• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.603-609
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• 2022

Passivation quality is mainly governed by epitaxial growth of crystalline silicon wafer surface. Void-rich intrinsic a-Si:H interfacial layer could offer higher resistivity of the c-Si surface and hence a better device efficiency as well. To reduce the resistivity of the contact area, a modification of void-rich intrinsic layer of a-Si:H towards more ordered state with a higher density is adopted by adapting its thickness and reducing its series resistance significantly, but it slightly decreases passivation quality. Higher resistance is not dominated by asymmetric effects like different band offsets for electrons or holes. In this study, multilayer of intrinsic a-Si:H layers were used. The first one with a void-rich was a-Si:H(I₁) and the next one a-SiO_x:H(I₂) were used, where a-SiO_x:H(I₂) had relatively larger band gap of ~2.07 eV than that of a-Si:H (I₁). Using a-SiO_x:H as I₂ layer was expected to increase transparency, which could lead to an easy carrier transport. Also, higher implied voltage than the conventional structure was expected. This means that the a-SiO_x:H could be a promising material for a high-quality passivation of c-Si. In addition, the i-a-SiO_x:H microstructure can help the carrier transportation through tunneling and thermal emission.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.419-437
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• 2023

As the number of thin filers in Korea surpasses 12 million, there is a growing interest in enhancing the accuracy of assessing their credit default risk to generate additional revenue. Specifically, researchers are actively pursuing the development of default prediction models using machine learning and deep learning algorithms, in contrast to traditional statistical default prediction methods, which struggle to capture nonlinearity. Among these efforts, Graph Neural Network (GNN) architecture is noteworthy for predicting default in situations with limited data on thin filers. This is due to their ability to incorporate network information between borrowers alongside conventional credit-related data. However, prior research employing graph neural networks has faced limitations in effectively handling diverse categorical variables present in credit information. In this study, we introduce the Transformer embedded Graph Convolutional Network (TeGCN), which aims to address these limitations and enable effective default prediction for thin filers. TeGCN combines the TabTransformer, capable of extracting contextual information from categorical variables, with the Graph Convolutional Network, which captures network information between borrowers. Our TeGCN model surpasses the baseline model's performance across both the general borrower dataset and the thin filer dataset. Specially, our model performs outstanding results in thin filer default prediction. This study achieves high default prediction accuracy by a model structure tailored to characteristics of credit information containing numerous categorical variables, especially in the context of thin filers with limited data. Our study can contribute to resolving the financial exclusion issues faced by thin filers and facilitate additional revenue within the financial industry.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.786-794
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• 2022

Green ammonia is a promising renewable energy carrier. Green ammonia can be used in various energy conversion devices (e.g., engine, fuel cell, etc.). Ammonia has to be fed with hydrogen for start-up and failure protection of some energy conversion devices. Ammonia can be converted into hydrogen by decomposition and partial oxidation. Especially, partial oxidation has the advantages of fast start-up, thermally self-sustaining operation and compact size. In this paper, thermodynamics, start-up and operation characteristics of ammonia partial oxidation were investigated. O₂/NH₃ ratio, ammonia flow rate and catalyst volume were varied as operation parameters. In thermodynamic analysis, ammonia conversion was maximized in the O₂/NH₃ range from 0.10 to 0.15. Ammonia partial oxidation reactor was successfully started using 12 V glow plug. At 0.13 of O₂/HN₃ ratio and 10 LPM of ammonia flow rate, ammonia partial oxidation reactor showed 90% of ammonia conversion over commercial Ru catalyst. In addition, Increasing O₂/NH₃ ratio from 0.10 to 0.13 was more effective for high ammonia conversion than increasing catalyst volume at 0.10 of O₂/NH₃.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.58-61
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• 2023

The activation process is essential for PEMFC to improve initial performance. The most commonly used activation method is a voltage change (load change) method, which may accompany degradation of the electrode catalyst if excessively performed. In many activation processes, the voltage change range is activated in a wide range from 0.4 V to OCV, and research is needed to reduce the voltage change range in order to prevent electrode catalyst degradation and shorten the activation time. Therefore, in this study, when the activation voltage range was 0.4~0.6 V, 0.4~0.8 V, and 0.4~OCV, we tried to research and develop an effective activation method by analyzing the performance and characteristics of the electrode and polymer membrane. The performance improvement was the lowest in the activation with a wide voltage range from 0.4 V to the highest OCV, and the performance decreased by 10% when activated for 56 cycles. The 0.4~0.6 V activation cycle showed the highest performance improvement up to 20% and the smallest decrease in performance due to overactivation, indicating that it is optimal method.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.5-11
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• 2007

This paper is to investigate the removal of the smear at elevated temperatures. This study utilized both small cylinder cell and large consolidometer apparatus to investigate the combination of PVD with heat and without heat. Two types of heaters are used in this study. The heater drain made of copper tube is used for all tests except large consolidometer and flexible wire heater is used for large consolidometer. Specimens demonstrated volume contraction upon heat and without heat. This contraction is dependent on temperature magnitude. When the specimen is heated, the magnitude of settlements is higher and rate of consolidation is faster. After treatment using PVD combined without heat and with heat for undisturbed specimens the $C_h$ values obtained were $3.45m^2/yr$ and $3.83m^2/yr$, respectively, from $3.2m^2/yr$ before treatment. The $K_h/K_s$ ratios were 3 for the specimen without heat and 2 for the specimen with heat. Similarly, in reconstituted specimens without heat and with heat, the $C_h$ values were $2.1m^2/yr$ and $2.5m^2/yr$ with $K_h/K_s$ ratios of 1.75 and 1.5, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2022

Procalcitonin (PCT) can provide an experimental rationale and a diagnostic lead to distinguish between bacterial and viral infections. This study sought to investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with high PCT levels, to improve clinical diagnosis, and to determine whether PCT levels were associated with the subsequent development of sepsis in the general population. This was a retrospective observational study conducted on outpatients (N=127) over a year. The general data and laboratory parameters studied were PCT, C-reactive protein (CRP), and complete blood count (CBC). The positive rates of CRP and white blood cells (WBCs) in the elevated PCT group were higher than those of the normal group (P<0.05); the specificity and sensitivity of the PCT levels were obviously higher than those of the CRP and WBC levels at diagnosis (P<0.05). The mean PCT levels in the low group were significantly higher than those in the high or moderate group (P<0.001). There was a significant positive correlation with CRP, total WBCs, and neutrophils (P<.001). The main finding of this study was the significant association between an elevated PCT level and CRP and WBC levels, signifying a high diagnostic value. This has important implications for the diagnosis of bacterial infections and therapeutic implications for the use of antibiotic treatment in specific patients.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.465-474
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• 2023

The effects of La³⁺ substitution for Sr²⁺-site on the crystal structure and the dielectric properties of (Ba_0.7Sr_0.3-3x/2La_x) (Ti_0.9Zr_0.1)O₃ (BSLTZ) (0.005 ≤ x ≤ 0.02) ceramics were investigated. The structural characteristics of the BSLTZ ceramics were quantitatively evaluated using the Rietveld refinement method from X-ray diffraction (XRD) data. For the specimens sintered at 1,550 ℃ for 6 h, a single phase with a perovskite structure and homogeneous microstructure were observed for the entire range of compositions. With increasing La³⁺ substitution (x), the unit cell volume decreased because the ionic size of La³⁺ (1.36 Å) ions is smaller than that of Sr²⁺ (1.44 Å) ions. With increasing La³⁺ substitution (x), the tetragonal phase fraction increased due to the A-site cation size mismatch effect. Dielectric constant (ε_r) increased with the La³⁺ substitution (x) due to the increase in tetragonality (c/a) and the average B-site bond valence of the ABO₃ perovskite. The BSLTZ ceramics showed a higher dielectric loss due to the smaller grain size than that of (Ba_0.7Sr_0.3)(Ti_0.9Zr_0.1)O₃ ceramics. BSLTZ (x = 0.02) ceramics met the X7R specification proposed by the Electronic Industries Association (EIA).

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.842-850
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• 2023

Pyrrolnitrin, pyrrolomycin, and pyoluteorin are functional halogenated phenylpyrrole derivatives (HPDs) derived from microorganisms with diverse antimicrobial activities. Pyrrolnitrin is a secondary metabolite produced from L-tryptophan through four-step reactions in Pseudomonas fluorescens, Burkholderia cepacia, Serratia plymuthica, etc. It is currently used for the treatment of superficial dermatophytic fungal infections, has high antagonistic activities against soil-borne and foliar fungal infections, and has many industrial applications. Since pyrrolnitrin is easily decomposed by light, it is difficult to widely use it outdoors. As an alternative, fludioxonil, a synthetically produced non-systemic surface fungicide that is structurally similar and has excellent light stability, has been commercialized for seed and foliar treatment of plants. However, due to its high toxicity to aquatic organisms and adverse effects in human cell lines, many countries have established maximum residue levels and strictly control its levels. Pyrrolomycin and pyoluteorin, which have antibiotic/antibiofilm activity against Gram-positive bacteria and high anti-oomycete activity against the plant pathogen Pythium ultimum, respectively, were isolated and identified from microorganisms. This review summarizes the biosynthesis and production of natural pyrrolnitrin derived from bacteria and the characteristics of synthetic fludioxonil and other natural phenylpyrrole derivatives among the HPDs. We expect that a plethora of highly effective, novel HPDs that are safe for humans and environments will be developed through the generation of an HPD library by microbial biosynthesis and chemical synthesis.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.471-480
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• 2024

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the regulation relationship of Ten-eleven translocation 1 (Tet1) in DNA demethylation and the proliferation of primordial germ cells (PGCs) in chickens. Methods: siRNA targeting Tet1 was used to transiently knockdown the expression of Tet1 in chicken PGCs, and the genomic DNA methylation status was measured. The proliferation of chicken PGCs was detected by flow cytometry analysis and cell counting kit-8 assay when activation or inhibition of Wnt4/β-catenin signaling pathway. And the level of DNA methylation and hisotne methylation was also tested. Results: Results revealed that knockdown of Tet1 inhibited the proliferation of chicken PGCs and downregulated the mRNA expression of Cyclin D1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (CDK6), as well as pluripotency-associated genes (Nanog, PouV, and Sox2). Flow cytometry analysis confirmed that the population of PGCs in Tet1 knockdown group displayed a significant decrease in the proportion of S and G2 phase cells, which meant that there were less PGCs entered the mitosis process than that of control. Furthermore, Tet1 knockdown delayed the entrance to G1/S phase and this inhibition was rescued by treated with BIO. Consistent with these findings, Wnt/β-catenin signaling was inactivated in Tet1 knockdown PGCs, leading to aberrant proliferation. Further analysis showed that the methylation of the whole genome increased significantly after Tet1 downregulation, while hydroxyl-methylation obviously declined. Meanwhile, the level of H3K27me3 was upregulated and H3K9me2 was downregulated in Tet1 knockdown PGCs, which was achieved by regulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Conclusion: These results suggested that the self-renewal of chicken PGCs and the maintenance of their characteristics were regulated by Tet1 mediating DNA demethylation through the activation of Wnt4/β-catenin signaling pathway.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.1096-1109
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• 2024

Objective: This research aims to explore the nutritional and bioactive peptide properties of goat meat taken from various primal cuts, including the breast, shoulder, rib, loin, and leg, to produce these bioactive peptides during in vitro gastrointestinal (GI) digestion and absorption. Methods: The goat meat from various primal cuts was obtained from Boer goats with an average carcass weight of 30±2 kg. The meat was collected within 3 h after slaughter and was stored at -80℃ until analysis. A comprehensive assessment encompassed various aspects, including the chemical composition, cooking properties, in vitro GI digestion, bioactive characteristics, and the bioavailability of the resulting peptides. Results: The findings indicate that the loin muscles contain the highest protein and essential amino acid composition. When the meats were cooked at 70℃ for 30 min, they exhibited distinct protein compositions and quantities in the sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis profile, suggesting they served as different protein substrates during GI digestion. Subsequent in vitro simulated GI digestion revealed that the cooked shoulder and loin underwent the most significant hydrolysis during the intestinal phase, resulting in the strongest angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) inhibition. Following in vitro GI peptide absorption using a Caco-2 cell monolayer, the GI peptide derived from the cooked loin demonstrated greater bioavailability and a higher degree of ACE and DPP-IV inhibition than the shoulder peptide. Conclusion: This study highlights the potential of goat meat, particularly cooked loin, as a functional meat source for protein, essential amino acids, and bioactive peptides during GI digestion and absorption. These peptides promise to play a role in preventing and treating metabolic diseases due to their dual inhibitory effects on ACE and DPP-IV.