• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.23 no.6
• /
• pp.529-537
• /
• 2019

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide and several molecular signatures have been developed to predict survival in lung cancer. Increasing evidence suggests that proliferation and migration to promote tumor growth are associated with dysregulated ion channel expression. In this study, by analyzing high-throughput gene expression data, we identify the differentially expressed $K^+$ channel genes in lung cancer. In total, we prioritize ten dysregulated $K^+$ channel genes (5 up-regulated and 5 down-regulated genes, which were designated as K-10) in lung tumor tissue compared with normal tissue. A risk scoring system combined with the K-10 signature accurately predicts clinical outcome in lung cancer, which is independent of standard clinical and pathological prognostic factors including patient age, lymph node involvement, tumor size, and tumor grade. We further indicate that the K-10 potentially predicts clinical outcome in breast and colon cancers. Molecular signature discovered through $K^+$ gene expression profiling may serve as a novel biomarker to assess the risk in lung cancer.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
• /
• v.45 no.5
• /
• pp.445-454
• /
• 2012

The present study aims to investigate the long-term channel morphological changes derived from channelization, embankment and levee construction works in unregulated fluvial channel of the Jiseock River. Analyses of aerial photographs taken past (Year 1966) and recent (Year 2002) showed the temporally remarkable changes in channel planform such as channel shape, bar migration, vegetation encroachment in bar. During the period, the natural single threading changed into braided types together with decreasing sinuosity by 9.2%, increasing vegetation occupied bar ranged 97% of total bars area. Because such channel morphological changes are closely similar to those in dam downstream channels, we assume that both/either flow regime alteration and/or sediment transport discontinuity may be critical for the fixed channel and spread of vegetated bars even in unregulated river without dam reservoir upstream. We found more reduced frequency and magnitude of flooding water level comparing with past, but no significant alteration of inter annual water level variation. Bed material has been coarsened by 4~5 times and the riverbed has been degraded in overall channel but aggraded locally in conjunction reach of tributaries. The results indicates that reduced sediment dynamics in fluvial channel which derived by bed material coarsening, river bed degradation and unbalanced sediment transport capacity between tributary and mainstem can be a causal factor to trigger channel morphological changes even in unregulated rivers.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.54 no.2
• /
• pp.130-135
• /
• 2021

Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels are involved in many important cellular functions and play pivotal roles in cancer progression. The expression level of Kv2.1 was observed to be higher in the highly metastatic prostate cancer cells (PC-3), specifically in their membrane, than in immortalized prostate cells (WPMY-1 cells) and comparatively less metastatic prostate cancer cells (LNCaP and DU145 cells). However, Kv2.1 expression was significantly decreased when the cells were treated with antioxidants, such as N-acetylcysteine or ascorbic acid, implying that the highly expressed Kv2.1 could detect reactive oxygen species (ROS) in malignant prostate cancer cells. In addition, the blockade of Kv2.1 with stromatoxin-1 or siRNA targeting Kv2.1 significantly inhibited the migration of malignant prostate cancer cells. Our results suggested that Kv2.1 plays an important role as a ROS sensor and that it is a promising therapeutic molecular target in metastasis of prostate cancer.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.157-168
• /
• 2011

In order to promote efficiency of upstream and downstream migration of fishes, this study has developed a combined fishway of herring-bone bottom baffle type and brush type fishways. The results obtained are as follows : 1. In a channel with constant incline, the velocity of current generally shows a distinct tendency of acceleration as it goes down the stream. But in the hydraulic experiment of herring-bone bottom baffle type fishway, the velocity reached its maximum only at 0.4m/sec, and it tended to be stable without any acceleration. 2. The velocity in the brush type fishway showed a distinct tendency of acceleration as the discharge increased. But its greatest velocity was only 0.3m/sec, and its velocity change according to the discharge increase was only 0.15m/sec at maximum. 3. The maximum velocity in the combined type fishway was less than half of the blast speed of the poorest swimmer, the juvenile eel with 90mm of body length. So any species of fishes are supposed to be able to migrate upstream from the estuary through this combined type fishway. 4. The field experiment of upstream migration showed that the combined type fishway can promote efficiency of upstream and downstream migration of any species of fishes.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.30 no.5
• /
• pp.455-464
• /
• 2022

Efonidipine, a calcium channel blocker, is widely used for the treatment of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. In our preliminary study using structure-based virtual screening, efonidipine was identified as a potential inhibitor of c-Jun N-terminal kinase 3 (JNK3). Although its antihypertensive effect is widely known, the role of efonidipine in the central nervous system has remained elusive. The present study investigated the effects of efonidipine on the inflammation and cell migration induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) using murine BV2 and human HMC3 microglial cell lines and elucidated signaling molecules mediating its effects. We found that the phosphorylations of JNK and its downstream molecule c-Jun in LPS-treated BV2 cells were declined by efonidipine, confirming the finding from virtual screening. In addition, efonidipine inhibited the LPS-induced production of pro-inflammatory factors, including interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and nitric oxide. Similarly, the IL-1β production in LPS-treated HMC3 cells was also inhibited by efonidipine. Efonidipine markedly impeded cell migration stimulated by LPS in both cells. Furthermore, it inhibited the phosphorylation of inhibitor kappa B, thereby suppressing nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in LPS-treated BV2 cells. Taken together, efonidipine exerts anti-inflammatory and anti-migratory effects in LPS-treated microglial cells through inhibition of the JNK/NF-κB pathway. These findings imply that efonidipine may be a potential candidate for drug repositioning, with beneficial impacts on brain disorders associated with neuroinflammation.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
• /
• v.43 no.7
• /
• pp.657-666
• /
• 2010

The adjustment processes of mining pits in the disturbed channels by sand or gravel mining were investigated by laboratory experiments in this study. The pit migrated with speed when the river bed was steep. The pit migrated slow and steady when the pit was filling with sand, but the pit migrated with speed after the filling processes was finished. The submerged angle of repose in the pit was nearly constant during the pit was filling. The pit was filled with sand with speed as the channel slope was increased. It took time for the pit to be filled with sand as the pit dimension was increased. This meant that the disturbed channels by sand or gravel mining to adjust the new environment was dependent on the slope of the channels and the dimension of the pits. The dimensionless pit length was short and the dimensionless pit depth was shallow as the time was increased. The dimensionless pit depth was shallow, but the dimensionless pit migration speed was increased as the dimensionless shear velocity and the migration speed of the pit were increased. The dimensionless pit depth was increased with the dimensionless bar migration speed. The shape of the pit was deformed and migrated downstream in accordance with the location and shape of the biased bar front which was developed upstream.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
• /
• v.52 no.spc2
• /
• pp.801-810
• /
• 2019

This study analyzes the impact on geomorphic changes downstream due to alternate bars developed weir upstream through laboratory experiments. The disturbance, such as a spur in the side wall, of the flow at the inlet of the channel triggers the development of alternate bar upstream at the beginning of the experiment, and gradually moved downstream with keeping their shapes over time. The bed in the downstream of weir in the mid of channel scoured due to the scarcity of sediment inflow because weir upstream traps it. Moreover, bar migration speed decreases as the bars approaches to the weir with time. However, as time increases, the alternate bars upstream migrate over the weir, and sediment in the eroded bed of the weir downstream are deposited. The phase of the bar upstream changes oppositely after passing through the weir. The phase of the bar downstream changes rapidly as the shape of alternate bar is clear upstream, which is affected by the strong disturbance. The phase of bar changes, and the bar migration speed decreases gradually with time, and finally stopped due to forcing effects on the bar by the disturbance. The faster the reaction of alternate bar with a long spur, the larger the bar height formed downstream and the shorter the bar length. This means that the larger the forcing effect of bar, the more it affects the bar migration. In addition, although the size of the alternate bar increases over time, the bar doesn't migrate downstream and a forced bar is generated.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.68-81
• /
• 2014

In this study, the numerical simulation regarding the process and characteristics of topography change due to the vegetation recruitment and growth was carried out by adding the vegetation growth model to two-dimensional flow and sediment transport models. The vegetation introduction and recruitment on the condition for developing an alternate bar reduced the bar migration. The vegetated area and channel width changes were more significantly influenced by changes in upstream discharge rather than the duration of low flow. When the upstream discharge decreased, the vegetation area increased and the channel width decreased. The vegetation introduction and recruitment on the condition for developing a braided channel significantly influenced the characteristics of topography changes. In the braided channel, vegetation reduced the braided index, and when the upstream discharge decreased significantly, the channel topography was changed from the braided channel to the single channel. The vegetation area decreased as the upstream discharge increased. The channel width decreased significantly after the vegetation was introduced and it also decreased as the upstream discharge decreased. It was confirmed through the numerical simulation that a decrease in flood discharge accelerated the vegetation introduction and recruitment in the channel and this allowed to confirm its influence on the characteristics of topography changes qualitatively.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
• /
• v.55 no.10
• /
• pp.801-810
• /
• 2022

This study investigates the evolution processes of alternate bars in the channel with bank stability by vegetation by laboratory experiment. Laboratory experiments are conducted to elucidate the behavior of alternate bars by the influence of riparian vegetation on the rivers with erodible banks. To control bank stability of the channel, the actual vegetation, alfalfa, is grown by adjusting the density of alfalfa on the flood plain. As the vegetation density increases in the flood plain, the bank erosion rates and the channel widening rates decrease and the bank stability increases. The alternate bars migrate slow downstream over time. Moreover, the bars in a channel with strong banks migrate rapidly, which is related with the aspect ratio, that is, width to depth ratio. The bar wavelength decrease with vegetation density. Our laboratory experiments show that the behavior of bars differ according to bank strength.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.148-154
• /
• 2009

With respect to the durability of large scale ($150cm^2$) membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), degradation phenomena at cathode is monitored and analyzed according to the position on the cathode surface. After constant current mode operation of large scale MEA for 500 hr, the MEA is divided into three parts along the cathode channel; (close to) inlet, middle, and (close to) outlet. The performance of each MEA is tested and it is revealed that the MEA from the cathode outlet of large MEA shows the worst performance. This is due to the catalyst degradation and GDL delamination caused by flooding at cathode outlet of large MEA during the 500 hr operation. Particularly on the catalyst degradation, the loss of electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) of catalyst gets worse along the cathode channel from inlet to outlet, of which the reason is believed to be loss of catalysts by dissolution and migration rather than their agglomeration. The extent of loss in the performance and catalyst degradation has strong relation to the cathode flooding and it is required to develop proper water management techniques and separator channel design to control the flooding.