• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.72-80
• /
• 2017

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the urinary organic acid comprehensive profile for chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). Methods: Participants are 66 patients with CIPN who had symptom (Visual analog scale ${\geq}30mm$, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group ${\leq}2$). Participants were tested with organic acid comprehensive profile markers. Results: Positive Correlation was observed in the neurotransmitter metabolism markers, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) modulators markers, detoxification markers, energy production markers, amino acid metabolism markers, and intestinal dysbiosis markers. Especially, all the neurotransmitter metabolism markers were showed positive rate of 44%. In addition, neuro-endo-immune was associated with energy metabolism (mitochondrial dysfunction) in CIPN of cancer patient. especially detoxification, intestinal bacterial hyperplasia, vitamin deficiency (folate, complex B group, vitamin C). Conclusions: Significant urinary organic acid comprehensive profile results were obtained in cancer patients who induced peripheral neuropathy by chemotherapy.

• Macromolecular Research
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.384-390
• /
• 2004

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have been chemically modified through the formation of carboxylic acid functionalities or by grafting octadecylamine and polystyrene onto them. We purified SWNTs with nitric acid to remove some remaining catalysts and amorphous carbon materials. After purification, we broke the carbon nanotubes and shortened their lengths by using a 3:1 mixture of concentrated sulfuric acid and nitric acid. During these purification and cutting processes, carboxylic acid units formed at the open ends of the SWNTs. Octa-decylamine and amino-terminated polystyrene were grafted onto the cut SWNTs by condensation reactions between the amine and carboxylic acid units. The cut SWNTs did not disperse in organic solvents, but the octadecylamine-grafted and polystyrene-grafted SWNTs dispersed well in dichloromethane and aromatic solvents (e.g., benzene, toluene). Composites were prepared by mixing polystyrene with the octadecylamine-grafted or polystyrene-grafted SWNTs. Each composite had a higher dynamic storage modulus than that of a pristine polystyrene. The composites exhibited enhanced storage moduli, complex viscosities, and unusual non-terminal behavior when compared with a monodisperse polystyrene matrix because of the good dispersion of carbon nanotubes in the polystyrene matrix.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.26 no.8
• /
• pp.1181-1188
• /
• 2013

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of supplementing a corn-soybean meal-based diet with an enzyme complex containing amylase, protease and xylanase on the performance, intestinal health, apparent ileal digestibility of amino acids and nutrient digestibility of weaned pigs. In Exp. 1, 108 piglets weaned at 28 d of age were fed one of three diets containing 0 (control), 100, or 150 ppm enzyme complex for 4 wks, based on a two-phase feeding program namely 1 to 7 d (phase 1) and 8 to 28 d (phase 2). At the end of the experiment, six pigs from the control group and the group supplemented with 150 ppm enzyme complex were chosen to collect digesta samples from intestine to measure viscosity and pH in the stomach, ileum, and cecum, as well as volatile fatty acid concentrations and composition of the microflora in the cecum and colon. There were linear increases (p<0.01) in weight gain, gain: feed ratio and digestibility of gross energy with the increasing dose rate of enzyme supplementation during the whole experiment. Supplementation with enzyme complex increased the digesta viscosity in the stomach (p<0.05) and significantly increased (p<0.01) the concentrations of acetic, propionic and butyric acid in the cecum and colon. Enzyme supplementation also significantly increased the population of Lactobacilli (p<0.01) in the cecum and decreased the population of E. coli (p<0.05) in the colon. In Exp. 2, six crossbred barrows (initial body weight: $18.26{\pm}1.21$ kg), fitted with a simple T-cannula at the distal ileum, were assigned to three dietary treatments according to a replicated $3{\times}3$ Latin Square design. The experimental diets were the same as the diets used in phase 2 in Exp. 1. Apparent ileal digestibility of isoleucine (p<0.01), valine (p<0.05) and aspartic acid (p<0.05) linearly increased with the increasing dose rate of enzyme supplementation. In conclusion, supplementation of the diet with an enzyme complex containing amylase, protease and xylanase improved piglet performance. This is likely a result of improvement in nutrient digestibility, volatile fatty acid concentrations and bacteria ratio in the large intestine.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.421-426
• /
• 2002

The pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC), a member of $\alpha$-keto acid dehydrogenase complex, catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate with the formation of $CO_2$, acetyl-CoA, NADH, and $H^+$. This complex contains multiple copies of three catalytic components including pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1), dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase (E2), and dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (E3). Two regulatory components (E1-kinase and phospho-E1 phosphatase) and functionally less-understood protein (protein X, E3BP) are also involved in the formation of the complex. In this study, we have partially cloned the gene for E3BP in human. Nine putative clones were isolated by human genomic library screening with 1.35 kb fragment of E3BP cDNA as a probe. For investigation of cloned genes, Southern blot analysis and the construction of the restriction map were performed. One of the isolated clones, E3BP741, has a 3 kb-SacI fragment, which contains 200 bp region matched with E3BP cDNA sequences. The matched DNA sequence encodes the carboxyl-terminal portion of lipoyl-bearing domain and hinge region of human E3BP. Differences between yeast E3BP and mammalian E3BP coupled with the remarkable similarity between mammalian E2 and mammalian E3BP were confirmed from the comparison of the nucleotide sequence and the deduced amino acid sequence in the cloned E3BP. Cloning of human E3BP gene and analysis of the gene structure will facilitate the understanding of the role(s) of E3BP in mammalian PDC.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.18 no.10
• /
• pp.1485-1491
• /
• 2005

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of iron from an amino acid complex (Availa-$Fe^{\circledR}$) on the iron status of neonatal and suckling piglets. A total of 24 gestating sows (Landrace${\times}$Large White) were randomly allocated to three dietary treatments. The control diet contained 80 mg $kg^{-1}$ Fe from ferrous sulfate heptahydrate ($FeSO_4$.$7H_2O$), while the two experimental diets were supplemented with an additional 120 mg $kg^{-1}$ Fe from Availa-$Fe^{(R)}$ or $FeSO_4$.$7H_2O$, respectively. The lactating sows remained the same iron treatments as gestating sows, while neonatal piglets of 24 litters born from the above sows were allotted to another three treatments. Piglets from the sows of the control treatment were fed basal diet with no supplemental Fe as control treatment, but were injected with 100 mg Fe as Fe dextran at birth. Piglets from the sows of Availa-$Fe^{(R)}$ or $FeSO_4$.$7H_2O$ treatments were supplemented with 120 mg $kg^{-1}$ iron from Availa-$Fe^{(R)}$ or $FeSO_4$.$7H_2O$, respectively. The total born alive and weaned, and the average piglets weight at birth and at weaning were not significantly affected by the sow' dietary treatments (p>0.05). Iron from Availa-$Fe^{(R)}$ did not demonstrate a statistically significant improvement in hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit and plasma iron of sows on day 90 and 105 of pregnancy and the milk iron of sows during lactation (p>0.05). Neonatal piglets in the Availa-$Fe^{(R)}$ treatment had a significantly higher hemoglobin concentration (p<0.05) and higher hematocrit and plasma iron (p>0.05) than those in the other two treatments, respectively. The hemoglobin of suckling piglets in the Availa-$Fe^{(R)}$ treatment was higher than that of piglets in $FeSO_4$.$7H_2O$ treatment on day 28 (p<0.05). The total iron binding capacity of piglets in Availa-$Fe^{(R)}$ treatment was lower than that of piglets in the control and $FeSO_4$.$7H_2O$ treatment on day 14 (p<0.05), but there was not a statistically significant difference among three treatments on day 28 (p>0.05). However, the hemoglobin and hematocrit of suckling piglets injected with Fe were higher than those of piglets in the other two treatments (p<0.05). This study indicated that the addition of 120 mg $kg^{-1}$ iron from amino acid complex into the diets improved iron status of neonatal and nursing piglets more effectively than the addition of 120 mg $kg^{-1}$ iron from $FeSO_4$.$7H_2O$, however, this improvement of the organic Fe was not sufficient to replace the Fe injection for prevention of iron-deficiency anemia.

• Current Applied Physics
• /
• v.18 no.11
• /
• pp.1255-1260
• /
• 2018

In this work, a green and simple one-pot route was developed for the synthesis of highly fluorescent aminofunctionalized graphene quantum dots (a-GQDs) via hydrothermal process without any further modification or surface passivation. We synthesized the a-GQDs using glucose as the carbon source and ammonium as a functionalizing agent without the use of a strong acid, oxidant, or other toxic chemical reagent. The as-obtained aGQDs have a uniform size of 3-4 nm, high contents of amino groups, and show a bright green emission with high quantum yield of 32.8%. Furthermore, the a-GQDs show effective fluorescence quenching for $Cu^{2+}$ ions which can serve as effective fluorescent probe for the detection of $Cu^{2+}$. The fluorescent probe using the obtained aGQDs exhibits high sensitivity and selectivity toward $Cu^{2+}$ with the limit of detection as low as 5.6 nM. The mechanism of the $Cu^{2+}$ induced fluorescence quenching of a-GQDs can be attributed to the electron transfer by the formation of metal complex between $Cu^{2+}$ and the amino groups on the surface of a-GQDs. These results suggest great potential for the simple and green synthesis of functionalized GQDs and a practical sensing platform for $Cu^{2+}$ detection in environmental and biological applications.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.10-18
• /
• 2016

Phosphodiesterase (PDE) plays an important role in cAMP-mediated signaling within cells. We previously showed that the long-form of Aplysia PDE4 (ApPDE4) was localized in the plasma membrane and the presynaptic terminal in Aplysia sensory neurons, and the 16 N-terminal amino acid was sufficient for this targeting process. In this study, we characterized the cellular localization of various ApPDE4 mutants. We first identified the roles of each amino acid within the group of 16 N-terminal amino acids of long-form ApPDE4. As a result, we were able to identify various mutants that were localized to both the plasma membrane and the Golgi complex, Golgi only, or both the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the Golgi complex. To examine the role of palmitoylation on the cellular localization of ApPDE4 mutants, 2-bromo palmitate (2-BR) was used as a treatment. As a result, in the presence of 2-BR, the plasma membrane targeting of many mutants was impaired, indicating that palmitoylation was involved in the plasma membrane targeting of the mutants. We also found that PI4P play crucial roles in the Golgi targeting of (N16,C3S/VV/G)-mRFP, L(N16,C3S/LFS/R)-mRFP, and L(N16,EPL/R)-mRFP.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.42 no.3
• /
• pp.188-193
• /
• 2004

Xanthobacter flavus strain UE15 was isolated in wastewater obtained from the Ulsan industrial complex, Korea. This strain functions as a 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) degrader, via a mechanism of hydrolytic dechlorination, under aerobic conditions. The UE15 strain was also capable of dechlorinating other chloroaliphatics such as 2-chloroacetic acid and 2-chloropropionic acid. The dhlA gene encoding 1,2-DCA dechlorinase was cloned from the genomic DNA of the UE15 strain, and its nucleotide sequence was determined to consist of 933 base pairs. The deduced amino acid sequence of the DhlA dechlorinase exhibited 100％ homology with the corresponding enzyme from X. autotrophicus GJ10, but only 27 to 29％ homology with the corresponding enzymes from Rhodococcus rhodochrous, Pseudomonas pavonaceae, and Mycobacterium sp. strain GP1, which all dechlorinate haloalkane compounds. The UE15 strain has an ORF1 (1,356 bp) downstream from the dhlA gene. The OFR1 shows 99％ amino acid sequence homology with the transposase reported from X. autotrophicus GJ10. The transposase gene was not found in the vicinity of the dhlA in the GJ10 strain, but rather beside the dhlB gene coding for haloacid dechlorinase. The dhlA and dhlB genes were confirmed to be located at separate chromosomal loci in the Xanthobacter flavus UE15 strain as well as in X. autotrophicus GJ10. The dhlA and transposase the UE15 strain were found to be parenthesized by a pair of insertion sequences, 181247, which were also found on both sides of the transposase gene in the GJ10 strain. This unique structure of the dhlA gene organization in X. flavus strain UE15 suggested that the dechlorinase gene, dhlA, is transferred with the help of the transposase gene.

• Genes and Genomics
• /
• v.40 no.11
• /
• pp.1169-1180
• /
• 2018

Cave shrimps from the genera Typhlatya, Stygiocaris and Typhlopatsa (TST complex) comprises twenty cave-adapted taxa, which mainly occur in the anchialine environment. Anchialine habitats may undergo drastic environmental fluctuations, including spatial and temporal changes in salinity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen content. Previous studies of crustaceans from anchialine caves suggest that they have possessed morphological, behavioral, and physiological adaptations to cope with the extreme conditions, similar to other cave-dwelling crustaceans. However, the genetic basis has not been thoroughly explored in crustaceans from anchialine habitats, which can experience hypoxic regimes. To test whether the TST shrimp-complex hypoxia adaptations matched adaptive evolution of mitochondrial OXPHOS genes. The 13 OXPHOS genes from mitochondrial genomes of 98 shrimps and 1 outgroup were examined. For each of these genes was investigated and compared to orthologous sequences using both gene (i.e. branch-site and Datamonkey) and protein (i.e. TreeSAAP) level approaches. Positive selection was detected in 11 of the 13 candidate genes, and the radical amino acid changes sites scattered throughout the entire TST complex phylogeny. Additionally, a series of parallel/convergent amino acid substitutions were identified in mitochondrial OXPHOS genes of TST complex shrimps, which reflect functional convergence or similar genetic mechanisms of cave adaptation. The extensive occurrence of positive selection is suggestive of their essential role in adaptation to hypoxic anchialine environment, and further implying that TST complex shrimps might have acquired a finely capacity for energy metabolism. These results provided some new insights into the genetic basis of anchialine hypoxia adaptation.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.43-51
• /
• 1981

The effect of some alcohols on the riboflavin derivatives in non-polar solvent was studied by various spectroscopic method in order to support the view point that alcohol may directly interect with the isoalloxazine moiety of FAD, the coenzyme of D-amino-acid oxidase. The most possible association complex between alcohol and riboflavin is the 1:1 complex through the 2-C carbonyl function of the isollaxazine ring nd the hydroxyl proton of alcohol. It is appeared that methanol has a larger association constant than any other alcohols, and the association constant decreases with the carbon number increases and being bulkier in the alkyl group of alcohols.