• 방사선산업학회지
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.533-542
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• 2023

We developed an emergency national manual for preservation of cultural heritage using irradiation disinfection technic under flood disaster. And we examined its practicality with a critical radiation dose on fungi that occur at water-logged event in order to prevent fungal damage that occurs during submersion. The X-ray irradiation for this experiment was conducted at the Production Technology Research Institute located in Yeongcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do. A disinfection critical dose of 12 kGy was selected for two types of fungi known to spread rapidly and are resistant to radiation to submerged cultural properties, and this experiments were conducted by setting a target dose of 12kGy at 8.37mA at 5MeV. Under the above conditions, only continuity of irradiated samples were completely disinfected. This suggests that continuity of irradiation is important for fungal disinfection.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제22권2호
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• pp.219-226
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• 2024

Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has produced weapon-grade plutonium in a graphite-moderated experimental reactor at the Yongbyon nuclear facilities. The amount of plutonium produced can be estimated using the Graphite Isotope Ratio Method (GIRM), even without considering specific operational histories. However, the result depends to some degree on the operational cycle length. Moreover, an optimal cycle length can maximize the number of nuclear weapons made from the plutonium produced. For conservatism, it should be assumed that the target reactor was operated with an optimal cycle length. This study investigated the optimal cycle length using which the Calder Hall MAGNOX reactor can achieve the maximum annual production of nuclear weapons. The results show that lower enrichment fuel produced a greater number of critical plutonium spheres with a shorter optimal cycle length. Specifically, depleted uranium (0.69wt%) produced 5.561 critical plutonium spheres annually with optimal cycle lengths of 251 effective full power days. This research is crucial for understanding DPRK's potential for nuclear weapon production and highlights the importance of reactor operational strategy in maximizing the production of weapons-grade plutonium in MAGNOX reactors.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.239-253
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• 2022

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is known to be involved in airway remodeling and fibrosis of bronchial asthma. However, the molecular mechanisms leading to EMT have yet to be fully clarified. The current study was designed to reveal the potential mechanism of microRNA-21 (miR-21) and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) affecting EMT through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE cells) were transfected with miR-21 mimics/inhibitors and PARP-1 plasmid/small interfering RNA (siRNA). A dual luciferase reporter assay and biotin-labeled RNA pull-down experiments were conducted to verify the targeting relationship between miR-21 mimics and PARP-1. The migration ability of 16HBE cells was evaluated by Transwell assay. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting experiments were applied to determine the expression of Snail, ZEB1, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, Vimentin, and PARP-1. The effects of the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 on the migration of 16HBE cells and EMT were investigated. Overexpression of miR-21 mimics induced migration and EMT of 16HBE cells, which was significantly inhibited by overexpression of PARP-1. Our findings showed that PARP-1 was a direct target of miR-21, and that miR-21 targeted PARP-1 to promote migration and EMT of 16HBE cells through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Using LY294002 to block PI3K/AKT signaling pathway resulted in a significant reduction in the migration and EMT of 16HBE cells. These results suggest that miR-21 promotes EMT and migration of HBE cells by targeting PARP-1. Additionally, the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway might be involved in this mechanism, which could indicate its usefulness as a therapeutic target for asthma.

• The Korean journal of internal medicine
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• 제33권6호
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• pp.1210-1223
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• 2018

Background/Aims: The co-occurrence of obesity aggravates asthma symptoms. Diet-induced obesity increases helper T cell (TH) 17 cell differentiation in adipose tissue and the spleen. The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitor pravastatin can potentially be used to treat asthma in obese patients by inhibiting interleukin 17 (IL-17) expression. This study investigated the combined effects of pravastatin and anti-IL-17 antibody treatment on allergic inflammation in a mouse model of obesity-related asthma. Methods: High-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity was induced in C57BL/6 mice with or without ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization and challenge. Mice were administered the anti-IL-17 antibody, pravastatin, or both, and pathophysiological and immunological responses were analyzed. Results: HFD exacerbated allergic airway inflammation in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of HFD-OVA mice as compared to OVA mice. Blockading of the IL-17 in the HFD-OVA mice decreased airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR) and airway inflammation compared to the HFD-OVA mice. Moreover, the administration of the anti-IL-17 antibody decreased the leptin/adiponectin ratio in the HFD-OVA but not the OVA mice. Co-administration of pravastatin and anti-IL-17 inhibited airway inflammation and AHR, decreased goblet cell numbers, and increased adipokine levels in obese asthmatic mice. Conclusions: These results suggest that the IL-17-leptin/adiponectin axis plays a key role in airway inflammation in obesity-related asthma. Our findings suggest a potential new treatment for IL-17 as a target that may benefit obesity-related asthma patients who respond poorly to typical asthma medications.

• 대한기계학회논문집B
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• 제26권6호
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• pp.805-810
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• 2002

Development of a small gas-turbine combustor for 100㎾ class APU(Auxiliary Power Unit) has been performed. This combustor is a reverse-annular type and has a tangential swiller in the liner head to improve the fuel/air mixing and flame stability. Three main and three pilot fuel injectors of the simplex pressure-swirl type are used. The performance target at the design condition includes a turbine inlet temperature of l170k, a combustion efficiency of 99%, a pattern factor of 30%, and an engine durability of 3000 hours. Under developing the combustor, we conducted the performance test of our first prototype(TS1) with some variants. As a result of the test, the performance targets of the combustor are satisfied except that the pattern factor is about 4% higher than the target value. Therefore, the second prototype(TS2) was redesigned and the performance test was conducted with the critical focus on the pattern factor and the exit mean temperature. We adopted TS2 four variants to check the improvement of the pattern factor. As a result, the pattern factors of several variants were satisfied with the performance target. Finally, the TS2A variant was chosen as a final combustor fur our APU model.

• 경영과학
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• 제32권4호
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• pp.109-133
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• 2015

This paper considers the allocation and engagement scheduling of air defense missiles by using MIP (mixed integer programming). Specifically, it focuses on developing a realistic MIP model for a real battle situation where multiple enemy missiles are headed toward valuable defended assets and there exist multiple air defense missiles to counteract the threats. In addition to the conventional objective such as the minimization of surviving target value, the maximization of total intercept altitude is introduced as a new objective. The intercept altitude of incoming missiles is important in order to minimize damages from debris of the intercepted missiles and moreover it can be critical if the enemy warhead contains an atomic or chemical bomb. The concept of so called the time window is used to model the engagement situation and a continuous time is assumed for flying times of the both missiles. Lastly, the model is extended to simulate the situation where the guidance radar, which guides a defense missile to its target, has the maximum guidance capacity. The initial mathematical model developed contains several non-linear constraints and a non-linear objective function. Hence, the linearization of those terms is performed before it is solved by a commercially available software. Then to thoroughly examine the MIP model, the model is empirically evaluated with several test problems. Specifically, the models with different objective functions are compared and several battle scenarios are generated to evaluate performance of the models including the extended one. The results indicate that the new model consistently presents better and more realistic results than the compared models.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권23호
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• pp.10355-10361
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• 2015

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules found in multicellular eukaryotes which are implicated in development of cancer, including cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). Expression is controlled by transcription factors (TFs) that bind to specific DNA sequences, thereby controlling the flow (or transcription) of genetic information from DNA to messenger RNA. Interactions result in biological signal control networks. Materials and Methods: Molecular components involved in cSCC were here assembled at abnormally expressed, related and global levels. Networks at these three levels were constructed with corresponding biological factors in term of interactions between miRNAs and target genes, TFs and miRNAs, and host genes and miRNAs. Up/down regulation or mutation of the factors were considered in the context of the regulation and significant patterns were extracted. Results: Participants of the networks were evaluated based on their expression and regulation of other factors. Sub-networks with two core TFs, TP53 and EIF2C2, as the centers are identified. These share self-adapt feedback regulation in which a mutual restraint exists. Up or down regulation of certain genes and miRNAs are discussed. Some, for example the expression of MMP13, were in line with expectation while others, including FGFR3, need further investigation of their unexpected behavior. Conclusions: The present research suggests that dozens of components, miRNAs, TFs, target genes and host genes included, unite as networks through their regulation to function systematically in human cSCC. Networks built under the currently available sources provide critical signal controlling pathways and frequent patterns. Inappropriate controlling signal flow from abnormal expression of key TFs may push the system into an incontrollable situation and therefore contributes to cSCC development.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권17호
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• pp.7401-7405
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• 2014

Background: Postoperative chemoradiotherapy is accepted as standard treatment for stage IB-IV, M0 gastric cancer. Radiotherapy (RT) planning of gastric cancer is important because of the low radiation tolerance of surrounding critical organs. The purpose of this study was to compare the dosimetric aspects of 2-dimensional (2D) and 3-dimensional (3D) treatment plans, with the twin aims of evaluating the adequacy of 2D planning fields on coverage of planning target volume (PTV) and 3D conformal plans for both covering PTV and reducing the normal tissue doses. Materials and Methods: Thirty-six patients with stage II-IV gastric adenocarcinoma were treated with adjuvant chemoradiotherapy using 3DRT. For each patient, a second 2D treatment plan was generated. The two techniques were compared for target volume coverage and dose to normal tissues using dose volume histogram (DVH) analysis. Results: 3DRT provides more adequate coverage of the target volume. Comparative DVHs for the left kidney and spinal cord demonstrate lower radiation doses with the 3D technique. Conclusions: 3DRT produced better dose distributions and reduced radiation doses to left kidney and spinal cord compared to the 2D technique. For this reason it can be predicted that 3DRT will result in better tumor control and less normal tissue complications.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권12호
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• pp.4937-4944
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• 2015

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as critical regulators in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. Recently, miR-99a has been reported as a tumor suppressor gene in various human cancers, but its functions in the context of anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) remain unknown. In this study, we reported that miR-99a was commonly downregulated in ATC tissue specimens and cell lines with important functional consequences. Overexpression of miR-99a not only dramatically reduced ATC cell viability by inducing cell apoptosis and accumulation of cells at G1 phase, but also inhibited tumorigenicity in vivo. We then screened and identified a novel miR-99a target, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and it was further confirmed by luciferase assay. Up-regulation of miR-99a would markedly reduce the expression of mTOR and its downstream phosphorylated proteins (p-4E-BP1 and p-S6K1). Similar to restoring miR-99a expression, mTOR down-regulation suppressed cell viability and increased cell apoptosis, whereas restoration of mTOR expression significantly reversed the miR-99a antitumor activity and the inhibition of mTOR/p-4E-BP1/p-S6K1 signal pathway profile. In clinical specimens and cell lines, mTOR was commonly overexpressed and its protein levels were statistically inversely correlated with miR-99a expression. Taken together, our results demonstrated for the first time that miR-99a functions as a tumor suppressor and plays an important role in inhibiting the tumorigenesis through targeting the mTOR/p-4E-BP1/p-S6K1 pathway in ATC cells. Given these, miR-99a may serve as a novel prognostic/diagnostic and therapeutic target for treating ATC.

• 대한두경부종양학회지
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• 제24권2호
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• pp.155-161
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• 2008

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma(HNSCC) still has poor outcome, and laryngeal cancer is the most frequent subtype of HNSCC. Therefore, there is a need to develop novel treatments to improve the outcome of patients with HNSCC. It is critical to gain further understanding on the molecular and chromosomal alteration of HNSCC to identify novel therapeutic targets but genetic etiology of squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx is so complex that target genes have not yet been clearly identified. Array based CGH(array-CGH) allows investigation of general changes in target oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, which should, in turn, lead to a better understanding of the cancer process. In this study, We used genomic wide array-CGH in tissue specimens to map genomic alterations found in laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas. As results, gains of MAP2, EPHA3, EVI1, LOC389174, NAALADL2, USP47, CTDP1, MASP1, AHRR, and KCNQ5, with losses of SRRM1L, ANKRD19, FLJ39303, ZNF141, DSCAM, GPR27, PROK2, ARPP-21, and B3GAT1 were observed frequently in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma tissue specimens. These data about the patterns of genomic alterations could be a basic step for understanding more detailed genetic events in the carcinogenesis and also provide information for diagnosis and treatment in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. The high resolution of array-CGH combined with human genome database would give a chance to find out possible target genes which were gained or lost clones.