The present multidisciplinary study, which is a nexus of engineering and political science, investigates how the modernization of Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons (NSNWs) affects the IAEA safeguards system based on the likelihood of the use of nuclear weapons. To this end, this study examines the characteristics of modernized NSNWs using Monte Carlo techniques. The results thus obtained show that 10 kt NSNWs with a Circular Error Probability (CEP) of 10 m can destroy the target as effectively as a 500 kt weapon with a CEP of 100 m. The IAEA safeguards system shows that the Significant Quantity (SQ) of 1 of plutonium is 8 kg, a parameter that was established when strategic nuclear weapons were dominant. However, the results of this study indicate that in recent years, low-yield nuclear weapons such as NSNWs have been more strategically interesting than strategic nuclear weapons as NSNWs require less plutonium than strategic nuclear weapons. Therefore, we would like to conclude that reducing the SQ of plutonium can result in more robust safeguards and non-proliferation strategies.

이리응애과의 많은 종들은 잎응애, 총채벌레 및 가루이와 같은 미소 해충의 생물학적 방제원으로 이용가능성이 높다. 실제로 칠레이리응애와 같은 포식활동이 왕성한 일부 종은 현재 농업에서 전세계적으로 많이 이용되고 있다. 특정 지역이나 생태계 또는 작물에 서식하는 이리응애과의 다양성 조사는 포식성 이리응애의 활용을 위한 좋은 기초자료가 된다. 그러나 국내에서 이와 관련된 자료는 90년대에 1건에 그쳐 자생 이리응애의 활용을 위한 후속 연구를 도모하기에 턱없이 부족한 실정이다. 본 연구에서는 중부지역의 6개도 17개 시군에서 2018년 7월부터 10월까지 자생 이리응애의 발생상황을 조사하였다. 그 결과 총 29과 57종의 식물종에 서식하는 20종의 이리응애를 확인하였다. 다양한 이리응애가 서식하는 식물종은 벚나무로 긴꼬리이리응애를 포함한 6종이 출현하였다. 서식 식물종이 가장 많은 이리응애는 긴꼬리이리응애로 17종이 식물에서 출현했고, 두 번째는 긴털이리응애로 16종의 식물에서 발견되었다.

Colorectal cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality that accounts for over 9% of all incidences of cancer. Additionally, colorectal cancer is widely recognized as an environmental disease related to ill-defined cultural, social and lifestyle factors including physical activity, obesity, cigarette smoking and heavy alcohol consumption. Accordingly, natural phytochemicals and extracts have attracted attention because of their beneficial biological effects. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a common supplementary medicine applied to increase bioenergetic capacity in various diseases. Therefore, in this study, we investigated whether CoQ10 treatment has any inhibitory effects and its related cellular mechanisms in human colon cancer HCT116 cells. A MTT assay revealed that CoQ10 slightly decreased the proliferation of HCT116 cells; however, glutathione- and superoxide dismutase- activity were unchanged in response to CoQ10 treatment. A DCF-DA assay revealed that CoQ10 slightly increased ROS release of HCT116 cells. However, in a nitric oxide (NO) assay, CoQ10 significantly increased NO production in a dose-dependent manner. The results of western blot analysis revealed that the protein levels of Bax, p21 and p53 were increased, whereas the protein level of Bcl2 was decreased suggesting that the CoQ10-mediated inhibitory mechanism is associated with apoptotic signaling. Taken together, our findings indicate that CoQ10 has an inhibitory effect on the growth of colon cancer cells via NO production that is associated with regulation of factors involved in apoptotic signaling including Bax, Bcl2, p21 and p53.