• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.236-241
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• 2023

Solar cells based on p-conjugated donor-acceptor (D-A) organic molecular systems are a promising alternative to conventional electrical energy generation. D-A molecular systems, which have a triphenylamine (TPA) moiety linked with a benzothiadiazole (BTD) moiety, open the potential development of new small molecule donors for bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells. Here, a series of donor-acceptor-π-acceptor (D-A-π-A) small molecule donors (SMD) derived from triphenylamine (TPA) donor and benzothiadiazole (BTD) acceptor building blocks, were designed for BHJ organic solar cells. The small molecule donors SMD1-4 were studied using density functional theory (DFT) and time dependent-DFT (TDDFT) methods, to understand the effect of cyano and fluorine group functionalization on their properties. The effect of structure alteration by cyano and fluorine group functionalization on the optoelectronic properties, the calculated highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMOs) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMOs) and the HOMO-LUMO gaps were theoretically explored. The V_oc (open-circuit photovoltage) and fill factor (FF) for SMD1-4 were obtained with a PC₇₁BM acceptor, which showed that these organic small molecules are potential small molecule donors for organic bulk heterojunction solar cells.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2024

This study evaluated the risk of single and combined exposure to microplastics in zebrafish (Danio rerio) through biomarkers, such as survival rate, excretion rate, and histological alterations of organ systems. The experimental groups were the control(Cont.), single microplastics exposure group(MPs, 1.83%/fish total weight(g)), the copper group(Cu, 21.6 ㎍ L^-1), and a group with combined exposure to MPs and copper (MPs^*Cu). The experiment was conducted with individual exposure (7 days) for MP excretion rate analysis and group exposure (14 days) for biomarker analysis. The daily excretion rate of MPs tended to decrease in a time-dependent manner. The copper concentration in the body was not significantly different between single and combined copper exposure. The degeneration of mucous cells in the skin, capillary dilation of the gill lamella, increased intestinal mucous, hepatocyte hypertrophy, and the degeneration of glomeruli and renal tubules were observed in all exposure groups. These histological alterations showed the highest tendency in the MPs^*Cu group. In this study, the changes in biomarkers were attributed to the single effect of copper or the combined effect of copper and MPs rather than being solely influenced by MPs.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.310-316
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• 2024

Background: The wood-processing industry has historically exhibited high rates of occupational hazards resulting in illness and injury. One of the major causes of high injury rates is small firm size, as resource constraints generally preclude hiring safety officers. This study examined the effect of a safety leadership training program that included coaching for managers on workers' safety behaviors and safety climate in three wood-processing companies. Methods: One or two managers at each site participated in this study. The manager training consisted of safety leadership education, safety observation, positive or corrective feedback on workers' behaviors, goal setting, and low-cost rewards for meeting goals. The dependent variable was the percentage of safe employee behaviors recorded on a critical behavior checklist developed for this study. Safety climate was measured before and after the intervention. An AB multiple baseline design across settings was adopted. After the baseline (A), the training program (B) was introduced to each site at different points in time. Results: After the introduction of safety leadership training, the mean rate of safety compliance increased by 15.3%, from 80.38% to 95.68%, and safety climate scores increased significantly from an average of 3.2 to 3.47. Conclusion: These results suggest that safety leadership coaching can be effective in improving safety management in small sawmilling sites. Implications, limitations, and possible future research directions are discussed.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.227-243
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• 1997

The experimental study used in this paper was done to examine the clinical effects of Taeumchowetang for the gastric ulcer and the function of gastrointestinal tract using rats and mice which were administered orally the water extraction from Taeumchowetang. Then, the counter-action of the water extraction on the isolated ileum and gastric fundus, the inhibitory effects of pylorus-ligated ulcer and indomethacin-induced ulcer, the associations with gastric juice secretion, total acidity, pepsin output, the transportability in the small and large intestine, were studied with administering acetylcholine chloride and barium chloride. In addition, it was investigated whether the central nervous system related to pain control and sleeping time was influenced by Taeumchowetang. The following results have been obtained; 1. As resulting from injection of acetylcholine chloride and barium chloride into the isolated ileum of rats and mice, Taeumchowetang led to have an inhibitory effect on the muscle contraction of the ileum. Then, acetylcholine chloride was measured as lower effect than barium chloride 2. For the inhibitory effect on contraction for the gastric fundus strip in rats by either acetylcholine chloride or barium chloride, the one showed low inhibitory effect, on the other hand the other showed density-dependent effect. 3. The water extraction was given on the pylorus ligated ulcer with using two different administration groups of 1,300mg/kg and 2,600mg/kg, each result was measured as 22.9% and 36.5% for an ulcerous inhibitory effect (p<0.05). 4. According to the two administration groups, the preventive effect was tabulated 18.1% and 29.3% for indomethacin-induced ulcer (p<0.05, P<0.01). 5. For associations with gastric juice secretion, total acidity, pepsin output in the administration group 2,600mg/kg, Taeumchowetang was recognized as having an inhibitory effects related to suppressive actions involving gastric juice secretion(p<0.05), and free acidity(p<0.01), but there was no significant association with total acidity and pepsin output. 6. To know the transportability in the intestine, BaSO4 solution was used. The transportability of the small intestine in the administration group 2,600mg/kg was 22.2% which was statistically significant compared with the large intestine's transportability(P<0.01). 7. In the administration group 1,300mg/kg and 2,600mg/kg, analgesic effect with against acetic acid was measured as being 16.8% and 24.4% which was shown as statistically siginificant(p<0.01). 8. No statistically significant association between Taeumchowetang and sleeping time was found in both 1,300mg/kg and 2,600mg/kg by administering phenobarbital-Na. According to the results of this study, Taeumchowetang has agreed with the effects of literature review. Further more in this study, Taeumchowetang also has preventive effects on pylorus-ligated ulcer. Hence, Teaumchowetang can be significant effect such as both anti ulcer agent and increasing gastric activity for the patients who suffer from gastric ulcer.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.33 no.6 s.101
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• pp.453-463
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• 2003

Mammalian cell is critically dependent on a continuous supply of oxygen. Even brief periods of oxygen deprivation can result in profound cellular damage. The aim of this study was to examine the possible mechanism of apoptosis in response to hypoxia in MC3T3E1 osteoblasts. MC3T3El osteoblasts under hypoxic conditions ($2\%$ oxygen) resulted in apoptosis in a time-dependent manner, determined by DNA fragmentation assay and nuclear morphology, stained with fluorescent dye (Hoechst 33258) Pretreatment with Z-VAD-FMK, a pancaspase inhibitor, or Z-DEVD-CHO, a specific caspase-3 inhibitor, suppressed the DNA ladder in response to hypoxia in a concentration dependent manner. An increase in caspase-3-like protease (DEVDase) activity was observed during apoptosis, but no caspase-l activity (YVADase) was detected. To confirm what caspases were involved in apoptosis, western blot analysis was performed using an anticaspase-3 or 6 antibody. The 17-kDa protein, that corresponds to the active products of caspase-3 and the 20-kDa protein of the active protein of caspase-6 were generated in hypoxia-challenged lysates, in which the full length forms of caspase-3 and 6 were evident. With a time course similar to caspase-3 and 6 activation, hypoxic stress also caused the cleavage of Lamin A, typical of caspase-6 activity. In addition, the hypoxic stress elicited the release of cytochrome c into the cytosol during apoptosis. These findings suggested that the activation of caspases accompanied by a cytochrome c release in response to hypoxia was involved in apoptotic cell death in MC3T3E1 osteoblasts.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.311-318
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• 2014

PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) is one of the perflourinated organic compound, which persist as a residual compound in the coastal environments. Intertidal mud crab Macrophthalmus japonicus mainly inhabits in coastal and bay ecosystems in Indo-Pacific region including Korea and reflects to environmental changes. In the present study, M. japonicus were exposed to different concentrations of PFOS and various ecotoxicological end-points such as survival rate, elimination of appendages, changes of the crust and internal organ color changes were investigated. Interestingly, the PFOS exposure showed concentration-dependent decrease of survival rate. High PFOS exposure ($30{\mu}gL^{-1}$) showed a low survival rate of 24% at 168 hours. Further, in comparison with the controls, the rate of elimination of appendages was also considerably increased in a time dependent manner upon PFOS exposure. Notably, with progression of time, an increased exposure to PFOS, test species showed whitening effect in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas the crab crust color was unchanged in the control. In addition, change in internal organs color and their visibility (clarity) observed in PFOS exposed crabs compared to control. Taken together, we suggest, eco-toxicology end-points of M. japonicus exposed to PFOS gave important biological information which could be useful to identify toxic contamination in the marine benthic environments.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.63-70
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• 2006

Natural product compounds are the source of numerous therapeutic agents. The marine environment produces natural products from a variety of structural classes exhibiting activity against numerous disease targets including anticancer agents. Among these, pectenotoxin-2 (PTX-2), which was first identified as a cytotoxic entity in marine sponges, which depolymerizes actin filaments, was found to be highly effective and more potent to activate an intrinsic pathway of apoptosis in p53-deficient tumor cells compared to those with functional p53 both in vitro and in vivo. However, the anti-proliferative mechanism of the compound at non-cytotoxic concentrations has not yet been explored. In the current study, we sought to investigate anti-proliferation and apoptosis of PTX-2 against U937 human leukemic cells and its underlying molecular mechanism. Exposure of U937 cells to PTX-2 resulted in growth inhibition and induction of apoptosis in dose- and time-dependent manner as measured by MTT assay, fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometric analysis. The anti-proliferative effect of PTX-2 was associated with a marked increase in the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase p21 (WAF1/CIP1) mRNA which was tumor suppressor p53-independent. The increase in apoptosis was connected with a time-dependent down-regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-XL and inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) family such as XIAP and cIAP-2. Though additional studies are needed, these findings suggested that PTX-2-induced inhibition of U937 cells was associated with the induction of apoptotic cell death and the results provided important new insights into the possible molecular mechanisms of the anti-cancer activity of PTX-2.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.31-42
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• 2014

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of gamma irradiation (0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1 and 1.5 kGy) on the microbiological, physicochemical and sensory qualities of imported orange during storage at $3^{\circ}C$ for 60 days. Total aerobic bacteria and yeast/mold counts in non-irradiated oranges were 3.59 and 3.75 log CFU/g, and those counts in irradiated oranges at 1.5 kGy were decreased by 1.75 and 2.26 log CFU/g, respectively. Moreover, those counts were decreased significantly according to a dose-dependent manner after gamma irradiation. The pH revealed no significant difference between the control and irradiated samples; however, titratable acidity was decreased significantly according to a dose-dependent manner and storage time. The vitamin C contents were decreased significantly according to a dose-dependent manner and storage time after gamma irradiation. Further, sensory evaluation testing revealed no significant difference between the control and irradiated samples, except 1.5 kGy. Samples irradiated at 1.5 kGy had the lowest values in color, sweetness, sourness, flavor, texture and overall acceptance. The results suggest that gamma irradiation was effective for ensuring microbiological safety; however, irradiated oranges at 1 and 1.5 kGy did not have good physicochemical and sensory qualities. Therefore, we can use the sample irradiated at 0.4~0.6 kGy as optimum-dose to be minimize on quality changes.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.140-144
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• 2012

Compared with bulk material, quantum dots have received increasing attention due to their fascinating physical properties, including optical and electronic properties, which are due to the quantum confinement effect. Especially, Luminescent CdSe quantum dots have been highly investigated due to their tunable size-dependent photoluminescence across the visible spectrum. They are of great interest for technical applications such as light-emitting devices, lasers, and fluorescent labels. In particular, quantum dot-based light-emitting diodes emit high luminance. Quantum dots have very high luminescence properties because of their absorption coefficient and quantum efficiency, which are higher than those of typical dyes. CdSe quantum dots were synthesized as a function of the synthesis time and synthesis temperature. The photoluminescence properties were found strongly to depend on the reaction time and the temperature due to the core size changing. It was also observed that the photoluminescence intensity is decreased with the synthesis time due to the temperature dependence of the band gap. The wavelength of the synthesized quantum dots was about 550-700 nm and the intensity of the photoluminescence increased about 22~70%. After the CdSe quantum dots were synthesized, the particles were found to have grown until reaching a saturated concentration as time increased. Red shift occurred because of the particle growth. The microstructure and phase developments were measured by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD), respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.64 no.5
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• pp.30-49
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• 2014

Mobile shopping, through the use of the smart phone, has become a very popular shopping method for consumers due to it not being limited by time or place. This research aims do the following:1)find the causes for consumers shifting to mobile shopping with the focus on fashion and beauty items; and in order to so, this research will use the TAM that was found by David et al (1989), and 2) distinguish any behavioral differences between consumer groups divided into purchasing intention of fashion and beauty items through smart phone. Path analysis was performed to verify the cause-and-effect relationship between the variables. Personal characteristics(i.e. market maven, time orientation), perceived usability, ease of use, attitude towards mobile shopping, and purchase intentions were all treated as dependant variables. The results showed that attitude towards mobile shopping was the most important variable on mobile shopping intentions. Time-oriented and Market Maven were thought to affect mobile shopping attitude and the dependent variables of purchase intention. Also, when purchasing smart phones, consumers highly valued smart phone's popularity; people with higher purchasing intention mainly used entertainment and utility apps. The following are the main reasons for not purchasing through mobile shopping: they are slower than computers, inconveniences in viewing due to small size of the screen, and security issues. The consumers used the internet as their main source of acquiring daily information. In this research, factors that affect the purchase intention were studied. However, it is difficult to firmly insist that this research correctly predicts the actual purchase intention-further studies need to be done to investigate the relationship between mobile purchase intention and actual purchase intention.