• Title/Summary/Keyword: Natural target

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Using reverse docking to identify potential targets for ginsenosides

  • Park, Kichul;Cho, Art E.
    • Journal of Ginseng Research
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    • v.41 no.4
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    • pp.534-539
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    • 2017
  • Background: Ginsenosides are the main ingredients of ginseng, which, in traditional Eastern medicine, has been claimed to have therapeutic values for many diseases. In order to verify the effects of ginseng that have been empirically observed, we utilized the reverse docking method to screen for target proteins that are linked to specific diseases. Methods: We constructed a target protein database including 1,078 proteins associated with various kinds of diseases, based on the Potential Drug Target Database, with an added list of kinase proteins. We screened 26 kinds of ginsenosides of this target protein database using docking. Results: We found four potential target proteins for ginsenosides, based on docking scores. Implications of these "hit" targets are discussed. From this screening, we also found four targets linked to possible side effects and toxicities, based on docking scores. Conclusion: Our method and results can be helpful for finding new targets and developing new drugs from natural products.

Development of GRD Measurement Method using Natural Target in Imagery (영상 내 자연표적을 이용한 GRD 측정기법 개발)

  • Kim, Jae-In;Jeong, Jae-Hoon;Kim, Tae-Jung
    • Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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    • v.26 no.5
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    • pp.527-536
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    • 2010
  • This paper reports a reliable GRD (Ground Resolved Distance) measurement method of using natural targets instead of the method using artificial targets. For this, we developed an edge profile extraction technique suitable for natural targets. We demonstrated the accuracy and stability of this technique firstly by comparing GRD values generated by this technique visually inspected GRD values for artificial targets taken in laboratory environments. We then demonstrated the feasibility of GRD estimation from natural targets by comparing GRD values from natural targets to those from artificial targets using satellite images containing both artificial and natural targets. The GRDs measured from the proposed method were similar to the values from visual inspection and the GRDs measured from the natural targets were similar to the values from artificial targets. These results support our proposed method is able to measure reliable GRD from natural targets.

Application of Target Reliability Levels for Maintenance of Domestic Natural Gas Pipelines (국내 천연가스배관 유지관리를 위한 목표신뢰도 적용사례)

  • Lee, Jin-Han;Kim, Jeong-Hwan;Jo, Young-Do;Kim, Lae Hyun
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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    • v.22 no.3
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    • pp.1-6
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    • 2018
  • Reliability based design and assessment (RBDA) methodology is one of the newest directions of natural gas pipeline design method. Reliability targets are used to ensure that safety levels are met relevant limit states in the stage of design and maintenance. The target reliability for ultimate limit states such as large leak and rupture were developed using tolerable risk criteria for individual and societal risk. This paper shows the reliability target can be met through the implementation of periodic maintenance measures during the life cycle of the pipelines. The case study involves the calculation of the failure probability due to equipment impact, the calculation of the failure probability due to corrosion, and the estimation the re-inspection interval for domestic natural gas transmission pipelines.

A Novel Phage Display Vector for Easy Monitoring of Expressed Proteins

  • Shin, Young-Chul;Kim, Young-Eun;Cho, Tae-Ju
    • BMB Reports
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    • v.33 no.3
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    • pp.242-248
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    • 2000
  • Phage display of proteins is a powerful tool for protein engineering since a vast library of sequences can be rapidly screened for a specific property. In this study, we develop da new phage display vector that was derived from a pET-25b(+) vector. The pET-25b(+) was modified in order that the expressed protein would have a T7-tag at the amino terminus and GpS (a major coat protein of M13 phage) at the carboxyl terminus. Another vector without the gp8 gene was also constructed. The newly developed phagemid vectors have several advantageous features. First, it is easy to examine whether or not the target proteins are functional and faithfully transported into the periplasmic space. This feature is due to the fact that recombinant proteins are produced abundantly in the pET system. Second, the T7-tag makes it possible to detect any target proteins that are displayed on the surface of filamentous bacteriophage. To verify the utility of the vector, the clones containing the glutathione S-transferase (GST) gene as a target were examined. The result showed that the GST produced from the recombinant vector was successfully transported into the periplasmic space and had the anticipated enzyme activity. Western blot analysis using a T7-tag antibody also showed the presence of the target protein displayed on the surface of the phage. The phages prepared from the recombinant clones were able to bind to glutathione-Sepharose and then eluted with glutathione. These results showed that the new vectors developed in this study are useful for the phage display of proteins.

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An Experimental Study of Comfortable Pitch and Loudness with Target Matching: Effects on Electroglottographic and Acoustic Measures

  • Choi, Seong Hee
    • Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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    • v.4 no.4
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    • pp.139-146
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    • 2012
  • This study was designed to examine comfort levels of pitch and loudness with target matching and their effects on electroglottographic (EGG) and acoustic measures. Twelve speakers, six males and six females, were instructed to produce /a/ sustained vowel for three seconds at a comfortable pitch and loudness level without any instruction and with a target matching procedure of either a certain f0 or SPL separately with visual and auditory feedback. The range of pitch for females and males were presented by progressing up and down randomly at intervals of 5Hz from 150 Hz to 310 Hz (total 33 frequency targets) and from 85 Hz to 190 Hz (total 22 frequency targets), respectively. The loudness levels were 65, 75, 85, 95 dB (total of four intensity targets) for both males and females. Subjective estimations of comfortable levels were obtained using a 10-point equal-appearing interval rating scale following each phonation. The results showed that males and females demonstrated similar trends in loudness levels with greatest comfort at 75 dB, whereas pitch comfort ratings showed a greater variability with females having a wider range with target matching. In the comfort levels of individuals, most male and female speakers rated higher comfort at soft, rather than loud phonations. On the other hand, most male speakers perceived highest comfort levels below the comfort pitch levels they phonated under natural conditions. Higher frequency ranges, however, were perceived to be more comfortable than those of natural condition in most female speakers, although the comfortable pitch levels in spontaneous phonations were within the comfort level ranges determined by targeted phonations. When comparing acoustic (%jitter, %shimmer, SNR) and EGG measures (CQ%) between spontaneous comfortable phonations and targeted phonations produced by the same subject at similar f0 and intensity, no significant differences were observed (p>0.05). Thus, target matching procedures may be considered a compatible and alternative method to reduce the variability of comfortable pitch and loudness levels by eliciting consistent comfortable phonations.

The mTOR Signalling Pathway in Cancer and the Potential mTOR Inhibitory Activities of Natural Phytochemicals

  • Tan, Heng Kean;Moad, Ahmed Ismail Hassan;Tan, Mei Lan
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.15 no.16
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    • pp.6463-6475
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    • 2014
  • The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase plays an important role in regulating cell growth and cell cycle progression in response to cellular signals. It is a key regulator of cell proliferation and many upstream activators and downstream effectors of mTOR are known to be deregulated in various types of cancers. Since the mTOR signalling pathway is commonly activated in human cancers, many researchers are actively developing inhibitors that target key components in the pathway and some of these drugs are already on the market. Numerous preclinical investigations have also suggested that some herbs and natural phytochemicals, such as curcumin, resveratrol, timosaponin III, gallic acid, diosgenin, pomegranate, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCC), genistein and 3,3'-diindolylmethane inhibit the mTOR pathway either directly or indirectly. Some of these natural compounds are also in the clinical trial stage. In this review, the potential anti-cancer and chemopreventive activities and the current status of clinical trials of these phytochemicals are discussed.

Signaling for Synergistic Activation of Natural Killer Cells

  • Kwon, Hyung-Joon;Kim, Hun Sik
    • IMMUNE NETWORK
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    • v.12 no.6
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    • pp.240-246
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    • 2012
  • Natural killer (NK) cells play a pivotal role in early surveillance against virus infection and cellular transformation, and are also implicated in the control of inflammatory response through their effector functions of direct lysis of target cells and cytokine secretion. NK cell activation toward target cell is determined by the net balance of signals transmitted from diverse activating and inhibitory receptors. A distinct feature of NK cell activation is that stimulation of resting NK cells with single activating receptor on its own cannot mount natural cytotoxicity. Instead, specific pairs of co-activation receptors are required to unleash NK cell activation via synergy- dependent mechanism. Because each co-activation receptor uses distinct signaling modules, NK cell synergy relies on the integration of such disparate signals. This explains why the study of the mechanism underlying NK cell synergy is important and necessary. Recent studies revealed that NK cell synergy depends on the integration of complementary signals converged at a critical checkpoint element but not on simple amplification of the individual signaling to overcome intrinsic activation threshold. This review focuses on the signaling events during NK cells activation and recent advances in the study of NK cell synergy.

Analysis of Importance of Search Altitude Control for Rapid Target Detection of Drones

  • Ha, Il-Kyu
    • Journal of information and communication convergence engineering
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    • v.16 no.2
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    • pp.78-83
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    • 2018
  • Rapidity and accuracy are important considerations when a drone is employed in a wide surveillance area to detect a target. They are more important when the scope of application is a search and rescue operation or the monitoring of natural disasters, which may require prompt warnings and response. During the actual operation of a drone, rapidity and accuracy are associated with the change in the altitude of the drone. The aim of this study is to analyze the characteristics of drones at varying altitudes and prove that altitude is a relevant factor in the performance of drones. Herein, the characteristics of the drone at varying altitudes were analyzed through several search simulations. The results suggest that a high-altitude drone is relatively advantageous compared to a low-altitude drone in a probability-based target search, and that the search altitude is also a very important and fundamental factor in target search by drones.

A Role of Natural Killer Cell in Mouse Infected Herpes Simplex Virus (Herpes Simplex Virus에 감염된 Mouse의 NK세포역할)

  • Lee, Yun-Tai;Lee, Chong-Hoon
    • The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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    • v.17 no.1
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    • pp.7-14
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    • 1982
  • A model of induction of neoplasia by viruses has develpoed from experimental studies in animals and in cultured cells and oncogenic transformation of cells is the result of integration of viral genetic information into the cellular DNA. The evidence for these associations was derived primarily from seroepidemiologic investigation. However, data indicating that the relation between HSV-2 and cervical cancer fits the model derived from experimental animal studies are not yet sufficient to draw conclusion with regard to the etiologic role the virus in the development of the neoplasms. In other hand, the K562 tumor cell is highly susceptible target for natural killer cell lysis by the lymphocytes of human and murine periperal blood. The characteristics of this effector cell type has been investigated. A study on natural killer cell mediated cytotoxicity(NKMC) against $^{51}Cr$-K562 as target cell was studed in HSV-2 infected ICR mouse. We have studied for susceptibility of HSV-2 against mouse embryo fibroblast(MEF) cells and NKMC from HSV-2 infected mouse. The results obtained that the mouse embryo fibroblast cells culture, the number and size of the cells were markedly increased and formed a monolayers relatively rapid, and become complete monolayer sheet around 72 hrs. Duration of cytopathic effect on MEF cells was rapid by serial passing of HSV-2. The morphology of the HSV-2 infected cells appear to be mainly round, ovium, spindle form and some of them was forming large giant cells. The NKMC was decrease in mouse with HSV-2 and comparison between effector/target cells ratio as 25:1 and 50:1 respectively, the NKMC was found to be more significantly decreased than normal control we have concluded that the natural killer cell activity of the viral infected mouse was shown as a suppressed during the HSV-2 infection, day 7th and 14th.

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