• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.10
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• pp.1324-1329
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• 2012

The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vitro effects of organic acids on methane emission and ruminal fermentation characteristics. We expected our methodology to result in a decrease of methanogens attached to the surface of rumen ciliate protozoa by addition of organic acids and in particular a decrease in methane emission. A fistulated Holstein cow of 650 kg body weight was used as a donor of rumen fluid. Organic acids (aspartic acid, fumaric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, and succinic acid) known to be propionate enhancers were added to an in vitro fermentation system and incubated with rumen fluid. The microbial population, including bacteria, protozoa, and fungi, were enumerated, and gas production, including methane and fermentation characteristics, were observed in vitro. Organic acids appeared to affect the rumen protozoan community. The rumen protozoal popuation decreased with the addition of aspartic acid, fumaric acid, lactic acid, and malic acid. In particular, the methane emission was reduced by addition of lactic acid. The concentration of propionate with all organic acids that were added appeared to be higher than that of the control at 12 h incubation. Addition of organic acids significantly affected rumen bacteria and microbial growth. The bacteria in added fumaric acid and malic acid was significantly higher (p<0.05) and protozoa was significantly lower (p<0.05) than that of the control. Microbial growth with the addition of organic acids was greater than the control after 48 h incubation.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.19-37
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• 1996

This paper aims at examining the regional difference of changes in the business organization of retailing in the Seoul metropolitan areas, as an attempt to understand regional structure of retailing within metropolitan areas showing the trend of suburbanization. On the national level, retail sales have concentrated on the large metropolitan areas, especially on the Seoul metropolitan area, with the concentration of population and income. Within metropolitan areas, the suburbanization of retailing has made the larger structure of retail and multi-store retail appeared. In order to confirm such phenomenon, this paper is to analyze and to compare the industrial composition of retailing using industry data of 1979 and 1991. And this paper is to analyze the regional changes in the characteristics of business organization of retailing, with the index including the percentages of establishments with less than under four employees, juridical establishments, employees of ordinary times, and the annual sales per establishment of detailing. The characteristics of business organization of retailing in analyzed by principal components analysis, and the types with component in each district (city, county, ward) is analyzed by cluster analysis(Ward method). The data of 1979 were obtained from the statistics in the Census of Wholesale and Retail Trade published by the National Bureau of Statistics of Economic Planning Board, and that of 1991 were obtained from the statistics in the Report on Establishment Census (Vol.3 Wholesale and Retail Trade) published by the National Statistics Office. The following are resultant findings. 1. In Seoul metropolitan area, changes in the industrial composition of retailing with annual sales from, 1979 to 1991 show very higher composition rates of 'general merchandise stores' and 'retailing of personal transport equipment and gasoline service stations', but comparatively lower composition rates of 'retailing of food, beverages and tobacco', 'retailing of textiles, clothing, footwear and apparel accessaries', 'general retail trade, n.e.c.',and 'retailing of household fuel'. 2. The characteristics of business organization of retailing in Seoul metropolitan area presents the prevailence of small, personal business organization and especially larger employees of ordinary times. 3. Business components of retailing by principal components analysis in Seoul metropolitan area are follows: 1 All retaining industries are larger business scale. 2. Larger business take the 'retailing of taxtiles, clothing, footwear and apparel accessories', 'retailing of furniture, home furnishing and equipment', and 'retailing of jewellery and watches' is main characteristic legal organization and employees of ordinary times. 4. Types changes in business organization of retailing in Seoul metropolitan area represent legal organization and employees of ordinary times taking the 'retailing of textiles, clothing, footwear and apparel accessories', 'retailing of furniture, home furnishing and equipment',and 'retailing of jewellery and equipment', and 'retailing of jewellery and watches', and legal organization taking 'general retail trade, n.e.c.' in 1979. All retailing industries are changed into larger business scale, in 1991. These phenomena of business changes appeared southeastern regions in Kyunggi-do(province). And larger business scale taking the 'retailing of textiles, clothing, footwear and apparel accessories', 'retailing of jewellery and watches', and 'general retail trade, n.e.c.; are appeared in the legal organization in 1979. 'Retailing of personal transport equipment and gasoline service stations' are appeared in employees of ordinary times in 1991. These phenomena of business changes in appeared in eastern and northern regions in Kyunggi-do. 5. Changes in the business organization of retailing in Seoul metropolitan area is appeared in legal organization and employees of ordinary times for some industries in 1979, larger business scale of retailing and employees of ordinary times in 'retailing of personal transport equipment and gasoline service stations' are the characteristics in 1991.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.73-81
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• 2014

Salsola collina, also known as Russian thistle, is widely distributed in and around waste facilities, roadsides, and drought and semi-drought areas, and is used as a traditional folk remedy in Chinese medicine for the treatment of hypertension. In this study, we have evaluated the anti-oxidative and anti-cancer activities of the ethanol extract of S. collina Pall. (EESC), and the molecular mechanisms of its anti-cancer effects on human colon carcinoma HT29 cells. EESC exhibited anti-oxidative activity through DPPH radical scavenging capacity and showed cytotoxic activity in a dose-dependent manner in HT29 cells. After EESC treatment, HT29 cells altered their morphology, becoming smaller and irregular in shape. EESC also induced cell accumulation in the G2/M phase in a dose-dependent manner, accompanied by a decrease of cell population in the G1 phase. The G2/M arrest by EESC was associated with the increased expression of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor p21 and Wee1 kinase, which phosphorylates, or inactivates, Cdc2. EESC treatment induced the phosphorylation of Cdc2 and Cdc25C, and inhibited cyclin A and Cdc25C protein expression. In addition, S arrest was induced by the highest concentration of EESC treatment, associated with a decrease of cyclin A and Cdk2 expression. These findings suggest that EESC may possess remarkable anti-oxidative activity and exert an anti-cancer effect in HT29 cells by cell cycle regulation.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.58-66
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• 2015

This study was conducted to evaluate control efficacy of a fermented food 'Cheonggukjang' against cucumber powdery mildew caused by Sphaerotheca fuliginea in greenhouse. Sterilized Daepung beans were inoculated with the rice straw as natural inoculum and then incubated for 72 hrs at $42^{\circ}C$ in the household cheonggkjang maker. After 72 hrs of cheonggukjang fermentation, white zymogens were grown on the surface of a sterile Daepung beans. The pH of the 72 hrs fermented soybean was not significantly changed and electrical conductivity was found to increase by about 2 times than before fermentation. The population density of soybean zymogen showed a peak of growth at 60 hrs after fermentation and the concentration of zymogen was $8.2{\times}10^7cfu/ml$. Soybean zymogen form of the colony was divided into three kinds of bacteria and a white and a large colony (WL) was predominant bacteria among those up to 60 hrs of fermentation. To control the cucumber powdery mildew, diluted solutions of cheonggukjang was applied from 6.0% to 30.0% on cucumber leaves and they showed injury symptoms on cucumber leaves in more than 15% of them. However, more than 6.0% diluted cheonggukjang solutions showed more than 77.8% control effect of cucumber powdery mildew at 15 days after treatment. The fermented bacteria of Chenggukjang were well established in the cucumber leaf area at 15 days after treatment. The antifungal activity of 10% diluted cheonggukjang solutions was excellent for four species of plant fungal pathogens, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Sclerotinia cepivorum, Rhizoctonia sloani and Phytophthora capsici in the dual culture test. Results indicated that foliar application of Cheonggukjang solution could be used for the control of powdery mildews occurring on organically cultivated cucumber.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.197-206
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• 2013

The present study investigated whether leukemia-maintaining cells reside in a differentiation-resistant fraction using a megakaryocytic differentiation model of K562 cells. Treatment with phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) significantly inhibited the colony-forming efficiency of the K562 cells. At a PMA concentration of 1 nM or higher, colony was not formed, but approximately 40% of K562 cells still survived in soft agar. Approximately 70% of colony-forming cells that were isolated following the removal of PMA after exposure to the agent were differentiated after treatment with 10 nM PMA for 3 days. The differentiation rate of the colony-forming cells was gradually increased and reached about 90% 6 weeks after colony isolation, which was comparable to the level of a PMA-treated K562 control. Meanwhile, imatinib-resistant variants from the K562 cells, including K562/R1, K562/R2, and K562/R3 cells, did not show any colony-forming activity, and most imatinib-resistant variants were CD44 positive. After 4 months of culture in drug-free medium, the surface level of CD44 was decreased in comparison with primary imatinib-resistant variants, and a few colonies were formed from K562/R3 cells. In these cells, Bcr-Abl, which was lost in the imatinib-resistant variants, was re-expressed, and the original phenotypes of the K562 cells were partially recovered. These results suggest that leukemia-maintaining cells might reside in a differentiation-resistant population. Differentiation therapy to eliminate leukemia-maintaining cells could be a successful treatment for leukemia if the leukemia-maintaining cells were exposed to a differentiation inducer for a long time and at a high dose.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.394-406
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• 2019

The cellular senescence may be due to damage by the reactive oxygen species (ROS). This study has compared the antioxidant activity in the human cell lines of various origins, including 10S and 50S-derived normal skin fibroblasts, and 10S bone marrow, dental tissue and adipose-derived adult stem cells. After being exposed to $H_2O_2$, half inhibitory concentration ($IC_{50}$) values by cytotoxicity assay was significantly (P<0.05) lower in 50S-derived skin fibroblasts, than in 10S-derived skin fibroblasts and various adult stem cell lines. The cell population doubling time (PDT) and the cell frequency with high senescence associated-${\beta}$-galactose activity were remarkably increased in 50S-derived fibroblasts exposed to 50 ppm $H_2O_2$ for 7 days, than those of 10S-derived fibroblasts and various adult stem cell lines. Further, the expression level of antioxidant-related genes, glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and catalase (CAT), was investigated in 10S and 50S-derived skin fibroblasts, and 10S-derived various adult stem cells by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The expression level of GPX was higher in most of cell lines, compared to CAT, and a significantly (P<0.05) higher expression level of GPX was observed in 10S-derived skin fibroblasts and adult stem cell lines, compared to 50S-derived skin fibroblasts. We concluded that old-aged skin fibroblasts seemed to be less resistant against ROS than young-aged skin fibroblasts and adult stem cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.724-734
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• 2019

The present study investigated the cytotoxicity of particulate matter (PM) derived from car air filter (outdoor PM) and home cleaner filter (indoor PM) in the various human cell lines. Each outdoor and indoor PM were harvested by ethanol extraction method, subsequently sieved with 10 um filter paper, sterilized with autoclave and added to culture media. The half maximal inhibitory concentration ($IC_{50}$) values was significantly (p<0.05) lower in the outdoor PM, compared with indoor PM, and the significantly (p<0.05) higher $IC_{50}$ values were observed in the cancer cell lines (A-549 lung adenocarcinoma and AGS stomach adenocarcinoma), than those of normal MRC-5 fibroblasts and dental papilla tissue derived-mesenchymal stem cells (DSC). After being exposed to $100{\mu}g/ml$ outdoor PM for 7 days, the population doubling time (PDT) was significantly (p<0.05) increased in especially MRC-5 and DSC cell lines, compared with untreated cell lines. Further, the expression of senescence-associated ${\beta}$-galactosidase activity was up-regulated in all the cells exposed to outdoor PM than those of untreated control. Besides, the expression level of inflammation-associated genes, such as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) was found to be significantly (p<0.05) increased in the outdoor PM-treated cell lines than those of untreated cell lines. Our results showed that PM induces the cytotoxicity via arrest of cell growth, cell damage and inflammation response.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.1104-1110
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• 2019

Recently, there has been an increase in the elderly population of the world. Consequently, bone metabolic diseases such as osteoporosis are emerging as a social problem. Osteoclasts play a role in bone resorption, and osteoporosis is induced when bone resorption occurs excessively. Because currently used bone resorption inhibitors may cause side effects when used for a long period of time, it is necessary to develop a new material that effectively inhibits osteoclast differentiation. This study aimed to confirm the inhibitory effect of ethanol extract of Locusta migratoria on RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation and its mechanism. The toxicity and proliferation effects of LME on RAW264.7 osteoclasts were measured by an MTS assay. There was no cytotoxicity or proliferation when the osteoclasts were treated with up to $2,000{\mu}g/ml$ of LME. In order to confirm the effect of LME on the differentiation of osteoclasts, osteoclasts were treated with RANKL alone or with LME for 3 days. As a result of a TRAP (tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase) assay, the increasing osteoclast differentiation by RANKL decreased in a concentration-dependent manner with the treatment of LME. In addition, LME suppressed the expression of differentiation-related marker genes (TRAP, RANK, NFATc1, and CK) and proteins (NFATc1 and c-Src) that had been increased by RANKL. Also, LME influenced the $NF-{\kappa}B$, ERK and JNK signaling pathways, resulting in the inhibition of osteoclast differentiation. These results suggest that LME may be used as a novel functional material for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis by playing a role in inhibiting bone absorption.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.199-208
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• 2021

Euonymus porphyreus, a species of plant in the Celastraceae family, is widely distributed in East Asia, especially in Southern China. The botanical characteristics of E. porphyreus have been reported, but its antioxidative and anticancer activities remain unclear. In this study, we evaluated the antioxidative and anticancer effects of ethanol extracts of E. porphyreus (EEEP) and the molecular mechanism of its anticancer activity in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. The total polyphenol and flavonoid compound contents from EEEP were 115.42 mg/g and 23.07 mg/g, respectively. EEEP showed significant antioxidative effects with a concentration at 50% of the inhibition (IC50) value of 11.09 ㎍/ml, as measured by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. EEEP showed cytotoxic activity by increasing the SubG1 cell population of A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Apoptosis in A549 cells treated with EEEP was evident due to increased apoptotic cells and apoptotic bodies, as detected by Annexin V and 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining, respectively. EEEP-induced apoptosis resulted in increased expression of the First apoptosis signal (Fas), p53, and Bax, with decreased expression of Bcl-2 and subsequent activation of caspase-8, -9, and caspase-3, leading to cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Collectively, these results suggest that EEEP may exert an anticancer effect by inducing apoptosis in A549 cells through both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.184-194
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• 2021

Since the construction of a dike in 1983, the water quality in the Bunam Lake has continued to deteriorate due to algal bloom caused by agricultural nutrient loading. Therefore, we evaluated the change in water quality and phytoplankton ecological characteristics in Bunam Lake and Cheonsu Bay, Korea. Water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, chemical oxygen demand (COD), chlorophyll, and phytoplankton community were surveyed in April during the dry season and in July during the rainy reason. As a result, during the dry period, phytoplankton proliferated greatly and stagnated in the Bunam Lake while a very high population of cyanobacteria Oscillatoria spp. (8.61×10⁷ cells L^-1) was recorded. Most of the nutrients, except, nitrate and nitrite, were consumed due to the large growth of phytoplankton. However, during the rainy period, concentrations of ammonia, phosphate, silicate, nitrate, and nitrite, were very high towards the upper station due to the inflow of fresh water. Cyanobacteria Oscillatoria and Microcystis spp. were dominant in the Bunam Lake during the rainy period. Even in the Cheonsu Bay, cyanobacteria dominated due to the effect of discharge and diatoms, such as, Chaetoceros spp. and Eucampia zodiacus, which also proliferated significantly due to increased levels of nutrients. Since the eutrophication index was above 1 in Bunam Lake, it was classified as eutrophic water and the Cheonsu Bay was classified as eutrophic water only during the rainy season. In addition, a stagnant seawater-derived hypoxia water mass was observed at a depth of8m in the Bunam Lake adjacent to the tide embankment and the COD concentration reached 206 mg L^-1 in the bottom layer at B3. Based on this result, it is considered that the water quality will continue to deteriorate if organic matters settle due to continuous inflow of nutrients and growth of organisms while the bottom water mass is stagnant.