• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.501-509
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• 2012

A 990 bp full-length gene (xynAHJ2) encoding a 329-residue polypeptide (XynAHJ2) with a calculated mass of 38.4 kDa was cloned from Bacillus sp. HJ2 harbored in a saline soil. XynAHJ2 showed no signal peptide, distinct amino acid stretches of glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 10 intracellular endoxylanases, and the highest amino acid sequence identity of 65.3% with the identified GH 10 intracellular mesophilic endoxylanase iM-KRICT PX1-Ps from Paenibacillus sp. HPL-001 (ACJ06666). The recombinant enzyme (rXynAHJ2) was expressed in Escherichia coli and displayed the typical characteristics of low-temperature-active enzyme (exhibiting optimum activity at $35^{\circ}C$, 62% at $20^{\circ}C$, and 38% at $10^{\circ}C$; thermolability at ${\geq}45^{\circ}C$). Compared with the reported GH 10 low-temperature-active endoxylanases, which are all extracellular, rXynAHJ2 showed low amino acid sequence identities (<45%), low homology (different phylogenetic cluster), and difference of structure (decreased amount of total accessible surface area and exposed nonpolar accessible surface area). Compared with the reported GH 10 intracellular endoxylanases, which are all mesophilic and thermophilic, rXynAHJ2 has decreased numbers of arginine residues and salt bridges, and showed resistance to $Ni^{2+}$, $Ca^{2+}$, or EDTA at 10 mM final concentration. The above mechanism of structural adaptation for low-temperature activity of intracellular endoxylanase rXynAHJ2 is different from that of GH 10 extracellular low-temperature-active endoxylanases. This is the first report of the molecular and biochemical characterizations of a novel intracellular low-temperature-active xylanase.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the radiologic and clinical outcomes after operative treatment using endobuttons for unstable distal clavicle fractures. Materials and Methods: Between October 2007 and September 2009, 9 consecutive patients who were followed up for at least more than 12 months after operative treatment using a TightRope$^{(R)}$ were studied. The radiologic results on the serial plain radiographs and the clinical results according to the American Shoulder Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score were analyzed. Result: Bony union was shown in 8 cases (88.9%) and the average time to union was 12.9 (range: 9~16) weeks. The average coracoclavicular distances at the postoperative and final follow-up were 5.6 mm and 6.2 mm, respectively, with no statistically significant difference (p>0.05). The average ASES score was 90.3 (range: 78~96) and the clinical outcomes were 6 excellent, 2 good and one fair. There were no complications such as implant failure or infection except for one case of nonunion due to loss of the initial reduction. Conclusion: A major advantage of TightRope$^{(R)}$ fixation for unstable distal clavicle fractures is that no further surgery is needed to remove the implant. We suggest that this technique provides an alternative for fracture with a distal fragment, which is difficult to fix.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.202-212
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• 2008

Purpose : The aim of this study was to develop a quality of life scale for children on chronic peritoneal dialysis(QOL-CPD). Methods : Thirty children on chronic PD at Seoul National University Children's Hospital participated. A healthy control group included 47 elementary school children. Other patients groups are 32 children from the department of pediatric orthopedics and 28 children from the department of child psychiatry. The age range of all children was 7 to 16 years. Preliminary items of the QOL-CPD were developed and administered along with the Korean version of the Children's Depression Inventory(CDI) to all children. Results : The final QOL-CPD was constructed by excluding those items with a factor loading of less than .20, and the principal axis factor analysis was performed again. The QOLCPD demonstrated a good internal consistency with a value of .87. The dialysis and childpsychiatric groups showed significantly lower QOL scores compared to the healthy control group. In addition, the dialysis and child-psychiatric groups showed greater difficulties on physical and academic functions. For the CDI, the PD group showed a mild level of depression. Conclusion : The results of this study demonstrate the clinical utility of a newly developed self-report QOL scale specific for children on chronic PD.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.205-213
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• 1990

The regulation of neurotoxicants has usually been based upon setting reference doses by dividing a no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) by uncertainty factors that theoretically account for interspecies and intraspecies extraploation of experimental results in animals to humans. Recently, we have proposed a four-step alternative procedure which provides quantitative estimates of risk as a function of dose. The first step is to establish a mathematical relationship between a biological effect or biomarker and the dose of chemical administered. The second step is to determine the distribution (variability) of individual measurements of biological effects or their biomarkers about the dose response curve. The third step is to define an adverse or abnormal level of a biological effect or biomarker in an untreated population. The fourth and final step is to combine the information from the first three steps to estimate the risk (proportion of individuals exceeding on adverse or abnormal level of a biological effect or biomarker) as a function of dose. The primary purpose of this report is to enhance the certainty of the first step of this procedure by improving our understanding of the relationship between a biomarker and dose of administered chemical. Several factors which need to be considered include: 1) the pharmacokinetics of the parent chemical, 2) the target tissue concentrations of the parent chemical or its bioactivated proximate toxicant, 3) the uptake kinetics of the parent chemical or metabolite into the target cell(s) and/or membrane interactions, and 4) the interaction of the chemical or metabolite with presumed receptor site(s). Because these theoretical factors each contain a saturable step due to definitive amounts of required enzyme, reuptake or receptor site(s), a nonlinear, saturable dose-response curve would be predicted. In order to exemplify this process, effects of the neurotoxicant, methlenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), were reviewed and analyzed. Our results and those of others indicate that: 1) peak concentrations of MDMA and metabolites are ochieved in rat brain by 30 min and are negligible by 24 hr, 2) a metabolite of MDMA is probably responsible for its neurotoxic effects, and 3) pretreatment with monoamine uptake blockers prevents MDMA neurotoxicity. When data generated from rats administerde MDMA were plotted as bilolgical effect (decreases in hippocampal serotonin concentrations) versus dose, a saturation curve best described the observed relationship. These results support the hypothesis that at least one saturable step is involved in MDMA neurotoxicity. We conclude that the mathematical relationship between biological effect and dose of MDMA, the first step of our quantitative neurotoxicity risk assessment procedure, should reflect this biological model information generated from the whole of the dose-response curve.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.79-84
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• 2007

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of growing period and cultivars on physiological characteristics and photosynthetic rates of kenaf in Cheorwon, Korea, The possibility of their utilization as forage plant was also discussed. A split plot design composing 3 growing periods (53, 84 and 115 days after sowing) and 3 cultivars (Dowling, Everglade-41 and Tainung-2) was applied for this experiment. Leaf photosynthetic rate was highest 28.6 $CO_2{\mu}mol\;m^{-2}s^{-1}$ in Everglade-41 at the beginning of August when solar irradiation was most intense. In the final biomass of kenaf, Dowing wa the highest among cultivars, with 534.6g/F.W./plant and 109.6g/D.W./plant, respectively. In addition, Dowling was the best in stem thickness among cultivars evaluated. Our results exhibited that all cultivars planted in Cheorwon exhibited decreased yield production compared to a previous report experimented in Jaeju. It may result that cultivation in Jaeju utilized wider planting space and longer cultivating time. In the basis of our data, it is suggest that extending cultivation time and using wider planting space should increase yield in Cheorwon with potential utilization of kanef as a forage crop.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.373-379
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• 2015

Pyruvate kinase M2 isoform (PKM2), a rate-limiting enzyme in the final step of glycolysis, is known to be associated with the metabolic rewiring of cancer cells, and considered an important cancer therapeutic target. Herein, we report a novel PKM2 activator, PA-12, which was identified via the molecular docking-based virtual screening. We demonstrate that PA-12 stimulates the pyruvate kinase activity of recombinant PKM2 in vitro, with a half-maximal activity concentration of $4.92{\mu}M$, and effectively suppresses both anchorage-dependent and -independent growth of lung cancer cells in non-essential amino acid-depleted medium. In addition, PA-12 blocked the nuclear translocalization of PKM2 in lung cancer cells, resulting in the inhibition of hypoxia response element (HRE)-mediated reporter activity as well as hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) target gene expression, eventually leading to the suppression of cell viability under hypoxia. We also verified that the effects of PA-12 were dependent on PKM2 expression in cancer cells, demonstrating the specificity of PA-12 for PKM2 protein. Taken together, our data suggest that PA-12 is a novel and potent PKM2 activator that has therapeutic implications for lung cancer.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.141-153
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to predict future of wage-peak system by using text mining, futures wheel and polarity voting (+, -) techniques after reviewing a variety of documents. For this study, we collected articles, news articles, SNS(Twitter, Blog), research report documents. Above all, we extracted keywords for main subject words by utilizing text mining techniques. Next, we drew a final conclusion about future of wage-peak system by using futures wheel and polarity voting techniques. The result showed that future of wage peak system is positive. Two of five main topics were negatively predicted (favor/oppose of wage-peak system, solving task of wage-peak system), however, three of five main topics were positively predicted (background of wage-peak system, purpose/reason of wage-peak system, alternative wage-peak system). Therefore, because three of the five main topics were positively predicted, the future for wage-peak system is positive.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.65-72
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• 2016

Personal Health Record(PHR) service can be helpful to patients with diseases requiring strict everyday care and medical treatment, such as diabetes or cancer. In this paper, we propose a PHR system specialized in collecting and analyzing health record data of cancer patients, and present the process of how the system can improve the efficiency of cancer treatment process. Through the smart device application, cancer PHR system obtains daily PHR data which is highly related and critical to cancer therapy. The analysis report is provided to the medical staff with an available format suited for Electronic Medical Record used at medical institution. With the final result of PHR analysis which is easily merged with medical chart, most efficient Chemotherapy treatment can be provided for the patients. Also it is possible for the patients to give the information of side-effect and other pain experience during therapy to their doctors without loss of information. The proposed PHR system has the effect of improving the quality of patient care by allowing the medical staff to acquire the main objective data necessary for drug prescription and medical care benefits.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.109-115
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• 2006

The calcifying odontogenic cyst (COC) predominantly affected Maxillary anterior segment and it is developmental cyst. But COC showed diverse terminology or classification, clinicopathologic features as well as its biologic behavior COC usually presents as slowly enlarging but otherwise symptomless swelling. Association with impacted teeth and odontoma is described in $24{\sim}30%$. The epithelial lining of COC(ghost cell) appears to have ability to induce the formation of dental tissues in the asjcents connective tissue wall. This case is a COC associated with a odontoma involving an impacted left maxillary canine in 14-year-old female child. Radiographic examination revealed a well-demarcated radiolucent lesion partially occupied by a radiopaque mass, involving the left canine. The histologic sections showed cystic cavity lined with ameloblastic epithelium containing ghost cell masses with regular and irregular shape odontoma. The final pathologic diagnosis was calcifying odontogenic cyst with odontoma(Type IB by Preatorius). Enucleation and elimination of the included tooth were performed. Now endodontic treatment was preformed on the 1st premolar of the upper left jaw, which had a lesion. And the patient and their parents want to have the orthodontic treatment performed and would like to keep the space maintainer.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.402-407
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• 2003

Mesoblastic nephroma is a neoplasm of the kidney which is characterized by interlacing bundles of spindle mesenchymal cells. It is usually diagnosed during the first six months of life and is mostly benign. Incidence in adults is exceedingly rare. In most cases, only total excision is required without postoperative adjuvant therapy, and the rare cases of local recurrence have usually been related to incomplete removal. However, mesoblastic nephroma may behave aggressively, in contrast to a congenital mesoblastic nephroma. Several cases of metastatic mesoblastic nephroma have been previously described. We report herein a case of a 42-year-old woman with mesoblastic nephroma which recurred as a large metastatic lung mass seven years after the nephrectomy. The patient presented with chest wall discomfort for four days. Seven years previously, total nephrectomy had been performed because of a right renal tumor which had been diagnosed as a mesoblastic nephroma. There had been no evidence of recurrence for five years, after which she discontinued follow-up. On readmission two years later, chest X-ray and CT scan revealed a large lung mass in the left upper lobe. It was completely excised and the pathologic examination was identical with that of the original renal tumor. Synovial sarcoma was excluded because the fusion transcripts of the SYT-SSX fusion gene associated with the t(X;18) translocation were negative. The final diagnosis was a lung metastasis of mesoblastic nephroma and the patient remained free of disease for 7 months postoperatively.