A single-domain antibody library based on a stability-engineered human VH3 scaffold.

Using conventional immunoglobulin G (IgG) molecules as therapeutic agents presents several well-known disadvantages owing to their large size and structural complexity, negatively impacting development and production efficiency. Single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) are the smallest functional antibody format (~ 15 kDa) and represent a viable alternative to IgG in many applications. However, unlike natural single-domain antibodies, such as camelid VH, the variable domains of conventional antibodies show poor physicochemical properties when expressed as sdAbs.

A novel methanotroph in the genus Methylomonas that contains a distinct clade of soluble methane monooxygenase.

Aerobic methane oxidation is a key process in the global carbon cycle that acts as a major sink of methane. In this study, we describe a novel methanotroph designated EMGL16-1 that was isolated from a freshwater lake using the floating filter culture technique. Based on a phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences, the isolate was found to be closely related to the genus Methylomonas in the family Methylococcaceae of the class Gammaproteobacteria with 94.

Kiloniella antarctica sp. nov., isolated from a polynya of Amundsen Sea in Western Antarctic Sea.

A taxonomic study was conducted on strain soj2014T, which was isolated from the surface water of a polynya in the Antarctic Sea. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain soj2014T belongs to the family Kiloniellaceae and is closely related to Kiloniella spongiae MEBiC09566T, 'Kiloniella litopenaei' P1-1T and Kiloniella laminariae LD81T (98.0 %, 97.

Characterisation of inorganic elements and volatile organic compounds in the dried sea cucumber Stichopus japonicus.

The sea cucumber Stichopus japonicus lives in a variety of marine habitats and is an important cultivated edible aquatic species in East Asia. In this study, S. japonicus, collected from the sea near Jeju Island of Korea, was lyophilised or vacuum-dried and then analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) or inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).

Academic stress levels were positively associated with sweet food consumption among Korean high-school students.

Objective: The objectives of the present study were to identify the association among levels of persistent academic stress, appetite, and dietary habits and to determine the specific types of sweet foods consumed by Korean high-school students according to their academic stress levels.

Methods: The study participants included 333 high-school students in the 10th to 12th grades in Kyunggi Province, Korea. The level of academic stress was scored with a 75-item academic stress scale and was categorized as high, medium, or low.

Construction of a large synthetic human scFv library with six diversified CDRs and high functional diversity.

Antibody phage display provides a powerful and efficient tool for the discovery and development of monoclonal antibodies for therapeutic and other applications. Antibody clones from synthetic libraries with optimized design features have several distinct advantages that include high stability, high levels of expression, and ease of downstream optimization and engineering. In this study, a fully synthetic human scFv library with six diversified CDRs was constructed by polymerase chain reaction assembly of overlapping oligonucleotides.

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oil from cones of Pinus koraiensis.

The essential oil from the cones of Pinus koraiensis was prepared after removing the seeds, and its chemical composition analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Hydrodistillation of the P. koraiensis cones yielded 1.

Amygdalin suppresses lipopolysaccharide-induced expressions of cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase in mouse BV2 microglial cells.

Background: Amygdalin (D-mandelonitrile-beta-D-gentiobioside) is a cynogenic compound found in sweet and bitter almonds, Persicae semen and Armeniacae semen. Amygdalin has been used for the treatment of cancers and for the relief of the pain. We made an aqueous extraction of amygdalin from Armeniacae semen.

Amygdalin induces apoptosis through regulation of Bax and Bcl-2 expressions in human DU145 and LNCaP prostate cancer cells.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common non-skin cancers in men. Amygdalin is one of the nitrilosides, natural cyanide-containing substances abundant in the seeds of plants of the prunasin family that have been used to treat cancers and relieve pain. In particular, D-amygdalin (D-mandelonitrile-beta-D-gentiobioside) is known to exhibit selective killing effect on cancer cells.

Maternal swimming during pregnancy enhances short-term memory and neurogenesis in the hippocampus of rat pups.

In the present study, the effects of maternal swimming during pregnancy on the short-term memory ability, hippocampal neurogenesis, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA expression of rat pups were investigated. After confirming their pregnancy, the pregnant rats were divided into two groups: the control group and the swimming group. From the 15th day of pregnancy until delivery, pregnant rats were subcutaneously injected with 100mg/kg of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) once a day at 30min before the starting of swimming exercise.

Early treadmill exercise decreases intrastriatal hemorrhage-induced neuronal cell death and increases cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus of streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemic rats.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a severe complication in diabetic patients. Currently, physical exercise is recommended as a behavioral intervention to promote functional recovery in brain diseases, including ICH. Recently, hyperglycemia is known to aggravate brain injury in experimental ICH.

Maternal ethanol administration inhibits 5-hydroxytryptamine synthesis and tryptophan hydroxylase expression in the dorsal raphe of rat offspring.

Maternal ethanol consumption during pregnancy has a detrimental effect on the central nervous system (CNS) development of fetus. 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is an important neurotransmitter and/or neuromodulator in the mammalian CNS. Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) is the rate limiting enzyme of 5-HT synthesis.

Liuweidihuang-tang improves spatial memory function and increases neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus in rats.

The aqueous extract of Liuweidihuang-tang given to rats at doses of 100 mg/kg/day for 10 days induced a reduction in the frequency of error and increased neurogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. Our data suggest that Liuweidihuang-tang improves spatial learning ability by increasing neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus.

Armeniacae semen extract suppresses lipopolysaccharide-induced expressions of cyclooxygenase [correction of cycloosygenase]-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase in mouse BV2 microglial cells.

Armeniacae semen is the seed of Prunus armeniaca L. var. ansu MAXIM which is classified into Rosaceae.