• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.607-614
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• 2015

Cancers are the largest cause of mortality and morbidity all over the world. Cordycepin, an adenosine analog, is a major functional component of the Cordyceps species, which has been widely used in traditional Oriental medicine. Over the last decade, this compound has been reported to possess many pharmacological properties, such as an ability to enhance immune function, as well as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-cancer effects. Recently, numerous studies have reported interesting properties of cordycepin as a chemopreventive agent as well. There is an accumulating body of experimental evidences suggesting that cordycepin impedes cancer progression by promoting apoptosis, inducing cell cycle arrest, modulating intracellular signaling pathways, and inhibiting invasion and metastasis of cancer cells. In many cancer cell lines, cordycepin inhibits growth and cell cycle progression by inducing arrest of the G2/M phase, resulting from the inhibition of retinoblastoma protein phosphorylation and induction of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors. To induce apoptosis, cordycepin activates the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways, which promotes reactive oxygen species generation and the downstream activation of kinase cascades. Cordycepin also can activate alternative pathways to cell death such autophagy. In addition, cordycepin can inhibit the pro-metastatic processes of cancer cell detachment, migration, and invasion through a variety of mechanisms, including the nuclear factor-kappa B and activated protein-1 signaling pathways. In this review, we summarized the variety of action mechanisms by which cordycepin may mediate chemopreventive effects on cancer and discussed the potential of this natural product as a promising therapeutic inhibitor of cancer development.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2010

Ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation induces the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and depletes stores of cellular antioxidants. Fucoidan, polysaccharides containing L-fucose and sulfate ester groups, are constituents of brown algae. In this study, the protective effects of fucoidan on UVB-induced oxidative stress in cultured human skin fibroblast HS68 cells were assessed. Pretreatment with fucoidan significantly reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) content in a dose-dependent manner. With fucoidan pretreatment at a dose of $100\;{\mu}g/ml$, the level of intracellular glutathione was increased by 21.5%, compared to UVB irradiation alone. Fucoidan significantly reduced UVB-induced ROS generation by 40.1% and 68.4% at 10 and $100\;{\mu}g/ml$, respectively, compared to UVB irradiation alone. The positive staining rates of senescence-associated $\beta$-galactosidase were reduced by 23.1% and 16.4% with 10 and $100\;{\mu}g/ml$ of fucoidan, compared to UVB irradiation alone. Fucoidan may exert a photoprotective effect against UVB radiation-induced oxidative stress.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2016.11a
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• pp.182-182
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• 2016

철강은 기본적으로 강도가 우수하고 그 매장량이 풍부할 뿐만 아니라 대량생산이 가능하다 또한 다른 금속과 합금을 구성하여 또 다른 특성을 부여할 수 있기 때문에 현재 전 세계 금속 생산량의 95%를 차지할 정도로 많이 사용되며, 각종 산업과 기술이 발달함에 따라 그 중요도는 점점 더 커져가고 있다. 하지만 철강은 사용 환경 중 부식에 의해 그 수명과 성능이 급격히 저하되기 때문에 내식성을 향상시키기 위하여 도장이나 도금 등의 표면처리를 포함한 다양한 방법이 적용되고 있다. 그 중 철강재의 도금 표면처리방법은 주로 아연을 이용한 용융도금이나 전기도금 등과 같은 습식 프로세스가 널리 사용되고 있다. 여기서 아연은 철보다 이온화 경향은 크나 대기 환경 중 산소와 물과 반응하여 Zn(OH)2와 같은 화합물을 형성함으로써 철강재 표면상 부식인자를 차단(Barrier)함은 물론 사용 중 철 모재가 노출되는 결함이 발생하는 경우에는 철을 대신하여 희생양극(Sacrificial Anode) 역할을 하기 때문에 철의 부식방식용 금속으로 가장 많이 사용되고 있다. 한편 최근에는 철강의 사용 환경이 다양해짐은 물론 가혹해지고 있어서 이에 따른 내식성 향상이 계속해서 요구되고 있는 추세이다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 철강재의 내식성을 향상시키기 위한 일환으로 현재 많이 사용되고 있는 용융아연도금 강판 상에 아연보다 활성이 높은 마그네슘(Mg)을 건식 프로세스 방법 중에 하나인 PVD(Physical Vapour Deposition)법에 의해 코팅하는 것을 시도하였다. 일반적으로 PVD법에 의해 진공증착하는 경우에는 그 도입가스로써 불활성가스인 아르곤(Ar)을 사용하는 경우가 대부분이나 여기서는 상대적으로 비활성이면서 그 크기가 작은 질소(N2)가스를 도입하여 그 증착 막의 몰포로지는 물론 결정구조도 제어하여 그 내식특성을 향상시키고자 하였다. 본 연구에서는 철강재의 내식성을 향상시키기 위한 방법으로 마그네슘(Mg)를 PVD(Physical Vapor Deposition)법 중 진공증착법(Vacuum Deposition)을 사용하여 용융아연도금 강판 상에 마그네슘 증착 막을 형성하였다. 즉, 여기서는 진공증착 중 질소(Nitrogen, N2)가스를 도입하여 진공챔버(Vacuum Chamber)내의 진공도를 $1{\times}10^{-1}$, $1{\times}10^{-2}$, $1{\times}10^{-3}$, $1{\times}10^{-4}$로 조절하며 제작하였다. 또한 제작된 시편에 대해서는 SEM(Scanning Electron Microscope) 및 XRD(X-Ray Diffraction)을 사용하여 형성된 아연도금상 마그네슘 막의 표면 몰포로지 및 결정구조의 변화를 분석함은 물론 침지시험, 염수분무시험, 분극시험을 통해 이 막들에 대한 내식특성을 분석 평가하였다. 상기 실험결과에 의하면, 진공 가스압이 증가됨에 따라 마그네슘 막의 두께는 감소하였으며, 그 몰포로지의 단면은 주상정(Columnar)에서 입상정(Granular) 구조로 변화하며 표면의 결정립은 점점 미세화 되는 경향을 나타냈다. 이때의 표면의 결정배향성(Crystal orientation)은 표면에너지가 상대적으로 큰 면이 우세하게 나타나는 경향이 있었다. 또한 본 실험에서 형성한 진공증착 막은 비교재인 용융아연도금강판보다 우수한 내식성을 나타냈고, 본 형성 막 중에는 마그네슘 막 두께가 작음에도 불구하고 질소 가스압이 가장 큰 조건일수록 내식성이 우수한 경향을 나타냈다. 이상의 결과는 철강재의 내식성 향상을 위한 응용표면처리설계에 기초적인 지침을 제공할 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.760-767
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• 2010

The oxidative damage of lipids, protein, and DNA is known to be involved in not only chronic inflammations such as arthritis, hepatitis, nephritis, gastritis, colitis, and periodontitis but also metastasis. It has given impetus to searching for natural compounds without toxicity, which prevent the development of these diseases. The direct scavenging effects of aged black garlic extract (ABGE) were evaluated in vitro on DPPH radical, hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide, and genomic DNA damage related to oxidative stress. Furthermore, its antioxidant effect on lipid peroxidation was investigated in human fibrosarcoma cells (HT1080), which were exposed to the hydroxyl radical generated by the Fenton reaction. It was observed that ABGE exhibited a greater inhibitory effect on hydrogen peroxide than other reactive oxygen species, and also blocked DNA oxidation and lipid peroxidation induced by the hydroxyl radical. The oxidative stress in live cells was also inhibited in the presence of ABGE. In addition, its inhibitory effects on the activity and expression of MMP-2 and -9 related to metastasis were determined using gelatin zymography and western blot. The data showed that it inhibited MMP-2 and -9 in PMA-stimulated HT1080 cells. Therefore, these results suggest that ABGE show potential as an excellent agent for prevention of metastasis related to oxidative stress.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.234-239
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• 1999

A Abstract Yttria-stabilized zirconia(YSZ) thin films were synthesized by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process. $Zr[TMHD]_4$ $Y[TMHD]_3$ precursors and oxygen were used with the deposition temperature of $425^{\circ}C$ and rf power ranging 0-100 watt. Effects of the deposition parameters were studied by X-ray diffraction and thickness anal­ysis. YSZ thin films have cubic crystal structure with (200) orientation. From the results of EDX analysis, the converte ed content of TEX>$Y_2O_3$ was determined to be 0-36%, and the film thickness was increased with bubbling temperature which is considered to be due to increasing TEX>$Y_2O_3$ flux. The depth profiles of Zr, Y and 0 appeared relatively $\infty$nstant through film thickness. Columnar grains of $1000~2000\AA$ grew vertical to the substrate surface for the case of Ar carri­er gas. In case of He carrier gas, the grain size was observed to be about $1000~2000\AA$. X-ray diffraction data showed the increase of lattice constant with TEX>$Y_2O_3$ content. It was that the presence of the cracks formed during film deposition, partially released the stress generated by the increase of lattice constant.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.25-33
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• 2020

The Asan Bay, which has semi-diurnal tide with macro-tidal range, is affected by both freshwater discharge from the sluice gates in the sea dikes and tidal seawater inputs from the Yellow sea. Understanding water quality change in response to tides is important since tides can impact the short-term variations in physical and chemical water properties as well as the response of biological properties. The diel variations in water quality were seasonally investigated at 2 hour intervals from a fixed station in the Asan Bay. In the results, water temperature and salinity consistently fluctuated in phase or out of phase with tidal height. Especially salinity was positively correlated with tidal height. The concentrations of total suspended solids were higher in the bottom water than in the surface and fluctuated greatly over the tidal cycle recording higher values at low tide than at high tide. Nitrite+nitrate levels also fluctuated out of phase with tidal height and correlated negatively with tidal height. Other nutrients also showed a similar pattern. The pattern was distinct in July when freshwater was discharged before the field sampling. The concentrations of organic materials, total nitrogen and total phosphorus greatly fluctuated over the tidal cycle and were generally out of phase with tidal height. Most materials except particulate organic forms were correlated with salinity indicating that freshwater inputs were sources for the materials similarly to the dissolved inorganic nutrients. The results suggest that water quality (except dissolved oxygen and pH) and nutrients including organic materials was largely affected by tides in the Asan Bay.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.60-66
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• 2021

As the concentration of nitrogen in the sewage flowing into the sewage treatment plant increases due to urbanization and industrialization, the degree of adverse effects such as eutrophication and toxicity to the aquatic ecosystem is also increasing. In order to treat sewage containing high concentration of nitrogen, various studies on the biological nitrogen removal process are being conducted. Existing biological nitrogen removal processes require significant costs for supplying oxygen and supplementing external carbon sources. In this respect, as a high-level nitrogen removal process with economic improvement is required, an anaerobic ammonium oxidation process (ANAMMOX), which is more efficient and economical than the existing nitrification and denitrification processes, has been proposed. The purpose of this study is to confirm the stability of the ANAMMOX process in the water treatment process and to derive the ratio of ammonia nitrogen (NH4+) to nitrite nitrogen (NO2-) for the implementation of the mainstream ANAMMOX process. A laboratory-scale Mainstream ANAMMOX reactor was operated by applying the ratio calculated based on the substrate ratio suggested in the previous study. In the initial range, the removal efficiency of NH4+ was 58~86%, and the average removal efficiency was 70%. In the advanced range, the removal efficiency of NH4+ was 94~99%, and the average removal efficiency was 95%. As a result of the study, as the NH4+/NO2- ratio increased, the stability of the mainstream ANAMMOX process was secured, and it was confirmed that the NH4+ removal efficiency and the total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency increased. As a result, the results of this study are expected to be used as basic data in the application of the ANAMMOX process in the mainstream.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.411-417
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• 2022

Environmental issues such as global warming due to fossil fuel use are now major worldwide concerns, and interest in renewable and clean energy is growing. Of the various types of renewable energy, green hydrogen energy has recently attracted attention because of its eco-friendly and high-energy density. Electrochemical water splitting is considered a pollution-free means of producing clean hydrogen and oxygen and in large quantities. The development of non-noble electrocatalysts with low cost and high performance in water splitting has also attracted considerable attention. In this study, we successfully synthesized a NiCo₂O₄/NF electrode for an oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline water splitting using a hydrothermal method, which was followed by post-heat treatment. The effects of heat treatment on the electrochemical performance of the electrodes were evaluated under different heat-treatment conditions. The optimized NCO/NF-300 electrode showed an overpotential of 416 mV at a high current density of 50 mA/cm² and a low Tafel slope (49.06 mV dec^-1). It also showed excellent stability (due to the large surface area) and the lowest charge transfer resistance (12.59 Ω). The results suggested that our noble-metal free electrodes have great potential for use in developing alkaline electrolysis systems.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.79-89
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• 2023

Development of efficient and stable electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) under acidic conditions is desirable goal for commercializing proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electroyzer. Herein, we report iridium-doped hydrogenated titanate (Ir-HTO) nanobelts as a promising catalyst with a low-Ir content for the acidic OER. Addition of low-Ir (~ 3.36 at%) into the single-crystalline HTO nanobelts with large exposed {100} facets significantly boost catalytic activity and stability for OER under acidic conditions. The Ir-HTO outperforms the commenrcial benchmark IrO₂ catalyst; an overpotential for delivering 10 mA cm^-2 current density was reduced to about 25% for the Ir-HTO. Moreover, the catalytic performance of Ir-HTO is positioned as the most efficient electrocatalyst for the acidic OER. An improved intrinsic catalytic activity and stability are also confirmed for the Ir-HTO through in-depth electrochemical characterizations. Therefore, our results suggest that low-Ir doped single-crystalline HTO nanobelts can be a promising catalyst for efficient and durable OER under acidic conditions.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.291-297
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• 2023

Gastritis is an inflammation of the gastric mucosa and gastric ulcers are a break in the mucosa of the stomach lining. Past research on gastritis and gastric ulcers has been mainly conducted from the perspective that environmental factors are the primary cause of these gastric diseases. However, recently the importance of genetic factors has been emphasized due to current developments in genetic research. The SLC25A26 gene is believed to be associated with the accumulation of reactive oxygen species. Oxidative stress promotes an inflammatory response, which increases the production of free radicals and causes cellular damage, and these lead to the development of gastric diseases. In this study, the correlation between SLC25A26 and gastric diseases was analyzed. Polymorphisms in SLC25A26 were analyzed in 1,369 domestic gastric disease patients and 7,471 healthy controls. As a result, 11 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (in the genotype) and 13 SNPs (in the imputation) showed statistical significance (P<0.05), and high relative risk of gastric diseases. Among them, the rs13874 allele of SLC25A26 showed a highly significant association with gastric diseases. In the genotype-based mRNA expression analysis, the minor allele (C) group showed increased mRNA expression and this could increase oxidative stress. In conclusion, SLC25A26 polymorphisms are associated with gastric diseases. These results may provide a basis for new guidelines for gastric disease management in the Korean population.