• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.294-299
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• 2004

Purpose: Both human NIS and mutant $D_2R$ transgenes are proposed as reporting system in transplanted cell tracking. Using hepatoma cell lines, we constructed a dual reporter system containing human sodium-iodide symporter (hNIS) and dopamine 2 receptor ($D_2R$) and compared its characteristics. Materials and Methods: The recombinant plasmid ($pIRES-hNIS/D_2R$) was constructed with IRES (internal ribosome entry site) under control of the CMV promoter $pIRES-hNIS/D_2R$ was transfected to human hepatoma SK-Hep1 cell line with lipofectamine. HEP-ND ($SK-Hep1-hNIS/D_2R$) cells stably expressing hNIS and $D_2R$ was established by selection with G418 for two weeks. RT-PCR was performed to investigate the expression of both hNIS and $D_2R$ genes. The expressions of hNIS and $D_2R$ were measured by $^{125}I$ uptake assays and receptor binding assays. Specific binding of $D_2R$ to $[^3H]spiperone$ was verified by Scatchard plot with (+) butaclamol as a specific inhibitor. $K_d\;and\;B_{max}$ values were estimated. The correlation between hNIS and $D_2R$ expression was compared by using each clone. Results: Similar quantities of hNIS and $D_2R$ genes were expressed on HEP-ND as RT-PCR assays. HEP-ND cells showed 30 to 40 fold higher radioiodine uptakes than those of parental SK-Hep1 cells. $^{125}I$ uptake in HEP-ND cells was completely inhibited by $KClO_4$, a NIS inhibitor Specific binding to HEP-ND cells was saturable and the $K_d\;and\;B_{max}$ values for HEP-ND cells were 2.92 nM, 745.25 fmol/mg protein and 2.91nM, 1323 fmole/mg protein in two clones, respectively. The radioiodine uptake by hNIS activity and $D_2R$ binding was highly correlated. Conclusion: We developed a dual positron and gamma imaging reporter system of hNIS and $D_2R$ in a stably transfected cell line. We expect that $D_2R$ and hNIS genes can complement mutually as a nuclear reporting system or that $D_2R$ can be used as reporter gene when hNIS gene were used as a treatment gene.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.376-379
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• 2005

Purpose : Mycoplasama pneumoniae is a leading cause of pneumonia and exacerbates other respiratory conditions such as asthma. Surfactant protein A(SP-A) is involved in surfactant physiology and surfactant structure, and plays a major role in innate host defense and inflammatory processes in the lung. In this study, SP-A mediated mycoplasma cidal activity. The candidate-gene approach was used to study the association between the SP-A gene locus and Mycoplasama pneumoniae pneumonia in the genetically homogeneous Korean population. Methods : PCR-cRFLP-based methodology was used to detect SP-A genotype. The forty nine children with Mycoplasama pneumoniae pneumonia were matched to 50 nomal neonates. Results : The specific frequencies for the alleles of the SP-A1 and SP-A2 gene in the study population were : $6A^2=21$ percent, $6A^3=45$ percent, $6A^4=11$ percent, $6A^8=9$ percent, $6A^{14}=8$ percent, 1A=11.3 percent, $1A^0=38$ percent, $1A^1=12.7$ percent, $1A^2=9.2$ percent, $1A^5=15.5$ percent, $1A^7=2.9$ percent, $1A^8=4.9$ percent, $1A^9=2.2$ percent, others=3.3 percent. The frequencies of specific genotypes such as $1A^2$ was higher than control group, significantly. Conclusion : $1A^2$ are susceptible factors for Mycoplasama pneumoniae pneumonia. We conclude that the SP-A gene locus($1A^2$) is an important determinant for predisposition to Mycoplasama pneumoniae pneumonia in children.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.1-11
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• 2001

New technologies will have a large impact on the discovery of new herbicide site of action. Genomics, combinatorial chemistry, and bioinformatics help take advantage of serendipity through tile sequencing of huge numbers of genes or the synthesis of large numbers of chemical compounds. There are approximately $10^{30}\;to\;10^{50}$ possible molecules in molecular space of which only a fraction have been synthesized. Combining this potential with having access to 50,000 plant genes in the future elevates tile probability of discovering flew herbicidal site of actions. If 0.1, 1.0 or 10% of total genes in a typical plant are valid for herbicide target, a plant with 50,000 genes would provide about 50, 500, and 5,000 targets, respectively. However, only 11 herbicide targets have been identified and commercialized. The successful design of novel herbicides depends on careful consideration of a number of factors including target enzyme selections and validations, inhibitor designs, and the metabolic fates. Biochemical information can be used to identify enzymes which produce lethal phenotypes. The identification of a lethal target site is an important step to this approach. An examination of the characteristics of known targets provides of crucial insight as to the definition of a lethal target. Recently, antisense RNA suppression of an enzyme translation has been used to determine the genes required for toxicity and offers a strategy for identifying lethal target sites. After the identification of a lethal target, detailed knowledge such as the enzyme kinetics and the protein structure may be used to design potent inhibitors. Various types of inhibitors may be designed for a given enzyme. Strategies for the selection of new enzyme targets giving the desired physiological response upon partial inhibition include identification of chemical leads, lethal mutants and the use of antisense technology. Enzyme inhibitors having agrochemical utility can be categorized into six major groups: ground-state analogues, group specific reagents, affinity labels, suicide substrates, reaction intermediate analogues, and extraneous site inhibitors. In this review, examples of each category, and their advantages and disadvantages, will be discussed. The target identification and construction of a potent inhibitor, in itself, may not lead to develop an effective herbicide. The desired in vivo activity, uptake and translocation, and metabolism of the inhibitor should be studied in detail to assess the full potential of the target. Strategies for delivery of the compound to the target enzyme and avoidance of premature detoxification may include a proherbicidal approach, especially when inhibitors are highly charged or when selective detoxification or activation can be exploited. Utilization of differences in detoxification or activation between weeds and crops may lead to enhance selectivity. Without a full appreciation of each of these facets of herbicide design, the chances for success with the target or enzyme-driven approach are reduced.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.123-127
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• 1978

The major objective of this research is to identify those hospital characteristics that best explain cost variation among hospitals and to formulate linear models that can predict hospital costs. Specific emphasis is placed on hospital output, that is, the identification of diagnosis related patient groups (DRGs) which are medically meaningful and demonstrate similar patterns of hospital resource consumption. A casemix index is developed based on the DRGs identified. Considering the common problems encountered in previous hospital cost research, the following study requirements are estab-lished for fulfilling the objectives of this research: 1. Selection of hospitals that exercise similar medical and fiscal practices. 2. Identification of an appropriate data collection mechanism in which demographic and medical characteristics of individual patients as well as accurate and comparable cost information can be derived. 3. Development of a patient classification system in which all the patients treated in hospitals are able to be split into mutually exclusive categories with consistent and stable patterns of resource consumption. 4. Development of a cost finding mechanism through which patient groups' costs can be made comparable across hospitals. A data set of Medicare patients prepared by the Social Security Administration was selected for the study analysis. The data set contained 27,229 record abstracts of Medicare patients discharged from all but one short-term general hospital in Connecticut during the period from January 1, 1971, to December 31, 1972. Each record abstract contained demographic and diagnostic information, as well as charges for specific medical services received. The 'AUT-OGRP System' was used to generate 198 DRGs in which the entire range of Medicare patients were split into mutually exclusive categories, each of which shows a consistent and stable pattern of resource consumption. The 'Departmental Method' was used to generate cost information for the groups of Medicare patients that would be comparable across hospitals. To fulfill the study objectives, an extensive analysis was conducted in the following areas: 1. Analysis of DRGs: in which the level of resource use of each DRG was determined, the length of stay or death rate of each DRG in relation to resource use was characterized, and underlying patterns of the relationships among DRG costs were explained. 2. Exploration of resource use profiles of hospitals; in which the magnitude of differences in the resource uses or death rates incurred in the treatment of Medicare patients among the study hospitals was explored. 3. Casemix analysis; in which four types of casemix-related indices were generated, and the significance of these indices in the explanation of hospital costs was examined. 4. Formulation of linear models to predict hospital costs of Medicare patients; in which nine independent variables (i. e., casemix index, hospital size, complexity of service, teaching activity, location, casemix-adjusted death. rate index, occupancy rate, and casemix-adjusted length of stay index) were used for determining factors in hospital costs. Results from the study analysis indicated that: 1. The system of 198 DRGs for Medicare patient classification was demonstrated not only as a strong tool for determining the pattern of hospital resource utilization of Medicare patients, but also for categorizing patients by their severity of illness. 2. The wei틴fed mean total case cost (TOTC) of the study hospitals for Medicare patients during the study years was $11,27.02 with a standard deviation of $117.20. The hospital with the highest average TOTC ($1538.15) was 2.08 times more expensive than the hospital with the lowest average TOTC ($743.45). The weighted mean per diem total cost (DTOC) of the study hospitals for Medicare patients during the sutdy years was $107.98 with a standard deviation of $15.18. The hospital with the highest average DTOC ($147.23) was 1.87 times more expensive than the hospital with the lowest average DTOC ($78.49). 3. The linear models for each of the six types of hospital costs were formulated using the casemix index and the eight other hospital variables as the determinants. These models explained variance to the extent of 68.7 percent of total case cost (TOTC), 63.5 percent of room and board cost (RMC), 66.2 percent of total ancillary service cost (TANC), 66.3 percent of per diem total cost (DTOC), 56.9 percent of per diem room and board cost (DRMC), and 65.5 percent of per diem ancillary service cost (DTANC). The casemix index alone explained approximately one half of interhospital cost variation: 59.1 percent for TOTC and 44.3 percent for DTOC. Thsee results demonstrate that the casemix index is the most importand determinant of interhospital cost variation Future research and policy implications in regard to the results of this study is envisioned in the following three areas: 1. Utilization of casemix related indices in the Medicare data systems. 2. Refinement of data for hospital cost evaluation. 3. Development of a system for reimbursement and cost control in hospitals.

• Korean journal of communication and information
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• v.17
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• pp.145-178
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• 2001

Bourdieu is one of the few social science researchers who were interested in photography. Bourdieu's work on photography appears principally in two books: Un art moyen: Essai sur les usagrs sociaux de la photographie(1965) and La distinction(1979). In these books, Bourdieu analyzes the role of photography in the family life of peasants and small town and urban dwellers. He shows how different classes and groups express their esthetic worldview in response to different photographs and photographic styles. What Bourdieu analyzed is not just photography but ways of photographing and ways of looking at pictures. Through these analyses, Bourdieu explores the social definition of photography. Bourdieu's ideas on photographic practice in social life are as follows. First, the photography, especially family photography generally practiced, has the integrative function. It recreates the group by ritualizing and solemnizing the important moments of social life in which the group reaffirms its unity. Second, the photography as esthetic practice in search of legitimacy as a fine art becomes a means by which different classes are pitted against each other. Each of classes gives its own meaning to photographic practice. Despite its originality and persuasive power, Bourdieu's work on photography has its own limits. The data used by Bourdieu are 35 years old and relevant to European social life. Things has changed since. First, the technological improvement and innovation in photography was considerable. Cheap and good photographic materials, easy to operate, made photographic practice everybody's everyday activity. New media like camcorder and digital camera made photography one of the industrial discards like jukebox. It means that photography does not function as important means of distinction between classes any longer. The integrative function of the photography becomes more ambiguous too. Second, the esthetic status of the photography has changed. The family photography was already integraed into fine art. Photography is not a middle-brow art any more. Bourdieu's work on photography shows how photography was used by different social classes in European social life of the 1960's. His work is historically and geographically limited. Moreover, his work was ordered by the french affiliate of Eastman Kodak Company. And all along the analysis, Bourdieu didn't hide his intention of distinguishing his sociological method from the other methods, especially psychological one. These mean that Bourdieu's work was done in a specific context, for specific purposes. In this respect, Bourdieu's work on photography, like every sociological work, can not claim to be universal.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.31-53
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to analyze how the elements of activating happiness education suggested by Noddings is reflected in the Home Economics part of Middle School Technology-Home Economics Textbook Volume 1 of 2009 Curriculum Revision. The introduction style of unit, sub-unit, and small chapter, the objectives, the body contents, the activity resources, the tables/diagrams/pictures, the supplementry and advancedl materials, and the wrap-up and evaluation of sub-unit and units of Home Economics part of Technology Home Economics textbook volume 1 were analyzed. Noddings suggested the elements for activating happiness education in five areas of personal life sector including 'home making', 'place and nature', 'parenting', 'chracter and spiriual experiences', and 'growth of interpersonal relationships' and two areas of public one including 'preperation for work' and 'community, democracy and voluntary activities'. The specific elements in seven sectors of activating happiness education were extracted using the content analysis. How the elements of those suggested by Noddings were reflected in the various parts of the textbook were analyzed in terms of the closeness of approaches, contents, and procedures between Noddings's and textbook. The major findings of this study were as follows: 1. The degree to which the elements of activating happiness education were reflected in the textbook differed by each unit. The elements of activating happiness education were reflected the most frequently in the unit of 'Understanding Adolescence' and the least frequently in the unit of 'Self-management of Adolescence'. 2. Although the elements of activating happiness education were generally reflected in all the elements of a textbook, these elements were relatively more reflected in the body contents and tables/diagrams/pictures.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.1772-1776
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• 2010

Transcription factors Nrf2 and NF-${\kappa}B$ are important regulators of the innate immune response, and their cross-talks in inflammation have been reported. Previously, we demonstrated that gold(I)-compound auranofin, an inhibitor of NF-${\kappa}B$ signal, induced Nrf2 activation in human synovial cells and monocytic cells. To investigate whether the Nrf2 activation is involved in the mechanism of the auranofin-attenuated NF-${\kappa}B$ signaling, we examined the effects of Nrf2 knockdown on NF-${\kappa}B$ activation using rheumatic synovial cells. When the cells were transfected with a specific siRNA for Nrf2, the gene expression was perfectly blocked. However, the Nrf2 knockdown did not cancel the suppressive effect of auranofin on TNF-$\alpha$-induced $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$ degradation. Treatment with a specific siRNA for HO-1, which is a target of Nrf2 and plays a role in anti-inflammation, also did not affect the blocking activity of auranofin on $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$ degradation. In addition, auranofin-inhibited ICAM-1 expression was not restored by Nrf2 knockdown. These findings indicate that the activated Nrf2 and HO-1 are not associated with the suppressive action of auranofin on the pro-inflammatory cytokines-stimulated NF-${\kappa}B$ activation. This suggests that Nrf2/HO-1 and NF-${\kappa}B$ signals, which are regulated by auranofin, participate in the anti-inflammatory action of auranofin via independent pathways in rheumatic synovial cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.11
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• pp.1259-1268
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• 2016

In this study, we investigated antimicrobial peptide from the acidified muscle extract of Mytilus coruscus, which mostly inhabits China, Japan, and Korea, to develop a natural product-derived antibiotics substitution in terms of its abuse and restriction. Antimicrobial peptide was purified by $C_{18}$ reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and was detected as having a molecular mass of 6,701 Da by MALDI-TOF/MS. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified peak was obtained from edman degradation, and 20 identified residues shown 100% identity with the N-terminus region of sperm-specific protein and protamine-like PL-II/PL-IV precursor of Mytilus californianus. We also identified 60 open-reading frame (ORF) encoding amino acids with 183 bp of purified peptide based on the obtained amino acid residues. The amino acid sequence of ORF showed 100% and the nucleotide sequence revealed 97.2% identity with the protamine-like PL-II/PL-IV precursor of Mytilus californianus. Synthesized antimicrobial peptide showed antimicrobial activity against gram-positive bacteria, including Bacillus cereus (minimal effective concentration [MEC], $20.8{\mu}g/ml$), Bacillus subtilis (MEC, $0.2{\mu}g/ml$), Streptococcus mutans (MEC, $0.2{\mu}g/ml$), gram-negative bacteria including Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MEC, $5.7{\mu}g/ml$), Escherichia coli (MEC, $2.6{\mu}g/ml$) and fungi, Candida albicans (MEC, $56.3{\mu}g/ml$). In addition, synthesized peptide showed stable activities under heat and salt conditions against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, but was inhibited by salt against only C. albicans. With these results, isolated peptide from M. coruscus could be an alternative agent to antibiotics for defending against pathogenic microorganisms, and helpful information to understand the innate immune system of marine invertebrates.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.320-334
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• 2000

Deep-sea surface sediment were analyzed for their geotechnical properties, and the sediment samples were collected with a multiple-corer from 31 stations along the track line (131$^{\circ}$30'W, 5-12$^{\circ}$N) in the northeast equatorial Paciflc. Most of the sediments from the northern part (8-12$^{\circ}$N) showed typical properties of siliceous sediments, whereas the southern part (5-6$^{\circ}$N) showed calcareous characteristics due to high biogenic carbonate productivity in the surface waters, where its water depth was shallower than the carbonate compensation depth (CCD: 4,400 m). Geotechnical properties changed sharply at the boundary of 7$^{\circ}$N. Calcareous sediments from the southern part had low water contents, low porosity, low shear strength, high bulk density and high specific grain density, whereas siliceous sediments from the northern part attained high water content, high porosity, high shear strength, low bulk density and low specific grain density. Higher sediment activities were observed in the northern sediment samples than the southern sediment samples. The core samples of the northern sediments were divided into a semi-liquid upper layer and a consolidated lower layer with a boundary at 5-8 cm. These sediment samples showed a rapid increasing pattern along the downcore in original shear strength when an opposite trend was observed in the southern samples. The results showed that sediment variabilities in geotechnical properties between the northern and southern parts such as productivities of surface water, grain solubility due to water depth variation, sedimentation rate, erosion and redistribution of sediment, and combined sedimentary processes were distinctly different along the latitude.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.2 s.66
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• pp.36-43
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• 2006

Objectives : Acupuncture has been widely applied to rehabilitation after stroke by Oriental medical doctors in Korea. It has been reported that acupuncture increased cerebral blood supply and stimulated the functional activity of brain nerve cells. In addition, a correlation between activation of specific areas of brain cortices and corresponding acupuncture stimulation at the therapeutic points had been well illustrated. rill now, however, there were few studies which evaluated a correlation between activation of specific areas of brain and frequently-used acupuncture therapy for stroke, such as LI4-LI11 electro-acupuncture (EA) for paresis after stroke. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of LI4-LI11 EA on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in normal volunteers using Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT). Methods : In the resting state, $^{99m}Tc-ECD$ brain SPECT scans were performed on 10 normal volunteers (8 males, 2 females, mean age $25.6{\pm}2.3$years; age range from 24 to 31 years). 7 days after the resting examination, 15 minutes of electro-acupuncture were applied at LI 4 and LI 11 on the right side of the subjects. Immediately after LI4-LI11 EA, the second SPECT images were obtained in the same manner as the resting state. Significant increases and decreases of regional cerebral blood flow after LI4-LI11 EA were estimated by comparing their SPECT images with those of the resting state using paired t statistics at every voxel, which were analyzed by Statistical parametric mapping with a threshold of p=0.001, uncorrected (extent threshold: k=100 voxels). Results : EA applied at right LI4-LI11 increased rCBF in right frontopolar area (Brodmann area 10) and left middle frontal area (Brodmann area 46). Interestingly, all the areas showing increased rCBF corresponded to the territories of both anterior cerebral arteries. However, LI4-11 EA decreased rCBF in the left occipital lobe (peristriate area, Brodmann area 19). Conclusions : The results demonstrated a correlation between LI4-11 EA and rCBF increase in the frontal lobes. It is also suggested that there may be a correlation between LI meridian and the territory of the anterior cerebral arterties.