• Animal cells and systems
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.323-329
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• 2009

We analyzed partial sequences of cytochrome b (cyt-b), a mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) gene, to determine the genetic relationships between six horsehead fish species: Branchiostegus japonicus, Branchiostegus albus, Branchiostegus auratus, Branchiostegus argentatus, Branchiostegus wardi, and an unidentified Branchiostegus species. The specimens were collected in Korea, China, Japan, and Vietnam. We compared their molecular phylogenetic relationships inferred from mtDNA cyt-b sequences with an osteological analysis. The unidentified species, B. sp., was similar to B. albus in terms of the lack of triangular silver-white dot at the posterior region of eyes (vs. large one present in B. japonicus), but was also similar to B. japonicus in terms of the presence of a straight-shaped first hemal spine (vs. a curve-shaped hemal spine in B. albus). Analysis of the mtDNA cyt-b sequences indicated that the smallest estimated sequence divergence was between the B. japonicus and B. sp. (0.70-0.94%), whereas the largest difference was between B. auratus and B. argentatus (23.06-23.36%). Both the maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood trees showed that the B. sp. was closely clustered with B. japonicus, and that B. auratus was most distant from the other species. When comparing the osteological characters, UPGMA tree showed that the B. japonicus and B. sp. were the most closely clustered species, and B. auratus was the most distantly clustered fish relative to the other species. The shape of the nasal, otolith and first hemal spine was informative for distinguishing B. auratus from the other species. These osteological differences were consistent with the differences in mtDNA.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.87-91
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• 2018

Morphological and molecular characteristics of spirometrid tapeworms, Spirometra decipiens, were studied, which were recovered from a heavily infected stray cat road-killed in Eumseong-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do (Province), the Republic of Korea (=Korea). A total of 134 scolices and many broken immature and mature proglottids of Spirometra tapeworms were collected from the small intestine of the cat. Morphological observations were based on 116 specimens. The scolex was 22.8-32.6 mm (27.4 mm in average) in length and small spoon-shape with 2 distinct bothria. The uterus was coiled 3-4 times, the end of the uterus was ball-shaped, and the vaginal aperture shaped as a crescent moon was closer to the cirrus aperture than to the uterine aperture. PCR amplification and direct sequencing of the cox1 target fragment (377 bp in length and corresponding to positions 769-1,146 bp of the cox1 gene) were performed using total genomic DNA extracted from 134 specimens. The cox1 sequences (377 bp) of the specimens showed 99.0% similarity to the reference sequence of S. decipiens and 89.3% similarity to the reference sequence of S. erinaceieuropaei. In the present study, we report a stray cat heavily infected with S. decipiens identified by mitochondrial cox1 sequence analysis and morphological examinations of the adult worms.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1994.02a
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• pp.431-438
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• 1994

As currently conducted, standard rodent bioassays do not provide sufficient information to assess carcinogenic risk to humans at doses thousands of times below the maximum tolerated dose. Recent analyses indicate that measures of carcinogenic potency from these tests are restricted to a narrow range about the maximum tolerated dose and that information on shape of the dose-response is limited in experiments with only two doses and a control. Extrapolation from high to low doses should be based on an understanding of the mechanisms of carcinogenesis. We have postulated that administration of the maximum tolerated dose can increase mitogenesis which, in turn. increases rates of mutagenesis and, thus, carcinogenesis. The animal data are consistent with this mechanism, because about half of all chemicals tested are indeed rodent carcinogens, and about 40% of the positives are not detectably mutagenic. Thus, at low doses where cell killing does not occur, the hazards to humans of rodent carcinogens may be much lower than commonly assumed. In contrast, for high-dose exposures in the workplace, assessment of hazard requires comparatively little extrapolation. Nevertheless. permitted workplace exposures are sometimes close to the tumorigenic dose-rate in animal tests. Regulatory policy to prevent human cancer has primarily addressed synthetic chemicals, yet similar proportions of natural chemicals and synthetic chemicals test positive in rodent studies as expected from an understanding of toxicological defenses, and the vast proportion of human exposures are to natural chemicals. Thus, human exposures to rodent carcinogens are common. The natural chemicals are the control to evaluate regulatory strategies, and the possible hazards from synthetic chemicals should be compared to the possible hazards from natural chemicals. Qualitative extrapolation of the carcinogenic response between species has been investigated by comparing two closely related species: rats and mice. Overall predictive values provide moderate confidence in interspecies extrapolation; however, knowing that a chemical is positive at any site in one species gives only about a 50% chance that it will be positive at the same site in the other species.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.223-228
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• 2010

Schizonepeta tenuifolia (Korean name "Hyung- Gae") is an oriental medicinal plant that is widely used in Korea, China and Japan. S. tenuifolia (Hyung-Gae) has many pharmacological activities and is mostly used for many medicinal preparations. The dried aerial part (spikes and stems) of three oriental medicinal plants, S. tenuifolia (Hyung-Gae), Agastache rugosa (Kwhak-Hyang) and Elsholtzia ciliata (Hyang-Yoo) belonging to the same family, mint family Labiaceae, have such similar shape and smell that it is difficult to differentiate between them. The trnL-F regions of chloroplast DNA of the three medicinal plants were sequenced and used as targets in multiplex PCR reaction to identify S. tenuifolia. After alignment of trnL-F sequences of the authenticated plant samples, one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) specific to S. tenuifolia was found. Based on this SNP, a new primer was designed that specifically amplifies the trnL-F region of S. tenuifolia. The established multiplex-PCR was proven to be effective in the differentiation of commercial S. tenuifolia samples from A. rugosa and E. ciliata. This rapid and accurate molecular method is highly promising for use in the food industry.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.83.2-83.2
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• 2012

We have carried out simultaneous 22GHz $H_2O$ and 44GHz Class I $CH_3OH$ maser survey of 112 ultra-compact HII regions (UCHIIs) twice in 2010 and 2011. We detected $H_2O$ maser and $CH_3OH$ maser emission from 76(68%) and 49(44%) UCHIIs, respectively. Among them 15 $H_2O$ masers and 32 $CH_3OH$ masers are new detections. These high detection rates suggest that the occurrence periods of both masers are significantly overlapped with the UCHII phase. $CH_3OH$ masers always have small (<10 km s-1) relative velocities with respect to the natal molecular cores, while $H_2O$ masers often show larger velocities. We find 20 UCHIIs with $H_2O$ maser lines at relative velocities >30 km s-1. The formation and disappearance of $H_2O$ masers is frequent over one-year time interval. In contrast, $CH_3OH$ masers usually do not show substantial variation in intensity, velocity, or shape. The isotropic luminosities of both masers well correlate with the bolometric luminosities of the central stars when data points of lowand intermediate-mass protostars are added: $L_{H_2O}=5.89{\times}10^{-9}{(L_{bol})^{0.69}}$ and $L_{CH_3OH}=4.27{\times}10^{-9}{(L_{bol})^{0.62}}$. They also tend to increase with the 2cm radio continuum luminosity of UCHIIs and the 850 um continuum luminosity of the associated molecular cores. We discuss some individual sources.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.40 no.10
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• pp.659-666
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• 2016

A numerical study, using the molecular dynamics simulation method, was carried out to investigate the wetting characteristics of water droplets on a solid square pillar surface with variable periodic edge length patterns at the nanoscale. In this study, the pillar plane was supposed to be rectangular or square shaped. In addition, the surface area was increased while the shape of the pillar plane was kept fixed. In the case of the square pillar, the edge length increased from $4.24{\AA}$ to $12.72{\AA}$. Also, the rectangular pillar had two types of length edges. In this case, one edge length was fixed at $8.48{\AA}$ and the other edge length was increased from $4.24{\AA}$ to $12.72{\AA}$. Through these length changes, the hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity of a water droplet on the variable pillar surfaces were analyzed.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2004

Endothellial cells are subjected to hemodynamic shear stress, the dragging force generated by blood flow. Shear stress regulates endothelial cell shape, structure, and function, including gene expression. Since endothelial cells must be anchored to their extracellular matrices(ECM) for their survival and growth, we hypothesized that ECMs are crucial for shear-dependent activation of extracellular signalactivated regulated kinase(ERK) that is important for cell proliferation. Shear stress-dependent activation of ERK was observed in cells plated on two different matrices, fibronectin and vitronectin(the two most physiologically relevant ECM in endothelial cells). We then treated bovine aortic endothelial cells(BAECs) with Arg-Gly-Asp(RGD) peptides that block the functional activation of integrin binding to fibronectin and vitronectin, and a nonfunctional peptide as a control. Treatment of cells with the RGD peptides, but not the control peptide, significantly inhibited ERK activity in a concentration-dependent manner. This supports the idea that integrin adhesion to the ligands, fibronectin and vitronectin, mediates shear stress-dependent activation of ERK. Subsequently, whereas antagonists of vitronectin(LM 609, an antibody for integrin ${\alpha}_{\gamma}$/${\beta}_3$ and XT 199, an antagonist specific for integrin ${\alpha}_{\gamma}$/${\beta}_3$) did not have any effect on shear-dependent activation of ERK, antagonists of fibronectin(a neutralizing antibody for integrin ${\alpha}_5$/${\beta}_1$or ${\alpha}_4$${\beta}_1$ and SM256) had an inhibitory effect. These results clearly demonstrate that mechanoactivation of ERK requires anchoring of endothelial cells to fibronectin through integrins.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.145-151
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• 2011

ZnSe, as a II-VI compound semiconductor which has a wide band gap in the visible region is applicable to the various fields such as laser diode, display and solar cell. By using the electrochemical deposition method, ZnSe thin film was synthesized on the ITO glass substrate. The synthesis of ZnSe grains and their structure having zinc blende shape were verified through the analysis of XRD and SEM. UV spectrophotometric method determined the band gap as the value of 2.76 eV. Applying the DFT (Density Functional Theory) in the molecular dynamics, the band structure of ZnSe grains was analyzed. For ZnSe grains with zinc blende structure, the band structure and its density of state were simulated using LDA (Local Density Approximation), PBE (Perdew Burke Ernzerhof), and B3LYP (Becke, 3-parameter, Lee-Yang-Parr) functionals. Among the calculations of energy band gap upon each functional, the simulated one of 2.65 eV based on the B3LYP functional was mostly near by the experimental measurement.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.428-435
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• 2006

Specific interaction of the epsin N-terminal homology(ENTH) domain with the plasma membrane appears to bridge other related proteins to the specific regions of the membrane that are invaginated to form endocytic vesicles. An additional $\alpha$-helix, referred to as helix 0 (H0), is formed in the presence of the soluble ligand inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate [$Ins(1,4,5)P_3$] at the N terminus of the ENTH domain (amino acid residues 3-15). The ENTH domain alone and full-length epsin cause tubulation of liposomes made of brain lipids. Thus, it is believed that H0 is membrane-inserted when it is coordinated with the phospholipid phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate [$PtdIns(4,5)P_2$], resulting in membrane deformation as well as recruitment of accessory factors to the membrane. However, formation of H0 in a real biological membrane has not been demonstrated. In the present study, the membrane structure of H0 was determined by measurement of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) nitroxide accessibility. H0 was located at the phosphate head-group region of the membrane. Moreover, EPR line-shape analysis indicated that no pre-formed H0-like structure were present on normal acidic membranes. $PtdIns(4,5)P_2$ was necessary and sufficient for interaction of the H0 region with the membrane. H0 was stable only in the membrane. In conclusion, the H0 region of the ENTH domain has an intrinsic ability to form H0 in a $PtdIns(4,5)P_2$-containing membrane, perhaps functioning as a sensor of membrane patches enriched with $PtdIns(4,5)P_2$ that will initiate curvature to form endocytic vesicles.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.9 no.9
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• pp.878-882
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• 1999

Structural properties of $Al_xGa_1-_xN$ epilayers grown on (0001) sapphire substrate by plasma induced molecular beam epitaxy are investigated in the range of AlN molar fraction from 0.16 to 0.76. The AlN molar fraction estimated by X-ray diffraction agrees well with that of Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, showing a good linear relationship. The uniform Auger electron microscopy depth profile and linear dependence of average atomic concentration of all the constituents of AlGaN epilayers on AlN molar fraction imply that the epitaxial growth of $Al_xGa_1-_xN$ layers with variation of AlN molar fraction is well controlled without the compositional fluctuation in depth of the epilayer. It is observed by atomic force microscopy that the surface grain shape of $Al_xGa_1-_xN$ epilayer changes from roundish to coalesced one with increasing AlN molar fraction.