• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.150-160
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• 2017

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. It is characterized by eczematous lesions, skin dryness, and pruritus. The existing treatment drugs for AD have side effects, especially if the drugs are taken for extended periods. Therefore, new alternative therapies are necessary. The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effects of curcumin administration and LED irradiation on AD. AD-like lesions were induced in BALB/c mice by repeated application of 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB) to the shaved skin of the ear and neck. Thirty male BALB/c mice were divided into five groups: vehicle, DNCB, curcumin, LED, and curcumin+LED groups. Curcumin (0.1 g/kg/day) was administrated repeatedly during a period of 14 days (experimental period) and 630 nm LED irradiation ($5J/cm^2/day$) was performed in the acryl box once a day for 10 days, after inducing AD-like lesions via DNCB application. The severity of AD-like lesions was evaluated during the experimental period, using a modified SCORAD index. Both ear and neck skin tissues were examined histologically for epidermal thickness, mast cell, eosinophil counting, and dermal collagen density. Epidermal cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected using immunohistochemistry and TUNEL, respectively. These were all reduced in SCORAD index, epidermal thickness, collagen density, number of mast cell and eosinophil in dermis, and number of proliferating cell and apoptotic cell in epidermis by curcumin administration and 630 nm LED irradiation. Moreover, all parameters were significantly lower in the curcumin+LED group compared with the curcumin group and LED group. These results suggest that the combined therapy of curcumin and LED is more effective than a single treatment. We recommend that this can be a feasible alternative therapy to manage AD.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.143-150
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• 1992

The purpose of this study is to obtain the effective concentration of capsaicin to relieve pain with no change in the number of C-fibers and its effective duration for pain relief. Capsaicin has been used extremely as a experimental tool and as topical medications for acute or chronic tissue injuries and partial nerve injury is the main cause of causalgiform pain disorders in humans. Here, the left sciatic nerve was ligated unilaterally at the high level of the thigh to prepare an animal model of this pain condition. The rat developed guarding behavior of the ipsilateral hind paw within a few hours after the operation and this behavior was maintained for several months thereafter, suggesting the possibility of spontaneous pain. These animals were divided into two groups(4-week & 8-week) and each group was subdivided into five groups by different concentration (0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 & 2.0%). Each capsaicin concentration was treated locally on the spinal cord-side of the ligated nerve and the foot withdrawal latency was measured. Thereafter, the dorsal roots of L5 were removed from both sides immediately after in tracardial perfusion for the counting of C-fibers by the histological procedure. There were no significant differences in the foot-withdrawal latency and the number of C-fibers between the left side treated with 0.05% capsaicin and the right side treated with the vehicle. However, latencies of the left sides treated with 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0% capsaicin increased significantly throughout 4-6 weeks with almost no change in the number of C-fibers, and the latencies showed the trends to approach slowly to those of the conditions after operation. The latency of subgroup treated with 2.0% increased by approximate 10% more than that of the right side throughout 8 weeks, and the number of C-fibers decreased by about 30% or more These results suggest that the elevated latency with capsaicin(0.1-1.0%) treatment is due to the inhibition of impulse transmission throughout the primary afferent fiber and the data from 2.0% are due to partial destruction of C-fibers. Therefore, capsaicin concentrations from 0.1% to 1.0% are probably very effective for the treatment of causalgiform pain with almost no destruction of C-fibers.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SC
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• v.44 no.4 s.316
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• pp.42-47
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• 2007

To reduce the chattering errors of reed switch sensors in the automatic remote measurement of water meter a reed switch sensor was analyzed and improved. The operation of reed switch sensors can be described as a mechanical contact switch by approximation of permanent magnet piece to generate an electrical pulse. The reed switch sensors are used mostly in measurement application to detect the rotational or translational displacement. To apply for water flow measurement devices, the reed switch sensors should keep high reliability. They are applied for the electronic digital type of water flow meters. The reed switch sensor is just mounted simply on the conventional mechanical type flow meter. A small magnet is attached on a pointer of the water meter counter rotor. Inside the reed sensor two steel leaf springs make mechanical contact and apart repeatedly as rotation of flow meter counter. The counting electrical contact pulses can be converted as the water flow amount. The MCU sends the digital flow rate data to the server using the wireless communication network. But the digital data is occurred difference or won by chattering noise. The reed switch sensor contains chattering error by it self at the force equivalent position. The vibrations such as passing vehicle near to the switch sensor installed location causes chattering. In order to reduce chattering error, most system uses just software methods, for example using filter algorithm and also statistical calibration methods. The chattering errors were reduced by changing leaf spring structure using mechanical characteristics.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.83-92
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• 2007

In 2004, the number of traffic crashes and deaths in Korea are 220,755 and 6,563, respectively. Korea Road Traffic Safety Authority reported that the number of traffic accidents occupies over 25% out of total accidents, and found that traffic crash probability is extremely high at intersections since intersections have various traffic conflict points. A Safety study using Traffic Conflict Technique is much more useful than a study using reported traffic accident data. Existing traffic conflict research hardly considered conflict severity occurring at intersections. So, the study developed new criteria considering conflict severity. Analytic methods precisely detecting crashing points using field surveying data, and applied an application of our new criteria. Opposing left-turn conflict criteria was devided by three groups(high severe conflict, middle severe conflict, and less severe conflict) based on conflict boundary by means of a standard vehicle length. After analyzing field surveying data(3hours), we found totally 41 opposing left-turn conflicts. 3 cases are high severe conflict, and another 10 cases are middle severe conflicts, and the other cases are less severe. Studies related in conflict severity are considerably important to evaluate intersection's detailed safety index, and existing studies(purely conflict counting does not consider severity) have a limitation to clearly determine the level of safety of intersections for an application.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.452-463
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• 2020

Purpose: Aster tataricus (AT) is one of the Asteraceae perennial herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine. The herb contains various bioactive substances, such as flavonoids, isoflavonoids, and phenolic compounds in the roots, and exhibits a range of effects including anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. This study compared the immunomodulatory effects of ethanol and water extracts of whole AT, except the roots, and analyzed the molecular mechanisms for the regulatory effects on cytokine secretion from THP-1 cells. Methods: The effects of AT extract on the cell viability and proliferation of THP-1 cells were analyzed using the Cell Counting Kit-8 method. The concentrations of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the cell culture supernatant of the AT-treated THP-1 cells were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The protein levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B (IκBα), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation in the cell lysates were determined by western blotting. Results: The water extract and the ethanol extract of AT did not affect the cell viability, and increased the proliferation of THP-1 cells significantly compared to the vehicle. The water extract increased the secretion of IL-1β from THP-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner, but the ethanol extract had no effect. The expression of COX-2 and iNOS protein and the phosphorylation of MAPK and Akt were induced in AT-treated cells. In addition, IκBα was degraded by AT in a concentration-dependent manner. IL-1β secretion by AT was reduced by extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitors, while TNF-α secretion was decreased by inhibitors of ERK, p38 MAPK, and JNK. Interestingly, the p38 MAPK inhibitor increased the production of IL-1β by AT further. Conclusion: The water extract of the above-ground parts of AT contains immunomodulatory bioactive substances that stimulate immune cells through the MAPK signaling pathway.