• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.67-67
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• 2009

Due to the scaling down of the dielectrics thickness, the leakage currents arising from electron tunneling through the dielectrics has become the major technical barrier. Thus, much works has focused on the development of high k dielectrics in both cases of memories and CMOS fields. Among the high-k materials, $Al_2O_3$ considered as good candidate has been attracting much attentions, which own some good properties as high dielectric constant k value (~9), a high bandgap (~2eV) and elevated crystallization temperature, etc. Due to the easy control of ion energy and flux, low ownership and simple structure of the inductively coupled plasma (ICP), we chose it for high-density plasma in our study. And the $BCl_3$ was included in the gas due to the effective extraction of oxygen in the form of BClxOy compound. In this study, the etch characteristic of ALD deposited $Al_2O_3$ thin film was investigated in $BCl_3/N_2$ plasma. The experiment were performed by comparing etch rates and selectivity of $Al_2O_3$ over $SiO_2$ as functions of the input plasma parameters such as gas mixing ratio, DC-bias voltage and RF power and process pressure. The maximum etch rate was obtained under 15 mTorr process perssure, 700 W RF power, $BCl_3$(6 sccm)/$N_2$(14 sccm) plasma, and the highest etch selectivity was 1.9. We used the x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to investigate the chemical reactions on the etched surface. The Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) was used for elemental analysis of etched surface.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.77-84
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• 2003

Objective : The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of three different media on preimplatation embryo development and the expression of Bcl-2, Mcl-1, Bax, and Bok in mouse. Materials and Methods: Two-cell embryos were retrieved from ICR female mice (4 weeks old) at 48 hr after hCG injection and cultured in Ham's F-10, HTF, and G1.2 media. The developmental rate of 2-cell embryos was evaluated from 24 hr to 72 hr after culture. RT-PCR was performed for the detection of Bcl-2, Mcl-1, Bax, and Bok gene expression. Results: The rates of morula and blastocyst in HTF and G1.2 media (88%, 98.1%) were significantly higher than those in Ham's F-10 media (39.6%) at 48 hr. Likewise, the rates of hatching and hatched blastocyst in HTF and G1.2 media (21.9%, 52.9%) were higher than those in Ham's F-10 media (3.5%) at 72 hr. Bcl-2 and Bax mRNAs were highly detected in embryos cultured in Ham's F-10 when compared in embryos cultured in HTF and G1.2. In contrast, the expression of Mcl-1 and Bok was not significantly different. Conclusion: These results show that HTF and G1.2 culture media increase the rate of blastocyst formation and stimulate Bcl-2 and Bax gene expression in mouse preimplantation embryos.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.117-123
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• 2016

Taxol (paclitaxel) is a powerful anti-cancer drug widely used against several types of malignant tumors. Because Taxol may exert several side effects, a variety of formulations have been developed. One of these features liposomes, regarded as one of the most promising drug carriers, biocompatible and best able to reduce drug toxicity without changing efficacy against tumor cells. Eruca sativa seed extract (SE) is considered a promising natural product from cruciferous vegetables against breast cancer, increasing chemotherapeutic and eliminating harmful side effects. The effects of Taxol-encapsulated liposomes (T) alone and in combination between Eruca sativa seed extract on nuclear factor kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) gene expression levels were investigated in rat mammary gland carcinogenesis induced by 7,12 dimethylbenz(${\alpha}$) anthracene (DMBA) using qRT-PCR. The results showed that DMBA increased NF-${\kappa}B$, COX-2 and Bcl-2 gene expression levels and lipid peroxidation (LP), while decreasing glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and total antioxidant concentration (TAC) compared to the control group. T and T-SE treatment reduced NF-${\kappa}B$, COX-2 and Bcl-2 gene expression levels and LP. Hence, T and T-SE treatment appeared to reduce inflammation and cell proliferation, while increasing apoptosis, GST and SOD activities and TAC.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.173-180
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• 2008

Purpose: The modification of radiation-induced apoptosis by EGCG, known as antioxidants or oxidants, was studied in mice spleens irradiated with a lethal dose. Materials and Methods: Male C57BL/6 mice were divided into control, irradiation-only, and EGCG (100 mg/kg i.p. 1 h before irradiation) pretreatment groups. The mice were irradiated with a single whole-body dose of 7 Gy. The apoptosis in the spleens after irradiation of the lethal dose were analyzed by TUNEL assay. In addition, the expression levels of the Bax and Bcl-2 proteins were quantified using a Western blotting method. Results: The induction of apoptosis was detected in the splenic white pulp. The highest level of apoptosis was detected at 8 hours after irradiation. No significant difference was identified by the apoptotic index (53.9% vs. 52.1%, p=0.328) and relative Bax protein expression (0.86 vs. 0.81, p=0.335), between the irradiation-only and EGCG pretreatment group, respectively. However, a lower Bax/Bcl-2 ratio (1.64 vs. 0.97, p=0.037) and higher relative expression level of Bcl-2 protein (0.57 vs. 0.82, p=0.037) was measured in the EGCG pretreatment group. Conclusion: The EGCG pretreatment neither decreased the radiation-induced apoptosis in mice splenocytes, nor induced additional apoptosis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.338-346
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• 2015

This study was performed to elucidate the anti-proliferative and apoptotic mechanism of flavonoids in HT-29 human colon cancer cells. We investigated the anti-proliferative activity of flavonoids in HT-29 human colon cancer cells via cell viability assay (MTT assay), caspase-3 activity, RT-PCR, and western blotting. We cultured HT-29 cells in the presence of various flavonoids (apigenin, rutin, naringenin, and myricetin) at a concentration of $100{\mu}M$. In the MTT assay, naringenin showed the strongest effect on cell viability in HT-29 colon cancer cells. Caspase-3 activity, a marker of apoptosis, significantly increased upon naringenin treatment. For RT-PCR, myricetin significantly increased Bax protein levels, naringenin increased p53 protein levels, and rutin reduced expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. Western blotting of HT-29 colon cancer cells showed that myricetin increased cleaved caspase-3 protein levels, naringenin significantly increased poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase protein levels, and rutin increased E-cadherin protein levels. These results indicate that flavonoid exerts anticancer effects on human colon HT-29 cells through a caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.157-165
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• 2008

Recently, the number of patients with prostate cancer has been increased gradually by both the change of living environment and the increase of aged population. In this study the serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) level was compared to the Gleason score known as a prognostic factor for the prostate cancer. In the Gleason score 6 and $9{\sim}10$, the average age was 69.68 years old and 69.52 years old, respectively and there was no statistically difference in both of age and Gleason score. the PSA serum consistency appeared <4 ng/mL as example 1, $4{\sim}20ng/mL$ as example 17 and ${\geq}20ng/mL$ as example 4 in the Gleason score 6, and In the Gleason score $9{\sim}10$, it appeared <4 ng/mL as example 1, $4{\sim}20ng/mL$ as example 6 and ${\geq}20ng/mL$ as example 15. PSA serum consistency in the Gleason score $9{\sim}10$ showed higher value than those of Gleason score 6 (P<0.05). Next, expression ratios of bcl-2, Ki-67 and p53 were examined in the Gleason score 6 and $9{\sim}10$. the p53 expression ratio, a tumor suppression gene, appeared the significance statistically by the classification of the Gleason score as example 7 (28%) in the Gleason score 6 and as example 16 (64%) in the Gleason score $9{\sim}10$ (P<0.05). but not different in the expression ratios of the Ki-67 and bcl-2. The expression ratio of p53 by the expression ratio of bcl-2 and the expression ratio of Ki-67 by the expression ratio of p53 had a positive relationship in all of the Gleason score 6 and the Gleason score $9{\sim}10$ (P<0.05). However, the expression ratio of Ki-67 by the expression ratio of bcl-2 did not show any significance in the Gleason score $9{\sim}10$ (P<0.05). Therefore, the results suggested that p53 expression could be used as an independent prognostic factor.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.10
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• pp.898-908
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• 2010

Purpose: The neuroprotective effects of erythropoietin (EPO) have been recently shown in many animal models of brain injury, including hypoxic-ischemic (HI) encephalopathy, trauma, and excitotoxicity; however, limited data are available for such effects during the neonatal periods. Therefore, we investigated whether recombinant human EPO (rHuEPO) can protect against perinatal HI brain injury via an antiapoptotic mechanism. Methods: The left carotid artery was ligated in 7-day-old Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat pups ($in$ $vivo$ model). The animals were divided into 6 groups: normoxia control (NC), normoxia sham-operated (NS), hypoxia only (H), hypoxia+vehicle (HV), hypoxia+rHuEPO before a hypoxic insult (HE-B), and hypoxia+rHuEPO after a hypoxic insult (HE-A). Embryonic cortical neuronal cell culture of SD rats at 18 days gestation ($in$ $vitro$ model) was performed. The cultured cells were divided into 5 groups: normoxia (N), hypoxia (H), and 1, 10, and 100 IU/mL rHuEPO-treated groups. Results: In the $in$ $vivo$ model, Bcl-2 expressions in the H and HV groups were lower than those in the NC and NS groups, whereas those in the HE-A and HE-B groups were greater than those of the H and HV groups. The expressions of Bax and caspase-3 and the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 were in contrast to those of Bcl-2. In the $in$ $vitro$ model, the patterns of Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3 expression and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio were similar to the results obtained in the in vivo model. Conclusion: rHuEPO exerts neuroprotective effect against perinatal HI brain injury via an antiapoptotic mechanism.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.771-777
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• 2022

Dopaminergic (DA) cell death in Parkinson's disease (PD) has been attributed to multiple, distinct genetic and environmental factors. In rare familial PD loss of parkin function mutations play a key role in nigral DA neuron-specific pathogenesis primarily via endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. In more prevalent sporadic PD, environmental exposure to pesticides has a significant epidemiological role. However, it is largely unknown how environmental exposure to xenobiotics is etiologically linked with the known etiology in familial PD. In the present study biochemical evidence for a common pathogenic mechanism between sporadic and familial PD has been identified employing the recently characterized mesencephalic DA cell line, N27-A. Dieldrin, an organochlorine pesticide epidemiologically implicated in sporadic PD, induced the markers of ER stress response such as a chaperone BiP/Grp78, heme oxygenase-1 and especially, parkin. Accordingly, dieldrin activated the ER resident Caspase-12, a mediator of ER stress-specific apoptosis, during cell death of N27-A cells. Of great interest the dieldrin-induced DA neuronal cell death was synergistically rescued by the overexpression of ER resident neuroprotective proteins, parkin and Bcl-2. The present findings implicate that accumulation of ER stress could be one of common pathogenic mechanisms in idiopathic and familial PD, and some ER proteins, such as parkin and Bcl-2 may effectively attenuate ER stress-mediated N27-A DA cell death.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.08a
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• pp.220-220
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• 2010

펄스 직류 $BCl_3$ 플라즈마를 이용하여 GaAs와 AlGaAs의 건식식각을 연구하였다. 공정의 주요 변수는 펄스 직류 전압(350~550V), 펄스 직류 시간($0.4{\sim}1.2{\mu}sec$.), 펄스 직류 주파수(100~250kHz)이었다. 식각 실험 후 샘플의 식각률, 식각 선택도, 표면 형상을 비교, 분석하였다. 또한, 광학 발광 분석기(Optical Emission Spectroscopy)를 이용하여 식각하는 동안 플라즈마 방전 특성을 분석하였다. 표면 단차 측정기(Alpha-step IQ, Tencor)로 식각 깊이를 측정해 식각률을 계산하였다. 표면 거칠기 또한 단차 측정기의 표면 거칠기 프로그램을 이용하여 분석하였다. 식각 벽면과 표면 상태는 주사전자현미경(Field-emission scanning electron microscopy)을 이용하여 관찰하였다. 분석 결과는 1) 펄스 직류의 전압이 증가하면 전극에 걸리는 파워가 올라가고 GaAs와 AlGaAs의 식각률도 증가하였다. 2) 76 mTorr 공정 압력, $0.7{\mu}sec$. 펄스 직류 시간과 200 kHz 주파수 일 때 10 sccm $BCl_3$ 펄스 직류 플라즈마에서 GaAs와 AlGaAs 둘 다 약 $0.4{\mu}m/min$ 이상의 식각 속도를 보여주었다. 3) 식각 선택도는 펄스 직류의 전압이 높아지면 증가하였고, 펄스 직류 주파수의 증가도 공정 파워와 GaAs와 AlGaAs의 식각률을 증가시켰다. 4) 그러나 펄스 직류 주파수가 150kHz 이하일 때에는 GaAs와 AlGaAs가 거의 식각되지 않았다. 5) 표면 거칠기는 펄스 직류 주파수가 증가하면 미세하게 좋아졌고 플라즈마는 펄스 직류 주파수가 100~250kHz 일 때 생성되었다. 6) 펄스 직류 시간의 증가는 공정 파워, 식각률, 식각 선택도 모두의 증가를 가져왔다. 7) 광학발광분석기(OES) 데이타는 $BCl_3$ 플라즈마에서 넓은 범위(450~700nm)에서의 염소(Cl) 분자 피크를 나타내었다. 8) 전자 현미경 사진은 펄스 직류 전압이 400 V보다 550 V 일 때보다 더 이방성(Anisotropic)측면과 부드러운 표면을 나타냈지만, 조금의 홈(Trench)이 발견되었다. 결론적으로 펄스 직류 $BCl_3$ 플라즈마는 GaAs와 AlGaAs의 건식식각에서 우수한 결과를 나타냈었다.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.83-87
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• 2008

This study described the effects of RF power, DC bias voltage, chamber pressure and gas mixing ratio on the etch rates of TiN thin film and selectivity of TiN thin film to $SiO_2$ with $BCl_3$/Ar gas mixture. When the gas mixing ratio was $BCl_3$(20%)/Ar(80%) with other conditions were fixed, the maximum etch rate of TiN thin film was 170.6 nm/min. When the DC bias voltage increased from -50 V to -200 V, the etch rate of TiN thin film increased from 15 nm/min to 452 nm/min. As the RF power increased and chamber pressure decreased, the etch rate of TiN thin film showed an increasing tendency. When the gas mixing ratio was $BCl_3$(20%)/Ar(80%) under others conditions were fixed, the intensity of optical emission spectra from radical or ion such as Ar(750.4 nm), $Cl^+$(481.9 nm) and $Cl^{2+}$(460.8 nm) was highest. The TiN thin film was effectively removed by the chemically assisted physical etching in $BCl_3$/Ar ICP plasma.