• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.37-48
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• 2021

A new high speed rotation type-passive sampling device (HSR-PSD), which can rotate seawater at high speed and absorb easily and quickly the freely dissolved hydrophobic organic contaminants from seawater, was developed and then applied around the Korean Peninsula. Freely dissolved concentrations (Cfree) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined using the HSR-PSD with low density polyethylene (LDPE) sheets as a passive sampler. Furthermore, dissolved concentrations (Cdissolved) of PAHs in seawater were also obtained from high volume water sampling as a conventional method to account for actual bioavailability. When the LDPE sheets were rotated in the HSR-PSD at 900 rpm, PAHs with log KOW 3.4 ~ 5.2 were equilibrated between the LDPE and water in 5 hours. Although the high molecular weight PAHs with log KOW 5.6 ~ 6.8 was expected to be 2 to 30 days to reach the equilibrium, the Cfree of the PAHs at equilibrium could be corrected using performance reference compounds in 5 hours. Meanwhile, the total Cfree of PAHs were from 0.32 to 1.2 ng/L, which were higher than reported values in other oceans, but lower than in coastal water such as estuary, harbor, or shore. A bioavailability from the detected PAHs was highest at the sampling line near the dumping site of the Yellow Sea. Predicted residual concentrations in biota were relatively higher in offshore including the dumping site than in coastal regions.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.112 no.2
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• pp.157-172
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• 2023

Controlled pollination (CP) is an important method in tree breeding programs because CP quickly generates desirable genotypes and rapidly maximizes genetic gains. However, few studies have evaluated the efficiency and success rate of CP in the breeding program of Pinus densiflora. To evaluate CP and the management of control pollinated progenies, we used 159 individuals in CB2 × KW40 or KW40 × CB2 populations that were established in 2015. After genotyping microsatellite loci, we estimated whether the number of primers was sufficient or not. Then, we performed pedigree analysis. The result showed that the number of primers was sufficient. By pedigree analysis, we found out that 60 of 159 individuals had been generated by the mating between CB2 and KW40. In the maternity analysis, there was evidence to indicate the possibility of management problems. Therefore, we excluded 54 individuals and repeated the pedigree analysis. In the second analysis, 47 of 105 individuals were generated by the mating between CB2 and KW40. To increase the efficiency of CP in tree breeding programs, several precautions are required. It is necessary to identify the exact clone names of the mother and father trees. In addition, CP processes should be performed properly, including deciding on the schedule of CP and the isolation of female strobili or flowers. Finally, the monitoring of hybrid progenies management after mating is important. Molecular markers should be used to identify the clone names of the mother and father trees and for monitoring post hoc management. This study provides a reference for tree breeding programs for the future control pollination of pine species.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.408-419
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• 2023

Background: Ginsenoside compound K (CK), the main active metabolite in Panax ginseng, has shown good safety and bioavailability in clinical trials and exerts neuroprotective effects in cerebral ischemic stroke. However, its potential role in the prevention of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury remains unclear. Our study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism of ginsenoside CK against cerebral I/R injury. Methods: We used a combination of in vitro and in vivo models, including oxygen and glucose deprivation/reperfusion induced PC12 cell model and middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion induced rat model, to mimic I/R injury. Intracellular oxygen consumption and extracellular acidification rate were analyzed by Seahorse multifunctional energy metabolism system; ATP production was detected by luciferase method. The number and size of mitochondria were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy and MitoTracker probe combined with confocal laser microscopy. The potential mechanisms of ginsenoside CK on mitochondrial dynamics and bioenergy were evaluated by RNA interference, pharmacological antagonism combined with co-immunoprecipitation analysis and phenotypic analysis. Results: Ginsenoside CK pretreatment could attenuate mitochondrial translocation of DRP1, mitophagy, mitochondrial apoptosis, and neuronal bioenergy imbalance against cerebral I/R injury in both in vitro and in vivo models. Our data also confirmed that ginsenoside CK administration could reduce the binding affinity of Mul1 and Mfn2 to inhibit the ubiquitination and degradation of Mfn2, thereby elevating the protein level of Mfn2 in cerebral I/R injury. Conclusion: These data provide evidence that ginsenoside CK may be a promising therapeutic agent against cerebral I/R injury via Mul1/Mfn2 mediated mitochondrial dynamics and bioenergy.

• Journal of the Korean Society of International Agriculture
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.546-551
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• 2011

Chrysanthemums, often called mums or chrysanths, belong to the genus Chrysanthemum, which includes about 30 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. We extracted DNA from Dendranthema grandiflorum ('Smileball') to construct a simple sequence repeat (SSR)-enriched library, using a modified biotin-streptavidin capture method. GS FLX (Genome Sequencer FLX System which provides the flexibility to perform the broad range of applications) sequencing (at the 1/8 run specification) resulted in 18.83 mega base pairs (Mbp) with an average read length of 280.06 bp. Sequence analyses of all SSR-containing clones revealed a predominance of di-nucleotide motifs (16,375, 61.5%) followed by tri-nucleotide motifs (6,616, 24.8%), tetra-nucleotide motifs (1,674, 6.3%), penta-nucleotide motifs (1,283, 4.8%), and hexa-nucleotide motifs (693, 2.6%). Among the di-nucleotide motifs, the AC/CA class was the most frequently identified (93.5% of all di-nucleotide types), followed by the GA/AG class (6.1%), the AT/TA class (0.4%), and the CG/GC class (0.03%). When we analyzed the distribution of different repeat motifs and their respective numbers of repeats, regardless of the motif class, of 100 SSR markers, we found a higher number of di-nucleotide motifs with 70 to 80 repeats; we also found two di-nucleotide motifs with 83 and 89 repeats, respectively, but their product lengths were within optimum size (297 and 300 bp). In future work, we will screen for polymorphisms of possible primer pairs. The results will provide a useful tool for assessing molecular diversity and investigating the population structure among and within Chrysanthemum species.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.449-456
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• 2023

In this study, we developed Rapid Enrichment Broth for Vibrio parahaemolyticus (REB-V), a broth capable enriching V. parahaemolyticus from 10⁰ CFU/mL to 10⁶ CFU/mL within 6 hours, which greatly facilitates the rapid detection of V. parahaemolyticus. Using a modified Gompertz model and response surface methodology, we optimized supplement sources to rapidly enrich V. parahaemolyticus. The addition of 0.003 g/10 mL of D-(+)-mannose, 0.002 g/10 mL of L-valine, and 0.002 g/10 mL of magnesium sulfate to 2% (w/v) NaCl BPW was the most effective combination of V. parahaemolyticus enrichment. Optimal V. parahaemolyticus culture conditions using REB-V were at pH 7.84 and 37℃. To confirm REB-V culture efficiency compared to 2% (w/v) NaCl BPW, we assessed the amount of enrichment achieved in 7 hours in each medium and extracted DNA samples from each culture every hour. Real-time PCR was performed using the extracted DNA to verify the applicability of this REB-V culture method to molecular diagnosis. V. parahaemolyticus was enriched to 5.452±0.151 Log CFU/mL in 2% (w/v) NaCl BPW in 7 hours, while in REB-V, it reached 7.831±0.323 Log CFU/mL. This confirmed that REB-V enriched V. parahaemolyticus to more than 10⁶ CFU/mL within 6 hours. The enrichment rate of REB-V was faster than that of 2% (w/v) NaCl BPW, and the amount of enrichment within the same time was greater than that of 2% (w/v) NaCl BPW, indicating that REB-V exhibits excellent enrichment efficiency.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.234-240
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• 2007

Purpose: In this study we propose a block-iterative method for reconstructing Compton scattered data. This study shows that the well-known expectation maximization (EM) approach along with its accelerated version based on the ordered subsets principle can be applied to the problem of image reconstruction for Compton camera. This study also compares several methods of constructing subsets for optimal performance of our algorithms. Materials and Methods: Three reconstruction algorithms were implemented; simple backprojection (SBP), EM, and ordered subset EM (OSEM). For OSEM, the projection data were grouped into subsets in a predefined order. Three different schemes for choosing nonoverlapping subsets were considered; scatter angle-based subsets, detector position-based subsets, and both scatter angle- and detector position-based subsets. EM and OSEM with 16 subsets were performed with 64 and 4 iterations, respectively. The performance of each algorithm was evaluated in terms of computation time and normalized mean-squared error. Results: Both EM and OSEM clearly outperformed SBP in all aspects of accuracy. The OSEM with 16 subsets and 4 iterations, which is equivalent to the standard EM with 64 iterations, was approximately 14 times faster in computation time than the standard EM. In OSEM, all of the three schemes for choosing subsets yielded similar results in computation time as well as normalized mean-squared error. Conclusion: Our results show that the OSEM algorithm, which have proven useful in emission tomography, can also be applied to the problem of image reconstruction for Compton camera. With properly chosen subset construction methods and moderate numbers of subsets, our OSEM algorithm significantly improves the computational efficiency while keeping the original quality of the standard EM reconstruction. The OSEM algorithm with scatter angle- and detector position-based subsets is most available.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.192-200
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• 2008

To evaluate the hemodynamic changes and the predictive factors of the clinical outcome in pediatric patients with moyamoya disease, we analyzed pre/post basal/acetazolamide stress brain perfusion SPECT with automated volume of interest (VOIs) method. Methods: Total fifty six (M:F = 33:24, age $6.7{\pm}3.2$ years) pediatric patients with moyamoya disease, who underwent basal/acetazolamide stress brain perfusion SPECT within 6 before and after revascularization surgery (encephalo-duro-arterio-synangiosis (EDAS) with frontal encephalo-galeo-synangiosis (EGS) and EDAS only followed on contralateral hemisphere), and followed-up more than 6 months after post-operative SPECT, were included. A mean follow-up period after post-operative SPECT was $33{\pm}21$ months. Each patient's SPECT image was spatially normalized to Korean template with the SPM2. For the regional count normalization, the count of pons was used as a reference region. The basal/acetazolamide-stressed cerebral blood flow (CBF), the cerebral vascular reserve index (CVRI), and the extent of area with significantly decreased basal/acetazolamide- stressed rCBF than age-matched normal control were evaluated on both medial frontal, frontal, parietal, occipital lobes, and whole brain in each patient's images. The post-operative clinical outcome was assigned as good, poor according to the presence of transient ischemic attacks and/or fixed neurological deficits by pediatric neurosurgeon. Results: In a paired t-test, basal/acetazolamide-stressed rCBF and the CVRI were significantly improved after revascularization (p<0.05). The significant difference in the pre-operative basal/acetazolamide-stressed rCBF and the CVRI between the hemispheres where EDAS with frontal EGS was performed and their contralateral counterparts where EDAS only was done disappeared after operation (p<0.05). In an independent student t-test, the pre-operative basal rCBF in the medial frontal gyrus, the post-operative CVRI in the frontal lobe and the parietal lobe of the hemispheres with EDAS and frontal EGS, the post-operative CVRI, and ${\Delta}CVRI$ showed a significant difference between patients with a good and poor clinical outcome (p<0.05). In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, the ${\Delta}CVRI$ and the post-operative CVRI of medial frontal gyrus on the hemispheres where EDAS with frontal EGS was performed were the significant predictive factors for the clinical outcome (p =0.002, p =0.015), Conclusion: With probabilistic map, we could objectively evaluate pre/post-operative hemodynamic changes of pediatric patients with moyamoya disease. Specifically the post-operative CVRI and the post-operative CVRI of medial frontal gyrus where EDAS with frontal EGS was done were the significant predictive factors for further clinical outcomes.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.10-18
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• 2009

Purpose: We investigated quantification of dopaminergic transporter (DAT) and serotonergic transporter (SERT) on $^{123}I$-FP-CIT SPECT for differentiating between multiple systemic atrophy (MSA) and idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD). Materials and Methods: N-fluoropropyl-$2{\beta}$-carbomethoxy-$3{\beta}$-4-[$^{123}I$]-iodophenylnortropane SPECT ($^{123}I$-FP-CIT SPECT) was performed in 8 patients with MSA (mean age: $64.0{\pm}4.5yrs$, m:f=6:2), 13 with early IPD (mean age: $65.5{\pm}5.3yrs$, m:f=9:4), and 12 healthy controls (mean age: $63.3{\pm}5.7yrs$, m:f=8:4). Standard regions of interests (ROls) of striatum to evaluate DAT, and hypothalamus and midbrain for SERT were drawn on standard template images and applied to each image taken 4 hours after radiotracer injection. Striatal specific binding for DAT and hypothalamic and midbrain specific binding for SERT were calculated using region/reference ratio based on the transient equilibrium method. Group differences were tested using ANOVA with the postHoc analysis. Results: DAT in the whole striatum and striatal subregions were significantly decreased in both patient groups with MSA and early IPD, compared with healthy control (p<0.05 in all). In early IPD, a significant increase in the uptake ratio in anterior and posterior putamen and a trend of increase in caudate to putamen ratio was observed. In MSA, the decrease of DAT was accompanied with no difference in the striatal uptake pattern compared with healthy controls. Regarding the brain regions where $^{123}I$-FP-CIT binding was predominant by SERT, MSA patients showed a decrease in the binding of $^{123}I$-FP-CIT in the pons compared with controls as well as early IPD patients (MSA: $0.22{\pm}0.1$ healthy controls: $0.33{\pm}0.19$, IPD: $0.29{\pm}0.19$), however, it did not reach the statistical significance. Conclusion: In this study, the differential patterns in the reduction of DAT in the striatum and the reduction of pontine $^{123}I$-FP-CIT binding predominant by SERT could be observed in MSA patients on $^{123}I$-FP-CIT SPECT. We suggest that the quantification of SERT as well as DAT using $^{123}I$-FP-CIT SPECT is helpful to differentiate parkinsonian disorders in early stage.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.87-96
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• 1994

Background : Since tumor necrosis factor was discovered in 1975, TNF has been well known about its cytotoxic effect on tumor cells in vivo and in vitro. According to the recent improvement of molecular biological techinques, it is possible that exogenous TNF gene is transferred to tumor cells and is expressed in theirs. By virtue of TNF gene transfer, we have expected that TNF expressed in TNF-gene-transferred tumor cells would kill tumor cells in vivo without systemic side effect. The expected mechanisms in which antitumor effects of TNF expressed in TNF-gene-transferred tumor cells are working would be as followings. In the first mechanism, TNF expressed in TNF-gene-transferred tumor cells would kill tumor cells around(like homicide). In the second mechanism, TNF expressed in TNF-gene-transferred tumor cells would kill themselves(like suicide). In the third mechanism, TNF expressed in TNF-gene-transferred tumor cells would recruit immune effector cells and kill tumor cells indirectly. In the last mechanism, TNF expressed in TNF-gene-transferred tumor cells would augment cytokine such as interferon-$\gamma$ to kill tumor cells. Among these four mechanisms of antitumor effect, only the second mechanism has not been established yet. Therefore, to elucidate the second mechanism, We performed this study. Method : We transferred TNF-$\alpha$ gene to NCI-H2058, a human mesothelioma cell line and WEHI164, a murine fibrosarcoma cell line by using retroviral vector(pLT12SNTNF). And, We determined by using MTT assay whether TNF expressed in TNF-gene-transferred tumor cell lines would kill themselves like suicide or not. Then, if TNF-gene-transferred tumor cell lines would not suicide themselves, I would know more about the TNF sensitivity of TNF-gene-transferred tumor cell lines to exogenous TNF also by MTT assay. Result : NCI-H2058 and WEHI164 which were sensitive to TNF, became far less sensitive to endogenous and exogenous TNF after being transferred TNF-$\alpha$ gene to. Conclusion : TNF-gene-transfer to NCI-H2058 and WEHI164 gave them resistance to TNF.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.93-109
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• 1972

Three lots of Chung-Kook-Jang were prepared by the use of 2 strains of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus natto. For four samples taken from each lot in 12 hrs interval changes of nitrogenous compounds, insoluble protein, water soluble protein, peptides, free amino acids, amino and ammonia nitrogens during Chung-Kook-Jang fermentation, were studied together with the changes of moisture, pH, proteolytic enzyme activity. In addition the average peptide length of the peptides of a Bacillus subtilis lot was determined by the method of molecular sieving using ion exchange resin. The results were as follows: 1. The contents of moisture and total-nitrogen changed little in all samples throughout the fermentation as it would be expected. 2. In all three experimental lots the pH became higher gradually from the initial value of 6.65 to the final $7.5{\sim}7.85$ during the fermentation. Proteolytic enzyme activities, in accordance with this pH change, steadily increased up to $48{\sim}60$ hrs. of fermentation and then slightly decreased, probably affected by the high pH. The most strong proteolytic activity was observed in the experimental Chung-Kook-Jang fermentation lot using the Bacillus subtilis K-27 isolated by the author. 3. The contents of insoluble protein nitrogen in soybeans increased markedly (5%) by the cooking, after steeping 12 hrs in water. During the Chung-Kook-Jang fermentation, however, it decreased from 1/2 to 1/10 of that of the cooked soybeans. 4. The contents of water soluble protein nitrogen (5%) whereas, greatly decreased to the value of 1.0% by the cooking; but little changed further during the fermentation, 5. The total contents (0.25%) of peptides, amino, and ammonia-nitrogens, PAA-N., increased almost double by the cooking and steadily became higher as the fermentation proceeded, reaching finally up to$4{\sim}7%$ in 72 hrs fermentation. 6. The amounts of free amino acids of soybean generally decreased during the processing of cooking, even some of them like glutamic acid were destroyed completely, However in the subsequent Chung-Kook-Jang fermentation for 72 hrs., they showed from several to a few hundreds folds increases depending upon the kinds of amino acids. Valine which was contained in HCl-hydrolyzed steeped or cooked soybeans in amounts $220{\sim}267mg%$ was not detected at all as the free amino acid in all fermented samples. 7. Average peptide length (APL) of all fractions, eluted and fractionated by using the Dowex-50 ion exchange resin column, and fraction collector showed the highest value for the cooked soybean and then decreased as the fermentation proceeded. The APL value of effluent showed the highest in 12 hrs fermented sample, The value decreased thereafter by fermentation.