• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.1016-1021
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• 2018

Clostridium difficile toxin A causes pseudomembranous colitis. The pathogenesis of toxin A-induced colonic inflammation includes toxin A-dependent epithelial cell apoptosis, resulting in the loss of barrier function provided by epithelial cells against luminal pathogens. Toxin A-dependent epithelial cell apoptosis has been linked to toxin A-induced production of reaction oxygen species and subsequent p38MAPK activation; $p21^{CIP1/WAF1}$ upregulation-dependent cell cycle arrest; cytoskeletal disaggregation; and/or the induction of Fas ligand on epithelial cells. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying toxin A-induced apoptosis remain poorly understood. This study tested whether toxin A could block the Wnt signaling pathway, which is involved in gut epithelial cell proliferation, differentiation and antiapoptotic progression. Toxin A treatment of nontransformed human colonocytes (NCM460) rapidly reduced ${\beta}$-catenin protein, an essential component of the Wnt signaling pathway. Exposure of mouse ileum to toxin A also significantly reduced ${\beta}$-catenin protein levels. MG132 inhibition of proteasome-dependent protein degradation resulted in the recovery of toxin A-mediated reduction of ${\beta}$-catenin, indicating that toxin A may activate intracellular processes, such as $GSK3{\beta}$, to promote degradation of ${\beta}$-catenin. Immunoblot analysis showed that toxin A increased active phosphorylation of $GSK3{\beta}$. Because the Wnt signaling pathway is essential for gut epithelial cell proliferation and anti-apoptotic processes, our results suggest that toxin A-mediated inhibition of the Wnt signaling pathway may be required for maximal toxin A-induced apoptosis of gut epithelial cells.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.91-108
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• 2010

Background & Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of P. radix on the inflammatory related gene expression in IL-$1{\beta}$-stimulated primary human gingival fibroblast using Whole Transcript Sense Target (WT-ST). Method: Human gingival fibroblast was incubated with P. radix [100 or $200\;{\mu}g/ml$], and IL-$1{\beta}$ [$1ng/m{\ell}$] added an hour later. After 24h, total RNA was extracted using RNeasy Mini Kit and the whole gene expression patterns were performed using WT-ST Labeling $Assay^{(R)}$. Result: In the DEG results, 782 genes were up-regulated in the IL-$1{\beta}$-treated group as compared to control and among those, 43 genes were associated with inflammation. 981 genes were down-regulated after treatment with IL-$1{\beta}$ and of those 7 genes were associated with inflammation. 1439 genes were up-regulated after treatment with P. radix plus IL-$1{\beta}$-treated when compared to IL-$1{\beta}$-treated alone group and 1225 genes were down-regulated in the same condition. Among the down-regulated genes, 5 were associated with inflammation- and inhibitor genes such as GDF15 and LIF. In the analysis of the P. radix plus IL-$1{\beta}$-treated group, the most significant pathways were the cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, toll-like receptor signaling, JAK-STAT signaling and tyrosine metabolism. The gene expression patterns in the P. radix $200{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ plus IL-$1{\beta}$-treated group appear to be more involved in the metabolism-related pathways than in the $100{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ plus IL-$1{\beta}$-treated group. Conclusion & Discussion: By microarray analysis of gene expression data, we are able to identify gene expression patterns associated with not only anti-inflammation effect but also transcription function of P. radix.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.299-308
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• 2002

In horse, a single gene encodes both eCG and eLH $\beta$ subunits. The difference between eCG and eLH lies in the structure of their glycoresidues, which are both sialylated and sulfated in LH and sialylated in CG eCG consists of highly glycosyiated $\alpha$- and $\beta$-subunits and is an unique member of the gonadotropin family because it elicits response characteristics of both FSH and LH in other species than the horse. This dual activity of eCG in heterologous species is of fundamental interest to the study of gonadotropin structure-function relationships and the understanding of the molecular bases of the specific interactions of these hormones with their receptors. Thus, eCG is a dintinct molecule from the view points of its biological function and glycoresidue structures. The oligosaccharide at Asn 56 of the $\alpha$-subunit plays an indispensable role, whereas the carboxyl-terminal extension of the eCG $\beta$-subunit with its associated O-linked oligosaccharides is not improtant for, the in vitro LH-like activity of eCG. In contrast, both N- and O-linked oligosaccharides play important roles for FSH-like activity and increase FSH-like activity by removal of N- and O-linked oligosaccharides. Therefore, the dual LH- and FSH-like activities of eCG can be clearly separated by removal of either the N-linked oligosaccharide on the $\alpha$-subunit or CTP-associated O-linked oligosaccharides from its $\beta$-subunit. The glycoresidues seem to play crucial roles fer biological activities. The tethered-eCG was effciently secreted and showed similar LH-like activity to the dimeric eCG $\alpha$/ $\beta$ and native eCG. FSH-like activity of the tethered-eCG was also shown similarly in comparison with the native and wild type eCG $\alpha$/ $\beta$. Our data for the first time suggest that the tethered-eCG can be expressed efficiently and the produced product by the CHO-Kl cells is fully LH- and FSH-like activities in rat in vitro bioassay system. Our results also suggest that this molecular can imply particular models ot FSH-like activity not LH-like activity in the eCG. Taken together, these data indicate that the constructs of tethered molecule will be useful in the study of mutants that affect subunit association and/or secretion.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.213-218
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the bioavailability and nutritive functions of Nak-Dong rice or genetically modified ${\beta}$-carotene-biofortified rice (GM rice) in an experimental animal model. Wistar rats fed either GM rice or Nak-Dong rice did not show differences in bioavailability, growth, organ weights, or visceral fat, suggesting that the nutrient content of GM rice is compositionally equivalent to that of conventional Nak-Dong rice. In addition, GM rice showed improved nutritive function in terms of increased defecation, decreased lipids, and decreased blood glucose.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.78-82
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• 2022

Phenology determines the timing of crop development, and the timing of phenological events is strongly influenced by the temperature during the growing season. In process-based model, leaf area is simulated dynamically by coupling of morphology and phenology module. Therefore, the prediction of leaf appearance rate and final leaf number affects the performance of whole crop model. The dataset for the model equation was collected from SPA R chambers with five different temperature treatments. Beta distribution function (proposed by Yan and Hunt (1999)) was used for describing the leaf appearance rate as a function of temperature. The optimum temperature and the critical value were estimated to be 26.0℃ and 35.3℃, respectively. For evaluation of the model, the accumulated number of onion leaves observed in a temperature gradient chamber was compared with model estimates. The model estimate is the result of accumulating the daily increase in the number of onion leaves obtained by inputting the daily mean temperature during the growing season into the temperature model. In this study, the coefficient of determination (R²) and RMSE value of the model were 0.95 and 0.89, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Mathematical Society
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.637-647
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• 2015

For generalized continued fraction (GCF) with parameter ${\epsilon}(k)$, we consider the size of the set whose partial quotients increase rapidly, namely the set $$E_{\epsilon}({\alpha}):=\{x{\in}(0,1]:k_{n+1}(x){\geq}k_n(x)^{\alpha}\;for\;all\;n{\geq}1\}$$, where ${\alpha}$ > 1. We in [6] have obtained the Hausdorff dimension of $E_{\epsilon}({\alpha})$ when ${\epsilon}(k)$ is constant or ${\epsilon}(k){\sim}k^{\beta}$ for any ${\beta}{\geq}1$. As its supplement, now we show that: $$dim_H\;E_{\epsilon}({\alpha})=\{\frac{1}{\alpha},\;when\;-k^{\delta}{\leq}{\epsilon}(k){\leq}k\;with\;0{\leq}{\delta}<1;\\\;\frac{1}{{\alpha}+1},\;when\;-k-{\rho}<{\epsilon}(k){\leq}-k\;with\;0<{\rho}<1;\\\;\frac{1}{{\alpha}+2},\;when\;{\epsilon}(k)=-k-1+\frac{1}{k}$$. So the bigger the parameter function ${\epsilon}(k_n)$ is, the larger the size of $E_{\epsilon}({\alpha})$ becomes.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2002

Congenital Long QT syndrome (LQTs) is a relatively rare pathologic disorder but results frequently in sudden cardiac death. Of the six LQTs that have been clinically described, five have been worked out for their genetic and biophysical profile. Most are generated by mutations which cause a loss of function in two delayed $K^+$ currents, $i_{Ks}\;and\;i_{Kr}.$ One syndrome is generated by mutations in the $Na^+$ channel which causes essentially a gain of function in the channel. Clinically the syndromes are characterized by slowed repolarization of the cardiac ventricular action potential and the occurrence of typical arrhythmias with undulating peaks in the electrocardiogram, called Torsade de Pointes. Arrhythmias are initiated by early or delayed afterdepolarizations and continue as reentry. Triggers for cardiac events are exercise (swimming; LQT1), emotion (arousal; LQT2) and rest/sleep (LQT3). ${\beta}-blockers$ have a high efficacy in the treatment of LQT1 and LQT2. In LQT3 their use is questionable. The study of congenital LQTsyndromes is a remarkable example of how basic and clinical science converge and take profit of each other's contribution.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.57 no.10
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• pp.1822-1828
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• 2008

This paper presents design parameter calculation methodology and its realization to construction for the 10/350${\mu}s$ lightning impulse current generator(ICG) modelled as double exponential function waveform with characteristic parameters ${\alpha},{\beta}$. Matlab internal function, "fzero" was applied to find ${\lambda}={\alpha}/{\beta}$ which is solution of nonlinear equation linearly related with two wave parameter $T_1$ and $T_2$. The calculation results for 10/350${\mu}s$ lightning impulse current show very good accuracy with error less 0.03%. Two type of 10/350${\mu}s$ ICGs based on the calculated design circuit parameters were fabricated by considering the load variation. One is applicable to the MOV based Surge protective device(SPD) for less 15 kA and the other is to test small resistive devices such as spark gap arrester and bonding device with maximum current capability 30 kA. The tested waveforms show error within 10% in comparison with the designed estimation and the waveform tolerance recommended in the IEC 61643-1 and IEC 60060-1.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.59-66
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• 2013

BldD, a developmental transcription factor from Streptomyces coelicolor, is a homodimeric, DNA-binding protein with 167 amino acids in each subunit. Each monomer consists of two structurally distinct domains, the N-terminal domain (BldD-NTD) responsible for DNA-binding and dimerization and the C-terminal domain (BldD-CTD). In contrast to the BldD-NTD, of which crystal structure has been solved, the BldD-CTD has been characterized neither in structure nor in function. Thus, in terms of structural genomics, structural study of the BldD-CTD has been conducted in solution, and in the present work, mainchain NMR assignments of the recombinant BldD-CTD (residues 80-167 of BldD) could be achieved by a series of heteronuclear multidimensional NMR experiments on a [$^{13}C/^{15}N$]-enriched protein sample. Finally, the secondary structure prediction by CSI and TALOS+ analysis using the assigned chemical shifts data identified a ${\beta}-{\alpha}-{\alpha}-{\beta}-{\alpha}-{\alpha}-{\alpha}$ topology of the domain. The results will provide the most fundamental data for more detailed approach to the atomic structure of the BldD-CTD, which would be essential for entire understanding of the molecular function of BldD.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1989.07a
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• pp.356-358
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• 1989

Linear and nonlinear complex permittivities have been measured for an alternating copolymer of vinylidene cyanide(VSCN) with vinyl propionale(VPr). It is found that the third order permittivity ${\varepsilon}_3$ depends upon frequency according to a function V ${\varepsilon}_3$/ ${1+(j{\omega}{\tau}_3)^{\beta}}^3$ while the linear permittivity ${\varepsilon}_1$obeys a Debye type function ${\nabla}{\varepsilon}_1$/ {1+$(j{\omega}{\tau}_1)^{\beta}$}. Experimental results are well fitled by predicted functions except at low frequency where dc conduction dominates. The relaxation times ${\tau}_1$ and ${\tau}_3$ at same teperature are nealy equal and depend upon temperature according to WLF form. The relaxation strengths ${\nabla}{\varepsilon}_1$ and ${\nabla}{\varepsilon}_3$ have a peak at the vicinity of glass transition temperature (Tg). The strength ${\nabla}{\varepsilon}_1$ has a value of -9 order and ${\nabla}{\varepsilon}_3$ has a negative value of -25 order. The analysis of mechanism by combined knowledge about linear and nonlinear permittivities and dipole moment gives us an imformation of the electrical and thermal dipolar motions in this copolymer.