• Molecules and Cells
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.245-255
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• 2023

This study aimed to exploring the pathophysiological mechanism of 7α,25-dihydroxycholesterol (7α,25-DHC) in osteoarthritis (OA) pathogenesis. 7α,25-DHC accelerated the proteoglycan loss in ex vivo organ-cultured articular cartilage explant. It was mediated by the decreasing extracellular matrix major components, including aggrecan and type II collagen, and the increasing expression and activation of degenerative enzymes, including matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3 and -13, in chondrocytes cultured with 7α,25-DHC. Furthermore, 7α,25-DHC promoted caspase-dependent chondrocyte death via extrinsic and intrinsic pathways of apoptosis. Moreover, 7α,25-DHC upregulated the expression of inflammatory factors, including inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, nitric oxide, and prostaglandin E₂, via the production of reactive oxygen species via increase of oxidative stress in chondrocytes. In addition, 7α,25-DHC upregulated the expression of autophagy biomarkers, including beclin-1 and microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3 via the modulation of p53-Akt-mTOR axis in chondrocytes. The expression of CYP7B1, caspase-3, and beclin-1 was elevated in the degenerative articular cartilage of mouse knee joint with OA. Taken together, our findings suggest that 7α,25-DHC is a pathophysiological risk factor of OA pathogenesis that is mediated a chondrocyte death via oxiapoptophagy, which is a mixed mode of apoptosis, oxidative stress, and autophagy.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.47-51
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• 2014

Purpose: Neonatal late-onset hypocalcemia is defined as hypocalcemia developed after postnatal 3 days and associated with hypoparathyroidism, high phosphate diets and vitamin D deficiency. We experienced the increment of neonatal late onset hypocalcemia over 1 year. We tried to evaluate the relationship between late onset hypocalcemia and maternal hypovitaminosis D. Methods: The medical records in the neonates with late-onset hypocalcemia during January 2007 to July 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. Among those patients, 17 paired sera of mothers and neonates had collected. The levels of 25-OH vitamin D (25OHD) and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) were measured and were compared with neonate and the mother. Results: The mean gestational age was $38^{+1}$ weeks, and the mean body weight was 2,980 g. The onset time of hypocalcemia was 5.9 days of age. Most of them (88.2%) were feeding with formula and no one was only breast milk feeding. Of the 17 patients, 13 were born in spring or in winter. The median levels of calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, iPTH and 25OHD were 7.0 mg/dL, 8.6 mg/dL, 191.0 U/L, 57.2 pg/mL and 24.0 ng/mL in neonates. The levels of 25OHD of 6 neonates were <20 ng/mL. A total of 16 mothers were considered vitamin D-deficient (<20 ng/mL), and vitamin D insufficient (20<25OHD<30 ng/mL). Conclusion: Neonatal late-onset hypocalcemia in our study seems to be influenced by maternal vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency. Sun tanning and vitamin D supplements from winter to spring would be helpful to prevent maternal vitamin D deficiency, one of the causes of neonatal late-onset hypocalcemia.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.269-276
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• 2023

Recently, there has been a growing interest in the development of safer and more effective soothing materials to calm skin that has become sensitive to various external factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the skin soothing and anti-inflammatory effects of COMPAREX compared to Portulaca Oleracea extract. The results showed that COMPAREX significantly inhibited LPS-induced NO production and the expression of inflammatory factors iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α, and IL-6 more than P. oleracea extract. In addition, COMPAREX has been confirmed to have a more effective sedative effect by further inhibiting the gene and protein expression of IL-1α against SDS stimulation than the Portulaca Oleracea extract. Furthermore, COMPAREX inhibited the expression of inflammatory factors COX-2 and IL-8 increased by PM_2.5 and suppressed H₂O₂-mediated carbonylated protein in hair cell. These results suggest that COMPAREX has shown the potential to be used as an improved natural soothing material over P. oleracea extract, and it is expected to be used as a derma cosmetic material in the future.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.180-185
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• 2006

Prunus mume has been used as a Korean medicine. It is effective in treating diarrhea and an abdominal pain. This experiment was carried out to optimize extraction conditions of prunus mume flower tea and to analyze volatile compounds. Three kinds of samples treated with fresh, freeze dry, and shade dry, were used, and prunus mum flower tea was manufactured by the mixed ratio of green tea and prunus mume flower. The result was valued by the Hunter's value, flavor and taste. The optimum conditions of extraction time and temperature were 3 min and $80^{\circ}C$ respectively. Sensory evaluation shows that optimum ratio was adaptive 90% green tea with 10% prunus mume flower. The major volatile compound in prunus mume flower was benzaldehyde.

• Weed & Turfgrass Science
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.104-110
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• 2015

This study was conducted for 3 years in an apple orchard to investigate the efficacy of the glufosinate-ammonium (GFA) SL for weed control in comparison to non-woven fabric mulch, sod culture and machinery cutting treatments. Glufosinate-ammonium SL 18% was applied with 2 to 3 times, and the extents of injury caused by the different weed control methods were also investigated during the 3 years. The highest level of weed control was obtained by glufosinate-ammonium 3 times spray (98.7%), followed by machinery cutting (95.1%), glufosinate-ammonium 2 times spray (81.5%) and natural sod culture (5.8%). Amounts of fruit production in three times application of glufosinate-ammonium 540 g a.i. $ha^{-1}$, twice application of GFA, machinery cutting, non-woven fabric processing, sod culture and untreated control were 27.2, 26.2, 25.3, 24.1, 20.4 and 13.3 kg, respectively. There was no toxicity symptom of glufosinate-ammonium on the whole tree such as fruit, bud, trunk, branch and flower during the 3 years.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.15 no.4 s.71
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• pp.536-541
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• 2005

Obesity is emerging as one of the major risk factors of death in Korea as well as western societies. This study was performed to investigate the effect of kimchi with Monascus purpureus (Hongkuk) on liver function, plasma lipid composition of rats fed high fat diet for four weeks in rats. Rats were divided into the following 6 groups; I group (normal diet), II group (normal diet with $1\%$ kimchi powder using $5.0\%$ Hongkuk), III group (high fat diet), IV group (high fat diet with $1\%$ kimchi powder), V group (hish fat diet with $1\%$ kimchi powder using $2.5\%$ Hongkuk), and VI group (high fat diet with $1\%$ kimchi powder using $5\%$ Hongkuk). Weight gains showed to decrease in group IV, V, VI. Food intake and food efficiency ratio were no significantly different among the groups. Plasma total cholesterol showed to decrease with kimchi using Hongkuk. LDL-cholesterol levels were lower in kimchi using Hongkuk than that of control group. These results demonstrated that the kimchi and kimchi using Monascus purpureus(Hongkuk) decreased weight gains and lowered serum cholesterol levels in rat.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.149-160
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• 2022

The goal of this study was to investigate the diversity of wild yeasts from the waters and soils of Haegeumgang in Gyungsangnam-do, and Namdaecheon and Geumsancheon in upstream of Geumgang, Korea and to characterize any previously unrecorded wild yeast strains. In total, 52 strains comprising 22 different species of wild yeasts were isolated from 35 samples obtained from Haegeumgang. Forty three and sevent nine wild yeast strains were isolated from 90 samples taken from Namdaecheon and Geumsancheon, respectively. Among the total 174 isolated wild yeast strains, 4 strains, i.e., Exobasidium rhododendri HGG10-5 (NNIBR2022633FG1), Udeniomyces pyricola NDC29-1 (NNIBR2022633FG2), Diddensiella caesifluorescens GSC2-2 (NNIBR2022633FG5) and Pichia scaptomyzae BAC2-3 (NNIBR2022633FG4) were previously unrecorded yeasts were oval or spherical in shape, only Pichia scaptomyzae BAC 2-3 formed ascospores. Three strains with the exception of Udeniomyces pyricola NDC 29-1 grew well in vitamin-free medium and Exobasidium rhododendri HGG 10-5 grew well in YPD medium containing 10% NaCl. All four novel strains assimilated fructose, lactose, raffinose, starch and xylose.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.66 no.6
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• pp.444-450
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• 2009

Background: Biomarkers for cancer have several potential clinical uses, including the following: early cancer detection, monitoring for recurrence prognostication, and risk stratification. However, no biomarker has been shown to have adequate sensitivity and specificity. Many investigators have tried to validate biomarkers for the early detection and recurrence of lung cancer. To evaluate plasma G-CSF as such a biomarker, protein levels were measured and were found to correlate with the clinicopathological features of primary lung tumors. Methods: Between December 2006 and May 2008, 100 patients with histologically-validated primary lung cancer were enrolled into this study. To serve as controls, 127 healthy volunteers were enrolled into this study. Plasma G-CSF levels were measured in lung cancer patients using the sandwich ELISA system (R & D inc.) prior to treatment. Results: The mean plasma G-CSF levels were 12.2$\pm$0.3 pg/mL and 46.0$\pm$3.8 pg/mL (mean$\pm$SE) in the normal and in the cancer groups, respectively. In addition, plasma G-CSF levels were higher in patients with early lung cancer than in healthy volunteers (p<.001). Plasma G-CSF levels were higher in patients who were under 65 years old or smokers. Within the cancer group, plasma G-CSF levels were higher in patients with non small cell lung cancer than in patients with small cell lung cancer (p<.05). Overall, plasma G-CSF levels were shown to increase dependent upon the type of lung cancer diagnsosed. In the order from highest to lowest, the levels of plasma G-CSF tended to decrease in the following order: large cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and bronchioloalveolar carcinoma. Plasma G-CSF levels tended to be higher in patients with advanced TNM stage than in localized TNM stage (I, II

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.159-167
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• 2017

This study was conducted to evaluate the control efficacy of the organic farming materials on cucumber scab caused by Cladosporium cucumerinum PT1 (KACC 48094). The antifungal activities in vitro as well as the suppressive effect of 43 organic farming materials on the spore germination and germ tube growth by inoculating spore suspension on cucumber seedlings in vivo were investigated. Thirteen organic farming materials inhibited the mycelial growth of C. cucumerinum and nine of these were microbial agents. In the screening using cucumber seedlings, six organic farming materials were very effective with control efficacy value of 90%. Among them, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens M27 provided suppressive effect on both mycelial growth and spore germination against cucumber scab. Finally, nine organic farming materials were selected to test the protective and curative effects, and all chosen organic farming materials significantly suppressed disease incidence when applied in the preventive action, in comparison with the curative action. Especially, Bordeaux mixture I and III gave excellent protective control efficacy with control values of 96.7% and 73.3%, respectively, whereas its curative control effect was significant low. Among these, only Thymus quinquecostatus+Sophora extract showed curative activity, although the control value was as low as 50%. This study suggests that cucumber scab can be controlled by some organic farming materials in the farmhouses under comparatively cold and wet condition and protective treatment is more important and efficient.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.50-58
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• 2011

Cheongpunggye is located in a valley where Baekaksan, the main mountain of Seoul and Inwang Mountain corresponding to right-white tiger(石白虎) divination based on topography are crossed. The owner of Cheongpunggye is Seonwon Kim Sangyong and many people had visited there without pause because of beautiful landscape since the early times of Chosun. Seonwon Kim Sangyong had ever studied together with Yulgok Yi I and Woogye Seong Hon. He was one of the Western faction(Seo-in) which was the leading power of Injo Coup and died for his chastity during Second Manchu Invasion of Chosun. He is known as a model of fidelity which is a symbol for scholar's spirit in Chosun together with his younger brother Cheongeum Kim Sangheon. Jangdong region, the clan village of New Andong family was the birthplace of Yulgok School which was the fundamental of scholar spirit of Chosun. And Jangdong would be the source of Jin-Gyeong(Real Scenery) Culture which was bloomed by Baekak club composed of Gyeomjae Jeong Seon, Sacheon Lee Byeongyeon, and Gwanajae Cho Yeongseok. The contents of this study are as follows. First, this study explored the placeness of Seochon region through the historical background like the relation between Jangdong, the clan village of Andong Kim family and Andong Kim family, and achievements of Seonwon Kim Sangyong and circumstances of that times. Second, this study tried to know original landscape of Cheongpunggye by investigating location, topography, water system etc. based on analysis of literature, old map, and paintings describing Cheongpunggye. The study was progressed in this way. To infer the original landscape, about 50 landscape elements of Cheongpunggye shown in Punggyejibseunggi(楓溪集勝記), Cheongpunggye Cheop, Cheongpunggye(淸風溪), the work of Gyeomjae Jeong Sean were searched, and then the location and form of the elements was analyzed. Furthermore, by analyzing the meanings of the names for the landscape elements, the thoughts(Naturalism, Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism) supporting the structure of Cheongpunggye could be inferred. It is thought that these findings can contribute to exploration of placeness of Cheongpunggye. The study on original landscape of Cheongpunggye can be used as basic data when these works are executed-revival of Cheongpunggye, restoration of small streams in upper part of Cheonggyecheon, renewal of Seochon region.