• Advances in Energy Research
• /
• 제7권2호
• /
• pp.147-166
• /
• 2020

Industrial cooling towers are often ageing infrastructure that is expensive to maintain and operate. A novel approach is introduced in which a heat pump circuit is incorporated to reduce the load upon the towers by extracting low-grade energy from the stream sent to the towers and repurposing in on-site processing operations. To demonstrate the concept, a model was constructed, which uses industrial data on cooling towers linked to a smelter's sulphuric acid plant, to allow direct economic and environmental impact comparison between different heat recovery and repurposing scenarios. The model's results showed that implementing a heat pump system would significantly decrease annual operating costs and achieve a payback period of 3 years. In addition, overall CO₂ emissions could be reduced by 42% (430,000 kg/year) and a 5% heat load reduction on the cooling towers achieved. The concept is significant as the outcomes introduce a new way for energy intensive industrial sectors, such as mineral processing, to reduce energy consumption and improve long-term sustainable performance.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
• /
• 제20권3호
• /
• pp.365-369
• /
• 2022

Operating and decommissioning nuclear power plants generates radioactive waste. This radioactive waste can be categorized into several different levels, for example, low, intermediate, and high, according to the regulations. Currently, low and intermediate-level waste are stored in conventional 200-liter drums to be disposed. However, in Korea, the disposal of intermediate-level radioactive waste is virtually impossible as there are no available facilities. Furthermore, large-sized intermediate-level radioactive waste, such as reactor internals from decommissioning, need to be segmented into smaller sizes so they can be adequately stored in the conventional drums. This segmentation process requires additional costs and also produces secondary waste. Therefore, this paper suggests repurposing the no-longer-used spent nuclear fuel casks. The casks are larger in size than the conventional drums, thus requiring less segmentation of waste. Furthermore, the safety requirements of the spent nuclear fuel casks are severer than those of the drums. Hence, repurposed spent nuclear fuel casks could better address potential risks such as dropping, submerging, or a fire. In addition, the spent nuclear fuel casks need to be disposed in compliance with the regulations for low level radioactive waste. This cost may be avoided by repurposing the casks.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• 제15권10호
• /
• pp.4301-4305
• /
• 2014

Tanshinone IIA is a pharmacologically active ingredient extracted from Danshen, a Chinese traditional medicine. Its molecular mechanisms are still unclear. The present study utilized computational approaches to uncover the potential targets of this compound. In this research, PharmMapper server was used as the inverse docking tool andnd the results were verified by Autodock vina in PyRx 0.8, and by DRAR-CPI, a server for drug repositioning via the chemical-protein interactome. Results showed that the retinoic acid receptor alpha ($RAR{\alpha}$), a target protein in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), was in the top rank, with a pharmacophore model matching well the molecular features of Tanshinone IIA. Moreover, molecular docking and drug repurposing results showed that the complex was also matched in terms of structure and chemical-protein interactions. These results indicated that $RAR{\alpha}$ may be a potential target of Tanshinone IIA for APL. The study can provide useful information for further biological and biochemical research on natural compounds.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• 제30권5호
• /
• pp.427-434
• /
• 2022

The drug repurposing strategy has been applied to the development of emergency COVID-19 therapeutic medicines. Current drug repurposing approaches have been directed against RNA polymerases and viral proteases. Recently, we found that the inhibition of the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 structural nucleocapsid (N) and spike (S) proteins decreased viral replication. In this study, drug repurposing candidates were screened by in silico molecular docking simulation with the SARS-CoV-2 structural N protein. In the ChEMBL database, 1994 FDA-approved drugs were selected for the in silico virtual screening against the N terminal domain (NTD) of the SARS-CoV-2 N protein. The tyrosine 109 residue in the NTD of the N protein was used as the center of the ligand binding grid for the docking simulation. In plaque forming assays performed with SARS-CoV-2 infected Vero E6 cells, atovaquone, abiraterone acetate, and digoxin exhibited a tendency to reduce the size of the viral plagues without affecting the plaque numbers. Abiraterone acetate significantly decreased the accumulation of viral particles in the cell culture supernatants in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, abiraterone acetate significantly decreased the production of N protein and S protein in the SARS-CoV-2-infected Vero E6 cells. In conclusion, abiraterone acetate has therapeutic potential to inhibit the viral replication of SARS-CoV-2.

• 한국컴퓨터정보학회논문지
• /
• 제22권3호
• /
• pp.131-138
• /
• 2017

New drug development is time-consuming and costly. Hence, it is necessary to repurpose old drugs for finding new indication. We suggest the way that repurposing old drug using massive literature data and biological network. We supposed a disease-drug relationship can be available if signal pathways of the relationship include significant genes identified in literature data. This research is composed of three steps-identifying significant gene using co-occurrence in literature; analyzing the shortest path on biological network; and scoring a relationship with comparison between the significant genes and the shortest paths. Based on literatures, we identify significant genes based on the co-occurrence frequency between a gene and disease. With the network that include weight as possibility of interaction between genes, we use shortest paths on the network as signal pathways. We perform comparing genes that identified as significant gene and included on signal pathways, calculating the scores and then identifying the candidate drugs. With this processes, we show the drugs having new possibility of drug repurposing and the use of our method as the new method of drug repurposing.

• 한국정보처리학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국정보처리학회 2005년도 춘계학술발표대회
• /
• pp.373-376
• /
• 2005

유비퀴토스 환경에서 차세대 LBS(Location-Based Service) 서비스를 위한 콘텐츠를 제공하기 위해 각 단말기와 환경 및 사용자의 취향에 맞게 콘텐츠를 리퍼포징(Repurposing)해야 한다. 콘텐츠 리퍼포징이란 유비퀴토스 환경 구축에 필수적인 핵심 기술로서, 하나의 원본 콘텐츠를 사용자의 선호도, 단말기 특성, 네트워크 특성 등에 따라 최적의 상태로 적응/변환하여 제공함을 말한다. 본 논문에서는 다양한 사용자에게 차세대 LBS 서비스를 위해 콘텐츠의 사용자 정보와 콘텐츠 관련 환경 정보 등을 분석, 전달하기 위한 방법론을 제안하고, 또한 리퍼포징된 콘텐츠의 다양한 정보 분석 방법을 제공하기 위한 미들웨어 아키텍처를 설계한다. 이는 학문적으로 새로운 최첨단의 이론과 기술을 창출하고 이를 기반으로 차세대 LBS 서비스 분야에 혁신적인 역할을 할 것으로 기대된다.

• 교육시설 논문지
• /
• 제24권1호
• /
• pp.3-10
• /
• 2017

This study is to analyze the remodeling method of library in terms of space extension method and urban regeneration by repurposing function in unused facilities through case study. In many case of library extension, horizontal extensions are more frequent than vertical extensions, because there are limits to extend vertically due to high live load estimation by book stacks. Extension schemes was organized by new building extension method in connection with existing buildings, attaching method small scaled mass or linear mass to existing building, connecting method a plurality of existing small buildings, vertical extension method on the top of the structure, underground extension method using special structure. Unused facility remodeling to the library, large scaled buildings can be developed completely to the function of the library through the relocation of the space, while small scaled building needs spatial extension. In the case of spatial extension, existing space that was used for other purposes can be used as a reading room or office, avoiding high live load estimation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제32권1호
• /
• pp.1-5
• /
• 2022

Diagnostics, vaccines, and drugs are indispensable tools and control measures employed to overcome infectious diseases such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Diagnostic tools based on RT-PCR were developed early in the COVID-19 pandemic and were urgently required for quarantine (testing, tracing and isolation). Vaccines such as mRNA vaccines and virus-vectored vaccines were also successfully developed using new platform technologies within one year after identifying severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as the causative agent of COVID-19. Drug development has been conducted in various ways including drug repurposing, convalescent plasma therapy, and monoclonal antibody development. Among the above efforts, this review examines COVID-19 drug development along with the related and upcoming challenges.

• 디지털콘텐츠학회 논문지
• /
• 제11권2호
• /
• pp.145-152
• /
• 2010

멀티미디어 콘텐츠의 활용은 교육과정에 적용되어 많은 연구가 이루어져 왔다. 하지만 초등학교 교과 과정 중에서 사회과 탐구 과정의 멀티미디어 콘텐츠는 지역의 특성상 지역별 교과 내용이 다소 차이가 있어서 멀티미디어 콘텐츠의 적용이 일반화되지 않은 실정이다. 본 연구는 초등학교 사회과 탐구 학습에 그래픽, 애니메이션, 사운드, 동영상 등의 멀티미디어 요소를 이용한 멀티미디어 콘텐츠 시스템을 제작하여 학습에 활용하는 방법을 제시한다. 그리고 멀티미디어 콘텐츠 시스템의 활용도를 높이기 위하여 리퍼포징 구조에 기반한 실시간 이미지 트랜스코딩 기법을 소개한다. 제안한 멀티미디어 콘텐츠 시스템은 그래픽, 사운드, 동영상 등 시각과 청각을 통해 흥미와 동기를 유발하며 학습효과를 증대시키고 컴퓨터와 대화식 학습으로 능력에 맞는 반복학습이 가능하며 자율적이고 창의적인 학습 자료로 활용할 수 있으므로 교육적 효과에 큰 도움이 되리라 추정된다. 본 연구의 멀티미디어 콘텐츠 시스템은 향후 사회과 탐구 학습에 효과적으로 활용될 수 있으며 다양한 멀티미디어 콘텐츠 개발의 지침이 될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• 제44권9호
• /
• pp.688-695
• /
• 2021

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has become a global health concern. Various SARS-CoV-2 vaccines have been developed and are being used for vaccination worldwide. However, no therapeutic agents against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been developed so far; therefore, new therapeutic agents are urgently needed. In the present study, we evaluated several hepatitis C virus direct-acting antivirals as potential candidates for drug repurposing against COVID-19. Theses include asunaprevir (a protease inhibitor), daclatasvir (an NS5A inhibitor), and sofosbuvir (an RNA polymerase inhibitor). We found that asunaprevir, but not sofosbuvir and daclatasvir, markedly inhibited SARS-CoV-2-induced cytopathic effects in Vero E6 cells. Both RNA and protein levels of SARS-CoV-2 were significantly decreased by treatment with asunaprevir. Moreover, asunaprevir profoundly decreased virion release from SARS-CoV-2-infected cells. A pseudoparticle entry assay revealed that asunaprevir blocked SARS-CoV-2 infection at the binding step of the viral life cycle. Furthermore, asunaprevir inhibited SARS-CoV-2 propagation in human lung Calu-3 cells. Collectively, we found that asunaprevir displays broad-spectrum antiviral activity and therefore might be worth developing as a new drug repurposing candidate for COVID-19.