• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.135-139
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• 2015

$Cu_2SnS_3$ (CTS) based thin film solar cells (TFSCs) are of great interest because of its earth abundant, low-toxic and eco-friendly material with high optical absorption coefficient of $10^4cm^{-1}$. In this study, the DC sputtered precursor thin films have been sulfurized using rapid thermal annealing (RTA) system in the graphite box under Ar gas atmosphere for 10 minute. The systematic variation of sulfur powder during annealing process has been carried out and their effects on the structural, morphological and optical properties of CTS thin films have been investigated. The preliminary power conversion efficiency of 1.47% with a short circuit current density of $33.9mA/cm^2$, an open circuit voltage of 159.7 mV, and a fill factor of 27% were obtained for CTS thin film annealed with 0.05g of S powder, although the processing parameter s have not yet been optimized.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.123-127
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• 2004

Pseudomonas sp. MBEL21 was newly isolated from soil samples and found to accumulate medium-chain-length Polyhydroxyalkanoates(MCL-PHAs) using oleic acid as a sole carbon source. Among the various nutrient limiting conditions examined, including nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus, only phosphorus limitation supported the accumulation of MCL-PHAs up to 15 wt％ of dry cell weight in flask cultures. MCL-PHAs produced by Pseudomonas sp. MBEL21 was mainly composed of 3-hydroxy-5-cis-tetradecenoate. Fed-batch culture of Pseudomonas sp. MBEL21 by novel feeding strategies based on cell growth charcteristics was carried out under phosphorus limitation using oleic acid as a sole carbon source. The final cell concentration and PHA content of 82 g/L and 28 wt％, respectively, were obtained. Furthermore, PHA consisted of MCL-hydroxyalkanoates and 3-hydroxybutyrate could be produced using olive oil as a sole carbon source.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.316-322
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• 2001

Objectives : To explore the possible effect of an interaction between summertime heat waves and ozone on cardiopulmonary mortality during the 1994 heat wave in Korea. Methods : The unusually hot summer of 1994 in Korea was defined as the heat wave in this study. We examined the associations of air pollutants with daily cardiopulmonary deaths between 1991-1995, considering the product term of the heat wave and each pollutant, weather and time trends. Results : During the heat wave, while temperatures were uniformly higher than those of other summers, the within-heat-wave difference in mortality paralleled that in the regional ozone levels. In terms of the influence of the heat wave, the results of ozone were different to those of total suspended particles (TSP) and sulfur dioxide $(SO_2)$. The ozone association (relative risk (RR) : 1.036; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.018-1.054) was observed only under heat wave conditions, while the TSP (RR : 1.006, 95% CI = 0.999-1.012) and the $SO_2$ (RR = 1.018, 95% CI : 1.011-1.024) associations were found under normal weather conditions (per interquartile increase of each pollutant; results of three pollutants model). The ozone association under heat wave was attributable to the statistical interaction between the heat wave and ozone. Conclusions : These results support the possibility of a biological synergy between the heat wave and ozone, one that is not evident between the heat wave and other major pollutants like particles or $SO_2$.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.269-276
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• 1988

Ore deposits of Dadeok mine, the largest in the Bonghwa gold mining district, are composed of numerous gold and silver-bearing quartz veins emplaced in granite batholith. Mineralization of the Pungjeong vein, one of the representative vein in the mine was investigated. K-Ar age of sericite in the vein is $84{\pm}5$ Ma. Hypogene 6pen-space filling can be devided into four paragenetic stages; (1) fine grained quartz and carbonate; (2) quartz and carbonates with base metal sulfides, electrum, native silver, argentite, polybasite, freibergite, pyrargyrite, and Cu-Ag-Fe-S minerals; (3) quartz with base metal sulfides; (4) quartz and calcite with or without pyrite. Composition of electrum ranges from 44.17 to 56.50 atomic % Ag. Meanwhile FeS content of sphalerite coexisting with elctrum in stage II range from 0.01 to 1.67 mol. %. Homogenization temperatures for quartz and sphalerite of stage II ($239^{\circ}$ to $310^{\circ}C$), quartz of stage III ($206^{\circ}$ to $255^{\circ}C$) and quartz and calcite of stage IV ($232^{\circ}$ to $253^{\circ}C$) show little time-space variation during mineralization. Salinities of the fluid inclusions range from 5.5 to 12.8wt% NaCI in stage II, 7.3 to 12.3wt% in stage III and 4.5 to 8.0wt% in stage IV. Based on the homogenization temperatures, Fe content of sphalerite and Ag content of electrum, tempera ture and sulfur fugacity for stage II are estimated to be $208^{\circ}$ to $310^{\circ}C$ and $10^{-9.2}-10^{-12.8}$ bars, respectively.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.851-861
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• 2019

In this study, we performed a sediment elution experiment to evaluate water quality in terms of phosphorus, as influenced by the dissolved oxygen consumed by sediments. Three separate model column treatments, namely, raw, calcined, and sonicated oyster shell powders, were used in this experiment. Essential phosphorus fractions were examined to verify their roles in nutrient release from sediment based on correlation analyses. When treated with calcined or sonicated oyster shell powder, the sediment-water interface became "less anaerobic," thereby producing conditions conducive to partial oxidation and activities of aerobic bacteria. Sediment Oxygen Demand (SOD) was found to be closely correlated with the growth of algae, which confirmed an intermittent input of organic biomass at the sediment surface. SOD was positively correlated with exchangeable and loosely adsorbed phosphorus and organic phosphorus, owing to the accumulation of unbound algal biomass-derived phosphates in sediment, whereas it was negatively correlated with ferric iron-bound phosphorus or calcium fluorapatite-bound phosphorus, which were present in the form of "insoluble" complexes, thereby facilitating the free migration of sulfate-reducing bacteria or limiting the release from complexes, depending on applied local conditions. PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis revealed that iron-reducing bacteria were the dominant species in control and non-calcined oyster shell columns, whereas certain sulfur-oxidizing bacteria were identified in the column treated with calcined oyster powder.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.103-110
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• 2019

We investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of Pyunkang-tang extract (PGT), a complex herbal extract based on traditional Chinese medicine that is used in Korea for controlling diverse pulmonary diseases, on cigarette smoke-induced pulmonary pathology in a rat model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The constituents of PGT were Lonicerae japonica, Liriope platyphylla, Adenophora triphilla, Xantium strumarinum, Selaginella tamariscina and Rehmannia glutinosa. Rats were exposed by inhalation to a mixture of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and sulfur dioxide for three weeks to induce COPD-like pulmonary inflammation. PGT was administered orally to rats and pathological changes to the pulmonary system were examined in each group of animals through measurement of tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) at 21 days post-CSE treatment. The effect of PGT on the hypersecretion of pulmonary mucin in rats was assessed by quantification of the amount of mucus secreted and by examining histopathologic changes in tracheal epithelium. Confluent NCI-H292 cells were pretreated with PGT for 30 min and then stimulated with CSE plus PMA (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate), for 24 h. The MUC5AC mucin gene expression was measured by RT-PCR. Production of MUC5AC mucin protein was measured by ELISA. The results were as follows: (1) PGT inhibited CSE-induced pulmonary inflammation as shown by decreased TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-6 levels in BALF; (2) PGT inhibited the hypersecretion of pulmonary mucin and normalized the increased amount of mucosubstances in goblet cells of the CSE-induced COPD rat model; (3) PGT inhibited CSE-induced MUC5AC mucin production and gene expression in vitro in NCI-H292 cells, a human airway epithelial cell line. These results suggest that PGT might regulate the inflammatory aspects of COPD in a rat model.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.114-118
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• 2021

Background: Exposure to particulate matter (PM) emitted from vehicle exhaust might disrupt systemic function and elevate the risk of cardiovascular disease. In this study, we examined the changes of cardiometabolic biomarkers among vehicle inspectors exposed daily to PM0.25 and components. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at two vehicle inspection centers, Pulogadung and Ujung Menteng, located in East Jakarta, Indonesia. The exposed respondents were 43 workers from vehicle inspection centers, and the unexposed group consisted of 22 staff officers working in the same locations. Vehicle exhaust particulate matter was measured for eight hours using a Leland Legacy personal pump attached to a Sioutas Cascade Impactor. The used filters were 25 and 37-mm quartz filters. The particulate matter concentration was analyzed using a gravimetric method, whereas trace elements were analyzed using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence. An EEL Smoke Stain Reflectometer analyzed black carbon. Results: The personal exposure concentrations of PM0.25 were 10.4-fold higher than those in unexposed groups. Calcium and sulfur were the major components in the obtained dust, and their levels were 3.3- and 7.2-fold higher, respectively, in the exposed group. Based on an independent-samples t-test, high-density lipoprotein, triglyceride, HbA1c, total immunoglobulin E, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and nitric oxide levels were significantly different between the groups. Conclusions: In summary, it was suggested that PM0.25 exposure from vehicle exhaust might affect cardiometabolic biomarkers change.

• Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry
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• v.67
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• pp.148-155
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• 2018

To get a better understanding of the effect of physicochemical properties and microstructure on $SO_2$ absorption behavior of DESs with different molar ratios of EmimCl and EG (from 2:1 to 1:2), densities (${\rho}$), viscosities (${\eta}$), speeds of sound (u), refractive indices ($n_D$), and thermal decomposition temperatures ($T_d$) of EmimCl-EG DESs were measured and used to obtain the other derived properties, such as thermal expansion coefficient (${\alpha}_p$) and activation energy for viscous flow ($E_{\eta}$). Moreover, FT-IR spectra and in situ variable-temperature NMR spectroscopy were employed to study the microstructures of DESs. Based on physicochemical and spectroscopic properties, the influence of the concentrations of EmimCl on the interactions in DESs was explored to be associated with their $SO_2$ absorption behavior. The results show that the interactions between $Emim^+$ and $Cl^-$ of EmimCl is gradually weakening with increasing the concentration of EG in DESs by forming of hydrogen bond interaction of $O-H{\cdots}Cl^-$, resulting in a decrease of ${\rho}$, ${\eta}$, u, $n_D$, and $T_d$ of DESs, and hindering the charge-transfer interaction of $SO_2$ with $Cl^-$ and deceasing $SO_2$ capture capacity. Moreover, the $SO_2$ absorption capacity of DESs is proportional to their ${\rho}$ and $E_{\eta}$, respectively.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.224-236
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• 2021

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of quality grade (QG) on the physicochemical composition and eating quality attributes of pork belly and shoulder butt. Seventy-two growing-finishing crossbred pigs were slaughtered and their carcasses were graded according to the Korean pork carcass grading system. Based on the grading criteria, the carcasses were classified into: QG 1+ (n=23), QG 1 (n=23) and QG 2 (n=26) groups. At 24 h postmortem, belly and shoulder butt cuts were collected from the QG groups and used for analysis of meat quality, flavor compounds and eating quality attributes. Results showed that the variation in fat content among QG was approximately 2% in the both cut types. The QG showed no effects on all the quality traits: cooking loss, pH and color of the belly or shoulder butt (p>0.05). Thirty-five flavor compounds comprising mainly fatty acids oxidation/degradation-derived products (e.g., aldehydes) and only few Maillard reaction-derived products (e.g., sulfur-and nitrogen-containing compounds) were identified. However, the QG showed a minor effect on the flavor profiles in both the belly and shoulder butt. Regarding the sensory quality, no effects of the QG were found on all the eating quality attributes (color, flavor, juiciness, tenderness and acceptability) for both the belly and shoulder butt cuts (p>0.05). Thus, it may be concluded that the current pork carcass grading standards do not reflect the real quality and value of the belly and shoulder butt cuts.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.569-578
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• 2022

Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE2) represents a period of mid-Cretaceous when black shale was deposited worldwide. This short period of perturbations in the global biogeochemical cycles spans the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary, marking the peak of the Cretaceous greenhouse, which is characterized by elevated atmospheric pCO₂, sealevel highstand, and expansion of oxygen minimum zone. Since the pioneering work in the 1970s, numerous studies have investigated the cause and consequences of the event based on geochemical and isotope proxies, and it is now widely accepted that the enhanced primary production and volcanism during the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary interval were the key environmental factors that triggered OAE2. This study briefly reviews previous OAE2 studies of the carbon, sulfur, and trace metal cycles for mechanistic understanding of the biogeochemical processes during the event.