• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.467-475
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• 2014

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) is a well-known and rich source of biologically active compounds, such as flavonoids, carotenoids, steroids, vitamins, tannins, and oleic acid. The effects of sea buckthorn fruit extract (SBFE) on ultraviolet (UV)-induced cell death was investigated in SK-MEL-2 cells cotreated with UV and a low concentration (LoC), medium concentration (MeC), or high concentration (HiC) of SBFE. Cell viability gradually decreased in accordance with an increase in the UV dose. The cell viability of the UV+SBFE cotreated cells increased significantly compared to that of UV+vehicle-treated cells during the application of an appropriate UV radiation dose (400 mJ). In addition, the number of 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), propidium iodine (PI)-, and annexin V-stained apoptotic cells was higher in the UV+vehicle-treated cells than in the UV untreated cells. The decrease of apoptotic cell numbers varied in each treated group, but it was most significant in the SBFE-treated group. The number of PI-stained cells dramatically decreased in accordance with the concentration of SBFE, and the maximum decrease was detected in the UV+HiC-treated group. In addition, Bax expression increased and Bcl-2 expression decreased in the SBFE-treated group compared with the UV-only treated group. The level of caspase-3 remained constant in all the groups. These results suggest that SBFE may contribute to a recovery from UV-induced cell death through the regulation of apoptotic protein expression and that it may have potential therapeutic utility in ameliorating UV-induced skin ageing.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2015

To evaluate accuracy and precision of determination of total alkalinity ($Alk_T$) and carbon dioxide ($TCO_2$) derived from present study, experiment was applied with $CO_2$ CRM (Batch 132, Scripps Institution of Oceanography; $Alk_T=2229.24{\pm}0.39{\mu}mol/kg$, $TCO_2=2032.65{\pm}0.45{\mu}mol/kg$). As the result, average concentration of $Alk_T$ and $TCO_2$ was $2354.09{\mu}mol/kg$ (~5.6% difference with $CO_2$ CRM) and $2089.60{\mu}mol/kg$ (~2.3% difference with $CO_2$ CRM), respectively. For previous method (Gran Titration) by addition $NaHCO_3$ to deionized water($Alk_T$ $2023.33{\mu}mol/kg$), average concentration was $2193.39{\mu}mol/kg$ (sd=57.15, n=7). Whereas, average concentration was $2017.02{\mu}mol/kg$ (sd=10.98, n=7) for the present study. Recovery yield experiments of total alkalinity in deionized water and seawater were implemented by addition of $NaHCO_3$. The recovery yield of deionized water in the range 0 to $4952.39{\mu}mol/kg$ was 100.8% ($R^2$=0.999), and seawater in the range 0 to $2041.32{\mu}mol/kg$ was 102.3% ($R^2$=0.999). Comparison of $pCO_2$ sensor (PSI $CO_2-Pro^{TM}$) with present method showed very meaningful correlation coefficient ($R^2$=0.977) in the range of 427 to $705{\mu}atm$ and 9.16 to $15.24{\mu}mol/kg$ throught elapsed time for two weeks. Field experiment of diurnal variation of total carbon dioxide was accomplished at Sachon harbor in the coastal waters of East Sea of Korea. Concentration of $Alk_T$ and $TCO_2$ was increased during night, and decreased during daylight hours. The results showed mirror type between $TCO_2$ and dissolved oxygen, which was attributable to photosynthesis and respiration of phytoplankton. Also, open ocean field study was performed to obtain vertical profile of $Alk_T$ and $TCO_2$ in C-C zone (Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone), Northeastern Pacific. Average concentrations of $Alk_T$ in the surface mixed layer (0~60 m) and deeper layer below 200 m were $2422.38{\mu}mol/kg$ (sd=78.73, n=20) and $2465.87{\mu}mol/kg$ (sd=57.68, n=103), respectively. And average concentrations of $TCO_2$ were $2134.47{\mu}mol/kg$ (sd=65.4, n=20) and $2431.87{\mu}mol/kg$ (sd=65.02, n=103) in the same depth ranges such as $Alk_T$. Vertical distributions of $Alk_T$ and $TCO_2$ concentrations tended to increase with depth, and analyzed concentrations showed slightly higher than those of previous studies in this area.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.205-215
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• 2014

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of stocking density and strain on the performance and physiological adaptive responses including the plasma corticosterone content and the level of mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and antioxidant enzymes in broiler chicks. A total of 300 birds of two strains (150 Ross strain vs. 150 Cobb strain) aged 3-d old were allotted into two stocking densities (standard stocking density,$0.046m^2/bird$ vs. high stocking density, $0.023m^2/bird$) in battery cages by $2{\times}2$ factorial designs with ten replicates until 35 d of age. There was no significant strain effect on body weight, feed intakes and feed to gain ratio and the relative organ weights. However body weight, feed intakes and relative organ weight were found to be significantly (P<0.05) affected by the effect of stocking density. Plasma corticosterone level was not affected by both stocking density and strain effects. Hepatic mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-$1{\beta}$ (IL-$1{\beta}$), IL-6, IL-18 and interferon-gamma (IFN-${\gamma}$) was not significantly changed by the effects of strain and stocking density. However, the mRNA expression of glutathione peroxidase (GPX) was affected by strain, showing that Ross strain decreased (P<0.05) the GPX expression. With respect to the effect of stocking density, there was a significant (P<0.05) increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) and GPX mRNA expression in the liver from high stocking density group. Splenic pro-inflammatory cytokine expression was not also affected by stocking density and strain, except that IL-18 mRNA significantly (P<0.05) decreased in Cobb strain under high stocking density. The mRNA expression of SOD and CAT was significantly (P<0.05) affected by the effects of stocking density and strain. In conclusion, growth performance was not affected by strain but stocking density. Although mRNA expression of major pro-inflammatory cytokines was not changed by stocking density and strain, antioxidant enzyme was significantly affected by stocking density, strain or even organ in birds under summer conditions. More detailed studies still needed to be explored to elucidate the effects of environmental conditions and genetic background on physiological responses in birds.

• Strategy21
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• s.37
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• pp.104-143
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• 2015

China's new grand strategy, the "One Belt, One Road Initiative" (also Belt Road Initiative, or BRI) has two primary components: Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the "Silk Road Economic Belt" in September 2013 during a visit to Kazakhstan, and the "21^st Century Maritime Silk Route Economic Belt" in a speech to the Indonesian parliament the following month. The BRI is intended to supply China with energy and new markets, and also to integrate the countries of Central Asia, the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN), and the Indian Ocean Region - though not Northeast Asia - into the "Chinese Dream". The project will be supported by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), due to open in 2016 with 57 founding members from all around the world, and China has already promised US$ 50 billion in seed funding. China's vision includes networks of energy pipelines, railways, sea port facilities and logistics hubs; these will have obvious commercial benefits, but also huge geopolitical significance. China seems to have two distinct aims: externally, to restore its historical sphere of influence; and internally, to cope with income inequalities by creating middle-class jobs through enhanced trade and the broader development of its economy. In South Korea, opinion on the BRI is sharply polarized. Economic and industrial interests, including Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL), support South Korean involvement in the BRI and closer economic interactions with China. They see how the BRI fits nicely with President Park Geun-hye's Eurasia Initiative, and anticipate significant commercial benefits for South Korea from better connections to energy-rich Russia and the consumer markets of Europe and Central Asia. They welcome the prospect of reduced trade barriers between China and South Korea, and of improved transport infrastructure, and perceive the political risks as manageable. But some ardently pro-US pundits worry that the political risks of the BRI are too high. They cast doubt on the feasibility of implementing the BRI, and warn that although it has been portrayed primarily in economic terms, it actually reveals a crucial Chinese geopolitical strategy. They are fearful of China's growing regional dominance, and worried that the BRI is ultimately a means to supplant the prevailing US-led regional security structure and restore the Middle Kingdom order, with China as the only power that matters in the region. According to this view, once China has complete control of the regional logistics hubs and sea ports, this will severely limit the autonomy of China's neighbors, including South Korea, who will have to toe the Chinese line, both economically and politically, or risk their own peace and prosperity.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2012

The aim of the study is to characterize the phenotypes of $CD4^+$ $CD25^+$ T regulatory cells within the liver granulomas and association with both Foxp-3 gene expression and splenic cytokines. Naive C57BL/6 mice were intravenously injected with multiple doses of the soluble egg antigen (SEA) 7 days before cercarial infection. The immunized and infected control groups were sacrificed 8 and 16 weeks post-infection (PI). Histopathology, parasitological parameters, splenic phenotypes for T regulatory cells, the FOXP-3 expression in hepatic granuloma using real-time PCR, and the associated splenic cytokines were studied. Histopathological examination of the liver revealed remarkable increase in degenerated ova within hepatic granuloma which decreased in diameter at weeks 8 and 16 PI ($P$<0.01). The percentage of T regulatory cells ($CD4^+$ $CD25^+$) increased significantly ($P$<0.01) in the immunized group compared to the infected control at weeks 8 and 16 PI. The FOXP-3 expression in hepatic granulomas increased from 10 at week 8 to 30 fold at week 16 PI in the infected control group. However, its expression in the immunized group showed an increase from 30 at week 8 to 70 fold at week 16 PI. The splenic cytokine levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, IFN-${\gamma}$, IL-4, and TNF-${\alpha}$, showed significant decreases ($P$<0.05) compared to the infected control group. In conclusion, the magnitude and phenotype of the egg-induced effects on T helper responses were found to be controlled by a parallel response within the T regulatory population which provides protection in worm parasite-induced immunopathology.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.11
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• pp.4519-4525
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• 2014

Oleanolic acid (OA) is a nutritional component widely distributed in various vegetables. Although it has been well recognized for decades that OA exerts certain anti-tumor activity by inducing mitochondria-dependent apoptosis, it is still unclear that what molecular signaling is responsible for this effect. In this study, we employed cancer cell lines, A549, BXPC-3, PANC-1 and U2OS to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying OA anti-tumor activity. We found that activation of MAPK pathways, including p-38 MAPK, JNK and ERK, was triggered by OA in both a dose and time-dependent fashion in all the tested cancer cells. Activation was accompanied by cleavage of caspases and PARP as well as cytochrome C release. SB203580 (p38 MAPK inhibitor), but not SP600125 (JNK inhibitor) and U0126 (ERK inhibitor), rescued the pro-apoptotic effect of OA on A549 and BXPC-3 cells. OA induced p38 MAPK activation promoted mitochondrial translocation of Bax and Bim, and inhibited Bcl-2 function by enhancing their phosphorylation. OA can induce reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent ASK1 activation, and this event was indispensable for p38 MAPK-dependent apoptosis in cancer cells. In vivo, p38 MAPK knockdown A549 tumors proved resistant to the growth-inhibitory effect of OA. Collectively, we elucidated that activation of ROS/ASK1/p38 MAPK pathways is responsible for the apoptosis stimulated by OA in cancer cells. Our finding can contribute to a better understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying the antitumor activity of nutritional components.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.58-68
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• 2012

An investigation was conducted on the enhancement of production and purification of an oxidant and SDS-stable alkaline protease (BHAP) secreted by an alkalophilic Bacillus horikoshii, which was screened from the body fluid of a unique Korean polychaeta (Periserrula leucophryna) living in the tidal mud flats of Kwangwha Island in the Korean West Sea. A prominent effect on BHAP production was obtained by adding 2% maltose, 1% sodium citrate, 0.8% NaCl, and 0.6% sodium carbonate to the culturing medium. The optimal medium for BHAP production contained (g/l) SBM, 15; casein, 10; $K_2HPO_4$, 2; $KH_2PO_4$, 2; maltose, 20; sodium citrate, 10; $MgSO_4$, 0.06; NaCl, 8; and $Na_2CO_3$, 6. A protease yield of approximately 56,000 U/ml was achieved using the optimized medium, which is an increase of approximately 5.5-fold compared with the previous optimization (10,050 U/ml). The BHAP was homogenously purified 34-fold with an overall recovery of 34% and a specific activity of 223,090 U/mg protein using adsorption with Diaion HPA75, hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) on Phenyl-Sepharose, and ion-exchange chromatography on a DEAE- and CM-Sepharose column. The purified BHAP was determined a homogeneous by SDS-PAGE, with an apparent molecular mass of 28 kDa, and it showed extreme stability towards organic solvents, SDS, and oxidizing agents. The $K_m$ and $k_{cat}$ values were 78.7 ${\mu}M$ and $217.4s^{-1}$ for N-succinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-pNA at $37^{\circ}C$ and pH 9, respectively. The inhibition profile exhibited by PMSF suggested that the protease from B. horikoshii belongs to the family of serine proteases. The BHAP, which showed high stability against SDS and $H_2O_2$, has significance for industrial application, such as additives in detergent and feed industries.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.867-874
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• 2016

Although shrimps belonging to family Crangonidae are known to be genetically divergent and ecologically important among the various benthos, any of their mitochondrial genome has not been reported yet. We here determined the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Crangon hakodatei (Rathbun, 1902), which was collected from East China Sea ($124^{\circ}E$ and $34.5^{\circ}N$). Total mitochondrial genome length of C. hakodatei was 16,060 bp, in which 13 proteins, 2 ribosomal RNAs, 22 transfer RNAs and a putative control region were encoded. Secondary structure prediction analysis showed that twenty tRNA genes exhibit the conserved structure but two genes, $tRNA^{Cys}$ and $tRNA^{Ser}$ (AGN), lack T and D arm, respectively. Based on the sequence similarity of the COI region from the currently reported five species belonging to genus Crangonidae, C. hakodatei was most closely related to Crangon crangon. Phylogenetic analysis of full COXI genes belonging to infraorder Caridea showed that only crangonid shrimps were clustered together with those of Dendrobranchiata. Gene order were well conserved from Penaeoidea to Caridea but $tRNA^{Pro}$ and $tRNA^{Thr}$ in Palaemonid shrimp were flipped each other by the recombination. Further study about mitochondrial genome sequences of shrimps belonging to Crangonidae should be made to know better about their evolutional relationships with other those in infraorder Caridea.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.167-173
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• 2010

This paper introduces Geostationary Ocean Color Imager, IMage Pre-processing Subsystem (GOCI IMPS) of Communication, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite (COMS), and describes its functions, development states, and operational concepts. The primary and backup systems of GOCI IMPS have been installed in Korea Ocean Satellite Center (KOSC) and Satellite Operation Center (SOC) and the system are the prelaunch test phase after completing all required tests. It is expected that the GOCI data observed continuously over the Korea Peninsular in the geostationary orbit will be usefully utilized in marine environment research fields such as sea surface temperature changes or marine ecosystems.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.282-288
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• 2019

When liquefied natural gas (LNG) is vaporized to form natural gas for industrial and household consumption, a tremendous amount of cold energy is transferred from LNG to seawater as a part of the phase-change process. This heat exchange loop is not only a waste of cold energy, but causes thermal pollution to coastal fishery areas by dumping the cold energy into the sea. This project describes an innovative new design for reclaiming cold energy for use by cold storage warehouses (operating in the 35 to $62^{\circ}C$ range). Conventionally, warehouse cooling is done by mechanical refrigeration systems that consume large amounts of electricity for the maintenance of low temperatures. Here, a closed loop LNG heat exchange system was designed (by simulator) to replace mechanical or vapor-compression refrigeration systems. The software PRO II with PROVISION V9.4 was used to simulate LNG cold energy, gas re-liquefaction, and the vaporized process under various conditions. The effects on sensible and latent heats from changes to the array type of heat exchangers have been investigated, as well as an examination of the optimum.