• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2004

Nebulin is a (Mr 600∼900 kDa) large actin-binding protein specific to skeletal muscle and thought to act as a molecular template that regulates the length of thin filaments. Cardiac muscles of higher vertebrates have been shown earlier to lack nebulin. Recently, full-length nebulin mRNA transcripts have been detected in heart muscle, but at lower levels than in skeletal muscle. Nebulin expression also was detected in the kidney, eye, and otic canal, suggesting that nebulin isoforms may also be expressed in these organs. We have searched for nebulin isoforms in brain of human using PCR and Northern blot. Here, we provide evidence that nebulin mRNA transcripts are expressed in brain. Seven nebulin isoforms (B, C, D, E, F, G and H form) are obtained in human skeletal muscle and four isoforms (B, C, G and H form) in human brain cDNA library. We cloned the 1.3 kb of nebulin fragment from human adult brain library by PCR. The identity of the PCR product was confirmed by sequence analysis. The partial brain nebulin sequence was 99% identical to the skeletal muscle cDNA as determined by Blast alignment. It contains two simple-repeats HR1, HR2 and linker-repeats exon l35∼143 except exon 140. It was different from skeletal muscle B form, which contain HR1 and HR8. These data suggest that nebulin isoform diversity occurs even more extensively than previously known, likely contributing to the distinct thin filament architecture of different striated muscles.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.4 no.6
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• pp.477-485
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of repeated fasting and refeeding on lipid metabolism. Thirty male ICR mice, aged 6 weeks, were fed an AIN-93 control diet during the experimental period. The mice were divided into 5 groups: Non fasting group (ad libitum-fed, NF), fasting for 3 days (F), fasting for 3 days and then refeeding for 4 days repeated once (FRF1), fasting for 3 days and then refeeding for 4 days repeated twice (FRF2), and fasting for 3 days and then refeeding for 4 days repeated three times (FRF3). Rates of body weight gain, epididymal fat weight, and serum TG were significantly decreased in the F, FRF1, FRF2, and FRF3 groups, compared to the NF group. LDL-cholesterol was significantly higher in the FRF3 group than the NF and F groups, but HDL-cholesterol and HDL/TC were significantly lower in the FRF3 group than in the NF and F groups. Serum total carnitine was significantly lower in the FRF1, FRF2, FRF3 groups than the NF and F groups. However, rates of serum and hepatic acyl-carnitine concentration were significantly lower in FRF1, FRF2, and FRF3 than in NF and F. Repeated tasting-refeeding resulted in visible reductions of body weight and fat mass, but it caused ill-effects with lipid and carnitine metabolism in the body.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.1393-1400
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• 2008

Recent study has demonstrated an increasing prevalence of food allergy in Korean children. Specific probiotic bacteria may promote potentially anti-allergenic processes through induction of Th1-type immunity and enhance the regulatory lymphocyte. This study investigated whether orally administrated probiotics could suppress allergic responses in an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergy mouse model. Thus, female C3H/HeJ mice were orally sensitized with OVA and cholera toxin for 4 weeks. Lactobacillus acidophilus AD031, Bifidobacterium lactis AD011, and L. acidophilus AD031 plus B. lactis AD011 were fed to mice from 2 weeks before the sensitization. The OVA-induced mice that were not treated with probiotics had significantly increased serum levels of OVA-specific IgE and IgG1, and OVA-specific IgA in feces. However, the mice treated with probiotics suppressed production of the OVA-specific IgE, IgG1, and IgA. The level of IL-4 was significantly lower, and the levels of INF-$\gamma$ and IL-10 were significantly higher in the mice treated with probiotics than that in the non-treated mice. The groups treated with probiotics had decreased levels of degranulated mast cells, eosinophil granules, and tail scabs. These results indicate that L. acidophilus AD031 and B. lactis AD011 might be useful for the prevention of allergy.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.167-178
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• 2002

Objective : The present study was performed to investigate whether apoptosis occur in human embryos by annexin staining and detect the expression of Fas, Fas-ligand (FasL), Bax, and Bcl-2 in human fragmented embryos derived from IVF-ET by immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis. Materials and Methods: Using annexin staining, immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis on normal and fragmented embryos, we were able to detect apoptotsis and apoptotic gene products in fragmented embryos. Result: Phosphatidylserine (PS) translocation, the marker for apoptosis, were detected frequently in fragmented embryos. Bcl-2 and Bax protein were detected in both fragmented and non-fragmented embryos. When fragmented embryos compared to normal embryos, immunofluorescent intensity of Bcl-2 tended to be lower in fragmented embryos. Bax gene expression increased in the fragmented embryos compared to the normal embryos. This result supports a model in which the molar ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax determines whether apoptosis induced or inhibited in human embryo. Fas was highly expressed in human preimplantation embryos but not FasL. It suggests that embryo may undergo apoptosis by binding with FasL produced by follicular or immune cells. Conclusion: The over expression of Bax and Fas will trigger apoptosis to lead embryo fragmentation and change embryo to be nonviable.

• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.11
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• pp.738-743
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• 2010

The c-Jun $NH_2$-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway participates in many physiological functions. In the current study we reported the cloning and characterization of five novel JNK2 transcript variants, which were designated as $JNK2\alpha3$, $JNK2\alpha4$, $JNK2\beta3$, $JNK2\gamma1$ and $JNK2\gamma2$, respectively. Among them, $JNK2\alpha4$ and $JNK2\gamma2$ are potential non-coding RNA because they contain pre-mature stop codons. Both $JNK2\alpha3$ and $JNK2\beta3$ contain an intact kinase domain, and both encode a protein product of 46 kDa, the same as those of $JNK2\alpha1$ and $JNK2\beta1$. $JNK2\gamma1$ contains a disrupted kinase domain and it showed a disable function. When over-expressed in mammalian cells, $JNK2\alpha3$ showed higher activity on AP-1 than that of $JNK2\beta3$ and $JNK2\gamma1$. Furthermore, $JNK2\alpha3$ and $JNK2\beta3$ showed different levels of substrate phosphorylation, although they both could promote the proliferation of 293T cells. Our results further demonstrate that JNK2 isoforms preferentially target different substrates and may regulate the expression of various target genes.

• Journal of Korean Society of Disaster and Security
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.17-25
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• 2014

Due to the recent climate change impact, natural disasters occur due to sea surface rising, typhoon attacks, flash floods, local heavy rainfalls, landslides, and coastal area erosion, continuing to cause human and property damage. These impacts, coupled with urbanization and industrialization activities, are turning the previously safe areas into disaster-vulnerable areas, increasing human and economic damage. This paper aimed to prepare measures designed to minimize human damage in natural disaster vulnerable parts of South Korea in summer. Toward that end, how vulnerable areas were managed and what the damage was like were studied. Also, cases of human damage and statistics there of were reviewed and analyzed, relevant problems were derived, and thus structural and non-structural measures designed to minimize human damage were presented.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.211-218
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• 2011

Fragmentation in human pre-implantation embryos has been suggested as the process of apoptosis. We have previously demonstrated a direct relationship between the increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis in human pre-implantation embryos. ROS is known to suppress the function of mitochondria in which steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) and peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) are presented. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the expression of StAR and PBR in human pre-implantation embryos and to evaluate whether reduction of these proteins is associated with apoptosis. Apoptosis was detected by annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and mitochondrial membrane potential was measured by 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethyl-benzimidazolyl-carbocyanine iodide (JC-1). Immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting were applied to examine the expression of StAR and PBR in the embryos. Lipid droplets in the embryos were stained with Oil Red O. The fragmented pre-implantation embryos were stained with annexin V-FITC, but not the normal ones. The mitochondria with active membrane potential were present less in the fragmented embryos compared with the non-fragmented embryos. We also confirmed that both StAR and PBR were expressed in the embryos and their expression levels were lower in the fragmented ones. In addition, the number and size of lipid droplets were increased in the fragmented embryos. The present study provides evidence that reduction of StAR and PBR in human pre-implantation embryos is associated with an increase in the lipid droplets leading to apoptosis.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.145-155
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• 2016

Cow's milk and dairy products are elements of the human diet that could play an important role in improving human health. The macronutrients and micronutrients found in milk could supply the nutrients required to maintain human health. Among them, milk-derived bioactive peptides have been identified as potential ingredients found in health promoting functional foods. These bioactive peptides target diet-related chronic diseases, particularly non-communicable ones such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. Additionally probiotics such as lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are can be considered live microorganisms that confer health benefits for the host-, when administered in adequate amounts. Further, the calcium, vitamin D, and protein content of milk and dairy products could play a role in proving bone health. The effect of milk and calcium on bone mineral density could prevent against fracture, osteoporosis and rickets. Furthermore, milk and dairy products also contain which factors that, which protect against dental caries (anti-cariogenic properties). This paper reviews the various nutritional functions of milk and dairy products in improving human health.

• Journal of Korea Society of Industrial Information Systems
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.1-11
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• 2020

Image-based virtual try-on (VTON) is becoming popular for online apparel shopping, mainly because of not requiring 3D information for try-on clothes and target humans. However, existing 2D algorithms, even when utilizing advanced non-rigid deformation algorithms, cannot handle large spatial transformations for complex target human poses. In this study, we propose a 3D clothing reconstruction method using a 3D human body model. The resulting 3D models of try-on clothes can be more easily deformed when applied to rest posed standard human models. Then, the poses and shapes of 3D clothing models can be transferred to the target human models estimated from 2D images. Finally, the deformed clothing models can be rendered and blended with target human representations. Experimental results with the VITON dataset used in the previous works show that the shapes of reconstructed clothing are significantly more natural, compared to the 2D image-based deformation results when human poses and shapes are estimated accurately.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.405-413
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• 2019

Background Face transplantation has naturally evolved from reconstructive procedures. However, few institutions perform face transplantations, because it is time-consuming and it is necessary to justify non-vital organ transplantation. We investigated the process of organ donation from brain-dead patients and the possibility of incorporating face transplantation into the donation process. Methods A retrospective review was performed of 1,074 brain-dead patients from January 2015 to December 2016 in Korea. We analyzed the time intervals from admission to brain death decisions (first, second, and final), the causes of brain death, and the state of the transplanted organs. Results The patient base (n=1,074) was composed of 747 males and 327 females. The average period between admission to the first brain death decision was 8.5 days (${\pm}15.3$). The average time intervals between the first brain death decision and medical confirmation using electroencephalography and between the first brain death decision and the final determination of brain death were 16 hours 58 minutes (${\pm}14hours$ 50 minutes) and 22 hours 57 minutes (${\pm}16hours$ 16 minutes), respectively. The most common cause of brain death was cerebral hemorrhage/stroke (42.3%), followed by hypoxia (30.1%), and head trauma (25.2%). Conclusions When face transplantation is performed, the transplantation team has 22 hours 57 minutes on average to prepare after the first brain death decision. The cause of brain death was head trauma in approximately one-fourth of cases. Although head trauma does not always imply facial trauma, surgeons should be aware that the facial tissue may be compromised in such cases.