• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.16-22
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• 2003

Purpose : Minimal Change Disease(MCD) is the most common primary nephrotic syndrome in children. Some suggested that tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$) are involved in the pathogenesis of MCD. This study was done to see the changes of plasma and urinary $TNF-{\alpha}$, and their effects on the permeability of glomerular basement membrane. Methods : Study patients consisted of 19 biopsy-proven MCD children aged 2-15 years old. Both plasma and urinary $TNF-{\alpha}$ were measured. Employing the Millicell system, $TNF-{\alpha}$ were screened for the permeability factors. Results : Urinary $TNF-{\alpha}$ during relapse was significantly increased(P<0.01). No significant change was seen in the plasma $TNF-{\alpha}$ during relapse when compared to those in remission and the healthy controls. Furthermore, in the in vitro Millicell system, $TNF-{\alpha}$ did not produce a significant change in albumin permeability. Conclusion : Therefore, it seems that $TNF-{\alpha}$ may not play a disease-specific role in the pathogenesis of MCD.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.308-316
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• 2010

Odontoblasts are anchorage dependent cells adhering to a substrate via cell adhesive molecules. Receptor ligands such as integrins bind to these proteins and are known to function as signal transduction molecules in a series of critical recognition events of cell-substratum. The aim of this study is to examine the interaction of odontoblast (MDPC-23 cell) with type I Col and the effect of TGF-${\beta}1$ and TNF-$\alpha$ on the expression of cell adhesion molecules. In this study, MDPC-23 cells adhered to type I Col dose-dependently. Immunofluorescence data demonstrated that integrin ${\alpha}1$, ${\alpha}2$ and CD44 were expressed on cell surface, and FAK and paxillin were localized in focal adhesion plaques in MDPC-23 cells adhesion to Col. Cytokine TGF-${\beta}1$ increased the adhesion of MDPC-23 cells to Col and the expression level of integrin ${\alpha}1$, 4{\alpha}2$ and chondroitin sulfate on MDPC-23 cells. RT-PCR data demonstrated that cytokine TGF-${\beta}1$ increased the amount of integrin ${\alpha}1$ mRNA in MDPC-23 cells. Therefore, MDPC-23 cells adhere to collagen type I Col and expressed a complex pattern of integrins and proteoglycans, including ${\alpha}1$, ${\alpha}2$, chondroitin sulfate and CD44 detected by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence assay. TGF-${\beta}1$ treatment enhanced the expression of adhesion molecules such as integrin ${\alpha}1$, ${\alpha}2$ and chondroitin sulfate.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1984.09a
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• pp.113-118
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• 1984

The effect of the saponin fraction extracted from Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer on the antioxidant activity of ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ was investigated in vitro as well as in vivo. Microsomal preparation of albino rat (Sprague-Dawley, 180-200g) was incubated in the mixture containing NADPH, $Fe^{3+},$ ATP, ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ with and/or without ginseng saponin fraction for 30 minutes and the malondialdehyde formed was assayed and found that the saponin fraction stimulated the antioxidant activity of ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ cooperatively. It was also realized that the cooperative stimulation of the antioxidant activity of ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ was most eminent when the concentration of the saponin fraction was around $10^{-5}\%$ in the reaction mixture. Alcoholic suspension of ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ with and/or without ginseng saponin fraction was administered orally to rats in which the lipid peroxidation was induced by ethanol administration and the lipid peroxide contents of the liver were assayed at certain periods of time after ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ administration in this animal. It was reported that the saponin fraction stimulated the absorption of ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ in rats and this was confirmed again in the present work. From the previous work and present experimental results, it seemed that the saponin fraction accelerated the absorption of ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ and therefore stimulated the antioxidant activity of ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ more effectively in the animal body.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.273-277
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• 1979

Free sugars in various ginseng products, Korean and Russian Acanthopanaxes were analyzed by gas liquid chromatography. Ginseng products included Korean red ginseng, white ginseng with skin produced in Korea, Canada, and America, and extracts of red and white ginseng. ${\alpha}-\;and\;{\beta}-fructoses,\;{\alpha}-\;and\;{\beta}-glucoses$, galactose, sucrose, and ${\alpha}-\;and\;{\beta}-maltoses$ were identified in Korean and American white ginsengs with skin, and in Korean red ginseng. However ${\alpha}-\;and\;{\beta}-maltoses$ were not detected in Canadian white ginseng with skin. Total amount of sugars identified in white ginseng with skin was higher than that in red ginseng. ${\alpha}-\;and\;{\beta}-fructoses,\;{\alpha}-\;and\;{\beta}-glucoses$, galactose, sucrose and ${\alpha}-\;and\;{\beta}-maltoses$ were identified in red and white ginseng extracts. Fructose was a major sugar in red ginseng extract while it was sucrose in white ginseng extract. ${\alpha}-\;and\;{\beta}-glucoses$, galactose, sucrose and ${\alpha}-\;and\;{\beta}-maltoses$ were identified in Russian Acanthopanax, and their patterns were similar to that of ginseng, while ${\beta}-fructose,\;{\alpha}-\;and\;{\beta}-glucoses$ and sucrose were identified in Korean Acantopanax and total amount of sugars was only one third of that in Russian Acanthopanax.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1251-1257
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• 2019

Peptidoglycan (PG) is found in atheromatous lesions of arteries, where monocytes/macrophages express inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha ($TNF-{\alpha}$). This study investigated the effects of PG on $TNF-{\alpha}$ expression and examined possible cellular factors involved in $TNF-{\alpha}$ upregulation. The overall aim was to identify the molecular mechanisms underlying inflammatory responses to bacterial pathogen-associated molecular patterns in the artery. Exposure of human THP-1 monocytic cells to PG enhanced the secretion of $TNF-{\alpha}$ and induced its gene transcription. Inhibition of TLR-2/4 with OxPAPC significantly inhibited $TNF-{\alpha}$ gene expression, whereas inhibition of LPS by polymyxin B did not. The PG-induced expression of $TNF-{\alpha}$ was also significantly suppressed by pharmacological inhibitors that modulate activities of cellular signaling molecules; for example, U0126 (an ERK inhibitor), SB202190 (a p38 MAPK inhibitor), and SP6001250 (a JNK inhibitor) significantly attenuated PG-induced transcription of $TNF-{\alpha}$ and secretion of its gene product. $TNF-{\alpha}$ expression was also inhibited by rapamycin (an mTOR inhibitor), LY294002 (a PI3K inhibitor), and Akt inhibitor IV (an Akt inhibitor). ROS-regulating compounds, like NAC and DPI, also significantly attenuated $TNF{\alpha}$ expression induced by PG. These results suggest that PG induces $TNF-{\alpha}$ expression in monocytes/macrophages by multiple molecules, including TLR-2, PI3K, Akt, mTOR, MAPKs, and ROS.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.166-179
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• 2000

Background: The main reason for the failure of anti-cancer chemotherapy is the build up of resistance by cancer cells to apoptosis. The activation of NF-${\kappa}B$ in many cancer cell lines is reported to be underlying mechanism behind the build up of resistance of cancer cells to apoptosis. However, this relationship varied depending on the cells used in the experiments. In this study, the role of NF-${\kappa}B$ activation in the TNF-$\alpha$-induced apoptosis in lung cancer cell line was evaluated. Methods: NCI-H157 cells were used in all experiments. Cells were exposed to a high dose of TNF-$\alpha$(20 ng/ml) for 24 or 48 hours with or without blocking NF-${\kappa}B$ activation. TNF-$\alpha$-induced activation of NF-${\kappa}B$ was inhibited either by overexpression of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$-super repressor($I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$-SR) or by pre-treatment with proteasome inhibitor. Cell viability and apoptosis were evaluated with MTT assay and Western blot analysis for PARP fragment, respectively. Results: Cell viability of NCI-H157 cells was not affected by TNF-$\alpha$ treatment alone; however, combined treatment with TNF-$\alpha$ and cycloheximide reduced cell viability significantly, indicating that resistance to TNF-$\alpha$ is mediated by the new proteins synthesized after TNF-$\alpha$ stimulation. To evaluate the role of NF-${\kappa}B$ in the transcription of anti-apoptotic proteins. delete NF-${\kappa}B$ activation was inhibited before TNF-$\alpha$ stimulation. as described above. $AD5I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$-SR-transduction inhibited TNF-$\alpha$-induced nuclear translocation of p65. TNF-$\alpha$-induced cell death and apoptosis increased after inhibition of TNF-$\alpha$-induced activation of NF-${\kappa}$ by methods. Conclusion: These results suggest that TNF-$\alpha$-induced activation of NF-${\kappa}B$ may be closely related to the acquisition of the resistance to TNF-$\alpha$-induced apoptosis in lung cancer cells. Therefore. blocking of NF-${\kappa}B$ pathway can be a useful therapeutic modality in the treatment of lung cancer.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.215-222
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• 1987

${\alpha}$-Ferric Hydrous Oxide and ${\alpha}$-Ferric Oxide were obtained as following processes that Ferric Nitrate solution was adjusted to pH 6-8 with Ammonium Hydroxide, refluxed the Iron precipitate for 1 hr. at 80$^{\circ}C$, washed it with water and Methanol (95%), dried it to obtain ${\alpha}$-Ferric Hydrous Oxide at 60$^{\circ}C$, and then heated in atmosphere to prepare ${\alpha}$-Ferric Oxide for 1 hr. at 450$^{\circ}C$. Mica particles cleaned with ultrasonicator (45KHz) in water were mixed with Ferric Nitrate solution and treated it to adsorb ${\alpha}$-Ferric Oxide on the surface of mica particles by using the abovementioned processes, but the heated temperature was at 500$^{\circ}C$. The maximum wavelength of reflected light on the surface of mica-${\alpha}$-Ferric Oxide (50%) was appeared at 546nm but -Ferric Oxide free mica only was at 436 nm. The maximum wavelength was shifted to longer when the weight ratios of ${\alpha}$-Ferric Oxide to mica was changed from 1% to 50%.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.115-121
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• 1992

In order to broaden the spectrum of substrate utilization of a Gram negative bacterium Zymomonas mobilis which has a great potential as an industrial ethanol producing microorganism, cloning of $\alpha$-amylase gene into Z. mobilis ZM4 was tried. The $\alpha$-amylase gene was isolated from Bacillus stearothermophilus. By Southern blot analysis, it was proven that the $\alpha$-amylase gene fragment was originated from a naturally occuring plasmid of B. stearothermophilus ATCC 31195. To place $\alpha$-amylase gene under the control of Z. mobilis promoter, two different Z. mobilis expression vectors, pZA26 and pLOI204, were used. The truncated $\alpha$-amylase gene was then introduced into these vectors. Both qualitative and quantitative activities of $\alpha$-amylase were observed in Z. mobilis cells harboring these plasmids with the $\alpha$-amylase gene inserted. Gas chromatographic analysis of ethanol showed that one of the Z. mobilis transconjugants was capable of producing 67 mM ethanol from rich medium(RM) containing 5% soluble starch as a sole carbon source.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.715-720
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• 1994

${\alpha}2-macroglobulin$ $({\alpha}2-M)$ has been shown to have a variety of activities. One of those activities is the suppression of immune response. Characterization of the immunosuppressive factor secreted by a T cell hybridoma showed that ${\alpha}2-M$ was produced and secreted from the T cell hybridoma. ${\alpha}2-M$ was produced abundantly from the T cell hybridoma when cultured as ascites. The isolation and identification of the ${\alpha}2-M$ were studied using affinity chromatography and N-terminal amino acid sequencing. The extended observations were that the ${\alpha}2-M$ produced by the T cell hybridoma suppresses mixed lymphocyte reaction.

• Honam Mathematical Journal
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.297-305
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• 2017

Let ${\alpha}$ > 0 be a real number and $(s_{\alpha}(n))_{n{\geq}1}$ be the lexicographically greatest Sturmian word of slope ${\alpha}$. We investigate Dirichlet series of the form ${\sum}^{\infty}_{n=1}s_{\alpha}(n)n^{-s}$. To do this, a generalization of Euler's totient function is required. For a real ${\alpha}$ > 0 and a positive integer n, an arithmetic function ${\varphi}{\alpha}(n)$ is defined to be the number of positive integers m for which gcd(m, n) = 1 and 0 < m/n < ${\alpha}$. Under a condition Re(s) > 1, this paper establishes an identity ${\sum}^{\infty}_{n=1}s_{\alpha}(n)n^{-S}=1+{\sum}^{\infty}_{n=1}{\varphi}_{\alpha}(n)({\zeta}(s)-{\zeta}(s,1+n^{-1}))n^{-s}$.