• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.483-497
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• 2017

Background : Behavioral stress has been suggested as one of the significant factors that is able to disrupt physiological systems and cause depression as well as changes in various body systems. The stressful events can alter cognition, learning, memory and emotional responses, resulting in mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. Results : We used a restraint stress model to evaluate the alteration of behavior and stress-related blood parameter. The animals were randomly divided into two groups of five animals each group. Furthermore, we assessed the change of body weight to evaluate the locomotor activity as well as status of emotional and anxiety in mice. After 7 days of restraint stress, the body weight had significantly decreased in the restraint stress group compared with the control group. We also observed stress-associated behavioral alterations, as there was a significant decrease in open field and forced swim test, whereas the immobilization time was significantly increased in the stress group compared to the control group. We observed the morphological changes of neuronal death and microglia by immunohistochemistry and western blot. In our study restraint stress did not cause change in neuronal cell density in the frontal cortex and CA1 hippocampus region, but there was a trend for an increased COX-2 and iNOS protein expression and microglia (CD11b) in brain, which is restraint stress. Conclusion : Our study, there were significant alterations observed in the behavioral studies. We found that mice undergoing restraint stress changed behavior, confirming the increased expression of inflammatory factors in the brain.

• Atmosphere
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.481-499
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• 2019

National Institute of Meteorological Sciences has conducted a total 54 cloud seeding experiments with a silver iodide and calcium chloride using aircrafts from 2008 to 2018. The goal of the experiments is to improve the techniques of precipitation enhancement in Korea. The cloud seeding experiments using the silver iodide and calcium chloride were 36 and 18 times, respectively. During the cloud seeding experiments of the silver iodide and calcium chloride, the average values of total cloud amount for two kinds of seeding materials were 9.6 for and 8.1, respectively. The cloud type with the highest occurrence was Nimbostratus (Ns)-Stratus (St) (58%) in the silver iodide cloud seeding experiment. It was Altostratus (As)-Stratocumulus (Sc) (44%) in the calcium chloride cloud seeding experiment. Compared to probability of obtaining cloud seeding effect of the experiments using a leased aircraft, the probability using an atmospheric research aircraft increased from 43% to 63% in the silver iodide cloud seeding experiment and from 29% to 75% in the calcium chloride cloud seeding experiment. However, the increasing tendency was only shown during the one year experiment (2018). To get the meaningful statistical tendency of the cloud seeding effects, it is needed to implement many experiments in several years. Further we have to more clearly understand the characteristics of clouds developing in Korea and implement the cloud seeding experiments under a variety of weather conditions in order to develop the optimized precipitation enhancement technology in Korea.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.136-141
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• 2016

The production scale of mushrooms in Korea is approximately 600 billion won, which is 1.6% of Korea's gross agricultural output. In Korea, ca. 190,000 tons of mushrooms are harvested annually. Although the numbers of mushroom farms and cultivators are constantly decreasing, total mushroom yields are increasing owing to large-scale cultivation facilities and automation. The recent expansion of the well-being trend has caused an increase in mushroom consumption in Korea: the annual per capita mushroom was 3.9 kg ('13), whichis a little higher than that in Europe. Thus, mushroom export, mainly Flammulina velutipes and Pleurotus ostreatus, has increased since the mid-2000s. Recently, however, it is slightly reduced. Nevertheless, Vietnam, Hong Kong, the United States, and the Netherlands continue to export mushrooms, and Korea has increased its export to Australia, Canada, Southeast Asia, etc. Canned Agaricus bisporus, the first export of the Korean mushroom industry, reached it speak sales in 1977-1978. When Korea initiated trade with China in 1980, the international prices of mushrooms fell sharply, leading to shrinkage of the domestic markets. Spurred by the high demand to develop substitute goods for A. bisporus, the oyster mushroom (P. ostreatus) gained attention since it seemed to suit the taste of Korean consumers. Although the log cultivation technique for oyster mushroom was developed in the early 1970s, it required a great deal of labor. Thus, we developed the shelf cultivation technique, which is easier to manage and allows for mass production. In this technique, the growing shelf is made mafrom fermented rice straw, whichis the only P. ostreatus medium in the world and isused only in South Korea. After then, the use of cotton wastes as an additional material of medium, the productivity. Currently, we are developing a standard cultivation technique and environmental control system that can stably produce mushrooms throughout the year. The increase of oyster mushroom production may boostthe domestic market and contribute to industrial development. In addition, oyster mushroom production technology played a role in forming the basis for the development of bottle cultivation, which made mass production. In particular, bottle cultivation using liquid spawn could allow for the export of F. velutipes and Pleurotus eryngii. In addition, the white varieties of F. velutipes were second developed in the world after Japan. We also developed the new A. bisporus cultivar 'Saeah', which is easy to grow in Korea. In hopes to advance the mushroom industry, we will continue to develop cultivars with international competitive power and to improve cultivation techniques.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.507-516
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• 2004

Alzheimer's disease(AD) is a geriatric dementia that is widespread in old age. In the near future AD will be the commom disease in public health service. Although a variety of oriental presciptions in study POD(Polygala tenuifolia extracted from dichlorometan) have been traditionally utilized for the treatment of AD, their pharmacological effects and action mechanisms have not yet fully elucidated. It has been widely believed that AP peptide divided from APP causes apoptotic neurotoxicity in AD brain. However, recent evidence suggests that CT105, carboxy terminal 105 aminoacids peptide fragment of APP, may be an important factor causing neurotoxicity in AD. SK-N-SH cells expressed with CT105 exhibited remarkable apoptotic cell damage. Based on morphological observations by phase contrast microscope and NO formation in the culture media, the CT105-induced cell death was significantly inhibited by POD. In addition, AD is one of brain degeneration disease. So We studied on herbal medicine that have a relation of brain degeneration. From old times, In Oriental Medicine, PO water extract has been used for disease in relation to brain degeneration. We were examined by ROS formation, neurite outgrowth assay and DPPH scravage assay. Additionally, we investigated the association between the CT105 and neurite degeneration caused by CT105-induced apoptotic response in neurone cells. We studied on the regeneratory and inhibitory effects of anti-Alzheimer disease in pCT105-induced neuroblastoma cell lines by POD. Findings from our experiments have shown that POD inhibits the synthesis or activities of CT105, which has neurotoxityies and apoptotic activities in cell line. In addition, treatment of POD(>50 ㎍/㎖ for 12 hours) partially prevented CT(105)-induced cytotoxicity in SK-N-SH cell lines, and were inhibited by the treatment with its. POD(>50 ㎍/㎖ for 12 hours) repaired CT105-induced neurite outgrowth when SK-N-SH cell lines was transfected with CT105. As the result of this study, In POD group, the apoptosis in the nervous system is inhibited, the repair against the degerneration of Neuroblastoma cells by CT105 expression is promoted. Decrease of memory induced by injection of scopolamin into rat was also attenuted by POD, based on passive avoidance test. Taken together, POD exhibited inhibition of CT105-induced apoptotic cell death. POD was found to reduce the activity of AchE and induced about the CA1 in rat hippocampus. Base on these findings, POD may be beneficial for the treatment of AD.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.91-96
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• 2004

Accumulation of nitrate in edible crops is undesirable due to potential risks to human health. Since nitrate has a role in the osmotic regulation of plants, salt accumulation in soil is expected to stimulate nitrate accumulation in plants. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) was grown in soils of different salinities, 9.69 and $4.49dS\;m^{-1}$, in a greenhouse, and the effect of soil salinity on nitrate accumulation in lettuce was investigated. Content of nitrate in the lettuce increased significantly as soil salinity increased under low light intensity and ample supply of nitrate in root media. Soluble sugar and oxalate contents in lettuce were also significantly higher in the soil of higher salinity. Phosphate, Cl, and $SO_4$ contents in lettuce were not significantly different in soils of different salinities. Among the cations, K content in lettuce was significantly higher in the soil of higher salinity, but Na, Ca, and Mg comtents were not much influenced. Comparing to the lettuce grown in low salinity soil, although the growth of lettuce was decreased by 9% in the soil of higher salinity, nitrate accumulation in the lettuce was increased by 18.6%. These results indicate that higher nitrate content in lettuce of higher salinity soil is a positive accumulation to adapt to the water stress condition. The nitrate accumulation of vegetables grown in plastic film houses is known to be due to the heavy fertilization and low light intensity, but salt accumulation in the soil, which can lower soil water potential, is expected to stimulate the nitrate accumulation further.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.241-250
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• 1982

Time course of alkaline inorganic PPase activity with different parts of mung-bean sprout and some properties of partially purified enzyme from mung-bean leaves were investigated. The enzyme activity in leaf, root and cotyledon showed a tendency to increase at an early stage and then decrease gradually as germination continued. However, the crude homogenate of epicotyl showed the continuous decline of the enzyme activity but that of hypocotyl showed the continuous increase. In particular, the enzyme activity of leaf fraction was about 2-4 times as high as those of other fractions. The specific activity of the leaf enzyme was increased 86-fold, with a 23.9% yield, upon purification procedures. The purified enzyme from leaves had the Rm value of 0.35 and was not homogenous when judged by disc gel electrophoresis. Using tetrasodium pyrophosphate as a substrate, the apparent Km value for the partially purified enzyme was 0.89 mM. The enzyme was highly specific for $Mg^{2+}$ $CU^{2+}$ and $Fe^{2+}$ was also showed the activating effect of 56% and 55% with $Mg^{2+}$, respectively. However, $Ca^{2+}$), $Zn^{2+}$, $Mn^{2+}$, $Co^{2+}$ and $Ni^{2+}$ acted as inhibitors for the enzyme. The pH optimum for the enzyme shifted from 9.0 to 8.0 as the concentration of $Mg^{2+}$ was increased. The enzyme from mun-bean leaf was the most active at $50^{\circ}C$ and considerably stable on heat.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.176-187
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• 1997

As a way to evaluate the performance of IGCC (Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle) processes, heating values of coal gas as well as plant efficiency were compared for different rank coals and coal feeding methods by employing the static process simulation technique. Performance of the process was compared with coal rank that was varied by three assorted bituminous coals and also by three subbituminous coals, in addition to the two types of feeding techniques, i.e., dry-feeding and slurry-feeding, that are utilized in entrained-bed coal gasifiers. For the verification of the simulation technique, simulated results were compared first with the actual pilot plant data published from Shell and Texaco. The simulation technique was, then, applied to other coals. Result from tests varying coal rank exhibits the trend of improving both heating content of the product gas and plant efficiency with increasing carbon content in coal. The effect of coal rank is more sensitive in slurry-feeding cases compared to the dry-feeding cases. In particular, considering notably lower values in gas heating value and plant efficiency calculated in the slurry-feeding case that uses a subbituminous coal, limited utilization of the slurry-feeding method for subbituminous coals can be expected. From the plant efficiency point of view, dry-feeding method resulted in higher simulated efficiency values by maximum 3% for subbituminous coals and ca. l% for bituminous coals.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.425-431
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• 1996

Human neutrophil elastases (HNElastase, EC 3.4.21.37), a causative factor of inflammatory diseases, are regulated by plasma proteinase inhibitors, alpha-proteinase inhibitor and ${\alpha}_2-macroglobulin$. Under certain pathological conditions, however, released enzymes or abnormal function of inhibitors may cause various inflammatory disease. NSAIDs have been clinically applied for treatment of inflammatory diseases. Inhibition of cyclooxygenase is a known mechanism of action of NSAIDs in the treatment of inflammatory disease. In in vitro experiments, HNElastase was inhibited by naproxen, phenylbutazone, and oxyphenbutazone, but ibuprofen, ketoprofen, aspirin, salicylic acid, and tolmetin did not inhibit elastase. HNElastase was also inhibited by chelating agents, EDTA & EGTA, and tetracyclines. Removal of divalent metal ions by EDTA caused inhibition of elastase, and reconstitution of the metal ions recovered the enzyme activity to a certain level. Frequencies and contours in the Raman spectra of various conditions of human neutrophil elastase undergo drastic changes upon partial removal and/or reconstitution of calcium and zinc ions. The metal ion content dependent activities and change of the contour of the Raman spectrogram suggest us that the mechanism of action of a chelator or chelator-like agents on neutrophil elastase may be related to the conformational change at/or near the active site, especially -C=O radical or -COOH radical.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.42-46
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• 1998

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern hybridization analyses were carried out to identify clones of silk worm thorn (Cudraria tricuspidata) and Rose of sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) which look like one tree with two ar three, branches or two or three different trees. For PCR five different PCR primers $(17{\sim}24\;nucleotides)$ are derived from CaMV 35S promoter, nopaline synthase terminator and coding region of thylakoid membrane protein gene. In the case of silk worm thorn, about 500 bp of PCR product was produced from DNAs of one tree or branch in the presence of 35S primer alone. Southern hybridization analysis of genomic DNAs hybridized with $^{32}P$ labeled PCR product showed that the same size of DNA fragments were hybridized with different intensities. In addition, PCR analyses using 20 different primers of OPERON 10-mer kits showed that only OPA01 primer produced PCR products of different size. These results indicate that two different trees of silk worm thorn combined to one tree. In the case of the Rose of Sharon, the same size of PCR products were produced from three different samples but Southern hybridization with the above PCR product as a probe did not show any hybridized bands. PCR analyses in the presence of OPERON 10-mers showed OPA04 and OPA13 produced different products including same sizes of products. These, results indicate that three different trees of the Rose of Sharon seem to be derived from the tree.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.96-110
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• 1989

To suggest the fundamental data for the estimation of crop evaportranspiration by the ca- lculated coefficients for estimating the radiation suitable to the different regions of korea in application of Penman equcation, the daily data such as sc(skycover), n(actual sunshine hours), N(possible sunshine hours), Rs(horizontal solar radiation) and Ra(extraterrestial solar radiation) for 10 years (from 1977 to 1986) collected from 19 meteorological stations were analysed. The results are summarized as follows : 1. The coefficients a, b and c for estimating the radiation taken by the regression method with the daily and monthly mean data of the skycover and the ratio of Rs to Ra were shown as a=0.619, b= -0.0202, c= -0.0023 and a=0.64, b=0.0377 c=0.0001 in ave- rage respectively. 2. The coefficients a and b for estimating the radiation analysed by the regression and arithmetic method from the daily ratio of sunshine hours and Rs to Ra were shown as a= 0.157, b= 0.529, and a=0.119, b= 0.726 in average, respectively. 3. The coefficients a and b for estimating the radiation calculated by the regression me- thod based on the monthly ratio of sunshine hours and radiation were shown as a=0. 319 and b= 0.557 in average. 4. The values of a and b for estimating the radiation taken from the relationship between the daily ratio of sunshine hours and radiation showed high significance level. 5. The standard deviation and the coefficient of variance between the radiation calculated from the coefficients by the regression and arithmetic method with the daily data and the actual radiation were analysed and compared to the results by the coefficients of the modified Penman method (a=0.18, b=0.55) and by those of the F.A.O inodified Penman method(a=0.25, b=0.5). The standard deviation and the coefficient of varia- nce by the regression method in this study showed the lowest value. 6. From the above results, it is suggested that regression method using the coefficients taken from the relationship between the ratio of sunshine hours and the ratio of radia- tion based on the daily data has the highest accuracy in estimating the radiation. 7. The average reference crop evapotranspiration estimating by the modified Penman me- thod using the coefficients a and b derived by the regression method from the daily meterological data was closer to the actual evapotsranspiration of grass measured in Suwon area than the estimated evapotranspiration by the modified Penman method and the F.A.O modified Penman method.