• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.29-64
• /
• 1973

A land resources survey in the semi-arid area, Mula in S. E. Spain, of $400km^2$ is compiled. The basic aim of the project is to investigate the intrinsic qualities of the land resources of the area by means of applying an integrated method of natural resources survey mainly concerning with analysis and synthesis of land complexes, each of them represents an area or a group of areas with similar patterns of landforms, soils and vegetation, based on a geomorphological approach. The area is characterized by a linear arrangement of relief pattern with an asymmetric homoclinal repetition of slope attitudes elongating WSW-ENE, dipping steeply on the NW sides and gently on the SE sides, which have been resulted from the post-Alpine folding of the Triassic to Cretaceous limestone, the Eocene limestone, the Oligocene sandstone and the lower Miocene limestone and marl, and the post-lower Miocene faulting, tilting and subsequent differential erosion of the Miocene sedimentary formations. An integrated body of information in geology, landforms, soils and vegetation, which are significantry interrelated as an environmental complex, has been obtained. Using this data, 26 land complexes developing on the various situations of landforms, such as folded mountain ranges, tilted tablelands, bevelled cuestas, degraded hill-lands associating with enormous foots lopes, undulating terrains and terraced or flat plains, have been differentiated, mapped and described. The soils of the area are mostly light colored calcic lithosols which have been derived dominantly from the marly parent materials and developed into remarkable slope catenas in some places depending on the relief conditions. The land uses of the area are mainly characterized by the perennially irrigated cultivation of citrus orchards along the terraced alluvial deposits fringing the Segura and Mula River, and the dry-land cereal cultivation on gentler slopes. Pioneer dry-land cultivations within the shrubs on steeper slopes are restricted to the unchannelled tributary drainage floors. The availability of water is a fundamental controlling factor for existence of native and cultivated vegetation as a whole, and a number of active processes including sheet wash and gully erosion, especially on the scarp slopes, are the other important factors to be considered in conservation and management of the land in the area.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.86-95
• /
• 2002

As a result of genome projects, the research to elucidate the function of a protein of interest has recently been well-recognized. In order to facilitate functional genomics, a useful mammalian gene expression vector is required. Using an infectious CDNA clone of BVDV pNADLclns-, we have developed a mammalian gene expression vector. In this study, a replication-competent full-length infectious CDNA clone containing puremycin acetyltransferase (pac) gene (pNADLclns-/pac) was successfully generated. The viral RNA replication and viral protein NS3 synthesis were examined by detecting metabollically $^{32}P$-labelled genomic viral RNA and immunoblotting with a mouse anti-NS3 antibody. To generate viral replicon as an expression vector, we examine if the viral structural genes (C, E0, El, E2) are required for viral replication by deletion analysis. As a result, all of the structural proteins are dispensable for viral replication per se, but essential for infectious viral particle formation. Based on our deletion analysis, we have generated a replication-competent BVDV viral replicon (pNADLclns-/pac/${\Delta}S$), whose structural genes are all deleted. In addition to NADLclns- /pac/${\Delta}S$, NADLclns-/ luc/${\Delta}S$ viral replicon containing luciferase gene as a reporter was constructed and fecund to be replication-compotent in HeLa and BHK cells as well as MDBK cells. Therefore, BVDV viral replicon developed in our study will be a useful tool to express a protein of interest in various mammalian cells.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nutrition Society Conference
• /
• 1995.11b
• /
• pp.11-34
• /
• 1995

Growth hormone (GH) plays a key role in regulating postnatal growth and can stimulate growth of animals by acting directly on specific receptors on the plasma membrane of tissues or indirectly through stimulating insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I synthesis and secretion by the liver and other tissues. IGF-I and IGF-Ⅱ are polypeptides with structural similarity with proinsulin that stimulate cell proliferation by endocrine, paracrine and autocrine mechanisms. The initial event in the metabolic action of IGFs on target cells appears to be their binding to specific receptors on the plasma membrane. Current evidence indicates that the mitogenic actions of both IGFs are mediated primarily by binding to the type I IGF receptors, and that IGF action is also mediated by interactions with IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs). Six distinct IGFBPs have been identified that are characterized by cell-specific interaction, transcriptional and post-translational regulation by many different effectors, and the ability to either potentiate or inhibit IGF actions. Nutritional deficiencies can have their devastating consequence during growth. Although IGF-I is the major mediator of GH's action on somatic growth, nutritional status of an organism is a critical regulator of IGF-I and IGFBPs. Various nutrient deficiencies result in decreased serum IGF-I levels and altered IGFBP levels, but the blood levels of GH are generally unchanged or elevated in malnutrition. Effects of protein, energy, vitamin C and D, and zinc on serum IGF and IGFBP levels and tissue mRNA levels were reviewed in the text. Multiple factors are involved in the regulation of intestinal epithelial cell growth and differentiation. Among these factors the nutritional status of individuals is the most important. The intestinal epithelium is an important site for mitogenic action of the IGFs in vivo, with exogenous IGF-I stimulating mucosal hyperplasia. Therefore, the IGF system appears to provide and important mechanism linking nutrition and the proliferation of intestinal epithelial cells. In order to study the detailed mechanisms by which intestinal mucosa is regulated, we have utilized IEC-6 cells, an intestinal epithelial cell line and Caco-2 cells, a human colon adenocarcinoma cell line. Like intestinal crypt cells analyzed in vivo or freshly isolated intestinal epithelial cells, IEC-6 cells and Caco-2 cells possess abundant quatities of both type Ⅰ and type Ⅱ IGF receptors. Exogenous IGFs stimulate, whereas addition of IGFBP-2 inhibits IEC-6 cell proliferation. To investigate whether endogenously secreted IGFBP-2 inhibit proliferation, IEC-6 cells were transfected with a full-length rat IGFBP-2 cDNA anti-sense expression construct. IEC-6 cells transfected with anti-sense IGFBP-2 protein in medium. These cells grew at a rate faster than the control cells indicating that endogenous IGFBP-2 inhibits proliferation of IEC-6 cells, probably by sequestering IGFs. IEC-6 cells express many characteristics of enterocyte, but do not undergo differentiation. On the other hand, Caco-2 cells undergo a spontaneous enterocyte differentiation. On the other hand, Caco-2 cells undergo a spontaneous enterocyte differentiation after reaching confluency. We have demonstrated that Caco-2 cells produce IGF-Ⅱ, IGFBP-2, IGFBP-3, and an as yet unidentified 31,000 Mr IGFBP, and that both mRNA and peptide secretion of IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-3 increased, but IGFBP-4 mRNA and protein secretion decreased after the cells reached confluency. These changes occurred in parallel to and were coincident with differentiation of the cells, as measured by expression of sucrase-isomaltase. In addition, Caco-2 cell clones forced to overexpress IGFBP-4 by transfection with a rat IGFBP-4 cDNA construct exhibited a significantly slower growth rate under serum-free conditions and had increased expression of sucrase-isomaltase compared with vector control cells. These results indicate that IGFBP-4 inhibits proliferation and stimulates differentiation of Caco-2 cells, probably by inhibiting the mitogenic actions of IGFs.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.324-331
• /
• 2008

Introduction : Korean red ginseng has been shown to have an preventive effect on atheroma formation and enhancing effect on nitric oxide synthesis in endothelial cell inducing vasodilatation. However, there are few studies showing the effect of Korean red ginseng on blood pressure and vascular(endothelial) pathologic changes together. We designed this study to show changes of blood pressure and vascular pathologic findings with Korean red ginseng administration compared with Chinese red ginseng and control for 3 months in rats. Materials and methods : We studied the in vitro hypotensive effect and effect on vascular pathologic changes of Korean red ginseng compared with Chinese red ginseng and control. Rats were randomly assigned to three groups(Korean red ginseng, Chinese red ginseng and control) and evaluated by blood pressure and aortic vascular(endothelial) pathologic changes monthly during 3-month administration. All results were analyzed by paired T-test, ANOVA and post-hoc. Results : Blood pressure lowering effect was noted on Korean red ginseng and Chinese red ginseng compared to control. Especially, in Korean red ginseng group, hypotensive effect was showed in first and second month, but, in Chinese red ginseng group, it was just noted in first month. In case of vascular(aortic endothelial) pathologic finding, endothelial wall thickening and elastic fiber tearing were noted in Chinese red ginseng group compared with Korean red ginseng group and control with statistical significance.(p<0.05) Discussion : These results suggested Korean red ginseng could have more hypotensive effect and maintenance rather than Chinese red ginseng. And the difference of hypotensive effect between Korean red ginseng and Chinese red ginseng might has some association with difference of vascular pathologic findings in each group. However, further evaluation and research of other mechanism will be needed to convince this hypothesis.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.301-306
• /
• 2016

Vitamin K (phylloquinone) is an essential cofactor in the synthesis of active blood-clotting factors II, VII, IX and X. Deficiency of vitamin K leads to inadequate activity of these factors, resulting in bleeding. In this study, we investigated vitamin $K_1$ content of agricultural products that are widely and specifically grown in Korea including 9 leaves and vegetables, 16 fruits, and 11 cereals and specialty crops. Vitamin $K_1$ analysis of the agro-samples was by a validated, modified, reversed phase-HPLC method with fluorescence detection after post-column derivatization. The vitamin $K_1$ content ranged from 1.83 to $682.73{\mu}g$/100 g in leaves and vegetables, 0.17 to $28.22{\mu}g$/100 g in fruits, and ND to $279{\mu}g$/100 g in cereals and specialty crops. Among the 36 samples, high content of vitamin $K_1$ were found in Gugija (Lycium chinense Miller) leaves (average $682.73{\mu}g$/100 g) and Hansan ramie leaves (average $423.12{\mu}g$/100 g); however, mushroom, amaranth and Chinese artichoke showed no detectable levels. The results of ourstudy provide reliable vitamin $K_1$ content of Korean grown agricultural products that expand nutritional information and food composition database.

• Journal of Apiculture
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.139-146
• /
• 2017

Floral scent emitted from many plants is the critical factors for pollinator attraction and defense for adaptation in environments. The fragrance components of flowers are different in composition by geographical origins, climate factors and the development stages of flowers. In the present study, we investigated the volatile-floral compounds in flowers of Robinia pseudoacacia L. and defined the chemical contribution for flowering periods. The volatile compounds analysis was performed by gas chromatography with mass selective detector after solid phase microextraction (SPME). We reported different compositional features of fragrance compounds according to flowering periods. The abundant compounds identified in stage 1 were ${\alpha}$-pinene (66.80%) and ${\beta}$-pinene (26.53%). Those of the stage 2 were (Z)-${\beta}$-ocimene (37.57%), ${\alpha}$-pinene (15.16%), benzaldehyde (16.63%), linalool (12.13%). The volatiles of stage 3 comprised an abundance of (Z)-${\beta}$-ocimene (64.94%), ${\alpha}$-pinene (9.84%), linalool (8.92%), benzaldehyde (1.71%). Leaf volatiles were distinct from those in the reproductive plant parts by their high relative amount of (E)-${\beta}$-ocimene (23.50%) and (Z)-3-Hexenyl acetate (27.87%). Differences in flower scents of the different stages and leaves are discussed in light of biochemical constraints on volatile chemical synthesis and of the role of flower scent in evolutionary ecology of R. pseudoacacia.