• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.413-440
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• 2010

Since 2000, as importance of sourcing energy emphasized caused by instability of international oil price, interests toward Caspian countries as an alternative markets has increased. Especially, Azerbaijan, as middle Asian emerging exporting country, has performed drastic economic boom because of massive amount of foreign capital flowed in and construction of BTC pipeline. However, despite this economic surge, there are unbalanced economy which is merely focusing on energy industry and pressure from increase in real exchange rate and inflation. In order to analyze the sustainability of Azerbaijan economy, the total sample time period of this paper is from January 2001 to December 2007 and the term is divided into before and after BTC line construction. Vector Error-Correction Model has been applied to analysis confirming short-term and long-term effect. As a result, Azerbaijan now face the symptoms of the recession during the time period and this is due to high oil price and increase in export influenced by BTC oil pipeline resulting in decrease in real interest rate. This conclusion is to affect competitiveness of manufacturing industry, base industry for economic proliferation, in a negative way.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.161-168
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• 2012

The abnormal maturation and ossification of articular chondrocytes play a central role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). Inhibiting the enzymatic degradation of the extracellular matrix and maintaining the cellular phenotype are two of the major goals of interest in managing OA. Ginseng is frequently taken orally, as a crude substance, as a traditional medicine in Asian countries. Ginsenoside $Rb_1$, a major component of ginseng that contains an aglycone with a dammarane skeleton, has been reported to exhibit various biological activities, including anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects. However, a chondroprotective effect of ginsenoside $Rb_1$ related to OA has not yet been reported. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the chondroprotective effect of ginsenoside $Rb_1$ on the regulation of pro-inflammatory factors and chondrogenic genes. Cultured rat articular chondrocytes were treated with 100 ${\mu}M$ ginsenoside $Rb_1$ and/or 500 ${\mu}M$ hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) and assessed for viability, reactive oxygen species production, nitric oxide (NO) release, and chondrogenic gene expression. Ginsenoside $Rb_1$ treatment resulted in reductions in the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine and NO in $H_2O_2$-treated chondrocytes. The expression levels of chondrogenic genes, such as type II collagen and SOX9, were increased in the presence of ginsenoside $Rb_1$, whereas the expression levels of inflammatory genes related to chondrocytes, such as MMP1 and MMP13, were reduced by approximately 50%. These results suggest that ginsenoside $Rb_1$ has potential for use as a therapeutic agent in OA patients.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
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• v.10 no.1 s.34
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• pp.23-37
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• 2007

Since 1964, HSR, which was opened in Japan, has had a hoge impact on the world. Historically, HSR has similar characteristics to the Roman Road, which promoted rapid movement and hada great influence on international society as transport infrastructure. Recently the development of HSR has become more rapid because of economic, environmental and external cost concern, emphasizing Environmentally Sustainable Transport(EST). In particular, the external cost has become more important factor for justifying HSR. The successful factors of HSR are high demand and cost minimal construction costs. There are two successful HSR models, the Japanese and the French. The former operates based on high demand oriented and the latter focuses on its minimizing costs. The demand orientated model means HSR carries over 100,000 passengers per day as in Japan and Far East Asian countries. The cost minimized model focuses on lower operation and construction costs as in France. In particular, Germany carries both passengers and freight on HSR. The construction costs in Germany are in between those of Japan and France. In future, Korea, Taiwan and China HSR will follow Japan's successful model because of high population density and concentration of economic activity along railway lines. This paper supports Vickerman's argument that HSR is justified where there is a demand of between 12 million and 15 million railway passenger a year(about 40thousand persons/day) between two urban center. This will be shown in the future in Korea, in Taiwan and China. Finally, this paper reviews that HSR activates at 250km/h for dedicated new lines and 200km/h for upgraded lines. In particular, it is successful in area of high population density and cost minimizing technology.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.121-145
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• 2008

Northeast Asia is increasingly making a transition to distinctive and crucial region in the 21st Century and growing into one of world's top three economic spheres along with the EU and NAFTA. In 2003, Korean government announced the Northeast Asian economic hub country plan as an important agenda. As a means of coping with the changing global environment, Korean government designated Incheon in 2003 as the country's first Free Economic Zone ahead of Busan and Gwangyang Bay in the south of the country because Incheon has a geographical advantage linking North America and Europe with Incheon International Airport and Incheon Seaport. The purpose of this paper is to make research on establishment and operation of an arbitral body entitled ${\ulcorner}International Arbitration Center{\lrcorner}$ (IAC) within Incheon Free Economic Zone(IFEZ). For the purpose of this, the writer in this paper, reviewed the necessity of the IAC's establishment and its legal basis as well as the role and function of the Center. Also, the writer presented plans for how to operate the IAC and how to cooperate with the key arbitral organizations of foreign countries for the settlement promotion of commercial disputes including trade and investment. With development of the IFEZ, world-renowned enterprises will invest in the Incheon economic bloc and conduct economic activities, business operation, marketing, logistics, financing, etc. In this connection, diverse types of commercial disputes are expected to occur between foreign companies entering the IFEZ and Korean firms. In this connection, the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board(KCAB) has been operating its liaison office in the IFEZ since 2004. However, in view of the increasing arbitration demand, the IAC should be set up in the IFEZ in the near future by the positive support of the government in the respect of both administration and finance because the free economic zone-related law provides for the installation of arbitration organization. For the success of the IAC, the Center will have to provide not only good quality of arbitral services that can satisfy arbitration parties but also need to conduct researches and make efforts so that arbitration can be utilized well in the IFEZ. If the IFEZ can provide advantageous business environments to those multinational enterprises intending to the Incheon economic bloc, the IAC will also contribute to the settlement of commercial disputes arising from the Gaeseong Industrial Complex in North Korea in view of the geographical advantage and logistic benefit of the IFEZ. Finally, this paper also suggests a new model for a joint dispute resolution system by the initiative of Korean government and Korean arbitral organizations for the settlement of commercial disputes within Northeast Asia, for which the CAMCA(Commercial Arbitration and Mediation Center for the Americas) of NAFTA can be a good example.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.401-408
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• 2017

Salvia plebeia R. Br. (Lamiaceae) has been used in folk medicines in Asian countries, including Korea and China, to treat inflammatory diseases. The focus of our research was on the anti-adipogenic activity of ethanol extract from Salvia plebeia R. Br. (SPE) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. This study investigated inhibition of differentiation and lipogenesis upon SPE treatment in 3T3-L1 cells. The results reveal that SPE at non-cytotoxic concentration significantly suppressed triglyceride accumulation and reduced expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-alpha, and sterol regulatory element-binding protein as adipogenic transcription factors in 3T3-L1 adipocytes compared to non-treated control cells. Inducible phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase, acetyl CoA carboxylase, and hormone-sensitive lipase as well as carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 mRNA expression increased upon SPE treatment, which suppressed expression of fatty acid synthase. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that SPE can inhibit expression of adipogenic genes in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Our study suggests that SPE has potential anti-obesity effects and is a novel therapeutic functional agent with anti-adipogenic activity via reduction of lipogenesis.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.42 no.2 s.119
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• pp.258-279
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• 2007

Culture and art are emerging as main components in the creative economy to enhance the competitiveness of urban centres in the global market by nurturing cultural or artistic industries. A range of research exists which investigates the role of artists and art museums in the process of urban regeneration in Northern American and Western European countries. Yet research into the geography of at galleries acting as an intermediary between art works and cultural consumers remain rare. Empirical research on gentrification and urban regeneration and their connection with spaces for cultural consumption in Asian cities is even less common. The aim of this paper is to show the rise and decline of art galleries in Seoul and the way that this reflects urban development process, historically specific conditions and the characteristics of artists' communities. The background of the locational agglomeration of an galleries is examined in connection with the human ecology of artists, art business and its implication for the global market. The location of art galleries in Seoul seems to be affected by commercial art business and public policy, rather than by artists communities embedded in local areas. The location dynamics of art gallery clusters in Seoul is examined in the context of rent increases, changes of consumers' taste and fluctuating market cycles.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.191-200
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• 2017

As Korea experienced a Asian foreign exchange crisis in 1997 and a world financial crisis in 2008, the social structure of Korea has undergone many changes. The problem of polarization has become more serious, and the social class has become harder to move between strata. This problem has been accompanied by a growing sense of crisis that the power of social development can be lost along with the problem of population cliffs. Behind the crisis is a reflection of the fact that the growth-oriented economic policies and welfare policies implemented in various European countries can not solve the problem. As an alternative to this, the emergence of social enterprises is attracting attention. Social enterprises have the characteristic of seeking to generate economic profit in order to achieve the purpose of the public interest to provide jobs to the underprivileged. In recent years, the importance of social ventures to expand the scope of new social enterprises in innovative ways has increased. The social venture is a venture business in that it takes risks to develop new areas, not existing business areas, but it also has the character of a social enterprise to achieve the public interest. In other words, an innovative corporate model that provides a creative and challenging solution of social problems in the venture spirit. Although the interest and importance of social enterprises and social ventures are increasing, this academic research is still lacking. The purpose of this study is to introduce and analyze cases of successful social enterprises and social ventures in order to reflect these social interests and their importance and to fill the gap of previous studies. In addition, I hope that this study will stimulate interest and research on the start - up of social venture.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.258-264
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• 2013

Herbal medicine has been traditionally used in Asian countries for a long time. Many pharmacological effects are identified in the herbs and these herbs are believed to be safe for human. However, the safety or adverse effect of some traditional herbal medicines has not been established. We have chosen Cyperi rhizoma based on the Korea Herbal Pharmacopoeia and which have been widely used for an anti-inflammatory effect in Korea. The object of the study was to evaluate safety of Cyperi rhizoma in rats. The aqueous extract of Cyperi rhizoma was prepared according to the standard hot water extraction method of the Korea Pharmacopoeia. In the sub-chronic study, the aqueous extract of Cyperi rhizoma was orally administered once daily as 0, 125, 250, 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg/day to male and female F344 rats for 13 weeks. There were no treatment related abnormalities in mortality, clinical signs, food consumption, ophthalmologic examination, hematology, serum chemistry, urinalysis, gross observation, organ weight and histopathologic examination. In conclusion, The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Cyperi rhizoma aqueous extract was determined as more than 2000 mg/kg/day in the present experimental condition.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.456-460
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• 2008

Santalum album has been used as a folk medicine for treatment of skin diseases, inflammation, gonorrhea, gleet, and cystitis in India and other Asian countries. In a search for possible bioactive agents from natural sources, we found that the various solvent extracts of S. album showed significant antioxidative effect in 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity test and moderate other biological functions submitted to the several bioassay systems for whitening and cytotoxicity evaluations. Among the tested extracts displayed DPPH radical scavenging activity, and the 70% acetone extract showed the most potent activity with an $IC_{50}$ value of $18.6\;{\mu}g/ml$, more potent than a positive control, L-ascorbic acid ($IC_{50}$, $28.7\;{\mu}g/mL$). Also, anti-lipid peroxidation, tyrosinase inhibitory, and cytotoxic effects were determined in each experiment. Total phenolic content of 70% acetone extract was found to be 117.1 mg equivalent of gallic acid per g of extract. Previous phytochemical investigation reveals the presence of phenolic compounds. The results indicate that S. album possess potential antioxidant activity and phenolic constituents are responsible for this capacity.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.307-314
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• 2011

Cordyceps (vegetable wasp and plant worm), an entomopathogenic fungi, has been used as a herbal medicine in Asian countries since ancient times. Cordyceps nutans is common but there is little research on this species. This study investigated the optimal culture conditions of C. nutans and the inhibitory effect on nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 cell treated culture broth. The optimal conditions for the mycelial growth were $25^{\circ}C$ and pH 7.0-8.0. Mycelial growth was highest on mushroom complete medium (MCM), V8 juice agar (V8A), and yeast malt dextrose (YMD) medium. Mycelial growth on mushroom minimal medium (MMM) did not occur, so nutrient source was essential. Dextrose and sucrose as carbon sources, and ammonium citrate as a nitrogen source were satisfactory for mycelial growth. Cytotoxicity of C. nutans culture broth was not found in RAW 264.7 cells. C. nutans culture broth suppressed NO production of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cell in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, our results provided the optimal conditions for cultivation of C. nutans and showed that C. nutans may have excellent physiological activities.