• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.14-18
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• 1976

Inhibition of flowering in Lemna perpusilla 6746 by 30 mM sucrose was reversed by the addition of acetylcholine (>$10^{-4}M) supplemented with 10^{-4}M$ ascorbic acid to 1/10-strength Hunter's growth medium. The reversible effect of acetylcholine was found to be greater at early stages of flowering than in the later period. Promotive effects of both acetylcholine ($10^{-3}M) and eserine(10^{-5}M$) on flowering in the short-day plant under various photoperiodic conditions were studied. It was indicated that the application decreased length of the critical dark period for the floral induction, and it was also shown that the endogenous status of acetylcholine was involved in the floral response which had a correlation with phytochrome. Interruption of inductive dark periods by red irradiation (1min) immediately followed by far-red light (1 min) completely inhibited flowering, while the addition of acetylcholine and eserine to the medium under the same condition slightly promoted flowering, indicating possible involvement of phytochrome system in acetylcholine activity for photoperiodic sensitivity of floral response in Lemna perpusilla 6746.

• BMB Reports
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.266-272
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• 1999

The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system consisting of IGF-I, IGF-II, IGF-receptors, and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBP) regulates the proliferation of a variety of cancer cell types. To examine whether a decrease in endogenous IGFBP-3 stimulates proliferation or inhibits differentiation, Caco-2 cells, a human colon adenocarcinoma cell line, were stably transfected with an anti-sense IGFBP-3 expression construct or pcDNA3 vector as control. Accumulation of IGFBP-3 mRNA and secretion of IGFBP-3 into serum-free conditioned medium, 9 days after plating, were significantly lower in Caco-2 cell clones transfected with anti-sense IGFBP-3 cDNA compared to the controls. The anti-sense clones grew at a similar rate to the controls for 8 days after plating, but achieved a higher final density between days 10 and 12. The levels of sucrase-isomaltase mRNA, a marker of enterocyte differentiation of Caco-2 cells, were lower in the anti-sense clones examined on day 9. In conclusion, proliferation of Caco-2 cells can be stimulated by lowering endogenously-produced IGFBP-3.

• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.8
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• pp.497-505
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• 2011

Reactive oxygen species (ROS), which include superoxide anions and peroxides, induce oxidative stress, contributing to the initiation and progression of cardiovascular diseases involving atherosclerosis. The endogenous and exogenous factors hypercholesterolemia, hyperglycemia, hypertension, and shear stress induce various enzyme systems such as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate) oxidase, xanthine oxidase, and lipoxygenase in vascular and immune cells, which generate ROS. Besides inducing oxidative stress, ROS mediate signaling pathways involved in monocyte adhesion and infiltration, platelet activation, and smooth muscle cell migration. A number of antioxidant enzymes (e.g., superoxide dismutases, catalase, glutathione peroxidases, and peroxiredoxins) regulate ROS in vascular and immune cells. Atherosclerosis results from a local imbalance between ROS production and these antioxidant enzymes. In this review, we will discuss 1) oxidative stress and atherosclerosis, 2) ROS-dependent atherogenic signaling in endothelial cells, macrophages, and vascular smooth muscle cells, 3) roles of peroxidases in atherosclerosis, and 4) antioxidant drugs and therapeutic perspectives.

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.121-127
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• 2005

Drosophila protects itself from infection by microbial organisms by means of its pivotal defense, the so-called innate immunity system. This is its sole defense as it lacks an adaptive immunity system such as is found in mammals. The strong conservation of innate immunity systems in organisms from Drosophila to mammals, and the ease with which Drosophila can be manipulated genetically, makes this fly a good model system for investigating the mechanisms of virulence of a number of medically important pathogens. Potentially damaging endogenous and/or exogenous challenges sensed by specific receptors initiate signals via the Toll and/or Imd signaling pathways. These in turn activate the transcription factors Dorsal, Dorsal-related immune factor (Dif) and Relish, culminating in transcription of genes involved in the production of antimicrobial peptides, melanization, phagocytosis, and the cytoskeletal rearrangement required for appropriate responses. Clarifying the regulatory interactions between the various pathways involved is very important for understanding the specificity and termination mechanism of the immune response.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.365-369
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• 2000

Oral mucositis or stomatitis produced by stomatotoxic chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy are painful, restrict oral intake and, importantly, act as sites of secondary infection and potals of entry for the endogenous oral microflora often leading to bacteremias or sepsis. A number of clinical observations and studies of animal model suggests a pathophysiological complexity in the development of mucositis. The condition appears to represent a sequential interaction of the oral mucosal cells and tissues, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and local environmental factors in the mouth. This article discussed and reviewed biological process of the mucositis and, the role of cytokines as initiators and amplifiers of the process. The recognition that the pathophysiology of mucositis is a multifactorial process has presented opportunities for intervention based upon biological attenuation.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.73-80
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• 2014

Because autoimmune diseases (AIDs) result from a complex combination of genetic and epigenetic factors, as well as an altered immune response to endogenous or exogenous antigens, systems biology approaches have been widely applied. The use of multi-omics approaches, including blood transcriptomics, genomics, epigenetics, proteomics, and metabolomics, not only allow for the discovery of a number of biomarkers but also will provide new directions for further translational AIDs applications. Systems biology approaches rely on high-throughput techniques with data analysis platforms that leverage the assessment of genes, proteins, metabolites, and network analysis of complex biologic or pathways implicated in specific AID conditions. To facilitate the discovery of validated and qualified biomarkers, better-coordinated multi-omics approaches and standardized translational research, in combination with the skills of biologists, clinicians, engineers, and bioinformaticians, are required.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.61-86
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• 2004

Despite their potential value, the mobile Internet services in the domestic market have not been widely accepted as industry experts have expected. To understand why, this study uses the TAM, Technology Acceptance Model, and explores the factors affecting the usage behavior of the end-users. Based on statistical analysis of survey data, we show that social influence and perceived ease of use affect perceived usefulness, and that self-efficacy and focus significantly influence perceived ease of use. Furthermore, perceived usefulness is shown to play a significant role in explaining actual usage of the mobile Internet services. However, contrary to the hypothesized relationships, service quality, focus, and innovativeness of users turn out to have little impact on the traditional endogenous TAM variables such as perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and actual usage behavior. Based on these results, we attempt to provide managerial implications for the domestic mobile Internet service providers and to suggest future research directions in this domain of research.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2014

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-VEGF receptor (VEGFR) system has been shown to play central roles not only in physiological angiogenesis, but also in pathological angiogenesis in diseases such as cancer. Based on these findings, a variety of anti-angiogenic drugs, including anti-VEGF antibodies and VEGFR/multi-receptor kinase inhibitors have been developed and approved for the clinical use. While the clinical efficacy of these drugs has been clearly demonstrated in cancer patients, they have not been shown to be effective in curing cancer, suggesting that further improvement in their design is necessary. Abnormal expression of an endogenous VEGF-inhibitor sFlt-1 has been shown to be involved in a variety of diseases, such as preeclampsia and aged macular degeneration. In addition, various factors modulating angiogenic processes have been recently isolated. Given this complexity then, extensive studies on the interrelationship between VEGF signals and other angiogenesis-regulatory systems will be important for developing future strategies to suppress diseases with an angiogenic component.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.254-260
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• 1994

Magnaporthe grisea, a causal agent of blast, forms a specialized infection structure, an appressorium, to infect host. Hydrophobicity of contact surface and cAMP have been suggested as a primary environmental signal and a second messenger to trigger and mediate appressorium formation in this fungus, respectively. To generalize these factors in field isolates of M. girsea, twenty isolates originated from rice and other gramineous hosts were tested. Seventeen including rice and non-rice isolates formed appressoria on hydrophobic surface, but none of isolates formed appressoria on hydrophilic surface. Eighteen isolates formed appressoria on hydrophilic surface in the presence of IBMX, an inhibitor of phosphodiesterase, except two rice isolates. These results strongly support the hypothesis that appressorium formation by M. grisea is induced by hydrophobic hard surface and regulated by the endogenous level of cAMP in the cells. Understanding fungal development is not only of biological interest but provides new targets for novel disease control strategies.

• Proceedings of the Korean Biophysical Society Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.31-31
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• 2003

Cardiac atrium is now well-known as an endocrine organ which secretes atrial natriuretic peptide (AMP), participating in the regulation of body fluid and blood pressure. ANP is released mainly from cardiac muscle cells in response to various physiological and pathological conditions to induce atrial stretch. Ca$\^$2+/ may be one of the most important factors affecting ANP secretion even though controversy still persists. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs) and moxonidine on atrial hemodynamics and ANP secretion in hypertrophied atria. LPC is an endogenous phospholipid released from cell membrane during ischemia, and moxonidine is a imidazoline 1 (Il) receptor agonoist.