• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.192-199
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• 1991

Biological exposure indices (BEI) of toluene, perchloroethylene (PCE) and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) for Korean workers were studied respectively. Environmental exposures in workplace to organic solvent were measured by personal sampling. Blood toluene, blood perchloroethylene, urinary trichloroacetic acid and urinary MEK were determined by headspace gas chromatography. Urinary hippuric acid were determined by HPLC and corrected by creatinine. BEIs for Korean workers were calculated as the levels of determinants which are correspond to permissible exposure limits in Korea. Blood toluene level of 2.2mg/l and urinary hippuric acid level of 1.7g/g creatinine are correspond to an exposure of 100 ppm toluene. Blood PCE concentration of 1.6mg/l and urinary trichloroacetic acid concentration of 2.9mg/l are correspond to an exposure of 50ppm PCE. Urinary MEK concentration of 1.0mg/l is correspond to an exposure of 200ppm of MEK. BEIs for Korean workers determined in this study are very different to ACGIH's BEI as urinary determinants are much lower and blood determinants are much higher than ACGIH's BEI.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.22-29
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• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Recently, anthocyanins have been reported to have various biological activities. Furthermore, anthocyanin-rich purple corn extract (PCE) ameliorated insulin resistance and reduced diabetes-associated mesanginal fibrosis and inflammation, suggesting that it may have benefits for the prevention of diabetes and diabetes complications. In this study, we determined the anthocyanins and non-anthocyanin component of PCE by HPLC-ESI-MS and investigated its anti-diabetic activity and mechanisms using C57BL/KsJ db/db mice. MATERIALS/METHODS: The db/db mice were divided into four groups: diabetic control group (DC), 10 or 50 mg/kg PCE (PCE 10 or PCE 50), or 10 mg/kg pinitol (pinitol 10) and treated with drugs once per day for 8 weeks. During the experiment, body weight and blood glucose levels were measured every week. At the end of treatment, we measured several diabetic parameters. RESULTS: Compared to the DC group, Fasting blood glucose levels were 68% lower in PCE 50 group and 51% lower in the pinitol 10 group. Furthermore, the PCE 50 group showed 2-fold increased C-peptide and adiponectin levels and 20% decreased HbA1c levels, than in the DC group. In pancreatic islets morphology, the PCE- or pinitol-treated mice showed significant prevention of pancreatic ${\beta}$-cell damage and higher insulin content. Microarray analyses results indicating that gene and protein expressions associated with glycolysis and fatty acid metabolism in liver and fat tissues. In addition, purple corn extract increased the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and decreased phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), glucose 6-phosphatase (G6pase) genes in liver, and also increased glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) expressions in skeletal muscle. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that PCE exerted anti-diabetic effects through protection of pancreatic ${\beta}$-cells, increase of insulin secretion and AMPK activation in the liver of C57BL/KsJ db/db mice.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.84-89
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• 2007

The present study describes the preliminary evaluation of the antioxidant activities and the neuroprotective effect of methanolic extracts from Psoralea corylifolia Linne (PCE). The antioxidant activities and neuroprotective effect of the PCE were evaluated by total phenolic contents (TPC), DPPH radical scavenging activity (RSA), reducing power (RP), MTT reduction assay, and LDH release assay. TPC, DPPH RSA, and RP of the extract at concentration of 100 ${\mu}g$ was 125.93 ${\mu}g$, 63.81%, 0.138, respectively, and those were concentration dependent. The treatment of PC12 and N18-RE-105 cells with various PCE concentrations under $H_2O_2$ resulted in the induction of protective effect in a dose-dependent manner, as determined by the results of an MTT reduction assay and LDH release assay. Therefore, these results suggest that PCE could be a new potential candidate as an antioxidant against neuronal diseases.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.397-406
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• 2014

Objectives: Perchloroethylene (PCE) is a volatile chemical widely used as a solvent in the dry-cleaning and textile processing industries. It was evaluated as Group 2 "probably carcinogenic to humans" by the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) of the United State Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) in 2012. In order to provide a scientific basis for establishing risk management measures for chemicals on the national priority substances list, aggregate risk assessment was conducted for PCE, included in the top-10 substances. Methods: We conducted the investigation and monitoring of PCE exposure (e.g., exposure scenario, detection levels, and exposure factors, etc.) and assessed its multi-media (e.g., outdoor air, indoor air, and ground water) exposure risk with a deterministic and probabilistic approach. Results: In human risk assessment (HRA), the level of human exposure was higher in the younger age group. The exposure level through inhalation at home was the highest among the exposure routes. Outdoor air or uptake of drinking water represented less than 1% of total contributions to PCE exposure. These findings suggested that the level of risk was negligible since the Hazard Index (HI) induced by HRA was below one among all age groups, with a maximum HI value of 0.17 when reasonable maximum exposure was applied. Conclusion: In conclusion, it was suggested that despite low exposure risk, further studies are needed considering main sources, including occupational exposure.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.12 no.8
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• pp.3532-3540
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• 2011

In order to improve flux of PTMSP/PDMS dense membrane, PTMSP/PDMS-PEI composite membrane with PEI support was prepared by phase inversion process and dip coating. These membranes were evaluated in terms of the removal of volatile organic compounds such as PCE, TCE, chloroform, 1,1,1-trichloroethane from wastewater by pervaporation. The selectivity and flux of PTMSP/PDMS dense membranes was in the range of 216.2 to 2394.4 and 244.3 to 428.2g/m2h, respectively. And pervaporation property of PTMSP/PDMS-PEI composite membrane was in the range of 215.5 to 2404.2 and 390.4 to 728.6g/m2h, respectively. PTMSP/PDMS-PEI composite membrane has remarkably greater flux than dense membranes with similar selectivity. It was possible for polymeric membranes used in this study to remove PCE selectively which is dissolved small quantity in water among other separable solutes. PTMSP/PDMS-PEI composite membrane showed the best performances among the silicone polymeric membranes, and has better durability and mechanical strength than dense membranes. PTMSP/PDMS-PEI composite membrane should be a useful candidate for the removal of volatile organic compounds dissolved in wastewater.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.127-132
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• 1992

Colloidal $^{32}P$ chromic phosphate is used to prevent hepatic metastasis from colorectal cancer. It is speculated that the intravenous injection of colloidal $^{32}P$ chromic phosphate can cause genotoxicity. To evaluate the genotoxicity of intravenously injected colloidal $^{32}P$ chromic phosphate, authors performed a micronuclei test in mice bone marrow. Mice (ICR strain, $25\sim30g$) were divided to 4 groups: control, group 1 (19.166 KBq/g, usual therapeutic dose in human), group 2 (191.66 KBq/g), and group 3 (1916.6 KBq/g). Five mice of each group were sacrificed at days 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 14. Bone marrow were smeared and stained with Wright-Giemsa method. One thousand polychromatic erythrocytes (PCE) and normochromatic erythrocytes (NCE) were counted under the light microscope, and the number of micronucleated PCEs and NCEs were recorded. The frequency of micronuclei in PCE and NCE in the control group was $0.3{\pm}0.06%\;and\;0.45{\pm}0.10%$, respectively. At group 1, frequency of micronuclei is not different from the control. However, frequencies of micronuclei in PCE at groups 2 and 3 were significantly increased from day 1 and persisted to day 14. The frequency of micronuclei in NCE was increased only at group 3. In conclusion, the frequency of micronuclei increases as the dose of colloidal $^{32}P$chromic phosphate increases, while micronuclei was not induced at the usual therapeutic dose. And the frequency of micronuclei persistently elevated for 14 days in the cases of higer doses.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.91-101
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• 2000

The emission sources of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are wastewater treatment plants. sanitary landfills, automobile industries, and so on. The VOCs are harmful to human beings because of their toxicity and carcinogenicity, and cause the serious air pollution problem producing ozone ($O_3$) as a result of photochemical reaction. To investigate the emission of VOCs from wastewater treatment plant, aeration basins at the City of Los Angeles' Hyperion Treatment Plant were selected and measured flux was compared with calculated flux. For compounds commonly associated with wastewater (DCM, TCM, PCE, UM, DCB, UND) and not expected in vehicle exhaust or ambient air coming off the ocean, concentrations immediately downwind of the aeration basins were a factor of ten or higher than those measured in the upwind air. The airborne flux of less degradable or non-biodegradable compounds, e.g., DCE, DCM, TCA, DCA, TCM, PCE, DCB, through an imaginary plane at the downwind side of the aeration basins was in agreement with the estimated flux from measured liquid phase concentrations. Henry's constant. aeration rate, and an assumption of bubble saturation. For several compounds (PCE, DCE, TCA), the ratio (measured flux/calculated flux) is almost unity.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.191-193
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• 2001

This paper presents the result of groundwater analysis in Changwon area and the characteristics of the groundwater properties. Changwon city conducted groundwater analysis at 551 sites in 1996 and 1997. The water quality is suitable as groundwater use at 466 sites (84.6 %) and exceeds maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) at 85 sites (15.4 %). Major contaminants are total bacteria, coliform and nitrate-N. DNAPLs, e.g. TCE and PCE are detected in the areas of industrial complex and residence. The detection of TCE and PCE is due to organic solvents from manufacturing companies. They are also derived from laundries, Photographer's studios, septic tanks, etc. In addition, fifty groundwater samples were analyzed. Iron, manganese, zinc, copper, lead, aluminum and fluorine are detected in nearly all the groundwater samples. The groundwaters shown on the Piper diagram mostly belong to Ca-HCO$_3$ type.

• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.10a
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• pp.1557-1559
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• 2009

By using optimum doping ratio (10 ~ 20 wt%) of glycerol, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic photovoltaic devices based on poly (3-hexylthiophene) and phenyl-$C_{61}$-butyric acid methyl ester was dramatically increased from 3.23% to 5.03%. Finally, semitransparent organic photovoltaic devices including glycerol doped poly (3,4-ethylenedioxy-thiophene):poly (styrene sulfonate) and thin Ag (< 1 nm) buffer layer typically have shown PCE > 3% with transmittance > 30% in visible ranges.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.429-444
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• 2023

The comprehension and structural modeling of masonry constructions is fundamental to safeguard the integrity of built cultural assets and intervene through adequate actions, especially in earthquake-prone regions. Despite the availability of several modeling strategies and modern computing power, modeling masonry remains a great challenge because of still demanding computational efforts, constraints in performing destructive or semi-destructive in-situ tests, and material uncertainties. This paper investigates the shear behavior of masonry walls by applying a plane-stress FE continuum model with the Modified Masonry-like Material (MMLM). Epistemic uncertainty affecting input parameters of the MMLM is considered in a probabilistic framework. After appointing a suitable probability density function to input quantities according to prior engineering knowledge, uncertainties are propagated to outputs relying on gPCE-based surrogate models to considerably speed up the forward problem-solving. The sensitivity of the response to input parameters is evaluated through the computation of Sobol' indices pointing out the parameters more worthy to be further investigated, when dealing with the seismic assessment of masonry buildings. Finally, masonry mechanical properties are calibrated in a probabilistic setting with the Bayesian approach to the inverse problem based on the available measurements obtained from the experimental load-displacement curves provided by shear compression in-situ tests.