• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.577-592
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• 2023

In this study, nanofiber-based textile sensors were developed for motion detection and monitoring. Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) nanofibers containing zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and silver nanowires (AgNW) were fabricated using electrospinning. PVDF was chosen as a piezoelectric polymer, zinc oxide as a piezoelectric ceramic, and AgNW as a metal to improve electric conductivity. The PVDF/ZnO/AgNW nanocomposite fibers were used to develop a textile sensor, which was then incorporated into an elbow band to develop a wearable smart band. Changes in the output voltage and peak-to-peak voltage (V_p-p) generated by the joint's flexion and extension were investigated using a dummy elbow. The β-phase crystallinity of pure PVDF nanofibers was 58% when analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; however, the β-phase crystallinity increased to 70% in PVDF nanofibers containing ZnO and to 78% in PVDF nanocomposite fibers containing both ZnO and AgNW. The textile sensor's output voltage values varied with joint-bending angle; upon increasing the joint angle from 45° to 90° to 150°, the V_p-p value increased from 0.321 V_p-p to 0.542 V_p-p to 0.660 V_p-p respectively. This suggests that the textile sensor can be used to detect and monitor body movements.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.44.1-44.15
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• 2021

Tumor peptides associated with MHC class I molecules or their synthetic variants have attracted great attention for their potential use as vaccines to induce tumor-specific CTLs. However, the outcome of clinical trials of peptide-based tumor vaccines has been disappointing. There are various reasons for this lack of success, such as difficulties in delivering the peptides specifically to professional Ag-presenting cells, short peptide half-life in vivo, and limited peptide immunogenicity. We report here a novel peptide vaccination strategy that efficiently induces peptide-specific CTLs. Nanoparticles (NPs) were fabricated from a biodegradable polymer, poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid), attached to H-2K^b molecules, and then the natural peptide epitopes associated with the H-2K^b molecules were exchanged with a model tumor peptide, SIINFEKL (OVA_257-268). These NPs were efficiently phagocytosed by immature dendritic cells (DCs), inducing DC maturation and activation. In addition, the DCs that phagocytosed SIINFEKL-pulsed NPs potently activated SIINFEKL-H2K^b complex-specific CD8⁺ T cells via cross-presentation of SIINFEKL. In vivo studies showed that intravenous administration of SIINFEKL-pulsed NPs effectively generated SIINFEKL-specific CD8⁺ T cells in both normal and tumor-bearing mice. Furthermore, intravenous administration of SIINFEKL-pulsed NPs into EG7.OVA tumor-bearing mice almost completely inhibited the tumor growth. These results demonstrate that vaccination with polymeric NPs coated with tumor peptide-MHC-I complexes is a novel strategy for efficient induction of tumor-specific CTLs.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.42.1-42.20
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• 2022

Vaccination with tumor peptide epitopes associated with MHC class I molecules is an attractive approach directed at inducing tumor-specific CTLs. However, challenges remain in improving the therapeutic efficacy of peptide epitope vaccines, including the low immunogenicity of peptide epitopes and insufficient stimulation of innate immune components in vivo. To overcome this, we aimed to develop and test an innovative strategy that elicits potent CTL responses against tumor epitopes. The essential feature of this strategy is vaccination using tumor epitope-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) in combination with polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly-IC) and anti-PD1 mAb. Carboxylated NPs were prepared using poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) and poly(ethylene/maleic anhydride), covalently conjugated with anti-H-2K^b mAbs, and then attached to H-2K^b molecules isolated from the tumor mass (H-2^b). Native peptides associated with the H-2K^b molecules of H-2K^b-attached NPs were exchanged with tumor peptide epitopes. Tumor peptide epitope-loaded NPs efficiently induced tumor-specific CTLs when used to immunize tumor-bearing mice as well as normal mice. This activity of the NPs significantly was increased when co-administered with poly-IC. Accordingly, the NPs exerted significant anti-tumor effects in mice implanted with EG7-OVA thymoma or B16-F10 melanoma, and the anti-tumor activity of the NPs was significantly increased when applied in combination with poly-IC. The most potent anti-tumor activity was observed when the NPs were co-administered with both poly-IC and anti-PD1 mAb. Immunization with tumor epitope-loaded NPs in combination with poly-IC and anti-PD1 mAb in tumor-bearing mice can be a powerful means to induce tumor-specific CTLs with therapeutic anti-tumor activity.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.230-234
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• 2013

IR cut-off thin films consisted of ATO nanoparticles were successfully fabricated by sol-gel method. The coating solution was synthesized with organic/inorganic hybrid binder and ATO colloidal solution and ATO thin films were coated on a slide glass with the withdrawal speed of 5~40 mm/s. As the withdrawal speed increased from 5 mm/s to 40 mm/s, the thickness of coating thin films also increased from $1.05{\mu}m$ to $4.25{\mu}m$ and the IR cut-off in wavelength of 780~2500 nm increased from 49.5 % to 66.7 %. In addition, the pencil hardness of ATO thin films dried at $80^{\circ}C$ was ca. 5H and the coating films were not removed after a cross cutter tape test because of the hybrid binder synthesized with tetraethylorthosilicate and methyltrimethoxysilane. The surface morphologies, optical properties and film thickness of prepared thin films with a different withdrawal speed were measured by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), UV-Vis spectrophotometer, and Dektak.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.305-310
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• 2009

$TiO_2$ thin films consisting of positively charged poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) and negatively charged titanium (IV) bis (ammonium lactato) dihydroxide (TALH) were successfully fabricated on a poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) by layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly method. By the measurement of quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), it was found that as the solution pH of TALH decreased, the deposition volume of TALH increased and the thickness of (PDDA/TALH) thin film coated on the surface of PMMA particles increased. The PMMA particles coated with the coating sequence of (PDDA/TALH)n showed the variation of color changes as a function of the number of bilayer. The number of bilayer (n) of (PDDA/TALH) thin films was 10 and 20, the values of $a^*$ and $b^*$ decreased from those of PMMA particles without coating films and the color changes was shifted to green and blue direction in the $a^*$, $b^*$ chromaticity diagram. And then, the number of n increased to 30 and 40, the values of $a^*$ and $b^*$ increased and the color changes was shifted to red and yellow direction, respectively. Finally the PMMA particles coated with $(PDDA/TALH)_{50}$ thin film showed a little same value of $a^*$ and $b^*$ with the PMMA particles without (PDDA/TALH) thin film.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.590-592
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• 2010

Li-Mn spinel ($LiMn_2O_4$) is prepared by a hydrothermal process with K-Birnessite ($KMnO_4{\cdot}yH_2O$) as a precursor. The K-Birnessite obtained via a hydrothermal process with potassium permanganate [$KMnO_4$] and urea [$CO(NH_2)_2$] as starting materials are converted to Li-Mn spinel nanoparticles reacting with LiOH. The molar ratio of LiOH/K-Birnessite is adjusted in order to find the effect of the ratio on the structural, morphological and electrochemical performances of the Li-Mn spinel. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and thermogravimetry (TG) are used to investigate the crystal structure and morphology of the samples. Galvanostatic charge and discharge are carried out to measure the capacity and rate capability of the Li-Mn spinel. The capacity shows a maximum value of $117\;mAhg^{-1}$ when the molar ratio of LiOH/K-Birnessite is 0.8 and decreases with the increase of the ratio. However the rate capability is improved with the increase of the ratio due to the reduction of the particle size.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.41 no.9
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• pp.684-689
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• 2004

Hexagonal sheet typed $\alpha$-Al$_2$O$_3$ nano particles were synthesized successfully at various conditions with the aluminum sulfate solution extracted from kaolin through the conventional and microwave assisted polyacrylamide (PAA) gel methods. Shorter gel time and higher yield were obtained in the microwave assisted PAA gel method, compared to conventional method. the size of nano particles was not changed by increasing the concentration of aluminum sulfate, but decreased with increasing the concentration of cross-linking agent in both the conventional and microwave samples. Above 0.01M concentration of cross-linking agent, the sizes of nano particles in the microwave samples were relatively larger than those in the conventional samples.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.41 no.10 s.269
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• pp.788-791
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• 2004

We have studied the fabrication of silver micro lines using the silver nano sol on ITO substrate by an ink-jet method. The average particles size of $10wt\%$ silver nano sol synthesized with polyelectrolytes was smaller than 10 nm. The pattern formation of silver nano sol on the substrate closely related with the contact angle of the silver nano sol. The dot shaped of silver nano sol on bare ITO substrate was formed due to the high contact angle of silver nano sol. When ITO substrates was treated with 100 ppm polyethylenimine for silver nano sol patterning, fine silver micro lines of $60{\sim}100{\mu}m$ width was fabricated by ink-jet method.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.94-98
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• 2011

A Sn-doped $In_2O_3$ (ITO) nanowire photoelectrode was produced using a simple metal evaporation method at low synthesis temperature (< $540^{\circ}C$). The nanowire electrodes have large surface area compared with that of flat ITO thin film, and show low electrical resistivity of $5.6{\times}10^{-3}{\Omega}cm$ at room temperature. In order to apply ITO nanowires to the photoelectrodes of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), those surfaces were modified by $TiO_2$ nanoparticles using a chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The conversion efficiency of the fabricated $TiO_2$/ITO nanostructure-based DSSC was obtained at 1.4%, which was increased value by a factor of 6 than one without ITO nanowires photoelectrode. This result is attributed to the large surface area and superior electrical property of the ITO nanowires photoelectrode, as well as the structural advantages, including short diffusion length of photo-induced electrons, of the fabricated $TiO_2$/ITO nanostructure-based DSSC.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.135-141
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• 2012

To improve the visible-light induced photocatalytic application performances of $TiO_2$, in this study, the $NiS_2$ modied $TiO_2$ composites were prepared by two methods: hydrothermal method and sol-gel method. The composites were denoted as hs-$NiS_2$/$TiO_2$, and sg-$NiS_2$/$TiO_2$ and characterized by XRD, UV-vis absorbance spectra, SEM, TEM, EDX, and BET analysis. The photocatalytic activities under visible light were investigated by the degradation of methyl orange (MO). The photodegradation rate of methyl orange under visible light with $NiS_2$/$TiO_2$ composites was markedly higher than that of pure $TiO_2$, and the effect of hs-$NiS_2$/$TiO_2$ composites was better than that of sg-$NiS_2$/$TiO_2$. The results indicate that the hydrothermal process could partly inhibit the agglomeration of $NiS_2$/$TiO_2$. Thus, the dispersion of nanoparticles was improved, and that the promoting effect of $NiS_2$ could extend the light absorption spectrum toward the visible region.