• Membrane Journal
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.38-49
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• 2024

Wastewater treatment using membrane bioreactors has been extensively used to alleviate water shortage and pollution by improving the quality of the treated water discharged into the environment. However, membrane biofouling persistently holds back an MBR process by reducing the process efficiency. Herein, we synthesized carbon nanospheres (CNSs) with many hydrophilic oxygen groups and utilized them as an additive to prepare high-performance ultrafiltration (UF) membranes with hydrophilicity and porous pore structure. CNSs were found to form crescent-shaped pores on the membrane surface, increasing the mean surface pore size by about 40% without causing significant defects larger than bubble points, as the CNS content increased by 4.6 wt%. In addition, the porous pore structure of CNS composite membranes was also attributable to the CNS's isotropic morphologies and relatively low particle number density because the aforementioned properties contributed to preventing the polymer solution viscosity from soaring with the loading of CNS. However, too porous structure compromised the mechanical properties, such that CNS2.3 was the best from a comprehensive consideration including the pore structure and mechanical properties. As a result, CNS2.3 showed not only 2 times higher water permeability than CNS0 but also 5 times longer operation duration until membrane cleaning was required.

• Composites Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.209-214
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• 2024

Graphene oxide (GO), known for its high stiffness, thermal conductivity, and electrical conductivity, is being utilized as a reinforcement in nanocomposite materials. This study evaluates the mechanical properties of epoxy nanocomposites incorporating GO and edge modified GO (E-GO), which has hydroxyl groups substituted only on its edges. GO/E-GO was uniformly dispersed in epoxy resin using ultrasonic dispersion, and mechanical properties were assessed through tensile testing. The results showed that the addition of nanoparticles increased both tensile strength and toughness. The tensile strength of the epoxy without nanoparticles was 74.4 MPa, while the highest tensile strength of 90.7 MPa was observed with 0.3 wt% E-GO. Additionally, the modulus increased from 2.55 GPa to 3.53 GPa with the addition of nanoparticles. Field emission scanning electron microscopy of the fracture surface revealed that the growth of cracks was impeded by the nanoparticles, preventing complete fracture and causing the cracks to split in multiple directions. E-GO, with surface treatment only on the edges, exhibited higher mechanical properties than GO due to its superior dispersion and surface treatment effects. These results highlight the importance of nanoparticle surface treatment in developing high-performance nanocomposite materials.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.117-124
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• 2011

Many studies of the phytoplankton community structure have been conducted using the CHEMTAX program on the basis of the photosynthetic pigment concentrations measured by a HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography) technique. The CHEMTAX program determines the contribution of each phytoplankton class to total phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll a) based on the ratios of marker pigment to chlorophyll a of phytoplankton group. In this study, the marker pigment/chlorophyll a ratios were investigated in phytoplankton species isolated from marine waters around the Korean peninsula. These results were used as the input pigment ratios of the CHEMTAX program to investigate phytoplankton community structure in Korean coastal waters (Yeoja and Gamak Bay). There were significant differences in the ratios of marker pigment to chlorophyll a among the different species within the same algal class. There was a significant difference between the values of our ratios and the previously used ratios in other regions of the world. When phytoplankton community composition was calculated using our initial ratios in Yeoja and Gamak Bay, our results were significantly different from the results calculated on the basis of initial ratios of marker pigment in phytoplankton suggested in other marine waters. The estimates of the contributions of the major algal groups (bacillariophyceae and dinophytes) to total chlorophyll a varied within 5% depending on the initial ratios chosen. The variations of estimates for the pico- and nanoplankton (cyanophytes and prasinophytes), which have relatively low contributions to total chlorophyll a, were higher than those for major algal group. Although the HPLC-pigment measurements combined with CHEMTAX analysis are useful for identifying and qualifying phytoplankton community structure, further researches for the pigment ratios of the dominant phytoplankton species presenting in a given area are also needed.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.702-711
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• 2015

This study was conducted to determine the feasibility of using Gastrodia elata Blume as a cosmetic raw material by investigating the physiological activities of its extracts, varying the concentration, solvent, and fermentation method (non-fermentation and fermentation using lactic acid bacteria and effective microorganisms). Of the extracts in three different solvents-water, EtOH, and 70% EtOH-at four different concentrations (0.725, 1.25, 2.5, and 5 mg/mL), the EtOH extracts demonstrated the highest contents of antioxidants (flavonoids, polyphenols, and DPPH free radical scavengers). The DPPH free radical scavenging activity in the EtOH extracts of EM-fermented Gastrodia elata Blume increased from $27.08{\pm}0.5%$ at 1.25 mg/mL to $35.89{\pm}0.8%$ at 2.5 mg/mL. The tyrosinase inhibitory activity test was performed to measure skin-whitening capacity and revealed the LB-fermented EtOH extracts to be the most efficacious ($39.1{\pm}0.4%$ at 0.725 mg/mL, $62.8{\pm}1.5%$ at 2.5 mg/mL). Viability was found to exceed 85% in RAW 264.7 cells treated with all extracts (water, EtOH, 70% EtOH at 10, 25, $50{\mu}L$, fermented and non-fermented), thus proving that Gastrodia elata Blume extracts do not cause inflammation. When RAW 264.7 cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide as positive controls under the same conditions to determine the antioxidant activity in the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS), EM-fermentation was found to impart excellent antioxidant capacity. This study verified the physiological activities of fermented Gastrodia elata Blume extracts that are best suited for cosmetic ingredients, such as antioxidants, tyrosinase inhibitors and anti-inflammatory agents.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.528-537
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• 2008

60 nm and 20 nm thick hydrogenated amorphous silicon(a-Si:H) layers were deposited on 200 nm $SiO_2$/single-Si substrates by inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition(ICP-CVD). Subsequently, 30 nm-Ni layers were deposited by an e-beam evaporator. Finally, 30 nm-Ni/(60 nm and 20 nm) a-Si:H/200 nm-$SiO_2$/single-Si structures were prepared. The prepared samples were annealed by rapid thermal annealing(RTA) from $200^{\circ}C$ to $500^{\circ}C$ in $50^{\circ}C$ increments for 40 sec. A four-point tester, high resolution X-ray diffraction(HRXRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy(TEM), and scanning probe microscopy(SPM) were used to examine the sheet resistance, phase transformation, in-plane microstructure, cross-sectional microstructure, and surface roughness, respectively. The nickel silicide from the 60 nm a-Si:H substrate showed low sheet resistance from $400^{\circ}C$ which is compatible for low temperature processing. The nickel silicide from 20 nm a-Si:H substrate showed low resistance from $300^{\circ}C$. Through HRXRD analysis, the phase transformation occurred with silicidation temperature without a-Si:H layer thickness dependence. With the result of FE-SEM and TEM, the nickel silicides from 60 nm a-Si:H substrate showed the microstructure of 60 nm-thick silicide layers with the residual silicon regime, while the ones from 20 nm a-Si:H formed 20 nm-thick uniform silicide layers. In case of SPM, the RMS value of nickel silicide layers increased as the silicidation temperature increased. Especially, the nickel silicide from 20 nm a-Si:H substrate showed the lowest RMS value of 0.75 at $300^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.1214-1218
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• 2011

We investigated the fruits of Rubus crataegifolius Bge, a plant which has been traditionally used in Korea in phytotherapy, to describe antioxidant materials from plant sources. R. crataegifolius fruits were extracted with methanol and further fractionated into n-hexane, diethyl ether, and ethyl acetate. The antioxidant activity of each fraction and the residue was assessed using a 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), $H_2O_2$ radical scavenging method, and their cytotoxicity on human primary kerationcyte (HK) was determined by an MTS assay. The R. crataegifolius fruit methanol extract showed strong antioxidant activity (75.04%, 50%) compared with vitamin C (79.9%, 54.1%) by the DPPH, and $H_2O_2$ method, respectively. The measured activity from the subsequent extracts of the methanol extract were 20.3% for n-hexane fraction (HF), 68.8% for diethyl ether fraction (DF), 67.1% for ethyl acetate fraction (EF), and 67.1% for the residue fraction (RE) by DPPH and 2.2% for HF, 1.6% for DF, 10% for EF, and 50% for the RE by $H_2O_2$ assay. An oxidative stress model of HK was established under a suitable concentration (1 mM). The cell viability of the RE treated group increased and the percentage of apoptotic cells decreased at concentrations of 0.005-0.02% RE compared with the $H_2O_2$ treated group. Fruit extracts of the medicinal plant R. crataegifolius showed potent antioxidant activity and the ability to relieve cell damage from $H_2O_2$ induced injury to HK.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.454-458
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• 2014

In this study, we examined the ionization rate and permeability of nanocalcium prepared from oyster shells with various particle sizes. Four particle sizes of the calcium samples were prepared by centrifugation according to their density disparity in alcoholic solution: NC (normal calcium), C-1 (supernatant of 1,000 rpm), C-2 (supernatant of 2,000 rpm), and C-3 (supernatant of 3,000 rpm). Particle sizes of NC, C-1, C-2, and C-3 were $2,280.3{\pm}64.3nm$, $521.3{\pm}83.3nm$, $313.9{\pm}29.5nm$, and $280.0{\pm}3.4nm$, respectively. C-3 showed a slight increase in ionization rate compared with the other calcium samples, but their differences were not significant. Dialysis membrane-employed analysis showed that nanocalcium permeability increased as its particle size smaller; 32% of C-3 nanocalcium was transported to the outside of the membrane, whereas C-1 showed a 25% transport rate. We determined the permeability of the nanocalciums by using rat intestinal sacs, in order to provide different intestinal environments depending on pH level. Nanocalcium generally showed a higher permeability at pH 7, which represents an ileum environments compared to the duodenum and jejunum environments at pH 4.2 and pH 6.2, respectively. However, C-3 calcium showed the highest permeability, followed by C-2, C-1 and NS calciums. This result shows that the size of calcium positively affected its permeability in the intestinal sac. Taken together, nano-sized calcium derived from discarded oyster shell shows improved permeability in intestinal environments.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.101-112
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• 2007

In order to examine the short-term variations of phytoplankton and heterotrophic protozoa community structures with bloom events, water samples were collected every other day at one site in the coastal water off Incheon, Korea, from August 15-September 30, 2001. $Chlorophyll-{\alpha}$ concentrations varied widely from 1.8 to $19.3\;{\mu}g\;l^{-1}$ with the appearances of two major peaks of $Chlorophyll-{\alpha}$ concentration during the study period. Size-fractionated $Chlorophyll-{\alpha}$ concentration showed that net-size fraction ($>20\;{\mu}m$) comprised over 80% of total $Chlorophyll-{\alpha}$ during the first and second bloom periods, nano-size fraction ($3{\sim}20\;{\mu}m$) comprised average 42% during the pre- (before the first bloom) and post-bloom periods (after the second bloom), and pico- size fraction ($<3\;{\mu}m$) comprised over 50% during inter-bloom periods (i.e. between the first and second bloom periods). Dominant phytoplankton community was shifted from autotrophic nanoflagellates to diatom, diatom to picophytoplankton, picophytoplankton to diatom, and then diatom to autotrophic nanoflagellates, during the pre-, the first, the inter, the second, and the post-bloom periods, respectively. During the blooms, Chaetoceros pseudocrinitus and Eucampia zodiacus were dominant diatom species composed with more than 50% of total diatom. Carbon biomass of heterotrophic protozoa ranged from 8.2 to $117.8\;{\mu}gC\;l^{-1}$ and showed the highest biomass soon after the peak of the first and second blooms. The relative contribution of each group of the heterotrophic protozoa showed differences between the bloom period and other periods. Ciliates and HDF were dominant during the first and second bloom periods, with a contribution of more than 80% of the heterotrophic protozoan carbon biomass. Especially, different species of HDF, thecate and athecate HDF, were dominant during the first and the second bloom periods, respectively. Interestingly, Noctiluca scintillans appeared to be one of the key organisms to extinguish the first bloom. Therefore, our study suggests that heterotrophic protozoa could be a key player to control the phytoplankton community structure and biomass during the study period.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6008-6014
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• 2013

This study aimed to understand seasonal variation of physico-chemical factors and biomass of size-fractionated phytoplankton at Ulsan seaport during the period from February 2007 to November 2009. Water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total suspended solid (TSS) varied in the range of 8.94-$24.26^{\circ}C$, 25.06-34.54 psu, 4.30-10.73 mg/L, 7.97-8.53, 0.66-40.70 mg/L and 57.4-103.3 mg/L, respectively. These factors showed no clear spatial variation unlike spatial pattern of inorganic nutrients and total chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentration as biomass. Concentration of phosphate, nitrate and silicate ranged from 0.01 to 3.03 ${\mu}M$, 0.05 to 21.62 ${\mu}M$, and 0.01 to 27.82 ${\mu}M$, respectively, with 2 times higher concentration at inner stations than that at outer stations during the study period. Within the range of total chl-a concentration (0.36-7.11 ${\mu}gL^{-1}$), higher concentration (avg. 1.88 ${\mu}gL^{-1}$) of total chl-a were observed at inner stations compared to that (avg. 0.90 ${\mu}gL^{-1}$) at outer stations. Micro-sized phytoplankton dominated total biomass of phytoplankton in spring (34.0-81.2%), summer (35.1-65.6%) and winter (3.9-62.0%). Nano- and pico-sized phytoplankton contributed 58.2-74.5% and 22.4-38.2% to total biomass of phytoplankton in autumn, respectively. However, contribution in biomass of size-fractionated phytoplankton to total phytoplankton biomass showed no clear difference between inner and outer stations. Consequently, these results indicated that spatio-temporal distribution of phytoplankton biomass at Ulsan seaport was dominated by micro-phytoplankton (avg. 52.3%) during the study period except autumn, which was closely dependent on the concentration of inorganic nutrients (p<0.05).

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.492-507
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• 2010

This article reviews the papers published in the Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering during 2009. It is intended to understand the status of current research in the areas of heating, cooling, ventilation, sanitation, and indoor environments of buildings and plant facilities. Conclusions are as follows. (1) Research trends of thermal and fluid engineering have been surveyed as groups of general thermal and fluid flow, fluid machinery and piping, and new and renewable energy. Various topics were covered in the field of general thermal and fluid flow such as an expander, a capillary tube, the flow of micro-channel water blocks, the friction and anti-wear characteristics of nano oils with mixtures of refrigerant oils, etc. Research issues mainly focused on the design of micro-pumps and fans, the heat resistance reliability of axial smoke exhaust fans, and hood systems in the field of fluid machinery and piping. Studies on ground water sources were executed concerning two well type geothermal heat pumps and multi-heat pumps in the field of new and renewable energy. (2) Research works on heat transfer area have been reviewed in the categories of heat transfer characteristics and industrial heat exchangers. Researches on heat transfer characteristics included the heat transfer in thermoelectric cooling systems, refrigerants, evaporators, dryers, desiccant rotors. In the area of industrial heat exchangers, researches on high temperature ceramic heat exchangers, plate heat exchangers, frosting on fins of heat exchangers were performed. (3) In the field of refrigeration, papers were presented on alternative refrigerants, system improvements, and the utilization of various energy sources. Refrigeration systems with alternative refrigerants such as hydrocarbons, mixed refrigerants, and $CO_2$ were studied. Efforts to improve the performance of refrigeration systems were made applying various ideas of suction line heat exchangers, subcooling bypass lines and gas injection systems. Studies on heat pump systems using unutilized energy sources such as river water, underground water, and waste heat were also reported. (4) Research trend in the field of mechanical building facilities has been found to be mainly focused on field applications rather than performance improvements. In the area of cogeneration systems, papers on energy and economic analysis, LCC analysis and cost estimating were reported. Studies on ventilation and heat recovery systems introduced the effect on fire and smoke control, and energy reduction. Papers on district cooling and heating systems dealt with design capacity evaluation, application plan and field application. Also, the maintenance and management of building service equipments were presented for HVAC systems. (5) In the field of architectural environment, various studies were carried to improve indoor air quality and to analyze the heat load characteristics of buildings by energy simulation. These studies helped to understand the physics related to building load characteristics and to improve the quality of architectural environment where human beings reside in.