The function of ITGBL1 in the process of cartilage formation and its potential as a therapeutic agent for cartilage disease.

Department of Biological SciencesIn general, facial bones are not formed as bones from the beginning. Bone formation occurs through endochondral bone formation process after cartilage is formed. Frog face is simpler than human or mouse, so it is easy to find which gene is involved in facial formation. For this reason, experiments were conducted on Xenopus laevis and other experimental animals. The cell is not a major component of cartilage, but the extracellular matrix secreted from the chondrocyte is the main component that gives the elasticity and stiffness of cartilage tissue [1]. In order to complete cartilage tissue, cartilage cells continuously interact with the extracellular matrix surrounding the cells, and the process of secreting cartilage matrix must be accompanied for a long time. This process of forming cartilage tissue is called chondrogenesis. Recent studies have shown that chondrocytes interact with extracellular matrix through various types of integrin molecules, the integrin signal is differentially regulated according to the differentiation of chondrocytes and the state of the cartilage, which helps the cartilage cells to recognize the surrounding environment [2]. It is also known that the integrin signal can induce cartilage-related diseases as well as cartilage differentiation. Integrin signaling is one for the major sources of damage to articular cartilage by amplifying the inflammatory response in both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Fragmented cartilage ECMs combine with synovial fibroblasts and integrins of immune cells in cartilage tissues to exacerbate the inflammatory response by increasing catabolic factor secretion such as IL-6, 8, and MMP [3-6]. To investigate the process of cartilage formation, we analyzed the genes that differentiation into facial cartilage by expressing in cartilage cells of Xenopus laevis. In this research, we have discovered that a novel secreted protein ITGBL1 promotes cartilage formation by modulating integrin-ECM interactions during chondrogenesis in a model animal and human bone marrow stem cell. Further ITGBL1 inhibited catabolic signals induced by IL-1?? treatment in primary chondrocytes. We believe ITGBL1 possesses dual functions which promote cartilage formation and inhibit catabolic signals in chondrocytes simultaneously. In this study first identified the function of ITGBL1 protein, which regulates integrin signaling in cartilage formation and chondrocyte differentiation and found that ITGBL1 protein also inhibits cartilage damage and promotes cartilage regeneration in arthritic conditions.ope

From Agasa Cristie to Group Image Play-Analysis of Horror Survival Game Panic Room : Escaping from the Den on Emotional Elements Development

A maniac computer game genre called "Survival Horror Games‟ is aimed for making gamers feel cathartic feeling when they escaped from the designed horror successfully. The degree of gaming quality, however, is not easy to measure. In this paper, we apply Caillois‟ game playing categories and other standards to measure how a game induces the feeling of fear and other emotional experience to players. Once dominated horror survival game series called Panic Room: Escaping from the Den was chosen to analyze and evaluate with those standards as well as its narratives and subsystems. Especially the 2nd version was most welcomed to users among 4 versions thus we focused on the difference between the version 1 and the version 2 in terms of game playing and fear elements in the game content and story structure. In result, version 2 showed much more Agon and Mimicry and all other fear elements than version 1. The group image playing structure and conference/collection subsystem that were newly provided to version 2 were attributed to its success

Relationships among Physical Activity Level, Health-promoting Behavior, and Physiological Variables in Korean University Students

Purpose: Many Korean college students suffer from physical inactivity and mental health problems. However, it has not been sufficiently reported how this lack of exercise and health-related behavior affect their health. The present study was performed to identify the relationships among physical activity level, health-promoting behavior, and physiological variables in Korean undergraduate and graduate students. Methods: Participants were 115 undergraduate and graduate students from one university in Seoul. The Pearsons correlation analysis was performed using SPSS for Windows. Results: Physical activity level had significant positive correlations with health-promoting behavior (r=.32, p=.001) and exercise self-efficacy (r=.25, p=.008), and health-promoting behavior had a significant correlation with depression (r=-.33, p<.001) and exercise self-efficacy (r=.44, p<.001). Additionally, physical activity level had significant correlations with triglyceride (r=-.20, p=.034) and vitamin D (r=.20, p=.029) levels. The high density cholesterol level had significant negative correlations with systolic blood pressure (r=-.33, p<.001), diastolic blood pressure (r=-.29, p=.002), and vitamin D (r=-.20, p=.035) levels. Conclusion: Physical activity level or health-promoting behavior had significant relationships with the health status of college students. Strategies need to be developed to improve health-promoting behaviors among college students

Detection of Opposite Magnetic Polarity in a Light Bridge: Its Emergence and Cancellation in association with LB Fan-shaped Jets

Light bridges (LBs) are relatively bright structures that divide sunspot umbrae into two or more parts. Chromospheric LBs are known to be associated with various activities including fan-shaped jet-like ejections and brightenings. Although magnetic reconnection is frequently suggested to be responsible for such activities, not many studies present firm evidence to support the scenario. We carry out magnetic field measurements and imaging spectroscopy of a LB where fan-shaped jet-like ejections occur with co-spatial brightenings at their footpoints. We study LB fine structure and magnetic field changes using TiO images, Near-InfraRed Imaging Spectropolarimeter, and Halpha data taken by the 1.6~m Goode Solar Telescope. We detect magnetic flux emergence in the LB that is of opposite polarity to that of the sunspot. The new magnetic flux cancels with the pre-existing flux at a rate of 5.6x10^18 Mx/hr. Both the recurrent jet-like ejections and their base brightenings are initiated at the vicinity of the magnetic flux cancellation, and show apparent horizontal extension along the LB at a projected speed of up to 18.4km/s to form a fan-shaped appearance. Based on these observations, we suggest that the fan-shaped ejections may have resulted from slipping reconnection between the new flux emerging in the LB and the ambient sunspot field.Comment: 24pages, 11figures, accepted by the Ap

Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection of Gastric Epithelial Neoplasms after Partial Gastrectomy: A Single-Center Experience

Aims. To investigate the feasibility and safety of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) of gastric epithelial neoplasms in the remnant stomach (GEN-RS) after various types of partial gastrectomy. Methods. This study included 29 patients (31 lesions) who underwent ESD for GEN-RS between March 2006 and August 2016. Clinicopathologic data were retrieved retrospectively to assess the therapeutic ESD outcomes, including en bloc and complete resection rates and procedure-related adverse events. Results. The en bloc, complete, and curative resection rates were 90%, 77%, and 71%, respectively. The types of previous gastrectomy, tumor size, macroscopic type, and tumor histology were not associated with incomplete resection. Only tumors involving the suture lines from the prior partial gastrectomy were significantly associated with incomplete resection. The procedure-related bleeding and perforation rates were 6% and 3%, respectively; none of the adverse events required surgical intervention. During a median follow-up period of 25 months (range, 6–58 months), there was no recurrence in any case. Conclusions. ESD is a safe and feasible treatment for GEN-RS regardless of the previous gastrectomy type. However, the complete resection rate decreases for lesions involving the suture lines

Nitric oxide-dependent cytoskeletal changes and inhibition of endothelial cell migration contribute to the suppression of angiogenesis by RAD50 gene transfer

AbstractPrevious reports showed that human RAD50 (hRAD50) gene delivery induced regression of an experimental rat tumor and porcine neointimal hyperplasia. In this study, we examined the effects of hRAD50 on the morphological changes and migration of endothelial cells (EC) as possible mechanisms by which hRAD50 might block angiogenesis. Quantitative image analysis revealed significant inhibition of the number and total area of blood vessels in rat tumor tissues following hRAD50 gene delivery. hRAD50 distorted actin and tubulin arrangements, and significantly reduced the F/G-actin ratio and increased the nitric oxide (NO) production in the primary cultured human EC. These effects were blocked by pretreatment with L-NAME (NG-nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester), a NO synthase inhibitor. FACScan analysis showed that NO was involved in the necrosis and apoptosis of EC by hRAD50. hRAD50 also inhibited EC migration in an in vitro wound-healing model. These results indicate that NO-dependent cytoskeletal changes and inhibition of EC migration contribute to the suppression of angiogenesis by hRAD50 delivery in vivo