• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.293-303
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• 2007

Objective: Previously, we identified differentially expressed genes between GV and MII stage mouse oocytes using ACP technology. When we study one of GV selective genes, Obox family, we found Obox4 mRNA expression in ovaries that has been reported as expressed exclusively in testis. Therefore, this study was conducted for characterization and functional analysis for Obox4. Methods: Expression of Obox4 mRNA was examined in gonads and oocytes by RT-PCR. To determine the role of Obox4 in oocyte maturation, Obox4 dsRNA was microinjected into the cytoplasm of GV oocytes followed by 16 h of incubation in the plain medium or by 24 h of incubation in the medium containing IBMX. After RNAi, phenotypes and maturation rates were observed, change in mRNA expression was evaluated, and chromosomal status was confirmed by orcein staining. Results: Obox4 has minimal expression in the ovary compared to that of the other family members. When oocytes were cultured for 16 h in M16 medium after RNAi, maturation rate was not changed significantly, compared with that of non-injected or buffer-injected control oocytes. Surprisingly, however, when oocytes were cultured for 24 h in M16 containing IBMX, in which oocytes were supposed to arrest at GV stage, Obox4 RNAi oocytes were advanced to MI and MII. Spindle structure was disappeared and the chromosomes were condensed in the oocytes after Obox4 RNAi. Conclusions: This is the first report on the expression of Obox4 in the ovary and oocytes. Results of the study suggest that Obox4 plays a crucial role in spindle formation and chromosome segregation during meiosis in oocytes. In addition, Obox4 may play an important role in cAMP-dependent signal cascades of GV-arrest in mouse oocytes.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.79-87
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• 2017

GenesWell$^{TM}$ BCT is a 12-gene test suggesting the prognostic risk score (BCT Score) for distant metastasis within the first 10 years in early breast cancer patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative, and pN0~1 tumors. In this study, we validated the analytical performance of GenesWell$^{TM}$ BCT. Gene expression values were measured by a one-step, real-time qPCR, using RNA extracted from FFPE specimens of early breast cancer patients. Limit of Blank, Limit of Detection, and dynamic range for each of the 12 genes were assessed by serially diluted RNA pools. The analytical precision and specificity were evaluated by three different RNA samples representing low risk group, high risk group, and near-cutoff group in accordance with their BCT Scores. GenesWell$^{TM}$ BCT could detect gene expression of each of the 12 genes from less than $1ng/{\mu}L$ of RNA. Repeatability and reproducibility across multiple testing sites resulted in 100% and 98.3% consistencies of risk classification, respectively. Moreover, it was confirmed that the potential interference substances does not affect the risk classification of the test. The findings demonstrate that GenesWell$^{TM}$ BCT have high analytical performance with over 95% consistency for risk classification.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.321-328
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• 2000

Purpose :NOS2 induce NO Production and NO activate TGF-${\beta}$. The TGF-${\beta}$ is a inhibitor of NOS2. If this negative feedback mechanism operating in radiation pneumonitis model, NOS2 inhibitor may play a role in TGF-${\beta}$ suppression. We planned this study to evaluate the expression patterns of NO, NOS2 and TGF-${\beta}$ in vivo radiation pneumonitis model. Materials and Methods : Sixty sprague-Dawley rat were irradiated 5 Gy or 20 Gy. They were sacrificed 3, 7, 14, 28 and 56 days after irradiation. During sacrifice, we peformed broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL). The BAL fluids were centrifuged and supernatents were used for measure NO and TGF-${\beta}$, and the cells were used for RT-PCR. Results : After 5 Gy of radiation, NO in BAL fluid increased at 28 days in both lung and TGF-${\beta}$ in left lung at 56 days. NO increased in BAL fluid at 28 days in both lung after irradiation and TGF-${\beta}$ in right lung at 28-56 days after 20 Gy of radiation. After 5 Gy of radiation, NOS2 expression was increased in right lung at 14 days, in both lung at 28 days and in left lung at 56 days. TGF-${\beta}$ expression was reduced in both lung at 28 days and increased in left lung at 56 days. Conclusions :The Proposed feedback mechanism of NO, NOS2 and TGF-${\beta}$ was operated in vivo radiation pneumonitis model. At 56 days, however, NOS2 and TGF-${\beta}$ expressed concurrently in left lung after 5 Gy and in both lung after 20 Gy of radiation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.11-22
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• 2022

N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors have received considerable attention regarding their involvement in glutamate-induced neuronal excitotoxicity. Resveratrol has been shown to exhibit neuroprotective effects against this kind of overactivation, but the underlying cellular mechanisms are not yet clearly understood. In this study, HT-22 neuronal cells were treated with NMDA in Mg²⁺-free buffer and subsequently used as an experimental model of glutamate excitotoxicity to elucidate the mechanisms of resveratrol-induced neuroprotection. We found that NMDA treatment causes a drop in MTT reduction ability, disrupts inside-negative transmembrane potential of mitochondria, depletes cellular ATP levels, and stimulates intracellular ROS production. Double fluorescence imaging studies demonstrated an increased formation of mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) pores accompanied by apoptotic cell death, while cobalt protoporphyrin and bilirubin showed protective effects against NMDA-induced mitochondrial injury. On the other hand, zinc protoporphyrin IX significantly attenuated the protective effects of resveratrol which was itself shown to enhance heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) mRNA and protein expression levels. In cells transfected with HO-1 small interfering RNA, resveratrol failed to suppress the NMDA-induced effects on MTT reduction ability and MPT pore formation. The present study suggests that resveratrol may prevent mitochondrial injury in NMDA- treated HT-22 cells and that enhanced expression of HO-1 is involved in the underlying cellular mechanism.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.129-138
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• 2016

Eicosanoids are a group of C20 oxygenated polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). To monitor biosynthetic precursors of these PUFAs, this study extracted fatty acids from different tissues of the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua, and assessed their compositions using GC/MS. Fifth instar larvae were dissected to isolate different tissues of gut, fat body, hemocytes, and integument. From each tissue, total lipids were extracted and fractionated into neutral lipid (NL), glycolipid (GL), and phospholipid (PL). Most tissues contained palmitic acid (16:0), stearic acid (18:0), oleic acid (18:1), linoleic acid (18:2), and linolenic acid (18:3). However, their compositions were different among tissues and lipid types. Fat body and hemocytes possessed other type of fatty acids such as myristic acid (14:0) and three unknown fatty acids. Among lipid types, PL contained relatively high levels of linolenic acid than NL and GL, while it had lower saturated fatty acids. Total unsaturated fatty acid composition was varied among tissues and lipid types. PL was rich in unsaturated fatty acids in fat body, gut, and hemocytes. There was a significant influence of calcium-independent phospholipase $A_2$ ($iPLA_2$) on maintaining fatty acid composition because RNA interference of $iPLA_2$ expression significantly modified fatty acid compositions in NL and PL. However, this study did not detect arachidonic acid, a main eicosanoid biosynthesis precursor, in all tissues. This suggests an alternative biosynthesis of eicosanoids in insects, which is distinct from the biosynthetic pathway of mammals.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.294-300
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• 2003

In the previous study, we have isolated several vaginal lactobacilli from Korean woman and selected one of them (KLB12) for further study, which was indentified as Lactobacillus fermentum by sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene. Formulated L. fermentum KLB12 can be used for ecological treatment of bacterial vaginosis. For pharmaceutical formulation, the spray-drying process is required where stress such as high temperature is routinely applied. In this study, we found that heat stress at 60$^{\circ}C$ for 20∼30min reduced the viable cell population of KLB12 by 10$\sub$6/～10$\sub$9/. However, adaptation of KLB12 cells at 52$^{\circ}C$ made them more thermotolerant upon exposure to 60$^{\circ}C$. The level of thermal protection in RSM (reconstituted skim milk) by adaptation in acid (pH 5), cold (4$^{\circ}C$), ethanol (3％), NaCI (0.3M) was also examined. Although not as efficient as the homologous stress, adaptations in both cold and NaCI gave considerable cross protection against heat stress. When chloramphenicol was added during heat adaptation, adaptation effect was abolished. This suggests that de novo protein synthesis is necessary during the adaptation process. Important changes in proteome during heat adaptation was examined with two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.52-58
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• 2011

The aim of this research was to develop specific and sensitive PCR-based procedures for simultaneous detection of economically important plant pathogenic bacteria and seed borne virus in commercial Brassicaceae crop seeds, Xanthomonns campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) and Lettuce Mosaic Virus (LMV). Bacterial and virus diseases of Brassicaceae leaves are responsible for heavy losses. PCR with arbitral primers: selection of specific primers, performance of PCR with specific primers and determination of the threshold level for pathogens detection. To detect simultaneously the Xcc and LMV in commercial Brassicaceae crop seeds (lettuce, kohlrabi, radish, chinese cabbage and cabbage), two pairs of specific primer (LMV-F/R, Xcc-F/R) were synthesized by using primer-blast program (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/tools/primer-blast/). The multiplex PCR for the two pathogens in Brassicaceae crop seeds could detect specifically without interference among primers and/or cDNA of other plant pathogens. The pathogen detection limit was determined at 1 ng of RNA extracted from pathogens. In the total PCR results for pathogen detection using commercial kohlrabi (10 varieties), lettuce (50 varieties), radish (20 varieties), chinese cabbage (20 varieties) and cabbage (20 varieties), LMV and Xcc were detected from 39 and 2 varieties, respectively. In the PCR result of lettuce, LMV and Xcc were simultaneously detected in 8 varieties.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.12
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• pp.149-175
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to understand and analyze the character of Islamic fundamentalism and Middle-Ease Terrorism. The aim of Islamic fundamentalism is reconstruction of Ummah(Muslim Unity), thee early society of Muhammad's age. Islamic movement insist to restore the spirit of Islam and purify the society of Islam from the United State and Western world. Now, Islamic fundamentalism movement as a new ideology, appeals to muslim in the world. The concept of modern national state from the Western countries do not accord with the traditional Islamic principles of reign and a spirit of nationalism. On the other hand, Islamic movement have no legitimacy in the system of modern state which govern the Arab world, regardless of the form of government. For this reasons, Islamic fundamentalist have an insecure position and their political activities. It is yet far from their purpose, to reconstruct the muslim unity, to realize the Islamic political principle close to their practical methods. Yet Islamic fundamental movement have not overcome the system of secular state. The Middle East terrorism supported by government might be eradicated by America's anti-terrorism policy. However, it will be serious and spread all over the world that the terrorist attack against the U. S. and western countries is acted by militant warriors of Islamic fundamentalism, uniting Arab and Islamic people's emotions against America and western countries. There are some reasons that we need to focus on the Arab and Islamic fundamentalism. We need to get out of misunderstanding and discrimination about Islamic religion and culture from America's and Western' standard Which are only their new world order. The discrimination of America and western nations against muslim could make other ideologies, opposite to the world peace. There are a lot of foreign workers from Islam countries in Korea. We need to give consideration and attention to them for the our globalization and world peace. It is time to consider what to do for the nation's profit(economical, political, strategic)with right understanding. We are not safe and free from the terrorism yet.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.139-143
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• 2006

Virion captured reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (VC/RT-PCR) could detect plant virus quickly and accurately. In the VC/RT-PCR, no antibody is needed unlike immuno-captured RT-PCR (IC/RT-PCR) which had been improved method of RT-PCR for plant viruses, and virus nucleic acids can be obtained easily within 30minutes by property of polypropylene PCR tube which is hold and immobilized viral particles on its surface. For the virion capture of Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), the extraction buffer was tested. The optimum macerating buffer for TSWV was 0.01M potassium phosphate buffer, pH 7.0, containing 0.5% sodium sulfite. The viral crude sap was incubated for 30 min at $4^{\circ}C$. The virions in the PCR tubes were washed two times with 0.01M PBS containing 0.05% Tween-20. The washed virions were treated at $95^{\circ}C$ immediately for 1 min containing RNase free water and chilled quickly in the ice. Disclosed virions' RNAs by heat treatment were used for RT-PCR. Dilution end point of $10^{-5}$ from plant's crude sap infected with TSWV showed relatively higher detection sensitivity for VC/RT-PCR. During multiple detection using two or more primers, interference was arisen by interactions between primer-primer and plant species. The result of multiplex RT-PCR was influenced by combinations of primers and the kind of plant, and the optimum extraction buffer for the multiplex detection by VC/RT-PCR should be developed.