• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.58 no.8
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• pp.275-282
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• 2015

While the incidence of nephrotic syndrome (NS) is decreasing in Korea, the morbidity of difficult-to-treat NS is significant. Efforts to minimize treatment toxicity showed that prolonged treatment after an initial treatment for 2-3 months with glucocorticosteroids was not effective in reducing frequent relapses. For steroid-dependent NS, rituximab, a monoclonal antibody against the CD20 antigen on B cells, was proven to be as effective, and short-term daily low-dose steroids during upper respiratory infections reduced relapses. Steroid resistance or congenital NS are indications for genetic study and renal biopsy, since the list of genes involved in NS is lengthening.

• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.28 no.B
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• pp.65-69
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• 2008

The tailings piled in abandoned mines are well-known potential sources of soil contamination. Hydrated limes were applied as cementing materials to solidify heavy metal contaminated tailings for the purpose of reducing their toxicity and migration rates. The optimum mixing ratio of tailings, hydrated lime, and water was determined through a preliminary test. The mixtures of mine tailings and hydrated lime solidified through pozzolanic reaction were tested for their durability against repeated freezing and thawing processes. After repeated freezing and thawing, the uniaxial compressive strengths of all the solidified mixture specimens decreased in comparison with those before test but still higher than $3.5kgf/cm^2$, the standard recommended for land reclamation solids by EPA(Environmental Protection Agency), which suggested that hydrated lime be a potential material to treat the abandoned mine tailings for the environmental purpose.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.209-214
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• 2000

The preventive effects of sodium molybdate on the acute toxicity of lead were studied by investigating tissue accumulation of lead, changes of nerve conduction velocity and concentrations of metabolites related to function of sciatic nerve in rats treated with lead, sodium molybdate and both, respectively. In lead-intoxicated rat, the conduction velocity, myo-inositol concentration and $Na^{+}/K^{+}$ ATPase activity of sciatic nerve were decreased by about 33 %, 48 % and 58 %, respectively. However, sodium molybdate treatment significantly normalized the conduction velocity, $Na^{+}/K^{+}$ ATPase activity and myo-inositol concentration of sciatic nerve in lead-intoxicated rat. Also, sodium molybdate treatment decreased the contents of lead in blood and sciatic nerve through promotion of urinary excretion of lead. But sodium molybdate treatment did not affect the glucose concentration in sciatic nerve. These results suggest that sodium molybdate prevented peripheral neuropathy not only by reducing lead contents in sciatic nerve and blood, but also by enhancing $Na^{+}/K^{+}$ ATPase activity in sciatic nerve.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.7-15
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• 2001

Although extracorporeal circulation (ECC) has been routinely used for cardiovascular surgery, hyperoxemia during ECC may produce oxygen toxicity and cellular injury. This study was performed to investigate the clinical influences of hyperoxemic ECC during cardiovascular operation. 40 adult patients scheduled for elective cardiovascular surgery were classified into normoxemic (arterial oxygen tension: 115 mmHg, n＝20) and hyperoxemic (arterial oxygen tension: 380 mmHg, n＝20) ECC. At preoperative and postoperative period, total leukocyte and neutrophil counts, platelet counts, iron, glucose, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine in peripheral arterial blood, malondialdehyde (MDA) and troponin-T concentration (TnT) in coronary sinus blood, pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), and postoperative blood loss volume (BLS) were measured and compared between groups. Hyperoxemic group had postoperatively higher total leukocyte and neutrophil counts, MDA, TnT, PVR total BLS, iron, glucose, AST, ALT, BUN, and creatinine than normoxemic group (p<0.05).0 conclusion, hyperoxemic ECC results in greater inflammatory response and oxidative damaging effects on the heart lung, liver and kidney, probably being adverse to postoperative patient recovery. For reducing these deleterious effects and improving postoperative outcomes, management lowering oxygen tension during ECC is recommended.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2015

Processing of medicinal plants is one of the processing methods for reducing of toxicity or improving of effect on medicinal plants. In this study, we studied the changes in the constituents and antioxidant activity in accordance with the processing conditions by the salt water of Citrus unshiu Markovich. Changes in antioxidant activity was measured by the DPPH method and changes in the components were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. As a result, the content of the main constituents (narirutin, hesperidin) and total polyphenol were increased by increasing the concentration of salt water. Moreover, antioxidant activity was increased gradually in proportion to the increase of the total polyphenol content.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.25-33
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• 1991

Antiviral activities of papaverine and nucleoside analogs, 9-[(1,3-dihydroxy-2-propoxy)methyl]guanine (DHPG) and acyclovir, against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection were compared in vitro. Papaverine and DHPG were effective in reducing infectious HCMV yields with $ED_{50}{\s}$ (effective dose 50: the concentraion at which 50% of virus yields was obtained) of approximately 1.02 and $0.45{\mu}{\M}$, respectively; while acyclovir was less effective with an $ED_{50}$ of about $10.4{\mu}{\M}$The relative cytotoxicity of these drugs was evaluated under the same conditions used to measure infectious HCMV yields. Papaverine and DHPG demonstrated little cellular toxicity as measured by their effect on the viability of confluent cells at concentrations in the range of those demonstrating potent inhibition of HCMV replication. Similarly, protein synthesis was largely unaffected by these drugs in stationary mock-infected cells as measured by the incorporation of isotopically labelled amino acids. In contrast, cellular DNA synthesis was invariably reduced in the presence of either drug. HCMV-specific DNA synthesis was also strongly inhibited by papaverine and DHPG.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.81-87
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• 2016

Hypofractionated whole breast irradiation (HF-WBI) has been proved effective and safe and even better for late or acute radiation toxicity for early breast cancer. Moreover, it improves patient convenience, quality of life and is expected to be advantageous in the medical care system by reducing overall cost. In this review, we examined key randomized trials of HF-WBI, focusing on adequate patient selection as suggested by the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) guideline and the radiobiologic aspects of HF-WBI in relation to its adoption into clinical settings. Further investigation to identify the current practice pattern or cost effectiveness is warranted under the national health insurance service system in Korea.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.241-252
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• 2023

The era of innovative RNA therapies using antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), siRNAs, and mRNAs is beginning. Since the emergence of the concept of ASOs in 1978, it took more than 20 years before they were developed into drugs for commercial use. Nine ASO drugs have been approved to date. However, they target only rare genetic diseases, and the number of chemistries and mechanisms of action of ASOs are limited. Nevertheless, ASOs are accepted as a powerful modality for next-generation medicines as they can theoretically target all disease-related RNAs, including (undruggable) protein-coding RNAs and non-coding RNAs. In addition, ASOs can not only downregulate but also upregulate gene expression through diverse mechanisms of action. This review summarizes the achievements in medicinal chemistry that enabled the translation of the ASO concept into real drugs, the molecular mechanisms of action of ASOs, the structure-activity relationship of ASO-protein binding, and the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and toxicology of ASOs. In addition, it discusses recent advances in medicinal chemistry in improving the therapeutic potential of ASOs by reducing their toxicity and enhancing their cellular uptake.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.570-575
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• 2023

Targeted anticancer drug delivery systems are needed to enhance therapeutic efficacy by selectively delivering drugs to tumor cells while minimizing off-target effects, improving treatment outcomes and reducing toxicity. In this study, a silica-based nanocarrier capable of targeting drug delivery to cancer cells was developed. First, silica nanoparticles were synthesized by the Stöber method using the surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). Increasing the ratio of EtOH in the solvent produced uniformly spherical silica nanoparticles. Washing the nanoparticles removed unreacted residues, resulting in a non-toxic carrier for drug delivery in cells. Upon surface modification, the pH-responsive polymer, polyethyleneimine (PEI) exhibited slow doxorubicin release at pH 7.4 and accelerated release at pH 5.5. By exploiting this feature, we developed a system capable of targeted drug release in the acidic tumor microenvironment.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.95-100
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• 2017

Fungicide-resistant Alternaria alternata impede the practical control of the Alternaria diseases in crop fields. This study aimed to investigate cytological fungicide resistance mechanisms of A. alternata against dicarboximide fungicide iprodione. A. alternata isolated from cactus brown spot was cultured on potato-dextrose agar (PDA) with or without iprodione, and the fungal cultures with different growth characteristics from no, initial and full growth were observed by light and electron microscopy. Mycelia began to grow from one day after incubation (DAI) and continued to be in full growth (control-growth, Con-G) on PDA without fungicide, while on PDA with iprodione, no fungal growth (iprodione-no growth, Ipr-N) occurred for the first 3 DAI, but once the initial growth (iprodione-initial growth, Ipr-I) began at 4-5 DAI, the colonies grew and expanded continuously to be in full growth (iprodione-growth, Ipr-G), suggesting Ipr-I may be a turning moment of the morphogenetic changes resisting fungicidal toxicity. Con-G formed multicellular conidia with cell walls and septa and intact dense cytoplasm. In Ipr-N, fungal sporulation was inhibited by forming mostly undeveloped unicellular conidia with degraded and necrotic cytoplasm. However, in Ipr-I, conspicuous cellular changes occurred during sporulation by forming multicellular conidia with double layered (thickened) cell walls and accumulation of proliferated lipid bodies in the conidial cytoplasm, which may inhibit the penetration of the fungicide into conidial cells, reducing fungicide-associated toxicity, and may be utilized as energy and nutritional sources, respectively, for the further fungal growth to form mature colonies as in Ipr-G that formed multicellular conidia with cell walls and intact cytoplasm with lipid bodies as in Con-G.