• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.341-348
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• 2024

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress plays a crucial role in liver diseases, affecting various types of hepatic cells. While studies have focused on the link between ER stress and hepatocytes as well as hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), the precise involvement of hepatic macrophages in ER stress-induced liver injury remains poorly understood. Here, we examined the effects of ER stress on hepatic macrophages and their role in liver injury. Acute ER stress led to the accumulation and activation of hepatic macrophages, which preceded hepatocyte apoptosis. Notably, macrophage depletion mitigated liver injury induced by ER stress, underscoring their detrimental role. Mechanistic studies revealed that ER stress stimulates macrophages predominantly via the PERK signaling pathway, regardless of its canonical substrate ATF4. hnRNPA1 has been identified as a crucial mediator of PERK-driven macrophage activation, as the overexpression of hnRNPA1 effectively reduced ER stress and suppressed pro-inflammatory activation. We observed that hnRNPA1 interacts with mRNAs that encode UPR-related proteins, indicating its role in the regulation of ER stress response in macrophages. These findings illuminate the cell type-specific responses to ER stress and the significance of hepatic macrophages in ER stress-induced liver injury. Collectively, the PERK-hnRNPA1 axis has been discovered as a molecular mechanism for macrophage activation, presenting prospective therapeutic targets for inflammatory hepatic diseases such as acute liver injury.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.318-324
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• 2019

Squamous cell carcinoma is the primary tumor type in head and neck cancers, the fifth most common malignant neoplasm world-wide. Survivin, a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis family, is highly expressed in head and neck carcinoma patients and correlated with more aggressive forms. In this study, we investigated whether YM155, a specific survivin inhibitor, could induce apoptosis in head and neck AMC-HN4 cells. YM155 was found to markedly induce apoptosis and cleavage of PARP, a marker of apoptosis. Furthermore, YM155 promoted apoptosis in other cancer cells, such as glioma (U251MG) and renal carcinoma (Caki) cells. In contrast, YM155 had no effect on apoptosis in normal mesangial cells. YM155 significantly induced caspase activation, and pan caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk markedly blocked apoptosis, PARP cleavage, and caspase-3 cleavage. Therefore, YM155 was seen to instigate caspase-dependent apoptosis in head and neck AMC-HN4 cells, inducing downregulation of survivin as well as other apoptotic proteins such as c-FLIP and Mcl-1. In addition, the induction of apoptosis and PARP cleavage by YM155 treatment was effectively inhibited in survivin-, c-FLIP- and Mcl-1-over-expressing head and neck AMC-HN4 cells. In conclusion, YM155 is a potent candidate for inducing cell death in head and neck AMC-HN4 cells.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.610-616
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• 2011

Clubroot disease caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae, induces damage to cruciferous vegetables worldwide. For control of the disease, many CR (clubroot resistant) $F_1$ hybrid cultivars of Chinese cabbage have been bred and released in Korea. In this study, we determined the race of 10 field isolates of P. brassicae collected from ten regions in Korea using Williams' differential varieties and investigated the degree of resistance of 25 commercial CR cultivars of Chinese cabbage to the isolates. The clubroot pathogens were assigned into two (HS and YC), two (HN1 and HN2), two (DJ and SS) and four (GS, GN, JS, and PC) isolates for race 2, race 4, race 5, race 9, respectively. All CR cultivars showed similar response, resistant or susceptible, to each isolate and the P. brassicae isolates were divided into two groups. Among them, the DJ, GS, GN, HS, and JS isolates could not infect the CR cultivars. In contrast, the SS, HN1, HN2, PC, and YC isolates caused severe clubroot disease on the CR cultivars like susceptible cultivars. Even though they belong to the same race, the CR cultivars showed a different response to the pathogens. The results suggest that the breakdown of CR in Chinese cabbage has already occurred in cultivation areas of Korea and resistance source introduced in CR cultivars may be very limited. In addition, it is likely that resistance genes of Williams' differential varieties to P. brassicae are different from the gene of CR cultivars of Chinese cabbage used in the study.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.582-595
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• 2022

Objectives: To investigate the effects of acupuncture at GV20 and EX-HN1 on cerebral blood flow (CBF) velocity and cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) in the middle cerebral arteries (MCA) and anterior cerebral arteries (ACA) and to compare the effects to acupuncture at GV20. Methods: The study was a randomized, crossover trial that included 10 healthy men aged 20 to 29 years who underwent acupuncture treatment four times with a washout period of one week. The CBF velocity and CVR were measured by transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) on both MCAs at the first and second visits, and both ACAs at the third and fourth visits. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups (A and B) before the first and third visits. Group A received two phases of acupuncture intervention at a single GV20 point and a combination of GV20 and EX-HN1 acupoints. Group B received the same interventions, but in the reverse order. Results: The increase in CO₂ reactivity was significantly higher for the combination acupoints of GV20 and EX-HN1 than for the GV20 single acupoint in both MCAs (Right: 136 to 178, p=0.017; Left: 127 to 191, p=0.017) and ACAs (Right: 133 to 158, p=0.013; Left: 122 to 168, p=0.025). No significant change was noted in the corrected velocity at PETCO₂ 40 mmHg, blood pressure, or heart rate. Conclusions: The findings suggest that improvement of the CBF in the MCA and ACA after GV20 acupuncture increases when acupuncture is also performed at EX-HN1. These results clinically support the combined use of EX-HN1 and GV20 to treat disorders of MCA and ACA circulation.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.60-65
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• 2024

In July 2020, total RNA was extracted from passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) leaves showing virus symptoms such as chlorotic spots and vein banding in Haenam, South Korea. Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)-HN2 was identified through reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and sequencing analysis. To confirm the biological characteristics of the CMV infecting passion fruit, 10 indicator plants were inoculated with CMV-HN2, and the results showed a typical CMV symptoms. Phylogenetic analysis based on the amino acid of the coat protein (CP) of CMVs revealed that the CMV passion fruit isolates belonged to subgroup I, among which CMV-HN2 belonged to subgroup IA. Additionally, CMVs isolated from passion fruit in Korea have amino acid sequence variation between the subgroup. Among them, CMV-HN2 had four to eight amino acid differences in CP from other CMV isolates from passion fruit. These results confirm the presence of genetic diversity in the CPs of passion fruit CMV isolates.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.17 no.E3
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• pp.109-115
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• 2001

Acidic air pollutants were collected to characterize indoor air quality at a private house in Seoul during the spring period. All indoor and outdoor samples were measured simultaneously using an annular denuder system. The data set was collected on twelve different days with a 24-hr sampling period in April and May 1997. The chemical species measured were HN $O_3$, HN $O_2$, S $O_2$ and N $H_3$in the gas phase and P $M_{2.5}$ (dp 2.5 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$), S $O_4$$^{2-}$, N $O_3$$^{[-10]}$ and N $H_4$$^{+}$ in the particulate phase. Indoor concentrations of HN $O_2$, N $H_3$, and P $M_{2.5}$ were greater than outdoor levels. However, indoor concentrations of HN $O_3$, S $O_2$, N $O_3$$^{[-10]}$ and N $H_4$$^{+}$ were less than those found from outdoors. In the case of S $O_4$$^{2-}$, the indoor and outdoor concentrations were similar. Indoor concentrations of P $M_{2.5}$ , S $O_4$$^{2-}$ and N $O_3$$^{[-10]}$ were dependent upon the outdoor concentrations. A tracer-gas decay technique with sulfur hexafluoride (S $F_{6}$ ) as the tracer gas was used to estimate the air exchange rate of a private home in the spring. The average air exchange rate was computed to be 2.87 h $r^{-1}$ .X> .

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.89-95
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• 2013

Objective : Similar to back pain, neck pain has recently shown to have increasing prevalence. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is useful in identifying the causes of neck pain. However, MRI shows not only pathological lesions but also physiological changes at the same time, and there are few Korean data. The authors have attempted to analyze the prevalence of disc degeneration in highly selective asymptomatic Korean subjects using MRI. Methods : We performed 3 T MRI sagittal scans from C2 to T1 on 102 asymptomatic subjects (50 men and 52 women) who visited our hospital between the ages of 14 and 82 years (mean age 46.3 years). All images were read independently by three observers (two neurosurgeons and one neuroradiologist) who were not given any information about the subjects. We classified grading for cervical disc herniation (HN), annular fissure (AF), and nucleus degeneration (ND), using disc degeneration classification. Results : The prevalence of HN, AF, and ND were 81.0%, 85.9%, and 95.4%, respectively. High prevalence of HN, AF, and ND was shown compared to previous literature. Conclusion : In asymptomatic Korean subjects, the abnormal findings of 3 T MRI showed a high prevalence in HN, AF, and ND. Several factors might play important roles in these results, such as population-specific characters, MRI field strength, and disc degeneration grading system.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.538-543
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• 2002

M/S TB(Mash Seam Tailored Blank) is a production method for blanks by welding together blanks of different material, thickness and coating, and is an attractive method for manufacturing car body because it makes parts lighter and can save the cost and time to manufacture. However, there have not been quantified criteria to evaluate the quality of TB weld. This study introduced FHR (failure height ratio) in order to assess formability or/and weldability of the M/S welds and the applicability of FHR was confirmed by actual auto body forming and FLD tests. Furthermore, a new parameter, HN(heat number) based on the heat input of "$Q=I^2Rt$" was proposed and assessed. It was found that the concept of HN could be utilized to evaluate the soundness of M/S welds without any destructive tests.ive tests.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1683-1686
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• 2012

In the present case control study mRNA expression of the GSTP1 gene, encoding a phase II enzyme that detoxifies via glutathione conjugation, was investigated using semiquantitative PCR followed by SSCP for 49 confirmed head and neck (HN) cancer and 49 control samples. It was found that GSTP1 was upregulated in significantly higher number of cancers (OR 4.2, 95% CI 1.2-15.3). Grade wise correlation was also observed with more up regulation in patients with more advanced grades of HN carcinomas. We also found that 5 patients showed variation in mRNA with a larger product size than expected. Sequencing revealed insertion of an intronic segment between the $6^{th}$ and $7^{th}$ exon of the GSTP1 gene. Germline screening was performed showing mobility shifts which suggested mutation at the DNA level resulting in intronic portion retention. This study is of prime importance for drug design and treatment selection to overcome increased resistance of HN cancers to drugs due to alteration in the GSTP1 gene.

• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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• 2015.05a
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• pp.28-28
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• 2015

Clubroot disease caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae induces severe losses of cruciferous vegetables worldwide. To control clubroot of Chinese cabbage, many CR (clubroot resistance) F1 hybrid cultivars have been bred and released in Korea, China and Japan. In this study, we determined the race of P. brassicae 12 field isolates, which collected from 10 regions in Korea, using Williams' differential varieties including two cabbage ('Jersey Queen', 'Badger Shipper') and two rutabaga ('Laurentian', 'Whilhelmsburger'). By Williams' differential varieties, 12 clubroot pathogens were assigned into one (GN2), two (HS and YC), two (HN1 and HN2), three (DJ, KS and SS) and four (GS, GN1, JS and PC) isolates for races 1, 2, 4, 5 and 9, respectively. In addition, the degree of resistance of 45 CR cultivars that were from Korea, China and Japan was tested with the 12 isolates. The 45 CR cultivars of Chinese cabbage were differentiated into three genotypes according to their resistance responses. Even though the 12 P. brassicae isolates were same race by Williams' differential varieties, three CR genotypes showed different resistance response to the isolates. These results indicate that races of P. brassicae by Williams' differentials were not related with resistance of CR cultivars, and three CR genotypes represented qualitative resistance to the P. brassicae isolates. CR genotype I including 'CR-Cheongrok' showed resistance to GN1, GN2, JS, GS, HS, DJ and KS isolates and susceptibility to YC, PC, HN1, HN2 and SS isolates. And CR genotype II such as 'Hangkunjongbyungdaebaekchae' was resistant to GN1, GN2, JS, GS, HS, YC, PC and HN1 and susceptible to DJ, KS, SS and HN2. CR genotype III including 'Chunhajangkun' and 'Akimeki' represented resistance to 10 isolates except for SS and HN2 isolates. Based on these results, we selected 'CR-Cheongrok', 'Hangkunjongbyungdaebaekchae', and 'Chunhajangkun' as a representative cultivar of three CR genotypes and 'Norangkimjang' as a susceptible cultivar. Furthermore, we investigated the resistance of 15 lines of Chinese cabbage, which were provided by seed companies, to 11 isolates except for HN1 of P. brassicae. The results showed that three lines were susceptible to all the tested isolates, whereas five, four, and three lines represented the similar responses corresponding to the CR genotypes I, II, and III, respectively; there is no line of Chinese cabbage showing different resistance patterns compared to three CR genotypes. In particular, line 'SS001' showing resistance responses of CR genotype II was a parent of 'Saerona' that have been commercialized as a CR $F_1$ cultivar of Chinese cabbage. Together, we divided 12 isolates of P. brassicae into 4 races, designated by wild type, mutant type 1, mutant type 2, and mutant type 3. Wild type including GN1, GN2, JS, GS, and HS isolates of P. brassicae was not able to infect all the cultivars of three CR genotypes, whereas, mutant type 3 such as SS and HN2 isolates developed severe clubroot disease on all the CR genotype cultivars. To mutant type 1 including DJ and KS isolates, CR genotypes I, II and III were resistant, susceptible and resistant, respectively. In contrast, to mutant type 2 including YC, PS, and HN1 isolates, CR genotypes I, II and III showed susceptibility, resistance and resistance, respectively. Taken together, our results provide the extended knowledge of classification of P. brassicae races, which is useful information for the breeding of resistant crops, with a suggestion that 'Norangkimjang', 'CR-Cheongrok', 'Saerona' and 'Chunhajangkun' cultivars of Chinese cabbage could be used as new race differentials of P. brassicae for clubroot disease assay.