• Title/Summary/Keyword: Long novel

Search Result 903, Processing Time 0.03 seconds

Analysis of Intragenic Ds Transpositions and Excision Events Generating Novel Allelic Variation in Rice

  • Park, Soon Ju;Piao, Hai Long;Xuan, Yuan-hu;Park, Sung Han;Je, Byoung Il;Kim, Chul Min;Lee, Eun Jin;Park, Soo Hyun;Ryu, ByeongChan;Lee, Kon Ho;Lee, Gi Hwan;Nam, Min Hee;Yeo, Un Sang;Lee, Myung Chul;Yun, Doh Won;Eun, Moo Young;Han, Chang-deok
    • Molecules and Cells
    • /
    • v.21 no.2
    • /
    • pp.284-293
    • /
    • 2006
  • Even though Ac/Ds gene-tagging systems have been established in many higher plants, maize is the only major plant in which short-distance transposition of Ac/Ds has been utilized to probe gene function. This study was performed to evaluate the efficiency of obtaining new alleles and functional revertants from Ds insertion loci in rice. By analyzing 1,580 plants and the progeny of selected lines, the insertion sites and orientations of Ds elements within 16 new heritable alleles of three rice loci were identified and characterized. Intragenic transposition was detected in both directions from the original insertion sites. The closest interval was 35 bp. Three of the alleles had two Ds elements in cis configuration in the same transcription units. We also analyzed the excision footprints of intragenic and extragenic transpositions in Ds-inserted alleles at 5 loci. The 134 footprints obtained from different plants revealed predominant patterns. Ds excision at each locus left a predominant footprint at frequencies of 30-75%. Overall, 66% of the footprints were 7-bp additions. In addition, 16% of the excisions left 0-, 3-, 6-, and 9-bp additions with the potential of conserving reading frame.

Regulator of G-Protein Signaling 4 (RGS4) Controls Morphine Reward by Glutamate Receptor Activation in the Nucleus Accumbens of Mouse Brain

  • Kim, Juhwan;Lee, Sueun;Kang, Sohi;Jeon, Tae-Il;Kang, Man-Jong;Lee, Tae-Hoon;Kim, Yong Sik;Kim, Key-Sun;Im, Heh-In;Moon, Changjong
    • Molecules and Cells
    • /
    • v.41 no.5
    • /
    • pp.454-464
    • /
    • 2018
  • Crosstalk between G-protein signaling and glutamatergic transmission within the brain reward circuits is critical for long-term emotional effects (depression and anxiety), cravings, and negative withdrawal symptoms associated with opioid addiction. A previous study showed that Regulator of G-protein signaling 4 (RGS4) may be implicated in opiate action in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). However, the mechanism of the NAc-specific RGS4 actions that induce the behavioral responses to opiates remains largely unknown. The present study used a short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated knock-down of RGS4 in the NAc of the mouse brain to investigate the relationship between the activation of ionotropic glutamate receptors and RGS4 in the NAc during morphine reward. Additionally, the shRNA-mediated RGS4 knock-down was implemented in NAc/striatal primary-cultured neurons to investigate the role that striatal neurons have in the morphine-induced activation of ionotropic glutamate receptors. The results of this study show that the NAc-specific knock-down of RGS4 significantly increased the behaviors associated with morphine and did so by phosphorylation of the GluR1 (Ser831) and NR2A (Tyr1325) glutamate receptors in the NAc. Furthermore, the knock-down of RGS4 enhanced the phosphorylation of the GluR1 and NR2A glutamate receptors in the primary NAc/striatal neurons during spontaneous morphine withdrawal. These findings show a novel molecular mechanism of RGS4 in glutamatergic transmission that underlies the negative symptoms associated with morphine administration.

A Clinical Trial of Dextranase-Containing Mouthwash on the Inhibition of Plaque Formation and Gingivitis (Dextranase 함유 구강 세정액의 치태 억제 및 치은염 예방 효과에 관한 임상적 연구)

  • Song, Woo-Sung;Son, Eun-Ju;Kim, Do-Man;Chung, Hyun-Ju
    • Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
    • /
    • v.31 no.2
    • /
    • pp.371-388
    • /
    • 2001
  • A novel glucanhydrolase(DXAMase) from a mutant of Lipomyces starkeyi(KSM 22) has been shown effective in hydrolysis of mutan, reduction of mutan formation by Streptococcus mutans and removal pre-formed sucrose-dependentadherent microbial film and DXAMase has been strongly bound to hydroxyapatitie. These in vitro properties of Lipomyces starkeyi DXAMase are desirable for its application as a dental plaque control agent. This study was performed to determine the adjunctive oral hygiene benefits and safety of dextranase(Lipomyces starkeyi KSM 22 DXAMase)-containing mouthwash when used alongside normal tooth-brushing. This 6-month clinical trial was placebo-controlled double-blind design evaluating 1U/ml dextranase mouthwash and 0.12% chlorhexidine mouthwash. A total 39 systemically healthy subjects, who had moderate levels of plaque and gingivitis were included. At baseline, 1, 3 and 6 months, subjects were scored for plaque accumulation(Turesky modification of Quingley-Hein's plaque index), gingivitis status($L\ddot{o}e$ and Silness gingival index), and tooth stain(Area and severity index system by Lang et al). Additionally, oral mucosal examinations were performed and subjects questioned for adverse symptoms. Two weeks after pre-experiment examinations and a professional prophylaxis, the subjects provided with allocated mousewash and instructed to use 20-ml volumes for 30s twice daily after toothbrushing. All the groups showed significant increase in plaque accumulation since 1 month of experiment. During 6 months' period, the Dextranase mouthwash group showed the least increase in plaque accumulation, compared to the Chlorhexidine mouthwash and placebo groups. As for gingival inflammation, all the groups showed significant increase during 6 months of experiment. The Experimental group(Dextranase mouthwash) also showed the least increase in gingival index score, compared to the Positive control(Chlorhexidine mouthwash)as well as the Negative control(placebo)groups. Whereas the tooth stain was increased significantly in the Positive control group, compared to the baseline score and the Negative controlgroup since 3 months of mouthrinsing. It was significantly increased after 6 months in the Experimental group, still less severe than the Positive control group. As for the oral side effect, the Experimental group showed less tongue accumulation, bad taste, compared to the Positive control group. From these results, mouthrinsing with Lipomyces starkeyi KSM 22 dextranase provided adjunctive benefits to toothbrushing, comparable to 0.12% chlorhexidine mouthwash in inhibition of plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation and local side effects were if anything less frequent and less intense than chlorhexidine, with long-term use of the mouthwash. All data had provided positive evidence for Lipomyces starkeyi KSM 22 dextranase as an antiplaque agent and suggested that further development of dextranase formulations for plaque control are warranted.

  • PDF

Development and verification of a combined method of BEM and VOF (BEM과 VOF법을 결합한 수치모델의 개발과 그 타당성 검토)

  • Kim Sang-Ho;Yannshiro Masaru;Yoshida Akinori;Hashimoto Noriaki;Lee Jong-Woo
    • Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
    • /
    • 2005.10a
    • /
    • pp.153-159
    • /
    • 2005
  • Recently, various novel numerical models based on Navier-Stokes equation rave been developed for calculating wave motions in the sea with coastal or ocean structures. Among those models, Volume Of Fluid (VOF) method might be the most popular one, and it has been used for numerical simulations of wave motions including complicated phenomena of wave breakings. VOF method, however, needs enormous computation time and large computational storage memories in general, thus it is practically difficult to use VOF method for calculations in the case of random waves because long and stable computation ( e.g. for more than 100 significant wave periods) is required to obtain statistically meaningful results. On the other hand of the wave motion is potential motion, Boundary Element Method (BEM), which is a much faster and more accurate method than VOF method, am be effectively used. The aim of this study is to develop a new efficient model applicable to calculations of wave motion and/or wave-structure interactions under random waves. To achieve this, a strictly combined BEM-VOF model has been developed by making the best use of both methods' merits; VOF method is used in a restricted fluid domain around a structure where complicated phenomena of wave breakings may exist, and BEM is used in the other domains far from the disturbance where the wave motion may be assumed to be potential. The verification of the model was performed with numerical results for Stokes'5th order wave propagation and a random wave propagation.

  • PDF

Effect of Gamitonggyu-tang on Secretion of Airway Mucin and Contractility of Tracheal Smooth Muscle (가미통규탕(加味通竅湯)이 호흡기 뮤신 분비 및 기관 평활근 긴장도에 미치는 영향)

  • Lee, Nam-Yeol;Han, Jae-Kyung;Kim, Yun-Hee
    • The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
    • /
    • v.21 no.3
    • /
    • pp.109-124
    • /
    • 2007
  • Objectives In the present study, the author intended to investigate whether Gamitonggyu-tang (GTT) significantly affects (since the subject is GTT, you need an 's') in vivo and in vitro mucin secretion from airway epithelial cells. Methods In vivo experiment, mice's mucin which is on a hypersecretion of an airway, mice's tracheal goblet cells in hyperplasia and mice's intraepithelial mucosubstances were exposed with SO2 for 3 weeks. Effects of orally-administered GTT for 1 week on in vivo mucin secretion and hyperplasia of tracheal goblet cells were assessed by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and staining goblet cells with alcian blue. In vitro experiment, confluent hamster tracheal surface epithelial (HTSE) cells were metabolically radiolabeled with 3H-glucosamine for 24 hrs and chased for 30 min in the presence of GTT to figure out the effectiveness of 3H-mucin secretion. Total elution profiles of control spent media and treatment sample through Sepharose CL-4B column were analyzed.Possible cytotoxicities of each agent were assessed by measuring lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release. Also, the effect of GTT on contractility of isolated tracheal smooth muscle was investigated. Results (1) GTT inhibited hypersecretion of in vivo mucin. However, it did not affect the increase the number of goblet cells (2) GTT significantly increased mucin release from cultured HTSE cells, without significant cytotoxicity (3) GTT chiefly affected the 'mucin' secretion and did not affect the secretion of the other releasable glycoproteins with less molecular weight than mucin (4) GTT did not affect Ach-induced contraction of isolated tracheal smooth muscle.Conclusions This result suggests that GTT can increase mucin secretion during short-term treatment (in vitro) whereas it can inihibit hypersecretion of mucin during long-term treatment (in vivo). The author suggests that the effect GTT with their components should be further investigated and it is valuable to find from oriental medical prescriptions, novel agents which might regulate mucin secretion from airway epithelial cells.

  • PDF

High Energy Density Germanium Anodes for Next Generation Lithium Ion Batteries (다음세대 리튬이온 배터리용 고에너지 밀도 게르마늄 음극)

  • Ocon, Joey D.;Lee, Jae Kwang;Lee, Jaeyoung
    • Applied Chemistry for Engineering
    • /
    • v.25 no.1
    • /
    • pp.1-13
    • /
    • 2014
  • Lithium ion batteries (LIBs) are the state-of-the-art technology among electrochemical energy storage and conversion cells, and are still considered the most attractive class of battery in the future due to their high specific energy density, high efficiency, and long cycle life. Rapid development of power-hungry commercial electronics and large-scale energy storage applications (e.g. off-peak electrical energy storage), however, requires novel anode materials that have higher energy densities to replace conventional graphite electrodes. Germanium (Ge) and silicon (Si) are thought to be ideal prospect candidates for next generation LIB anodes due to their extremely high theoretical energy capacities. For instance, Ge offers relatively lower volume change during cycling, better Li insertion/extraction kinetics, and higher electronic conductivity than Si. In this focused review, we briefly describe the basic concepts of LIBs and then look at the characteristics of ideal anode materials that can provide greatly improved electrochemical performance, including high capacity, better cycling behavior, and rate capability. We then discuss how, in the future, Ge anode materials (Ge and Ge oxides, Ge-carbon composites, and other Ge-based composites) could increase the capacity of today's Li batteries. In recent years, considerable efforts have been made to fulfill the requirements of excellent anode materials, especially using these materials at the nanoscale. This article shall serve as a handy reference, as well as starting point, for future research related to high capacity LIB anodes, especially based on semiconductor Ge and Si.

A Time Slot Assignment Scheme for Sensor Data Compression (센서 데이터의 압축을 위한 시간 슬롯 할당 기법)

  • Yeo, Myung-Ho;Kim, Hak-Sin;Park, Hyoung-Soon;Yoo, Jae-Soo
    • Journal of KIISE:Computing Practices and Letters
    • /
    • v.15 no.11
    • /
    • pp.846-850
    • /
    • 2009
  • Recently, wireless sensor networks have found their way into a wide variety of applications and systems with vastly varying requirements and characteristics such as environmental monitoring, smart spaces, medical applications, and precision agriculture. The sensor nodes are battery powered. Therefore, the energy is the most precious resource of a wireless sensor network since periodically replacing the battery of the nodes in large scale deployments is infeasible. Energy efficient mechanisms for gathering sensor readings are indispensable to prolong the lifetime of a sensor network as long as possible. There are two energy-efficient approaches to prolong the network lifetime in sensor networks. One is the compression scheme to reduce the size of sensor readings. When the communication conflict is occurred between two sensor nodes, the sender must try to retransmit its reading. The other is the MAC protocol to prevent the communication conflict. In this paper, we propose a novel approaches to reduce the size of the sensor readings in the MAC layer. The proposed scheme compresses sensor readings by allocating the time slots of the TDMA schedule to them dynamically. We also present a mathematical model to predict latency from collecting the sensor readings as the compression ratio is changed. In the simulation result, our proposed scheme reduces the communication cost by about 52% over the existing scheme.

Valproic Acid Reduces Reactive Oxygen Species in Fibroblast of X-linked Adrenoleukodystrophy (부신백질형성장애증 섬유모세포에서 발프로산의 항산화능)

  • Kang, Joon Won;Quan, Zhejiu;Jang, Jiho;Kang, Hoon-Chul
    • Journal of the Korean Child Neurology Society
    • /
    • v.23 no.2
    • /
    • pp.45-50
    • /
    • 2015
  • Purpose: X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) is a fatal, axonal demyelinating, neurodegenerative disease, and is caused by mutations the in ABCD1 (ATP-binding cassette transporter subfamily D member 1). Oxidative damage of proteins caused by very long chain fatty acid accumulating in X-ALD, is an early event in the neurodegenerative cascade. We evaluated valproic acid (VPA) as a possible option for oxidative damage in X-ALD. Method: We generated fibroblast of the childhood cerebral ALD from patient. We evaluated mRNA (ribonucleic acid) level of ABCD2 by real-time polymerase chain reaction, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels by flow cytometry. Results: VPA increased expression of ABCD2 in both control and ALD fibroblast. ABCD2 gene mRNA expression was increased 1.76 fold in normal fibroblasts, and 2.22 fold in the X-ALD fibroblasts. ROS levels were decreased in VPA treated X-ALD fibroblast, especially in treated with 1 mM of VPA. ROS levels revealed 13.7 in control fibroblast, on the other hand, 5.83 in X-ALD fibroblast treated with 1 mM of VPA. Conclusion: We propose VPA as a promising novel therapeutic approach in oxidant damage that warrants further clinical investigation in X-ALD.

A Study on Genre Knowledge for Teaching Classical Korean Novels: Analyzing "Register" in Sohyeonsungrok (고전 국문 장편 소설 교육을 위한 장르 지식 연구 -<소현성록>의 '사용역(register)' 분석을 중심으로-)

  • Jeong, Bo-mi
    • Journal of Korean Classical Literature and Education
    • /
    • no.34
    • /
    • pp.5-39
    • /
    • 2017
  • The purpose of this study is to establish genre knowledge that can be used to study classical Korean novels. Genre knowledge is important because it characterizes individual works based on their knowledge, as well as organically links them with the social context. In this study, I suggest that long classical Korean novels with similar contents can be analyzed using genre knowledge and analyze the "register" of the representative work Sohyeonsungrok as an example of a classical Korean novel. In the Sydney school, register connects genre and language. Register comprises field, tenor, and mode in the social context, and ideological meaning, interpersonal meaning, and textual meaning through language. These three meanings help us to understand how experiences are transformed into language, the relationship between participants, and the way a text is organized. Based on these frameworks, this study reveals that the linguistic features of Sohyeonsungrok is "an attitude that accepts a wide range of human emotions and desires and steadily waits for it to be included in norms." Classic Korean novels such as Sohyeonsungrok depict characters who are not wicked even though they cannot fully comply with social norms, and thereby create sympathy for family members living through Confucian ideology. This genre knowledge is useful for understanding the ideological implications of classical Korean novels.

Characteristics of Cancer Stem Cells and Immune Checkpoint Inhibition (암줄기세포의 특성 및 면역관문억제)

  • Choi, Sang-Hun;Kim, Hyunggee
    • Journal of Life Science
    • /
    • v.29 no.4
    • /
    • pp.499-508
    • /
    • 2019
  • Cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are primarily responsible for metastasis and recurrence, have self-renewal, differentiation, therapeutic resistance, and tumor formation abilities. Numerous studies have demonstrated the signaling pathways essential for the acquisition and maintenance of CSC characteristics, such as WNT/${\beta}$-catenin, Hedgehog, Notch, B lymphoma Mo-MLV insertion region 1 homolog (BMI1), Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), and TGF-${\beta}$ signals. However, few therapeutic strategies have been developed that can selectively eliminate CSCs. Recently, neutralizing antibodies against Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) and Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), have shown promising outcomes in clinical trials of melanoma, lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer, as well as in hematologic malignancies. ICIs are considered to outperform conventional anticancer drugs by maintaining long-lasting anti-cancer effects, with less severe side effects. Several studies reported that ICIs successfully blocked CSC properties in head and neck squamous carcinomas, melanomas, and breast cancer. Together, these findings suggest that novel and effective anticancer therapeutic modalities using ICIs for selective elimination of CSCs may be developed in the near future. In this review, we highlight the origin and characteristics of CSCs, together with critical signaling pathways. We also describe progress in ICI-mediated anticancer treatment to date and present perspectives on the development of CSC-targeting ICIs.