This study investigates the risk reduction effect and identifies the optimal capacity of Multi-barrier Accident Coping Strategy (MACST) facilities for nuclear power plants (NPPs) under seismic hazard. The efficacy of MACST facilities in OPR1000 and APR1400 NPP systems is evaluated by utilizing the Improved Direct Quantification of Fault Tree with Monte Carlo Simulation (I-DQFM) method. The analysis encompasses a parametric study of the seismic capacity of two MACST facilities: the 1.0 MW large-capacity mobile generator and the mobile low-pressure pump. The results demonstrate that the optimal seismic capacity of MACST facilities for both NPP systems is 1.5g, which markedly reduces the probability of core damage. In particular, the core damage risk is reduced by approximately 23% for the OPR1000 system, with the core damage fragility reduced by approximately 72% at 1.0g seismic intensity. For the APR1400 system, the implementation of MACST is observed to reduce the core damage risk by approximately 17% and the core damage fragility by approximately 44% under the same conditions. These results emphasize the significance of integrating MACST facilities to enhance the resilience and safety of NPPs against seismic hazard scenarios, highlighting the necessity for continuous adaptation of safety strategies to address evolving natural threats.

Cerebral ischemia is a serious neurological disorder that can lead to high morbidity and mortality. Baicalin is a naturally bioactive flavonoid derived from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, which has neuroprotective activity. Baicalin exerts a neuroprotective effect against hypoxic ischemic injury. In this study, we investigated whether baicalin regulates specific proteins in the cerebral cortex of ischemic stroke animals. Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) surgery was performed to induce ischemic brain injury, and baicalin (30 mg/kg) or vehicle was injected into the abdominal cavity before MCAO surgery. Neurological behavior tests were performed 24 h after MCAO surgery and proteomics approach was performed using proteins extracted from cortical tissue. Two-dimensional electrophoresis analysis and MALDI-TOF were performed to identify the regulated protein by baicalin. MCAO damage caused severe behavioral disorders, but baicalin treatment improved these behavioral deficits. Baicalin also induced changes in the expression of various proteins in the cerebral cortex of MCAO animals. Proteins changed by baicalin administration are as follow: adenosylhomocysteinase, isocitrate dehydrogenase [NAD] subunit alpha, apolipoprotein A-I, Rab GDP dissociation inhibitor beta, eukaryotic initiation factor 4A, and mu-crystallin. These proteins were involved in metabolism and protein synthesis. The results of this study demonstrated the neuroprotective effects of baicalin by improving behavioral disorders caused by MCAO damage. The results also showed that baicalin regulates the expression of a variety of proteins involved in neuroprotective functions. Therefore, our findings provide evidence that baicalin plays a neuroprotective role in stroke animal models by regulating specific proteins.

Fluorescent bacteria were isolated from sporocarps that browned into various mushrooms during survey at places of the production in Korea. We examined the pathogenicity, biodiversity, and genetic characteristics of the 19 strains identified as Pseudomonas tolaasii by sequence analysis of 16S rRNA and White Line Assay. The results emphasize the importance of rpoB gene system, fatty acid profiles, specific and sensitive PCR assays, and lipopeptide detection for the identification of P. tolaasii. As a result of these various analyses, 17 strains (CHM03~CHM19) were identified as P. tolaasii. The phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene showed that all strains were clustered closest to P. tolaasii lineage, two strains (CHM01, CHM02) were not identified as P. tolaasii and have completely different genetic characteristics as a result of fatty acids profile, specific and sensitive PCR, lipopetide detection, rpoB sequence and REP-PCR analysis. Pathogenicity tests showed 17 strains produce severe brown discolouration symptoms to button mushrooms and watersoaking of sporophore tissue within three days after inoculation. But two strains did not produce discolouration symptoms. Therefore, these two strains will be further investigated for correct species identification by different biological and molecular characteristics.

본 연구는 국내 천연 자생 식물인 쥐오줌풀을 정유 추출하여 향기 성분 분석결과를 기반으로 항산화(DPPH, ABTS), 세포생존율(MTS), 항염(Nitric oxide)실험을 수행하였다. 향기성분 분석결과 쥐오 줌풀의 대표 유효 성분인 ester류의 bornyl acetate가 47.88%로 타지역에 비해 높은 함유량을 나타났으며 patchouli alcohol (18.9%), camphene (11.37%), camphene (11.37%), α-Pinene (5.44%), D-limonene (1.11%)등이 동정되었다. 항산화 활성인 DPPH 라디칼 소거능이 250 μl/ml에서 73.62%, ABTS 라디칼 소거능이 250 μl/ml에서 82.17%을 보였으며, 세포독성이 확인되지 않은 5 μl/ml의 농도에서 NO 생성 저해능은 대조군에 대비 62.02%로 감소함을 나타났다. 이를 통해 기능성 제품으로의 활용 가능성을 과학 적으로 검증하여 쥐오줌풀 정유를 활용한 연구분야에 일부 기여할 수 있을 것이라 기대되는 바이다.

현대에는 개인 연구자 대부분이 지식생산기관에 소속되어 지식생산기관의 유 형과 지식생산기관 간의 협력이 과학 지식생산에 미치는 영향이 높음에도 불구하고, 지식생 산기관이 정확히 식별되지 않아 과학 지식생산 과정을 실증적으로 파악하는 데는 한계가 있 다. 본 연구는 지식생산기관의 식별 정확도를 높이는 방법을 제안하였다. 구체적으로 디지털 헬스 분야의 PubMed 서지정보를 수집한 후 알고리즘을 적용하기 전 데이터 처리 단계에서 ‘맥락적 연결’을 활용하여 기관정보의 불완전성을 해소하고, 알고리즘 적용단계에서는 기관 명 모호성(IND)을 개선하는 방법을 제시하였다. 본 연구가 산출한 ‘지식생산기관 데이터셋’ 과 동일한 서지정보를 대상으로 하는 기존 공개 데이터셋인 ‘PKG datasets’을 비교했을 때, 본 연구가 제시한 방법은 지식생산기관 데이터셋에 포함된 대상 데이터 수를 2배로 증가시켰으며, 국가별 순위도 보다 정확하게 반영하였다. 또한 한국 지식생산기관의 디지털 헬스 분야 기여도가 과소 또는 과대 평가되고 있다는 사실도 발견하였다. 본 연구에서 제시한 방 법은 향후 과학지식을 생산하고 과학 혁신을 달성하는 데 있어 지식생신기관의 역할을 실증 적으로 연구하는 데 기여할 것으로 판단된다.

Gas identification techniques using pattern recognition methods were developed from four micro-electronic gas sensors for noxious gas mixture analysis. The target gases for the air quality monitoring inside vehicles were two exhaust gases, carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), and two odor gases, ammonia (NH3) and formaldehyde (HCHO). Four MEMS gas sensors with sensing materials of Pd-SnO2 for CO, In2O3 for NOX, Ru-WO3 for NH3, and hybridized SnO2-ZnO material for HCHO were fabricated. In six binary mixed gas systems with oxidizing and reducing gases, the gas sensing behaviors and the sensor responses of these methods were examined for the discrimination of gas species. The gas sensitivity data was extracted and their patterns were determined using principal component analysis (PCA) techniques. The PCA plot results showed good separation among the mixed gas systems, suggesting that the gas mixture tests for noxious gases and their mixtures could be well classified and discriminated changes.

이 논문에서는 파랑 하중을 받는 부유식 구조체의 운동 해석에 있어서 시스템 식별 방법을 이용한 상태공간방정식 모델을 수립하 고 해석하는 방법을 제안하였다. 상태공간방정식 모델의 수립 방법으로는 주파수영역에서 하중-변위 입출력 관계에 대한 목표 전달 함수를 구하고 이에 가장 근접하는 상태공간방정식을 구하는 절차를 제시하였다. 전통적으로 부유식 구조체 운동의 시간영역 해석은 지연함수의 합성곱적분을 포함하는 Cummins 방정식을 시간적분하여 이루어진다. 상태공간방정식 모델은 이러한 시간영역해석을 효과적으로 수행하기 위한 방법의 하나로서 연구되어 왔다. 제안하는 방법에서는 시스템 식별방법인 N4SID 와 전달함수의 분모 및 분자 다항식의 계수를 설계변수로 하는 최적화방법을 사용하여 목표 전달함수에 상응하는 상태공간방정식을 구한다. 제안하는 방법 의 적용성을 보이는 예제로서 단자유도 수치모델 및 6자유도 바지의 운동을 해석하였다. 제시하는 상태공간방정식 모델은 주파수영 역 및 시간영역에서 모두 기존의 해석결과와 잘 일치하고 시간영역해석에서는 계산의 정확도를 확보하면서 계산 시간을 크게 줄일 수 있음을 확인하였다.

참진드기과(Ixodidae) 속하는 개피참진드기(Haemaphysalis flava)는 동남아시아에서 남아시아에 걸쳐 분포 하며, 다양한 질병을 매개하는 것으로 알려져 있다. 특히 중국, 일본, 한국에서 개피참진드기의 주요 매개 질병인 중증열성혈소판감소증후군(SFTS)의 감염 사례가 지속적으로 증가하는 것으로 보고되고 있다. 이 연구는 Illumina HiSeq 4000 시퀀싱을 통해 raw 데이터를 획득하고, Trinity를 기반으로 de novo assembly를 수행하여 unigene을 확보하였다. 이 결과, 총 69,822개의 unigene이 생성되었으며, 이 중 46,175개의 unigene이 PANM-DB에 annotation 되었다. 또한 KOG, GO 및 KEGG 분석을 통해 30,000개, 19,074개, 9,333개의 unigene이 annotation 되었 으며, InterProScan 결과를 통해 protein kinase, zinc finger (C2H2-type), reverse transcriptase, RNA recognition motif domain 등과 같은 세포 조절 메커니즘과 관련된 유전자가 확인되었다. RepeatMasker(v4.0.6)와 MISA(v1.0)를 사 용하여 unigene에서 SSR 마커를 확인한 결과, 총 3,480개의 SSR 마커가 확인되었으며 이 중 trinucleotide 반복이 1,907개, dinucleotide 반복이 1,274개로 확인되었다. 이러한 연구 결과는 H. flava 암컷의 유전자 및 유전자 조절 메커니즘을 이해하는데 기초 자료로서 활용 가능하며, 질병 전파 감수성에 대한 후속 연구에 유용한 정보를 제공 할 것으로 사료된다.

In insects, the glutathione S-transferase is initiated in both the detoxification process and the protection of cellular membranes against oxidative damage. In this study, we identified the open reading frame (ORF) sequence of GST-iso1 and 2 from Tenebrio molitor (TmGST-iso1 and 2). To investigate the expression patterrns of TmGST-iso1 and 2 in response to herbicide, 0.06, 0.6, and 6 ㎍/㎕ of butachlor (FarmHannong, Seoul, South Korea) was challenged into T. molitor larvae, resulting that the TmGST-iso1 were highly induced at 3 and 24 h-post injection. Whereas, the highest expression of TmGST-iso2 was detected at 24 h after treatment. This study may contribute to basic information about the detoxifying activities of T. molitor.

The major innate immune pathways in Asian longhorned ticks, Haemaphysalis longicornis, include Toll, IMD, and JAK/STAT. In the field, H. longicornis can be infected with various pathogens including Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus (SFTS virus), Rickettsia, Babesia and Anaplasma species. One approach to identify whether ticks are infected with pathogens is by examining the expression levels of immune response genes. To evaluate whether upregulation of immune genes from H. longicornis can serve as an indicator for pathogen infection in ticks, we first designed primer sets for Dorsal, STAT, and Relish from the H. longicornis genome. We then conducted quantitative reverse transcription PCR(qRT-PCR) on cDNA of field-collected H. longicornis and identified individuals with high expression levels in immune response genes. Subsequently, we performed digital PCR assays to determine whether selected ticks were infected with SFTS virus. Using this approach, we evaluated correlation between pathogen infection and upregulation of immune response genes in ticks. Although more experiments are needed to draw conclusions, this study suggests immune response gene-based screening methods for pathogen infected ticks from the field.

This study focuses on developing diagnostic compositions, kits, and information provision methods for identifying species-specific genes in domestically residing Reticulitermes speratus and Reticulitermes kanmonensis, as well as the recently introduced Cryptotermes domesticus. The core innovation of this invention lies in the utilization of species-specific genetic markers to facilitate rapid and accurate species identification using a PCR (polymerase chain reaction)-based diagnostic technique. This approach enables swift identification of termites at quarantine stages, contributing to efficient management of imported goods and minimizing ecological and economic damages caused by termites. Through genome analysis of termites, this research has identified candidate species-specific genetic markers, developed diagnostic compositions and kits based on these markers, and proposed a rapid diagnostic method capable of determining termite species within a day, optimally within three hours. This invention provides a groundbreaking tool for termite management and research, significantly contributing to pest control and biodiversity conservation efforts.

The recent increase in the occurrence of common bed bug and tropical bed bug in shared areas highlights the need for rapid species identification at infestation sites, which is crucial for implementing targeted control measures due to differences in genetic and physiological traits. In this study, molecular diagnostic methods were developed using species-specific ITS2 sequences. Both multiplex PCR and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) protocols with a DNA release method successfully distinguished between the two bed bug species regardless of developmental stages in 0.5~2.5 hours, even with dead specimens. Especially, LAMP's simplicity and speed make it applicable for rapid and accurate bed bug diagnosis at infestation sites.

본 연구는 검거세미밤나방(Agrotis ipsilon) 성페로몬 트랩에 혼재하여 유살되는 은무늬밤나방아과 형태적 분류와 동정법 수립을 위해, 날개 무늬의 형태계측학 분석을 실시하였다. 은무늬밤나방아과 개체는 2023년 11월 부터 12월까지 제주도 애월읍 일대에서 채집되었으며, 콩 해충으로 알려진 콩은무늬밤나방(Ctenoplusia agnata) 을 비롯하여, 다양한 농작물을 가해하는 것으로 알려진 붉은금무늬밤나방(Chrysodeixis eriosoma)의 수컷 성충이 포획되었다. 앞날개의 형태 및 무늬를 가지고 현장에서 쉽게 동정할 수 있는 형태적 특징을 도출하기 위하여, 각 성충 개체의 앞날개를 잘라 현미경 카메라로 촬영하고, 앞날개의 내횡선, 아외연선, 반점 크기 등 15개의 형질 을 측정하였다. 또한 각 형질 간의 상관관계를 분석하였으며 빈도분포를 통하여 두 종간 분리되는 형질을 파악하 였다. 최종적으로 다변량 분석법을 적용하여 두 집단이 어떻게 군집을 이루는지 분석하고, 날개형태만으로 붉은 금무늬밤나방과 콩은무늬밤나방을 구분할 수 있는 방안을 제시하였다.

Spodoptera eridania and S. ornithogalli (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), which are polyphagous pests that damage various crops such as tomatoes and beans are regulated quarantine species that are highly likely to invade South Korea. Therefore, it is crucial to promptly and accurately identify the presence of S. eridania and S. ornithogalli in crop fields to effectively eradicate as a regulated quarantine species. In this study, we developed a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay, which allows for rapid in-field identification. To develop the LAMP　assay, we selected target species-specific genomic regions from the whole-genome sequences of one target and 13 other lepidopteran species. We validated each five and six primer sets that consistently produced positive reactions in S. eridania and S. ornithogalli, respectively. To test the sensitivity of the each locus, LAMP reactions were performed using various reaction times using crude DNA, which was extracted from various types of adult tissues. All sensitivity tests were also successful.

Recent advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning, such as the use of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for image recognition, have emerged as a promising modality with the capability to visually differentiate between mosquito species. Here we present the first performance metrics of IDX, Vectech’s system for AI mosquito identification, as part of Maryland’s mosquito control program in the USA. Specimens were collected over fourteen weeks from twelve CDC gravid trap collection sites, identified morphologically by an entomologist, and imaged using the IDX system. By comparing entomologist identification to the algorithm output by IDX, we are able to calculate the accuracy of the system across species. Over the study period, 2,591 specimens were collected and imaged representing 14 species, 10 of which were available in the identification algorithm on the device during the study period. The micro average accuracy was 94.9%. Of these 10 species, 7 species consisted of less than 30 samples. The macro average accuracy when including these species was 79%, while the macro average when excluding these species was 93%. In the next iteration of this technology, Vectech is translating the vector identification capabilities of IDX into systems capable of processing greater numbers of specimens at large public health facilities, and remote sensing systems that will allow public health organizations to monitor vector abundance and diversity from the office. These advances demonstrate the utility of artificial intelligence in entomology and its potential to support vector surveillance and control programs around the world.