• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.355-358
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• 2013

BACKGROUND: Water-born pollution loads by agricultural non-point source (NPS) pollution are expected to become intensified due to ongoing precipitation change. Therefore, it is essential to develop a best management practice (BMP) that is suitable to agricultural environments in Korea. This study aimed to develop an environmental-friendly BMP to reduce NPS pollution load by agricultural activities. An eco-friendly way, small drainage pond, was suggested in this study to avoid direct drainage of agricultural runoffs and eventually reduce the amount of pollutants discharged into the surrounding aqua-environment. METHODS AND RESULTS: A small pond ($12m^2$) was constructed at the corner of a rice paddy field ($1,715m^2$) located in Suwon, Korea. Water was allowed to drain only via a small drainage pond. Sampling was repeatedly made at two locations, one from an entrance and the other from an exit of a pond, during the rice cultivation period (May to October, 2012). Generally, sampling was made only when runoff water drained through a pond, such as during and/or after rain (irrigation). The water quality analysis showed that all quality parameters (SS, $COD_{Mn}$, T-N, and T-P) were improved as water passed through the pond. The amount of runoff water was reduced by 96~100%. Suspended solids and COD concentrations was reduced by 79.3% and 45.6%, respectively. In case of T-N and T-P concentrations, the reduction rates were 52.2% and 60.5%, respectively and the amount of T-N and T-P were reduced by 16.3~73.0% and 15.4~70.1%, respectively. CONCLUSION(S): Our data implies that agricultural NPS pollution from rice paddy fields can be effectively managed when an appropriate drainage water management practice is imposed. In this paper, it was suggested that an installation of a small drainage pond can be effective to prevent not only the nutrient loss from rice fields but also pollutant discharge to surrounding water environments.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.933-941
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• 2021

Ginsenoside Rg4 is a rare ginsenoside that is naturally found in ginseng, and exhibits a wide range of biological activities including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in several cell types. The purpose of this study was to use an in vivo model of hair follicle (HF)-mimic based on a human dermal papilla (DP) spheroid system prepared by three-dimensional (3D) culture and to investigate the effect of Rg4 on the hair-inductive properties of DP cells. Treatment of the DP spheroids with Rg4 (20 to 50 ㎍/ml) significantly increased the viability and size of the DP spheres in a dose-dependent manner. Rg4 also increased the mRNA and protein expression of DP signature genes that are related to hair growth including ALP, BMP2, and VCAN in the DP spheres. Analysis of the signaling molecules and luciferase reporter assays further revealed that Rg4 induces the activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT and the inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK3β, which activates the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway. These results correlated with not only the increased nuclear translocation of β-catenin following the treatment of the DP spheres with Rg4 but also the significant elevation of mRNA expression of the downstream target genes of the WNT/β-catenin pathway including WNT5A, β-catenin, and LEF1. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that ginsenoside Rg4 promotes the hair-inductive properties of DP cells by activating the AKT/GSK3β/β-catenin signaling pathway in DP spheres, suggesting that Rg4 could be a potential natural therapy for hair growth.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.29-39
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• 2017

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to promote sales of the renewable energy industry and to advance into the Southeast Asian market. Research design, data, and methodology - This study is to develop a highly efficient food waste treatment system for Southeast Asian renewable energy industry. The radiation treatment method was applied for this purpose. Results - To investigate effects of ionization on removal of non-degradable organic matter, the results from gamma irradiation and co-digestion process was compared to those from a co-digestion process. Based on the BMP test results, food wastes were oxidized by hydroxyl radicals, and the specific methane yield was 366 mL CH4/g VS. Methane composition was 82%. A WAS/food wastes co-digestion was developed for the treated of non-degradable organic matter in food wastes. The average efficiency of non-degradable organic matter were 92.2% using the food waste co-digestion. Conclusions - Performance of gamma irradiation and co-digestion process was superior to that of a co-digestion process (10-20%). This implies that food wastes can be high efficient co-digested by the gamma irradiation. It is believed that it will be possible to enter the Southeast Asian energy industry as a strategic technology in the overseas energy recovery industry.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.146-155
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• 2017

Objectives : This study was carried out to investigate the effects of Crataegi Fructus water extract(CFWE) on hair growth in an alopecia model of C57BL/6N mice and human dermal papilla cells(hDPCs). Methods : Six-week old mice were depilated and separated in 3 groups ; CON, MXD(2% Minoxidil), and CFWE. The treatments were applied twice a day for 18 days. The hair growth was determined photographically. The hair density, thickness and length were identified by Folliscope and the weights of body were measured. In dorsal skin tissue, the expression of hair growth-related protein was analyzed by Western blot. In hDPCs with/without $IFN-{\gamma}$, cell proliferation and the expression of hair growth-related genes were analyzed. Results : We observed that CFWE promoted hair growth compared to CON. CFWE improved the hair density, thickness and length compared to CON. CFWE increased the $Wnt/{\beta}$-catenin signaling in dorsal skin. In hDPCs, CFWE accelerated the cell proliferation and inhibited $IFN-{\gamma}$-induced hDPCs degeneration. CFWE increased the mRNA expression of ${\beta}$-catenin, Axin-2, BMP-4, FGF-7, FGF-10, and ALP compared to CON and $IFN-{\gamma}$ treated cells. Conclusions : These results suggest that CFWE has a hair regrowth activity via $Wnt/{\beta}$-catenin signaling and can be useful for the treatment of alopecia.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.613-618
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• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Iron deficiency in early life is associated with developmental problems, which may persist until later in life. The question of whether iron repletion after developmental iron deficiency could restore iron homeostasis is not well characterized. In the present study, we investigated the changes of iron transporters after iron depletion during the gestational-neonatal period and iron repletion during the post-weaning period. MATERIALS/METHODS: Pregnant rats were provided iron-deficient (< 6 ppm Fe) or control (36 ppm Fe) diets from gestational day 2. At weaning, pups from iron-deficient dams were fed either iron-deficient (ID group) or control (IDR group) diets for 4 week. Pups from control dams were continued to be fed with the control diet throughout the study period (CON). RESULTS: Compared to the CON, ID rats had significantly lower hemoglobin and hematocrits in the blood and significantly lower tissue iron in the liver and spleen. Hepatic hepcidin and BMP6 mRNA levels were also strongly down-regulated in the ID group. Developmental iron deficiency significantly increased iron transporters divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) and ferroportin (FPN) in the duodenum, but decreased DMT1 in the liver. Dietary iron repletion restored the levels of hemoglobin and hematocrit to a normal range, but the tissue iron levels and hepatic hepcidin mRNA levels were significantly lower than those in the CON group. Both FPN and DMT1 protein levels in the liver and in the duodenum were not different between the IDR and the CON. By contrast, DMT1 in the spleen was significantly lower in the IDR, compared to the CON. The splenic FPN was also decreased in the IDR more than in the CON, although the difference did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that iron transporter proteins in the duodenum, liver and spleen are differentially regulated during developmental iron deficiency. Also, post-weaning iron repletion efficiently restores iron transporters in the duodenum and the liver but not in the spleen, which suggests that early-life iron deficiency may cause long term abnormalities in iron recycling from the spleen.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.74-94
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• 2016

Objectives : YangHyulEum Gami-Bang(YHEG) is a hair care extracts which is composed of fourteen plant extracts used in oriental medicine. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of YangHyulEum Gami-Bang(YHEG) on the alopecia and hair growth.Methods & Results : The herbal extracts from YangHyulEum Gami-Bang(YHEG) was tested using in vivo and in vitro test models. 1. The YHEG extracts showed effect on the DNA proliferation of the hair dermal papilla cells measured by [3H]thymidine incorporation. 2. YHEG showed promoting on the expression of growth factors such as IGF-1, KGF-1 and inhibiting on the expression of inhibitory hair growth factor such as TGF-β1, BMP-2 estimated by qPCR. 3. The YHEG extracts showed effect on the activation of β-catenin in the dermal papilla cells. 4. YHEG showed inhibitory effects of NO synthesis at 0.2% concentrations. 5. YHEG showed effects in the expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, COX-2 and iNOS gene in the LPS stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. 6. The hair growth index of the YHEG extracts ranked at over 2 when compared to control group which was ranked at 0. 7. The hair follicle number, length and size of the experimental group were remarkably higher than the control group in the histological observation.Conclusions : These results suggest that YangHyulEum Gami-Bang(YHEG) has hair growth promoting activity and it can be used as a potent treatment agent for preventing hair loss and stimulating hair growth for treatment of alopecia.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.303-309
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• 2014

The increasing importance of meat quality has implications for animal breeding programs. Research has revealed much about the genetic background of pigs, and many studies have revealed the importance of various genetic factors. Since meat quality is a complex trait which is affected by many factors, consideration of the overall phenotype is very useful to study meat quality. For integrating the phenotypes, we used principle component analysis (PCA). The significant SNPs refer to results of the GRAMMAR method against PC1, PC2 and PC3 of 14 meat quality traits of 181 Duroc pigs. The Genome-wide association study (GWAS) found 26 potential SNPs affecting various meat quality traits. The loci identified are located in or near 23 genes. The SNPs associated with meat quality are in or near five genes (ANK1, BMP6, SHH, PIP4K2A, and FOXN2) and have been reported previously. Twenty-five of the significant SNPs also located in meat quality-related QTL regions, these result supported the QTL effect indirectly. Each single gene typically affects multiple traits. Therefore, it is a useful approach to use integrated traits for the various traits at the same time. This innovative approach using integrated traits could be applied on other GWAS of complex-traits including meat-quality, and the results will contribute to improving meat-quality of pork.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.247-255
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• 2007

The bone morphogenic protein(BMP) can promote migration and growth of mesenchymal cells and initiate process for bone and cartilage formation. Cartilage-derived morphogenic protein(CDMP)-1 and -2 belong to the bone morphogenetic protein family in the transforming growth factor(TGF)-${\beta}$ superfamily. Although pleomorphic adenoma of the salivary glands is an epithelial tumor, it frequently shows ectopic cartilaginous formation with biomolecular studies. The mechanism of pathogenesis in cartilaginous formation is still controversy. We examined the expression and localization of CDMP-1 and -2, in comparison with the localization of cartilaginous matrix proteins, in human normal salivary glands and 20 cases of pleomorphic adenoma using immunohistochemical methods. The results were followed. 1. CMP-1 was immunolocalized in the striated ducts and the intercalated ducts, but not expressed in excretory duct, CDMP-2 was not expressed in the normal salivary glands. 2. CMP-1 was immunolocalized in the ductal cell and cuboidal neoplastic myoepithelial cells around the chondroid areas of the pleomorphic adenomas, whereas these molecules were not localized in the spindle-shaped neoplastic myoepithelial cells of the myxoid element in these tumors. CDMP-2 was expressed neither in normal salivary glands nor in any elements of the pleomorphic adenomas. 3. In transmission electron microscopic view, the tumor cells are composed of modifed myoepithelial cells between hyaline and myxoid stroma. 4. In Immuno-blot analysis, strong overexpression of CDMP-1 was frequently seen in pleomorphic adenomas, but the level of CDMP-2 was expressed minimally in pleomorphic adenoma. From the these results, it should be suggested that undifferentiated neoplastic myoepithelial cells around the chondroid areas expressed CDMP-1 and suggested that this molecule may play a role in the differentiation of neoplastic myoepithelial cells in pleomorphic adenoma, but not CDMP-2.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.15-27
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• 2009

토지이용변화가 수질에 미치는 영향을 평가하기 위하여 비점오염모형이 광범위하게 사용되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 최적관리기법이 수문 수질에 미치는 영향을 평가하기위한 통합모형시스템을 개발하였다. 통합모형시스템은 DANSAT (Dynamic Agricultural Non-point Source Assessment Tool)과 사용자 인터페이스로 구성되어 있다. DANSAT은 분포형 연속 강우사상 모형으로서 농업소유역에서의 유출량, 유사량, 농약 물질의 이동기작 등을 모의한다. DANSAT은 크게 동적변수 부모형, 수문 부모형, 유사 이용 부모형, 농약 물질 이동 부모형등 4개의 부모형으로 구성되어있다. 동적변수 부모형은 토양의 특성, 작물의 생장 및 작물 잔여물질의 분해 등을 모의하는 하부모형으로 구성되어있으며, 토지 이용 변화에 관계되는 내부 변수들의 시간적 변화를 모의한다. 수문 부모형은 차단, 증발산량, 침투량, 침루량 등을 모의하는 격자 단위 프로세스와 지표유출, 중간유출, 기저유출 및 하천에서의 물의 이동을 모의하는 유역 단위 프로세스로 구성되어있다. 유사 이동 부모형은 세류간 (interrill) 토양입자의 분리, 세류 (rill) 및 하천내의 토양분리, 운송가능량 등을 모의하며, 농약 물질 이동 부모형은 농약의 분해, 평형, 식물에 의한 흡수, 침출 등을 고려하여 농약 물질의 이동을 모의한다. 입력변수는 최적관리기법의 시 공간적인 변화를 고려할 수 있도록 계층구조로 구성하였다. 유역출구에서의 결과 출력 뿐만 아니라, 유역전체에 걸쳐 지표면과 지하수면 사이에서 물 및 오염물질의 이동량 분석을 위한 출력 및 격자단위의 상세 결과 출력을 통하여 최적관리기법을 평가하고 분석할 수 있다. 한편, 사용자 인터페이스는 모형의 구동을 위해 요구되는 광범위한 시 공간 입력 자료를 기존에 존재하는 데이터베이스를 이용하여 생성할 수 있도록 개발되었다.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.60 no.5
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• pp.55-67
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• 2018

The objectives of this study were to monitor organic farming upland compared with conventional upland field and to evaluate nutrient loads reduction of surface cover effect with long-term historical climate data. APEX(Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender) model was validated with experimental data and used for assessing surface cover scenarios for 30-year simulation periods. The validated values of RMSE(Root Mean Square Error), RMAE(Root Mean Absolute Error), $R^2$ and E(Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency) for runoff were 1.17-1.37 mm/day, 0.28-0.45 mm/day, 0.88-0.90 and 0.82-0.94 in two treatments, respectively. Those for water quality (nitrogen) were 0.05-0.16 kg/ha, 0.52-0.75 kg/ha, 0.67-0.72 and 0.32-0.70 in two treatments, respectively, and therefore the validated model showed good agreement with the observed runoff and nitrogen load for the study period. When decreasing the surface cover rate of organic farming field to 75%, 50%, 25%, and 0% (conventional field), average annual runoff increased by 7%, 15%, 23% and 31%, respectively. Under same condition of decreasing the surface cover rate, average annual nitrogen loads increased by 1.4 times, 1.7 times, 2.0 times, and 2.3 times compared with organic farming field, respectively. This study showed that it is possible to present an appropriate surface cover ratio to maintain conventional production and minimize nonpoint sources pollution for organic farming system, although long-term monitoring is needed to determine its effects on environmental concerns, crop competition, and other uncertainty.