• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.434-438
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• 2010

The selenization process has been a promising method for low-cost and large-scale production of high quality CIGS film. However, there is the problem that most Ga in the CIGS film segregates near the Mo back contact. So the solar cell behaves like a $CuInSe_2$ and lacks the increased open-circuit voltage. In this study we investigated the Ga distribution in CIGS films by using the $Ga_2Se_3$ layer. The $Ga_2Se_3$ layer was applied on the Cu-In-Ga metal layer to increase Ga content at the surface of CIGS films and to restrict Ga diffusion to the CIGS/Mo interface with Ga and Se bonding. The layer made by thermal evaporation was showed to an amorphous $Ga_2Se_3$ layer in the result of AES depth profile, XPS and XRD measurement. As the thickness of $Ga_2Se_3$ layer increased, a small-grained CIGS film was developed and phase seperation was showed using SEM and XRD respectively. Ga distributions in CIGS films were investigated by means of AES depth profile. As a result, the [Ga]/[In+Ga] ratio was 0.2 at the surface and 0.5 near the CIGS/Mo interface when the $Ga_2Se_3$ thickness was 220 nm, suggesting that the $Ga_2Se_3$ layer on the top of metal layer is one of the possible methods for Ga redistribution and open circuit voltage increase.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.1 s.81
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• pp.18-23
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• 2007

Fe65, a neuron-specific adaptor protein, has two phosphotyrosine binding (PTB) domains. The second PTB (PTB2) domain interacts with intracellular domain fragment (AICD) of amyloid beta precursor protein (APP). Recent studies suggested that tile complex is composed of AICD and Fe65 transactivates genes that are responsible for neuronal cell death in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Therefore, a compound inhibiting the interaction between Fe65 and AICD can be a drug candidate to treat AD. However, it remains unclear how Fe65 recognizes AICD at a molecular level. Here, we report high-level production of the PTB2 domain of Fe65 in the baculovirus system. We found that the baculovirus system is an efficient method to obtain the Fe65 PTB2 domain, compared with the bacterial and mammalian expression systems. The purified recombinant protein was used for crystallization to determine its crystal structure helping to understand the molecular mechanism of Fe65-dependent signaling and to design its inhibitors.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.197-202
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• 2013

A novel route to prepare Nd-Fe-B magnetic particles by utilizing both spray drying and reduction/diffusion processes was investigated in this study. Precursors were prepared by spray drying method using the aqueous solutions containing Nd salt, Fe salt and boric acid with stoichiometric ratios. Precursor particles could be obtained with various sizes from 2 to $10{\mu}m$ by controlling concentrations of the solutions and the average size of $2{\mu}m$ of precursors were selected for further steps. After heat treatment of precursors in air, Nd and Fe oxides were formed through desalting procedure, followed by reduction processes in Hydrogen ($H_2$) atmosphere and with Calcium (Ca) granules in Argon (Ar) successively. Moreover, diffusion between Nd and Fe occurred during Ca reduction and $Nd_2Fe_{14}B$ particles were formed. With Ca amount added to particles after $H_2$ reduction, intrinsic coercivity was changed from 1 to 10 kOe. In order to remove and leach CaO and residual Ca, de-ionized water and dilute acid were used. Acidic solutions were more effective to eliminate impurities, but Fe and Nd were dissolved out from the particles. Finally, $Nd_2Fe_{14}B$ magnetic particles were synthesized after washing in de-ionized water with a mean size of $2{\mu}m$ and their maximum energy product showed 9.23 MGOe.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.496-502
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• 2015

Polyketide secondary metabolites share common precursor pools, acyl-CoA. Thus, the effects of engineering strategies for heterologous and native secondary metabolite production are often determined by the measurement of pikromycin in Streptomyces venezuelae. It is hard to compare the effectiveness of engineering targets among published data owing to the different pikromycin production media used from one study to the other. To determine the most important nutritional factor and establish optimal culture conditions, medium optimization of pikromycin from Streptomyces venezuelae ATCC 15439 was studied with a statistical method, Plackett-Burman design. Nine variables (glucose, sucrose, peptone, (NH₄)₂SO₄, K₂HPO₄, KH₂PO₄, NaCl, MgSO₄·7H₂O, and CaCO₃) were analyzed for their effects on a response, pikromycin. Glucose, K₂HPO₄, and CaCO₃ were determined to be the most significant factors. The path of the steepest ascent and response surface methodology about the three selected components were performed to study interactions among the three factors, and the fine-tune concentrations for maximized product yields. The significant variables and optimal concentrations were 139 g/1 sucrose, 5.29 g/l K₂HPO₄, and 0.081 g/l CaCO₃, with the maximal pikromycin yield of 35.5 mg/l. Increases of the antibiotics production by 1.45-fold, 1.3-fold, and 1.98-fold, compared with unoptimized medium and two other pikromycin production media SCM and SGGP, respectively, were achieved.

• Journal of Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.539-548
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• 2016

The non-noble 1D nanofibers(NFs) prepared by electrospinning and calcination method were used as oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalyst for water electrolysis. The electrospinning process and rate of solution composition was optimized to prepare uniform and non-beaded PVP polymer electrospun NFs. The diameter and morphology of PVP NFs changed in accordance with the viscosity and ion conductivity. The clean metal precursor contained electrospun fibers were synthesized via the optimized electrospinning process and solution composition. The calcined $CuCo_2O_4$ NFs catalyst showed higher activity and long-term cycle stability for OER compared with other $Co_3O_4$, $NiCo_2O$ NF catalysts. Furthermore, the $CuCo_2O_4$ NFs maintained the OER activity during long-term cycle test compared with commercial $CuCo_2O_4$ nanoparticle catalyst due to unique physicochemical and electrochemical properties by1D nanostructure.

• Proceedings of the Korean Biophysical Society Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.47-47
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• 2003

The presenilin 1 (PS1) or PS2 is an essential component of the ${\gamma}$-secretase complex, which mediates the intramembrane proteolysis of selected type-I membrane, including the ${\beta}$-amyloid precursor protein (APP) to yield A${\beta}$. Familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD)-associated mutations in presenilins give rise to an increased production of a highly amyloidogenic A${\beta}$42. In addition to their well-documented proteolytic function, the presenilins play a role in calcium signaling. We have previously reported that presenilin FAD mutations cause highly consistent alterations in intracellular calcium signaling pathways, which include deficits in capacitative calcium entry (CCE), the refilling mechanism for depleted internal calcium stores. However, molecular basis for the presenilin-mediated modulation of CCE remains to be elucidated. In the present study, whole-cell patch clamp method was used to identify a specific calcium-permeable ion channel current(s) that is responsible for the CCE deficits associated with FAD-linked PS1 mutants. Unexpectedly, both voltage-activated and conventional store depletion-activated calcium currents I(CRAC), were absent in HEK293 cells, which were stably transfected either with wild-type or FAD mutant (L286V, M146L, and delta E9) forms of PS1. Recently, magnesium-nucleotide-regulated metal cation current, or I(MagNum), has been described and appears to share many common properties with I(CRAC) including calcium permeability and inhibitor sensitivity (e.g. 2-APB). We have detected I(MagNum) in all 293 cells tested. Interestingly, FAD mutant 293 cells developed only about half of currents compared to PS1 wild type cells.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2018.04a
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• pp.93-93
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• 2018

This study disclosed the aqueous fruits extract of Rubus coreanus as a sustainable agent for the synthesis of Rubus coreanus zinc oxide nanoparticle (Rc-ZnO Nps) using as a reducing and capping precursor for co-precipitation method. The development of Rc-ZnO was assured by white precipitated powder and analyzed by spectroscopic and analytical instruments. The UV-visible (UV-Vis) studies indicate the maximum absorbance at 357nm which confirmed the formation of ZnO Nps and the purity, functional group and monodispersity were assured by field emission transmission electron microscopy (FE-TEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) data revealed the Nps is 23.16 nm in size, crystalline in nature and possess hexagonal wurtzite structure. The Rc-ZnO Nps were subjected for catalytic studies. The Malachite Green dye was degraded by Rc- ZnO NPs in both dark and light (100 W tungsten) conditions and it degraded about 90% at 4 hours observation in both cases. The biodegradable, low cost Rc-ZnO NPs can be a better weapon for waste water treatment.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.33-46
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• 2006

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of neurodegenerative disease associated with aging in the human population. This disease is characterized by the extracellular deposition of beta-amyloid peptide $(A{\beta})$ in cerebral plaques. $A{\beta}$ is derived from the ${\beta}-amyloid$ precursor protein (APP) by the enzymes, ${\beta}-$ and ${\eta}o-secretase$. Compounds that ${\beta}-$ or ${\eta}o-secretase$ inhibit activity, can reduce the production of $A{\beta}$ peptides, and thus have therapeutic potential in the treatment of AD. Increasing body of evidence has been demonstrated that Bee Venom(BV) Acupuncture could compete with complex protein involving in multiple step of $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation and exert the anti-inflammatory potential of combined inhibition of the prostanoid and nitric oxide synthesis systems by inhibition of IKK and $NF-{\kappa}B$. In this study, I investigated possible effects of BV on memory dysfunction caused by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and $A{\beta}$ through inhibition of secretases activities and $A{\beta}$ aggregation. I examined the improving effect of BV on the LPS (2.5 mg/Kg, i.p.)-induced memory dysfunction using passive avoidance response and water maze tests in the mice. BV (0.84, $1.67\;{\mu}g/ml$) reversed the LPS-induced memorial dysfunction in dose dependent manner. BV also dose-dependently attenuated LPS-induced ${\beta}$ and ${\eta}o-secretase$ activities in cerebral cortex and hippocampus of the mice brain. This study therefore suggests that BV acupuncture method may be useful for prevention of development or progression of AD.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.173-177
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• 2000

The synthetic carbon was coated with tin oxide and copper by fluidized-bed chemical vapor deposition method. $(CH_3)_4Sn\;and\;Cu(hfac)_{2s}$ were employed as the metallic organic precursor, respectively. The modified synthetic carbons were used for lithium secondary battery anode to investigate their coating effects on electrochemical characteristics as alternative anode materials for lithium secondary batteries. The electrode which prepared by the synthetic carbons(MCMB) coated with tin oxide gave the higher capacity than that of raw material. Their capacity decreased with the progress of cycling possibly due to severe volume changes. But the cyclability was improved by coating with copper on the surface of the tin oxide coated carbon, which plays an important role as an inactive matrix buffering volume changes.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.543-550
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• 1998

A process for the preparation of spherical tungsten oxide powders by the emulsion evaporation method was developed. The characteristics of the powders thus prepared were examined by means of TGA X-ray diffraction SEM and image analysis. The emulsion was prepared by fast mixing of tungsten containing aque-ous phase and the organic phase which contained kerosene surfactant and paraffin oil. The precursor was made by evaporating the emulsion in the kerosene bath at $160^{\circ}C$ and then calcined at $650^{\circ}C$ in order to pro-duce tungsten oxide powders. The average particle size of the tungsten oxide powders was $0.5\;\mu\textrm{m}$ and their shapes were spherical. Water-in-oil type emulsion wasmore advantageous to make less agglmerated. $W_{3}$ powders than the oil-in-water type emulsion for the emulsion evaporation experiments. As the HLB value of the surfactant increased and the concentration of tungsten ions in the aqueous phase decreased the mean particle size of tungsten oxide powders decreased whereas agglomeration increased. The optimum con-centration of Span 80 was 8 percent by volume and the optimum stirring speed in the emulsion formation was 5000 rpm in order to obtain find less agglomerated $W_{3}$ powders.