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Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by the rapid abnormal growth of skin cells in the epidermis, driven by an overactive immune system. Consequently, a complex interplay among epidermal cells, immune cells, and sensory neurons contributes to the development and progression of psoriasis. In these cellular contexts, various ion channels, such as acetylcholine receptors, TRP channels, Ca2+ release-activated channels, chloride channels, and potassium channels, each serve specific functions to maintain the homeostasis of the skin. The dysregulation of ion channels plays a major role in the pathophysiology of psoriasis, affecting various aspects of epidermal cells, immune responses, and sensory neuron signaling. Impaired function of ion channels can lead to altered calcium signaling, inflammation, proliferation, and sensory signaling, all of which are central features of psoriasis. This overview summarizes the pathophysiological roles of ion channels in epidermal cells, immune cells, and sensory neurons during early and late psoriatic processes, thereby contributing to a deeper understanding of ion channel involvement in the interplay of psoriasis and making a crucial advance toward more precise and personalized approaches for psoriasis treatment.

Psoriasis, a long-lasting and multifactorial skin disease, is related to comorbidities such as metabolic disease, depression, and psoriatic arthritis. Psoriasis occurs due to a variety of factors including keratinocyte hyperproliferation, inflammation, and abnormal differentiation. Proinflammatory cytokines upregulated by increased activation of keratinocytes and immune cells in the skin trigger progression of psoriasis. This study aimed to investigate the effects of anoctamin1 (ANO1) on psoriasis development in vitro and in vivo. We analyzed the proliferation of HaCaT keratinocytes and ANO1-related ERK and AKT signaling pathways after ANO1 inhibitor (T16Ainh-A01 and Ani9) treatment and knock-down of ANO1. Furthermore, after applying imiquimod (IMQ) cream or coapplying IMQ cream and T16Ainh-A01 on mouse ears, we not only observed psoriatic symptoms, including ear thickening, but also quantified the effects of treatment on ERK and AKT signaling-involved proteins and proinflammatory cytokines. Inhibition of ANO1 attenuated the proliferation of HaCaT cells and induced reduction of pERK1/2. Coapplication of IMQ and T16Ainh-A01 on ears of mice reduced not only symptoms of IMQ-induced psoriasis such as thickening and erythema, but also expression of ANO1 and pERK1/2 compared to that of application of IMQ alone. In addition, the expression levels of IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-22, IL-23, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α increased after applying IMQ and were significantly reduced by coapplying IMQ and T16Ainh-A01. These results aid in understanding the underlying mechanisms of ANO1 in epidermal layer keratinocyte hyperproliferation and suggest the potential of ANO1 as a target to treat psoriasis.

Excessive use of alcohol can induce neurobiological and neuropathological alterations in the brain, including the hippocampus and forebrain, through changes in neurotransmitter systems, hormonal systems, and neuroimmune processes. We aimed to investigate the effects of ethanol on the expression of coding and noncoding RNAs in a brain-derived cell line exposed to ethanol. After exposing Neuro2a cells, a neuroblastoma cell line, to ethanol for 24 and 72 h, we observed cell proliferation and analyzed up- and downregulated mRNAs and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) using total RNA-Seq technology. We validated the differential expression of some mRNAs and lncRNAs by RT-qPCR and analyzed the expression of Cebpd and Rnu3a through knock-down of Cebpd. Cell proliferation was significantly reduced in cells exposed to 100 mM ethanol for 72 h, with 1773 transcripts up- or downregulated by greater than three-fold in ethanol-treated cells compared to controls. Of these, 514 were identified as lncRNAs. Differentially expressed mRNAs and lncRNAs were mainly observed in cells exposed to ethanol for 72 h, in which Atm and Cnr1 decreased, but Trib3, Cebpd, and Spdef increased. On the other hand, lncRNAs Kcnq1ot1, Tug1, and Xist were changed by ethanol, and Rnu3a in particular was greatly increased by chronic ethanol treatment through inhibition of Cebpd. Our results increase the understanding of cellular and molecular mechanisms related to coding and noncoding RNAs in an in vitro model of acute and chronic exposure to ethanol.

The research on resveratrol (1) has been conducted intensively over a long time due to its proven antioxidant activity and disease-fighting capabilities. Many efforts have also been made to increase these biological effects. In the present study, six new extended aromatic resveratrol analogues containing naphthalene (2) and its bioisosteres quinoline (3 and 4), isoquinoline (5) quinoxaline (6) and quinazoline (7) scaffolds were designed and synthesized using an annulation strategy. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of these compounds were investigated. All compounds showed better antioxidant activity than resveratrol in ABTS assay. As for the anti-inflammatory test, 5 and 7 exhibited better activity than resveratrol. It is worth noting that nitrogen substitution on the extended aromatic resveratrol analogues has a significant impact on cell viability. Taking the antioxidant activities and NO inhibition activities into consideration, we conclude that isoquinoline analogue 5 may qualify for the further investigation of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory therapy. Furthermore, our study results suggest that in order to improve the biological activity of polyphenolic compounds, extended aromaticity and nitrogen substitution strategy could be a viable method for the design of future drug candidates.

Lung cancer cases are increasing yearly; however, few novel therapeutic strategies for treating this disease have been developed. Here the dysregulation between microRNAs and oncogenes or tumour-suppressor genes forms a close connection-loop to the development or progression in human lung carcinogenesis. That is, the relationship between microRNAs and carcinogenic mechanism may find the critical clue to improve the treatment efficacy. Accordingly, we identified and characterised a novel microRNA, hsa-miR-12528, in A549 cells. The miR-12528 expression was aberrantly downregulated in cancer cell lines and in the patient tissues derived from human non-small cell lung cancer. In addition, we found that miR-12528 post-transcriptionally controls the translation of the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) gene by directly targeting the 3′-untranslated region of IGF-1R mRNA. Notably, the IGF-1R gene is elevated in the majority of cancers and may be an attractive therapeutic target for anticancer therapy because elevated IGF-1R mediates the signalling amplification of a major oncogenic pathway in neoplasia. In A549 cells, miR-12528 overexpression epigenetically altered the downstream phosphorylation of the primary IGF-1R networks, negatively regulated proliferation, apoptosis and migratory activity, and consequently inhibited tumourigenesis and metastasis in vivo. Therefore, our discovery of hsa-miR-12528 may be able to be applied to the development of molecular-target therapeutic strategies and diagnosis-specific biomarkers for human lung cancer.

Jeong, Y.-M.; Jeon, H.-S.; Jeong, Y.-H., and Hur, D.-S., 2023. Numerical study on early sand movement in front of a coastal revetment using the NWT-DEM two-way coupled model. In: Lee, J.L.; Lee, H.; Min, B.I.; Chang, J.-I.; Cho, G.T.; Yoon, J.-S., and Lee, J. (eds.), Multidisciplinary Approaches to Coastal and Marine Management. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 116, pp. 51-55. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. The two-way coupled analysis of a particle method and a wave field model was conducted to examine numerically the characteristics of early sand movement in front of a coastal revetment. The coupled model used in this study can not only consider the interaction among the wave, coastal revetement, and ground but also represent early sand movement in front of coastal revetment under waves. The validity and usefulness of a particle method of Discrete Element Method (DEM) was ensured by comparing angle of repose for quartz sand with the results of a hydraulic experiment. The early sand movement occurring in front of coastal revetment was numerical compared using the two-way coupled model with early sand behavior amount caused by the reflected wave and the interaction between the wave, coastal revetment, and ground. In general, as the exposure of the coastal revetment to the waves increases, the scour depth in front of the structure increases. The maximum scour depth increases by 9 to 150% depending on the locations of the coastal revetments considered in this study. Moreover, the active sand movement in front of coastal revetment and the exposure and leakage of the terrain base at large scour depths can ultimately cause collapse and safety problems. Thus, the wave-particle interaction analysis of this study can be a numerical analysis for examining safety owing to sand movements caused by waves in front of coastal revetment.

The two-way coupled analysis of a particle method and a wave field model was conducted to examine numerically the characteristics of early sand movement in front of a coastal revetment. The coupled model used in this study can not only consider the interaction among the wave, coastal revetement, and ground but also represent early sand movement in front of coastal revetment under waves. The validity and usefulness of a particle method of Discrete Element Method (DEM) was ensured by comparing angle of repose for quartz sand with the results of a hydraulic experiment. The early sand movement occurring in front of coastal revetment was numerical compared using the two-way coupled model with early sand behavior amount caused by the reflected wave and the interaction between the wave, coastal revetment, and ground. In general, as the exposure of the coastal revetment to the waves increases, the scour depth in front of the structure increases. The maximum scour depth increases by 9 to 150% depending on the locations of the coastal revetments considered in this study. Moreover, the active sand movement in front of coastal revetment and the exposure and leakage of the terrain base at large scour depths can ultimately cause collapse and safety problems. Thus, the wave-particle interaction analysis of this study can be a numerical analysis for examining safety owing to sand movements caused by waves in front of coastal revetment.

Lee, W.D.; Jeong, Y.H., and Jeon, H.S., 2019. Groundwater flow analysis in a coastal aquifer with the coexistence of seawater and freshwater by using a non-hydrostatic pressure model. In: Lee, J.L.; Yoon, J.-S.; Cho, W.C.; Muin, M., and Lee, J. (eds.), The 3rd International Water Safety Symposium. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 91, pp. 121-125. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. The study proposes a new hydrostatic pressure model for flow analysis of a coastal aquifer wherein seawater and freshwater coexist. The numerical model introduces an advection–diffusion equation for salinity and temperature to trace the behaviors of seawater and freshwater in the Navier–Stokes (N-S) solver based on the porous body model (PBM) that considers the characteristics of a coastal aquifer (e.g., particle size, porosity, and shape). Furthermore, the density current is analyzed based on a state equation that determines the properties of water (density and viscosity) based on salinity and temperature. This enables the flow analysis of a coastal aquifer based on non-linear interferences between seawater and freshwater. In order to validate the proposed numerical model, a numerical constant water head permeability test device is set up, and the calculated permeability coefficient of the porous media exhibits a high degree of agreement with the value measured in the experiment. Flow simulations of a coastal aquifer are conducted based on the water level difference and salinity difference between seawater and groundwater. Additionally, hydrodynamic characteristics are analyzed from the water table, flow field, salinity distribution, and maximum penetration distance of the coastal aquifer. Specifically, an in-depth discussion of the diffusion of salinity near the shoreline and the movements of the seawater and freshwater interface is presented, which is largely absent in extant models.

Engineering plastics have been applied to automobile components to reduce the weight of an automobile and in essence, improve fuel efficiency. In this study, the application of polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (PC/ABS) based composite material to the car audio chassis was investigated with respect to the key properties of a car audio chassis mainly through vibration analyses, injection molding analyses and electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) tests. A PC/ABS based composite material was designed for replacing carbon steel of current car audio chassis. Before mocking up a prototype of a car audio chassis, two key factors, i.e. injection molding analyses and vibration analyses, were investigated numerically. Next, an actual injection molding of a car audio chassis based on the injection molding analysis results was carried out for various temperature conditions and two types of catapults. The optimum temperature condition and catapult type were determined by observing the distributions of composite fillers of the injection molding chassis microscopically. In addition, base excitation vibration tests were executed to obtain the vibration characteristics of the car audio chassis. Finally, EMI SE of the newly designed car audio chassis was measured to determine whether the injection molding chassis satisfied the EMI SE regulation.

Anti cancer agent 5-FU (Fluoro Uracil) is a prodrug that can be metabolized and then activated to interfere with RNA and DNA homeostasis. However, the majority of administered 5-FU is known to be catabolized in vivo in the liver where Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) is abundantly expressed to degrade 5-FU. The biological factors that correlate with the response to 5-FU-based chemotherapy have been proposed to include uridine phosphorylase (UPP), thymidine phosphorylase (TPP), p53 and microsatellite instability. Among these, the expression of UPP is known to be controlled by cytokines such as TNF-α, IL1 and IFN-γ. Our preliminary study using a DNA microarray technique showed that basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) markedly induced the expression of UPP1 at the transcription level. In the present study, we investigated whether bFGF could modulate the expression of UPP1 in osteo-lineage cells and examined the sensitivity of these cells to 5-FU mediated apoptosis.