• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.64-71
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• 2007

The necessity of disinfecting playground soil is an important issue, because pathogenic protozoa, bacteria, and parasite eggs remain viable for several months and can infect children. UV irradiation has been used to decontaminate water but its effectiveness on soil is unclear. We determined the efficacy of UV radiation for inactivation of an indicator bacteria, E. coli (strain ATCC 8739), on playground soil. While 99% inactivation of E. coli in the soil was readily achieved by UV radiation within 55 min at $0.4\;mW\;cm^{-2}$, complete inactivation was not achieved, even after prolonged treatment at $4\;mW\;cm^{-2}$. This was attributed to the irregular surface of the soil. A small number of E. coli escaped the UV radiation because they were situated in indentations or under small particles on the soil surface. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed that the surface characteristics of the soil is the major limiting factor in the inactivation of E. coli by UV radiation. Thus UV treatment may not be adequate for disinfecting some soils and should be carefully evaluated before being used on playground soils.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.72-81
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• 2022

Numerous studies have investigated the occurrence and fate of microplastics in the environment; however, only limited effort has been devoted to exploring the characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) leached from microplastics. In microplastic (MP)-contaminated environment, MPs are typically mixed with naturally-occurring particles, which interferes with their detection in the environment. Thus, it is necessary to distinguish between the DOM leached from MPs and those leached from natural particles and also to characterize their properties. This study investigated DOM leaching behavior from MPs (polystyrene: PS, polyvinylchloride: PVC) and natural particulates (forest soil: FS, litter leaves: LL) under light, which is considered one of the main weathering processes that affect MPs in the environment. The leached DOM concentrations and fluorescence characteristics were compared under dark versus light conditions. Regardless of the origins, UV light promoted DOM release from all the particulates. More DOM was released from natural particles than from MPs under both conditions. However, the effect of promoting DOM release by UV was more pronounced for MPs than for natural particles. It was observed from fluorescence spectra that the intensity of the humic-like region was substantially reduced when MP-derived DOM was exposed to UV light, whereas the change of intensity was very little for natural particles. Under light conditions, the ratio of protein-like to humic-like fluorescence of MP-derived DOM was higher than that of DOM from natural particles. This study implies that a substantial amount of DOM could be leached from MPs even in MP-polluted environment under UV irradiation. Protein/humic fluorescence ratio could be utilized as a fast probing indicator to separate the two sources of particles under light.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.456-463
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• 2021

Background: Keratinocytes form a physical barrier and act as an innate immune cell in skin. Keratinocytes secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1β, resulting from inflammasome activation when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Korean Red Ginseng extracts (RGE) have been well-studied as modulators of inflammasome activation in immune cells, such as macrophages. In the study, we elucidated the role of RGE on the UV-mediated inflammasome activation in keratinocytes compared with that in macrophages. Methods: Human skin keratinocyte cells (HaCaT), human epidermal keratinocytes (HEK), human monocyte-like cells (THP-1), and mouse macrophages were treated with RGE or a saponin fraction (SF) or non-saponin fraction (NS) of RGE before and after UV irradiation. The secretion levels of IL-1β, as an indicator of inflammasome activation, were analyzed. Results: The treatment of RGE or SF in macrophages after UV irradiation inhibited IL-1β secretion, but similar treatment in HaCaT cells did not. However, the treatment of RGE or SF in HaCaT cells in the presence of poly I:C, a toll-like receptor (TLR) 3 ligand, before UV exposure elicited the inhibition of the IL-1β secretion. The inhibition was caused by the disruption by RGE or SF of the TLR mediating up-regulation of the pro-IL-1β and NLRP3 genes during the priming step. Conclusion: RGE and its saponins inhibit IL-1β secretion in response to UV exposure in both keratinocytes and macrophages. In particular, RGE treatment interrupted only the priming step in keratinocytes, although it did attenuate both the priming and activation steps in macrophages.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.30-39
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• 1990

Angelica gigas extract and Cnidium of ficinale extract in Bath essence were determined by high performance liquid chromatography with a UV detector by use of Bondapak C-18 column. Decursin and Ligustilide were used as indicator ingredient for analysis of Angelica gigas extract and Cnidium of ficinale extract. Each indicator ingredient was isolated from each plant and purified using silver-ni-trate treated silica column. Their structure were conformed with IR, NMR and HPLC. The recoveries of Angelica gigas extract and Cnidium officinale extract added to Bath essence sample were 96.5-109.5% and 112-115%.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.915-923
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• 2013

Decomposition of non-biodegradable contaminants such as phenol contained in water was investigated using a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor in the aqueous solutions with continuous oxygen bubbling. Effects of various parameters on the removal of phenol in aqueous solution with high-voltage streamer discharge plasma are studied. In order to choose plasma gas, gas of three types (argon, air, oxygen) were investigated. After the selection of gas, effects of 1st voltage (80 ~ 220 V), oxygen flow rate (2 ~ 7 L/min), pH (3 ~ 11), and initial phenol concentration (12.5 ~ 100.0 mg/L) on phenol degradation and change of $UV_{254}$ absorbance were investigated. Absorbance of $UV_{254}$ can be used as an indirect indicator of phenol degradation and the generation and disappearance of the non-biodegradable organic compounds. Removal of phenol and COD were found to follow pseudo first-order kinetics. The removal rate constants for phenol and COD of phenol were $5.204{\times}10^{-1}min^{-1}$ and $3.26{\times}10^{-2}min^{-1}$, respectively.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.323-329
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• 2005

Advanced processes such as ozonation or activated carbon filtration (ACF) in water treatment plants have been used in Korea since 1994. At present, seventeen drinking water treatment plants are currently operating. This survey compares the treatment performance of advanced processes in eight plants which have comparable water quality data. The three parameters (DOC, $UV_{254}$, and $KMnO_4$ consumption) of water quality were selected as an indicator of treatment efficiency. The treatment efficiency of ozonation and ACF processes was found to vary with large deviations in each plant. Treatment efficiency of DOC, $UV_{254}$, and $KMnO_4$ consumption by post ozonation ranged from 3 to 11%, 6 to 33%, and 12 to 28% respectively. On the other hand, for ACF, treatment efficiency of DOC, $UV_{254}$, and $KMnO_4$ consumption ranged from 7 to 38%, 8 to 48%, and 16 to 66% respectively. These large deviations indicate the advanced processes of water treatment plants to be further optimized.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.63-71
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• 2016

Purpose: Skin pH, an indicator of skin health, is maintained by various organic factors, which include lactate, free amino acid (FAA), and free fatty acid (FFA). As skin ages or with illness, skin pH becomes less acidic, and functional food has been developed to maintain the acidic pH of skin. In this study, we determined the dietary effect of green tea extract (GTE) on skin pH of photo-aged mice, as measured by epidermal levels of lactate, FAA, and FFA. The protein expression and activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), an enzyme of pyruvate reduction for lactate generation, was further determined. Methods: Albino hairless mice were fed a control diet (group UV+) or a diet with 1% GTE (group GTE) in parallel with UV irradiation for 10 weeks. A normal control group was fed a control diet without UV irradiation for 10 weeks (group UV-). Results: Skin pH was higher (less acidic) in group UV+ than in group UV-. In parallel, epidermal levels of lactate and FFA, as well as of LDH protein expression and activity, were reduced in group UV+. Dietary supplementation of GTE (group GTE) reduced skin pH to similar to the level of group UV-, and inversely increased epidermal levels of lactate, LDH protein expression and activity, but not of FFA. Although epidermal levels of FAA were similar in groups UV- and UV+, it was increased in group GTE to a level higher than in group UV-. In further analysis of major FFA, epidermal levels of palmitic acid [16:0], oleic acid [18:1(n-9)], and linoleic acid [18:2(n-6), but not of stearic acid [18:0] in group GTE were similar to or lower than those in group UV+. Conclusion: Dietary GTE normalized skin pH with increased levels of lactate and FAA, as well as with increased protein expression and activity of LDH in the epidermis of UVB irradiated hairless mice.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.50.1-50.1
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• 2017

We present our study of the correlation between star formation rate(SFR) and merging activities of nearby galaxies(d<150Mpc). Our study uses 265 UV-selected galaxies which are not classified as AGN. The UV selection is made using the GALEX Atlas of Galaxies (Gil de Paz+07) and the updated UV catalog of nearby galaxies (Bai+15). We use deep R band optical images reaching to $1{\sigma}$ surface brightness detection limit ${\sim}27mag/arcsec^2$ to classify merger features by visual inspection. We also estimated unobscured SFR($SFR_{NUV}$) and obscured SFR($SFR_{W4}$) using Near-UV continuum and 22 micron Mid-IR luminosity respectively as a indicator of star forming activity. The fraction of galaxies with merger features in each SFR bin is obtained to see if how the fraction of galaxies with merging features($F_m$) changes as a function of SFR. As a result, for 203 late type galaxies(LTGs), we found that merger fraction increases from ~8% up to 50% with $SFR_{W4}$, while for 229 LTGs $SFR_{NUV}$ shows relatively consistent fraction(~18%) of merger fraction. For early type galaxies(ETGs), we could also find no significant correlation between $F_m$ and SFR(both $SFR_{NUV}$ and $SFR_{W4}$). This result suggests that a main driver of star forming activity of UV bright galaxies, especially for obscured late types, is mergers.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.225-234
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to confirm the skin whitening and UV absorption effects of bioconverted Beta vulagaris (BBE) using Lactiplantibacillus plantarum SM4, and the effects were evaluated by measuring total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), radical elimination activity (RSA), and tyrosinase activity inhibition (TAI). TPC and TFC of BBE were 25.0 mg GAE/g DM and 8.05 mg QE/g DM, which were 1.3 and 1.1 times higher than hot-water extract (HWE) respectively. RSA, an indicator of antioxidant activity, and TAI, an indicator of skin-whitening effect, were 36.8%, and 68.6%, respectively, 1.1 and 1.2 times higher than that of HWE. UVA and UVB absorption of BBE were 21.4 and 87.6%, which was 1.4 and 1.7 times higher than that of HWE respectively. When main substances of BBE were analyzed using LC-MS/MS, kaempferol and isorhamnetin, a type of polyphenols known to have high antioxidant and skin-whitening effects, were identified. As a results, BBE is expected to be used as a functional cosmetic material as it has excellent antioxidant, skin whitening, and UV absorption properties.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.459-466
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• 2012

In order to improved treatment performance of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma, plasm + UV process and gas-liquid mixing method has been investigated. This study investigated the degradation of N, N-Dimethyl-4-nitrosoaniline (RNO, indicator of the generation of OH radical). The basic DBD plasma reactor of this study consisted of a plasma reactor (consist of quartz dielectric tube, titanium discharge (inner) and ground (outer) electrode), air and power supply system. Improvement of plasma reactor was done by the combined basic plasma reactor with the UV process, adapt of gas-liquid mixer. The effect of UV power of plasma + UV process (0~10 W), gas-liquid mixing existence and type of mixer, air flow rate (1~6 L/min), range of diffuser pore size (16~$160{\mu}m$), water circulation rate (2.8~9.4 L/min) and UV power of improved plasma + UV process (0~10 W) were evaluated. The experimental results showed that RNO degradation of optimum plasma + UV process was 7.36% higher than that of the basic plasma reactor. It was observed that the RNO decomposition of gas-liquid mixing method was higher than that of the plasma + UV process. Performance for RNO degradation with gas-liquid mixing method lie in: gas-liquid mixing type > pump type > basic reactor. RNO degradation of improved reactor which is adapted gas-liquid mixer of diffuser type showed increase of 17.42% removal efficiency. The optimum air flow rate, range of diffuser pore size and water circulation rate for the RNO degradation at improved reactor system were 4 L/min, 40~$100{\mu}m$ and 6.9 L/min, respectively. Synergistic effect of gas-liquid mixing plasma + UV process was found to be insignificant.