• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.17
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• pp.7943-7957
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• 2015

Background and Aims: Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world. The aim of this study was to investigate the growth-suppression potentiality of a crude saponin extract (CSENS) prepared from medicinal herb, Nigella sativa, on human colon cancer cells, HCT116. Materials and Methods: HCT116 cells were subjected to increasing doses of CSENS for 24, 48 and 72 h, and then harvested and assayed for cell viability by WST-1. Flow cytometry analyses, cell death detection ELISA, fluorescent stains (Hoechst 33342 and acridine orange/ethidium bromide), DNA laddering and comet assays were carried out to confirm the apoptogenic effects of CSENS. Luciferase reporter gene assays, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analyses were performed to assess the impact of CAERS and CFEZO on the expression levels of key regulatory proteins in HCT116 cells. Results: The results demonstrated that CSENS inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis. Apoptosis was confirmed by flow cytometry analyses, while CSENS-treated cells exhibited morphological hallmarks of apoptosis including cell shrinkage, irregularity in cellular shape, cellular detachment and chromatin condensation. Biochemical signs of apoptosis, such as DNA degradation, were observed by comet assay and gel electrophoresis. The pro-apoptotic effect of CSENS was caspase-3-independent and associated with increase of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. CSENS treatment down-regulated transcriptional and DNA-binding activities of NF-${\kappa}B$ and AP-1 proteins, associated with down-regulation of their target oncogenes, c-Myc, cyclin D1 and survivin. On the other hand, CSENS up-regulated transcriptional and DNA-binding activities of Nrf2 and expression of cytoprotective genes. In addition, CSENS modulated the expression levels of ERK1/2 MAPK, p53 and p21. Conclusions: These findings suggest that CSENS may be a valuable agent for treatment of colon cancer.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.24-34
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• 1992

Recent studies dealing with the fundamental understanding and applications of bimetallic catalysts are discussed. Bimetallic catalysts have had a major industrial impact, specifically for the reforming of petroleum naphtha, for the hydrogen reduction of carbon monoxide, and for the three way catalytic converter system. The action of the bimetallic catalysts in these reactions may be interpreted in terms of ensembles, electronic influences and surface structure. Various combinations of metal pairs have been considered in order to evaluate the role played by the added metals. For catalyst selectivity control, the possibility of surface enrichment of one element has been recognised. More generally, the influence of preparative variables on the formation of supported catalysts has been clarified, In particular by temperature programmed reduction (TPR). Information on the structure of bimetallic catalysts has been obtained with chemical probes, such as chemisorption and reaction rate measurement and physical probes, such as extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and Xe-NMR.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.659-681
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to empirically analyze factors that influence farm managers' intentions to use an agricultural farm management information systems. It focused on "LFcenter System," a leading information system operated by the Rural Development Administration for farm management. Participants of this study are classified into two groups: a group of leading farm managers and a group fo regular farm managers. A total of 192 survey samples on users' intentions are collected; 85 samples from leading farm managers and 107 from regular farm managers. The theoretical background of this study is developed based on Theory of Reasoned Action(TRA), Technology Acceptance Model(TAM), Diffusion of Innovation(DOI), Social Cognitive Theory(SCT), and Theory of Planned Behavior(TPB). Partial Least Squares(PLS) method is used to test a proposed Structural Equation Model(SEM), including nine hypotheses. The differences between two groups are investigated using Smith-Satterthwait test. The findings from this study are: First of all, in terms of average comparison of most variables used in this study, a group of leading farm managers shows higher value that the other group in most cases. Second, hypothesis tests how that "subjective norms", "goal to study", "perceived usefulness", "perceived enjoyment", and "intention to use" significantly influence the intention to use an agricultural management information system in the group of leading farm managers. However, "subjective norms", "goal to study", "perceived ease of use", "perceived usefulness", "perceived enjoyment", and "intention to use" turned out to significantly influence the intention to use an agricultural management information system in the group of regular farms managers. Based on the results of Smith-Satterthwait test, compared with a group of leading farms managers, the impact of "goal to study" on "intention to use" is significantly stronger. On the other hand, in the group of leading farms managers, "perceived usefulness" and "perceived enjoyment" turned out to be main drivers of "intention to use."

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.32 no.5 s.92
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• pp.462-468
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• 2006

Antibiotics are manufactured and used for specific physiological functions, hence they may exert adverse ecological consequences when they are in contact with nontarget organisms. In the last decade, many reports have been made on the occurrences of various antibiotic compounds in surface water, and their potential impact to the environment has become an increasing concern. This study was conducted to prioritize antibiotic substances with potential environment risk in Korea. Human use antibiotics with an EIC (Expected Introduction Concentration) value greater than $1{\mu}g/l$, US FDA's action limit criteria, were selected. In order to calculate a worst-case EIC for each substance, annual production volume (in kg) of each antibiotic substance was derived using the Korea Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (KPMA)'s monetary database. Sixteen substances were preliminarily selected. The EICs of the 16 antibiotic substances were refined with the excretion rate of the parent substances. Ten antibiotic substances were identified to have EIC-corrected greater than $1{\mu}g/l$, which include Amoxicillin ($15.8{\mu}g/l$), Cefaclor ($10.1{\mu}/l$), Roxithromycin ($4.2{\mu}g/l$), Cephradine ($4.5{\mu}g/l$), Cefatrizine ($2.6{\mu}g/l$), Cefadroxil ($3.3{\mu}g/l$), Aztreonam ($2.3{\mu}g/l$), Ceftazidime ($2.8{\mu}g/l$), Ribostamycin ($1.3{\mu}g/l$), and Ceftezole ($1.3{\mu}g/l$). Additional risk assessments for these antibiotic substances are suggested.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.965-972
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• 2014

Attitudes and behavior within the store congestion of the store is a store in any manner affect the formation process of investigating synchronism in the control of the consumer appears to analyze the influence of enemy has its purpose. Store and spatial congestion factor of social behavioral factors also revisit the help of word-of-mouth is. Consumer groups with high and low groups of synchronism suggested. Social attitudes towards the store congestion significantly positive effect that I've shown, it was not significant spatial congestion. During a revisit of action is a statistically significant relationship that I've shown, is a significant effect of word-of-mouth relationship was not significant. Investigating the moderating effects of consumer synchronism result of high consumer groups a significant impact on the social congestion showed, at low spatial influence congestion.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.10-18
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• 2000

To improve the physical properties of OCC (Old Corrugated Container) fibers, we used the mechanical pre-treatment on the fibers before refining . The mechanical action in the Hobart mixer induced high shear and compression on the fibers, which resulted in changes of fiber internal structure, and microcompressions on the surface of the fibers. We evaluated the amount of mechanical treatment on the fibers by fiber curl index for convenience. Four different refining techniques were applied to the pre-treated fibers (valley beater, Kady mill, PFI mill, and Impact refining) to find the best combination of the pre-treatment and the refining methods. Conclusions were summarized as followed. 1. Mechanical pre-treatment in Hobart mixer for more than 1 hour caused the increase of curl index of OCC fibers, and increased breaking length, burst index, and tear index the handsheets more than 10 % in this experiment. 2. Kady mill and PFI mill refining were effective in keeping fiber length from shortening Kady mill and Valley beater refining straightened out the fiber curls, and reduced the curl index. 3. Valley beating reduced fiber length very fast and generated fines more than other refining methods. 4. To increase breaking length and burst strength while keeping tear strength , combination of mechanical pre-treatment and Valley beating were most effective.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.71-82
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• 2016

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate kinematic comparisons of Tsukahara vault in gymnastics between a top-level athlete and sublevel collegiate athletes in order to obtain information on key biomechanical points for successful Tsukahara vaults. Methods: An Olympic gold medalist (height, 160 cm; weight, 52 kg; age, 25 years) and five sublevel collegiate gymnasts (height, $168.2{\pm}3.4cm$; weight, $59.6{\pm}3.1kg$; age, $23.2{\pm}1.6years$) participated in this study. They repeatedly performed Tsukahara vaults including one somersault. Fourteen motion-capturing cameras were used to collect the trajectories of 26 body markers during Tsukahara vaults. Event time, displacement and velocity of the center of mass, joint angles, the distance between the two hands on the horse, and averaged horizontal and vertical impact forces were calculated and compared. Results: The top-level athlete showed a larger range of motion (ROM) of the hip and knee joints compared to sublevel collegiate athletes during board contact. During horse contact, the top-level athlete had a narrow distance between the two hands with extended elbows and shoulders in order to produce a strong blocking force from the horse with a shorter contact time. At the moment of horse take-off, reactive hip extension of the top-level athlete enhanced propulsive take-off velocity and hip posture during post-flight phase. Conclusion: Even though a high velocity of the center of mass is important, the posture and interactive action during horse contact is crucial to post-flight performance and the advanced performance of Tsukahara vaults.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.589-623
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• 2015

This study is to find out a way to foster self-directed learning math skills for the low-income youth at child care centers. Taking advantage of EBS materials, we found the youth, low-income youth in particular, were positively influenced to learn mathematics in the way of self-directed and action learning. This program gives a model of the self-directed math learning using the EBS mathematics materials. From the survey of this study, we found see that students started to have a positive attitude for learning and they started to gain new mathematical concept, and improved their problem solving, reasoning, communication and representation skills with these new leaning environments. This study tells us that this type of cooperative learning could help them to have an objective assessment, and gave a positive impact on self-directed learning.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.173-177
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• 2004

The acute toxicities of two major anti-pathogenic veterinary medicines, i.e., ciprofloxacin and enrofloxacin, and six benzimidazole anthelmintics, i.e., albendazole, thiabendazole, flubendazole, febantel, fenbendazole, and oxfendazole, were evaluated with a marine bacterium, Vibrio fischeri, and invertebrate Daphnia magna. These veterinary medical products have been widely used for farm animals, but their impact on aquatic fauna has seldom been investigated. In general, daphnids responded as much as 3 orders of magnitude more sensitively to the tested pharmaceuticals than the microbes. For Daphnia, the most toxic product among the tested anthelmintics was fenbendazole, followed by flubendazole > albendazole ${\approx}$ febantel > thiabendazole > oxfendazole. Daphnids' EC50 values obtained from 48 to 96 hrs of fenbendazole exposure ranged from 2.7 to 6.3 ug/L. The mixture toxicity of the test pharmaceuticals was generally additive in nature and was well predicted by a concentration addition model. Using the predicted no effect concentrations (PNECs) of the benzimidazole derivatives estimated from this study, and predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) of these pharmaceuticals, the risk quotients of each anthelmintics were calculated. Most of the test anthelmintic compounds resulted in risk quotients greater than 1. Especially, risk quotient for fenbendazole was 2,791, which strongly indicates this compound might cause severe ecological consequences, should no future action be taken. This study is the first report on the aquatic toxicities and potential ecological risk of major anthelmintic and antimicrobial veterinary products in Korea. The result of this study provides information necessary for conducting more detailed ecological risk assessment of pharmaceutical products in ambient water and guiding proper management decision.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.11-17
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• 2004

Earlier studies have demonstrated that chromium (Cr) Ⅵ compounds have been shown to be more toxic and carcinogenic than other chromium compounds. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the antioxidant effects of red ginseng against chromium Ⅵ-induced toxicity and free radical generation. Sixty adult male rats were divided into six equal groups include: control group, group received Cr Ⅵ alone (50 mg/kg b.w.), group treated with Korean ginseng (K. ginseng) alone (20 mg/kg b.w), group treated with Cr Ⅵ for 15 days then received K. ginseng for other 15 days, group treated with Cr Ⅵ and K. ginseng at the same time for 15 days, and group treated with K. ginseng for 15 days then Cr Ⅵ for other 15 days. The results revealed that Cr Ⅵ caused significant increase in ALT, AST, ALP, G-GT, urea, creatinine, and acid phosphatase. Whereas, it caused significant decrease in TP, albumin, testosterone, GPX, and SOD indicating a stress for liver, kidney and testes. K. ginseng alone caused significant increase in GPX and SOD activities in healthy animals and this result suggests a prophylactic role for this herb in protection against the damaging impact induced by free radical species. Furthermore, the other biochemical parameters measured after K. ginseng administration were comparable to the control values. Treatment with Cr Ⅵ followed by K. ginseng, Cr Ⅵ and K. ginseng or K. ginseng followed by Cr Ⅵ resulted in significant improvement in all tested parameters towards the normal values of the controls. However, this improvement was pronounced in the group pre-treated with K. ginseng for 15 days before Cr Ⅵ administration. It could be concluded that K. ginseng exhibited a protective action against the toxic effects of Cr Ⅵ and it had the ability to scavenge free radicals resulted from Cr Ⅵ intoxication.