• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1733-1738
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• 2008

SLC6A18, one of the neurotransmitters, was reported the possible relationship to hypertension, and it contained eight blocks of minisatellites. In this study, SLC6A18-MS5 sequence which showed the highest heterozygosity among seven minisatellites was analyzed using the Transfac software, the putative binding sites for the transcription factor Pax4 and HNF4 were discovered as a result. The HNF4 is involved in the diabetes pathway and suggested the relationship to hypertension. Thus, we investigated the putative functional significance of allelic variation in this minisatellites with respect to susceptibility for hypertension. To address this possibility, we analyzed genomic DNA from the blood of 301 hypertension-free controls and 184 cases with hypertension. A statistically significant association was not identified between the allelic distribution of SLC6A18-MS5 and occurrence of hypertension. We then examined the meiotic segregation of SLC6A18-MS5 and it was transmitted following Mendelian inheritance. Therefore, this locus could be useful markers for paternity mapping and DNA fingerprinting. Moreover, we undertook a comprehensive analysis of the genomic sequence to address the evolutionary events of these variable repeats. SLC6A18 minisatellites regions are only conserved in human and primates. This result suggestedthat intronic minisatellites analysis is powerful evolution marker for the non-coding regions in primates and can provide a great insight to the molecular evolution of repeated region in primates.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.1447-1451
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• 2007

Through the screening of marine natural compounds that inhibit cancer cell proliferation, we previously reported that pectenotoxin-2 (PTX-2) isolated from marine sponges exhibits selective cytotoxicity against several cell lines in p53-deficient tumor cells compared to those with functional p53. However, the molecular mechanisms of its anti-proliferative action on malignant cell growth are not completely known. To further explore the mechanisms of its anti-cancer activity and to test whether the status of p53 in liver cancer cells correlates with their chemo-sensitivities to PTX-2, we used two well-known hepatocarcinoma cell lines, p53-deficient Hep3B and p53-wild type HepG2. We have demonstrated that PTX-2 markedly inhibits Hep3B cell growth and induces apoptosis whereas HepG2 cells are much more resistant to PTX-2 suggesting that PTX-2 seems to act by p53-independent cytotoxic mechanism. The apoptosis induced by PTX-2 in Hep3B cells was associated with the modulation of DNA fragmentation factor (DFF) family proteins, up-regulation of pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members such as Bax and Bcl-xS and activation of caspases (caspase-3, -8 and -9). Blockade of the caspase-3 activity by caspase-3 inhibitor, z-DEVD-fmk, prevented the PTX-2-induced growth inhibition in Hep3B cells. Moreover, treatment with PTX-2 also induced phosphorylation of AKT and extracellular-signal regulating kinase (ERK), but not c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MARK). Specific inhibitors of PI3K inhibitor (LY294002) and ERK1/2 inhibitor (PD98059) significantly blocks PTX-2-induced-anti-proliferative effects, whereas a JNK inhibitor (SP600125) and a p38 MAPK inhibitor (SB203580) have no significant effects demonstrating that the pro-apoptotic effect of PTX-2 mediated through activation of AKT and ERK signal pathway in Hep3B cells.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.494-503
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• 2000

A 21-residue peptide corresponding to amino acids 84-104 of $p16^{INK4A}$, the tumor suppressor, has been synthesized and its structure was studied by Circular Dichroism, $^1H$ NMR spectroscopy and molecular modeling. A p16-derived peptide (84-104 amino acids) forming stable complex with CDK4 and CDK6 inhibits the ability of CDK4/6 to phosphorylate pRb in vitro, and blocks cell-cycle progression through G1/S phase as shown in the function of the full-length p16. Its NMR spectral data including NOEs, $^3J_{NH-H{\alpha}}$ coupling constants, $C_{\alpha}H$ chemical shift, the average amplitude of amide chemical shift oscillation and temperature coefficients indicate that the secondary structure of a p16-derived peptide is similar to that of the same region of full-length p16, which consists of helix-turn-helix structure. The 3-D distance geometry structure based on NOE-hased distance and torsion angle restraints is characterized by ${\gamma}$-turn conformation between residues $Gly^{89}-Leu^{91}$(${\varphi}_{i+1}=-79.8^{\circ}$, ${\varphi}_{i+1}=60.2^{\circ}$) as evidenced in a single crystal structure for the corresponding region of p18 or p19, but is undefined at both the N and C termini. This compact and rigid ${\gamma}$-turn region is considered to stabilize the structure of p16-derived peptide and serve as a site recognizing cyelin dependent kinase, and this well-defined ${\gamma}$-turn structure could be utilized for the design of anti-cancer drug candidates.

• The Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Ultrasound Society
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.33-38
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• 2014

Purpose: To determine the therapeutic effectiveness of ultrasound-guided medial branch block (MBB) for the herniated lumbar disc patients who did not relieve their symptoms after percutaneous epidural neuroplasty (PEN). Materials and Methods: From August 2011 to February 2013, 559 patients with herniated lumbar disc have undergone PEN. Among them, ultrasound-guided MBBs were performed for the patients who had sustained low back pain and refered pain to lower extremities. Eighty eight patients were followed at 1 month and 39 patients could be followed at 6 month. All procedures have been performed by the one operator, and 23 G, 10 cm needle was placed and 0.5% lidocaine was injected under ultrasound guide. To target medial branches from L1 to L5, the groove at the root of transverse process and the base of superior articular process has been identified on transverse scan. Patients were evaluated by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) at each follow-up. Significant pain relief was described as a 50% or more reduction in VAS and significant improvement in function was described as at least a 40% reduction in ODI. Results: VAS showed that preprocedure pain ($7.35{\pm}1.68$; $mean{\pm}SD$) significantly decreased 1 month after block ($3.36{\pm}2.98$) and 6 month ($3.05{\pm}2.27$) (p<0.05). ODI also showed that preprocedure score ($32.82{\pm}8.77$) significantly decreased at 1 month ($15.14{\pm}14.01$) and 6 month ($12.97{\pm}8.82$) (p<0.05). Significant pain relief was observed in 64.49% at 1 month and 64.10% at 6 month. Significant functional improvement in 59.81% at 1 month and 61.54% at 6 month. Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided medial branch block may sufficiently treat the facet problems secondary from disc disease.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.46-55
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• 2016

This work proposes a 13b 100MS/s 45nm CMOS ADC with a high dynamic performance for IF-domain high-speed signal processing systems based on a four-step pipeline architecture to optimize operating specifications. The SHA employs a wideband high-speed sampling network properly to process high-frequency input signals exceeding a sampling frequency. The SHA and MDACs adopt a two-stage amplifier with a gain-boosting technique to obtain the required high DC gain and the wide signal-swing range, while the amplifier and bias circuits use the same unit-size devices repeatedly to minimize device mismatch. Furthermore, a separate analog power supply voltage for on-chip current and voltage references minimizes performance degradation caused by the undesired noise and interference from adjacent functional blocks during high-speed operation. The proposed ADC occupies an active die area of $0.70mm^2$, based on various process-insensitive layout techniques to minimize the physical process imperfection effects. The prototype ADC in a 45nm CMOS demonstrates a measured DNL and INL within 0.77LSB and 1.57LSB, with a maximum SNDR and SFDR of 64.2dB and 78.4dB at 100MS/s, respectively. The ADC is implemented with long-channel devices rather than minimum channel-length devices available in this CMOS technology to process a wide input range of $2.0V_{PP}$ for the required system and to obtain a high dynamic performance at IF-domain input signal bands. The ADC consumes 425.0mW with a single analog voltage of 2.5V and two digital voltages of 2.5V and 1.1V.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.1517-1527
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• 2020

This study is about the UV protection effect and water resistance of a multiple emulsion (W/O/W) sunblock cream applied with emotional engineering and reports an actual industrial case. Multiple emulsion system of sunblock cream has the characteristics of changing to a W/O type that is soft and moist when applied, and has excellent water resistance after absorption. Multiple emulsion cream is a highly functional sunblock cream that has both moisture and water resistance. It is a stable milky white cream with a viscosity of 36,000 cps. The organic sunscreen used for the sunscreen was ethylhexylmethoxycinnamate and bisethylhexyloxyphenolmethoxyphenyltriazine. Hexagonal zinc oxide and titanium dioxide that block both UVB and UVA were used. As a result of measuring the UV protection effect by the in-vitro method, the UV protection effect (SPF) is 78.9 for multiple emulsion cream, 76.7 for W/O cream, and 71.3 for O/W cream. It was found that the blocking effect was different. This obtained the highest effect value in the multiple emulsion. As a clinical (in-vivo) result of the UV protection effect, the SPF value representing the UV protection effect of the sunblock cream developed with a multiple emulsion system was 85.7, and the PA-value that blocks the UVA area was 26.5, and ++++. It was found that it has a corresponding high blocking effect. As a result of the water resistance test, the W/O/W formulation had a high waterproofing resistance of 93.8% even after 4 hours, W/O had 75.4%, and O/W had a low water resistance of 25.3%. In the results of the HUT test, it was found in the order of multiple emulsion sun block cream > hydrophilic cream > lipophilic cream. Based on the research results of this multiple emulsion, it is expected to be highly active as a sunblock cream dedicated to outdoor activities by improving the feeling of use, UV protection index, and water resistance. Therefore, in this study, a multiple emulsion system of sunblock cream is developed and has a characteristic that changes to a W/O type that has a soft and moist feeling when applied, and has excellent water resistance after absorption.