• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.23-28
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• 2020

As a result of a suite of laboratory tests undertaken to suggest a rational method for the estimation of infiltration capacity, it is found that the infiltration rate tends to increase as the soil unit weight decreases while it tends to increase as the rainfall intensity increases. Comparative analyses for infiltration curves employing the reduction constant of initial infiltration capacity (α coefficient) that was suggested in this study has reasonably captured the time dependent variation of infiltration capacity. Consequently this study has presented an experimental model for the estimation of infiltration capacity to improve the Horton infiltration capacity curve that has been widely used for estimation of the infiltration capacity and amount of infiltration for its application to sandy soils.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.97-114
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• 2019

This study aims to analyze the effect of urban ecosystem restoration projects by evaluating the short-term restoration performance of the project sites, from both qualitative and quantitative evaluations. In this study, for the qualitative evaluation, we derived the evaluation frame from previous studies and literature. For the quantitative evaluation, the changes in ecological connectivity after the restoration project were described using landscape permeability and network analysis. In addition, changes in habitat quality after the restoration project were evaluated by using InVEST Habitat Quality Model. These evaluations were applied to the three natural madang (ecological restoration) projects and two ecosystem conservation cooperation projects. As a result, three categories, 10 indicators, and 13 sub-indicators were derived from literature as the evaluation frame for this study. In the case of quantitative evaluation of restoration performance, habitat quality increased by 45% and ecological connectivity by 37% in natural-madang, and habitat quality by about 12% and ecological connectivity by about 19% in ecosystem conservation cooperation projects. This implies that the ecological restoration project can increase the ecological connectivity and the habitat quality of degraded sites even in a short period of time by improving the land-cover and land use. The results by applying the evaluation frame indicated that ecological and environmental factors and the ecological functions were improved by the restoration works, even though the magnitude of performances were diverse depending on the specific evaluation items, project type, and site characteristics. This study clarified that the success of ecological restoration project should be assessed by both of the short-term and long-term goals, which can be achieved by the maintenance and sustainable management, respectively.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.263-269
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• 2009

4-Hydroxybenzaldehyde, a phenolic compound found in a variety of natural sources, was previously shown to contain anti-inflammatory and related anti-angiogenic and anti-nociceptive activities. The present work was designed to assess some pharmacological activities of 2,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (DHD), an analogue of 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde. DHD exhibited a significant inhibition in the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) angiogenesis, and its $IC_{50}$ value was $2.4\;{\mu}g/egg$. DHD also contained in vivo anti-inflammatory activity using acetic acid-induced permeability and carrageenan-induced air pouch models in mice. In the air pouch model, DHD showed significant suppression in exudate volume, number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and nitrite content. DHD showed an anti-nociceptive activity in the acetic acid-induced writhing test in mice. It also suppressed enhanced production of nitric oxide (NO) and elevated expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells. It was able to slightly decrease the level of reactive oxygen species in the stimulated macrophages. DHD at the used concentrations couldn't modulate the viabilities of RAW264.7 cells. Taken together, like 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, DHD contains anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activities.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.40 no.spc
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• pp.75-82
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• 2010

Specific diseases like cancer and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) occur at various organs including lymphatics and spread through lymphatic system. Thus, if therapeutic agents for such diseases are more distributed or targeted to lymphatic system, we can obtain several advantages like reduction of systemic side effect and increase of efficacy. For these reasons, much interest has been focused on the nature of lymphatics and a lot of studies for lymphatic delivery of drugs have been carried out. Because lymphatics consist of single layer endothelium and have high permeability compared with blood capillaries, especially, the studies using nano-sized carriers have been performed. Polymeric nano-particle, liposome, and lipid-based vehicle have been adopted for lymphatic delivery as carriers. According to the administration route and the kind of carrier, the extent of lymphatic delivery efficiency of nano-sized carriers has been changed and influenced by several factors such as size, charge, hydrophobicity and surface feature of carrier. In this review, we summarized the key factors which affect lymphatic uptake and the major features of carriers for achieving the lymphatic delivery. Lymphatic delivery of drug using nano-sized carriers has many fold improved ability of lymphatic delivery compared with that of conventional dosage forms, but it has not shown whole lymph selectivity yet. Even though nano-sized carriers still have the potential and worth to study as lymphatic drug delivery technology as before, full understanding of delivery mechanism and influencing factors, and setting of pharmacokinetic model are required for more ideal lymphatic delivery of drug.

• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.9
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• pp.494-499
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• 2014

NADH:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) is known to be involved in the regulation of energy synthesis and metabolism, and the functional studies of NQO1 have largely focused on metabolic disorders. Here, we show for the first time that compared to NQO1-WT mice, NQO1-KO mice exhibited a marked increase of permeability and spontaneous inflammation in the gut. In the DSS-induced colitis model, NQO1-KO mice showed more severe inflammatory responses than NQO1-WT mice. Interestingly, the transcript levels of claudin and occludin, the major tight junction molecules of gut epithelial cells, were significantly decreased in NQO1-KO mice. The colons of NQO1-KO mice also showed high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity, which are known to affect transcriptional regulation. Taken together, these novel findings indicate that NQO1 contributes to the barrier function of gut epithelial cells by regulating the transcription of tight junction molecules.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.97-108
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• 2005

This paper presents the effect of tunneling and groundwater interaction on tunnel behavior. As part of this study, design issuses for tunneling situations similar to that considered in this study are first identified. A parametric study is then conducted on tunneling situations frequently encountered in Seoul area using a 3D stress-pore presure coupled finite-element model with emphasis on the effects of ground and lining permeabilities. The results indicate that tunneling in water bearing ground results in a deeper and wider settlement trough, increased axial thrusts in shotcrete lining than those without the groundwater. Also revealed is that the axial thrusts in shotcrete lining are governed by the relative permeability between the ground and the lining. Design implications of the findings from this study are discussed.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.5 no.5
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• pp.463-483
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• 2013

Considering the influences of fluid penetration, casing, excavation processes of wellbore and perforation tunnels, the seepage-deformation finite element model of oil and gas well coupled with perforating technique is established using the tensile strength failure criterion, in which the user-defined subroutine is developed to investigate the dynamic evolvement of the reservoir porosity and permeability. The results show that the increases of perforation angle and decreases of perforation density lead to a higher fracture initiation pressure, while the changes of the perforation diameter and length have no evident influences on the fracture initiation pressure. As for initiation location for the fracture in wellbore, it is on the wellbore face while considering the presence of the casing. By contrast, the fractures firstly initiate on the root of the tunnels without considering casing. Besides, the initial fracture position is also related with the perforation angle. The fracture initiation position is located in the point far away from the wellbore face, when the perforation angle is around $30^{\circ}$; however, when the perforation angle is increased to $45^{\circ}$, a plane fracture is initiated from the wellbore face in the maximum horizontal stress direction; no fractures was found around perforation tunnels, when the angel is close to $90^{\circ}$. The results have been successfully applied in an oilfield, with the error of only 1.1% comparing the fracture initiation pressure simulated with the one from on-site experiment.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.97-102
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• 2006

The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and optimize permeability of slim patch type as a transdermal delivery system of caffein. Slim patch type was formulated and tested in modified Franz diffusion cell across cellulose membrane and hairless mouse skin in pH 5.8 phosphate buffer solution (PBS). The effect of $Pharmsolv^{\circledR}$ and drug concentration on permeation at four model, 1,2% $Pharmsolv^{\circledR}$ with $0.12\;mg/cm^2$ caffein and 0.12, $1.2\;mg/cm^2$ caffein with 2% $Pharmsolv^{\circledR}$ through hairless mouse skin was studied in vitro. The release of caffein from slim patch with various loading was fitted by the Higuchi's diffusion equation. The result showed that chemical $Pharmsolv^{\circledR}$ produced a large and significant increase of permeation. The effect of 2% $Pharmsolv^{\circledR}$ on permeation of caffein was greater about 10-fold greater than 1% $Pharmsolv^{\circledR}$ in first 60 minutes. The effect of drug concentration, however, was lower than that produced by chemical $Pharmsolv^{\circledR}$. Within the tested system, the most efficient combination for caffein slim patch type was $0.12\;mg/cm^2$ caffein with 2% $Pharmsolv^{\circledR},$ although $1.2\;mg/cm^2$ caffein with 2% $Pharmsolv^{\circledR}$ showed highest amounts permeation, because permeated percentages were significantly lower about $1/4{\sim}1/5$ times.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.1163-1170
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• 2017

Clostridium difficile releases two exotoxins, toxin A and toxin B, which disrupt the epithelial cell barrier in the gut to increase mucosal permeability and trigger inflammation with severe diarrhea. Many studies have suggested that enteric nerves are also directly involved in the progression of this toxin-mediated inflammation and diarrhea. C. difficile toxin A is known to enhance neurotransmitter secretion, increase gut motility, and suppress sympathetic neurotransmission in the guinea pig colitis model. Although previous studies have examined the pathophysiological role of enteric nerves in gut inflammation, the direct effect of toxins on neuronal cells and the molecular mechanisms underlying toxin-induced neuronal stress remained to be unveiled. Here, we examined the toxicity of C. difficile toxin A against neuronal cells (SH-SY5Y). We found that toxin A treatment time- and dose-dependently decreased cell viability and triggered apoptosis accompanied by caspase-3 activation in this cell line. These effects were found to depend on the up-regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the subsequent activation of p38 MAPK and induction of $p21^{Cip1/Waf1}$. Moreover, the N-acetyl-$\text\tiny L$-cysteine (NAC)-induced down-regulation of ROS could recover the viability loss and apoptosis of toxin A-treated neuronal cells. These results collectively suggest that C. difficile toxin A is toxic for neuronal cells, and that this is associated with rapid ROS generation and subsequent p38 MAPK activation and $p21^{Cip1/Waf1}$ up-regulation. Moreover, our data suggest that NAC could inhibit the toxicity of C. difficile toxin A toward enteric neurons.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.37-43
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• 2007

Adenosine has been reported to provide cytoprotection in the central nervous systems as well as myocardium by activating cell surface adenosine receptors. However, the exact target and mechanism of its action still remain controversial. The present study was performed to examine whether adenosine has a protective effect against $A{\beta}$-induced injury in neuroglial cells. The astrocyte-derived human neuroglioma cell line, A172 cells, and $A{\beta}_{25{\sim}35}$ were employed to produce an experimental $A{\beta}$-induced glial cell injury model. Adenosine significantly prevented $A{\beta}$-induced apoptotic cell death. Studies using various nucleotide receptor agonists and antagonists suggested that the protection was mediated by $A_1$ receptors. Adenosine attenuated $A{\beta}$-induced impairment in mitochondrial functional integrity as estimated by cellular ATP level and MTT reduction ability. In addition, adenosine prevented $A{\beta}$-induced mitochondrial permeability transition, release of cytochrome c into cytosol and subsequent activation of caspase-9. The protective effect of adenosine disappeared when cells were pretreated with 5-hydroxydecanoate, a selective blocker of the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive $K^+$ channel. In conclusion, therefore we suggest that adenosine exerts protective effect against $A{\beta}$-induced cell death of A172 cells, and that the underlying mechanism of the protection may be attributed to preservation of mitochonarial functional integrity through opening of the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive $K^+$ channels.