• Title/Summary/Keyword: Alternative Assessments

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Development and evaluation of next-generation cardiotoxicity assay based on embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes

  • Ryu, Bokyeong;Choi, Seong Woo;Lee, Seul-Gi;Jeong, Young-Hoon;Kim, Ukjin;Kim, Jin;Jung, Cho-Rok;Chung, Hyung-Min;Park, Jae-Hak;Kim, C-Yoon
    • BMB Reports
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    • v.53 no.8
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    • pp.437-441
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    • 2020
  • In accordance with requirements of the ICH S7B safety pharmacology guidelines, numerous next-generation cardiotoxicity studies using human stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (CMs) are being conducted globally. Although several stem cell-derived CMs are being developed for commercialization, there is insufficient research to verify if these CMs can replace animal experiments. In this study, in vitro high-efficiency CMs derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESC-CMs) were compared with Sprague-Dawley rats as in vivo experimental animals, and primary cultured in vitro rat-CMs for cardiotoxicity tests. In vivo rats were administrated with two consecutive injections of 100 mg/kg isoproterenol, 15 mg/kg doxorubicin, or 100 mg/kg nifedipine, while in vitro rat-CMs and hESC-CMs were treated with 5 μM isoproterenol, 5 μM doxorubicin, and 50 μM nifedipine. We have verified the equivalence of hESC-CMs assessments over various molecular biological markers, morphological analysis. Also, we have identified the advantages of hESC-CMs, which can distinguish between species variability, over electrophysiological analysis of ion channels against cardiac damage. Our findings demonstrate the possibility and advantage of high-efficiency hESC-CMs as next-generation cardiotoxicity assessment.

The Use of a Porcine Cancellous Bone Graft for Arthrodesis of Bilateral Antebrachiocarpal Luxation in a Dog (양측 전완앞발목관절 탈구의 관절고정술을 위한 돼지뼈 해면골이식의 적용)

  • Heo, Su-Young;Lee, Ki-Chang;Kim, Nam-Soo
    • Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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    • v.29 no.3
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    • pp.259-262
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    • 2012
  • A seven-year-old Yorkshire terrier 2.1 kg was admitted with a 2 months history of sever bilateral forelimb lameness and joint instability. Examination and radiographs revealed caudal luxation of bilateral antebrachiocarpal joint. Luxation of bilateral antebrachiocarpal (ABC) joint in a toy breed dog was treated with pancarpal arthrodesis. Modified external skeletal fixator (ESF) (type IIb) with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) was utilized in this case. Porcine cancellous bone graft (PCBG) was inserted to fill the joint space in carpus. The clinical and radiographic assessments of joint after the surgical procedure proved that PCBG can be used a promising alternative to Autogenous cancellous bone graft (ACBG).

Issues in 2-year Long-term in vivo Carcinogenicity Assay (2년 장기 발암성 검색법의 이슈)

  • Son, Woo-Chan;Kim, Bae-Hwan;Jang, Dong-Deuk;Han, Beom-Seok;Kim, Jong-Choon;Lee, Je-Bong;Shin, Jin-Sup;Kim, Hyoung-Chin
    • The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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    • v.8 no.4
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    • pp.239-254
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    • 2004
  • It has been debating about conducting and interpretating of 2-year rodent carcinogenicity bioassay. Although some criticisms arising in usefulness, it has been still known that long-term carcinogenicity studies using rodents would be the only assay system to predict any possible human risks, which would not be replaced. Both regulatory agencies and academies have developed some assay models, however, there have been controversy whether those study designs and interpretations are based on sound scientific rationale and validated data. Such kinds of issues including choice of species/strain, dose level selection, duration of study, number of animals per group, historical control data, monitoring parameters, terminal investigations, peer review, statistics, alternative assay models, interpretation of neoplastic lesions, and risk assessments, were reviewed.

Impact Assessments of High Oil Prices on the Agro-Food System and the Role of Bioenergy Crops

  • Lee, Duu-Hwa;Lin, Hsin-Chun;Chang, Ching-Cheng;Hsu, Shih-Hsun;Chen, Chi-Chun;Sun, Jenny Chin-Hwa
    • Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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    • v.16 no.3
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    • pp.653-682
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    • 2007
  • In this study, multi-sectoral partial equilibrium and computable general equilibrium models of Taiwan are used to investigate the direct and indirect effects of energy price increases on overall economies and agro-food sector in Taiwan. The results suggest that agricultural prices, production cost would increase between 0.27% to 1.88%, and a reduction in GDP around 0.39% to 0.54 %. The negative impact on livestock sector is slightly higher than that on the crop sector. Negative impacts are also observed in the employment and wages. The rising oil price has the potential to discourage production of energy-intensive activity because of the possibility of substitution and adaptations. The growth rate of real GDP will shrink by 0.64% to 1.06% and CPI will increase by 1.17% to 1,95%. Both the agriculture and non-agricultural sector also respond by raising output prices by 0.80% to 1.33%. The rising international oil price has urged the government to take policy actions like using alternative fuels such as biodiesel, bioethanol, and adopting measures to cut down on energy consumptions mainly in transportation sectors in response to public concern over economic shocks.

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A Trends Analysis on Safety for CNG/HCNG Complex Fueling Station (CNG/HCNG 복합충전소의 안전에 관한 동향분석)

  • Lee, Seung-Hyun;Kang, Seung-Kyu;Sung, Jong-Gyu;Lee, Young-Soon
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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    • v.15 no.2
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    • pp.1-8
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    • 2011
  • In this research, the safety trends and technologies of HCNG, a mixture of hydrogen and natural gas, are analyzed. This is an attracting alternative fuels to meet the strengthened automotive exhaust gas emission standards. HCNG is very important opportunities and challenges in that it is available the existing CNG infrastructures, meets the strengthened emission standards, and the technical, social bridge of the coming era of hydrogen. It is essential for the commercialization of HCNG that hydrogen - compressed natural gas blended fuel for use in preparation of various safety considerations included accidents scenario, safety distance, hydrogen attack, ignition sources and fire detectors are examined. Risk assessments also are suggested as one of permission procedure for HCNG filling station.

Ecological Planning and Mitigation of Deterioration Technique for Plan of Mountainous Experience Theme Park (산지형 체험테마공원 조성을 위한 환경생태계획 및 훼손저감 기법 연구)

  • Lee, Soo-Dong;Kang, Hyun-Kyung
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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    • v.12 no.3
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    • pp.142-163
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    • 2009
  • Taebaek city is located in the mountainous plateau area therefore the major industry was coal industry. According to dramatically declining of the major industry, Taebaek city is need to alternative industry which associated with considering the geographical characteristics of natural tourism resources for increasing the local economy. On the basis of these reasons, this study can be suggested ecological planning and mitigation of deterioration technique about the these study site. That is the reserved area for mountainous experience theme park. As the results of environmental ecology assessment are following as; The natural ecosystem areas, multi-layer structure forest such as forest of Pinus densiflora, forest of Quercus mongolica and deciduous forest have a high value of nature, diversity and potential. In addition, wild bird habitats were important area as a inhabitation, breeding, feeding and hiding. Therefore, on these areas should be preserved. Also, it needs to conserve on there such as more than three types of wild bird inhabitate areas, the fringe of high biological diversity, the wetland that have got good vegetation condition and the function of amphibia, reptiles crossing. In addition, inhabitation, the waterway of wetland form that have got wide waterside width needs to conserve. In conclusion, on the basis of analysis results such as conditions of plan, environment, ecological assessments, survey informations are able to suggest the connectivity of the axis of forest and management plan. Moreover, in the part of forest restoration plan, we suggest the plan of transplant for a compensation of damaged forest by land use.

Role of Organic Spices in the Preservation of Traditionally Fermented Kunun-zaki

  • Williana, N. Mokoshe;Babasola, A. Osopale;Cajethan, O. Ezeamagu;Fapohunda, Stephen O.
    • Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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    • v.49 no.2
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    • pp.192-200
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    • 2021
  • Kunun-zaki, produced by submerged fermentation of a combination of millet and sorghum, is a popular beverage in Northern Nigeria. Owing to the nature of the process involved in its production, kunun-zaki is highly susceptible to contamination by food spoilage microorganisms, leading to inconsistent quality and short shelf-life. In this study, we investigated various food spices, including cinnamon, garlic, and nutmeg, as potential preservatives that could be used to extend kunun-zaki shelf-life. Kunun-zaki varieties were fermented with each of these spices mentioned above and subjected to bacterial, nutritional, sensory, and quality maintenance assessments (using a twelve-member sensory panel to evaluate the organoleptic properties of kunun-zaki). Bacterial counts in the final products ranged between 105-7 CFU/ml. We identified two bacterial genera, Weissella and Enterococcus, based on partial 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Three amino acids, namely leucine, aspartate, and glutamate, were abundant in all kunun-zaki varieties, while the total essential amino acid content was above 39%, suggesting that kunun-zaki could potentially be considered as a protein-rich food source both for infants and adults. The kunun-zaki products were also rich in carbohydrates, crude proteins, ash, crude fiber, and fat, with contents estimated as 81-84, 8-11, 0.8-4.0, 2.9-3.58, and 5.1-6.3%, respectively. However, this nutritional content depreciated rapidly after 24 h of storage, except for kunun-zaki fermented with garlic, which its crude protein and fat content was maintained for up to 48 h. Our results revealed that organic spices increased the nutritional content of the kunun-zaki varieties and could be potentially be used as natural preservatives for enhancing the kunun-zaki shelf-life. However, garlic might be considered a better alternative based on our preliminary investigation. The presence of the isolated microorganisms in the analyzed kunun-zaki samples should be highlighted to raise awareness on the possible health hazards that could arise from poor handling and processing techniques.

A Study of the Continuity Between the American Romance Novel and American Pragmatism: A Reading of Herman Melville's Moby-Dick (미국의 로맨스 소설과 프래그머티즘 철학과의 연속성에 관한 고찰-허먼 멜빌의 『모비딕』을 중심으로)

  • Hwang, Jaekwang
    • Journal of English Language & Literature
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    • v.58 no.2
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    • pp.217-247
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    • 2012
  • This essay attempts to read Melville's Moby-Dick as a prefiguration of American pragmatism, especially Jamesian version of it. Underlying this project is the assumption that the American Romance and James's pragmatism partake in the enduring tradition of American thoughts and imagination. Despite the commonality in their roots, the continuity between these two products of American culture has received few critical assessments. The American Romance has rarely been discussed in terms of American pragmatism in part because critics have tended to narrowly define the latter as a kind of relativistic philosophy equivalent to practical instrumentalism, political realism and romantic utilitarianism. Consequently, they have favored literary works in the realistic tradition for their textual analyses, while eschewing a more imaginative genre like the American Romance. My contention is that James's version of pragmatism is a future oriented pluralism which is unable to dispense with the power of imagination and the talent for seeing unforeseen possibilities inherent in nature and culture. James's pragmatism is in tune with the American Romance in that it savours the attractions of alternative possibilities created by the genre in which the imaginary world is imbued with the actual one. The pragmatic impulse in Moby-Dick finds its finest expression in the words and acts of Ishmael. Through this protean narrator, Melville renders the text of Moby-Dick symbolic, fragmentary and thereby pluralistic in its meaning. With his rhetoric of incompletion and by refraining from totalizing what he experiences, Ishmael shuns finality in truth and entices the reader to join his intellectual journey with a non-foundational notion of truth and meaning in view. Ishmael also envisages pragmatists' beliefs that experience is fluid in nature and the universe is in a constant state of becoming. Yet Ishmael as the narrator of Moby-Dick is more functional than foundational.

A Multi-Perspective Benchmarking Framework for Estimating Usable-Security of Hospital Management System Software Based on Fuzzy Logic, ANP and TOPSIS Methods

  • Kumar, Rajeev;Ansari, Md Tarique Jamal;Baz, Abdullah;Alhakami, Hosam;Agrawal, Alka;Khan, Raees Ahmad
    • KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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    • v.15 no.1
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    • pp.240-263
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    • 2021
  • One of the biggest challenges that the software industry is facing today is to create highly efficient applications without affecting the quality of healthcare system software. The demand for the provision of software with high quality protection has seen a rapid increase in the software business market. Moreover, it is worthless to offer extremely user-friendly software applications with no ideal security. Therefore a need to find optimal solutions and bridge the difference between accessibility and protection by offering accessible software services for defense has become an imminent prerequisite. Several research endeavours on usable security assessments have been performed to fill the gap between functionality and security. In this context, several Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approaches have been implemented on different usability and security attributes so as to assess the usable-security of software systems. However, only a few specific studies are based on using the integrated approach of fuzzy Analytic Network Process (FANP) and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) technique for assessing the significant usable-security of hospital management software. Therefore, in this research study, the authors have employed an integrated methodology of fuzzy logic, ANP and TOPSIS to estimate the usable - security of Hospital Management System Software. For the intended objective, the study has taken into account 5 usable-security factors at first tier and 16 sub-factors at second tier with 6 hospital management system softwares as alternative solutions. To measure the weights of parameters and their relation with each other, Fuzzy ANP is implemented. Thereafter, Fuzzy TOPSIS methodology was employed and the rating of alternatives was calculated on the foundation of the proximity to the positive ideal solution.

Study on Risk Assessment Method of Hydrogen Station using FAHP-HAZOP (FAHP-HAZOP을 적용한 수소충전소의 위험성평가 방법 연구)

  • Yeong Gwang Jo;Sien Ho Han
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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    • v.27 no.4
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    • pp.92-101
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    • 2023
  • To solve the problem of climate change, carbon neutrality has now become a necessity rather than an option. Hydrogen is not only a energy storage that can supplement the intermittent production of renewable energy, but is also considered a good alternative in the field of utilization as it does not emit carbon dioxide after reaction. In order to revitalize hydrogen vehicles, one of the fields of hydrogen utilization, the construction of hydrogen station infrastructure must be preceded. Prioritization of risk factors is necessary for efficient operation and risk assessment of hydrogen stations, but due to the short operation period of domestic hydrogen stations, there is a lack of frequency data on accidents and their reliability is low. In this study, we aim to identify the causes and consequences of deviations in hydrogen stations through HAZOP analysis. Additionally, we intend to analyze them using Fuzzy-AHP. Through this, we intend to derive the decision values for the causes of deviations in hydrogen stations and apply them to hydrogen accident cases and risk assessments to confirm the reliability and utility of the data.