• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.1346-1353
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• 2011

Sophora tonkinensis Gapnep has been used as a traditional herbal medicine in oriental regions since ancient times. In this study, the effect and mechanism of the MeOH extract of Sophora tonkinensis Gapnep (STME) on adipocite differentiation and adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 preadipocites were investigated. Treatment with STME in the concentration range of 0-200 ${\mu}g$/ml significantly inhibited the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocites in a dose-dependent manner, as determined by a decrease in intracellular lipid droplets and lipid contents measured by Oil Red O staining. In association with the inhibitory effect of lipid accumulation, the expressions of the proteins concerned with adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 preadipocites were also investigated. Treatment with STME reduced the expressions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}$ (PPAR${\gamma}$), cytidine-cytidine-adenosine-adenosine-thymine (CCAAT)/enhancer-binding proteins ${\alpha}$ and ${\beta}$ (C/EBP${\alpha}$ and C/EBP${\beta}$) and sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP), which are adipocyte specific markers. In flow cytometry analysis, the inhibitory effect of differentiation was caused by G1 arrest and following mitotic clonal expansion cease. Therefore, we also investigated the alteration of G1 phase arrest-related proteins. As a result, the expression of p21 protein was significantly increased, while the expressions of Cdk2, E2F-1 and phospho-Rb were reduced in a dose-dependent manner in STME treated 3T3-L1 cells. According to these results, STME might inhibit differentiation through G1 arrest in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes adipogenesis, and further studies, which are in progress, have to be completed to identify the active compounds.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.15 no.6 s.73
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• pp.994-1004
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• 2005

The dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) promoter contains cis-acting element for the transcription factors Spl and E2F. Transcription of dhfr gene shows maximal activity during the Gl/S phase of cell cycle. The member of the Spl transcriptional factor family can act as both negative and positive regulators of gene expression. There was a report that Spl-Rb and E2F4-pl30 complexes cooperate to establish stable repression of dhfr gene expression in CHOC400 cells. Here, we examined the role of HDAC in dhfr, cyclin E, and cyclin A gene regulation using the histone deacetylation inhibitor, trichostatin A (TSA) in U2OS and C33A cells, a Rb-positive human osteosarcoma cell line, and a Rb-negative cervical carcinoma cell line, respectively. When the dhfr promoter constructs were applied in U2OS cells, TSA markedly stimulated over 14-fold of dhfr promoter activity through dhfr-Spl sites by the deletion of an E2F element. In contrast, the deletion of dhfr-Spl binding sites completely abolished promoter stimulation by TSA. The dhfr promoter activity including dhfr-Spl sites increased only 2-fold in C33A cells. Promoter activity containing only dhfr-E2F site did not have much effect by the treatment of TSA in both U2OS and C33A cells. On the other hand, treatment with TSA induced significantly mRNA expression of dhfr and cyclin E, whereas levels of cyclin A decreased in U2OS cells, but had no effect in C33A cells. These results indicate that TSA have contradictory effect, activation of dhfr and cyclin E genes on Gl phase, and down-regulation of cyclin A on G2 phase through transcriptional regulation in U2OS cells.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.73-82
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• 2011

This study presents an effective and distinctive marketing strategy through the implementation of the aesthetic art marketing communication technique of storytelling. The reason applying art to marketing is effective is that it gives "class" and aesthetic beauty to the brand's image, which will lead to an increase in revenue and loyalty of consumers. The story stands in for the brand's subject of "desire." Luxury brand customers not only consume high-quality products, require the utmost in service, and value of the brand, they also appreciate the story the brand is telling. The story, combined with art, is called art marketing communication; it makes the brand more unique through its enhanced visual elements. The study discusses art collaboration, art exhibition, a transforming architecture project, art advertisement, a flagship store, and a human resource training center. Based on the "desire," I adopted the element and principle of storytelling. By visualizing the brand with a symbol, the company is able to relate to consumers' sentimentality. Through storytelling art marketing communication, and the strategy using relevance of brand and artist's popularity, the research shows efficient art marketing influences to the brand's image. The results of the research indicate that by using adequate art marketing communication that best reflects the identity and story of the luxury brand, it produces great results; the research also demonstrated, in various ways, that art marketing will succeed. The case showed the following outcomes. First, consumers have a tendency to choose a brand that is associated with an empathizing story. World renowned brands see through the market's "desires" for unique stories, and they also provide the ability to amuse consumers. The story in a product will become an important competitive element in future markets. Second, the art marketing communication applying a story rendered a brand with distinction. The most effective art marketing communications are art collaboration, art exhibition, locomotive architecture project, and others that are adopted as various means. Third, the brand's products were considered as an art piece, which led to not only strengthening the loyalty of consumers but also an increase in sales. In addition, the company could sustain a premium price for the goods sold. By adapting art to a brand's tradition, an innovative and creative new product provides consumer satisfaction, and producing goods in limited editions creates enthusiastic collectors. Fourth, this study suggests an abridged report, implication, limitation of the study, and directions for further research. Referring to the case for the adaptation of luxury brands, efficient art marketing strategies considering Korean company brand and efficiently study preceding Korean company brand art marketing strategy could be proposed.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.12
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• pp.225-243
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• 2006

This study is focused on the relation in the motive and the evaluation for the job in a special private security field. The supplement of the outstanding human resources is one of most important matter to improve the private security industry. For it the applicant's motive and evaluation of whose quality should be screened to recruit proper and oustanding human resources into the industry. For the study the follow elements would be considered. First, What is the real motive to apply the job and how prospect on the job the applicant will be taken. Second, what is different point of view to the job between male and female. Third, what relationship is in achieving the job performance between the temporary motive and the planed motive. Forth, what effects are on the job satisfaction and the planed motive for the job. With the above elements the survey was taken based on each sex for the study and the results are out as below. a) Male is in higher than female in taking with unplaned job motive and for job satisfaction is much higher in 1-20 age range. b) In general, the expectation on the job is much higher than the current job status, the male are in the expextation on the job and the female are in the the current job status. c) The job satisfaction is on positive effect to the planed taken job but the unplaned taken job is on negative. From the Research the most concerning element on the recruiting new employee is applicant's positive attitude on the job he/she will be taken.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.178-186
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• 2014

Differential transcription of the clusterin (CLU) gene yields two CLU isoforms, a nuclear form (nCLU) and a secretory form (sCLU), which play crucial roles in prostate tumorigenesis. Pro-apoptotic nCLU and anti-apoptotic sCLU have opposite effects and are differentially expressed in normal and cancer cells; however, their regulatory mechanisms at the transcriptional level are not yet known. Here, we examined the transcriptional regulation of nCLU in response to hypoxia. We identified three putative hypoxia response elements (HREs) in the human CLU promoter between positions -806 and +51 bp. Using a luciferase reporter, electrophoretic gel mobility shift, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, we further showed that hypoxia-inducible factor-$1{\alpha}$ (HIF-$1{\alpha}$) bound directly to these sites and activated transcription. Exposure to the hypoxia-mimetic compound $CoCl_2$, incubation under 1% $O_2$ conditions, or overexpression of HIF-$1{\alpha}$ enhanced nCLU expression and induced apoptosis in human prostate cancer PC3M cells. However, LNCaP prostate cancer cells were resistant to hypoxia-induced cell death. Methylation-specific PCR analysis revealed that the CLU promoter in PC3M cells was not methylated; in contrast, the CLU promoter in LNCap cells was methylated. Co-treatment of LNCaP cells with $CoCl_2$ and a demethylating agent promoted apoptotic cell death through the induction of nCLU. We conclude that nCLU expression is regulated by direct binding of HIF-$1{\alpha}$ to HRE sites and is epigenetically controlled by methylation of its promoter region.