• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.121-137
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• 2008

We present optical and near-infrared imaging and long-slit spectroscopy for the blue compact dwarf galaxy (BCD) Mrk 49 in the Virgo Cluster. The surface brightness distribution analysis shows that Mrk 49 consists of an off-centered blue bright compact core of r = 10" and a red faint outer exponential envelope. The $H_{\alpha}$ image and color difference suggest that these two components have different stellar populations: a high surface brightness population of massive young stars and an underlying low surface brightness population of older stars. The redder near-infrared colors of the inner most region suggest that the near-infrared flux of Mrk 49 originates from evolved massive stars associated with the current star-forming activity. The total apparent magnitude is $B_T\;=\;14.32$ mag and the mean effective surface brightness is ${\mu}_{eff}(B)\;=\;21.56$ mag $arcsec^{-2}$. Long-slit spectroscopy shows that Mrk 49 rotates apparently as a solid body within r = 10" in a plane at position angle 55 degrees with an amplitude of about $20\;km\;sec^{-1}$. The measured radial velocity of Mrk 49 was derived as $1,535\;km\;sec^{-1}$; and the total mass of stars and gases is in the range of 3 to $6\;{\times}\;10^9\;M_{\odot}$. The mass-to-light ratios for the central region of Mrk 49 in I and B band are estimated 1.0 and 0.5, respectively. The upper limit of the dark matter to visible matter ratio seems to be < 5. The oxygen abundance is $12\;+\;\log(O/H)\;=\;8.21\;{\pm}\; 0.1$ which is about one quarter of the solar value while the relative helium abundance appears to be similar to that of the sun.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.4277-4283
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• 2015

Anthocyanin, a phenolic compound, has been reported to have an anti-inflammatory effect against lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced changes in immune cells. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying its anti-inflammatory effects. Few research studies have concerned the anti-inflammation properties of colored rice extract as a functional material. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine anti-inflammatory effects of the polar fraction of black rice whole grain extracts (BR-WG-P) that features a high anthocyanin content. Our results showed that BR-WG-P significantly inhibited LPS-induced pro-inflammatory mediators, including production of NO and expression of iNOS and COX-2. In addition, secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines including TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-6 was also significantly inhibited. Moreover, BR-WG-P and anthocyanin inhibited NF-kB and AP-1 translocation into the nucleus. BR-WG-P also decreased the phosphorylation of ERK, p38 and JNK in a dose dependent manner. These results suggested that BR-WG-P might suppress LPS-induced inflammation via the inhibition of the MAPK signaling pathway leading to decrease of NF-kB and AP-1 translocation. All of these results indicate that BR-WG-P exhibits therapeutic potential associated with the anthocyanin content in the extract for treating inflammatory diseases associated with cancer.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.313-323
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• 2007

Purpose: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with cardiovascular disease in Korea has rarely been studied, mostly due to the lack of a psychometrically validated disease-specific instrument. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a cardiovascular specific-HRQOL questionnaire (CD-QOL). Method: The CD-QOL was developed and validated as follows; item generation, pilot study, and psychometric tests. Patients were recruited from three-university hospitals. The patients were asked to complete the preliminary questionnaire comprising the content-validated items, SF-36, and CES-D. The NYHA and KASI classifications were used to classify the functional performance of the patients. The data was analyzed using correlation, factor analysis, multidimensional scaling, multitrait/multi-item matrix, ANOVA, and Cronbach's alpha. Result: Preliminarily, thirty-nine items were generated. Factor analysisextracted a five-factor solution with a total of twenty-two items. One item was deleted based upon the MDS. The remaining items were moderately correlated with the subscales of the SF-36 and associated with depression measured with the CES-D. The mean scores of patients in NYHA and KASI class I were significantly higher than those in NYHA and KASI class II or/and III, which suggested patients with better functional performance were likely to have a better HRQOL. Cronbach's alphas of the total and subscales were all greater than 0.70. Conclusion: The CD-QOL is a easily applicable instrument with excellent psychometric properties of content, criterion, factorial, convergent, and known-groups validity, and internal consistency reliability in Korean patients with cardiovascular disease.

• Bulletin of the Korean Mathematical Society
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.465-479
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• 2012

For $0<p{\leq}{\infty}$ and a convex body $K$ in $\mathbb{R}^n$, Lutwak, Yang and Zhang defined the concept of dual $L_p$-centroid body ${\Gamma}_{-p}K$ and $L_p$-John ellipsoid $E_pK$. In this paper, we prove the following two results: (i) For any origin-symmetric convex body $K$, there exist an ellipsoid $E$ and a parallelotope $P$ such that for $1{\leq}p{\leq}2$ and $0<q{\leq}{\infty}$, $E_qE{\supseteq}{\Gamma}_{-p}K{\supseteq}(nc_{n-2,p})^{-\frac{1}{p}}E_qP$ and $V(E)=V(K)=V(P)$; For $2{\leq}p{\leq}{\infty}$ and $0<q{\leq}{\infty}$, $2^{-1}{\omega_n}^{\frac{1}{n}}E_qE{\subseteq}{\Gamma}_{-p}K{\subseteq}{2\omega_n}^{-\frac{1}{n}}(nc_{n-2,p})^{-\frac{1}{p}}E_qP$ and $V(E)=V(K)=V(P)$. (ii) For any convex body $K$ whose John point is at the origin, there exists a simplex $T$ such that for $1{\leq}p{\leq}{\infty}$ and $0<q{\leq}{\infty}$, ${\alpha}n(nc_{n-2,p})^{-\frac{1}{p}}E_qT{\supseteq}{\Gamma}_{-p}K{\supseteq}(nc_{n-2,p})^{-\frac{1}{p}}E_qT$ and $V(K)=V(T)$.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.307-310
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• 2008

AAD16034 is an alginate lyase from Pseudoalteromonas sp. IAM14594. A very close homologue with known 3D structure exists (marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas sp. strain no. 272). A three-dimensional structure of AAD16034 was generated based on this template (PDB code: 1J1T) by comparative modeling. The modeled enzyme exhibited a jelly-roll like structure very similar to its template structure. Both enzymes possess the characteristic alginate sequence YFKhG+Y-Q. Since AAD16034 displays enzymatic activity for poly-M alginate, docking of a tri-mannuronate into the modeled structure was performed. Two separate and adjacent binding sites were found. The ligand was accommodated inside each binding site. By considering both binding sites, a plausible binding pose for the poly-M alginate polymer could be deduced. From the modeled docking pose (i.e., the most important factor that attracts alginate polymer into this lyase) the most likely interaction was electrostatic. In accordance with a previous report, the hydroxyl group of Y345 was positioned close to the ${\alpha}$-hydrogen of ${\beta}$-mannuronate, which was suitable to initiate a ${\beta}$-elimination reaction. K347 was also very near to the carboxylatemoiety of the ligand, which might stabilize the dianion intermediate during the ${\beta}$-elimination reaction. This implies that the characteristic alginate sequence is absolutely crucial for the catalysis. These results may be exploited in the design of novel enzymes with desired properties.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.217-224
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• 2004

Previously, we reported that water-extracted Acanthopanax senticasus exhibited anti-meta-static activity by stimulating the immune system. In this study, we fractionated glycoproteins (EN-SP) from the soluble protein layer (GF-AS) of A. senticasus and determined their basic chemical properties. We also investigated the anti-tumor and immunostimulating activities of the fractionated glycoprotein, EN-SP. We found that intravenous (i.v.) administration of GF-AS dramatically inhibited metastasis of colon26-M3.1 carcinoma cells to the lung in a dose-dependent manner. In vitro analysis showed GF-AS to enhance the proliferation of splenocytes. GF-AS also stimulated peritoneal macrophage, which was followed by the production of various cytokines such as IL-1$\beta$, TNF-$\alpha$, IL-12 and IFN-${\gamma}$. Furthermore, the production of these cytokines was partially blocked when peritoneal macrophage was cultured with the polyclonal antibodies against GF-AS. The depletion of NK cells by rabbit anti-asialo GM1 serum partly abolished the inhibitory effect of GF-AS on lung metastasis of colon26-M3.1 cells. Using gel filtration, EN-SP, an active glycoprotein fraction, is isolated from GF-AS. While both GF-AS and EN-SP stimulated the proliferatation of splenocytes of normal mice, EN-SP showed higher anti-metastatic activity and more potently stimulated the proliferation of splenocytes compared to GF-AS. These results suggest the use of EN-SP, the fractionated glycoprotein from A. senticasus, can be used as a therapeutical reagent to prevent or inhibit tumor metastasis.

• BMB Reports
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.409-414
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• 2019

Natural compounds isolated from medicinal herbs and plants have immense significance in maintaining bone health. Hydrolysable tannins have been shown to possess a variety of medicinal properties including antiviral, anticancer, and anti-osteoclastogenic activities. As a part of a study on the discovery of alternative agent against skeletal diseases, we isolated a hydrolysable tannin, 2-O-digalloyl-1,3,4,6-tetra-O-galloyl-${\beta}$-D-glucose (DTOGG), from Galla Rhois and examined the effect on osteoclast formation and function. We found that DTOGG significantly inhibited receptor activator of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast differentiation by downregulating the expression of the key regulator in osteoclastogenesis as well as osteoclast-related genes. Analysis of RANKL/RANK signaling revealed that DTOGG impaired activation of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ and p65 in the nuclear factor kappa-lightchain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-${\kappa}B$) signaling pathway. Furthermore, DTOGG reduced bone resorbing activity of osteoclasts, compared to the vehicle-treated control. These results suggest that DTOGG could be a useful natural compound to manage osteoclast-mediated skeletal diseases.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.820-826
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• 2019

This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory potential of a grasshopper ketone (GK) isolated from the brown alga Sargassum fulvellum on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cell line. GK was isolated and purified from the n-hexane fraction and its structure was verified on the basis of NMR spectroscopic data. GK up to $100{\mu}g/ml$ is not cytotoxic to RAW 264.7, and is an effective inhibitor of LPS-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 cells. The production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, $IL-1{\beta}$, and $TNF-{\alpha}$ was found significantly reduced in $0.1-100{\mu}g/ml$ dose ranges of GK treatment (p < 0.05). We confirmed the dose-dependent and significant inhibition of iNOS and COX-2 proteins expression. In addition, it has been shown that GK induces anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting MAPKs (ERK, JNK, and p38) and $NF-{\kappa}B$ p65 phosphorylation. Our results show that the anti-inflammatory properties of GK may be due to the inhibition of the $NF-{\kappa}B$ and MAPKs pathways, which are associated with the attenuation of cytokine secretion.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.6.1-6.10
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• 2019

Background: This study is aimed at identifying the anti-inflammatory properties of 70% ethanol extract produced from an edible brown seaweed Sargassum horneri (SJB-SHE) with industrial-scale production by Seojin Biotech Co. Ltd. S. horneri is a rich source of nutrient and abundantly growing along the shores of Jeju, South Korea. Methods: Here, we investigated the effect of SJB-SHE on LPS-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages. The cytotoxicity and NO production of SJB-SHE were evaluated using MTT and Griess assays, respectively. Additionally, protein expression and gene expression levels were quantified using ELISA, Western blots, and RT-qPCR. Results: Our results indicated that pre-treatment of RAW 264.7 macrophages with SJB-SHE significantly inhibited LPS-induced NO and $PGE_2$ production. SJB-SHE downregulated the proteins and genes expression of LPS-induced iNOS and COX2. Additionally, SJB-SHE downregulated LPS-induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-$1{\beta}$). Furthermore, SJB-SHE inhibited nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-${\kappa}B$) activation and translocation to the nucleus. SJB-SHE also suppressed the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (ERK1/2 and JNK). Conclusions: Collectively, our results demonstrated that SJB-SHE has a potential anti-inflammatory property to use as a functional food ingredient in the future.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.16-24
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• 2021

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome P-encoded protein HBV DNA polymerase (Pol) has long been known as a reverse transcriptase during HBV replication. In this study, we investigated the impact of HBV Pol on host cellular processes, mainly apoptosis, and the underlying mechanisms. We showed a marked reduction in apoptotic rates in the HBV Pol-expressed HepG2 cells compared to controls. Moreover, a series of assays, i.e., yeast two-hybrid, GST pull-down, co-immunoprecipitation, and confocal laser scanning microscopy, identified the host factor eEF1A2 to be associated with HBV Pol. Furthermore, knockdown of eEF1A2 gene by siRNA abrogated the HBV Pol-mediated anti-apoptotic effect with apoptosis induced by endoplasmatic reticulum (ER) stress-inducer thapsigargin (TG), thus suggesting that the host factor eEF1A2 is essential for HBV Pol's anti-apoptosis properties. Our findings have revealed a novel role for HBV Pol in its modulation of apoptosis through integrating with eEF1A2.