• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권7호
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• pp.2376-2385
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• 2022

Two groups of oxide dispersion-strengthened reduced-activation ferritic/martensitic steels (A and B) were prepared by adding Y, Ti, and Zr into steels through vacuum induction melting to investigate the inclusions, microstructures, mechanical properties of the alloys. Results showed that particles with Y, Ti, and Zr easily formed. Massive, Zr-rich inclusions were found in B steel. Density of micron inclusions in A steel was 1.42 × 10¹⁴ m^-3, and density of nanoparticles was 3.61 × 10¹⁶ m^-3. More and finer MX carbides were found in steel tempered at 650 ℃, and yield strengths (YS) of A and B steel were 714±2 and 664±3.5 MPa. Thermomechanical processing (TMP) retained many dislocations, which improved the mechanical properties. YSs of A and B treated by TMP were 725±3 and 683±4 MPa. The existence of massive Zr-rich inclusions in B steels interrupted the continuity of the matrix and produced microcracks (fracture), which caused a reduction in mechanical properties. The presence of fine prior austenite grain size and inclusions was attributed to the low DBTTs of the A steels; DBTTs of A650 and A700 alloy were -79 and -65 ℃. Tempering temperature reduction and TMP are simple, readily useable methods that can lead to a superior balance of strength and impact toughness in industry applications.

• 한국재료학회지
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• 제31권8호
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• pp.458-464
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• 2021

Tungsten disulfide (WS₂), a typical 2D layerd structure, has received much attention as a pseudocapacitive material because of its high theoretical specific capacity and excellent ion diffusion kinetics. However, WS₂ has critical limits such as poor long-term cycling stability owing to its large volume expansion during cycling and low electrical conductivity. Therefore, to increase the high-rate performance and cycling stability for pseudocapacitors, well-dispersed WS₂ nanoparticles embedded in carbon nanofibers (WS₂-CNFs), including mesopores and S-doping, are prepared by hydrothermal synthesis and sulfurizaiton. These unique nanocomposite electrodes exhibit a high specific capacity (159.6 F g^-1 at 10 mV s^-1), excellent high-rate performance (81.3 F g^-1 at 300 mV s^-1), and long-term cycling stability (55.9 % after 1,000 cycles at 100 mV s^-1). The increased specific capacity is attributed to well-dispersed WS₂ nanoparticles embedded in CNFs that the enlarge active area; the increased high-rate performance is contributed by reduced ion diffusion pathway due to mesoporous CNFs and improved electrical conductivity due to S-doped CNFs; the long-term cycling stability is attributed to the CNFs matrix including WS₂ nanoparticles, which effectively prevent large volume expansion.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제31권2호
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• pp.210-218
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• 2023

Prostate cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality in men, primarily because of treatment resistance, recurrence, and metastasis. In the present study, we investigated the role of paracrine interleukin-8 (IL-8) in the antagonistic expression of IL-8 and androgen receptor (AR), and the contribution of IL-8 to prostate cancer aggressiveness. In hormone-responsive LNCaP cells that do not express IL-8, recombinant IL-8 treatment significantly increased expressions of IL-8, CXC chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2/9, Snail, and vimentin. IL-8 treatment significantly decreased AR and E-cadherin expression. IL-8-induced gene expression changes were suppressed by navarixin, a CXCR1/2 inhibitor, and gallein, a Gβγ inhibitor. In PC-3 androgen-refractory prostate cancer cells, IL-8 knockdown reduced expressions of CXCR2, MMP-2/9, Snail, and vimentin, and increased AR and E-cadherin expressions at the mRNA and protein levels. Co-culture with MEG-01 human megakaryocytic cells secreting high levels of IL-8 induced gene expression changes in both LNCaP and PC-3 cells, similar to those induced by IL-8 treatment. The altered gene expressions were accompanied by significant activation of transcription factor Snail in LNCaP and PC-3 cells. Treatment with the CXCR blocker navarixin inhibited the invasion of PC-3 cells but not LNCaP cells. However, invasion induced by MEG-01 was inhibited by navarixin in both LNCaP and PC-3 cells. The collective findings demonstrate that IL-8 enhances CXCR2 expression, which antagonistically regulates AR expression. More importantly, through changes in IL-8/CXCR2-regulated gene expression, IL-8 induces antiandrogen therapy resistance and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in prostate cancer.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제31권5호
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• pp.484-495
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• 2023

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) can be defined as a progressive chronic pulmonary disease showing scarring in the lung parenchyma, thereby resulting in increase in mortality and decrease in the quality of life. The pathophysiologic mechanism of fibrosis in IPF is still unclear. Repetitive microinjuries to alveolar epithelium with genetical predisposition and an abnormal restorative reaction accompanied by excessive deposition of collagens are involved in the pathogenesis. Although the two FDA-approved drugs, pirfenidone and nintedanib, are under use for retarding the decline in lung function of patients suffered from IPF, they are not able to improve the survival rate or quality of life. Therefore, a novel therapeutic agent acting on the major steps of the pathogenesis of disease and/or, at least, managing the clinical symptoms of IPF should be developed for the effective regulation of this incurable disease. In the present review, we tried to find a potential of managing the clinical symptoms of IPF by natural products derived from medicinal plants used for controlling the pulmonary inflammatory diseases in traditional Asian medicine. A multitude of natural products have been reported to exert an antifibrotic effect in vitro and in vivo through acting on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition pathway, transforming growth factor (TGF)- β-induced intracellular signaling, and the deposition of extracellular matrix. However, clinical antifibrotic efficacy of these natural products on IPF have not been elucidated yet. Thus, those effects should be proven by further examinations including the randomized clinical trials, in order to develop the ideal and optimal candidate for the therapeutics of IPF.

• Composites Research
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.1-6
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• 2006

PSF/AS4 복합재 적층구조의 가속노화가 피로강도에 미치는 영향을 변분이론을 이용한 에너지 발산율(energy release rate) 분석을 이용하여 연구하였다. 변분이론 분석은 수지미소균열에 대한 파괴역학을 해석하는데 사용되어 왔으며 이 논문에서는 피로하중 하에서 가속노화 시간에 따르는 파괴인성이 어떻게 변하는가를 설명하였다. 수정된 Paris 법칙에 의한 선도는 각 재료마다. 미소균열이 형성되는 특성을 나타낸다. PSF/AS4 $[0/902]_s$ 적층구조가 60일 동안 유리천이온도에 근거를 두고 세분한 4개의 각기 다른 온도로 가속노화를 하였다. 모든 온도에서 파괴인성은 가속노화 시간에 따라 감소하였다. 높은 온도에서의 파괴인성의 감소는 낮은 온도에서의 감소보다 빠르게 진전되었다. 가속노화가 피로강도에 미치는 영향을 파악하기 위해 유리 천이온도인 섭씨 180도에 가까운 170도에서 60일 동안 노화한 것과 노화하지 않은 것을 비교하였다. 노화된 시편에 대하여 파괴인성의 변화(${\Delta}G_m$)가 낮은 값에서 미소균열이 형성되는 것을 알 수 있었다.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제87권3호
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• pp.221-229
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• 2023

Urbanization and industrialization have significantly increased the amount of solid waste produced in recent decades, posing considerable disposal problems and environmental burdens. The practice of waste utilization in concrete has gained popularity among construction practitioners and researchers for the efficient use of resources and the transition to the circular economy in construction. This study employed Lytag aggregate, an environmentally friendly pulverized fuel ash-based lightweight aggregate, as a substitute for natural coarse aggregate. At the same time, fly ash, an industrial by-product, was used as a partial substitute for cement. Concrete mix M20 was experimented with using fly ash and Lytag lightweight aggregate. The percentages of fly ash that make up the replacements were 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%. The Compressive Strength (CS), Split Tensile Strength (STS), and deflection were discovered at these percentages after 56 days of testing. The concrete cube, cylinder, and beam specimens were examined in the explorations, as mentioned earlier. The results indicate that a 10% substitution of cement with fly ash and a replacement of coarse aggregate with Lytag lightweight aggregate produced concrete that performed well in terms of mechanical properties and deflection. The cementitious composites have varying characteristics as the environment changes. Therefore, understanding their mechanical properties are crucial for safety reasons. CS, STS, and deflection are the essential property of concrete. Machine learning (ML) approaches have been necessary to predict the CS of concrete. The Artificial Fish Swarm Optimization (AFSO), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and Harmony Search (HS) algorithms were investigated for the prediction of outcomes. This work deftly explains the tremendous AFSO technique, which achieves the precise ideal values of the weights in the model to crown the mathematical modeling technique. This has been proved by the minimum, maximum, and sample median, and the first and third quartiles were used as the basis for a boxplot through the standardized method of showing the dataset. It graphically displays the quantitative value distribution of a field. The correlation matrix and confidence interval were represented graphically using the corrupt method.

• 한국건축시공학회지
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• 제23권6호
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• pp.727-738
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• 2023

계면은 콘크리트 강도 결정 요인 중 가장 약한 영역으로, 골재와 시멘트 페이스트 사이에서 형성된다. 경량골재는 원재료를 팽창, 소성시켜 제조하기 때문에 표면에 수많은 공극을 형성하여 밀도가 낮은 장점을 지니지만 골재 강도가 약하다. 콘크리트는 골재강도가 약하면 골재의 파단이 발생한다. 경량골재의 콘크리트 적용은 골재 파단 때문으로 계면의 강도가 중요하다. 본 연구에서는 경량골재의 계면강도 증진을 위해 고로슬래그 미분말로 골재표면을 코팅하고, 시험체의 임피던스를 비교하여 표면개질에 의한 계면 변화를 분석하였다. 실험결과, 경량골재 표면코팅 시 압축강도가 약 4%정도 증가하였고, 강도 증가에 따라 임피던스 값 중 레지스턴스 값이 증가하는 것을 확인하였다.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제79권3호
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• pp.143-152
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• 2016

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and lethal lung disease characterized by the accumulation of excessive fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in the extracellular matrix. The transforming growth factor ${\beta}1$ (TGF-${\beta}1$)-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is thought to be a possible source of fibroblasts/myofibroblasts in IPF lungs. We have previously reported that apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) has anti-fibrotic activity in experimental lung fibrosis. In this study, we determine whether ApoA1 modulates TGF-${\beta}1$-induced EMT in experimental lung fibrosis and clarify its mechanism of action. Methods: The A549 alveolar epithelial cell line was treated with TGF-${\beta}1$ with or without ApoA1. Morphological changes and expression of EMT-related markers, including E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and ${\alpha}$-smooth muscle actin were evaluated. Expressions of Smad and non-Smad mediators and TGF-${\beta}1$ receptor type 1 ($T{\beta}RI$) and type 2 ($T{\beta}RII$) were measured. The silica-induced lung fibrosis model was established using ApoA1 overexpressing transgenic mice. Results: TGF-${\beta}1$-treated A549 cells were changed to the mesenchymal morphology with less E-cadherin and more N-cadherin expression. The addition of ApoA1 inhibited the TGF-${\beta}1$-induced change of the EMT phenotype. ApoA1 inhibited the TGF-${\beta}1$-induced increase in the phosphorylation of Smad2 and 3 as well as that of ERK and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase mediators. In addition, ApoA1 reduced the TGF-${\beta}1$-induced increase in $T{\beta}RI$ and $T{\beta}RII$ expression. In a mouse model of silica-induced lung fibrosis, ApoA1 overexpression reduced the silica-mediated effects, which were increased N-cadherin and decreased E-cadherin expression in the alveolar epithelium. Conclusion: Our data demonstrate that ApoA1 inhibits TGF-${\beta}1$-induced EMT in experimental lung fibrosis.

• 한국통신학회논문지
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• 제33권10B호
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• pp.946-961
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• 2008

본 연구는, IT중소기업에 대한 기술혁신 지원사업이 본래의 정책목표에 맞게 운용되고 있는지를 확인하고, 개선된 사업구조로의 재구축을 위한 정책적 제안을 도출하는 것을 목적으로 한다. 첫째, 기술혁신 지원사업의 수혜대상 IT중소기업군과 비수혜기업군의 대응표본을 비교하여, 정책목표에 부합된 맞춤형 지원의 실시여부를 검토한다. 둘째, 사업년도 경과에 따른 IT중소기업 기술혁신 지원사업별 포지셔닝 (positioning)의 추이를 사업 포트폴리오분석 (business portfolio analysis)을 응용하여 조사한다. 셋째, 기술혁신 지원사업간 '공동참여연결망' (affiliation network) 행렬을 정의 작성한 후, 다차원척도법 (multidimensional scaling method)을 활용한 IT중소기업 기술혁신 지원사업간 연관성에 대한 분석을 시도한다. '07년 정보통신부 (MIC)의 IT중소기업 기술혁신 지원사업으로서 14개 관리기관이 보유한 31개 지원사업의 '03-'06년 4개 사업년도 수혜기업 8,994개 및 한국정보통신산업협회 (KAIT) IT기업 DB에서 '03-'06년 4개 사업년도중 수혜기록이 전혀 없는 18,354개 비수혜기업중, '03년 기준 2-5년의 기업업력을 갖는 비수혜기업 8,035개가 대응표본으로 추출되어 분석된다. 분석결과; 1) 최근까지 본래의 정책목표에 부합하는 IT중소기업들이 수혜기업으로 적합하게 선정된 것으로 검토되었다; 2) 하지만, 사업년도 경과에 따라 (1) 지원시점 기업업력 및 매출액은 함께 증가하고, (2) 지원시점 무형자산비율 감소 및 영업이익률 증가와 같은 뚜렷한 추이가 감지되기에, 창업 초기 IT중소기업에 대한 '출발기금' (seed money) 제공의 역할은 점진적으로 약화되는 것으로 조사되므로, 이에 대한 적시의 조치가 필요하다; 3) 한편, 다차원척도법의 모형 적합도가 낮긴 했지만, 직접지원사업과 비교할 때 간접지원사업의 경우 상대적으로, 기술혁신 지원사업간 연관성이 더 클 가능성이 있을 것으로 판단되었다.

• 한국산학기술학회논문지
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• 제15권7호
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• pp.4081-4086
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• 2014

CAB는 광학적 특성이 우수한 생분해성 수지이나 취약한 가공성으로 인해 필름 어플리케이션에 제한되어 있다. 본 실험에서는 비교적 가공성이 우수한 폴리락틱산을 이용하여 CAB의 가공성을 향상시키고, 충격보강제 도입으로 기계적 물성을 보완하고자 하였다. 이전 실험에서 PLA/CAB binary 블렌드의 PLA75CAB25조성이 상용성을 보이는 것을 확인하였으므로 PLA75CAB25 조성에 한하여 충격보강 연구를 수행하였다. 이축압출기를 이용하여 충격보강제를 도입하고, $140^{\circ}C$(hopper)-$200^{\circ}C$(die)의 온도 범위에서 200rpm의 속도로 제조하였다. 충격보강제 도입에 따른 상용성을 평가하기 위해 DSC와 FE-SEM을 통해 유리전이온도 거동과 모폴로지를 관찰하였다. 또한 충격보강효과를 확인하기 위해 DMA와 Izod 충격강도 시험기를 이용하여 저장탄성률과 충격강도를 측정하였다. 충격보강제가 10wt%가 도입되었을 때 상용성이 가장 좋았으며, Izod 충격강도가 PLA75CAB25 조성에 비해 4배 이상 향상되었음을 확인하였다.