• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.45-53
• /
• 2009

This study concerned remediation of heavy metal contaminated farmland soils near abandoned mine, using stabilization method, with particular emphasis on the remediating the soils contaminated with multi-elements. In this study, stabilizing heavy metals based on 'In-situ chemical fixation' has been applied to the soil collected from an abandoned mine in Korea, using column test, with various stabilizing agents, including $FeSO_4$, $KMnO_4$, sludge (collected from coal mine drainage treatment pond), zero-valent iron (ZVI), zeolite and $CaCO_3$. Sixty five-days operation of the flow-through columns yield $FeSO_4\;+\;KMnO_4$ and zeolite are efficient on reducing As leaching from the soil. ZVI and sludge are reducing the leaching of Cu. Although $FeSO_4\;+\;KMnO_4$ seem to be efficient for most heavy metals, high pH in the initial stage of test enabled high leaching of the heavy metals, whereas fixation of the heavy metals maintain throughout the rest of the test period, with increasing pH up to around 6. Addition of some alkaline agent may inhibit the low pH during the application. The column test was also run as two set: one set incubated with deionized water for 72 hours prior to starting the test, and the other without incubation. The incubated set demonstrated better stabilizing efficiency, indicating the potential optimized operation method.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.263-269
• /
• 2022

Cancer cachexia-anorexia is a multi-organ metabolic syndrome characterized by anorexia and weight loss. Generally, such symptoms are a serious problem in cancer patients, adversely affecting chemotherapy success and survival rate. Cachexia has been reported to accompany up to 80% of gastrointestinal cancers, such as pancreatic, lung, and colon cancer, though it is relatively rare in lymphoma or breast cancer patients. It is also known that cancer-induced anorexia occurs independently of chemotherapy, although decreased appetite due to chemotherapy is well reported. In terms of pathoflammatory cytokines that are excessively increased by tumor tissues. Since the mechanism of cancer cachexia is not yet fully understood, there are currently no therapeutic agents or diagnostic markers to treat it. A recently published study identified a substance secreted from cancer cells that induces cancer anorexia, and the molecular mechanism causing the eating disorder was discovered. An increase in the expression of this substance has been shown to be statistically correlated with the symptoms of cachexia in cancer patients, and it is therefore expected to be applicable in the diagnosis and development of therapeutic agents for cancer cachexia. This review article aims to provide an overview of the key molecular mechanisms of the anorexia and tissue wasting caused by cancer cachexia.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.231-238
• /
• 2024

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a major seafood-borne pathogen commonly detected in marine environments. In Korea, V. parahaemolyticus-induced foodborne illnesses account for 7.5% of bacterial pathogen-related food poisonings. Moreover, the amount of antimicrobial agents used in aquatic cultures is continuously increasing. In this study, we isolated V. parahaemolyticus from seafood samples and performed antimicrobial susceptibility tests using the microbroth dilution method. Furthermore, using whole-genome sequencing, we identified antimicrobial resistance genes, virulence genes, and sequence types (STs). We could isolate V. parahaemolyticus from 47 (59.5%) of the 79 seafood samples we purchased from retail markets in Seoul and Chungcheong provinces. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests revealed that 2 and all of the 47 isolates were ampicillin-resistant (4.3%) and susceptible to all tested antimicrobial agents (100%), respectively. The genotype analysis revealed that all isolates carried beta-lactam-, tetracycline-, and chloramphenicol-associated antimicrobial resistance genes. However, we could detect fosfomycin resistance only in one isolate. Concerning the virulence genes, we detected T3SS1 and T3SS2-associated genes in all and one isolate, respectively. However, we could not detect the tdh and trh genes. Of the 47 isolates, 17 belonged to 15 different STs, including ST 658 with 3 isolates. The rest 30 isolates were identified as 25 new STs. The results of this study support the need for operating a continuous monitoring system to prevent foodborne illnesses and the spread of antimicrobial resistance genes in V. parahaemolyticus.

• Journal of KIISE:Computing Practices and Letters
• /
• v.13 no.7
• /
• pp.545-549
• /
• 2007

The Bio-Inspired System focuses on the creation of an effective system model for massive network applications and is being widely developed. However, the system has a problem-difficulty implementing three features in the system, which includes scalability, adaptability and survivability. To solve this problem, we designed an Ecogent as a multiple intelligence agent, and a Bio-platform to address the three features of scalability, adaptability and survivability. The Bio-Inspired System Platform consists of an ERS (Ecogent Runtime Services) Platform and a Bio-Platform. The ERS platform serves the basic functions of mobile agents, such as Registration, Life Cycle, Migration, Communication, Location and Fault Tolerance. The Bio-Platform includes the functions of Evolution Control and Stigmergy Control to address evolution and adaptation.

• Mycobiology
• /
• v.40 no.1
• /
• pp.20-26
• /
• 2012

The complexes of tailor made ligands with life essential metal ions may be an emerging area to answer the problems of multi drug resistance. The coordination complexes of VO(II), Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) with the Schiff bases derived from isatin with 3-chloro-4-floroaniline and 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde with 4-aminoantipyrine have been synthesized by conventional as well as microwave methods. These compounds have been characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductance, electronic spectra, FT-IR, FAB mass and magnetic susceptibility measurements. FAB mass data show degradation of complexes. Both the ligands behave as bidentate and tridentate coordinating through O and N donor. The complexes exhibit coordination number 4, 5 or 6. The Schiff base and metal complexes show a good activity against the bacteria; $Staphylococcus$ $aureus$, $Escherichia$ $coli$ and $Streptococcus$ $fecalis$ and fungi $Aspergillus$ $niger$, $Trichoderma$ $polysporum$, $Candida$ $albicans$ and $Aspergillus$ $flavus$. The antimicrobial results also indicate that the metal complexes are better antimicrobial agents as compared to the Schiff bases. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of the metal complexes were found in the range 10-40 ${\mu}g/mL$.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.165-175
• /
• 2006

The discussion about capacity development (CD) has been spotlighted as significant drivers for sustainable development in recent years. Multi-dimensional natures of capacities would lead to various definitions of CD in international institutes and organizations. CD is perceived as an endogeneous process to improve actionable learning and knowledge, but most of core capacities still remain abstract notion and might be unreliable in sustainable development (SD). The paper first explicates international perspectives of CD in association with SD. An agent-based model is especially proposed to portray more details of CD. It illuminates the role of assets (or capitals, resources) in agents to impact on ingredients of CDs that are drivers or enablers for improvement of SD. A definition of sustainable capacity development is firstly articulated in international society and its conceptual framework is also creatively designed to assist concerned international organizations. The paper concludes by proposing practical spatial asset mapping linking to agent-based organizational capacity as a tool for measuring sustainable capacity development.

• Clean Technology
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.87-93
• /
• 1997

A new process has been developed for nitrate and other salts removals from polluted waters. Alumina cement and calcium oxide served as precipitating agents to remove nitrate with stirring at basic pH. Low content of alumina in the commercialized alumina cements resulted in a increasing in nitrate removal yield. It is found that the compositions of aluminium and calcium are the most important factors in successful nitrate insolubilization. In order to remove high concentration of nitrate in polluted water, multi-stage precipitation was found to be very effective. Sulfate, chloride, and phosphate ions as well as nitrate were also removed by the precipitated reaction. After precipitation, post-treatments including Na2CO3 addition and neutralization with acid alleviated the level of aluminium and calcium in the treated water.

• The Journal of Korean Association of Computer Education
• /
• v.7 no.6
• /
• pp.117-128
• /
• 2004

Compared with traditional face-to-face instruction, online learning causes learners to experience more severe feeling of isolation and results in higher dropout rate. This is due to the lack of interaction, sense of belonging, membership, interdependency, cooperation among members and social environment that enables persistence in online learning. Therefore, it is very important for grouping e-learning community to lower the dropout rate and eliminate feeling of isolation. In this paper, the research has been done on the inclination test list to be applied for grouping the desirable learning community. And on the basis of this research, the grouping system for e-learning community(GSE) based on intelligent multi agents for an inclination test using homogeneous and heterogeneous items has been developed. GSE system has such properties that construct a personalized user profile by an agent, and then make groupings according to users' inclination. When this system was evaluated, about 88% of learners were satisfied, and they wanted the group not to be disorganized but to be maintained.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
• /
• v.4 no.3
• /
• pp.183-191
• /
• 2008

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are common constituents of cleaning and degreasing agents, paints, pesticides, personal care products, gasoline and solvents. And VOCs are evaporated at room temperature and most of them exhibit acute and chronic toxicity to human. Benzene is the most widely used prototypical VOC and the toxic mechanisms of them are still unclear. The multi-step process of toxic mechanism can be more fully understood by characterizing gene expression changes induced in cells by toxicants. In this study, DNA microarray was used to monitor the expression levels of genes in HepG2 cells and HL-60 cells exposed to the benzene on IC20 and IC50 dose respectively. In the clustering analysis of gene expression profiles, although clusters of HepG2 and HL-60 cells by benzene were divided differently, expression pattern of many genes observed similarly. We identified 916 up-regulated genes and 1,144 down-regulated genes in HepG2 cells and also 1,002 up-regulated genes and 919 down-regulated genes in HL-60 cells. The gene ontology analysis on genes expressed by benzene in HepG2 and HL-60 cells, respectively, was performed. Thus, we found some principal pathways, such as, focal adhesion, gap junction and signaling pathway in HepG2 cells and toll-like receptor signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, p53 signaling pathway and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction in HL-60 cells. And we also found 16 up-regulated and 14 down-regulated commonly expressed total 30 genes that belong in the same biological process like inflammatory response, cell cycle arrest, cell migration, transmission of nerve impulse and cell motility in two cell lines. In conclusion, we suggest that this study is meaningful because these genes regarded as strong potential biomarkers of benzene independent of cell type.

• Proceedings of the Korea Inteligent Information System Society Conference
• /
• 2001.01a
• /
• pp.65-70
• /
• 2001

We consider a hyper-redundant system that consists of many uniform units. The hyper-redundant system has many degrees of freedom and it can accomplish various tasks. Applysing the reinforcement learning to the hyper-redundant system is very attractive because it is possible to acquire various behaviors for various tasks automatically. In this paper we present a new reinforcement learning algorithm "Q-learning with propagation of motion". The algorithm is designed for the multi-agent systems that have strong connections. The proposed algorithm needs only one small Q-table even for a large scale system. So using the proposed algorithm, it is possible for the hyper-redundant system to learn the effective behavior. In this algorithm, only one leader agent learns the own behavior using its local information and the motion of the leader is propagated to another agents with time delay. The reward of the leader agent is given by using the whole system information. And the effective behavior of the leader is learned and the effective behavior of the system is acquired. We apply the proposed algorithm to a snake-like hyper-redundant robot. The necessary condition of the system to be Markov decision process is discussed. And the computer simulation of learning the locomotion is demonstrated. From the simulation results we find that the task of the locomotion of the robot to the desired point is learned and the winding motion is acquired. We can conclude that our proposed system and our analysis of the condition, that the system is Markov decision process, is valid.