The kidney is a highly complex organ, and acute or chronic renal diseases can occur with various complications such as diabetes and hypertension. So far, no target specific treatment is available in acute or chronic renal failure, necessitating the development of alternative therapeutic strategy. Recent experimental findings suggest that the renal function and structure can be restored after being treated with various sources of stem/progenitor cells. In this review, we discuss up-to-date findings of the potential of renal progenitor/stem cells in alleviating renal injuries with a focus on preclinical studies. We also review cellular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic function of these cells.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a disorder that is manifested by a sudden decrease of renal function within several hours, and AKI remains a significant cause that can lead to increasing morbidity and mortality. Although AKI has been extensively studies in animal models, translating the results from animal studies into clinical use has not been successful due to various factors including basal etiology of kidney deficiency and comorbidities and the complexity of this pathology. As a golden parameter, measuring serum creatinine (SCr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) has been conventionally used for determining the renal function, however, these biomarkers has been regarded suboptimal to identify renal injuries in early stages. In this study, we attempted to screen other serum biomarkers in early AKI event using cynomolgus monkeys. Two male monkeys, aged 60 months, were subjected to ischemic injury by unilateral clamping of renal pedicles for forty five minutes and then subsequently reperfused; the unclamped kidney was regarded as non-injured controls. Compared with control kidneys, we have found that the concentration of several inflammatory proteins including MCP1, TGFα, GSTα, were higher in the renal vein of injured kidney compared with control side after 24 and 48 hours of AKI. However, changes of serum level of KIM-1, which is one of the most-widely studied marker in rodent studies, were not different after AKI. Our results provide an useful information while developing a novel marker in AKI.

“If you‟re ever found yourself wondering what to do during an annoyingly long layover (hi, hello, all of us), „get Botox‟ will soon join your list of possibilities – at least if you‟re traveling in South Korea”(MacKenzie, 2017). Introduction Cosmetic surgery has become a new attraction for Chinese tourists to visit Korea. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Korea, 27,646 of 127,648 Chinese medical tourists who visited Korea in 2016 did so to obtain cosmetic surgery (Nam, 2017). This paper presents how external desire influenced the socio-historical development of the cosmetic surgery tourism in South Korea, focusing on Chinese crossborder consumption. In analyzing this relatively new phenomenon, we identified two intertwined desires. Specifically, while popularity of cosmetic surgery in South Korea is driven by the desire of individual Chinese consumers to obtain symbolic capital by achieving so-called K-beauty, this directly supports the collective desire of the Korean nation to construct a new Korean-ness. This trend has led to the promotion of Medical Korea, aiming to erase the former image of uncool industrial emerging country. In examining these complex practices, we employed the conception of “nation-ness” (Taylor, 1997) to elucidate the renewal of Korean national identity in the medical tourism industry and the global marketplace (Anderson, 1991; Appadurai, 1996; Lee, 2017). This paper commences with a brief outline of the socio-historical development of cosmetic surgery in Asian societies. We then discuss the connection of beauty and social capital among the Chinese consumer society and how Korean‟s cosmetic surgery industry has become the icon site for the achieving the ideal beauty. The paper closes with an illustration of the inter-relationship between the emerging consumer desire for beauty and the reconstruction of Korean-ness. Cosmetic surgery in contemporary asian consumer society Drawing on Giddens‟s (1991) notion of reflexivity, Belk (1988) and other consumer researchers have revealed that consumers consider their body as their possession and a reflection of their self. Consequently, some see it as a resource for constructing their desired identity through cosmetic surgeries (Askegaard, Gertsen, & Langer, 2002; Schouten, 1991; Thompson & Hirschman, 1995). While this phenomenon has mostly been examined in the context of contemporary Western consumer society, it is increasingly becoming more widespread. Such practices have resulted in human body no longer being viewed as a biological entity, but rather as “the finest consumption object” that can be further refined if needed (Baudrillard, 2005, p. 129). Altering one‟s body has traditionally been considered a taboo in many Asian cultures. In ancient Chinese society, there was a general perception that our bodies, down to a single hair and a flake of skin, are given to us by our parents. Therefore, any modification to the way our body looks and functions would be considered disrespectful to one‟s parents (Hua, 2013). However, in the world of cable TV and mass-circulation of Hollywood movies, in which social media has become an indispensable part of everyday life for most individuals, it is not surprising that Western beauty ideals have emerged as a dominant reference for the rest of the world. As the Westernized values and lifestyles become more easily accessible through media, they challenge these former social norms. Consequently, Asian women are increasingly seeking body modifications, such as plastic surgery, in an attempt to attain the elusive ideal beauty. In her research on body alternations, Orbach (2011) reported that 50 percent of teenage girls in South Korea planned to alter their faces or bodies through plastic surgery. According to the available evidence, in 2011, South Korea was rated first in the world in terms of the per capita ratio of aesthetic plastic surgeries (Shin, 2011). The success of South Korea‟s plastic surgery industry then made the country one of the best site for body alternations in the global beauty marketplace. Chinese desire for new face: beauty as capital Although it directly counters old Confucian doctrine of not tampering with one‟s body for filial piety, cosmetics surgery is very popular in China. In her book Buying Beauty, Hua (2013) noted that the increasingly brutal competition for jobs has prompted Chinese women to regard beauty as capital. It is thus not uncommon for Chinese parents to finance their daughters‟ cosmetic surgery, as they have come to perceive a pretty face as a worthwhile long-term investment, as it may increase the future career and/or marriage prospects of their daughters. For this reason, Chinese women are undergoing cosmetic surgery at a much younger age than do their Western counterparts. “Being good-looking is capital” has become the epitome of Chinese young girls. They consider attractive appearance that a cosmetic surgery may proffer as a form of capital, which they believe can give them a competitive advantage in the increasingly fierce job market (Hua, 2013). This attitude is prevalent among women, as gender and appearance discrimination is widespread in Chinese job market even in occupations where outward appearance usually has no relevance, such as civil service and government institutions (Hua, 2013). Owing to the increasingly widespread access to popular and social media and TV as a result of China reopening its doors, Chinese beauty standards have changed, whereby the perception of ideal image is heavily influenced by Western movies, pop culture, and the fashion and beauty industry (Hua, 2013). As Luo‟s (2012) research demonstrated, however, these newly adopted Western beauty ideals are coming into conflict with those that have traditionally been held by the Chinese. Yet, as Li et al. (2007) have shown, not all recent changes to the perceptions of and attitudes toward external appearance can be attributed to the Western influence. In their cross-cultural study on skin-whitening practices in four Asian markets, the authors reported that the desire for “white skin” in many Asian cultures (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Indian) has a long history. Saraswati (2010) concurred with this finding, stating that, in the non-Western context, the desire for “whiteness” cannot be equated to the desire for “Caucasian whiteness,” implying that the concept of whiteness may be context-dependent. This tension seems to be relieved by the adoption of Korean beauty ideal, which blends the Western and Korean physical traits and has resulted in Hallyu or the Korean Wave. Since the late 1990s, the term “Hallyu” has been used to describe the influx of South Korean popular culture in Asia. Korean TV dramas, movies, and popular music (K-pop) have in recent decades become staples in Asian markets formerly dominated by Japan and Hong Kong (Seabrook, 2012). Since the Korean Wave hit China, the visual appearance, fashion trends, hairstyle choices, and make-up styles of Korean stars have become highly popular. Consequently, many Chinese people regard Korea as the cosmetic surgery hub of Asia, as Korean beauty is admired by Chinese people who thus aspire to attain it by undergoing various surgical and non-surgical procedures. This growing trend was spurred by the success of the TV drama, Jewel in the Palace, which resulted in the popularity of the lead actress Lee Young Ae among Chinese women, who would ask plastic surgeons to make them look like her (Hua, 2013). The popularity of Korean pop culture and the widespread adoption of the Korean beauty ideals can be interpreted as counter-standard against the Western beauty. Yet, as Hua (2013) and others argue, the rise of Korean influence in the Asian markets can also be viewed as an indication of the submission to the Western beauty imperialism. This tension exists, as their Mongolian heredity with more prominent noses and lighter skins than other Asians gives Koreans certain “Western” features (Fairclough, 2005). The new face and desire for the new national identity Not long ago, Korea had the reputation as an emerging industrial nation that manufactures low-cost cars and appliances (Fairclough, 2005; Seabrook, 2012). South Korea has a long history and reputation as an industrial hub in East Asia. Some of the top global brands, such as Samsung, Hyundai, and LG, began as the key manufacturing partners of Western brands in the early and mid-twentieth century. Korea is also often associated with the Korean War, as described in US motion pictures, such as MASH (Preminger & Altman,1970). However, in the late 1990s, this image began to change with the increasing popularity of aforementioned Hallyu entertainment contents (Fairclough, 2005). In fact, the latest “Korean Wave” has ushered a brand-new transnational representation of Korea into the global marketplace. Following a highly successful cultural Hallyu, Korea has recently launched medical Hallyu, promoting cosmetic surgery (Eun, 2013). In the 2000s, Korean cosmetic surgery emerged as a successful byproduct of the Korean Wave. This growing trend has since become a source of great national pride in South Korea (Holliday, Bell, Cheung, Jones, & Probyn, 2015). While Korean entertainment products were generating enormous revenues, cosmetic surgery was recognized as a profitable addition to the already lucrative export industry, as foreign tourists were willing to travel to the country in order to undergo operations that would make them look like Korean Hallyu stars. In recognition of this change in attitudes towards physical appearance and beauty ideals, “Korean cosmetic surgery” (Hanshi zhengxing) and “Korean-style beauty” (Hanshi meirong) became key words in the cosmetic surgery advertisements in China (Davies & Han, 2011). Cosmetic surgery clinics in the trendiest Gangnam and Apgujeong districts of Seoul often provide medical tourism packages targeting foreign tourists coming from China and other Southeast Asian countries (Eun, 2013). As Hallyu boasts a creative integration of the Western and Korean elements in its entertainment contents (Shim, 2006), Korean cosmetic surgeons are attempting to achieve the same. According to a doctor that took part in Shim‟s (2009) study, Korean surgeons have the best skills to operate on Asian patients, as they have smaller physique and denser subcutaneous tissues compared to their Western counterparts. Although Korean surgeons used to travel to the U.S. to obtain training for the popular procedures, such as eyelid surgery, they subsequently modified the American techniques, realizing that they were inappropriate for the “Korean Body.” For instance, removing too much fat from the eyelids created an unnatural Western eyes that were not suitable for Korean facial structure. Such specialism, which is now internationally recognized, makes aspirant youths from neighboring China and Korean diaspora more than willing to travel to Korea to undergo elective cosmetic procedures that would improve their visual appearance (Holliday, Bell, Cheung, Jones, & Probyn, 2015). The Korean government‟s active support for the export of cultural products has also helped the proliferation of cosmetic surgery tourism. In 2009, the Korean National Assembly passed an amendment to the medical law, enabling hospitals to advertise their services and promote medical tourism (Eun, 2013). Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), a subsidiary organization of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, runs an online medical tourism platform website, visitmedicalkorea.com, to provide foreign tourists with information about Korean medical tourism. It also supports the overseas marketing of companies and hospitals as a means of attracting more tourists to the country (Korea Tourism Organization, n.d.). While the KTO website is not solely dedicated to cosmetic surgery tourism, Visit Medical Korea‟s website boasts the massive number of cosmetic surgery operations performed every year in Korea. The country is now the third largest cosmetic surgery market after the U.S. and Brazil, as the recognition of the high skill level of Korean surgeons and their use of modern technology motivates many individuals to visit Korea for their beauty enhancement (Korea Tourism Organization and Korea Health Industry Development Institute, n.d.). The fact that Korea has achieved economic progress through rapid modernization but did not give up many of its traditions is another allure to many Asian tourists (Fairclough, 2005). This is emphasized in the promotional video published by KTO through the juxtaposition of the beauty of traditional porcelain making inherited from Joseon dynasty with cutting edge medical technology and skills of Korean medical industry (Korea Tourism Organization, 2016). Conclusion: renewing “Korean-ness” in the global marketplace Desire to be beautiful and prolong one‟s youth is not unique to modern times. Yet, medical advances now make even extending one‟s height by breaking and separating the thigh bone to prompt growth possible. While this sounds scary and can be highly dangerous, it is a very popular operation in Shanghai. Cosmetic surgery is no doubt a popular service high on many Chinese consumers‟ list. Although it may be cynical to say that our desire for beautiful body is perpetuated and exploited by the style industries, it is true that the beauty, cosmetic, fashion, media, and celebrity industries are playing an important role in shaping our beauty standards and promoting the ideal body size/shape in the contemporary marketplace (Orbach, 2011). In this study, we connected Chinese consumers‟ desire for new facial features with the emerging plastic surgery tourism in South Korea as an exemplar of the reconstruction of national identity. The term “nation-ness” is comprehensive and links disparate phenomena, such as nation, nationalism, and nationality by including “everything from the bureaucratic fact of citizenship to the nationalist‟s mythical construction of nation as an eternal entity” (Taylor, 1997, p. 277). In this study, we argued that cosmetic surgery has become a new Korean national identity, which is not solely reflected in the rise of Korean beauty and style in the Pan-Asian (Cayla & Eckhardt, 2008) or even global marketplace. The new identity has also inherited the techno-industrial past, as the preciseness and high quality of Korean “industry” are valuable traits to transfer to this new medical field. In this paper, we demonstrated that the creation and promotion of ideal beauty and body is part of a broader political strategy, in which governments, corporations, and key cultural stakeholders are actively, and sometimes collectively, shaping and monitoring individuals‟ bodily practices.

The mushrooms have been used as traditional medicines and food resources in many countries. The objective of this study was to determine antioxidant compounds and to evoluate tyrosinase inhibitory activity of extracts from Hypsizigus marmoreus. The pileus and stipe of Hypsizigus marmoreus were extracted with methanol and water, separately. The methanol extract of Hypsizigus marmoreus were fractioned by hexane, chloroform, ethylacetate and buthanol. The concentrations of total polyphenolics and flavonoids in methanol extracts were investigated by colorimetric methods. The concentrations of total polyphenolics and flavonoids in methanol extract of the pileus was higher than methanol extract of the stipe. The DPPH redical scavenging activity of the pileus extract was also higher than stipe extract in methanol extract. The IC50 of DPPH redical scavenging activity of the pileus and stipe in methanol extract were 18 mg/ml and 1 10 mg/ml, respectively. The IC50 of tyrosinase inhibitory activity of the pileus and stipe in methanol extract were 500 mg/ml and 1,000 mg/ml in methanol extract. These results suggest that Hypsizigus marmoreus can be potentially used as a source of natural antioxidant agent in the cosmetic industry as well as the food, pharmaceutical and medicinal industry.

This paper describes the traditional Ondol medical care, the specific combination of ancient and contemporary examples to be articulated. As a traditional Korean culture, to be extracted from the historical perspective, it described the relationship and origins between them, From a health perspective, in accordance with the logic and pharmacologyit introduced Ondol as the important principle of health care equipment. The modern architecture of some common harmful to the body, from the perspective of Ondol, it should be improved and based on scientific proof to the theory.

Background : Although ginseng has various bioactive compounds in it, there is lack of study on the variations of bioactive compounds in ginseng according to the cultivation soil and the applied fertilizer types (or amount). Therefore, this study aims to examine the variations of 37 fatty acids (FA) and 8 vitamin E (Vit-E) vitamers in 6-year-old ginseng root cultivated in different soil types with different fertilizers regimes. Methods and Results : The profiling of 37 FAs and 8 Vit-E vitamers in 6-year-old ginseng roots was measured by gas chromatography coupled with a flame ionization detector, and then these results were statistically analyzed with chemometrics. The FA and Vit-E content in ginseng roots varied significantly with respect to soil cultivation conditions due to organic fertilizer types and amounts used. Unsaturated FA in ginseng is approximately 2.7 fold higher than the saturated FA. Linoleic, palmitic, and oleic acids were the most abundant FAs found in the ginseng roots. Also, the major Vit-E vitamer found in ginseng root is α-tocopherol. In particular, the application of rice straw compost or food waste fertilizer was increased to create nutritionally desirable FAs and bioactive Vit-E in ginseng root. In addition, phytonutrient profiling coupled with chemometrics can be used to discriminate the cultivation conditions of ginseng. Conclusion : This study extends our understanding about the variations of FA and Vit-E in ginseng root depending on cultivation conditions. Hence, these results can be useful as basic information for reliable ginseng production containing high amounts of phytonutrients in a paddy-converted field.

Background : The geographical origin of Panax ginseng Meyer, a valuable medicinal plant, is important to both ginseng producers and consumers in the context of economic profit and human health benefits. We therefore aimed to discriminate between the cultivation regions of ginseng using the stable isotope ratios of C, N, O, and S, which are abundant bio-elements in living organisms. Methods and Results : The C, N, O, and S stable isotope ratios were measured by isotope ratio mass spectrometer, and then these isotope ratios profiling was statistically analyzed with chemometrics. The various isotope ratios found in Panax ginseng roots were significantly influenced by region, cultivar, and the interactions between these two factors (P ≤ 0.0002). In particular, δ18O was lower in ginseng roots grown at high altitudes (r = −0.47), while δ34S was higher in ginseng roots grown close to coastal areas (r = −0.48). Chemometric results provided discrimination between the majorities of different cultivation regions. Conclusion : Our case study extends the understanding about the variation of C, N, O, and S stable isotope ratios in ginseng root depending on cultivation region. Hence, the analysis of stable isotope ratios is a suitable tool for discrimination between the regional origins of ginseng samples from Korea, with potential application to other countries.

Background : Corrosion is one of the most devastating problems faced by most industries. Mild steel has played a vital role in various fields due to the excellent mechanical properties of mild steel such as low density, high strength-to-weight ratios, good environmental stability, high thermal conductivity, and corrosion resistance. Methods and Results : The total phenolic contents (TPC) and total flavonoid contents (TFC) of the methanolic extract of C. grandiflora and R. verniciflua leaf have been examined, and its corrosion inhibition performance was investigated by weight loss and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and polarization measurements. The surface morphology of mild steel was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The percentage composition of polyphenolic compounds was found to be higher in C. grandiflora and R. verniciflua plant extracts, and it was proved to be a superior, eco-friendly, and anti-corrosive inhibitor for mild steel in 1M of H2SO4. The Tafel polarization studies indicate that the plant extract is a mixed-type inhibitor. Scanning electron microscopy/energy -dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies confirmed the formation of a protective film on the metal surface. The corrosion inhibition of the C. grandiflora and R. verniciflua plant extracts was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), UV-visible spectra, and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies; these show the strong interaction between the metal surface and the inhibitor. Conclusion : The methanolic extract was prepared the two different plants like C. grandiflora, and R. verniciflua was studied the corrosion inhibition on the mild steel specimen in acidic medium through various methods involving weight loss measurements, EIS, and potentiodynamic polarization. The results shows that the C. grandiflora, and R. verniciflua plant extracts illustrate an effective corrosion inhibitor for mild steel with good anticorrosion properties in acidic environmen

Sexual dimorphism is the most conspicuous difference between the sexes. This study examines possible sexual dimorphism and the relative growth patterns of morphometric characteristics in the marine medaka, Oryzias dancena for their potential to help differentiate between males and females of this species. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters estimated by a non-linear regression method were L∞=30.2 mm, K=3.22/year, and τ0=-0.05. All 18 characteristics measured showed a difference between males and females from 70 days after hatching. Each of these characteristics were significantly different between sexes (ANCOVA, P<0.05), and the ratio of standard length between sexes showed that males were larger than females for all five morphometric measurements. Fin length measurements were taken for 21 distances of anal fin and 7 distances of dorsal fin between landmarks. There were all differences for all dorsal fin rays between the males and the females and there is significant difference in 70 days after their hatch when the sexual dimorphism is presented. The significant difference (P<0.05) in fin ray for male and female was more greatly seen as they grow. Male marine medaka showed more rapid growth than females, with longer length, dorsal fins and anal fins. Differences in these characteristics will be useful during experiments when it is necessary to differentiate between sexes of marine medaka.

Background : The natural stable isotope ratio of common bio-elements like carbon (C), nitrogen (N), oxygen (O), or sulfur (S) varies with diverse isotope fractionation processes in nature. Therefore, measuring the variation of these stable isotope ratios in ginseng roots can be a feasible tool to discriminate the geographical origins of ginseng in Korea. Methods and Results : The 3-year-old six Korean ginseng cultivars were cultivated at the five regions in Korea, and then used for measuring the stable isotope ratios of C, N, O, and S by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). The mean C, N, O, and S stable isotope ratio values in the ginseng roots significantly differed according to the cultivation regions (p < 0.05). However, these isotope ratios in ginseng roots had relatively weak discriminative power against to the ginseng cultivars at each cultivation region. The interaction of the cultivation region and ginseng cultivar type also significantly affected to the C, N, O, and S stable isotope ratio in ginseng roots (p < 0.0001). The two-dimensional plots associated with the N stable isotope ratio can effectively separate the ginseng roots in Jinan compared to those in the other regions. The partial least squares-discriminant analysis showed more significant separation between ginseng geographical origins compared to the principal component analysis. Conclusion : Our findings improve our understanding of how the isotope composition of ginseng roots varies with respect to cultivation regions and cultivars, and suggest that the analysis of the stable isotope ratios combined with chemometrics can be used as a feasible tool to discriminate geographical origin of ginseng in Korea.

Heat shock protein (HSP) 70, the highly conserved stress protein families, plays important roles in protecting cells against heat and other stresses in most animal species. In the present study, we identified and characterized four Hsp70 (RuHSP4, RuHSC70, RuHSP12A, RuGRP78) family proteins based on the expressed sequence tag (EST) analysis of the Korean rose bitterling R. uyekii cDNA library. The deduced RuHSP70 family has high amino acid identities of 72-99% with those of other species. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that RuHsp70 family clustered with fish groups (HSP4, HSC70, HSP12A, GRP78) proteins. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed the specific expression patterns of RuHsp70 family members in the early developmental stages and several tissues in Korean rose bitterling. The expression of 4 groups of Hsp70 family was detected in all tested tissue. Particularly, Hsp70 family of Korean rose bitterling is highly expressed in hepatopancreas and sexual gonad (testis and ovary). The expression of Hsp70 family was differentially regulated in accordance with early development stage of Rhodeus uyekii.