• 한국환경과학회지
• /
• 제24권11호
• /
• pp.1501-1511
• /
• 2015

As essential trace elements, copper and zinc play important roles in many physiological events in plants. In excess, however, these elements can limit plant growth. This study selected a heavy metal-tolerant plant by analyzing seed germination and biomass of alfalfa (Medicago sativa), canola (Brassica campestris subsp. napus var. nippo-oleifera), Chinese corn (Setaria italica), and a sorghum-sudangrass hybrid (Sorghum bicolor ${\times}$ S. sudanense), and determined heavy metal uptake capacity by analyzing biomass, chlorophyll a fluorescence, and heavy metal contents under high external copper or zinc levels. The seed germination rate and biomass of the sorghum-sudangrass hybrid were higher under copper or zinc stress compared to the other three plants. The plant biomass and photosynthetic pigment contents of the sorghum-sudangrass hybrid seedlings were less vulnerable under low levels of heavy metals (${\leq}50ppm$ copper or ${\leq}400ppm$ zinc). The maximum quantum yield of PSII ($F_v/F_m$) and the maximum primary yield of PSII ($F_v/F_o$) decreased with increasing copper or zinc levels. Under high copper levels, the decline in $F_v/F_m$ was caused only by the decline in $F_m$, and was accompanied by an increase in non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). The $F_v/F_m$ declined under high levels of zinc due to both a decrease in the maximum fluorescence ($F_m$) and an increase in the initial fluorescence ($F_o$), and this was accompanied by a marked decrease in photochemical quenching (qP), but not by an increase in NPQ. Accumulations of copper and zinc were found in both aboveand below-ground parts of plants, but were greater in the below-ground parts. The uptake capacity of the sorghum-sudangrass hybrid for copper and zinc reached 4459.1 mg/kg under 400 ppm copper and 9028.5 mg/kg under 1600 ppm zinc. Our results indicate that the sorghum-sudangrass hybrid contributes to the in situ phytoremediation of copper or zinc polluted soils due to its high biomass yield.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• 제30권10호
• /
• pp.1471-1477
• /
• 2017

Objective: Since athletic performance is a most importance trait in horses, most research focused on physiological and physical studies of horse athletic abilities. In contrast, the molecular analysis as well as the regulatory pathway studies remain insufficient for evaluation and prediction of horse athletic abilities. In our previous study, we identified AXL receptor tyrosine kinase (AXL) gene which was expressed as alternative spliced isoforms in skeletal muscle during exercise. In the present study, we validated two AXL alternative splicing transcripts (named as AXLa for long form and AXLb for short form) in equine skeletal muscle to gain insight(s) into the role of each alternative transcript during exercise. Methods: We validated two isoforms of AXL transcripts in horse tissues by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and then cloned the transcripts to confirm the alternative locus and its sequences. Additionally, we examined the expression patterns of AXLa and AXLb transcripts in horse tissues by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). Results: Both of AXLa and AXLb transcripts were expressed in horse skeletal muscle and the expression levels were significantly increased after exercise. The sequencing analysis showed that there was an alternative splicing event at exon 11 between AXLa and AXLb transcripts. 3-dimentional (3D) prediction of the alternative protein structures revealed that the structural distance of the connective region between fibronectin type 3 (FN3) and immunoglobin (Ig) domain was different between two alternative isoforms. Conclusion: It is assumed that the expression patterns of AXLa and AXLb transcripts would be involved in regulation of exercise-induced stress in horse muscle possibly through an $NF-{\kappa}B$ signaling pathway. Further study is necessary to uncover biological function(s) and significance of the alternative splicing isoforms in race horse skeletal muscle.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
• /
• 제23권2호
• /
• pp.69-78
• /
• 2006

Objectives: TuRo, defined as a dance therapy applying the meridian Qi system into the dancing movements, may have effects on ameliorating the psychological symptoms that often appear in adolescent students in a stressful situation. The Objective of the present study was to examine whether TuRo training relieves the psychological symptoms in adolescent female students. Methods: Symptom Check List-90-Revision (SCL-90-R), a 5 point Likert scale, consisted of 90 items that represent psychological symptoms, were used to measure the psychological health status in healthy adolescent female. Twenty two adolescent female students were trained TuRo dancing for two months while 29 in control group were trained mimicked movements without the concept of Qi for the same period. Changes in Somatization, Obsessive-Compulsive behaviors, Interpersonal Sensitivity, Depression, Anxiety, Hostility, Phobic Anxiety, Parinoid Ideation and Psychotic symptoms by the two months of training were compared between TuRo and control groups using SCL-9Q-R. Results: Among the nine-categorized psychological symptoms, the somatization and hostility were significantly reduced in TuRo group (p

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• 제28권2호
• /
• pp.71-84
• /
• 2014

The full-length heat shock protein 88 (HSP88) complementary DNA (cDNA) of Paecilomyces tenuipes Jocheon-1 was obtained by screening the Paecilomyces tenuipes (P. tenuipes) Jocheon-1 Uni-Zap cDNA library and performing 5' RACE polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The P. tenuipes Jocheon-1 HSP88 cDNA contained an open reading frame (ORF) of 2,139-basepair encoding 713 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence of the P. tenuipe s Jocheon-1 HSP88 cDNA showed 77% identity to Nectria haematococca HSP88 and 45-76% identity to other fungal homologous HSP88s. Phylogenetic analysis and BLAST program analysis confirmed that the deduced amino acid sequences of the P. tenuipes Jocheon-1 HSP88 gene belonged to the ascomycetes group within the fungal clade. The P. tenuipes Jocheon-1 HSP88 also contained the conserved ATPase domain at the N-terminal region. The cDNA encoding P. tenuipes Jocheon-1 HSP88 was expressed as an 88 kilodalton (kDa) polypeptide in baculovirus-infected insect Sf9 cells. Under higher temperature conditions for the growth of the entomopathogenic fungus, mRNA expression of P. tenuipes Jocheon-1 HSP88 was quantified by real time PCR (qPCR). The results showed that heat shock stress induced a higher level of mRNA expression compared to normal growth conditions.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• 제41권5호
• /
• pp.413-422
• /
• 2018

Soybean transgenic plants with ectopically expressed AtABF3 were produced by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and investigated the effects of AtABF3 expression on drought and salt tolerance. Stable Agrobacterium-mediated soybean transformation was carried based on the half-seed method (Paz et al. 2006). The integration of the transgene was confirmed from the genomic DNA of transformed soybean plants using PCR and the copy number of transgene was determined by Southern blotting using leaf samples from $T_2$ seedlings. In addition to genomic integration, the expression of the transgenes was analyzed by RT-PCR and most of the transgenic lines expressed the transgenes introduced. The chosen two transgenic lines (line #2 and #9) for further experiment showed the substantial drought stress tolerance by surviving even at the end of the 20-day of drought treatment. And the positive relationship between the levels of AtABF3 gene expression and drought-tolerance was confirmed by qRT-PCR and drought tolerance test. The stronger drought tolerance of transgenic lines seemed to be resulted from physiological changes. Transgenic lines #2 and #9 showed ion leakage at a significantly lower level (P < 0.01) than ${\underline{n}}on-{\underline{t}}ransgenic$ (NT) control. In addition, the chlorophyll contents of the leaves of transgenic lines were significantly higher (P < 0.01). The results indicated that their enhanced drought tolerance was due to the prevention of cell membrane damage and maintenance of chlorophyll content. Water loss by transpiration also slowly proceeded in transgenic plants. In microscopic observation, higher stomata closure was confirmed in transgenic lines. Especially, line #9 had 56% of completely closed stomata whereas only 16% were completely open. In subsequent salt tolerance test, the apparently enhanced salt tolerance of transgenic lines was measured in ion leakage rate and chlorophyll contents. Finally, the agronomic characteristics of ectopically expressed AtABF3 transgenic plants ($T_2$) compared to NT plants under regular watering (every 4 days) or low rate of watering condition (every 10 days) was investigated. When watered regularly, the plant height of drought-tolerant line (#9) was shorter than NT plants. However, under the drought condition, total seed weight of line #9 was significantly higher than in NT plants (P < 0.01). Moreover, the pods of NT plants showed severe withering, and most of the pods failed to set normal seeds. All the evidences in the study clearly suggested that overexpression of the AtABF3 gene conferred drought and salt tolerance in major crop soybean, especially under the growth condition of low watering.

• 대한통합의학회지
• /
• 제9권2호
• /
• pp.83-92
• /
• 2021

Purpose : Keratinocytes are the main cellular components involved in wound healing during re-epithelization and inflammation. Dysfunction of tight junction (TJ) adhesions is a major feature in the pathogenesis of various diseases. The purpose of this study was to identify the various effects of a Sparassis crispa water extract (SC) on HaCaT cells and to investigate whether these effects might be applicable to human skin. Methods : We investigated the effectiveness of SC on cell HaCaT viability using MTS. The antioxidant effect of SC was analyzed by comparing the effectiveness of ABTS to that of the well-known antioxidant resveratrol. Reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) is the most widely applied method Quantitative RT-PCR analysis has shown that SC in HaCaT cells affects mRNA expression of tight-junction genes associated with skin moisturization. In addition, Wound healing is one of the most complex processes in the human body. It involves the spatial and temporal synchronization of a variety of cell types with distinct roles in the phases of hemostasis, inflammation, growth, re-epithelialization, and remodeling. wound healing analysis demonstrated altered cell migration in SC-treated HaCaT cells. Results : MTS analysis in HaCaT cells was found to be more cytotoxic in SC at a concentration of 0.5 mg/㎖. Compared to 100 µM resveratrol, 4 mg/㎖ SC exhibited similar or superior antioxidant effects. SC treatment in HaCaT cells reduced levels of claudin 1, claudin 3, claudin 4, claudin 6, claudin 7, claudin 8, ZO-1, ZO-2, JAM-A, occludin, and Tricellulin mRNA expression by about 1.13 times. Wound healing analysis demonstrated altered cell migration in SC-treated HaCaT cells and HaCaT cell migration was also reduced to 73.2 % by SC treatment. Conclusion : SC, which acts as an antioxidant, reduces oxidative stress and prevents aging of the skin. Further research is needed to address the effects of SC on human skin given the observed alteration of mRNA expression of tight-junction genes and the decreased the cell migration of HaCaT cells.

• 한국콘텐츠학회논문지
• /
• 제21권11호
• /
• pp.234-242
• /
• 2021

본 연구에서는 현재 국내에서 시행되고 있는 연극치료의 효과성을 메타분석을 통해 살펴보고 이를 통해 향후 보다 효과적이고 구체적인 연극치료의 실행방안을 제시하기 위하여, 국내에서 시행된 연극치료의 효과성에 대한 개별연구들을 메타분석하였다. 메타분석을 위한 자료 수집은 2021년 6월까지 국내에서 발표된 연극치료의 효과성과 관련된 학위논문 및 학술논문 등을 검색하여 이루어졌고, 구체적 선정기준에 따라서 최종 18편의 논문을 선정하여 메타분석을 실시하였다. 분석을 위해서 메타분석 통계프로그램인 CMA(Comprehensive Meta-Analysis) software 2.0을 사용하였으며, 주요 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 연극치료의 평균효과크기를 살펴보면, 자아존중감은 평균효과크기가 1.325, 우울·불안은 -1.230, 스트레스는 1.025, 사회성은 1.018, 정서지능은 0.907, 심리적 안녕감은 0.897로 모두 큰 효과크기를 나타내었다. 둘째, 연극치료의 효과성이 조절 변수에 따라 차이가 나는지 살펴본 결과, '자아존중감'의 효과크기에 있어서 '대상자의 특성(아동·청소년 or 성인)', '총회기수(10회 미만 or 10회 이상)', '연극치료유형(복합연극치료유형 or 공연중심 연극치료유형)' 이 통계적으로 유의미한 차이를 나타내었다. 이러한 측면을 고려할 때, 향후 연극치료를 실행하는데 있어서 효과성의 종속변수로 '자아존중감'을 향상시키기 위해서는 성인대상, 총회기수는 10회 이상, 공연중심의 연극치료유형 등을 보다 확대해서 실시할 필요가 있음을 제시하였다. 이와 같은 본 연구결과를 바탕으로 향후 국내 연극 치료의 실행방안과 함의를 제안하였다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제55권10호
• /
• pp.3874-3897
• /
• 2023

A high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis was performed using the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) model for the lower plenum of the High-Temperature Test Facility (HTTF), a ¼ scale test facility of the modular high temperature gas-cooled reactor (MHTGR) managed by Oregon State University. In most next-generation nuclear reactors, thermal stress due to thermal striping is one of the risks to be curiously considered. This is also true for HTGRs, especially since the exhaust helium gas temperature is high. In order to evaluate these risks and performance, organizations in the United States led by the OECD NEA are conducting a thermal hydraulic code benchmark for HTGR, and the test facility used for this benchmark is HTTF. HTTF can perform experiments in both normal and accident situations and provide high-quality experimental data. However, it is difficult to provide sufficient data for benchmarking through experiments, and there is a problem with the reliability of CFD analysis results based on Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes to analyze thermal hydraulic behavior without verification. To solve this problem, high-fidelity 3-D CFD analysis was performed using the LES model for HTTF. It was also verified that the LES model can properly simulate this jet mixing phenomenon via a unit cell test that provides experimental information. As a result of CFD analysis, the lower the dependency of the sub-grid scale model, the closer to the actual analysis result. In the case of unit cell test CFD analysis and HTTF CFD analysis, the volume-averaged sub-grid scale model dependency was calculated to be 13.0% and 9.16%, respectively. As a result of HTTF analysis, quantitative data of the fluid inside the HTTF lower plenum was provided in this paper. As a result of qualitative analysis, the temperature was highest at the center of the lower plenum, while the temperature fluctuation was highest near the edge of the lower plenum wall. The power spectral density of temperature was analyzed via fast Fourier transform (FFT) for specific points on the center and side of the lower plenum. FFT results did not reveal specific frequency-dominant temperature fluctuations in the center part. It was confirmed that the temperature power spectral density (PSD) at the top increased from the center to the wake. The vortex was visualized using the well-known scalar Q-criterion, and as a result, the closer to the outlet duct, the greater the influence of the mainstream, so that the inflow jet vortex was dissipated and mixed at the top of the lower plenum. Additionally, FFT analysis was performed on the support structure near the corner of the lower plenum with large temperature fluctuations, and as a result, it was confirmed that the temperature fluctuation of the flow did not have a significant effect near the corner wall. In addition, the vortices generated from the lower plenum to the outlet duct were identified in this paper. It is considered that the quantitative and qualitative results presented in this paper will serve as reference data for the benchmark.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• 제32권1호
• /
• pp.154-161
• /
• 2024

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal motor neuron disorder that causes progressive paralysis. L-Citrulline is a nonessential neutral amino acid produced by L-arginine via nitric oxide synthase (NOS). According to previous studies, the pathogenesis of ALS entails glutamate toxicity, oxidative stress, protein misfolding, and neurofilament disruption. In addition, L-citrulline prevents neuronal cell death in brain ischemia; therefore, we investigated the change in the transport of L-citrulline under various pathological conditions in a cell line model of ALS. We examined the uptake of [¹⁴C]L-citrulline in wild-type (hSOD1wt/WT) and mutant NSC-34/ SOD1^G93A (MT) cell lines. The cell viability was determined via MTT assay. A transport study was performed to determine the uptake of [¹⁴C]L-citrulline. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis was performed to determine the expression levels of rat large neutral amino acid transported 1 (rLAT1) in ALS cell lines. Nitric oxide (NO) assay was performed using Griess reagent. L-Citrulline had a restorative effect on glutamate induced cell death, and increased [¹⁴C]L-citrulline uptake and mRNA levels of the large neutral amino acid transporter (LAT1) in the glutamate-treated ALS disease model (MT). NO levels increased significantly when MT cells were pretreated with glutamate for 24 h and restored by co-treatment with L-citrulline. Co-treatment of MT cells with L-arginine, an NO donor, increased NO levels. NSC-34 cells exposed to high glucose conditions showed a significant increase in [¹⁴C]L-citrulline uptake and LAT1 mRNA expression levels, which were restored to normal levels upon co-treatment with unlabeled L-citrulline. In contrast, exposure of the MT cell line to tumor necrosis factor alpha, lipopolysaccharides, and hypertonic condition decreased the uptake significantly which was restored to the normal level by co-treating with unlabeled L-citrulline. L-Citrulline can restore NO levels and cellular uptake in ALS-affected cells with glutamate cytotoxicity, pro-inflammatory cytokines, or other pathological states, suggesting that L-citrulline supplementation in ALS may play a key role in providing neuroprotection.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• 제51권2호
• /
• pp.135-141
• /
• 2024

Objective: Recently, oral antioxidants in combined forms have been used to treat men with idiopathic infertility. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of treatment with vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, zinc, arginine, L-carnitine, and coenzyme Q10 on sperm quality parameters, DNA integrity, reproductive hormones, and pregnancy rates in men with infertility and idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT). Methods: A prospective study was conducted on 420 men with infertility and idiopathic OAT who took an oral supplement of antioxidant SP-Power tablets twice daily for 6 months. Semen quality, reproductive hormones, and the DNA fragmentation index (DFI) were evaluated at baseline and at 3 and 6 months after supplementation, using the World Health Organization 2021 guidelines. Results: No significant difference was observed in volume or the percentage of typical morphology during treatment. A significant improvement in sperm concentration was observed after supplementation (8.67±1.41, 12.17±1.91, and 19.01±0.86 at baseline, 3, and 6 months respectively, p<0.01). The total motility, progressive motility, and total motile sperm count also increased significantly (p<0.01), whereas the DFI decreased after 6 months. There was an increase in normal FSH levels and testosterone levels after 6 months of supplementation of antioxidant SP-Power but these differences were not statistically significant (p=not significant and p=0.06, respectively). Conclusion: Supplementation with SP-Power tablets improved sperm quality parameters, sperm DFI, some reproductive hormones, and pregnancy rates in men with infertility and idiopathic OAT, which could be attributed to the supplement's synergistic antioxidant action. Further studies are needed to determine the effects of supplementation on oxidative stress markers.