• Applied Microscopy
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.3-7
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• 2017

The automatic equipment for three-dimensional electron microscopy (3DEM) can acquire serial sections of a large sample in a relatively short time, and is especially suitable for the connectomics, which is a field related to understanding the brain structure as a whole. As many results obtained through 3DEM using automatic serial sections have been published in the field of brain research, many researchers continue to apply this technique to various samples. We reviewed the equipment for automatic serial sectioning, the block preparation method, the limitations of 3DEM, and future directions.

• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.08a
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• pp.1014-1017
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• 2006

Admittance Spectroscopic analysis was applied to study the effect of LiF buffer layer and to model the equivalent circuit for $ITO/Alq_3/LiF/Al$ device structure. The admittance spectroscopic analysis of the devices with LiF layer shows reduction in contact resistance $(R_C)$, parallel resistance $(R_P)$ and increment in parallel capacitance $(C_P)$.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2013

Glutamate receptors are important components of synaptic transmission in the nervous system. Especially, ${\alpha}$-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptors mediate most abundant excitatory synaptic transmission in the brain. There is elaborate mechanism of regulation of AMPA receptors including protein synthesis/degradation, intracellular trafficking, exocytosis/endocytosis and protein modification. In recent studies, it is revealed that functional dysregulation of AMPA receptors are related to major psychiatric disorders. In this review, we describe the structure and function of AMPA receptors in the synapse. We will introduce three steps of mechanism involving trafficking of AMPA receptors to neuronal membrane, lateral diffusion into synapses and synaptic retention by membrane proteins and postsynaptic scaffold proteins. Lastly, we will describe recent studies showing that regulation of AMPA receptors is important pathophysiological mechanism in psychiatric disorders.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.2286-2300
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• 2011

We synthesized eight G8 molecular transporters (MTs) based on 4 different monosaccharide scaffolds, and studied their biological properties with a special focus on possible mitochondrial targeting and tissue selectivity. The mitochondrial affinity of these MTs was found to be clearly related to the scaffold stereochemistry and also tenuously with the lipophilicity. It may be suggested that in the practical delivery strategy of drugs for the brain and mitochondrial diseases the BBB permeability and mitochondrial affinity should be considered as key parameters, and that an enhanced mitochondrial affinity appears possible by further research on the structure-property relationship of guanidine-rich molecular transporters.

• BMB Reports
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 2000

4-Aminobutyrate aminotransferase is a key enzyme of the 4-aminobutyric acid shunt. It converts the neurotransmitter 4-aminobutyric acid to succinic semialdehyde. In order to study the structural and functional aspects of catalytically active Cys residues of pig brain 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase, we purified the active form in E. coli by coproduction of thioredoxin. The structural arrangement for functional requirements of a dimeric protein using a bifunctional sultbydryl reagent was then characterized, and the spatial proximity between the essential SH groups and a cofactor (pyridoxal-5'-phosphate) binding site was determined. The bifunctional sultbydryl reagent DMDS reacted with the enzyme at the ratio of one molecule per enzyme dimer. This resulted in an approximately 50% loss of enzymatic activity. The spatial proximity of the distance between the essential SH groups and the cofactor-binding site was determined by the energy transfer measurement technique. The result (approximate 20 ${\AA}$) suggested that cross-linking of two sulfhydryl groups with DMDS is not near a PLP binding site.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.305-311
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• 2007

cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) is the best-characterized protein kinases and has served as a model of the structure and regulation of cAMP-binding protein as well as of protein kinases. To determine the function of PKA in development, we employed the yeast two-hybrid system to screen for catalytic subunit of PKA $(C\alpha)$ interacting partners in a cDNA library from mouse embryo. A Testis-brain RNA-binding protein (TB-RBP), specifically bound to $C\alpha$. This interaction was verified by several biochemical analysis. Our findings indicate that $C\alpha$ can modulate nucleic acid binding proteins of TB-RBP and provide insights into the diverse role of PKA.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.338-343
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• 2007

BOLD T2*-weighted MR images reflects cortical blood flow and oxygenation alterations. fMRI study relies on the detection of localized changes in BOLD signal intensity. Since fMRI measures the very small modulations in BOLD signal intensity that occur during changes in brain activity, it is also very sensitive to small signal intensity variations caused by physiologic noise during the scan. Due to the complexity of movement of various organs associated with heart beat, it is important to reduce cardiac related noise rather than other physiological noise which could be required with relatively simple method. Therefore, a number of methods have been developed for the estimation and reduction of cardiac noise in fMRI study. But, each method has limitation. In this study, we proposed a new estimation method for brain activities influenced by blood pulsation effect using regression analysis with blood pulsation signal and the correspond slice of fMRI. We could find out that the right anterior cingulate cortex and right olfactory cortex and left olfactory cortex were largely influenced by blood pulsation effect for new method. These observed areas are mostly on the structure of anterior cerebral artery in the brain. That is convinced with that our method would be valid and our new method is easier to apply in practice and reduce computational burden than the retrospective method.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.21-24
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• 2017

Background: In evaluation of craniosynostosis patients in terms of neurodevelopmental delay, positron emission tomography computed tomography (PET-CT) scan can be used to assess brain abnormalities through glucose metabolism. We aimed to determine the unnecessity of PET-CT in this study. Methods: Thirty-eight patients diagnosed with craniosynostosis who underwent distraction osteogenesis from October, 2010 to November, 2013 were reviewed. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and PET-CT scan were carried out for evaluation of the brain structure and function, whereas X-ray and CT scan were taken for evaluation of the skull. Results: Nine patients reported abnormal MRI findings which were not significant, and five patients showed local problem on brain on PET-CT scan. No correlation was found among them. Conclusion: PET-CT evaluation of possible abnormal brain findings do not affect surgical planning or require additional therapy. Preoperative PET-CT scan is not the essential study to get any etiologic information of the disease consequences or to establish the treatment plan.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.267-279
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• 2018

Neurolathyrism is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by spastic paraplegia resulting from the excessive consumption of Lathyrus sativus (Grass pea). ${\beta}$-N-Oxalyl-L-${\alpha},{\beta}$-diaminopropionic acid (L-ODAP) is the primary neurotoxic component in this pea. The present study attempted to evaluate the proteome-wide alterations in chick brain 2 hr and 4 hr post L-ODAP treatment. Proteomic analysis of chick brain homogenates revealed several proteins involved in cytoskeletal structure, signaling, cellular metabolism, free radical scavenging, oxidative stress and neurodegenerative disorders were initially up-regulated at 2 hr and later recovered to normal levels by 4 hr. Since L-ODAP mediated neurotoxicity is mainly by excitotoxicity and oxidative stress related dysfunctions, this study further evaluated the role of L-ODAP in apoptosis in vitro using human neuroblastoma cell line, IMR-32. The in vitro studies carried out at $200{\mu}M$ L-ODAP for 4 hr indicate minimal intracellular ROS generation and alteration of mitochondrial membrane potential though not leading to apoptotic cell death. L-ODAP at low concentrations can be explored as a stimulator of various reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediated cell signaling pathways not detrimental to cells. Insights from our study may provide a platform to explore the beneficial side of L-ODAP at lower concentrations. This study is of significance especially in view of the Government of India lifting the ban on cultivation of low toxin Lathyrus varieties and consumption of this lentil.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.359-367
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• 2009

Paramyosin is a myofibrillar protein present in helminth parasites and plays multifunctional roles in host-parasite interactions. In this study, we identified the gene encoding paramyosin of Clonorchis sinensis (CsPmy) and characterized biochemical and immunological properties of its recombinant protein. CsPmy showed a high level of sequence identity with paramyosin from other helminth parasites. Recombinant CsPmy (rCsPmy) expressed in bacteria had an approximate molecular weight of 100 kDa and bound both human collagen and complement 9. The protein was constitutively expressed in various developmental stages of the parasite. Imunofluorescence analysis revealed that CsPmy was mainly localized in the tegument, subtegumental muscles, and the muscle layer surrounding the intestine of the parasite. The rCsPmy showed high levels of positive reactions (74.6%, 56/75) against sera from patients with clonorchiasis. Immunization of experimental rats with rCsPmy evoked high levels of IgG production. These results collectively suggest that CsPmy is a multifunctional protein that not only contributes to the muscle layer structure but also to non-muscular functions in host-parasite interactions. Successful induction of host IgG production also suggests that CsPmy can be applied as a diagnostic antigen and/or vaccine candidate for clonorchiasis.