• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.265-270
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• 2004

Coronary heart disease (CHD) has been the number one killer in western society for a long time, and CHD in most instances is due to atherosclerosis. One of the earliest events in atherogenesis is the intracellular accumulation of lipids, particularly cholesterol esters, in the aortic intima. The lipids presumably came from the uptake of plasma lipoproteins, particularly from LDL. These foam cells were identified as being predominantly as macrophages. Currently, it is believed that oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) might contribute to the generation of foam cells. An outcome of the oxidation hypothesis is that the consumption of antioxidants would be beneficial. In this study, Boldine, an alkaloid of Peumus boldus was tested for their antioxidant potency both in, in vitro oxidation system and in mouse models. Boldine decreased the ex-vivo oxidation of Low-density lipoprotein (LDL). In vivo studies were performed to study the effect of these compounds on the atherosclerotic lesion formation in LDL r-/- mice. Three groups of LDL r-/- mice (N=12 each) were fed an atherogenic diet. Group 1 was given vehicle and group 2 and 3 were given 1 and 5 mg of Boldine/day in addition to the atherogenic diet. The results indicated that there was a decrease in lesion formation reaching a 40% reduction due to Boldine compared to controls. The in vivo tolerance of Boldine in humans (has been used as an herbal medicine in other diseases) should make it an attractive alternative to vitamin E.

• BMB Reports
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.385-390
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• 2000

Overwintering plants should survive the various biotic and abiotic stresses that occur during winter. Previous studies indicated that active oxygen species are involved in freezing, dehydration, anoxia and pathogen infections. As the importance of the events that occur in the intercellular compartment became apparent in disease resistance, we examined the nature of intercellular antioxidant enzymes in order to access their possible involvement in the winter hardiness of barley. The levels of intercellular peroxidase, catalase, and SOD activities on the unit protein basis were 394, 18, and 9% of those of cellular activities, respectively. Major intercellular peroxidase isoforms consisted of four neutrals and four basic forms; whereas major cellular isoforms were two basic forms. Out of the two major catalase isoforms a higher molecular weight form was predominantly abundant in both cellular and intercellular compartments. Among the five major cellular SOD isoforms, three were also present in the intercellular compartment. The presence of substantial amounts of intercellular antioxidant enzymes in overwintering barley leaves may suggest the involvement of these enzymes in the tolerance mechanism to the various stresses that occur during winter.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.1-8
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• 2017

Cancer is the disease of aging and Korea is one of the fastest aging country in the world. Older patients have decreased organ function and stress tolerance, therefore are at high risk of functional decline and developing complication from cancer and cancer treatment. Before beginning cancer treatment, it is important to assess patients' life expectancy, whether the patient is likely to die of cancer or of other comorbidity, and also the risks with cancer treatment. In order to estimate patient's physiologic age, it is recommended to perform geriatric assessment and implement appropriate geriatric intervention together with meticulous supportive care, when planning cancer treatment for older patients. In a resource limited country such as Korea, two step approach of applying screening tool followed by geriatric assessment can be more efficient. Geriatric assessment is used to predict toxicity from cancer treatment such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, predict survival, and also to aid treatment decision. Number of randomized trials are ongoing to compare usual care versus oncogeriatric care, and with these results we expect to improve outcome of older patients with cancer.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.28-34
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• 2018

Yuzu (Citrus junos) gummosis disease, caused by Phytophthora nicotianae, was first reported in 1997. As known in citrus, Phytophthora is the most fastidious soil-borne pathogen to control. In order to minimize its damage to Citrus spp., integrated pest management (IPM) approach, including fungicide chemicals and resistant cultivars, is necessary. Therefore, in this study we tried to evaluate tolerance of yuzu cultivars and its related species against yuzu Phytophthora. Trifoliate orange was evaluated as a susceptible host to yuzu Phytophthora by both mycelial growth onto extract media and immature fruit inoculation. However, in zoospores spray-inoculation on 2-year-old cuttings tree, trifoliate orange appeared to have a resistant property as showing less than 6% diseased leaf rate. Among yuzu cultivars only 'Namhae No. 1' appeared resistant property against both P. nicotianae and P. citrophthora. The 'Namhae No. 1' showed 5.7% and 10.6% diseased leaf ratio by P. nicotianae and P. citrophthora, respectively. Clearly, in order to reduce damages caused by two yuzu Phytophthora, we suggest that growers may utilize a trifoliate orange as a rootstock and 'Namhae No. 1' as a scion for fruit production.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.272-279
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• 2011

Root colonization of Arabidopsis thaliana with Pseudomonas chlororaphis O6 induces systemic tolerance against diverse pathogens, as well as drought and salt stresses. In this study, we demonstrated that 11 genes in the leaves were up-regulated, and 5 genes were down-regulated as the result of three- to five-days root colonization by P. chlororaphis O6. The identified priming genes were involved in cell signaling, transcription, protein synthesis, and degradation. In addition, expression of selected priming genes were induced in P. chlororaphis O6-colonized plants subjected to water withholding. Genes encoding defense proteins in signaling pathways regulated by jasmonic acid and ethylene, such as VSP1 and PDF1.2, were additional genes with enhanced expression in the P. chlororaphis O6-colonized plants. This study indicated that the expression of priming genes, as well as genes involved in jasmonic acid- and ethylene-regulated genes may play an important role in the systemic induction of both abiotic and biotic stress due to root colonization by P. chlororaphis O6.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 1998.09a
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• pp.22-34
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• 1998

Coarse grain crops including maize, sorghum, buckwheat, fox-tail millet, pearl millet, proso millet and barnyard millet have been used as health food, feed and industrial materials in Korea for a long time. Korean ancestors thought and treated them as the very important good crops for human health and the crops have served as a dish made with all the grains, particularly in January 15 of the lunar month in korea because the grains make the five viscera of heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys and the six entrails of gall bladder, stomach, small and large intestines, the paunch, the bladder, and the bowels strong and build healthy body. Thus, the objectives of the paper were to review and summarize the results obtained from the quality breeding and functional researches worldwide on nutrition, utilization and medical action of the coarse grain crops. Maize grain, fresh ear and green fodder yields have increased since 1960s in Korea. Agronomic traits improvements also occurred for cold tolerance, disease and insect resistance, resistance to barrenness, resistance to loding, pollen production, grain and seed yields, and eating quality. For buckwheat, improved summer buckwheat varieties produced more rutin for vegetable and grain than autumn varieties in Korea

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.27-35
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• 2004

Beevenom immunotherapy(BVIT) in allergic patients is a well-established treatment modality for the prevention of systemic anaphylactic reactions caused by insect stings. BVIT is accompanied by increases in allergen-specific IgG, particularly the IgG4 isotype, which blocks not only IgE-dependent histamine release from basophils but also IgE-mediated antigen presentation to T cells. Inhibition of T cells after BVIT also involves decreased induction of the costimulatory molecule ICOS, which, in turn, seems to be dependent on the presence of IL-10, also associated with the inhibited status of T cells after BVIT. Suppression of T cells by IL-10 is an active process, which depends on the expression and participation of CD28. Immune tolerance in specific allergen immunotherapy might be a consequence of decreased Th2 or increased Th1 response of allergen specific T lymphocytes. BVIT shifted cytokine responses to allergen from a TH-2 to a TH-1 dominant pattern, suggesting direct effects on T cells. Many studies showed that severe side effects due to venom immunotherapy are rare. These results suggest that immunological changes after BVIT may be applied to be therapeutic alternative of general allergic diseases including beevenom allergy.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.293-298
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• 2010

Several risk factors for osteoporosis are known relatively well. Some nutrients are directly or indirectly needed for metabolic processes related to bone. Recently, an increased prevalence of osteoporosis has been reported in patients with hemochromatosis, an iron overload disease. Thus, the aim of this study was to find out if there was any relationship between serum ferritin and T-score of bone mineral density in healthy women. We recruited 1,101 subjects females aged between 39 and 85 years. We measured serum ferritin, glucose tolerance indices, lipid profiles, inflammatory indices, hormones, calcium, alkaline phosphatase. Also, anthropometric, blood pressure, and bone mineral density measurements were performed. T-score was negatively correlated with age (r=-0.425; P<0.01), systolic (r=-0.109; P<0.01) and diastolic (r=-0.093; P<0.01) pressure, follicular stimulation hormone (r=-0.190; P<0.01), alkaline phosphatase (r=-0.235; P<0.01), and serum ferritin (r=-0.090; P<0.05) and positively with body mass index (r=0.050; P=0.01), HDL-cholesterol (r=0.314; P<0.01), and estradiol (r=0.200; P<0.01). After adjustment for age, alkaline phosphatase, body mass index, HDL-cholesterol, estradiol, and follicular stimulation hormone, serum ferritin was independently inversely correlated with T-score (${\beta}$=-0.001; P<0.05). It is possible that an increase of serum ferritin in females be risk to osteoporosis.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2018

Smokers keep smoking despite knowing that tobacco claims many lives, including their own and others'. What makes it hard for them to quit smoking nonetheless? Tobacco companies insist that smokers choose to smoke, according to their right to self-determination. Moreover, they insist that with motivation and willpower to quit smoking, smokers can easily stop smoking. Against this backdrop, this paper aims to discuss the addictive disease called tobacco use disorder, with an assessment of the addictiveness of tobacco and the reasons why smoking cessation is challenging, based on neuroscientific research. Nicotine that enters the body via smoking is rapidly transmitted to the central nervous system and causes various effects, including an arousal response. The changes in the nicotine receptors in the brain due to continuous smoking lead to addiction symptoms such as tolerance, craving, and withdrawal. Compared with other addictive substances, including alcohol and opioids, tobacco is more likely to cause dependence in smokers, and smokers are less likely to recover from their dependence. Moreover, the thinning of the cerebral cortex and the decrease in cognitive functions that occur with aging accelerate with smoking. Such changes occur in the structure and functions of the brain in proportion to the amount and period of smoking. In particular, abnormalities in the neural circuits that control cognition and decision-making cause loss of the ability to exert self-control and autonomy. This initiates nicotine dependence and the continuation of addictive behaviors. Therefore, smoking is considered to be a behavior that is repeated due to dependence on an addictive substance, nicotine, instead of one's choice by free will.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.6263-6267
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• 2012

Background: Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) is an important phase II xenobiotic compound metabolizing enzyme family, involved in tolerance to a particular drug or susceptibility to a diseasec. This study focused the GSTM1 and T1 null allele frequency in the Gujarat population with a comparison across other Inter- and Intra-Indian ethnic groups to predict variation in the possible susceptible status. Methods: DNA was isolated by a salting out method and GSTM1 and T1 homozygous null genotypes were detected by multiplex polymerase chain reaction in 504 unrelated individuals. The genotype distribution of null alleles was compared with Indian and non Indian ethnics reported earlier in the literature using Fisher's test. Results: The frequencies of the homozygous null genotypes of GSTM1 and GSTT1 were 20% (95%CI 16.7-23.9) and 35.5% (95%CI 31.4-39.9) respectively. GSTM1 null frequency did not deviate from most other Indian ethnic groups but differed from the majority of those of non Indian ethnicity studied. The frequency of homozygous null type of GSTT1 was significantly higher and deviated from all Indian groups and a few of non Indian ethnicity. Conclusions: Gujarat ethnicity, possibly the most susceptible for GSTT1 dependent drug disposition and diseases regarding effects of pollution. Further, the results have implications for GSTT1 dependent drugs used for treatment, a serious problem which needs to be solved by physicians and clinical researchers.