• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.681-693
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• 2007

Background and Objective : Atractylodes japonica (AJ) is a commonly-used herbal medicine in Asian countries such as Korea, China and Japan. The present study was designated to evaluate the direct effects of AJ on helper T cell activities and on Th1/Th2 lineage development in vitro. Materials and Methods : Spleen cells from 8-week BALB/c mice were cultured in CR extracts containing medium without activation for 24 hours and with activation for 48 hours. CD4+ T cells were isolated and analyzed for mRNA expression levels of INF-$\gamma$, IL-4, T-bet and GATA-3 by RT-PCR and secretion cytokines levels of INF-$\gamma$, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10 by ELISA. Results : The results demonstrated that AJ had no mitogenic effects on unstimulated CD4+ T cells, but augmented CD4+T-cell proliferation upon activation with anti-CD3/anti-CD28 antibodies in a dose-dependent manner. AJ treatment significantly increased CD4+ T cell population and IFN-$\gamma$ expression was significantly enhanced, while IL-4 expression significantly decreased. In addition, in vitro Th1/Th2 polarization experiments revealed that AJ enhanced IFN-$\gamma$ secretion in Th1 cells, but reduced the IL-4 in Th2 cells in dose-dependent manner. Conclusion : These results suggest that AJ treatment could be a desirable alternative therapy for the prevention or correction of Th2 dominant pathological disorders, such as allergy and asthma.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.214-223
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• 2017

Objective: In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a well-known method for the treatment of infertility. The present study aimed to compare the differences between infertile women with successful and unsuccessful IVF outcomes regarding the expression of T helper (Th) cell transcription factors and a group of related cytokines before and after exposure to their husbands' seminal plasma. Methods: This study was performed on 19 couples with unexplained infertility undergoing IVF treatment. Among the studied group, nine and 10 couples had successful and unsuccessful IVF outcomes, respectively. This study was carried out using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: Before seminal plasma exposure, the expression levels of T-bet (p< 0.007), $interferon-{\gamma}$ (p= 0.013), and tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$ (p= 0.017) were higher in the infertile women with IVF failure than in those with successful IVF outcomes, while those of GATA3 (p< 0.001), Foxp3 (p= 0.001), and interleukin (IL)-35 (p< 0.003) were lower. After seminal exposure, the expression of T-bet (p= 0.02), Rorc (p< 0.001), $TNF-{\alpha}$ (p= 0.001), Foxp3 (p= 0.02), and $interferon-{\gamma}$ (p= 0.001) increased in the unsuccessful IVF group, while the expression of Foxp3 (p= 0.02), Rorc (p< 0.001), IL-23 (p= 0.04), IL-17 (p= 0.02), IL-6 (p< 0.001), transforming growth $factor-{\beta}$ (p= 0.01), and IL-35 (p< 0.001) increased in the successful IVF group. Conclusion: In summary, IVF failure was associated with imbalanced Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg responses. Moreover, our results show that seminal plasma might have a positive effect on IVF outcomes via changes in peripheral blood T cell subsets.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.235-241
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• 2003

The polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based activated carbon fibers (ACFs) containing copper metal were electrolytically prepared in introducing the antibacterial activity into ACFs. The antibacterial activity was investigated by dilution test against Staphylococous aureus (S. aureus; gram positive and virulence) and Klebsiella pnemoniae (K. pnumoniae: gram negative and avirulence). The micropore and textural properties of the ACFs containing copper metal were characterized by BET, t-plot, and H-K methods. The ACFs showed slight decreases in BET's specific surface area, micropore volume, and total pore volume as copper metal increased. However, the antibacterial activities of the ACFs were strongly increased against S. aureus as well as K. pnumoniae, which could be attributed to the presence of copper metal in CU/ACFs systems.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• v.1
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• pp.174-179
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• 2006

Information on the distribution characteristics of tuna resources in Kiribati EEZ waters in three zones (Zone 1: west Gilbert region, Zone 2: central Phoenix region, and Zone 3: east Line region) as well as their relationship with the ocean environment is critical for sustainable managing the migratory tuna resource and fishing practices in this region. Therefore, this study is designed to investigate the spatial and temporal distribution and concentration of bigeye (BET) and yellowfin tuna (YFT) in Kiribati EEZ waters in relation to sea surface temperature (SST) and thermocline depth so as to better understand the tuna resources management basis in Kiribati waters. The geographic and temporal distribution and concentration were first displayed. Paired t-test was utilized to compare the distribution between the two tuna species based on Catch per Unit Effort (CPUE) derived from the Korean longliners during 1996 to 2004, and also among the three zones of Kiribati EEZ waters. Environmental conditions of the three zones were then compared and correlated with the CPUE of YFT and BET. In addition, the effect of ENSO phenomena on the environmental conditions and the distribution of YFT and BET within the three zones were also examined. The BET was relatively higher in the Zone 3 whereas YFT predominate in the Zone 1 and the Zone 2 due to oceanographic differences among the three zones and the ecological habitats of the two tuna species. It was suggested that El Ni?o/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomena altered the oceanographic conditions of the three zones that in turn change the distribution of the two tuna species. During El Ni?o, the warm phase of ENSO, resulted in having more BET in all the three zones and the opposite observed during La Ni?a (cold phase) replacing by having relatively higher catch rate for YFT, particularly in the Zone 2. Although the results of the study are from short periods (1996 to 2004) in considering oceanographic anomality, these environmental variations should be considered into sustainable fisheries management of tuna fisheries in Kiribati EEZ waters.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.726-731
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• 2011

The technology enabling the large-scale production of catalysts by extrusion is very important for the commercialization of the Fischer-Tropsch process. In this study, the influence of the binder on the extrudate of Fe-based catalyst well known as FT catalysts has been studied. Inorganic binders such as kaolin, bentonite, alumina sol and silica sol and organic binders were added during extrudate preparation. The extrudates have been prepared with various compositions, and the physicochemical properties of the extrudates have been examined by XRD, BET, PSD, TPR and UTM. The optimum binder composition of extrudate was established by comparing the FT reaction activity.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.102-107
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• 2001

This research was carried out investigate the removed T-P, T-N and anion surfactants using Autoclaved Lightweight Concrete(ALC) in wastewater treatment system. Effects of pH, TDS on aqueous solution was measured. Specific area which measured by BET was $27.66m^2/g$. The phosphorous, nitrogen and anion surfactants removal efficiencies were examined by using artificial waste water(T-P : 66~73mg/L, T-N : 56~136mg/L and anion surfactants : 10~31mg/L). The results showed that the ALC was effective material as a adsorbent due to the structure and porosity. It was found that anion surfactants removed was 85~95%, phosphate removed was 92% and nitrogen removed was 90% in artificial wastewater. Agitation process was more effective than aeration process in that case of nitrogen removal system using ALC.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.94-98
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• 1988

An improvement over the method of pore size distribution analysis has been made in this work. The improved method is based upon the idea of the micro pore analysis of Mikhail, Brunauer, and Bodor, and utilizes the V-t curve of nitrogen adsorption. Two pore models are assumed, and the deviation of the initial slope of the V-t plot is ascribed to the pore filling and to the adsorption on the wall of unfilled pores. The improved method of this work is very convenient in that the analysis starts from the small pore regions. The method of this work is however quite distinct from the similar V-t plot method proposed by Sellevold and Radjy. The proposed method is applied to a few adsorbents, and very satisfactory results are obtained. The cumulative surface area calculated by this method also agrees very well with those obtained by the BET plot or by the t-method.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.194-199
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• 2000

The study on the adsorption, the surface properties and the antibacterial effects of the Ni-treated PAN based activated carbon fibers was carried out. In the adsorption study on the Ni-treated PAN based ACFs, Type I isotherms for N1-N3 and Type II-Type III isotherms for N4-N6 were obtained, respectively. Futhermore, their adsorbed volumes slowly were decreased with the increase in the mole concentration of Ni on the treated PAN based ACFs. From the BET equation, the specific surface areas of the Ni-treated PAN based ACFs were in the range of $692.58-895.24m^2/g$. The micropore volumes obtained from ${\alpha}_s$-method using common-t value were $0.19-0.56cm^3/g$. The surfaces of PAN based ACFs partially blocked by metal after the treatment were observed from the SEM micrographs. Finally, from the antibacterial effects using Shake flask method against E. coli, the percentage of the effects was 92.5-100% and the antibacterial effect was increased with the increase in mole concentration of Ni treated.

• BMB Reports
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.11-17
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• 2016

The gastrointestinal tract forms the largest surface in our body with constantly being exposed to various antigens, which provides unique microenvironment for the immune system in the intestine. Accordingly, the gut epithelium harbors the most T lymphocytes in the body as intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs), which are phenotypically and functionally heterogeneous populations, distinct from the conventional mature T cells in the periphery. IELs arise either from pre-committed thymic precursors (natural IELs) or from conventional CD4 or CD8αβ T cells in response to peripheral antigens (induced IELs), both of which commonly express CD8α homodimers (CD8αα). Although lineage commitment to either conventional CD4 T helper (Th) or cytotoxic CD8αβ T cells as well as their respective co-receptor expression are mutually exclusive and irreversible process, CD4 T cells can be redirected to the CD8 IELs with high cytolytic activity upon migration to the gut epithelium. Recent reports show that master transcription factors for CD4 and CD8 T cells, ThPOK (Th-inducing BTB/POZ-Kruppel-like factor) and Runx3 (Runt related transcription factor 3), respectively, are the key regulators for re-programming of CD4 T cells to CD8 lineage in the intestinal epithelium. This review will focus on the unique differentiation process of IELs, particularly lineage re-commitment of CD4 IELs. [BMB Reports 2016; 49(1): 11-17]

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Postharvest Science and Technology of Agricultural Products Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.235-235
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• 2007