• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2019

There is no effective treatment modality available against different forms of leishmaniasis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to improve the penetration and efficacy of selenium and glucantime coupled with niosomes and compared them with their simple forms alone on in vitro susceptibility assays. In this study, the niosomal formulations of selenium and in combination with glucantime were prepared. The size and morphology of the niosomal formulations were characterized and the effectivity of the new formulation was also evaluated using in vitro MTT assay, intra-macrophage model, and gene expression profile. From the results obtained, no cytotoxicity effect was observed for niosomal and simple forms of drugs, as alone or in combination. Niosomal formulations of the drugs significantly showed more inhibitory effects ($P{\leq}0.001$) than the simple drugs when the selectivity index was considered. The gene expression levels of Interleukin (IL-10) significantly decreased, while the level of IL-12 and metacaspase significantly increased ($P{\leq}0.001$). The results of the present study showed that selenium plus glucantime niosome possess a potent anti-leishmanial effect and enhanced their lethal activity as evidenced by the in vitro experiments.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.66 no.5
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• pp.525-535
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• 2023

Objective : We performed an expanded multi-ethnic meta-analysis to identify associations between inflammation-related loci with intracranial aneurysm (IA) susceptibility. This meta-analysis possesses increased statistical power as it is based on the most data ever evaluated. Methods : We searched and reviewed relevant literature through electronic search engines up to August 2022. Overall estimates were calculated under the fixed- or random-effect models using pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup analyses were performed according to ethnicity. Results : Our meta-analysis enrolled 15 studies and involved 3070 patients and 5528 controls including European, Asian, Hispanic, and mixed ethnic populations. Of 17 inflammation-related variants, the rs1800796 locus (interleukin [IL]-6) showed the most significant genome-wide association with IA in East-Asian populations, including 1276 IA patients and 1322 controls (OR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.56-0.75; p=3.24#x00D7;10^-9) under a fixed-effect model. However, this association was not observed in the European population (OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.80-1.47; p=0.5929). Three other variants, rs16944 (IL-1β), rs2195940 (IL-12B), and rs1800629 (tumor necrosis factor-α) showed a statistically nominal association with IA in both the overall, as well as East-Asian populations (0.01<p<0.05). Conclusion : Our updated meta-analysis with increased statistical power highlights that rs1800796 which maps on the IL-6 gene is associated with IA, and in particular confers a protective effect against occurrence of IA in the East-Asian population.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.33-39
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• 2024

Understanding the behavior of soil under cyclic loading conditions is essential for assessing its response to seismic events and potential liquefaction. This study investigates the effect of non-plastic fines content (FC) on excess pore pressure generation in medium-density sand-silt mixtures subjected to strain-controlled cyclic direct simple shear (CDSS) tests. The investigation is conducted by analyzing excess pore pressure (EPP) ratios and the number of cycles to liquefaction (Ncyc-liq) under varying shear strain levels and FC values. The study uses Jumunjin sand and silica silt with FC values ranging from 0% to 40% and shear strain levels of 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.5%, and 1.0%. The findings indicate that the EPP ratio increases rapidly during loading cycles, with higher shear strain levels generating more EPP and requiring fewer cycles to reach liquefaction. At 1.0% and 0.5% shear strain levels, FC has a limited effect on Ncyc-liq. However, at a lower shear strain level of 0.2%, increasing FC from 0 to 10% reduces Ncyc-liq from 42 to 27, and as FC increases further, Ncyc-liq also increases. In summary, this study provides valuable insights into the behavior of soil under cyclic loading conditions. It highlights the significance of shear strain levels and FC values in excess pore pressure generation and liquefaction susceptibility.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.137-150
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• 2007

Trees emit phytoncide into atmosphere to protect them from predation. Phytoncide from different trees has its own unique fragrance that is referred to as forest bath. Phytoncide, which is essential oil of trees, has microbicidal, insecticidal, acaricidal, and deodorizing effect. The present study was performed to examine the effect of phytoncide on Porphyromonas gingivalis, which is one of the most important causative agents of periodontitis and halitosis. P. gingivalis 2561 was incubated with or without phytoncide extracted from Hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa Sieb. et Zucc.; Japanese cypress) and then changes were observed in its cell viability, antibiotic sensitivity, morphology, and biochemical/molecular biological pattern. The results were as follows: 1. The phytoncide appeared to have a strong antibacterial effect on P. gingivalis. MIC of phytoncide for the bacterium was determined to be 0.008%. The antibacterial effect was attributed to bactericidal activity against P. gingivalis. It almost completely suppressed the bacterial cell viability (>99.9%) at the concentration of 0.01%, which is the MBC for the bacterium. 2. The phytoncide failed to enhance the bacterial susceptibility to ampicillin, cefotaxime, penicillin, and tetracycline but did increase the susceptibility to amoxicillin. 3. Numbers of electron dense granules, ghost cell, and vesicles increased with increasing concentration of the phytoncide, 4. RT-PCR analysis revealed that expression of superoxide dismutase was increased in the bacterium incubated with the phytoncide. 5. No distinct difference in protein profile between the bacterium incubated with or without the phytoncide was observed as determined by SDS-PAGE and immunoblot. Overall results suggest that the phytoncide is a strong antibacterial agent that has a bactericidal action against P. gingivalis. The phytoncide does not seem to affect much the profile of the major outer membrane proteins but interferes with antioxidant activity of the bacterium. Along with this, yet unknown mechanism may cause changes in cell morphology and eventually cell death.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.4704-4710
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to obtain a useful diagnostic image by increasing the signal strength of the peripheral artery, was to use a T1 shortening effect of gadolinium contrast agents to improve the disadvantages of the phase image. From october to december 2014 thirty patients were underwent the MRI scanning, except for heart disease. Research method was evaluated comparing the image after gadolinium contrast MR image acquisition step before evaluating the difference between the signal intensity for T1 shortening effect. In frontal lobe 19.45%, temporal lobe 23.09%, occipital lobe 25.45%, parietal lobe 18.82%, cerebellum 20.93% after peripheral arterial signal strength results of gadolinium contrast agent injection was increased significantly after injection of gadolinium both statistically significant. After injecting a contrast agent gadolinium in SWI by increasing the signal strength of the T1 shortening effect can be obtained when using the phase image to give a useful image in diagnosis and treatment.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.65-72
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• 1982

It has been known that retinoids are intrinsically of critical importance for control of premalignant epithelial cell differentiation. In the absence of retinoids, normal cellular differentiation and growth does not occur in epithelia such as those of trachea and bronchi. Furthermore, it was also reported that retinoid deficiency enhanced susceptibility to chemical carcinogenesis in the respiratory system, in the bladder, and in the colon of the experimental animal. In 1974, Bollag examined the effects of synthetic retinoids in prevention of development of cancer and demonstrated synthetic retinoids to have more favorable therapeutic index than retinoic acid for causing regression of skin papilloma in mice. Therefore, it was assumed that this anticarcinogenic effect of vitamin A derivatives could be due to modification of the metabolism of the carcinogenic polycyclic hydrocarbon, which must first be activated to exert their effect. Hill and Shih reported that vitamin A compounds and analogs had inhibitory effect on drug metabolizing enzyme from liver and lung tissue of mouse and hamster. Lucy suggested that the chemoprevention effect of vitamin A derivatives is due to reaction with molecular oxygen, and it is possible that inhibition of hydroxybenzpyrene formation is a result of this property. On the other hand, butylated hydroxytoluene which is a potent antioxidant strongly inhibited the formation of mammary tumor induced by dimethylbenranthracene. Also, it was observed that this antioxidant inhibited cancer induction in rats by N-2-fluo-renylacetamide. The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the effect of vitamin A derivatives such as retinoic acid and retinoid on drug-metabolizing enzyme and to determine whether riboflavin tetrabutylate or vitamin E could prevent of modify any changes induced by vitamin A delivatives in the rats. The results obtained were as followings. 1) Body weight was significantly reduced by retinoic acid, but not by retinoid. 2) Retinoic acid markedly increased liver weight while retincid showed no effect on liver weight. Treatment of riboflavin tetrabutylate did not affect retinoic acid-induced change in both body weight and liver weight. 3) Both retinoic acid and retinoid remarkably decreased the activity of aminopyrine demethylase. Pretreatment of riboflavin tetrabutylate, however, prevented inhibitory effect of retinoic acid on the enzyme activity. 4) No significant effect of vitamin E on aminopyrine demethylase was observed in both groups treated with retinoic acid and retinoid.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.110-115
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• 2012

Samples with nominal compositions of $RuSr_2(Eu_{1.34-x}Tb_xCe_{0.66})Cu_2O_z$ (x = 0, 0.67) were prepared and their superconductivity and magnetic properties were compared to shed light on the effect of Tb substitution for Eu. X-ray diffraction measurements indicate that the Tb substitution resulted in a decrease in both a and c lattice parameters in consistent with ionic size difference between Eu and Tb. Contrary to the Tb-free sample, no superconducting transition behavior is observed in the Tb-sustituted sample. It is also found that the Tb substitution for Eu significantly increases the weak-ferromagnetic component of the field-cooled magnetic susceptibility as well as an increase in the magnetic ordering temperature. These results suggest that the magnetic state of the Ru sublattice is significantly affected by the Tb substitution for Eu.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.224-228
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• 2004

Background: The expression of BRG1 associated factors (BAF) 155 and BAF 170 in response to $IFN-{\gamma}$ or $TNF-{\alpha}$ was studied in astrocytoma cell lines and primary astrocytes. BAFs are complexed with BRG1 and are also associated with activated glucocorticoid for glucocorticoid trans-activation. Methods: $IFN-{\gamma}$ was pretreated for 18 hrs and cells were incubated with IL-1 or $TNF-{\alpha}$ for 72 hrs or 96 hrs with different concentrations of steroid. Cell death was measured by LDH assay. BAF expression was assayed by RT-PCR. Results: $IFN-{\gamma}$ increased cell death by dexamethasone in LN215 cells but not in LN319 cells. The $IFN-{\gamma}$ increased the expression of BAF 155 and BAF 170 in adult astrocytes and LN215 cells, but $IFN-{\gamma}$ decreased the expression of BAF 155/170 in LN319 cells. The effect of $IFN-{\gamma}$ on the expression of BAF was not as clear in fetal astrocytes as it was in adult astrocytes. Conclusion: Our results suggest cytokines produced during immune reaction or immunotherapy may modulate steroid susceptibility of astrocytes and astrocytoma cells by influencing the expression of BAFs.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.131-139
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• 2018

Purpose : The study objective was to assess the antibacterial activity of essential oil of basil against S. mutans and P. gingivalis and to explore its potential to prevent dental caries and peridontal disease. Method : Essential oil of basil, extracted using steam distillation, was diluted with triple distilled water and Tween 20 to generate samples at various concentration, that is 30%, 50%, and 70% (v/v). Strains of S. mutans and P. gingivalis were incubated in the medium under anaerobic condition. Broth microdilution susceptibility testing and plate incubation diffusion were utilized to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and to measure antibacterial activity, respectively. Result : An upsurge in antibacterial activity was seen to correlate with and increase in the concentration used for both bacterial strains, but was more significant with S. mutans. A statistically significant growth inhibition effect and reduction in the number of colonies was also observed with both strains dependent on the concentration used following 24 hours of incubation. Conclusion : Thus, the current study finding was that essential oil of basil was effective against dental caries and periodontal disease and could be used in dentifrice to help prevent oral disease.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.17-23
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• 2004

Not all individuals respond identically, or at times in the same direction, to dietary interventions. These inconsistencies likely arise because of diet and genomic interactions (nutrigenomics effects). A host of factors may influence the response to bioactive food components including specific polymorphisms (nutrigenetic effect), DNA methylation patterns and other epigenomic factors (nutritional epigenomic effects), capacity to induce anuo. suppress specific mRNA expression and patterns (nutritional transcriptomics), the occurrence and activity of proteins (proteomic effects), and/or the dose and temporal changes in cellular small molecular weight compounds will not only provide clues about specificity in response to food components, but assist in the identification of surrogate tissues and biomarkers that can predict a response. While this 'discovery' phase is critical for defining mechanisms and targets, and thus those who will benefit most from intervention, its true usefulness depends on moving this understanding into 'development' (interventions for better prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment) and a 'delivery' phase where information is provided to those most in need. It is incumbent on those involved with food and nutrition to embrace the 'omics' that relate to nutrition when considering not only the nutritional value of foods and their food components, but also when addressing acceptability and safety. The future of 'Nutrigenomics and Health Promotion' depends on the ability of the scientific community to identity appropriate biomarkers and susceptibility variants, effective communications about the merits of such undertakings with the health care community and with consumers, and doing all of this within a responsible bioethical framework.