• Journal of the Korean Society of Visualization
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2015

CD4+ T-cell count determines the effectiveness for antiretroviral therapy (ART) in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Although ART slows the progression of HIV to AIDS, rapid counting of CD4+ T lymphocytes with a drop of patient's blood sample is urgently needed to ensure timely ART treatment in rural areas. Recently point-of-care CD4 testing devices have been developed by using non-flow based imaging cytometer incorporated with a sample cartridge where CD4+ T cells are reacted with fluorescently tagged specific antibodies. Here we conducted an experimental study using a conventional fluorescence microscope-based imaging system to quantitate the interaction of CD4 antibodies with CD4+ T cells at different reaction conditions. We demonstrated that a fast and affordable point-of-care CD4 test is feasible with a far less amount of antibodies and a shorter incubation time compared with a conventional sample preparation protocol for flow cytometry. We also proposed a general method to evaluate and compare the detection limit across different CD4 counting platforms by using fluorescently labelled microbeads for intensity calibration.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.488-492
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• 2009

Porous frit-bonded SiC ceramics were successfully prepared at a temperature as low as $800^{\circ}C$ from SiC, frit, and microbeads (glass or polymer). The effects of SiC starting particle size and microbead addition on microstructure, porosity, and flexural strength were investigated. The addition of hollow glass microbead improved the strength of frit-bonded SiC ceramics without the loss of porosity by acting additional binder phase between SiC grains. The 65 ${\mu}m$-sized SiC resulted in lower porosity and higher strength than 50 ${\mu}m$-sized SiC because of higher packing density. Typical flexural strengths of frit-bonded SiC were 23 MPa at 46% porosity and 19 MPa at 49% porosity.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.360-367
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• 2011

Macroporous silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics were fabricated by powder processing and polymer processing using carbon-filled polysiloxane as a precursor. The effects of the starting SiC polytype, template type, and template content on porosity and flexural strength of macroporous SiC ceramics were investigated. The ${\beta}$-SiC powder as a starting material or a filler led to higher porosity than ${\alpha}$-SiC powder, owing to the impingement of growing ${\alpha}$-SiC grains, which were transformed from ${\beta}$-SiC during sintering. Typical flexural strength of powder-processed macroporous SiC ceramics fabricated from ${\alpha}$-SiC starting powder and polymer microbeads was 127 MPa at 29% porosity. In contrast, that of polymer-processed macroporous SiC ceramics fabricated from carbon-filled polysiloxane, ${\beta}$-SiC fillers, and hollow microspheres was 116MPa at 29% porosity. The combination of ${\alpha}$-SiC starting powder and a fairly large amount (10 wt%) of $Al_2O_3-Y_2O_3$ additives led to macroporous SiC ceramics with excellent flexural strength.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.34 no.12
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• pp.1785-1791
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• 2010

This paper describes a separable microfluidic device fabricated with PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) and glass. The device is used for sample preparation involving cell lysis and the DNA purification process. The cell lysis was performed for 2 min at $80^{\circ}C$ in a serpentine-type microreactor ($20 {\mu}l$) using a Au microheater that was integrated with a thermal microsensor on a glass substrate. The DNA that was mixed with other residual products during the cell lysis process was then filtered through a new filtration system composed of microbeads (diameter: $50 {\mu}m$) and PDMS pillars. Since the entire process (sample loading, cell lysis reaction, DNA purification, and sample extraction) was performed within 5 min in a microchip, we could reduce the sample preparation time in comparison with that for the conventional methods used in biochemistry laboratories. Finally, we verified the performance of the sample preparation chip by conducting PCR (polymerase chain reaction) analysis of the chip product.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.489-493
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• 2013

The most common carbonaceous anode materials of lithium ion batteries (natural graphite, artificial graphite, hard carbon, and mesocarbon microbeads) were utilized as an electrode in lithium ion capacitors. It could be able to enhance the energy density of capacitors due to the intercalation of lithium ion. In this work, the properties of capacitors using the symmetric electrode were measured by organizing coin cell typed capacitors. Also, we made other capacitors having pre-intercalated lithium ions at one side of the electrode. The results of electrochemical measurements for these capacitors show that the storage capacitance was appeared. In other words, if the migration of lithium ions is supplied continuously in the electrolytes, lithium ions can be diffused into the carbonaceous materials. And it results in the improvement of capacitance compared to only using symmetric carbonaceous electrodes. Also, we conducted the same measurement with graphene oxide having a the large specific area in the same condition. Herein, we recognized that the large specific area is extremely important for supercapacitors.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.157-164
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• 2007

Microencapsulation of cells within microfluidic devices enables explicit control of the membrane thickness or cell density, resulting in improved viability of the transplanted cells within an aggressive immune system. In this study, living cells (3T3 and L929 fibroblast cells) are encapsulated within a semi-permeable membrane (calcium crosslinked alginate gel) in two different device designs, a flow focusing and a core-annular flow focusing geometry. These two device designs produce a bead and a long microfibre, respectively. For the alginate bead, an alginate aqueous solution incorporating cells flows through a flow focusing channel and an alginate droplet is formed from the balance of interfacial forces and viscous drag forces resulting from the continuous (oil) phase flowing past the alginate solution. It immediately reacts with an adjacent $CaCl_2$ drop that is extruded into the main flow channel by another flow focusing channel downstream of the site of alginate drop creation. Depending on the flow conditions, monodisperse microbeads of sizes ranging from $50-200\;{\mu}m$ can be produced. In the case of the microfibre, the alginate solution with cells is extruded into a continuous phase of $CaCl_2$ solution. The diameter of alginate fibres produced via this technique can be tightly controlled by changing both flow rates. Cell viability in both forms of alginate encapsulant was confirmed by a LIVE/DEAD cell assay for periods of up to 24 hours post encapsulation.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.52-57
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• 2014

The MCMB-$Li_4Ti_5O_{12}$ with core-shell structure was prepared by sol-gel process to improve low cycle capability of MCMB in this study. The electrochemical characteristics were investigated for hybrid capacitor using MCMB-$Li_4Ti_5O_{12}$ as the negative electrode and $LiMn_2O_4$, Active carbon fiber as the positive electrode. The electrochemical behaviors of hybrid capacitor using organic electrolytes ($LiPF_6$, EC/DMC/EMC) were characterized by charge/discharge, cyclic voltammetry, cycle and impedance tests. The hybrid capacitor using MCMB-$Li_4Ti_5O_{12}/LiMn_2O_4$ electrodes had better capacitance than MCMB hybrid systems and was able to deliver a specific energy with 67 Wh/kg at a specific power of 781 W/kg.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.149-154
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• 2003

The immunomodulatory activity of PJ-P, a polysaccharide fraction extracted from Paeonia japonica, were reported in our previous paper. In the present study, we investigated that PJ-P inhibited cancer growth through activation of macrophages. The activities of peritoneal macrophage to induce tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-$\alpha$, interleukin-1 (IL-1)$\beta$, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-12 (IL-12) as well as to ingest fluorescence-latex microbeads were enhanced by treatment of PJ-P. Direct cytocidal activity of PJ-P against cancer cells was not shown. However, in vitro, peritoneal macrophages treated with PJ-P had an activity to kill cancer cells. Furthermore, PJ-P significantly prolonged the survival of mice implanted intraperitoneally with B16F0 mel-anoma cells. These results suggest that PJ-P could be a useful immunomodulator and assistant of anti-tumor agent.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.1569-1579
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• 2021

This study aims to provide microstructural characterization for the matrix graphite which molten salt reactors (MSRs) use, and improve resistance to molten salt infiltration of the matrix graphite for fuel elements. Mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB) densified matrix graphite A3-3 (MDG) was prepared by a quasi-isostatic pressure process. After densification by MCMBs with average particle sizes of 2, 10, and 16 ㎛, the pore diameter of A3-3 decreased from 924 nm to 484 nm, 532 nm, and 778 nm, respectively. Through scanning electron microscopy, the cross-section energy spectrum and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, resistance levels of the matrix graphite to molten salt infiltration were analyzed. The results demonstrate that adding a certain proportion of MCMB powders can improve the anti-infiltration ability of A3-3. Meanwhile, the closer the particle size of MCMB is to the pore diameter of A3-3, the smaller the average pore diameter of MDG and the greater the densification. As a matrix graphite of fuel elements in MSR was involved, the thermal and mechanical properties of matrix graphite MDG were also studied. When densified by the MCMB matrix graphite, MDGs can meet the molten salt anti-infiltration requirements for MSR operation.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.325-330
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• 2006

This study presents the characterization of an integrated portable microfluidic electrical detection system for fast and low volume immunoassay using polystyrene microbead, which are used as immobilization surfaces. In our chip, a filtration method using the microbead was adopted for sample immobilization and immunogold silver staining(IGSS) was used to increase the electrical signal. The chip is composed of an inexpensive and biocompatible Polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS) layer and Pyrex glass substrate. Platinum microelectrodes for electric signal detection were fabricated on the substrate and microchannel and pillar-type microfilters were formed in the PDMS layer. With a fabricated chip, we reacted antigen and antibody according to the procedures. Then, silver enhancer was injected to increase the size of nanogold particles tagged with the second antibody. As a result, microbeads were connected to each other and formed an electrical bridge between microelectrodes. Resistance measured through the electrodes showed a difference of two orders of magnitude between specific and nonspecific immuno-reactions. The detection limit was 10 ng/ml. The developed immunoassay chip reduced the total analysis time from 3 hours to 50 min. Fast and low-volume biochemical analysis has been successfully achieved with the developed microfilter and immuno-sensor chip, which is integrated to the microfluidic system.