• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.1431-1437
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• 2016

Sorghum bicolor L. is one of the important minor cereals in Asia, Africa, and the central United States, and it is considered a rich source of polyphenols, flavonoids, and dietary fiber. However, there is a lack of data on the anti-cancer activity of Sorghum in prostate cancer cells and immune activity in macrophages. This study aims to investigate the potential effects of an ethanol extract of S. bicolor L. (SE) on inducing apoptosis in RC-58T/h/SA#4 cells and immunomodulatory activity in RAW 264.7 cells. SE significantly inhibited the viability of RC-58T/h/SA#4 primary prostate cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. The morphology of RC-58T/h/SA#4 cells treated with SE was shrunken and involved the formation of an apoptotic body and nuclear condensation. In addition, SE markedly activated caspase-8, -9, and -3; increased the protein levels of Bax, p53, cleaved PARP, and cytosolic cytochrome c; and decreased Bcl-2 protein expression. Furthermore, the inhibition of caspases in RC-58T/h/SA#4 cells with z-VAD-fmk attenuated SE-induced cell growth inhibition. The production of nitric oxide (NO) was also elevated by SE treatment, as revealed by immune response parameters. These results suggest that SE inhibits growth and induces apoptosis in primary human prostate cancer cells in a caspase-dependent manner, and it modulates the immune functions in macrophages. Therefore, Sorghum bicolor L. may be used as a functional food to prevent prostate cancer and enhance immune activity.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.148-153
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• 2005

Malaria is a re-emerging infectious disease that is spreading to areas where it had been eradicated, such as Eastern Europe and Central Asia. To avoid the mortality from malaria, early detection of the parasite is a very important issue. The peripheral blood smear has been the gold standard method for the diagnosis of malaria infection. Recently, several other methods have been introduced for quantitative detection of malaria parasites. Real time PCR that employs fluorescent labels to enable the continuous monitoring of PCR product formation throughout the reaction has recently been used to detect several human malaria parasites. 18S rRNA sequences from malaria parasites have been amplified using Taqman real time PCR assay. Here, a SYBR Green-based real time quantitative PCR assay for the detection of malaria parasite-especially, Plasmodium vivax - was applied for the evaluation of 26 blood samples from Korean malaria patients. Even though SYBR Green-based real time PCR is easier and cheaper than Taqman-based assay, SYBR Green-based assay cannot be used because 18S rRNA cannot be specifically amplified using 1 primer set. Therefore, we used DBP gene sequences from Plasmodium vivax, which is specific for the SYBR Green based assays. We amplified the DBP gene from the 26 blood samples of malaria patients using SYBR Green based assay and obtained the copy numbers of DBP genes for each sample. Also, we selected optimal reference gene between ACTB and B2M using real time assay to get the stable genes regardless of Malaria titer. Using selected ACTB reference genes, we successfully converted the copy numbers from samples into titer, ${\sharp}$ of parasites per microliter. Using the resultant titer from DBP based SYBER Green assay with ACTB reference gene, we compared the results from our study with the titer from Taqman-based assay. We found that our results showed identical tendency with the results of 18S rRNA Taqman assay, especially in lower titer range. Thus, our DBP gene-utilized real time assay can detect Plasmodium vivax in Korean patient group semi-quantitatively and easily.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.89-99
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• 2010

Fibroblasts are the most common cells in connective tissue and are responsible for the synthesis of extracellular matrix components. The fibrosis associated with chronic inflammation and injury may contribute to cholangiocarcinoma pathogenesis, particularly through an increase in extracellular matrix components, which participate in the regulation of bile duct differentiation during development. Mitochondria produce ATP through oxidative metabolism to provide energy to the cell under physiological conditions. Also, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress have been implicated in cellular senescence and aging. Alternations in mitochondrial structure and function are early events of programmed cell death or apoptosis and mitochondria appear to be a central regulator of apoptosis in most somatic cell. Clonorchis sinensis, one of the most important parasite of the human bile duct in East Asia, arouses epithelial hyperplasia and ductal fibrosis. Isolated fibroblast from the bile ducts of rats infected by C. sinensis showed increase of cytoplasmic process. In addition, decrease of cellular proliferation was observed in fibroblasts which was isolated from normal rat bile duct and then cultured in media containing C. sinensis excretory-secretory product. However, the effects of C. sinensis infection on the mitochondrial enzyme distribution is not clearly reported yet. Therefore, we investigated the structural change of C. sinensis infected bile duct and mitochondrial enzyme distribution of the cultured fibroblast isolated from the C. sinensis infected rat bile duct. As a result, C. sinensis infected SD rat bile ducts showed the features of chronic clonorchiasis, such as ductal connective and epithelial tissue dilatation, or ductal fibrosis. In addition, fibroblast in ductal connective tissue was damaged by physical effect of fibrotic tissue and chemical stimulation. Immunohistochemically detected mitochondrial electron transferase (ATPase, COXII, Porin) was decreased in C. sinensis infected rat bile duct and cultured fibroblast from infected rat bile duct. It can be hypothesized that the reason why number of electron transferase decrease in fibroblast isolated from the rat bile duct infected with C. sinensis is because dysfunction of electron transport system is occurred mitochondrial dysfunction, increase of ROS (reactive oxygen species) and apoptosis after chemical damage on the cell caused by C. sinensis infection. Overall, C. sinensis infection induces fibrotic change of ductal connective tissue, mutation of cellular metabolism in fibroblast and mitochondrial dysfunction. Consequently, ductal fibrosis inhibits fibroblast proliferation and decreases mitochondrial electron transferase on fibroblast cytoplasm. It was assumed that the structure of bile duct could not normalized and ductal fibrosis was maintained for a long period of time according to fibroblast metamorphosis and death induced by mitochondrial dysfunction.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.495-500
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• 2017

Hippophae rhamnoides L. (sea buckthorn) is a shrub wood that belongs to the bamboo tree family, and is rich in vitamin C, D, and E; it is referred to as a vitamin tree. It is mainly grown in the high mountains of Europe and Central Asia, and has been widely used in China and Russia as natural medicine. Recent studies have shown that it is effective in the treatment of cancer, liver diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and gastrointestinal diseases. However, results of studies on its effect on the regulation of pain are insufficient. In this study, we investigated the effect of sea buckthorn on the development and control of pain in two facial areas. The experimental animals included 7- to 8-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats (240~260 g). Formalin (5%), which is known as an inflammation inducer, was injected into the vibrissa pad or temporomandibular joints to induce orofacial acute pain. Rubbing or scraping of the region injected with formalin was regarded as a pain index, and the behavioral response was observed for 45 minutes after the injection. Sea buckthorn extract diluted to 150, 300 mg/kg (in 1 ml of distilled water) was orally administered 30 minutes prior to the acute pain. The facial pain behavior was effectively reduced in the 300 mg/kg group when compared to the control group (vehicle). Likewise, in an experiment in which formalin was injected into the temporomandibular joints, effective pain alleviation was confirmed at the same drug concentration. These results suggest that sea buckthorn extract may be useful in the development of therapeutic agents for acute inflammatory pain in the orofacial area and for controlling temporomandibular joint pain.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.18-34
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• 2008

Based on external morphology, each of five species can be classified into three groups: 1) B. falcatum group (B. falcatum, B. scorzonerifolium), 2) B. euphorbioides group (B. euphorbioides) and 3) B. longiradiatum group (B. longiradiatum, B. latissimum). B. falcatum group has cauline leaves linear or lanceolate in shape and attenuate at base and not surrounding the stem. In contrast, B. longiradiatum group and B. euphorbioides group have cauline leaves ovate, lanceolate or panduriform in shape and auriculate or cordate at base and completely surrounding the stem. The inflorescence is basically compound umbels terminated at the apex of stem. But B. euphorbioides group is small in size and pedicels are rather short and the number of the pedicel is ca. 20. On the other hand, B. longiradiatum and B. falcatum groups are large in size and their pedicels are long and the number of the pedicel is around 10. The pore of pollen aperture of B. longiradiatum and B. latissimum is partially projected or not while those of B. falcatum group and B. euphorbioides is usually remarkably projected. The number of somatic chromosomes was counted as 2n=20 in B. falcatum, 2n=12 in B. scorzonerifolium and B. longiradiatum, and 2n=16 in B. euphorbioides and B. latissimum. Although chromosome numbers of B. euphorbioides and B. latissimum are the same, the two species are not likely to relate because the karyotypes of the two species are different from each other. Based on these observations, it can be concluded that B. latissimum is most closely related to B. longiradiatum. However, molecular data indicated that the species is probably related to B. bicaule distributed in central Siberia. In terms of conservation of B. latissimum, overexploitation by human and grazing by goat are most threatened factors.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.85-96
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• 2013

Entrepreneurship courses and programs in Korean universities tend to increase steadily but seem to have some limitations. They are usually recognized as another domain of Business Administration. Entrepreneurship program is practical like Business Administration but should be much more interdisciplinary than that. Because Korean Entrepreneurship programs are in the early stage, they must be reinforced with factors such as education culture, faculties, curriculum and relationships with communities. This study aims to get some implications from Entrepreneurship programs have been run by universities in America in order to facilitate Entrepreneurship program in Korean universities. Based on 11 success factors found by our case universities' Entrepreneurship programs and Kauffman Campus, this study has drawn implications of critical success factors of Entrepreneurship programs as follow. First of all, because Entrepreneurship programs should focus on Entrepreneurship mind sets such as innovative idea generation and courage to overcome risk, it is more desirable that Entrepreneurship programs are introduced in all departments of universities such as Arts, Science and Engineering. These programs also need to take interdisciplinary approach and required to be opened from liberal arts course. In order to be sustained during all their academic careers, vision, mission and strategy for Entrepreneurship programs should be based on strong leadership and support of top leaders. Entrepreneurship culture of each university is also one of the most important success factors. Entrepreneurship programs not only as major programs but also as specific Entrepreneurship minors designed for departments such as Arts, Science and Engineering could be considered according to each university's situation. This study also suggest to make a motivation system for Entrepreneurship faculties, Ph d. programs for Entrepreneurship, communication network for Entrepreneurship programs and mentor system in community. To begin Entrepreneurship programs, it also needs to develop good education contents as many as possible. When it concerned with teaching method, project based 4 year program can be suggested to be effective and efficient. To introduce project based program that should be consistent till participants' graduation, university must prepare regulations to support team teaching, mentor and interdisciplinary cooperation. To dissipate the concept that Entrepreneurship is another version of management, this study support the idea that Entrepreneurship programs should be designed and run by independent and central-focused governance system, Entrepreneurship education center.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.107-124
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• 2015

The 'Imjin System' (or Rimjin System) was established in 1962 as a new stratigraphic unit separated from the Upper Paleozoic Pyeongan System based on the discovery of brachiopods and echinoderms of possible Devonian age. Subsequent discoveries of the Middle Devonian charophytes confirmed the Devonian age of the system. The Imjin System is distributed in the Imjingang Belt between the Pyongnam Basin and the Gyeonggi Massif, spans from the eastern areas including Cholwon-gun of the Gangwon Province, Gumchon-gun, Phanmun-gun, and Tosan-gun of the Hwanghaebuk Province, to the western areas of Gangryong-gun and Ongjin-gun of the Hwanghaenam Province, and includes the Yeoncheon Group (metamorphic complex) to the south. Unlike the lower Paleozoic strata in the Pyongnam Basin which solely produce marine invertebrate fossils, the Imjin System yields diverse non-marine plant and algal fossils. Brachiopods of the system are similar to those from the Devonian of the South China Block and include taxa endemic to the platform, implying a close paleogeographic affinity to the South China Block. The Imjin System is generally considered as of Middle to Late Devonian in age, although there have been suggestions that the system is of the Middle Devonian to Carboniferous in age. North Korean workers postulated that the Imjin System was deposited in the current geographic position, where the "Imjin Sea" (an extension of the South China Platform) was located during the Devonian. The Imjin System displays strong local variations in stratigraphy and its thickness. It has recently been reported that the strata are repeated and overturned by thrust faults in many exposures. The Yeoncheon Group a southward extension of the Imjin System, also experienced intense tight folding and contractional deformation. Northward decrease in metamorphic grade within the system suggests that the northern part of the Gyeonggi Massif and the Imjingang Belt are probably an extension of the Dabie-Sulu Belt between the South China and Sino-Korean blocks, and the Imjin System is an remnant of accretion resulted from the collision between the two blocks. In order to understand tectonic evolution and Paleozoic paleogeography of eastern Asia, further studies on stratigraphic, sedimentologic and tectonic evolution of the Imjin System involving scientists from the two Koreas are urgently needed.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.233-245
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• 2014

Nighttime correction of $CO_2$ flux is one of the most important and challenging tasks in eddy covariance measurements over a complex mountainous terrain. In this study, we have scrutinized the quality and the credibility of the $CO_2$ flux datasets which were produced by employing three different methods of nighttime correction, i.e., (1) friction velocity ($u^*$) correction, (2) light response curve (LRC) correction, and (3) advection-based van Gorsel (VG) correction. The whole year datasets used in our analysis were collected at the two KoFlux tower sites (i.e., GDK deciduous forest site at the upper hill and GCK coniferous forest site at the lower hill) located in the valley of Gwangneung National Arboretum in central Korea. The resultant magnitudes and patterns of ecosystem respiration ($R_E$), gross primary productivity (GPP), and net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of $CO_2$ showed marked differences among the datasets produced with three different correction methods, which were also site-specific. The examination from micrometeorological and ecological perspectives suggests that the major cause of some inconsistency seems to be associated with the advection of $CO_2$ along the sloping terrain and the inappropriate selection of the correction data that might have been already affected by advective flows. The comparison with the results from other studies indicated that the overall characteristics of the corrected $CO_2$ fluxes at GDK and GCK (except those with LRC correction) were well within the ranges reported in the literature for various ecosystems in East Asia in similar latitudes. However, our study also implies that there will be always a room for further improvement in the present datasets. Therefore, caution must be exercised for the data users in order to properly use the updated version of datasets through transparent, open and participatory communication with data producers.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.43-56
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• 1998

The purpose of this study is to identify distributional characteristics of climatic elements and to analyze synoptic characteristics on the pressure fields for spring droughts in Korea. In the distributions of minimum temperature during the spring droughts, positive anomalies and negative anomalies are mixed up, but in March the negative anomaly areas are widely distributed in Korea. It implies that the droughts of March have more frequent occurrences of the west-high, east-low pressure patterns. In the maximum air temperatures, the positive anomalies appear in Korea. It indicates that the spring droughts have rain days, cloud amount and humidities less than normal. As a result, the amount of evaporation is increased in Korea. In the pressure anomaly of surface pressure fields, the positive anomalies appear in the west, negative anomalies in the east in March, but in May the positive anomalies appeared zonally around the Korean peninsula. It indicates that March droughts have more frequent occurrences of the west-high. east-low patterns, but in May the Korean Peninsula has more frequent recurrences of the migratory anticyclone patterns. The height anomaly patterns of 500hPa pressure surface in spring droughts are similarly shown to those of surface fields. In March droughts, the positive height anomalies appear in the west, the negative height anomalies in the east, but in April the negative height anomaly areas are extended to the west part. In May the positive anomalies appear zonally around the Korean Peninsula, and strong positive height anomalies appear around the Kamchatka Peninsula and the sea of Okhotsk. These are the result of circulations that inhibit the eastward movement of westerlies and that has persistent anticyclone circulation patterns around the Korean Peninsula. As a result, the zonal indices of westerlies during March and April droughts are lower than normal, but higher in May. These data indicate that early spring droughts are associated with weak zonal flow, but the late spring droughts are obviously related with strong zonal flow. In addition, during early spring droughts the abnormally deep trough over the west coast of the North Pacific Ocean that accompanied the anticyclone was associated with frequent advection of air from the dry regions in the Central Asia into the Korean Peninsula. The atmospheric circulation patterns at the height of the 500hPa pressure surface in May was quite different from March and April circulation patterns. Instead of the abnormal ridge in the west and trough in the east, the circulation pattern in May was characterized by a much stronger than normal anticyclone over the Korean Peninsula. Also, the zonal indices of westerlies in May are higher than normal. The occurrences of drought in early spring, therefore, have mechanism different from those of late spring.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.237-251
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• 2011

This study presents a review on the recent climate change over the Korean peninsula, which has experienced a significant change due to the human-induced global warming more strongly than other regions. The recent measurement of carbon dioxide concentrations over the Korean peninsula shows a faster rise than the global average, and the increasing trend in surface temperature over this region is much larger than the global mean trend. Recent observational studies reporting the weakened cold extremes and intensified warm extremes over the region support consistently the increase of mean temperature. Surface vegetation greenness in spring has also progressed relatively more quickly. Summer precipitation over the Korean peninsula has increased by about 15% since 1990 compared to the previous period. This was mainly due to an increase in August. On the other hand, a slight decrease in the precipitation (about 5%) during Changma period (rainy season of the East Asian summer monsoon), was observed. The heavy rainfall amounts exhibit an increasing trend particularly since the late 1970s, and a consecutive dry-day has also increased primarily over the southern area. This indicates that the duration of precipitation events has shortened, while their intensity became stronger. During the past decades, there have been more stronger typhoons affecting the Korean peninsula with landing more preferentially over the southeastern area. Meanwhile, the urbanization effect is likely to contribute to the rapid warming, explaining about 28% of total temperature increase during the past 55 years. The impact of El Nino on seasonal climate over the Korean peninsula has been well established - winter [summer] temperatures was generally higher [lower] than normal, and summer rainfall tends to increase during El-Nino years. It is suggested that more frequent occurrence of the 'central-Pacific El-Nino' during recent decades may have induced warmer summer and fall over the Korean peninsula. In short, detection and attribution studies provided fundamental information that needed to construct more reliable projections of future climate changes, and therefore more comprehensive researches are required for better understanding of past climate variations.