Lycorine, a natural alkaloid extracted from the Amaryllidaceae plant family, was reported to various physiological and pharmacological effects including anti-cancer activity. Nevertheless, there is no report of the anticancer effect of lycorine in oral cancer cells. The effects of lycorine on cell proliferation and apoptosis were examined through trypan blue exclusion assay, 4’-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) stain, Live/Dead assay, Western blot analysis and RT-PCR. Lycorine suppressed cell viability and induced apoptosis in MC3 and HSC-3 cell lines. Lycorine decreased survivin protein but did not affect its mRNA. It regulated survivin through accelerating protein degradation in a time-dependent manner although neither proteasome nor lysosome was not associated with lycorine-mediated protein degradation. Collectively, our results suggest that lycorine may be a potential therapeutic anti-cancer drug candidate for the treatment of human oral cancer.

This study investigated the antibacterial effects of Galla rhois extract (GRE) against Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of GRE against C. jejuni and C. coli were 0.28 and 0.55 mg/mL, respectively, and the corresponding minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) were 4.4 and 5.5 mg/mL. C. jejuni treated with the MIC, MBC or 2×MBC of GRE showed significant inhibition of growth compared with that of the control group during the incubation period, and no viable bacteria were detected at 24 h after incubation. C. coli treated with MIC, MBC or 2×MBC of GRE also showed inhibition of growth compared with that of the control group during the incubation period, and in the C. coli cultures treated with MBC and 2×MBC of GRE, no viable bacteria were detected at 24 h after incubation. In conclusion, GRE is a candidate antibacterial agent against C. jejuni and C. coli, and may have applications for the control of Campylobacter infection in poultry.

본 연구는 오배자 에탄올 추출물 (GRE), 염소산나트륨 (SC) 그리고 오배자 에탄올 추출물과 염소산나트륨 합제(GS)의 B. abortus에 대한 항균효과를 확인하기 위해 수행 되었다. GRE, SC 그리고 GS를 B. abortus에 처리하여 배양한 후, B. abortus의 생존수를 확인하였으며, 마우스 탐식세포 내 감염된 B. abortus의 증식 억제효과를 경시별 (2, 24, 48시간)로 조사하였다. GRE, SC 그리고 GS는 각각 400 μg/mL 이하, 15 mM 그리고 0.6GS (GS 1, GRE 1,000 μg/mL + SC 30 mM) 이하의 농도에서 세포독성을 나타나지 않았다. 모든 처리구에서 B. abortus의 생존율은 용량- 의존적으로 현저하게 감소하는 결과를 나타내었다. 또한, GRE (400 μg/mL), SC (15 mM) 그리고 0.5GS (GRE 500 μg/mL + SC 15 mM)를 처리한 세포에서 배양 48시간 후에, B. abortus의 증식이 통계적으로 유의성 있게 감소하였으며 (GRE, p < 0.01; SC and 0.5GS, p < 0.001), 특히, GS를 처리한 경우, B. abortus의 세포내 증식이 GRE와 SC의 상승작용에 의한 강력한 항균효과를 나타내었다. 결론적으로, GS는 B. abortus에 대한 항균물질로서 유용할 뿐만 아니라, 식육과 우유 위생 분야에 적용할 수 있을 것으로 생각된다.

본 연구는 자동차 산업 내 소비자들의 고객불평행동과 기업과의 관계유지를 실증적으로 분석한 연구이다. 특히, 기업의 불평관리에 대한 소비자들의 인지된 공정성과 제품 원산지의 조절효과를 검증하고자 하였다. 이를 위해 222명의 국산차 소비자들과 232명의 외제차 소비자들을 대상으로 설문조사를 실시하였다. 실증분석 결과, 모든 세 가지 유형 (직접행동, 사적행동, 제삼자행동)의 소비자 불평행동들은 기업과의 관계유지에 부정적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 조절효과에 있어서는 기업의 불평관리에 대한 소비자들의 인지된 공정성이 높을수록 직접행동과 관계유지의 부정적인 관계를 약화시키는 것으로 나타났다. 또한, 국산차와 외제차를 기준으로 나눈 두 소비자 그룹 간의 원산지 효과 차이는 유의한 것으로 나타났다. 사적행동과 관계유지의 부정적인 관계는 국산차 소비자들보다 외제차 소비자들에게서 더 약한 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구의 실증결과는 서비스 마케팅 분야에서의 이론적 시사점뿐만 아니라 실무자들에게 유용한 시사점을 제공할 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

This study investigated the therapeutic effects of Galla rhois (GR) ethanol extract (GRE), sodium chlorate (SC), and a combination of GRE and SC on mice infected with Brucella abortus (B. abortus). Mice were infected intraperitoneally with B. abortus and then treated with GRE, SC, and a combination GRE and SC in drinking water for 14 days. Then, serum antibodies were used in a tube agglutination test (TAT), after which the weight and CFUs from each spleen were measured. In addition, histopathological changes in each liver were examined at 14 days post-infection. At 14 days post-infection, negative reactions of serum antibodies in PC (positive control), SCT (SC 1.6 g/L drinking water), GRT (GRE 200 mg/L drinking water), and GST (GRE 200 mg + SC 1.6 g/L drinking water) were 0, 40, 60, and 80%, respectively. The average spleen weight was not significantly different between the groups. At 14 days post-infection, bacterial numbers in all treated groups were significantly lower compared to to that of the PC (GRT and SCT, P<0.05; GST, P<0.001). In terms of histopathological changes in the livers, there were numerous multifocal microgranulomas in the PC, whereas this number successively decreased in the SCT, GRT, and GST groups. Conclusively, a combination of GRE and SC exhibits therapeutic effects on mice infected with B. abortus. These results suggest the potential efficacy of a mixture of GRE and SC in the treatment of brucellosis.

Antibiotic Detection Kit (Combination I), a lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) developed for the detection of antibiotic residues in milk, was utilized for the analysis of antibiotic residues in the muscle tissue of olive flounder. After 60-min treatment by dipping in water dosed with ampicillin (200-g/ton water), the residue depletion of ampicillin was investigated in 25 cultured olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). Muscles of fish were sampled on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th day after drug treatment. The concentration of ampicillin in the muscle was determined by LFIA. The absorbance ratio of the sample to the control blank (Bs/Bo) was employed as an index to determine the muscle residues in olive flounder. To investigate the recovery rate, standard solutions were added to muscle samples to give final concentrations in the muscle of 4 and 8 ng/ml. The recovery rates of all spiked samples were > 96% of the spiked value. Ampicillin was detected in the muscle of fish treated with the drug until the 2nd day of the withdrawal period. The present study showed that the LFIA can be easily adopted to predict ampicillin residues in tissue of farmed fishes.

Streptococcus suis (S. suis) is a major swine pathogen and an emerging zoonotic agent and is an increasing public health problem across Asia. The present study was undertaken to estimate the antibacterial effect of GR extract and therapeutic effect of GR extract against S. suis infection in mice. At the concentration of GR extract 2.5 mg/ml, the antibacterial effect was not shown on S. suis. However, the antibacterial effect against S. suis was observed at the concentration of GR extract 5.0 mg/ml. Oral administration of GR extract at the dose of 10 mg/kg showed a therapeutic effect for S. suis infected BALB/c mice. The mortality of GR extract-treated mice at the concentration of 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg was 80%, 70%, and 50% at 12 days, respectively, while that of untreated mice was 100% at 8 days after a lethal dose of S. suis infection. The results of our study strongly indicate that GR extract has potential as an effective for S. suis infection in mice.

The objectives of the current study were to evaluate the therapeutic effect of dioctahedral smectite (smectite) against calf diarrhea caused by pathogenic E. coli and/or Salmonella typhimurium. In this study, 20 calves (aged 2~3 months) with diarrhea were used for evaluation of the efficacy of smectite on calf diarrhea with 20% smectite suspension in PBS. Calves received 10 ml smectite suspension three times per day after feeding, and fecal samples were collected at the gate of treatment and on the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth day after administration. On the fifth day after treatment with smectite suspension, the diarrhea index showed a significant decrease in the treated group, compared to the control group (P<0.001). The number of pathogenic E. coli in feces of the treated group was significantly decreased, compared to each control group from the second day after treatment (P<0.001), and that of Salmonella typhimurium was significantly decreased from the first day after treatment (P<0.05). According to the results of the current study, 20% smectite suspension had a therapeutic effect on diarrhea caused by E. coli and/or Salmonella in calves.

The necessity of conditional gene expression in pigs for transgenic models is raised. Thus, in this study, Cre-loxP conditional expression in porcine fetal fibroblasts was investigated and the transformed fibroblasts were reprogrammed in enucleated oocytes for further early embryonic development. Fetal fibroblasts from miniature pigs were used for transfection with pCALNL-DsRed including floxed neomycin resistant gene and selected with 750 ug/mL neomycin for two weeks. The transfected cells did not express DsRed under fluorescence microscope. After transient transfection of plasmid DNA expressing Cre, the fibroblasts began to express DsRed. The cells expressing Ds- Red were employed into somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). A total of 121 oocytes were used for SCNT and 76 cloned embryos (62.8%)were cleaved. Six blastocysts were grown up after SCNT and expressed DsRed. Deletion of floxed neomycin resistant gene was confirmed by RT-PCR in cloned blastocysts. Taken together, this study demonstrated that Cre-loxP recombination in miniature pig fibroblasts were successfully worked and those sequential transformed cells were developed into pre-implantation stage via SCNT.

This study was undertaken to find out national level changes in area, production and yield of two major staple crops wheat and potato in Bangladesh. The time series of secondary data was collected from yearbook of agricultural statistics under Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and used for the statistical analysis during the thirty-year period of 1989/90-2018/19. Moreover, selected data were divided into two groups and regarded as segment (1989/90-2003/04, 2005/06-2018/19) to examine the significant level in each crop. The results of different statistical techniques showed that wheat cultivated area and production were satisfactory level but yield was not too much standard in context of country demand. In the case of potato, yield as well as cultivated area and production were crossed the significant level and fulfilled the demand of population. In recent few years, the ratio of potato production rapidly increased, compared with the cultivation area. Based on segment (period) analysis, at the first half wheat production was always below, compared with the area but second half nine years saw slightly improved. On the other hand, in both segment potato growth rate in area, production and yield were increased throughout the study period. The highest instability was also shown in area, production and yield of potato during whole as well as segmented period. There was always a positive relationship between country’s demand and supply. Both wheat and potato are considered as staple crops and based on the productive capability over cultivated area, potato showed the higher productivity for the country of Bangladesh. In consequences, potato consuming demand also rapidly increased all over the country, compared with past respectively.

In order to understand the characteristics of soil according to the cultivation environment of Chinese bellflower (Platycodon grandiflorum A.), soil chemical properties of 12 collected soil samples from 6 cultivated fields in Okcheon, Chungbuk province in August. 2017 were analyzed. The soil pH was distributed within the range of 4.61 to 5.25 at all cultivation years and E.C (Electric Conductivity) and T-N (Total Nitrogen) of the cultivation year were not significant. Available P2O5 was higher than the average for medicinal crops and P. grandiflorum in Korea and C.E.C (Cation Exchange Capacity) was inconsistent for each cultivation year. In particularly, it was validated that the content of exchangeable cations K, Ca, Ma, and Na in this experiment was similar to that of C.E.C according to the cultivation years, because C.E.C had a high correlation with the exchangeable cations. For the available P2O5, as affected by trans-planting, 5Y-NT-H (cultivated 5 years and non-transplanted) had 58 mg/kg, while 5Y-T-H (cultivated 5 years and transplanted) had 246 ㎎/㎏. The soil pH was found to be lower (acidic) in diseased soils than healthy soils. E.C was confirmed to be was higher in diseased soils than healthy soils except for the one cultivated for 2 years. The contents of T-N and available P2O5 were higher in diseased soil except for the one cultivated for 5 years and 11 years. The exchangeable cation K and Na tended to be higher in diseased soils rather than that in healthy soils, and the exchangeable cation Ca and Mg contents were higher in healthy soils than in diseased soils. The C.E.C of the soil was lower than that of healthy soils in all of the years except for the one which was cultivated for 5 years (transplanted).

본 연구에서는 청국장 제조 시 고초균(B. subtilis)과 유산균인L. acidophilus균 복합사용이 청국장 품질 특성에 미치는 영향을 연구하였다. 타 장류와 달리, 청국장은 과당중합체와 폴리감마글루탐산의 복합체인 점질물질을 생성한다. 본 연구에서는 일반적인 청국장 발효과정(1차 발효) 후에 설탕(0, 2.5, 7.5%)을 첨가하고 균체외 다당류 생성능이 있는 유산균을 첨가하여 추가적으로 40℃에서 48시간 동안 2차 발효하였다. 2차 발효된 청국장 시료들의 가용성 고형분, 점질물의 신장성, pH, 환원당, 아미노태 질소함량, 암모니아태 질소함량, α-amylase, 및 protease 활성 측정, 이소플라본 함량을 평가하였다. 2차 발효 공정에서 설탕의 추가적인 첨가는 청국장 시료의 pH, 비배당체 이소플라본 함량, 아미노태 질소함량과 protease 활성을 저하시킨 반면, 청국장 점질물의 신장성과 산(acid) 생성 미생물의 생육을 증가시켰다. 결론적으로, 본 연구에서는 청국장 제조 시 B.subtilis과 L. acidophilus균 복합사용이 청국장 점질물질의 생성을 촉진하고 청국장 품질 특성을 변화시킨다는 것을 보여준다.

This study was conducted to investigate the quality characteristics and changes in isoflavone content of Cheonggukjang with added Chaga mushroom by secondary fermentation at 40 for 48 h with or without a starter, Lactobacillus acidophilus KCTC 3925. Cheonggukjang samples were divided into three groups: Control (unsterilized Cheonggukjang fermented without a starter), NS (unsterilized Cheonggukjang inoculated with L. acidophilus KCTC 3925), and YS (heat-sterilized Cheonggukjang inoculated with L. acidophilus KCTC 3925). The approximate composition of the three types of Cheonggukjang was 49.79-51.44% moisture, 4.54-4.72% crude ash, 43.21-44.37% crude protein, 11.58-13.65% crude fat, 37.41-40.07% carbohydrate, 31.92-33.82% dietary fiber. The mineral content included 5.43– 9.64 mg% Na, 1,792.86–1,824.39 mg% K, 253.69–326.09 mg% Ca, 619.37–691.20 mg% P, 92.59–110.59 mg% Fe, and 0.01–0.02 mg%Cd. Free amino acid contents of NS (2,520.92 mg%) and YS (2,421.94 mg%) were significantly higher than that of the control (2,236.76 mg%). Amino-type nitrogen content for the three types of Cheonggukjang ranged from 837.20-920.27 mg% with no significant difference. Ammonia-type nitrogen content ranged from 137.09-169.36 mg%. Supplement of Cheonggukjang with L. acidophilus KCTC 3925 increased production of aglycone isoflavons compared to that of control. Therefore, our results show that fermenting Chaga Cheonggukjang with L. acidophilus KCTC 3925 leads to improved quality characteristics and increased isoflavone aglycone content.

It is difficult to measure precipitation due to spatial and temporal variability. In this study we analyzed the variability of precipitation of high- and low-rainfall regions in Bangladesh using Precipitation Concentration Index (PCI) from the data of two meteorological stations. We compared PCI values for various periods such as annual, supra-seasonal, seasonal, three and two-months. Most previous studies have analyzed the long-term precipitation in Bangladesh. We analyzed the variabilities from long-term to short-term and tried to characterize the irregular precipitation. In the result, the precipitation in Bangladesh was mostly concentrated between two and four months of the year. Future research will require more station data to understand the more detailed precipitation patterns in Bangladesh.

Astronomical Observations at Chungbuk National University Observatory (CBNUO) with an 1 m telescope have begun since April 2008, and Near-Earth Space Survey observations also have been started since November 2010, with a 0.6 m wide field telescope developed by Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute. To improve observational efficiency, we developed a weather monitoring system enabling automatic monitoring for the weather conditions and checking the status of the observational circumstances, such as dome status. We hope this weather monitoring system can be helpful to more than 100 Korean domestic observatories, including public outreach facilities. In this paper, we present the statistic analysis of the weather conditions collected at CBNUO for 3 years (2009- 2011) and comparisons were made for clear nights between using only humidity data and both humidity and cloud data.