• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.1095-1103
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• 2019

Objective: Among stress responses, the unfolded protein response (UPR) is a well-known mechanism related to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. ER stress is induced by a variety of external and environmental factors such as starvation, ischemia, hypoxia, oxidative stress, and heat stress. Inositol requiring enzyme $1{\alpha}$ ($IRE1{\alpha}$)-X-box protein 1 (XBP1) is the most conserved pathway involved in the UPR and is the main component that mediates $IRE1{\alpha}$ signalling to downstream ER-associated degradation (ERAD)- or UPR-related genes. XBP1 is a transcription factor synthesised via a novel mechanism called 'frame switch splicing', and this process has not yet been studied in the horse XBP1 gene. Therefore, the aim of this study was to confirm the frame switch splicing of horse XBP1 and characterise its dynamics using Thoroughbred muscle cells exposed to heat stress. Methods: Primary horse muscle cells were used to investigate heat stress-induced frame switch splicing of horse XBP1. Frame switch splicing was confirmed by sequencing analysis. XBP1 amino acid sequences and promoter sequences of various species were aligned to confirm the sequence homology and to find conserved cis-acting elements, respectively. The expression of the potential XBP1 downstream genes were analysed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: We confirmed that splicing of horse XBP1 mRNA was affected by the duration of thermal stress. Twenty-six nucleotides in the mRNA of XBP1 were deleted after heat stress. The protein sequence and the cis-regulatory elements on the promoter of horse XBP1 are highly conserved among the mammals. Induction of putative downstream genes of horse XBP1 was dependent on the duration of heat stress. We confirmed that both the mechanisms of XBP1 frame switch splicing and various binding elements found in downstream gene promoters are highly evolutionarily conserved. Conclusion: The frame switch splicing of horse XBP1 and its dynamics were highly conserved among species. These results facilitate studies of ER-stress in horse.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.915-921
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• 2020

Thermoacoustic instability caused by air conditioning in a combustion chamber has emerged as a problem that must be solved to establish a stable combustion system. Thermoacoustic instability is largely divided into primary and secondary acoustic instability. In this study, an experimental study of the effects of heat losses was conducted to investigate the mechanism of secondary acoustic instability. To generate the secondary acoustic instability, a quarter-wavelength resonator with one open end and one closed end was used, and the inside of the resonator was filled with premixed gases. Subsequently, secondary acoustic instability with downward-propagating flames could be realized via thermal expansion on the burnt side. To control heat losses qualitatively, an additional co-axial tube was installed in the resonator with air or nitrogen supply. Therefore, additional diffusion flames can be formed at the top of the resonator depending on the injection of the oxidizer into the co-axial tube when rich premixed flames are used. Consequently, secondary acoustic instability could not be achieved by increasing heat losses to the ambient when the additional diffusion flame was not formed, and the opposite result was obtained with the additional diffusion flame.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.77-88
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• 2016

Chrysotile is a 1:1 sheet silicate mineral belonging to serpentine group. It has been highlighted studies because of uses, shapes and structural characteristics of the fibrous chrysotile. However, it was designated as Class 1 carcinogen, so high attentions were being placed on detoxification studies of chrysotile. The objectives of this study were to investigate changes of mineralogical characteristics of chrysotile and to suggest detoxification mechanism of chrysotile by thermal decomposition. Samples for this study were obtained from LAB Chrysotile mine in Canada. The samples were heated in air in the range of 600 to $1,300^{\circ}C$. Changes of mineralogical characteristics such as crystal structure, shape, and chemical composition of the chrysotile fibers were examined by TG-DTA, XRD, FT-IR, TEM-EDS and SEM-EDS analyses. As a result of thermal decomposition, the fibrous chrysotile having hollow tube structure was dehydroxylated at $600-650^{\circ}C$ and transformed to disordered chrysotile by removal of OH at the octahedral sheet (MgOH) (Dehydroxylation 1). Upon increasing temperature, it was transformed to forsterite ($Mg_2SiO_4$) at $820^{\circ}C$ by rearrangement of Mg, Si and O (Dehydroxylation 2). In addition, crystal structure of forsterite had begun to transform at $800^{\circ}C$, and gradually grown 3-dimensionally to enstatite ($MgSiO_3$) by recrystallization after the heating above $1,100^{\circ}C$. And then finally transformed to spherical minerals. This study showed chrysotile structure was collapsed about $600-700^{\circ}C$ by dehydroxylation. And then the fibrous chrysotile was transformed to forsterite and enstatite, as non-hazardous minerals. Therefore, this study indicates heat treatment can be used to detoxification of chrysotile.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.729-744
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• 2023

The value of lithium has significantly increased due to the rising demand for electric cars and batteries. Lithium is primarily found in pegmatites, hydrothermally altered tuffaceous clays, and continental brines. Globally, groundwater-fed salt lakes and oil field brines are attracting attention as major sources of lithium in continental brines, accounting for about 70% of global lithium production. Recently, deep groundwater, especially geothermal water, is also studied for a potential source of lithium. Lithium concentrations in deep groundwater can increase through substantial water-rock reaction and mixing with brines. For the exploration of lithim in deep groundwater, it is important to understand its origin and behavior. Therefore, based on a nationwide preliminary study on the hydrogeochemical characteristics and evolution of thermal groundwater in South Korea, this study aims to investigate the distribution of lithium in the deep groundwater environment and understand the geochemical factors that affect its concentration. A total of 555 thermal groundwater samples were classified into five hydrochemical types showing distinct hydrogeochemical evolution. To investigate the enrichment mechanism, samples (n = 56) with lithium concentrations exceeding the 90th percentile (0.94 mg/L) were studied in detail. Lithium concentrations varied depending upon the type, with Na(Ca)-Cl type being the highest, followed by Ca(Na)-SO₄ type and low-pH Ca(Na)-HCO₃ type. In the Ca(Na)-Cl type, lithium enrichment is due to reverse cation exchange due to seawater intrusion. The enrichment of dissolved lithium in the Ca(Na)-SO₄ type groundwater occurring in Cretaceous volcanic sedimentary basins is related to the occurrence of hydrothermally altered clay minerals and volcanic activities, while enriched lithium in the low-pH Ca(Na)-HCO₃ type groundwater is due to enhanced weathering of basement rocks by ascending deep CO₂. This reconnaissance geochemical study provides valuable insights into hydrogeochemical evolution and economic lithium exploration in deep geologic environments.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.442-448
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• 2009

$ZrB_2$-based composites are candidate materials for ultra-high temperature materials (UHTMs). $ZrB_2$ has become an indispensable ingredient in UHTMs, due to its high melting temperature, relatively low density, and excellent resistance to thermal shock or oxidation. $ZrB_2$ powders are usually synthesized by solid state reactions such as carbothermal, borothermal, or combined carbothermal reaction. SiC is added to this system in order to enhance the oxidation resistance of $ZrB_2$. In this study, $ZrB_2$?based composites were successfully synthesized and densified through two different processing paths. $ZrB_2$ or $ZrB_2$ 25 vol.%SiC was fully synthesized from oxide starting materials with reducing agents after heat treatment at 1400$^{\circ}C$. Besides, $ZrB_2$?20 vol.%SiC was fully densified with $B_4C$ as a sintering additive after hot pressing at 1900$^{\circ}C$. The synthesis mechanism and the effect of sintering additives on densification of $ZrB_2$ ?SiC composites were also discussed.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.203-212
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• 2010

Water spray cooling has been widely used in a variety of industrial applications. The present study concentrated on quantitative measurements of the heat flux and heat transfer coefficient by water spray as it impinges on the rough surface of a hot steel plate at $900^{\circ}C$. A novel experimental technique was developed for a hightemperature heat flux gauge with a test block, cartridge heaters, and thermocouples that was used to measure the surface heat flux information on the hot steel plate for local heat flux measurements. The roles of the surface roughness on heat transfer are presented in this paper for well-characterized four rough surfaces with average rms roughness heights of $40-80{\mu}M$. The results show that the local heat transfer for rough surfaces is higher than that for a smooth surface. Heat transfer can be significantly increased by the presence of surface roughness elements, which can disrupt the thin thermal boundary layer. In addition, the heat transfer enhancement mechanism on a rough surface can be investigated by a different boiling regime.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.40-47
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• 2013

The similarity in internal flow of solid and hybrid rocket suggests that hybrid rocket combustion can be susceptible to instability due to vortex sheddings and their interaction. This study focuses on the evolution of interaction of vortex generated in pre-chamber with other types of vortex in the combustor and the change of combustion characteristics. Baseline and other results tested with disks show that there are five different frequency bands appeared in spectral domain. These include a frequency with thermal lag of solid fuel, vortex shedding due to obstacles such as forward, backward facing step and wall vortices near surface. The comparison of frequency behavior in the cases with disk 1 and 3 reveals that vortex shedding generated in pre-chamber can interact with other types of vortex shedding at a certain condition. The frequency of Helmholtz mode is one of candidates resulting to a resonance when it was excited by other types of oscillation even if this mode was not discernable in baseline test. This selective mechanism of resonance may explain the reason why non-linear combustion instability occurs in hybrid rocket combustion.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.59-71
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• 2012

In order to elucidate the mechanism of fishing condition variation of anchovy in the set net fisheries of Anggang Bay, the monthly catch of anchovy was analyzed and examined based on the data acquired from 2006 to 2010 in 13 different fishing grounds. Anchovy consistently appeared from April to December and reached the production of 840 to 1,424 t (average : 1,228 t), with a big annual variation. However, anchovy production in this area accounts for approximately 75% of the production by set net in Anggang Bay whereas it holds 6.8% of the nationwide production (=18,034 t) by set net. The school of anchovy starts to appear in April at the west mouth of the bay and move north-eastward. Afterward, having three of clockwise turns in the middle of the bay, they scatter to swim into the deep place of the bay and finally go out to turn back to their coming way. These behaviors of anchovy are likely related to thermal fronts as well as distributions of food. The production of anchovy (y, kg) relied greatly on frequencies of effective northeasterly ($x_1$) or northwesterly ($x_2$) wind (${\leq}$3.5m/s) which blow between April and June. Their relationships are as follows: $y=1086.27+21.499x_1-15.16x_2$ (r=0.901). Consequently, we concluded that the northeasterly wind, which appears in the breeding season of spring, played a role to retard the movement of anchovy school to the eastern sea, while the northwesterly wind inhibits the invasion of anchovy school into the bay.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.60-63
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• 2012

Enhancement of efficiency and luminance of organic light-emitting diodes was investigated by the introduction of a lithium carbonate ($Li_2CO_3$) electron-injection layer. Electron-injection layer is used in organic light-emitting diodes to inject electrons efficiently between a cathode and an organic layer. A device structure of ITO/TPD (40 nm)/$Alq_3$ (60 nm)/$Li_2CO_3$ (x nm)/Al (100 nm) was manufactured by thermal evaporation, where the thickness of $Li_2CO_3$ layer was varied from 0 to 3.3 nm. Current density-luminance-voltage characteristics of the device were measured and analyzed. When the thickness of $Li_2CO_3$ layer is 0.7 nm, the current efficiency and luminance of the device at 8.0 V are improved by a factor of about 18 and 3,000 compared to the ones without the $Li_2CO_3$ layer, respectively. The enhancement of efficiency and luminance of the device with an insertion of $Li_2CO_3$ electron-injection layer is thought to be due to the lowering of an electron barrier height at the interface region between the cathode and the emissive layer. This is judged from an analysis of current density-voltage characteristics with a Fowler-Nordheim tunneling conduction mechanism model. In a study of lifetime of the device that depends on the thickness of $Li_2CO_3$ layer, the optimum thickness of $Li_2CO_3$ layer was obtained to be 1.1 nm. It is thought that an improvement in the lifetime is due to the prevention of moisture and oxygen by $Li_2CO_3$ layer. Thus, from the efficiency and lifetime of the device, we have obtained the optimum thickness of $Li_2CO_3$ layer to be about 1.0 nm.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.190-194
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• 2012

The formation of high-quality polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) on relatively low cost substrate has been an important issue in the development of thin film solar cells. Poly-Si seed layers were fabricated by an inverse aluminum-induced crystallization (I-AIC) process and the properties of the resulting layer were characterized. The I-AIC process has an advantage of being able to continue the epitaxial growth without an Al layer removing process. An amorphous Si precursor layer was deposited on Corning glass substrates by RF magnetron sputtering system with Ar plasma. Then, Al thin film was deposited by thermal evaporation. An $SiO_2$ diffusion barrier layer was formed between Si and Al layers to control the surface orientation of seed layer. The crystallinity of the poly-Si seed layer was analyzed by Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The grain size and orientation of the poly-Si seed layer were determined by electron back scattering diffraction (EBSD) method. The prepared poly-Si seed layer showed high volume fraction of crystalline Si and <100> orientation. The diffusion barrier layer and processing temperature significantly affected the grain size and orientation of the poly Si seed layer. The shorter oxidation time and lower processing temperature led to a better orientation of the poly-Si seed layer. This study presents the formation mechanism of a poly seed layer by inverse aluminum-induced crystallization.