• Anxiety and mood
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 2015

Objective : To translate Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) into North Korean language and to examine its reliability and validity Methods : North Korean defectors (n=207) recruited from the call center for North Korean defectors participated. Psychiatrists and psychiatric residents interviewed the participants and made the psychiatric diagnoses. Subsequently, the participants completed the CES-D, Impact of Event-Scale-Revised-North Korea (IES-R-NK), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-North Korea (AUDIT-NK), and Brief Psychological State Inventory for North Korean Refugees (BPSI-NKR) questionnaires. Of the original participants, 143 subjects participated in test-retest reliability study after one week. Results : Cronbach's alpha coefficient of CES-D-NK was superior in both males (0.91) and females (0.93). The test-retest correlation coefficient was high (males, 0.64 ; femals, 0.79). Good convergent validity was evident by significant correlations with IER-R-NK, BPSI-NKR-Depression and BPSI-NKR-PTSD, respectively. CES-D-NK had no or weak correlations with AUDIT-NK and BPSI-NKR-Alcohol, showing its discriminant validity. Conclusion : CES-D-NK could be a reliable and valid tool for screening and assessing depressive symptoms of North Korean defectors.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.158-163
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• 2005

Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is a recently developed gene transcript suppression technique for characterizing the function of plant genes. However, efficient VIGS has only been studied in a few plant species. In order to extend the application of VIGS, we examined whether a VIGS vector based on TRV would produce recognizable phenotypes in soybean. Here, we report that VIGS using the Tobacco rattle virus (TRV) viral vector can be used in several soybean cultivars employing various agro-inoculation methods including leaf infiltration, spray inoculation, and agrodrench. cDNA fragments of the soybean phytoene desaturase(PDS) was inserted into TRV RNA-2 vector. By agrodrench, we successfully silenced the expression of PDS encoding gene in soybean. The silenced phenotype of PDS was invariably obvious 3 weeks after inoculation with the TRV-based vector. Real-time RT-PCR analyses showed that the endogenous level of GmPDS transcripts was dramatically reduced in the silenced leaf tissues. These observations confirm that the silenced phenotype is closely correlated with the pattern of tissue expression. The TRV-based VIGS using agrodrench can be applied to functional genomics in a soybean plants to study genes involved in a wide range of biological processes. To our knowledge, this is the first high frequency VIGS method in soybean plants.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 1995

To investigate the mechanism for the main chain-elongation process and the possibility of putative precursors as stater units in the biosynthesis of the Monascus pigments, feeding experiments with possible $poly-{\beta}-ketide$ intermediates were carried out. Both crotonic acid and sorbic acid, especially in low concentrations, enhanced the pigment production while not increasing the dried mycelium weight appreciably. Also, it was observed that the feeding of sorbic acid and its ethyl ester was about two folds efficient in the pigment production than the feeding of crotonic acid and its ethyl ester. In addition to these acids, cinnamic acid and vinylacrylic acid were examined for their possibility as starter units. It was observed that the color of the culture fed with cinnamic acid was dominantly dark-red, but with overall decrease in the pigment production. Whey its ethyl ester was administered to the culture, however, the pigment production increased significantly. Also noted in 2D TLC study of the pigments was the increased production of red pigment and the formation of new red pigments.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.181-190
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• 2001

This study was designed to investigate the effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on DNA stability in human spermatozoa. To verify human spermatozoa were incubated with xanthine-xanthine oxidase (X 100$\mu$M-XO 50 mlU ~ 400 mIU), $H_2O_2$ (125 $\mu$M ~ 1 mM), sodium nitroprusside (SNP 0.1 $\mu$M ~ 100 $\mu$M) or lymphocyte. Otherwise, spermatozoa were incubated under low $O_2$ (5%) condition. Damage of sperm DNA was analyzed by single cell electrophoresis (Comet assay) and flow cytometry after acridine orange staining. In the presence of ROS, there was increase in DNA damage. The rate of DNA single strand breakage (9.0$\pm$1.0% ~ 46.0$\pm$4.6%) and DNA fragmentation (7.51$\pm$1.0% ~ 29.5$\pm$4.6%) were similar regardless of the kinds of ROS and exposure time. DNA damage in the lower $O_2$ condition (5%) was lower than ambient $O_2$ condition (20%). Taken together, it suggested that sperm DNA might be damaged by ROS. In the presence of ROS, increase in DNA damage and chromatin instability was obvious in spite of short exposure. Although present study reconfirmed that sperm incubation in the low concentration of ROS have the benefit m the induction of capacitation and Ah, the increase in DNA damage by ROS and possible genetic problem should be considered before the human trials.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.192-200
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• 2011

Purpose: The aim of this study is to compare the gene expression profile in mesenchymal stem cells derived from dental tissues and bone marrow for characterization of dental stem cells. Methods: We employed GeneChip analysis to the expression levels of approximately 32,321 kinds of transcripts in 5 samples of bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) (n=1), periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) (n=2), and dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) (n=2). Each cell was sorted by a FACS Vantage Sorter using immunocytochemical staining of the early mesenchymal stem cell surface marker STRO-1 before the microarray analysis. Results: We identified 379 up-regulated and 133 down-regulated transcripts in BMSCs, 68 up-regulated and 64 down-regulated transcripts in PDLSCs, and 218 up-regulated and 231 down-regulated transcripts in DPSCs. In addition, anatomical structure development and anatomical structure morphogenesis gene ontology (GO) terms were over-represented in all three different mesenchymal stem cells and GO terms related to blood vessels, and neurons were over-represented only in DPSCs. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the genome-wide gene expression patterns of STRO-$1^+$ mesenchymal stem cells derived from dental tissues and bone marrow. The differences among the expression profiles of BMSCs, PDLSCs, and DPSCs were shown, and 999 candidate genes were found to be definitely up- or down-regulated. In addition, GOstat analyses of regulated gene products provided over-represented GO classes. These data provide a first step for discovering molecules key to the characteristics of dental stem cells.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.224-230
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the grade of fatty degeneration and atrophy of rotator cuffs on immediate postoperative MRI to those on preoperative MRI in patients with rotator cuff tears. Materials and Methods: Seventy patients were included in this study, who received arthroscopic rotator-cuff repair and underwent both preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and immediate postoperative MRI in our institution. Fatty degeneration of rotator cuffs and the atrophy of supraspinatus muscles were evaluated with T1 oblique sagittal images in the Y-shaped view. Fatty degeneration was evaluated using a Goutallier classification system, and the atrophy of supraspinatus muscles was evaluated using a modified tangent sign and a visual occupation ratio. Results: From 70 patients, a total of 100 tendons were repaired: 18, 69, and 13 tendons were treated for subscapularis, supraspinatus, and infraspinatus, respectively. The Goutallier grades (P = 0.012), modified tangent signs (P = 0.000), and visual occupation ratios (P = 0.000) of supraspinatus muscles were significantly decreased in immediate postoperative MRIs when compared to preoperative MRIs. In immediate postoperative MRIs, the Goutallier grades of supraspinatus muscles were decreased by one grade in 18.8% (n = 13) of the patients, and the atrophy of supraspinatus muscles was improved by one grade in 26.1% (n = 18) for modified tangent signs and 21.7% (n = 15) for visual occupation ratios. However, fatty infiltration by the Goutallier grades of subscapularis (P = 1.000) and infraspinatus (P = 0.157) muscles were not significantly changed after arthroscopic surgery. Conclusion: Immediate postoperative MRIs showed a significant improvement of fatty degeneration and muscle atrophy in supraspinatus muscles when compared to preoperative MRIs.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.23 no.4 s.75
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• pp.298-304
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• 1995

Decolorization of poly R-478, congo red and methylene blue by 5 white rot fungi which were isolated in Korea has been carried out. Coriolus versicolor KR-11W and C. versicolor KR-65W gave the best results when they were grown under stationary culture. C. versicolor KR-11W decolorizes 100% of poly R-478 in 13 days, 100% of congo red in 7 days and 90% of methylene blue in 7 days. C. versicolor KR-65W decolorizes 100% of poly R-478 in 15 days, 85% of congo red in 7 days and 100% of methylene blue in 7 days. Phanerochaete chrysosporium IFO 31249, which was used as a control, decolorizes 35% of poly R-478 in 15 days, 85% of congo red in 7 days and 95% of methylene blue in 7 days.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.54-64
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• 2019

Wet and dry aging methods were applied to improve the quality of three different beef cuts (butt, rump, and sirloin) from Hanwoo cows (quality grade 2, approximately 50-mon-old). After 28 d of wet aging (vacuum packaged; temperature, $2{\pm}1^{\circ}C$) and dry aging (air velocity, 2-7 m/s; temperature, $1{\pm}1^{\circ}C$; humidity, $85{\pm}10%$), proximate composition, cooking loss, water holding capacity, shear force, color, nucleotides content, and sensory properties were compared with a non-aged control (2 d postmortem). Both wet and dry aging significantly increased the water holding capacity of the butt cuts. Dry aging in all beef cuts induced lower cooking loss than that in wet-aged cuts. Shear force of all beef cuts was decreased after both wet and dry aging and CIE $L^*$, $a^*$, and $b^*$ color values in butt and sirloin cuts were higher in both wet and dry aging (p<0.05) groups than those in the non-aged control. Regardless of the aging method used, inosine-5'-monophosphate content among beef cuts was the same. The sensory panel scored significantly higher values in tenderness, flavor, and overall acceptability for dry-aged beef regardless of the beef cuts tested compared to non- and wet-aged cuts. In addition, dry-aged beef resulted in similar overall acceptability among the different beef cuts, whereas that in wet-aged meat was significantly different by different beef cuts. In conclusion, both wet and dry aging improved the quality of different beef cuts; however, dry aging was more suitable for improving the quality of less preferred beef cuts.

• Kidney Research and Clinical Practice
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.373-383
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• 2018

Background: Several epidemiologic studies have suggested that the urine sodium excretion (USE) can be estimated in lieu of performing 24-hour urine collection. However, this method has not been verified in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or in an interventional study. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of estimating USE in a prospective low-salt diet education cohort (ESPECIAL). Methods: A new formula was developed on the basis of morning fasting urine samples from 228 CKD patients in the ESPECIAL cohort. This formula was compared to the previous four formulas in the prediction of 24-hour USE after treatment with olmesartan and low-salt diet education. Results: Most previously reported formulas had low predictability of the measured USE based on the ESPECIAL cohort. Only the Tanaka formula showed a small but significant bias (9.8 mEq/day, P < 0.05) with a low correlation (r = 0.34). In contrast, a new formula showed improved bias (-0.1 mEq/day) and correlation (r = 0.569) at baseline. This formula demonstrated no significant bias (-1.2 mEq/day) with the same correlation (r = 0.571) after 8 weeks of treatment with olmesartan. Intensive low-salt diet education elicited a significant decrease in the measured USE. However, none of the formulas predicted this change in the measured urine sodium after diet adjustment. Conclusion: We developed a more reliable formula for estimating the USE in CKD patients. Although estimating USE is applicable in an interventional study, it may be unsuitable for estimating the change of individual sodium intake in a low-salt intervention study.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.571-573
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• 2022