• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제9권1호
• /
• pp.62-69
• /
• 1999

In order to investigate the critical amino acid residues involved in the catalytic activities of $\beta$-cyclodextrin glucanotransferase ($\beta$-CGTase) excreted by Bacillus firmus var. alkalophilus, the amino acid residues in $\beta$-CGTase were modified by various site-specific amino acid modifying reagents. The cyclizing and amylolytic activities of $\beta$-CGTase were all seriously reduced after treatment with Woodward's reagent K (WRK) modifying aspartic/glutamic acid, N-bromosuccinimde (NBS) modifying tryptophan, and diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC) modifying histidine residues. The roles of tryptophan and histidine residues in $\beta$-CGTase were further investigated by measuring the protection effect of various substrates during chemical modification, comparing protein mobility in native and affinity polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis containing soluble starch, and comparing the $K_m$ and $V_{max}$ values of native and modified enzymes. Tryptophan residues were identified as affecting substrate-binding ability rather than influencing catalytic activities. On the other hand, histidine residues influenced catalytic ability rather than substrate-binding ability, plus histidine modification had an effect on shifting the optimum pH and pH stability.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• 제15권4호
• /
• pp.217-222
• /
• 1999

Treatment with antagonistic rhizobactera Burkholderia cepacia strain N9523 or an inducer of resistance DL-$\beta$-amino-n-butyric acid (BABA) effectively inhibited Phytophthora capsici infection on pepper plants in artificially infested pots. Treatment with BABA alone at $1,000\mu\textrm{g}$/ml or together with B. cepacia in combination induced a strong protection from the Phytophthora disease in the greenhouse. In artificially infested field, protection of pepper plants against the Phytophthora epidemic by BABA treatment was maintained at a considerable level. In contrast, soil drench with the antagonist B. cepacia alone, or in combination with BABA did not suppress the Phytophthora epidemic in the field. Mortality of pepper plants caused by P. capsici infection was significantly reduced by treatment with the antagonist Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain 950923-29 and BABA (12-29% plants diseased) relative to the untreated control (41-91% plants diseased) in the naturally infested field. Treatment with the antagonist Ps. aeruginosa strain 950923-29 and BABA also resulted in high levels of protection against Phytophthora blight in pepper plants. In the plastic filmhouse test, the average percentage of plants diseased was significantly low relative to the naturally infested field. Treatment with the antagonist Ps. aeruginosa strain 950923-29 and BABA in combination was most effective in suppressing the Phytophthora disease in field and plastic filmhouse.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• 제52권4호
• /
• pp.224-233
• /
• 2019

Objectives: In women, breast cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death. Screening tests are the basis for early diagnosis. In Iranian women, the mortality rate of breast cancer is high due to insufficient screening examinations and delayed visits for care. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the factors affecting breast self-examinations among Iranian women employed in medical careers. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 501 women working in the medical professions at Hamadan University of Medical Sciences in western Iran in 2018. The subjects were selected by stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-developed, self-report questionnaire that contained demographic information and questions based on protection motivation theory and social support theory. Descriptive data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 23 and model fitting with PLS version 2. Results: The mean age of the participants was $37.1{\pm}8.3years$, and most of the women (80.4%) were married. Most women had a bachelor's degree (67.5%). The findings of this study showed that the coping appraisal construct was a predictor of protection motivation (${\beta}=0.380$, p<0.05), and protection motivation (${\beta}=0.604$, p<0.05) was a predictor of breast self-examination behavior. Additionally, social support theory (${\beta}=0.202$, p<0.05) had a significant positive effect on breast self-examination behavior. Conclusions: The frequency of practicing self-examinations among women employees in the medical sector was low; considering the influence of social support as a factor promoting screening, it is necessary to pay attention to influential people in women's lives when designing educational interventions.

• 지능정보연구
• /
• 제17권1호
• /
• pp.71-90
• /
• 2011

본 연구는 정보보호의 통제활동(물리적 보안, 관리적 보안, 기술적 보안)이 조직유효성에 미치는 영향과 정보 활용의 조절효과를 실증적으로 분석하는데 목적을 갖고 연구하였는데 그 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다. 첫째, 정보보호 통제활동(물리적 보안, 기술적 보안, 관리적 보안)이 조직유효성에 미치는 영향을 검증한 결과 물리적 보안, 기술적 보안, 관리적 보안요인이 조직유효성에 통계적으로 유의한 정(+)의 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다(p < .01). 둘째, 정보보호 통제활동(물리적 보안, 기술적 보안, 관리적 보안)이 정보 활용에 미치는 영향을 검증한 결과 기술적 보안, 관리적 보안요인이 정보 활용에 통계적으로 유의한 정(+)의 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다(p < .01). 셋째, 조직유효성에 영향을 미치는 정보보호 통제활동(물리적 보안, 기술적 보안, 관리적 보안)이 정보 활용에 의해 조절되는지를 검증하기 위해 정보보호 통제활동(물리적 보안, 기술적 보안, 관리적 보안)과 정보 활용의 상호작용 변수를 추가적으로 투입한 모델의 설명력은 50.6%로 4.1%가 추가적으로 증가하였고, 추가적으로 투입된 상호작용 변수들 중에는 물리적 보안과 정보 활용의 상호작용 요인(${\beta}$ = .148, p < .01), 관리적 보안과 정보 활용의 상호작용 요인(${\beta}$ = .196, p < .01)이 통계적으로 유의미한 것으로 나타나(p < .01), 정보 활용은 통제활동 중 물리적 보안, 관리적 보안요인과 조직유효성 간의 관계를 조절하는 것으로 시사해 주었다. 이상의 결과를 볼 때, 정보보호를 위한 내부 통제활동으로서 물리적, 기술적, 관리적 요인이 정보활용 정도에 따라 조직유효성에 매우 유의적인 영향을 미치는 주요 기제임을 입증시켜 주었다. 이는 정보보호 통제활동에 있어서 물리적, 기술적, 관리적 보안요인이 모두 효율적으로 잘 수행될수록 정보활용 또한 높고 효율적으로 통제되고 정보활용이 조절 되는 것으로 나타내 이들 세 가지 요인 모두 유용한 정보활용을 위한 변수임을 실증해 주었다. 이 실증된 정보활용의 조절정도나 난이도에 따른 정보보호를 위한 조직효율성에서 종사자의 내부 고객만족과 정보관리의 효율, 위험리스크 감소에 매우 유의적인 성과를 나타내 주는 촉진기제로서 작용함을 시사한 것이라 볼 수 있다.

• 약학회지
• /
• 제52권1호
• /
• pp.73-78
• /
• 2008

Immune system can protect host attacking from a variety of microorganism and virus through innate and adaptive immunities. The innate immune system can be activated by recognition of conserved carbohydrates on the cell surface of pathogen resulting in protection, immunity regulation and inflammation. Immunostimulating and anti-tumor ${\beta}$-glucan, major cell wall component of many fungi, could be recognized as pathogen associated molecular pattern (PAMP) by C-type lectin such as pathogen recognition receptor (PRR) of host innate immunity cells. In spite of many studies of basidiomycetes ${\beta}$-glucan on immunostimulation, little is known about the precise mechanism as molecular-level. Among C-type lectins, dectin-1 was cloned and reported as a ${\beta}$-glucan receptor. In this report, we demonstrated induction of cytokine gene transcription by Ganoderma lucidum ${\beta}$-glucan in the absence or presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by RT-PCR analysis. The expression of murine dectin-1 (MD-1) on RAW264.7 macrophage by RT-PCR showing both the full length, 757 bp $(MD-1{\alpha})$ and alternative spliced form, 620 bp $(MD-1{\beta})$. Both $MD-1{\alpha}$ and $MD-1{\beta}$ mRNAs were induced by ${\beta $-glucan both in the absence and presence of LPS. To explore expression of inflammatory cytokines by ${\beta}$-glucan, RAW264.7 cells were treated with ${\beta}$-glucan for 12 hours. As a result, the expressions of IL-1 IL-6, IL-l0 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ were increased by ${\beta}$-glucan treatment in a dose-dependent fashion. From these results, ${\beta}$-glucan induced transcriptions of dectin-1 and immune activating cytokine genes, indicating induction of immune allertness by expressing dectin-1 and secreting inflammatory cytokines.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• 제18권4호
• /
• pp.329-334
• /
• 2003

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) 유전자의 발현은 사람 및 쥐에서 두 개의 promoters (P1과 P2)로부터의 전사와 alternative RNA splicing 및 differential RNA polyadenylation과 같은 복잡한 기전들에 의하여 조절되는데 조직에 따라 성장호르몬을 포함한 여러 요소들이 관여하는 것으로 알려져 있다. 또한 사람의 IGF-I 유전자 exon 1의 upstream에 존재하는 P1에 hepatocyte nuclear factor l$\alpha$와 CAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) isoform 들이 결합하여 조직 및 발달단계 특이한 발현에 중요한 역할을 할 것으로 제안되었지만, exon 1의 downstream sequence가 IGF-I 유전자의 조직 특이적 발현을 조절하는 지에 대하여는 연구되어 있지 않다. 연령이 다른 쥐의 간 및 뇌 조직에서 total RNA를 분리하고 solution hybridization/RNase protection 방법으로 분석하여 IGF-I 유전자의 발현이 태어난 후 간 조직에서는 점차적으로 증가하였지만 뇌조직에서는 감소하여 발달단계에 따라 조직 특이하게 발현되는 것을 확인하였다. IGF-I exon 1의 주요한 전사 개시점으로부터 아래쪽에 존재하는 C/EBP 결합부위를 포함하고 있는 cis-acting element에 해당하는 oligonucleotide들과 간 및 뇌조직에서 분리한 핵단백질들을 이용하여 DNA-결합 활성을 가진 분자량이 다른 C/EBP$\alpha$나 C/EBP$\beta$ 단백질들을 확인하였으며 southwestern 및 western immnoblotting 분석을 하여 간 조직의 핵 추출물에서는 42$^{C}$EBP$\alpha$/, 와 p38$^{C}$EBP$\alpha$/, p35$^{C}$EBP$\alpha$/, p38$^{C}$EBP$\beta$/, 그리고 p35$^{C}$EBP$\beta$/가 IGF-I exon 1 oligonucleotide와 복합체를 형성하고 뇌 조직에서는 p42$^{C}$EBP$\alpha$과 p38$^{C}$EBP$\beta$가 복합체 형성에 관여하는 것으로 나타났다. 이러한 결과들은 FRE-C/EBP isoform 복합체 형성이 IGF-I 유전자 발현의 조직 특이적 조절에 중요한 역할을 할 것으로 제안한다.할을 할 것으로 제안한다.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• 제5권6호
• /
• pp.540-547
• /
• 2011

High consumption of fruits and vegetables has been suggested to provide some protection to smokers who are exposed to an increased risk of numerous cancers and other degenerative diseases. Carrot is the most important source of dietary ${\beta}$-carotene. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate whether carrot juice supplementation to smokers can protect against lymphocyte DNA damage and to compare the effect of supplementationof capsules containing purified ${\beta}$-carotene or a placebo (simple lactose). The study was conducted in a randomized and placebo-controlled design. After a depletion period of 14 days, 48 smokers were supplemented with either carrot juice (n = 18), purified ${\beta}$-carotene (n = 16) or placebo (n = 14). Each group was supplemented for 8 weeks with approximately 20.49 mg of ${\beta}$-carotene/day and 1.2 mg of vitamin C/day, as carrot juice (300 ml/day) or purified ${\beta}$-carotene (20.49 mg of ${\beta}$-carotene, 1 capsule/day). Lymphocyte DNA damage was determined using the COMET assay under alkaline conditions and damage was quantified by measuring tail moment (TM), tail length (TL), and% DNA in the tail. Lymphocyte DNA damage was significantly decreased in the carrot juice group in all three measurements. The group that received purified ${\beta}$-carotene also showed a significant decrease in lymphocyte DNA damage in all three measurements. However, no significant changes in DNA damage was observed for the placebo group except TM (P = 0.016). Erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme was not significantly changed after supplementation. Similarly plasma lipid profiles were not different after carrot juice, ${\beta}$-carotene and placebo supplementation. These results suggest that while the placebo group failed to show any protective effect, carrot juice containing beta-carotene or purified ${\beta}$-carotene itself had great antioxidative potential in preventing damage to lymphocyte DNA in smokers.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• 제9권2호
• /
• pp.101-105
• /
• 2005

[ ${\beta}ig-h3$ ] is a secretory protein that is induced by $TGF-{\beta}$ and implicated in various disease conditions including fibrosis. We have previously reported that ${\beta}ig-h3$ expression is implicated in astrocyte response to brain injury. In this study, we further investigated potential roles of ${\beta}ig-h3$ protein in the injured central nervous system (CNS). We specifically assessed whether the treatment of microglial cells with ${\beta}ig-h3$ can regulate microglial activity. Microglial cells are the prime effector cells in CNS immune and inflammatory responses. When activated, they produce a number of inflammatory mediators, which can promote neuronal injury. We prepared conditioned medium from the stable CHO cell line transfected with human ${\beta}ig-h3$ cDNA. We then examined the effects of the conditioned medium on the LPS- or $IFN-{\gamma}-mediated$ induction of proinflammatory molecules in microglial cells. Preincubation with the conditioned medium significantly attenuated LPS-mediated upregulation of $TNF-{\alpha},\;IL-1{\beta}$, iNOS and COX-2 mRNA expression in BV2 murine microglial cells. It also reduced $IFN-{\gamma}-mediated$ upregulation of $TNF-{\alpha}$ and COX-2 mRNA expression but not iNOS mRNA expression. Assays of nitric oxide release correlated with the mRNA data, which showed selective inhibition of LPS-mediated nitric oxide production. Although the regulatory mechanisms need to be further investigated, these results suggest that astrocyte-derived ${\beta}ig-h3$ may contribute to protection of the CNS from immune-mediated damage via controlling microglial inflammatory responses.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
• /
• 제21권2호
• /
• pp.109-116
• /
• 2009

Purpose: $17\beta$-estradiol is the most active endogenous estrogen, which is related to favorable changes in the plasma lipid profile, to relaxation of the coronary vessels, and to a decrease in platelet aggregation and vascular smooth muscle cell migration. However, although the beneficial effect of estrogens on plasma lipoproteins (ie, lowering low-density lipoprotein and increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) contributes to cardiovascular protection, it does not fully account for the protective effect, particularly in the application of physical therapy, including low frequency electrical stimulation. Methods: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the inhibition of stressors, such as endothelin-1 (ET-1), serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT), prostaglandin $F2\alpha$ ($PGF2\alpha$), and a protein kinase C (PKC) activator 12-deoxyphorbol 13-isobutyrate (DPB), induced isometric tension by $17\beta$-estradiol in vascular smooth muscle strips, respectively. In addition, the effects of low frequency electrical stimulation at the meridian points (CV-3, -4, Ki-12, SP-6, LR-3, BL-25, -28, -32, -52) on the indirect antihypertensive effect were examined by monitoring the changes in the serum $17\beta$-estradiol concentration in healthy volunteers. Results: Isometric tension analysis showed that the responses of inhibited tension by $17\beta$-estradiol were similar to the same stressors in rat aortic smooth muscle strips. Furthermore, although the continued amplitude modulation (AM) type of electrical stimulation was not increased significantly by electrical stimulation, the current of the frequency modulation (FM) type of low frequency electrical stimulation increased the serum $17\beta$-estradiol concentration in normal volunteers. Conclusion: These results, in part, suggest that $17\beta$-estradiol has the capacity to supress stressor-induced muscle tension, and electrical stimulation, particularly current of the FM type, has a modulatory effect on the sex steroid hormones, particularly $17\beta$-estradiol, in healthy volunteers.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• 제26권3호
• /
• pp.215-224
• /
• 2001

In order to comply with revised national regulationson radiological protection and to implement recent nuclear data and dose conversion factors, KOPEC developed a new point kernel gamma and beta ray shielding analysis computer program. This new code, named VisualShield, adopted mass attenuation coefficient and buildup factors from recent ANSI/ANS standards and flux-to-dose conversion factors from the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publication 74 for estimation of effective/equivalent dose recommended in ICRP 60. VisualShieid utilizes graphical user interfaces and 3-D visualization of the geometric configuration for preparing input data sets and analyzing results, which leads users to error free processing with visual effects. Code validation and data analysis were performed by comparing the results of various calculations to the data outputs of previous programs such as MCNP 4B, ISOSHLD-II, QAD-CGGP, etc.