• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.08a
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• pp.130.2-130.2
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• 2013

Today, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of hydrocarbon gases has been demonstrated as an attractive method to synthesize large-area graphene layers. However, special care should be taken to precisely control the resulting graphene layers in CVD due to its sensitivity to various process parameters. Therefore, a facile synthesis to grow graphene layers with high controllability will have great advantages for scalable practical applications. In order to simplify and create efficiency in graphene synthesis, the graphene growth by thermal annealing process has been discussed by several groups. However, the study on growth mechanism and the detailed structural and optoelectronic properties in the resulting graphene films have not been reported yet, which will be of particular interest to explore for the practical application of graphene. In this study, we report the growth of few-layer, large-area graphene films using rapid thermal annealing (RTA) without the use of intentional carbon-containing precursor. The instability of nickel films in air facilitates the spontaneous formation of ultrathin (<2~3 nm) carbon- and oxygen-containing compounds on a nickel surface and high-temperature annealing of the nickel samples results in the formation of few-layer graphene films with high crystallinity. From annealing temperature and ambient studies during RTA, it was found that the evaporation of oxygen atoms from the surface is the dominant factor affecting the formation of graphene films. The thickness of the graphene layers is strongly dependent on the RTA temperature and time and the resulting films have a limited thickness less than 2 nm even for an extended RTA time. The transferred films have a low sheet resistance of ~380 ${\Omega}/sq$, with ~93% optical transparency. This simple and potentially inexpensive method of synthesizing novel 2-dimensional carbon films offers a wide choice of graphene films for various potential applications.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.279-287
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• 2017

The chemical property of cinnamaldehyde is unstable in vivo, although early experiments have shown its obvious therapeutic effects on viral myocarditis (VMC). To overcome this problem, we used cinnamaldehyde as a leading compound to synthesize derivatives. Five derivatives of cinnamaldehyde were synthesized: 4-methylcinnamaldehyde (1), 4-chlorocinnamaldehyde (2), 4-methoxycinnamaldehyde (3), ${\alpha}$-bromo-4-methylcinnamaldehyde (4), and ${\alpha}$-bromo-4-chlorocinnamaldehyde (5). Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes and HeLa cells infected by coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) were used to evaluate their antiviral and cytotoxic effects. In vivo BALB/c mice were infected with CVB3 for establishing VMC models. Among the derivatives, compound 4 and 5 inhibited the CVB3 in HeLa cells with the half-maximal inhibitory concentrations values of $11.38{\pm}2.22{\mu}M$ and $2.12{\pm}0.37{\mu}M$, respectively. The 50% toxic concentrations of compound 4 and 5-treated cells were 39-fold and 87-fold higher than in the cinnamaldehyde group. Compound 4 and 5 effectively reduced the viral titers and cardiac pathological changes in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, compound 4 and 5 significantly inhibited the secretion, mRNA and protein expressions of inflammatory cytokines TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6 in CVB3-infected cardiomyocytes, indicating that brominated cinnamaldehyde not only improved the anti-vital activities for VMC, but also had potent anti-inflammatory effects in cardiomyocytes induced by CVB3.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.5 s.85
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• pp.687-693
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• 2007

Insulin-like growth factor-I(IGF-I) has significant insulin-like anabolic effects which include the stimulation of glucose and amino acid uptake, as well as protein and glycogen synthesis. IGFs exist in serum and other biological fluids as complexes bound to a family of structurally related insulin-like growth factor binding proteins(IGFBPs). Six human IGFBPs can modulate the effects of IGFs on target tissues by several mechanisms, including altering the serum's half-life and the transcapillary transport of IGFs, as well as changing the availability of IGFs to specific cell surface receptors. Human fibroblasts secrete IGFBPs that can modify IGF-I action. Previous to our study using either Northern blotting, and Western blotting have shown that fibroblasts express mRNA IGFBP-3, -4, and -5, and synthesize these proteins. In addition, fibroblast cell lysates revealed that the IGFBP-3 was most abundant. For these reasons, we undertook to gain further insight into the effects of high and low glucose incubation condition on metabolism and IGFBP-3 expression. In results of metabolites and IGFBP-3 expression in GM10 cells cultivated with various glucose concentration, the consumption of glucose and accumulation of triglyceride were increased in condition of high glucose, and total protein level was decreased. in the course of time. After 5 days incubation, levels of free amino acid in medium containing glucose of high concentration glucose were higher than in conditions of low glucose. Although the levels of IGFBP-3 protein and mRNA levels were increased in low glucose, and IGFBP-3 was not affected by any pretense. Taken together, we suggest that the study of growth factors, like IGFs, might be a possible model of diabetes militus in cell, although the results in cell models were not in accord with in vivo.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.182-189
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• 2013

Halophytes are unique land plants that are capable of thriving in a high-salt environment. They are attracting public attention due to their ability to synthesize bioactive substances such as UV protectants or antioxidizing agents. To achieve unaffected growth under high salinity, halophytes may take advantage of the activities of cell growth factors such as expansins. Expansins are well-known cell wall proteins that are responsible for cell enlargement. They loosen cell walls, thereby contributing to actual plant growth. This study aimed to identify positive roles of expansins in the growth of halophytes. Three expansin cDNA clones were isolated from seedlings of Suaeda japonica. Comparing the deduced amino acid sequences of the expansin genes of S. japonica with those of other plant species suggested that the cDNA clones isolated from S. japonica belong to the EXPA (${\alpha}$-expansin) gene family. A phylogenetic tree based on the deduced amino acid sequences revealed that the expansins of S. japonica share a close evolutionary relationship with those of strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) and jujube (Ziziphus jujuba), both of which are woody dicots. SjEXPAs did not show any remarkable change in the gene expression level in different NaCl concentrations, providing a clue to the unaffected seedling growth of S. japonica in a high-salt environment. In conclusion, the present study presents the first report of expansin genes from halophytes and suggests a putative role for these genes in plant growth under high salinity.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.257-261
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• 2005

The microbial cellulose is in a form of three dimensional net structures that consists of 20~50 nm fibrils. It possesses high crystallinity and orientation. It is difficult to synthesize large amount of fibrous carbon nanomaterials by the carbonization process using raw materials such as polyacrylonitrile (PAN), regenerated cellulose (Rayon) and pitch. However, it seems possible thru the application of microbial cellulose as raw material. The application of such cellulose can be further extended to the synthesis of highly oriented graphite fiber. Out of three different cellulose-producing strains, G. xylinus ATCC11142 was chosen as it has the highest productivity (0.066 g dried cellulose/15 mL medium). Tar is often produced during the carbonization of cellulose that limits the formation fibrous structure of the carbonized sample. In order to solve such a problem, pre-studied purification methods of carbon nanotube such as liquid phase oxidation, gas phase oxidation and filtration associated with ultrasonication were applied at the carbonized cellulose. In that case. only by filtration associated with ultrasonication, improved the formation of fiber structure of the carbonized cellulose.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.734-741
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• 1998

Electrode characteristics were studied in the interface between sample solutions and $K^+$ ion selective PVC membrane electrodes containing neutral carriers, dibenzo-18-crown-6(D18Cr6) and valinomycin(Val). The effect of doping of base electrolytes, the chemical structure and the content of carrier, variation of plasticizer, membrane thickness, and concentration variation of sample solution on the response characteristics of electrode such as the measured Nernstian slope, the detection limit, the linear response range, and potentiometric selectivity coefficients, were studied. In order to synthesize the membrane D18Cr6 and Val as neutral carriers were used, and complex between the carrier and $K^+$ ions were used as active materials. PVC membrane electrodes were made of plasticizers (DBP, DOS, and DBS), the base electrolyte[potassium tetraphenylborate(KTPB)], and solvent(THF). The chemical structure of carrier D18Cr6 was best for electrode and ideal electrode characteristics were appeared especially in case of doping of TPB. The optimum carrier content was about 3.23 wt % in case of D18Cr6 and Val. DBP was best as a plasticizer. As membrane thickness decreased the electrode characteristics was improved. But its characteristics were lowered below the optimum membrane thickness because of the elution of carrier, deterioration of membrane strength, etc. In the case of D18Cr6, the selectivity coefficients by the mixed solution method for the $K^+$ ion were in the order of $NH_4{^+}>Ca^{2+}>Mg^{2+}>Na^+$.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.270-276
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• 2008

$N_2$ doped $TiO_2$ nano-sized powder was prepared using a DC arc plasma jet and investigated with XRD, BET, SEM, TEM, and photo-catalytic decomposition. Recently the research interest about the nano-sized $TiO_2$ powder has been increased to improve its photo-catalytic activity for the removal of environmental pollutants. Nitrogen gas, reacting gas, and titanium tetrachloride ($TiCl_4$) were used as the raw materials and injected into the plasma reactor to synthesize the $N_2$ doped $TiO_2$ power. The particle size and XRD peaks of the synthesized powder were analyzed as a function of the flow rate of the nitrogen gas. Also, the characteristics of the photo-catalytic decomposition using the prepared powder were studied. For comparing the photo-catalytic decomposition performance of $TiO_2$ powder with that of $TiO_2$ coating, $TiO_2$ thin films were prepared by the spin coating and the pulsed laser deposition. For the results of the acetaldehyde decomposition, the photo-catalytic activity of $TiO_{2-x}N_x$ powder was higher than that of the pure $TiO_2$ powder in the visible light region. For the methylene blue decomposition, the decomposition efficiency of $TiO_2$ powder was also higher than that of $TiO_2$ film.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.45-50
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• 2004

To investigate the characteristics of phases formed in iron carbides, super iron carbide was synthesized from hematite fines with $CO-H_2$ gas mixture after reduction under $H_2$ gas at $600^{\circ}C$. Before carburization, the surface of iron powder reduced was pre-treated in the atmosphere of 0.05 vol% $NH_3$-Ar. The synthesized iron carbides were comprehensively explored by C/S analyzer(Low C/S determinator), M$\"{o}$ssbauer spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction patterns(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), transmission electron microscopy(TEM), and Raman spectroscopy at various reaction time of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 min, respectively. By adding a small amount of $NH_3$ gas, the super iron carbides containing 10 wt% carbon were synthesized, and its addition stabilized iron carbides. It was found that the $NH_3$ treatment played a major role in the formation of iron carbide without decomposition($Fe_3C{\to}$3Fe+C) of iron carbides and precipitation of free carbon. It also succeed to synthesize super iron carbide, $Fe_5C_2$, as a stable single phase without involving Fe and $Fe_3C$ phases.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.58-66
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• 2020

Carbonation (step I) and cryo-crystallization (crystallization at low temperature) (step II) were performed to synthesize Na compounds from sodium concentrated solution. In the step 1, the solubility and pH of carbon dioxide (95 wt.%) affecting carbonation could be changed by the variation of reaction temperature. The step II was performed at 2 ℃ after carbonation. The injection of carbon dioxide was carried out twice for the stable production and the saturated solubility of carbonate ions in solution. Firstly, we tried to inject CO₂ for controlling the solubility of CO₂ by changing the reaction temperature from 35 ℃ to 10 ℃, and the second injection was aimed at 10 ℃ for inducing nucleation of Na compound through carbonation after NaCl solution addition. In the cryo-crystallization step, the crystal growth of Na compounds could be induced by slowing the carbonation rate through reaction temperature change from 10 ℃ to 2 ℃. In this study, the effect on NaOH concentration was examined and the purity of Na compound was increased when 2M NaOH was used. In addition, the synthesized Na compounds were mostly rod-shaped and consisted of sodium carbonate or sodium carbonate with monohydrate.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.60-69
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• 1998

This paper proposes a speech synthesis method using Fuzzy VQ, and then study how to make choice of fuzziness value which optimizes (controls) the performance of FVQ in order to obtain the synthesized speech which is closer to the original speech. When FVQ is used to synthesize a speech, analysis stage generates membership function values which represents the degree to which an input speech pattern matches each speech patterns in codebook, and synthesis stage reproduces a synthesized speech, using membership function values which is obtained in analysis stage, fuzziness value, and fuzzy-c-means operation. By comparsion of the performance of the FVQ and VQ synthesizer with simmulation, we show that, although the FVQ codebook size is half of a VQ codebook size, the performance of FVQ is almost equal to that of VQ. This results imply that, when Fuzzy VQ is used to obtain the same performance with that of VQ in speech synthesis, we can reduce by half of memory size at a codebook storage. And then we have found that, for the optimized FVQ with maximum SQNR in synthesized speech, the fuzziness value should be small when the variance of analysis frame is relatively large, while fuzziness value should be large, when it is small. As a results of comparsion of the speeches synthesized by VQ and FVQ in their spectrogram of frequency domain, we have found that spectrum bands(formant frequency and pitch frequency) of FVQ synthesized speech are closer to the original speech than those using VQ.