• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.170-177
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• 2006

Objectives : Disturbances of serotonergic system might be related to the possible mechanism of social phobia. This study was to investigate the association of serotonin transporter gene and social phobia. Methods : Sixty nine patients with social phobia(51 male(73.9%), mean age $35.17{\pm}11.89$ years) and seventy four normal controls(54 male(73.0%), mean age $33.46{\pm}9.63$ years) were tested for serotonin transporter gene-linked polymorphic region(5-HTTLPR) polymorphism. Additionally, patients were grouped into 46 generalized(GEN) and 23 nongeneralized(NGEN) subgroups and 5-HTTLPR polymorphism was compared with that of normal controls. The genotypes and allele frequencies of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism between social phobia and the control group were compared. Genomic DNA was extracted from their blood and 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms were determined by using polymerase chain reaction. Results : Significant association was observed between the S(ss) genotype and social phobia, by functional classification(p=.010). In allele frequency analysis, a significant association was also observed between the short allele and social phobia(p=.030). A significant associations between S genotype and each subgroup were observed(GEN p=.045 ; NGEN p=.033), but there were no differences in allele frequency. And, no differences in genotype and allele distribution between two subgroups were found. Conclusion : The results in our Korean sample suggest that S genotype of 5-HTTLPR may be associated with social phobia and s allele may be an important genetic factor that activates social phobic symptoms. But, further studies including large number of samples are necessary to elucidate these present findings.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.35-45
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• 2012

The development of digital media made the change of architectural paradigm from tectonic to the surface and pattern. This means the transition to the new kind of materiality and the resurrection of ornament. This study started as an aim to apply biological pattern to architectural design from the new perception of pattern. Architectural patterns in the early era appeared as ladders, steps, chains, trees, vortices. But since 21st century, we can find patterns in nature like atoms and molecular structures, fluid forms of dynamics and new geometrical pattern like fractal and first of all biological patterns like viruses and micro-organisms, Voronoi cells, DNA structure, rhizomes and various hybrids and permutations of these. Pattern became one of the most important elements and themes of contemporary architecture through the change of materiality and resurrection of ornament with the new perception of surface in architecture. One of the patterns that give new creative availability to the architectural design is biological pattern which is self-organized as an optimum form through interaction with environment. Biological patterns emerge mostly as self-replicating patterns through morphogenesis, certain geometrical patterns(in particular triangles, pentagons, hexagons and spirals). The architectural application methods of biological patterns are direct figural pattern of organism, circle pattern, polygon pattern, energy-material control pattern, differentiation pattern, parametric pattern, growth principle pattern, evolutionary ecologic pattern. These patterns can be utilized as practical architectural patterns through the use of computer programs as morphogenetic programs like L-system, MoSS program and genetic algorithm programs like Grasshoper, Generative Components with the help of computing technology like mapping and scripting.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.843-852
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• 2018

Objectives: The study aimed to isolate the abundant bacteria in dental caries in children and to investigate the bacterial species involved in addition to those that have been previously reported. Methods: The specimens were collected from the supragingival plaques of each dental caries area, pit and fissure caries, deep dentinal caries, smooth surface caries, and dental caries, and from healthy subjects in the control group. Bacteria were cultured from these specimens, DNA was extracted from the isolated bacteria, and the 16S rRNA gene sequences were analyzed and identified. Results: Based on the results of the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis for the 90 strains of dominant bacteria from the 45 specimens, 5, 7, 8, 7, and 13 species were identified from the supragingival plaques from healthy teeth, pit and fissure caries, deep dentinal caries, smooth surface caries, and dental caries, respectively. In healthy teeth, Actinomyces naeslundii dominated. Corynebacterium durum, Ralstonia pickettii, and Streptococcus intermedius showed equal distribution. The dominant bacterial species in dental caries, S. sanguinis, showed the greatest difference in prevalence in pit and fissure caries. In deep dentinal caries, S. mutans and Lactobacillus rhamnosus were dominant; in smooth surface caries, S. mutans and S. sanguinis were dominant; and in the supragingival plaques of dental caries, S. sanguinis and S. mutans were dominant. Conclusions: The bacterial species isolated from dental caries encompassed four phyla, eight genera, and 22 species. In addition, the SS1-2 strain, belonging to the genus Neisseria, was identified as a new species from among the isolated strains.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.285-292
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• 2018

This study was performed in order to identify the red tide-causing organism and to understand the characteristics of the water quality during the winter of 2015 and 2016 in the Oncheon stream, a tidal river in Busan, where red tide often occurs in the wintertime. Two sites were selected on the stream and the surface water was sampled a total of 28 times during the experimental period. Twelve water quality characteristics, including water temperature, pH, DO, COD, total-N (T-N), total-P (T-P), and salinity were analyzed in order to test water quality. The cell numbers of cryptomonads were counted directly by microscopic observation. The nucleotide sequences of the partial 28S rRNA gene and psbA gene from metagenomic DNA, derived from each sampling site, were analyzed. According to the results, the alga most responsible for the bloom was identified as Teleaulax OC1 sp., which belongs to the cryptomonads. Three items of chl-a, pH, and DO were positively correlated with the cell numbers of the cryptomonads counted at the upper stream of the tidal area (St 1) while eight items of chl-a, TOC, BOD, total-N, COD, SS, pH, and DO were positively correlated with the cells located at the junction between the stream and Su-young river (St 2) in the order.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.378-386
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• 2001

A purified histone Hl protein, p961, which plays a role in mediating the condensation of DNA into chromatin, was recently proved as an arthritis-suppressing agent in the mouse CIA model. The pharmacokinetics of p961 was carried out in rats and rabbits. The rat's blood, bile and urine samples were serially collected from the femoral vein, common bile duct, and bladder respectively, after bolus i.v. injection at low (10 mg/kg) and high (30 mg/mg) doses. The rabbit's blood samples were also collected from the marginal ear vein after bolus i.v. injection at a dose 10 mg/kg. p961 and its major metabolite in the physiological samples were analyzed by reverse-phase HPLC using a Yydac C4 protein column and a multistep water-acetonitrile gradient containing 0.24% trifluoroacetic acid. The major pharmacokinetic parameters (AUC, $C_{max}$, MRT, $t_{1}$2/, $V_{ss}$ and Cl) were estimated from the time course of plasma p961 and metabolite concentrations using WinNonlin. A two-compartment model was chosen for p961 as the most appropriate pharmacokinetic model. After i.v. injection of p961 at doses of 10 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg, more than 80% of p961 was removed rapidly from the plasma within 15 min. The plasma half-life of p961 in rats and rabbits was found not to exceed 12 min. p961 (22448.9 mol wt) was rapidly cleaved to 21612 mot wt fragment and the breakdown product appeared rapidly in the circulation with no lag phase. p961 and metabolite were not detected in rat urine and bile....

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.650-657
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• 2020

We conducted a phylogeographic analysis of Korean endemic Zacco koreanus populations inhabiting the East-flowing river (Gangneung Yeongokcheon; GY, Yangyang Namdaecheon; YN), the Han River (Seomgang; SG, Soksacheon; SS), and the Nakdong River(Gilancheon; GA) using the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene (619 bp). Population genetic analysis was further performed to assess the population connectivity for the GY river where there is a large number of human-made artificial weirs with several fishways. The phylogeographic analysis revealed that while the populations of the East-flowing river and those of the Han River formed a monophyletic lineage, the Nakdong River individuals represented a distinct lineage with 3.7-4.2% (mean=4.0%) genetic distance from the other lineages. The population genetic analysis of the GY showed that a mid-stream population harbored relatively higher mitochondrial diversity relative to up- and down-stream populations, and there was no genetic differentiation between these three populations. The latter findings might suggest high genetic connectivity between the populations via genetic flow along the fishways. However, an analysis using faster-evolving genetic markers, such as microsatellites, is needed to confirm the findings of high population connectivity. Our study suggests the possibility of the presence of cryptic species in Z. koreanus in the Nakdong River basin. However, further study with more individual samples as well as additional markers or even more advanced genomic tools is required to test our hypothesis. Ecological or phenotypic analyses should be conducted to test whether the observed Nakdong River lineage represents a different or cryptic species, or simply hidden, but excessive, intraspecific diversity.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.267-273
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• 1993

We screened promoters inducible by superoxide radical from Escherichia coli. For this. we constructed random promoter library from E. coli MG 1655 using a promoter-probing plasmid. pJAC4. Six hundred and sixty clones in this library were classified based on their promoter strength by ampicillin gradient plate assay. Three hundred and eighty three clones with relatively weak to medium promoter strength were selected and then screened for their inducibility by superoxide radical on ampicillin gradient plate containing paraquat. Three clones (clones 5. 15 and 34) were detected to be induced by paraquat treatment and the level of induction were between 1.4 and 4 folds. Comparison of nucleotide sequences of the cloned promoter fragment with registered sequences in GENBANK and EMBL databases suggests that the cloned DNA fragments have not been yet characterized in E. coli. Transcription start sites in these clones were determined by rrimer extension and S I nuclease protection analysis. S 1 analysis of clones 5 and IS indicated that the mRNA levels were increased by paraquat treatment. Especially. clone 5 \vas found to have two transcription start sites. the upstream start site of which was selectively used by paraquat treatment. Searching for promoter clements. we found that only the downstream promoter of clone 5 has -10 and - 35 promoter elements recognized by RNA polymerase ($E\sigma^{70}$) and the others have no conserved promoter elements. This suggests that these superoxideinducible promoters may require transcription initiation protein(s) other than $E\sigma^{70}$.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.361-369
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• 1994

To study the light-induced expression mechanism and protein transport into the chloroplast, a rice genomic clone (GrbcS) for the small subunit of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (rbcS) was isolated and its nucleotide sequence was determined. Nucleotide sequence analysis of GrbcS revealed that the gene consists of two exons interrupted by an intron, encoding a protein of 175 amino acids including a transit peptide of 47 amino acids. These structural features of GrbcS are consistent with those of other rbcS genes from monocot species. Genomic Southern blot analysis suggested that the rbcS genes are present as a relatively small multigene family in the rice genome. Comparison of the nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences to other rice rbcSs shows close sequence similaritiy. Conserved DNA sequences present in other light-responsive genes are also found in the 5’ upstream region of GrbcS such as G-box, 3AF1-binding site and GATA site. The possible function of these putative regulatory elements are discussed.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.59 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2016

Chlorine dioxide has been used for a disinfectant by exhibiting antimicrobial activity and is also potent to kill insect pests infesting stored grains. This study aimed to extend the usefulness of chlorine dioxide with respect to anticancer and antiviral activities. Cytotoxicity of chlorine dioxide was assessed against five different human cancer cell lines. Chlorine dioxide exhibited significant cytotoxicity against two breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231) and three colorectal cancer cell lines (LoVo, HCT-116, SW-480). This cytotoxicity appeared to be associated with the capacity of chlorine dioxide to induce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Compared to control insect cell lines, the cancer cell lines possessed much higher levels of ROS. On the other hand, a treatment of an antioxidant, vitamin E, significantly reduced the cytotoxicity, suggesting that the cytotoxicity was induced by high levels of ROS production. Chlorine dioxide exhibited antiviral activity against different viruses. A baculovirus, Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcNPV), is a dsDNA insect virus and lost its viral activity to form polyhedral viral particles in response to chlorine dioxide. The antiviral activity against AcNPV was dependent on the incubation time with chlorine dioxide. Tobacco mosaic virus is a ssRNA plant virus and was reduced in its population after exposure to chlorine dioxide along with significant decrease of viral symptoms. These results indicate that chlorine dioxide possesses anticancer and antiviral activities probably due to its inducing activity of ROS production.