The interest for the stability of the structures against earthquake, which is increasing recently, is rapidly increasing. But, currently, school buildings among the reinforced concrete(RC) structures in Korea are not designed with seismic design or there are many cases of being designed with the old seismic design code, so it is estimated to have not only lives but also a great deal of economic damage are likely to occur when an earthquake occurs. In this study, proposed horizontal friction system(HFS) with rotary friction damper installed as a method to reinforce strength and hardness and to increase ductility for the low story structure of 5 stories or lower such as school buildings. For the seismic retrofitting design with horizontal friction system in which rotary friction damper is installed, Peak displacement response ratio according to elastic and inelastic behavior and ductility demand is calculated to decide elastic stiffness and strength of the HFS, design model and procedure to decide the capacity of HFS thereof is decided, and the feasibility and performance are reviewed through pushover analysis.

Recent projects for transferring Public Office buildings and estimation of appropriate construction expense are highly important for both government and construction firms. Moreover, estimation and management of construction expense can be regarded as extremely important duties for effective execution of a national budget as nation’s finance is invested in the Public office building projects progressed by the government. To progress one project for Public office building, not only the organization demanding the project but also an investment screening organization, a budget-managing organization, a feasibility assessment institution and many other related organizations participate in the project and a lot of decisions arisen from the project operation are made on the basis of construction expenses calculated for relevant stages. And estimation of rational construction expense is also critical for designers in order to create design within the fixed budget simultaneously with securing the quality and efficiency of structures to the maximum. Therefore this research suggested an improvement process to analyze problems in current construction expense management process and to administer the construction expenses effectively.

A 40-year-old male was admitted with dry cough of two months’ duration. Radiologic examination revealed an endobronchial mass obstructing the right middle lobar bronchus and poststenotic pneumonia. Despite failure in bronchoscopic diagnosis, due to suspected malignancy and difficulty for bronchoscopic resection, we performed a right middle lobectomy. The histopathological diagnosis was a lipomatous hamartoma, which was exophytic and endobronchial. We report on a rare surgical case of endobronchial lipomatous hamartoma which had occlusive and exophytic growth across the bronchial wall.

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is defined as a gradual, interstitial fibrous disease of the lung parenchyma. PF causes collapse of the lung lobe, which can lead to lung lobe torsion of the other side. A 14-year-old male Pekinese dog was referred to the Veterinary Medical Center, Chungbuk National University. The chief complaint was acute dyspnea. The dog had a history of chronic cough, which lasted for 18 months, and the cough had recently deteriorated. Tachypnea was observed on physical examination. As a result of thoracic radiographs, ultrasonography, and computed tomography, lung lobe torsion and collapse were diagnosed. A postmortem examination revealed lung lobe torsion of the left cranial lobe and carnification of the right cranial lobe. Histologically, severe and diffuse interstitial fibrosis with distortion of alveolar architecture and severe congestion and/or hemorrhage were observed in the right cranial lobe and left cranial lobe, respectively. Although the cause of pulmonary fibrosis was undetermined, this case showed a typical lung lobe torsion caused by pulmonary fibrosis.

This study was conducted in order to investigate the reduction activity of red ginseng extract (RGE; Panax ginseng, C. A. Meyer) on hydroxyl radical (·OH) using an electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometer and spin-trapping techniques. ·OH generated by a Fenton Reaction System was trapped by 5, 5-dimethyl-l-pyrroline-N oxide (DMPO). The decay rate showed approximately pseudo-firs order kinetics over the period of measurement (by 10 min), and the half lifetime of the DMPO/·OH signal was estimated as approximately 8.15 min. However, the half lifetime of RGE/·OH was estimated as approximately 7.5 min, and the half lifetime of RGE was higher than that of DMPO/·OH adduct only. The order of reduction activities was ascorbic acid > N, Nʹ-dimethylthiourea (DMTU) > RGE > trolox > mannitol in the Fenton Reaction System. Thus, these observations indicate that RGE reaction with ·OH has relative reduction activity. The second-order rate constant of RGE/·OH may be 3.5~4.5 × 109 M-¹ ∙ S-¹.

The anti-inflammatory effect of PHBV/Collagen (PHCP) was examined in a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced skin inflammation. Vascular permeability on the back skin was measured by the local accumulation of Evan’s blue dye after subcutaneous injection of LPS (30 µg site^-1 ). Dye leakage in the skin showed a significant increase at 2 h after injection of LPS. This LPS-induced dye leakage was also completely inhibited by HO-1 inhibitor, ZnPP, and antioxidants, including methyl gallate, trolox, and mannitol. To study the possible mechanisms underlying the in vivo anti-inflammatory effect of PHCP against LPS-induced inflammation, we also examined the effects of PHCP on malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione levels in skin tissues and found that pretreatment with PHCP resulted in inhibited MDA elevation and a remarkable reduction of glutathione level. In addition, similar results were obtained after pretreatment with antioxidants, including trolox and mannitol, and HO-1 inhibitor, ZnPP. Histopathologically, an influx of neutrophils into the skin dermis was detected between 24 h and 72 h after LPS injection (30, 100 µg site^-1), compared to control animals after injection of saline. This increase was greater in mice treated with 100 µg of LPS than in those treated with 30 µg of LPS and was significantly suppressed by pretreatment with PHCP, antioxidants, and HO-1 inhibitor. These results collectively suggest that PHCP has an anti-inflammatory effect against LPS-induced inflammation model in vivo and may be a good candidate for the skin tissue engineering biomedical application primarily through manipulation of the redox state.

This study was conducted in order to examine the safety of bee venom as an alternative for antibiotics using male ICR mice. Five-week-old male mice received a single intravenous injection of a dried honey bee venom at the concentration of 0.25 mg/kg (a clinical dose) or 0.5 mg/kg through the tail vein and various pathophysiological analyses were performed after three days. No significant differences in changes of body weight were observed between the saline-treated control group and the experimental groups. In the hematological analysis, none of the parameters were affected by bee venom. In blood biochemistry analysis, none of the markers were affected by administration of bee venom. Similarly, there were no significant effects on markers for liver, kidney, and skeletal muscle functions in all treated- groups. On macroscopic examination, no remarkable lesions were detected in these organs. Because there were no adverse effects of the bee venom in a single intravenous toxicity test for three days, it was concluded that bee venom could be a candidate for a safe natural antibiotic for use in the animal production industry.

Iron nanoparticles (Fe-NPs) have recently been used for cancer diagnosis and therapy for imaging contrast and drug delivery. However, no study on nutritional bioavailability of Fe-NPs in the body has been reported. Ascorbic acid (AA) is known to aid in absorption of iron in the stomach by reducing Fe (III) to Fe (II). In this study, we investigated the bioavailability of Fe-NPs with AA in iron-deficiency-anemic mice in comparison with non-nano iron particles. Iron-deficient anemia was induced by feeding an iron-deficient diet (4.5 mg Fe/kg) and ocular bleeding from retro-orbital venous plexus for four weeks. Normal control mice were given a normal diet (45 mg Fe/ kg). After induction of anemia in mice, anemic mice received daily oral administration of Fe (40 mg/kg B.W.) + AA (5 g/kg B.W) and Fe-NPs (40 mg/kg B.W) + AA (5 g/kg B.W). After sacrifice, liver and spleen tissues were observed by haematoxylin & eosin stain. Amount of trace iron in liver and upper small intestine was investigated using an inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer. Red blood cells (RBC), hematocrit (Hct), hemoglobin (Hb), and total iron binding capacity were also measured. The concentrations of iron in the Fe-NPs + AA group were significantly higher in liver and in upper small intestine than that in the Fe + AA group. The values of RBC, Hct, and Hb in the Fe-NPs + AA group were more rapidly increased to normal values compared with the Fe + AA group with increasing time. These results suggest that Fe-NPs in the presence of AA may be more bioavailable than non-nano Fe in Fe-deficient anemic mice.

Experiments were conducted in order to assess the healing effect of bee venom (BV) cream on full-thickness skin wounds in rabbits. BV cream was compared with silver sulfadiazine (SS) as a topical medicament against a control on experimentally created full-thickness wounds. Two wounds measuring 2 × 2 cm were created bilaterally (four wounds/rabbit) on the dorsolateral aspect of the trunk of seven New Zealand white rabbits. Wound treatments were evenly distributed on four sites, using a Latin square design. The contact layer of wounds was treated with physiological saline (control), SS cream, and BV cream over a period of 28 days. Assessment of wound healing was based on scab hardness, wound exudates, wound area, unepithelialized granulation tissue, and histopathological findings. Topical application of BV and SS creams to wounds resulted in reduced inflammation, debridement of necrotic tissue, and promoted granulation and epithelialization. Wound healing was faster, with statistical significance in BV and SS treatments, compared to the control (P<0.05). Treatment with BV evoked an anti-inflammation effect in a rabbit model. BV cream produced a wound healing effect similar to that of commercially available SS cream. Anti-inflammation effect as a topical treatment with BV cream appears to be better than that with SS cream. These results suggest that topical application of BV cream may be an alternative treatment for full-thickness skin wounds.

Rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils were sampled from landfill area, riparian wetland, and rice paddy. The consortia were obtained by methane enrichment culture using the soils. The effects of ammonia on methane oxidation in the consortia were evaluated. Compared with methane oxidation rates without ammonia, the rates with ammonia of 1mg-N/bottle were similar or slightly lower. However, their methane oxidation rates were significantly reduced with 2~4mg-N ammonia/bottles. The effect of ammonia on the methanotrophic abundance was estimated by using a quantitative real-time PCR method targeting particulate methane monooxygenase gene. Ammonia didn’t negatively influence on the methanotrophic abundance although it inhibited the methane oxidation activity by methanotrophs.

This study was conducted in order to evaluate the alleviating effects of Phellodendrin cortex water extract (PCWE) on skin aging in hairless mice via observation of morphogical and histological changes. Skin aging was induced by UVB irradiation and application of squalene monohydroperoxide (Sq-OOH) to the back skin of hairless mice for six weeks. And, at the same time, saline (C), jojoba oil (VC), PCWE (E), and 0.01% retinoic acid diluted with polyethylene glycol (PC) were applied topically twice per day, six days per week, for a period of six weeks. Improved wrinkle formation in a pattern of shallow furrows and thin and narrow crests was observed in the retinoic acid and PCWE application groups, compared to the C group. On the morphologic analysis for skin wrinkles, the E group showed lower levels in skin roughness, maximum roughness, average roughness, smoothness depth, and arithmetic average roughness by 13.1, 17.2, 18.4, 15.4, and 16.1%, respectively, compared with the C group, indicating that PCWE inhibited potential formation of wrinkles in the skin. In the C group, structures of lipid lamellae and collagen fibers were broken or deformed with an irregular arrangement. Application of retinoic acid and PCWE protected against the deformity of lipid lamellae and collagen fibers. Elastic fibers in dermis of the C group also showed severe transformation; however, applications of retinoic acid and PCWE resulted in a significant decrease in the number of denatured elastic fibers. Therefore, PCWE could have an alleviating effect on skin aging induced by UVB irradiation and application of Sq-OOH.

In this study, the effect of difference in gas phase media (between nitrogen and air) used for standard gas preparation was evaluated with respect to relative recovery of carbonyl compounds (CC). To this end, calibration analysis was carried out using gaseous CC standards (with the two media) containing five different CCs (acetaldehyde (AA), propionaldehyde (PA), butyraldehyde (BA), isovaleraldehyde (IA), and valeraldehyde (VA)). Derivatization of CCs was made, and the carbonyl hydrazones eluted via acetonitrile were analyzed by reverse phase HPLC for UV detection. As a result, the CC standards in N2 medium showed about 10% higher recovery than that of air medium. However, the difference in their relative recovery is in most cases not statistically significant. Consequently, it is concluded that the difference in gaseous media like N2 or air is unlikely to affect derivatization efficiency of CCs.

Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) and blood samples can be used as a practical source for detection of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. We compared EGFR mutation status of cell blocks, cell-free fluid of MPE, and plasma from patients with lung adenocarcinoma. We obtained paired samples of MPE and plasma from 14 pathologically-confirmed lung adenocarcinoma patients. Peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-mediated real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) clamping was performed for determination of EGFR mutation status. EGFR mutations were detected in five (35.7%) cell blocks of MPE, which showed results identical to those of the corresponding cell-free fluid, whereas mutations were detected in the plasma of only two (40.0%) of the five patients. Of seven patients treated with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), EGFR mutations were detected in cell blocks, cell-free fluid of MPE, and plasma for only one of the four patients who responded to EGFR TKIs, while mutations were detected only in cell blocks of MPE and cell-free fluid of the three remaining patients. Our results suggest that detection of EGFR mutations in cell-free pleural fluid from lung adenocarcinoma patients using highly sensitive methods may be feasible, but that analysis of free plasma may lead to undetected mutations and misdiagnosis.

This research determined the threshold value of 12 specified offensive odor substances based on the 3 point comparison sensory method. The panelist’s thresholds were calculated by taking the arithmetic, geometric mean, and 50th percentile. Three methods of calculating the odor thresholds from the same data are compared. For 12 odor substances, the panelist’s thresholds were showed logarithmically normal distribution. The 50th percentile was the best method among the three methods of caculating the odor threshold from the 72 panel’s thresholdes. As a result, the threshold values of individual odor substances, including methyl mercaptane, hydrogen sulfide, trimethylamine, and i-valeraldehyde ranged between 0.0001~0.001 ppm, while the values of styrene and ammonia were relatively higher than of other substances at 0.089 ppm and 3.2 ppm, respectively. The threshold values of the 12 specified odor substances were compared in Korea and overseas, which showed that the characteristics of sensory response varied by substance and nation.

House dust mite (HDM) allergens have been associated with allergic diseases, such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis. Various acaricidal agents have been suggested for control of house dust mites; however, their remains act as allergens even after death. Therefore, for avoidance of allergen, expelling the mites is a more effective policy than killing them. In this experiment, we compared the repellent effect of two essential oils (Matricaria chamomilla, Lavandula vera) against house dust mites, Dermatophagoids farinae and D. pteronyssinus in bed fabric. The essential oils were applied by direct contact method at various doses (0.1, 0.05, 0.025, 0.0125, and 0.00625 μl/cm2 and at various exposure times (30, 60, 120, 180, and 240 min). Results of this experiment suggest that the two oils have significant repellent activity. Camomile essential oil in 0.0125 μl/cm2 at 240 minutes had a repellent effect of 93.7% and lavender essential oil in 0.05 μl/cm2 at 180 minutes had a repellent effect of 88.9%. The results of this study showed that camomile essential oil has more potent repellent activity than lavender essential oil at a particular concentration.

To investigate the effect of single windbreak and combination of hill and windbreak on pollutant dispersion in neutral boundary condition, CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) modeling was used. The validity of the CFD model was confirmed by wind tunnel and field experiments of single closed windbreak. The results show increased windbreak height increasing the height of maximum concentration position and decreasing surface concentration (x=50 m) from 1.5 to 5.0 times smaller than that of non-windbreak case. In combination of hill and windbreak case increasing hill height decreasing surface concentration from 1.0 to 1.1 times smaller than that of single windbreak case.

This study demonstrated that hyaluronic acid (HA) accelerated peripheral nerve regeneration after crush injury to the common peroneal nerve in an experimental rabbit model. Ten male New Zealand White rabbits, weighing 1.8 to 2.0 kg, were used in this study. After creating the nerve crush model in every right leg, rabbits were divided into two groups. Animals in group A received application of HA into the area surrounding the crushed nerve, and group B was the sham control. Electrophysiological assessment was performed every week. After 10 weeks, nerve histological examination, muscle weight and muscle histology were used to evaluate regeneration of the injured common peroneal nerve. No differences in electrophysiological assessment were observed between the two groups. In peripheral nerve histology, myelinated nerve fibers were observed more frequently and less connective tissue was observed in the crushed nerve of group A. Fewer muscle degenerative changes, such as fibrosis, atrophy, and centrally located myonuclei, were detected in group A than in group B. In conclusion, HA could become a potential neuroprotective agent for improvement of peripheral nerve regeneration after crush injury.

This study was aimed to elucidate the cause of odor in a park, which was used for the landfill site about 20 years ago. For this purpose, VOCs concentration was measured using passive sampler at 10 sampling sites around a park for two times (spring and summer). The VOCs concentration measured in summer showed very low concentration and the relative VOCs ratio also showed no special patterns relating with other studies, which was caused to heavy rainfall during the sampling period. However, the relative ratio of toluene concentration of two sampling sites in spring appeared very high relating with other studies. It was thought that the high VOCs concentration in this park was caused not by landfill but by a neighboring painting materials company.

Cytokines are known to function as regulatory molecules that can be produced by virtually every nucleated cell type in the body, including lymphocytes, monocytes/macrophages, epithelial cells, fibroblasts, and many others. Cytokines include lymphocyte-derived factors (lymphokines), monocyte-derived factors (monokines), hematopoietic factors (colony-stimulating factors), connective tissue/ growth factors, and chemotactic chemokines. Cytokines released in response to infection can affect tumor development in different ways. When exposed to infectious agents, cytokines are secreted by sentinel cells, such as macrophages and dendritic cells. These cytokines include interleukin 1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor-α, as well as others, such as IL-6, IL-12, and IL-18. When released in sufficient quantities, these molecules can cause inflammation. Chronic inflammation is highly associated with tumor initiation, promotion, and progression. In this article, we review the roles and mechanisms of cytokines in tumor development.

Because many recent epidemiological studies have reported the associations of population’s proximity to high traffic roadways with adverse health effects, interest in how roadside structures affect the concentration of motor vehicle emitted pollutants in the near-road microenvironment has increased. These noise barriers may affect pollutant (for example: odor, carbon dioxide, particle et al.) concentrations around structure by blocking initial dispersion. This study examined the effects of roadside barriers on the flow patterns and dispersion of pollutants from high traffic highway. The effects of noise barriers were examined using commercial software FLUENT. The results show noise barriers increase concentration of near noise barrier wake region and decrease concentration in the faraway distance from noise barrier. The results also show far from emission position (between 100 m and 200 m) surface concentration of multi-barrier cases are 2 times lower than that of no barrier case.