• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.1262-1266
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• 2009

Thermodynamics of the interaction between Cerium (III) chloride, $Ce^{3+}$, with Human Serum Albumin, HSA, was investigated at pH 7.0 and $27\;{^{\circ}C}$ in phosphate buffer by isothermal titration calorimetry. Our recently solvation model was used to reproduce the enthalpies of HSA interaction by $Ce^{3+}$. The solvation parameters recovered from our new model, attributed to the structural change of HSA and its biological activity. The interaction of HSA with $Ce^{3+}$ showed a set of two binding sites with negative cooperativity. $Ce^{3+}$ interacts with multiple sites on HSA affecting its biochemical and biophysical properties.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.6-15
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• 2022

Phase separation is a thermodynamic process leading to the formation of compositionally distinct phases. For the past few years, numerous works have shown that biomolecular phase separation serves as biogenesis mechanisms of diverse intracellular condensates, and aberrant phase transitions are associated with disease states such as neurodegenerative diseases and cancers. Condensates exhibit rich phase behaviors including multiphase internal structuring, noise buffering, and compositional tunability. Recent studies have begun to uncover how a network of intermolecular interactions can give rise to various biophysical features of condensates. Here, we review phase behaviors of biomolecules, particularly with regard to regular solution models of binary and ternary mixtures. We discuss how these theoretical frameworks explain many aspects of the assembly, composition, and miscibility of diverse biomolecular phases, and highlight how a model-based approach can help elucidate the detailed thermodynamic principle for multicomponent intracellular phase separation.

• Proceedings of The Korean Society of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.151-152
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• 2001

A common problem of the model simulations of the land surface - atmosphere interaction is to choose the appropriate spatial scale and resolution at which the simulations are to be performed. The accuracy of energy and water exchange predictions between the land surface and the atmosphere in regional and global scale atmospheric models is mainly influenced by: model simplifications applied to describe the spatial heterogeneity of land surface properties within individual grid cells; ignoring the variability of sub-grid properties (e.g. relief, vegetation, soils), and; lacks of necessary input meteorological and biophysical data.(omitted)

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.180-193
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• 2014

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is an inflammatory skin disease and regarded as a prototype of T-cell mediated delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions. Aroma Oil Complex (AOC) is composed of lavender true oil, chamomile roman oil and tea tree oil. This study was performed to assess the effects of AOC in a canine model of ACD. ACD was induced on the back of dogs induced by sensitization and repeated application by 2,4-dinitro-1-chlorobenzene (DNCB). Topical treatment of AOC was applied once a day for 8 days and skin biophysical parameters including transepidermal water loss (TEWL), skin hydration, skin thickness and erythema index, were measured every two days during experimental periods. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry were performed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect. In skin biophysical parameters, TEWL, skin hydration, skin thickness and erythema index were significantly increased, with a maximum increase appeared on day 2 (p<0.05). After the completion of AOC treatment, skin biophysical parameters were significantly reached those of baseline in a time-dependent manner (p<0.05). In histopathology, marked increases of epidermal thicknesses were induced after DNCB challenge with numerous inflammatory cell infiltrations and edematous changes, decreases of connective tissue occupied regions in dermis. In addition, marked increases of cytokine - tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) and interferon-${\gamma}$ (IFN-${\gamma}$)-immunoreactivities in the dermis and of apoptotic markers - caspase-3 and PARP-immunoreactivities in the epidermis were observed in DNCB control as compared with intact control, respectively (p<0.01). The decrease of infiltrated inflammatory cells and related decreases of pro-inflammatory cytokine immunoreactivities were observed in AOC treated skin (p<0.01). Based on these findings, AOC may have anti-inflammatory and alleviatory effects in the allergic contact dermatitis.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.251-257
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• 2017

Inhibition of $K^+$ outward currents by linopirdine in the outer hair cells (OHCs) of circling mice (homozygous (cir/cir) mice), an animal model for human deafness (DFNB6 type), was investigated using a whole cell patch clamp technique. Littermate heterozygous (+/cir) and ICR mice of the same age (postnatal day (P) 0 -P6) were used as controls. Voltage steps from -100 mV to 40 mV elicited small inward currents (-100 mV~-70 mV) and slow rising $K^+$ outward currents (-60 mV~40 mV) which activated near -50 mV in all OHCs tested. Linopirdine, a known blocker of $K^+$ currents activated at negative potentials ($I_{K,n}$), did cause inhibition at varying degree (severe, moderate, mild) in $K^+$ outward currents of heterozygous (+/cir) or homozygous (cir/cir) mice OHCs in the concentration range between 1 and $100{\mu}m$, while it was apparent only in one ICR mice OHC out of nine OHCs at $100{\mu}m$. Although the half inhibition concentrations in heterozygous (+/cir) or homozygous (cir/cir) mice OHCs were close to those reported in $I_{K,n}$, biophysical and pharmacological properties of $K^+$ outward currents, such as the activation close to -50 mV, small inward currents evoked by hyperpolarizing steps and TEA sensitivity, were not in line with $I_{K,n}$ reported in other tissues. Our results show that the delayed rectifier type $K^+$ outward currents, which are not similar to $I_{K,n}$ with respect to biophysical and pharmacological properties, are inhibited by linopirdine in the developing (P0~P6) homozygous (cir/cir) or heterozygous (+/cir) mice OHCs.

• Proceedings of the Korean Biophysical Society Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.75-75
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• 2003

We report here the results on N-acetyl-N'-dimethylamide of proline (Ac-Pro-NM $e_2$) calculated using the ab initio molecular orbital method with the self-consistent reaction field (SCRF) theory at the HF level with the 6-31+G(d) basis set to investigate the conformational preference of polyproline depending on the cis/trans peptide bonds and down/up puckerings along the backbone torsion angle $\square$ in the gas phase, chloroform, and water. In the gas phase, Ac-Pro-NM $e_2$ has seven local minima of tFd, tFu, cFd, cFu, cAu, tAu, and cAd conformations. In particular, polyproline conformations tFd, tFu, cFd, and cFu are found to be more stable than $\square$-helical conformations cAu, tAu, and cAd. In contrast, Ac-Pro-NHMe has seven local minima of tCd, tCu, cBd, cAu, tAu, cFd, and cFu conformations. Conformations tCd and tCu are found to be most stable, which is ascribed to the intramolecular hydrogen bond between C=O of acetyl group and $N^{~}$ H of N'-methyl amide group. The stability of the cFd conformation (i.e., the polyproline I structure) in chloroform is somewhat increased, relative to that in water, although tFd and tFu conformations (i.e., the polyproline II structure) are dominate both in chloroform and water. The population of backbone conformations feasible in chloroform and water is consistent with the experiments. This work is supported by a Korea Research Foundation Grant (KRF-2002-041-C00129).

• Proceedings of the Korean Biophysical Society Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.50-50
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• 2003

We have identified and analysed a putative response regulator two-component gene (CaSKN7) from Candida albicans and its encoding protein (CaSkn7). CaSKN7 has an open reading frame of 1677bp. CaSKN7 encodes a 559 amino acid protein (CaSkn7) with an estimated molecular mass of 61.1 kDa. CaSKN7 is a homologue of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae SKN7 that is the regulator involved in the oxidative stress response. To study the role of CaSKN7, we constructed a CAI4-derived mutant strain carrying a homozygous deletion of the CaSKN7 gene. In the caskn7 disruptant cells, the formation of germ tube require shorter time than that in the congenic wild-type strain but the growth of mycelium delayed in liquid media. In contrast, the caskn7 disruptant cells attenuate the differentiation in solid media and the virulence in mouse model system. Expression level of hypha-specific and virulence genes - HYR1, ECE1, HWP1, and ALS1 - in the caskn7 disruptant cells increased as compared with that in the congenic wild-type strain in 10％ serum YPD. Skn7 in 5. cerevisiae was found to bind the HSE element from the SSA promoter, Also, CaSkn7 contains heat shock factor DNA-binding domain and the promoters of these genes have HSE-like sties. Therefore these results show that CaSKN7 regulate the differentiation and virulence of C. albicans.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.42-53
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• 2009

In response to the abrupt climate change in recent years, atmosphere, ocean and cryosphere are reported to be altered. In addition to these changes, the land surface is also gradually changing and its impact on the global climate may not be negligible. The land surface change impacts the global climate via two ways, the biogeochemical and biophysical feedbacks. The biogeochemcial change in the land surface modifies the atmospheric trace-gas concentrations through a change in photo synthesis, while biophycal changes of the land surface alters the surface albedo, which influences the amount of the short wave radiative heat fluxes. There are many examples in the past that the change in land surface greatly influences the global climate change. The recent IPCC report has suggested that the climate change will occur rather abrubtly in the near future. In order to predict the future climate accurately, the impact of the land surface change is fully considered.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.383-388
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• 2015

$K^+$ outward currents in the outer hair cells (OHCs) of circling mice (homozygous (cir/cir) mice), an animal model for human deafness (DFNB6 type), were investigated using a whole cell patch clamp technique. Littermate heterozygous (+/cir) mice of the same age (postnatal day (P) 0-P6) were used as controls. Similar slow rising $K^+$ currents were observed in both genotypes, but their biophysical and pharmacological properties were quite different. The values of Vhalf for activation were significantly different in the heterozygous (+/cir) and homozygous (cir/cir) mice ($-8.1{\pm}2.2mV$, heterozygous (+/cir) mice (n=7) and $-17.2{\pm}4.2mV$, homozygous (cir/cir) mice (n=5)). The inactivation curve was expressed by a single first order Boltzmann equation in the homozygous (cir/cir) mice, while it was expressed by a sum of two first order Boltzmann equations in the heterozygous (+/cir) mice. The $K^+$ current of homozygous (cir/cir) mice was more sensitive to TEA in the 1 to 10 mM range, while the 4-AP sensitivities were not different between the two genotypes. Removal of external $Ca^{2+}$ did not affect the $K^+$ currents in either genotype, indicating that the higher sensitivity of $K^+$ current to TEA in the homozygous (cir/cir) mice was not due to an early expression of $Ca^{2+}$ activated $K^+$ channels. Our results suggest that the $K^+$ outward current of developing homozygous (cir/cir) mice OHCs is different in both biophysical and pharmacological aspects than that of heterozygous (+/cir) mice.

• Healthcare Informatics Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.276-282
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• 2018

Objectives: Due to the uncontrolled increase of the mobile health applications and their scarce use by elderly for reason of absence credibility of measurements by lack scientific support, the aim of this study was to evaluate the differences between the biophysical measurements based on standard instrument against a mobile application using controlled experiments with elderly to propose an effective validation model of the developed apps. Methods: The subjects of the study (50 people) were elderly people who wanted to check their weight and cardiac status. For this purpose, two mobile applications were used to measure energy expenditure based on physical activity (Activ) and heart rate (SMCa) during controlled walking at specific speeds. Minute-by-minute measurements were recorded to evaluate the average error and the accuracy of the data acquired through confidence intervals by means of statistical analysis of the data. Results: The experimental results obtained by the Activ/SMCa apps showed a consistent statistical similarity with those obtained by specialized equipment with confidence intervals of 95%. All the subjects were advised and trained on the use of the applications, and the initial registration of data to characterize them served to significantly affect the perceived ease of use. Conclusions: This is the first model to validate a health-app with elderly people allowed to demonstrate the anthropometric and body movement differences of subjects with equal body mass index (BMI) but younger. Future studies should consider not only BMI data but also other variables, such as age and usability perception factors.