• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.1-11
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• 2006

Grafted tissues were investigated using various microscopic techniques. Pinus thunbergii was used as stock and scion and autografted by cleft graft method. Histochemically, grafting processes can be proceeded by four stages: 1) formation of necrotic layer, 2) proliferation of callus, 3) development of neo-cambium from callus, and 4) restoration of new vascular xylem. Necrotic la yer composed of pectin and lignin was gradually degraded during grafting process and disappeared when new union was formed between stock and scion. A large number of starch and lipid bodies in the cytoplasm were also gradually degraded during grafting process and disappeared at the grafting interface. Nucleus and plasmodesmata were not changed. Bubble-like callus was generated from all living parenchyma cells and from the callus. The tracheary elements differentiated from the callus had either reticulate or pit-like thickenings in the secondary walls with bordered pits. Secondary cell wall thickening occurred toward filing to the void parts between reticulated secondary wall. Tracheids formed in the secondary xylem were short with irregular wall thickness. New secondary xylem cells with swirled shapes, which developed in graft union were oriented horizontally and obliquely to axis of the stem.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.329-336
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• 2010

Myogenic satellite cells (MSCs) are mononuclear, multipotent progenitors of adult skeletal muscle possessing a capacity of forming adipocyte-like cells (ALC). To identify the skeletal muscle type-specific myogenic and adipogenic genes during MSCs differentiation, total RNA was extracted from bovine MSCs, myotube-formed cell (MFC), and ALC from each of Beef shank, Longissimus dorsi, Deep pectoral, and Semitendinosus. DNA microarray analysis (24,000 oligo chip) comparing MSCs with MFC and ALC, respectively, revealed 135 differentially expressed genes (> 4 fold) among four cuts. Real-time PCR confirmed expression of 29 genes. Furthermore, the whole tissue sample RNAs analysis showed 6 differentially expressed genes in Beef shank. Among which, 1 gene in MSCs, 4 in MFC, and 1 in ALCs were highly expressed. This study will provide an insight for better understanding the molecular mechanism of differentiation of skeletal muscle type-specific MSCs. The identified genes may be used as marker to distinguish skeletal muscle types.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.39 no.12
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• pp.898-908
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• 2016

Despite recent groundbreaking advances in multiple myeloma (MM) treatment, most MM patients ultimately experience relapse, and the relapse biology is not entirely understood. To define altered gene expression in MM relapse, gene expression profiles were examined and compared among 16 MM patients grouped by 12 months progression-free survival (PFS) after autologous stem cell transplantation. To maximize the difference between prognostic groups, patients at each end of the PFS spectrum (the four with the shortest PFS and four with the longest PFS) were chosen for additional analyses. We discovered that integrin-${\alpha}8$ (ITGA8) is highly expressed in MM patients with early relapse. The integrin family is well known to be involved in MM progression; however, the role of integrin-${\alpha}8$ is largely unknown. We functionally overexpressed integrin-${\alpha}8$ in MM cell lines, and surprisingly, stemness features including $HIF1{\alpha}$, VEGF, OCT4, and Nanog, as well as epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related phenotypes, including N-cadherin, Slug, Snail and CXCR4, were induced. These, consequently, enhanced migration and invasion abilities, which are crucial to MM pathogenesis. Moreover, the gain of integrin-${\alpha}8$ expression mediated drug resistance against melphalan and bortezomib, which are the main therapeutic agents in MM. The cBioPortal genomic database revealed that ITGA8 have significant tendency to co-occur with PDGFRA and PDGFRB and their mRNA expression were up-regulated in ITGA8 overexpressed MM cells. In summary, integrin-${\alpha}8$, which was up-regulated in MM of early relapse, mediates EMT-like phenotype, enhancing migration and invasion; therefore, it could serve as a potential marker of MM relapse and be a new therapeutic target.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2013

Acacia mangium is an evergreen fast-growing tropical tree, which can grow up to 30 m tall and 50 cm thick, under favorable conditions. It is a low-elevation species associated with rain forest margins and disturbed, well-drained acid soils. It is native to Papua, Western Irian Jaya and the Maluku islands in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and north-eastern Queensland in Australia. Due to its rapid growth and tolerance of very poor soils, A. mangium was introduced into some Asian, African and western hemisphere countries where it is used as a plantation tree. A. mangium has good quality wood traits, such as a comparatively low proportion of parenchymatous cells and vessels, white and hard wood, and high calorific value. Therefore, it is useful for a variety of purposes, such as furniture, cabinets, turnery, floors, particleboard, plywood, veneer, fence posts, firewood, and charcoal. It is also being used in pulp and paper making because it has good pulp traits, with high yields of pulp, quality of kraft, and produces paper with good optical, physical and surface properties. Because there are significant provenance differences in growth rate, stem straightness, heartwood formation and frequency of multiple leaders, the productivity and quality also varies depending upon environmental conditions, so genetic improvement programmes have been undertaken in countries like Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand. The programme includes provenance identifications and testing, plus tree selection and clonal multiplication, establishment of seed orchards and hybridization. The phenology, reproductive biology, fruit characteristics, silvicultural practices for cultivation, pest and diseases problems, production of improved planting stock, harvesting, wood properties and utilization have been discussed in this paper.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.299-303
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• 2015

KO mice provide an excellent tool to determine roles of specific genes in biomedical filed. Traditionally, knockout mice were generated by homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells. Recently, engineered nucleases, such as zinc finger nuclease, transcription activator-like effector nuclease and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), were used to produce knockout mice. This new technology is useful because of high efficiency and ability to generate biallelic mutation in founder mice. Until now, most of knockout mice produced using engineered nucleases were C57BL/6 strain. In the present study we used CRISPR-Cas9 system to generate knockout mice in FVB strain. We designed and synthesized single guide RNA (sgRNA) of CRISPR system for targeting gene, Abtb2. Mouse zygote were obtained from superovulated FVB female mice at 8-10 weeks of age. The sgRNA was injected into pronuclear of the mouse zygote with recombinant Cas9 protein. The microinjected zygotes were cultured for an additional day and only cleaved embryos were selected. The selected embryos were surgically transferred to oviduct of surrogate mother and offsprings were obtained. Genomic DNA were isolated from the offsprings and the target sequence was amplified using PCR. In T7E1 assay, 46.7% among the offsprings were founded as mutants. The PCR products were purified and sequences were analyzed. Most of the mutations were founded as deletion of few sequences at the target site, however, not identical among the each offspring. In conclusion, we found that CRISPR system is very efficient to generate knockout mice in FVB strain.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.113-119
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• 2019

During tumor progression various immunosuppressive cells are recruited to a tumor microenvironment (TME). Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are particularly abundant in TME. Based on their function, macrophages are categorized into two phenotypes: tumoricidal M1 and tumor-supportive M2. Generally, TAMs closely resemble M2-macrophages and lead to tumor growth. However, their phenotype can be changed by immune activator from M2 to M1 and thus promote tumor immunotherapy. Ginseng extracts are well known for its anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory effects from numerous reported studies. However, the mechanism of their effects is still not clear. Recently, some studies suggested that ginseng extracts induced immune activation as well as anti-tumor activities by a repolarization of activated macrophage from M2 phenotype to M1 phenotype. But, further verification about the mechanism as to how ginseng extracts can stimulate the immune response is still needed. In this study, we investigated whether ginseng extracts can alter the phenotype from M2 macrophages to M1 macrophages in mice by using a radiolabeled liposome. And we also evaluated the potential of radiolabeled liposome as a nuclear imaging agent to monitor the transition of phenotype of TAMs. In conclusion, the ginseng extracts seem to change the phenotype of macrophages from M2 to M1 like as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mice.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.67-75
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• 1991

Anatomical study of the secondary xylem in Malvales plants, including four families, five genera and ten species grown in Korea, was carried out to elucidate relationship among genera or families in the order. Wood of Elaeocarpus is diffuse porous and shows angular vessels in radial multiples of 2-14 cells and a few apotracheal or paratracheal parenchyma. Tiliaceous genera have diffuse porous wood, vessels in solitary distribution and apotracheal parenchyma of sinuous scalariform uniseriate band. In the family, Tilia shows angular vessel. noded and tile-like cell in ray and storied tissue but Grewia has circular vessel. Hibiscus shows ring porous wood, circular solitary vessel and biseriate band of apotracheal and paratracheal parenchyma. Firmiana shows ring porous wood, circular solitary vessel and confluent parenchyma. Many starch grains appear in ray and axial parenchyma. Judging from arrangement, shape, length and diameter of vessel element and angle of end wall to vessel axis, and arrangement and shape of axial parenchyma, the lines of specialization in these genera are from primitive Elaeocarpaceae through less primitive Tiliaceae and less advanced Malvaceae to advanced Sterculiaceae.iaceae.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.241-247
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• 2013

This study was carried out to examine the action mechanism of Chamaecyparis obtusa oil (CO) on hair growth in C57BL/6 mice. For alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and ${\gamma}$-glutamyl transpeptidase (${\gamma}$-GT) activities in the skin tissue, at week 4, the 3% minoxidil (MXD) and 3% CO treatment groups showed an ALP activity that was significantly higher by 85% (p < 0.001) and 48% (p < 0.05) and an ${\gamma}$-GT activity that was significantly higher by 294% (p < 0.01) and 254% (p < 0.05) respectively, as compared to the saline (SA) treatment group. For insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) mRNA expression in the skin tissue, at week 4, the MXD and CO groups showed a significantly higher expression by 204% (p < 0.05) and 426% (p < 0.01) respectively, as compared to the SA group. At week 4, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in the MXD and CO groups showed a significantly higher expression by 74% and 96% (p < 0.05) respectively, however, epidermal growth factor (EGF) expression in the MXD and CO groups showed a significantly lower expression by 66% and 61% (p < 0.05) respectively, as compared to the SA group. Stem cell factor (SCF) expression in the MXD and CO groups was observed by immunohis-tochemistry as significant in a part of the bulge around the hair follicle and in a part of the basal layer of the epidermis. Taking all the results together, on the basis of effects on ALP and ${\gamma}$-GT activity, and the expression of IGF-1, VEGF and SCF, which are related to the promotion of hair growth, it can be concluded that CO induced a proliferation and division of hair follicle cells and maintained the anagen phase. Because EGF expression was decreased significantly, CO could delay the transition to the catagen phase.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.191-199
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• 2010

Acanthopanax Koreanum stem (AK) has been used in Korea as a tonic and sedative as well as a drug with ginseng like activities. The purpose of our present study was to investigate the effects of AK extract (AKE) and Eleutheroside E, major component of AKE on an exacerbated immune function through utilization of protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) diet by using forced swimming test (FST). The immobility time were significantly decreased in the AKE or Eleutheroside E-administrated group compared with the control group on the FST (P < 0.05). The level of blood parameters were not changed significantly. PEM-induced weight loss of mice was reduced by oral administration of 500 mg/kg AKE. AKE oral administration improved the nutritional status such as the food efficiency ratio and the adrenal gland weight. AKE treatment significantly increased the production of interferon (IFN)-$\gamma$ compared with unstimulated splenocytes but not interleukin (IL)-4. Eleutheroside E also significantly increased the IFN-$\gamma$ production but not IL-2 and IL-4 in T cell line, MOLT-4 cells. These results suggest that AKE and Eleutheroside E may influence to immune-enhancing through increasing the physical endurance capacity and immune cell activation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.503-506
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• 2005

The PWR Nuclear Fuel assembly consists of more than 250 fuel rods that are supported by leaf springs in the cells of more than 10 Spacer Grids (SG) along the rod length. Since it is not easy to conduct mechanical tests on a full-scale model basis, the small-scaled rod bundle (5$\times$5) is generally used for various performance tests during the development stage. As one of the small-scaled tests, a flow test should be carried out in order to verify the performance of the spacer grid like the coolant mixing performance and to obtain the Flow-Induced Vibration (FIV) characteristics of the rod bundle over the specified flow range. A vibration test should be also performed to obtain the modal parameters of the bundle prior to the flow test. In this study, we want to develop the estimation procedure of the damping ratio for the small scaled test bundle. For the damping factor of the rod bundle and the grid case at the first vibration mode, as one of the vibration tests, a so-called pluck testing has been performed in air as a preliminary test prior to in-flow damping measurement test. Logarithmic decrement method is used for calculation of the damping ratio. Estimated damping ratio of the rod bundle is about 0.7% with reasonable error of 2% for the previous results. Nonlinear behavior of the rod bundle might be stem mainly Iron the rod-grid support configuration.