• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.146-152
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• 2004

Ghrelin is an acylated peptide recently identified as the endogenous ligand for the growth hormone (GH) secretagogues receptor 1a (GHS-R1a) and is involved in a novel system for regulating GH release. To understand the long-term effects of ghrelin, here we constructed six myogenic expression vectors containing the cDNA of swine mature ghrelin (pGEM-wt-sGhln, pGEM-wt-hGhln), ghrelin mutant of $Ser^3$ with $Trp^3$ (pGEM-mt-sGhln, pGEM-mt-hGhln) and truncated ghrelin derivative (pGEM-tmtsGhln, pGEM-tmt-hGhln) encompassing the first 7 residues of ghrelin (including $Ser^3$ substituted with $Trp^3$) and adding a basic amino acid, Lys (K) in the C-terminus. The constructs, pGEM-wt-sGhln, pGEM-mt-sGhln and pGEM-tmt-sGhln were linked with the ghrelin leader sequence, while the pGEM-wt-hGhln, pGEM-mt-hGhln and pGEM-tmt-hGhln were linked with a leader sequence from the human growth hormone releasing hormone (hGHRH). Intramuscular injection of 200 ${\mu}g$ pGEM-wt-sGhln or pGEM-tmt-sGhln augmented growth over 3 weeks in normal rats and peaked at day 21 or 14 post-injection respectively, whose body weight gains were on average approximately 6% or 19% heavier over controls. However, other injectable vectors had no such enhanced growth effects. Our results suggested that the efficacy of the ghrelin leader sequence was more effective than that of hGHRH in our system. Moreover, the results indicated that skeletal muscle might have the ability to posttranslationally modify the in vivo expressed ghrelin. And the most strikingly, the short ghrelin analog seems to mimic the biological effects more efficiently when compared with the full-length ghrelin.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.146-153
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• 2006

Cell polarity is critical for the division, differentiation, migration, and signaling of eukaryotic cells. RAX2 of budding yeast encodes a membrane protein localized at the cell cortex that helps maintain the polarity of the bipolar pattern. Here, we designate SPAC6f6.06c as $rax2^+$ of Schizosaccharomyces pombe, based on its sequence homology with RAX2, and examine its function in cell polarity. S. pombe $rax2^+$ is not essential, but ${\Delta}rax2$ cells are slightly smaller and grow slower than wild type cells. During vegetative growth or arrest at G1 by mutation of cdc10, deletion of $rax2^+$ increases the number of cells failing old end growth just after division. In addition, this failure of old end growth is dramatically increased in ${\Delta}tea1{\Delta}rax2$, pointing to genetic interaction of $rax2^+$ with $tea1^+$. ${\Delta}rax2$ cells contain normal actin and microtubule cytoskeletons, but lack actin cables, and the polarity factor for3p is not properly localized at the growing tip. In ${\Delta}rax2$ cells, and endogenous rax2p is localized at the cell cortex of growing cell tips in an actin- and microtubule-dependent manner. However, ${\Delta}rax2$ cells show no defects in cell polarity during shmoo formation and conjugation. Taken together, these observations suggest that rax2p controls the cell polarity of fission yeast during vegetative growth by regulating for3p localization.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.4B
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• pp.433-437
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• 2006

Recently, mathematical modeling for the activated sludge process is important to design and control of wastewater treatment plant. Nevertheless, there is a lack of information regarding the pathway of substrate utilization between external and internal substrates in biological nutrient removal (BNR). In this research, a new activated sludge model (step growth model) is proposed and compare with ASM No.3. This model structure is consist of five processes; aerobic storage, growth on external substrate and stored intercellular storage compounds (ISCs), endogenous respiration and aerobic respiration of ISCs. The predicted results by the step growth model were more good accordance with the results of oxygen utilization rate (OUR) and TCOD experiment than that of the ASM No.3.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.399-407
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• 2013

Morphological changes in the reared rock bream, Oplegnathus fasciatus, from hatching to six days after hatching were examined during the early growth stage under starvation. All the larvae died within five days when feeding was delayed for three days after hatching. These results imply that initial larval food should be supplied within two days of hatching. Changes in the pectoral angle and the ratios of eye height to head height, gut height to standard length, and gut height to myotome height in the rock bream are alternative indicators for the identification of starving fish. These indicators might prove useful in evaluating the successful transition from endogenous to exogenous feeding in this species.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.326-335
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• 2011

When bougainvilleas are subjected to indoor low-light conditions, flower bracts regularly abscise. This study elucidates the effects of plant growth regulators on bract longevity of potted bougainvillea. Potted 'Taipei Red' bougainvillea in four different bract development stages were treated with 1-MCP (1-methylcyclopropene), NAA (1-naphthaleneacetic acid), SNA (sodium salt of naphthaleneacetic acid), IBA (indolebutyric acid), BA (6-benzylaminopurine), $KH_2PO_4$ (potassium dihydrogen phosphate), Put (diamine putrescine), SA (salicylic acid), or STS (silver thiosulfate) and were moved to indoor low-light conditions after treatments. Experimental results indicate that 1-MCP, NAA, SNA, BA, Put, and SA prolonged bract longevity, and this effect increased as bract stage increased. The effect of STS was significant in early bract stages and decreased as bract stages increased. Additionally, 1-MCP, NAA, SNA, BA, Put, SA, and STS treatment significantly reduced endogenous ACC (1-aminocyclopropene-1-carboxylate) content and ACC oxidase activity, suggesting that the inhibition of ethylene production was achieved via physiological metabolism. However, treatment with IBA or $KH_2PO_4$ had no effect on the bract longevity at any stage. In the combined chemical treatments, NAA + STS or NAA + SA were effectively for prolonging bract longevity and contained less protein or chlorophyll degradation, decrease ACC oxidase or ethylene production than the control. In conclusion, we propose that combined chemical treatment significantly prolonged the bract longevity and more effectively than single chemical treatment at any stage.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.51-54
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• 2011

Vitamin D is present in two forms, ergocalciferol (vitamin $D_2$) produced by plants and cholecalciferol (vitamin $D_3$) produced by animal tissues or by the action of ultraviolet light on 7-dehydrocholesterol in human skin. Both forms of vitamin D are biologically inactive pro-hormones that must undergo sequential hydroxylations in the liver and the kidney before they can bind to and activate the vitamin D receptor. The hormonally active form of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 $[1,25(OH)_2D]$, plays an essential role in calcium and phosphate metabolism, bone growth, and cellular differentiation. Renal synthesis of $1,25(OH)_2D$ from its endogenous precursor, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD), is the rate-limiting and is catalyzed by the $1{\alpha}$-hydroxylase. Vitamin D dependent rickets type I (VDDR-I), also referred to as vitamin D $1{\alpha}$-hydroxylase deficiency or pseudovitamin D deficiency rickets, is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized clinically by hypotonia, muscle weakness, growth failure, hypocalcemic seizures in early infancy, and radiographic findings of rickets. Characteristic laboratory features are hypocalcemia, increased serum concentrations of parathyroid hormone (PTH), and low or undetectable serum concentrations of $1,25(OH)_2D$ despite normal or increased concentrations of 25OHD. Recent advances have showed in the cloning of the human $1{\alpha}$-hydroxylase and revealed mutations in its gene that cause VDDR-I. This review presents the biology of vitamin D, and $1{\alpha}$-hydroxylase mutations with clinical findings.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.11 no.11
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• pp.1173-1181
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• 2002

The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of low temperature and salicylic acid(SA) on the chilling tolerance of acclimated and nonacclimated cucumber(Cucurmis sativus L.) seedlings. The acclimation phenomenon was characterized in chilling-sensitive cucumber seedlings and found to have a significant effect on the survival and shoot dry weights. The injuries experienced by the acclimated seedlings in the third leaf stage were on average smaller by half than those experienced by the nonacclimated seedlings. Chilling also caused a large increase in the free proline levels, regardless of the acclimation status. Exogenous treatment with SA(0.5mM) resulted in improved growth and survival of the nonacclimated chilled seedlings, indicating that SA induced chilling tolerance and SA and acclimation had common effects. The application of cycloheximide in the presence of SA restored the acclimation-induced chilling tolerance. The elevated proline level observed in the cold-treated and SA-treated plants was more pronounced in the light than in the dark at a chilled temperature, indicating that endogenous proline may play a role in chilling tolerance by stabilizing the water status in response to chilling. From these results it is suggested that SA provided protection against low-temperature stress by increasing the proline accumulation, and pre-treatment with SA may induce antioxidant enzymes leading to increased chilling tolerance.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.425-429
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• 1992

Cell elongation is known to be promoted by ethylene in petioles of Ranunculus sceleratus. Treatment of petiole segments with spermine resulted in an inhibition of cell elongation and of ethylene biosynthesis in the presence of applied auxin. Dose response curve for the spermine inhibition of auxin-induced ethylene production appeared similar to that of ACC-based ethylene production suggesting that the polyamine inhibits ethylene biosynthesis by blocking the conversion of ACC to etylene. Auxin-induced ethylene production was significantly promoted by treatment of the tissue with either DFMA or DFMO. specific inhibitors of polyamine biosynthesis. Increased level of ethylene production by DFMA was found to be completely abolished by application of exogenous spermine at a high concentration. These results indicate that endogenous spermine plays a regulatory role in the growth response of Ranunculus petioles to auxin and ethylene.hylene.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.665-673
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• 2015

After invasion of red blood cells, malaria matures within the cell by degrading hemoglobin avidly. For enormous protein breakdown in trophozoite stage, many efficient and ordered proteolysis networks have been postulated and exploited. In this study, a potential interaction of a 60-kDa Plasmodium falciparum (Pf)-heat shock protein (Hsp60) and Pf-calpain, a cysteine protease, was explored. Pf-infected RBC was isolated and the endogenous Pf-Hsp60 and Pf-calpain were determined by western blot analysis and similar antigenicity of GroEL and Pf-Hsp60 was determined with anti-Pf-Hsp60. Potential interaction of Pf-calpain and Pf-Hsp60 was determined by immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence assay. Mizoribine, a well-known inhibitor of Hsp60, attenuated both Pf-calpain enzyme activity as well as P. falciparum growth. The presented data suggest that the Pf-Hsp60 may function on Pf-calpain in a part of networks during malaria growth.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.9-14
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• 1964

The sensitivities of Chlorella ellipsoidea to ${\gamma}$-ray from Cobalt-60 were determined by measuring the photosynthetic and respiratory activities and the changes in phosphate contents in various fractions of the irradited cells, which were further grown in a standard medium after irradiation, were compared to those of non-irradiated normal cells. The photosynthetic and repiratory activities of the cells were almost inversely proportional to the dose of ${\gamma}$-ray irradiated and the photosynthetic activity was more sensitive than the respiratory activity of the cells. The most sensitive to ${\gamma}$-ray was growth activity, followed by photosynthesis, exogenous and endogenous respirations of the cells in decreasing order. Chlorella cells were so resistant to ${\gamma}$-ray comapred with other organisms that about 280,000 r dose of ${\gamma}$-ray irradiaton was necessary to reduce as much as half the subsequent photosynthetic activity. When the irradiated algae were further cultured in a standard medium, the phosphate contents in the fraction of DNA, RNA and phosphoprotein decreased considerably compared with those of non-irradiated normal cells, while the phosphate contents in the fraction of polyphosphates increased than those of control. Therefore, it was deduced that ${\gamma}$-ray inhibited the synthesis of DNA from polyphosphates, that the growth of Chlorella cells were consequently retarded.