Bangladeshi medicinal plants (BMP) have a history of traditional use in treating chronic inflammatory diseases, but a BMP bark’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects remain largely unexplored. This study assessed methanolic extracts’ antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties from the bark of 15 medicinal plant species native to Bangladesh. The methanol extracts of BMP bark were evaluated for their total antioxidant activity and ability to counteract inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Among the 15 bark extracts from BMP, Albizia odoratissima (A. odoratissima), Engelhardia spicata (E. spicata), and Shorea robusta (S. robusta) showed the highest total phenolic contents and total antioxidant capacity by effectively scavenging free radicals. In particular, these three bark extracts significantly reduced the mRNA expression of LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines and enzymes inducible by inflammation in macrophages. Also, the mRNA expression of NADPH oxidase 2 was significantly suppressed by the three bark extracts in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. These results suggest that out of the 15 bark extracts obtained from medicinal plants in Bangladesh, the extracts from A. odoratissima, E. spicata, and S. robusta exhibit substantial total antioxidant capacity by efficiently scavenging free radicals and also inhibit LPS-induced inflammation in macrophages.

The effect of various physicochemical processes, such as seawater intrusion, on the performance of the engineered barrier should be closely analyzed to precisely assess the safety of high-level radioactive waste repository. In order to evaluate the impact of such processes on the performance of the engineered barrier, a thermal-hydrological-chemical model was developed by using COMSOL Multiphysics and PHREEQC. The coupling of two software was achieved through the application of a sequential non-iterative approach. Model verification was executed through a comparative analysis between the outcomes derived from the developed model and those obtained in prior investigations. Two data were in a good agreement, demonstrating the model is capable of simulating aqueous speciation, adsorption, precipitation, and dissolution. Using the developed model, the geochemical evolution of bentonite buffer under a general condition was simulated as a base case. The model domain consists of 0.5 m of bentonite and 49.5 m of granite. The uraninite (UO2) was assigned at the canister-bentonite interface as the potential source of uranium. Assuming the lifetime of canister as 1,000 years, the porewater mixing without uranium leakage was simulated for 1,000 years. After then, the uranium leakage through the dissolution of uraninite was initiated and simulated for additional 1,000 years. In the base case model, where the porewater mixing between the bentonite and granite was the only considered process, the gypsum tended to dissolve throughout the bentonite, while it precipitated in the vicinity of bentonite-granite boundary. However, the precipitation and dissolution of gypsum only showed a limited effect on the performance of the bentonite. Due to the low solubility of uraninite in the reduced environment, only infinitesimal amounts of uranium dissolved and transported through the bentonite. Additional cases considering various environmental processes, such as seawater or cement porewater intrusion, will be further investigated.

Since nuclear power plant (NPP) dismantling carries the possibility of radiation exposure from a hazardous environment, it’s important to minimize that by using a remote manipulator et al. However, due to complexity of nuclear facilities, it’s necessary for operators to increase their proficiency by operating in advance in a virtual environment. In this research, we propose a virtual manipulator system using a haptic device for NPP’s reactor vessel internals (RVI) dismantling which can realistically manipulate.

최근 기후변화 및 국제교역량, 여행객, 외국 이주민 증가 등으로 국내 농작물에 큰 피해를 입힐 수 있는 고위험 식물병의 유입이 꾸준히 증가하고 있다. 검역 대상인 병원체의 수가 증가함에 따라 검역기관 및 연구원의 업무량이 증가하고 있다. 본 연구에서는 지역별 주요 수출대상 과수인 포도, 단감, 감귤의 국내 미기록 병과 원인병원체에 대한 예찰조사를 수행하였다. 이를 위해 전국을 경기-강원, 충청, 전북, 전남, 경북, 경남 그리고 제주 등 7개 권역으로 나누고 각 권역 소재 대학에서 예찰조사를 수행하여 예찰네트워크를 구축하고자 하였다. 포도 대상 병은 모두 4종으로, Pierce’s disease (Xylella fastidiosa), brown rot (Monilinia fructigena), anthracnose (Greeneria uvicola), 그리고 esca (Phaeomoniella chlamydospora)을 조사하였고 경기-강원, 충청도, 전라북도, 그리고 경상북도 권역을 중심으로 각 권역당 3개 지역 그리고 지역당 3개 지점을 두고 조사하였다. 단감은 모두 3종으로, brown spot (Fusicladium levieri), black leaf spot (Adisciso kaki), 그리고 black spot (Phoma kakivora)을 조사하였고 국내 단감 주생산지인 경상남도와 전라남도 권역을 중심으로 각 권역당 3개 지역 그리고 지역당 3개 지점을 두고 조사하였다. 감귤 대상 병은 모두 2종으로, citrus scab (Elsinoë australis), Septoria spot (Septoria citri)을 조사하였고 감귤 주생산지인 제주권역을 중심으로 조사하였다. 모두 9종에 대한 예찰조사는 2019년 4월부터 10월까지 2주간격으로 실시하였다. 예찰조사결과 주요 수출대상 과수인 포도, 단감, 감귤의 국내미기록병 9종에 대한 원인병원체는 발견되지 않았다. 이 연구를 통해 식물병을 조기에 탐지할 수 있는 전국적인 모니터링 시스템을 구축하였고, 국외 외래유입병들의 예찰조사를 위한 지역 거점을 확보하였다고 평가된다.