• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.753-761
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• 2005

In this study, pretreatment of organic matters with $MIEX^{(R)}$ was evaluated using bench-scale experimental procedures on four organic matters to determine its effect on subsequent UF membrane filtration. For comparison, coagulation process was also used as a pretreatment of UF membrane filtration. Moreover, the membrane fouling potential was identified using different fractions and molecular weights of organic matters. From the removal property of MW organic matters by coagulation process for the sample water NOM and AOM, the removal efficiency of high MW organic matters were much higher than those of low MW organic matters. It was shown that the removal efficiency of high MW organic matter more than 10 kDa was lower than that of low MW organic matter for $MIEX^{(R)}$ process. For the change of permeate flux by the pretreatment process, $MIEX^{(R)}$+UF process showed high removal efficiency of organic matter as compared with coagulation-UF processes, but high reduction rate of permeate flux was presented through the reduction of removal efficiency of high MW organic matter. From sequential filtration test results in order to examine the effect of MW of organic matter on membrane fouling, it was found that the membrane foulant was occurred by high MW organic matter, and the DOC of organic matter less than 0.5 mg/L was working as the membrane foulant. In the case of sample water composed of low MW organic matter less than 10 kDa, since the low MW organic matter less than 10 kDa has high removal efficiency by $MIEX^{(R)}$, low reduction rate of permeate flux is obtained as compared with coagulation-UF processes. In summary, it is required to conduct the research on physical/chemical characteristic of original water before pretreatment process of membrane process is selected, and a pertinent pre-treatment process should be employed based on the physical/chemical characteristic of original water.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.13-18
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• 2003

The effect of ultrasonic decomposition was introduced to develop a pretreatment method for the analysis of potassium ion in human urine by potentiometry. N-(4’-benzo-15-crown-5)-anthracene-9-imine, which has a good selectivity coefficient for potassium against ammonium, was used as an ion-selective material for the determination of potassium in urine with relatively high concentration of $NH_4{^+}$. Protenis in urine be removed by 85.1% when the sample acidified with 1.0 M $HNO_3$ was preteated for 100 s by sonication. Potential response of the membrane electrode in the pretreated urine had a slope of 54.6(${\pm}0.2,\;n=5$) mV/decade over the linear range of log $[K^+]$=-5~-1(r=0.9997). When an oxidant, $H_2O_2$, was addwd to the urine sonicated with $HNO_3$, the deproteinization increased 10% more than that in case if only $HNO_3$ and then the maximum ratio of ca. 95% was obtained. Moreover, the Nernstian slope for $K^+$ added to the urinary sample increased to 56.7(${\pm}0.1,\;n=3$) mV/decade. When the calibration curves were measured, the slopes did not vary even after the electrode was successively used 20 times with ultrasonic cleaning. The results showed that an ultrasonic pretreatment method provides simplicity in use, reduced treatment time and improved potentiometric characteristics of the membrane as the method effectively removes ca. 95% of proteins in urine.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.327-332
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• 2001

In recent years, experimental evidence have been suggested that melatonin has either contractive or relaxing effects on the vascular smooth muscle in vitro. But the effect of melatonin on the cardiovascular system in vivo had been emphasized about the hypotensive effect. In this work, we found not only hypotensive effect but also hypertensive effect of melatonin in rats and attempted to determine the mechanism of these effects elicited by melatonin. Regadless of concentration, melatonin(0.002~5 mg/kg) produced increase in mean blood pressure (MBP) in 36% (54/150 cases) and decrease in mean blood pressure in 64%(96/150 cases). As a whole melatonin caused an increase or a decrease in MBP without compensatory decrease or increase in heart rate. The melatonin-induced hypertension was abolished by the pretreatment of phenoxybenzamine, a ${\alpha}$-adrenoceptor antagoninst. The melatonin-induced hypotension was abolished by the pretreatment of propranolol, a ${\beta}$-adrenoceptor antagonist, ODQ, a NO-sensitive guanylate cyclase inhibitor, or nifedipine, a L-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel blocker, but not by bilateral cervical vagotomy. The results indicate that melatonin-induced hypertension may be related to ${\alpha}$-adrenoceptor stimulation and melatonin-indued hypotension may be related to ${\beta}$-adrenoceptor stimulation, inhibition of $Ca^{2+}$ channel and/or activation of guanylate cyclase.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.125-131
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• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of black rice extract (BRE) on tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP)-induced oxidative injury in HepG2 cells. MATERIALS/METHODS: Methanolic extract from black rice was evaluated for the protective effect on TBHP-induced oxidative injury in HepG2 cells. Several biomarkers that modulate cell survival and death including reactive oxygen species (ROS), caspase-3 activity, and related cellular kinases were determined. RESULTS: TBHP induced cell death and apoptosis by a rapid increase in ROS generation and caspase-3 activity. Moreover, TBHP-induced oxidative stress resulted in a transient ERK1/2 activation and a sustained increase of JNK1/2 activation. While, BRE pretreatment protects the cells against oxidative stress by reducing cell death, caspase-3 activity, and ROS generation and also by preventing ERKs deactivation and the prolonged JNKs activation. Moreover, pretreatment of BRE increased the activation of ERKs and Akt which are pro-survival signal proteins. However, this effect was blunted in the presence of ERKs and Akt inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that activation of ERKs and Akt pathway might be involved in the cytoprotective effect of BRE against oxidative stress. Our findings provide new insights into the cytoprotective effects and its possible mechanism of black rice against oxidative stress.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.87-93
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• 2002

The present study was aimed to examine the role of endothelium in the relaxant effect of hawthorn fruit extract of Crataegus pinnatifida in four different types of rat arteries, posterior cerebral communicating artery, right descending coronary artery, common carotid artery, and aorta. In $9,11-dideoxy-11{\alpha}$, $9{\alpha}-epoxy-methanoprostaglandin$ $F_{2{\alpha}}$ (U46619)-preconstricted arterial rings except for aorta, the extract produced endothelium-independent relaxations with similar potency. This relaxation was unaffected by pretreatment with $100\;{\mu}M\;N^G-nitro-L-arginine$ methylester (L-NAME, the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor), $3\;{\mu}M$ 1H-[l,2,4]oxadiazolo$[4,2-{\alpha}]$quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, the guanylate cyclase inhibitor), or $10\;{\mu}M$ indomethacin (the cyclooxygenase inhibitor). Putative $K^+$ channel blockers (charybdotoxin plus apamin or glibenclamide) did not affect the extract-induced relaxation in cerebral or coronary artery rings. In contrast, in rat aortic rings the extract produced significantly smaller relaxant response in endothelium-denuded rings than that in endothelium-intact rings. Pretreatment with L-NAME or ODQ abolished the extractinduced endothelium-dependent aortic relaxation, whilst indomethacin $(3\;{\mu}M)$ had no effect. The present results indicate that hawthorn fruit extract possesses a vasorelaxing effect in cerebral, coronary and carotid arteries and this effect is independent of the presence of a functional endothelium. However, the extract-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation in rat aorta was mediated through endothelial nitric oxide and cyclic GMP-dependent mechanisms, suggesting that active components in the extract may act on endothelium to stimulate release of nitric oxide in large conduit arteries of the rats.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.53-65
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• 1995

The growth and synthetic activities of fibroblasts are regulated by cytokines and growth factors derived from activated inflammatory cells. Stimulatory effect of low level laser (LLL) radiation on wound healing seems to be in part due to direct stimulatory action on cell proliferation and synthetic activities of fibroblasts. Also indirect stimulatory effect on the fibroblast function through inflammatory or immune cells is another possible mechanism of biostimulatory action of LLL. This study was performed to determine the growth rate of human gingival fibroblasts obtained biopsy and culture, fibroblast cell line, and immune cell line by using $[^3H]-$ thymidine incorporation test. And gene expression pattern was also analyzed by using the DNA probe such as Hsp70, IL-1$\beta$, MIP-1$\alpha$ and actin cDNA. Proliferation rate of gingival fibroblast was increased by LLL irradiation, but no more effect was added by LPS or IL-1$\beta$ pretreatment Enhanced Hsp70 gene expression was found from gingival fibroblasts and fibroblast cell line COS by LLL irradiation., which was not more increased by LPS or IL-1$\beta$ pretreatment. LLL-irradiated promyelcytic cell line HL-60 and macrophage cell line RAW264.7 showed significant stimulatory effect of proliferation rate when compared with respective control. However there were no changes in growth rate of other immune cell tested in this study, such as B cell line WR19n.l and 230, helper T cell line Jurkat and Hut78, cytolytic T cell line CTLL-r8. By LLL-irradiation Hsp70 gene expression was increased in RAW246.7 and HL-60, not in CTLL-R8. And IL-1$\beta$ and MIP-1$\alpha$ gene expression were induced only from LLL-irradiated RAW264.7. These results led us to presume that LLL radiation may affect to the immune cells, especially to macrophage, through which it might promote wound healing process.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 1987

To validate the comparision of proximal and distal large intestinal motility, the amplitude and frequency of spontaneous motility, the effect of acetylcholine, the effect of atropine on the response of acetylcholine, the effect of histamine and the effect of pyrilamine and cimetidine on the response of histamine were investigated in rabbit. The results were summarized as follows: 1. The amplitude of spontaneous motility was more powerful on the proximal large intestine than that of the distal large intestine, but the frequency of spontaneous motility was similar on the both proximal and distal large intestine in rabbit. 2. Acetylcholine caused the contraction of proximal and distal large intestine, and the contractile response were increased between the concentration of acetylcholne $10^{-9}$ and $5{\times}10^{-6}M$ and $10^{-7}$ and $10^{-4}M$ on the proximal and distal large intestine, respectively, with dose-dependent manner in rabbit. 3. The contractile response induced by acetylcholine was completely blocked by the post-treatment with cholinergic receptor blocker, atropine $10^{-6}M$. 4. Histamine caused the contraction of proximal and distal large intestine and the contractile response were increased between the concentration of histamine $10^{-9}$ and $5{\times}10^{-5}M$ and $10^{-5}$ and $10^{-3}M$ on the proximal and distal large intestine, respectively, with dose-depend ent manner in rabbit. 5. The contractile response induced by histamine was completely blocked by the pretreatment with $H_1$-receptor blocker, pyrilamine $10^{-6}M$, but not blocked by the pretreatment with $H_2$-receptor blocker, cimetidine $10^{-6}M$.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.133-137
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• 2011

Objectives : Socheongryong-Tang (小靑龍湯, SCRT) has been widely used to treat respiratory disease. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of SCRT on hydrogen peroxide-induced hepatotoxicity. Methods : In the mouse primary liver cells, SCRT was pretreated for 1 h, and 1 mM $H_2O_2$ was treated to mouse primary liver cells. Cell viability was analyzed by using 3- 4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Also, the activity of AST, ALT and LDH were measured for the evaluation the protective effect of SCRT on $H_2O_2$-induced hepatotoxicity. Intracellular ROS level was analyzed by FACS. Results : SCRT pretreatment decreased $H_2O_2$-induced hepatotoxicity and intracellular ROS production. Pretreatment of SCRT significantly reduced the cytotoxic effect induced by $H_2O_2$, associated with reducing DNA fragmentation and AST, ALT, LDH activities. Conclusions : These results suggest that SCRT has protective effect against $H_2O_2$-induced hepatotoxicity.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.7-16
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• 2019

Objectives : Hemistepta lyrata Bunge (Bunge) has been used for treating wound, hemorrhage, fever in Korean traditional medicine. Present study investigated anti-inflammatory effect of H. lyrata chloroform extract (HLE) and its molecular mechanism involved. Methods : To assess anti-inflammatory effect of HLE, production of nitric oxide (NO) and expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and pro-inflammatory cytokines were measured on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Moreover, nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$) signaling pathway was examined to elucidate its molecular mechanism. Results : Pretreatment of HLE inhibited NO production in a concentration dependent manner. HLE also decreased expression of iNOS and COX-2, and alleviated expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Moreover, HLE pretreatment inhibited phosphorylation of inhibitory-${\kappa}B{\alpha}$ and p65. Conclusions : These results suggest that HLE exhibits anti-inflammatory effect via inhibition of NF-${\kappa}B$.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.67 no.1
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• pp.14-21
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• 2024

Objective : The primary treatment goal of current endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for emergent large-vessel occlusion (ELVO) is complete recanalization after a single maneuver, referred to as the 'first-pass effect' (FPE). Hence, we aimed to identify the predictive factors of FPE and assess its effect on clinical outcomes in patients with ELVO of the anterior circulation. Methods : Among the 129 patients who participated, 110 eligible patients with proximal ELVO (intracranial internal carotid artery and proximal middle cerebral artery) who achieved successful recanalization after EVT were retrospectively reviewed. A comparative analysis between patients who achieved FPE and all others (defined as a non-FPE group) was performed regarding baseline characteristics, clinical variables, and clinical outcomes. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were subsequently conducted for potential predictive factors with p<0.10 in the univariate analysis to determine the independent predictive factors of FPE. Results : FPE was achieved in 31 of the 110 patients (28.2%). The FPE group had a significantly higher level of functional independence at 90 days than did the non-FPE group (80.6% vs. 50.6%, p=0.002). Pretreatment intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) (odds ratio [OR], 3.179; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.025-9.861; p=0.045), door-to-puncture (DTP) interval (OR, 0.959; 95% CI, 0.932-0.987; p=0.004), and the use of balloon guiding catheter (BGC) (OR, 3.591; 95% CI, 1.231-10.469; p=0.019) were independent predictive factors of FPE. Conclusion : In conclusion, pretreatment IVT, use of BGC, and a shorter DTP interval were positively associated with FPE, increasing the chance of acquiring better clinical outcomes.