• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 1994

This experiment was investigated the effect of presence of granulosa cells from follicles of different size on bovine oocyte maturation, cleavage and development to late stage. The nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation of oocytes in the IVM-IVF system are critical for subsequent embryo development. Granulosa cells when the co-cultured with oocytes may interact with cumulus-oocytes complexes and influence the development competence of the oocytes. Granulosa cells from medium (2~6 mm) and large(>1O mm) size follicles were recovered by aspiration, washed 3 times by centrifugation at 500 x g for 5 min. and used for co-culture at a concentration of 2~3 x 106 cells/mi. The oocytes were matured in vitro (IVM) for 24 hrs. in TCM-199 supplemented with 35 $\mu$g/ml FSH, 10 $\mu$g/ml LH, 1 $\mu$g/ml estradiol-17$\beta$ and granulosa cells at 39$^{\circ}C$ under 5% $CO_2$ in air. They were fertilized in vitro (IVF) by epididymal spermatozoa treated with heparin for 24 hrs., and then the zygotes were co-cultured in vitro (I VC) with bovine oviductal epithelial cells for 7 to 9 days. The assessment of maturation revealed that Grade J oocytes showed significantly(P

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.117-125
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• 1994

In vitro development of parthenogenetic embryo was examined after ethanol treatment of follicular oocytes matured in vitro for 42, 48, 54 and 60h in the pig. The follicular oocytes were matured in TCM 199 containing 15% FCS and gonadotrophins in an atmosphere of 39 $^{\circ}C$ 5% $CO_2$. The cumulus-free oocytes were activated by 10% ethanol treatment in M2+4mg /ml BSA for 10 min. The ethanol-activated oocytes were washed and further cultured in TCM199+20%FCS containing granulosa cell monolayer. Maturation rates at 42, 48, 54 and 60h of IVM were 75.0, 86.5, 81.6 and 87.9%, respectively. Thus the oocytes maturated in vitro for longer periods did not improve nuclear maturation much. Pronuclear formation rates at 18h post-activation in ethanol-activated oocytes were 21.9, 25.0, 47.4 and 32.6%. The cytoplasmic maturation leading to pronuclear formation upon activation increased when the I VM period was extended from 42 to 54h. When the activated oocytes were cultured for 96~120h to analyse early development of the activated oocytes, the rates of embryonic development upto $\leq$ 5~8 cell were 5.3, 5.8, 12.0 and 11.7% among the cultured embryos. The result indicate that earlier development of activated porcine occyte is dependent on the duration of oocyte maturation, and that better development could be obtained from the oocyte matured for 54h.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.25-29
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• 1993

We describe cytologic findings of two cases of pilomatrixoma which had been cytologically misdiagnosed as suspicious malignant and malignant lesions in 35 year-old and 22 year-old females who presented a palpable neck mass. The cytologic smears showed many basaloid cells with a high nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio, nuclear hyperchromatism and prominent nucleoli, keratinized squamous cells with pyknotic nuclei, foreign body giant cells, and chronic inflammatory cells in necrotic back-ground. Retrospective view of this aspiration smear revealed that these findings were characteristic features of pilomatrixoma, and the evenly distributed chromatin pattern as well as the lack of nuclear pleomorphism were considered to be the differential points from malignant neoplasm. Pilomatrixoma is a benign neoplasm which should be included in differential diagnosis if the fine needle aspiration cytologic smear of a neck mass or subcutaneous mass of any site showed these features.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.168-172
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• 2008

T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL) is a rare, mature T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder with a post-thymic mature T-cell phenotype. The disease is characterized by rapidly rising lymphocytosis, lym-phadenopathy, and splenomegaly. The clinical course is usually aggressive and progresses with frequent skin lesions and serous effusions. In 25% of cases, leukemic cells are small and tumor cells may not have a discrete nucleolus under light microscopy. Although the presence of characteristic cytoplasmic protrusions or blebs in tumor cells is a common morphologic finding in the peripheral blood film irrespective of the nuclear features, small cell variants lacking the typical nuclear features can cause diagnostic problems in clinical cytology. Furthermore, the small leukemic cells can share some cytologic findings with lymphocyte-rich serous effusions caused by non-neoplastic reactive lymphocytosis as well as other small lymphocytic lymphoproliferative disorders. Here, we describe the cytological findings of ascitic fluid complicated by small cell variant T-PLL in a 54-year-old man, the cytology of which was initially interpreted as small lymphocytic malignancy such as small lymphocytic lymphoma/chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.825-830
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• 2001

Escherichia coli, which harbored the ars operon from a plasmid pMH12 of Klebsiella oxytoca D12, showed filamentation due to the expression of ars genes in the presence of arsenite. The continued DNA replication in the absence of cell division was revealed, since nucleoids abound with DAPI appeared to be arranged in chains. In contrast to overexpression of arsA, its frame-shift mutant and knock-out mutant lost filamentation in the presence of arsenite, which suggested that ars-induced division block was dependent on expression of arsA. ArsA-induced division inhibition was not a consequence of an inhibition of DNA replication, and the inability of arsenite to induce an SOS response indicated that arsA-mediated division inhibition was dependent on the expression of the gene product encoded by the minB operon. ArsA is a peripheral membrane protein with an ATP-binding domain, which is homologous to MinD that requires ATP-dependent efflux. These results suggested that ArsA could possibly recruit MinC to the membrane and modulate cytoplasmic FtsZ to block assembly at the middle of the cell.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.313-322
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• 1998

In a myocyte freshly isolated from rabbit cerebral artery, the characteristics of $Ca^{2+}$ release by histamine or caffeine were studied by microspectrofluorimetry using a $Ca^{2+}-binding$ fluorescent dye, fura-2. Histamine (5 ${\mu}M$) or caffeine (10 mM) induced a phasic rise of cytoplasmic free $Ca^{2+}$ concentration $([Ca^{2+}]_C)$ which could occur repetitively with extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ but only once or twice in $Ca^{2+}-free$ bathing solution. Also, the treatment with inhibitor of sarcoplasmic reticulum $Ca^{2+}-ATPase$ suppressed the rise of $[Ca^{2+}]_C$ by histamine or caffeine. In $Ca^{2+}-free$ bathing solution, short application of caffeine in advance markedly attenuated the effect of histamine, and vice versa. In normal $Ca^{2+}-containing$ solution with ryanodine (2 ${\mu}M$), the caffeine-induced rise of $[Ca^{2+}]_C$ occurred only once and in this condition, the response to histamine was also suppressed. On the other hand, in the presence of ryanodine, histamine could induce repetitive rise of $[Ca^{2+}]_C$ while the amplitude of peak rise became stepwisely decreased and eventually disappeared. These results suggest that two different $Ca^{2+}-release$ mechanisms (caffeine-sensitive and histamine-sensitive) are present in rabbit cerebral artery myocyte and the corresponding pools overlap each other functionally. Increase of $[Ca^{2+}]_C$ by histamine seems to partially activate ryanodine receptors present in caffeine-sensitive pool.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.176-187
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• 2017

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the chemical and biological properties of fast-set white mineral trioxide aggregate (FS WMTA), which was WMTA combined with calcium chloride dihydrate ($CaCl_2{\cdot}2H_2O$), compared to that of WMTA. Materials and Methods: Surface morphology, elemental, and phase analysis were examined using scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The cytotoxicity and cell attachment properties were evaluated on human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (HPLFs) using methyl-thiazoldiphenyltetrazolium (MTT) assay and under SEM after 24 and 72 hours, respectively. Results: Results showed that the addition of $CaCl_2{\cdot}2H_2O$ to WMTA affected the surface morphology and chemical composition. Although FS WMTA exhibited a non-cytotoxic profile, the cell viability values of this combination were lesser than WMTA, and the difference was significant in 7 out of 10 concentrations at the 2 time intervals (p < 0.05). HPLFs adhered over the surface of WMTA and at the interface, after 24 hours of incubation. After 72 hours, there were increased numbers of HPLFs with prominent cytoplasmic processes. Similar findings were observed with FS WMTA, but the cells were not as confluent as with WMTA. Conclusions: The addition of $CaCl_2{\cdot}2H_2O$ to WMTA affected its chemical properties. The favorable biological profile of FS WMTA towards HPLFs may have a potential impact on its clinical application for repair of perforation defects.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.410-423
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• 2017

Pathological interrelations of two soil-borne diseases in cucurbits (watermelon, oriental melon, shintosa and cucumber) caused by Fusarium isolates (FI) and the root-knot nematode (RKN), Meloidogyne incognita were characterized by the fusarium disease severity index (DI), RKN gall index (GI) and eggmass index (EI) in inoculation tests using FI and RKN. Virulence of FI as determined by DI at 4 weeks after inoculation was mostly in the higher order of Fusarium proliferatum F6, F5 and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis or Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum with no significant differential interactions among the cucurbits and RKN co-infection. Significant increases of DI due to RKN coinfection were noticed in watermelon and oriental melon infected with F. proliferatum isolates, suggesting the DI increase due to RKN coinfection may depend upon the virulence of FI relative to aggressiveness of RKN on the cucurbits. For the coinfection of FI and RKN, GI and EI were mostly reduced logarithmically with the increase of DI, largely more in EI than GI, in all cucurbits except for shintosa. Microscopic examination of the root tissues showed histopathological features characteristic to infection types; formation of fungal hyphae and/or spores and plant defense structures (tyloses and mucilage) in variable degrees and formation of giant cells at variable developmental stages and with variable cytoplasmic depletion or degeneration which were visualized in relations with the values of DI, GI and EI. These findings will be helpful to develop control strategies of the soil-borne disease complex based on their pathological characteristics.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.107-114
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• 2010

For stable germline transformation, the promoter of Bombyx mori cytoplasmic actin gene (BmA3) has been used for ubiquitous expression of transgenes. So far, no strong promoter is available for ubiquitous expression in B. mori, excluding BmA3 promoter. To identify more powerful promoter than previously reported BmA3 promoter, we isolated 9 clones that show stronger signal compared to BmA3 by a dot blot hybridization. Among these 9 clones, we focused on one clone which has high amino acid homology (85%) with hypothetical protein 32 gene of Lonomia obliqua. This clone, named bHp32 (B. mori hypothetical protein 32) was ubiquitously expressed in all tissues and developmental stage of fifth instar B. mori larvae. As result of promoter assay using dual luciferase assay system, we found the highest transcription activity region (-1,200/+220) in the 5'-flanking region of bHp32 gene, which has 42-fold more intensive promoter activity than BmA3 promoter. Moreover, the bHp32 promoter was normally regulated in Bm5, Sf9, and S2 cells. Therefore, we suggest that bHp32 promoter may be used more powerful and effectively for transgene expression in various insects containing B. mori as a universal promoter.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.256-262
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• 1999

Latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is an integral membrane protein with six transmembrane domains, which is essential for EBV-induced B cell transformation. LMP1 functions as a constitutively active tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) like membrane receptor, whose signaling requires recruitment of TNFR-associated factors (TRAFs) and leads to NF-${\kappa}B$ activation. NF-${\kappa}B$ activation by LMP1 is critical for B cell transformation and has been linked to many phenotypic changes associated with EBV-induced B cell transformation. Deletion analysis has identified two NF-${\kappa}B$ activation regions in the carboxy terminal cytoplasmic domains of LMP1, termed CTAR1 (residues 194-232) and CTAR2 (351-386). The membrane proximal C-terminal domain was precisely mapped to a PXQXT motif (residues 204-208) involved in TRAF binding as well as NF-${\kappa}B$ activation. In this study, we dissected the CTAR2 region, which is the major NF-${\kappa}B$ signaling effector of LMP1, to determine a minimal functional sequence. A series of LMP1 mutant constructs systematically deleted for the CTAR2 region were prepared, and NF-${\kappa}B$ activation activity of these mutants were assessed by transiently expressing them in 293 cells and Jurkat T cells. The NF-${\kappa}B$ activation domain of CTAR2 appears to reside in a stretch of 6 amino acids (residues 379-384) at the end of the carboxy terminus.