• Korean Circulation Journal
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• v.48 no.12
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• pp.1135-1144
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• 2018

Background and Objectives: Mitochondria play a key role in the pathophysiology of heart failure and mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) play a critical role in cell death and a critical target for cardioprotection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of cyclosporine A (CsA), one of MPTP blockers, and morphological changes of mitochondria and MPTP related proteins in monocrotaline (MCT) induced pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Methods: Eight weeks old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to control, MCT (60 mg/kg) and MCT plus CsA (10 mg/kg/day) treatment groups. Four weeks later, right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) and morphological changes of right ventricle (RV) were done. Western blot and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for MPTP related protein were performed. Results: In electron microscopy, CsA treatment prevented MCT-induced mitochondrial disruption of RV. RVH was significantly increased in MCT group compared to that of the controls but RVH was more increased with CsA treatment. Thickened medial wall thickness of pulmonary arteriole in PAH was not changed after CsA treatment. In western blot, caspase-3 was significantly increased in MCT group, and was attenuated in CsA treatment. There were no significant differences in voltage-dependent anion channel, adenine nucleotide translocator 1 and cyclophilin D expression in western blot and RT-PCR between the 3 groups. Conclusions: CsA reduces MCT induced RV mitochondrial damage. Although, MPTP blocking does not reverse pulmonary pathology, it may reduce RV dysfunction in PAH. The results suggest that it could serve as an adjunctive therapy to PAH treatment.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.592-604
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• 2019

This study examines the stealth function of sputtered fabric with an infrared thermal imaging camera in terms of the thermal and infrared (IR) transmittance characteristics. Various base fabrics were selected, infrared imaging was performed, and infrared transmittance was measured. By infrared camera experiment it was found that the sample was concealed because it had a similar color to the surroundings when the aluminum layer was directed toward the outside. In addition, a comparison of the infrared thermographic image of the untreated sample and the sputtered sample in the laboratory showed that the difference in ${\Delta}E$ value ranged from 31 to 90.4 and demonstrated effective concealment. However, concealment was not observed in the case of the 3-layer (Nylon-Al-Nylon) model when a sputtered aluminum layer existed between two nylon layers. The direction of the sputtering layer did not affect the infrared transmittance in the infrared transmittance experiment. Therefore, it seems better to interpret the concealing effect in the infrared thermographic images by using thermal transfer theory rather than infrared transmittance theory. We believe that the results of this study will be applicable to developing high performance smart clothing and military uniforms.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.237-243
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• 2018

Hedgehog (Hh) pathway plays a key role in development from invertebrate to vertebrate. It is known to be involved in cell differentiation, polarity, proliferation, including the development of vertebrate limb and the establishment of flies' body plan. To investigate how the regulation of Hh pathway affects the development of parthenogenetic murine embryos, the parthenogenetically activated murine embryos were treated with either cyclopamine (Cyc), an antagonist of Hh pathway, or purmorphamine, an agonist of Hh pathway. While Cyc did not affect the blastocyst formation and its total cell number, the chemical reduced the hatching rate of embryos and the expression levels of Fn1 mRNA. The results of the present study show the possibility that Cyc may affect the development of embryos at blastocyst stage by blocking Hh pathway and this may cause detrimental effect to the embryos at peri-, and post-implantation stages.

• BLOOD RESEARCH
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.299-306
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• 2018

Background IgG-mediated anaphylaxis occurs after infusion of certain monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics. New in vitro tests are urgently needed to diagnose such reactions. We investigated whether allergens trigger neutrophil oxidative burst (OB) and if neutrophil OB occurs due to allergen-specific IgG (sIgG). Methods Neutrophil OB was measured by dihydrorhodamine 123 flow cytometry using a leukocyte suspension spiked with a very small patch of the allergen crude extract, Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f). The mean fluorescence intensity ratio of stimulated to unstimulated samples was calculated as the neutrophil oxidative index (NOI). Results The Der f-specific NOI (Der f-sNOI) showed a time-dependent increase after Der f extract addition. At 15 min activation, higher Der f-sIgG levels were associated with lower Der f-sNOI values in 31 subjects (P<0.05). This inverse relationship occurs due to the initial blocking effect of free Der f-sIgG. Additionally, neutrophil OB was nearly absent (Der f-sNOI of -1) in two cases: a subject with undetectable Der f-sIgG levels and washed leukocyte suspensions deprived of Der f-sIgG. Conclusion Allergens can trigger neutrophil OB via preexisting allergen-sIgG. Neutrophil OB can be easily measured in a leukocyte suspension spiked with the allergen. This assay can be used to diagnose IgG-mediated anaphylaxis.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.56 no.12
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• pp.854-860
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• 2018

In spite of the many attractive properties of (W,Ti)C, its low fracture toughness limits its wide application. To improve the fracture toughness generally a second phase is added to fabricate a nanostructured composite. In this regard, graphene was considered as the reinforcing agent of (W,Ti)C. (W,Ti)C-graphene composites that were sintered within 2 min using pulsed current activated heating under a pressure of 80 MPa. The rapid consolidation method allowed retention of the nano-scale microstructure by blocking the grain growth. The effect of graphene on the hardness and microstructure of the (W,Ti)C-graphene composite was studied using a Vickers hardness tester and FE-SEM. The grain size of (W,Ti)C was reduced remarkably by the addition of graphene. Furthermore, the hardness decreased and the fracture toughness improved with the addition of graphene.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.585-591
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• 2021

Liquefied hydrogen have advantage which reduces the volume by about 800 times or more compared to hydrogen gas, so it is possible to increase the storage density. However, liquefied hydrogen produced by cryogenic cooling of 20 K or less at normal pressure has a problem of maximizing the insulation effect that blocks heat introduced from the outside. Representative insulation technologies include vacuum insulation and multi-layer insulation materials and in general, heat blocking is attempted by combining insulation technologies. Therefore, in this study, the pressure of the internal vacuum layer was changed to 10^-1, 10^-2, 10^-3 and 10^-4 Torr to confirm the thermal insulation performance of the vacuum jacket valve for transporting liquefied hydrogen. As a result, it was confirmed that the insulation performance improved as the degree of vacuum increased.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2021.11a
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• pp.234-235
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• 2021

We set the representative balcony types of the existed building to two types: unexpanded balcony and extended balcony, and analyze the effect of reducing the cooling and heating energy load when applying remodeling. The scope of the study was limited to balcony walls, including window-wall junctions, and was conducted by comparing cases with and without thermal break insulation structures for a clear conclusion. The study was conducted using the equivalent U-value in each case. The equivalent U-value was calculated by deriving through 2 dimensional steady-state heat transfer analysis of each case balcony envelope. And building energy was calculated using the derived equivalent U-value. According to the calculation results, for unexpanded balconies, the equivalent U-value was reduced by about 80%, and the heating and cooling load was reduced by about 20%. In the case of extended balconies, the equivalent U-value was reduced by about 57% and the resulting heating and cooling load was reduced by about 12%.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2020.08a
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• pp.89-89
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• 2020

In this study, we evaluated the effect of the extracts from Lonicera caerulea leaves (LCLE), branches (LCBE) and fruits (LCFE) on the cell growth and migration in human colorectal cancer cells, HCT116 and SW480 cells. LCLE and LCBE dose- and time-dependently inhibited the proliferation of HCT116 and SW480 cells. However, LCFE did not affect the proliferation of HCT116 and SW480 cells. In addition, LCLE and LCBE dramatically cell migration and wound healing in HCT116 cells. LCLE and LCBE decreased β-catenin protein level but not mRNA level in HCT116 and SW480 cells. Furthermore, LCLE decreased TCF4 level in both protein and mRNA level in HCT116 and SW480 cells. However, LCBE decreased TCF4 protein level but not mRNA level in HCT116 and SW480 cells. Based on these findings, LCLE and LCBE may inhibit the cell proliferation and migration through blocking Wnt signaling activation in human colorectal cancer cells. Therefore, LCLE and LCBE may be a potential candidate for the development of chemopreventive or therapeutic agents for human colorectal cancer.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.161-170
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• 2024

In recent years, there have been an increasing number of experimental studies showing the need to include robustness criteria in the design process to develop complex active control designs for practical implementation. The paper investigates the crosswind aerodynamic parameters after the blocking phase of a two-dimensional square cross-section structure by measuring the response in wind tunnel tests under light wind flow conditions. To improve the accuracy of the results, the interpolation of the experimental curves in the time domain and the analytical responses were numerically optimized to finalize the results. Due to this combined effect, the three aerodynamic parameters decrease with increasing wind speed and asymptotically affect the upper branch constants. This means that the aerodynamic parameters along the density distribution are minimal. Taylor series are utilized to describe the fuzzy nonlinear plant and derive the stability analysis using polynomial function for analyzing the aerodynamic parameters and numerical simulations. Due to it will yield intricate terms to ensure stability criterion, therefore we aim to avoid kinds issues by proposing a polynomial homogeneous framework and utilizing Euler's functions for homogeneous systems. Finally, we solve the problem of stabilization under the consideration by SOS (sum of squares) and assign its fuzzy controller based on the feasibility of demonstration of a nonlinear system as an example.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.157-166
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• 2014

ATP in quantity co-stored with neurotransmitters in the secretory vesicles of neurons, by being co-released with the neurotransmitters, takes an important role to modulate the stimulus-secretion response of neurotransmitters. Here, in this study, the modulatory effect of ATP was studied in $Ca^{2+}$ channels of cultured rat adrenal chromaffin cells to investigate the physiological role of ATP in neurons. The $Ca^{2+}$ channel current was recorded in a whole-cell patch clamp configuration, which was modulated by ATP. In 10 mM $Ba^{2+}$ bath solution, ATP treatment (0.1 mM) decreased the $Ba^{2+}$ current by an average of $36{\pm}6%$ (n=8), showing a dose-dependency within the range of $10^{-4}{\sim}10^{-1}mM$. The current was recovered by ATP washout, demonstrating its reversible pattern. This current blockade effect of ATP was disinhibited by a large prepulse up to +80 mV, since the $Ba^{2+}$ current increment was larger when treated with ATP ($37{\pm}5%$, n=11) compared to the control ($25{\pm}3%$, n=12, without ATP). The $Ba^{2+}$ current was recorded with $GTP{\gamma}S$, the non-hydrolyzable GTP analogue, to determine if the blocking effect of ATP was mediated by G-protein. The $Ba^{2+}$ current decreased down to 45% of control with $GTP{\gamma}S$. With a large prepulse (+80 mV), the current increment was $34{\pm}4%$ (n=19), which $25{\pm}3%$ (n=12) under control condition (without $GTP{\gamma}S$). The $Ba^{2+}$ current waveform was well fitted to a single-exponential curve for the control, while a double-exponential curve best fitted the current signal with ATP or $GTP{\gamma}S$. In other words, a slow activation component appeared with ATP or $GTP{\gamma}S$, which suggested that both ATP and $GTP{\gamma}S$ caused slower activation of $Ca^{2+}$ channels via the same mechanism. The results suggest that ATP may block the $Ca^{2+}$ channels by G-protein and this $Ca^{2+}$ channel blocking effect of ATP is important in autocrine (or paracrine) inhibition of adrenaline secretion in chromaffin cell.