• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2013

The tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor family of cytokines. TRAIL selectively induces apoptotic cell death in various tumors and cancer cells, but it has little or no toxicity in normal cells. Agonism of TRAIL receptors has been considered to be a valuable cancer-therapeutic strategy. However, more than 85% of primary tumors are resistant to TRAIL, emphasizing the importance of investigating how to overcome TRAIL resistance. In this report, we have found that nemadipine-A, a cell-permeable L-type calcium channel inhibitor, sensitizes TRAIL-resistant cancer cells to this ligand. Combination treatments using TRAIL with nemadipine-A synergistically induced both the caspase cascade and apoptotic cell death, which were blocked by a pan caspase inhibitor (zVAD) but not by autophagy or a necrosis inhibitor. We further found that nemadipine-A, either alone or in combination with TRAIL, notably reduced the expression of survivin, an inhibitor of the apoptosis protein (IAP) family of proteins. Depletion of survivin by small RNA interference (siRNA) resulted in increased cell death and caspase activation by TRAIL treatment. These results suggest that nemadipine-A potentiates TRAIL-induced apoptosis by down-regulation of survivin expression in TRAIL resistant cells. Thus, combination of TRAIL with nemadipine-A may serve a new therapeutic scheme for the treatment of TRAIL resistant cancer cells, suggesting that a detailed study of this combination would be useful.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.676-683
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• 2022

Due to the effects of rapid changes in the living environment since 2000 and the recent unforeseen pandemic, people are refraining from domestic and international traveling and movement, and outdoor activities for health and the public value of forest trails, called Dullegil Trail in Korea, have become more important. This study estimated the environmental value of the tentatively named "East-West Trail," which connects the forest trails crossing Chungcheong and Gyeongsang Provinces using CVM (Contingent Valuation Method). It surveyed visitors to the East-West Trail, and 725 questionnaires were used for analysis. The average characteristics of respondents were those who exercised 2-3 times per week, visited a forest trail not far from their residence with friends or family, and showed a tendency to spend 50 thousand Korean won or more per visit. Visitors to the Dullegil Trail felt that there was a shortage of information boards on the forest trail, and they preferred a shelter in appropriate locations. We used a double-bounded dichotomous choice (BDDC) logit model proposed by Hanemann to measure the conservation value of the East-West Trail. It was estimated that the environmental value that a visitor to the East-West Trail could obtain was 30,087 won per trip. The estimated environmental value of the East-West Trail can be converted to about 94 billion won total visitors annually based on the population belonging to the direct-use zone near the East-West Trail. As there has been no study on the environmental value of forest trails using CVM, the results of this study will be able to suggest the feasibility of the government policies on forest trails.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.99 no.3
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• pp.404-413
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• 2010

A study surveyed to visitors' expectation and satisfaction about trail in the Hanbat Arboretum by using Importance-Satisfaction Analysis (ISA). As the results of the research, the mean of importance was 3.85 and the mean of satisfaction was 3.67 in West Garden. Also the mean of importance was 3.99 and the mean of satisfaction was 3.78 in East Garden. Also appeared the evaluation factors of questionnaire the mostly importance that were higher than satisfaction. West Garden appeared necessary for items of safety features, drain facilities and board for risk area. Also East Garden appeared necessary for items of easy move for the wheelchair and carriage and safety features of trail. The research result are expected to provide clear path towards more effective adminstration and management tactics. Also expects with the research result that will be the possibility of raising the qualitative satisfaction of the visitor.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.523-534
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• 1998

Six trails of Naesorak(west Sorak) district of Soraksan National Park were selected to investigate the use impacts on environmental edterioration of trail according to the different amount of use. The entire width, and slope of trail as the trail condition surveyed at the total of 132 points were significantly varied with the amount of use. Major deterioration types of trail were rock-exposure, root-exposure, deepening and divergence in order of frequency. Deteriorated points were significantly different in trail conditions from non-deteriorated points, and these latter generally appeared at the lowed altituede than the former on each trail. Naesorak district still seemed to have poorer use-impacts than Oesarak(east sorak) district. The dominant species in upper layer of trail edge vegetation differed from trail to trail, but in shrub layer Lespedeza maximowiczii, lindera obutsiloba for valley trail and Rhododendron schlipenbavhii for slope trail. The species diversity and coverage of shrub layer in trail edge were the highest on the Ose'am trail and each trail was dissimilar in species composition of shrub layer of edge vegetation.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.38 no.7
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• pp.521-532
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• 2005

The prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) continues to rise in industrialized countries related to Western lifestyle, including dietary habits, especially imbalance of intake of dietary fatty acids. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dietary fatty acids and the assess the blood fatty acid composition and immune parameters in AD patients. AD (n = 50) patients and gender ${\cdot}$ age matched healthy controls (HC) were studied in case-control clinical trail. Current fatty acids intake status was determined by 3-day food record method. Blood sample were collected from 30 subjects in each group and blood fatty acid composition and immune parameters were analysed. AD patients consumed less PUFA and their n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio was higher than that of HC. Both the ratios of PUFA and MUFA were positively correlated with SCORAD in AD patients (p < 0.05). In the AD patients, there were abnormalities in the fatty acid composition of the RBC and WBC, SFA being significantly high and most n-3 PUFA being significantly low. Moreover, both the ratios of EPA and DHA in WBC were negatively correlated with dietary n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio in AD patients (p < 0.05). Serum total IgE and IL-4 levels of AD patients increased significantly compared with the levels of HC (p < 0.01). Ratios of monocyte and eosinophil in WBC of AD patients increased significantly compared with the levels of HC including total WBC count (p < 0.01), and ratios of Iymphocyte and basophil in WBC of AD patients decreased significantly compared with the levels of HC (p < 0.05). Moreover, the ratios of eosinophil in WBC were positively correlated with dietary P/M ratio (p < 0.05), and the ratios of monocyte in WBC were positively correlated with n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio (p < 0.05) in AD patients. This results indicated that AD patients had significantly high intake of dietary n-6/n-3 PUFA compared with HC. Imbalance of intake of dietary fatty acids affected fatty acid compositions in the RBC and WBC, and these lead to immune imbalance and grow worse of AD.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.419-431
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• 2005

The prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) continues to increase in the industrialized countries related to Western lifestyle and dietary patterns. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the nutritional status, dietary patterns and dietary quality of AD patients. AD patients (n=50) and gender age matched healthy control (HC) were studied in case-control clinical trail. Preference and frequencies of consumption for 98 foods were estimated by questionnaires. Dietary pattern, current nutrients intake, and dietary quality were evaluated by the 3-day food records. As a result, anthropometric measurements from HC and AD patients were not significantly different. AD patients had significantly lower preference for buckwheat, some fishes (shellfish, flatfish, salmon), egg yolk, some vegetables (onion, garlic, Chinese-cabbage, radish, pepper, mushroom), coffee, and snack than those of HC had (p<0.05). AD patients had significantly lower frequency for pea, some fishes (shellfish, herring, flatfish, salmon, codfish), egg, some vegetables (spinach, pumpkin, mushroom), margarine/butter, nuts, coffee and apple juice, fried chicken, coke than those of HC had (p<0.05). The intake of vitamin $B_1$, vitamin $B_2$ (p<0.05) and vitamin E (p<0.001) of AD patients were significantly lower than those of HC. The intake for Ca and Zn of AD patients were remarkably lower than RDA for each nutrient. Moreover, AD patients' index of nutritional quality (INQ) and nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR) of vitamin E, vitamin $B_1$, vitamin $B_2$ were lower than those of HC. AD patients' dietary quality including dietary diversity score (DDS), dietary variety score (DVS), DMGFV (dairy, meat, grain, fruit, vegetable), dietary quality index (DQI) was poor. This results indicate that atopic dermatitis patients had significantly different food preference and food frequency when these were compared with those of healthy people. The dietary diversity, dietary variety and dietary quality of atopic dermatitis patients were very limited.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.221-230
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• 2004

Flora of the Dokdo Islet, where located south-east from Ulnung Island, off the east coast of the Korean peninsula, recorded as 59 taxa; 29 families, 50 genus, 48 species, 1 sub-species, 9 varieties and 1 form. Dong-do (East islet) of Dokdo Islet, naturalized plants such as Brassica campestris subsp. napus var. nipp-oleitera and Rumex crispus are widely ranged over the islet. The naturalizedplants affects the native species and their habitats of Artemisia japonica var. macrocephala, Echinochloa crus-galli, Sedum oryzifolium, Arabis stelleri var. japonica and Sedum kamtschaticum var takesimense in the islet. The trail in Seo-do (West islet) is heavily threatened by over-all weathering processes on the rock. The native woody species in the islet are Euonymous japonicus and Lonicera insularis, and the species such as Pinus thunbergii and Hibiscus syriacus are planted in the recent past under the IRP (Islet Restoration Program) by NGO. The Specific Plants, which is designated and categorized by the Ministry of Environment, Korea, such as Lilium lancifolium, Lysimachia mauritiana and Reynoutria sachalinensis are ranged. The ecosystem of Dokdo islet is seriously threatened by invadedplant species and building works for garrison and relevant facilities. The over-all long- and short-term strategies, based on interdisciplinary and integrated approaches for habitat restoration is needed.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.118-138
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• 2022

This study was conducted to identify the vegetation structure of major vegetation by region and elevation in the subalpine zone of Seoraksan National Park and prepare an inventory of flora. We reviewed the results of the previous subalpine studies and, through a preliminary survey, determined that the first appearance point of subalpine vegetation was about 800 m based on the south. Then we conducted a site survey by installing a total of 77 plots, including 12 plots on the northern Baekdamsa-Madeungnyeong trail (BD), 13 plots on the west Hangyeryeong-Kkeutcheong trail (HG), 13 plots on the east side of Sinheungsa-Socheongbong trail (SA), and 39 plots in the southern Osaek-Kkeutcheong, Osaek-Daecheongbong trail (OS), in an interval of 50 m above sea level. The analysis classified 7 communities, including Qercus mongolica-Abies holophylla-Acer pseudosieboldianumcommunity, Q. mongolica-Tilia amurensiscommunity, Q. mongolica-Pinus koraiensiscommunity, Q. mongolica-A. pseudosieboldianumcommunity, Betula ermanii-A. nephrolepiscommunity, P. koraiensis-A. nephrolepiscommunity, and mixed deciduous broad-leaf tree community according to the species composition based on the appearance of the major subalpine plants such as Quercus mongolica, Betula ermanii, and Abies nephrolepis, region, and elevation. 10.68±2.98 species appeared per plot (100 m²), and 110.87±63.89 individuals were identified. The species diversity analysis showed that the subalpine vegetation community of Seoraksan National Park was a mixed forest in which various species appeared as important species. Although there was a difference in the initial elevation for the appearance of major subalpine plants by region, they were distributed intensively in the elevation range of 1,100 to 1,300 m. In the Seoraksan National Park, 322 taxa, 83 families, 193 genera, 196 species, 1 subspecies, 26 varieties, and 4 forms of vascular plants were identified. One taxon of Trientalis europaeavar.arcticawas identified as the protected species. The endemic plants were 19 taxa, and 58 taxa were identified as subalpine plants.