• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2013

Microglia play a role in maintaining and resolving brain tissue homeostasis. In pathological conditions, microglia release pro-inflammatory cytokines and cytotoxic factors, which aggravate the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Autophagy pathway might be involved in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and cytotoxic factors in microglia, though details of the mechanism remain largely unknown. In the present study, we examined the role of the autophagy pathway in activated BV2 microglia cells. In BV2 cells, rapamycin treatment activated the formation of anti-LC3-labeled autophagosomes, whereas the ATG5 depletion using siRNA-ATG5 prevented the formation of LC3-labeled autophagosomes, indicating that BV2 cells exhibit an active classical autophagy system. When treated with LPS, BV2 cells expressed an increase of anti-LC3-labeled dots. The levels of LC3-labeled dots were not suppressed, instead tended to be enhanced, by the inhibition of the autophagy pathway with siRNA-ATG5 or wortmannin, suggesting that LPS-induced LC3-labeled dots in nature were distinct from the typical autophagosomes. The levels of LPS-induced expression of iNOS and IL6 were suppressed by treatment with rapamycin, and conversely, their expressions were enhanced by siRNA-ATG5 treatment. Moreover, the activation of the autophagy pathway using rapamycin inhibited cell death of LPS-stimulated microglia. These results suggest that although microglia possess a typical autophagy pathway, the glial cells express a non-typical autophagy pathway in response to LPS, and the activation of the autophagy pathway suppresses the expression of iNOS and IL6, and the cell death of LPS-stimulated microglia.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.800-808
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• 2005

Elemental mobility during the weathering of granite in the Gwangju Hyangdeung area was investigated using ICP-MS analysis. It appeared that Al, Fe, Ti, K were lost from the profile, whereas Si, Ca, Na Mg, P and Mn were immobile during chemical weathering. In less weathered soil, large enrichment of K and Ti were found relative to Al, whereas other elements such as Si, Ca, Na, Mg and P are deplete. Fe content is constant throughout the weathered profiles. Amounts of Rb, Sr, Y, Cs, Pb, Th and U increased toward the surface. Nb, and Co have accumulated in the deepest parts of the weathered soil profile. These results agree with similar published studies. In addition, the analytical data shows that Ba and Ga increased, while Cu, Zn, Cr and Ni were relatively constant in this area. REE tend to increase in most samples, while LREEs, relative to Al, were enriched in the lower and upper saprolite. HREEs were enriched in the lower and upper saprolite.

• Current Optics and Photonics
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.10-14
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• 2022

Low-threshold optical bistability is essential for practical nonlinear optical applications. Many bistable optical devices based on high-quality-factor resonators have been proposed to reduce the threshold intensity. However, demonstrating high-quality-factor resonance requires complex fabrication techniques. In this work, we numerically demonstrate optical bistability with bound states in the continuum in a simple one-dimensional Si photonic crystal. The designed structure supports bound states in the continuum, producing an ultrahigh quality factor without tough fabrication conditions. The threshold intensity of the designed device is 150 MW/cm² at the optical communication wavelength. This scheme may lead to a new class of nonlinear photonics.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.699-708
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• 2005

To characterize the elemental composition of fine particles in urban area, $PM_{2.5}$ was collected by a 3-stage DRUM impactor at Gwangju during spring and summer. Time and size resolved concentrations for 19 trace elements were obtained by synchrotron X-Ray fluorescence analysis. Trace elements in summer were distributed in smaller size range compared to those in spring. Almost trace element concentrations in fine particles were highly increased during the Asian dust. In spring, soil elements such as Si, K, Ca, Ti and Fe had low enrichment factors indicating the dominant influence of soil dust. However, all elements had high enrichment factors in summer implying that these elements could be emitted from the anthropogenic sources. Factor analysis was conducted with the elemental composition data in order to identify anthropogenic sources of aerosols in urban area during spring and summer. Fine particles in spring have several sources such as soil dust originating from China continental region, coal and oil combustion, biomass burning, sea salt, ferrous and nonferrous metal sources. On the other hand, fine particles in summer were influenced by road dust, gasoline vehicle as well as coal and oil combustion, sea salt, ferrous and nonferrous metal sources.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2014

Lithium ion batteries (LIBs) are the state-of-the-art technology among electrochemical energy storage and conversion cells, and are still considered the most attractive class of battery in the future due to their high specific energy density, high efficiency, and long cycle life. Rapid development of power-hungry commercial electronics and large-scale energy storage applications (e.g. off-peak electrical energy storage), however, requires novel anode materials that have higher energy densities to replace conventional graphite electrodes. Germanium (Ge) and silicon (Si) are thought to be ideal prospect candidates for next generation LIB anodes due to their extremely high theoretical energy capacities. For instance, Ge offers relatively lower volume change during cycling, better Li insertion/extraction kinetics, and higher electronic conductivity than Si. In this focused review, we briefly describe the basic concepts of LIBs and then look at the characteristics of ideal anode materials that can provide greatly improved electrochemical performance, including high capacity, better cycling behavior, and rate capability. We then discuss how, in the future, Ge anode materials (Ge and Ge oxides, Ge-carbon composites, and other Ge-based composites) could increase the capacity of today's Li batteries. In recent years, considerable efforts have been made to fulfill the requirements of excellent anode materials, especially using these materials at the nanoscale. This article shall serve as a handy reference, as well as starting point, for future research related to high capacity LIB anodes, especially based on semiconductor Ge and Si.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.39-45
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• 2022

Patterns of occurrence of tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) and tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV) with whitefly on summer-cultivated tomato in Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi Province were surveyed using multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in 2020. In addition, distribution of the whiteflies species and their viral transmission rates were investigated throughout the tomato growing season. The infection rates of TYLCV and ToCV increased sharply during harvest, and the single infection rates were 30.9% and 5.0%, respectively, with a mixed infection rate of the two viruses being the highest at 52.2%. Single infection with TYLCV and double infections with TYLCV and ToCV accounted for the majority with 83.1%. Bemisia tabaci were dominant over Trialeurodes vaporariorum in greenhouse grown plants, and all of the investigated B. tabaci biotypes were identified as Mediterranean (MED, formerly known as Q biotype). The transmission rate of TYLCV, detected in every sampled B. tabaci MED population, was 21.4%, and the mixed transmission rate with ToCV was 35.5%. Viruliferous MED whiteflies with ToCV showed a higher rate than that of T. vaporariorum. In the transplant stage, viruliferous rate of both TYLCV and ToCV of B. tabaci was 42.7%; this rate was highest in the harvest stage. In examination of tomato yield, the increase in the mixed infection rate of TYLCV and ToCV led to complete yield loss. When the mixed infection rate increased by 10%, the yield decreased by 405.4 kg/10a.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.73-78
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• 2008

We investigated for comparison of large-area i-a-Si:H and p-a-SiC:H film quality like thickness uniformity, optical bandgap and surface roughness using both ICP-CVD and PECVD on the large-area substrate(diameter of 100 mm). As a whole, films using ICP-CVD could be achieved much uniform thickness and bandgap of that using PECVD. For i-a-Si:H films, its uniformity of thickness and optical bandgap were 2.8 % and 0.38 %, respectively. Also, thickness and optical bandgap of p-a-SiC:H films using ICP-CVD could be obtained at 1.8 % and 0.3 %, respectively. In case of surface roughness, average surface roughness (below 5 nm) of ICP-CVD film could be much better than that (below 30 nm) of PECVD film. HIT solar cell with 2 wt%-AZO/p-a-SiC:H/i-a-Si:H/c-Si/Ag structure was fabricated and characterized with diameter of 152.3 mm in this large-area ICP-CVD system. Conversion efficiency of 9.123 % was achieved with a practical area of $100\;mm\;{\times}\;100\;mm$, which can show the potential to fabrication of the large-area solar cell using ICP-CVD method.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.169-175
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• 2009

Effect of iron and manganese contents on die soldering reaction has been studied in Al-9wt.%Si-0.3wt.%Mg alloy. Ternary ${\alpha}_{hcp}-Al_8Fe_2Si$ and ${\alpha}_{bcc}-Al_8Fe_2Si$ intermetallic compounds formed by interaction diffusion between Al-Si-Mg system alloy melt and SKD61 die steel surface. Thickness of soldering reaction layer in die steel surface decreased as Fe and Mn contents of the melts increased : When Fe content of Al-9wt.%Si-0.3wt.%Mg melts at constant 0.5wt%Mn content was 0.15wt.%, 0.45wt.% and 0.6wt.%, thickness of soldered layer of each alloy was $64.5{\mu}m,\;57.3{\mu}m$ and $46.9{\mu}m$ respectively. For Mn content of the alloy melts at constant 0.45wt.%Fe content was 0.30wt.%, 0.50wt.% and 0.70wt.%, thickness of soldered layer of each alloy was $66.1{\mu}m,\;57.3{\mu}m$ and $48.3{\mu}m$ respectively.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.143-143
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• 2005

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.16-25
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• 2024

This study investigated the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. In poultry meat and its association with foodborne illnesses in Gwangju, South Korea. It was found that out of the 307 samples of poultry meat examined, 111 (36.2%) were infected with Campylobacter spp. Among the isolated strains, 102 were identified as Campylobacter jejuni and 14 as Campylobacter coli. The detection rate of Campylobacter spp. was higher in duck meat (63.1%) than in chicken meat (26.0%). In 5 samples (1 chicken, 4 duck), both Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli were found together. The antimicrobial resistance test showed that 99 strains were resistant to more than one antimicrobial. The most common antimicrobial resistance was seen against ciprofloxacin (84.5%), followed by nalidixic acid (82.8%), tetracycline (44.0%), and gentamicin (2.6%). The isolated Campylobacter spp. were serotyped and the results showed the presence of HS2 (20 strains), HS15 (11 strains), HS19 (9 strains), and HS8 (8 strains). Considering the findings, it is recommended to maintain hygienic practices during the cooking process and to take necessary precautions to prevent the spread of pathogenic bacteria.