• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.324-330
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• 2015

In this study, the anti-diabetic activity of a cold water extract of Korean mistletoe (KME) was investigated in C57BL/6J Lep ob (ob/ob) mice. Oral administration of KME (50 or 100 mg/kg/d) significantly inhibited the level of blood glucose of ob/ob mice after 5 days from the beginning of KME treatment. And the anti-diabetic effect of KME was stabilized 10 days after oral administration, showing a substantial reduction of blood glucose levels by more than 20% as compared with control mice. The results of oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) revealed that oral administration of KME gave rise to a remarkable improvement in overall glucose response. Oral administration of KME in ob/ob diabetic mice also significantly reduced blood total cholesterol (TCHO) and triglyceride (TG) levels compared with the diabetic control mice. Moreover, in an in vitro experiment using C2C12 myotubes, treatment of KME prominently increased glucose uptake. Interestingly, KME significantly increased the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-${\alpha}$ ($PGC-1{\alpha}$), a head regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative metabolism, and $PGC-1{\alpha}$-associated genes such as glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4), estrogen-related receptor-${\alpha}$ ($ERR-{\alpha}$), nuclear respiratory factor-1 (NRF-1), and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TmfA) in C2C12 cells. These results suggest that KME has potential as a novel therapeutic agent for diabetes, and its anti-diabetic activity may be related to the regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.14
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• pp.517-534
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• 2007

Since the beginning of human society, there have always been struggles and competitions for survival and prosperity, terrorism is not a recent phenomenon, however in modern times it has progressed to reflect the advances in civilization and power structures. At the time of the 9.11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. A., a new world order was in the process of being established after the breakdown of the Cold War era. The attacks drove both the Western and the Islamic worlds into heightened fear of terrorism and war, which threatened the quality of life of the whole mankind. Through two war campaigns against the Islamic world, it seems the U.S. has been pushing its own militaristic security road map of the Greater Middle East democratic initiative, justifying it as a means to retaliate and eradicate the terrorist threats towards themselves. However, with its five-year lopsided victories that cost the nation almost four thousand military casualties, and the war expenses that could match the Vietnam war, the U.S. does not yet seem to be totally emancipated from the fears of terrorism. Terrorism, in itself, is a means of resisting forced rules a form of alternative competition by the weak against the strong, and a way of expressing a dismissive response against dictatorial ideas or orders which allow for no normal changes. Intrinsically, the nature of terrorism is a reaction opposing power logics. Confronted with the absolute military power of the U.S., the Islamic strategies of terrorism have begun to rapidly evolve into a new stage. The new strategies take advantage of their civilization and circumstances, they train and inspire their front-line fighters on the Internet, and issue their orders through the clandestine network of the Al Qaeda operatives. These spontaneously generated strategies have been gained speed among the second, and third Islamic generations, many of whom are now spread throughout western societies. This represents a failure of the power-driven, one-sided overseas security initiatives by the U.S., and is creating a culture of fear and distrust in western societies. It is feared that the U.S. war campaigns have made the clash of religions far worse than before, and may ever lead to global ethnic separations and large-scale population movements. Eventually, it may result in the terrorist groups, enlarged and secretly supported by the huge sums of oil money, driving all mankind into a series of irreparable catastrophes.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.2 s.70
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• pp.66-79
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• 2007

Objectives : To explore the type and frequency of short term reactions, de Qi associated with acupuncture treatment and to determine the incidence of adverse events following acupuncture in Korea. Subjects and methods : This study is a retrospective and cross-sectional survey of patient reports. 1095 subjects, 585 of out-patients of the Oriental Medicine of Stroke & Neurological Disorders Center, East-West NEO Medical Center of Kyunghee University and 510 of out-patients of the Department of Cardiovascular & Neurologic Diseases (Stoke Center), Hospital of Oriental Medicine, Kyunghee Medical Center, from June through November of 2006, who had acupuncture, gave informed consent and completed one survey form. On this form, patients were asked to report short term acupuncture reactions, de Qi, patient satisfaction measurement (using VAS), and adverse events relating to acupuncture treatment. The acupuncturists of this study are Korean Medicine Doctors (KMD) who had worked as practitioners for 3-30 years or more. Results : The average age of the 1095 subjects was 58 years old. Positive short term acupuncture reactions after treatment were reported by 878 (80.2%), negative short term acupuncture reactions by 75 (6.8%) and no reactions were reported by 142 (13.0%). The most common positive short term acupuncture reactions were feeling 'relaxed', 472 (43.1%), followed by feeling 'less pain' 90 (8.2%), 'energized' 16 ( 1.5%), 'tingling' 16 (1.5%), 'heat feeling or Cold feeling' 10 (0.9%), and others 274 (25.0%), respectively. Negative short term acupuncture reactions were feeling 'pain' 37 (3.4%), tiredness 24 (2.2%), dizziness 9 (0.8%), and others 5 (0.2%), respectively. Traditionally described needling sensations of de Qi refer to a patient's response to distention, pulling, soreness, heaviness, numbness. 39.7% of subjects reported de Qi during needling, experiencing 'distention' 333 (30.4%), 'soreness' 52 (4.7%), 'pulling' 22 (2.0%), 'heaviness' 18 (1.6%), and 'numbness' 10 (0.9%) respectively. Positive short term acupuncture reactions and de Qi rate were the highest in the less than 40 years group (83/96 86.5%, 50/96 52.1%). No acupuncture reactions were highly seen in the over 70 years old group (31/187, 16.6%). Patient satisfaction level using VAS was a comparatively high $72.9{\pm}19.9$. Adverse events were only bleeding in 92 (8.4%) of the total subjects. High sensitive acupoints were 95 points as GV26 (54 times), LI4 (54 times), ST36 (53 times), GB20 (37 times), HT8(34 times), LV3 (29 times), SI3 (29 times), and LI11 (27 times) in order. Main impressions were stroke patients 430 (16.9%), headache 185 (16.9%), hypertension 97 (8.9%), and dizziness 85 (7.8%). Conclusions : Although 8 different Korean Medicine Doctors participated in this research, we obtained similar results from each. There were no significantly different results between the two hospitals. Short term acupuncture reactions and de Qi were most related to age. Except for bleeding there were no adverse events relating to acupuncture treatment in this study. We consider acupuncture treatment as very safe depending on practitioners. Positive short term acupuncture reactions after treatment were 12 times higher than negative short term acupuncture reactions. Subjects were comparatively satisfied with acupuncture treatment.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.104-113
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• 2003

Background : Rhinovirus(RV) infections frequently trigger dyspnea and paroxysmal cough in adult patients with asthma and are the most prevalent cause of the common cold. However, the mechanisms of a RV-induced airway inflammation is unclear. Since the RV does not directly destroy the airway epithelium, it is presumed that the immune response to the RV contributes to the pathogenesis of the respiratory symptoms. In order to test this hypothesis, this study characterized the time-sequenced alterations in interleukin(IL)-8 elaboration from the human bronchial epithelial cells and evaluated the role of NF(nuclear factor)-${\kappa}B$ in the RV-induced IL-8 production by pretreating the inhibitors of NF-${\kappa}B$ activation. Methods : The ability of RV-infected human bronchial epithelial cells and BEAS-2B cells to produce the IL-8 was compared with the controls. This study infected BEAS-2B cells with the RV14 obtained from the American Type Culture Collection. The supernatants were harvested from the RV infected BEAS-2B cells and the controls at 2hr, 4hr, 6hr, 12hr, 24hr, 48hr from the inoculation time. This study measured the IL-8 concentration using the ELISA kits. In order to elucidate the role of NF-${\kappa}B$ in the RV-induced IL-8 production, the effect of the NF-${\kappa}B$ inhibitors was evaluated on RV-induced IL-8 production. Results: The BEAS-2B cells produced small amounts of IL-8 that accumulated slowly with time in the culture. The RV was a potent stimulator of the IL-8 proteins production by BEAS-2B human bronchial epithelial cells. Antioxidants, N-acetyl-L-cysteine(NAC),\ and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate(PDTC), blocked the IL-8 elaboration by the RV-infected BEAS-2B cells, which was dose-dependent, but N-Tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone(TPCK) did not. Conclusion: Some antioxidants inhibited the RV-induced IL-8 production by blocking the NF-${\kappa}B$, which may have a therapeutic potential in asthma.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.9-24
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• 2005

Objective: We have studied the effects of acupuncture and low level He-Ne laser therapy(LLLT) at $SI_3$, $BL_{40}$ on the tibial, sural nerve injury due to sports-damage or traffic accident and L5 spinal nerve ligature model like general herniation of nucleus pulposus(HNP) in a rat of neuopathic pain. Methods: A model of neuropathic pain was made by injuring tibial nerve and sural nerve while common peroneal nerve was maintained. Also, it was made by isolating left 5th lumbar spinal nerve. Three weeks after the neuropathic surgery, acupuncture and LLLT was injected at $SI_3$,$BL_{40}$ one time a day for one week. LLLT was divided three groups, that is LLLT-1(5mW), LLLT-2(10mW) and LLLT-3(30mW). After that, we examined the withdrawal response of neuropathic rats' legs by Von frey filament and acetone stimulation. And also we examined c-Fos, Nocieptin and KOR-3 in the midbrain central gray of neuropathic rats. Results: As we have observed the effect of mechanical allodynia, LLLT-3 group were diminished on 4 day, 5 day, 6 day and 7 day in the resection model compared with control model, LLLT-1 group were diminished on 5 day, LLLT-2 group were diminished on 3 day and 6 day, LLLT-3 group were diminished on 3 day, 4 day, 5 day, 6 day and 7 day in connected model compared with control group. As we have observed the effect of cold allodynia, LLLT-3 group were diminished on 7 day in the resection model compared with control model, LLLT-1 group were diminished on 6 day, 7 day, LLLT-3 group were diminished on 7 day in connected model compared with control group. As we have observed the effect of activity of c-Fos in the central gray part, LLLT-3 were diminished in resection model compared with control group, LLLT-1 group were diminished in connected model compared with control group. As we have observed the effect of activity of Nociceptin in the central gray part, resection model were not increased compared with control group, LLLT-1 group and LLLT-3 group were increased in connected model compared with control model. As we have observed the effect of activity of KOR-3 in the central gray part, resection model were not increased compared with control group, LLLT-3 group were increased in connected model compared with control model. Conclusions: We have noticed that LLLT-1 and LLLT-3 group have more controllable effect than acupuncture group. This study can be used in clinical therapy for neuropathic pain. But it is not reliability that Nociceptin and KOR-3 have effectively to control pain. Therefore We have to follow up about that.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.143-150
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• 2003

Korea has plentiful precipitation but rainfall events concentrate on several months of rainy season in her weather condition. Korea, therefore, experiences drought for a given period every year. Moreover the soil has usually low water holding capacity, as it is composed coarse particles originated from the granite. Response of several oaks and the Korean red pine (Pinus densiflora) on water stress showed that water budget was significant factor determining vegetation distribution. In addition, dehydration level due to cold resistance mechanism of several evergreen plants during the winter season was closely related to their distribution in natural condition. Experimental result under water stress showed that the Korean red pine was very tolerant to desiccation but the seedlings showed high mortality during the dry season. The mortality tended to proportionate to soil moisture content of each site. A comparison between soil moisture content during June when it is severe dry season and moisture content of the culture soil when the pine seedlings reached the permanent wilting point due to water withheld proved that high mortality during the dry season was due to water deficit. Water potential of sample plants measured during the exposure experiment to the air pollutant showed a probability that water related factors would dominate the occurrence of visible damage and the tolerance level of sample plants. In both field survey and laboratory experiment, plants exposed to air pollution showed more rapid transpiration than those grown in the unpolluted condition. The result would due to injury of leaf surface by air pollutants. Aluminum (Al/sup 3+/) increased in the acid soil not only inhibits root growth but also leads to abnormal distribution of root system and thereby caused water stress. The water stresses due to air pollution and soil acidification showed a possibility that they play dominating roles in inducing forest decline additionally to the existing water deficit due to weather and soil conditions in Korea. Sludge, which can contribute to improve field capacity, as it is almost composed of organic matter, showed an effect ameliorating the retarded growth of plant in the acidified soil. The effect was not less than that of dolomite known in widely as such a soil ameliorator. Litter extract contributed also to mitigate the water stress due to toxic Al/sup 3+/. We prepared a model showing the potential interaction of multiple stresses, which can cause forest decline in Korea by synthesizing those results. Furthermore, we suggested restoration plans, which can mitigate such forest decline in terms of soil amelioration and vegetation restoration.

• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.484-489
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• 2008

A new whole crop silage barley cultivar, "Youngyang", was developed from the cross between "Bunong and Milyang55 at the Yeongnam Agricultural Research Institute (YARI) in 2002. An elite line, YB3882-3B-17-1-3-1, was selected in 1999 and designated as "Milyang111". It showed good agronomic performance in the regional adaptation yield trials (RYT) from 2000 to 2002 and was released by the name of "Youngyang" with higher yield and better animal feed quality than that of Olbori. The average heading and maturing dates of Youngyang were May 2 and June 6, which were late by 2 & 1 days than those of Olbori, respectively, in Suwon. Youngyang had longer culm length, 83cm but it had lesser spikes per $m^2$ 637 than that of Olbori, respectively, in RYT from 2000 to 2002. The rate of leaf sheath/whole length (culm+leaf) and the rate of the grains/whole crop weight was similar to Olbori. It showed resistance to BaYMV at the regions of Naju, Jinju, Milyang andt Iksan. however, the response of Youngyang to other environmental stresses (tolerance of cold and wet) was similar to Olbori. The dried whole crop yield potential of Youngyang in the RYT was about 11.67 MT/ha in paddy fields which was about 18% higher than that of Olbori. The grain yield potential was 6.32 MT/ha in paddy fields which was about 5% higher than that of Olbori. Youngyang had lower rate of shattering, higher content of protein and NDF, lower ADF and TDN, and better quality of silage than those of Olbori.

• The Southeast Asian review
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.1-40
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• 2017

This study aims to examine the electricity/energy regime of Thailand, the largest energy-hungry country in the Mekong region. This study examined how the electricity/energy regime of Thailand has been shaped and changed up to the present, not only at the national level but also at the sub-regional level covering the Mekong region. Meanwhile, according to the Paris Agreement in 2015, which will get in to effect from 2020, developing countries as well as developed countries have been given voluntary responsibilities and reduction obligations in response to global climate change. Under the post 2020 Climate Change Regime, Thailand also needs to revise its existing electricity/energy policy. We reviewed the recent energy policy of Thailand and evaluated the possibility of transition to a sustainable energy system based on Energy Trilemma's analysis framework. And we examined the roles and impacts of the Thai civil society on the national power and energy planning as well as in the future climate change policy. As a result of the analysis, it can be seen that Thailand's electricity/energy regime has grown rapidly through the support of the West countries under the Cold War era. In particular, Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand(EGAT) played the key role in Thailand's energy policy. In addition, Thailand's geopolitical location and relatively high economic level compared to neighboring countries will continue to be of importance in the future construction of power grids in the region. Meanwhile, in the frame of Energy Trilemma, Thailand has still been vulnerable to environmental sustainability. Thai NGOs have resisted to as well as collaborated with the government to influence the existing electricity/energy policy in the various dimensions but their influence has weakened considerably since the coup in 2014. In conclusion, this study suggests to cooperate with government as well as civil society for sustainable energy transformation of Thailand and Mekong region.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.111 no.3
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• pp.357-364
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• 2022

We investigated the early growth characteristics of Quercus rubra planted in six regions (Hwaseong, Yangpyeong, Pyeongchang, Samcheok, Chungju, and Gimje) in South Korea in relation to soil physicochemical properties and meteorological factors. Q. rubra (1-0) were planted at a density of 3,000 trees ha^-1. The average height, root collar diameter (RCD), and volume of 8-year-old Q. rubra planted in 2014 were 3.52 m, 3.84 cm, and 0.0023 m³, respectively. The growth parameters of Q. rubra were the highest and lowest in Hwaseong and Pyeongchang, respectively. Correlation analysis among the soil physicochemical properties, meteorological factors, and plantation growth characteristics found that pH was the only soil factor negatively correlated with RCD, and the other soil factors were not significantly correlated with the growth characteristics. However, growth characteristics were positively correlated to average temperature from March to October and daily maximum temperature; and they were negatively correlated to altitude, topology, and the number of rainy days from March to October. In particular, the trees planted in Hwaseong area showed the best early growth characteristics because this area had the highest daily maximum temperature, the x average temperature from March to October, the low altitude, and it is located close to the foot of a mountain. In Pyeongchang, the early growth characteristics were negatively affected by winter cold damage because of the high altitude, low daily minimum temperature, and damage by wild animals. In Hwaseong, meteorological factors such as temperature and altitude were more highly correlated to growth characteristics of Q. rubra than the physicochemical soil properties. These results will provide useful information for determining suitable sites for Q. rubra plantations and for predicting early growth characteristics in response to environmental factors.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.353-365
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• 2023

The effects of climate change on green infrastructure and environmental media remain uncertain and context-specific despite numerous climate projections globally. In this study, the extreme weather conditions in seven major cities in South Korea were characterized through statistical analysis of 20-year daily meteorological data extracted fro m the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). Additionally, the impacts of extreme weather on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) were determined through a comprehensive review. The results of the statistical analysis and comprehensive review revealed the studied cities are potentially vulnerable to varying extreme weather conditions, depending on geographic location, surface imperviousness, and local weather patterns. Temperature extremes were seen as potential threats to the resilience of NbS in Seoul, as both the highest maximum and lowest minimum temperatures were observed in the mentioned city. Moreover, extreme values for precipitation and maximum wind speed were observed in cities from the southern part of South Korea, particularly Busan, Ulsan, and Jeju. It was also found that extremely low temperatures induce the most impact on the resilience of NbS and environmental media. Extremely cold conditions were identified to reduce the pollutant removal efficiency of biochar, sand, gravel, and woodchip, as well as the nutrient uptake capabilities of constructed wetlands (CWs). In response to the negative impacts of extreme weather on the effectiveness of NbS, several adaptation strategies, such as the addition of shading and insulation systems, were also identified in this study. The results of this study are seen as beneficial to improving the resilience of NbS in South Korea and other locations with similar climate characteristics.