Concept of Nuruk on Brewing Technology

Nuruk is a traditional Korean fermentation starter that is used to produce starch-based alcoholic beverages using various cereals as raw material. As a determinant factor for flavor, taste, and color of alcoholic beverages, Nuruk is an indispensable ingredient for brewing alcoholic beverages in Korea. Nuruk shows significant variation in the shape, and in the brewing and fermentation methods, which are dependent on the unique climate in each area. Therefore, it is worthy to note that the characteristics of Korean traditional Nuruk are based on its diversity. Thus, this chapter is aimed to scientifically identify the characteristics of traditional Nuruk on brewing technology. In this chapter, the concept of Nuruk will be discussed in terms of its history, production, microorganism diversity, and enzymatic function

Gene Expression Profiles are Altered in Human Papillomavirus-16 E6 D25E-Expressing Cell Lines

Previously, we have reported that the human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 E6 D25E is the most prevalent variant in Korean women at high risk for cervical cancers. Several studies have identified an association between the increased frequency of this variant and the elevated risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and invasive cervical carcinoma. To investigate whether the HPV-16 E6 D25E variant might influence cervical cancer progression, we used an oligonucleotide microarray approach to identify transcriptionally altered gene expression patterns in recombinant wild-type E6 or E6 D25E variant-expressing HPV-negative cancer cells. We found that 211 genes were significantly up- or down-regulated (at least 1.5-fold, p < 0.05). We identified 14 genes, nine down-regulated and five up-regulated upon E6 D25E expression, compared with wild-type E6 expression. These results further emphasize the unique biological activity of the HPV-16 E6 D25E variant

Importance of lactic acid bacteria in Asian fermented foods

Lactic acid bacteria play important roles in various fermented foods in Asia. Besides being the main component in kimchi and other fermented foods, they are used to preserve edible food materials through fermentation of other raw-materials such as rice wine/beer, rice cakes, and fish by producing organic acids to control putrefactive microorganisms and pathogens. These bacteria also provide a selective environment favoring fermentative microorganisms and produce desirable flavors in various fermented foods. This paper discusses the role of lactic acid bacteria in various non-dairy fermented food products in Asia and their nutritional and physiological functions in the Asian diet

TAZ Suppresses NFAT5 Activity through Tyrosine Phosphorylation

Transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) physically interacts with a variety of transcription factors and modulates their activities involved in cell proliferation and mesenchymal stem cell differentiation. TAZ is highly expressed in the kidney, and a deficiency of this protein results in multiple renal cysts and urinary concentration defects; however, the molecular functions of TAZ in renal cells remain largely unknown. In this study, we examined the effects of osmotic stress on TAZ expression and activity in renal cells. We found that hyperosmotic stress selectively increased protein phosphorylation at tyrosine 316 of TAZ and that this was enhanced by c-Abl activation in response to hyperosmotic stress. Interestingly, phosphorylated TAZ physically interacted with nuclear factor of activated T cells 5 (NFAT5), a major osmoregulatory transcription factor, and subsequently suppressed DNA binding and transcriptional activity of NFAT5. Furthermore, TAZ deficiency elicited an increase in NFAT5 activity in vitro and in vivo, which then reverted to basal levels following restoration of wild-type TAZ but not mutant TAZ (Y316F). Collectively, the data suggest that TAZ modulates cellular responses to hyperosmotic stress through fine-tuning of NFAT5 activity via tyrosine phosphorylation.open3

Synergistic Effects of Simvastatin and Irinotecan against Colon Cancer Cells with or without Irinotecan Resistance

Aims. We here investigated whether the combination of simvastatin and irinotecan could induce the synergistic effect on colon cancer cells with or without resistance to irinotecan. Methods. We investigated cell proliferation assay and assessed cell death detection ELISA and caspase-3 activity assay of various concentrations of simvastatin and irinotecan to evaluate the efficacy of drug combination on colon cancer cells with or without irinotecan resistance. Results. The IC50 values of simvastatin alone and irinotecan alone were 115.4±0.14 μM (r=0.98) and 62.5±0.18 μM (r=0.98) in HT-29 cells without resistance to irinotecan. The IC50 values of these two drugs were 221.9±0.22 μM (r=0.98) and 195.9±0.16 μM (r=0.99), respectively, in HT-29 cell with resistance to irinotecan. The results of combinations of the various concentrations of two drugs showed that combined treatment with irinotecan and simvastatin more efficiently suppressed cell proliferation of HT-29 cells even with resistance to irinotecan as well as without resistance. Furthermore, the combination of simvastatin and irinotecan at 2:1 molar ratio showed the best synergistic interaction. Conclusion. Simvastatin could act synergistically with irinotecan to overcome irinotecan resistance of colon cancer

Strain-gradient-induced magnetic anisotropy in straight-stripe mixed-phase bismuth ferrites: An insight into flexomagnetic phenomenon

Implementation of antiferromagnetic compounds as active elements in spintronics has been hindered by their insensitive nature against external perturbations which causes difficulties in switching among different antiferromagnetic spin configurations. Electrically-controllable strain gradient can become a key parameter to tune the antiferromagnetic states of multiferroic materials. We have discovered a correlation between an electrically-written straight-stripe mixed-phase boundary and an in-plane antiferromagnetic spin axis in highly-elongated La-5%-doped BiFeO$_{3}$ thin films by performing polarization-dependent photoemission electron microscopy in conjunction with cluster model calculations. Model Hamiltonian calculation for the single-ion anisotropy including the spin-orbit interaction has been performed to figure out the physical origin of the link between the strain gradient present in the mixed phase area and its antiferromagnetic spin axis. Our findings enable estimation of the strain-gradient-induced magnetic anisotropy energy per Fe ion at around 5$\times$10$^{-12}$ eV m, and provide a new pathway towards an electric-field-induced 90$^{\circ}$ rotation of antiferromagnetic spin axis at room temperature by flexomagnetism.Comment: 32 pages, 5 figure

Eyelid Squamous Cell Carcinoma in a Dog

A 10-year-old, female, Yorkshire Terrier was presented with a left lower eyelid mass. No other abnormality was detected on affected eye in a general eye examination. The mass was surgically removed and histologically diagnosed as a squamous cell carcinoma. The advancement flap used in this case may be an appropriate therapeutic choice for eyelid squamous cell carcinoma in dogs

An Empirical Study on the Effects of Walking Time on Knee Joint Pain Based on Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Data

Objectives: It is generally reported that walking has a positive effect on knee joint pain. However, since previous studies have focused on small patient data and simple average comparisons, we proceed with more sophisticated empirical research using public data. Since the knee joint pain itself can be considered very important in terms of preventative medicine, we analyze that use of big data to identify its effect on knee joint pain. Methods: The present study used a logistic regression analysis and analyzed the effect of walking time on knee joint pain in the activities of daily living based on data from the 6th 2013–2014 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Results: Smoking, Drinking and Sedentary time has no statistically significance on knee joint pain. And walking (moderate, high) has been shown to reduce the risk of knee joint pain. Conclusion: The results confirmed that walking time had a positive effect on the prevalence of knee joint pain. However, individuals with moderate-intensity walking time and those with high-intensity walking time had different effects on preventing knee joint pain