• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.13
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• pp.5271-5276
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• 2014

Mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase kinase 3 (MEKK3) is an important protein kinase and a member of the MAPK family, which regulates cellular responses to environmental stress and serves as key integration points along the signal transduction cascade that not only link diverse extracellular stimuli to subsequent signaling molecules but also amplify the initiating signals to ultimately activate effector molecules and induce cell proliferation, differentiation and survival. To explore the relationship between MEKK3 and cell apoptosis, clinicopathology and prognosis, we characterize the expression of MEKK3 and survivin in cervical cancer. MEKK3 and survivin expression was measured by RT-PCR and Western blotting of fresh surgical resections from 30 cases of cervical cancer and 25 cases of chronic cervicitis. Protein expression was detected by tissue microarray and immunochemistry (En Vision) in 107 cases of cervical cancer, 86 cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), and 35 cases of chronic cervicitis. Expression patterns were analyzed for their association with clinicopathological factors and prognosis in cervical cancer. Expression of MEKK3 and survivin mRNA was significantly higher in cervical cancer than in the controls (p<0.05). MEKK3 and survivin expression differed significantly between cervical carcinoma, CIN, and cervicitis (p<0.05) and correlated with clinical stage, infiltration depth, and lymph node metastasis (p<0.05). MEKK3 expression was positively correlated with survivin (p<0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that MEKK3 and survivin expression, lymph node metastasis, depth of invasion, and FIGO stage reduce cumulative survival. Cox multivariate regression analysis showed that MEKK3, survivin, and clinical staging are independent prognostic factors in cervical cancer (p<0.05). Expression of MEKK3 and survivin are significantly increased in cervical cancer, their overexpression participating in the occurrence and development of cervical cancer, with protein expression and clinical staging acting as independent prognostic factors for patients with cervical cancer.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.737-746
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• 2019

Most landslides in the country are shallow failures triggered by intense rainfall. Many researchers have revealed the possibility of predicting shallow failure through the volumetric water content (VWC). This study examined how to determine shallow failure using the gradient characteristics of the volumetric water content. For this, flume experiments were conducted using weathered granite soil. To confirm the saturation state of the surface layer under a rainfall intensity of 30 and 50mm/hr, VWC sensors were installed at depths of 10 and 20 cm on the upper, middle and lower slope. The test results showed that a shallow failure determination using VWC could be applied limitedly according to the slope degree. In addition, the effective cumulative rainfall due to the rainfall infiltration velocity is considered the main factor for the failure time. The failure prediction using the gradient of the VWC depends on the installation location and depth of the sensor. According to the experimental data, the measured value at 20 cm below the slope was most effective. Therefore, an analysis method of VWC and the method of selecting the installation location confirmed through this study can provide important data for presenting the measurement criteria using VWC in the future.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.34.1-34.16
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• 2021

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by dryness of the mouth and eyes. The glandular dysfunction in SS involves not only T cell-mediated destruction of the glands but also autoantibodies against the type 3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor or aquaporin 5 (AQP5) that interfere with the secretion process. Studies on the breakage of tolerance and induction of autoantibodies to these autoantigens could benefit SS patients. To break tolerance, we utilized a PmE-L peptide derived from the AQP5-homologous aquaporin of Prevotella melaninogenica (PmAqp) that contained both a B cell "E" epitope and a T cell epitope. Repeated subcutaneous immunization of C57BL/6 mice with the PmE-L peptide efficiently induced the production of Abs against the "E" epitope of mouse/human AQP5 (AQP5E), and we aimed to characterize the antigen specificity, the sequences of AQP5E-specific B cell receptors, and salivary gland phenotypes of these mice. Sera containing anti-AQP5E IgG not only stained mouse Aqp5 expressed in the submandibular glands but also detected PmApq and PmE-L by immunoblotting, suggesting molecular mimicry. Characterization of the AQP5E-specific autoantibodies selected from the screening of phage display Ab libraries and mapping of the B cell receptor repertoires revealed that the AQP5E-specific B cells acquired the ability to bind to the Ag through cumulative somatic hypermutation. Importantly, animals with anti-AQP5E Abs had decreased salivary flow rates without immune cell infiltration into the salivary glands. This model will be useful for investigating the role of anti-AQP5 autoantibodies in glandular dysfunction in SS and testing new therapeutics targeting autoantibody production.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.817-825
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• 1999

Background : Forceps biopsy, bronchial brushing, and bronchial washing are used in conjunction with bronchoscopy to provide specimens for histologic and cytologic analysis in patients with suspected lung cancer. This study was performed to evaluate how many times brushing should be done and how much fluid should be used during bronchial washing for increasing diagnostic yield, and to evaluate which combination of these procedures gives the highest diagnostic yield. Methods : Forty patients, with suspected lung cancer, who had bronchoscopically visible lesions were enrolled in this prospective study. During one bronchoscopic examination four forceps biopsies, four bronchial brushings, and bronchial washing were done in all patients. The patients were divided into four groups by the amount of normal saline used for bronchial washing; group I, 10 ml ; group II, 20ml ; group III 30ml, and group IV, 40ml. We analyzed the results in 36 patients confirmed as lung cancer. Results : The diagnostic sensitivity of bronchial washing before and after forceps biopsy and bronchial brushing were 36% and 28%, respectively. The cumulative diagnostic sensitivity of bronchial washing was 47% and significantly higher than that of bronchial washing before or after forceps biopsy and bronchial brushing (p<0.05). The diagnostic sensitivity of bronchial washing with saline of 30ml was significantly higher than that of bronchial washing with saline of 10ml or 20ml (p<0.05). The diagnostic sensitivity of the first brushing was 75%, the second brushing 78%, the third brushing 83%, and the fourth brushing 67%. With repeated brushing up to three times, the diagnostic sensitivity increased to 92% (p<0.05). However, inclusion of the fourth brushing did not give a further increase of the diagnostic sensitivity. The diagnostic sensitivity of forceps biopsy was 86%. The diagnostic sensitivities of forceps biopsy by the type of bronchial lesion were as follows: tumor, 88%; infiltration, 67%; infiltration with nodularity, 80%; and collapse, 100%. The combination of forceps biopsy and bronchial washing gave a diagnostic sensitivity of 89%. The diagnostic sensitivity of combining forceps biopsy with bronchial brushing was 97%. Addition of bronchial washing did not increase the diagnostic yield over forceps biopsy and bronchial brushing. Conclusion : In patients with central lung cancer, forceps biopsies and repeated brushings up to three times should be done for maximal diagnostic yield.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.596-601
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• 2001

This study was carried out to determine the effect of base carriers such as zeolite or vermiculite on change of concentration of polyoxyethylene laury ether[$C_{12}H_{25}O(C_{2}H_{4}O)_{3}H$, PLE] and on initial wetting of peat-vermiculite medium in the development of a soil wetting agent using the mixture of PLE and polyoxyethylene+polyppro-pyleneoxide tridecylether (1:1, w/w, CM-1). The concentration of PLE in the treatment of vermiculite was higher than that of zeolite during the period from 2 to 6 weeks. The cumulative concentration of PLE released in the treatment of vermiculite was about $2800mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ and zeolite was about $2300mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$. The treatments of PLE+CM-1 with zeolite or vermiculite as a carrier were effective in initial water retention of root media having more than 510 mL of water per pot, where as those of $AquaGro^{G}$ and control had 490 mL and 400 mL of water per pot, respectively. In the evaporative water loss, the treatment of zeolite and $AquaGro^{G}$ were faster than that of control and vermiculite. The control treatment had the fastest water movement in and the highest volume of water infiltrating into root medium among all treatments. Increased application rate of PLE+CM-1 did not increase water retention capacity. The treatment of $0.6g{\cdot}L^{-1}$ had the highest evaporative water loss and that of $0.3g{\cdot}L^{-1}$ had the highest amount of water infiltrating into root media among all other treatments.