• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.349-355
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• 2012

In this study, we configured a system which ranks hazardous chemicals to determine their management priorities based on experts' opinions and the existing CRS (chemical ranking and scoring). Aggregate exposure of food, health functional food, oriental/herbal medicine and cosmetics have been taken into account to determine management priority. In this study, 25 hazardous chemicals were selected, such as cadmium, lead, mercury, and arsenic, etc. These 25 materials were ranked according to their 1) risk (exposure or hazard) indexes, 2) exposure source-based weight, and 3) public interests, which were also formed based on the existing priority ranking system. Cadmium was scored the highest (178.5) and bisphenol A the lowest (56.8). Ten materials -- cadmium, lead, mercury, arsenic, tar, acrylamide, benzopyrene, aluminium, benzene, and PAHs -- scored higher than 100. Eight materials -- aflatoxin, manganese, phthalate, chromium, nitrate/nitrite, ethylcarbamate, formaldehyde, and copper -- recorded scores in the range from 70 to 100. Also evaluated as potential risks were 7 materials; sulfur dioxide, ochratoxin, dioxins, PCBs, fumonisin, methyl mercury, and bisphenol A, and these materials were scored above 50. Then we compared risk index and correlation coefficient of total scores to confirm the validity of the total scores; we analyzed correlation coefficient of parameter and indicator. We discovered that the total score and weight, which has incorporated public interests, were high and statistically significant. In conclusion, the result of this study contributes to strengthening risk assessment and risk management of hazardous chemicals.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1227-1234
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• 2019

Prunus mume, also known as maesil, is a popular fruit consumed in East Asia (Korea, Japan, and China). It contains high amounts of organic acids, minerals, and polyphenols and has been used as a medication for fever, vomiting, and detoxification. In this study, the anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of solvent fractions from maesil were evaluated using sulforhodamine B (SRB) assays, morphological evaluations, Hoechst 33258 staining, and western blotting. Addition of the maesil methanol fraction (MMF) and the maesil butanol fraction (MBF) significantly and dose-dependently decreased the cell viability of HT-29 human colon cancer cells. Colony-forming assays confirmed that the MMF and MBF treatments decreased colony numbers when compared with untreated control cells. Treatment of HT-29 cells with MMF and MBF caused a distortion of the cell morphology to a shrunken cell mass. Treatment with MMF and MBF also dose-dependently increased nuclear condensation and the formation of apoptotic bodies in HT-29 cells. Treatment with MMF and MBF significantly and dosedependently increased the expression of Bax (a pro-apoptotic protein), caspase-3, and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) and decreased the expression of Bcl-2 (an anti-apoptotic protein). MMF significantly and dose-dependently inhibited cell proliferation induced by bisphenol A, an environmental hormone. Therefore, MMF may have potential use as a functional food and as a possible therapeutic agent for the prevention of colon cancer.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.145-159
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• 2016

Objectives : The aim was to investigate the characteristics of low dose effect and non monotonic dose responses(NMDRs) and to predict the influence it might have on the health and medicine, traditional Korean medicine. Methods : By investigating recently published major literatures related to low dose effect and NMDRs, the definition, mechanism, major related fields, and the influence on public health and medicine has been categorized and summarized. Results : Although there are still heated debates about the definition of low dose, it implies the biological responses in environmental exposure level and the NDMDRs means the nonlinear relationship between the dose-response in the slope sign change. Also, it implies the new form of the curve showing a U, reverse U shape, and the slop sign constantly changing showing various forms. This mechanism is because the two acceptor shows opposing effects to toxic materials and the affinity is different along with the numerical value that increase and decrease being different. These characteristics generally appear in endocrine disrupters such as bisphenol A, agricultural pesticides, metal, and radiation. The research field in the public health and medical treatment is obesity, problems in metabolism, growth hormone treatment, climacteric treatment, breast cancer, intake of Korean traditional medicine for pregnancy, menopause and phytoestrogen. Conclusions : As a result of discussing implications, NMDRs is a particular effect in low dose and heated debates surround this response, research is being conducted surrounding the field of obesity, problems in metabolism, growth hormone treatment, climacteric treatment, breast cancer, intake of Korean traditional medicine for pregnancy, menopause, and phytoestrogen. More research and interest in needed as it can have a massive influence in the public health and medicine.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.59 no.3
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• pp.225-232
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• 2015

A liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry method (LC-ESI-MS/MS) was used for determining seven pesticides (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, methomyl, aldicarb, 2-methyl- 4-chlorophenoxy- acetic acid, molinate, carbaryl and carbofuran) and two synthetic materials (quinoline and bisphenol-A) in surface water. The analytes were extracted using solid-phase extraction (SPE). The eluate was concentrated by nitrogen gas. 100 microliters of 30% (v/v) methanol aqueous solution were used to dissolve the residue and an aliquot of the reconstituted solution was directly injected into LC-ESI-MS/MS after the filtration using 0.2 μm polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) syringe filter. Under the established condition, the calibration curves of the analytes were linear with correlation coefficients of above 0.997. The quantification limit was 0.002~0.011 μg/L and the relative standard deviations were less than 16.4%. In addition, accuracy was in the range of 84~107% and the recoveries were values between 56.2 and 98.6%. In this study, the developed method was applied to the analysis of real surface water samples.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.884-888
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• 1998

Effects of heating time under high temperature on the thermal and mechanical properties of neutron shielding materials based on modified (KNS-102), hydrogenated(KNS-106) bisphenol-A type epoxy resin and phenol-novolac(KNS-611) type epoxy resin for radioactive material shipping casks have been investigated. At early stages, the initial decomposition temperatures of the shielding materials of KNS-102, KNS-106 and KNS-611 increased with the heating time under high temperature, but it was rarely affected by the heating time in the later stages. In addition, the thermal conductivities of KNS-102 and KNS-106 decreased with heating time, but that of KNS-611 increased with the heating time. On the contrary, the thermal expansion coefficients of neutron shielding materials decreased with increase of heating time. At the high temperature, the tensile strength and flexural strength of the shielding materials of KNS-102 and KNS-611 increased with heating time, but those of KNS-106 decreased with increase of heating time. And the heating time under high temperature on the neutron shielding materials did not show measurable loss of weight and hydrogen content.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.10 no.7
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• pp.990-995
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• 1999

To determine the effect of chemical structure of linear amine curing agents on thermal and mechanical properties, standard epoxy resin DGEBA was cured with ethylene diamine(EDA) and hexamethylene diamine(HMDA) in a stoichiometrically equivalent ratio. From this work, the effect of linear amine curing agents on the thermal and mechanical properties is significantly influenced by the chemical structure or chain length of curing agents. In contrast, the results show that the DGEBA/EDA system having the two carbons had higher values in the thermal stability, maximum conversion of epoxide, density, glass transition temperature, tensile modulus, flexural strength, and flexural modulus than the DGEBA/HMDA system having the six carbons, whereas the DGEBA/EDA cure system had relatively low values in the shrinkage(%), thermal expansion coefficient, tensile strength, and had similar values in the maximum exothermic temperature, and conversion of epoxide compared to the DGEBA/HMDA cure system. This findings indicate that packing ability in the HMDA structure affects the thermal and mechanical properties.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.517-524
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• 2014

Nitrite-Type hydrocalumite (calumite) is a material that can adsorb chloride ions ($Cl^-$) that cause corrosion of reinforce bars and liberate the nitrite ions ($NO_2{^-}$) that inhibit corrosion in reinforced concrete. In this study, polymer-modified mortars using two types of epoxy resin with calumite are prepared with various polymer binder-ratios of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20% and calumite contents of 0, 5%. The specimens are tested for chloride ion penetration, carbonation, drying shrinkage and corrosion inhibition. As a result, the chloride ion penetration and carbonation depth of PMM using epoxy resin somewhat increases with increasing calumite contents, but those remarkably decreases depending on the polymer-binder ratios. The 28-d drying shrinkage shows a tendency to decrease with increasing polymer-binder ratio and calumite content. Unmodified mortars with calumite content of 5% did not satisfy quality requirement by KS. However, it was satisfied with KS requirement by the modification of epoxy resin in cement mortar. On the whole, the carbonation and chloride ion penetration depth of epoxy-modified mortars with calumite is considerably improved with an increase in the polymer-binder ratio regardless of the calumite content, and is remarkably improved over unmodified mortar. And, the replacement of the portland cement with the calumite has a marked effect in the corrosion-inhibiting property of the epoxy-modified mortars.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.31-31
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• 2003

The incidence of reproductive abnormalities in the male has been reported to have increased during the past 50 years. These changes may be attributable to the presence of chemical with oestrogenic activity in our environment. Present study was carried out to determine the effects of maternal exposure to xenoestrogens on the testicular development and on the transcriptional expression of the steroidogenic enzyme and subunits of inhibin/activin in testis of male offspring. Pregnant female mice were administrated with 4-tert-octylphenol (OP; 2, 20, 200mg/kg), Bisphenol A (BPA; 2, 20, 200$\mu\textrm{g}$/kg), $\beta$-estradiol 17-valerate (EV; 2$\mu\textrm{g}$/kg) or vehicle (CV; corn oil) during gestational days 11 to 17. Offsprings were sacrificed on gestational day 18 (fetal 18) and neonatal day 7. Body weights were significantly increased in groups treated with all doses of OP and BPA. Maximum seminiferous tubules diameter on gestational day 18 were not changed in any treatment group, however, they were significantly increased on the neonatal day 7 in the group treated with low-dose of OP (2 mg/kg) and BPA (2 $\mu\textrm{g}$/kg). Increased expression of the P450$_{17a}$-hydroxylase dehydrogenase (P450$_{17a}$), 3$\beta$-hydroxylase dehydrogenase (3$\beta$-HSD), and 17$\beta$-hydroxylase dehydrogenase (17$\beta$-HSD) on gestational day 18 were observed in the groups treated with 2 or 20 mg/kg of OP. However, expression of the steroidogenic enzymes were not changed in the groups treated with all the doses of BPA. In contrast with the results from fetal testis, no expressional changes of these enzymes was found in all the OP-treated group and increased expression of inhibin/activin $\beta$B subunit mRNA were obseued in the 200 $\mu\textrm{g}$/kg BPA-treated group in the neonatal day 7. These results suggest that gestational exposure to low level of xenoestrogen causes a stimulatory effects on the transcriptional expressions of steroidogenic enzymes and subunits of inhibin/activin and on the seminiferous tubule development by their estrogen-like actions.ons.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.79-89
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• 2007

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the present status of several environmental problems caused by emerging toxic substances such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and arsenic in various environmental media in Vietnam. Monitoring data reported during the 1990s demonstrated elevated contamination of DDTs in most of these compartments in Vietnam. Studies in frame of the Asia-Pacific Mussel Watch Program revealed that fish, mussels and resident birds from Vietnam contained higher concentrations of DDTs as compared to other countries in region, suggesting the role of Vietnamese environment as a significant emission source of DDT in the Southeast Asian region. The estimated dietary intakes of PCBs and DDTs for Vietnamese were relatively high among Asian developing countries, suggesting potential risk for humans posed by thesechemicals. Widespread contamination of some endocrine active compounds such as alkylphenols and phthalates was observed at various sites along the coasts of northern and middle Vietnam. The presence of significant source of bisphenol-A along Red River estuary was revealed with the concentrations comparable to those reported for developed nations. A case study on seasonal variation of alkylphenols and phthalates in surface water of river delta and estuary of north and middle Vietnam indicated the differences in distribution of these compounds between dry and rainy seasons. Higher concentrations of alkylphenols and phthalates were found in dry season in estuary; while the contrasting pattern was observed in the river delta, showing elevated residues in rainy season. This result suggests the different behavior of alkylphenols and phthalates in river delta and coastal environment. From ecotoxicological perspectives, concentrations of bis-phenol A and di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalates [DEHP] in surface water from some locations in Vietnam exceeded the guideline values for Ecotoxicological Effects and the Environmental Risk Limit, respectively, suggesting potential for toxic implications on aquatic wildlife. Widespread and elevated arsenic contamination was discovered inour recent surveys in groundwater in a large area of suburban areas of Hanoi city, the capital of Vietnam. The most recent investigation in 4 villages showed about more than 50 % of groundwater samples contained As concentrations exceeding 50 g/L (the WHO and Vietnamese standard). In particular, in Son Dong villages, 58 % of samples analyzed contained As concentrations higher than 200 g/L. Good correlations were found in As concentrations in water and hair and urine of peoples in corresponding families, suggesting the chronic exposure to As by people living in As-contaminated ground water areas. In Son Dong village, As levels in hair (mean: 1.7 mg/kg dry wt) and urine (g/g creatinine) exceeding the reference values recommended by WHO, suggesting potential for human risk posed by long term accumulation of As in human body. Future studies should be focused on the time trends of POPs and EDCs in biota in Vietnam in order to predict future trend of contamination and to reveal new clues for understanding possible toxic impacts on aquatic organisms. The issues of arsenic contamination in groundwater and their chronic toxic implications on human health should be systematically investigated in the future.

• Composites Research
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.408-413
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• 2016

Commonly-used polymers are manufactured as versatile forms. Furthermore, continuous polymer fibers are recently manufactured using nylon or aramid fiber. One of common epoxy was also used to make polymer fibers. Bisphenol-A type was used as base epoxy whereas amine and anhydride were used as hardeners. Epoxy fibers was cured by stepping up the temperature to maintain the shape of epoxy fiber. Surface energy was measured to confirm the degree of interfacial adhesion by modified static contact angle method. After mechanical properties were measured via fiber tensile test, the evaluation of fiber fracture was proceeded. Tensile strength of epoxy fiber using amine type hardener was higher as 138 MPa than anhydride case as 70 MPa. Fractured surface exhibited different failure patterns at the cross-section.