• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• 제3권3호
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• pp.68-73
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• 2012

Fat malabsorption is an important cause of poor growth in infancy and childhood. Steatorrhea tests have been developed using various methods. Traditional measurements of stool fat, however, require large samples and it often takes as a week to complete the analysis. In this paper, a liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry (LC-ESI/MS) method was developed for simultaneous quantitative analysis of triacylglycerols, triolein, diolein and monoolein, in mouse feces. Moreover, the procedure was rapid, simple as well as compatible with LC-ESI/MS. Chloroform-isopropyl alcohol solution was used for fat-soluble sample extraction. After centrifugation and filtration, an analytical solution was prepared. Triolein, diolein and monoolein were separated using non-aqueous reversed-phase column with the mobile phase consisting of A (methanol) and B (acetone-isopropyl alcohol). The precision (% CV) and accuracy (% bias) of the assay were 3.8-14.7% and 85.2-114.9%, respectively. This method has been successfully applied to simultaneous determination of triolein, diolein and monoolein in feces from 30 mice. This method can therefore be applied to measure triacylglycerols in mouse feces accurately and precisely by LC-ESI/MS, thereby helping to predictive biomarker in fat malabsorption and diagnostic research.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.11-19
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• 2022

Although translational research is referred to clinical chemistry measures, correct weighting factors for linear and quadratic calibration curves with least-squares regression algorithm have not been carefully considered in bioanalytical assays yet. The objective of this study was to identify steroidogenic roles in preeclampsia and verify accuracy of quantitative results by comparing two different linear regression models with weighting factor of 1 and 1/x². A liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based adrenal steroid assay was conducted to reveal metabolic signatures of preeclampsia in both serum and placenta samples obtained 15 preeclamptic patients and 17 age-matched control pregnant women (33.9 ± 4.2 vs. 32.8 ± 5.6 yr, respectively) at 34~36 gestational weeks. Percent biases in the unweighted model (w_i = 1) were inversely proportional to concentrations (-739.4 ~ 852.9%) while those of weighted regression (w_i = 1/x²) were < 18% for all variables. The optimized LC-MS combined with the weighted linear regression resulted in significantly increased maternal serum levels of pregnenolone, 21-deoxycortisol, and tetrahydrocortisone (P < 0.05 for all) in preeclampsia. Serum metabolic ratio of (tetrahydrocortisol + allo-tetrahydrocortisol) / tetrahydrocortisone indicating 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 was decreased (P < 0.005) in patients. In placenta, local concentrations of androstenedione were changed while its metabolic ratio to 17α-hydroxyprogesterone responsible for 17,20-lyase activity was significantly decreased in patients (P = 0.002). The current bioanalytical LC-MS assay with corrected weighting factor of 1/x² may provide reliable and accurate quantitative outcomes, suggesting altered steroidogenesis in preeclampsia patients at late gestational weeks in the third trimester.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제25권11호
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• pp.1714-1716
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• 2004

• 한국막학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국막학회 2003년도 The 4th Korea-Italy Workshop
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• pp.57-59
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• 2003

Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed on $\beta$-cyclodextrins octyl-derivative (b-CD) encapsulated into a polymer matrix of glassy poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK-WC) material to investigate the effects of the complexation of p-nitrophenilacetate and naringin molecules with the aim to study the recognition properties of b-CD.

• 한국고분자학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국고분자학회 2006년도 IUPAC International Symposium on Advanced Polymers for Emerging Technologies
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• pp.31-32
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• 2006

We describe the preparation of nanostructured molecularly-imprinted surfaces using nanomolding on porous alumina. In molecular imprinting functional and cross-linking monomers are copolymerized in the presence of a molecular template, resulting in synthetic receptor materials. The drug propranolol and the dye fluorescein were used as the molecular imprinting templates. Binding studies with imprinted and non-imprinted surfaces revealed specific recognition of the templates and thus the existence of selective binding sites. In addition, the surface properties of the films were studied by water contact angle measurements. It was found that, depending on the monomers used, certain nanostructures induced great changes in the wetting properties of the surface.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제21권6호
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• pp.423-434
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• 2013

The adoption of oligonucleotide aptamer is well on the rise, serving an ever increasing demand for versatility in biomedical field. Through the SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment), aptamer that can bind to specific target with high affinity and specificity can be obtained. Aptamers are single-stranded nucleic acid molecules that can fold into complex three-dimensional structures, forming binding pockets and clefts for the specific recognition and tight binding of any given molecular target. Recently, aptamers have attracted much attention because they not only have all of the advantages of antibodies, but also have unique merits such as thermal stability, ease of synthesis, reversibility, and little immunogenicity. The advent of novel technologies is revolutionizing aptamer applications. Aptamers can be easily modified by various chemical reactions to introduce functional groups and/or nucleotide extensions. They can also be conjugated to therapeutic molecules such as drugs, drug containing carriers, toxins, or photosensitizers. Here, we discuss new SELEX strategies and stabilization methods as well as applications in drug delivery and molecular imaging.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.163-169
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• 2005

Recent reports suggest that floral organs such as sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels are specified by quaternary MADS protein complexes with different combinations. The formation of quaternary complexes of ABCDE MADS proteins may be the molecular basis of ABCDE model for the floral organ development. The MADS complexes involved in each floral organ development seem to be conserved in at least dicot species although detailed molecular mechanism is slightly different depending on species. Even in monocot, at least rice, MADS complexes similar to those in dicot exist, suggesting that the floral organ specification by MADS protein complexes may be conserved in most of plants. The MADS protein complexes may have more specific recognition of target genes or more transcription activation ability than monomers or dimers, resulting in finely regulated floral organ development.

• Rapid Communication in Photoscience
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• 제5권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 2016

Fluorescent receptors have gained much attention because of their usefulness in analysis and clarification of the roles of biomolecules in living systems. Molecular structures of the integrated type including that the receptor itself is fluorescent, and play an important role in having the functionality or selectivity of the fluorescent compounds. These spaced type fluorescent receptors are required to have special molecular design in order to transmit the information of molecular recognition to the fluorescent unit through the spacer unit. Compared with the spaced type fluorescent receptors, number of the integrated type receptors is limited due to the difficult molecular design and synthesis. Modification of alteration of the fluorophore frequently caused deterioration of the fluorescent property. Various spaced type and integrated type fluorescent receptors including switch on-off receptors are introduced in this article.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제21권5호
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• pp.465-470
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• 2000

The conformations and energies of p-tert-butylcalix[4] crown-6-ether (1) and its alkyl ammonium complexes have been simulated by AM1 semi-empirical quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics calculations using a variety of forcefields (MM2, MM+, CVFF). We performed molecular dynamics calculations to simulate the behavior of these coplexes primartily focusing on the three representative conformations (cone, partial cone, 1,3-alternate) of host molecule 1. When we performed AM1 semi-empirical and molecular mechanics calculations, the one conformation was generally found to be most stable for all the employed calculation methods. The primary binding site of host 1 for the recognition of alkyl ammonium guests was confirmed to be the central part of the crown moiety. The complexation enthalpy calculations revealed that the alkyl amonium cations having smaller and linear alkyl group showed the better complexation efficiencies when combined with p-tert-butylcalix[4]crown-6-ether, that is in satisfactory agreement with the experimental results.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제44권8호
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• pp.549-556
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• 2021

Decoding the molecular mechanisms underlying axon guidance is key to precise understanding of how complex neural circuits form during neural development. Although substantial progress has been made over the last three decades in identifying numerous axon guidance molecules and their functional roles, little is known about how these guidance molecules collaborate to steer growth cones to their correct targets. Recent studies in Drosophila point to the importance of the combinatorial action of guidance molecules, and further show that selective fasciculation and defasciculation at specific choice points serve as a fundamental strategy for motor axon guidance. Here, I discuss how attractive and repulsive guidance cues cooperate to ensure the recognition of specific choice points that are inextricably linked to selective fasciculation and defasciculation, and correct pathfinding decision-making.