• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.73-78
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• 2000

To analyze molecular traits determining pigmentation between Pharbitis nill violet and white, Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism(AFLP) and Differential Display Reverse Transcription(DDRT) experiments were carried out with either genomic DNAs or total RNAs isolated from both plants. Results of AFLP experiment in combination of 8 EcoRⅠ primers with 6 MseⅠ primers showed 41 violet-and 60 white-specific DNA bands. In the subsequent experiment, 22 violet-and 22 white-specific DNA fragments were amplified by PCR with DNAs eluted. The sizes of the fragments range from 200 to 600bp. DDRT using total RNA produced 19 violet-and 17 white-specific cDNA fragments, ranging from 200 to 600bp. The fragments obtained by both AFLP and DDRT had been cloned into pGEM T-easy vector, amplified and subjected to the nucleotide sequence analyses. As a result of Blast sequence analysis, most of them sequenced up to date showed no similarity to any Known gene, while few has similarity to known animal or plant genes. An AFLP clone V6, for example, has a strong sequence similarity to the human transcription factor LZIP-alpha mRNA and a DDRT clone W19 to Solanum tuberosum 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase mRNA.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.19-31
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• 2021

Objectives : The root of Salvia miltiorrhiza, known as 'Dansam (DS, 丹參)', is used for and treating cardiovascular diseases based on its efficacy of promoting blood circulation and breaking through a blood stasis. In this study, we would like to see if DS could be effectively used for stroke from the perspective of network pharmacology. Methods : The analysis was conducted using Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) database to derive the main active compounds of DS and identify the mechanism of each compound acting on the human body. The networks between compounds, target protein and disease were expressed through Cytoscape. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis was performed using STRING database. Results : Fifty two active compounds of DS were identified by screening the ingredients of DS through TCMSP. Based on the networks of these compounds with target protein and disease, it can be said that DS might be effective for preventing and treating stroke. PPI result showed that adrenergic receptor has many interactions among proteins, indicating its significance in stroke pathway. Conclusion : In this study, we derived target proteins and target diseases of DS that could be used in study of stroke. However, since it is uncertain if these targets can be controlled by DS extracts or not, we would like to confirm the results with further animal experiments.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.279-287
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• 2009

Magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT) is a new medical imaging modality providing cross-sectional images of a conductivity distribution inside an electrically conducting object. MREIT has rapidly progressed in its theory, algorithm and experimental technique and now reached the stage of in vivo animal and human experiments. Conductivity image reconstructions in MREIT require various steps of carefully implemented numerical computations. To facilitate MREIT research, there is a pressing need for an MREIT software package with an efficient user interface. In this paper, we present an example of such a software, called CoReHA which stands for conductivity reconstructor using harmonic algorithms. It offers various computational tools including preprocessing of MREIT data, identification of boundary geometry, electrode modeling, meshing and implementation of the finite element method. Conductivity image reconstruction methods based on the harmonic $B_z$ algorithm are used to produce cross-sectional conductivity images. After summarizing basics of MREIT theory and experimental method, we describe technical details of each data processing task for conductivity image reconstructions. We pay attention to pitfalls and cautions in their numerical implementations. The presented software will be useful to researchers in the field of MREIT for simulation as well as experimental studies.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.229-235
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• 1998

These experiments were conducted to investigate the effects and optimal concentrations of RPMI 1640 amino acids, MEM vitamins and human follicular fluid(hFF) as additives in the medium for in vitro culture of mouse embryos. The results obtained were as follows. 1. The development rates of blastocyst stage were 54.5%, 65.4%, 48.2%, 57.4% and 35.5% when the medium was added to 0.25%, 0.5%, 1%, 2% of RPMI 1640 amino acid and control, respectively. The addition of 0.5% RPMI 1640 amino acid was the best concentration. 2. The development rates of blastocyst stage were 22.4%, 31.3%, 21.9%, 19.0% adn 12.8% when the medium was added to 0.25%, 0.5%, 1%, 2% of MEM vitamin and control, respectively. The addition of 0.5% MEM vitamin was the best concentration. 3. The development rates of blastocyst stage were 20.9%, 21.9%, 18.9%, 29.4% and 20.6% when the medium was added to 2.5%, 5%, 10%, 20% of hFF and control, respectively.

• Journal of Multimedia Information System
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.293-302
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• 2019

In the past, there was a theory that influenza wasn't transmitted directly from birds but was infected to humans via swains. Recently, molecular level research has progressed, and it was confirmed that the avian influenza virus can directly infected to human lung and intestinal epithelial cells. Three pandemicsin the past 100 years were also infected to humans directly from birds. In view of such scientific background, we are developing a method for screening sick birds by monitoring the physiological characteristics of birds in a contactless manner with sensors. Here, the movement of respiratory muscles and abdominal muscles under autonomic innervation was monitored using a magnet and Hall sensor sewn on the thoracic wall, and other multimedia devices. This paper presents and discusses the results of experiments involving continuous periodic noise discovered during flight experiments with a data logger mounted on a Japanese pheasant from 2012 to 2015. A brief summary is given as the below: 1. Magnet and Hall sensor sewn to the left and right chest walls, bipolar electrocardiograms between the thoracic walls, posterior thoracic air sac pressure, angular velocity sensors sewn on the back and hips, and optical reflection of LEDs (blue and green) from the skin of the hips allow observation of periodic vibrations(fasciculations) in the waves. No such analysis has been reported before. 2. These fasciculations are presumed to be derived from muscle to maintain and control air sac pressure. 3. Since each muscle fiber is spatially Gaussian distributed from the sympathetic nerve, the envelope is assumed to plot a Gaussian curve. 4. Since avian trunk muscles contract periodically at all time, we assume that the sympathetic nerve dominates in their control. 5. The technique of sewing a magnet to the thoracic wall and measuring the strength of the magnetic field with a Hall sensor can be applied to screen for early stage of avian influenza, with a sensor attached to the chicken enclosure.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.37-42
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• 2007

Lactoferrin, an ion-binding 80-kDa glycoprotein, has been suggested to have many biologic activities, such as facilitating ion absorption and having antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects. Several of these activities are likely to only be facilitated by human lactoferrin because they depend on the binding of human lactoferrin to specific receptor. To produce recombinant human lactoferrin to animal foods using transgenic silkworm, Bombyx mori L, we have cloned and sequenced the cDNA encoding for a human lactoferrin (HLf) from the mRNA in mammary tumor line (GI-101). As a result, the 2.5-kb fragment of HLf gene was cloned with pGEM-T vector and then this fragment was sequenced. In the nucleotide sequence analysis, single open reading frame of the 2,136-bp encoding for a polypeptide of 712 amino acid residues was detected. On the other hand, we constructed a recombinant plasmid(pPT-HLf), containing human lactoferrin gene for germ line transformation of the silkworm using a piggyBac transposon-derived vector. A nonautonomous helper plasmid encodes the piggyBac transposase. Approximately 6.7% of individuals in the G0 silkworms expressed green fluorescent protein (GFP). PCR analyses of GFP-positive silkworms (G0 and G1) revealed that independent insertions occurred frequently. Furthermore, Western blot analysis showed that the recombinant HLf expressed in hemolymph has the same molecular weight (80 kDa) as a native protein. On the basis of these experiments, expression of HLf in next generation of transgenic silkworm is now in process.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.659-674
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• 2011

Saccharin was reported to cause urinary bladder cancer in male rats when fed at high doses in a two-generation study, which led to a ban on the use of saccharin in Canada. However, no carcinogenic effect has been observed in other animal experiments conducted with mice, hamsters, or monkeys. Furthermore, numerous epidemiological studies have indicated that there was no relationship between saccharin consumption and the risk of bladder cancer in the human population. Sodium saccharin produces urothelial bladder tumors in rats by the formation of a urinary calcium phosphatecontaining precipitate, which is not relevant to humans because of critical interspecies difference in urine composition. Consequently, in 1999 IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) concluded that saccharin and its salts cannot be classified as to their carcinogenicity in humans. In 2010, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) of the United States removed saccharin from its list of hazardous substances. It is expected that the use of saccharin in foods might be expanded because saccharin is currently considered safe.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.556-562
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• 2013

We examined the anti-obesity effects of water-soluble polysaccharides (WSP-A) extracted from the seaweed Hijikia fusiforme (Tott in Korean). The extracted alginate-like polysaccharide (verified by FT-IR and HPAEC-PAD analysis) was examined in a lipase inhibition assay and animal experiments. WSP-A inhibited lipase up to 30%, with over 80% of the initial activity retained until the 1 hour reaction in vitro. There was a 30% loss in the rate of weight gain in rats fed a high-fat diet. WSP-A therefore seems to serve as a healthy weight loss agent by inhibiting lipases, thus preventing the absorption of fat in the body.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2022

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a gastrointestinal disorder with diverse symptoms but no structural or organic manifestations. Benachio-F^® (herein named 'BF-1') is an over-the-counter liquid digestive formulated with multiple herbal extracts, which has been reported to improve symptoms of FD. A total two experiments were conducted. First, we examined whether BF-1 can modulate the progression of FD through two experimental rat models. A total of three doses (0.3x, 1x, 3x of the human equivalent dose) were used. In the gastric emptying model, both 1x (standard) or 3x (3-fold-concentrated) BF-1 enhanced gastric emptying was compared with that of vehicle-treated animals. In a feeding inhibition model induced by acute restraint stress, treatment with 1x or 3x BF-1 led to a similar degree of restoration in food intake that was comparable to that of acotiamide-treated animals. Among the constituents of BF, fennel is known for its choleretic effect. Thus, we next investigated whether a novel BF-based formula (named 'BF-2') that contains an increased amount of fennel extract (3.5-fold over BF-1), has greater potency in increasing bile flow. BF-2 showed a superior choleretic effect compared to BF-1. Furthermore, the postprandial concentration of serum secretin was higher in animals pretreated with BF-2 than in those pretreated with BF-1, suggesting that the increased choleretic effect of BF-2 is related to secretin production. Our results demonstrate that BF-1 can modulate the pathophysiological mechanisms of FD by exerting prokinetic and stress-relieving effects, and that BF-2 has a better choleretic effect than BF-1.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.391-397
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• 2009

The house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronissinus) is an important factor in triggering allergic diseases. The function of eosinophils, particularly in the production of cytokine or chemokine, is critical in understanding the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases. In this study, we examined whether D. pteronissinus extract (DpE) induces the expression of monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1)/CCL2, IL-8/CXCL8, and IL-6 that mediate in the infiltration and activation of immune cells and in its signaling mechanism in the human eosinophilic cell line, EoL-1. DpE increased the mRNA and protein expression of MCP-1, IL-8, and IL-6 in a time- and dose-dependent course in EoL-1 cells. In our experiments using signal-specific inhibitors, we found that the increased expression of MCP-1, IL-8, and IL-6 due to DpE is associated with Src family tyrosine kinase and protein kinase C $\delta$ (PKC $\delta$). In addition, the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) is required for MCP-1 and IL-8 expression while p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is involved in IL-6 expression. DpE induced the phosphorylation of ERK and p38 MAPK. PP2, an inhibitor of Src family tyrosine kinase, and rottlerin, an inhibitor of PKC $\delta$, blocked the activation of ERK and p38 MAPK. DpE induces the activation of ERK and p38 MAPK via Src family tyrosine kinase and PKC $\delta$ for MCP-1, IL-8, or IL-6 production. Increased cytokine release due to the house dust mite and the characterization of its signal transduction may be valuable in understanding the eosinophil-related pathogenic mechanism of inflammatory diseases.