• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.76-83
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• 2006

Pyridoxine-5-P oxidase catalyses the terminal step in the biosynthesis of pyridoxal-S-P, the biologically active form of vitamin $B_6$ Which acts as an essential cofactor. Here, a human brain pyridoxine-5-P oxidase gene was fused with a gene fragment encoding the HIV-1 Tat protein transduction domain (RKKRRQRRR) in a bacterial expression vector to produce a genetic in-frame Tat-pyridoxine-5-P oxidase fusion protein. Expressed and purified Tat-pyridoxine-5-P oxidase fusion protein transduced efficiently into PC12 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner when added exogenously to culture media. Once inside the cells, the transduced Tat-pyridoxine-5-P oxidase protein showed catalytic activity and was stable for 48 h. Moreover, the formation of pyridoxal-5-P was increased by adding exogenous Tat-pyridoxine-5-P oxidase to media pre-treated with the vitamin $B_6$ precursor pyridoxine. In addition, the intracellular concentration of pyridoxal-S-P was markedly increased when Tat-pyridoxal kinase was transduced together with Tat-pyridoxine-5-P oxidase into cells. These results suggest that the transduction of Tat-pyridoxine-5-P oxidase fusion protein presents a means of regulating the level of pyridoxal-5-P and of replenishing this enzyme in various neurological disorders related to vitamin $B_6$.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.401-408
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• 2005

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to the development of various human diseases. Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) is one of the major means by which cells counteract the deleterious effects of ROS. SOD activity is dependent upon bound copper ions supplied by its partner metallochaperone protein, copper chaperone for SOD (CCS). In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of PEP-1-CCS against neuronal cell death and ischemic insults. When PEP-1-CCS was added to the culture medium of neuronal cells, it rapidly entered the cells and protected them against paraquat-induced cell death. Moreover, transduced PEP-1-CCS markedly increased endogenous SOD activity in the cells. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that it prevented neuronal cell death in the hippocampus in response to transient forebrain ischemia. These results suggest that CCS is essential to activate SOD, and that transduction of PEP-1-CCS provides a potential strategy for therapeutic delivery in various human diseases including stroke related to SOD or ROS.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.42
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• pp.6.1-6.6
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• 2020

Background: Various types of miniplates have been developed and used for the reduction of facial bone fractures. We introduced Yang's Keyhole (YK) plate, and reported on its short-term stability. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term stability of the YK plate, as a follow-up study, by examining the patients who had used the YK plate among the patients with the reduction of mandible fractures and who visited for plate removal. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 16 patients who underwent mandibular fracture fixation using a YK plate (group I) and 17 patients who underwent mandibular fracture fixation using a conventional plate (group II). Assessment was then made on malunion, occlusal stability, discomfort during the application, and clinical symptoms. Results: From January 2015 to December 2017, a total of 36 patients underwent mandibular fracture surgery using a YK plate. A total of 16 patients received plate removal. Among them, 15 were male and 1 female. The average age was 26 years. The applied surgical sites were the 12 on mandibular angle, 4 on mandibular symphysis, and 2 on subcondyle. The application period of YK plate was an average of 335 days. During the same period, 45 people underwent surgery on the conventional plate. A total of 17 patients received plate removal. Among them, 15 were male and 2 females. The average age was 36 years. The applied surgical sites were the 8 on mandibular angle, 4 on mandibular symphysis, and 2 on subcondyle. The application period of the conventional plate was an average of 349 days. No malocclusion occurred at the time of removal, and occlusion was stable. No patient complained of joint disease or discomfort. Conclusion: The YK plate system, in which the screw was first inserted and the plate was applied, for clinical convenience did not cause any particular problem and no significant difference from the conventional plate.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.61-70
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• 2011

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are present in many consumer products ranging from fabrics to plastics and electronics. Wide use of flame retardants can pose an environmental hazard, which makes it important to determine the mechanism of their toxicity. In the present study, dose-dependent toxicity of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), a flame retardant, was examined in male prepubertal rats (postnatal day 18) treated orally with TBBPA at 0, 125, 250 or 500 mg/kg for 30 days. There were no differences in body weight gain between the control and TBBPA-treated groups. However, absolute and relative liver weights were significantly increased in high dose of TBBPA-treated groups. TBBPA treatment led to significant induction of CYP2B1 and constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) expression in the liver. In addition, serum thyroxin (T4) concentration was significantly reduced in the TBBPA treated group. These results indicate that repeated exposure to TBBPA induces drug-metabolising enzymes in rats through the CAR signaling pathway. In particular, TBBPA efficiently produced reactive oxygen species (ROS) through CYP2B1 induction in rats. We measured 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), a biomarker of DNA oxidative damage, in the kidney, liver and testes of rats following TBBPA treatment. As expected, TBBPA strongly induced the production of 8-OHdG in the testis and kidney. These observations suggest that TBBPA-induced target organ toxicity may be due to ROS produced by metabolism of TBBPA in Sprague-Dawley rats.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.83-88
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• 2005

Leflunomide is a new disease modifying anti rheumatic drug (DMARD) for the treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis. Its mechanism of action differs from other DMARDs in that it inhibits the de novo pyrimidine synthesis by inhibiting dihydroorotate dehydrogenase and therefore prevents the proliferation of activated lymphocytes. As it has been prescribed worldwide, there is a great deal of much concerns regarding its potential adverse effects. Because leflunomide has an active metabolite with a long elimination half-life of approximately 2 weeks, serious adverse reactions may occur even after the leflunomide treatment has been stopped. The profile of serious reactions includes liver dysfunction, hematological disorders, severe skin reactions and respiratory dysfunction. Respiratory dysfunctions with leflunomide therapy are very rare and its incidence is lower than that of methotrexate therapy. However, there are reports in Japan showing that 5 patients died of interstitial pneumonitis and another 11 patients developed serious lung complications associated with leflunomide. This suggests the possibility of fatal respiratory toxicity of leflunomide. There are no reports of interstitial pneumonitis associated with leflunomide in Korea. We report a case of a 62-year old woman who developed interstitial pneumonitis, which might have been induced by leflunomide during the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.146-151
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• 2010

In order to improve T-N and T-P removal in HF (horizontal flow)-HF hybrid constructed wetlands by natural purification method for treating the hydroponic wastewater in greenhouses, the efficiency of water treatment as affected by the injection method of hydroponic wastewater, the addition of special filter media, the particle size of filter media, and the injection ratio of hydroponic wastewater in $1^{st}$ HF and $2^{nd}$ HF beds were investigated in small-scale HF-HF hydroponic wastewater treatment apparatus. Removal rate of T-P in the water in HF-HF hydroponic wastewater treatment apparatus with calcite as affected by addition method of special filter media was higher than that in HF-HF hydroponic wastewater treatment apparatus with other filter media. Removal rate of BOD, COD, SS, T-N and T-P in the water in mixed filter media with calcite were 86, 84, 87, 50 and 97%, respectively. Removals of pollutants except for T-P in the water were slightly different. Therefore, it should be considered that the removal rate of T-P was good for calcite in HF-HF hydroponic wastewater treatment apparatus. To improve T-N and T-P removal, the optimum particle size of filter media was 1.2 mm, and the optimum injection ratio ($1^{st}$ HF bed : $2^{nd}$ HF bed) of hydroponic wastewater was 60:40.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1928-1936
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• 2018

Recently, human infections caused by severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), which can lead to fatality, have dramatically increased in East Asia. With the unavailability of vaccines or antiviral drugs to prevent and/or treat SFTSV infection, early rapid diagnosis is critical for prevention and control of the disease. Here, we report the development of a simple, rapid and sensitive portable detection method for SFTSV infection applying reverse transcription-loop mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) combined with one-pot colorimetric visualization and electro-free reaction platform. This method utilizes a pocket warmer to facilitate diagnosis in a resource-limited setting. Specific primers were designed to target the highly-conserved region of L gene of SFTSV. The detection limit of the RT-LAMP assay was approximately $10^0$ viral genome copies from three different SFTSV strains. This assay exhibited comparable sensitivity to qRT-PCR and 10-fold more sensitivity than conventional RT-PCR, with a rapid detection time of 30 to 60 minutes. The RT-LAMP assay using SFTSV clinical specimens has demonstrated a similar detection rate to qRT-PCR and a higher detection rate compared to conventional RT-PCR. Moreover, there was no observed cross-reactive amplification of other human infectious viruses including Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV), Dengue, Enterovirus, Zika, Influenza and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). This highly sensitive, electro- and equipment-free rapid colorimetric visualization method is feasible for resource-limited SFTSV field diagnosis.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.6-15
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• 2010

Purpose: Trauma is one of the leading causes of death, especially among young people. Life-threatening conditions are very common in multiple-traumatized patients due to concurrent multi-organ injuries. Treating such severely injured patients is time critical. However, in Korea, the transfer of severely injured patients is not uncommon due to the lack of a mature trauma care system. In developed countries, the preventable trauma death rate is very low, but the rate is still very high in Korea. This study's objective was to demonstrate the current serious state in which severely injured patients have to be transferred from a Regional Emergency Medical Center even though it actually serves as a trauma center. Methods: Ajou University Medical Center is a tertiary hospital that serves as a trauma center in Gyeonggido. The medical records at Ajou University Medical Center for a 1-year period from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2008, were retrospectively reviewed. A severely injured patient was defined as a patient who showed more than 15 point on the ISS (injury severity score) scale. We investigated the clinical characteristics of such patients and the causes of transfer. Results: Out of 81,718 patients who visited the Regional Emergency Medical Center, 19,731 (24.1%) were injured patients. Among them, 108 severely-injured patients were transferred from one Regional Emergency Medical Center to other hospitals. The male-to-female ratio was about 3.5:1, and the mean ISS was 23.08. The most common mechanism of injury was traffic accidents (41.7%). A major cause of transfer was the shortage of intensive care units (44.4%); another was for emergent operation (27.8%). Most of the hospitals that received the severely-injured patients were secondary hospitals (86.1%). Conclusion: Although the Regional Emergency Medical Center played a role as a trauma center, actually, severely-injured patients had to be transferred to other hospitals for several reasons. Most reasons were related with the deficiencies in the trauma care system. If a mature trauma care system is well-organized, the numbers of transfer of severely injured patients will be reduced significantly.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.22-28
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• 2013

The objectives of this study were to develop porridge with medicinal herbs and chicken breast meat and to find out the optimum mixing ratio. Several herb extracts such as Acanthopanacis senticosus, Rehmannia glutinosa, Disocorea japonica, and Poria cocos Wolf were used in the ratio of 2, 1, 1, and 1, respectively. The optimum processing condition for herbal chicken porridge was determined by a design expert program. Seventeen experimental points were selected, and herb extracts (82~101 g), chicken breast meat (30~50 g), and glutinous rice (40~60 g) were chosen as the independent variables. The measured responses were preference of taste, DPPH radical scavenging, SOD-like activity, and cost. The optimum formulation of herbal chicken porridge using the numerical analysis was set at herbal extracts (101 g), chicken breast meat (38.66 g), and glutinous rice (41.34 g) with a 0.714 desirability value. DPPH radical scavenging effect, preference of taste and the cost showed a linear model, whereas SOD-like activity showed a quadratic model indicating a higher interaction among the mixture. As a result of proximate composition of optimized herbal chicken porridge, the contents of moisture, carbohydrate, crude protein, crude lipid, and ash contents were 76.4, 9.0, 1.4, 0.5, and 1.6%, the calories of the porridge was 46.1 kcal/100 g.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.435-443
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• 2009

In this paper, we propose a microstrip slot antenna that works in Bluetooth, Zigbee, WiMAX and WLAN frequency bands($2.4{\sim}5.825\;GHz$). To get the wide bandwidth from the microstrip antenna proposed, we insert a pair of parastic strips along the feed line on the FR-4 dielectric substance(${\varepsilon}_r=4.8$). Furthermore, a simple geometrical rotation with quadrilateral slot is designed to maximize the bandwidth and to gain a wider frequency band than the conventional rectangular slot antenna. A additional design of the loop type is added to a cactus-shaped patched for 2.4 GHz ISM frequency band. The total measured bandwidth of the antenna is from 2.4 GHz to 6 GHz and the maximum gains of the antenna are 3.82 dBi, 4.48 dBi, 6.41 dBi and 6.65 dBi at the frequencies of 2.4 GHz, 3.5 GHz, 5.25 GHz and 5.77 GHz.