• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.407-415
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• 2014

Genetic determinism of human behaviors is considered as a philosophical perspective that genes in humans determine biological as well as social traits. However, many biologists agree that human traits are determined by interactions between genes and genes, as well as between genes and environments. In this context, genetic determinism still affect ideas of the general public as well as research directions of biologists. According to Cl$\acute{e}$ment's KVP model (Cast$\acute{e}$ra & Cl$\acute{e}$ment, 2012), teachers' conceptions of genetic determinism influence students' concepts of genetics. This study intends to investigate teachers' conceptions on genetic determinism of human behaviors. For this end, a questionnaire adopted from a previous research (Cast$\acute{e}$ra & Cl$\acute{e}$ment, 2012) has been administered to 308 teachers including 151 pre-service and 157 in-service. Factor analysis has been conducted to extract major factors and one-way ANOVA has been employed to find out differences in extracted factors among different groups of teachers. Four factors have been extracted from 14 items of questionnaire, including factor 1, a perspective of genetic determinism of gender differences in intellectual ability, social status, and emotional traits; factor 2, a perspective of genetic determinism of individual differences in intellectual ability; factor 3, a perspective of genetic determinism of individual differences in biological immune function and behavioral trait; and factor 4, a perspective of genetic determinism of ethnic differences. From the results of One-way ANOVA among teacher groups on four factors, first, it has shown a significant difference in factor 1 (F=3.325, p=.006), factor 3 (F=3.320, p=.006) and factor 4 (F=4.325, p=.001) due to their subject matters. In post-hoc comparison there have been no significant difference between biology teachers and other teachers. It has also been found that there was a significant difference between pre-service and in-service teachers in factor 1 (t=-3.938, p=.000) and factor 4 (t=-3.121, p=.002) and in-service teachers are more genetic deterministic than pre-service teachers. Finally, different religions have no influence on teachers' conceptions of genetic determinism of human behaviors.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.36-41
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• 2018

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute febrile vasculitis predominately affecting infants and children. The dominant incidence age of KD is from 6 months to 5 years of age, and the incidence is unusual in those younger than 6 months and older than 5 years of age. We tried to identify genetic variants specifically associated with KD in patients younger than 6 months or older than 5 years of age. We performed an age-stratified genome-wide association study using the Illumina HumanOmni1-Quad BeadChip data (296 cases vs. 1,000 controls) and a replication study (1,360 cases vs. 3,553 controls) in the Korean population. Among 26 candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) tested in replication study, only a rare nonsynonymous SNP (rs4365796: c.1106C>T, p.Thr369Met) in the lymphoid enhancer binding factor 1 (LEF1) gene was very significantly associated with KD in patients younger than 6 months of age (odds ratio [OR], 3.07; $p_{combined}=1.10{\times}10^{-5}$), whereas no association of the same SNP was observed in any other age group of KD patients. The same SNP (rs4365796) in the LEF1 gene showed the same direction of risk effect in Japanese KD patients younger than 6 months of age, although the effect was not statistically significant (OR, 1.42; p = 0.397). This result indicates that the LEF1 gene may play an important role as a susceptibility gene specifically affecting KD patients younger than 6 months of age.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.1328-1332
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• 2009

Anisakidosis is caused by anisakid nematodes (family Anisakidae) larvae which can cause not only direct tissue damage but also a severe allergic response related to excretory-secretion products. Lots of different species of anisakid larvae, including Anisakis simplex, Contracaecum, Goezia, Pseudoterranova, and Hysterothylacium, cause the anisakidosis. But it is difficult to diagnosis the species of larvae since the morphologies of larval anisakid nematodes are almost indistinguishable. In order to diagnosis the differential infections of larval anisakid nematodes, polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) of 18S rDNA - was conducted. Three major species of anisakid larvae including A. simplex, C.ontracaecum spp, and Goezia spp. were collected from mackerel (Scomber japonicus), mullet (Mugil cephalus), founder (Paralichthys olivaceus), eel (Astroconger myriaster) and red sea bream (Pagrus major). PCR amplified 18S rDNA from each species of anisakid larvae was digested with eight restriction enzymes including Taq I, Hinf I, Hha I, Alu I, Dde I, Hae III, Sau96 I, and Sau3A I. The original sizes of PCR amplified 18S rDNA were 2.0Kb in both anisakid larvaes and Goezia. Restrction enzymes including Hinf 1, Alu 1, Hha I, Dde 1 and Hae III cut differently and distinguished the A. simplex and Contracaecum type C'. However, Contracaecum type A showed two different restriction enzyme cutting patterns by Taq 1, Hinf I, Alu 1, and Dde 1. One of the patterns was the same as those of A. simplex, Contracaecum type C' and Goezia and the other was unique. These results suggest that PCR-RFLP pattern by Hinf 1, Alu 1, Hae I, Dde 1 and Hae III can be applied to differential diagnosis of human infection with A. simplex and Contracaecum type C'. Contracaecum type A needs further study of classification by morphological characteristics and genetic analysis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.562-571
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• 2017

In this study, we investigated the anti-oxidant activities [electron-donating ability (EDA), 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging ability, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) inhibitory activity], anti-wrinkle activities [collagenase inhibitory activity, suppression and/or phosphorylation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase activity], and mRNA expression levels using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay in ultraviolet (UV) B ray ($50mJ/cm^2$)-irradiated human keratinocyte HaCaT cells. Josaengheugchal, Sinneungheugchal (SE), Shintoheug rice, Heugjinju rice, and Heugseol (HE) among colored rice varieties were reported to have excellent antioxidant properties. In the EDA and ABTS radical scavenging assays, extracts of the five colored rice varieties had scavenging activities of 72% at concentrations higher $50{\mu}g/mL$. In the collagenase inhibition assay, ethanol extracts of the five colored rice varieties showed high inhibitory effects of about 60% at concentrations higher $25{\mu}g/mL$. In the ROS inhibition assay, ethanol extracts of HE and SE showed very excellent inhibition efficacies at all concentrations. We determined molecular biological mechanisms of MMPs (MMP-1, -3, -8, and -13) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) with HE, and the results show that HE suppressed expression of MMPs and phosphorylation of MAPK and increased expression of pro-collagen type I in UVB-irradiated cells. It was also confirmed by RT-PCR that HE reduced expression of MMPs mRNA. Therefore, these results suggest that HE has anti-wrinkle and collagen production effects and may be used as a material in the development of functional food and cosmetic industries.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.11
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• pp.1589-1594
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• 2016

Piperine [(E,E)-5-(3,4-methtylenedioxyphenyl)-2,4-pentadienolypiperidide] is a principal of Piperaceae, including Piper nigrum L. and Piper longum Linn., which has been used as a spice and traditional medicine. In this study, we investigated whether or not piperine has anti-cancer effects on AGS human gastric cancer cells. The results demonstrated that piperine not only inhibited proliferation using MTT assay but also induced apoptotic bodies using DAPI assay in a dose-dependent manner in response to piperine. Expression levels of p53, Bax (pro-apoptotic), cleaved caspase-9, and cleaved-PARP increased, whereas expression levels of Bcl-2, XIAP (anti-apoptotic), and Akt decreased in a dose-dependent manner compared with the control by western blotting analysis. To identify the connection between phospo-Akt and Bcl-2 family in response to piperine, LY249002 (Akt inhibitor) was treated with piperine ($150{\mu}M$). The results were shown that expression of phospo-Akt was reduced whereas expression of Bax and cleaved-PARP increased in a dose-dependent manner. These results indicate that piperine induced apoptosis in AGS cells and may serve as a chemopreventive or therapeutic agent for human gastric cancer.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.128-133
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• 2012

Objectives : Located on chromosome 10q22-q23, the human neuregulin 3 (NRG3) is suggested as a strong positional and functional candidate gene involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Several case-control studies examining the association between polymorphisms on NRG3 gene with schizophrenia and/or its traits (such as delusion) have been reported recently in cohorts of Han Chinese, Ashkenazi Jews, Australians, white Americans of Western European ancestry and Koreans. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the association of one SNP in exon 9 (rs2295933) of NRG3 gene with the risk of schizophrenia in a Korean population. Methods : Using TaqMan assay, rs2295933 in the exon 9 of NRG3 was genotyped in 435 patients with schizophrenia as cases and 393 unrelated healthy individuals as controls. Differences in frequency distributions were analyzed using logistic regression models following various modes of genetic inheritance and controlling for age and sex as covariates. Results : Subsequent analysis revealed that the frequency distribution of rs2295933 of NRG3 was not different between schizophrenia patients and healthy controls of Korean ethnicity. Conclusions : This study does not support the role of NRG3 in schizophrenia in a Korean population.

• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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• 2015.05a
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• pp.15-15
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• 2015

Aspergillus fumigatus is a major cause of invasive aspergillosis (IA), a significant health issue worldwide with high mortality rates up to 95%. Our lab is interested in how A. fumigatus adapts to low oxygen conditions 'hypoxia', which is one of the important host microenvironments. A. fumigatus SrbA is a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcriptional regulator and belongs to sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP) family members. Loss of SrbA completely blocks growth in hypoxia and results in avirulence in murine models of IA suggesting an essential role of SrbA in hypoxia adaptation and virulence in A. fumigatus. We conducted chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) with A. fumigatus wild type using a SrbA specific antibody, and 97 genes were revealed as SrbA direct targets. One of the 'SrbA regulons' (AFUB_099590) was a putative bHLH transcriptional regulator whose sequence contained a characteristic tyrosine substitution in the basic portion of the bHLH domain of SREBPs. Therefore, we designated AFUB_099590 SrbB. Further characterization of SrbB demonstrated that SrbB is important for radial growth, biomass production, and biosynthesis of heme intermediates in hypoxia and virulence in A. fumigatus. A series of quantitative real time PCR showed that transcription of several SrbA regulons is coordinately regulated by two SREBPs, SrbA and SrbB in hypoxia. This suggests that SrbA and SrbB have both dependent and independent functions in regulation of genes responsible for hypoxia adaptation in A. fumigatus. Together, our data provide new insights into complicated roles of SREBPs in adaptation of host environments and virulence in pathogenic fungi.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.117-121
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• 2016

Although piglets have been delivered by embryo transfer (ET) with in vitro produced (IVP) embryos and blastocysts, a success rate has still remained lower level. Unlike mouse, human, and bovine, it is difficult to a production of piglets by in vitro fertilization (IVF) because of an inappropriate in vitro culture (IVC) system in pig. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate whether minimized exposure time in IVC can improve the pregnancy and delivery rates of piglets. Immediately after IVM, the oocytes were denuded and co-incubated with freshly ejaculated boar semen for 3.5 to 4 hours at $38.5^{\circ}C$ under 5% $CO_2$ in air. To avoid long-term exposure to in vitro state, we emitted IVC step after IVF. After that the presumptive zygotes were transferred into both oviducts of the surrogate on the same day or 1 day after the onset of estrus. Pregnancy was diagnosed on day 28 after ET and then was checked regularly every month by ultrasound examination. The 3 out of 4 surrogates were determined as pregnant (75%) and a total of 5 piglets (2 females and 3 males) were delivered at $118.3{\pm}2.5$ days of pregnancy period. In conclusion, a short-term exposure time may be an important factor in the production of IVP-derived piglets. It can be apply to the in vitro production system of transgenic pig by IVF, cloning, and pronuclear microinjection methods.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.22 no.2 s.55
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• pp.98-105
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• 1983

The rapid increase in cases of insect resistance to insecticides indicates that the contribution of present chemical control practices inevitably leads to exhaustion of available insecticide resources against key insect species. Now the problem of insecticide resistance exists worldwide among insects and mites affecting field crops and animals including human beings, ranging from minimal or absent in some developing countries, where use of insecticides has been low, to extremely severe in many developed countries. Since the occurrence of insect resistance to insecticides was firstly recognized in 1908, the increase in recent decades has been almost linear and now the number of species of insects and acarines in which resistant strains have evolved have been increased to a total of 432. Of these, $261(60\%)$ are agricultural importance and $171(40\%)$ of medical/veterinary importance. The phenomenon of insecticide resistance is asserting itself as the greatest challenge to effective chemical control of many important insect pests. Resistance of insects to insecticides has a history of nearly 80 years, but its greatest increase and its strongest impact have occurred during the last 40 years following the discovery and extensive use of synthetic organic insecticides and acaricides. The impact of resistance should be considered not only in terms of greater cost of pest control due to increased dosages and number of applications but also in terms of the ecological disruption of pest-beneficial species density relationships, the loss of investment in the development of the insecticides concerned, and socio-economic disruption in agricultural communities. Despite its grave economic consequences, the phenomenon of insecticide resistance has received surprisingly little attention in Korea. Since the study of insecticides started firstly in 1963, many entomologists have been concerned with this study. According to their results, some of the rice pests and some of the mites on orchard trees, for example, have developed worrisome level of resistance in several areas of this peninsula. With many arthropods, considerable advances in the developed countries have been made in the study of the biochemical and physiological mechanisms of resistance. Progress involves the biochemical characteristics of specific defense mechanisms, their genetics, interactions, and their quantitative and qualitative contribution to resistance. But their studies arc still inadequately known and relatively little have been contributed in terms of unique schemes of population management in achieving satisfactory pest control. It is apparent that there is no easy solution to resistance as a general phenomenon. For future challenging to effective control of insect pests which are resistant to the insecticides concerned, new insecticide groups with distinctly novel mode of action are urgently needed. It is clear, however, that a great understanding of the factors which govern the intensity of selection of field population for resistance could lead to far more permanently successive use of chemicals within the framework of integrated pest management than heretofore practiced.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.1319-1326
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• 2007

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBP1) is a key regulatory enzyme of gluconeogenesis that catalyzes the hydrolysis of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate to generate fructose-6-phosphate and inorganic phosphate. Deficiency of fructose-1, 6-bisphosphatase is associated with fasting hypoglycemia and metabolic acidosis. The enzyme has been shown to occur in bacteria, fungi, plants and animals. The bovine FBP1 gene was cloned and characterized in this study. The full length (1,241 bp) FBP1 mRNA contained an open reading frame (ORF) encoding a protein of 338 amino acids, a 63 bp 5' untranslated region (UTR) and a 131 bp 3' UTR. The bovine FBP1 gene was 89%, 85%, 82%, 82% and 74% identical to the orthologs of pig, human, mouse, rat and zebra fish at mRNA level, and 97%, 96%, 94%, 93% and 91% identical at the protein level, respectively. This gene was broadly expressed in cattle with the highest level in testis, and the lowest level in heart. An intronic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (A/G) was identified in the $5^{th}$ intron of the bovine FBP1 gene. Genotyping of 133 animals from four beef breeds revealed that the average frequency for allele A (A-base) was 0.7897 (0.7069-0.9107), while 0.2103 (0.0893-0.2931) for allele B (G-base). Our preliminary association study indicated that this SNP is significantly associated with traits of Average Daily Feed Intake (ADFI) and Carcass Length (CL) (p<0.01). In addition, the FBP1 gene was assigned on BTA8 by a hybrid radiation (RH) mapping method.