• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.26.1-26.18
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• 2022

IL-22, a pleiotropic cytokine, is known to have a profound effect on the regeneration of damaged intestinal barriers. The tissue-protective properties of IL-22 are expected to be potentially exploited in the attenuation and treatment of colitis. However, because of the disease-promoting role of IL-22 in chronic inflammation, a comprehensive evaluation is required to translate IL-22 into the clinical domain. Here, we present the effective production of soluble human IL-22 in bacteria to prove whether recombinant IL-22 has the ability to ameliorate colitis and inflammation. IL-22 was expressed in the form of a biologically active monomer and non-functional oligomers. Monomeric IL-22 (mIL-22) was highly purified through a series of 3 separate chromatographic methods and an enzymatic reaction. We reveal that the resulting mIL-22 is correctly folded and is able to phosphorylate STAT3 in HT-29 cells. Subsequently, we demonstrate that mIL-22 enables the attenuation of dextran sodium sulfate-induced acute colitis in mice, as well as the suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Collectively, our results suggest that the recombinant mIL-22 is suitable to study the biological roles of endogenous IL-22 in immune responses and can be developed as a biological agent associated with inflammatory disorders.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2012

Tropical forests whether fragmented or undisturbed or be they equatorial or deciduous, remain the storehouse of biodiversity for hundreds of thousands of plant and animal species. This unique characteristic continues to attract a wide range of scientists and international organizations to study and attempt to understand tropical forest ecosystems. Gene flow is mediated by pollen, seed and seedling dispersal, and factors affecting this gene flow include phenology, spatial distribution, population structures, seed predation, sexual and mating systems as well as physical and biological barriers to gene flow. Two methods are used in measuring gene flow: direct method that relies on the actual observation of seed and pollen dispersal, whereas indirect methods involve the use of genetic markers such as allozymes and DNA techniques. Political strife, extreme natural and artificial disasters, the lack of a comprehensive forestry research vision, coupled with difficult socio-economic conditions in Africa have made the environment quite difficult for sustained research activities on the part of those undertaking or wishing to undertake such studies. Gene flow studies in this region are few and far between. This review elaborates on the mechanisms of gene flow mediation in Sub-Saharan Africa.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.294-301
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• 2001

The effects of including glycine and isonicotinic acid hydrazide (INH) in the growth medium (Luria broth, LBG) on the subsequent lysozyme-imduced protoplast formation and transformation efficiency of Corynebacterium glutamicum were studied. The transformation efficiency of C. glutamicum AS019 increased up to 100-fold as the ocncentrationof glycine in the media increased from 0% to 5% (w/v), relative to cells grown in the absence of glycine. The presence of 5 mg/ml INH in the growth medium led to a further 10-fold increase in transformation efficiency. In addition, this transformation protocol was successfully applied to other strains of C. glutamicum. Both chemicals affected the mycolic acid attachment to the cell surface of C. glutamicum, when INH, the relative percentage of fatty acids of AS019 to the total lipids (mycolic acid plus fatty acids) decreased from 76.9% (in LBG) to 72.9% (in LBG-2% glycine) and 66.4% (in LBG-8 mg InG/ml), thereby suggeting that these chemicals also inhibit fatty acid synthesis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.1279-1287
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• 2012

We established an efficient transformation method for thermophile Geobacillus kaustophilus HTA426 using conjugative transfer from Escherichia coli of host-mimicking plasmids that imitate DNA methylation of strain HTA426 to circumvent its DNA restriction barriers. Two conjugative plasmids, pSTE33T and pUCG18T, capable of shuttling between E. coli and Geobacillus spp., were constructed. The plasmids were first introduced into E. coli BR408, which expressed one inherent DNA methylase gene (dam) and two heterologous methylase genes from strain HTA426 (GK1380-GK1381 and GK0343-GK0344). The plasmids were then directly transferred from E. coli cells to strain HTA426 by conjugative transfer using pUB307 or pRK2013 as a helper plasmid. pUCG18T was introduced very efficiently (transfer efficiency, $10^{-5}-10^{-3}\;recipient^{-1}$). pSTE33T showed lower efficiency ($10^{-7}-10^{-6}\;recipient^{-1}$) but had a high copy number and high segregational stability. Methylase genes in the donor substantially affected the transfer efficiency, demonstrating that the host-mimicking strategy contributes to efficient transformation. The transformation method, along with the two distinguishing plasmids, increases the potential of G. kaustophilus HTA426 as a thermophilic host to be used in various applications and as a model for biological studies of this genus. Our results also demonstrate that conjugative transfer is a promising approach for introducing exogenous DNA into thermophiles.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.339-344
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• 2009

The authors investigated the bacterial community attached to granular activated carbon(GAC) particles and the susceptibility of the community to chlorine disinfection. The study was carried out at the G Water Treatment Plant in Seoul, which was in full-scale operation. Bacteria attached to the surface of GAC increased gradually with treatment from $0.4{\times}106{\sim}8.5{\times}106 CFU/g$. TOC removal was under 1.0 mg/L due to increased bacterial community on the surface of GAC. It was found that TOC removal was closely related with physical and biological parameters such as pore volume and the number of attached bacteria. When the washed and the attached cells were disinfected with 1.0mg/L of chlorine for 1 hour, the washed cells with chlorination could be controlled, but the number of the attached cells increased gradually. The results suggest a possibility that the treatment and disinfection barriers can be penetrated and pathogenic bacteria may break into the drinking water supplying system.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.903-920
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• 2020

Since its first demonstration as a practical genome editing tool in the early 2010s, the use of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) along with the endonuclease Cas9 (CRISPR/Cas9) has become an essential choice for generating targeted mutations. Due to its relative simplicity and cost-effectiveness compared to other molecular scissors, i.e., zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) and transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN), the CRISPR/Cas9 system has been shown to have a massive influence on genetic studies regardless of the biological kingdom. Although the system is in the process of being established, numerous protocols have already been released for the system and there have been various topics of CRISPR related papers published each year in ever-increasing manner. Here, we will briefly introduce CRISPR/Cas9 system and discuss the variants of the CRISPR system. Also, their applications to crop improvement will be dealt with mainly ornamental crops among horticultural crops other than Arabidopsis as a model plant. Finally, some issues on the barriers restraining the use of CRISPR system on floricultural crops, the prospect of CRISPR system as a DNA-free genome editing tool with efficient facilitators and finally, the future perspectives on the CRISPR system will be described.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.51-65
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• 1989

Some aspects of limno-biology of the five dammed lakes such as Tamyang, Changsong, Kwangju, Naju, and Youngsan Lake along the Yongsan River were investigated from June 1986 to July 1988 for the comparison on the lentic ecosystems in relation to the fish fauna. Sixty four fish species representing 48 genera and 21 families of fishes were collected in these dammed areas, which included 29 species of the family Cyprinidea and 40 speaies of the primary fresh-water fishes. Among, these, 12 species such as Rhodeus Acheilognothus yamatsutae, A canathorhodeus gracilis, Sarcocheilichthys nigripinis morii, S. variegatus wakiyae, Gnathopogon strigatus, Squalidus gracilis majimae, Microphysogobio yaluensis, Cobitis longicorpus sp, Liobagrus mediadiposalis and Odontobutis platycephala are enddmic to Korea. Leiocassis nitidus and Gasterosteus aculeatus which occur in these water areas take note of the zooge rographic study of Korea. The fish species in each of the dammed lakes is in proportion of the scale of the lakes such as 32 species in Thamyang, 40 species in Changsong, 24 species in Kwangju, 35 species in Jaju, and 52 species in Yongsan Lake. The dominant fish species of the 4 upper dammed lakes of Thamyang, Changsong, Kwangju and Naju Lake are Zacco platypus and Rhodeus uyekii, while those of Youngsan Lake are Hemiculter eigenmanni and Carassius auratus. This difference of fish species of those areas suggests that the upper damed lake differ from the lower dammed lakes in the habitable condition of fishes. The migratory fish species have significantly declined and will continue to decline in both population size and number of species in the dammed lakes in near future as a result of the dam construction barriers in the river estuary. The major migratory fishes of this water area are as follows; Anguilla japonica, Plecoglossus altivelis, Hypomesus olidus, Gasterosteus aculeatus, Konosirus Punctatus, Coilia ectens, Hemirhampus sajori, Mugil cephalus. Acanthogobius flavimanus, and Takifugu ocellatus.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.343-349
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• 2005

Continuously motivating people to exercise regularly is more important than finding a way out of barriers such as lack of time, cost of equipment, lack of nearby facilities, and poor weather. Our proposed system presents practicable methods of motivation through a diverse exercise aid system. The Health Improvement and Management System (all-in-one system which saves space and maintenance costs) measures and evaluates a diverse body shape analysis and physical fitness test and directs users to automated personalized exercise prescription which is prescribed by the expert system of three types of exercise templates: aerobics, anaerobics, and leisure sports. Automated personalized exercise prescriptions are built into XML based documents because the data needs to be in the form of flexible, expansible, and convertible structures in order to process various exercise templates, BIOFIT, a digital exercise trainer, monitors and provides feedback on the physiological parameters while users are working out in the gymnasium. If these parameters do not range within the prescribed target zone, the device will alarm users to control the exercise and make the exercise trainer adjust systemically the proper exercise level. Numeric health information such as the report of the physical fitness test and the exercise prescription makes people stay interested in exercising. In addition, this service can be delivered through the Internet.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.12
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• pp.615-641
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• 1999

Trade and the environment emerged as a major and complex issue for trade negotiators in the final stages of the Uruguay Round negotiations. The agreements and other international measures employing trade measures and trade sanctions for achieving global environmental objectives are Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer(1985), the Montreal Protocol on Substances that deplete the Ozone Layer(1987), The Framework Convention on Climate Change(1992), the Convention on Biological Diversity(1992), the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal(1992), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Faunna and Flora(1975), the Rio Declaration, the Agenda 21, etc. The texts of the World Trade Organization(WTO) incorporated certain provisions which were designed to reflect some of the environmental concerns are Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Properity Rights(TRIPs), Trade-Related Investment Measures (TRIMs), the General Agreement on Trade in Services(GATS), and Technical Barriers to Trade(TBT) There is the possibility of conflict between multilateral environmental agreements and WTO agreements granting waivers against trade measures and sanctions. This remains a possibility, especially between countries which are Member of WTO and which are not Members of the relevant multilateral environment agreements, and countries which are Members of both the WTO and the relevant MEAs. Measures taken under the trade-related provisions of MEAs could potentially give rise to conflicts under obligations arising in WTO texts. If the parties in dispute are WTO members while they are not members of MEAs, the WTO provisions can be granted a certain priority in terms of international norms and vice versa. When the parties concerned are both WTO members and MEAs, it will be rational to grant the WTO provisions a priority. However, such measures should neither constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination between countries where similar conditions prevail, nor create a disguised restriction on trade. Also any trade measures taken should be necessary to prevent developments in trade from endangering the effectiveness of an MEA and they should be proportional and least trade restrictive.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.1262-1274
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• 2022

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a complex and refractor type of cancer with global prevalence. Several barriers remain in CCA diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Therefore, exploring more biomarkers and therapeutic drugs for CCA management is necessary. CCA gene expression data was downloaded from the TCGA and GEO databases. KEGG enrichment, GO analysis, and protein-protein interaction network were used for hub gene identification. miRNA were predicted using Targetscan and validated according to several GEO databases. The relative RNA and miRNA expression levels and prognostic information were obtained from the GEPIA. The candidate drug was screened using pharmacophore-based virtual screening and validated by molecular modeling and through several in vitro studies. 301 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened out. Complement and coagulation cascades-related genes (including AHSG, F2, TTR, and KNG1), and cell cycle-related genes (including CDK1, CCNB1, and KIAA0101) were considered as the hub genes in CCA progression. AHSG, F2, TTR, and KNG1 were found to be significantly decreased and the eight predicted miRNA targeting AHSG, F2, and TTR were increased in CCA patients. CDK1, CCNB1, and KIAA0101 were found to be significantly abundant in CCA patients. In addition, Molport-003-703-800, which is a compound that is derived from pharmacophores-based virtual screening, could directly bind to CDK1 and exhibited anti-tumor activity in cholangiocarcinoma cells. AHSG, F2, TTR, and KNG1 could be novel biomarkers for CCA. Molport-003-703-800 targets CDK1 and work as potential cell cycle inhibitors, thereby having potential for consideration for new chemotherapeutics for CCA.