• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.1355-1363
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• 2009

In the present study, the neuroprotective effects of astaxanthin on $H_2O_2$-mediated apoptotic cell death, using cultured mouse neural progenitor cells (mNPCs), were investigated. To cause apoptotic cell death, mNPCs were pretreated with astaxanthin for 8 h and followed by treatment of 0.3 mM $H_2O_2$. Pretreatment of mNPCs with astaxanthin significantly inhibited $H_2O_2$-mediated apoptosis and induced cell growth in a dose-dependent manner. In Western blot analysis, astaxanthin-pretreated cells showed the activation of p-Akt, p-MEK, p-ERK, and Bcl-2, and the reduction of p-P38, p-SAPK/JNK, Bax, p-GSK3b, cytochrome c, caspase-3, and PARP. Because $H_2O_2$ triggers caspases activation, this study examined whether astaxanthin can inhibit caspases activation in $H_2O_2$-treated mNPCs. After $H_2O_2$ treatment, caspases activities were prominently increased, but astaxanthin pretreatment significantly inhibited $H_2O_2$-mediated caspases activation. Astaxanthin pretreatment also significantly recovered the ATP production ability of $H_2O_2$-treated cells. These findings indicate that astaxanthin inhibits $H_2O_2$-mediated apoptotic features in mNPCs. Inhibition assays with SB203580 ($10\;{\mu}M$, a specific inhibitor of p38) and PD98059 ($10\;{\mu}M$, a specific inhibitor of MEK) clearly showed that astaxanthin can inhibit $H_2O_2$-mediated apoptotic death via modulation of p38 and MEK signaling pathways.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.1-17
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• 2004

Objective : To compare and examine how adjustment of pH and electrolyte can affect the efficacy of cultivated wild ginseng distilled herbal acupuncture, we've administered pure cultivated wild ginseng distilled herbal acupuncture and pH and electrolyte adjusted cultivated wild ginseng distilled herbal acupuncture on A549 human lung cancer lines. Then mRNA and proteins which take parts in apoptosis were examined. Methods : Pure cultivated wild ginseng distilled herbal acupuncture treated group was set as the control group and pH and electrolyte adjusted cultivated wild ginseng distilled herbal acupuncture groups were administered on A549 human lung cancer lines. Cell toxicity was carefully examined and from the analysis of DNA fragmentation, RT-PCR, and Western blot, manifestation of mRNA and proteins which are associated with apoptosis were inspected. Results : The following results were obtained on apoptosis of A549 human lung cancer lines after administering pH and electrolyte adjusted cultivated wild ginseng distilled herbal acupuncture. 1. Measuring cell toxicity of lung cancer cells, higher cell toxicity was detected at pH and electrolyte adjusted groups and the results were concentration dependent. 2. Through DNA fragmentation, we were able to confirm cell destruction in all groups. 3. Experiment groups treated with cultivated wild ginseng distilled herbal acupuncture showed inhibition of Bcl-2 and COX-2 at mRNA and Protein level, whileas increase of Bax was shown. 4. Manifestation of p21, p53, Cyclin E, and Cyclin D1 were confirmed in all groups. 5. Extrication of Cytochrome C was detected at all groups, as well as increased activity of the enzyme caspase-3 and caspase-9, and PARP fragmentation were confirmed. Conclusions : From the above results, we can carefully deduce cell destruction of A549 human lung cancer lines were induced by Apoptosis. At the same concentration level, cell destruction efficacy was better with adjusted pH and electrolyte. Cultivated wild ginseng distilled herbal acupuncture also showed decrease of Bcl-2 and COX-2, as well as increase of Bax. Since cultivated wild ginseng distilled herbal acupuncture increases manifestation of p21, p53, Cyclin E, and Cyclin D1, it affects cellular cycle and through these phenomena, we can consider extrication of Cytochrome C, increase of caspase, and PARP fragmentation are the results.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.299-305
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• 2006

Aromatic L-amino acid transaminase is an enzyme that is able to transfer the amino group from L-glutamate to unnatural aromatic ${\alpha}-keto$ acids to generate ${\alpha}-ketoglutarate$ and unnatural aromatic L-amino acids, respectively. Enrichment culture was used to isolate thermophilic Bacillus sp. T30 expressing this enzyme for use in the synthesis of unnatural L-amino acids. The asymmetric syntheses of L-homophenylalanine and L-phenylglycine resulted in conversion yields of >95% and >93% from 150 mM 2-oxo-4-phenylbutyrate and phenylglyoxylate, respectively, using L-glutamate as an amino donor at $60^{\circ}C$. Synthesized L-homophenylalanine and L-phenylglycine were optically pure (>99% enantiomeric excess) and continuously pre-cipitated in the reaction solution due to their low solubility at the given reaction pH. While the solubility of the ${\alpha}-keto$ acid substrates is dependent on temperature, the solubility of the unnatural L-amino acid products is dependent on the reaction pH. As the solubility difference between substrate and product at the given reaction pH is therefore larger at higher temperature, the thermophilic transaminase was successfully used to shift the reaction equilibrium toward rapid product formation.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.493-502
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• 2020

Apigenin, a naturally occurring flavonoid, is known to exhibit significant anticancer activity. This study was designed to determine the effects of apigenin on two malignant mesothelioma cell lines, MSTO-211H and H2452, and to explore the underlying mechanism(s). Apigenin significantly inhibited cell viability with a concomitant increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and caused the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), and ATP depletion, resulting in apoptosis and necroptosis in monolayer cell culture. Apigenin upregulated DNA damage response proteins, including the DNA double strand break marker phospho (p)-histone H2A.X. and caused a transition delay at the G₂/M phase of cell cycle. Western blot analysis showed that apigenin treatment upregulated protein levels of cleaved caspase-3, cleaved PARP, p-MLKL, and p-RIP3 along with an increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. ATP supplementation restored cell viability and levels of DNA damage-, apoptosisand necroptosis-related proteins that apigenin caused. In addition, N-acetylcysteine reduced ROS production and improved ΔΨm loss and cell death that were caused by apigenin. In a 3D spheroid culture model, ROS-dependent necroptosis was found to be a mechanism involved in the anti-cancer activity of apigenin against malignant mesothelioma cells. Taken together, our findings suggest that apigenin can induce ROS-dependent necroptotic cell death due to ATP depletion through mitochondrial dysfunction. This study provides us a possible mechanism underlying why apigenin could be used as a therapeutic candidate for treating malignant mesothelioma.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.378-386
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• 2011

The goal of this study is to understand the influence of temperature on phosphorus release rate from soil into water. As the temperature increases, $PO_4$-P reaches equilibrium more quickly and the equilibrium concentration increases, and thus the $PO_4$-P concentration increases, and pH decreases. The $PO_4$-P concentration affects pH. $PO_4$-P released from turbidity is not adsorbed onto the turbidity. $PO_4$-P was independent on the turbidity and yet $PO_4$-P was steadily increasing. However, $PO_4$-P was dependent upon the turbidity concentration as the turbidity releases $PO_4$-P. The total phosphorous (T-P) and turbidity were directly linked because T-P changed with the turbidity. T-P includes the $PO_4$-P content of water and the phosphorus content of the turbidity. As the temperature decreases, density of water increases, and the precipitation of turbidity decreases, resulting in an increases in T-P concentration. As the temperature increases, the T-P concentration decreases, but the PO4-P release rate from turbidity increases. At the same time, even at different temperatures, the T-P concentrations of the samples were about the same. When the lake gets deepened, the water temperature decreases, hence, the phosphorus release rate from soil into water was decreased. This mechanism is of great interest because phosphorus is released from soil sediment into the lake water.

• BMB Reports
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.269-274
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• 2017

The biological activities of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) might be mediated through a classical receptor-mediated or non-classical endocytic pathway. JAB1 (C-Jun activation domain-binding protein-1) promotes the degradation of the tumor suppressor, p53, and the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, p27. When MIF and JAB1 are bound to each other in various intracellular sites, MIF inhibits the positive regulatory effects of JAB1 on the activity of AP-1. The intestinal parasite, Anisakis simplex, has an immunomodulatory effect. The molecular mechanism of action of As-MIF and human JAB1 are poorly understood. In this study, As-MIF and hJAB1 were expressed and purified with high solubility. The structure of As-MIF and hJAB1 interaction was modeled by homology modeling based on the structure of Ace-MIF. This study provides evidence indicating that the MIF domain of As-MIF interacts directly with the MPN domain of hJAB1, and four structure-based mutants of As-MIF and hJAB1 disrupt the As-MIF-hJAB1 interaction.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• summer
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• pp.283-285
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• 2004

Modern power systems are very complex and to model them completely is impractical for electromagnetic transient studies. Therefore areas outside the immediate area of interest must be represented by some form of frequency dependent equivalent. This paper presents the formulation for developing 1 & 2 port Frequency Dependent Network Equivalent (FDNE) with the instantaneous term in S-domain and illustrates its use. This 1 & 2 Port FDNE have been applied to the CIGRE Benchmark Rectifier test AC system. The electromagnetic transient package PSCAD/EMTDC is used to assess the transient response of the 1 & 2 port (FDNE) developed with Norton Equivalent network.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.318-324
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• 1983

Electrochemical properties of Georgia kaolinite in aqueous suspension were studied by ion adsorption, potentiometric titration, and electrophoretic mobility measurements. Kaolinite in 0.001 M and 0.1 M NaCl solution showed qualitatively both pH independent and pH depender negative and positive charges through pH range 2.5-11.0 when dissolved aluminum ions from kaolinite were considered as well as $Na^+$ and $Cl^-$ as index ions. Electrophoretic mobilities (EM) of 0.02 wt. % kaolinite suspension in distilled water and 0.001 M NaCl solution were approximately constant against mobility measuring time consumed in the electrophoresis cell at different pH values, and isoelectric points(IEP) were around pH 4.7. EM values in 0.1 M NaCl solution were positive and constant against mobility measuring time below pH 4; but above pH 4, EM values were negative for the first 10 seconds followed by positive values which became approximately constant through stepped changes after 10 minutes. Hydrated cations may bind to the six- member oxygen ring sites having multiple partial negative charges on the exterior tetrahedral layer surface by both electrostatic and hydrogen bonding force while hydrated anions bind to the partially positively charged hydrogen atoms on the exterior octahedral layer surface. Parts of the aluminol groups on the exterior octahedral layer surface as well as edge faces may be involved in complex reactions and have both anion and cation exchange capacities in the electrolyte solution above pH 4.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.248-252
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• 2002

Mugwort and pine needle were extracted with water and 70% ethanol. Electron donating ability(EDA) of extracts were ranged from 50% to 57% in mugwort water extract(MGW) and ranged from 51% to 64% in mugwort ethanol extract(MGE) at 300-1,000ppm. EDA of extracts were ranged from 52% to 60% in pine needle water extract(PNW) and ranged from 68% 71% in pine needle ethanol extract(PNE) at 100-500ppm. EDA of PNW was 70% and that of PNE was 77% at 1,00(ppm. Nitrite scavenging ability(NSA) of extracts measured at various pH(1.2, 3.0, 4.2, 6.0) was the highest in all extracts at pH 1.2 and decreased with increasing pH, suggesting it is pH dependent. NSA of mugwort extracts at 1,000ppm, water extract was 37% and ethanol extract was 27% at pH 1.2. NSA of pine needle extracts at 1,000ppm, water extract was 65%and ethanol extract was 53% at pH 1.2. EDA and NSA of pine needle extracts were higher than mugwort in both of water and ethanol extract. EDA of ethanol extracts were higher than water extracts while NSA of water extracts were higher than ethanol extracts in both of mugwort and pine needle.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.127-131
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• 2020

Objective: This study was conducted to determine catalytic properties of wheat phytase with exopolyphosphatase activity toward medium-chain and long-chain inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) substrates for comparative purpose. Methods: Exopolyphosphatase assay of wheat phytase toward polyP75 (medium-chain polyP with average 75 phosphate residues) and polyP1150 (long-chain polyP with average 1150 phosphate residues) was performed at pH 5.2 and pH 7.5. Its activity toward these substrates was investigated in the presence of Mg²⁺, Ni²⁺, Co²⁺, Mn²⁺, or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Michaelis constant (K_m) and maximum reaction velocity (V_max) were determined from Lineweaver-Burk plot with polyP75 or polyP1150. Monophosphate esterase activity toward p-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP) was assayed in the presence of polyP75 or polyP1150. Results: Wheat phytase dephosphorylated polyP75 and polyP1150 at pH 7.5 more effectively than that at pH 5.2. Its exopolyphosphatase activity toward polyP75 at pH 5.2 was 1.4-fold higher than that toward polyP1150 whereas its activity toward polyP75 at pH 7.5 was 1.4-fold lower than that toward polyP1150. Regarding enzyme kinetics, K_m for polyP75 was 1.4-fold lower than that for polyP1150 while V_max for polyP1150 was 2-fold higher than that for polyP75. The presence of Mg²⁺, Ni²⁺, Co²⁺, Mn²⁺, or EDTA (1 or 5 mM) exhibited no inhibitory effect on its activity toward polyP75. Its activity toward polyP1150 was inhibited by 1 mM of Ni²⁺ or Co²⁺ and 5 mM of Ni²⁺, Co²⁺, or Mg²⁺. Ni²⁺ inhibited its activity toward polyP1150 the most strongly among tested additives. Both polyP75 and polyP1150 inhibited the monophosphate esterase activity of wheat phytase toward pNPP in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: Wheat phytase with an unexpected exopolyphosphatase activity has potential as a therapeutic tool and a next-generational feed additive for controlling long-chain polyP-induced inappropriate inflammation from Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella typhimurium infection in public health and animal husbandry.