• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.65-71
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• 2012

Oxygen is the final acceptor of electron transport from fat and carbohydrate oxidation, which is the rate-limiting factor for cellular ATP production. Under altitude hypoxia condition, energy reliance on anaerobic glycolysis increases to compensate for the shortfall caused by reduced fatty acid oxidation [1]. Therefore, training at altitude is expected to strongly influence the human metabolic system, and has the potential to be designed as a non-pharmacological or recreational intervention regimen for correcting diabetes or related metabolic problems. However, most people cannot accommodate high altitude exposure above 4500 M due to acute mountain sickness (AMS) and insulin resistance corresponding to a increased levels of the stress hormones cortisol and catecholamine [2]. Thus, less stringent conditions were evaluated to determine whether glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity could be improved by moderate altitude exposure (below 4000 M). In 2003, we and another group in Austria reported that short-term moderate altitude exposure plus endurance-related physical activity significantly improves glucose tolerance (not fasting glucose) in humans [3,4], which is associated with the improvement in the whole-body insulin sensitivity [5]. With daily hiking at an altitude of approximately 4000 M, glucose tolerance can still be improved but fasting glucose was slightly elevated. Individuals vary widely in their response to altitude challenge. In particular, the improvement in glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity by prolonged altitude hiking activity is not apparent in those individuals with low baseline DHEA-S concentration [6]. In addition, hematopoietic adaptation against altitude hypoxia can also be impaired in individuals with low DHEA-S. In short-lived mammals like rodents, the DHEA-S level is barely detectable since their adrenal cortex does not appear to produce this steroid [7]. In this model, exercise training recovery under prolonged hypoxia exposure (14-15% oxygen, 8 h per day for 6 weeks) can still improve insulin sensitivity, secondary to an effective suppression of adiposity [8]. Genetically obese rats exhibit hyperinsulinemia (sign of insulin resistance) with up-regulated baseline levels of AMP-activated protein kinase and AS160 phosphorylation in skeletal muscle compared to lean rats. After prolonged hypoxia training, this abnormality can be reversed concomitant with an approximately 50% increase in GLUT4 protein expression. Additionally, prolonged moderate hypoxia training results in decreased diffusion distance of muscle fiber (reduced cross-sectional area) without affecting muscle weight. In humans, moderate hypoxia increases postprandial blood distribution towards skeletal muscle during a training recovery. This physiological response plays a role in the redistribution of fuel storage among important energy storage sites and may explain its potent effect on changing body composition. Conclusion: Prolonged moderate altitude hypoxia (rangingfrom 1700 to 2400 M), but not acute high attitude hypoxia (above 4000 M), can effectively improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance for humans and antagonizes the obese phenotype in animals with a genetic defect. In humans, the magnitude of the improvementvaries widely and correlates with baseline plasma DHEA-S levels. Compared to training at sea-level, training at altitude effectively decreases fat mass in parallel with increased muscle mass. This change may be associated with increased perfusion of insulin and fuel towards skeletal muscle that favors muscle competing postprandial fuel in circulation against adipose tissues.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.141-148
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• 1986

The blue-light effect on the grown as well as on the physiological activity of some major horticultural plants in Korea has been investigated. The light quality used for the work was obtained from sunlight filtered by an orangecolored polyethylene film which removed about 70% of visible light in the spectral region of $350㎚{\sim}500㎚$. The film was developed in this laboratory especially for the work and named BCR film meaning blue color-removing film. The light environment in the plastic house which was built with BCR film provided plants with the blue color-deficient sunlight. Thus, the photobiological effect of blue light could be examined conversely by comparing with the effect of white sunlight in a conventional plastic house built with colorless polyethylene film. In a sense of applicability to horticulture, two remarkable effects of the blue color-deficient sunlight on plant physiology were observed: First, it enhanced to a great extent the growth activity of plants-pepper, cucumber, zucchini, tomato, and leaf lettuce at the vegetative stage as well as at the reproductive stage, as demonstrated by their yield which were in average $40{\sim}50%$ increased compared with the control (under white sunlight). Second, it improved significantly the cold tolerance of plants, as exhibited with their resistance to chilling during treatment in a cold chamber maintained at a temperature which caused chilling injury to the plants of control. The visualized effects were reflected on the physiological activity of cells on organelle level. Chloroplast isolated from the plant leaves grown under BCR film showed considerably stronger photosynthetic activity, as judged by the increased electron transport rate of illuminated chloroplast, than that from leaves grown under white PE film. Mitochondria from leaves grown under BCR film maintained normal respiration activity until temperature decreased to a few degree($^{\circ}C$) lower than the temperature which caused respiratory inhibition to mitochondria obtained from leaves of the control.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.201-211
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• 2016

Although the antioxidant and cardioprotective effects of NecroX-5 on various in vitro and in vivo models have been demonstrated, the action of this compound on the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation system remains unclear. Here we verify the role of NecroX-5 in protecting mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation capacity during hypoxia-reoxygenation (HR). Necrox-5 treatment ($10{\mu}M$) and non-treatment were employed on isolated rat hearts during hypoxia/reoxygenation treatment using an ex vivo Langendorff system. Proteomic analysis was performed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and non-labeling peptide count protein quantification. Real-time PCR, western blot, citrate synthases and mitochondrial complex activity assays were then performed to assess heart function. Treatment with NecroX-5 during hypoxia significantly preserved electron transport chain proteins involved in oxidative phosphorylation and metabolic functions. NecroX-5 also improved mitochondrial complex I, II, and V function. Additionally, markedly higher peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-$1{\alpha}$ ($PGC1{\alpha}$) expression levels were observed in NecroX-5-treated rat hearts. These novel results provide convincing evidence for the role of NecroX-5 in protecting mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation capacity and in preserving $PGC1{\alpha}$ during cardiac HR injuries.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.183-187
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• 1999

To establish an efficient screening system for new herbicides using plant cultured cells, responses of tobacco photomixotrophic cultured (PH) cells to various herbicides with different modes of action were surveyed by measuring the cell growth and ion conductivity in medium. The cells were cultured in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 0.7mg/L 2,4-D, 0.3mg/L kinetin and 30 g/L sucrose at $25^{\circ}C$ in the light (100 rpm). Chemicals were treated to suspension cultures of tobacco PH cells at the time of subculture. The cell growth and ion conductivity in the medium were investigated on 12 days after chemical treatment. The ion conductivity assay gave well correlated results to the cell growth inhibition data. The responses of tobacco PM cells were dependent on the modes of action of chemicals tested. Atrazine, an inhibitor of photosynthetic electron transport (PET), strongly inhibited both the cell membrane and cell growth ($IC_{50}$/, about 1 $\mu$M). Butachlor (an inhibitor of cell division), glufosinate (an inhibitor of amino acid biosynthesis), and fluridone (an inhibitor of carotenoid biosynthesis) showed a dose-dependent inhibition. However, Quinclorac, a herbicide with an auxin activity, did not affect the cell growth and ion leakage. These results suggested that tobacco PM cells is suitable materials for the simple screening of new herbicides such as PET, amino acid biosynthesis, ceil division inhibitors by measuring the cell growth and ion conductivity.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.179-185
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• 2005

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a kind of toxic environmental pollutants and has been accumulated usually in marine sediments. Due to their potential hazardous to human, removal of PAHs from environments has been great concern. In the present study, the effect of microbial inoculation and the supplementation of mixed form cyclodextrin (M-CD) was assessed in the pre-sterilized or nonsterilized microcosms for optimizing operational conditions for ex situ bioremediation of sediments contaminated by PAHs. Activity of electron transport system (ETSA) was increased by the addition of M-CD regardless of inoculation of microorganisms in microcosms without sterilization. The degradation rate of PAHs in sterilized microcosms was app. 9-20% by the inoculation of single strain and 24-37% by the inoculation of microbial consortium supplemented with 1% M-CD, respectively. The degradation was not observed in microcosms without sterilization under the same conditions. The proportion of inoculated microorganisms also decreased in nonsterilized microcosms. Signals of inoculated bacteria were decreased to detection limit after 2 days in the microcosms without M-CD. In conclusion, microbial inoculation with appropriate carbon sources and removal of natural flora and grazers are required for the efficient ex situ bioremediation of sediments contaminated by PAHs in bioslurry reactor.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2013

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the biochemical adverse effect of increased carbon dioxide in seawater on marine polychaete, Perinereis aibuhitensis. We measured the available energy reserves, Ea (total carbohydrate, protein, and lipid content) and the energy consumption, Ec (electron transport activity) of Perinereis aibuhitensis exposed for 7-d to a range of $CO_2$ concentration such as 0.39 (control =390 ppmv), 3.03 (=3,030 ppmv), 10.3 (=10,300 ppmv), and 30.1 (=30,100 ppmv) $CO_2$ mM, respectively. The cellular energy allocation (CEA) methodology was used to assess the adverse effects of toxic stress on the energy budget of the test organisms. The results of a decrease in CEA effect of increased carbon dioxide in seawater from all individual in Ea and Ec. Increase of carbon dioxide reduced pH in seawater, significantly. The chemical changes in sea- water caused by increasing $pCO_2$ might cause stresses to test organisms and changes in the cellular energy allocations. Results of this study can be used to understand the possible influence of $CO_2$ concentration increased by the leakage from sub-sea bed storage sites as well as fossil fuel combustion on marine organisms.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.500-509
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• 2014

To prevent freezing of the road by fallen snow, Calcium chloride($CaCl_2$) as a deicer is used to very often and it can be harmful to roadside trees. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Calcium chloride($CaCl_2$) as a deicer on growth and physiological traits of Acer triflorum according to different concentration of $CaCl_2$. We measured growth, chlorophyll contents, gas exchangement characteristics, chlorophyll fluorescence and mineral nutrition concentration in plant and soil. The experimental group was composed of four treatments including 0mM(control), 9mM(0.5 %), 18mM(1.0 %), 54mM(3.0 %). Before germinating new shoot, the dissolution of $CaCl_2$ was irrigated twice interval of a week. At 30 days after treatment, all treatments decreased total cholorophyll content, photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance and photochemical efficiency($F_v/F_m$) with increasing concentration of $CaCl_2$ and especially, they significantly reduced in 3.0 % treatment. In contrast, chlorophyll a/b ratio increased with an increase of $CaCl_2$ concentration and water use efficiency increased in 1.0 % and 3.0 % treatments. At 50 days after treatment, all treatments were decreased in chl a, chl b, total chlorophyll content, carotenoid content, photosynthetic capacity, photochemical efficiency($F_v/F_m$) and quantum yield of photosystem II(${\Phi}_{PSII}$) compared with control and 3.0 % treatments were withered. $Ca^{2+}$ and $Cl^-$ were accumulated in leaves and soil, which inhibited water absorption and electron transport and it caused the reduction of height growth rate more than 50 %. Although there was a little difference according to time and $CaCl_2$ concentration, all treatments decreased in growth rate and physiological activity slowed down. As time passed, these results got worse. Therefore we need to take a measure earlier in order to minimize damage of trees.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.9
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• pp.1194-1201
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• 2008

Water temperature-dependent fluctuations of biochemical and molecular activities in the harmful dinoflagellate, Cochlodinium polykrikoides were studied. In terms of genomic DNA concentration, a similar value of 0.6 was observed at $12^{\circ}C$ and $15^{\circ}C$. However, DNA significantly increased beyond $18^{\circ}C$ (p<0.05), to a maximum of 1.8 at $24^{\circ}C$. DNA concentration significantly decreased to 0.6. The concentrations of RNA and total protein were likely at their highest values of 1.7 and 0.07 ${\mu}g$ $ml^{-1}$ at $24^{\circ}C$, respectively. RNA and total protein concentrations began to increase at $15^{\circ}C$. Oxygen availability between lower and higher temperatures was significantly different and increased from $18^{\circ}C$ according to light intensity, regardless of wavelengths (p<0.05). At $24^{\circ}C$, the highest value of the maximum electron transport rate ($ETR_{max}$), ranging from 537.9 (Ch 1) to 602.5 ${\mu}mol$ electrons $g^{-1}$ Chl ${\alpha}s^{-1}$ (Ch 4), was also apparent. Nitrate reductase (NR) and ATPase activities were at their highest values of 0.11 ${\mu}mol$ $NO_{2}^{-}$ ${\mu}g^{-1}$ Chl ${\alpha}h^{-1}$ and 0.78 pmol 100 $mg^{-1}$ at $24^{\circ}C$, respectively. In an analysis of CHN, the concentration of C and N also significantly increased (p<0.05). Most of the measurements for the cellular activities at $27^{\circ}C$, however, were less than at $24^{\circ}C$. These results suggest that the sub-cellular activities of C. polykrikoides are sensitive to changes in water temperature. It may be desirable to estimate at $18^{\circ}C$ the initiation of the massive blooming development of C. polykrikoides. In nature, it will be very difficult to maintain the massive blooms beyond $24^{\circ}C$ because of a possibly significant decrease in molecular activity of C. polykrikoides.

• Clean Technology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.68-75
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• 2015

In this study, we investigated the structure and properties of a highly heat conductive metal-ceramic core-shell CoAl₂O₄@Al micro-composite for heterogeneous catalysts support. The CoAl₂O₄@Al was prepared by hydrothermal surface oxidation of Al metal powder, which resulted in the structure with a high heat conductive Al metal core encapsulated by a high surface area CoAl₂O₄ shell. For comparison, CoAl₂O₄ was also prepared by co-precipitation method and also utilized for a catalyst support. Rh catalysts supported on CoAl₂O₄@Al and CoAl₂O₄ were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation and characterized by N₂ adsorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), CO chemisorption, and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR). The properties of catalysts were investigated for glycerol steam reforming reaction for hydrogen production at 550 ℃. Rh/CoAl₂O₄@Al exhibited about 2.8 times higher glycerol conversion turnover frequency (TOF) than Rh/CoAl₂O₄ due to facilitated heat transport through the core-shell structure. The CoAl₂O₄@Al and CoAl₂O₄ also showed some catalytic activities due to a partial reduction of Co on the support, and a higher catalytic activity was also found on the CoAl₂O₄@Al core-shell than CoAl₂O₄. These catalysts, however, displayed deactivation on the reaction stream due to carbon deposition on the catalysts surface.