• Molecules and Cells
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• 제45권10호
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• pp.738-748
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• 2022

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has posed a serious threat to global public health. A novel vaccine made from messenger RNA (mRNA) has been developed and approved for use at an unprecedented pace. However, an increased risk of myocarditis has been reported after BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination due to unknown causes. In this study, we used single-cell RNA sequencing and single-cell T cell receptor sequencing analyses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to describe, for the first time, changes in the peripheral immune landscape of a patient who underwent myocarditis after BNT162b2 vaccination. The greatest changes were observed in the transcriptomic profile of monocytes in terms of the number of differentially expressed genes. When compared to the transcriptome of PBMCs from vaccinated individuals without complications, increased expression levels of IL7R were detected in multiple cell clusters. Overall, results from this study can help advance research into the pathogenesis of BNT162b2-induced myocarditis.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제18권3호
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• pp.28.1-28.9
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• 2020

Streptomyces coelicolor is a gram-positive soil bacterium which is well known for the production of several antibiotics used in various biotechnological applications. But numerous proteins from its genome are considered hypothetical proteins. Therefore, the present study aimed to reveal the functions of a hypothetical protein from the genome of S. coelicolor. Several bioinformatics tools were employed to predict the structure and function of this protein. Sequence similarity was searched through the available bioinformatics databases to find out the homologous protein. The secondary and tertiary structure were predicted and further validated with quality assessment tools. Furthermore, the active site and the interacting proteins were also explored with the utilization of CASTp and STRING server. The hypothetical protein showed the important biological activity having with two functional domain including POD-like_MBL-fold and rhodanese homology domain. The functional annotation exposed that the selected hypothetical protein could show the hydrolase activity. Furthermore, protein-protein interactions of selected hypothetical protein revealed several functional partners those have the significant role for the bacterial survival. At last, the current study depicts that the annotated hypothetical protein is linked with hydrolase activity which might be of great interest to the further research in bacterial genetics.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제11권4호
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• pp.431-442
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• 2020

Background: Psychosocial risks are increasingly a type of risk analyzed in organizations beyond chemical, physical, and biological risks. To this type of risk, a greater attention has been given following the update of ISO 9001: 2015, more precisely the requirement 7.1.4 for the process operation environment. The update of this normative reference was intended to approximate OHSAS 18001: 2007 reference updated in 2018 with the publication of ISO 45001. Thus, the organizations are increasingly committed to achieving and demonstrating good occupational health and safety performance. Methods: The aim of this study was to characterize the psychosocial risks in a cryopreservation laboratory and to develop a predictive model for psychosocial risk management. The methodology followed to collect the information was the inquiry by questionnaire that was applied to a sample comprising 200 employees. Results: The results show that most of the respondents are aware of the psychosocial risks, identifying interpersonal relationships and emotional feelings as the main factors that lead to this type of risks. Furthermore, terms such as lack of resources, working hours, lab equipment, stress, and precariousness show strong correlation with psychosocial risks. The model presented in this study, based on artificial neural networks, exhibited good performance in the prediction of the psychosocial risks. Conclusion: This work presents the development of an intelligent system that allows identifying the weaknesses of the organization and contributing to the enhancement of the psychosocial risks management.

• Advances in nano research
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• 제11권6호
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• pp.581-593
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• 2021

This model is proposed to describe the buckling behavior of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) embedded in an elastic medium taking into account the combined effects of the magnetic field, the temperature, the nonlocal parameter, the number of walls. Using Eringen's nonlocal elasticity theory, thin cylindrical shell theory and Van der Waal force (VdW) interactions, we develop a system of partial differential equations governing the buckling response of CNTs embedded on Winkler, Pasternak, and Kerr foundations in a thermal-magnetic environment. The pre-buckling stresses are obtained by applying airy's stress function and an adjacent equilibrium criterion. To estimate the nonlocal critical buckling load of CNTs under the simultaneous effects of the magnetic field, the temperature change, and the number of walls, an optimization technique is proposed. Furthermore, analytical formulas are developed to obtain the buckling behavior of SWCNTs embedded in an elastic medium without taking into account the effects of the nonlocal parameter. These formulas take into account VdW interactions between adjacent tubes and the effect of terms involving differences in tube radii generally neglected in the derived expressions of the critical buckling load published in the literature. Most scientific research on modeling the effects of magnetic fields is based on beam theories, this motivation pushes me to develop a cylindrical shell model for studying the effect of the magnetic field on the static behavior of CNTs. The results show that the magnetic field has significant effects on the static behavior of CNTs and can lead to slow buckling. On the other hand, thermal effects reduce the critical buckling load. The findings in this work can help us design of CNTs for various applications (e.g. structural, electrical, mechanical and biological applications) in a thermal and magnetic environment.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.287-295
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• 2022

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is known to induce apoptosis of host immune cells and impair phagocytic clearance, thereby being pivotal in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) exert therapeutic effects against inflammatory and immune diseases. In the present study, we investigated whether systemic administration of ASCs restores the phagocytic activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and decolonizes cutaneous S. aureus under AD conditions. AD was induced by injecting capsaicin into neonatal rat pups. ASCs were extracted from the subcutaneous adipose tissues of naïve rats and administered to AD rats once a week for a month. Systemic administration of ASCs ameliorated AD-like symptoms, such as dermatitis scores, serum IgE, IFN-γ⁺/IL-4⁺ cell ratio, and skin colonization by S. aureus in AD rats. Increased FasL mRNA and annexin V⁺/7-AAD⁺ cells in the PBMCs obtained from AD rats were drastically reversed when co-cultured with ASCs. In contrast, both PBMCs and CD163⁺ cells bearing fluorescent zymosan particles significantly increased in AD rats treated with ASCs. Additionally, the administration of ASCs led to an increase in the mRNA levels of antimicrobial peptides, such as cathelicidin and β-defensin, in the skin of AD rats. Our results demonstrate that systemic administration of ASCs led to decolonization of S. aureus by attenuating apoptosis of immune cells in addition to restoring phagocytic activity. This contributes to the improvement of skin conditions in AD rats. Therefore, administration of ASCs may be helpful in the treatment of patients with intractable AD.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제65권4호
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• pp.499-506
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• 2022

Objective : We conducted this study with the aim of predicting the biological behavior of meningiomas, and determining the benefits of associating histological subtype and grade with the expression of proliferative markers and tumor suppressor proteins. Methods : The study included 29 patients with primary intracranial and intraspinal meningioma diagnosed in the pathology laboratory of Konya City Hospital between January 2014 and December 2020. Clinicopathological characteristics of the patients including parameters such as age and gender were obtained from the hospital records. Histopathological findings were obtained by re-evaluating the preparations stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin, which were extracted from the archive, and by evaluating new sections obtained from paraffin blocks of patients stained with Ki67, p53, and p57 immunohistochemical stains. Results : A moderate correlation was found between tumor size and Ki67 proliferation index (PI) (p=0.003, r=0.530). There was no significant difference between grade I and grade II tumors in terms of p53 (p=0.184) and p57 (p=0.487) expressions. There were higher levels of Ki67 PI in grade II tumors. The histological subtypes of the tumor had no significant difference with Ki67 PI (p=0.018), p53 (p=0.662), and p57 (p=0.368) expressions. Conclusion : In order to obtain more definitive results, there is a need for studies, which are conducted with a greater number of patients and in multiple centers, and in which a long prospective follow-up is planned. The combination of histological, surgical, and imaging markers could make a more sensitive tool for predicting recurrence, and this could also be tested in future studies.

• 한국환경농학회지
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• 제41권2호
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• pp.125-134
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• 2022

BACKGROUND: It is a very important task to block distribution of the agricultural products contaminated with pesticides in advance to protect consumers from residual pesticides among the agricultural products. Therefore, this study was performed to determine residual characteristics of pesticides in time-dependent manner and present scientific evidences for pre-harvest residue limit (PHRL) setting. METHODS AND RESULTS: The tested pesticides, chromafenozide and pyridalyl were sprayed onto the kale twice (seven day intervals) and then the plant samples were collected at 0 (after 3 hours), 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 10 days after the last spraying. Residual concentration of chromafenozide in kale decreased with 74.9% (of decreased fraction, field 1) and 85.3% (field 2) and pyridalyl decreased with 81.2% (field 1) and 85.8% (field 2), calculated by comparisons of the concentrations at 0 day and 10 days. Also biological half-lives of chromafenozide in kale were 5.6 day (field 1) and 3.4 day (field 2), and those of pyridalyl were 4.3 day (field 1) and 3.5 day (field 2). CONCLUSION(S): If the residues of chromafenozide and pyridalyl in kale from 10 days before harvest are less than 37.6 mg/kg and 58.9 mg/kg, respectively, it is expected that safe kale below MRL can be supplied on the pre-harvest day.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.31-38
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• 2023

Carboplatin, an advanced anticancer drug with excellent efficacy against ovarian cancer, was developed to alleviate the side effects that often occur with cisplatin and other platinum-based compounds. Our study reports the in vitro characteristics, viability, and activity of cells expressing the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene after carboplatin was conjugated with polysuccinimide (PSI) and administered in combination with other widely used anticancer drugs. PSI, which has promising properties as a drug delivery material, could provide a platform for prolonging carboplatin release, regulating its dosage, and improving its side effects. The iNOS gene has been shown to play an important role in both cancer cell survival and inhibition. Herein, we synthesized a PSI-carboplatin conjugate to create a modified anticancer agent and confirmed its successful conjugation. To ensure its solubility in water, we further modified the structure of the PSI-carboplatin conjugate with 2-aminoethanol groups. To validate its biological characteristics, the ovarian cancer cell line SKOV-3 and normal ovarian Chinese hamster ovary cells were treated with the PSI-carboplatin conjugate alone and in combination with paclitaxel and topotecan, both of which are used in conventional chemotherapy. Notably, PSI-carboplatin conjugation can be used to predict changes in the genes involved in cancer growth and inhibition. In conclusion, combination treatment with the newly synthesized polymer-carboplatin conjugate and paclitaxel displayed anticancer activity against ovarian cancer cells but was not toxic to normal ovarian cancer cells, resulting in the development of an effective candidate anticancer drug without severe side effects.

• 한국동물위생학회지
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• 제45권4호
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• pp.277-284
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• 2022

Salmonella is a pathogenic bacterium that has long been important industrially because it has a wide host range and can be transmitted to humans through direct contact as well as indirect contact such as food contaminated with animal waste. Understanding how to reduce Salmonella contamination in pig farms is important for public health and the livestock industry from an economic perspective. In the swine industry, high concentrations of disinfectants have been applied because it is difficult to effectively control Salmonella in environments contaminated with organic substances. In order to evaluate the synergetic effect of disinfectants, the efficacy of two commercial disinfectants diluted in hard water and microbubble water (MBW) were compared under the laboratory condition. Different concentrations of both disinfectants combined with 1% detergent diluted in the two diluents were evaluated for their antibacterial effect. In the case of monopersulfate-based disinfectant groups, the growth of Salmonella was not observed at 1:200 dilution with both the hard water and MBW combined with 1% detergent. In the case of citric acid-based disinfectant, the bacterial growth was not observed at 1:800 dilution with MBW combined with 1% detergent. Our results show that the use of MBW as a diluent might improve the biological activities of acid-based disinfectant.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제33권7호
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• pp.895-908
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• 2023

Disposal of waste containing heavy metals into the environment is a major threat to human health and can result in toxic or chronic poisoning in aquatic life. In the current study, metal-resistant Raoultella ornithinolytica was isolated from metal-contaminated samples collected from the Tanjaro River, located southwest of Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. R. ornithinolytica was identified by partial amplification of 16S rRNA. The uptake potency of heavy metals was assessed using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and indicated that R. ornithinolytica removed 67, 89, 63.4, 55.6, 56.5, 65, and 61.9% of Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, Zn, Co, and Fe, respectively. These removal rates were influenced by temperature, pH, and contact time; at 35℃ and pH 5 with a change in the incubation time, the reduction rate improved from 89 to 95% for Pb, from 36.4 to 45% for Cu, and from 55.6 to 64% for Ni. Gene analysis indicated that R. ornithinolytica contained pbrT, chrB, nccA, iroN, and czcA genes, but the pcoD gene was absent. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) images showed evidence of metal ion binding on the cell wall surface with different rates of binding. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) detected different mechanisms for metal particle localization; cell surface adsorption was the main mechanism for Pb, Zn, and Co uptake, while Cd, Ni, and Fe were accumulated inside the cell. The current study describes, for the first time, the isolation of R. ornithinolytica from metal-contaminated water, which can be used as an eco-friendly biological expedient for the remediation and detoxification of metals from contaminated environments.