• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.301-307
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• 2009

To understand the adaptability of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) to chilling stress, we analyzed the antioxidative mechanism during seed germination. The germination rates of six alfalfa cultivars were studied comparatively at $10^{\circ}C$. Xinmu No. 1 and Northstar were selected as chilling stress-tolerant and stress-sensitive cultivars for further characterization. After chilling treatment, Xinmu No. 1 showed higher seedling growth than Northstar. Xinmu No. 1 exhibited low levels of hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation compared with Northstar. In addition, shoots in Xinmu No. 1 treated with chilling showed higher activities of the superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and catalase than those of Northstar, whereas Xinmu No. 1 showed higher APX activity in roots that Northstar. These results indicated that high antioxidation activity in Xinmu No. 1 under chilling stress is well associated with tolerance to chilling condition during germination.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.352-357
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• 2012

Techniques of thermal analyses such as DSC and TGA have been used in the study of activation energy (Ea) and frequency factor (A) depending on the particle size of RDX and HMX. Activation energy and frequency factor were calculated by Kissinger's method and Vyazovkin's method. As the particle size of RDX increased, TGA showed activation energy increased, but DSC didn't show. However, In case of HMX, as the particle size increased, both of DSC and TGA showed increase in activation energy. Moreover, Vyazovkin's method can obtain activation energy and mechanism according to decomposition of RDX and HMX.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.535-540
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• 1999

Glutamate (Glu) receptor-mediated excitoxicity has been implicated in many acute and chronic types of neurological disorders. Exposure of mature rat cortical neurons (15-18 days in culture) to the various concentrations of Glu resulted in a marked neuronal death, whereas immature rat cortical neurons (4∼5 days in culture) were resistant to the Glu-induced toxicity. Glu receptor subtype-specific agonists showed differential extent of toxicity in the immature neurons. The neurons treated with NMDA or kainate (KA) did not exhibit damage. However, quisqualate (QA) treatment induced a considerable cell death (36.1%) in immature enurons. The non-NMDA antagonist DNQX did not reduce this response. Interestingly, the QA-induced toxicity was potentiated by spermine in a concentration-dependent manner. Again, the spermine-enhanced damage was not altered by the polyamine antagonist ifenprodil. Taken together, unlike NMDA or KA, QA can induce neurotoxicity in immature rat cortical neurons and the QA-induced toxicity was potentiated by spermine. The lack of antagonizing effects of DNQX and ifenprodil on QA-induced toxicity and the potentiated toxicity by spermine, respectively, implies that both QA receptor and the polyamine site of NMDA receptor may not mediate the neurotoxicity observed in this study, and that a distinct mechanism(s) may be involved in excitotoxicity in immature neurons.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.466-472
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• 2011

NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a master regulator of antioxidant genes in animals, has been associated with the resistance of cancer cells to several cytotoxic chemotherapeutics. Bortezomib, a reversible inhibitor of the 26S proteasome, is a novel class anti-cancer therapeutics approved for the treatment of refractory multiple myeloma. However, the molecular mechanism of drug-resistance remains elusive. In the present study, bortezomib sensitivity has been investigated in Nrf2 knockdown ovarian cancer cells. When Nrf2 expression is stably repressed using interfering RNA expression, bortezomib-induced apoptosis and cell death were significantly enhanced compared to nonspecific RNA control cells. Knockdown cells showed elevated expression in the catalytic subunit PSMB5, PSMB6, and PSMB7 compared to the control, and failed to induce heme oxygenase-1 expression following bortezomib treatment. These indicate that differential proteasome levels and altered expression of stress-response genes could be underlying mechanisms of bortezomib sensitization in Nrf2-inhibited ovarian cancer cells.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.49-55
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• 2012

Numerous biochemical molecules have been implicated in the development of muscular atrophy. However, control mechanisms associated with muscular disease are not clear. The present study was conducted to investigate gene expression profiles of rat muscle during the denervation to atrophy transition processes. We isolated total RNA from rats suffering from partial muscle atrophy (P) and electromyostimulated atrophy (PE) and synthesized cDNA using annealing control primers. Using 20 ACPs for PCR, we cloned 18 DEGs using TOPO TA cloning vector, sequenced, and analyzed their identities using BLAST search. Sequences of 14 clones significantly matched database entries, while one clone was ESTs, and 3 clones were unidentified. Different expression profiles of selected DEGs between P and PE were confirmed. The troponin T, Fkbp1a, RGD1307554, Phtf1, Atp1a1 and Commd3 were highly expressed genes in the P and PE groups, while Krox-25 and TCOX2 were only expressed genes in the P group, the Sv2b and Marcks were only expressed genes in PE group. also, Cox8h was highly expressed genes in PE groups. The ASPH, ND1, and ARPL1 were highly expressed genes in the P and PE groups. List of genes obtained from the present study might provide an insight for the study of mechanism regulating muscle atrophy and electrostimulated muscle atrophy transitions. These data suggest that troponin T, Fkbp1a, RGD1307554, Phtf1, Atp1a1, and Commd3 are potentially useful as clinical biomarkers of age-related muscle atrophy and dysfunction.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.267-274
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• 2010

The decrease in sperm quality under heat stress causes a great loss in animal husbandry production. In order to reveal the mechanism underlying the sperm quality decrease caused by heat stress, we first established a mild heat-treated mouse model. Then, the sperm quality was identified. Further, the testicular proteome profile was mapped and compared with the control using 2D electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. Finally, the differential expressed proteins involved in the heat stress response were identified by real-time PCR and Western blotting. The results showed that heat stress caused a significant reduction in mouse sperm quality (P<0.05). Further, 52 protein spots on the 2D gel were found to differ between the heat-shocked tissues and the control. Of these spots, some repair proteins which might provide some explanation for the influence on sperm quality were found. We then focused on Bag-1, Hsp40, Hsp60 and Hsp70, which were found to be differently expressed after heat shock (P<0.05). Further analysis in this heat-shocked model suggests numerous potential mechanisms for heat shock-induced spermatogenic disorders.

• ETRI Journal
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.864-870
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• 2011

As an isotropic conductive adhesive, that is, a hybrid Cu paste composed of Cu powder, solder powder, and a fluxing resin system, has been quantitatively characterized. The mechanism of an electrical connection based on a novel concept of electrical conduction is experimentally characterized using an analysis of a differential scanning calorimeter and scanning electron microscope energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The oxide on the metal surface is sufficiently removed with an increase in temperature, and intermetallic compounds between the Cu and melted solder are simultaneously generated, leading to an electrical connection. The reliability of the hybrid Cu paste is experimentally identified and compared with existing Ag paste. As an example of a practical application, the hybrid Cu paste is used for LED packaging, and its electrical and thermal performances are compared with the commercialized Ag paste. In the present research, it is proved that, except the optical function, the electrical and thermal performances are similar to pre-existing Ag paste. The hybrid Cu paste could be used as an isotropic conductive adhesive due to its low production cost.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.12 no.9
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• pp.883-890
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• 2006

Nowadays, CPS is used widely, especially in cases which need more precise position information, such as car navigation systems and even in the mobile robot for position measuring in the outdoor environment. RTK (Real-Time Kinematics) and DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System) have more precise accuracy than the general-purposed GPS. However can't easily use them because of high prices and large size of equipments. In order fur the mobile robot to obtain precise position information it is important that CPS receiver has portability and low price. In this study, we introduce a new GPS data acquisition system that offers the precise position data using the DGPS mechanism and satisfying low cost and portability. In addition to this, we propose an improved data compensation algorithm that offers more accurate position information to the outdoor mobile robot by compensating the error rate of CPS data measured from the three points with geometrical rotation and distance formula. Proposed method is verified by comparing with the precise real position data obtained by RTK. Proposed method has more than 70% performance enhancement.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.11 no.8
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• pp.696-703
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• 2005

Since most autonomous mobile robots are powered by a battery, it is important to increase the continuous operating time without recharging. This can be achieved by improving the energy efficiency of a mobile robot, but little research on energy efficiency has been performed. This paper proposes two methods for improving the energy efficiency of an omnidirectional mobile robot.. One method is to realize a continuously variable transmission (CVT) by adopting the mechanism of steerable omnidirectional wheels. The other is the proposed steering algorithm in which wheel arrangement of the mobile robot is continuously adjusted so as to obtain the maximum energy efficiency of the motors during navigation. In addition, new omnidirectional wheels which can be transformed to the conventional wheels depending on the driving conditions are proposed to compensate for less efficient omnidirectional drive mode. Various tests show that motion control of the OMR-SOW works satisfactorily and the proposed steering algorithm for CVT can provide higher energy efficiency than the algorithm using a fixed steering angle. In addition, it is shown that the differential drive mode can give better energy efficiency than the omnidirectional drive mode.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.75-79
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• 2013

Evidence for immunoregulatory roles of prostaglandins (PGs) is accumulating. Since our observation of PG production by human follicular dendritic cells (FDCs), we investigated the regulatory mechanism of PG production in FDC and attempted to understand the functions of released PGs in the responses of adjacent lymphocytes. Here, using FDC-like cells, HK cells, we analyzed protein expression alterations in cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in the presence of IL-4 or histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. Both IL-4 and HDAC inhibitors suppressed COX-2 expression in dose-dependent manners. Their effect was specific to COX-2 and did not reach to COX-1 expression. Interestingly, HDAC inhibitors gave rise to an opposing effect on COX-2 expression in peripheral blood monocytes. Our results suggest that IL-4 may regulate COX-2 expression in FDCs by affecting chromatin remodeling and provide insight into the role of cellular interactions between T cells and FDC during the GC reaction. Given the growing interests in wide-spectrum HDAC inhibitors, the differential results on COX-2 expression in HK cells and monocytes raise cautions on their clinical use.