• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.116-126
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• 2013

Glycol ethers are a group of solvents based on alkyl ethers of ethylene glycol commonly used in paints. These solvents typically have a higher boiling point, together with the favorable solvent properties of lower-molecular weight ethers and alcohols. The word "Glycol ethers" was registered as a United States trademark by Union Carbide Corp. Typically, glycol ethers are found in pharmaceuticals, sunscreens, cosmetics, inks, dyes and water based paints. On the other hand, glycol ethers are used in degreasers, cleaners, aerosol paints and adhesives. Most glycol ethers are relatively water soluble, biodegradable and only a few are considered toxic. Therefore, they are unlikely to pose an adverse risk to the environment. Recent study suggests that occupational exposure to glycol ethers is related to low motile sperm count in men, but the finding has been disputed by others. In this study, skin permeation of 3 types glycol ethers were studied in vitro using matrix such as solvent and detergent. The absorption of glycol ethers[methyl glycol ethers(MC), ethyl glycol ethers(EC) and butyl glycol ethers(BC)] has been measured in vitro through rat skin. Epidermal membranes were set up in Franz diffusion cells and their permeability to PBS measured to establish the integrity of the skin before the glycol ethers were applied to the epidermal surface. Absorption rates for each glycol ethers were determined and permeability assessment made to quantify any irreversible alterations in barrier function due to contact with the esters. Types of glycol ethers in vitro experimental results on MC> EC> BC quickly appeared in the following order: skin permeation was beneficial to the skin permeation small molecular weight, the difference in chemical structure, such as hydrophilic, because with the partition coefficient and solubility mechanisms and passive diffusion to increase the speed at which transmission is considered.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.24-32
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• 2003

Purpose : Nosocomial infection with Staphylococcus aureus, especially methicillin resistant S. aureus, has become a serious concern in the neonatal intensive care unit. The aim of this study is to investigate the virulence factors, and the relationship between the antibiotic resistance and the associated genes of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from nasal cavity of neonates. Methods : Fifty one isolates of S. aureus were obtained from nasal swab taken in 28 neonates in the NICU and nursery of Pusan National University Hospital between February and May, 2001. They were tested in regard to antibiotic susceptibility, coagulase test and typing, plasmid DNA profile, as well as reactivity to enterotoxin A-E(sea, seb, sec, sed, see) genes and toxic shock syndrome toxin-1(tst) gene by polymerase chain reaction(PCR). Associated genes such as mecA, mecR1, mecI, and femA were also determined by PCR. The origin of MRSA strains was assessed using DNA fingerprinting by arbitrarily-primed polymerase chain reaction(AP-PCR). Results : Twenty three(45.1%) and six(11.8%) isolates were resistant to oxacillin and vancomycin respectively. Multidrug resistance to three or more of the antibiotics tested was observed in 51.0% of the isolates. Forty two isolates were coagulase positive and twenty two isolates had mecA gene. Sixteen isolates had both mecA and femA genes and had type I-III plasmids. 64.7% of isolates carried sec gene, and 80.4% carried tst gene. DNA fingerprinting by AP-PCR for 12 MRSA strains showed 10 distinct patterns, suggesting different origins. Conclusion : We confirmed that the prevalence of nasal carriage of S. aureus and the incidence of antimicrobial-resistant S. aureus, especially vancomycin resistance, is very high in neonates who were admitted in NICU and nursery. It is possible that these pathogens are responsible for serious nosocomial infections in neonates. The need for improved surveillance and continuous control of pathogens is emphasized.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.223-231
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• 1983

The productions of beta-exotoxin from sixteen Bacillus thuringiensis strains were examined by Micrococus flava primarily, and then measured by spectrophotometer during culturing in Conner and Hansen mineral salts medium at 28$^{\circ}C$. Also the toxic effects of the toxin to mice were checked. The growth of Bacillus thuringiensis K2 and BTK2-T1, -T13, -T33 and -T40 got into stationary phase at 6 hour culture and then maintained it up to 48 hours without severe fluctuation. The production of beta-exotoxin from the strains, BTK2, BTK2-T1, -T13, -T17 and -T33 appeared at 6 hour culture and the amounts of the toxin were about 40 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ at 6 hour culture, approximately 70 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ at 12 hours, approximately 85$\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ from 24 hours to 48 hours. At 48 hour-culture, BTK2 produced 80 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ of beta-exotoxin (5.5$\times$10$^{8}$ cells/$m\ell$, BTK2-T13 produced 84 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ (4.3$\times$10$^{8}$ cells/$m\ell$), BTK2-T17 produced 87$\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ (1.4$\times$10$^{8}$ cells/$m\ell$), and BTK2-T33 produced 84 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ (4.9$\times$10$^{8}$ cells/$m\ell$). All other serotypes also produced beta-exotoxin. At 48 hour culture, BTK-37 produced 88$\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ (6.1$\times$10$^{8}$ cells/$m\ell$), BTK-35 produced 81 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$), and the rest of them produced less than 70 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$. To check the toxicity of beta-exotoxin and B. thuringiensis, the cultured media with microorganisms were inoculated to mice by per os, intraperiloneal, subcutaneous and intracerebral injection, and nasal cavity inoculation for 30 days. However, the toxin did not kill all of the treated mice.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.87 no.3
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• pp.466-474
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• 1998

This study was conducted to evaluate heavy metal concentrations(Cd, Cu, Z, and Pb) in the soil of two zinc mines and to correlate heavy metal contents between the soils and trees growing near the mines. Soils and leaves, stems, and roots of five tree species(Corylus heterophylla, Pinus rigida. Populus alba${\times}$glandulosa, Rhododendron mucronulatum, and Robinia pseudoacacia) were collected from Sambo Zinc Mine located in Hwasung and Gahak Zinc Mine in Kwangmyung city in Kyonggido. Soils near two zinc mines were not seriously contaminated by heavy metals, but Zn and Pb concentrations were at toxic level. The heavy metal concentration in soils decreased in the order of Zn, Pb, Cu, and Cd, and decreased with increasing distance from zinc mining sites. Among the five tree species, Populus alba ${\times}$ glandulosa showed the highest heavy metal concentrations in the tissue except for Pb. Particulars, leaves of the species contained the high concentrations of heavy metals to reach the maximum of 91ppm Zn. The roots of Corylus heterophylla contained high concentrations of Cu and Pb. The order of heavy metal concentrations in the tree species was Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd. The concentration of heavy metals in the tree tissues showed a positive correlation with that in soil in which trees are growing. The ratio of heavy metal concentration of trees to that of soils(concentration factor : CF) was highest in Zn and lowest in Pb. Populus alba${\times}$glandulosa had the highest CF value among the five tree species. It was concluded that Populus alba${\times}$glandulosa, based on the high metal uptake ability, could be used for decontaminating of heavy metals from contaminated soils, and Pinus rigida could be used to reflect the level of contamination in soils.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.185-195
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• 2012

Due to the high reduction and sorption capacity as well as the large specific surface area, nanosized mackinawite (FeS) is useful in reductively transforming chlorinated organic pollutants and sequestering toxic metals and metalloids. Due to the dynamic nature in its colloid stability, however, nanosized FeS may be washed out with the groundwater flow or result in aquifer clogging via particle aggregation. Thus, these nanoparticles should be modified such as to be built into permeable reactive barriers. This study employed coating methods in efforts to facilitate the installation of permeable reactive barriers of nanosized mackinawite. In applying the methods, nanosized mackinawite was coated on non-treated silica sand (NTS) and chemically treated silica sand (CTS). For both silica sands, the maximum coating of mackinawite occurred around pH 5.4, the condition of which was governed by (1) the solubility of mackinawite and (2) the surface charge of both silica and mackinawite. Under this pH condition, the maximum coating by NTS and CTS were found to be 0.101 mmol FeS/g and 0.043 mmol FeS/g respectively, with such elevated coatings by NTS likely linked with impurities (e.g., iron oxides) on its surface. Arsenite sorption experiments were performed under anoxic conditions using uncoated silica sands and those coated with mackinawite at the optimal pH to compare their reactivity. At pH 7, the relative sorption efficiency between uncoated NTS and coated NTS changed with the initial concentration of arsenite. At the lower initial concentration, uncoated NTS showed the higher sorption efficiency, whereas at the higher concentration, coated NTS exhibited the higher sorption efficiency. This could be attributed to different sorption mechanisms as a function of arsenite concentration: the surface complexation of arsenite with the iron oxide impurity on silica sand at the low concentration and the precipitation as arsenic sulfides by reaction with mackinawite coating at the high concentration. Compared to coated NTS, coated CTS showed the lower arsenite removal at pH 7 due to its relatively lower mackinawite coating. Taken together, our results indicate that NTS is a more effective material than CTS for the coating of nanosized mackinawite.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.10
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• pp.1011-1017
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• 2007

Purpose : We tried to assess the optimal conditions to improve low transduction efficiency and their effect on target cells. Methods : Cultured NIH 3T3 cells were incubated with retroviral vectors bearing an enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) gene. We varied the ratio of viral vectors to target cells (1:1-1:8) and the number of transfections (${\times}1$, ${\times}2$), and compared transduction efficiencies. Also, the effects of polybrene on transduction efficiency and viability of target cells were assessed. Transduction of the eGFP gene was evaluated by observing NIH 3T3 cells under a fluorescence microscope and efficiencies were measured by the percentage of eGFP positive cells using FACscan. Results : As the ratio of retroviral vectors to target cells increased, transduction efficiency was greatly improved, from 7% (1:1) to 38% (1:4). However, transduction efficiency did not increase any more when the ratio increased from 1:4 to 1:8. Cells transfected twice showed higher transduction efficiencies than cells transfected once, at a ratio of 1:8. The eGFP gene transduced to NIH 3T3 cells sustained its expression during repeated passages. However, after the third passage (day 9), the percentage of eGFP positive cells began to decline. The degree of this decline in eGFP expression was lower in cells transfected twice than in cells transfected once (P<0.05). The addition of polybrene did not have any toxic effect on NIH 3T3 cells and greatly increased transduction efficiency (P=0.007). In addition to vector component, transduction efficiency was very sensitive to culture confluence. Cells cultured and transfected in 24-well plate showed higher transduction efficiency, although cells cultured in 6- well plate proliferated more (P=0.024). Conclusion : Our data could be used as a basis for retrovirus-based gene therapy. Further study will follow using human cells as target cells.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.102-113
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• 2020

In this study, anti-arthritic effect of the mixed extract of radiation mutant Perilla frutescens var. crispa and Atractylodes macrophala koidz was investigated. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay in RAW 264.7 cells. The anti-inflammatory effect of mixed extracts was determined through measurement of the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO), release of inflammatory cytokines and expression of NF-κB, COX-2 and iNOS in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells after treatment of mixed extracts (5, 10, 25 ㎍/㎖). We showed that the mixed extracts was not toxic in the dose of 5, 10, 25 ug/ml, and significantly inhibited production of nitric oxide and ROS, cytokines including IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and inflammatory proteins including NF-κB, COX-2 and iNOS in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Moreover, the mixed extract inhibited the type II collagen induced arthritis in DBA mice in the dose of 66.5 and 133mg/kg/day. Therefore, we suggest that mixed extract of radiation mutant Perilla frutescens var. crispa and Atractylodes macrophala koidz can be developed as a raw material for health functional food and therapeutics to treat the inflammatory arthritis.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.88-101
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• 2013

The International Convention for the Control and Management of Ship's Ballast Water and Sediments was adopted at 2004 and then various BWMS (ballast water management system) have been developed. In this study, WET (whole effluent toxicity) test with algae (diatom) Skeletonema costatum as primary producer, invertebrate (rotifera) Brachionus plicatilis as 1st consumer and fish (olive flounder) Paralichthys olivaceus as predator, chemical analysis and ERA (environmental risk assessment) were conducted to assess the unacceptable effect on marine ecosystem by emitting the discharge water treated with AquaStar$^{TM}$ BWMS using electrolysis as main treatment equipment for removing the marine organisms in the ship's ballast water. The most sensitive test organism on discharge water treated with AquaStar$^{TM}$ BWMS was S. costatum that gave the NOEC value of 25.00%, LOEC value of 50.00% and 72hr-$EC_{50}$ value of 69.97% from WET test result for 20 psu salinity treated discharge water. NOEC and LOEC value of B. plicatilis and P. olivaceus exposed at 20 psu salinity treated discharge water were 50.00% and 100.00%, respectively. In the chemical analysis results, total number of substances produced by AquaStar$^{TM}$ BWMS was 18 which were bromate, 7 volatile halogenated organic compounds, 7 halogenated acetic acids, 3 halogenated acetonitriles and chloropicrin. Eighteen substances did not consider as persistence and bioaccumulative chemicals. Uncertainty of toxic property of 18 substances was high. PECs of 18 substances calculated by MAMPEC model were ranged from $4.58{\times}10^{-4}$ to $4.87{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$, PNECs of them were ranged from $1.6{\times}10^{-2}$ to $3.2{\times}10^2{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$. And, the PEC/PNEC ratio of 18 substances did not exceed 1. Therefore, ERA for produced substances indicate that the discharge water treated with AquaStar$^{TM}$ BWMS does not pose unacceptable effect on marine life. And $EC_{50}$ value of S. costatum on discharge water treated by BWMS using the electrolysis had positive correlation with initial TRO concentration, concentration and kind & level of HAAs.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.135-147
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• 2015

Recent underground common utility tunnels are underground facilities for jointly accommodating more than 2 kinds of air-conditioning and heating facilities, vacuum dust collector, information processing cables as well as electricity, telecommunications, waterworks, city gas, sewerage system required when citizens live their daily lives and facilities responsible for the central function of the country but it is difficult to cope with fire accidents quickly and hard to enter into common utility tunnels to extinguish a fire due to toxic gases and smoke generated when various cables are burnt. Thus, in the event of a fire, not only the nerve center of the country is paralyzed such as significant property damage and loss of communication etc. but citizen inconveniences are caused. Therefore, noticing that most fires break out by a short circuit due to electrical works and degradation contact due to combustible cables as the main causes of fires in domestic and foreign common utility tunnels fire cases that have occurred so far, the purpose of this paper is to scientifically analyze the behavior of a fire by producing the model of actual common utility tunnels and reproducing the fire. A fire experiment was conducted in a state that line type fixed temperature detector, fire door, connection deluge set and ventilation equipment are installed in underground common utility tunnels and transmission power distribution cables are coated with fire proof paints in a certain section and heating pipes are fire proof covered. As a result, in the case of Type II, the maximum temperature was measured as $932^{\circ}C$ and line type fixed temperature detector displayed the fire location exactly in the receiver at a constant temperature. And transmission power distribution cables painted with fire proof paints in a certain section, the case of Type III, were found not to be fire resistant and fire proof covered heating pipes to be fire resistant for about 30 minutes. Also, fire simulation was carried out by entering fire load during a real fire test and as a result, the maximum temperature is $943^{\circ}C$, almost identical with $932^{\circ}C$ during a real fire test. Therefore, it is considered that fire behaviour can be predicted by conducting fire simulation only with common utility tunnels fire load and result values of heat release rate, height of the smoke layer, concentration of O2, CO, CO2 etc. obtained by simulation are determined to be applied as the values during a real fire experiment. In the future, it is expected that more reliable information on domestic underground common utility tunnels fire accidents can be provided and it will contribute to construction and maintenance repair effectively and systematically by analyzing and accumulating experimental data on domestic underground common utility tunnels fire accidents built in this study and fire cases continuously every year and complementing laws and regulations and administration manuals etc.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.178-189
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• 2012

As phthalates classified as toxic to reproduction category 2 and endocrine disrupting chemicals were more strictly regulated as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) for authorization in under EU REACH and considered as priority substances in RoHS II, standardization of phthalate testing method is now being proposed in IEC 62321 of IEC TC 111 and the 2nd revision of KS M 1991 is also finished. In order to assist standardization activities related to phthalating testing, solvent extraction part of existing national standards were compared and verified. Recovery of DEHP (diethylhexyl phthalate) from PVC (polyvinyl chloride) by Soxhlet extraction increased in the order of methanol, toluene, dichloromethane and hexane from 46.9% to 95.3% as measured by GC-MS. Optimum extraction time was verified to be 6 hours using hexane. Recovery of DBP (dibutyl phthalate), BBP (butylbenzyl phthalate), and DEHP from different matrixes such as PVC, nitro cellulose, ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). and EPDM(ethylene propylene diene monomer) rubber were evaluated to be more than 90% up to 99%. The detection limits of phthalates in solvent extraction followed by GC-MS analysis were 0.08~0.3 ${\mu}g/mL$ in solution and 8~30 mg/Kg in polymeric samples. GC-MS analyses of phthalates were carried out using different solvent extraction based on the EN 14372, ASTM D 7083, Japanese test method (MHLW 0906-4) and KS M 1991, proving that equivalent recoveries ranging from 98%~99% were obtained. DBP and DEHP were detected in three consumer products such as a child toy, a power cable and manicure with the amount of 22~1,910 mg/kg.