• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.280-288
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• 2023

In strawberry farming, most parts of strawberry stems but the fruit have been dumped. Therefore, this study attempted to investigate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of strawberry stems which are thrown away after farming. For this, strawberry stem extracts were obtained, using hot water and 70% ethanol. First, total polyphenol contents of the hot water and ethanol extract were checked (265.4 ± 0.12 mg TAE/100 g, 503.88 ± 0.2 mg TAE/100 g). For analysis of antioxidant activities, electron donating ability (EDA) and 2,2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity were measured. Both extracts increased in a dose-dependent fashion, and similar effects with vitamin C (control group) were confirmed. In terms of cell viability of the hot water and ethanol extracts of strawberry stems, 'RAW 264.7' was 99% or higher at 500 ㎍/ml. In addition, cell experiments were conducted at 50, 100 and 500 ㎍/ml where cell viability is above 99%. In terms of inhibition of the inflammatory mediator 'nitric oxide (NO)', the hot water and ethanol extracts of strawberry stems were 37.9% and 38.8% respectively, confirming the inhibition of NO production. To check anti-inflammatory activities, protein and mRNA expressions of 'iNOS' and 'COX-2' were measured, using RAW 264.7. Compared to the LPS group, the protein expression of the inflammatory mediators was inhibited in the hot water and ethanol extract-treated groups. The above results confirmed that the hot water and ethanol extracts of strawberry stems are valuable as natural substances with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

• Sim-seong Yeon-gu
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.149-183
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• 2022

The oracle of the I Ching, divination can be understood as 'synchronicity phenomenon' in analytic psychology. In order to experience divination actually, it requires a religious attitude that asks questions with a serious mind when a person is in trouble that consciousness reaches its limit. It is not just a passive attitude, but a modest, active attitude to ask what I can do now. The experience of the oracle of the I Ching connected to supra-consciousness is similar to 'active imagination'-talking with the archetype of collective unconsciousness-and is 'the process of finding the rhythm of Self-archetype, the absolute wisdom of unconsciousness.' One month before my father's death, I took care of him who couldn't communicate verbally and I divination with a question 'What can I do for my father and me now?' The I Ching's answer was hexagram 19 Lin 臨, nine at the beginning. It's message was '咸臨貞吉 joint approach. perseverance brings good fortune.' 志行正也 we must adhere perseveringly to what is right.' Through this phrase, I learned the attitude of waiting for life after death as if 'joyful obedient' to the providence of nature that spring comes after winter. And I found that keeping the touching emotion of meeting infinity (in analytical psychological terms, 'Self') with perseveration is to do the true meaning of life beyond popular money-mindedness. And six months before my father's death, I had a dream about the afterlife. In the process of interpreting that dream, I learned not only from the shock of the direct message that 'it is a truth that there is something after death,' but also the regeneration of the mind through introversion from the similarity between the closed ward and '黃泉'-chinese underworld through amplification. And I learned the importance of an open attitude to accept new things through the 'window to eternity' symbolized by the white iron gate. In my father's catholic funeral ritual, I had hope that the catholic doctrine 'Communio Sanctorum'-A spiral cycle in which the living and the dead help each other may be real as well as a symbol of the individuation process in which consciousness and unconsciousness interact in our minds. Through the consolation received through the funeral visit of many people I met in my life, I found the answer that the path to contact with infinity begins with loving the beings in front of me. I tried to understand this continuous experience by the perspective of analytical psychology.

• Sim-seong Yeon-gu
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.55-86
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• 2021

The initial situation in our tale shows that the earth-mother-feminine principle disappeared from the center of the collective consciousness into the collective unconscious. Therefore the heaven-father-masculine principle is dominant, which is represented by the king. And in the king's daughter, who is living without mother, the positive father complex is working. She stays in the heaven-spirit world playing with the golden ball, which can be seen as the state of inflation. She is disconnected from the earth-mother-feminine principle, which is important for a woman to find her genuine feminine identity. This demanded principle approaches her through the frog, a bewitched prince. Psychologically it means that a man is under the power of the negative mother complex. The disgusting, ugly frog is a symbol for the shadow, the earthly animal instincts of the princess. Only with his help she can find her golden ball again, which has fallen into the deep well. Their talk about the rewards to him for his help shows us very well the opposites. The frog wants the feminine value such as relation, earthly eros, but the princess offers the masculine value such as heavenly logos. After the frog brought her the lost ball, i.e. she regained her libido, she completely forgot her promise. Like this the content, which is becoming conscious, here the shadow, is easy to fall back into the unconscious and to be repressed. The frog cannot be with the princess without the help of the king, a father figure, a firm protector of the collective oder. At first unwillingly the princess obeys Logos of her father. But her authentic instinctual urge grows stronger and it causes that her ego is released from the power of her father complex. At just this moment the frog turns into a prince, i.e. he is liberated from the mother complex. The marriage of princess and frog-prince symbolize the unification of the opposites: heaven becomes earthly and earth becomes heavenly. Three iron bands, wrapped around the heart of Heinrich, a young king's servant, are snapped, while he brings the prince and princess back to his kingdom. The heart, the place of earth-mother-feminine consciousness, is now liberated. This principle, which disappeared into the unconscious, emerged into the collective consciousness and the wholeness is recovered. The Self is now leading the collective consciousness, which includes not only the principle of Logos but also Eros.

• Sim-seong Yeon-gu
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-60
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• 2018

The paper was inspired by Jung's words in the Red Book "just as Christ tormented the flesh through the spirit, the God of this time will torment the spirit through the flesh." I propose that the new form of torment in this era could be eroticism as a way of the individuation process because it seems to be one of a very few ways left to modern men to grasp the sense of permanence, the essence of the divine, without religion because of its peculiar nature of transcendence. I suppose that it is not only a man who is tortured but also god is in torment since the divine needs a man as a womb for his incarnation. Therefore I suggest that man and god are fated to seduce each other to be redeemed by each other. I imagine that Eros with numinous sexuality seduces a man who has potentials for the god's incarnation and who would be willing to give in to the god's demand. This god needs a man who desires his essence of perpetuity, the eternal water of life, in ecstasy. Thus the purpose of the divine's seduction is to make a man awake from unconsciousness to pursue god himself, namely the individuation process. I call such divine seduction "eroticism of god" There seem to be a certain type of people who are destined to live eroticism as a way of individuation process. Through investigations, a melancholic tendency appears to be suitable for this type of individuation. Melancholia is deeply related to the poignant awareness of impermanence as the existential condition, which is a precondition for seeking permanence through eroticism. Melancholia essentially causes deep longing for eternity that bears fulfillment, which exists in eroticism, so melancholic agony seems inevitable for eroticism as the path for individuation in that, without knowing about deficiency, we never seek what is lacking in us. It can also be viewed that while a lover is driven to seduce lost love, what actually waits to become seduced for redemption is the god of love itself behind the human beloved. Man and god are fated to seduce each other for redemption. I suppose that the initiation to Eros implies how to seduce Eros. In a woman's psyche, psychological virginity is one of the essential qualities that her ego needs to attain. To the male it is vital to live his sensuality thoroughly and to experience his own and his lover's emotions to their limit. It cannot be an easy task because it demands us to give up our egotism entirely. Through eroticism, unconsciousness seduces us to make us live life as a whole. The god of love brings powerful sexuality as a means of "spiritual crisis" to redeem our lukewarm soul. Only a few can withstand the experience since it requires a strong will to bear the brunt of the sword despite the keen awareness that it may leave us bleeding in pain.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.86-93
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• 2024

Since replication of plasmids must be strictly controlled, plasmids that generally perform rolling circle replication generally maintain a constant copy number by strictly controlling the replication initiator Rep at the transcriptional and translational levels. Plasmid pJB01 contains three orfs (copA, repB, repC or repABC) consisting of a single operon. From analysis of amino acid sequence, pJB01 CopA was homologous to the Cops, as a copy number control protein, of other plasmids. When compared with a CopG of pMV158, CopA seems to form the RHH (ribbon-helix-helix) known as a motif of generalized repressor of plasmids. The result of gel mobility shift assay (EMSA) revealed that the purified fusion CopA protein binds to the operator region of the repABC operon. To examine the functional role of CopA on transcriptional level, 3 point mutants were constructed in coding frame of copA such as CopA R16M, K26R and E50V. The repABC mRNA levels of CopA R16M, K26R and E50V mutants increased 1.84, 1.78 and 2.86 folds more than that of CopA wt, respectively. Furthermore, copy numbers owing to mutations in three copA genes also increased 1.86, 1.68 and 2.89 folds more than that of copA wt, respectively. These results suggest that CopA is the transcriptional repressor, and lowers the copy number of pJB01 by reducing repABC mRNA and then RepB, as a replication initiator.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.113 no.1
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• pp.97-106
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• 2024

Evaluating carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) inputs from litterfall is important for soil nutrient management to enhance forest productivity and to understand the mechanisms of nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. This study was conducted to compare C and N inputs from litterfall components of Cryptomeria japonica D. Don an d Chamaecyparis obtusa Endlicher planted in adjacent sites in the Jinju Research and Experimental Forests in Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea. Litterfall into litter traps was collected at three-month intervals between December 2020 and December 2021, and the C and N concentrations of the litterfall components were measured. Litterfall amounts were not significantly different between the plantations, except for reproductive litterfall components. Litterfall accumulation peaked between December and March. The litterfall C concentration in the needle and seed litterfall was significantly higher for C. obtusa than for C. japonica. By contrast, the C concentrations in needle and flower litterfall differed seasonally. The mean N concentration of needle litterfall was significantly higher in C. japonica (0.96%) and C. obtusa collected between June and September (1.01%) than in the other seasons (C. japonica: 0.43%; C. obtusa: 0.53%). Carbon and N inputs in both plantations were highest in needle litterfall collected from December to March and lowest in needle litterfall collected from June to September. Annual C input by litterfall was similar between the plantations (C. japonica: 3,054 kg C ha^-1 yr^-1; C. obtusa: 3,129 kg C ha^-1 yr^-1), whereas total N input was higher for C. japonica (46.93 kg N ha^-1 yr^-1) than for C. obtusa (25.17 kg N ha^-1 yr^-1). The higher N input in the C. japonica plantation than in the C. obtusa plantation was associated with the input of reproductive components. These results could be applied to improve stand-scale models of C and N cycling by litterfall components in C. japonica an d C. obtusa plantations.

• Sim-seong Yeon-gu
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.224-264
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• 2010

A brief story of the tale follows : Mokdoryung was a son of an arbor tree and a fairly. When the boy was 7-8 years old, mother-fairy returned to the sky. By using father-tree, Mokdoryung survived from the flood where he saved ants, mosquitos, and a boy with the same age. They arrived on top of the highest mountain, met an old woman with two daughters, worked as servants. With help of insects, Mokdoryung passed the trials, married to a wise daughter and 2 couples became the ancestor of the mankind. Interpretation of the tale starts with amplification of tree which symbolizes Self and Libido. As the son of the tree-spirit and a fairly from the sky, Mokdoryung is a kind of 'divine child' which represents a psychic possibility to understand archetypal nature of unconscious. Adversities of early childhood due to mother's absence regarded as necessary condition for 'divine child' to attain highest good. Flood can be compensation of absence of feminine as well as to bring a new life. The notion of father·tree becomes a kind of life-boat has to do with union of opposite(vertical phallic tree and horizontal feminine boat). Ants and mosquitoes represent upper and lower level of unconsciousness, they mediate divine power. Therefore respecting insects means respecting unconscious, and reward of insects means salvation come from unconscious. The boy saved from the flood presents emergence of psychic energy in its latent unconscious condition to create mental dynamism. The old woman is Great Mother or anima, the controller or guider of unconscious. Working as servants can be an active service for the divine marriage. Trials of separating millet from sand, and finding right direction relate to separatio, means one needs to be separated from unconscious before conunctio, union of opposite. Two sets of couple becoming ancestor of man-kind has to do with number 4 (quaternity) as well as regeneration. Although the tale includes both positive couple (Mokdoryung, wise daugther in east room). and negative couple(shadow side of Mokdoryung, step daughter in west room)as ancestors of mankind, "Good" seems to be more valued than "evil".

• Sim-seong Yeon-gu
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.122-168
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• 2017

I tried to understand a folk tale "The half-boy" in terms of analytical psychology. In the story, a lady without children prayed to the Buddha. The white old man came and gave three fishes, but the cat ate half of it. So, she ate two and a half. She gave birth to two perfect sons. The third son had one arm, one leg, and one eye. They grew well. Brothers went to take the civil service examinations, and the half-boy followed. But two brothers did not like the half-boy coming along. So, brothers tied the half-boy to the rocks and trees, and he picked them up with force and gave them down to the yard of the house. And the half-boy followed his brothers again, and brothers tied him with kudzu and put him in front of the tiger. The half-boy won the tiger by betting with cutting kudzu. The half-boy stripped off the tiger's skin. The host coveted the tiger skin and they played with janggi. The half-boy won the game and was permitted to take host's daughter. The half-boy went with a string, a drum, a flea, and a bedbug. He teased host's people with these. The half-boy brought a virgin and lived well. "The Half-Boy" folktale is an old story spread throughout the country. There are similar stories in India and Africa. Unilateral figures are universally distributed archetypal images. In numerous cultures gods and spirits are being portrayed as unilateral figures. In the creation mythology, half-figure beings have immortality. In Indonesian and African folk tales, the half-born boy goes to heaven and merges with its half and becomes perfect. Some of one-sided spirits are harmful to humans but some of one-sided birds, chickens, and spirits are helpful to people. Sometimes half being is a cultural hero who steals grain from heaven or gets some advice how to use bamboo. There are stories that half body becomes a whole body afterwards. But in this folktale and most of the similar folktales, half-figure does not change and maintains half-figure to the end. And as a half-figure he does various great things and marries a virgin. The half-boy symbolizes a psychic experience born in the unconscious. The unconscious contents may seem strange and weird at first and the collective consciousness does not want to accept them. But the unconscious exerts greater power and brings vitality and creativity to consciousness. This folk tale seems to have compensated for the stubborn collective consciousness of our society, which was a Confucian class society. It also allows people to change their attitude toward disabled people and recognize strengths and creativity of the handicapped.

• Sim-seong Yeon-gu
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• v.27 no.1_2
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• pp.1-27
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• 2012

It aims to deal with a topic of coniunctio oppositorum, hieros gamos in a Korean fairytale <Gurungdungdung Sin Seonbi>, in which a human heroine was marrying an animal husband. This Korean fairytale may be compared with Greek mythology <Eros and Psyche> introduced by Apuleius and <Dassingende springende Löweneckerchen> collected by Grimm Brothers. All these fairytales commonly tell that animal husband figures have divine nature. Because animals live their lives totally obeying instincts, the collective unconscious principles of species are completely accomplished. The animal nature excludes ecocentric attitude so that it has transpersonal divinity. The hero is transformed into an animal in the fairytales, which will provide an opportunity to change a one-sided exaggerated attitude of the ego consciousness and acquire universal humanity. During being an animal, the hero would have experienceds to recognize true meaning and value of other living creatures in nature and have attained wisdom of nature. The animal is a symbolic being who will realize value of collective and universal life so as to act therapeutically and contribute to the total personality, individuation processes. Animals in the fairytales correspond to the compensatory contents of the unconscious. Animal figure itself is opposite to the ego consciousness itself because the ego understands the unconscious contents like animal figures have instinctual impulse that the ego will not accept at all. Coniunctio oppositorum in the fairytales is going to show the ego's rendezvous processes to meet the unconscious. The fact that the hero turns into an animal or marries animal partner is a psychic event which greatly lowers under the level of ego consciousness. To overcome the state, it is essential for the hero to regain humanity or to transform animal partner into a human being. By the recovery of humanity or reaching the human level, compensation of the unconscious can be realized in the conscious life. In a Korean fairytale <Gurungdungdung Sin Seonbi>, male partner is a serpent but the heroine marries the serpent and make it cast off skin. Over sufferings and complishment of several tasks, heroine truly meets her husband. In this processes, the heroine obtains divinity. As result, her marriage to animal husband means hieros gamos. In this fairytale, we will be able to look through the ways how female ego-consciousness to make relations to the unconscious and to fulfill individuation.

• Sim-seong Yeon-gu
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• v.27 no.1_2
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• pp.28-70
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• 2012

In Jungian psychology, creation myths regard as the story of unconscious and preconscious processes(projection of archaic identity) which describe not necessary the origin of our cosmos, but the origin of man's conscious awareness of the world. Therefore projections have nothing to do with matter itself but experience of one's own unconscious. Jung emphasizes importance to understand projection in individual's conscious experience rather than in philosophical doctrine. The purpose of this thesis is to explore unconscious process of creation myths with egg symbolism in clinical cases to present universal feature of Cosmic/alchemical egg. Psychologically, creation myths retold when human mind needs new order. Depending on the attitude of ego, it can be sudden expansion of consciousness or contamination of ego by unconscious. In this study, 'chaos(messa confusa)' in creation myths as archaic identity, experience of uroboros or infant, and nigredo state in alchemy. 'Separation of primordial parents' as beginning of consciousness refers to separatio operation in alchemical process. 'Light' as attainment of consciousness. Discussion of psychological meaning of egg starts with amplification which include the concept of cosmic/alchemical/philosophical egg. Egg symbolism in this study refers to emergence of egg, tapas/brooding of egg, and separation of egg. Emergence of egg as a state of preconscious totality, psychic wholeness conceived as the thing which came before the rise of ego consciousness. Discussion of conceptssuch as Shiva bindu, hiranyagharba, germ of gold, Tathāgatagarbha follows. 'Tapas/brooding of egg' as concentration of all psychic energy into one point for self reflection. Discussion includes The I Ching Hexagram 61, image of brooding egg identified with inner truth, Wonhyo's concept of jikwansasang, and Gnostic idea of Ennoia, introverted act of thinking, as well as the concept of 'Night Sea Journey'. 'Separation or hatching of egg' regarded as the idea of sudden illumination, Phanes, the shining God, and "sun-point," in alchemy. Birth of fledgling as birth of new personality. As a conclusion, psychological meaning of cosmic egg/creation myths is the story of separating from 'Not-I'(unconscious, object, undifferentiated) to 'I'(ego, subject, differentiated) which shares the same meaning as individuation process.