• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.129-137
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• 2023

This study presents a dry precast concrete (PC) beam-column connection, and its target seismic performance level is set to be emulative to the reinforced concrete (RC) intermediate moment resisting frame system specified in ACI 318 and ASCE 7. The key features include self-sustaining ability during construction with the dry mechanical splicing method, enabling emulative connection performances and better constructability. Test specimens with code-compliant seismic details were fabricated and tested under reversed cyclic loading, which included a PC beam-column connection specimen with dry connections and an RC control specimen. The test results showed that all the specimens failed in a similar failure mode due to plastic deformations in beam members, while the hysteretic response curve of the PC specimen showed comparable and emulative performances compared to the RC specimen. Seismic performance evaluation was quantitatively addressed, and on this basis, it confirmed that the presented system can fully satisfy all the required performance for the intermediate RC moment resisting frame.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.93-101
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• 2014

Asymmetric 1,2-distearoyl-3-oleoyl-rac-glycerol (SSO) triacylglycerol (TAG) is used as a cocoa butter replacer (CBR). In this study, it was produced by lipase-catalyzed interesterification of fully hydrogenated soybean oil (FHSBO) and oleic ethyl ester (OEE) in a batch type reactor at $75^{\circ}C$, 250 rpm. Different molar ratios (FHSBO : OEE=1:1, 1:2 and 1:3, w/w) and various reaction times (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 hr) were also tested. The optimized condition for SSO was a FHSBO : OEE molar ratio of =1:1 at reaction times of 2, 3, 4, and 5 hr. Enzymatic synthesis generated SSO/SOS, as well as the other TAGs (e.g., PSO/POS, SOO/OSO, SSS), ethyl esters, monoacylglycerol (MAG), and diacylglycerol (DAG). After scale-up, fractionation by solvent (methanol and acetone) fractionation and column chromatography was applied. To reduce ethyl esters, high-melting TAGs (e.g., SSS), and SOO/OSO in reactants, solvent fractionation was applied. Using a silica gel column (sample : silica gel=2:1, wt%), MAG and DAG were removed at $25^{\circ}C$. The major fatty acid composition of the final products (with a high SSO/SOS content) was palmitic acid (C16:0, 10.9~12.9 area%), stearic acid (C18:0, 52.2~54.9 area%), and oleic acid (C18:1, 34.2~35.5 area%). In reversed-phase HPLC analysis, the major TAG species of the final product (FHSBO : OEE=1:1, 2 hr) were SSO/SOS (82.31 area%) and PSO/POS (14.51 area%). Based on the $[SS]^+$ : $[SO]^+$ ratio obtained by RP-HPLC/APCI-MS, the final product had a higher SSO (AAB type TAG) content than cocoa butter (CB). The solid fat index (SFI) of CB and the final product obtained were similar with a narrow melting point range around ~32 to $35^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.20-27
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• 2008

The contents of lignan, protein, and oil of nine Sesamum indicum cultivars were analyzed. To determine the lignan contents, sesamin 1 and sesamolin 2 were isolated from the ethylacetate extracts of the Suwon cultivar, and the structures were fully characterized by spectral and physical methods. The seeds of nine cultivars were screened for two lignans, which were determined by HPLC using a $C_{18}$ reversed phase column coupled with a photodiode array detector. Suwon cultivar showed the highest concentration (1: $6.24{\pm}0.04$ and 2: $3.58{\pm}0.01\;mg/g$), whereas Soonheuk displayed the lowest (1: $0.91{\pm}0.01$ and 2: $0.73{\pm}0.01\;mg/g$). The average content ratio of sesamin 1 (3.64 mg/g) was significantly higher than that of sesamolin 2 (2.57 mg/g). The protein content ranged from $21.52{\pm}0.35$ to $31.22{\pm}0.25%$, Suwon containing the highest level and Soonheuk had the lowest. Kwangbaek showed the highest oil level ($49.84{\pm}0.40%$), while Soonheuk exhibited the lowest ($42.52{\pm}0.05%$). Sesamin 1 exhibited a stronger radical-scavenging activity in the ABTS ($IC_{50}:\;63.2{\pm}2.4\;{\mu}M$) than its DPPH radical-scavenging activity ($IC_{50}>200\;{\mu}M$). These results lead to the conclusion that lignan content is affected by protein and oil contents. Concentration of the chemical components in the cultivars could be a key factor in the selection process of a high quality species.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.3 s.63
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• pp.27-42
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• 2005

Objectives : Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. These plaques are associated with degenerating neuronal processes and consist primarily of fibrillary aggregates of beta-amyloid$ protein, generated from amyloid precursor protein (APP). Another amyloidogenic fragment, the carboxyl terminus (CT) of APP, which is composed of 99-105 amino acid residues containing the complete $A{\beta}$ sequence, also appears to be toxic to neurones. Recent evidence suggest that CT105, carboxy terminal 105 amino acids peptide fragment of APP, may be an important factor causing neurotoxicity in AD. Methods : Although a variety of oriental prescriptions including Pinelliae rhizoma have traditionally been utilized for the treatment of AD, their pharmacological effects and action mechanisms have not yet been fully elucidated. In the present study, we investigated effects of the dichloromethane extract of Pinelliae rhizoma (PINR) on neurotoxicity and the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) in SK-N-SH cells overexpressed with CT105. In addition, we evaluated its radical scavenging activity and effects on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. Furthermore, effects on cognitive deficits induced by scopolamine treatment in rats were evaluated. Results ; We found in this study that PINR significantly inhibited apoptotic neuronal death induced by CT105 overexpression in SK-N-SH cells. Based on morphological examinations by phase-contrast microscopy, PINR reversed apoptotic changes of CT105-expressed cells. It was also found that PINR significantly promoted neurite outgrowth and inhibited formation of ROS nd NO. PINR was shown to scavenge DPPH radicals and noncompetitively inhibit AChE activity. Furthermore, it reduced scopolamine-induced memory impairment in rata, assessed by passive avoidance test. Conclusions : Taken together, these results demonstrate that PINR exhibits neuroprotective, antioxidant, and memory enhancing effects, and therefore may bs beneficial for the treatment of AD.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.1057-1063
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• 2013

Citri Pericarpium is one of the most commonly used traditional herbal medicines in Korea, China, and Japan. Its extracts have many properties including the treatment of indigestion and inflammatory respiratory syndromes such as bronchitis and asthma. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of anti-cancer activity and molecular targets are not fully understood. In this work, we investigated the anti-proliferative activity of Citri Pericapium (EMCP) methanol extract on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the association of these effects with apoptotic cell death using U937 human leukemia cells in vitro. EMCP treatment decreased cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner following an increase of the sub-G1 phase, the down-regulation of Bax proteins, the activation of caspases, the degradation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase proteins (PARP), and the induction of ROS generation. However, the quenching of ROS generation by N-acetyl-L-cysteine administration, a scavenger of ROS, reversed the EMCP-induced apoptosis effects. In addition, heme oxygenase-1 expression also recovered by inhibiting the nuclear translocation of phosphorylated NF-E2-related factor 2. Taken together, our data indicate that ROS are involved as key mediators in the early molecular events in the EMCP-induced apoptotic pathway.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.377-384
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• 2019

Background: Inflammation is widespread in the clinical pathology and closely associated to the progress of many diseases. Triterpenoid saponins as a key group of active ingredients in Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen were demonstrated to show antiinflammatory effects. However, the chemical structures of saponins in the leaves and stems of Panax notoginseng (PNLS) are still not fully clear. Herein, the isolation, purification and further evaluation of the antiinflammatory activity of dammarane-type triterpenoid saponins from PNLS were conducted. Methods: Silica gel and reversed-phase C8 column chromatography were used. Furthermore, preparative HPLC was used as a final purification technique to obtain minor saponins with high purities. MS, NMR experiments, and chemical methods were used in the structural identifications. The antiinflammatory activities of the isolated saponins were assessed by measuring the nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharides. Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to measure the gene expressions of inflammation-related gene. Results: Eight new minor dammarane-type triterpene oligoglycosides, namely notoginsenosides LK1-LK8 (1-8) were obtained from PNLS, along with seven known ones. Among the isolated saponins, gypenoside IX significantly suppressed the nitric oxide production and inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$, interleukin 10, interferon-inducible protein 10 and $interleukin-1{\beta}$. Conclusion: The eight saponins may enrich and expand the chemical library of saponins in Panax genus. Moreover, it is reported for the first time that gypenoside IX showed moderate antiinflammatory activity.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.666-674
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• 2022

Background: Ginsenosides and their metabolites have antidepressant-like effects, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We previously identified 14-3-3 ζ as one of the target proteins of 20 (S)-protopanaxadiol (PPD), a fully deglycosylated ginsenoside metabolite. Methods: Corticosterone (CORT) was administered repeatedly to induce the depression model, and PPD was given concurrently. The tail suspension test (TST) and the forced swimming test (FST) were used for behavioral evaluation. All mice were sacrificed. Golgi-cox staining, GSK 3β activity assay, and Western blot analysis were performed. In vitro, the kinetic binding analysis with the Biolayer Interferometry (BLI) was used to determine the molecular interactions. Results: TST and FST both revealed that PPD reversed CORT-induced behavioral deficits. PPD also ameliorated the CORT-induced expression alterations of hippocampal Ser9 phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase 3β (p-Ser9 GSK 3β), Ser133 phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein (p-Ser133 CREB), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Moreover, PPD attenuated the CORT-induced increase in GSK 3β activity and decrease in dendritic spine density in the hippocampus. In vitro, 14-3-3 ζ protein specifically bound to p-Ser9 GSK 3β polypeptide. PPD promoted the binding and subsequently decreased GSK 3β activity. Conclusion: These findings demonstrated the antidepressant-like effects of PPD on the CORT-induced mouse depression model and indicated a possible target-based mechanism. The combination of PPD with the 14-3-3 ζ protein may promote the binding of 14-3-3 ζ to p-GSK 3β (Ser9) and enhance the inhibition of Ser9 phosphorylation on GSK 3β kinase activity, thereby activating the plasticity-related CREBeBDNF signaling pathway.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.9
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• pp.1328-1334
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• 2010

Low-trans spread fat (LTSF) was produced by lipase-catalyzed synthesis of canola (CO) and fully hydrogenated soybean oil (FHSBO) at 65:35 (w/w). Blend of CO and FHSBO with 65:35 ratio was interesterified using Lipozyme TLIM (immobilized Thermomyces lanuginosus, 20% of total substrate) in a 1 L-batch type reactor at $70^{\circ}C$ with 500 rpm for 24 hr. Then, physicochemical melting properties of LTSF were compared with commercial spread fat. At $20^{\circ}C$, solid fat contents (SFC) of commercial spread fat as a control and LTSF were similar, showing 19.1 and 18.1%, respectively. Major compositional fatty acids of LTSF were C18:0, C18:1 and C18:2 (29.2, 41.8 and 13.3 wt%, respectively). Trans fatty acid content of the LTSF (0.2 wt%) was lower than that of commercial spread fat (5.5 wt%). In the RP-HPLC analysis from LTSF, major triacylglycerol (TAG) molecules were SOL (stearoyl-oleoyl-linoleyl), SOO, POS/PSP, and SOS. Also, polymorphic form and x-ray diffraction of LTSF showed coexistence of $\beta$' and $\beta$ form crystals.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.435-443
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• 2018

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) functions as a metabolic master through regulating and restoring cellular energy balance. In skeletal muscle, AMPK increases myofibril protein degradation through the expression of muscle-specific ubiquitin ligases. Mori Folium, the leaf of Morus alba, is a traditional medicinal herb with various pharmacological functions; however, the effects associated with muscle atrophy have not been fully identified. In this study, we confirmed the effects of AMPK activation by examining the effects of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide (AICAR), an activator of AMPK, on the induction of atrophy and expression of atrophy-related genes in C2C12 myotubes. We also investigated the effects of the ethanol extract of Mori Folium (EEMF) on the recovery of AICAR-induced muscle atrophy in C2C12 myotubes. It was found that exposure to AICAR resulted in the stimulation of Forkhead box O3a (FOXO3a); an up-regulation of muscle-specific ubiquitin ligases such as Muscle Atrophy F-box (MAFbx)/atrogin-1 and muscle RING finger-1 (MuRF1), and a down-regulation of muscle-specific transcription factors, such as MyoD and myogenin; with the activation of AMPK. In addition, AICAR without cytotoxicity indicated a decrease in diameter of C2C12 myotubes. However, treatment with EEMF significantly suppressed AICAR-induced muscle atrophy of C2C12 myotubes in a dose-dependent manner as confirmed by a decrease in myotube diameter, which is associated with a reversed stimulation of FOXO3a by the inhibition of AMPK activation. These results indicate that the activation of AMPK by AICAR induces muscle atrophy, and EEMF has preeminent effects on the inhibition of AICAR-induced muscle atrophy through the AMPK signaling pathway.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.39-49
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• 1996

In the present study, we observed change in intracellular $Ca^{2+}$$([Ca^{2+}]_i)$ as measured with the fluorescent $Ca^{2+}-indicator$ fura-2 in association with force development of the rat basilar arteries during activation by$K^+$ depolarizing solution and U46619, a thromboxane analogue, in the absence and the presence of calcitonin-gent related peptide (CGRP). CGRP (30 and 100 nM) caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of U46619-induced contraction with decrease in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, whereas it did not exert any effect on the $K^+$ (90 mM)-induced contraction and increase in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, Further, $[Ca^{2+}]_i-force$ relationships were determined by plotting the ratio of $F_{340}/F_{380}$ $([Ca^{2+}]_i)$ as a function of the force induced by U46619, and the results were compared with those obtained in the presence of CGRP. The curves obtained in the presence of CGRP (30 and 100 nM) were significantly moved to downward without right shift of the curves suggesting that CGRP inhibited the U46619-induced contraction only by mediation of reduction in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ with out any change in the sensitivity of contractile apparatus to $Ca^{2+}$. The CGRP-induced attenuation of $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ and force development was significantly inhibited under pretreatment with CGRP $(8{\sim}37)$ fragment (100 nM), a CGRP1 receptor antagonist. Both the reduced contraction and reduction in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ caused by CGRP were fully reversed by pretreatment with charybdotoxin (100 nM) and iberiotoxin (100 nM), large conductance $Ca^{2+}-activated$ $K^+$ channel blockers, but not by apamin (300 nM), a small conductance $Ca^{2+}-activated$ $K^+$ channel blocker, and glibenclamide ( 1 ${\mu}M$), an ATP-sensitive $K^+$ channel blocker. In conclusion, it is suggested that the CGRP1 receptor, upon activation by CGRP, are coupled to opening of $Ca^{2+}-activated$ $K^+$ channel and cause to decrease in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, thereby leading to vasodilation of the rat basilar artery. However, it is not defined that the mechanism underlying vasodilation whether the $K^+$ channel blockers, charybdotoxin and iberiotoxin directly block the CGRP receptors and that CGRP-evoked relaxation is dependent on the cyclic AMP or $K^+$ channel opening or both actions.