• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.227-236
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• 2019

Medium to coarse-grained biotite granodiorite was used to build the Standing Buddha Statue in the Gwanchoksa temple. An ancient document revealed the period and place of constructing the statue: it was made in the northwest of Mt. Banyasan and then moved eastward. Also, the comparison of standing Buddha statue and basement rock in terms of texture, magnetic susceptibility, and gamma spectrometer shows that they have similar characteristics, which is considered to be the same provenance rock. The damage caused by surface contaminants observed in the statue seems to be a combined effect of environmental factors and aging of the epoxy resin. After removal of the contaminants in 2007, the contamination has resumed, and continuous monitoring is necessary. Algal engraftment becomes faster when biological contamination occurs on the surface of stone cultural heritage. Since the secondary lichen growth forms a symbiosis with mold, it is necessary to observe the spatial and distributional changes. Also, the aging epoxy resin may cause secondary damage due to contaminants generated due to the determination of salts, and deterioration of bonding strength due to breaking out. Thus it is desirable to secure stability through proper conservation management.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.63-71
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• 2020

Various types of amendments have been studied for heavy metal stabilization in soil. However, researches on the effect of amendments on alkali soil and their effects on the plants at various edible parts are insufficient. The aim of this study was to evaluate the stabilization efficiency of heavy metals and their transfer into edible parts of food crops. Abandoned mine area was selected and 3 types of amendments (lime stone, LS; steel slag, SS; acid mine drainage sludge, AMDS) was applied with 3% (w/w). in field. After 6 month aging, Chinese cabbage (leafy), bok choy (leafy), garlic (root) and red pepper (fruit) were transplanted and cultivated. For chemical assessment, total concentration and bioavailability using Mehlich-3 solution were determined. For biological assessment, fresh weight and heavy metal uptakes were analyzed. It was revealed that AMDS reduced bioavailability most effectively, resulting in the decrease in heavy metal concentration in edible parts of all crops. When explaining the heavy metal uptake of plants, the bioavailability was more appropriate than the total contents of soil heavy metals. Therefore, bioavailability-based further research and management practices should be carried out continuously for the sustainable environment management, safe crop production, and human health risk reduction.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.90-103
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• 2016

This research was aimed to analyze load sharing ratios between cortical shell and trabecular bone of a degraded lumbar vertebra with aging, and also evaluate elastic moduli assigned into an FE model, using finite element method. For the better analysis of trabecular bone, effective elastic moduli, that is, nominal elastic moduli divided by the volumetric porosities was used. The elastic moduli of the cortical shell suitable for the trabecular bone were obtained from the equations on the basis of idealized stress-strain relations, including areal porosities. To minimize numerical errors, p-element was used. Using eight parameters that refer to some published papers, the geometry of L3 with a removed posterior part. After the constant compressive displacement was applied, the load sharing ratios were obtained by using both every elastic strain energy and every vertical force between two bones in each 8-volume. As results, 1) according to an increase in age from 20-year to 80-year, load sharing ratios of trabecular bone decreased from 55% to 49%; 2) the maximal ratios of each bone were occurred in the mid-plane of centrums and the endplate of cortical shells, respectively; 3) effective elastic moduli assigned into a porous centrum/cortex were found to be adequate; 4) for load sharing ratios, the difference of two methods showed that the total ratios were almost same within less than 1% but the partial ratios at every depth were more or less different each other.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.105-113
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: A high-fat diet (HFD) induces obesity, which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and cancer, while a calorie-restricted diet can extend life span by reducing the risk of these diseases. It is known that health effects of diet are partially conveyed through epigenetic mechanism including DNA methylation. In this study, we investigated the genome-wide hepatic DNA methylation to identify the epigenetic effects of HFD-induced obesity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were fed control diet (CD), calorie-restricted control diet (CRCD), or HFD for 16 weeks (after one week of acclimation to the control diet). Food intake, body weight, and liver weight were measured. Hepatic triacylglycerol and cholesterol levels were determined using enzymatic colorimetric methods. Changes in genome-wide DNA methylation were determined by a DNA methylation microarray method combined with methylated DNA immunoprecipitation. The level of transcription of individual genes was measured by real-time PCR. RESULTS: The DNA methylation statuses of genes in biological networks related to lipid metabolism and hepatic steatosis were influenced by HFD-induced obesity. In HFD group, a proinflammatory Casp1 (Caspase 1) gene had hypomethylated CpG sites at the 1.5-kb upstream region of its transcription start site (TSS), and its mRNA level was higher compared with that in CD group. Additionally, an energy metabolism-associated gene Ndufb9 (NADH dehydrogenase 1 beta subcomplex 9) in HFD group had hypermethylated CpG sites at the 2.6-kb downstream region of its TSS, and its mRNA level was lower compared with that in CRCD group. CONCLUSIONS: HFD alters DNA methylation profiles in genes associated with liver lipid metabolism and hepatic steatosis. The methylation statuses of Casp1 and Ndufb9 were particularly influenced by the HFD. The expression of these genes in HFD differed significantly compared with CD and CRCD, respectively, suggesting that the expressions of Casp1 and Ndufb9 in liver were regulated by their methylation statuses.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.308-316
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• 2012

Proper skin care promotes good metabolism and the biological activity of skin, helps maintain the skin in a healthy and beautiful state when combined with nutritional nourishment. Health functional foods are being used for the purpose of enhancing efficient skin care. Health functional foods related to skin care maintain the epidermis, dermal fibroblast layer and subcutaneous tissue that form the skin. Efficient functional foods alleviate the signs of endogenous aging that come with getting older and exogenous aging caused by sunlight. Even though the field of skin care related to health functional foods has received less attention and been the subject of less research compared to functional cosmetics which are developing widely, this area of skin care that maintains and improves the layer of dermal fibroblast through the intake of food, is expected to progress with the commercialization of products in many fields when the related technical research development is galvanized and the related patents are applied for. Research into health functional foods related to skin care in Korea started rather late in comparison to other advanced countries where patents for relevant techniques have been applied for since 1990's together with research conducted on how they might be used for practical purposes. This study used the key words 'skin care, health functional food' to search for Korean patents that have been applied for at the Korean Intellectual Property Office from 1983 to 2011 using the KIPRIS database, in order to help researchers in the related fields by organizing the patented formulas for health functional foods for skin care which have gained attention recently. According to the number of registrations in each industry field, the total number of patents was 1,120 we screened the major patents among them, the field with the largest number was food foodstuff non-alcoholic beverage and preparation or treatment(A23L) with 135, then natural plant medicine & medical supplies and cosmetics(A61K) with 112, microorganisms or enzymes(C12N) with 63, heterocyclic compounds(C07D) with 44, horticulture or cultivation of sea weeds, forestry(A01G) 16 times, listed from the highest to the lowest number of applications. It has been revealed that food, foodstuff, non-alcoholic beverage and preparation or treatment(A23L) was the industry field where the most patents for health functional foods related to skin care were registered.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1233-1243
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• 2018

Sterol regulatory-element binding proteins (SREBPs) are a family of transcription factors that regulate lipid homeostasis and metabolism by controlling the expression of enzymes required for endogenous cholesterol, fatty acid (FA), triacylglycerol, and phospholipid synthesis. The three SREBPs are encoded by two different genes. The SREBP1 gene gives rise to SREBP-1a and SREBP-1c, which are derived from utilization of alternate promoters that yield transcripts in which distinct first exons are spliced to a common second exon. SREBP-2 is derived from a separate gene. Additionally, SREBPs are implicated in numerous pathogenic processes, such as endoplasmic reticulum stress, inflammation, autophagy, and apoptosis. They also contribute to obesity, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases. Genome-wide analyses have revealed that these versatile transcription factors act as important nodes of biological signaling networks. Changes in cell metabolism and growth are reciprocally linked through SREBPs. Anabolic and growth signaling pathways branch off and connect to multiple steps of SREBP activation and form complex regulatory networks. SREBPs are activated through the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway in these processes, but the molecular mechanism remains to be understood. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of SREBPs in physiology and pathophysiology at the cell, organ, and organism levels.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.199-208
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• 2015

Objectives : In the present study, we investigated the effects of ethanol extract of Scutellaria baicalensis (EESB) on the progression of cell cycle in human renal cell carcinoma Caki-1 cells. Methods : The effects of EESB on cell growth and apoptosis induction were evaluated by trypan blue dye exclusion assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The mRNA and protein levels were determined by Western blot analysis and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Results : It was found that EESB treatment on Caki-1 cells resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth and induced apoptotic cell death as detected by Annexin V-FITC staining. The flow cytometric analysis indicated that EESB resulted in G2/M arrest in cell cycle progression which was associated with the down-regulation of cyclin A expression. Our results also revealed that treatment with EESB increased the mRNA and proteins expression of tumor suppressor p53 and cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor p21(WAF1/CIP1), without any noticeable changes in cyclin B1, Cdk2 and Cdc2. In addition, the incubation of cells with EESB resulted in a significant increase in the binding of p21 and Cdk2 and Cdc2. These findings suggest that EESB-induced G2/M arrest and apoptosis in Caki-1 cells is mediated through the p53-mediated upregulation of Cdk inhibitor p21. Conclusions : Taken together, these findings suggest that EESB may be a potential chemotherapeutic agent and further studies will be needed to identify the biological active compounds that confer the anti-cancer activity of S. baicalensis.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.30 no.3 s.47
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• pp.427-438
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• 2004

Cosmeceuticals products we not the products simply for moisturizing and protecting skin but the ones for encouraging to make improvements on wrinkles and helping to whiten, tan, and protect skin against ultraviolet light. In a broader sense, they refer to products with aiming to maintain healthy condition of skin such that skin troubles could be improved or aging of skin could be delayed. However, cosmeceuticals should not have any side effects because they are applied to the whole body for a long period of time differing from medical products which are used on specific areas for a short time. The number of such cosmeceuticals has increased from 500 in 2001 to 2300 in 2003. In order to develop and broaden the scope of cosmeceuticals, the concept of cosmetics needs to be changed from caring skin to delaying aging of the skin and reviving cells. For this purpose, high-valued materials should be developed through basic researches related to the biological function of skin, in vivo experiment and reaction of skin in response to various stimuli using biotechnologies and bioengineering methods. At the same time, it should be proceeded to develop new nano materials for overcoming skin barriers and transfer matericals for helping to absorb effective substances and maintaining stability.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.10
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• pp.1428-1433
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• 2012

Longevity is an exciting but difficult subject to study because it is determined by complex processes that require the coordinated action of several genetic factors as well as physiological and environmental influences. Genetic approaches have been applied to animal models to identify the molecular mechanism responsible for longevity. Several experimental model organisms obtained over the last decades suggest that the complete deletion of a single gene by gene targeting has proven to be an invaluable tool for the discovery of the mechanisms underlying longevity. The first discovery of long-lived mutants came from Caenorhabditis elegans research, which identified the insulin/IGF-1 pathway as responsible for longevity in this worm. IGF-1 is a multifunctional polypeptide that has sequence similarity to insulin and is involved in normal growth and development of cells. Several factors in the IGF-1 system have since been studied by gene targeting in the control of longevity in lower species, including nematode and fruit fly. In addition, significant progress has been made using mice models to extend the lifespan by targeted mutations that interfere with growth hormone/IGF-1 and IGF-1 signaling cascades. A recent finding that IGF-1 is involved in aging in mice was achieved by using liver-specific knockout mutant mice, and this clearly demonstrated that the IGF-1 signal pathway can extend the lifespan in both invertebrates and vertebrate models. Although the underlying molecular mechanisms for the control of longevity are not fully understood, it is widely accepted that reduced IGF-1 signaling plays an important role in the control of aging and longevity. Several genes involved in the IGF-1 signaling system are reviewed in relation to longevity in genetically modified mice models.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.443-455
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• 2020

The thioredoxin (Trx) system plays critical roles in regulating intracellular redox levels and defending organisms against oxidative stress. Recent studies indicated that Trx reductase (TrxR) was overexpressed in various types of human cancer cells indicating that the Trx-TrxR system may be a potential target for anti-cancer drug development. This study investigated the synergistic effect of auranofin, a TrxR-specific inhibitor, on sulforaphane-mediated apoptotic cell death using Hep3B cells. The results showed that sulforaphane significantly enhanced auranofin-induced apoptosis by inhibiting TrxR activity and cell proliferation compared to either single treatment. The synergistic effect of sulforaphane and auranofin on apoptosis was evidenced by an increased annexin-V-positive cells and Sub-G1 cells. The induction of apoptosis by the combined treatment caused the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and upregulation of Bax. In addition, the proteolytic activities of caspases (-3, -8, and -9) and the degradation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, a substrate protein of activated caspase-3, were also higher in the combined treatment. Moreover, combined treatment induced excessive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, treatment with N-acetyl-L-cysteine, a ROS scavenger, reduced combined treatment-induced ROS production and apoptosis. Thereby, these results deduce that ROS played a pivotal role in apoptosis induced by auranofin and sulforaphane. Furthermore, apoptosis induced by auranofin and sulforaphane was significantly increased through inhibition of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway. Taken together, the present study demonstrated that down-regulation of TrxR activity contributed to the synergistic effect of auranofin and sulforaphane on apoptosis through ROS production and inhibition of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.