• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.102-109
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• 2014

Cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) are aquatic mammals that experienced drastic changes during the transition from terrestrial to aquatic environment. Morphological changes include streamlined body, alterations in the face, transformation of the forelimbs into flippers, disappearance of the hindlimbs and the acquisition of flukes on the tail. For a prolonged diving, cetaceans acquired hypoxia-resistance by developing various anatomical and physiological changes. However, molecular mechanisms underlying these adaptations are still limited. CREB-binding protein (CREBBP) is a transcriptional co-activator critical for embryonic development, growth control, metabolic homeostasis and responses to hypoxia. Natural selection analysis of five cetacean CREBBPs compared with those from 15 terrestrial relatives revealed strong purifying selection, supporting the importance of its role in mammals. However, prediction for amino acid changes that elicit functional difference of CREBBP identified three cetacean specific changes localized within a region required for interaction with SRCAP and in proximal regions to KIX domain of CREBBP. Mutations in CREBBP or SRCAP are known to cause craniofacial and skeletal defects in human, and KIX domain of CREBBP serves as a docking site for transcription factors including c-Myb, an essential regulator of haematopoiesis. In these respects, our study provides interesting insights into the functional adaptation of cetacean CREBBP for aquatic lifestyle.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.436-443
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• 2018

The actin cytoskeleton plays a key role in the entry of mitosis as well as in cytokinesis. In a previous study, we showed that actin disruption delays mitotic entry at G2/M by sustained activation of extracellular signal-related kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in primary cells but not in transformed cancer cell lines. Here, we examined the mechanism of cell cycle delay at G2/M by actin dysfunction in IMR-90 normal human fibroblasts. We observed that de-polymerization of actin with cytochalasin D (CD) constitutively activated ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK) and induced inhibitory phosphorylation of Cdc2 (Tyr 15) in IMR-90 cells. In the presence of an actin defect in IMR-90 cells, activating phosphorylation of Wee1 kinase (Ser 642) and inhibitory phosphorylation of Cdc25C (Ser 216) was also maintained. However, when kinase-dead RSK (DN-RSK) was overexpressed, we observed sustained activation of ERK1/2, but no delay in the G2/M transition, demonstrating that RSK functions downstream of ERK in cell cycle delay by actin dysfunction. In DN-RSK overexpressing IMR-90 cells treated with CD, phosphorylation of Cdc25C (Ser 216) was blocked and phosphorylation of Cdc2 (Tyr 15) was decreased, but the phosphorylation of Wee1 (Ser 642) was maintained, demonstrating that RSK directly controls phosphorylation of Cdc25C (Ser 216), but not the activity of Wee1. These results strongly suggest that actin dysfunction in primary cells activates ERK1/2 to inhibit Cdc2, delaying the cell cycle at G2/M by activating downstream RSK, which phosphorylates and blocks Cdc25C, and by directly activating Wee1.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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• v.38B no.10
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• pp.808-816
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• 2013

In recent years, the knowledge service industry is getting much attention in terms of the role as new growth driver and employment creation sector whereas the overall potential growth rate in Korea has been slowed due to reduced investment and employment in manufacturing sector. This study examines how the knowledge service industry contributes to economic development and employment creation by analyzing the structure transition pattern of the knowledge service industry from 1995 to 2010 and suggests, based on these results, some policy implications for the industry's development. It turns out that the knowledge service industry greatly contributes to total production increase and employment creation during the period of 1995 to 2010. Special strategy for increase in labor productivity will be required for the knowledge service industry to contribute consistently as growth driver and employment creation sector since production increase rate and growth contribution level have been gradually decreased while employment growth rate and its contribution level have been consistently increased in the knowledge service industry.

• Journal of the Korean Graphic Arts Communication Society
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.41-54
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• 2000

Photochemical modulation of Bragg-reflection wavelengths based on isomerization of an azobenzene (Azo) and subsequent change in reflectance was investigated in cholesteric liquid crystals (ChLCs) which reflect light in visible wavelength region. Irradiation at 366 nm, which causes an efficient transcis isomerization of Azo, led to change in reflected color of ChLCs toward shorter wavelengths with a concomitant lowering of phase transition. Reversible change in color was induced all-optically by alternate irradiation at effective wavelengths for reversible isomerization of Azo. A considerable variation in reflectance was also observed when the photoinduced change in color was measured by a probe light with the same handedness as the ChLCs. The spectral Position of selective light reflection in the initial states played an important role to produce a normal-mode and a reverse-mode switching in photoinduced modulation of reflectance of the ChLCs with respect to the probe light.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.629-632
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• 2006

Electrical characteristics of Pt/Ti/Pt/Au and Pd/Zn/Pd/Au contacts to p-type InGaAs grown on an InP substrate have been characterized as a function of the doping concentration and the annealing temperature. The Pt/Ti/Pt/Au contacts produced the specific contact resistance as low as $2.3{\times}10^{-6}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm^2$, when heat-treated at an annealing temperature of $400^{\circ}C$. Comparison of the Pt/Ti/Pt/Au and Ti/Pt/Au contacts showed that the first Pt layer plays an important role in reducing the contact resistivity probably by lowering energy barrier at the metal-semiconductor interface. For the Pd/Zn/Pd/Au contacts, the contact resistivity remained virtually unchanged with increasing annealing temperature. The specific contact resistivity as low as $4.7{\times}10^{-6}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm^2$ was obtained. The results indicate that the Pt/Ti/Pt/Au and Pd/Zn/Pd/Au schemes could be potentially important for the fabrication of InP-based optoelectronic devices, such as photodetector and optical modulator.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.20-25
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• 2015

TGF-${\beta}$ regulates pleiotropic cellular responses including cell growth, differentiation, migration, apoptosis, extracellular matrix production, and many other biological processes. Although non-Smad signaling pathways are being increasingly reported to play many roles in TGF-${\beta}$-mediated biological processes, Smads, especially receptor-regulated Smads (R-Smads), still play a central mediatory role in TGF-${\beta}$ signaling for epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Thus, the biological activities of R-Smads are tightly regulated at multiple points. Inhibitory Smad (I-Smad also called Smad7) acts as a critical endogenous negative feedback regulator of Smad-signaling pathways by inhibiting R-Smad phosphorylation and by inducing activated type I TGF-${\beta}$ receptor degradation. Roles played by Smad7 in health and disease are being increasingly reported, but the molecular mechanisms that regulate Smad7 are not well understood. In this study, we show that E3 ubiquitin ligase Itch acts as a positive regulator of TGF-${\beta}$ signaling and of subsequent EMT-related gene expression. Interestingly, the Itch-mediated positive regulation of TGF-${\beta}$ signaling was found to be dependent on Smad7 ubiquitination and its subsequent degradation. Further study revealed Itch acts as an E3 ubiquitin ligase for Smad7 polyubiquitination, and thus, that Itch is an important regulator of Smad7 activity and a positive regulator of TGF-${\beta}$ signaling and of TGF-${\beta}$-mediated biological processes. Accordingly, the study uncovers a novel regulatory mechanism whereby Smad7 is controlled by Itch.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.91-98
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• 2014

Primary gastric lymphoma (PGL) is derived from mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) and it differs from nodal lymphoma in histologic features and biologic behavior. Recent studies have showed that Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori ) infection is closely related to the development of low grade gastric lymphoma, and eradication of the infection induces regression of the tumor. H. pylori infection is known to be important to the development of gastric MALT lymphoma. The aim of this study was to elucidate the histopathological behavior of PGL according to the concept of MALT and to compare the predictive value of tests frequently used for diagnosis of H. pylori. The histological features of gastric lymphoma arising from MALT are the replacement of glands by uniform dense infiltration of centrocyte-like cells in the lamina propria and lymphoidepithelial lesion. H. pylori-associated histologic changes of neutrophilic infiltration, lymphoid follicle or aggregates formation and intestinal metaplasia, and H. pylori immunoreactivity were analyzed. Detection of H. pylori in chronic active gastritis and peptic ulcer suggests a possible role of H. pylori in the pathogenesis. Giemsa, Toluidine blue and Long H&E stains were used in H. pylori detection. Histopathological examination of gastric biopsy specimens revealed lymphoepithelial lesions pathognomonic of MALT lymphoma, and immunohistochemical staining for CD20 was diffusely positive. CD3 was positive in reactive T cells. PAX-5 was negative except the follicle. Bcl-2, cytokeratin, Ki-67, and c-myc were positive. The findings may indicate a predictable transition of low grade to high grade, and c-myc may be used as a valuable marker before molecular pathology diagnosis.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.357-369
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• 2020

Different from the conventional planar fracture and simplified Newton model, for power-law slurries with a lower water-cement ratio commonly used in grouting engineering, flow model in geological rough fractures is built based on ten standard profiles from Barton (1977) in this study. The numerical algorithm is validated by experimental results. The flow mechanism, grout superiority, and water plugging of pseudo plastic slurry are revealed. The representations of hydraulic grouting properties for JRCs are obtained. The results show that effective plugging is based on the mechanical mechanisms of the fluctuant structural surface and higher viscosity at the middle of the fissure. The formulas of grouting parameters are always variable with the roughness and shear movement, which play a key role in grouting. The roughness can only be neglected after reaching a threshold. Grouting pressure increases with increasing roughness and has variable responses for different apertures within standard profiles. The whole process can be divided into three stationary zones and three transition zones, and there is a mutation region (10 < JRCs < 14) in smaller geological fractures. The fitting equations of different JRCs are obtained of power-law models satisfying the condition of -2 < coefficient < 0. The effects of small apertures and moderate to larger roughness (JRCs > 10.8) on the permeability of surfaces cannot be underestimated. The determination of grouting parameters depends on the slurry groutability in terms of its weakest link with discontinuous streamlines. For grouting water plugging, the water-cement ratio, grouting pressure and grouting additives should be determined by combining the flow conditions and the apparent widths of the main fracture and rough surface. This study provides a calculation method of grouting parameters for variable cement-based slurries. And the findings can help for better understanding of fluid flow and diffusion in geological fractures.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.109-122
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• 2012

Topographic changes in the foredune in Sohwang-ri, Boryeong, Chungnam Province was analyzed over the last two years. Seven cross-sections and one permanent plot ($20m{\times}50m$) were periodically studied based on erosion and deposition measurement, in addition to vegetation monitoring and measurement of wind using an automatic weather station. The sand dunes usually grew from late winter to spring and the growth occurred in a period of strong northwesterly winds. From March to April, heavy sedimentation was observed on the front section of the foredune and sand piled up to ca. 30cm to the ca. 25m landward from the high tide line. It is likely that increased wind force and growth of vegetation played a major role in transportation and sedimentation of sand. Meanwhile, the lower part of the sand dunes was eroded when typhoon and spring tide caused a rise in sea level. The transition zone of beach and dune was usually affected by sea water but some frontal slopes were entirely influenced, resulting in dune scarps. The eroded scarps were naturally restored to their original state as time passed.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.144-148
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• 2015

We grew spinel structured $CoMn_2O_4$ thin films and have studied post-growth annealing effects on their physical properties. After post-growth annealing at $700^{\circ}C$ that is lower than the growth temperature ($720^{\circ}C$), crystal structure became cleared accompanying a change of surface structure. In the temperature dependences of magnetization, phase transitions were observed at ~100 K for both before and after post-growth treated samples which were not observed for the bulk. For both samples, ferromagnetic behaviors were observed above 100 K while it turned to ferrimagnetism at low temperature below 100 K. In particular, the ferrimagnetic behavior became strong after the post-growth treatment. These results indicate that the post-growth annealing process plays an important role in determining the physical properties of spinel $CoMn_2O_4$ thin film.