• 제목/요약/키워드: Biological threat

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현대사회의 환경변화에 따른 Bio-Terror의 위협요인 연구 (A Study on the Threat of Biological Terrorism in modern society)

  • 강영숙;김태환
    • 한국재난정보학회 논문집
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    • 제1권1호
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    • pp.3-26
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    • 2005
  • In recent years, there is growing concern about the potential use of biological agents in war or acts of terrorism accompanied an increased realization that rapid preparedness and response are needed to prevent or treat the human damage that can be caused by these agents. The threat is indeed serious, and the potential for devastating numbers of casualties is high. The use of agents as weapons, even on a small scale, has the potential for huge social and economic disruption and massive diversion of regional and national resources to combat the threat, to treat primary disease, and to clean up environmental contamination. Biological weapons are one of weapons of mass destruction (or mass casualty weapons, to be precise. since they do not damage non-living entities) that are based on bacteria, viruses, rickettsia, fungi or toxins produced by these organisms. Biological weapons are known to be easy and cheap to produce and can be used to selectively target humans, animals, or plants. Theses agents can cause large numbers of casualties with minimal logistical requirements (in wide area). The spread of disease cannot be controlled until there is awareness of the signs of infection followed by identification of agents; and if the organism is easily spread from person to person, as in the case of smallpox, the number of casualties could run into the tens of thousands. Biological weapons could be used covertly, there can be a lot of different deployment scenarios. A lot of different agents could be used in biological weapons. And, there are a lot of different techniques to manufacture biological weapons. Terrorist acts that make use of Biological Agents differ in a number of ways from those involving chemicals. The distinction between terrorist and military use of Biological Weapon is increasingly problematic. The stealthy qualities of biological weapons further complicate the distinction between terrorism and war. In reality, all biological attacks are likely to require an integrated response involving both military and civilian communities. The basic considerations when public health agencies establish national defence plan against bioterrorism must be 1) arraying various laws and regulations to meet the realistic needs, 2)education for public health personnels and support of concerned academic society, 3)information collection and cooperative project with other countries, 4)Detection and surveillance(Early detection is essential for ensuring a prompt response to biological or chemical attack, including the provision of prophylactic medicines, chemical antidotes, or vaccines) and 5) Response(A comprehensive public health response to a biological or chemical terrorist event involves epidemiologic investigation, medical treatment and prophylaxis for affacted persons, and the initiation of disease prevention or environmental decontamination measures). The purpose of this paper is providing basic material of preparedness and response for biological terrorism in modern society.

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Neural and Genetic Basis of Evasion, Approach and Predation

  • Park, Seahyung;Ryoo, Jia;Kim, Daesoo
    • Molecules and Cells
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    • 제45권2호
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    • pp.93-97
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    • 2022
  • Evasion, approach and predation are examples of innate behaviour that are fundamental for the survival of animals. Uniting these behaviours is the assessment of threat, which is required to select between these options. Far from being comprehensive, we give a broad review over recent studies utilising optic techniques that have identified neural circuits and genetic identities underlying these behaviours.

생물무기에 의한 테러와 대응책 (Terrorism using biological weapons and Countermeasures)

  • 조성호
    • 시큐리티연구
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    • 제7호
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    • pp.287-307
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    • 2004
  • Mass killing and injuring by purpose, the countries that is hurrying countermeasure preparation of investigators who enforce that necessity to compare to intimidation of doing creature weapon is common concerns of the several countries including advanced nation such as the United States of America. Development and use of biological weapon have increased too recently to private citizens unlike development of military purpose in country dimension. The latest WHO is preparing proposal of standard stroke model who each department solidifies preparedness for chemical biological and electronic weapon revising report about biological weapon. But in case of korea, confrontation plan that bamboo broom about possibility of attack to the common people and attack comparing actual state in case of attained nothing but is readying remedy about biological warfare partially in military dimension was not readied. The purpose of this article is a study on threat of bio-weapons and the countermeasure.

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Structural Insights for β-Lactam Antibiotics

  • Dogyeoung, Kim;Sumin, Kim;Yongdae, Kwon;Yeseul, Kim;Hyunjae, Park;Kiwoong, Kwak;Hyeonmin, Lee;Jung Hun, Lee;Kyung-Min, Jang;Donghak, Kim;Sang Hee, Lee;Lin-Woo, Kang
    • Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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    • 제31권2호
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    • pp.141-147
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    • 2023
  • Antibiotic resistance has emerged as a global threat to modern healthcare systems and has nullified many commonly used antibiotics. β-Lactam antibiotics are among the most successful and occupy approximately two-thirds of the prescription antibiotic market. They inhibit the synthesis of the peptidoglycan layer in the bacterial cell wall by mimicking the D-Ala-D-Ala in the pentapeptide crosslinking neighboring glycan chains. To date, various β-lactam antibiotics have been developed to increase the spectrum of activity and evade drug resistance. This review emphasizes the three-dimensional structural characteristics of β-lactam antibiotics regarding the overall scaffold, working mechanism, chemical diversity, and hydrolysis mechanism by β-lactamases. The structural insight into various β-lactams will provide an in-depth understanding of the antibacterial efficacy and susceptibility to drug resistance in multidrug-resistant bacteria and help to develop better β-lactam antibiotics and inhibitors.

하시동·안인사구의 생물다양성 보전 위협 요인 분석 (A Study on the Threat Factors of Biodiversity on Hasidong Anin Coastal Dune)

  • 이은혜;오충현
    • 한국환경복원기술학회지
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    • 제24권3호
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    • pp.99-114
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    • 2021
  • We examined a current status of damage in biodiversity and its causing factors in Hasidong Anin coastal dune, Gangneung-si, Gangwon province which is designated as ecological and landscape conservation area. In this study, we found that ecosystem and biodiversity have been primarily damaged by anthropogenic factors such as the construction of surrounding area, military facilities illegally dumped garbage and the expansion of windbreak forest. These factors occur to damage the landscape, ecosystem and biodiversity etc. There is a significant lack of basic data needed for preservation and restoration due to the lack of prior research and value assessment. In order to establish solutions for preservation and restoration, it is critical to collect fundamental data and implement value assessments. Therefore, further studies such as ecosystem services assessment, increasing biodiversity, spatial analysis and monitoring of various items related to coastal dunes are needed.

국가안보측면으로서의 인공강우기술 고찰 (Study on Consideration of Artificial Rain Technology in Aspect of National Security)

  • 최기남;이선제
    • 융합보안논문지
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    • 제12권2호
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    • pp.99-106
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    • 2012
  • 2010년 3월 11일 대한민국 동해를 건너 위치한 일본에서 강진과 해일로 인하여 후쿠시마원전이 중단되고 폭발하여 방사능물질이 누출되었다. 한 국가에서 발생한 사고지만 누출된 방사능 물질은 해류와 기류를 타고 전 세계에 확산되었다. 국내에도 사고 이후 방사능비가 내린다는 공포심에 혼란이 있었고, 사고 발생 1년이 지나도 방사능오염에 대한 문제는 해결되지 않고 있다. 즉 이웃나라의 원전사고는 국내에도 큰 위협이 되는데 일본 뿐 만 아니라 서해 건너 중국해변에도 원자력발전소가 위치하고 있다. 이웃나라의 원전사고 위협이외 군사적 대치를 하고 있는 북한은 세계3위의 생화학무기 보유국이며 2010년 11월에는 연평도 포격도발을 하는 등 언제든 남한에 생화학물질을 살포 할 수 있는 상황이다. 본 연구는 이러한 위협에 대응하는 전략으로 기상조절기술인 인공강우기술을 접목해 보았다. 원전사고시 방사능물질과 북한의 생화학무기는 기상조건에 따라 농도가 달라 질 수 있으므로 인공강우기술만으로 완벽하게 위협을 제거할 수 없지만, 심리적 측면과 피해저감을 위한 방법으로 시도해 볼 가치가 있다. 국민안전확보를 위한 국가의 안보측면으로서 인공강우기술을 사용하기 위해서는 ADD와 같은 연구기관에서 상시적이고 적극적으로 기술연구개발을 해야 할 것이다.

How to Apply Tricky Biological Mechanisms to Agricultural and Industrial Production

  • Kobayashi, Akio
    • Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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    • 제43권4호
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    • pp.218-221
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    • 2000
  • By the end of the $21^st$ century, the world population will surely far exceed the current 6.6 billion, threatening the essential requirements for life due to environmental deterioration and shortened food supply. To overcome this looming threat, we must develop new biotechnologies. There are so many known natural phenomena that we may have neglected, not perceiving them as blessings of nature. Many more remain unknown. We must examine each of them carefully since the many tricky and complicated mechanisms behind simple natural workings could provide us with attractive research targets. How then do we apply these complicated natural mechanisms to agricultural/ industrial production?.

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Leaf Blight Caused byCurvularia intermedia on the Invasive Weed Lactuca serriola in Korea

  • Jin A Lee;Seon Young Lee;Young-Joon Choi
    • 한국균학회지
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    • 제51권3호
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    • pp.245-249
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    • 2023
  • Prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola), an invasive annual plant, poses a significant threat to the agricultural systems of many countries, including Korea. In 2020, leaf blight symptoms were observed in the prickly lettuce populations of various farms across Korea. Detailed morphological and molecular sequence analyses revealed that the disease was caused by the fungus, Curvularia intermedia. A pathogenicity test confirmed that the fungus can cause the same symptoms in healthy prickly lettuce, thereby fulfilling Koch's postulates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of C. intermedia causing leaf blight on L. serriola in Korea, suggesting its potential as a biocontrol agent for this weed. However, further investigations are necessary to determine its ecological impact to prevent any non-target effects.

Elevational distribution ranges of vascular plant species in the Baekdudaegan mountain range, South Korea

  • Shin, Sookyung;Kim, Jung-Hyun;Dang, Ji-Hee;Seo, In-Soon;Lee, Byoung Yoon
    • Journal of Ecology and Environment
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    • 제45권1호
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    • pp.62-71
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    • 2021
  • The climate is changing rapidly, and this may pose a major threat to global biodiversity. One of the most distinctive consequences of climate change is the poleward and/or upward shift of species distribution ranges associated with increasing temperatures, resulting in a change of species composition and community structure in the forest ecosystems. The Baekdudaegan mountain range connects most forests from the lowland to the subalpine zone in South Korea and is therefore recognized as one of the most important biodiversity hotspots. This study was conducted to understand the distribution range of vascular plants along elevational gradients through field surveys in the six national parks of the Baekdudaegan mountain range. We identified the upper and lower distribution limits of a total of 873 taxa of vascular plants with 117 families, 418 genera, 793 species, 14 subspecies, 62 varieties, two forms, and two hybrids. A total of 12 conifers were recorded along the elevational gradient. The distribution ranges of Abies koreana, Picea jezoensis, Pinus pumila, and Thuja koraiensis were limited to over 1000 m above sea level. We also identified 21 broad-leaved trees in the subalpine zone. A total of 45 Korean endemic plant species were observed, and of these, 15 taxa (including Aconitum chiisanense and Hanabusaya asiatica) showed a narrow distribution range in the subalpine zone. Our study provides valuable information on the current elevational distribution ranges of vascular plants in the six national parks of South Korea, which could serve as a baseline for vertical shifts under future climate change.

Pseudoperonospora cubensis Causing Downy Mildew on Luffa aegyptiaca in Korea

  • Dong Jae Lee;Young-Joon Choi
    • 식물병연구
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    • 제30권3호
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    • pp.278-282
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    • 2024
  • In November 2021, sponge gourd (Luffa aegyptiaca) plants with typical downy mildew symptom were observed in Korea. Based on morphological characteristics of sporangiophores and sporangia, combined with molecular phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer rDNA and cox2 mtDNA regions, the causal pathogen was identified as Pseudoperonospora cubensis (Oomycota). This is the first report of downy mildew caused by P. cubensis on L. aegyptiaca in Korea. Given that P. cubensis exhibits high disease incidence and severity on many Cucurbitaceae crops, it could pose a significant threat to sponge gourd cultivation.