• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.273-284
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• 2023

Water supply is continuously suffering from frequent droughts under climate change, and such extreme events are expected to become more frequent due to climate change. In this study, the decision scaling method was introduced to evaluate the drought vulnerability under future climate change in a wider range. As a result, the water supply reliability of the Boryeong Dam ranged from 95.80% to 98.13% to the condition of the aqueduct which was constructed at the Boryeong Dam. Furthermore, the Boryeong Dam was discovered to be vulnerable under climate change scenarios. Hence, genetic algorithm-based hedging rules were developed to evaluate the reduction effect of drought vulnerability. Moreover, three demand scenarios (high, standard, and low demand) were also considered to reflect the future socio-economic change in the Boryeong Dam. By analyzing quantitative reliability and the probability of extreme drought occurrence under 5% of the water storage rate, all hedging rules demonstrated that they were superior in preparing for extreme drought under low-demand scenarios.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.644-655
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• 2023

Safety assessment and functional analysis of probiotic candidates are important for their industrial applications. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum is one of the most widely recognized probiotic strains. In this study we aimed to determine the functional genes of L. plantarum LRCC5310, isolated from kimchi, using next-generation, whole-genome sequencing analysis. Genes were annotated using the Rapid Annotations using Subsystems Technology (RAST) server and the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) pipelines to establish the strain's probiotic potential. Phylogenetic analysis of L. plantarum LRCC5310 and related strains showed that LRCC5310 belonged to L. plantarum. However, comparative analysis revealed genetic differences between L. plantarum strains. Carbon metabolic pathway analysis based on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database showed that L. plantarum LRCC5310 is a homofermentative bacterium. Furthermore, gene annotation results indicated that the L. plantarum LRCC5310 genome encodes an almost complete vitamin B₆ biosynthetic pathway. Among five L. plantarum strains, including L. plantarum ATCC 14917^T , L. plantarum LRCC5310 detected the highest concentration of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate with 88.08 ± 0.67 nM in MRS broth. These results indicated that L. plantarum LRCC5310 could be used as a functional probiotic for vitamin B₆ supplementation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.655-661
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• 2008

The prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) in children has increased dramatically in recent years. Although AD has genetic determinants, this rapid increase is most likely due to changes in environmental influences--for example, dietary changes. The purpose of this case-control study was to assess the relationship between the risk of developing AD and dietary factors, including eating habits, food intake, and the consumption of various functional foods in children at ages of 7 or 8 years. 143 AD patients and 335 healthy children participated in this study. A mini-dietary assessment was utilized to evaluate the food intake and dietary patterns of the children, and other information, including demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, eating habits, and the frequency of functional food use was collected using a questionnaire. The results demonstrated that, among the demographic and socioeconomic factors assessed in this study, female gender, mother's employment, and the family history of AD significantly increased the risk of AD. However, no differences in dietary habits and specific food intake between AD patients and healthy controls were identified. On the other hand, the frequencies of taking multivitamin supplements, Spirulina, or gamma-linoleic acid were significantly higher in AD patients than in the controls. These data indicate that alterations in eating habits and the intake of certain foods may not be a critical cause associated with the risk of AD in school-age children, and caution should be taken in recommending food elimination diets for the purpose of preventing AD. Further studies are required in order to determine whether the intake of specific nutrients could contribute to the increase or prevention of the development of AD in school-age children.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.571-579
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• 2023

In this study, cryopreservation by droplet-vitrification was applied to pear (Pyrus spp.) germplasm. We focused on the development and assessment of various strategies for the selection of suitable tissue, osmoprotection, and dehydration. We also evaluated post-thaw recovery of cryopreserved explants by droplet-vitrification. Preferentially, we tested the effects of preculture and loading treatments to determine which tissues were more suitable, either the apical shoot tips or the axillary buds. Apical shoot tips showed the better regrowth rate than in vitro axillary buds. The most effective techniques for cryopreservation were as follows. Shoots from in vitro seedlings which had been cultured for about 5-6 weeks were cold-hardened at 4℃ for one week, excised shoot tips were precultured on liquid MS medium including 0.3 M sucrose for 31 hours and 0.7 M sucrose for 17 hours, osmoprotected in loading solution (LS) for 40 min, and then cryoprotected in dehydration solution (PVS3) for 90 min. In addition, we found that regrowth rates of explants on regrowth medium after exposure to liquid nitrogen (LN) were higher than those on MS medium. Results indicated that the highest regrowth percentage was 95.6% for 'Bartlett' cultivar and 68.9% for 'BaeYun No.3' cultivar. Consequently, apical shoot tips of two pear cultivars, 'Bartlett' (P. communis) and 'BaeYun No.3' (P. pyrifolia), were successfully cryopreserved by droplet-vitrification. Results of this study show that the enhanced droplet-vitrification method described in the present study could be used as an effective means for long-term storage of pear genetic resources.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.19-26
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• 2024

Canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) is an inflammatory and pruritic skin disease with a genetic predisposition, characterized by allergic sensitivity. It is known for its distinctive clinical features, including a high recurrence rate and chronic progression. To manage CAD, medications such as steroids and immunosuppressants are commonly used, but consideration should be given to the potential resistance and side effects associated with long-term use. In order to reduce these risks, various adjunctive factors are currently under consideration. One of these adjunctive agents, probiotics have shown effectiveness in regulating atopic dermatitis by modulating immune responses, as demonstrated in several recent studies. In this study, a substance combining three probiotics-L. plantarum, L. reuteri, and Ped. Acidilactici-was used in patients diagnosed with CAD, and its clinical effects and safety were evaluated. The trial involved four groups: a group receiving conventional treatment for atopic dermatitis (A), a group prescribed low-dose probiotics (B), a group prescribed high-dose probiotics (C), and a group prescribed topical probiotics (D). For assessment, the Canine Atopic Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index (CADESI), Trans-Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL) test, gut microbiome, and serum IgE test were conducted. As a result, the CAD severity index (CADESI-4) significantly decreased in the probiotics groups (B & C). In the serum total IgE test, the groups consuming probiotics showed a significant difference, while the group using topical probiotics (D) did not exhibit a significant change. Also, the TEWL test showed improved scores in the probiotics groups (B & C). Therefore, L. plantarum, L. reuteri, and Ped. Acidilactici probiotic combination could be considered as an effective adjunctive treatment, especially for atopic patients with moderate to severe skin lesions.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.35-43
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• 2007

Objectives : Recently, many authors investigated the relation of temperament and character to seasonality and the genetic factors in seasonality and personality. In this study, we investigated the relation between personality structure obtained from the psychobiological Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and self-reported seasonal variations in mood and behavior measured by the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ). Methods : 600 high-school students who live in Seoul of Korea, were participated in this study. Subjects were surveyed with the Korean translation of the SPAQ of Rosenthal, an instrument for investigating mood and behavioral changes with respect to the seasons of the you. Korean version of the TCI of Cloninger was also used for assessment of personality. Results : Female students were significantly higher scores on harm avoidance, reward dependence, and cooperativeness than male students who had significant higher scores on persistence and self·transcendence than the formers. GSS were showed positive correlation with harm avoidance and self-transcendence, and negative correlation with cooperativeness and self-directedness. By employing logistic regressions, the regression coefficients of SAD were significantly negative in SD, and positive in ST. Also, the regression coefficients of S-SAD were significantly negative in CO, and positive in ST. Those with GSS at least 11 were significantly higher mean ST values compared to the remaining individuals, and those with worst in winter were significantly lower mean CO values compared to the remaining individuals. Those who considered the seasonality as a problem at least to a moderate degree were associated with high HA and ST. Conclusion : We add the evidence that the seasonality is related to the temperament and character. Although there have been many reports about the seasonality in relation to the temperament and character in foreign countries, there has been very limited report from Korea before. We hope that this result would be a helpful in the clinical field in Korea.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.404-411
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• 2019

This study was carried out to investigate the antioxidant effects of extracts from 9 species of forest plants in Korea. DPPH, ABTS, $NaNO_2$, hydrogen peroxide radical scavenging activity and reducing power activity were evaluated to measure the antioxidant activities of plant extracts. As a result, Geranium thunbergii has been identified as the most effective antioxidant resource. Also, total phenolic content was highest in Geranium thunbergii ($303.94{\pm}0.63mg\;GAE/g$) among 9 species extracts. Total flavonoid content was highest in Rosa multiflora ($24.32{\pm}0.22mg\;QE/g$) and proanthocyanidin content was highest in Vitis ficifolia ($279.00{\pm}4.58mg\;CE/g$) among 9 species extracts. In addition, the protective effect of plant extracts in $H_2O_2-induced$ human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cell systems were also assessed. Significant protective effects in $H_2O_2-induced$ human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cell systems were found in all plant extracts, especially in Geranium thunbergii. These results suggest that Geranium thunbergii could be a potential natural resource for antioxidant activity.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.164-173
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• 2000

The p16 protein is a cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor that inhibits cell cycle progression from $G_1$ phase to S phase in cell cycle. Many p16 gene mutations have been noted in many cancer-cell lines and in some primary cancers, and alterations of p16 gene function by DNA methylation have been noticed in various kinds of cancer tissues and cell-lines. There have been a large body of literature has accumulated indicating that abnormal patterns of DNA methylation (both hypomethylation and hypermethylation) occur in a wide variety of human neoplasma and that these aberrations of DNA methylation may play an important epigenetic role in the development and progression of neoplasia. DNA methylation is a part of the inheritable epigenetic system that influences expression or silencing of genes necessary for normal differentiation and proliferation. Gene activity may be silenced by methylation of up steream regulatory regions. Reactivation is associated with demethylation. Although evidence or a high incidence of p16 alterations in a variety of cell lines and primary tumors has been reported, that has been contested by other investigators. The precise mechanisms by which abnormal methylation might contribute to carcinogenesis are still not fully elucidated, but conceivably could involve the modulation of oncogene and other important regulatory gene expression, in addition to creating areas of genetic instability, thus predisposing to mutational events causing neoplasia. There have been many variable results of studies of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma(HNSCC). This investigation was studied on 13 primary HNSCC for p16 gene status by protein expression in immunohistochemistry, and DNA genetic/epigenetic analyzed to determine the incidence, the mechanisms, and the potential biological significance of its Inactivation. As methylation detection method of p16 gene, the methylation specific PCR(MSP) is sensitive and specific for methylation of any block of CpG sites in a CpG islands using bisulfite-modified DNA. The genomic DNA is modified by treatment with sodium bisulfate, which converts all unmethylated cytosines to uracil(thymidine). The primers designed for MSP were chosen for regions containing frequent cytosines (to distinguish unmodified from modified DNA), and CpG pairs near the 5' end of the primers (to provide maximal discrimination in the PCR between methylated and unmethylated DNA). The two strands of DNA are no longer complementary after bisulfite treatment, primers can be designed for either modified strand. In this study, 13 paraffin embedded block tissues were used, so the fragment of DNA to be amplified was intentionally small, to allow the assessment of methylation pattern in a limited region and to facilitate the application of this technique to samlples. In this 13 primary HNSCC tissues, there was no methylation of p16 promoter gene (detected by MSP and automatic sequencing). The p16 protein-specific immunohistochemical staining was performed on 13 paraffin embedded primary HNSCC tissue samples. Twelve cases among the 13 showed altered expression of p16 proteins (negative expression). In this study, The author suggested that low expression of p16 protein may play an important role in human HNSCC, and this study suggested that many kinds of genetic mechanisms including DNA methylation may play the role in carcinogenesis.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.375-381
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• 2018

The consumption of oats (Avena sativa L.) with high nutritional utility is accelerating due to the increased consumers' demand for functional foods. In Korea, naked oats are used as food, while covered oats are used for animal feed. However, it is difficult to distinguish naked oats from covered oats when the husk is removed from the grains by a special process. The present study was carried out to investigate experimental methods that would be beneficial in the segregation of different types of oats after husk removal. Grain quality-related biochemical compounds were analyzed in a bid to differentiate the oat dehulling characteristics. In addition, 61 SSR markers were examined for genetic relationship and variety identification of oats using five naked and seven covered oat varieties. Results showed that, the contents of protein, lipid, and ${\beta}-glucan$ were not significantly different among the oat varieties and this could not be used as an index for distinguishing oats husk character. However, in the fatty acid composition ratio,, naked oats had a higher ratio of stearic acid (C18:0) and oleic acid (C18:1) than covered oats, and covered oats had a higher ratio of linoleic acid (C18:2) and linoleic acid (C18:3) than naked oats. The assessment of SSR marker genotype revealed that 33 polymorphic bands among 12 oat varieties and 1 variety could be distinguished through the combination of polymorphic markers thus indicating the usability of these markers for variety identification in oats.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.382-391
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• 2018

The objective of this study was to determine the most effective medium condition of shoot proliferation and root formation for the efficient in vitro micropropagation of M.26 (Malus pumila Mill). Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were used to analyze the genetic diversity of micro-propagated and greenhouse grown M.26. Shoot proliferation was carried out in MS (Murashige and Skoog) containing benzyladenin (BA, $0.5{\sim}5.0mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$) and thidiazuron (TDZ, $0.01{\sim}0.1mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$). The highest number of shoots (10.67 shoots per explant) was induced by adding BA at a concentration $1.0mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$. TDZ treatments caused higher hyperhydricity rate in cultured explants than in BA treatments. There was no significant effect of both BA and auxin on shoot proliferation, and the optimum proliferation medium for M.26 was MS medium containing $1.0mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ BA. To find a suitable medium composition for shoot rooting, we tested different concentrations indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and ${\alpha}$-naphthaleneacetic acid ($0.5{\sim}5.0mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$), MS medium (1/4-1), sucrose ($0{\sim}30g{\cdot}L^{-1}$). The shoots showed good rooting on half-strength MS medium containing $1.0mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ IBA and $15-20g{\cdot}L^{-1}$ sucrose. The rooting rate (100%), number of roots (10.45 ~ 13.60 roots per explant), root length (7.41 ~ 8.33 cm), and shoot length (4.93 ~ 5.38 cm) were good on this medium. Fifteen SSR primers were detected in a total of 30 alleles in 20 micro-propagated plantlets, all SSR profiles from micro-propagated plantlets were monomorphic and similar to greenhouse grown control plantlet M.26 plant. The results indicated that M.26 micro-propagated plantlets were genetically stable.