• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.24 no.2 s.62
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• pp.172-178
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• 2006

The dynamics of bacterial populations belonging to $\alpha\;\beta\;\gamma-subclass$ proteobacteria, Cytophaga-Flavobacterium (CF) group and sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) in water column of the middle reaches of Nakdong River depending on sediment harvesting were analyzed by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) at sediment harvesting site (near the Seongju bridge) and non-sediment harvesting site (near the Gumi bridge). In addition, some physico-chemical parameters such as temperature, pH, $chi-\alpha$ and electrical conductivity were measured. Regarding the number of total cell counts, cells stained by DAPI, there were no substantial quantitative differences between both sites, but those fluctuation at sediment Harvesting site was greater. And also the ratios of CFgroup and SRB to total cell counts tend to increase at sediment harvesting site with higher $chl-\alpha$, maybe due to the resuspension of sediment into water column. But the total proportion of all determined bacterial populations to total cell counts were greater at non-sediment harvesting site, compared with those at sediment harvesting site. Since the detectibility of bacteria by FISH depends on their metabolic activity, those lower proportion at the sediment harvesting site implies that sediment harvesting may lead to malfunction of those bacteria respect to nutrient recycling and subsequently negative effects on microbial food web.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.63-69
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• 2003

Ten barrows, weaned at 28 days (7.2$\pm$0.1 kg BW), were used to evaluate the effects of feeding extruded full-fat soybeans on intestinal morphology and mucosal cell turnover time. All pigs were fed corn-based diets with half of the pigs receiving diets supplemented with 15.5% soybean meal and 3% soybean oil and the remaining pigs fed a diet in which the soybean meal and oil were replaced by 18.5% extruded full-fat soybeans. The pigs were individually placed in $80{\times}150cm$ metabolic cages and fed twice daily an amount approximately equal to their ad libitum intake for a period of 14 days. On day 14, pigs were weighed and then injected intraperitoneally with $^3$H]thymidine ($100{\mu}Ci/kg$ of BW, specific activity 20 Ci/mmol) 6 h after the morning meal. A pig from each treatment was killed 1, 4, 8, 16, or 24 h postinjection and intestinal tissues were collected. Daily gains for pigs fed the soybean diet and extruded full-fat soybean diet were 0.24 and 0.31 kg/day (p=0.05) with feed conversions of 1.58 and 1.39 (p=0.05), respectively. In comparison with pigs fed soybean meal, pigs fed moist extruded full-fat soybeans had a decreased crypt depth in their duodenum and cecum (p<0.1), while the villus height in the mid jejunum and ileum and the total height (villus height plus crypt depth) of the ileum and mid jejunum increased (p<0.05). The villus width in the duodenum and mid jejunum decreased (p<0.05). The number of crypt epithelial cells in the upper jejunum increased but decreased in the ileum, colon and cecum (p<0.05). The number of villus epithelial cells in the ileum and the upper and mid jejunum increased (p<0.05). The time for migration of epithelial cells in the crypt-villus column decreased (p<0.05) in all sites except the upper jejunum, ileum and cecum. The mucosal turnover rate for all intestinal sites except the upper jejunum, colon and cecum decreased (p<0.05). From these data, we conclude that inclusion of moist extruded full-fat soybeans in weanling pig diets can improve the intestinal morphology and slow the migration rate and turnover time of epithelial cells of the small intestine, especially in the mid jejunum compared with soybean meal.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.185-199
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• 2017

Methane, which is emitted from natural and anthropogenic sources, is a representative greenhouse gas for global warming. Methanotrophs are widespread in the environment and play an important role in the biological oxidation of methane via methane monooxygenases (MMOs), key enzymes for methane oxidation with broad substrate specificity. Methanotrophs have attracted attention as multifunctional bacteria with promising applications in biological methane mitigation technology and environmental bioremediation. In this review, we have summarized current knowledge regarding the biodiversity of methanotrophs, catalytic properties of MMOs, and high-cell density cultivation technology. In addition, we have reviewed the recent advances in biological methane mitigation technologies using methanotrophs in field-scale systems as well as in lab-scale bioreactors. We have also surveyed information on the dynamics of the methanotrophic community in biological systems and discussed the various challenges pertaining to methanotroph-related biotechnological innovation, such as identification of suitable methanotrophic strains with better and/or novel metabolic activity, development of high-cell density mass cultivation technology, and the microbial consortium (methanotrophs and non-methanotrophs consortium) design and control technology.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.293-300
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• 1997

Supplementation of maturation medium with additional granulosa cells has beneficial effect on in vitro maturation of bovine follicular oocytes and their subsequent cleavage and development in vitro. However, maturation system using granulosa cells have some disadvantages that collection of granulosa cells is cumbersome and metabolic activity of the cells is variable according to ovarian cycle or follicular size. We hypothesized that bovine immsture oocytes matured without granulosa cell coculture can fertilize and develop normally if the medium volume per oocyte is reduced during in vitro maturation. Immature oocytes were matured for 24 hours in a TCM199 containing 10% fetal calf serum, anterior pitultary hormone (0.02 AU /ml Antrinⓡ) and estradiol with or without granulosa cells in vitro. In Group 1, 35 to 40 oocytes were matured in a well of 4-well plastic dish containing 500 $\mu$l of maturation medium and granulosa cells, and 9 to 10 oocytes were matured in a 50-$\mu$l drop of maturation medium without granulosa cells in Group 2. After maturation, oocytes were coincubated with sperm for 30 hours in a modified Tyrode's medium (IVF). Inseminated oocytes were cultured in a microdrop (30 $\mu$l) of a synthetic oviduct fluld medium (SOFM) containing BSA, Minimum Essential Medium essential and non-essential amino acids for 9 days. As a preliminary experiment, we investigated the beneficial effect of granulosa cells during maturation on subsequent cleavage and development using the same type of culturedishes (4-well dish). Granulosa cells could not increase embryo cleavage after fertilization but significantly improved (p<0.05) embryo development to expanding blastocyst (Table1 and 2). In Group 1, 68 and 80% of inseminated oocytes have cleaved at 30 hours and 2 days after IVF, respectively, which is similar (p>0.05) to the result of Group 2 (69% at 30 hours and 78% at 2 days after IVF). The oocytes in Group 2 showed 21 and 11% of developmental rates to expanding and hatching blastocysts, respectively, which was not significantly different (p>0.05) from those (20 and 10%, respectively) of oocytes in Group 1. In conclusion, it has been clarified that a microdrop culture system without granulosa cells for in vitro maturation can support bovine embryonic development to blastocyst in vitro as readily as a granulosa cell coculture system.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.844-855
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• 2017

Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) have the ability to dissolve insoluble phosphate and enhance soil fertility. However, the growth and mineral phosphate solubilization of PSB could be affected by exogenous soluble phosphate and the mechanism has not been fully understood. In the present study, the growth and mineral phosphate-solubilizing characteristics of PSB strain Burkholderia multivorans WS-FJ9 were investigated at six levels of exogenous soluble phosphate (0, 0.5, 1, 5, 10, and 20 mM). The WS-FJ9 strain showed better growth at high levels of soluble phosphate. The phosphate-solubilizing activity of WS-FJ9 was reduced as the soluble phosphate concentration increased, as well as the production of pyruvic acid. Transcriptome profiling of WS-FJ9 at three levels of exogenous soluble phosphate (0, 5, and 20 mM) identified 446 differentially expressed genes, among which 44 genes were continuously up-regulated when soluble phosphate concentration was increased and 81 genes were continuously down-regulated. Some genes related to cell growth were continuously up-regulated, which would account for the better growth of WS-FJ9 at high levels of soluble phosphate. Genes involved in glucose metabolism, including glycerate kinase, 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase, and sugar ABC-type transporter, were continuously down-regulated, which indicates that metabolic channeling of glucose towards the phosphorylative pathway was negatively regulated by soluble phosphate. These findings represent an important first step in understanding the molecular mechanisms of soluble phosphate effects on the growth and mineral phosphate solubilization of PSB.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.96-106
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• 1984

Changes in weed floras and development of plant resistance to herbicides seemed to be closely related with increased and repeated use of herbicides. Herbicide use increased from 5% of the total consumption of pesticide in 1950 to 45% in 1976 in world basis. About 200 herbicides have been introduced to agriculture so as to control about 206 weed species which have been recorded important to human beings. In Korea, there was about 351 times in increased use of herbicides from 1966 to 1982. Interspecific selection by herbicide is mainly responsible for changes in weed floras and resulted in varying tolerance or susceptibility to herbicides, together with the changes of agricultural practices. The present trend toward continuous cereal cultivation throughout world will lead to type of changes in weed floras favorable to therophyte which can survive under unfavorable conditions as seeds rather than the types of geophyte which can survive unfavorable seasons as buds placed below soil surface. However, geophyte such as Sagitaria pygmaea, and Scirpus jurtcoides, and Cyperus rotundus and Cynodon dactylon in temperate warm climate become severe paddy weeds, presumably because of the removal of annual weeds by herbicides. Since differential tolerance to 2,4-D was firstly reported in Agrostis stolofera, about 30 species of weeds in 18 genera are presently known to have developed resistance to triazine herbicides. Resistance of weed biotypes to triazine herbicide is not mainly due to limited absorption and translocation or to the difference in metabolism, but is the result of biochemical changes at the site of metabolic activity, such as a loss of herbicide affinity for triazine binding site in the photosystem II complex of the chloroplast membrane. Genetical study showed that plastid resistance to triazine was wholly inherited through cytoplasmic DNA in the case of Brassica campestris. Plant tissue culture method can be utilized as an alternate mean of herbicide screening and development of resistance variants to herbicides as suggested by Chaleff and Parsons. In this purpose, one should be certain that the primary target process is operational in cell culture. Further, there are a variety of obstacles in doing this type of research, particularly development of resistance source and it's regeneration because cultured cells and whole plants represent different developmental state.

• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.9
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• pp.494-499
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• 2014

NADH:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) is known to be involved in the regulation of energy synthesis and metabolism, and the functional studies of NQO1 have largely focused on metabolic disorders. Here, we show for the first time that compared to NQO1-WT mice, NQO1-KO mice exhibited a marked increase of permeability and spontaneous inflammation in the gut. In the DSS-induced colitis model, NQO1-KO mice showed more severe inflammatory responses than NQO1-WT mice. Interestingly, the transcript levels of claudin and occludin, the major tight junction molecules of gut epithelial cells, were significantly decreased in NQO1-KO mice. The colons of NQO1-KO mice also showed high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity, which are known to affect transcriptional regulation. Taken together, these novel findings indicate that NQO1 contributes to the barrier function of gut epithelial cells by regulating the transcription of tight junction molecules.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.347-351
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• 2013

Food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (FDEIAn) is induced by different types and various intensities of physical activity, and is distinct from food allergies. It has been shown that consumption of allergenic food followed by exercise causes FDEIAn symptoms. Intake of allergenic food or medication before exercise is a major predisposing factor for FDEIAn. Urticaria and severe allergic reactions are general symptoms of FDEIAn. Dermatological tests and serum IgE assays are the typical prescreening methods, and have been used for several decades. However, these screening tests are not sufficient for detecting or preventing FDEIAn. It has been found that exercise may stimulate the release of mediators from IgE-dependent mast cells that can result in FDEIAn when a certain threshold level has been exceeded. Mast cell degradation might be a major factor to induce FDEIAn but this has not been determined. A number of foods have been reported to be involved in the onset of FDEIAn including wheat, eggs, chicken, shrimp, shellfish, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. It is also known that aspirin increases the occurrence of type I allergy symptoms when combined with specific foods. Moreover, high intensity and frequent exercise are more likely to provoke an attack than low intensity and less frequent exercise. In this paper, we present the current views of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying FDEIAn within the context of exercise immunology. We also present a detailed FDEIAn definition along with etiologic factors and medical treatment for cholinergic urticaria (UC) and exercise-induced anaphylaxis (EIA).

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.31-42
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• 2014

Purpose: To evaluate the usefulness of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) for field modification during radiotherapy in esophageal cancer. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on 33 patients that underwent chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Pathologic findings were squamous cell carcinoma in 32 patients and adenocarcinoma in 1 patient. All patients underwent PET/CT scans before and during CRT (after receiving 40 Gy and before a 20 Gy boost dose). Response evaluation was determined by PET/CT using metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total glycolytic activity (TGA), MTV ratio (rMTV) and TGA ratio (rTGA), or determined by CT. rMTV and rTGA were reduction ratio of MTV and TGA between before and during CRT, respectively. Results: Significant decreases in MTV ($MTV_{2.5}$: mean 70.09%, p < 0.001) and TGA ($TGAV_{2.5}$: mean 79.08%, p < 0.001) were found between before and during CRT. Median $rMTV_{2.5}$ was 0.299 (range, 0 to 0.98) and median $rTGAV_{2.5}$ was 0.209 (range, 0 to 0.92). During CRT, PET/CT detected newly developed distant metastasis in 1 patient, and this resulted in a treatment strategy change. At a median 4 months (range, 0 to 12 months) after completion of CRT, 8 patients (24.2%) achieved clinically complete response, 11 (33.3%) partial response, 5 (15.2%) stable disease, and 9 (27.3%) disease progression. $SUV_{max}$ (p = 0.029), $rMTV_{50%}$ (p = 0.016), $rMTV_{75%}$ (p = 0.023) on intra-treatment PET were found to correlate with complete clinical response. Conclusion: PET/CT during CRT can provide additional information useful for radiotherapy planning and offer the potential for tumor response evaluation during CRT. $rMTV_{50%}$ during CRT was found to be a useful predictor of clinical response.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.4727-4732
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• 2015

Background: Folylpolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS), an important enzyme in the folate metabolic pathway, plays a central role in intracellular accumulation of folate and antifolate in several mammalian cell types. Loss of FPGS activity results in decreased cellular levels of antifolates and consequently to polyglutamatable antifolates in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Materials and Methods: During May 1997 and December 2003, 134 children diagnosed with ALL were recruited from one hospital in Thailand. We performed a mutation analysis in the coding regions of the FPGS gene and the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within FPGS in a case-control sample of childhood ALL patients. Mutation screening was conducted by polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and subsequently with direct sequencing (n=72). Association analysis between common FPGS variants and ALL risk was done in 98 childhood ALL cases and 95 healthy volunteers recruited as controls. Results: Seven SNPs in the FPGS coding region were identified by mutation analysis, 3 of which (IVS13+55C>T, g.1297T>G, and g.1508C>T) were recognized as novel SNPs. Association analysis revealed 3 of 6 SNPs to confer significant increase in ALL risk these being rs7039798 (p=0.014, OR=2.14), rs1544105 (p=0.010, OR= 2.24), and rs10106 (p=0.026, OR=1.99). Conclusions: These findings suggested that common genetic polymorphisms in the FPGS coding region including rs7039789, rs1544105, and rs10106 are significantly associated with increased ALL risk in Thai children.