• Animal cells and systems
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.219-230
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• 2008

We are reporting the expression patterns and possible biological functions of a novel Kinesin-like protein, Surhe, in the zebrafish. Homology studies of derived amino acid sequences suggest that Surhe has an amino-terminal kinesin motor domain that is similar to that of the emerging MKLP-1 subfamily [Kim and Endow, 2000] and two coiledcoil domains in a central region. Cellular localization studies in mammalian cells revealed that Surhe protein is located in cytoplasm, suggesting that Surhe may be involved in the intracellular transport. During the developmental process, surhe transcripts are highly expressed in early embryonic stages. Overexpression of the dominant negative form of Surhe significantly down-regulates the dorsalization markers, such as goosecoid, bozozok, and chordin. Taken together, we postulate that Surhe may be involved in dorsalization process as a motor molecule.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.10
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• pp.959-968
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• 2020

Research underlined that Small and Medium Enterprises' performance is enhanced by different types of innovation capabilities. This research tends to present a comprehensive model to explain the relationship between innovation capabilities and SMEs' financial and operational performance. Specifically, this study tends to achieve three objectives: explores the set of product, process, organizational and marketing innovation capabilities possessed by owners/managers of SMEs and their impact on Chinese manufacturing SMEs' operational and financial performance dimensions, identify the determinants of innovation capabilities, and determine the contextual factors that moderate innovation capabilities and SMEs' performance. This research employed a qualitative research method using in-depth interviews with eight owners/managers of Chinese manufacturing SMEs. Research findings revealed that product and marketing innovation capabilities have a significant impact on SMEs' financial performance while process and organizational innovation capabilities positively influence SMEs' operational performance. The major determinants of innovation capabilities involved availability of sufficient organizational resources, entrepreneurial orientation, knowledge development and external networks. The contextual moderating factors on the relationship between innovation capabilities and SMEs' performance involved internal factors which are: SME size, SMEs' owner/manager work experience, entrepreneurial mindset; and external factors: market dynamism and cooperation strategies. This paper ends by drawing some concluding remarks and proposing future research avenues.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1996-2002
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• 2007

The redox behavior of a [Ni6(μ3-Se)2(μ4-Se)3(Fe(η 5-C5H4P-Ph2)2)3] (= [Ni-Se-dppf], dppf = 1,1-bis(diphenylphosphino) ferrocene) cluster was studied using platinum (Pt) and glassy carbon electrodes (GCE) in nonaqueous media. The cluster showed electrochemical activity at the potential range between +1.6 and ?1.6 V. In the negative region (0 to ?1.6 V), the cluster exhibited two-step reductions. The first step was one-electron reversible, while the second step was a five-electron quasi-reversible process. On the other hand, in the positive region (0 to +1.6 V), the first step involved one-electron quasi-reversible process. The applicability of the cluster was found towards the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 and was evaluated by experiments using rotating ring disc electrode (RRDE). RRDE experiments demonstrated that two electrons were involved in the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO at the Se-Ni-dppf-modified electrode.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.244-252
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• 2007

Escherichia coli has a PhoR-PhoB two-component regulatory system to detect and respond to the changes of environmental phosphate concentration. For the E. coli W3110 strain growing under phosphate-limiting condition, the changes of global gene expression levels were investigated by using DNA microarray analysis. The expression levels of some genes that are involved in phosphate metabolism were increased as phosphate became limited, whereas those of the genes involved in ribosomal protein or amino acid metabolism were decreased, owing to the stationary phase response. The upregulated genes could be divided into temporarily and permanently inducible genes by phosphate starvation. At the peak point showing the highest expression levels of the phoB and phoR genes under phosphate-limiting condition, the phoB- and/or phoR-dependent regulatory mechanisms were investigated in detail by comparing the gene expression levels among the wild-type and phoB and/or phoR mutant strains. Overall, the phoB mutation was epistatic over the phoR mutation. It was found that PhoBR and PhoB were responsible for the upregulation of the phosphonate or glycerol phosphate metabolism and high-affinity phosphate transport system, respectively. These results show the complex regulation by the PhoR-PhoB two-component regulatory system in E. coli.

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.394-401
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• 2020

Purpose: The present study is an analysis of the extents of class satisfaction of college students who had applied the design thinking technique to capstone design class. Methods: The experimental method involved an analysis of 122 cases of data where advance and post replies were performed for the subject by students who had applied the design thinking technique and students who had not. The students involved had attended the capstone design class as a junior in the Department of Dental Technology at D University. Results: In the satisfaction with performance process of the capstone design class, five questions among nine had a high positive rating, while all eight questions on the satisfaction with performance methods had a high negative rating. Among ten questions on subjective learning outcomes, six showed a high positive rating. After the application of the design thinking class method, all mean values of the group with the application were higher than the group with no application in satisfaction with performance process, satisfaction with performance method, and subjective class outcomes. Hence, the design thinking class did have positive effects on the students' improvement of class. Conclusion: Based on the results of the study, it is implied that the considerations about diverse class composition methods and operation methods capable of improving the students' satisfaction are needed for efficient operation of the capstone design class.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 2021

Periodontal disease is an inflammatory disease that affects the destruction of the bone supporting the tooth and connective tissues surrounding it. Periodontal ligament fibroblasts (PDLFs) induce overexpression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) involved in periodontal disease's inflammatory destruction. Osteoclasts take part in physiological bone remodeling, but they are also involved in bone destruction in many kinds of bone diseases, including osteoporosis and periodontal disease. This study examined the effect of baicalin on proteolytic enzymes' production and secretion of inflammatory cytokines in PDLFs and RAW 264.7 cells under the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory conditions. Baicalin inhibited the expression of the protein, MMP-1 and MMP-2, without affecting PDLFs' cell viability, suggesting its possibility because of the inhibition of phosphorylation activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase's p38, and the signal transduction process of nuclear factor κB (NFκB)-related protein. Also, baicalin reduced the expression of MMP-8 and MMP-9 in RAW 264.7 cells. This reduction is thought to be due to the inhibition of the signal transduction process of NFκB-related proteins affected by inhibiting p65RelA phosphorylation. Also, baicalin inhibited the secretion of nitric oxide and interleukin-6 induced by LPS in RAW 264.7 cells. These results suggest that baicalin inhibits connective tissue destruction in periodontal disease. The inhibition of periodontal tissue destruction may be a therapeutic strategy for treating inflammatory periodontal-diseased patients.

• BMB Reports
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• v.56 no.7
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• pp.374-384
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• 2023

Fibrosis is a pathological condition that is characterized by an abnormal buildup of extracellular matrix (ECM) components, such as collagen, in tissues. This condition affects various organs of the body, including the liver and kidney. Early diagnosis and treatment of fibrosis are crucial, as it is a progressive and irreversible process in both organs. While there are certain similarities in the fibrosis process between the liver and kidney, there are also significant differences that must be identified to determine molecular diagnostic markers and potential therapeutic targets. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a class of RNA molecules that do not code for proteins, are increasingly recognized as playing significant roles in gene expression regulation. Emerging evidence suggests that specific lncRNAs are involved in fibrosis development and progression by modulating signaling pathways, such as the TGF-β/Smad pathway and the β-catenin pathway. Thus, identifying the precise lncRNAs involved in fibrosis could lead to novel therapeutic approaches for fibrotic diseases. In this review, we summarize lncRNAs related to fibrosis in the liver and kidney, and propose their potential as therapeutic targets based on their functions.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.215-228
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• 2003

The present study is to analyze the arguments about the generation of declarative scientific-knowledge in the philosophy of science and invent a structured model of the process of scientific-knowledge generation with the types of the generated scientific-knowledge. The invented model shows that scientific-knowledge generation is a distinctive process with the processes of inductive, abductive, and deductive thinking. Furthermore, inductive process is included with observation, which is consisted of simple observation and operative observation, and rule-discovery which is involved with the processes of commonness discovery, classification, pattern discovery, and hierarchical relationship. Also, abductive process has two components. One component generates question and second component generates hypothesis in which the process consists of representing question situation, identifying experienced situation, identifying causal explicans, and generating hypothetical explicans. Finally, deductive process is involved with logical inventing test method and evaluation criteria, concrete inventing test method and evaluation criteria, evaluating hypothesis, and making conclusion.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.648-660
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• 2014

Doenjang, a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste, is made by mixing and ripening meju with high salt brine (approximately 18%). Meju is a naturally fermented soybean block prepared by soaking, steaming, and molding soybean. To understand living bacterial community migration and the roles of bacteria in the manufacturing process of doenjang, the diversity of culturable bacteria in meju and doenjang was examined using media supplemented with NaCl, and some physiological activities of predominant isolates were determined. Bacilli were the major bacteria involved throughout the entire manufacturing process from meju to doenjang; some of these bacteria might be present as spores during the doenjang ripening process. Bacillus siamensis was the most populous species of the genus, and Bacillus licheniformis exhibited sufficient salt tolerance to maintain its growth during doenjang ripening. Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium, the major lactic acid bacteria (LAB) identified in this study, did not continue to grow under high NaCl conditions in doenjang. Enterococci and certain species of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) were the predominant acid-producing bacteria in meju fermentation, whereas Tetragenococcus halophilus and CNS were the major acid-producing bacteria in doenjang fermentation. We conclude that bacilli, LAB, and CNS may be the major bacterial groups involved in meju fermentation and that these bacterial communities undergo a shift toward salt-tolerant bacilli, CNS, and T. halophilus during the doenjang fermentation process.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.13
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• pp.5273-5278
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• 2015

Background: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a stem cell disorder characterized by the fusion of two oncogenes namely BCR and ABL with their aberrant expression. Autophosphorylation of BCR-ABL oncogenes results in proliferation of CML. The study deals with estimation of rate constant involved in each step of the cellular autophosphorylation process, which are consequently playing important roles in the proliferation of cancerous cells. Materials and Methods: A mathematical model was proposed for autophosphorylation of BCR-ABL oncogenes utilizing ordinary differential equations to enumerate the rate of change of each responsible system component. The major difficulty to model this process is the lack of experimental data, which are needed to estimate unknown model parameters. Initial concentration data of each substrate and product for BCR-ABL systems were collected from the reported literature. All parameters were optimized through time interval simulation using the fminsearch algorithm. Results: The rate of change versus time was estimated to indicate the role of each state variable that are crucial for the systems. The time wise change in concentration of substrate shows the convergence of each parameter in autophosphorylation process. Conclusions: The role of each constituent parameter and their relative time dependent variations in autophosphorylation process could be inferred.