• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.52-57
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• 2005

Soy and soy foods are a rich source of isoflavones, which possess several biological activities. The effect of soy isoflavones, genistin and diadzin and their respective aglycones, on glucose uptake in adipocytes isolated from normal or high-fat fed rats was examined. As expected, insulin stimulated glucose uptake in a concentration-dependent manner. However, genistin and daidzin and their aglycones inhibited glucose uptake in a concentration-dependent (25-100μM) manner. In a time-course response, the aglycones significantly inhibited glucose uptake throughout 3 hr (after 30, 60, 120, 180 min), whereas the glycones only significantly inhibited the glucose uptake after 120 min and 180 min in the isolated rat adipocytes. Thus, the glucosides of genistein and daidzein, i.e. genistin and daidzin, were much less effective in inhibiting glucose uptake than their aglycones. In addition, genistin and daidzin did not significantly affect the insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, whereas genistein and daidzein did significantly inhibited glucose uptake compared to the vehicle control group by 47.5% and 24.8%, respectively (p < 0.05). The isoflavones also significantly inhibited glucose uptake in adipocytes isolated from rats fed a high-fat diet (50% of total calorie intake) when compared to the vehicle control. Finally, the isoflavones were found to enhance lipolysis in adipocytes isolated from high-fat fed rats, where the glycerol released by the aglycones was also higher than that released by the glycones. The current results showed that the inhibitory effect of daidzein on glucose uptake was very similar to that of genistein. The aglycones were more potent in inhibiting the uptake of glucose and a more potent stimulator of lypolysis than the glycones in adipocytes isolated from high-fat fed rats.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.411-418
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• 2014

Vascular remodelling is an adaptive mechanism, which counteracts pressure changes in blood circulation. Nicotine content in cigarette increases the risk of hypertension. The exact relationship between nicotine and vascular remodelling still remain unknown. Current study was aimed to determine the effect of clinically relevant dosage of nicotine (equivalent to light smoker) on aortic reactivity, oxidative stress markers and histomorphological changes. Twelve age-matched male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups, i.e.: normal saline as control or 0.6 mg/kg nicotine for 28 days (i.p., n=6 per group). On day-29, the rats were sacrificed and the thoracic aorta was dissected immediately for further studies. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and pulse pressure (PP) of nicotine-treated vs. control were significantly increased (p<0.05). Nicotine-treated group showed significant (p<0.05) increase tunica media thickness, and decrease in lumen diameter, suggesting vascular remodelling which lead to prior hypertension state. The phenylephrine (PE)-induced contractile response in nicotine group was significantly higher than control group ($ED_{50}=1.44{\times}10^5M$ vs. $4.9{\times}10^6M$) (p<0.05~0.001). However, nicotine-treated rat showed significantly lower endothelium-dependent relaxation response to acetylcholine (ACh) than in control group ($ED_{50}=6.17{\times}10^7M$ vs. $2.82{\times}10^7M$) (p<0.05), indicating loss of primary vascular function. Malondialdehyde (MDA), a lipid peroxidation marker was significantly higher in nicotine group. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymatic activity and glutathione (GSH) were all reduced in nicotine group (p<0.05) vs. control, suggesting nicotine induces oxidative imbalance. In short, chronic nicotine administration impaired aortic reactivity, probably via redox imbalance and vascular remodelling mechanism.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.416-423
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• 2007

Alterations in the glycan chains of cell surface glycoconjugates are frequently involved biological processes such as cell-cell interaction, cell migration, differentiation and development. Cultured embryonic (E18) rat cortical neurons underwent apoptosis in response to camptothecin, and lectin histochemistry showed that binding to apoptotic neurons of FITC-conjugated Maackia amurensis agglutinin (MAA), which is specific for terminal ${\alpha}2,3$-sialic acid residues, increased progressively with increasing concentrations of camptothecin. Analysis of the total proteins of apoptotic neurons by SDS-PAGE, and lectin blotting using HRP-labeled MAA, revealed that the expression of terminal ${\alpha}2,3$-sialic acid residues on an unknown protein with an apparent molecular mass of 25.6 kDa also increased in apoptotic neurons. NP-HPLC analysis of the total cellular N-glycans of normal and apoptotic neurons demonstrated that the expression of structurally simpler biantennary types of N-glycans fell by 49% during apoptosis whereas the more branched triantennary types of N-glycans with terminal sialic acid residues increased by up to 59%. These results suggest that increased surface expression of ${\alpha}2,3$-sialic acid residues and hyperglycosylation of N-glycans is a common feature of cellular responses to changes in cell physiology such as tumorigenesis and apoptosis.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.640-647
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• 2008

Breed differences in adult animals are determined during fetal development. If interventions are to be developed that influence growth of muscle and fat, it is important to know at which time during gestation breed differences appear and are fixed. The objective of this study was to characterize fetal development in cattle of different breeds. Pregnant cows of 4 cattle breeds with different growth impetus and muscularity were slaughtered under normal processing conditions and the fetuses were removed. German Angus, a typical beef cattle; Galloway, a smaller, environmentally resistant beef type; Holstein Friesian, a dairy type; and Belgian Blue, an extreme type for muscle growth were used. Fetuses of each breed were investigated at 3, 6, and 9 mo of gestation. Fetuses were weighed and dissected into carcass, organs, and muscles. Body fat weight was obtained using the Soxhlet extraction method. Fetal weight increased most rapidly in the third trimester of gestation mainly due to the accelerated muscle and fat deposition. The organ weight to body weight (BW) ratios decreased and the muscle and fat weight to BW ratios increased. At 3 mo of gestation, Galloway fetuses had the significantly smallest BW, half-carcass weight, leg weight, organ weight, muscle weight and shortest leg length. In contrast, Holstein fetuses had the significantly greatest BW, liver, kidney, and lung weights and significantly longest leg length among the 4 breeds, but no differences between Holstein Friesian and Belgian Blue were detected in half-carcass and leg weight. Indeed, Belgian Blue fetuses had the significantly greatest half-carcass weight, leg weight, and muscle weight at 9 mo of gestation, and Galloway had a significantly greater body fat to BW ratio than Holstein Friesian and Belgian Blue. These differences were not evident at 3 and 6 mo of gestation. These data show that the profound increase of tissue and organ weights occurred in later gestation in cattle fetuses even though breed differences were evident as early as 3 mo of gestation. Depending on the tissue of interest, impacting fetal growth likely needs to occur early in gestation before the appearance of breed-specific differences.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.210-222
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• 2008

Due to the polygenic nature of cancer, it is believed that breast cancer is caused by the perturbation of multiple genes and their complex interactions, which contribute to the wide aspects of disease phenotypes. A systems biology approach for the identification of subnetworks of interconnected genes as functional modules is required to understand the complex nature of diseases such as breast cancer. In this study, we apply a 3-step strategy for the interpretation of microarray data, focusing on identifying significantly perturbed metabolic pathways rather than analyzing a large amount of overexpressed and underexpressed individual genes. The selected pathways are considered to be dysregulated functional modules that putatively contribute to the progression of disease. The subnetwork of protein-protein interactions for these dysregulated pathways are constructed for further detailed analysis. We evaluated the method by analyzing microarray datasets of breast cancer tissues; i.e., normal and invasive breast cancer tissues. Using the strategy of microarray analysis, we selected several significantly perturbed pathways that are implicated in the regulation of progression of breast cancers, including the extracellular matrix-receptor interaction pathway and the focal adhesion pathway. Moreover, these selected pathways include several known breast cancer-related genes. It is concluded from this study that the present strategy is capable of selecting interesting perturbed pathways that putatively play a role in the progression of breast cancer and provides an improved interpretability of networks of protein-protein interactions.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.49-58
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• 1986

This study was designed to investigate the irradiation effects on the rat parotid gland, applied to the head and neck region. For this experiment, twenty-four rats, feeded under the even condition, were used as experimental animals. Twenty rats were used for experimental group and the rest were assigned to the control group. The experimental group was singly irradiated with 10Gray through Cobalt-60 radiotherapy device, Picker model 4M 60 (Field size; l2×5㎝, SSD; 50㎝, Depth; 1㎝). The experimental animals of both group were sacrificed each four animals in 2 days, 1week, 2weeks, 3weeks and 4weeks after irradiation. The specimens were examined through the light microscope using the H-E stain and H stain by routin procedure. The other specimens were observed under the fluorescence microscope using the B-O dichroic mirror and Y455 barrier filter after PA-ACH stain. 1. The results of this study were obtained as follows, The parotid acini were severely degenerated and the intraacinar spaces were widened. Within the acini, retained secretory granules and increased fibrosis were observed. Also the shape and the size of the acini showed very irregular atrophic degenerations. 2. The nuclei showed severe pyknosis, displacement and irregular aggregated appearance. 3. The tissue changes of the parotid acini were initiated after 2 days of irradiation and most severely appeared at the second week of irradiation, but almost returned to normal. 4. The salivary ducts of the parotid gland were severely atrophied, discontinued but initiated to regenerated after 3 weeks of irradiation.

• Journal of the Korea Computer Industry Society
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2008

In this paper, the edge parameters were drawn from speaking image around lip and effective automatic lip reading system to recognize the Korean 'a/e/i/o/u' 5 owels were constructed using the parameter. Speaking images around lip were divided into $5{\times}5$ pane. In each pane the number of digital edge element using Sobel operator were evaluated. The observational error between samples was corrected by using normalization method and the normalized value is used for parameter In the experiment to convince the strength of parameter, 50 normal persons were sampled. The images of 10 persons were analyzed and the images of another 40 persons were experimented for recognition. 500 data are gathered and analyzed. Based on this analysis, the neural net system is constructed and the recognition experiments are performed for 400 data. The neural net system gave the best recognition result of 91.1%.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.81-88
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• 2011

This study ascertained the possibility of use of sulfur abstracted from waste sulfur as a construction material through modification process and manufacturing high efficiency modification sulfur with superior quality on dispersibility and hydrophilic in normal temperature. Mechanic, behavior and chemical durability of mortar with added modification sulfur. The results of the study are as follows. The fluidity of mortar mixed with modification sulfur and compressive strength decreased as ratio of mixing of them increases. Flexural, tensile and bond strength of the mortar are also improved and shrinkage of it increases. Especially chemical durability of the mortar showed excellent resistance with the increase of ratio of mixing. Therefore this research has confirmed the modification sulfur can be used as a addmixture for cement.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.18-23
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• 2016

Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation induces cellular damage. A variety of cellular responses for repairing cellular damage including DNA damage occur after UV irradiation. During the repair processes, expression and activation of various molecules are regulated depending on the types of cellular damage. Parkin is an E3 ligase and act as a tumor suppressor. Recently, it has been reported that Parkin is involved in the DNA repair process. In the current study, we investigated whether UVB irradiation influences expression of Parkin. Parkin expression transiently decreased after UVB irradiation both at the mRNA and protein levels, but returned to normal levels thereafter. Taken together with cell viability data, Parkin expression is down-regulated during UVB-induced suppression of cell growth and is increased again in accordance with recovery of UVB-induced cell growth inhibition. However, Parkin overexpression or knockdown did not influence UVB-induced cell growth inhibition and recovery. We propose that Parkin could be a useful molecular marker for evaluating conditions of cells after UVB irradiation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.139-144
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• 1998

Eighteen lambs were used to determine the effects of zinc (Zn) level and source on Zn status and immune function during both normal conditions and conditions of physiologic stress. Treatments consisted of a basal diet (27.6 mg of Zn/kg), and the basal diet supplemented with 25 mg of Zn/kg, added as either zinc oxide or zinc methionine. The basal diet was a corn-cottonseed hull-isolated soy protein- based diet (14% CP). Lambs were weighed and blood samples taken at 28-d intervals for determination of serum Zn and alkaline phosphatase activity. Weights and serum Zn were similar (p > 0.10) among treatments at all sampling days. To evaluate immune responses and Zn status during conditions of physiologic stress lambs were administered 100 I.U. of adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH) on d 112 and feed was withheld for 48 h. Cortisol levels were elevated (p < .01) 5 h post ACTH injection, but had returned to initial levels after 48 h. Lymphocyte blastogenesis ([$^3H$]-thymidine incorporation) on d 112 (prior to ACTH injection) and 114 was unaffected (p > .10) by dietary treatment. However, blastogenesis in response to pokeweed mitogen was greater (p < .0001), whereas the response to phytohemagglutinin was reduced (p < .01) following ACTH administration and fasting. Antibody response to administration of porcine red blood cells was unaffected (p > .05) by dietary treatment. These results indicate that, given the Zn concentration of the basal diet, there was no enhancement of immune function by supplemental Zn, either before or after lambs were subjected to stress.