• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.313-320
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• 2019

Rye was used here to dissect molecular mechanisms of resistance to Fusarium head blight (FHB) and to go deeper with our understanding of that process in cereals. F. culmorum-damaged kernels of two lines different in their potential of resistance to FHB were analyzed using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry to identify resistance markers. The proteome profiling was accompanied by measurements of ${\alpha}-$ and ${\beta}-amylase$ activities and mycotoxin content. The proteomic studies indicated a total of 18 spots with clear differences in protein abundance between the more resistant and more susceptible rye lines after infection. Eight proteins were involved in carbohydrate metabolism of which six proteins showed a significantly higher abundance in the resistant line. The other proteins recognized here were involved in stress response and redox homeostasis. Three remaining proteins were associated with protease inhibition/resistance and lignin biosynthesis, revealing higher accumulation levels in the susceptible rye line. After inoculation, the activities of ${\alpha}-$ and ${\beta}-amylases$, higher in the susceptible line, were probably responsible for a higher level of starch decomposition after infection and a higher susceptibility to FHB. The presented results could be a good reference for further research to improve crop resistance to FHB.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.294-304
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• 2021

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate objectively measured physical activity (PA) in institutionalized older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and to elucidate the influence of autonomic nervous function, salivary cortisol, and PA on cognitive functions based on neurovisceral integration model. Methods: Overall cognitive function was evaluated using the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and executive function was evaluated using semantic verbal fluency test and clock drawing test. Actigraph for PA, HRV and sAA for autonomous function, and the geriatric depression scale for depression were used. Saliva specimens were collected in the morning for sAA and cortisol. Results: Ninety-eight older adults from four regional geriatric hospitals participated in the study. They took 4,499 steps per day on average. They spent 753.93 minutes and 23.12 minutes on average in sedentary and moderate-to-vigorous activity, respectively. In the multiple regression analysis, lower salivary cortisol level (β = - .33, p = .041) and greater step counts (β = .37, p = .029) significantly improved MMSE score. Greater step count (β = .27, p = .016) also exerted a significant influence on verbal fluency, and greater sAA (β= .35, p = .026) was significantly associated with a better clock drawing test result. Conclusion: Salivary cortisol, sAA and physical activity were significantly associated with cognitive functions. To prevent older adults from developing dementia, strategies are needed to increase their overall PA amount by decreasing sedentary time and to decrease salivary cortisol for cognitive function, and to maintain their sympathetic nervous activity for executive function.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.30-37
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• 2021

Purpose: While the amylase concentration of the drainage fluid (dAmy) has been reported to be a predictor of postoperative pancreas-related complications (PPRC), the optimal timing for its measurement has not been fully investigated. Materials and Methods: The clinicopathological data of 387 patients who underwent elective gastrectomy for gastric cancer were reviewed. Laboratory data, including dAmy on postoperative days 1 (dAmy1) and 3 (dAmy3), and serum C-reactive protein (sCRP) concentrations on postoperative days 1 (sCRP1) and 3 (sCRP3) were compared between patients with PPRC and without PPRC. Results: Nineteen of the 387 patients (4.9%) developed PPRC. The optimal cutoff values of dAmy1, dAmy3, sCRP1, and sCRP3 were 1514 IU/L, 761 IU/L, 8.32 mg/dL, and 15.15 mg/dL, respectively. The area under the curve of dAmy1 was greater than that of dAmy3 (0.915 vs. 0.826), and that of sCRP3 was greater than that of sCRP1 (0.820 vs. 0.659). In the multivariate analysis, dAmy1 (P<0.001) and sCRP3 (P=0.004) were significant predictors of PPRC, while dAmy3 (P=0.069) and sCRP1 (P=0.831) were not. Thirteen (41.9%) of 31 patients with both dAmy1 ≥1,545 IU/L and sCRP3 ≥15.15 mg/dL had PPRC ≥Clavien-Dindo II. In contrast, among 260 patients with both dAmy1 <1,545 IU/L and sCRP3 <15.15 mg/dL, none developed PPRC. Conclusions: dAmy1 was more useful than dAmy3 in predicting PPRC. The combination of dAmy1 and sCRP3 may be a useful criterion for the removal of drains on postoperative day 3.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.39-45
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• 2001

Extremophiles are unique microorganisms that are adapted to survive in ecological niches such as high or low temperatures, extremes of pH, high salt concentrations and high pressure. These unusual microorganisms have unique biochemical features which can be exploited for use in the biotechnological industries. Due to the high biodiversity of extremophilic archaea and bacteria and their existence in various biotopes a variety of biocatalysts with different physicochemical properties have been discovered. The extreme molecular stability of their enzymes, membranes and the synthesis of unique organic compounds and polymers make extremophiles interesting candidates for basic and applied research. Some of the enzymes from extremophiles, especially hyperthermophilic marine microorganisms (growth above $85^{\circ}C$), have already been purified in our laboratory. These include the enzyme systems from Pyrococcus, Pyrodictium, Thermococcus and Thermotoga sp. that are involved in polysacharide modification and protein bioconversion. Only recently, the genome of the thermoalkaliphilic strain. Anaerobranca gottschalkii has been completely sequenced providing a unique resource of novel biocatalysts that are active at high temperature and pH. The gene encoding the branching enzyme from this organism was cloned and expressed in a mesophilic host and finally characterized. A novel glucoamylase was purified from an aerobic archaeon which shows optimal activity at $90^{\circ}C$ and pH 2.0. This thermoacidophilic archaeon Picrophilus oshimae grows optimally at pH 0.7 and $60^{\circ}C$. Furthermore, we were able to detect thermoactive proteases from two anaerobic isolates which are able to hydrolyze feather keratin completely at $80^{\circ}C$ forming amino acids and peptides. In addition, new marine psychrophilic isolates will be presented that are able to secrete enzymes such as lipases, proteases and amylases possessing high activity below the freezing point of water.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.153-162
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• 2023

Background: Recent animal studies have suggested the role of GABA type A (GABA-_A) receptors in salivation, showing that GABA-_A receptor agonists inhibit salivary secretion. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of propofol (a GABA-_A agonist) on salivary secretions from the submandibular, sublingual, and labial glands during intravenous sedation in healthy volunteers. Methods: Twenty healthy male volunteers participated in the study. They received a loading dose of propofol 6 mg/kg/h for 10 min, followed by 3 mg/kg/h for 15 min. Salivary flow rates in the submandibular, sublingual, and labial glands were measured before, during, and after propofol infusion, and amylase activity was measured in the saliva from the submandibular and sublingual glands. Results: We found that the salivary flow rates in the submandibular, sublingual, and labial glands significantly decreased during intravenous sedation with propofol (P < 0.01). Similarly, amylase activity in the saliva from the submandibular and sublingual glands was significantly decreased (P < 0.01). Conclusion: It can be concluded that intravenous sedation with propofol decreases salivary secretion in the submandibular, sublingual, and labial glands via the GABA-_A receptor. These results may be useful for dental treatment when desalivation is necessary.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.306-315
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the rest-activity circadian rhythm (RAR) using data obtained from wearable actigraph devices in hospitalized older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and to investigate its relationship with salivary alpha amylase (sAA). Methods: This secondary data analysis used data from the Hospitalized Older Adults' Cognition and Physical Activity Study. Actigraph data for 3-4 days were analyzed for RAR. RAR indices such as interdaily stability (IS), intradaily variability (IV), activity level during the most active 10-hour period and during the most least active 5-hour period, and relative amplitude (RA) were calculated. Data on sAA collected in the morning and general characteristics, including body mass index (BMI), were analyzed. Results: Data from 92 hospitalized older adults with MCI were analyzed. The IS, IV, RA were 0.23, 0.73, 0.88, respectively. The average level of sAA was 77.02 U/mL, and a higher level of sAA was significantly associated with better IS and RA in the regression analysis, while age, BMI, and cognitive level were not. BMI showed positive correlations with IS and RA. Conclusion: RAR in the hospitalized older adults with MCI was attenuated, showing especially low IS, which implies they failed to maintain regular and repetitive 24-hour RAR. Increased sAA and BMI were associated with robust RAR. Nurses need to pay attention to maintain robust RAR in hospitalized older adults with MCI, and strategies should be developed to improve their RAR.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.214-220
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• 2023

Background/Aims: This study aimed to determine whether vitamin C in addition to indomethacin decreases the occurrence and severity of post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis (PEP) occurrence and severity. Methods: This randomized clinical trial included patients undergoing ERCP. The participants were administered either rectal indomethacin (100 mg) plus an injection of vitamin C (500 mg) or rectal indomethacin (100 mg) alone just before ERCP. The primary outcomes were PEP occurrence and severity. The secondary amylase and lipase levels were determined after 24 hours. Results: A total of 344 patients completed the study. Based on intention-to-treat analysis, the PEP rates were 9.9% for indomethacin plus vitamin C plus indomethacin and 15.7% for indomethacin alone. Regarding the per-protocol analysis, the PEP rates were 9.7% and 15.7% in the combination and indomethacin arms, respectively. There was a remarkable difference between the two arms in PEP occurrence and severity on intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses (p=0.034 and p=0.031, respectively). The post-ERCP lipase and amylase concentrations were lower in the combination arm than in the indomethacin alone arm (p=0.034 and p=0.029, respectively). Conclusions: Vitamin C injection in addition to rectal indomethacin reduced PEP occurrence and severity.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.67-71
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• 1970

The amylase was0 incubated in a 9mm hole on the starch agar gel plate bored with a cork borer. When 0.1N-iodine solution sprayed on the plate, the formed uncolored zone were observed. An activity of amylase has been determined by measurement of diameter of the uncolored zone. We named this method 'cork borer method'. When amylase was incubated on the starch agar gel plate, the following points were obtained. 1) The optimum pH for the formation of the zone in case of amylases(Biotex, Spitase) which produced by Bacillus is neutrality and alkali, while that for Glucoamylase, Biodiase, and Mucorrennin which produced by Rhizopus and Mucor is from 5 to 7. 2) The diameter of the zone was increased by the incubation time and amylase activity. 3) The zone was easily formed at low level of starch concentration and was formed much bigger than at $50^{\circ}C\;than\;at\;10^{\circ}C$. From the above results, after malting the starch agar gel plate, keeping constant concentration of the starch, the measurement of amylase activity is in efficiency upon the constant reaction time and temperature.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.203-212
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• 1985

Of 450 strains isolated from the soil microbes collected in various locations in Korea, a strain had a strong inhibitory activity against bacterial ${\alpha}-amylase$ and was named strain DMC-72 of the genus Streptomyces. The amylase inhibitory metabolite produced by this strain was purified by means of acetone precipitation, adsorption on Amberlite IRC-50 and SP-Sephadex C-25. The inhibitor was found to be a derivative of oligosaccharides by spectral and chemical data. The inhibitor was stable at the pH range of $1{\sim}13$ and at $100^{\circ}C$ for half an hour, also inhibited other amylases such as salivary ${\alpha}-amylase$, pancreatic ${\alpha}-amylase$, fungal ${\alpha}-amylase$ and glucoamylase. However, it showed no inhibitory activity against ${\alpha}-glucosidase$, ${\beta}-glucosidase$, dextranase, and ${\beta}-amylase$. The kinetic studies of the inhibitor showed that its inhibitory effects on starch hydrolysis by ${\alpha}-amylase$ were noncompetitive.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 1975

The chemical components and quality of Takjoo mash were examined on the product brewed by the case of commercial amylase, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and the yeast. 1. Lactic acid was produced at the range of 917~1,350 mg per 100 ml of the mash brewed using wheat flour, corn flour, rice and pressed barley, while succinic acid was formed at the range of 6~32 mg per 100m1 of the mash. 2. Citric acid was formed at the concentration of 6.5mg per 100m1 of the mash on the use of pressed barley, and malic acid formed at the concentration of 1.7 mg and 1.4 mg per 100m1 of the mash respectively, on the use of wheat flour and corn flour. 3. No remarkable differences between the kind of raw materials and commercial amylases and compared with the mash brewed with Nurook were observed in the components of fusel oil formed in the mash. 4. Seventeen kinds of the amino acids of the mash brewed with commercial amylase, Lactobacillus and the yeast were detected and its content was 31mg per 100ml, which is less than that of the conventional takjoo, but the contents of glycine and alanine which pray as the component of seasoning in takjoo were sufficient.