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In order to maintain the provision of high-quality ecosystem services in wetlands, it is important to protect the ecosystems through the designation of protected areas. However, the process of designating protected areas can potentially give rise to social conflicts or problems by the acquisition of private lands. As an alternative, the institution of payments for ecosystem services (PES) can be a more viable solution. This study intends to propose reasonable contract standards for PES that consider the preferences of both beneficiaries and providers, which are necessary for the successful introduction of PES in wetland protection areas in Korea. In doing so, we employed choice experiments to estimate the willingness to pay (WTP) and willingness to accept (WTA) of different stakeholders. Our findings indicate that both beneficiaries and providers had a positive perception of PES contract terms. Moreover, the WTP and WTA values were comparable, suggesting that the unit price of PES could be determined within a reasonable range. These results can serve as a foundation for acquiring additional funds required for the introduction of PES in wetland protected areas.

Purpose: South Korea ranked 18th out of the 162 participating countries in the 2019 report on sustainable development goals (SDGs). Among the 17 specified goals, it has the most difficulty in achieving gender equality (SDG 5). This shortcoming is manifested in the lack of studies on gender-sensitive indicators. The study aims to establish the significance of the development of a comprehensive health matrix to concretize the concept of gender-sensitivity which is often considered as abstract.Methods: An integrated analysis of health determinants was conducted through a convergence study involving medical, social and natural sciences. This analysis was based on both literature reviews and focusgroup discussions. The 6 following focal points were chosen based on the SDGs: gender equality, medicine, education, economy, nutrition, and environment. Objective quantitative indicators were then designated to each of the 6 areas and comparatively analyzed for South Korea, North Korea, and the other SDGs countries. Four areas on sexual and reproductive health were also selected.Results: The results indicated that South Korea scored much lower than North Korea and the other SDGs countries in terms of gender equality. It was also behind North Korea in education, although North Korea had a comparatively lower ranking in the rest of the areas. On the other hand, it fared better than the aforementioned countries with respect to environment, nutrition, medicine, and economy.Conclusion: A comprehensive gender-sensitive health matrix was developed to refine the abstract concept of gender-sensitivity through objective quantitative indicators that assess the health status of a country by means of a scoring system. Gender equality was also confirmed as a common and significant component in the disciplines of sexual and reproductive health and comprehensive health.

Memories encoded in the dentate gyrus (DG) – CA3 circuit of the hippocampus are routed from CA1 to anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) for consolidation. Although CA1 parvalbumin inhibitory neurons (PV INs) orchestrate hippocampal-cortical communication, we know less about CA3 PV INs or DG – CA3 principal neuron – IN circuit mechanisms that contribute to evolution of hippocampal-cortical ensembles during memory consolidation. Using viral genetics to selectively mimic and boost an endogenous learning-dependent circuit mechanism, DG cell recruitment of CA3 PV INs and feed-forward inhibition (FFI) in CA3, in combination with longitudinal in vivo calcium imaging, we demonstrate that FFI facilitates formation and maintenance of context-associated neuronal ensembles in CA1. Increasing FFI in DG – CA3 promoted context specificity of neuronal ensembles in ACC over time and enhanced long-term contextual fear memory. In vivo LFP recordings in mice with increased FFI in DG – CA3 identified enhanced CA1 sharp-wave ripple – ACC spindle coupling as a potential network mechanism facilitating memory consolidation. Our findings illuminate how FFI in DG – CA3 dictates evolution of ensemble properties in CA1 and ACC during memory consolidation and suggest a teacher-like function for hippocampal CA1 in stabilization and re-organization of cortical representations.

Protected areas are places that provide diverse ecosystem services, including cultural ecosystem services. At the same time, the development and unbalanced use of natural resources in protected areas often create environmental threats and social conflicts. This study estimates the economic value of environmental consequences derived from the construction of an airport in a national park in Korea. We employ a discrete choice experiment to assess economic values and consider a key part of the tradeoffs derived from the airport construction at Heuksan Island of Dadohae Marine National Park in Korea. The results show that social benefits related to improved accessibility and tourism opportunities would be generated but at substantial costs resulting from environmental degradation and the reduction in bird populations. A segmentation analysis also reveals that heterogeneous preferences exist based on variables reflecting individuals’ visit experiences and trust in the government. The findings indicate that considering environmental impacts is important when evaluating the feasibility of a development project in a protected area.

This work reveals a novel function of WWP1 E3 ligase in the mono-ubiquitination of AMOTL2, which enables the binding and activation of LATS kinases upon contact inhibition., Contact inhibition is a key cellular phenomenon that prevents cells from hyper-proliferating upon reaching confluence. Although not fully characterized, a critical driver of this process is the Hippo signaling pathway, whose downstream effector yes-associated protein plays pivotal roles in cell growth and differentiation. Here, we provide evidence that the E3 ligase WWP1 (WW-domain containing protein 1) mono-ubiquitinates AMOTL2 (angiomotin-like 2) at K347 and K408. Mono-ubiquitinated AMOTL2, in turn, interacts with the kinase LATS2, which facilitates recruitment of the upstream Hippo pathway component SAV1 and ultimately promotes yes-associated protein phosphorylation and subsequent cytoplasmic sequestration and/or degradation. Furthermore, contact inhibition induced by high cell density promoted the localization and stabilization of WWP1 at cell junctions, where it interacted with Crumbs polarity proteins. Notably, the Crumbs complex was functionally important for AMOTL2 mono-ubiquitination and LATS activation under high cell density conditions. These findings delineate a functionally important molecular mechanism in which AMOTL2 mono-ubiquitination by WWP1 at cell junctions and LATS activation are tightly coupled to upstream cell density cues.

The transcriptional co-activator YAP1 oncogene is the downstream effector of the Hippo pathway, which regulates tissue homeostasis, organ size, regeneration, and tumorigenesis. Multiple cancers are dependent on sustained expression of YAP1 for cell proliferation, survival, and tumorigenesis, but the molecular basis of this oncogene dependency is not well understood. To identify genes that can functionally substitute for YAP1, we performed a genome-scale genetic rescue screen in YAP1-dependent colon cancer cells expressing an inducible YAP1-specific shRNA. We found that the transcription factor PRDM14 rescued cell proliferation and tumorigenesis upon YAP1 suppression in YAP1-dependent cells, xenografts, and colon cancer organoids. YAP1 and PRDM14 individually activated the transcription of calmodulin 2 (CALM2) and a glucose transporter SLC2A1 upon YAP1 suppression, and CALM2 or SLC2A1 expression was required for the rescue of YAP1 suppression. Together, these findings implicate PRDM14-mediated transcriptional upregulation of CALM2 and SLC2A1 as key components of oncogenic YAP1 signaling and dependency.

Alterations involving serine-threonine phosphatase PP2A subunits occur in a range of human cancers, and partial loss of PP2A function contributes to cell transformation. Displacement of regulatory B subunits by the SV40 Small T antigen (ST) or mutation/deletion of PP2A subunits alters the abundance and types of PP2A complexes in cells, leading to transformation. Here, we show that ST not only displaces common PP2A B subunits but also promotes A-C subunit interactions with alternative B subunits (B’’’, striatins) that are components of the Striatin-interacting phosphatase and kinase (STRIPAK) complex. We found that STRN4, a member of STRIPAK, is associated with ST and is required for ST-PP2A-induced cell transformation. ST recruitment of STRIPAK facilitates PP2A-mediated dephosphorylation of MAP4K4 and induces cell transformation through the activation of the Hippo pathway effector YAP1. These observations identify an unanticipated role of MAP4K4 in transformation and show that the STRIPAK complex regulates PP2A specificity and activity., eLife digest Cells maintain a fine balance of signals that promote or counter cell growth and division. Two sets of enzymes – called kinases and phosphatases – contribute to this balance. In general, kinases “switch on” other proteins by tagging them with a phosphate molecule. This process is called phosphorylation. Phosphatases, on the other hand, dephosphorylate these proteins, switching them off. Cancer cells often have mutations that activate kinases to drive cancer growth. The same cells can have mutations that inactivate the phosphatases or reduce their abundance. The roles of phosphatases in cancer are still being studied. One major hurdle in this research is that it is not always clear how they recognize the proteins they dephosphorylate. Protein phosphatase 2A (or PP2A for short) is one of the phosphatases that is often mutated or deleted in human cancers. Even just reduced levels of PP2A can promote cancer. Kim, Berrios, Kim, Schade et al. used an experimental trick to decrease the phosphatase activity of PP2A in human cells growing in a dish. Biochemical analysis of these cells showed that, as expected, many proteins were now in their phosphorylated states. Unexpectedly, however, some proteins were dephosphorylated under these conditions. One of these proteins was called MAP4K4. In the case of MAP4K4, the dephosphorylated state contributes to the growth of the cancer cell. Kim et al. carried out further genetic and biochemical experiments to show that, in these cells, PP2A and MAP4K4 stay physically connected to one another. This connection was enabled by a group of proteins called the STRIPAK complex. The STRIPAK proteins directed the remaining PP2A towards MAP4K4. Low levels or activity of PP2A could, therefore, promote cancer in a different way. Taken together, PP2A is not a single phosphatase that always turns proteins off, but rather is a dual switch that turns off some proteins while turning on others. Future experiments will explore to what extent these findings also apply in tumors. Information about how mutations in PP2A affect human cancers could suggest new targets for cancer drugs.

Alterations involving serine-threonine phosphatase PP2A subunits occur in a range of human cancers and partial loss of PP2A function contributes to cell transformation. Displacement of regulatory B subunits by the SV40 Small T antigen (ST) or mutation/deletion of PP2A subunits alters the abundance and types of PP2A complexes in cells, leading to transformation. Here we show that ST not only displaces common PP2A B subunits but also promotes A-C subunit interactions with alternative B subunits (B’’’, striatins) that are components of the Striatin-interacting phosphatase and kinase (STRIPAK) complex. We found that STRN4, a member of STRIPAK, is associated with ST and is required for ST-PP2A-induced cell transformation. ST recruitment of STRIPAK facilitates PP2A-mediated dephosphorylation of MAP4K4 and induces cell transformation through the activation of the Hippo pathway effector YAP1. These observations identify an unanticipated role of MAP4K4 in transformation and show that the STRIPAK complex regulates PP2A specificity and activity.

Delivery of biofactors in a precise and controlled fashion remains a clinical challenge. Stimuli-responsive delivery systems can facilitate 'on-demand' release of therapeutics in response to a variety of physiologic triggering mechanisms (e.g. pH, temperature). However, few systems to date have taken advantage of mechanical inputs from the microenvironment to initiate drug release. Here, we developed mechanically-activated microcapsules (MAMCs) that are designed to deliver therapeutics in an on-demand fashion in response to the mechanically loaded environment of regenerating musculoskeletal tissues, with the ultimate goal of furthering tissue repair. To establish a suite of microcapsules with different thresholds for mechano-activation, we first manipulated MAMC physical dimensions and composition, and evaluated their mechano-response under both direct 2D compression and in 3D matrices mimicking the extracellular matrix properties and dynamic loading environment of regenerating tissue. To demonstrate the feasibility of this delivery system, we used an engineered cartilage model to test the efficacy of mechanically-instigated release of TGF-β3 on the chondrogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells. These data establish a novel platform by which to tune the release of therapeutics and/or regenerative factors based on the physiologic dynamic mechanical loading environment, and will find widespread application in the repair and regeneration of numerous musculoskeletal tissues.

Polyelectrolyte microcapsules represent a versatile platform to encapsulate and release active ingredients. Understanding the effect of environmental conditions on the mechanical properties of microcapsules is critically important for enabling their applications under various settings. In this report, we investigate the effect of solution pH on the mechanical properties of polyelectrolyte microcapsules made of two weak polyelectrolytes (poly(acrylic acid) and branched poly(ethylenimine)), formed via recently introduced nanoscale interfacial complexation in emulsion (NICE). Interestingly, the stiffness of the NICE microcapsule shell is reduced significantly (by 2 orders of magnitude) when the solution pH is raised from 2 to 6 even though there is little change in the size of microcapsules. These seemingly counterintuitive results suggest that the molecular structure of NICE microcapsules may be different from those of conventional polyelectrolyte microcapsules. The possibility of tuning the shell stiffness without inducing significant changes in the microcapsule size could offer unique advantages in practical applications.

LATS1/2 (large tumor suppressor) kinases and the Angiomotin family proteins are potent inhibitors of the YAP (yes-associated protein) oncoprotein, but the underlying molecular mechanism is not fully understood. Here, we report for the first time that USP9X is a deubiquitinase of Angiomotin-like 2 (AMOTL2) and that AMOTL2 mono-ubiquitination is required for YAP inhibition. USP9X knockdown increased the LATS-mediated phosphorylation of YAP and decreased the transcriptional output of YAP. Conversely, over-expression of USP9X reactivated YAP in densely cultured cells. Both genetic and biochemical approaches identified AMOTL2 as a target of USP9X. AMOTL2 was found to be ubiquitinated at K347 and K408, which both reside in the protein's coiled-coil domain. The AMOTL2 K347/408R mutant, which cannot be ubiquitinated, was impaired in its ability to inhibit YAP. Furthermore, ubiquitinated AMOTL2 can bind to the UBA domain of LATS kinase, and this domain is required for the function of LATS. Our results provide novel insights into the activation mechanisms of core Hippo pathway components.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to present a model of WHO Health Promoting School easily applicable to small-sized schools in rural areas. Methods: The study analyzed data of 11 small-sized schools in rural areas selected from 85 health promoting schools, an initiative led by the Ministry of Education from 2012 to 2014. Results: Through the analysis, the study found out the operation process of health promoting schools consists of five stages: system development, needs survey & survey on current status, school health policy development, program development & execution, and evaluation. In addition, the study was able to discover three key factors in operating health promoting schools: connection with curriculum, connection with community, and consensus among members. While it turned out the schools were following operation manuals faithfully, the biggest problem with operation was that the stages of needs survey, priority setting, and core task development were not closely coordinated. Conclusion: Although the model suggested in the study fails to reflect the characteristics of small-sized schools in rural areas, it is close to a universal model which could serve as a guideline when regular schools adopt the system of health promoting schools.

Polyelectrolyte microcapsules represent versatile stimuli-responsive structures that enable the encapsulation, protection, and release of active agents. Their conventional preparation methods, however, tend to be time-consuming, yield low encapsulation efficiency, and seldom allow for the dual incorporation of hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials, limiting their widespread utilization. In this work, we present a method to fabricate stimuli-responsive polyelectrolyte microcapsules in one step based on nanoscale interfacial complexation in emulsions (NICE) followed by spontaneous droplet hatching. NICE microcapsules can incorporate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials and also can be induced to trigger the release of encapsulated materials by changes in the solution pH or ionic strength. We also show that NICE microcapsules can be functionalized with nanomaterials to exhibit useful functionality, such as response to a magnetic field and disassembly in response to light. NICE represents a potentially transformative method to prepare multifunctional nanoengineered polyelectrolyte microcapsules for various applications such as drug delivery and cell mimicry.

An enzyme-mimetic nanoparticle-based point of care bioassay device is developed for rapid and sensitive detection of analytes. Digital images acquired by smart cellular phones allow quantifying the amounts of analytes. Using this new device, quantitative analysis of liquid sample is performed within 15 min with an order of magnitude enhancement of sensitivity compared with conventional Au nanoparticle-based devices.

Intrinsic resistance and RTK-RAS-MAPK pathway reactivation has limited the effectiveness of MEK and RAF inhibitors (MAPKi) in RAS- and RAF-mutant cancers. To identify genes that modulate sensitivity to MAPKi, we performed genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 loss-of-function screens in two KRAS mutant pancreatic cancer cell lines treated with the MEK1/2 inhibitor trametinib. Loss of CIC, a transcriptional repressor of ETV1, ETV4, and ETV5, promoted survival in the setting of MAPKi in cancer cells derived from several lineages. ATXN1L deletion, which reduces CIC protein, or ectopic expression of ETV1, ETV4, or ETV5 also modulated sensitivity to trametinib. ATXN1L expression inversely correlates with response to MAPKi inhibition in clinical studies. These observations identify the ATXN1L-CIC-ETS transcription factor axis as a mediator of resistance to MAPKi.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate effectiveness in foreign Health Promoting School through a systematic review. Methods: To perform a systematic literature survey, the researcher searched two database (PubMed and Springer Link) for literature relevant to 'health promoting schools' (published up to April 2013 from 2004). The key words used for the search were "effectiveness", "evaluation" and "health promoting school". five evaluations in this review were selected in the peer reviewed. Results: 1. The areas of standardized assessments were dealing with school health policy, physical environment, psycho social environment, community participation, Literacy on health, personal hygienic skills, academic achievement, self report ed health status, and mental health. 2. There was evi-dence that the health promoting school has some positive influence on various domains of assessment. Conclusion: This systematic review provides evidence concerning the effectiveness of the health promoting school.

Recent studies have shown that polymersomes templated by microfluidic double-emulsion possess several advantages such as high monodispersity and encapsulation efficiency compared with those generated based on thin-film rehydration and electroformation. Stabilizers, including bovine serum albumin (BSA) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), have been used to enhance the formation and stability of double emulsions that are used as templates for the generation of polymersomes. In this work, the effect of stabilizers on the mechanical response of double-emulsion-templated polymersomes using micropipette aspiration is investigated. It is demonstrated that the existence of stabilizers results in the inelastic response in poly-mersomes in the early stage of solvent removal. However, aged polymersomes that have little residual solvent show elastic behavior. Polymersomes prepared from PVA-stabilized double emulsions have noticeably lower area expansion moduli than polymersomes prepared from stabilizer-free and BSA-stabilized double emulsions, suggesting that PVA is incorporated in the bilayer membrane of polymersomes.

Actin cytoskeletal damage induces inactivation of the oncoprotein YAP (Yes-associated protein). It is known that the serine/threonine kinase LATS (large tumour suppressor) inactivates YAP by phosphorylating its Ser127 and Ser381 residues. However, the events downstream of actin cytoskeletal changes that are involved in the regulation of the LATS–YAP pathway and the mechanism by which LATS differentially phosphorylates YAP on Ser127 and Ser381 in vivo have remained elusive. Here, we show that cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase (PKA) phosphorylates LATS and thereby enhances its activity sufficiently to phosphorylate YAP on Ser381. We also found that PKA activity is involved in all contexts previously reported to trigger the LATS–YAP pathway, including actin cytoskeletal damage, G-protein-coupled receptor activation, and engagement of the Hippo pathway. Inhibition of PKA and overexpression of YAP cooperate to transform normal cells and amplify neural progenitor pools in developing chick embryos. We also implicate neurofibromin 2 as an AKAP (A-kinase-anchoring protein) scaffold protein that facilitates the function of the cAMP/PKA–LATS–YAP pathway. Our study thus incorporates PKA as novel component of the Hippo pathway.

Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), which is induced by insufficient production of surfactant, is the leading cause of mortality in preterm babies. Although several transcription factors are known to be involved in surfactant protein expression, the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways upstream of these transcription factors have remained elusive. Here, using mammalian Hippo kinases (Mst1/2, mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1/2) conditional knockout mice, we demonstrate that Mst1/2 kinases are critical for orchestration of transcription factors involved in surfactant protein homeostasis and prevention of RDS. Mice lacking Mst1/2 in the respiratory epithelium exhibited perinatal mortality with respiratory failure and their lungs contained fewer type I pneumocytes and more immature type II pneumocytes lacking microvilli, lamellar bodies, and surfactant protein expression, pointing to peripheral lung immaturity and RDS. In contrast to previous findings of YAP (Yes-associated protein)-mediated canonical Hippo signaling in the liver and intestine, loss of Mst1/2 kinases induced the defects in pneumocyte differentiation independently of YAP hyperactivity. We instead found that Mst1/2 kinases stabilized and phosphorylated the transcription factor Foxa2 (forkhead box A2), which regulates pneumocyte maturation and surfactant protein expression. Taken together, our results suggest that the mammalian Hippo kinases play crucial roles in surfactant homeostasis and coordination of peripheral lung differentiation through regulation of Foxa2 rather than of YAP.

Multi-cellular cluster formation of natural killer (NK) cells occurs during in vivo priming and potentiates their activation to IL-2. However, the precise mechanism underlying this synergy within NK cell clusters remains unclear. We employed lymphocyte-laden microwell technologies to modulate contact-mediated multi-cellular interactions among activating NK cells and to quantitatively assess the molecular events occurring in multi-cellular clusters of NK cells. NK cells in social microwells, which allow cell-to-cell contact, exhibited significantly higher levels of IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) signaling compared with those in lonesome microwells, which prevent intercellular contact. Further, CD25, an IL-2R α chain, and lytic granules of NK cells in social microwells were polarized toward MTOC. Live cell imaging of lytic granules revealed their dynamic and prolonged polarization toward neighboring NK cells without degranulation. These results suggest that IL-2 bound on CD25 of one NK cells triggered IL-2 signaling of neighboring NK cells. These results were further corroborated by findings that CD25-KO NK cells exhibited lower proliferation than WT NK cells, and when mixed with WT NK cells, underwent significantly higher level of proliferation. These data highlights the existence of IL-2 trans-presentation between NK cells in the local microenvironment where the availability of IL-2 is limited.

Solitary perturbations (SPs) localized both poloidally and radially are detected within ~100 μs before the partial collapse of the high pressure gradient boundary region (called pedestal) of magnetized toroidal plasma in the KSTAR tokamak device. The SP develops with a low toroidal mode number (typically unity) in the pedestal ingrained with quasi-stable edge-localized mode (QSM) which commonly appears during the inter-collapse period. The SPs have smaller mode pitch and different (often opposite) rotation velocity compared to the QSMs. Similar solitary perturbations are also frequently observed before the onset of complete pedestal collapse, suggesting a strong connection between the SP generation and the pedestal collapse.

Aim: To develop a stimulus-responsive material platform capable of releasing entrapped molecules in response to near infrared (NIR) light. Materials & methods: Gold nanorods were mixed with hyaluronic acid derivatives modified with β-cyclodextrin or adamantane to create a NIR-responsive hydrogel-nanorod composite. Microfluidics were used to create responsive microgels and NIR-triggered release was evaluated. Results & discussion: The hydrogel-nanorod composite material exhibited a rapid response to NIR-irradiation, allowing enhanced release of encapsulated payloads with material heating and network disruption. The release was dependent on the entrapped molecule size, the NIR exposure time and the light intensity. Conclusion: NIR irradiation of hydrogel-nanorods leads to plasmonic heating and triggered release of encapsulated molecules, a system that has potential for light-triggered release of therapeutics.

A novel cell isolation and release platform using electrospun polystyrene-poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) (PS-PSMA) nanofibers is presented. Ethanol treatment of PS-PSMA nanofibers, employed for the purpose of sterilization, significantly increases their inter-fiber space for both antibody conjugation and subsequent cell separation. For the selective isolation of CD4+ T cells from heterogeneous mixtures of mouse lymph nodes, capture efficiencies of up to 100% are achieved while maintaining cellular integrity and viability. Once captured, CD4+ T lymphocytes can also be released from the NF scaffolds, further demonstrating its potential functionality as an immune cell-supporting and releasing matrix. This is the first demonstration of lymphocyte-culture scaffolds enabling selective isolation, accommodation, and sustained release of CD4+ T cells for the purpose of cell therapies.

This study aimed to identify any distinction between first-time and repeat convention attendees based on their perspectives of convention quality dimensions, multidimensional value, and behavioral intentions. The findings showed that accessibility and extra convention opportunities were not found to affect multidimensional value from first-timers and repeaters. First-timers valued professional education the most, followed by social networking and site environment in evaluating multidimensional value. Repeaters relied on social networking more than on education in assessing value. Site environment positively contributed to multidimensional value for first-timers but not for repeaters. Multidimensional value affected behavioral intentions more positively for repeaters than for first-timers. These findings will enable convention organizers to better understand the distinctions between the two groups and thus gain insight into how to attract first-timers and turn them into repeaters.

A Korean TV drama series (Daejanggeum), with a story line focusing on Korean food, was exported to over 50 countries resulting in a surprisingly popular mega-hit. The popularity of this TV drama, transcended across countries and cultural boundaries, has brought an enhancement to the national image of Korea or national brand, and led to a surge in sales of Korean industrial products, as well as an increased interest in Korean tourism resources. This study attempted to empirically investigate the effects of the TV drama series on the national image and intention to visit Korea as perceived by Chinese diners. Interestingly, the “peculiarity of Korean culture” was a main reason for preferring Korean cuisine, which positively affected the perception of the national image and the intention to visit Korea to partake in food tourism. Further, this study suggests that future studies are needed to compare the results of this research according to national, ethnic, regional, or religious boundaries. The com...

SUMMARY Recent studies have shown that stromal cell derived factor-1 (SDF-1), first known as a cytokine involved in recruiting stem cells into injured organs, confers myocardial protection in myocardial infarction, which is not dependent on stem cell recruitment but related with modulation of ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, the effect of SDF has been studied only in a preischemic exposure model, which is not clinically relevant if SDF is to be used as a therapeutic agent. Our study was aimed at evaluating whether or not SDF-1 confers cardioprotection during the reperfusion period. Hearts from SD rats were isolated and perfused with the Langendorff system. Proximal left coronary artery ligation, reperfusion, and SDF perfusion in KH buffer was done according to study protocol. Area of necrosis (AN) relative to area at risk (AR) was the primary endpoint of the study. Significant reduction of AN/AR by SDF in an almost dose-dependent manner was noted during both the preischemic exposure and reperfusion periods. In particular, infusion of a high concentration of SDF (25 nM/L) resulted in a dramatic reduction of infarct size, which was greater than that achieved with ischemic pre- or postconditioning. SDF perfusion during reperfusion was associated with a similar significant reduction of infarct size as preischemic SDF exposure. Further studies are warranted to assess the potential of SDF as a therapeutic agent for reducing I/R injury in clinical practice.

Cell-cell cooperativity in populations of motile and transiently interacting immune cells has been difficult to assess in the absence of tools to control proximity and communication. Here, we describe the generation of cell-laden microwells that can precisely control contact-mediated interactions and multicellular 'quorum' decisions in lymphocytes. Different types of fate decisions for activating T cells can be shown to variously obey 'binary' or 'density' outcomes, correlated with cell-cell contact, using this new platform.

Geotourism is one among many types of ecotourism or nature tourism. Cave tourism within geotourism has gained popularity in Korea. The study's objectives include cave tourists' characteristics, segmenting them according to motivation factors, and finally identifying who they are. The sample population for this research consisted of tourists who have visited the Hwansun Cave in Samchuk City. Among a total of 547 questionnaires distributed, 537 questionnaires were used for further data analyses. On the basis of cluster analysis using the motivation factors, cluster 1 was named an “escape-seeking group”, cluster 2 was termed a “knowledge- and novelty-seeking group”, cluster 3 was called a “novelty-seeking group” and cluster 4 was termed a “socialization group”. Differences in socio-demographic variables, beliefs about cave tourism resources, preferred cave tourism products, satisfaction with this tour, willingness to participate in another cave tour and belief in the value of cave tourism resources were foun...