• Journal of Life Science
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• v.15 no.6 s.73
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• pp.961-967
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• 2005

Macrophage migration inhibitory fartor (MIF), known as a cytokine, is a multifunctional protein that is ubiquitously expressed in a variety of cells and tissues; however, enzymatic function of MIF still remains elusive in cells. In this study, we assessed details of the tautomerase activity of MIF. We established rapid purification condition for MIF by using pGEX system and compared the L-dopachrome tautomerase activity of GST-MIF, tMIF, and MIF. The results show that GST (glutathione S-transferase)-epitope tag or N-terminal amino acids flanking the essential $P^{2}$ almost completely abrogated L-dopachrome tautomerase activity of MIF. Subsequently, to determine whether the N-terminal tags have effects on oligomerization of MIF, protein cross-linking products were analyzed on $15\%$ SDS-PACE. The result demonstrates that N-terminal tags are dispensable for the formation of MIF's homooligomers. Thus, the results imply that exposure of If containing hydrophobic pocket in the active site is critical for L-dopachrome tautomerase activity of MIF. In addition, our study suggest that the MIF's tautomerase activity might be influenced by interacting with cellular partners.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2005

Ginseng Radix, the root of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer has been used in Eastern Asia for 2000 years as a tonic and restorative, promoting health and longevity. Two varieties are commercially available: white ginseng(Ginseng Radix Alba) is produced by air-drying the root, while red ginseng(Ginseng Radix Rubra) is produced by steaming the root followed by drying. These two varieties of different processing have somewhat differences by heat processing between them. During the heat processing for preparing red ginseng, it has been found to exhibit inactivation of catabolic enzymes, thereby preventing deterioration of ginseng quality and the increased antioxidant-like substances which inhibit lipid peroxide formation, and also good gastro-intestinal absorption by gelatinization of starch. Moreover, studies of changes in ginsenosides composition due to different processing of ginseng roots have been undertaken. The results obtained showed that red ginseng differ from white ginseng due to the lack of acidic malonyl-ginsenosides. The heating procedure in red ginseng was proved to degrade the thermally unstable malonyl-ginsenoside into corresponding netural ginsenosides. Also the steaming process of red ginseng causes degradation or transformation of neutral ginsenosides. Ginsenosides $Rh_2,\;Rh_4,\;Rs_3,\;Rs_4\;and\;Rg_5$, found only in red ginseng, have been known to be hydrolyzed products derived from original saponin by heat processing, responsible for inhibitory effects on the growth of cancer cells through the induction of apoptosis. 20(S)-ginsenoside $Rg_3$ was also formed in red ginseng and was shown to exhibit vasorelaxation properties, antimetastatic activities, and anti-platelet aggregation activity. Recently, steamed red ginseng at high temperature was shown to provide enhance the yield of ginsenosides $Rg_3\;and\;Rg_5$ characteristic of red ginseng Additionally, one of non-saponin constituents, panaxytriol, was found to be structually transformed from polyacetylenic alcohol(panaxydol) showing cytotoxicity during the preparation of red ginseng and also maltol, antioxidant maillard product, from maltose and arginyl-fructosyl-glucose, amino acid derivative, from arginine and maltose. In regard to the in vitro and in vivo comparative biological activities, red ginseng was reported to show more potent activities on the antioxidant effect, anticarcinogenic effect and ameliorative effect on blood circulation than those of white ginseng. In oriental medicine, the ability of red ginseng to supplement the vacancy(허) was known to be relatively stronger than that of white ginseng, but very few are known on its comparative clinical studies. Further investigation on the preclinical and clinical experiments are needed to show the differences of indications and efficacies between red and white ginsengs on the basis of oriental medicines.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.341-350
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• 2015

Skin carrys out protective role against harmful outer environment assaults including ultraviolet radiation, heavy metals and oxides. Especially, ultraviolet-B (UVB) light causes inflammatory reactions in skin such as sun burn and erythma and stimulates melanin pigmentation. Furthermore, the influx of UVB into skin cells causes DNA damage in keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts, inhibition of extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis which leads to a decrease in elasticity of skin and wrinkle formation. It also damages dermal connective tissue and disrupts the skin barrier function. Prolonged exposure of human skin to UVB light is well known to trigger severe skin lesions such as cell death and carcinogenesis. Haloarcula vallismortis is a halophilic microorganism isolated from the Dead Sea, Its growth characteristics have not been studied in detail yet. It generally grows at salinity more than 10%, but the actual growth salinity usually ranges between 20 to 25%. Because H. vallismortis is found mainly in saltern or salt lakes, there could exist defense mechanisms against strong sunlight. One of them is generation of additional ATP using halorhodopsin which absorbs photons and produces energy by potential difference formed by opening the chloride ion channel. It often shows a color of pink or red because of their high content of carotenoid pigments and it is considered to act as a defense mechanism against intense UV irradiation. In this study, the anti-inflammatory effect of the halophilic microorganism, H. vallismortis, extract was investigated. It was found that H. vallismortis extract had protective effect on DNA damage induced by UV irradiation. These results suggest that the extract of halophilic bacterium, H. vallismortis could be used as a bio-sunscreen or natural sunscreen which ameliorate the harmful effects of UV light with its anti-inflammatory and DNA protective properties.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.85-94
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• 2007

To determine the influence of food waste compost (FWC) application on paddy soil, FWC was applied to the paddy soil and then compared with farmer's practice as to the effects on rice and soil environment. Initially, pig manure compost (PMC) had high content of phosphorus ($15g\;kg^{-1}$) and potassium ($23g\;kg^{-1}$), while FWC had high content of total nitrogen ($13g\;kg^{-1}$) and salinity ($18.5g\;kg^{-1}$). Comparison was also made between chemical fertilizer and FWC use as a trial in the paddy field under the clay loam and sandy loam soil. In the panicle formation stage, chemical fertilizer application was proper in clay loam while PMC application was proper in sandy loam. However, chemical fertilizer produced higher yield compared to compost treatment, both on clay loam and sandy loam with 20~25% and 17~19%, respectively. The lower yield in sandy loam maybe due to slow mineralization of compost such that the crop did not effectively use it. Organic matter content in paddy soil after experiment was higher in FWC and PMC plots compared to that in chemical fertilizer plots. But the other soil properties were comparable. Therefore, the FWC compost had little effect on soil when it use as a trial in paddy field. Likewise, after the application of FWC as a trial, analysis of nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen in the surface water and 60 cm depth of paddy soil water nine days after planting was done. Results revealed that concentration of ammonium nitrogen was similar to irrigation water while nitrate nitrogen concentration was not detected, and hence did not contribute to water pollution. It is concluded that the application of FWC in the paddy field had not affected on environmental pollution in the paddy field. But its use as compost during rice culture reduced yield quantity. Such study should include selection of compost material, amount and method of compost application.

• The Journal of Society for e-Business Studies
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.33-53
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• 2021

In the crossroads of social change caused by the spread of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the prolonged COVID-19, the Korean government announced the Digital New Deal policy on July 14, 2020. The Digital New Deal policy's primary goal is to create new businesses by accelerating digital transformation in the public sector and industries around data, networks, and artificial intelligence technologies. However, in a rapidly changing social environment, information asymmetry of the future benefits of technology can cause differences in the public's ability to analyze the direction and effectiveness of policies, resulting in uncertainty about the practical effects of policies. On the other hand, the media leads the formation of discourse through communicators' role to disseminate government policies to the public and provides knowledge about specific issues through the news. In other words, as the media coverage of a particular policy increases, the issue concentration increases, which also affects public decision-making. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to verify the dynamic relationship between the media coverage and the stock market on the Korean government's digital New Deal policy using Granger causality, impulse response functions, and variance decomposition analysis. To this end, the daily stock turnover ratio, daily price-earnings ratio, and EWMA volatility of digital technology-based companies related to the digital new deal policy among KOSDAQ listed companies were set as variables. As a result, keyword search volume, daily stock turnover ratio, EWMA volatility have a bi-directional Granger causal relationship with media coverage. And an increase in media coverage has a high impact on keyword search volume on digital new deal policies. Also, the impulse response analysis on media coverage showed a sharp drop in EWMA volatility. The influence gradually increased over time and played a role in mitigating stock market volatility. Based on this study's findings, the amount of media coverage of digital new deals policy has a significant dynamic relationship with the stock market.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.133-146
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• 2021

Aragonite is one of common polymorphs of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) and formed via biological or physical processes through precipitation in many different environments including marine ecosystems. It is noted that aragonite formation and growth as well as the substitution of trace elements such as strontium (Sr) in the aragonite structure would be dependant on several key parameters such as concentrations of chemical species and temperature. In this study, properties of the incorporation of Sr into aragonite were investigated over a wide range of various saturation conditions and temperatures similar to the marine ecosystem. All pure aragonite samples were inorganically synthesized through a constant-addition method with varying concentrations of the reactive species ([Ca]=[CO₃] 0.01-1 M), injection rates of the reaction solution (0.085-17 mL/min), and solution temperatures (5-40 ℃). Pure aragonite was also formed even under the Sr incorporation conditions (0.02-0.5 M, 15-40 ℃). When temperature and saturation index (SI) with respect to aragonite increased, the crystallinity and the crystal size of aragonite increased indicating the growth of aragonite crystal. However, it was difficult to interpret the crystal growth rate because the crystal growth rate calculated using BET-specific surface area was significantly influenced by the crystal morphology. The distribution coefficient of Sr (K_Sr) into aragonite decreased from 2.37 to 1.57 with increasing concentrations of species (Ca²⁺ and CO₃^2-) at a range of 0.02-0.5 M. Similarly, it was also found that K_Sr decreased 1.90 to 1.54 at a range of 15-40 ℃. All K_Sr values are greater than 1, and the inverse correlation between the K_Sr and the crystal growth rate indicate that Sr incorporation into aragonite is in a compatible relationship.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.160-169
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of a toothbrush with light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on periodontitis-associated dental biofilm attached to a zirconia surface by static and dynamic methods. Materials and Methods: Zirconia disks (12 mm diameter, 2.5 mm thickness) were inserted into a 24-well plate (static method) or inside a Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) biofilm reactor (dynamic method) to form dental biofilms using Streptococcus gordonii and Fusobacterium nucleatum. The disks with biofilm were subdivided into five treatment groups-control, commercial photodynamic therapy (PDT), toothbrush alone (B), brush with LED (BL), and brush with LED+erythrosine (BLE). After treatment, the disks were agitated to detach the bacteria, and the resulting solutions were spread directly on selective agar. The number of viable bacteria and percentage of bacterial reduction were determined from colony counts. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was performed to visualize alterations in bacterial morphology. Results: No significant difference in biofilm formation was observed between dynamic and static methods. A significant difference was observed in the number of viable bacteria between the control and all experimental groups (P < 0.05). The percentage of bacterial reduction in the BLE group was significantly higher than in the other treated groups (P < 0.05). SEM revealed damaged bacterial cell walls in the PDT, BL, and BLE groups, but intact cell walls in the control and B groups. Conclusion: The findings suggest that an LED toothbrush with erythrosine is more effective than other treatments in reducing the viability of periodontitis-associated bacteria attached to zirconia in vitro.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.58-69
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to present specific standards for landscape planning and construction applicable to landscaping areas in various historical sites. The results are as follows: First, the types of historical sites are classified according to their preservation status and processing techniques, and the classification according to their status is divided into those that have been buried underground, such as those that have been exposed to the ground, such as buildings and structures, and those that have a reputation or a record of the sites. The classification according to the wartime processing technique was classified by such techniques as closures that isolate the site, penetration that can be seen on the site, and overlays where a separate protection facility is installed on the site. Second, the principles of landscape planning for display of historical sites are divided into the items that make up the historical site, surface treatment of the sites, tree planting, and installation of facilities. If the site is not a circular space, the area separating the space by different materials between the components is required. In the event that preservation of the historical site is required, it is deemed desirable to use the soil, and to do so, the use of grasses and shrubs is effectively considered to be effective. The introduction of plants and plants should be considered according to the nature of the space. Depending on the area and nature of the monument, the facility is required to take a cautious approach by reviewing its influence on the landscape and the additional excavation of the monument. Third, the readjustment method derived as a result of looking at the landscaping principle in the historical site space was classified as conservation of status, installation of protection facilities, burial, restoration, relocation, and reproduction. Preservation of the status quo is essential for limited landscape planning and should not affect the prototype of existing relics. The protection facility shall be installed where necessary to protect the relics, and when the soil is formed, the surface treatment shall be required to remove trees that could damage the site and prevent soil and soil oil from being lost after the site. The restoration shall establish a landscaping plan according to the circular preservation based on the clues to the circle. The transfer requires a landscaping plan to create an environment similar to the outer space of an existing site and should be able to highlight the value or location of the original site. The reenactment should have a landscaping plan to revive the landscape and atmosphere of the past for the now-defunct remains. Fourth, landscaping can simultaneously satisfy the preservation of excavation sites and the increase in exhibition effects. In order to protect the traces of the past and vitalize the site of the ruins today, specific measures are required, the creation of a park for historical sites that preserve the functions and value of the relics, and the formation of a shape of linked contents can be suggested as alternatives.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.255-263
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• 2019

Glycyrrhizae radix is one of the most frequently prescribed ingredients in Oriental medicine, and Glycyrrhizae radix extract has been shown to exert anti-cancer effects. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of programed cell death (apoptosis) by Glycyrrhizae radix are poorly defined. In the present study, it was examined the molecular mechanisms of apoptosis by water extracts of Glycyrrhizae radix (GRW) in human bladder T24 cancer cells. It was found that GRW could inhibit the cell growth of T24 cells in a concentration-dependent manner, which was associated with the induction of apoptotic cell death, as evidenced by the formation of apoptotic bodies, DNA fragmentation and increased populations of annexin-V positive cells. The induction of apoptotic cell death by GRW was connected with an up-regulation of pro-apoptotic Bax protein expression and down-regulation of anti-apoptotic proteins (Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL), and inhibition of apoptosis family proteins (XIAP, cIAP-1 and cIAP-2). In addition, apoptosis-inducing concentrations of GRW induced the activation of caspase-9, an initiator caspase of the mitochondrial-mediated intrinsic pathway, and caspase-3, accompanied by proteolytic degradation of PARP. GRW also induced apoptosis via a death receptor-mediated extrinsic pathway by caspase-8 activation, resulting in the down-regulation of total Bid and suggesting the existence of cross-talk between the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways. Taken together, the present results suggest that GRW may be a potential chemotherapeutic agent for the control of human bladder cancer cells.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.257-270
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• 2022

This study evaluated the hydraulic factors contributing to the decreasing groundwater levels across Jeju island. Time-series data for groundwater level, precipitation, and groundwater usage and information on land use were acquired, and the correlations among them were analyzed to evaluate the causes of the decreasing groundwater. The effects of precipitation and groundwater usage on the fluctuations of groundwater level were quantified using response surface analysis and sensitivity analysis, and methods for groundwater quantity management by region were proposed. The results showed that the rate of groundwater decrease in the western region was larger than that in the eastern region. For the eastern region, the influence of precipitation was large and the rate of decrease in the groundwater level was relatively small. The geological formation of this part of the island and continuous seawater intrusion suggest that although the absolute amount of groundwater extracted for use was large, the decrease in the groundwater level was not seen to be great due to an increase in pressure by seawater intrusion. Overall, precipitation and groundwater usage had the greatest effect on the amount of groundwater in the western region, and thus their data would be most useful for informing groundwater management, whereas other factors (e.g., sea level and the location of the freshwater-seawater transition zone) must be considered when understanding Jeju's eastern region. As the characteristics of groundwater level fluctuations in the eastern and western regions are distinct, an optimal management plan for each region should be proposed to ensure the efficient management of groundwater quantity.