• Proceedings of the Korea Environmental Mutagen Society Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.163-163
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• 2003

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.7-14
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• 2003

Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system is used to reduce NOx emission, to improve fuel economy, and to suppress knock since it offers the benefits of the inlet charge dilution. The effects of EGR was investigated on the performance and emission to reduce exhaust thermal load with a single cylinder liquid-phase LPG injection engine, in a wide range of EGR rate, engine conditions and LPG proportions. As EGR rate was increased, NOx was reduced while HC was increased. Pumping loss reduction by EGR improved bsfc and increased EGR lowered exhaust gas temperature. And, LPG proportions were made a difference on the performance and emission characteristics.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.1301-1309
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• 2011

The major function of adipocytes is to store fat in the form of triglycerides. One of the signaling pathways known to affect adipogenesis, i.e. fat formation, is the WNT/${\beta}$-catenin pathway which inhibits the expression and activity of key regulators of adipogenesis. The purpose of this research is to find genes among the WNT/${\beta}$-catenin pathway which regulate adipogenesis by using small interfering (si) RNA and to find the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the gene with serum triglyceride levels in the human population. To elucidate the effects of ${\beta}$-catenin siRNA on adipogenesis key factors, PPAR${\gamma}$ and C/EBP${\alpha}$, we performed real-time PCR and western blotting experiments for the analyses of mRNA and protein levels. It was found that the siRNA-mediated knockdown of ${\beta}$-catenin upregulates adipogenesis key factors. However, upstream regulators of the WNT/${\beta}$-catenin pathway, such as DVL2 and LRP6, had no significant effects compared to ${\beta}$-catenin. These results indicate that ${\beta}$-catenin is a candidate gene for human fat accumulation. In general, serum triglyceride level is a good indicator of fat accumulation in humans. According to statistical analyses of the association between serum triglyceride level and SNPs of ${\beta}$-catenin, -10,288 C>T SNP (rs7630377) in the promoter region was significantly associated with serum triglyceride levels (p<0.05) in 290 Korean subjects. On the other hand, serum cholesterol levels were not significantly associated with SNPs of the ${\beta}$-catenin gene. The results of this study showed that ${\beta}$-catenin is associated with fat accumulation both in vitro and in the human population.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.555-560
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• 2010

The objective of this study was to investigate levels of serum creatinine, CuSOD and MnSOD protein expression in the kidney after renal ischemic reperfusion with pre-exercise using heat shock protein 70.1 in knock-out mice (KO). The C57/BL6 strain (Wild type: WT) and KO were divided into 4 groups as follows: Sham control group (Sham), pre-exercise group (Ex), pre-exercise +ischemia group (Ex+IR), and ischemia group (IR). CuSOD and MnSOD expression were significantly decreased (p<0.01, p<0.05) and blood creatinine concentration was significantly increased (p<0.01) in the IR group of KO. In contrast, CuSOD and MnSOD expression in the Ex+IR group of KO were higher than the IR group, while creatinine concentration was significantly lower. These results suggest that Hsp70 is directly correlated to renal ischemic reperfusion injury. Pre-exercise in renal ischemia might prevent or inhibit positive oxidative stress inhibitory effects by increasing anti-oxidative enzymes (CuSOD, MnSOD) within the kidney and improve to prevent renal function. Thus, pre-exercise may have a protective role against renal injury after renal ischemia.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.9 s.89
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• pp.1204-1210
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• 2007

The topoisomerase II inhibitor etoposide causes an accumulation of DNA double strand breaks within the nuclei of cells. In this study, we investigated the effect of etoposide on the cell growth and apoptosis of human RPE cells. Etoposide evoked a significant inhibition of cell growth, and also induced DNA fragmentation in ARPE-19 cells. In addition, etoposide significantly up-regulated the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), which is a stress-responsive protein and is known to play a protective role against the oxidative injury. And, etoposide-induced HO-1 expression was affected by the ROS scavenger N-acetyl cysteine. We also used oligonucleotides interfering with HO-1 mRNA (siRNA) for the inhibition of HO-1 expression. Interestingly, knock-down of the HO-1 gene significantly increased the level of DNA fragmentation in etoposide-treated ARPE-19 cells. In conclusion, these results suggest that up-regulated HO-1 plays as an anti-apoptotic factor in the process of apoptosis of ARPE-19 cells stimulated by etoposide.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.87-94
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• 2017

Tissue engineering (TE) has been developed to create functional organs and tissue by combining 3D matrix and cells in vitro. Vascularization and angiogenesis are utmost important for supply of nutrients and oxygen in tissue engineered organs. The present study was performed to isolate and characterize primary endothelial cells (EC) from aorta of alpha 1, 3-enzyme galactosyltransferase knock out (GalT KO) pig, to minimize immune rejection and analyze body immune system for future xenotransplantation studies. Isolation of primary EC from aorta were performed by incubation with dispase for 8-10 min at $37^{\circ}C$. Primary EC were cultured in EC growth medium on different extra cellular matrix (ECM), either collagen or gelation. Primary EC exhibits morphological characteristics and showed positive expressions of EC specific marker proteins i.e. PECAM1, KDR and VWF despite of their ECM surface; however, on collagen based surface they showed increase in mRNA level analyzed by qPCR. Primary EC cultured on collagen were sorted by flow cytometer using KDR marker and cultured as KDR positive cells and KDR negative cells, respectively. KDR positive cells showed dramatically increased in PECAM1 and VWF level as compared to KDR negative cells. Based on the above results, primary EC derived from GalT KO are successfully isolated and survived continuously in culture without becoming overgrown by fibroblast. Therefore, they can be utilize for xeno organ transfer, tissue engineering, and immune rejection study in future.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.597-604
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• 2018

Although the core mechanisms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are unknown, several ADHD-associated proteins have been studied. G-protein - coupled receptor kinase interacting protein-1 (GIT1) is a multifunctional adapter protein that affects neuron growth and dendrite formation. GIT1-deficient mice have shown ADHD-like behavior and also recovered through amphetamine treatment. In this study, gliotransmitters were investigated in both intracellular and extracellular space from GIT1-deficient mice. To measure the amount of gliotransmitters, primary astrocyte cultures were taken from the cerebral and cerebellar cortices of wild (WT), hetero (HE), and knock-out (KO) mice. Major gliotransmitters were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography. It was observed that the amount of excitatory and inhibitory gliotransmitters were dependent on genotype and showed a change in excitation/inhibition ratios. Interestingly, the major excitatory gliotransmitter, glutamate, existed at the lowest level in WT mice, but the amount of inhibitory gliotransmitters, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glycine, varied depending on brain region. Remarkably, an increased amount of GABA was measured at the intracellular cerebrum in WT mice compared with KO mice. It was presumed that KO mice would secrete more inhibitory gliotransmitters to compensate for GIT1 depletion or else acquire a defect to reuptake-secreted GABA. This may be a possible mechanism for ADHD pathology.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.226-231
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• 2016

Binomial trees are used to price barrier options. Since barrier options are path dependent, option values of each node are calculated from binomial trees using backward induction. We use generalized Catalan numbers to determine the number of cases not reaching a barrier. We will generalize Catalan numbers by imposing upper and lower bounds. Reaching a barrier in binomial trees is determined by the difference between the number of up states and down states. If we count the cases that the differences between the up states and down states remain in a specific range, the probability of not reaching a barrier is obtained at a final node of the tree. With probabilities and option values at the final nodes of the tree, option prices are computable by discounting the expected option value at expiry. Without calculating option values in the middle nodes of binomial trees, option prices are computable only with final option values. We can obtain a probability distribution of exercising an option at expiry. Generalized Catalan numbers are expected to be applicable in many other areas.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.305-314
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• 2005

Investigation of chemically synthesized inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [$Ins(1,4,5)P_3$] analogs has led to the isolation of a novel binding protein with a molecular size of 130 kDa, characterized as a molecule with similar domain organization to phospholipase C-${\delta}1$ (PLC-${\delta}1$) but lacking the enzymatic activity. An isoform of the molecule was subsequently identified, and these molecules have been named PRIP (PLC-related, but catalytically inactive protein), with the two isoforms named PRIP-1 and -2. Regarding its ability to bind $Ins(1,4,5)P_3$ via the pleckstrin homology domain, the involvement of PRIP-1 in $Ins(1,4,5)P_3$-mediated $Ca^{2+}$ signaling was examined using COS-1 cells overexpressing PRIP-1 and cultured neurons prepared from PRIP-1 knock-out mice. Yeast two hybrid screening of a brain cDNA library using a unique N-terminus as bait identified GABARAP ($GABA_A$ receptor associated protein) and PP1 (protein phosphatase 1), which led us to examine the possible involvement of PRIP in $GABA_A$ receptor signaling. For this purpose PRIP knock-out mice were analyzed for $GABA_A$ receptor function in relation to the action of benzodiazepines from the electrophysiological and behavioral aspects. During the course of these experiments we found that PRIP also binds to the b-subunit of $GABA_A$ receptors and PP2A (protein phosphtase 2A). Here, we summarize how PRIP is involved in $Ins(1,4,5)P_3$-mediated $Ca^{2+}$ signaling and $GABA_A$ receptor signaling based on the characteristics of binding molecules.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.125-129
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• 2011

Environmental risk assessment (RA) is essential prior to the environmental release of GM crops. RA, however, costs at least 7 to 15 million US dollars and requires several years to complete field tests. Therefore, it is strongly suggested that developers of GM crops must consider all criteria for RA at the beginning stage of the development if it aims for commercialization. Previous review papers have pointed out that the "death valley" for the commercialization of GM crops is the screening stage of early GM events since many candidates are given up due to insufficient data on the molecular characterization of a GM event such as inserted gene's copy number, position of inserted site of a chromosome, flanking sequence of recombinant T-DNA, rearrangement of chromosome, and knock out of endogenous gene of host plant. Recently, Rural Development Administration (RDA) in South Korea has launched a Grand National Project named as "Next Generation of BioGreen 21 Project" from 2011 to 2020 and research funding for the development of global GM crops has been allocated to accelerate the commercialization of GM crops. In this regard, I strongly suggest that researchers involved in the development of GM crops for commercialization must conduct RA by themselves at the screening stage of pre-GM event based on the data for molecular characterization.