• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.1785-1790
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• 2013

The synthetic machinery of ATF4 (activating transcription factor 4) is activated in response to various stress conditions involved in nutrient restriction, endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis, and oxidation. Stress-induced inhibition of proteasome activity triggers the unfolded protein response and endoplasmic reticulum stress, where ATF4 is crucial for consequent biological events. In the current study, we showed that the $NAD^+$-dependent deacetylase, SIRT1, suppresses ATF4 synthesis during proteasome inhibition. SIRT1 depletion via transfection of specific siRNA into HeLa cells resulted in a significant increase in ATF4 protein, which was observed specifically in the presence of the proteasome inhibitor MG132. Consistent with SIRT1 depletion data, transient transfection of cells with SIRT1-overexpressing plasmid induced a decrease in the ATF4 protein level in the presence of MG132. Interestingly, however, ATF4 mRNA was not affected by SIRT1, even in the presence of MG132, indicating that SIRT1-induced suppression of ATF4 synthesis occurs under post-transcriptional control. Accordingly, we propose that SIRT1 serves as a negative regulator of ATF4 protein synthesis at the post-transcriptional level, which is observed during stress conditions, such as proteasome inhibition.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.171-176
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• 2012

HaCaT cells are the immortalized human keratinocytes and have been extensively used to study the epidermal homeostasis and its pathophysiology. T helper cells play a role in various chronic dermatological conditions and they can affect skin barrier homeostasis. To evaluate whether HaCaT cells can be used as a model cell system to study abnormal skin barrier development in various dermatologic diseases, we analyzed the gene expression profile of epidermal differentiation markers of HaCaT cells in response to major T helper (Th) cell cytokines, such as $IFN{\gamma}$, IL-4, IL-17A and IL-22. The gene transcriptional profile of cornified envelope-associated proteins, such as filaggrin, loricrin, involucrin and keratin 10 (KRT10), in HaCaT cells was generally different from that in normal human keratinocytes (NHKs). This suggests that HaCaT cells have a limitation as a model system to study the pathophysiological mechanism associated with the Th cell cytokine-dependent changes in cornified envelope-associated proteins which are essential for normal skin barrier development. In contrast, the gene transcription profile change of human ${\beta}2$-defensin (HBD2) in response to $IFN{\gamma}$, IL-4 or IL-17A in HaCaT cells was consistent with the expression pattern of NHKs. $IFN{\gamma}$ also up-regulated transglutaminase 2 (TGM2) gene transcription in both HaCaT cells and NHKs. As an alternative cell culture system for NHKs, HaCaT cells can be used to study molecular mechanisms associated with abnormal HBD2 and TGM2 expression in response to $IFN{\gamma}$, IL-4 or IL-17A.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.915-961
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• 2010

This study is concerned with health damages from $SO_2$ under different assumptions on the relationship between air concentrations and their marginal health impacts. $SO_2$ concentration profiles resulting under emission caps, and a system of tradable emission allowances are compared. Using slopes and curvatures of the health response function consistent with evidence in medical literature, emission caps are shown to lead to lower aggregate damages under all considered parameters, an advantage of $26~452 million. The benefit of emission caps over tradable allowances increases with the curvature of the response function, but falls with its slope. The advantage of emission caps in terms of environmental damages is never overturned completely for the considered functional forms. The marginal damage function would have to be steeper than what the current medical evidence suggests for price instruments to outperform emission caps in terms of aggregate damages. With other welfare consequences included-emission abatement costs, consumer and producer surpluses, and government revenue-emission caps always lead to a $3.7~4.1 billion greater measure of social welfare.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.169-175
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• 1992

Anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid (GC) derivatives have been clinically used in immune-malfunctional diseases for their immunosuppressive activity. However, there is still a lack of knowledge on the relationship between anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activities. In order to compare immunosuppressive activities with the known anti-inflammatory activities of the GC derivatives, eight clinically used GC derivatives including hydrocortisone, prednislone, 6$\alpha$-methyl prednisolone, triamcinolone, dexamethasone, betamethasone, triamcinolone acetonide and fluocinolone acetonide were selected, and lymphoblastosis inhibition and plaque-forming cell (PFC) response in mice were studied as immunological parameters. In Con A-induced lymphoblatosis inhibition invitro, all derivatives showed potent inhibition $IC_{50}$ values of the derivaties except methyl prednisolone and triamcinolone were less than $10^{-7}$M and good dose dependency was obtained. This result was well correlated with that of their anti-inflammatory potencies obtained. This result was well correlated with that of their anti-inflammatory potencies and their receptor binding affinities. However, in PFC response, consistent result were not obtained. Total numbers of PFCs per spleen were decreased by some derivatives, but numbers of PFCs per $10^6$ cells were not decreased by systemic administration of but numbers of PFCs per $10^6$ cells were not decreased by systemic administration of GC at the dose of 0.05 mg/mouse. Furthermore, at the dose of 0.1 mg/mouse, numbers of PFCs per $10^6$ cells were found to be increased, although total PFCs per spleen were decreased.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.208-218
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• 2019

Here, we reported a novel secreted protein elicitor PeBL2 from Brevibacillus laterosporus A60, which can induce hypersensitive response in tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana). The ion-exchange chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry were performed for identification of protein elicitor. The 471 bp PeBL2 gene produces a 17.22 kDa protein with 156 amino acids containing an 84-residue signal peptide. Consistent with endogenous protein, the recombinant protein expressed in Escherichia coli induced the typical hypersensitive response (HR) and necrosis in tobacco leaves. Additionally, PeBL2 also triggered early defensive response of generation of reactive oxygen species ($H_2O_2$ and $O_2{^-}$) and systemic resistance against of B. cinerea. Our findings shed new light on a novel strategy for biocontrol using B. laterosporus A60.

• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Planning & Design
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.83-91
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• 2020

Environmental conditions are known to impact human health and behavior, emotions such as pleasure, anxiety, and depression, and reduce stress. Interior design that elevates emotional comfort and satisfaction can help improve mental health and well-being. This study is a systematic review that analyzed previous empirical studies that explored the effect of interior design elements on the user's emotional response which is quantitatively evaluated by bio-signal and qualitatively evaluated through self-reported questionnaire surveys. This paper aims to derive the attributes of interior design and biometric indicators that affect the user's positive emotion through the synthesis of previous studies and to confirm the feasibility of measuring bio-signals as an objective evaluation tool for architectural design and as a quantitative research method. As a result of the review, the biometric data from EEG, fMRI, ECG, EMG, GSR, and eye-tracking were used to measure the participants' emotional responses, which were manifested as positive or negative depending on certain attributes of interior design such as the form, color, lighting, material and furniture. The attributes of interior design related to the positive emotional response were the curved shape, high ceiling, openness of space, and subdued tone colors. Standard lighting conditions and wooden spaces were related to stress reduction in terms of comfort and relaxation. The free arrangement of furniture was related to the user's positive emotions. On the other hand, consistent experimental protocols could not be found, and although the sample sizes of the studies were small, the studies have demonstrated the feasibility of the emotional response measurement by using the biometric data. Therefore this method can be a useful objective tool in the measurement of human-centric data in architectural design, and to develop the evidence-based design to induce positive emotions and minimize stress.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.180-192
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• 2022

Nuclear receptor coactivator 6 (NCOA6) is a transcriptional coactivator of nuclear receptors and other transcription factors. A general Ncoa6 knockout mouse was previously shown to be embryonic lethal, but we here generated liver-specific Ncoa6 knockout (Ncoa6 LKO) mice to investigate the metabolic function of NCOA6 in the liver. These Ncoa6 LKO mice exhibited similar blood glucose and insulin levels to wild type but showed improvements in glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and pyruvate tolerance. The decrease in glucose production from pyruvate in these LKO mice was consistent with the abrogation of the fasting-stimulated induction of gluconeogenic genes, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (Pck1) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6pc). The forskolin-stimulated inductions of Pck1 and G6pc were also dramatically reduced in primary hepatocytes isolated from Ncoa6 LKO mice, whereas the expression levels of other gluconeogenic gene regulators, including cAMP response element binding protein (Creb), forkhead box protein O1 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α, were unaltered in the LKO mouse livers. CREB phosphorylation via fasting or forskolin stimulation was normal in the livers and primary hepatocytes of the LKO mice. Notably, it was observed that CREB interacts with NCOA6. The transcriptional activity of CREB was found to be enhanced by NCOA6 in the context of Pck1 and G6pc promoters. NCOA6-dependent augmentation was abolished in cAMP response element (CRE) mutant promoters of the Pck1 and G6pc genes. Our present results suggest that NCOA6 regulates hepatic gluconeogenesis by modulating glucagon/cAMP-dependent gluconeogenic gene transcription through an interaction with CREB.

• Journal of Audiology & Otology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.14-21
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• 2021

Background and Objectives: There is growing interest in the use of the Level-specific (LS) CE-Chirp^® stimulus in auditory brainstem response (ABR) due to its ability to produce prominent ABR waves with robust amplitudes. There are no known studies that investigate the test-retest reliability of the ABR to the LS CE-Chirp^® stimulus. The present study aims to investigate the test-retest reliability of the ABR to the LS CE-Chirp^® stimulus and compare its reliability with the ABR to standard click stimulus at multiple intensity levels in normal-hearing adults. Subjects and Methods: Eleven normal-hearing adults participated. The ABR test was repeated twice in the same clinical session and conducted again in another session. The ABR was acquired using both the click and LS CE-Chirp^® stimuli at 4 presentation levels (80, 60, 40, and 20 dBnHL). Only the right ear was tested using the ipsilateral electrode montage. The reliability of the ABR findings (amplitudes and latencies) to the click and LS CE-Chirp^® stimuli within the same clinical session and between the two clinical sessions was calculated using an intra-class correlation coefficient analysis (ICC). Results: The results showed a significant correlation of the ABR findings (amplitude and latencies) to both stimuli within the same session and between the clinical sessions. The ICC values ranged from moderate to excellent. Conclusions: The ABR results from both the LS CE-Chirp^® and click stimuli were consistent and reliable over the two clinical sessions suggesting that both stimuli can be used for neurological diagnoses with the same reliability.

• Korean Journal of Audiology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.14-21
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• 2021

Background and Objectives: There is growing interest in the use of the Level-specific (LS) CE-Chirp^® stimulus in auditory brainstem response (ABR) due to its ability to produce prominent ABR waves with robust amplitudes. There are no known studies that investigate the test-retest reliability of the ABR to the LS CE-Chirp^® stimulus. The present study aims to investigate the test-retest reliability of the ABR to the LS CE-Chirp^® stimulus and compare its reliability with the ABR to standard click stimulus at multiple intensity levels in normal-hearing adults. Subjects and Methods: Eleven normal-hearing adults participated. The ABR test was repeated twice in the same clinical session and conducted again in another session. The ABR was acquired using both the click and LS CE-Chirp^® stimuli at 4 presentation levels (80, 60, 40, and 20 dBnHL). Only the right ear was tested using the ipsilateral electrode montage. The reliability of the ABR findings (amplitudes and latencies) to the click and LS CE-Chirp^® stimuli within the same clinical session and between the two clinical sessions was calculated using an intra-class correlation coefficient analysis (ICC). Results: The results showed a significant correlation of the ABR findings (amplitude and latencies) to both stimuli within the same session and between the clinical sessions. The ICC values ranged from moderate to excellent. Conclusions: The ABR results from both the LS CE-Chirp^® and click stimuli were consistent and reliable over the two clinical sessions suggesting that both stimuli can be used for neurological diagnoses with the same reliability.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.83.4-84
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• 2015

We report that a strong downflow event caused three-minute oscillations in the solar atmosphere. Our observations were carried out by using the Fast Imaging Solar Spectrograph (FISS) of the 1.6 meter New Solar Telescope (NST) and the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). Our main findings are as follows: (1) The strong downflow was seen at the $H{\alpha}$ absorption line at first, and then appeared at the Si IV and C II emission lines. It seems that the characteristics of the downflow are consistent with a coronal rain event. (2) After the event, oscillations of velocity were identified in the chromospheric lines and transition region lines. (3) The amplitudes of oscillations were 2km/s at Mg II line and 3km/s at C II and Si IV lines and decreased with time. (4) The period of the oscillation was 2.67 minutes at first, but gradually increased with time. Our findings are in agreement with Chae & Goode (2015)'s theory that of acoustic waves generated by a disturbance in a gravitationally-stratified medium.