• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5333-5338
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• 2012

Vitamin B6 functions as a coenzyme in >140 enzymatic reactions involved in the metabolism of amino acids, carbohydrates, neurotransmitters, and lipids. It comprises a group of three related 3-hydroxy-2-methyl-pyrimidine derivatives: pyridoxine (PN), pyridoxal (PL), pyridoxamine (PM) and their phosphorylated derivatives [pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) and pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate (PMP)], In the folate metabolism pathway, PLP is a cofactor for the mitochondrial and cytoplasmic isozymes of serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT2 and SHMT1), the P-protein of the glycine cleavage system, cystathionine ${\beta}$-synthase (CBS) and ${\gamma}$-cystathionase, and betaine hydroxymethyltransferase (BHMT), all of which contribute to homocysteine metabolism either through folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism or the transsulfuration pathway. Folate cofactors carry and chemically activate single carbons for the synthesis of purines, thymidylate and methionine. So the evidence indicates that vitamin B6 plays an important role in maintenance of the genome, epigenetic stability and homocysteine metabolism. This article focuses on studies of strand breaks, micronuclei, or chromosomal aberrations regarding protective effects of vitamin B6, and probes whether it is folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism or the transsulfuration pathway for vitamin B6 which plays critical roles in prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2007

The distributions of the minimum correlated F-variable arises in many applied statistical problems including simultaneous analysis of variance (SANOVA), equality of variance, selection and ranking populations, and reliability analysis. In this paper, negative binomial sampling technique is employed to derive the distributions of the minimum of chi-square variables and hence the distributions of the minimum correlated F-variables. The work presented in this paper is divided in two parts. The first part is devoted to develop some combinatorial identities arised from the negative binomial sampling. These identities are constructed and justified to serve important purpose, when we deal with these distributions or their characteristics. Other important results including cumulants and moments of these distributions are also given in somewhat simple forms. Second, the distributions of minimum, chisquare variable and hence the distribution of the minimum correlated F-variables are then derived within the negative binomial sampling framework. Although, multinomial theory applied to order statistics and standard transformation techniques can be used to derive these distributions, the negative binomial sampling approach provides more information regarding the nature of the relationship between the sampling vehicle and the probability distributions of these functions of chi-square variables. We also provide an algorithm to compute the percentage points of the distributions. The computation methods we adopted are exact and no interpolations are involved.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.161-171
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• 2005

Integrin-linked kinase 1 (ILK1) regulates several protein kinases, including PKB/Akt kinase and glycogen synthase kinase ${\beta}$. ILK1 is also involved distinctively in the cell morphological and structural functions by interacting with the components of the extracellular matrix or integrin. According to the information of serum- and glucocorticoid-induced kinase 1 (SGK1) substrate specificity (R-X-R-X-X(S/T)-${\phi};{\phi}$ indicates a hydrophobic amino acid), two putative phosphorylation sites, $Thr^{181}\;and\;Ser^{246}$, were found in ILK1. We showed that ILK1 fusion protein and two fluorescein-labeled ILK1 peptides, $FITC-^{174}RTRPRNGTLN^{183}$ and $FITC-^{239}CPRLRIFSHP^{248}$, were phosphorylated by SGK1 in vitro. We also identified that 14-3-3 ${\theta}\;{\varepsilon}\;and\;{\xi}$, among several 143-3 isotypes $({\beta},\;{\gamma},\;{\varepsilon},\;{\eta},\;{\sigma},\;{\theta},\;{\tau}\;and\;{\xi})$ formed protein complex with ILK1 in COS-1 cells. Furthermore, the phosphorylation of $Ser^{246}$ by SGK1 induced the binding with 14-3-3. It was also demonstrated that 14-3-3-bound ILK1 has reduced kinase activity. Thus, these data suggest that SGK1 phosphorylates $Thr^{181}\;and\;Ser^{246}$ of ILK1 and the phosphorylation of its $Ser^{246}$ makes ILK1 bind to 14-3-3, resulting in the inhibition of ILK1 kinase activity.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.192-198
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• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin and functions primarily as a lipid antioxidant. Inadequate vitamin E status may increase risk of several chronic diseases. Thus, the objectives of this study were to estimate intake and plasma concentration of each tocopherol and to evaluate vitamin E status of Korean adults. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Three consecutive 24-h food recalls and fasting blood samples were collected from healthy 20- to 59-y-old adults (33 males and 73 females) living in the Seoul metropolitan area, South Korea. ${\alpha}$-, ${\beta}$-, ${\delta}$-, and ${\gamma}$-tocopherol intakes and plasma concentrations of tocopherols (${\alpha}$-, ${\delta}$-, and ${\gamma}$- tocopherol) were analyzed by gender. RESULTS: Dietary vitamin E and total vitamin E intake (dietary plus supplemental vitamin E) was $17.68{\pm}14.34$ and $19.55{\pm}15.78mg$ ${\alpha}$-tocopherol equivalents, respectively. The mean daily ${\alpha}$-tocopherol, and ${\gamma}$-tocopherol intakes were $3.07{\pm}2.27mg$ and $5.98{\pm}3.74mg$, respectively. Intakes of total vitamin E and each tocopherol of males were significantly higher than those of females (P < 0.05). Plasma ${\alpha}$-tocopherol concentration was $15.45{\pm}10.16$ of males and $15.00{\pm}4.54{\mu}mol/L$ of females, respectively. There were no significant differences in plasma tocopherol concentrations by gender ($P{\geq}0.05$). Plasma ${\alpha}$-tocopherol was negatively correlated with ${\gamma}$-tocopherol intake (P < 0.05). Twenty-three percent of the subjects had plasma ${\alpha}$-tocopherol concentrations < $12{\mu}mol/L$ indicating a biochemical deficiency of vitamin E. Approximately 8% and 9% of these participants had plasma ${\alpha}$-tocopherol:total lipid ratio less than $1.59{\mu}mol/mmol$ and plasma ${\alpha}$-tocopherol:total cholesterol ratio less than $2.22{\mu}mol/mmol$, respectively, which are also indicative of vitamin E deficiency. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin E intakes of Korean adults were generally adequate with the Korean Dietary Reference Intakes for vitamin E. However, ${\alpha}$-tocopherol intake was lower than that reported in other countries, and 23% of the subjects in the current study were vitamin E deficient based on plasma ${\alpha}$-tocopherol concentrations.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.177-183
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• 2007

Using complementation of RpoH deficient E. coli strain A7448, the rpoH gene encoding heat shock sigma factor 32 (${\sigma}^{32}$) from Methylovorus sp. strain SS1 DSM11726 was cloned and sequenced. Sequence analysis of a stretch of 1,796-bp revealed existence of an open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 284 amino acid (32,006 dalton). Deduced amino acid sequence of the Methylovorus sp. strain SS1 RpoH showed that 59.6%, 39.1% and 51.4% identities with those of Nitrosomonas europaea (${\beta}$-proteobacteria), Agrobacterium tumefaciens ($\alpha$-proteobacteria) and E. coli (${\gamma}$-proteobacteria). The expression level of the functional ortholog of RpoH of Methylovorus sp. strain SS1 was increased transiently after heat induction, further indicating that it functions as a heat shock sigma factor.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.453-461
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• 2013

This paper describes evaluation procedures and experimental results for the estimation of Cumulative Distribution Functions (CDF) giving best-fit to the sample data in the Probability based risk Evaluation Techniques (PET) which is to assess the risks of a small-sized sea floater. The CDF in the PET is to provide the reference values of risk acceptance criteria which are to evaluate the risk level of the floater and, it can be estimated from sample data sets of motion response functions such as Roll, Pitch and Heave in the floater model. Using Maximum Likelihood Estimates and with the eight kinds of regulated distribution functions, the evaluation tests for the CDF having maximum likelihood to the sample data are carried out in this work. Throughout goodness-of-fit tests to the distribution functions, it is shown that the Beta distribution is best-fit to the Roll and Pitch sample data with smallest averaged probability errors $\bar{\delta}(0{\leq}\bar{\delta}{\leq}1.0)$ of 0.024 and 0.022, respectively and, Gamma distribution is best-fit to the Heave sample data with smallest $\bar{\delta}$ of 0.027. The proposed method in this paper can be expected to adopt in various application areas estimating best-fit distributions to the sample data.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1179-1185
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• 2018

Recently, Sargassum horneri, the marine weed inhabiting the shoreline, beach, and littoral sea area, has caused serious damage to intensive aquaculture farms particularly those around Jeju Island, South Korea. The purpose of this study was to investigate the diversity of microorganisms in Sargassum horneri and to provide basic data on ecological problems by identifying microbial functions. A total of 88 isolates were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing. Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum accounting for 88%, including class ${\alpha}-proteobacteria$, six genera, and ten species. The dominating genus, Pseudobacter, accounted for 40% in Pseudorhodobacter, 20% in Paracoccus, and the remaining at 10% each were Rhizobium, Albirhodobacter, Skermanella, and Novosphingobium. Class ${\beta}-proteobactera$ included five genera and ten species. Genus Hydrogenophaga accounted for 50%, while genus Azoarcus accounted for 20%, and the remaining Oxalicibacterium, Duganella, and Xenophilus were 10% each. Class ${\gamma}-proteobacteria$ with 13 genera and 57 species, accounted for 74% in phylum Proteobacteria, 23% in Shewanella, 19% in Cobetia, 12% in Pseudomonas, 4% each in Vibrio and Serratia, and 2% each in Rheinheimera, Raoultella, Pantoea, Acinetobacter, Moraxella, and Psychrobacter genera. In addition, Actinobacteria with two species of Nocardioides genera accounted for 50%, and Bacteroidetes accounted for 33%, with three genera and five species that included Lacihabitans and Mariniflexile. The remaining Dyadobacter, Cellulophaga, and Ferruginibacter genera each accounted for 11%.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.191-198
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• 2007

The p53 which is well known as tumor suppressor gene is located at 17p13. p53 is a sequence-specific DNA binding transcription factor that responds to certain cytotoxic stresses, such as DNA damage, by enhancing the transcription of genes that regulate cell-cycle progression as well as programmed cell death. The p63 gene that is located at 3q27-29, is recognized members of the p53 family, and responsible for the transcription of 6 isoforms. Three isoforms ($TAp63{\alpha}$, $TAp63{\beta}$, $TAp63{\gamma}$) contain an N-terminal transactivation (TA) domain and can induce apoptosis. The other 3 isoforms (${\Delta}Np63{\alpha}$, ${\Delta}Np63{\beta}$, ${\Delta}Np63{\gamma}$) lack the TA domain and may function in a dominant-negative fashion by inhibiting the transactivation functions of p53 and TAp63 proteins, and thus act as oncoproteins. A number of studies have investigated the role of p63 in human squamous cell carcinomas from different organs. Only a few studies have examined ${\Delta}Np63$ isoform in oral squamous cell carcinoma including normal epithelium. This study aimed to evaluate expression of ${\Delta}Np63$ isoform in human oral squamous cell carcinoma tissue and normal mucosa. The 3 cases of well differenciated oral squamous cell carcinoma specimen including adjacent normal mucosa were examined, and immunohistochemical study with monoclonal antibody(4A4) and tumor cell apoptosis analysis with Transmission Electon Microscopy were studied. And, RT-PCR analysis was done for expression of ${\Delta}Np63$ isoform. The results were as followed. 1. Normal gingiva showed the restricted p63 expression in basal cell layer. 2. Well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma showed mainly p63 expression in overall area of malignancy, especially in basal cell layer to adjacent stromal tissue. 3. Tumor cells around keratinized area with no p63 expression disclosed less micro-organelle in decreased size cytoplasm and severe chromatin margination with nuclear destruction that means apoptosis. 4. Comparison of mRNA expression of ${\Delta}Np63$ isoform by RT-PCR showed variable expression of ${\Delta}Np63$ isoform, but ${\Delta}Np63{\alpha}$ was most highly expressed in all 3 tumor specimen. From theses results, it should be suggested that ${\Delta}Np63$ isoform expression in well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma was closely related to tumor oncogenesis, expecially overexpression of ${\Delta}Np63{\alpha}$ is a most important factor in tumor genesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.119-126
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• 2016

In this study, we investigated the effects of mouth breathing on brain activity through electroencephalogram (EEG). EEG was performed on 12 healthy volunteers of age ranging from 21 to 27 years (male: female = 6:6, non-smoker). Brain waves on resting state (Rest_N/Rest_M) and auditory-language stimuli state (Eng_N/Eng_M) were recorded during mouth and nose breathing. Four different regions (R1~R4) were classified based on the brain functionality. And each channel (e.g., Pf1 and Pf2) and frequency (${\alpha}$, ${\beta}$, ${\gamma}$, and ${\theta}$) were analyzed using their absolute power ratios of fast Fourier transform (FFT). The results showed that there was no significant difference between Rest_N and Rest_M. Eng_N had significantly higher brain activity than Rest_N; on the other hand, there was no significant difference between Rest_M and Eng_M. These results demonstrate that mouth-breathing on resting state does not induce any significant effects on brain activity and/or functionality, even though it causes subtle temporary inconvenience. In addition to the uncomfort, the brain activity can be adversely influenced by mouth-breathing, which could lower the cognitive skills under certain circumstances.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.63-72
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• 2017

Objectives : Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD) is characterized by significant impairments in executive functions, with a prevalence of approximately 3-5% of all children worldwide. The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between executive functions and electrophysiological activities in children and adolescents with ADHD. Methods : In 31 patients with ADHD, resting-state EEG was recorded, and Comprehensive Attention Test(CAT), Stroop Color-Word Inference Test(Stroop CWIT), Trail Making Test(TMT), and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test(CST) were administered. Korean version of the ADHD Rating Scale(K-ARS) was assessed. Results : Alpha and beta power positively correlated with the Attention Quotient(AQ), while delta power negatively correlated with AQ from CAT. In the Stroop CWIT, decreased delta power and increased beta power were related to higher performance. Power of the alpha band increased with higher TMT performance. Moreover, delta power negatively correlated with good performance on the CST, while alpha and high gamma band showed a positive correlation. Correlation with the parent-rating of ADHD symptoms showed a negative correlation between alpha power and higher scores on the K-ARS. Conclusions : These findings indicate that relative power in higher frequency bands of EEG is related to the higher executive function in children and adolescents with ADHD, while the association with the relative power in lower frequency bands of EEG seem to be vice versa. Furthermore, the findings suggest that QEEG may be a useful adjunctive tool in assessing patients with ADHD.