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BackgroundThe division of the Korean peninsula involved many neighbouring countries in the Korean War. The relations with those countries have since been reorganised due to active exchange. This study examined how the quantity and quality of contact with traditional alliance (US and Japan) and strategic partner (China and Russia) countries affected their national images.MethodsTo this end, this study analyzed the relation with the national image by measuring the quantity and quality of contact of an individual with each country. The quantity of contact included an evaluation of the individual's subjective amount of contact, contact path, and contact status, and the quality of contact was measured as an evaluation for the pleasure, competitiveness, intimacy, spontaneity, and necessity when contacting each country's culture. A total of 387 participants were divided into two groups based on the presence of direct contact and the quantity and quality of their contact and national images were examined. The participants were followed by a completion of the self-questionnaires including the Culture Experience Questionnaire, National Image Questionnaire, and demographic information questionnaire.ResultsThe results of this study are as follow: first, regardless of the type of country, the national image was highly correlated with the degree of subjective contact evaluated by individuals, but there was a weak tendency with contact quality. Second, there was no significant interaction between the country type and contact status for national image, however, different national images for each country were detected. In other word, for contact quantity, contact groups showed more positive national images compared to non-contact groups in Russia, but not Japan, China, and the US. For contact quality, the positive contact experience group showed more positive national images compared to the negative contact experience group, but only in traditional alliance countries.ConclusionThis study highlights the importance of implementing different strategies for countries to maintain peaceful international relations.

Background: Increases in the average global temperature cause heat stress–induced disorders by disrupting homeostasis. Excessive heat stress triggers an imbalance in the immune system; thus protection against heat stress is important to maintain immune homeostasis. Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) has been used as a herbal medicine and displays beneficial biological properties. Methods: We investigated the protective effects of Korean ginseng extracts (KGEs) against heat stress in a rat model. Following acclimatization for 1 week, rats were housed at room temperature for 2 weeks and then exposed to heat stress (40°C/2 h/day) for 4 weeks. Rats were treated with three KGEs from the beginning of the second week to the end of the experiment. Results: Heat stress dramatically increased secretion of inflammatory factors, and this was significantly reduced in the KGE-treated groups. Levels of inflammatory factors such as heat shock protein 70, interleukin 6, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were increased in the spleen and muscle upon heat stress. KGEs inhibited these increases by down-regulating heat shock protein 70 and the associated nuclear factor-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways. Consequently, KGEs suppressed activation of T-cells and B-cells. Conclusion: KGEs suppress the immune response upon heat stress and decrease the production of inflammatory cytokines in muscle and spleen. We suggest that KGEs protect against heat stress by inhibiting inflammation and maintaining immune homeostasis. Keywords: Heat stress, Immune response, Inflammation, Korean ginseng extracts, Sprague Dawley rats

Our results suggested that thermal stress can lead to activation of hippocampal cell damage and reduction of memory-associated molecules in HT22 cells. These findings also provide a part of molecular rationale for the role of ginsenoside Rg5 as a potent cognitive impairment preventive compound in blocking the initiation of hippocampal damage. Keywords: cognitive impairment, Ginsenoside Rg5, HT22, neuroprotection, thermal stress

Pterostilbene (Ptero), a major active compound of blue berries, is a natural antioxidant phytochemical which has a strong potential for cancer prevention and intervention. However, it has not been shown the detailed anti-cancer mechanism of action for Ptero which has not fully elucidated. In present study, we report that Ptero treatment in human colon cancer cells inhibits the cell cycle via the suppression of Cyclin D1 expression. This inhibition of Cyclin D1 was associated with changes in the TCF4 expression and activation of PARP cleavage. The induction of apoptotic cells by Ptero was observed by Hoechst staining. We also observed that Ptero promotes to delay S phase into G2/M phase cell cycle transition in colon cancer cells. Analysis of the gene expression profiles by western blotting revealed that Ptero increased the expression of GRP78 protein related to the unfolded protein response. This induction was associated with the activation of the eIF2α–ATF3 cascade of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Moreover, our result showed that p38MAPK is essential factor for Ptero-induced ATF3 expression. The current study shows that Ptero stimulates GPR78–eIF2α–ATF3 cascade and subsequently induces apoptosis. Our results therefore provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of Ptero-induced cell death in human colon cancer cells and suggest Ptero might be a potential chemotherapeutic agent which is able to intervene and prevent the human colon cancer.

This study explores the relationship between financial firms' environmental, social, and governance (ESG) activities and their financial stability measured by Altman's Z-score. Based on a dataset of listed financial institutions in Korea, our results indicate a positive association between stability and ESG activities. Overall ESG scores and those for the individual environmental, social, and governance pillars potentially enhance financial stability. The environmental pillar plays the most significant role in improving the stability of financial firms. The positive association between ESG activities and financial firms' stability is also seen in nonbanking sectors.