• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제46권4호
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• pp.592-600
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• 2022

Background: Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is the most common endocrine disrupting chemical used as a plasticizer. DEHP is associated with the development of endometrium-related diseases through the induction of inflammation. The major therapeutic approaches against endometrial cancer and endometriosis involve the suppression of inflammatory response. Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) is a natural product with anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of KRG on DEHP-induced inflammatory response in endometrial cancer Ishikawa cells and a mouse model of endometriosis. Methods: RNA-sequencing was performed and analyzed on DEHP-treated Ishikawa cells in the presence and absence of KRG. The effects of KRG on DEHP-induced cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA levels in Ishikawa cells were determined by RT-qPCR. Furthermore, the effects of KRG on the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) pathway, COX-2, and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB) p65 after DEHP treatment of Ishikawa cells were evaluated by western blotting. In the mouse model, the severity of endometriosis induced by DEHP and changes in immunohistochemistry were used to assess the protective effect of KRG. Results: According to the RNA-sequencing data, DEHP-induced inflammatory response-related gene expression was downregulated by KRG. Moreover, KRG significantly inhibited DEHP-induced ERK1/2/NF-κB/COX-2 levels in Ishikawa cells. In the mouse model, KRG administration significantly inhibited ectopic endometriosis growth after DEHP-induced endometriosis. Conclusions: Overall, these results suggest that KRG may be a promising lead for the treatment of endometrial cancer and endometriosis via suppression of the inflammatory response.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권10호
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• pp.3614-3619
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• 2022

To operate the ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) antennas in a better heating state and produce relatively low impurities, it is necessary to control the antenna spectrum by changing the antenna phasing. As the electrical length of the antenna feeding transmission lines is changing as a matter of the standing wave pattern at the ceramic supports, 90° elbows, T-connectors and antenna loops, we chose to measure the current at the grounding points of the antenna loops by antenna strap probe. The voltage drops along a small, several millimeter-long paths at the end of the antenna loops give a signal that is proportional to the current in the antenna loop. Through the simulation of the antenna strap probe and the actual measurement of the antenna phasing under vacuum conditions, the reliability of the antenna strap probe based diagnostic system have been successfully proved. Moreover, this system was successfully applied to the ICRH daily experiments in the spring of 2021. In the near future, the active real-time feedback control of the antenna phasing system will be developed based on this diagnostic system in the EAST tokamak.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.31.1-31.9
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• 2021

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by spirochetes from the genus Leptospira. In Thailand, Leptospira interrogans is a major cause of leptospirosis. Leptospirosis patients present with a wide range of clinical manifestations from asymptomatic, mild infections to severe illness involving organ failure. For better understanding the difference between Leptospira isolates causing mild and severe leptospirosis, illumina sequencing was used to sequence genomic DNA in both serotypes. DNA of Leptospira isolated from two patients, one with mild and another with severe symptoms, were included in this study. The paired-end reads were removed adapters and trimmed with Q30 score using Trimmomatic. Trimmed reads were constructed to contigs and scaffolds using SPAdes. Cross-contamination of scaffolds was evaluated by ContEst16s. Prokka tool for bacterial annotation was used to annotate sequences from both Leptospira isolates. Predicted amino acid sequences from Prokka were searched in EggNOG and David gene ontology database to characterize gene ontology. In addition, Leptospira from mild and severe patients, that passed the criteria e-value < 10e^-5 from blastP against virulence factor database, were used to analyze with Venn diagram. From this study, we found 13 and 12 genes that were unique in the isolates from mild and severe patients, respectively. The 12 genes in the severe isolate might be virulence factor genes that affect disease severity. However, these genes should be validated in further study.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제55권1호
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• pp.37-48
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• 2022

Objectives: Depression is a frequent complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between low social support and risk for depression in people with type 2 diabetes through a meta-analysis. Methods: PubMed, ProQuest, SpringerLink, ScienceDirect, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, Embase, and Google Scholar were searched for English-language articles published up to 2021. Pooled adjusted odds ratios (aORs) were calculated using a random-effect model with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Heterogeneity was evaluated by using the Cochrane Q test and I² statistics. The risk of publication bias was estimated using a funnel plot, the Egger test, and the Begg test. The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tools were used to assess the quality of evidence and the risk of bias. Results: Eleven studies were included in this meta-analysis, containing a total of 3151 people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The pooled analysis showed that people with type 2 diabetes mellitus who had low social support had twice as high a risk of depression as those with high social support (aOR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.51 to 2.70; p<0.001). A random-effect model was used because the heterogeneity was high (I² = 87%). Conclusions: Low social support was found to increase the risk of depression among people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Further investigation into factors that may moderate this relationship is required.

• Clinical Pain
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• 제19권1호
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• pp.16-22
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• 2020

Objective: Recent studies have shown that repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation (rPMS) reduces pain in various conditions. This pilot study aimed to investigate the effects of rPMS depending on the pain characteristics. Method: Adult patients aged 19~85 years evaluated at our institution between September 1, 2017 and February 28, 2018 for subacute to chronic musculoskeletal pain equivalent to a numeric rating scale of 3 or higher for at least one month were enrolled. Pain scores as determined using a numeric rating scale at baseline and at the end of treatment were set as the primary outcome. Additionally, we classified the pain into nociceptive, intermediate, or neuropathic pain using the PainDETECT questionnaire and compared the responsiveness to rPMS according to the type of pain. Results: The average pain scores significantly decreased after the 2-week rPMS treatment in all enrolled subjects (p<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in pain reduction between groups divided by PainDETECT questionnaire. Conclusion: This study suggests that rPMS could safely relieve various types of pain.

• 한국수산과학회지
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• 제55권4호
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• pp.449-454
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• 2022

The oxygen consumption rate (OCR) based on the water temperature and body size of the sea squirt Halocynthia roretzi was examined to provide quantitative information about the metabolic response of the species. OCRs were measured using a closed flow-through respirometer at four different water temperatures (10, 15, 20 and 25℃) and two different body sizes (21.4±1.1 g and 150.5±1.3 g, wet weight) with triplicates of each treatment. OCR increased as water temperature increased at both body sizes, but decreased as body size increased regardless of the water temperature (P<0.001). The effect of body size evaluated as a power function ranged from 0.8055 to 0.8884. The highest Q₁₀ values in the small and large size groups ranged from 15 to 20℃ and 20 to 25℃, respectively. The metabolic daily energy loss rate via respiration at all tested temperatures ranged from 56.2 to 106.1 J g^-1 d^-1 in the small-size group and from 44.5 to 92.0 J g^-1 d^-1 in the large-size group. Our results indicate that the metabolic response of H. roretzi highly depends on fluctuating water temperature at a given life stage.

• 한국동물생명공학회지
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• 제37권4호
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• pp.246-254
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• 2022

Current studies have revealed the capacity of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in term of immunomodulatory properties, and this distinct potential is downgraded according to the disease duration of patients-derived MSCs. In order to enhance the immunomodulatory and anti-tumorigenic properties of the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) joints-derived MSCs, we aggregate synovial fluid-derived MSCs from RA joints (RA-hMSCs) into 3D-spheroids by the use of hanging drop culture method. Cells were isolated from synovial fluids of RA joints with longstanding active status over 13 years. For aggregation of RA-hMSCs into 3D-spheroids, cells were plated in hanging drops in 30 μL of advanced DMEM (ADMEM) containing 25,000-30,000 cells/drop and cultured for 48 h. To analyze the comparative immunomodulatory effects of 3D-spheroid and 2D monolayer cultured RA-hMSCs and then cells were cultured in ADMEM supplemented with 20% of synovial fluids of RA patients for 48 h and were evaluated by qRT-PCR for their expression of mRNA levels of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory markers. Cellular aggregation of RA-hMSCs was observed and cells were aggregate into a single sphere. Following treatment of RA patient's synovial fluids into the RA-hMSCs, spheroids formed RA-hMSCs showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher expression of TNFα stimulated gene/protein 6 (TSG-6) than the monolayer cultured RA-hMSCs. Therefore, the 3D-spheroid culture methods of RA-hMSCs were more effective than 2D monolayer cultures in suppressing inflammatory response treated with 20% of RA-synovial fluids by expression of TNFα (TSG-6) according to the immune response and enhanced secretion of inflammatory factors.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제47권1호
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• pp.54-64
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• 2023

Background: Panax ginseng Meyer (P. ginseng) is a traditional natural/herbal medicine. The amelioration on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) activity rely mainly on its main active ingredients that are referred to as ginsenosides. However, the current literature on gut microbiota, gut microbiota-host co-metabolites, and systems pharmacology has no studies investigating the effects of ginsenoside on IBD. Methods: The present study was aimed to investigate the role of ginsenosides and the possible underlying mechanisms in the treatment of IBD in an acetic acid-induced rat model by integrating metagenomics, metabolomics, and complex biological networks analysis. In the study ten ginsenosides in the ginsenoside fraction (GS) were identified using Q-Orbitrap LC-MS. Results: The results demonstrated the improvement effect of GS on IBD and the regulation effect of ginsenosides on gut microbiota and its co-metabolites. It was revealed that 7 endogenous metabolites, including acetic acid, butyric acid, citric acid, tryptophan, histidine, alanine, and glutathione, could be utilized as significant biomarkers of GS in the treatment of IBD. Furthermore, the biological network studies revealed EGFR, STAT3, and AKT1, which belong mainly to the glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathways, as the potential targets for GS for intervening in IBD. Conclusion: These findings indicated that the combination of genomics, metabolomics, and biological network analysis could assist in elucidating the possible mechanism underlying the role of ginsenosides in alleviating inflammatory bowel disease and thereby reveal the pathological process of ginsenosides in IBD treatment through the regulation of the disordered host-flora co-metabolism pathway.

• 한국수자원학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국수자원학회 2023년도 학술발표회
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• pp.149-149
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• 2023

미세플라스틱은 입자크기가 5 mm 이하인 플라스틱으로 정의되며, 수계로 유입된 미세플라스틱은 내분비계 교란물질로 작용하여 생태계에 환경독성을 유발하고 오염물질을 흡착·운반할 수 있는 독성 물질의 매개체로서 미세플라스틱의 위해성에 대한 우려가 증가하고 있다. 본 연구는 수용액에서 다양한 미세플라스틱의 납(Pb) 흡착특성을 평가하고 미세플라스틱의 비표면적에 따른 흡착 효과를 비교하고자 하였다. 플라스틱 종류 중 HDPE (High-density Polyethylene)와 PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)를 각각 세 가지 크기(Group 1: 2.5 mm - 1.0 mm, Group 2: 1.0 mm - 0.3 mm, Group 3: < 0.3 mm)로 제조하여 분류하였으며, 미세플라스틱 입자크기의 비표면적은 BET(Brunauer, Emmett, Teller)분석을 통하여 측정하였다. 담수환경 조성을 위해 pH 7로 조절한 Pb 용액의 농도(0, 0.5, 1, 5, 10, 30 mg/L)별 흡착실험을 수행하였으며 실험결과를 3가지 흡착등온식(Langmuir, Freundlich, Sips 모델)을 사용하여 미세플라스틱에서 Pb 흡착 거동을 나타내었다. BET 분석 측정결과, PVC의 경우 Group 3 > Group 2 > Group 1 순으로 PVC의 입자크기가 작을수록 비표면적이 크게 나타났으며, HDPE 비표면적 또한 비슷한 경향을 보였다. HDPE와 PVC에서 Pb의 흡착은 Langmuir 모델(R² > 0.97)과 Freundlich 모델(R² > 0.82)보다 Sips 모델(R² > 0.98)이 흡착 거동을 설명하기에 가장 적합하였다. 최대흡착능(Q_m) 상수는 입자크기가 작아질수록 흡착능이 높아지는 추세를 보였으며, 흡착세기(K_F)와 흡착강도(n^-1)는 각 플라스틱의 Group 3(HDPE K_F = 0.028, PVC K_F = 0.032; HDPE n^-1 = 0.225, PVC n^-1 = 0.547)에서 가장 높게 나타났다. 본 연구를 통해 HDPE와 PVC에서 Pb의 흡착특성은 Sips모델로 설명이 가능했으며, 이에 따라 Pb 흡착과정에 복수의 흡착메커니즘이 작용하고 있음을 유추해볼 수 있었다. 미세플라스틱의 입자크기와 비표면적이 Pb 흡착량에 영향을 미치는 것을 알 수 있었으며, 미세플라스틱이 중금속을 흡착하여 생물체 내로 전이시킬 수 있는 매개체 역할의 가능성을 확인하였다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권11호
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• pp.4146-4158
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• 2022

Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) has been widely utilized in military and civil protective structures to resist intensive loadings attributed to its excellent properties, e.g., high tensile/compressive strength, high dynamic toughness and impact resistance. At present, aiming to improve the defects of the traditional vertical concrete cask (VCC), i.e., the external storage facility of spent fuel, with normal strength concrete (NSC) shield, e.g., heavy weight and difficult to fabricate/transform, the feasibility of UHPC applied in the shield of VCC is numerically examined considering its high radiation and corrosion resistance. Firstly, the finite element (FE) analyses approach and material model parameters of NSC and UHPC are verified based on the 1/3 scaled VCC tip-over test and drop hammer test on UHPC members, respectively. Then, the refined FE model of prototypical VCC is established and utilized to examine its dynamic behaviors and damage distribution in accidental tip-over and end-drop events, in which the various influential factors, e.g., UHPC shield thickness, concrete ground thickness, and sealing methods of steel container are considered. In conclusion, by quantitatively evaluating the safety of VCC in terms of the shield damage and vibrations, it is found that adopting the 300 mm-thick UHPC shield instead of the conventional 650 mm-thick NSC shield can reduce about 1/3 of the total weight of VCC, i.e., about 50 t, and 37% floor space, as well as guarantee the structural integrity of VCC during the accidental drop simultaneously. Besides, based on the parametric analyses, the thickness of concrete ground in the VCC storage site is recommended as less than 500 mm, and the welded connection is recommended for the sealing method of steel containers.