• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.371-377
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• 2018

The fruits of Panax ginseng were extracted with 80% aqueous MeOH and the concentrates were partitioned into EtOAc, n-BuOH, and $H_2O$ fractions. The repeated $SiO_2$ and octadecyl $SiO_2$ column chromatographies for the EtOAc fraction led to isolation of five ginsenosides. The chemical structures of these compounds were determined as ginsenoside F1 (1), ginsenoside F2 (2), ginsenoside F3 (3), ginsenoside Ia (4), notoginsenoside Fe (5) based on spectroscopic analyses including nuclear magnetic resonance, MS, and infrared. Compounds 2-5 were isolated for the first time from the fruits of P. ginseng in this study. All isolated compounds were evaluated for cytotoxic activities against human cancer cell lines such as HCT-116, SK-OV-3, human cervix adenocarcinoma (HeLa), HepG2, and SK-MEL-5. Among them compounds 2, 4, and 5 showed significant cytotoxicity on cancer cells. Compound 2 exhibited cytotoxicity on SK-MEL-5, HepG2, and HeLa cells with $IC_{50}$ values of 82.8, 86.8, and $78.3{\mu}M$, respectively. Compound 4 showed cytotoxicity on HCT-116, SK-MEL-5, SK-OV-3, HepG2, and HeLa cells with $IC_{50}$ values of 24.5, 25.4, 26.3, 22.0, and $24.9{\mu}M$, respectively. Compound 5 did on SK-MEL-5 cell with $IC_{50}$ value of $81.7{\mu}M$. The cytotoxicity of ginsenoside 2, 4, and 5 isolated from the fruits of Panax ginseng showed strong inhibition effect against on cancer cells, all of which have a glucopyranosyl moiety on C-3.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.183-202
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• 2019

For design and performance assessment of a high-level radioactive waste (HLW) disposal system, it is necessary to understand the characteristics of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) behavior. However, in previous studies for the Korean Reference HLW Disposal System (KRS), thermal analysis was performed to determine the spacing of disposal tunnels and interval of disposition holes without consideration of the coupled THM behavior. Therefore, in this study, TOUGH2-MP/FLAC3D is used to conduct THM modeling for performance assessment of the Korean Reference HLW Disposal System (KRS). The peak temperature remains below the temperature limit of $100^{\circ}C$ for the whole period. A rapid rise of temperature caused by decay heat occurs in the early years, and then temperature begins to decrease as decay heat from the waste decreases. The peak temperature at the bentonite buffer is around $96.2^{\circ}C$ after about 3 years, and peak temperature at the rockmass is $68.2^{\circ}C$ after about 17 years. Saturation of the bentonite block near the canister decreases in the early stage, because water evaporation occurs owing to temperature increase. Then, saturation of the bentonite buffer and backfill increases because of water intake from the rockmass, and bentonite buffer and backfill are fully saturated after about 266 years. The stress is calculated to investigate the effect of thermal stress and swelling pressure on the mechanical behavior of the rockmass. The calculated stress is compared to a spalling criterion and the Mohr-Coulumb criterion for investigation of potential failure. The stress at the rockmass remains below the spalling strength and Mohr-Coulumb criterion for the whole period. The methodology of using the TOUGH2-MP/FLAC3D simulator can be applied to predict the long-term behavior of the KRS under various conditions; these methods will be useful for the design and performance assessment of alternative concepts such as multi-layer and multi-canister concepts for geological spent fuel repositories.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.224-239
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• 2019

Species identification for the Korean tribe Desmodieae was conducted using the DNA barcoding genes rbcL, matK (from chloroplast DNA) and ITS (from nuclear ribosomal DNA). A total of 25 taxa (n = 75) in five genera were sequenced, and neighbor-joining trees were constructed using different combinations of DNA barcodes. When comparing these phylogenetic trees, a tree with all loci combined (rbcL + matK + ITS) showed the highest rate of identification success (72%). On this tree, two subtribes and five genera within the tribe were supported as monophyletic. In the Desmodiinae clade, Desmodium and Hylodesmum were more closely related to each other than to Ohwia. In the Hylodesmum clade, H. oldhamii was found to be a sister to H. podocarpum complex, and all taxa within the complex were identified successfully. Subsp. fallax, regarded as a variety of subsp. oxyphyllum, is closely clustered with subsp. podocarpum. Although var. mandshuricum has been regarded as a synonym of var. oxyphyllum, this taxon is supported as a distinct variety. For the Lespedezinae clade, all species of Kummerowia were monophyletic, while nine of 16 Lespedeza taxa were identified successfully. In particular, the resolution of Macrolespedeza (28.5%) was lower than that of Junceae (77.8%). Among the Lespedeza taxa, L. cuneata was distinguishable from L. lichiyuniae, despite morphological similarities. It has been suggested that both L. maritima and L. inschanica are hybrids. The former is thought to be an independent species. While it is difficult to determine whether the latter originated via hybridization, this study showed that it is closely related to L. juncea.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.600-605
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• 2019

Background: The leaves and roots of Panax ginseng are rich in ginsenosides. However, the chemical compositions of the leaves and roots of P. ginseng differ, resulting in different medicinal functions. In recent years, the aerial parts of members of the Panax genus have received great attention from natural product chemists as producers of bioactive ginsenosides. The aim of this study was the isolation and structural elucidation of novel, minor ginsenosides in the leaves of P. ginseng and evaluation of their antiinflammatory activity in vitro. Methods: Various chromatographic techniques were applied to obtain pure individual compounds, and their structures were determined by nuclear magnetic resonance and high-resolution mass spectrometry, as well as chemical methods. The antiinflammatory effect of the new compounds was evaluated on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Results and conclusions: Two novel, minor triterpenoid saponins, ginsenoside $LS_1$ (1) and 5,6-didehydroginsenoside $Rg_3$ (2), were isolated from the leaves of P. ginseng. The isolated compounds 1 and 2 were assayed for their inhibitory effect on nitric oxide production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, and Compound 2 showed a significant inhibitory effect with $IC_{50}$ of $37.38{\mu}M$ compared with that of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine ($IC_{50}=90.76{\mu}M$). Moreover, Compound 2 significantly decreased secretion of cytokines such as prostaglandin $E_2$ and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$. In addition, Compound 2 significantly suppressed protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2. These results suggested that Compound 2 could be used as a valuable candidate for medicinal use or functional food, and the mechanism is warranted for further exploration.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.21-33
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• 2019

This paper focuses on the interpretation of radiation fluxes from active galactic nuclei. The advantage of positron annihilation spectroscopy over other methods of spectral diagnostics of active galactic nuclei (therefore AGN) is demonstrated. A relationship between regular and random components in both bolometric and spectral composition of fluxes of quanta and particles generated in AGN is found. We consider their diffuse component separately and also detect radiative feedback after the passage of high-velocity cosmic rays and hard quanta through gas-and-dust aggregates surrounding massive black holes in AGN. The motion of relativistic positrons and electrons in such complex systems produces secondary radiation throughout the whole investigated region of active galactic nuclei in form of cylinder with radius R= 400-1000 pc and height H=200-400 pc, thus causing their visible luminescence across all spectral bands. We obtain radiation and electron energy distribution functions depending on the spatial distribution of the investigated bulk of matter in AGN. Radiation luminescence of the non-central part of AGN is a response to the effects of particles and quanta falling from its center created by atoms, molecules and dust of its diffuse component. The cross-sections for the single-photon annihilation of positrons of different energies with atoms in these active galactic nuclei are determined. For the first time we use the data on the change in chemical composition due to spallation reactions induced by high-energy particles. We establish or define more accurately how the energies of the incident positron, emitted ${\gamma}-quantum$ and recoiling nucleus correlate with the atomic number and weight of the target nucleus. For light elements, we provide detailed tables of all indicated parameters. A new criterion is proposed, based on the use of the ratio of the fluxes of ${\gamma}-quanta$ formed in one- and two-photon annihilation of positrons in a diffuse medium. It is concluded that, as is the case in young supernova remnants, the two-photon annihilation tends to occur in solid-state grains as a result of active loss of kinetic energy of positrons due to ionisation down to thermal energy of free electrons. The single-photon annihilation of positrons manifests itself in the gas component of active galactic nuclei. Such annihilation occurs as interaction between positrons and K-shell electrons; hence, it is suitable for identification of the chemical state of substances comprising the gas component of the investigated media. Specific physical media producing high fluxes of positrons are discussed; it allowed a significant reduction in the number of reaction channels generating positrons. We estimate the brightness distribution in the ${\gamma}-ray$ spectra of the gas-and-dust media through which positron fluxes travel with the energy range similar to that recorded by the Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration and Light-nuclei Astrophysics (PAMELA) research module. Based on the results of our calculations, we analyse the reasons for such a high power of positrons to penetrate through gas-and-dust aggregates. The energy loss of positrons by ionisation is compared to the production of secondary positrons by high-energy cosmic rays in order to determine the depth of their penetration into gas-and-dust aggregations clustered in active galactic nuclei. The relationship between the energy of ${\gamma}-quanta$ emitted upon the single-photon annihilation and the energy of incident electrons is established. The obtained cross sections for positron interactions with bound electrons of the diffuse component of the non-central, peripheral AGN regions allowed us to obtain new spectroscopic characteristics of the atoms involved in single-photon annihilation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1227-1234
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• 2019

Prunus mume, also known as maesil, is a popular fruit consumed in East Asia (Korea, Japan, and China). It contains high amounts of organic acids, minerals, and polyphenols and has been used as a medication for fever, vomiting, and detoxification. In this study, the anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of solvent fractions from maesil were evaluated using sulforhodamine B (SRB) assays, morphological evaluations, Hoechst 33258 staining, and western blotting. Addition of the maesil methanol fraction (MMF) and the maesil butanol fraction (MBF) significantly and dose-dependently decreased the cell viability of HT-29 human colon cancer cells. Colony-forming assays confirmed that the MMF and MBF treatments decreased colony numbers when compared with untreated control cells. Treatment of HT-29 cells with MMF and MBF caused a distortion of the cell morphology to a shrunken cell mass. Treatment with MMF and MBF also dose-dependently increased nuclear condensation and the formation of apoptotic bodies in HT-29 cells. Treatment with MMF and MBF significantly and dosedependently increased the expression of Bax (a pro-apoptotic protein), caspase-3, and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) and decreased the expression of Bcl-2 (an anti-apoptotic protein). MMF significantly and dose-dependently inhibited cell proliferation induced by bisphenol A, an environmental hormone. Therefore, MMF may have potential use as a functional food and as a possible therapeutic agent for the prevention of colon cancer.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1273-1280
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• 2019

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of blindness in the elderly population, and damage to retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells due to oxidative stress contributes to the development of AMD. Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fischer is one of the most widely used herbal medicines for the treatment of various diseases in Asian countries. Although recent studies indicated that treatment with G. uralensis can protect cells from oxidative stress, its mechanisms in RPE cells remain unknown. We evaluated the effect of a G. uralensis ethanol extract (GU) on $H_2O_2$-induced oxidative injury in ARPE-19 RPE cells. The GU pretreatment attenuated reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation induced by $H_2O_2$, which was associated with induced expression of nuclear factor erythroid-derived-2-like 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). GU also suppressed $H_2O_2$-induced DNA damage and mitochondrial dysfunction. The inhibitory effect of GU on $H_2O_2$-induced apoptosis was associated with the protection of caspase-3 activation. Overall, GU appeared to protect RPE cells from oxidative injury by inhibiting DNA damage and reducing apoptosis. Further studies are needed to determine the regulation of Nrf2-mediated HO-1 expression, but our results suggest the possibility of using GU to reduce the risk of AMD.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.53 no.12
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• pp.1159-1172
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• 2020

This study applied deep convolution neural network based on U-Net and SegNet using long period weather radar data to very short-term rainfall prediction. And the results were compared and evaluated with the translation model. For training and validation of deep neural network, Mt. Gwanak and Mt. Gwangdeoksan radar data were collected from 2010 to 2016 and converted to a gray-scale image file in an HDF5 format with a 1km spatial resolution. The deep neural network model was trained to predict precipitation after 10 minutes by using the four consecutive radar image data, and the recursive method of repeating forecasts was applied to carry out lead time 60 minutes with the pretrained deep neural network model. To evaluate the performance of deep neural network prediction model, 24 rain cases in 2017 were forecast for rainfall up to 60 minutes in advance. As a result of evaluating the predicted performance by calculating the mean absolute error (MAE) and critical success index (CSI) at the threshold of 0.1, 1, and 5 mm/hr, the deep neural network model showed better performance in the case of rainfall threshold of 0.1, 1 mm/hr in terms of MAE, and showed better performance than the translation model for lead time 50 minutes in terms of CSI. In particular, although the deep neural network prediction model performed generally better than the translation model for weak rainfall of 5 mm/hr or less, the deep neural network prediction model had limitations in predicting distinct precipitation characteristics of high intensity as a result of the evaluation of threshold of 5 mm/hr. The longer lead time, the spatial smoothness increase with lead time thereby reducing the accuracy of rainfall prediction The translation model turned out to be superior in predicting the exceedance of higher intensity thresholds (> 5 mm/hr) because it preserves distinct precipitation characteristics, but the rainfall position tends to shift incorrectly. This study are expected to be helpful for the improvement of radar rainfall prediction model using deep neural networks in the future. In addition, the massive weather radar data established in this study will be provided through open repositories for future use in subsequent studies.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.248-256
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• 2021

A total of 120 samples corresponding to 12 categories of dried processed fishery products distributed in Gyeonggi-do were examined for radioactivity contamination (¹³¹I, ¹³⁴Cs, ¹³⁷Cs) and heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury). One natural radioactive material, ⁴⁰K, was detected in all products, while the artificial radioactive materials ¹³¹I, ¹³⁴Cs and ¹³⁷Cs were not detected at above MDA (minimum detectable activity) values. The detection ranges of heavy metals converted by biological basis were found as follows: Pb (N.D.-0.332 mg/kg), Cd (N.D.-2.941 mg/kg), As (0.371-15.007 mg/kg), Hg (0.0005-0.0621 mg/kg). Heavy metals were detected within standard levels when there was an acceptable standard, but the arsenic content was high in most products, although none of the products had a permitted level of arsenic. In the case of dried processed fishery products, there are products that are consumed by restoring moisture to its original state, but there are also many products that are consumed directly in the dry state, so it will be necessary to set permitted levels for heavy metals considering this situation in the future. In addition, Japan has decided to release contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean, so there is high public concern about radioactivity contamination of food, including fishery products. Therefore, continuous monitoring of various food items will be necessary to ease consumers' anxiety.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.74-81
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• 2022

Brassica napus, an oil crop that produces rapeseed oil, is an allotetraploid (AACC, 2n = 38) produced by natural hybridization between B. rapa and B. oleracea. In this study, microspore was cultured using the F₁ developed from a cross between 'EMS26' line with high oleic acid content and 'J8634-B-30' lines. The flower bud size showing the nuclear development at the late uninucleate and binucleate stage with high embryogenesis rate was 2.6 ~ 3.5 mm. Microspores were cultured using only this size and after then most microspore embryo developed into secondary embryos and then regeneration plants obtained from the developed multilobe. The analysis of the ploidy of the plants revealed that 66.7% and 27.8% of the total lines were tetraploids and octoploids, respectively. The sizes of stomatal cells in tetraploids, octoploids, and diploids were 25.5, 35.6, and 19.9 ㎛, respectively, indicating that ploidy level was positively correlated with cell size. Furthermore, 62 tetraploid doubled haploid (DH) lines were selected. The average oleic acid (C18:1) and linolenic acid (C18:3) concentrations of DH were 72.3% and 6.2%, respectively. Oleic acid and linolenic acid concentrations exceeded the two parental values in 5 and 14 DH lines, respectively, suggesting that these two fatty acids had transgressive segregation. Therefore, the DH population can be utilized for the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids in rapeseed and related genes. It can also be used as a breeding material for varieties with high oleic acid concentrations.