• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.97 no.2
• /
• pp.156-164
• /
• 2008

Recognizing the importance of the multi-purpose management of natural deciduous forest, this study was carried out to implement the partial cutting for stand regulation to examine agroforestry practice as well as other concurrent forest resource production, and to investigate the changes in stand characteristics and understory vegetation in a silvopasture practiced natural deciduous stand in the Research Forest of Kangwon National University, Korea. Three different partial cutting intensities (68.1%, 48.6%, and control) were performed in the unmanaged natural deciduous stand in order to improve the growing condition, especially light condition, for introducing some commercial herbaceous plants on the forest floor to establish agroforestry and/or silvopastoral system. Dominated by Quercus varibilis Blume (50.5%) and Quercus dentata Thum. ex Murray (42.6%), eight tree species were composed of the study forest, including poles of Pinus desiflora Siebold & Zucc and sapling of Pinus Koraiensis Siebold & Zucc. The total of 87 (13 tree species, 12 shrub species, 58 herbaceous species, and 4 woody climbers) vascular plant species were observed in study site after partial cutting treatments, while that of before partial cutting was 53 species (14 tree species, 8 shrubs species, 30 herbaceous species, and 1 woody climbers). The proportion of life form spectra in plot B was Mi (28.4%)-Na (23.0%)-Ge (17.5%)-Ch (10.8%)-He (9.5%)-MM (6.7%)-Th (4.1%). No statistically significant differences were observed in changes of life form spectra from before to after partial cutting treatment and among partial cutting gradients in this study. Partial cutting and scratching for forage sowing made plants invade easily on the forest floor, and light partial cutting (LPC) plot (500 stems/ha) had much higher number of undersory species than those of heavy partial cutting (HPC) plot (310 stems/ha) and control plot (1,270 stems/ha).

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.4 no.4
• /
• pp.205-215
• /
• 2004

In the early host defense system, effector function of natural killer (NK) cells results in natural killing against target cells such as microbe-infected, malignant, and certain allogenic cells without prior stimulation. NK cell cytotoxicity is selectively regulated by homeostatic prevalence between a repertoire of both activating and inhibitory receptors, and the discrimination of untransformed cells is achieved by recognition of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I alleles through inhibitory signals. Although it is well known that the bipotential T/NK progenitors are derived from the common precusor, functional mechanisms in terms of the development of NK cells remain to be further investigated. NK cells are mainly involved in innate immunity, but recent studies have been reported that they also play a critical role in adaptive immune responses through interaction with dendritic cells (DC). This interaction will provide effector functions and development of NK cells, and elucidation of its precise mechanism may lead to therapeutic strategies for effective treatment of several immune diseases.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.148-153
• /
• 1995

As an initial step for evaluating hepatoprotective components against alcohol-induced toxicity, the effect of various fractions from Aloe vera on alcohol metabolism in rats were examined and the results were as follows: Water soluble fraction, after a single oral administration to rats, was found to cause a significant decrease in the serum ethanol concentration as well as enhancement of liver cytosolic ADH activity. On the other hand, the fractions soluble in organic solvent was found to cause an increase in the blood ethanol concentration and inhibit ADH activity. Further fractionation of the water soluble fraction by ultrafiltration system gave four subfractions corresponding to molecular weight and treatment of them in rats demonstrated that subfraction of M.W. > 30,000 exhibited the most potent enhancing activity of ethanol methabolism.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.57-66
• /
• 2010

Programmed cell death systems are important for an active type of cell deaths. Among them, a type of programmed cell death, autophagy is activated in cancer cells in response to multiple stresses and has been demonstrated to promote tumor cell survival and drug resistance. Thus, in the area of cancer, over the time frame form around the 1940s to date, of the 155 small molecules, 73% are other than "synthetic", with 47% actually being either "natural products" or "directly derived therefrom". Autophagy has multiple physiological functions in multicellular organisms, including protein degradation and organelle turnover. Genes and proteins that constitute the basic machinery of the autophagic process were first identified in the yeast system and some of their mammalian orthologues have been characterized as well. Numerous oncogenes, including Akt1, Bcl-2, NF1, PDPK1, class I PI3K, PTEN, and Ras and oncosuppressors, inculuding Bec-1, Bif-1, DAPK-1, p53 and UVRAG suppress or promote the autophagy pathway. Regulation of autophagy in tumors is governed by similar principles of the normal cells, only in a much more complicated manner, given the frequently observed abnormal PI3K activation in cancer and the multitude of interactions between the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and other cell signaling cascades, often also deregulated in tumor cells. Autophagy induction by some anticancer agents underlines the potential utility of its induction as a new cancer treatment modality of development for natural medicines.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.113-118
• /
• 2006

Thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), a component of the redox control system involving thioredoxin (Trx), is implicated in defense against oxidative stress, control of cell growth and proliferation, and regulation of apoptosis. In the present study a stable transfectant was made by introducing the vector pcDNA3.0 harboring the fission yeast TrxR gene into COS-7 African green monkey kidney fibroblast cells. The exogenous TrxR gene led to an increase in TrxR activity of up to 3.2-fold but did not affect glutathione (GSH) content, or glutaredoxin and caspase-3 activities. Levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), but not those of nitric oxide (NO), were reduced. Conversely, 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobezene (CDNB), an irreversible inhibitor of mammalian TrxR, enhanced ROS levels in the COS-7 cells. After treatment with hydrogen peroxide, the level of intracellular ROS was lower in the transfectants than in the vector control cells. These results confirm that TrxR is a crucial determinant of the level of cellular ROS during oxidative stress as well as in the normal state.

• Journal of Photoscience
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.530-533
• /
• 2002

We present a case of The Miller Fisher Syndrome (MFS), showing a remission during a recently developed noninvasive therapy. Two weeks after an appearance of cough and fever, a 35 years old Japanese male developed diplopia, ataxia and numbness of his fingers and toes. He was diagnosed as MFS, and a fixed dose of prednisolone acetate (60mg/day) was administered for 3 months, but little improvement was observed. In addition to this administration, we tried 20 minutes of Photic Feedback (PFB) treatment daily for 40 days. The PFB system detects brain waves from the subject's forehead, and extracts alpha waves by the band-pass filter with a center frequency set at 10.0Hz. It also simultaneously modulates the augmentation of a red light-emitting diode, corresponding with the amplitudes of the extracted alpha waves. In this treatment, this adjusted photic stimulation was given to the subject's closed eyes, resulting in the effective alpha enhancement by photic driving response. The numbness increased during each of PFB treatment, but the symptoms started to improve gradually after 10 days. Other symptoms disappeared after 40 days. CD20 levels increased with this treatment. This case suggests that the PFB treatment may speed the natural remission of MFS. This treatment may be worth considering in patients who suffer polyneuropathy.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
• /
• v.28
• /
• pp.31-38
• /
• 2010

Extraction efficiency of colorants from red bean and black bean seed coat and its storage stability were examined according to the various extracting and storage conditions in this study. The obtained results were as follows ; The absorbance values of extracted colorants were increased with increasing extract time and temperature. pH 4 extracting was most efficient among the various pH conditions. The absorbance values of extracted colorant from red bean were increased with increasing extract time and temperature, when the extraction process was kept at $30^{\circ}C$ and $50^{\circ}C$, but it were decreased with increasing extract time at $70^{\circ}C$. In the case of black bean, it were also increased with increasing extract time and temperature. pH 5 extract was most efficient among the various pH conditions. In juice extractor system from red bean, the pH 5 of the pre-treatment was more efficient than the distilled water of pre-treatment. In black beans of the short-term pre-treatment with distilled water, the colorant was extracted better than at pH 5, but above 4 hours pre-treatment was decrease in pH 5. The Methionine added as a stabilizer gave the more effect to the stability of colorant from red bean the more Methionine addition. In the case of black bean 10mmol addition of methionine was more efficient than 20mmol.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.319-382
• /
• 2008

As a withdrawing care's study, the purpose of this study is searching about withdrawing care's acceptance and circumstances through Bora-mae hospital case(chapter 1). Withdrawing life-sustaining treatment has various forms. Though the meaning of euthanasia, death with dignity, natural death, physician assisted suicide are duplicated, the meaning of those are different slightly. Firstly, this study looks about the difference of the those meaning and acceptance range(condition) by withdrawing care's forms(chapter 2). Bora-mae hospital case sentenced guilty about physician who discharged incompetent patient who was after surgery by patient's wife determination. This Bora-mae case that sentenced guilty about discharge against medical advise(DAMA) that is regarded to custom has brought intensive confliction of legal, social, medical aspect, Bora-mae hospital case has many legal problems. First, as to criminal law rule 250(murder), the problem is whether discharge and withdrawing life-sustaining treatment is commission or omission. this study concluded omission(district court: omission, appeal, supreme court: commission). Because legal denounce point of discharge and medical treatment withdrawing is omission that physician who is obligatory on patient to cure. If physician's act is regarded omission, it is necessary to determine whether he has guardian status and obligation. Without guardian status and obligation, omission crime can't exist. This study decided that physician had guardian status and obligation and foundation of guardian status was pre-action or acceptance of emergency patient. Physician's medical treatment duty finished when patient(or patient's guardian) demands discharge. But when patient death is foreseen and other possible treatment does not exist, his duty of life prolonging treatment does not finish. This originate from physician's social responsibility and public status that limits patient's private liberty. This study regarded physician's action as accomplice about whether physician's discharging action is accomplice or the principal offender(district court: the principal offender, appeal, supreme court: accomplice). Though the principal offender needs criminal determination and action, there is no this common determination and functional action control of physician in Bora-mae case(chapter 3). Bora-mae hospital case partly originated from deficiency of legal, institutive system including medical security system shortage, the instruction is 1. medical security system strengthening, 2. hospital ethical committee's activity strengthening, 3. institutionalization of withdrawing life-sustaining treatment, 4. acceptance of pre-decision making system, 5. sufficient persuasion of physician for patient and faithful writing of medical paper, 6. respect for patients' self-determination and rights, 7. consciousness's changing for withdrawing life-sustaining treatment and persistent education about medical ethics(chapter 4). Considering Bora-mae case, medical sector is not the dead ground of a criminal punishment. Intervention of criminal law in medical sector give rise to ill effect, that is, excess medical examination and treatment, safeguard treatment, delay of discharge from a hospital. Because sufficient guarantee of life becomes mere empty slogan under situation that impose a burden of heavy cost to family or hospital, public and systematic solution should be given(chapter 5).

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.13 no.1_2
• /
• pp.167-173
• /
• 1997

LBD-001, a recombinant human interferon $\gamma$ produced by genetically engineered yeast as a host system, was intravenously administered to pregnant female rabbits (New Zealand White strain) from day 6 to 18 of gestation at dose levels of $0.35 \times 10^6$, $0. 69 \times 10^6$, and $1.38 \times 10^6$ I.U./kg/day. Hydrocortisone sodium succinate (0.3 mg/kg/day) was also given in the same way. Teratological effects of the test agents on the organogenesis of fetuses and the development of offsprings (F1 rabbits) were investigated. The results were as followings: (1) No significant changes by the treatment of LBD-001 or hydrocortisone sodium succinate were observed in the body weights, the food and water consumption, the lactating or nurshing behaviors, and the autopsy of the pregnant rabbits. (2) No significant changes in the resorption rate, the fetal organogenesis, and the normal develpoment of offsprings (F1) by the treatment of LBD-001 or hydrocortisone sodium succinate were detected. The results show that LBD-001 at the dose of $1.38 \times 10^6$ I.U./kg/day or less and hydrocortisone sodium succinate at the dose of 0.3 mg/kg/day are neither teratogenic in the organogensis of the fetuses and the development of the offsprings (F1) nor toxic to the mother rabbits.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.86-99
• /
• 2013

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to analyze the general features of patients with idiopathic faical paralysis. Methods : We investigated the various features and HBGS (House-Brackmann Grading System) of 505 patients who were diagnosed with idiopathic facial paralysis. Results and Conclusions : 1. The sex distribution was 264 male cases, and 241 female cases, and the majority of them were in their 40s. 2. Overwork was the most frequent contributing factor to their paralysis. 3. The treatment of most patients was completed within 2 months. 4. Their recovery was faster if their first hospital visit was sooner and their paralysis was partial. On average, the patients recovered within 19.5 to 27.8 days and it took much less time than natural recovery. 5. When looking at the BMI of the selected patients for this study, 62.00% were obese while 14.37% were under-weight. Among the obese patients, there were more with Xu mai (虛脈) than Shi mai (實脈). For the under-weight patients, most had Shuo mai (數脈) while none had Chi mai (遲脈).