• International Journal of Vascular Biomedical Engineering
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.1-9
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• 2005

Flow-induced dilation of blood vessel is the result of a series of bioreaction in vascular endothelial cells(VEC). Shear stress change by blood flow in human artery or vein is sensed by the mechanoreceptor and responsible for such a chain reaction. The inositol(1,4,5)-triphophate($IP_3$) is produced in the first stage to elevate permeability of the intercellular membrane to calcium ions by which the cytosolic calcium concentration is consequently increased. This intracellular calcium transient triggers synthesis of EDRF and prostacyclin. The mathematical model of this VEC calcium dynamics is reproduced from the literature. We then use the Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD) technique to investigate the blood stream dictating the VEC calcium dynamics. The pulsatile blood flow in a stenosed blood vessel is considered here as a part of study on thrombogenesis. We calculate the pulsating shear stress (thus its temporal change) distributed over the stenosed artery that is implemented to the VEC calcium dynamics model. It has been found that the pulsatile shear stress induces larger intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ transient plus much higher amount of EDRF and prostacyclin release in comparison with the steady shear stress case. It is concluded that pulsatility of the physiological shear stress is important to keep the vasodilation function in the stenosed part of the blood vessel.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.363-369
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• 2005

It is imperative to analyse brain injuries directly in real time, so as to find effective therapeutic compounds to protect brain injuries by stress. We established a system which could elucidate the real time $Ca^{2+}$ dynamics in an organotypic cultured hippocampal slice by the insults of artificial stress hormone, dexamethasone. The real time $Ca^{2+}$ dynamics could continuously be detected in cornus ammonis 3 (CA3) of the organotypic hippocampus for 8 hours under confocal microscopy. When dexamethasone concentration was increased, the $Ca^{2+}$ was also increased in a dose dependent manner at $1{\sim}100{\mu}M$ concentrations. Moreover, when the organotypic cultured hippocampal slice was treated with a glutamate receptor antagonist together with dexamethasone, the real time $Ca^{2+}$ dynamics were decreased. Furthermore, we confirmed by PI uptake study that glutamate receptor antagonist reduced the hippocampal tissue damage caused by dexamethasone treatment. Therefore, our new calcium ion dynamics system in organotypic cultured hippocampal slice after dexamethasone treatment could provide real time analysis method for investigation of brain injuries by stress.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.44 no.3 s.298
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• pp.175-181
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• 2007

Molecular dynamics simulation (MD) of $(62-x)CaO{\cdot}38Al_{2}O_{3}{\cdot}xBaO$ glasses has been carried out using empirical potentials with the covalent term. The simulations closely reproduce the total neutron correlation functions of glass with 5 mol% BaO and physical properties of these glasses such as elastic constants. For these glasses, aluminum is tetrahedrally coordinated by oxygen, but there is a part of five-fold and six-fold coordination of aluminum. There are no major changes to the mid-range structure of glass, as barium is substituted for calcium. To predict the barium coordination number, we have used the bond valence (BV) theory and also compared the results of simulation with Bond valence. The coordination number for oxygen around barium atoms is close to 8 and the average distance of barium and oxygen is nearly 2.80 A. The viscosity of these glasses increases with the content of barium oxide substituted for calcium oxide.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.107-114
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• 2016

Maintenance of fasting blood glucose levels is important for glucose homeostasis. Disruption of feedback mechanisms are a major reason for elevations of glucose level in blood, which is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus that is mainly caused by malfunction of pancreatic beta-cell and insulin. The fasting blood glucose level has been known to be influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Mitochondria have many functions for cell survival and death: glucose metabolism, fatty acid oxidation, ATP generation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism, calcium handling, and apoptosis regulation. In addition to these functions, mitochondria change their morphology dynamically in response to multiple signals resulting in fusion and fission. In this study, we aimed to examine association between fasting blood glucose levels and variants of the genes that are reported to have functions in mitochondrial dynamics, fusion and fission, using a cohort study. A total 416 SNPs from 36 mitochondrial dynamics genes were selected to analyze the quantitative association with fasting glucose level. Among the 416 SNPs, 4 SNPs of PRKACB, 13 SNPs of PPP3CA, 6 SNPs of PARK2, and 3 SNPs of GDAP1 were significantly associated. In this study, we were able to confirm an association of mitochondrial dynamics genes with glucose levels. To our knowledge our study is the first to identify specific SNPs related to fasting blood glucose level.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.13-23
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• 2009

Recent advances in cell biological and genetic researches have revealed that mitochondrial morphology is highly dynamic and regulated by multiple molecular factors including dynamin-related proteins (DRPs). Considering that the mitochondria play critical roles in the cellular metabolism via ATP synthesis, calcium homeostasis in cooperation with endoplasmic reticulum, and apoptosis, the failure of mitochondrial dynamics is infrequently related to the failure in the normal growth and cellular integrity. In this respect, alteration of mitochondrial dynamics may greatly affect the development of nervous system. In this short review, we discussed molecules involved in the control of mitochondrial dynamics, and provide some perspectives on their significance in the neuronal development.

• 한국생태학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.08a
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• pp.101-105
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• 2002

Fine root decomposition and nutrient release patterns were examined using in situ buried fine root (< 2mm in diameter) bags inserted vertically into the mineral soil to a depth of the top 15 cm in a sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima) and a Korean pine (Pinus korainesis) stands in the Jungbu Forest Experiment Station, Kyonggi-do, Korea. The pine roots compared with the oak roots showed rapid mass loss in early stages of decomposition, but decomposed similarly after 12 months of incubation. Decomposition rates of fine roots were about 33%/yr for the oak roots and 37%/yr for the pine roots. Nutrients except for calcium and phosphorus showed similar concentrations between the oak and the pine roots during the study period. However, calcium concentration was significantly higher in the oak than in the pine roots. Nutrient concentrations in both stands except for nitrogen decreased during the study period. In addition, potassium compared with other nutrients was the most mobile ion and about 70% of initial amount was released during the first 3 months of incubation. The results indicate that tree species influence mass loss and nutrient dynamics of fine roots on similar site conditions.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.235-239
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• 2002

Fine root decomposition and nutrient release patterns were examined using in situ buried fine root (＜ 2mm in diameter) bags inserted vertically into the mineral soil to a depth of the top 15 cm in a sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima) and a Korean pine (Pinus korainesis) stands in the Jungbu Forest Experiment Station, Kyonggi-do, Korea. The pine roots compared with the oak roots showed rapid mass loss in early stages of decomposition, but decomposed similarly after 12 months of incubation. Decomposition rates of fine roots were about 33%/yr for the oak roots and 37$\%$/yr for the pine roots. Nutrients except for calcium and phosphorus showed similar concentrations between the oak and the pine roots during the study period. However, calcium concentration was significantly higher in the oak than in the pine roots. Nutrient concentrations in both stands except for nitrogen decreased during the study period. In addition, potassium compared with other nutrients was the most mobile ion and about 70$\%$ of initial amount was released during the first 3 months of incubation. The results indicate that tree species influence mass loss and nutrient dynamics of fine roots on similar site conditions.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.305-317
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• 2016

Porous materials such as concrete could be subjected to aggressive ions transport. Durability of cement paste is extremely depended on water and ions penetration into its interior sections. These ions transport could lead different damages depending on reactivity of ions, their concentrations and diffusion coefficients. In this paper, chloride diffusion process in cement hydrates is simulated at atomistic scale using molecular dynamics. Most important phase of cement hydrates is calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H). Tobermorite, one of the most famous crystal analogues of C-S-H, is used as substrate in the simulation model. To conduct simulation, a nanopore is considered in the middle of simulation cell to place water molecules and aggressive ions. Different chloride salts are considered in models to find out which one is better for calculation of the transport properties. Diffusion coefficients of water molecules and chloride ions are calculated and validated with existing analytical and experimental works. There are relatively good agreements among simulation outputs and experimental results.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.501-511
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• 1994

Dynamics of nutrients, non-polar, water solubles, acid solubles and acid insolubles (lignin) in decomposing litter were investigated for 2 years in the oak, Quercus acutissima, and the pitch pine, Pinus rigida, stands in the vicinity of Kongju, Chungnam Province. Nitrogen and phosphorus conetrations in decomposing litter increased with time elapsed, however, potassium decreased rapidly within three months and then remined constant with time elapsed. Calcium concentration in needle litter during experimental period was lower than that of initial concentration in needle litter during experimental period was lower than that of initial concentration, and showed no significant variation with time elapsed. Calcium concentration in oak litter during the experimental period, however, were higher than that of initial concentration. Magnesium concentration in oak litter decreased repidly during six months, and then remaines constant thereafter. Annual amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium which returned to soil via litter decomposition in the oak and the pitch pine stands was $3.3g/m^2$ and $0.9g/m^2$ for N, $0.03g/m^2$ and $0.01g/m^2$ for P, $1.3g/m^2$ and $0.7g/m^2$ for K, $0.7g/m^2$ and $1.2g/m^2$ for Ca, $0.9g/m^2$ and $0.4g/m^2$ for Mg, respectively. Non-polar, and water- and acid-soluble fractions in decomposing litter decreased and lignin increased with time.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.9
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• pp.235-245
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• 2017

Background: Loading of excess nutrient via bioremediation of polluted sediment to overlying water could trigger anoxia and eutrophication in coastal area. The aim of this research was to understand the changes of overlying water features such as dissolved oxygen (DO); pH; oxidation reduction potential (ORP); $chlorophyll-{\alpha}$ ($Chl-{\alpha}$); and nitrogen nutrients ammonia ($N-NH_4{^+}$), nitrate ($N-NO_3{^-}$), and nitrite ($N-NO_2^-$) when the sediment was not treated (control) and treated by calcium peroxide for 5 weeks. Methods: The water samples were analyzed for measuring physical and chemical properties along with the sediment analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) including denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) for identifying the phylogenetic affiliation of microbial communities. Results: Results showed that due to the addition of calcium peroxide in sediment, the overlying water exposed the rise of dissolve oxygen, pH, and ORP than control. Among the nitrogen nutrients, ammonia inhibition was higher in calcium peroxide treatment than control but in case of nitrate inhibition, it was reversed than control. $Chlorophyll-{\alpha}$ was declined in treatment column water by 30% where it was 20% in control column water. Actibacter and Salegentibacter group were detectable in the calcium-peroxide-treated sediment; in contrary, no detectable community ware found in control sediment. Both phylogenetic groups are closely related to marine microflora. Conclusions: This study emphasizes the importance of calcium peroxide as an oxygen release material. Interaction with peroxide proved to be enhancing the formation of microbial community that are beneficial for biodegradation and spontaneity of nutrient attenuation into overlying water.