• BMB Reports
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• 제53권12호
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• pp.622-627
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• 2020

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) or tumor-initiating cells are thought to play critical roles in tumorigenesis, metastasis, drug resistance, and tumor recurrence. For the diagnosis and targeted therapy of CSCs, the molecular identity of biomarkers or therapeutic targets for CSCs needs to be clarified. In this study, we identified CD166 as a novel marker expressed in the sphere-forming CSC population of A2780 epithelial ovarian cancer cells and primary ovarian cancer cells. The CD166+ cells isolated from A2780 cells and primary ovarian cancer cells highly expressed CSC markers, including ALDH1a1, OCT4, and SOX2, and ABC transporters, which are implicated in the drug resistance of CSCs. The CD166+ cells exhibited enhanced CSC-like properties, such as increased sphere-forming ability, cell migration and adhesion abilities, resistance to conventional anticancer drugs, and high tumorigenic potential in a xenograft mouse model. Knockdown of CD166 expression in the sphere-forming ovarian CSCs abrogated their CSC-like properties. Moreover, silencing of CD166 expression in the sphere-forming CSCs suppressed the phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase, paxillin, and SRC. These results suggest that CD166 plays a key role in the regulation of CSC-like properties and focal adhesion kinase signaling in ovarian cancer.

• 지역연구
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• 제38권4호
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• pp.19-29
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• 2022

계속거주의향에 관한 기존 연구에서는 지역소멸 위기를 더 많이 느끼는 주민일수록 지역을 떠나겠다는 의향을 밝힐 확률이 높아지는 경향이 있음을 밝히고 있다. 하지만 연령이 증가함에 따른 이동성 제약을 고려해 본다면, 지역쇠퇴와 이주의향의 관계성은 연령에 따라 다르게 나타날 수 있다. 본 연구는 지역소멸 위기감이 계속거주의향에 미치는 영향력이 연령에 따라 다르게 나타나는지 실증적으로 검증하고자 했다. <한겨레21>의 「인구감소 지역 주민들의 생활 실태와 인식 조사」자료를 사용해 분석한 결과, 계속거주의향에 대한 지역소멸 위기감의 영향력은 나이가 많을수록 작아지는 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구의 결과는 인구감소지역에 대한 대응책을 수립함에 있어서 연령에 따른 차이를 고려할 필요가 있음을 보여준다.

• 한국산업융합학회 논문집
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• 제25권6_3호
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• pp.1183-1190
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• 2022

Recently, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance announced a plan to reduce the proportion of economic evaluation in non-metropolitan areas and strengthen balanced development evaluation through the reorganization of the preliminary feasibility study system. In addition, the social value of the quality of life, such as job, environment, and safety, which may be affected by the implementation of transportation facility investment projects, was reflected as the main item of policy evaluation. In this study, the ripple effect of the project in terms of social value was reviewed for the Gangil-Chuncheon. The effect of highway opening was investigated by reviewing the feasibility report, post-evaluation report, and statistical indicators. Recently, the Gangil-Chuncheon highway is getting used by around 110,000 people per day. The number of tourists in Chuncheon rapidly has increased from 5 million a year to more than 11 million now. In addition, it was confirmed to produce effects such as population migration, net inflow and land price increase, improvement of living convenience, and expansion of emergency medical care. Although this ripple effect was influenced by various socio-economic factors as well as the opening of the highway, it is clear that it is difficult to occur without the opening of the highway. It is judged that the evaluation of indirect benefits and social values due to the opening of the highway can be quantified through continuous research and data construction. Post-evaluation of construction works, including project efficiency evaluation and ripple effect evaluation, is performed for construction works with a construction cost of more than 50 billion won. In the future, we will continuously improve the evaluation system in order to evaluate the indirect benefits and social values of public investment projects.

• BMB Reports
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• 제55권6호
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• pp.281-286
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• 2022

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a major health burden, and though various treatments through much research are available, difficulties in early diagnosis and drug resistance to chemotherapy-based treatments render several ineffective. Cancer stem cell model has been used to explain formation of heterogeneous cell population within tumor mass, which is one of the underlying causes of high recurrence rate and acquired chemoresistance, highlighting the importance of CSC identification and understanding the molecular mechanisms of CSC drivers. Extracellular CSC-markers such as CD133, CD90 and EpCAM have been used successfully in CSC isolation, but studies have indicated that increasingly complex combinations are required for accurate identification. Pseudogene-derived long non-coding RNAs are useful candidates as intracellular CSC markers - factors that regulate pluripotency and self-renewal - given their cancer-specific expression and versatile regulation across several levels. Here, we present the use of microarray data to identify stemness-associated factors in liver cancer, and selection of sole pseudogene-derived lncRNA ZNF204P for experimental validation. ZNF204P knockdown impairs cell proliferation and migration/invasion. As the cytosolic ZNF204P shares miRNA binding sites with OCT4 and SOX2, well-known drivers of pluripotency and self-renewal, we propose that ZNF204P promotes tumorigenesis through the miRNA-145-5p/OCT4, SOX2 axis.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권8호
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• pp.2802-2811
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• 2023

In a first-of-its-kind study, terrestrial radionuclide concentrations were measured in 35 topsoil samples from the outskirts of Dhaka using HPGe gamma-ray spectrometry to assess the radiological consequences of such a vast number of brick kilns on the plant workers, general as well as dwelling environment. The range of activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K is found at 19 ± 3.04 to 38 ± 4.94, 39 ± 5.85 to 57 ± 7.41, and (430 ± 51.60 to 570 ± 68.40) Bq/kg, respectively. ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K concentrations were higher than the global averages. Bottom ash deposition in lowlands, fly ash buildup in soils, and the fallout of micro-particles are all probable causes of the elevated radioactivity levels. ¹³⁷Cs was found in the sample, which indicates the migration of ¹³⁷Cs from nuclear accidents or nuclear fallout, or the contamination of feed coal. Although the effective dose received by the general public was below the recommended dose limit but, most estimates of hazard parameters surpass their respective population weighted global averages, indicating that brick kiln workers and nearby residents are not safe due to prolonged exposures to terrestrial radiation. In addition, the soil around sampling sites is found to be unsuitable for agricultural purposes.

• 한양메디칼리뷰
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.10-16
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• 2013

Follicular helper T cells (Tfh) play a significant role in providing T cell help to B cells during the germinal center reaction, where somatic hypermutation, affinity maturation, isotype class switching, and the differentiation of memory B cells and long-lived plasma cells occur. Antigen-specific T cells with IL-6 and IL-21 upregulate CXCR5, which is required for the migration of T cells into B cell follicles, where these T cells mature into Tfh. The surface markers including PD-1, ICOS, and CD40L play a significant role in providing T cell help to B cells. The upregulation of transcription factor Bcl-6 induces the expression of CXCR5, which is an important factor for Tfh differentiation, by inhibiting the expression of other lineage-specific transcription factors such as T-bet, GATA3, and RORγt. Surprisingly, recent evidence suggests that CD4 T cells already committed to Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells obtain flexibility in their differentiation programs by downregulating T-bet, GATA3, and RORγt, upregulating Bcl-6 and thus convert into Tfh. Limiting the numbers of Tfh within germinal centers is important in the regulation of the autoantibody production that is central to autoimmune diseases. Recently, it was revealed that the germinal center reaction and the size of the Tfh population are also regulated by thymus-derived follicular regulatory T cells (Tfr) expressing CXCR5 and Foxp3. Dysregulation of Tfh appears to be a pathogenic cause of autoimmune disease suggesting that tight regulation of Tfh and germinal center reaction by Tfr is essential for maintaining immune tolerance. Therefore, the balance between Tfh and Tfr appears to be a critical peripheral tolerance mechanism that can inhibit autoimmune disorders.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.14.1-14.14
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• 2023

Immune status including the immune cells and cytokine profiles has been implicated in the development of endometriosis. In this study, we analyzed Th17 cells and IL-17A in peritoneal fluid (PF) and endometrial tissues of patients with (n=10) and without (n=26) endometriosis. Our study has shown increased Th17 cell population and IL-17A level in PF with endometriosis patients. To determine the roles of IL-17A and Th17 cells in the development of endometriosis, the effect of IL-17A, major cytokine of Th17, on endometrial cells isolated from endometriotic tissues was examined. Recombinant IL-17A promoted survival of endometrial cells accompanied by increased expression of anti-apoptotic genes, including Bcl-2 and MCL1, and the activation of ERK1/2 signaling. In addition, treatment of IL-17A to endometrial cells inhibited NK cell mediated cytotoxicity and induced HLA-G expression on endometrial cells. IL-17A also promoted migration of endometrial cells. Our data suggest that Th17 cells and IL-17A play critical roles in the development of endometriosis by promoting endometrial cell survival and conferring a resistance to NK cell cytotoxicity through the activation of ERK1/2 signaling. Targeting IL-17A has potential as a new strategy for the treatment of endometriosis.

• 한국환경생태학회지
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.385-392
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• 2005

본 연구는 대형 산불이 발생한 강원도 고성군 산불피해지 역에 서식하는 맹금류의 현황을 통해 산불피해지 역이 맹금류의 서식에 미치는 영향을 알아보고자 실시하였다. 고성군 산불피해지역에서 관찰된 맹금류는 총2목 3과 8종 최대 개체수 합계 28개체가 확인되었다. 최우점종은 새홀리기였으며, 말똥가리, 황조롱이, 붉은배새매의 순으로 조사되었다. 2002년 5월에 가장 많은 종과 개체수가 관찰되었으며, 부분적 미피해지역과 미피해지역에서 5종으로 가장 많은 맹금류가 관찰되었다. 이 한 맹금류들의 종과 개체수를 증가시키기 위해서 산불피해지 역에 맹금류들이 둥지를 만들 수 있는 조건을 조성해준다면, 산불피해지 역에 서식하는 맹금류의 종과 개체수는 더욱 늘어날 것으로 판단된다.

• 환경생물
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.375-383
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• 2009

본 연구는 경기도 고양시와 김포시 인근의 한강하구지역에 도래하여 월동하는 재두루미의 도래 및 취식지역 이용현황, 잠재식이물, 주간 일주행동 그리고 방해요인에 대한 조사를 통하여 이 지역 재두루미의 월동생태에 대한 기초자료 구축과 지속적인 서식을 위한 보전방안을 마련하기 위하여 실시하였다. 재두루미는 본 지역에서 2월 중순에 최대개체수인 162개체가 확인되었고, 3월 중순에 모두 번식지역으로 이동하였다. 월동기간 동안 한강 주변 김포시와 고양시의 농경지역인 홍도평, 이화동, 평동 그리고 송포동지역을 취식지역으로 이용하였으며, 월동지 전체의 이용가능일수(ECC)는 334일(121~909일)이었다. 재두루미는 오전에 취식지역으로 이동하여 먹이 활동을 하였으며, 방해요인이 발생하면 한강의 갯벌로 이동하여 먹이 활동을 하거나 휴식을 취했다. 일주행동은 취식, 경계, 이동, 깃다듬기, 안락, 사회 및 기타행동으로 나누어 조사 하였으며, 월동지에서는 취식의 비율이 가장 높았다. 또한 일주행동 중 취식, 경계, 이동 그리고 깃다듬기는 취식지역별로 유의적인 차이가 나타났다. 통계적으로 유의한 차이를 나타내었다. 취식지역에서 재두루미의 월동에 방해를 주는 요인은 총 348회가 관찰되었으며, 차량, 사람, 자전거 및 오토바이와 같은 인위적인 방해요인과 소음, 동물, 기타의 자연적인 요인이 있었다. 방해요인은 이화동 (134회), 홍도평 (109회), 송포동 (64회) 그리고 평동(44회)의 순으로 관찰되었으며, 인위적인 방해요인(228회)이 자연적인 방해요인(120회)에 비해 많았다. 특히, 그 중에서 차량에 의한 방해의 빈도가 가장 높았다.

• 한국인구학
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.133-160
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• 2010

본 연구의 목적은 국가 간 비교 관점에서 한국과 일본의 가족생활주기에 따른 결혼만족도 변화 패턴을 분석하고, 결혼만족도에 영향을 미치는 요인을 탐색하는 것이다. 이를 위해 2003년 한국과 2004년 일본에서 각각 조사한 전국가족조사 자료를 사용하였으며, 배우자와 동거하고 있는 5,308명의 한국인 성인남녀와 4,920명의 일본인 성인남녀를 대상으로 한 설문조사자료를 분석에 사용하였다. 결혼관계에서의 한국과 일본 간 문화적 차이와 유사성을 살펴보기 위해 교육수준과 결혼기간, 가구수입과 재혼 여부를 통제한 가운데 교육수준, 소득수준, 취업에 있어서 비전형적인 부부결합(marriage gradients), 가족스트레스, 부부 상호작용의 질이 한국과 일본 부부의 결혼 만족도에 미치는 영향을 위계적 회귀분석을 통해 살펴보았다. 그 결과, 한국과 일본 모두 가족생활주기에 따른 U자형 결혼만족도 변화패턴을 보였으며, 전 생애에 걸쳐 일관적으로 남편이 부인보다 결혼만족도가 높았다. 한국과 일본 부부의 결혼만족도에 영향을 미치는 가장 중요한 요인은 공통적으로 배우자에 대한 깊은 신뢰와 관심, 성생활 만족을 포함한 질 높은 부부 상호작용이었으며, 한국인 부부는 성생활 만족보다는 부부 상호작용의 질이 결혼만족도에 더 큰 영향을 미쳤던 반면 일본인 부부는 성생활 만족이 더 큰 영향을 미쳤다.