• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.36-43
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• 2021

[Purpose] Exercise is a key factor in preventing obesity and metabolic syndrome. Sumo wrestlers increase their body size from childhood for athletic advantage; however, the risk of metabolic syndrome in junior sumo wrestlers is undetermined. Preventive measures against pediatric obesity should be initiated during childhood to prevent obesity in adulthood, considering its high global incidence. We comparatively evaluated the risk factors for metabolic syndrome in junior sumo wrestlers and children with obesity. [Methods] We enrolled 70 male children (age 9-17 years [sumo group, n = 14] and 9-14 years [other sports and non-exercise groups, n = 28 each]) and evaluated their anthropometric parameters (height, weight, body mass index z-score, obesity rate, waist circumference, waist to height ratio) and hematological parameters (total, low-density, high-density, and non-high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol; triglycerides; plasma glucose, and glycated hemoglobin levels). [Results] The BMI z-score, obesity rate, waist circumference (p < 0.05, along with the non-exercise group), and systolic blood pressure were significantly higher and the high-density cholesterol level was lower in the sumo group than in the other sports group (p < 0.05). The waist to height ratio was significantly higher in the non-exercise group than in the other sports group (p < 0.05). No significant difference was found in other blood lipid, plasma glucose (significantly lower level than the reference range in the sumo group, p < 0.05), and glycated hemoglobin (within the reference range in all groups) levels among the three groups. [Conclusion] Junior sumo wrestlers had a larger body size and higher blood pressure than children with obesity who exercised regularly. This provides direction for future research into targeted preventive interventions against metabolic syndrome for junior sumo wrestlers with large body size.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.68-72
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• 2008

This study demonstrated the effects of extracts from the mushroom Keumsa sangwhang(Phellinus linteus) (KPLE) on fasting glucose and cholesterol levels in human blood. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled human intervention study, healthy volunteers were randomized to receive 3.3 g of KPLE (n=31) or placebo (n=31) per day by oral administration for 8 weeks. The cholesterol and fasting serum glucose levels were evaluated before and after treatment. The fasting serum glucose level was significantly decreased by KPLE administration (p<0.01), but the total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDLcholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations did not change. This study suggests a possibility that KPLE may be useful as a functional food for the prevention of diabetes mellitus.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.91-95
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• 2010

Objectives : Acori Rhizoma is one of the common widely used herbal medicines with diverse bioactive effects. However, little evidence has been reported about the potential anti-platelet activity of Acori Rhizoma. The present study examined the effects on platelet aggregation by Acori Rhizoma. Methods : In this study, we tested the in vitro effect of 16 kinds of Acori Rhizoma extracts by hot water or 70% ethanol on collagen-induced platelet aggregation in human whole blood using the impedance method of aggregometry. Results : Among them, 2 kinds of 70% ethanol extract and 1 kind of hot water extract showed the significant inhibiting effect on whole blood aggregation. In particular, Acorus gramineus extracts were selected as the most effective candidate. Conclusiions : The results from this experiment provide pharmacological evidence for the traditional medicine, suggesting that Acorus gramineus could be help problems of blood circulation more than Acorus tatarinowii.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.20 no.4 s.51
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• pp.303-309
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• 2005

Essential hypertension has been considered as multifactorial disease resulted from the interaction of both environmental and genetic factors. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays an important role in the regulation of blood pressure homeostasis. Recently, a homologue of angiotensin I converting enzyme, ACE2 has been focused on as a candidate gene of essential hypertension in the experiments using animal model and human being. In this study, we carried out an association study in order to clarify the relationship between the A 1075G polymorphism in the ACE2 gene and essential hypertension in Korean subjects. Because this polymorphism is located on human chromosome X, the statistical analysis for each gender was performed separately. There were no significant differences in allele distribution of the A 1075G polymorphism in the ACE2 gene between normotensives and hypertensives in the both gender groups, respectively. However, this polymorphism was significantly associated with systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) values in only female groups (P< 0.05). Thus, these results may suggest the probable role of ACE2 gene in the inter-individual susceptibility of female group to blood pressure variability.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.99-106
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• 1991

For the automatic detection of pulmonary blood vessels, a new algorithm is proposed using the fact that human recognizes a pattern orderly according to their size. This method simulates the human recognition process by the pyramid images. For the detection of vessels using multilevel image, large and wtde ones are detected from the most compressed level, followed by the detection of small and narrow ones from the less compressed images with FCM(fuzzy c means) clustering algorithm which classifies similar data into a group. As the proposed algorithm detects blood vessels orderly according to their size, there is no need to consider the variation of parameters and the branch points which should be considered in other detection algirithms. In the detection of patterns whose size changes successively like pulmonary blood vessels, this proposed algorithm can be properly applied

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.1-29
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• 2020

Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by high blood sugar levels over a prolonged period. Diabetes has been found to show many acute complications such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, chronic kidney disease, foot ulcer and damage to eyes. Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng) has been traditionally known to normalize the functional deficiencies of the lung, spleen and stomach, and thus improve the secretion of body fluids, thereby quenching thirst, suggesting it to be effective in the treatment of diabetes. Experimental studies (in vitro and in vivo) have recently shown that Korean ginseng and its extracts exhibit antidiabetic effects, and also insulin secretion and sensitizing effects related to blood glucose control. Moreover, clinical trials on antidiabetic effects of Korean ginseng have been reported to show blood glucose control, improvement of insulin resistance, reduction of postprandial blood glucose level and improvement of serum lipids (TG, TC, LDL-C). These will be critically examined by means of in vitro studies, cell experiment, animal models and human trials with a focus on understanding of molecular mechanisms.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.55 no.7
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• pp.219-223
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• 2012

Since the first umbilical cord blood transplantation (CBT) in 1998, cord blood (CB) has now become one of the most commonly used sources of hematopoietic stem cells for transplantation. CBT has advantages of easy procurement, no risk to donor, low risk of transmitting infections, immediate availability and immune tolerance allowing successful transplantation despite human leukocyte antigen disparity. Several studies have shown that the number of cells transplanted is the most important factor for engraftment in CBT, and it limits the wide use of CB in adult patients. New strategies for facilitating engraftment and reducing transplantation-related mortality are ongoing in the field of CBT and include the use of a reduced-intensity conditioning regimen, double-unit CBT, ex vivo expansion of CB, and co-transplantation of CB and mesenchymal stem cells. Recently, the results of two international studies with large sample sizes showed that CB is an acceptable alternative source of hematopoietic stem cells for adult recipients who lack human leukocyte antigen-matched adult donors. Along with the intensive researches, development in banking process of CB will amplify the use of CB and offer the chance for cure in more patients.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.91-95
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• 2006

Effects of cultivars, cooking, and processing on hemagglutinin activity were evaluated by observing macroscopic hemagglutination using serial twofold dilution of trypsinized human blood type-O or rabbit blood. Hemagglutinin activity was expressed as maximal geometric dilution fold. Agglutination of rabbit blood was more sensitive compared to human blood. Hemagglutinin activities of glyphosate-tolerant soybean, HS2906, and imported conventional soybeans were not statistically different, although significant differences were observed among conventional soybean cultivars cultivated in Korea (286 to 1535 HU/mg protein). Time required to reach fifty percent inhibition of hemagglutinin activity ($IT_{50}$) value decreased with increasing cooking temperature and pressure. Most effective conventional cooking method to inhibit hemagglutinin activity was pressure-cooking ($IT_{50}$: 1.36 min). Calculated activation energy based on reaction rate constant was 4.88 kcal. No hemagglutinin activities were detected in processed soybean products such as tofu, soybean paste, and soysauce.

• Journal of Lipid and Atherosclerosis
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.88-97
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• 2018

The prevalence of atherothrombotic disease continues to rise, presenting an increasing number of challenges to modern society and creating interest in functional foods. Platelet activation, adhesion, and aggregation at vascular endothelial disruption sites are key events in atherothrombotic disease. Physiological challenges such as hyperlipidemia, obesity, and cigarette smoking are associated with vascular changes underlying platelet aggregation and inflammatory processes. However, it is difficult to determine the beneficial response of functional foods in healthy subjects. To address this problem, challenge models and high-risk models related to smokers, obesity, and dyslipidemia are proposed as sensitive measures to evaluate the effects of functional foods in healthy subjects. In this review, we construct a model to evaluate the effects of functional food such as natural products on blood flow based on a human intervention study.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.15-19
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• 2021

[Purpose] Skeletal muscle glycogen is a determinant of endurance capacity for some athletes. Ginger is well known to possess nutritional effects, such as anti-diabetic effects. We hypothesized that ginger extract (GE) ingestion increases skeletal muscle glycogen by enhancing fat oxidation. Thus, we investigated the effect of GE ingestion on exercise capacity, skeletal muscle glycogen, and certain blood metabolites in exercised rats. [Methods] First, we evaluated the influence of GE ingestion on body weight and elevation of exercise performance in rats fed with different volumes of GE. Next, we measured the skeletal muscle glycogen content and free fatty acid (FFA) levels in GE-fed rats. Finally, we demonstrated that GE ingestion contributes to endurance capacity during intermittent exercise to exhaustion. [Results] We confirmed that GE ingestion increased exercise performance (p<0.05) and elevated the skeletal muscle glycogen content compared to the nonGE-fed (CE, control exercise) group before exercise (Soleus: p<0.01, Plantaris: p<0.01, Gastrocnemius: p<0.05). Blood FFA levels in the GE group were significantly higher than those in the CE group after exercise (p<0.05). Moreover, we demonstrated that exercise capacity was maintained in the CE group during intermittent exercise (p<0.05). [Conclusion] These findings indicate that GE ingestion increases skeletal muscle glycogen content and exercise performance through the upregulation of fat oxidation.