• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.46-53
• /
• 2000

In coastal bay waters, bubbles are generated by relatively heavy ship-traffic, breaking waves due to man-made structures and biological activities. Therefore, the bubble-generating mechanism as well as the bubble density distribution in the bay are quite different from the open ocean where breaking waves are major contributor for bubble density distribution. High frequency surface-backscattered signals were obtained in the coastal bay waters and they were analyzed to compare with those from the open waters in terms of the sea-surface backscattering strength at various grazing angles, the reverberation characteristics in the sub-surface layer and spectral spreading of the scattered signals. The results show that, the surface scattered signals have an irregular distribution of amplitude in time and the width of the spectral spreading is wider than that of the open sea with rough surface. Furthermore, the amplitude distribution of the reverberation signals is not following the Rayleigh distribution, that is eon to be a typical pattern for the open ocean. The results of our analysis imply that the bubble size and the bubble density in the bay are quite different from those observed in the open waters.

• Interdisciplinary Bio Central
• /
• v.4 no.4
• /
• pp.12.1-12.6
• /
• 2012

The advanced glycation endproducts receptor (AGE-R) is a signal transduction receptor for multiligand such as S100b and AGEs. S100b has been demonstrated to activate various cells with important links to atherosclerosis initiation and progression including endothelial cells, and smooth muscle cells via AGE-R, triggering activation of multiple signaling cascades through its cytoplasmic domain. Many studies have suggested AGE-R might even participate in the cardiovascular complications involved in the pathogenesis of type I diabetes. Recently, Small Ubiquitin-Related Modifier 1 (SURM-1 also known as SUMO-1) has been recognized as a protein that plays an important role in cellular post-translational modifications in a variety of cellular processes, such as transport, transcriptional, apoptosis and stability. Computer Database search with SUMOplot Analysis program identified the five potential SURMylation sites in human AGE-R: K43, K44, K123, and K273 reside within the extracellular domain of AGE-R, and lastly K374 resides with the cytosolic domain of AGE-R. The presence of the consensus yKXE motif in the AGE-R strongly suggests that AGE-R may be regulated by SURMylation process. To test this, we decided to determine if AGE-R is SURMylated in living vascular cell system. S100b-stimulated murine aortic vascular smooth muscle cells were used for western blot analysis with relevant antibodies. Taken together, bioinformatics database search and molecular biological approaches suggested AGE-R is SURMylated in living cardiovascular cell system. Whilst SURMylation and AGE-R undoubtedly plays an important role in the cardiovascular biology, it remains unclear as to the exact nature of this contribution under both physiological and pathological conditions.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.355-363
• /
• 1998

MHC unrestricted, antigen nonspecific killing by $CD4^+$ T-cells against virally-infected target cells was induced following cross-linking of CD4 molecules. The cytotoxicity of antibody-activated $CD4^+$ T-cells was abolished by genistein (4',5,7-trihydroxyisoflavone), a protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) inhibitor, but not by H-7, a protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor. Genisteintreated human or bovine peripheral blood $CD4^+$ T-cells lacked PTK activity and failed to kill virally-infected target cells even after cross-linking of CD4 molecules. The cross-linking of CD4 molecules did not induce effector cell proliferation or the transcription of TNF ${\beta}$. TNF ${\beta}$ synthesis was up-regulated by incubating antibody activated effector cells with bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV-1) infected D17 target cells. Anti-TNF ${\beta}$ antibody partially abrogated direct effector cell-mediated antiviral cytotoxicity. On the other hand, this antibody effectively neutralized antiviral activity of effector and target cell culture supernatants against BHV-1 infected D17 cells. The inhibition level of the antiviral activity by the antibody was dependent on effector and target cell ratio. These findings have importance to define the mechanisms of how CD4 cytotoxic cells control viral infection.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.191-199
• /
• 2020

Fucoidan, a natural component of brown seaweed, has various biological activities such as anti-cancer activity, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory against various cancer cells. However, the fucoidan has been implicated in melanoma cells via apoptosis signaling pathway. Therefore, we investigated apoptosis with fucoidan in A2058 human melanoma cells with dose- and time-dependent manners. In our results, A2058 cells viability decreased at relatively short-time and low-concentration through fucoidan. This effects of fucoidan on A2058 cells appeared to be mediated by the induction of apoptosis, as manifested by morphological changes through DNA-binding dye Hoechst 33342 staining. When a dose of 80 ㎍/mL fucoidan was treated, the cells were observed: crescent or ring-like structure, chromatin condensation, and nuclear fragmentation. With the increase at 100 ㎍/mL fucoidan, the cell membrane is intact throughout the total process, including membrane blebbing and loss of membrane integrity as well as increase of sub-G1 DNA. Furthermore, to understand the exact mechanism of fucoidan-treated in A2058 cells, western blotting was performed to detect apoptosis-related protein expression. In this study, Bcl-2 family proteins can be regulated by fucoidan, suggesting that fucoidan-induced apoptosis is modulated by intrinsic pathway. Therefore, expression of Bcl-2 and Bax may result in altered permeability, activating caspase-3 and caspase-9. And the cleaved form of poly ADP-ribose polymerase was detected in fucoidan-treated A2058 cells. These results suggest that A2058 cells are highly sensitive to growth inhibition by fucoidan via apoptosis, as evidenced by activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases/p38/Bcl-2 family signaling, as well as alteration in caspase-9 and caspase-3.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.9-13
• /
• 2003

An assist device was developed to identify the epidural space by continously monitoring the air-filled catheter pressure. The pressure signal appropriately amplified and filtered enabled to alarm the needle introduction into the epidural space by thresholding detection. Ten LEDs provided a visual change of catheter pressure before alarming for user convenience. Clinical trials were performed in 30 patients with 83% success rate at the first trial. When failed, the second trial was enough for successful anesthesia. The air volume introduced during each anesthesia was less than 1ml, causing side effects. Air filling of the catheter could also minimize infection possibility. Therefore, the present device guarantees safe anesthesia with user convenience.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.243-251
• /
• 2004

This study was to quantitative analysis compare to dynamic characteristic change of the regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV) after development of cerebral fat embolism in cats using perfusion MR Imaging. Forty-four adult rats were used. Triolein (n = 15), oleic acid (n = 9) and linoleic acid (n = 11) were injected into the internal carotid artery using microcatheter through the transfemoral approach. Polyvinyl alcohol (Ivalon) (n = 9) was injected as a control group. Perfusion MR images were obtained at 30 minutes and 2 hours after embolization, based on T2 and diffusion-weighted images. The data was time-to-signal intensity curve and ΔR$_2$＊ curve were obtained continuously with the aid of home-maid image proc in.leased significantly at 2 hours compared with those of 30 minutes (P＜0.005). In conclusion, cerebral blood flow decreased in cerebral fat embolism immediately after embolization and recovered remarkably in time course. It is thought that clinically informations to dynamic characteristic change of the cerebral hemodynamics to the early finding in cerebral infarction by DWI and PWI

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.19 no.6
• /
• pp.585-593
• /
• 1998

In Fourier magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the number of phase encoded signals is often reduced to minimize the duration of the studies and maintain adequate signal-to-noise ratio. However, this results in the well-known truncation artifact, whose effect manifests itself as blurring and ringing in the image domain. In this paper, we propose a new regularization method in the context of a Bayesian framework to reduce truncation artifact. Since the truncation artifact appears in t도 phase direction only, the use of conventional piecewise-smoothness constraints with symmetric neighbors may result in the loss of small details and soft edge structures in the read direction. Here, we propose more elaborate forms of constraints than the conventional piecewise-smoothness constraints, which can capture actual spatial information about the MR images. Our experimental results indicate that the proposed method not only reduces the truncation artifact, but also improves tissue regularity and boundary definition without oversmoothing soft edge regions.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.153-161
• /
• 2007

Stroke is the second most significant disease leading to death in Korea. The conventional therapeutic approach is mainly based on physical training, however, it usually provides the limited degree of recovery of the normal brain function. The electric stimulation therapy is a novel and candidate approach with high potential for stroke recovery. The feasibility was validated by preliminary rat experiments in which the motor function was recovered up to 80% of the normal performance level. It is thought to improve the neural plasticity of the nerve tissues around the diseased area in the stroked brain. However, there are not so much research achievements in the electric stimulation for stroke recovery as for the Parkinson's disease or Epilepsy. This study aims at the developments of a wireless variable pulse generator using ZigBee communication for future implantation into human brain. ZigBee is widely used in wireless personal area network (WPAN) and home network applications due to its low power consumption and simplicity. The developed wireless pulse generator controlled by ZigBee can generate various electric stimulations without any distortion. The electric stimulation includes monophasic and biphasic pulse with the variation of shape parameters, which can affect the level of recovery. The developed system can be used for the telerehabilitation of stroke patient by remote control of brain stimulation via ZigBee and internet. Furthermore, the ZigBee connection used in this study provides the potential neural signal transmission method for the Brain-Machine Interface (BMI).

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.37 no.5
• /
• pp.161-167
• /
• 2016

Recent technological advances in sensor fabrication and bio-signal processing enabled non-constraint and non-intrusive measurement of human bio-signals. Especially, non-constraint measurement of ECG makes it available to estimate various human health parameters such as heart rate. Additionally, non-constraint ECG measurement of wheelchair user provides real-time health parameter information for emergency response. For accurate emergency response with low false alarm rate, it is necessary to discriminate quality levels of ECG measured using non-constraint approach. Health parameters acquired from low quality ECG results in inaccurate information. Thus, in this study, a machine learning based approach for three-class classification of ECG quality level is suggested. Three sensors are embedded in the back seat, chest belt, and handle of automatic wheelchair. For the two sensors embedded in back seat and chest belt, capacitively coupled electrodes were used. The accuracy of quality level classification was estimated using Monte Carlo cross validation. The proposed approach demonstrated accuracy of 94.01%, 95.57%, and 96.94% for each channel of three sensors. Furthermore, the implemented algorithm enables classification of user posture by detection of contacted electrodes. The accuracy for posture estimation was 94.57%. The proposed algorithm will contribute to non-constraint and robust estimation of health parameter of wheelchair users.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.24 no.8
• /
• pp.1065-1072
• /
• 2014

Doxorubicin, produced by Streptomyces peucetius ATCC 27952, is tightly regulated by dnrO, dnrN, and dnrI regulators. Genome mining of S. peucetius revealed the presence of the IclR (doxR) type family of transcription regulator mediating the signal-dependent expression of operons at the nonribosomal peptide synthetase gene cluster. Overexpression of doxR in native strain strongly repressed the drug production. Furthermore, it also had a negative effect on the regulatory system of doxorubicin, wherein the transcript of dnrI was reduced to the maximum level in comparision with the other two. Interestingly, the overexpression of the same gene also had strong inhibitory effects on the production of actinorhodin (blue pigment) and undecylprodigiosin (red pigment) in Streptomyces coelicolor M145, herboxidiene production in Streptomyces chromofuscus ATCC 49982, and spinosyn production in Saccharopolyspora spinosa NRRL 18395, respectively. Moreover, DoxR exhibited pleiotropic effects on the production of blue and red pigments in S. coelicolor when grown in different agar media, wherein the production of blue pigment was inhibited in R2YE medium and the red pigment was inhibited in YEME medium. However, the production of both blue and red pigments from S. coelicolor harboring doxR was halted in ISP2 medium, whereas S. coelicolor produced both pigmented antibiotics in the same plate. These consequences demonstrate that the on and off production of these antibiotics was not due to salt stress or media compositions, but was selectively controlled in actinomycetes.