• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.701-709
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• 2006

The Rhus verniciflua Stokes (乾漆-RVS) has been used in traditional East Asia medicine for the therapy of gastritis, stomach cancer, although the mechanism for the biological activity is unclear. In the present study aims to investigate RVS extract contributes to growth inhibitory effect and it's the molecular mechanism on the human gastric cancer cells. AGS (gastric cancer cells) and RIEI (normal cells) were treated to different concentrations and periods of RVS extract $(10{\;}{\sim{{\;}100{\;}ug/mil)$. Growth inhibitory effect was analyzed by measuring FACS study and MTS assay. Cell cycle inhibition was confirmed by measuring CDK2 kinase activity by immunoprecipitation and kinase assay. And apoptosis was confirmed by surveying caspase cascades activation using a pan caspase inhibitor Exposure to RVS extract (50 ug/mll) resulted in a synergistic inhibitory effect on cell growth in AGS cells. Growth inhibition was related with the inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis. The extract induces Gl -cell cycle arrest through the regulation of cyclins, the induction of p27kip1, and the decrease CDK2 kinase activity. And upregulated p27kip1 level is caused by protein stability increment by the reduction of S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 (Skp2), a key molecule related with p27kip1 ubiquitination and degradation, and do novo protein synthesis. Besides, 乾漆 extract induces apoptosis through the expression of Bax, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and activation of caspase-3. RVS extract induces Gl -cell cycle arrest via accumulation of p27kip1 and apoptosis in human gastric cancer cells but not in normal cells, therefore we suggest that the extract can be used as a novel class of anti-cancer drugs.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.165-174
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• 2012

For horse breeders or managers, it is critical to understand the estrous cycle of mares. Breeding of mares cannot be successfully achieved throughout the whole year as mares breed seasonally. Mares are only able to breed when day length is more than 16 h, and this period is known as the breeding season. Their estrous cycle is approximately 21 days with 5-7 days of estrus and 14 to 15 days of a diestrus period. The estrous cycle of the mare is mainly controlled by gonadotropins, which control follicular development and ovulation. Mares exhibit unique ovulatory events which are not observed in other species. A LH surge occurs for several days, with levels of LH reaching their peak after ovulation. The LH level at the time of LH peak is lower than most other species. The unique anatomical structure of the ovaries of mares is known to limit the number of eggs ovulated. Several attempts have been made to develop chemical/hormonal agents which might be used to manipulate the timed ovulation of mares. Agents that have been tested include hCG, native GnRH, Deslorelin (Ovuplant, GnRH-agonist), Buserelin (GnRH analogue), equine pituitary extracts and equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG or PMSG). However, the function, purity or stability of these agents is not reliable. Recombinant equine LH, an alternative agent for the timed ovulation, has been developed and tested for its biological activities, through the use of both in vitro and in vivo experiments. The reLH was suggested to be a reliable agent in inducing ovulation within 48 h after being administered through injection, when the size of dominant follicle is 35 mm in diameter.

• Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.249-256
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• 2008

The objective of this work was to evaluate the germination of 12 rice genotypes under propionic acid stress, a phytotoxic compound produced in low drainage soils with high organic matter content. The tests were conducted with the first count of germination (PCG) and germination (G) of the genotypes subjective to 0, 3, 6, and 9 mM propionic acid concentrations. The seeds of each genotype were placed in germitest paper pre-soaked in treatment solutions forming individual bags. The germination was performed at $25^{\circ}C$ and the counts were carried out at 7 (PCG) and 14 days (G). A factorial random block design was performed with four replications of 50 seeds per genotype. Our study revealed that doses up to 9 mM propionic acid in the pre-soaking solution were efficient for genetic variability studies involving the character germination in rice; genetic variability for germination was detected in the collection of rice genotypes when subjected to propionic acid toxic effects. The genotypes Guichow, Dawn, and Toride-1 showed germination stability when subjected to increasing levels of propionic acid, and genotypes originated from irrigated system-cultivation performed better when subjected to propionic acid stress. These three genotypes will be a good biological material to for enhance the resistance to phytotoxic compounds in rice.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.139-150
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• 1989

A new motor-driven blood pump for artificial heart was developed. In this blood pump, a small size, high torque brushless DC motor was used as an energy converter and the motor rolls back and forth on a circular track. This movement of the "rolling-cyliner" causes blood ejection by alternately pushing left or right polyurethane blood sacs. This moving-actuator mechanism could be eliminate two potential problems of other motor-driven artificial hearts such as large size and poor anastomosis for the implantation. Theoretical analyses on the pump efficiency, the temperature rise, and the inflow mechanism were also performed. In a series of mock circulation tests, the theoretical analyses were compared to the measured hemodynamic and mechanical values. The pump system was shown to have sufficient cardiac output (upto 9 L/min), sensitivity to preload, and mechanical stability to be tested as an implantable total artificial heart.ial heart.

• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.456-461
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• 2014

PURPOSE. Translucency and colour stability are two most important aspects for an aesthetic dental restoration. Glass ceramic restorations are popular amongst clinicians because of their superior aesthetic properties. In the last decade, zirconia has generated tremendous interest due to its favorable mechanical and biological properties. However, zirconia lacks the translucency that lithium disilicate materials possess and therefore has limitations in its use, especially in esthetically demanding situations. There has been a great thrust in research towards developing translucent zirconia materials for dental restorations. The objective of the study was to evaluate and compare the transmittance of a translucent variant of zirconia to lithium disilicate. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Two commercially available zirconia materials (conventional and high translucency) and 2 lithium disilicate materials (conventional and high translucency) with standardized dimensions were fabricated. Transmittance values were measured for all samples followed by a microstructural analysis using a finite element scanning electron microscope. One way analysis of variance combined with a Tukey-post hoc test was used to analyze the data obtained (P=.05). RESULTS. High translucency lithium disilicate showed highest transmittance of all materials studied, followed by conventional lithium disilicate, high translucency zirconia and conventional zirconia. The difference between all groups of materials was statistically significant. The transmittance of the different materials correlated to their microstructure analysis. CONCLUSION. Despite manufacturers' efforts to make zirconia significantly more translucent, the transmittance values of these materials still do not match conventional lithium disilicate. More research is required on zirconia towards making the material more translucent for its potential use as esthetic monolithic restoration.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.483-487
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• 2011

For the preparation of effective non-vascular drug eluting stent (DES), pullulan acetate (PA) was investigated as a coating material for polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE)-covered stent. PA was coated on PTFE-covered stent (PTFE-stent) by dip coating technique, and then its surface morphology, drug release behavior and cellular toxicity were tested. Field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) result indicated that its surface was smoother after PA coating without any cracking. The sustained release behavior of paclitaxel from PA-coated PTFE membrane was observed for 80 days. Also, the biological stability of paclitaxel in the membrane was confirmed by annexin V binding assays. Furthermore, the antitumor activity was demonstrated by an in vivo test against CT-26 murine colorectal tumors. From the results, we concluded that PA was expected as a useful coating material to design an effective non-vascular DES.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.46-54
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• 2001

Protein carboxyl Ο-methylation is a kind of enzymatic reaction producing carboxyl methylester catalyzed by protein carboxyl Ο-methyltransferases at the carboxyl group of amino acid residues in polypeptide. Since the finding of carboxyl methylesterl many studies have been focused on the under-standing of biological functions in eukaryotes but still not clear except for roles in Ras attachment to membrane and protein repair. In this study, we investigated the protein carboxyl methylation in porcine liver and testis in respect of identification and characterization of carboxyl methylesters and natural proteinous substrates using pH stability of the esters and electrophoresis under acidic and basic conditions. We detected several kinds of methyl esters, 3 kinds each in cytosolic fractions from liver and testis. Under the treatment of strong acid and base, the ratio between base-stable substrates and unstable ones in liver (4 : 6) was different from the ratio obtained in testis (6 : 4). The methyl accepting capacities were affected by enzymatic proteolysis between the range of 55 to 65% in liver and of 35 to 45% in testis. Separation of the methylated proteins by acidic electrophoresis in the presence of urea and SDS revealed distinctively natural substrates of 26, 33 and 80 kD in the cytosol from liver and of 14, 25, 32 and 86 kD from testis. Most of the labelling, however were lost following electrophoresis under moderate alkaline condition, except for molecules of newly detected 7 and 17 kD in livers and 15, 29, 40 and 80 kD in testis. From these results, it was proposed that protein carboxyl Ο-methylation in each organs may be catalyzed by different classes of protein carboxyl Ο-methyltransferases. In addition, it is suggested that the protein carboxyl methylation in liver and testis may have different patterns in respect of natural substrates.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.1434-1440
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• 2006

The stable anchorage of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) in the active site of D-amino acid transaminase (D-AT) is crucial for the enzyme catalysis. The three-dimensional structure of D-AT revealed that Glu32 is one of the active site groups that may playa role in PLP binding. To prove the role of Glu32 in PLP stability, we firstly checked the rate of the potential rate-limiting step. The kinetic analysis showed that the rate of the ${\alpha}$-deprotonation step reduced to 26-folds in E32A mutant enzyme. Spectral analyses of the reaction of D-AT with D-serine revealed that the E32A mutant enzyme failed to stabilize the key enzyme-substrate intermediate, namely a quinonoid intermediate (E-Q). Finally, analysis of circular dichroism (CD) on the wild-type and E32A mutant enzymes showed that the optical activity of PLP in the enzyme active site was lost by the removal of the carboxylic group, proving that Glu32 is indeed involved in the cofactor anchorage. The results suggested that the electrostatic interaction network through the groups from PLP, Glu32, His47, and Arg50, which was observed from the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme, plays a crucial role in the stable anchorage of the cofactor to give necessary torsion to the plane of the cofactor-substrate complex.

• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.151-159
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• 2015

PURPOSE. To describe and characterize the surface topography and cleanliness of CAD/CAM manufactured zirconia abutments after steaming and ultrasonic cleaning. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A total of 12 ceramic CAD/CAM implant abutments of various manufacturers were produced and randomly divided into two groups of six samples each (control and test group). Four two-piece hybrid abutments and two one-piece abutments made of zirconium-dioxide were assessed per each group. In the control group, cleaning by steam was performed. The test group underwent an ultrasonic cleaning procedure with acetone, ethyl alcohol and antibacterial solution. Groups were subjected to scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) to verify and characterize contaminant chemical characterization non- quantitatively. RESULTS. All zirconia CAD/CAM abutments in the present study displayed production-induced wear particles, debris as well as organic and inorganic contaminants. The abutments of the test group showed reduction of surface contamination after undergoing an ultrasonic cleaning procedure. However, an absolute removal of pollutants could not be achieved. CONCLUSION. The presence of debris on the transmucosal surface of CAD/CAM zirconia abutments of various manufacturers was confirmed. Within the limits of the study design, the results suggest that a defined ultrasonic cleaning process can be advantageously employed to reduce such debris, thus, supposedly enhancing soft tissue healing. Although the adverse long-term influence of abutment contamination on the biological stability of peri-implant tissues has been evidenced, a standardized and validated polishing and cleaning protocol still has to be implemented.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.249-257
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• 1979

Using the whole cell immobilized glucose isomerase which was prepared in the previous work (Korean J. Food Sci. & Technol., 11(3), 192 (1979), the specific activity of the immobilized enzyme was 48.1 units in the batch reaction system and 114 units in the continuous reaction system per g of matrix, respectively. In the continuous reactor the voidity was 0.36, which was suitable for the packed bed reactor. This immobilized enzyme showed a good operational stability of 115 days of half life which was sufficient for the continuous operation. The experimental result showed that 55 % of the substrate was converted to the product in the packed bed reactor. The productivity was dependent on the flow rate, column geometry, enzyme loading, and substrate concentration. An intrapaticle diffusion was observed by the effectiveness factor of 0.75 and interparticle diffusion by the decrease of Km' with increasing the superficial velocity.