• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.58-63
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• 2021

Apolipoprotein B-100 (apo B-100), the main protein component that makes up LDL (Low density lipoprotein), consists of 4,536 amino acids and serves to combine with the LDL receptor. The oxidized LDL peptides by malondialdehyde (MDA) or acetylation in vivo act as immunoglobulin (Ig) antigens and peptide groups were classified into 7 peptide groups with subsequent 20 amino acids (P1-P302). The biomimetic peptide P143 (IALDD AKINF NEKLS QLQTY) out of C-group peptides carrying the highest value of IgG antigens were selected for structural studies that may provide antigen specificity. Experimental results show that P143 has β-sheet in Ile[1]-Asn[9] and α-helice in Gln[16]-Tyr[20] structure. Homonuclear 2D-NMR (COSY, TOCSY, NOESY) experiments were carried out for NMR signal assignments and structure determination for P143. On the basis of these completely assigned NMR spectra and proton distance information, distance geometry (DG) and molecular dynamic (MD) were carried out to determine the structures of P143. The proposed structure was selected by comparisons between experimental NOE spectra and back-calculated 2D NOE results from determined structure showing acceptable agreement. The total Root-Mean-Square-Deviation (RMSD) value of P143 obtained upon superposition of all atoms were in the set range. The solution state P143 has a mixed structure of pseudo α-helix and β-turn(Phe[10] to Glu[12]). These results are well consistent with calculated structure from experimental data of NOE spectra. Structural studies based on NMR may contribute to the prevent oxidation studies of atherosclerosis and observed conformational characteristics of apo B-100 in LDL using monoclonal antibodies.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.70 no.3
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• pp.435-442
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• 2019

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have structures similar to steroid hormones and can interfere with hormone synthesis and normal physiological functions of reproductive organs. For example, sex steroid hormones influence calcium signaling of the cardiac muscle in early embryo development. To confirm the effect of progesterone (P4), octyl-phenol (OP), and bisphenolA(BPA) on early differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells(mESCs) into cardiomyocytes, mESCs were treated with P4, OP, and BPA two days after attachment and media were replaced every two days. In addition, cells were treated with mifepristone (RU486), a synthetic steroid that has an affinity for progesterone receptor (Pgr), for one day starting on day 11. Beating ratio was decreased with P4, OP, and BPA treatment. The Pgr mRNA level was significantly increased in the P4-, OP- and BPA-treated groups. However, the mRNA level of the calcium channel gene (Trpv2), contraction-related genes (Ryr2, Cam2, and Mylk3) and cardiac development and morphogenesis genes (Rbp4, Ly6e, and Gata4) were significantly decreased in the P4-, OP-, and BPA-treated groups. Interestingly, treatment with RU486 rescued the altered calcium channel gene, contraction-related genes, and cardiac development and morphogenesis genes. P4, OP, and BPA treatments reduced the intracellular calcium level. Taken together, these results indicate that EDCs (OP and BPA) has a structure similar to that of endogenous steroid hormones such as progesterone and estrogen, and OP and BPA act like progesterone to inhibit and disrupt cardiomyocyte differentiation of mESCs.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.3.1-3.10
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• 2023

Characterization as well as prediction of the secondary and tertiary structure of hypothetical proteins from their amino acid sequences uploaded in databases by in silico approach are the critical issues in computational biology. Severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV), which is responsible for pneumonia alike diseases, possesses a wide range of proteins of which many are still uncharacterized. The current study was conducted to reveal the physicochemical characteristics and structures of an uncharacterized protein Q6S8D9_SARS of SARS-CoV. Following the common flowchart of characterizing a hypothetical protein, several sophisticated computerized tools e.g., ExPASy Protparam, CD Search, SOPMA, PSIPRED, HHpred, etc. were employed to discover the functions and structures of Q6S8D9_SARS. After delineating the secondary and tertiary structures of the protein, some quality evaluating tools e.g., PROCHECK, ProSA-web etc. were performed to assess the structures and later the active site was identified also by CASTp v.3.0. The protein contains more negatively charged residues than positively charged residues and a high aliphatic index value which make the protein more stable. The 2D and 3D structures modeled by several bioinformatics tools ensured that the proteins had domain in it which indicated it was functional protein having the ability to trouble host antiviral inflammatory cytokine and interferon production pathways. Moreover, active site was found in the protein where ligand could bind. The study was aimed to unveil the features and structures of an uncharacterized protein of SARS-CoV which can be a therapeutic target for development of vaccines against the virus. Further research are needed to accomplish the task.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.89 no.5
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• pp.525-538
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• 2024

An explosion from a specific source can generate high pressure, causing damage to structures and people in and around them. For the design of protective structures, although explosion overpressure is considered the main loading parameter, parts are only considered using standard design procedures, excluding special installations. Properties of the explosive, such as molecular structure, shape, dimensional properties, and the physical state of the charge, determine the results in a high-grade or low-grade explosion. In this context, it is very important to determine the explosion behaviors of the structures and to take precautions against these behaviors. Especially structures in areas with high explosion risk should be prepared for blast loads. In this study, the behavior of non-anchored blast resistant modular buildings was investigated. In the study, analyzes were carried out for cases where modular buildings were first positioned on a reinforced concrete surface and then directly on the ground. For these two cases, the behavior of the modular structure placed on the reinforced concrete floor against burst loads was evaluated with Stribeck curves. The behavior of the modular building placed directly on the ground is examined with the Pais and Kausel equations, which consider the structure-ground interaction. In the study, head and neck injuries were examined by placing test dummies to examine human injury behavior in modular buildings exposed to blast loads. Obtained results were compared with field tests. In both cases, results close to field tests were obtained. Thus, it was concluded that Stribeck curves and Pais Kausel equations can reflect the behavior of modular buildings subjected to blast loads. It was also seen at the end of the study that the human injury criteria were met. The results of the study are explained with their justifications.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.89.1-89.1
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• 2010

Since Gratzel and co-workers developed a new type of solar cell based on the nanocrystalline $TiO_2$ electrode, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have attracted considerable attention on account of their high solar energy-to-conversion efficiencies (11%), their easy manufacturing process with low cost production compared to conventional p-n junction solar cells. The mechanism of DSSC is based on the injection of electrons from the photoexcited dye into the conduction band of nanocrystalline $TiO_2$. The oxidized dye is reduced by the hole injection process from either the hole counter or electrolyte. Thus, the electronic structures, such as HOMO, LUMO, and HOMO-LUMO gap, of dye molecule in DSSC are deeply related to the electron transfer by photoexcitation and redox potential. To date, high performance and good stability of DSSC based on Ru-dyes as a photosensitizer had been widely addressed in the literatures. DSSC with Ru-bipyridyl complexes (N3 and N719), and the black ruthenium dye have achieved power conversion efficiencies up to 11.2% and 10.4%, respectively. However, the Ru-dyes are facing the problem of manufacturing costs and environmental issues. In order to obtain even cheaper photosensitizers for DSSC, metal-free organic photosensitizers are strongly desired. Metal-free organic dyes offer superior molar extinction coefficients, low cost, and a diversity of molecular structures, compared to conventional Ru-dyes. Recently, novel photosensitizers such as coumarin, merocyanine, cyanine, indoline, hemicyanine, triphenylamine, dialkylaniline, bis(dimethylfluorenyl)-aminophenyl, phenothiazine, tetrahydroquinoline, and carbazole based dyes have achieved solar-to-electrical power conversion efficiencies up to 5-9%. On the other hand, organic dye molecules have large ${\pi}$-conjugated planner structures which would bring out strong molecular stacking in their solid-state and poor solubility in their media. It was well known that the molecular stacking of organic dyes could reduce the electron transfer pathway in opto-electronic devices, significantly. In this paper, we have studied on synthesis and characterization of dendritic organic dyes with different number of electron acceptor/anchoring moieties in the end of dendrimer. The photovoltaic performances and the incident photon-to-current (IPCE) of these dyes were measured to evaluate the effects of the dendritic strucuture on the open-circuit voltage and the short-circuit current.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.117.2-117.2
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• 2011

Since Gratzel and co-workers developed a new type of solar cell based on the nanocrystalline TiO2 electrode, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have attracted considerable attention on account of their high solar energy-to-conversion efficiencies (11%), their easy manufacturing process with low cost production compared to conventional p-n junction solar cells. The mechanism of DSSC is based on the injection of electrons from the photoexcited dye into the conduction band of nanocrystalline TiO2. The oxidized dye is reduced by the hole injection process from either the hole counter or electrolyte. Thus, the electronic structures, such as HOMO, LUMO, and HOMO-LUMO gap, of dye molecule in DSSC are deeply related to the electron transfer by photoexcitation and redox potential. To date, high performance and good stability of DSSC based on Ru-dyes as a photosensitizer had been widely addressed in the literatures. DSSC with Ru-bipyridyl complexes (N3 and N719), and the black ruthenium dye have achieved power conversion efficiencies up to 11.2% and 10.4%, respectively. However, the Ru-dyes are facing the problem of manufacturing costs and environmental issues. In order to obtain even cheaper photosensitizers for DSSC, metal-free organic photosensitizers are strongly desired. Metal-free organic dyes offer superior molar extinction coefficients, low cost, and a diversity of molecular structures, compared to conventional Ru-dyes. Recently, novel photosensitizers such as coumarin, merocyanine, cyanine, indoline, hemicyanine, triphenylamine, dialkylaniline, bis(dimethylfluorenyl)-aminophenyl, phenothiazine, tetrahydroquinoline, and carbazole based dyes have achieved solar-to-electrical power conversion efficiencies up to 5-9%. On the other hand, organic dye molecules have large ${\pi}$-conjugated planner structures which would bring out strong molecular stacking in their solid-state and poor solubility in their media. It was well known that the molecular stacking of organic dyes could reduce the electron transfer pathway in opto-electronic devices, significantly. In this paper, we have studied on synthesis and characterization of dendritic organic dyes with different number of electron acceptor/anchoring moieties in the end of dendrimer. The photovoltaic performances and the incident photon-to-current (IPCE) of these dyes were measured to evaluate the effects of the dendritic strucuture on the open-circuit voltage and the short-circuit current.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.386-392
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• 2017

Periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) are multipotent stem cells derived from periodontium and have mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-like characteristics. Recently, the perivascular region was recognized as the developmental origin of MSCs, which suggests the in vivo angiogenic potential of PDLSCs. In this study, we investigated whether PDLSCs could be a potential source of perivascular cells, which could contribute to in vivo angiogenesis. PDLSCs exhibited typical MSC-like characteristics such as the expression pattern of surface markers (CD29, CD44, CD73, and CD105) and differentiation potentials (osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation). Moreover, PDLSCs expressed perivascular cell markers such as NG2, ${\alpha}-smooth$ muscle actin, platelet-derived growth factor receptor ${\beta}$, and CD146. We conducted an in vivo Matrigel plug assay to confirm the in vivo angiogenic potential of PDLSCs. We could not observe significant vessel-like structures with PDLSCs alone or human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) alone at day 7 after injection. However, when PDLSCs and HUVECs were co-injected, there were vessel-like structures containing red blood cells in the lumens, which suggested that anastomosis occurred between newly formed vessels and host circulatory system. To block the $SDF-1{\alpha}$ and CXCR4 axis between PDLSCs and HUVECs, AMD3100, a CXCR4 antagonist, was added into the Matrigel plug. After day 3 and day 7 after injection, there were no significant vessel-like structures. In conclusion, we demonstrated the perivascular characteristics of PDLSCs and their contribution to in vivo angiogenesis, which might imply potential application of PDLSCs into the neovascularization of tissue engineering and vascular diseases.

• Proceedings of the Korean Fiber Society Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.1-4
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• 2003

The design and synthesis of new polymers is desirable to obtain materials with novel physical properties. Generally, these new polymers have their well-defined nature with the number of functional groups, molecular weight, polydispersity, and the presence or absence of branching being precisely controlledl. These polymers are mainly synthesized by living polymerizations to control of their structures. Among of various living polymerization Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) has been a field of intensive research in recent years1. (omitted)

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.08a
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• pp.213-213
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• 2012

We first confirm the tautomerization of 2-thiazoline-2-thiol on Ge (100) surface using CLPES and DFT calculation. We clearly confirmed that there exist two different molecular structures (we well show in our poster) in C 1s, N 1s, and S 2p CLPES spectra. Moreover, we obtained two plausible adsorption structures using DFT calculation which are that one is s-dative bonded structure and the other is SH dissociated-N-dative bonded structure although their stabilities are different on Ge (100) surface. We will investigate this interesting result for the confirmation of tautomerization of 2-thiazoline-2-thiol molecule adsorbed on Ge (100) surface.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.2657-2668
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• 2012

We obtain the general formulation which can handle the rotational preionization spectrum of $H_2$ in the region above its ${H_2}^+$ ionization threshold, ($^2{\sum}_g^+$, ${\nu}^+=0$, $N^+=0$) converging toward its rotationally excited (${\nu}^+=0$, $N^+=2$) limit and perturbed by the vibrationally excited levels $7p{\pi}$ ${\nu}=1$ and $5p{\pi}$ ${\nu}^=2$. The formulation is based on phase-shifted multichannel quantum-defect theory. With this formulation, resonance structures are analyzed in detail.