• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.52-59
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• 2015

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relative weight gain at 2-week intervals up to 6 weeks after birth to predict retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) requiring treatment among very low birth weight infants. Methods: A total of 211 preterm infants with birth weights <1,500 g and gestational age <32 weeks were retrospectively reviewed. The main outcome was the development of ROP requiring treatment. Body weight measurements were recorded daily. Relative weight gains (g/kg/day) were calculated at the second, fourth, and sixth week after birth. Results: Of the 211 infants, 89 developed ROP, of which 41 spontaneously regressed and 48 with early treatment of ROP type I required laser treatment. The relative weight gain at 2, 4, and 6 weeks postnatal age was significantly lower in infants with ROP requiring treatment than in infants without ROP or those with spontaneous regression (P<0.001, P=0.005, and P=0.004, respectively). On logistic regression, poor relative weight gain in the first 2 weeks was found to be related to ROP requiring treatment (adjusted odds ratio, 0.809; 95% confidence interval, 0.695-0.941; P=0.006). Relative weight gain at 2 weeks postnatal age was significantly lower in infants with ROP requiring treatment compared to that in ROP requiring no treatment (P=0.012). Conclusion: Poor postnatal weight gain in the first 2 weeks of life is an important and independent risk factor for ROP requiring treatment. Postnatal weight gain can predict the development of severe ROP requiring treatment.

• KIPS Transactions on Computer and Communication Systems
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• v.2 no.5
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• pp.217-222
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• 2013

Return-Oriented Programming(ROP) is an advanced code-reuse attack like a return-to-libc attack. ROP attacks combine gadgets in program code area and make functions like a Turing-complete language. Some of previous defense methods against ROP attacks show high performance overhead because of dynamic execution flow analysis and can defend against only certain types of ROP attacks. In this paper, we propose Indirect Branch Target Address Verification (IBTAV). IBTAV detects ROP attacks by checking if target addresses of indirect branches are valid. IBTAV can defends against almost all ROP attacks because it verifies a target address of every indirect branch instruction. Since IBTAV does not require dynamic execution flow analysis, the performance overhead of IBTAV is relatively low. Our evaluation of IBTAV on SPEC CPU 2006 shows less than 15% performance overhead.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.429-435
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• 2018

Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous protozoan parasite responsible for causing toxoplasmosis. Preventive measures for toxoplasmosis are currently lacking and as such, development of novel vaccines are of urgent need. In this study, we generated 2 virus-like particles (VLPs) vaccines expressing T. gondii rhoptry protein 4 (ROP4) or rhoptry protein 18 (ROP18) using influenza matrix protein (M1) as a core protein. Mice were intranasally immunized with VLPs vaccines and after the last immunization, mice were challenged with ME49 cysts. Protective efficacy was assessed and compared by determining serum antibody responses, body weight changes and the reduction of cyst counts in the brain. ROP18 VLPs-immunized mice induced greater levels of IgG and IgA antibody responses than those immunized with ROP4 VLPs. ROP18 VLPs immunization significantly reduced body weight loss and the number of brain cysts in mice compared to ROP4 VLPs post-challenge. These results indicate that T. gondii ROP18 VLPs elicited better protective efficacy than ROP4 VLPs, providing important insight into vaccine design strategy.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.441-445
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• 2008

A series of aluminum complexes supported by $\beta$-ketoamino, ligand-bearing, 3-position substituents $LAlEt_2$ ($L=CH_3C(O)C(Cl)=C(CH_3)NAr\;(L_1)$, $L=CH_3C(O)C(H)=C(CH_3)NAr\;(L_2)$, $L=CH_3C(O)C(Ph)=C(CH_3)NAr\;(L_3)$, and $L=CH_3C(O)C(Me)=C(CH_3)NAr\;(L_4)$, $Ar=2,6-^iPr_2C6H_3$) were synthesized in situ and employed in the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of $\varepsilon$-caprolactone ($\varepsilon$-CL) and cyclohexene oxide (CHO). The 3-position substituents on the $\beta$-ketoamino ligand backbone of the aluminum complexes influenced the catalyst activity remarkably for both ROP of $\varepsilon$-CL and CHO. Aluminum $\beta$-ketoamino complexes displayed different catalytic behavior in ROP of $\varepsilon$-CL and CHO. The order of the catalytic activity of $LAlEt_2$ was $L_1AlEt_2$>$L_2AlEt_2$>$L_3AlEt_2$>$L_4AlEt_2$ for ROP of $\varepsilon$-CL, being opposite to the electron-donating ability of the 3-position substituents on the $\beta$-ketoamino ligand, while the order of the catalytic activity for ROP of CHO was $L_1AlEt_2$>$L_3AlEt_2$>$L_4AlEt_2$>$L_2AlEt_2$. The effects of reaction temperature and time on the ROP were also investigated for both $\varepsilon$-CL and CHO.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.59 no.6
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• pp.565-572
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• 2021

Toxoplasma gondii ME49 infections are typically diagnosed by serological tests. However, serological diagnosis of RH strain-induced toxoplasmosis remains unknown. In order to develop seradiagnosis of above 2 kinds of infections, we generated recombinant virus-like particles (VLPs) displaying the T. gondii rhoptry protein 4 (ROP4) and evaluated their potential in T. gondii ME49 or RH strain infection diagnostics. Mice were orally infected with either the tachyzoites of T. gondii (RH) or cysts of T. gondii (ME49) at various dosages, and sera were collected at regular intervals. ELISA-based serological tests were performed to assess IgG, IgM, and IgA antibody responses against ROP4 VLP antigen and tissue lysate antigen (TLA). Compared to TLA, IgG, IgM, and IgA levels to ROP4 VLP antigen were significantly higher in the sera of T. gondii RH-infected mice 1 and 2 week post-infection (PI). T. gondii-specific IgG antibody was detected at 1, 2, 4, and 8 week PI in the T. gondii ME49-infected mice with infection dose-dependent manner. These results indicated that the ROP4 VLP antigen was highly sensitive antigens detecting T. gondii RH and ME49 antibodies at an early stage.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.367-376
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• 2014

Recombinant antigenic proteins of Toxoplasma gondii are alternative source of antigens which are easily obtainable for serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis. In this study, highly antigenic secretory organellar proteins, dense granular GRA2 and GRA3, rhoptrial ROP2, and micronemal MIC2, were analyzed by bioinformatics approach to express as water-soluble forms of antigenic domains. The transmembrane region and disorder tendency of 4 secretory proteins were predicted to clone the genes into pGEX-4T-1 vector. Recombinant plasmids were transformed into BL21 (DE3) pLysS E. coli, and GST fusion proteins were expressed with IPTG. As a result, GST fusion proteins with $GRA2_{25-105}$, $GRA3_{39-138}$, $ROP2_{324-561}$, and $MIC2_{1-284}$ domains had respectively higher value of IgG avidity. The $rGST-GRA2_{25-105}$ and $rGST-GRA3_{39-138}$ were soluble, while $rGST-ROP2_{324-561}$ and $rGST-MIC2_{1-284}$ were not. $GRA2_{31-71}$, intrinsically unstructured domain (IUD) of GRA2, was used as a linker to enhance the solubility. The $rGST-GRA2_{31-71}-ROP2_{324-561}$, a chimeric protein, appeared to be soluble. Moreover, $rGST-GRA2_{31-71}-MIC2_{1-284}$ was also soluble and had higher IgG avidity comparing to $rGST-MIC2_{1-284}$. These 4 highly expressed and water-soluble recombinant antigenic proteins may be promising candidates to improve the serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis in addition to the major surface antigen of SAG1.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.143-148
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• 2017

Toxoplasma gondii infections occur throughout the world, and efforts are needed to develop various vaccine candidates expressing recombinant protein antigens. In this study, influenza matrix protein (M1) virus-like particles (VLPs) consisting of T. gondii rhoptry antigen 4 (ROP4 protein) were generated using baculovirus (rBV) expression system. Recombinant ROP4 protein with influenza M1 were cloned and expressed in rBV. SF9 insect cells were coinfected with recombinant rBVs expressing T. gondii ROP4 and influenza M1. As the results, influenza M1 VLPs showed spherical shapes, and T. gondii ROP4 protein exhibited as spikes on VLP surface under transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The M1 VLPs resemble virions in morphology and size. We found that M1 VLPs reacted with antibody from T. gondii-infected mice by western blot and ELISA. This study demonstrated that T. gondii ROP4 protein can be expressed on the surface of influenza M1 VLPs and the M1 VLPs containing T. gondii ROP4 reacted with T. gondii-infected sera, indicating the possibility that M1 VLPs could be used as a coating antigen for diagnostic and/or vaccine candidate against T. gondii infection.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.78-81
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• 2009

In recent years, organometallic polymer containing silane and silole unit has been a topic of interest because of the wide range of optical, electrical and luminescent properties. In previous work, we synthesized functionalsilanebridged[1]ferrocenophane from the reaction of dimethyldichlorosilane[Me2SiCl2] and diphenyldichlorosilane[Ph2SiCl2] and dichloromethylvinylsilane[C3H6SiCl2] with ferrocene$[Fe({\eta}-C5H4)2]$ and n-BuLi. In this work, we have synthesized Poly(ferrocenylsilane) via the Thermal Ring-Opening Polymerization(ROP). characteristics of the poly(ferrocenylsilane) were investigated by gel permeation chromatography(GPC), 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.205-208
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• 2006

A polymeric film of a biodegradable poly(1,5-dioxepan-2-one) (PDXO) was formed on a gold surface by a combination of the formation of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) presenting hydroxyl groups and the surface-initiated, ring-opening polymerization (SI-ROP) of 1,5-dioxepan-2-one (DXO). The SI-ROP of DXO was achieved by heating a mixture of $Sn(Oct)_2$, DXO, and the SAM-coated substrate in anhydrous toluene at $55^{\circ}C$. The resulting PDXO film was quite uniform. The PDXO film was characterized by polarized infrared external reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, atomic force microscopy, ellipsometry, and contact angle goniometry.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.316-323
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• 1991

We calculated a difference between the YBa$_2Cu _3O_{7-x}$ superconductor (123 system) of critical temperature, 95 K and the YBa$_2Cu_4 O_8$ superconductors (124 system) of critical temperature, 80 K in Y-system superconductors using Extended Huckel Theory (EHT). The valence electron population (VEP), reduced overlap population (ROP) and net charge for the charged cluster models relating to the layer and the chain in 123 and 124 systems were compared. The VEPs of Cu atom in the layer of 123 and 124 systems populated d$_{z^2}$ orbital more than d$_{x^2-y^2}$ orbital, and in the chain of 123 and 124 systems populated d$_{y^2-z^2}$ orbital more than d$_{z^2}$ orbital. The ROP of the Cu(1)-O(1) in the layer of 123 system was larger than the value of the Cu(1)-O(2), but the ROP of the Cu(1)-O(2) in the layer of 124 system was larger than the value of the Cu(1)-O(1). The ROP of Cu(2)-O(4) in the chain of 123 and 124 systems were larger than the value of the Cu(2)-O(3). In 123 system the net charge values of the Cu in the layer was larger than the value of the Cu in the chain. However, in 124 system the net charge value of the Cu in the chain was larger than the value in the layer.