• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.45.1-45.22
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• 2023

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) involves persistent inflammation and fibrosis, leading to respiratory failure and even death. Adult tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) show potential in ILD therapeutics but obtaining an adequate quantity of cells for drug application is difficult. Daewoong Pharmaceutical's MSCs (DW-MSCs) derived from embryonic stem cells sustain a high proliferative capacity following long-term culture and expansion. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic potential of DW-MSCs in experimental mouse models of ILD. DW-MSCs were expanded up to 12 passages for in vivo application in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis and collagen-induced connective tissue disease-ILD mouse models. We assessed lung inflammation and fibrosis, lung tissue immune cells, fibrosis-related gene/protein expression, apoptosis and mitochondrial function of alveolar epithelial cells, and mitochondrial transfer ability. Intravenous administration of DWMSCs consistently improved lung fibrosis and reduced inflammatory and fibrotic markers expression in both models across various disease stages. The therapeutic effect of DW-MSCs was comparable to that following daily oral administration of nintedanib or pirfenidone. Mechanistically, DW-MSCs exhibited immunomodulatory effects by reducing the number of B cells during the early phase and increasing the ratio of Tregs to Th17 cells during the late phase of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Furthermore, DW-MSCs exhibited anti-apoptotic effects, increased cell viability, and improved mitochondrial respiration in alveolar epithelial cells by transferring their mitochondria to alveolar epithelial cells. Our findings indicate the strong potential of DW-MSCs in the treatment of ILD owing to their high efficacy and immunomodulatory and anti-apoptotic effects.

• Journal of Wind Energy
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.5-10
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• 2024

Offshore wind power generation has significant advantages, including enhanced energy security and job creation. However, despite these benefits, South Korea has not fully utilized its potential in this sector. In contrast, offshore wind power industry development in Europe has been driven by government leadership. Drawing from this experience, South Korea also needs to relax regulations, strengthen necessary infrastructure, and enhance financial support systems to activate the offshore wind power industry. For this, sustained government leadership is absolutely essential. Without addressing the capacity issues in the power grid, we cannot expect offshore wind power generation to succeed. To address grid issues, we propose the enactment of a special law called the "Special Act on Grid Expansion." Considering KEPCO's financial situation, private investment should be encouraged for grid construction. The role of developers is crucial for the successful development and operation of offshore wind power. They manage risks throughout various stages, from site acquisition to construction and operation, which have a significant impact on the success or failure of projects. Since domestic developers currently lack experience in offshore wind power, a cooperative strategy that leverages the experience and technology of advanced countries is necessary. Energy issues should be recognized as important tasks beyond mere political ideologies, as they are crucial for the survival of the nation and its development. It is essential to form a public consensus and implement ways for residents to coexist with offshore wind power, along with the conservation of marine ecosystems and effective communication with stakeholders. Expansion of the offshore wind power industry requires support in various areas, including financial and tax incentives, technology research investment, and workforce development. In particular, achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 necessitates the activation of offshore wind power alongside efforts by major corporations to transition to renewable energy. South Korea, surrounded by the sea, holds significant offshore wind power potential, and it is our responsibility to harness it as a sustainable energy source for future generations. To activate the offshore wind power market, we need to provide financial and tax support, develop infrastructure and research, and foster a skilled workforce. As major corporations transition to renewable energy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, offshore wind power must play a significant role. It is our responsibility to fully utilize South Korea's potential and make offshore wind power a new driver of growth.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.11
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• pp.1267-1272
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• 2009

Purpose:We examined the ability of preschool aged children to meet the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and European Resiratory Society (ERS) goals for spirometry quality and tried to find out the major factor for improving the rate of success of spiromety test in this age group. Methods:Spirometry was performed in 2-6 aged 155 children with chronic cough or suspicious asthma with the recording of maneuver quality measures of forced expiratory time, end-of-test volume, back-extrapolated volume (Vbe), and forced vital capacity (FVC), as well as flow-volume curve. The subjects were tested several times and the two best results in each subject were selected. All criteria for quality control were suggested by ATS/ERS guidelines. The criteria for starting of the test was Vbe <80 mL and Vbe/FVC <12.5%. The criteria for repeatability of the test was that second highest FVC and FEV1 are within 100 ml or 10% of the highest value, whichever is greater. For the criteria for termination of the test for preschool aged children, we evaluated the flow-volume curve Results:As getting older, the success rate of spirometry increased and rapidly increased after 3 years old. Total success rate of the test was 59.4% (2 years old - 14.3%, 3 years old - 53.7%, 4 years old - 65.1%, 5 years old - 69.7%, 6 years old- 70.8%). The percentage of failure to meet the criteria for starting the test was 6.5%, repeatability of the test was 12.3% and end of the test was 31%. There was a significant difference only in age between success group and failure group. Evaluating the quality control criteria of previous studies, the success rate increased with age. Conclusion:About 60% of preschool aged children met ATS/ERS goals for spirometry test performance and the success rate was highly correlated with age. It is clearly needed that developing more feasible and suitable criteria for quality control of spirometry test in preschool aged children.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.441-448
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• 2014

From several researches, recently, it was found that using hollowed precast concrete (HPC) column made more compact concrete casting in joint region possible than using normal solid PC (Precast concrete) column. Therefore, the rigidity of joints can be improved like those of monolithic reinforced concrete (RC). After filling the hollow with grout concrete, however, it is expected that the HPC column behaviors like composite structure since PC element and grout concrete have different materials as well as there is a contact surface between two elements. These may affect the structural behavior and strength of the composite column. A compressive strength test was performed for the HPC column with parameter of hollow ratio for the case with and without grout in the hollow and the result is presented in this paper. The hollow ratios in the test are 35, 50 and 59% of whole section of column. Concentrated axial force was applied to top of the specimens supported as pin connection for both ends. In addition, finite element (FE) analysis was performed to simulate the failure behavior of HPC column for axial compression. As a result, it was found that the hollow ratio did not affect the initial stiffness of HPC filled with grout regardless of the strength difference of HPC and grout. However the strength was increased inversely corresponding to the hollow ratio. The structural capacity of HPC without grout closely related to the hollow size. Especially, the local collapse governs the overall failure when the thickness of HPC is too thin. Based on these effect, a suitable equation was suggested for calculation of the compressive strength of HPC column with or without grout. FE analysis considering the contact surface between HPC and grout produced a good result matched to the test result.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.29 no.5A
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• pp.565-575
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• 2009

In recent years, there have been numerous explosion-related accidents due to military and terrorist activities. Such incidents caused not only damages to structures but also human casualties, especially in urban areas. To protect structures and save human lives against explosion accidents, better understanding of the explosion effect on structures is needed. In an explosion, the blast load is applied to concrete structures as an impulsive load of extremely short duration with very high pressure and heat. Generally, concrete is known to have a relatively high blast resistance compared to other construction materials. However, normal strength concrete structures require higher strength to improve their resistance against impact and blast loads. Therefore, a new material with high-energy absorption capacity and high resistance to damage is needed for blast resistance design. Recently, Ultra High Strength Concrete(UHSC) and Reactive Powder Concrete(RPC) have been actively developed to significantly improve concrete strength. UHSC and RPC, can improve concrete strength, reduce member size and weight, and improve workability. High strength concrete are used to improve earthquake resistance and increase height and bridge span. Also, UHSC and RPC, can be implemented for blast resistance design of infrastructure susceptible to terror or impact such as 9.11 terror attack. Therefore, in this study, the blast tests are performed to investigate the behavior of UHSC and RPC slabs under blast loading. Blast wave characteristics including incident and reflected pressures as well as maximum and residual displacements and strains in steel and concrete surface are measured. Also, blast damages and failure modes were recorded for each specimen. From these tests, UHSC and RPC have shown to better blast explosions resistance compare to normal strength concrete.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.73-80
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• 2022

In this study, details of NRC beam-column connections were developed in which beam and columns pre-assembled in factories using steel angles were bolted on site. The developed joint details are NRC-J type and NRC-JD type. NRC-J type is a method of tensile joining with TS bolts to the side and lower surfaces of the side plate of the NRC column and the end plate of the NRC beam. NRC-JD type has a rigid joint with high-strength bolts between the NRC beam and the side of the NRC column for shear, and with lap splices of reinforcing bar penetrating the joint and the beam main reinforcement for bending. For the seismic performance evaluation of the joint, three specimens were tested: an NRC-J specimen and NRC-JD specimen with NRC beam-column joint details, and an RC-J specimen with RC beam-column joint detail. As a result of the repeated lateral load test, the final failure mode of all specimens was the bending fracture of the beam at the beam-column interface. Compared to the RC-J specimen, the maximum strength of the specimen by the positive force was 10.1% and 29.6% higher in the NRC-J specimen and the NRC-JD specimen, respectively. Both NRC joint details were evaluated to secure ductility of 0.03 rad or more, the minimum total inter-story displacement angle required for the composite intermediate moment frame according to the KDS standard (KDS 41 31 00). At the slope by relative storey displacemet of 5.7%, the NRC-J specimen and the NRC-JD specimen had about 34.8% and 61.1% greater cumulative energy dissipation capacity than the RC specimen. The experimental strength of the NRC beam-column connection was evaluated to be 30% to 53% greater than the theoretical strength according to the KDS standard formula, and the standard formula evaluated the joint performance as a safety side.

• Journal of Korean Port Research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.65-92
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• 1992

The Korean central government has not appreciate the full extent of the impact of seaports on the national economy. As a consequence port investment has not been given sufficient priority and capacity has failed to keep pace with demand. The principal reason for this failure is the fact that the linkages (or relationships) of the port transport industry with other sectors have not been quantified and fully appreciated. To overcome this dificiency this paper developed a port input-output model to determine the economic impact of the port industry on the national economy. This impact study was conducted by analysing the impact of the Korean port industry upon the national economy from the macroeconomic viewpoint, and identifying the spreading effects of port investments upon the nation's economy. The analysis of the economic impact of the port industry suggests that its contribution to the Korean economy is substantial. What the model shows is, in quantifiable terms, there are the strong economic linkages between the port industry and the other sectors of the national economy. The contribution of the port industry to the Korean economy was summarised in the Conclusion section.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.201-207
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• 2007

To reduce both the floatation of the seedling of rice and the failure in standing in the paddy field when the barley straw was applied to paddy field before planting the rice, we tested the effect of rice rooting with plowing methods and irrigation rates for 2 years from 2003 to 2004. This study was carried out in paddy field with Fluvio-Marine deposit in Jeonbug series and the operating accuracy and the change of soil physico-chemical properties depending on plowing methods and irrigation rates following the barley straw applying were examined. There was a less floatation of barley straw in the dry-rotaryI+water-rotaryI(DRI+WRI) plot than in the plowing+water-rotary(PL+WRI) plot. The ratio of miss-planted and floating seedling also decreased by 1.7%, 2.6% in the DRI+WRIplot compared with PL+WRI plot. The soil physical property was improved with the decreasing soil hardness, bulk density and increasing soil porosity after the application of barley straw, especially enhanced greatly in the increase of porosity, gaseous phase and with the decrease of soil hardness, bulk density of subsurface soil in DRI+WRI plot. And the change of soil chemical property were increased the content of total carbon$^{\circ}{\S}$nitrogen$^{\circ}{\S}$organic matter and available phosphate while decreased the content of exchangeable cations and available silicate after the application of barley straw. Also the content of organic matter, available phosphate and cation exchangeable capacity were increased, whereas caron/nitrogen ratio was decreased in DRI+WRI plot compared with PL+WRI plot. The number of panicles, spikelets per square meter were increased and 1,000 grains weight of hulled rice was gained more in DRI+WRI plot at irrigation rate of $500ton\;ha^{-1}$, in DRI+WRII plot at irrigation rate of $700ton\;ha^{-1}$. So the rice yields were increased by 7%, in DRI+WRI and 5% in DRI+WRII plot, respectively compared with PL+WRI plot. The result of this study indicated that the most appropriate plowing method with barley straw application on rice cultivation at double cropping in normal paddy field plain land was DRI+WRI.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.637-647
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• 1999

Background: Ischemia-reperfusion injury is one of the major contributing causes of early graft failure in lung transplantation. It has been suggested that triiodothyronine (T3) may ameliorate ischemia-reperfusion injury to various organs in vivo and in vitro. Predicting its beneficial effect for ischemic lung injury, we set out to demonstrate it by administering T3 into the in situ canine ischemia-reperfusion model. Material and Method: Sixteen adult mongrel dogs were randomly allocated into group A and B. T3 $(3.6\mug/kg)$ was administered before the initiation of single lung ischemia in group B, whereas the same amount of saline was administered in group A. Ischemia was induced in the left lung by clamping the left hilum for 100 minutes. After reperfusion, various hemodynamic parameters and blood gases were analyzed for 4 hours while intermittently clamping the right hilum in order to allow observation of the injured left lung function. Result: Arterial oxygen partial pressure $(PaO_2)$ decreased 30 minutes after reperfusion and recovered gradually thereafter in both groups. In group B the decrease of $PaO_2$ was less marked than in group A. The recovery of $PaO_2$ was faster in group B than in group A. The differences between the two groups were statistically significant from 30 minutes after reperfusion $(125\pm34$ mmHg and $252\pm44$ mmHg, p<0.05) until the end of the experiment $(178\pm42$mmHg and $330\pm37$ mmHg, p<0.05). The differences in the arterial carbon dioxide pressure, airway pressure and lung compliance showed no statistical significance. The malondialdehyde (MDA) level, measured from the tissue obtained 240 minutes after reperfusion, was lower in group B $(0.40\pm0.04\mu$M) than in group A $(0.53\pm0.05\mu$M, p<0.05). The ATP level of group B $(0.69\pm0.07\mu$M/g) was significantly higher than that of group A $(0.48\pm0.07\mu$M/g, p<0.05). The microscopic exami nation revealed varying degrees of injury such as perivascular neutrophil infiltration, capillary hemorrhage and interstitial congestion. There were no differences in the microscopic findings between the two groups. CONCLUSION T3 has beneficial effects on the ischemic canine lung injury including preservation of oxygenation capacity, less production of lipid peroxidation products and a higher level of tissue ATP. These results suggest that T3 is effective in pulmonary allograft preservation.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.519-531
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• 1993

Background: Lymphangioleiomyomatosis(LAM) is a very rare disease occurring in women of reproductive age and leading to progressive respiratory failure despite therapy. But the natural history of this disease is uncertain and although anti-estrogenic agents have been used for more than twenty years, it's efficacy is still in debate. This study was performed to enhance understanding of this fatal disease in Korea by examining clinical, radiological, and pathologic findings of all the previously reported cases of LAM on Korea along with four new cases of LAM whom we report in this paper. Method: Out of twlve cases of LAM previously unpublished and published in domestic papers, two cases whose diagnoses were considered doubtful after review of clinical, radiological, and pathologic findings at "Asian Congress on Lymphangioleiomyomatosis" at Kyoto, Japan in feburary of 1993 were excluded from this study. Six cases which were reported previously and four new cases of LAM whom we report in this paper were analysed for the clinical, radiological, and pathologic characteristics. Results: All ten patients were women with mean age of $33{\pm}7$. The most common symptom was exertional dyspnea and most patients had history of pneumothoraces. Pulmonary function tests showed decreased diffusing capacity. on high resolution computed tomography(HRCT), all the cases had characteristic cysts. Most of the patients did not respond to hormonal therapy. Conclusion: In women of reproductive age, presenting with dyspnea who has a history of pneumothorax, LAM should always be considered as one of the diagnostic possibilities. If suspected, HRCT should be done to look for characteristic cysts and if needed, open lung biopsy should be done to confirm the diagnosis.