• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.9
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• pp.734-741
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• 2022

Currently, around 40 million people worldwide are living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection making HIV a critical global health risk. Present therapies for HIV infection consist of drug cocktails that target different steps of the HIV life cycle to prevent infection, replication, and release of the virus. Due to its mutating nature, drug resistance coupled with side-effects of long-term drug use, novel strategies, and pharmaceuticals to treat and manage HIV infection are constant needs and continuously being studied. Plants allocate a major repertoire of chemical diversity and are therefore regarded as an important source of new bioactive agents that can be utilized against HIV. Since the early 1990s, upon recommendations of the World Health Organization, numerous studies reported phytochemicals from different structural classes such as flavonoids, coumarins, tannins and terpenes with strong inhibitory effects against HIV infection. The present review gathered and presented recent research (2021-present) on plant extracts and phytochemicals that exhibit anti-HIV properties with the aim of providing insights into future studies where ethnomedical and underutilized plant sources may yield important natural products against HIV. Considering the relation and importance of HIV treatment with current viral infection risks such as SARS-CoV-2, screening plants for anti-HIV agents is an important step towards the discovery of novel antivirals.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.353-366
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• 2022

Spatial estimation of geoscience data (geo-data) is challenging due to spatial heterogeneity, data scarcity, and high dimensionality. A novel spatial estimation method is needed to consider the characteristics of geo-data. In this study, we proposed the application of Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) among machine learning algorithms with multivariate data for robust spatial predictions. The performance of the proposed approach was tested through soil chemical concentration data from a former smelting area. The concentrations of As and Pb determined by ex-situ ICP-AES were the primary variables to be interpolated, while the other metal concentrations by ICP-AES and all data determined by in-situ portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) were used as auxiliary variables in GMM and ordinary cokriging (OCK). Among the multidimensional auxiliary variables, important variables were selected using a variable selection method based on the random forest. The results of GMM with important multivariate auxiliary data decreased the root mean-squared error (RMSE) down to 0.11 for As and 0.33 for Pb and increased the correlations (r) up to 0.31 for As and 0.46 for Pb compared to those from ordinary kriging and OCK using univariate or bivariate data. The use of GMM improved the performance of spatial interpretation of anthropogenic metals in soil. The multivariate spatial approach can be applied to understand complex and heterogeneous geological and geochemical features.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.140-154
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• 2023

Purpose: Deodeok (Codonopsis lanceolata) is generally used in conventional medicines and is considered to have remedial properties to cure several diseases. However, application of the C. lanceolata bud as a novel food ingredient has not been fully explored. Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is associated with the production of oxidative damage that results in mutagenesis, carcinogenesis, and cell death. This study examines the neuroprotective effect of C. lanceolate bud extracts (CLBE) on H₂O₂-stimulated apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells. Methods: C. lanceolata bud of length 10 to 15 cm was collected and extracted using 70% ethanol. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by the EZ-cytox reagent, measurement of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) release and reactive oxygen species (ROS). The morphological changes of the nuclei were determined using the Hoechst 33258 dye. Enzyme activities were analyzed using the caspase activity assay kit. Related protein expressions were quantified by the Western blot immunoassay in H₂O₂-stimulated SH-SY5Y cells. Results: Cell viability, LDH release and ROS generation, demonstrated neuroprotective effects of CLBE in H₂O₂-stimulated SH-SY5Y cells. The occurrence of apoptosis in H₂O₂-stimulated cells was confirmed by caspase activity, which was increased in H₂O₂-stimulated SH-SY5Y cells compared to the unexposed group. Pretreatment of CLBE was observed to inhibit the H₂O₂-stimulated apoptosis. In addition, exposure to CLBE resulted in increased expression of the Bcl-2 (B cell lymphoma 2) protein and decreased expression of the Bax (Bcl2 associated X) protein. Conclusion: This study shows that exposure to CLBE alleviates the H₂O₂-stimulated neuronal damage in SH-SY5Y cells. Our results indicate the potential application of CLBE in neurodegenerative disease therapy or prevention.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.162-168
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• 2024

The purpose of this study was to record for the first time in Korea the presence of Melanoides tuberculata (an invasive alien species), which was confirmed during the "National Survey on the Status of Alien Species" in Jukdang stream (also known as Guppy Stream, located in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province), which is affected by the year-round discharge of heated effluent from a large semiconductor factory and where various tropical organisms, including ornamental fish, appear due to artificial release. A Total of 52 specimens were collected, and they can be visually distinguished from native melanian snails by their reddish-brown flames and spots. Genetic analysis further confirmed the species as Melanoides tuberculate. Melanoides tuberculata typically inhabits tropical climates, but its presence has been confirmed in altered aquatic environments such as Jukdang stream, where the water temperature remains warm even in a temperate climate. This indicates the need for further monitoring of domestic streams with similar conditions, particularly those receiving heated effluent, like Jukdang stream. Additionally, due to its strong reproductive capacity, including parthenogenesis, and its adaptability to various environments, there have been cases where the populations of Pomacea lineata and Aylacostoma tenuilabris have declined. This suggests that Melanoides tuberculata may have a competitive advantage in interspecific competition, potentially suppressing native species populations if it spreads within the domestic ecosystem. Melanoides tuberculata serves as an intermediate host for parasites that can cause diseases in both humans and animals, raising public health concerns in many countries. There is also a significant risk that it could be mistaken for native melanian snail species and consumed, which necessitates a high level of caution.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.503-524
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• 2000

Intercomparisons between four kinds of data have been done to estimate the accuracy of satellite observations and model reanalysis for middle and lower tropospheric thermal state over regional oceans. The data include the Microwave Sounding Units (MSU) Channel 2 (Ch2) brightness temperatures of NOAA satellites and the vertically weighted corresponding temperature of ECMWF GCM (1980-93). The satellite data for midtropospheric temperatures are MSU2 (1980-98) in nadir direction and SC2 (1980-97) in multiple scans, and for lower tropospheric temperature SC2R (1980-97). MSU2 was derived in this study while SC2 and SC2R were described in Spencer and Christy (1992a, 1992b). Temporal correlations between the above data were high (r${\ge}$0.90) in the middle and high latitudes, but low(r${\sim}$0.65) over the low latitude and more convective regions. Their values with SC2R which included the noises due to hydrometeors and surface emission were conspicuously low. The reanalysis shows higher correlation with SC2 than with MSU2 partially because of the hydrometeors screening. SC2R in monthly climatological anomalies was more sensitive to surface thermal condition in northern hemisphere than MSU2 or SC2. The first EOF mode for the monthly mean data of MSU and ECMWF shows annual cycle over most regions except the tropics. The mode in MSU2 over the Pacific suggests the east-west dipole due to the Walker circulation, but this tendency is not clear in other data. In the first and second modes for the Ch2 anomalies over most regions, the MSU and ECMWF data commonly indicate interannual variability due to El Ni${\tilde{n}$o and La Ni${\tilde{n}$a. The substantial disagreement between observations and model reanalysis occurs over the equatorial upwelling region of the western Pacific, suggesting uncertainties in the model parameterization of atmosphere-ocean interaction.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.39 no.9
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• pp.495-504
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• 2017

An amphibious scrubbing/suction dredging machine with cylindrical rotating brush, housing, and turbidity barrier was newly-developed to remove both sediments with about 10 cm thickness and periphyton attached on various structures in urban water-circulating systems through the scrubbing, suction, and dredging processes. Based on the field application and long-term monitoring, the increase in both suspended solids (SS) and turbidity of water during the scrubbing, suction, and dredging processes was negligible (p>0.05). In some cases, the turbidity of water initially increased, however, the turbidity was stabilized within 20 minutes from the start of dredging processes. The concentration changes in TN and TP of water were not statistically different (p>0.05) before and after the scrubbing, suction, and dredging processes, indicating that benthic nutrients released from sediments were not significantly diffused, and were not supposed to cause significant water pollution. Also, water treatment facilities along with an amphibious scrubbing/suction dredging machine could be more effective since the removal of contaminant loadings through the scrubbing, suction, and dredging processes was much greater than that through simple coagulation/precipitation processes. Finally, GPS-based realtime tracking and operation program have been developed and applied in various urban water-circulating systems, and development of driver cooperative autonomous driving system is in progress to eliminate the need for manual driving of an amphibious scrubbing/suction dredging machine.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.16-22
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• 2003

This study was conducted to find out effective MA (Modified Atmosphere) gas compositions on the oyster mushroom through statistical analysis of the respiration rate and MA storage for the various packaging materials. Under the various gas compositions, the oxygen consumption rate of oyster mushroom was from 28.9 to 161.4mgO$_2$/kg$.$hr and the carbon dioxide evolution rate was from 53.4 to 166.9 mgCO$_2$/kg$.$hr at 20$^{\circ}C$. The estimated MA condition of oyster mushroom were 2.5∼4.5%O$_2$and 11.5∼l3%CO$_2$by the RSREG(Response Surface Regression). The gas compositions of MA packaging are following that 0.03mm LDPE were 1.6∼3.0%O$_2$and 3.9∼5.3%CO$_2$,0.05mm LDPE were 1.2∼1.3%O$_2$and 9.0∼11.1%CO$_2$and Nylon+PE were 0.9∼1.2%O$_2$and 33.5∼39.6%CO$_2$. The weight loss increased at 0.03mm LDPE but has the lowest value at Nylon+PE. The hardness of pileus and stipe was decreased with storage periods. The $\Delta$E-value increased with storage period and seriously changed in early storage period at 12 and 20$^{\circ}C$. In the 0.05mm LDPE, the gas compositions of packaging were similar to estimated gas compositions from the RSREG and the storage quality was superior to the other packaging materials in weight loss, hardness, and color difference at 4, 12 and 20 $^{\circ}C$.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.338-343
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• 2004

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a small animal PET using dual layer phoswich detector to minimize parallax error that degrades spatial resolution at the outer part of field-of-view (FOV). Materials and Methods: A simulation tool GATE (Geant4 Application for Tomographic Emission) was used to derive optimal parameters of small PET, and PET was developed employing the parameters. Lutetium Oxyorthosilicate (LSO) and Lutetium-Yttrium Aluminate-Perovskite(LuYAP) was used to construct dual layer phoswitch crystal. $8{\times}8$ arrays of LSO and LuYAP pixels, $2mm{\times}2mm{\times}8mm$ in size, were coupled to a 64-channel position sensitive photomultiplier tube. The system consisted of 16 detector modules arranged to one ring configuration (ring inner diameter 10 cm, FOV of 8 cm). The data from phoswich detector modules were fed into an ADC board in the data acquisition and preprocessing PC via sockets, decoder block, FPGA board, and bus board. These were linked to the master PC that stored the events data on hard disk. Results: In a preliminary test of the system, reconstructed images were obtained by using a pair of detectors and sensitivity and spatial resolution were measured. Spatial resolution was 2.3 mm FWHM and sensitivity was 10.9 $cps/{\mu}Ci$ at the center of FOV. Conclusion: The radioactivity distribution patterns were accurately represented in sinograms and images obtained by PET with a pair of detectors. These preliminary results indicate that it is promising to develop a high performance small animal PET.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.220-227
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• 2004

Phosphorus desorption study is essential to understanding P behavior in agricultural and environmental soils because phosphorus is considered as two different aspects, a plant nutrient versus an environmental contaminant. This study was conducted to determine soil P buffering power related to P desorption quantity intensity (Q/I) parameters, $Q_{max}$(an index of P release capacity) and $l_0$(an index of the intensity factor), and to investigate the characteristics of relationship between the P desorption Q/I parameters and the soil properties. Soil samples were prepared with treatments of 0 and $100mg\;P\;kg^{-1}$ applied as $KH_2PO_4$ solution. The P desorption Q/I curves were obtained by a procedure using anion exchange resin beads and described by an empirical equation ($Q=aI^{-1}+bln(I+1)+c$). The P desorption Q/I curves for the high available P (${\g}20mg\;kg^{-1}$ of Olsen P) soils were characteristic concave trends with or without soil P enrichment, whereas for the low available P (${\lt}20mg\;kg^{-1}$ of Olsen P) soils, the anticipated Q/I concave curves could not be obtained without a proper amount of P addition. When the soils were enriched in phosphates, the values of desorbed solid phase labile P and solution P, such as $Q_{max}$ and $I_0$ respectively, were increased, but the ratio of $Q_{max}$ versus $I_0$ was decreased. Thus, the slope of desorption Q/I curve represented as phosphorus buffering power, $|BP_0|$, is decreased. The $|BP_0|$ values of the high available P soils ranged between 48 and $61L\;kg^{-1}$ in the P untreated samples and between 18 and $44L\;kg^{-1}$ in the P enriched samples. Overall $|BP_0|$ values of both low and high available P soils treated with $l00mg\;P\;kg^{-1}$ ranged between 14 and $79L\;kg^{-1}$. The $Q_{max}$, values ranged between 71.4 and $173.1mg\;P\;kg^{-1}$, and the lo values ranged between 0.98 and $3.82mg\;P\;L^{-1}$ in the P enriched soils. The $Q_{max}$ and $I_0$ values that control the P buffering power may be not specifically related to a specific soil property, but those values were complicatedly related to soil pH, clay content, soil organic matter content, and lime. Also, phosphorus release activity, however, markedly depended on the desorbability of the applied P as well as the native labile P.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.23-27
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• 2011

In order to confirm feasibility of MOSFET modality in use of in.vivo dosimetry, evaluation of gonad shielding in order to minimize gonadal dose of patients undergoing radiotherapy by using MOSFET modality was performed. Gonadal dose of patients undergoing radiotherapy for rectal cancer in the department of radiation oncology of Seoul National University Hospital since 2009 was measured. 6 MV and 15 MV photon beams emitted from Varian 21EX LINAC were used for radiotherapy. In order to minimize exposed dose caused by the scattered ray not only from collimator of LINAC but also from treatment region inside radiation field, we used box.shaped lead shielding material. The shielding material was made of the lead block and consists of $7.5\; cm\;{\times}\;9.5\;cm\;{\times}5.5\;cm$ sized case and $9\;cm\;{\times}\;9.5\;cm\;{\times}\;1\;cm$ sized cover. Dosimetry for evaluation of gonad shielding was done with MOSFET modality. By protecting with gonad shielding material, average gonadal dose of patients was decreased by 23.07% compared with reference dose outside of the shielding material. Average delivered gonadal dose inside the shielding material was 0.01 Gy. By the result of MOSFET dosimetry, we verified that gonadal dose was decreased by using gonad shielding material. In compare with TLD dosimetry, we could measure the exposed dose easily and precisely with MOSFET modality.