1,152 research outputs found
Genomic Analysis of miR-21-3p and Expression Pattern with Target Gene in Olive Flounder
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) act as regulators of gene expression by binding to the 3â untranslated region (UTR) of target genes. They perform important biological functions in the various species. Among many miRNAs, miR-21-3p is known to serve vital functions in development and apoptosis in olive flounder. Using genomic and bioinformatic tools, evolutionary conservation of miR-21-3p was examined in various species, and expression pattern was analyzed in olive flounder. Conserved sequences (5â-CAGUCG-3â) in numerous species were detected through the stem-loop structure of miR-21-3p. Thus, we analyzed target genes of miR-21-3p. Among them, 3â UTR region of PPIL2 gene indicated the highest binding affinity with miR-21-3p based on the minimum free energy value. The PPIL2 gene showed high expression levels in testis tissue of the olive flounder, whereas miR-21-3p showed rather ubiquitous expression patterns except in testis tissue, indicating that miR-21-3p seems to control the PPIL2 gene expression in a complementary repression manner in various tissues of olive flounder. Taken together, this current study contributes to infer the target gene candidates for the miR-21-3p using bioinformatics tools. Furthermore, our data offers important information on the relationship between miR-21-3p and target gene for further functional study
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Heterogeneous Ceramic-Polymer Composite Using Interpenetrating Network
Prepolymer, which can be polymerized by a photo, has been infiltrated into a porous
ceramic to improve the addition effect of polymer into the ceramic, as a function of the
functionality of prepolymer. It induces the increase in the mechanical properties of the
ceramic. The porous alumina (Al2O3) and the polyurethane acrylate (PUA)
with a network structure by photo-polymerization were used as the matrix and
infiltration materials, respectively. The porous Al2O3 matrix without the polymer shows lower values in fracture strength than the composites, since the stress is transmitted more quickly via
propagation of cracks from intrinsic defects in the porous matrix. However, in the case
of composites, the distribution of stress between heterophases results in the improved
mechanical properties. In addition, the mechanical properties of composites, such as
elastic modulus and fracture strength, are enhanced with increasing the functionality of
prepolymer attributed to the crosslinking density of polymer
A Case of Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy for a Prostatic Stromal Tumor of Uncertain Malignant Potential
Prostatic stromal tumor of uncertain malignant potential (STUMP) is a rare neoplasm with distinctive clinical and pathological characteristics. Here we report a case of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy performed in a patient with prostatic STUMP
Effects of Infrared Radiation and Heat on Human Skin Aging in vivo
Sunlight damages human skin, resulting in a wrinkled appearance. Since natural sunlight is polychromatic, its ultimate effects on the human skin are the result of not only the action of each wavelength separately, but also interactions among the many wavelengths, including UV, visible light, and infrared (IR). In direct sunlight, the temperature of human skin rises to about 40°C following the conversion of absorbed IR into heat. So far, our knowledge of the effects of IR radiation or heat on skin aging is limited. Recent work demonstrates that IR and heat exposure each induces cutaneous angiogenesis and inflammatory cellular infiltration, disrupts the dermal extracellular matrix by inducing matrix metalloproteinases, and alters dermal structural proteins, thereby adding to premature skin aging. This review provides a summary of current research on the effects of IR radiation and heat on aging in human skin in vivo
Translation and validation of the Korean confusion assessment method for the intensive care unit
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Delirium is a common problem and associated with poor outcomes in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Diagnosis of delirium in ICU patients is limited and usually underdiagnosed by physicians. The Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) is one of the most widely used screening methods for detection of ICU delirium. Our goal was to translate and validate the CAM-ICU for use in the Korean ICU setting.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Translation of the CAM-ICU was done according to the guidelines suggested by the Translation and Cultural Adaptation Group. For validation and interrater reliability assessment of the Korean CAM-ICU, two nurses independently assessed delirium in ICU patients and the results were compared with the reference evaluation, which was done by a psychiatrist using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM-IV).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Twenty-two patients were evaluated by two nurses and one psychiatrist expert independently. During the study period, we have continuously educated study nurses. Based on DSM-IV criteria, 16 out of 22 (72.7%) patients developed delirium. The sensitivities of the two nurses' evaluations using the Korean CAM-ICU were 89.80% for nurse 1 and 77.40% for nurse 2. Their specificities were 72.40% and 75.80% and their overall accuracy was 83.33% and 88.37% respectively. The Korean CAM-ICU was done with reasonable interrater reliability between nurse 1 and nurse 2 (Îș = 0.81, <it>p </it>< 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The Korean CAM-ICU showed good validity and could be incorporated into clinical practice in Korean ICUs.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>ISRCTN: <a href="http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN50265663">ISRCTN50265663</a></p
Lack of Mitochondrial DNA Sequence Divergence between Two Subspecies of the Siberian Weasel from Korea: Mustela sibirica coreanus from the Korean Peninsula and M. s. quelpartis from Jeju Island
The objective of this study was to determine the degree of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) divergence between two subspecies of Mustela sibirica from Korea (M. s. coreanus on the Korean Peninsula and M. s. quelpartis on Jeju Island) and to examine the taxonomic status of M. s. quelpartis. Thus, we obtained complete sequences of mtDNA cytochrome b gene (1,140 bp) from the two subspecies, and these sequences were compared to a corresponding haplotype of M. s. coreanus, downloaded from GenBank. From this analysis, it was observed that the sequences from monogenic M. s. quelpartis on Jeju Island were identical to the sequences of four M. s. coreanus from four locations across the Korean Peninsula, and that the two subspecies formed a single clade; the average nucleotide distance between the two subspecies was 0.26% (range, 0.00 to 0.53%). We found that the subspecies quelpartis is not genetically distinct from the subspecies coreanus, and that this cytochrome b sequencing result does not support the current classification, distinguishing these two subspecies by pelage color. Further systematic analyses using morphometric characters and other DNA markers are necessary to confirm the taxonomic status of M. s. quelpartis
Egy tanĂșsĂĄgtevĆ hitvallĂł, szolgĂĄlĂł, tudomĂĄnyos Ă©s papi pĂĄlya lezĂĄrult
Passed a Wittness of the Faith, Scientist, a Servant of The
Lord, True Priest: Nicefor Petrashevich (1915â2013), canon of
the Preshov Greek Catholic Eparchy.
Abstract
Decease of the witness of the Faith, a servant of the Lord
and a famous researcher of the religious folklore: Nicefor
Joseph Petrashevich (1915â2013) distinguished member of the
Capitol of Preshov Greek Catholic Eparchy. Born in Äukalovce,
East-Slovakia (then CsukalĂłc, Upper-Hungary) in 1915 as the
sixth of the eleven children in the family of a Greek
Catholic bishop, he was inspired by his father and elder
brother who served the Lord. He studied in the high school
(gymnasium) of the Cistercian Order in Eger (Northern
Hungary) which provided its pupils with knowledge and deep
faith. He became a choir-minister of the Uzghorod Bishopric
Basilica where he turned to the examination of folklore
traditions reflected in the liturgical chants. Apparently, it
was his calling and his findings on the Byzantine chants
contributed significantly to the understanding of religious
folklore. He was known as a gift ed composer and singer, too.
The Greek Catholic Church was banned in the Soviet Union
which obtained Subcarpathia after the World War II, and this
church was oppressed in Slovakia as well, so he faced a
dilemma: to convert to the Ortodox (Pravoslav) Christianity
and live free, or to remain faithful to the Catholic Church
and be persecuted. Moreover, he was a coelebs, a priest who
did not have a wife (despite the fact that Greek Catholic
priests are allowed to have families). Consequently, he could
have been elected as bishop, as the higher ranks in the
Byzantine Churches are open for monks. The communist
authorities offered Father Nicefor the episcopate of the
Slovak Ortodox Church, if he converted to the Ortodoxy. He
refused it: âmy head does not accept the mithra (bishopsâ
crone) by leaving my Catholic faithâ âhe said. As a result,
he was imprisoned for more than two years in Slovakia. Later
he came to Hungary where could not serve as a parochial
priest, but worked as cantor or helping pope in various
places and in centres of pilgrimage where performed the
liturgy in Church Slavonic which he sang excellently.
Continuing his researches in the folk sings in the liturgy
and the local traditions of the liturgical chants, he gained
a small grant of the Soros Foundation in 1986 and delivered
lectures for two semesters at the Department of the Folklore
at the Eötvös University in Budapest in 1988â89. His papers
have been partially published, but most of them are still
preserved as manuscripts in the Institute of Musicology at
the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, or even in unknown places
worldwide, as he sent his works to his brothers-in-faith to
the United States. In his eighties, instead of enjoying the
golden days of ageing, he moved to Slovakia in order to serve
as a pastor who spoke both Slovakian and Hungarian as mother
tongues. He was buried in SzikszĂł, Hungary where the Greek
Catholic Bishop of Preshov and approximately forty popes from
Ukraine, Hungary and Slovakia commemorated him on 20 July
2013. Church historians and folklorists honored his memory as
a researcher with a conference on 4 October 2013 in SzikszĂł.
Proceedings are to be published next year. A memorial website
about him is open for bloggers
Microstructure and Glass Phase of Inorganic Binder Coated on Mold for Thin Casting
A new dual dipping process has been introduced for the increase in the fracture strength of casting mold through the effective glassification of inorganic binder precursors. Two different dipping processes have been employed to investigate the reactivity of the precursors. Process I is that the substrate was coated with a sodium oxide (Na2O) precursor through dipping in the solution, and then a silicon dioxide (SiO2) precursor was coated onto the substrate coated with the Na2O precursor. Process II is the inverse coating sequence for process I. In the case of the mold prepared by process I, the glass phase converted from the precursors is uniformly observed at the surface of the particle and the interface between particles, compared with that by process II, inducing that the fracture strength of the mold prepared by process I is significantly improved. In addition, when the PDMS without a sol-gel reaction was used as the SiO2 precursor, especially in process II, the glass phase is not absolutely observed at the surface of the particle owing to the evaporation of PDMS and Na ion during the heat treatment, resulting in the collapse of the mold sample after the heat treatment
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