Distribution of PCDD/Fs and PCBs in soils and pine needles in Ulsan, South Korea

Department of Urban and Environmental Engineering (Environmental Science and Engineering)Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), known as persistent organic pollutants, are unintentionally released from anthropogenic sources (incomplete combustion and formulation of commercial products). There have been no domestic studies such as widespread distribution of target compounds in bioindicator (pine needle) and indicator (soil) to be carried out. In this study, the spatial distribution and the contamination characteristics of PCDD/Fs and PCBs in terms of their regional features were investigated. The soil and pine needle samples were collected at 30 sampling sites including suburban (S1???13), urban (U1???7), and industrial (I1???10) sites in Ulsan in December 2018. Soil and pine needle samples were extracted by Soxhlet extractor for 24 hours, and only pine needle samples were conducted with sulfuric acid treatment and filtered with bulk silica gel for removal of interfering substances. Then, soil and pine needle samples were cleaned up in multilayer silica gel columns. The target compounds were 17 PCDD/Fs and 18 PCBs (dioxin-like PCBs and indicator PCBs) analyzed by gas chromatography/high solution mass spectrometry (GC/HRMS). For interpreting the data, spatial distributions, compositions, and correlations of PCDD/Fs and PCBs in soils and pine needles were carried out. The mean concentrations of PCDD/Fs, dioxin-like PCBs (dl-PCBs), and indicator PCBs in soils were 77.73, 90.11, 452.98 pg/g dw, respectively, and the mean concentrations of these compounds in pine needles were 6.26, 31.36, 166.37 pg/g ww, respectively. In general, industrial sites showed higher concentrations of PCDD/Fs and PCBs in soil samples than those in urban and suburban sites, indicating that industrial processes were mainly influenced the compounds in the industrial areas. However, there was no significant difference in PCDD/F and PCB levels between three sites in pine needles due to the long-range transport and unstable deposition state based on the physicochemical properties of organic pollutants. The average composition of ???7PCDDs in soils accounted for about 77% of the normalized concentrations, whereas ???10PCDFs in pine needles were predominant about 82% of the normalized concentrations. Fractions of dl-PCBs and indicator PCBs in soils accounted for about 85%, 60% of penta- and hexa-CBs, respectively. In the case of pine needles, about 87% of tetra- and penta-CBs for dl-PCBs, about 80% of tri- to penta-CBs for indicator PCBs were accounted for the normalized concentrations, respectively. Based on the correlation results, PCDD/Fs and PCBs were positively correlated with each other. Total organic carbon content was significantly correlated with furans and heavy chlorinated PCBs, but lipid content had a negative or no correlation between any compounds.ope

Comparison of quality of life and related factors according to premature menopause using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2014–2017)

Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare the health‐related quality of life of premature menopausal women with that of normal postmenopausal women and to identify factors related to quality of life in these two groups. Methods A secondary analysis was conducted of a sample of 5,910 postmenopausal women drawn from women aged 19–79 years, using raw data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey between 2014 and 2017. Quality of life was compared between premature menopausal women and normal postmenopausal women using the t‐test and chi‐square test, and factors related to quality of life were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression using SAS version 9.4. Results There was no significant difference in quality of life between premature menopausal women and normal postmenopausal women. Subjective health status and symptoms of depression were identified as factors related to quality of life in women with premature menopause, while engaging in aerobic physical activity, subjective health status, stress, and symptoms of depression were found to be related to quality of life among normal postmenopausal women. Conclusion It is necessary to support self‐care measures for both premature and normal menopausal women to adapt to changes caused by menopause, and multidimensional strategies should be developed considering postmenopausal women’s subjective health status and symptoms of depression to improve their quality of life

The Distribution Strategy Of A Representative Fair Trade Organization In Korea: The Case Of Beautiful Coffee

This case study analyzes the distribution strategy of Beautiful Coffee, a leading fair trade organization in Korea. Because of their focus on matters of public interest, fair trade organizations often face financial difficulties, and such difficulties can limit their growth and force them to pursue differentiated distribution strategies. The results indicate that Beautiful Coffee can serve as a good role model for fair trade organizations and have important practical implications for firms pursuing sustainable growth as a social enterprise

HRT, Herbal Formula, Induces G 2

We have demonstrated the anticancer effect of HRT in HCT116, human colon carcinoma cells. HRT inhibited cancer cell growth by causing cell cycle arrest at G2/M and inducing apoptosis as evidenced by DNA fragmentation assay. We found that HRT induces the activation of caspase-3, -8, and -9, whereas it reduces the level of Bcl-2 protein and results in the cleavage of PARP. Further, HRT decreased the level of phosphorylation of Akt and its downstream signals such as mTOR and GSK-3β. These results indicate that HRT stimulates the apoptotic signaling pathway and represses the survival and proliferation of colon cancer cells via inhibiting Akt activity. Hence, our results suggest that HRT has a potential to be developed as a therapeutic agent against colon cancer cells

Dissolution behaviors of PuO2(cr) in natural waters

PuO2(cr) dissolution in natural water was investigated at 25°C and 60°C under atmospheric conditions. The concentration of Pu in solutions [Pu], was monitored for 1 year of reaction time. PuO2(cr) dissolution in natural water reached a steady state within 2 months at 25°C. The [Pu] in groundwater and seawater at pH 8 were in the range of [Pu] = 0.9–34 and 3.4–27 nM, respectively. The [Pu] in concrete porewater (rainwater equilibrated with concrete) at pH 8.1–10.9 was in the range of 0.1–3.2 nM. The [Pu] and pH values of groundwater were similar to those of seawater samples having a high ionic strength. The measured [Pu] at equilibrium in all samples was higher than the calculated solubility curves for PuO2(am, hyd). Experimental evidence is insufficient to confirm the oxidation state of Pu in solution and solid phases. However, the results of geochemical modeling indicate that PuO2(am, hyd) and aqueous Pu(IV) species are dominant in natural water samples of this work. The dissolution behavior of PuO2(cr) in natural waters is comparable to the oxidative dissolution of PuO2(am, hyd) in the presence of PuO2(coll, hyd). The dissolution of PuO2 in groundwater decreased at higher temperatures, whereas the influence of temperature in seawater and porewater was not significant under these experimental conditions

Insight into highly conserved H1 subtype-specific epitopes in influenza virus hemagglutinin

Influenza viruses continuously undergo antigenic changes with gradual accumulation of mutations in hemagglutinin (HA) that is a major determinant in subtype specificity. The identification of conserved epitopes within specific HA subtypes gives an important clue for developing new vaccines and diagnostics. We produced and characterized nine monoclonal antibodies that showed significant neutralizing activities against H1 subtype influenza viruses, and determined the complex structure of HA derived from a 2009 pandemic virus A/Korea/01/2009 (KR01) and the Fab fragment from H1-specific monoclonal antibody GC0587. The overall structure of the complex was essentially identical to the previously determined KR01 HA-Fab0757 complex structure. Both Fab0587 and Fab0757 recognize readily accessible head regions of HA, revealing broadly shared and conserved antigenic determinants among H1 subtypes. The beta-strands constituted by Ser110-Glu115 and Lys169-Lys170 form H1 epitopes with distinct conformations from those of H1 and H3 HA sites. In particular, Glu112, Glu115, Lys169, and Lys171 that are highly conserved among H1 subtype HAs have close contacts with HCDR3 and LCDR3. The differences between Fab0587 and Fab0757 complexes reside mainly in HCDR3 and LCDR3, providing distinct antigenic determinants specific for 1918 pdm influenza strain. Our results demonstrate a potential key neutralizing epitope important for H1 subtype specificity in influenza virus

Seroprevalence of Tissue Invading Parasitic Infections Diagnosed by ELISA in Korea

Seroprevalence of the IgG antibodies for Clonorchis sinensis, Paragonimus westermani, Taenia solium metacestode (cysticercus), and Spirometra erinacei plerocercoid (sparganum) was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in sera of patients in Korea from 1993 to 2006. A total of 74,448 specimens referred nationwide from 121 hospitals revealed an IgG positive rate of 7.6% for the 4 parasites. The IgG positive rate (18.7%) for the 4 parasites in 1993 decreased gradually to 6.6% in 2006. Individual positive rate decreased from 5.2% (1993) to 1.6% (2006) for C. sinensis, from 2.8% (1993) to 1.1% (2006) for P. westermani, from 8.3% (1993) to 2.2% (2006) for cysticercus, and from 2.6% (1993) to 1.6% (2006) for sparganum. The positive rate was highest (21.2%) in the group of patients who ranged in age from 50-59 yr old, and in the group that was referred from the Seoul area (55.9%). In conclusion, our results suggest that tissue invading parasitic infections should always be included in differential diagnosis for patients with eosinophilia associated lesions of the central nervous system, liver, and lungs in Korea