• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.78 no.1
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• pp.8-17
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• 2015

Background: AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) not only functions as an intracellular energy sensor and regulator, but is also a general sensor of oxidative stress. Furthermore, there is recent evidence that it participates in limiting acute inflammatory reactions, apoptosis and cellular senescence. Thus, it may oppose the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Methods: To investigate the role of AMPK in cigarette smoke-induced lung inflammation and emphysema we first compared cigarette smoking and polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid [poly(I:C)]-induced lung inflammation and emphysema in $AMPK{\alpha}1$-deficient ($AMPK{\alpha}1$-HT) mice and wild-type mice of the same genetic background. We then investigated the role of AMPK in the induction of interleukin-8 (IL-8) by cigarette smoke extract (CSE) in A549 cells. Results: Cigarette smoking and poly(I:C)-induced lung inflammation and emphysema were elevated in $AMPK{\alpha}1$-HT compared to wild-type mice. CSE increased AMPK activation in a CSE concentration- and time-dependent manner. 5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-${\beta}$-4-ribofuranoside (AICAR), an AMPK activator, decreased CSE-induced IL-8 production while Compound C, an AMPK inhibitor, increased it, as did pretreatment with an $AMPK{\alpha}1$-specific small interfering RNA. Conclusion: $AMPK{\alpha}1$-deficient mice have increased susceptibility to lung inflammation and emphysema when exposed to cigarette smoke, and AMPK appears to reduce lung inflammation and emphysema by lowering IL-8 production.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.34-40
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• 2012

We have developed a highly sensitive inspection technique based on an electron beam inspection for detecting the contact failure of a poly-Si plugged layer. It was difficult to distinguish the contact failure from normal landing plugs with high impedance. Normally, the thermal annealing method has been used to decrease the impedance of poly-Si plugs and this method increases the difference of charged characteristics and voltage contrast. However, the additional process made the loss of time and broke down the device characteristics. Here, the interval scanning method without thermal annealing was effectively applied to enhance the difference of surface voltage between well-contacted poly-Si plugs and incomplete contact plugs. It is extremely useful to detect the contact failures of non-annealed plug contacts with high impedance.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 2011

We develop a new nonwoven composite separator for a safer lithium-ion battery, which is based on coating of silica ($SiO_2$) colloidal particles/styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) binder to a poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) nonwoven support. The $SiO_2$ particles are interconnected by the SBR binder and closely packed in the nonwoven composite separator, which thus allows for the development of unusual porous structure, i.e. highly-connected interstitial voids formed between the $SiO_2$ particles. The PET nonwoven serves as a mechanical support that contributes to suppressing thermal shrinkage of the nonwoven composite separator. The $SiO_2$/SBR content in the nonwoven composite separators plays an important role in determining their separator properties. Porous structure, air permeability, and electrolyte wettability of the nonwoven composite separators, in comparison to a commercialized polyethylene (PE) separator, are elucidated as a function of the $SiO_2$/SBR content. Based on this understanding of the nonwoven composite separators, the effect of $SiO_2$/SBR content on the electrochemical performances such as self-discharge, discharge capacity, and discharge C-rate capability of cells assembled with the nonwoven composite separators is investigated.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.215-230
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• 2010

Poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene), PVDF-HFP, hollow fiber membranes were prepared by the dry/wet spinning technique using different polyethylene glycol (PEG) concentrations as non-solvent additive in the dope solution. Two different PEG concentrations (3 and 5 wt.%). The morphology and structural characteristics of the hollow fiber membranes were studied by means of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and void volume fraction. The experimental permeate flux and the salt (NaCl) rejection factor were determined using direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) process. An increase of the PEG content in the spinning solution resulted in a faster coagulation of the PVDF-HFP copolymer and a transition of the cross-section internal layer structure from a sponge-type structure to a finger-type structure. Pore size, nodule size and roughness parameters of both the internal and external hollow fiber surfaces were determined by AFM. It was observed that both the pore size and roughness of the internal surface of the hollow fibers enhanced with increasing the PEG concentration, whereas no change was observed at the outer surface. The void volume fraction increased with the increase of the PEG content in the spinning solution resulting in a higher DCMD flux and a smaller salt rejection factor.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.233-240
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• 2023

p-type Tunnel Oxide Passivating Contacts (TOPCon) solar cell is fabricated with a poly-Si/SiO_x structure. It simultaneously achieves surface passivation and enhances the carriers' selective collection, which is a promising technology for conventional solar cells. The quality of passivation is depended on the quality of the tunnel oxide layer at the interface with the c-Si wafer, which is affected by the bond of SiO formed during the subsequent annealing process. The highest cell efficiency reported to date for the laboratory scale has increased to 26.1%, fabricated by the Institute for Solar Energy Research. The cells used a p-type float zone silicon with an interdigitated back contact (IBC) structure that fabricates poly-Si and SiO_x layer achieves the highest implied open-circuit voltage (iV_oc) is 750 mV, and the highest level of edge passivation is 40%. This review presents an overview of p-type TOPCon technologies, including the ultra-thin silicon oxide layer (SiO_x) and poly-silicon layer (poly-Si), as well as the advancement of the SiO_x and poly-Si layers. Subsequently, the limitations of improving efficiency are discussed in detail. Consequently, it is expected to provide a basis for the simplification of industrial mass production.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.419-428
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• 2000

Leptin, the product of obese (ob) gene, is an adipocyte-derived satiety factor that plays a major role in the regulation of food intake, energy homeostasis, body weight, reproductive physiology and neuropeptide secretion. The present study was designed to generate transgenic mice expressing antisense mouse ob (mob) gene. Total RNA was extracted from the adipose tissues of mouse, then reverse transcription was performed. The 303 and 635 bp fragments of anti I and II cDNAs were amplified from mob cDNAs by PCR. The two mob cDNAs were reversely ligated into between adipose tissue specific aP2 promote and SV40 poly(A) site. Transgenic mice carrying two different kinds of antisense mob transgenes were generated by DNA microinjection into pronucleus. Total 14 transgenic mice were born, and the 4 and 5 founder lines of the transgenic mice with anti I and II transgenes were respectively established. Antisense mRNA expression was detected in transgenic F$_1$ mice by RT-PCR analysis. This result suggests that the transgenic mice expressing antisense mob mRNA may be useful as an animal disease model to be obesity caused by decreased amount of leptin secretion.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1908-1915
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• 2018

Upon viral infection, the host cell recognizes the invasion through a number of pattern recognition receptors. Melanoma differentiation associated gene 5 (MDA5) and retinoic acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I) recognize RNA molecules derived from invading viruses, activating down-stream signaling cascades, culminating in the induction of the type I interferon. On the other hand, viruses have evolved to evade type I interferon-mediated inhibition. Hepatitis E virus has been shown to encode a few antagonists of type I interferon and it is not surprising that viruses encode multiple mechanisms of viral evasion. In the present study, we demonstrated that HEV PCP strongly down-regulates MDA5-mediated activation of interferon ${\beta}$ induction in a dose-dependent manner. Interestingly, MDA5 protein expression was almost completely abolished. In addition, polyinosinic polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C))- and Sendai virus-mediated activation of type I interferon responses were similarly abrogated in the presence of HEV PCP. Furthermore, HEV PCP down-regulates several molecules that play critical roles in the induction of type I IFN expression. Taken together, these data collectively suggest that HEV-encoded PCP is a strong antagonist of type I interferon.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2003.07b
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• pp.1034-1037
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• 2003

Microcrystalline silicon(c-Si:H) thin-film solar cells are prepared with intrinsic Si-layer by hot wire CVD. The operating parameters of solar cells are strongly affected by the filament temperature ($T_f$) during intrinsic layer. Jsc and efficiency abruptly decreases with elevated $T_f$ to $1400^{\circ}C$. This deterioration of solar cell parameters are resulted from increase of crystalline volume fraction and corresponding defect density at high $T_f$. The heater temperature ($T_h$) are also critical parameter that controls device operations. Solar cells prepared at low $T_h$ ($<200^{\circ}C$) shows a similar operating properties with devices prepared at high $T_f$, i.e. low Jsc, Voc and efficiency. The origins for this result, however, are different with that of inferior device performances at high $T_f$. In addition the phase transition of the silicon films occurs at different silane concentration (SC) by varying filament temperature, by which highest efficiency with SC varies with $T_f$.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.1795-1799
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• 2008

The heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNP K) is a component of hnRNP complexes. This protein binds strongly to cytidine-rich RNA/DNA sequences. It is a nucleocytoplasmic shuttling protein. To investigate the functions of hnRNP K, I searched for hnRNP K-interacting proteins in HeLa cDNA library using a yeast two-hybrid screening system. One of the cDNA clones is identical to human hnRNP E1 (poly(rC) binding protein 1) cDNA (GenBank accession number XM_031585). In this study, hnRNP K is shown to specifically interact with hnRNP E1 in yeast two-hybrid system and in vitro biochemical assay.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.292-297
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• 1995

Studies on the production of Newcastle disease virus(NDV) were carried out to optimize culture conditions such as initial pH, temperature, serum concentration, multiplicity of infection(M.O.I.) as well as the addition of polycation, antioxidant, and DMSO. Initial pH from 7.2 to 8.1 showed little difference on NDV production but the initial pH below 6.8 resulted in the negative effect. The highest NDV titer was obtained at 0.1 M.O.I. In addition, the maximum production of virus was achieved at 2% FBS and optimum temperature was found to be $34^{\circ}C$. Treatment of polycoation increased the virus production. When ascorbic acid was added as an antioxidant, NDV production was also enhanced. Utilization of DMSO, a well-known permeabilizing agent, showed an inhibitory effect on the propagation of NDV.