• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.211-219
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• 2022

In this study, the effect of liquid height/volume on sonochemical oxidation reactions was investigated in 300 kHz sonoreactors. The gas mixture of Ar/O₂ (50:50) was applied in two modes including saturation and sparging, and zero-order reaction (KI dosimetry) and first-order reaction (Bisphenol A (BPA) degradation) were used to quantitatively analyze sonochemical oxidation reactions. For the zero-order reaction, the highest sonochemical oxidation activity was obtained for the liquid height of 5𝛌, and the lowest height for both the gas saturation and sparging conditions. In addition, the sparging did not enhance the sonochemical oxidation activity for all height conditions except for 50𝛌, where very low activity was obtained. It was found that in sonochemiluminescence (SCL) images the sonochemical active zone was formed adjacent to the liquid surface for the gas sparging condition due to the formation of the standing wave field while the active zone was formed adjacent to the transducer at the bottom due to the blockage of ultrasound. For the first-order reaction, the highest activity was also obtained at 5𝛌 and the comparison based on the reactant mass was not appropriate because the concentration of the reactant (BPA) decreased significantly as the reaction time elapsed. Consequently, it was revealed that the determination of optimal liquid height (ultrasound irradiation distance) based on the wavelength of the applied ultrasound frequency was very important for the optimal design of sonoreactors in terms of reaction efficiency and reactor size.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.40 no.11
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• pp.1507-1511
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• 2011

This study investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of Erigeron annuus L. flower (EAF) methanol extract. We examined the involvement of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in the inhibitory activities of EAF methanol extract on nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. Cell viability and NO assays were performed. In addition, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and HO-1 expressions were detected by Western blotting and blocking HO-1 activity on NO production. EAF methanol extract (25, 50, 100, 200 ${\mu}g$/mL) significantly inhibited LPS-stimulated NO production (p<0.05; 12.82, 9.61, 6.83, 2.52 ${\mu}m$) in a concentration-dependent manner. EAF methanol extract also reduced the expression of iNOS protein. The EAF methanol extract induced the expression of HO-1 in a dose-dependent manner. Blockage of HO-1 activity by zinc protoporphyrin suppressed EAF methanol extract-induced reductions in the production of NO. The present results suggest that EAF methanol extract has a potent anti-inflammatory effect in RAW264.7 macrophages through the induction of HO-1.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.51-59
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• 2005

Overexpression of HSP25 delayed cell growth, increased the level of $p21^{waf}$, reduced the levels of cyclin D1, cylcin A and cdc2, and induced radioresistance in L929 cells. We demonstrated that extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) and MAP kinase/ERK kinase (MEK) expressions as well as their activation (phospho-forms) were inhibited by hsp25 overexpression. To confirm the relationship between ERK1/2 and hsp25-mediated radioresistance, ERK1 or ERK2 cDNA was transiently transfected into the hsp25 overexpressed cells and their radioresistance was examined. HSP25-mediated radioresistance was abolished by overexpression of ERK2, but not by overexpression of ERK1. Alteration of cell cycle distribution and cell cycle related protein expressions (cyclin D, cyclin A and cdc2) by hsp25 overexpression were also recovered by ERK2 cDNA transfection. Increase in Bc1-2 protein by hsp25 gene transfection was also reduced by subsequent ERK2 cDNA-transfection. In addition, HSP25 overexpression reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increased expression of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) gene. Increased activation of NF-kB (IkB degradation) was also found in hsp25-overexpressed cells. Moreover, transfection of hsp25 antisense gene abrogated all the HSP25-mediated phenomena. To further elucidate the exact relationship between MnSOD induction and NF-kB activation, dominant negative $I-kB\alpha(I-kB\alpha-DN)$ construction was transfected to HSP25 overexpressed cells. $I-kB\alpha-DN$ inhibited HSP25 mediated MnSOD gene expression. In addition, HSP25 mediated radioresistance was blocked by $I-kB\alpha-DN$ transfection. Blockage of MnSOD with antisense oligonucleotides in HSP25 overexpressed cells, prevented apoptosis and returned the ERK1/2 activation to the control level. From the above results, we suggest for the first time that reduced oxidative damage by HSP25 was due to MnSOD-mediated down regulation of ERK1/2.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.8-15
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• 2020

In the present paper, as a way of reducing heavyweight impact sounds, in particular, among floor impact sounds which have come to the forefront as a social issue recently, a floor joist slab is proposed that is expected to bring an effect of reducing heavyweight impact sounds through a shift in the natural frequency by installing a floor joist on a flat-type slab to increase the rigidity of the floor slab, differently from the existing method that increases the thickness of floor slab, and the heavyweight impact sound characteristics depending on the floor joist height and interval are interpretively analyzed. As a result of the analysis, though a trend is shown where the sound pressure level decreases as the slab thickness of floor joist increases, and as no difference is shown when thickness is above a certain value, it is thought that there is a threshold for the effect of an increase in floor thickness on blockage of heavyweight impact sounds. Also, as an increase in floor rigidity resulting from an increase in the floor joist height and a decrease in the interval does not lead to a consistent increase in the performance of blocking heavyweight impact sounds, it is thought that a different floor joist height and interval should be applied to each type of house to expect optimum performance of blocking heavyweight impact sounds, and an increase of 100mm in the floor joist height or a decrease of about 100mm in the interval is expected to bring an effect of reducing heavyweight impact sounds by about 1dB to 2dB.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.547-553
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• 2007

The catalytic cracking of n-octane over FER, MFI, MOR and BEA zeolites was studied by the protolytic cracking mechanism in order to understand the effect of pore structure of zeolites on their product composition and deactivation. The selectivities for $C_3$ and $C_3{^=}$ were high over the zeolites with medium pores due to additional cracking, while those for $C_4$ and $C_4{^=}$, the initial products, were high over the zeolites with large pores. MFI zeolite showed slow deactivation due to small carbon deposit, while FER zeolite with small pores deactivated rapidly with severe carbon deposit. The deactivation of BEA zeolite was slow even with a large amount of carbon deposit, but MOR zeolite showed a rapid deactivation even with a small amount of carbon deposit. The conversion measured along with the time on stream on these zeolite catalysts was simulated by a mechanism based on the simplified reaction path of n-octane cracking and the deactivation related to the pore blockage by carbon deposit.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.613-620
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• 2021

A flow channel shape of PEMFC has an influence on the internal flow uniformity. If the reactant distribution in a flow path is not uniform during operation, both catalyst deactivation and mechanical damage of membrane could occur resulting in decreasing the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) durability. Numerous studies concerning flow design have been conducted to make smooth supply and uniform distribution of reactants in fuel cells. The baffle of flow path could improve fuel cell performance through the forced convection effect. A sub-channel, as an additional air flow path, could increase the reactant concentration and reduce the mass transfer loss via a smooth water discharge. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to analyze the effect of blocks and sub-channels on the current density and oxygen concentration of the fuel cell. As a result, the limit current density and oxygen concentration at a rear block increased when using blocks and sub-channels in a flow channel. In particular, the current density increased significantly when the sub-channel was placed between two blocks. Also, the sub-channel position was optimized by analyzing the oxygen concentration, and the oxygen concentration was recovered at a rear block in the fuel cell.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.206-212
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• 2019

Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) lives in the hair follicles and pores, and it uses cell debris, sebum and metabolic byproducts of surrounding skin tissues as energy and nutrients. Increased production of sebum due to sebaceous hyperplasia or blockage of the follicle can cause growth and proliferation of P. acnes. The rapid growth of P. acnes in follicles produces cell damage, metabolic byproducts and bacterial chips, which can cause inflammation. In this study, we examined the possibility of Senecio iscoensis Hieron. (S. iscoensis) extract to regulate P. acnes-induced inflammatory signaling pathways. We observed that S. iscoensis extract effectively inhibited P. acnes-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine expressions such as IL-$1{\beta}$, TNF-${\alpha}$, and iNOS in mouse macrophage cell line Raw 264.7. The inhibitory effect of S. iscoensis in pro-inflammatory cytokine levels was accompanied by the inhibition of the transcription factors NF-${\kappa}B$ and NF-AT. However, S. iscoensis did not alter the P. acnes-induced MAPK signaling pathways. This study first suggests the potential of using S. iscoensis extract as an alternative agent for the treatment of acne.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.85-92
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• 2002

When the United Nation classified as Korea is the one of the water deficit country. The consensus was made that the water is the one of the precious national resources. Government increases their R/D budget trying to get more clean water bodies. For instances, 'Sustainable Water Resources Development' project is the one of major title in '21 Century Frontier Research project and there are several small research projects are undergoing by the Ministry of Agriculture and KARICO. However, when the environmental preservation issue has been get more emphasis, construction of the Surface Dam met the blockage from the environmentalists due to the problem of the their water buried area. Since the most fitting site for surface dam had been used in the past, some engineer move their focus on modification of the existing Dam's height to enlarge its capacity or dredging the bottom of the reservoir recently However dredging evoke water quality problem in return by accumulated materials at the bottom. Last year the Dong Gang Dam plan has been canceled by environmental problem in water buried area of the reservoir. With the point of this view, ground water gets more focus for the one of the useful alternative for clean water bodies. Underground dam technique which had widely applied once in the early nineteen eighties by the KARICO and attenuated due to engineering insufficiency. The technique is newly studied with the advanced engineering technique. Still groundwater usage rate in Korea is much lower comparing with the advanced countries and has many rooms to develop. Wells, under ground dam and radial collector wells are typical facilities up to now. There is little application in Korea for the Recharge Dam, which had been widely used in the advanced countries. The Recharge Dam is technique to conjunct surface water and groundwater body together, This technique had developed to increase groundwater recharge at the beginning This research is the result of the study on the possibility of the development of the new technology, Groundwater Reservoir' which was modified from Recharge Dam. Groundwater Reservoir is like a deep artificial lakes trenched in hard rock aquifer to get groundwater. The advantage of the Groundwater Reservoir is followings 1) It can be developed at the plains area, not in the deep valley 2) Huge water body can be developed without dam 3) Small buried area comparing surface water dam makes the least environmental effect. 4) Trenching cost can be substitute by the income of the selling rock debris 5) Outfit of the reservoir can be modified to match with the site prospect 6) Rock debris can be used as constructing materials 7) It can be used as groundwater recharge system when the heavy rains comes 8) The reservoir looks like scenery lake with huge clean water bodies.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.65-71
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• 2004

The most significant effect of excess water in wetlands is the isolation of the soil from the atmosphere and the prevention of O2 from diffusing into soil. The blockage of atmospheric O2 induces biological and chemical processes that change soil from oxidized into reduced state. When dry soil develop into hydric soil, redox potential is dropping. The redox potential is a indicator of hydric soil and affect chemical function of wetlands. To reveal characteristics of wetland soil, redox potential was measured in Jinkwannaedong ecological conservation area from May in 2003 to March in 2004. Redox potentials in May ranged from 5 mV at 25 cm depth to 200 mV at 10 cm depth. It decreased to about -200 m V at all depths and continued until October. In winter, redox potential was slowly increased; it was the highest at 5 cm depth and lowest at 20 cm depth. Annual variations of redox potential in 20 cm depth showed the same pattern at 5 sites; low in growing season and high in non-growing season. This results indicates that soils of study sites are in hydric state and methanogenesis is occurring in Jinkwannaedong ecological conservation area.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.17-21
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• 2010

Objectives : The aim of this study was to evaluate the differential mechnism of vasodilation of alcohol steamed Rhei Tangutici Radix et Rhizoma. (ART) and Rhei Tangutici Radix et Rhizoma. (RT) in rat thoracic aorta. Methods : Rat aortic ring preparations were mounted in organ baths with oxygenated (95% $O_2$-5% $CO_2$) Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate solutions at $37{\pm}0.5^{\circ}C$ and subjected to contractions or relaxations. Results : ART exerted vasorelaxation on phenylephrine(PE)-induced contraction in a dose dependent manner. Vasorelaxation effects of ART and RT were endothelium-independent. In the $Ca^{2+}$-free high KCl (60 mM) baths, the contraction of aortic rings induced by accumulative addition of $Ca^{2+}$ (0.3-10.0 mM) was significantly reduced by pre-treatment with both ART and RT for 10 min. The magnitude of vasodilatation was biggerin ART. Moreover, verapamil ($0.001{\mu}M$) and diltiazem ($10{\mu}M$), voltage operative $Ca^{2+}$channel blockers, attenuated the relaxation effect of ART but not that of RT. In the absence of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$, pre-incubation of the aortic rings with RT ($1.0mg/m{\ell}$) significantly reduced the contraction caused by PE but not that of ART. $K^+$ channel inhibitors such as glibenclamide (Gli, $10^{-5}M$), tetraethylammonium (TEA, 1 mM) and 4-aminopyridine (4-AP, 0.2 mM) significantly reduced the ART's vasorelaxation efficacy, but not that of RT. However, the relaxation effects of ART and RT were not inhibited by pre-treatment with indomethacin ($10^{-5}M$), and atropine ($10^{-6}M$). Conclusions : These results suggest that the endothelium-independent relaxation is due to inhibition of $Ca^{2+}$ influx via the suppression of $Ca^{2+}$ release from intracelluar store in RT but via both voltage operative $Ca^{2+}$channel blockage and $K^+$ channel activation in ART.