• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
• /
• v.16 no.6
• /
• pp.293-299
• /
• 2006

Magnetic nanoparticles were prepared by thermal decomposition and adsorbed with lecithin by applying ultrasonic. The size and saturation magnetization of magnetic nanoparticles were observed with different lecithin concentration, and the maximum tolerated dose (HTD) and toxicity of magnetic fluid was investigated through a biological test. The thickness of lecithin-adsorption layer increased non-linearly with increasing amounts of added lecithin, and the desirable adsorption amount was observed in the lecithin concentration of 20%(w/v). The dispersibility and magnetic properties of lecithin-adsorbed magnetic nanoparticles were most excellent when the ultrasonic exposure time was 1.5h. Also, the maximum tolerated concentration with best cell viability was $32{\mu}g/ml$ in vitro test, and lecithin-adsorbed magnetic fluids improved the biocompatibility by 1.2 times compared with bare magnetite fluids in vivo.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.171-177
• /
• 2019

Parasitic infections have remained a significant burden on human and animal health. In part, this is due to lack of clinically-approved, novel antimicrobials and a lack of interest by the pharmaceutical industry. An alternative approach is to modify existing clinically-approved drugs for efficient delivery formulations to ensure minimum inhibitory concentration is achieved at the target site. Nanotechnology offers the potential to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of drugs through modification of nanoparticles with ligands. Amphotericin B, nystatin, and fluconazole are clinically available drugs in the treatment of amoebal and fungal infections. These drugs were conjugated with gold nanoparticles. To characterize these gold-conjugated drug, atomic force microscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were performed. These drugs and their gold nanoconjugates were examined for antimicrobial activity against the protist pathogen, Acanthamoeba castellanii of the T4 genotype. Moreover, host cell cytotoxicity assays were accomplished. Cytotoxicity of these drugs and drug-conjugated gold nanoparticles was also determined by lactate dehydrogenase assay. Gold nanoparticles conjugation resulted in enhanced bioactivity of all three drugs with amphotericin B producing the most significant effects against Acanthamoeba castellanii (p < 0.05). In contrast, bare gold nanoparticles did not exhibit antimicrobial potency. Furthermore, amoebae treated with drugs-conjugated gold nanoparticles showed reduced cytotoxicity against HeLa cells. In this report, we demonstrated the use of nanotechnology to modify existing clinically-approved drugs and enhance their efficacy against pathogenic amoebae. Given the lack of development of novel drugs, this is a viable approach in the treatment of neglected diseases.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.28-32
• /
• 2023

Recently, the use of stable lithium nanostructures as substrates and electrodes for secondary batteries can be a fundamental alternative to the development of next-generation system semiconductor devices. However, lithium structures pose safety concerns by severely limiting battery life due to the growth of Li dendrites during rapid charge/discharge cycles. Also, enabling long cyclability of high-voltage oxide cathodes is a persistent challenge for all-solid-state batteries, largely because of their poor interfacial stabilities against oxide solid electrolytes. For the development of next-generation system semiconductor devices, solid electrolyte nanostructures, which are used in high-density micro-energy storage devices and avoid the instability of liquid electrolytes, can be promising alternatives for next-generation batteries. Nevertheless, poor lithium ion conductivity and structural defects at room temperature have been pointed out as limitations. In this study, a low-dimensional Graphene Oxide (GO) structure was applied to demonstrate stable operation characteristics based on Li+ ion conductivity and excellent electrochemical performance. The low-dimensional structure of GO-based solid electrolytes can provide an important strategy for stable scalable solid-state power system semiconductor applications at room temperature. The device using uncoated bare NCA delivers a low capacity of 89 mA h g-1, while the cell using GO-coated NCA delivers a high capacity of 158 mA h g−1 and a low polarization. A full Li GO-based device was fabricated to demonstrate the practicality of the modified Li structure using the Li-GO heterointerface. This study promises that the lowdimensional structure of Li-GO can be an effective approach for the stabilization of solid-state power system semiconductor architectures.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.93-98
• /
• 2012

Micro-computed tomography (microCT) is an important tool for preclinical vascular imaging, with micron-level resolution. This non-destructive means of imaging allows for rapid collection of 2D and 3D reconstructions to visualize specimens prior to destructive analysis such as pathological analysis. Objectives. The aim of this study was to suggest a method for ex vivo, postmortem examination of stented arterial segments with microCT. And ex vivo evaluation of stents such as bare metal or drug eluting stents on in-stent restenosis (ISR) in rabbit model was performed. The bare metal stent (BMS) and drug eluting stent (DES, paclitaxel) were implanted in the left or right iliac arteries alternatively in eight New Zealand white rabbits. After 4 weeks of post-implantation, the part of iliac arteries surrounding the stent were removed carefully and processed for microCT. Prior to microCT analysis, a contrast medium was loaded to lumen of stents. All samples were subjected to an X-ray source operating at 50 kV and 200 ${\mu}A$ by using a 3D isotropic resolution. The region of interest was traced and measured by CTAN analytical software. Objects being exposed to radiation had different Hounsfield unit each other with values of approximately 1.2 at stent area, 0.12 ~ 0.17 at a contrast medium and 0 ~ 0.06 at outer area of stent. Based on above, further analyses were performed. As a result, the difference of lengths and volumes between expanded stents, which may relate to injury score in pathological analysis, was not different significantly. Moreover, ISR area of BMS was 1.6 times higher than that of DES, indicating that paclitaxel has inhibitory effect on cell proliferation and prevent infiltration of restenosis into lumen of stent. And ISR area of BMS was higher ($1.52{\pm}0.48mm^2$) than that of DES ($0.94{\pm}0.42mm^2$), indicating that paclitaxel has inhibitory effect on cell proliferation and prevent infiltration of restenosis into lumen of stent. Though it was not statistically significant, it showed that the extent of neointema of mid-region of stents was relatively higher than that of anterior and posterior region in parts of BMS as showing cross-sectional 2-D image. suggest that microCT can be utilized as an accessorial tool for pathological analysis.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.2913-2924
• /
• 1973

This study was to investigate the drying mechanism of stratified soil by investigating 'effects of the upper soil on moisture loss of the lower soil and vice versa' and at the same time by examining how the drying progressed in the stratified soils with bare surface and with vegetated surface respectively. There were six plots of the stratified soils with bare surface($A_1- A_6$ plot) and the same other six plots($B_1- B_5$ plot), with vegetated surface(white clover). These six plots were made by permutating two kinds of soils from three kinds of soils; clay loam(CL). Sandy loam(SL). Sand(s). Each layer was leveled by saturating sufficient water. Depth of each plot was 40cm by making each layer 20cm deep and its area. $90{\times}90(cm^2)$. The cell was put at the point of the central and mid-depth of the each layer in the each plot in order to measure the soil moisture by using OHMMETER. soil moisture tester, and movement of soil water from out sides was cut off by putting the vinyl on the four sides. The results obtained were as follow; 1. Drying progressed from the surface layer to the lower layer regardless of plots. There was a tendency thet drying of the upper soil was faster than that of the lower soil and drying of the plot with vegetated surface was also faster than that of the plot with bare surface. 2. Soil moisture was recovered at approximately the field capacity or moisture equivalent by infiltration in the course of drying, when there was a rainfall. 3. Effects of soil texture of the lower soil on dryness of the upper soil in the stratified soil were explained as follows; a) When the lower soil was S and the upper, CL or SL, dryness of the upper soils overlying the lower soil of S was much faster than that overlying the lower soil of SL or CL, because sandy soil, having the small field capacity value and playing a part of the layer cutting off to some extent capillary water supply. Drying of SL was remarkably faster than that of CL in the upper soil. b) When the lower soil was SL and the upper S or CL, drying of the upper soil was the slowest because of the lower SL, having a comparatively large field capacity value. Drying of CL tended to be faster than that of S in the upper soil. c) When the lower soil was CL and the upper S or SL, drying of the upper soil was relatively fast because of the lower CL, having the largest field capacity value but the slowest capillary conductivity. Drying of SL tended to be faster than that of S in the upper soil. 4. According to a change in soil moisture content of the upper soil and the lower soil during a day there was a tendency that soil moisture contents of CL and SL in the upper soil were decreased to its minimum value but that of S increased to its maximum value, during 3 hours between 12.00 and 15.00. There was another tendency that soil moisture contents of CL, SL and S in the lower soil were all slightly decreased by temperature rising and those in a cloudy day were smaller than those in a clear day. 5. The ratio of the accumulated soil moisture consumption to the accumulated guage evaporation in the plot with vegetated surface was generally larger than that in the plot with bare surface. The ratio tended to decrease in the course of time, and also there was a tendency that it mainly depended on the texture of the upper soil at the first period and the texture of the lower soil at the last period. 6. A change in the ratio of the accumulated soil moisture consumption was larger in the lower soil of SL than in the lower soil of S. when the upper soil was CL and the lower, SL and S. The ratio showed the biggest figure among any other plots, and the ratio in the lower soil plot of CL indicated sligtly bigger than that in the lower soil plot of S, when the upper soil was SL and the lower, CL and S. The ratio showed less figure than that of two cases above mentioned, when the upper soil was S and the lower CL and SL and that in the lower soil plot of CL indicated a less ratio than that in the lower soil plot of SL. As a result of this experiments, the various soil layers wero arranged in the following order with regard to the ratio of the accumulated soil moisture consumption: SL/CL>SL/S>CL/SL>CL/S$\fallingdotseq$S/SL>S/CL.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.629-632
• /
• 1999

Constructed wetlands are being used for the removal of nutrients from livestock wastewater. However, natural vegetation typically used in constructed wetlands does not have marketable value. As an alternative, agronomic plants grown under flooded or saturated soil conditions that promote denitrification can be used. Studies on constructed wetlands for swine wastewater were conducted in wetland cells that contained either natural wetland plants or a combination of soybeans and rice for two years with the objective of maximum nitrogen reduction to minimize the amount of land required for terminal treatment. Three systems, of two 3.6 by 33.5 m wetland cells connected in series were used; two systems each contained a different combination of emergent wetland vegetation: rush/bulrush (system 1) and bur-reed/cattail (system 2). The third system contained soybean (Glycine max) in saturated-soil-culture (SSC) in the first cell, and flooded rice (Oryza sativa) in the second cell. Nitrogen (N) loading rates of 3 and $10kg\;ha^{-1}\;day^{-1}$ were used in the first and second years, respectively. These loading rates were obtained by mixing swine lagoon liquid with fresh water before it was applied to the wetland. The nutrient removal efficiency was similar in the rush/bulrush, bur-reed/cattails and agronomic plant systems. Mean mass removal of N was 94 % at the loading rate of $3kg\;N\;ha^{-1}\;day^{-1}$ and decreased to 71% at the higher rate of $10kg\;N\;ha^{-1}\;day^{-1}$. The two years means for above-ground dry matter production for rush/bulrushes and bur-reed/cattails was l2 and $33Mg\;ha^{-1}$, respectively. Flooded rice yield was $4.5Mg\;ha^{-1}$ and soybean grown in saturation culture yielded $2.8Mg\;ha^{-1}$. Additionally, the performance of seven soybean cultivars using SSC in constructed wetlands with swine wastewater as the water source was evaluated for two years, The cultivar Young had the highest yield with 4.0 and $2.8Mg\;ha^{-1}$ in each year, This indicated that production of acceptable soybean yields in constructed wetlands seems feasible with SSC using swine lagoon liquid. Two microcosms studies were established to further investigate the management of constructed wetlands. In the first microcosm experiment, the effects of swine lagoon liquid on the growth of wetland plants at half (about 175 mg/l ammonia) and full strength (about 350 mg/l ammonia) was investigated. It was concluded that wetland plants can grow well in at least half strength lagoon liquid. In the second microcosm experiment, sequencing nitrification-wetland treatments was studied. When nitrified lagoon liquid was added in batch applications ($48kg\;N\;ha^{-1}\;day^{-1}$) to wetland microcosms the nitrogen removal rate was four to five times higher than when non-nitrified lagoon liquid was added. Wetland microcosms with plants were more effective than those with bare soil. These results suggest that vegetated wetlands with nitrification pretreatment are viable treatment systems for removal of large quantities of nitrogen from swine lagoon liquid.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.400-405
• /
• 2015

Traditional anti-reflective (AR) coating films prepared using tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) as a precursor absorbs water easily in addition to having a weak abrasion resistance. To improve the transmittance, hydrophobicity and abrasion resistance of AR coating film, various AR coating films were prepared using methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) as a precursor in addition to introducing a fluoroalkylsilane, acid catalyst, base catalyst and acid-base two step catalyst. The prepared AR coating films were then characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, contact angle analyzer, atomic force microscope (AFM), pencil scratch hardness test and cross-cut test. As a result, the transmittance of bare glass was 90.5%, while that of AR coating glass increased to 94.8% at curing temperature of $300^{\circ}C$. When the fluoroalkylsilane was added, the water contact angle of AR coating film increased from $96.3^{\circ}$ to $108^{\circ}$, indicating that the hydrophobicity of the film was greatly improved. The abrasion resistance of AR coating film was also improved by the acid catalyst, whereas the transmittance increased by the base catalyst. In the case of AR coating film prepared using an acid-base two step catalyzed reaction, both the transmittance and abrasion resistance of the film was synergistically enhanced as compared with those of AR coating films prepared without introduction of a catalyst.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
• /
• v.16 no.6
• /
• pp.155-162
• /
• 2012

When RC (Reinforced Concrete) structures are exposed to sea water, steel corrosion can occur and this leads a degradation of structural performance. Referring the electro-deposition system with sea water from the 1st step research, durability and structural performance are evaluated in coated steel and RC members containing it in the 2nd research. In the durability performance test, Half Cell Potential test is performed and the coated steel is evaluated to have the high resistance to corrosion, which shows only 35% of corrosion velocity in normal (bare) steel. In the structural performance test, tensile strength, adhesive strength, and flexural/shear in RC member are performed. For the electro-deposit coated steel, increasing ratios of 3.2% and 8.8% are evaluated in the test of tensile strength and adhesive strength, respectively. For the structural test in RC member, there is no big difference between RC members with coated and non-coated steel in ultimate load and failure pattern It is evaluated that the chemical compound with $CaCO_3$ and $Mg(OH)_2$ from electro-deposition causes slightly increased structural performance. The electro-deposit coated steel can be more widely applied after performance verification from several tests like fatigue, resistance to impact, and long term-submerging test.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2018.04a
• /
• pp.3-3
• /
• 2018

For centuries, Panax ginseng Meyer (Korean ginseng) has been widely used as a medicinal herb in Korea, China, and Japan. Ginsenosides are a class of triterpene saponins and recognized as the bioactive components in Korean ginseng. Ginsenosides, which can be classified broadly as protopanaxadiols (PPD), protopanaxatriols (PPT), and oleanolic acids, have been shown to flaunt a vast array of pharmacological activities such as immune-modulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-diabetic, and antioxidant effects. In recent years, a number of ginseng and ginsenoside researches have increasingly gained wide attention owing to its unique pharmacological properties. Although good efficacies of ginsenosides have been reported, lack of target specific delivery into tumor sites, low solubility, and low bioavailability due to modifications in gastro-intestinal environments limit their biomedical application in clinical trials. As a result to this major challenge, nanotechnology and drug delivery techniques play a significant role to solve this problematic issue. Thus, we reported the preparation of poly-ethylene glycol (PEG) and glycol chitosan (GC) functionalized to ginsenoside (Compound K and PPD) conjugates via hydrolysable ester bonds with improved aqueous solubility and pH-dependent drug release. In vitro cytotoxicity assays revealed that PEG-CK, and PPD-CK conjugates exhibited lower cytotoxicity compared to bare CK and PPD in HT29 cells. However, GC-CK conjugates exhibited higher and similar cytotoxicity in HT29 and HepG2 cells. Furthermore, GC-CK-treated RAW264.7 cells did not exhibit significant cell death at higher concentration of treatment which supports the biocompatibility of the polymer conjugates. They also inhibited nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW64.7 cells. In addition to polymer-ginsenoside conjugates, silver (AgNps) and gold nanoparticles (AuNps) have been successfully synthesized by green chemistry using different m. The biosynthesized nanoparticles demonstrated antimicrobial efficacy, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant activity, biofilm inhibition, and anticoagulant effect. Special interest on the effective delivery methods of ginsenoside to treatment sites is the focus of metal nanoparticle research.In short, nano-sizing of ginsenoside results in an increased water solubility and bioavailability. The use of nano-sized ginsenoside and P. ginseng mediated metallic nanoparticles is expected to be effective on medical platform against various diseases in the future.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.303-312
• /
• 2006

The asymmetric hybrid membranes of polyethersulfone (PES) and $ZrO_2$ nanoparticles were prepared via new one-step procedure combining simultaneously the phase-inversion method and the sol-gel technique. The optimum contents of $Zr(PrO)_4\;and\;HNO_3$ catalyst were determined by the adsorption experiments of phosphate anion onto the resulting hybrid membranes. The maximum adsorption of phosphate anion is obtained at the conditions of 0.15 mL $Zr(PrO)_4$ addition per 1 mL PES and 30 mL $HNO_3$ addition per 1 mL $Zr(PrO)_4$. Variation of morphology, performance and incorporated $ZrO_2$ amount of the resulting hybrid membranes were discussed and determined using SEM, pure water flux, TGA, ICP, XRD and contact angle measurements. Increasing $Zr(PrO)_4$ addition into casting solution, pure water flux is increased and $ZrO_2$ amount in the hybrid membrane is maximized at the conditions 0.15 mL $Zr(PrO)_4$ addition per 1 mL PES. The prephosphatation of PES-$ZrO_2$ hybrid membrane was studied to modify the surface characteristics of membrane. Ultrafiltration of bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution was performed in a dead-end cell using both a bare (non-phosphated) and a phosphated hybrid membrane. It is revealed that both the permeate flux and BSA rejection were increased as about 40% by prephosphatation of hybrid membrane. These results may be explained on the basis of the increase of membrane hydrophilicity, which was determined from contact angle measurements.