• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.8
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• pp.1090-1098
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• 2016

The anti-inflammatory effects of ethanol extract from Grateloupia crispata (GCEE) were investigated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine macrophages. Anti-inflammatory effects were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. There was no cytotoxic effect on proliferation of macrophages treated with GCEE compared to the control. GCEE significantly inhibited production of pro-inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$, and $IL-1{\beta}$] as well as nitric oxide in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. In addition, GCEE suppressed expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, and nuclear $factor-{\kappa}B$ in a dose-dependent manner. GCEE significantly reduced activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases. In the in vivo test, evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity of GCEE was performed using croton oil-induced ear edema in ICR mice. Oral administration of 10 mg/kg to 250 mg/kg of GCEE significantly reduced ear edema in a dose-dependent manner compared to croton oil-induced mice. Moreover, GCEE reduced ear thickness and the number of mast cells compared to croton oil-induced mice in the histological analysis. These data suggest that GCEE could be used as a potential source for anti-inflammatory agents.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2020

This study proposes a pixel-patterning method for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on thermal transfer. An infrared lamp was introduced as a heat source, and glass type donor element, which absorbs infrared and generates heat and then transfers the organic layer to the substrate, was designed to selectively sublimate the organic material. A 200 nm-thick layer of molybdenum (Mo) was used as the lightto-heat conversion (LTHC) layer, and a 300 nm-thick layer of patterned silicon dioxide (SiO₂), featuring a low heat-transfer coefficient, was formed on top of the LTHC layer to selectively block heat transfer. To prevent the thermal oxidation and diffusion of the LTHC material, a 100 nm-thick layer of silicon nitride (SiN_x) was coated on the material. The fabricated donor glass exhibited appropriate temperature-increment property until 249 ℃, which is enough to evaporate the organic materials. The alpha-step thickness profiler and X-ray reflection (XRR) analysis revealed that the thickness of the transferred film decreased with increase in film density. In the patterning test, we achieved a 100 ㎛-long line and dot pattern with a high transfer accuracy and a mean deviation of ± 4.49 ㎛. By using the thermal-transfer process, we also fabricated a red phosphorescent device to confirm that the emissive layer was transferred well without the separation of the host and the dopant owing to a difference in their evaporation temperatures. Consequently, its efficiency suffered a minor decline owing to the oxidation of the material caused by the poor vacuum pressure of the process chamber; however, it exhibited an identical color property.

• Journal of IKEEE
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• v.7 no.1 s.12
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• pp.32-42
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• 2003

In this paper, radiation pattern of rectangular microstrip patch antenna with anisotropy substrates and superstrate is studied by using a rigorous full-wave approach and a moment method calculation. Dyadic Green's function is derived for selected anisotropy material by constitutive relation. From these results, integral equations of electric fields are formulated. The electric field integral equations are discretized into the matrix form by applying Galerkin's moment method and then the current coefficients are obtained.. After solving the current coefficients, the far-zone electric field in spherical coordinates can be obtained by using the stationary phase method. To verify the validity of numerical result, we compare our result with existing one and get a good agreement between them. From the numerical results, the radiation patterns for variation of uniaxial superstrate thickness, anisotropy ratio of substrate and superstrate layer are presented and analyzed.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.213-220
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• 2002

Inducible expression system for the three structural proteins, capsid (C), precursor membrane (prM/M), and envelop (E) of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) was established in BHK-21 cells. Doxycycline, a tetracycline analog, was utilized as an inducer. Transfectants BHK-21/IV (vector only), BHK-21/IC (for C), BHK-21/IP3 (for prM), and BHK-21/IE1 (for E) were selected and cloned in the presence of G4l8 or hygromycin. Transcribed mRNAs for the corresponding genes were observed after doxycycline induction. Effects by the JEV structural gene expression on the transfectants were monitored via cell growth, chromatin condensation, internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, and DNA contents analyses. Clear cell growth retardation and chromatin condensation were observed in all three transfectants while only BHK-2/IC corresponded to the induction status in the DNA fragmentation and DNA content analyses. Combined results, therefore, suggested that JEV capsid protein should be one of the direct and independent factors in apoptotic cell death induced by IEV infection.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.364-368
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• 2018

The R2R3-type protein IbMYB1 transcription factor is a key regulator for anthocyanin biosynthesis in the storage roots of sweet potatoes. It was previously demonstrated that the IbMYB1 expression stimulates anthocyanin pigmentation in tobacco leaves, arabidopsis and storage roots of sweet potatoes. In this study, we generated the transgenic potato plants that express the IbMYB1 genes, which accumulated high levels of anthocyanins under the control of either the tuber-specific patatin (PAT) promoter or oxidative stress-inducible peroxidase anionic 2 (SWPA2) promoter. The PAT-MYB1 transgenic lines exhibited higher anthocyanin levels in the tuber than the empty vector control (EV) or SWPA2-MYB1 plants. When combined, our results indicated that overexpression of the IbMYB1 is a highly promising strategy for the generation of transgenic plants with enhanced tissue specific anthocyanin production.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.268-277
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• 2016

This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of the ethanol extract from Chondrus ocellatus Holmes (COHEE) in RAW 264.7 cells and in a mouse ear edema model, by measuring the production of lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory response mediators. There were no cytotoxic effects on the proliferation of macrophages treated with COHEE compared with the control. COHEE inhibited the production of nitric oxide and pro-inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and IL-1β]. The extract also reduced the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, nuclear factor-κB p65, and phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinase in a dose-dependent manner. In the croton-oil-induced ear edema model, COHEE decreased the formation of mouse ear edema at the highest dose compared with the control, and histological analysis revealed that the epidermal/dermal tissue thickness and mast cell numbers were reduced. Therefore, these results suggest that COHEE may be a promising topical anti-inflammatory therapeutic material through its action of modulating NF-κB and the MAPK signaling pathway.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.315-324
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• 2001

Background : IL-8 is a potent chemotactic cytokine that plays an important role in the host defense mechanism against M. tuberculosis by recruiting inflammatory cells to the site of the infection. Lung epithelial cells, as well as alveolar macrophages are known to produce IL-8 in response to M. tuberculosis. IL-8 gene expression is mainly regulated on the level of transcription by NF-${\kappa}B$. This study investigated whether or not A549 cells produce IL-8 in NF-${\kappa}B$ dependent mechanism in response to macrophages phagocytosing M. tuberculosis. Methods : Peripheral blood monocytes that were obtained from healthy donors were cultured for 24 h with M. tuberculosis and a conditioned medium(CoMTB) was obtained. As a negative control, the conditioned medium without M. tuberculosis (CoMCont) was used. A549 cells were stimulated with M. tuberculosis, CoMCont and CoMTB and the IL-8 concentration in the culture media was measured by ELISA. The CoMTB induced IL-8 mRNA expression in the A549 cells was evaluated using RT-PCR, and CoMTB induced $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation was measured using western blot analysis. CoMTB induced nuclear translocation and DNA binding of NF-${\kappa}B$ was also examined using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay(EMSA), and the CoMTB induced NF-${\kappa}B$ dependent IL-8 transcriptional activity was measured using a luciferase reporter gene assay. Results : CoMTB induced IL-8 production by A549 cells($46.8{\pm}4.8\;ng/ml$) was higher than with direct stimulation with M. tuberculosis ($6.8{\pm}2.9\;ng/ml$). CoMTB induced IL-8 mRNA expression increased after 2 h of stimulation and was sustained for 24 h. $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ was degraded after 10 min of CoMTB stimulation and reappeared by 60 min. CoMTB stimulated the nuclear translocation and DNA binding of NF-${\kappa}B$. The CoMTB induced NF-${\kappa}B$ dependent IL-8 transcriptional activity($13.6{\pm}4.3$ times control) was higher than either CoMCont($2.0{\pm}0.6$ times control) or M. tuberculosis ($1.4{\pm}0.6$ times control). Conclusion : A conditioned medium of peripheral blood monocytes phagocytosing M. tuberculosis stimulates NF-${\kappa}B$ dependent IL-8 production by the lung epithelial cells.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.495-509
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• 2003

Background : Neutrophil-mediated inflammation is usually self-limiting, because neutrophils have a remarkably short life span. Prolonged neutrophil survival, which is caused by decreased spontaneous apoptosis, leads to persistent inflammation in sepsis. Because many inflammatory cytokines, which generate signals that delay apoptosis, are regulated by nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ transcription factor, we hypothesized that nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ might be related to the reduced neutrophil apoptosis observed in sepsis. Methods : Neutrophils of healthy volunteers and sepsis patients were freshly isolated from venous blood. Neutrophil apoptosis was assayed with two approaches : by counting apoptotic cells under a microscope and by flow cytometry using Annexin V. The activity of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ was assessed by immunofluorescent staining or electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Expression of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis was measured by western blot assay. Results : We confirmed reduced spontaneous neutrophil apoptosis in patients with sepsis. The number of apoptotic neutrophils in patients with sepsis increased to the level of that in healthy controls after cycloheximide treatment, suggesting that decreased spontaneous neutrophil apoptosis is dependent on de novo protein synthesis. In patients with sepsis, basal neutrophil nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ was activated compared to the level in healthy controls. Moreover, a blockade of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ activity reversed the decreased spontaneous neutrophil apoptosis in sepsis patients. Meanwhile, X-linked inhibition of apoptosis expression, which is regulated by nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$, decreased 24 hours after incubation in healthy persons, but persisted for 24 hours in patients with sepsis. Conclusion : These observations suggest that the reduced spontaneous neutrophil apoptosis observed in patients with sepsis may be related to the induction of survival protein by nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.409-415
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• 2017

The vegetation period of trees might be prolonged by the delay of the leaf senescence in autumn. Thus, we focused on the generation of senescence-delayed transgenic trees to enhance biomass production. The PagMYC2, a gene containing the basic helix-loop-helix domain, was selected as a candidate for a senescence-delayed transgenic tree. The PagMYC2 gene was specifically induced after treatment with phytohormone jasmonic acid, and upregulated by abiotic stresses such as salinity, osmotic pressure and a low temperature. The constitutive overexpression of the PagMYC2 delayed the leaf senescence and inhibited chlorophyll degradation in the transgenic poplars. Leaf senescence analysis was performed in the leaf tissues of the PagMYC2-over-expression transgenic poplars. The transgenic poplars exhibited higher photochemical efficiency than did a wild type plant under a short-day condition (6 hours light/18 hours darkness) or a low temperature condition ($15^{\circ}C$) that was similar to the weather conditions of autumn. These results suggest that the PagMYC2 is a useful genetic resource to improve biomass production, which is able to sustain growth with senescence-delayed leaves for a long time in autumn.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.186-195
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• 2015

Anthranilate synthase (AS) is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of tryptophan (Trp), which is the precursor of bioactive metabolites like indole-3-acetic acid and other indole alkaloids. Alpha anthranilate synthase 2 (OsASA2) plays a critical role in the feedback inhibition of tryptophan biosynthesis. In this study, two vectors with single (F124V) and double (S126F/L530D) point mutations of the OsASA2 gene for feedback-insensitive ${\alpha}$ subunit of rice anthranilate synthase were constructed and transformed into wildtype Dongjinbyeo by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Transgenic single and double mutant lines were selected as a single copy using TaqMan PCR utilized nos gene probe. To select intergenic lines, the flanking sequence of RB or LB was digested with a BfaI enzyme. Four intergenic lines were selected using a flanking sequence tagged (FST) analysis. Expression in rice (Oryza sativa L.) of the transgenes resulted in the accumulation of tryptophan (Trp), indole-3-acetonitrile (IAN), and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in leaves and tryptophan content as a free amino acid in seeds also increased up to 30 times relative to the wildtype. Two homozygous event lines, S-TG1 and D-TG1, were selected for characterization of agronomic traits and metabolite profiling of seeds. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs), related to ion transfer and nutrient supply, were upregulated and DEGs related to co-enzymes that work as functional genes were down regulated. These results suggest that two homozygous event lines may prove effective for the breeding of crops with an increased level of free tryptophan content.