Background: Stroke patients have multiple disorders, but most have problems with balance and gait. Post-stroke rehabilitation exercise has been shown to be very important for functional recovery. Objectives: To systematically review and meta-analyze the effects of sling exercise (SE) on patients with stroke in studies published in Korea. Design: Meta-analysis. Methods: Five databases, namely, RISS, KISS, NDSL, DBpia and Earticle, were used to collect articles on vibration. Keywords such as “Stroke,” “Hemiplegia,” “Sling,” and “Sling Exercise” were used in the search for published articles. Interventions and comparisons were SE and other exercise (OE). Outcome measures were berg balance scale (BBS) and timed up and go (TUG). Consequently, eight studies were selected in the second screening using meta-analyses. Results: Based on the results of the meta-analysis, SE was effective for BBS in the comparison of SE and OE [2.71, 95% CI (1.42, 4.01)]. It was effective for TUG in the comparison of SE and OE [-1.89, 95% CI (-3.01, -0.77)]. Conclusion: Based on eight limited studies, SE improved BBS and TUG over OE, suggesting improved stroke balance and gait. Therefore, more studies and large-scale sample randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm clinical application.

The effects of supplemental lighting (SL) timing on vegetative growth and the photosynthetic assimilation rate of young Cymbidium hybrids were examined. Nine month old C. ‘Yang Guifei’ and ‘Wine Shower’ were treated with four different SL timings: 22:00 – 02:00 (middle of the night, MN); 17:00 – 21:00 (end of day extension, DE); 07:00 – 09:00 plus 17:00 – 19:00 (both beginning and end of the night as split day extension, SDE), and non SL (8/16 h, short day, SD) for 4 months. All SL were provided by two types of 100% red LEDs (640 and 660 nm), with 150 μmol･m-2 ･s-1 and 800 μmol･mol-1 of CO2 supplied during the night (16 h). Pseudobulb diameters were significantly higher under SL treatments compared with the SD of both cultivars, irrespective of SL timing. Net photosynthetic assimilation rates were enhanced with increased SL, due to the additional photosynthesis and reduction of dark respiration. Thus, daily net photosynthetic amounts of SL treatments effectively increased photosynthesis compared to the SD. These results indicate that SL helps promote vegetative growth by enhancing photosynthesis. Since there were no significant differences among the SL timings when CO2 was provided uniformly during the night, we concluded that growth and photosynthesis of young Cymbidium do not depend on the timing of SL application, but are related to the daily light integrals, which is the amount of photosynthetically active photons delivered over 24 hours.

Acacetin, which is present in damiana (Turnera diffusa ) and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia ), has several pharmacologic activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-proliferative effects on cancer cells. However, the effect of acacetin on head and neck cancers has not been clearly established. This study aimed to examine the effects of acacetin on cell growth and apoptosis induction in FaDu human pharyngeal carcinoma cells. These were investigated by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, Live/Dead cell assay, 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride staining, caspase-3 and caspase-7 activation assay, and immunoblotting in FaDu cells. Acacetin induced FaDu cell death in a dose-dependent manner, with an estimated IC50 value of 41.9 µM, without affecting the viability of L-929 mouse fibroblasts as normal cells. Acacetin treatment resulted in nuclear condensation in the FaDu cells. It promoted the proteolytic cleavage of procaspase-3, -7, -8, and -9 with increasing amounts of the cleaved caspase isoforms in FaDu cells. Acacetin-induced apoptosis in FaDu cells was mediated by the expression of Fas and activation of caspase-8, caspase-3, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. Immunoblotting showed downregulation of the anti-apoptotic mitochondrial proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, but upregulation of the mitochondria-dependent pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Badin FaDu cells after acacetin treatment. These findings indicate that acacetin inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptotic cell death in FaDu human pharyngeal carcinoma cells via both the death receptor-mediated extrinsic apoptotic pathway and the mitochondria-mediated intrinsic apoptotic pathway.

The University is to be established as an independent institution, with an appropriate status under the law of Korea. It will require such arrangements, incentives privileges and immunities as will facilitate the recruitment of international staff and the participation of faculty and students from all over the world. The University must be fully autonomous to ensure its intellectual and academic integrity and freedom from ideological constraints. The relationship with United Nations can be achieved without making the University an actual UN organization, through cooperation with UN agencies and organizations and participation of UN personnel in its faculty and programs. The core program centered at the University itself would be developed initially on the basis of the comparative advantage offered by its location in Jeju and the quality of faculty, full and part time, that could be recruited to the University. To reflect the complexity and range of issues in the field of sustainable development, it is planned that the academic program of the University should be organized from two mutually reinforcing perspectives, core competences underlying the whole program and specific areas of concentration.

Fly ash consists of various metal oxides which can remove SO2 gas by the catalyst effect. When fly ash is added in the preparation process of pitch-based activated carbon, the pitch particles aggregate and fly ash is embedded in the activated carbon. To increase SO2 gas removal performance, activated carbon was prepared by surface-treated fly ash and petroleum-based pitch. Carboxyl groups were introduced into the fly ash by malic acid treatment. The introduced carboxyl groups acted as an activation agent to create micropore around the fly ash, and created micropores were exposed to the fly ash outside of the activated carbon. The exposed fly ash increased removal amount of SO2 gas by a catalytic effect of the metal oxides. The SO2 gas removal performance improved by 34% because of the catalyst effect of the exposed fly ash and improvement in the micropore structure in the activated carbon.

A γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) producing microorganism was isolated from Sun-Tae Jeotgal, a Korean traditional fermented seafood. Two thousand presumptive lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolates were screened for GABA production by thin layer chromatography. One isolate, T118, produced GABA profusely, and identified as Lactobacillus brevis. Growth of Lb. brevis T118 was examined during 120 h cultivation in MRS broth under different conditions. Lb. brevis T118 grew well at 30-37℃, initial pH of 4-7, and up to 5% NaCl (w/v). A gene, gadB, encoding glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) was cloned by PCR. gadC encoding a glutamate/GABA antiporter was cloned and gadC located immediately upstream of gadB, indicating gadCB operon structure. The operon structure was confirmed by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR. gadB was overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) and recombinant GAD was purified. The size of recombinant GAD was 54.4 kDa by SDS-PAGE, which matched well with the calculated size from the nucleotide sequence.

This study reviews studies on the core stabilization of respiratory muscle training for the elderly health. Previous research data and presenting basic literature data suggest that respiratory activation is an important mechanism for core strengthening via exercise interventions for the elderly. The review found that first, the mechanism of improving the respiratory muscles weakened by aging to address the loss of core function due to old age sarcopenia among the elderly results entails promoting the autonomic nervous system by focusing on the respiratory muscle activation pattern, the core muscle sensation mobilized for body centering. Second, nerve roots, intraperitoneal pressure, and deep muscles in the trunk of the body can be promoted while controlling respiratory stimulation with cognitive feedback. Effortful inspiration increases the activation of respiratory assistive muscles and effortless exhalation can improve the core muscle mobilization by involving abdominal muscles. Third, through respiratory muscle training, the elderly can increase their awareness of spinal centering and improve the ability to control the deep core muscles that must be mobilized for core stabilization. In conclusion, respiratory muscle training to increase the utilization of the trunk muscles seems to be a useful core stabilization exercise for the elderly with chronic tension and joint degeneration.

The University will contribute, through its high quality of education, training and research, to the containment, reduction and management of the problems confronting humanity in the transition to sustainable way of life utilizing the latest technologies of distance learning. Through international collaboration and leadership, it will generate, mobilize and share knowledge, experience and skills throughout the world so as to promote equitable and sustainable progress and to preserve and enhance the natural world on which humanity depends. As merit of the location of center in Northeastern Asia and North and South countries, Jeju Island has a remarkable natural beauty matching with unique environmental culture tradition, and a wide range of expertise, connections and capabilities in regard to global commerce, finance and transportation, and to the management of watersheds and biodiversity as a newly established international free city, all of which are relevant to world environment of sustainable development.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide and currently there are many approaches developing towards cancer treatment. Cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy are often painful and have adverse effects. The mechanism of apoptosis is a complex process and it involves different pathways in its mechanism of action. Apoptosis can be caused by signals within the cell such as stress, or by extrinsic signals such as ligands binding to cell surface death receptors. The programmed cell death plays a important role in the several physiological and pathological processes. It plays important role in homeostasis. Flavonoids have gained importance as anticancer agents promoting cytotoxicity and apoptosis in cancer cells. Flavonoids are present in many medicinal plants which are a kind of ubiquitous natural products and essential active ingredients. They have strong biological activities with high efficiency and low toxicity, possessing good preventive and cure effects on different tumor forms. Flavonoids such as Scutellarein, Pectolinarigenin and Naringin have reported to possess significant anti-cancer effects on different cancer cell lines till date. In this review, we provide a summary about the anti-cancer effect of the three flavonoids and its mechanisms of action that can be used in future for understanding their potent anti-tumor properties.

The development of drugs from natural plant sources is at growing interest due to the limitations of chemical drugs in terms of side effects and cost-effective factors of natural medicines. Among the various components contained in natural plant materials, flavonoids are of increasing interest because of their extended biological benefits. Flavonoids are classified into various types according to their structure and possess different activities depending on the structure. In this study, the flavonoids contained in Artemisia, native to Korea were examined and reviewed. HPLC chromatograms of three Artemisia species (Artemisia annua L., Artemisia iwayomogi and Artemisia argyi H.) were examined from published sources and their component analysis by MS data were summarized. The various flavonoids of Artemisia were classified into 12 types according to the main structure, and 10 flavonoids based on various activities were examined. The 10 flavonoids were identified as quercetin, kaempferol, rhamnetin, diosmetin, luteolin, methoxyflavone, catechin, apigenin, malvidin and genkwanin with extensive reported studies till date. The ten flavonoids examined have been reported to be effective in preventing and treating various diseases and exhibit activities such as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, anti-obesity, anti-diabetic and anti-Alzheimer. The collective results from the reported studies suggest that the three types of Korean native Artemisia, contains various flavonoids with beneficial activities and may have therapeutic effects against diseases.