverse effect level was less than 100 mg/kg/day. The substance exerted little influence on the reproductive system.

Investigation of Liquid Phase Ammonia Removal Efficiency by Chemo-biological Process of Zeolites and Klebsiella pneumonia sp. (제올라이트와 Klebsiella pneumonia sp.을 이용한 화학-생물학적 액상 암모니아의 제거 효율 연구)

  • Park, Min Seob;Choi, Kwon-Young
    • Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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    • v.28 no.6
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    • pp.685-690
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    • 2017
  • Ammonia is a useful substance which is widely used in various industries. It is generally released by the decomposition of agricultural wastes and known to have toxic effects on human beings. Due to the common usage, it is possible to cause water pollution through either direct or indirect leakage. Such cases, it is preferable to use the adsorption capacity of zeolite to rapidly remove ammonium ions, but it is not sufficiently removed by the adsorption only. In this paper, the removal efficiency of ammonium ion through both the adsorption capacities of commercial synthetic zeolites and the biological mechanism of microorganisms were compared. In addition, microorganisms were immobilized on the zeolite in order to enhance the removal efficiency by applying a chemo-biological process. As a result, the standard commercial zeolite showed 67~81% of the removal efficiency in 2~4 hours at a 100 ppm concentration of ammonium, whereas the selected microorganism Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. Pneumoniae showed up to 97% within 8 hours. When the microorganism was immobilized on the zeolite, the highest removal efficiency of approximately 98.5% were observed within 8 hours.

Effect of Dried Leaf Powders and Ethanol Extracts of Persimmon, Green Tea and Pine Needle on Lipid Metabolism and Antioxidative Capacity in Rats (감잎, 녹차, 솔잎의 건분 및 에탄올추출물이 흰쥐의 지방대사와 항산화능에 미치는 영향)

  • 김은성
    • Journal of Nutrition and Health
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    • v.32 no.4
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    • pp.337-352
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    • 1999
  • The effects of dried leaf powders and ethanol extract of persimmon, green tea and pine needle on lipid metabolism, lipid peroxidation and antioxidative activity were investigated in rats. Forty-nine male Spargue-Dawley rats weighing 107.8$\pm$1.8g were blocked into seven groups according to body weight. Rats were raised for four weeks with diets containing either 5%(w/w) dried leaf powders of one of three different Korea traditional teas, persimmon(Diospyros kaki Thunb), green tea(Camellia Sinensis O.Ktzc)or pine needle(pinus Koreansis Sieb. Et Zucc), or ethanol from equal amounts of each dried tea powder. Food intake, weight gain, food efficiency ratio, and weights of liver, kidney and epididymal fat were significantly higher in the green-tea-powder group, and significantly lower in the pine-needle-powder and pine-needle-extract groups. Persimmon-leaf powder was found to decrease plasma total lipid, triglyceride and cholesterol concentration by increasing fecal total lipid triglyceride and cholesterol excretions. Liver cholesterol concentration was significantly lower in the green-tea and pine-needle-extract groups. Red-blood-cell superoxide dismutase(SOD) and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-px) activities were significantly increased in rats fed green-tea extract. Liver SOD activity was increased in rats fed pine-needle powder or extract, and liver GSH-px activity was increased in rats fed greentea powder. Plasma and liver thiobarbituric acid reactive substance(TBARS) concentration were both decreased in rats fed dried leaf posers or extracts of persimmon or green tea. It is believed that high vitamin E levels in persimmon leaf, and high flavonoid, beta-carotene and vitamin C levels in green tea effectively inhibited lipid peroxidation. In conclusion, persimmon and green tea leaves were effective in lowering lipid levels and inhibiting lipid peroxidation in animal tissue, while pine needles were effective and lowering body weight gain. From these results, persimmon and green tea leaves can be recommended in the treatment and prevention of chronic discorders such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and aging. As ethanol extracts from these teas were also effecitive in lowering tissue lipid levels and inhibiting lipid peroxidation, we recommend the use of discarded tea grounds for this.

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A Study on the Acupuncture & Moxibustion of Huangdineijing - focused on Concept of Time - (『황제내경(黃帝內經)』의 침구법(鍼灸法) 연구 - 시간(時間) 개념을 중심으로 -)

  • Lyu, Jeong-ah
    • Journal of Korean Medical classics
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    • v.29 no.3
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    • pp.57-74
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    • 2016
  • Subject : Treatment of acupuncture & moxibustion in Huangdineijing Objectives : Discover the principles and substances of acupuncture & moxibustion treatment of Huangdineijing Methods : The author reviewed the Huangdineijing: Suwen, Lingshu to gain a realistic sense of the facts and the medical book's contents that deal with the practices of acupuncture & moxibustion treatment for clinical praxis. Conclusions : 1. The acupuncture & moxibustion of Huangdineijing can be defined as follows. A treatment for correcting of meridian's drift by proper selection of surgical site, using suitable implementation and appropriate manipulation skill from a correct judgement of meridian's flowing through sensing the pulse for diagnosis when the meridian's flowing which come and go constantly driven by the tidal order of defensive Qi tactually appeared hard or soft caused by diseases, thus bring out the soft & gradual 50 laps circulation of nutrient Qi moderately driven by defensive Qi. 2. Today's acupuncture & moxibustion treatments greatly differ from those of Huangdineijing in that we do not know the substance of that treatment which is correcting of meridian's drift and do not obligatorily carry out feeling of the pulse for diagnosis which is a measure & judgement of meridian's flowing against a preliminary treatment in parallel with treatment so reduce use and power of that treatment. 3. I could form a list of general principle from the substances of acupuncture & moxibustion of Huangdineijing like as the flowing or fate of meridian Qi(tidally going in order of defensive Qi and nutrient Qi), deficiency or excess of Meridian flowing, comparing diagnosis before and after treatment, bring out the soft & gradual Qi. That was imposing "the concept of time" on recognition and treatment to human body.

XSLT document editing for XML document conversion in WYSIWYG environment (WYSIWYG 환경에서 XML 문서 변환을 위한 XSLT 문서편집 시스템)

  • 차원준;박주상;이용준;정회경
    • Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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    • 2003.10a
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    • pp.500-503
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    • 2003
  • XML been using extensively by standard of data exchanging in the Internet is observed by a technology to replace existent document creation language of HTML etc. Biggest characteristic of this XML is that logic information and physical information that express style of document that do that express structural substance of document were detached. Hereupon, W3C advised XSL that oner style function of form similar to HTML for XML's style and data conversion. Also, XSL's conversion function offers function that change XML document to other data format, and can describe style information through conversion of various document format. But, a XML document conversion technology that use XSLT know-how in domestic is unprepared real condition, and necessity about solution that can edit XSLT document efficiently is putting. This paper does XML document so that conversion and output are available in various document format. And offered research of XSLT document editing system that can edit and create XSLT document efficiently under WYSIWYG environment.

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Influence of Fluorescent Dye Doping on Efficiency of Red Organic Light-emitting Diodes (형광염료 도핑이 적색 유기 발광 소자의 효율에 미치는 영향)

  • Lee, Jeong-Gu;Lim, Kee-Joe
    • The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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    • v.8 no.11
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    • pp.18-24
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    • 2008
  • An organic light-emitting diode(OLED) has advantages of low power driving, self light-emitting, wide viewing angle, excellent high resolution, full color, high reproduction, fast response speed, simple manufacturing process, or the like. However, there are still a number of challenges to get over in order to put it to practical use as a high performance display. First of all, the most important thing is to improve the efficiency of the OLED element in order to commercialize it. To this end, its efficiency can be improved by lowering the driving voltage through the improvement of structure of the OLED element and the application of new organic substance. Therefore, in this study, we have manufactured a red OLED element by applying fluorescent dyes to the emitting layer of the element having the structure of ITO/TPD/ Znq2+DCJTB /Znq2/Al and the structure of ITO/CuPc/NPB/ Alq3+DCJTB/Alq3/Al, in order to light-emitting various colors or improve the brightness and the efficiency, and then we have evaluated its electrical and optical characteristics.

Placental histopathology in late preterm infants: clinical implications

  • Ericksen, Kristina;Fogel, Joshua;Verma, Rita P.
    • Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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    • v.63 no.2
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    • pp.48-51
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    • 2020
  • Background: The etiopathogenesis of late preterm (LPT) birth is undetermined. Placental histopathology, which reflects an adverse intrauterine environment and is reportedly associated with preterm labor and neonatal morbidities, has not been studied in LPT infants. Purpose: We investigated placental pathological lesion as markers of an adverse intrauterine environment during LPT labor. Methods: This retrospective case-control study compared placental histopathological and clinical variables between LPT and term neonates. Placental variables included chorioamnionitis, funisitis, hemorrhage, abruption, infarction, calcification, and syncytial knots. Maternal variables included age, substance abuse, pregnancyassociated diabetes mellitus and hypertension, duration of rupture of membrane, antibiotic use, and magnesium sulfate, whereas, those of neonates included gestational age, birth weight, race, sex, and Apgar scores. Standard statistical proedures were applied to analyze the data. Results: Chorioamnionitis (50% vs. 17.8%, P<0.001) and funisitis (20% vs. 4.4%, P=0.002) were more common in term infants. Placental infarction rate was insignificantly higher in LPT infants (25.6% vs. 14.3%, P=0.08). The mothers in the LPT group were older (30.4 years vs. 28.1 years, P=0.05; odds ratio [OR], 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.998-1.12, P=0.056) and more often suffered from hypertension (28.9 vs. 12.9 %, P=0.02), and received magnesium sulfate (48.9 vs. 20%, P< 0.001; OR, 2.86; 95% CI, 1.12-7.29, P<0.05). Duration of rupture of membrane was higher in term infants (13.6 hours vs. 9.1 hours, P<0.001). Chorioamnionitis (OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.13-0.79; P<0.05) was associated with a lower risk of LPT delivery. Conclusion: Placental infection is not a risk factor for LPT births. There is a nonsignificant predominance of vascular anomalies in LPT placentas. Higher maternal age, magnesium sulfate therapy, and maternal hypertension are clinical risk factors for LPT labor.

Patterns of wrist cutting: A retrospective analysis of 115 suicide attempts

  • Cho, Jakwang;Choi, Youngwoong
    • Archives of Plastic Surgery
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    • v.47 no.3
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    • pp.250-255
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    • 2020
  • Background Rosenthal et al. classified female, habitual, non-suicidal wrist cutters as a group and introduced the concept of wrist-cutting syndrome. We investigated the characteristics of wrist-cutting patients at our institution in comparison with results reported previously. Methods We conducted a retrospective study involving 115 patients who had cut their wrists and been examined at the emergency department of a single hospital in Seoul, Korea, between March 2014 and August 2018. Results There were more women (73 patients; 63.5%) than men (42 patients; 36.5%), and the women (mean age, 34.42 years) were significantly younger than the men (mean age, 50.07 years). The patients who had cut their wrists repeatedly were mainly women (22 of 26 patients; 84.6%); however, men caused more severe damage than women. Substance use before a suicide attempt did not significantly increase the severity of wrist cutting. Our institution planned and implemented a suicide prevention intervention program to improve the continuity of outpatient care. The number of patients who continued psychiatric treatment increased significantly after program completion. Conclusions We confirmed that most patients were young women who were not suicidal in the true sense because their wounds were not severe. Our study showed a protective role of the barrier tendons (flexor carpi radialis, palmaris longus, flexor carpi ulnaris), and we suggest careful repair of the barrier tendons to protect neurovascular structures against subsequent cutting events. We found that it was possible to improve the continuity of patient counseling by managing patients through a psychiatric treatment program.