• BMB Reports
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• v.55 no.12
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• pp.615-620
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• 2022

The murine leukemia virus-based semi-retroviral replicating vectors (MuLV-based sRRV) had been developed to improve safety and transgene capacity for cancer gene therapy. However, despite the apparent advantages of the sRRV, improvements in the in vivo transduction efficiency are still required to deliver therapeutic genes efficiently for clinical use. In this study, we established a gibbon ape leukemia virus (GaLV) envelope-pseudotyped semi-replication-competent retrovirus vector system (spRRV) which is composed of two transcomplementing replication-defective retroviral vectors termed MuLV-Gag-Pol and GaLV-Env. We found that the spRRV shows considerable improvement in efficiencies of gene transfer and spreading in both human glioblastoma cells and pre-established human glioblastoma mouse model compared with an sRRV system. When treated with ganciclovir after intratumoral injection of each vector system into pre-established U-87 MG glioblastomas, the group of mice injected with spRRV expressing the herpes simplex virus type 1-thymidine kinase (HSV1-tk) gene showed a survival rate of 100% for more than 150 days, but all control groups of mice (HSV1-tk/PBS-treated and GFP/GCV-treated groups) died within 45 days after tumor injection. In conclusion, these findings sug-gest that intratumoral delivery of the HSV1-tk gene by the spRRV system is worthy of development in clinical trials for the treatment of malignant solid tumors.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.149-158
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• 2023

Background: Injury is one of the major health problems in South Korea. Few studies have evaluated both intentional and unintentional injury when investigating the association between exposure to air pollutants and injury. Objectives: We aimed to explore the association between short-term exposure to ambient air pollution and years of life lost (YLLs) due to injury. Methods: Data on daily YLLs for 2002~2019 were obtained from the the Death Statistics Database of the Korean National Statistical Office. This study estimated short-term exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of <10 ㎛ (PM₁₀), particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of <2.5 ㎛ (PM_2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O₃). This time series study was conducted using a generalized additive model (GAM) assuming a Gaussian distribution. We also evaluated a delayed effect of ambient air pollution by constructing a lag structure up to seven days. The best-fitting lag was selected based on smallest generalized cross validation (GCV) value. To explore effect modification by intentionality of injury (i.e., intentional injury [self-harm, assault] and unintentional injury), we conducted stratified subgroup analyses. Additionally, we stratified unintentional injury by mechanism (traffic accident, fall, etc.). Results: During the study period, the average daily YLLs due to injury was 307.5 years. In the intentional injury, YLLs due to self-harm and assault showed positive association with air pollutants. In the unintentional injury, YLLs due to fall, electric current, fire and poisoning showed positive association with air pollutants, whereas YLLs due to traffic accident, mechanical force and drowning/submersion showed negative associations with air pollutants. Conclusions: Injury is recognized as preventable, and effective strategies to create a safe society are important. Therefore, we need to establish strategies to prevent injury and consider air pollutants in this regard.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.135-146
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• 2001

Background : One of the important mechanisms responsible for a tumor escaping the immune response is an absence of the tumor associated antigen (TAA) on the cancer cell surface. To overcome this, combination gene therapy using a herpes simplex thymidine kinase (HSTK) gene, prototype of drug sensitizing gene, was conducted to enhance T AA release by cell destruction, as well as the cytokine genes for immune cell attraction. Methods : We investigated whether or not transduction with the adenovirus-HSTK (Ad-HSTK) enhanced the sensitivity of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) to ganciclovir (GCV) and induced a bystander effect. A Tumor vaccine trial was performed using LLC with ad-HSTK$\pm$ad-GM-CSF$\pm$ad-IL-2 to determine if they exhibit some antitumor effect on established lung cancer xenografts. Results : LLC with ad-HSTK revealed a much higher sensitivity to ganciclovir (GCV). LLC transduced with ad-HSTK and/or ad-IL-2, ad-GM-CSF showed a lower in vivo tumorigenicity. In the treatment experiment, vaccination with LLC transduced with ad-HSTK, ad-IL-2, or ad-GM-CSF alone modestly suppressed the growth of an established tumor. Combined transduction with HSTK and GM-CSF induced stronger growth suppression of a established lung cancer, while HSTK and IL-2 combination transduction did not have any antitumor effect on individual transduction. Vaccination with LLC-HSTK-GM-CSF increased the infiltration of dendritic cells in the spleen. Conclusion : It was concluded that a tumor vaccine transduced with HSTK and GM-CSF induces strong antitumor immunity by activating the dendritic cells.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.13-20
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• 2007

Sawdust biofiltration is an emerging bio-technology for control of ammonia emissions including compost odors from composting of biological wastes. Although sawdust is widely used as a medium for bulking agent in composting system and for microbial attachment in biofiltration systems, the performance of agitated bed composting and sawdust biofiltration are not well established. A pilot-scale composting of hog manure amended with sawdust and sawdust biofiltration systems for practical operation were investigated using aerated and agitated rectangular reactor with compost turner and sawdust biofilter operated under controlled conditions, each with a working capacity of approximately $40m^3\;and\;4.5m^3$ respectively. These were used to investigate the effect of compost temperature, seed germination rate and the C/N ratio of the compost on ammonia emissions, compost maturity and sawdust biofiltration performance. Temperature profiles showed that the material in three runs had been reached to temperature of 55 to $65^{\circ}C$ and above. The ammonia concentration in the exhaust gas of the sawdust biofilter media was below the maximum average value as 45 ppm. Seed germination rate levels of final compost was maintained from 70 to 93% and EC values of the finished compost varied between 2.8 and 4.8 ds/m, providing adequate conditions for plant growth.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.269-281
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• 2016

The statistical analyses of coefficient of variation, heritability, and genetic advance were carried out to identify differences in morphological characteristics, such as the stem and inflorescence length, of 10 major commercial cultivars of spray chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium). For morphological characteristics, stem lengths ranged from 46.4 cm to 54.9 cm, the maximum diameter of stem was 5.6 to 8.5 mm, the hardness of the stem was 0.17 to $0.70kg{\cdot}m^{-2}$, the fresh weight of stem was 7.5 to 17.5 g, the dry weight of the stem was 1.6 to 3.3 g, the ratio of dry weight/fresh weight of stem was 15.9% to 23.1%. Also, the number of leaves on the stem was 8.4 to 12.2, the stem leaf area was 17.8 to $37.8m^2$, the fresh weight stem leaves was 5.3 to 18.6 g, the dry weight was 0.5 to 1.4 g and the ratio of dry weight /fresh weight of stem leaves was 7.6% to 11.5%. The inflorescence length ranged from 10.1 to 18.6 cm, the fresh weight of inflorescence was 7.3 to 26.7 g, the dry weight of inflorescence was 1.2 to 2.8 g, the ratio of dry weight /fresh weight of inflorescence was 10.4% to 17.1%. For flower, the diameter of the flower center was 8.2 to 13.3 mm, the petal width was 5.7 to 14.0 mm, the petal length was 12.9 to 33.1 mm, and the petal thickness was 157.8 to $354.4{\mu}m$. The mean values of each character in each cultivar were very different, and DMRT and LSD values based on morphological characteristics among 10 cultivars were highly significant. For variability and genetic parameters, the lowest CV (coefficient of variation), PCV (phenotypic coefficient of variation), and GCV (genotypic coefficient of variation) were 4.79% to 5.15% in stem length, and the highest variations were 62.97% to 65.21% in leaf area. ECV (error or environmental coefficient of variation) was the lowest for leaf area (1.71%) and it was the highest for leaf dry weight (19.30%). Heritability also significantly differed among the characteristics, ranging from 68.69% to 99.67%, the lowest value was shown in ratio of dry weight /fresh weight of stem and the highest value was for leaf area of stem. The value for genetic advance was the lowest in hardness of stem at 0.30 and the highest in leaf thickness at 156.65. The lowest genetic advance as percentage of mean of stem hardness was 9.17%, while the highest percentage of stem length was 134.27%. Thus the characters which had the highest values indicated above show the influence of additive gene action and may provide useful resources for selection programs for agronomic improvement.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.399-409
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• 2012

As a part of the short-period variability survey (SPVS) at Bohyunsan Optical Astronomy Observatory, we obtained time-series BV CCD images in the region of Cyg OB3 association centered on the open cluster NGC 6871. The observations were performed for 18 nights from September 5, 2008 to September 1, 2009. We found 15 short-period variable stars in the region. They are ${\delta}$ Scuti type stars belonging to the local spiral arm, Orion spur. Among them, only two stars were previously known, and the rest are newly discovered ones. In this paper, we have performed a multiple-frequency analysis to determine frequencies of the 15 ${\delta}$ Scuti type stars, using the discrete Fourier transform and linear least-square fitting methods. One of the newly discovered variable stars is a double-mode ${\delta}$ Scuti type star with the fundamental and the first overtone modes, and two are high amplitude ${\delta}$ Scuti stars.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.587-595
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• 1998

Background: Recombinant adenovirus hold promise as vectors to carry therapeutic genes for several reasons: 1) they can infect both dividing and non-dividing cells; 2) they have the ability to directly transduce tissues in vivo; 3) they can easily be produced in high titer; and 4) they have an established record of safety as vaccination material. However, one of the major limitation in the use of adenoviruses is that transgene expression is quite short because adenovirusees insert their DNA genome episomally rather than by chromosomal integration, and an immune response against the virus destroys cells expressing the therapeutic gene. Since sodium butyrate has been reported to induce adenovirus-mediated gene expression, we hypothesized that treatment of tumor cells, transduced with herpes simples virus thymidine kinase(HSVtk) gene using adenoviral vector, with butyrate could augment the effect of gene therapy. Methods: We transduced HSVtk gene, driven by the cytomegalovirus promoter, into REN cell line(human mesothelioma cell line). Before proceeding with the comparison of HSVtk/ganciclovir mediated bystander killing, we evaluated the effect of butyrate on the growth of tumor cells in order to rule out a potential antitumor effect of butyrate alone, and also on expression of HSVtk gene by Western blot analysis. Then we determined the effects of butyrate on bystander-mediated cell killing in vitro. Results: There was no inhibition of growth of cells exposed to butyrate for 24 hours at a concentration of 1.5mM/L. Toxic effects were seen when the concentration of butyrate was greater than 2.0mM/L. Gene expression was more stable and bystander effect was augmented by butyrate treatment of a concentration of 1.5mM/L. Conclusion: These results provide evidence that butyrate can augment the efficiency of cell killing with HSVtk/GCV system by inducing transgene expression and may thus by a promising new approach to improve responses in gene therapy using adenoviral vectors.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.62-73
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• 2004

Purpose: The herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase gene(HSV1-tk) is an attractive candidate as a reporter gene in noninvasive reporter gene monitoring system. The HSV1-tk gene was chosen as a reporter gene, because it has been extensively studied, and there are appropriate reporter probes, substrates of HSV1-tk gene product, to apply for HSV1-tk gene imaging. We used radiolabeled 5-iodovinyl-2'-deoxyuridine (IVDU) and 5-iodovinyl-2'-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (IVFRU) as reporter probes for HSV1-tk gene monitoring system. Materials and Methods: We prepared HSV1-tk gene transduced Morris hepatoma cell line using retroviral vector, MOLTEN containing HSV1-tk gene. And we confirmed the HSV1-tk gene expression by Northern blotting and Western blotting. We compared in vitro uptakes of radioiodinated IVDU and IVFRU to monitor HSV1-tk gene expression in Morris hepatoma cell line (MCA) and HSV1-tk gene tranduced MCA (MCA-tk) cells until 480 minutes. We also peformed correlation analysis between percentage of HSV1-tk gene tranduced MCA cell % (MCA-tk%) and uptakes of radiolabeled IVDU or IVFRU. Results: MCA-tk cell expressed HSV1-tk mRNA and HSV1-TK protein. Two compounds showed minimal uptake in MCA, but increased uptake was observed in MCA-tk. IVDU showed 4-fold higher accumulation than IVFRU at 480 min in MCA-tk (p<0.01). Both IVDU and IVFRU uptake were linearly correlated ($R^2>0.96$) with increasing MCA-tk%. Conclusion: The radiolabeld IVDU and IVFRU showed higher specific accumulation in retrovirally HSV1-tk gene transfected Morris hepatoma cell line. Both IVDU and IVFRU could be used as good substrates for evaluation of HSV1-tk gene expression.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.169-173
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• 1973

Secondary amines and nitrites in various daily foods have been known as the precursors of potent carcinogenic nitroso compound produced in the human stomach when they were ingested simultaneouly in high concentration. In this report, the amounts and distribution of secondary amines and nitrites in Korean daily foods, kim-chi, fishes, fish eggs, sausages, canned fish foods and fish sauces (salted fish) were studied.Nitrite contents were low in most subjected foods except in sausages. Secondary amines showed low contents in kim-chi, fishes, but high in fish sauces, fish eggs and canned fish foods. The result of this study suggested that the possible formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines during manufacturing, storage and cooking of all Korean foods should be studied.