• World Technopolis Review
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.139-152
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• 2014

The current transportation regime is largely based on two alternatives: (1) fixed route public transit, and (2) private ownership of internal combustion engine (ICE) powered vehicles per households. This paper analyzes one possible transportation alternative, Micro Electric Vehicles or MEVs, and compares with the ICE vehicles in terms of social, economic and environmental benefits, especially emphasizing its environmental advantage over ICE vehicles for future sustainability. While some representative models of MEVs exist in a limited market capacity, but global technical standards are generally insufficient and non-homogenous across nations, which restricts the development of the proposed transportation sector. The focus of this paper is to analyze the characteristics and potential benefits of MEVs in economical and environmental perspectives, including development status and technical standards, with a particular focus in the E.U., the U.S., Japan, and Korea. Based on the data of analysis, this paper aims to derive and propose a cooperative and adaptive global policy framework designed to speed up adoption and expansion of the global MEV market, including passenger and utility vehicles. We propose MEV to be a new mobility segment in the global transportation market because of their advantage in environmental impact, sustainability, overall cost of ownership, and safety.

• Journal of Apiculture
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.227-237
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• 2018

The majority parasitic bee mites of Thailand in genus Tropilaelaps are infesting colonies of native bees (Apis dorsata) and introduced bees (A. mellifera). The investigation aims to study morphological and genetic variation of Tropilaelaps mites infected different hosts. Adult mites were collected from honey bee brood throughout Thailand. Traditional and geometrical morphometrics were measured on photograph by using TPS program. Additional, COI gene variations were examined by PCR-RFLP and nucleotides sequencing. Tree of mites relationships were constructed by NJ and MP assumptions. Morphometric results indicated T. mercedesae were major species infesting on A. dorsata and A. mellifera. Mophological variation represented at anal and epigynial plate, which the shape of the anal plate apex margin has been key character to identify between T. mercedesae (bell to blunt shape) and T. koenigerum (pear shape). However, the discriminant analysis suggested that geometric results were potential to classify Thai Tropilaelaps populations from different hosts better than traditional morphometric. Otherwise, PCR-RFLP clearly detected the site of Dra I and Xba I digestion of Thai Tropilaelaps morphotypes. The COI sequences of T. koenigerum were founded infesting only A. dorsata in Thailand and four sequences that related to the Thai T. mercedesae morphotypes. The NJ and MP tree were clearly classified Thai Tropilaelaps species which were suggested both from morphological and molecular analysis. This information might be basically of taxonomic status, but this should have implication for controlling these mites in Thailand and other countries.

• Journal of Apiculture
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.277-282
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• 2018

Ethanol extracted propolis (EEP) was mixed with honey (honeypolis) to dissolve well in water and in vitro skin irritation test was conducted. In vitro method is designed to predict and classify the skin irritation potential of a chemical by assessment of its effect on $EpiDerm^{TM}$, a reconstituted three-dimensional human epidermis model. Cytotoxicity is expressed as the reduction of mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity measured by formazan production from MTT after a 60 min exposure period. In this study under the given conditions honeypolis showed no irritant effects. Honeypolis meets acceptance criteria if: mean absolute OD 570 nm of the three negative control tissues is ${\geq}0.8$ and ${\leq}2.8$, mean relative tissue viability of the three positive control tissues is ${\leq}20%$, standard deviation of relative tissue viability obtained from each three concurrently tested tissues is ${\leq}18%$. Honeypolis is therefore classified as "non-irritant" in accordance with UN GHS "No Category".

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.114-121
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• 2016

Objectives: Lung cancer remains a deadly disease with unsatisfactory overall survival. Cisplatin, a standard platinum (Pt)-based chemotherapeutic agent, has the potential to inhibit the growth of lung cancer. Its use, however, is occasionally limited by severe organ toxicity. However, until now, no systematic study has been conducted to verify its efficacy with proper experimental support in vivo. Therefore, we examined whether biosynthesized Pt nanoparticles (NPs) inhibited human lung cancer in vitro and in vivo to validate their use in alternative and complementary medicine. Methods: We evaluated the in vitro and the in vivo anticancer efficiencies of biosynthesized Pt NPs in a subcutaneous xenograft model with A549 cells. Severe combined immune deficient mice (SCID) were divided into four groups: group 1 being the vehicle control group and groups 2, 3 and 4 being the experimental groups. Once the tumor volume had reached $70-75mm^3$, the progression profile of the tumor growth kinetics and the body weights of the mice were measured every week for 6 weeks after oral administration of Pt NPs. Doses of Pt NPs of 500, 1,000 and 2,000 mg/kg of body weight were administered to the experimental groups and a dose of honey was administered to the vehicle control group. The efficacy was quantified by using the delay in tumor growth following the administration of Pt NPs of A549 human-lung-cancer xenografts growing in SCID mice. Results: The in vitro cytotoxicity evaluation indicated that Pt NPs, in a dose-dependent manner, inhibited the growth of A549 cells, and the in vivo evaluation showed that Pt NPs at the mid and high doses effectively inhibited and delayed the growth of lung cancer in SCID mice. Conclusion: These findings confirm the antitumor properties of biosynthesized Pt NPs and suggest that they may be a cost-effective alternative for the treatment of patients with lung cancer.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.370-375
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• 2013

Propolis is a resinous mixture found in the tree buds, sap flows, and other botanical sources, which is used by honey bees in the construction of their hives. Antimicrobial effects of propolis were evaluated against Streptococcus mutans KCTC 3065, S. sobrinus KCTC 3308, S. sobrinus KCTC 5134, and Porphyromonas gingivalis KCTC 5352 by an agar diffusion assay. Sensitivity of these microorganisms to propolis was evaluated in broth containing different concentrations of propolis at $37^{\circ}C$, followed by observation using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Propolis inhibited all oral microorganisms tested at the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of $0.14mg/{\mu}L$ in the agar diffusion assay. Treatment with 0.06 and $0.22mg/{\mu}L$ of propolis had a bactericidal effect in a concentration- and treatment time-dependent manner against the tested microorganisms. TEM of propolis-treated S. mutans KCTC 3065 and P. gingivalis KCTC 5352 revealed structural damage of the cell membrane. The activity of propolis was affected by heat and pH treatment. The results indicate that propolis shows antibacterial activity against oral microorganisms and that it has potential for future applications in the food industry.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 1998.10a
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• pp.266-287
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• 1998

Environmental conditions and expected profit are the major criteria to select crops to be cultivated in any region. Traditionally, miscellaneous crops have been cultivated as alternative crop in case of unfavorable climate or supplementary crop in marginal lands. Since the successful breeding of high yielding varieties of staple crops and development of cultural techniques in 1970s in Korea, production of miscellaneous crops decreased markedly due to the rapid commercialization of agriculture and increased productions of horticultural crops, although yields have been doubled during the last $2\~3$ decades. On the other hand, animal husbandry has been developing remarkably parallel with national economic development and the increased consumption of animal products. As a result, imports of feed grains such as corn have increased rapidly, while roughage production became lower than demand. Among miscellaneous crops, corn production increased markedly through the development of hybrids and due to its importance as silage crops. Acreage of corn production including grains, fresh corns and feeding is about 120,000 ha, while acreage of buckwheat is about 5,000 ha and those of other miscellaneous crops decreased to a level of about 1,000 ha. Although miscellaneous crops have low yield potential and are unprofitable due to low price and imports of cheap foreign products, they should be kept to cultivate. Miscellaneous crops are important components that maintain diversity among upland crops as well as alternative crops in case of unfavorable climate. The low yield potential of miscellaneous crops might be due to lack of efforts to breed high yielding varieties and to develope cultural techniques. Continuous investment in research, exploitation of new utilization for miscellaneous crops as sustainable crop, honey crop and sightseeing crop, and development of healthy and special foods will promote their cultivation. Animal feeding in Korea depends mainly on formula feeds. As the number of animals increases to meet demand of animal products, there is no alternative way but to import grains to feed them. But roughage production, which is necessary for normal growth of ruminant animals, should be increased. However, lack of arable land and pasture land limits the production of good roughages. It is estimated that number of course for meat and milk production will be $2.5{\~}2.6$ million and total of $6.2{\~}7.5$ million tons of roughages should be produced. This implies that more than 1 million tons of roughage are needed, although pasture land, upland for forage crops, forage crops after rice cultivation and rice straw are utilized. Therefore, new reclamation of pasture land, increased roughage production in cultivating land, increased cultivation of forage crops after rice, more utilization of rice straw and active exploration of indigenous plant species as roughage resources should be promoted

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.834-839
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• 2017

Propolis is a natural product collected from plants by honey bees product used extensively in traditional medicine for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and anti-cancer effects. Propolis exhibits a broad spectrum of biological activities because it is a complex mixture of natural substances. Ovarian cancer is the second most common newly diagnosed cancer from all cancers among women in Korea and the leading cause of death from gynecological malignancies. While most ovarian cancer patients initially respond to surgical debulking and chemotherapy, patients later succumb to the disease. Thus, there is an urgent need to test novel therapeutic agents to counteract the high mortality rate associated with ovarian cancer. In this study, we investigated the anti-cancer properties and the active mechanism of Australian propolis in human epithelial ovarian cancer A2780 cells. Our data revealed that propolis showed a cytotoxic activity in a dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometric analysis for cell cycle arrest and apoptosis using propidium iodide staning and annexin V-FITC indicated that propolis could induce cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase and apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner on human epithelial ovarian cancer cells. These results suggest that the Australian propolis is potential alternative agent on ovarian cancer prevention and treatment.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.11
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• pp.1627-1634
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• 2014

The recipe for sujeonggwa, a Korean traditional sweet drink containing cinnamon, ginger, sugar, or honey, was modified by replacing sugar with alternative sweeteners [stevia or short-chain frutooligosaccharide (scFOS)] in order to improve the health functionality of sujeonggwa. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of modified sujeonggwa on lipid peroxidation and oxidized DNA damage in diet-induced hypercholesterolemic ApoE knockout mice. Hypercholesterolemia was induced in 6-week-old male mice by administration of a high cholesterol diet (1.25% cholesterol, 0.5% cholic acid, and 10% coconut oil) for 4 weeks, after which mice were divided into five groups: sucrose solution-fed control group, sujeonggwa containing sucrose group, sucrose+stevia group, sucrose+stevia+scFOS group, and commercially available sujeonggwa group as a positive control. After 6 weeks, sujeonggwa supplementation resulted in reduced hepatic thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), regardless of sweetener type. However, reduction of hepatic TBARS by commercially available sujeonggwa was insignificant. Both endogenous and $H_2O_2$-induced DNA damage in hepatocytes and splenocytes were significantly reduced only in the sujeonggwa containing stevia group compared to the sucrose-fed control group. There were no significant effects of sujeonggwa supplementation on total radical trapping potential, lipid peroxidation, or DNA damage in blood. These results suggest that sujeonggwa has protective effects against hepatic lipid peroxidation and DNA damage in hepatocytes or splenocytes from diet-induced hypercholesterolemic ApoE knockout mice, and the type of sweetener should be modified to improve the health benefits of sujeonggwa.