• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.324-331
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• 2013

The addition and removal of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) molecules on serine or threonine residues of a protein is called O-GlcNAcylation. This post-translational modification occurs on both cytoplasmic and nuclear protein, and is fast and reversible as comparable to phosphorylation. In contrast to the phospho-signaling cycles, this emerging moon-lightening signaling is cycled by only two enzymes, O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and O-GlcNAcase (OGA). The simple machinery is a good evolutionary adaptation of a cell for quick accommodation to continuously fluctuating intra- and extracellular microenvironments. Rather than "switching" on or off a specific proteins - this would be done by phosphorylation where numerous specific kinases and phosphatases are involved - O-GlcNAcylation would play a "rheostat" which would be much more delicately increase or decrease the efficacy of signal transductions in response to cellular nutrient and stress conditions. Interestingly, recent evidence indicates that O-GlcNAc is further modified by phosphorylation. The O-GlcNAc-P will upgrade the modulation efficiency of cellular processes to continuous 'analogue' level. So far, only one protein AP180 was reported to have O-GlcNAc-P on Thr310. But, proteomic data from our laboratory indicate that there are multiple O-GlcNAc-P proteins, constituting "O-GlcNAc-P'om". This will focus on the possibility of existence of "O-GlcNAc-P'om".

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.14-18
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• 2012

Background: The purpose of this study was to differentiate chromophobe renal cell carcinoma and clear cell renal cell carcinoma on helical CT. Methods: The CT images of 9 patients histopathologically proven to have chromophobe renal cell carcinoma and 20 patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma were reviewed. The tumor sizes, margins, enhancement degrees and patterns, presence or absence of calcification, and tumor spread patterns (including perinephric changes, venous invasion, lymphadenopathy, and distant metastasis) were compared. Results: All the chromophobe renal cell carcinomas showed well-demarcated margins. Thechromophobe renal cell carcinomas showed milder enhancements than the clear cell renal cell carcinomas. The sensitivity and specificity for differentiating the chromophobe renal cell carcinoma from the clear cell renal cell carcinoma were 100 and 88%, respectively, when 101 Hounsfield units was used as the cut-off value in the corticomedullary phase, and 95 and 100% when a less-than-three-time enhancement change was used as a cut-off value in the corticomedullary phase (p<0.05). The chromophobe renal cell carcinomas (67%) tended to show a homogeneous enhancement whereas the clear cell renal cell carcinomas (85%) usually showed a heterogeneous enhancement (p<0.05). Statistical analysis revealed that the frequencies of the tumor spread pattern and calcification in the two subtypes didnot differ significantly (p>0.05). Conclusion: The CT findings of the chromophobe renal cell carcinomascompared to those of the clear cell renal cell carcinomas showed that there were mild enhancements in the corticomedullary phase, homogeneous enhancements, and well-demarcated margins.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.200-207
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• 2002

This study was carried out to isolate of antagonistic bacterium against Pythium ultimum and Rhizoctonia solani AG-4, causal pathogens of vegetables damping-off. Total of 600 strains were isolated from soil and plait roots. The isolates were screened for antagonism against Pythium ultimum and Rhizoctonia solani AG-4. One strain, named YJ-37, was sellected for detained study among those microoganisms screened. It was identified as Bacillus ehimensis based on morphological and physiological characterisitics according to the Bergey's mannual of systematic bacteriology, Sherlock system of Microbial ID Inc. and 16S rDNA sequences methods. Furthermore Bacillus ehimensis YJ-37 showed antifungal activities against Alternaria altrata, Collectotrichum gloeosporioides, Didymella bryoniae, Fusarium moniliforme, Fusarium oxysporum, F. oxysporum cucumerinum, F. oxysporum niveum, Gloeosporium sp., Glomerella sp., G. cingulata, G. lagenaria, Penicillium digitatum, P. italicum, Phytophthora capsici, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and Stemprhylium solani.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.68-81
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• 1984

To characterize community structure and distribution of phytoplankton, cluster analyses are performed on quantitative data of phytoplankton collected from the southwestern sea of Korea in early summer, 1980. The cluster analysis shows that the phytoplankton of the study area consists of three distinct characteristic communities, representing different water masses. The species of the first community, predominant in the southwestern coastal were of the main land, are mostly neritic and cold water diatoms. The second community consists of neritic and oceanic diatoms, a few flagellates and an euglenoid. These species are predominant in the vicinity of Jeju Island with warm and high saline waters which seems to be a branch of the Kuroshio Current. The species of the last community, consisting primarily of small-sized dinoflagellates, are predominant in the rest part of the study area with warm and low saline water. Addition, the vertical distributions of phytoplankton and environmental factors show that high concentration of phytoplankton cells, chlorophyll-a and dissolved oxygen are observed near the seasonal pycnocline in the off-coastal area. Fraction of nanoplankton take the above 90% of the total cell concentration in the surface mixed layer of off-coastal area where the seasonal pycnocline develops in summer.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.231-238
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• 2005

Purpose: We investigated prospectively whether the interpretation considering the patterns of FDG uptake and the findings of unenhanced CT for attenuation correction can improve the diagnostic accuracy for assessing malignant lymph node (LN) and N stage in non-small cell lung cancor (NSCLC) using CT-corrected FDG-PET (PET/CT). Materials & Methods: Subjects were 91 NSCLC patients (M/F 62/29, age: $60{\pm}9$ yr) who underwent PET/CT before in dissection. We evaluated the maximum SUV (maxSUV), patterns of FDG uptake, short axis diameter, and calcification of LN showing abnormally increased FDG uptake. Then we investigated criteria improving the diagnostic accuracy and correlated results with postoperative pathology. In step 1, in was classified as benign or malignant based on maxSUV only. In step 2, LN was regarded as benign if it had lower maxSUV than the cut-off value of step 1 or it had calcification irrespective of its maxSUV. In step 3, LN regarded as malignant in step 2 was classified as benign if they had indiscrete margin of FDG uptake. Results: Among 432 LN groups surgically resected (28 malignant, 404 benign), 71 showed abnormally increased FDG uptake. We determined the cut-off as maxSUV=3.5 using ROC curve analysis. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for assessing malignant LN were 64.3%, 86.9%, 85.4% in step 1, 64.3%, 95.0%, 93.1% in step 2, and 57.1%, 98.0%, 95.4% in step3, respectively. The accuracy for assessing N stage was 64.8% in step 1, 80.2% in step 2, and 85.7% in step 3. Conclusion: interpreting PET/CT, consideration of calcification and shape of the FDG uptake margin along with maxSUV can improve the diagnostic accuracy for assessing malignant involvement and N stage of hilar and mediastinal LNs in NSCLC.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.31-42
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• 2005

Background : Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) are a relatively newly recognized, novel family of peroxidases that reduce $H_2O_2$ and alkylhydroperoxide into water and alcohol, respectively. There are 6 known isoforms of Prxs present in human cells. Normally, Prxs exist in a head-to-tail homodimeric state in a reduced form. However, in the presence of excess $H_2O_2$, it can be oxidized on its catalytically active cysteine site into inactive oxidized forms. This study surveyed the types of the Prx isoforms present in the pulmonary epithelial, macrophage, endothelial, and other cell lines and observed their response to oxidative stress. Methods : This study examined the effect of exogenous, excess $H_2O_2$ on the Prxs of established cell lines originating from the pulmonary epithelium, macrophages, and other cell lines, which are known to be exposed to high oxygen partial pressures or are believed to be subject to frequent oxidative stress, using non-reducing SDS polyacrylamide electrophoresis (PAGE) and 2 dimensional electrophoresis. Result : The addition of excess $H_2O_2$ to the culture media of the various cell-lines caused the immediate inactivation of Prxs, as evidenced by their inability to form dimers by a disulfide cross linkage. This was detected as a subsequent shift to its monomeric forms on the non-reducing SDS PAGE. These findings were further confirmed by 2 dimensional electrophoresis and immunoblot analysis by a shift toward a more acidic isoelectric point (pI). However, the subsequent reappearance of the dimeric Prxs with a comparable, corresponding decrease in the monomeric bands was noted on the non-reducing SDS PAGE as early as 30 minutes after the $H_2O_2$ treatment suggesting regeneration after oxidation. The regenerated dimers can again be converted to the inactivated form by a repeated $H_2O_2$ treatment, indicating that the protein is still catalytically active. The recovery of Prxs to the original dimeric state was not inhibited by a pre-treatment with cycloheximide, nor by a pretreatment with inhibitors of protein synthesis, which suggests that the reappearance of dimers occurs via a regeneration process rather than via the de novo synthesis of the active protein. Conclusion : The cells, in general, appeared to be equipped with an established system for regenerating inactivated Prxs, and this system may function as a molecular "on-off switch" in various oxidative signal transduction processes. The same mechanisms might applicable other proteins associated with signal transduction where the active catalytic site cysteines exist.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.237-243
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• 2017

This study evaluated the applicability of computer-aided diagnosis by retrospective analysis of GLCM algorithm based on cytopathological diagnosis of normal and malignant nodules in thyroid ultrasound images. In the experiment, the recognition rate and ROC curve of thyroid malignant nodule were analyzed using 6 parameters of GLCM algorithm. Experimental results showed 97% energy, 93% contrast, 92% correlation, 92% homogeneity, 100% entropy and 100% variance. Statistical analysis showed that the area under the curve of each parameter was more than 0.947 (p = 0.001) in the ROC curve, which was significant in the recognition of thyroid malignant nodules. In the GLCM, the cut-off value of each parameter can be used to predict the disease through analysis of quantitative computer-aided diagnosis.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.615-625
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• 2005

Objectives : Poststroke depression is a frequent and specific entity that impaires the rehabilliation and functional recovery of patients with hemiplegia. The author evaluated the effect of Banhahubak-tang(Banxiahoupotang) in patients with poststroke depression. Methods : 38 patients suffering from poststroke depression(determined by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, revised. 3rd edition. and Beck Depression Inventory[BDI] cutoff $point{\geqq}10$) in Kyunghee Oriental hospital were randomized into two groups; treatment group(n=19) and control group(n=19). The treatment group was prescribed with Banhahubak-tang(Banxiahoupotang) three times a day fur a week. Control troop was prescribed with other herbal medicines used for stroke Patients three times a day for a week. Patients were evaluated by use of BDI scale, Modified Barthel Index, Depression of Ki score, Yin syndrome score, and Yang syndrome score. Among 38 patients, 24 patients got BDI scores above 21, which is the cut-off score for depression in Korean. The same procedures and assessments described above were applied. Results : Treatment group did not significantly improve compared with control group. Results yielded only slight significance (P=0.086). Especially. patients with poststroke depression as yin syndrome improved more significantly on BDI than those classified as yang syndrome. When BDI cutoff point for depression was defined as being ${\geq}\;21$, treatment group did not significantly improve compared with control group(P=0.114). However, patients with poststroke depression classified as yin syndrome were also significantly improved on BDI than those classified as yang syndrome. Conclusions : This study suggests that Banhahubak-tang(Banxiahoupotang) is significantly effective in patients with poststroke depression classified as yin syndrome.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2004

2-Dimensional fluorescence sensor has a wide range of excitation and emission wavelengths, that some biogenic fluorphors in a biological process can be monitored simultaneously. The production processes of 5-aminolevulinic aicd (ALA) by recombinant E. coli BL21 (DE3) pLysS harboring plasmid pFLS45 were on-line monitored by a 2-dimensional fluorescence sensor The characteristics of fluorescence spectrum was dependent upon physical and biological factors of a bioprocess such as culture pH, cell mass etc. Some off-line data were correlated to the fluorescence intensity well, which was monitored at some combination of excitation and emission wavelengths by the 2-dimensional fluorescence sensor.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.81-95
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• 2014

Purpose: Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) recipients are vulnerable to invasive infection by Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp). This study was performed to evaluate immune responses after Hib and Sp vaccination in Korean pediatric HCT recipients. Methods: Patients were prospectively enrolled at Samsung Medical Center during 2009-2011. ELISA tests to detect anti-PRP IgG antibody and antibodies to Sp serotypes 4, 6B, 9V, 14, 18C, 19F, and 23F were performed at the Center for Vaccine Evaluation and Study, Ewha Medical Research Institute. Results: Ten patients (two allogeneic, eight autologous recipients) with median age 5.4 years (range 2.7-12.2 years) were enrolled. Before Hib vaccination, 60% of patients' anti-PRP IgG titers were below $0.15{\mu}g/mL$. After vaccination, 100% of patients' anti-PRP IgG titers increased above $0.15{\mu}g/mL$ (cut-off value for detection) and $1.0{\mu}g/mL$ (cut-off value for seroprotection). For pneumococcus, in 2-5 year-old patients, pre-vaccination geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) of IgG for six serotypes (4, 6B, 9V, 14, 18C, and 23F) were below $0.35{\mu}g/mL$ and at 5 months post-vaccination GMCs of IgG for all seven serotypes increased to above $0.35{\mu}g/mL$. In patients older than 5 years, pre-vaccination GMCs of IgG for four serotypes (4, 9V, 14, and 23F) were below $0.35{\mu}g/mL$ and at 3 months post-vaccination GMCs of IgG for all seven serotypes increased to above $0.35{\mu}g/mL$. Conclusion: Most HCT recipients had low or no protective antibodies to Hib and Sp before vaccination, but showed good immune responses to protective levels after vaccination.