• BMB Reports
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• 제45권2호
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• pp.108-113
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• 2012

Protopine is an isoquinoline alkaloid contained in plants in northeast Asia. In this study, we investigated whether protopine derived from Hypecoum erectum L could suppress lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses in murine macrophages (Raw 264.7 cells). Protopine was found to reduce nitric oxide (NO), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) production by LPS-stimulated Raw 264.7 cells, without a cytotoxic effect. Pre-treatment of Raw 264.7 cells with protopine reduced the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These inhibitory effects were caused by blocking phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAP kinases) and also blocking activation of a nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-${\kappa}B$).

• 대한물리의학회지
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• 제5권3호
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• pp.313-322
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• 2010

Purpose : This study was to evaluate the effects of cognitive rehabilitation training on the cognitive decline of dementia patients. Therefore the purpose of this study was to examine the influence of brain activation according to bio-feedback training in dementia. Methods : Ten dementia patients were recruited this study. Experiment was performed for 30min per session, five times a week through 4 week and two measurements before and after bio-feedback training. Brain activity was measured by Korea Electroencephalogram(EEG) system. Statistical analysis was used Wilcoxon signed rank test to know difference of EEG between pre and post-test in each group and Mann-Whitney U test was to know difference between experimental and control group. Results : Significant improvement of slow-alpha wave was observed following bio-feedback in experiment group. There was no significant change in experiment and control group. Conclusion : In this study, the bio-feedback training was effective in improving slow-alpha wave in dementia patients. It is suggested that bio-feedback training with dementia patients can be useful to ameliorate the cognitive decline. And it will be effective for prevention of cognitive function decline.

• 한국연소학회지
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.22-29
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• 2010

In this study, carbon conversion was measured using an electronic mass balance. In a lab scale furnace, each coal sample was pyrolyzed in a nitrogen environment and became coal char, which was then gasified with steam under isothermal conditions. The reactivity of coal char was investigated at various temperatures and steam concentrations. The VRM(volume reaction model), SCM(shrinking core model), and RPM(random pore model) were used to interpret experimental data. For each model the activation energy(Ea), pre-exponential factor (A), and reaction order(n) of the coal char-steam reaction were determined by applying the Arrhenius equation into the data obtained with thermo-gravimetric analysis(TGA). According to this study, it was found that experimental data agreed better with the VRM and SCM for 1,000 and $1,100^{\circ}C$, and the RPM for 1,200 and $1,300^{\circ}C$. The reactivity of chars increased with the increase of gasification temperature. The structure parameter(${\psi}$) of the surface area for the RPM was obtained.

• 한국수소및신에너지학회논문집
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.90-96
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• 2018

Reaction characteristics and kinetics of a oxygen carrier (OCN717-R1SU) for chemical looping combustion (CLC) have been investigated using TGA by changing gas concentration (10-30 vol.% $CH_4$) and reaction temperature ($825-900^{\circ}C$). Reaction rate of OCN717-R1SU increased as temperature increased and it was found that reaction is delayed at the initial reaction regime. Johnson-Mehl-Avrami (JMA) model was adopted to explain the reaction phenomenon. The activation energy (E) determined by JMA model in reduction reaction of OCN717-R1SU is $151.7{\pm}2.03kJ/mol$ and pre-exponential factor and JMA exponent were also obtained. The parameters calculated in this study will be applied in design of the reactor and operation conditions for CLC process.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• 제2권1호
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• pp.41-46
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• 2002

In our study, the several cytokines were determined in phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of Adamantiades-Behcets patients. Adamantiades-Behcets disease (ABD) is a systemic inflammatory disorder and might involve immune dysfunction. High levels of $TNF-\alpha,\;IL-1\beta$ and $IFN-{\gamma}$ indicate the activation of inflammatory reactions and immune system in ABD. Gami-Phedoc-San (GPS) is an Oriental herbal medication, which has been used in Korea for the treatment of ABD. GPS (1 mg/ ml) significantly inhibited the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, $TNF-\alpha\;and\;IL-1\beta$, compared to absence of GPS (by $50.5{\pm}1.9%$ inhibition for $TNF-\alpha$ and $106.9{\pm}16.8%$ for $IL-1\beta$). GPS also inhibited the production of $IFN-\gamma$, immunoregulatory Th1 cytokine, by $78.4{\pm}2.8%$. The inhibitory effects of GPS on cytokine secretion showed dose-dependent manner, and the pre-treatment of 1 mg/ml GPS had better effects than immunosuppressive drug for treatment of ABD, cyclosporin A. Our results suggest that GPS treatment for ABD patients might have pharmacological activity of immune and inflammatory responses through the cytokine modulation.

• 천문학회보
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• 제42권2호
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• pp.60.2-61
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• 2017

A Convolutional Neural Network(CNN) is one of the well-known deep-learning methods in image processing and computer vision area. In this study, we apply CNN to two kinds of flare forecasting models: flare classification and occurrence. For this, we consider several pre-trained models (e.g., AlexNet, GoogLeNet, and ResNet) and customize them by changing several options such as the number of layers, activation function, and optimizer. Our inputs are the same number of SOHO)/MDI images for each flare class (None, C, M and X) at 00:00 UT from Jan 1996 to Dec 2010 (total 1600 images). Outputs are the results of daily flare forecasting for flare class and occurrence. We build, train, and test the models on TensorFlow, which is well-known machine learning software library developed by Google. Our major results from this study are as follows. First, most of the models have accuracies more than 0.7. Second, ResNet developed by Microsoft has the best accuracies : 0.77 for flare classification and 0.83 for flare occurrence. Third, the accuracies of these models vary greatly with changing parameters. We discuss several possibilities to improve the models.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제2권4호
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• pp.471-476
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• 1998

The G protein-activated inwardly rectifying $K^＋$ channel (GIRK1) was coex-pressed in Xenopus oocytes along with the $5-HT_{1A}$ receptor, a 7-helix receptor known to be coupled to $K^＋$ channels in many neural tissues. Thus, the activation of the $5-HT_{1A}$ receptor by its agonist leads to the opening of GIRK1. The GIRK1 current was measured using the two electrode voltage clamp technique with bath application of 5-HT in the presence of various external potassium concentrations $[K^＋]_0$. GIRK1 showed a strong inward rectification since only hyperpolarizing voltages evoked inward currents. $K^{+}$ was the major ion carrier as evidenced by about 44㎷ voltage shift corresponding to a 10-fold external 〔$K^＋$〕 change. 5-HT induced a concentration-dependent inward $K^＋$ current ($EC_{50}{\equation omitted}10.7nM$) which was blocked by $Ba^{2＋}$. Pertussis toxin (PTX) pre-treatment reduced the $K^＋$ current by as much as about 70%, suggesting that PTX-sensitive G protein ($G_i or G_o$ type) are involved in the $5-HT_{1A}$ receptor-GIRK1 coupling in Xenopus oocytes.

• 대한통합의학회지
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• 제4권1호
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• pp.13-20
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• 2016

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of exercise on the neck muscles activities between scapular stability and McKenzie stretch exercise in the forward head posture subjects. Method : After measuring cervical alignment using the Global Posture System, 20 volunteers with forward head posture posture were selected and divided into two groups. The experimental group A(n=15) and Experimental group B(n=15) participated in respectively and McKenzie neck stretching exercise, three times per week for 4 weeks. The scapular stabilization exercise program was comprised middle and lower trapezius strength exercises and the stretching exercise program was comprised levator scapulae and upper trapezius stretching exercise. The activities of the muscles of the posterior neck was then measured using electromyography. Result : After the intervention, there was significant difference of a electromyography activity changes between the pre-test and post-test in the experimental group. Conclusion : This study showed that both scapular stabilization and McKenzie neck stretching exercises are more effective for reducing neck muscles activities.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제48권4호
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• pp.285-290
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• 2010

Tyrosine kinases are one of the most important regulators for intracellular signal transduction related to inflammatory responses. However, there are no reports describing the effects of tyrosine kinases on neutrophil apoptosis induced by Entamoeba histolytica, In this study, isolated human neutrophils from peripheral blood were incubated with live trophozoites in the presence or absence of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Entamoeba-induced receptor shedding of CD16 and PS externalization in neutrophils were inhibited by pre-incubation of neutrophils with the broad-spectrum tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein or the Src family kinase inhibitor PP2. Entamoeba-induced ROS production was also inhibited by genistein or PP2, Moreover, genistein and PP2 blocked the phosphorylation of ERK and p38 MAPK in neutrophils induced by E. histolytica. These results suggest that Src tyrosine kinases may participate in the signaling event for ROS-dependent activation of MAPKs during neutrophil apoptosis induced by E. histolytica.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.16-23
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• 2010

Adipocyte differentiation in human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) is not as efficient as that in murine pre-adipocytes when induced by adipogenic agents including insulin, dexamethasone, and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IDX condition). Therefore, the promotion of adipocyte differentiation in hBM-MSCs has been used as a cell culture model to evaluate insulin sensitivity for anti-diabetic drugs. In hBM-MSCs, $PPAR{\gamma}$ agonists or sulfonylurea anti-diabetic drugs have been added to IDX conditions to promote adipocyte differentiation. Here we show that troglitazone, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma ($PPAR{\gamma}$) agonist, significantly reduced the levels of anti-adipogenic $PGE_2$ in IDX-conditioned hBM-MSC culture supernatants when compared to $PGE_2$ levels in the absence of $PPAR{\gamma}$ agonist. However, there was no difference in the mRNA levels of cyclooxygenases (COXs) and the activities of COXs and prostaglandin synthases during adipocyte differentiation in hBM-MSCs with or without troglitazone. In hBM-MSCs, troglitazone significantly increased the mRNA level of 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (HPGD) which can act to decrease $PGE_2$ levels in culture. These results suggest that the role of $PPAR{\gamma}$ activation in promoting adipocyte differentiation in hBM-MSCs is to reduce anti-adipogenic $PGE_2$ levels through the up-regulation of HPGD expression.