• BMB Reports
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• 제43권10호
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• pp.656-663
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• 2010

Amyloid precursor protein (APP), which is critically involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), is cleaved by gamma/epsilon-secretase activity and results in the generation of different lengths of the APP Intracellular C-terminal Domain (AICD). In spite of its small size and short half-life, AICD has become the focus of studies on AD pathogenesis. Recently, it was demonstrated that AICD binds to different intracellular binding partners ('adaptor protein'), which regulate its stability and cellular localization. In terms of choice of adaptor protein, phosphorylation seems to play an important role. AICD and its various adaptor proteins are thought to take part in various cellular events, including regulation of gene transcription, apoptosis, calcium signaling, growth factor, and $NF-{\kappa}B$ pathway activation, as well as the production, trafficking, and processing of APP, and the modulation of cytoskeletal dynamics. This review discusses the possible roles of AICD in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases including AD.

• 대한조선학회논문집
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• 제61권1호
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• pp.51-60
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• 2024

Hi Air Korea and Hanwha ocean are currently developing an Onboard Carbon dioxide Capture System (OCCS) to absorb CO₂ emitted from ship's engine using a sodium hydroxide(NaOH) solution, and converting the resulting salt into a solid form through a chemical reaction with calcium oxide (CaO). The system process involves the following steps; 1)The reaction of CO₂ gas absorption in water, 2)The reaction between carbonic acid (H₂CO₃) and NaOH solution to produce carbonate or bicarbonate, and 3)The reaction between carbonate or bicarbonate and CaO to form calcium carbonate (CaCO₃). And ultimately, the solid material, CaCO₃, is separated and discharged using a separator. The OCCS has been installed on an ship and the test results have confirmed significant reduction effects of CO₂ in the ship's exhaust gas. A portion of the exhaust gas emitted from the engine was transferred to the OCCS using a blower. The flow rate of the transferred gas ranged from 800 to 1384 m³/hr, and the CO₂ concentration in the exhaust gas was 5.1 vol% for VLSFO, 3.7 vol% for LNG and a 12 wt% NaOH solution was used. The results showed a CO₂ capture efficiency of approximately 42.5 to 64.1 vol% and the CO₂ capture rate approximately 48.4 to 52.2kg/hr. Additionally, to assess the impact of the discharged CaCO₃on the marine ecosystem, we conducted "marine ecotoxicity test" and performed Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis to evaluate the dispersion and dilution of the discharged effluent.

• 한국산림과학회지
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• 제113권2호
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• pp.143-152
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• 2024

본 연구는 울산광역시에 위치한 봉대산 산불피해지의 식생복원을 위해 2009년에 조림된 4 수종(백합나무, 왕벚나무, 상수리나무, 곰솔)을 대상으로 시비처리 후 임목생장 및 토양특성 변화를 조사하였다. 조림 4년 후인 2013년 4월과 2014년 3월 복합비료(N₆P₄K₁)를 시비하고 2016년 10월까지 매년 임목의 생장과 토양 및 잎의 양분 동태를 조사하였다. 조림목의 흉고직경 생장 증가에 대한 시비구와 대조구 사이의 회귀계수(slope)는 4 수종 모두 유의적인 차이가 있어 시비는 조림목의 흉고직경 생장에 효과가 있었으나, 수고 생장의 회귀계수는 곰솔을 제외하고 유의성이 없었다. 시비 처리에 따른 토양 호흡과 토양 EC 값은 대조구에 비해 유의적으로 높았으나 토양수분 함량, 토양 유기탄소 및 전질소 농도는 대조구에 비해 낮았다. 그러나 토양 유효 인, 교환성 칼슘과 마그네슘은 시비구가 대조구에 비해 높은 값을 보였다. 조림목의 잎 내 질소 및 인 농도는 시비구가 대조구에 비해 증가하였으나, 칼륨, 칼슘, 마그네슘 농도는 시비의 영향이 뚜렷하지 않았다. 조사한 4 수종 중 왕벚나무와 백합나무는 잎 내 양분 농도가 상수리나무나 곰솔에 비해 높아 토양 양분요구량이 큰 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구 결과에 따르면 도시 숲의 산불피해 복원지에 시비 처리는 조림된 수목의 생장과 토양 양분의 유효도 향상에 효과적이었다.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• 제40권1호
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• pp.5-11
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• 2016

Background: As the decomposition of lignocellulosic compounds is a rate-limiting stage in the nutrient mineralization from organic matters, elucidation of the changes in soil enzyme activity can provide insight into the nutrient dynamics and ecosystem functioning. The current study aimed to assess the effect of thinning intensities on soil conditions. Un-thinned control, 20 % thinning, and 30 % thinning treatments were applied to a Larix kaempferi forest, and total carbon and nitrogen, total carbon to total nitrogen ratio, extractable nutrients (inorganic nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium), and enzyme activities (acid phosphatase, ${\beta}$-glucosidase, ${\beta}$-xylosidase, ${\beta}$-glucosaminidase) were investigated. Results: Total carbon and nitrogen concentrations were significantly increased in the 30 % thinning treatment, whereas both the 20 and 30 % thinning treatments did not change total carbon to total nitrogen ratio. Inorganic nitrogen and extractable calcium and magnesium concentrations were significantly increased in the 20 % thinning treatment; however, no significant changes were found for extractable phosphorus and potassium concentrations either in the 20 or the 30 % thinning treatment. However, the applied thinning intensities had no significant influences on acid phosphatase, ${\beta}$-glucosidase, ${\beta}$-xylosidase, and ${\beta}$-glucosaminidase activities. Conclusions: These results indicated that thinning can elevate soil organic matter quantity and nutrient availability, and different thinning intensities may affect extractable soil nutrients inconsistently. The results also demonstrated that such inconsistent patterns in extractable nutrient concentrations after thinning might not be fully explained by the shifts in the enzyme-mediated nutrient mineralization.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제44권2호
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• pp.88-100
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• 2021

Anoctamin 6/TMEM16F (ANO6) is a dual-function protein with Ca2+-activated ion channel and Ca2+-activated phospholipid scramblase activities, requiring a high intracellular Ca2+ concentration (e.g., half-maximal effective Ca2+ concentration [EC50] of [Ca2+]i > 10 μM), and strong and sustained depolarization above 0 mV. Structural comparison with Anoctamin 1/TMEM16A (ANO1), a canonical Ca2+-activated chloride channel exhibiting higher Ca2+ sensitivity (EC50 of 1 μM) than ANO6, suggested that a homologous Ca2+-transferring site in the N-terminal domain (Nt) might be responsible for the differential Ca2+ sensitivity and kinetics of activation between ANO6 and ANO1. To elucidate the role of the putative Ca2+-transferring reservoir in the Nt (Nt-CaRes), we constructed an ANO6-1-6 chimera in which Nt-CaRes was replaced with the corresponding domain of ANO1. ANO6-1-6 showed higher sensitivity to Ca2+ than ANO6. However, neither the speed of activation nor the voltage-dependence differed between ANO6 and ANO6-1-6. Molecular dynamics simulation revealed a reduced Ca2+ interaction with Nt-CaRes in ANO6 than ANO6-1-6. Moreover, mutations on potentially Ca2+-interacting acidic amino acids in ANO6 Nt-CaRes resulted in reduced Ca2+ sensitivity, implying direct interactions of Ca2+ with these residues. Based on these results, we cautiously suggest that the net charge of Nt-CaRes is responsible for the difference in Ca2+ sensitivity between ANO1 and ANO6.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.311-323
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• 2023

Ion homeostasis, which is regulated by ion channels, is crucial for intracellular signaling. These channels are involved in diverse signaling pathways, including cell proliferation, migration, and intracellular calcium dynamics. Consequently, ion channel dysfunction can lead to various diseases. In addition, these channels are present in the plasma membrane and intracellular organelles. However, our understanding of the function of intracellular organellar ion channels is limited. Recent advancements in electrophysiological techniques have enabled us to record ion channels within intracellular organelles and thus learn more about their functions. Autophagy is a vital process of intracellular protein degradation that facilitates the breakdown of aged, unnecessary, and harmful proteins into their amino acid residues. Lysosomes, which were previously considered protein-degrading garbage boxes, are now recognized as crucial intracellular sensors that play significant roles in normal signaling and disease pathogenesis. Lysosomes participate in various processes, including digestion, recycling, exocytosis, calcium signaling, nutrient sensing, and wound repair, highlighting the importance of ion channels in these signaling pathways. This review focuses on different lysosomal ion channels, including those associated with diseases, and provides insights into their cellular functions. By summarizing the existing knowledge and literature, this review emphasizes the need for further research in this field. Ultimately, this study aims to provide novel perspectives on the regulation of lysosomal ion channels and the significance of ion-associated signaling in intracellular functions to develop innovative therapeutic targets for rare and lysosomal storage diseases.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• 제19권5호
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• pp.417-430
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• 1996

This study was conducted to investigate the developmental process of plant community during the secondary succession and the dynamics of soil properties in the burned and unburned areas of Mt. Ch’oly-san. Owing to the forest fire occurred on April, 1989, the red pine(Pinus densiflora) forest and its floor vegetation were burned down. The floristic composition of burned and unburned areas were composed of 53 and 49 species of vascular plants, respectively. The dominant species based on SDR4 of the burned sites were lespedeza cyrtobotrya (89.62), Miscanthus sinensis var. purpurascens (62.50), and Carex humilis (58.73), Quercus serrata (43.33). In contrast, Pinus densiflora (83.56), Lespedeza cyrtobotrya (55.57), Miscanthus sinensis var. purpurascens (51.88) and Carex humilis (50.41) were dominant in the unburned area. The biological spectra showed the $H-D_1-R_5-e$ type in both the burned and unburned areas. The indices of similarity ($CC_S$) between the two areas were 0.74. Degree of succession (DS) was 604 in the burned area and 802 in the unburned area. From these facts, it is assumed that the succession is rapidly progressing because of the recovery of vegetation. The species diversity ($\={H}$) and evenness index(C) in the burned and unburned areas were 0.15 and 0.18, respectively. Red pine tree did not resprout after scorch by the forest fire, but Lespedeza, Quercus, Rhododendron, Albizzia, and Zanthoxylum resprouted from the roots and trunks after the forest fire. It seems that these species are the fire-resistant species. Soil properties such as soil pH, content of organic matter, available phosphous, total nitrogen, tatal carbon, exchangeable potssium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium increased due to forest fire. These results suggest the intensity of forest fire in the study area was relatively weak. Monthly changes of soil properties were of little significance except for some cases.

• 한국습지학회지
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• 제7권4호
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• pp.33-42
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• 2005

Wetlands often function as a nutrient sink. It is well known that increased input of nutrient increases the primary productivity but it is not well understood what is the fate of produced biomass in wetland ecosystem. Water and sediment quality, decomposition rate of cellulose, and sediment accumulation rate in 11 montane marshes in northern Sierra Nevada, California were analyzed to trace the effect of nitrogen and phosphorus content in water on nutrient dynamics. Concentrations of ammonium, nitrate, soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) in water were in the range of 27 to 607, 8 to 73, and 6 to 109 ppb, respectively. Concentrations of ammonium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium in water were the highest in Markleeville, which has been impacted by animal farming. Nitrate and SRP concentrations in water were the highest in Snow Creek, which has been impacted by human residence and a golf course. Cellulose decomposition rates ranged from 4 to 75 % per 90 days and the highest values were measured in Snow Creek. Concentrations of total carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in sediment ranged from 8.0 to 42.8, 0.5 to 3.0, and 0.076 to 0.162 %, respectively. Accumulation rates of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus fluctuated between 32.7 to 97.1, 2.4 to 9.0, and 0.08 to $1.14gm^{-2}yr{-1}$, respectively. Accumulation rates of carbon and nitrogen were highest in Markleeville and that of phosphorus was highest in Lake Van Norden. Correlation analysis showed that decay rate is correlated with ammonium, nitrate, and SRP in water. There was no correlation between element content in sediment and water quality. Nitrogen accumulation rate was correlated with ammonium in water. These results showed that element accumulation rates in montane wetland ecosystems are determined by decomposition rate rather than nutrient input. This study stresses a need for eco-physiological researches on the response of microbial community to increased nutrient input and environmental change because the microbial community is responsible for the decomposition process.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.9.1-9.13
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• 2023

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is a zinc and calcium-dependent proteolytic enzyme involved in extracellular matrix degradation. Overexpression of MMP-9 has been confirmed in several disorders, including cancers, Alzheimer's disease, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and dental caries. Therefore, MMP-9 inhibition is recommended as a therapeutic strategy for combating various diseases. Cinnamic acid derivatives have shown therapeutic effects in different cancers, Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular diseases, and dental caries. A computational drug discovery approach was performed to evaluate the binding affinity of selected cinnamic acid derivatives to the MMP-9 active site. The stability of docked poses for top-ranked compounds was also examined. Twelve herbal cinnamic acid derivatives were tested for possible MMP-9 inhibition using the AutoDock 4.0 tool. The stability of the docked poses for the most potent MMP-9 inhibitors was assessed by molecular dynamics (MD) in 10 nanosecond simulations. Interactions between the best MMP-9 inhibitors in this study and residues incorporated in the MMP-9 active site were studied before and after MD simulations. Cynarin, chlorogenic acid, and rosmarinic acid revealed a considerable binding affinity to the MMP-9 catalytic domain (ΔG_binding < -10 kcal/ mol). The inhibition constant value for cynarin and chlorogenic acid were calculated at the picomolar scale and assigned as the most potent MMP-9 inhibitor from the cinnamic acid derivatives. The root-mean-square deviations for cynarin and chlorogenic acid were below 2 Å in the 10 ns simulation. Cynarin, chlorogenic acid, and rosmarinic acid might be considered drug candidates for MMP-9 inhibition.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• 제6권3호
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• pp.335-349
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• 2017

To cope with the demand on giant and durable buildings, reinforcement of concrete is a practical problem being extensively investigated in the civil engineering field. Among various reinforcing techniques, fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) has been proven to be an effective approach. In practice, such fibers include steel fibers, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) carbon fibers and asbestos fibers, with the length scale ranging from centimeters to micrometers. When advancing such technique down to the nanoscale, it is noticed that carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are stronger than other fibers and can provide a better reinforcement to concrete. In the last decade, CNT-reinforced concrete attracts a lot of attentions in research. Despite high cost of CNTs at present, the growing availability of carbon materials might push the usage of CNTs into practice in the near future, making the reinforcement technique of great potential. A review of existing research works may constitute a conclusive reference and facilitate further developments. In reference to the recent experimental works, this paper reports some key evaluations on CNT-reinforced cementitious materials, covering FRC mechanism, CNT dispersion, CNT-cement structures, mechanical properties and fire safety. Emphasis is placed on the interplay between CNTs and calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) at the nanoscale. The relationship between the CNTs-cement structures and the mechanical enhancement, especially at a high-temperature condition, is discussed based on molecular dynamics simulations. After concluding remarks, challenges to improve the CNTs reinforcement technique are proposed.