As an initial part of Kori-1 & Wolsung-1 Unit decommissioning planning, a characterization plan is developed to define the nature, extent and location of contaminants, determine sampling locations and protocols, determine quality assurance objectives for characterization, and define documentation requirements. The actual characterization of a facility is an iterative process that involves initial sampling according to the characterization plan, field management (such as labeling, packaging, storing, and transport) of the samples, laboratory analysis, conformance to the data quality objectives (DQOs), and then identifying any additional sampling required, refining the DQOs, and modifying the characterization plan accordingly. The final product of the facility characterization is a document that describes the type, amount, and location of contaminants that will require consideration and removal during the decommissioning operations sufficient to prepare a decommissioning plan. In this study, implementing a characterization plan, developed in accordance with this standard, will result in obtaining or deriving the above information.

Kori Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1, which began operating in 1978, is Korea’s oldest commercial nuclear reactor. The reactor was permanently shut down in June 2017, and now the decommissioning process has begun. The decommissioning process will generate a significant amount of waste that requires appropriate management to minimize the impact on the environment and human health. And the waste routing, i.e. the activities and logistics for managing the material generated, is a key point in a decommissioning project. It determines the routes from the material inventory to the envisaged material end states. In this study, we review on several factors for the selection of the waste routes in a decommissioning project. In terms of sustainability, the ‘waste hierarchy’ should be applied to routing materials from nuclear facilities. According to the waste hierarchy, the preferred end state is reuse or recycling of the waste as material or, more preferably, the avoidance of waste generation. In addition, treatments (such as decontamination and thermal treatment) that can reduce the volumes requiring disposal as radioactive waste should be considered. Another important parameter is the need to secure availability and capacity of waste routes. Short-term bottlenecks or any delay in the removal of the waste from the site often has an impact on other site activities. If possible, at least two alternative waste routes should be identified for the main categories of waste and kept available throughout the decommissioning project. All routes should be direct to the material end state if possible, but it is more important that waste is removed from the site so that other site operations are not impeded.

Celecoxib, a cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 selective inhibitor, was approved as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), and this therapeutic application has been expanded to several other diseases, including colon cancer. Notably, a treatment strategy combining the use of celecoxib and radiation therapy has been employed for improving the control of local cancers. In this study, we examined the effect of celecoxib on irradiation-induced intestinal damage. The twenty four mice (BALB/c) were divided into four groups; 1) sham-irradiated control group, 2) celecoxib-treated group, 3) irradiated group, and 4) celecoxib-treated irradiation group. Mice were orally administered celecoxib at a dose of 25 mg/kg in a 0.1 mL volume, daily for 4 days after irradiation exposure (10 Gy). Then, histological examinations of the jejunal villous height, crypt survival, and crypt size were performed. The expression of COX-2 after administration of celecoxib in irradiated mice was examined by employing immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and qPCR analysis. The jejunal villi height and the crypt survival were reduced in the irradiation group compared with the sham-irradiated group. Celecoxib treatment in irradiation mice even more decreased those indicators. Crypt size was increased in the radiation group compared to the sham-irradiated control group, whereas the size was decreased in the celecoxibtreated irradiation group compared with the group exposed to the radiation injury. COX-2 expression was detected in the crypt of the small intestine, and COX-2 expression was increased in the crypt lesion following radiation exposure. However, COX-2 expression was reduced in the celecoxib-treated irradiation group. Therefore, in the present study, we confirmed that celecoxib treatment after irradiation aggravated the irradiation-induced intestinal damage. These results suggest that a caution need to be administered when celecoxib treatment is performed in combination with radiation therapy for cancer treatment.

Toll and IMD pathways play an important role in producing antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) through NF-κB in insects. The functions of IκB kinase (IKK) complex regulating the NF-κB signaling cascade have not yet been investigated in Tenebrio model. Here, we identified TmIKK-β (or TmIrd5) which contains 2,112 bp encoding 703 amino acid residues. Domain analysis shows that TmIKK-β contains one Serine/Threonine protein kinases catalytic domain. Developmental expression patterns indicate that TmIKK- β gene was highly expressed in early pupal (P1) and adult (A5) stages. Tissue specific profiles show that TmIKK-β was highly expressed in the integuments in last instar larvae, and fat body and hemocytes in 5 day-old adults. TmIKK-β1 transcripts were strongly induced at 3 and 12 h-post injection of E. coli, and 3 h-post injection of S. aureus or C. albicans in hemocytes. In gut, TmIKK-β transcripts were slightly induced by E. coli (at 6, 9 and 24 h) and C. albicans (at 24 h), while it was not induced by S. aureus challenge. Moreover, it was highly induced at 6 h-post injection of E. coli and then it was gradually decreased in the fat body. To understand the immunological role of TmIKK-β, gene specific RNAi and mortality assay was performed. Depletion of TmIKK-β mRNA leads to increase microbial susceptibility of larvae against E. coli, S. aureus and C. albicans. In addition, induction patterns of fourteen AMP genes in response to microbial challenge was tissue specifically investigated in TmIKK-β–silenced T. molitor larvae. The results suggest that expression of ten AMP genes out of fourteen genes were drastically decreased by TmIKK-β RNAi in fat body, suggesting that TmIKK-β plays an important role in antimicrobial innate immune responses.

It has been well known that IKK-β, -ε and –γ play a pivotal role in IMD pathway. In this study, TmIKK-ε was identified and their functions in countering pathogenic infections were investigated. We identified TmIKK-ε gene which including 2,196 bp nucleotides (encoding 731 amino acid residues). Domain analysis of TmIKK-ε indicates that there is one Serine/Threonine protein kinases catalytic domain. TmIKK-ε gene was highly expressed in 2 day-old pupal stage and the expression was gradually decreased until 1 day-old adults. Then the expression was slightly increased until 4 day-old adult stage. Tissue specific expression of TmIKK-ε mRNA was high in the gut, integuments and hemocytes in last instar larvae, and fat body, Malpighian tubules and testis in 5-daysold adult. In hemocytes, TmIKK-ε was drastically induced by E. coli injection after 3 h and by S. aureus at 3 and 12 h-post injection. In gut, expression level of TmIKK-ε was high at 6 h-post injection of microbial injection. Expression of TmIKK-ε in fat body was drastically induced by E. coli at 3 and 24 h-post injection while it was not significantly induced by S. aureus and C. albicans. To understand the immunological role of TmIKK-ε, gene specific RNAi and mortality assay were performed. TmIKK-ε RNAi caused increased larval mortality against E. coli, not S. aureus and C. albicans. Finally, to investigate the induction patterns of Tenebrio fourteen AMP genes in response TmIKK-ε RNAi, three microorganisms were treated into TmIKK-ε-silenced T. molitor larvae. Nine out of fourteen AMP genes were not induced by microbial challenge in TmIKK-β dsRNA-injected group. Taken together, our results indicate that TmIKK-ε may regulates nine antimicrobial peptide genes in response to microbial challenge in T. molitor fat body.

Various plant extracts were widely used to control plant diseases and insect pests in organic farming system. This study was conducted to evaluate insecticidal activity of plant extracts against three moth in vitro. Insecticidal activity of 21 kinds of farm-made plant extracts including snowbell tree, sweet oleander leaf, sweet oleander and white cedar, collected from farmhouses were tested against diamondback moth (Plutella xypostella) and tobacco cutworm (Spodoptera litura) larvae. In addition, four plant extracts (pyrethrum flower, derris, neem and Sophora flavescens) were tested for insecticidal activity against Potato tuber moth (Phthouimaea operculella) larvae. As a result of insecticidal test on diamondback moth, insecticidal activity of pyrethrum flower extract was found to be 50% or more in diluted 100 times. The insecticidal activities against tobacco cutworm were 92.5% at snowbell tree extract, 77.5% at the sweet oleander leaf and white cedar extracts. Among the plant extracts, insecticidal activity of 300 times-diluted pyrethrum flower and derris extract was 85%, neem and Sophora flavescens extracts were similar to non-treatment. Consequently, pyrethrum flower extract and snowbell tree, sweet oleander leaf, white cedar extracts and pyrethrum flower, derris extracts for controlling diamondback moth and tobacco cutworm and potato tuber moth were selected. We think the selected organic materials can be used to control diamondback moth and tobacco cutworm, potato tuber moth under organic farmhouse condition.

IKK-γ is an essential protein to form IKK complex which regulate NF-κB. We identified TmIKK-γ (or TmKenny) gene which has 1,521 bp of nucleotides encoding 506 amino acid residues. Domain analysis of TmIKK-γ shows that there are one NF-κB essential modulator (NEMO) domain and a leucine zipper domain. Expression of TmIKK-γ gene was gradually increased from egg to 2-day-old pupal stage, dramatically decreased until 7 day-old pupal stage, and then it was gradually increased. TmIKK-γ transcripts were highly expressed in fat body and hemocytes in late instar larvae and integuments, fat body and Malpighian tubules in 5 day-old adult. TmIKK-γ was drastically induced by E. coli after 3 h challenges and by S. aureus at 3 and 12 h-post injection in hemocytes. TmIKK-γ was not induced by C. albicans although it was significantly induced by E. coli (at 3, 6 and 24 h) and S. aureus (at 9 h) in gut. In fat body, expression of TmIKK-γ was drastically induced by E. coli at 3 and 24 h-post injection while it was not significantly induced by S. aureus and C. albicans. To understand the immunological role of TmIKK-γ, gene specific RNAi and mortality assay was performed. larval mortality against microbial challenge was dramatically increased by TmIKK-γ RNAi. Furthermore, we investigate the tissue specific induction patterns of fourteen AMP genes in response TmIKK-γ dsRNA-treatment. In fat body, ten AMP genes out of fourteen was not significantly induced by microbial challenge in TmIKK-γ dsRNA-treated group. Based on these results, TmIKK-γ might play an important role in antimicrobial innate immune responses in Tenebrio molitor.

본 연구는 기존에 재배된 바 없었던 암대극을 새로운 관상식물로 개발하고자, 절화 특성 평가를 실시하였다. 2017년 3월과 4월, 제주도에 자생하고 있는 암대극을 채취한 후, 수분흡수, 절화수명, 노화 과정 등 절화수명 특성을 평가하였다. 또한 sucrose 농도, 절화길이, pH 농도, 저장온도에 따른 절화 특성을 조사하였다. 본 실험은 국립수목원 유용식물증식센터의 Phyto-garden system(12h photoperiod, 25℃, 70% RH)과 실온(23℃, 44% RH)에서 수행하였고 2~3일 간격으로 수분흡수량, 생체중, 절화수명을 측정하였다. 실험 환경에 따른 연구에서 실온(14.4일) 보다 phyto-garden system(42.4일)의 절화 수명이 약 3배 더 길었고, 절화길이에 따른 연구에서는 절화수명이 20cm, 15.2일, 40cm, 17.4일로 나타났다. Sucrose 농도에 따른 연구에서는 처리에 따른 절화수명 증진 효과는 없었고, pH에 따른 연구의 절화수명은 pH 5, 15.6일, pH 6, 13.4일, pH 7, 13.1일, 증류수, 14.8일이었다. 저장온도에 따른 실험에서, 절화수명은 4℃, 83일, 10℃, 41.2일, 15℃, 35.5 일, 20℃, 17.4일, 실온, 14.4일이었는데, 온도가 감소할수록 절화수명이 길어짐을 알 수 있었다. 결론적으로, 암대극은 비교적 광도와 습도가 높은 환경과 절화길이가 길고 저장온도가 낮을수록 수명이 오래 유지되는 것을 알 수 있었다.

Rice starch is a natural source of polysaccharides that can be used as a stabilizer, thickener, binder and fat mimetic in various foods. However, untreated starch possesses limited functionality due to its poor water solubility with a densely packed granular structure of amylopectin and amylose chains. Also, it shows weak complexing ability as the only amylose participates in complex formation with a chemical compound. The objective of this study is to improve complexation ability and water solubility of rice starch by 4-α-glucanotransferase (4αGTase) treatment. Complex forming capacity was examined by fully dissolving the 4αGTase-treated rice starch in 90% DMSO by mechanical stirring and mixing with iodine solution with following UV/Vis spectrophotometer measurements. Water solubility of the starch was measured by dissolving in distilled water (5% w/v) with mechanical stirring at 25 °C and 60 °C, and drying the supernatant after centrifugation. The complexing ability of starch was enhanced after the 4αGTase treatment. The absorbance at a peak wavelength increased, as well as the peak wavelength was shifted leftward, indicating that the type of molecules got involved in the complexation was changed. Alteration in the molecule composition and starch composition during the enzyme treatment may be due to disproportionation and cyclization by the 4αGTase. The water solubility (%) of the starch at 25 °C and 60 °C increased by 28-fold with the 4αGTase treatment regardless of the treatment time. The untreated starch showed solubility of 0.15 %, while the solubility of the 4αGTase-treated starch was about 4 - 4.5 % (w/v). It may be due to heat treatment and recrystallization which melted a granular structure and made it easier to be solubilized in water. Moreover, the increased solubility might be attributed to increase in the number of short branched chains and decrease in molecular weight.

커피와 다류에 대한 소비는 전 세계적으로 해마다 증가 하는 추세이며, 한국을 포함하여 아시아권에도 물 다음으로 가장 많은 소비가 이루어지는 음료는 커피와 차(녹차, 케모마일차, 페퍼민트차, 둥글레차, 보이차, 홍차, 대추차) 이다. 본 연구는 국내에서 시판되는 커피전문점의 브랜드 커피 5종과 침출차 20종(녹차 4종, 홍차 3종, 보이차 3종, 케모마일차 3종, 페퍼민트차 3종, 둥글레차 3종, 대추차 1 종), 고형차 2종(대추차 2종)에 대하여 각 음료 1잔에 함유되어 있는 비타민C, 카페인, 총폴리페놀, 플라보노이드 를 분석하였고, 이들의 항산화활성을 측정하여 서로의 상관관계를 살펴보았다. 추가적으로 항산화활성이 높은 커 피와 다류 총 4종을 대상으로 과산화수소(H2O2)로 유도된 산화적 스트레스로부터 세포 보호효과를 평가하여 시판 커피와 다류의 항산화 연구를 위한 기초자료를 확보하고자 하였다. 녹차와 홍차 각각 1잔당 비타민 C 함량은 0.04~ 1.58 mg 이었고 커피와 나머지 차는 비타민 C가 검출되지 않았다. 카페인 함량은 브랜드 커피가 1잔당 150.17~ 202.75 mg으로 다른 종류의 음료보다 높았다. 음료에 함 유된 총 폴리페놀 함량은 gallic acid의 등량값(GAE)으로 표시할 때 브랜드 커피 A(BCA)가 265.54 mg / serving size 으로 가장 높았고, 플라보노이드 함량은 quercetin 등량값 (QE)으로 브랜드 커피 B(BCB)가 12.14 mg / serving size 으로 가장 높았다. 음료 4종(브랜드 커피 A, C 그리고 녹 차 D, 홍차 A) 시료의 농도가 높아질수록 HeLa 세포 내 활성산소종(reactive oxygen species, ROS) 생성 억제효과 및 H2O2의 소거활성이 증가하였다. 본 연구결과 브랜드 커피 및 홍차, 녹차는 각각 1잔당 비타민 C의 등량값으로 590, 330, 300 mg의 항산화능을 가지며, HeLa 세포 내에 서도 활성산소 감소효과가 확인되는 우수한 항산화 음료로 평가되었다.

Curcumin is an active polyphenolic compound with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antitumor properties. Curcumin, however, is highly unstable under physiological conditions due to its low stability in acidic and alkaline conditions. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of enzyme-treated rice starch as a wall material on the stability of curcumin in oil-in-water emulsion under different pH conditions. The rice starch was treated using 4-a-glucanotransferase for different time periods and their molecular weight distribution was measured by HPSEC. Curcumin was encapsulated within lipid droplets of O/W emulsion prepared with Tween 20 and the modified rice starch in the aqueous phase at different concentrations (0, 2.5, 7.5 and 10 wt%). The temperature and pH stability of the system were determined respectively by measuring particle size, zeta potential and retention of the curcumin loaded in the emulsion after one-week storage in the solutions with different pH and temperature conditions. The average molecular weight of the modified starch decreased with treatment time. The 96h treated rice starch had the lowest molecular weight while the 1h treated starch mainly consisted of high molecular weight components. The storage temperature did not significantly influence the stability of curcumin emulsion. However, the particle size of the emulsion with modified starch slightly increased when stored at acidic pH condition, which might be attributed to starch aggregation. The curcumin retention was higher for the samples with the modified starch than the control at all concentrations. The pH stability of the curcumin was also higher than the control at all pH conditions. Specifically, the 1h treated starch showed the best performance regarding curcumin protection in emulsion, which might be attributed to the high viscosity that retarded the curcumin release. Further research needs to be conducted on the mechanism.