• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.40 no.8
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• pp.745-752
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• 2007

While metabolic syndrome(MS) is rapidly expanding and dietary pattern, the known risk factor of MS, goes through heavy transition to western diet, not many researches have been done on the association between dyslipidemia and dietary factors in Korean adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between compliance with dietary guidelines and dyslipidemia among Koreans. The subjects of 399 adults who visited health examination center were classified into dyslipidemia(n=180) and control(n=219). Diagnosis of dyslipidemia was based on NCEP-ATPIII criteria(triglyceride>=150mg/d, HDL-C<50mg/dl for male, HDL-C<40mg/dl for female). A questionnaire based interview was done to collect information on compliance with dietary guidelines, general characteristics and health related behaviors. Anthropometric variables were measured during the survey. Mean compliance score of dietary guideline was significantly lower in dyslipidemia group than in control. It was associated negatively with waist circumference and positively with serum HDL-cholesterol(p<0.05). Risks of dyslipidemia were significantly decreased in the group with highest dietary guideline score, high serum triglyceride levels(OR=0.484, 95% CI=0.268-0.875), abdominal obesity(OR=0.296, 95% CI=0.159-0.553), and dyslipidemia(OR=0.481, 95% CI=0.266-0.869). These results indicated that increasing compliance with dietary guidelines could be an effective strategy to lower the risk of dyslipidemia among Koreans.

• Journal of Evidence-Based Herbal Medicine
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.33-38
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• 2009

Korean Ginseng has been recognized as a representative special product in Korea and over the world for a long time, since its quality is known to be superior to Chinese, North American Ginseng. However, the export volume of Korean Ginseng products has been diminishing since 1990 because the imports of low price Chinese Ginseng and the effective marketing policy on North American Ginseng. Therefore, this study is to suggest the competitiveness reinforcement strategies through analyses of the present state and transition of the international competitiveness in Korean Ginseng. This study conducts the comparative analysis of international competitive power of ginseng between Korea and other exporting countries. There are many kinds of saponin that are competitive from a quality profile. However, price competitiveness was very low. According to the result of analysis, this study suggest the competitiveness reinforcement strategies of Korean Ginseng as follows ; First, it is necessary to establish the ginseng plan for high-quality environmentally-friendly production. Second, Korean Ginseng producer should develop various consumer-oriented products according to purchasing power and taste of target market consumers. Third, export strategies must be established by finding out every importing country’s characteristics with regard its import, circulation and consumption of the Korean Ginseng. The use of this study is to forecast useful information to concerned organization for the future policies to the ginseng products in the international market.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.12
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• pp.888-898
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• 2014

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most fatal cancers and is associated with limited diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. Currently, gemcitabine is the only effective drug and represents the preferred first-line treatment for chemotherapy. However, a high level of intrinsic or acquired resistance of pancreatic cancer to gemcitabine can contribute to the failure of gemcitabine treatment. To investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms for gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic cancer, we performed label-free quantification of protein expression in intrinsic gemcitabine-resistant and -sensitive human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines using our improved proteomic strategy, combined with filter-aided sample preparation, single-shot liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, enhanced spectral counting, and a statistical method based on a power law global error model. We identified 1931 proteins and quantified 787 differentially expressed proteins in the BxPC3, PANC-1, and HPDE cell lines. Bioinformatics analysis identified 15 epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and 13 EMT-related proteins that were closely associated with drug resistance were differentially expressed. Interestingly, 8 of these proteins were involved in glutathione and cysteine/methionine metabolism. These results suggest that proteins related to the EMT and glutathione metabolism play important roles in the development of intrinsic gemcitabine resistance by pancreatic cancer cell lines.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.3471-3476
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• 2012

Background and Objective: Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors represent a promising class of potential anticancer agents for treatment of human malignancies. In this study, we investigated the effect of trichostatin A (TSA), one such HDAC inhibitor, in combination with docetaxel (TXT), a cytotoxic chemotherapy agent or erlotinib, a novel molecular target therapy drug, on lung cancer A549 cells. Methods: A549 cells were treated with TXT, erlotinib alone or in combination with TSA, respectively. Cell viability, apoptosis, and cell cycle distribution were evaluated using MTT (3- (4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl) -2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay, Hochst33258 staining and flow cytometry. Moreover, immunofluorescent staining and Western blot analysis were employed to examine alterations of ${\alpha}$-tubulin, heat shock protein 90 (hsp90), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and caspase-3 in response to the different exogenous stimuli. Results: Compared with single-agent treatment, co-treatment of A549 cells with TSA/TXT or TSA/erlotinib synergistically inhibited cell proliferation, induced apoptosis, and caused cell cycle delay at the $G_2/M$ transition. Treatment with TSA/TXT or TSA/erlotinib led to a significant increase of cleaved caspase-3 expression, also resulting in elevated acetylation of ${\alpha}$-tubulin or hsp90 and decreased expression of EGFR, which was negatively associated with the level of acetylated hsp90. Conclusions: Synergistic anti-tumor effects are observed between TXT or erlotinib and TSA on lung cancer cells. Such combinations may provide a more effective strategy for treating human lung cancer.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.731-738
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• 2013

This paper describes a fault-tolerant driving control strategy for an independent steer-by-wire system in sixwheel-drive/six-wheel-steering vehicles. An algorithm has been designed to realize vehicle maneuverability that is as close as possible to that of non-faulty vehicles by inducing high slip ratio of the wheel through a faulty steer-by-wire system in order to reduce the lateral tire force, which is resistant to the yaw motion. Considering the transition of the longitudinal tire force of a wheel with a faulty steer-by-wire component, the longitudinal tire forces are optimally distributed to the other wheels. Fault-tolerant driving performance has been investigated via computer simulations. Simulation studies show that the proposed algorithm can significantly improve the maneuverability of a vehicle with a faulty steer-by-wire system as compared to the optimal traction distribution method.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.3363-3368
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• 2013

Background: The burden due to cancers is an emerging public health concern especially in resource-limited countries like Nigeria. The WHO estimates that cancer kills more people than tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria combined. As people in Nigeria and other developing countries are beginning to survive infectious diseases, there is an observed epidemiologic transition to chronic diseases, such as cancers. In 2008, 75 out of 1,000 Nigerians died of cancer. Despite the rising incidence and public health importance, Nigeria lacks an organized and comprehensive strategy to deal with cancers. Materials and Methods: This article reviewed 30 peer-reviewed manuscripts on cancer care in four countries. It highlights the limitations to cancer care in Nigeria; due to lack of awareness, low health literacy, absence of organized screening programs, inadequate manpower (in terms of quality and quantity) as well as limited treatment options. Results: This review led to the formulation of a proposal for Nigerian National Cancer Policy, mainly drawn from effective strategies used in Canada, Brazil and Kenya. This is a vertical cancer program that is patient-centered with an emphasis on tobacco control and cancer disease screening (similar to Canada and Brazil). Additionally, it emphasizes primary cancer prevention (similar to Kenya). Its horizontal integration with other disease programs like HIV/AIDS will improve affordability in a poor resourced country like Nigeria. Capacity building for health professionals, hub-and-spoke implementation of screening services, as well as investment in effective treatment options and increased research in cancer care are essential. International 'twinning collaborations' between institutions in richer countries and Nigeria will enhance effective knowledge translation and improve the quality of patient care. Conclusions: A national cancer policy must be developed and implemented in Nigeria in order to overcome the present limitations which help contribute to the observed increases in cancer morbidity and mortality rates. Cancer control is feasible in Nigeria if the nation was to consider and employ some of the cost-effective strategies proposed here.

• Korean System Dynamics Review
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.77-95
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• 2009

The ever-increasing government budget constraints have led to a continued decline in the increase rate for defense spending, and the government's 5-year National Fiscal Management Plan has served to reinforce the verification and validation procedures for the Force Improvement Programs (FIP) budget requirements and performance. Additionally, as large programs are controlled in accordance with the Total Program Cost Management Guidelines, timely and credible feasibility study and performance measurement need to be conducted. Due to these internal and external circumstances, needs have surged for feasibility and economic effectiveness study for big ticket projects in the FIP sector, with an increasing number of studies conducted by external research institutes. However, questions have been raised regarding the credibility and thoroughness of the program analyses performed by these research institutes due to various restrictions. This paper analyzes and identifies the structural limitations and problems using a systems thinking approach, and examines the systemic characteristics of the program analysis system. It also presents policy intervention recommendations based on the theory of systems thinking, a method to regularize and reinforce the program analysis system. Policy interventions recommended to ensure alignment of the external studies to the clear analysis objectives and resolve the bottlenecks in the external analysis include training those in charge of external study commissioning for a short term intervention, and increasing the number of research institutes and consulting agencies utilizing analysis and evaluation experts who transition to the private sector from the military for a long term intervention. additionally presented are strategies and policy alternatives to best utilize these policy interventions. They will contribute to the stable funding of Force Improvement Programs and efficient utilization of defense budget.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.129-134
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• 2014

It has been suggested that transition metal ions such as iron can produce an oxidative injuries to nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons, like Parkinson's disease (PD) and subsequent compensative increase of tetrahydrobiopterin ($BH_4$) during the disease progression induces the aggravation of dopaminergic neurodegeneration in striatum. It had been established that the direct administration of $BH_4$ into neuron would induce the neuronal toxicity in vitro. To elucidate a role of $BH_4$ in pathogenesis in the PD in vivo, we assessed the changes of dopamine (DA) and $BH_4$ at striatum in unilateral intranigral iron infused PD rat model. The ipsistriatal DA and $BH_4$ levels were significantly increased at 0.5 to 1 d and were continually depleting during 2 to 7 d after intranigral iron infusion. The turnover rate of $BH_4$ was higher than that of DA in early phase. However, the expression level of GTP-cyclohydrolase I mRNA in striatum was steadily increased after iron administration. These results suggest that the accumulation of intranigral iron leads to generation of oxidative stress which damage to dopaminergic neurons and causes increased release of $BH_4$ in the dopaminergic neuron. The degenerating dopaminergic neurons decrease the synthesis and release of both $BH_4$ and DA in vivo that are relevance to the progression of PD. Based on these data, we propose that the increase of $BH_4$ can deteriorate the disease progression in early phase of PD, and the inhibition of $BH_4$ increase could be a strategy for PD treatment.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2001

The development of filament stretching extensional rheometers over the past decade has enabled the systematic measurement of the transient extensional stress growth in dilute and semi-dilute polymer solutions. The strain-hardening in the extensional viscosity of dilute solutions overwhelms the perturbative effects of capillarity, inertia & gravity and the kinematics of the extensional deformation become increasingly homogeneous at large strains. This permits the development of a robust open-loop control algorithm for rapidly realizing a deformation with constant stretch history that is desired for extensional rheometry. For entangled fluids such as concentrated solutions and melts the situation is less well defined since the material functions are governed by the molecular weight between entanglements, and the fluids therefore show much less pronounced strain-hardening in transient elongation. We use experiments with semi-dilute/entangled and concentrated/entangled monodisperse polystyrene solutions coupled with time-dependent numerical computations using nonlinear viscoelastic constitutive equations such as the Giesekus model in order to show that an open-loop control strategy is still viable for such fluids. Multiple iterations using a successive substitution may be necessary, however, in order to obtain the true transient extensional viscosity material function. At large strains and high extension rates the extension of fluid filaments in both dilute and concentrated polymer solutions is limited by the onset of purely elastic instabilities which result in necking or peeling of the elongating column. The mode of instability is demonstrated to be a sensitive function of the magnitude of the strain-hardening in the fluid sample. In entangled solutions of linear polymers the observed transition from necking instability to peeling instability observed at high strain rates (of order of the reciprocal of the Rouse time for the fluid) is directly connected to the cross-over from a reptative mechanism of tube orientation to one of chain extension.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.387-397
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• 2003

During the first half of twentieth century, even though the importance of non-calorie essential micronutrients of 13 vitamins and 17 minerals has been known to alleviate nutritional disorder; the primary objective of agriculture and plant breeding programs has been to increase the productivity and seed yields, and macronutrients of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates made up the bulk of foodstuff which were used primarily as an energy source. In the last decade it has been found that non-essential micronutrients encompass a vast group of phytochemicals including antioxidants that are not strictly required in the diet but when present at sufficient levels work as health-promoting chemicals. Nowadays agricultural crops are grown for health rather than for food or fiber, and modifying the nutritional compositions of plant foods has become an urgent health issue. To ensure an adequate intake of essential vitamins and minerals, and to increase the consumption of health-promoting phytochemicals, the researches on plant secondary metabolism have been made. The attempt to improve nutritional quality of crops has been blocked by a lack of basic knowledge of plant metabolism. The advent of genomics era enabled new approaches to make crossing regardless of species, family, or phylum barriers, and the accumulation in our basic knowledge on plant secondary metabolism during the coming decade would be tremendous. As the major staple crops contain insufficient amount of many micronutrients, fortification strategy will be a necessary practice. Elevated intake of specific vitamins, C, E, and $\beta$-carotene, mineral selenium, antioxidants, and phytochemicals significantly reduces the risk of chronic disease such as cancer, cardiovascular disorder, diabetis, and other degenerative disease associated with aging. As the attempt to improve the nutritional quality of crops requires the basic knowledges on plant metabolism, plant biochemistry, human physiology, and food chemistry, strong interdisplinary collaboration among plant biotechnologists, human nutritionists, and food scientists will be needed. Inhibition of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other degenerative disorder may be the biggest goal facing nutritional plant breeders. But the assumption that simply increasing dietary level of any compound will necessarily improve human health is a dangerous idea because many plant secondary products and dietary contaminants have paradoxical (hermetic) effects. Before biotechnical manipulation is undertaken to elevate or reduce any individual constituent of crops, the contribution of the micronutrient to human health must first be investigated.