• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.9
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• pp.1349-1356
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• 2014

This study investigated the biological activities of 70% methanol extracts from black chokeberry and blueberry by measuring DPPH, superoxide anion and ABTS radical scavenging activities, metal chelating effect, reducing power, and nitrite scavenging activity. Extraction yields of black chokeberry and blueberry were 62.90% and 67.09%, respectively. Total polyphenol and total flavonoid contents were 117.20 mg/g and 32.50 mg/g for black chokeberry and 42.26 mg/g and 26.39 mg/g for blueberry, respectively. Black chokeberry had higher antioxidant activity than blueberry. DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities, nitrite scavenging activity, and metal chelating effect of black chokeberry were 98.29%, 96.68%, 97.64%, and 91.33%, respectively, at a concentration of 5 mg/mL, which were equal to those of ascorbic acid (positive control). These results suggest that black chokeberry has potent biological activities, and in the future, the availability of black chokeberry will increase in the field of value added food products.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.525-549
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• 2022

The process of biological invasion is led by the dynamics of a population as a demographic and evolutionary unit. Spatial structure can affect the population dynamics, and it is worth being considered in research on biological invasion which is always accompanied by dispersal. Metapopulation theory is a representative approach to spatially structured populations, which is chiefly applied in the field of ecology and evolutionary biology despite the controversy about its definition. In this study, metapopulation was considered as a spatially structured population that includes at least one subpopulation with significant extinction probability. The early phase of the invasion is suitable to be analyzed in aspects of the metapopulation concept because the introduced population usually has a high extinction probability, and their ecological·genetic traits determining the invasiveness can be affected by the metapopulation structure. Although it is important in the explanation of the prediction of the invasion probability, the metapopulation concept is rarely used in ecological research about biological invasion in Korea. It is expected that applying the metapopulation theory can supply a more detailed investigation of the invasion process at the population level, which is relatively inadequate in Korea. In this study, a framework dividing the invasive metapopulation into long- and middle-distance scales by the relative distance of movement to the natural dispersal range of species is proposed to easily analyze the effect of a metapopulation in real cases. Increased understanding of the mechanisms underlying invasions and improved prediction of future invasion risk are expected with the metapopulation concept and this framework.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2000

Management of phosphorus availability in the plastic film house soils in Korea merits attention because salts have been accumulated for last decades due to the heavy application of fertilizers and intensive cropping practices. In an attempt to characterize the P availability, available phosphorus contents and electrical conductivity of the saturated extracts ($EC_e$) were measured for soils collected from the 169 plastic film houses in Kangwon-do. Soil phosphorus contents were analyzed by methods of Lancaster, Bray No. 1, Olsen, Truog, water extractable and saturation extracts. Phosphorus concentrations in the saturated extracts of the plastic film house soils ranged from 0.02 to $34mg\;L^{-1}$, with the average of $8mg\;L^{-1}$. The available $P_2O_5$ of the soils ranged from 136 to $3,689mg\;Kg^{-1}$, with the average of $1,261mg\;Kg^{-1}$. The water soluble $P_2O_5$ ranged from 2 to $118mg\;L^{-1}$, with the average of $39mg\;L^{-1}$. A significant correlation existed between saturation extract P (Y) and available $P_2O_5$ (X) [Y = -5.075 + 0.018X, $r=0.662^{***}$] indicating $1.0mg\;P\;L^{-1}$ of in the saturated extract was equivalent to $337mg\;Kg^{-1}$ of the available $P_2O_5$ by Lancaster method. Electrical conductivity of the saturated pastes ($EC_e$) was highly significantly correlated with EC (1:5), yielding the slope of 12.2 for the coarse textured plastic film house soils. Results of higher concentrations of available P in soil solution and dilution factor of 12.2 for $EC_e$ demonstrate that a special care must be taken in terms of fertilizer management and data interpretation for soils under this specific condition.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.217-222
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• 2013

Sea temperature in the South Sea of Korea has been increased over the last decades. Seabirds are sensitive to changes in food availability in marine environment. In this study, we investigate the diet of Black-tailed gulls (Larus crassirostris) during the breeding season to identify changes of marine environment and biological response such as breeding performance in the South Sea of Korea. A total of 22 fish species or family (n = 128) from regurgitates by chicks were collected on Hongdo Island in 2002 and 2012. The most important prey item was Japanese anchovies (Engraulis japonicas). Proportion of Anchovy in diet increased in 2012 (70.5%) compared to 10 years ago (27.5%). Some species were newly found in 2012: Spotted chub mackerel (Scomber australasicus), Pacific sand lace (Ammodytes personatus), White ventral goby (Acanthogobius lactipes), Silver-strip round herring, Multicolorfin rainbowfish (Halichoeres poecilopterus), Silverside (Hypoatherina tsurugae), Surfperch (Neoditrema ransonneti) and Spotnape ponyfish (Leiognathus muchalis), but not in 2002. Especially, sub-tropic fish such as Kammal thryssa (Thryssa kammalensis), and Rosefish (Helicolenus hilgendorfi) were frequently observed in the diet of 2012. These results might reflect the increase of sea temperature in the South Sea of Korea.

• ALGAE
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.161-170
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• 2017

Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to study carbon allocation patterns in response to N-starvation in the nearly ubiquitous diatom Chaetoceros muellerii. The role of gene expression, protein synthesis and transamination on the organic composition of cells was tested by using specific inhibitors. The results show that inhibition of key processes in algal metabolism influence the macromolecular composition of cells and and prior cell nutritional state can influence a cell's response to changing nutrient availability. The allocation of C can thus lead to different organic composition depending on the nutritional context, with obvious repercussions for the trophic web. This also shows that C allocation in algal cells is highly flexible and that C (and the energy associated with its allocation) can be variably and rapidly partitioned in algal cells in response to relatively short term perturbations. Furthermore, the data confirm and extend the utility of infrared spectroscopy as a probe of the metabolic state of autotrophic cells.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Bioinformatics Conference
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• 2005.09a
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• pp.249-255
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• 2005

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is primarily responsible for human hypertension. Current ACE drugs show serious cough and angiodema health problems due to the un-specific activity of the drug to ACE protein. The availability of ACE crystal structure (1UZF) provided the plausible biological orientation of inhibitors to ACE active site (C-domain). Three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) models have been constructed using the comparative molecula. field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) for a series of 28 ACE inhibitors. Alignment for CoMFA obtained by docking ligands to 1UZF protein using FlexX program showed better statistical model as compared to superposition of corresponding atoms. The statistical parameters indicate reasonable models for both CoMFA (q$^2$ = 0.530, r$^2$ = 0.998) and CoMSIA (q$^2$= 0.518, r$^2$ = 0.990). The 3D-QSAR analyses provide valuable information for the design of ACE inhibitors with potent activity towards C-domain of ACE. The group substitutions involving the phenyl ring and carbon chain at the propionyl and sulfonyl moieties of captopril are essential for specific activity to ACE.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.40 no.spc
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• pp.83-95
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• 2010

Over the years, nanoparticle drug delivery systems have demonstrated versatile potentials in biological, medical and pharmaceutical applications. In the pharmaceutical industry nanotechnology research has mainly focused on providing controlled drug release, targeting their delivery to specific organs, and developing parenteral formulations for poorly water soluble drugs to improve their bioavailability. Achievement in polymer industry has generated numerous polymers applicable to designing nanoparticles. From viewpoints of product development, a nanocarrier material should meet requirements for biodegradability, biocompatibility, availability, and regulatory approval crieteria. Albumin is indeed a material that fulfills such requirements. Also, the commercialization of a first albumin-bound paclitaxel nanoparticle product (Abraxane$^{TM}$) has sparked renewed interests in the application of albumin in the development of nanoparticle formulations. This paper reviews the intrinsic properties of albumin, its suitability as a nanocarrier material, and albumin-based parenteral formulation approaches. Particularly discussed in detail are albumin-based particulate injectables such as Abraxane$^{TM}$. Information on key roles of albumin in the nab$^{TM}$ technology and representative manufacturing processes of albumin particulate products are provided. It is likely that albumin-based particulate technology would extend its applications in delivering drugs, polypeptides, proteins, vaccines, nucleic acids, and genes.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.317-326
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• 2010

The availability of fast and inexpensive sequencing technology has enabled researchers around the world to conduct many genome sequencing and expressed sequence tag (EST) projects of diverse organisms. In recent years, whole genome projects have been undertaken to sequence ten species from the phylum Mollusca. These include Aplysia californica, Lottia gigantea, Crassostrea virginica, Spisula solidissima, Mytilus californianus, Biomphalaria glabrata, Crepidula fornicata, Elysia chlorotica, Lottia scutum and Radix balthica. Additionally, complete mitochondrial genomes of 91 mollusks have been reported. In Korea, EST projects have been conducted in nine mollusk species that include Nesiohelix samarangae, Pisidium (Neopisidium) coreanum, Physa acuta, Incilaria fruhstorferi, Meretrix lusoria, Ruditapes philippinarum, Nordotis gigantea, Crassostrea gigas and Laternula elliptica. Finally, the mitochondrial genome projects from the Pacific Oyster (Crassostrea gigas) and the rock shell (Thais clavigera) have been conducted and reported. However, no systemic mollusk genome project has so far been conducted in Korea. In this report, the current status and research trends in mollusk genome study in Korea will be discussed.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.157-167
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• 2001

Purpose : This study was 1) to determine the relationship between endogenous opioid-peptides and hope 2) to evaluate the availability of the opioid- peptides, known as biochemicals of emotion in psychoneuroimmunology, as a variable to explain hope. Method : blood sampling for 20 cancer patients' (age range 18-73, 13 men and 7 women, having mild pain or no pain, can do ADL) were made under approval from the doctors in a university hospital at 8 A.M. and quantitative analysis of opioid peptides were done by the internal standard method. In 10min after blood sampling, hope was measured using Kim and Lee's hope scale which had acceptable reliabilities and validity after making consent about interviewing. Blood was sampled from the seven normal adults for comparing the degrees of the opioids. None-parametric statistical analysis was used. Results : There was a significant difference in leucine enkephalin between normal adults and cancer patients. And significant positive relationship existed between chemotherapy and leucine enkephalin. So, the relationships between hope and the endogenous opioids in the patients before chemotherapy were re-tested, excluding the effect of chemotherapy on opioids. As a result, a significant negative relationship between hope and beta- endorphin(r=-.841<.05) showed. And there were highly negative relationships between leucine enkephalin and methionine enkephalin and hope, but not significant statistically. Conclusions : This results implies endogenous opioids can be used as a biological variable to explain hope. More researches in sophisticated design would be needed ,especially in human model.

• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.9
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• pp.475-482
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• 2014

Ubiquitin (Ub) is a versatile signaling molecule that plays important roles in a variety of cellular processes. Cellular Ub pools, which are composed of free Ub and Ub conjugates, are in dynamic equilibrium inside cells. In particular, increasing evidence suggests that Ub homeostasis, or the maintenance of free Ub above certain threshold levels, is important for cellular function and survival under normal or stress conditions. Accurate determination of various Ub species, including levels of free Ub and specific Ub chain linkages, have become possible in biological specimens as a result of the introduction of the proteomic approach using mass spectrometry. This technology has facilitated research on dynamic properties of cellular Ub pools and has provided tools for in-depth investigation of Ub homeostasis. In this review, we have also discussed the consequences of the disruption of Ub pool dynamics and homeostasis via deletion of polyubiquitin genes or mutations of deubiquitinating enzymes. The common consequence was a reduced availability of free Ub and a significant impact on the function and viability of cells. These observations further indicate that the levels of free Ub are important determinants for cellular protection.