Translations of Polish pro-ecological and pro-environmental books for children in South Korea

This article discusses the introduction of Polish books to children and young adult readers in South Korea. Its particular focus is on picture books which address environmental issues. Wioletta Hajduk-Gawron and Younghwa Kim examine the conditions favourable to the presence of translations of Polish books on the Korean publishing market, the phenomenon of the picture book and the values of eco-education through literature. Using several books as examples, the authors conduct a sample analysis of the chosen strategies used by publishers in the selection of books to be translated. They also examine strategies used in adapting a Polish book for the different cultural context; these strategies involve explication and textual or graphic modifications

Improved production of biohydrogen in light-powered Escherichia coli by co-expression of proteorhodopsin and heterologous hydrogenase

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Solar energy is the ultimate energy source on the Earth. The conversion of solar energy into fuels and energy sources can be an ideal solution to address energy problems. The recent discovery of proteorhodopsin in uncultured marine γ-proteobacteria has made it possible to construct recombinant <it>Escherichia coli </it>with the function of light-driven proton pumps. Protons that translocate across membranes by proteorhodopsin generate a proton motive force for ATP synthesis by ATPase. Excess protons can also be substrates for hydrogen (H₂) production by hydrogenase in the periplasmic space. In the present work, we investigated the effect of the co-expression of proteorhodopsin and hydrogenase on H₂production yield under light conditions.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Recombinant <it>E. coli </it>BL21(DE3) co-expressing proteorhodopsin and [NiFe]-hydrogenase from <it>Hydrogenovibrio marinus </it>produced ~1.3-fold more H₂in the presence of exogenous retinal than in the absence of retinal under light conditions (70 μmole photon/(m²·s)). We also observed the synergistic effect of proteorhodopsin with endogenous retinal on H₂production (~1.3-fold more) with a dual plasmid system compared to the strain with a single plasmid for the sole expression of hydrogenase. The increase of light intensity from 70 to 130 μmole photon/(m²·s) led to an increase (~1.8-fold) in H₂production from 287.3 to 525.7 mL H₂/L-culture in the culture of recombinant <it>E. coli </it>co-expressing hydrogenase and proteorhodopsin in conjunction with endogenous retinal. The conversion efficiency of light energy to H₂achieved in this study was ~3.4%.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Here, we report for the first time the potential application of proteorhodopsin for the production of biohydrogen, a promising alternative fuel. We showed that H₂production was enhanced by the co-expression of proteorhodopsin and [NiFe]-hydrogenase in recombinant <it>E. coli </it>BL21(DE3) in a light intensity-dependent manner. These results demonstrate that <it>E. coli </it>can be applied as light-powered cell factories for biohydrogen production by introducing proteorhodopsin.</p

Changes in the Prevalence of Childhood Asthma in Seoul from 1995 to 2008 and Its Risk Factors

PURPOSE: To investigate the prevalence of asthma and determine its risk factors in elementary school students in Seoul. METHODS: A modified International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire was used to survey 4,731 elementary school students from five areas in Seoul between April and October, 2008. RESULTS: In elementary school children, the lifetime and recent 12-month prevalence of wheezing were 11.7% and 5.6%, respectively. The lifetime prevalence of asthma diagnosis was 7.9%, and the recent 12-month prevalence of asthma treatment was 2.7%. Male sex (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.36-2.66), history of atopic dermatitis (AD) (aOR, 2.76; 95% CI, 1.98-3.84), history of allergic rhinitis (AR) (aOR, 3.71; 95% CI, 2.61-5.26), history of bronchiolitis before 2 years of age (aOR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.39-3.07), use of antibiotics during infancy for >3 days (aOR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.35-2.62), parental history of asthma (aOR, 2.83; 95% CI, 1.52-5.27), exposure to household molds during infancy (aOR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.18-2.89), and the development or aggravation of asthma symptoms within 6 months after moving to a new house (aOR, 11.76; 95% CI, 5.35-25.86) were the independent risk factors for wheezing within 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of wheezing and asthma in elementary school students in 2008 was similar to that in the past decade. Male sex, history of AD, history of AR, history of bronchiolitis before 2 years of age, parental asthma, use of antibiotics during infancy, exposure to molds in the house during infancy, and development or aggravation of asthma symptoms within 6 months after moving to a new house, could be risk factors for wheezing within 12 months.ope

High density peptide microarrays. In situ synthesis and applications

The technologies enabling the creation of large scale, miniaturized peptide or protein microarrays are emerging. The focuses of this review are the synthesis and applications of peptide and peptidomimetic microarrays, especially the light directed parallel synthesis of individually addressable high density peptide microarrays using a novel photogenerated reagent chemistry and digital photolithography (Gao et al., 1998, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 120, 12698; Pellois et al. 2002, Nat. Biotechnol. 20, 922). Concepts related to the synthesis are discussed, such as the reactions of photogenerated acids in the deprotection step of peptide synthesis or oligonucleotide synthesis, and the applications of high density peptide chips in antibody binding assays are discussed. Peptide chips provide versatile tools for probing antigen-antibody, protein-protein, peptide-ligand interactions and are basic components for miniaturization, automation, and system integration in research and clinical diagnosis applications.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43247/1/11030_2004_Article_5263634.pd

Nobiletin Inhibits Hepatic Lipogenesis via Activation of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase

We aimed to investigate the effects of nobiletin on hepatic lipogenesis in high glucose-induced lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells. Nobiletin, a citrus polymethoxyflavonoid with six methoxy groups, is present abundantly in the peels of citrus fruits. HepG2 cells were incubated in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium containing high glucose (25 mM) and subsequently treated with nobiletin at different concentrations (5, 25, and 50 μM). Results showed that nobiletin markedly inhibited high glucose-induced hepatic lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells. In addition, it reduced the protein expression of lipogenic factors, including sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c) and fatty acid synthase (FAS). Nobiletin significantly increased the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Pretreatment with compound C, an AMPK inhibitor, abolished the inhibitory effects of nobiletin on SREBP-1c and FAS expression. These results suggested that nobiletin might attenuate high glucose-induced lipid accumulation in HepG2 hepatocytes via modulation of AMPK signaling pathway. Therefore, nobiletin might be useful for the prevention and treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases

Effects of low-dose topiramate on language function in children with migraine

PurposeThis study aimed to verify the safety of low-dose topiramate on language development in pediatric patients with migraine.MethodsThirty newly diagnosed pediatric patients with migraine who needed topiramate were enrolled and assessed twice with standard language tests, including the Test of Language Problem Solving Abilities (TOPs), Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Test, Urimal Test of Articulation and Phonology, and computerized speech laboratory analysis. Data were collected before treatment, and topiramate as monotherapy was sustained for at least 3 months. The mean follow-up period was 4.3±2.7 months. The mean topiramate dosage was 0.9 mg/kg/day.ResultsThe patient's mean age was 144.1±42.3 months (male-to-female ratio, 9:21). The values of all the language parameters of the TOPs were not changed significantly after the topiramate treatment as follows: Determine cause, from 15.0±4.4 to 15.4±4.8 (P>0.05); making inference, from 17.6±5.6 to 17.5±6.6 (P>0.05); predicting, from 11.5±4.5 to 12.3±4.0 (P>0.05); and total TOPs score, from 44.1± 13.4 to 45.3±13.6 (P>0.05). The total mean length of utterance in words during the test decreased from 44.1±13.4 to 45.3±13.6 (P0.05). In the articulation and phonology validation in both groups, speech pitch and energy were not significant, and all the vowel test results showed no other significant values.ConclusionNo significant difference was found in the language-speaking ability between the patients; however, the number of vocabularies used decreased. Therefore, topiramate should be used cautiously for children with migraine

The miR-15b-Smurf2-HSP27 axis promotes pulmonary fibrosis

Background Heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) is overexpressed during pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and exacerbates PF; however, the upregulation of HSP27 during PF and the therapeutic strategy of HSP27 inhibition is not well elucidated. Methods We have developed a mouse model simulating clinical stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) with focal irradiation and validated the induction of RIPF. HSP25 (murine form of HSP27) transgenic (TG) and LLC1-derived orthotropic lung tumor models were also used. Lung tissues of patients with RIPF and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and lung tissues from various fibrotic mouse models, as well as appropriated cell line systems were used. Public available gene expression datasets were used for therapeutic response rate analysis. A synthetic small molecule HSP27 inhibitor, J2 was also used. Results HSP27 expression with its phosphorylated form (pHSP27) increased during PF. Decreased mRNA expression of SMAD-specific E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase 2 (Smurf2), which is involved in ubiquitin degradation of HSP27, was responsible for the increased expression of pHSP27. In addition, increased expression of miRNA15b was identified with decreased expression of Smurf2 mRNA in PF models. Inverse correlation between pHSP27 and Smurf2 was observed in the lung tissues of PF animals, an irradiated orthotropic lung cancer models, and PF tissues from patients. Moreover, a HSP27 inhibitor cross-linked with HSP27 protein to ameliorate PF, which was more effective when targeting the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) stage of PF. Conclusions Our findings identify upregulation mechanisms of HSP27 during PF and provide a therapeutic strategy for HSP27 inhibition for overcoming PF.This work was supported by grants from the National Research Foundation of Korea, (NRF-2018R1A5A2025286, NRF-2020R1A2C3013255, NRF-2020M2D9A2093974, NRF-2020R1I1A1A01070841, NRF-2020M2D9A2093976 and NRF-2022R1A2C3011611), funded by the Korean government (Ministry of Science and ICT)