• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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• v.35 no.11A
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• pp.1091-1096
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• 2010

Stiction in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) has been a major failure mechanism. Especially, in RF MEMS switches, moving parts often suffered in-use and release related stiction problems. Some materials and methods have been used to prevent this problem. Diamond-like carbon (DLC) has not only been used as a protective material owing to its good mechanical properties but also has been used as a hydrophobic material. Its properties could be controlled by post annealing treatment in various conditions. We synthesized DLC films using a radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF PECVD) method on silicon substrates using methane ($CH_4$) and hydrogen ($H_2$) gas. Then, the change of the hydrophobic property of the films was investigated undervarious annealing temperatures in nitrogen and in oxygen ambient. The films, that were annealed above $700^{\circ}C$ in nitrogen ambient, showed a high contact angle of water (> $90^{\circ}$) even though their mechanical property was sacrificed to some degree. The structural variation and the changes of the hydrophobic and mechanical properties of the DLC films were analyzed by Raman spectrum, contact angle measurement, surface profiler, and a nanoindentation test.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.182-187
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• 2004

The fluorinated amorphous carbon thin films (a-C:F) were deposited by PECVD(plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition). The precursors were $C_{4}F_{8}$ which had a similar ratio of target film's carbon to fluorine ratio, and $Si_{2}H_{6}$/He for capturing excessive fluorine ion. We varied deposition condition of temperature and working pressure to survey the effect of each changes. We measured dielectric constant, composition, and etc. At low temperature the film adhesion to substrate was very poor although the growth rate was very high, the growth rate was very low at high temperature. The EDS(energy dispersive spectroscopy) result showed carbon and fluorine peak for films and Si peak for substrate. There was no oxygen peak.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.1763-1769
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• 2020

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of L-carnitine on the pig semen characteristics during storage. Methods: Spermatozoa samples were examined for spermatozoa quality and then randomly divided into 5 groups: 0 (control), 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 mM L-carnitine. Sperm motility, plasma membrane integrity and antioxidant parameters (total reactive oxygen species, total antioxidant capacity, and malondialdehyde) were evaluated after 0, 3, 5, and 10 day cooled-storage at 17℃. Moreover, ATP content, mitochondria activity as well as sperm-binding and in vitro fertilizing ability of preserved boar sperm were also investigated. Results: Supplementation with 50 mM L-carnitine could effectively maintain boar sperm quality parameters such as sperm motility and membrane integrity. Besides, we found that L-carnitine had positive effects on boar sperm quality mainly through improving antioxidant capacities and enhancing ATP content and mitochondria activity. Interestingly, by assessing the effect of L-carnitine on sperm fertility and developmental potential, we discovered that the extender containing L-carnitine could improve sperm quality and increase the number of sperms bounding to zona pellucida, without improving in vitro fertility and development potential. Conclusion: These findings suggested that the proper addition of L-carnitine to the semen extender improved boar sperm quality during liquid storage at 17℃.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.08a
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• pp.142.2-142.2
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• 2013

The effect of substrate on catalytic activity of CO oxidation with transition metal Platinum nanoparticles on doped and undoped TiO2 was investigated. Titanium dioxide was doped chemically with non-metal anions including nitrogen and fluorine. Undoped TiO2 was synthesized via simple conventional sol-gel route. Thin films of titania were developed by spin coating technique and the characterization techniques SEM, XRD, UV-Vis Absorption Spectroscopy and XPS were carried out to examine the morphology of films, crystal phase, crystallites, optical properties and elemental composition respectively. XPS analysis from doped TiO2 confirmed that the nitrogen site were interstitial whereas fluorine was doped into TiO2 lattice substitutionally. Catalytic activity systems of Pt/doped-TiO2 and Pt/undoped-TiO2 were fabricated to reveal the strong metal-support interaction effect during catalytic activity of CO oxidation reactions. By arc plasma deposition technique, platinum nanoparticles with mean size of 2.7 nm were deposited on the thin films of doped and undoped titanium dioxide. The CO oxidation was performed with 40 Torr CO and 100 Torr O2 with 620 Torr He carrier gas. Turn over frequency was observed two to three folds enhancement in case of Pt/doped TiO2 as compared to Pt/TiO2. The electronic excitation and the oxygen vacancies that were formed with the doping process were the plausible reasons for the enhancement of catalytic activity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.867-874
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• 2021

Epalrestat (EPS) is a brain penetrant aldose reductase inhibitor, an approved drug currently used for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy. At near-plasma concentration, EPS induces glutathione biosynthesis, which in turn reduces oxidative stress in the neuronal cells. In this study, we found that EPS reduces neurodegeneration by inhibiting reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced oxidative injury, mitochondrial membrane damage, apoptosis and tauopathy. EPS treatment up to 50 µM did not show any toxic effect on SH-SY5Y cell line (neuroblastoma cells). However, we observed toxic effect at a concentration of 100 µM and above. At 50 µM concentration, EPS showed better antioxidant activity against H₂O₂ (100 µM)-induced cytotoxicity, ROS formation and mitochondrial membrane damage in retinoic acid-differentiated SH-SY5Y cell line. Furthermore, our study revealed that 50 µM of EPS concentration reduced the glycogen synthase kinase-3 β (GSK3-β) expression and total tau protein level in H₂O₂ (100 µM)-treated cells. Findings from this study confirms the therapeutic efficacy of EPS on regulating Alzheimer's disease (AD) by regulating GSK3-β and total tau proteins phosphorylation, which helped to restore the cellular viability. This process could also reduce toxic fibrillary tangle formation and disease progression of AD. Therefore, it is our view that an optimal concentration of EPS therapy could decrease AD pathology by reducing tau phosphorylation through regulating the expression level of GSK3-β.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 1995

Antioxidant effect of Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) was investigated in rats. Long-term administration of ginseng water extract protected the activity of liver cytosotic SOD, catalase and glutathione peroxidase from being significantly decreased with advancing age (p<0.05). It was more effective toward glutathione peroxidase than other antioxidant enzymes. However, the level of sulfhydryl compounds and its related enzymes such as glutathione reductase and glutathione-5-transferase was not significantly changed by the administration of ginseng. Liver microsomal formation of reactive oxygen species such as superoxide and hydrogen peroxide did not show a significant difference between two groups although it was slightly decreased with age, but lipid peroxidizability of microsomal membrane induced by a prooxidant was slightly lower in ginseng-treated rats. Interestingly, antioxidant capacity of plasma from ginseng treated rats on autooxidation of ok-brain homogenates was much higher than that of normal ones. However, resistance of RBC membrane against oxidative stress showed a similar tendency. The content of serum TBA reactive substances lowered consistently in the rats treated with r ginseng at all corresponding age and a significant difference between two groups was found at 24 months of age (p<0.05). Ginseng extract protected lipid peroxidation in brain and liver. This protection was more effective in the stressed rats imposed by immobilization than normal ones. In conclusion, ginseng water extract protected the age related deterioration of major antioxidant enzymes, and this effect was more striking with increasing duration of treatment. This comprehensive antioxidant action of ginseng seems to be bra certain action of ginseng other than a direct antioxidant action, which might be a long term normalizing effect through the harmony of various components.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.85-89
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• 2018

The effects of distribution temperature due to season all changes on quality and storability of baby leaf beet (Beta vulgaris L.) was examined in modified atmosphere (MA) packages. The beet leaf had been harvested at the 10 cm leaf length stage and packaged with an oxygen transmission rate (OTR) film of $1,300cc{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}day^{-1}{\cdot}atm^{-1}$ and then held at 4 different distribution temperatures which were $-2^{\circ}C$, $4^{\circ}C$, $20^{\circ}C$, or $30^{\circ}C$ for 5 hrs and then stored for 18 days at $8^{\circ}C$. The loss of fresh weight of packged baby leaf beet was lowest at the $4^{\circ}C$ treatment, and below 0.6% in all distribution temperature treatments. The atmosphere composition in packages did not show any significant differences among treatments. The oxygen conc. was the highest at 18.0% after the $4^{\circ}C$ treatment, carbon dioxide conc. showed the maximum value of 4% at the $30^{\circ}C$ and $-2^{\circ}C$ treatments, and ethylene conc. was highest at the $10^{\circ}C$ treatment after 10 days in storage. The hardness was the highest at the $4^{\circ}C$ treatment on the final storage day. The $4^{\circ}C$ treatment showed the highest visual quality and the lowest off-odor and aerobic plate count. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a low-temperature distribution system which is controlled under $4^{\circ}C$, because the baby leaf beet's storability and microbial growth are effected even during a short time of 5 hrs during the distribution process.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.542-548
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• 2003

The present study was aimed to investigate whether glycyrrhizin, which is the major component of Glycyrrhiza uralensis, has an antioxidant effect and regulatory effect on Na,K-ATPase in gentamicin-induced acute renal failure (ARF) rats . It is well known that reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as superoxide anion and hydroxyl radical, are main pathophysiological factor in gentamicin-induced ARF. Glycyrrhizin showed potent in vitro antioxidant activity, especially superoxide scavenging activity, in a dose-dependent manner. Plasma lipid peroxide level was restored to normal level by oral administration of glycyrrhizin (200 mg/kg) in the gentamicin-induced ARF rats. The expression of Na,K-ATPase α1 subunit was restored in the gentamicin-induced ARF rats by administration of glycyrrhizin, whereas β1 subunit was not restored. The renal functional parameters including urine volume, cleatinine clearance, urine osmolality, solute-free water reabroption were also partially restored in gentamicin-ARF rats by administration of glycyrrhizin. Taken together, the amelioration of renal functions and the expression of sodium pump by administration of glycyrrhizin in the gentamicin-induced ARF was appear to be mediated by the scavenging of ROS.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.213-222
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• 1993

Background : Bronchial asthma has been known as an inflmmatory disease. There have been many evidences that polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) might play an important role in the pathogrnesis of asthma. Although many investigators suggested that pneumocyte injury by PMN-derived oxygen radicals may contribute to the pathogenesis of asthma, there has been few report for a direct evidence of oxygen radicals-mediated pneumocyte injury in bronchial asthma. Furthermore the exact mechanism of oxygen radicals-mediated pneumocyte injury is still controversy. This study was designed to establish a direct in vitro evidence and its clinical significance of pneumocyte injury by PMN-derived superoxide anion in bronchial asthma and to elucidate the main mechanism of superoxide anion-mediated pneumocyte injury. Methods : 12 stable asthmatics and 5 healthy volunteers were participated in this study. PMN was separated from peripheral venous blood samples by using dextran sedimentation and Ficoll-Hypaque density gradient separation method. Superoxide anion productions by PMN and plasma SOD activities were measured by spectrophotometric assay using the principle of SOD inhibitable cytochrome c reduction. PMN-mediated pneumocyte injuries were measured by $^{51}Cr$-release assay using A549 pneumocytes and were expressed as percent lysis and percent detachment. Results: 1) PMN from asthmatics produced more amount of superoxide anion compared to PMN from normal subjects ($6.65{\pm}0.58$ vs $2.81{\pm}0.95\;nmol/1{\times}10^6$ cells, p<0.05), and showed an inverse correlation with $FEV_1$(R=-0.63, p<0.05), but no correlation with $PC_{20}$ histamine in asthmatics. 2) Plasma SOD activities were decreased in asthmatics compared to normal subjects but not significant, and showed a positive correlation with $FEV_1$(R=0.63, p<0.05) but no correlation with $PC_{20}$ histamine in asthmatics. 3) There were a positive correlation between plasma SOD activity and superoxide anion production by PMN in normal subjects (R=0.88, p<0.05) but not in asthmatics. 4) PMN-mediated pneumocyte injury was predominantly expressed as cell detachment rather than cell lysis in both groups, and PMN from asthmatics showed more potent cytotoxic effect on A549 pneumocytes compated to PMN from normal subjects. PMN-mediated detachment rather than lysis of A549 pneumocytes was significantly inhibited by in vitro SOD but not by diluted serum. 5) PMN-mediated detachment rather than lysis of A549 pneumocytes showed a good correlation with superoxide anion production by PMN (R=0.90 in normal subjects, R=0.82 in asthmatics, p<0.05) but no correlation with plasma SOD activity. PMN-mediated pneumocyte injuries were not correlated with $FEV_1$ or $PC_{20}$ histamine in asthmatics. 6) There were no significant differences in PMN-mediated pneumocyte injuries between allergic and nonallergic asthmatics. Conclusion : Our results suggest that pneumocyte injury by PMN-derived superoxide anion may partially contribute to the pathogenesis of asthma and that cell detachment rather than cell lysis may be the mechanism of superoxide anion-mediated pneumocyte injury.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.306-310
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• 2015

In this research, hematite nanoparticles were synthesized by DC thermal plasma process to increase the overall surface area. The effect of binders on hematite electrodes was investigated by changing the type and composition of binders when preparing electrodes. Nitrogen gas was also added to the DC thermal plasma process in order to dope the hematite with N for enhancing photoelectrochemical properties of hematite nanoparticles. The efficiency of water splitting reaction was measured by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) under solar simulator. In LSV measurements, the onset potential and maximum current density at a fixed voltage were measured. The durability of electrodes was checked by repeating LSV measurements. CMC (carboxymethyl cellulose) binder with 50 : 1 composition exhibits the highest current density of $12mA/cm^2$ and CMC binder with 20 : 1 composition, showing the initial current density of $3mA/cm^2$, endures 20 times of repetitive LSV measurements. Effects of nitrogen doping on hematite nanoparticles were proven to be insignificant.