• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.8-16
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• 2017

p-Coumaric acid is an organic compound that is a hydroxyl derivative of cinnamic acid. Due to its multiple biological activities p-coumaric acid has been widely studied in biochemical and cellular systems and is also considered as a useful therapeutic candidate for various neuronal diseases. However, the efficacy of p-coumaric acid on zebrafish developmental regulation has not been fully explored. In this study, therefore, we first investigated the action mechanism of the p-coumaric acid on the zebrafish development in a whole-organism model. p-Coumaric acid treated group significantly inhibited the pigmentation of the developing zebrafish embryos compared with control embryos without any severe side effects. In addition, p-coumaric acid down-regulated more effectively in a lower concentration than the well-known zebrafish's melanogenic inhibitor, phenylthiourea. We also compared the molecular docking property of p-coumaric acid with phenylthiourea on the tyrosinase's kojic acid binding site, which is the key enzyme of zebrafish embryo pigmentation. Interestingly, p-coumaric acid interacted with higher numbers of the amino acid residues and exhibited a tight binding affinity to the enzyme than phenylthiourea. Taken all together, these results strongly suggest that p-coumaric acid inhibits the activity of tyrosinase, consequently down-regulating zebrafish embryo pigmentation, and might play an important role in the reduction of dermal pigmentation. Thus, p-coumaric acid can be an effective and non-toxic ingredient for anti-melanogenesis functional materials.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.74-79
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• 1995

Sequence analysis of a DNA region encompassing the site of hybridization to actl, the gene for type II minimal polyketide synthase (PKS) for actinorhodin biosynthesis, from Streptomyces ablus revealed three more complete open reading frames additional to the already found two genes, plausibly encoding ${\beta}-ketoacyl$ synthase/acyl transferase (KS/AT) and chain length determining factor (ClF). The open reading frames (ORFs) were named salA, salD, and salE, from the upstream. In the homology analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences, SalA resembles the Streptomyces glaucescens Tcml, decaketide cyclase, SalD resembles acyl carrier protein in type II PKS, and SalE resembles the Actlll ketoreductase, The whole 4.4 kb of DNA sequence obeys the same conservation pattern as other type II PKSs. Therefore, we suggest that the 4.4 kb DNA from Streptomyces albus encompasses genes encoding enzymes for polyketide biogenesis in the organism and its organization is type II. The exsitence of SaIA, an analogue of the aromatic cyclase, revealed a relatedness of the 4.4 kb DNA with the aromatic PKS.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.332-338
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• 2018

In August of 2011, a wilting disease of ginseng was observed at Bongwha, Gyeongbuk province, Korea. Affected plants initially show withering symptoms on leaves of ginseng. As the disease progresses, withering leaves spread downward, eventually encompassing the whole plant. Leaves lose vigor but remain pale green. Symptoms of roots were brown, and soft rots characterized by moist and watery decay of the whole ginseng root, which initiated as small brown, water-soaked lesions of hairy roots and enlarged to the entire roots. The causal organism isolated from the infected roots was identified as Serratia plymuthica based on its physiological and biochemical characteristics, by cellular fatty acid composition (GC-FAME), the utilization of carbon sources (BioLog System), and 16S rRNA sequence of the isolated bacterium were 99% homologous to those of Serratia plymuthica strains. Artificial inoculation of the bacterium produced the same brown or soft rot symptoms on the ginseng roots, from which the same bacterium was isolated. This is the first report of bacterial root rot caused by the Serratia plymuthica in ginseng in Korea. Serratia plymuthica has been used as antagonistic microorganism for biological control on several crop plants. But it was proved pathogen of ginseng at humid condition in this study.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.915-921
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• 2015

Context: In the last half century, discovering, developing and introducing of clinical agents from marine sources have seen great successes, with examples including the anti-cancer compound trabectedin. However, with increasing need for new anticancer drugs, further exploration for novel compounds from marine organism sources is strongly justified. Objective: The major aim of this study was to evaluate the antitumor and antioxidant potential of Sargassum tenerrimum J.Agardh (Sargassaceae) on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) in Swiss albino mice. Materials and Methods: An ethanol extract of S. tenerrimum (EEST) from whole algae was used to evaluate cytotoxicity followed by in vivo assessment of toxicity, using biochemical parameters including hepatic and non-hepatic enzymes. Antioxidant properties were examined in animals bearing EAC treated with daily oral administration of 100-300 mg/kg extract suspension. Results: Antitumor effects of EEST in EAC bearing mice was observed with LD50 1815 mg/kg. Parameters like body weight, tumor volume, packed cell volume, tumor cell count, mean survival time and increase in life span in animals in the EAC bearing animals treated with EEST 300 mg/kg was comparable with control group. Significant differences were also seen with changes in total protein content, hepatic enzymes contents, MDA level, and free radical scavenging enzymes in untreated vs. EEST treated group animals. Conclusions: Evaluation of antioxidant enzymes and hepatic enzymes in the EAC animal model treated with EEST exhibited similar effects as the positive control drug 5-flurouracil. S. tenerrimum extracts contain effective antioxidants with significant antitumor activity.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.907-920
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• 2006

This study was conducted to investigate the inhibitory activity of Lactobacillus spp., Bacillus ssp., and calf fecal isolates against pathogenic Salmonella typhimurium, E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus. Among thirteen strains of Lactobacillus ssp. tested, Lactobacillus helveticus CU631 showed the highest inhibition against three pathogens, whereas Bacillus spp. showed a weak inhibitory activity. Four calf fecal isolates were identified as Lactobacillus pentosus CU13, CU05, Pediococcus pentosaceus CUR02, and Lactobacillus lactis ssp. lactis CUM14. The whole cell and cell wall components of L. rhamnosus CU02 and L. pentosus CU13 were active in the inhibition of L. monocytogenes. The medium components and levels, which affect on the inhibitory activity, were revealed as Tween 80 1.0%, peptone 3.0%, yeast extract 3.0%, glucose 3.0%, beef extract 3.0%, and NaCl 1.0～3.0%, respectively. Inhibitory activity of the supernatant culture medium was not affected by catalase and proteinase K treatment but affected by heat treatment at 80℃ and netralization, which implies that the inhibitory activity is due to the production of organic acids during the growth. L. pentosus CU13 and L. rhamnosus CU02 exhibited broad inhibition spectrum against 16 out of 21 strains including some pathogens. Oral administration of L. rhamnosus CU02 to the mice infected with E. coli O157:H7 was proven to be effective to recover their body weight during the experimental period.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.16
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• pp.69-85
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• 2003

Death has been one of the basic objects in philosophy and religion. Why do people feel afraid about death? Maybe it is because they don't know the situation after death or because they have a wrong idea about it. Someone may think that he/she doesn't care the situation. But this attitude is wrong. We must understand that our attitude about life is shaped by our knowledge of the situation after death. A recurrent theme about death in popular thought is the idea that death is mysterious. As we have seen, it is difficult to formulate a satisfactory philosophical analysis of the concept of death. If it is impossible to analyse the concept of death, then it is impossible to explain precisely what we mean when we say that something dies. It might be said therefore that, in virtue of this fact, death is mysterious. Of course, death is not distinctively mysterious - all other unanalysable concepts are equally mysterious in this way. Reflection on death gives rise to a variety of philosophical questions. One of the deepest of these is a question about the nature of death. Typically, philosophers interpret this question as a call for an analysis or definition of the concept of death. Plato, for example, proposed to define death as the separation of soul from body. However, this definition is not acceptable to those who think that there are no souls. It is also unacceptable to anyone who thinks that plants and lower animals have no souls, but can nonetheless die. Others have defined death simply as the cessation of life. This too is problematic, since an organism that goes into suspended animation ceases to live, but may not actually die. The eastern philosophers proposed to define death as the nonduality of life and death. Taoists, for example, do not believe in the Wheel of Life of the Buddhists nor in the Heaven or Hell of Christianity. Taoists view existence as glorious. The whole Universe, they teach, is a marvelous, vibrant Unity wherein everything, visible and invisible, pulses with energy and changes. As being develops through the experience of existence, its vessels are swept onwards by the mighty stream of the eternal TAO to other forms of expression and activity. Man does not die; he merely extends into new fields. Taoists teach that the end of a person is the return to the Ultimate Reality. "Life is uncertain - Death is certain": This is a well known saying in Buddhism. Knowing very well that death is certain and it is a natural phenomenon that everyone has to face, we should not be afraid of death. Yet, instinctively, all of us fear death because we do not know how to think of its inevitability. We like to cling to our life and body and so develop too much craving and attachment.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.419-426
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• 2006

A thermophilic microorganism, strain JE 375, which produces a thermostable protease, was isolated from soil and compost in Korea. This gram-positive, rod-shaped, catalase positive, motility positive, and hemolysis ${\beta}$ containing organism was implicated in glucose fermentation, mannitol fermentation, xylose oxidation, aerobic activity and spore formation. The color of the colony was yellowish white. The temperature range for growth at pH 6.5 was between 55 and $70^{\circ}C$, with an optimum growth temperature of $65^{\circ}C$. This result confirmed the strain JE 375 as a thermophilic microorganism. The enzyme was produced aerobically at $65^{\circ}C$ during 20 hr in a medium (pH 6.5) containing 1% trypton. 1% maltose, 0.5% yeast extract and 1% NaCl. The 16S rDNA of strain JE 375 had 97.6% sequence similarity with the 16S rDNA of Bacillus caldoxyloyticus. On the basis of biochemical and physiological properties and phylogenetic analysis, we named the isolated strain as Bacillus sp. JE 375. The thermostable protease from Bacillus sp. JE 375 had been partially purified and characterized. The molecular weight of the enzyme was deduced from SDS-PAGE and gel chromatography as 55 kDa and its optimal temperature was $60^{\circ}C$. The enzyme showed its highest activity at pH 7.5 and was stable from pH 7.0 to 8.0.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.23-32
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• 2013

This study represents something in common and differences of organic characteristics between early modern architecture and contemporary architecture analysing F. L. Wright's Robie House and Toyo Ito's Sendai Mediatheque. A natural organic body cannot be separated from the natural environment, and each part of an architecture has each own property and forms a whole at the same time. That is a basic concept of organic architecture, and a framework for analysis is set up based on it. The followings are similarities and differences of organic concept and interpretation between Wright's Robie House and Ito's Sendai Mediatheque First, Wright' Robie house unites with the natural surrounding, using a physically close connection to the ground. In contract, Ito's Mediatheque shows characteristics of noncentural and fluidic space that are metaphorically reflecting tangible and intangible of factors in modern city, where there is an ambiguous physical boundary between architecture and urban environment. Next, floors, walls and ceilings of Wright's housing as for basic building blocks are physically separated and at the same time form formative unity from the point of view of a physical and structural organic body. And continuous flow of faces of separated walls form an organism united with the nature from a physical aspect. On the contrary to this, there is an no-boudary and floating organic architecture of integrated structure from ambiguous setting of relation between architecture and urban space in Ito's architecture. Especially, Mediatheque shows semantic integration of floating urban environmental factors through horizontal and vertical integration of horizontal slabs, vertical pipes, and skins. Last, horizontal and vertical factors of Wright' Housing is appreciated as an basic experienced structure in terms of spacial perception and fluidic inner spaces in Wright's housing is completed with a series of spatial experiences in a visual sense. On the other hand, no-boundary and floating space of Ito's architecture accept user's physical and virtual body. Especially, there is an integration transcending beyond time and space, accepting an imaginary body and events with the course of time at Ito's Mediatheque.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.97-108
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• 2000

Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) is an essential tool of proteomics to analyse the entire set of proteins of an organism and its variation between organisms. Helicobacter pylori was tried to identify differences between strains. As the first step, whole H. pylori was lysed using high concentration urea contained lysis buffer [9.5 M Urea, 4% CHAPS, 35 mM Tris, 65 mM DTT, 0.01% SDS and 0.5% Ampholite (Bio-Rad, pH 3-10)]. The extract ($10\;{\mu}g$) was rehydrated to commercially available immobilised pH gradient (IPG) strips, then the proteins were separated according to their charges as the first dimensional separation. The IPG strips were placed on Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) to separate according to molecular mass of the proteins as the second dimension. The separated protein spots were visualised by silver staining in order to compare different expression of proteins between strains. Approximately 120 spots were identified in each mini-protein electrophoresised gel, furthermore about 65 to 75 spots were regarded as identical proteins in terms of pI value and molecular weight between strains used. In addition, distinct differences were found between strains, such as 219-1, Y7 and Y14, CH150. Two representative strains were examined using strips which had pH range from 4 to 7. This strips showed a number of isoforms which were considered large spots on pH range 3-10. Furthermore, the rest of spots on pH 4-7 IPG strips appeared very distinctive compared to broad range IPG strips. 2-DE seems to be an excellent tool for analysing and identifying variations between H. pylori strains.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.145-152
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• 2016

Epidermis is continuously regenerated by keratinocyte stem cells (KSCs) residing in basement membrane, which is critical to the survival of an organism. KSCs are believed to persist during the whole lifetime and generate an enormous number of keratinocytes, required for the maintenance of epidermis, through transit amplifying cells dividing definite times until they become differentiated. In this report, we have developed a phenolic compound, paeonol, purified from Moutan Cortex, as a KSC proliferation activator, by screening about 350 herbal compounds. The cell proliferation activation by paeonol is specific for KSC not for keratinocyte, and no significant difference in the expression of p63 protein, a KSC marker, in KSCs treated with paeonol was observed in FACS analysis with anti-p63 antibody. In the colony forming assay, paeonol-treated KSC showed improved colony forming activity more than 1.3 fold. In addition, the result of PCR array shows that the activity of paeonol is through several signal pathways involving stem cell functions. These results suggest that paeonol could enhance KSC proliferation activity without reduction in stemness and could be applied to cosmetics as a KSC activating ingredient.