• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.67-73
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• 2012

In the present study, we investigated the effects of dipeptides on melanogenesis in B16 melanoma cells. It was found that WV (Trp+Val), WM (Trp+Met), and CQ (Cys+Gln) decreased melanin production dosedependently. However, dipeptides did not directly inhibit tyrosinase activity, the rate-limiting melanogenic enzyme. Therefore, we further investigated the expression of tyrosinase. Our results showed that ${\alpha}$-MSH-induced tyrosinase expression was down-regulated by WV, WM, and CQ. Thus, we propose that WV, WM, and CQ show hypopigmentary activity through tyrosinase down-regulation.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.325-332
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• 2005

The developmental toxicity of water extract of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) was evaluated in rats. Licorice extract (500, 1,000 or 2,000 mg/kg) was dissolved in drinking water and orally administered to male rats from 9 weeks before mating to the day of copulation, and to females from 2 weeks before mating to gestational day 19. On gestational day 20, the animals were sacrificed for Cesarian section, and maternal and fetal abnormalities were examined. Licorice extract neither induce clinical signs, nor affect the body weight gain, feed and water intake, estrous cycle, copulation and fertility rates, blood $17\beta-estradiol$ level and organ weights of dams. Also, the implantation and development including body weights, absorption and death of embryos and fetuses were not influenced by in utero exposure to licorice. In addition, there were no increases in external, visceral and skeletal abnormalities of fetuses. Taken together, it is suggested that no observed adverse effect level of licorice extract is higher than 2,000 mg/kg, and that long-term in utero exposure to licorice might not cause developmental toxicities of embryos and fetuses.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.93-97
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• 2006

The calmodulin as a Ca$^{2+}$-binding protein mediates cellular Ca$^{2+}$ signals in response to a wide array of stimuli in higher eukaryotes. Plants produce numerous calmodulin isoforms that exhibit differential gene expression patterns and sense different Ca$^{2+}$ signals. SCaM-5 is a soybean calmodulin that is involved in plant defense signaling. Here, we constructed a SCaM-5 CDNA under control of CaMV 35S promoter and transformed it into tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum). The constitutive over-expression of SCaM-5 in tomato plants exhibited a high levels of pathogenesis-related (PR) gene expression, and conferred an enhanced resistance to two fungal pathogen (Phytophthora capsici, Fusarium oxysporum), and a bacterial pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000. Thus, this results collectively suggest that SCaM-5 plays an important role in plant defense of tomato.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.143-148
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• 2003

Bax, a mammalian pro-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family induces cell death when expressed in yeast. To investigate whether Bax expression can induce cell death in plant, we produced transgenic Arabidopsis plants that contained murine Bax cDNA under control of a glucocorticoid-inducible promoter. Transgenic plants treated with dexamethasone, a strong synthetic glucocorticoid, induced Bax accumulation and cell death, suggesting that some elements of cell death mechanism by Bax may be conserved among various organisms. Therefore, we developed novel yeast genetic system, and cloned several Plant Bax Inhibitors (PBIs). Here, we report the function of two PBIs in detail. PBI1 is ascorbate peroxidase (sAPX). Fluorescence method of dihydrorhodamine123 oxidation revealed that expression of Bax in yeast cells generated reactive oxygen species (ROS), and which was greatly reduced by co-expression with sAPX. These results suggest that sAPX inhibits the generation of ROS by Bax, which in turn suppresses Baxinduced cell death in yeast. PBI2 encodes nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDPK). ROS stress strongly induces the expression of the NDPK2 gene in Arabidopsis thaliana (AtNDPK2). Transgenic plants overexpressing AtNDPK2 have lower levels of ROS than wildtype plants. Mutants lacking AtNDPK2 had higher levels of ROS than wildtype. $H_2O_2$ treatment induced the phosphorylation of two endogenous proteins whose molecular weights suggested they are AtMPK3 and AtMPK6. In the absence of $H_2O_2$ treatment, phosphorylation of these proteins was slightly elevated in plants overexpressing AtNDPK2 but markedly decreased in the AtNDPK2 deletion mutant. Yeast two-hybrid and in vitro protein pull-down assays revealed that AtNDPK2 specifically interacts with AtMPK3 and AtMPK6. Furthermore, AtNDPK2 also enhances the MSP phosphorylation activity of AtMPK3 in vitro. Finally, constitutive overexpression of AtNDPK2 in Arabidopsis plants conferred an enhanced tolerance to multiple environmental stresses that elicit ROS accumulation in situ. Thus, AtNDPK2 appears to playa novel regulatory role in $H_2O_2$-mediated MAPK signaling in plants.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Biotechnology Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.65-71
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• 2003

Bax, a mammalian pro-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family, induces cell death when expressed in yeast. To investigate whether Bax expression can induce cell death in plant, we produced transgenic Arabidopsis plants that contained murine Bax cDNA under control of a glucocorticoid-inducible promoter. Transgenic plants treated with dexamethasone, a strong synthetic glucocorticoid, induced Bax accumulation and cell death, suggesting that some elements of cell death mechanism by Bax may be conserved among various organisms. Therefore, we developed novel yeast genetic system, and cloned several Plant Bax Inhibitors (PBIs). Here, we report the function of two PBIs in detail. PBI1 is ascorbate peroxidase (sAPX). Fluorescence method of dihydrorho-damine 123 oxidation revealed that expression of Bax in yeast cells generated reactive oxygen species (ROS), and which was greatly reduced by co-expression with sAPX. These results suggest that sAPX inhibits the generation of ROS by Bax, which in turn suppresses Baxinduced cell death in yeast. PBI2 encodes nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDPK). ROS stress strongly induces the expression of the NDPK2 gene in Arabidopsis thaliana (AtNDPK2). Transgenic plants overexpressing AtNDPK2 have lower levels of ROS than wildtype plants. Mutants lacking AtNDPK2 had higher levels of ROS than wildtype. $H_2O_2$ treatment induced the phosphorylation of two endogenous proteins whose molecular weights suggested they are AtMPK3 and AtMPK6. In the absence of $H_2O_2$ treatment, phosphorylation of these proteins was slightly elevated in plants overexpressing AtNDPK2 but markedly decreased in the AtNDPK2 deletion mutant. Yeast two-hybrid and in vitro protein pull-down assays revealed that AtNDPK2 specifically interacts with AtMPK3 and AtMPK6. Furthermore, AtNDPK2 also enhances the MBP phosphorylation activity of AtMPK3 in vitro. Finally, constitutive overexpression of AtNDPK2 in Arabidopsis plants conferred an enhanced tolerance to multiple environmental stresses that elicit ROS accumulation in situ. Thus, AtNDPK2 appears to play a novel regulatory role in $H_2O_2$-mediated MAPK signaling in plants.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.343-348
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• 2000

Objectives : This study was conducted to integrate the results of studies assessing the association between chronic noise exposure and blood pressure. Methods : Using a MEDLINE search with noise exposure, blood pressure and hypertension as key words, we retrieved articles from the literature that were published from 1980 to December 1999. The criteria for quality evaluation were as follows: 1) the study subjects must have been workers employed at a high noise level area 2) The paper should use average and cumulative noise exposure as method for exposure evaluation. 3) Blood pressure in each article should be reported in a continuous scale Among the 77 retrieved articles, six studies were selected for quantitative meta-analysis. Before the integration of the regression coefficients for the association between blood pressure and noise level, homogeneity tests were conducted. Results : All studies were a cross-sectional design and the study subjects were industrial workers. Five papers used a time-weighted average for noise exposure and only one paper calculated the cumulative noise exposure level. The measurement of blood pressure in the majority of studios were accomplished in a resting stale, and used an average of two or more readings. The homogeneity of studies was rejected in a fixed effect model, so we used the results in a random effect model. The results of the quantitative meta-analysis, the weighted regression coefficient of noise associated with systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were 0.05 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.03, 0.13) and 0.06 (95% CI: -0.01, 0.13), respectively. Conclusions : Our results suggested that chronic exposure to industrial noise does not cause elevated blood pressure.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.52-62
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• 2010

The aim of this study was to evaluated the efficacy of mixture of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) and bifidobacteria supplement, which are contained with Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longum SPM1205, and Pediococcus pentosaceus for the management of constipation in animal model and clinical trials. 5 ICR mice and 4 female constipation subjects were orally taken mixture of LAB and bifidobacteria for 2 weeks. We investigated the number of fecal LAB and harmful enzymes activities before and after mixture of LAB and bifidobacteria application. As a result, fecal LAB count was increased and harmful enzymes activities of intestinal microflora were generally decreased after mixture of LAB and bifidobacteria application. Also, 61 female subjects were randomly assigned to receive either mixture of LAB and bifidobacteria or lactose and were taken three times a day for 2 weeks. Then, we analyzed mixture of LAB and bifidobacteria effect through the questionnaires. Daily consumption of this mixture of LAB and bifidobacteria improved the constipation in constipation group (56.3%) compared with lactose application group (26.7%). Furthermore, after mixture of LAB and bifidobacteria treatment, frequency of hard stool decreased from 0.22 to 0.03. These results indicated that mixture of LAB and bifidobacteria application is effective to improve the constipation.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.22-22
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• 2000

To search out the characteristics of the lower and the upper atmospheric vertical structure, we selected the island(Oeyoundori Ochun-myen Poryeng city Chung-Nam) as an observation site, which is thought to represent the characteristics of ocean well, and observed the vertical structure of the atmosphere by Radiosonde. By using the results of the observation, we analyzed the changes of relative humidity(RH), temperature and wind when the cyclone and the anticyclone passed and compared the results in case of each event. To compare the vertical structure of the ocean atmosphere with those of the continent, we analyzed the values observed with using Radiosonde at Osan site.Through this study, we found that relative humidity changed as the cyclone and the anticyclone passed. That is, when the cyclone came, RH increased first in the upper atmosphere than in the lower and when the high came, RH in the upper decreased sharply to 10%. And the variations of relative humidity in ocean are bigger than those in continent. In the future, we plan to find out the relation between the vapor water in ocean and continent seasonally and daily through the observation in ocean and continent at same time.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.23-39
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• 2000

To search out the characteristics of the lower and the upper atmospheric vertical structure, we selected the island(Oeyoundori Ochun-myen Poryeng city Chung-Nam) as an observation site, which is thought to represent the characteristics of ocean well, and observed the vertical structure of the atmosphere by Radiosonde. By using the results of the observation, we analyzed the changes of relative humidity(RH), temperature and wind when the cyclone and the anticyclone passed and compared the results in case of each event. To compare the vertical structure of the ocean atmosphere with those of the continent we analyzed the values observed with using Radiosonde at Osan site. Through this study, we found that relative humidity changed as the cyclone and the anticyclone passed. That is, when the cyclone came, RH increased first in the upper atmosphere than in the lower and when the high came, RH in the upper decreased sharply to 10%. And the variations of relative humidity in ocean are bigger than those in continent. In the future, we plan to f d out the relation between the vapor water in ocean and continent seasonally and daily through the observation in ocean and continent at same time.

• Atmosphere
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.101-118
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• 2005

Atmospheric ozone changes temporally and spatially according to both anthropogenic and natural causes. It is essential to quantify the natural contributions to total ozone variations for the estimation of trend caused by anthropogenic processes. The aims of this study are to understand the intrinsic natural variability of long-term total ozone changes and to estimate more reliable ozone trend caused by anthropogenic ozone-depleting materials. For doing that, long-term time series for Seoul of monthly total ozone which were measured from both ground-based Dobson Spectrophotometer (Beck #124)(1985-2004) and satellite TOMS (1979-1984) are analyzed for selected period, after dividing the whole period (1979~2004) into two periods; the former period (1979~1991) and the latter period (1992~2004). In this study, ozone trends for the time series are calculated using multiple regression models with explanatory natural oscillations for the Arctic Oscillation(AO), North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO), North Pacific Oscillation(NPO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation(PDO), Quasi Biennial Oscillation(QBO), Southern Oscillation(SO), and Solar Cycle(SC) including tropopause pressure(TROPP). Using the developed models, more reliable anthropogenic ozone trend is estimated than previous studies that considered only QBO and SC as natural oscillations (eg; WMO, 1999). The quasi-anthropogenic ozone trend in Seoul is estimated to -0.12 %/decade during the whole period, -2.39 %/decade during the former period, and +0.10 %/decade during the latter period, respectively. Consequently, the net forcing mechanism of the natural oscillations on the ozone variability might be noticeably different in two time intervals with positive forcing for the former period (1979-1991) and negative forcing for the latter period (1992-2004). These results are also found to be consistent with those analyzed from the data observed at ground stations (Sapporo, Tateno) of Japan. In addition, the recent trend analyses for Seoul show positive change-in-trend estimates of +0.75 %/decade since 1997 relative to negative trend of -1.49 %/decade existing prior to 1997, showing -0.74 %/decade for the recent 8-year period since 1997. Also, additional supporting evidence for a slowdown in ozone depletion in the upper stratosphere has been obtained by Newchurch et al.(2003).