• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2013

The $Cu_2ZnSnS_4$ (CZTS) thin film solar cell is a candidate next generation thin film solar cell. For the application of an absorption layer in solar cells, CZTS thin films were deposited by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) at substrate temperature of $300^{\circ}C$ without post annealing process. Deposition time was carefully adjusted as the main experimental variable. Regardless of deposition time, single phase CZTS thin films are obtained with no existence of secondary phases. Irregularly-shaped grains are densely formed on the surface of CZTS thin films. With increasing deposition time, the grain size increases and the thickness of the CZTS thin films increases from 0.16 to $1{\mu}m$. The variation of the surface morphology and thickness of the CZTS thin films depends on the deposition time. The stoichiometry of all CZTS thin films shows a Cu-rich and S-poor state. Sn content gradually increases as deposition time increases. Secondary ion mass spectrometry was carried out to evaluate the elemental depth distribution in CZTS thin films. The optimal deposition time to grow CZTS thin films is 150 min. In this study, we show the effect of deposition time on the structural properties of CZTS thin film deposited on soda lime glass (SLG) substrate using PLD. We present a comprehensive evaluation of CZTS thin films.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.61 no.5
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• pp.167-173
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• 2018

Purpose: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a hyperinflammatory syndrome with many causes, including Kawasaki disease (KD). The purpose of this study was to identify the laboratory tests needed to easily differentiate KD with HLH from incomplete KD alone. Methods: We performed a retrospective study on patients diagnosed with incomplete KD and incomplete KD with HLH (HLH-KD) between January 2012 and March 2015. We compared 8 secondary HLH patients who were first diagnosed with incomplete KD with all 247 incomplete KD diagnosed patients during the study period. The complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, platelet count, and serum total protein, albumin, triglyceride, C-reactive protein, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and ferritin levels were compared. Clinical characteristics and echocardiography findings were also compared between the 2 groups. Results: The total duration of fever was longer in the HLH-KD group than in the KD group. White blood cell and platelet counts were higher in the KD group. Alanine aminotransferase, ferritin, and coronary artery diameter were increased in the HLH-KD group compared with those in the KD group. The median of NT-proBNP was significantly higher in the HLH-KD group than in the KD group at 889.0 (interquartile range [IQR], 384.5-1792.0) pg/mL vs. 233.0 (IQR, 107.0-544.0) pg/mL. Conclusion: The NT-proBNP level may be helpful in distinguishing incomplete KD from KD with HLH. The NT-proBNP level should be determined in KD patients with prolonged fever, in addition to the white blood cell count, platelet count, and ferritin level, to evaluate secondary HLH.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.979-987
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• 2011

Culture pH change has some important roles in signal transduction and secondary metabolism. We have already reported that acidic pH shock enhanced actinorhodin production in Streptomyces coelicolor. Among many potential governing factors on pH variation, the putative $Na^+/H^+$ antiporter (sha) genes in S. coelicolor have been investigated in this study to elucidate the association of the sha on pH variation and secondary metabolism. Through the transcriptional analysis and overexpression experiments on 8 sha genes, we observed that most of the sha expressions were promoted by pH shock, and in the opposite way the pH changes and actinorhodin production were enhanced by the overexpression of each sha. We also confirmed that sha8 especially has a main role in maintaining cell viability and pH homeostasis through $Na^+$ extrusion, in salt effect experiment under the alkaline medium condition by deleting sha8. Moreover, this gene was observed to have a function of pH recovery after pH variation such as the pH shock, being able to cause the sporulation. However, actinorhodin production was not induced by the only pH recovery. The sha8 gene could confer on the host cell the ability to recover pH to the neutral level after pH variation like a pH drop. Sporulation was closely associated with this pH recovery caused by the action of sha8, whereas actinorhodin production was not due to such pH variation patterns alone.

• ALGAE
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2022

Cyanobacteria are distributed worldwide, and many new cyanobacterial species are discovered in tropical region. The Nostoc-like genus Amazonocrinis has been separated from the genus Nostoc based on polyphasic methods. However, species diversity within this genus remains poorly understood systematically because only one species (Amazonocrinis nigriterrae) has been described. In this study, two novel strains (NUACC02 and NUACC03) were isolated from moist rice field soil in Thailand. These two strains were characterized using a polyphasic approach, based on morphology, 16S rRNA phylogenetic analysis, internal transcribed spacer secondary structure and ecology. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences confirmed that the two novel strains formed a monophyletic clade related to the genus Amazonocrinis and were distant from the type species A. nigriterrae. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (<98.1%) between novel strains and all other closely related taxa including the Amazonocrinis members exceeded the cutoff for species delimitation in bacteriology, reinforcing the presence of a new Amazonocrinis species. Furthermore, the novel strains possessed unique phenotypic characteristics such as the presence of the sheath, necridia-like cells, larger cell dimension and akinete cell arrangement in long-chains and the singularity of D1-D1', Box-B, V2, and V3 secondary structures that distinguished them from other Amazonocrinis members. Considering all the results, we described our two strains as Amazonocrinis thailandica sp. nov. in accordance with the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi and Plants.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.73-80
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• 2009

G protein-coupled receptors(GPCRs) family is a cell membrane protein, and plays an important role in a signaling mechanism which transmits external signals through cell membranes into cells. But, GPCRs each are known to have various complex control mechanisms and very unique signaling mechanisms. Structural features, and family and subfamily of GPCRs are well known by function. and accordingly, the most fundamental work in studies identifying the previous GPCRs is to classify the GPCRs with given protein sequences. Studies for classifying previously identified GPCRs more easily with mathematical models have been mainly going on. In this paper Considering that functions of proteins are determined by their stereoscopic structures, the present paper proposes a method to compare secondary structures of two GPCRs having different amino acid sequences, and then detect an unknown GPCRs assumed to have a same function in databases of previously identified GPCRs.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.365-369
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• 2013

Intravenous injection is administered with radioactive medical isotopes to detect disease on Positron Emission Tomography (PET). In this case, typically, $^{18}FDG$ (Fluorodeoxyglucose) is used as a radioactive medicine. Cassette equipment is needed to synthesize deoxyglucose with $^{18}F$, produced by medical cyclotron. Production of radioactive medicine creates a lot of radiation, thus Hot Cell is used to shield a secondary radiation. We measured the radiation dosage flowing out of the hot cell during synthesis of $^{18}FDG$ or distribution. The purpose of this study is to provide the information of radiation dosage regarding the occupational exposure that unintentionally occurs during the synthesis of $^{18}FDG$. In conclusion, we confirmed the radiation dosage out of the hot cell during the $^{18}FDG$ synthesis. Especially, we observed that the radiation flowed out through the lead window, attached as a view port. Thus, it is considered that the improvement of a lead window is necessary in order to decrease the occupational exposure during the $^{18}FDG$ synthesis.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.269-277
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• 2005

Objectives: Previously, we sought to compile a list of genes expressed during early folliculogenesis by using cDNA microarray to investigate follicular gene expression and changes during primordialprimary follicle transition and development of secondary follicles (Yoon et al., 2005). Among those genes, a group of genes related to the cell size growth was characterized during the ovarian development in the present study. Methods: We determined ovarian expression pattern of six genes related to the cell size growth (cyr61, emp1, fhl1, socs2, wig1 and wisp1) and extended into CCN family (${\underline{c}}onnective$ tissue growth factor/${\underline{c}}ysteine$-rich 61/${\underline{n}}ephroblastoma$-overexpressed), ctgf, nov, wisp2, wisp3, including cyr61 and wisp1 genes. Expression of mRNA and protein according to the ovarian developmental stage was evaluated by in situ hybridization, and/or semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Results: Among 6 genes related to the cell size growth, cyr61 and wisp1 mRNA was detected only in oocytes in the postnatal day5 mouse ovaries. cyr61 mRNA expression was limited to the nucleolus of oocytes, while wisp1 was expressed in the cytoplasm and nucleolus of oocytes, except nucleus. cyr61 mRNA expression, however, was found in granulosa cells from secondary follicles. The rest 4 genes in the cell size growth group were detected in oocytes, granulosa and theca cells. Cyr61 and Wisp1 proteins were expressed in the oocyte cytoplasm from primordial follicle stage. Especially, Cyr61 protein was detected in pre-granulosa cells, Wisp1 protein was not. By using RT-PCR, we evaluated and decided that Cyr61 protein is produced by their own mRNA in pre-granulosa cells that was not detected by in situ hybridization. cyr61 and wisp1 genes are happen to be the CCN family members. The other members of CCN family were also studied, but their expression was detected in oocytes, granulose and theca cells. Conclusions: We firstly characterized the ovarian expression of genes related to the cell size growth and CCN family according to the early folliculogenesis. Cyr61 protein expression in the pre-granulosa cells is profound in meaning. Further functional analysis for cyr61 in early folliculogenesis is under investigation.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.12
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• pp.1940-1950
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• 2021

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the effects of maize straw treated with calcium oxide (CaO) and various moisture, on the composition and molecular structure of the fiber, and gas production by fermentation in an in vitro rumen environment. Methods: The experiment used 4×3 Factorial treatment. Maize straws were treated with 4 concentrations of CaO (0%, 3%, 5%, and 7% of dry straw weight) and 3 moisture contents (40%, 50%, and 60%). Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy were employed to measure the surface texture, secondary molecular structure of carbohydrate, and calcium (Ca) content of the maize straw, respectively. The correlation of secondary molecular structures and fiber components of maize straw were analyzed by CORR procedure of SAS 9.2. In vitro rumen fermentation was performed for 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h to measure gas production. Results: Overall, the moisture factor had no obvious effect on the experimental results. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose contents decreased (p<0.05) with increasing concentrations of CaO treatment. Surface and secondary molecular structure of maize straw were affected by various CaO and moisture treatments. NDF had positive correlation (p<0.01) with Cell-H (H, height), Cell-A (A, area), CHO-2-H. Hemicellulose had positive correlation (p<0.01) with Lignin-H, Lignin-A, Cell-H, Cell-A. Ca content of maize straw increased as the concentration of CaO was increased (p<0.01). Gas production was highest in the group treated with 7% CaO. Conclusion: CaO can adhere to the surface of the maize straw, and then improve the digestibility of the maize straw in ruminants by modifying the structure of lignocellulose and facilitating the maize straw for microbial degradation.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.499-503
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• 2019

Characteristics of solar cells employing a lattice matched GaInP/GaAs quantum well (QW) structure in a single N-AlGaInP/p-InGaP heterojunction (HJ) were investigated and compared to those of solar cells without QW structure. The epitaxial layers were grown on a p-GaAs substrate with $6^{\circ}$ off the (100) plane toward the <111>A. The heterojunction of solar cell consisted of a 400 nm N-AlGaInP, a 590 nm p-GaInP and 14 periods of a 10 nm GaInP/5 nm GaAs for QW structure and a 800 nm p-GaInP for the HJ structure (control cell). The solar cells were characterized after the anti-reflection coating. The short-circuit current density for $1{\times}1mm^2$ area was $9.61mA/cm^2$ for the solar cell with QW structure while $7.06mA/cm^2$ for HJ control cells. Secondary ion mass spectrometry and external quantum efficiency results suggested that the significant enhancement of $J_{sc}$ and EQE was caused by the suppression of recombination by QW structure.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.544-547
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• 2011

This paper describes on hardware simulation of passive power control of propulsion system for electric propulsion aircraft of KARI. The propulsion system uses hybrid power system that is composed of solar cell, fuel cell and battery. The fuel cell is replaces by simulator due to its difficulty in handling while the other components are the same as that will be used on board. As the result, reliable power supply for propulsion is confirmed and each power source is well operated showing its characteristics.