• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제28권5호
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• pp.423-430
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• 2020

Telmisartan is an angiotensin-II receptor blocker and acts as a selective modulator of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ). Several studies have demonstrated that telmisartan ameliorates depression and memory dysfunction and reduces brain inflammation. We hypothesized that the beneficial effects of telmisartan on brain could be due to modulation of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) function. Here, we examined the effect of telmisartan on tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)-induced expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) which plays an important role in leukocyte transcytosis through the BBB. Telmisartan blocked TNF-α-induced ICAM-1 expression and leukocyte adhesion in U87MG human glioma cells but showed no effect on human brain microvascular endothelial cells. In U87MG cells, a PPAR antagonist, GW9662 did not block the effect of telmisartan on ICAM1 expression but rather potentiated. Moreover, GW9662 caused no change in TNF-α-induced ICAM-1 expression, suggesting no implication of PPARγ in the telmisartan effect. Further studies showed that telmisartan blocked TNF-α-induced activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), p38, and nuclear factorkappa B (NF-κB). In contrast, inhibitors of JNK, ERK1/2 and NF-κB but not p38, blocked ICAM-1 expression induced by TNF-α. Thus, our findings suggest that the beneficial effect of telmisartan is likely due to the reduction of astrocytic ICAM1 expression and leukocytes adhesion to astrocytes, and that this response was mediated by the inhibition of JNK/ERK1/2/NF-κB activation and in the PPAR-independent manner. In conclusion, this study enhances our understanding of the mechanism by which telmisartan exerts the beneficial brain function.

• 디지털융복합연구
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.187-194
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• 2019

본 연구는 산업정책 및 기업전략의 개발 및 적용에 활용될 수 있는 브레인 임플란트 산업의 장기 미래 시나리오 모델개발 및 시나리오별 대응전략을 개발하는 것을 연구의 목적으로 삼았다. 뇌과학 산업은 미래 핵심 산업으로 그 가능성에 대하여서는 많은 논의가 있었지만 구체적인 산업육성정책이나 기업전략 분야는 연구가 매우 부족한 실정이다. 이는 이 분야가 아직 산업육성정책이나 기업전략을 작성하기에 필요한 정보가 축적되지 못하였기 때문이다. 이러한 한계를 극복하기 위하여 본 연구에서는 뇌과학산업의 핵심영역으로 많은 불확실성이 존재하는 브레인 임플란트 산업에 대하여 시스템 다이내믹스 모델로 미래 시나리오를 작성하고 이를 기반으로 각각의 시나리오에 적합한 전략을 제시하였다. 따라서 본 연구는 뇌과학산업 육성 정책 입안 및 개별 기업에서의 전략개발에 주요한 자료로 활용될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다. 향후 글로벌 시장 상황이 어느 시나리오로 발전하는 지를 조기에 파악할 수 있는 신호에 관한 연구의 필요성이 제기된다.

• 제어로봇시스템학회논문지
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• 제19권8호
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• pp.725-730
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• 2013

This paper proposed a novel method for an analysis feature of an Electroencephalogram (EEG) at all channels simultaneously. In a BCI (Brain-Computer Interface) system, EEGs are used to control a machine or computer. The EEG signals were weak to noise and had low spatial resolution because they were acquired by a non-invasive method involving, attaching electrodes along with scalp. This made it difficult to analyze the whole channel of EEG signals. And the previous method could not analyze multiple stimuli, the result being that the BCI system could not react to multiple orders. The method proposed in this paper made it possible analyze multiple-stimuli by grouping the channels. We searched the groups making the largest correlation coefficient summation of every member of the group with a BHS (Binary Harmony Search) algorithm. Then we assumed the EEG signal could be written in linear summation of groups using concentration parameters. In order to verify this assumption, we performed a simulation of three subjects, 60 times per person. From the simulation, we could obtain the groups of EEG signals. We also established the types of stimulus from the concentration coefficient. Consequently, we concluded that the signal could be divided into several groups. Furthermore, we could analyze the EEG in a new way with concentration coefficients from the EEG channel grouping.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제43권6호
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• pp.275-280
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• 2008

Objective : In order to assess the incidence of thromboembolic events and their clinical presentations, the present study prospectively examined routine brain magnetic resonance images (MRI) taken within 48 hours after a coil embolization of cerebral aneurysms. Methods : From January 2006 to January 2008, 163 cases of coil embolization of cerebral aneurysm were performed along with routine brain MRI, including diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance (DW-MR) imaging, within 48 hours after the embolization of the aneurysm to detect the silent thromboembolic events regardless of any neurological changes. If any neurological changes were observed, an immediate brain MRI follow-up was performed. High-signal-intensity lesions in the DW-MR images were considered as acute thromboembolic events and the number and locations of the lesions were also recorded. Results : Among the 163 coil embolization cases, 98(60.1%) showed high-signal intensities in the DW-MR imaging follow-up, 66 cases (67.0%) involved the eloquent area and only 6cases (6.0%) showed focal neurological symptoms correlated to the DW-MR findings. The incidence of DW-MR lesions was higher in older patients (${\geq}60$ yrs) when compared to younger patients (<60 yrs) (p=0.002, odd's ratio=1.043). The older patients also showed a higher incidence of abnormal DW-MR signals in aneurysm-unrelated lesions (p=0.0003, odd's ratio=5.078). Conclusion : The incidence of symptomatic thromboembolic attacks after coil embolization of the cerebral aneurysm was found to be lower than that reported in previous studies. While DW-MR imaging revealed a higher number of thromboembolic events, most of these were clinically silent and transient and showed favorable clinical outcomes. However, the incidence of DW-MR abnormalities was higher in older patients, along with unpredictable thromboembolic events on DW-MR images. Thus, in order to provide adequate and timely treatment and to minimize neurological sequelae, a routine DW-MR follow-up after coil embolization of cerebral aneurysms might be helpful, especially in older patients.

• 대한의용생체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한의용생체공학회 1998년도 추계학술대회
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• pp.281-282
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• 1998

Recently, there has been growing interest in the assessment of physiological parameters on brain perfusion that provide more information than pure morphologic diagnosis. Quantification of parameters that characterize cerebral micro-circulation with magnetic resonance imaging is of great relevance for clinical application. We determine the local tissue concentration by exponential relationship between the relative signal reduction S(t)/$S_0$ and local tissue concentration of contrast material $C_m(t)$ in dynamic susceptibility contrast enhanced MR imaging. And then we made relative regional blood volume map by calculating the area under the measured concentration-time curves $C_m(t)$ during first pass of paramagnetic contrast material as a preliminary step for perfusion map. These images make it possible to compare the rCBV in different brain regions in one individual at a time. We have it in contemplation to obtain arterial and brain signal time curves simultaneously to make absolute rCBV and perfusion (rCBF) map. These maps may provide the method of comparative investigations of different patients having strong variation in AIF.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제16권3호
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• pp.190-197
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• 2012

Depression is one of the most prevalent diseases of alcohol abuse. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a critical role in cell survival in the hippocampus. Phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (p-ERK1/2) is induced by BDNF, and it regulates cell proliferation and differentiation in the brain. We investigated the effects of alcohol intake on depression-like behavior, cell proliferation, expressions of BDNF and its downstream molecules in the hippocampus using Mongolian gerbils. The gerbils were divided into four groups: control group, 0.5 g/kg alcohol-treated group, 1 g/kg alcohol-treated group, 2 g/kg alcohol-treated group. Each dose of alcohol was orally administered for 3 weeks. The present results demonstrated that alcohol intake induced depression-like behavior. Both 5-hydroxytryptamine synthesis and its synthesizing enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase expression in the dorsal raphe and cell proliferation in the hippocampal dentate gyrus were decreased by alcohol intake. Alcohol intake suppressed BDNF expression, and resulted in the decrease of its downstream molecules, pERK1/2 and Bcl-2, in the hippocampus. We showed that alcohol intake may lead to a depressed-like state with reduced hippocampal cell proliferation through inhibition of the BDNF-ERK signaling pathway.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.211-219
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• 2023

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is an active component of propolis obtained from honeybee hives. CAPE possesses anti-mitogenic, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory activities in diverse systems, which know as displays antioxidant activity and inhibits lipoxygenase activities, protein tyrosine kinase, and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation. This study aimed to investigate the effect of CAPE on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced human neutrophil phagocytosis. Human neutrophils were cultured with various concentrations of CAPE (1, 10, and 100 µM) with or without LPS. The pro-inflammatory proteins (tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α], interleukin [IL]-6 and IL-8) levels were measured after 4 h incubation. To investigate the intracellular signaling pathway, we measured the levels of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), including phosphorylation of p38, extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Next, to evaluate the potential phagocytosis, neutrophils were labeled with iron particles of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs, 40 nm) for 1 h in culture medium containing 5 mg/mL of iron. The labeling efficiency was determined by Prussian blue staining for intracellular iron and 3T-wighted magnetic resonance imaging. CAPE decreased the activation of intracellular signaling pathways, including ERK1/2 and c-Jun, and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α and IL-6, but had no effect on the signaling pathways of p38 and cytokine IL-8. Furthermore, images obtained after mannan-coated SPION treatment suggested that CAPE induced significantly higher signal intensities than the control or LPS group. Together, these results suggest that CAPE regulates LPS-mediated activation of human neutrophils to reduce phagocytosis.

• 한국방사선학회논문지
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.9-14
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• 2021

방사선에 의한 피폭 없이 대조도가 우수한 영상의 획득이 가능한 자기공명영상은 진단에 필수적이지만 영상에서의 노이즈 발생은 불가피한 요소이기 때문에 이를 보완하기 위해 자기공명영상장치의 변수들을 조절하여 우수한 특성을 가진 영상을 획득할 수 있다. 이 중, 여기횟수 (NEX; number of excitation)는 추가적인 영상 특성의 저하 없이 우수한 특성의 영상을 획득할 수 있지만 scan time이 증가하여 motion artifact를 발생시킬 수 있고, scan time의 증가에 비례하여 영상의 특성이 향상되지 않기 때문에 적절한 NEX의 설정이 필요하다. 따라서, 본 연구에서는 MRiLab simulation program을 통해 자기공명영상의 모든 변수들을 고정시킨 후, NEX만을 조절하여 획득한 뇌 T2 강조 영상의 정량적 평가를 통해 NEX 변화에 따른 영상 특성의 경향성을 평가하고자 하였다. 획득한 영상의 노이즈 레벨 및 유사도 평가를 하기 위해 신호 대 잡음비 (SNR; signal to noise ratio), 대조도 대 잡음비 (CNR; contrast to noise ratio), 평균 제곱근 오차 (RMSE; root mean square error) 그리고 최대 신호 대 잡음비 (PSNR; peak signal to noise ratio)를 계산하였다. 결과적으로, 노이즈 레벨 및 유사도 평가 인자 모두 NEX가 증가함에 따라 개선된 값을 보였으나, 점차 증가폭이 감소함을 보였다. 따라서, 과도하게 큰 NEX는 장시간의 scan에 따른 motion artifact를 발생시켜 영상 특성을 저하시킬 수 있으므로, 적절한 NEX의 설정이 중요함을 확인하였다.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.201-208
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• 1995

The information obtained from the analysis of respiratory muscle elecromyographic (EMG) activities provides a mean for studying muscular activity in relation to the ventilatory process. Thus, in order to comprehend the airflow pattern and its brain control, signal processing is required to characterize respiratory muscle activity. This paper presents a computerized method for the analysis of the electrical activity of the respiratory muscles of premature lambs, and focuses upon the automatic determination of respiratory timing points such as onset and cessation points of the burst activity. Based on experimental results, reliable timing points can be obtained using the proposed methodology.

• Journal of Multimedia Information System
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• 제2권3호
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• pp.275-280
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• 2015

Recently brainwaves are utilized diversely in the field of medicine, entertainment, education and so on. In the case of medicine, brainwaves are analyzed to estimate patients' diseases. However, the applications for entertainments usually utilize brainwaves as control signal without figuring out the characters of the brainwaves. Given that users' brainwaves are different each other, a normalization method is essential. The traditional brainwave normalization approaches utilize normal distribution. However, those approaches assume that brainwaves are collected enough to conduct normal distribution. When the few amounts of brainwaves are measured, the accuracy of the control signal based on the measured brainwaves becomes low. In this paper, we propose a normalization framework of BCI-based facial interfaces for novel volume controllers, which can normalizes the few amounts of brainwaves and then generates the control signals of BCI-based facial interfaces. In the experiments, two subjects were involved to validate the proposed framework and then the normalization processes were introduced.