작물을 재배하는 데 필요한 여러 가지 환경 조건 중 광은 개 화와 밀접한 연관이 있다. 본 연구는 식용화, 매리골드 화아분 화에 영향을 주는 최적의 광주기를 구명하여 완전제어형 식물 공장에서 효율적으로 재배하기 위해 진행되었다. 실험에 사 용된 광주기는 4, 8, 12, 16시간, 총 4가지로 설정하였다. 매리 골드 ‘듀란고 레드’ 종자를 우레탄 스펀지에 파종한 직후부터 광주기를 처리하였다. 화아분화는 꽃봉오리가 약 2mm 이상 일 때 화아분화가 되었다고 정의하였고, 2－3일 간격으로 조 사하였다. 생육 조사는 지상부의 생체중, 건물중, 초장, 엽면 적을 조사하였다. 최적의 광주기는 식물체의 50%가 화아분 화 된 날을 기준으로 정의하였다. 4시간 처리구에서는 식물체 가 제대로 자라지 못하며 화아도 형성되지 않았다. 8시간 이상 의 처리구에서부터 식물체가 정상적으로 생장하고 화아분화 가 이루어졌지만, 8시간 처리구는 12시간 이상의 처리구에 비 해 화아분화가 더디게 일어났다. 반면에 12시간 처리구와 16 시간 처리구는 서로 유의하지 않은 결과를 보였다. 모든 생육 조사 항목에서 16시간 광주기 처리구가 가장 높은 값을 나타 냈으나 지상부의 건물중과 엽면적을 제외한 나머지 항목에서 12시간 처리구와 유의하지 않았다. 실험 결과에 따르면, 8시간 광주기에서도 화아분화가 일어났지만, 화아형성까지의 시 간이 12시간 이상의 광주기일 때보다 더 많이 소요되었으며, 식물체의 생육 또한 12시간 이상의 광주기를 조사받은 식물 체보다 낮게 나타났다. 본 실험에서 에너지 소비량을 고려한 최적의 매리골드 ‘듀란고 레드’의 광주기는 12시간으로 판단 된다.

This study aims to distinguish between various Ethiopian durum wheat varieties based on their genetic identity using chemical and morphological characterization of seeds. Combinatorial employment of five chemical tests on seeds showed marked qualitative variation among the test varieties, with high discriminatory potential noted for the standard phenol test, followed by the modified phenol and iodide tests. The modified phenol test was instrumental in further discriminating between the varieties that were not identified using the standard phenol test. Unlike the iodide and phenol tests, the NaOH and KOH tests did not show significant variation among the varieties. These results underscore the efficacy of phenol and iodide tests in differentiating between durum wheat varieties. Although the morphological traits were advantageous in seed characterization, they lacked discriminatory power compared with that of the chemical tests. This study concludes that a single test is inadequate for varietal discrimination; rather, a combination of chemical tests can augment the discriminatory potential.

In this review, the regulatory mechanisms of autophagy were described, and its interaction with apoptosis was identified. The role of autophagy in embryogenesis, tooth development, and cell differentiation were also investigated. Autophagy is regulated by various autophagy-related genes and those related to stress response. Highly active autophagy occurrences have been reported during cell differentiation before implantation after fertilization. Autophagy is involved in energy generation and supplies nutrients during early birth, essential to compensate for their deficient supply from the placenta. The contribution of autophagy during tooth development, such as the shape of the crown and root formation, ivory, and homeostasis in cells, was also observed. Genes control autophagy, and studying the role of autophagy in cell differentiation and development was useful for understanding human aging, illness, and health. In the future, the role of specific mechanisms in the development and differentiation of autophagy may increase the understanding of the pathological mechanisms of disease and development processes and is expected to reduce the treatment of various diseases by modulating the autophagic phenomenon.

Extensive research and testing continue to be conducted for the development of vaccines targeting zoonotic diseases such as brucellosis. In this study, the potential of the DapB as a recombinant protein vaccine to effectively combat Brucella abortus 544 infection in BALB/c mice was evaluated. Western blotting assay results showed that recombinant protein DapB reacted with Brucella-positive serum, indicating its potential immunoreactivity. In vivo results showed that the peripheral blood CD4+ and CD8+ T cell population significantly increased in the DapB-immunized mice group after the first, second and third blood collection, compared to the control group that received PBS. Additionally, at the fourth blood collection, an increase in CD4+ T cell activation was observed in three vaccination groups compared to PBS negative control group. These results indicate the potential of DapB in stimulating cellular immunity. Fourteen days after infection, the bacterial load in the spleen was evaluated. The reduction in bacterial replication in the spleen by both DapB and RB51 highlights their protective efficacy against Brucella infection. These findings contribute to the ongoing efforts in developing effective vaccines against brucellosis and provide valuable insights for further research in this field.

Background: Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) including embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offer the immense therapeutic potential in stem cell-based therapy of degenerative disorders. However, clinical trials of human ESCs cause heavy ethical concerns. With the derivation of iPSCs established by reprogramming from adult somatic cells through the transgenic expression of transcription factors, this problems would be able to overcome. In the present study, we tried to differentiate porcine iPSCs (piPSCs) into endothelial cells (ECs) for stem cell-based therapy of vascular diseases. Methods: piPSCs (OSKMNL) were induced to differentiation into ECs in four differentiation media (APEL-2, APEL-2 + 50 ng/mL of VEGF, EBM-2, EBM-2 + 50 ng/ mL of VEGF) on cultured plates coated with matrigel® (1:40 dilution with DMEM/F-12 medium) for 8 days. Differentiation efficiency of these cells were exanimated using qRT-PCR, Immunocytochemistry, Western blotting and FACS. Results: As results, expressions of pluripotency-associated markers (OCT-3/4, SOX2 and NANOG) were higher observed in all porcine differentiated cells derived from piPSCs (OSKMNL) cultured in four differentiation media than piPSCs as the control, whereas endothelial-associated marker (CD-31) in the differentiated cells was not expressed. Conclusions: It can be seen that piPSCs (OSKMNL) were not suitable to differentiate into ECs in the four differentiation media unlike porcine epiblast stem cells (pEpiSCs). Therefore, it would be required to establish a suitable PSCs for differentiating into ECs for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

인구와 경제가 집중되고, 문화와 여가 등 다양한 분야에서 핵심적인 역할을 수행하는 서울시는 이면에 공간 불평등으로 인한 문제가 대두되고 있다. 이 연구는 서울시의 공간 불평등을 규명하기 위한 첫 단계로 상류층과 빈곤층의 주거지 분화를 탐색하는 데 목적을 두었다. 주거지 분화를 규명하기 위해 아파트와 연립다세대 실거래가･공동주택가격･개인 소득 자료가 활용되었으며, 분석 방법으로 커널밀도추정을 이용한 핫스팟 분석이 수행되었다. 분석 결과 상류층 주거지와 빈곤층 주거지는 계층 간 분리와 계층 내 집중이라는 공간적 분포 패턴이 확인되었다. 상류층 주거지는 강남구를 위시한 소위 강남3구에, 빈곤층 주거지는 도시 외곽에 집중되어 있었다. 주거지 분화와 이로 인해 발생하는 여러 분야의 불평등에 관한 연구가 지속적으로 이루어질 필요가 있으며, 이 연구가 주거지별 격차와 공간 불평등을 다루는 연구의 초석이 되길 기대해 본다.

Background: Germ cells undergo towards male or female pathways to produce spermatozoa or oocyte respectively which is essential for sexual reproduction. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the potential of trans-differentiation to the multiple cell lineages. Methods: Herein, rat MSCs were isolated from bone marrow and characterized by their morphological features, expression of MSC surface markers, and in vitro differentiation capability. Results: Thereafter, we induced these cells only by retinoic acid supplementation in MSC medium and, could able to show that bone marrow derived MSCs are capable to trans-differentiate into male germ cell-like cells in vitro. We characterized these cells by morphological changes, the expressions of germ cell specific markers by immunophenotyping and molecular biology tools. Further, we quantified these differentiated cells. Conclusions: This study suggests that only Retinoic acid in culture medium could induce bone marrow MSCs to differentiate germ cell-like cells in vitro . This basic method of germ cell generation might be helpful in the prospective applications of this technology.

Bioactive flavonoids have been shown to improve the biological activity of stem cells derived from different sources in tissue regeneration. The goal of this study was to see how naringin, a natural flavonoid discovered in citrus fruits, affected the biological properties of human dental pulp stem cells (HDPSCs). In this study, we found that naringin increases the migratory ability of HDPSCs. Naringin increased matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) mRNA and protein expression in HDPSCs. ARP100, a selective MMP-2 inhibitor, and AMD3100, a CXCR4 antagonist, both inhibited the naringin-induced migration of HDPSCs. Furthermore, naringin increased osteogenic differentiation of HDPSCs and the expression of the osteogenic-related marker, alkaline phosphatase in HDPSCs. Taken together, our findings suggest that naringin may be beneficial on dental tissue or bone regeneration by increasing the biological activities of HDPSCs.

The differentiation of Chinese characters is accompanied by the development of Chinese writing and is one of the manifestations of the adaptation of Chinese characters to record Chinese language. There are not only macroscopic and microscopic reasons, but also textual factors and linguistic factors for the differentiation of Chinese characters. To record Chinese accurately and clearly is the radical cause of character differentiation. The emergence of specific differentiated characters has its own influencing factors. It is particularly important to investigate the lexical items and their properties recorded by the mother characters to uncover the specific causes of the differentiation. In terms of lexical items, the degree of meaning clarity, semantic alienation and that of prominence and emphasis are the important factors that affect whether the lexical items represented by the mother character can obtain graphic marks independently, which is helpful to explore the internal motivation of Chinese character differentiation.

The bones of the human body support the structures of the body and provide protection for a person’s internal organs. Bone metabolic diseases are on the rise due to a significant increase in life expectancy over a short period of time. Therefore, we investigated the osteoblast differentiation promoting and osteoclastogenesis inhibitory activities of fermented Benincasa hispida cong. (HR1901-BS, HR1901-BSaf). We evaluated the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of MC3T3-E1 mouse calvarial-derived osteoblasts. We also evaluated expression of ALP, osteocalcin (OCN), and runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), which regulate osteoblast differentiation. To assess effects on osteoclast formation, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) activity in RAW264.7 cells was analyzed. ALP activity increased by 121-136% and 140-156%, respectively in the presence of HR1901-BS and HR1901- BSaf. Expression of osteoblast differentiation factor also increased significantly. We also confirmed that HR1901-BS and HR1901-BSaf decreased TRAP activity in osteoclasts by 35-47% and 23-39%, respectively. Our results showed that fermented Benincasa hispida cong. (HR1901-BS, HR1901-BSaf) increase bone mineralization and osteoblast differentiation activity in MC3T3-E1 cells, and inhibit bone resorption activity in RAW264.7 cells. In conclusion, fermented Benincasa hispida cong. (HR1901-BS, HR1901-BSaf) can be used as an effective natural resource for preventing and treating bone-related diseases.

본 연구는 한국 중산층의 분화와 정책 인식 및 복지태도의 관계에서 주택정책의 매개효과를 실증적으로 분석하는 데 목적이 있다. 이를 위해 중산층의 ‘자산-주택정책-복지태도 및 정책 인식’이라는 3자 관계에 초 점을 맞추어 주로 한국 중산층의 주택점유형태별과 금융부채 유무별로 정책 인식과 복지태도에서 어떤 차이와 균열이 존재하는가를 경험적으로 분석하였다. 경험적 분석 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째 한국 중산층은 주로 소득과 자산의 규모, 상대적 박탈감으로 특징되는 주관적인 계층적 귀속 의식, 그리고 생활양식의 경제적 실용 지향성의 정도 등에 의해 분화와 재구성이 이질적이고 유동적으로 진행되고 있다. 둘째 주거계층으로서의 한국 중산층은 주택점유행태별로 복지태도에서 주로 ‘정부의 책임 및 개 입 여부’와 ‘복지 확대를 위한 증세 여부’를 놓고 균열을 일으키고 있다. 셋째, 자가-전세-월세의 주택위계에서 월세 집단은 ‘시장중심적 부동산 정책 추진’과 ‘사회 형평성 기여’를 놓고, 전세집단은 ‘양도소득세 강화’ 이슈를 둘러싸고 정부의 주택정책에 대한 평가와 인식의 차이를 보이고 있다. 이런 경험적 분석 결과는 한국 중산층의 분화와 정책 인식 및 복 지태도의 관계에서 주택정책의 매개효과가 중산층 내부의 이질화와 역동 적인 의식의 분화를 더욱 세분화시켜 증폭시키는 효과를 갖고 있다는 것 을 보여주고 있다. 그런 만큼 주택정책의 이중적인 목표와 수단이 중산 층 내부의 이질화와 갈등을 격화시키는 대중영합주의와 결합되어 소모적 인 사회적 비용을 발생시키지 않도록 경계하는 것이 그 어느 때보다도 절실하다고 할 수 있다.

Alpha-linolenic acid is an important polyunsaturated fatty acid that exhibits anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidative effects. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of alpha-linolenic acid on the cell proliferation and differentiation of C2C12 cells under essential amino acid-deficient conditions. Different concentrations of alpha-linolenic acid and essential amino acids were added to the growth and differentiation media. The concentrations of 10 μM of alphalinolenic acid and 2% essential amino acid were chosen for subsequent experiments. Supplementation with alpha-linolenic acid and essential amino acids improved the proliferation and differentiation of C2C12 cells and significantly increased the mRNA levels of catalase, superoxide dismutase, B-cell lymphoma-2, and beclin-1 as well as the protein levels of PPARγ coactivator-1α compared to those in the controls. Moreover, supplementation with alpha-linolenic acid and essential amino acids reduced the levels of phosphorylated H2A.X variant histone, Bcl-2-associated X, p53, and light chain 3 during C2C12 cell proliferation, and increased the expression levels of myogenic factors 4 (myogenin) and 5 during C2C12 cell differentiation. Overall, we determined that alpha-linolenic acid and essential amino acids maintained the cell proliferation and differentiation of C2C12 cells via their anti-oxidative, anti-apoptotic, and anti-autophagic effects.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of extract mixture of C. wilfordii and P. umbrosa (IPLUS-CWPU) on bone growth in 4-week old young male SD rats. To confirm the effect of IPLUS-CWPU, we measured the length of bone growth plate, the ratio of proliferative zone to the length of growth plate and the expression level of insulin-like growth factor, IGF-1. The IPLUS-CWPU treatment shows a significant increase of tibial and femoral growth plate and the ratio of proliferative zone in growth plate. Especially, the length increased by 13.9% and 25.3% in the tibia and femur, respectively, in the high-dose group compared to the normal group. Moreover, the expression of IGF-1 gene in liver was upregulated in IPLUS-CWPU treated groups. These results indicated that IPLUS-CWPU administration could increase the proliferative zone of bone growth plate in early developmental stage by upregulation of IGF-1 gene.

본 연구에서는 가물치(Channa argus) 추출물의 신경세포 분화와 산화 스트레스에서의 효능을 분석하기 위하여 녹차와 효소를 이용한 다양한 추출 방법(상온 추출물, RE; 녹차 상온 추출물, GRE; 효소 상온 추출물, ERE; 녹차 효소 상온 추출물, GERE)을 사용하여 제조 된 추출물의 아미노산 조성과 항산화 활성을 비교 분석하였고, 신경성장인자 (NGF) 유도 신경세포 분화 및 과산화수소 처리에 의해 유도된 PC12 세포 독성에 대한 보호효과를 규명하고자 하였다. 총 아미노산 함량은 RE 및 GRE보다 효소 추출물인 ERE 및 GERE에서 훨씬 더 높았다. 효소 가수 분해물 (ERE 및 GERE)에서 ABTS 라디칼 소거 활성은 RE 및 GRE보다 높았다. 또한, RE와 ERE는 PC12 세포에서 neuronal growth factor (NGF) 매개 신경 돌기 성장뿐만 아 니라 growth associated protein (GAP)-43 및 synapsin-1의 발현을 현저하게 향상 시켰다. 과산화수소(H2O2)에 의해 손 상된 PC12 세포에 4가지 유형의 Channa argus 추출물을 첨가한 후 PC12 세포의 생존율을 측정하였다. PC12 세포 의 생존율은 RE, GRE, GERE에서 각각 77.5±1.9%, 84.0±0.8%, 81.1±0.9%이였다. 이러한 세포 생존율은 H2O2 만을 처리 한 음성 대조군(70.0±2.0%)에 비해 더 높았다. H2O2 처리에 의해 유도 된 세포 독성도 RE, GRE 및 GERE 처리에 대한 반응으로 상당히 완화되었다. 종합하면, Channa argus 추출물은 산화 스트레스와 신경 손상을 감소시키는 기능성 물질로 유용하다는 것을 시사하며, 향후 이들 소재를 활용한 다양한 기능성 제품의 개발이 필요할 것으로 판단된다.

북방전복 Haliotis discus hannai 웅성생식세포의 분화과정과 정자의 형태를 미세구조적으로 기 재하였다. 정자의 분화과정은 정원세포기, 정모세포기, 정세포기 및 정자기의 4단계로 구분하였 다. 정원세포기에서 정모세포기로의 분화과정은 형태학적 변화가 크지 않았다. 그러나 정자변 태과정 동안 염색질 응축, 핵의 형태 변화, 첨체와 중편 및 편모 형성 등의 급격한 형태학적 변 화를 나타냈다. 북방전복의 정자는 두부, 중편 및 미부로 구성되며, 두부의 길이는 약 5.3 μm로 전자밀도가 높은 핵과 총알형의 첨체로 이루어져 있었다. 중편은 기저체와 미토콘드리아로 구 성되어 있었으며, 기저체를 중심으로 5개의 미토콘드리아가 한 층으로 배열되어 있었다. 미부 의 횡단면은 "9+2"의 미세소관 구조를 보였다. 이러한 형태 및 구조적 특징은 북방전복의 정자 는 원시형(primitive type) 정자임을 보여주는 결과이다.

본 연구는 방사선 육종 차조기와 백출 복합물의 조골세포 분화 활성 및 파골세포 형성 억제를 조사하였다. 차조기와 백출 복합물은 MG-63 세포에서 ALP 활성 및 arlizarin red 염색을 확인하였고 조골세포 형성의 영향은 RAW 264.7 세포에서 TRAP 활성과 TRAP 염색을 진행하였다. 세포 독성 시험에서 차조기와 백출 복합물은 50 ㎍/㎖ 농도 이하에서 안전한 것으로 확인되었다. ALP 활성 및 골석회화 형성 능력은 대조군보다 활성이 낮았으나, 파골세포에서 TRAP 활성을 유의적으로 감소시켰으며, 효과적으로 TRAP(+) 다핵세포를 억제하였다. 따라서 차조기와 백출 복합물은 골 흡수 억제 활성을 향상시켜 뼈 관련 질환의 예방 및 치료에 효과적인 것으로 보여진다.

Calcium is the most abundant stored mineral in the human body and is especially vital for bone health; thus, calcium deficiency can cause bone-related diseases, such as osteopenia and osteoporosis. However, a high concentration of serum calcium, which is commonly known as hypercalcemia, can also lead to weakened bones and, in severe cases, osteosarcoma. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the concentration of calcium that is appropriate for bone biology. In the present study, we aimed to elucidate the effects of high concentration of calcium, approximately 2 folds the normal calcium level, on osteoblast differentiation. The CaCl2 treatment showed dose-dependent suppression of the alkaline phosphatase activity and mineralized nodule formation. Calcium showed cytotoxicity at an extremely high concentration, but a moderately high concentration of calcium that results in inhibitory effects to osteoblast differentiation showed no signs of cytotoxicity. We also confirmed that the CaCl2 treatment repressed the mRNA expression and protein abundance of various osteogenic genes and transcriptional factors. Considered together, these results indicate that a high concentration of calcium negatively regulates the osteoblast differentiation of C2C12 cells.