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Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death in Koreans, and eating habits, including diet quality, are among the etiologies of these diseases. Recently, various studies on regional health disparities have been conducted. However, there are limited studies on their relationship with nutritional factors. This study aimed to identify the magnitude of regional disparities in diet quality and prevalence of CVD in Korean adults.This study included 17,646 participants aged ≥ 20 years from the 7In terms of demographic characteristics, age (This study provides useful information and data in identifying and resolving the regional health disparities related to CVD prevalence and implementation of public health nutrition systems.

We compared the effects of whey protein concentrate (WPC, control) with its hydrolystes either by protease M or protease S (the hydrolysates) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) in comparison to normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY). First, the hydrolysates demonstrated higher in vitro angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition than WPC. In an 8 week of animal study, the hydrolysates decreased systolic blood pressure (SBP) and ACE activity in aorta with a greater reduction than WPC. A significant reduction in tail moment, an indicator of oxidative DNA damage was also detected in the hydrolysates compared to the WPC. Especially protease M-treated hydrolysate show low superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Our data indicated that the hydrolysates appeared to have greater blood pressure lowering effects than WPC possibly by greater inhibition of aorta ACE activity along with significant antioxidant roles.

This study evaluated quality characteristics of soybean fermented by selected lactic acid bacteria, which were the enzyme strains with high antimicrobial activities isolated from traditionally prepared soybean paste. We determined total aerobic and lactic acid bacteria counts, protease and amylase activities, reducing sugar and amino-type nitrogen contents, and the amounts of amino acids, organic acids, and aroma-compounds. The total aerobic bacteria counts in soybean fermented with strain I13 (7.75×109 CFU/mL) were the highest among all the strains analyzed. Lactic acid bacteria numbers were 2.85×109 to 4.35×109 CFU/mL in soybean fermented with isolates. Amylase and protease activities of the JSB22 sample were the highest among all sample. Reducing sugar and amino-type nitrogen contents of soybean fermented with JSB22 (1.23%, 94.52 mg%) were highest. Total amino acid content of the samples was 15.88-17.62%, and glutamic acid, aspartic acid, leucine, lysine, and arginine were the major amino acids. Lactic acid (0.82-3.65 g/100 g), oxalic acid (22.74-63.57 mg/100 g), and fumaric acid (2.88-6.33 mg/100 g) were predominant organic acids. A total of 39 volatile aroma-compounds were identified, including 2 esters, 5 ketones, 7 alcohols, 14 hydrocarbons, 2 heterocyclic compounds, 4 acids, and 5 miscellaneous compounds. These results represent useful information for the development of a starter (single or complex) and will be used for production of functional fermented soybean foods.

The aim of this study was to compare ginsenosides profiles, and antioxidant, antiproliferative, and antigenotoxic activities of ginseng extract derived from fine and main roots. The result of the analysis showed a higher total content of ginsenoside in fine roots than in main roots; differences in levels between the different extracts were also confirmed. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay showed that H2O main root extract had a significantly higher activity than that from fine roots. MeOH and H2O extracts from the fine and main roots also exhibited stronger cellular antioxidant capacity 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride-induced oxidative stress in HepG2 cells compared with the positive control. Through calculating the half-maximal inhibitory concentration values, the cytotoxicity of the main root extracts were ranked as follows: MeOH (6.1±1.2 μg/mL)> H2O (6.6±0.1 μg/mL)> ethanol (10.4±0.6 μg/mL); however, the cytotoxicity of all fine root extracts did not significantly differ. All the fine root extracts showed an inhibitory capacity against 4-hydroxynonenal-induced DNA damage, however only the MeOH extract of the main root showed a decrease in DNA damage. All three solvent extracts from the fine roots reduced DNA damage more in the H2O2-treated group, whereas only the MeOH and H2O extracts of the main roots produced a significant reduction. Levels of Rg3 ginsenoside were positively correlated with indices of the ORAC value, and total ginsenoside contents showed a negative correlation with DNA damage induced by H2O2. This study suggests that ginseng and the extraction solvent both affect levels of ginsenoside. Furthermore, the antioxidant potency of ginseng can be attributed to the content of some ginsenosides.

We demonstrate, for the first time, 28-nm embedded STT-MRAM operating at full industrial temperature range (−40~125°C) with >1E+6 endurance and >10 year retention for high speed MCU/IoT application. Robust cell operation is also demonstrated after solder reflow (260°C, 90 second) and during external magnetic disturbance (550-Oe under writing). It is built on 28-nm FDSOI technology in modular format for IP reuse and has great potential to serve wide variety of applications such as IoT, and high performance MCU.

Dear Editor MDS is a clonal disorder marked by ineffective hematopoiesis, cytopenias, clonal chromosomal abnormalities, and a variable predilection to undergo clonal evolution to AML. Multiple genetic aberrations occur during the clonal evolution of MDS, and in the majority of cases, somatic mutations result from the deletion of all or part of a chromosome [1]. BCR-ABL1 is a hybrid from the ABL1 gene on chromosome 9 and the BCR gene on chromosome 22. The fusion protein encoded from this gene has strong tyrosine kinase activity and is involved in the pathogenesis of several hematologic disorders. BCR-ABL1 genes are categorized into three types, based on differences in the BCR gene's breakpoint, which appear to be related to the disease phenotype. The BCR-ABL1 fusion gene is found in CML and in some cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia [2]. However, reports on BCR-ABL1-positive MDS cases are extremely rare [3,4,5,6]. Here, we report an unusual case of MDS progressing to AML with an e1a2 BCR-ABL1 fusion transcript and a complex karyotype, including monosomy 7. A 65-yr-old man was admitted for evaluation of persistent pancytopenia with 9% blasts in the peripheral blood. He presented with general weakness and breathlessness. Evaluation of the bone marrow (BM) disclosed hypercellularity with mild erythroid hyperplasia, blasts count of 18%, and remarkable dyshematopoiesis (Fig. 1). Immunophenotype analysis of BM cells using flow cytometry showed that the blasts were positive (>20% of cells) for CD13 (45%), CD33 (97%), CD117 (68%), CD34 (97%), and HLA-DR (43%), and negative for other megakaryocytic and lymphoid markers. Multiplex reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) evaluation of total RNA isolated from BM cells (HemaVision kit; DNA-Diagnostic, Risskov, Denmark) indicated an e1a2 (p190 BCR-ABL1) rearrangement, confirmed on two independent cDNAs and via direct sequencing (Fig. 2). Quantitative RT-PCR analysis (Real-Q BCR-ABL1 quantification kit; BioSewoom, Seoul, Korea) revealed the BCR-ABL1 to ABL1 transcript ratio to be 0.001339977. The fluorescence in situ hybridization signal for BCR-ABL1 rearrangement was found in one interphase cell out of 296 analyzed cells (Fig. 1D). There was no evidence of other molecular abnormalities such as mutations in JAK2 or calreticulin. Conventional cytogenetic analysis revealed a complex abnormality without the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome: 44,XY,del(5)(q31),-7,del(12)(p12),-14,-16,+mar [cp20]. The final diagnosis was MDS subtype refractory anemia with excess blasts-2 (RAEB-2). The patient died before undergoing a follow-up BM examination owing to lung cancer, which was found shortly after the MDS diagnosis. Fig. 1 Morphological and molecular cytogenetic analyses of bone marrow cells. A bone-marrow aspirate from the patient showed dyserythropoiesis (A), dysmegakaryopoiesis (B), and dysgranulopoiesis (C). Fluorescence in situ hybridization with a BCR-ABL1 dual-color ... Fig. 2 Detection of p190 BCR-ABL1 fusion transcript by multiplex reverse transcriptase -PCR and direct sequencing. Analysis of RNA samples collected from the patient's bone marrow (A, B). The screening kit produced a single band in the M8 lane (A), and the split-out ... BCR-ABL1-positive de novo MDS is a very rare disease, and when it manifests with excess blasts, as in this case, it may be confused with the accelerated phase of CML. However, several features of this case differentiate it from CML. First, our patient did not have organomegalies, such as splenomegaly, or any related symptoms, which are common in CML. Second, our patient did not display basophilia in the peripheral blood or BM, which is common in CML. Third, BM examination showed severe dyshematopoietic features without findings of myeloproliferative neoplasms. Fourth, monosomy 7 and del(5)(q31) identified using chromosomal analysis are typical aberrations of MDS. It is common that BCR-ABL1-negative MDS changes to BCR-ABL1-positive MDS after disease progression [3,4,5,6]. In the case of BCR-ABL1-positive MDS, most patients show excess blasts on the verge of transformation to AML [6,7,8], which implies that the appearance of BCR-ABL1-positive clones is likely to be closely associated with leukemogenesis and triggers MDS to transform into AML. Jacobsen et al. [9] proposed three possible explanations for the acquisition of the late-appearing Ph chromosome: 1) it may have been present on initial presentation; however, the techniques used were inadequate to detect the BCR rearrangement; 2) it may represent further evidence of multistep pathogenesis; and 3) the presence of the Ph chromosome in some cells may represent the development of a new clone of cells in leukemic relapse. In this case, we presume that the third explanation may be fitting. The BCR-ABL1-positive clone was most likely detected on emergence because the BCR-ABL1 copy number and BCR-ABL1 to ABL1 transcript ratio during quantitative RT-PCR analysis were found to be very low. Moreover, a typical Ph chromosome was not found in 20 metaphase cells by conventional cytogenetic analysis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of de novo MDS RAEB-2 with the cryptic e1a2 subtype of BCR-ABL1 rearrangement and complex chromosomal abnormality in Korea. Currently, there is no established treatment method that is distinguished from the usual MDS treatment. In the future, a more systematic study of this disease is needed with respect to serial biologic monitoring, therapy, and outcome.

XYY syndrome is a rare sex chromosome abnormality that occurs in 1 of 1,000 male births, and shows a normal phenotype with the exception of increased stature [1]. However, other clinical characteristics such as psychological dysfunction [2] and urinary tract and hepatobiliary system abnormalities have been reported with XYY syndrome [3]. Here, we describe the first case of XYY syndrome with the occurrence of a cervical immature teratoma and subsequent acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).

Many Koreans, who are resident in Uzbekistan and Central Asia, are still avid fans of the Korean traditional soybean paste. No research study has been conducted on the Korean-Uzbekistanis soybean paste. The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality characteristics of the Korean-Uzbekistanis fermented soybean paste. Nine kinds of soybean pastes prepared by Korean-Uzbekistanis were collected, and their physiochemical properties (protease activity, amylase activity, amino type nitrogen content, reducing-sugar contents, and aerobic bacterial count) have been analyzed. The Korean-Uzbekistanis’ fermented soybean paste (KU-SP) showed higher protease activity than the Korean fermented soybean paste (K-SP). The protease activities of KU-SP B, D, and H were 832, 807 and 630 unit/g, respectively, which were significantly different from others. In addition, the content of amino-type nitrogen in KU-SP B, D, and H were 777 mg%, 686 mg%, and 705 mg%, respectively. In the meanwhile, α-amylase activities showed wide ranges starting from 10.82 to 47.98 unit/g. The KU-SP values, except for the KU-SP C, have shown higher activities than the K-SP. The reduced sugar content and totoal aerobic bacteria number were within the range of 0.55~3.43%/g and 7.24~8.79 log CFU/g, respectively. Finally, this research provided the basic data and information for the quality characteristics of commercial soybean paste prepared by the Korean-Uzbekistanis. These basic data can be useful for understanding the Korean food culture in Central Asia.

We developed a 4Mb split-gate e-flash on 28-nm low-power HKMG logic process, which demonstrates the smallest bit-cell size (0.03×-um2) for high performance IoT applications. High speed operation (25us write time and 2ms erase operation) and robust reliability (500K cycle, 10 years retention) are achieved through optimization of triple-gate flash architecture and scaling of word-line (WL) transistor. New type of high-voltage transistor with LDD-first scheme is applied to enable further scaling of decoder block in Flash IP. Digital-Vdd (1.0V) read operation is used by lowering threshold voltage (V th ) of HV transistor without sacrificing break-down during Flash P/E operation. By using module process concept, the existing RF and logic IP is reused without modification.

DNA degradation is a major obstacle in gaining an accurate profile with standard DNA typing technology. Although alternative genotyping strategies such as mini-STRs and SNPs have proven to be more successful in profiling degraded DNA, these approaches also have limitations. Here, we show that locus enrichment by hybridization of degraded genomic DNA with an STR locus-specific biotinylated oligonucleotide is a powerful approach to overcome problems in STR typing of highly degraded DNA. An experimental investigation of factors affecting the efficiency of this method indicates that the choice of primer and molar ratio of primers to genomic DNA are critical factors in improving enrichment of the STR locus before genotyping with multiplex kits. In addition, we find that indirect capture rather than direct capture with magnetic beads yields better enrichment efficiency for STR locus enrichments. Using these strategies, we demonstrate an improvement in STR typing of DNA from cultured cells damaged by exposure to sunlight or UV. We suggest that this approach could be applied to highly degraded forensic samples alone or in combination with mini-STRs.

Dear Editor, Stem cell transplantation (SCT) has become an important treatment for hematological malignant disorders. However, SCT may cause severe complications, including graft rejection, relapse of malignancy, veno-occlusive disease, infections, and graft-versus-host disease. To maximize compatibility and minimize complications of allogeneic hematopoietic SCT, selection and evaluation of the best possible donor are crucial. This assessment should include HLA typing, complete medical history, chest X-ray, electrocardiogram, blood screening, and infectious disease screening [1, 2]. Donor chromosome analysis remains controversial and is not performed in many institutions when evaluating donors. However, there are rare reports on the transmission of constitutional karyotype abnormalities after SCT [3]. Here, we report the identification of a constitutional t(2;11)(q32;q23) chromosomal abnormality in a pediatric patient with acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL) and a sibling donor after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). A 10-month-old male was admitted for clinical evaluation of leukocytosis. He presented with irritability, fever, and marked leukocytosis (46.41×109/L). On his bone marrow (BM) aspirate smear, 68% of the blasts showed irregular cytoplasmic blebs. The blasts were negative for myeloperoxidase, Sudan-Black B, and periodic acid-Schiff staining. According to the flow cytometry that was conducted on the guardian consent, the blasts were positive (>20% of cells) for CD41 (77.0%) and HLA-DR (43.0%) and were negative for other myeloid and lymphoid markers. Conventional cytogenetic analysis of the BM aspirate revealed a complex abnormality: 6 out of 20 metaphases were inappropriate, and the karyotype at initial diagnosis of AMKL was 45, XY,-22,t(2;11)(q32;q23),der(14)t(14;22)[6]/46,XY,t(2;11)(q32;q23)[8] (Fig. 1A). He was diagnosed as having AMKL. After receiving induction and consolidation chemotherapy, the patient achieved morphological and clinical remission. At that time, the candidate donor was a sibling 4-yr-old male without a medical history who was matched at high-resolution HLA typing. Donor evaluation was performed according to standard strategies. Subsequently, allogeneic BMT with the matched sibling donor was performed. BM examination on day 124 after the SCT revealed trilineage engraftment and complete chimerism. However, cytogenetic analysis of the BM aspirate still demonstrated the t(2;11)(q32;q23) abnormality (Fig. 1B). Fig. 1 Karyotypic findings in the patient and donor. Conventional cytogenetic analysis from the patient's bone marrow before transplantation (A) and in the peripheral blood after transplantation (B) demonstrated a karyotype of 46,XY,t(2;11)(q32;q23). Conventional ... To investigate the possibility of a donor-derived chromosomal abnormality, we performed conventional cytogenetic analysis and M-FISH from peripheral blood (PB) of the donor. Mononuclear cells from the PB of the sibling donor were determined to have a constitutional chromosomal aberration of 46,XY,t(2;11)(q32;q23) [20] (Fig. 1C, D). Follow-up observations were recommended owing to the possibility of hematological malignancies. Fortunately, this patient maintained complete chimerism without evidence of a relapse. AMKL is recognized as AML-M7 according to the French-American-British (FAB) cooperative group classification system [4, 5, 6]. Childhood AMKL is rare in the general pediatric population. However, it is the most common form of Down syndrome-related leukemia, and its prognosis is favorable in this group of patients [5, 6]. AMKL in the absence of Down syndrome appears to be more heterogeneous, and its prognostic factors are not well defined [3]. The t(1;22)(p13;q13) translocation, forming the chimeric fusion transcript OTT-MAL, is the most common chromosomal abnormality in infants with AMKL not affected by Down syndrome [7]. However, molecular genetic abnormalities in children with AMKL besides trisomy 21 or t(1;22) (p13;q13) are extremely rare. The transmission of various abnormal karyotypes from phenotypically normal donors after an SCT has been reported previously. Although donor-derived leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome are rare complications of SCT, several well-documented cases involving constitutional cytogenetic abnormalities of donor cells were reported [8, 9]. Other authors have described cases of relapsed patients showing abnormal post-transplant karyotypes [3, 10]. Thus, it is important to consider the possible risk that a donor chromosome abnormality such as t(2;11)(q32;q23) could be transmitted to the recipient, which could be avoided if chromosomal analysis is conducted during donor evaluation. An additional concern is whether there may be an additional risk to potential donors with conditions such as constitutional chromosomal abnormality when exposed to stem cell stimulants (including granulocyte colony-stimulating factor) during preparation for stem cell harvest. In summary, we report the case of an AMKL patient with the constitutional chromosomal aberration of t(2;11)(q32;q23). At the time of complete chimerism after SCT, this chromosomal abnormality was persistently found in the BM aspirate of the patient as well as in the PB of the sibling donor. This posed a unique management dilemma for the healthy sibling donor. Owing to the paucity of data, no conclusion could be drawn regarding the possibility of hematologic malignancy in patients carrying the cytogenetic abnormality of the t(2;11)(q32;q23) translocation. Moreover, this case might encourage further discussion about the validity of chromosome analysis for the purpose of BMT or SCT donor evaluations.

We present a highly scalable 2nd generation 45-nm split-gate embedded flash, which has been scaled of 40% unit-cell-size (almost same size with 28-nm technology node) from the 1st generation 45-nm embedded flash without using extra masks, processes and advanced-equipment. By optimizing process of triple-gate flash architecture and implementing several design methodologies, high speed operation (10ns random access time, 25us write time and less than 2ms erase operation) and robust reliability (1M cycle, 20 retention) are achieved. It has been successfully verified in range of 1Mb up to 16Mb density flash IPs

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of unripened cheese supplements on lipid metabolism and antioxidant status in hypercholesterolemic SD rats. Rats were induced to have hypercholesterolemia by feeding them high cholesterol diet (0.5% cholesterol and 0.2% sodium cholate) for 4 weeks and then divided into 2 groups. One group was fed a high cholesterol diet with 5% unripened cheese (URC) daily for 6 weeks, and the other one was fed a high cholesterol diet without 5% unripened cheese (URC) daily for 6 weeks. Significantly-increased plasma total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and AST activity because of the high-cholesterol diet were reduced 18.8%, 40.5%, and 33%, respectively, by URC supplementation. Also, URC lowered hepatic total lipids, TCs, and TGs, whereas fecal lipid profiles were not changed by URC. The supplementation of URC resulted in an increase of plasma retinol and -tocopherol by 40.5% and 39.2% and leukoytic DNA resistance to oxidative stress by 52.3% compared to hypercholesterolemic control. These results suggest that unripened cheese supplements could exert significant health benefits to those with hypercholesterolemia through ameliorating lipid profiles and antioxidant effects.

The antioxidant properties of Robinia pseudoacacia L. water and 70% ethanol extracts were evaluated by determining total phenolic content (TPC), DPPH radical scavenging activity (RSA), and reducing power (RP). The water extract showed higher TPC (9.07 mg/g gallic acid equivalents) and RP than those of ethanol extract, whereas ethanol extract had greater DPPH RSA. The R. pseudoacacia L. extracts also showed antigenotoxic effects for 200 μM H 2 O 2 -induced DNA damage in human leukocytes. The 200 μM H 2 O 2 -induced DNA damage decreased following treatment with the water extract. Reductions in DNA damage with 50 μg/mL of the water and ethanol extracts were 46.5 and 32.4%, respectively. Key words : Robinia pseudoacacia L., flower, antioxidant activity, DNA damage, antigenotoxic effect I. 서 론 1) 인체의 노화와 질병을 유발하는 유리 라디칼은 인체 내에서 정상적인 대사과정 중 생물학적 반응으로 형성되며 , 세포와 조직에 해로운 독성을 일으켜 여러 가지 질병을 유발하는 것으로 알려져 있다 (Valko M 등 2007). 이를 해결할 수 있는 항산화제에 관한 관심이 집중되었으나 , 기존의 식품에 널리 사용되던 합성 항산화제인 BHT(butylated hydroxytoluene) †Corresponding author: Seung-Cheol Lee, Dept. of Food Science a nd Biotechnology, Kyungnam University Tel: 82-55-249-2684 Fax: 82-55-249-2995 E-mail: sclee@kyungnam.ac.kr

The roan coat color is characterized by white hairs intermingled with colored hairs. Candidate genes based on comparative phenotypes in horses and cattle involve the KIT and KIT ligand (MGF) genes. Here, we report the result of the whole genome scanning to detect genomic regions responsible for the roan coat color, using a three-generation pedigree of 62 pigs in an intercross between Landrace and Korean native pig. These pigs were genotyped using the PorcineSNP 60 BeadChip (Illumina, USA). The whole genome scan indicated that three genomic regions, 35∼36 Mb, 38∼39 Mb, and 58∼59 Mb on SSC8, were commonly and highly associated/linked with the roan phenotype in the case/control, sib-pair, and linkage test, respectively. The porcine KIT was selected as a candidate gene, because it is located in one of the three significant regions and its function is related to coat color formation. SNPs and Indels within coding sequence (CDS), promoter, and 3′-UTR of KIT were surveyed. Twenty-two SNPs in the CDS reported previously, as well as nine variations in promoter (2 SNPs) and 3′-UTR (5 SNPs and 2 Indels) were detected. Although no causative mutations were identified, these results will help to elucidate the genetic mechanisms involved in the expression of the roan phenotype and will aid in identifying key mutations responsible for the roan phenotype in further studies.

We investigated the effects of puffer (Sphoeroides rubripes) supplementation on antioxidant metabolism in ethanol-treated rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into 4 groups of 7 rats each and fed (1) an AIN-93G diet (NC), (2) 25% ethanol (E), (3) 25% ethanol and an AIN-93G diet containing 1% puffer flesh (E+F), or (4) 25% ethanol and an AIN-93G diet containing 1% puffer skin (E+S) for 5 wk. At the end of the experimental period, the rats were sacrificed and their blood and organs were collected. To evaluate the effect of puffer supplementation, lipid-soluble antioxidant vitamin and conjugated diene (CD) levels, DNA damage, and mRNA expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) were assessed. Animals that were fed ethanol showed reduced plasma levels of lipid-soluble antioxidant vitamin and significantly increased levels of lipid peroxides, DNA damage, and HO-1 expression. Dietary supplementation with puffer conferred an antioxidant effect by significantly increasing the levels of γ-tocopherol, a lipid-soluble antioxidant vitamin, and by significantly decreasing the plasma levels of CD, DNA damage, and HO-1 expression. These results suggest that consumption of puffer improves the antioxidant status of ethanol-treated rats.

This work was carried out to investigate on the retail cut yield and the meat quality of crossbred ducks. A total of 360 pullets that were produced from 4 mating methods used in this work. Four mating method were A) native ducks ( ) × native ducks ( ), B) meat-type ducks ( ) × native ducks ( ), C) native ducks ( ) × meat-type ducks ( ), and D) meat-type ducks ( ) × meat-type ducks ( ). Ducks were bred at the flat house, and selected nine ducks with similar weights from each treatment at the certain weeks (A, B, C 8 weeks; D 6 weeks). Selected ducks were slaughtered, calculated the retail cut yield(wing, back, neck, breast, leg), analyzed the physico-chemical compositions, and tested the sensory evaluation. Wing and neck meat ratios of D treatment were lowest (P

Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, KoreaABSTRACT The current work was carried out to investigate the effect of crossbred Korean native chickens (KNC) on performance and carcass ratio. Seven hundred twenty 1-d-old chicks were divided into groups by strain (A, B, C and D) and sex (male and female). Strains were A) (KNC egg-meat type C strains×KNC meat type S strains)×KNC meat type H strains, B) (KNC egg-meat type C strains×KNC meat type H strains)×KNC meat type S strains, C) (KNC native R strains×KNC meat type S strains)×KNC meat type H strains and D) (KNC native L strains×KNC meat type H strains×Ross broiler. Experimental diets consisted of 3 phases such as starter(05 weeks; CP 20.0%, ME 3,050 kcal/kg), earlier (58 weeks; CP 18.0%, ME 3,100 kcal/kg) and finisher (812 weeks; CP 16.0%, ME 3,150 kcal/kg). Body weight (BW) and feed intake (FI) was measured every week and carcass ratio(CR) was calculated at 5 and 10 week after starting experiment. There was no difference in BW among strains until 5 weeks (P>0.05), however D strain resulted in a higher BW after 5 weeks (P

National Institute of Animal Science, RDAABSTRACT This work was conducted to evaluate the hatching and growing performance of Korean native chicken (KNC) 3 strains crossbred. A total of 360 female pullets were produced from CY×C (A), CL×C (B), CG×C (C) and CW×C (D) crossbred kept in National Institute of Animal Science, Korea. Hatchability of A, B, C and D were 69.8, 70.7, 75.5 and 77.4%, respectively. Livability were not significantly different by 20 weeks among 4 strains. Body weight B was high compared to other strains at 20 weeks. The feed conversion ratio of 4 strains was no significantly different among strains at 20 weeks. These results suggested the basic data that needed to develope the new strains.(Key words : crossbred, Korean native chicken, livability, body weight, feed conversion ratio)

National Institute of Animal Science, RDAABSTRACT This work was carried out to improve the performance and the carcass yield of Korea native duck (KND) according to crossbreeding KND and broiler duck (BD). Two hundred forty out of crossbred ducks were divided into 4 strains and selected as 120 ducks separated by sex, respectively. Crossbred ducks were native ducks ()×native ducks (), native ducks ()×broiler ducks (), broiler ducks ()×native ducks (), and broiler ducks ()×broiler ducks() as A, B, C and D, respectively. Broiler duck diet was fed as experimental diet for 03 weeks (CP 22.0%, ME 2,900 kcal/kg) and 38 weeks (CP 18.0%, ME 3,000 kcal/kg). Body weight of male was high compared to female, and that of B and C was high compared to A and low compared to D at 3 and 8 week (P C>B>A on body weight gain (P

The aim of this study was to assess the total radical trapping antioxidant potential and antigenotoxic effects by comet assay of ethanol extracts of stalked sea squirt, Styela clava, (tunic, substrate, and whole). All extracts of stalked sea squirt effectively scavenged ABTS· + in a dose dependent manner. Pretreatment with each extract of stalked sea squirt produced significant reductions in oxidative DNA damage at concentrations of 1–50 μg/mL, with whole extract of stalked sea squirt showing higher inhibition (16.1 μg/mL) of H2O2 induced DNA damage than substrate or tunic extracts based on ED50 values. The addition of 50 μg/mL of stalked sea squirt extracts to human leukocytes after oxidative stimulus (200 μM H2O2) for 5 min positively influences the kinetics of DNA repair during 24 hr of incubation. These results indicate that the ethanol extracts of tunic, substrate, and whole stalked sea squirt have significant antioxidant activities that protect against oxidative DNA damage and improve DNA repair capacity.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignant neoplasm in the world. Much attention has been focused on reducing colon cancer risk through medical properties of natural compound that could act as anticarcinogens. In this study, we evaluated the antioxidant and antigenotoxic effects of Styela plicata (S. plicata) from in vitro experiments. S. plicata extracts showed antioxidant activity measured by TRAP assay and antigenotoxic effect in 200 μM H2O2 induced DNA damage in human leukocytes. Especially, freeze-dried S. plicata extracted with methanol showed the highest level of TRAP (0.225 mM) and inhibition of DNA damage (66.8%). Additionally we observed the effect of S. plicata on the formation of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) induced by dimethylhydrazine (DMH) and DMH induced DNA damage (by comet assay) in male SD rats. The animals were divided into three groups and fed high-fat and low fiber diet (100 g lard＋20 g cellulose/kg diet) without (normal control and DMH control) or with a 3% (w/w) of lyophilized S. plicata powder (DMH＋S. plicata). One week after beginning the diets, rats were treated with DMH (30 mg/kg, s.c.) for 6 weeks except for normal control group, which was treated saline instead; dietary treatments were continued for the entire experiment. Nine weeks after DMH injection, administration of S. plicata resulted in reduction of ACF numbers, to 82.7% of the carcinogen control value (7.67±2.04 vs. 1.33±0.53: p

Statins are known to possess antioxidant properties in addition to their cholesterol-lowering effects. However, recent studies have suggested that statins reduce the levels of antioxidant vitamins such as vitamin E and coenzyme Q(10), possibly resulting in impaired left ventricular function. We investigated the effects of simvastatin on the blood lipids, LDL oxidation and plasma antioxidant status, and whether these effects were associated with changes in plasma antioxidant vitamin levels.Simvastatin (20-40 mg/day) was administered for 8 weeks in seventy-six hypercholesterolemic patients. We measured plasma lipids, oxidized LDL, total radical trapping antioxidant potential (TRAP) and plasma antioxidant vitamin levels at baseline and after 8 weeks of simvastatin administration.Simvastatin significantly lowered serum levels of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol by 30.1% and 41.9%, respectively. A significant reduction in oxidized LDL levels (p0.0001) and improvement in plasma antioxidant status as measured by TRAP (p0.05) after the 8-week simvastatin treatment were observed. Regarding the effects of simvastatin on plasma antioxidant vitamin levels, there were significant increases in the levels of lipid-corrected retinol (p0.001), alpha-tocopherol (p0.001) and gamma-tocopherol (p0.005) after the 8-week simvastatin treatment. Lipid-corrected levels of coenzyme Q10 and carotenoids remained unchanged after simvastatin treatment.Our results show that simvastatin reduced blood lipids and circulating oxidized LDL, and improved plasma antioxidant status without altering the antioxidant vitamin system. These data indicate that simvastatin not only decreases blood lipids and circulating oxidized LDL but also increases lipid corrected levels of antioxidant vitamins and may improve plasma antioxidant status synergizing with the biological effects of antioxidants.

DNA profiling of short tandem repeats (STR) has been successfully used for the identification of individuals in forensic samples, accidents and natural disasters. However, STR profiling of DNA isolated from old crime scenes and damaged biological samples is difficult due to DNA degradation and fragmentation. Here, we show that pre-amplification of STR loci using biotinylated primers for the STR loci is an efficient strategy to obtain STR profiling results from fragmented forensic samples. Analysis of STR loci with longer amplicon sizes is generally hampered, since these relatively long loci are vulnerable to DNA fragmentation. This problem was overcome by using reduced or increased primer concentrations for loci with shorter or longer amplicon sizes, respectively, in our pre-amplification strategy. In addition, pre-amplification of STR loci into two groups of short or long amplicon size increases the efficiency of STR profiling from highly fragmented forensic DNA samples. Therefore, differential pre-amplification of STR loci is an effective way to obtain DNA profiling results from fragmented forensic samples.

Biogenic amines in some food products present considerable toxicological risks as potential human carcinogens when consumed in excess concentrations. In this study, we investigated the degradation of the biogenic amines histamine and tyramine and the presence of genes encoding histidine and tyrosine decarboxylases and amine oxidase in Bacillus species isolated from fermented soybean food. No expression of histidine and tyrosine decarboxylase genes (hdc and tydc) were detected in the Bacillus species isolated (B. subtilis HJ0-6, B. subtilis D'J53-4, and B. idriensis RD13-10), although substantial levels of amine oxidase gene (yobN) expression were observed. We also found that the three selected strains, as non-biogenic amineproducing bacteria, were significantly able to degrade the biogenic amines histamine and tyramine. These results indicated that the selected Bacillus species could be used as a starter culture for the control of biogenic amine accumulation and degradation in food. Our study findings also provided the basis for the development of potential biological control agents against these biogenic amines for use in the food preservation and food safety sectors.

For the first time, 4Mb split-gate type embedded flash is developed in 45-nm technology with 1M cycling endurance for mass production of various applications. Process integration is designed for logic compatibility, minimizing shift of logic device characteristics so that existing IPs can be used. By process optimization of triple-gate flash architecture, high speed operation (write time of 25us and erase operation of less than 2ms) and robust reliability (1M cycle, 150 □ retention) are achieved.

Neurodegenerative conditions, such as the Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases, areassociated with the production of reactive oxygen species and resultant oxidative stress.Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter of the central nervous system and may induce cytotoxicity through persistent activation of glutamate receptors and through oxidative stress mechanisms. On the basis of this information, we established a screening system using N18-RE-105 cells to identify therapeutic agents that can protect cells from glutamate toxicity. During the course of our screening program, we recently isolated an active compound, 8,13-dihydroxy-9,11-octadecadienoic acid (PSE-1), from peanut sprouts, which prevents glutamate-induced cell death. The chemical structure of PSE-1 was identified using spectroscopic methods and by comparison with the value in the literature. The antioxidant and neuroprotective effects of PSE-1 were evaluated using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay, Comet assay, the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5,-diphenyltetrazolium bromide reduction assay, the lactate dehydrogenase release assay, a morphological assay and Hoechst 33342 staining. The results of the assays demonstrate that PSE-1 has neuroprotective effects and that PSE-1 could be a new potential chemotherapeutic agent against neuronal diseases. Key words: Glutamate, PSE-1, peanut sprout, antioxidant, neuroprotective, N18-RE-105 cells.

Background Flow cytometry (FC) HLA-B27 typing is still used extensively for the diagnosis of spondyloarthropathies. If patient blood samples are stored for a prolonged duration, this testing can be performed in a batch manner, and in-house cellular controls could easily be procured. In this study, we investigated various methods of storing patient blood samples. Methods We compared four storage methods: three methods of analyzing lymphocytes (whole blood stored at room temperature, frozen mononuclear cells, and frozen white blood cells [WBCs] after lysing red blood cells [RBCs]), and one method using frozen platelets (FPLT). We used three ratios associated with mean fluorescence intensities (MFI) for HLAB27 assignment: the B27 MFI ratio (sample/control) for HLA-B27 fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate (FITC); the B7 MFI ratio for HLA-B7 phycoerythrin (PE); and the ratio of these two ratios, B7/B27 ratio. Results Comparing the B27 MFI ratios of each storage method for the HLA-B27+ samples and the B7/B27 ratios for the HLA-B7+ samples revealed that FPLT was the best of the four methods. FPLT had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 99.3% for HLA-B27 assignment in DNA-typed samples (N=164) when the two criteria, namely, B27 MFI ratio >4.0 and B7/B27 ratio

To examine the possibility of usage as a protein source, red crab shell was enzymatically hydrolyzed using 6 commercial proteases (Protease A, Protamex, Neutrase, Favourzyme, Alcalase, Protease M f...

Serum Ca(++) levels play important roles in the humoral immunity. The aim of this study was to detect quantitative trait loci and the associated positional candidate genes affecting baseline serum Ca(++) concentrations. A genome-wide association study was conducted in an F(2) intercross population between Landrace and Korean native pigs using the porcine single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) 60 K beadchip and the PLINK program based on linear regression. Data used in the study included 410 F(2) pigs. All experimental animals were genotyped with 36,613 SNP markers located throughout the pig autosomes. We identified a strong association between a SNP marker on chromosome 7 and serum Ca(++) levels (DIAS0002191, genomic control-corrected P = 7.7 × 10(-5)). The position of DIAS0002191 was closely located to SLA class III region containing the C2 gene encoding the complementary component 2 protein, a protein which is important in the humoral immune responses. De novo sequencing of the porcine C2 gene revealed a missense mutation [c.1963AG (N655D)] and this missense mutation was also strongly associated with serum Ca(++) concentrations (genomic control-corrected P = 5.9 × 10(-5)). Further studies are necessary to investigate the effect of this missense mutation at a functional-molecular level. In conclusion, the missense mutation of the C2 gene identified in this study may help in elucidating the genetic factors underlying humoral immune reactions.

Background Aside from single nucleotide polymorphisms, copy number variations (CNVs) are the most important factors in susceptibility to genetic disorders because they affect expression levels of genes. In previous studies, pyrosequencing, mini-sequencing, real-time PCR, invader assays and other techniques have been used to detect CNVs. However, the higher the copy number in a genome, the more difficult it is to resolve the copies, so a more accurate method for measuring CNVs and assigning genotype is needed. Results PCR followed by a quantitative oligonucleotide ligation assay (qOLA) was developed for quantifying CNVs. The accuracy and precision of the assay were evaluated for porcine KIT, which was selected as a model locus. Overall, the root mean squares of bias and standard deviation of qOLA were 2.09 and 0.45, respectively. These values are less than half of those in the published pyrosequencing assay for analyzing CNV in porcine KIT. Using a combined method of qOLA and another pyrosequencing for quantitative analysis of KIT copies with spliced forms, we confirmed the segregation of KIT alleles in 145 F1 animals with pedigree information and verified the correct assignment of genotypes. In a diagnostic test on 100 randomly sampled commercial pigs, there was perfect agreement between the genotypes obtained by grouping observations on a scatter plot and by clustering using the nearest centroid sorting method implemented in PROC FASTCLUS of the SAS package. In a test on 159 Large White pigs, there were only two discrepancies between genotypes assigned by the two clustering methods (98.7% agreement), confirming that the quantitative ligation assay established here makes genotyping possible through the accurate measurement of high KIT copy numbers (>4 per diploid genome). Moreover, the assay is sensitive enough for use on DNA from hair follicles, indicating that DNA from various sources could be used. Conclusion We have established a high resolution quantification method using an oligonucleotide ligation assay to measure CNVs, and verified the reliability of genotype assignment for random animal samples using the nearest centroid sorting method. This new method will make it more practical to determine KIT CNV and to genotype the complicated Dominant White/KIT locus in pigs. This procedure could have wide applications for studying gene or segment CNVs in other species.

Exflagellation of the malaria parasite microgametocyte usually occurs in the gut cavity of Anopheles mosquitoes following an infective blood meal. Exflagellation is a very rare event in human blood. Due to its rarity, the appearance of this structure in a peripheral blood smear will easily create a diagnostic dilemma. We report a case of malaria with exflagellated microgametes in human blood that was initially mistaken for a double infection of Plasmodium and another blood flagellate. The patient was a 29-year-old Parkistani man presenting with fluctuating fever accompanied by chills and fatigue for 4 days. Initial peripheral blood smear examination showed a number of Plasmodium ring forms, trophozoites, and gametocytes. Additionally, several filamentous structures resembling blood flagellates were seen. With these features, an initial diagnostic impression of combined infection of malaria and blood flagellate was made. Later, we determined that these structures resembling blood flagellates were exflagellated microgametes of malarial parasite. Therefore, the knowledge that exflagellation may appear in human blood with Plasmodium species infection and being more familiar with differentiation of the morphologic features of other species infection can prevent further possible misinterpretation. (Korean J Clin Microbiol 2012;15:151-153)

This study was performed to examine the characteristics of protein of red crab (Chionoecetes japonicus) shell powder hydrolyzed by commercial proteases. Red crab shell was digested by commercial proteases, such as Protamex (P), Neutrase (N), Flavourzyme (F), Alcalase (A), Protease M (PM) and Protease A (PA). Protein yield analyzed by Biuret assay, absorbance at 280 nm and brix revealed that PA was the enzyme having the highest proteolytic activity. SDS PAGE showed that molecular weight of proteins produced by protease treatments was various and below 150 kDa. Combinational treatment of proteases (PA + P, PA + PM, PA + F, PA + A) was tried whether these increase protein hydrolysis from red crab shell powder compared to a PA single treatment. Soluble protein content was similar, but amino acid concentration by combinational treatments was higher than PA single treatment [PA + P 247.4 mg/g ＞ PA + F (206.4 mg/g) ＞ PA + A (133.4 mg/g) ＞ PA + PM (59.1 mg/g) ＞ PA (54.9 mg/g)]. Amino acid composition by combinational treatments was slightly different. Most abundant essential amino acids were phenylalanine, glycine, alanine, and leucine, whereas tyrosine and cystine were not detected. (Korean J Nutr 2012; 45(5): 429 ~ 436)