• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.61-64
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• 2018

Malignant lesion of the trachea predominantly results from direct spread of adjacent tumors, whereas primary tracheal malignancies are rarely observed. Tracheal tumors are usually diagnosed late on account of delayed specific symptoms: dyspnea, stridor, coughing and hemoptysis. Primary tracheal tumors, although very rare, may extend into the thyroid gland and present as a thyroid mass. Surgery, followed by adjuvant radiotherapy, is the treatment of choice. A case of primary tracheal cancer with thyroid invasion is reported, and a review of the literature is presented.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.635-643
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• 2018

Bovine milk is widely consumed by humans and is a primary ingredient of dairy foods. Proteomic approaches have the potential to elucidate complex milk proteins and have been used to study milk of various species. Here, we performed a proteomic analysis using 2-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometer (MALDI-TOF MS) to identify whey proteins in bovine milk obtained soon after parturition (bovine early milk). The major casein proteins were removed, and the whey proteins were analyzed with 2-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-D PAGE). The whey proteins (2 mg) were separated by pI and molecular weight across pH ranges of 3.0 - 10.0 and 4.0 - 7.0. The 2-DE gels held about 300 to 700 detectable protein spots. We randomly picked 12 and nine spots that were consistently expressed in the pH 3.0 - 10.0 and pH 4.0 - 7.0 ranges, respectively. Following MALDI-TOF MS analysis, the 21 randomly selected proteins included proteins known to be present in bovine milk, such as albumin, lactoferrin, serum albumin precursor, T cell receptor, polymeric immunoglobulin receptor, pancreatic trypsin inhibitor, aldehyde oxidase and microglobulin. These proteins have major functions in immune responses, metabolism and protein binding. In summary, we herein identified both known and novel whey proteins present in bovine early milk, and our sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis revealed their expression pattern.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.235-240
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• 2018

Betula platyphylla var. japonica (Betulaceae), also known as Asian white birch, is an endemic medicinal tree, the bark of which has been used in Chinese traditional medicine for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases. In our continuing search for bioactive compounds from Korean natural resources, a phytochemical investigation of the bark of B. platyphylla var. japonica led to the isolation of 7-oxo-${\beta}$-sitosterol (1) and soyacerebroside I (2) from its ethanol extract as main components by liquid chromatography (LC)/mass spectrometry (MS)-based analysis. The structures of isolates were identified by comparison of $^1H$ and $^{13}C$ nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic data and physical data with the previously reported values and LC/MS analyses. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that the isolated compounds, 7-oxo-${\beta}$-sitosterol and soyacerebroside I, were isolated in B. platyphylla var. japonica. We examined the effects of the isolates on the regulation of adipocytes and osteoblast differentiation. These isolates (1 and 2) produced fewer lipid droplets compared to the untreated negative control in Oil Red O staining of the mouse mesenchymal stem cell line without altering the amount of alkaline phosphatase staining. The results demonstrated that both compounds showed marginal inhibitory effects on adipocyte differentiation but did not affect osteoblast differentiation.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.22-30
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• 2019

Objectives The aim of this study is to investigate the related factors of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods The subjects were 187 persons diagnosed as fatty liver by abdominal ultrasonography. They were divided into three groups according to the severity of fatty liver: control, mild, moderate or severe. The three groups' general characteristics, laboratory results, liver function indexes, metabolic syndrome indexes, tumor markers, heart rate variability values and Sasang constitution distribution were compared and analyzed. Results Male ratio, height, weight, body mass index, red blood cell count, hemoglobin level and creatinine level were higher in NAFLD groups than in control group. The levels of sodium and amylase were higher in control than in NAFLD. In liver function, the levels of aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase and gamma-glutamyl transpepsidase of NAFLD were higher. In metabolic syndrome index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, waist circumference, total cholesterol, triglyceride and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were higher in NAFLD, while high density lipoprotein cholesterol level was higher in control. The alpha-feto protein level was higher in NAFLD, and the heart rate variability was not different between NAFLD and control groups. In Sasang constitution, Taeeumin ratio of NAFLD was higher than of control. Conclusions The results suggest that nonalcoholic fatty liver is clinically related to liver dysfunction, metabolic syndrome, tumor markers, and Sasang constitution. Further studies are needed to control nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and prevent severe disease such as cirrhosis and cancer caused by fatty liver.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.115-126
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• 2019

Objectives : Osteoporosis is a condition characterized by low bone mass and increased bone fragility. It has become a major problem of senior citizens. The purpose of this study is to experiment the effect of water extract of Forsythiae Fructus (wFF) on osteoclast differentiation; and the other purpose is to examine the effect of wFF on osteoporosis in ovariectomized rat. Methods : To investigate the effect of wFF on osteoclast differentiation and activity, RAW 264.7 cells were used. The number of TRAP positive cell, TRAP activity, pit area, mRNA expression of makers (RANK, TRAP, CA II, CTK, MMP-9, NFATc1, c-Fos), protein expression of makers (NFATc1, c-Fos) were investigated. For in vivo study, 40 female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were induced osteoporosis by ovariectomy (OVX) and then tested for anti-osteoporosis effect by administration of wFF. Results : wFF suppressed osteoclatogenesis, TRAP activity and pit area formation. Moreover, wFF decreased the expression of master differentiation factors (NFATc1, c-Fos) and also reduced the osteoclastogenesis-related markers (TRAP, CA II, CTK, MMP-9). These suggest that wFF inhibit osteoclasts differentiation and bone resorption. In the OVX rat model, wFF inhibited decreasing of BMD and trabecular area. Conclusions : Forsythiae Fructus should be effective for osteoporosis prevention and treatment.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.193-200
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• 2019

Ceramide metabolism is known to be an essential etiology for various diseases, such as atopic dermatitis and Gaucher disease. Glucosylceramide synthase (GCS) is a key enzyme for the synthesis of glucosylceramide (GlcCer), which is a main ceramide metabolism pathway in mammalian cells. In this article, we developed a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method to determine GCS activity using synthetic non-natural sphingolipid C8-ceramide as a substrate. The reaction products, C8-GlcCer for GCS, could be separated on a C18 column by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Quantification was conducted using the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode to monitor the precursor-to-product ion transitions of m/z $588.6{\rightarrow}264.4$ for C8-GlcCer at positive ionization mode. The calibration curve was established over the range of 0.625-160 ng/mL, and the correlation coefficient was larger than 0.999. This method was successfully applied to detect GCS in the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2 cells) and mouse peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We also evaluated the inhibition degree of a known GCS inhibitor 1-phenyl-2-decanoylamino-3-morpholino-1-propanol (PDMP) on GCS enzymatic activity and proved that this method could be successfully applied to GCS inhibitor screening of preventive and therapeutic drugs for ceramide metabolism diseases, such as atopic dermatitis and Gaucher disease.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.29-36
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• 2019

In modern society in which the fourth industrial revolution has come to the fore and rapid technology innovations are taking place, a phenomenon of making and selling small quantities of various products that consumers want instead of mass producing one item has emerged. As the market is moving toward the multi-item small-sized production system, there is a need for a system in which a machine independently judges and carries out machining and post-processing. In order for a machine to judge processing on its own, it is necessary to measure the force applied to a product. This study aimed to develop a large-scale dynamometer that enables three-axis measurement using octagonal ring load cells. As for the device's configuration, four octagonal ring load cells, which were previously researched, were used to enable three-axis measurement. It was reconfigured by modifying the attachment position of the octagonal ring load cells' strain gauge and the Wheatstone bridge of each axis, and a system was set up to allow the monitoring of data measured through the monitor. The configured device calculated a strain rate by an experiment, and this rate was compared with the theoretical strain rate to find a correction value. The correction value was entered into a formula, deriving a modified formula. The modified formula was entered into the device, which completed the large-scale dynamometer.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.1007-1014
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• 2019

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the fermentation characteristics under low mesophilic temperature of spent instant coffee ground (SICG) and to estimate the effect of fermented SICG (FSICG) as alternative feed ingredient on milk productivity of dairy cows. Methods: In the fermentation trial, fermentation of SICG was performed to investigate changes in characteristics using the microbial mixture (Lactobacillus plantarum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Bacillus subtilis = 1:1:1) for 21 days at $20^{\circ}C$ under anaerobic conditions. Molasses was added at 5% of dry mass. In the animal trial, eighteen Holstein Friesian cows were used to evaluate the nutritive value of the FSICG which was fermented for 14 days under the same condition as the fermentation trial. Results: In the fermentation trial, the dry matter (DM) and organic matter content linearly decreased with fermentation time (p<0.001 and p = 0.008, respectively). The acid detergent insoluble nitrogen content linearly decreased with fermentation time (p = 0.037). The microorganism counts linearly increased for Lactobacillus plantarum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Bacillus subtilis across fermentation time (p<0.001). In the animal trial, the DM intake of the control and FSICG treatment were not significantly different, as were milk yield, 4% fat corrected milk, fat-protein corrected milk, and feed to milk conversion content. Fat, protein, lactose, non-fat solids, milk urea nitrogen, and somatic cell counts were also not significantly different in milk composition between treatments. Conclusion: FSICG should be considered a sufficient substitute for cottonseed as a feed component, and 5% DM of a dietary FSICG level was appropriate for dairy cow diets.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.10
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• pp.1430-1437
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• 2021

Cronobacter sakazakii is an opportunistic pathogenic bacterium found in powdered infant formula and is fatal to neonates. Antibiotic resistance has emerged owing to overuse of antibiotics. Therefore, demand for high-yield bacteriophages as an alternative to antibiotics has increased. Accordingly, we developed a modified mass-production method for bacteriophages by introducing a two-stage self-cycling (TSSC) process, which yielded high-concentration bacteriophage solutions by replenishing the nutritional medium at the beginning of each process, without additional challenge. pH of the culture medium was monitored in real-time during C. sakazakii growth and bacteriophage CS01 propagation, and the changes in various parameters were assessed. The pH of the culture medium dropped to 5.8 when the host bacteria reached the early log phase (OD₅₄₀ = 0.3). After challenge, it decreased to 4.65 and then recovered to 4.94; therefore, we set the optimum pH to challenge the phage at 5.8 and that to harvest the phage at 4.94. We then compared phage production during the TSSC process in jar-type bioreactors and the batch culture process in shaker flasks. In the same volume of LB medium, the concentration of the phage titer solution obtained with the TSSC process was 24 times higher than that obtained with the batch culture process. Moreover, we stably obtained high concentrations of bacteriophage solutions for three cycles with the TSSC process. Overall, this modified TSSC process could simplify large-scale production of bacteriophage CS01 and reduce the unit cost of phage titer solution. These results could contribute to curing infants infected with antibiotic-resistant C. sakazakii.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.1265-1273
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• 2020

Objectives: Patients with polycythemia vera can experience many symptoms, including dizziness, headache, and fatigue, caused by a high red blood cell mass and blood viscosity. Some symptoms persist even after appropriate treatment. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of Korean medicine on dizziness following polycythemia vera treatment. Methods: A patient diagnosed with polycythemia vera was treated with Korean medicine, including pharmacopuncture, acupuncture, and herbal medicine. We used a numeral rating scale (NRS) and the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) to observe the effects of the treatment. Results: After treatment, the hematocrit and hemoglobin increased to within normal range, and the NRS scores for dizziness and fatigue, subjective discomfort, and DHI scores decreased compared with the preadmission values. Conclusions: This report shows that Korean medicine helped to relieve dizziness in a patient with polycythemia vera. However, we need further studies to establish treatment regimens for polycythemia vera symptoms.