• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
• /
• v.11 no.3 s.32
• /
• pp.37-45
• /
• 2004

Electroless Ni(P) has been widely used for under bump metallization (UBM) of flip chip and surface finish layer in microelectronic packaging because of its excellent solderability, corrosion resistance, uniformity, selective deposition without photo-lithography, and also good diffusion barrier. However, the brittle fracture at solder joints and the spatting of intermetallic compound (IMC) associated with electroless Ni(P) are critical issues for its successful applications. In the present study, the mechanism of IMC spatting and microstructure change of the Ni(P) film were investigated with varying P content in the Ni(P) film (4.6,9, and $13 wt.\%$P). A reaction between Sn penetrated through the channels among $Ni_3Sn_4$ IMCs and the P-rich layer ($Ni_3P$) of the Ni(P) film formed a $Ni_3SnP$ layer. Thickening of the $Ni_3SnP$ layer led to $Ni_3Sn_4$ spatting. After $Ni_3Sn_4$ spatting, the Ni(P) film directly contacted the molten solder and the $Ni_3P$ phase further transformed into a $Ni_2P$ phase. During the crystallization process, some cracks formed in the Ni(P) film to release tensile stress accumulated from volume shrinkage of the film.

• Korean journal of communication and information
• /
• v.67
• /
• pp.152-176
• /
• 2014

Public opinion has dramatically shifted from positive to negative in Korea society especially since the IMF crisis. Such terms as 'aristocratic union', 'collectivism', 'damages on public interest' became a kind of conventional wisdom. Undoubtedly, media's representation has much to do with such a tantamount difference. This study thus attempts to understand the mechanism by analyzing media discourse related to labor strikes. For this purpose, this paper made a choice three cases including doctor-pharmacist dispute, general strike by truckers' solidarity, and Ssangyong Motor's strike. Total 217 editorial pieces of , and conceived to be a representative newspaper of ideological stance were analyzed. Research showed that while paying particular attention to demoralizing labor strikes, shed positive light on such disputes by articulating fundamental causes hampered by pro-capital policies along with anti-labor law enforcement. The believed to be relatively a neutral one showed ambivalent attitudes toward those cases. More favorable and inclusive reporting were found in accordance with policy shifts as well. Media's selective partisanship for the sake of private interests is firmly believed to downgrading credibility on Korean journalism. Also is fair, balanced and less biased reporting over socal disputes a vital part in crystallizing social consensus. In this consideration, the authors hoped this study to provide an opportunity to contemplate on what would be desirable journalistic values in modern democracy.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.17-26
• /
• 2008

With the effectuation of Kyoto Protocol on the United Nations Framework Convention on the Climate Change, the emission reduction of greenhouse gases became an urgent issue and has been competitively secured among countries as the form of certificates through clean development mechanism (CDM) or joint implementation (JI). Nitrous oxide ($N_2O$) is one of the major greenhouse gases along with carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) and methane ($CH_4$) having warming potential 310 times that of carbon dioxide and chemically very stable in the atmosphere to give a life time of more than 120 years so that it reaches to the stratosphere to act as an ozone depleting substance. $N_2O$ hardly decomposes and thus, besides to the adoption of thermal decomposition at high temperature, selective catalytic reduction methods are usually used at temperatures over $400^{\circ}C$ in which the presence of NOx acts as a major impeding material in the decomposition process. In this article, the sources of various $N_2O$ generation, catalytic reduction processes and the status and trends of emission trade with CDM projects for greenhouse gas reduction are summarized and discussed on a condensed basis.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.55-63
• /
• 2008

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the selective death of motor neurons. Mutations in the SOD1 gene are responsible for a familial form of ALS (FALS). Although many studies suggest that mutant SOD1 proteins are cytotoxic, the mechanism is not fully understood. To investigate the role of mutant SOD1 in FALS, human SOD1 genes were fused with a PEP-1 peptide in a bacterial expression vector to produce in-frame PEP-1-SOD fusion proteins (wild type and mutants). The expressed and purified PEP-1-SOD fusion proteins were efficiently transduced into neuronal cells. Neurones harboring the A4V, G93A, G85R, and D90A mutants of PEP-1-SOD were more vulnerable to oxidative stress induced by paraquat than those harboring wild-type proteins. Moreover, neurones harboring the mutant SOD proteins had lower heat shock protein (Hsp) expression levels than those harboring wild-type SOD. The effects of the transduced SOD1 fusion proteins may provide an explanation for the association of SOD1 with FALS, and Hsps could be candidate agents for the treatment of ALS.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.106-112
• /
• 2008

Parkinson's disease (PD) progresses severely by a gradual loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). Epidemiological studies showed that the incidences of PD were reduced by smoking of which the major component, nicotine might be neuroprotective. But the function of nicotine, which might suppress the incidences of PD, is still unknown. Fortunately, recently it was reported that a glial reaction and inflammatory processes might participate in a selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in the SN. The levels of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ synthesised by astrocytes and microglia are elevated in striatum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in PD. TNF-${\alpha}$ kills the cultured dopaminergic neurons through the apoptosis mechanism. TNF-${\alpha}$ release from glial cells may mediate progression of nigral degeneration in PD. Nicotine pretreatment considerably decreases microglial activation with significant reduction of TNF-${\alpha}$ mRNA expression and TNF-${\alpha}$ release induced by lipopholysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. Thus, this study was intended to explore the role of nicotine pretreatment to inhibit the expressions of TNF-${\alpha}$ mRNA in human fetal astrocytes (HFA) stimulated with IL-$1{\beta}$. The results are as follows: HFA were pretreated with 0.1, 1, and $10{\mu}g/mL$ of nicotine and then stimulated with IL-$1{\beta}$ (100 pg/mL) for 2h. The inhibitory effect of nicotine on expressions of TNF-${\alpha}$ mRNA in HFA with pretreated $0.1{\mu}g/mL$ of nicotine was first noted at 8hr, and the inhibitory effect was maximal at 12 h. The inhibitory effect at $1{\mu}g/mL$ of nicotine was inhibited maximal at 24 h. Cytotoxic effects of nicotine were noted above $10{\mu}g/mL$ of nicotine. Moreover, Nicotine at 0.1, 1 and $10{\mu}g/mL$concentrations significantly inhibited IL-$1{\beta}$-induced TF-${\kappa}B$ activation. Collectively, these results indicate that in activated HFA, nicotine may inhibit the expression of TNF-${\alpha}$ mRNA through the pathway which suppresses the NF-${\kappa}B$ activation. This study suggests that nicotine might be neuroprotective to dopaminergic neurons in the SN and reduce the incidences of PD.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.187-194
• /
• 1991

Absorption and translocation, and metabolism studies using $^{14}C$-naproanilide were conducted to determine selective mode of action of naproanilide in rice and paddy weeds under different temperature conditions. Absorption amount of $^{14}C$-naproanilide was greater in Cyperus serotinus and Sagittaria pygmaea than rice and Echinochloa crusgalli. Especially, absorption of $^{14}C$-naproanilide in C. serotinus was increased twice at 32 $^{\circ}C$ and 48 hour exposure conditions. $^{14}C$-naproanilide in roots was translocated to shoots very little in rice and E. crusgalli, but S. pygmaea somewhat greater translocation than the other species. In C. serotinus and S. pygmaea, susceptible weeds, metabolic rates of naproanilide into phytotoxic NOP (2-(2-naphthoxy)-propionic acid) and NOPM (methyl 2-(2-naphthoxy) propionate) were significantly greater than in rice and E. crugalli, tolerant species. Consequently, differential uptake by roots and the difference in activation metabolism of naproanilide among species may explain the possible mechanism of selectivity.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.192-198
• /
• 1997

This experiment was carried out to determine selectivity of herbicide cyhalofop-butyl ester on enzyme activity, biosynthesis of fatty acid and protein between rice and Echinochloa crus-galli. Activity of the acetyl-CoA carboxylase(ACCase) was inhibited greater in E. crus-galli than in rice by the treatment of cyhalofop-butyl ester. The ACCase activity in E. crus-galli was observed with $I_{50}$ at 1-2ppm of cyhalofop-butyl ester, while in rice only at above 10ppm. Cyhalofop-butyl ester also inhibited the biosynthesis of fatty acid by 61% of palmitic acid, 54% of linoleic acid and 41% of linolenic acid in E. crux-galli. In contrast, no significant difference of fatty acid content was observed in rice at 5DAT as compared with the untreated control. Protein patterns of rice between the herbicide treatment and the untreated control were not significantly different, but in E. crus-galli, 3 protein spots were disappeared in between 29KD and 45KD.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.219-232
• /
• 1989

The present study was done to investigate the mechanism of Pancreatic digestive enzyme secretion in response to dietary components in chicks. A simplefied pancreatic juice collection method, useful for a short-term experiment, was developed. By wing vein injection, it was shown that the increased trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen, while neither other single amino acids nor glucose affected the secretion of enzymes, amylase, trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen. Cholecystokinin (CCK) had an immediate effect on pancreatic enzyme secretion and this response was in a dose dependent fashion. The injection of CCK seemed to have selective stimulation favoring the secretion of chymotrypsinosen followed by amylase and trypsinogen. Simultaneous injection of single amino acid with CCK increased digestive enzyme secretion to various extents depending on the kind of amino acids whereas the injection of glucose with CCK did not affect when compared with that of CCK'alone. By varying doses, synergetic action of CCK plus amino acid on the secretion of pancreatic digestive enzymes was observed at 0.5mM for Val and 5mM for Arg. A further attempt was made to examine the effect of combined administration of amino acids with CCK on pancreatic enzyme secretion. The injected substances were an AAs mixture and combination of selected amino acids, i.e. Thr＋Phe＋Ile, Thr＋Phe. Thr＋Ile or Phe＋Ile. When increases in enzyme outputs for the first 30 min were compared , it was shown that the responses of three enzymes, amylase, trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen, brought about by the administration of the AAs mixture was almost entirely accounted for by the combined injection of Thr＋Phe. Thus, it was well demonstrated that CCK and amino acids had a synergetic action on the secretion of a specific pancreatic digestive enzyme depending on a kind of amino acid injected.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.183-189
• /
• 2010

Fault gouge samples were collected from the fault cores of the boundary faults between the Cretaceous Basement and the Tertiary Waeup Basin. Fractal dimensions (D) were obtained by using survivor grains which were analysed from six thin sections of the gouges under the optical microscope. The elliptical survivor grains show a shape preferred orientation almost parallel to clay foliation in matrix, suggesting that it was formed by the rotation of the survivor grains in abundant fine-grained matrix during repeated fault slips. The size distributions of the survivor grains follow power-laws with fractal dimensions in the 2.40-3.02 range. D values of all samples but one are higher than a specific D value equal to 2.58 which predicts the self similarity of fragmentation process in constrained comminution model (Sammis et al., 1987), which indicates large fault slip and multiple faulting. Probably the higher D values than 2.58 mean the non-self-similar evolution of cataclastic rocks where fragmentation mechanism changed from constrained comminution to the grain abrasion accompanying selective fracture of larger grains.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.21 no.12
• /
• pp.1345-1351
• /
• 2011

Vancomycin therapy failure due to the emergence of tolerance in pneumococci is increasing. The molecular mechanism of tolerance is not clear, but lytA and $pep^{27}$ are known to be involved. Our aim was to evaluate the expression of both genes in vancomycin-tolerant Streptococcus pneumoniae (VTSP) strains. Eleven VTSP strains from a total of 309 clinical isolates of S. pneumoniae from 1997 to 2006 were classified according to the criteria of Liu and Tomasz. All VTSP strains were evaluated for susceptibility according to CLSI criteria, serotype by the Quellung test, and clonality by PFGE. The expressions of lytA and $pep^{27}$ were analyzed in different growth phases by RT-PCR with and without vancomycin. Eighty-two percent of VTSP strains showed resistance to penicillin, and 100% were sensitive to vancomycin and cefotaxime. The most frequent serotypes of VTSP strains were 23F (4/11) and 6B (3/11). Clonal relationship was observed in only two strains. No significant changes were observed in $pep^{27}$ expression in the three phases of growth in VTSP strains with and without vancomycin. Interestingly, $pep^{27}$ expression in the stationary phase in the non-tolerant reference strain R6 was significantly higher. However, no significant differences in lytA expression were observed between VTSP and R6 strains during the phases of growth analyzed. The absence of changes in $pep^{27}$ expression in VTSP strains in the stationary phase may be related to their ability to tolerate high antibiotic concentrations, and thus, they survive and remain in the host under the antibiotic selective pressure reflected in therapeutic failure.