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Senescence in stem cells, which occurs as a consequence of chronic responses to the environment, defines the capacity of stem cells for proliferation and differentiation as well as their potential for tissue regeneration and homeostasis maintenance. Although stem cells reside under low oxygen pressure and the availability of oxygen is known to be a crucial determinant in their fate, the key modulators in stem cell aging and the underlying mechanism have yet to be unraveled. Human placenta‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (hpMSCs) were cultured under hypoxia (3% O2) or normoxia (21% O2) to investigate the key factors that regulate stem cell senescence under hypoxic conditions. RNA sequencing results suggested that the expression of aminoacyl‐tRNA synthetase‐interacting multifunctional protein 3 (AIMP3, EEF1E1), an aging inducer, in the hpMSCs was dramatically repressed under hypoxia with concurrent suppression of the aging marker p16INK4a. The hpMSCs that overexpressed AIMP3 under hypoxic conditions displayed significantly decreased proliferation and fewer stem cell characteristics, whereas the downregulation of AIMP3 ameliorated the age‐related senescence of MSCs. Consistent with the results of the hpMSCs, MSCs isolated from the adipose tissue of AIMP3‐overexpressing mice exhibited decreased stem cell functions. Interestingly, AIMP3‐induced senescence is negatively regulated by hypoxia‐inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) and positively regulated by Notch3. Furthermore, we showed that AIMP3 enhanced mitochondrial respiration and suppressed autophagic activity, indicating that the AIMP3‐associated modulation of metabolism and autophagy is a key mechanism in the senescence of stem cells and further suggesting a novel target for interventions against aging.

This study aims to investigate the factors on help-seeking behaviors among the disabled experiencing lifelong domestic violence and suggest practical plans to address the problems. According to an analysis of the data of the "2010 Domestic Violence Survey of South Korea", the occurrence rate of lifelong physical violence is 12.1% and that of severe physical violence is 6.2% among 273 adults with disabilities. The rate of help-seeking among the disabled experiencing lifelong domestic violence is 26.3%, which means two-thirds of the disabled experiencing domestic violence do so for a long time. The results of the study show that the experience of severe physical violence(p

Objectives : To assess the test-retest reliability and the intratest repeatability in measuring the cervical range of motion of healthy subjects with wireless microelectromechanical system inertial measurement unit(MEMS-IMU) system and to discuss the feasibility of this system in the clinical setting to evaluate the cervical spine musculoskeletal . Methods : 12 healthy people who were evaluated as noor mild-disability with neck disability index were participated. Their cervical motion were measured with IMU twice in consecutive two days for the test-retest reliability study. Intratest repeatability was calculated in the two tests separately. The calculated intraclass correlation coefficients(ICC) were discussed and compared with the those of the previous studies. Results : Cervical range of motion data were acquired and statistically processed: left rotation(61.64°), right rotation(65.12°), extension(61.98°), flexion(52.81°), left bending(39.31°), right bending(41.08°). ICCs were 0.77∼0.98(intratest repeatability) and 0.74∼0.93 (test-retest reliability) in the primary motion. In the coupling motion, intratest repeatability ICCs were 0.93∼ 0.99(transverse primary plane), 0.88∼0.97(saggital primay plane), and 0.77∼0.93(coronal primary plane). Test-retest reliability of coupling motion were 0.90∼0.97(transverse primary plane), 0.00∼0.72(saggital primary plane), and 0.04∼0.76(coronal primary plane). Conclusions : Several types of range-of-motion devices are now on use in many fields including medicine, but the practicality of the devices in clinical use is questionable for the convenient and economical aspects. In this study, we presented the reliability of cervical range of motion test with the developed wireless MEMS-IMU system and discussed its potential utility in clinical use.

A novel bacterial strain, designated LCJ02T, was isolated on R2A agar from donkey (Equus asinus) milk powder and subjected to a taxonomic study using a polyphasic approach. Strain LCJ02T showed a Gram-negative reaction, was non-motile, non-spore-forming and possessed rod-shaped cells and yellow-pigmented colonies. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the novel isolate formed a cluster with several uncultured bacterial clones and with cultured members of the genera Hydrotalea , Sediminibacterium and Lacibacter (family Chitinophagaceae , phylum Bacteroidetes ). The gene sequence similarities with respect to the type strains of recognized species from the above genera and other phylogenetic neighbours ranged from 89.3 to 92.9 %. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 49.2 mol%, the only isoprenoid quinone was MK-7 and the major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH, iso-C15 : 1 G and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or iso-C15 : 0 2-OH). The major polar lipids of strain LCJ02T were phosphatidylethanolamine, two unidentified aminophospholipids, one unidentified aminolipid and five unidentified lipids. The results of physiological and biochemical tests allowed phenotypic differentiation of strain LCJ02T from its closest phylogenetic neighbours. On the basis of the evidence of this polyphasic study, isolate LCJ02T represents a novel genus and species in the family Chitinophagaceae for which the name Asinibacterium lactis gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is LCJ02T ( = KCCM 90108T = JCM 18484T).

LRRK2 (leucine-rich repeat kinase 2) has been identified as a gene corresponding to PARK8, an autosomal-dominant gene for familial Parkinson’s disease (PD). LRRK2 pathogenicspecific mutants induce neurotoxicity and shorten neurites. To elucidate the mechanism underlying LRRK2 expression, we constructed the LRRK2-promoter-luciferase reporter and used it for promoter analysis. We found that the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) transactivated LRRK2 in a ligand-dependent manner. Using quantitative RT-PCR and Western analysis, we further showed that treatment with dexamethasone, a synthetic GR ligand, induced LRRK2 expression at both the transcriptional and translational levels, in dopaminergic MN9D cells. Dexamethasone treatment also increased expression of α-synuclein, another PD causative gene, and enhanced transactivation of the α-synuclein promoter-luciferase reporter. In addition, dexamethasone treatment to MN9D cells weakly induced cytotoxicity based on an LDH assay. Because glucocorticoid hormones are secreted in response to stress, our data suggest that stress might be a related factor in the pathogenesis of PD. [BMB Reports 2013; 46(9): 454-459]

The performance of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) was investigated in patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC).After NCT of 178 patients with cytology-proven axillary/supraclavicular nodes metastasis at the time of diagnosis, SLNB using radioisotope was performed including completion node dissection between 2008 and 2011. The detection rate, sensitivity, false negative rate (FNR), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy of SLNB were analyzed.SLNB was successfully performed in 169 (94.9%) patients. Tumor nonresponse and extensive residual nodal disease were found to be significantly associated with detection failure of sentinel nodes. Sensitivity, FNR, NPV, and accuracy of SLNB were 78.0, 22.0, 75.8, and 87.0%, respectively, and a greater number of retrieved SLNs increased all four of these performance measures. Conversion to node-negative disease was achieved in 69 (40.8%) patients: 24% of patients with the luminal A subtype, 51.6% of patients with the luminal B, 51.7% of patients with the HER2-enriched, and 58.5% of patients with the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype. Luminal B, HER2-enriched, and TNBC subtypes showed comparable responses to NCT; however, the TNBC subtype had a significantly better FNR and accuracy.SLNB was found to be technically feasible, but its routine use was not recommended for LABCs after NCT. However, acceptable performance was noted for locally advanced TNBCs, and thus SLNB might be safely considered in these selected patients.

Small molecules that target the adrenergic family of G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) show promising therapeutic efficacy for the treatment of various cancers. In this study, we report that human colon cancer cell line SW480 expresses low-density functional α1B-adrenergic receptors (ARs) as revealed by label-free dynamic mass redistribution (DMR) signaling technology and confirmed by quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis. Remarkably, although endogenous α1B-ARs are not detectable via either [3H]-prazosin–binding analysis or phosphoinositol hydrolysis assays, their activation leads to robust DMR and enhanced cell viability. We provide pharmacological evidence that stimulation of α1B-ARs enhances SW480 cell viability without affecting proliferation, whereas stimulating β-ARs diminishes both viability and proliferation of SW480 cells. Our study illustrates the power of label-free DMR technology for identifying and characterizing low-density GPCRs in cells and suggests that drugs targeting both α1B- and β-ARs may represent valuable small-molecule therapeutics for the treatment of colon cancer.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile and ovoid or rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated KEM-4T, was isolated from water of an estuary environment on the Yellow Sea, South Korea, and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. Strain KEM-4T grew optimally at pH 7.0–8.0, at 30 °C and in the presence of 1.0–2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. The phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain KEM-4T fell within the clade comprising the type strains of species of the genus Altererythrobacter , clustering with the type strains of Altererythrobacter aestiaquae, Altererythrobacter gangjinensis and Altererythrobacter luteolus, showing 95.0–96.5 % sequence similarity. Sequences similarities to the type strains of the other species of the genus Altererythrobacter were 93.1–95.1 %. Strain KEM-4T contained Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone and C18 : 1ω7c, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω6c and/or C16 : 1ω7c) and C17 : 1ω6c as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and sphingoglycolipid. The DNA G+C content of strain KEM-4T was 59.5 mol%. Differential phenotypic properties, together with the phylogenetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain KEM-4T is separated from species of the genus Altererythrobacter with validly published names. On the basis of the data presented, strain KEM-4T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Altererythrobacter , for which the name Altererythrobacter confluentissp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is KEM-4T (=KCTC 52259T=NBRC 112305T).

Abnormal angiogenesis is a primary cause of many eye diseases, including diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, and retinopathy of prematurity. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are currently being investigated as a treatment for several such retinal diseases based on their neuroprotective and angiogenic potentials. In this study, we evaluated the role of systemically injected human placental amniotic membrane-derived MSCs (AMSCs) on pathological neovascularization of proliferative retinopathy. We determined that AMSCs secrete higher levels of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β1) than other MSCs, and the secreted TGF-β1 directly suppresses the proliferation of endothelial cells under pathological conditions in vitro. Moreover, in a mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy, intraperitoneally injected AMSCs migrated into the retina and suppressed excessive neovascularization of the vasculature via expression of TGF-β1, and the antineovascular effect of AMSCs was blocked by treatment with TGF-β1 siRNA. These findings are the first to demonstrate that TGF-β1 secreted from AMSCs is one of the key factors to suppress retinal neovascularization in proliferative retinopathy and further elucidate the therapeutic function of AMSCs for the treatment of retinal neovascular diseases.

Purpose To investigate which isotype of phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase (PI4K) may affect radiosensitivity and examine whether anti–hepatitis C viral (HCV) agents, some of which have been shown to inhibit PI4K IIIα activity, could be repositioned as a radiosensitizer in human cancer cells. Methods and Materials U251, BT474, and HepG2 cell lines and normal human astrocyte were used. Ribonucleic acid interference, clonogenic assays, Western blotting, immunofluorescence, annexin V assay, lysotracker staining, and β-galactosidase assay were performed. Results Of the 4 PI4K isotypes, specific inhibition of IIIα increased radiosensitivity. For pharmacologic inhibition of PI4K IIIα, we screened 9 anti-HCV agents by half-maximal inhibitory concentration assay. Simeprevir was selected, and its inhibition of PI4K IIIα activity was confirmed. Combination of simeprevir treatment and radiation significantly attenuated expression of phospho-phospho-PKC and phospho-Akt and increased radiation-induced cell death in tested cell lines. Pretreatment with simeprevir prolonged γH2AX foci formation and down-regulation of phospho-DNA-PKcs, indicating impairment of nonhomologous end-joining repair. Cells pretreated with simeprevir exhibited mixed modes of cell death, including apoptosis and autophagy. Conclusion These data demonstrate that targeting PI4K IIIα using an anti-HCV agent is a viable approach to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of radiation therapy in various human cancers, such as glioma, breast, and hepatocellular carcinoma.

// Tosol Yu 1, * , Bong Jun Cho 2, * , Eun Jung Choi 1, * , Ji Min Park 1, 2 , Dan Hyo Kim 2 , In Ah Kim, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 1 Department of Radiation Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea 2 Medical Science Research Institute, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Seoul, Republic of Korea 3 Department of Radiation Oncology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea 4 Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea 5 Institute of Radiation Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: In Ah Kim, email: inah228@snu.ac.kr Keywords: breast cancer, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, radiotherapy, lapatinib Received: February 23, 2016 Accepted: September 25, 2016 Published: October 12, 2016 ABSTRACT Trastuzumab has been widely used for the treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-overexpressing breast cancer, however, it cannot easily cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and is known to increase the incidence of brain metastases. In contrast, lapatinib has a low molecular weight and can cross the BBB and it could be useful to treat brain metastases in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. To explore the impact of lapatinib on radiation response, we conducted an in vitro experiment using SKBR3 and BT474 breast carcinoma cells exhibiting HER2/neu amplification. Lapatinib down-regulated phosphorylated (p)-HER2, p-epidermal growth factor receptor, p-AKT, and p-extracellular signal-regulated kinase. Pretreatment of lapatinib increased the radiosensitivity of SKBR3 (sensitizer enhancement ratio [SER]: 1.21 at a surviving fraction of 0.5) and BT474 (SER: 1.26 at a surviving fraction of 0.5) cells and hindered the repair of DNA damage, as suggested by the prolongation of radiation-induced γH2AX foci and the down-regulation of phosphorylated DNA-dependent protein kinase, catalytic subunit (p-DNAPKcs). Increases in radiation-induced apoptosis and senescence were suggested to be the major modes of cell death induced by the combination of lapatinib and radiation. Furthermore, lapatinib did not radiosensitize a HER2- negative breast cancer cell line or normal human astrocytes. These findings suggest that lapatinib can potentiate radiation-induced cell death in HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells and may increase the efficacy of radiotherapy. A phase II clinical trial using lapatinib concurrently with whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) is currently being conducted.

Background Diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) by core needle biopsy showed a high rate of underestimation of invasiveness, and performing sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in DCIS patients was controversial. Methods We analyzed 340 DCIS patients who were diagnosed by needle biopsies. Final pathology and clinicopathological features were reviewed. Predictors were accessed using the Chi-square test and a binary logistic regression model. Results The overall DCIS underestimation rate was 42.6%. The underestimation was significantly related to the palpability, mass or calcification by ultrasonography, grade, suspicious microinvasion, and biopsy method in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, palpability, ultrasonographic calcification or mass, suspicious microinvasion, and core needle biopsy were independent predictors of underestimation of invasive cancer. In cases with one or no risk predictors, the underestimation rate was 14.3%, whereas, in those with five predictors, it increased to 90.9%. Among 144 invasive cancer patients who underwent axillary staging, 15.4% had node metastasis. Conclusions DCIS diagnosed by preoperative needle biopsy has a high probability of underestimation, and 15% of invasive cancer patients have node metastasis. SLNB may be justified in DCIS patients undergoing needle biopsies, and caution should be exercised in omitting SLNB in patients with one or no risk predictors. J. Surg. Oncol. 2013;107:388–392. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Co-treatment of astragalin and quercetin (AGQC) significantly suppressed the ultraviolet (UV)-induced keratinocyte damage. Administration of AGQC in UV-irradiated mice reduced the histological skin alterations and the levels of chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (CXCL1) and CXCL2. These results suggest that AGQC has a potential use as a compound for protection against UV-irradiated skin damage.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-allergy activities of persimmon leaf extract (PLE) on a phthalic anhydride (PA)-induced allergic mouse model. A human leukemic mast cell line (HMC-1) was used to examine the inhibitory activity of PLE on the histamine release by human leukemic mast cells. PLE inhibited histamine release from HMC-1 cells in response to cross-linkage of high-affinity IgE receptor-α (FceRIα). Additionally, a PA-induced allergic mouse model was used to investigate the effects of PLE in vivo. Mice were orally administrated with or without PLE of single dose (250 mg/kg/day) for 31 days. Oral intake of PLE significantly inhibited passive cutaneous reactions. Oral administration of PLE to PA-induced allergic mice also led to a striking suppression of the development of contact dermatitis, ear swelling and lymph node weight. In addition, PA-specific IL-4 production of draining lymph node cells was markedly diminished by PLE oral administration, but not IFN-γ. Furthermore, PLE treatment suppressed PA-induced thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (CCL17) and cutaneous T cell-attracting chemokine (CCL27) expressions in ear tissues. Based on these results, we suggest that PLE may have therapeutic potential as an effective material for management of irritant contact dermatitis or related inflammatory diseases.

There can be hostile relations between nations that are divided politically or ideologically, and there are threats in cyberspace as well as physical space. Although every cyber threat, like a physical threat, has countermeasures, this can be hard because of the complexity of cyberspace and the ethics in cyberspace.This study tries to find effective countermeasures for South Korea in cyberspace against North Koreas continuing cyber attacks in light of the Korean peninsulas situation, a typical example of divided nations in the world. To find good solutions, South and North Koreas cyber capabilities are compared in terms of infrastructure, organization, defensive capabilities, offensive capabilities, and vulnerabilities. Characteristics and features of North Koreas cyber attacks are inferred by analyses of past attacks. Based on these analyses, this study recommends defensive and offensive countermeasures to mitigate these cyber threats and prevent escalation. Each countermeasure is assessed using considerations such as prevention of escalation, efficient use of limited resources, international laws and ethics, and bargaining power in the real world.

Due to the belief that housing for university students is uniform materialistic and non-human, a variety of needs and preferences of the residents is becoming more important. In order to more positively identify the user`s emotional needs, a design that meets the needs of the resident`s living space is absolutely necessary. The purpose of this study is to group the sensibility types of university students, to analyze the preferred interior image and interior design elements, and then to understand the preferred characteristics according to sensibility type. To collect the data, a survey method was used for 224 university students in Seoul and the metropolitan area. The data analysis used SPSS PC 14.0 to find the frequency, t-test, chi-square, factor analysis, and cluster analysis. The results of the analysis are as follows: First, sensibility types were segmented into four groups including `Unique & Elegant`, `Static & Tidy`, `Warm & Comfortable`, and `Characteristic & Free`. Second, the preferred interior image was the Minimal-Dandy-Natural Image, the preferred floor_material was wood, and the preferred wall_material was marble. Third, there were different interior preferences according to each type of gender & sensibility.

Ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation induces skin damage and inflammation. Persimmon leaf extract (PLE) has traditionally been used for the treatment of acute and chronic diseases in Asia, but there have been no reports on its UVB-protective effects. Thus, protective effects of PLE against UVB-induced inflammations in HaCaT keratinocytes and mice were investigated. In an in vitro study using HaCaT keratinocytes, UVB irradiation decreased cell viability and increased chemokine production. PLE recovered cell viability and suppressed UVB-induced production of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (CCL2) and cutaneous T cell-attracting chemokine (CCL27). Moreover, oral administration of PLE to UVB-irradiated mice resulted in significant suppression of skin damage. Histological analyses revealed that infiltration of inflammatory cells, especially degranulated mast cells, thickening of the epidermis, and hyperplasia were significantly reduced. PLE treatment suppressed UVB-induced CCL2 and CCL27 expressions in the skin. These results suggest PLE has potential as an effective material for protection against UVB-induced skin inflammation.

Purpose: As the proportion of early gastric cancer (EGC) has recently been increased, minimally invasive treatment is currently accepted as main therapy for EGC. Accurate preoperative staging is very important in determining treatment options. To know the accuracy of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS), we compared the depth of invasion of the tumor with preoperative EUS and postoperative pathologic findings. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 152 patients who underwent EUS before laparoscopic gastrectomy. The preoperative EUS results were compared with the pathological findings. Results: The overall proportion of coincidence for depth of invasion between EUS and pathologic results was 41.4%. Univariate analysis showed that the rate of corrected prediction of EUS for tumor depth significantly decreased for the lesions more than 3cm in diameter (P=0.033), and those with a depressed morphology (P=0.035). In multivariate analysis, the depressed type (P=0.029, OR=2.873) and upper lesion (P=0.035, OR=2.151) was the significantly independent factors influencing the inaccurate prediction of EUS for tumor depth. Conclusions: When we decide the treatment modality considering the clinical depth of invasion by EUS, the possibility of discordance with pathologic results should be considered for the lesions located in the upper third of the stomach and with a depressed morphology.

Protein-protein interactions and/or signaling activities at focal adhesions, where integrin-mediated adhesion to extracellular matrix occurs, are critical for the regulation of adhesion-dependent cellular functions. Although the phosphorylation and activities of focal adhesion molecules have been intensively studied, the effects of the O-GlcNAc modification of their Ser/Thr residues on cellular functions have been largely unexplored. We investigated the effects of O-GlcNAc modification on actin reorganization and morphology of rat insulinoma INS-1 cells after glucosamine (GlcN) treatment. We found that paxillin, a key adaptor molecule in focal adhesions, could be modified by O-GlcNAc in INS-1 cells treated with GlcN and in pancreatic islets from mice treated with streptozotocin. Ser-84/85 in human paxillin appeared to be modified by O-GlcNAc, which was inversely correlated to Ser-85 phosphorylation (Ser-83 in rat paxillin). Integrin-mediated adhesion signaling inhibited the GlcN treatment-enhanced O-GlcNAc modification of paxillin. Adherent INS-1 cells treated with GlcN showed restricted protrusions, whereas untreated cells showed active protrusions for multiple-elongated morphologies. Upon GlcN treatment, expression of a triple mutation (S83A/S84A/S85A) resulted in no further restriction of protrusions. Together these observations suggest that murine pancreatic β cells may have restricted actin organization upon GlcN treatment by virtue of the O-GlcNAc modification of paxillin, which can be antagonized by a persistent cell adhesion process.

We present a design method to characterize uniform flows in a microreactor for high performance surface plasmon resonance (SPR) a general-purpose biosensor chips. The shape of the microreactor is designed based on an approximate pressure drop model. The number of micro-pillars and the slopes of the inlet and outlet linear chambers are two dominant parameters used to minimize the velocity difference in the microreactor. The flow uniformity was examined quantitatively by numerical and experimental visualization methods. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis demonstrates that the designed microreactor has a fairly uniform velocity profile in the reaction zone for a wide range of flow rates. The velocity field in the fabricated microreactor was measured using the micro-particle image velocimetry (μ-PIV) method, and the flow uniformity was confirmed experimentally. The performance of the uniform flow microreactor was verified using the fluorescence antibody technique.

Recently, house demander`s needs has diversified in the increasingly by the drastic change in the social environment, changes in family structure and population, the growing interest of living environment. So in the future, housing supply to respond to a variety of housing needs is absolutely necessary to differentiate. The purpose of this study is to analyze the lifestyle types of middle-aged married women with high purchasing power in the current housing market and propose the dwelling style by housing awareness and needs analysis. To collect the data, LOV survey method was used for 528 residents in Seoul and metropolitan area. The data analysis used SPSS PC 14.0 to find the frequency, chi-square, factor analysis, and cluster analysis. The results of analysis are as follows: First, the lifestyle was segmented into four groups such as Conservative goal-achieving lifestyle, Individual self-developing lifestyle, Positive self-trusting lifestyle, Outgoing trend-seeking lifestyle. Second, largely the dwelling style according to lifestyle types was divided into living room-kids room type and living room-kitchen type. Third, there were different preferences on the each type of housing space and the -space by different clusters.

Purpose : We aimed to prove the relative limitation of 99mTc-DMSA scintigraphy (DMSA) compared to computed tomography (CT) in diagnosing acute pyelonephritis (APN) in children. Methods : Since September 2006, after a 64-channel CT was imported, 10 DMSA false-negative patients have been identified: these patients underwent a CT scan for acute abdomen or acute febrile symptoms and were diagnosed as having APN; however, their DMSA scans were clear. We focused on these 10 DMSA false-negative patients and analyzed their clinical findings and CT results. We used Philips Brilliance Power 64-channel CT scanner for the CT scan and Siemens Orbitor Nuclear Camera 60 Hz for the DMSA scan. Results:The 10 DMSA false-negative patients were mostly males (80%) and infants (80%). They had fever for a mean of 1.1-day duration before admission and showed increase in acute reactants: leukocyte, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein. The CT findings of renal lesions were focal in 6 (60%) cases and diffuse in 4 (40%) cases, and most of the lesions were unilateral in 80% of patients. CT proved that 22 renal lesions were neglected by DMSA. Differential renal function test by DMSA was also of no use in the evaluation of renal lesions. Conclusion:In this study, DMSA scan showed limitation in finding renal cortical lesions of CT-proven APN patients. DMSA false-negative results seem to occur at early-phase disease of infantile age, but more prospective studies are needed to determine the reasons and their prevalence.

Human placenta amniotic membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AMSCs) regulate immune responses, and this property can be exploited to treat stroke patients via cell therapy. We investigated the expression profile of AMSCs cultured under hypoxic conditions and observed interesting expression changes in various genes involved in immune regulation. CD200, an anti-inflammatory factor and positive regulator of TGF-β, was more highly expressed under hypoxic conditions than normoxic conditions. Furthermore, AMSCs exhibited inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in co-cultures with LPS-primed BV2 microglia, and this effect was decreased in CD200-silenced AMSCs. The AMSCs transplanted into the ischemic rat model of stroke dramatically inhibited the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and up-regulated CD200, as compared with the levels in the sham-treated group. Moreover, decreased microglia activation in the boundary region and improvements in behavior were confirmed in AMSC-treated ischemic rats. The results suggested that the highly expressed CD200 from the AMSCs in a hypoxic environment modulates levels of inflammatory cytokines and microglial activation, thus increasing the therapeutic recovery potential after hypoxic-ischemic brain injury, and further demonstrated the immunomodulatory function of AMSCs in a stroke model.

Thalidomide Associated Gynecomastia in a Patient with Malignant Histiocytosis: A Case Report Ku Sang Kim, Ji Min Park, Tae Hee Kim, Joon Seong Park, Hyun Ee Yim, Hyun-Joo Shin, Ji Young Kim, Doo Kyoung Kang, Seok Yun Kang, Yongsik Jung Departments of Surgery and Biomedical Informatics, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon; Department of Surgery, Yonsei University School of Medicine, Seoul; Department of Radiology, Division of Hematology and Oncology, and Department of Pathology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea

To evaluate the effect of optic disc tilt on the progression of glaucoma in myopic glaucomatous eyes.The disc tilt ratio was estimated on disc photographs. Glaucomatous progression was determined either by stereoscopic optic disc/retinal nerve fiber layer photographs or serial visual field data. All participants were categorized into two groups according to tilt ratio (nontilted [1.3] or tilted [≥1.3]). Kaplan-Meier life-table analysis was used to compare the survival experiences (time to confirmed glaucomatous progression) between groups. The hazard ratios (HRs) for the associations between potential risk factors and progression were determined by using Cox proportional hazards modeling.A total of 85 eyes in 85 myopic glaucoma patients (axial length24 mm; mean follow-up, 4.1 years) were included. Among them, 42 eyes (49.4%) demonstrated progression and 43 eyes (50.6%) were stable on follow-up. The mean disc tilt ratio was significantly smaller, and the prevalence of disc hemorrhage higher, in the progression than the stable group (P = 0.032, P =0.001, respectively). The cumulative probability of progression was 24.7% in the tilted group and 68.7% in the nontilted group (P = 0.005). Disc hemorrhage (HR = 3.317; P = 0.001) and the tilt ratio (HR = 0.110; P = 0.046) were predictive of progression.Myopic eyes with tilted disc demonstrated a smaller probability of glaucomatous progression. Optic disc tilt may be protective against glaucoma progression, or tilted myopic glaucomatous eyes may have less progressive characteristic by nature.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are essential membrane proteins that facilitate cell-to-cell communication and co-ordinate physiological processes. At least 30 human GPCRs contain a Type I PSD-95/DLG/Zo-1 (PDZ) ligand in their distal C-terminal domain; this four amino acid motif of X-[S/T]-X-[φ] sequence facilitates interactions with PDZ domain-containing proteins. Because PDZ protein interactions have profound effects on GPCR ligand pharmacology, cellular localization, signal-transduction effector coupling and duration of activity, we analyzed the importance of Type I PDZ ligands for the function of 23 full-length and PDZ-ligand truncated (ΔPDZ) human GPCRs in cultured human cells. SNAP-epitope tag polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed most Type I PDZ GPCRs exist as both monomers and multimers; removal of the PDZ ligand played minimal role in multimer formation. Additionally, SNAP-cell surface staining indicated removal of the PDZ ligand had minimal effects on plasma membrane localization for most GPCRs examined. Label-free dynamic mass redistribution functional responses, however, revealed diverging effects of the PDZ ligand. While no clear trend was observed across all GPCRs tested or even within receptor families, a subset of GPCRs displayed diminished agonist efficacy in the absence of a PDZ ligand (i.e. HT2RB, ADRB1), whereas others demonstrated enhanced agonist efficacies (i.e. LPAR2, SSTR5). These results demonstrate the utility of label-free functional assays to tease apart the contributions of conserved protein interaction domains for GPCR signal-transduction coupling in cultured cells.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile and rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated W-WS13T, was isolated from wood falls collected around Wando, an island in the South Sea of South Korea, and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. Strain W-WS13T grew optimally at 30 °C, at pH 7.5 and in the presence of 0.5 % NaCl. A neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain W-WS13T belonged to the genus Pedobacter, clustering robustly with the type strain of Pedobacter arcticus, sharing 95.9 % sequence similarity. Strain W-WS13T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 90.1–95.6 % to the type strains of the other species of the genus Pedobacter. Strain W-WS13T contained MK-7 as the predominant menaquinone and iso-C15 : 0, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c) and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipid detected in strain W-WS13T was phosphatidylethanolamine. The DNA G+C content of strain W-WS13T was 36.9 mol%. Phylogenetic distinctiveness and differential phenotypic properties of strain W-WS13T revealed that the novel strain is separated from recognized species of the genus Pedobacter. On the basis of the data presented, strain W-WS13T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Pedobacter, for which the name Pedobacter lignilitoris sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is W-WS13T ( = KCTC 42500T = CECT 8725T).

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-spore-forming, non-flagellated and coccoid, ovoid or rod-shaped bacterial strain, DSSK2-12T, was isolated from the place where the ocean and a freshwater spring meet at Jeju island, South Korea. Strain DSSK2-12T grew optimally at 30 °C, at pH 7.0–8.0 and in the presence of 2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. The neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain DSSK2-12T fell within the clade comprising the type strains of species of the genus Alteromonas. Strain DSSK2-12T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 97.2–98.1 % to the type strains of Alteromonas litorea, Alteromonas marina, Alteromonas hispanica and Alteromonas genovensis and of 95.39–96.98 % to those of other species of the genus Alteromonas. Strain DSSK2-12T contained Q-8 as the predominant ubiquinone and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c), C16 : 0 and C18 : 1ω7c as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids of strain DSSK2-12T were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and one unidentified aminolipid. The DNA G+C content of strain DSSK2-12T was 48.6 mol% and its mean DNA–DNA relatedness values with the type strains of A. litorea, A. marina, A. hispanica and A. genovensis were 9–21 %. The differential phenotypic properties, together with phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain DSSK2-12T is separated from other species of the genus Alteromonas. On the basis of the data presented, strain DSSK2-12T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Alteromonas, for which the name Alteromonas confluentis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DSSK2-12T ( = KCTC 42603T = CECT 8870T).

Purpose We investigated whether miR-203 could modulate the radiation sensitivity of glioblastoma (GBM) cells and which target gene(s) could be involved. Methods and Materials Three human malignant glioma (MG) cell lines and normal human astrocytes were transfected with control microRNA, pre-miR-203, or antisense miR-203. Real-time PCR (RT-PCR), clonogenic assays, immunofluorescence, and invasion/migration assays were performed. To predict the target(s), bioinformatics analyses using microRNA target databases were performed. Results Overexpression of miR-203 increased the radiation sensitivity of all 3 human MG cell lines and prolonged radiation-induced γ-H2AX foci formation. Bioinformatics analyses suggested that miR-203 could be involved in post-transcriptional control of DNA repair, PI3K/AKT, SRC, and JAK/STAT3 and the vascular signaling pathway. Western blot analysis validated the fact that miR-203 downregulated ATM, RAD51, SRC, PLD2, PI3K-AKT, JAK-STAT3, VEGF, HIF-1α, and MMP2. Overexpression of miR-203 inhibited invasion and migration potentials, downregulated SLUG and Vimentin, and upregulated Claudin-1 and ZO1. Conclusions These data demonstrate that miR-203 potentially controls DNA damage repair via the PI3K/AKT and JAK/STAT3 pathways and may collectively contribute to the modulation of radiation sensitivity in MG cells by inhibiting DNA damage repair, prosurvival signaling, and epithelium-mesenchyme transition. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that miR-203 could be a target for overcoming the radiation resistance of GBM.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-spore-forming, non-flagellated and coccoid, ovoid or rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated AH-M8T, was isolated from a tidal flat sediment collected from Aphae Island in the south-western sea, South Korea. Strain AH-M8T grew optimally at 35 °C, at pH 7.0–8.0 and in the presence of 2.0–3.0 % (w/v) NaCl. A neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain AH-M8T belonged to the genus Sphingomicrobium, clustering with the type strain of Sphingomicrobium astaxanthinifaciens, with which it shared 99.0 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity. Sequence similarities to the type strains of other species of the genus Sphingomicrobium were 95.4–96.0 %. Strain AH-M8T contained Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone and C18 : 1ω7c, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c) and C16 : 0 as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids of strain AH-M8T were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, sphingoglycolipid and one unidentified glycolipid. The major polyamine is triamine sym-homospermidine. The DNA G+C content of strain AH-M8T was 66.7 mol% and its mean DNA–DNA relatedness value with S. astaxanthinifaciens JCM 18551T was 21 %. The differential phenotypic properties, together with the phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain AH-M8T is separated from other species of the genus Sphingomicrobium. On the basis of the data presented, strain AH-M8T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Sphingomicrobium, for which the name Sphingomicrobium aestuariivivum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is AH-M8T ( = KCTC 42286T = NBRC 110678T).

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, aerobic and ovoid or rod-shaped bacterium, designated GYSW-22T, was isolated from seawater off Geoje Island in the South Sea, South Korea. Strain GYSW-22T grew optimally at 25 °C, at pH 7.0–8.0 and in the presence of 1.0–2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Neighbour-joining, maximum-likelihood and maximum-parsimony phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain GYSW-22T and the type strains of Roseovarius crassostreae, Roseovarius halocynthiae and Roseovarius sediminilitoris form a coherent cluster, independent of phylogenetic lineages or clusters comprising the type strains of other species of the genus Roseovarius. Strain GYSW-22T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 97.2, 96.6 and 96.3 % to R. halocynthiae MA1-10T, R. crassostreae CV919-312T and R. sediminilitoris M-M10T, respectively, and of 92.6–94.7 % to the type strains of other species of the genus Roseovarius. Strain GYSW-22T contained Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone and C18 : 1ω7c as the major fatty acid. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified aminolipid and one unidentified lipid. The DNA G+C content of strain GYSW-22T was 59.0 mol% and its mean DNA–DNA relatedness value with R. halocynthiae MA1-10T was 15 %. On the basis of the data presented, we propose strain GYSW-22T represents a novel species of a new genus, Aliiroseovarius pelagivivens gen. nov., sp. nov. The type strain of the type species is GYSW-22T ( = KCTC 42459T = CECT 8811T). In this study, it is also proposed that Roseovarius crassostreae, Roseovarius halocynthiae and Roseovarius sediminilitoris be reclassified into the new genus as Aliiroseovarius crassostreae comb. nov. (type strain CV919-312T = ATCC BAA-1102T = DSM 16950T), Aliiroseovarius halocynthiae comb. nov. (type strain MA1-10T = KCTC 23462T = CCUG 60745T) and Aliiroseovarius sediminilitoris comb. nov. (type strain M-M10T = KCTC 23959T = CCUG 62413T), respectively.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, aerobic, ovoid or rod-shaped bacterium, designated AH-MY3T, was isolated from a tidal flat on Aphae island of the south-western sea, South Korea, and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. Strain AH-MY3T grew optimally at 35 °C, at pH 7.0–8.0 and in the presence of 2.0–3.0 % (w/v) NaCl. A neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain AH-MY3T joined the cluster comprising the type strains of Yeosuana aromativorans, Snuella lapsa and Meridianimaribacter flavus, showing sequence similarities of 93.9, 93.7 and 92.6 %, respectively. Strain AH-MY3T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 94.0–94.7 % to the type strains of ‘Aestuariibaculum scopimerae’, Winogradskyella aquimaris, Winogradskyella poriferorum and Gaetbulibacter aestuarii. Strain AH-MY3T contained MK-6 as the predominant menaquinone. The fatty acid and polar lipid profiles of strain AH-MY3T could be distinguished from those of the type strains of phylogenetically related taxa. The DNA G+C content of strain AH-MY3T was 37 mol%. The phylogenetic data and differential chemotaxonomic and other phenotypic properties revealed that strain AH-MY3T represents a novel genus and species within the family Flavobacteriaceae, for which the name Aestuariivivens insulae gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Aestuariivivens insulae is AH-MY3T ( = KCTC 42350T = NBRC 110723T).

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, aerobic and pleomorphic bacterium, designated BS-W13T, was isolated from a tidal flat on the South Sea, South Korea, and its taxonomic position was investigated using a polyphasic approach. Strain BS-W13T grew optimally at 25 °C, at pH 7.0–8.0 and in the presence of 1.0–2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Neighbour-joining and maximum-parsimony phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain BS-W13T clustered with the type strain of Seohaeicola saemankumensis , showing the highest sequence similarity (95.96 %) to this strain. Strain BS-W13T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 95.95, 95.91, 95.72 and 95.68 % to the type strains of Sulfitobacter donghicola , Sulfitobacter porphyrae , Sulfitobacter mediterraneus and Roseobacter litoralis , respectively. Strain BS-W13T contained Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone and C18 : 1ω7c as the major fatty acid. The polar lipid profile of strain BS-W13T, containing phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified aminolipid and one unidentified lipid as major components, was distinguishable from those of some phylogenetically related taxa. The DNA G+C content of strain BS-W13T was 58.1 mol%. The phylogenetic data and differential chemotaxonomic and other phenotypic properties revealed that strain BS-W13T constitutes a novel genus and species within family Rhodobacteraceae of the class Alphaproteobacteria , for which the name Pseudoseohaeicola caenipelagi gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BS-W13T ( = KCTC 42349T = CECT 8724T).

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-spore-forming, non-flagellated and coccoid, ovoid or rod-shaped bacterial strain, W-BA2T, was isolated from a brown algae reservoir in Wando of South Korea. Strain W-BA2T grew optimally at 25 °C, at pH 7.0–8.0 and in the presence of approximately 2.0–3.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain W-BA2T fell within the clade comprising the type strains of species of the genus Sulfitobacter , clustering coherently with the type strains of Sulfitobacter donghicola and Sulfitobacter guttiformis showing sequence similarity values of 98.0–98.1 %. Sequence similarities to the type strains of the other species of the genus Sulfitobacter were 96.0–97.4 %. Strain W-BA2T contained Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone and C18 : 1ω7c as the major fatty acid. The major polar lipids of strain W-BA2T were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified aminolipid and one unidentified lipid. The DNA G+C content of strain W-BA2T was 55.0 mol% and its DNA–DNA relatedness values with the type strains of Sulfitobacter donghicola , Sulfitobacter guttiformis and Sulfitobacter mediterraneus were 16–23 %. The differential phenotypic properties, together with the phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain W-BA2T is separated from other species of the genus Sulfitobacter . On the basis of the data presented, strain W-BA2T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Sulfitobacter , for which the name Sulfitobacter undariae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is W-BA2T ( = KCTC 42200T = NBRC 110523T).

A Gram-stain-negative, non-flagellated, non-gliding, aerobic and rod-shaped or ovoid bacterial strain, designated W-BA7T, was isolated from a brown alga reservoir on the South Sea in South Korea. This strain grew optimally at 25 °C, at pH 7.0–8.0 and in the presence of approximately 2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. A neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain W-BA7T belonged to the genus Polaribacter , clustering coherently with the type strain of Polaribacter sejongensis, showing 99.3 % sequence similarity. Strain W-BA7T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 93.4–98.6 % to the type strains of the other species of the genus Polaribacter . Strain W-BA7T contained MK-6 as the predominant menaquinone and iso-C15 : 0 3-OH and anteiso-C15 : 0 as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids of strain W-BA7T were phosphatidylethanolamine, three unidentified lipids, one unidentified glycolipid, one unidentified aminolipid and one unidentified aminophospholipid. The DNA G+C content of strain W-BA7T was 31.9 mol%, and the mean DNA–DNA relatedness with the type strains of four phylogenetically related species of the genus Polaribacter was 12–27 %. Differential phenotypic properties, together with its phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain W-BA7T is separated from recognized species of the genus Polaribacter . On the basis of the data presented, strain W-BA7T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Polaribacter , for which the name Polaribacter undariae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is W-BA7T ( = KCTC 42175T = CECT 8670T).

The saccharogenic liquid (SFW) obtained by the enzymatic saccharification of food wastes was used as a medium for production of bacterial cellulose (BC). The enzymatic saccharification of food wastes was carried out by the cultivation supernatant ofTrichoderma harziaum FJ1 culture.Acetobacter xylinum KJ1 was employed for the BC production culture. The physical properties, such as polymerization, crystallinity, Young's modulus, and tensile strength, of BCs produced by three culture methods: the static cultures using HS (Hestrin-Schramm) as a reference medium (A) or the SFW medium (B), the shaking culture (C) or the air circulation culture (D) using the SFW medium, were investigated. The degrees of polymerization of BCs produced under the different culture conditions (A∼D) showed 11000, 9500, 8500, and 9200, respectively. Young's modulus was 4.15, 5.0, 4.0, and 4.6 GPa, respectively. Tensile strength was 124, 200, 80, and 184 MPa, respectively. All of the BC had a form of cellulose I representing pure cellulose. In the case of the shaking culture, the degree of crystallinity was 51.2%, the lowest degree. Under the other culturing conditions, the trend should remain in the range of 89.7–84%. Overall, the physical properties of BC produced from SFW were similar to those of BC from HS medium, a commercial complex medium, and BC production by the air circulation culture mode brought more favorable results in terms of the physical properties and its ease of scale-up. Therefore, it is expected that a new BC production method, like air circulation culture using SFW, would contribute greatly to BC-related manufacturing.

To explore electrodialysis for purification of negatively charged large organic molecules (e.g., amino acids and medicine), water-swollen formyl methyl pyridinium-immobilized polyvinyl alcohol (PVA-FP) anion-exchange membranes were prepared and characterized in terms of their electrochemical properties. The PVA-FP membranes exhibited low electrical resistance (1.0–3.0 Ω cm2), high swelling properties (water content ratio, 0.62–0.73), and reasonable transport number (t¯−>0.96 for Cl−). For glutamic acid solutions, the electrical resistance of the PVA-FP membrane was low (1.0–3.0 Ω cm2) in a wide pH range, with no membrane fouling. Since the resonance effect of quaternary aromatic ammonium contributed to the structural stability of the PVA-FP membrane, the water-splitting with the PVA-FP membrane was approximately one order of magnitude lower than that with a commercial ion-exchange membrane at a same current density.

In order to identify genes or combination of genes that have the power to discriminate between premalignant Barrett's esophagus and Barrett's associated adenocarcinoma, we analysed a panel of 23 genes using quantitative real-time RT–PCR (qRT–PCR, Taqman®) and bioinformatic tools. The genes chosen were either known to be associated with Barrett's carcinogenesis or were filtered from a previous cDNA microarray study on Barrett's adenocarcinoma. A total of 98 tissues, obtained from 19 patients with Barrett's esophagus (BE group) and 20 patients with Barrett's associated esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA group), were studied. Triplicate analysis for the full 23 gene of interest panel, and analysis of an internal control gene, was performed for all samples, for a total of more than 9016 single PCR reactions. We found distinct classes of gene expression patterns in the different types of tissues. The most informative genes clustered in six different classes and had significantly different expression levels in Barrett's esophagus tissues compared to adenocarcinoma tissues. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) distinguished four genetically different groups. The normal squamous esophagus tissues from patients with BE or EA were not distinguishable from one another, but Barrett's esophagus tissues could be distinguished from adenocarcinoma tissues. Using the most informative genes, obtained from a logistic regression analysis, we were able to completely distinguish between benign Barrett's and Barrett's adenocarcinomas. This study provides the first non-array parallel mRNA quantitation analysis of a panel of genes in the Barrett's esophagus model of multistage carcinogenesis. Our results suggest that mRNA expression quantitation of a panel of genes can discriminate between premalignant and malignant Barrett's disease. Logistic regression and LDAs can be used to further identify, from the complete panel, gene subsets with the power to make these diagnostic distinctions. Expression analysis of a limited number of highly selected genes may have clinical usefulness for the treatment of patients with this disease.

Trastuzumab has been widely used for the treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-overexpressing breast cancer, however, it cannot easily cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and is known to increase the incidence of brain metastases. In contrast, lapatinib has a low molecular weight and can cross the BBB and it could be useful to treat brain metastases in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. To explore the impact of lapatinib on radiation response, we conducted an in vitro experiment using SKBR3 and BT474 breast carcinoma cells exhibiting HER2/neu amplification. Lapatinib down-regulated phosphorylated p-HER2, p-EGFR, p-AKT, and p-ERK. Pretreatment of lapatinib increased the radiosensitivity of SKBR3 (sensitizer enhancement ratio [SER]: 1.21 at a surviving fraction of 0.5) and BT474 (SER: 1.26 at a surviving fraction of 0.5) cells and hindered the repair of DNA damage, as suggested by the prolongation of radiation-induced γH2AX foci and the down-regulation of phosphorylated DNAdependent protein kinase, catalytic subunit (p-DNAPKcs). Increases in radiation-induced apoptosis and senescence were suggested to be the major modes of cell death induced by the combination of lapatinib and radiation. Furthermore, lapatinib did not radiosensitize a HER2- negative breast cancer cell line or normal human astrocytes. These results suggest that lapatinib can potentiate radiation-induced cell death in HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells and may increase the efficacy of radiotherapy. Based on these findings, RTOG1119 study which is a phase II randomized study for lapatinib combined with radiation therapy in patients with brain metastases from HER2-positive breast cancer is ongoing (NCT 01622868). Citation Format: Tosol Yu, Bong Jun Cho, Eun Jung Choi, Ji Min Park, Dan Hyo Kim, In Ah Kim. Radiosensitizing effect of lapatinib in HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells: scientific rationale for RTOG1119 study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5184. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-5184

Deciphering the molecular basis of neuronal cell death is a central issue in the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Dysregulation of p53 levels has been implicated in neuronal apoptosis. The role of histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) in suppressing p53-dependent apoptosis has been recently emphasized; however, the molecular basis of modulation of p53 function by HDAC3 remains unclear. Here we show that PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1), which is linked to autosomal recessive early-onset familial Parkinson's disease, phosphorylates HDAC3 at Ser-424 to enhance its HDAC activity in a neural cell-specific manner. PINK1 prevents H2O2-induced C-terminal cleavage of HDAC3 via phosphorylation of HDAC3 at Ser-424, which is reversed by protein phosphatase 4c. PINK1-mediated phosphorylation of HDAC3 enhances its direct association with p53 and causes subsequent hypoacetylation of p53. Genetic deletion of PINK1 partly impaired the suppressive role of HDAC3 in regulating p53 acetylation and transcriptional activity. However, depletion of HDAC3 fully abolished the PINK1-mediated p53 inhibitory loop. Finally, ectopic expression of phosphomometic-HDAC3(S424E) substantially overcomes the defective action of PINK1 against oxidative stress in dopaminergic neuronal cells. Together, our results uncovered a mechanism by which PINK1-HDAC3 network mediates p53 inhibitory loop in response to oxidative stress-induced damage.

A Gram-stain negative, non-flagellated, non-gliding, aerobic and rod-shaped bacterium, designated GYSW-15(T), was isolated from a seawater of Geoje island on the South Sea, South Korea, and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Strain GYSW-15(T) was found to grow optimally at 30 °C, at pH 7.0-8.0 and in the presence of approximately 2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain GYSW-15(T) belongs to the genus Polaribacter, clustering coherently with the type strain of Polaribacter porphyrae showing sequence similarity value of 97.0 %. Strain GYSW-15(T) exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 94.3-96.4 % to the type strains of the other Polaribacter species. Strain GYSW-15(T) was found to contain MK-6 as the predominant menaquinone and iso-C15:0, iso-C15:1 G, iso-C16:0 3-OH and summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c and/or C16:1 ω6c) as the major fatty acids. The polar lipid profile of strain GYSW-15(T) containing phosphatidylethanolamine and an unidentified lipid as major components was similar to that of the type strain of P. porphyrae. The DNA G + C content of strain GYSW-15(T) was determined to be 31.2 mol% and its mean DNA-DNA relatedness with P. porphyrae LMG 26671(T) was 17 %. Differential phenotypic properties, together with its phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain GYSW-15(T) is separated from recognized Polaribacter species. On the basis of the data presented, strain GYSW-15(T) is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Polaribacter, for which the name Polaribacter marinivivus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is GYSW-15(T) ( = KCTC 42156(T) = CECT 8655(T)).

A Gram-stain negative, aerobic, non-spore-forming, motile and rod-shaped or ovoid bacterial strain, designated GJSW-6T, was isolated from a seawater collected at Geoje island on the South Sea, South Korea, and subjected to polyphasic taxonomic study. Strain GJSW-6T was found to grow optimally at 30 °C, at pH 7.0–8.0 and in the presence of approximately 2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain GJSW-6T clustered with the type strains of two Agarivorans species, Agarivorans albus and Agarivorans gilvus, with which it exhibited sequence similarity values of 99.17 and 95.88 %, respectively. Sequence similarities to the type strains of the other recognized species were less than 93.04 %. Strain GJSW-6T was found to contain Q-8 as the predominant ubiquinone and C16:0, summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c and/or C16:1 ω6c) and C18:1 ω7c as the major fatty acids. The polar lipid profile of strain GJSW-6T containing phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol as major components was similar to those of the type strains of A. albus and A. gilvus. The DNA G+C content of strain GJSW-6T was determined to be 45.3 mol% and its mean DNA–DNA relatedness value with A. albus JCM 21469T was 19 %. Differential phenotypic properties, together with the phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain GJSW-6T is separated from two Agarivorans species. On the basis of the data presented, strain GJSW-6T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Agarivorans, for which the name Agarivorans litoreus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is GJSW-6T (= KCTC 42116T = NBRC 110444T). An emended description of the genus Agarivorans is also proposed.

A Gram-negative, aerobic, non-flagellated and coccoid, ovoid or rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated SSK1-4T, was isolated from the junction between the ocean and a freshwater spring at Jeju island, South Korea. Strain SSK1-4T was found to grow optimally at 30 °C, at pH 7.0–8.0 and in the presence of 2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. In the neighbour-joining, maximum-likelihood and maximum-parsimony phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, strain SSK1-4T was found to form an evolutionary lineage independent of those of other genera within the family Rhodobacteraceae. Strain SSK1-4T exhibited the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values to the type strains of Ruegeria lacuscaerulensis (94.99 %), Ruegeria atlantica (94.98 %) and Rhodovulum marinum (94.97 %). Sequence similarities to the type strains of other recognized species were less than 94.87 %. Strain SSK1-4T was found to contain Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone and C18:1 ω7c and cyclo-C19:0 ω8c as the major fatty acids. The polar profile of strain SSK1-4T was found to contain phosphatidylglycerol, sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol, an unidentified lipid and an unidentified aminolipid as major components, which distinguish it from those of the phylogenetically related taxa. The DNA G+C content of strain SSK1-4T was determined to be 58.4 mol%. On the basis of the phylogenetic data and the chemotaxonomic and other phenotypic properties, strain SSK1-4T is considered to represent a new genus and species within the class Alphaproteobacteria, for which the name Confluentimicrobium lipolyticum gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of C. lipolyticum is SSK1-4T (=KCTC 42136T = CECT 8621T). In addition, an emended description of Actibacterium mucosum Lucena et al. 2012 is also proposed.

A Gram-stain negative, non-flagellated, non-gliding and rod-shaped bacterium, strain JHH-2(T), was isolated from seawater collected in Jeju Island, Korea. The novel isolate was found to grow at 25-30 °C, at pH 6.5-7.0 and in the presence of 1-2% (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain JHH-2(T) is closely related to Siansivirga zeaxanthinifaciens JCM 17682(T), with 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 96.6%. The predominant respiratory quinone was identified as menaquinone-6 and the major cellular fatty acids were detected as iso-C(15:0), C(16:0) and iso-C(17:0) 3-OH. Polar lipid profiling revealed the presence of phosphatidylethanolamine, an unidentified glycolipid, four unidentified aminolipids and two unidentified lipids. The DNA G+C content of the chromosomal DNA of the type strain is 35.6 mol%. On the basis of several distinct phenotypic characteristics and phylogenetic analysis, a new species of the genus Siansivirga, Siansivirga jejuensis [corrected] JHH-2(T) sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is JHH-2(T) (= KCCM 90230(T) = JCM 19228(T)). [corrected].

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, aerobic, curved-to-spiral-rod-shaped bacterium, designated AH-MY2T, was isolated from a tidal flat on Aphae island in the sea to the south-west of South Korea, and its taxonomic position was investigated using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Strain AH-MY2T grew optimally at 30 °C, at pH 7.0–8.0 and in the presence of 2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Neighbour-joining, maximum-likelihood and maximum-parsimony phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain AH-MY2T clustered with the type strain of Terasakiella pusilla and that this cluster joined the clade comprising the type strains of species of the genus Thalassospira . Strain AH-MY2T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 90.6 % to the type strain of Terasakiella pusilla and of less than 91.0 % to the type strains of other species with validly published names. Strain AH-MY2T contained Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone and C18 : 1ω7c as the major fatty acid. The major polar lipids detected in strain AH-MY2T were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, two unidentified aminolipids and one unidentified glycolipid. The DNA G+C content of strain AH-MY2T was 56.0 mol%. The phylogenetic data and differential chemotaxonomic and other phenotypic properties revealed that strain AH-MY2T represented a novel genus and species within the family Rhodospirillaceae of the class Alphaproteobacteria , for which the name Aestuariispira insulae gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Aestuariispira insulae is AH-MY2T ( = KCTC 32577T = CECT 8488T).