• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.710-720
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• 2013

Radiotherapy is commonly used in treating many kinds of cancers which cannot be cured by other therapeutic strategies. However, radiotherapy also induces the damages on the normal tissues. Radiation-induced fibrosis is frequently observed in the patients undergoing radiotherapy, and becomes a major obstacle in the treatment of intrahepatic cancer. Hedgehog (Hh) that is an essential in the liver formation during embryogenesis is not detected in the healthy liver, but activated and modulates the repair process in damaged livers in adult. The expression of Hh increases with the degree of liver damage, regulating the proliferation of hepatic progenitors and hepatic stellate cells (HSC). In addition, Hh induces epithelial-to-mesencymal transition (EMT) and activation of myofibroblasts. In the irradiated livers, up-regulated expression of Hh signaling was associated with proliferation of progenitors, EMT induction, and increased fibrosis. Female-specific expression of Hh leaded to the expansion of progenitors and the accumulation of collagen in the irradiated livers of female mice, indicating that gender disparity in Hh expression may be related with radiation-susceptibility in female. Hence, Hh signaling becomes a novel object of studies for fibrogenesis induced by radiation. However, the absence of the established experimental animal models showing the similar physiopathology with human liver diseases and fibrosis-favorable microenvironment hamper the studies for the radiation-induced fibrosis, providing a few descriptive results. Therefore, further research on the association of Hh with radiation-induced fibrosis can identify the cell and tissue-specific effects of Hh and provides the basic knowledge for underlying mechanisms, contributing to developing therapies for preventing the radiation-induced fibrosis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.689-697
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• 2013

In the United States, about 40,000 new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed each year and nearly 7,800 patients died from it in 2012. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have been found to have anticancer effects in a variety of cancer cell lines and animal models, but their effect in oral cancer remains unclear. This study was designed to examine the effect of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, a kind of omega-3 fatty acid) on oral cancer cells and the molecular mechanism of its action. We found that exposure of squamous cell carcinoma-4 (SCC-4) and squamous cell carcinoma-9 (SCC-9) human oral cancer cells to DHA induced growth inhibition in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Meanwhile, in addition to the elevated levels of apoptotic markers, such as cleaved PARP, subG1 portion and TUNEL-positive nuclei, DHA led to autophagic vesicle formation and an increase in autophagic flux, indicating the involvement of both apoptosis and autophagy in the inhibitory effects of DHA on oral cancer cells. Further experiments revealed that the apoptosis and autophagy induced by DHA were linked to inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling by AKT inhibition and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation in SCC-9 cells. Together, our results suggest that DHA induces apoptosis- and autophagy-associated cell death through the AMPK/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in oral cancer cells. Thus, utilization of omega-3 fatty acids may represent a promising therapeutic approach for chemoprevention and treatment of human oral cancer.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.501-509
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• 2013

Formaldehyde (FA) is widely used in industries, and it is an indoor and outdoor pollutant. Exposure to FA may cause inflammation and respiratory oxidative stress. Studies have demonstrated that FA can cause cancer in animal models. During the regeneration process of injured starfish (Asterina pectinifera), several changes have been observed in the expression of cytokines. In particular, higher TGF-${\beta}1$ expression has been detected in arm cut starfish extract after eight days. The current study was designed to elucidate the in-vitro and the in-vivo pharmacological effects of starfish extract on FA exposure. We investigated the protective effects of intact starfish extract and arm cut starfish extract on an IMR-90 cell line and on mouse lung injury in response to FA exposure. In the presence of FA, inhalation of the arm cut starfish extract was associated with more promising cell proliferation, TNF-${\alpha}$, NF-${\kappa}B$ decrement, and $I{\kappa}-B{\alpha}$ increment. In the experimental group, the pulmonary structure of the arm cut starfish extract-treated group in the presence of FA exposure was similar to the control group, whereas the FA exposure group showed damage to the pulmonary structure. Moreover, the arm cut starfish extracts was more effective than the intact starfish extracts in terms of the expression of TNF-${\alpha}$, NF-${\kappa}B$, $I{\kappa}-B{\alpha}$, and surfactant protein A. The results obtained in this study demonstrate that arm cut starfish extracts are more effective in protecting pulmonary structure and function against FA exposure than intact starfish extracts.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.425-434
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• 2008

Arsenic contamination in soil and groundwater has recently been one of the most serious environmental concerns. This arsenic contamination can be originated from natural or anthropogenic sources. It has been well known that arsenic behavior in geo-environmental is controlled by various oxides or hydroxides, such as those of iron, manganese, and aluminum, and clay minerals. Among those, particularly, iron (oxy)hydroxides are the most effective scavengers for arsenic. For this reason, this study characterized arsenic adsorption of magnetite which is a kind of iron oxide in nature. The physicochemcial features of the magnetite were investigated to evaluate adsorption of arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)] onto magnetite. In addition to experiments on adsorption equilibria, kinetic experiments were also conducted. The point of zero charge (PZC) and specific surface area of the laboratory-synthesized magnetite used as an arsenic adsorbent were measured 6.56 and $16.6\;g/m^2$, which values seem to be relatively smaller than those of the other iron (oxy)hydroxides. From the results of equilibria experiments, arsenite was much more adsorbed onto magnetite than arsenate, indicating the affinity of arsenite on magnetite is larger than arsenate. Arsenite and arsenate showed adsorption maxima at pHs 7 and 2, respectively. In particular, adsorption of arsenate decreased with increase in pH as a result of electrical repulsion caused by anionic arsenate and negatively-charged surface of magnetite. These results indicate that the surface charge of magnetite and the chemical speciation of arsenic should be considered as the most crucial factors in controlling arsenic. The results of kinetic experiments show that arsenate was adsorbed more quickly than arsenite and adsorption of arsenic was investigated to be mostly completed within the duration of 4 hours, regardless of chemical speciation of arsenic. When the results of kinetic experiments were fitted to a variety of kinetic models proposed so far, power function and elovich model were evaluated to be the most suitable ones which can simulate adsorption kinetics of two kinds of arsenic species onto magnetite.

• The KIPS Transactions:PartD
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• v.10D no.6
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• pp.885-896
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• 2003

The typws of service using location Information are being various and extending their domain as wireless internet tochnology is developing and its application par is widespread, so it is prospected that LBS(Location-Based Services) will be killer application in wireless internet services. This location information is basic and high value-added information, and this information services make prior GIS(Geographic Information System) to be useful to anybody. The acquisition of this location information from moving object is very important part in LBS. Also the interfacing of acquisition of moving object between MODB and telecommunication network is being very important function in LBS. After this, when LBS are familiar to everybody, we can predict that LBS system load is so heavy for the acquisition of so many subscribers and vehicles. That is to say, LBS platform performance is fallen off because of overhead increment of acquiring moving object between MODB and wireless telecommunication network. So, to make stable of LBS platform, in this MODB system, acquisition of moving object location par as reducing the number of acquisition of unneccessary moving object location. We study problems in acquiring a huge number of moving objects location and design some acquisition model using past moving patternof each object to reduce telecommunication overhead. And after implementation these models, we estimate performance of each model.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.211-219
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• 2020

Quercetin is a polyphenol compound with excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. However, little has been reported about the efficacy of quercetin to control psoriasis. Thus, we aimed to investigate the effect of quercetin to regulate psoriatic dermatitis with HaCaT cell lines activated by TNF-α and IL-17A, which are in vitro psoriasis skin models. When quercetin was treated with TNF-α-activated HaCaT cell line, inflammatory cytokine expressions such as IL-1α, IL-1β and IL-6 were reduced by 49.1±7.14, 42.8±8.16, and 34.5±2.52%, respectively. In addition, mRNA expression levels of IL-8 and CCL20 the chemokines that attract immune cells such as Th17 cells and dendritic cells to the inflammatory reaction site, were also reduced by 38.4±5.83 and 52.9±4.59% compared to the TNF-α treatment group. The expression of proteins KRT6A and KRT16, which was nonspecifically increased in psoriatic skin was also significantly suppressed. Moreover, phosphorylation of IκBα and STAT3 proteins activated by TNF-α was also significantly inhibited. After stimulating the HaCaT with IL-17A, known as another psoriasis-inducing cytokine, it was observed that IκBα mRNA expression decreased by 55.8±5.28%, and STAT3 phosphorylation was downregulated by 36.3±6.81%. Finally, after co-activation by TNF-α/IL-17A, quercetin inhibited all of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and CCL20 gene expression. The above results strongly suggest that quercetin is a material that has not only anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, but also has an activity in improving psoriasis.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 1999

Rice yield and primary productivity (NPP) are dependent upon the variability of climate and soil. The variability and regionality of the rice yield and net primary productivity were evaluated with the meteorological data collected from Korea Meteorology Administration and the actual rice yield data from the Ministration of Agriculture and Forestry, Korea. The estimated NPP using the three models, dependent upon temperature(NPP-T), precipitation(NPP-P) and net radiation(NPP-R), ranged from 10.87 to 17.52 Mg ha$^{-1}$ with average of 14.69 Mg ha$^{-1}$ in the South Korea and was ranged 6.47 to 15.58 Mg ha$^{-1}$ with average of 12.59 Mg ha$^{-1}$ in the North Korea. The primary limiting factor of NPP in Korea was net radiation, and the secondary limiting factor was temperature. Spectral analysis on the long term change in air temperature in July and August showed periodicity. The short periodicity was 3 to 7 years and the long periodicity was 15 to 43 years. The coefficient of variances, CV, of the rice yield from 1989 to 1998 ranged 3.23 percents to 12.37 percents which were lower than past decades. The CV's in Kangwon and Kyeongbuk were high while that in Chonbuk was the lowest. The prediction model based on th e yield index and yield response to temperature obtain ed from the field crop situation showed reasonable results and thus the spatial distributions of rice yield and predicted yield could be expressed in the maps. The predicted yields was well fitted with the actual yield except Kyungbuk. For better prediction, modification should be made considering radiation factor in further development.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.132-142
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• 2010

Characteristics of meteorological elements were analyzed at Hwagae and Agyang where are the representative areas of Hadong green tea cultivation in Korea. An automatic weather monitoring system (AWS) and a simple data log were employed to measure meteorological data such as temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, and wind direction and speed for 2009. The annual average air temperature of Hwagae and Agyang was 14.5 and 14.2, respectively, showing the warmest month in August ($25.4^{\circ}C$ for Hwagae and $24.9^{\circ}C$ for Agyang) and the coldest month in January ($0.3^{\circ}C$ for Hwagae and $0.2^{\circ}C$ for Agyang). Annual average of daily temperature difference (= daily maximum temperature - daily minimum temperature) was $11.3^{\circ}C$ for Hwagae and $11.1^{\circ}C$ for Agyang. Hwagae and Agyang had 62.7% and 65.3% of the annual average relative humidity, respectively. Annual precipitation was 1387 mm for Hwagae and 1793 mm for Agyang of which were higher of 605mm for Hwagae and 835 mm for Agyang compared to that in 2008. Majority of precipitation occurred between May and August, attributing 77.6% for Hwagae and 76.6% for Agyang to the annual precipitation. The annual total sunshine duration was 2054.3 hrs in Hwagae with the longest monthly sunshine duration in May (235.1 hrs) and the shortest monthly sunshine duration in July (102.5 hrs). Dominant wind direction changed seasonally from northwesterly wind in fall and winter to southeasterly wind in spring and summer. The annual average wind speed was 1.5 m $s^{-1}$ with the highest monthly wind speed of 2.0 m $s^{-1}$ in December and the lowest monthly wind speed of 1.1 m $s^{-1}$ in February. It is expected that continuous observation and assessment of meteorological data will improve our understanding of optimal environmental conditions for green tea cultivation and be used for developing models of green tea cultivation in the Hadong area.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.94-108
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• 1997

The temperature of the upper thermosphere is generally varied with the solar activity, and largely with geomagnetic activity in the high latitude. The data analyzed in this study are acquired at two ground stations, Thule Air Base($76,5{deg} N, 68.4{deg} W, A = 86{deg}$) and $S{psi}ndre Str{psi}mfjord (67.0{deg} N, 50.9{deg} W, A = 74{deg}$), Greenland. Both stations are located in the high latitude not only geographically but also geomagnetically. The terrestrial night glow at 6300 ${angs}$ from atomic oxygen has been observed from the two ground-based Fabry-Perot interferometers, during periods of 1986~1991 in Thule Air Base and 1986~1994 in $S{psi}ndre Str{psi}mfjord$. Some features noted in this study are as follows: (1) The correlation between the solar activity and the measured thermospheric temperature is highest in the case of $3{leq}Kp{leq}4$ in Thule, and increases with the geomagnetic activity in $S{psi}ndre Str{psi}mfjord$. (2) The measured temperatures at Thule is generally higher than those at $S{psi}ndre Str{psi}mfjord$, but the latter shows steeper slope with the solar activity. (3) The harmonic analysis shows that the diurnal variation(24hrs) is the main feature of the daily temperature variation with a temperature peak at about 13-14 LT (LT=UT-4). However, the semi-diurnal variation is evident during the period of weak solar activity. (4) Generally the predicted temperatures from both MSIS86 and VSH models are lower than the measured temperature, and this discrepancy grows as the solar activity increases. Therefore, we urge modelers to develope a new thermospheric model utilizing broader sets of measurements, especially for high solar activity.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.87-97
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• 2017

Paulownia species has long been recognized in Korean traditional culture and the values of the species have been researched in various focuses. However, studies on distribution and ecological characteristics of the species are still needed. This study aimed to identify distribution trends and ecological characteristics of two Paulownia species in Busan metropolitan city using the MaxEnt model. The MaxEnt model was established based on the environmental factors such as positioning information of the Paulownia species, topography, climate and degree of anthropogenic disturbance potentiality (ADP), which was collected in the on-site research. The study verified that the accuracy of the model was appropriate as the AUC value of Paulownia coreana and P. tomentosa was 0.809, respectively. In terms of the distribution trends of the two Paulownia species in the research area depending on the distribution model, they were both mainly distributed in downtown where built-up area and bare ground were densely concentrated. The potential distribution area of the two species was identified as $137.4km^2$ for P. coreana and $135.0km^2$ for P. tomentosa. The distribution probability was high in Jung-gu, Dongrae-gu, Busanjin-gu and Yeonje-gu. As a result of the analysis on contribution of the environmental factors, it was turned out that the degree of anthropogenic disturbance potentiality (ADP) contributed to distribution of P. coreana and P. tomentosa by about 50%, and the contribution of the environmental factors had a positive correlation with the degree of ADP. The elevation had a negative correlation with both the two species, which was considered because the species must compete more with native species in natural habitats as the altitude above sea level rises. The research findings demonstrated numerically that the distribution of P.coreana and P. tomentosa depended on artificial activities, and indicated the relevance with the Korean traditional landscape. These findings are expected to provide meaningful information in using, preserving and restoring Paulownia species.