Bongju Kim

To clarify the role of mitochondrial Na(+)-Ca(2+) exchange (NCX(mito)) in regulating mitochondrial Ca(2+) (Ca(2+)(mito)) concentration at intact and depolarized mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi(mito)), we measured Ca(2+)(mito) and DeltaPsi(mito) using fluorescence probes Rhod-2 and TMRE, respectively, in the permeabilized rat ventricular cells. Applying 300 nm cytoplasmic Ca(2+) (Ca(2+)(c)) increased Ca(2+)(mito) and this increase was attenuated by cytoplasmic Na(+) (Na(+)(c)) with an

Bone is a complex structure with unique cellular and molecular process in its formation. Bone tissue regeneration is a well-organized and routine process at the cellular and molecular level in humans through the activation of biochemical pathways and protein expression. Though many forms of biomaterials have been applied for bone tissue regeneration, electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds have attracted more attention among researchers with their physicochemical properties such as tensile strength, p

Clear aligner technology has become the preferred choice of orthodontic treatment for malocclusions for most adult patients due to their esthetic appeal and comfortability. However, limitations exist for aligner technology, such as corrections involving complex force systems. Composite attachments on the tooth surface are intended to enable active control of tooth movements. However, unintended tooth movements still occur. In this study, we present an effective attachment design of an attachment

Malocclusion is considered as a developmental disorder rather than a disease, and it may be affected by the composition and proportions of masseter muscle fibers. Orthodontics is a specialty of dentistry that deals with diagnosis and care of various irregular bite and/or malocclusion. Recent developments of 3D scanner and 3D printing technology has led to the use of a removable thermoplastic aligner (RTA), which is widely used due to its aesthetic excellence, comfortableness, and time efficiency

Tissue engineering has recently emerged as a novel strategy for the regeneration of damaged skeletal muscle tissues due to its ability to regenerate tissue. However, tissue engineering is challenging due to the need for state-of-the-art interdisciplinary studies involving material science, biochemistry, and mechanical engineering. For this reason, electrospinning and three-dimensional (3D) printing methods have been widely studied because they can insert embedded muscle cells into an extracellul

Contemporary advances in three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting technologies have enabled the fabrication of tailored live 3D tissue mimetics. Furthermore, the development of advanced bioink materials has been highlighted to accurately reproduce the composition of a native extracellular matrix and mimic the intrinsic properties of laden cells. Recent research has shown that MXene is one of promising nanobiomaterials with osteogenic activity for bone grafts and scaffolds due to its unique atomic stru

Neural tissue regeneration is a significant challenge, because severe nerve injury is quite difficult to regenerate spontaneously. Although, many studies have been devoted to promote nerve regeneration, there are still many technical challenges to achieve satisfactory results. In this study, we designed biomimetic matrices composed of aligned laminin core-polydioxanone/collagen shell (Lam-PDO/Col) fibers, which can provide both topographical and biochemical cues for promoting neuritogenesis. The

Cytoplasmic Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) increases upon activation of antigen-receptor in lymphocytes. Mitochondria have been suggested to regulate the [Ca(2+)](i) response, but the molecular mechanisms and the roles are poorly understood. To clarify them, we carried out a combination study of mathematical simulations and knockout or knockdown of NCLX, a gene candidate for the mitochondrial Na(+)-Ca(2+) exchanger (NCX(mit)), in B lymphocytes. A mathematical model of Ca(2+) dynamics in B ly

The initial stability of a dental implant is known to be an indicator of osseointegration at immediate loading upon insertion. Implant designs have a fundamental role in the initial stability. Although new designs with advanced surface technology have been suggested for the initial stability of implant systems, verification is not simple because of various assessment factors. Our study focused on comparing the initial stability between two different implant systems via design aspects. A simulate

This study was performed to verify the influence of scanning-aid materials on the accuracy and time efficiency of full-arch scanning with intraoral scanners. The full-arch reference model was constructed by a 3D printer and scanned with a model scanner to obtain the reference dataset. Four experimental groups (application of ScanCure (SC-80, ODS Co, Incheon, Korea), IP Scan Spray (IP-Division, Haimhausen, Germany) and Vita Powder Scan Spray (Vita Zahnfabrik, Stuttgart, Germany), and no treatment

We report the results of temperature-dependent neutron powder diffraction experiments on (1−x)BiScO3–xPbTiO3 (x=0.62, 0.64, and 0.66) within the morphotropic phase boundary. In all samples the monoclinic phase is found to coexist with the tetragonal phase below the ferroelectric transition temperature. The details of structural information demonstrate a delicate balance between the coexisting two phases for x=0.64. Such delicate balance is suggested to be sensitive to an external electric field,