• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
• /
• 2017.06a
• /
• pp.97-97
• /
• 2017

Plant genomes include heterochromatic loci that consist of repetitive sequences and transposable elements. LTR retrotransposon is the major class of transposons in advanced plants in terms of proportion in plant genome. The elements contribute not only to genome size but also to genome stability and gene expression. A number of cases have been reported transposon insertions near genic regions affect crop traits such as fruit pigments, stress tolerance, and yields. Functional LTR retrotransposons produce extrachromosomal DNA from genomic RNA by reverse transcription that takes place within virus-like-particles (VLPs). DECREASED DNA METHYLATION 1 (DDM1) plays important roles in maintaining DNA methylation of heterochromatin affecting all sequence contexts, CG, CHG, and CHH. Previous studies showed that ddm1 mutant exhibits massive transcription of retrotransposons in Arabidopsis, but only few of them were able to create new insertions into the genome. RNA-dependent RNA POLYMERASE 6 (RDR6) is known to function in restricting accumulation of transposon RNA by processing the transcripts into 21-22 nt epigenetically activated small interfering RNA (easiRNA). We purified VLPs and sequence cDNA to identify functional LTR retrotransposons in Arabidopsis ddm1 and ddm1rdr6 plants. Over 20 LTR copia and gypsy families were detected in ddm1 and ddm1rdr6 sequencing libraries and most of them were not reported for mobility. In ddm1rdr6, short fragments of ATHILA gypsy elements were detected. It suggests easiRNAs might regulate reverse transcription steps. The highest enriched element among transposon loci was previously characterized EVADE element. It has been reported that active EVADE element is more efficiently silenced through female germline than male germline. By genetic analyses, we found ddm1 and rdr6 mutation affect maternal silencing of active EVADE elements. DDM1-GFP protein accumulated in megaspore mother cell but was not found in mature egg cell. The fusion protein was also found in early embryo and maternal DDM1-GFP allele was more dominantly expressed in the embryo. We observed localization of DDM1-GFP in Arabidopsis and DDM1-YFP in maize and found the proteins accumulated in dividing zone of root tips. Currently we are looking at cell cycle dependency of DDM1 expression using maize system. Among 10 AGO proteins in Arabidopsis, AGO9 is specifically expressed in egg cell and shoot meristematic cells. In addition, mutation of AGO9 and RDR6 caused failure in maternal silencing, implying 21-22 nt easiRNA pathway is important for retrotransposon silencing in female gametophyte or/and early embryo. On the other hand, canonical 24 nt sRNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathways did not contribute to maternal silencing as confirmed by this study. Heat-activated LTR retrotransposon, ONSEN, was not silenced by DDM1 but the silencing mechanisms require RdDM pathways in somatic cells. We will propose distinct mechanisms of LTR retrotransposons in germline and somatic stages.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.40-45
• /
• 1998

Backgroud and Objectives: Major salivary gland tumor is a rare disease with a largely unknown origin. And also corresponding to the diversity of histopathologic characteristics is an equally wide distribution of clinical behavior that makes treatment decisions difficult. The aim of this study is to analysis the clinical experience of our major salivary gland tumor and to suggest a guidline of management. Materials and Methods : We studied clinical manifestations and treatment results of 104 patients who were diagnosed as major salivary gland tumors. Tumor site, patient age and sex of the patients were analysed. Histopathologic diagnosis, treatment modality, lymph nodes metastasis, recurrence rate and 5-year survival rate were studied on malignant tumors. Results: 1) 48 patients were male and 56 patients were female. 2) Benign tumors were 79 cases. They consisted of 57 cases(72%) of parotid tumor, 22 cases(27%) of submandibular tumor. And pleomorphic adenoma was the most common benign tumor. 3) Malignant tumors were 25 cases and were consisted of 19 cases(76%) of parotid tumor, 4 cases(l6%) of submandibular tumor and 2 cases(8%) of sublingual gland tumor with high-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma as the most common cause. 4) In the malignant tumors, the number of stage I, II tumors was 14 and that of stage III, IV tumors was 11. Neck node metastasis was noted in 8 cases. 5) 8 cases of malignant tumor were died and all of them had high-grade malignancy. And they were dead before 17 months from the time of diagnosis. 6) Mean survival duration in the malignant salivary gland tumor was 56 months. 7) High-grade malignancy had a 5-year survival rate of 57.9%. A 5-year survival rate of TI, T2 patients was 92.9% and that of T3, T4 patients was 36.4%. That of patients who had neck node metastasis was 37.5% and that of those who had tree neck was 82.4%. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the survival rate is dependent on the tumor size, lymph node matastasis and histologic grade. And also the early diagnosis and radical surgery result in the increased survival rate and are effective for prevention of the tumor recurrance.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
• /
• v.30 no.5
• /
• pp.579-585
• /
• 2012

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of potassium silicate on the growth and leaf epidermal characteristics of horticultural crops viz., begonia (Begonia semperflorens Link et Otto) 'Super Olympia Red' and 'Super Olympia Rose' and pansy (Viola ${\times}$ wittrockiana Hort.) 'Matrix White Blotch' and 'Matrix Yellow Blotch' in vitro. Seeds after germination were grown on a quarter strength MS medium supplemented with potassium silicate ($K_2SiO_3$) at 0, 100, 200, or $300mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ and were maintained under a photoperiod of 16 hours at $25^{\circ}C$. Growth parameters such as plant height, root length, chlorophyll content, fresh, and dry weights have been recorded after a growth period of 58 days for begonia and 94 days for pansy. In begonia, fresh weight was significantly greatest in the $200mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ $K_2SiO_3$ treatment in both 'Super Olympia Red' and 'Super Olympia Rose'. In both pansy cultivars, fresh weight was the greatest in the $200mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ $K_2SiO_3$ treatment than other treatments. Chlorophyll content was significantly greater in the $100mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ $K_2SiO_3$ treatment for both the cultivars of begonia. Leaf area significantly increased with the higher concentrations of $K_2SiO_3$ treatment in both cultivars of pansy. Stomatal structures on the leaf epidermis were observed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In begonia 'Super Olympia Rose', the structure of stomata were more compact in size in the $300mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ $K_2SiO_3$ treatment than in the control. Similarly, in pansy 'Matrix White Blotch' the surface of stomata appeared to be smoother in the $300mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ $K_2SiO_3$ treatment than those wrinkled appearance in the control. The surface of the leaf epidermis appeared to be compact due to Si deposition, and thus results indicated that Si positively affected the growth and biomass production of these species. Our data show that the effect of Si on growth parameters is strongly dependent on cultivar of the plant species tested.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.429-437
• /
• 2020

In this study, a cationic gemini surfactant was synthesized using isosorbide, in order to modify the alkyl chain length in the range of C₁₀~C₁₆. The c.m.c and surface tension of the synthesized cationic gemini surfactant were measured to be in the ranges of 5.13 × 10^-4~1.62 × 10^-4 mol/L and 31.86~37.41 dyne/cm, respectively. The surface tension increased with increasing the length of the alkyl group. In addition, as the area per molecule occupied by the surfactant adsorbed on the interface increased with the reduced extent of adsorption, the bubble generation at the air-water interface decreased. The emulsifying capacity in benzene was maintained above 60 ± 5% after 8 h while that in soybean oil tended to decrease above 50 ± 5%. The performance was superior in benzene, a highly hydrophobic substance, and the emulsion stability was shown to be consistent beyond 1 h during the preparation of pre-emulsion in oil and water. The antimicrobial activity was dependent on the length of the hydrophobic chain of the synthesized cationic gemini surfactant due to the increased size of the clean zone in Escherichia coli (E.coli) and Staphylococcus aureus.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
• /
• v.5 no.4
• /
• pp.17-24
• /
• 1996

Planar multi-junction thermal converters were fabricated for precise measurements of the ac voltage and current by an ac-dc transfer method. A heater and a thermocouple array were fabricated onto a sandwiched membrane, $Si_{3}N_{4}$ (200 nm) / $SiO_{2}$ (400 nm) / $Si_{3}N_{4}$ (200 nm), a thickness of $0.8\;{\mu}m$ and a size of $2{\times}4\;mm^{2}$, which is supported by a surrounding frame. The NiCr heater is located at the center of the membrane vertically. Hot junctions of $48{\sim}156$ pairs of thermocouples (Cu-CuNi44) are located near or onto the heater, and cold junctions are located onto the silicon frame. Output of the thermal converters for 10 mA dc input was $76\;mV{\sim}382\;mV$ dependent on a model, and short term stability of the outputs was ${\pm}5{\sim}15\;ppm$/ 10 min with 5 mA dc input. Responsivity in air was in the range of $3.9{\sim}14.5V/W$. Responsivity of the model BF48 in air which has 48 thermocouples was 2 times or greater than that of 3 dimensional multi-junction thermal converter in vacuum which has 56 thermocouples. AC-DC transfer differences with an input of 10 mA or less were less than ${\pm}1\;ppm$ in the frequency range from 5 Hz to 2 kHz, and about $2{\sim}3\;ppm$ at 5 kHz and 10 kHz.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.55 no.2
• /
• pp.133-139
• /
• 2015

The increasing uses of zinc oxide nanoparticles (nZnO) in industrial and personal care products raise possible danger of using nZnO in human. To determine whether ZnO induces size-dependent anomalies during embryonic organogenesis, mouse embryos on embryonic day 8.5 were cultured for 2 days under 50, 100, and $150{\mu}g$ of nZnO (< 100 nm) or micro-sized ZnO (mZnO; $80{\pm}25{\mu}m$), after which the morphological changes, cumulative quantity of Zn particles, and expressions of antioxidant and apoptotic genes were investigated. Although embryos exposed to $50{\mu}g$ of ZnO exhibited no defects on organogenesis, embryos exposed to over $100{\mu}g$ of ZnO showed increasing anomalies. Embryos treated with $150{\mu}g$ of nZnO revealed significant changes in Zn absorption level and morphological parameters including yolk sac diameter, head length, flexion, hindbrain, forebrain, branchial bars, maxillary process, mandibular process, forelimb, and total score compared to the same dose of mZnO-treated embryos. Furthermore, CuZn-superoxide dismutase, cytoplasmic glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and phospholipid hydroperoxidase GPx mRNA levels were significantly decreased, but caspase-3 mRNA level was greatly increased in nZnO-treated embryos as compared to normal control embryos. These findings indicate that nZnO has severer teratogenic effects than mZnO in developing embryos.

• Geotechnical Engineering
• /
• v.14 no.5
• /
• pp.5-16
• /
• 1998

2-D numerical methods have been applied to analyze the stability of tunnels because of computation efficiency, though the ground around the tunnel under construction shows 3-D reformational behaviour due to the transverse and longitudinal arching effects. Load distribution factors are introduced to the 2-D analysis for the consideration of the effects of the tunnel advance in three dimensions. The load distribution factors influence significantly the ground deformation and the load of primary supports like shotcrete and rockbolts. According to the previous studies for 3-D numerical studies. it was shown that load distribution factors were heavily dependent on the ground deformational properties, tunnel size and the advance length of a tunnel. However, as the quantitative methods evaluating the factors have not been presented yet, constant values have been assigned to the factors for 2-D analysis even if the conditions for tunnel design are different. Accordingly, this paper presents the method to evaluate quantitatively the load distribution factors through the regression analysis of 3-D analysis data on 72 design cases. Also, new modification to the load distribution factors are suggested for the ring-cut excavation method because the conventional 2-D analysis is not able to consider the support effects of the core left on the tunnel face.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.263-270
• /
• 2003

Monte Carlo simulation has been peformed to induce optimized parameters of the detector head of gamma camera for the diagnosis of breast cancer and to evaluate it under the diagnosis condition of the breast cancer. For the simulation, we used Tungsten collimator, having a lattice structured array with holes of $3mm{\times}3mm$ and septal thickness of 0.25 mm, which are corresponding to the pixellated photosensor. For driving optimum parameters we used Trade-Offs procedure between the geometric efficiency and the spatial resolution, varying the detector head components. In order to pre-evaluate the performance of the optimized detector head, we assumed diagnosis condition that the breast tumor is located in the middle of phantom with various sizes and its location is 25 mm from the collimator surface, considering background count caused by radiation sources from other organs. It was shown that the performance of the optimized detector head can be degraded according to the breast cancer size and the background count under real diagnosis conditions of breast cancer. Therefore, it is concluded that the spatial resolution, which is used as an indicator to distinguish the various sizes of breast cancer and is dependent on the characteristic of the detector head, appears to be meaningless in early diagnosis of the breast cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.20
• /
• pp.8765-8774
• /
• 2014

This study aimed at summarizing epidemiological research findings on associations between tobacco, alcohol and tea consumption and risk of gastric cancer (GC) in the Chinese population. The review searched PubMed, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and China Biology Medicine (CBM) databases and reference lists of review papers for all studies published in English or Chinese languages. Information extracted, via two independent researchers, from retrieved articles included first author, year of publication, study design, sample size, source of controls and adjusted odds ratio (OR) or relative risk (RR) with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each category. Statistical analyses used software STATA version 12.0. The systematic search found 89 articles containing 25,821 GC cases and 135,298 non-cases. The overall random effects in terms of pooled OR and 95%CI for tobacco, alcohol and tea consumption were 1.62 (95%CI: 1.50-1.74), 1.57 (95%CI: 1.41-1.76) and 0.67 (95%CI: 0.59-0.76) respectively; while the heterogeneity among included studies ranged from 80.1% to 87.5%. The majority of subgroup analyses revealed consistent results with the overall analyses. All three behavioral factors showed statistically significant dose-dependent effects on GC (P<0.05). The study revealed that tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking were associated with over 1/2 added risk of GC, while tea drinking conferred about 1/3 lower risk of GC in the Chinese population. However, these results should be interpreted with caution given the fact that most of the included studies were based on a retrospective design and heterogeneity among studies was relatively high.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.7
• /
• pp.3163-3167
• /
• 2014

Background: Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) plus radiotherapy is equivalent to modified radical mastectomy (MRM) in terms of outcome. However there is wide variation in mastectomy rates dependent both on tumour and patient characteristics. Objective: This study aimed to assess the determinants of surgery choice in Asian patients with early breast cancer in a middle-income country. Materials and Methods: 184 patients with early breast cancer treated between Jan 2008 and Dec 2010 were recruited to complete a questionnaire. Chi-square test was used to analyze the association between surgery choice and demographic and tumour factors, surgeon recommendation, family member and partner opinions, fear of recurrence, avoidance of second surgery, fear of disfigurement, interference with sex life, fear of radiation and loss of femininity. Results: 85 (46%) had BCS while 99 (54%) had mastectomy. Age >60, Chinese ethnicity, lower education level, and larger tumour size were significantly associated with mastectomy. Surgeon recommendation was important in surgery choice. Although both groups did not place much importance on interference with sex life, 14.1% of the BCS group felt it was very important compared to 5.1% in the mastectomy group and this was statistically significant. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of the other factors. When analyzed by ethnicity, significantly more Malay and Indian women considered partner and family member opinions very important and were more concerned about loss of femininity compared to Chinese women. There were no statistical differences between the three ethnic groups in terms of the other factors. Conclusions: When counseling on surgical options, the surgeon has to take into account the ethnicity, social background and education level, age and reliance on partner and family members. Decision-making is usually a collective effort rather than just between the patient and surgeon, and involving the whole family into the process early is important.