• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.448-454
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• 2008

Two full-length cDNAs, PutPMP3-1 and PutPMP3-2, encoding PMP3 family proteins were isolated from Puccinellia tenuiflora, a monocotyledonous halophyte. Expression of both genes was induced by low temperature, salt stress, dehydration, ABA, and $NaHCO_3$. Transcripts of PutPMP3-2 were more strongly induced by these stresses relative to those of PutPMP3-1, particularly under low temperature and dehydration conditions. Expression of PutPMP3-1 and PutPMP3-2 in yeast mutants lacking the PMP3 gene can functionally complement the membrane hyper-polarization and salt sensitivity phenotypes resulting from PMP3 deletion. To compare the functions of PutPMP3-1 and PutPMP3-2, the orthologous genes in rice (OsLti6a and OsLti6b) were isolated. Both OsLti6a and OsLti6b could functionally complement the loss of PMP3 in yeast. PutPMP3-2 and OsLti6a were more effective in reversing membrane hyperpolarization than PutPMP3-1 and OsLti6b. However, the four yeast transformants each showed similar levels of salt tolerance. These results imply that these PMP3 family members don't function identically under different stress tolerance conditions.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.1539-1543
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• 2015

Background: Uroplakins have been widely investigated as potential markers in patients with bladder cancer because these proteins are specific to the urothelium. However, the role of uroplakin proteins in bladder cancer remains unknown. In this study, preoperative serum levels of uroplakin III were measured in patients with urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder and examined for possible association with clinicopathological features and clinical outcomes. Materials and Methods: This study included 52 bladder cancer patients at various stages and 28 healthy controls. Uroplakin III levels were detected in preoperative sera using an automated dot blot system and a micro-dot blot array. Results: There was a significant increase in serum uroplakin III levels in patients with bladder cancer as compared to healthy controls (p<0.05). In addition, serum uroplakin III levels were associated with muscle-invasive status, high grade and lymphovascular invasion (p<0.02). Log-rank tests indicated high serum uroplakin III to be significantly associated with cancer-specific mortality. Conclusions: Determination of serum uroplakin III level could be valuable for identifying patients with biologically aggressive bladder cancer.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1993.04a
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• pp.71-71
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• 1993

Carboxylesterase is widely distributed in the tissues of vertebrates, insects, plants and mycobacteria. Among various tissues of animals and humans, the highest esterase activity with various substrates is found in the liver. Kidney has moderate carboxylesterase activity in the proximal tubules. Considerable esterase activity is also found in the small intestine epithet elial cells and serum of mammals. Besides these tissues, carboxylesterase has been found in the lung, testis, adipose tissue, nasal mucosa and even in the central nervous system. Hepatic microsomal carboxylesterase catalyzes the hydrolysis of a wide variety of endogenous and exogenous compounds such as carboxylester, thioester and aromatic amide. Since carboxylesterases are important for metabolic activation of prodrugs and detoxification of xenobiotics, differences in substrate specificity and immunological properties of this enzyme are important in connection with choosing a suitable laboratory animal for the evaluation of biotransformation and toxicity of drugs. On the other hand, liver, kidney, intestine and serum were found to contain multiple forms of carboxylesterases in animal species and humans. In fact, we have purified more than fifteen isoforms of carboxylesterases from microsomes of liver, kidney and intestinal mucosa of nine animal species and humans. and characteristics of these isoforms were compared each other in terms of their physical and immunochemical properties. On the other hand, we have reported that hepatic microsomal carboxylesterases are induced by many exogenous compounds such as phenobarbital, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, Aroclor 1254, aminopyrine and clofibrate. Later, we showed that some isoforms of hepatic carboxylesterase were induced by glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone and 16 ${\alpha}$-carbonitrile, but other isoforms were rather inhibited by these compounds. These findings indicate that involvement of carboxylesterases in the metabolism and toxicity of drugs should be explained by the isoforms involved. Since 1991, we have carried out detailed research investigating the types of carboxylesterases involved in the metabolic activation of CPT-11, a derivative of camptothecin, to the active metabolite, SN-38. The results obtained strongly suggest that some isoforms of carboxylesterase of liver microsomes and intestinal mucosal membrane are exclusively involved in CPT-11 metabolism. In this symposium, the properties of carboxylesterase isoforms purified from liver, kidney and intestine of animal species and humans are outlined. In addition, metabolism of CPT-11, a novel antitumor agent, by carboxylesterases in relation to the effectiveness will also be discussed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.108-113
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• 1998

Egasyn is accessory protein of ${\beta}$-glucuronidase(${\beta}$-G) in the liver microsomes. Liver microsomal ${\beta}$-G is stabilized within the luminal site of the microsomal vesicles by complexation with egasyn which is one of carboxylesterase isozymes. We investigated the effects of organophosphorus compounds(OPs) such as insecticides on the dissociation of egasyn-${\beta}$-glucuronidase(EG) complex. The EG complex was easily dissociated by administration of OPs, i.e., Fenitrothion, EPN, Phenthionate, and bis-p-nitrophenyl phosphate(BNPP), and resulting ${\beta}$-G dissociated was released into blood, leading to the rapid and transient increase of plasma ${\beta}$-G level with a concomitant decrease of liver microsomal ${\beta}$-G level. In a case of phenthionate treatment, less increase in plasma ${\beta}$-G level was observed, as compared with those of other OPs. This may be explained by a fact that phenthionate was easily hydrolyzed by carboxylesterase. Similarly, carbamate insecticides such as Carbaryl caused rapid increase of plasma ${\beta}$-G level. In contrast, no significant increase of plasma ${\beta}$-G level was observed when pyrethroid insecticides were administered to rats. This is due to a fact that pyrethroids such as Phenthrin and Allethrin were easily hydrolyzed by A-esterase as well as carboxylesterase. On the other hand, addition of OPs to the incubation mixture containing liver microsomes caused the release of ${\beta}$-G from microsomes to the medium. From these in vivo and in vitro data, it is concluded that increase of the plasma ${\beta}$-G level after OPs administration is much more sensitive biomarker than cholinesterase inhibition to acute intoxication of OPs and carbamates.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.185-190
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• 2016

Background: In order to measure neutron energy spectra, the conventional Bonner Sphere Spectrometers (BSS) are widely used. In this spectrometer, several measurements with different size Bonner spheres are required. Operators should, therefore, place these spheres in several times to a measurement point where radiation dose might be relatively high. In order to reduce this effort, novel neutron energy spectrometer using an onion-like single Bonner sphere was proposed in our group. This Bonner sphere has multiple sensitive spherical shell layers in the single sphere. In this spectrometer, a band-shaped thermal neutron detection medium, which consists of a LiF-ZnS mixed powder scintillator sheet and a wavelength-shifting (WLS) fiber readout, was looped to each sphere at equal angular intervals. Amount of LiF neutron converter is reduced near polar region, where the band-shaped detectors are concentrated, in order to uniform the directional sensitivity. The LiF-ZnS mixed powder has an advantage of extremely high light yield. However, since it is opaque, scintillation photons cannot be collect uniformly. This type of detector shows no characteristic shape in the pulse height spectrum. Subsequently, it is difficult to set the pulse height discrimination level. This issue causes sensitivity fluctuation due to gain instability of photodetectors and/or electric modules. Materials and Methods: In order to solve this problem, we propose to replace the LiF-ZnS mixed powder into a flexible and Transparent RUbber SheeT type $LiCaAlF_6$ (TRUST LiCAF) scintillator. TRUST LiCAF scintillator can show a peak shape corresponding to neutron absorption events in the pulse height spectrum. Results and Discussion: We fabricated the prototype detector with five sensitive layers using TRUST LiCAF scintillator and conducted basic experiments to evaluate the directional uniformity of the sensitivity. Conclusion: The fabricated detector shows excellent directional uniformity of the neutron sensitivity.

• The Korean Journal of Ceramics
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.339-342
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• 2000

In the present study, we attempted to apply DV-X$\alpha$ method to expressing the reactivity of materials. The expression of reactivity was discussed by comparison between ${\gamma}$-C$_2$G having hydraulic activity and ${\gamma}$-C$_2$S not having hydraulic activity at normal conditions. It was found that the model cluster used for calculation can finely reproduce the bulk and surface states using with and without point charge, respectively. The hydration state was also represented by placing OH￣ on the surface of the cluster. It was calculated that the bond strength of the first layer (as surface) was bigger than that of inner layers (as bulk) for ${\gamma}$-C$_2$S while that of the first layer for ${\gamma}$-C$_2$G was smaller than that of inner layers. Subsequently a model in which OH￣ is coordinated on Ca at the surface was also calculated. The bond strength with OH￣ was stronger than that without OH￣, while for ${\gamma}$-C$_2$G the bond strength with OH￣ was weaker than that without OH￣. From these results, it is concluded that the hydraulic activity depends on whether the bond strength for hydrated state becomes weaker than that unhydrated state or not.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.9-20
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• 2007

Design study on the Gas Turbine High Temperature Reactor 300-Cogeneration (GTHTR300C) aiming at producing both electricity by a gas turbine and hydrogen by a thermochemical water splitting method (IS process method) has been conducted. It is expected to be one of the most attractive systems to provide hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles after 2030. The GTHTR300C employs a block type Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) with thermal power of 600MW and outlet coolant temperature of $950^{\circ}C$. The intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) and the gas turbine are arranged in series in the primary circuit. The IHX transfers the heat of 170MW to the secondary system used for hydrogen production. The balance of the reactor thermal power is used for electricity generation. The GTHTR300C is designed based on the existing technologies of the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) and helium turbine power conversion and on the technologies whose development have been well under way for IS hydrogen production process so as to minimize cost and risk of deployment. This paper describes the original design features focusing on the plant layout and plant cycle of the GTHTR300C together with present development status of the GTHTR300, IHX, etc. Also, the advantage of the GTHTR300C is presented.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.252-260
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• 1989

This experiment was carried out to clarify the causes of sterility in terms of pollination characteristics for the sterile-type cold damage as influenced by amount of nitrogen application and shading conditions in rice plants. The results obtained are as follows: The number of young microspore per anther was not changed greatly by amount of nitrogen application. The number of ripened pollen grains per anther decreased according to increase in nitrogen application and shading degree, but the anther length and stigma length were not significantly affected by those factors. The number of pollen grains on stigma decreased by intense shading. The fertility decreased with increased nitrogen application and intensified shading. The elongation of auricle distance per day was less in less nitrogen application and intense shading. The internode length of the first and the second from the top were shortened with intense shading, but that of the fourth was elongated. The number of spikelet per panicle decreased with increase in shading intensity.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.345-354
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• 2006

Korean Peninsula has been postulated to be on the Eurasian plate(EU). On the other hand, recent seismological works and GPS researches suggest that it is on a separate plate called the Amurian plate (AM). However, the GPS results we inconsistent with each other beyond the estimated statistical errors. Moreover, the estimated plate motion parameter, which we obtained from the velocity data of six Korean GPS stations, was not well agreeing with any existing results. Therefore, independent measurements are required to distinguish those results. In near future, we will have 4 VLBI stations in Korea. This compact Korean VLBI array is capable of achieving good determination of the plate motion parameters if it is located on stable sites. We estimated the precision of the AM motion parameters with the Korean VLBT array. The results showed that the Korean VLBI array would verify the existence of the AM, as far as the observation precision of 0.2-0.5mm/yr for station velocities is achieved. Therefore, new Korean geodetic VLBI array can contribute to crustal deformation studies in East Asia.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.2483-2487
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• 2015

This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a combination of gemcitabine and nedaplatin therapy among patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma previously treated with two lines of chemotherapy. Between February 2009 and August 2013, 30 patients were treated with gemcitabine and paclitaxel as a second-line chemotherapy. All had received a first-line chemotherapy consisting of methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin and cisplatin. Ten patients who had measurable histologically proven advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder and upper urinary tract received gemcitabine $1,000mg/m^2$ on days 1, 8 and 15 and nedaplatin $70mg/m^2$ on day 2 as a third-line chemotherapy. Tumors were assessed by imaging every two cycles. The median number of treatment cycles was 3.5. One patient had partial response and three had stable disease. The disease-control rate was 40%, the median overall survival was 8.8 months and the median progression-free survival was 5.0 months. The median overall survival times for the first-line and second-line therapies were 29.1 and 13.9 months, respectively. Among disease-controlled patients (n=4), median overall survival was 14.2 months. Myelosuppression was the most common toxicity. There were no therapy-related deaths. Gemcitabine and nedaplatin chemotherapy is a favorable third-line chemotherapeutic option for patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Given the safety and benefit profile seen in this study, further prospective trials are warranted given the implications of our results with regard to strategic chemotherapy for patients with advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma.