• Title/Summary/Keyword: Vessel reduction

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Mechanisms of Amyloid-β Peptide Clearance: Potential Therapeutic Targets for Alzheimer's Disease

  • Yoon, Sang-Sun;AhnJo, Sang-Mee
    • Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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    • v.20 no.3
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    • pp.245-255
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    • 2012
  • Amyloid-${\beta}$ peptide ($A{\beta}$) is still best known as a molecule to cause Alzheimer's disease (AD) through accumulation and deposition within the frontal cortex and hippocampus in the brain. Thus, strategies on developing AD drugs have been focused on the reduction of $A{\beta}$ in the brain. Since accumulation of $A{\beta}$ depends on the rate of its synthesis and clearance, the metabolic pathway of $A{\beta}$ in the brain and the whole body should be carefully explored for AD research. Although the synthetic pathway of $A{\beta}$ is equally important, we summarize primarily the clearance pathway in this paper because the former has been extensively reviewed in previous studies. The clearance of $A{\beta}$ from the brain is accomplished by several mechanisms which include non-enzymatic and enzymatic pathways. Nonenzymatic pathway includes interstitial fluid drainage, uptake by microglial phagocytosis, and transport across the blood vessel walls into the circulation. Multiple $A{\beta}$-degrading enzymes (ADE) implicated in the clearance process have been identified, which include neprilysin, insulin-degrading enzyme, matrix metalloproteinase-9, glutamate carboxypeptidase II and others. A series of studies on $A{\beta}$ clearance mechanism provide new insight into the pathogenesis of AD at the molecular level and suggest a new target for the development of novel therapeutics.

Embolization for treating posttraumatic pseudoaneurysm of the sphenopalatine artery

  • Chun, Jeong Jin;Choi, Chang Yong;Wee, Syeo Young;Song, Woo Jin;Jeong, Hyun Gyo
    • Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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    • v.20 no.4
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    • pp.251-254
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    • 2019
  • Posttraumatic pseudoaneurysms of the sphenopalatine artery are rare. Only a few cases have been reported. We report two cases of hemorrhage due to pseudoaneurysm of the sphenopalatine artery. The hemorrhage was uncontrollable. It required embolization. Two patients visited our hospital for treatment of zygomaticomaxillary complex fracture. At the emergency room, patients presented with massive nasal bleeding which ceased shortly. After reduction of the fracture, patients presented persistent nasopharyngeal bleeding. Under suspicion of intracranial vessel injury, we performed angiography. Angiograms revealed pseudoaneurysms of the sphenopalatine artery. Endovascular embolization was performed, leading to successful hemostasis in both patients. Due to close proximity to pterygoid plates, zygomaticomaxillary complex fracture involving pterygoid plates may cause injury of the sphenopalatine artery. The only presentation of sphenopalatine artery injury is nasopharyngeal bleeding which is common. Based on our clinical experience, although pseudoaneurysm of maxillary artery branch after maxillofacial trauma has a low incidence, suspicion of injury involving deeply located arteries and early imaging via angiogram are recommended to manage recurrent bleeding after facial trauma or surgery.

A study on exhaust emission characteristics according to operating conditions and butanol blended fuels in a small diesel engine for fishing vessel (소형 어선용 디젤기관의 운전조건과 부탄올 혼합유의 배기 배출물 특성에 관한 연구)

  • KIM, Sang-Am;WANG, Woo-Gyeong
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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    • v.57 no.3
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    • pp.256-263
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    • 2021
  • In this study, blending oils of diesel oil and butanol were used as fuel oil for diesel engine to measure combustion pressure, fuel consumption, air ratio and exhaust gas emission due to various operating conditions such as engine revolution and torque. Using these data, the results of analyzing the engine performance, combustion characteristics and exhaust emission characteristics such as NOx (nitrogen oxides), CO2 (carbon dioxide), CO (carbon monoxide) and soot were as follows. The fuel conversion efficiency at each load was highest when driven in the engine revolution determined by a fixed pitch propeller law. Except 30% butanol blending oil, fuel conversion efficiency of the other fuel oils increased as the load increased. Compared to diesel oil, using 10% and 20% butanol blending oil as fuel oil was advantageous in terms of thermal efficiency, but it did not have a significant impact on the reduction of exhaust gas emissions. On the other hand, future research is needed on the results of the 20% butanol blending oil showing lower or similar levels of smoke concentration and carbon monoxide emission rate other than those types of diesel oil.

Fabrication and evaluation of hydrophobic metal stent using electron beam equipment (전자빔 처리를 통한 발수성 금속 스텐트 제작 및 평가)

  • Kim, Jisoo;Park, Jongsung
    • Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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    • v.30 no.3
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    • pp.165-169
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    • 2021
  • The objective of this study was to fabricate a novel hydrophobic stent for reducing restenosis by employing electron beam equipment. The stent was fabricated from a CoCr alloy tube by using a femtosecond laser and was treated with argon plasma. Subsequently, the stent's surface specification changed from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. Application of the electron beam offers several advantages such as a short processing time, whole surface reforming, and enhancement of material properties. As the surface of the stent was rendered hydrophobic, it can provide equivalent or enhanced mechanical properties and greater functionality with a higher radial force at the extended stent in a blood vessel. The obtained results corresponding to the mechanical properties indicate that the contact angle increased to approximately 130°, and the radial force increased to approximately 3 N. Furthermore, cell culture experiments were conducted for verifying whether cells were cultured on the surface-modified CoCr surface. Based on the obtained results, it is believed that an effective reduction in the restenosis of inserted vascular stents is possible.

Moon Phase based Threshold Determination for VIIRS Boat Detection

  • Kim, Euihyun;Kim, Sang-Wan;Jung, Hahn Chul;Ryu, Joo-Hyung
    • Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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    • v.37 no.1
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    • pp.69-84
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    • 2021
  • Awareness of boats is a main issue in areas of fishery management, illegal fishing, and maritime traffic, etc. For the awareness, Automatic Identification System (AIS) and Vessel-Pass System (V-PASS) have been widely used to collect the boat-related information. However, only using these systems makes it difficult to collect the accurate information. Recently, satellite-based data has been increasingly used as a cooperative system. In 2015, U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) developed a boat detection algorithm using Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Day & Night Band (DNB) data. Although the detections have been widely utilized in many publications, it is difficult to estimate the night-time fishing boats immediately. Particularly, it is difficult to estimate the threshold due to the lunar irradiation effect. This effect must be corrected to apply a single specific threshold. In this study, the moon phase was considered as the main frequency of this effect. Considering the moon phase, relational expressions are derived and then used as offsets for relative correction. After the correction, it shows a significant reduction in the standard deviation of the threshold compared to the threshold of NOAA. Through the correction, this study can set a constant threshold every day without determination of different thresholds. In conclusion, this study can achieve the detection applying the single specific threshold regardless of the moon phase.

The influence of the water ingression and melt eruption model on the MELCOR code prediction of molten corium-concrete interaction in the APR-1400 reactor cavity

  • Amidu, Muritala A.;Addad, Yacine
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.54 no.4
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    • pp.1508-1515
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    • 2022
  • In the present study, the cavity module of the MELCOR code is used for the simulation of molten corium concrete interaction (MCCI) during the late phase of postulated large break loss of coolant (LB-LOCA) accident in the APR1400 reactor design. Using the molten corium composition data from previous MELCOR Simulation of APR1400 under LB-LOCA accident, the ex-vessel phases of the accident sequences with long-term MCCI are recalculated with stand-alone cavity package of the MELCOR code to investigate the impact of water ingression and melt eruption models which were hitherto absent in MELCOR code. Significant changes in the MCCI behaviors in terms of the heat transfer rates, amount of gases released, and maximum cavity ablation depths are observed and reported in this study. Most especially, the incorporation of these models in the new release of MELCOR code has led to the reduction of the maximum ablation depth in radial and axial directions by ~38% and ~32%, respectively. These impacts are substantial enough to change the conclusions earlier reached by researchers who had used the older versions of the MELCOR code for their studies. and it could also impact the estimated cost of the severe accident mitigation system in the APR1400 reactor.

Is It Possible to Achieve IMO Carbon Emission Reduction Targets at the Current Pace of Technological Progress?

  • Choi, Gun-Woo;Yun, Heesung;Hwang, Soo-Jin
    • Journal of Korea Trade
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    • v.26 no.1
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    • pp.113-125
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    • 2022
  • Purpose - The primary purpose of this study is to verify whether the target set out by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for reducing carbon emissions from ships can be achieved by quantitatively analyzing the trends in technological advances of fuel oil consumption in the container shipping market. To achieve this purpose, several scenarios are designed considering various options such as eco-friendly fuels, low-speed operation, and the growth in ship size. Design/methodology - The vessel size and speed used in prior studies are utilized to estimate the fuel oil consumption of container ships and the pace of technological progress and Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) regulations are added. A database of 5,260 container ships, as of 2019, is used for multiple linear regression and quantile regression analyses. Findings - The fuel oil consumption of vessels is predominantly affected by their speed, followed by their size, and the annual technological progress is estimated to be 0.57%. As the quantile increases, the influence of ship size and pace of technological progress increases, while the influence of speed and coefficient of EEDI variables decreases. Originality/value - The conservative estimation of carbon emission drawn by a quantitative analysis of the technological progress concerning the fuel efficiency of container vessels shows that it is not possible to achieve IMO targets. Therefore, innovative efforts beyond the current scope of technological progress are required.

LKB1/STK11 Tumor Suppressor Reduces Angiogenesis by Directly Interacting with VEGFR2 in Tumorigenesis

  • Seung Bae Rho;Hyun Jung Byun;Boh-Ram Kim;Chang Hoon Lee
    • Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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    • v.31 no.4
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    • pp.456-465
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    • 2023
  • Cervical tumors represent a prevalent form of cancer affecting women worldwide; current treatment options involve surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Angiogenesis, the process of new blood vessel formation, is a crucial factor in cervical tumor growth. The molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of the liver kinase B1 (LKB1/STK11) tumor suppressor protein on tumor angiogenesis have not been elucidated. Therefore, we investigated the role of LKB1 in cervical tumor angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo in this study. Our results demonstrated that LKB1 inhibited cervical tumor angiogenesis by suppressing the expression of angiogenesis-related factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hypoxia inducible factor-1α. LKB1 directly affected both carcinoma and vascular endothelial cells, resulting in a significant reduction in tumor growth and angiogenesis. Furthermore, LKB1 was found to bind to VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) and target the VEGFR-2-mediated protein kinase B/mechanistic target of rapamycin signaling pathway in endothelial cells, thereby reducing cervical tumor growth and angiogenesis. Our study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic effects of LKB1 in cervical cancer. These findings will help develop new therapeutic strategies for cervical cancer.

Fire Resistance Characteristics of Firewall Structure Associated with Impact Damage Induced by Explosion

  • Hye Rim Cho;Jeong Hwa Yoo;Jung Kwan Seo
    • Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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    • v.37 no.3
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    • pp.99-110
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    • 2023
  • When a fire accident accompanied by an explosion occurs, the surrounding firewalls are affected by impact and thermal loads. Damaged firewalls due to accidental loads may not fully perform their essential function. Therefore, this paper proposes an advanced methodology for evaluating the fire resistance performance of firewalls damaged by explosions. The fragments were assumed to be scattered, and fire occurred as a vehicle exploded in a large compartment of a roll-on/roll-off (RO-RO) vessel. The impact velocity of the fragments was calculated based on the TNT equivalent mass corresponding to the explosion pressure. Damage and thermal-structural response analyses of the firewall were performed using Ansys LS-DYNA code. The fire resistance reduction was analyzed in terms of the temperature difference between fire-exposed and unexposed surfaces, temperature increase rate, and reference temperature arrival time. The degree of damage and the fire resistance performance of the firewalls varied significantly depending on impact loads. When naval ships and RO-RO vessels that carry various explosive substances are designed, it is reasonable to predict that the fire resistance performance will be degraded according to the explosion characteristics of the cargo.

A study on Perception and Response Strategy of Korean Ship Owners on Global Sulphur Cap 2020 (황산화물(SOx) 배출 저감 규제에 대한 국적선사의 인식과 대응 전략에 관한 연구)

  • Lee, Choong-Ho;Kim, Hyun-Jung;Park, keun-Sik
    • Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
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    • v.34 no.4
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    • pp.141-160
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    • 2018
  • In this paper, to analyze the perception and response strategy of Korean ship owners on Global Sulphur Cap 2020, examined the IMO environmental regulation status focusing on MARPOL Annex VI regulation about air pollution prevention, technological measures to reduce SOx emission, shipping industry and management status of Korean ship owners. First of all, the questionnaire was conducted for Korean ship owners after selecting the evaluation factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference of the perception and response strategy of Korean ship owners by corporation size and main vessel type using frequency and cross analysis. It is confirmed that various researches on SOx emission reduction have been carried out from various points of view at home and abroad. In this study, existing studies related to technical factors for regulatory response and economics analysis were examined and evaluation factors were selected. As a result of analysis, it is found that large-sized shipping companies are more prepared for regulatory response than small and medium-sized bulk carrier owners. There were similar perception and the direction of response strategy about the impacts by corporation size and main vessel type. In about two years to be implemented in 2020, It is necessary to find an appropriate response strategy based on the support policy of the government and related organizations and the systematic analysis of the ship owners. Through this study, although the difference between the perception and response strategy of the ship owners by corporation size and main vessel type was understood, it was found that there were limitations on specific response strategy and corporate data collection. In future research, we should overcome the limitations of this study and conduct an in-depth study.