• The Journal of Korea Assosiation for Disability and Oral Health
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.15-18
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• 2010

Sturge-Weber syndrome is a rare nonhereditary developmental condition that is characterized by a hamartomatous vascular proliferation involving the tissue of brain and face. The clinical features are characterized by port wine nevus following one or more divisions of trigeminal nerve, ocular involvement and neurologic involvement such as epilepsy, mental retardation, and contralateral hemiplegia. Oral manifestations include unilateral blood vessel expansion of the oral mucosa, vascular hyperplasia of gingiva, pyogenic granuloma-like massive hemangiomatous proliferation of oral mucosa, macrodontia, ipsilateral macroglossia, blood vessel anomaly of maxilla or mandible and abnormal tooth eruption sequence. This case report is about 11-year-old Sturge-Weber syndrome patient presented port wine nevus on the face, venous malformation on soft plate and buccal mucosa. In this case we performed simple extraction of several deciduous teeth and periodic oral hygiene management. If a patient with Sturge-Weber syndrome has to undergo dental surgery in affected areas of the mouth, great care must be taken to prevent severe hemorrhage.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.163-171
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• 2020

Silibinin exhibits antidiabetic potential by preserving the mass and function of pancreatic β-cells through up-regulation of estrogen receptor-α (ERα) expression. However, the underlying protective mechanism of silibinin in pancreatic β-cells is still unclear. In the current study, we sought to determine whether ERα acts as the target of silibinin for the modulation of antioxidative response in pancreatic β-cells under high glucose and high fat conditions. Our in vivo study revealed that a 4-week oral administration of silibinin (100 mg/kg/day) decreased fasting blood glucose with a concurrent increase in levels of serum insulin in high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic rats. Moreover, expression of ERα, NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in pancreatic β-cells in pancreatic islets was increased by silibinin treatment. Accordingly, silibinin (10 μM) elevated viability, insulin biosynthesis, and insulin secretion of high glucose/palmitate-treated INS-1 cells accompanied by increased expression of ERα, Nrf2, and HO-1 as well as decreased reactive oxygen species production in vitro. Treatment using an ERα antagonist (MPP) in INS-1 cells or silencing ERα expression in INS-1 and NIT-1 cells with siRNA abolished the protective effects of silibinin. Our study suggests that silibinin activates the Nrf2-antioxidative pathways in pancreatic β-cells through regulation of ERα expression.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.292-2999
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• 2022

Anthocyanin, an important component in the grape berry skin, strongly affects grape quality. The transcription factors VvMYBA1 and VvMYBA2 (VvMYBA1/2) control anthocyanin biosynthesis. In addition, cultivation and environmental factors, such as light, influence anthocyanin accumulation. The present study aimed to clarify the effect of shading (reduced light condition) on the transcriptomic regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis using a red-wine grape cultivar, Vitis vinifera 'Pinot Noir', and its white mutant, 'Pinot Blanc', caused by the deletion of the red allele of VvMYBA1/2. The grape berry skins were analyzed for anthocyanin content and global gene transcription accumulation. The microarray data were later validated by quantitative real-time PCR. A decisive influence of VvMYBA1/2 on the expression of an anthocyanin-specific gene, UDP glucose: flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase, was observed as expected. In contrast, upstream genes of the pathway, which are shared by other flavonoids, were also expressed in 'Pinot Blanc', and the mRNA levels of some of these genes decreased in both cultivars on shading. Thus, the involvement of light-sensitive transcription factor(s) other than VvMYBA1/2 was suggested for the expression control of the upstream genes of the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway. Furthermore, it was suggested that the effects of these factors are different among isogenes.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2015.05a
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• pp.227-227
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• 2015

The Wairarapa Valley occupies a predominantly rural area in the lower North Island of New Zealand. It supports a mix of intensive farming (dairy), dry stock farming (sheep and beef cattle) and horticulture (including wine grapes). The valley floor is traversed by the Ruamahanga River, the largest river in the Wellington region with a total catchment area of 3,430 km2. Environmental, cultural and recreational values associated with this Ruamahanga River are very high. The alluvial gravel and sand aquifers of the Wairarapa Valley, support productive groundwater aquifers at depths of up to 100 metres below ground while the Ruamahanga River and its tributaries present a further source of water for users. Water is allocated to users via resource consents by Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC). With intensifying land use, demand from the surface and groundwater resources of the Wairarapa Valley has increased substantially in recent times and careful management is needed to ensure values are maintained. This paper describes the approach being taken to manage water resources in the Wairarapa Valley and redefine appropriate limits of sustainable water use. There are three key parts: Quantifying the groundwater resource. A FEFLOW numerical groundwater flow model was developed by GWRC. This modelling phase provided a much improved understanding of aquifer recharge and abstraction processes. It also began to reveal the extent of hydraulic connection between aquifer and river systems and the importance of moving towards an integrated (conjunctive) approach to allocating water. Development of a conjunctive management framework. The FEFLOW model was used to quantify the stream flow depletion impacts of a range of groundwater abstraction scenarios. From this, three abstraction categories (A, B and C) that describe diminishing degrees of hydraulic connection between ground and surface water resources were mapped in 3 dimensions across the Valley. Interim allocation limits have been defined for each of 17 discrete management units within the valley based on both local scale aquifer recharge and stream flow depletion criteria but also cumulative impacts at the valley-wide scale. These allocation limits are to be further refined into agreed final limits through a community-led decision making process. Community involvement in the limit setting process. Historically in New Zealand, limits for sustainable resource use have been established primarily on the basis of 'hard science' and the decision making process has been driven by regional councils. Community involvement in limit setting processes has been through consultation rather than active participation. Recent legislation in the form of a National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management (2011) is reforming this approach. In particular, collaborative consensus-based decision making with active engagement from stakeholders is now expected. With this in mind, a committee of Wairarapa local people with a wide range of backgrounds was established in 2014. The role of this committee is to make final recommendations about resource use limits (including allocation of water) that reflect the aspirations of the communities they represent. To assist the committee in taking a holistic view it is intended that the existing numerical groundwater flow models will be coupled with with surface flow, contaminant transport, biological and economic models. This will provide the basis for assessing the likely outcomes of a range of future land use and resource limit scenarios.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.179-185
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• 2011

Some phytoestrogens in soy and red wine, for example, might have beneficiary rather than adverse effects. In particular, dietary soy intake seems to be highly correlated with protection of breast cancer, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disorders. However, questions persist on the potential adverse effects of the main soy constituent genistein (GS) on female reproductive physiology. Previously we found that prepubertal exposure to GS could activate the reproductive system of immature female rats leading to precocious puberty onset, and intracerebroventricularly (ICV) injected GS could directly activate hypothalamic kisspeptin-GnRH neuronal circuits in adult female rats. The present study was performed to examine the hypothalamus-specific GS effects in prepubertal female rats and which subtype of estrogen receptor is mediated in this GS effect. Prepubertal female rats (PND 30) were anaesthetized, treated with single dose of GS (3.4 ${\mu}g$/animal), and sacrificed at 2 hrs post-injection. To determine the transcriptional changes of reproductive hormone-related genes in hypothalamus, total RNAs were extracted and applied to the semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). ICV infusion of GS significantly lowered the transcriptional activities of mTOR (1:$0.361{\pm}0.058$ AU, p<0.001) but increased that of GAD67 (1:$1.285{\pm}0.099$ AU, p<0.05), which are known to act as an upstream modulator of kisspeptin and GnRH neuronal activities in the hypothalamus, respectively. GS administration enhanced significantly the mRNA levels of KiSS-1(1:$1.458{\pm}0.078$ AU, p<0.001), and exerted no effect on the mRNA level of kisspeptin receptor GPR-54 (1:$1.29{\pm}0.08$ AU). GnRH gene expression was significantly decreased in GS-treated group compared to control group (1:$0.379{\pm}0.196$ AU, p<0.05). There was no difference in the mRNA level of $ER{\alpha}$ in the GS-treated group compare to control group (1:$1.180{\pm}0.390$ AU, Fig. 3A). However, icv infusion of GS significantly increased the transcriptional activities of $ER{\beta}$ (1:$4.209{\pm}0.796$ AU, p<0.01, Fig. 3B). Taken together, the present study indicated that the acute exposure to GS could directly alter the hypothalamic GnRH modulating system in prepubertal female rats. Our study strongly suggested the involvement of $ER{\beta}$ pathway in GS's hypothalamus-specific action, and this idea is consistent with the GS's well-known $ER{\beta}$-mediated protective action in breast cancer.