북한의 핵 프로그램으로 인한 위협이 계속 증가함에 따라, 한국의 정책 결정자들과 시민들 사이에서는 한국의 핵무장 가능성에 대한논의가 전개되고 있다. 그런데 한국의 잠재적선택지 및 그에 따른 상충 요소를 신중하게 정보에 기반하여 결정하기 위해서는, 다른 핵보유국들이 각각의 핵 억제력을 획득하는 데 성공한 과정을 이해하는 것이 필요하다. 본고에서 영국의 사례는 매우 독특한 측면이 드러난다. 1950년대 초, 세계에서 세 번째로 핵무기를 보유한 국가이자 최초의 비초강대국으로서, 영국은 전통적인 핵분열탄과 수소폭탄을 모두 성공적으로 시험한 후, 미국과 독특하면서도 지속적인 핵 파트너십을 구축했다. 영국은 이를 통해 미국으로부터 전략 핵무기를 구매할 수 있었다.동시에, 비교적 소규모의 핵 전력을 보유한 영국은 최소한의 효과적 억제 전략을 채택했으며, 잠재적 적국의 참수공격을 방지하기 위한 핵 지휘 통제 구조를 마련했다. 여기서 살펴볼 수 있는 것은 제한된 자원과 한미 동맹의 존재를 고려할 때, 한국이 핵무기를 획득할 경우에, 영국의 경험에서 많은 요소들을 차용할 수 있다는 점이다. 특히, 억제에 대한 영국의 접근 방식, 지휘 통제 체계, 그리고 미국과의 긴밀한 협력(만약 가능하다면)은 한국의 핵 프로그램이 본래의 목적을 달성하고 정치적, 경제적으로 지속 가능성을 가지도록 하는 데 효과적으로 작용할 수 있다.

• Book : 31(1)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.65-94
• Keyword :

To study effect of micro-coaxial phacoemulsification on endothelial cell count in noncomplicated cataract surgery. This was a prospective study, conducted on 150 eyes of cataract patients who underwent microcoaxial phacoemulsification. Clear corneal phacoemulsification was performed using Ozil torsional Technique. Phacoemulsification parameters after cataract surgery as well as pre and post-op endothelial cell count was recorded. The study included 150 cases of senile cataract with mean age of 64.5 years, 52% being male and 48% being females. Endothelial cell loss of 65-1675 cells/mm with (P < 0.001) was noted, which was of high statistical significance. The postoperative EC Loss% ranged from 3.63% to 16.42% with a median of 10.24% (4.32% to 14.67%). A significant +ve correlation (p<0.001) was found between the EC Loss% and different phacoemulsification parameters including CDE, tortional time and volume. Also, EC Loss% was significantly correlated with the grade of nuclear sclerosis (P = 0.045).: Higher grades of cataracts require more phacoemulsification power resulting in increased CDE and EC Loss. Increased aspiration time and the use of excessive amounts of irrigating fluid during phacoemulsification also ends with increased endothelial cell damage.

• Book : 11(1)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.142-147
• Keyword :

Herein we present a roadmap for tailoring the crystal growth conditions, near-infrared (NIR) laser emission, and self-frequency doubling (SFD) performances of newly developed Nd-doped LaxGdySc4−x−y(BO3)4 (Nd:LGSB) crystals. Three different Nd3+ doping concentrations of 2.3 at.%, 3.5 at.%, and 4.6 at.% were investigated. Considering their incongruent melting, special conditions were employed for the growth using the Czochralski technique. Laser emission performances at 1062 nm in the CW regime were evaluated for uncoated crystal samples with different orientations (a-cut, c-cut, and SFD-cut). The highest slope efficiency ηsa = 0.68 was obtained for the 4.6 at.% c-cut Nd:LGSB crystal, with a randomly polarized emission. The a-cut 4.6 at.% Nd:LGSB crystal delivered a linearly polarized beam with a slope efficiency ηsa = 0.63. The SFD-cut 2.3 at.% and 3.5 at.% Nd:LGSB crystals achieved slightly lower efficiencies of ~ 0.56. The SFD capabilities of 2.3 at.% and 3.5 at.% Nd:LGSB crystals were also explored. Green laser emission at ~531 nm was achieved with a diode-to-green conversion efficiency increasing significantly from 0.17% to 1.44%, respectively. These results demonstrate that the Nd-doping concentration, crystal orientation, and sample length of Nd:LGSB crystals, must be carefully selected depending on the specific requirements of the intended application.

• Book : 18(5)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.964-964
• Keyword :

Hydroxylamine nitrate (HAN) and hydrazine nitrate (HN) are commonly found in radioactive waste solutions in nuclear fuel reprocessing, and their efficient removal is essential for waste treatment processes. In this study, six activated carbon carriers were selected to prepare Ru/AC catalysts for the simultaneous catalytic decomposition of HAN and HN, with the aim of exploring the effect of carrier properties on catalytic performance. The catalyst’s activity was evaluated in a batch reaction unit, and its structural properties were characterized using N2 physical adsorption, XRD, SEM, and TEM techniques. The results revealed that the catalyst’s activity was primarily determined by the carrier’s particle size and specific surface area. Additionally, corrosion-induced damage to the pore structure and Ru loss were identified as the main factors responsible for catalyst deactivation. This study highlights the importance of optimizing carrier structure to enhance the activity and stability of Ru/AC catalysts.

• Book : 13(3)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.641-641
• Keyword :

Gliomas, originating from glial cells, are prevalent and aggressive brain tumors with high recurrence rates and poor prognosis. Despite advancements in surgical, radiation, and chemotherapeutic treatments, the survival rates remain low. Current standard therapies, such as Temozolomide, have limitations due to cytotoxicity, restricted effectiveness, and severe side effects. So, the development of safer anti-glioma agents is the need of the hour. Bioactive compounds of plant origin, either natural or synthetic, have potential implications due to them actively attacking different targets with a wide range of bioactivities, including anti-glioma activities. In this review, for the first time, there is an overall overview of 51 small molecules of plant origin and seven of their synthetic derivatives, represented as anti-glioma agents in the past decades. The goal of the present review is to provide a summary to comprehend the anti-glioma effects of these compounds in addition to providing a reference for preclinical research into novel anti-glioma agents for future clinical application.

• Book : 26(5)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.1942-1942
• Keyword :

Background Enfortumab vedotin (EV) and Sacituzumab govitecan (SG) are antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) with demonstrated activity in advanced bladder cancer. A subset of bladder tumors harbors a DNA repair deficiency in either the homologous recombination (HR) or nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway that has the potential to impact sensitivity to specific classes of therapeutics. Objective Define the impact of HR or NER deficiency on sensitivity to ADC payloads alone or in combination with DNA repair targeted agents in bladder cancer. Methods Isogenic cell pairs with versus without HR or NER deficiency were profiled using DNA repair and drug sensitivity assays. Sensitivity to the ADC payloads monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) and SN-38 alone or in combination with small molecule inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), ATR, or USP1 were measured using cell viability assays. Results BRCA2 loss was sufficient to confer an HR deficient phenotype and increase sensitivity to cisplatin and PARP inhibition in bladder cancer cell lines. HR deficiency, but not NER deficiency, increased sensitivity to MMAE and SN-38 in bladder cancer cells. The combination of SN-38 and PARP inhibition displayed synergistic cell killing independent of HR or NER status. Conclusion HR and NER deficiency have distinct impacts on sensitivity to cisplatin and ADC payloads in bladder cancer preclinical models.

• Book : 11(1)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page :
• Keyword :

Abstract Background Body fluids (BFs) are highly important in forensically relevant scenarios. Historically, conventional techniques have been used for their identification and detection purposes. However, there is no conventional technology available that can detect a mixture of body fluids in one go. Main body There is a need for an advanced confirmatory technique that can reliably detect all types of body fluids even in trace forms, whether in pure form or in mixture form. The discussed spectroscopic techniques include raman spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared (FTIR), mass spectroscopy (MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Conclusions These reviewed techniques have proven to be advanced, confirmatory, mostly non-destructive, sensitive, reliable, and reproducible techniques in body fluid identification when combined with advanced statistical analysis and available reference databases. 1H NMR spectroscopy can be an emerging versatile technique with wide-ranging forensic applications. The progressive research related to these advanced techniques can revolutionize the field of forensics.

• Book : 15(1)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page :
• Keyword :

BackgroundA20, also known as TNF-α-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3), is a crucial negative regulator of inflammation and immune responses. Emerging evidence suggests that A20 is involved in the regulation of glucose metabolism and plays a significant role in bone metabolic diseases by inhibiting nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation. However, the potential relationship between serum A20 level and bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has not been explored. This study aims to investigate the association between serum A20 level with BMD and bone turnover markers (BTMs) in patients with T2DM.MethodA total of 189 patients with T2DM and 183 non-diabetic individuals were included in the study based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Participants were categorized into normal BMD and low BMD groups. Baseline clinical histories were collected through face-to-face questionnaires. Participants underwent measurements of blood biochemistry and anthropometric, hand grip strength records and short physical performance battery (SPPB) assessment. Serum A20 level was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Areal BMD was measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). A T-score of less than -1.0 at the lumbar spine 1-4, femoral neck and/or total hip was classified as low BMD.ResultsSerum A20 level was lower in patients with T2DM compared to controls [41.30 (29.91, 61.87) vs 76.01 (54.90, 109.64) pg/mL, P<0.001]. Bivariate correlation analysis revealed that A20 level was not associated with SPPB but negatively correlated with waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Pearson correlation analysis showed A20 level was positively correlated with lumbar spine 1-4 BMD in male diabetic patients (r=0.253, P=0.032). Multivariate regression analysis showed a positive association between serum A20 level and lumbar spine 1-4 BMD (Beta=0.047; 95% CI: 0.007-0.086; P=0.024) after multivariate adjustment. Logistic regression analysis showed that lower serum A20 level predicted low BMD in male patients with T2DM (OR: 0.22; 95% CI: 0.09-0.59; P=0.002).ConclusionsType 2 diabetic patients exhibited lower serum A20 level compared to non-diabetic individuals. In male patients with T2DM, serum A20 level showed a significant positive correlation with lumbar spine 1-4 BMD and could serve as an independent negative predictor for low BMD.

• Book : ()
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page :
• Keyword :

Introduction: While palliative radiotherapy (RT) is frequently used in the management of relapsed/refractory high-risk neuroblastoma (HR-NBL); outcomes after palliative hypofractionated RT (hypo-RT) remain poorly characterized. Methods: We conducted a multi-institutional retrospective study of 38 patients who were diagnosed with HR-NBL between 1997 and 2021 and received palliative RT. Conventional RT (conv-RT) and hypo-RT were defined as palliative treatment courses using dose ≤2 or >2 Gy per fraction, respectively. The primary outcome was cumulative incidence of in-field progression using Gray’s test. Univariate analyses were performed using the Cox proportional hazards model. Results: When analyzing by first course of palliative RT, 16 patients received conventionally fractionated RT (43%) and 21 received hypo-RT (57%). Clinical characteristics were similar between the two groups. With a median follow-up of 10.3 months (range: 0.3–104.0), the cumulative incidence of in-field progression was not statistically significantly different between hypo-RT and conv-RT (30% vs. 20% at 10 months; p = 0.80). Clinical response, defined as symptomatic improvement or decrease in the size of the lesion, was not statistically different between the two groups (92% conv-RT vs. 90% hypo-RT; p = 1.00). No grade ≥4 toxicities were observed. On univariate analysis, hypo-RT (HR 1.50; 95% CI 0.47–4.76; p = 0.493) was not statistically significantly associated with time to in-field progression, but MYCN amplification was associated with significantly longer time to in-field progression (HR: 0.20; 95% CI: 0.05–0.77; p = 0.020). Conclusions: We found no statistically significant difference in cumulative incidence of in-field progression and clinical outcomes between the conv-RT and hypo-RT groups. Palliative hypo-RT can be considered for relapsed/refractory HR-NBL, especially when shorter treatments may offer improved quality of life.

• Book : 32(3)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.124-124
• Keyword :

Addressing the black hole information paradox necessitates the exploration of various hypotheses and theoretical frameworks. Among these, the proposition to utilize quantum entanglement, as introduced by Don N. Page, shows great promise. This study builds upon Page’s theoretical foundation and proposes a simplified model for elucidating the evolution of black hole von Neumann entropy. This model simulates the process of Hawking radiation using entangled photon pairs. Our experiment suggests that quantum entanglement may offer a plausible avenue for resolving the paradox, thereby lending support to Page’s proposal. The results suggest that this model may contribution to the exploration of one of the most profound puzzles in theoretical physics.

• Book : 27(3)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.236-236
• Keyword :