• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.369-375
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• 2010

We used melt polymerization method to prepare a series of aromatic liquid crystals (LCs) based on aromatic ester and amide units with the reactive methyl-maleimide end group, and then the resulting thermally cross-linked LCs to produce LC thermoset films by means of solution casting and the followed heat treatment. The synthesized LCs and LCTs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), thermomechanical analysis (TMA), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and polarizing optical microscopy (POM) with a hot stage. All of the LCs prepared by melt polymerization method formed smectic mesophases. The thermal properties of the LC and LCT films were strongly affected by the mesogen units in the main chain structures. The thermal expansion coefficients of samples were in the range of 27.72~50.95 ppm/$^{\circ}C$.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.415-420
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• 2008

The porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) without immunorejection responses and hyalunonic acid (HA) can be used as biomaterials. In this study, we tried to design and characterize novel sponge. SIS- HA sponge was prepared by freeze-drying after addition 1wt% HA solution into fabricated SIS sponge. Sponge was crosslinked with 1-ethyl-(3-3-dimethyl aminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) solution with 100mM concentration for 24 hrs and lyophilized. SIS-HA sponge was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and fourier transform infrared spectrometer. And water absorption ability of sponge was evaluated. We seeded NIH/3T3 cells in SIS-HA sponge and cellular attachment was assayed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltertazolium-bromide (MTT) test. We demonstrated presence of HA in SIS-HA sponge from C-O functional group observed by the FT-IR analysis. Moreover, we confirmed low cytotoxicity and high cell viability of the SIS-HA sponges. Therefore, we could expect that SIS- HA scaffolds are applicable for the tissue regeneration.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.101-105
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• 2011

Transparency and insolubility of eardrum patch against exudates are important for otolaryngological surgery. The author prepared silk fibroin (SF) films with various concentrations and temperature and then examined solubility and conformation of SF films. SF films were transparent regardless of the various preparation conditions. Although most SF films are soluble in 1X PBS solution at $37^{\circ}C$ for 1 h, the SF film with 3.4% with $60^{\circ}C$ was insoluble. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the SF films have solid and smooth surface. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results showed that the conformation of SF films was influenced by the preparation conditions including SF concentration and casting temperature. In conclusion, SF membrane with transparence and insolubility against exudates could be considered as eardrum patch resources.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.527-535
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• 2021

In this study, electroconductive textiles were developed by screen-printing technology using a complex solution of PEDOT:PSS/AgNW on a polylactic acid nanofiber web. A performance evaluation was then conducted to utilize this electroconductive textile as a signal transmission line. To obtain highly conductive electroconductive textiles, this study sought to determine the optimal mixing ratio of PEDOT:PSS/AgNW. Sheet resistance was measured to evaluate the electrical properties of electroconductive textiles, Finite element-scanning electron microscopy images were then used to examine surface properties, and Fourier transform-infrared analysis was performed to evaluate chemical properties. The signal waveform characteristics of the electroconductive textile were observed using a signal generator and an oscilloscope. Radio-frequency characteristics were then evaluated to confirm frequency range, and bending tests were conducted to evaluate durability. The signal transmission lines produced in this study had a sheet resistance value of 3.30 ?/sq, and signal transmission performance was evaluated to observe that the input value of the voltage was nearly identical to the output value. In addition, S21 analysis confirmed that it was available in the frequency domain up to 35 MHz. The performances of the transmission lines were maintained after 100, 200, 500, and 1,000 repeated bending tests, and sufficient durability was confirmed.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.105-110
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• 2021

The physicochemical properties of crystalline titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) were investigated by comparing amorphous (amTiO₂), anatase (aTiO₂), metaphase of anatase-rutile (arTiO₂), and rutile (rTiO₂) NPs, which were prepared at various calcination temperatures (100℃, 400℃, 600℃, and 900℃). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses confirmed that the phase-transformed TiO₂ had the characteristic features of crystallinity and average size. The surface chemical properties of the crystalline phases were different in the spectral analysis. As anatase transformed to the rutile phase, the band of the hydroxyl group at 3,600-3,100 cm^-1 decreased gradually, as assessed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). For ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectra, the maximum absorbance of anatase TiO₂ NPs at 309 nm was blue-shifted to 290 nm at the rutile phase with reduced absorbance. Under the electric field of capillary electrophoresis (CE), TiO₂ NPs in anatase migrated and detected as a broaden peak, whereas the rutile NPs did not. In addition, anatase showed the highest photocatalytic activity in an UV-irradiated dye degradation assay in the following order: aTiO₂ > arTiO₂ > rTiO₂. Overall, the phases of TiO₂ NPs showed characteristic physicochemical properties regarding size, surface chemical properties, UV absorbance, CE migration, and photocatalytic activity.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.493-502
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• 2021

We prepared and investigated a biosynthesized nanoparticulate system with high adsorption and release capacity of letrozole. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were biosynthesized using olive leaf extract. Cysteine was capped AgNPs to increase the adsorption capacity and suitable interaction between nanoparticles and drug. Morphology and size of nanoparticles were confirmed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Nanoparticles were spherical with an average diameter of less than 100 nm. Cysteine capping was successfully confirmed by Fourier transform infrared resonance (FTIR) spectroscopy and elemental analysis (CHN). Also, the factors of letrozole adsorption were optimized and the linear and non-linear forms of isotherms and kinetics were studied. Confirmation of the adsorption data of letrozole by cysteine capped nanoparticles in the Langmuir isotherm model indicated the homogeneous binding site of modified nanoparticles surface. Furthermore, the adsorption rate was kinetically adjusted to the pseudo-second-order model, and a high adsorption rate was observed, indicating that cysteine coated nanoparticles are a promising adsorbent for letrozole delivery. Finally, the kinetic release profile of letrozole loaded modified nanoparticles in simulated gastric and intestinal buffers was studied. Nearly 40% of letrozole was released in simulated gastric fluid with pH 1.2, in 30 min and the rest of it (60%) was released in simulated intestinal fluid with pH 7.4 in 10 h. These results indicate the efficiency of the cysteine capped AgNPs for adsorption and release of drug letrozole for breast cancer therapy.

• Nano
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.1850147.1-1850147.14
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• 2018

In this work, water-soluble and blue-emitting carbon nanodots (CDs) were synthesized from apple peels for the first time via one-step hydrothermal method. The synthetic route is facile, green, economical and viable. The as-prepared CDs were characterized thoroughly by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron (XPS), fluorescence and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy in terms of their morphology, surface functional groups and optical properties. The results show that these CDs possessed ultrasmall size, good dispersivity, and high tolerance to pH, ionic strength and continuous UV irradiation. Significantly, the CDs had fast and reversible response towards temperature, and the accurate linear relationship between fluorescence intensity and temperature was used to design a novel nanothermometer in a broad temperature range from 5 to $65^{\circ}C$ facilely. In addition, the fluorescence intensity of CDs was observed to be quenched immediately by Cr(VI) ions based on the inner filter effect. A low-cost Cr(VI) ions sensor was proposed employing CDs as fluorescent probe, and it displayed a wide linear range from 0.5 to $200{\mu}M$ with a detection limit of $0.73{\mu}M$. The practicability of the developed Cr(VI) sensor for real water sample assay was also validated with satisfactory recoveries.

• Biomaterials and Biomechanics in Bioengineering
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.21-32
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• 2019

Eggshell is a waste material after the usage of egg. In this work, biowaste chicken eggshells were used for preparing carbonated hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles of high purity through aqueous precipitation method at room temperature. The eggshell-derived HA will be a cost-effective bioceramics for biomedical applications and an effective material-recycling technology. Additionally, mulberry leaf extract was used as a template to regulate the morphology, size and crystallinity of HA, and the effects of pH value were also examined. Characterization of the samples was performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to determine the size, shape and morphology of HA. The results indicate that only one phase of HA were synthesized in the both absence and presence of mulberry leaf extract at pH of 7 and above, while DCPD or DCPA/DCPD phase was observed at pH 4 condition. The crystallite sizes of the HA samples obviously decreased when adding mulberry leaf extract as a template, while they decreased gradually as the solution pH levels increased. With increasing pH level from 7 to 14, the rod-like HA nanoparticles gradually changed to spherical shape at pH 14. Note that, the obtained product is Mg and Sr containing A- and B-type carbonate HA at alkaline pH and it can be a potential material for biomedical applications.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.171-177
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• 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 Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.1144-1153
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• 2021

A released exopolysaccharide (rEPS)-producing strain (LM187) with good acid resistance, bile salt resistance, and cholesterol-lowering properties was isolated from Sichuan paocai and identified as Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides. The purified rEPS, designated as rEPS414, had a uniform molecular weight of 7.757 × 10⁵ Da. Analysis of the monosaccharide composition revealed that the molecule was mainly composed of glucose. The Fourier transform-infrared spectrum showed that rEPS414 contained both α-type and β-type glycosidic bonds. ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectra analysis showed that the purified rEPS contained arabinose, galactose, and rhamnose, but less uronic acid. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the exopolysaccharide displayed a large number of scattered, fluffy, porous cellular network flake structures. In addition, rEPS414 exhibited strong in vitro antioxidant activity. These results showed that strain LM187 and its rEPS are promising probiotics with broad prospects in industry.