• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.145-153
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• 2013

Objectives : Neuroinflammation is characterized by microglial activation and the expression of major inflammatory mediators. The present study investigated the inhibitory effect of ginsenoside Rg1 ($GRg_1$), a principle active ingredient in Panax ginseng, on pro-inflammatory cytokines and microglial activation induced by systemic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment in the mouse brain tissue. Methods : Varying doses of $GRg_1$ was orally administered (10, 20, and 30 mg/kg) 1 h before the LPS injection (3 mg/kg, intraperitoneally). The mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the brain tissue was measured using the quantitative real-time PCR method at 4 h after the LPS injection, Microglial activation was evaluated using western blotting and immunohistochemistry against ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1) in the brain tissue. Cyclooxigenase-2 (COX-2) expressions also observed using western blotting and immunohistochemistry at 4 h after the LPS injection, In addition, double-immunofluorescent labeling of tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) and COX-2 with microglia and neurons was processed in the brain tissue. Results : $GRg_1$ (30 mg/kg) significantly attenuated the upregulation of TNF-${\alpha}$, interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6 mRNA in the brain tissue at 4 h after LPS injection. Morphological activation and Iba1 protein expression of microglia induced by systemic LPS injection were reduced by the $GRg_1$ (30 mg/kg) treatment. Upregulation of COX-2 protein expression in the brain tissue was also attenuated by the $GRg_1$ (30 mg/kg) treatment. Conclusion : The results suggest that $GRg_1$ is effective in the early stage of neuroinflammation which causes neurodegenerative diseases.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.56-64
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• 2024

Biased signaling or functional selectivity refers to the ability of an agonist or receptor to selectively activate a subset of transducers such as G protein and arrestin in the case of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Although signaling through arrestin has been reported from various GPCRs, only a few studies have examined side-by-side how it differs from signaling via G protein. In this study, two signaling pathways were compared using dopamine D₂ receptor (D₂R) mutants engineered via the evolutionary tracer method to selectively transduce signals through G protein or arrestin (D₂G and D₂Arr, respectively). D₂G mediated the inhibition of cAMP production and ERK activation in the cytoplasm. D₂Arr, in contrast, mediated receptor endocytosis accompanied by arrestin ubiquitination and ERK activation in the nucleus as well as in the cytoplasm. D₂Arr-mediated ERK activation occurred in a manner dependent on arrestin3 but not arrestin2, accompanied by the nuclear translocation of arrestin3 via importin1. D₂R-mediated ERK activation, which occurred in both the cytosol and nucleus, was limited to the cytosol when cellular arrestin3 was depleted. This finding supports the results obtained with D₂Arr and D₂G. Taken together, these observations indicate that biased signal transduction pathways activate distinct downstream mechanisms and that the subcellular regions in which they occur could be different when the same effectors are involved. These findings broaden our understanding on the relation between biased receptors and the corresponding downstream signaling, which is critical for elucidating the functional roles of biased pathways.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.95-101
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• 1997

Using aluminum powder with average particle size of 22.1 $\mu$m, aluminum compact made by Pressureless Powder Packing Method showed 52% green density. The activation energy of aluminum oxidation was cal-culated from the weight change of TG, and it was varied in the range of 16~64 kJ/mol. It was found from the variation of the activation energy and the observation of the microstructure that oxidation was de-pendent on the destruction of oxide film and the melt-out of aluminum. Aluminum compact was reaction-bonded at 1000~140$0^{\circ}C$ for 4~60hrs, and oxidation was dependent on temperature rather than time. Reac-tion-bonded aluminum oxide at 140$0^{\circ}C$ for 60hrs showed 92% oxidation percent. It was sintered at 1$600^{\circ}C$ for 15hrs and the sintered body showed 62% relative density.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 2000

Upon the Preparation of activated carbon fiber(ACF) using chemical activation method and vapour activation method, the fiber obtained from the vapour activation method shows excellent surface Properties. The preparation of antibacterial activated carbon fiber was tried to open the new areas in application of carbon materials. The BET specific surface area and the average pore radius of the antibacterial ACFs were in the range of 844.27~1575.6 $cm^2$/g and 10.6~12.9 (equation omitted), respectively. From the adsorption studies on the antibacterial ACFs, typical Type I isotherms were obtained. And, from the SEM morphology results, it was observed that the surface of ACFs was partially coated by antibacterial materials after the treatment. Finally, from the antibacterial effects of antibacteral ACFs against E. coli, excellent antibacterial activity was shown. Concerning the above results, antibacterial ACFs can have wide application in the areas of sterilization, anti-fragrant. anti-insects.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.302-306
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• 2009

A trace amount of boron in steel significantly influences its mechanical and physical properties. A prompt gamma ray activation analysis (PGAA) method is used to measure boron in low alloy steel samples of KRISS 101-01-C21~C26. NIST SRMs of 362, 364, 1761 and 1767 serve as the control standards to validate the measurement method. The measured values of the NIST SRMs are consistent with their certified values within the expected uncertainties, except for that of NIST SRM 362. Experimental uncertainties are evaluated according to the guidelines given by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The expanded uncertainties are calculated with a coverage factor of 2, at approximately 95% confidence level. The calculated relative expanded uncertainties of boron mass fractions are between 3% and 7% at the mg/kg level. The results are compared with the results measured by the solvent extraction-inductively coupled optical emission spectrometry (ICP/OES) method.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 1995.11a
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• pp.135-138
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• 1995

This paper presents a method to calculate the escape frequency factor and its verification from TSC(Thermally Stimulated Current) equation and cures. To apply calculation method of ν using asymptotic estimation, it utilized two sets of TSC data with 1K interval. This method enables one to get the exact value of ν and activation energy at the same time by using computer programming. So, it regards their calculation method as a useful process to obtain the value of physical behavior.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.963-975
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• 1996

The purpose of this study was to call attention to the mental, physical and occupational hazards of the anticancer-drug-handling nurses by examining the possible urinary mutagenicity and measuring physical symptoms and stress level of the nurses exposed to anticancer drugs. The experimental group of the urinary mutagenicity assay was 14 nurses handling anticancer drugs at the medical wards of a hospital located in J city ; the control group was 12 psychiatric nurses of the same hospital. The test material was the nurses' 24hrs urine, which was concentrated by XAD-2 column chromatography. Tester strains were TA98(±S9 mix), TA100(±S9 mix), TA1535(±S9 mix) and TA1537(±S9 mix) ; Salmonella mammalian-microsomal test(Ames test) was employed for the urinary mutagenicity assay. The physical symptoms of which the nurses experienced were investigated through self-reports on open-questionnaires. The stress levels of the experimental group were measured by a stress measuring instrument developed by this author. Reliability of this instrument was found to be adequate (Cronbach's Alpha=0.9079). To ascertain the urinary mutagenicity of the experimental group, the mean and the standard deviation of the colonies of Tester strains appearing on the minimal plates were taken and compared differences between two groups. T-test was employed for the significance test of two groups. The physical symptoms were compared between the two groups through the analysis of the nurse' self-reports. The mean and standard deviation of the stress levels of the experimental group were also calculated and were examined through t-test. The results were summarized as follows : 1. The experimental group revealed significantly higher urinary mutagenicity both in the activation method test and the non-activation method test of the tester strains TA98, TA100 and TA1535. In the case of TA1537, two groups showed no difference in the non-activation method test, but the activation method revealed difference. 2. The physical symptoms were also much more frequently reported in the experimental group. 79.3% of the experimental group reported more than 1 kind of physical symptoms. On the other hand, 33.2% of the control group complained of 1 kind of physical symptom. The items with high symptom frequency were 'headache', 'itching sensation', 'corneal congestion', 'skin allergy' 3. The mean score of stress in the experimental group was 2.41(range 1-4). The experimental group showed the stress level above 2.0 in the 14 of 15 items in all. The highest stress level were recorded in the following items in the order quoted, 'I fear that anticancer drug may touch any part of body while handling it.', 'I feel concerned there is no protective countermeasure against anticancer drug handling.', 'I am afraid the anticancer drug handling may produce a fetal loss in the future'.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.245-252
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• 2002

This study was to evaluate the in vitro survival of bovine enucleated MII (eMII) oocytes according to minimum volume cooling (MVC) freezing method and activation timing, and their in vitro development after somatic cell nuclear transfer (SONT). in vitro matured bovine oocytes for 20 h were stained with 5 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ Hoechst, and their 1st polar body and MII plate were removed by enucleation micropipette under UV filter. Also, eMII oocytes were subjected to activation after (group II) and before (group III) vitrification in 5 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ ionomycin added CRlaa medium for 5 min. For vitrification, eMll oocytes were pretreated with EG10 for 5 min, exposed to EG30 for 30 sec and then directly plunged into L$N_2$. Thawing was taken by 4-step procedures at 37$^{\circ}C$. Survived eMII oocytes were subjected to SONT with cultured adult bovine ear cells. Reconstructed oocytes were cultured in 10 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ of cycloheximide and 2.5 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ of cytochalasin D added CRlaa medium for 1 h, and then in 10 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ of cycloheximide added CRlaa medium for 4 h. Subsequently, the reconstructed oocytes were incubated for 2 days and cleaved embryos were further cultured on cumulus-cell monolayer drop in CRlaa medium for 6 days. Survival rates of bovine vitrified-thawed eMII oocytes in group II (activation after vitrification and thawing) and III (activation before vitrification) were 81.0% and 84.9%, respectively. Fusion rates of cytoplasts and oocytes in group II and III were 69.0% and 70.0%, respectively, and their results were not different with non-frozen NT group (control, 75.2%). Although their cleaved rates (53.4% and 58.4%) were not different, cytoplasmic fragment rate in group II (32.8%) was significantly higher than that in group III (15.6%)(P<0.05). Also, subsequent development rate into >morula in group II (8.6%) was low than that in group III(15.6%). However, in vitro development rate in group III was not different with that in control (24.8%). This result suggested that MVC method was appropriate freezing method for the bovine eMII oocytes and vitrified eMII oocytes after pre-activation could support in vitro embryonic development after SONT as equally well as fresh oocytes.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.48-54
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• 2021

Purpose In ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT, the absorption of ¹⁸F-FDG due to the activation of Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT) greatly interferes with the discrimination of lymph node malignant metastasis. Warming the patient's body temperature before and after injection of ¹⁸F-FDG to prevent FDG absorption by BAT is a safe and non-pharmacological approach. The purpose of this study was to identify and select patients with a high potential for BAT activation in advance, and to investigate whether BAT can inhibit FDG absorption when the body temperature is raised for a short time by directly applying heat to the target patient. Materials and Methods Among the patients who underwent ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT at the National Cancer Center from January 2020 to December 2020, 825 female patients (415 in the thermal group, 410 in the non-thermal group) under 50 years old were included. The thermal group was administered heat for 10 minutes before injection of ¹⁸F-FDG. For statistical analysis, the Z test comparing the ratios between the two groups was used, and logistic regression analysis was performed to correct for important variables (BMI, outdoor temperature, blood sugar) according to the results of the previous retrospective study. Results Among 825 patients, 19 patients with BAT activated (Thermal group: 5(1.2%), Non-thermal group: 14(3.41%)) accounted for 2.3% of the total. As a result of performing the Z test to compare the ratios between the two groups, the activation of BAT in the thermal group was significantly decreased (P=0.034). In the univariate logistic regression analysis, the activation of BAT was also decreased in the thermal group (OR: 0.34, P<0.05). In the multivariate results, BAT activation increased in patients younger than 45 years old (OR: 4.46, P<0.05) and outdoor temperature less than 13.2 degrees (OR: 9.97, P<0.05). BAT activation tended to decrease in the thermal group, but there was no significant difference (OR: 0.37, P=0.066). Conclusion We confirmed that the activation of BAT tends to decrease by 62.5% in the group subjected to the thermal method, and it will be of great help in preventing FDG absorption of BAT more effectively in the future.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.45-52
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• 1999

In this raper, an enhanced learning method is proposed for improving the learning speed of the error back propagation learning algorithm. In order to cope with the premature saturation phenomenon at the initial learning stage, a variation scheme of active functions is introduced by using higher order functions, which does not need much increase of computation load. It naturally changes the learning rate of inter-connection weights to a large value as the derivative of sigmoid function abnormally decrease to a small value during the learning epoch. Also, we suggest the hybrid learning method incorporated the proposed method with the momentum training algorithm. Computer simulation results show that the proposed learning algorithm outperforms the conventional methods such as momentum and delta-bar-delta algorithms.