• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.25-33
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• 2022

Purpose: The scoring system for traumatic liver injury (SSTLI) was developed in 2015 to predict mortality in patients with polytraumatic liver injury. This study aimed to validate the SSTLI as a prognostic factor in patients with polytrauma and liver injury through a generalized estimating equation analysis. Methods: The medical records of 521 patients with traumatic liver injury from January 2015 to December 2019 were reviewed. The primary outcome variable was in-hospital mortality. All the risk factors were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. The SSTLI has five clinical measures (age, Injury Severity Score, serum total bilirubin level, prothrombin time, and creatinine level) chosen based on their predictive power. Each measure is scored as 0-1 (age and Injury Severity Score) or 0-3 (serum total bilirubin level, prothrombin time, and creatinine level). The SSTLI score corresponds to the total points for each item (0-11 points). Results: The areas under the curve of the SSTLI to predict mortality on post-traumatic days 0, 1, 3, and 5 were 0.736, 0.783, 0.830, and 0.824, respectively. A very good to excellent positive correlation was observed between the probability of mortality and the SSTLI score (γ=0.997, P<0.001). A value of 5 points was used as the threshold to distinguish low-risk (<5) from high-risk (≥5) patients. Multivariate analysis using the generalized estimating equation in the logistic regression model indicated that the SSTLI score was an independent predictor of mortality (odds ratio, 1.027; 95% confidence interval, 1.018-1.036; P<0.001). Conclusions: The SSTLI was verified to predict mortality in patients with polytrauma and liver injury. A score of ≥5 on the SSTLI indicated a high-risk of post-traumatic mortality.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.67-76
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• 2023

Under constant environmental pollution, the incidence of Atopic Dermatitis (AD) caused by air pollutants and allergens has increased. AD is an allergy inflammatory skin disease characterized by pruritus, eczema, and skin dryness. In herbal medicine, Anemarrhena asphodeloides (Anemarrhenae Rhizoma; AR) has been utilized to treat Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, hypertension, and inflammation. The purpose of study evaluated the effect of AR in a mouse model of 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced AD-like skin lesions. After acclimatization for 5 days, the mice (6-week-old, male Balb/c) were divided into five groups (n=6/group): NC (normal control), DNCB (control), Dex (5 mg·kg-1, p.o.), AR100 (100 mg·kg-1, p.o.), and AR300 (300 mg·kg-1, p.o.). On days 1 and 3, 1% DNCB was applied to the skin and ears. After 4 days, 0.5% DNCB was applied once every 2 days for 2 weeks. Then, skin and ears eczema area and severity index (EASI); skin nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels; and plasma immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels were examined. The AR groups showed lower EASI, skin and ear thickness, mast cell count, and IgE levels than the control groups. Moreover, AR reduced iNOS, COX-2, and PGE2 levels. Therefore, AR possesses anti-inflammatory properties and can improve skin damage, indicating its therapeutic potential against AD.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.10-18
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• 2023

Objective : The 18-item Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R) is widely employed to assess symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, this instrument's factor structure does not align with contemporary dimensional models of OCD. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine psychometric properties of the 12-item Korean OCI (OCI-12) on four obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions, in patients with OCD. Methods : A total of 157 patients with OCD and 51 healthy controls completed psychological measures, including the OCI-R, Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS), and scales evaluating anxiety and depressive symptoms. Pychometric characteristics of the OCI-12 with three neutralizing and three hoarding items eliminated from the OCI-R, were analyzed. Results : All OCI-12 items registered excellent internal consistency at 0.83. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed strong association between individual items and their proposed latent factors (i.e., subscales). Convergent validity was appropriate. A high correlation was particularly observed for the DOCS score (r=0.71, p<0 .001). Moreover, the OCI-12 was as sensitive as the OCI-R for determining effects of empirically supported treatment for OCD. Conclusion : The OCI-12 is a 12-item measure that adheres to the prevailing 4-factor model of OCD dimensions. Like OCI-R, it possesses good to excellent psychometric properties, including reliability, validity, and sensitivity to treatment.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.237-245
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• 2023

Background: Ginsenoside Rg2 (Rg2) has a variety of pharmacological activities and provides benefits during inflammation, cancer, and other diseases. However, there are no reports about the relationship between Rg2 and atherosclerosis. Methods: We used 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) to detect the cell viability of Rg2 in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The expression of inflammatory factors in HUVECs and the expression of phenotypic transformation-related marker in VSMCs were detected at mRNA levels. Western blot method was used to detect the expression of inflammation pathways and the expression of phenotypic transformation at the protein levels. The rat carotid balloon injury model was performed to explore the effect of Rg2 on inflammation and phenotypic transformation in vivo. Results: Rg2 decreased the expression of inflammatory factors induced by lipopolysaccharide in HUVECs-without affecting cell viability. These events depend on the blocking regulation of NF-κB and p-ERK signaling pathway. In VSMCs, Rg2 can inhibit the proliferation, migration, and phenotypic transformation of VSMCs induced by platelet derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB)-which may contribute to its anti-atherosclerotic role. In rats with carotid balloon injury, Rg2 can reduce intimal proliferation after injury, regulate the inflammatory pathway to reduce inflammatory response, and also suppress the phenotypic transformation of VSMCs. Conclusion: These results suggest that Rg2 can exert its anti-atherosclerotic effect at the cellular level and animal level, which provides a more sufficient basis for ginseng as a functional dietary regulator.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.417-424
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• 2023

Parkinson's disease (PD) which has various pathological mechanisms, recently, it is attracting attention to the mechanism via microbiome-gut-brain axis. 6-Shogaol, a representative compound of ginger, have been known for improving PD phenotypes by reducing neuroinflammatory responses. In the present study, we investigated whether 6-shogaol and ginger attenuate degeneration induced by Proteus mirabilis (P. mirabilis) on the intestine and brain, simultaneously. C57BL/6J mice received P. mirabilis for 5 days. Ginger (300 mg/kg) and 6-shogaol (10 mg/kg) were treated by gavage feeding for 22 days including the period of P. mirabilis treatment. Results showed that 6-shogaol and ginger improved motor dysfunction and dopaminergic neuronal death induced by P. mirabilis treatment. In addition, they suppressed P. mirabilis-induced intestinal barrier disruption, pro-inflammatory signals such as toll-like receptor and TNF-α, and intestinal α-synuclein aggregation. Moreover, ginger and 6-shogaol significantly inhibited neuroinflammation and α-synuclein in the brain. Taken together, 6-shogaol and ginger have the potential to ameliorate PD-like motor behavior and degeneration of dopaminergic neurons induced by P. mirabilis in mice. Here, these findings are meaningful in that they provide the first experimental evidence that 6-shogaol might attenuate PD via regulating gut-brain axis.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.29.1-29.10
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• 2022

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the anti-erosive/abrasive effect of resin infiltration of previous deproteinized dentin. Materials and Methods: Dentin slabs were randomly assigned to 3 groups (n = 15): Control (no deproteinization; no resin infiltrant applied), RI (no deproteinization; resin infiltrant applied), and DRI (deproteinization; resin infiltrant applied). After undergoing the assigned treatment, all slabs were subjected to an in vitro cycling model for 5 days. The specimens were immersed in citric acid (0.05 M, pH = 3.75; 60 seconds; 3 times/day) and brushed (150 strokes). Between the challenges, the specimens were exposed to a remineralizing solution (60 minutes). The morphological alterations were analyzed by mechanical profilometry (㎛) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Data were submitted to one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey tests (p < 0.05). Results: Control and RI groups presented mineral wear and did not significantly differ from each other (p = 0.063). DRI maintained a protective layer preserving the dentin (p < 0.001). After erosive/abrasive cycles, it was observed that in group RI, only 25% of the slabs partially evidenced the presence of the infiltrating, while, in the DRI group, 80% of the slabs presented the treated surface entirely covered by a resin-component layer protecting the dentin surface as observed in SEM images. Conclusions: The removal of the organic content allows the resin infiltrant to efficiently protect the dentin surface against erosive/abrasive lesions.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.392-403
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• 2023

This study presents a new hybrid fNIRS-EEG system to meet the demand for a lightweight and low-cost sleep pattern monitoring device. For multiple-channel configuration, a six-channel electroencephalogram (EEG) and a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) system with eight photodiodes (PD) and four dual-wavelength LEDs are designed. To enhance the convenience of signal measurement, the device is miniaturized into a patch-like form, enabling simultaneous measurement on the forehead. Due to its fully integrated functionality, the developed system is advantageous for performing sleep stage classification with high-temporal and spatial resolution data. This can be realized by utilizing a two-dimensional (2D) brain activation map based on the concentration changes in oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin during sleep stage transitions. For the system verification, the phantom model with known optical properties was tested at first, and then the sleep experiment for a human subject was conducted. The experimental results show that the developed system qualifies as a portable hybrid fNIRS-EEG sleep pattern monitoring device.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.436-444
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• 2023

To produce an intestinal immunomodulatory beverage containing Centella asiatica extract (CAE), three types of CAE-added beverage prototypes were prepared, and their immunomodulatory activities and marker compounds were analyzed. As a result of the cytotoxicity assessment, all the beverages did not show significant toxicity compared to the control group. Next, the immunomodulatory activities of the beverage prototype were evaluated using the inflammatory model of IL-1β-induced intestinal epithelial cell line. All the samples significantly reduced the production of IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1 in a CAE concentration-dependent manner. In addition, CAE-added beverages inhibited NO, IL-6, and IL-12 production in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. When the major triterpenoids, as marker compounds for the production of CAE-added beverages, were analyzed by HPLC-DAD, only asiaticoside was detected beyond the limit of quantification, while madecassoside, madecassic acid, and asiatic acid were not detected. The amounts of asiaticoside in CAE-added beverage prototypes were confirmed in No. 1 (19.39 ㎍/mL), 2 (19.25 ㎍/mL), and 3 (19.98 ㎍/mL). In conclusion, the results of this study suggested that CAE-added beverage prototypes induced immunomodulatory effects in the intestinal inflammatory cell line models and asiaticoside could be used as a marker compound for CAE-added beverage production.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.40.1-40.14
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• 2023

Glucocorticoids suppress the vascular inflammation that occurs under hypercholesterolemia, as demonstrated in an animal model fed a high-cholesterol diet. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these beneficial effects remain poorly understood. Because cholesterol is oxidized to form cholesterol oxides (oxysterols) that are capable of inducing inflammation, we investigated whether glucocorticoids affect the immune responses evoked by 7α-hydroxycholesterol (7αOHChol). The treatment of human THP-1 monocytic cells with dexamethasone (Dex) and prednisolone (Pdn) downregulated the expression of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), such as TLR6 and CD14, and diminished 7αOHChol-enhanced response to FSL-1, a TLR2/6 ligand, and lipopolysaccharide, which interacts with CD14 to initiate immune responses, as determined by the reduced secretion of IL-23 and CCL2, respectively. Glucocorticoids weakened the 7αOHChol-induced production of CCL2 and CCR5 ligands, which was accompanied by decreased migration of monocytic cells and CCR5-expressing Jurkat T cells. Treatment with Dex or Pdn also reduced the phosphorylation of the Akt-1 Src, ERK1/2, and p65 subunits. These results indicate that both Dex and Pdn impair the expression of PRRs and their downstream products, chemokine production, and phosphorylation of signaling molecules. Collectively, glucocorticoids suppress the innate immune response and activation of monocytic cells to an inflammatory phenotype enhanced or induced by 7αOHChol, which may contribute to the anti-inflammatory effects in hypercholesterolemic conditions.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.177-186
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• 2023

Perfluorooctanoic acid(PFOA) was one of widely used per- and poly substances(PFAS) in the industrial field and its concentration in the surface and groundwater was found with relatively high concentration compared to other PFAS. Since various processes have been introduced to remove the PFOA, adsorption using GAC is well known as a useful and effective process in water and wastewater treatment. Surface modification for GAC was carried out using Cu and Fe to enhance the adsorption capacity and four different adsorbents, such as GAC-Cu, GAC-Fe, GAC-Cu(OH)₂, GAC-Fe(OH)₃ were prepared and compared with GAC. According to SEM-EDS, the increase of Cu or Fe was confirmed after surface modification and higher weight was observed for Cu and Fe hydroxide(GAC-Cu(OH)₂ and GAC-Fe(OH)₃, respectively). BET analysis showed that the surface modification reduced specific surface area and total pore volumes. The highest removal efficiency(71.4%) was obtained in GAC-Cu which is improved by 17.9% whereas the use of Fe showed lower removal efficiency compared to GAC. PFOA removal was decreased with increase of solution pH indicating electrostatic interaction governs at low pH and its effect was decreased when the point of zero charges(pzc) was negatively increased with an increase of pH. The enhanced removal of PFOA was clearly observed in solution pH 7, confirming the Cu in the surface of GAC plays a role on the PFOA adsorption. The maximum uptake was calculated as 257 and 345 ㎍/g for GAC and GAC-Cu using Langmuir isotherm. 40% and 80% of removal were accomplished within 1 h and 48 h. According to R², only the linear pseudo-second-order(pso) kinetic model showed 0.98 whereas the others obtained less than 0.870.