• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.367-386
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• 2020

The significance of this study was to analyze the quality value of organic livestock pork for the first time based on the results of managing and testing the cycling organic farming of black pork and vegetables within farm for two years. The results of analysis could be summarized as follows. First, the pork of experimental group with crop-livestock cycling farming showed the excellent quality and high consumer preference compared to the control group of general pork or pork from non-crop-livestock cycling organic farming. In the content ratio of Omega-3 as a representative essential fatty acid, it was 1.46 that was about 2.8 times more than general pork (0.52). In case of Omega-6, it had about 2.5 times more than general pork. Especially, the U/S ratio value which was the content ratio of Unsaturated Fatty Acid (UFA, U) of Saturated Fatty Acid (SFA, S), was largely shown in pork (2.93) from cycling organic farming. Second, it would be necessary to maintain the economies of scope shown in crop-livestock cycling organic farming, and the high quality value of livestock products. For this, there should be a value chain model that could realize the economies of scope and economies of scale at the same time based on scaling and diversification through cooperative organization between farmers. Through this, it would be possible to establish a cycling model called 'community cooperative agriculture' by forming local internal markets through cooperation of production-processing and integration of distribution-sale-consumption. For the managerial activation of this cooperative organization, the government should promote/support the small crop-livestock cycling organic farming cooperative organization in local unit. For securing the reliability of crop-livestock cycling organic agricultural products and crop-livestock cycling organic livestock products, it would be necessary to review the introduction of Participatory Guarantee System (PGS).

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.34 no.1 s.132
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• pp.109-117
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• 2003

Arachidonic acid(AA), which is stored in membrane glycerophospholipids, is liberated by phospholipase $A_2(PLA_2)$ enzymes and is sequentially converted to cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) then to various bioactive prostaglandins (PGs,) and leukotrienes (LTs). In order to find the specific inhibitors of AA metabolism enzymes such as $PLA_2$, COX-2, 5-LO and lyso PAF acetyltransferase. 195 Korean indigenous plant extracts were evaluated for their inhibitory activity on $PGD_2,\;LTC_4$ production from cytokine-induced mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMC) and arachidonic acid released from phospholipid and PAF production from lyso PAF. From this screening procedure, methanol extract of eight plants such as Saururus chinensis, Aster tataricus, Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium, Reynoutria japonica, Disocorea nipponica, Epimedium koreanum, impatiens textori, Veronica rotunda var. subintegra were found to inhibit production of inflammatory mediators in vitro assay system.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.101-101
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• 2003

Prostaglandins (PGs) and nitric oxide (NO) produced by inducible cyclooygenase (COX-2) and nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), respectively, have been implicated as important mediators in the process of inflammation and carcinogenesis. On this line, the potential COX-2 or iNOS inhibitors have been considered as anti-inflammatory and cancer chemopreventive agents. In our continuing efforts of searching for novel cancer chemopreventive agents from natural products, we isolated natural sesquiterpenoids as potential COX-2 and iNOS inhibitors in cultured lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. Alantolactone, a natural eudesmane-type sesquiterpenoid, exhibited a potent inhibition of COX-2 (IC50 = 0.4 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$) and iNOS activity (IC50 = 0.08 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$) in the assay system determined by PGE2 and NO accumulation, respectively. The inhibitory potential of alantolactone on the PGE2 and NO production was well coincided with the suppression of COX-2 and iNOS protein and mRNA expression in LPS-induced macrophages. Furthermore, alantolactone inhibited NF-kB but not AP-l binding activity on nuclear extracts evoked by LPS-stimulated macrophage cells, suggesting the possible involvement of NF-kB in the regulation of COX-2 and iNOS expression. In further study with COX-2-expressing human colon HT-29 cells, alantolactone inhibited the cell proliferation, down-regulated COX-2, and inhibited the ERK phosphorylation in the early time. These results suggest that a natural sesquiterpenoid alantolactone might be a potential lead candidate for further developing COX-2 or iNOS inhibitor possessing cancer chemopreventive or anti-inflammatory activity

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.17
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• pp.7911-7916
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• 2015

Serum anti-Helicobacter pylori antibodies and pepsinogens (PGs) have been used as gastric cancer screening and gastric mucosal status markers. Nepal is a low risk country for gastric cancer. However, the mountainous populace in the northern region culturally linked to Tibet as well as Bhutan, a neighboring country, have a high risk of GC. We collected gastric biopsy specimens and sera from 146 dyspeptic patients living in Kathmandu, Nepal. We also examined the sera of 80 volunteers living in the mountainous regions of the Himalayas. The optimal cut-off was calculated for serum biomarkers against the histology. Kathmandu patients (43.8%) were serologically positive for H. pylori infection, which was significantly lower than that for the mountainous (61.3%, P = 0.01). The same results also found in the prevalence of PG-positivity, PG I levels and PG I/II ratios (P = 0.001, P<0.0001 and P = 0.03, respectively). Moreover, the PG I/II ratios were significantly, and inversely correlated with the OLGA score (r = -0.33, P<0.009). The low incidence of gastric cancer in Nepal can be attributed to low gastric mucosal atrophy. However, the mountainous subjects have high-risk gastric mucosal status, which could be considered a high-risk population in Nepal.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.371-376
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• 1985

We investigated the growth parameters of Candida parapsilosis isolated from spoiled red ginseng extract. The optimum pH range for C. parapsilosis was 6.0, whereas the minimum and maximum pH values that permitted growth were 3.0 and 11.0, respectively. For cells grown in PG medium plus 0 and 60％ sucrose, the optimum water activity(Aw) values were 0.98 and 0.97, respectively. The optimum temperature for C. parapsilosis were 3$0^{\circ}C$ at an Aw of 0.90 in 4.8％ potato dextrose broth with 18％ sucrose (PGS). Cations inhibiting the growth of C parapsilosis were L $i^{+}$ $Ca^{2+}$, $Mg^{+2}$, $K^{+}$ in decreasing order, while anions were S $O_4$$^{2-}$, N $O_3$$^{[-10]}$ , C $l^{[-10]}$ .TEX> .

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.229-238
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• 2012

Cyclooxygenase(COX-2) is an inducible enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of prostaglandins (PGs) from arachidonic acid. Over-expression of COX-2 has been reported to be associated with progressive hepatic fibrosis in chronic hepatic C infection and rat liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride($CCl_4$). Recently, it is well known that mast cell products can stimulate the proliferation of hepatic stellate cells and key players in liver fibrosis. But little is known regarding their role in $CCl_4$-induced liver fibrosis in rat. Our aim was to investigate the relation between COX-2 expression and mast cells during liver fibrosis after $CCl_4$ treatment. Thirty Wistar rats were divided into five groups (non-treated 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8-week after $CCl_4$-treatment). Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry were used to assess the expression of ${\alpha}$-smooth muscle actin (${\alpha}$-SMA), collagen-1 and COX-2 in liver tissue from $CCl_4$-treated rats. The density of collagen and mast cells were determined using a computerized image analysis system in liver sections stained with picrosirius red and toluidine blue, respectively. The expression levels of ${\alpha}$-SMA, collagen-1 and COX-2 mRNA were significantly higher at 2 wk in $CCl_4$-treated groups than non-treated group. The number of mast cells in liver tissues increased gradually from 2 wk to 6 wk depending on the fibrosis severity but decreased abruptly at 8 wk. The significant increase of collagen-1 and ${\alpha}$-SMA mRNA expression in $CCl_4$-treated rats was continued until 6 wk while the COX-2 mRNA was significantly decreased at 8 wk. These results suggest that increased mast cells are closely associated with COX-2 over-expression during hepatic fibrogenesis of $CCl_4$-treated rats.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.111-117
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• 2017

Objectives: Periapical lesions, including periapical cyst (PC), periapical granuloma (PG), and periapical abscess (PA), are frequently affected by chemical/physical damage during root canal treatment or severe bacterial infection, and thus, the differential diagnosis of periapical lesions may be difficult due to the presence of severe inflammatory reaction. The aim of this study was to make differential diagnosis among PC, PG, and PA under polarizing microscope. Materials and Methods: The collagen birefringence patterns of 319 cases of PC (n = 122), PG (n = 158), and PA (n = 39) obtained using a polarizing microscope were compared. In addition, 6 cases of periodontal fibroma (PF) were used as positive controls. Results: Collagen birefringence was condensed with a thick, linear band-like pattern in PC, but was short and irregularly scattered in PG, and scarce or absent in PA. PF showed intense collagen birefringence with a short, palisading pattern but no continuous band-like pattern. The linear band-like birefringence in PC was ascribed to pre-existing expansile tensile stress of the cyst wall. Conclusions: In this study all PCs (n = 122) were distinguishable from PGs and PAs by their characteristic birefringence, despite the absence of lining epithelium (n = 20). Therefore, the authors suggest that the presence of linear band-like collagen birefringence of the cyst wall aids the diagnostic differentiation of PC from PG and PA.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.146-151
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• 2019

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of the joint angle of the lower extremities during sit-to-stand movements with wearable sensors based on a portable gait analysis system (PGAS), and the results were compared with a analysis system (MAS) to predict the clinical potential of it. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Sixteen persons with stroke (9 males, 7 females) participated in this study. All subjects had the MAS and designed PGS applied simultaneously and eight sensor units of designed PGAS were placed in a position to avoid overlap with the reflexive markers from MAS. The initial position of the subjects was 90º of hip, knee, and ankle joint flexion while sitting on a chair that was armless and backless. The height of the chair was adjusted to each individual. After each trial, the test administrator checked the quality of data from both systems that measured sit-to-stand for test-retest reliability and concurrent validity. Results: As a result, wearable sensor based designed PGAS and MAS demonstrated reasonable test-retest reliability for the assessment of joint angle in the lower extremities during sit-to-stand performance. The intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) for wearable sensor based designed PGAS showed an acceptable test-retest reliability, with ICCs ranging from 0.759 to 0.959. In contrast, the MAS showed good to excellent test-retest reliability, with ICCS ranging from 0.811 to 0.950. In concurrent validity, a significant positive relationship was observed between PGAS and MAS for variation of joint angle during sit-to-stand movements (p<0.01). A moderate to high relationship was found in the affected hip (r=0.665), unaffected hip (r=0.767), affected knee (r=0.876), unaffected knee (r=0.886), affected ankle (r=0.943) and unaffected ankle (r=0.823) respectively. Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that wearable sensor based designed PGAS showed acceptable test-retest reliability and concurrent validity in persons with stroke for sit-to-stand movements and wearable sensors based on developed PGAS may be a useful tool for clinical assessment of functional movement.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.629-639
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• 2023

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the most common cardiovascular system disorders. Cellular senescence is a key mechanism associated with dysfunction of aged vascular endothelium. Hyaluronic acid and proteoglycan link protein 1 (HAPLN1) has been known to non-covalently link hyaluronic acid (HA) and proteoglycans (PGs), and forms and stabilizes HAPLN1-containing aggregates as a major component of extracellular matrix. Our previous study showed that serum levels of HAPLN1 decrease with aging. Here, we found that the HAPLN1 gene expression was reduced in senescent human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Moreover, a recombinant human HAPLN1 (rhHAPLN1) decreased the activity of senescence-associated β-gal and inhibited the production of senescence-associated secretory phenotypes, including IL-1β, CCL2, and IL-6. rhHAPLN1 also downregulated IL-17A levels, which is known to play a key role in vascular endothelial senescence. In addition, rhHAPLN1 protected senescent HUVECs from oxidative stress by reducing cellular reactive oxygen species levels, thus promoting the function and survival of HUVECs and leading to cellular proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis. We also found that rhHAPLN1 not only increases the sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) levels, but also reduces the cellular senescence markers levels, such as p53, p21, and p16. Taken together, our data indicate that rhHAPLN1 delays or inhibits the endothelial senescence induced by various aging factors, such as replicative, IL-17A, and oxidative stress-induced senescence, thus suggesting that rhHAPLN1 may be a promising therapeutic for CVD and atherosclerosis.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.261-271
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• 2011

Osteoarthritis in patients with temporomandibular disorders(TMDs) induces pain, limitation of mouth opening, occlusal problems, and most commonly affects their life quality. Control method and progressive process of osteoarthritis are being extensively researched. The researchers focus on histologic changes, synovial changes, muscular and ligamental changes and observed reaction to pain. Therefore most of them developed the animal model for osteoarthritis in TMD patients. In this study, we applied several methods which induces osteoarthritis of temporomandibular joint(TMJ) in rats or mice. For locally induce osteoarthritis in TMJ, Monosodium iodoacetate(MIA) or interleukin-$1{\alpha}$(IL-$1{\alpha}$) were injected into TMJ joint space for 5 or 3 weeks. Other groups are chosen for osteoarthritis under systemic control including hormonal changes and aging. To observe cellular change, increased collagen, degenerative bony destruction and distribution of proteoglycans (PGs), safranin-O staining and Masson's trichrome staining were used.