The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of Moutan Cortex Radicis extracts and paeonol, a major component, on rabbit platelet aggregation and thromboxane (TX) B₂ formation. Moutan Cortex Radicis methanol and butanol layers (100 μg/mL) showed the weak inhibitions, and water layer (100 μg/ mL) had no effect on the collagen-induced platelet aggregation. Whereas, hexane and EtOAc layers potently inhibited the collagen (3 μg/mL)-induced platelet aggregation with the IC_(50) values of 10.9±1.0 and 31.5±0.8 μg/mL, respectively. Paeonol isolated from the hexane-acetone layer specifically inhibited the collagen-induced platelet aggregation with the IC_(50) value of 113.1 ± 0.9 μM, whereas it had little effects on the other agonists such as AA-, thrombin-, A23187- and thapsigargin-induced platelet aggregations. Paeonol also potently inhibited the collagen-induced TXB₂ formation in rabbit platelet in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that paeonol may inhibit rabbit platelet aggregation by interfering with an essential step in collagen-induced platelet activation and TXA₂ formation. Paeonol may be a promising candidate for an antiplatelet agent.

The purpose of this study was to explore characteristics of natural history museum exhibits from the viewpoint of science education. A total of ninety exhibits for this study were examined in national science museums of Korea and Japan. Exhibits of Tokyo national science museum were again divided into two groups: the old and traditional types, and the new and renovated ones. Even though analyzing data was not undertaken through quantitative statistical process, the interpretation of the data was valid enough to fulfill the purpose of the research. While there were clear changes and differences between the old and the new types of exhibits in Tokyo national science museum, the old part of Tokyo museum was similar to one in Korea. Based on analyzing the new types of Tokyo museum, the current movement in the field of natural history museums of Korea explicitly has toward utilizing more science education concepts and ideas.

The effects of additions/deletions in glycosylated residues of recombinant human EPO (rhEPO) produced in CHO-K1 on their secretion were examined. hEPO cDNA was amplified from human liver mRNA and cloned into the pCR2.1 TOPO. Using overlapping-extension site-directed mutagenesis method, glycosylation sites at 24th, 38th, 83rd, and 126th were respectively or accumulatively removed by substituting its asparagine (or serine) with glutamine. To add novel glycosylation sites, 69 and 105th leucine was mutated to asparagine. Mutant and wild type rhEPO constructs were cloned into the pcDNA3 expression vector with CMV promoter and transfected into CHO cell line, CHO-K1, to produce mutant rhEPO mutant rhEPO proteins. Enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) and Western analysis with monoclonal anti-EPO antibody were performed using supernatants of the cultures showing transient and stable expressions respectively. Addition of novel glycosylation reduced rhEPO secretion dramatically while deletion mutants had little effect except some double deletion mutants (△24/83 and △38/83) and triple mutant (△24/38/83). This fact suggests that not single but combination of changes in glycosyl groups affect secretion of rhEPO in cell culture, possibly via changes in their conformations.

Human eryhropoietin (EPO) is acidic glycoprotein hormone that plays key role in hematopoiesis by facilitating differentiation of erythrocyte and formation of hemoglobin (Hb) and is used for the treatment of anemia. Human EPO is consist of 166 amino acids which is modified by three N-glycosylations (24, 38, 83) and single O-glycosylation (126). N-glycosylation is reported to be related to the cellular secretion and activity of EPO. In this study, we examined effects of mutagenesis in glycosylation site of recombinat hEPO for the cellular secretion during production from cultured CHO cell. We produced rhEpo which was cloned by PCR from human liver cDNA (TaKaRa) in cultured CHO cell. Using supernatant of the culture, ELISA assay and western analysis were performed. To estimate biological activity, 20IU of rhuEpo was subcutaneously injected into four ICR mice. After 8 days, HCT level was increased average 13 per cent, RBC was increased ca. 2106//. In disease model Rat (anemia c-kit, WSRC-WS/WS), HCT was increased ca. 12%, RBC was increased ca. 1.6106//. These results suggests that rhEpo we produced has biological activity. To remove glycosylation site by substituting 24, 38, 83, and 126th asparagine (or serine) with glutamic acid, overlapping -extension site-directed mutagenesis was performed. To add novel glycosylation sites, 69, 105th leucine was mutated to asparagine. Mutant EPO construct was transfected into CHO cell. Supernatant of the cell culture was analyzed using ELISA assay with monoclonal anti-EPO antibody (Medac, Germany). Since, several reports for mutagenesis of glycosylation sites showed case-by-case results, we examined both transient expression and stable expression. Addition of novel glycosylation sites resulted no secretion while deletion mutants had little effect except some double deletion mutants (24/83 and 38/83) and triple mutant. We suggest that not single but combination of glycosyl group affect secretion of EPO.

One of the prime objectives of school science is to help the children learn science concepts and conceptual schemes that will help them understand and interpret their environment. One of the basic scientific concepts is 'Change -everything existing in universe is changing always'. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of elementary and secondary students' conception of change. The subjects for this study were 489 students in Korea; 111 fourth graders, 95 sixth graders, 140 seventh graders and 143 ninth graders. Four items - mountain, river, ground, sea -were used for investigating students conception of change because representing the nature world in elementary and secondary level. The subjects were asked to check whether each item was changing and to explain each their check. Students' explanations were classified by whether they were sound understanding geologically, or not. The rate of responses that each item was changing was compared by grades and the rate of geological explanations was also compared by grades. Because students' conceptions of change might were effected by time scale, the additional questions that asked students whether the present status of four items were equivalent to the that of several points of time. As a result, the rate of scientific answers and patterns of explanations were similar by grade and the rate of geological understandings was relatively low. The frequencies of concept of change were more dropped as the point of time was closer to present.

To identify genes implicated in the control of pluripotency as well as characteristics of stem cells, we analyzed expression profiles of genes derived from mouse morulas, blastocysts, embryonic stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and uterus tissue using cDNA microarray. Comparative analyses of their expression profiles identified putative clones that expressed specifically in specific samples or not in a specific sample. The expression pattern of these condidate clones was analyzed using RT-PCR and non-radioactive in situ hybridization. Functional annotation of these clones on pluripotency and stem cell plasticity is in ongoing. These studies may further our understanding on the nature of the stem cells and molecular mechanisms underlying many facets of mammalian development and differentiation.

가용성 폴리이마드 주쇄에 Disperse-Red 1 크로모포를 공유결합 시킨 옆사술계 비선형 전기광학 고분자를 합성하였다. 합성된 고분자의 유리전이온도 빛 열분해온도 는 각각 225˚C, 310˚C이었으며 광통신 파장에서 광학적으로 투명하였다. 100 V/μm의 전기장으로 폴링했을 때, 유전상수는 10 kHz에서 3.37이며, 파장 1300 nm에서, 굴절률은 nTE 및 nTM 모두 1.631로같았으며, 전기광학계수는 4.6 ~ 9.2 pm/V이였다. 폴링한 후 180˚C에서 1시간 동안 유지시킨 시편의 전기광학계수의 값은 감소되지 않 았으며, 장기적인 관점에서 90˚C에서 500 시간 동안 유지시킨 시편의 전기광학계수도 변함이 없었다.

Vacuum Hot Pressing을 이용하여 제조한 TiNi형상기억섬유 강화 6061 AI기지 복합재료를 제조하고 미세조직 및 기계적 특성 등을 연구하였다. 제조된 복합재의 항복응력은 예비변형량, 섬유체적율 및 열처리에 따라 증가하였다. 복합재의 지적특성은 예비변형이 가하여진 후 재가열되었을 때 기지 내 TiNi 섬유의 형상기억효과에 의한 압축잔류응력 발생에 기인된다. 미세조직 관찰 섬유와 기지 사이에는 AI3Ti및 AI3Ni의 금속간화합물층이 관찰되었다. 또한 시험온도 증가와 더불어 TiNi섬유강화된 복합재의 유동강도는 높은 값을 나타내었다.