• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.12 no.9
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• pp.701-705
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• 2002

High temperature tensile test has been performed at $450^{\circ}C$ at different strain rate with various grain size due to different reduction rate of Al-4wt%Mg-0.4wt%Sc alloy which is known to be one of useful superplastic alloys. The grain size of Al-4wt%Mg-0.4wt%Sc alloy is $67~100\mu\textrm{m}$ which is courser than that of the alloy which is commonly used as the superplastic material. The total elongation of the Al-4wt%Mg-0.4wt%Sc alloy is strongly dependent on the average grain size, and is a linear function of the inverse average grain size for the present alloy.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.441-448
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• 2002

The electrical properties of the GaN-based green light emitting diodes(LEDs) with the Mg-doped p-GaN layer activated in $N_2$ or $O_2$ ambient have been compared. For the $N_2$ -ambient activation the current-voltage behavior of LEDs has been found to be improved when the Mg dopants activation was performed in the higher temperature. However, for the $O_2$-ambient activation the current-voltage characteristic has been observed to be enhanced when the Mg dopants activation was carried out in the lower temperature. The minimum forward voltage at 20mA was obtained to be 4.8 V for LEDs with the p-GaN layer activated at $900^{\circ}C$ in the $N_2$ ambient and 4.5V for LEDs with the p-GaN layer treated at $700^{\circ}C$ in the $O_2$ambient, repectively. The forward voltage reduction of the LEDs treated in the $O_2$-ambient may be related to the oxygen co-doping of the p-GaN layer during the activation process. The $O_2$ -ambient activation process is useful for the enhancement of the LED performance as well as the fabrication process since this process can activate the Mg dopants in the low temperature.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.93-101
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• 2013

Objects : Baicalein is a major bioactive flavonoid component of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi that shows a wide range of biological activities, including neuroprotections and anti-inflammatory actions. Hence it is a potential therapeutic material for the treatment of neuroinflammation. In this study, we investigated the modulatory effect of baicalein on neuroinflammation. Method : Pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6 mRNA), COX-2 mRNA expression and microglial activation in the brain tissue is induced by systemic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment in C57BL/6 mice. Baicalein was treated orally with 10, 20, and 30 mg/kg 1 hour prior to the LPS (3 mg/kg, i.p.) injection. TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6 and COX-2 mRNA expression in the brain tissue was measured by the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(PCR) method. Iba1 expression in the brain was measured by western blotting method. Microglia was observed with immunohistochemistry. Results : Baicalein 30 mg/kg significantly attenuated the expression of TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6 and COX-2 mRNA in the brain tissue. Baicalein 20 mg/kg significantly attenuated the expression of IL-6 mRNA in the brain tissue. Baicalein 30 mg/kg significantly attenuated the expression of Iba1 protein expression in the brain tissue. Baicalein 30 mg/kg significantly decreased the number and cell size of microglia in the cerebral cortex and hypothalamic region and the area percentage of Iba1-expressed microglia in the hippocampus. Conclusion : These results demonstrated that baicalein attenuates LPS induced neuroinflammation in the mice via reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6), COX-2 mRNA expression and microglial activation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.1179-1188
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• 2023

Escherichia coli, particularly multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains, is a serious cause of healthcare-associated infections. Development of novel antimicrobial agents or restoration of drug efficiency is required to treat MDR bacteria, and the use of natural products to solve this problem is promising. We investigated the antimicrobial activity of dried green coffee (DGC) beans, coffee pulp (CP), and arabica leaf (AL) crude extracts against 28 isolated MDR E. coli strains and restoration of ampicillin (AMP) efficiency with a combination test. DGC, CP, and AL extracts were effective against all 28 strains, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 12.5-50 mg/ml and minimum bactericidal concentration of 25-100 mg/ml. The CP-AMP combination was more effective than CP or AMP alone, with a fractional inhibitory concentration index value of 0.01. In the combination, the MIC of CP was 0.2 mg/ml (compared to 25 mg/ml of CP alone) and that of AMP was 0.1 mg/ml (compared to 50 mg/ml of AMP alone), or a 125-fold and 500-fold reduction, respectively, against 13-drug resistant MDR E. coli strains. Time-kill kinetics showed that the bactericidal effect of the CP-AMP combination occurred within 3 h through disruption of membrane permeability and biofilm eradication, as verified by scanning electron microscopy. This is the first report indicating that CP-AMP combination therapy could be employed to treat MDR E. coli by repurposing AMP.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.631-640
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• 2023

This study selected Eco-AZ91 MgH₂, which shows high enthalpy as a material for this purpose, as the basic material, and analyzed the change in characteristics by synthesizing TiNi as a catalyst to control the thermodynamic behavior of MgH₂. In addition, the catalyst dispersion technology using graphene oxide (GO) was studied to improve the high-temperature aggregation phenomenon of Ni catalyst and to secure a source technology that can properly disperse the catalyst. XRD, SEM, and BET analysis were conducted to analyze the metallurgical properties of the material, and TGA and DSC analysis were conducted to analyze the dehydrogenation temperature and calorific value, and the correlation between MgH₂, TiNi catalyst, and GO reforming catalyst was analyzed. As a result, the MgH₂-5 wt% TiNi at GO composite could lower the dehydrogenation temperature to 478-492 K due to the reduction of the catalyst aggregation phenomenon and the increase in the reaction specific surface area, and an experimental result for the catalyst dispersion technology by GO could be ensured.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.78-84
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• 2024

The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) is gaining attention as an effective method for converting CO₂ into high-value carbon compounds. This paper reports a facile meth od for synth esizing and characterizing g-C₃N₄-modified porous Au (pAu) electrodes for electrochemical CO₂ reduction using e-beam deposition and anodization techniques. The fabricated pAu@g-C₃N₄ electrode (@ -0.9 VRHE) demonstrated superior electrochemical performance compared to the pAu electrode. Both electrodes exhibited a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 100% for CO production. The pAu@g-C₃N₄ electrode achieved a maximum CO production rate of 9.94 mg/s, which is up to 2.2 times higher than that of the pAu electrode. This study provides an economical and sustainable approach to addressing climate change caused by CO₂ emissions and significantly contributes to the development of electrodes for electrochemical CO₂ reduction.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.484-489
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• 2005

In order to determine the removal rate of non-biodegradable substances and the change of their structural properties, this study was carried out by an ozone-treatment experiment on leachate collected from the landfill area of D City in Chung chung nam-do and examined the change of the chemical properties of non-biodegradable substances. The main elements of non-biodegradable substances in landfill leachate were benzene, toluene, trichloroethane, trichloroethylene, xylene, etc. and the concentration of toluene was 15.7 mg/L on the average, benzene 7.2 mg/L, trichloroethane 1.1 mg/L, trichloroethylene 0.75 mg/L and xylene 0.5 mg/L. When leachate was treated with ozone for 10 min, 30 min and 60 min, UV absorbance was reduced with the increase of reaction time, and the reduction rate was 38.6% at 60 min. TOC was removed by 13.2% at 60 min. The low reduction rate of TOC may be because TOC reacts indirectly with OH radical produced from reaction with ozone while UV absorbance usually relies on direct reaction between organic matters and ozone molecules. Color was removed by up to 97%, which suggests that ozonation is highly effective in removing coloring elements in leachate. Sixteen kinds of non-biodegradable compounds were found in the leachate and most of them had the characteristic of aromatic hydrocarbon. Among them dibutyl phthalate was identical with a substance included in the list of US EPA, which is classified as a mutagen that may cause the mutation of genes and disorders in chromosomes. In addition, 2,5-Cyclohexadiene-1,4-dione, 1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid and butyl octyl ester were found to be similar to substances listed by USEPA. According to the result of analyzing structural changes before and after ozonation using GC-MS, cyclic compounds and aromatic compounds were observed in the original water and aliphatic compounds were newly observed after ozonation. In addition, through ozonation, humic substances of high molecular weight were oxidized and decomposed and produced low-molecular compounds such as aldehyde, ketone and carboxyl acid and highly biodegradable aliphatic carbon, which suggests the bio-degradability of non-biodegradable substances.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.263-277
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• 1998

Conventional high-dose antipsychotics tend to result in more side effects, negative symptoms and dysphoria, and at the same time lower the cognitive function which is already impaired in most schizophrenics. Florid psychotic symptoms, negative symptoms and cognitive impairment greatly impede psychosocial performance and eventual reintegration into society. The reduction of symptom and the improvement of cognitive funtions and social skills are therefore central to the psychiatric rehabilitation process. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dose-reduction effects of antipsychotics on chronic schizophrenics prescribed conventional high-dose antipsychotics more than 1,500mg equivalent of chlorpromazine. Fifty-one chronic schizophrenics who maintained high-dose antipsychotics for more than three months were randomly assigned to two groups : 20 patients comprised the dose-maintaining group and 31 patients made the dose-reduction group. Over a sixteen weekperiod Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS), Extrapyramidal Symptom(EPS), Nurses' Observation Scale for Inpatient Evaluation(NOSIE-30), Continuous Performance Test(CPT), Quality of Life(QOL), and haloperidol/reduced haloperidol blood levels were determined at the base line and after 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16 weeks to evaluate the dose reduction effects of high-dose antipsychotics. The results were as follows : 1) Dose-reduction is highly effective in reducing positive and negative symptoms, and general psychopathology. Effects were most prominent at 8, 12, 16 weeks. Among the dose reduction group, positive symptoms in positive symptom group and negative symptoms in negative symptom group were more reduced. 2 Extrapyramidal symptoms showed no significant difference between two groups. But the EPS was reduced time after time within two groups. 3) Hit rates of Continuous Performance Test, which indicate attentional capacity, increased significantly after dose reduction. 4) Haloperidol and reduced haloperidol blood levels decreased until the 4th week, after which they were constant. 5) Total scores of Nurses' Observation Scale for Inpatient Evaluation were unchanged between the two groups. But among the indices, social interest and personal neatness were improved in the dose-reduction group and retardation was aggrevated in the dose-maintaining group. 6) Total quality of life scores were unchanged between two groups. But in the dose maintaining group, satisfaction scores of attention, autonomy, and interpersonal relationship decreased progressively. These findings suggest that the dose reduction of antipsychotics for chronic schizophrenics on programs of high-dose antipsychotics were effective. Dose reduction should therefore be implemanted to spread the rehabilitation and improve quality of life for chronic schizophrenics.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.245-251
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• 2015

We have applied mechanical alloying (MA) to produce soft magnetic composite material using a mixture of elemental $Fe_2O_3$-Mg powders. An optimal milling and heat treatment conditions to obtain soft magnetic ${\alpha}$-Fe/MgO composite with fine microstructure were investigated by X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurement. It is found that ${\alpha}$-Fe/MgO composite powders in which MgO is dispersed in ${\alpha}$-Fe matrix are obtained by MA of $Fe_2O_3$ with Mg for 30 min. The saturation magnetization of ball-milled powders increases with increasing milling time and reaches to a maximum value of 69.5 emu/g after 5 h MA. The magnetic hardening due to the reduction of the ${\alpha}$-Fe grain size by MA was also observed. Densification of the MA powders was performed in a spark plasma sintering (SPS) machine at $800{\sim}1000^{\circ}C$ under 60 MPa. X-ray diffraction result shows that the average grain size of ${\alpha}$-Fe in ${\alpha}$-Fe/MgO nanocomposite sintered at $800^{\circ}C$ is in the range of 110 nm.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.277-286
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• 1994

The contents of major elements were determined in current-year and previous-year needles and fine roots of pitch pine (Pinus yzgida) at 33 sites in Seoul and its vicinity. Contrary to Ca and Al in needles, N, P, Mg and K contents in current-year needles were higher than those in previous-year needles. The N, P, K and Al contents in current-year needles in Seoul were not significantly different from those in rural areas. In contrast, Ca and Mg contents in needles in Seoul were significantly lower than those in suburbs and rural areas. The N /Ca and N /Mg ratios in needles in urban Seoul were higher than those in rural areas. Mg contents in fine roots in soil of 0-5 cm depth increased along with distance from the center of Seoul, while Al contents in fine root in soil of 5-10 cm depth decreased along with distance from the center of Seoul. Al contents in fine roots in soil layer in Seoul and suburbs were higher than those in rural areas. Al contents in fine roots in litter layer were 1 /3 - 1 /2 times lower than those in soil layer for all areas. A1 content in fine roots in deep soil was higher than that in top soil. Therefore growth decline of pitch pine in Seoul and suburbs was thought to be caused by Ca and Mg deficiency in plant tissues and Al toxicity to fine roots. Abnormal vertical distribution of fine roots of pitch pine in Seoul and its vicinity were interpreted as the result of growth reduction of fine roots by Al toxicity in deep layer of acid soil.