• 대한한방내과학회지
• /
• 제41권4호
• /
• pp.599-611
• /
• 2020

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Hwanggi-tang on glucose digestion, uptake, and metabolism in murine C2C12 myotubes. Methods: Hwanggi-tang was prepared according to the Dong-ui-bo-gam (≪東醫寶鑑≫) prescription by 70% ethanol extraction. The effect on glucose digestion was examined by determining the inhibitory effect of Hwanggi-tang on α-glucosidase activity. We also compared and verified the gene and protein expression of genes related to glucose uptake in C2C12 myotubes treated with Hwanggi-tang or insulin. Glucose metabolism was assessed by the expression levels of associated enzymes. Results: Hwanggi-tang caused a dose-dependent inhibition of α-glucosidase activity, induced glucose uptake by activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in the insulin signaling pathway, and promoted glucose oxidation and β-oxidation. Conclusions: Hwanggi-tang exerts an anti-diabetic effect on murine myotubes by inhibiting glucose digestion and inducing glucose uptake and consumption.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• 제24권3호
• /
• pp.291-297
• /
• 2016

Cytisine (CYT), a partial agonist of ${\alpha}4{\beta}2-nicotinic$ receptors, has been used for antidepressant efficacy in several tests. Nicotinic receptors have been shown to be closely associated with depression. However, little is known about the effects of CYT on the depression. In the present study, a mouse model of depression, the unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS), was used to evaluate the activities of CYT. UCMS caused significant depression-like behaviors, as shown by the decrease of total distances in open field test, and the prolonged duration of immobility in tail suspension test and forced swimming test. Treatment with CYT for two weeks notably relieved the depression-like behaviors in the UCMS mice. Next, proteins related to depressive disorder in the brain region of hippocampus and amygdala were analyzed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of CYT. CYT significantly reversed the decreases of 5-HT1A, BDNF, and mTOR levels in the hippocampus and amygdala. These results imply that CYT may act as a potential anti-depressant in the animals under chronic stress.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
• /
• 제6권4호
• /
• pp.306-308
• /
• 2001

A recombinant human growth hormone(hGH) was expressed as a secretory product in the yeast Saccharomyuces cerevisiae. There different leader sequences derived from the mating fac-tor $\alpha$1(MF$\alpha$1) inulinase and invertase were used to direct the secretion of hGH into the extracel-lular medium. Among three leader sequences tested, the inulinase leader sequence was found to be the most efficient in the secretory expression of hGH. In contrast, no hGH was detected in the ex-tracellular medium with the invertase leader sequence. After 48 h shake-flask culture, the yields of hGH secreted into th emedium by the invertase. MF$\alpha$1 inulinase and invertase leader sequences were approximately 0, 0.3 and 0.9 mg/L, respectively. The secretion efficiencies were also found to be 0, 3.8 and 13% for the invertase , MG$\alpha$1 and inulinase leader sequences, respectively.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• 제19권3호
• /
• pp.302-307
• /
• 2011

Peptidoglycan (PGN) is detected in inflammatory cell-rich regions of human atheromatous plaques. The present study investigated the effects of PGN on CC chemokine ligand 3 (CCL3) expression, which is elevated in the atherosclerotic arteries, and determined cellular factors involved in PGN-mediated CCL3 up-regulation in mononuclear cells, with the goal of understanding the molecular mechanisms of inflammatory responses to bacterial pathogen-associated molecular patterns in diseased arteries. Exposure of human monocytic leukemia THP-1 cells to PGN resulted in enhanced secretion of CCL3 and profound induction of the CCL3 gene transcript. Both events were abrogated by oxidized 1-palmitoyl-2-arachidonosyl-sn-phosphatidylcholine, an inhibitor of Toll-like receptors 2/4. Pharmacological inhibitors such as U0126, SP6001250, Akt inhibitor IV, rapamycin, RO318220, diphenyleneiodonium chloride, and N-acetylcysteine also significantly attenuated PGN-mediated CCL3 up-regulation. However, polymyxin B, LY294002, and SB202190 did not influence CCL3 expression. We propose that PGN contributes to enhanced CCL3 expression in atherosclerotic plaques and that Toll-like receptors (TLR2), Akt, mTOR, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and reactive oxygen species are involved in that process.

• 한국정밀공학회지
• /
• 제14권3호
• /
• pp.156-165
• /
• 1997

In the practical control systems, the dynamic range of actuatiors is limited(or saturated) when actuators are driven by sufficiently large signals. This gives rise to a nonlinearity as a result of actuator saturation. For example, the upper limit is imposed on productive capability by available factory space and capital equipment. Other examples of those kinds of actuator saturations are a maximum torque of the actua- ting motors and a throttle position in an aircraft speed control A saturating actuator may lead not only to a large overshoot during start-up and shut-down, but also to deterioration of the performance due to the uncertainties. That is, the speed of response is decreased and, possibly, the system output may not follow the lalrge reference inputs. The large-overshoot may be accompanied by rest wind-up(or called by integra- tor wind-up) which comes from controllers with integral action in saturation operation regions. Eventually, as the overshoot increases, the system has a limit cycle or becomes oscillatorily unstable. Due to these cir- cumstances, many studies are focused on the stability and robustness of the nonlinear systems with satu- rating actuator in the time-domain as well as in the frequency-domain.

• 생약학회지
• /
• 제48권3호
• /
• pp.173-178
• /
• 2017

We investigated the efficacy of single compound of plant extract in coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) infection. CVB3 is a main cause of Hand-foot-mouth diseases (HFMD) and viral myocarditis in children and adult. Several single compounds of plant extract were purified by HPLC and tested as antiviral drug candidate. Among them, kaempferol was selected to effective anti-enterovirus compound by HeLa cells survival assay. CVB3 infected HeLa cells were treated with kaempferol ($100{\mu}g/ml-100ng/ml$) and their antiviral effect was confirmed. After 16 hours of treatment, HeLa cells were lysed and proteins were extracted for western blot analysis. CVB3 viral capsid protein VP1 production and transcription factor eIF4G-1 cleavage was significantly decreased in $100{\mu}g/ml$ kaempferol treatment. Virus replication was observed by virus RNA amplification. Kaempferol strongly reduced virus positive and negative strand RNA amplification. Moreover, MAPK signal induced by CVB3 infection, pERK and pmTOR, kaempferol treatment significantly inhibited the activity. Plant extract single compound, kaempferol, is a strong candidate to be developed non-toxic anti-enterovirus treatment agent.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
• /
• 제24권6호
• /
• pp.717-725
• /
• 1996

We have developed an efficient immobilized cell separator for continuous operation of immobilized fungal cell cultures, and applied this separator to actual fermentation process for the production of cyclosporin A (CyA), a powerful immunosuppressant. In the experiments employing highly viscous polymer (carboxymethyl cellulose) solution, the decantor showed good separating performances at high solution viscosites and fast dilution rates. Air duct and cylindrical separator installed inside the decantor turned out to play key roles for the efficient separation of the immobilized cells. By installing the decantor in an immobilized perfusion reactor system (IPRS), continuous immobilized culture was stably carried out even at high dilution rate for a long period, leading to high productivities of free cells and CyA. Almost no immobilized biomass existed in effuluent stream of the IPRS, demonstrating the effectiveness of the decan- tor system for a long-term continuous fermentation. It was noteworthy that we could obtain these results despite of the unfavorable fermentation conditions, i.e., reduced density of the biosupports caused by overgrowth of cells inside the bead particles and existence of high density of suspended fungal cells (10g/l) in the fermentation broth.

• 한국대기환경학회지
• /
• 제26권1호
• /
• pp.21-33
• /
• 2010

The objective of this study was to estimate the $PM_{2.5}$ source apportionment at the Pinnacles National Monument IMPROVE site in western coastal USA. The PMF was applied to identify the existing sources and apportion the $PM_{2.5}$ mass to each source. To analyze local source impacts from various wind directions, the NPR analysis was performed using source contribution results with the wind direction values measured at the site. Also, PSCF was applied to identify the locations by point sources relative to the back trajectories. A total of 1,634 samples were collected from March 1988 to May 2004 by IMPROVE sampler and 32 chemical species were analyzed by PIXE, PESA, XRF, IC, and TOR methods. The PMF modeling identified seven sources and the average mass was apportioned to gasoline vehicle, secondary sulfate, aged sea salt, secondary nitrate, wood/field burning, diesel emission, and soil, respectively. In this study, the average mass was apportioned to gasoline vehicle (33.0%), secondary sulfate (25.7%), aged sea salt (17.8%), and secondary nitrate (10.1%). Also, this study suggests the possible role for source apportionment study of $PM_{2.5}$ at similar areas such as wildness, national park, and coastal areas in Korea.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제41권8호
• /
• pp.1015-1024
• /
• 2009

The presence of a non-condensable gas can considerably reduce the level of condensation heat transfer. The non-condensable gas effect is a primary concern in some passive systems used in advanced design concepts, such as the Passive Residual Heat Removal System (PRHRS) of the System-integrated Modular Advanced ReacTor (SMART) and the Passive Containment Cooling System (PCCS) of the Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (SBWR). This study examined the capability of the Multi-dimensional Analysis of Reactor Safety (MARS) code to predict condensation heat transfer in a vertical tube containing a non-condensable gas. Five experiments were simulated to evaluate the MARS code. The results of the simulations showed that the MARS code overestimated the condensation heat transfer coefficient compared to the experimental data. In particular, in small-diameter cases, the MARS predictions showed significant differences from the measured data, and the condensation heat transfer coefficient behavior along the tube did not match the experimental data. A new method for calculating condensation heat transfer coefficient was incorporated in MARS that considers the interfacial shear stress as well as flow condition determination criterion. The predictions were improved by using the new condensation model.

• Advances in nano research
• /
• 제2권1호
• /
• pp.23-56
• /
• 2014

The significant growth of the Si photovoltaic industry has been so far limited due to the high cost of the Si photovoltaic system. In this regard, the most expensive factors are the intrinsic cost of silicon material and the Si solar cell fabrication processes. Conventional Si solar cells have p-n junctions inside for an efficient extraction of light-generated charge carriers. However, the p-n junction is normally formed through very expensive processes requiring very high temperature (${\sim}1000^{\circ}C$). Therefore, several systems are currently under study to form heterojunctions at low temperatures. Among them, carbon nanotube (CNT)/Si hybrid solar cells are very promising, with power conversion efficiency up to 15%. In these cells, the p-type Si layer is replaced by a semitransparent CNT film deposited at room temperature on the n-doped Si wafer, thus giving rise to an overall reduction of the total Si thickness and to the fabrication of a device with cheaper methods at low temperatures. In particular, the CNT film coating the Si wafer acts as a conductive electrode for charge carrier collection and establishes a built-in voltage for separating photocarriers. Moreover, due to the CNT film optical semitransparency, most of the incoming light is absorbed in Si; thus the efficiency of the CNT/Si device is in principle comparable to that of a conventional Si one. In this paper an overview of several factors at the basis of this device operation and of the suggested improvements to its architecture is given. In addition, still open physical/technological issues are also addressed.