Bioactive peptides function effectively with a minimal amount compared to proteins. Recently SPARC related modular calcium binding 1 (SMOC1) has been implicated in regulating osteoblast differentiation and limb and eye development. In this study we synthesized a peptide covering 16 amino acids derived from the extracellular calcium binding (EC) domain of SMOC1, and its effects on proliferation and osteoblast differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were examined. Treatment of SMOC1 peptide did not modulate proliferation of BMSCs. However, mineralization of BMSCs was significantly increased with a dose dependent manner. Consistently expression of osteoblast differentiation marker genes including type 1 collagen and osteocalcin was also dose dependently increased. Taken together, these results suggest that peptide derived from the EC domain of SMOC1 recapitulates at least partially osteogenic function of SMOC1.

The objective of this study was to develope horticultural therapy program for reducing parenting stress. Parenting stress means negative psychological response of things that should do. This negative response have bad impects to children such as reducing social ability and increasing conduct problems. But parenting stress can be reduced through various parenting education and many program have been practiced to reduced stress. The essence of horticultural therapy is to experience nurturing through growing plants. As a result, horticultural therapy has the philosophical background suitable for introducing horticultural therapy for reducing parenting stress. This study developed cognitive horticultural therapy program with nurturing experience and parent education and applied to seven housewives to it. We used Parenting Stress Index(PSI) in pre-test and post-test for measuring effect and analyzed with Wilcoxon signed rank test. After applying this program eight times for a two-hour session, this study found reduction of parenting stress indicated by 48.14 to 42.57, which was statistically significant(z=-2.117, p<0.05). This study has the limitation of small sample numbers. In the future we should study more horticultural therapy program that affects sub-factors of parenting stress applying more samples.

Contemporary society gave birth to pollution environment, family collapse, estrangement human-being, and serious disequilibrium. Sustainability and community are core issue of developmental 21st developmental society. As the alternative plan came up needs of the times, community garden is able to make practical application of elevating life quality for residents as well as get various beneficial effect. Community garden was attempted to settlement, failed it in Korea, while made good use from old times in Germany, U.K., and U.S.A. Participation and conversation intrapopulation are a key factor to use, maintain, and preserve. Consequently, This study was performed to develop leader training program that took charge of primary role in activating community garden. Organization which deduce outcome and motivate, as the core competence of leadership, was composed of horticultural information and actual experience to horticulture.

This study was conducted to apply practically community garden program which elevating quality of life through making, using, and keeping of it, that was helped rental housing residents improve life of oneself and environment of village independently. So far, a rental housing for a low-income group was a good way in solving lack of housing, reforming circumstance of house, but it gave rise to problems like breaking neighborship, and deprivation. Community garden program was composed to 16 session divided 1st and 2nd step program during March 29~July 26, 2005. 1st step was responsible for cultivating one's ability through observation plant culture, understanding, rule of the life, 2nd step was growing practical ability helped residents participate in community garden, effective management garden, development profitable business. This program got elevation of participant's self-esteem and life desire.