• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.38-43
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• 2024

Recently, with the expanding market for electronic devices and electric vehicles, secondary battery usage has been on the rise. Lithium-ion batteries are particularly popular due to their fast charging times and lightweight nature compared to other types of batteries. A secondary battery consists of four components: anode, cathode, electrolyte, and separator. Generally, the positive and negative electrode materials of secondary batteries are composed of an active material, a binder, and a conductive material. Acetylene Black (AB) is utilized to enhance conductivity between active material particles or metal dust collectors, preventing the binder from acting as an insulator. However, when recycling waste batteries that have been subject to high usage, there is a risk of fire and explosion accidents, as accurately identifying the characteristics of Acetylene Black dust proves to be challenging. In this study, the lower explosion limit for Acetylene Black dust with an average particle size of 0.042 ㎛ was determined to be 153.64 mg/L using a Hartmann-type dust explosion device. Notably, the dust did not explode at values below 168 mg, rendering the lower explosion limit calculation unfeasible. Analysis of explosion delay times with varying electrode gaps revealed the shortest delay time at 3 mm, with a noticeable increase in delay times for gaps of 4 mm or greater. The findings offer fundamental data for fire and explosion prevention measures in Acetylene Black waste recycling processes via a predictive model for lower explosion limits and ignition delay time.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.67 no.1
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• pp.41-52
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• 2022

As a cultivar of Korean wheat, 'Keumgang' wheat variety has a fast growth period and can be grown stably. Hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum) has moderately high salt tolerance compared to tetraploid wheat (Triticum turgidum L.). However, the molecular mechanisms related to salt tolerance of hexaploid wheat have not been elucidated yet. In this study, the candidate genes related to salt tolerance were identified by investigating the genes that are differently expressed in Keumgang variety and examining salt tolerant mutation '2020-s1340.'. A total of 85,771,537 reads were obtained after quality filtering using NextSeq 500 Illumina sequencing technology. A total of 23,634,438 reads were aligned with the NCBI Campala Lr22a pseudomolecule v5 reference genome (Triticum aestivum). A total of 282 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the two Triticum aestivum materials. These DEGs have functions, including salt tolerance related traits such as 'wall-associated receptor kinase-like 8', 'cytochrome P450', '6-phosphofructokinase 2'. In addition, the identified DEGs were classified into three categories, including biological process, molecular function, cellular component using gene ontology analysis. These DEGs were enriched significantly for terms such as the 'copper ion transport', 'oxidation-reduction process', 'alternative oxidase activity'. These results, which were obtained using RNA-seq analysis, will improve our understanding of salt tolerance of wheat. Moreover, this study will be a useful resource for breeding wheat varieties with improved salt tolerance using molecular breeding technology.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.125-138
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• 2023

Most of previous cesium (Cs) sorbents have limitations on the treatment in the large-scale water system having low Cs concentration and high ion strength. In this study, the new Cs sorbent that is eco-friendly and has a high Cs removal efficiency was developed by improving the coal mine drainage treated sludge (hereafter 'CMDS') with the addition of Na and S. The sludge produced through the treatment process for the mine drainage originating from the abandoned coal mine was used as the primary material for developing the new Cs sorbent because of its high Ca and Fe contents. The CMDS was improved by adding Na and S during the heat treatment process (hereafter 'Na-S-CMDS' for the developed sorbent in this study). Laboratory experiments and the sorption model studies were performed to evaluate the Cs sorption capacity and to understand the Cs sorption mechanisms of the Na-S-CMDS. The physicochemical and mineralogical properties of the Na-S-CMDS were also investigated through various analyses, such as XRF, XRD, SEM/EDS, XPS, etc. From results of batch sorption experiments, the Na-S-CMDS showed the fast sorption rate (in equilibrium within few hours) and the very high Cs removal efficiency (> 90.0%) even at the low Cs concentration in solution (< 0.5 mg/L). The experimental results were well fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model, suggesting the mostly monolayer coverage sorption of the Cs on the Na-S-CMDS. The Cs sorption kinetic model studies supported that the Cs sorption tendency of the Na-S-CMDS was similar to the pseudo-second-order model curve and more complicated chemical sorption process could occur rather than the simple physical adsorption. Results of XRF and XRD analyses for the Na-S-CMDS after the Cs sorption showed that the Na content clearly decreased in the Na-S-CMDS and the erdite (NaFeS₂·2(H₂O)) was disappeared, suggesting that the active ion exchange between Na⁺ and Cs⁺ occurred on the Na-S-CMDS during the Cs sorption process. From results of the XPS analysis, the strong interaction between Cs and S in Na-S-CMDS was investigated and the high Cs sorption capacity was resulted from the binding between Cs and S (or S-complex). Results from this study supported that the Na-S-CMDS has an outstanding potential to remove the Cs from radioactive contaminated water systems such as seawater and groundwater, which have high ion strength but low Cs concentration.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.08a
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• pp.222-222
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• 2012

Metal oxide gas sensors based on semiconductor type have attracted a great deal of attention due to their low cost, flexible production and simple usability. However, most works have been focused on n-type oxides, while the characteristics of p-type oxide gas sensors have been barely studied. An investigation on p-type oxides is very important in that the use of them makes possible the novel sensors such as p-n diode and tandem devices. Monoclinic cupric oxide (CuO) is p-type semiconductor with narrow band gap (~1.2 eV). This is composed of abundant, nontoxic elements on earth, and thus low-cost, environment-friendly devices can be realized. However, gas sensing properties of neat CuO were rarely explored and the mechanism still remains unclear. In this work, the neat CuO layers with highly ordered mesoporous structures were prepared by a template-free, one-pot solution-based method using novel ink solutions, formulated with copper formate tetrahydrate, hexylamine and ethyl cellulose. The shear viscosity of the formulated solutions was 5.79 Pa s at a shear rate of 1 s-1. The solutions were coated on SiO2/Si substrates by spin-coating (ink) and calcined for 1 h at the temperature of $200{\sim}600^{\circ}C$ in air. The surface and cross-sectional morphologies of the formed CuO layers were observed by a focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) and porosity was determined by image analysis using simple computer-programming. XRD analysis showed phase evolutions of the layers, depending on the calcination temperature, and thermal decompositions of the neat precursor and the formulated ink were investigated by TGA and DSC. As a result, the formation of the porous structures was attributed to the vaporization of ethyl cellulose contained in the solutions. Mesoporous CuO, formed with the ink solution, consisted of grains and pores with nano-meter size. All of them were strongly dependent on calcination temperature. Sensing properties toward H2 and C2H5OH gases were examined as a function of operating temperature. High and fast responses toward H2 and C2H5OH gases were discussed in terms of crystallinity, nonstoichiometry and morphological factors such as porosity, grain size and surface-to-volume ratio. To our knowledge, the responses toward H2 and C2H5OH gases of these CuO gas sensors are comparable to previously reported values.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.712-719
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• 1998

Thyroid function is mainly regulated through cAMP and phophatidylinositol, and it is well known that TSH-stimulated thyroxine ($T_4$) release is inhibited by catecholamine from mouse thyroids via the ${\alpha}_1$-adrenoceptor stimulation. Previous study has established that the inhibition of $T_4$ release by ${\alpha}_1$-adrenoceptor stimulation results in activated protein kinase C (PKC). The purpose of this study was to determine if ion transport systems are involved in the inhibition of $T_4$ release elicited by ${\alpha}_1$-adrenergic agonist in mouse thyroids. TSH-, IBMX- and cAMP analogue-stimulated $T_4$ release were significantly inhibited by methoxamine, R59022 (diacylglycerol kinase inhibitor), and MDL (adenylate cyclase inhibitor). TSH-stimulated $T_4$ release could be inhibited by Bay K 8644 and cyclopiazoic acid, but not by verapamil and tetrodotoxin. The addition of nifedipine ($Ca^{2+}$ channel blocker), tetrodotoxin and lidocaine ($Na^+$ channel blockers), but not amiloride (EIPA) and ryanodine, completely blocked the inhibitory effects of methoxamine on $T_4$ release. TSH-stimulated $T_4$ release was also inhibited by benzamil ($Na^+-Ca^{2+}$ exchange inhibitor). TSH-, IBMX- and cAMP-stimulated $T_4$ release were inhibited by methoxamine or R59022, these effects were reversed by nifedipine. but not by verapamil. Furthermore, nifedipine reversed the inhibitory effects of benzamil and R59022 on TSH-stimulated $T_4$ release. These data suggest that the observed ${\alpha}_1$-adrenoceptor-mediated inhibition of $T_4$ release in mouse thyroids is the result of an increase in intracellular $Na^+$ or $Ca^{2+}$ effected via activation of fast $Na^+$ or nifedipine-sensitive $Ca^{2+}$ channels, and that $Na^+-Ca^{2+}$ exchange may play an important role in reducing thyroid hormone by increasing intracellular $Ca^{2+}$.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.61-65
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• 2012

A $Li_2O-2SiO_2$ ($LS_2$) glass was investigated as a lithium-ion conducting oxide glass, which is applicable to a fast ionic conductor even at low temperature due to its high mechanical strength and chemical stability. The $Li_2O-2SiO_2$ glass is likely to be broken into small pieces when quenched; thus, it is difficult to fabricate a specifically sized sample. The production of properly sized glass samples is necessary for device applications. In this study, we applied spark plasma sintering (SPS) to fabricate $LS_2$ glass samples which have a particular size as well as high transparency. The sintered samples, $15mm\phi{\times}2mmT$ in size, ($LS_2$-s) were produced by SPS between $480^{\circ}C$ and $500^{\circ}C$ at 45MPa for 3~5mim, after which the thermal and dielectric properties of the $LS_2$-s samples were compared with those of quenched glass ($LS_2$-q) samples. Thermal behavior, crystalline structure, and electrical conductivity of both samples were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and an impedance/gain-phase analyzer, respectively. The results showed that the $LS_2$-s had an amorphous structure, like the $LS_2$-q sample, and that both samples took on the lithium disilicate structure after the heat treatment at $800^{\circ}C$. We observed similar dielectric peaks in both of the samples between room temperature and $700^{\circ}C$. The DC activation energies of the $LS_2$-q and $LS_2$-s samples were $0.48{\pm}0.05eV$ and $0.66{\pm}0.04eV$, while the AC activation energies were $0.48{\pm}0.05eV$ and $0.68{\pm}0.04eV$, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.91-97
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• 2013

Solid polymer electrolyte films are prepared by ultraviolet radiation in the mixtures of an ionic liquid salt (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, $EMIBF_4$) and solvent (acetonitrile (ACN) or propylene carbonate(PC)), and an oligomer (poly(ethylene glycol)diacrylate, PEGDA, 45-60 wt.%). Electrochemical properties of activated carbon supercapacitors adopting the solid polymer electrolyte films as a separator are also examined by cyclic voltammetry and impedance measurement techniques. As a result, the supercapacitor adopting the PEGDA as much as 45 wt.% exhibits a superior capacitance of $46Fg^{-1}$ at $20mVs^{-1}$. It seems that this is due to fast kinetics of ion conduction by sufficient film flexibility, which can be allowed by comparatively weak ultraviolet curing of small anount of the PEGDA.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.9
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• pp.1021-1026
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• 2015

Invertase (β-D-fructosfuranosidase, EC 3.2.1.26) catalyzes the hydrolysis of sucrose into D-glucose and D-fructose. Three biochemical subgroups of invertases have been investigated in plants: vacuolar (soluble acid), cytoplasmic (soluble alkaline), and cell wall-bound (insoluble acid) invertases. An isoform of neutral invertase was purified from pea seedlings (Pisum sativum L.) and treated with gibberellic acid (GA) by sequential procedures consisting of ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography, absorption chromatography, and reactive green-19 affinity chromatography. The results of the overall insoluble invertase purification were a 430-fold increase. The purified neutral invertase was not glycosylated and had an optimum pH between neutral and alkaline (pH 6.8-7.5). It was inhibited by Tris, as well as by heavy metals, such as Hg²⁺ and Cu²⁺. Typical Michaelis–Menten kinetics were observed when the activity of the purified invertase was measured, with sucrose concentrations up to 100 mM. The K_m and V_max values were 12.95 mM and 2.98 U/min, respectively. The molecular mass was around 20 kDa. The sucrose-cleaving enzyme activity of this enzyme is similar to that of sucrose synthase and fructosyltransferase, but its biochemical characteristics are different from those of sucrose synthase and fructosyltransferase. Based on this biochemical characterization and existing knowledge, neutral INV is an invertase isoform in plants.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.79-83
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• 2003

Elicitins, proteinaceous elicitors secreted from Oomycetes fungi (Phytophthora spp. and Pythium spp.), have been known as inducer of hypersensitive response (HR) in incompatible interactions between plant and pathogens. Five elicitins among many Korean Phytophthora species caused the reactions of distal HR in radish, chinese cabbage and some hot pepper cultivars, but not in cucumber and tomato. Because the isolation of elicitin from Phytophthora cambivora hasn't been reported yet, we have purified a cambivorein, a new member of the elicitin family, from the culture filtrate of Phytophtilora cambivora (KACC 40160) by using FPLC (Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography, AKTA) with sepharose S and Sephacryl HR columns. We confirmed that it induces necrosis activities in some hot pepper cultivars and its molecular weight is about 10 KDa by Tricine-SDS-PAGE. Comparison of amino acid sequences of its N-terminal ends also informed the identification of Iysine at the 13th position, which is characteristic of a kind of basic elicitin isoform $({\beta}-isoform)$. It Also showed that our elicitin is not identical with N-terminal sequences of many elicitins reported from Phytophthora spp..

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.161-170
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• 2000

This study was conducted to find biochemical status, dietary habits and dietary behaviors according to the degree of obesity among obese children, and to provide baseline data for nutrition education. The number of subjects was 64 obese children(Mildly obesed : MI 19, Moderately obese : Mo 30, Severely obese : SI 15) participated in '98 Summer Nutrition Camp'. The results of this study were as follows. 1. Weight and body fat rate was increased according to obesity degree(p<0.05). Total cholesterol and TG also was increased according to obesity degree but it was statistically significant. 2. In dietary habits, it wasn't statistically significant but MI tended to eat fast and to eat the snacks before sleeping. MO tended to skip the breakfast. SI tended to eat more snacks and dinner and they tended to overeat. 3. In cognition of self-weight, most obese children(93.7%) worried about their weight but 73.4% of obese children thought that it was possible for losing weight. There were no difference by the obesity degree. 4. In dietary behaviors, there were no statistically significant difference but MI and SI than MO tended to had worse dietary behaviors. 5. In life styles, SI than the others have tendency to have more regular exercise but they had more indoor activities than outdoor activities. 6. In foods intake frequency, SI than MI and MO ate instant foods more frequently and MI than the others ate hot and salty foods more frequently(p<0.05). With these result, MI and SI than MO tended to have undesirable dietary habits and behaviors. Many obese children worried about the weight but they had positive thought about losing weight. SI tended to do regularly exercise but they had more indoor activities than outdoor activities. Therefore, only with this study, it is difficult to say that there is the clear difference by the obesity degree. Because, in this study, we can have some difference among these groups, we should study more about these difference for effective, systemic and practical nutrition education in the future.