• 제목/요약/키워드: Brain mechanisms

검색결과 489건 처리시간 0.031초

뇌 기억-학습 원리를 적용한 중등영어교사 임용시험 준비용 어플 (An Exam Prep App for the Secondary English Teacher Recruitment Exam with Brain-based Memory and Learning Principles)

  • 이혜진
    • 한국콘텐츠학회논문지
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    • 제21권1호
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    • pp.311-320
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    • 2021
  • 현재 국내 국·공립 중등교사가 되기 위한 유일한 등용문은 중등교원 임용시험이며 2014학년도 개정 이후 임용시험의 모든 문항이 서답형으로 전환되었기 때문에 더 완성도 높고 정확하고 견고한 답안 작성이 요구된다. 재인기억을 측정하는 선택형 문항과 비교하면 회상기억을 측정하는 서답형 문항의 경우 정보 인출을 위해 더 많은 인지적 노력이 요구된다. 이 때문에 지속적인 암기 및 인출 연습이 필요하지만 이를 수행할 수 있는 학습 도구가 충분하지 않다. 이러한 맥락에서 본고는 중등영어교사 임용시험 준비용 모바일 어플인 ONE PASS를 구현하였다. 본 어플에서는 특히 인지작용의 근간이 되는 뇌의 작용기제를 반영하여 학습용 콘텐츠를 구현하였으며 학습계획 설정 및 동기측정, 마인드맵, 브레인스토밍, 기출문제 등 다양한 기능을 구안하였다. 본 연구는 학습용 어플 콘텐츠 개발 관련 연구에 이바지함과 동시에 임용시험 수험자들에게 조금이나마 도움이 될 수 있기를 기대한다.

Korean red ginseng water extract produces antidepressant-like effects through involving monoamines and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in rats

  • Tzu-wen Chou ;Huai-Syuan Huang;Suraphan Panyod ;Yun-Ju Huang ;Lee-Yan Sheen
    • Journal of Ginseng Research
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    • 제47권4호
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    • pp.552-560
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    • 2023
  • Background: Ginseng Radix (Panax ginseng Meyer, Araliaceae) has been used medicinally to treat the brain and nervous system problems worldwide. Recent studies have revealed physiological effects that could potentially benefit cognitive performance or mood. The present study aimed to investigate the antidepressant effects of Korean red ginseng water extract (KGE) and its active component in an unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS)-induced animal model and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Methods: The antidepressant potential of the UCMS model was evaluated using the sucrose preference test and open field tests. The behavioral findings were further corroborated by the assessment of neurotransmitters and their metabolites from the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of rats. Three doses of KGE (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) were orally administered during the experiment. Furthermore, the mechanism underlying the antidepressant-like action of KGE was examined by measuring the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)/CREB, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) proteins in the prefrontal cortex of UCMS-exposed rats. Results: KGE treatment normalized UCMS-induced depression-related behaviors. Neurotransmitter studies conducted after completing behavioral experiments demonstrated that KGE caused a reduction in the ratio of serotonin and dopamine, indicating a decrease in serotonin and dopamine turnover. Moreover, the expression of BDNF, Nrf2, Keap1 and AKT were markedly increased by KGE in the prefrontal cortex of depressed rats. Conclusion: Our results provide evidence that KGE and its constituents exert antidepressant effects that mediate the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems and expression of BDNF protein in an animal model.

NADPH Oxidase 4-mediated Alveolar Macrophage Recruitment to Lung Attenuates Neutrophilic Inflammation in Staphylococcus aureus Infection

  • Seunghan Han;Sungmin Moon;Youn Wook Chung;Ji-Hwan Ryu
    • IMMUNE NETWORK
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    • 제23권5호
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    • pp.42.1-42.21
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    • 2023
  • When the lungs are infected with bacteria, alveolar macrophages (AMs) are recruited to the site and play a crucial role in protecting the host by reducing excessive lung inflammation. However, the regulatory mechanisms that trigger the recruitment of AMs to lung alveoli during an infection are still not fully understood. In this study, we identified a critical role for NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) in the recruitment of AMs during Staphylococcus aureus lung infection. We found that NOX4 knockout (KO) mice showed decreased recruitment of AMs and increased lung neutrophils and injury in response to S. aureus infection compared to wildtype (WT) mice. Interestingly, the burden of S. aureus in the lungs was not different between NOX4 KO and WT mice. Furthermore, we observed that depletion of AMs in WT mice during S. aureus infection increased the number of neutrophils and lung injury to a similar level as that observed in NOX4 KO mice. Additionally, we found that expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM1) in NOX4 KO mice-derived lung endothelial cells was lower than that in WT mice-derived endothelial cells. Therefore, we conclude that NOX4 plays a crucial role in inducing the recruitment of AMs by controlling ICAM1 expression in lung endothelial cells, which is responsible for resolving lung inflammation during acute S. aureus infection.

Recent progress (2015-2020) in the investigation of the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of ginsenoside Rb1, a main active ingredient in Panax ginseng Meyer

  • Lin, Zuan;Xie, Rongfang;Zhong, Chenhui;Huang, Jianyong;Shi, Peiying;Yao Hong
    • Journal of Ginseng Research
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    • 제46권1호
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    • pp.39-53
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    • 2022
  • Ginsenoside Rb1 (Rb1), one of the most important ingredients in Panax ginseng Meyer, has been confirmed to have favorable activities, including reducing antioxidative stress, inhibiting inflammation, regulating cell autophagy and apoptosis, affecting sugar and lipid metabolism, and regulating various cytokines. This study reviewed the recent progress on the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of Rb1 against cardiovascular and nervous system diseases, diabetes, and their complications, especially those related to neurodegenerative diseases, myocardial ischemia, hypoxia injury, and traumatic brain injury. This review retrieved articles from PubMed and Web of Science that were published from 2015 to 2020. The molecular targets or pathways of the effects of Rb1 on these diseases are referring to HMGB1, GLUT4, 11β-HSD1, ERK, Akt, Notch, NF-κB, MAPK, PPAR-γ, TGF-β1/Smad pathway, PI3K/mTOR pathway, Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, Nrf2/ARE pathway, and MAPK/NF-κB pathway. The potential effects of Rb1 and its possible mechanisms against diseases were further predicted via Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway and disease ontology semantic and enrichment (DOSE) analyses with the reported targets. This study provides insights into the therapeutic effects of Rb1 and its mechanisms against diseases, which is expected to help in promoting the drug development of Rb1 and its clinical applications.

A Study of Electromagnetic Actuator for Electro-pneumatic Driven Ventricular Assist Device

  • Jung Min Woo;Hwang Chang Mo;Jeong Gi Seok;Kang Jung Soo;Ahn Chi Bum;Kim Kyung Hyun;Lee Jung Joo;Park Yong Doo;Sun Kyung
    • 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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    • 제26권6호
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    • pp.393-398
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    • 2005
  • An electromechanical type is the most useful mechanism in the various pumping mechanisms. It, however, requires a movement converting system including a ball screw, a helical cam, or a solenoid-beam spring, which makes the device complex and may lessen reliability. Thus, the authors have hypothesized that an electromagnetic actuator mechanism can eliminate the movement converting system and that thereby enhance the mechanical reliability and operative simplicity of an electro­pneumatic pump. The purpose of this study was to show a novel application of electromagnetic actuator mechanism in pulsatile pump and to provide preliminary data for further evaluations. The electromagnetic actuator consists of stators with a single winding excitation coil and movers with a high energy density neodymium-iron-boron permanent magnet. A 0.5mm diameter wire was used for the excitation coil, and 1000 turns were wound onto the stators core with parallel. A prototype of extracorporeal electro-pneumatic pump was constructed, and the pump performance tests were performed using a mock system to evaluate the efficiency of the electromagnetic actuator mechanism. When forward and backward electric currents were supplied to the excitation coil, the mover effectively moved back and forth. The nominal stroke length of the actuator was 10mm. The actuator dimension was 120mm in diameter and 65mm in height with a mass of 1.4kg. The prototype pump unit was 150mm in diameter, 150mm in thickness and 4.5kg in weight. The maximum force output was 70N at input current of 4.5A and the maximum pump rate was 150 beats per minute. The maximum output was 2.0 L/minute at a rate of 80bpm when the afterload was 100mmHg. The electromagnetic actuator mechanism was successfully applied to construct the prototype of extracorporeal electro­pneumatic pump. The authors provide the above results as a preliminary data for further studies.

외상성 뇌손상 후 해마내 칼슘결합단백질 면역반응의 변화 (Alterations of Calcium-binding Protein Immunoreactivities in the Hippocampus Following Traumatic Brain Injury)

  • 오윤정;김백선;박대균;박경호;고정식;김덕수
    • Applied Microscopy
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    • 제41권4호
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    • pp.235-248
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    • 2011
  • 외상성 뇌손상(traumatic brain injury, TBI)은 다양한 외부요인에 의해 나타나는 직접적인 뇌조직 손상으로, 변성된 뇌신경세포의 지연성 병태생리학적인 변화를 수반하는 질환으로 잘 알려져 있다. 이러한 뇌손상은 그 정도에 따라 인지기능저하 및 운동능력의 손상을 야기하는 것으로 알려져 있으며, 특히, 일부 환자에서는 뇌손상 후유증으로 회귀성 간질발작 증상이 나타나는 것으로 알려 있다. 외상성 뇌손상 후 간질발생기전에 대한 연구에서 GABAergic interneurons의 손상과 다양한 종류의 억제성 사이신경의 작용이 간질질환의 발병에 매우 중요한 역할을 하는 것으로 알려져 있다. 따라서, 본 연구에서는 외상성 뇌손상 후 초기단계에서 칼슘결합단백질이 발현되는 GABAergic interneurons의 면역반응성이 어떠한 변화를 나타내는지를 분석하고, 이와 같은 발현변화가 외상성 손상 후 간질발생 및 전파에 미치는 영향을 분석하여 이들 사이의 연관성을 규명하기 위하여 연구를 수행하였다. 연구결과 극저온으로 외상성 뇌손상을 주었을 때 극저온 손상에 노출된 대뇌의 해마에서 parvalbumin (PV) 및 calbindin D-28k (CB)와 같은 칼슘결합단백질의 발현이 시간경과에 따라 다양하게 변화되는 것을 확인 할 수 있었다. 극저온에 노출되어 손상을 받은 부위는 뇌손상 후 30분경에 대조군에 비해 PV 및 CB의 발현이 현저하게 감소하였으며, 이들에 면역반응성을 나타내는 신경세포의 숫자도 시간경과에 따라 감소하였으나, 시간이 경과함에 따라 정상수준으로 회복되었다. 그러나, 외상성 뇌손상에 노출되지 않은 반대측 해마에서는 CB의 면역반응성에는 특이한 변화가 없는 반면, PV의 발현은 뇌손상 후 1일 이후부터 대조군에 비해 특이하게 감소하였다. 따라서, 이 실험의 결과는 뇌손상후 해마에서 나타나는 칼슘결합단백질의 감소가 $GABA_A$ receptor를 통한 억제성신경전달의 감소에 관여하고, 이러한 작용에 의해 일시적으로 해마내 신경세포들의 과흥분성 신경전달이 증가하는 것으로 생각된다. 또한, 외상성 뇌손상에 노출되지 않은 반대측 해마에서 나타나는 PV 면역반응 신경세포의 감소는 외상성 뇌손상에 노출된 동측 해마에서 나타나는 칼슘결합단백질의 변화와 함께 외상성 뇌손상 후 간질발생에 중요한 역할을 할 것으로 생각된다.

Inhibitory Effect of Benzyl Isothiocyanate on Proliferation in vitro of Human Glioma Cells

  • Zhu, Yu;Zhuang, Jun-Xue;Wang, Qin;Zhang, Hai-Yan;Yang, Ping
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • 제14권4호
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    • pp.2607-2610
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    • 2013
  • Malignant glioma, also known as brain cancer, is the most common intracranial tumor, having an extremely high mortality and recurrence rate. The survival rate of the affected patients is very low and treatment is difficult. Hence, growth inhibition of glioma has become a hot topic in the study of brain cancer treatment. Among the various isothiocyanate compounds, it has been confirmed that benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) can inhibit the growth of a variety of tumors, including leukemia, glioma and lung cancer, both inside and outside the body. This study explored inhibitory effects of BITC on human glioma U87MG cells, as well as potential mechanisms. It was found that BITC could inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis and arrest cell cycling of U87MG cells. In addition, it inhibited the expression of SOD and GSH, and caused oxidative stress to tumor cells. Therefore, it is believed that BITC can inhibit the growth of U87MG cells outside the body. Its mechanism may be related to the fact that BITC can cause oxidative stress to tumor cells.

Different expression of human GFAP promoter-derived GFP in different subsets of astrocytes in the mouse brain

  • Moon, Young-Hye;Kim, Hyun-Jung;Kim, Joo-Yeon;Kim, Hyun;Kim, Woon-Ryoung;Sun, Woong
    • Animal cells and systems
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    • 제15권4호
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    • pp.268-273
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    • 2011
  • Transgenic mice expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the control of human glial fibrillary acidic protein promoter (hGFAP) have been utilized for in vivo labeling of astrocytes. Although it has been considered that virtually all astrocytes express GFP in this transgenic mouse, we found that different subsets of GFAP-expressing astrocytes express considerably different levels of GFP in the adult brain. Astrocytes in the spinal cord, the molecular layer of thecerebellum, meninges, white matter, corpus callosum and blood vessels exhibited strong GFP, whereas subsets of astrocytes associated with granule cells in the cerebellum and dentate gyrus did not or only marginally exhibited GFP. We also found that a small subset of GFP-expressing cells in the periglomeruli of the olfactory bulb did not express GFAP immunoreactivity. Collectively, these results suggest that human GFAP promoter-derived GFP expression does not faithfully recapitulate the endogenous GFAP expression in mice, suggesting that upstream regulatory mechanisms controlling GFAP transcription are different in different populations of astrocytes, and may reflect the functional diversity of astrocytes.

Contribution of TLR2 to the Initiation of Ganglioside-triggered Inflammatory Signaling

  • Yoon, Hee Jung;Jeon, Sae Bom;Suk, Kyoungho;Choi, Dong-Kug;Hong, Young-Joon;Park, Eun Jung
    • Molecules and Cells
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    • 제25권1호
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    • pp.99-104
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    • 2008
  • Gangliosides, sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids, are implicated in many neuronal diseases, but the precise molecular mechanisms underlying their pathological activities are poorly understood. Here we report that TLR2 participates in the initiation of ganglioside-triggered inflammatory signaling responses. Using FACS analysis and immunofluorescence microscopy, we found that gangliosides rapidly enhanced the cell surface expression of TLR2 in microglia, while reducing that of TLR4. The ganglioside-dependent increase of TLR2 expression was also observed at the messenger and protein levels. We also showed that gangliosides stimulate the interaction of TLR2 with Myd88, an adaptor for TLRs, and obtained evidence that lipid raft formation is closely associated with the ganglioside-induced activation of TLR2 and subsequent inflammatory signaling. These results collectively suggest that TLR2 contributes to the ability of gangliosides to cause inflammatory conditions in the brain.

Spontaneous Resolution of a Large Chronic Subdural Hematoma Which Required Surgical Decompression

  • Lee, Gun Seok;Park, Young Seok;Min, Kyung Soo;Lee, Mou Seop
    • Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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    • 제58권3호
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    • pp.301-303
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    • 2015
  • We report on a case of an 87-year-old woman who showed spontaneous resolution of a large chronic subdural hematoma which required surgical decompression. She had suffered from confused mentality and right side weakness of motor grade II for 10 days. The initial brain CT scan showed a 22 mm thick low density lesion located in the left fronto-temporo-parietal region with midline shift (12 mm) which required emergency decompression. However, because she and her family did not want surgery, she was followed up in the outpatient clinic. Five months later, follow up brain CT showed that the CSDH had disappeared and the patient became neurologically normal. The reasons for spontaneous resolution of CSDH remain unclear. We discuss the possible relation between mechanisms of physio-pathogenesis and spontaneous resolution of a large chronic subdural hematoma (CSH) in an elderly patient.