• 대한토목학회논문집
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• 제31권4A호
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• pp.269-278
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• 2011

최근 들어 여러 분야에서 환경오염을 최소한으로 줄일 수 있는 대책을 연구하고 있다. 하지만 토목구조물의 경우 많은 자재와 공정과정을 거쳐 건설되어 환경에 미치는 영향이 적지 않을 것으로 예상됨에도 불구하고 현재까지도 환경오염에 대한 대책과 연구가 부족한 현실이다. 따라서 본 논문에서는 환경오염 대책 수립을 위해 반드시 수행하여야 하는 환경적합성평가를 강박스교량을 대상으로 수행하였다. 토목구조물 생애주기 단계를 반영하여 타 분야에서도 널리 쓰이고 있는 환경적합성평가방법인 전과정평가(LCA)절차에 따라 평가를 실시하였으며, 대표적인 전과정평가 방법인 직접조사법과 간접추계법을 사용하여 대상교량의 환경영향을 검토하였다. 분석결과, 온실가스의 대표적인 $CO_2$를 기준으로 평가하였을 때 직접조사법을 이용할 경우 241.27 ton의 $CO_2$가 발생하였으며, 간접추계법을 사용할 경우 221.03 ton의 $CO_2$ 배출량이 발생하였다. 또한 발생한 $CO_2$는 대부분 건설자재 제조/생산단계에서 배출되는 경향을 보여, 환경오염을 줄이기 위해서는 구조적 안전성을 유지하는 범위 내에서 원자재의 총량을 줄이는 효율적인 설계가 필요할 것이라 판단된다. 본 논문에서 진행된 토목구조물에 대한 상세한 전과정평가는 향후 토목구조물에 대한 환경적합성 평가 기준 마련을 위한 연구 시, 참고자료로서 활용될 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

• 한국주거학회논문집
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• 제17권5호
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• pp.117-126
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• 2006

Although we have seen recently increasing number of eco-villages, any eco-village is not registered in Global Eco-village Network. It is important to review the definition of eco-villages and to provide useful basic information for future eco-villages. The main research aim is to analyze landscape characteristics of community garden and common spaces and to identify ecological symbolism of landscape created by residents in eco-villages. Seven eco-villages in Germany, Denmark and UK were selected and the following aspects were investigated through field survey; the settlement background, social and economical aspect, architectural specifications, recycled energy, and landscape characteristics of external spaces in eco-villages. The result indicated that the landscape of eco-village did intend neither to return to primitive society nor to control nature by technology. It intended to coexistence with nature. Primitive nature is symbolically restored and people who have it in mind strongly intend to grow together this common sense. Landscape creation has important role in creating common relationship between human living and nature. When we regard it conceptually as the eco-symbolism in landscape design of community garden, it presented the meaningful relationship with landscape and human life. It is not expression of landscape materiality and designed form but sense of place and landscape image. Landscape design would be expected to reveal the life stage and cycle from designed physical form and materiality through as time goes by when it is part of environmental circulation process by means of human living as meaningful relationship.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.633-636
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• 2012

Purpose: PRIL (proliferation-inducing ligand) is a newly identified member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family and modulates death ligand-induced apoptosis. Here, we investigated the effect of PRIL on cellular characteristics relating to tumor progression in human gastric cancer. Method: Recombinant lentivirus containing PRIL siRNA was constructed and then infected MGC803 and SGC7901 gastric cancer cells. MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] colony formation and cell cycle analysis were used to study the effect of PRIL knockdown on gastric cancer cell proliferation. Results: PRIL expression in lentivirus infected cells was significantly reduced as evidenced by quantitative real-time PCR. Cell viability and colony formation of MGC803 and SGC7901 cells were significantly hampered in PRIL knock-down cells. Moreover, the cell cycle was arrested at G2/M phase, elucidating the mechanism underlying the inhibitory effect of siRNA on cell proliferation. Conclusions: Our study indicated that PRIL functions in promoting cell growth, and lentivirus-mediated PRIL gene knockdown might be a promising strategy in the treatment of gastric cancer.

• 대한한방부인과학회지
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• 제31권2호
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• pp.18-30
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• 2018

Objective: This study was designed to investigate the anti-cancer effects of AAH on ovarian cancer in vitro and by using allograft model in vivo. Methods: In this experiment, the effects of AAH on proliferation rates, cell morphology, cell death type, cell cycle, caspase activities and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway were investigated in A2780, human ovarian cell line. Results: AAH inhibited proliferation of A2780 cells in a dose dependent manner. In addition, AAH induced apoptosis but did not affect cell cycle of A2780 cells. AAH also effectively inhibited caspase 3 and caspase 9 activities respectively. In allograft tumor model, AAH reduced tumor volume and expanded life span in a dose dependent manner. Conclusion: It can be inferred that AAH can induce apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells and has possibility as an anticancer agent for ovarian cancer.

• Child Studies in Asia-Pacific Contexts
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• 제3권1호
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• pp.13-31
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• 2013

The children of sex workers in Bangladesh are denied even the most basic human rights. This article is based on recent research focused on the children of sex workers in the context of their everyday lives. The study focused on access to education and how education could be a vehicle for them to break the vicious cycle of exploitation. This was a mixed method interpretative study which employed qualitative and quantitative approaches, but in this paper only qualitative data which was generated through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions is used. Data was collected from sex workers, their children, teachers and NGO workers who participated in the study. Information has been collected for analysing the expectation of the children of sex workers and hope for the future, and the opportunities available to them during their schooling. Thematic analysis technique was used to understand the challenges and barriers faced by the children of sex workers in fulfilling their educational aspirations. The lives of the children of sex workers are marginalised by the mainstream society. Though it is very difficult to break the vicious cycle of exploitation, this research finds that education may be a stepping stone for them to create a better future. However, it is argued that the children of sex workers need income generating vocational and technical education to enable them to earn and support their family. Policy recommendations have been made in order to achieve Education For All targets and Millennium Development Goals, and to provide a second chance for these vulnerable young people to have a better life.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제29권6호
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• pp.643-649
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• 2021

Literature has revealed that the delta opioid receptor (DOR) exhibited diverse pharmacological effects on neuron and skin. In the present study, we have investigated whether the activation of DOR has hair-growth promotion effects. Compared with other opioid receptor, DOR was highly expressed in epidermal component of hair follicle in human and rodents. The expression of DOR was high in the anagen phase, but it was low in the catagen and telogen phases during mouse hair cycle. Topical application of UFP-512, a specific DOR agonist, significantly accelerated the induction of the anagen in C₃H mice. Topical application of UFP-512 also increased the hair length in hair organ cultures and promoted the proliferation and the migration of outer root sheath (ORS) cells. Similarly, pharmacological inhibition of DOR by naltrindole significantly inhibited the anagen transition process and decreased hair length in hair organ cultures. Thus, we further examined whether Wnt/β-catenin pathway was related to the effects of DOR on hair growth. We found that Wnt/β-catenin pathway was activated by UFP-512 and siRNA for β-catenin attenuated the UFP-512 induced proliferation and migration of ORS cells. Collectively, result established that DOR was involved in hair cycle regulation, and that DOR agonists such as UFP-512 should be developed for novel hair-loss treatment.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제38권2호
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• pp.79-84
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• 2014

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are approximately 22 nucleotides of small noncoding RNAs that control gene expression at the posttranscriptional level through translational inhibition and destabilization of their target mRNAs. The miRNAs are phylogenetically conserved and have been shown to be instrumental in a wide variety of key biological processes including cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, metabolism, imprinting, and differentiation. Recently, a paper has shown that expression of the miRNA-302/367 cluster expressed abundantly in mouse and human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can directly reprogram mouse and human somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) efficiently in the absence of any of the four factors, Oct4, Sox2, c-Myc, and Klf4. To apply this efficient method to porcine, we analyzed porcine genomic sequence containing predicted porcine miRNA-302/367 cluster through ENSEMBL database, generated a non-replicative episomal vector system including miRNA-302/367 cluster originated from porcine embryonic fibroblasts (PEF), and tried to make porcine iPSCs by transfection of the miRNA-302/367 cluster. Colonies expressing EGFP and forming compact shape were found, but they were not established as iPSC lines. Our data in this study show that pig miRNA-302/367 cluster could not satisfy requirement of PEF reprogramming conditions for pluripotency. To make pig iPSC lines by miRNA, further studies on the role of miRNAs in pluripotency and new trials of transfection with conventional reprogramming factors are needed.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• 제49권2호
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• pp.122-133
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• 2021

The radon gas from nature mainly considers a cause of radon problems, and it is closely affect human life cycle. Korean yellow residual soil, Hwangtoh, widely used as a building material, is considered to be one of major sources of indoor radon. However, there have, as yet, been no studies about radon from Hwangtoh in mass market brands. Here, we investigated the indoor radon concentrations and exhalation rates in four Hwangtohs from different brand names and regional features. The Closed Chamber Method (CCM) conducted by a Continuous Radon Monitor (CRM) has been used for the rates of radon exhalation. Based on equations of previous references, the indoor radon concentrations were deducted. As a result, the radon surface exhalation rates resulted in the 1.4208 to 3.0293 Bq·㎡·h-1 range. Significant differences were found among Hwangtohs according to production regions. Materials with higher radon concentration required a longer time to reach a quasi-steady state in a given environment, in other words, the number of half-life cycles increased from a set starting point. The experimentally identified Hwangtohs demonstrated its safety for construction purposes. There exists, so far, a possibility to exert influence radon emanation due to unidentified factors. Therefore, it is necessary to corroborate with more research by increasing the number of Hwangtohs, considering the other references reported high radon exhalation rates. In addition, it is highly recommended that the radon exhalation rates should be measured for all building materials for preventing human health before the material usage.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제26권2호
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• pp.193-199
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• 2008

The pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bim acts as a sensor for apoptotic stimuli and initiates apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway. To identify novel regulators of Bim, we employed the yeast two-hybrid system and isolated the human gene encoding macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a ubiquitously expressed proinflammatory mediator that has also been implicated in cell proliferation, the cell cycle and carcinogenesis. The interaction between MIF and Bim was confirmed by both in vitro and in vivo protein interaction assays. Intriguingly, protein complexes between MIF and the three major Bim isoforms (BimEL/BimL/BimS) could be detected in HEK293 and K562 cells, especially in cells undergoing apoptosis. Moreover, exogenous expression of MIF partially inhibited Bim-induced apoptosis in HEK293 cells. SiRNA-mediated knockdown of MIF increased apoptosis in K562 cells exposed to the chemical oxidant diamide. Endogenous MIF may regulate the pro-apoptotic activity of Bim and inhibit the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.331-342
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• 2020

미세교세포(Microglial cells)에서 신경염증반응(neuroinflammatory responses)의 억제는 알츠하이머질환, 파킨슨질환, 헌팅턴질환과 같은 신경퇴행성질환(neurodegenerative diseases)을 치료하기 위한 주요 표적으로 고려되고 있다. 천문동(Asparagus cochinchinesis)은 열, 기침, 신장 질환, 유방암, 염증성질환 및 뇌질환을 치료하는 데 오랫동안 사용 되어온 전통 치료제(Traditional medicine)이다. 본 연구에서는 lipopolysaccharide (LPS)로 활성화된 BV-2 미세교세포에서 항염증효과가 있는 천문동 뿌리 열수추출물(Aqueous extract from A. cochinchinesis root, AEAC)의 신경보호 메커니즘을 연구하였다. 먼저, 어떤 유의적인 세포독성은 플라보노이드(flavonoid), 페놀(phenol), 사포닌(saponin)을 함유하는 AEAC를 4가지 농도로 처리된 BV-2세포에서 검출되지 않았다. 또한, nitric oxide (NO), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA 및 inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA 수준은 AEAC+LPS 처리군에서 비하여 21%정도 감소하였다. 전염증성 사이토카인(TNF-α과 IL-1β) 및 항염증성 사이토카인(IL-6와 IL-10)농도에 대한 유사한 감소는 비록 감소비율은 다르지만, Vehicle+LPS 처리군에 비해 AEAC+LPS 처리군에서 검출되었다. 더불어, LPS 처리 후 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase의 인산화수준의 증가는 AEAC 전처리군에서 유의하게 회복되었고, 세포주기에서 G2/M의 억제(arrest)는 AEAC+LPS 처리군에서 개선되었다. 또한, LPS 처리로 유도된 ROS의 증가도 AEAC 전처리군에서 감소되었다. 따라서, 이러한 결과는 AEAC가 MAPK 신호전달 경로, 세포주기 및 ROS (reactive oxygen species) 생성의 조절을 통해 LPS 자극에 대한 항신경염증 활성을 유도함을 제시하고 있다.