• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.627-637
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• 2023

Background: Damage to the healthy intestinal epithelial layer and regulation of the intestinal immune system, closely interrelated, are considered pivotal parts of the curative treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Plant-based diets and phytochemicals can support the immune microenvironment in the intestinal epithelial barrier for a balanced immune system by improving the intestinal microecological balance and may have therapeutic potential in colitis. However, there have been only a few reports on the therapeutic potential of plant-derived exosome-like nanoparticles (PENs) and the underlying mechanism in colitis. This study aimed to assess the therapeutic effect of PENs from Panax ginseng, ginseng-derived exosome-like nanoparticles (GENs), in a mouse model of IBD, with a focus on the intestinal immune microenvironment. Method: To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of GENs on acute colitis, we treated GENs in Caco2 and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) -induced RAW 264.7 macrophages and analyzed the gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 by real-time PCR (RT-PCR). Furthermore, we further examined bacterial DNA from feces and determined the alteration of gut microbiota composition in DSS-induced colitis mice after administration of GENs through 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis. Result: GENs with low toxicity showed a long-lasting intestinal retention effect for 48 h, which could lead to effective suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6 production through inhibition of NF-κB in DSS-induced colitis. As a result, it showed longer colon length and suppressed thickening of the colon wall in the mice treated with GENs. Due to the amelioration of the progression of DSS-induced colitis with GENs treatment, the prolonged survival rate was observed for 17 days compared to 9 days in the PBS-treated group. In the gut microbiota analysis, the ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidota was decreased, which means GENs have therapeutic effectiveness against IBD. Ingesting GENs would be expected to slow colitis progression, strengthen the gut microbiota, and maintain gut homeostasis by preventing bacterial dysbiosis. Conclusion: GENs have a therapeutic effect on colitis through modulation of the intestinal microbiota and immune microenvironment. GENs not only ameliorate the inflammation in the damaged intestine by downregulating pro-inflammatory cytokines but also help balance the microbiota on the intestinal barrier and thereby improve the digestive system.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.355-367
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• 2020

One hundred representative species of fungi in Korea were selected and their Korean names were proposed to increase interest in fungi among Korean people. This task was performed under the supervision of the Committee of Mycological Terms, under the Korean Society of Mycology. First, the committee established the criteria for selecting 100 representative species of fungi in Korea and then selected the candidate fungal species accordingly. To ensure the uniformity and stability of Korean fungal names, the principle of naming fungi in Korean was established, and the candidate Korean fungal names were presented accordingly. Finally, the candidate Korean fungal names were posted online to collect opinions of the members of the Korean Society of Mycology. The candidate Korean names of the plant pathogenic fungi and mushrooms were reviewed by the Korean Society of Plant Pathology and the Korean Society of Mushroom Science, respectively. After their opinions were considered, the Korean names for 100 representative fungi in Korea were finally determined. The 100 fungi comprised 41 common molds and yeasts, 28 plant pathogenic fungi, and 31 mushrooms.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.241-247
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was conducted to assess the association of metabolic syndrome and its components with glaucoma. Methods: We investigated the associations of metabolic syndrome and its components (abdominal obesity, impaired fasting glucose, high blood pressure, and dyslipidemia) with glaucoma using data from 19,162 adults aged 40 or above among the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (2005), IV (2007-9), V (2010). The logistic regression analysis was used for assessing those associations after adjusting demographic, lifestyle, and social economic status and for assessing the association of metabolic medication intakes with glaucoma risks. Results: After adjusting for age and sex, the risk of glaucoma was significantly higher in the subjects with impaired fasting glucose(Odds Ratio (95% confidence interval): 1.78 (1.25, 2.53)) and metabolic syndrome (1.45 (1.01, 2.08)) than subjects without those. These associations increased when additional adjusting for smoking, alcohol use, regular physical activity, income, education status(impaired fasting glucose: 1.89 (1.29, 2.77), metabolic syndrome: 1.52 (1.03, 2.25)). Glaucoma prevalence was borderline significantly increased according to the number of metabolic abnormalities(age and sex adjusted p for trend = 0.055). Use of antihypertensive medication was significantly associated with the risk of glaucoma. Conclusions: Metabolic syndrome and impaired fasting glucose were significantly associated with the increased glaucoma risk. Use of antihypertensive medication was also significantly associated with the increased glaucoma risk.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.5 no.1 s.9
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• pp.55-92
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• 2005

The factors contributing to the formation of an important scientific concept in South Korea and its circulation in the society are the scientific knowledge that had been already formed, matured, and established in the U.S.A, Europe and Japan and has been introduced into Korea, and the institutions that have been formed during the recent modernization in South Korea. The concept of 'genetic information' cannot be an exception in this context. The concept of genetic information is the one that has been extended and intensified by the genomics and bioinformatics formed and matured through the Human Genome Projects from the former concept of inheritance or heredity within the framework of classical and molecular genetics. The purpose of this study was to find out 'how the production structure of genetic information in South Korea has been formed', under the perspective of the conceptual, epistemic, and institutional holisticity or integratedness in the concept and knowledge production structure idealized in Western advanced nations. The discourse of genetic engineering popular in the mid 1980's in South Korea has catalyzed the development of molecular biology. However, the institutional balance that had been established for the biochemistry departments in Natural Science College and Medical College was not formed between the genetic engineering and genetics departments in South Korea. Therefore, they were unable to achieve the more integrative and macro-level disciplinary impact on life sciences, largely due to institutional lack of the capable (human) genetics departments in some leading Korean colleges of Medicine. In genomics, the cutting-edge reprogramming and restructuring of the traditional genetics in the West, South Korea has not invested, even meagerly, in the infrastructure, fund, and research and development (R & D) for the Basic or First Phase of the research trajectory in the Human Genome Project. Without a minimal Basic Phase, the genomics research and development in Korea has been running more or less for the Advanced or Second Phase. Bioinformatics has started developing in Korea under a narrow perspective which regards it as a mere sub-discipline of information technology (IT). Having developed itself in parallel with genomics, bioinformatics contains its own unique logics and contents that can be both directly and indirectly connected to the information science and technology. As a result, bioinformatics reveals a defect in respect of being synergistically integrated into genetics and life sciences in Korea. Owing to the structural problem in the production, genetic information appears to be produced in a fragmented pattern in the Korean society since its fundamental base is weak and thin. A good example of the conceptual and institutional fragmentedness is that 'the genetics of individual identification' is not a normal integrated part of the Korean genetics, but a scientific practice exercised in the departments of legal medicine in a few Medical Colleges. And the environment contributing to the production structure of genetic information in South Korea today comprises 'sangmyung gonghak'(or life engineering) discourse and non-governmental organization movement.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.134-141
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• 2005

To characterize genotypic and phenotypic traits of Staphylococcus aureus isolates (n = 86) from lettuces and raw milk, major virulence-associated genes and antibiotic susceptibility were detected using PCR-based methods and disk diffusion method, respectively. All isolates possessed coagulase gene and showed five polymorphism types [500 bp (2.4%), 580 bp (17.4%), 660 bp (61.6%), 740 bp (17.4%), and 820 bp (1.2%)] due to variable numbers of tandem repeats present within the gene. Two or three different loci of hemolysin gene family were dominant in isolates, 47 of which (55%) possessed combination of hla/hld/hlg-2 genes as the most prevalent types. Among enterotoxin-encoding genes, sea was detected from 32 isolates (37%), sed from 1 isolate (1%), and sea and sed genes were co-detected from 4 isolates (5%), whereas seb, sec, and tsst-1 genes were not detected. All isolates were susceptible to ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, oxacillin, and vancomycin, 85 isolates (99%) to penicillin G, 54 isolates (63%) to chloramphenicol, 51 isolates (59%) to erythromycin, and 7 isolates (8%) to clindamycin. Among resistant isolates, seven displayed multiantibiotic-resistance against two different antibiotics.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.898-907
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• 2017

This study was aimed to test harvest time effect with polyethylene (PE) film liner, 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) treatments on fruit quality attributes in 'Sangjudungsi' persimmon fruit during cold storage. The fruits were harvested 10 days earlier in 2016 than the mature harvest time in 2015. The ethylene production was significantly lower in early harvested fruits than in mature harvested ones. Flesh firmness was maintained higher in 1-MCP treated fruit than in other treatments during cold storage. The rate of fruit weight loss was significantly inhibited by PE film liner treatment during storage, regardless of harvest time. 1-MCP treatment showed less change in fruit peel color variables ($L^*$ and $b^*$) from the calyx-end and equatorial regions during cold storage, compared with those from the control and PE film treatments. The incidence rate of fruit decay and softening was higher in PE film treated fruits than in the other treatments. However, there was no decay detected in AVG treated fruit. The early harvested fruits were maintained higher flesh firmness, compared with mature harvested fruits. Nevertheless, the mature harvested fruits showed much higher soluble solids content, the redness (Hunter a value) of the fruit peel and respiration rate, compared with early harvested fruits. Furthermore, the rate of weight loss in the fruit was remarkably inhibited in the PE film treatment.