• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.28 no.11
• /
• pp.1369-1378
• /
• 2018

Prunus mume Siebold & Zucc., a member of the Rosaceae family (called Maesil in Korea), has been widely distributed in East Asia, e.g. Korea, Japan and China, and its fruit has been used as a traditional drug and health food. In this study, we evaluated physicochemical properties and physiological activities of condensed Prunus mume juice treated with pectinase (PJ). The values of total acidity, pH, sugar contents, turbidity moisture content of the PJ were 35.81%, 2.73, $54.36^{\circ}Brix$, 2.75 and 51.32%, respectively. The PJ had effective DPPH radical scavenging activity, reducing power effect, $H_2O_2$ scavenging activity and ${\beta}$-carotene bleaching effect. DPPH radical scavenging activities of PJ was 46.31%; their reducing power ($OD_{700}$) was 1.80; $H_2O_2$ scavenging activity of PJ was 91.62%; and ${\beta}$-carotene bleaching effect of PJ was 73.02%. Also, PJ showed effective levels of ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibition activity. The cell viability was measured by SRB assay. The PJ significantly decreased the cell viability of mouse melanoma cells (B16) and human melanoma cells (SK-MEL-2 and SK-MEL-28) in a dose-dependent manner, however, there was no effect on human keratinocyte HaCaT. In morphological study, PJ-treated SK-MEL-2 cells showed distorted and shrunken cell masses. Total polyphenol contents and total flavonoid contents of PJ were 588.31 mg% (gallic acid equivalent) and 860.45 mg% (rutin equivalent). The antiproliferative effect of PJ seems to be associated with the antioxidant activity of its flavonoid and polyphenol contents. In conclusion, PJ may be beneficial in development of a functional food material.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
• /
• v.57 no.4
• /
• pp.339-345
• /
• 2018

The sugar beet cyst nematode (SBCN), Heterodera schachtii first detected in Taebaek, Gangwon-do in 2011, is one of the major plant parasitic nematodes that cause economic damage to the Chinese cabbage in highland regions. In addition, the distribution of clover cyst nematode (CCN), H. trifolii was confirmed in the highland Chinese cabbage cultivated regions in 2017. In order to investigate the spread of cyst nematodes, this study has been conducted since 2013 in the highland Chinese cabbage cultivation area. In addition, in 2017, the Real-Time PCR technique with the species-specific primer was used to investigate those two cyst nematodes and the soybean cyst nematode (SCN), H. glycines which is known for its distribution in Korea, focusing on the main production regions of highland Chinese cabbage cultivation. The number of infected fields in the Chinese cabbage plantation in highland increased every year to confirm distribution in Taebaek, Samcheok, Jeongseon and Gangneung in 2017, and the cumulative number of infection fields reached 245 by 2017. Of the 41 possible cyst nematode samples for PCR analysis, 61% were CCN, only 9.8% of the SBCN and 29.3% of the SCN were identified. Therefore, some of the previously known SBCN or CCN discoveries are likely to have been infected with SCN. It is believed that the CCN needs to be controlled in the future as CCN have been found to be dominant species in the highland Chinese cabbage plantation regions.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.102-111
• /
• 2018

Objectives : This study aimed to investigate the relationship between personality characteristics of medical students at their admission and the level of depression, anxiety, and resilience at their third year. Methods : Self-reported questionnaires were conducted to the students at the beginning of the first year and the third year. When the students in their first year, they performed the personality assessment inventory, the Beck depression inventory, and the Beck anxiety inventory. When they were in the third year, the students answered the composite Scale of morningness and Conner-Davidson resilience scale-10 in addition to the BDI and BAI. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of the level of depression, anxiety, and resilience. Results : Of the subscales of depression in the PAI, the physiological depression (${\beta}=-0.285$, p=0.049) associated with increase in the depression from the first to the third year. Among the anxiety-related disorder subscale in the PAI phobia (${\beta}=0.119$, p=0.022) and traumatic stress (${\beta}=0.375$, p=0.007) associated with the level of depression at third grade. Somatization (${\beta}=0.631$, p<0.001) in the PAI associated with the level of anxiety at third year. The anxiety (${\beta}=-0.531$, p<0.001) in the PAI was positive associated with the resilience at third grade. Conclusions : This study showed that certain personality characteristics at admission had significant relationships with the level of depression, anxiety, and resilience at the third grade medical students.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.695-703
• /
• 2018

This study was conducted to suggest a sustainable farming practice forresource recycling in vegetable gardens of North Korea. In North Korea, farmers are allowed to own private vegetable gardens less than $100m^2$. However, usage of fertilizers in private vegetable gardens is very limited due to economic sanctions by UN security council. If North and South Korea initiated the cooperative action in the near future, agricultural sector would be the highest priority cooperation area. Considering the current North Korean situation in agriculture, we would like to suggest a method for producing organic fertilizer manure. For raw materials for producing manure, we selected corn byproduct, which is the most abundant material, and rabbits' feces, which are easily obtained from individual private farms in North Korea. As we cannot get corn byproducts and rabbits' feces from North Korea, we prepared samples of corn byproducts and rabbits; feces from many places in South Korea. After statistical analysis of variance, there was no significant difference in the T-N contents of corn byproducts from Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungnam, Chungbuk, Jeollabuk and Gyeongsangnam-dos, which indicates that the fertilizing quality of corn byproducts does not vary significantly in the spatial scale of South. Korea. In this sense, if we use corn samples from Gyeonggi province, they would not be very different from those of North Korean regions. Physicochemical properties of rabbits' feces were different between those eating feed grains and those eating plants only. Hence, we used rabbits' feces of the rabbits from Yeonchun area, which were fed by plants only. Using three different mixing ratios of corn byproducts and rabbits' feces, composting was conducted for 60 days. The mixing ratio of 1:1 produced the manure with % T-N of 1.98% and OM/N ratio of 31.7 after 30 days of composting, which is comparable to the quality of commercial manure.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.51 no.2
• /
• pp.160-168
• /
• 2019

This study aimed to determine whether double-processed ginseng berry extract (PGBC) could improve learning and memory in an $A\hat{a}42$-induced Alzheimer's mouse model. Passive avoidance test (PAT) and Morris water-maze test (MWMT) were performed after mice were treated with PGBC, followed by acetylcholine (ACh) measurement and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) detection for brain damage. Furthermore, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) expression were analyzed using Ellman's and qPCR assays, respectively. Results demonstrated that PGBC contained a high amount of ginsenosides (Re, Rd, and Rg3), which are responsible for the clearance of $A{\hat{a}} 42$. They also helped to significantly improve PAT and MWMT performance in the $A{\hat{a}} 42-induced$ Alzheimer's mouse model when compared to the normal group. Interestingly, ACh and ChAT were remarkably upregulated and AChE activities were significantly inhibited, suggesting PGBC to be a palliative adjuvant for treating Alzheimer's disease. Altogether, PGBC was found to play a positive role in improving cognitive abilities. Thus, it could be a new alternative solution for alleviating Alzheimer's disease symptoms.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.257-265
• /
• 2021

Heterotrimeric kinesin-2 is a molecular motor protein of the kinesin superfamily (KIF) that moves along a microtubule plus-end directed motor protein. It consists of three different motor subunits (KIF3A, KIF3B, and KIF3C) and a kinesin-associated protein 3 (KAP3) that form a heterotrimeric complex. Heterotrimeric kinesin-2 interacts with many different binding proteins through the cargo-binding domain of the KIF3s. The activity of heterotrimeric kinesin-2 is regulated to ensure that the cargo is directed to the right place at the right time. How this regulation occurs, however, remains in question. To identify the regulatory proteins for heterotrimeric kinesin-2, we performed yeast two-hybrid screening and found a specific interaction with creatine kinase B (CKB), which is the brain isoform of cytosolic creatine kinase enzyme. CKB bound to the cargo-binding domain of KIF3A but did not interact with the KIF3B, KIF5B, or KAP3 in the yeast two-hybrid assay. The carboxyl (C)-terminal region of CKB is essential for the interaction with KIF3A. Another protein kinase, CaMKIIa, interacted with KIF3A, but GSK3a did not interact with KIF3A in the yeast two-hybrid assay. KIF3A interacted with GST-CKB-C but not with GSK-CKB-N or GST alone. When co-expressed in HEK-293T cells, CKB co-localized with KIF3A and co-immunoprecipitated with KIF3A and KIF3B but not KIF5B. These results suggest that the CKB-KIF3A interaction may regulate the cargo transport of heterotrimeric kinesin-2 under energy-compromised conditions in cells.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.59 no.1
• /
• pp.127-137
• /
• 2021

Air emission charge for nitrogen oxide as a precursor of fine dust has been introduced and implemented within the country from 2020. Therefore, the development of economical combustion technology for NOx reduction has got more needed urgently. This study investigated the air-staging effect as a way to reduce the NOx during combustion of domestic unused forest biomass, recently possible to secure REC (Renewable Energy Certification) as a substitute for overseas wood pellets in a 0.1 MWth circulating fluidized bed combustion test-rig. Operating conditions were comparison with and without air-staging, the supply position of tertiary air (6.4 m, 8.1 m, 9.4 m in the combustor) and variation of air-staging ratio (Primary air:Secondary air:Tertiary air=91%:9%:0%, 82%:9%:9%, 73%:9%:18%). NO and CO concentrations in flue gas, profiles of temperature and pressure at the height of the combustion, unburned carbon in sampled fly ash and combustion efficiency on operating conditions were evaluated. As notable results, NO concentration with air-staging application under tertiary air supply at 9.4 m in the combustor reduced 100.7 ppm compared to 148.8 ppm without air-staging while, CO concentration increased from 52.2 ppm without air-staging to 99.8 ppm with air-staging. However, among air-staging runs, when tertiary air supply amount at 6.4 m in the combustor increased by air-staging ratio (Primary air:Secondary air:Tertiary air=73%:9%:18%), NO and CO concentrations decreased the lowest 90.8 ppm and 66.1 ppm, respectively. Furthermore, combustion efficiency at this condition was improved to 99.3%, higher than that (98.3%) of run without air-staging.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.55 no.5
• /
• pp.587-600
• /
• 2022

Purpose: This study was performed to analyze customer needs for the operation of unmanned food stores on a university campus. Methods: A total of 329 responses were collected from customers who had purchased food at the stores. Statistical analyses were conducted using the SPSS program for frequency analysis, χ2-test, t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Duncan's multiple range test. Results: On average, the overall satisfaction score for lunch and the eating location was 3.91 out of 5 points. Overall satisfaction was significantly higher for home cooking, and lower for eating at convenience stores (p < 0.001), and the score for eating with family was significantly higher than for eating alone or with friends (p < 0.001). On average, the intention to use an unmanned store received a score of 3.98 out of 5 points, while 'home cooking (3.76)' was significantly lower than other eating locations and eating at 'convenience stores (4.38)' was significantly higher than other eating locations (p < 0.05). The desired time of use for unmanned food stores was 'lunch (54.1%)', 'dinner (46.2%)', and 'afternoon snack (41.9%)', and the desired foods were 'doshirak (62.0%)', 'sandwich (56.2%)', 'fruit cup (54.4%)', 'salad (51.7%)', and 'kimbap (50.5%)'. There were significantly more opinions that single-person households would use unmanned food stores for dinner more than family households (p < 0.05), and significantly more willingness to purchase fruit cup (p < 0.05). The average prices (Korean won) that the subjects were willing to pay for the purchase of food were 4,991 for doshirak, 3,403 for salad, 2,745 for fruit cup, 2,609 for sandwich, and 2,235 for kimbap. Conclusion: For the successful operation of the unmanned food stores on the university campus, the store manager should grasp the customer's needs in real-time and establish an effective marketing strategy.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2023

Intracellular cargo transport is mediated by molecular motor proteins, such as kinesin and cytoplasmic dynein. Kinesins make up a large subfamily of molecular motors. Kinesin-1 is a plus-end-directed molecular motor protein that moves various cargoes, such as organelles, protein complexes, and mRNAs, along a microtubule track. It consists of the kinesin superfamily protein (KIF) 5A, 5B, and 5C (also called kinesin heavy chains) and kinesin light chains (KLCs). Kinesin-1 interacts with many different binding proteins through its carboxyl (C)-terminal region of KIF5s and KLCs, but their binding proteins have not yet been fully identified. In this study, a yeast two-hybrid assay was used to identify the proteins that interact with the KIF5A specific C-terminal region. The assay revealed an interaction between KIF5A and glutamate-rich 4 (ERICH4). ERICH4 bound to the KIF5A specific the C-terminal region but did not interact with the C-terminal region of KIF5B or KIF3A (a motor protein of kinesin-2). In addition, KIF5A did not interact with another isoform, ERICH1. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-downs showed that KIF5A interacts with GST-ERICH4 and GST-ERICH4-amino (N)-terminal but not with GST-ERICH4-C or GST alone. When co-expressed in HEK-293T cells, ERICH4 co-localized with KIF5A and co-immunoprecipitated with KIF5A and KLC but not KIF3B. Together, our findings suggest that ERICH4 is capable of binding to KIF5A and that it may serve as an adaptor protein that links kinesin-1 with cargo.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.189-195
• /
• 2022

Kinesin-2 comprises two subfamilies of the heterotrimeric or homodimeric motors found in mammalian cells. Heterotrimeric kinesin-2 consists of kinesin superfamily proteins (KIFs) 3A and 3B and kinesin-associated protein 3 (KAP3), which is a molecular motor protein that moves along microtubules. It plays diverse roles in cargo transport, including anterograde trafficking in cilia, and interacts with many different cargoes and proteins, but their binding proteins have not yet been fully identified. In this study, the yeast two-hybrid assay was used to identify the proteins that interact with the cargo-binding domain (CBD) of KIF3A, and an interaction between KIF3A and brain expressed X-linked 2 (Bex2) was found. Bex2 bound to the CBD-containing C-terminal tail region of KIF3A but did not interact with the same region of KIF3B or KIF5A (a motor protein of kinesin-1). KIF3A interacted with another isoform, Bex1, but did not interact with Bex3. In addition, glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-downs showed that KIF3A specifically interacts with GST-Bex1 and GST-Bex2 but not with GST alone. When co-expressed in HEK-293T cells, Bex2 co-localized with KIF3A and co-immunoprecipitated with KIF3A and KIF3B but not KIF5B. In combination, these results suggest that Bex2 is capable of binding to heterotrimeric kinesin-2 and may serve as an adaptor protein that links heterotrimeric kinesin-2 with cargo.