• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
• /
• v.9 no.spc
• /
• pp.107-122
• /
• 2003

The object of this study is to evaluate the prevailing physical and psychosocial conditions regarding occupational low back injury. This study consists of two parts. In the first part of the study, analytic biomechanical model and NIOSH guidelines are applied to evaluate risk levels of low back injury for automobile assembly jobs. Total of 246 workers are analysed. There are 20 jobs having greater back compressive forces than 300kg at L5/S1. Also, there are 44 jobs over Action Limit with respect to 1981 NIOSH guidelines. The relationship between psychosocial factors and low back injury was examined in the second part of the study. A battery of questionnaires concerning the psychosocial stress based on PWI (Psychosocial Well-being Index) and musculoskeletal pain symptoms at low back was completed by 246 workers at the same plant. Results showed that 207 out 246 workers experienced the symptoms and 27 workers were diagnosed as patients. Two groups(low stressed, high stressed) based on PWI score had no significant relationships with both symptoms and results of diagnosis. The relationships between physical work load and psychosocial stress were also analysed. Specifically, some postural factors(vertical deviation angle of forearm, horizontal deviation angle of upperarm, vertical deviation angle of thigh, etc) were highly correlated with psychosocial stress. The results illustrated that PWI scores were associated with some physical workloads. However, psychosocial stress levels couldn't be well related with the pain symptom as well as the actual incidence of low back injury since pain or discomfort regarding low back injury were more complex than that of other musculoskeletal disorders.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.66
• /
• pp.416-423
• /
• 2023

Figs has known to have antioxidant, whitening, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects in their leaves, roots, stems, latex, and fruits. In order to develop cosmetic materials based on natural products, we have studied on the skin activity of the ficin in latex as well as the whitening function of the fruit extract with 70% ethanol, and used it as a raw material for released cosmetic product. However, there is little research on the demand for the development of new eutectic solvent extraction methods and its ability to control skin inflammation and psoriasis regulation. Thus, in this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of fig fruit extracts and fractions using eutectic solvent extraction for skin inflammation control and psoriasis. First, fig fruits were extracted under optimal eutectic solvent conditions and fractionated with n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and butanol. First, the antioxidant activity and inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production were confirmed in mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells. In addition, as a result of observing the mRNA expression through RT-PCR, pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL1α, and IL-1β were suppressed significantly in the hexane, dichloromethane, and ethyl acetate fractions. In addition, it was confirmed in TNF-α stimulated HaCaT keratinocyte model. Finally, chemokine CC motif ligand 20 (CCL20), marker gene of human psoriasis skin disease, was significantly suppressed in the hexane, dichloromethane, and ethyl acetate fractions. These results suggested its anti-inflammatory and skin soothing effect and the possibility of development as an excellent skin soothing natural cosmetic material in the future through future clinical trials.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.268-274
• /
• 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate the immuno-stimulatory activity of the high-molecular-weight fraction (HMWF) of Cynanchum wilfordii (CW) extracts obtained by ultrafiltration in murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells and to assess its immuno-stimulatory effect in mice. Ultrafiltration was performed with polyethersulfone membranes (30 kDa cutoff) in a cross-flow filtration system to obtain the HMWF of CW. The results showed that the HMWF increased the production of various cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, interleukin-6, and nitric oxide in dose-ependent manners. In addition, HMWF treatment increased the relative spleen weight as well as splenocyte proliferation induced by concanavalin A or bacterial lipopolysaccharide in mice. Natural killer (NK) cell activity in the HMWF-treated group was significantly increased compared to that in the control group. These results suggest that the HMWF of CW can support the immune system through secretion of macrophage cytokines, thereby enhancing NK cell activity and murine splenocyte proliferation.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.69-80
• /
• 2010

Hypocholesterolemic effect of soy protein was examined in comparison with casein and three other dietary protein sources in chicks. In two feeding trials, 40 (Expt.1) or 50 (Expt. 2), three-day-old, male chicks were forced-fed each of five semi-purified-type diets containing isolated soy protein (ISP, cp 82%), casein (cp 92%), rice protein (RP, cp 70%), corn gluten meal (CGM, cp 65%) or fish meal (FM, cp 70%) for two weeks. The diets for Expt. 2 were supplemented with 0.3% cholesterol by replacing glucose. Each protein source was the only source of protein of each diet. Essential amino acids were added to the diets to satisfy their requirements according to NRC. The diets were forced-fed to equalize the intake of all nutrients except the amino acids which were inherently variable in the diets. Chicks fed casein showed lower body weight gain than those fed the other proteins in both experiments. Birds fed ISP and FM gained better body weight than the others. Chicks fed casein showed significantly higher levels of plasma total cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol and triacylglycerol (TG) than those fed ISP and the other protein sources. Meanwhile, the chicks fed ISP, RP, CGM and FM showed comparable levels of plasma total cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol and TG. In Expt. 2, the birds fed casein and FM showed markedly elevated plasma total cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol levels. Liver weight and levels of total lipids and cholesterol of chicks fed casein appeared significantly higher than those of the other protein diets, whereas those of the chicks fed ISP, RP, CGM and FM appeared comparable except cholesterol in FM group. In conclusion, only the chicks fed casein diets in both experiments always showed significantly higher levels of plasma cholesterol and TG compared to those fed ISP and the other protein sources. These results support the views that casein, which has unique lysine-arginine ratio, is inherently hyper-cholesterolemic, and ISP is hypocholesterolemic only when compared to casein.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.153-161
• /
• 2020

Arthrospira platensis is the oldest marine microalgae on the planet, is said to contain most of the nutrients needed by the human body. It's components are reported to contain a large amount of various substances such as phycocyanin, chlorophyll and β-carotene, and are known to have an aging and whitening effect. In this study, UVB-induced reactive oxygen species reduction efficacy and antioxidant activity of spirulina purified water extract were investigated. effect was confirmed by measuring DPPH radical scavenging activity, FRAP reducing power and ABTS⁺ radical scavenging activity of 0.05, 0.10, 0.50 1.0 mg/mL of spirulina purified water extract. The coagulation rate, hatching rate and heart rate toxicity were measured by treating spirulina purified water extract with 0.05, 0.10, 0.50 mg/mL concentration using Zebrafish, an alternative experimental animal model. UVB-induced ROS measurement was treated with spirulina extract at 0.05, 0.10, 0.50 mg/mL concentration, and then stained with DCFH-DA to confirm the inhibitory effect of ROS. As a result of measuring antioxidant effect, DPPH, FRAP and ABTS⁺ showed concentration-dependent antioxidant effects in comparison with ascorbic acid. and measuring the coagulation rate, hatching rate, and heart rate using Zebrafish, an alternative experimental animal, it was confirmed that there was no toxicity in 0.05 and 0.10 mg/mL except 0.5 mg/mL compared to the control group. The ROS scavenging activity of UVB-induced zebrafish showed higher ROS reduction than the positive control. The results of this study suggest that spirulina and purified water extracts are valuable for UV and skin protection cosmetics.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.49-82
• /
• 2004

The study aimed to evaluate cancer damage cost due to risk from benzene inhalation. We performed health risk assessment based on US EPA guideline to estimate annual population risk in Ulsan metropolitan city. Also, we estimated a willingness-to-pay amount for reducing a cancer mortality rate to evaluate a value of statistical life. We combined the annual population risk and the value of statistical life to calculate the cancer damage cost. In the health risk assessment, we applied the benzene unit risk ($2.2{\times}10^{-6}{\sim}7.8{\times}10^{-6}$) in the US EPA'S Integrated Risk Information System to assess the annual population risk. Average concentration of benzene in ambient air is $7.88{\mu}g/m^3$(min: 1.16~max: $23.32{\mu}g/m^3$). We targeted an exposure population of 516,641 persons who aged over 30 years old. Using a Monte-Carlo simulation for uncertainty analysis, we evaluated that the population risk of benzene during ten years in Ulsan city is 2.90 persons (5 percentile: 0.32~95 percentile: 9.11persons). And the monthly average WTP for 5/1,000 cancer mortality reduction during ten years is 14,852 Won(95% C.I: 13,135~16,794 Won) and the implied VSL is 36 million Won(95% C.I: 30~40 million Won). Cancer damage cost due to risk from benzene inhalation during 10 years in Ulsan city is about 104 million Won(5 percentile: 13~95 percentile: 328 million Won). Health benefit cost to reduce a cancer mortality risk of benzene is about 50 million Won is Ulsan metropolitann city. But, it is very important that this cost is not for all health damage cost of cancer mortality in some area. We just recommended a model for evaluating a cancer risk reduction, so we must re-evaluate an integrated application of total VOCs damage cost including benzene.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.27 no.12
• /
• pp.1445-1451
• /
• 2017

Mitochondria play a central role in energy generation by using electron transport coupled with oxidative phosphorylation. They also participate in other important cellular functions including metabolism, apoptosis, signaling, and reactive oxygen species production. Therefore, mitochondrial dysfunction is known to contribute to a variety of human diseases. Furthermore, there are various inherited diseases of energy metabolism due to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations. Unfortunately, therapeutic options for these inherited mtDNA diseases are extremely limited. In this regard, mitochondrial replacement techniques are taking on increased importance in developing a clinical approach to inherited mtDNA diseases. In this study, green fluorescence protein (GFP)-tagged mitochondria were isolated by differential centrifugation from a mammalian cell line. Using microinjection technique, the isolated GFP-tagged mitochondria were then transferred to bovine oocytes that were triggered for early development. During the early developmental period from bovine oocytes to blastocysts, the transferred mitochondria were observed using fluorescent microscopy. The microinjected mitochondria were dispersed rapidly into the cytoplasm of oocytes and were passed down to subsequent cells of 2-cell, 4-cell, 8-cell, morula, and blastocyst stages. Together, these results demonstrate a successful in vitro transfer of isolated mitochondria to oocytes and provide a model for mitochondrial replacement implicated in inherited mtDNA diseases and animal cloning.