Heme oxygenase-l (HO-l) exhibits cyt oprotective effects in many different cell types and is induced by nicotine exposure in human gingival fibroblasts‘ However‘ therole of HO- l in cancer cells exposed to nicotine has not previously been descnbed We investigated the effects of nicotine on HO-l protein expression and cell viability in immortalized (IHOK) and malignant (HN12) human ora l keratinocyte cells using the MTT assay and Western blotting. We al so examined the involvement of t he phosphoinosit ide-3-0H- kinase (PI3K), mitogen-acti vated protein kinase (MAPK) , and nucJear factor-κ B (NF-κ B) signaling pathways in nicotine-induced cytotoxicity and HO- l levels in IHOK and HN12 cell s‘ Nicotine induced HO- l pro ducti on and had cytotoxic effects on cells in both a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Nicotine-induced cytotox icity and accumulation of HO- l were greater in JJ-IOK cells than in HN12 cells Molecular inhibitors of the ERK, p38 MAP kinase, PI3K, and NF-κ B signaling pathways blocked the cytotoxic effects and induction of J-IO-l expression by nicotine. Treatmen t with an t ioxida nts (bil irubin, N-acetyl cysteine) protected cells against nicotine-induced cytotoxicity and blocked the upregula tion of J-IO- l, the effects of which were more pronounced in II-IOK cells than in HN12 cells Collecti vely, these results suggest that J-IO- l plays a principal role in the protective response to nicotine in oral cancel and immortalized keratinocytes. Moreover, the addition of exogenous antioxidants may help to protect oral epithelial cells as chemopreventive agents against nicotine-induced oxidative stress.

Heme oxygenase-l (HO-l) exhibits cyt oprotective effects in many different cell types and is induced by nicotine exposure in human gingival fibroblasts‘ However‘ therole of HO- l in cancer cells exposed to nicotine has not previously been descnbed We investigated the effects of nicotine on HO-l protein expression and cell viability in immortalized (IHOK) and malignant (HN12) human ora l keratinocyte cells using the MTT assay and Western blotting. We al so examined the involvement of t he phosphoinosit ide-3-0H- kinase (PI3K), mitogen-acti vated protein kinase (MAPK) , and nucJear factor-κ B (NF-κ B) signaling pathways in nicotine-induced cytotoxicity and HO- l levels in IHOK and HN12 cell s‘ Nicotine induced HO- l pro ducti on and had cytotoxic effects on cells in both a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Nicotine-induced cytotox icity and accumulation of HO- l were greater in JJ-IOK cells than in HN12 cells Molecular inhibitors of the ERK, p38 MAP kinase, PI3K, and NF-κ B signaling pathways blocked the cytotoxic effects and induction of J-IO-l expression by nicotine. Treatmen t with an t ioxida nts (bil irubin, N-acetyl cysteine) protected cells against nicotine-induced cytotoxicity and blocked the upregula tion of J-IO- l, the effects of which were more pronounced in II-IOK cells than in HN12 cells Collecti vely, these results suggest that J-IO- l plays a principal role in the protective response to nicotine in oral cancel and immortalized keratinocytes. Moreover, the addition of exogenous antioxidants may help to protect oral epithelial cells as chemopreventive agents against nicotine-induced oxidative stress.

We projected the temperature changes in the mid-21st century with Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 and RCP8.5 using the temperature data simulated by four regional climate models (RCMs: WRF, CCLM, MM5, RegCM4) in Korea. The simulation area and spatial resolution of RCMs were the CORDEXEA (COordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment-East Asia) area and 25 km, respectively. We defined the temperature change as the difference (ratio) between the average annual temperature (IAV: Interannual Variation) over the projected 25 years (2026-2050) and that over the present 25 years (1981-2005). The fact that the average annual temperature bias of the four RCMs is within ±2.5°C suggests that the RCM simulation level is reasonable in Korea. Across all RCMs, scenarios, and geographic locations, we observed increased temperatures (IAV) in the mid-21st century. In RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, 1.27°C and 1.57°C will be increased by 2050, respectively. The ensemble suggests that the temperature increase is higher in winter (RCP4.5: 1.36°C, RCP8.5: 1.75°C) than summer (RCP4.5: 1.25°C, RCP8.5: 1.49°C). Central Korea exhibited a higher temperature increase than southern Korea. A slightly larger IAV is expected in the southeastern region than in the Midwest of Korea. IAV is also expected to increase significantly in RCP4.5 (summer) than in RCP8.5 (winter).

In this study, global climate change scenario by Hadley Centre Global Environmental Model version 2-Atmosphere and Ocean (HadGEM2-AO) is dynamically downscaled using four regional climate models (RCMs). All RCMs with 12.5-km and 50-km resolution are integrated for continuous 27 years (1979-2005). In general, RCMs with higher horizontal resolution more reasonably capture the spatial distribution of precipitation over South Korea compared to those with lower resolution. In particular, heavy precipitation regions related to complex mountain ranges are well simulated due to detailed topography in RCMs with higher resolution. Difference between RCMs with dissimilar resolutions is relatively robust in summer compared to other seasons. This could be associated with that higher resolution and detailed topography lead to more realistic simulation of heavy summer precipitation related to mesoscale phenomena.

This study evaluates climate simulations performed over the CORDEX Phase 2 East Asia domain with a Regional Climate Model (RCM), Consortium for Small-scale Modelling (COSMO)- Climate Limited-area Modelling (CLM) (CCLM), driven by the European Centre for Medium- Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) Reanalysis (ERA)-Interim reanalysis. We focus on examining the influence of spectral nudging on East Asian climate simulations by comparing a control simulation to a simulation including spectral nudging. Spatio-temporal climatology of temperature and precipitation is well reproduced by CCLM with distinct regional patterns of systematic biases. Improvement of CCLM performance on East Asian climate simulation is identified when applying a spectral nudging technique. The use of spectral nudging alleviates systematic biases existing on horizontal winds and geopotential heights during summer and winter. Stronger reduction in systematic biases is found at lower troposphere during summer, partly explaining improvement of summer precipitation over the northeast Asia. Bias and RMSE analysis shows considerable improvement occurring in both climatology and inter-annual variability of summer precipitation and winter temperature over South Korea. Results from a Taylor diagram analysis reveal that CCLM reproduces the observed spatial patterns reasonably well for both summer and winter, and that spectral nudging improves spatial pattern simulations of horizontal winds and geopotential height at 850hPa during summer.