• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.638-644
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• 2007

Differences of meat qualities between Japanese Black and Holstein have been known in Japan, however, the causative proteins and/or the genetic background have been unclear. The aim of this study was to identify candidate proteins causing differences of the meat qualities between the two breeds. Using technique of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, protein profiling was compared from samples of the longissimus dorsi muscle and subcutaneous adipose tissue. Five protein spots were observed with different expression levels between breeds. By using LC-MS/MS analysis and Mascot program, three of them were identified as ankyrin repeat protein 2, phosphoylated myosin light chain 2 and mimecan protein. Subsequently, we compared the DNA coding sequences of three proteins between breeds to find any nucleotide substitution. However, there was no notable mutation which could affect pI or molecular mass of the proteins. The identified proteins may be responsible for different characteristics of the meat qualities between Japanese Black and Holstein cattle.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.1171-1176
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• 2014

Objective: The tumor suppressor gene, Ras-association domain family (RASSF)2A, is inactivated by promoter hypermethylation in many cancers. The current study was performed to evaluate the methylation status of RASSF2A in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) tissues and plasma, and correlations with gene expression and clinicopathologic characteristics. Method: We detected methylation of the RASSF2A gene in tissues and corresponding plasma samples from 47 EOC patients and 14 patients with benign ovarian tumors and 10 with normal ovarian tissues. The methylation status was determined by methylation-specific PCR while gene expression of mRNA was examined by RT-PCR. The EOC cell line, SKOV3, was treated with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-azadC). Results: RASSF2A mRNA expression was significantly low in EOC tissues. The frequency of aberrant methylation of RASSF2A was 51.1% in EOC tissues and 36.2% in corresponding plasma samples, whereas such hypermethylation was not detected in the benign ovarial tumors and normal ovarian samples. The expression of RASSF2A mRNA was significantly down-regulated or lost in the methylated group compared to the unmethylated group (p<0.05). After treatment with 5-aza-dC, RASSF2A mRNA expression was significantly restored in the Skov3 cell line. Conclusion: Epigenetic inactivation of RASSF2A through aberrant promoter methylation may play an important role in the pathogenesis of EOC. Methylation of the RASSF2A gene in plasma may be a valuable molecular marker for the early detection of EOC.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.4915-4918
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• 2014

Background and Aims: Advances in the treatment of cervical cancer over the last decade have predominantly involved the development of genes directed at molecular targets. Gene therapy is recognized to be a novel method for the treatment of cervical cancer. Genes can be administered into target cells via nanocarriers. This study aimed to develop systemically administrable nano-vectors. Floate (Fa) containing gene loaded nanoparticles (NPs) could target HeLa human cervical cancer cells through combination with receptors on the cells to increase the nuclear uptake of genetic materials. Methods: Fa was linked onto Poly (ethylene glycol)-b-poly (D, L-lactide) (PEG-PLA) to form Fa-PEG-PLA, and the resulting material was used to load plasmids of enhanced green fluorescence protein (pEGFP) to obtain gene loaded nanoparticles (Fa-NPs/DNA). Physical-chemical characteristics, in vitro release and cytotoxicity of Fa-NPs/DNA were evaluated. The in vitro transfection efficiency of Fa-NPs/DNA was evaluated in HeLa cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). PEG-PLA without Fa was used to load pEGFP from NPs/DNA as a control. Results: Fa-NPs/DNA has a particle size of 183 nm and a gene loading quantity of 92%. After 72h of transfection, Fa-NPs/DNA displayed over 20% higher transfection efficiency than NPs/DNA and 40% higher than naked DNA in HeLa cells. However, in HUVECs, no significant difference appeared between Fa-NPs/DNA and NPs/DNA. Conclusions: Fa-PEG-PLA NPs could function as excellent materials for gene loading. This nano-approach could be used as tumor cell targeted medicine for the treatment of cervical cancer.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.202-216
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• 2017

Nitrogen (N) is an essential macronutrient. Thus, evaluating its flows and stocks in rice paddy ecosystems provides important insights into the sustainability and environmental loads of rice production. Among the N sources of paddy fields, atmospheric deposition and irrigation inputs remain poorly understood. In particular, insufficient information is available for atmosphere-rice paddy exchange of gaseous and particulate reactive N (Nr, all N species other than molecular N) which represents the net input or output through dry deposition and emission. In this study, we assessed the N inputs via atmospheric deposition and irrigation to a Japanese rice paddy area by weekly monitoring for 2 years with special emphasis on gas and particle exchange. The rice paddy during the cropping season acted as a net emitter of ammonia ($NH_3$) to the atmosphere regardless of the N fertilizer applications, which reduced the effects of dry deposition to the N input. Dry N deposition was quantitatively similar to wet N deposition, when subtracting the rice paddy $NH_3$ emissions from N exchange. The annual N inputs to the rice paddy were 3.2 to $3.6\;kg\;N\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$ for exchange, 8.1 to $9.8\;kg\;N\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$ for wet deposition, and 11.1 to $14.5\;kg\;N\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$ for irrigation. The total N input, 22.8 to $27.5\;kg\;N\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$, corresponded to 38% to 55% of the N fertilizer application rate and 53% to 67% of the brown rice N uptake. Monitoring of atmospheric deposition and irrigation as N sources for rice paddies will therefore be necessary for adequate N management.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.390-394
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• 1992

Some enzymatic characteristics of the aflatoxin degrading factor produced extraceIlularly by Aspergillus awamori var. fumeus were investigated. When aflatoxin B1 was incubated with the culture filtrate of A. awamori var. fumeus. 60% of it was degraded within an hour. The degradation rate decreased with time and there was virtually no degradation after one hour. The apparent Michaelis constant ($K_m$) determined by Lineweaver-Burk plot was $10.2{\mu}M$. The optimum degradation was observed at $30^{\circ}C$ and pH 5. For the degradation, molecular oxygen seemed to be required. The degradation was enhanced by the $Co^{2+}$. but was inhibited by many other ions like $Fe^{2+}$, $Ca^{2+}$. $Mg^{2+}$, $Zn^{2+}$,$Cu^{2+}$, and $Ba^{2+}$, The presence of either KeN or metyrapone inhibited the reaction while that of $NaI0_4$ cytochrome C or NADPH showed no effect.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.12
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• pp.1266-1270
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• 2003

The advance of the immunobiology clarifies the nature of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma(NHL). In addition the proceed in the immunophenotyping renders the classification of NHL. According to the Revised European American Lymphoma(REAL) classification, classified by the etiologic factors, molecular biological characteristics, immunophenotype, cytogenetics and histologic feature, nasal T/NK-cell lymphoma(=angiocentric lymphoma) belongs to the category of peripheral T-cell and natural killer cell lymphoma. Nasal T/NK-cell lymphoma is a distinct clinicopathologic entity characterized by progressive necrotic lesions in the nasal cavity, nasopharynx, and palate. The cellular origin of this tumor has been controversial. Although most nasal T/NK-cell lymphomas are of NK-cell lineage, being CD56+, negative for surface CD3(Leu4), and unassociated with rearrangements of the T-cell receptor genes, other minor variants have been reported. This lymphoma is a rare disease and usually experienced in adult. Recently, we experienced a rare type lymphoma, nasal T/NK-cell lymphoma, in 14 years old boy. His soft mass occupied the right nasal cavity including the nasal septum and turbinate. Pathologically this nasal mass showed the infiltration into the vascular wall, illustrating angiodestructive lesion. The cellular origin was NK-cell lineage, being CD56+ and negative to CD3. Now, we report the case with a brief review of related literatures.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.420-424
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• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTS: When the functions involved in the ingestion of food occurs failure, not only loss of enjoyment of eating, it will be faced with protein-energy malnutrition. Dysmasesis and difficulty of swallowing occurs in various diseases, but it may be a major cause of aging, and elderly people with authoring and dysmasesis and difficulty of swallowing in the aging society is expected to increase rapidly. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In this study, we carried out a survey targeting nutritionists who work in elderly care facilities, and examined characteristics of offering of foods for elderly and the degree of demand of development of easily chewable and swallowable foods for the elderly who can crush foods and take that by their own tongues, and sometimes have difficulty in drinking water and tea. RESULTS: In elderly care facilities, it was found to provide a finely chopped food or ground food that was ground with water in a blender for elderly with dysmasesis. Elderly satisfaction of provided foods is appeared overall low. Results of investigating the applicability of foods for elderly and the reflection will of menus, were showed the highest response rate in a gelification method in molecular gastronomic science technics, and results of investigating the frequent food of the elderly; representative menu of beef, pork, white fish, anchovies and spinach, were showed Korean barbecue beef, hot pepper paste stir fried pork, pan fried white fish, stir fried anchovy, seasoned spinach were the highest offer frequency. CONCLUSIONS: This study will provide the fundamentals of the development of easily chewable and swallowable foods, gelification, for the elderly. The study will also illustrate that, in the elderly, food undergone gelification will reduce the risk of swallowing down to the wrong pipe and improve overall food preference.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.15
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• pp.83-91
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• 1997

Phenolic acids are regarded as harmful materials in food and environment science. But recently, regarded as useful materials by their characteristics which bind metal ions and have pharmaceutical effect. It was necessary to remove or recover phenolic acids from solutIon containing phenolic acids. Continuous fixed-bed adsorption was adapted in order to separate phenolic acids from diluted solution and the breakthrough curve was predicted by nonlinear curve fitting method. The larger bed length showed the longer breakpoint time and the slow mass transfer coefficient. Ferulic acid among the phenolic acids was passed through the breakpoint first and the second and. third were p-coumaric acid and gallic acid. These orders were caused by not only ionic strength between adsrobent and adsorbate but also molecular weights.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.158-166
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• 2000

A conductimetric study of foam formed from mixture of the protein, ${\beta}-lactoglobulin$, and the nonioinc surfactant, SML, revealed that their stability was reduced at concentrations of SML in the range $3{\sim}10mM$. The interaction of SML with ${\beta}-lactoglobulin$ was investigated by fluorimetry and a dissociation constant of $0.2{\mu}M$ was calculated for the complex. Surface tension studies confirmed the presence of interaction between the two components and provided evidence for the progressive displacement of ${\beta}-lactogloblin$ from the air/water interface with increasing SML concentration. Experiments using air-suspended microscopic thin liquid films revealed transitions in the chainage characteristics and thickness of the film at SML concentrations below that which resulted in destabilization of the foam. However, measurements of surface mobility of fluorescent-labeled ${\beta}-lactoglobulin$ by a photobleaching method identified that a transition to a mobile system occurred at a SML concentration which correlated with the onset of instability in the disperse phase. The results would indicate that maintenance of the viscoelastic properties of the surface is paramount importance in determining the stability of interfaces comprising mixtures of protein and surfactant.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.259-271
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• 2008

We propose a protein function finding algorithm that is able to predict specific molecular function for unannotated proteins through domain analysis from protein-protein network. To do this, we first construct protein-protein interaction(PPI) network in Saccharomyces cerevisiae from MIPS databases. The PPI network(proteins; 3,637, interactions; 10,391) shows the characteristics of a scale-free network and a hierarchical network that proteins with a number of interactions occur in small and the inherent modularity of protein clusters. Protein-protein interaction databases obtained from a Y2H(Yeast Two Hybrid) screen or a composite data set include random false positives. To filter the database, we reconstruct the PPI networks based on the cellular localization. And then we analyze Hub proteins and the network structure in the reconstructed network and define structural modules from the network. We analyze protein domains from the structural modules and derive functional modules from them. From the derived functional modules with high certainty, we find tentative functions for unannotated proteins.