• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.135-159
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• 2014

Industrial insect is defined as the insect utilized in industries that creates added value. Most of the industrial insects used in Korea are exotic species that are introduced through artificial means. Despite the rapid expansion of market for industrial insects, the system for risk assessment of industrial insects is not being adequately conducted. Although Korea carries out a risk assessment for the species designated as disease and insect pest by Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, far too little consideration is being given to overall ecosystem, as the control system is covered in the Plant Quarantine Law. To solve this problem, we analyzed the Korean risk assessment system and looked at systems in other countries. The results show that it is essential for stakeholders to reach an agreement to set up fundamental directions for the system. Unless the integration system of taxonomical and ecological information is prepared, the ecological risk assessment should be conservative to protect ecosystems and should also follow the precautionary principle. It also requires cooperation among the ministries. In addition, the results indicated that a differentiation between risk assessment and screening is urgent. Several solutions such as setting up clear objectives in both assessment and screening stages, target species, steering organization and assessment criteria assessment systems from were proposed as practical institutional strategies. Among many foreign countries the assessment system from Ireland equally considers various factors such as economical, ecological safety and management aspects, It is also based on precautionary principle to fulfil its original purpose. It was suggested that the Ireland system would be the best reference that can be modified and applied into the Korean system by considering distinct characteristics of the industrial insects.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.18-28
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• 2008

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the most abundant forms of human genetic variations and resources for mapping complex genetic traits and disease association studies. We have constructed a linkage disequilibrium (LD) map of chromosome 22 in Korean samples and compared it with those of other populations, including Yorubans in Ibadan, Nigeria (YRI), Centre d'Etude du Polymorphisme Humain (CEPH) reference families (CEU), Japanese in Tokyo (JPT) and Han Chinese in Beijing (CHB) in the HapMap database. We genotyped 4681 of 111,448 publicly available SNPs in 90 unrelated Koreans. Among genotyped SNPs, 4167 were polymorphic. Three hundred and five LD blocks were constructed to make up 18.6% (6.4 of 34.5 Mb) of chromosome 22 with 757 tagSNPs and 815 haplotypes (frequency $\geq$ 5.0%). Of 3430 common SNPs genotyped in all five populations, 514 were monomorphic in Koreans. The CHB + JPT samples have more than a 72% overlap with the monomorphic SNPs in Koreans, while the CEU + YRI samples have less than a 38% overlap. The patterns of hot spots and LD blocks were dispersed throughout chromosome 22, with some common blocks among populations, highly concordant between the three Asian samples. Analysis of the distribution of chimpanzee-derived allele frequency (DAF), a measure of genetic differentiation, Fst levels, and allele frequency difference (AFD) among Koreans and the HapMap samples showed a strong correlation between the Asians, while the CEU and YRI samples showed a very weak correlation with Korean samples. Relative distance as a quantitative measurement based upon DAF, Fst, and AFD indicated that all three Asian samples are very proximate, while CEU and YRI are significantly remote from the Asian samples. Comparative genome-wide LD studies provide useful information on the association studies of complex diseases.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.3451-3454
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• 2012

Background: Esophageal cancer in Iran is the sixth most common cancer and is particularly important in east Azerbaijan. The aim of this study was to calculate survival rates and define prognostic factors in esophageal cancer patients. Methods: In this study, all patients with esophageal cancer registered in the Radiation Therapy Center, during March 2006 to March 2011, were analyzed and followed up for vital status. Data were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox proportional hazard models. Results: Out of 532 patients, survival information was available for 460, including 205 (44/ 5%) females and 255 (55/4%) males. The mean age was $65.8{\pm}12.2$, ranging from 29 to 90 years at the time of diagnosis. 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates after diagnosis were 55%, 18% and 12%, respectively, with a median survival time of $13.2{\pm}.7$ (CI 95% =11.8-14.6) months. In the univariate analysis, age (P=0/001), education (P=0/001), smoking status (P= 0/001), surgery (P= 0/001), tumor differentiation (P= 0/003) and tumor stage (P= 0/001) were significant prognostic factors. Tumor morphology, sex, place of residence, tumor histology and tumor location did not show any significant effects on the survival rate. In multivariate analysis, age (P = 0/003), smoking (P= 0/01) and tumor stage (P= 0/001) were significant independent predictors of survival. Conclusion: In summary, prognosis of esophageal cancer in North West of Iran is poor. Therefore, reduction in exposure to risk factors and early detection should be emphasized to improve survival.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.2021-2030
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• 2020

Objective: Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) has been extensively used in the field of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) research to elucidate their characteristics and clinical potential by normalization of target genes against reference genes (RGs), which are believed to be stably expressed irrespective of various experimental conditions. However, the expression of RGs is also variable depending on the experimental conditions, which may lead to false or contradictory conclusions upon normalization. Due to the current lack of information for a clear list of stable RGs in bovine MSCs, we conducted this study to identify suitable RGs in bovine MSCs. Methods: The cycle threshold values of ten traditionally used RGs (18S ribosomal RNA [18S], beta-2-microglobulin [B2M], H2A histone family, member Z [H2A], peptidylprolyl isomerase A [PPIA], ribosomal protein 4 [RPL4], succinate dehydrogenase complex, subunit A [SDHA], beta actin [ACTB], glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase [GAPDH], TATA box binding protein [TBP], and hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltrasnfrase1 [HPRT1]) in bovine bone marrow-derived MSCs (bBMMSCs) were validated for their stabilities using three types of RG evaluation algorithms (geNorm, Normfinder, and Bestkeeper). The effect of validated RGs was then verified by normalization of lineage-specific genes (fatty acid binding protein 4 [FABP4] and osteonectin [ON]) expressions during differentiations of bBMMSCs or POU class 5 homeobox 1 (OCT4) expression between bBMMSCs and dermal skins. Results: Based on the results obtained for the three most stable RGs from geNorm (TBP, RPL4, and H2A), Normfinder (TBP, RPL4, and SDHA), and Bestkeeper (TBP, RPL4, and SDHA), it was comprehensively determined that TBP and RPL4 were the most stable RGs in bBMMSCs. However, traditional RGs were suggested to be the least stable (18S) or moderately stable (GAPDH and ACTB) in bBMMSCs. Normalization of FABP4 or ON against TBP, RPL4, and 18S presented significant differences during differentiation of bBMMSCs. However, although significantly low expression of OCT4 was detected in dermal skins compared to that in bBMMSCs when TBP and RPL4 were used in normalization, normalization against 18S exhibited no significance. Conclusion: This study proposes that TBP and RPL4 were suitable as stable RGs for qPCR study in bovine MSCs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.480-488
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• 2018

Objective: Average daily gain (ADG) is an important target trait of pig breeding programs. We aimed to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and genomic regions that are associated with ADG in the Duroc pig population. Methods: We performed a genome-wide association study involving 390 Duroc boars and by using the PorcineSNP60K Beadchip and two linear models. Results: After quality control, we detected 3,5971 SNPs, which included seven SNPs that are significantly associated with the ADG of pigs. We identified six quantitative trait loci (QTL) regions for ADG. These QTLs included four previously reported QTLs on Sus scrofa chromosome (SSC) 1, SSC5, SSC9, and SSC13, as well as two novel QTLs on SSC6 and SSC16. In addition, we selected six candidate genes (general transcription factor 3C polypeptide 5, high mobility group AT-hook 2, nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase, oligodendrocyte transcription factor 1, pleckstrin homology and RhoGEF domain containing G4B, and ENSSSCG00000031548) associated with ADG on the basis of their physiological roles and positional information. These candidate genes are involved in skeletal muscle cell differentiation, diet-induced obesity, and nervous system development. Conclusion: This study contributes to the identification of the casual mutation that underlies QTLs associated with ADG and to future pig breeding programs based on marker-assisted selection. Further studies are needed to elucidate the role of the identified candidate genes in the physiological processes involved in ADG regulation.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.11 no.10
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• pp.37-45
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• 2013

Purpose - Appropriate response to the fast changing economic environment determines SMEs' competiveness in the era of globalization and open market and, therefore, government policies to strengthen SME's competitiveness will be very important in the future. It is time to investigate the element of strategic orientation that is necessary for strengthening the competitiveness of SMEs, and its effect on the success of a business start-up. This study analyzes the network orientation in addition to existing strategic orientation, and focuses on price and quality management capability as mediators for strategic orientation and outcomes of business start-ups. Research design/data/methodology - The orientations of technology-based business founders were classified into market, technology, network, and entrepreneurial orientation. We then investigated the effect of these orientations on product price and quality management capability, as well as the influence of price and quality management capability on the outcome of a business start-up. This study is based on the nation-wide survey of the founders and members of technology-based business establishments. The survey was administered to 300 selected companies via email for a period of one month, at the end of which 175 companies replied with valid answers. Further, for effective and objective research, we used SPSS 14.0 and Amos 7.0 for structural equation modeling assumptions and hypothesis verification. Results - Except for entrepreneurial orientation, the other three orientations, namely, technology, market, and network orientations, affect the price management capability according to our results. The price management capability relates significantly with the sales and customer satisfaction. Especially, technology orientation is the core competency of start-ups that affects price and quality management capabilities. However, technology and entrepreneurial orientation do not influence the outcome of business start-ups, but affect their quality management capabilities. Conclusions - This study confirms that the strategic orientation affects product price as well as quality management capabilities, to introduce new products and achieve successful outcomes. In conclusion, new business founders face the dilemma of trade-off between price and quality in the planning stage of new product development. In particular, price management capability directly affects the outcome. Therefore, price management is more important for a successful start-up than quality management. Especially, during the initial stages of starting up a new business, price management capability entails following the market-leading company, or price penetration strategy. In this stage, price management is dependent on the information from outside rather than on the founder's decision, and it directly affects sales performance and customer satisfaction. In contrast, quality management capability is directly related to the technology capability and market experience of founders. In this case, subjective and proactive decision making is required for differentiation and development of demand in the niche market, which does not directly influence the sales performance and customer satisfaction.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.163-176
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• 2009

Objectives : To address most probable and suitable method for designing clinical trial intervening Traditional Korean Herbal Medicine on hwa-byung. Study Design : A systematic review of research studies of complementary and/or alternative medical(CAM) treatment of depression, and of domestic clinical trials of Traditional Korean Medicine, and of Chinese clinical trials of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Methods : Randomized, controlled trials(RCTs) of treatment of depression intervening herbal medicine were searched through MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and CNKI databases. Also, domestic RCTs intervening Traditional Korean Herbal Medicine were searched through Korean Traditional Knowledge Portal and Korean studies Information Service System(KISS). Studies were evaluated using Iadad scale and self-designed tool for this study. Results : Thirty four RCT studies( 10 from MEDLINE, 16 from CNKI, 8 domestic studies) of herbal medicine met inclusion criteria. Mean Jadad score of studies published in English was 2.8${\pm}$0.79, in Chinese 1.94${\pm}$0.77, and in Korean 2.75${\pm}$0.71. Twenty one percent of studies included pattern differentiation in their inclusion criteria. Twenty nine percent of studies used combined treatment of herbal and conventional medicine. Among studies on depression, 9% included Complementary Medical assessing tools. Conclusions : There is shortage of domestic clinical trial involving herbal medicine. In China, studies tend to focus on investigating effect of Combined treatment of herbal and conventional medicine on depression. Clinical trial(s) of hwa-byung should provide good internal validity by describing methodology for randomization, double-blinding, and attrition. Also, specific guideline for clinical trial, including Traditional Korean Medical aspects across inclusion criteria, and assessing tools is needed.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.783-787
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• 2011

The effects of thaumatin isolated from katemfe fruit of Thaumatococcus daiellii Benth on 3T3-L1 preadipocyte differentiation was investigated in vitro. 3T3-L1 adipocytes were treated with various concentrations of thaumatin ranging in 0-5 ${\mu}M$. Thaumatin reduced fat accumulation in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes in a dose-dependent manner. 3T3-L1 cell proliferation was 97.0 and 88.3% at 1 and 3 ${\mu}M$ after 8 days of thaumatin treatment, respectively. Thaumatin showed a potent inhibitory effect on stained lipid droplets at a concentration of 3 ${\mu}M$. Thaumatin reduced triglyceride accumulation in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells in a dose-dependent manner, compared with positive control cells. This study provides basic information on the anti-obesity activity of thaumatin.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.149-158
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate antioxidant characteristics and anti-adipogenic effects of colored rice and brown rice extracts in 3T3-L1 adipocyte depending on cultivar (Josaengheugchal, Heugjinmi, Hongjinju, Geongganghongmi, Seolgaeng, Milyang 320, Sindongjin, Baegjinju). Colored rice and brown rice was extracted with 100% ethanol, followed by the analysis of polyphenol, flavonoid, anthocyanin, antioxidant, and anti-adipogenic activity. Total polyphenol and flavonoid content ranged from 6.86~314.08 mg GAE/g and 1.47~56.88 mg CE/g the highest total polyphenol and flavonoid content was observed in Heugjinmi cultivar. Anthocyanin composition was analyzed by HPLC, cyanidin-3-gluoside and peonidin-3-glucoside was found in black rice including Josaengheugchal and Heugjinmi. Also, the ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activity of colored rice cultivars was higher than that of brown rice cultivars, the highest ABTS radical scavenging activity also was observed in Heugjinmi (128.20 mg TE/g). The anti-adipogenic effects of colored rice and brown rice extracts on differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes evaluated that extracts of Heugjinmi cultivar significantly reduced intracellular lipid accumulation. These results provide valuable information for the use of Korean colored rice cultivar as a functional food materials relative to anti-obesity.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2002.07a
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• pp.113-113
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• 2002

Phylogenetically conserved Bcl-2 family proteins play a pivotal role in the regulation of apoptosis from virus to human. Members of the Bcl-2 family consist of antiapoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and Bcl-w, and proapoptotic proteins such as BAD, Bax, BOD, and Bok. It has been proposed that anti- and proapoptotic Bcl-2 proteins regulate cell death by binding to each other and forming heterodimers. A delicate balance between anti- and proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members exists in each cell and the relative concentration of these two groups of proteins determines whether the cell survives or undergoes apoptosis. Mcl-1 (Myeloid cell :leukemia-1) is a member of the Bcl-2 family proteins and was originally cloned as a differentiation-induced early gene that was activated in the human myeloblastic leukemia cell line, ML-1 . Mcl-1 is expressed in a wide variety of tissues and cells including neoplastic ones. We recently identified a short splicing variant of Mcl-1 short (Mcl-IS) and designated the known Mcl-1 as Mcl-1 long (Mcl-lL). Mcl-lL protein exhibits antiapoptotic activity and possesses the BH (Bcl-2 homology) 1, BH2, BH3, and transmembrane (TM) domains found in related Bcl-2 proteins. In contrast, Mcl-1 S is a BH3 domain-only proapoptotic protein that heterodimerizes with Mcl-lL. Although both Mc1-lL and Mcl-lS proteins contain BH domains fecund in other Bcl-2 family proteins, they are distinguished by their unusually long N-terminal sequences containing PEST (proline, glutamic acid, serine, and threonine) motifs, four pairs of arginine residues, and alanine- and glycine-rich regions. In addition, the expression pattern of Mcl-1 protein is different from that of Bcl-2 suggesting a unique role (or Mcl-1 in apoptosis regulation. Tankyrasel (TRF1-interacting, ankyrin-related ADP-related polymerasel) was originally isolated based on its binding to TRF 1 (telomeric repeat binding factor-1) and contains the sterile alpha motif (SAM) module, 24 ankyrin (ANK) repeats, and the catalytic domain of poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Previous studies showed that tankyrasel promotes telomere elongation in human cells presumably by inhibiting TRFI though its poly(ADP-ribosyl)action by tankyrasel . In addition, tankyrasel poly(ADP-ribosyl)ates Insulin-responsive amino peptidase (IRAP), a resident protein of GLUT4 vesicles, and insulin stimulates the PARP activity of tankyrase1 through its phosphorylation by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). ADP-ribosylation is a posttranslational modification that usually results in a loss of protein activity presumably by enhancing protein turnover. However, little information is available regarding the physiological function(s) of tankyrase1 other than as a PARP enzyme. In the present study, we found tankyrasel as a specific-binding protein of Mcl-1 Overexpression of tankyrasel led to the inhibition of both the apoptotic activity of Mel-lS and the survival action of Mcl-lL in mammalian cells. Unlike other known tankyrasel-interacting proteins, tankyrasel did not poly(ADP-ribosyl)ate either of the Mcl-1 proteins despite its ability to decrease Mcl-1 proteins expression following coexpression. Therefore, this study provides a novel mechanism to regulate Mcl-1-modulated apoptosis in which tankyrasel downregulates the expression of Mcl-1 proteins without the involvement of its ADP-ribosylation activity.