• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1621-1627
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• 2012

Cell motility plays an essential role in many physiological responses, such as development, immune reaction, and angiogenesis. In the present study, we showed that lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) modulates cancer cell migration by regulation of generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Stimulation of SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cells with LPA strongly promoted migration. but this migration was completely blocked by pharmacological inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway. Inhibition of the ERK pathway had no effect on migration. Stimulation of SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cells with LPA significantly induced the generation of ROS in a time-dependent manner. LPA-induced generation of ROS was significantly blocked by pharmacological inhibition of PI3K or Akt, but inhibition of the ERK signaling pathway had little effect. LPA-induced generation of ROS was blocked by pretreatment of SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cells with an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, whereas inhibition of xanthine oxidase, cyclooxygenase, or mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I had no effect. Scavenging of ROS by N-acetylcysteine completely blocked LPA-induced migration of SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cells. Inhibition of NADPH oxidase blocked LPA-induced migration whereas inhibition of xanthine oxidase, cyclooxygenase, or mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I did not affect LPA-induced migration of SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cells. Given these results, we suggest that LPA induces ROS generation through the PI3K/Akt/NADPH oxidase signaling axis, thereby regulating cancer cell migration.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.949-955
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• 2009

Mucosal epithelia sense external stress signals and transmit them to the intracellular cascade responses. Ribotoxic stress-producing chemicals such as deoxynivalenol (DON) or other trichothecene mycotoxins have been linked with gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases by Fusarium-contamination. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that DON evokes the epithelial sentinel signals of RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) and early growth response gene 1 (EGR-1), which together contribute to the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 8 (IL-8) in human intestinal epithelial cells. PKR suppression by the dominant negative PKR expression attenuated DON-stimulated interleukin-8 production. Moreover, 1L-8 transcriptional activation by DON was also reduced by PKR inhibition in the human intestinal epithelial cells. Treatment with the PKR inhibitor also suppressed EGR-1 promoter activity, mRNA and protein induction, although mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases such as extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases (ERK) 1/2, p38, c-Jun N-terminal Kinase (INK) were little affected or even enhanced in presence of a PKR inhibitor. These patterns were also compared in the EGR-1-suppressed cells, which showed much more suppressed production of 1L-8. All things taken into consideration, DON-activated sentinel signals of EGR-1 via PKR mediated interleukin-8 production in human intestinal epithelial cells, which provide insight into the possible general mechanism associated with mucosal inflammation as an intestinal toxic insult by ribotoxic trichothecene mycotoxins.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2009

Implantation itself is governed by an array of endocrine, paracrine and autocrine modulators, of embryonic and maternal origin. Window of implantation is the unique temporal and spatial expression of factors allows the embryo to implant via signaling, appositioning, attachment, and invasion in a specific time frame of $2{\sim}4$ days. When the embryo has arrived in the uterine cavity, a preprogrammed sequence of events occurs, which involves the production and secretion of a multitude of biochemical factors such as cytokines, growth factors, and adhesion molecules by the endometrium and the embryo, thus leading to the formation of a receptive endometrium. Cytokines such as LIF, CSF-1, and IL-1 have all been shown to play important roles in the cascade of events that leads to implantation. Integrin, L-selectin ligands, glycodelin, mucin-1, HB-EGF and pinopodes are involved in appositioning and attachment. The embryo also produces cytokines and growth factors (ILs, VEGF) and receptors for endometrial signals such as LIF, CSF-1, IGF and HB-EGF. The immune system and angiogenesis play an important role. The usefulness of these factors to assess endometrial receptivity and to estimate the prognosis for pregnancy in natural and artificial cycles remains to be proven. Integrins, pinopodes, glycodelin and LIF (from biopsies) are promising candidates; from uterine flushings, glycodelin and LIF are also candidates. The ideal serum marker is not available, but VEGF, glycodelin and CSF have some clinical implications. Further evaluation that includes larger groups of infertile women and fertile controls are needed to elucidate whether their presence in plasma, flushing fluid, or endometrial samples can be used as some kind of a screening tool to assess endometrial function and prognosis for pregnancy before and after artificial reproductive therapy. A better understanding of their function in human implantation may lead to therapeutic intervention, thereby improving the success rate in reproduction treatment. New molecular techniques are becoming available for measuring both embryonic and endometrial changes prior to and during implantation. The use of predictive sets of markers may prove to be more reliable than a single marker. Ultimately, the aim is to use these tools to increase implantation in artificial cycles and consequently improve live-birth rates.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.875-884
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• 2000

Sea fog/stratus is very difficult to detect because of the characteristics of air-sea interaction and locality ,and the scantiness of the observed data from the oceans such as ships or ocean buoys. The aim of our study develops new algorism for sea fog detection by using Geostational Meteorological Satellite-5(GMS-5) and suggests the technics of its continuous detection. In this study, atmospheric synoptic patterns on sea fog day of May, 1999 are classified; cold air advection type(OOUTC, May 10, 1999) and warm air advection type(OOUTC, May 12, 1999), respectively, and we collected two case days in order to analyze variations of water vapor at Osan observation station during May 9-10, 1999.So as to detect daytime sea fog/stratus(OOUTC, May 10, 1999), composite image, visible accumulated histogram method and surface albedo method are used. The characteristic value during day showed A(min) .20% and DA < 10% when visible accumulated histogram method was applied. And the sea fog region which is detected is similar in composite image analysis and surface albedo method. Inland observation which visibility and relative humidity is beneath 1Km and 80%, respectively, at OOUTC, May 10,1999; Poryoung for visble accumulated histogram method and Poryoung, Mokp'o and Kangnung for surface albedo method. In case of nighttime sea fog(18UTC, May 10, 1999), IR accumulated histogram method and Maximum brightness temperature method are used, respectively. Maxium brightness temperature method dectected sea fog better than IR accumulated histogram method with the charateristic value that is T_max < T_max_trs, and then T_max is beneath 700hPa temperature of GDAPS(Global Data Assimilation and Prediction System). Sea fog region which is detected by Maxium brighness temperature method was similar to the result of National Oceanic and Atmosheric Administratio/Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (NOAA/AVHRR) DCD(Dual Channel Difference), but usually visibility and relative humidity are not agreed well in inland.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.312-320
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• 1993

Along with the fade out of the Cold War the world is undergoing a fundamental restructuring. The process is generally refered to regionalization and globalization. In this context, the Paper presents a geopolitical perspective on the future of Northeast Asia. To meet the global trend, it is expected that the countries in the area organize an economically cooperative unity, the concept of which the author calls the northeast Asian Rim (NEAR). With its huge potentials to become the largest economic area in the world and with its rather complicated historical and social background, the Rim is tentatively supposed to have a loose and soft organization, to be flexible in dealing with the intra-and interregional relations. The idea underlying the view is that the former area of confrontation between the land power and the sea power is, under the new world environment, going to recover its proper locational attributes and develop into a merging area, a new core. As a physical framework of the Rim a spatial structurc is assumed to consist of two-subrims and two development axes with four development centers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.626-635
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• 2009

The purposes of the study were to identify a comprehensive competency list related to the jobs of nutrition teachers and to compare the competency needs for nutrition teachers and dieticians' competency levels. Job functional areas and a competency list for nutrition teachers were developed based on a review of literature and revised through expert panel reviews. A total of 53 competency statements associated with 11 job functional areas were specified. Questionnaires were distributed to 457 dieticians engaged in school food service and 148 responses were returned (response rate: 32.4%). Excluding incomplete responses, 142 questionnaires were used for data analysis. Approximately half of the respondents were enrolled in an 1-year nutrition teacher certificate program, 25% in a graduate school of nutrition education, and 19% had completed an 1-year nutrition teacher certificate program. The dieticians highly rated requirements of the competencies related to sanitation and employee safety, nutrition counseling, nutrition education, and teaching practices; in contrary, their competency levels for nutrition education, nutrition counseling, and teaching practices were low. Respondents' competency levels were significantly lower than the required competency levels of effective nutrition teachers in all functional areas. A quadratic analysis based on the requirement and self-evaluation of the competencies revealed that priorities of education programs targeting school nutrition teachers or students preparing to be nutrition teachers should be placed on improving competencies related to nutrition education, nutrition counseling, teaching practices, sanitation and employee safety, menu management, and human resource management. These results can be used to develop curriculum materials for basic and continuing professional education for nutrition teachers. It is necessary to review and update competencies regularly to reflect environmental changes in school food service programs.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.28-38
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• 1987

This paper was set out to study the structure of the career occupational mobility in the early and rapid phase of industrialization in Korea. By analyzing the individual life histories regarding occupational mobility and achievement, I propose a model of yearly career mobility of Korean men and Women during the period of 30 years between 1954 and 1983. With the occupational classification scheme of 5 groups - Upper Nonmanual, Lower Nonmanual, Self Employed, Manual, Farm - the mobility pattern in the person-year mobility table analyzed can be characterized primarily by the strong influence of immobility. The degree of immobility, however, is different by the occupational groups. The absolute amount of immobility can be summarized as being U-shaped. Overall, the pattern of mobility can be explained best by the concept of occupational distance. I then propose a model of relative career occupational mobility pattern that combines the conceptual and theoretical basis and the methodological rigor. The model is based on the notion of the reproduction of inequality, the labor market context, and the life history perspective. The model encompasses the 6 conceptual explanatory factors such as persistence effect, ceiling effect, traditional sector effect, nonmanual occupation effect, alternative mobility channel effect, and occupational distance effect, as well as the effects of both origin and destination occupations. The relative pattern of career mobiliity in Korea can be characterized by the following six findings. First, the persistence effect on the diagonal cells of the mobility table is dominant. Second, a clear evidence of the negative effect of occupational distance between nonmanual occupations and manual and farm occupations is found. Third, the out-mobility from farming took place regardless of the destination occupations. Fourth, the internal mobility within the nonmanual occupation block is high and bi-directional, and is exclusive against other occupations. Fifth, the 'self employed' occupation is serving a peculiar function in both inflow and outflow pattern. Last, the relative pattern of career occupation mobility is asymmetrical in terms of the upward and downward mobility.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.50-69
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• 1987

There are about 400, 000 Korean ethnics living in Central Asia. Most of Koreans in Central Asia are leading a stable middle class life mostly engaged in farm work. With increase of educational attainment of their children, a number of Koreans are launching into political and academic circles as well as in the cultural world or the press. In recent years, however, the countries in this area(Uzbekistan and Kazakstan) for this study advocate an ethnic united policy to stabilize the politics and society and to carry out efficient transformation from the former socialistic economy to a market oriented economy. In addition, they are trying to recover the culture and the language of each nation which has been forgotten in the assimilation of Russia policy. Koreans have difficulty in adaption to this kind of change. In fact, a number of Koreans lost traditional culture and could not speak their mother language - Korean. Although they more or less maintain national consciousness, they recognize Uzbekistan or Kazakstan as their nation politically. They associated with North Korea unilaterally before the launching of the Perestroika policy. But after the Seoul Olympics held in 1998, there was movement to know and understand South Korea. There has been increased in the investment by Korean companies in Central Asia. Now, what is an alternative idea for Korean community consciousness\ulcorner It can be summarized as follows: 1) The increase of aid to Korean education institute : Considering the last few decades of Russia's strong racial assimilation policy, which leads most Koreans to lost their language and national culture, the priority should go to Koreans education. 2) Local Korean press support : Though Korean newspaper are published and Korean broadcasting is on the air currently in Uzbekistan and Kazakstan, they are suffering from qualified staff and poor financial status. Therefore, positive support should be established for these Korean mass communication media outlets to recover their own function and expand their dissemination powers quickly. 3) Research on the actual condition for Korean Community : It is essential to directly examine the local Korean community's regional distribution, population structure, Korean group's formation and operation, social and cultural understanding, racial consciousness, hope for their mother land and much more. 4) Increase of mother land and education opportunity : To stir up national culture and national consciousness within the Korean community, it is necessary to expand continuous opportunities for mother land visits and education training for local Koreans, especially for second and third generations.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.246-252
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• 2002

Purpose : It has been recognized that interaction of the Fas : Fas ligand plays an important role in radiation-induced apoptosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of Fas mutation in radiation-induced apoptosis in vivo. Materials and Method : Mice with mutations in Fas, $MRL/Mpj-Fas^{Ipr}$, and its normal control, MRL/Mpj, were used in this study. Eight-week old male mice were given whole body radiation. After irradiation, the mice were killed and their spleens were collected at different time intervals. Tissue samples were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and the numbers of apoptotic cells were scored. Regulating molecules of apoptosis including p53, Bcl-2, Bax, $Bcl-X_L,\;and\;Bcl-X_S$ were also analyzed by Western blotting. Results : At 25 Gy irradiation, the level of apoptosis reached the peak value at 8 hr after radiation and recovered to the normal value at 24 hr after radiation in MRL/Mpj mice. In contrast, the peak apoptosis level appeared at 4 hr after radiation in $MRL/Mpj-Fas^{Ipr}$. At 8 hr after radiation, the levels of apoptosis in MRL/Mpj mice and $MRL/Mpj-Fas^{Ipr}$ mice were $52.3{\pm}7.8\%\;and\;8.0{\pm}8.6\%$, respectively (p<0.05). The expression of apoptosis regulating molecules, p53, $Bcl-X_L\;and\;Bcl-X_S$, increased in MRL/Mpj mice in response to radiation; p53 with a peak level of 3-fold at 8 h, $Bcl-X_L$ with a peak level of 3.3-fold at 12 h, and $Bcl-X_S$ with a peak level of 3-fold at 12 h after 25 Gy radiation. Bcl-2 and Bax did not show significant change in MRL/Mpj mice. However in $MRL/Mpj-Fas^{Ipr}$ mice, the expression levels of p53, Bcl-2, Bax, $BCl-X_L\;and\;BCl-X_S$ showed no significant change. Conclusion : The level of radiation-induced apoptosis was lower in Fas mutated mice, Ipr, than in control mice. This seemed to be related to the lack of radiation-induced p53 activation in the Ipr mice. This result suggests that Fas plays an important role in radiation-induced apoptosis in vivo.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 2002

Purpose: It is known that lactoferrin serves as a source of iron for H. pylori in gastric mucosa. This study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between lactoferrin and H. pylori infection coexistent with iron-deficiency anemia by determining the lactoferrin levels in gastric biopsy specimens, and by locating the major sites of lactoferrin expression, according to the presence or absence of iron-deficiency anemia. Methods: Fifty-five adolescents that underwent gastroduodenoscopy were divided into three groups: NL (n=19) for normal controls, HP (n=15) for patients with H. pylori, and IDA (n=21) for patients with H. pylori gastritis and coexisting iron-deficiency anemia. Histopathologic features were graded from to marked on the basis of the Updated Sydney System. The gastric mucosal levels of lactoferrin were measured by immunoassay. Immunohistochemical technique was used to allow identification of the location and quantification of the lactoferrin expression. Results: Lactoferrin levels in the antrum increased significantly, in proportion to, H. pylori density, polymorphonuclear cell infiltration, and chronic inflammation in the histologic specimens. Patients in the HP and IDA groups showed significantly increased mucosal levels of lactoferrin compared with that observed in the normal group (p=0.0001). The lactoferrin level in IDA group tended to be higher than that in the HP group (p=0.2614). The major sites of lactoferrin expression by immunohistochemistry were in glands and neutrophils within epithelium. Lactoferrin was stained weakly in NL, and strongly in HP and IDA. Conclusion: The lactoferrin sequestration in the gastric mucosa of IDA was remarkable, and this finding seems to give a clue that leads to the clarification of the mechanism by which H. pylori infection contributes to iron-deficiency anemia.