Shikonin, a major ingredient in the traditional Chinese herb Lithospermumerythrorhizon, exhibits multiple biological functions including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor effects. It has recently been reported that shikonin displays antitumor properties in many cancers. This study was aimed to investigate whether shikonin could inhibit oral squamous carcinoma cell (OSCC) growth via mechanisms of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. The effects of shikonin on the viability and growth of OSCC cell line, SCC25 cells were assessed by MTT assay and clonogenic assays, respectively. Hoechst staining and DNA electrophoresis indicated that the shikonin-treated SCC25 cells were undergoing apoptosis. Western blotting, immunocytochemistry, confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, MMP activity, and proteasome activity also supported the finding that shikonin induces apoptosis. Shikonin treatment of SCC25 cells resulted in a time- and dose-dependent decrease in cell viability, inhibition of cell growth, and increase in apoptotic cell death. The treated SCC25 cells showed several lines of apoptotic manifestation as follows: nuclear condensation; DNA fragmentation; reduced MMP and proteasome activity; decrease in DNA contents; release of cytochrome c into cytosol; translocation of AIF and DFF40 (CAD) onto the nuclei; a significant shift in Bax/Bcl-2 ratio; and activation of caspase-9, -7, -6, and -3, as well as PARP, lamin A/C, and DFF45 (ICAD). Shikonin treatment also resulted in down-regulation of the G1 cell cycle-related proteins and up-regulation of p27KIP1. Taken together, our present findings demonstrate that shikonin strongly inhibits cell proliferation by modulating the expression of the G1 cell cycle-related proteins, and that it induces apoptosis via the proteasome, mitochondria, and caspase cascades in SCC25 cells.

토마토의 착과와 수확량은 여름철 비닐하우스내 고온스트레스로 인하여 감소하게 된다. 본 연구는 여름철 화천지역에 위치한 비닐하우스에서 지베렐린(GA3)과 2,4-Dichlorophenoxy Acetic Acid(2,4-D) 처리가 토마토의 수확량, 착과율, 착과 후 과실품질에 미치는 영향을 알아보기 위해 ‘Adoration‘ 품종을 이용하여 실험하였다. GA3 0-, 5-, 10-, 15mg·L−1와 2,4-D 0-, 5-, 10mg·L−1를 개화 초기에 처리한 후 착과율, 수확량, 과실품질과 관련된 형질을 관찰한 결과, GA3 10mg·L−1처리구에서 대조구에 비해 14.2%의 착과율 증가를 보였다. GA3처리구에서는 수확량, 과중, 상품과실 수에 유의한 차이가 있었다. 2,4-D를 개화기에 처리했을 경우 착과율, 수확량, 상품과의 과중에 영향을 미쳤으며 GA3과 2,4-D를 각각 5mg·L−1 농도로 혼합처리 하였을 때 가장 높은(62.5%) 착과율을 나타내었다. 과실크기와 고형물함량은 GA3처리구에서만 유의성 있는 차이를 보였다. 따라서 여름철 비닐하우스의 고온조건에서 GA3 0mg·L−1처리구와 2,4-D 5mg·L−1를 처리했을 때 착과율이 가장 높아 많은 수확량을 기대할 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

Noodles have been a part of our diet for a long time. In Asia, white-salted, Cantonese and instant fried types of noodles are widely consumed. White-salted noodles, also called Udon noodles, are consumed as wet or dried form. White-salted noodles are deeply favored in Korea and Japan and more consumption of Cantonese noodles are observed in other Asian countries. The quality attributes of white-salted noodles are predominantly dependant by wheat flour components, such as starch, protein and pigments, as wheat flour, water and salt are main raw materials of white-salted noodles. In several studies, the ratio between amylose and amylopectin is a key determinant of textural properties of white-salted noodles; hardness of white-salted noodles did have a significant (p<0.05) increase when amylose content in wheat flour was increased. The textural properties of white-salted noodles was not affected much by the protein content, especially protein content of flour was in the range of 10% ~ 13%. It seems that starch plays more important role than protein in the textural properties of white-salted noodles. Carotenoids and flavonoids pigment are major contributors of color of white-salted noodles.

백두대간 구룡령-약수산 마루금에 22개의 방형구(100m2)를 설정하여 식생을 조사하였다. 식생군집을 분석한 결과 신갈나무-까치박달나무-당단풍나무군집, 신갈나무군집, 층층나무-신갈나무군집 등 3개의 군집으로 분류되었다. 백두대간 구룡령-약수산 마루금은 대부분 신갈나무가 우점하고 있었으며, 일부지역에서 까치박달나무와 층층나무 등이 혼효하고 있었다. 수종간의 상관관계에서 신갈나무와 노린재나무, 철쭉; 피나무와 찰피나무, 노린재나무; 찰피나무와 노린재나무, 철쭉; 거제수나무와 고로쇠나무; 노린재나무와 철쭉 등의 수종 간에는 높은 정의 상관이 인정되었다. 당단풍나무와 노린재나무, 철쭉 등의 수종 간에는 높은 부의 상관이 인정되었다. 조사지의 군집별 종다양성 지수는 0.8170~1.1446범위로 백두대간에 위치한 국립공원들의 능선부 식생구조 보다는 약간 낮게 나타났다.

Fluoride has been accepted as an important material for oral health and is widely used to prevent dental caries in dentistry. However, its safety is still questioned by some. Autophagy has been implicated in cancer cell survival and death, and may play an important role in oral cancer. This study was undertaken to examine whether sodium fluoride (NaF) modulates autophagy in SCC25 human tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells. NaF demonstrated anticancer activity via autophagic and apoptotic cell death. Autophagic vacuoles were detectable using observed to form by monodansylcadaverine (MDC) and acridine orange (AO). Analysis of NaF-treated SCC25 cells for the presence of biochemical markers revealed direct effects on the conversion of LC-3II, degradation of p62/SQSTM1, cleavage formation of ATG5 and Beclin-1, and caspase activation. NaF-induced cell death was suppressed by the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA). NaF-induced autophagy was confirmed as a pro-death signal in SCC25 cells. These results implicate NaF as a novel anticancer compound for oral cancer therapy.

Salmonellosis is a significant public health concern and a major cause of bacterial foodborne poisoning in Korea. Approximately 95% of salmonellosis cases in humans are related to the intake of contaminated food products, which mostly originate from livestock such as poultry, pigs, and cattle. To successfully develop strategies to reduce the spread of Salmonella, it is important to investigate the prevalence of Salmonella spp. isolated from food animals and meat. In Korea, the prevalence of Salmonella spp. in cattle was 1.2 2.0%, whereas in pigs it was 1.5 21%. Of all livestock and meat products analyzed, the Salmonella isolation rate was the highest in chickens (18.8 30.3%) and their meat. Antibiotic resistance is an important social issue. The frequent use of antibiotics in the livestock industry has led to increased antibiotic resistance in Salmonella isolates that are extracted from livestock, which raises serious public health concerns. To prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance, it is essential to collect data related to antibiotic-resistant Salmonella strains isolated from food animals and meat. Antibiotic resistance tests revealed that Salmonella isolated from cattle, pigs, and poultry were highly resistant to tetracycline and streptomycin. Recent studies show that the overuse of antibiotics in food animals can also affect antibiotic resistance in humans. Therefore, it is important to establish an appropriate management strategy to successfully prevent misuse of antibiotics within the Korean livestock industry.

The currently cultivated varieties of moth orchid flowers have weak or no fragrance and the plant requires high temperatures for cultivation. In order to develop a new variety of orchid that is psychrophilic and fragrant, intergeneric cross between wild wind orchids and moth orchids was performed. In 2009, To obtain intergeneric hybrids from Sedirea japonicum and Neofinetia falcata with moth orchids, artificial crosses with a total of 160 combinations were performed. Most of the cross combinations failed due to crossincompatibility after intergeneric crosses, with no pod formation, premature pod dropping after pod formation, and pod formation that did not produce seeds. From among these, the crosses that formed normal seeds and germinated to produce viable plants included Doritis pulcherrima × S. japonicum, N. falcata × D. pulcherrima, and N. falcata × P. equestris. From the hybrid specimens obtained through these crosses, 2 superior lines (819-3B and K9256) were selected based on their floral morphology, number of flowers, hardiness, and fragrance. Comparative analyses of the morphological and chromosomal traits were performed between the selected hybrid specimens and their parents. The flower and inflorescence characteristics of the selected hybrids exhibited intermediary traits of both the parents; however, more traits from the moth orchids were inherited. For pollinia traits, both 819-3B and K9256 specimens exhibited intermediate forms of their parents in terms of their shape and size. In the case of 819-3B specimen, a high degree of trait similarity with that of D. pulcherrima was observed; whereas, K9256 specimen showed lobes similar to that of P. equestris. The ploidy of moth orchid, S. japonicum, and N. falcata used for crosses was diploid, as determined by microscopic examination and ploidy analysis. The microscopic examination of chromosomes from the intergeneric hybrid pollens revealed mutation of the chromosome count among different specimens as well as irregular chromosome separation. For the production of next-generation progeny using the obtained hybrids, back-cross was performed; however, most of the progeny obtained were sterile and, among the 12 back-crosses, pod formation was noted in S. japonicum × 819-3B and 819-3B × S. japonicum crosses only.

Characteristics and immuno-modulatory effects of Enterococcus (E.) faecium JS1-8 isolated from Kimchi were investigated for potential probiotic use. We measured their acid, bile, and heat tolerances, adhesion properties in Caco-2 cells, antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria, and bacteriocin-like substance-producing activity. Immuno-modulatory effects of E. faecium JS1-8 were measured by determination of nitric oxide (NO), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) production in RAW 264.7 cells or RAW BLUE cells. JS1-8 survived at pH 2.0 for 2 hr and showed tolerance to 0.3% oxgall bile salt, and it survived after exposure for 5 min at 80°C. JS1-8 showed high antimicrobial inhibition zones to Staphylococcus aureus (460 mm), Listeria monocytogenes (310 mm), Salmonella enteritidis (280 mm), and E. coli (150 mm). Bacteriocin-like substance produced by JS1-8 showed a broad spectrum of activity against Listeria monocytogenes KCCM 40307 and Lactobacillus sake KCCM 40264. Low concentration (1 × 107 CFU/mL) of heat-killed E. faecium JS1-8 induced statistically higher production of NO than Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), which is a well-known immuno-modulatory lactic acid bacteria. Low and high (5 × 107 CFU/mL) concentrations of JS1-8 induced statistically higher production of NF-κB than that produced by LGG. We also found that JS1-8 increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β and TNF-α in a concentration-dependent manner. As a result, E. faecium JSI-8 could be used as a useful probiotic for controlling pathogens and enhancing host immune responses.

HMR is a home-style food product designed for convenience and cooked outside the home leaving out cumbersome cooking process and consumed at home. The present paper aims to find out factors that influence the consumption of HMR by analyzing data on food consumption during the 3 years between December 2010 and November 2013. Following the classification of Costa et al. (2001), this study categorized HMR products as 3 types as follows: C1 (ready to eat), C2 (ready to heat) and C3 (ready to cook), and examined factors affecting purchase rate and per capita purchase price for each type of HMR product. The results of our analysis show that only the purchase rate of C3 products was influenced by whether the purchaser was housewife with job or not. For those who do not live together with parents, per capita purchase price for HMR was high; and the more they ate out, the higher the purchase rate of HMR was.

To address greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping, the International Maritime Organization has adopted technical and operational measures, and discussed the possibility of adopting market-based measures. China, Japan and South Korea are major shipbuilding nations in the world, and have differing responses towards the IMO’s regulatory initiatives. This paper conducts a comparative assessment of these three countries’ positions on regulatory principles of the greenhouse gas issue, and concludes that their differentiated perspectives on this matter reflect their different regulatory interests. It is significant to take their differentiated interests into account in the developing regulatory regime to avoid disproportionate burdens being placed on certain countries, in particular developing countries.

Population growth is increasing rapidly, worldwide. The world is becoming more urban as well. Increased population growth in metropolitan areas has intensified burdens on landscapes to accommodate our daily needs for food, work, shelter, and recreation. Rapid urbanization influences ecological conditions by altering the physical mosaic of the landscape. One noticeable effect, landscape fragmentation (the division of large parcels of land into smaller lots), separates, degrades, and homogenizes habitats; in turn, affecting biogeochemical cycling and resulting in the erosion of biodiversity. Sprawl and climate change (severe and unpredictable weather events) exacerbate the negative ecological effects of urban development. Despite an impressive array of urban spatial forms and structures, the complexity of these problems associated with rapid urbanization and climate change has made solutions increasingly difficult to attain. I offer a complementary spatial framework comprised of a set of principles to facilitate meaning dialogue in addressing these problems. At the core of these principles is the search for a pathway aimed at creating and maintaining adaptive and regenerative urban places. I explore supportive principles for creating such places. The principles include the design imperatives for change and uncertainty grounded on ecological science especially resiliency theory; affirmation of regional thinking and action; conservation of ecosystem services; purposeful adaptation and mitigation of climate change impacts; adoption of regenerative practices, as well as adaptive re-use, revitalization, and conservation. I conclude by affirming that the effectiveness of these principles in managing growth in urban landscapes lies in their synergistic effects.

This study investigated the effects of changes to the pulsation factor of pulsed direct currents on wound healing. Patients with a pressure ulcer at a care hospital for the elderly were randomly divided into three groups: Group 1 involved the application of 100㎲ in pulse duration, 10 ㎳ in pulse period, 100 pps in a pulsation factor, 15 ㎃ in pulse amplitude, and polarity red+ by using pulsed direct currents; Group 2 involved a change of pulse period to 8 ms; and Group 3 received general wound management. Although there were no statistically significant differences in the changing stages of pressure ulcers among the groups, all the groups dropped in numerical stages. In the two groups to which pulsed direct currents were applied, there was a statistically significant reduction in the stages of pressure ulcers from the initial assessment to the 12-week assessment (p<.05). Even though there were no statistically significant differences in changes to the area of pressure ulcers among the groups, a statistically significant decrease was found in pulsed direct current group 2 whose pulse period was shortened (p<.05). There was no difference in the healing rate of pressure ulcers among the groups, but it made a numerical increase in pulsed direct current group 1 and group 2 and a numerical decrease in group 3. There were no significant differences in the characteristics of those who had a full recovery among the groups. Those findings indicate that pulsed direct currents have positive effects on the wound healing of patients with a pressure ulcer and that a treatment with pulsed direct currents whose pulsation factor is raised by reducing the pulse duration is especially effective.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of FES and ankle mobilization on the ankle motion and the quality of gait of chronic hemiplegic patients with limited ankle joint motions. As research subjects, 24 chronic hemiplegic patients who could walk independently, regardless of assistive aids, were selected. Then, 8 subjects received mobilization randomly and 8 subjects received FES and 8 subjects received mobilization and FES, at the same time. The dorsiflexion PROM significantly increased in the group of mobilization therapy, mobilization and FES all together(p<.01). There were statistically significant differences among the three groups(p<.01). The 10m walking test significantly decreased in the group of mobilization therapy, mobilization and FES all together(p<.05). There were statistically significant differences among the three groups(p<.01). The gait velocity significantly increased in the group of mobilization therapy, FES therapy, mobilization and FES all together(p<.05). There were statistically significant differences among the three groups(p<.01). The stride length significantly increased in the group of mobilization therapy, mobilization and FES all together(p<.05). There were statistically significant differences among the three groups(p<.05). In conclusion, these findings demonstrate that rather than only using one treatment technique, applying mobilization and FES together brings a more satisfactory result to hemiplegic patients with limited ankle joint motions.