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RNAi and miRNA in Viral Infections and Cancers

  • Mollaie, Hamid Reza;Monavari, Seyed Hamid Reza;Arabzadeh, Seyed Ali Mohammad;Shamsi-Shahrabadi, Mahmoud;Fazlalipour, Mehdi;Afshar, Reza Malekpour
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.14 no.12
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    • pp.7045-7056
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    • 2013
  • Since the first report of RNA interference (RNAi) less than a decade ago, this type of molecular intervention has been introduced to repress gene expression in vitro and also for in vivo studies in mammals. Understanding the mechanisms of action of synthetic small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) underlies use as therapeutic agents in the areas of cancer and viral infection. Recent studies have also promoted different theories about cell-specific targeting of siRNAs. Design and delivery strategies for successful treatment of human diseases are becomingmore established and relationships between miRNA and RNAi pathways have been revealed as virus-host cell interactions. Although both are well conserved in plants, invertebrates and mammals, there is also variabilityand a more complete understanding of differences will be needed for optimal application. RNA interference (RNAi) is rapid, cheap and selective in complex biological systems and has created new insight sin fields of cancer research, genetic disorders, virology and drug design. Our knowledge about the role of miRNAs and siRNAs pathways in virus-host cell interactions in virus infected cells is incomplete. There are different viral diseases but few antiviral drugs are available. For example, acyclovir for herpes viruses, alpha-interferon for hepatitis C and B viruses and anti-retroviral for HIV are accessible. Also cancer is obviously an important target for siRNA-based therapies, but the main problem in cancer therapy is targeting metastatic cells which spread from the original tumor. There are also other possible reservations and problems that might delay or even hinder siRNA-based therapies for the treatment of certain conditions; however, this remains the most promising approach for a wide range of diseases. Clearly, more studies must be done to allow efficient delivery and better understanding of unwanted side effects of siRNA-based therapies. In this review miRNA and RNAi biology, experimental design, anti-viral and anti-cancer effects are discussed.

Fuzzy Algorithms to Generate Level Controllers for Nuclear Power Plant Steam Generators (원전 증기 발생기 수위제어용 퍼지 알고리즘)

  • Moon, Byung-Soo;Park, Jae-Chang;Kim, Dong-Hwa;Kim, Byung-Koo
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.25 no.2
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    • pp.222-232
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    • 1993
  • In this paper, we present two sets of fuzzy algorithms for the steam generator level control ; one for the high power operations where the flow error is available and the other for the low power operations where the flow error is not available. These are converted to a PID type controller for the high power case and to a quadratic function form of a controller for the low power case. These controllers are implemented on the Compact Nuclear Simulator at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute and tested by a set of four simulation experiments for each. For both cases, the results show that the total variation of the level error and of the flow error are about 50% of those by the PI controllers with about one half of the control action. For the high power case, this is mainly due to the fact that a combination of two PD type controllers in the velocity algorithm form rather than a combination of two PI type controllers in the position algorithm form is used. For the low power case, the controller is essentially a PID type with a very small integral component where the average values for the derivative component input and for the controller output are used.

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University Students' Awareness of Radiation (대학생들의 방사선에 대한 인식도)

  • Kim, Chang-Gyu
    • Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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    • v.3 no.1
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    • pp.27-34
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    • 2012
  • After Fukushima Nuclear Accident on Mar11, 2011, to grasp the thought of university students in Korea on radiation and medical radiation and seek for the right mass communication on the radiation safety of the people and the proper teaching method on radiation, 790 questionnaires from the universities which had a four-year department of radiological science in 5 provinces(Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungcheong, Jeolla, and Gyeongsang-do) all over the country were collected and analyzed. The questionnaire was composed of 36 items, and it was analyzed that one of the important causes that made them feel that radiation was dangerous was 'even if they were exposed to the small quantity of radiation, they could have trouble later.' ($3.28{\pm}1.05$). In the item of the control of radiation, there were the respondents who answered that the government should take action rather than an individual($3.87{\pm}0.89$). In the item of 'Fukushima Nuclear Accident made me think that 'We should not keep nuclear power generation', the result was $2.79{\pm}0.95$. In the item of 'My thought on the medical radiation has negatively changed since Fukushima Nuclear Accident', the students who hadn't taken the course related with radiation showed a negative thought on the medical radiation, such as, there was $2.64{\pm}1.02$ as a whole, $2.31{\pm}1.00$ in department of radiological science, $2.94{\pm}0.95$ in department of dental hygiene, and $3.13{\pm}0.82$ in other departments. And also, those who thought that the education of radiation was necessary were 82.28%, and T.V or Internet was thought as the most effective teaching method.

Examining the Influencing Factors of Third-Party Mobile Payment Adoption: A Comparative Study of Alipay and WeChat Pay

  • Mu, Hong-Lei;Lee, Young-Chan
    • The Journal of Information Systems
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    • v.26 no.4
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    • pp.247-284
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    • 2017
  • Purpose The first purpose of this study is to investigate factors that are likely to influence user's intention to adopt third-party mobile payment platform. A comprehensive study about mobile payment services have used various variables to explain user's use intention based on the theory of reasoned action (TRA) or the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Variables such as simplicity, security, costs, relative advantage, individual mobility, subjective norm, trust, satisfaction, attitude towards use, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and so on. Among these factors, we expect to find out the most influential factors effecting user's use intention of the third-party mobile payment services. Second, we also examine whether the most influential factors have the same influence to different third-party mobile payment services by conducting comparative study of Alipay and WeChat Pay. Design/methodology/approach Empirical data for this study were collected from Chinese who has the experience using or have used Alipay or WeChat Pay. Participants needed to be familiar with Alipay or WeChat Pay because such users may be more aware of both the advantages and disadvantages of Alipay and WeChat Pay. We conduct a pilot test using Smart PLS 2.0, which includes 50 Alipay users and 82 WeChat Pay users. The result indicates that all the measurement fit for the context. And then 980 questionnaires were mainly sent out to the college students and the e-mails users randomly. To encourage participation, we give the participants a small gift as a present. Finally, we received a total of 683 replied. Data from respondents who gave incomplete or invalid answers were excluded to assure the validity of the constructs. 79 questionnaires were rejected, finally the valid data are 604 (with 372 Alipay users and 232 WeChat Pay users). Findings The results suggest that users' intention is determined by their trust on third-party mobile payment service and perceived usefulness of use. Comparative study results also indicated that the factors have different influence on Alipay group and WeChat Pay group, which offers a new aspect for academic field, and provides useful information to mobile payment service providers in China.

Deterrent Strategy in the era of North Korea's WMD and Missile Threats : Challenges and the Ways to go (북 핵·미사일 시대의 억제전략 : 도전과 나아갈 방향)

  • Lee, Sang-Yup
    • Strategy21
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    • s.41
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    • pp.232-260
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    • 2017
  • The purpose of this paper is to open a debate about what kind of deterrent strategy the ROK military should pursue in the era of NK's weapons of mass destruction and missile threats. I argue that the ROK military needs a comprehensive deterrent strategy that reflects the international security situations and trends and that builds on clear understanding of the basic concepts and how deterrence operates. The paper starts with surveying the basic knowledge of deterrence from the perspectives of both theory and practice. Then, it provides explanations on why deterrence against NK can be particularly difficult given the security environment in and around the Korean peninsula. For example, South Korea and North Korea hardly share 'common knowledge' that serves as a basic element for the operation of deterrence. Deterrence against North Korea involves complex situations in that both deterrence and compellence strategies may be relevant particularly to North Korea's WMD and missile threats. It also involves both immediate and general deterrence. Based on the discussion, I suggest several ideas that may serve as guidelines for establishing a deterrent strategy against NK. First, our threats for deterrence should be the ones that can be realized, particularly in terms of the international norms. In other words, they must be considered appropriate among other nations in the international community. Second, there should be separate plans for the different kinds of threats: one is conventional, local provocations and the other is WMD/missile related provocations. Third, we should pursue much closer cooperative relations with the U.S. military to enhance the effectiveness of immediate deterrence in the Korean peninsula. Fourth, the ROK military should aim to accomplish 'smart deterrence' maximizing the benefits of technological superiority. Fifth, the ROK military readiness and structure should be able to deny emerging North Korean military threats such as the submarine-launched ballistic missiles and intercontinental ballistic missiles. Lastly, in executing threats, we should consider that the current action influences credibility and reputation of the ROK, which in turn affect the decisions for future provocations. North Korea's WMD/missile threats may soon become critical strategic-level threats to South Korea. In retrospect, the first debate on building a missile defense system in South Korea dates back to the 1980s. Mostly the debate has centered on whether or not South Korea's system should be integrated into the U.S. missile defense system. In the meantime, North Korea has become a small nuclear power that can threaten the United States with the ballistic missiles capability. If North Korea completes the SLBM program and loads the missiles on a submarine with improved underwater operation capability, then, South Korea may have to face the reality of power politics demonstrated by Thucydides through the Athenians: "The strong do what they have the power to do, the weak accept what they have to accept."

Study on Policies and Actions Associated with Promotion of Social and Environmental Benefits of Forest (산림공익기능 증진 관련 정책 및 조치에 관한 연구)

  • Choi, Soo-Im;Joo, Rin-Won;Kim, Ki-Dong;Kim, Jae-Sung;Jeon, Hyon-Sun;Kim, Jae-Jun;Park, Dong-Kyun
    • Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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    • v.99 no.1
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    • pp.75-84
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    • 2010
  • For policies and actions associated promotion of social and environmental benefits of forest in Korea, various polices have been progressed based on newly established ordinances along with full progresses of subdivision of the Forest Law since reorganization of regulatory system by functions focused on the Basic Forestry Act. In these policies, water resource conserving function and national land conserving function which have little close relation to the people's daily life including formation of forest for conservation of water supply and erosion control have continued to be promoted since 1970s. Especially in recently years, the policy of biodiversity conserving function according to importance of health and recreation function and conservation management of forest ecosystem and animal and plant are being promoted actively. Among them, the health and recreation functions is featured for various policies to be promoted in spite of small budget for responding actively to various forest recreation demands after settlement of 5-day workweek system. It seems because the health and recreation function could obtain visible results of governmental investment and high responses from the peoples as a function having close relationship with the people's daily life.

Clinical Comparison of Low-dose and High-dose Steroid in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery with Cardiopulmonary Bypass

  • Choi Seok-Cheol;Kim Song-Myung;Kim Yang-Weon
    • Biomedical Science Letters
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    • v.12 no.3
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    • pp.289-301
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    • 2006
  • Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) for cardiac surgery triggers the production and release of numerous chemotactic substances and cytokines, ensuing systemic inflammatory response that leads to postoperative major organ dysfunction. Traditionally, corticosteroids (steroid) have been administered to patients undergoing cardiac surgery to ward off these detrimental physiologic alterations. However, the majority of the studies have been performed on adult patients with high-dose steroid. We carried out a randomized, prospective, double-blind study to compare the efficacy of low-dose steroid with that of high-dose steroid and to determine the adequate dose of pretreated-steroid for prophylactic effects in pediatric cardiac surgery. Thirty pediatric patients scheduled for elective cardiac surgery were randomly assigned to two groups; fifteen patients received low-dose methylprednisolone (10mg/kg intravenously, n=15, low-dose group) and the others received high-dose methylprednisolone (30mg/kg intravenously, n=15, high-dose group) 1 hour prior to CPB. Arterial blood samples were taken before CPB (Pre-CPB), 10 minutes after start of CPB (CPB-10), and immediately after CPB-end (CPB-OFF) for measuring total leukocyte counts (T-WBC) and diff-counts, platelet counts, interleukin-6 (IL-6), myeloperoxidase (MPO), total antioxidant (TAO), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), troponin I (TNI), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels. Other parameters such as volumes of urine output, pulmonary index $(PI,\;PaO_2/FiO_2)$, mechanical ventilating period, intensive care unit (ICU)-staying period, postoperative complications (fever, wound problem), postoperative 24 hrs and total volumes in blood loss, and hospitalized days were also assessed. All parameters were compared between two groups. There were no significant differences in T-WBC counts, monocyte fraction, platelet counts, TA levels, NSE levels, creatinine levels, BUN levels, the volumes of total urine output, PI, the incidences of fever and wound problem, postoperative 24hrs- and total-blood loss volumes and ICU-staying period between two groups (P>0.05). At CPB-OFF, neutrophil fraction, MPO level, TNI level, and AST level were higher in the high-dose group than in the low-dose group (P<0.05). IL-6 level at CPB-10 was higher in the high dose-group than in the low-dose group (P<0.05). Furthermore, mechanical ventilating periods and hospitalized days of the high-dose group were significantly longer than those of low-dose group (P<0.05). The high-dose group had significantly low lymphocyte fi-action at CPB-OFF compared with the low-dose group (P<0.001). These findings suggest that pretreatment of high-dose steroid is not superior to that of low-dose steroid regrading its potential benefits in pediatric cardiac surgery. Therefore, the conventional strategy of steroid treatment, high-dose pretreatment, should be modified in the cardiac surgery with CPB. However, further studies must be performed on the larger number of patients in as much as small number of patients in this study.

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Effect of Some Variation Factors on Dissipation of Tebuconazole in Grape (포도 중 Tebuconazole의 잔류성에 미치는 몇 가지 변동요인의 영향)

  • Han, Seong-Soo;Lo, Seog-Cho;Ma, Sang-Yong
    • Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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    • v.23 no.3
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    • pp.142-147
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    • 2004
  • Dissipation pattern of tebuconazole was evaluated by establishing application methods of the fungicide, paper-bagging of grape during growth and washing of grape after harvest. Application times increased from three to five resulted in high levels of residues in grape. Tebuconazole in grapes was present in different residual patterns with periods after final treatment ranging from 7 to 25 days. Significant differences in the residual patterns were also found when tebuconazole was treated during three different application periods, possibly due to meteorological condition and/or grape growth during each period. At the range from 2.5 g to 7.5 g of grape granules, residues were higher in small-sized grape than in big-sized grape and were mostly distributed on the peel of the grapes. Paper-bagging was a critical factor for reducing the fungicide residue on the peel. flesh of bagged and no-bagged grape had very low level of residues, 0.01 mg/kg and 0.05 mg/kg, respectively. Residues on grape was effectively eliminated with the washing methods suggested, a consecutive sinking-washing system Using of detergent solution during washing showed maximum residue reduction from grape. The washing methods showed effective action on the removal of lower content providing complete elimination, or almost, of the residues.

Recent Advancement on the Knowledges of Meiotic Division (I) (減數分裂, 最近의 進步(I))

  • 한창열
    • Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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    • v.25 no.6
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    • pp.453-475
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    • 1998
  • During the 100 years since the initial discovery of meiotic phenomenon many brilliant aspects have been elucidated, but further researches based on light microscopy alone as an experimental tool have been found to have some limits and shortcomings. By the use of electron microscopy and armed with the advanced knowledges on modern genetics and biochemistry it has been possible to applu molecular technology in gaining information on the detailed aspects of meiosis. As synapsis takes place, a three-layered proteinous structure called the synatonemal complex starts to form in the space between the homologous chromosomes. To be more precise, it begins to form along the paired chromosomes early in the prophase I of meiotic division. The mechanism that leads to precise point-by-point pairing between homologous chromocomes division. The mechamism that leads to precise point-by-point pairing between homologous chromosomes remains to be ascertained. Several items of information, however, suggest that chromsome alignment leading to synapsis may be mediated somehow by the nuclear membrane. Pachytene bivalents in eukaryotes are firmly attached to the inner niclear membrane at both termini. This attached begins with unpaired leptotene chromosomes that already have developed a lateral element. Once attached, the loptotene chromosomes begin to synapse. A number of different models have been proposed to account for genetic recombination via exchange between DNA strands following their breakage and subsequent reunion in new arrangement. One of the models accounting for molecular recombination leading to chromatid exchange and chiasma formation was first proposed in 1964 by Holliday, and 30 years later still a modified version of his model is favored. Nicks are made by endomuclease at corresponding sites on one strant of each DNA duplex in nonsister chromatid of a bivalent during prophase 1 of meiosis. The nicked strands loop-out and two strands reassociate into an exchanged arrangement, which is sealed by ligase. The remaining intact strand of each duplex is nicked at a site opposite the cross-over, and the exposed ends are digested by exonuclease action. Considerable progress has been made in recent years in the effort to define the molecular and organization features of the centromere region in the yeast chromosome. Centromere core region of the DNA duplex is flanked by 15 densely packed nucleosomes on ons side and by 3 packed nucleosomes on the other side, that is, 2000 bp on one side and 400 400 bp in the other side. All the telomeres of a given species share a common DNA sequence. Two ends of each chromosome are virtually identical. At the end of each chromosome there exist two kinds of DNA sequence" simple telpmeric sequences and telpmere-associated sequencies. Various studies of telomere replication, function, and behabior are now in progress, all greatly aided by molecular methods. During nuclear division in mitosis as well as in meiosis, the nucleili disappear by the time of metaphase and reappear during nuclear reorganizations in telophase. When telophase begins, small nucleoli form at the NOR of each nucleolar-organizing chromosome, enlarge, and fuse to form one or more large nucleoli. Nucleolus is a special structure attached top a specific nucleolar-organizing region located at a specific site of a particular chromosome. The nucleolus is a vertical factory for the synthesis of rRNAs and the assenbly of ribosome subunit precursors.sors.

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One-key Keyboard: A Very Small QWERTY Keyboard Supporting Text Entry for Wearable Computing (원키 키보드: 웨어러블 컴퓨팅 환경에서 문자입력을 지원하는 초소형 QWERTY 키보드)

  • Lee, Woo-Hun;Sohn, Min-Jung
    • Journal of the HCI Society of Korea
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    • v.1 no.1
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    • pp.21-28
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    • 2006
  • Most of the commercialized wearable text input devices are wrist-worn keyboards that have adopted the minimization method of reducing keys. Generally, a drastic key reduction in order to achieve sufficient wearability increases KSPC(Keystrokes per Character), decreases text entry performance, and requires additional effort to learn a new typing method. We are faced with wearability-usability tradeoff problems in designing a good wearable keyboard. To address this problem, we introduced a new keyboard minimization method of reducing key pitch. From a series of empirical studies, we found the potential of a new method which has a keyboard with a 7mm key pitch, good wearability and social acceptance in terms of physical form factors, and allows users to type 15.0WPM in 3 session trials. However, participants point out that a lack of passive haptic feedback in keying action and visual feedback on users' input deteriorate the text entry performance. We have developed the One-key Keyboard that addresses this problem. The traditional desktop keyboard has one key per character, but the One-key Keyboard has only one key ($70mm{\times}35mm$) on which a 10*5 QWERTY key array is printed. The One-key Keyboard detects the position of the fingertip at the time of the keying event and figures out the character entered. We conducted a text entry performance test comprised of 5 sessions. The participants typed 18.9WPM with a 6.7% error rate over all sessions and achieved up to 24.5WPM. From the experiment's results, the One-key Keyboard was evaluated as a potential text input device for wearable computing, balancing wearability, social acceptance, input speed, and learnability.

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