• Molecules and Cells
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.228-235
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• 2008

Thiol-dependent redox systems are involved in regulation of diverse biological processes, such as response to stress, signal transduction, and protein folding. The thiol-based redox control is provided by mechanistically similar, but structurally distinct families of enzymes known as thiol oxidoreductases. Many such enzymes have been characterized, but identities and functions of the entire sets of thiol oxidoreductases in organisms are not known. Extreme sequence and structural divergence makes identification of these proteins difficult. Thiol oxidoreductases contain a redox-active cysteine residue, or its functional analog selenocysteine, in their active sites. Here, we describe computational methods for in silico prediction of thiol oxidoreductases in nucleotide and protein sequence databases and identification of their redox-active cysteines. We discuss different functional categories of cysteine residues, describe methods for discrimination between catalytic and noncatalytic and between redox and non-redox cysteine residues and highlight unique properties of the redox-active cysteines based on evolutionary conservation, secondary and three-dimensional structures, and sporadic replacement of cysteines with catalytically superior selenocysteine residues.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제57권1호
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• pp.37-42
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• 2017

Getah virus (GETV) infection causes sporadic outbreaks of mild febrile illness in horses and reproductive failure in pigs. In this study, we established a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method to detect GETV from suspected virus-infected samples. The reaction conditions were optimized and validated by using RNA extracted from GETV propagated in cell culture. A GETV-specific GED4 primer set was designed and used to amplify a 177 bp DNA fragment from a highly conserved region of the E1 glycoprotein gene in the GETV genome. RT-PCR performed with this primer set revealed high sensitivity and specificity. In the sensitivity test, the GED4 primer set detected GETV RNA at the level of $10^{2.0}\;TCID_{50}/mL$. In the specificity test, the GED4 primer set amplified only a single band of PCR product on the GETV RNA template, without non-specific amplification, and exhibited no cross-reactivity with other viral RNAs. These results suggest that this newly established RT-PCR method is useful for accurate identification of GETV infection in animals.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제24권2호
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• pp.167-176
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• 2007

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma ($PPAR{\gamma}$) is expressed at very high levels in the gastrointestinal epithelium. Many of the functions of $PPAR{\gamma}$ in gastrointestinal epithelial cells have been elucidated in recent years, and a pattern is emerging which suggests that this receptor plays an important role in gastrointestinal physiology. There is also strong evidence that $PPAR{\gamma}$ is a colon cancer suppressor in pre-clinical rodent models of sporadic colon cancer, and there is considerable interest in exploitation of $PPAR{\gamma}$ agonists as prophylactic or chemopreventive agents in colon cancer. Studies in mice and in human colon cancer cell lines suggest several mechanisms that might account for the tumor suppressive effects of $PPAR{\gamma}$ agonists, although it is not in all cases clear whether these effects are altogether mediated by $PPAR{\gamma}$. Conversely, several reports suggest that $PPAR{\gamma}$ agonists may promote colon cancer under certain circumstances. This possibility warrants considerable attention since several million individuals with type II diabetes are currently taking $PPAR{\gamma}$ agonists. This review will focus on recent data related to four critical questions: what is the physiological function of $PPAR{\gamma}$ in gastrointestinal epithelial cells; how does $PPAR{\gamma}$ suppress colon carcinogenesis; is $PPAR{\gamma}$ a tumor promoter; and what is the future of $PPAR{\gamma}$ in colon cancer prevention?

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.69-80
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• 2017

In this study, cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) producer isolates genome were compared with genome of pathogenic and commensal Escherichia coli strains. Conserved genomic signatures among different types of CDT producer E. coli strains were assessed. It was shown that they could be used as biomarkers for research purposes and clinical diagnosis by polymerase chain reaction, or in vaccine development. cdt genes and several other genetic biomarkers were identified as signature sequences in CDT producer strains. The identified signatures include several individual phage proteins (holins, nucleases, and terminases, and transferases) and multiple members of different protein families (the lambda family, phage-integrase family, phage-tail tape protein family, putative membrane proteins, regulatory proteins, restriction-modification system proteins, tail fiber-assembly proteins, base plate-assembly proteins, and other prophage tail-related proteins). In this study, a sporadic phylogenic pattern was demonstrated in the CDT-producing strains. In conclusion, conserved signature proteins in a wide range of pathogenic bacterial strains can potentially be used in modern vaccine-design strategies.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제36권3호
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• pp.183-191
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• 2019

Some patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) present with cognitive dysfunctions. The pathophysiology underlying this complication is not well understood. Type 1 DM has been associated with a decrease in the speed of information processing, psychomotor efficiency, attention, mental flexibility, and visual perception. Longitudinal epidemiological studies of type 1 DM have indicated that chronic hyperglycemia and microvascular disease, rather than repeated severe hypoglycemia, are associated with the pathogenesis of DM-related cognitive dysfunction. However, severe hypoglycemic episodes may contribute to cognitive dysfunction in high-risk patients with DM. Type 2 DM has been associated with memory deficits, decreased psychomotor speed, and reduced frontal lobe/executive function. In type 2 DM, chronic hyperglycemia, long duration of DM, presence of vascular risk factors (e.g., hypertension and obesity), and microvascular and macrovascular complications are associated with the increased risk of developing cognitive dysfunction. The pathophysiology of cognitive dysfunction in individuals with DM include the following: (1) role of hyperglycemia, (2) role of vascular disease, (3) role of hypoglycemia, and (4) role of insulin resistance and amyloid. Recently, some investigators have proposed that type 3 DM is correlated to sporadic Alzheimer's disease. The molecular and biochemical consequences of insulin and insulin-like growth factor resistance in the brain compromise neuronal survival, energy production, gene expression, plasticity, and white matter integrity. If patients claim that their performance is worsening or if they ask about the effects of DM on functioning, screening and assessment are recommended.

• 한국지형학회지
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.21-35
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• 2018

The distribution and size of sandy beaches along eastern Korea has a close relationship with the presence of granite rocks. In general, elongated and wide beaches with abundant sands are likely to develop along the coasts where granitic basic rocks comprise the dominant geology or where a large amount of sands are supplied by streams from inland granitic rocks. Small sandy beaches, in contrast, appear in non-granitic rocks (i.e., under sedimentary and/or metamorphic geology). Hence, large beaches are observed continuously along the shore of Gangwon-do, of which coasts consist predominantly of granitic geology. Such continuity declines from Samcheok city to Pohang city. The rock of Gyeonbuk-do is commonly known as sedimentary, deposited between the late Triassic and the early Tertiary Periods. Because few sands are supplied from the upstream areas, sandy beaches unlikely develop along the coasts of the province, only showing a sporadic, discontinuous distribution under Bulguksa granite, granitic gneiss, and some volcanic rocks. Erosion was rarely observed in the beaches where granitic rocks are distributed, whereas merely five beaches seemed to have undergone some level of erosion in non-granitic regions. This is presumably because a larger amount of sands than that which had been eroded away was replenished in areas under granitic geology, while under non-granitic geology having a deficit in sands, no large sandy beaches had formed at first.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제67권1호
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• pp.122-129
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• 2024

Paragangliomas are rare neuroendocrine tumors that are usually benign in nature. They may be either familial or sporadic in their occurrence. Numerous neuroendocrine tumors are collectively included under the umbrella of paragangliomas. Among them, carotid body tumors and glomus jugulare tumors are extremely rare. Thus, we present a rare case of 29-year-old male who was admitted with hearing difficulties and tinnitus in the left ear, with swelling on the left side of the neck. Based on clinical and radiological findings, a diagnosis of left-sided glomus jugulare with carotid body tumor was made. The patient underwent a two-stage surgery with an interval of approximately 2 months. Histopathology revealed a paraganglioma. Herein, we present the clinical features, imaging findings, management, and a brief review of literature on the classification, evaluation, and management of carotid body and glomus jugulare tumors. Paraganglioma is a slow-growing tumor. The synchronous occurrence of carotid body and glomus jugulare tumors is infrequent. Microsurgical resection remains the primary treatment modality. Therefore, our patient underwent two-stage surgery. The rarity of occurrence and the proximity and adherence to vital neurovascular structures have resulted in the treatment of paragangliomas remaining a challenge.

• 한국산학기술학회논문지
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• 제20권6호
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• pp.472-482
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• 2019

본 논문은 수중용 TAS윈치 전개/회수 성능 안정화 방안에 대한 내용을 서술하고 있다. TAS윈치는 함미에 장착되어 자함과 이격되어 운용되는 센서, 예인케이블 및 꼬리로프의 전개/회수 기능을 수행하고, TAS에 대한 전원공급 경로, 수중환경 정보 및 수신된 음향신호 송/수신을 위한 데이터 전송 경로 제공 역할을 수행한다. TAS윈치 시험평가 과정에서 간헐적으로 TAS 전개 중 멈춤현상 및 회전속도 변동현상이 식별되었다. TAS 전개/회수에 필요한 토크를 제공하는 구성요소인 윈치모터에 대한 고장분석 결과, 구성품 중 회전자의 정렬 틀어짐으로 인한 편심현상에 따른 자기장 왜곡이 발생한 것을 확인하였다. 자기장 왜곡 발생 방지를 위해 윈치모터 회전자 및 슬립링 등 윈치모터 구성품의 고정성 향상 방안을 제안하였다. 제안된 방안에 대한 신뢰성 확보를 위해 LBTS 환경에서 TAS윈치 운용환경을 모사하여 TAS윈치 전개/회수 성능을 검증하였다. 최종적으로 TAS윈치 전개/회수 성능 뿐만 아니라 해상에서 TAS윈치를 운용할 경우 요구되는 함 속력 및 타각별 TAS 지속 운용능력과 같은 여러 가지 항목에 대한 해상 시험평가를 수행함으로써 설계 요구조건 만족 및 제안 방안에 대한 타당성을 검증하였다.

• Journal of Communications and Networks
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.52-66
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• 2010

Since large objects consume substantial resources, web proxy caching incurs a fundamental trade-off between performance (i.e., hit-ratio and latency) and overhead (i.e., resource usage), in terms of caching and relaying large objects to users. This paper investigates how and to what extent the current dedicated-server based web proxy caching scheme is affected by large file transfers in a high bandwidth campus network environment. We use a series of trace-based performance analyses and profiling of various resource components in our experimental squid proxy cache server. Large file transfers often overwhelm our cache server. This causes a bottleneck in a web network, by saturating the network bandwidth of the cache server. Due to the requests for large objects, response times required for delivery of concurrently requested small objects increase, by a factor as high as a few million, in the worst cases. We argue that this cache bandwidth bottleneck problem is due to the fundamental limitations of the current centralized web proxy caching model that scales poorly when there are a limited amount of dedicated resources. This is a serious threat to the viability of the current web proxy caching model, particularly in a high bandwidth access network, since it leads to sporadic disconnections of the downstream access network from the global web network. We propose a peer-to-peer cooperative web caching scheme to address the cache bandwidth bottleneck problem. We show that it performs the task of caching and delivery of large objects in an efficient and cost-effective manner, without generating significant overheads for participating peers.

• Intestinal research
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.75-82
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• 2017

Background/Aims: Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH), and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGEs-1) regulate prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) expression and are involved in colon carcinogenesis. We investigated the expression of $PGE_2$ and its regulating genes in sporadic human colon tumors and matched normal tissues. Methods: Twenty colonic adenomas and 27 colonic adenocarcinomas were evaluated. COX-2 and 15-PGDH expression was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The expression of $PGE_2$ and mPGEs-1 was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blotting, respectively. Results: The expression of COX-2, mPGEs-1, and $PGE_2$ did not differ between the adenomas and matched distant normal tissues. 15-PGDH expression was lower in adenomas than in the matched normal colonic tissues (P<0.001). In adenocarcinomas, mPGEs-1 and $PGE_2$ expression was significantly higher (P<0.001 and P=0.020, respectively), and COX-2 expression did not differ from that in normal tissues (P=0.207). 15-PGDH expression was significantly lower in the normal colonic mucosa from adenocarcinoma patients than in the normal mucosa from adenoma patients (P=0.018). Conclusions: Early inactivation of 15-PGDH, followed by activation of COX-2 and mPGEs-1, contributes to $PGE_2$ production, leading to colon carcinogenesis. 15-PGDH might be a novel candidate marker for early detection of field defects in colon carcinogenesis.