• KEPCO Journal on Electric Power and Energy
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.103-111
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• 2019

The combined cycle plant is an integration of gas turbine and steam turbine, combining the advantages of both cycles. It recovers the heat energy from gas turbine exhaust to use it to generate steam. The heat recovery steam generator plays a crucial role in combined cycle plants, providing the link between the gas turbine and the steam turbine. Simulation of the performance of the HRSG is required to study its effect on the entire cycle and system. Computational fluid dynamics has potential to become a useful to validate the performance of the HRSG. In this study a solver has been implemented in the open source code, OpenFOAM, for combustion simulation in the heat recovery steam generator. The solver is based on the steady laminar flamelet model to simulate detailed chemical reaction mechanism. Thereafter, the solver is used for simulation of HRSG system. Three cases with varying fuel injections and gas turbine exhaust gas flow rates were simulated and the results were compared with measurements at the system outlet. Predicted temperature and emissions and those from measurements showed the same trend and in quantitative agreement.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.292-304
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• 2018

Microbes is becoming increasingly forensic possibility as a consequence of advances in massive parallel sequencing (MPS) and bioinformatics. Human DNA typing is the best identifier, but it is not always possible to extract a full DNA profile namely its degradation and low copy number, and it may have limitations for identical twins. To overcome these unsatisfactory limitations, forensic potential for bacteria found in evidence could be used to differentiate individuals. Prokaryotic cells have a cell wall that better protects the bacterial nucleoid compared to the cell membrane of eukaryotic cells. Humans have an extremely diverse microbiome that may prove useful in determining human identity and may even be possible to link the microbes to the person responsible for them. Microbial composition within the human microbiome varies across individuals. Therefore, MPS of human microbiome could be used to identify biological samples from the different individuals, specifically for twins and other cases where standard DNA typing doses not provide satisfactory results due to degradation of human DNA. Microbial forensics is a new discipline combining forensic science and microbiology, which can not to replace current STR analysis methods used for human identification but to be complementary. Among the fields of microbial forensics, this paper will briefly describe information on the current status of microbiome research such as metagenomic code, salivary microbiome, pubic hair microbiome, microbes as indicators of body fluids, soils microbes as forensic indicator, and review microbial forensics as the feasibility of microbiome-based human identification.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.103-107
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• 2019

Roles of nutrients in controlling plant diseases have been documented for a long time. Among the nutrients having impact on susceptibility/resistance to crop diseases, nitrogen is one of the most important nutrients for plant growth and development. In rice plants, excess nitrogen via fertilization in agricultural systems is known to increase susceptibility to the rice blast disease. Mechanisms underlying such phenomenon, despite its implication in yield and sustainable agriculture, have not been fully elucidated yet. A few research efforts attempted to link nitrogen-induced susceptibility to concomitant changes in rice plant and rice blast fungus in response to excess nitrogen. However, recent studies focusing on phytobiome are offering new insights into effects of nitrogen on interaction between plants and pathogens. In this review, I will first briefly describe importance of nitrogen as a key nutrient for plants and what changes excess nitrogen can bring about in rice and the fungal pathogen. Next, I will highlight some of the recent phytobiome studies relevant to nitrogen utilization and immunity of plants. Finally, I propose the hypothesis that changes in phytobiome upon excessive nitrogen fertilization contribute to nitrogen-induced susceptibility, and discuss empirical evidences that are needed to support the hypothesis.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.197-203
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• 2020

Mesenchymal stem cells in the dental pulp exhibit a tendency for differentiation into various dental lineages and hold great potential as a major conduit for regenerative treatment in dentistry. Although they can be readily isolated from teeth, the exact characteristics of these stem cells have not been fully understood so far. When compared to two-dimensional (2D) cultures, three-dimensional (3D) cultures have the advantage of enriching the stem cell population. Hence, 3D-organoid culture and 3D-sphere culture were applied to dental pulp cells in the current study. Although the establishment of the organoid culture proved unsuccessful, the 3D-sphere culture readily initiated the stable generation of cell aggregates, which continued to grow and could be passaged to the second round. Interestingly, a significant increase in SOX2 expression was detected in the 3D-spheroid culture compared to the 2D culture. These results indicate the enrichment of the stemness-high population in the 3D-sphere culture. Thus, 3D-sphere culture may act as a link between the conventional and 3D-organoid cultures and aid in understanding the characteristics of dental pulp stem cells.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.71-75
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• 2022

Trauma care is evolving throughout the world to meet the demand resulting from rapidly increasing rates of mortality and morbidity related to external injuries. The State Major Trauma Service was designated to Royal Perth Hospital in 2004 to provide comprehensive care for trauma patients in Western Australia (WA), which is the largest state by area in the country. The State Major Trauma Unit, which was established in 2008, functions as a level I center and admits over 1,000 major trauma patients per year, making it the second busiest trauma center in Australia. The importance of recording data related to trauma was identified by the trauma service in WA to inspire higher standards of patient care and injury prevention. In 1994, the service established a trauma registry, which has undergone significant changes over the last two decades. The current State Trauma Registry is linked to a statewide database called the Data Linkage System. The linked data are available for policy development, quality assurance, and research. This article discusses the evolution of the trauma service and the registry database in the WA health system. The State Trauma Registry has enormous potential to contribute to research and quality improvement studies along with its ability to link with other databases.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.48-58
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• 2023

Interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) integrates both immunological and non-immunological inputs to control cell survival and death. Small GTPases are versatile functional switches that lie on the very upstream in signal transduction pathways, of which duration of activation is very transient. The large number of homologous proteins and the requirement for site-directed mutagenesis have hindered attempts to investigate the link between small GTPases and IRF3. Here, we constructed a constitutively active mutant expression library for small GTPase expression using Gibson assembly cloning. Small-scale screening identified multiple GTPases capable of promoting IRF3 phosphorylation. Intriguingly, 27 of 152 GTPases, including ARF1, RHEB, RHEBL1, and RAN, were found to increase IRF3 phosphorylation. Unbiased screening enabled us to investigate the sequence-activity relationship between the GTPases and IRF3. We found that the regulation of IRF3 by small GTPases was dependent on TBK1. Our work reveals the significant contribution of GTPases in IRF3 signaling and the potential role of IRF3 in GTPase function, providing a novel therapeutic approach against diseases with GTPase overexpression or active mutations, such as cancer.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.111-121
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• 2023

Given the gaps in the link between leadership, knowledge resource, and innovation capability, this study aims to examine the potential mediating role of knowledge sharing and moderating role of knowledge-centered culture in the relationship between transformational leadership and a firm's capability for innovation. This study applied the Structural Equation Modeling to try out proposal hypotheses in the research model through a questionnaire survey from a sample of 301 participators in 115 small and medium firms in the field of tourism and hotel. The findings disclosed that knowledge-sharing behaviors significantly mediate the transformational leadership-innovation relationship. It highlights the significant impact of explicit knowledge sharing in comparison with the influence of tacit knowledge sharing on innovation capability. The paper also reveals the crucial role of knowledge-centered culture in boosting the knowledge-sharing-innovation relationship. By exploring the mediating role of knowledge sharing and the moderator of knowledge-centered culture, the paper significantly brings insight into different mediating and moderating mechanisms to improve innovation capability. The paper significantly fills up the gaps and provides valuable initiatives on the mechanism of how transformational leadership and specific forms of knowledge-sharing behaviors positively affect innovation capability under the moderating role of knowledge-centered culture.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.229-240
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• 2022

This article examines the link between regional disparity and social mobility in India. There has been a steady rise in economic inequality in India. The rapid economic growth coupled with a rise in income inequality is a serious concern in India. While the emphasis is on inclusive growth, it appears difficult to tackle the problem without looking at the intricacies of the problem. The Social Mobility Index is an important tool that focuses on bringing long-term equality by identifying priority policy areas in the country. We used a multivariate statistical approach to construct a social mobility index at the regional level by considering several social and economic variables. Our findings show that while the Union Territory of Delhi ranks first in the social mobility index, Chhattisgarh has the least social mobility. From a policy perspective, a comprehensive examination of the determinants of the social mobility index shows that health, education access, and quality, and equity of education are of great importance in improving social mobility. Considering India's potential economic growth resulting from its 'demographic dividend' and improved access, markets, and technology, increasing social mobility through facilitating equal opportunities in society is key to achieving inclusive growth.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.129-133
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• 2023

Background: With the rise in global mobility, aircraft indoor air quality has become a significant public health concern. This study focuses on the health implications of increased travel and bleed air-air drawn from aircraft engines for cabin pressurization and air conditioning. Objectives: This research aims to review the potential health effects related to exposure to aircraft cabin air, particularly the effects of bleed air during fume events. Methods: We conducted a literature review of existing studies on aircraft cabin air quality. We focused on both the immediate and health effects of exposure to cabin air, particularly those related to bleed air contaminants. Results: The review found a possible link between exposure to aircraft cabin air and certain health issues, especially in cabin crew and frequent flyers. There was an increased incidence of respiratory and neurological symptoms related to bleed air exposure. However, the cumulative health effects of frequent air travel remain inconclusive due to limited data. Conclusions: This study highlights the need for improving air quality in aircraft to protect public health. While further research is needed to understand the cumulative effects of frequent air travel, the reduction of exposure to bleed air contaminants should be a priority. These findings underline the need for regulatory changes and technological improvements in aircraft cabin air quality.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.1-14
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• 2014

This study applies the job-demands resource (JD-R) model to investigate the interactive effect of job demands and job resources in predicting the development of service employee work engagement and customer-oriented attitude. This paper proposed a theoretical model that suggests that the service employee's work engagement is the consequence of the employee's perceived support from the organization and its customers (customer participation) and leads to a customer-oriented attitude. However, the effect of organizational support is somewhat hindered by job insecurity, demonstrating the inability of an organizationally provided job resource to overcome the job demand of job insecurity. As a type of job demand from customer's perspective, customer crowding is suggested as a negative moderator in the link between customer participation and work engagement. As such, this article proposes how different elements of a service employee's work environment interact to ultimately influence the service employee's customer-oriented attitude. Specifically, the current research focuses on how the negative contextual elements of job insecurity and job crowding (i.e., job demands) interact with the potentially positive elements of organizational support and customer participation (i.e., job resources), as well as with an employee's customer orientation, to ultimately develop a customer-oriented attitude. This study concludes with some propositions for potential causal relationships among key constructs that can be empirically tested in future research, as well as implications of the current study for both managers and researchers.