• 한국식생활문화학회지
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• 제37권3호
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• pp.248-255
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• 2022

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), a green leafy vegetable, is well known as a functional food due to its biological activities. Vascular calcification is associated with several disease conditions including atherosclerosis, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease (CKD), and is known to raise the risk of cardiovascular diseases related morbidity and mortality. However, there are no previous studies that have investigated the effects of fermented spinach exract (FSE) against aortic and its underlying mechanisms. Therefore, this study investigated the effects and action of possible mechanisms of FSE on inorganic phosphate (PI)-induced vascular calcification in ex vivo mouse aortic rings. PI increased vascular calcification through calcium deposition in ex vivo aortic rings. FSE inhibited calcium accumulation and osteogenic key marker, runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), and bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 (BMP-2) protein expression in ex vivo aortic rings. And, FSE inhibited PI-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 phosphorylation in ex vivo aortic rings. These results show that FSE can prevent vascular calcification which may be a crucial way for the prevention and treatment of vascular disease association with vascular calcification.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• 제14권3호
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• pp.116-119
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• 2023

Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino extract, a natural product with a history of traditional use, has gained attention for its potential health benefits. This study aimed to investigate its effects on key cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes using LC-MS/MS. Human liver microsomes and cDNA-expressed CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP3A4 supersomes were employed. Enzyme activity was assessed based on the formation of CYP-specific marker metabolites. The resulting data showed that the extract exhibited inhibitory effects on CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP3A4. Thus, G. pentaphyllum extract may influence the pharmacokinetics of drugs metabolized by CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP3A4. These findings emphasize the importance of considering potential herb-drug interactions when incorporating this extract into therapeutic regimens or dietary supplements.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제10권2호
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• pp.74-80
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• 2012

Most genes are processed by alternative splicing for gene expression, resulting in the complexity of the transcriptome in eukaryotes. It allows a limited number of genes to encode various proteins with intricate functions. Alternative splicing is regulated by genetic mutations in cis-regulatory factors and epigenetic events. Furthermore, splicing events occur differently according to cell type, developmental stage, and various diseases, including cancer. Genome instability and flexible proteomes by alternative splicing could affect cancer cells to grow and survive, leading to metastasis. Cancer cells that are transformed by aberrant and uncontrolled mechanisms could produce alternative splicing to maintain and spread them continuously. Splicing variants in various cancers represent crucial roles for tumorigenesis. Taken together, the identification of alternative spliced variants as biomarkers to distinguish between normal and cancer cells could cast light on tumorigenesis.

• 한국언어정보학회지:언어와정보
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.1-24
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• 2012

-Nun is generally known as a Topic marker in Korean. However, when it is combined with an accent, it is thought to have a different function, which is alleged to indicate 'contrast' (Kuno 1972). Although the fact that -nun marked item generates some kind of 'contrastive meaning' is uncontroversial, what 'contrast(ive)' means is still unclear. In t his paper, I propose that accented -nun generates two types of implicit propositions in addition to its at-issue meaning. A simple sentence has been repeatedly tested in various models in order to see what type of proposition each proposition corresponds to and it has been concluded that one is presupposition and the other is implicature. This tedious-looking test forms the main part of the first-half of this paper. The presupposition is the essential factor for the -nun marked item to obtain the 'contrastive' meaning. Based on the generation of this presupposition, I argue that -nun works as a contrast operator in a sentence. To illustrate -nun's function as a contrast operator forms the latter part of this paper.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제56권10호
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• pp.424-430
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• 2013

Exhaled nitric oxide (NO) has been extensively investigated as a noninvasive marker of airway inflammation in asthma. The increased NO expression induced by inflammatory mediators in airways can be monitored easily in exhaled air from asthmatic children. Based on the relationship between the increased NO expression and eosinophilic airway inflammation, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) measurements become an important adjunct for the evaluation of asthma. In addition, the availability of portable devices makes it possible to measure FeNO more easily and frequently in the routine pediatric practice. Despite various confounding factors affecting its levels, FeNO can be applicable in diagnosing asthma, monitoring treatment response, evaluating asthma control, and predicting asthma exacerbations. Thus, although pulmonary function tests are the standard tools for objective measurements of asthmatic control, FeNO can broaden the way of asthma monitoring and supplement standard clinical asthma care guidelines.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.295-302
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• 2017

Mononuclear osteoclast precursors derived from hematopoietic progenitors fuse together and then become multinucleated mature osteoclasts by macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) and receptor activator of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ ligand (RANKL). Especially, the binding of RANKL to its receptor RANK provides key signals for osteoclast differentiation and bone-resorbing function. RANK transduces intracellular signals by recruiting adaptor molecules such as TNFR-associated factors (TRAFs), which then activate mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs), Src/PI3K/Akt pathway, nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$) and finally amplify NFATc1 activation for the transcription and activation of osteoclast marker genes. This review will briefly describe RANKL-RANK signaling pathways and key molecules critical for osteoclast differentiation.

• Journal of Species Research
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• 제5권3호
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• pp.459-462
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• 2016

The branchiobdellidan species Holtodrilus truncatus (Liang, 1963) is reported for the first time in Korea. The genus Holtodrilus Gelder and Brinkhurst, 1990 is monotypic within the family Xironodrilidae, and the genus and family of this species are also new to the Korean fauna. The branchiobdellidan specimens were collected from the exoskeletons of the freshwater atyid shrimp, Neocaridina sp., sampled from the 'Andeok Valley', Jeju-do Province, South Korea. Holtodrilus truncatus is characterized by its terete body form, 7/7 dental formula (with a large medial tooth and three pairs of smaller lateral teeth), and no trunk appendages. In addition, we determined a partial sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) gene as a DNA barcode marker for H. truncatus. The present study is the first record of the branchiobdellidan occurrence on a non-crayfish host (shrimp) in Korea. To date, seven species (four genera in three families) of branchiobdellidans have been reported in the Korean fauna.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• 제5권1호
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• pp.7-14
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• 2008

Twenty years have passed since a prenatal screening for Down syndrome and neural tube defect was applied to obstetric field. The Quad test (AFP, hCG, uE3, Inhibin-A) of the second trimester and the combination test (PAPP-A, hCG, NT) of the first trimester became popular now. The recent trend of prenatal screening is to combine these two screening tests together in order to increase a detection rate of Down syndrome. Three types of screening methods are introduced as follows; integrated test, sequential test and contingent test. In addition to combination of each test, an incorporation of characteristic ultrasound findings of Down syndrome is suggested for its risk calculation. The absence of fetal nasal bone would be a very useful marker especially in the first trimester screening test. According to a change of way calculating risk of Down syndrome, obstetrician's role will be more increased not by passive participation, but by active participation using ultrasound in risk calculation.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.341-347
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• 2019

Luffa cylindrica (LC) is a very fast-growing climber and its fruit have been considered as agricultural wastes. We conducted to check the comparative qualities of ethanol solvent extraction (LCE) and supercritical carbon dioxide extraction (LCS) of L. cylindrica fruit and seed. LCS had higher antioxidant and polyphenol contents than LCE. LCS were significantly increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-a and involucrin expression as epidermal differentiation marker in 3D skin equivalent model. LCS also showed antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, a causative bacteria in atopic dermatitis. In addition, LCS inhibited the adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells. When treated with the extract at a concentration of 100 ㎍/mL, the Wnt/β-catenin pathway reporter luciferase activity of HEK 293-TOP cells was increased approximately by 2-folds compared to that of the untreated control group. These results indicate that L. cylindrica supercritical carbon dioxide extract may serve as a cosmeceutical for improving skin barrier function and the treatment of obesity.

• 한국정밀공학회지
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• 제22권11호
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• pp.182-189
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• 2005

The human knee joint is the intermediate joint of the lower limb that is the largest and most complex joint in the body. Understanding of joint-articulating surface motion is essential for the joint wear, stability, mobility, degeneration, determination of proper diagnosis and so on. However, many studies analyzed the passive motion of the lower limb because of the skin marker artefact and some studies described medial and lateral condyle of a femur as a simple sphere due to the complexity of geometry. Thus, in this paper, we constructed a three-dimensional geometric model of the human knee from the geometry of its anatomical structures using non-uniform B-spline surface fitting as a study for the kinematic analysis of more realistic human knee model. In addition, we developed and verified 6-DOF contact model of the human knee joint using $C^2$ continuous surface of the inferior region of a femur, considering the relative motion of shank to thigh during locomotion.