• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.639-645
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• 2020

Among the components of redox flow battery (RFB), the electrode serves as a diffusion layer of an electrolyte and a path for electrons and also is a major component that directly affects the RFB performance. In this paper, chloric/sulfuric mixed acidwas used as a supporting electrolyte in RFB system with Fe2+/Fe3+ and V2+/V3+ as redox couple. The optimum electrode and activation temperature were suggested by comparing the capacity, coulombic efficiency and energy efficiency according to the electrode type and activation temperature. In the RFB single cell evaluation using 5 types of carbon electrodes used in the experiments, all of them showed close to the theoretical capacity to retain the reliability of the evaluation results. GFD4EA showed relatively excellent energy efficiency and charge/discharge capacity. In order to investigate the electrochemical performance according to the activation temperature, GFD4EA electrode was activated by heat treatment at different temperatures of 400, 450, 500, 600 and 700 ℃ under an air atmosphere. Changes in physical properties before and after the activation were observed using electrode mass retention, scanning electron microscope (SEM), XPS analysis, and electrochemical performance was compared by conducting RFB single evaluation using electrodes activated at each temperature given above.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.60 no.2
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• pp.184-192
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• 2022

Porous NiO synthesized via hydrothermal synthesis was used in the electrodes of lithium-sulfur batteries to inhibit the elution of lithium polysulfide. The electrode of the lithium-sulfur battery was manufactured as a freestanding flexible electrode using an economical and simple vacuum filtration method without a current collector and a binder. The porous NiO-added S/CNT/NiO electrode exhibited a high initial discharge capacity of 877 mA h g^-1 (0.2 C), which was 125 mA h g^-1 higher than that of S/CNT, and also showed excellent retention of 84% (S/CNT: 66%). This is the result of suppressing the dissolution of lithium polysulfide into the electrolyte by the strong chemical bond between NiO and lithium polysulfide during the charging and discharging process. In addition, for the flexibility test of the S/CNT/NiO electrode, the 1.6 × 4 cm² pouch cell was prepared and exhibited stable cycle characteristics of 620 mA h g^-1 in both the unfolded and folded state.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.327-333
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• 2022

In this study, silicon/carbon nanotube/carbon (Si/CNT/C) composites for anode were prepared to improve the volume expansion of silicon used as a high-capacity anode material. Si/CNT were prepared by electrostatic attraction of the positively charged Si and negatively charged CNT and then hydrothermal synthesis was performed to obtain the spherical Si/CNT/C composites. Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), polyacrylic acid (PAA), and styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) were used as binders for electrode preparation, and coin cell was assembled using 1.0 M LiPF₆ (EC:DMC:EMC = 1:1:1 vol%) electrolyte and fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) additive. The physical properties of Si/CNT/C anode materials were analyzed using SEM, EDS, XRD and TGA, and the electrochemical performances of lithium-ion batteries were investigated by charge-discharge cycle, rate performance, dQ/dV and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests. Also, it was confirmed that both capacity and rate performance were significantly improved using the PAA/SBR binder and 10 wt% FEC-added electrolyte. It is found that Si/CNT/C have the reversible capacity of 914 mAh/g, the capacity retention ratio of 83% during 50 cycles and the rate performance of 70% in 2 C/0.1 C.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.851-859
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• 2014

The present study was designed to investigate whether ethanol extracts of Sophora flavescens (GS), Glycyrrhiza uralensis (GC), Dictamnus dasycarpus (BSP), and their mixtures (GGB-1, -2, -3, and -4) inhibit 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB)-induced atopic dermatitis (AD) in a mouse model. DNCB was topically applied on the dorsal surface of Balb/c mice to induce AD-like skin lesions. The pathological phenotypes of AD, such as erythema, ear thickness, edema, scabs, and discharge, were significantly decreased in the GGB (DNCB + GS:GC:BSP = 3:1:1 mixture)-1-treated groups compared with the other treated groups. The weight of the spleen in immune organs was significantly decreased in the GGB-1-treated groups, whereas the weight of the liver in a control group was similar to that of the groups treated with the samples. Furthermore, toluidine blue staining analysis, a method used to specifically identify mast cells, showed that master cell infiltration into the dermis of the GGB-1-treated group was significantly decreased. The immunoglobulin E concentration was lower in the GGB-1-treated group. In addition, the levels of inflammatory cytokines (interferon-${\gamma}$, interleukin-1, 4, 5, 6, and 13, $1{\beta}$, and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$) were also significantly reduced in the GGB-1-treated group. Taken together, these results suggest that a mixture of GS, GC, and BSP in a proportion of 3:1:1 (GGB-1) may contribute to the relief of AD symptoms and may be considered an excellent candidate for an AD therapeutic drug.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.105-112
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• 2020

Transition metal oxide, which undergoes a conversion reaction in the negative electrode material for a lithium-ion batteries, has a high specific capacity, but still has several critical problems. In this study, manganese pyrophosphate (Mn₂P₂O₇), nickel pyrophosphate (Ni₂P₂O₇), and carbon composite materials with pyrophosphates as novel negative electrode materials instead of transition metal oxide, are synthesized through simple solid-state reaction. The initial reversible capacity of Mn₂P₂O₇ and Ni₂P₂O₇ are 333 and 340 mAh g^-1, and when the composite materials are composed with carbon, the reversible capacity increases to 433 and 387 mAh g^-1, respectively. The initial Coulombic efficiency is also improved by about 10%. The Mn₂P₂O₇ and carbon composite material has the highest initial capacity and efficiency, and has the best cycle performance. Mn₂P₂O₇ containing polyanion, has a lower specific capacity due to the large mass of polyanion compared to MnO (manganese oxide). However, since Mn₂P₂O₇ shows a voltage curve with a slope, the charging (lithiation) voltage increases from 0.51 to 0.57 V (vs. Li/Li⁺), and the discharge (delithiation) voltage decreases from 1.15 to 1.01 V (vs. Li/Li⁺). Therefore, the voltage efficiency of the cell is improved because the voltage difference between charging and discharging is greatly reduced from 0.64 to 0.44 V, and the operating voltage of the full cell increases because the negative electrode potential is lowered during the discharging process.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.242-246
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• 2017

The application of composite cathode materials including $LiFePO_4$ (lithium iron phosphate) of olivine crystal structure, which has high thermal stability, were investigated as alternatives for hybrid battery-capacitors with a $LiMn_2O_4$ (spinel crystal structure) cathode, which exhibits decreased performance at high temperatures due to Mn-dissolution. However, these composite cathode materials have been shown to have a reduction in capacity by conducting life cycle experiments in which a $LiFePO_4$/activated carbon cell was charged and discharged between 1.0 V and 2.3 V at two temperatures, $25^{\circ}C$ and $60^{\circ}C$, which caused a degradation of the anode due to the lowered voltage in the anode. To avoid the degradation of the anode, composite cathodes of $LiFePO_4/LiMn_2O_4$ (50:50 wt%), $LiFePO_4$/activated carbon (50:50 wt%) and $LiNi_{1/3}Co_{1/3}Mn_{1/3}O_2$ (50:50 wt%) were prepared and the life cycle experiments were conducted on these cells. The composite cathode including $LiNi_{1/3}Co_{1/3}Mn_{1/3}O_2$ of layered crystal structure showed stable voltage behavior. The discharge capacity retention ratio of $LiNi_{1/3}Co_{1/3}Mn_{1/3}O_2$ was about twice as high as that of a $LiFePO_4/LiMn_2O_4$ cell at thermal stability experiment for a duration of 1,000 hours charged at 2.3 V and a temperature of $80^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.331-338
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• 2008

Monthly changes in the gonadosomatic index (GSI) and hepatosomatic index (HSI) of wild river puffer Takifugu obscurus, and water quality environment in spawning area during breeding season were investigated from March 1995 to February 1996. Monthly changes in GSI and HSI of T. obscurus, that was cultured in low salinity, were calculated. The external morphology of the gonads, germ cell differentiation during gametogenesis and the reproductive cycle with the gonad developmental phases were investigated by histological analysis. The optimum water quality environment in Ganggyung, Choongcheongnam-do, where is spawning ground of wild T. obscurus, was $15-20^{\circ}C$ (water temperature) and 0 psu (salinity). Monthly changes in the GSI in females and males reached a maximum in May, and then rapidly decreased. Therefore, it is assumed that in the natural condition the spawning period of wild T. obscurus is May to June. In females and males, it showed a negative correlationship between the GSI and HSI. The external morphology of the gonads in female and male T. obscurus, that was cultured in low salinity, is composed of a pair of saccular structure. Based on monthly changes in the GSI, it is assumed that in female T. obscurus, that was cultured in low salinity, spawn from March through May. Therefore, it showed a negative correlationship between changes in the GSI and HSI. On the whole, in females and males, it showed a similar pattern between wild and cultured T. obscurus. The reproductive cycle with the gonad developmental phases can be classified into successive five stages in females: the early growing stage, late growing stage, mature stage, ripe and spent stage, and recovery and resting stage. In males, that can be divided into successive four stages: the growing stage, mature stage, ripe and spent stage, and recovery and resting stage. In case of wild T. obscurus, the spawning period has once a year, however, those cultured in the high water temperature ($20-27^{\circ}C$) - low salinity (under 3.3 psu) condition have reproductive characteristics having possibilities of discharge of eggs and sperms year-round as a multiple spawner.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.76-81
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• 2017

Potentilla supina (Rosaceae) has traditionally been used to treat disorders of hemostasis, dysentery, malaria, bloody discharge and arthritis, and it has antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties. However, validity of the anti-inflammatory activity has not been scientifically investigated so far. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory potential of P. supina using the ethanolic extract of P. supina and its sub-fractions. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of P. supina, we examined the inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) in RAW 264.7 cells. Our results indicated that ethyl acetate fraction significantly inhibited LPS-induced NO, iNOS and $PGE_2$ production in RAW 264.7 cells. This result showed that ethyl acetate fraction of P. supina is expected to be a good candidate for development into a source of anti-inflammatory agents.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.138-145
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• 2009

Purpose : This study was aimed to evaluate the changes of immunologic parameters during hospitalization, and the relationship between IgG and other laboratory or clinical indices in patients with acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis (APSGN). Methods : We reviewed the medical charts of 36 children with APSGN who showed ASO titer>250 Todd U/L and C3<70 mg/dL. We evaluated the levels of IgG and other laboratory parameters including C3 and ASO at admission and at discharge (14 cases). Results : The mean age of APSGN patients was $7.5{\pm}2.6$ year of age, and male-to-female ratio was 2.3:1. At presentation, hypertension (systolic blood pressure>125 mmHg), gross hematuria, and weight gain were observed in 27.8% (10/36), 80.1% (29/36), and 80% (24/30) of the patients, respectively. The mean IgG level was $1,432{\pm}322$ mg/dL ($1,025{\pm}234$ mg/dL in control group, P<0.001), and C3 and ASO levels were $26.1{\pm}16.1$ mg/dL and $1,068{\pm}730$ Todd U, respectively. There were no correlation between IgG level and the levels of any of the parameters analyzed (ASO, C3, BUN, creatinine and white blood cell count), and the severity of the disease assessed by the weight-change during admission. The patients aged<6 years of age (10 cases) had less degree of the weight-change, compared to those of the patients aged>8 years of age (15 cases) (-0.6% vs. -5.7%, P=0.01). The IgG and ASO levels did not change, but C3 (P=0.001) and IgM (P=0.02) levels increased during admission. Conclusion : Increased IgG and ASO levels in APSGN did not change, but C3 level increased during admission. IgG level was not correlated with other laboratory parameters (ASO and C3) and the severity of the disease. Younger children seem to have less severe clinical course compare to older children. With our hypothetic pathogenesis of APSGN, further studies are needed to resolve the pathogenesis of the disease including the increase of IgG.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.172-180
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• 2012

The $LiMn_2O_4$ cathodes for lithium ion battery were synthesized from various precursors of manganese oxides and manganese hydroxides. As the first step, nanosized precursors such as ${\alpha}-MnO_2$ (nano-sticks), ${\beta}-MnO_2$ (nano-rods), $Mn_3O_4$ (nano-octahedra), amorphous $MnO_2$(nano-spheres), and $Mn(OH)_2$ (nano-plates) were prepared by a hydrothermal or a precipitation method. Spinel $LiMn_2O_4$ with various sizes and shapes were finally synthesized by a solid-state reaction method from the manganese precursors and LiOH. Nano-sized (500 nm) octahedron $LiMn_2O_4$ showed high capacities of 107 mAh $g^{-1}$ and 99 mAh $g^{-1}$ at 1 C- and 50 C-rate, respectively. Three dimensional octahedral crystallites exhibit superior electrochemical characteristics to the other one-dimensional and two-dimensional shaped $LiMn_2O_4$ nanoparticles. After 500 consecutive charge discharge battery cycles at 10 C-rate with the nano-octahedron $LiMn_2O_4$ cathode, the capacity retention of 95% was observed, which is far better than any other morphologies studied in this work.