• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.537-540
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• 2009

Bactericidal efficacies of various sanitizers and disinfectants against 10 Bacillus cereus strains isolated from Korean foods and 8 standard B. cereus strains were investigated. The sanitizing capabilities of ethanol, iodine, chloride, quaternary ammonium, hydrogen peroxide, and peroxide acetic acid were investigated using the EN 1276 method based on quantitative suspension testing. The resistance against sanitizers and disinfectants was higher for wild-type than standard strains, and the bactericidal activities decreased in dirty conditions. Ethanol, chlorine, and iodine at the maximum level allowed under Korean food sanitation laws showed a great effectiveness against B. cereus. Hydrogen peroxide at 1,100 ppm showed the lowest bactericidal activity against B. cereus. These results indicate that the legally allowed maximum concentrations of sanitizers and disinfectants in Korea do not reduce all B. cereus strains by at least $5\;{\log}_{10}\;CFU/mL$.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.191-195
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• 2021

Pure ZnFe₂O₄ and Fe₂O₃-ZnFe₂O₄ hetero-composite spheres were prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis of a solution containing Zn- and Fe-nitrates. Additionally, the sensing characteristics of these spheres in the presence of 5 ppm ethanol, benzene, p-xylene, toluene, and CO (within the temperature range of 275-350 ℃) were investigated. The Fe₂O₃-ZnFe₂O₄ hetero-composite sensor with a cation ratio of [Zn]:[Fe]=1:3 exhibited a high response (resistance ratio = 140.2) and selectivity (response to p-xylene/response to ethanol = 3.4) to 5 ppm p-xylene at 300 ℃, whereas the pure ZnFe₂O₄ sensor showed a comparatively lower gas response and selectivity. The reasons for the superior response and selectivity to p-xylene in Fe₂O₃-ZnFe₂O₄ hetero-composite sensor were discussed in relation to the electronic sensitization due to charge transfer at Fe₂O₃-ZnFe₂O₄ interface and Fe₂O₃-induced catalytic promotion of gas sensing reaction. The sensor can be used to monitor harmful volatile organic compounds and indoor air pollutants.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.227-233
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• 2013

In this study, we evaluated the ability of various disinfectants to suppress the growth of microorganisms in fresh-cut products and organic vegetable. The growth of more than 50% of B. cereus isolates were suppressed by 50% ethanol, 0.1% hydrogen peroxide, 0.4% sodium hypochlorite or 1% calcium oxide. E. coli generally showed high susceptibility to concentration of 10% ethanol, 0.4% sodium hypochlorite and 1% calcium oxide. Eighty percent or more of S. aureus isolates exhibited resistance to ethanol, hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite, but the isolates were susceptible to concentrations of 1% calcium oxide. All isolates evaluated in this study were sensitive to benzalkonium chloride (BAC) and growth in the presence of $2.0{\mu}g/mL$ of BAC was completely inhibited. These pathogens showed widely different susceptibilities to different organic acids. Greater than 0.5% acetic acid and 2% and higher concentrations of malic acid and tartaric acid inhibited the growth of 60% of the isolates of B. cereus. Two percent acetic acid and tartaric acid inhibited 50% of the S. aureus isolates. Seventy percent of the E. coli isolates were resistant to malic acid and susceptible to 1% acetic acid and 10% tartaric acid. The antibacterial effects of the various sanitizers evaluated in this study were not only dependent on the type of disinfectant but also on the pathogen. Thus, it is important to select a sanitizer that is safe and effective at removing specific types of microorganisms.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.411-419
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• 2016

Purpose: Dysregulation of adipokines caused by excess adipose tissue has been implicated in the development of obesity-related metabolic diseases. This study evaluated the effects of mugwort (Artemisia princeps Pampanini) ethanol extract on lipid metabolic changes, insulin resistance, adipokine balance, and body fat reduction in obese rats. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either a control diet (NC), high-fat diet (HF, 40% kcal from fat), or high-fat diet with 1% mugwort extract (HFM) for 6 weeks. Results: Epididymal and retroperitoneal fat mass increased in the HF group compared with the NC group, and epididymal fat mass was reduced in the HFM group (p < 0.05). No difference was observed in serum levels of total cholesterol (TC) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) among the groups. However, triglyceride (TG), TG/HDL-C ratio, and TC/HDL-C ratio increased in the HF group and significantly decreased in the HFM group. TG and TC levels in the liver were significantly higher in the HF group, whereas these levels were significantly reduced in the HFM group. HF rats had lower insulin sensitivity as indicated by increased homeostasis model assessment of the insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) value. HOMA-IR values significantly decreased in the HFM group. Adiponectin levels were higher in NC rats, and their leptin and PAI-1 levels were lower. Relative balance of adipokines was reversed in the HF group, with lower adiponectin levels but higher leptin and PAI-1 levels. In contrast, the HFM group maintained balance of adiponectin/leptin and adiponectin/PAI-1 levels similar to NC by reducing leptin and PAI-1 levels. Conclusion: Overall data indicated that mugwort extract can be effective in alleviating metabolic dislipidemia, insulin resistance, and adipokine dysregulation induced by a high-fat diet.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.240-244
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• 2008

Composite plating is a method of co-deposition of plating layer with metallic and/or non-metallic particles to improve the plating layer properties such as high corrosion resistance and photolysis of organic compounds. The properties of nickel-ceramic composite plating are significantly depend on the surface characteristics of co-deposited particles as well as the quantity in electrolyte. In this study, Ni-$TiO_2$ composite coating layer was produced by electrodeposition technique from non-aqueous eletrolyte and its surface characteristics as well as photolytic properties were investigated. The amounts of immobilized $TiO_2$ particles increased with increasing the initial $TiO_2$ particles contents in the bath. Samples electroplated with the current density of $0.5\;A/dm^2$ showed the significantly improved homogeneous $TiO_2$ particles distribution. The corrosion resistance of Ni-$TiO_2$ composite coating layer also improved with increaing the amounts of $TiO_2$ particles. Etched sample showed about 10% increased photolytic rate of organic matter compare to that of the non-etched.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.292-296
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• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to assess the potential of St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) to prevent obesity and abnormalities in lipid metabolism induced by ovariectomy in a rat model without stimulatory activity on uterus. MATERIALS/METHODS: Ovariectomized (OVX) rats were treated for 6 weeks with 70% ethanol extracts of Hypericum perforatum [HPEs: whole plant (WHPE) and flower and leaves (FLHPE)], ${\beta}$-estradiol-3-benzoate at a dose of $50{\mu}g/kg/day$ (E2) or vehicle (distilled water). RESULTS: As expected, OVX increased body weight gain and adiposity and showed higher food efficacy ratio. OVX also increased the serum cholesterol as well as insulin resistance, while reducing uterus weight and uterine epithelial proliferation rate. HPEs (WHPE and FLHPE) showed estrogen-like effect on body weight gain, adipose tissue weight and food efficacy ratio in OVX rats. HPEs prevented hypercholesterolemia induced by OVX more effectively than E2. E2 increased uterus weight and epithelial proliferation rate in OVX rats, while HPEs maintained them at the level of the sham-operated animals. CONCLUSIONS: Our finding demonstrates that HPEs can be considered as an effective agent to prevent OVX-induced obesity without stimulatory activity on uterus.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.506-511
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• 2006

ZnO nanorods were prepared by the hydrothermal reaction of a solution containing $Zn(NO_3)_2{\cdot}6H_2O$, NaOH, cyclohexylamine, ethanol and water, and their $NO_2$ and CO sensing behaviors were investigated. By the control of water concentration in solution, the morphology and agglomeration of ZnO nanorods could be manipulated, which is associated with the variation of $[OH^-]$ resulted from an interaction between water and cyclohexylamine. Sea-urchin-like and well-dispersed ZnO nanorods were prepared at low and high water content, respectively. Well-dispersed ZnO nanorods showed 1.8 fold change in resistance at 1 ppm $NO_2$ while there was no significant change in resistance at 50 ppm CO. This selective detection of $NO_2$ in the presence of CO can be used in automated car ventilation systems.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.17-18
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• 2007

Solid oxide fuel cells are clean, pollution-free technology for the electrochemical generation of electricity at high efficiency. Specially, the polarization resistance between electrolyte and electrode of SOFC unit cell is of importance, because it is desirable to develop SOFC operating at intermediate temperature below $800^{\circ}C$. The LSCF cathode prepared using modified oxalate method was investigated with different electrolyte. A precursor was prepared with oxalic acid, ethanol and $NH_4OH$ solution. The LSCF precursor was prepared at $80^{\circ}C$, and pH control was 2, 6, 8, 9 and 10. The precursor powder was calcined at $800^{\circ}C$, $1000^{\circ}C$ and $1200^{\circ}C$ for 4hrs. The crystal of LSCF powders show single phase at pH 2, 6, 8 and 9, and the average particle size was about $3{\mu}m$. The LSCF cathode with heat treatment at $1200^{\circ}C$ showed a plot of electric conductivity versus temperature. Unit cell prepared from the LSCF cathode, buffer layer between cathode and electrolyte and the LSGM, YSZ, ScSZ and CeSZ electrolyte. Also interface reaction between LSCF, buffer layer and electrolyte were measured by EPMA and the polarization resistance for unit cell with cycle measure using a Solatron 1260 analyzer.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.480-486
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• 2014

Growth restriction by antibiotics is a common feature that pathogenic bacteria must overcome for survival. The struggle of bacteria to escape from growth restriction eventually results in development of antibiotic-resistance through the expression of a set of genes. Here we found that some physiologically important transcriptional regulators of Pseudomonas aeruginosa including QscR, a quorum sensing (QS) receptor, SoxR, a superoxide sensor-regulator, and AntR, a regulator of anthranilate-related secondary metabolism, are activated by various growth-restricted conditions. We generated the growth-restricted conditions by various methods, such as overexpression of PA2537 and treatment with antibiotics or disinfectants. The overexpression of PA2537, encoding an acyltransferase homologue, tightly restricted the growth of P. aeruginosa and significantly activated QscR during the growth restriction. Similarly, treatments with gentamycin, tetracycline, and ethanol also activated QscR near their minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs). Some non-QS regulators, such as AntR and SoxR, were also activated near the MICs in the same conditions. However, LasR and PqsR, other QS receptors of P. aeruginosa, were not activated, suggesting that only a specific set of transcriptional regulators is activated by growth restriction. Since paraquat, a superoxide generator, significantly activated QscR and AntR, we suggest that the oxidative stress generated by growth restriction may be partly involved in this phenomenon.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.16-19
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• 2006

The characteristic of negative differential resistance(NDR) is decreased current when the applied voltage is increased. The NDR is potentially very useful in molecular electronics device schemes. Here, we investigated the NDR characteristic of self-assembled 4,4'-di(ethynylphenyl)-2'-nitro-1-benzenethiolate, which has been well known as a conducting molecule. Self-assembly monolayers(SAMs) were prepared on Au(111), which had been thermally deposited onto $pre-treatment(H_2SO_4:H_2O_2=3:1)$ Si. The Au substrate was exposed to a 1 mM/1 solution of 1-dodecanethiol in ethanol for 24 hours to form a monolayer. After thorough rinsing the sample, it was exposed to a 0.1 ${\mu}M/l$ solution of 4.4'-di(ethynylphenyl)-2'-nitro-1-(thioacetyl)benzene in dimethylformamide(DMF) for 30 min and kept in the dark during immersion to avoid photo-oxidation. After the assembly, the samples were removed from the solutions, rinsed thoroughly with methanol, acetone, and $CH_2Cl_2,$ and finally blown dry with N_2. Under these conditions, we measured electrical properties of self-assembly monolayers(SAMs) using ultra high vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy(UHV-STM). The applied voltages were from -2 V to +2 V with 298 K temperature. The vacuum condition was $6{\time}10^{-8}$ Torr. As a result, we found the NDR voltage of the 4,4'-di(ethynylphenyl)-2'-nitro-1-benzenethiolate were $-1.61{\pm}0.26$ V(negative region) and $1.84{\pm}0.33$ V(positive region). respectively.