• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 2019

The apoptotic effects of shikonin (5,8-dihydroxy-2-[(1R)-1-hydroxy-4-methylpent-3-enyl]naphthalene-1,4-dione) on the human colon cancer cell line SNU-407 were investigated in this study. Shikonin showed dose-dependent cytotoxic activity against SNU-407 cells, with an estimated $IC_{50}$ value of $3{\mu}M$ after 48 h of treatment. Shikonin induced apoptosis, as evidenced by apoptotic body formation, sub-G_1$ phase cells, and DNA fragmentation. Shikonin induced apoptotic cell death by activating mitogen-activated protein kinase family members, and the apoptotic process was mediated by the activation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, leading to activation of the $PERK/elF2{\alpha}/CHOP$ apoptotic pathway, and mitochondrial $Ca^{2+}$ accumulation. Shikonin increased mitochondrial membrane depolarization and altered the levels of apoptosis-related proteins, with a decrease in B cell lymphoma (Bcl)-2 and an increase in Bcl-2-associated X protein, and subsequently, increased expression of cleaved forms of caspase-9 and -3. Taken together, we suggest that these mechanisms, including MAPK signaling and the ER- and mitochondria-mediated pathways, may underlie shikonin-induced apoptosis related to its anticancer effect.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.331-339
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• 2021

The youths are characterized by their reckless and ambitious behavior. They exhibit a strong tendency to make risky decisions that may jeopardize their future. These qualities are also in line with their experience-seeking behavior. As young entrepreneurs aim high in profit-seeking activities, their ethical stance may be compromised. Moreover, their money profile increases at an accelerated pace, leading them to love money even more. Quantitatively, this study was the first to investigate the behavior of young entrepreneurs in terms of their love of money, religiosity, and ethical perceptions by adopting the hadith perspective in Islamic tradition by developing the scales of all constructs. The respondents were 261 members of the Indonesian Young Entrepreneur Association in Sulawesi Selatan, Indonesia. This study also examined gender as the moderating variable. This study found that the love of money affects ethical perception negatively; on the other hand, religiosity positively affected ethics. Gender is found to moderate religiosity, but not love of money. These results signify the harmful impact of loving money too much on young entrepreneurs' ethics; furthermore, the scales developed from hadith revelation were able to capture the empirical findings significantly.

• Journal of Audiology & Otology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.217-223
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• 2021

Background and Objectives: In cochlear implant (CI) surgery, the results and causes of revision and reimplantation may guide surgeons in establishing surgical protocols for revision surgery with safe audiological outcomes. The aim of this study was to review our experience in terms of etiology, surgical strategy, and hearing outcomes in pediatric patients who underwent CI removal and reimplantation. Subjects and Methods: All patients received implants of the same brand. Pre and postoperative Categories of Auditory Performance score and aided free-field pure tone audiometry thresholds were noted. In vivo integrity tests were performed for each patient and the results of ex vivo tests of each implant were obtained from manufacturer. Results: A total of 149 CIs were placed in 121 patients aged <18 years. The revision rate in children was 6.7% (10/121 children). Six patients had a history of head injury leading to a hard failure. The causes of reimplantation in others were soft failure (n=1), electrode migration (n=1), infection (n=1), and other (n=1). All patients showed better or similar postreimplantation audiological performance compared with pre-reimplantation results. Conclusions: It is very important to provide a safe school and home environment and educate the family for reducing reimplantation due to trauma. Especially for active children, psychiatric consultation should be continued postoperatively.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.9
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• pp.631-639
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• 2022

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in women worldwide, despite medical and technological advancements. The RhoBTB family consists of three isoforms: RhoBTB1, RhoBTB2, and RhoBTB3. RhoBTB1 and RhoBTB2 have been proposed as tumor suppressors in breast cancer. However, the roles of RhoBTB3 proteins are unknown in breast cancer. Bioinformatics analysis, including Oncomine, cBioportal, was used to evaluate the potential functions and prognostic values of RhoBTB3 and Col1a1 in breast cancer. qRT-PCR analysis and immunoblotting assay were performed to investigate relevant expression. Functional experiments including proliferation assay, invasion assay, and flow cytometry assay were conducted to determine the role of RhoBTB3 and Col1a1 in breast cancer cells. RhoBTB3 mRNA levels were significantly up-regulated in breast cancer tissues as compared to in adjacent normal tissues. Moreover, RhoBTB3 expression was found to be associated with Col1a1 expression. Decreasing RhoBTB3 expression may lead to decreases in the proliferative and invasive properties of breast cancer cells. Further, Col1a1 knockdown in breast cancer cells limited the proliferative and invasive ability of cancer cells. Knockdown of RhoBTB3 may exert inhibit the proliferation, migration, and metastasis of breast cancer cells by repressing the expression of Col1a1, providing a novel therapeutic strategy for treating breast cancer.

• Korean Journal of Audiology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.217-223
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• 2021

Background and Objectives: In cochlear implant (CI) surgery, the results and causes of revision and reimplantation may guide surgeons in establishing surgical protocols for revision surgery with safe audiological outcomes. The aim of this study was to review our experience in terms of etiology, surgical strategy, and hearing outcomes in pediatric patients who underwent CI removal and reimplantation. Subjects and Methods: All patients received implants of the same brand. Pre and postoperative Categories of Auditory Performance score and aided free-field pure tone audiometry thresholds were noted. In vivo integrity tests were performed for each patient and the results of ex vivo tests of each implant were obtained from manufacturer. Results: A total of 149 CIs were placed in 121 patients aged <18 years. The revision rate in children was 6.7% (10/121 children). Six patients had a history of head injury leading to a hard failure. The causes of reimplantation in others were soft failure (n=1), electrode migration (n=1), infection (n=1), and other (n=1). All patients showed better or similar postreimplantation audiological performance compared with pre-reimplantation results. Conclusions: It is very important to provide a safe school and home environment and educate the family for reducing reimplantation due to trauma. Especially for active children, psychiatric consultation should be continued postoperatively.

• Journal of East Asia Management
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.63-92
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• 2021

Human activities have been putting a great burden on the earth, leading to many serious problems, such as lack of resources, ecological degradation and air degradation. Although many countries have recognised this circumstance and have developed some sustainable development strategies, the earth still needs research on sustainability in different views and various industries. The nursing industry has grown with the ageing of the global population in recent years, and professional nursing institutions could relieve structural deterioration caused by the ageing population in family, social, economic and cultural. Hence, exploring the key criteria of organisational sustainability in the nursing industry is of the utmost priority. This paper puts forward an evaluation framework to identify the key criteria of organisational sustainability. After connections with nursing homes A and B in China, the author adopts literature research to confirm the criteria system which is based on triple bottom line, utilises analytical network process method to design the network hierarchy analysis model and importance comparison questionnaires to collect experts' first-hand data, and uses technical software - Super Decisions to integrate data and obtain final results. The results recommend three top-ranked criteria in the entire system, eco-recruitment, eco-procurement and corporate social responsibility are discussed with some professional suggestions in the end. The limitations are also extended in the last chapter to provide future research perspectives.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.781-787
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• 2009

Training and process analysis in the construction industry has not taken full advantage of new technologies such as building information modeling(BIM). The purpose of this research is to develop a framework for the virtual interactive construction education system using three dimensional technologies. The modules will simulate the construction process for a facility from start to finish using information drawn from real projects in the built environment. These modules can be used as training tools for new employees where they attempt to optimize time and cost in a virtual environment given a limited number of equipment, time and employee options. They can also be used as a process analysis tool for new construction where a number of situational variables can change leading to exposure of potential risk. These modules would be particularly useful for repetitive construction where the initial project is analyzed for optimization and risk mitigation. This paper describes the framework and shows a residential construction example using a 900 square foot wood frame single family house designed for the United States.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.981-991
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• 2023

Monkeypox (Mpox) virus, a member of the Poxviridae family, causes a severe illness similar to smallpox, which is characterized by symptoms such as high fever, rash, and pustules. Human-to-human transmission cases have been reported but remained low since the first recorded case of human infection occurred in the Congo in 1970. Recently, Mpox has re-emerged, leading to an alarming surge in infections worldwide since 2022, originating in the United Kingdom. Consequently, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the '2022-23 Mpox outbreak'. Currently, no specific therapy or vaccine is available for Mpox. Therefore, patients infected with Mpox are treated using conventional therapies developed for smallpox. However, the vaccines developed for smallpox have demonstrated only partial efficacy against Mpox, allowing viral transmission among humans. In this review, we discuss the current epidemiology of the ongoing Mpox outbreak and provide an update on the progress made in diagnosis, treatment, and development of vaccines for Mpox.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.31-38
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• 2023

Rare diseases, even though defined as fewer than 20,000 in South Korea, with over 8,000 rare Mendelian disorders having been identified, they collectively impact 6-8% of the global population. Many of the rare diseases pose significant challenges to patients, patients' families, and the healthcare system. The diagnostic journey for rare disease patients is often lengthy and arduous, hampered by the genetic diversity and phenotypic complexity of these conditions. With the advent of next-generation sequencing technology and clinical implementation of exome sequencing (ES) and genome sequencing (GS), the diagnostic rate for rare diseases is 25-50% depending on the disease category. It is also allowing more rapid new gene-disease association discovery and equipping us to practice precision medicine by offering tailored medical management plans, early intervention, family planning options. However, a substantial number of patients remain undiagnosed, and it could be due to several factors. Some may not have genetic disorders. Some may have disease-causing variants that are not detectable or interpretable by ES and GS. It's also possible that some patient might have a disease-causing variant in a gene that hasn't yet been linked to a disease. For patients who remain undiagnosed, reanalysis of existing data has shown promises in providing new molecular diagnoses achieved by new gene-disease associations, new variant discovery, and variant reclassification, leading to a 5-10% increase in the diagnostic rate. More advanced approach such as long-read sequencing, transcriptome sequencing and integration of multi-omics data may provide potential values in uncovering elusive genetic causes.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.196-204
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• 2024

Objective: Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) is a leading cause of pediatric blindness and the most common form of pediatric visual disability, particularly prevalent among children with cerebral palsy (CP). This systematic review synthesizes the latest research on various interventions for managing CVI, focusing on studies published in the last decade. Design: A systematic review Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in March 2024 across several databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, and Web of Science. Studies were selected based on inclusion criteria set under the PICOSD framework and were limited to those involving human subjects, published in English, and conducted within the past ten years. The selected studies included randomized controlled trials, observational studies, and case reports focusing on rehabilitation, therapy, and surgical interventions for CVI. Results: Out of 221 studies screened, 5 met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed in detail. These studies covered a range of interventions including physiotherapy, sensory integration training, visual training programs, neuromotor rehabilitation, and surgical procedures aimed at improving visual function and overall quality of life for CVI patients. Conclusions: The studies demonstrate the potential benefits of structured, early intervention programs that incorporate family involvement and are tailored to the unique needs of children with CVI. However, there remains a significant need for further research to establish evidence-based practices in this field.