• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2012

In this article, I will introduce recent developments of environmental-friendly materials fabricated using atomic layer deposition (ALD). Advantages of ALD include fine control of the thin film thickness and formation of a homogeneous thin fim on complex-structured three-dimensional substrates. Such advantages of ALD can be exploited for fabricating environmental-friendly materials. Porous membranes such as anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) can be used as a substrate for $TiO_2$ coating with a thickness of about 10 nm, and the $TiO_2$-coated AAO can be used as filter of volatile organic compound such as toluene. The unique structural property of AAO in combination with a high adsorption capacity of amorphous $TiO_2$ can be exploited in this case. $TiO_2$ can be also deposited on nanodiamonds and Ni powder, which can be used as photocatalyst for degradation of toluene, and $CO_2$ reforming of methane catalyst, respectively. One can produce structures, in which the substrates are only partially covered by $TiO_2$ domains, and these structures turns out to be catalytically more active than bare substrates, or complete core-shell structures. We show that the ALD can be widely used not only in the semiconductor industry, but also environmental science.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.545-554
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• 2017

Birnessite is one of the dominant Mn (oxyhydr)oxide phases commonly found in soil and deep ocean environments. It typically occurs as nano-sized and poorly crystalline aggregates in the natural environment. It is well known that birnessite participates in a wide variety of bio/geochemical reactions as a reactive mineral phase with structural defects, cation vacancies, and mixed valences of structural Mn. These various bio/geochemical reactions control not only the fate and transport of inorganic and organic substances in the environment, but also the formation of diverse Mn (oxyhydr)oxides through birnessite transformation. This review assessed and discussed about the phase transformation of birnessite under a wide range of environmental conditions and about the potential geochemical factors controlling the corresponding reactions in the literature. Birnessite transformation to other types of Mn (oxyhydr)oxides were affected by dissolved Mn(II), dissolved oxygen, solution pH, and co-existing cation (i.e., $Mg^{2+}$). However, there still have been many issues to be unraveled on the complex bio/geochemical processes involved in the phase transformation of birnessite. Future work on the detail mechanisms of birnessite transformation should be further investigated.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.213-222
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• 2002

Histology and ultrastructure of the mantle epidermis in the ark shell, Scapharca broughtonii are described using light and electron microscopy. The mantle of the ark shell is composed of outer epidermis, connective tissue and inner epidermis. Both epidermis are simple and consists of supporting cells, ciliated cells and secretory cells. Connective tissue is composed of mainly collagen and muscle fibers. The supporting cells in the inner epidermis are usually columnar and covered with microvilli. The ciliated cell have cilia and microvilli on the free surface, and numerous tubular mitochondria are observed in the apical cytoplasm. Secretory cells are mainly observed in the outer epidermis, and it can be divided into four types of A, B, C and D with morphological features of the secretory granules. Type A cells of mucous cell are found in the marginal and central mantle. And these cells contains numerous secretory granules of non-bounded and low electron density. Type B cells contains numerous rough endoplasmic reticula, well-developed Golgi complex and secretory granules of membrane-bounded and high electron density. Secretory granules of type C cells are divided into fibrous core layer and homogeneous peripheral layer. Type D cells are found in the outer epidermis of the central and umbonal mantle. And secretory granules of these cells are divided into homogeneous core layer and granular peripheral layer. This results suggest that the outer and inner epidermis of the mantle are related with shell formation and cleaning of the mantle cavity, respectively.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.474-484
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• 2005

Biological treatment is a promising alternative to conventional air pollution control methods. Bioreactors for air pollution control have found most of their success in the treatment of dilute and high flow waste air streams containing volatile organic compounds and odor compounds. They offer several advantages over traditional technologies such as incineration or adsorption. These include lower treatment costs, absence of formation of secondary pollutants, no spent chemicals, low energy demand and low temperature treatment. The most widely used bioreactor for air pollution control is biofilter, but it has several limitations. In the past years major progress has been accomplished in the development of vapor phase bioreactor, in particular biotrickling filters. Biotrickling filters are more complex than biofilters, but are usually more effective, especially for the treatment of compounds which are difficult to degrade or compounds that generate acidic by-products. While the level of understanding of biotrickling filtration process for VOCs still remains limited, the evident success of biotreatment of VOC in air stimulated the pursue of acitve research. This paper presents fundamental and theoretical/practical aspect of air pollution control in biotrickling filter. Special emphasis is given to the operating parameters and the factors influencing performance for air pollution control in biotrickling filter.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.543-553
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• 1996

Oxygen reduction in an alkaline fuel cell was studied by using perovskite type oxides as an oxygen electrode catalyst. The high surface area catalysts were prepared by malic acid method and had a formula of $La_{0.6}Sr_{0.4}Co_{1-x}Fe_xO_3$(x=0.00, 0.01, 0.10, 0.20, 0.35 and 0.50). From the result of XRD pattern and specific surface area due to the amount of Fe substitution and the consumption of ammonia-water, the complex formation of Fe ion with $NH_3$ was the main factor for both the phase stability of perovskite and the increase of specific surface area. Multi-step calcination was necessary to give a single phase of perovskite in catalyst precursor. The crystal structure of the catalysts was simple cubic perovskite, which was verified from the XRD patterns of the catalysts. The activity of oxygen reduction was monitored by the techniques of cyclic voltammetry, static voltage-current method, and current interruption method. The activity(current density) of oxygen reduction showed its minimum at x=0.01 and its maximum between 0.20 and 0.35 of x-value in $La_{0.6}Sr_{0.4}Co_{1-x}Fe_xO_3$. This tendency was independent of the change of surface area.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2007

The term, "food safety", has traditionally been viewed as a practical science aimed at assuring the prevention acute illnesses caused by biological microorganisms, and only to a minor extent, chronic diseases cause by chronic low level exposures to natural and synthetic chemicals or pollutants. "food safety" meant to prevent microbiological agents/toxins in/on foods, due to contamination any where from "farm to Fork", from causing acute health effects, especially to the young, immune-compromised, genetically-predisposed and elderly. However, today a broader view must also include the fact that diet, perse (nutrients, vitamins/minerals, calories), as well as low level toxins and pollutant or supplemented synthetic chemicals, can alter gene expressions of stem/progenitor/terminally-differentiated cells, leading to chronic inflammation and other mal-functions that could lead to diseases such as cancer, diabetes, atherogenesis and possibly reproductive and neurological disorders. Understanding of the mechanisms by which natural or synthetic chemical toxins/toxicants, in/on food, interact with the pathogenesis of acute and chronic diseases, should lead to a "systems" approach to "food safety". Clearly, the interactions of diet/food with the genetic background, gender, and developmental state of the individual, together with (a) interactions of other endogenous/exogenous chemicals/drugs; (b) the specific biology of the cells being affected; (c) the mechanisms by which the presence or absence of toxins/toxicants and nutrients work to cause toxicities; and (d) how those mechanisms affect the pathogenesis of acute and/or chronic diseases, must be integrated into a "system" approach. Mechanisms of how toxins/toxicants cause cellular toxicities, such as mutagenesis; cytotoxicity and altered gene expression, must take into account (a) irreversible or reversal changes caused by these toxins or toxicants; (b)concepts of thresholds or no-thresholds of action; and (c) concepts of differential effects on stem cells, progenitor cells and terminally differentiated cells in different organs. This brief Commentary tries to illustrate this complex interaction between what is on/in foods with one disease, namely cancer. Since the understanding of cancer, while still incomplete, can shed light on the multiple ways that toxins/toxicants, as well as dietary modulation of nutrients/vitamins/metals/ calories, can either enhance or reduce the risk to cancer. In particular, diets that alter the embryo-fetal micro-environment might dramatically alter disease formation later in life. In effect "food safety" can not be assessed without understanding how food could be 'toxic', or how that mechanism of toxicity interacts with the pathogenesis of any disease.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.101-110
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• 2015

Purpose: Sclerostin, an inhibitor of Wnt/${\beta}$-catenin signaling, exerts negative effects on bone formation and contributes to periodontitis-induced alveolar bone loss. Recent studies have demonstrated that serum sclerostin levels are increased in diabetic patients and that sclerostin expression in alveolar bone is enhanced in a diabetic periodontitis model. However, the molecular mechanism of how sclerostin expression is enhanced in diabetic patients remains elusive. Therefore, in this study, the effect of hyperglycemia on the expression of sclerostin in osteoblast lineage cells was examined. Methods: C2C12 and MLO-Y4 cells were used in this study. In order to examine the effect of hyperglycemia, the glucose concentration in the culture medium was adjusted to a range of levels between 40 and 100 mM. Gene expression levels were examined by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot assays. Top-Flash reporter was used to examine the transcriptional activity of the ${\beta}$-catenin/lymphoid enhanced factor/T-cell factor complex. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha ($TNF{\alpha}$) protein levels were examined with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The effect of reactive oxygen species on sclerostin expression was examined by treating cells with 1 mM $H_2O_2$ or 20 mM N-acetylcysteine. Results: The high glucose treatment increased the mRNA and protein levels of sclerostin. High glucose suppressed Wnt3a-induced Top-Flash reporter activity and the expression levels of osteoblast marker genes. High glucose increased reactive oxygen species production and $TNF{\alpha}$ expression levels. Treatment of cells with $H_2O_2$ also enhanced the expression levels of $TNF{\alpha}$ and sclerostin. In addition, N-acetylcysteine treatment or knockdown of $TNF{\alpha}$ attenuated high glucose-induced sclerostin expression. Conclusions: These results suggest that hyperglycemia increases sclerostin expression via the enhanced production of reactive oxygen species and $TNF{\alpha}$.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.540-545
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• 1992

Kinetics and mechanism on the solvent extraction of nickel(Ⅱ) with 8-hydroxyquinoline (HOx) was studied spectrophotometrically. Absorbance variation was measured by changing the 8-hydroxyquinoline concentration in the chloroform organic phase and the pH values in the aquous phase. By analyzing absorbance data the reaction rate was found to be the first order for 8-hydroxyquinoline concentration and the inverse first one for [H$^+$]. Therefore the rate determining step of the extraction reaction is the formation of the one-to-one metal chelate NiOx$^+$ and the rate equation is as follows; -d[Ni$^{2+}$]/dt = k[Ni$^{2+}$][Ox$^-$] = k'[Ni$^{2+}$][HOx]$_0$/[H$^+$]. The value of k' was evaluated from the slope of plot of log [Ni$^{2+}$]$_0$/[Ni$^{2+}$]$_t$ versus time and the rate constant k was calculated according to the equation k' = k ${\times}$ K$_{HOx}$ / K$_{D,HOx}$. From the temperature dependence of the extraction rate, the activation energy E$_a$ = 6.26 kcal/mol is calculated, and activation parameters, ${\Delta}$G$^{\neq}_{298}$ = 6.59 kcal/mol, ${\Delta}$H$^{\neq}_{298}$ = 5.68 kcal/mol, ${\Delta}$S$^{\neq}_{298}$ = -3.09 eu/mol are estimated.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.451-459
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• 2010

The fluorescence detection of intracellular metal ions are high interest in the fields of organic molecular chemistry and cellular biology. This study was purposed to detection for mercury and zinc in the cell using fluorescent chemosensor (FS). FS exhibits a weak fluorescence, but emits strong fluorescence upon Zn$^{2+}$ complexation. The increased fluorescence of the 2FS/Zn$^{2+}$ can be quenched completely by addition of only 1 equiv of Hg$^{2+}$ with the formation of complex FS-Hg$^{2+}$. Four cell lines (LLC-MK2, Hela, HT29 and AMC-HN3) were used for fluorescence imaging by confocal microscope. The cell viability MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay was evaluated after cell treatment of FS, Zn$^{2+}$, FS-Zn$^{2+}$, Hg$^{2+}$ on LLC-MK2 cell line. The cytotoxicity of FS was showed to viability over 80%. This study has shown that FS can be detected for selective imaging of Zn$^{2+}$ and Hg$^{2+}$ in living cells.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.62 no.5
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• pp.358-363
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to show the possibility of using Cu catalyst in removal of $NO_x$ from automobile exhaust which is regarded as the primary source of fine dust PM2.5. The energy and the bond lengths of the three possible structures of Cu-NO complex, which is formed by binding NO molecule to Cu, and the changes in IR and Raman spectra are calculated using MPW1PW91 method on the level of 6-311(+)G(d,p) of basis sets with Gaussian 09 program. As a result, the enthalpy of formation of the Cu-NO complexes are obtained as ${\Delta}H=104.89$, 91.98, -127.48 kJ/mol for the linear, bent, and bridging forms of them, respectively. And the bond lengths between N and O in NO complexes, which becomes longer than NO molecule, indicates that O is easily reduced from Cu-NO. In addition, the Cu-NO complexes using Cu catalyst can be easily measured by infrared or Raman spectroscopy because in the IR and Raman spectra of the NO and Cu-NO complexes the positon and the intensity of bands are definitely different in each vibration mode.