• The Korean Journal of Ceramics
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.95-98
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• 1998

We have developed new type of superconducting-superionic conducting nanohybrids, $Ag_xI_wBi_2Sr_2Ca_{n-1}Cu_nO_y$ (n=1 and 2) by applying the chimie douce reaction to the superconducting Bi-based cuprates. These nanohybrids can be achieved by the stepwise intercalation whereby the $Ag^+$ ion is thermally diffused into the pre-intercalated iodine sublattice of $IBi_2Sr_2Ca_{n-1}Cu_nO_y$. According to the X-ray diffraction analysis, the Ag-I intercalates are found to have an unique heterostructure in which the superionic conducting Ag-I layer and the superconducting $IBi_2Sr_2Ca_{n-1}Cu_nO_y$ layer are regularly interstratified with a remarkable basal increment of ~7.3$\AA$. The systematic XAS studies demonstrate that the intercalation of Ag-I accompanies the charge transfer between host and guest, giving rise to a change in hole concentration of $CuO_2$ layer and to a slight $T_c$ change. The Ag K-edge EXAFS result reveals that the intercalated Ag-I has a $\beta$-AgI-like local structure with distorted tetrahedral symmetry, suggesting a mobile environment for the intercalated $Ag^+$ ion. In fact, from ac impedance analyses, we have found that the Ag-I intercalates possess a fast ionic conductivity ($\sigma_i=10^{-1.4}\sim 10^{-2.6}\Omega^{-1}\textrm{cm}^{-1}\;at\;270^{\circ}C$ with an uniform activation energy ($\DeltaE_a=0.22\pm 0.02$ eV). More interesting finding is that these intercalates exhibit high electronic conducting as well as ionic ones ($t_i$=0.02~0.60) due to their interstratified structure consisting of superionic conducting and superconducting layers. In this respect, these new intercalates are expected to be useful as an electrode material in various electrochemical devices.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.79 no.1
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• pp.22-30
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• 2016

Background: The purpose of this study was to document outcomes following withdrawal of a single inhaler (step-down) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients on triple therapy (long-acting muscarinic antagonist and a combination of long-acting ${\beta}2$-agonists and inhaled corticosteroid), which a common treatment strategy in clinical practice. Methods: Through a retrospective observational study, COPD patients receiving triple therapy over 2 years (triple group; n=109) were compared with those who had undergone triple therapy for at least 1 year and subsequently, over 9 months, initiated inhaler withdrawal (step-down group, n=39). The index time was defined as the time of withdrawal in the step-down group and as 1 year after the start of triple therapy in the triple group. Results: Lung function at the index time was superior and the previous exacerbation frequency was lower in the step-down group than in the triple group. Step-down resulted in aggravating disease symptoms, a reduced overall quality of life, decreasing exercise performance, and accelerated forced expiratory volume in 1 second ($FEV_1$) decline ($54.7{\pm}15.7mL/yr$ vs. $10.7{\pm}7.1mL/yr$, p=0.007), but there was no observed increase in the frequency of exacerbations. Conclusion: Withdrawal of a single inhaler during triple therapy in COPD patients should be conducted with caution as it may impair the exercise capacity and quality of life while accelerating $FEV_1$ decline.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.275-281
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• 2005

This study was carried out to investigate the cathepsin B inhibition effect by Achyranthes japonica N. root extract in vitro. The methanol/$H_{2}O$(4:1, v/v) extract was fractionated by ethyl acetate(F1), chloroform(F2), chloroform/methanol(3:1, v/v)(F3) and methanol(F4). The yield of F4 in Achyranthes japonica N. root was $8.27\%$. As an index material of Achyranthes japonica N. root, 20-hydroxy ecdysone was detected by TLC, and HPLC and it's content was $0.33\%$. Three isolates(F1, F3, F4) showed the cathepsin B inhibition activity, and F4 showed the highest inhibition activity among them. In the inhibition activity on cathepsin B, leupeptin, 20-hydroxy ecdysone and F4(at the same concentration of 20-hydroxy ecdysone.) were 92, 88 and $97\%$ on BANA($N{\alpha}$-benzoyl-DL-arginine ${\beta}$-naphthylamide) substrate, and 62, 36 and $67\%$ on CLN($N{\alpha}$-CBZ(carbobenzlyoxy)-L-lysine p-nitrophenyl ester HCI) substrate, respectively.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1371-1377
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• 2019

Oxidative stress induced by the over-production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the brain is the most common cause of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of flavonoids and their glycosides, namely kaempferol, kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, quercetin, and quercetin-3-β-D-glucoside, against H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress in the C6 glial cells. The H₂O₂-treated glial cells exhibited decreased cell viability and increased ROS production when compared with normal cells. However, cells treated with each of the four flavonoids/glycosides demonstrated significantly increased viability and suppressed ROS production when compared with the H₂O₂-treated control group. These results indicate that flavonoids/glycosides attenuate oxidative stress induced by H₂O₂ in C6 glial cells. To confirm the protective molecular mechanisms, we measured pro-inflammatory factors such as inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, and interleukin-1β. H₂O₂ treatment was seen to elevate these factors and decrease IκB-α in the C6 glial cells, while the flavonoids/glycosides induced a down-regulation of the pro-inflammatory factors and increased IκB-α, indicating a neuroprotective effects through attenuation of the inflammation. In particular, quercetin and its glycoside showed a higher neuroprotective effect than the kaempferol treatments. These results suggest that these flavonoids and their glycosides could be promising therapeutic agents for neurodegenerative diseases via the attenuation of oxidative stress.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.207-215
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• 2018

Inflammatory response and oxidative stress play critical roles in the development and progression of many human diseases. Therefore, a great deal of attention has been focused on finding functional materials that can control inflammation and oxidative stress simultaneously. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Socheongja and Socheong 2, Korean black seed coat soybean varieties, on the inflammatory and oxidative stress induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Our data indicated that the extracts of Socheongja (SCJ) and Socheong 2 (SC2) significantly suppressed LPS-induced production of nitrite oxide (NO) and prostaglandin $E_2$, key pro-inflammatory mediators, by suppressing the expression of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2. It was also found that SCJ and SC2 reduced the LPS-induced secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$ and $interleukin-1{\beta}$, which was concomitant with a decrease in the protein levels. In addition, SCJ and SC2 markedly diminished LPS-stimulated intracellular reactive oxygen species accumulation, and effectively enhanced nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase (HO)-1 expression. Furthermore, LPS-induced activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) was abrogated by SCJ and SC2. Taken together, these data suggest that SCJ and SC2 may offer protective roles against LPS-induced inflammatory and oxidative responses in RAW 264.7 macrophages through attenuating MAPKs pathway, and these effects are mediated, at least in part, through activating Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. Given these results, we propose that SCJ and SC2 have therapeutic potential in the treatment of inflammatory and oxidative disorders caused by over-activation of macrophages.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.509-515
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• 2005

This study was conducted to determine the kinetics of cyclohexane metabolites (the biomarker on cyclohexane exposure), the changes of hepatic cyclohexane metabolizing enzyme activities and the metabolites of cyclohexane in urine or serum. The rats were sacrificed at 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 hr after administration of one dose of cyclohexane (1.56 g/kg body weight, i.p.). The metabolites of cyclohexane in urine were identified as cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone, trans-l,2-cyclohexanediol and 1,4-cyclohexanediol with cyclohexane metabolite being 124.00, 0.78, 23.28 and 2.75 (g/g of creatinine, $1\times10^{-3}$). Most of the cyclohexanol and trans-l,2-cyclohexanediol were determined to be in the form of $\beta-glucuronide$ conjugates, whereas cyclohexanone and 1 ,4-cyclohexanediol were found as free forms. In toxicokinetics of serum cyclohexane metabolites, cyclohexanol showed a rapid increase, reaching the plateau at 4 hr, after this time rapidly decreased throughout 24 hr. Changes of cyclohexanone also showed the similar pattern with cyclohexanol except somewhat lower concentration. Trans-l,2-cyclohexanediol, however, showed a gradual increase until 12 hr with the continued same levels throughout 24 hr. On the other hand, 1,4-cyclohexanediol was detected as trace levels at 4 and 12 hr, respectively. The administration of cyclohexane led to a significant increase of hepatic aniline hydroxylase activity from 2 to 8 hr. The activity of hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase showed a significant increase at 4 hr and then were recovered to the level of the control at 24 hr. On the other hand, there were no differences in liver weightlbody weight between the control and cyclohexane-treated animals. However, there were the changes of aniline hydroxylase and alcohol dehydrogenase activities on time-dependent pattern after cyclohexane treatment, which influence on the degree of cyclohexane metabolites both in blood and urine. These results suggest that differential determination of cyclohexane metabolites in urine and serum may be able to be as a biomarker of cyclohexane-exposure in the body. But in this fields further study is needed.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.979-984
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• 2016

The incidence rate of stomach cancer in Bali, Indonesia, is estimated to be strikingly lower than that in Japan. We conducted an on-site ecological study to investigate the association between the stomach cancer incidence and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. Recruiting 291 healthy persons (136 men and 155 women) from the general population in Bali, Indonesia, we conducted a urea breath test (UBT) to examine H. pylori infection, along with a pepsinogen test to detect chronic atrophic gastritis and urine analysis to estimate sodium and potassium excretion. UBT positivities were 9% (2-15, 95% confidence interval) for men and 7% (1-12) for women, and positive cases for H. pylori IgG antibodies were 1% (0-3) for men and 3% (0-5) for women, significantly lower than the respective values in Japan. Positive pepsinogen tests in Bali were 0% (0-0) for men and 1% (0-4) for women, also significantly lower than the Japanese figures. Computed values for daily salt excretion were $13.3{\pm}4.1g$ (mean${\pm}$SD) for men and $11.1{\pm}3.1g$ for women, as high as corresponding Japanese consumption values. Moreover, the estimated potassium excretion was $3.2{\pm}0.7g$ for men and $2.8{\pm}0.6g$ for women in Bali, significantly higher than the figures in Japan. There were no associations across genetic polymorphisms of IL-beta, TNF-alpha, and PTPN11 with UBT positivity. The low incidence of stomach cancer in Bali may thus mainly be due to the rare H. pylori infection. Namely, the bacterium infection seems to be a critical factor for gastric cancer rather than host or other environmental factors.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.35-44
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• 2014

This study was performed to investigate the anti-photoaging effects of Persimmon leaf tea(PLT) in hairless mice(SKH-1) exposed to UVB radiation. The animals were divided into non-treated group (normal, N) and UV-radiated groups. UV-radiated groups were divided into only UV-radiated group(control, C) and UV-radiated and PLT treated experimental groups[first extraction treated group(PLT-I), second extraction treated groupe(PLT-II), and third extraction treated group(PLT-III)]. Three PLT treated experimental groups of mice were treated with both oral administration(300mg/Kg B.W./day) and topical application (100 ul of 2% conc./mouse/day) for 4 weeks. Anti-photoaging effects of Persimmon leaf were evaluated by MTT assay, anti oxidative reaction, MMP immunohistochemistry, gelatin zymography assay and RT-PCR observations. Treatment with Persimmon leaf tea(PLT)-I, and -III groups decreased immunohistochemical density of matrix metalloproteinases(MMP)-3 and -9 related to degradation of extracellular matrix in skin. Especially, immunohistochemical density of MMP-2 decreased in PLT-I, -II and -III groups in skin. On the effects of antioxidant function on the treatment with Persimmon leaf tea(PLT), treatment of HaCaT cells with extracts of PLT-I and PLT-II had also significantly reduced intracellular ROS produced by UVB irradiation in a dose dependent manner(PLT-I, p<0.05, p<0.01, p<0.001; PLT-II, p<0.01, p<0.001). Gelatin zymography assay revealed that PLT-II and PLT-III (200 ug/ml) had inhibitory effect on MMP-9 expression in UVB-radiated HaCaT cells. Western blot analysis revealed that PLT-1, -II and -III groups down-regulates the expression of inflammatory associated genes(IL-$1{\beta}$) and PLT-1 and -II groups down-regulates the expression of TNF-${\alpha}$ in a dose dependent manner. Our study suggests that Persimmon leaf tea(PLT) extracts participates in inhibitory effects on the morphological and molecular experiments related to photoaging skin on UVB irradiated hairless mice.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.61-68
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• 2012

Sikhae is a traditional Korean fermented seafood with a 7-10% salt concentration. Consumers have begun to look for low-salt food because excess salt is known to cause hypertension and gastric cancer. The quality characteristics of low-salt squid sikhae were investigated at different fermentation temperatures and periods, so as to determine its shelflife. The shelf-life of the low-salt (5%) squid sikhae at $-1^{\circ}C$ based on pH was 142 days. The functional activities of the ethanol extract of squid sikhae such as its antioxidant activity and inhibitions on ${\alpha}$-glucosidase, ${\beta}$-glucuronidase, and elastase were stronger than those of the water extract. Based on the results of sensory evaluation, the low-salted squid sikhae was very similar to fermented seafood. In conclusion, low-salt sikhae is commercially viable.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.362-368
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• 2009

Roasting may lead to the formation of undesired compounds, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In this study, green coffee beans were roasted under controlled conditions and the formation of PAHs during the roasting process was monitored. Roasting was performed in a hot air roaster, with an inlet air temperature varying from 150 to $250^{\circ}C$ for 5, 10, and 20 min. The PAH content of the roasted coffee was then evaluated by HPLC-FLD. The levels of total PAHs in Arabica (Colombia, Brazil) and Robusta (India) coffee samples were 1.26-215.07, 1.85-178.14, and 0.18-2.61 ${\mu}g$/kg, respectively.