• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.303-311
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• 2022

Gadolinium, commonly used as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is discharged into aquatic environments without removal after treatment in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) because of its high stability. In this study, we collected water samples from Suyeong WWTP, Busan, to investigate the dissolved rare earth element (REE) removal capacity of each wastewater treatment process and to evaluate the discharge of anthropogenic Gd (Gd_anth) from effluents. As wastewater passed through each stage of treatment, the concentrations of light REEs (La-Eu) decreased, whereas those of heavy REEs (Tb-Lu) were relatively consistent. Negative Sm anomalies (<1) were observed in several samples, indicating that Sm can be removed by adsorption onto particles or phosphate during the biological removal process. Positive Gd anomalies (149±50, n=9) were observed in all samples. The ratios of Gd_anth concentrations to measured Gd concentrations in all wastewater treatment processes were higher than 97%. This indicates that Gd_anth was discharged to the Suyeong River without removal during the wastewater treatment process. Considering the daily treatment capacity in each process, the total flux of Gd_anth was estimated to be 259 mmol/day. Our results suggest that mid- and/or long-term monitoring of Gd is needed because Gd_anth is continuously discharged into Suyeong Bay through WWTPs.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.61 no.3
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• pp.472-478
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• 2023

In this study, the acetaldehyde removal characteristics of activated carbon (AC) for air purifier filters were investigated using metal catalysts-impregnation and functional group-modification method. The AC with a high specific surface area(1700 m²/g) and micropores was prepared by KOH activation of coconut charcoal and the efficiency of catalyst and functional group immobilization was examined by varying the drying conditions within the pores after immersion. The physical properties of the prepared activated carbon were analyzed by BET, ICP, EA, and FT-IR, and the acetaldehyde adsorption performances were investigated using gas chromatography (GC) at various impregnation and modified conditions. As the concentration of impregnation solution increased, the amount of impregnated metal catalysts increased, while the specific surface area showed a decreasing trend. The adsorption tests of the metal catalyst-impregnated and functional group-modified activated carbons revealed that excellent adsorption performance in compositions MgO10@AC, CaO10@AC, EU10@AC, and H-U3N1@AC, respectively. The MgO10@AC, which showed the highest adsorption performance, had a breakthrough time of 533.8 minutes and adsorption capacity of 57.4 mg/g for acetaldehyde adsorption. It was found that the nano-sized MgO catalyst on the activated carbon improved the adsorption performance by interacting with carbonyl groups of acetaldehyde.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.93-98
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• 2009

Migration levels of plasticizers, di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), benzyl-butyl phthalate (BBP), di-n-octyl phthalate(DNOP), di-iso-decyl phthalate (DIDP) and di-iso-nonyl phthalate (DINP), di-(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA), from 46 poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) wrap films and 54 PVC gaskets into food simulants were determined using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The method was validated with limit of detection (LOD) of $0.01{\sim}0.02\;{\mu}g/mL$ for DBP, BBP, DNOP and DEHA, and $2\;{\mu}g/mL$ for DIDP and DINP. The linearity were found to be > 0.99 for all the compounds in concentration range of $0.1{\sim}81.4\;{\mu}g/mL$, and overall recoveries were ranged from 90.4 ~ 99.6%. DBP, BBP, DNOP, DEHA, DIDP and DINP were not detected in food simulants, except 1 wrap sample from which 0.28 and $0.99\;{\mu}g/mL$ of DEHA were detected respectively when tested with 20% ethanol and n-heptane as food simulants. These values were below the regulatory limitation in European Union (EU).

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.546-555
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• 2017

The Nutrient budget is one of the agricultural-environment indicators of OECD. A nutrient budget measures the surplus as the differential between the inputs and the outputs of within a certain boundary and within a specified period of time (i.e. one year). According to OECD, the annual nitrogen budget for Korea was $245kg\;N\;ha^{-1}$ in 2014, which corresponds to the first position among OECD countries. In Korea in 2014, about 90 % of livestock excreta was composted as solid and liquid manure, which are usually and customarily spread on agricultural land. The objectives of this study are intended to suggest methodology of the regional nitrogen budget as a nitrogen management tool, which considers conversion from raw excreta to composted manures based on the methodology of OECD/Eurostat, and application of the new method in an agricultural region of Korea. As a result, the calculated excess rate of hydrospheric nitrogen surplus was $251kg\;N\;ha^{-1}$ (in the region in 2014), which indicates the presence of potential risks emanating from excessive nitrogen, with regard to both export water and soil environments. The findings also assert that this was shown to be one of the most important elements in the nitrogen budget, which translates to the actual amounts of nitrogen lost during the solid composting process. To better understand the process and the reliability of the method, it is necessary to analyze the sensitivity of the relevant co-efficients used in the method in the near future.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 1999.11a
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• pp.529-532
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• 1999

본 연구에서는 유기 전기 발광 소자에서 녹색 발광층으로 사용되는 terbium(Tb) complexes와 europium(Eu) complex, 정공 수송층으로 사용되는 TPD (N, N\`-diphenyl-N,\`(3-methylphenyl)-1, 1\`biphenyl-4, 4\`-diamine), 그리고 전자 수송층으로 사용되는 Alq$_{3}$ (trois(8-hydroxyquinolino)aluminum), Bebq$_2$들의 Uv/Vis. 홉광도와 PL 스펙 트럼과 같은 광학적 특성을 조사하였으며 또한 이러한 물질들을 이용하여 다양한 종류의 유기 전기 발광 소자를 제작하고 제작된 소자들의 전류밀도-전압-조도 등의 전기 . 광학적 특성을 조사하였으며, 그 결과 다 음과 같은 결곤을 얻을 수 있었다. 다양한 ligand를 갖는 Tb complex들의 경우에도 EL 스펙트럼의 파장대 (wavelength)는 546nm~548nm의 녹색 발광을 하는 것을 알 수 있었고, 제작된 소자 중에서 Tb(ACAC)$_3$(Phen) 을 발광충으로 하고, TPD, 그리고 Bebq$_2$를 각각 정공 수송층, 전자 수송 층으로 한 소자가 가장 낮은 구동 전압을 갖는다는 것을 확인하였으며 logJ-logV 특성에서도 모든 전계 구간에서 이러한 구조의 소자가 가장 높은 전류밀도를 나타냈으며 저 전계 구간에서 전류밀도 타이가 가장 컸다. 소자의 전류밀도와 휘도의 관계에 있어서는 제작된 네 종류의 소자 중 Tb(ACAC)3(Cl-Phen)를 발광층으로 하고 TPD, 그리고 Bebq2를 각각 정공 수송층, 전자 수송 층으로 한 소자가 가장 휘도가 우수한 것을 알 수 있었다. 또한 red (europium complex), green (terbium complex), 그리고 blue (TPD) 색깔을 나타내는 유기 재료를 사용하여 한 소자에서 백색 소자를 제작하여 cyclic voltametric방법을 이용하여 각 유기 물질들의 에너지 준위를 조사하여, 각각의 소자들을 에너지 밴드 다이어그램(energy band diagram)으로 자세히 설명하였다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.1734-1741
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• 2023

This work presents the synthesis and preparation of a new glass system described by the equation of (70-x) B₂O₃-5TeO₂ -20SrCO₃-5ZnO -xBi₂O₃, x = 0, 1, 5, 10, and 15 mol. %, using the melt quenching technique at a melting temperature of 1100 ℃. The photon-shielding characteristics mainly the linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) of the prepared glass samples were evaluated using Monte Carlo (MC) simulation N-particle transport code (MCNP-5) at gamma-ray energy extended from 59 keV to 1408 keV emitted by the radioisotopes Am-241, Ba-133, Cs-137, Co-60, Na-22, and Eu-152. Furthermore, we observed that the Bi₂O₃ content of the glasses had a significantly stronger impact on the LAC at 59 and 356 keV. The study of the lead equivalent thickness shows that the performance of fabricated glass sample with 15 mol.% of Bi₂O₃ is four times less than the performance of pure lead at low gamma photon energy while it is enhanced and became two times lower the perforce of pure lead at high energy. Therefore, the fabricated glasses special sample with 15 mol.% of Bi₂O₃ has good shielding properties in low, intermediate, and high energy intervals.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.71-82
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• 2004

Changes in cell cycle control in the lungs and liver of the B6C3F1 mice (20 males per each group) exposed to ozone (0.5 ppm), 4-(N-methyl-N-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK, 1.0 mg/kg), and dibutyl phthalate (DBP, 5,000 ppm) after 52 weeks were examined through Western, Northern blot, and immunohistochemistry based on alterations in protein expression levels of G1/S checkpoints (cyclin D1, cyclin E, and PCNA), G2/M checkpoints (cyclin B1, cyclin G, and cyclin A), negative regulators (p53, p21, GADD45, and p27), and positive regulator (mdm2). Expression levels of cyclins D1, E, G, PCNA, mutant p53, and mdm2 proteins were higher in the lungs and livers treated with combination of toxicants than in those treated with ozone only. Expression levels of the wild-type and mutant p53, p21, GADD45, p27, and mdm2 proteins and mRNAs were higher in toxicant-treated groups than those of the control. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed staining intensities of the PCNA, cyclin D1, c-myc and mdm2 protein- treated lungs and livers were stronger than those of the control group. Our results showed that combined treatment of ozone with NNK/DBP altered the cell cycle control through instability of the wild-type p53 gene. Such pivotal p53-mediated cell cycle alterations may be responsible for the toxicity observed under our experimental condition. These results may be applied to risk assessment of mixture-induced toxicity.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.461-468
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• 2006

Optical characteristics in polymer films of MEH-PPV/DFPP blends were for the first time investigated. DFPP (N, N'-diperfluorophenyl-3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic diimide) used here was a novel n-type polymer, which had good stability in air and solubility in common solvents. For a 1:9 DFPP:MEH-PPV blend, highly efficient quenching of photoluminescence (PL) was observed. In addition, the photocurrent responses of these MEH-PPV/DFPP photovoltaic cells were measured. When the light intensity was $50mW/cm^2$, short-circuit photocurrent densities were two times higher than those of single layer MEH-PPV devices.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.14 no.2 s.40
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• pp.116-126
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• 2005

The Precambrian quartzite and calc-schist layers experienced multi-1310ing events are distributed along the two kinds of U-shaped 1310 (Fold I and II) with $N10^{\circ}E-directed$ fo1d axis in Wollong-myeon, Gwangtan-myeon, Jori-myeon of Paju city, the northeastern part of Gyeonggido. Occurrence of 10 layers of quartzite and 4 layers of calc-schist is not clear whether quartzite and schist layers were deposited sequentially each other or one to two layers of quartzite and schist were distributed repeatedly by isoclinal folding and thrusting, because of lack of sedimentary structures. In this paper, we tried to clarify the correlative relationship among the quartzite beds which are distributed along the U-shaped folds using geochemical tools such as rare earth element (REE) patterns and Nd isotope ratio. Quartzites have characteristics of LREE-flattened, HREE- slightly depleted patterns. They also show Ce negative anomaly whereas there are no Eu anomalies. As a result, quartzite beds occurred along the bilateral sides of fold axis show very similar REE patterns from outer side to inner side of 1314. The Nd model age of quartzite layers shows a trend that the inner part of fold is younger than the outer part of it. Such geochemical characteristics suggest that bilateral quartzite beds occurred along the fold axis were derived from the cogenetic source materials. The REE patterns and trace element geochemistry of mica schist intercalated within quartzite indicate that the quartzite and mica schist may be derived from different source materials. Our results suggest that REE and Nd isotope geochemistries may be very useful in clarifying the relationship of sedimentary deposits which do not show stratigraphical and structural connections in the field.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.11
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• pp.747-751
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• 2009

Transcriptional silencing of subtelomeric genes is associated with telomere length, which is correlated with age. Long and short telomeres in young and old people, respectively, coincide with gene repression and activation in each case. In addition, differential location of genes with respect to telomeres causes telomere position effect. There is very little evidence of the manner in which age-related telomere length affects the expression of specific human subtelomeric genes. We analyzed the relationship between telomere length and gene expression levels in fibroblasts derived from human donors at ages ranging from 0-70 years. We studied three groups of genes located between 100 and 150 kb, 200 and 250 kb, and >300 kb away from telomeres. We found that the chromatin modifier-encoding genes Eu-HMTase1, ZMYND11, and RASA3 were overexpressed in adults. Our results suggest that short telomere length-related overexpression of chromatin modifiers could underlie transcriptional changes contributing to cellular senescence.