• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.193-199
• /
• 2023

In this investigation, we made a study of the efficacy of luteolin (a flavonoid found in plants such as vegetables, herbs and fruits) on vascular contractibility and to elucidate the mechanism underlying the relaxation. Isometric contractions of denuded muscles were stored and combined with western blot analysis which was conducted to assess the phosphorylation of myosin phosphatase targeting subunit 1 (MYPT1) and phosphorylation-dependent inhibitory protein for myosin phosphatase (CPI-17) and to examine the effect of luteolin on the RhoA/ROCK/CPI-17 pathway. Luteolin significantly alleviated phorbol ester-, fluoride- and thromboxane mimetic-elicited contractions regardless of endothelial nitric oxide synthesis, implying its direct effect on smooth muscle. It also significantly alleviated the fluoride-elicited elevation in pCPI-17 and pMYPT1 levels and phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate-elicited increase in pERK1/2 level, suggesting depression of ROCK and PKC/MEK activity and ensuing phosphorylation of MYPT1, CPI-17 and ERK1/2. Taken together, these results suggest that luteolin-elicited relaxation includes myosin phosphatase reactivation and calcium desensitization, which seems to be arbitrated by CPI-17 dephosphorylation via ROCK/PKC inhibition.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.145-150
• /
• 2022

In this study, we investigated the influence of galangin on vascular contractibility and to determine the mechanism underlying the relaxation. Isometric contractions of denuded aortic muscles were recorded and combined with western blot analysis which was performed to measure the phosphorylation of phosphorylation-dependent inhibitory protein of myosin phosphatase (CPI-17) and myosin phosphatase targeting subunit 1 (MYPT1) and to evaluate the effect of galangin on the RhoA/ROCK/CPI-17 pathway. Galangin significantly inhibited phorbol ester-, fluoride- and thromboxane mimetic-induced vasoconstrictions regardless of endothelial nitric oxide synthesis, suggesting its direct effect on vascular smooth muscle. Galangin significantly inhibited the fluoride-dependent increase in pMYPT1 and pCPI-17 levels and phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate-dependent increase in pERK1/2 level, suggesting repression of ROCK and MEK activity and subsequent phosphorylation of MYPT1, CPI-17 and ERK1/2. Taken together, these results suggest that galangin-induced relaxation involves myosin phosphatase reactivation and calcium desensitization, which appears to be mediated by CPI-17 dephosphorylation via not PKC but ROCK inactivation.

• 한국해양학회지
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.149-160
• /
• 1983

Extensive wind, sea level and sea surface temperature (SST) data collected along the east coast of Korea in 1973-1979 were used to ascribe the variations of sea level and SST associated with wind forcing during summer. Alongshore components of wind were dominant but the offshore components were little significance in the southeast coast in summer. The variations in SST and sea level adjusted barometricallyagreed with the upwelling-downwelling processes and showed a rapid response to wind.Appearance of cold water to the surface in the upwelling region concurred well with te periods of positive y-component wind when the tangential line at Ulgi was takem as the y-axis. In general, SST at Ulgi and Gampo as well as the adjusted sea level at Pohang, Ulsan and Busan decreased significantly when strong winds favorable for upwelling persisted for more then three days whereas they increased during the relaxation or unfavorable periods. The period of an upwelling event, on the average, was about 10 days and the mean speed of alongshore sind was 4.0m/sec.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.17-24
• /
• 2002

This research was the first step to develop Expert System for Evaluation of Human Sensibility, where human sensibility can be inferred from objective physiological signals. The study aim was to develop an algorithm in which human arousal level can be judged using measured physiological signals. Fuzzy theory was applied for mathematical handling of the ambiguity related to evaluation of human sensibility, and the degree of belonging to a certain sensibility dimension was quantified by membership function through which the sensibility evaluation was able to be done. Determining membership function was achieved using results from a physiological signal database of arousal/relaxation that was generated from imagination. To induce one final result (arousal level) based on measuring the results of more than 2 physiological signals and the membership function of each physiological signal, Dempster-Shafer's Rule of Combination in Evidence was applied, through which the final arousal level was inferred.

• Korean Management Science Review
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.61-76
• /
• 2014

There are three methods for calculating the optimal level for spare part inventories in a MIME (Multi Indenture and Multi Echelon) system : marginal analysis, Lagrangian relaxation method, and genetic algorithm. However, their solutions are sub-optimal solutions because the MIME system is neither convex nor separable by items. To be more specific, SRUs (Shop Replaceable Units) are required to fix a defected LRU (Line Replaceable Unit) because one LRU consists of several SRUs. Therefore, the level of both SRU and LRU cannot be calculated independently. Based on the limitations of three existing methods, we proposes a improved algorithm applying marginal analysis on determining LRU stock level and genetic algorithm on determining SRU stock level. It can draw optimal combinations on LRUs through separating SRUs. More, genetic algorithm enables to extend the solution search space of a SRU which is restricted in marginal analysis applying greedy algorithm. In the numerical analysis, we compare the performance of three existing methods and the proposed algorithm. The research model guarantees better results than the existing analytical methods. More, the performance variation of the proposed method is relatively low, which means one execution is enough to get the better result.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.17-29
• /
• 2002

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of Self-foot reflexology (SFR) on the hypertension of workers. The purpose of the research was to evaluate: levels of knowledge, physical and emotional condition, work stress and fatigue on the hypertension of employees in the workplace. Quasi-experimental study was designed in the setting of a nonequivalent control and experimental Group applied by the pre and post test. The total subjects undertaken in the study were total of 34 employees working in three companies in Seoul. The SFR program was consisted of 6 phases. There were 2 minutes for preparation, 4 minutes for slow down, 26 minutes for base reflex, symptoms of a disease reflex and excretion reflex stimulation. Finally, there was 20 minutes relaxation in a comfortable posture and drinking hot water after blood pressure was checked in the order. This program was running 55 minutes a day everyday three times a week during the entire 8 week course. The finding showed blood pressure was reduced significantly. Moreover, the level of total cholesterol. high and low density lipoprotein cholesterol, depression, work stress, and fatigue were decreased in the study. But, they were not statistically significant except as it related to Group comparisons in time. The level of state anxiety was statistically significant between 2 Groups, but not in the time comparison of both Groups. As a summary of the study results, the SFR program was regarded as contributing to the physical and emotional promotion of employees. It had partially increased body circulations of functional organ related to the SFR sites. And, it improved relaxation of physical and mental condition through energy movement 'Chi'. Therefore, the SFR technique should be considered as an effective skill of a nursing program. Furthermore, it can be newly adopted as a nursing curriculum as a part of alternative treatment. However, it still needed to testify its effects through the review study.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.374-379
• /
• 2018

In this study, we investigated the effects of pelargonidin, an anthocyanidin found in many fruits and vegetables, on endothelium-independent vascular contractility to determine the underlying mechanism of relaxation. Isometric contractions of denuded aortic muscles from male rats were recorded, and the data were combined with those obtained in western blot analysis. Pelargonidin significantly inhibited fluoride-, thromboxane A2-, and phorbol ester-induced vascular contractions, regardless of the presence or absence of endothelium, suggesting a direct effect of the compound on vascular smooth muscles via a different pathway. Pelargonidin significantly inhibited the fluoride-dependent increase in the level of myosin phosphatase target subunit 1 (MYPT1) phosphorylation at Thr-855 and the phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate-dependent increase in the level of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 phosphorylation at Thr202/Tyr204, suggesting the inhibition of Rho-kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) activities and subsequent phosphorylation of MYPT1 and ERK1/2. These results suggest that the relaxation effect of pelargonidin on agonist-dependent vascular contractions includes inhibition of Rho-kinase and MEK activities, independent of the endothelial function.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.216-225
• /
• 2014

The present study was designed to investigate whether ethylacetate (EtOAc) fraction extracted from Rubus coreanum affect the contractility of the isolated thoracic aortic strips and blood pressure of normotensive rats. The EtOAc fraction ($400{\mu}g/mL$) significantly depressed both phenylephrine (PE, $10{\mu}M$)- and high $K^+$ (56 mM)-induced contractile responses of the isolated thoracic aortic strips in a concentration-dependent fashion. In the simultaneous presence of L-NAME (an inhibitor of NO synthase, $300{\mu}M$) and EtOAc ($400{\mu}g/mL$), both PE- and high $K^+$-induced contractile responses were recovered to the corresponding control level in comparison with inhibition of EtOAc-treatment alone. Moreover, in the simultaneous presence of EtOAc after pretreatment with 0.4% CHAPS, both PE- and high $K^+$-induced contractile responses were recovered to the corresponding control level compared to the inhibitory response of EtOAc-treatment alone. Also, in anesthetized rats, EtOAc fraction (0.3~3.0 mg/kg) injected into a femoral vein dose-dependently produced depressor responses. This hypotensive action of EtOAc fraction was greatly inhibited after treatment with phentolamine (1 mg/kg), chlorisondamine (1 mg/kg), L-NAME (3 mg/kg/30 min) or sodium nitroprusside ($30{\mu}g/kg/30 min$). Intravenous infusion of EtOAc fraction (1.0~10.0 mg/kg/30 min) markedly inhibited norepinehrine-induced pressor responses. Taken together, these results demostrate that EtOAc causes vascular relaxation in the isolated rat thoracic aortic strips as well as hypotensive action in anesthetized rats. These vasorelaxation and hypotension of EtOAc seem to be mediated at least by the increased NO production through the activation of NO synthase of vascular endothelium, and the inhibitory adrenergic modulation.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.191-198
• /
• 1999

Biofeedback training is one of physiological self control methods for patients who has psychological problem and rehabilitational problem. It has been used to control blood pressure, heart rate, peripheral temperature, respiration, electromyography (ENG), and other biological signals-ENG, respiration, heat rate, peripheral temperature, skin conductance level-was developed in house. We applied this system to alcohol dependent patients to perform biofeedback training. In this experiment, the relaxation biofeedback training for alcohol dependent patient was carried out and the tension state for the change of biological signals were estimated using the fuzzy theory after relaxation biofeenback training. Eight alcohol dependent patients were agreed to participate in this experiment. Result showed that 1) the tension degree of patients were higher than the tension degree of normal subject. 2) The tension degree of patients were decreased as the training numbers were increased.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.129-136
• /
• 2022

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of applying intensity on the muscle activity and muscle hardness of the upper trapezius muscle in adult males when TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) was applied. In addition, this study intends to prepare the scientific basic data of TENS for the purpose of relaxation based on the experimental results. Methods : Eighty-seven healthy adult males participated in the experiment, and they were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. All subjects in this study were healthy subjects without musculoskeletal or nervous system damage. All subjects were subjects who voluntarily consented to the purpose and method of the experiment. All subjects were provided with a load by typing for 20 minutes, and muscle activity and muscle hardness of the upper trapezius muscle were measured immediately. Afterwards, TENS was given to each groups for 15 minutes, and the experimental group received stimulation at the motor threshold level, and the control group received a placebo stimulation. After stimulation, muscle activity and muscle hardness of the upper trapezius muscle were measured in the same method. The measured data were compared between groups through an independent t-test and dependent t-test. The statistical significance level was set at .05. Results : The application of TENS statistically significantly decreased the muscle activity and muscle hardness of the trapezius muscle in the experimental group, and the results showed a significant difference from the control group. Conclusion : Application of TENS significantly decreased the muscle activity and muscle stiffness of the upper trapezius muscle. The application of TENS of applying intensity that induces muscle contraction may induce relaxation by reducing the muscle activity and muscle hardness of the trapezius muscle.