• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2002

Objective: To evaluate whether co-culture of oocytes on vero cell monolayers from Day 0 (Day 0 group) after egg retrieval results in an increase in developmental capacity such as fertilization rate, embryo quality, blastulation and clinical pregnancy rate compared with co-culture of oocytes from Day 1 (Day 1 group). Methods: Sperms were treated with Hams F-10 supplemented with 10% human follicular fluid (hFF). Vero cells for co-culture were prepared in TCM-199 with 10% FBS. Oocytes were co-cultured from Day 0 and fertilized oocytes were co-cultured from Day 1 on vero cell monolayers in DMEM with 10% and 20% hFF, respectively after egg retrieval. On day 1, 2 and 5, fertilization rate and grade of embryos and blastocysts were evaluated. Results (fertilization rate, cleavage rate, grade of embryos and blastocysts and pregnancy rate) were considered statistically significant when p value was less than 0.05 using t-test and $x^2$. Results: In sibling oocytes of same cycles, no differences were found in fertilization rate (94.6 vs. 91.4%), cleavage rates (94.6 vs. 91.4%), embryo grade (on day 2 and 3) and blastulation (65.6 vs. 57.0%) and their grade. In different oocytes of different cycles (patients), no differences were found in fertilization (79.8 vs. 78.3%), cleavage rates (77.7 vs. 76.4%) and blastulation (56.0 vs. 45.3%), but pregnancy rate was higher in the Day 0 group than in the Day 1 group (60.0 vs. 42.9%). Conclusions: This study revealed that the embryonic development capacities were not affected by the different co-culture time in the sibling oocytes of same cycles. Although no statistical significance, because of small size of study, there was a trend for higher pregnancy rates in Day 0 group compared to Day 1 group in different oocytes of different cycles.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.198-202
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• 2013

To produce transgenic cucumber expressing Nit gene coffering abiotic resistance, the cotyledonary-node explants of cucumber (cv. Eunsung) were inoculated with A. tumefaciens transformed with pPZP211 or pCAMBIA2300 carrying Nit gene, that has cis-acting element involved in resistance to various abiotic environmental stresses. After co-cultivation, the procedures of selection, shoot initiation, shoot elongation, and plant regeneration were followed by cotyledonary-node transformation method (CTM, Jang et al. 2011). The putative transgenic plants were selected when shoots were grown to a length greater than 3 cm from the cotyledonary-node explants on selection medium supplemented with 100 mg/L paromomycin as a selectable agent. The confirmation of transgenic cucumber was based on the genomic PCR, Southern blot analysis, RT-PCR, and Northern blot analysis. A 105 shoots (4.12%) selected from the selection mediums were obtained from 2,547 explants inoculated. Of them, putative transgenic plants were only confirmed with 45 plants (1.77%) by genomic PCR analysis. Transgenic plants showed that the Nit genes integrated into each genome of 39 plants (1.53%) by Southern blot analysis, and the expression of gene integrated into cucumber genome was only confirmed at 6 plants (0.24%) by RT-PCR and Northern blot analysis. These results lead us to speculate that the genes were successfully integrated and expressed in each genome of transgenic cucumber.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.332-338
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• 2009

A xylan-decomposing bacterium, HY-20, was isolated from the gut of a honeybee, Apis mellifera, and identified as Bacillus sp. The extracellular GH11 xylanase (XylP) gene (687-bp) of strain HY-20 encoded a protein of 228 amino acids with a deduced molecular mass of 25,522 Da and a calculated pI of 9.33. The primary structure of XylP was 97% identical to that of B. pumilus xylanase (GenBank accession no.: AY526092) that has not been characterized yet. The recombinant His-tagged enzyme (rXylP) overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 harboring pET-28a(+)/xylP was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by cation exchange and gel permeation chromatographies. The purified enzyme exhibited the highest catalytic activity toward birchwood xylan at pH 6.5 and $50^{\circ}C$ and retained approximately 50% of its original activity when pre-incubated at $55^{\circ}C$ for 15 min. The recombinant enzyme was completely inactivated by $Hg^{2+}$ (1 mM) and N-bromosuccinimide (5 mM), while its activity was slightly stimulated by approximately 10% in the presence of $Mn^{2+}$ (1 mM), $Fe^{2+}$ (1 mM), and sodium azide (5 mM). rXylP was able to efficiently degrade various polymeric xylose-based substrates but PNP-sugar derivatives and glucose-based polymers were not susceptible to the enzyme.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2013

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the biochemical adverse effect of increased carbon dioxide in seawater on marine polychaete, Perinereis aibuhitensis. We measured the available energy reserves, Ea (total carbohydrate, protein, and lipid content) and the energy consumption, Ec (electron transport activity) of Perinereis aibuhitensis exposed for 7-d to a range of $CO_2$ concentration such as 0.39 (control =390 ppmv), 3.03 (=3,030 ppmv), 10.3 (=10,300 ppmv), and 30.1 (=30,100 ppmv) $CO_2$ mM, respectively. The cellular energy allocation (CEA) methodology was used to assess the adverse effects of toxic stress on the energy budget of the test organisms. The results of a decrease in CEA effect of increased carbon dioxide in seawater from all individual in Ea and Ec. Increase of carbon dioxide reduced pH in seawater, significantly. The chemical changes in sea- water caused by increasing $pCO_2$ might cause stresses to test organisms and changes in the cellular energy allocations. Results of this study can be used to understand the possible influence of $CO_2$ concentration increased by the leakage from sub-sea bed storage sites as well as fossil fuel combustion on marine organisms.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.163-167
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• 2006

Pectin was enzymatically extracted from industrial lemon pomace by using an endo-polygalacturonase from Aspergillus niger as a processing aid and compared to pectin extraction by hot hydrochloric acid. The yield of pectin was 17.6 and 20.2% with enzymatic and acidic treatments, respectively. The molecular weight distribution did not vary greatly between the samples extracted with enzyme or acid. Large differences in charge density were observed, however, when the samples were analyzed by anionic-exchange chromatography. Pectin extracted by the enzymatic treatment indicated higher charge density than that obtained by hydrochloric acid. The higher charge density could due to the presence of endogenous lemon pectinesterase, which was activated at low pH 4.5 in situ conditions during the process of enzymatic extraction, leading to low methoxylated pectin with a higher charge density.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.127-132
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• 2014

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of tissue inhibitor of matalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1), Activin A and Heparin binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF) on in vitro production of bovine embryos. In experiment 1, presumptive zygotes were cultured in the medium supplemented with TIMP-1 ($0.5{\mu}g/ml$), Activin A (100 ng/ml), or HB-EGF (100 ng/ml) at $39^{\circ}C$ in a humidified atmosphere of 5% (v/v) $CO_2$, 5% (v/v) $O_2$ and 90% (v/v) $N_2$. In experiment 2, TIMP-1 + HB-EGF or Activin A + HB-EGF combinations were supplemented in the culture medium. The developmental rate to blastocysts, hatching rate and total cell numbers of the blastocysts were evaluated in both experiments. The embryos cultured in medium without growth factor supplementation was used as control group. In experiment 1, the embryos cultured in medium supplemented with TIMP-1 and Activin A showed significantly higher developmental rate to blastocysts than those cultured with HB-EGF and control (36.9%, 34.1%, 21.2% and 23.1%, respectively) (P<0.0001). However, the hatching rate of blastocyst was significantly higher in embryos with HB-EGF than those with TIMP-1, Actvin A and Control groups (84.4%, 58.8%, 51.4% and 49.3%, respectively) (P<0.001). Total cell number per blastocyst was also significantly higher in embryos with HB-EGF group ($174.3{\pm}2.5$) than those with TIMP-1, Activin A (149.7 and 150.0, respectively) (P<0.05) and Control (119.0) (P<0.001). In experiment 2, embryos cultured with combined treatment of Activin A and HB-EGF resulted in significantly higher rates of blastocysts formation (48.0%), hatching rate (89.7%) and total cell number in blastocyst ($182.3{\pm}2.1$) than those with TIMP-1 and HB-EGF combination group (32.0%, P<0.001; 76.6%, P<0.05; $165.7{\pm}4.2$, P<0.001, respectively). Our data demonstrate that in vitro production of bovine embryos could be improved by combined supplementation of Activin A and HB-EGF in culture medium.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.102-108
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• 2011

We examined the effects of essential oil from Thujopsis dolobrata Sieb. et Zucc. var. hondai Makino (EOTD) (Cupressaceae) on atopic dermatitis (AD)-like skin lesions in NC/Nga mice. Treatment with EOTD twice daily for two weeks ameliorate AD-like skin lesions induced by DNCB (2,4 dinitrochlorobenzene), and clinical scores were reduced to 7.29, 7.07, and 4.5 points in the groups treated with 1.5%, 3.0%, and 6.0% extract (p<0.01) respectively, from the 15.0 score obtained using vehicle. EOTD inhibited the infiltration of mast cells into the AD-like skin lesion in NC/Nga mice (p<0.01) and also reduced serum histamine and IgE levels (p<0.05). Furthermore, it dose-dependently inhibited the release of beta-hexosaminidase from rat basophilic leukemia RBL 2H3 cells. These results indicate that EOTD reduces AD-like skin lesions by inhibiting the production of IgE and histamine, and, thus, IgE-mediated degranulation.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.52-57
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• 2005

Previous studies showed that shell meal fertilizer from the oyster farming industry could be a potential inorganic soil amendment to increase Chinese cabbage productivity and to restore the soil nutrient balance in upland soil (Lee et al., 2004). Herein, shell meal fertilizer was applied at rates of 0, 4, 8, 12, and $16Mg\;ha^{-1}$ to upland soil (Pyeontaeg series, Fine silty, Typic Endoaquepts) for Chinese cabbage cultivation. We found available phosphate increased significantly with shell meal fertilizer application, due to high content of phosphate ($1.5g\;P_2O_5\;kg^{-1}$) in the applied shell meal fertilizer. In addition, high pH of shell meal fertilizer contributed to increase available phosphate content by neutralization of acidic soil. Total and residual P contents increased significantly with increasing shell meal fertilizer application, but we could not find any tendency in organic and inorganic P fraction. Of extractable P fraction, water-soluble phosphorus (W-P) and calcium-bound P (Ca-P) contents increased significantly with increasing application level. By contrast, aluminum and iron-bound P (Al-P and Fe-P) decreased slightly with shell meal application. The present experiment indicated that shell meal fertilizer had a positive benefit on increasing available phosphate content in arable soil. And so the increased available phosphate by shell meal fertilizer may decrease phosphate application level and then reduce phosphorus loss in arable soil.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.207-207
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• 2011

Amorphous transparent oxide semiconductors (a-TOS) have been widely studied for many optoelectronic devices such as AM-OLED (active-matrix organic light emitting diodes). Recently, Nomura et al. demonstrated high performance amorphous IGZO (In-Ga-Zn-O) TFTs.1 Despite the amorphous structure, due to the conduction band minimum (CBM) that made of spherically extended s-orbitals of the constituent metals, an a-IGZO TFT shows high mobility.2,3 But IGZO films contain high cost rare metals. Therefore, we need to investigate the alternatives. Because Aluminum has a high bond enthalpy with oxygen atom and Alumina has a high lattice energy, we try to replace Gallium with Aluminum that is high reserve low cost material. In this study, we focused on the electrical properties of IZO:Al thin films as a channel layer of TFTs. IZO:Al were deposited on unheated non-alkali glass substrates (5 cm ${\times}$ 5 cm) by magnetron co-sputtering system with two cathodes equipped with IZO target and Al target, respectively. The sintered ceramic IZO disc (3 inch ${\phi}$, 5 mm t) and metal Al target (3 inch ${\phi}$, 5 mm t) are used for deposition. The O2 gas was used as the reactive gas to control carrier concentration and mobility. Deposition was carried out under various sputtering conditions to investigate the effect of sputtering process on the characteristics of IZO:Al thin films. Correlation between sputtering factors and electronic properties of the film will be discussed in detail.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.608-615
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• 2000

A determination method of trace nickel and cobalt in water samples was studied and developed by adsorbing their complexes on ion exchange resin suspension. The analytical ions were formed as complexes with a ligand of APDC (ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate) and adsorbed on anion exchange resin of Dowex 2-X8. After the suspension was filtered out with membrane filter, the complexes were dissolved in HCl solution by an ultrasonic vibrator for ET-AAS determination. Several conditions were optimized as followings. pH of sample solution: 5.0, amount of ligand APDC: more than 430 times in mole ratio, the type and concentration of acid: 0.1 M HCl, and vibration time: 7 minutes. The addition of palladium in the HCl solution could improve the reproducibility and sensitivity by a matrix modification in the absorbance measurement. This procedure was applied for the analysis of three kinds of real water samples. The detection limits equivalent to 3 times standard deviation of blank were Co 0.36 ng/mL and Ni 0.27 ng/mL and recoveries in spiked samples were 99-102% for cobalt and 100-105% for nickel.