• Molecules and Cells
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.459-461
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• 2008

Much research evidence supports the hypothesis that chronic, low-grade inflammation related to innate immunity may play an important role in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2; MIM# 600211) acts as a scaffold that controls the integration, organization, and assembly of nucleic acids. To examine whether the novel promoter variant in RUNX2 is associated with the risk of T2DM and related phenotypes, RUNX2-742G > T was genotyped in 378 T2DM patients and 382 normal controls recruited in the Korean T2DM Study. Statistical analysis revealed that RUNX2-742G > T was associated with serum triglyceride level (TG) in nondiabetic controls, although it was not associated with the risk of T2DM. Individuals who carry T/T, T/G, and G/G genotypes had the highest ($2.061{\pm}0.20$), intermediate ($2.01{\pm}0.19$), and the lowest ($1.97{\pm}0.18$) levels of log [TG (mmol/l)] (P = 0.007), respectively. Our data on this important variant of RUNX2 suggest that lipid metabolism might be affected by genetic polymorphisms in the promoter region.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.35-49
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• 2011

Objectives: This article reviewed research on smoking behaviors and smoking-related health problems among university students to suggest evidences for developing smoking control strategies for them. Methods: Domestic research papers were screened through Research Information Sharing Service (RISS), Koreanstudies Information Service System (KISS), Medical Library Information System (MEDLIS), Korean Medical Database (KMbase), and digital national assembly library. International papers were searched mainly via PubMed. Results: Smoking prevalence among male college students were found to be over 50% in majority of Korean studies. While studies on smoking-related health problems were scant in Korea, several recent studies overseas showed possible effects of smoking on health among young adults, including decreased lung function, respiratory symptoms, cardiovascular problems, glucose intolerance, buccal disease, depressive symptoms, and so forth. Besides, smoking behaviors were closely related with other risk behaviors including drinking, and several psychosocial factors. Conclusions: To explore the smoking problem among college students, the first step should be a national representative survey with scientific methods. More research should be focused on the smoking-related problems among college students. To prevent smoking among college students, smoking prevention education, and smoking cessation counseling, and the initiatives of smoke free campus are needed.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.78-84
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• 2006

A high performance liquid chromatography assay method for spiramycin in fish muscle was developed. The developed method was evaluated and validated by monitoring spiramycin in olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), black rock fish (Sebastes schlegeli) and in live conger eel (Anguilla japonica) in fish farms and distribution centers. Using the developed method, the recovery rate was up to 82.4-88.8%, which was higher than that of conventional methods (77.6-87.1%). In particular, the proposed sample treatment protocol was suitable for use with fish samples to remove low molecular weight materials and pigments that could interfere an accurate analysis. The prepared stock solution was very stable, and it remained chemically stable for 5 weeks at $4^{\circ}C$. The performance limit of the developed method for spiramycin acid in fish muscle was 0.05 ppm. One hundred thirty-four fish samples including olive flounder, black rock fish and live conger eel were analyzed to evaluate the overall efficiency of the modified method and to monitor the actual condition of spiramycin usage in fish farms. Olive flounder and black rock fish were collected from fish farms in coastal areas of Korea, and live conger eels were purchased from a fish market in the Busan area from September 2001 to March 2002. According to the overall performance of the developed method, it was considered suitable for the monitoring of spiramycin in fish muscle. The suggested method of analysis for spiramycin in fish muscle is registered in the Korean Official Methods of Food Analysis and is currently tieing utilized for fishery products inspection by the Korea Food and Drug Administration and the National Fisheries Products Quality Inspection Service.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.372-378
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• 2005

An analysis method of tetracyclines far fish and shellfish products containing large amount of low molecular materials and pigments was established. The recovery of the established analysis method for four tetracycline samples was $72-100\%$ and higher than other methods reported. Especially, proposed sample treatment protocol was shown to be effective for the removal of low molecular materials and pigments that tend to interfere with accurate analysis. The detection limit of oxytetracycline (OTC) and tetracycline (TC) from the sample was 0.02 ppm, and the detection limit of chlortetracycline (CTC) and doxycycline (DC) from the sample was 0.1ppm, To examine the efficiency of the established method and identify tetracycline usage in fish farms, tetracycline group antibiotics in the flounder being cultured was monitored. The improved method can be used for fish and shellfish products effectively and all surveyed fish farms have used tetracycline all the year round. The proposed method was adopted as official method for fishery products by Korean Food and Drug Administration in 2003 and it is being used by regulatory authority as National Fishery Products Quality Inspection Service.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.379-384
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• 2005

A high-performance liquid chromatography assay method for oxolinic acid in fish products was developed, evaluated and validated through the monitoring of oxolinic acid based on farming and distribution. The recovery rate of the developed method was $102.3-106.7\%$ as compared to conventional methods. The stock solution was stable for 3 weeks under refrigerated condition at $4^{\circ}C$ The performance limit was evaluated as 0.01ppm of oxolinic acid in fish muscle. 478 fish samples such as olive flounder, genuine porgy, common sea bass and black rock fish collected from fish farms in the coastal area from September 2001 to October 2004 were analyzed to evaluate overall efficiency of the modified method and to monitor the actual condition of oxolinic acid usage in fish farm. According to the monitoring results, the modified method was suitable for analysis of oxolinic acid in fish muscle and oxolinic acid might be used in a small portion of fish farms. The suggested analysis method of oxolinic acid was registered in the Korean Official Methods of Food Analysis and is being utilized for fishery products by the Korea Food and Drug Adminstration and the National Fisheries Products Quality Inspection Service.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.71-83
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• 2011

According to action of 'National University Finance And Accounting Act' enactment, national universities plan to introduce a new university accounting system reflecting the accrual basis and bookkeeping by double entry. For stable execution of the system, it is necessary to construct a national university financial and accounting system to be treated in a lump according to a new university accounting system. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to survey operating status of the existing national university financial and accounting system to prepare for that 'National University Financial And Accounting Act' would pass National Assembly, to draw its problems and to suggest a plan to construct national university financial and accounting system on the basis of the above. It is expected that the proposals suggested by the results of the study will give the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and national universities a help in raising transparency of university finance and be utilized as basic data to construct national university financial and accounting system offering quick management information. to action 'National University Finance And Accounting Act' enactment, national universities plan to introduce a new university accounting system reflecting the accrual basis and accrual basis and bookkeeping by double entry.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.513-523
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• 2017

Background: Korean Red Ginseng extracts (RGE) have been suggested as effective immune modulators, and we reported that ginsenosides possess anti-inflammasome properties. However, the properties of nonsaponin components of RGE have not been well studied. Methods: To assess the roles of nonsaponin fractions (NS) in NLRP3 inflammasome activation, we treated murine macrophages with or without first or second inflammasome activation signals with RGE, NS, or saponin fractions (SF). The first signal was nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-${\kappa}B$)-mediated transcription of pro-interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$ and NLRP3 while the second signal triggered assembly of inflammasome components, leading to IL-$1{\beta}$ maturation. In addition, we examined the role of NS in IL-6 production and IL-$1{\beta}$ maturation in mice. Results: NS induced IL-$1{\beta}$ and NLRP3 transcription via toll-like receptor 4 signaling, whereas SF blocked expression. During the second signal, SF attenuated NLRP3 inflammasome activation while NS did not. Further, NS-injected mice presented increased IL-$1{\beta}$ maturation and IL-6 production. Conclusion: SF and NS of RGE play differential roles in the NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Hence, RGE can be suggested as an NLRP3 inflammasome modulator.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.102-102
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• 2016

Water, which is most abundant in Earth surface and very closely related to all forms of living organisms, has a simple molecular structure but exhibits very unique physical and chemical properties. Even though tremendous effort has been paid to understand this nature's core substance, there amazingly still lefts much room for scientist to explore its novel behaviors. Especially, as the scale goes down to nano-regime, water shows extraordinary properties that are not observable in bulk state. One of such interesting features is the formation of nanoscale bubbles showing unusual long-term stability. Nanobubbles can be spontaneously formed in water on hydrophobic surface or by decompression of gas-saturated liquid. In addition, the nanobubbles can be generated during electrochemical reaction at normal hydrogen electrode (NHE), which possibly distorts the standard reduction potential at NHE as the surface nanobubble screens the reaction with electrolyte solution. However, the real-time evolution of these nanobubbles has been hardly studied owing to the lack of proper imaging tools in liquid phase at nanoscale. Here we demonstrate, for the first time, that the behaviors of nanobubbles can be visualized by in situ transmission electron microscope (TEM), utilizing graphene as liquid cell membrane. The results indicate that there is a critical radius that determines the long-term stability of nanobubbles. In addition, we find two different pathways of nanobubble growth: i) Ostwald ripening of large and small nanobubbles and ii) coalescence of similar-sized nanobubbles. We also observe that the nucleation and growth of nanoparticles and the self-assembly of biomolecules are catalyzed at the nanobubble interface. Our finding is expected to provide a deeper insight to understand unusual chemical, biological and environmental phenomena where nanoscale gas-state is involved.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.417-421
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• 2016

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Panax ginseng breeding line 'G07006', showing higher salt tolerance, was confirmed by de novo assembly using whole genome next-generation sequences. The complete chloroplast (CP) genome size is 156,356 bp, including two inverted repeats (IRs) of 52,060 bp, separated by the large single-copy (LSC 86,174 bp) and the small single-copy (SSC 18,122 bp) regions. One hundred fourteen genes were annotated, including 80 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, and 4 rRNA genes. Among them, 18 sites were duplicated in the inverted repeat regions. By comparative analyses of the previously identified CP genome sequences of nine cultivars of P. ginseng and that of G07006, five useful SNPs were defined in this study. Since three of the five SNPs were cultivar-specific to Chunpoong and Sunhyang, they could be easily used for distinguishing from other ginseng accessions. However, on arranging SNPs according to their gene location, the G07006 genotype was 'GTGGA', which was distinct from other accessions. This complete chloroplast DNA sequence could be conducive to discrimination of the line G07006 (salt-tolerant) and further enhancement of the genetic improvement program for this important medicinal plant.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.83-94
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• 2020

Backgrounds : To reduce the patients' economic burden of herbal decoctions use, in 2012, Korean government decided to implement the pilot project of herbal decoctions coverage in the National Health Insurance. Objectives : This study aimed to analyze the policy decision-making process for the pilot insurance project in 2012. Methods : Official documents, research papers, statistical reports, and news articles, etc. on the coverage of herbal decoctions were searched and collected. We used the Kingdon's Policy Stream Model to analyze how the policy of pilot project of herbal decoctions coverage was decided, and who were the main activists for the decision-making process. Results : Components to be included in the 'Problem stream' were the decline in the profits of Korean Medicine institutions, the contraction of the herbal decoctions use, and the fiscal surplus of National Health Insurance. In the 'Policy stream', there were several model studies for herbal decoctions coverage, and examples of herbal benefits in other social insurances. In the 'Political stream', there were the legislative initiatives by member of the National Assembly and the promotion of insurance coverage by the Association of Korean Medicine(AKOM), etc. Policy window for herbal decoctions coverage was opened by the combination of these three streams with the efforts of policy activists, such as the executives of AKOM, and policy researchers. Conclusions : The policy decision process for health insurance coverage of herbal decoctions was analyzed using Kingdon's model, and the analysis shows that the combination of political streams and entrepreneurs' competencies can be an important driving force in policy decision making.