• Proceedings of the Korean Biophysical Society Conference
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• 한국생물물리학회 2003년도 정기총회 및 학술발표회
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• pp.41-41
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• 2003

Small conductance calcium-activated potassium channels (or SKCa channels) are potassium selective, voltage-independent, and activated by intracellular calcium concentration. These channels play important roles in excitable cells such as neuron in the central nervous system (Vergara et al., 1998). The activity of SKCa channels underlies the slow afterhyperpolarization that inhibits neuronal cell firing (Hille, 1991; Vergara et al.,1998). Until now, N-terminal region of rSK2 isn't characterized. To study the role of N-terminus, we constructed the N-terminal deletion mutant and characterized by electrophysiological means. Interestingly, N-terminal deletion mutant be trafficked to membrane couldn't evoke any ionic currents. Thus, N-terminal region has a role in functional rSK2 channel formation. To elucidate the function of N-terminal region, (His)6-conjugated protein was purified and filtrated by affinity column chromatography. Surprisingly, N-terminal region was shown in tetramer size that was supported by cross-linking result. Thus, we predicted that N-terminal region might be involved in the tetramerization of rSK2.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.123-130
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• 2011

Transient receptor potential melastatin 7 (TRPM7) channels are novel $Ca^{2+}$-permeable non-selective cation channels that are ubiquitously expressed. Activation of TRPM7 channels has been shown to be involved in the survival of gastric cancer cells. Here we show evidence suggesting that TRPM7 channels play an important role in $Zn^{2+}$- mediated cellular injury. Using a combination of electrophysiology, pharmacological analysis, small interfering RNA (siRNA) methods and cell death assays, we showed that activation of TRPM7 channels augmented $Zn^{2+}$-induced apoptosis of AGS cells, the most common human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line. The $Zn^{2+}$-mediated cytotoxicity was inhibited by the non-specific TRPM7 blockers $Gd^{3+}$ or 2 aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) and TRPM7 specific siRNA. In addition, we showed that overexpression of TRPM7 channels in HEK293 cells increased $Zn^{2+}$- induced cell injury. Thus, TRPM7 channels may represent a novel target for physiological disorders where $Zn^{2+}$ toxicity plays an important role.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.85-92
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• 2021

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) leads to functional decline in academic performance, interpersonal relationships, and development in school-aged children. Early diagnosis and appropriate intervention can significantly reduce the functional decline caused by ADHD. Currently, there is no established biological marker for ADHD. Some studies have suggested that various indicators from the quantitative electroencephalogram (QEEG) may be useful biological markers for the diagnosis of ADHD. Until the 2010s, theta/beta ratio (TBR) was a biomarker candidate for ADHD that consistently showed high diagnostic value. However, limitations of TBR have recently been reported. Studies have demonstrated that phase-amplitude coupling, especially theta phase-gamma amplitude coupling, are related to cognitive dysfunction and may assist in the diagnosis of ADHD. As yet, the underlying mechanism is not clearly established, and the clinical efficacy of these biomarkers needs to be proven through well-controlled studies. Based on the heterogeneous characteristics of ADHD, subgrouping through QEEG plays a key role in diagnosis and treatment planning. Sophisticated, well-designed studies and meta-analyses are necessary to confirm these findings.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.467-479
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• 2022

Working memory (WM), which plays a vital role in daily activities, is a memory system that temporarily stores and processes information when people are engaged in complex cognitive activities. The influence of music on WM has been widely studied. In this work, we conducted a series of n-back memory experiments with different task difficulties and multiple trials on 14 subjects under the condition of no music and Alpha wave leading music. The analysis of behavioral data show that the change of music condition has significant effect on the accuracy and time of memory reaction (p<0.01), both of which are improved after the stimulation of Alpha wave music. Behavioral results also suggest that short-term training has no significant impact on working memory. In the further analysis of electrophysiology (EEG) data recorded in the experiment, auto-regressive (AR) model is employed to extract features, after which an average classification accuracy of 82.9% is achieved with support vector machine (SVM) classifier in distinguishing between before and after WM enhancement. The above findings indicate that Alpha wave leading music can improve WM, and the combination of AR model and SVM classifier is effective in detecting the brain activity changes resulting from music stimulation.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제44권12호
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• pp.900-910
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• 2021

Sour is one of the fundamental taste modalities that enable taste perception in animals. Chemoreceptors embedded in taste organs are pivotal to discriminate between different chemicals to ensure survival. Animals generally prefer slightly acidic food and avoid highly acidic alternatives. We recently proposed that all acids are aversive at high concentrations, a response that is mediated by low pH as well as specific anions in Drosophila melanogaster. Particularly, some carboxylic acids such as glycolic acid, citric acid, and lactic acid are highly attractive to Drosophila compared with acetic acid. The present study determined that attractive carboxylic acids were mediated by broadly expressed Ir25a and Ir76b, as demonstrated by a candidate mutant library screen. The mutant deficits were completely recovered via wild-type cDNA expression in sweet-sensing gustatory receptor neurons. Furthermore, sweet gustatory receptors such as Gr5a, Gr61a, and Gr64a-f modulate attractive responses. These genetic defects were confirmed using binary food choice assays as well as electrophysiology in the labellum. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that at least two different kinds of receptors are required to discriminate attractive carboxylic acids from other acids.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.66-76
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• 2022

Purpose: To investigate the satisfaction of students majoring in physiotherapy and to confirm a change of perception on employment decisions after clinical training. Methods: Structured questionnaires were distributed to 500 undergraduate physiotherapy students in 2014. Data from 462 respondents were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, Wilcoxon's signed-rank, stepwise regression, and independent samples t tests. Design: Cross-section study Results: The satisfaction and perceptions of employment decision increased post-clinical training among physiotherapy students who hoped to find employment. After clinical training, the desired employment venues also changed: fewer students desired to work in rehabilitation centers and secondary hospitals, and more desired to work in university hospitals, general hospitals, public welfare centers, and the industrial company health facilities. There were changes in the preferred fields of those who hoped to find employment in the field, as well. There was decreased interest in clinical electrophysiology, sports, and women's health, and increased interest in neurology, orthopedics, and pediatrics. Conclusion: The results of this study confirmed that clinical training changes student' employment decisions and affects their desire to enter specific fields.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.69-81
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• 2021

Cortico-cortical evoked potential (CCEP) mapping is a rapidly developing method for visualizing the brain network and estimating cortical excitability. The CCEP comprises the early N1 component the occurs at 10-30 ms poststimulation, indicating anatomic connectivity, and the late N2 component that appears at < 200 ms poststimulation, suggesting long-lasting effective connectivity. A later component at 200-1,000 ms poststimulation can also appear as a delayed response in some studied areas. Such delayed responses occur in areas with changed excitability, such as an epileptogenic zone. CCEP mapping has been used to examine the brain connections causally in functional systems such as the language, auditory, and visual systems as well as in anatomic regions including the frontoparietal neocortices and hippocampal limbic areas. Task-based CCEPs can be used to measure behavior. In addition to evaluations of the brain connectome, single-pulse electrical stimulation (SPES) can reflect cortical excitability, and so it could be used to predict a seizure onset zone. CCEP brain mapping and SPES investigations could be applied both extraoperatively and intraoperatively. These underused electrophysiologic tools in basic and clinical neuroscience might be powerful methods for providing insight into measures of brain connectivity and dynamics. Analyses of CCEPs might enable us to identify causal relationships between brain areas during cortical processing, and to develop a new paradigm of effective therapeutic neuromodulation in the future.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제46권7호
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• pp.451-460
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• 2023

Animals generally prefer nutrients and avoid toxic and harmful chemicals. Recent behavioral and physiological studies have identified that sweet-sensing gustatory receptor neurons (GRNs) in Drosophila melanogaster mediate appetitive behaviors toward fatty acids. Sweet-sensing GRN activation requires the function of the ionotropic receptors IR25a, IR56d, and IR76b, as well as the gustatory receptor GR64e. However, we reveal that hexanoic acid (HA) is toxic rather than nutritious to D. melanogaster. HA is one of the major components of the fruit Morinda citrifolia (noni). Thus, we analyzed the gustatory responses to one of major noni fatty acids, HA, via electrophysiology and proboscis extension response (PER) assay. Electrophysiological tests show this is reminiscent of arginine-mediated neuronal responses. Here, we determined that a low concentration of HA induced attraction, which was mediated by sweet-sensing GRNs, and a high concentration of HA induced aversion, which was mediated by bitter-sensing GRNs. We also demonstrated that a low concentration of HA elicits attraction mainly mediated by GR64d and IR56d expressed by sweet-sensing GRNs, but a high concentration of HA activates three gustatory receptors (GR32a, GR33a, and GR66a) expressed by bitter-sensing GRNs. The mechanism of sensing HA is biphasic in a dose dependent manner. Furthermore, HA inhibit sugar-mediated activation like other bitter compounds. Taken together, we discovered a binary HA-sensing mechanism that may be evolutionarily meaningful in the foraging niche of insects.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제33권2호
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• pp.203-210
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• 2023

Taste is classified into five types, each of which has evolved to play its respective role in mammalian survival. Sour taste is one of the important ways to judge whether food has gone bad, and the sour taste receptor (PKD2L1) is the gene behind it. Here, we investigated whether ʟ-pyroglutamic acid interacts with sour taste receptors through electrophysiology and mutation experiments using Xenopus oocytes. R299 of hPKD2L1 was revealed to be involved in ʟ-pyroglutamic acid binding in a concentration-dependent manner. As a result, it is possible to objectify the change in signal intensity according to the concentration of ʟ-pyroglutamic acid, an active ingredient involved in the taste of kimchi, at the molecular level. Since the taste of other ingredients can also be measured with the method used in this experiment, it is expected that an objective database of taste can be created.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• 제10권12호
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• pp.1164-1171
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• 2004

A new multi-scale simulation model is proposed to analyze heart mechanics. Electrophysiology of a cardiac cell is numerically approximated using the previous model of human ventricular myocyte. The ion transports across cell membrane initiated by action potential induce an excitation-contraction mechanism in the cell via cross bridge dynamics. Negroni and Lascano model (NL model) is employed to calculate the tension of cross bridge which is closely related to the ion dynamics in cytoplasm. To convert the tension on cell level into contraction force of cardiac muscle, we introduce a simple geometric model of ventricle with a thin-walled hemispheric shape. It is assumed that cardiac tissue is composed of a set of cardiac myocytes and its orientation on the hemispheric surface of ventricle remains constant everywhere in the domain. Application of Laplace law to the ventricle model enables us to determine the ventricular pressure that induces blood circulation in a body. A lumped parameter model with 7 compartments is utilized to describe the systemic circulation interacting with the cardiac cell mechanism via NL model and Laplace law. Numerical simulation shows that the ion transports in cell level eventually generate blood hemodynamics on system level via cross bridge dynamics and Laplace law. Computational results using the present multi-scale model are well compared with the existing ones. Especially it is shown that the typical characteristics of heart mechanics, such as pressure volume relation, stroke volume and ejection fraction, can be generated by the present multi-scale cardiovascular model, covering from cardiac cells to circulation system.