• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.21-31
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• 2008

Analyzing the results of East Sea Regional Ocean Model using a 3-dimensional variational data assimilation scheme, we investigated spatial and temporal variability of the North Korean Cold Current (NKCC) in the East Sea. The climatological monthly mean transport of the NKCC clearly shows seasonal variation of the NKCC within the range of about 0.35 Sv ($=0^6m^3/s$), which increases from its minimum (about 0.45 Sv) through December-January to March, decreases during March and May, and then increases again to the maximum (about 0.8 Sv) in August-September. The volume transport of the NKCC shows interannual variation of the NKCC with the range of about 1.0 Sv that is larger than seasonal variation. The southward current of the NKCC appears often not only in summer but in winter as well. The width of the NKCC is about 35 km near the Korean coast and its core is located under the East Korea Warm Current. The North Korean Cold Water (NKCW), characterized by low salinity and low temperature, is located both under the Tsushima Warm Water and in the western side of the maximum southward current of the NKCC that means the NKCC advects the NKCW southward along the Korean coast. It is revealed that the intermediate low salinity water, formed off the Vladivostok in winter, flows southward to the south of $37^{\circ}N$ through $2{\sim}3$ paths; one path along the Korean coast, another one along $132^{\circ}E$, and the middle path along $130^{\circ}E$. The path of the intermediate low salinity varies with years. The reanalysis fields suggest that the NKCW is advected through the paths along the Korean coast and along $130^{\circ}E$.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.173-181
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• 2015

We identified the $Na^+-K^+-2Cl^-$ cotransporter 2 (NKCC2) cDNA isoform from starry flounder, Platichthys stellate. The NKCC2 cDNA encoded a polypeptide of 1,043 amino acids representing 12 putative transmembrane domains based on the bioinformatic topology prediction. In addition, starry flounder NKCC2 possessed highly conserved residues within transmembrane domain 4, known as an essential site for its function. End-point reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that the NKCC2 transcript was moderately expressed only in the anterior and posterior intestines and the rectum. The NKCC2 mRNA level in the rectum, but not in other segments, was significantly induced 3 days post Streptococcus parauberis challenge, indicating that excess salt may be transported into the rectum. Taken together, our data indicate that an S. parauberis infection could tip the intestinal fluid balance in favor of fluid accumulation, indicating that bacterial pathogens can interfere with intestinal osmotic balance and normal mucosal immune homeostasis.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.249-255
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• 2015

Wnk kinase maintains cell volume, regulating various transporters such as sodium-chloride cotransporter, potassium-chloride cotransporter, and sodium-potassium-chloride cotransporter 1 (NKCC1) through the phosphorylation of oxidative stress responsive kinase 1 (OSR1) and STE20/SPS1-related proline/alanine-rich kinase (SPAK). However, the activating mechanism of Wnk kinase in specific tissues and specific conditions is broadly unclear. In the present study, we used a human salivary gland (HSG) cell line as a model and showed that $Ca^{2+}$ may have a role in regulating Wnk kinase in the HSG cell line. Through this study, we found that the HSG cell line expressed molecules participating in the WNK-OSR1-NKCC pathway, such as Wnk1, Wnk4, OSR1, SPAK, and NKCC1. The HSG cell line showed an intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$) increase in response to hypotonic stimulation, and the response was synchronized with the phosphorylation of OSR1. Interestingly, when we inhibited the hypotonically induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ increase with nonspecific $Ca^{2+}$ channel blockers such as 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate, gadolinium, and lanthanum, the phosphorylated OSR1 level was also diminished. Moreover, a cyclopiazonic acid-induced passive $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ elevation was evoked by the phosphorylation of OSR1, and the amount of phosphorylated OSR1 decreased when the cells were treated with BAPTA, a $Ca^{2+}$ chelator. Finally, through that process, NKCC1 activity also decreased to maintain the cell volume in the HSG cell line. These results indicate that $Ca^{2+}$ may regulate the WNK-OSR1 pathway and NKCC1 activity in the HSG cell line. This is the first demonstration that indicates upstream $Ca^{2+}$ regulation of the WNK-OSR1 pathway in intact cells.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.273-278
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• 1995

The effect of methamphetamine on the pulmonary metastasis was investigated in C57BL/6 mice injected with Bl6 melanoma cells. Bl6 melanoma cells (2$\times$10$^{5}$ cells) were injected intravenously into 5~7 weeks old C57BL/6 mice. Mice were then treated intraperitoneally with methamphetamine either acutely (two times with one week interval) or subchronically (daily for 14 days). Degree of pulmonary metastasis was investigated and specific immunologic parameters such as natural killer cell cytotoxicity(NKCC), antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity(ADCC) and blastogenic responses of splenocytes were examined. Mice which had been subchronically treated with methamphetamine showed significant decreases in the number of pulmonary metastasis of Bl6 melanoma cells, NKCC and ADCC without a significant change in blastogenic responses. In the acutely-treated group, slight trends of decrease in the numbers of pulmonary metastasis, NKCC and ADCC were observed without statistical significances whereas there was a significant increase in blastogenic responses. The mechanism underlying the decrease in the degree of metastasis despite diminished NKCC and ADCC after methamphetamine treatment and the relationship between the degree of pulmonary metastasis and duration of methamphetamine treatment remain to be investigated.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 1981

The seasonal variations of surface current patterns in the Japan Sea were drawn out from the results of drift bottle experiments, current measurements and hydrographic observations during 1979∼1980. The North Korean Cold Current(NKCC) and the East Korean Warm Current(EKWC) were common features of circulation in the eastern sea of Korea. The intrusion of NKCC along the Korean coast became strong in summer(average velocity of 47.4cm/sec off Jumunjin and 23.4cm/sec near Jugbyeon) when the Tsushima Current was strong. But there was no indication of the NKCC in November 1979. Dynamic topography(August & November 1979) and satellite picture(November 1979) seemed to show the topographic steering of EKWC beginning off Janggigab. Drift bottles arrived at the Japaness coast were affected significantly by the strong Tsushima Current in summer and by the predominant northwesterlies in winter instead of weak current.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.490-503
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• 2020

Oceanic current and circulation have played an important role as regulators of the earth's energy distribution. The science and earth science textbooks for secondary schools based on the 2015 revised curriculum included a misconception of the seasonal variation of the North Korea Cold Current (NKCC) among the currents around the Korean Peninsula. To analyze this, the contents related to the NKCC were collected in the textbooks of five middle and six high schools, and a questionnaire survey was conducted on 30 middle school science teachers. The survey consisted of questions about whether the textbook mentions the NKCC and whether there is an error in the concept of the temporal variation of the NKCC, and the teachers' free opinions related to the NKCC were collected. The textbooks suggest that the NKCC is strongest in winter, which is not consistent with scientific findings so far. In fact, there is scientific evidence that the NKCC is the strongest in the summer. In this study, the causes and processes of misconceptions were investigated. According to an analysis of the survey, most teachers had an knowledge that the NKCC is stronger in winter. These errors began with a misconception of the terms, which teachers had imprinted on their memory as firm knowledge. These misconceptions originated from the knowledge that teachers themselves acquired from their secondary school years and have long been transferred back to teachers and students without revising the misconceptions of textbooks. This situation is expected to have a seriously recurrent structure that produces students' serious misconceptions in the future. Therefore, this study summarizes existing results on the seasonal variability of the NKCC and suggests the necessity for re-education to improve teachers' professionalism and to eliminate the misconceptions of teachers and students.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.95-112
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• 2003

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.165-177
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• 2014

In an effort to investigate the structure and variability of the coastal current in the East Sea, a moored ADCP observation was conducted off Uljin from late May to mid-October 2006. Owing to the transition of season from summer to autumn, the features of the current and wind can be divided into two parts. Until mid-August (Part-I), a southward flow is dominant at all depths with a mean alongshore velocity of 4.2~8.9 cm/s but northward winds are not strong enough to reverse the near-surface current. During Part-II, a strong northward current occurs frequently in the upper layer but winds are predominantly southward including two typhoons that have deep-reaching influence. Profile of mean velocity has three layers with a northward velocity embedded at 12~28 m depth. The near-surface current of Part-II significantly coheres with winds at 4-8 day periods with a phase lag of about 12 hours. The modal structure of the current obtained by EOF analysis is: (1) Mode-1, having 83.6% of total variance, represents the current in the same direction at all depths corresponding to the southward North Korean Cold Current (NKCC). (2) Mode-2 (11.7%) reveals a two-layer structure that can be explained by the northward East Korean Warm Current (EKWC) in the upper layer and NKCC in the lower. (3) Mode-3 (2.6%) has three layers, in which the EKWC is reversed near the surface by opposing winds. This mode is particularly similar to the mean velocity profile of Part-II.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.287-302
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• 2003

The seasonal variations in the circulation of the water mass in the East Sea/Japan Sea have been simulated using a free surface primitive ocean model, RIAMOM (RIAM Ocean Model), comparing the results from GFDL-MOM1 (Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Modular Ocean Model, version 1.1, hereafter MOM) with the GDEM (Generalized Digital Environmental Model) data. Both models appear to successfully reproduce the distinct features of circulation in the East Sea/Japan Sea, such as the NB (Nearshore Branch) flowing along the Japanese coast, the EKWC (East Korean Warm Current) flowing northward along the Korean coast, and the NKCC/LCC (North Korean Cold Current/Liman Cold Current) flowing southwestward along Korean/Russian coast. RIAMOM has shown better performance, compared to MOM, in terms of the realistic simulation of the flow field in the East Sea/Japan Sea; RIAMOM has produced more rectified flows on the coastal region, for example, the narrower and stronger NKCC/LCC than MOM has. There is however obvious differences between the model results and the GDEM data in terms of the calculation of the water mass; both models have shown a tendency to overpredict temperature and underpredict salinity below 50m; more diffusive forms of thermocline and halocline have been simulated than noted in GDEM data.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.215-220
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• 1996

Seasonal and interannual variations of the oceanic condition in the surface layer of the northwestern East Sea are described. The seasonal variation shows two types in the water circulation. In the first type the East Korean Warm Current (EUC) Water are dominant in the East Korean Bay in spring, while in summer the cold water region develops as the North Korean Cold Current (NKCC) becomes strong. In the second type the cold water appears in the East Korean Bay from spring, but in summer the EKWC comes close to the coast, thus influencing the coastal cold water region. The characteristics of the interannual variation can be classified into 4 types according to the relative strength between the EKWC and the NKCC, and the paths of these currents. In each case various sizes of cyclonic cold eddies and/or anti-cyclonic warm eddies are formed frequently in the East Korean Bay.