• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제22권5호
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• pp.618-625
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• 2009

The objective of this work was to study the direct effects of daidzein on steroidogenesis in cultured mouse Leydig cells. Adult mouse Leydig cells were purified by Percoll gradient centrifugation, and the cell purity was determined using a $3{\beta}$-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase ($3{\beta}$-HSD) staining method. The purified Leydig cells were exposed to different concentrations ($10^{-7}$ M to $10^{-4}$ M) of daidzein for 24 h under basal and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-stimulated conditions. The cell viability and testosterone production were determined, and the related mechanisms of daidzein action were also evaluated using the estrogen receptor antagonist ICI 182,780 and measuring the mRNA levels of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc), and $3{\beta}$-HSD-1 involved in testosterone biosynthesis. The results revealed that daidzein did not influence cell viability. Daidzein increased both basal and hCG-stimulated testosterone production in a dose-dependent manner, and this effect was statistically significant at concentrations of $10^{-5}$ M and $10^{-4}$ M daidzein (p<0.05). ICI 182,780 had no influence on daidzein action. RTPCR results revealed that $10^{-5}$ M and $10^{-4}$ M daidzein did not exert any obvious influence on the mRNA level of P450scc in Leydig cells. However, in the presence of hCG, these concentrations of daidzein significantly increased the StAR and $3{\beta}$-HSD-1 mRNA levels (p<0.05), but in the absence of hCG, only $10^{-5}$ M and $10^{-4}$ M daidzein up-regulated the StAR and $3{\beta}$-HSD-1 mRNA expression (p<0.05), respectively. These results suggest that daidzein has direct effect on Leydig cells. Daidzein-induced increase of testosterone production is probably not mediated by the estrogen receptor but correlates with the increased mRNA levels of StAR and $3{\beta}$-HSD-1.

• 대한치과교정학회지
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.7-15
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• 1981

Tooth movement by orthodontic force is based upon alveolar bone resorption at compression site and bone formation at tension site of tooth. The function of cyclic AMP is to participate not only in initial action of bone cells by mechanical forces but also in the continuous cellular response leading to bone remodeling. This experiment was performed to clarify the role of cyclic AMP in bone remodeling by mechanical forces. The orthodontic forces of about 80 gm and 100 gm were applied to the right canines of maxillary and mandibular bone, respectively, in cats, treated for periods of time ranging from one hour to 28 days. Alveolar bones were obtained from compression and tension sites surrounding tipping maxillary and mandibular canines as well as from contralateral control sites. The samples were extracted, boiled and homogenized, and the supernatants were assayed for cyclic AMP by a radioimmunoassay method. The results were as follows: 1. The orthodontic movement of canines was increased to the end of experimental period and the action of orthodontic forces on tooth movement was more effective in maxillary canine. 2. The cyclic AMP levels of alveolar bones in compression and tension sites initially decreased, then increased and remained elevated to the end of experiment. The differences of the cyclic AMP levels between treated sites and non-treated sites were gradually increased. 3. The cyclic AMP levels in treated sites of mandibular alveolar bone was higher than that of maxillary alveolar bone.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.1947-1959
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• 2016

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, being the second most common type of cancer worldwide in both men and women. It accounts yearly for approximately 9% of all new cases of cancers. Furthermore, the current chemotherapeutic regimens seem unsatisfactory, so that exploration of novel therapeutic modalities is needed. The present study was undertaken to investigate the inhibitory effects of a crude alkaloid extract (CAERS) of a medicinal herb, Rhazya stricta, on proliferation of CRC HCT116 cells and to elucidate mechanisms of action. To achieve these aims, we utilized MTT, comet, DNA laddering and gene reporter assays, along with Western blot and RT-PCR analyses. Results: We found that CAERS inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptotic cell death in HCT116 cells. Hallmarks of morphological and biochemical signs of apoptosis were clearly evident. CAERS down-regulated DNA-binding and transcriptional activities of NF-${\kappa}B$ and AP-1 proteins, while up-regulating expression of the Nrf-2 protein. It also down-regulated expression levels of the ERK MAPK, Bcl-2, cyclin D1, CDK-4, survivin and VEGF and up-regulated levels of Bax, caspase-3/7 and -9, p53, p21, Nrf-2. Markedly, it promoted mRNA expression levels of cytoprotective genes including the hemeoxygenase-1, NAD(P)H quinine oxidoreductase 1 and UDP-glucuronyltransferase. Conclusions: These findings indicate that CAERS exerts antiproliferative action on CRC cells through induction of apoptotic mechanisms, and suggest CAERS could be a promising agent for studying and developing novel chemotherapeutic agents aimed at novel molecular targets for the treatment of CRC.

• 대한약침학회지
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• 제18권3호
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• pp.32-41
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• 2015

Objectives: Condurango (Gonolobus condurango) extract is used by complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners as a traditional medicine, including homeopathy, mainly for the treatment of syphilis. Condurango bark extract is also known to reduce tumor volume, but the underlying molecular mechanisms still remain unclear. Methods: Using a cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) as our model, the molecular events behind condurango extract's (CE's) anticancer effect were investigated by using flow cytometry, immunoblotting and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Other included cell types were prostate cancer cells (PC3), transformed liver cells (WRL-68), and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Results: Condurango extract (CE) was found to be cytotoxic against target cells, and this was significantly deactivated in the presence of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), a scavenger of reactive oxygen species (ROS), suggesting that its action could be mediated through ROS generation. CE caused an increase in the HeLa cell population containing deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage at the G zero/Growth 1 (G0/G1) stage. Further, CE increased the tumor necrosis factor alpha ($TNF-{\alpha}$) and the fas receptor (FasR) levels both at the ribonucleic acid (RNA) and the protein levels, indicating that CE might have a cytotoxic mechanism of action. CE also triggered a sharp decrease in the expression of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells ($NF-{\kappa}B$) both at the RNA and the protein levels, a possible route to attenuation of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), and caused an opening of the mitochondrial membrane's permeability transition (MPT) pores, thus enhancing caspase activities. Conclusion: Overall, our results suggest possible pathways for CE mediated cytotoxicity in model cancer cells.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.378-384
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• 2005

Estrogen metabolites are carcinogenic. The comparative mitogenic activities of $17{\beta}$-estradiol (E2) and four metabolites, 2-hydroxyestradiol (2-OHE2), 4-hydroxyestradiol (4-OHE2), $16{\alpha}$-hydroxyestrone ($16{\alpha}$-OHE1) and 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME), were determined in estrogen receptor(ER)-positive MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Each of the E2 metabolites caused proliferation of the MCF-7 cells, but only E2 and $16{\alpha}$-OHE1 induced a greater than 20-fold increases in transcripts of the progesterone receptor (PR) gene, a classical ER-mediated gene. This suggests that the mitogenic action of E2 and $16{\alpha}$-OHE1 could result from their effects on gene expression via the ER. E2 metabolites altered the expression of E2-regulated proteins including heat shock proteins (Hsps). $16{\alpha}$-OHE1 and 2-ME as well as E2 increased levels of Hsp56, Hsp60, $Hsp90{\alpha}$ and Hsp110 transcripts, and the patterns of these inductions resembled that of PR. Hsp56 and Hsp60 protein levels were increased by all the E2 metabolites. Levels of the transcripts of 3 E2-upregulated proteins (XTP3-transactivated protein A, protein disulfide isomerase-associated 4 protein and stathmin 1) and an E2-downregulated protein (aminoacylase 1) were also affected by the E2 metabolites. These results suggest that the altered expression of Hsps (especially Hsp56 and Hsp60) by E2 metabolites such as E2, $16{\alpha}$-OHE1 and 2-ME could be closely linked to their mitogenic action.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제33권7호
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• pp.2219-2223
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• 2012

Human peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma ($hPPAR{\gamma}$) has been implicated in numerous pathologies, including obesity, diabetes, and cancer. Previously, we verified that amentoflavone is an activator of $hPPAR{\gamma}$ and probed the molecular basis of its action. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of action of amentoflavone in cancer cells and demonstrated that amentoflavone showed strong cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and HeLa cancer cell lines. We showed that $hPPAR{\gamma}$ expression in MCF-7 and HeLa cells is specifically stimulated by amentoflavone, and suggested that amentoflavone-induced cytotoxic activities are mediated by activation of $hPPAR{\gamma}$ in these two cancer cell lines. Moreover, amentoflavone increased PTEN levels in these two cancer cell lines, indicating that the cytotoxic activities of amentoflavone are mediated by increasing of PTEN expression levels due to $hPPAR{\gamma}$ activation.

• 한국보건간호학회지
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.387-397
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• 2001

Fatigue is a ubiquitous symptom and is a part of many acute and chronic health conditions. This complex symptom is so prevalence in contemporary society that it motivates a large percentage of the health care-seeking behavior among late-middle aged adults and elders. The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of fatigue. to identify coping types of fatigue, and to explore factors affected fatigue between middle aged adults and elders who have no critical health problems. The results are as follows: 1. The elderly that manifested high level of fatigue revealed more fatigue than adults. 2. There are three coping types of fatigue. The three types were analyzed by Q-methodology. These three are action-evading, action-limited, and action-oriented. 3. The levels of fatigue manifested by the participants varied significantly according to age, vocation, education, present disease, and income. By identifying the nature of each of the coping types of fatigue, it is recommended to develop an effective nursing interventions for middle aged adults and elders.

• 한국가구학회지
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.290-306
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• 2009

This article aimed at broadening the view on 'the concept of function' in furniture design. In this context, we argued that the established concept of furniture function has confined itself to the rational perspective, so that the emotional action and influence of furniture hardly regarded as an important issue in furniture design, and this has been a hinderance to multidirectional discussions on the meaning of furniture in our life. Starting from the investigation on the basis that forms the different dimensions of our experience of furniture, we clarified that we should view the meaning of furniture within a wider sphere where the actions of furniture on our perceptional, behavioral, and emotional levels are inclusively considered. In this light, 'emotional function' of furniture was defined as a concept that explains a multidimensional action of furniture, which leads creative aesthetic experience which enrich the interplays between designer, furniture, and user. The feasibility of the concept has been examined by an analysis on the characteristics of contemporary Art Furniture, which is experimental approaches towards various aesthetic values of art and design. In order to realize emotional function of furniture, furniture should become an experiment for the new perception and emotion; invite more of the user's interplay and action in the meaning-making process; and arouse emotional echoes and reflections within user's mind.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.80-86
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• 1996

Parathyroid hormone(PTH) is known to stimulate bone resorption and to inhibit bone collagen synthesis. In contrast, as the evidence of stimulation of bone formation by PTH has recently been observed, the study on the role of PTH involved in osteoporosis draws remarkable attention. This study has dealt with the role of alkaline phoshatase(AP), a marker enzyme for bone formation and osteoblast action, Animals(BALS/cmice) were divided into three dietary groups(high and medium Ca and Ca-free) and hormones including PTH, calcitonin(CT), cholecalciferol(citamin D) were i.p. injected. AP in the serum and liver was measured using Sigma 221 alkaline buffer solutions containing 9mM of p-nitrophenyl phoshate. Enzume was reacted at 37$^{\circ}C$ for 10 minutes and the reaction was stopped by 1.8ml of 0.1N NaOH and measured at 410nm. We found that serum and liver AP activity was increased by low dietary Ac. Compared to the control, and serum Ap activity was enhanced by PTH and vitamin D regardless of the dietary Ca. On the other hand, liver AP activity was inhibited by OTH and vitamin D at all levels of dietary Ca. CT inhibited the action of PTH and vitamin D in the serum. But, the inhibition of PTH and vitamin D action by CT was not observed in the liver, unlike in the case of serum.

• 국제학술발표논문집
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• The 9th International Conference on Construction Engineering and Project Management
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• pp.426-432
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• 2022

HVAC systems play a critical role in reducing energy consumption in buildings. Integrating occupants' thermal comfort evaluation into HVAC control strategies is believed to reduce building energy consumption while minimizing their thermal discomfort. Advanced technologies, such as visual sensors and deep learning, enable the recognition of occupants' discomfort-related actions, thus making it possible to estimate their thermal discomfort. Unfortunately, it remains unclear how accurate a deep learning-based classifier is to recognize occupants' discomfort-related actions in a working environment. Therefore, this research evaluates the classification performance of occupants' discomfort-related actions while sitting at a computer desk. To achieve this objective, this study collected RGB video data on nine college students' cold discomfort-related actions and then trained a deep learning-based classifier using the collected data. The classification results are threefold. First, the trained classifier has an average accuracy of 93.9% for classifying six cold discomfort-related actions. Second, each discomfort-related action is recognized with more than 85% accuracy. Third, classification errors are mostly observed among similar discomfort-related actions. These results indicate that using human action data will enable facility managers to estimate occupants' thermal discomfort and, in turn, adjust the operational settings of HVAC systems to improve the energy efficiency of buildings in conjunction with their thermal comfort levels.