Apoptotic properties of polysaccharide isolated from fruiting bodies of medicinal mushroom Fomes fomentarius in human lung carcinoma cell line

AbstractMushrooms are known to complement chemotherapy and radiation therapy by countering the side effects of cancer. Recently, there has been great interest in isolation of novel bioactive compounds from mushrooms due to their numerous health beneficial effects. Chemically water-extractable polysaccharide (MFKF-AP1β), with a molecular weight of 12kDa, was isolated from fruiting bodies of mushroom Fomes fomentarius. In this research, we investigated the anti-tumor effects of MFKF-AP1β on human lung carcinoma A549 cells. Results showed that MFKF-AP1β markedly inhibited A549 cell growth in a dose-dependent manner based on the amount of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) released and morphological alterations. In addition, MFKF-AP1β induced cellular apoptosis by causing single-stranded DNA breakage, as evidenced by apoptosis assay. Furthermore, MFKF-AP1β (25–100μg/ml) significantly induced single-stranded DNA breakage in A549 cells, as shown by comet assay.Taken together, our results demonstrate that MFKF-AP1β has strong anti-tumor effects mediated through induction of apoptosis. Therefore, MFKF-AP1β could be useful in lung chemotherapy

Determinants Of Enforcement Action By The Financial Supervisory Service Of Korea From The Perspective Of Audit Firms

In this study, we examine the determinants of enforcement action by the Financial Supervisory Service of Korea from the perspective of audit firms. Enforcement action is an indication of audit failure. Both client- and audit firm-specific factors are involved in its occurrence. Most published studies of enforcement after audit failure focus on client characteristics because details about audit firms from financial statements and information about organizational structure are not publicly available. However, examining the issues surrounding enforcement from the perspective of audit firms may also be valuable in elucidating the potential determinants of audit failure resulting in enforcement action. Utilizing publicly available data from audit firms in South Korea, we identify several audit firm characteristics as determinants of enforcement action. The results of our empirical analysis reveal that the likelihood of audit failure is positively associated with the ratio of accounts receivable to total assets, the ratio of audit fees to total revenue, the ratio of partners to the total number of CPAs, CEO ownership, and age of audit firms. In addition, the likelihood of audit failure is negatively associated with ownership concentration and profitability. These associations are more pronounced in non-affiliated audit firms than affiliated audit firms. Several useful implications for regulators are described for improving audit quality by means of enforcement action

Carbon Uptake Rates of Sea Ice Algae and Phytoplankton under Different Light Intensities in a Landfast Sea Ice Zone, Barrow, Alaska

To determine whether nitrogen or light exerts the most control for the rates of carbon production of ice algae and phytoplankton under the ice, nitrogen addition (NO3 or NH4) and light increment experiments were executed on the landfast sea ice of Barrow, Alaska, during the 2003 growing season by using a 13C-15N dual isotope tracer technique. The productivity of the bottom sea ice algae and phytoplankton at Barrow in 2003 was limited mainly by low light levels (approximately 0.3% of the surface irradiance) at the bottom under the snow-covered sea ice. The carbon and nitrate uptake rates of ice algae and phytoplankton increased as the incubation depth in the ice hole decreased and light intensity increased. In addition, under higher light conditions, the relative production of proteins of the bottom ice algae decreased, whereas the lipid proportion increased. The higher level of lipid synthesis of the ice algae might be significant to the nutrition of zooplankton and benthos because lipids are the most energy-dense biomolecules.Afin de déterminer si c’est l’azote ou la lumière qui exerce le plus grand contrôle sur les taux de production de carbone émanant des algues de glace et du phytoplancton sous la glace, des expériences consistant en l’ajout différentiel d’azote (NO3 ou NH4) et de lumière ont été effectuées sur la glace de mer côtière de Barrow, en Alaska, pendant la saison de croissance de 2003 grâce à une technique de traceurs d’isotopes mixtes de 13C-15N. La productivité des algues de glace de mer et de phytoplancton de fond à Barrow en 2003 a été surtout restreinte par les faibles taux de lumière (environ 0,3 % de l’éclairement de la surface) au fond, sous la glace de mer couverte de neige. Les taux d’absorption de carbone et d’azote chez les algues de glace et le phytoplancton augmentaient au fur et à mesure que la profondeur d’incubation du trou de glace diminuait et que l’intensité lumineuse s’intensifiait. De plus, lorsque les conditions de luminosité étaient plus grandes, la production relative de protéines des algues de glace de fond diminuait, tandis que la proportion de lipides grimpait. Le taux plus élevé de synthèse des lipides des algues de glace pourrait revêtir de l’importance dans la nutrition du zooplancton et du benthos parce que les lipides sont les biomolécules les plus denses en énergie

Vertically aligned InGaN nanowires with engineered axial In composition for highly efficient visible light emission.

We report on the fabrication of novel InGaN nanowires (NWs) with improved crystalline quality and high radiative efficiency for applications as nanoscale visible light emitters. Pristine InGaN NWs grown under a uniform In/Ga molar flow ratio (UIF) exhibited multi-peak white-like emission and a high density of dislocation-like defects. A phase separation and broad emission with non-uniform luminescent clusters were also observed for a single UIF NW investigated by spatially resolved cathodoluminescence. Hence, we proposed a simple approach based on engineering the axial In content by increasing the In/Ga molar flow ratio at the end of NW growth. This new approach yielded samples with a high luminescence intensity, a narrow emission spectrum, and enhanced crystalline quality. Using time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy, the UIF NWs exhibited a long radiative recombination time (τr) and low internal quantum efficiency (IQE) due to strong exciton localization and carrier trapping in defect states. In contrast, NWs with engineered In content demonstrated three times higher IQE and a much shorter τr due to mitigated In fluctuation and improved crystal quality

Pharmacokinetics of a telmisartan, amlodipine and hydrochlorothiazide fixed-dose combination: A replicate crossover study in healthy Korean male subjects

Purpose: To compare the tolerability and pharmacokinetic profiles of telmisartan, amlodipine, and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) in a fixed-dose combination (FDC, test product) with a co-administered telmisartan/amlodipine FDC and HCTZ in a single-entity tablet (reference product)Methods: This was a single-dose, randomized, open-label, replicate crossover study conducted in healthy male Korean volunteers aged 19 – 50 years. Fasting randomized subjects received a newly developed test product (telmisartan/ amlodipine/HCTZ, 80/10/25 mg) or two tablets of Twynsta® (40/5 mg) and one tablet of HCTZ (25 mg) as reference products. After a washout period, each group replicated the exposure of the other group.Results: The AUClast (h•ng/mL) geometric mean was 3,194.87 and 3,273.77 for the telmisartan test and reference products, respectively; 329.92 and 315.13 for the amlodipine test and reference products; 1,203.98 and 1,150.86 for the HCTZ test and reference products, respectively. The geometric mean of Cmax (ng/mL) was 543.04 and 497.81 for the telmisartan test and reference products, respectively; 7.74 and 7.34 for the amlodipine test and reference products; 218.71 and 184.39 for the HCTZ test and reference products, respectively. For telmisartan, the 90 % CI of GMRs of AUClast (h•ng/mL) and Cmax (ng/mL) were 0.9414 – 1.0496 and 1.0246 – 1.2792, respectively; the coefficient of variation (CV) of telmisartan Cmax was 41.96 %.Conclusion: A formulated FDC tablet containing a telmisartan/amlodipine/HCTZ combination (80/10/25mg) was bioequivalent to a co-administrated commercially available telmisartan/amlodipine combination and HCTZ tablets at equivalent concentrations.Keywords: Fixed-dose combination, Hypertension, Telmisartan, Amlodipine besylate, Hydrochlorothiazide, Pharmacokinetic

Gap Analysis Between the Level of Heat Wave Adaptation Policy and Heat Wave Effects in South Korean Municipalities

This study aims to analyze the gap between the level of heat wave adaptation policies and heat wave effects in South Korean municipalities. First, the types of industries in municipalities were classified using factor analysis and cluster analysis. Second, the level of heat wave adaptation policy in the municipalities was assessed using a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process analysis. Third, the gap between the level of heat wave adaptation policy and the heat wave effect was analyzed. The results show that the heat wave adaptation policies were established in accordance with the heat wave effects to at least some degree. However, closer to the long-term future (2095), the policies have not sufficiently matched the level of heat wave effects. The proportion of municipalities with insufficient levels of heat wave adaptation policies against the heat wave effects was higher among urban-type municipalities. The analysis results suggest two policy implications. First, the heat wave adaptation policies of municipalities should be established through continuous feedback on the predictions of future heat wave effects. Second, urban-type municipalities should strengthen their planning authority and competence by securing a professional workforce and budgets for the establishment of heat wave adaptation policies

The Influence of Electron Beam Sterilization on In Vivo Degradation of β-TCP/PCL of Different Composite Ratios for Bone Tissue Engineering.

We evaluated the effect of electron beam (E-beam) sterilization (25 kGy, ISO 11137) on the degradation of β-tricalcium phosphate/polycaprolactone (β-TCP/PCL) composite filaments of various ratios (0:100, 20:80, 40:60, and 60:40 TCP:PCL by mass) in a rat subcutaneous model for 24 weeks. Volumes of the samples before implantation and after explantation were measured using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). The filament volume changes before sacrifice were also measured using a live micro-CT. In our micro-CT analyses, there was no significant difference in volume change between the E-beam treated groups and non-E-beam treated groups of the same β-TCP to PCL ratios, except for the 0% β-TCP group. However, the average volume reduction differences between the E-beam and non-E-beam groups in the same-ratio samples were 0.76% (0% TCP), 3.30% (20% TCP), 4.65% (40% TCP), and 3.67% (60% TCP). The E-beam samples generally had more volume reduction in all experimental groups. Therefore, E-beam treatment may accelerate degradation. In our live micro-CT analyses, most volume reduction arose in the first four weeks after implantation and slowed between 4 and 20 weeks in all groups. E-beam groups showed greater volume reduction at every time point, which is consistent with the results by micro-CT analysis. Histology results suggest the biocompatibility of TCP/PCL composite filaments