• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.262-267
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• 2014

Bcl-2 interacting cell death suppressor (Bis) has been shown to have anti-apoptotic and anti-stress functions. Recently, increased Bis expression was reported to correlate with glioma aggressiveness. Here, we investigated the effect of Bis knockdown on the acquisition of the invasive phenotype of A172 glioma cells, induced by 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-3-acetate (TPA), using a Transwell assay. Bis knockdown resulted in a significant decrease in the migration and invasion of A172 cells. Furthermore, Bis knockdown notably decreased TPA-induced matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activity and mRNA expression, as measured by zymography and quantitative real time PCR, respectively. A luciferase reporter assay indicated that Bis suppression significantly down-regulated NF-${\kappa}B$-driven transcription. Finally, we demonstrated that the rapid phosphorylation and subsequent degradation of $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$ induced by TPA was remarkably delayed by Bis knockdown. These results suggest that Bis regulates the invasive ability of glioma cells elicited by TPA, by modulating NF-${\kappa}B$ activation, and subsequent induction of MMP-9 mRNA.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.187-196
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• 2006

The mammalian trematode Paragonimus westermani is a typical digenetic parasite, which can cause paragonimiasis in humans. Host tissues and blood cells are important sources of nutrients for development, growth and reproduction of P. westermani. In this study, a cDNA clone encoding a 47 kDa hemoglobinase of P. westermani was characterized by sequencing analysis, and its localization was investigated immunohistochemically. The phylogenetic tree prepared based on the hemoglobinase gene showed high homology with hemoglobinases of Fasciola hepatica and Schistosoma spp. Moreover, recombinant P. westermani hemoglobinase degradaded human hemoglobin at acidic pH (from 3.0 to 5.5) and its activity was almost completely inhibited by E-64, a cysteine proteinase inhibitor. Immunohistochemical studies showed that P. westermani hemoglobinase was localized in the epithelium of the adult worm intestine implying that the protein has a specific function. These observations suggest that hemoglobinase may act as a digestive enzyme for acquisition of nutrients from host hemoglobin. Further investigations may provide insights into hemoglobin catabolism in P. westermani.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.231-242
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• 1994

Pnragonimus westermnni, the lung fluke, is known to migrate to the pulmonary tissue of mammalian hosts and causes pathological changes in the lungs. An acidic thiol-dependent proteinase with a molecular weight of approximately 20,000 daltons was purified to homogeneity using ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration chromatography. On SDS-PAGE, the molecular weight of the enzyme was 17,500 daltons. Isoelectric point was 6.45. The enzyme was similar to the acidic cysteine proteinase of vertebrates in the properties of pH optimum, substrate specificity and inhibitor sensitivity. Enzymatic activity was stable at pH 5.5 for at least two days when stored at 4℃. The cysteine proteinase was capable of degrading collagen and hemoglobin. Sera of patients with paragonimiasis and mice infected with R westermani reacted in immunoblots with the partially purified proteinase. This result suggested that the cysteine proteinase of P. westermnni may play a role in migration in tissues, and in acquisition of nutrients by parasites from the host. It is also potentially an antigen for the serodiagnosis of paragonimiasis.

• Journal of Korea Society of Industrial Information Systems
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.137-147
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• 2011

In this study, an analysis was conducted to investigate the process how information technology(IT) quality affects organizational performance. Acquisition of IT by itself is not sufficient for the improvement of organizational performance, which additionally requires the operations activity using IT to meditate between IT and organizational performance. This study classified the IT quality into functional quality and operational quality. The functional quality is defined as intrinsic characteristics of IT itself while the operational quality is defined as effective support of IT for organizational management activities. Our research model proposed that the functional quality has indirect effect meditated by the operational quality on organizational performance. The statistical test using structural equation modelling in empirical research showed insignificant direct effect and significant indirect meditation effect of the functional quality on organizational performance via the operational quality. This paper concludes with contribution of this study, managerial implication of the research findings and further research issues.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.1224-1230
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• 2003

The purpose of this present study is to measure the changes of regional cerebral blood flow(rCBF) and blood pressure(BP) in rats. following the intravenous injection of drug. The measurement was continually monitored by laser-doppler flowmeter (Transonic Instrument, USA) and pressure tranducer(Grass, USA) in anesthetized adult Sprague-Dawley rats about for 2h to 2h and a half through the data acquisition system composed of MacLab and Macintosh computer. The result of this experiment was as following. 1. Fructus Schizandrae increased the changes of rCBF in rats, significantly. 2. The rCBF of Fructus Schizandrae did not change by pretreated propranolol. 3. The rCBF of Fructus Schizandrae did not change by pretreated atropine. 4. The rCBF of Fructus Schizandrae did not change by pretreated I-NNA. 5. The rCBF of Fructus Schizandrae was decreased by pretreated methylene blue. 6. The rCBF of Fructus Schizandrae did not change by pretreated indomethacin. 7. Fructus Schizandrae decreased the changes of blood pressure significantly. 8. The BP of Fructus Schizandrae did not change by pretreated propranolol. 9. The BP of Fructus Schizandrae did not change by pretreated atropine. 10. The BP of Fructus Schizandrae did nol change by pretreated I-NNA. 11. The BP of Fructus Schizandrae was decreased by pretreated methylene blue. 12. The BP of Fructus Schizandrae did not change by pretreated indomethacin. These results indicate that Fructus Schizandrae can increase the rCBF and decrease the BP, that related to guanylyl cyclase activity.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.5579-5587
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• 2013

Research indicates that a small population of cancer cells is highly tumorigenic, endowed with the capacity for self-renewal, and has the ability to differentiate into cells that constitute the bulk of tumors. These cells are considered the "drivers" of the tumorigenic process in some tumor types, and have been named cancer stem cells (CSC). Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) appears to be involved in the process leading to the acquisition of stemness by epithelial tumor cells. Through this process, cells acquire an invasive phenotype that may contribute to tumor recurrence and metastasis. CSC have been identified in human head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) using markers such as CD133 and CD44 expression, and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity. Head and neck cancer stem cells reside primarily in perivascular niches in the invasive fronts where endothelial-cell initiated events contribute to their survival and function. Clinically, CSC enrichment has been shown to be enhanced in recurrent disease, treatment failure and metastasis. CSC represent a novel target of study given their slow growth and innate mechanisms conferring treatment resistance. Further understanding of their unique phenotype may reveal potential molecular targets to improve therapeutic and survival outcomes in patients with HNSCC. Here, we discuss the state-of-the-knowledge on the pathobiology of cancer stem cells, with a focus on the impact of these cells on head and neck tumor progression, metastasis and recurrence due to treatment failure.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.183-190
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to analyze social, economic and cultural phenomena of the luxury brand in the viewpoint that the consumption system of the modern society stood for the sign consumption and the industrial production of difference as Baudrillard mentioned in the Consumer Society. The result was divided into the two subjects popularization and differentiation of luxury brand. Firstly the meaning of luxury brand was that the personal effects of consumption of king or aristocratic class who did not exist in the modern and were made into the selection and consumption-possible things of exchange value. The popularization of this sign was accelerated through TV drama. Secondly as differentiation strategy of luxury brand, was made by giving meaning to the life style concept of the upper class with advertisement and design, and also the logo of design was used as sign differentiated from people. Also the reason why the producer of the luxury brand gave meaning to such life style was that the awareness of the brand which people have consistently makes them consume more products. The consumption system of the modern society stood for the sign consumption, difference sign mark value which was the desire on a social meaning basis, not the consumption of things as used value. And the consumer could express his personality by selecting and consuming the product of luxury brand model made with this sign. Accordingly the distribution, purchase, sales and acquisition of the things with this difference sign were our verbal activity and linguistic code today, and it was the essential feature of the society, culture and economy of the consumer society.

• Journal of Construction Engineering and Project Management
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.20-24
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• 2012

Construction while being an economic activity that provides facilities and infrastructure, it is beneficial to man in some aspects and detrimental in others. There have been environmental concerns related to construction activities globally which mainly focus on atmospheric emissions, depletion of natural resources and energy issues. This study was carried out to assess the impacts of construction activities on the environment in Iganga Municipality and to propose measures for their mitigation. The methodology included: review of relevant literature, observations of the general environmental effects of construction activities, focus groups and a survey conducted among construction industry role players to determine their perceptions and opinions regarding environmental impact of construction activities. The collected data was presented in tabular form and analysed by description of responses to questions. The study revealed that forests were the most greatly degraded due to high demand of timber for construction followed by wetlands degradation. The findings of this study will be useful to architects, designers and builders in order to carefully design buildings and other infrastructure that are environmentally friendly and sustainable. Construction materials and their mode of acquisition are harmful threats to the environment. There is need to reduce the consumption of these materials through recycling and reusing wastes to reduce on waste generation, use of virgin materials and the subsequent waste of energy used in new material production.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.95-102
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• 2015

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease which produces repeated seizures. Over 30% of epileptic patients cannot be treated with anti-epileptic drugs, and surgical resection may cause loss of brain functions. Seizure suppression by electrical stimulation is currently being investigated as a new treatment method as clinical evidence has shown that electrical stimulation to brain could suppress seizure activity. In this paper, design of a real-time closed-loop neurostimulation system for epileptic seizure suppression is presented. The system records neural signals, detects seizures and delivers electrical stimulation. The system consists of a 6-channel electrode, front-end amplifiers, a data acquisition board by National Instruments, and a neurostimulator and Generic Osorio-Frei algorithm was applied for seizure detection. The algorithm was verified through simulation using electroencephalogram data, and the operation of whole system was verified through simulation and in- vivo test.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.123-135
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• 2001

Objective: This study was designed to assess antidepressant effects of Quibitang on an Animal Model of Depression induced by Chronic Mild Stress. Method: The consumption of 1% sucrose solution and active avoidance learning test were used to evaluate antidepressant effect of Quibitang. The consumption of 1% sucrose solution was measured every week for 8 weeks, and active avoidance learning test was executed after 4 weeks treatment of saline or Quibitang. Result: 1. The consumption of 1% sucrose solution was significantly reversed in test group (Quibitang-treated group) at 5th, 7th, 8th weeks, but there was no significant change in control group. 2. Chronic Mild Stress was found to suppress the increase of body weight at 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th weeks. Treatment of Quibitang did not enhanced the body weigt, but it enhanced the consumption of sucrose solution. 3. In order to measure the learning ability of rat which drived to be depressed, we executed active avoidance test. The result revealed that depressed rat showed impaired acquisition than control group, and the treatment of Quibitang restored the learning activity. Conclusion: These results suggest that Quibitang may have antidepressant effects on depression induced by chronic mild stress.