• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.263-301
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• 2015

Digital inclusion is the ability or opportunities of individuals and groups to access and use information technology (IT). Digital inclusion strategies aims to ensure that all citizens regardless of their gender, race and class benefit from IT. Discourse of digital inclusion is notable in that it proposes a desirable relationship between the state, individuals, and the market within the shifting topology of technoscience. Throughout broad discourse analysis of media coverages, in-depth interviews and reports on Korean IT industry, this research argues that dialogues on digital inclusion have substantially influenced the formation of a specific ethical regime. In this regime, individuals should become subjects embodying IT expertise and acceptable codes of conducts. We further discuss that such government-driven ethical regime conflicts with technological citizenship practiced by IT experts and semi-experts. We make theoretical contribution to STS by expanding the concept of technological citizenship to include the rights and obligations of heterogeneous expert and semi-expert groups to form, propose and socially demand alternative developmental pathways of technoscience. We also note that, amid the conflict between ethical regime and technological citizenship, alternative interpretations of gender gap can be forged, providing competing perspectives on women's under-representation and labor conditions in the IT industry. Further research is required to capture the emergence of multiple identities--differentiated by gender, race, class, and more--within the clashing interface between the ethical regime and technological citizenship.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.130-136
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• 2011

Methane is known to be one of the major greenhouse gases. On a global scale, livestock farming may contribute 18% of total greenhouse gas emissions. Though methane contribution is less than 2% of all the factors leading to global warming, it plays an important role because it is 21 times more effective than carbon dioxide. Methane emission is a direct result of the fermentation process performed by ruminal microorganisms and, in particular, the archael methanogens. Reducing methane emission would benefit both ruminant production and the environment. Methane generation can be reduced by electron-sink metabolic pathways to dispose of the reducing moieties. An alternative way for methane control in the rumen is to apply inhibitors against methanogens. Generating methane from manure has considerable merit because it appears to offer at least a partial solution to two pressing problems-environmental crisis and energy shortage. An obvious benefit from methane production is the energy value of the gas itself. Control of methane emission by rumen microbes in Korea has mainly been focused on application of various chemicals, such as BES and PMDI, that inhibit the growth and activity of methanogens in the rumen. Alternatives were to apply long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and oils with or without organic acids (malate and fumarate). The results for trials with methane reducing agents and the situation of biogas production industries and a typical biogas plant in Korea will be introduced here.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2007

The crude biopolymer (AS-S1) and endobiopolymer (AS-S2) were isolated from the dry stem bark of Acanthopanax sessiliflorus and tested for anti complement activity. The two potent anticomplement biopolymers, AS-1 and AS-2-Fr.I, were isolated by the combination of ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration methods from the endo-biopolymers (AS-S2). The anticomplement activity of AS-1 (MW 12 kDa) and AS-2-Fr.I (MW 180 kDa) were found to be 84.4% and 100.0%, respectively, at the concentration of $25{\mu}g/ml$. Activated pathway of the complement system occurred in both classical and alternative pathways, as evidenced by crossed immunoelectrophoresis(CIEP), where a major pathway was detected to be the classical one. It was found that the anticomplement activities of the periodate oxidized were decreased significantly, but those of pronase digested biopolymers of AS-1 and AS-2-Fr.I were decreased very little. The AS-1 contained 2,4,6-tri-O-methyl-D-glucitol, 2,3,6-tri-O-methyl-D-galacitol, and 2,3,6-tri-O-methyl-D-galacitol, which indicated that AS-1 contained a $(1{\rightarrow}3),\;(1{\rightarrow}4)-linked$ glucopyranosyl residue and a $(1{\rightarrow}4)-linked$ galactosyl residue. AS-2-Fr.I contained mainly 2,4-di-O-methyl-D-mannitol and 2,3,4-tri-O-methyl-D-galacitol, which contained $(1{\rightarrow}3),\;(1{\rightarrow}6)$ linked mannosyl and $(1{\rightarrow}6)$ linked galactosyl residues.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.1755-1764
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• 2016

The application of Bacillus sp. in the biological control of plant soilborne diseases has been shown to be an environmentally friendly alternative to the use of chemical fungicides. In this study, the effects of bioorganic fertilizer (BOF) fortified with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SQY 162 on the suppression of tomato bacterial wilt were investigated in pot experiments. The disease incidence of tomato wilt after the application of BOF was 65.18% and 41.62% lower at 10 and 20 days after transplantation, respectively, than in the control condition. BOF also promoted the plant growth. The SQY 162 populations efficiently colonized the tomato rhizosphere, which directly suppressed the number of Ralstonia solanacearum in the tomato rhizosphere soil. In the presence of BOF, the activities of defense-related enzymes in tomato were lower than in the presence of the control treatment, but the expression levels of the defense-related genes of the plants in the salicylic acid and jasmonic acid pathways were enhanced. It was also found that strain SQY 162 could secrete antibiotic surfactin, but not volatile organic compounds, to suppress Ralstonia. The strain could also produce plant growth promotion compounds such as siderophores and indole-3-acetic acid. Thus, owing to its innate multiple-functional traits and its broad biocontrol activities, we found that this antagonistic strain isolated from the tobacco rhizosphere could establish itself successfully in the tomato rhizosphere to control soilborne diseases.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.29-39
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• 2018

Vibrio vulnificus needs various responsive mechanisms to survive and transmit successfully in alternative niches of human and marine environments, and to ensure the acquisition of steady energy supply to facilitate such unique life style. The bacterium had genetic constitution very different from that of Escherichia coli regarding metabolism of glycogen, a major energy reserve. V. vulnificus accumulated more glycogen than other bacteria and at various levels according to culture medium and carbon source supplied in excess. Glycogen was accumulated to the highest level in Luria-Bertani (3.08 mg/mg protein) and heart infusion (4.30 mg/mg protein) complex media supplemented with 1% (w/v) maltodextrin at 3 h into the stationary phase. Regarding effect of carbon source, more glycogen was accumulated when maltodextrin (2.34 mg/mg protein) was added than when glucose or maltose (0.78.1-14 mg/mg protein) was added as an excessive carbon source to M9 minimal medium, suggesting that maltodextrin metabolism might affect glycogen metabolism very closely. These results were supported by the analysis using the malP (encoding a maltodextrin phosphorylase) and malQ (encoding a 4-${\alpha}$-glucanotransferase) mutants, which accumulated much less glycogen than wild type when either glucose or maltodextrin was supplied as an excessive carbon source, but at different levels (3.1-80.3% of wild type glycogen). Therefore, multiple pathways for glycogen metabolism were likely to function in V. vulnificus and that responding to maltodextrin might be more efficient in synthesizing glycogen. All of the glycogen samples from 3 V. vulnificus strains under various conditions showed a narrow side chain length distribution with short chains (G4-G6) as major ones. Not only the comparatively large accumulation volume but also the structure of glycogen in V. vulnificus, compared to other bacteria, may explain durability of the bacterium in external environment.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.291-297
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• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the effects and molecular mechanisms of the Schisandra chinensis fruit extract (SC) and its major compound gomisin A (GA), on the contractility of rabbit penile corpus cavernosum smooth muscle (PCCSM). MATERIALS/METHODS: PCCSM was exposed to SC or GA after appropriate pretreatment with nitric oxide synthase (NOS) blocker, guanylate cyclase blocker, adenylyl cyclase blocker or protein kinase A blocker. Subsequently, we evaluated the cyclic nucleotide in the perfusate by radioimmunoassay, protein expression level of neuronal NOS (nNOS) and endothelial NOS (eNOS) by western blot, and the interaction of SC or GA with udenafil and rolipram. RESULTS: Both SC and GA induce PCCSM relaxations in a concentration-dependent manner. Pretreatment with NOS blocker, guanylate cyclase blocker, adenylyl cyclase blocker or protein kinase A blocker result in significantly decreased relaxation. SC and GA also induce the levels of cyclic nucleotide in the perfusate in a concentration-dependent manner. Perfusion with GA also showed significantly higher levels of eNOS protein. Furthermore, the udenafil and rolipram induced relaxations of PCCSM were enhanced after exposure to SC and GA. Our results indicate that SC and GA induce the relaxation of PCCSM via the nitric oxide (NO)-cGMP and cAMP signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS: The SC and GA are potential alternative treatments for men who want to consume natural products to ameliorate erectile function, or who do not respond to the commercially available medicines.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.323-330
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• 2004

Estrogen may promote osteoblast/osteocyte viability by limiting apoptotic cell death. We hypothesize that hsp27 is an estrogen- regulated protein that can promote osteoblast viability by increasing osteoblast resistance to apoptosis. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of estrogen treatment and heat shock on $TNF{\alpha}$ - induced apoptosis in the MC3T3-E1 cell line. Cells were treated with 0 - 100 nM $17{\beta}$ estradiol (or ICI 182780) for 0 - 24 hours before heat shock. After recovery, apoptosis was induced by treatment with 0 - 10 ng/ml TNF${\alpha}$. Hsp levels were evaluated by Northern and Western analysis using hsp27, hsp47, hsp70c and hsp70i - specific reagents. Apoptosis was revealed by in situ labeling with Terminal Deoxyribonucleotide Transferase (TUNEL). A 5 - fold increase in hsp27 protein and mRNA was noted after 5 hours of treatment with 10 - 20 nM $17{\beta}$ estradiol prior to heat shock. Increased abundance of hsp47, hsp70c or hsp70i was not observed. TUNEL indicated that estrogen treatment also reduced (50%) MC3T3-E1 cell susceptibility to $TNF{\alpha}$ - induced apoptosis. Treatment with hsp27-specific antisense oligonucleotides prevented hsp27 protein expression and abolished the protective effects of heat shock and estrogen treatment on $TNF{\alpha}$- induced apoptosis. Hsp27 is a determinant of osteoblast apoptosis, and estrogen treatment increases hsp27 levels in cultured osteoblastic cells. Hsp27 contributes to the control of osteoblast apoptosis and may be manipulated by estrogenic or alternative pathways for the improvement of bone mass.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.62-67
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• 2014

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate whether there was a correlation between catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) gene polymorphism, which is believed to play a role in the etiology of psychotic disorders, and premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Methods: Fifty-three women with regular menstrual cycles, aged between 18 and 46 years and diagnosed with PMS according to the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology criteria were included in this study as the study group, and 53 healthy women having no health problems were selected as the controls. Venous blood was collected from all patients included in the study and kept at $-18^{\circ}C$ prior to analysis. Results: There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of demographic features such as age, body mass index, number of pregnancies, parity, and number of children. No statistically significant difference was observed in terms of COMT gene polymorphism (p=0.61) between women in the PMS and the control groups. However, a significant difference was found between arthralgia, which is an indicator of PMS, and low-enzyme activity COMT gene (Met/Met) polymorphism (p=0.04). Conclusion: These results suggested that there was no significant relationship between PMS and COMT gene polymorphism. Since we could not find a direct correlation between the COMT gene polymorphism and PMS, further studies including alternative neurotransmitter pathways are needed to find an effective treatment for this disease.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.118-125
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• 2014

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone tumor with a very poor prognosis. Treating osteosarcoma remains a challenge due to its high transitivity. Tenascin-C, with large molecular weight variants including different combinations of its alternative spliced FNIII repeats, is specifically over expressed in tumor tissues. This study examined the expression of Tenascin-C FNIIIA1 in osteosarcoma tissues, and estimated the effect of mechanical stimulation on A1 expression in MG-63 cells. Through immunohistochemical analysis, we found that the A1 protein was expressed at a higher level in osteosarcoma tissues than in adjacent normal tissues. By cell migration assay, we observed that there was a significant correlation between A1 expression and MG-63 cell migration. The relation is that Tenascin-C FNIIIA1 can promote MG-63 cell migration. According to our further study into the effect of mechanical stimulation on A1 expression in MG-63 cells, the mRNA and protein levels of A1 were significantly up-regulated under mechanical stress with the mTOR molecule proving indispensable. Meanwhile, 4E-BP1 and S6K1 (downstream molecule of mTOR) are necessary for A1 normal expression in MG-63 cells whether or not mechanical stress has been encountered. We found that Tenascin-C FNIIIA1 is over-expressed in osteosar-coma tissues and can promote MG-63 cell migration. Furthermore, mechanical stress can facilitate MG-63 cell migration though facilitating A1 overexpression with the necessary molecules (mTOR, 4E-BP1 and S6K1). In con-clusion, high expression of A1 may promote the meta-stasis of osteosarcoma by facilitating MG-63 cell migration. Tenascin-C FNIIIA1 could be used as an indicator in metastatic osteosarcoma patients.

• BMB Reports
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.230-236
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• 2003

Hot water-soluble crude polysaccharide (HCAP-0) that was obtained from the fruits of Capsicum annuum showed potent anti-complementary activity. The activity was unchanged by pronase digestion, but decreased by periodate oxidation. The HCAP-0 was fractionated by DEAE ion-exchange chromatography to give two major fractions, HCAP-II and III. These two fractions were finally purified by gel filtration to give HCAP-IIa, HCAP-IIIa1, and IIIa2 fractions that had high anti-complementary activities. The HCAP-IIIa1 and IIIa2 consisted of homogeneous polysaccharides. The anti-complementary activities were unaffected by treatment with polymyxin B, indicating that the modes of complement activation were not due to preexisting lipopolysaccharide. The molecular weight and sugar content of HCAP-IIIa2 had potent anti-complementary activity. The highest yields were 55 kDa and 75.9%, and the molar ratio of galactose (Ara:Gal, 1.0:4.6) was higher than other sugars. The crossed immuno-electrophoresis showed that both classical and alternative pathways were activated by HCAP-IIIa2.