• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.121-129
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• 2018

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced macrophage foam cell formation and apoptosis play critical roles in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Thioredoxin-1 (Trx) is an antioxidant that potently protects various cells from oxidative stress-induced cell death. However, the protective effect of Trx on ox-LDL-induced macrophage foam cell formation and apoptosis has not been studied. This study aims to investigate the effect of recombinant human Trx (rhTrx) on ox-LDL-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages and elucidate the possible mechanisms. RhTrx significantly inhibited ox-LDL-induced cholesterol accumulation and apoptosis in RAW264.7 macrophages. RhTrx also suppressed the ox-LDL-induced overproduction of lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor (LOX-1), Bax and activated caspase-3, but it increased the expression of Bcl-2. In addition, rhTrx markedly inhibited the ox-LDL-induced production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK). Furthermore, anisomycin (a p38 MAPK activator) abolished the protective effect of rhTrx on ox-LDL-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, and SB203580 (a p38 MAPK inhibitor) exerted a similar effect as rhTrx. Collectively, these findings indicate that rhTrx suppresses ox-LDL-stimulated foam cell formation and macrophage apoptosis by inhibiting ROS generation, p38 MAPK activation and LOX-1 expression. Therefore, we propose that rhTrx has therapeutic potential in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.387-401
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• 2017

This study was performed in order to investigate disease, insect damage, growth and yield characteristics of green maize by organic paddy-upland rotation system. This experiment also was to select optimum variety for organic paddy-upland rotation cultivation. This experiment was conducted at Anseong-si Gyeonggi province of Korea in 2016. The varieties used in this study are green maize of total 8 varieties. Green maize was planted at rotational upland field and continuing upland field and tested for comparison. In case of average occurrence of 4 major disease for green maize, rotational upland field was higher than that of continuing upland field. Heukjinjuchal and Daehakchal were the lowest occurrence by less than 2% among 8 varieties. Average damage of 8 varieties by Ostrinia furnacalis larva, which is the main pest in green maize was higher in rotational upland field than that of continuing upland field. Chalok 4 and Heugjeom 2 were judged to be resistant varieties to 4 major disease among 8 varieties. The average yield of green maize per 10a in rotational upland field decreased to 85% level of continuing upland field and Chalok 4 showed the highest yield by 789.0 kg/10a among 8 varieties. The most suitable varieties in organic paddy-upland rotation system were judged to be Chalok 4, Heukjinjuchal and Heukjeom 2.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.223-235
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• 2012

In this paper, field study results about accumulation of sediments and its property in the forebay of wetland aiming at stormwater from rural area wherein intensive cow feeding lots are operated are provided. In addition, some design aspects are discussed. Amount of sediment generation in the longitudinal direction of forebay was found to be affected by hydrological factors such as rainfall depth and intensity. Nutrient contents in the sediments of this wetland were 10 times higher than those in stormwater wetland in rural area without animal-feeding lot. Total-Pb and As contents show similar level to values from the soils of surrounding watershed, but Total-Cu content was higher due to the animal feeding lots. Yearly amount of sediment generation, its depth and volume were estimated to 13tons, 23cm, and $65m^3$. Based on these results and recommended guideline by Korean Ministry of Environment, dredging frequency was found to be about 2.7years. The shape of forebay has to be carefully designed to deal with a great change in flow rate. According to the results of sediment depth analysis, instead of the present rectangular, wedge-shape forebay is more desirable in handling scouring caused by high flows.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.131-136
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• 2004

The purpose of this study is to compare the relative risk of metabolic syndrome (MS) in middle aged adults with different body weights. 155 subjects living in urban Beijing were recruited from 24 neighborhood committees of urban Beijing. They were divided into normal weight, overweight and obese groups according to their BMIs. The general information of the subjects was collected using an interview-administered questionnaire. Standard procedure was followed to measure subject's weight, height and waist. Biochemical parameters (total cholesterol (TC), low- and high­density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C ; HDL-C), triglyceride (TG), and fasting glucose) and blood pressure were also determined. The results indicated that the systolic and diastolic blood pressure, HDL-C of obese group was lower than that of the normal weight group. Fasting glucose of obese males was significantly higher than that of normal weight males. No significant difference of fasting glucose was found among female groups. No significant difference of TG was found among male groups, while TG of overweight and obese females was both significantly higher than normal weight females. There was no significant difference of TC and LDL-C among normal weight, overweight and obese groups in both males and females. The MS rate of obese males was significantly higher than the normal weight and overweight males, as was the female. The relative risk of MS in obese group was about 11 times higher (OR=11.249, $95\%CI$ = 3.812 - 33.191) than the normal weight group after adjusting for age, gender, smoking, drinking, family economic level and education status. It is concluded that obesity contributed to lower HDL-C, hypertriglyceride, hypertension and MS after controlling the effects of age, gender, socioeconomic status, alcohol drinking and smoking. Obese individuals have a higher risk of having MS than their normal weight counterparts.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.29-42
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• 2017

As the "Guidelines for GHG Environmental Assessment" was revised, it pointed out that the developers should evaluate GHG sequestration and storage of the developing site. However, the current guidelines only taking into account the quantitative reduction lost within the development site, and did not consider the qualitative decrease in the carbon sequestration capacity of forest edge produced by developments. In order to assess the quantitative and qualitative effects of vegetation carbon uptake, the CASA-NPP model and satellite image spatial-temporal fusion were used to estimate the annual net primary production in 2005 and 2015. The development projects between 2006 and 2014 were examined for evaluate quantitative changes in development site and qualitative changes in surroundings by development types. The RMSE value of the satellite image fusion results is less than 0.1 and approaches 0, and the correlation coefficient is more than 0.6, which shows relatively high prediction accuracy. The NPP estimation results range from 0 to $1335.53g\;C/m^2$ year before development and from 0 to $1333.77g\;C/m^2$ year after development. As a result of analyzing NPP reduction amount within the development area by type of forest development, the difference is not significant by type of development but it shows the lowest change in the sports facilities development. It was also found that the vegetation was most affected by the edge vegetation of industrial development. This suggests that the industrial development causes additional development in the surrounding area and indirectly influences the carbon sequestration function of edge vegetaion due to the increase of the edge and influx of disturbed species. The NPP calculation method and results presented in this study can be applied to quantitative and qualitative impact assessment of before and after development, and it can be applied to policies related to greenhouse gas in environmental impact assessment.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.35-47
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• 2003

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the significance of the Oriental medical treatment using He-Ne laser with low energy intravascular Laser Irradiation of Blood(ILIB) through the superficial venules. Methods : The investigation of details connected with the superficial venules in the literature is performed. The investigation of details connected with the pricking blood techniques through the superficial venules in the literature is performed. The classification of the pricking blood techniques through the superficial venules by the blood-letting puncture methods in the literature is performed. The arrangement of domestic clinical treatises on the effectiveness of medical treatment using He-Ne laser with low energy ILIB through the superficial venules is performed. The consideration on the methodology for the improvement of the clinical effectiveness of He-Ne laser with low energy ILIB through superficial venules is performed. Results and Conclusions : The superficial venules are small arteries, veins and capillaries in the superficial region of the human body. In the pricking blood techniques, there are the blood-letting puncture using the implement of acupuncture to the Jing points, Extra points and superficial blood vessels and the acupuncture using the Hirudo. The methods of the blood-letting puncture are classified into the venous blood-letting puncture, the pricking , the picking out white fiber-like substances from the subcutaneous tissue, the cluster needling, the scattered needling, the blood-letting puncture of the tready collateral branch of the large channel and the blood-letting puncture of skin. The He-Ne laser with low energy ILIB through the superficial venules belongs to the Oriental medical treatment as the method of the blood-letting puncture in the vein of cubital fossa. The He-Ne laser with low energy ILIB has an effect on hyperfibrinogenemia, hyperlipidemia, speech and motor dysfunction in the case of cerebral infarction, headache, dizziness, pain and numbness. It is considered that fundamental research on the biological change of the human body, the experimental animal and the unicellular animal, and research on the effectiveness and the safety, and the development of He-Ne laser with low energy ILIB of an effective wavelength range are necessary.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.59-75
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• 2011

Objectives : The Aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of male and female patients who have been suffered from headaches. The investigation was undertaken based on Qi-section(Methods of prescribing oriental herbal medicine) from DongEuiBoGam(東醫寶鑑). Methods: A statistical survey was conducted to compare the difference in clinical characteristics between male and female patients experiencing headaches. Oriental medical Diagnosis was used to classify all parients under the following categories Qi-deficiency (氣虛), Jing-dificiency (精虛), Food-stagnation (食積), Damp-accumulation (痰飮), Qi-stagnation (氣滯). Patients were treated using acupuncture therapy and herbal medicines. Results : 1. The ratio between male and female patients was about 1:3. 2. It showed that periods of illness were longer in female patients than in male patients. 3. The total number of treatments received was higher in female patients than in male patients. 4. Statistically, most female patients had Metopodynia and Migraines(Rt.), while male patients suffered mostly from Laryngalgia. 5. Male patients had feelings of strain in the head and female patients had splitting headaches. 6. Musculo-skeletal System and General Symptoms were frequently observed in male patients. Digestive System and Nervous System were frequently observed in female patients. 7. Results from oriental medical Diagnosis showed that male patients mostly had Qi-deficiency, ling-deficiency while the majority of female patients had Food-stagnation, Damp-accumulation, Qi-stagnation. 8. The recovery time for male patients was shorter than it was for female patients. The recurrence rate of the headaches were higher for female patients. Prognosis was better than in female patients in comparison to male patients. Conclusions : The statistical survey conducted was based on Qi-section of DongEuiBoGam. It had significant differences in clinical characteristics between male & femal patients.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.1088-1097
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• 2018

Objective: It is commonly accepted that adiponectin binds to its two receptors to regulate fatty acid metabolism in adipocytes. To better understand their functions in the regulation of intramuscular adipogenesis in goats, we cloned the three genes (adiponectin [AdipoQ], adiponectin receptor 1 [AdipoR1], and AdipoR2) encoding these proteins and detected their mRNA distribution in different tissues. We also determined the role of AdipoQ in the adipogenic differentiation of goat skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSCs). Methods: SMSCs were isolated using 1 mg/mL Pronase E from the longissimus dorsi muscles of 3-day-old female Nanjiang brown goats. Adipogenic differentiation was induced in satellite cells by transferring the cells to Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium supplemented with an isobutylmethylxanthine, dexamethasone and insulin cocktail. The pEGFP-N1-AD plasmid was transfected into SMSCs using Lipofectamine 2000. Expression of adiponectin in tissues and SMSCs was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunocytochemical staining. Results: The three genes were predominantly expressed in adipose and skeletal muscle tissues. According to fluorescence and immunocytochemical analyses, adiponectin protein expression was only observed in the cytoplasm, suggesting that adiponectin is localized to the cytoplasm of goat SMSCs. In SMSCs overexpressing the AdipoQ gene, adiponectin promoted SMSC differentiation into adipocytes and significantly (p<0.05) up-regulated expression of AdipoR2, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, fatty-acid synthase, and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1, though expression of CCAAT/enhancer-binding $protein-{\alpha}$, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}$, and AdipoR1 did not change significantly. Conclusion: Adiponectin induced SMSC differentiation into adipocytes, indicating that adiponectin may promote intramuscular adipogenesis in goat SMSC.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.1325-1335
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• 2018

Objective: This study investigated whether spermine supplementation could regulate cell cycle, apoptosis, and amino acid transporter-related genes expression in the thymus and spleen of early weaned piglets. Methods: Eighty female piglets were randomly distributed to receive adequate nutrients supplemented with spermine (0.4 mmol/kg body weight/24 h) or to be provided with restricted nourishment supplemented with normal saline for 7 h or 3, 6, or 9 d in pairs. Results: Regardless of administration time, spermine supplementation significantly up-regulated cyclin A2 gene expression but down-regulated p21 and cyclin D3 mRNA levels in the thymus and spleen and reduced cyclin E2 gene expression in the thymus of piglets (p<0.05). Irrespective of the treatment period, the reduced Bax and caspase-3 gene expressions and improved Bcl-2 mRNA level were observed in the thymus and spleen of spermine-administrated piglets (p<0.05). Regardless of supplementation time, spermine intake significantly enhanced the expressions of amino acid transporter-related genes (SLC1A1, SLC1A5, SLC7A1, SLC7A7, and SLC15A1) in both thymus and spleen, as well as SLC7A9 in the spleen of piglets (p<0.05). In addition, extended spermine administration also markedly promoted cell proliferation, depressed apoptosis and modulated amino acid transport (p<0.05), and such effects were the greatest during prolonged spermine supplementation (6 d) compared to the other time periods (p<0.05). Conclusion: Spermine supplementation may regulate cell cycle during the G1/S phase, suppress apoptosis and modulate amino acid transport. A period of 6 d of spermine supplementation is required to produce the optimal effects on nutritional implications.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.59-70
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• 2014

In recent years, Chinese government established 4 pilot zones at Shandong, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Fujian. The national marine development pilot zones policy is formed in order to promote development of Chinese marine economy, as if Chinese government selected 4 special economic zones as the policy experiment areas for economic structural reform at the beginning stage of reform and opening-up. This article utilizes the policy-making theory of Incrementalism Model and aims at searching for the essence, historical formation process, implementation state, implications of 4 Chinese marine economic development pilot zones policy. Moreover, the prospect of their future development is analyzed. The marine pilot zone policy has the following features: new development model with advanced industries and sciences & technology, highly civil participation, plural policy goals. These research results would be able to contribute not only to getting better understanding of China's marine industry policy, but also to drawing lessons for the construction of Korea's marine economic special zone in the viewpoint of policy transfer.