• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.193-198
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• 2004

PET/CT combines the functional information from a positron emission tomography (PET) exam with the anatomical information from a computed tomography (CT) exam into one single exam. A CT scan uses a combination of x-rays and computers to give the radiologist a non-invasive way to see inside your body. One advantage of CT is its ability to rapidly acquire two-dimensional pictures of your anatomy. Using a computer these 2-D images can be presented in 3-D for in-depth clinical evaluation. A PET scan detects changes in the cellular function - how your cells are utilizing nutrients like sugar and oxygen. Since these functional changes take place before physical changes occur, PET can provide information that enables your physician to make an early diagnosis. The PET exam pinpoints metabolic activity in cells and the CT exam provides an anatomical reference. When these two scans are fused together, your physician can view metabolic changes in the proper anatomical context of your body. PET/CT offers significant advantages including more accurate localization of functional abnormalities, and the distinction of pathological from normal physiological uptake, and improvements in monitoring treatment. A PET/CT scan allows physicians to measure the body's abnormal molecular cell activity to detect cancer (such as breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, lymphoma, melanoma and other skin cancers), brain disorders (such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy), and heart disease (such as coronary artery disease).

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 2006

The aim of this study was to determine if hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) generated by glucose oxidase (GO) induces apoptosis or necrosis of BJAB cells and which radical is the direct mediator of cell death. We found that GO produced $H_2O_2$ continuously in low concentrations, similar to in vivo conditions, and decreased proliferation and cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. The GO-mediated cytotoxicity resulted from apoptosis, and was confirmed by monitoring the cells after H33342/Annexin V/propidium iodide staining. Decreases of mitochondrial membrane potential and intracellular glutathione level were found to be critical events in the $H_2O_2$-mediated apoptosis. Additional experiments revealed that $H_2O_2$ exerted its apoptotic action through the formation of hydroxyl radicals via the Fenton rather than the Haber-Weiss reaction. Moreover, intracellular redox-active iron, but not copper, participated in the $H_2O_2$-mediated apoptosis.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 2012

Eighteen new polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed for the Korean mi-iuy croaker ($Miichthys$ $miiuy$, Perciformes, Sciaenidae), and allelic variability was compared between a wild population in Mokpo, Korea, and a hatchery population in Tongyeong, Korea. All loci were amplified readily and demonstrated allelic variability, with the number of alleles ranging from 5 to 37 in the wild population, and from 4 to 12 in the farmed population. The average observed and expected heterozygosities were estimated, respectively, to be 0.74 and 0.78 in the hatchery population samples, and 0.79 and 0.86 in the wild samples. These results indicate lower genetic variability in the hatchery population compared with the wild population, and significant genetic differentiation between the wild population and the hatchery samples ($F_{ST}$=0.058, P<0.001). These microsatellite loci may be valuable for future population genetic studies, monitoring changes in the genetic variation within stocks in a commercial breeding program, conservation genetics, and molecular assisted selective breeding of the mi-iuy croaker in the future.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.225-235
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• 2006

With the discovery in plants of the proteinaceous forisome crystalloid (Knoblauch, et al. 2003), a novel, non-living, ATP-independent biological material became available to the designer of smart materials for advanced actuating and sensing. The in vitro studies of Knoblauch, et al. show that forisomes (2-4 micron wide and 10-40 micron long) can be repeatedly stimulated to contract and expand anisotropically by shifting either the ambient pH or the ambient calcium ion concentration. Because of their unique abilities to develop and reverse strains greater than 20% in time periods less than one second, forisomes have the potential to outperform current smart materials as advanced, biomimetic, multi-functional, smart sensors or actuators. Probing forisome material properties is an immediate need to lay the foundation for synthesizing forisomebased smart materials for health monitoring of structural integrity in civil infrastructure and for aerospace hardware. Microfluidics is a growing, vibrant technology with increasingly diverse applications. Here, we use microfluidics to study the surface interaction between forisome and substrate and the conformational dynamics of forisomes within a confined geometry to lay the foundation for forisome-based smart materials synthesis in controlled and repeatable environment.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.553-556
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• 2007

We previously reported a 27.12 MHz inductively coupled plasma source at atmospheric pressure for atomic emission spectrometry based on polymer microchip plasma technology. For the PDMS polymer microchip plasma, molecular emission was observed, but no metallic detection was done. In this experiment, a lab-made electrothermal vaporizer (ETV) with tantalum coil was connected to the microchip plasma for aqueous sample introduction to detect metal ions. The electrode geometry of this microchip plasma was redesigned for better stability and easy monitoring of emission. The plasma was operated at an rf power of 30-70 W using argon gas at 300 mL/min. Gas kinetic temperatures between 800-3200 K were obtained by measuring OH emission band. Limits of detection of about 20 ng/mL, 96.1 ng/mL, and 1.01 μ g/mL were obtained for alkali metals, Zn, and Pb, respectively, when 10 μ L samples in 0.1% nitric acid were injected into the ETV.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.1015-1022
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• 2013

We recently showed that polylysine, the polymer of lysines, retains anti-prion activity. Although the effectiveness of prion inhibition by polylysine was demonstrated with the regimen tolerated in mice, a determination of quantitative polylysine toxicity is necessary to precisely address the in vivo toxicity level of polylysine. In this communication, we report the results of body weight monitoring and hematologic tests performed in CD-1 mice that received two different tolerable dosages of polylysine for an either 5-day or 4-week period. We found that there was no significant alteration in overall serum chemistry, blood cell count, and body weight gain compared with controls. The only notable quantitative change with statistical significance was the decrease of platelet numbers in mice subchronically administered with polylysine. Our results suggest that polylysine is harmless in mice if administered for a short period, but administrations of polylysine in mice may require considerate attention for safety in future investigations as mice chronically receive tolerable doses of polylysine.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.383-388
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• 2018

Goldfish hematopoietic necrosis (GHN) affects hematopoietic organs and causes high mortality in goldfish. The causative agent of GHN is cyprinid herpesvirus 2 (CyHV-2). The purpose of this study was to detect CyHV-2 in ornamental cyprinid fish. CyHV-2 monitoring was conducted on a monthly basis for 1 year using goldfish Carassius auratus and pearlscale goldfish Carassius auratus that had been cultured at a domestic aquafarm and imported from Singapore, respectively. The results of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays using specific primers for the CyHV-2 helicase gene showed that 27.8% of goldfish and 33.3% of pearlscale goldfish were positive for CyHV-2. No cytophatic effects were detected in koi fin or common carp brain cells inoculated with tissue homogenates from either fish. Our data provides the useful data for establishing future quarantine and disinfection policies.

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.366-369
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• 2005

NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) transfers electrons from NADPH to cytochrome P450 and also catalyzes the one-electron reduction of many drugs and foreign compounds. Various spectrophotometric assays have been performed to examine electron-accepting properties of CPR and its ability to reduce cytochrome $b_5$, cytochrome c, and ferricyanide. In this report, reduction of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) by CPR has been assessed as a method for monitoring CPR activity. The principle advantage of this substance is that the reduction of MTT can be assayed directly in the reaction medium by a continuous spectrophotometric method. The electrons released from NADPH by CPR were transferred to MTT. MTT reduction activity was then assessed spectrophotometrically by measuring the increase of $A_{610}$. MTT reduction followed classical Michaelis-Menten kinetics ($K_m\;=\;20\;{\mu}M$, $k_{cat}\;=\;1,910\;min^{-1}$). This method offers the advantages of a commercially available substrate and short analysis time by a simple measurement of enzymatic activity of CPR.

• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.10
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• pp.577-582
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• 2015

Cyclopia subternata is a medicinal plant commonly used in traditional medicine to relieve pain. Here, the anticoagulant effects of scolymoside, an active compound in C. subternata, were examined by monitoring activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), prothrombin time (PT), and the activities of thrombin and activated factor X (FXa). The effects of scolymoside on plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) and tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) expression were evaluated in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-activated human endothelial cells. Treatment with scolymoside resulted in prolonged aPTT and PT and the inhibition of thrombin and FXa activities and production. In addition, scolymoside inhibited thrombin-catalyzed fibrin polymerization and platelet aggregation. Scolymoside also elicited anticoagulant effects in mice, including a significant reduction in the PAI-1 to t-PA ratio. Collectively, these findings indicate that scolymoside possesses anticoagulant activities and could be developed as a novel anticoagulant.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.22-26
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• 2020

Chrysosplenium aureobracteatum Y. I. Kim & Y. D. Kim (Saxifragaceae) is a recently described endemic species growing in the central part of the Korean peninsula. It requires constant monitoring for conservation due to its limited distributions. There is also a need for molecular markers for proper assessments of the genetic differentiation of C. aureobracteatum from species morphologically similar to it. In this study, we developed microsatellite markers that can be used to evaluate the genetic diversity of this species, representing fundamental data with which to conserve the natural populations of the species. A total of 17 expressed sequence tag-simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) markers were developed by the Illumina pair-end sequencing of the transcriptomes of C. aureobracteatum. These markers were successfully applied to populations of C. aureobracteatum and to its most closely related species, C. barbatum, revealing high polymorphism in both species. The EST-SSR markers developed in this study were proven to be useful not only to monitor the population genetic structure of C. aureobracteatum for conservation purposes but also to study the genetic delimitation of the species from species closely related to it.