• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.130-136
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• 2014

Objectives: To evaluate the pulmonary toxicity of Korean Chrysotile(KC), the lung function and the number of fibers in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of Sprague-Dawley rats instilled with KC were estimated. Materials: Rats were administered 1 mg KC by a single intratracheal instillation. At each time point(5 days, 5 weeks, 10 weeks), the lung function of the rats was analyzed by pressure transducer and the amount of asbestos in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of the rats was calculated by transmission electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer. Results: The lung function of the rats at 5 days after instillation of KC was confirmed to be degraded. However, after 5 weeks the test groups showed a tendency to recover lung function. Still, after 10 weeks the lung function of the test groups had not recovered completely. The number of fibers in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of the rats instilled with KC rapidly decreased. At 5 weeks the number of fibers had reduced to approximately 1/2 of that found at 5 days. Over time, at 10 weeks it had rapidly decreased to 1/100 that found at 5 days. Conclusions: Korean chrysotile fibers rapidly decreased in the lungs of rats, but the lung function of rats instilled KC does had not completely recovered by 10 weeks.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.360-364
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• 2020

In this study, the colorimetric sensor, polyester (PET) fabric dyed with lead (II) acetate (Pb(C₂H₃O₂)₂), was fabricated and characterized for the detection of the hydrogen sulfide (H₂S). The surface morphology of the fabric was determined using scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The optical properties of the fabric were evaluated by measuring the variation in the blue value of an RGB sensor. The fabric showed a significant color change, high linearity (R² : 0.98256), and fast response time (< 1.0 s) when exposed to H₂S. This is because the sensor is highly porous and permeable to the gas. The fabric can not only be used as a hydrogen sulfide sensor but also be used to detect and prevent H₂S influx using sticky tape on pipelines.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.94-94
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• 2013

The Cr-Zr-N films have much improved mechanical properties and very smooth surface roughness. However, in spite of their outstanding properties, the Cr-Zr-N coatings revealed their mechanical properties deteriorated severely with increasing Zr content at $500^{\circ}C$ ecause of very rapid oxidation. Recently oxynitride films have been widely studied due to their excellent unique mechanical properties and oxidation resistance. In this work, CrZr-O-N films with various O contents were synthesized by unbalanced magnetron sputtering with Cr-Zr segment targets (Cr:Zr volume ratios is 1：1) and all films were prepared in a nitrogen rich mixture of N2 and O2. Characteristics such as crystalline structure, hardness and chemical composition as a function of the O content were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), microhardness testing system and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Results showed that the thin films had dense and compact microstructure as O content in the films increases. The microstructure of the thin films consisted of mainly crystalline Cr (Zr)N phase and Cr2O3 phase. The maximum hardness and elastic modulus of the films was measured to be approximately 33.2 GPa and 280.6 GPa from the films with low content of O elements. Detailed experimental results will be presented.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.1123-1132
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• 2013

The removal of toxic Cr(VI) by microorganisms is a promising approach for Cr(VI) pollution remediation. In the present study, four indigenous bacteria, named LY1, LY2, LY6, and LY7, were isolated from Cr(VI)-contaminated soil. Among the four Cr(VI)-resistant isolates, strain LY6 displayed the highest Cr(VI)-removing ability, with 100 mg/l Cr(VI) being completely removed within 144 h. It could effectively remove Cr(VI) over a wide pH range from 5.5 to 9.5, with the optimal pH of 8.5. The amount of Cr(VI) removed increased with initial Cr(VI) concentration. Data from the time-course analysis of Cr(VI) removal by strain LY6 followed first-order kinetics. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence, strain LY6 was identified as Pseudochrobactrum asaccharolyticum, a species that had never been reported for Cr(VI) removal before. Transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis further confirmed that strain LY6 could accumulate chromium within the cell while conducting Cr(VI) removal. The results suggested that the indigenous bacterial strain LY6 would be a new candidate for potential application in Cr(VI) pollution bioremediation.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.305-311
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• 2018

The yellow crystalline material present in yellow and green glass beads excavated from sites in the Baekje region of Korea was previously analyzed through scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, revealing that the yellow crystalline material was $PbSnO_3$. This material is a pigment that is rarely seen in the Korean peninsula. Furthermore, some studies have been published on the provenance of lead in this material, which revealed no relationship to Korea, China, or Japan. In this study, we collected all accessible results of analyses on the lead isotope ratio of yellow and green glass beads excavated from the Korean peninsula, specifically from 7 sites in the Baekje region(located in the vicinity of Seoul, Wanju, Hwaseong, Osan, Gongju, Buyeo, and Iksan) and 2 sites in the Silla region(located in the vicinity of Gyeongju and Changnyeong). We subsequently investigated the lead provenance of the opacifying agents in the glass beads through comparison with the current extent of the galena data accumulated for the East Asian region, including Korea, China, and Japan, and for Thailand(Kanchanaburi Province), Southeast Asia. Our analysis determined that the lead provenance of the glass beads excavated from the Korean peninsula was Thailand(Kanchanaburi Province). Beyond our results, further studies should seek to determine the production sites of the glass beads. Obtaining and comparing the scientific analyses of glass beads from India and Southeast Asia would enable research on the glass beads trade through the maritime silk road.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.61-73
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• 2017

In order to identify the application techniques of wooden lacquerware artifacts, optical/polarized light microscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) were conducted on the lacquer films of 61 wooden lacquerware artifacts excavated from the Imdang-dong site, Gyeongsan, Korea. Powdered soil, soot, and charcoal were used as a filler for the undercoat, and iron oxide ($Fe_2O_3$) was used as a red pigment. Five different applying techniques were identified for the undercoat according to the composition of the lacquer. Eight different application techniques were identified for the final coat (on the middle layer and surface layer). Totally seventeen application techniques were identified based on the combination methods of the undercoat and finalcoat. Consequently, the undercoating techniques of Imdang-dong lacquerwares were found to be similar to those of lacquerwares from excavated in other provinces. However, the use of iron oxide as a red pigment at Gyeongsang province is very characteristic compared with others.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.540-548
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• 2016

Microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (CCP) is a long-standing but re-emerging environmental engineering process for production of self-healing concrete, bioremediation, and long-term storage of CO₂. CCP-capable bacteria, two Bacillus strains (JH3 and JH7) and one Sporosarcina strain (HYO08), were isolated from two samples of concrete and characterized phylogenetically. Calcium carbonate crystals precipitated by the three strains were morphologically distinct according to field emission scanning electron microscopy. Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry mapping confirmed biomineralization via extracellular calcium carbonate production. The three strains differed in their physiological characteristics: growth at alkali pH and high NaCl concentrations, and urease activity. Sporosarcina sp. HYO08 and Bacillus sp. JH7 were more alkali- and halotolerant, respectively. Analysis of the community from the same concrete samples using barcoded pyrosequencing revealed that the relative abundance of Bacillus and Sporosarcina species was low, which indicated low culturability of other dominant bacteria. This study suggests that calcium carbonate crystals with different properties can be produced by various CCP-capable strains, and other novel isolates await discovery.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.1061-1068
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• 2010

The biological synthesis of nanoparticles has gained considerable attention in view of their excellent biocompatibility and low toxicity. We isolated and purified rhamnolipids from Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain BS-161R, and these purified rhamnolipids were used to synthesize silver nanoparticles. The purified rhamnolipids were further characterized and the structure was elucidated based on one- and two-dimensional $^1H$ and $^{13}C$ NMR, FT-IR, and HR-MS spectral data. Purified rhamnolipids in a pseudoternary system of n-heptane and water system along with n-butanol as a cosurfactant were added to the aqueous solutions of silver nitrate and sodium borohydride to form reverse micelles. When these micelles were mixed, they resulted in the rapid formation of silver nanoparticles. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The nanoparticles formed had a sharp adsorption peak at 410 nm, which is characteristic of surface plasmon resonance of the silver nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were monodispersed, with an average particle size of 15.1 nm (${\sigma}={\pm}5.82$ nm), and spherical in shape. The EDS analysis revealed the presence of elemental silver signal in the synthesized nanoparticles. The formed silver nanoparticles exhibited good antibiotic activity against both Grampositive and Gram-negative pathogens and Candida albicans, suggesting their broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.135-140
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• 2005

Objectives : There have been several studies about the quality of acupuncture needle tip recently. We have investigated the condition of the tip of the acupuncture needles in the last studies. In the former studies, we discovered the metallic scuff, lumps and irregularities of the acupuncture needle tips under the microscope. But, no information was available on those foreign materials' identity. Methods : We have selected 200 needles of 1000 pieces from several companies by randomized methods. And we observed the tip of the 6 needles selected finally at ${\times}1000\;or\;{\times}3000$ magnification and analyzed the components of the metallic scuff, lumps and irregularities of the needle tips with a SEM-EDX analyser. Results : We found that the identity of the metallic scuff, lumps and irregularities of the needle tips were metallic materials and silicon. For example, A point was composed of Fe(69.78%), Cr(17.71%), Ni(8.11%), Zn(2.04%), Si(1.23%), Mn(1.12%), and B point was composed of Si(66.40%), Fe(26.76%), Cr(6.84%). Conclusion : The results of this study confirm that there is a real possibility of the remaining of metallic materials and silicon in body of patient, after acupuncture treatment. Therefore, it is necessary to intensify our efforts to make needles of good quality and to concentrate on manufacturing process of acupuncture needles completely to be free from danger in acupuncture treatment.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.129-137
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• 2012

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the surface roughness (SR) of 2 types of orthodontic archwires made by 4 different manufacturers. Methods: This in vitro experimental study was conducted on 35 specimens of 7 different orthodontic archwires, namely, 1 nickel-titanium (NiTi) archwire each from the manufacturers American Orthodontics, OrthoTechnology, All-Star Orthodontics, and Smart Technology, and 1 stainless steel (SS) archwire each from the manufacturers American Orthodontics, OrthoTechnology, and All-Star Orthodontics. Aft er analyzing the composition of each wire by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, the SR of each wire was determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and surface profilometry. Data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests (${\alpha}$ < 0.05). Results: The average SR of NiTi wires manufactured by Smart Technology, American Orthodontics, OrthoTechnology, and All-Star Orthodontics were $1,289{\pm}915A^{\circ}$, $1,378{\pm}372A^{\circ}$, $2,444{\pm}369A^{\circ}$, and $5,242{\pm}2,832A^{\circ}$, respectively. The average SR of SS wires manufactured by All-Star Orthodontics, OrthoTechnology, and American Orthodontics were $710{\pm}210A^{\circ}$, $1,831{\pm}1,156A^{\circ}$, and $4,018{\pm}2,214A^{\circ}$, respectively. Similar to the results of profilometry, the SEM images showed more defects and cracks on the SS wire made by American Orthodontics and the NiTi wire made by All-Star Orthodontics than others. Conclusions: The NiTi wire manufactured by All-Star Orthodontics and the SS wire made by American Orthodontics were the roughest wires.