• Title/Summary/Keyword: Optical Microscopy

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Establishment of Paclitaxel-resistant Breast Cancer Cell Line and Nude Mice Models, and Underlying Multidrug Resistance Mechanisms in Vitro and in Vivo

  • Chen, Si-Ying;Hu, Sa-Sa;Dong, Qian;Cai, Jiang-Xia;Zhang, Wei-Peng;Sun, Jin-Yao;Wang, Tao-Tao;Xie, Jiao;He, Hai-Rong;Xing, Jian-Feng;Lu, Jun;Dong, Ya-Lin
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.14 no.10
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    • pp.6135-6140
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    • 2013
  • Background: Breast cancer is a common malignant tumor which affects health of women and multidrug resistance (MDR) is one of the main factors leading to failure of chemotherapy. This study was conducted to establish paclitaxel-resistant breast cancer cell line and nude mice models to explore underlying mechanisms of MDR. Methods: The breast cancer drug-sensitive cell line MCF-7 (MCF-7/S) was exposed in stepwise escalating paclitaxel (TAX) to induce a resistant cell line MCF-7/TAX. Cell sensitivity to drugs and growth curves were measured by MTT assay. Changes of cell morphology and ultrastructure were examined by optical and electron microscopy. The cell cycle distribution was determined by flow cytometry. Furthermore, expression of proteins related to breast cancer occurrence and MDR was tested by immunocytochemistry. In Vivo, nude mice were injected with MCF-7/S and MCF-7/TAX cells and weights and tumor sizes were observed after paclitaxel treatment. In addition, proteins involved breast cancer and MDR were detected by immunohistochemistry. Results: Compared to MCF-7/S, MCF-7/TAX cells had a higher resistance to paclitaxel, cross-resistance and prolonged doubling time. Moreover, MCF-7/TAX showed obvious alterations of ultrastructure. Estrogen receptor (ER) expression was low in drug resistant cells and tumors while expression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and Ki-67 was up-regulated. P-glycoprotein (P-gp), lung resistance-related protein (LRP) and glutathione-S-transferase-${\pi}$ (GST-${\pi}$) involved in the MDR phenotype of resistant cells and tumors were all overexpressed. Conclusion: The underlying MDR mechanism of breast cancer may involve increased expression of P-gp, LRP and GST-${\pi}$.

Effect of Length of Alkyl Group on Thermal-Liquid Crystalline Properties of Cholesteryl 4-n-Alkoxybenzoate (알킬기의 길이가 콜레스테릴 4-n-알콕시벤조에이트의 열적-액정 특성에 미치는 영향)

  • Yoon, Doo-Soo;Bang, Moon-Soo
    • Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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    • v.18 no.10
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    • pp.69-74
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    • 2017
  • In this study, cholesteryl 4-n-alkoxybenzoates (Chol-n), with alkyl groups used for controlling the temperature of transition to the liquid crystal phase, were synthesized, and the effects of the length of the alkyl groups on the physical properties of the liquid crystal compounds were investigated. The chemical structures and thermal and liquid crystalline properties of the synthesized compounds were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ($^1H$-NMR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and polarizing optical microscopy (POM). The synthesized compounds showed melting transition temperatures ($T_m$) in the range of $103^{\circ}C$ to $143^{\circ}C$ and all of the compounds except Chol-6 exhibited a wide liquid crystal phase temperature range of about $60^{\circ}C$ to $100^{\circ}C$. No correlation between the number of carbon atoms in the molecule and the thermal properties of the compounds was found. All of the synthesized compounds showed an enantiotropic cholesteric phase, which was accompanied by a chiral smectic phase in the compounds Chol-6, Chol-8, Chol-9, and Chol-10. All of the compounds exhibited thermochromism in the liquid crystal state, and their color changed from red to blue as the temperature was increased.

Neural Growth Factor Stimulates Proliferation of Spinal Cord Derived-Neural Precursor/Stem Cells

  • Han, Youngmin;Kim, Kyoung-Tae
    • Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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    • v.59 no.5
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    • pp.437-441
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    • 2016
  • Objective : Recently, regenerative therapies have been used in clinical trials (heart, cartilage, skeletal). We don't make use of these treatments to spinal cord injury (SCI) patients yet, but regenerative therapies are rising interest in recent study about SCI. Neural precursor/stem cell (NPSC) proliferation is a significant event in functional recovery of the central nervous system (CNS). However, brain NPSCs and spinal cord NPSCs (SC-NPSCs) have many differences including gene expression and proliferation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of neural growth factor (NGF) on the proliferation of SC-NPSCs. Methods : NPSCs ($2{\times}10^4$) were suspended in $100{\mu}L$ of neurobasal medium containing NGF-7S (Sigma-Aldrich) and cultured in a 96-well plate for 12 days. NPSC proliferation was analyzed five times for either concentration of NGF (0.02 and 2 ng/mL). Sixteen rats after SCI were randomly allocated into two groups. In group 1 (SCI-vehicle group, n=8), animals received 1.0 mL of the saline vehicle solution. In group 2 (SCI-NGF group, n=8), the animals received single doses of NGF (Sigma-Aldrich). A dose of 0.02 ng/mL of NGF or normal saline as a vehicle control was intra-thecally injected daily at 24 hour intervals for 7 days. For Immunohistochemistry analysis, rats were sacrificed after one week and the spinal cords were obtained. Results : The elevation of cell proliferation with 0.02 ng/mL NGF was significant (p<0.05) but was not significant for 2 ng/mL NGF. The optical density was increased in the NGF 0.02 ng/mL group compared to the control group and NGF 2 ng/mL groups. The density of nestin in the SCI-NGF group was significantly increased over the SCI-vehicle group (p<0.05). High power microscopy revealed that the density of nestin in the SCI-NGF group was significantly increased over the SCI-vehicle group. Conclusion : SC-NPSC proliferation is an important pathway in the functional recovery of SCI. NGF enhances SC-NPSC proliferation in vitro and in vivo. NGF may be a useful option for treatment of SCI patients pending further studies to verify the clinical applicability.

Fabrication of Microwire Arrays for Enhanced Light Trapping Efficiency Using Deep Reactive Ion Etching

  • Hwang, In-Chan;Seo, Gwan-Yong
    • Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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    • 2014.02a
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    • pp.454-454
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    • 2014
  • Silicon microwire array is one of the promising platforms as a means for developing highly efficient solar cells thanks to the enhanced light trapping efficiency. Among the various fabrication methods of microstructures, deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) process has been extensively used in fabrication of high aspect ratio microwire arrays. In this presentation, we show precisely controlled Si microwire arrays by tuning the DRIE process conditions. A periodic microdisk arrays were patterned on 4-inch Si wafer (p-type, $1{\sim}10{\Omega}cm$) using photolithography. After developing the pattern, 150-nm-thick Al was deposited and lifted-off to leave Al microdisk arrays on the starting Si wafer. Periodic Al microdisk arrays (diameter of $2{\mu}m$ and periodic distance of $2{\mu}m$) were used as an etch mask. A DRIE process (Tegal 200) is used for anisotropic deep silicon etching at room temperature. During the process, $SF_6$ and $C_4F_8$ gases were used for the etching and surface passivation, respectively. The length and shape of microwire arrays were controlled by etching time and $SF_6/C_4F_8$ ratio. By adjusting $SF_6/C_4F_8$ gas ratio, the shape of Si microwire can be controlled, resulting in the formation of tapered or vertical microwires. After DRIE process, the residual polymer and etching damage on the surface of the microwires were removed using piranha solution ($H_2SO_4:H_2O_2=4:1$) followed by thermal oxidation ($900^{\circ}C$, 40 min). The oxide layer formed through the thermal oxidation was etched by diluted hydrofluoric acid (1 wt% HF). The surface morphology of a Si microwire arrays was characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM, Hitachi S-4800). Optical reflection measurements were performed over 300~1100 nm wavelengths using a UV-Vis/NIR spectrophotometer (Cary 5000, Agilent) in which a 60 mm integrating sphere (Labsphere) is equipped to account for total light (diffuse and specular) reflected from the samples. The total reflection by the microwire arrays sample was reduced from 20 % to 10 % of the incident light over the visible region when the length of the microwire was increased from $10{\mu}m$ to $30{\mu}m$.

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Effects of Growth Conditions on Properties of ZnO Nanostructures Grown by Hydrothermal Method (수열합성법으로 성장된 ZnO 나노구조의 성장조건에 따른 특성)

  • Cho, Min-Young;Kim, Min-Su;Kim, Ghun-Sik;Choi, Hyun-Young;Jeon, Su-Min;Yim, Kwang-Gug;Lee, Dong-Yul;Kim, Jin-Soo;Kim, Jong-Su;Lee, Joo-In;Leem, Jae-Young
    • Korean Journal of Materials Research
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    • v.20 no.5
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    • pp.262-266
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    • 2010
  • ZnO nanostructures were grown on an Au seed layer by a hydrothermal method. The Au seed layer was deposited by ion sputter on a Si (100) substrate, and then the ZnO nanostructures were grown with different precursor concentrations ranging from 0.01 M to 0.3M at $150^{\circ}C$ and different growth temperatures ranging from $100^{\circ}C$ to $250^{\circ}C$ with 0.3 M of precursor concentration. FE-SEM (field-emission scanning electron microscopy), XRD (X-ray diffraction), and PL (photoluminescence) were carried out to investigate the structural and optical properties of the ZnO nanostructures. The different morphologies are shown with different growth conditions by FE-SEM images. The density of the ZnO nanostructures changed significantly as the growth conditions changed. The density increased as the precursor concentration increased. The ZnO nanostructures are barely grown at $100^{\circ}C$ and the ZnO nanostructure grown at $150^{\circ}C$ has the highest density. The XRD pattern shows the ZnO (100), ZnO (002), ZnO (101) peaks, which indicated the ZnO structure has a wurtzite structure. The higher intensity and lower FWHM (full width at half maximum) of the ZnO peaks were observed at a growth temperature of $150^{\circ}C$, which indicated higher crystal quality. A near band edge emission (NBE) and a deep level emission (DLE) were observed at the PL spectra and the intensity of the DLE increased as the density of the ZnO nanostructures increased.

Fire Resistance Study of PP Thermoplastic Composites with Particulate Reinforcements and Br Flame Retardants (무기 입자 강화제와 브롬(Br) 난연제에 따른 폴리프로필렌 복합재료의 난연성 향상에 관한 연구)

  • 곽성복;황성덕;남재도;고재송;최형기
    • Polymer(Korea)
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    • v.26 no.2
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    • pp.260-269
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    • 2002
  • The fire resistance of particulate polypropylene composite systems were investigated by using various reinforced particles such as zeolite, talc, $CaCO_3$ particles. In this study, The effect of particle size on the thermal properties of composite and the effect of reinforced particles on the fire resistance were studied. The inorganic reinforced particles used in this study were recycled zeolite(average particle diameter=85.34 $mu extrm{m}$), $CaCO_3$ (33.93 $mu extrm{m}$), and talc (18.51 $mu extrm{m}$). The fire resistance of composite systems was thoroughly examined by measuring limited oxygen index (LOI, ASTM D2863) and cone calorimetry (ASTM E1354, ISO 5660). Thermal stability of composite systems was thoroughly examined by measuring TGA. The flame retardants (DBDPO) and reinforced particles reduce the maximum heat release rate (M-HRR) in the order of Talc > $CaCO_3$ > recycled Zeolite. Comparing the cone calorimetry experimental results of the particle reinforced polymer composite system exhibited twice higher efficiency than DBDPO in polypropylene systems, and the LOI also showed similar trends to the cone calorimetry experiments. The optical and scanning electron microscopy techniques were used to investigate the composites ash layer and the core fracture surfaces in the burning process. The reinforcing inorganic particles seemed to accumulate at the surface of ash layer, and subsequently intercept the oxygen transport and heat transfer into the core area.

Characteristics of Mineralogy and Nanocrystals of Ingredient Materials of $Lumilite^{(R)}$ for Water Treatment (수질개선제 $Lumilite^{(R)}$ 원료광물의 광물학적 및 나노결정학적의 특징)

  • Lee, Jin-Kook;Park, Hi-Ho;Choo, Chang-Oh
    • Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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    • v.21 no.1
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    • pp.27-35
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    • 2008
  • Characterization of mineralogy and nanocrystals of ingredient materials of $Lumilite^{(R)}$ used for water treatment was made using optical microscopy, XRD, SEM, FTIR, and XRF analyses. Constituent minerals identified by XRD and microscope are clinoptilolite, illite, quartz, and albite, characterized by dense and fine texture. The cross section of nanocrystals with the size $70{$\sim}100\;nm$ is generally round or subround. Numerous spheroids with few nanometers in diameter are extensively formed on the surface of nanocrystals. Bulk chemistry is $SiO_2$ $74.22{\sim}75.65\;wt.%$, $Al_2O_3$ $13.25{\sim}13.72\;wt.%$, CaO $4.23{\sim}5.15\;wt.%$, with other major elements being minimal. When heated to $700^{\circ}C$, the crystal structure was mostly destroyed, though it persisted to $500^{\circ}C$. It is likely that high capacity and applications of $Lumilite^{(R)}$ for water treatment are originated from its structural properties such as development of nanocrystals and various tiny pores.

Assessment of Ni Catalyst Properties for Removal of O2 and CO Impurity in Inert Gas (불활성 가스의 O2와 CO 불순물 제거를 위한 Ni 촉매의 물성 평가)

  • Kim, Kwangbae;Jin, Saera;Kim, Eunseok;Lim, Yesol;Lee, Hyunjun;Kim, Seonghoon;Noh, Yunyoung;Song, Ohsung
    • Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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    • v.21 no.4
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    • pp.588-595
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    • 2020
  • This study examined the catalytic property of Ni-catalyst used in the gas purifying process to manufacture inert gases of N2 and Ar with high-purity over 9N for semiconductor industrial applications. Two types of Ni-catalysts with a cylindrical shape (C1) and churros shape structure (C2) were compared for the assessment. Optical microscopy and FESEM were used to analyze the shape and microstructure of the Ni-catalyst. EDS, XRD, and micro-Raman characterization were performed to examine the composition and properties. BET and Pulse Titration analyses were conducted to check the surface area and catalytic property of the Ni-catalyst. From the composition analysis results, C1 contained a relatively large amount of graphite as an impurity, and C2 contained higher Ni contents than C1. From specific surface area analysis, the specific surface area of C2 was approximately 1.69 times larger than that of C1. From catalytic property analysis, outstanding performance in O2 and CO impurity removal was observed at room temperature. Therefore, C2, having low-impurity and large specific surface area, is a suitable catalyst for the high-purity inert gas process in the semiconductor industry because of its outstanding performance in O2 and CO impurity removal at room temperature.

Growth of Hexagonal Boron Nitride Thin Films on Silicon Using a Single Source Precursors

  • Boo, Jin-Hyo;Lee, Soon-Bo;Casten Rohr;Wilson Ho
    • Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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    • 1998.02a
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    • pp.120-120
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    • 1998
  • Boron nitride (BN) films have attracted a growing interest for a variety of t technological applications due to their excellent characteristics, namely hardness, c chemical inertness, and dielectrical behavior, etc. There are two crystalline phases 1551; of BN that are analogous to phases of carbon. Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) has a a layered s$\sigma$ucture which is spz-bonded structure similar to that of graphite, and is t the stable ordered phase at ambient conditions. Cubic boron nitride (c-BN) has a z zinc blende structure with sp3-bonding like as diamond, 따ld is the metastable phase a at ambient conditions. Among of their prototypes, especially 삼Ie c-BN is an i interesting material because it has almost the same hardness and thermal c conductivity as di없nond. C Conventionally, significant progress has been made in the experimental t techniques for synthesizing BN films using various of the physical vapor deposition 밍ld chemical vapor deposition. But, the major disadvantage of c-BN films is that t they are much more difficult to synthesize than h-BN films due to its narrow s stability phase region, high compression stress, and problem of nitrogen source c control. Recent studies of the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) of I III - V compound have established that a molecular level understanding of the d deposition process is mandatory in controlling the selectivity parameters. This led t to the concept of using a single source organometallic precursor, having the c constituent elements in stoichiometric ratio, for MOCVD growth of 삼Ie required b binary compound. I In this study, therefore, we have been carried out the growth of h-BN thin f films on silicon substrates using a single source precursors. Polycrystalline h-BN t thin films were deposited on silicon in the temperature range of $\alpha$)() - 900 $^{\circ}$C from t the organometallic precursors of Boron-Triethylamine complex, (CZHs)3N:BRJ, and T Tris(dimethylamino)Borane, [CH3}zNhB, by supersonic molecular jet and remote p plasma assisted MOCVD. Hydrogen was used as carrier gas, and additional nitrogen w was supplied by either aDlIDonia through a nozzle, or nitrogen via a remote plasma. T The as-grown films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, x x-ray pthotoelectron spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, t transmission electron diffraction, optical transmission, and atomic force microscopy.roscopy.

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A study of dry cleaning for metallic contaminants on a silicon wafer using UV-excited chlorine radical (UV-excited chlorine radical을 이용한 실리콘 웨이퍼상의 금속 오염물의 건식세정에 관한 연구)

  • 손동수;황병철;조동률;김경중;문대원;구경완
    • Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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    • v.6 no.1
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    • pp.9-19
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    • 1997
  • The reaction mechanisms of dry cleaning with UV-excited chlorine radical for Zn, Fe and Ti trace contaminants on the Si wafer have been studied by SEM, AFM and XPS analyses in this work. The patterned Zn, Fe and Ti films were deposited on the Si wafer surface by thermal evaporation and changes in the surface morphology after dry cleaning with $Cl_2$and UV/$Cl_2$at $200^{\circ}C$ were studied by optical microscopy and SEM. In addition, changes in the surface roughness of Si wafer with the cleaning was observed by AFM. The chemical bonding states of the Zn, Fe and Ti deposited silicon surface were observed with in-line XPS analysis. Zn and Fe were easily cleaned in the form of volatile zinc-chloride and iron-chloride as verified by the surface morphology changes. Ti which forms involatile oxides was not easily removed at room temperature but was slightly removed by UV/$Cl_2$at elevated temperature of $200^{\circ}C$. It was also found that the surface roughness of the Si wafer increased after $Cl_2$and UV/$Cl_2$cleaning. Therefore, the metallic contaminants on the Si wafer can be easily removed at lower temperature without surface damage by a continuous process using wet cleaning followed by UV/$Cl_2$dry cleaning.

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