• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.299-306
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• 2011

Background: $CD4^+Fop3^+$ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are needed to maintain peripheral tolerance, but their role in the development of autoimmune arthritis is still debated. The present study was undertaken to investigate the mechanism by which Tregs influence autoimmune arthritis, using a mouse model entitled K/BxN. Methods: We generated Treg-deficient K/BxNsf mice by congenically crossing K/BxN mice with Foxp3 mutant scurfy mice. The arthritic symptoms of the mice were clinically and histopathologically examined. The proportions and activation of $CD4^+$ T cells and/or dendritic cells were assessed in the spleens, draining lymph nodes and synovial tissue of these mice. Results: K/BxNsf mice exhibited earlier onset and more aggressive progression of arthritis than their K/BxN littermates. In particular, bone destruction associated with the influx of numerous RANKL+ cells into synovia was very prominent. They also contained more memory phenotype $CD4^+$ T cells, more Th1 and Th2 cells, and fewer Th17 cells than their control counterparts. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells expressing high levels of CD86 and CD40 were elevated in the K/BxNsf synovia. Conclusion: We conclude that Tregs oppose the progression of arthritis by inhibiting the development of $RANKL^+$ cells, homeostatically proliferating $CD4^+$ T cells, Th1, Th2 and mature plasmacytoid dendritic cells, and by inhibiting their influx into joints.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.264-274
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• 2013

The unrestricted population of $CD4^+Foxp3^+$ regulatory T (Treg) cells, which have been known to control the expression of autoimmune diseases and protective immunity to inflammatory reactions, has led to greater appreciation of functional plasticity. Detecting and/or isolating Ag-specific $CD4^+Foxp3^+$ Tregs at the single cell level are required to study their function and plasticity. In this study, we established and compared both MHC class II tetramer and intracellular CD154 staining, in order to detect $CD4^+Foxp3^+$ Treg specific for foreign Ag in acute and chronic infections with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). Our results revealed that MHC class II tetramer staining showed a lower detection rate of LCMV $GP_{66-77}$-specific $CD4^+$ T cells because most of MHC class II tetramers were unbound and unstable when combined staining was performed with intracellular cytokines. In contrast, intracellular CD154 staining was revealed to be easier and simple for detecting LCMV $GP_{66-77}$-specific $CD4^+$ T cells, compared to MHC class II tetramer staining. Subsequently, we employed intracellular CD154 staining to detect LCMV $GP_{66-77}$-specific $CD4^+Foxp3^+$ Tregs using $Foxp3^{GFP}$ knock-in mouse, and found that LCMV $GP_{66-77}$-specific $CD4^+Foxp3^+$ Tregs and polyclonal $CD4^+Foxp3^+$ Tregs showed differential expansion in mice infected with LCMV Arms or Cl13 at acute (8 and 13 days pi) and chronic phases (35 days pi). Therefore, our results provide insight into the valuable use of intracellular CD154 staining to detect and characterize foreign Ag-specific $CD4^+Foxp3^+$ Treg in various models.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.181-186
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• 2014

Genome-wide association studies have proven the highly polygenic architecture of complex diseases or traits; therefore, single-locus-based methods are usually unable to detect all involved loci, especially when individual loci exert small effects. Moreover, the majority of associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms resides in non-coding regions, making it difficult to understand their phenotypic contribution. In this work, we studied epistatic interactions associated with three common diseases using Korea Association Resource (KARE) data: type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HT), and coronary artery disease (CAD). We showed that epistatic single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were enriched in enhancers, as well as in DNase I footprints (the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements [ENCODE] Project Consortium 2012), which suggested that the disruption of the regulatory regions where transcription factors bind may be involved in the disease mechanism. Accordingly, to identify the genes affected by the SNPs, we employed whole-genome multiple-cell-type enhancer data which discovered using DNase I profiles and Cap Analysis Gene Expression (CAGE). Assigned genes were significantly enriched in known disease associated gene sets, which were explored based on the literature, suggesting that this approach is useful for detecting relevant affected genes. In our knowledge-based epistatic network, the three diseases share many associated genes and are also closely related with each other through many epistatic interactions. These findings elucidate the genetic basis of the close relationship between DM, HT, and CAD.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.25-29
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• 2013

Ribavirin is an antiviral drug used in combination with pegylated interferon-${\alpha}$ (IFN-${\alpha}$) for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Recently, ribavirin was reported to inhibit the suppressive activity of regulatory T (Treg) cells. In the present study, we re-evaluated the effect of ribavirin on $CD4^+$ $CD4^+$ $CD25^+$ Treg cells from normal donors. First, we examined the expression of CTLA-4 and CD39, which are known to play a role in the suppressive function of Treg cells. We found that ribavirin treatment did not modulate the expression of CTLA-4 and CD39 in Treg cells. We also studied the effect of ribavirin on Treg cells in the presence of IFN-${\alpha}$; however, the expression of CTLA-4 and CD39 in Treg cells was not changed by ribavirin in the presence of IFN-${\alpha}$. Next, we directly evaluated the effect of ribavirin on the suppressive activity of Treg cells in the standard Treg suppression assay, by co-culturing CFSE-labeled non-Treg $CD4^+$ T cells with purified Treg cells. We found that ribavirin did not attenuate the suppressive activity of Treg cells. Taken together, while ribavirin reversed Treg cell-mediated suppression of effector T cells in the previous study, we herein demonstrate that ribavirin does not impair the suppressive activity of Treg cells.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.135-142
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• 2011

Convergence between telecom and broadcasting is today a worldwide phenomenon. Diverse services like VoD, mobile broadcasting, IPTV and interactive services have already made their market debut or are currently being commercialized. Regulatory systems are also being revised to appropriately regulate this new breed of services. We propose the new model of educational broadcasting system using the internet network, it is not different conventional coaxial cable methods. Especially, we design the multicast method of the network using the limited channel and resource, propose the method of intercommunication in the school between the broadcasting system and database system.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.125-132
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• 2002

In the past, bioinformatics was often regarded as a difficult and rather remote field, practiced only by computer scientists and not a practical tool available to biologists. However, the various on-going genome projects have had a serious impact on biological sciences in various ways and now there is little doubt that bioinformatics is an essential part of the research environment, with a wealth of biological information to analyze and predict. Fully sequenced genomes made us to have additional insights into the functional properties of the encoded proteins and made it possible to develop new tools and schemes for functional biology on a proteomic scale. Among those are the yeast two-hybrid system, mass spectrometry and microarray: the technology of choice to detect protein-protein interactions. These functional insights emerge as networks of interacting proteins, also known as "pathway informatics" or "interactomics". Without exception it is no longer possible to make advances in the signaling/regulatory pathway studies without integrating information technologies with experimental technologies. In this paper, we will introduce the databases of protein interaction worldwide and discuss several challenging issues regarding the actual implementation of databases.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Bioinformatics Conference
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• 2005.09a
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• pp.278-283
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• 2005

Cell cycle is regulated cooperatively by several genes. The dynamic regulatory mechanism of protein interaction network of cell cycle will be presented taking the budding yeast as a sample system. Based on the mathematical model developed by Chen et at. (MBC, 11,369), at first, the dynamic role of the feedback loops is investigated. Secondly, using a bifurcation diagram, dynamic analysis of the cell cycle regulation is illustrated. The bifurcation diagram is a kind of ‘dynamic road map’ with stable and unstable solutions. On the map, a stable solution denotes a ‘road’ attracting the state and an unstable solution ‘a repelling road’ The ‘START’ transition, the initiation of the cell cycle, occurs at the point where the dynamic road changes from a fixed point to an oscillatory solution. The 'FINISH' transition, the completion of a cell cycle, is returning back to the initial state. The bifurcation analysis for the mutants could be used uncovering the role of proteins in the cell cycle regulation network.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.17
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• pp.241-249
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• 2001

Toxicology is under challenge from several new trends in science and technology, namely computer, the Internet, genome projects, genomic technologies, and combinatorial chemistry. These new trends will drastically change research style of toxicology. In addition to conventional uni cellular tests and animal tests using rodents, computer simulation, DNA chips (microarrays), in vivo tests using simple model organisms such as nematodesor flies become important routine screening tests. How to arrange these tests in tiers will become a new problem. Endocrine disruptors hypothesis is a good example for this kind of futuristic approach. Computer, particularly the Internet, is also enabling toxicologists and regulatory experts to collaborate more closely. The IPCS (International Program for Chemical Safety) which is ajoint project of WHO, ILO and UNEP, is a well-known international collaborative research for chemical risk assessments. The GINC project of IPCS is an effort to utilize the Internet for such collaborations. Some efforts were also made to establish regional collaboration network in East Asia under this project.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.203-206
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• 2021

The article is devoted to the study of the problems of polygraphic research to obtain forensically significant information. An analysis of the legal basis for the use of the polygraph in Ukraine. Problematic issues concerning the appropriateness of using a polygraph in the investigation and detection of crimes have been studied. The domestic legal norms that regulate this issue, as well as foreign experience are analyzed. The article reveals the essence of the polygraph, the legal basis and requirements for its use. Attention is drawn to the main difficulties of using a polygraph and ways to solve them.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.369-375
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• 2022

The article is timed to coincide with the thirtieth anniversary of Ukraine's independence. Based on the generalization of fundamental and applied studies of scientists, the author's vision of such category as the gender parity is conceptualized. Based on the analysis of historical events related to the development of the state, the formation of cultural and social values in determining the gender identity of modern society is substantiated. Based on the analysis of literary and regulatory sources, the structure of the state administration of Ukraine is visualized, which has become the basis for the diagnosis of gender aspects. Based on the analysis, the problems of gender parity in the public administration system of Ukraine are identified.