• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.439-445
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• 2018

T-type calcium channels are low voltage-activated calcium channels that evoke small and transient calcium currents. Recently, T-type calcium channels have been implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and neural tube defects. However, their function during embryonic development is largely unknown. Here, we investigated the function and expression of T-type calcium channels in embryonic neural progenitor cells (NPCs). First, we compared the expression of T-type calcium channel subtypes (CaV3.1, 3.2, and 3.3) in NPCs and differentiated neural cells (neurons and astrocytes). We detected all subtypes in neurons but not in astrocytes. In NPCs, CaV3.1 was the dominant subtype, whereas CaV3.2 was weakly expressed, and CaV3.3 was not detected. Next, we determined CaV3.1 expression levels in the cortex during early brain development. Expression levels of CaV3.1 in the embryonic period were transiently decreased during the perinatal period and increased at postnatal day 11. We then pharmacologically blocked T-type calcium channels to determine the effects in neuronal cells. The blockade of T-type calcium channels reduced cell viability, and induced apoptotic cell death in NPCs but not in differentiated astrocytes. Furthermore, blocking T-type calcium channels rapidly reduced AKT-phosphorylation (Ser473) and $GSK3{\beta}$-phosphorylation (Ser9). Our results suggest that T-type calcium channels play essential roles in maintaining NPC viability, and T-type calcium channel blockers are toxic to embryonic neural cells, and may potentially be responsible for neurodevelopmental disorders.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.277-285
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• 2022

To investigate the adverse effects of clozapine on cardiovascular ion channels, we examined the inhibitory effect of clozapine on voltage-dependent K⁺ (Kv) channels in rabbit coronary arterial smooth muscle cells. Clozapine-induced inhibition of Kv channels occurred in a concentration-dependent manner with an half-inhibitory concentration value of 7.84 ± 4.86 µM and a Hill coefficient of 0.47 ± 0.06. Clozapine did not shift the steady-state activation or inactivation curves, suggesting that it inhibited Kv channels regardless of gating properties. Application of train pulses (1 and 2 Hz) progressively augmented the clozapine-induced inhibition of Kv channels in the presence of the drug. Furthermore, the recovery time constant from inactivation was increased in the presence of clozapine, suggesting that clozapine-induced inhibition of Kv channels is use (state)-dependent. Pretreatment of a Kv1.5 subtype inhibitor decreased the Kv current amplitudes, but additional application of clozapine did not further inhibit the Kv current. Pretreatment with Kv2.1 or Kv7 subtype inhibitors partially blocked the inhibitory effect of clozapine. Based on these results, we conclude that clozapine inhibits arterial Kv channels in a concentration-and use (state)-dependent manner. Kv1.5 is the major subtype involved in clozapine-induced inhibition of Kv channels, and Kv2.1 and Kv7 subtypes are partially involved.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.429-439
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• 2003

Counter-current two-phase flows of air- water in narrow rectangular channels with offset strip fins have been experimentally investigated in a 760 mm long and 100 mm wide test section with 3.0 and 5.0 mm gap widths. The two-phase flow regime, channel-average void fractions and two-phase pressure gradients were studied. Flow regime transition occurred at lower superficial velocities of air than in the channels without fins. In the bubbly and slug flow regimes, elongated bubbles rose along the subchannel formed by fins without lateral movement. The critical void fraction for the bubbly-to-slug transition was about 0.14 for the 3 mm gap channel and 0.2 for the 5 mm gap channel. respectively. Channel-average void fractions in the channels with fins were almost the same as those in the channels without fins. Void fractions increased as the gap width increased, especially at high superficial velocity of air. The presence of fins enhanced the two-phase distribution parameter significantly in the slug flow, where the effect of gap width was almost negligible. Superficial velocity of air dominated the two-phase pressure gradients. Liquid superficial velocity and channel gap width has only a minor effect on the pressure gradients.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.614-618
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• 2001

Low-threshold T-type $Ca^{2+}$ channels are distinctive voltage-operated gates for external $Ca^{2+}$ entry around a resting membrane potential due to their low voltage activation. These phenomena have already been extensively studied due to their relevance in diverse physiological functions. Recently, three T-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel ${\alpha}$$_1$subunits were cloned and their biophysical properties were characterized after expression in mammalian expression systems. In this study, ${\alpha_IG} and {\alpha_IH}$ low-threshold $Ca^{2+}$ channels were expressed and characterized in Xenopus oocytes after adding 5' and 3'untranslated portions of a Xenopus ${\beta}$ globin to improve their expression levels. The added portions dramatically enhanced the expression levels of the ${\alpha_IG} and {\alpha_IH}$ T-type channels. When currents were recorded in 10 mM $Ba^{2+}$ as the charge carrier, the activation thresholds were about -60 mV, peak currents appeared at -20 mV, and the reversal potentials were between +40 and +45. The activation time constants were very similar to each other, while the inactivation time constants of the ${\alpha_IG}$ currents were smaller than those of ${\alpha_IH}$. Taken together, the electrophysiological properties of the ${\alpha_IG} and {\alpha_IH}$ channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes were similar to the previously reported characteristics of low-threshold $Ca^{2+}$ channel currents.

• ETRI Journal
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.147-156
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• 2015

A typical solid-state drive contains several independent channels that can be operated in parallel. To exploit this channel-level parallelism, a variety of works proposed to split consecutive write sequences into small segments and schedule them to different channels. This scheme exploits the parallelism but breaks the spatial locality of write traffic; thus, it is able to significantly degrade the efficiency of garbage collection. This paper proposes a channel-aware write reordering (CAWR) mechanism to schedule write requests to different channels more intelligently. The novel mechanism encapsulates correlated pages into a cluster beforehand. All pages belonging to a cluster are scheduled to the same channels to exploit spatial locality, while different clusters are scheduled to different channels to exploit the parallelism. As CAWR covers both garbage collection and I/O performance, it outperforms existing schemes significantly. Trace-driven simulation results demonstrate that the CAWR mechanism reduces the average response time by 26% on average and decreases the valid page copies by 10% on average, while achieving a similar hit ratio to that of existing mechanisms.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.583-599
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• 2015

We apply the Bayesian matching pursuit (BMP) algorithm to the estimation of time-frequency selective channels in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. By exploiting prior statistics and sparse characteristics of propagation channels, the Bayesian method provides a more accurate and efficient detection of the channel status information (CSI) than do conventional sparse channel estimation methods that are based on compressive sensing (CS) technologies. Using a reasonable approximation of the system model and a skillfully designed pilot arrangement, the proposed estimation scheme is able to address the Doppler-induced inter-carrier interference (ICI) with a relatively low complexity. Moreover, to further reduce the computational cost of the channel estimation, we make some modifications to the BMP algorithm. The modified algorithm can make good use of the group-sparse structure of doubly selective channels and thus reconstruct the CSI more efficiently than does the original BMP algorithm, which treats the sparse signals in the conventional manner and ignores the specific structure of their sparsity patterns. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed Bayesian estimation has a good performance over rapidly time-varying channels.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.559-566
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• 2015

The main objective of this work is to experimentally investigate the effect of angle variation on the distribution of two-phase flow at header-channel junctions. The cross-sections of the header and the channels were fixed at $16mm{\times}16mm$ and $12mm{\times}1.8mm$, respectively. Air and water were used as the test fluids. Four different header-channel positions were tested : Vertical header with Horizontal channels (case VM-HC), Horizontal header with Horizontal channels (case HM-HC), Horizontal header with Vertical Downward channels (case HM-VDC), and Horizontal header with Vertical Upward channels (case HM-VUC). In all cases, liquid flow distribution tended to decrease gradually in the upstream header region. However, in the downstream region, different trends could be seen. The reason for these different tendencies were identified by flow visualization in each case. The standard deviations for the liquid and gas flow distribution in each case were calculated, and the case of VM-HC had the lowest values compared to other cases because of the symmetrically distributed liquid film and strong flow recirculation near the end plate.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.684-702
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• 2011

This paper proposes a TDMA-based multichannel medium access control (MAC) protocol for QoS provisioning in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) that enables nodes to transmit their packets in distributed channels. The IEEE 802.11 standard supports multichannel operation at the physical (PHY) layer but its MAC protocol is designed only for a single channel. The single channel MAC protocol does not work well in multichannel environment because of the multichannel hidden terminal problem. Our proposed protocol enables nodes to utilize multiple channels by switching channels dynamically, thus increasing network throughput. Although each node of this protocol is equipped with only a single transceiver but it solves the multichannel hidden terminal problem using temporal synchronization. The proposed energy efficient multichannel MAC (EM-MAC) protocol takes the advantage of both multiple channels and TDMA, and achieves aggressive power savings by allowing nodes that are not involved in communications to go into power saving "sleep mode". We consider the problem of providing QoS guarantee to nodes as well as to maintain the most efficient use of scarce bandwidth resources. Our scheme improves network throughput and lifetime significantly, especially when the network is highly congested. The simulation results show that our proposed scheme successfully exploits multiple channels and significantly improves network performance by providing QoS guarantee in MANETs.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2001.06c
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• pp.47-52
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• 2001

Micro-injection molding and microfluidic devices with the help of MEMS technologies including the LIGA process are expected to play important roles in. micro-system industries, in particular the bioapplication industry, in the near future. Understanding fluid flows in micro-channels is important since micro-channels are typical geometry in various microfluidic devices and mold inserts for micro-injection molding. In the present study, both experimental and numerical studies have been carried out to understand the detailed flow phenomena in micro-channel filling process. Three sets of micro-channels of different thickness were fabricated and a flow visualization system was also developed to observe the filling flow into the micro-channels. Experimental flow observations were extensively made to find the effects of channel width and thickness, and effects of surface tension and volume flow rate and so on. And a numerical analysis system has been developed to simulate the filling flow into micro-channels with the surface tension effect taken into account. Discussed are the flow visualization experimental observations along with the predictability of the numerical analysis system.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.1 s.29
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• pp.437-450
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• 1995

In order to clear the basic concept about oriental medical physiology and pathology, We studied the theory of three yin, three yang, and it is based on the principle that yang goes forward and yin goes back. The result were summarized as follows. 1. It showed how to originate about the concept of three yin three yang. 2. It showed the logical basis concerning that the TAIYANG channels are open, the YANGMING channels are shut, the SHAOYANG channels are pivots, the TAIYIN open, SHAOYIN shut, JUEYIN pivots. 3. According to the opening, closing, pivoting principle, It explained the exterior and interior relation such as TAIYANG and SHAOYIN, YANGMING and TAIYIN, SHAOYANG and JUEYIN. 4. According to the opening, closing, pivoting principle, It showed that arteries of the twelve channels rotated in lung channel of hand-TAIYIN, the large intestine channel of hand-YANGMING, the stomach channel of foot-YANGMING, the spleen channel of foot-TAIYIN, the heart channel of hand-SHAOYIN, the small intestine channel of hand-SHAOYANG, the urinary bladder channel of foot-TAIYANG, the kidney channel of foot-SHAOYIN, the pericardium channel of hand-JUEYIN, the sanjiao(三焦) channel of hand-SHAOYANG, the gall bladder channel of foot-SHAOYANG, the liver channel of foot-JUEYIN. 5. As arteries of the twelve channels was based on the cycle, the logical criticism about Napgibup(納氣法) was shown.