• Title/Summary/Keyword: CELL/NATURE/SCIENCE

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DDT Reduced Testosterone and Aromatase Activity Via ER Receptor in Leydig Cell (DDT의 Aromatase 증가에 의한 Testosterone 감소효과)

  • Lee, Kyung-Jin;Wui, Seong-Uk;Jin Heo;Kim, Sun-Hee;Jeong, Ji-Yeon;Lee, Jong-Bin
    • Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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    • v.18 no.2
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    • pp.95-100
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    • 2003
  • Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), is a widespread environmental pollutant. In this study, we investigated the effect of DDT on testosterone production through aromatase and investigated its molecular mechanism in testicular leydig cell, R2C. We investigated that the effects of DDT on testosterone production and its effects on aromatase activity in R2C cell by radio immunoassay (RIA). As the results, the potent leyding cell activator LH increased testosterone production compared to the control. DDT exposure significantly decreased testosterone production in R2C cell and DDT alone affected T reduction in a dose-dependent manner in R2C cell slightly. In addition, DDT was found to increase aromatase activity in R2C cell in a dose dependent manner. In order to assess whether the suppressive effects of DDT on LH-inducible testosterone production might be influenced by the ER, ICI 182.780, a pure antiestrogen, was used, and it was found that these inhibitory effects of DDT were antagonized by ICI 182.780, implying that the ER mediates the suppressive effects of DDT. Furthermore, the inducible effects of DDT on aromatase might be influenced by the ER, ICI 182.780 was used, and it was found that these enhancing effects of DDT were antagonized by ICI 182.780, implying that the ER mediates the inducible effects of DDT. Our results indicated that DDT inhibition of LH-inducible testosterone production in R2C is mediated through aromatase. However, the precise mechanisms by which DDT enhance in leyding cell remains unknown. The current study suggests the possibility that DDT might act as a modulator aromatase gene transcription.

A Suggestion for Improvement of the Quality of Research Articles in the Life Sciences Field Published in Domestic Journals Using Bibliometrics (생명과학 국내학술지 게재논문의 서지학적 분석을 통한 질적 수준제고 방안 연구)

  • 민태선;김성용;박숙미;한인규
    • Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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    • v.48 no.4
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    • pp.623-636
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    • 2006
  • 6,161 research articles in the Life Sciences field published in domestic journals in 2004 were evaluated using bibliometrics. The total number of authors was 29,759 and the average number of authors per article was 4.8. 63.4 percent of the articles in domestic journals had more than 4 co-authors. However, this is about 25.5 percent points lower than that of Life Sciences articles in the CELL/NATURE/SCIENCE. The co-authored articles in the domestic journals mainly consist of university - university collaboration (19.9 percent). On the other hand, the co-authored articles in the CELL/NATURE/SCIENCE mainly consist of university-research institution collaboration (48.2 percent).

A Narrative Analysis of Stem Cell Research Scientists' Reflections on Ethical Issues and the Value of Science

  • Hwang, Se-Young;Margaret, Sleeboom-Faulkner
    • Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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    • v.31 no.3
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    • pp.455-474
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    • 2011
  • The purpose of this study is to explore the ways in which scientists reflect on the scientific practices, based on the premise that reflection is one of key elements for shaping scientific identities. This paper specifically considers scientists' reflections as the processes in which their senses of ethical issues and the value of science are articulated. To do so, the study developed a narrative inquiry for exploring the value of scientists' stories. Fourteen professional scientists' stories were collected in the context of the stem cell research, in ways that foreground their reflections on current scientific practices and the surrounding socio-cultural conditions. As for ethical issues, scientists' stories were analysed in terms of four claims regarding the themes of bioethics, integrity, scientific issues and communication. Furthermore, scientists' reflections on the value of science were analysed in relation to the elements of nature of science. Based on the results, discussion focused on the value of science stories as an instrument with which to guide students into the enculturation in the practices of scientific culture.

Micromorphological Characteristics of Frost Rings in the Secondary Xylem of Pinus radiata

  • Lee, Kwang Ho;Kim, Jong Sik;Singh, Adya P.;Kim, Yoon Soo
    • Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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    • v.35 no.2
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    • pp.1-8
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    • 2007
  • Frost ring formed in the secondary xylem of Pinus radiata was examined using various microscopic techniques. Cell walls in a frost ring were poorly developed, lacking in the proportion of wall components. Formation of secondary cell wall was imperfect and thickness of secondary wall was varied. Cytochemical examinations provided the evidence that the synthesis of structural polysaccharides and lignin was inhibited, resulting in the malformation of secondary cell walls. Judging by the highly irregular nature of the cell wall, it appears that cellulosic/hemicellulosic framework was affected and the template for lignification by frost.

Clustered LAG-1 binding sites in lag-1/CSL are involved in regulating lag-1 expression during lin-12/Notch-dependent cell-fate specification

  • Choi, Vit Na;Park, Seong Kyun;Hwang, Byung Joon
    • BMB Reports
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    • v.46 no.4
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    • pp.219-224
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    • 2013
  • The cell-fate specification of the anchor cell (AC) and a ventral uterine precursor cell (VU) in Caenorhabditis elegans is initiated by a stochastic interaction between LIN-12/Notch receptor and LAG-2/Delta ligand in two neighboring Z1.ppp and Z4.aaa cells. Both cells express lin-12 and lag-2 before specification, and a small difference in LIN-12 activity leads to the exclusive expressions of lin-12 in VU and lag-2 in the AC, through a feedback mechanism of unknown nature. Here we show that the expression pattern of lag-1/CSL, a transcriptional repressor itself that turns into an activator upon binding of the intracellular domain of Notch, overlaps with that of lin-12. Site-directed mutagenesis of LAG-1 binding sites in lag-1 maintains its expression in the AC, and eliminates it in the VU. Thus, AC/VU cell-fate specification appears to involve direct regulation of lag-1 expression by the LAG-1 protein, activating its transcription in VU cells, but repressing it in the AC.

Vegetation survey in nature-friendly small streams for each protection method (자연형 소하천의 호안공법별 식생분포 조사)

  • Lee, Kang-Suk;Park, Jin-Ki;Yeon, Gyu-Bang;Park, Jong-Hwa
    • Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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    • v.38 no.2
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    • pp.315-324
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    • 2011
  • Riparian vegetation distribution patterns and diversity relative to various fluvial geomorphic channel patterns, stream bank stabilization methods, and stream flow processes are described and interpreted for selected nature-friendly small stream bank protection of Goesan, central Korea. Idong Stream Pilot Project, which began in May 2003 and finished in December 2003, was selected to develop effective methods which was nature-friendly stream bank protection. The project aim to maintain or increase stream bank stabilization ecosystem goods and services while protecting downstream and stream bank ecosystem. A number of protecting methods which were a Flight of fieldstone, Vegetation block, Green river block, Stone net, Green environment block, Eco friendly cobble, Vegetation mat and Geo-green cell and Firefly block were applied on the bank of Idong stream. The stream sites have been monitored about vegetation conditions each method in 2007. We selected six points to separately investigate in left and right bank. The main purpose of this study was to find out suitable methods and to improve stream restoration techniques for ecosystem. On the stream bank, H environment block method (9.7) was the highest average of vegetation coverage and Firefly block method (3.87) was the lowest average in applied methods.

A hybrid approach of generative design methods for designing tall-buildings form

  • Tofighi Pouria;Ekhlassi, Ahmad;Rahbar, Morteza
    • Advances in Computational Design
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    • v.7 no.2
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    • pp.153-171
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    • 2022
  • The present study aimed to find a way to create forms that can simultaneously meet several architectural requirements by applying generative design methods specifically focused on cellular automata. In other words, it is tried to find various forms of architecture that all have common features. Because of the useful features of cellular automata, we decided to use it to generate various forms, but make a relation between the discrete nature of cellular automata and the continuous nature of architecture, was the major problem of our project. To achieve this goal, three consecutive stages were designed. In the first stage, independent variables including the location of the building, the height of the building, and the building area were considered as the inputs of the model. In the second stage, after locating the building, the building's main shell was designed as a hidden geometry for the cellular automata and then the cellular automata were determined based on this shell. The main result of this research is establishing a logical relationship between the discrete geometry of the cellular automata and the continuous search space such that it creates various optimized forms. Although we specify the site plan of this project at Iran-Tehran, this research can be generalized to various design sites as well as different projects, allowing the architectsto alter the cell dimensions, cell density, etc., based on their opinion and project needs.

A Quantitative Analysis on the NSC(Nature, Science, Cell) Publications of Korean Researchers (Nature, Science, Cell지(誌)에 게재된 한국인 과학자의 논문현황 분석)

  • Heo, Jeong-Eun;Kim, Hae-Do;Choi, Tae-Jin;Kim, Seong-Baek;Jo, Yeong-Don;Kim, In-Ho
    • Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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    • v.9 no.3
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    • pp.558-577
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    • 2006
  • With the rapid shift to a knowledge-based economy, science and technology (S&T) is considered as the principle drivers in a nation's competitiveness. All countries are focused on upgrading the level of their S&T of nations and strengthening their national competitiveness. With these factors in mind, Korea has increased its support of national research and development (R&D). As a result of this added support, Korea S&T has made great strides. This improvement can be seen in the drastic increase in the number of Korean researchers who have been published in Nature, Science and Cell (NSC), three top journals in the fields of S&T. This study is a quantitative analysis on the NSC Publications of Korean researchers. The purpose of this study is to derive research policy suggestions to improve Korea's national competitiveness in S&T.

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pH Measurements with a Microcantilever Array-Based Biosensor System

  • Hur, Shin;Jung, Young-Do
    • Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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    • v.21 no.3
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    • pp.186-191
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    • 2012
  • In this paper, we present a pH measurement method that uses a microcantilever-array-based biosensor system. It is composed of microcantilever array, liquid cell, micro syringe pump, laser diode array, position sensitive detector, data acquisition device, and data processing software. Four microcantilevers are functionalized with pH-sensitive MHA(mercaptohexadecanoic acid) as a probe, while three microcantilevers are functionalized with HDT(hexadecane thiol) as reference. We prepare PBS(phosphate buffered saline) solutions of different pH and inject them into the liquid cell with a predefined volumetric speed at regular time intervals. The functionalized mircocantilevers in the liquid cell deflect as a self-assembled monolayer on the microcantilever binds with probe molecules in the solution. The difference in deflection between the MHA-covered probe microcantilever and the HDT-covered reference microcantilever was used to compensate for thermal drift. The deflection difference clearly increases with increasing pH in the solution. It was shown that when the pH values of the PBS solutions are high, there were large variations in the deflection of microcantilevers, whereas there were small variations for low pH value. The experimental results show that the microcantilever array functionalized with MHA and HDT can detect pH value with good repeatability.

Ionic-additive Crosslinked Polymeric Sulfur Composites as Cathode Materials for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

  • Seong, Min Ji;Manivannan, Shanmugam;Kim, Kyuwon;Yim, Taeeun
    • Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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    • v.12 no.4
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    • pp.453-457
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    • 2021
  • Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are one of attractive energy conversion and storage system based on high theoretical specific capacity and energy density with low costs. However, volatile nature of elemental sulfur is one of critical problem for their practical acceptance in industry because it considerably affects electrode uniformity during electrode manufacturing. In this work, polymeric sulfur composite consisting of ionic liquid (IL) are suggested to reduce volatility nature of elemental sulfur, resulting in better processibility of the Li-S cell. According to systematic spectroscopic analysis, it is found that polymeric sulfur is consisting of repeating units combining with elemental sulfur and volatility of them is negligible even at high temperature. In addition, the IL-embedded polymeric sulfur shows moderate cycle performance compared to the cell with elemental sulfur. From these results, it is found that the IL-embedded polymeric sulfur composite is applicable cathode candidate for the Li-S cell based on their excellent non-volatility as well as their superior electrochemical performance.