• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.69-77
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• 2023

Purpose: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been many cases of converting regular hospital wards into temporary negative pressure isolation wards. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the minimum airflow differences that satisfies the pressure difference criteria(-2.5 Pa) according to airtightness of switching type wards, in preparation for utilization of aging regular wards as negative pressure isolation wards. Methods: Visual inspection and field measurements were conducted using blower door to evaluate airtightness of 5 hospital wards. CONTAM simulation was used to assess the airflow differences when pressure difference between the corridor and wards met the criteria at various levels of airtightness. Results: The ACH₅₀ of evaluated wards ranged from 19.3 to 50.1 h^-1 with an average of 37.0 h^-1, indicating more than four times leakier than other building types. The minimum airflow differences increased as the airtightness of the wards decreased and the size of the wards increased. Implications: When operating rapidly converted negative pressure isolation wards, understanding airtightness is crucial for determining the minimum airflow differences to maintain the pressure differences. The analysis of this study suggests that improving the airtightness of aging rooms is essential and the minimum airflow differences should be suggested considering both the airtightness and size of rooms.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.38-45
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• 2024

To compare and analyze the improvement effects of white ginseng extract, red ginseng extract, and black ginseng extract on cognitive dysfunction and memory impairment caused by scopolamine in rats. In the cognitive behavioral test, the tendency of the SCOP+B group to overcome the escape time delay induced by scopolamine administration was observed, unlike the SCOP group. The frequency on plat form was significantly increased in the group treated with ginseng extracts compared to the SCOP group. As a result of measuring the duration time on goal quadrant, the time spent in the quadrant was significantly increased in the SCOP+B group compared to the SCOP group. In the hippocampus, the SCOP-treated group significantly decreased the activity of AChE compared to the normal group, but the ginseng extract-treated groups significantly increased it compared to the SCOP group. After sacrificing the rats after the behavioral test, the expression of PSD95 protein in the excised brain was significantly decreased in the SCOP group compared to normal, but it was observed that the SCOP+R and SCOP+B groups were significantly increased compared to the SCOP group. CREB1 protein expression was significantly increased in the SCOP+R group, and the expression of Cdk5 was significantly increased in the SCOP+B group. Ginseng extracts significantly restored the memory damaged by scopolamine suggesting that red ginseng increased the expression of CREB1 and PSD95 proteins, and black ginseng increased the protein expression of Cdk5 and PSD95 to induce memory recovery.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.44-54
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• 2024

One of the serious modern environmental problems is pollution caused by highly toxic pesticides. Only small amounts of applied pesticides reach their target, and the rest ends up in soil and water. Chlorpyrifos is a toxic, broad-spectrum organophosphate insecticide. In humans, chlorpyrifos inhibits acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the peripheral and central nervous system, and particularly in children, small amounts of this pesticide cause neurotoxic damage. As the toxic effects of chlorpyrifos and its persistence in the environment require its removal from contaminated sites, it is essential to study the biological diversity of chlorpyrifos-degrading microorganisms. In this study, we sought to determine the chlorpyrifos-degrading ability of the bacterial strain Ochrobactrum intermedium PDB-3. This strain was isolated from soil contaminated with various pesticides and identified as PDB-3 based on morpho-cultural characteristics, MALDI-TOF MS, and 16S rRNA. Studies were conducted for 30 days in sterile soils containing initial concentrations of 50, 75, 100, and 125 mg/kg of chlorpyrifos. To determine the degradation of chlorpyrifos, a liquid culture of the strain was added to the soil at three optical densities: 0, and after 24 and 48 h (OD = 0.03, 0.2 and 0.32). Using GX-MS, we determined that chlorpyrifos was converted to 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP). We also found that with increasing optical density, rapid degradation of the initial concentration of chlorpyrifos occurred. Sterile soil without strain PDB-3 was used as a control sample.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.299-308
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• 2003

The purpose of this study is to investigate cadmium concentrations among metals in ETS (Environmental Tobacco Smoke) of indoor environments and to evaluate the cadmium as a marker of ETS. The correlations of cadmium concentrations and nicotine, 3-EP, RSP, SD (Smoking Density), and SI (Smoking Index). Air samples of metals, nicotine, 3-EP, and RSP were taken in smoking room, smoking allowed office, corridor outside smoking room, and non-smoking office respectively. The SD, ACH, and SI were investigated during sampling. Airborne concentration of cadmium known as human carcinogen were qualified and quantified. The SD was 0.2 to $2.6cig/m^2{\cdot}hr$, and the mean value of SD in smoking rooms was $1.2cig/m^2{\cdot}hr$ that is higher than other researches. The mean of ACH in smoking rooms was 11.1. The concentrations of cadmium showed log-normal distributions and the geometric mean concentrations of cadmium in smoking rooms, corridor outside smoking rooms, smoking allowed offices, and non-smoking offices were $0.045{\mu}g/m^3$, $0.018{\mu}g/m^3$, $0.021{\mu}g/m^3$, and $0.017{\mu}g/m^3$ respectively. The concentrations of cadmium in smoking room showed significant difference according to category of indoor office environments (p<0.05) and showed compliance with occupational exposure limits. The correlation coefficients between cadmium and nicotine, 3-EP, and RSP were 0.53, 0.41, 0.43 respectively. The cadmium among metals showed the highest correlations (r=0.63) with SI. It was recommended cadmium among metals is a good indicator for ETS.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.137-143
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• 1994

Enhancement or diminution of leukocyte migration to the specific site might be important factors for the development of inflammatory diseases. To investigate the effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on chemotaxis of neutrophil, we obtained neutrophils by Hypaque-Ficoll step gradient centrifugation and tested the effects of seven drugs on the n-formyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP)-induced migration of neutrophil using a 48-well micro chemotaxis assembly. Oxyphenbutazone, phenylbutazone, sulindac, zomepirac, and ibuprofen suppressed the migration of neutrophil at the therapeutic concentrations, however, indomethacin showed stimulation effect. IC50s for inhibition of neutrophil migration by these drugs are less than 100uM. When drugs were preincubated with FMLP, no inhibition on migration of neutrophil was observed. These results indicated that inhibitory effects of these drugs on migration of neutrophil might be related to the receptor sites of neutrophil rather than molecular inactivation of chemoattractant (FMLP). In conclusion, we suggested that the property of inhibition effects on neutrophil migration of several NSAIDs might be another mode of pharmacological action for anti-iflammatory effect, which showed significant effects at concentrations below therapeutic levels, in addition to cyclooxygenase inhibition.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.273-289
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• 1994

Reversible brain ischemia was produced by occluding both common carotid arteries for 5 min, and the effects of aminoguanidine (AG), $DL-{\alpha}-difluoromethylornithine$ (DFMO), MK-801, and nimodipine (NM) on the ischemia induced changes of the polyamine, glutamate and acetylcholine levels in the hippocampus CA1 subfield and the specific $[^3H]\;MK-801$ binding to the hippocampus synaptosomal membranes were studied with a histological reference of the cresyl violet stained hippocampus. The basal putrescine level $(PT:\;74.4{\pm}8.8\;nM)$ showed a rapid increase (up to 1.7 fold) for 5 min of ischemia, remained significantly increased for 6 h, and then resumed the further increase to amount gradually up to about 3 fold 96 h after recirculation. However, the level of spermidine was little changed, and the spermine level showed a transient increase during ischemia followed by a sustained decrease to about 40% of the preischemic level after recirculation. The increase of PT level induced by brain ischemia was enhanced with AG or MK-801, but it was reduced by DFMO or NM. The basal glutamate level $(GT:\;0.90{\pm}0.l4\;{\mu}M)$ rapidly increased to a peak level of $8.19{\pm}1.14\;{\mu}M$ within 5 min after onset of the ischemia and then decreased to the preischemic level in about 25 min after recirculation. And NM reduced the ischemia induced increase of GT level by about 25%, but AG, DFMO and MK-801 did not affect the GT increase. The basal acetylcholine level $(ACh:\;118.0{\pm}10.5\;{\mu}M)$ did little change during/after brain ischemia and was little affected by AG or NM. But DFMO and MK-801, respectively, produced the moderate decrease of ACh level. The specific $[^3H]\;MK-801$ binding to the hippocampus synaptosomal membrane was little affected by brain ischemia for 5 min. The control value (78.9 fmole/mg protein) was moderately decreased by AG and MK-801, respectively but was little changed by DFMO or NM. The microscopic findings of the brains extirpated on day 7 after ischemia showed severe neuronal damage of the hippocampus, particularly CA1 subfield. NM and AG moderately attenuated the delayed neuronal damage, and DFMO, on the contrary, aggravated the ischemia induced damage. However, MK-801 did not protect the hippocampus from ischemic damage. These results suggest that unlike to the mode of anti-ischemic action of NM, AG might protect the hippocampus from ischemic injury as being negatively regulatory on the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor function in the hippocampus.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.299-311
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• 1994

The present study was attempted to investigate whether pentazocine, which is known to possess both opioid agonistic and antagonistic properties, produces catecholamines (CA) secretion from the isolated perfused rat adrenal gland, and to establish the mechanism of its action, and also to compare its action with that of some opioids. Pentazocine (30 to 300 ug) injected into an adrenal vein caused a dose-dependent secretory response of CA from the rat adrenal medulla. The pentazocine-evoked secretion of CA was remarkably diminished by the preloading with chlorisondamine $(10^{-6}\;M)$, naloxone $(1.22{\times}10^{-7}\;M)$, morphine $(1.7{\times}10^{-5}\;M)$, met-enkephalin $(9.68{\times}10^{-6}\;M)$, nicardipine $(10^{-6}\;M)$ and TMB-8 $(10^{-5}\;M)$ while was not influenced by the pretreatment of pirenzepine $(2{\times}10^{-6}\;M)$. The perfusion of $Ca^{++}$-free Krebs solution for 30 min into the gland also led to the marked reduction in CA secretion evoked by pentazocine. Furthermore, the CA release evoked by ACh and/or DMPP was greatly inhibited by the pretreatment with pentazocine $(1.75{\times}10^{-4}\;M)$ for 20 min. From these experimental results, it is thought that pentazocine causes markedly the increased secretion of CA from the isolated perfused rat adrenal medulla by a calcium-dependent exocytotic mechanism. The secretory effect of pentazocine appears to be mediated through activation of opioid receptors located on adrenal chromaffin cells, which may be also associated with stimulation of cholinergic nicotinic receptors.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.123-127
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• 1987

The Pungent principles and Essential oil compositions of Zanthoxylum piperitum $D_E$ $C_{ANDOLIE}$(peel, barb) were analysed by HPLC and GC, respectively. Total Pungent principle contents of peels were about as 12 times as those of barks. The Sanshool I, Sanshool IV, Sanshool III and Sanshoo V were the major Pungent principles in the peels and barks. Besides, several Unknown Pungent principles were discovered in the peels and barks, too. Total Essential oil contents of peels were higher than those of barks at the ratio of 1.8 % to 0.5%. The Cineol+Limonene(37.7%) were the main Essential oil compositions in the peels, while ${\alpha}-Terpineol(16.5%)$ and Pinene(15.5%) were the major portion in the barks. The Essential oil of peels and barks were composed Pinen, Myrcene, Cineol+Limonene, Linalool, Isopulegol, Terpinen-4-ol, ${\alpha}-Terpineol$ and Piperitone. Besides, seven Unknown compositions were discovered, too.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.409-427
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• 1998

Insamjungchuntang has been used in Korea for many centuries as a treatment for respiratory disease. The effect of Insamjungchuntang on tracheal smooth muscle is not known. The purpose of the present study is to determine the effect of Insamjungchuntang on histamine and acetylcholine induced tracheal smooth muscle contraction in rats and guinea pigs. Guinea pig (500 g, male) and Sprague Dawley rats (200 g, male) were killed by $CO_2$ exposure and a segment (8-10 mm) of the thoracic trachea from each rat and guinea pig was cut into equal segments and mounted 'in pairs' in a tissue bath. Contractile force was measured with force displacement transducers under 0.5 g loading tension. The dose of histamine (His) and acetylcholine (Ach) which evoked 50% of maximal response $(ED_{50})$ was obtained from cumulative dose response curves for histamine and acetylcholine$(10^{-7}{\sim}10^{-4}\;M)$. Contractions evoked by His ($ED_{50}$) and Ach $(ED_{50})$ were inhibited significantly by Insamjungchuntang. In guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle, the mean percent inhibition of acetylcholine induced contraction was $38.58\(p<0.05)\;after\;10{\mu}l/ml$ Insamjungchuntang, $90.75\(p<0.01)\;after\;30{\mu}l/ml$. Insamjungchuntang and $133.17\(p<0.01)\;after\;100{\mu}l/ml$ Insamjungchuntang. In rat tracheal smooth muscle, the mean percent inhibition of acetylcholine induced contraction was $10.0\(p<0.05)\;after\;10{\mu}l/ml$ Insamjungchuntang, $80.71\(p<0.01)\;after\;30{\mu}/ml$ Insamjungchuntang and $118.29\(p<0.01)\;after\;100{\mu}l/ml$ Insamjungchuntang. Also, in guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle, the mean percent inhibition of histamine induced contraction was $45.5\(p<0.01)\;after\;10{\mu}l/ml$ lnsamjungchuntang, and $93.17\(p<0.01)\;after\;30{\mu}l/ml$. lnsamjungchuntang $134.50\(p<0.01)\;after\;100{\mu}l/ml$ Insamjungchuntang. In rat tracheal smooth muscle, the mean percent inhibition of histamine induced contraction was $37.83\(p<0.01)\;after\;10{\mu}l/ml$ lnsamjungchuntang, $90.5\(p<0.01)\;after\;30{\mu}l/ml$ Insamjungchuntang and $135.17\(p<0.01)\;after\;100{\mu}l/ml$ Insamjungchuntang. Propranolol $(10^{-7}\;M)$ slightly but significantly attenuated the inhibitory effects of Insamjungchuntang. Following treatment with propranolol, the mean percent inhibition caused by $100{\mu}l/ml$. Insamjungchuntang fell to 46.42% in guinea pig induced by acetylcholine contraction and by $100{\mu}l/ml$ Insamjungchuntang fell to 5.43% (p<0.05) in rat induced by acetylcholine contraction and the mean percent inhibition caused by $100{\mu}l/ml$ Insamjungchuntang fell to 49.0% in guinea pig induced by histamine contraction and by $100{\mu}l/ml$ Insamjungchuntang fell to 48.6% (p<0.05) in rat induced by histamine contraction. Indomethacin and methylene blue $(10^{-7}\;M)$ did not significantly alter the inhibitory effect of lnsamjungchuntang. Also, I could find the effects of lnsamjungchuntang and Insamjungchuntanggamorphine on the tracheal smooth muscle in guinea pig and rat did not change significantly. These results indicate that Insamjungchuntang can relax histamine and acetylcholine-induced contraction of guinea pig and rat tracheal smooth muscle, and that this inhibition involves sympathetic effects.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.389-396
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• 2014

The physiological properties of 70% ethanol extracts from Portulaca oleracea with different extraction methods (reflux extraction, RE; autoclave extraction, AE; low temperature high pressure extraction, LTPE) were investigated. The freeze-dried powder yields of RE, AE, and LTPE were 33.78%, 30.80%, and 11.05%, respectively. The color values of L and b were higher in LTPE, and the chroma values were higher in AE and LTPE compared to RE. The total polyphenolics and proanthocyanidin contents in LTPE were significantly higher than in other extracts. The amount of substances related to flavonoids contents was highest in RE (4.30 mg/g), followed by AE (4.06 mg/g), and LTPE (4.00 mg/g). DPPH radical scavenging ability with a concentration of 500 mg% (w/v) were in the following order; LTPE (88.87%)> RE (83.84%)> AE (80.67%). Further, the reducing power, ABTS radical scavenging ability, and nitrite scavenging activity was observed in the same tendency as seen with the DPPH radical scavenging ability. However, the ferrous ion chelating activity of RE (85.45%) and AE (83.88%) was significantly higher than that of LTPE (75.60%). ${\alpha}$-Glucosidase inhibitory activities of RE and LTPE with a concentration of 100 mg% were significantly higher than AE. Xanthine oxidase, and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities of LTPE were higher than the other extracts. These results suggest that the extracts from Portulaca oleracea have the potential to act as functional materials, and components of Portulaca oleracea could be effective in the prevention of Alzheimer's disease, and may be used to develop various functional food products.