• Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering
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• 제35권12호
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• pp.2496-2503
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• 2018

The short-term stability of high efficiency polymer : nonfullerene solar cells was investigated by employing a quick (ten cycles) current density-voltage (J-V) cycling method. Polymer : nonfullerene solar cells with initial power conversion efficiency (PCE) of >10% were fabricated using bulk heterojunction (BHJ) films of poly[(2,6-(4,8-bis(5-(2-ethylhexyl)thiophen-2-yl)-benzo[1,2-b:4,5b']dithiophene))-alt-(5,5-(1',3'-di-2-thienyl-5,7'-bis(2-ethylhexyl)benzo[1',2'-c:4',5'-c']dithiophene-4,8-dione))] (PBDB-T) and 3,9-bis(2-methylene-((3-(1,1-dicyanomethylene)-6/7-methyl)-indanone))-5,5,11,11-tetrakis(4-hexylphenyl)-dithieno[2,3-d:2',3'-d']-s-indaceno[1,2-b:5,6-b']dithiophene (IT-M). One set of the BHJ (PBDB-T : IT-M) films was thermally annealed at $160^{\circ}C$ for 30min, while another set was used without any thermal treatment after spin-coating. The quick J-V scan (cycling) measurement disclosed that the PCE decay was relatively slower for the annealed BHJ layers than the unannealed (as-cast) BHJ layers. As a result, after ten cycles, the annealed BHJ layers delivered higher PCE than the unannealed BHJ layers due to higher and more stable trend in fill factor. The present quick J-V cycling method is simple but expected to be useful for the prediction of short-term stability in organic solar cells.

• 한국환경생태학회지
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.42-53
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• 2017

도로의 건설에 따른 불가피한 생태계 피해들 중 도로상에서 동물이 차에 치여 죽는 로드킬이 있으며, 특히 산간지대가 많은 지형적 특성에 따라 국내에서 로드킬은 특별히 관심을 받고 있다. 로드킬은 야생동물 개체군 감소의 한 원인으로 종종 언급되고 있다. 국내에서 포유류, 조류, 양서류 등과 같이 파충강(Reptilies) 중 뱀류의 로드킬 역시 빈번하게 발생하고 있음에도 불구하고 고속도로가 아닌 일반도로에서 뱀류 로드킬 발생 경향에 대한 연구는 매우 미진한 상태이다. 본 연구는 2007년 5월부터 2012년 9월 사이에 강원도 지역을 주로 포함하고 일부 경기도, 충청북도, 경상북도 지역을 포함하는 남한 동북부 지역에 고속도로를 제외한 일반도로를 대상으로 뱀류 로드킬을 조사, 분석하였다. 분석결과, 총 10종 155건의 로드킬이 발견되었는데, 그들 중 유혈목이(Rhabdophis tigrinus), 쇠살모사(Gloydius ussuriensis), 누룩뱀(Elaphe dione), 능구렁이(Dinodon rufozonatus), 살모사(Gloydius brevicaudus) 5종이 전체 로드킬의 90% 이상을 차지하고 있었다. 로드킬은 먹이를 찾아다닐 것으로 예상되는 뱀류가 그렇지 않은 뱀류보다 더 빈번하게 발생하였으며, 수컷의 비율이 암컷보다 높았고, 성체의 비율이 아성체보다 높았다. 계절적으로는 9월에 가장 높은 빈도를 보였다. 해발고도 상으로는 200-400m 사이에서, 도로 가장자리의 환경 특성으로는 산-도로-수계와 산-도로-농경지 환경에서 빈번하게 발생하였다. 이러한 결과는 국내 뱀류 로드킬의 경향을 파악하고, 해당 지역들에서 뱀류를 위한 로드킬 저감방안 수립 및 시행시 대상 지역 및 위치선정, 대상종의 선정 등에 활용될 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제54권2호
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• pp.155-161
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• 2016

Toxoplasma gondii is an important opportunistic pathogen that causes toxoplasmosis, which has very few therapeutic treatment options. The most effective therapy is a combination of pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine; however, their utility is limited because of drug toxicity and serious side effects. For these reasons, new drugs with lower toxicity are urgently needed. In this study, the compound, (Z)-1-[(5-nitrofuran-2-yl)methyleneamino]-imidazolidine-2,4-dione (nitrofurantoin), showed anti-T. gondii effects in vitro and in vivo. In HeLa cells, the selectivity of nitrofurantoin was 2.3, which was greater than that of pyrimethamine (0.9). In T. gondii-infected female ICR mice, the inhibition rate of T. gondii growth in the peritoneal cavity was 44.7% compared to the negative control group after 4-day treatment with 100 mg/kg of nitrofurantoin. In addition, hematology indicators showed that T. gondii infection-induced serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, biochemical parameters involved in liver injury, were reduced by nitrofurantoin significantly. Moreover, nitrofurantoin exerted significant effects on the index of antioxidant status, i.e., malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH). The nitrofurantoin-treated group inhibited the T. gondii-induced MDA levels while alleviating the decrease in GSH levels. Thus, nitrofurantoin is a potential anti-T. gondii candidate for clinical application.

• 한국환경과학회지
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.69-77
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• 2020

Oxidative degradation of phenol, three monochlorophenols (2-chlorophenol, 2-CP; 3-chlorophenol, 3-CP; 4-chlorophenol, 4-CP), four dichlorophenols (2,3-dichlorophenol, 2,3-DCP; 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,4-DCP; 2,5-dichlorophenol, 2,5-DCP; 2,6-dichlorophenol, 2,6-DCP), and two trichlorophenols (2,4,5-trichlorophenol, 2,4,5-TCP; 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, 2,4,6-TCP) was conducted with heat activated persulfate. As the number of chlorinations increased, the reaction rate also increased. The reaction rate was relatively well fitted to the zero-order kinetic model, rather than the pseudo-first order kinetic model for the reactions at 60 ℃, which can be explained by insufficient activation of the persulfate at 60 ℃, and the oxidation reaction of 2,4,6-TCP at 70 ℃ was relatively well fitted to the pseudo-first order kinetic model. The oxidation reaction rate generally increased with increase of persulfate concentration in the solution. 2,6-dichloro-2,5-cyclohexadiene-1,4-dione was found as a degradation product in a GC/MS analysis. This compound is a non-aromatic compound, and one chlorine was removed. This result is similar to the result of previous studies. The current study proved that heat activated persulfate activation could be an alternative remediation technology for phenol and chlorophenols in soil and groundwater.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.230-235
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• 2020

A pregnane steroid, 3α-hydroxy-pregn-7-ene-6,20-dione (1), was isolated from a Hydractinia-associated Cladosporium sphaerospermum SW67 by repetitive column chromatographic separation and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) purification. The planar structure of 1 was elucidated from the analysis of the spectroscopic data (1D and 2D NMR spectra) and LC-MS data. The absolute configuration of 1 was determined by interpretation of ROESY spectrum of 1, together with the comparison of reported spectroscopic values in previous studies. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the identification of the pregnane scaffold from C. sphaerospermum, a natural source. Compound 1 was evaluated for its effects on lipid metabolism and adipogenesis during adipocyte maturation and showed that compound 1 substantially inhibited lipid accumulation compared to the control. Consistently, the expression of the adipocyte marker gene (Adipsin) was reduced upon incubation with 1. Further, we evaluated the effects of 1 on lipid metabolism by measuring the transcription of lipolytic and lipogenic genes. The expression of the lipolytic gene ATGL was significantly elevated upon exposure to 1 during adipogenesis, whereas the expression of lipogenic genes FASN and SREBP1 was significantly reduced upon treatment with 1. Thus, our findings provide experimental evidence that the steroid derived from Hydractinia-associated C. sphaerospermum SW67 is a potential therapeutic agent for obesity.

• 동의신경정신과학회지
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.271-280
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• 2013

Objectives : The development of natural drugs with antidepressant effects is important and needed. This study was performed to investigate the antidepressant-like effects of the distilled water extract of Portulaca oleracea L. (POL) in a mouse model and to investigate the role of ${\alpha}$-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid (AMPA) receptors in producing these antidepressant-like effects. Methods : The forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) were used to investigate the behavioral anti-depressive-like effects of POL in mice. Additional behavioral experiments with 2,3-dihydroxy-6-nitro-7-sulfamoyl-benzo[f]quinoxaline-2,3-dione, an AMPA receptor antagonist, were undertaken to determine the involvement of the antidepressant-like properties of POL in AMPA receptor throughput. Results : Oral administration of the POL extract (100 mg/kg) 1 h prior to testing significantly reduced the immobility times in the FST and TST. The antidepressant-like effects of the POL extract were not increased in a dose-dependent manner. Pre-treatment with NBQX significantly attenuated the reduction in immobility time induced by the POL extract in the FST. Conclusions : The distilled water extract of POL has antidepressant-like effects, which may be related to AMPA receptor. Pre-treatment with NBQX significantly attenuates the reduction in immobility time induced by the POL extract in the FST.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제9권3호
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• pp.179-186
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• 2005

Whole bee venom (WBV) and its major component, melittin, have been reported to induce long-lasting spontaneous flinchings and hyperalgesia. The current study was designed to elucidate the peripheral and spinal mechanisms of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and non-NMDA receptors by which intraplantar (i.pl.) injection of WBV and melittin induced nociceptive responses. Changes in mechanical threshold and flinching behaviors were measured after the injection of WBV (0.04 mg or 0.1 mg/paw) and melittin (0.02 mg or 0.05 mg/paw) into the mid-plantar area of a rat hindpaw. MK-801 and CNQX (6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione disodium) were administered intrathecally (i.t. $10{\mu}g$) or i.pl.($15{\mu}g$) 15 min before or i.t. 60 min after i.pl. WBV and melittin injection. Intrathecal pre- and postadministration of MK-801 and CNQX significantly attenuated the ability of high dose WBV and melittin to reduce paw withdrawal threshold (PWT). In the rat injected with low dose, but not high dose, of WBV and melittin, i.pl. injection of MK-801 effectively suppressed the decrease of PWTs only at the later time-points, but the inhibitory effect of CNQX (i.pl.) was significant at all time-point after the injection of low dose melittin. High dose WBV- and melittin-induced spontaneous flinchings were significantly suppressed by i.t. administration of MK-801 and CNQX, and low dose WBV- and melittin-induced flinchings were significantly reduced only by intraplantarly administered CNQX, but not by MK-801. These experimental flinchings suggest that spinal, and partial peripheral mechanisms of NMDA and non-NMDA receptors are involved in the development and maintenance of WBV- and melittin-induced nociceptive responses.

• BMB Reports
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• 제46권11호
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• pp.533-538
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• 2013

The expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) produced by cancer cells has been associated with the high potential of metastasis in several human carcinomas, including breast cancer. Several pieces of evidence demonstrate that protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTP) have functions that promote cell migration and metastasis in breast cancer. We analyzed whether PTP inhibitor might control breast cancer invasion through MMP expression. Herein, we investigate the effect of 4-hydroxy- 3,3-dimethyl-2H benzo[g]indole-2,5(3H)-dione (BVT948), a novel PTP inhibitor, on 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced MMP-9 expression and cell invasion in MCF-7 cells. The expression of MMP-9 and cell invasion increased after TPA treatment, whereas TPA-induced MMP-9 expression and cell invasion were decreased by BVT948 pretreatment. Also, BVT948 suppressed NF-${\kappa}B$ activation in TPA-treated MCF-7 cells. However, BVT948 didn't block TPA-induced AP-1 activation in MCF-7 cells. Our results suggest that the PTP inhibitor blocks breast cancer invasion via suppression of the expression of MMP-9.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제49권4호
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• pp.445-448
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• 2011

A survey was performed to find out the intermediate hosts of Gnathostoma nipponicum in Jeju-do (Province), the Republic of Korea. In August 2009 and 2010, a total of 82 tadpoles, 23 black-spotted pond frogs (Rana nigromaculata), 7 tiger keelback snakes (Rhabdophis tigrinus tigrinus), 6 red-tongue viper snakes (Agkistrodon ussuriensis), and 2 cat snakes (Elaphe dione) were collected in Jeju-do and examined by the pepsin-HCl digestion method. Total 5 gnathostome larvae were detected in 3 (50%) of 6 A. ussuriensis, 70 larvae in 3 of 7 (42.9%) R. tigrinus tigrinus, and 2 larvae in 2 of 82 (8.7%) frogs. No gnathostome larvae were detected in tadpoles and cat snakes. The larvae detected were a single species, and $2.17{\times}0.22mm$ in average size. They had characteristic head bulbs, muscular esophagus, and 4 cervical sacs. Three rows of hooklets were arranged in the head bulbs, and the number of hooklets in each row was 29, 33, and 36 posteriorly. All these characters were consistent with the advanced third-stage larvae of G. nipponicum. It has been first confirmed in Jeju-do that R. nigromaculata, A. ussuriensis, and R. tigrinus tigrinus play a role for intermediate and/or paratenic hosts for G. nipponicum.

• 한국연초학회지
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.119-127
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• 1999

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of cigarette papers, flax and wood, on the delivery of mainstream smoke. The main components of cigarette papers were cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and pectin. Lignin contents, known as precursor of smoke's phenolic compounds, of the flax and wood cigarette papers were 5.8% and 10.6%, respectively. The pyrolysis products of cigarette papers were similar by the profile of total ion chromatogram. But, the area % of some components, such as 1,3-cyclopentanedione, 3,5- dimethyl cyclopentane-1,2-dione, 2-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-cyclopentenone, dihydro-2(3H)-furanone, 3-methyl-2(5H)-fruanone, and 5-methyl-2-furaldehyde delivered through pyrolysis of the flax cigarette paper were higher than that of wood cigarette paper. Otherwise, the area % of some components, such as 2-methyl-cyclopentene-l-one), 2,3-butanedione, 2-cyclopentene-l-one, and 5-hydroxy-2-methyl-furaldehyde, 2-furaldehyde delivered through pyrolvsis of the wood cigarette paper were higher than that of flax cigarette paper. To identify the difference between two cigarette papers, we used the cigarette column filled with the cut cigarette paper instead of the cut tobacco leaf. The amounts of semi-volatile fraction delivered from flax cigarette paper was more than that of wood cigarette paper. But, by using the cut tobacco, there was no big difference of delivery amount between flax and wood cigarette papers. Also, aroma of TPM by collecting from brening cut tobacco wrapped in flax and wood papers showed a different pattern by the electonic nose system. Although the difference between two cigarette papers by using the cut tobacco was smaller than that of cut cigarette paper, this result indicated that the fax and wood had the different effects on the delivery of smoke components as shown in the sensory test results.