Overexpression of phospholipase D enhances Bcl-2 expression by activating STAT3 through independent activation of ERK and p38MAPK in HeLa cells

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to identify the role of phospholipase D (PLD) isozymes in Bcl-2 expression. Overexpression of PLD1 or PLD2 increased Bcl-2 expression and phosphatidic acid (PA), the product of PLDs, also upregulated Bcl-2 expression. Treatment with PA activated the phospholipase A2 (PLA2)/Gi/ERK1/2, RhoA/Rho-associated kinase (ROCK)/p38 MAPK, and Rac1/p38 MAPK pathways. PA-induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 was attenuated by a PLA2 inhibitor (mepacrine) and, a Gi protein inhibitor (pertussis toxin, PTX). On the other hand, p38 MAPK phosphorylation was attenuated by a dominant negative Rac1 and a specific Rho-kinase inhibitor (Y-27632). These results suggest that PLA2/Gi acts at the upstream of ERK1/2, while Rac1 and RhoA/ROCK act upstream of p38 MAPK. We next, tried to determine which transcription factor is involved in PLD-related Bcl-2 expression. When signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) activity was blocked by a STAT3 specific siRNA, PA-induced Bcl-2 expression was remarkably decreased, suggesting that STAT3 is an essential transcription factor linking PLD to Bcl-2 upregulation. Taken together, these findings indicate that PLD acts as an important regulator in Bcl-2 expression by activating STAT3 involving the phosphorylation of Ser727 through the PLA2/Gi/ERK1/2, RhoA/ROCK/p38 MAPK, and Rac1/p38 MAPK pathways

Exploring Team Growth and Fixed Mindsets in Work Teams at a Large Korean Corporation

We conducted a qualitative study to understand how team mindsets can be manifested in work teams. We interviewed 21 participants from seven departments in one of the big corporations in Korea

Development and Validation of a Personality Assessment Instrument for Traditional Korean Medicine: Sasang Personality Questionnaire

Objective. Sasang typology is a traditional Korean medicine based on the biopsychosocial perspectives of Neo-Confucianism and utilizes medical herbs and acupuncture for type-specific treatment. This study was designed to develop and validate the Sasang Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) for future use in the assessment of personality based on Sasang typology. Design and Methods. We selected questionnaire items using internal consistency analysis and examined construct validity with explorative factor analysis using 245 healthy participants. Test-retest reliability as well as convergent validity were examined. Results. The 14-item SPQ showed acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .817) and test-retest reliability (r = .837). Three extracted subscales, SPQ-behavior, SPQ-emotionality, and SPQ-cognition, were found, explaining 55.77% of the total variance. The SPQ significantly correlated with Temperament and Character Inventory novelty seeking (r = .462), harm avoidance (r = −.390), and NEO Personality Inventory extraversion (r = .629). The SPQ score of the So-Eum (24.43 ± 4.93), Tae-Eum (27.33 ± 5.88), and So-Yang (30.90 ± 5.23) types were significantly different from each other (P < .01). Conclusion. Current results demonstrated the reliability and validity of the SPQ and its subscales that can be utilized as an objective instrument for conducting personalized medicine research incorporating the biopsychosocial perspective

Temperament and Character Profiles of Sasang Typology in an Adult Clinical Sample

The purpose of this study was to examine the biopsychological personality profiles of traditional Korean Sasang typology based on the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) in a Korean adult clinical sample. A total of 97 adults completed the Korean version of the TCI. The participants were classified as one of three traditional Korean Sasang types (31 So-Yang, 41 Tae-Eum, 25 So-Eum) by three specialists in Sasang typology. The seven dimensions of TCI were compared between the different Sasang types using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and profile analysis. There were no significant differences in age, gender and education across the Sasang types. The TCI profile for each of the Sasang types was significantly different (profile analysis, df = 5.038, F = 3.546, P = .004). There were significant differences in the temperament dimensions of Novelty Seeking (F = 3.43, P = .036) and Harm Avoidance (F = 5.43, P = .006) among the Sasang types. The Novelty Seeking score of the So-Yang type (31.90 ± 9.87) was higher than that of the So-Eum type (25.24 ± 9.21; P = .019) while the So-Eum type (44.64 ± 8.47) scored higher on the Harm Avoidance score compared to the So-Yang type (35.16 ± 11.50; P = .003). There were no significant differences in the temperament dimension of Reward Dependence and Persistence, and the three character dimensions of Self-Directedness, Cooperativeness and Self-Transcendence. Results demonstrated distinct temperament traits associated with traditional Korean Sasang types using an objective biopsychological personality inventory. With further study, the Sasang typology may lead to enhanced clinical safety and efficacy as part of personalized medicine with traditional medicine

Biopsychological traits of Sasang typology based on Sasang personality questionnaire and body mass index

BACKGROUND: The purpose of present study was to examine biological and psychological characteristics of people according to the Sasang typology, which is popular in Korea. We evaluated the Sasang Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) as a measure of temperament, and Body Mass Index (BMI) as a measure of the somatic properties of each Sasang type. METHODS: Subjects were 2506 (877 males, 1629 females) outpatients between the ages of 20 through 70 who requested traditional medical assessment and treatment in Korea. The structural validity of the SPQ was examined and its correlation with BMI was analyzed. The SPQ and BMI measures of each Sasang type across age and gender were presented and their differences were analyzed with Analysis of Variance. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis identified an acceptable three-factor structure of the SPQ measuring differences in individual’s behavior, emotion, and cognition. SPQ scores (29.71 ± 1.00, 28.29 ± 0.19 and 26.14 ± 0.22) and BMI scores (22.92 ± 0.09, 25.56 ± 0.10 and 21.44 ± 0.10) were significantly (p < 0.001) different among So-Yang, Tae-Eum and So-Eum Sasang types, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that the SPQ and BMI is a reliable measure for quantifying the biopsychological characteristics of each types, and useful for guiding personalized and type-specific treatment with medical herbs and acupuncture

A homozygous Keap1-knockout human embryonic stem cell line generated using CRISPR/Cas9 mediates gene targeting

Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (keap1) is a cysteine-rich protein that interacts with transcription factor Nrf2 in a redox-sensitive manner, leading to the degradation of Nrf2 (Kim et al., 2014a). Disruption of Keap1 results in the induction of Nrf2-related signaling pathways involving the expression of a set of anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory genes. We generated biallelic mutants of the Keap1 gene using a CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing method in the H9 human embryonic stem cell (hESC). The Keap1 homozygous-knockout H9 cell line retained normal morphology, gene expression, and in vivo differentiation potential. (C) 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.

Integrative Literature Review on the Antecedents of Informal Learning in the Workplace: A Conceptual Framework for Future Research

Despite the explosion of interest in informal learning in the workplace, few attempts have been made to synthesize the current literature. This article provides an integrative and analytical review of prior empirical studies, particularly focusing on what factors have been identified as antecedents of informal learning in organizations and how informal learning has been conceptualized and measured. It then suggests future avenues for theory building, research, and practice. The authors propose a conceptual framework for understanding informal learning activities using three dimensions: learning competence, intentionality, and developmental relatedness. Implications for human resource development research and practice are also discussed