• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.11
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• pp.833-840
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• 2014

Cullin4-RING ubiquitin ligase (CRL4) is a family of multi-subunit E3 ligases. To investigate the possible involvement of CRL4 in heat stress response, we screened T-DNA insertion mutants of putative CRL4 substrate receptors that exhibited altered patterns in response to heat stress. One of the mutants exhibited heat stress tolerance and was named heat stress tolerant DWD1 (htd1). Introduction of HTD1 gene into htd1-1 led to recovery of heat sensitivity to the wild type level, confirming that the decrease of HTD1 transcripts resulted in heat tolerance. Therefore, HTD1 plays a negative role in thermotolerance in Arabidopsis. Additionally, HTD1 directly interacted with DDB1a in yeast two-hybrid assays and associated with DDB1b in vivo, supporting that it could be a part of a CRL4 complex. Various heat-inducible genes such as HSP14.7, HSP21, At2g03020 and WRKY28 were hyper-induced in htd1-1, indicating that HTD1 could function as a negative regulator for the expression of such genes and that these genes might contribute to thermotolerance of htd1-1, at least in part. HTD1 was associated with HSP90-1, a crucial regulator of thermotolerance, in vivo, even though the decrease of HTD1 did not affect the accumulation pattern of HSP90-1 in Arabidopsis. These findings indicate that a negative role of HTD1 in thermotolerance might be achieved through its association with HSP90-1, possibly by disturbing the action of HSP90-1, not by the degradation of HSP90-1. This study will serve as an important step toward understanding of the functional connection between CRL4-mediated processes and plant heat stress signaling.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.7-16
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• 2006

A new remote access system for a 1.3 MV high voltage electron microscope has been developed. Almost all essential functions for HVEM operation, huck as stage control, specimen tilting, TV camera selection and image recording, are successfully embedded into this prototype of the remote system. Particularly, this system permits perfect and precise operation of the goniometer and also controls the high resolution digital camera via simple Web browsers. Transmission of control signals and communication with the microscope is accomplished via the global ring network for advanced applications development (GLORIAD). This fact makes it possible to realize virtual laboratory to carry out practical national and international HVEM collaboration by using the present system

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.59-71
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• 2014

We investigated soil contamination depending on the land use by examining the contamination levels and distribution characteristics of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the national soil. Total PAHs (the sum of 16 PAH concentrations) and carcinogenic PAHs (the sum of seven carcinogenic PAH concentrations) were $8.50{\sim}3,437.16{\mu}g/kg$ and $2.94{\sim}2,136.96{\mu}g/kg$, respectively. The concentration of benzo(a)pyrene, one of the contaminants regulated by the soil quality standard in the nation, was $ND{\sim}924.73{\mu}g/kg$. Its maximum value of $924.73{\mu}g/kg$ was detected in railroad (Region 3) and is approximately 13% of the standard value for Region 3 (i.e., 7 mg/kg). We also investigated the characteristics of contamination sources of PAHs in soil of the upland, forests, roads, and railroads, examining the fraction distribution of PAHs concentration by the number of benzene rings against the total PAHs concentration. The results demonstrate that the mean fraction of 4~6-ring PAHs against total PAHs concentration in soil was in the range of 51.8~80.7% with relative abundance of high-molecular PAHs, showing that the origin of contamination is under the category of combustion sources. When the molecular indices (Flu/(Flu/Pyr), Ant/(Ant+Phe), InP/(InP+BP), and BaA/(BaA+Chr)) were applied, they were also categorized as petroleum-based combustion sources. The individual PAH concentrations in soil by the land use were grouped into Regions 1, 2, and 3, which are statistically treated and are the parts of the national category system of soil quality standard. As a result, the concentration level of 16 PAHs was $0.02{\sim}2.63{\mu}g/kg$ in Region 1, $0.05{\sim}4.26{\mu}g/kg$ in Region 2, and $2.36{\sim}178.27{\mu}g/kg$ in Region 3. The concentration level of 6 carcinogenic PAHs was 14.2~320.4% against that of benzo(a)pyrene in Region 3 and sites of recycling waste sleepers. Considering that there were similarities among PAHs in terms of structures and toxicities, it would be recommended to review other types of carcinogenic PAHs together with benzo(a)pyrene when developing the soil quality standards in the nation.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.474-483
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• 2019

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a pivotal role in pathologic ocular neovascularization and vascular leakage via activation of VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2). This study was undertaken to evaluate the therapeutic mechanisms and effects of the tetrapeptide Arg-Leu-Tyr-Glu (RLYE), a VEGFR2 inhibitor, in the development of vascular permeability and choroidal neovascularization (CNV). In cultured human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs), treatment with RLYE blocked VEGF-A-induced phosphorylation of VEGFR2, Akt, ERK, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), leading to suppression of VEGF-A-mediated hyper-production of NO. Treatment with RLYE also inhibited VEGF-A-stimulated angiogenic processes (migration, proliferation, and tube formation) and the hyperpermeability of HRMECs, in addition to attenuating VEGF-A-induced angiogenesis and vascular permeability in mice. The anti-vascular permeability activity of RLYE was correlated with enhanced stability and positioning of the junction proteins VE-cadherin, ${\beta}$-catenin, claudin-5, and ZO-1, critical components of the cortical actin ring structure and retinal endothelial barrier, at the boundary between HRMECs stimulated with VEGF-A. Furthermore, intravitreally injected RLYE bound to retinal microvascular endothelium and inhibited laser-induced CNV in mice. These findings suggest that RLYE has potential as a therapeutic drug for the treatment of CNV by preventing VEGFR2-mediated vascular leakage and angiogenesis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.1635-1647
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• 2023

Muscle atrophy, which is defined as a decrease in muscle mass and strength, is caused by an imbalance between the anabolism and catabolism of muscle proteins. Thus, modulating the homeostasis between muscle protein synthesis and degradation represents an efficient treatment approach for this condition. In the present study, the protective effects against muscle atrophy of ethanol extracts of Morus alba L. (MA) and Angelica keiskei Koidz. (AK) leaves and their mixtures (MIX) were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Our results showed that MIX increased 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide-induced C2C12 myotube thinning, and enhanced soleus and gastrocnemius muscle thickness compared to each extract alone in dexamethasone-induced muscle atrophy Sprague Dawley rats. In addition, although MA and AK substantially improved grip strength and histological changes for dexamethasone-induced muscle atrophy in vivo, the efficacy was superior in the MIX-treated group. Moreover, MIX further increased the expression levels of myogenic factors (MyoD and myogenin) and decreased the expression levels of E3 ubiquitin ligases (atrogin-1 and muscle-specific RING finger protein-1) in vitro and in vivo compared to the MA- and AK-alone treatment groups. Furthermore, MIX increased the levels of phosphorylated phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (Akt), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) that were reduced by dexamethasone, and downregulated the expression of forkhead box O3 (FoxO3a) induced by dexamethasone. These results suggest that MIX has a protective effect against muscle atrophy by enhancing muscle protein anabolism through the activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and attenuating catabolism through the inhibition of FoxO3a.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.101-109
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• 2001

The landscape changes at the Mujechi moors I and II during the last twenty two years were analysed using a tree ring analysis of pine trees, a distributional pattern of pine tree, an aerial photograph interpretation and a measurement of firebreak line. The analysis of aerial photographs(taken in 1978, 1988, 1998) indicates that the area of Mujechi moors I and II have gradually decreased. The decreased rate of moor area was relatively high, i.e.,-23.9 %(1978~1988) and -16.4 %(1998~1998) at the Mujechi moor I, but a little bit low, i.e., -2.6% (1978~1988) and -12.6 % (1998~1998) at the Mujechi moor II. However, dendrochronological analysis of pine trees at moors I and II shows that the appearance rates of pine trees per $100\textrm{m}^2$ at moor I and II were 0.28 and 0.57 respectively. And the number of younger pine trees(height is under 1.5m, DBH is less than 2.5 cm) invaded into moors are numbered eleven at the moor I, and ten at the moor II. This shows that the shift of a wetlands into a land was faster at the moor II than the moor I. The construction of a firebreak line and waterway along the moors I and II areas since the December, 1995, has diverted watershed flow and prohibited the runoff flow into the moors. The analysis of GIS suggests that the decreased watershed area were about $11,413.8\textrm{m}^2$(12.1 % of whole watershed area) at the moor I and $15,969.5\textrm{m}^2$(40.4 % of whole watershed area) at the moor II. The negative impact of firebreak line on the inflow of water into the moors I and II and destruction of vegetation along the firebreak line are noticeable from the field survey.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.445-453
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• 2012

An investigation for removal of 1-indanone (1-ID), which were commonly produced from the biological and/or chemical treatment and natural weathering of the PAHs-contaminated soils, via oxidative transformation mediated by birnessite in the presence of various phenolic mediators is described. This study also examines the potential effect of the natural occurring substance humic acid (HA) on the oxidative transformation. The experiment was carried out in aqueous phase as a batch test (10 mg/L 1-ID, 0.3 mM phenolic mediators, $1.0g/L\;{\delta}-MnO_2$, at pH 5). All of the 11 tested phenoilic mediators belong to the group of natural occurring phenols and are widely used as model constituents of humic substances. From the results of HPLC analysis, it is demonstrated that 1-ID was not reactive to birnessite itself, but it can be effectively removed in birnessite-mediated cross coupling reactions in the presence of the phenolic mediators. The percent removals of 1-ID after 2 day incubation were ranged from 9.2 to 71.2% depending on the phenolic mediators applied. The initial rate constant ($K_{int}$, $hr^{-1}$) values for the 1-ID removals obtained from the pseudo-first-order kinetic plots also widely ranged from 0.18 to 15.0. Results of the correlative analysis between the removal efficiencies and structural characteristics of phenolic mediators indicate that the transformation of the 1-ID was considerably enhanced by the addition of electron-donating substituents (e.g., -OH, $-OCH_3$) at the benzne ring, and much less enhanced by the addition of electron-withdrawing substituents (e.g., -COOH, -CHO). The presence of HA showed that removal efficiencies of 1-ID in the birnessite-phenolic mediator systems decreased with increasing HA concentrations. However at low concentration of HA (< 2 mg/L), it caused some enhancement in the removals of 1-ID as compared to the control.

• Korean Journal of Crystallography
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.9-22
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• 1992

Two crystal structures of bromine sorption complexes of vacuum dehydrated Cd(ll)-exchanged zeolite A have been determined by single-crystal xray diffraction techniques in the cubic space group Pm3m at 21(1) ℃. Both crystals were ion exchanged in flowing streams of exchange solution In which mole ratio of Cd(NO3)2 and Cd(OOCCH3)B was 1:1 with a total concentration of 0.05 M. First crystal was dehydrated at 450℃ and 2 ×10-6 Torr for two days. Second crystal was dehydrated at 650℃ and 2 ×10-6 Torr for two days. Both crystals were then treated with 160 Torr for two days. Second crystal was dehydrated at 650℃ and 2 × 10-6 Torr for two days. Both crystals were then treated with 160 Torr of zeolitically dried bromine vapor at 24℃. Full-matrix least-squares refinements of toe first crystal(a: 12.250(1) A )· and the second crystal(a: 12.204(2) A ) have contecoed to final error indices, Rl:0.075 and Ra:0.079 with 212 reflections, and Rl : 0.089 and Ra = 0.078 with 128 reflections, respectively, for which I >3σ(I). Crystallographic analyses of both crystals show that six Cd2+ ions are located on two different threefold axes of unit cell associated with 6-ring oxygens. Each 4.5 Cd2+ ion is recessed ca.0. 441 A Into the large cavity to complex either with Brsor with Br3from the (111) plane of 0(3), whereas each 1.5 Cd2+ ions recessed ca. 0.678 A into we sodalite unit. Approximately 1.5 Br5-and 1.5 Br3-ions are sorbed per unit cell. Each Brsion interacts and stabilized by complexing with two Cd2+ ions and framework oxide ions, while each Br3ion interacts with one Cd2+ ion and framework oxide ions. Because of residual water molecules the following reactions may be occurred inside of zeolite cavity:

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.10 no.E
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• pp.371-386
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• 1994

Ecological examinations of the radial growth Patterns of pine trees(Pinus densiflora Sieb. et Zucc) growing on Mt. Namsan in central Seoul were made to test a Proposition that the pine trees decline due to the influence of air pollution and acid rain, which was proposed by some researchers in Korea, and the potential effects of current level of air pollutants to the growth of the Pine trees in central Seoul have been speculated. Tree-rings of 40 trees sampled at 3 sites of Mt. Namsan were prepared and examined using a Computer-aided Tree-Ring Measuring System at Kookmin University, Korea. Air Pollutant data collected by the Ministry of Environment( MOE ) and the Forestry Research Institute(FRI) were used to infer the general conditions of the environment. Correlation analysis was applied to the data set of tree growth and the other environmental factors. General information derived from the close examination of the tree-rings and the data on air pollution, drought and the other biological conditions suggested that the growth of the pine trees was severely affected by the occurrence of drought(climatic variation), the prevalence of the pine leaf gall midges(insects), and the suppression by the black locust trees(Robinia pseudo-acacia L.) (competition among trees). While the current condition of air pollution in Seoul cannot be categorized as good, the concentrations of air pollutants are not so high as to cause acute damages to the trees. In addition, while the data of rain acidity showed episodic low PHs of under 4.0, the average of them is far less acidic than those which were observed in either northeastern United States or central Europe, where the decline of trees were not solely attributed to any of the air pollutants. Considering the sequential facts that one of the most important environmental factors that affect the growth of trees is weather condition of the forest that the proposition of the decline of the pine trees was made without careful examination of the growth patterns and past growth history of them as well as the complex influences of many other factors including the weather conditions to the growth of trees, and that no objective explanation has been made on the causal relationships between the current condition of air pollution and the growth of the trees, such a proposition should be evaluated as invalid for the explanation of tree growth on Mt. Namsan in central Seoul, Korea. The author evaluates the factors of air pollution (including acid rain) as the predisposing factors, which may have the Potentials to chronically affect the tree growth at the forest ecosystem on Mt. Namsan for a long period of time. Ecosystem ecological studies should be further carried out to carefully explain both the functional and the structural aspects of the ecosystem processes, which include the biogeochemistry and the long-term changes of soil conditions as well as the growth of the other tree species on the mountain.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.635-645
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• 2014

The anatomical characteristics of eight major wood species planted in Indonesia were investigated to provide valuable information for their effective utilization. The growth-ring boundaries of Damar and Sumatran pine were indistinct. Resin canal was found in Sumatran pine but it was not observed in Damar. Cupressoid pit and taxodioid pit were found in Damar and window-like pit and pinoid pit were observed in Sumatran pine. Tracheid length of Damar and Sumatran pine was shorter than $3,000{\mu}m$. There were uniseriate rays in Damar and Sumatran pine and fusiform ray in Sumatran pine. All the hardwood species observed in this study were diffuse-porous. They had different vessel groups, i.e., solitary pore in Afrika and Simpur Batu, pore cluster in Angsana and mostly 2-4 rows of radial pore multiple in Mahoni. Mindi and Trembesi had mostly 2-3 rows of radial pore multiple with paratracheal parenchyma as aliform and confluent types. Afrika, Mahoni and Simpur Batu showed heterocellular rays which composed of procumbent cells in the body and mostly 1-2 rows of upright and/or square cells in the margin. All ray cells procumbent was observed in Angsana, Mindi and Trembesi. The large rays commonly exceeding 1 mm in height and ray width of 3~6 cells were observed in Simpur Batu. The other five hardwood species showed ray width of 1~3 cells. Vessel number per $mm^2$ of Angsana and Simpur Batu was higher than those of the other hardwood species. The length of wood fiber and tracheid showed a tendency to increase from pith to bark. By IAWA list, fiber length of hardwoods was classified into long in Simpur Batu and short in Angsana and Trembesi.