• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.499-506
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• 2015

The artifacts of Admiral Yi Sun-sin (Treasure No.326) consist of six items with two long swords, a jade decoration, a belt and two peach-shaped cups. In commemoration of the opening of Chungmugong Yi sun-sin Memorial Museum (April 28, 2011), there were conservation treatments for those artifacts at the beginning of 2011. At that time, from the result of non-destructive surface analysis on pigments in blood-colored grooves of the two long swords, it was presumed to be synthetic resin paints. This study shows the accurate identification on pigments which was presumed as synthetic resin paints and its removal. To identify pigments in blood-colored grooves, the optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, Micro-XRF, XRD and FT-IR were used for the analysis. The results turned out that the thickness of $10{\sim}90{\mu}m$ in a single layer was measured. And major components containing Pb and Cr and lead chromium molybdenum oxide were identified and to identify components of adhesives from the analysis by FT-IR, it turned out to be alkyd resin, which can be presumed that they were recently colored with synthetic paints. The synthetic paints easily react with most of the organic solvents. And it is so easy to handle without the effect on metal that it was removed with acetone. While removing synthetic paints, all of paints on it were collected for identifying whether there is traditional pigment but nothing was identified.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.273-284
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of weight control program on dietary habits and blood composition in obese middle-aged women. The program consisted of nutrition education, physical exercise and nutrition counseling was conducted for 12 weeks. Participants of the preliminary study were 255 obese women, among which 82 women participated in the nutrition education program. We evaluated the anthropometry, blood lipid profiles, dietary habits of obese women before and after the nutrition education. Dietary habits of the subjects were significantly improved in regularity of having breakfast (p < .05), the frequency of eating snack after dinner (p < .001), eating out (p < .01) and the speed of meal (p < .05) after the program. There was significant decrease in total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol and systolic pressure of the subjects after nutrition education. Changes of atherogenic index and diastolic pressure were not significant, but had a tendency to decrease. All of the anthropometric outcomes except lean body mass such as BMI, percent body fat, fat mass, and WHR were significantly decreased after weight control program. These findings show that weight control program including nutrition education and counseling can improve dietary habits and weight control pattern, and lead the authors to recommend that public health organizations and dietetic professionals should educate obese women on practical strategies for an effective weight management.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.548-557
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• 2024

Curcumin, the primary active compound in Curcumae Radix of the ginger family, exhibits a range of therapeutic effects, including blood sugar regulation, immunoregulation, antioxidant, antibacterial, and antitumor activities. However, its poor water solubility and chemical instability result in suboptimal pharmacokinetics with low oral absorption (0.18%) and bioavailability, thus limiting its efficacy. To overcome these limitations, this study aimed to enhance the oral absorption and bioavailability of curcumin by incorporating lysine and β-cyclodextrin. Following oral administration of solubilized cur- cumin, blood samples were collected to assess the oral absorption rate. Solubilized curcumin showed an approximately 1.55-fold increase in absorption at 120 min compared to its non-solubilized form. Furthermore, intravenous administration followed by blood analysis showed a 25-fold increase in bio- availability at 61 min for the solubilized curcumin compared to the non-solubilized variant. In conclusion, employing lysine for dispersion and stabilization, combined with β-cyclodextrin to enhance solubility, significantly improves curcumin's oral absorption and bioavailability. The results of this experiment are expected to lead to the development of herbal medicines and pharmaceuticals that amplify curcumin's anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and blood-sugar-regulation effects.

• Asian Spine Journal
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.1028-1036
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• 2018

Study Design: Single-center, observational, case-control study. Purpose: Comparison and analysis of the metabolic and coagulative profiles in patients with idiopathic scoliosis, patients with congenital scoliosis, and healthy controls. Overview of Literature: Serum melatonin deficiency has been a controversial topic in the etiopathogenesis of scoliosis. Low bone mineral density, low vitamin D3 levels, and high parathyroid hormone levels are common metabolic abnormalities associated with scoliosis that may be responsible for its pathogenesis. In addition to metabolic defects, several studies have shown coagulation defects that either persist from the preoperative period or occur during surgery and usually lead to more than the expected amount of blood loss in patients undergoing deformity correction for scoliosis. Methods: The study population (n=73) was classified into those having congenital scoliosis (n=31), those with idiopathic scoliosis (n=30), and healthy controls (n=12). After detailed clinicoradiological evaluation of all the subjects, 10-mL blood samples were collected, measured, and analyzed for various metabolic and coagulation parameters. Results: The mean serum melatonin levels in patients with idiopathic scoliosis were significantly lower than those in the healthy controls. Although the mean serum melatonin level in the congenital group was also low, the difference was not statistically significant. Serum alkaline phosphatase and parathyroid hormone levels were higher in the scoliosis groups, whereas the vitamin D level was lower. No differences were observed in the coagulation profiles of the different groups. Conclusions: Low serum melatonin levels associated with scoliosis can be a cause or an effect of scoliosis. Moreover, low bone mineral density, high bone turn over, and negative calcium balance appear to play an important role in the progression, if not the onset, of the deformity.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.572-580
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• 2018

Objectives: Human biomonitoring (HBM) is a measurement of the chemicals and their metabolites in human biological samples and has been successfully employed to determine the exposure levels of environmental chemicals. In this study, we analyzed seasonal variations of the blood or urinary levels of chemicals, and assessed that these differences could affect the results of association study. Methods: The Korea National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) is a nationwide survey that analyzes exposure levels of environmental pollutants, 19 kinds of chemicals including heavy metals and organic chemicals, and the exposure factors in the general population. Based on KoNEHS data, we analyzed the levels of chemicals concentrations over the total survey period (2012-2014) and each season, and assessed the association of thyroid measures with phthalate metabolite and BPA. Results: Exposure levels of blood mercury and lead were lower in summer compare to winter. Bisphenol A and PAHs metabolites were higher in spring and summer, but lower in autumn. VOCs metabolites were generally lower in summer and autumn. Phthalate metabolites were higher in all other seasons than in winter. Pyrethroid metabolite, 3-PBA, was higher in summer and autumn. Regarding seasonal variation of chemical exposures, the statistical significance and size of effects between thyroid measures and phthalate and BPA were changed with season. Conclusion: Seasonal variations of chemical exposure and health outcome should be considered for interpreting biomonitoring results from a public health context.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.3923-3927
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• 2016

Infection with the hepatitis C virus is a major public health concern which can lead to carcinoma and liver failure. It has been shown that single nucleotide polymorphisms can affect the level of gene activity of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) which has an important role, especially in viral infections which can lead to apaptosis of infected hepatocellular cells. We investigated the impact of three possible genotypes for rs1800629 or A/G single nucleotide polymorphism located downstream of $TNF{\alpha}$ gene promoter in groups of control (n=76) and chronic hepatitis C patients (n=89) focusing on the response to treatment among sensitive and resistant groups. Genomic DNA was extracted from $500{\mu}l$ prepheral whole blood and PCR and RFLP were used to amplify the region of interest and genotyping. With statistical analyzes a p-value <0.05 was considered meaningful. There was no significant difference in distribution of possible three genotypes among healthy individuals and patients (P=0.906, OR=1.194, CI=0.063-22.790). However, the frequency of G allele was higher in patients whereas A allele was more common among healthy individuals (p<0.0001). Further studies with more samples seem to be necessary.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.421-426
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• 2013

Several studies have shown the mechanisms and importance of immune responses against Toxoplasma gondii infection and the notable role of cholinesterases in inflammatory reactions. However, the association between those factors has not yet been investigated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in blood and lymphocytes and the activity of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) in serum of rats experimentally infected with T. gondii during the acute phase of infection. For that, an in vivo study was performed with evaluations of AChE and BChE activities on days 5 and 10 post-infection (PI). The activity of AChE in blood was increased on day 5 PI, while in lymphocytes its activity was enhanced on days 5 and 10 PI (P<0.05). No significant difference was observed between groups regarding to the activity of BChE in serum. A positive (P<0.01) correlation was observed between AChE activity and number of lymphocytes. The role of AChE as an inflammatory marker is well known in different pathologies; thus, our results lead to the hypothesis that AChE has an important role in modulation of early immune responses against T. gondii infection.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.48-61
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• 2018

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the ordinary symptoms, special symptoms and Body Mass Index (BMI) according to Sasang constitution in female college students. Also, we aimed to analyze the factors affecting BMI. Methods Forty-four female college students participated in this study. Sasang Constitution was determined by Questionnaire for Sasang Constitution Classification (QSCC) II. BMI was measured and ordinary symptoms were acqired through the questionnaire. Special symptoms was determined by Fatigue Severity Index (FSS), Premenstrual Symptom Screening Tool (PSST), ROME III, Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), respectively. For statistical analysis, t-test, analysis of variance and correlation test has been used. Results There existed significant differences in ordinary symptoms and special symptoms between sasang constitutions. Taeumin had higher urine frequency than soyangin, soeumin had higher gap of feces than taeumin. Taeumin had higher BMI and ROME III score than soyangin and soeumin. They showed significant differences in ordinary symptoms and special symptoms according to BMI. Overweight and obese group is higher in water intake than low and normal group. Low weight and normal group is higher in gap of feces than overweight and obese group. High score group in PSST and ROME III showed high BMI than low score group. We analyzed the factors that affect BMI. BMI are highly correlated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Also, FSS, PSST, ROME III and OSDI showed high correlation with each other. Conclusion Urine frequency and gap of feces are different among sasang constitutional types. The obese group and normal group showed significant differences in water intake, gap of feces, PSST and ROME III score. It is found that factors that affecting BMI are systolic and diastolic blood pressure. These results may lead to identifying the causes and factors of obesity in female college students related to Sasang constitution.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.66 no.3
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• pp.228-238
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• 2023

Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is a serious concern for preterm infants and can predispose such infants to brain injury and poor neurodevelopmental outcomes. IVH is particularly common in preterm infants. Although advances in obstetric management and neonatal care have led to a lower mortality rate for preterm infants with IVH, the IVH-related morbidity rate in this population remains high. Therefore, the present review investigated the pathophysiology of IVH and the evidence related to interventions for prevention. The analysis of the pathophysiology of IVH was conducted with a focus on the factors associated with cerebral hemodynamics, vulnerabilities in the structure of cerebral vessels, and host or genetic predisposing factors. The findings presented in the literature indicate that fluctuations in cerebral blood flow, the presence of hemodynamic significant patent ductus arteriosus, arterial carbon dioxide tension, and impaired cerebral venous drainage; a vulnerable or fragile capillary network; and a genetic variant associated with a mechanism underlying IVH development may lead to preterm infants developing IVH. Therefore, strategies focused on antenatal management, such as routine corticosteroid administration and magnesium sulfate use; perinatal management, such as maternal transfer to a specialized center; and postnatal management, including pharmacological agent administration and circulatory management involving prevention of extreme blood pressure, hemodynamic significant patent ductus arteriosus management, and optimization of cardiac function, can lower the likelihood of IVH development in preterm infants. Incorporating neuroprotective care bundles into routine care for such infants may also reduce the likelihood of IVH development. The findings regarding the pathogenesis of IVH further indicate that cerebrovascular status and systemic hemodynamic changes must be analyzed and monitored in preterm infants and that individualized management strategies must be developed with consideration of the risk factors for and physiological status of each preterm infant.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.131-135
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• 2002

This study was carried out to investigate the inhibitory effect of extracts from Paeoniae radix on postprandial hyperglycemia. Organic solvent (hexane, ethyl acetate, butanol, water) extracts from Paeoniae radix were fractionated by high performance liquid chromatography. These fractions were used to screen $\alpha$-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.20) inhibitors by microplate colorimetric assay. The fractions 11, 12, 18, 19 of ethyl acetate extract from Paeoniae radix showed inhibitory activity by 85%, 84%, 77%, 77% at concentration of 20 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL, respectively. The selected fractions (no. 10~no. 19) significantly reduced by 22% the blood glucose elevation in comparison with positive control in mice loaded with maltose. The fractions of Paeoniae radix were determined in vitro inhibitory activity on $\alpha$-glucosidase and in vivo inhibition effect on blood glucose elevation in mice. Therefore, these results suggest that the extract of Paeoniae radix can be used as a new nutraceutial for inhibition on postprandial hyperglycemia as well as resource pool for lead compounds as a $\alpha$-glucosidase inhibitor.