• Annals of Surgical Treatment and Research
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• v.95 no.5
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• pp.240-248
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• 2018

Purpose: This study aimed to validate the synergistic effect of ABT-737 on docetaxel using MDA-MB-231, a triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell line overexpressing B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2). Methods: Western blot analysis was performed to assess expression levels of Bcl-2 family proteins and caspase-related molecules. Cell viability was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Cell cycle distribution was determined by flow cytometry analysis. Benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp(OMe)-fluoromethylketone (z-VAD-fmk) was used for pretreatment to assess the role of caspases. Results: Cell viability of MDA-MB-231 after combination treatment with ABT-737 and docetaxel was significantly lower than that after docetaxel or ABT-737 monotherapy based on MTT assay (both P < 0.001), with a combination index of 0.41. The proportion of sub-G1 population after combination treatment was significantly higher than that after docetaxel or ABT-737 monotherapy (P = 0.001, P = 0.003, respectively). Pretreatment with z-VAD-fmk completely restored cell viability of MDA-MB-231 from apoptotic cell death induced by combination therapy (P = 0.001). Although pro-caspase-8 or Bid did not show significant change in expression level, pro-casepase-9 showed significantly decreased expression after combination treatment. Cleaved caspase-3 showed increased expression while poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage was induced after combination treatment. However, hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha and aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 totally lost their expression after combination treatment. Conclusion: Combination of ABT-737 with docetaxel elicits synergistic therapeutic effect on MDA-MB-231, a TNBC cell line overexpressing Bcl-2, mainly by activating the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Therefore, adjunct of ABT-737 to docetaxel might be a new therapeutic option to overcome docetaxel resistance of TNBCs overexpressing Bcl-2.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.251-257
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• 2022

Monitoring and assessing aquatic ecosystems using the behavior of organisms is essential for sustainable ecosystem management. Oligochaetes, which inhabit various freshwater ecosystems, are frequently used to evaluate the environmental conditions of freshwater ecosystems. Tubifex tubifex (Müller, 1774) (Oligochaeta, Tubificidae) is tolerant to organic pollution and has been used to evaluate the toxicity of toxicants, including heavy metals. We studied the behavioral responses of T. tubifex to three different copper concentrations (0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 mg L^-1). The specimens were exposed to copper in an observation cage containing 150 mL of dechlorinated water. Movement behavior (diameter, speed, acceleration, meander, and turning rate) was continuously observed for two hours before and after the copper treatments. After the treatments, the diameter shrank and showed rapid twisting movement under all the copper conditions. The turning rate had a positive correlation with meander and acceleration both before and after treatment at all three concentrations, whereas speed and meander had a negative correlation. Length and turning rate also showed a negative correlation. The correlation coefficient between speed and acceleration in the highest copper concentration changed from positive before treatment (r=0.64) to negative (r= -0.52) after treatment. Our results present the possibility of using behavioral parameters to detect copper contamination in freshwater ecosystems.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.503-510
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• 2016

Background: Diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer is a crisis situation which effects women's lives physically, socially and spiritually. Investigating women's perceptions of this disease is crucially important for treatment decisions. We therefore determined social perceptions and interpretations of women diagnosed with breast cancer during therapy and in the post-treatment period. Materials and Methods: In the study, focus group and in-depth interviews were made with women still undergoing or having completed breast cancer treatment. Some 25 women were included in the research. Content analysis was used in the analysis of the qualitative data obtained after the focus group and in-depth interviews. Results: Some of the women demonstrated positive perceptions towards accepting the disease, whereas others had emotions such as rebellion and anger. The loss of a breast is important with different interpretations. Conclusions: Women's acceptance or rebellion against the disease varies within their social interpretations after the treatment, as at the stage of diagnosis/treatment. All stages of breast cancer negatively affect the social life of the affected individual as much as her body. Nurses assume crucial roles in coping with these negative effects. Thus, it is necessary to know, and sociologically interpret, what is indicated by the information on what the negative effects concerning the disease are and how they are interpreted.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.69-75
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• 2011

A pre-treatment process has been developed for natural dyeing of wool by which the dyed materials have been imparted antimicrobial efficacy against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria durable up to 20 washes. In this process, wool fabrics were treated with citric acid under oxidizing condition prior to dyeing. The treated fabrics were then dyed with four different types of natural dye powders obtained from leaves of silver oak, wattle, tanner's senna and flame of forest. All the natural dyes produced yellowish brown colour on wool fabrics. The washing and light fastness properties of the fabrics subjected to pre-treatment were one grade higher compared to those of the dyed fabrics without pre-treatment. The pre-treated wool fabrics showed antimicrobial efficacy against both gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli). The fabrics dyed without pre-treatment showed antimicrobial efficacy against gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) only. The durability of antimicrobial efficacy was higher in pre-treated and dyed wool fabrics compared to the dyed fabrics without pre-treatment.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.729-750
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• 1998

The purpose of this Review is to help activities of daily living by normalizing bodily functions through the use of negative pressure. Cupping therapy has been holding the important role as a form of treatment in ancient medicine of Oriental and Occidental country, and still being used widely due to it's effectiveness. Principle of Cupping therapy is to neutralize somatic dysfunctions by elimination of nonphysiological somatic fluid of hematoma through application of negative pressure on region of dermatomal meridian. The effectiveness of Cupping therapy as follows; 1) Effects on acid base balance of bodily fluid. 2) Through the reabsorption of subcutaneous hematoma, it affects on formation of immune system and produce the blood serum cleaning reaction. 3) By application of negative pressure on subcutaneous, induce renal system to produce steroid hormone. 4) By stimulating hemopoietic system, it maxmize the blood production level. Recently, Alternative medicine has been a focus due to it's nature of effectiveness and safety without adverse complication. Therefore, every family possess and use the cupping modality for preventive measure and/or treatment purpose in order to eliminate accumulated byproducts of body and clean the blood system.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.38-46
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• 2024

Objectives: Genotoxicity is evaluated through a chromosomal aberration test using cultured mammalian cells to determine the toxicity of no-pain pharmacopuncture (NPP), which has recently been used to treat musculoskeletal pain disorders in Korean medical clinical practice. Methods: An initial test was performed to determine the dosage range of the NPP, followed by the main test. In this study, NPP doses of 10.0, 5.0, and 2.5%, and negative and positive controls were tested. An in vitro chromosome aberration test was performed using Chinese hamster lung cells under short-term treatment with or without metabolic activation and under continuous treatment without metabolic activation. Results: Compared with the saline negative control group, NPP did not significantly increase the frequency of chromosomal abnormalities in Chinese hamster lung cells, regardless of the presence or absence of metabolic activation. Additionally, the number of cells with structural chromosomal abnormalities was significantly higher in the positive control group than that in the negative control group that received saline. Conclusion: Based on the above results, the chromosomal abnormality-producing effect of NPP was determined to be negative under these test conditions.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.103-112
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• 2018

This study aimed to identify specific psychological and brain activation responses relating to the processing of negative emotions in patients with alcohol dependency. The authors hypothesized that patients with alcohol dependency would demonstrate the abnormal functioning of brain regions involved in negative emotions. Eleven male patients diagnosed with alcohol dependence in an inpatient alcohol treatment facility and 13 social drinkers with similar demographics were scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) as they viewed film clips that evoked negative emotions. During exposure to negative emotional stimuli, the control group evinced significantly greater activity in the right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in comparison to patients with alcohol dependency. Correlation analyses demonstrated a negative association in the relationship between beta values from the right ACC and amygdala in participants classified in the control group. No statistically significant relationship was observed for blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) changes between the two regions in the patient group during the elicitation of negative emotions. On the other hand, patients exhibited a greater activation of the amygdala as negative emotions were induced. These results suggest that alcoholism presents pathophysiology of brain activation that is distinct from the responses of healthy individuals functioning as controls.

• ETRI Journal
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.280-283
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• 2012

By inserting $H_2O$ treatment steps during atomic layer deposition of a ZnO layer, the turn-on voltage shift from negative bias stress (NBS) under illumination was reduced considerably compared to that of a device that has a continuously grown ZnO layer without any treatment steps. Meanwhile, treatment steps without introducing reactive gases, and simply staying under a low working pressure, aggravated the instability under illuminated NBS due to an increase of oxygen vacancy concentration in the ZnO layer. From the experiment results, additional oxidation of the ZnO channel layer is proven to be effective in improving the stability against illuminated NBS.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.355-361
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• 2020

This study was designed to assess the toxicity of capsaicin-containing (CP) pharmacopunture using an in vitro chromosomal aberrations in Chinese hamster lung (CHL/IU) cells. In order to determine the high dose level in the main study of this study, a dose range finding study was conducted first. The high dose was selected at 10.0% of CP pharmacopuncture extract, and then diluted sequentially to produce lower dose levels of 5.00, 2.50, 1.25, 0.625 and 0.313% by applying a geometric ratio of 2. As a result, the cytotoxicity and precipitation of the CP pharmacopuncture as a test substance were not evident at any dose level during short-time treatment with and without metabolic activation and continuous treatment without metabolic activation. Therefore, the dose levels for this study were chosen as 10.0, 5.0, and 2.5%., and the treatment volume was 1.3 mL. In addition, negative and positive controls were set. In main study, the frequency of cells with chromosome aberrations in CP treated groups was less than 5% in short-time treatment with and without metabolic activation and continuous treatment without metabolic activation. In addition, there was no statistically significant difference when compared to the negative control group. The frequency of cells with structural chromosomal aberrations in the positive control group was more than 10% compared to the negative control group, and it increased statistically significantly. In conclusion, under the conditions of this study, CP pharmacopuncture did not show the possibility of causing chromosome aberrations.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.174-185
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• 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to report the improvement of recurrent cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and chief complaint including dysmenorrhea, premenstrual syndrome after Korean medicine treatment. Methods: The patient who diagnosed CIN even after undergoing two times of loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) and complained dysmenorrhea with premenstrual syndrome was treated by acupuncture, moxibustion and herbal medicine as Ojeok-san-gami-bang along with mistletoe extract injection (Abnobaviscum^®). The effect of treatment was evaluated by the results of liquid based cytology and HPV genotyping. Other symptoms were evaluated according to the patient's subjective complaint. Results: Before the treatment, the result of cytology was low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion and a low-risk group for HPV was detected. At the first examination after treatment, cytology showed negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy and the HPV genotyping was negative. The result showed negative findings in 3 consecutive follow-up tests. In addition, the chief complaint and general conditions were improved. Conclusion: This study shows that the recurrent cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) was improved after the Korean traditional treatment and it can be effective medical alternatives or options for patients receiving mistletoe injection during follow-up.