• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.260-269
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• 2015

The protective effects of extract powder of Angelica gigas on the degeneration of the articular cartilage in rats was investigated with monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced osteoarthritis, The treatment of high concentration (50 μg/mL) of Angelica gigas effectively inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production induced by interleukin-1α (IL-1α) without any cytotoxicity. Specifically, mRNA and protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were dose dependently reduced by extract powder of Angelica gigas. Importantly, mRNA expression in articular cartilage of inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were clearly reduced. The inflammatory cytokines in blood were also reduced as well. These results suggested that the protective effects on the degeneration of the articular cartilage was derived from the inhibitory effects of mRNA and protein expression of tested inflammatory cytokines which is linked to prevent the degradation of proteoglycan (PG), the main matrix content in articular cartilage. Meanwhile, the 2 hrs incubation of decursin, a major compound of extract powder in rat whole blood rapidely converted decursin into decursinol which shows string anti-inflammatory activity. The coverted decursinol was detected after 8 hrs in whole blood by LC-MS/MS. Conclusively, the inhibitory effects of inflammatory cytokines production in osteoarthritis may be derived from the production of decursinol, which performs against inflammatroy cytokines like TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.208-213
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• 2018

Activation of nuclear factor kappa B ($NF{\kappa}B$) leads to the inflammatory process. During this $NF{\kappa}B$-dependent inflammation process, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) are expressed in the inflammatory cells. Our previous data indicated that a specific septapeptide (GVAWWMY) from the soybean extract fermented by Bacillus licheniformis B1 inhibited iNOS mRNA expression and NO production in cultured macrophage cells. Our further experiments revealed that treatment of same septapeptide resulted in inhibition of LPS-induced $NF{\kappa}B$ activation by reversing degradation of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$, an inhibitory protein for $NF{\kappa}B$. The molecular docking indicated that the septapeptide binds to $I{\kappa}B$ kinase ${\beta}$ ($IKK{\beta}$), and thus it can inhibit phosphorylation of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$. Supporting this, the binding site for the septapeptide has the highest affinity (-8.7 kcal/mol) and the site was located at the kinase domain (KD) of $IKK{\beta}$, which can significantly affect the kinase activity of $IKK{\beta}$.

• Journal of KIISE
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• v.42 no.9
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• pp.1175-1184
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• 2015

Recently, there has been an explosive increase in the volume of multimedia data that is available as a result of the development of multimedia technologies. More and more data is becoming available on a variety of web sites, and it has become increasingly cost prohibitive to have a single data server store and process multimedia files locally. Therefore, many service providers have been likely to outsource data to cloud storage to reduce costs. Such behavior raises one serious concern: how can data users be authenticated in a secure and efficient way? The most widely used password-based authentication methods suffer from numerous disadvantages in terms of security. Multi-factor authentication protocols based on a variety of communication channels, such as SMS, biometric, or hardware tokens, may improve security but inevitably reduce usability. To this end, we present a data block-based authentication scheme that is secure and guarantees usability in such a manner where users do nothing more than enter a password. In addition, the proposed scheme can be effectively used to revoke user rights. To the best of our knowledge, our scheme is the first data block-based authentication scheme for outsourced data that is proven to be secure without degradation in usability. An experiment was conducted using the Amazon EC2 cloud service, and the results show that the proposed scheme guarantees a nearly constant time for user authentication.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.757-763
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• 2019

Recently, Following the recent development of flat panel detector with wide dynamic ranges, increasing numbers of healthcare providers have begun to use digital radiography. As a result, filter thickness standards should be reestablished, as current clinical practice requires the use of thicknesses recommended by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, which are based on information, acquired using conventional analog systems. Here we investigated the possibility of minimizing dose creep and optimizing patient dose using Al filters in digital radiography. The use of thicker Al filters resulted in a maximum 19.3% reduction in the entrance skin exposure dose when medical images with similar sharpness values were compared. However, resolution, which is a critical factor in imaging, had a significant change of 1.01 lp/mm. This change in resolution is thought to be due to the increased amount of scattered rays generated from the object due to the X-ray beam hardening effect. The increase in the number of scattered rays was verified using the scattering degradation factor. However, the FPD, which has recently been developed and is widely used in various areas, has greater response to radiation than analog devices and has a wide dynamic range. Therefore, the FPD is expected to maintain an appropriate level of resolution corresponding to the increase in the scattered-ray content ratio, which depends on filter thickness. Use of the FPD is also expected to minimize dose creep by reducing the exposure dose.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.55 no.12
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• pp.1091-1104
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• 2022

Climate change is predicted to increase the frequency and intensity of rainfall worldwide, and the pattern is changing due to inundation damage in urban areas due to rapid urbanization and industrialization. Accordingly, the impact assessment of climate change is mentioned as a very important factor in urban planning, and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is emphasizing the need for an impact forecast that considers the social and economic impacts that may arise from meteorological phenomena. In particular, in terms of traffic, the degradation of transport systems due to urban flooding is the most detrimental factor to society and is estimated to be around £100k per hour per major road affected. However, in the case of Korea, even if accurate forecasts and special warnings on the occurrence of meteorological disasters are currently provided, the effects are not properly conveyed. Therefore, in this study, high-resolution analysis and hydrological factors of each area are reflected in order to suggest the depth of flooding of urban floods and to cope with the damage that may affect vehicles, and the degree of flooding caused by rainfall and its effect on vehicle operation are investigated. decided it was necessary. Therefore, the calculation formula of rainfall-immersion depth-vehicle speed is presented using various machine learning techniques rather than simple linear regression. In addition, by applying the climate change scenario to the rainfall-inundation depth-vehicle speed calculation formula, it predicts the flooding of urban rivers during heavy rain, and evaluates possible traffic network disturbances due to road inundation considering the impact of future climate change. We want to develop technology for use in traffic flow planning.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.11-24
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• 2022

It has been reported that the ethanolic extract of the root of Piper methysticum (P. methysticum) inhibits melanogenesis in melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH)-activated B16 melanoma cells. Flavokawain B (FKB) and Flavokawain C (FKC) isolated from this extract have been found to inhibit melanin production based on anti-melanogenesis activity. This study was designed to find out the inhibition and its process of FKB and FKC on melanin synthesis in melan-a melanocytes. FKB and FKC inhibited melanogenesis at 10 μM, 5 μM respectively in melan-a melanocytes. However, they did not inhibit extracellular tyrosinase activity from melan-a melanocytes. FKB reduced the protein level of tyrosinase (Tyr), tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TRP-1), tyrosinase-related protein 2 (TRP-2), microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and the mRNA level of Tyr and TRP-1. FKC reduced the protein level of TRP-2 and MITF and the mRNA level of TRP-1 and Tyr. The reduced expression of Tyr and TRP-1 might be resulted from the decreased MITF which regulates major melanogenic proteins. However, since the mRNA expression of MITF did not change by FKB and FKC treatment, the effects of FKB and FKC on extracellular signal regulating kinase (ERK)/AKT phosphorylation, known to regulate the degradation of MITF, were confirmed. FKB and FKC significantly increased the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, not in AKT. These results suggest that FKB and FKC may be helpful as a potential depigmenting agent for various hyper-pigmentary disorders.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.27-38
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• 2009

In this study, a series of 1 g shaking table model pile tests were carried out in saturated dense and loose sand to evaluate dynamic p-y curves for various conditions of flexural stiffness of a pile shaft, acceleration frequency and acceleration amplitude for input loads. Dynamic p-y backbone curve which can be applied to pseudo static analysis for saturated dense sand was proposed as a hyperbolic function by connecting the peak points of the experimental p-y curves, which corresponded to maximum soil resistances. In order to represent the backbone curve numerically, empirical equations were developed for the initial stiffness ($k_{ini}$) and the ultimate capacity ($p_u$) of soils as a function of a friction angle and a confining stress. The applicability of a p-y backbone curve was evaluated based on the centrifuge test results of other researchers cited in literature, and this suggested backbone curve was also compared with the currently available p-y curves. And also, the scaling factor ($S_F$) to account for the degradation of soil resistance according to the excess pore pressure was developed from the results of saturated loose sand.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.119-131
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• 2023

Objectives: Betula Platyphylla(BP) has been used as a analgesic, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant drug in Eastern Asia. However, it is still unknown whether BP ethanol extract could exhibit the inhibitory activities against ultraviolet B(UVB)-induced skin injury on human keratinocytes, HaCaT cells. This study was aimed to investigate the protective activity of BP ethanol extract on UVB-irradiated skin injury in HaCaT cells. Methods: The skin injury model of HaCaT cells was established under UVB stimulation. HaCaT keratinocyte cells were pre-treated with BP ethanol extract for 1 h, and then stimulated with UVB. Then, the cells were harvested to measure the cell viability, production of reactive oxygen species(ROS), pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin(IL) 1-beta, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-𝛼, hyaluronidase, type 1 collagen, matrix metalloproteinase(MMP)s. In addition, we examined the mitogen activated protein kinases(MAPKs) and inhibitory kappa B alpha(I𝜅;-B𝛼) as inhibitory mechanisms of BP ethanol extract. Results: The treatment of BP ethanol extract inhibited the UVBinduced cell death and ROS production in HaCaT cells. BP ethanol extract treatment inhibited the UVB-induced increase of IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNF-𝛼. BP ethanol extract treatment inhibited the increase of hyaluronidase, MMP and decrease of collagen. BP ethanol extract treatment inhibited the activation of MAPKs and the degradation of I𝜅-B𝛼. Conclusions: Our result suggest that treatment of BP ethanol extract could inhibit the UVB-induced skin injury via deactivation of MAPKs and nuclear factor kappa B(NF-𝜅B) in HaCaT cells. This study could suggest that BP ethanol extract could be a beneficial agent to prevent skin damage or inflammation.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.899-916
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Oxidative stress is a fundamental neurodegenerative disease trigger that damages and decimates nerve cells. Neurodegenerative diseases are chronic central nervous system disorders that progress and result from neuronal degradation and loss. Recent studies have extensively focused on neurodegenerative disease treatment and prevention using dietary compounds. Heseperetin is an aglycone hesperidin form with various physiological activities, such as anti-inflammation, antioxidant, and antitumor. However, few studies have considered hesperetin's neuroprotective effects and mechanisms; thus, our study investigated this in hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-treated SH-SY5Y cells. MATERIALS/METHODS: SH-SY5Y cells were treated with H₂O₂ (400 µM) in hesperetin absence or presence (10-40 µM) for 24 h. Three-(4,5-Dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide assays detected cell viability, and 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining allowed us to observe nuclear morphology changes such as chromatin condensation and apoptotic nuclei. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection assays measured intracellular ROS production; Griess reaction assays assessed nitric oxide (NO) production. Western blotting and quantitative polymerase chain reactions quantified corresponding mRNA and proteins. RESULTS: Subsequent experiments utilized various non-toxic hesperetin concentrations, establishing that hesperetin notably decreased intracellular ROS and NO production in H₂O₂-treated SH-SY5Y cells (P < 0.05). Furthermore, hesperetin inhibited H₂O₂-induced inflammation-related gene expression, including interluekin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65 activation. In addition, hesperetin inhibited NF-κB translocation into H₂O₂-treated SH-SY5Y cell nuclei and suppressed mitogen-activated protein kinase protein expression, an essential apoptotic cell death regulator. Various apoptosis hallmarks, including shrinkage and nuclear condensation in H₂O₂-treated cells, were suppressed dose-dependently. Additionally, hesperetin treatment down-regulated Bax/Bcl-2 expression ratios and activated AMP-activated protein kinase-mammalian target of rapamycin autophagy pathways. CONCLUSION: These results substantiate that hesperetin activates autophagy and inhibits apoptosis and inflammation. Hesperetin is a potentially potent dietary agent that reduces neurodegenerative disease onset, progression, and prevention.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.551-562
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• 2003

Background : NF-${\kappa}B$ is a characteristic transcriptional factor which has been shown to regulate production of acute inflammatory mediators and to be involved in the pathogenesis of many inflammatory lung diseases. There has been some evidence that PI3K/Akt pathway could activate NF-${\kappa}B$ in human cell lines. However, the effect of PI3K/Akt pathway on the activation of NF-${\kappa}B$ varied depending on the cell lines used in the experiments. In this study we evaluated the effect of PI3K/Akt pathway on the activation of NF-${\kappa}B$ in human respiratory epithelial cell lines. Methods : BEAS-2B, A549 and NCI-H157 cell lines were used in this experiment. To evaluate the activation of Akt activation and I${\kappa}B$ degradation, cells were analysed by western blot assay using phospho-specific Akt Ab and $I{\kappa}B$ Ab. To block PI3K/Akt pathway, cells were pretreated with wortmannin or LY294002 and transfected with dominant negative Akt (DN-Akt). For IKK activity, immune complex kinase assay was performed. To evaluate the DNA binding affinity and transcriptional activity of NF-${\kappa}B$, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and luciferase assay were performed, respectively. Results : In BEAS-2B, A549 and NCI-H157 cell lines, Akt was activated by TNF-$\alpha$ and insulin. Activation of Akt by insulin did not induce $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation. Blocking of PI3K/Akt pathway via wortmannin/LY294002 or DN-Akt did not inhibit TNF-$\alpha$-induced $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation or IKK activation. Inhibition of PI3K/Akt did not affect TNF-$\alpha$-induced NF-${\kappa}B$ activation. Overexpression of DN-Akt did not block TNF-$\alpha$-induced transcriptional activation of NF-${\kappa}B$, but wortmannin enhanced TNF-$\alpha$-induced in NF-${\kappa}B$ transcriptional activity. Conclusion : PI3K/Akt was not involved in TNF-$\alpha$-induced $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation or transcriptional activity of NF-${\kappa}B$ in human respiratory epithelial cell lines.