• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.265-272
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• 2004

The present study was attempted to investigate the effect of cilnidipine (FRC-8635), which is a newly synthesised novel dihydropyridine (DHP) type of organic $Ca^{2+}$ channel blockers, on secretion of catecholamines (CA) evoked by acetylcholine (ACh), high $K^+$, DMPP and McN-A-343 from the isolated perfused rat adrenal gland. Cilnidipine $(1{\sim}10{\mu}M)$ perfused into an adrenal vein for 60 min produced relatively dose- and time-dependent inhibition in CA secretory responses evoked by ACh $(5.32{\times}10^{-3}M),\;DMPP\;(10^{-4}M\;for\;2\;min)$ and McN-A-343 $(10^{-4}M\;for\;2\;min)$. However, lower dose of cilnidipine did not affect CA secretion by high $K^+\;(5.6{\times}10^{-2}\;M)$, higher dose of it reduced greatly CA secretion of high $K^{+}$. Cilnidipine itself did fail to affect basal catecholamine output. In the presence of cilnidipine $(10{\mu}M)$, the CA secretory responses evoked by Bay-K-8644 $(10{\mu}M)$, an activator of L-type $Ca^{2+}$ channels and cyclopiazonic acid $(10{\mu}M)$, an inhibitor of cytoplasmic $Ca^{2+}$-ATPase were also inhibited. Moreover, ${\omega}-conotoxin\;GVIA\;(1{\mu}M)$, a selective blocker of the N-type $Ca^{2+}$ channels, given into the adrenal gland for 60 min, also inhibited time-dependently CA secretory responses evoked by Ach, high $K^+$, DMPP, McN-A-343, Bay-K-8644 and cyclopiazonic acid. Taken together, these results demostrate that cilnidipine inhibits CA secretion evoked by stimulation of cholinergic (both nicotinic and muscarinic) receptors from the isolated perfused rat adrenal gland without affecting the basal release. However, at lower dose, cilnidipine did not affect CA release by membrane depolarization while at larger dose inhibited that. It seems likely that this inhibitory effect of cilnidipine is exerted by blocking both L- and N-type voltage-dependent $Ca^{2+}$ channels (VDCCs) on the rat adrenomedullary chromaffin cells, which is relevant to inhibition of both the $Ca^{2+}$ influx into the adrenal chromaffin cells and intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ release from the cytoplasmic store. It is thought that N-type VDCCs may play an important role in regulation of CA release from the rat adrenal medulla.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.409-417
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• 2020

Background: It is well known that the distribution of therapeutic materials is very complex. However, it is not easy to demonstrate the concrete problems caused by distribution channels empirically. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in the price of therapeutic materials according to the type of purchasing agency and the way in which medical institutions purchase therapeutic materials. Methods: This study compared the claimed prices and the maximum allowable prices for the items of therapeutic material used for general spinal surgery. Results: Ilsan Hospital, which purchased directly without a purchasing agent, had the lowest claimed prices, followed by a large professional purchasing agency, a foundation-related purchasing agency, and a general purchasing agency. In addition, the difference between the claimed prices and the maximum allowable prices according to the purchase type was larger in the expensive treatment materials, and in the case of the lower price treatment materials, it tended to converge to the maximum allowable prices. Conclusion: National health insurance spending for therapeutic materials are to be affected by the distribution channels of them. We proposed several ideas to rationalize the expenditure such as classification of therapeutic materials on the basis of price or other criteria.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.498-510
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• 2016

As social media are emerging as essential communication channels for corporates in all areas, luxury jewelry brands have implemented enhanced strategies for brand story videos by creating brand channels on YouTube. In this study, a comparative analysis of the videos made available by Cartier and Tiffany&Co. on their YouTube Brand Channels was conducted, with the aim of identifying their strategic characteristics. The research method encompassed, both literature review and empirical investigations. A quantitative analysis was conducted by means of the 'HEART' model, a type of luxury jewelry brand story, and the following common strategic elements were identified. First, in their brand story videos both brands focus primarily on 'theme'. Second, 'relationship' and 'artisanship' are emphasized in addition to 'theme'. Third, the videos incorporate high level aesthetics to stimulate the fantasies and dreams of their audiences. The strategic differences between the brands are as follows. : First, 'artisanship' is given the greatest significance along with 'theme' in Cartier videos, while 'relationship' has prime significance in Tiffany&Co. videos. Second, a difference between a European approach and an American approach towards luxury brand building is evident, with Cartier hosting exhibitions while Tiffany&Co. provides gala videos instead.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.259-265
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• 2017

Excessive influx and the subsequent rapid cytosolic elevation of $Ca^{2+}$ in neurons is the major cause to induce hyperexcitability and irreversible cell damage although it is an essential ion for cellular signalings. Therefore, most neurons exhibit several cellular mechanisms to homeostatically regulate cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ level in normal as well as pathological conditions. Delayed rectifier $K^+$ channels ($I_{DR}$ channels) play a role to suppress membrane excitability by inducing $K^+$ outflow in various conditions, indicating their potential role in preventing pathogenic conditions and cell damage under $Ca^{2+}$-mediated excitotoxic conditions. In the present study, we electrophysiologically evaluated the response of $I_{DR}$ channels to hyperexcitable conditions induced by high $Ca^{2+}$ pretreatment (3.6 mM, for 24 hours) in cultured hippocampal neurons. In results, high $Ca^{2+}$-treatment significantly increased the amplitude of $I_{DR}$ without changes of gating kinetics. Nimodipine but not APV blocked $Ca^{2+}$-induced $I_{DR}$ enhancement, confirming that the change of $I_{DR}$ might be targeted by $Ca^{2+}$ influx through voltage-dependent $Ca^{2+}$ channels (VDCCs) rather than NMDA receptors (NMDARs). The VDCC-mediated $I_{DR}$ enhancement was not affected by either $Ca^{2+}$-induced $Ca^{2+}$ release (CICR) or small conductance $Ca^{2+}$-activated $K^+$ channels (SK channels). Furthermore, PP2 but not H89 completely abolished $I_{DR}$ enhancement under high $Ca^{2+}$ condition, indicating that the activation of Src family tyrosine kinases (SFKs) is required for $Ca^{2+}$-mediated $I_{DR}$ enhancement. Thus, SFKs may be sensitive to excessive $Ca^{2+}$ influx through VDCCs and enhance $I_{DR}$ to activate a neuroprotective mechanism against $Ca^{2+}$-mediated hyperexcitability in neurons.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.305-312
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• 2015

Paeonol is a major component found in the Paeoniaceae family such as Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews. Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews has traditionally been used to enhance blood flow and relieve joint pain in east Asian countries including China, Korea and Japan. Current research has shown that paeonol blocked the voltage-gated sodium channel and L-type calcium channel. However, there is a lack of research to reveal the relation between cardiac function and blockade of ion channels by paeonol. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate whether paeonol has anti-arrhythmic effects via modulating cardiac ion channels. It is collected that the effects of paeonol on multiple ion channels such as the fast sodium channel and L-type calcium channel from published papers. To incorporate the information on multi-channel block, we computed the effects using the mathematical cardiac model of the guinea-pig and rat ventricular cells (Noble 1998 and 1991 model) and induced early after-depolarizations (EADs) to generate an arrhythmia in the whole heart. Paeonol slightly shortened the action potential duration in the normal cardiac ventricular action potential by the inhibition of sodium channel and L-type calcium channel. Paeonol presented the protective effect from EADs by the inactivation of sodium channel but not L-type calcium channel. Paeonol did not show any changes when it treated on normal ventricular cells through the inhibition of sodium channel, but the protective effect of paeonol through sodium channel on EADs was dose-dependent. These findings suggest that paeonol and its original plant may possess anti-arrhythmic activity, which implies their cardioprotective effects.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.5-12
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• 2017

Purpose - This study is to investigate the effects of consumption values of retailers on the importance of store attributes, and to determine the influence on the consumption values of consumers who shop at complex shopping malls on the empirical and functional attributes in those malls as well as on the influence of on/off-line channels. Research design, data, and methodology - With 344 surveyed questionnaires, this study was conducted by using SPSS 22.0 to verify the reliability and validity of the measured variables. Structural equation model (SEM) was employed as a statistical method for the hypotheses test of this study. Results - The results showed that hedonic value has more influence on the importance of empirical attribute than that of functional attribute in shopping malls. In addition, practical value has more influence on functional attributes than empirical properties of shopping malls. However, these relationships showed the difference in on/off-line channels. As for off-line channels, consumers' consumption values were more influential on empirical attributes, while functional attributes were more important in on-line channels Conclusions - This study analyzed the influence on the importance of the consumption values in store attributes, and the effects of each channel with suggesting practical implications.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.337-342
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• 2008

Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) represent a potentially valuable cell type for clinical therapeutic applications. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of long-term culturing (up to $10^{th}$ passages) of hBM-MSCs from eight individual amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, focusing on functional ion channels. All hBM-MSCs contain several MSCs markers with no significant differences, whereas the distribution of functional ion channels was shown to be different between cells. Four types of $K^+$ currents, including noise-like $Ca^{+2}$-activated $K^+$ current ($IK_{Ca}$), a transient outward $K^+$ current ($I_{to}$), a delayed rectifier $K^+$ current ($IK_{DR}$), and an inward-rectifier $K^+$ current ($K_{ir}$) were heterogeneously present in these cells, and a TTX-sensitive $Na^+$ current ($I_{Na,TTX}$) was also recorded. In the RT-PCR analysis, Kv1.1,, heag1, Kv4.2, Kir2.1, MaxiK, and hNE-Na were detected. In particular, ($I_{Na,TTX}$) showed a significant passage-dependent increase. This is the first report showing that functional ion channel profiling depend on the cellular passage of hBM-MSCs.

• Journal of Communications and Networks
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.455-463
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• 2009

We consider the challenges of finding good puncturing patterns for rate-compatible low-density parity-check code (LDPC) codes over additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channels. Puncturing is a scheme to obtain a series of higher rate codes from a lower rate mother code. It is widely used in channel coding but it causes performance is lost compared to non-punctured LDPC codes at the same rate. Previous work, considered the role of survived check nodes in puncturing patterns. Limitations, such as single survived check node assumption and simulation-based verification, were examined. This paper analyzes the performance according to the role of multiple survived check nodes and multiple dead check nodes. Based on these analyses, we propose new algorithm to find a good puncturing pattern for LDPC codes over AWGN channels.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.21-30
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• 2007

The present study was designed to establish comparatively the inhibitory effects of cilnidipine(CNP), nifedipine(NIF), and $\omega$-conotoxin GVIA(CTX) on the release of CA evoked by cholinergic stimulation and membrane depolarization from the isolated perfused model of the rat adrenal medulla. CNP(3 ${\mu}M$), NIF(3 ${\mu}M$), and CTX(3 ${\mu}M$) perfused into an adrenal vein for 60 min produced greatly inhibition in CA secretory responses evoked by ACh($5.32{\times}10^{-3}M$), DMPP($10^{-4}M$ for 2 min), McN-A-343($10^{-4}M$ for 2 min), high $K^+(5.6{\times}10^{-2}M)$, Bay-K-8644($10^{-5}M$), and cyclopiazonic acid($10^{-5}M$), respectively. For the CA release evoked by ACh and Bay-K-8644, the following rank order of potency was obtained: CNP>NIF>CTX. The rank order for the CA release evoked by McN-A-343 and cyclopiazonic acid was CNP>NIF>CTX. Also, the rank orders for high $K^+$ and for DMPP were NIF>CTX>CNP and NIF>CNP>CTX, respectively. Taken together, these results demonstrate that all voltage-dependent $Ca^{2+}$ channels(VDCCs) blockers of cilnidipine, nifedipine, and $\omega$-conotoxin GVIA inhibit greatly the CA release evoked by stimulation of cholinergic(both nicotinic and muscarinic) receptors and the membrane depolarization without affecting the basal release from the isolated perfused rat adrenal gland. It seems likely that the inhibitory effects of cilnidipine, nifedipine, and $\omega$-conotoxin GVIA are mediated by the blockade of both L- and N-type, L-type only, and N-type only VDCCs located on the rat adrenomedullary chromaffin cells, respectively, which are relevant to $Ca^{2+}$ mobilization. It is also suggested that N-type VDCCs play an important role in the rat adrenomedullary CA secretion, in addition to L-type VDCCs.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.148-167
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• 2020

Today, digital shoppers express increasingly complex buying behavior. They can use multiple channels for shopping and also they can switch from one to another channel almost effortlessly, in the result of engaging in omnichannel shopping behavior. A few years ago, consumers were using brick and mortar stores to make their purchases. However, nowadays, they possess different digital devices (mobile and/or desktop) to search for different alternatives and to make a better shopping choice. These devices (mobile and desktop) are different and offer unique benefits to consumers. However, there has been very little research that has treated mobile and desktop devices separately. Perhaps this study is the pioneer when it comes to investigating the effect of regulatory focus (prevention vs. promotion) and chronotype (morning and evening person) on a sample of university students using desktop and mobile channels for their shopping. The findings from a sample of 312 digital consumers (mobile and/or desktop) confirmed that the desktop channel provides a greater fit for morning-type respondents and that the mobile channel offers better value for evening-type respondents in e-retail. Furthermore, promotion-focused shoppers favor the mobile channel, and prevention-focused shoppers favor the desktop channel. The new insights and contributions of this study provide a better understanding of digital consumers to help sellers to develop a more effective e-retail strategy.