• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.34 no.9
• /
• pp.448-455
• /
• 2024

We conducted a study on excessive doping of the Cr and In elements in Bi-Sb-Te materials satisfying the Hume-Rothery rule, and investigated the resulting electrical and thermal properties. From X-ray diffraction (XRD) results, we confirmed the formation of a single phase even with excessive doping. Through analysis of electrical properties, we observed the highest enhancement in electrical characteristics at y = 0.2, suggesting that the appropriate ratio of Bi-Sb significantly influences this enhancement. Using the Callaway-von Baeyer (CvB) model to assess scattering due to point defects, we calculated the experimental point defect scattering factor (Γ_CvB.exp), which was notably high due to the substantial differences in volume and atomic weight between the substituted (Cr, In) and original (Bi, Sb) elements. Additionally, we conducted a single parabolic band (SPB) modeling analysis of materials with compositions y = 0.1 and 0.2, where, despite a decrease in density-of-states effective mass (m_d^*) during the enhancement process from y = 0.1 to 0.2, a sharp increase in non-degenerate mobility (μ₀) led to an 88 % increase in weighted mobility (μ_w). Furthermore, analyzing zT with respect to n_H revealed a 51 % increase in zT at a composition of y = 0.2. This study confirmed a significant reduction in lattice thermal conductivity with the co-doping strategy, and with further compositional studies to improve electrical properties, we anticipate achieving high zT.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.57 no.4
• /
• pp.307-318
• /
• 2024

Objectives: Effective data collection and surveillance of epidemiological trends are essential in confronting the growing challenges associated with substance use (SU), especially in light of emerging trends and underreporting of cases. However, research and data are scarce regarding SU and substance use disorder (SUD) in Korea. Methods: We conducted a scoping review to identify data sources and surveillance methods used in SU research in Korea up to December 2023. This review was complemented by semi-structured consultations with experts in this area in Korea, whose feedback led to revisions of previously identified data sources and assessments. Results: Our review identified 32 publications conducting secondary analyses on existing data to examine the epidemiology of SU and SUD in Korea. Of these, 14 studies utilized clinical databases to explore the prescription patterns of addictive substances, particularly opioids. Eleven data sources showed promise for advancing SU research; however, they face substantial limitations, including a lack of available data, missing data, the absence of key variables, the exclusion of marginalized populations not captured within the clinical system, and complexities in matching individual-level data across time points and datasets. Conclusions: Current surveillance methods for SU in Korea face considerable challenges in accessibility, usability, and standardization. Moreover, existing data repositories may fail to capture information on populations not served by clinical or judicial systems. To systematically improve surveillance approaches, it is necessary to develop a robust and nationally representative survey, refine the use of existing clinical data, and ensure the availability of data on treatment facilities.

• Current Optics and Photonics
• /
• v.8 no.5
• /
• pp.441-455
• /
• 2024

This study objective was to evaluate the effects and mechanisms of low-level laser therapy in H₂O₂-induced cell death in mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cell. After irradiation with 630 and 850 nm wavelength diode lasers with an intensity of 10 mW/cm² in RAW264.7 cells treated with 0.7 Mm H₂O₂, the effects and mechanisms of the two wavelengths on cell death inhibition were evaluated using MTT assay, ROS staining, TUNEL assay, flow cytometry analysis, and Western blot analysis. As a result, 630 or 850 nm light-emitting diodes (LED) were irradiated for 10 or 40 minutes to increase cell viability with H₂O₂ by about 1.7- or 1.6-fold, respectively. In addition, irradiation with two LEDs showed significant ROS scavenging effects, and TUNEL-positive cells were significantly reduced by 45.7% (630 nm) and 37.8% (850 nm) compared to cells treated with H₂O₂ alone. The Bax/Bcl-2 ratio of cells irradiated with both LEDs was significantly lower than that of cells treated with H₂O₂ only, and the expression of procaspase-3 and cleaved PARP was also significantly expressed in the direction of suppressing cell death. In conclusion, ROS scavenging activity by both LEDs irradiation leads to the expression of cell death pathway proteins in the direction of inhibiting cell death.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
• /
• v.16 no.2 s.27
• /
• pp.45-53
• /
• 1980

Lipid peroxidation in vitro has been identified as a basic deteriorative reaction in cellular mechanism of aging processes, such as air pollution oxidant damage to cell and to the lung, chlorinated hydrocarbon hepatotoxicity. Many experimental evidences were reported by several investigators that lipid peroxidation could be one of the principle causes for the hepatotoxicity produced by $CCl_4$. It is now reasonably established that $CCl_4$ is activated to a free radical in vivo, that lipid peroxidation occurs very quickly in microsomes prepared from damaged livers, that the peroxidation is associated with loss of enzyme activity of microsomes, and that various antioxidants can protect animals against the hepatotoxic effect of $CCl_4$. Recent studies have drawn attention to some other feature of microsomal lipid peroxidation. Incubation of liver microsomes in the presence of NADPH has led to a loss of cytochrome $P_{450}$. However, the presence of an antioxidant prevented lipid peroxidation and preserved cytochrome $P_{450}$. Decrease of cytochrome $P_{450}$ in microsomes under in vitro incubation can be enhanced by $CCl_4 and these changes were parallel to a loss of microsomal polyunsaturated fatty acid and formation of malonaldehyde. The primary purpose of this experiment was to study the effect of riboflavin tetrabutylate on lipid peroxidation, specially, the relationship between lipid peroxidation and drug metabolizing enzyme system which is located in smooth endoplasmic recticulum as well as the effect of ritoflavin tetrabutylate on drug metabolizing enzyme system of animal treated with $CCl_4$. Albino rats were used for experimental animal. In order to induce drug metabolizing enzyme system, phenobarbital was injected intraperitoneally. $CCl_$ and riboflavin tetrabutylate were given intraperitoneally as solution in olive oil. Microsomal fraction was isolated from liver of animals and TBA value as well as the activity of drug metabolizing enzyme were measured in the microsomal fractions. The results are summerized as following. 1) The secobarbital induced sleeping time of $CCl_4$ treated rat was about 2 times longer than that of the control group. However, the pretreatment with riboflavin tetrabutylate inhibited completely the lengthened sleeping time due to $CCl_4$ treatment. Furthermore TBA value was significantly increased in $CCl_4$ treated rat in comparison to control group tut the increase of TBA value was prevented by the pretreatment with riboflavin tetrabutylate. On the other hand, the activity of hepatic drug metabolizing enzyme was decreased in $CCl_4$ group, however, the pretreatment with riboflavin tetrabutylate also prevented the decrease of the enzyme activity caused by $CCl_4$. 2) The effect of riboflavin tetrabutylate on TBA value and the activity of drug metabolizing enzyme in vitro was similar to in vivo results. Incubation of liver microsome from rat in the presence of $CCl_4$, $Fe^{++}$, or ascorbic acid has led to the marked increase of TBA value, however, the addition of riboflavin tetrabutylate in incubation mixture prevented significantly the increase of TBA value, suggesting the inhibition of lipid peroxidation. In accordance with TBA value, the activity of drug metabolizing enzyme was inhibited in the presence of $CCl_4$, $Fe^{++}$, ascorbic acid but the addition of riboflavin tetrabutylate protected the loss of the enzyme activity in microsome under in vitro incubation.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.226-233
• /
• 2008

The nucleation and evolution process of Ge nano-islands on Si(001) surfaces grown by chemical vapor deposition have been explored using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The Ge nano-islands are grown by exposing the substrates to a mixture of gasses GeH4 and H2 at pressure of 0.1-0.5Torr and temperatures of $600-650^{\circ}C$. The effect of growth conditions such as temperature, Ge thickness, annealing time on the shape, size, number density, and surface distribution was investigated. For Ge deposition greater than ${\sim}5$ monolayer (ML) with a growth rate of ${\sim}0.1ML/sec$ at $600^{\circ}C$, we observed island nucleation on the surface indicating the transition from strained layer to island structure. Further deposition of Ge led to shape transition from initial pyramid and hut to dome and superdome structure. The lateral average size of the islands increased from ${\sim}20nm$ to ${\sim}310nm$ while the number density decreased from $4{\times}10^{18}$ to $5{\times}10^8cm^{-2}$ during the shape transition process. In contrast, for the samples grown at a relatively higher temperature of $650^{\circ}C$ the morphology of the islands showed that the dome shape is dominant over the pyramid shape. The further deposition of Ge led to transition from the dome to the superdome shape. The evolution of shape, size, and surface distribution is related to energy minimization of the islands and surface diffusion of Ge adatoms. In particular, we found that the initially nucleated islands did not grow through long-range interaction between whole islands on the surface but via local interaction between the neighbor islands by investigation of the inter-islands distance.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
• /
• v.38 no.5
• /
• pp.103-110
• /
• 2018

The effects of a heat treatment on the carbide formation behavior and mechanical properties of the cobalt-based superalloy X-45 were investigated here. Coarse primary carbides formed in the interdendritic region in the as-cast specimen, along with the precipitation of fine secondary carbides in the vicinity of the primary carbides. Most of the carbides formed in the interdendritic region were dissolved into the matrix by a solution treatment at $1274^{\circ}C$. Solutionizing at $1150^{\circ}C$ led to the dissolution of some carbides at the grain boundaries, though this also caused the precipitation of fine carbides in the vicinity of coarse primary carbides. A solution treatment followed by an aging treatment at $927^{\circ}C$ led to the precipitation of fine secondary carbides in the interdendritic region. Very fine carbides were precipitated in the dendritic region by an aging heat treatment at $927^{\circ}C$ and $982^{\circ}C$ without a solution treatment. The hardness value of the alloy solutionized at $1150^{\circ}C$ was somewhat higher than that in the as-cast condition; however, various aging treatments did not strongly influence the hardness value. The specimens as-cast and aged at $927^{\circ}C$ showed the highest hardness values, though they were not significantly affected by the aging time. The specimens aged only at $982^{\circ}C$ showed outstanding tensile and creep properties. Thermal exposure at high temperatures for 8000 hours led to the precipitation of carbide at the center of the dendrite region and an improvement of the creep rupture lifetimes.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.97-104
• /
• 2002

Protein hydrolysate was prepared as a natural flavor stock from the sharp toothed eel (Muraenesox cinereus) mince using com-mercially available proteolytic enzymes, Alcalase, Neutrase, Protamex, and Flavourzyme. A 6 hr hydrolysis of mince, to which water of the equal weight of the mince was added, with $2\%$ (w/w, protein weight) Elavourzyme at $50^{\circ}$ yielded a hydrolysate of the highest acceptability. Removing the access lipid in liquified hydrolysate (not dehydrated) after enzyme hydrolysis, five times repetitive extraction using n-hexane (liquified hydrolysate : n-hexane=4 : 1, v/v) was effective, resulting in less than $1\%$ lipid content of the dehydrated-hydrolysate. The amino acid composition of the hydrolysate (prepared with Flavourzyme) was similar to that of the starting material. Hydrolysis led to an increase in concentration of not only total free amino acid but also free amino acid such as serine, glutamic acid, alanine, and methionine responsible for umami taste, especially up to about 40 times for methionine. Major free amino acids in amount were leucine, phenylalanine, valine, alanine, and isoleucine and they comprised about half of the total free amino acids, Moisture adsorption, fat adsorption, emulsifying capacity, and foaming capacity of the hydrolysate were 870.1 $\pm$ $7.9\%$, 352.0$\pm$ $5.3\%$, 50.3 $\pm$ $1.2\%$, and $87.5\pm$ $2.5\%$, respectively, and solubility was 83$\~$$84\%$ at acid pH range of 2$\~$4.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.33-38
• /
• 2004

This study was carried out to determine the effect of white and red Panak ginseng on body weight gain, feed efficiency, epididymal fat weight, and total serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels in male rats (Wister/ST, 8-week-old, 320 g) fed high fat diet. Rats were divided largely into two groups; normal control (NC) and high-fat-diet (HFD)-fed groups. HFD-fed animals were subdivided into 2 groups; HFD-fed control (FC), and HFD- and ginseng-fed groups. HFD and ginseng fed animals were furthor subdivided into white (WG)- and red ginseng (RG)-treated groups. Ginseng-treated groups received ethanol extract at daily doses of 250, 500, 1,000 mg/kg b.w. for 4 weeks. Consequently, a total of 40 rats were divided into 8 groups. Body weight gain of WG-500 (P<0.05), WG1000 (P<0.01) and RG500 (P<0.05) was significantly lower than that of the NC. Feed efficiency showed same result. The epididymal fat weight of WG500, WG1000 and RG250 was markedly lower (P<0.05) than that in FC. Total serum cholesterol level of WG250, WG500, WG1000 and RG1000 groups were significantly lower (P<0.05) than that of FC. Decrease in the total cholesterol level was most significant in WG100 group. Treatment of ginseng significantly reduced serum free cholesterol and triglyceride levels of the HFD-fed rats irrespective of white or red ginseng. Among the test groups, administration of ginseng at daily dose of 1,000 mg/kg b.w. showed the most potent free cholesterol and triglyceride lowering activity. These results led us to the conclusion that administration of ginseng lowers serum total or free cholesterol and triglyceride levels in HFD-fed animals. Moreover the beneficial effect of white ginseng was slightly more potent than that of the red ginseng.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.38-45
• /
• 2015

BACKGROUND: For commercial production of greenhouse crops under shorter day length condition, supplementary radiation has been usually achieved by the artificial light source with higher electric consumption such as high-pressure sodium, metal halide, or incandescent lamps. Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) with several characteristics, however, have been considered as a novel light source for plant production. Effects of supplementary lighting provided by the artificial light sources on growth of Kale seedlings during shorter day length were discussed in this experiment. METHODS AND RESULTS: Kale seedlings were grown under greenhouse under the three wave lamps (3 W), sodium lamps (Na), and red LEDs (peak at 630 nm) during six months, and leaf growth was observed at intervals of about 30 days after light exposure for 6 hours per day at sunrise and sunset. Photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) of supplementary red LEDs on the plant canopy was maintained at 0.1 (RL), 0.6 (RM), and $1.2(RH){\mu}mol/m^2/s$ PPF. PPF in 3 W and Na treatments was measured at $12{\mu}mol/m^2/s$. Natural light (NL) was considered as a control. Leaf fresh weight of the seedlings was more than 100% increased under the 3 W, Na and RH treatment compared to natural light considering as a conventional condition. Sugar synthesis in Kale leaves was significantly promoted by the RM or RH treatment. Leaf yield per $3.3m^2$ exposed by red LEDs of $1.2{\mu}mol/m^2/s$ PPF was 9% and 16% greater than in 3W or Na with a higher PPF, respectively. CONCLUSION: Growth of the leafy Kale seedlings were significantly affected by the supplementary radiation provided by three wave lamp, sodium lamp, and red LEDs with different light intensities during the shorter day length under greenhouse conditions. From this study, it was suggested that the leaf growth and secondary metabolism of Kale seedlings can be controlled by supplementary radiation using red LEDs of $1.2{\mu}mol/m^2/s$ PPF as well as three wave or sodium lamps in the experiment.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.157-170
• /
• 2008

Purpose: This prospective study was conducted to reveal the haematological index change by low level radiation exposure in radiological environment our hospital workers. Materials and Method: We gathered the cumulative dose by Thermoluminenscent Dosimeters (TLD) over 9-yr period and examined hematological index counts change (RBC, Hb, Platelet, WBC, Monocyte, Lymphocyte, Neutrophilic, Basophilic, Eosinophilic) both occupational workers and controls. Of a total 370 occupational workers and 335 controls were compared. Results: This analysis has led to the following general observations 1) The average cumulative dose in male and female were $9.65{\pm}15.2\;mSv$, $4.82{\pm}5.55\;mSv$ respectively. 2) In both male and female, there were very low relationship between occupation period and cumulative dose (r< ${\pm}0.25$). 3) Occupation period was more increased, in male, WBC counts decreased and increased workers, RBC counts decreased workers were more than controls group (p<0.05). In female, WBC counts decreased and increased workers and W-eosino counts decreased workers were more than controls group (p<0.01). 4) Cumulative dose was more increased, in male, W-Lympho counts decreased workers and Platelet counts deceased workers were more than controls group (p<0.05). In female, W-lympho counts decreased workers and RBC counts decreased workers were more than controls group (p<0.05). Conclusions: We can find some kinds of blood index abnormal distribution in occupational radiation workers by comparing with controls. Occupational workers cannot avoid radiation exposure, in spite of the control it. Actually low level radiation adverse effect occurred not dose but probability. So workers must always try to reduce exposure by ourselves, furthermore as long as possible the government should provide rapidly that national system on radiation control for worker's health.