Assessment of Escherichia coli-derived Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenic Protein-2 on Fertilization and Early Embryonic Development in Rats.

Objective: Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) impacts fertility in women by affecting the menstrual cycle and embryonic development. We aimed to determine the reproductive toxicity of Escherichia coli (E. coli)-derived recombinant human BMP-2 (rhBMP-2) by measuring changes in the reproductive performance and organs in rhBMP-2-treated rats.

Divergent substrate specificities and regioselectivities of three lipase isoforms from Cordyceps militaris: Combinatorial advantages for entomopathogenicity and prospects as biocatalysts.

Cordyceps militaris, an entomopathogenic Cordyceps mushroom, is a crucial ethnopharmacological agricultural product with applications in traditional oriental remedies in East Asia. Since lipases are reported to serve as key enzymatic equipment for entomopathogenic fungi during the host infection, the presence of various lipases with different biochemical features in C. militaris was elucidated.

Modulation of osteogenic differentiation by Escherichia coli-derived recombinant bone morphogenetic protein-2.

Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2), a key regulator of osteogenesis, induces the differentiation of mesenchymal cells into cartilage or bone tissues. Early orthopedic and dental studies often used mammalian cell-derived rhBMP-2, especially Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. However, CHO cell-derived rhBMP-2 (C-rhBMP-2) presents disadvantages such as high cost and low production yield.

PRMT6-mediated H3R2me2a guides Aurora B to chromosome arms for proper chromosome segregation.

The kinase Aurora B forms the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) together with Borealin, INCENP, and Survivin to mediate chromosome condensation, the correction of erroneous spindle-kinetochore attachments, and cytokinesis. Phosphorylation of histone H3 Thr3 by Haspin kinase and of histone H2A Thr120 by Bub1 concentrates the CPC at the centromere. However, how the CPC is recruited to chromosome arms upon mitotic entry is unknown.

Potential ecotoxicological effects of elevated bicarbonate ion concentrations on marine organisms.

Recently, a novel method for carbon capture and storage has been proposed, which converts gaseous CO into aqueous bicarbonate ions (HCO), allowing it to be deposited into the ocean. This alkalinization method could be used to dispose large amounts of CO without acidifying seawater pH, but there is no information on the potential adverse effects of consequently elevated HCO concentrations on marine organisms. In this study, we evaluated the ecotoxicological effects of elevated concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) (max 193 mM) on 10 marine organisms.

Preliminary study on Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound system For neuromodulation.

A Prototype Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound for brain targeting in a rat model was developed and tested. Accordingly, were evaluated low intensity focused ultrasound accuracy and performance. By utilizing the Rat Brain, no death or necrosis of cells, it was confirmed that the energy is gathered at that targeted.

Effects and Satisfaction of Medical Device Safety Information Reporting System Using Electronic Medical Record.

Objectives: This paper describes an evaluation study on the effectiveness of developing an in-hospital medical device safety information reporting system for managing safety information, including adverse incident data related to medical devices, following the enactment of the Medical Device Act in Korea.

Methods: Medical device safety information reports were analyzed for 190 cases that took place prior to the application of a medical device safety information reporting system and during a period when the reporting system was used. Also, questionnaires were used to measure the effectiveness of the medical device safety information reporting system.

Role of 14-3-3 sigma in over-expression of P-gp by rifampin and paclitaxel stimulation through interaction with PXR.

In this study, we presented the role of 14-3-3σ to activate CK2-Hsp90β-PXR-MDR1 pathway on rifampin and paclitaxel treated LS174T cells and in vivo LS174T cell-xenografted nude mouse model. Following several in vitro and in vivo experiments, rifampin and paclitaxel were found to be stimulated the CK2-Hsp90β-PXR-MDR1 pathway. Of the proteins in this pathway, Pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a representative transcription factor of multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1).

Prediction Forecast for Culex tritaeniorhynchus Populations in Korea.

Objectives: Japanese encephalitis is considered as a secondary legal infectious disease in Korea and is transmitted by mosquitoes in the summer season. The purpose of this study was to predict the ratio of Culex tritaeniorhynchus to all the species of mosquitoes present in the study regions.

Methods: From 1999 to 2012, black light traps were installed in 10 regions in Korea (Busan, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungbuk, Chungnam, Jeonbuk, Jeonnam, Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, and Jeju) to capture mosquitoes for identification and classification under a dissecting microscope.

Isolation and characterization of fenobucarb-degrading bacteria from rice paddy soils.

Forty-five fenobucarb-degrading bacteria were isolated from rice paddy soils, and their genetic and phenotypic characteristics were investigated. The isolates were able to utilize fenobucarb as a sole source of carbon and energy. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that all the isolates were related to members of the genera Sphingobium and Novosphingobium.

Syntrophic biodegradation of butachlor by Mycobacterium sp. J7A and Sphingobium sp. J7B isolated from rice paddy soil.

Two bacterial strains involved in syntrophic degradation of chloroacetamide herbicide butachlor were isolated from a rice paddy soil. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the two isolates were related to members of the genera Mycobacterium and Sphingobium, respectively. Thus, a pair consisted of Mycobacterium sp.

PRMT6 overexpression upregulates TSP-1 and downregulates MMPs: its implication in motility and invasion.

In this study, we investigate the molecular mechanism by which protein arginine methyltransferase 6 (PRMT6) exerts anti-invasiveness effect against breast cancer cells and prostate cancer cells. PRMT6 has been known to be responsible for asymmetric dimethylation of histone H3 at R2 (H3R2me2a). To investigate the biological role of PRMT6, we first established stable cell lines expressing GFP-PRMT6 with MCF7 and PC3 cells.

Anti-mitotic potential of 7-diethylamino-3(2'-benzoxazolyl)-coumarin in 5-fluorouracil-resistant human gastric cancer cell line SNU620/5-FU.

In this study, we investigate an anti-mitotic potential of the novel synthetic coumarin-based compound, 7-diethylamino-3(2'-benzoxazolyl)-coumarin, in 5-fluorouracil-resistant human gastric cancer cell line SNU-620-5FU and its parental cell SNU-620. It exerts the anti-proliferative effects with similar potencies against both cancer cells, which is mediated by destabilization of microtubules and subsequent mitotic arrest. Furthermore, this compound enhances caspase-dependent apoptotic cell death via decreased expression of anti-apoptotic genes.

Facile fabrication of transparent superhydrophobic surfaces by spray deposition.

Herein, we present a one-step facile spray-deposition process for fabricating a new superhydrophobic surface with a novel statistical copolymer. The polymeric material is relatively inexpensive, easily prepared, transparent, solvent-processable, very simple, and applicable to rugged substrates. The materials presented herein also feature a near-perfect superhydrophobic surface with a static water contact angle of 178° and a transmittance of higher than 75% at 550 nm wavelength.

Involvement of HDAC1 in E-cadherin expression in prostate cancer cells; its implication for cell motility and invasion.

In this study, we investigate the molecular mechanism by which histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors exert anti-invasiveness effect against prostate cancer cells. We first evaluate the growth inhibition effect of HDAC inhibitors in prostate cancer cells, which is accompanied by induction of p21(WAF1) expression and accumulation of acetylated histones. And we found that the migration and invasion of prostate cancer cells is strongly inhibited by treatment with HDAC inhibitors.

HDAC inhibitors downregulate MRP2 expression in multidrug resistant cancer cells: implication for chemosensitization.

Although histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are emerging as a promising class of cancer chemotherapeutic agents, their effects on multidrug resistance (MDR) are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated whether HDAC inhibitors overcome MDR phenotype. HDAC inhibitors suppress the growth of both MDR positive cancer cells KBV20C and its parental cells KB with similar potencies.

20-Year-Follow up of Treatment Using Spine Osteotomy and Halo-pelvic Traction for Tuberculous Kyphosis - A Case Report -.

A 23-year-old male whose medical history included tuberculous spondylitis presented with a kyphotic deformity and incomplete paraplegia of twenty days duration. Preoperative radiographs demonstrated a T12-L4 kyphotic Cobb's angle of 100 degrees with a complete block showing on the lumbar myelogram at L4-5. The patient underwent anterior osteotomy and release.

Ubiquitous-severance hospital project: implementation and results.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to review an implementation of u-Severance information system with focus on electronic hospital records (EHR) and to suggest future improvements.

Methods: Clinical Data Repository (CDR) of u-Severance involved implementing electronic medical records (EMR) as the basis of EHR and the management of individual health records. EHR were implemented with service enhancements extending to the clinical decision support system (CDSS) and expanding the knowledge base for research with a repository for clinical data and medical care information.

Analyzing and modeling of the web-based self care record system for hypertension patients - focused on blood pressure and drug management.

This study reviews and analyzes three web-based self care record systems for hypertension patients that are selected by many Korean medical web sites suggesting the new web-based self care record system for hypertension patients. Also, this study can aim to increase the effectiveness of the web-based self-care record system focused on blood pressure and drug management for hypertension patients. Three web-sites (National Hypertension Center; http://www.

Hypersensitivity to RF fields emitted from CDMA cellular phones: a provocation study.

With the number of cellular phone users rapidly increasing, there is a considerable amount of public concern regarding the effects that electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from cellular phones have on health. People with self-attributed electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) complain of subjective symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, and memory loss, and attribute these symptoms to radio frequency (RF) radiation from cellular phones and/or base stations. However, EHS is difficult to diagnose because it relies on a person's subjective judgment.

Histone deacetylase inhibitor induction of P-glycoprotein transcription requires both histone deacetylase 1 dissociation and recruitment of CAAT/enhancer binding protein beta and pCAF to the promoter region.

Although histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are appreciated as a promising class of anticancer drugs, recent reports show that P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is induced by HDAC inhibitor treatment in cancer cells, resulting in multidrug resistance of cancer cells to other chemotherapeutic agents. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanism of HDAC inhibitor induction of P-gp expression. HDAC inhibitor treatment causes cell type-specific induction of P-gp expression without changes in the CpG methylation status of the promoter region.

7-Diethylamino-3(2'-benzoxazolyl)-coumarin is a novel microtubule inhibitor with antimitotic activity in multidrug resistant cancer cells.

Microtubules are a proven target for anticancer drug development because they are critical for mitotic spindle formation and the separation of chromosomes at mitosis. We here report a novel synthetic microtubule inhibitor 7-diethylamino-3(2'-benzoxazolyl)-coumarin (DBC). DBC causes destabilization of microtubules, leading to a cell cycle arrest at G(2)/M stage.

Histone deacetylase inhibitor apicidin-mediated drug resistance: involvement of P-glycoprotein.

Multidrug resistance (MDR), which is a significant impediment to the success of cancer chemotherapy, is attributable to the overexpression of membrane transport proteins, such as P-glycoprotein (P-gp), resulting in an increased drug efflux. In this study, we show that the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor apicidin leads to resistance of HeLa cells to paclitaxel through the induction of P-gp expression. Furthermore, apicidin dramatically increases the release of a fluorescent P-gp substrate, rhodamine 123, from cells.

Photolithographic fabrication of poly(ethylene glycol) microstructures for hydrogel-based microreactors and spatially addressed microarrays.

We describe the fabrication of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEG-DA) hydrogel microstructures with a high aspect ratio and the use of hydrogel microstructures containing the enzyme beta-galactosidase (beta-Gal) or glucose oxidase (GOx)/horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as biosensing components for the simultaneous detection of multiple analytes. The diameters of the hydrogel microstructures were almost the same at the top and at the bottom, indicating that no differential curing occurred through the thickness of the hydrogel microstructure. Using the hydrogel microstructures as microreactors, beta-Gal or GOx/HRP was trapped in the hydrogel array, and the time-dependent fluorescence intensities of the hydrogel array were investigated to determine the dynamic uptake of substrates into the PEG-DA hydrogel.

Reversine stimulates adipocyte differentiation and downregulates Akt and p70(s6k) signaling pathways in 3T3-L1 cells.

In this study, we investigate the ability of reversine to stimulate adipocyte differentiation and its effect on cellular signaling pathways associated with adipocyte differentiation. Our data show that reversine treatment of 3T3-L1 cells under differentiation conditions synergistically enhances adipocyte differentiation and the expression of adipogenic marker genes such as aP2, PPAR-gamma, resistin, C/EBPalpha, and adiponectin. In parallel, reversine treatment leads to a selective downregulation of Akt and p70(s6k) signaling pathways, but not the ERK pathway.