• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.95-120
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• 2019

As the Nagoya Protocol has been in effect since 2014, firms that invest in projects related with the genetic resources should establish methods to share the benefits arising from using genetic resources with the country providing such resources. The objective of this paper is to investigate the factors that affect the genetic resources related investment decisions under the Nagoya Protocol. Specifically, we construct the model of Sharpley value and benefit sharing rate in order to consider the results of benefit sharing with a providing country under the Real Options, and simulate the model in the context of Madagascar Banana project. The results show that the product time to market, benefit sharing rate, and discount rate significantly influence the investment decisions.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.640-647
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• 2023

The skin, the largest organ in the body, undergoes age-related changes influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The primary external factor is photoaging which causes hyperpigmentation, uneven skin surface, deep wrinkles, and markedly enlarged capillaries. In the human dermis, it decreases fibroblast function, resulting in a lack of collagen structure and also decreases keratinocyte function, which compromises the strength of the protective barrier. In this study, we found that treatment with γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) had no toxicity to skin fibroblasts and GABA enhanced their migration ability, which can accelerate skin wound healing. UVB radiation was found to significantly induce the production of matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1), but treatment with GABA resulted in the inhibition of MMP-1 production. We also investigated the enhancement of filaggrin and aquaporin 3 in keratinocytes after treatment with GABA, showing that GABA can effectively improve skin moisturization. In vivo experiments showed that oral administration of GABA significantly improved skin wrinkles and epidermal thickness. After the intake of GABA, there was a significant decrease observed in the increase of skin thickness measured by calipers and erythema. Additionally, the decrease in skin moisture and elasticity in hairless mice exposed to UVB radiation was also significantly restored. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential of GABA as functional food material for improving skin aging and moisturizing.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.113-120
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• 2024

Solute carrier 40A1 (SLC40A1) encodes ferroportin, which is the only known transmembrane protein that exports elemental iron from mammalian cells and is essential for iron homeostasis. Mutations in SLC40A1 are associated with iron-overload disorders. In addition to ferroportin diseases, SLC40A1 expression is downregulated in various cancer types. Despite the clinical significance of the SLC40A1 transporter, only a few studies have investigated genetic variants in SLC40A1. The present study was performed to identify genetic variations in the SLC40A1 promoter and functionally characterize each variant using in vitro assays. We investigated four haplotypes and five variants in the SLC40A1 promoter. We observed that haplotype 3 (H3) had significantly lower promoter activity than H1, whereas the activity of H4 was significantly higher than that of H1. Luciferase activity of H2 was comparable to that of H1. In addition, four variants of SLC40A1, c.-1355G>C, c.-662C>T, c.-98G>C, and c.-8C>G, showed significantly increased luciferase activity compared to the wild type (WT), whereas c.-750G>A showed significantly decreased luciferase activity compared to the WT. Three transcription factors, cAMP response element-binding protein-1 (CREB-1), chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter transcription factor 1, and hepatic leukemia factor (HLF), were predicted to bind to the promoter regions of SLC40A1 near c.-662C>T, c.-98G>C, and c.-8C>G, respectively. Among these, CREB1 and HLF bound more strongly to the variant sequences than to the WT and functioned as activators of SLC40A1 transcription. Collectively, our findings indicate that the two SLC40A1 promoter haplotypes affect SLC40A1 transcription, which is regulated by CREB-1 and HLF.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.459-471
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• 2010

The main behavioural and environmental risk factors for cancer mortality in the world are related to diet and physical inactivity, use of addictive substances, sexual and reproductive health, exposure to air pollution and use of contaminated needles. The population attributable fraction for all cancer sites worldwide considering the joint effect of these factors is about 35% (34 % for low- and middle-income countries and 37% for high-income countries). Seventy-one percent of lung cancer deaths are caused by tobacco use (lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death globally). The combined effects of tobacco use, low fruit and vegetable intake, urban air pollution, and indoor smoke from household use of solid fuels cause 76% of lung cancer deaths. Exposure to these behavioural and environmental factors is preventable; modifications in lifestyle could have a large impact in reducing the cancer burden worldwide. The evidence of association between lifestyle factors and cancer, as well as the main international recommendations for prevention are briefly reviewed and commented upon here.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.57-75
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• 2020

Particular matter is steadily increasing due to environmental factors at domestic and abroad such as industry and economy. Recently, the exposure particular matters has been reported to increase the risk not only for morbidity and mortality, but also for diseases of the respiratory system, cardiovascular system and central nervous system/neuropsychiatric disorder. Although the causes of neuropsychiatric diseases are genetic and environmental factors, it is necessary to pay more attention to environmental factors in terms of prevention. We mainly describe environmental factors that affect neuropsychiatric disorders, mainly on particular matter, which is one of harmful environmental substances. In the current study, we reviewed evidence for the presence of particular matter or particular matter related harmful air pollutants-O₃, SO₂, NO₂/NOx, traffic related air pollution, that may represent risk factors for the development of neuropsychiatric disorder.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.287-294
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• 2004

Diabetic complication is one of major risk factors leading to vascular disease such as atherosclerosis, stroke, coronary heart disease and etc. Several factors affecting the acceleration of diabetic vascular complication have been known such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, immune complex and genetic factors. To screen and develop new therapeutics agents for diabetic vascular complication, it is strongly needed to develop animal models for diabetic complications. However in rodents models, diabetic complications is not well developed. Furthermore to assess the possibility of new therapeutics for diabetic vascular complications, diabetic animal models which have the risk factors of diabetic complications is needed. We aim to develop and establish an diabetic animal model which have diabetic complications with hyperlipidemia which is one of risk factors for diabetic complications. We induced insulin -dependent diabetes by intra. venous injection of streptozotocin (35 mg/kg/day) in RICO rats which is a spontaneous animal model for hyperlipidemia. Our models (STZ RICO) showed hyperglycemia, persistent high level of plasma cholesterol and triglyceridemia with severe diabetic renal changes until 28 weeks after induction of diabetes. STZ-RICO rats could be used for the evaluations of newly developed diabetic drugs.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.173-183
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• 2004

This study was carried out to examine the effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and the number of cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) on in vitro maturation (IVM) of porcine immature oocytes, and on subsequent in vitro fertilization (IVF) and development (IVD). COCs were collected from antral follicles of porcine ovaries collected from abattoir, and were maturated in modified NCSU-23 (mNCSU-23) with 10% pFF, 0.6 mM cysteine, 50 ${\mu}mM{\beta}-mercaptoethanol$, 1 mM dbcAMP, 10 IU/mL PMSG and 10 IU/mL hCG, which was supplemented with or without 10 ng/mL EGF and into which 50 or 15 COCs per droplet was put. Oocytes matured in vitro, were fertilized in vitro in modified Tris-buffered medium (mTBM) with the final motile sperm concentration of 1${\times}$105 sperm/mL, and subsequently putative embryos were developed in vitro in NCSU- 23. The results are as follows. 1.In the result of IVM, 10 ng/mL EGF supplement duplicated the percentage of C4 group of COCs(41% vs 81%). But the rate of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and of nuclear maturation were not significantly different between control and EGF supplemented, or between the number of COCs per culture droplet, and there was not a significant interaction between the two factors, either. 2. In the result of IVF, there was not significantly different between control and EGF supplemented, or between the number of COCs per culture droplet, or was not a significant interaction between the two factors, in the rate of sperm penetration, in the percentage of oocytes with male pronucleus (MPN), and in the rate of polyspermy. 3. In the result of IVD, there was not significantly different between control and EGF supplemented, or between the number of COCs per culture droplet in the percentage of cleaved oocytes. There was not significantly different between the number of COCs per culture droplet, but between control and EGF supplemented (p<0.01) in the percentage of blastocysts, the number of inner cell mass (ICM), trophectoderm (TC) and total cells. There was no significant interaction between the two factors anywhere. These results suggested that 10 ng/mL EGF supplement into mNCSU-23 for IVM was effective in the production of more as well as better blastocysts during IVD through increasing the number of cells in those.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.157-162
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• 2006

It is well known that unidentified factors in sera, hormones and growth factors promote the proliferation of granulosa cells and nuclear maturation of bovine COCs (cumulus oocytes complexes) in vitro. Attempts had been developed the simple composition of culture media and similar system to in vivo conditions has been applied. In the present study, we investigated the effect of FGF (fibroblast growth factor) on in vitro maturation and in vitro development of Hanwoo COCs. When the COCs were matured in HPM 199 (Inst. of Functional peptide, Japan) containing 0.1, 1 and 10 ng/ml FGF for 24 hr, maturation rates to metaphase II ($70.0{\sim}75.0%$) were significantly higher (p<0.05) than that of control group (0 ng/ml FGF, 37.5%). When matured COCs with FGF were cultured in maturation medium after in vitro fertilization, developmental rates to blastocysts were 9.5, 0 and 2.9%, respectively, compared to 25.0% of the control group (p<0.05). When the matured COCs with FGF were cultured in HPM 199 (IFP971, Inst. of Functional peptide, Japan) containing 10% FBS, 0.8% BSA or 0.1% PVA (polyvinyl alcohol), the blastocyst formation rates were 12.4, 12.8 and 8.5%, respectively, while the rates of matured COCs with FGF and cultured with IVMD and IVD (Inst. of Functional peptide, Japan) without serum were 38.4% and 34.8%, respectively (p<0.05). These results suggested that FGF is available for in vitro maturation of bovine COCs and is not suitable for in vitro development, but further investigation would be need for finding the synergistic autocrine/paracrine fashion of other growth factors in early bovine embryo development.

• Journal of Korea Society of Industrial Information Systems
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.73-82
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• 2022

Chronic diseases such as hypertension require a differentiated approach according to age and life cycle. Chronic diseases such as hypertension require differentiated management according to the life cycle. It is also known that the cause of hypertension is a combination of various factors. This study uses machine learning prediction techniques to analyze various factors affecting hypertension by life cycle. To this end, a total of 35 variables were used through preprocessing and variable selection processes for the National Health and Nutrition Survey data of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As a result of the study, among the tree-based machine learning models, XGBoost was found to have high predictive performance in both middle and old age. Looking at the risk factors for hypertension by life cycle, individual characteristic factors, genetic factors, and nutritional intake factors were found to be risk factors for hypertension in the middle age, and nutritional intake factors, dietary factors, and lifestyle factors were derived as risk factors for hypertension. The results of this study are expected to be used as basic data useful for hypertension management by life cycle.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.34 no.4 s.105
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• pp.279-287
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• 2004

In growing patients with Class III malocclusion, the various patterns of maxillofacial growth are a key element that affects the success or failure of treatment. Therefore it is important to correctly predict maxillofacial growth before initiating treatment. The purpose of this study was to find out the correlation between the maxillofacial morphology of parents and their Class III children by analyzing lateral cephalograms and hereditary factors. Among Class III preadolescent children, 50 families were obtained. To find out the specific hereditary factors involved, fingerprints were obtained and genetic correlation with the maxillofacial morphology was analyzed. The following conclusions were made. 1. A significant correlation (P<0.05-0.00l) was found in many of the cephalometric measurements between the offspring and their parents. The correlation in the skeleton measurements was higher than in the denture measurements. The father-offspring correlation was higher than the mother-offspring correlation 2. A significant correlation (P<0.05-0.00l) was found in fingerprint units between the offspring and their parents. The mother-offspring correlation was higher than the father-offspring correlation. 3. Between the maxillofacial morphology and fingerprint units, there was significant genetic correlation (P<0.05-0.01). Based on the analysis of genetic correlation, higher correlation was found in the parent-son pairing than the parent-daughter pairing.