평양의 도시계획

평양을 도시로서 읽는다는 것은 두 가지 면에서 의미가 있다. 첫째, 물리적인 방식으로 도시에 표출되는 평양의 경제, 문화, 사회 등을 객관적으로 조명하는 것이다. 둘째, 평양에 축적된 과거의 흔적을 이해할 뿐 아니라 나아가 평양이 미래에 어떠한 도시가 될 수 있을 것인가에 대한 토대를 고민하는 것이다. 본 연구는 현재의 평양이 어떠한 도시적 특성이 있고 이러한 모습을 갖추기까지 어떻게 발달해왔는지 고찰한 후, 평양의 과거와 현재를 담으면서도 새로운 환경에 변화할 수 있는 점진적 모델을 제시하고자 하였다. 이는 현재 사회주의 도시로서의 모습을 비교적 잘 간직하고 있는 평양의 도시적 특성을 유지하면서도, 새로운 가능성을 사회주의 도시적 공간에서 발견함으로써 도시가 인위적으로 모습을 바꾸는 것이 아니라 유기적으로 변화에 대응해나가기를 바람에서이다

A Case of Azathioprine Induced Warfarin Resistance in Behçet’s Disease

Behçet’s disease is characterized by recurrent oral aphthous ulcers, genital ulcers, uveitis, and skin lesions. Thrombosis associated with vascular inflammation in patients with Behçet’s disease presents various clinical symptoms. Warfarin is usually administered for treatment of thrombosis. However, warfarin can interact with many medications that cause various problems. A 43-year-old woman with Behçet’s disease presented with a swollen right leg. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was confirmed, and treated with warfarin. Due to exacerbation of Behçet’s disease, she received azathioprine along with warfarin. Subsequently, the international normalized ratio (INR) decreased and DVT was exacerbated. Despite an increase in the warfarin dose, the patient did not reach the target INR. After discontinuation of azathioprine, DVT improved and the warfarin dose was decreased. There were no specific findings associated with a hypercoagulable status. This finding suggests the interaction of azathioprine and warfarin. Therefore, clinicians should be cautious regarding the possibility of drug interactions between azathioprine and warfarin.ope

Adverse drug reactions after taking the extract of Cudrania tricuspidata

Cudrania tricuspidata is a deciduous tree belonging to the Moraceae plant, which has been widely used as a folk remedy or health supplements in the Asian countries including Korea. As far as we know, side effects from taking the extract of C. tricuspidata has not yet been reported. We reviewed the electronic medical records of 2 patients who had adverse drug reactions to C. tricuspidata. The first case was a 30-year-old woman without a specific medical history. She was admitted with a 2-week history of jaundice and dyspepsia after taking extract of C. tricuspidata for 3 days. Initial laboratory findings were as follows: aspartate aminotransferase, 364 IU/L; alanine aminotransferase, 574 IU/L; total bilirubin, 36.3 mg/dL; and direct bilirubin, 18.3 mg/dL. She was conservatively treated for liver and renal failure while awaiting liver transplantation. However, she was expired due to combined pneumonia and progressed hepatic and renal failure. The second case was a 42-year-old woman who has chronic urticaria without other medical history. She was admitted with a 3-month history of whole body rash with small pustular vesicle after taking extract of C. tricuspidata. She was treated with intravenous steroids and antihistamines. Skin lesions were improved after 1 week. Here, we report 2 cases of adverse drug reaction to C. tricuspidata. It should be considered that C. tricuspidata ingestion could cause severe adverse drug reactions such as liver failure and acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis.ope

Drug-Induced Anaphylaxis in a Single Korean Tertiary Hospital

Background/Aims: Drug-induced anaphylaxis (DIA) is a severe, acute, and potentially life-threatening condition. In Korea, only a few well-documented cases of DIA have been described. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics, causes, and management of DIA in a single Korean medical institute. Methods: This was a retrospective medical record review of all DIA patients who visited the in-patient, out-patient, and emergency departments of our hospital from January 1 2006 to October 30 2013. Results: Among 605 cases of anaphylaxis, 167 were drug-induced. The culprit drugs were contrast agents (43 cases, 25.7%), antibiotics (38, 22.8%), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (35, 21.0%), anti-cancer drugs (22, 13.2%), parenteral vitamins (9, 5.4%), ranitidine (6, 3.6%), and neuromuscular blockers (3, 1.8%). The most common organ-specific symptoms/signs were cardiovascular (74.3%), cutaneous (71.3%), respiratory (55.7%), and gastrointestinal manifestations (19.2%). In most cases, DIA was treated with antihistamines (77.2%) and systemic corticosteroids (76.5%); the use of epinephrine was considerably less frequent (35.3%). Conclusions: In our institution, contrast agents were the leading cause of DIA. Although epinephrine is the drug of choice in the treatment of acute anaphylaxis, fewer than 50% of the study patients received epinephrine to treat DIA.ope

Critical pathway of acute asthma attack for the Emergency Center: patients' outcomes and effectiveness

Purpose: Early recognition and management of asthma attack is critical before it becomes worse. We developed critical pathway (CP) of asthma attack at Emergency Center (EC) for making undelayed decision and management of asthma attack. Methods: Acute asthma attack assessment and treatment (4AT) CP began on April 1st 2012 and recruited the patients for 18 months. This study enrolled the patients who were older than 15 years and visited EC for dyspnea and wheezing. Initial assessment was done measuring peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), oxygen saturation (SaO2). Once CP is activated, oxygen, inhalation of short acting β2 agonist, and injection of corticosteroid were administered to the patients. Every hour after CP activated, we reassess the patients’ response and make decisions whether to admit or discharge. Results: Until January 10th 2014, 62 patients enrolled in this study. Seven patients hospitalized for asthma and 40 patients discharged. The other 15 patients were deactivated as they were diagnosed of heart failure, myocardial infarction, aortic dissection, anaphylaxis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumonia for the causes of dyspnea. Mean Interval from EC arrival to 4AT activation was 32.6±29.1 minutes and the mean interval from 4AT activation to position decision was 254.5±302.0 minutes. Among 47 patients who were diagnosed with asthma attack, 13 patients were not aware of asthma before this attack. Forty patients were discharged at EC after management of CP. Among them, 34 patients revisited clinic, but 6 patients did not. We called back to the lost 6 patients but only 3 patients were connected. Even they visited EC due to asthma attack, 2 patients had no insight of importance of regular management and the other one promised to revisit. Conclusion: CP was successful for early management of asthma attack. However, 15% of discharged patients never show up again. So, education program about the importance of ongoing management of asthma for prevention of asthma attack is needed.ope

Targeted cellular delivery of robust enzyme nanoparticles for the treatment of drug-induced hepatotoxicity and liver injury

Direct delivery of proteins into cells has been considered an effective approach for treating the protein related diseases. However, clinical use of proteins has still been limited due to their instability in the blood and poor membrane permeability. To achieve an efficient cellular delivery of the protein to target cells via a systemic administration, a multifunctional carrier system having desirable stability both in the blood stream and the cells, specific cell-targeting property and endosomal escape functions may be required. In this study, we prepared a catalytic nanoparticle containing an active enzyme by cross tethering multiple superoxide dismutase (SOD) molecules with catechol-derivatized hyaluronic acid (HA). The permeable shell of hydrophilic HA chains effectively protects the enzyme from degradation in the blood after intravenous administration and provides an additional function for targeting hepatocytes expressing HA receptor (CD44). The structure and catalytic activity of the enzyme molecules in the nanoparticle were not significantly compromised in the nanoparticle. In addition, ultra-small calcium phosphate nanoparticles (USCaP, 2-5 nm) were crystalized and decorated on the surface of the nanoparticle for the efficient endosomal escape after cellular uptake. The SOD-containing nanoparticle fortified with USCaP was used for the treatment of acetaminophen (APAP)-induced fulminant hepatotoxicity and liver injury. The nanoparticle achieved the efficient hepatic cellular delivery of SOD via a systemic administration and resulted in efficient removal of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the liver and remarkable improvement of APAP-induced hepatotoxicity and liver injury in animals.Statement of SignificanceDespite the enormous therapeutic potential, the intracellular delivery of proteins has been limited due to their poor membrane permeability and stability. In this study, we demonstrated an active enzyme containing nanoparticle functionalized by hyaluronic acid and ultra-small size calcium phosphate nanoparticles (2-5 nm) for targeted cellular delivery of superoxide dismutase (SOD). The nanoparticle was designed to integrate all the essential functions, including serum stability, target specificity, and endosomal escape capability, for a systemic delivery of a therapeutic protein to the cells of the liver tissue. The intravenous administration of the nanoparticle efficiently removes reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the liver and remarkably improves the drug-induced hepatotoxicity and the progress of fulminant liver injury in an acetaminophen-overdose animal model. (C) 2018 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant (2016R1A2B4015056, 2010-0027955, 2017R1A5A1014560, 2017M3A9F5032628) funded by Ministry of Science and 1CT (MSIT), Republic of Korea

Shielding effect of a PEG molecule of a mono-PEGylated peptide varies with PEG chain length

'Shielding' effect of a conjugated PEG molecule could cause a change in the electrostatic interaction characteristics of a PEGylate. We investigated how PEG chain length (or molecular weight) alters the electrostatic interaction potential of exenatide variants using their mono-PEGylates in a branched and linear form as model PEGylates. First, we performed the experiments to demonstrate the elution time changes of the mono-PEGylates conjugated with various MW PEGs (5, 10, 20, and 40kD) using cation exchange chromatography (HiTrap((R)) SP) at various pHs (2.5, 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0). Then, we calculated the net surface charge of each mono-PEGylate to propose the PEG molecule's shielding range in terms of the number of amino acids adjacent to the conjugation residue, assuming that a PEG molecule in solution sweeps out a spherical space and an exenatide molecule have a secondary structure. The net charge calculation result was well-correlated with the experimental elution time data, where 5, 10, 20, and 40kD PEG hindered the electrostatic potential of 5, 8, 12, and 17 amino acid residues in maximum, respectively, on each side of the conjugation point.This work was supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF) of Korea Grant funded by the Korean Government (MSIP) (No.2014R1A2A2A03004266)

PEGylated nanographene-mediated metallic nanoparticle clusters for surface enhanced Raman scattering-based biosensing

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is an optical spectroscopy technique that can detect a variety of analytes with high sensitivity and selectivity without any labels. Controlled clustering of metallic nanoparticles to prepare a new class of SERS nanotags is crucial for the ultra-sensitive detection of specific biological and chemical moieties because increased plasmonic hotspot junctions produce a greatly enhanced SERS signal. We report herein that controlled clustering of Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) was mediated by PEGylated nano-sized graphene (PNG) and that the PNG-induced AuNP clusters (PNG-AuNPCs) were highly sensitive SERS nanotags with colloidal stability for SERS-based biosensing. The AuNPs labeled with 4-mercaptopyridine as a Raman reporter were surface-modified with 1-aminomethylpyrene for the introduction of hydrophobic moieties, and were non-covalently complexed with PNG via p-p stacking and van der Waals forces. It resulted in the formation of PNG-AuNPCs that increased SERS intensity with an enhancement factor of 1.34 x 1011. The PNG induced a high degree of AuNP clustering by enhancing the non-covalent interactions between them, resulting in increased hotspot junctions at highly localized plasmonic centers. Furthermore, to show that the PNG-AuNPCs would serve as stable, reproducible, and highly sensitive SERS nanotags for biosensing, we formed sandwich-type immunocomplexes composed of the PNG-AuNPCs, immunoglobulin G (IgG) as the antigen, and magnetic beads. We found a linear relationship between SERS intensity and IgG concentration, with a limit of detection lower than 31.0 fM for IgG detection. Thus, the PNG-AuNPCs could be useful as SERS nanotags for highly sensitive SERS-based biosensing applications.This work was supported by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) funded by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Korea (HI15C2958), the National Research Foundation (NRF) of Korea funded by the Ministry of Education, Korea (2015R1D1A1A01058026), the Ministry of Science and ICT, Korea (2008-0061891), and the Agency for Defense Development through Chemical and Biological Research Center, Korea

Optimal Power Allocation for Decode-and-Superposition-Forward Two-Way Relay Networks

본 논문에서는 두 개의 단말과 하나의 중계기가 존재하는 양방향 중계 네트워크를 고려한다. 서로 메시지를 주고 받으려 하는 두 단말 사이에는 직접 링크(direct link)가 없는 상황을 고려한다. 중계기는 양방향 중계기로서 두 단말의 통신을 도와주고 복호 후 중첩 재전송(decode-andsuperposition-forward) 프로토콜을 사용한다. 본 논문의 목적은 두 단말과 중계기의 전력 합이 제한된 조건하에서 합 전송량을 최대화하는 최적 전력 할당 기법을 찾는 것이다. 최적 전력 할당을 찾는 방법은 두 단계로 이루어진다. 첫 단계는 최적 전력 할당이 존재하는 집합을 찾는 것이다. 이 집합에서 최적 전력 할당이 존재한다는 것은 귀류법으로 증명하였다. 두 번째 단계는 첫 단계에서 구한 집합 내에서 합 전송량을 최대화하는 최적 전력 할당을 찾는 것이다. 모의실험을 통해 본 논문의 기법이 기존의 개별 전력 제한 조건의 기법보다 개선됨을 보였다

간세포 표적 지향성 유전자 전달체, Poly(DMAEMA-NVP)-b-PEG-Galactose에 관한 연구

학위논문(석사) - 한국과학기술원 : 생물과학과, 2000.2, [ vii, 48 p. ]A block copolymer composed of cationic polymer and polyethylene glycol(PEG) was used as a DNA carrier. Poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate(DMAEMA)-N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (NVP)) having a terminal carboxylic group was synthesized by free radical polymerization using an initiator, 4,4``-azobis(4-cyanovaleric acid). The terminal carboxylic acid was activated by N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) with dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) and then conjugated with PEG bisamine. For a specific gene targeting to asialoglycoprotein receptor of hepatocytes, a galactose moiety was incorporated into the PEG terminal end of poly(DMAEMA-NVP)-b-PEG by reductive coupling using lactose and sodium cyanoborohydride. Plasmid RSV luciferase was used as a reporter gene and in vitro gene transfection efficiency was measured by using HepG2 human hepato carcinoma cells. Poly(DMAEMA-NVP)-b-PEG-gal/DNA complexes formed at 0.5-2 polymer/plasmid weight ratio had compacted structures around 200 nm particle size and exhibited slightly negative surface charge. These complexes were coated with positively charged KALA, a cationic, pH sensitive, endosomal disruptive peptide, for generating positively charged poly(DMAEMA-NVP)-b-PEG-gal/DNA/KALA complex particles. In the presence of serum proteins, both the PEG block and the galactose targeting moiety of poly(DMAEMA-NVP)-b-PEG-gal greatly enhanced the gene transfection efficiency, which was very close to that of Lipofectamine plus. Irrespective of the presence of serum proteins, as the KALA/DNA weight ratio increased, poly(DMAEMA-NVP)-b-PEG-gal enhanced the transfection due to the pH dependent endosomal disruptive property of KALA. This study demonstrates that sufficient transfection efficiency as high as a commercial agent could be attained by judicious formulation of molecular engineered poly(DMAEMA-NVP)-b-PEG-gal combined with an endosomal disruptive peptide, KALA.한국과학기술원 : 생물과학과