• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.1245-1252
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• 2022

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can be generated from somatic cells using Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc (OSKM). Small molecules can enhance reprogramming. Licochalcone D (LCD), a flavonoid compound present mainly in the roots of Glycyrrhiza inflata, acts on known signaling pathways involved in transcriptional activity and signal transduction, including the PGC1-α and MAPK families. In this study, we demonstrated that LCD improved reprogramming efficiency. LCD-treated iPSCs (LCD-iPSCs) expressed pluripotency-related genes Oct4, Sox2, Nanog, and Prdm14. Moreover, LCD-iPSCs differentiated into all three germ layers in vitro and formed chimeras. The mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) is critical for somatic cell reprogramming. We found that the expression levels of mesenchymal genes (Snail2 and Twist) decreased and those of epithelial genes (DSP, Cldn3, Crb3, and Ocln) dramatically increased in OR-MEF (OG2^+/+/ROSA26^+/+) cells treated with LCD for 3 days, indicating that MET effectively occurred in LCD-treated OR-MEF cells. Thus, LCD enhanced the generation of iPSCs from somatic cells by promoting MET at the early stages of reprogramming.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.391-402
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• 2022

Background: The mechanism of peripheral axon transport in neuropathic pain is still unclear. Chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13) and its receptor (C-X-C chemokine receptor type 5, CXCR5) as well as GABA transporter 1 (GAT-1) play an important role in the development of pain. The aim of this study was to explore the axonal transport of CXCL13/CXCR5 and GAT-1 with the aid of the analgesic effect of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) in rats. Methods: Chronic constriction injury (CCI) rat models were established. BTX-A was administered to rats through subcutaneous injection in the hind paw. The pain behaviors in CCI rats were measured by paw withdrawal threshold and paw withdrawal latencies. The levels of CXCL13/CXCR5 and GAT-1 were measured by western blots. Results: The subcutaneous injection of BTX-A relieved the mechanical allodynia and heat hyperalgesia induced by CCI surgery and reversed the overexpression of CXCL13/CXCR5 and GAT-1 in the spinal cord, dorsal root ganglia (DRG), sciatic nerve, and plantar skin in CCI rats. After 10 mmol/L colchicine blocked the axon transport of sciatic nerve, the inhibitory effect of BTX-A disappeared, and the levels of CXCL13/CXCR5 and GAT-1 in the spinal cord and DRG were reduced in CCI rats. Conclusions: BTX-A regulated the levels of CXCL13/CXCR5 and GAT-1 in the spine and DRG through axonal transport. Chemokines (such as CXCL13) may be transported from the injury site to the spine or DRG through axonal transport. Axon molecular transport may be a target to enhance pain management in neuropathic pain.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.117-128
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• 2022

In this study, we have examined pyrethroid actions on sodium channels in the pest insect Heliothis virescens. The synthetic pyrethroid permethrin increased steady-state sodium current in H. virescens central neurons and prolonged tail currents (I_Na-tail) due to extreme slowing of sodium channel deactivation. Prolongation of I_Na-tail was evident at permethrin concentrations as low as 60 nM, which modified ~1.7% of sodium channels and 10 μM permethrin modified about 30% of channels. The average time constant (τ₁) of tail current decay was ~335 ms for permethrin-modified channels. These modified channels activated at more negative potentials and showed slower activation kinetics, and failed to inactivate. Permethrin modification of sodium channels was dramatically potentiated by the α scorpion toxin LqhαIT, showing positive cooperativity between two binding sites. The amplitude of the tail current induced by 0.3 μM permethrin was enhanced ~8-fold by LqhαIT (200 pM). Positive cooperativity was also observed between permethrin and the insect-specific scorpion toxin AaIT as 10 nM permethrin potentiated the shift of voltage dependence caused by AaIT (~2-fold).

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.291-302
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• 2022

Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of the most debilitating disorders throughout the world, causing persistent sensory-motor dysfunction, with no effective treatment. Oxidative stress and inflammatory responses play key roles in the secondary phase of SCI. Naringenin (NAR) is a natural flavonoid with known anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties. This study aims at evaluating the effects of intrathecal NAR administration on sensory-motor disability after SCI. Methods: Animals underwent a severe compression injury using an aneurysm clip. About 30 minutes after surgery, NAR was injected intrathecally at the doses of 5, 10, and 15 mM in 20 µL volumes. For the assessment of neuropathic pain and locomotor function, acetone drop, hot plate, inclined plane, and Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan tests were carried out weekly till day 28 post-SCI. Effects of NAR on matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 activity was appraised by gelatin zymography. Also, histopathological analyses and serum levels of glutathione (GSH), catalase and nitrite were measured in different groups. Results: NAR reduced neuropathic pain, improved locomotor function, and also attenuated SCI-induced weight loss weekly till day 28 post-SCI. Zymography analysis showed that NAR suppressed MMP-9 activity, whereas it increased that of MMP-2, indicating its anti-neuroinflammatory effects. Also, intrathecal NAR modified oxidative stress related markers GSH, catalase, and nitrite levels. Besides, the neuroprotective effect of NAR was corroborated through increased survival of sensory and motor neurons after SCI. Conclusions: These results suggest intrathecal NAR as a promising candidate for medical therapeutics for SCI-induced sensory and motor dysfunction.

• Journal of Audiology & Otology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.83-88
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• 2019

Background and Objectives: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a disorder that usually occurs in the elderly, leading to dementia in some progressive cases. The purpose of this study is to examine the utility of central auditory processing tests as early diagnostic tools for identifying the elderly with MCI. Subjects and Methods: This study was conducted on 20 elderly patients with MCI and 20 healthy matched peers. The speech perception ability in a quiet environment and in the presence of background noise and also temporal resolution were assessed by using Speech Perception in Noise (SPIN) and Gap in Noise (GIN) tests, respectively. Results: The results indicated that the ability to understand speech in a quiet environment did not differ significantly between the two groups. However, SPIN at the three signal-to-noise ratios and the temporal resolution scores were significantly different between the two groups (p<0.001). Conclusions: Individuals with MCI appear to have poorer speech comprehension in noise and a lower temporal resolution than those of the same age, but without cognitive defects. Considering the utility of these tests in identifying cognitive problems, we propose that since the GIN test seems to be less influenced by intervening factors, this test can therefore, be a useful tool for the early screening of elderly people with cognitive problems.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.119-129
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• 2019

Traditional speech training in acting education focused on the technical aspects of expressing the lines such as finding long/short syllables in the word, exercising articulation of consonants and vowels, and practicing diction etc. There was a limit on this education to transform written words to vivid verbal words. The lines become live when the actor sees the concrete mental images hidden in the words while speaking the lines. I will bring the knowledge of cognitive brain science and NLP(Neural Linguistic Programming) to investigate what mental images are and why mental images are fundamental elements of thought and emotion. In addition to that, I will examine how the muscles of the body react in the process of visualization of delicate mental images (subordinate form) and how to use the responsive muscles to express speaking materials such as intensity, pause, pitch, intonation etc. Conclusion, I will enumerate the obstacles encountered by actors in the course of practicing mental images, and suggest 'activation of breathing' as a thesis of the follow-up paper to eliminate those obstacles. This process, I intend to make mental images to be the concrete and practical information that can be applied to speak the dialogue in the play.

• Journal of Korea Society of Industrial Information Systems
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.31-45
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• 2023

This study deals with exploring qualitative steps and paths that appear as YouTube users' usage time increases quantitatively. For the study, I applied theories from psychology and neuroscience, subdivided the interval between the personalization algorithm of the recommendation system, and active use and analyzed the relationship between variables in this process. According to the theory behavioral model theory (FBM), variable reward, and dopamine addiction were applied. Personalization algorithms easy clicks as triggers according to associated content presentation functions in behavioral model theory (FBM). Variable rewards increase motivational effectiveness with unpredictability of the content you search, and dopamine nation is summarized as stimulating the dopaminergic nerve to continuously and actively consume content. This study is expected to make an academic and practical contribution in that it divides the purpose of use of content in the personalization algorithm and active use section into four stages from a psychological perspective: first use, reuse, continuous use, and active use, and analyzes the path.

• Korean Journal of Audiology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.83-88
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• 2019

Background and Objectives: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a disorder that usually occurs in the elderly, leading to dementia in some progressive cases. The purpose of this study is to examine the utility of central auditory processing tests as early diagnostic tools for identifying the elderly with MCI. Subjects and Methods: This study was conducted on 20 elderly patients with MCI and 20 healthy matched peers. The speech perception ability in a quiet environment and in the presence of background noise and also temporal resolution were assessed by using Speech Perception in Noise (SPIN) and Gap in Noise (GIN) tests, respectively. Results: The results indicated that the ability to understand speech in a quiet environment did not differ significantly between the two groups. However, SPIN at the three signal-to-noise ratios and the temporal resolution scores were significantly different between the two groups (p<0.001). Conclusions: Individuals with MCI appear to have poorer speech comprehension in noise and a lower temporal resolution than those of the same age, but without cognitive defects. Considering the utility of these tests in identifying cognitive problems, we propose that since the GIN test seems to be less influenced by intervening factors, this test can therefore, be a useful tool for the early screening of elderly people with cognitive problems.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2021.05a
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• pp.474-476
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• 2021

Glioblastoma is the most common brain malignancies arising from glial cells. Early diagnosis and treatment plan establishment are important, and cancer is diagnosed mainly through T1CE imaging through injection of a contrast agent. However, the risk of injection of gadolinium-based contrast agents is increasing recently. Region segmentation that marks cancer regions in medical images plays a key role in CAD systems, and deep neural network models for synthesizing new images are also being studied. In this study, we propose a model that simultaneously learns the generation of T1CE images and segmentation of cancer regions. The performance of the proposed model is evaluated using similarity measurements including mean square error and peak signal-to-noise ratio, and shows average result values of 21 and 39 dB.

• Journal of TMJ Balancing Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2022

Objectives: For the deviation phenomenon occurring during the treatment process in temporo-mandibular balancing medicine (TBM), hypotheses were established regarding the cause and mechanism of formation from the perspective of neuro-science and material mechanics, and a verification method was proposed. Methods: The deviation phenomenon was theoretically analyzed based on the structure theories of material mechanics of the joint and the neurological pain mechanism. Results: Deviation occurs due to temporary yield by the accumulation of heterogeneous stress in the temporo-mandibular joint and the affected joint. Because the joint structures are corresponding with material mechanics showing compressive and tensile properties. The size of the deviation is expressed in terms of strain. The occlusal surface of the teeth is level with the axial joint. Since the magnitude of the deviation has a proportional relationship with the degree of abnormality of the temporo-mandibular joint, the magnitude of the deviation calculated by the balance measurement can be replaced by the strain. The major variables involved in the occurrence of deviations are the strength of joint structures and neurological conditions. Therefore plastic deformation and adaptation occur as a long-term depression of neural circuits is strengthened in different ways at different locations each time in various clinical situations. This is the reason why the sequence of the restoration process while correcting deviations is following reverse order of the accumulation in many layers in the muscular nervous system. Conclusions: From the above results, it can be inferred that the occurrence and correction of the deviations are corresponding with the plastic deformation and neuro-plasticity.