• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.182-190
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• 2005

Purpose: There are differences between Standard Uptake Value (SUV) of CT attenuation corrected PET and that of $^{137}Cs$. Since various causes lead to difference of SUV, it is important to know what is the cause of these difference. Since only the X-ray CT and $^{137}Cs$ transmission data are used for the attenuation correction, in Philips GEMINI PET/CT scanner, proper transformation of these data into usable attenuation coefficients for 511 keV photon has to be ascertained. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy in the CT measurement and compare the CT and $^{137}Cs$-based attenuation correction in this scanner. Methods: For all the experiments, CT was set to 40 keV (120 kVp) and 50 mAs. To evaluate the accuracy of the CT measurement, CT performance phantom was scanned and Hounsfield units (HU) for those regions were compared to the true values. For the comparison of CT and $^{137}Cs$-based attenuation corrections, transmission scans of the elliptical lung-spine-body phantom and electron density CT phantom composed of various components, such as water, bone, brain and adipose, were performed using CT and $^{137}Cs$. Transformed attenuation coefficients from these data were compared to each other and true 511 keV attenuation coefficient acquired using $^{68}Ge$ and ECAT EXACT 47 scanner. In addition, CT and $^{137}Cs$-derived attenuation coefficients and SUV values for $^{18}F$-FDG measured from the regions with normal and pathological uptake in patients' data were also compared. Results: HU of all the regions in CT performance phantom measured using GEMINI PET/CT were equivalent to the known true values. CT based attenuation coefficients were lower than those of $^{68}Ge$ about 10% in bony region of NEMA ECT phantom. Attenuation coefficients derived from $^{137}Cs$ data was slightly higher than those from CT data also in the images of electron density CT phantom and patients' body with electron density. However, the SUV values in attenuation corrected images using $^{137}Cs$ were lower than images corrected using CT. Percent difference between SUV values was about 15%. Conclusion: Although the HU measured using this scanner was accurate, accuracy in the conversion from CT data into the 511 keV attenuation coefficients was limited in the bony region. Discrepancy in the transformed attenuation coefficients and SUV values between CT and $^{137}Cs$-based data shown in this study suggests that further optimization of various parameters in data acquisition and processing would be necessary for this scanner.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 1995

Tc-99m-MIBI(Sestamibi) myocardial SPECT along with T1-201 tomographic imaging has demonstrated wide application and high image qualify sufficient for the diagnosis of myocardial perfusion defect, which consequently reflects regional myocardial blood flow, The qualitative values of myocardial SPECT with Tc-99m-MIBI as well as the quantitative cases depend in some degree on the reconstruction techniques of multiple projections. Filtered backprojection(FBP) is the common standard for reconstruction rather than the complicated and time-consuming arithmetic methods. In FBP it Is known that the distribution of radioactivity in reconstructed transverse slices varies with the selected filter parameters such as cutoff frequencies and order(Butterworth case). The cutoff frequencies basically remove and decrease the true radioactive distribution and alter the pixel counts, which lead to underestimation of true counts in specific myocardial regions. In this study, we have investigated the effect of cutoff frequencies of reconstruction filter on the artifactually induced perfusion defects, which are often demonstrated near inferior and/or inferoseptal cardiac walls due to the intense hepatic uptake of Tc-99m-MIBI. A computerized method for identifying the relative degree of artifactual perfusion defect and for comparing those degrees along with the relative amount of hepatic uptake to myocardium was developed and patient images were studied to observe the quantitative degree of underestimation of myocardial perfusion, and to propose some reasonable thresh-old of cutoff frequency in the diagnosis of perfusion defect quantitatively. We concluded that from the quantitative viewpoint cutoff frequencies may be used as high as possible with the sacrifice of homogeneity of image quality, and those frequencies lower than the common 0.3 Nyquist frequency would reveal severe degradation of radio-active distribution near inferior and/or Inferoseptal myocardium when applying Butterworth or low pass filter.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.300-307
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• 2012

BACKGROUND: The Transfer Factor (TF) of heavy metals from soil to plant is important, because TF is an indicator of heavy metal in soils and a factor that quantifies bioavailability of heavy metals to agricultural products. This study was conducted to investigate the transfer ability of Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), and Lead (Pb) from soil to agricultural products. METHODS AND RESULTS: We investigated heavy metals (As, Cd and Pb) concentrations in 9 agricultural products (rice, barely, corn, pulse, lettuce, pumpkin, apple, pear, tangerin) and soil. TF of agricultural products was evaluated based on total and HCl-extractable soil concentration of As, Cd, and Pb. Regression analysis was used to predict the relationship of total and HCl-extractable concentration with agricultural product contents of As, Cd, and Pb. The result showed that TF was investigated average 0.006~0.309 (As), 0.002~6.185 (Cd), 0.003~0.602 (Pb). The mean TF value was the highest as rice 0.309 in As, lettuce 6.185, pear 0.717, rice 0.308 in Cd, lettuce 0.602, pumpkin 0.536 in Pb which were dependent on the vegetable species and cereal is showed higher than fruit-vegetables in As. CONCLUSION(S): Soil HCl-extractable concentration of As, Cd, and Pb had the larger effects on thier contents in agricultural products than total soil concentrations. We suggests that TF are served as influential factor on the prediction of uptake. Further study for uptake and accumulation mechanism of toxic metals by agricultural products will be required to assess the human health risk and need TF of more agricultural products.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.160-166
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• 2017

This study was performed to develop the efficient phytoremediation model in the paddy soil contaminated with heavy metals by cultivating Pteris multifida and Artemisia princeps with different mixing ratios (1:0, 8:1, 6:1, 4:1). As a result of investigating the heavy metal accumulation of each plant per dried material (1 kg), content of arsenic and cadmium was the highest in aerial part of P. multifida (169.82, $1.70mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}DW$, each) among the treated group. Lead content was the highest ($12.58mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}DW$) in the aerial part of P. multifida cultivated with 8:1 mixed planting. But the content of copper and zinc was the highest (33.94, $61.78mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}DW$, each) in the aerial part of A. princeps with 8:1 treatment. Regardless of heavy metals, plant uptake from the $1m^2$ soil was the highest in 4:1 mixed planting group, which showed the best yield of A. princeps.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.31 no.1 s.57
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• pp.103-114
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• 1995

Platinum coordination complexes are currently one of the most compounds used in the treatment of solid tumors. However, its use is limited by severe side effects such as renal toxicity. Our platinum-based drug discovery program is aimed at developing drugs capable of diminishing toxicity and improving antitumor activity. We synthesized new Pt (Ⅱ) complex analogue containing 1,2-diaminocyclohexane (dach) as carrier ligand and 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino) ethane (DPPE) as a leaving group. Furthermore, nitrate was added to improve the solubility. A new series of [Pt(trans-ddach)(DPPE).$2NO_3(PC)$ was synthesized and characterized by their elemental analysis and by various spectroscopic techniques [infrared (IR), $^{13}carbon$ nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)]. PC demonstrated acceptable antitumor activity aganist P388, L-1210 lymphocytic leukemia cells and SK=OV3 human ovarian adenocarcinoma cells, and significant. activity as compared with that. cisplatin. The toxicity of PC was found quite less than thar of cisplatin using MTT, $[^3H]$ thymidine uptake and glucose consumption tests in rabbit proximal tubule cells, human kidney cortical cells and human renal cortical tissues. Based on these results, this novel platinum compound represent a valuable lead in the development of a new anticancer chemotherapeutic agent capable of improving antitumor activity and low toxicity.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.363-370
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• 2016

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in diabetic patients. Hyperglycemia is the primary characteristic of diabetes and is associated with many complications. The role of hyperglycemia in the dysfunction of human cardiac progenitor cells that can regenerate damaged cardiac tissue has been investigated, but the exact mechanism underlying this association is not clear. Thus, we examined whether hyperglycemia could regulate mitochondrial dynamics and lead to cardiac progenitor cell dysfunction, and whether blocking glucose uptake could rescue this dysfunction. High glucose in cardiac progenitor cells results in reduced cell viability and decreased expression of cell cycle-related molecules, including CDK2 and cyclin E. A tube formation assay revealed that hyperglycemia led to a significant decrease in the tube-forming ability of cardiac progenitor cells. Fluorescent labeling of cardiac progenitor cell mitochondria revealed that hyperglycemia alters mitochondrial dynamics and increases expression of fission-related proteins, including Fis1 and Drp1. Moreover, we showed that specific blockage of GLUT1 improved cell viability, tube formation, and regulation of mitochondrial dynamics in cardiac progenitor cells. To our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate that high glucose leads to cardiac progenitor cell dysfunction through an increase in mitochondrial fission, and that a GLUT1 blocker can rescue cardiac progenitor cell dysfunction and downregulation of mitochondrial fission. Combined therapy with cardiac progenitor cells and a GLUT1 blocker may provide a novel strategy for cardiac progenitor cell therapy in cardiovascular disease patients with diabetes.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.137-141
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• 2013

Flavonoids have various biological activities; however, their cellular uptake mechanism is beginning to be understood only recently. This review focuses on cellular flavonoids transport mechanisms in both plants and animals. In plants, flavonoids exist in various cellular compartments, providing a specialized transport system. Newly synthesized flavonoids can be transported from the endoplasmic reticulum to the vacuoles or extracellular space via cellular trafficking pathway. Among membrane transporters, ATP binding cassette, multidrug and toxic extrusion, bilitranslocase homologue transporters play roles in both the influx and efflux of cellular flavonoids across the cell membrane. In recent years, extensive researches have provided a better understanding on the cellular flavonoid transport in mammalian cells. Bilitranslocase transports flavonoids in various tissues, including the liver, intestine and kidneys. However, other transport mechanisms are largely unknown and thus, further investigation should provide detailed mechanisms, which can potentially lead to an improved bioavailability and cellular function of flavonoids in humans.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.93-102
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• 1996

Platinum coordination complexes are currently one of the most compounds used in the treatment of solid tumors. However, its use is limited by severe side effects such as nephrotoxicity. Our platinum-based drug discovery program is aimed at developing drugs capable of diminishing toxicity and broadening the clinical spectrum of activity of cisplatin. We synthesized new Pt(II) complex analogue containing 1,2-diaminocyclohexane (dach) as carrier ligand and 1,3-bis(diphenyl phosphino)propane (DPPP) as a leaving group. Furthermore, nitrate was added to improve the solubility. A new series of PC-1 [Pt(cis-dach) (DPPP)]. $2NO_3_2$ was synthesized and characterized by their elemental analysis and by various spectroscopic techniques [infrared (IR), $^{13}carbon$ nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)]. PC-1 was demonstrated acceptable antitumor activity aganist SKOV -3, OVCAR-3 human ovarian adenocarcinomacells and significant activity as compared with that of cisplatin. The toxicity of PC-1 was found quite less than that of cisplatin using MTT, $[^3H]thymidine$ uptake and glucose consumption tests in rabbit proximal tubule cells, human kidney cortical cells and human renal cortical tissues. Based on these results, this novel platinum compound represent a valuable lead in the development of a new anticancer chemotherapeutic agent capable of improving antitumor activity and low toxicity.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.475-481
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• 2010

Lots of pollutants typically originating from urban transportation are accumulating on the paved surfaces during dry periods and are washed-off directly to the river during a storm. Also, paved surfaces are contributing to increase in peak flows and volume of stormwater flows. These are the main reasons why the water quality of rivers and lakes remain polluted and still below standards. Currently, several management practices are being applied in developed countries but the design standards are still lacking. This research was conducted to develop a treatment technology that can be useful to address the problems concerning runoff quality and quantity. A lab scale infiltration device consisting of a pretreatment tank and media zone was designed and tested for various flow regimes characterizing the low, average and high intensity rainfall. Based on the experiments, the high intensity flow resulted to increase in outflow event mean concentration (EMC) of pollutants, about twice as much as the average outflow EMC. However, 78 to 88% of the total suspended solids were captured and retained in the pretreatment tank because of sedimentation. The removal of heavy metals such as zinc and lead was greatly affected by the vertical placement of woodchip layer prior to the media zone. It was observed that the high carbon content (almost 50%) in the woodchip provided opportunity for enhancing its uptake of metal by adsorption. The findings implied that the reduction of pollutants can be greatly achieved by means of proper pretreatment to allow for settling of particles with a combination of using high carbon source media like woodchip and a geotextile mat to reduce the flow before filtering into the media zone and finally discharging to the drainage system.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.313-319
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• 2008

The ultrastructure of oocytes during oogenesis and oocyte degeneration associated with follicle cells in female Sinonovacula constricta(Lamarck, 1818) were investigated by electron microscope observations. Ovarian follicles are surrounded by a matrix of vesicular connective tissue cells(VCT cells). VCT cells contain large quantities of glycogen particles and several lipid droplets in their cytoplasm. It is suggested that VCT cells act as a source of nutrients for vitellogenesis during oogenesis. In early vitellogenic oocytes, several coated vesicles, which appear at the basal region of the oocyte, lead to the formation of membrane-bound vesicles via endocytosis. The uptake of nutritive materials in coated vesicles formed by endocytosis appears through the formation of coated pits on the oolemma during vitellogenesis. During the late stage of oogenesis, yolk precursors(yolk granules), mitochondria and lipid droplets are present in the cytoplasm of late vitellogenic oocytes. In particular, proteinaceous yolk granules containing several different components are intermingles and form immature yolk granules. In the mature oocyte, small immature yolk granules are intermingled and form large mature yolk granules. Vitellogenesis occurs through a process of autosynthesis, involving combined activity of the Golgi complex, mitochondria and rough endoplasmic reticulum in the cytoplasm of vitellogenic oocytes. The process of heterosynthesis is where extraovarian precursors are incorporated into oocytes by endocytosis at the basal region of early vitellogenic oocytes before the formation of the vitelline coat. Follicle cells appear to play an important role in vitellogenesis and oocyte degeneration. The functions of attached follicle cells to the oocyte during oocyte degeneration are phagocytosis and digestion of phagosomes originating from oocyte degeneration. After digestion of phagosomes, it is assumed that the function of follicle cells can permit a transfer of yolk precursors necessary for vitellogenesis and allows for the accumulation of glycogen and lipid during oocyte degeneration, which can be employed by vitellogenic oocytes. Follicle cells of S. constricta may possess a lysosomal system for induction of oocyte breakdown and might resorb phagosomes in the cytoplasm for nutrient accumulation during oocyte degeneration.