• Molecules and Cells
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.292-300
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• 2019

Immunometabolism, defined as the interaction of metabolic pathways with the immune system, influences the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases. Metformin and carbon monoxide (CO) are two pharmacological agents known to ameliorate metabolic disorders. There are notable similarities and differences in the reported effects of metformin and CO on immunometabolism. Metformin, an anti-diabetes drug, has positive effects on metabolism and can exert anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects via adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-dependent and AMPK-independent mechanisms. CO, an endogenous product of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), can exert anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects at low concentration. CO can confer cytoprotection in metabolic disorders and cancer via selective activation of the protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum (ER) kinase (PERK) pathway. Both metformin and CO can induce mitochondrial stress to produce a mild elevation of mitochondrial ROS (mtROS) by distinct mechanisms. Metformin inhibits complex I of the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC), while CO inhibits ETC complex IV. Both metformin and CO can differentially induce several protein factors, including fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and sestrin2 (SESN2), which maintain metabolic homeostasis; nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a master regulator of the antioxidant response; and REDD1, which exhibits an anticancer effect. However, metformin and CO regulate these effects via different pathways. Metformin stimulates p53- and AMPK-dependent pathways whereas CO can selectively trigger the PERK-dependent signaling pathway. Although further studies are needed to identify the mechanistic differences between metformin and CO, pharmacological application of these agents may represent useful strategies to ameliorate metabolic diseases associated with altered immunometabolism.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.24-31
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• 1995

Gas sensing element, $\alpha-Fe_2O_3$ was synthesized by dehydration, reduction, and oxidation of $\alpha-FeOOH$, which was synthesized with $FeSO_4\cdot 7H_2O$ and NaOH. They were produced as a bulk-type, a thick film-type. Then, their responses and mechanisms of response to the gas of carbon monoxide were studied. The qualities of gas sefising elements are decided by the structure and the relative surface area. In the process of $\alpha-FeOOH$ synthesis, the effects of reaction conditions as the equivalent ratio, on the structure and the relative surface area of gas sensing element were observed. The changes of the structure were measured with XRD, SEM,TG-DTA and BET. The resistance changes of the synthesized gas sensor in the air were measured. The response ratio were also measured for the changes of working temperature and gas concentration. As a result of analysis with XRD, it was confirmed that the the best conditions for the synthesis of $\alpha-FeOOH$ were equivalent ratio 0.65. The thick film-type element of $\gamma-Fe_2O_3$ responded more quickly than the bulk-type did. The structure and the relative surface area of the $\rho-FeOOH$ were confirmed as the important factors deciding gas response charcteristics.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.439-445
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• 2010

Pretreatment with Taraxacum Mongolicum H(TMH) prior to the administration of on $CCl_4$ significantly prevented the increased serum enzymatic activity of aminotransferase(ALT, AST), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase(GGT) and bilirubin concentration in dose-dependent manner. In addition, pretreatment with TMH also significantly restored the elevation of hepatic malondialdehyde formation and the depletion of reduced glutathione content in the liver $CCl_4$-intoxicated rats. The restoration of microsomal aniline hydroxylase and aminopyrine N-demethylase activities indicated the improvement in functional status of endoplasmic reticulum. $CCl_4$-induced hepatotoxicity was also essentially prevented, as indicated by a liver histopathologic study. TMH showed antioxidant effects in $FeCl_2$-ascorbate-induced lipid peroxidation in rat liver homogenate and in superoxide radical scavenging activity. Our results suggest that the protective effect of TMH against $CCl_4$-induced hepatotoxicity possibly involve mechanisms related to its ability to block p450-mediated $CCl_4$ bioactivation and free radical scavenging effects.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.84-98
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• 2000

Control of Trihalomethanes(THMs) is a major concern of many water treatment plants. A number of researchers have studied the effectiveness of activated carbon adsorption process in removing THMs or organic halogen compounds. Recently, attention has been paid to the biological activated carbon (BAC) treatment of THM precursors as an alternative to the carbon adsorption treatment because of its effectiveness as well as its low running cost. In this study, changes of THM formation potential(THMFP) and removal of substrates in the SBR effluent were investigated in an attempt to clarify the mechanisms of the decrease/increase of THMFP in the BAC treatment. The increase and decrease of THMFP concentrations were observed in effluents during prolonged operation. When PCP or DBS was feeded as substrate contained in SBR effluent, the THMFPs were easyly removed with TOCs removal. But the case of SBR effluent containing SDS or glycine was introduced, and when microbial growth came to its near steady state, the THMFPs of treated effluents were increased more or less in comparison to those in the influents. Such increases of THMFP coincided with the increase in microbial growth within the activated carbon fiber(ACF) column. In the case of only sucrose was feeded as substrate on ACF colume, THMFP concentrations of effluent were higher than those of influent. The THMFP concentration was significantly increased on inlet part of ACF column, which biomass inhabits abundantly, then they were decreased gradually. These increases mean production of the secondary THM precursors by biological activities, which can be removed by adsorption and biological degradation on ACF column.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.817-822
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• 2002

Sooting characteristics of counterflow ethylene/propane mixture flames have been experimentally studied to investigate the fuel structure effect on PHM and soot formation. Laser-induced incandescene and laser-induced fluorescene techniques were employed to measure soot volume fraction and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentration, respectively. Importance of $C_{3-}$species on PAH growth as well as the H-abstraction-C$_2$ $H_2$addition (HACA) mechanism has been emphasized, considering that PAH growth rate is greater for with mixed fuel than fer pure fuel flames. It was also confirmed that HACA pathways are the dominant soot growth mechanism. A new PAH growth model including both $C_{2-}$ and $C_{3-}$growth mechanisms is proposed based on the experimental results.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.149-159
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• 2015

The Southern Ocean (SO) plays a primary role in global climate by storing and transporting anthropogenic carbon dioxide through the meridional overturning circulation and the biological pumping process. In this study, we aim to investigate interannual variability of summer chlorophyll concentration in the SO and its relation with the El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$ Southern Oscillation (ENSO), using satellite ocean color data covering 16 years from 1997 to 2012. During El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$ periods, chlorophyll concentration tends to increase in the subtropics (north of the subantarctic front). This chlorophyll increase is likely linked to El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$-induced surface cooling that increases nutrient supply through enhanced vertical mixing in the subtropics. On the other hand, the subpolar gyres show localized chlorophyll changes in response to the ENSO. The localized response seems to be primarily attributed to changes in sea-ice concentrations. Our findings suggest that ENSO contributes interannual variability of chlorophyll in the SO through different mechanisms depending on regions.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.12-19
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• 2004

Binding mechanisms of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with a purified Aldrich humic acid (PAHA) and its ultrafiltration (UF) size fractions were investigated. Organic carbon normalized binding coefficient ($K_oc$) values were estimated by both a conventional Stern-Volmer fluorescence quenching technique and a modified fluorescence quenching method. Pyrene $K_oc$ values depended on PAHA concentration as well as freely dissolved pyrene concentration. Such nonlinear sorption-type behaviors suggested the existence of specific interactions. Smaller molecular size PAH (naphthalene) exhibited higher $K_oc$ value with medium-size PAHA UF fractions whereas larger size PAH (pyrene) had higher extent of binding with larger PAHA UF fractions. The inconsistent observation for naphthalene versus pyrene was well explained by size exclusion effect, one of the previously suggested specific mechanisms for PAH binding. In general, the extent of pyrene binding increased with lower pH likely due to the neutralization of acidic functional groups in HS and the subsequent increase in hydrophobic HS region. However, pyrene $K_oc$ results with a large UF fraction (>100K Da) corroborated the existence of the size exclusion effect as demonstrated by an increase in $K_oc$ values at a certain higher pH range. The size exclusion effect appears to be effective only for the specific conditions (HS size or pH) that render HS hole st겨ctures to fit a target PAH.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 2013

Many researches have been carried out to reduce and/or to capture the major global warming gases. Especially, the hydrate formation mechanisms were intensively investigated for carbon dioxide sequestration and storage process applications. In this study, the characteristics of film-type crystal growth mechanism of carbon dioxide hydrate were comprehensively examined. Carbon dioxide hydrate crystal was formed in semi-batch type stir reactor at various pressure conditions while the temperature was fixed to be constant to reduce and minimize the guest gas solubility effects. A supply gas composition was 99.999 % of Carbon dioxide, the observation data was collected by optical microscope adopted CCD camera (Nikon DS-5M/Fi1/2M-U2). This study revealed that the guest gas pressure changes significantly altered the crystal growth mechanism and film growth rate of carbon dioxide hydrate crystal. The critical pressure of the carbon dioxide hydrate of crystal growth mechanism change was found to be 2.0 MPa. The capillary force and gas concentration gradient also significantly changed the film-type crystal growth mechanism of carbon dioxide hydrate crystal.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.229-238
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• 2024

This study evaluated the odor removal performance of a bacteria-based odor reduction kit. The bacteria used were Rhodobacter capsulatus, Paracoccus limosus, and Brevibacterium hankyongi, which can remove ammonia (NH₃), hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), total nitrogen (T-P), and total phosphorus (T-N), which are odor pollutants. The materials used were bacteria and porous aggregates (expanded vermiculite, zeolite beads, activated carbon), and the combination of the materials varied depending on the removal mechanism. Materials with a physical adsorption mechanism (zeolite beads and activated carbon) gradually slowed down the concentration reduction rate of odor pollutants (NH₃, H₂S, T-P, and T-N), and had no further effect on reducing the concentration of odor pollutants after 60 hours. Expanded vermiculite, in which bacteria that remove odors through a bio-adsorption mechanism were immobilized, had a continuous decrease in concentration, and the concentration of odor pollutants reached 0 ppm after 108 hours. As a result, the odor removal performance of materials with physical adsorption mechanisms in actual river water did not meet the odor emission standard required by the Ministry of Environment, while the expanded vermiculite immobilized with bacteria satisfied the odor emission permissible standard and achieved water quality grade 1.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.7-15
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• 2018

The prediction performance of combustion models in the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) were evaluated by comparing with experiment for compartment propane gas fires. The mixture fraction model in the FDS v5.5.3 and Eddy Dissipation Concept (EDC) model in the FDS v6.6.3 were adopted in the simulations. Four chemical reaction mechanisms, such as 1-step Mixing Controlled, 2-step Mixing Controlled, 3-step Mixing Controlled and 3-step Mixed (Mixing Controlled + finite chemical reactions) reactions, were implemented in the EDC model. The simulation results with each combustion model showed similar level for the temperature inside the compartment. The prediction performance of FDS with each combustion model showed significant differences for the CO concentration while no distinguished differences were identified for the $O_2$ and $CO_2$ concentrations. The EDC 3-step Mixing Controlled largely over-predicted the CO concentration obtained by experiment and the mixture fraction model under-predicted the experiment slightly. The EDC 3-step Mixed showed the best prediction performance for the CO concentration and the EDC 2-step Mixing Controlled also predicted the CO concentration reasonably. The EDC 1-step Mixing Controlled significantly under-predict the experimental CO concentration when the previously suggested CO yield was adopted. The FDS simulation with the EDC 1-step Mixing Controlled showed difficulties in predicting the $CO_2$ concentration when the CO yield was modified to predict the CO concentration reasonably.