• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.50-56
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• 2012

The Wnt/${\beta}$-catenin signaling pathway regulates diverse developmental processes and adult tissue homeostasis. Inappropriate regulation of this pathway has been associated with human diseases, such as cancers, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer's disease. Using a cell-based chemical screening with natural compounds, we discovered silybin, a plant flavonoid isolated from the Silybum marianum, which activated the Wnt/${\beta}$-catenin signaling pathway in a synergy with Wnt3a-conditioned medium (Wnt3a-CM). In the presence of Wnt3a-CM, silybin up-regulated ${\beta}$-catenin response transcription (CRT) in HEK293-FL reporter cells and 3T3-L1 preadipocytes through stabilization of intracellular ${\beta}$-catenin protein. Silybin and Wnt3a-CM synergistically reduced expression of important adipocyte marker genes including peroxisome-proliferator-activated $receptor{\gamma}$ ($PPAR{\gamma}$) and CAATT enhancer-binding protein ${\alpha}$ (C/$EBP{\alpha}$) in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, accompanied by the activation of Wnt/${\beta}$-catenin signaling pathway. Taken together, our findings indicate that silybin is a small-molecule synergist of the Wnt/${\beta}$-catenin signaling pathway and can be used as a controllable reagent for investigating biological processes that involve the Wnt/${\beta}$-catenin signaling pathway.

• Journal of the Korean Statistical Society
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.383-395
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• 1997

This paper proves that the standard bootstrap approximation for the least absolute deviation (LAD) estimate of .beta. in AR(1) processes with infinite variance error terms is asymptotically valid in probability when the bootstrap resample size is much smaller than the original sample size. The theoretical validity results are supported by simulation studies.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.416-423
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• 2006

The dynamic mechanical thermal properties of poly(hexamethylene terephthalate) (PHT), poly(1,4-cyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate) (PCT) and their P(HT-co-CT) random copolymers in the amorphous state were examined as a function of temperature and frequency. All the samples exhibited two main relaxation processes in the plot of tan ${\delta}$ versus temperature: the primary ${\alpha}$-relaxation associated with the glass transition and the secondary ${\beta}$-relaxation attributed to the local segmental motions of mostly cyclohexylene rings for PCT and to cooperative motions of methylene, carboxyl, and phenylene groups for PHT. Both ${\alpha}$- and ${\beta}$-relaxation temperatures increased with increasing CT content. The activation energy of the ${\alpha}$-relaxation increased with increasing CT content, whereas that of the ${\beta}$-relaxation decreased. The sub-glassy secondary ${\beta}$-relaxation processes of PCT and PHT were investigated in terms of the cooperativity of main-chain segmental motions.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.747-751
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• 2008

The effect of additives in the synthesis of biodiesel fuel using supercritical methanol was studied in order to examine the possibility of application of spent vegetable oil as a raw material, which has high contents of water or free fatty acid. The experiments were performed by varying the contents of water, free fatty acid or antioxidants respectively in a batch reactor. The contents of fatty acid methyl ester was analyzed by a gas chromatography. As the water contents increased, the contents of fatty acid methyl ester decreased, however, the decrease was very little compared with the alkaline and acid catalyst. The effect of the contents of free fatty acid, vitamin E, and ${\beta}$-carotene was negligible.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.783-789
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• 2000

This study was focused on the optimal extracting conditions of dimethyl-$\beta$-propiothetin as bioactive substance from green seaweed. Identification and quantification of dimethyl-$\beta$-propiothetin were measured by headspace gas chromatography after conversion to dimethyl sulfide by treatment with saturated NaOH solution. Dimethyl-$\beta$-propiothetin was extracted through various processes (solvent extraction, ultrasonication, boiling and autoclaving) from Ulva pertusa. The content of dimethyl-$\beta$-propiothetin extracted by autoclaving treatment showed higher than that of various extraction methods. Dimethyl-$\beta$-propiothetin content in extract of Ulva pertusa was 325,800 ng/g after autoclaving 121$^{\circ}C$ for 45 min. Dimethyl-$\beta$-propiothetin in exract of Ulva pertusa was comparative stable under low temperature. The retentions of dimethyl-$\beta$-propiothetin content in extract of Ulva pertusa were 76.6~99.8% by incubation at 10~6$0^{\circ}C$ for 2 hours. Chemical decomposition of dimethyl-$\beta$-propiothetin was observed under laboratory conditions at pH values higher than 9.5.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.199-204
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• 2008

KIF1B${\beta}$ is a member of the Kinesin superfamily proteins (KIFs), which are microtubule-dependent molecular motors that are involved in various intracellular organellar transport processes. KIF1B${\beta}$ is not restricted to neuronal systems, however, is widely expressed in other tissues, even though the function of KIF1B${\beta}$ is still unclear. To elucidate the KIF1B${\beta}$-binding proteins in non-neuronal cells, we used the yeast two-hybrid system, and found a specific interaction of KIF1B${\beta}$ and the sorting nexin (SNX) 17. The C-terminal region of SNX17 is required for the binding with KIF1B${\beta}$. SNX17 protein bound to the specific region of KIF1Bf3 (813-916. aa), but not to other kinesin family members. In addition, this specific interaction was also observed in the Glutathione S-transferase pull-down assay. An antibody to SNX17 specifically co-immunoprecipitated KIF1B${\beta}$ associated with SNX17 from mouse brain extracts. These results suggest that SNX17 might be involved in the KIF1B${\beta}$-mediated transport as a KIF1B${\beta}$ adaptor protein.

• Journal of the Korean Statistical Society
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.481-498
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• 2001

Empirical Bayes procedure of nonparametric estiamtion of cumulative hazard rates based on censored data is considered using the beta process priors of Hjort(1990). Beta process priors with unknown parameters are used for cumulative hazard rates. Empirical Bayes estimators are suggested and asymptotic optimality is proved. Our result generalizes that of Susarla and Van Ryzin(1978) in the sensor that (i) the cumulative hazard rate induced by a Dirichlet process is a beta process, (ii) our empirical Bayes estimator does not depend on the censoring distribution while that of Susarla and Van Ryzin(1978) does, (iii) a class of estimators of the hyperprameters is suggested in the prior distribution which is assumed known in advance in Susarla and Van Ryzin(1978). This extension makes the proposed empirical Bayes procedure more applicable to real dta sets.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.1110-1114
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• 2008

$\beta$-Glucuronidases of intestinal bacteria are capable of retoxifying compounds that have been detoxified by liver glucuronidation, which is one of the most important detoxication processes in the liver. Therefore, this enzyme is known to accelerate colon cancer invasion and metastasis. Two bromophenols, 2,4,6-tribromophenol (I) and 2,4-dibromophenol (II), were purified from the red alga Grateloupia elliptica. $IC_{50}$ values of bromophenol I and II against Escherichia coli $\beta$-glucuronidase were 5.4 and 8.5 mg/mL, respectively. Hence, bromophenols of G. elliptica, a potent $\beta$-glucuronidase inhibitor, can be used as a novel pharmaceutical agent for the prevention and treatment of colon cancer.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.273-278
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• 2000

Transforming growth factor-$\beta$ (IGF-$\beta$)s are multifunctional small polypeptides synthesized in most cell types. TGF-$\beta$ exerts pivotal effects on both bone formation and resorption. In addition, increasing lines of evidence implicate TGF-$\beta$ as a potential coupling factor between these two processes during bone remodeling. In the present study, the expression form and the activation mechanism of latent-TGF-$\beta$ were investigated using specific antibodies for each isoform. TGF-$\beta$s were observed to be synthesized and accumulated in a large amount in cultured osteoblastic cells. The estimated molecular weights of intracellular TGF-$\beta$2 and -$\beta$3 were 49 and 55 kDa, respectively. Based on proteolytic digestion study and immunofluorescence observation, these precursor forms seemed to be accumulated in distinct intracellular compartments. To examine whether the internal pool of TGF-$\beta$ was possiblely regulated by external signals, their biological activites were examined in a conditioned media of this cell. Although the intact conditioned media did not contain detectable TGF-$\beta$ activity, heat-treatment or acid-activation of the conditioned media revealed significant TGF-$\beta$ activity. Furthermore, in the presence of estrogen, this activity was dramatically diminished. It is known that activation of latent TGF-$\beta$ can be achieved by different chemical and enzymatic treatments, or by incubation with certain cell types. This extracellular activation was suggested as a key step in the regulation of TGF-$\beta$ activity. In addition to these extracellular activation, this study suggests that the synthesis and intracellular processing are important regulation steps for TGF-$\beta$ action. In addition, this regulation Is specific for TGF-$\beta$ type 2, because the change was not observed in TGF-$\beta$3 in osteoblastic cell line.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.1016-1021
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• 2018

Clostridium difficile toxin A causes pseudomembranous colitis. The pathogenesis of toxin A-induced colonic inflammation includes toxin A-dependent epithelial cell apoptosis, resulting in the loss of barrier function provided by epithelial cells against luminal pathogens. Toxin A-dependent epithelial cell apoptosis has been linked to toxin A-induced production of reaction oxygen species and subsequent p38MAPK activation; $p21^{CIP1/WAF1}$ upregulation-dependent cell cycle arrest; cytoskeletal disaggregation; and/or the induction of Fas ligand on epithelial cells. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying toxin A-induced apoptosis remain poorly understood. This study tested whether toxin A could block the Wnt signaling pathway, which is involved in gut epithelial cell proliferation, differentiation and antiapoptotic progression. Toxin A treatment of nontransformed human colonocytes (NCM460) rapidly reduced ${\beta}$-catenin protein, an essential component of the Wnt signaling pathway. Exposure of mouse ileum to toxin A also significantly reduced ${\beta}$-catenin protein levels. MG132 inhibition of proteasome-dependent protein degradation resulted in the recovery of toxin A-mediated reduction of ${\beta}$-catenin, indicating that toxin A may activate intracellular processes, such as $GSK3{\beta}$, to promote degradation of ${\beta}$-catenin. Immunoblot analysis showed that toxin A increased active phosphorylation of $GSK3{\beta}$. Because the Wnt signaling pathway is essential for gut epithelial cell proliferation and anti-apoptotic processes, our results suggest that toxin A-mediated inhibition of the Wnt signaling pathway may be required for maximal toxin A-induced apoptosis of gut epithelial cells.