• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.34-42
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• 2023

In a signal transduction network, from the perception of stress signals to stress-responsive gene ex- pression, binding of various transcription factors to cis-acting elements in stress-responsive promoters coordinate the adaptation of plants to abiotic stresses. Among the AP2/ERF transcription factor family genes, group VII ERF genes, such as RAP2.12, RAP2.2, RAP2.3, AtERF73/HRE1, and AtERF71/ HRE2, are known to be involved in the response to hypoxia stress in Arabidopsis. In this study, we dissected the HRE1 promoter to identify hypoxia-responsive region(s). The 1,000 bp upstream promoter region of HRE1 showed increased promoter activity in Arabidopsis protoplasts and transgenic plants under hypoxia conditions. Analysis of the promoter deletion series of HRE1, including 1,000 bp, 800 bp, 600 bp, 400 bp, 200 bp, 100 bp, and 50 bp upstream promoter regions, using firefly luciferase and GUS as reporter genes indicated that the -200 to -100 region of the HRE1 promoter is responsible for the transcriptional activation of HRE1 in response to hypoxia. In addition, we identified two putative hypoxia-responsive cis-acting elements, the ERF-binding site and DOF-binding site, in the -200 to -100 region of the HRE1 promoter, suggesting that the expression of HRE1 might be regulated via the ERF transcription factor(s) and/or DOF transcription factor(s). Collectively, our results suggest that HRE1 contains hypoxia-responsive cis-acting elements in the -200 to -100 region of its promoter.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.682-697
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Tibetan tea is a kind of dark tea, due to the inherent complexity of natural products, the chemical composition and beneficial effects of Tibetan tea are not fully understood. The objective of this study was to unravel the composition of Tibetan tea using knowledge-guided multilayer network (KGMN) techniques and explore its potential antioxidant and hypolipidemic mechanisms in mice. MATERIALS/METHODS: The C57BL/6J mice were continuously gavaged with Tibetan tea extract (T group), green tea extract (G group) and ddH2O (H group) for 15 days. The activity of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in mice was detected. Transcriptome sequencing technology was used to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the antioxidant and lipid-lowering effects of Tibetan tea in mice. Furthermore, the expression levels of liver antioxidant and lipid metabolism related genes in various groups were detected by the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method. RESULTS: The results showed that a total of 42 flavonoids are provisionally annotated in Tibetan tea using KGMN strategies. Tibetan tea significantly reduced body weight gain and increased T-AOC and SOD activities in mice compared with the H group. Based on the results of transcriptome and qPCR, it was confirmed that Tibetan tea could play a key role in antioxidant and lipid lowering by regulating oxidative stress and lipid metabolism related pathways such as insulin resistance, P53 signaling pathway, insulin signaling pathway, fatty acid elongation and fatty acid metabolism. CONCLUSIONS: This study was the first to use computational tools to deeply explore the composition of Tibetan tea and revealed its potential antioxidant and hypolipidemic mechanisms, and it provides new insights into the composition and bioactivity of Tibetan tea.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.75-95
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• 2023

This study investigated the overall perceptions of pre-service school librarian teacher on the current education practicum through semi-structured in-depth interviews and suggested improvements to the educational practicum system. For this purpose, interview data were collected from 28 pre-service school librarian teacher (6 teachers' colleges, 14 taking teaching qualification courses, and 8 graduate school of education) who participated in educational practicum in school libraries, and a research method that combines qualitative analysis techniques with text network analysis was applied. The results of the study showed that pre-service school librarian teacher believe that educational practicum can prepare them for various field experiences and cultivate their ability to cope with situations they will encounter in the future. Through qualitative inquiry, we were able to identify their perceptions of school field practicum as a whole, their perceptions of the school field practicum, and their perceptions of educational service activities. Based on this, to improve the current problems of educational practice, we suggested expanding the period of school internship program, distributing the time, establishing a full-time practice system, having continuous discussions with field teachers, and developing a systematic school field practicum.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.93-104
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• 2007

The purpose of this study is to investigate brain activity both during the processing of a scientific hypothesis about biological phenomena and mental arithmetic using 3.0T fMRI at the KAIST. For this study, 16 healthy male subjects participated voluntarily. Each subject's functional brain images by performing a scientific hypothesis task and a mental arithmetic task for 684 seconds were measured. After the fMRI measuring, verbal reports were collected to ensure the reliability of brain image data. This data, which were found to be adequate based on the results of analyzing verbal reports, were all included in the statistical analysis. When the data were statistically analyzed using SPM2 software, the scientific hypothesis generating process was found to have independent brain network different from the mental arithmetic process. In the scientific hypothesis process, we can infer that there is the process of encoding semantic derived from the fusiform gyrus through question-situation analysis in the pre-frontal lobe. In the mental arithmetic process, the area combining pre-frontal and parietal lobes plays an important role, and the parietal lobe is considered to be involved in skillfulness. In addition, the scientific hypothesis process was found to be accompanied by scientific emotion. These results enabled the examination of the scientific hypothesis process from the cognitive neuroscience perspective, and may be used as basic materials for developing a learning program for scientific hypothesis generation. In addition, this program can be proposed as a model of scientific brain-based learning.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.132-145
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• 2024

Objectives: This study compares cases of Dalgubeol Health Care Project, 301 Network Project, and 3 for 1 Project based on program logic models to derive measures for promoting integrated healthcare and welfare services centered around medical institutions. Methods: From January to December 2021, information on the implementation systems and performance of each institution was collected. Data sources included prior academic research, project reports, operational guidelines, official press releases, media articles, and written surveys from project managers. A program logic model analysis framework was applied, structuring the information based on four elements: situation, input, activity, and output. Results: All three projects aimed to address the fragmentation of health and welfare services and medical blind spots. Despite similar multidisciplinary team compositions, differences existed in specific fields, recruitment scale, and employment types. Variations in funding sources led to differences in community collaboration, support methods, and future directions. There were discrepancies in the number of beneficiaries and medical treatments, with different results observed when comparing the actual number of people to input manpower and project cost per beneficiary. Conclusions: To design an integrated health and welfare service provision system centered on medical institutions, securing a stable funding mechanism and establishing an appropriate target population and service delivery system are crucial. Additionally, installing a dedicated department within the medical institution to link activities across various sectors, rather than outsourcing, is necessary. Ensuring appropriate recruitment and stable employment systems is needed. A comprehensive provision system offering services from mild to severe cases through public-private cooperation is suggested.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.43.1-43.10
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• 2023

The continuous emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants has provided insights for updating current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. We examined the neutralizing activity of Abs induced by a BA.4/5-containing bivalent mRNA vaccine against Omicron subvariants BN.1 and XBB.1.5. We recruited 40 individuals who had received a monovalent COVID-19 booster dose after a primary series of COVID-19 vaccinations and will be vaccinated with a BA.4/5-containing bivalent vaccine. Sera were collected before vaccination, one month after, and three months after a bivalent booster. Neutralizing Ab (nAb) titers were measured against ancestral SARS-CoV-2 and Omicron subvariants BA.5, BN.1, and XBB.1.5. BA.4/5-containing bivalent vaccination significantly boosted nAb levels against both ancestral SARS-CoV-2 and Omicron subvariants. Participants with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection had higher nAb titers against all examined strains than the infection-naïve group. NAb titers against BN.1 and XBB.1.5 were lower than those against the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 and BA.5 strains. These results suggest that COVID-19 vaccinations specifically targeting emerging Omicron subvariants, such as XBB.1.5, may be required to ensure better protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially in high-risk groups.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.33.1-33.13
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• 2023

Vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been acknowledged as an effective mean of preventing infection and hospitalization. However, the emergence of highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) has led to substantial increase in infections among children and adolescents. Vaccine-induced immunity and longevity have not been well defined in this population. Therefore, we aimed to analyze humoral and cellular immune responses against ancestral and SARS-CoV-2 variants after two shots of the BNT162b2 vaccine in healthy adolescents. Although vaccination induced a robust increase of spike-specific binding Abs and neutralizing Abs against the ancestral and SARS-CoV-2 variants, the neutralizing activity against the Omicron variant was significantly low. On the contrary, vaccine-induced memory CD4⁺ T cells exhibited substantial responses against both ancestral and Omicron spike proteins. Notably, CD4⁺ T cell responses against both ancestral and Omicron strains were preserved at 3 months after two shots of the BNT162b2 vaccine without waning. Polyfunctionality of vaccine-induced memory T cells was also preserved in response to Omicron spike protein. The present findings characterize the protective immunity of vaccination for adolescents in the era of continuous emergence of variants/subvariants.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.43.1-43.14
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• 2021

Group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3), which express IL-22 and IL-17A, has been introduced as one of pathologic cells in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Dyslipidaemia should be managed in axSpA patients to reduce cardiovascular disease, and dyslipidaemia promotes inflammation. This study aimed to reveal the role of circulating ILC3 in axSpA and the impact of dyslipidaemia on axSpA pathogenesis. AxSpA patients with or without dyslipidaemia and healthy control were recruited. Peripheral blood samples were collected, and flow cytometry analysis of circulating ILC3 and CD4⁺ T cells was performed. The correlation between Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS)-C-reactive protein (CRP) and circulating immune cells was evaluated. The effect of oxidized low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (oxLDL-C) on immune cell differentiation was confirmed. AxSpA human monocytes were cultured with with oxLDL-C, IL-22, or oxLDL-C plus IL-22 to evaluate osteoclastogenesis using tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining and real-time quantitative PCR of osteoclast-related gene expression. Total of 34 axSpA patients (13 with dyslipidaemia and 21 without) were included in the analysis. Circulating IL-22⁺ ILC3 and Th17 were significantly elevated in axSpA patients with dyslipidaemia (p=0.001 and p=0.034, respectively), and circulating IL-22⁺ ILC3 significantly correlated with ASDAS-CRP (Rho=0.4198 and p=0.0367). Stimulation with oxLDL-C significantly increased IL-22⁺ ILC3, NKp44^- ILC3, and Th17 cells, and these were reversed by CD36 blocking agent. IL-22 and oxLDL-C increased TRAP⁺ cells and osteoclast-related gene expression. This study suggested potential role of circulating IL-22⁺ ILC3 as biomarker in axSpA. Furthermore, dyslipidaemia augmented IL-22⁺ ILC3 differentiation, and oxLDL-C and IL-22 markedly increased osteoclastogenesis of axSpA.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.26.1-26.28
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• 2021

Asthma exacerbations are a major cause of intractable morbidity, increases in health care costs, and a greater progressive loss of lung function. Asthma exacerbations are most commonly triggered by respiratory viral infections, particularly with human rhinovirus (hRV). Respiratory viral infections are believed to affect the expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), a limiting enzyme in tryptophan catabolism, which is presumed to alter asthmatic airway inflammation. Here, we explored the detailed role of IDO in the progression of asthma exacerbations using a mouse model for asthma exacerbation caused by hRV infection. Our results reveal that IDO is required to prevent neutrophilic inflammation in the course of asthma exacerbation caused by an hRV infection, as corroborated by markedly enhanced Th17- and Th1-type neutrophilia in the airways of IDO-deficient mice. This neutrophilia was closely associated with disrupted expression of tight junctions and enhanced expression of inflammasome-related molecules and mucin-inducing genes. In addition, IDO ablation enhanced allergen-specific Th17- and Th1-biased CD4⁺ T-cell responses following hRV infection. The role of IDO in attenuating Th17- and Th1-type neutrophilic airway inflammation became more apparent in chronic asthma exacerbations after repeated allergen exposures and hRV infections. Furthermore, IDO enzymatic induction in leukocytes derived from the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) lineage appeared to play a dominant role in attenuating Th17- and Th1-type neutrophilic inflammation in the airway following hRV infection. Therefore, IDO activity in HSC-derived leukocytes is required to regulate Th17- and Th1-type neutrophilic inflammation in the airway during asthma exacerbations caused by hRV infections.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.34.1-34.19
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• 2022

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis associated with ageing. Vitamin D has diverse biological effect on bone and cartilage, and observational studies have suggested it potential benefit in OA progression and inflammation process. However, the effect of vitamin D on OA is still contradictory. Here, we investigated the therapeutic potential of vitamin D in OA. Six-week-old male Wistar rats were injected with monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) to induce OA. Pain severity, cartilage destruction, and inflammation were measured in MIA-induced OA rats. Autophagy activity and mitochondrial function were also measured. Vitamin-D (1,25(OH)₂D3) and celecoxib were used to treat MIA-induced OA rats and OA chondrocytes. Oral supplementation of vitamin D resulted in significant attenuations in OA pain, inflammation, and cartilage destruction. Interestingly, the expressions of MMP-13, IL-1β, and MCP-1 in synovial tissues were remarkably attenuated by vitamin D treatment, suggesting its potential to attenuate synovitis in OA. Vitamin D treatment in OA chondrocytes resulted in autophagy induction in human OA chondrocytes and increased expression of TFEB, but not LC3B, caspase-1 and -3, in inflamed synovium. Vitamin D and celecoxib showed a synergistic effect on antinociceptive and chondroprotective properties in vivo. Vitamin D showed the chondroprotective and antinociceptive property in OA rats. Autophagy induction by vitamin D treatment may be a promising treatment strategy in OA patients especially presenting vitamin D deficiency. Autophagy promoting strategy may attenuate OA progression through protecting cells from damage and inflammatory cell death.