• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.451-456
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• 2018

UAComm (Underwater Acoustic Communication) is an active research area, and many experiment has been performed to develop UAComm system. In this paper, we investigate the possibility of modifying and applying VirTEX (Virtual Time series EXperiment) to medium long range MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) UAComm of about 20 km range for the analysis and performance prediction of UAComm system. Since VirTEX is a time-domain simulator, the generated time series can be used in HILS (Hardware In the Loop Simulation) to develop UAComm system. The developed package is verified through comparing with the sea-going FAF05 (Focused Acoustic Field 2005) experimental data. The developed simulator can be used to predict the performance of UAComm system, and even replace the expensive sea-going experiment.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.526-535
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• 2022

Background: During the pathogenesis of tendinopathy, the chronic inflammation caused by the injury and apoptosis leads to the generation of scars. Ginsenoside Rg1 (Rg1) is extracted from ginseng and has anti-inflammatory effects. Rg1 is a unique phytoestrogen that can activate the estrogen response element. This research aimed to explore whether Rg1 can function in the process of tendon repair through the estrogen receptor. Methods: In this research, the effects of Rg1 were evaluated in tenocytes and in a rat model of Achilles tendinitis (AT). Protein levels were shown by western blotting. qRT-PCR was employed for evaluating mRNA levels. Cell proliferation was evaluated through EdU assay and cell migration was evaluated by transwell assay and scratch test assay. Results: Rg1 up-regulated the expression of matrix-related factors and function of tendon in AT rat model. Rg1 reduced early inflammatory response and apoptosis in the tendon tissue of AT rat model. Rg1 promoted tenocyte migration and proliferation. The effects of Rg1 on tenocytes were inhibited by ICI182780. Rg1 activates the insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF1R) and MAPK signaling pathway. Conclusion: Rg1 promotes injured tendon healing in AT rat model through IGF1R and MAPK signaling pathway activation.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.87 no.4
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• pp.483-493
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• 2024

Background: The use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with advanced lung cancer is increasing. Despite ongoing studies to predict the efficacy of ICIs, its use in clinical practice remains difficult. Thus, we aimed to discover a predictive marker by analyzing blood cell characteristics and developing a scoring system for patients treated with ICIs. Methods: This was a prospective multicenter study in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received ICIs as second-line treatment from June 2021 to November 2022. Blood cell parameters in routine blood samples were evaluated using an automated hematology analyzer. Immune checkpoint inhibitor score (IChIS) was calculated as the sum of neutrophil count score and immature granulocyte score. Results: A total of 143 patients from four institutions were included. The treatment response was as follows: partial response, 8.4%; stable disease, 37.1%; and progressive disease, 44.8%. Median progression-free survival and overall survival after ICI treatment was 3.0 and 8.3 months, respectively. Median progression-free survival in patients with an IChIS of 0 was 4.0 months, which was significantly longer than 1.9 months in patients with an IChIS of 1 and 1.0 month in those with an IChIS of 2 (p=0.001). The median overall survival in patients with an IChIS of 0 was 10.2 months, which was significantly longer than 6.8 and 1.8 months in patients with an IChIS of 1 and 2, respectively (p<0.001). Conclusion: Baseline IChIS could be a potential biomarker for predicting survival benefit of immunotherapy in NSCLC.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.115-130
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• 2024

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is continuously increasing worldwide, with approximately 1 million new cases expected annually by 2025. Data from the Korean Central Cancer Registry in 2023 revealed that the survival rate of patients with HCC was only 40%, unlike patients with other major cancers with a 5-year survival rate of up to 80%, highlighting the need for improved outcomes. The prognosis of HCC significantly changed following research on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Several studies have demonstrated that the overall survival of patients treated with first-line combination therapies, such as atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1) and bevacizumab (anti-VEGF) or durvalumab (anti-PD-L1) and tremelimumab (anti-CTLA-4), was higher than that of patients treated with sorafenib. Research to identify biomarkers that can predict ICI responses is ongoing, enabling the selection of suitable patients before drug initiation. Moreover, studies of the tumor microenvironment in HCC enhance our understanding of immune responses, helping us identify new therapeutic strategies. Additionally, clinical trials are being conducted for emerging immunotherapies beyond ICIs, such as adoptive cell therapy. Based on these ongoing scientific researches and the development of various therapeutic modalities, multiple options are being established for patients with HCC who do not respond well to first-line treatments. Consequently, treatment options and survival rates of patients with advanced HCC could be significantly enhanced in the future.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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• v.40 no.12
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• pp.2539-2548
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• 2015

Overcoming inter-cell interference and spectrum scarcity are major issues in heterogeneous cellular networks. Static Frequency reuse schemes have been proposed as an effective way to manage the spectrum and reduce ICI(Inter cell Interference) in cellular networks. In a kind of static frequency reuse scheme, the allocations of transmission power and subcarriers in each cell are fixed prior to system deployment. This limits the potential performance of the static frequency reuse scheme. Also, most of dynamic frequency reuse schemes did not consider small cell and the network environment when the traffic load of each cell is heavy and non-uniform. In this paper, we propose an inter-cell resource allocation algorithm that dynamically optimizes subcarrier allocations for the multi-cell heterogeneous networks. The proposed dynamic frequency reuse scheme first finds the subcarrier usage in each cell-edge by using the exhaustive search and allocates subcarrier for all the cells except small cells. After that it allocates subcarrier for the small cell and then iteratively repeats the process. Proposed dynamic frequency reuse scheme performs better than previous frequency reuse schemes in terms of the throughput by improving the spectral efficiency due to it is able to adapt the network environment immediately when the traffic load of each cell is heavy and non-uniform.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.333-339
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to enhance bond performance between recycled PET (polyethylene telephthalat) fiber and cement composites through hydrophilic treatment using maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene(mPP). The mPP with various concentration of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% to determine effect on bond behavior of recycled PET fiber were applied as experimental variables. Dog bone shaped specimens according to JCI SF-8 was applied to evaluate the bond strength and pullout energy. The results showed increased bond strength and pullout energy as concentration of mPP. Concentration of 15% mPP showed the most effective results while 20% showed reduced performance results. Because 15% mPP ensures perfect coating while 20% makes thick coating area that resulted in crack propagation and consequent separation of PET fiber and coated area during pullout load occurred. Enhancement mechanism of bond performance of recycled PET fiber and cement composites with each concentration of mPP could be conformed through investigation of microstructure of fiber surface.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.57-69
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• 2003

It is well known that many pesticides possess hormonal activity, and affect the developments of wildlife and mammals including human. Currently, pyrethroid insecticides are in worldwide use to control in and outdoor pests, providing potential far environmental exposure. Hormonal activities of these pyrethroid insecticides, however, have been little studied, and the developmental effects of them were no reported. Therefore, we firstly examined the potential estrogenic activities of some pyrethroid insecticides (permethrin, cypermethrin, tetramethrin, deltamethrin, sumithrin, fenvalerate and bioallethrin) by immature rat uterotrophic assay, luciferase reporter gene assay and Calbindin-D$\sub$9k/ (CaBP-9k) gene expression assay. Uterine wet weights were increased by permethrin and the permethrin-induced weights were inhibited by ICI 182780 in the uterolrophic assay. On the other hand tetramethrin significantly reduced uterine and vaginal wet weights, and also inhibited the E2-induced weight increases at all doses tested. Cypermethrin and sumithrin had a tendency to increase uterine weights, although not statistically significant. Permethrin and cypermethrin dose-dependently increased the luciferase activity in reporter gene assay. Northern blot analysis showed that permethrin induced CaBP-9k mRNA expression whereas tetramethrin inhibted. Subsequent studies were conducted to investigate the possible developmental effects of four pyrethroid insecricides (permethrin, cypermethrin, sumithrin and teramethrin). Either diethlbestrol (DES) or 17${\beta}$ -estradiol (E2) was used as a reference control in this study. Pyrethroid insecticides were administered to Sprague Dawley rats via subcutaneous injection at 6 to 18 days of gestation or 1 to 5 days after birth. In utero treatment of permethrin (10mg/kg/day) in female rat resulted in significant increases in uterine and ovarian weights while significant decreases in serum E2 concentration, uterine and ovarian ER${\alpha}$ mRNA levels. Sumithrin and permethrin led to acceleration in vaginal opening of female rat, while delay in preputial separation of male after neonatal treatment. Anogenital distances of PND 18 were significantly reduced in sumthrin-treated, and permerhrin-treated male rats after neonatal treatment. All the pyrethroid insecticides tested caused significant increases in uterine weights on PND 18, while significant reductions in the first diestrus phase when neonataly treated. In addition, exposure to pyrethroids in neonatal period led to significant reduction in relative brain weight in female rat on PND 18, but its weight was recovered in diestrus phase. In summary, Our experimental data demonstrate the possibilities of developmental effects of pyrethroid insecticides via estrogenic or antiestrogenic activity.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.271-277
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• 2014

Internal structures, especially those located in the upstream of a reactor core, may have a significant influence on the core inlet flow rate distribution depending on both their shapes and the relative distance between the internal structures and the core inlet. In this study, to examine the effect of the reactor internal structure geometry treatment method on the prediction accuracy for the scale-down APR+ flow distribution, simulations with real geometry modeling were conducted using ANSYS CFX R.14, a commercial computational fluid dynamics software, and the predicted results were compared with those of the porous medium assumption. It was concluded that the core inlet flow distribution could be predicted more accurately by considering the real geometry of the internal structures located in the upstream of the core inlet. Therefore, if sufficient computational resources are available, an exact representation of these internal structures, for example, lower support structure bottom plate and ICI nozzle support plate, is needed for the accurate simulation of the reactor internal flow.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.499-508
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• 2019

Cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are primarily responsible for metastasis and recurrence, have self-renewal, differentiation, therapeutic resistance, and tumor formation abilities. Numerous studies have demonstrated the signaling pathways essential for the acquisition and maintenance of CSC characteristics, such as WNT/${\beta}$-catenin, Hedgehog, Notch, B lymphoma Mo-MLV insertion region 1 homolog (BMI1), Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), and TGF-${\beta}$ signals. However, few therapeutic strategies have been developed that can selectively eliminate CSCs. Recently, neutralizing antibodies against Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) and Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), have shown promising outcomes in clinical trials of melanoma, lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer, as well as in hematologic malignancies. ICIs are considered to outperform conventional anticancer drugs by maintaining long-lasting anti-cancer effects, with less severe side effects. Several studies reported that ICIs successfully blocked CSC properties in head and neck squamous carcinomas, melanomas, and breast cancer. Together, these findings suggest that novel and effective anticancer therapeutic modalities using ICIs for selective elimination of CSCs may be developed in the near future. In this review, we highlight the origin and characteristics of CSCs, together with critical signaling pathways. We also describe progress in ICI-mediated anticancer treatment to date and present perspectives on the development of CSC-targeting ICIs.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.163-172
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• 2022

This study investigates the IPI (Information Protection Intention) of DHS (Digital Healthcare Service) providers by introducing PMT (Protection Motivation Theory). This study examines the effects of protection motivation, such as threat appraisal and coping appraisal, on IPI, such as ICI(Induction Control Intention) and SDI(Self Defense Intention). The research model, based on the PMT, adopted severity, vulnerability, reaction efficacy and self-efficacy as independent variables. The research model was validated through quantitative research, a survey of 222 DHS providers in South Korea, using structural equation modeling. The results show that (1) a clear awareness of the consequences of security threats increases the understanding of DHS providers on the severity of closure of healthcare information, and thus may decreases abuse of DHS by providers; (2) user confidence and satisfaction on the security system may make them be confident that they can handle the closure of healthcare information by themselves; and (3) although DHS providers are realizing the consequences of closure of healthcare information, they think that they are unlikely to encounter such situations. As a result of this study, venture companies that provide DHS need to provide contents that can continuously increase providers' security level in order to increase providers' information protection intention. It suggests that IPI is important through trust of healthcare service providers.