• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.64-67
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• 2018

A new CMOS neuron circuit for implementing bistable synapses with spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) properties has been proposed. In neuromorphic systems using STDP properties, the short-term dynamics of the synaptic efficacies are governed by the relative timing of the pre- and post-synaptic spikes, and the efficacies tend asymptotically to either a potentiated state or to a depressed one on long time scales. The proposed circuit consists of a negative shifter, a current starved inverter and a schmitt trigger designed using 0.18um CMOS technology. The simulation result shows that the proposed circuit can reduce the total size of neurons, and the spike energy of the proposed circuit is much less compared to the conventional circuits.

• 한국약용작물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.09a
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• pp.31-45
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• 2011

The amyloid ${\beta}$-peptide ($A{\beta}$), which originates from the proteolytic cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP), plays a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Mounting evidence indicates that different species of $A{\beta}$, such as $A{\beta}$ oligomers and fibrils, may contribute to AD pathogenesis via distinct mechanisms at different stages of the disease. Importantly, elevation and accumulation of soluble $A{\beta}$ oligomers closely correlate with cognitive decline and/or disease progression in animal models of AD. In agreement with these studies, oligomers of $A{\beta}$ have been shown to directly affect synaptic plasticity, a neuronal process that is known to be essential for memory formation. Our previous studies showed that $A{\beta}$ induces the breakdown of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2), a phospholipid that regulates key aspects of neuronal function. PI(4,5)P2 breakdown was found to be a key step toward synaptic and memory dysfunction in a mouse model of AD. To this end, we seek to identify small molecules that could elevate the levels of PI(4,5)P2 and subsequently block $A{\beta}$ oligomer-induced breakdown of PI(4,5)P2 and synaptic dysfunction.. We found that (20S)Rg3, an active triterpene glycoside from heat-processed ginseng, serves as an agonist for phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase IIalpha (PI4KIIalpha), which is a lipid kinase that mediates a rate-limiting step in PI(4,5)P2 synthesis. Consequently, (20S)Rg3 stimulates PI(4,5)P2 synthesis by directly stimulating the activity of PI4KIIalpha. Interestingly, treatment of a mouse model of AD with (20S)Rg3 leads to reversal of memory deficits. Our data suggest that the PI(4,5)P2-promoting effects of (20S)Rg3 may help mitigate the cognitive symptoms associated with AD.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.43-49
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• 2024

In recent years, the flexible organic synaptic transistor (FOST) has garnered attention for its flexibility, biocompatibility, ease of processability, and reduced complexity, which arise from using organic semiconductors as channel layers. These transistors can emulate the plasticity of the human brain with a simpler structure and lower fabrication costs compared to conventional inorganic synaptic devices. This makes them suitable for applications in next-generation wearable devices and soft robotics technologies. In FOST, the organic substrate is sensitive to the device preparation temperature; high-temperature treatment processes can cause thermal deformation of the organic substrate. Therefore, low-temperature solution-based processing techniques are essential for fabricating high-performance devices. This review summarizes the current research status of low-temperature solution-based FOST devices and presents the problems and challenges that need to be addressed.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.83-91
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• 2006

The number and structure of synapses are dynamically changed in response to diverse physiological and pathological conditions. Since strength of synaptic transmission is closely related to the synaptic density on a neuron, both synaptogenesis and synapse loss may play important roles in controlling neuronal activity. Thus it is essential to estimate the number of synapses using an accurate quantitative method for better understanding of the numerical alteration of synapses under terrain experimental conditions. We applied physical disector principle to estimating the number of synapses per neuron in the dentate gyrus of adult mice. First, we measured the numerical density of granule cells using the physical disector principle. Second, the density of medial perforant path to granule cell synapses was estimated using the bidirectional physical disector. Then, the volume ratio of molecular layer to granule cell layer was measured. With these numerial values, we successfully calculated the number of synapses per neuron. Individual granule cells have approximately 6500 synapses in the dentate gyrus of adult mice $(6,545{\pm}330)$, which are comparable to those of other researchers. Our results showed that the estimation of synapse numbers per neuron using the physical disector principle would provide accurate and precise information on the numerical alteration of synapses in diverse physiological and pathological conditions. Following analyses of synapse numbers using this method will contribute to the better understanding of structural synaptic plasticity in a variety of experimental animal models.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2009

Seizures are the most common clinical manifestation of a neurologic insult during the neonatal period. Neonatal seizures continue to present a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to pediatricians because the recognition and classification of neonatal seizures remains problematic, particularly when clinicians rely only on clinical criteria. Neonatal seizures can permanently disrupt neuronal development, induce synaptic reorganization, alter plasticity, and "prime" the brain to increased damage from seizures later in life. Since neonatal seizures, particularly status epilepticus, predict an increased risk for later epilepsy and other neurologic sequelae, accurate diagnoses are needed for aggressive antiepileptic drug use. The present review summarizes the pathophysiology, etiology, and diagnosis of neonatal seizures.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.131-137
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• 1999

Neurotrophic factors control the survival and differentiation in developing neurons, Furthermore, nut evidence suggests that neurotrophic factors promote the axonal growth and synaptic plasticity In the CNS. Research is currently being undertaken in order to determine whether members of the neurotrophic factor family have potential therapeutic roles in preventing and/or reducing the neuronal cell death and atrophy. This review summarizes the current knowledge of characterized neurotrophic factors including NGF, BDNF, NT-3, and NT-4/5.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.65-70
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• 2012

Synaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) have been studied as mechanisms of ocular dominance plasticity in the rat visual cortex. Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) inhibits the induction of LTP and LTD during the critical period of the rat visual cortex (postnatal 3~5 weeks). However, in adult rats, the increase in 5-HT level in the brain by the administration of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine reinstates ocular dominance plasticity and LTP in the visual cortex. Here, we investigated the effect of 5-HT on the induction of LTP in the visual cortex obtained from 3- to 10-week-old rats. Field potentials in layer 2/3, evoked by the stimulation of underlying layer 4, was potentiated by theta-burst stimulation (TBS) in 3- and 5-weekold rats, then declined to the baseline level with aging to 10 weeks. Whereas 5-HT inhibited the induction of LTP in 5-week-old rats, it reinstated the induction of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA)-dependent LTP in 8- and 10-week-old rats. Moreover, the selective SSRI citalopram reinstated LTP. The potentiating effect of 5-HT at 8 weeks of age was mediated by the activation of 5-$HT_2$ receptors, but not by the activation of either 5-$HT_{1A}$ or 5-$HT_3$ receptors. These results suggested that the effect of 5-HT on the induction of LTP switches from inhibitory in young rats to facilitatory in adult rats.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 2013

Many intracellular proteins and signaling cascades contribute to the sensitivity of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). One such putative contributor is the serine/threonine kinase, protein kinase C (PKC). Activation of PKC by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) causes activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and promotes the formation of new spines in cultured hippocampal neurons. The purpose of this study was to examine which PKC isoforms are responsible for the PMA-induced augmentation of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA1 stratum radiatum of the hippocampus in vitro and verify that this facilitation requires NMDAR activation. We found that PMA enhanced the induction of LTP by a single episode of theta-burst stimulation in a concentration-dependent manner without affecting to magnitude of baseline field excitatory postsynaptic potentials. Facilitation of LTP by PMA (200 nM) was blocked by the nonspecific PKC inhibitor, Ro 31-8220 ($10{\mu}M$); the selective $PKC{\delta}$ inhibitor, rottlerin ($1{\mu}M$); and the $PKC{\varepsilon}$ inhibitor, TAT-${\varepsilon}V1$-2 peptide (500 nM). Moreover, the NMDAR blocker DL-APV ($50{\mu}M$) prevented enhancement of LTP by PMA. Our results suggest that PMA contributes to synaptic plasticity in the nervous system via activation of $PKC{\delta}$ and/or $PKC{\varepsilon}$, and confirm that NMDAR activity is required for this effect.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.894-901
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• 2012

The effect of Sopung-tang(SPT) and trans-cranial direct current stimulation(tDCS) was investigated in photothrombotic brain infarction(PTI) rats. Sprague-Dawley 80 rats, were divided into four groups. group I was experiental control group(n=20), group II was PTI induced and oral administration of SPT(n=20), group III was PTI induced and tDCS administration(n=20) and group IV was PTI induced and SPT and tDCS administration for 28 days on stroke rats(n=20). Analysis the neurological function test, 25 point behavior functional score test, and immunohistochemistric finding of GDNF expression, and electron microscopy assessment In motor behavior test, the outcome of group IV was significantly difference than the other group, and In immunohistochemistric finding, group II, III, IV were increase GDNF expression on 28 days, In electron microscopy finding, the all groups were degenerated of cell organelles, and synaptic plasticity were improvement of group II, III, IV(especially group IV) These results suggest that, 28days application of SPT and tDCS was the motor function and histopathologic, micro-morphological improvement of motor function recovery and positive influence on synaptic plasticity.

• BMB Reports
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.103-106
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• 2013

Phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) play key roles in synaptic plasticity and cognitive functions in the brain. We recently found that genetic deletion of $PI3K{\gamma}$, the only known member of class IB PI3Ks, results in impaired N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-dependent long-term depression (NMDAR-LTD) in the hippocampus. The activity of RalA, a small GTP-binding protein, increases following NMDAR-LTD inducing stimuli, and this increase in RalA activity is essential for inducing NMDAR-LTD. We found that RalA activity increased significantly in $PI3K{\gamma}$ knockout mice. Furthermore, NMDAR-LTD-inducing stimuli did not increase RalA activity in $PI3K{\gamma}$ knockout mice. These results suggest that constitutively increased RalA activity occludes further increases in RalA activity during induction of LTD, causing impaired NMDAR-LTD. We propose that $PI3K{\gamma}$ regulates the activity of RalA, which is one of the molecular mechanisms inducing NMDAR-dependent LTD.