• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제10권3호
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• pp.312-320
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• 2000

Abstract The full sequence of the plasmid pKJ36, which was derived from Bifidobacterium longum KJ, was determined and analyzed to construct shuttle vectors between E. coli and Bifidobacterium. The plasmid pKJ36 was composed of 3,625 base pairs with a 65.1% G+C content. The structural organization of pKJ36 was highly similar to that of pKJ50, and the three major ORFs on pKJ36 showed high amino acid sequence homologies with those of pKJ50. The putative proteins coded by these three ORFs were designated as RepB (32.0 kDa, pI=9.25), MembB (29.0 kDa, pI=12.25), and MobB (39.0 kDa, pI=IO.66), respectively. The amino acid sequence of RepB showed a 57% identity and 70% similarity with that of the RepA protein of pKJ50. Upstream of the repB gene, the so-called iteron sequence was directly repeated four-and-ahalf times and a conserved dnaA box was identified. An amino acid sequence comparison between the MobB and MobA of pKJ50 revealed a 48% identity and 61 % similarity. A conserved oriT sequence with an inverted repeat identical to that of pKJ50 was also found upstream of the mobB gene. A hydropathy analysis of MembB revealed four possible transmembrane regions. The expressions of the repB and membB genes were confirmed by RT-PCR. The in vitro translation reaction of pKJ36 showed protein bands with anticipated sizes with respect to each putative gene product. S 1 endonuclease treatment and Southern hybridization suggested that pKJ36 replicates by a rolling circle mechanism via a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) intermediate. A shuttle vector between E. coli and Bifidobacterium sp. was constructed using the pKJ36, pBR322, and staphylococcal chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) gene. The successful transformation of the Bifidobacterium strains was shown by Southern hybridization and PCR. The transformation efficiency differed from strain to strain and, depending on the electroporation conditions, with a range between $1.2{\times}10^1-2.6{\times}10^2{\;}cfu/\mu\textrm{g}$ DNA.X> DNA.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.15-23
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• 2006

Objective: Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), a novel hypothalamic neuropeptide, has been suggested to play a role in ovarian folliculogenesis. The present study evaluated the effect of PACAP on the growth of preantral follicles. Methods: Preantral follicles were mechanically isolated from ovaries of 21-day-old rats and cultured in groups for 3 days in serum-free medium in the absence or presence of PACAP-38 ($10^{-6}M$). Results: Treatment with PACAP-38 resulted in an increase in follicle diameter by 75% whereas treatment with follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) increased follicle diameter by 65%. PACAP-38 treatment enhanced the granulosa cell proliferation as measured by thymidine incorporation analysis. Furthermore, the production of progesterone by cultured granulosa cells and GFSHR-17 cell line was stimulated by PACAP-38. Interestingly, PACAP enhanced FSH action on stimulation of SF-1 and aromatase gene expression. Conclusion: The present results demonstrate that PACAP stimulated preantral follicle growth by potentiating proliferation and by stimulating steroidogenesis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.686-694
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• 2008

The inhibitory effects of 5,6,3',5'-tetramethoxy 7,4'-hydroxyflavone (labeled as p7F) were elucidated on the productions of proinflammatory cytokines as well as inflammatory mediators in human synovial fibroblasts and macrophage cells. p7F inhibited IL-1${\beta}$ or TNF-${\alpha}$ induced expressions of inflammatory mediators (ICAM-1, COX-2, and iNOS). p7F also inhibited LPS-induced productions of nitric oxide and prostaglandin $E_2$ in RAW 264.7 cells. In order to investigate whether p7F would inhibit IL-1 signaling, p7F was added to the D10S Th2 cell line (which is responsive to only IL-1${\beta}$ and thus proliferates), revealing that p7F inhibited IL-1${\beta}$-induced proliferation of D10S Th2 cells in a dose-response manner. A flow cytometric analysis revealed that p7F reduced the intracellular level of free radical oxygen species in RAW 264.7 cells treated with hydrogen peroxide. p7F inhibited IkB degradation and NF-${\kappa}$B activation in macrophage cells treated with LPS, supporting that p7F could inhibit signaling mediated via toll-like receptor. Taken together, p7F has inhibitory effects on LPS-induced productions of inflammatory mediators on human synovial fibroblasts and macrophage cells and thus has the potential to be an anti-inflammatory agent for inhibiting inflammatory responses.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제47권6호
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• pp.913-918
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• 2005

The development of marbling in cattle is closely associated with an increase in adipocyte size and number within muscle. The adipose precursor cells have the capacity to differentiate into adipocytes within the muscle during the formation of marbling. In this studies, we established the cell culture system for differentiation of intramuscular preadipocyte isolated from the sirloin of Hanwoo aged 12 months. The intramuscular preadipocyte cells exhibited a fibroblastic appearance and differentiated into adipocytes by treating confluent cells with differentiation medium containing insulin, dexamethasone, and troglitazone. When intramuscular preadipocyte cells were differentiated at 18 day, the triglyceride concentration was higher than control cells. Moreover, the thiazolidinedione treatment increased adipogenesis. RT-PCR analysis confirmed the significant expression of PPARγ mRNA during adipocyte differentiation. In conclution, our culture system used in this study allowed intramuscular preadipocyte cells to differentiated into adipocytes and intramuscular preadipocyte cells may be useful in the further study of differentiation mechanism of adipocytes in Hanwoo.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.351-356
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• 2009

The study is about how the difference in education levels can affect the subjects' use of color and find out the features of the effect. This experimental study focused on the differences in color expression using the outline picture of a painting before and after being exposed to a full-color picture of the original painting. Differences between two conditions with two different stimuli were observed and the cause of the differences was analyzed based on the number of colors and the quantity of colors and composition of the colors used by the subjects. The study precedes an experiment based on how the level of education though experience can affect the use of colors. This study is focused on the various effects of color usage by children and adults who have various degrees of visual experience. In addition, the study analyzes how design majored subject differed in the use of color from non-design majored subject and compares the use of colors by the two groups. The results showed that design majored subject tended to use less coloring patterns after seeing the stimulus of the Monet picture with more colors, and included the colors from the stimuli they were exposed to. The non-design majored subject who viewed the Mondrian painting demonstrated opposite results by using less number of colors than before seeing the stimuli. In comparison to design majored subject, the variations in selected colors and the quantity of color by non-design majored subject were not consistent.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제50권1호
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• pp.15-21
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• 2012

In Iran, $Plasmodium$ $vivax$ is responsible for more than 80% of the infected cases of malaria per year. Control interventions for vivax malaria in humans rely mainly on developed diagnostic methods. Recombinant $P.$ $vivax$ apical membrane antigen-1 (rPvAMA-1) has been reported to achieve designing rapid, sensitive, and specific molecular diagnosis. This study aimed to perform isolation and expression of a rPvAMA-1, derived from Iranian patients residing in an endemic area. Then, the diagnostic efficiency of the characterized Iranian PvAMA-1 was assessed using an indirect ELISA method. For this purpose, a partial region of AMA-1 gene was amplified, cloned, and expressed in pET32a plasmid. The recombinant $His-tagged$ protein was purified and used to coat the ELISA plate. Antibody detection was assessed by indirect ELISA using rPvAMA-1. The validity of the ELISA method for detection of anti-$P.$ $vivax$ antibodies in the field was compared to light microscopy on 84 confirmed $P.$ $vivax$ patients and compared to 84 non-$P.$ $vivax$ infected individuals. The ELISA cut-off value was calculated as the mean+2SD of OD values of the people living in malaria endemic areas from a south part of Iran. We found a cut-off point of OD=0.311 that showed the best correlation between the sera confirmed with $P.$ $vivax$ infection and healthy control sera. A sensitivity of 81.0% and specificity of 84.5% were found at this cut off titer. A good degree of statistical agreement was found between ELISA using rPvAMA-1 and light microscopy (0.827) by Kappa analysis.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• 제26권2호
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• pp.247-267
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• 2016

It has been pointed out that the mathematics textbooks according to 2009 revised national curriculum cause difficulty not by mathematical knowledge but concomitantly by words and sentences for the first graders who just started learning Korean alphabets. This study focused on the suitability of words and sentences in mathematics textbooks for elementary first grade. We analyzed the degree of difficulty and familiarity in terms of words and the structure, length, and expression in terms of sentences. The results show some causes that lead the first graders to the difficulty. In more detail, we found 108 difficult words and 6 unfamiliar words for the first graders. And it is noticed that the textbooks contain 37 compound sentences, 727 complex sentences, and 38 compound-complex sentences. They also contain 237 long sentences that are composed of 9 words or more, 168 sentences that assign two activities or more, and 52 sentences that contain three nouns or adjectives or more successively. Based on these results and discussions, we suggested several implications for writing mathematics textbooks for the lower grades in elementary school.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• 제2권3호
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• pp.192-197
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• 2007

Suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) was performed to construct an cDNA library of olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Total 470 clones were randomly selected and sequenced, 214 out of 470 sequences showed identities with known genes and 252 sequences were unknown genes. Among the 218 known genes, 34 sequences were found to be homologous to IL-1RII gene, and 14 sequences were identified as IL-$1{\beta}$. RT-PCR analysis showed that IL-$1{\beta}$ mRNA was induced 1h after LPS-stimulation, and IL-1RII was increased from 3h after stimulation, indicating that most of SSH clones are associated with inflammatory responses in fish, and this SSH cDNA library would be useful to identify bio-defense and immuno-related genes in fish.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• 제44권8호
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• pp.1128-1136
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• 2015

This study investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of ethanol extract from Grateloupia elliptica Holmes (GEHEE) on the lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory response. Anti-inflammatory effects were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. There were no cytotoxic effects on proliferation of macrophages treated with GEHEE compared to the control. GEHEE remarkably suppressed NO and pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6, tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$, and $interleukin-1{\beta}$) production and reduced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, and nuclear $factor-{\kappa}B$ ($NF-{\kappa}B$) proteins in a dose-dependent manner. GEHEE also significantly reduced activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). The formation of edema in mouse ears was reduced at the highest dose compared to the control. GEHEE also reduced dermal thickness and mast cell numbers based on histological analysis. These results suggest that GEHEE exerts significant anti-inflammatory activity via inhibition of $NF-{\kappa}B$ and MAPKs activation and may be a potential anti-inflammatory therapeutic material.

• Journal of Life Science
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.559-564
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• 2012

In order to investigate the effect of phytochromes on the regulation of ethylene biosynthesis, we measured the ethylene production and the activities of enzymes involved in ethylene biosynthesis using phytochrome mutants such as $phyA$, $phyB$, and $phyAB$ of Arabidopsis. The ethylene production was decreased in mutants grown in white light. In particular, double mutants showed a 37% decrease compared to the wild type in ethylene production. When Arabidopsis roots were grown in the dark, mutants did not show a decrease in ethylene production; however, production was significantly decreased in the double mutant grown in red light. Only $phyB$ did not show the decrease in the ethylene production in far-red light. Unlike the ACO activities, the ACS activities of mutants showed the same pattern as the ethylene production under several light conditions. The results of ACS activities confirmed the expression of the ACS gene by RT-PCR analysis. The decrease of ethylene production in mutants was due to the lower activity of ACC synthase, which converts the S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) to 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), the precursor of ethylene. These results suggested that both phytochrome A and B play an important role in the regulation of ethylene biosynthesis in Arabidopsis roots in the conversion step of AdoMet to ACC, which is regulated by ACS.