• Molecules and Cells
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.454-458
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• 2008

Sex steroid hormone receptors play a central role in modulating telomerase activity, especially in cancer cells. However, information on the regulation of steroid hormone receptors and their distinct functions on telomerase activity within the mesenchymal stem cell are largely unavailable due to low telomerase activity in the cell. In this study, the effects of estrogen ($E_2$) treatment and function of estrogen receptor alpha ($ER{\alpha}$) and estrogen receptor beta ($ER{\beta}$) on telomerase activity were investigated in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Telomerase activity and mRNA expression of the catalytic subunit of telomerase (hTERT) were upregulated by treatment of the cells with $E_2$. The protein concentration of $ER{\alpha}$ was also increased by $E_2$ treatment, and enhancement of $ER{\alpha}$ accumulation in the nucleus was clearly detected with immunocytochemistry. When $ER{\alpha}$ expression was reduced by siRNA transfection into hMSCs, the effect of $E_2$ on the induction of hTERT expression and telomerase activity was diminished. In contrast, the transient overexpression of $ER{\alpha}$ increased the effect of $E_2$ on the expression of hTERT mRNA. These findings indicate that the activation of hTERT expression and telomerase activity by $E_2$ in hMSCs depends on $ER{\alpha}$, but not on $ER{\beta}$.

• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 2006

We describe a phage display strategy, based on the differential resistance of proteins to denaturant-induced unfolding, that can be used to select protein variants with improved conformational stability. To test the efficiency of this strategy, wild-type and two stable variants of ${\alpha}_1$-antitrypsin (${\alpha}_1AT$) were fused to the gene III protein of M13 phage. These phages were incubated in unfolding solution containing denaturant (urea or guanidinium chloride), and then subjected to an unfavorable refolding procedure (dialysis at $37^{\circ}C$). Once the ${\alpha}_1AT$ moiety of the fusion protein had unfolded in the unfolding solution, in which the denaturant concentration was higher than the unfolding transition midpoint ($C_m$) of the ${\alpha}_1AT$ variant, around 20% of the phage retained binding affinity to anti-${\alpha}_1AT$ antibody due to a low refolding efficiency. Moreover, this affinity reduced to less than 5% when 10 mg/mL skimmed milk (a misfolding-promoting additive) was included during the unfolding/refolding procedure. In contrast, most binding affinity (>95%) remained if the ${\alpha}_1AT$ variant was stable enough to resist unfolding. Because this selection procedure does not affect the infectivity of M13, the method is expected to be generally applicable to the high-throughput screening of stable protein variants, when activity-based screening is not possible.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.151-158
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• 2011

The comparison of the chemical properties of semen of black porgy Acanthopagrus schlegelii long-term acclimated reared in freshwater (BFW) and seawater (BSW) with sperm activity of salinity and ion composition. The chemical properties of seminal plasma on BFW of the factors that most there was not significant difference in the BSW. However, osmolality in seminal plasma of BFW and BSW was $307.0{\pm}4.6$ and $337.3{\pm}10.1$ mOsm/kg, respectively, where BFW showed significant lower concentration in contrast to BSW. Salinity effect on sperm motility of BFW and BSW in 0 psu solution, no sperm motility was observed, whereas in 10 psu solution, both BFW and BSW sperms showed low motility and short time post sperm activation. However, diluted in 20 and 32 psu solutions, highest motility and long time post sperm activation were observed in BFW and BSW sperm. SAI of BFW and BSW varied in depend on the osmolality regardless of ion kind and it showed the highest value in the similar osmolality of artificial seawater (956 mOsm/kg). Accordingly, even in sperm released from BFW, factors initiating sperm motility are determined by osmolality.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.41-52
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• 2012

Particulate sulfate in $PM_{2.5}$, sulfur dioxide ($SO_2$) and size-segregated aerosol particle number concentrations were measured at a site ($32^{\circ}19'N$, $129^{\circ}59'E$) on the southwestern Japan coast from 5 March to 10 April, 2010. Results show frequent episodic increases of sulfate and $SO_2$. Compared to the average concentration of sulfate $4.4{\pm}2.7\;{\mu}g\;m^{-3}$ in the whole observation period, episodic sulfate reached $10.5-20.1\;{\mu}g\;m^{-3}$. The variation of sulfate always synchronized with aerosol particles in the size range of $0.1-0.5 {\mu}m$, indicating the episodic sulfate was a consequence of the increase of the sub-micron particles. $SO_2$ did not have remarkable increase in any episodes of sulfate increase. During the passage of low pressure systems which loaded Asian dust in postfrontal air, concentrated sulfate appeared right behind the front but before dust arrival, suggesting the dominance of dust-free particulate sulfate. Weather and backward trajectory analyses revealed that air parcels with high sulfate passed eastern and northeastern China or Korean peninsula before arriving at the site. In contrast, those with high $SO_2$ passed an active volcano, Mt. Sakurajima, about 100 km in the south, suggesting the $SO_2$ was more likely from the volcanic emission. The ratio of sulfate to total sulfur compounds $({SO_4}^{2-})/({SO_4}^{2-}+SO_2)$ was 0.31-0.89 in continentally originated air while was 0.25-0.43 in the air having passed the volcano, showing more efficient conversions of $SO_2$ to sulfate in the air from the continent. The close dependence of the conversion on humidity in the continentally originated air was confirmed.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.213-218
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• 2004

Primary fish-odor syndrome (FOS) is a genetic disorder caused by defective flavin-containing mono-oxygenase 3 gene (FMO3) with deficient N-oxidation of trimethylamine (TMA), causing trimethylaminuria (TMAU). By contrast, secondary FOS can be acquired by decreased FMO activities in patients with chronic liver diseases, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. In the present study, we examined plasma NOx concentrations and viral DNA contents as well as in vivo FMO activities and their correlations in chronic viral hepatitis (CVH) patients. Plasma concentration of NOx was significantly increased by 2.1 fold $(56.2{\pm}26.5\;vs.\;26.6{\pm}5.4\;{\mu}M,\;p<0.01)$, and it was positively correlated with plasma hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA contents $(r^2=0.2838,\;p=0.0107)$. Furthermore, the elevated plasma NOx values were inversely and significantly correlated with in vivo FMO activities detected by ranitidine-challenged test $(8.3%\;vs.\;20.0%,\;r^2=0.2109,\;p=\0.0315)$. TMA N-oxidation activities determined in CVH patients without challenge test were also significantly low (73.6% vs. 95.7%, p< 0.05). In conclusion, these results suggested that secondary FOS could be acquired by the endogenously elevated NO in patients with CVH.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.8 s.88
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• pp.1172-1175
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• 2007

We observed that exogenously applied ethanol changed the activities of aldehyde oxidases (AO) in the primary roots of maize (Zea mays). The stimulatory effect of ethanol on the aldehyde oxidase activities was concentration dependent; the AO activities were slightly weaker with 0.2 - 0.4% ethanol and stronger with 0.8 - 1.0% ethanol than the level of control. The promotion of AO activities was not explained by the increased transcription of two AO genes in maize. In contrast, ethanol strongly increased the amount of AO proteins, indicating that ethanol enhanced AO activities by promoting the translation. Among three alcohols including ethanol, methanol and isopropanol, only ethanol promoted AO activities. These results suggested that enhancement of AO activities was specific to ethanol, whose level could be naturally increased when the plant roots drove fermentation to overcome low oxygen stresses.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.1-12
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• 2002

Starch dissolved in paper-mill wastes, either as a result of poor retention on the paper web or recycling of surface-treated broke, was a major pollutant Laboratory tests were performed by using different kinds of starch as a surface treatment. It was concluded that the use of cationic starch can positively affect the level of starch dissolved in liquid effluents. When cationically modified starches were used for surface sizing, the starch was tightly bound to the paper fibers, it was not removed during the repulping of broke. The result of mill trial in fine paper manufacture for the application of low-viscosity cationic starches used in size press reduced COD load in the effluents and increased One Pass Retention. It had been found that when cationic starch used as a surface sizing agent, more starch was retained on or near the surface of the sheet than with conventional oxidized starches. Thus surface strengths and quality were improved. In addition it is possible to maintain the desired level of starch penetration into the fiber net and improve porosity, opacity and brightness. In contrast, in most cases, dusting problems are notably eliminated. Cationic surface sized starch improved black and color ink-jet print quality in terms of feathering and optical density of the print image. These improved properties were believed to be due to a combination of fiber bonding and surface orientation more uniform starch concentration on the paper surface was resulted. Moreover cationic charges in the paper surface lend themselves excellently to fix ink jet ink anionic in nature.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.679-692
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• 2006

The carbonyl compounds in the atmosphere belong to one of the regulatory pollutants for the malodor control designated by the Korean Ministry of Environment(KMOE). In the present study, the emission concentration levels of carbonyl compounds were measured along with a number of criteria odor pollutants from a total of 47 individual companies(June 2004 to January 2005). The results of our study showed that a number of carbonyl compounds(such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone, and butyraldehyde) maintained significantly high mean concentrations of 298 to 372 ppb. In contrast, other carbonyl compounds were low enough with the mean valves of 0.54 to 19.1 ppb. It was found that except for such industries as metal production or leather processing, their emissions were generally quite significant. If the measured values were evaluated in terms of malodor intensity, butyraldehyde appeared to be the most significant contributor to the malodor release. According to the measurements made in strong source areas, it can be concluded that several carbonyl compounds(acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, butyraldehyde, isovaleraldehyde, and valeraldehyde) are useful enough to diagnose malodor release from those source areas. It should also be addressed that a number of carbonyl compounds added newly as the result of malodor control legislation were not sensitive enough to diagnose malodor release from such sources.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.327-335
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• 2002

Effects of available food on growth of commercially cultured Pacific oysters, Crassostrea gigas in Goseong Bay on the south coast were studied using a numerical model. levels of total protein, carbohydrate and lipid in particulate organic matter in the water column as well as chlorophyll a concentration were determined for estimating total available food for oyster growth. Environmental parameters including water temperature, salinity and total suspended solid were also monitored for the model. Oyster growth was also monitored by means of measuring shell length and tissue wet weight increase on a monthly basis. Simulation results from the numerical model indicated that chlorophyll a is not a good representative of available food for the oysters in Goseong Bay. In contrast, available food in the water column measured by filtration of the organic particles and analyzed in terms of total lipids, carbohydrates and protein was well matched with simulated oyster growth in the Bay which is similar to observed growth. The model also suggested that oysters have relatively low retention efficiency of $50\%$ or less. This result indicates that oysters in the bay utilize only a part of food particle available in the water column, as reported in other studies.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.1403-1411
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• 2008

Wangdol-cho, located 23 km offshore of Hupo in southwest of East Sea, is underwater rock floor, called to Wangdol-Am or Wangdol-Jam and has three tops as Mat-Jam, Middle-Jam and Set-Jam. The composition, abundance, diversity and community structure were investigated in winter and summer in 2002 around Wangdol-cho. The temperature around the Northwest and Southeast part of Wangdol-cho was influenced by the North Korea Cold Current (NKCC) and East Korea Warm Current (EKWC), respectively. Nutrient and chlorophyll-a concentration were higher at the top of Wangdol-cho than other area. A total of 41 genera and 78 species of phytoplankton were identified. The average cell abundance of phytoplankton in winter and summer were $286{\times}10^3\;cells/m^3,\;432{\times}10^3\;cells/m^3$ respectively. The largest community was Bacillariophyta containing 52 taxa. The dominant species were Lauderia anulata and Coscinodiscus spp. which preferred cold water in winter. In contrast, warm water species such as Rhizosolenia stolterfothii and Ceratium spp. were dominant in summer. The average species diversity index of phytoplankton in winter was higher than that in summer. According to dominant species and standing crops, phytoplankton community resulted in a clear separation. One group was western area, which showed low density, and the other was eastern area, which showed the higher density. The abundance and species composition of phytoplankton. were affected by topological characteristics around Wangdol-cho.