• Molecules and Cells
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• 제44권6호
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• pp.408-421
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• 2021

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has not only affected human health but also diverted the focus of research and derailed the world economy over the past year. Recently, vaccination against COVID-19 has begun, but further studies on effective therapeutic agents are still needed. The severity of COVID-19 is attributable to several factors such as the dysfunctional host immune response manifested by uncontrolled viral replication, type I interferon suppression, and release of impaired cytokines by the infected resident and recruited cells. Due to the evolving pathophysiology and direct involvement of the host immune system in COVID-19, the use of immune-modulating drugs is still challenging. For the use of immune-modulating drugs in severe COVID-19, it is important to balance the fight between the aggravated immune system and suppression of immune defense against the virus that causes secondary infection. In addition, the interplaying events that occur during virus-host interactions, such as activation of the host immune system, immune evasion mechanism of the virus, and manifestation of different stages of COVID-19, are disjunctive and require thorough streamlining. This review provides an update on the immunotherapeutic interventions implemented to combat COVID-19 along with the understanding of molecular aspects of the immune evasion of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which may provide opportunities to develop more effective and promising therapeutics.

• Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry
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• 제67권
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• pp.175-186
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• 2018

Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs), particularly carbon nanotube and graphene-based materials, are rapidly emerging as one of the most effective adsorbents for wastewater treatment. CNMs hold great potential as new generation adsorbents due to their high surface to volume ratio, as well as extraordinary chemical, mechanical and thermal stabilities. However, implementation of pristine CNMs in real world applications are still hindered due to their poor solubility in most solvents. Hence, surface modification of CNMs is essential for wastewater treatment application in order to improve its solubility, chemical stability, fouling resistance and efficiency. Numerous studies have reported the applications of functionalized CNMs as very promising adsorbents for treating organic and inorganic wastewater pollutants. In this paper, the removal of organic dye and phenol contaminants from wastewater using various type of functionalized CNMs are highlighted and summarized. Challenges and future opportunities for application of these CNMs as adsorbents in sustainable wastewater treatment are also addressed in this paper.

• 생체재료학회지
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.211-220
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• 2018

Background: Recently, cancer immunotherapy has become standard for cancer treatment. Immunotherapy not only treats primary tumors, but also prevents metastasis and recurrence, representing a major advantage over conventional cancer treatments. However, existing cancer immunotherapies have limited clinical benefits because cancer antigens are often not effectively delivered to immune cells. Furthermore, unlike lymphoma, solid tumors evade anti-cancer immunity by forming an immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). One approach for overcoming these limitations of cancer immunotherapy involves nanoparticles based on biomaterials. Main body: Here, we review in detail recent trends in the use of nanoparticles in cancer immunotherapy. First, to illustrate the unmet needs for nanoparticles in this field, we describe the mechanisms underlying cancer immunotherapy. We then explain the role of nanoparticles in the delivery of cancer antigens and adjuvants. Next, we discuss how nanoparticles can be helpful within the immune-suppressive TME. Finally, we summarize current and future uses of nanoparticles with image-guided interventional techniques in cancer immunotherapy. Conclusion: Recently developed approaches for using nanoparticles in cancer immunotherapy have enormous potential for improving cancer treatment. Cancer immunotherapy based on nanoparticles is anticipated not only to overcome the limitations of existing immunotherapy, but also to generate synergistic effects via cooperation between nanoparticles and immune cells.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• 제8권8호
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• pp.387-397
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• 2021

The object of this article is to assess the factors affecting the behavioral intention of young retail customers to use digital banking services in Vietnam. In this article, multivariate data analysis techniques including Cronbach's Alpha, Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Structure equation model (SEM), and Bootstrapping are used to analyze the data collected from 525 young respondents under the age of 35 who are using or having opportunities to experience digital banking services. The people taking part in the survey were mainly University students with incomes of most of them under VND 5 million. The result from the analysis illustrates that (1) perceived ease of use positively affects intention to use, (2) social influence positively impacts intention to use, and (3) customer support has a positive impact on the intention of young people to use digital banking services. While technology self-efficacy, convenience, and perceived security were found to have an impact on intention to use services in former studies, the influences of these factors on intention to use digital banking services are found insignificant in this research. From these results, the author provides implications for commercial banks to increase the intention to use digital banking of young people in Vietnam.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.3-12
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• 2021

Purpose: While clinical practice is crucial for nursing students to acquire the skills needed to provide professional, high-quality nursing care, further studies on improving undergraduate nursing programs are needed to provide a supportive clinical learning environment for student nurses. This study aimed to understand nursing students' clinical experiences in newborn nurseries and neonatal intensive care units and to provide basic data for the establishment of strategies to promote effective clinical education. Methods: Interviews were held with 15 nursing students at J University who had clinical practice experience in the newborn nursery and neonatal intensive care unit. The collected data were analyzed using the phenomenological analysis method developed by Colaizzi (1978). Results: The nursing students' experiences were grouped into four categories: "expectations for and anxiety about clinical practice", "acquisition of a wide range of knowledge regarding neonatal nursing", "challenges faced in clinical practice", and "experiencing interpersonal changes". Conclusion: The current neonatal practice nursing education system provides students with positive learning experiences. However, the lack of practice opportunities, insufficient instruction, and the theory-practice gap were identified as major issues hindering students' learning needs. These study results are expected to provide basic data for curriculum development to improve undergraduate nursing education.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• 제8권3호
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• pp.771-780
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• 2021

The study assesses the impact of tariffs on Vietnam's trade in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Research data was conducted between 2001 and 2018 on the official website of the Uncomtrade and the World Bank. This paper uses the gravity model to estimate the relationship between data series and considers the impact of factors on Vietnam's trade with CPTPP countries. The results have proven that tariff reductions have a positive effect on Vietnam's trade. Besides, the trade openness of Vietnam and CPTPP countries has positive impacts on Vietnam's trade. The study also shows that Real Effective Exchange Rate (REER) between Vietnam's and CPTPP countries' currencies has no strong effect on Vietnam's trade. Based on these findings, the article also suggests a number of policies to promote Vietnam's trade in future. In order to support businesses to better utilize opportunities and promote exports to CPTPP countries, the government of Vietnam should: (1) focus on reducing costs and time to participate in the market for production and business investors; (2) improve business investment environment to mobilize resources for production; and (3) continue to organize information campaigns to raise businesses' awareness of how to take advantage of CPTPP preferences.

• 융합경영연구
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• 제7권4호
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• pp.20-32
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• 2019

Purpose - There have been many studies regarding the preceding factors required for success of start-up. The purpose of this study is to verify one of the paths by which the individual characteristics of founders and governmental support lead to enhanced start-up performance, via entrepreneurship and network building. Research design, data, methodology - Data for this study was collected from surveys of 332 founders throughout South Korea, and statistical analyses of this data were performed using SPSS 22.0 and Smart PLS 2.0. To verify our hypothesis, path analysis was performed using a structural equation model. Results -The variables, entrepreneurial self-esteem and experience were found to have positive effects on the entrepreneurship and networks. Secondly, governmental support did not have significant positive effect on entrepreneurship, but it did have positive effect on networking. Thirdly, entrepreneurship and networking were confirmed to have positive effects on both the utilization of opportunities and financial performance, which are variables indicating start-up performance. Conclusion - Although founder's characteristics are important for success of start-up, it is also critically important to actively utilize governmental support. Notably, many founders suffer from inadequate networks. They would be able to enhance their start-up performance by utilizing various governmental support programs to reinforce their network capabilities.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.993-1003
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• 2021

The contribution made by the tourism sector is strategic enough to provide job opportunities and increase the state's foreign exchange which will be followed by development in the information and technology sectors. The population of this study includes all domestic tourists who visit the Batu City Angkut Museum over 17 years of age and who have obtained information via eWOM from other tourists. Based on the measurement, a minimum of 160 respondents must be selected as the research sample. Non-probability sampling techniques are used to select samples. Social media had been used by companies to provide information, services, and products related to tourism, and it was utilized by tourists to share information about their traveling experiences. Nowadays, tourists have become more selective and critical in selecting their destinations as they have become good observant in finding adequate information about certain destinations before deciding to visit the place. This reaction can be influenced by positive eWOM communication, positive image, and trust given to certain tourist destinations. Therefore, improving the number of visits requires the management of certain tourism service companies to apply proper marketing strategy and provide various advantages and best service quality to attract more visitors and give satisfaction to visitors.

• International journal of advanced smart convergence
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.24-37
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• 2021

China's "One Belt and One Road" initiative has brought multiple opportunities to the development of tourism in Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan provinces and the implementation of the Beibu Gulf Urban Agglomeration Development Plan hasset clear goalsforfurther accelerating the coordinated development, in-depth cooperation of the three. This study takes the Beibu Gulf Urban Agglomeration as the research object and utilized the data envelopment analysis (DEA) procedure to estimate the technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and scale efficiency scores for each city and Malmquist index was subsequently used to analyze dynamically, then tries to offer an adequate inclusion of sustainable factors in overall tourism development efficiency results through the detection and estimation of potential sources of efficiency. In order to complete the task, data collection was focused on Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan provinces of China over the period from 2016 to 2018. The results in the first phase show relatively high efficiency scores, particularly in the case of the Beibu Gulf Urban Agglomeration and with room for improvement in the case of other cities of Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan provinces. The second stage results present several aspects that should be carefully considered in order to analysis tourism efficiency of the Beibu Gulf Urban Agglomerations vertically according to the changes of the frontier.

• 한국수학교육학회지시리즈D:수학교육연구
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.181-217
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• 2020

This study explores how pre-service teachers (PSTs) view, interpret, and utilize non-textual elements (NTEs) in mathematics curriculum. Fifty-two PSTs, who enrolled in a mathematics methods course at a Midwestern university in the U.S., engaged in a three-part task that consisted of evaluations and modifications of NTEs in the sample mathematics curriculum materials. We ascertain what PSTs consider to be the strengths and weaknesses of NTEs, how they define the primary goals of NTEs, and how they would work to modify or adapt existing NTEs with effective teaching in mind. By using the Curricular Noticing Framework, we can better understand how PSTs recognize opportunities within mathematics curriculum and gain a deeper understanding regarding how PSTs' prior experiences may affect their curricular-attending habits, which has consequences for their future teaching. Findings indicate that PSTs understand NTEs to be simply a support for traditional mathematics curriculum, rather than tools on their own. Also, they tend to prefer NTEs that are familiar to them. From our findings, we draw implications for teacher educators who support PSTs' interpretation and utilization of NTEs.