• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.1201-1209
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to isolate probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that produce bile salt hydrolase (BSH), and to evaluate its effects on serum cholesterol level. One-hundred-twenty bacterial colonies were initially isolated from human feces, and five strains were selected after screening based on their resistance to acids, tolerance against bile salts, and inhibitory activity on Escherichia coli. The Lactobacillus plantarum strain with the highest level of BSH activity was identified using 16S rRNA sequences, and was named L. plantarum CK 102. L. plantarum CK 102 at a level of 1.36$\times$10$^8$cfu/ml survived in pH 2 buffer for 6 h and exhibited excellent tolerance for bile salt. Coculturing the strain with E. coli in MRS broth resulted in strong inhibition against growth of E. coli at 18 h. Furthermore, the potential effect of CK 102 on serum cholesterol level was evaluated in rats. Thirty-two rats [Sprague-Dawley (SD) male, 129$\pm$l g, 5 weeks old] were divided into four groups of eight each. For six weeks, Group 1 was fed a normal diet (negative control); Group 2 was fed a cholesterol-enriched diet (positive control); Group 3 was fed a cholesterol-enriched diet plus L. plantarum CK 102 at 1.0$\times$10$^7$cfu/ml; and Group 4 was fed a cholesterol-enriched diet plus L. plantarum CK 102 at 5.0$\times$10$^7$cfu/ml. Blood samples were collected, serum lipids were analyzed, and weights of the organs were measured. Total blood cholesterol level, triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol, and free-cholesterol values were lower in rats that were fed 1. plantarum CK 102 than in those not fed L. plantarum CK 102. This cholesterol lowering effect implies that L. plantarum CK 102 could be utilized as an additive for health-assistance foods. In conclusion, these results suggest that the 1. plantarum CK 102 isolated could be used commercially as a probiotic.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.117-121
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• 2005

Purpose: Elevated AST/ALT level in rotavirus gastroenteritis have been reported. We found elevated creatine kinase (CK) in those children. This study was carried out to define the relationship of major clinical presentation, laboratory findings, and level of creatine kinase. Methods: A retrospective analysis was made for thirty patients who were diagnosed rotavirus gastroenteritis from Jan 2001 to Mar 2005 in Department of Pediatrics, Gyeongsang National University Hospital. Serum creatine kinase was checked for the evaluation of high aminotransferase level among the patients. Results: Fourteen patients (8 males, 6 females) with high creatine kinase activity were included in this study. The mean age was $1.46{\pm}1.24year$ of age. The mean level of AST, ALT and CK were $127.5{\pm}136.2IU/L$, $126.1{\pm}154.3IU/L$, and $542.8{\pm}624.6IU/L$, respectively. Electrophoresis of CK isoenzyme was performed in four of them and the results revealed elevated CK-MM fraction (96~100%). Three of them revealed high serum creatine kinase acitivity (>1,000 IU/L) without acute renal failure and other symptom. However, none of them had muscular pain or trauma history. Elevated creatine kinase activity did not correlate with clinical implications (age, sex, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, symptom of URI, degree of dehydration or seizure) or laboratory findings. Conclusion: In this study, we found that serum creatine kinase acitivity also was elevated in infants with rotavirus gastroenteritis. This data support muscular damage due to rotavirus, but could not prove the mechanism of increased serum creatine kinase activity.

• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.7
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• pp.490-495
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• 2011

Transcription factor AP-$2{\alpha}$ involves in the process of mammalian embryonic development and tumorigenesis. Many studies have shown that AP-$2{\alpha}$ functions in association with other interacting proteins. In a two-hybrid screening, the regulatory subunit ${\beta}$ of protein casein kinase 2 ($CK2{\beta}$) was identified as an interacting protein of AP-$2{\alpha}$; we confirmed this interaction using in-vitro GST pull-down and in-vivo co-immunoprecipitation assays; in an endogenous co-immunoprecipitation experiment, we further found the catalytic subunit ${\alpha}$ of protein casein kinase 2 ($CK2{\alpha}$) also exists in the complex. Phosphorylation analysis revealed that AP-$2{\alpha}$ was phosphorylated by CK2 kinase majorly at the site of Ser429, and such phosphorylation could be blocked by CK2 specific inhibitor 4,5,6,7-tetrabromobenzotriazole (TBB) in a dose-dependent manner. Luciferase assays demonstrated that both $CK2{\alpha}$ and $CK2{\beta}$ enhanced the transcription activity of AP-$2{\alpha}$; moreover, $CK2{\beta}$ increased the stability of AP-$2{\alpha}$. Our data suggest a novel cellular function of CK-2 as a transcriptional co-activator of AP-$2{\alpha}$.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.1170-1176
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• 2015

Ginsenosides, the major active component of ginseng, are traditionally used to treat various diseases, including cancer, inflammation, and obesity. Among these, compound K (CK), an intestinal bacterial metabolite of the ginsenosides Rb₁, Rb₂, and Rc from Bacteroides JY-6, is reported to inhibit cancer cell growth by inducing cell-cycle arrest or cell death, including apoptosis and necrosis. However, the precise effect of CK on breast cancer cells remains unclear. MCF-7 cells were treated with CK ($0-70{\mu}M$) for 24 or 48 h. Cell proliferation and death were evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and flow cytometry assays, respectively. Changes in downstream signaling molecules involved in cell death, including glycogen synthase kinase $3\beta$ ($GSK3\beta$), $GSK3\beta$, $\beta$-catenin, and cyclin D1, were analyzed by western blot assay. To block $GSK3\beta$ signaling, MCF-7 cells were pretreated with $GSK3\beta$ inhibitors 1 h prior to CK treatment. Cell death and the expression of $\beta$-catenin and cyclin D1 were then examined. CK dose- and time-dependently inhibited MCF-7 cell proliferation. Interestingly, CK induced programmed necrosis, but not apoptosis, via the $GSK3\beta$ signaling pathway in MCF-7 cells. CK inhibited $GSK3\beta$ phosphorylation, thereby suppressing the expression of $\beta$-catenin and cyclin D1. Our results suggest that CK induces programmed necrosis in MCF-7 breast cancer cells via the $GSK3\beta$ signaling pathway.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 1991

Serratia marcescens CK-3, decomposing chitin which is a mar component of cell wall in phyitopathogenic fungi, was isolated from the continuous cropping rhizosphere of pepper and cucumber and its enzymatic property was examined. S. marcescens CK-3 was found tn have an tagonistic effects against, Fusarium axysporum and Rhizoctonia solani and to have complex enzyme system such as chitinase, laminarinase, and proteinase. The preferable composition of the medium for production of chitinase was fond and was as follows : colloidal chitin 1.5%, tryptone 0.5%, glucose 1.0%, peptone 0.2%, $MgSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O\;0.1%,\;K_2HPO_4\;0.1%,\;and\;NaCl\;0.1%$(w/v), pH 6.8. The maximum enzyme production was observed after culture of 72 hours at $30^{\circ}C$ using a medium containing the above chemical composition. The optimal pH and temperature for in vitro activity of chitinase from S. marcescens CK-3 were pH 7.5 and $50^{\circ}C$, respectively. The enzyme activity in-creased by metal ions such as$Ag^+$ and $Mn^{++}$.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.429-437
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• 1991

Beta hydroxytrimethylammonium butyrate[L-carnitine] is highly concentrated in myocardium and it is essential substance for transfer of fatty acids into the mitochondria. We respect that L-carnitine has protective action to myocardium during ischemia. I studied coronary flow and CK - MB isoenzyme of coronary effluent of Langendorff`s isolated rat heart model. As a control group 5 Sprague-Dowley species rat hearts were connected to Langendorff`s isolated rat heart model and perfused for 30 minutes with Kreb-Henseleit buffer solution. After cessation of perfusion for 30 minutes they were reperfused for 30 minutes. In experimental group 10 Sprague-Dowley species rat hearts were perfused with 10mmole /L of L-carnitine contained in Kleb-Henseleit buffer solution. In equilibrium state, coronary flow was 1.7 times greater in experimental group. During reperfusion, both group showed equally decreased flow amount of about 60% of that of equilibrium state. CK-MB isoenzyme level of perfused coronary fluid showed no significant difference in equilibrium state. In reperfusion. CK-MB isoenzyme levels of control group were 17.61$\pm$8. 68U/L at 25 minutes, 23.32$\pm$4.15U /L at 30 minutes; and in experimental group, 13.63$\pm$6. 08U/L at 15 minutes and 13.6$\pm$8.41U /L at 30 minutes respectively. Those values in both states showed significantly lower CK-MB level in experimental group. In conclusion, L-carnitine prevent ischemic myocardial damage during ischemic and reperfusion state of Langendorff`s isolated rat hearts and also I suggest the L-carnitine act potent coronary vasodilator during preischemic and postischemic states of rat hearts.

• KIPS Transactions on Software and Data Engineering
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.43-50
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• 2016

This paper introduces an appearance-based facial expression recognition method using ASM landmarks which is used to acquire a detailed face region. In particular, EHMM-based algorithm and SVM classifier with histogram feature are employed to appearance-based facial expression recognition, and performance evaluation of proposed method was performed with CK and JAFFE facial expression database. In addition, performance comparison was achieved through comparison with distance-based face normalization method and a geometric feature-based facial expression approach which employed geometrical features of ASM landmarks and SVM algorithm. As a result, the proposed method using ASM-based face normalization showed performance improvements of 6.39% and 7.98% compared to previous distance-based face normalization method for CK database and JAFFE database, respectively. Also, the proposed method showed higher performance compared to geometric feature-based facial expression approach, and we confirmed an effectiveness of proposed method.

• KIPS Transactions on Software and Data Engineering
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.89-94
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• 2016

This paper proposed a facial expression recognition approach using SIFT feature and SVM classifier. The SIFT was generally employed as feature descriptor at key-points in object recognition fields. However, this paper applied the SIFT descriptor as feature vector for facial expression recognition. In this paper, the facial feature was extracted by applying SIFT descriptor at each sub-block image without key-point detection procedure, and the facial expression recognition was performed using SVM classifier. The performance evaluation was carried out through comparison with binary pattern feature-based approaches such as LBP and LDP, and the CK facial expression database and the JAFFE facial expression database were used in the experiments. From the experimental results, the proposed method using SIFT descriptor showed performance improvements of 6.06% and 3.87% compared to previous approaches for CK database and JAFFE database, respectively.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.128-133
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• 2003

Purpose: The benefits of the 'no-touch' isolation techniquethat is usually performed to prevent the circulation of tumor cells are not evident. The aim of this study was to determine whether the no-touch isolation technique for treating gastrointestinal cancers could prevent the circulation of tumor cells detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Matrials and Methods: By using RT-PCR to amplify mRNAs for two specific epithelial markers, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cytokeratin 20 (CK-20), we examined 34 gastric cancer patients who had been histologically diagnosed and 22 patients had undergone serosal and peritoneal brushing. Results: In 10 ($29.4\%$) of the 34 gastric cancer patients, we detected CK20 mRNA before manipulation, and in 17 ($51.5\%$) of those patients, after we detected it. The density of the CK20 mRNA band was increased in 11 cases ($33.3\%$) and the density was decreased in 2 cases ($6.1\%$). In 16 ($48.5\%$) of the 34 gastric cancer patients, we detected CEA mRNA before manipulation, and in 17 ($51.5\%$) patients after we detected it. The density of the CEA mRNA band was increased in 8 cases ($24.2\%$) and decreased in 3 cases ($9.1\%$). Conclusion: These result suggest that the ' no-touch isolation technique ' might be useful when operating on advanced gastric cancer patients and that serosal or Douglas pouch brushing can be used to determine the status of micrometastasis.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.519-525
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• 2010

Kwamegi, a traditional Korean food, is made from the flesh of Pacific saury (the fish Cololabis saira semi-dried in a cold wind off the sea, and is well known in Korea as a valuable health food. Recently, several functional materials have been developed for supplementation of Kwamegi. Here, we compared and analyzed the nutrient composition, including overall composition and mineral, vitamin, fatty acid, and amino acid levels, of several commercial Kwamegi samples prepared with addition of functional components (unsupplemented Kwamegi, Kwamegi with chitosan, and Kwamegi overlaid with gold leaf). The levels of moisture (26.4-30.8%), crude protein (29.1-32.7%), and crude ash (1.6-1.9%) did not differ greatly among samples. However, the crude lipid content of Kwamegi overlaid with gold leaf (KOGL, 32.2%) was greater than that of untreated Kwamegi (CK, 24.5%) or of Kwamegi with added chitosan (KAC, 22.9%). The levels of vitamin $B_2$ (1.8-2.0 mg/100 g) and vitamin C (6.6-6.7 mg/100 g) did not differ greatly among Kwamegi samples. However, CK had a higher vitamin A content and a greater vitamin A potency than did KAC or KOGL. The various Kwamegi samples tested contained similar levels of fatty acids and amino acids. In conclusion, no particular differences in nutrient composition were evident when commercial Kwamegi samples supplemented with functional ingredients were tested