• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.4177-4183
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• 2015

Background: Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in Asia, and the majority type is gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC). Most GAC patients die of recurrence and metastasis. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been thought to be responsible for the initiation, development, metastasis, and ultimately recurrence of cancer. In this study, we aimed to investigate expression and clinical significance of CSCs markers, CD133 and Lgr5, and vasculogenic mimicry (VM) in primary GAC. Materials and Methods: Specimens from 261 Chinese patients with follow-up were analyzed for CD133, Lgr5 protein expression and VM by immunohistochemical and histochemical staining. The Pearson Chi's square test was used to assess the associations among the positive staining of these markers and clinicopathological characteristics. Postoperative overall survival time was were studied by univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: In GAC tissues, positive rates of 49.0%, 38.7%, and 26.8% were obtained for CD133, Lgr5, and VM, respectively. The mean score of microvessel density (MVD) was $21.7{\pm}11.1$ in GAC tissues. There was a significantly difference between the positive and negative groups. There was a positive relationship between the VM, the expression of CD133 and Lgr5, and the score of MVD and the grades of tumor, lymph node metastasis, TNM stages (all p<0.05). The overall mean survival time of the patients with CD133, Lgr5, VM, and MVD (${\geq}22$) positive expression was lower than that of patients with negative expression. The score of MVD, positive expression of CD133 and VM were independent prognostic factors of GAC (p<0.05). Conclusions: VM, and expression of CD133, Lgr5, and the score of MVD are related to grades of tumor, lymph node metastasis, TNM stages, and overall mean survival time. It is suggested that CSCs and VM could play an important role in the evolution of GAC.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.9
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• pp.1097-1104
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• 2016

With the development of next generation sequencing (NGS), large numbers of transcriptional molecules have been discovered. Most transcripts are non -coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Among them, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) with more than 200 nucleotides represent functional RNA molecule that will not be translated into protein. In plants, lncRNAs are transcribed by RNA polymerase II (Pol II) or Pol III, Pol VI and Pol V. After transcription of these lncRNAs, more RNA processing mechanisms such as splicing and polyadenylation occurs. The expression of plant lncRNAs is very low and is tissue specific. However, these lncRNAs are strongly induced by specific external stimuli. Because different external stimuli including environmental stresses induce a large number of plant lncRNAs, these lncRNAs have been gradually considered as new regulatory factors of various biological and development processes such as epigenetic repression, chromatin modification, target mimicry, photomorphogenesis, protein relocalization, environmental stress response, pathogen infection in plants. Moreover, some lncRNAs act as precursor of short RNAs. Although a large number of lncRNAs have been predicted and identified in plants, our current understanding of the biological function of these lncRNAs is still limited and their detailed regulatory mechanisms should be elucidated continuously. Here, we reviewed the biogenesis and regulation mechanisms of lncRNAs and summarized the molecular functions unraveled in plants.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.34.1-34.16
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• 2021

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by dryness of the mouth and eyes. The glandular dysfunction in SS involves not only T cell-mediated destruction of the glands but also autoantibodies against the type 3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor or aquaporin 5 (AQP5) that interfere with the secretion process. Studies on the breakage of tolerance and induction of autoantibodies to these autoantigens could benefit SS patients. To break tolerance, we utilized a PmE-L peptide derived from the AQP5-homologous aquaporin of Prevotella melaninogenica (PmAqp) that contained both a B cell "E" epitope and a T cell epitope. Repeated subcutaneous immunization of C57BL/6 mice with the PmE-L peptide efficiently induced the production of Abs against the "E" epitope of mouse/human AQP5 (AQP5E), and we aimed to characterize the antigen specificity, the sequences of AQP5E-specific B cell receptors, and salivary gland phenotypes of these mice. Sera containing anti-AQP5E IgG not only stained mouse Aqp5 expressed in the submandibular glands but also detected PmApq and PmE-L by immunoblotting, suggesting molecular mimicry. Characterization of the AQP5E-specific autoantibodies selected from the screening of phage display Ab libraries and mapping of the B cell receptor repertoires revealed that the AQP5E-specific B cells acquired the ability to bind to the Ag through cumulative somatic hypermutation. Importantly, animals with anti-AQP5E Abs had decreased salivary flow rates without immune cell infiltration into the salivary glands. This model will be useful for investigating the role of anti-AQP5 autoantibodies in glandular dysfunction in SS and testing new therapeutics targeting autoantibody production.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.148-153
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• 2020

Cleisostoma scolopendrifolium is an orchid species solely pollinated by the male bee Megachile yasumatsui. Although C. scolopendrifolium is an endangered species in Korea, little is known about its pollination mechanisms or the profiles of its chemical attractants. This study provides evidence that the Cleisostoma orchid attracts male bees as pollinators by mimicking female mating signals. We found 13 hydrocarbons in the Cleisostoma orchid flower presumed to be involved in sex pheromone mimicry: five alkanes (tricosane, pentacosane, heptacosane, nonacosane, and hentriacontane), compounds of cuticular hydrocarbons which function as chemical cues for the recognition of mates and species in social insects; and eight alkenes ((z)-9-tricosene, (z)-9-pentacosene, (z)-11-pentacosene, (z)-9-heptacosene, (z)-11-heptacosene, (z)-9-nonacosene, (z)-11-nonacosene, and (z)-11-hentriacontene) which serve as sex pheromones in several insects. We suggest that these hydrocarbons play a key role in the pollination mechanism between Cleisostoma orchids and Megachile bees.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.201-208
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• 2013

Copper (II) and Nickel (II) mimic complexes of enzyme carbonic anhydrase were evaluated under ambient condition for carbon dioxide capture and conversion process. The synthesized complexes were characterized by ATR-FTIR and UV-DR spectroscopy. It was found that all the complexes have biomimetic activity towards $CO_2$ using para-nitrophenyl acetate (p-NPA) hydrolysis as the model reaction. Interestingly, the proper geometry obtained by the restricted orientation of tripodal N atoms in Cu (II) complex of 2,6-bis(2-benzimidazolyl) pyridine showed the highest activity (1.14 au) compared to others. The $CO_2$ bio-mineralization to $CaCO_3$ was carried out via in-vitro crystallization approach. Results indicate that the biomimetic complexes have a role in determining $CaCO_3$ morphology. The present observations establish a qualitative insight for the design of improved small-molecule catalysts for carbon capture.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.61 no.3
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• pp.1-19
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• 2011

In the process of modernization from the traditional Korean Han-bok to today's modernized fashion. The Republic of Korea received the most influences form the United States among other western countries. The U. S. A. was the primary country who helped to release S. Korea from Japanese colonization in 1945, and provided the most economic and military aids after the Korean War in 1950. The purpose of this case study is to find out the traits of Americanization in modern Korean fashion through sociocultural evidences and reference pictures. The Americanization can be defined as the U. S. A. influencing cultures of other countries, and sometimes resulted in the substitution of a given culture with American culture. Americanization generally is a part of westernization. The analogous terms for Americanization, are Coca-colonization, McDonaldization, Starbuckslization, and Hollywoodization. The theories related to Americanization are theory of economic determination, global system theory, conspiracy theory, modernization theory, and theory of dependence. However, Americanization of Korea cannot be explained in one single theory, but only can be explained as a hybrid of two cultures. There also is a critical viewpoint of de-Americanization. Americanization of Korea were studied in three important chronicles, a period of modernization (1945-1950s), a period of industrialization & popularization(1960s-1970s), and a period of consumerization(1980s-present). The traits of Americanization in the process of modernizing Korean fashion, were found as simplicity, functionality, popularity(kitsch & mimicry), anti-traditional ethics(unchastity & skin revealing), and materialism(lavishness & trends).

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.297-304
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• 2014

Recently, there have been some reported examples of structural collapse due to gravity, subsequent to damage from accident or an excitation that was not prepared for in the design process. A close view of new concepts, such as a redundancy and key elements, has been taken with the aim of ensuring the robustness of a structure, even in the event of an unexpected disturbance. The author previously proposed a sensitivity index of the vertical load carrying capacity to member disappearance for framed structures. The index is defined as the ratio of the load carrying capacity after a member or a set of an adjacent member disappears, to the original load carrying capacity. The member with the highest index may be regarded as a key element. The concept of bio-mimicry is being applied to various fields of engineering, and tree-shaped structures are sometimes used for the design of building structures. In this study a sensitivity analysis is applied to the irregular-framed structures such as tree-shaped structures.

• Journal of English Language & Literature
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.285-314
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• 2011

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the mother-daughter structure presented in Annie John, Kincaid's autobiographical novel as a metaphor for the relationship between the powerful colonizer and the powerless colonized. The representation of the mother in Annie John is ambiguous and ambivalent. On the one hand, the mother in the childhood, in its association with the African-rooted Caribbean world before Antigua was colonized, is represented as a person who nurtures the daughter, and embodies a paradisiacal pre-oedipal union with the daughter. On the other hand, the mother at the adolescent stage, placed in the specific colonial context of the Caribbean, is represented as a scornful person/colonizer who dominates and controls the daughter's behavior to keep her as a dependent and subjugated subject. Therefore, the two conflicting worlds, the African and the European, coexist in the contradictory figure of the mother. The theoretical basis of my argument is a mixture of Chodorow's and Kristeva's feministic psychoanalysis and Bhabha's notion of "mimicry" and "ambivalence." Kristeva's work on "abjection" is especially useful and helpful for contextualizing Annie's individuation and separation from the mother who is represented as enigmatic.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.32.1-32.20
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• 2022

Sjögren syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that primarily targets the salivary and lacrimal glands. The pathology of these exocrine glands is characterized by periductal focal lymphocytic infiltrates, and both T cell-mediated tissue injury and autoantibodies that interfere with the secretion process underlie glandular hypofunction. In addition to these adaptive mechanisms, multiple innate immune pathways are dysregulated, particularly in the salivary gland epithelium. Our understanding of the pathogenetic mechanisms of SS has substantially improved during the past decade. In contrast to viral infection, bacterial infection has never been considered in the pathogenesis of SS. In this review, oral dysbiosis associated with SS and evidence for bacterial infection of the salivary glands in SS were reviewed. In addition, the potential contributions of bacterial infection to innate activation of ductal epithelial cells, plasmacytoid dendritic cells, and B cells and to the breach of tolerance via bystander activation of autoreactive T cells and molecular mimicry were discussed. The added roles of bacteria may extend our understanding of the pathogenetic mechanisms and therapeutic approaches for this autoimmune exocrinopathy.

• Journal of Korea Game Society
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.37-48
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• 2012

"White Day", a horror adventure game that has gone down in the history of the Korean gaming industry, is not a cruel horror game with hideous monsters and spooky mood, but a Korean-style horror game with auditory effects of ghastly sound. This paper aims at identifying the positive story-telling structure through the components of the game. This study found that the game is based on a well-organized scenario by the background, events and characters. In addition, its design and story-telling structure turned out to reinforce the positive effects of the game, by not imitating the western-style splatter games. As it provides players with playful components that bear mimicry and ilinx to maximize interactive fun, White Day is a prime example of positive games that are strongly needed in this era.