Degradation of Pentachlorophenol by Ozone Generated by a Pulsed Power Corona Discharge

Ozone, generated by a pulsed power corona discharge, was usedto degrade pentachlorophenol (PCP). The degradation of PCP wasdriven by ozone and superoxide radical (SOR). The coronadischarge reactor was made without glass dielectric material,not only to reduce the power consumption but also to enhancethe formation of the SOR. In addition, the corona dischargedevice was operated with pin-plate or pin-ring typeelectrodes, which had a normal and parallel oxygen flow,respectively. The ozone generated in the corona dischargereactor was in the range of 0-0.39 mg min^-1. To confirm the generation of SOR, the hydrogen peroxide was measuredunder acidic conditions without ozone effects. PCP at 10 ppm wascompletely degraded in 10 min in both electrode types withnegative high DC voltage. The degradation rate of PCP was muchgreater at a high frequency (1 kHz). Oxalic, malonic andglyoxylic acids were generated as final products of the reaction.     

Monitoring of Acid Rain over Korean Peninsula

In order to investigate the temporal and spacial deposition characteristics of acid rain, five monitoring sites were set up in the central part of Korean Peninsula. Rainwater samples were collected by wet-only sampler from 1992 to 1997. The pH and conductivity values were measured and the major water soluble ionic components were also analyzed. Ion balance between anion and cation sum was calculated to check out the data quality of samples. The acidity of rainwater was influenced by the local sources and meteorological factors such as surface wind, moving path of storm, precipitation process, and so on. Backward trajectories were depicted to investigate the effect due to moving path of weather system. The rainwater shows strong acidity in winter and weak in summer. The pH and ion concentrations were highly dependent on synoptic weather system. In addition, we sampled fog/cloud at Mt. Sobaek (BAPMoN Station) from June to August 1995 and characterized the fog/cloud chemistry according to surface wind system of sampling site. The volume-weighted mean pH of fog/cloud samples is 4.39 at Mt. Sobaek during the sampling period.     

Posttranslational N-myristoylation of BID as a molecular switch for targeting mitochondria and apoptosis

Many apoptotic molecules relocate subcellularly in cells undergoing apoptosis. The pro-apoptotic protein BID underwent posttranslational (rather than classic cotranslational) N-myristoylation when cleavage by caspase 8 caused exposure of a glycine residue. N-myristoylation enabled the targeting of a complex of p7 and myristoylated p15 fragments of BID to artificial membranes bearing the lipid composition of mitochondria, as well as to intact mitochondria. This post-proteolytic N-myristoylation serves as an activating switch, enhancing BID-induced release of cytochrome c and cell death.     

Theoretical analysis of the melt spinning process of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) fibers

Profiles development of the melt spinning process of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) was simulated by a numerical method. The spinning speed of 3 km/min to 5 km/min was analyzed and the characteristic of PTT spinning process was compared with that of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). Velocity development of PTT was slower than that of PET. Although PTT’s spinning temperature was lower than PET’s, the PTT solidified slower because of a smaller super-cooling and the large specific heat capacity. The diameter profile of PTT decreases gradually in comparison with that of PET. PTT’s strain rate has a broader distribution than PET’s and its maximum ranged from 541 to 570 s⁻¹ for PET and 136 to 149 s⁻¹ for PTT. PTT’s tensile stress was smaller than PET’s.     

Alkaline weight reduction monitoring of sea-island type polyamide microfiber fabrics

The alkaline dissolution behavior of sea-island type polyamide microfibers were successfully monitored using a cationic dye staining method. Weight reduction behavior of the alkali-treated microfiber fabrics and the treated fabrics stained with cationic dye were investigated in a comparative manner. The termination of dissolution monitored by both methods was also confirmed by scanning electron microscopy.     

Measurement of residual stresses in injection molded polymeric part by applying layer-removal and incremental hole-drilling methods

Injection molding is a flexible production method for manufacturing polymer products, but introduces residual stresses. This study employs the incremental hole-drilling method to measure the residual stresses in injection molded parts. To compare the results, the layer-removal method is utilized for measurement of residual stresses. A commercial software, Moldflow, is used for prediction of residual stresses in molded plastic parts. Results obtained by experiments and Moldflow analysis are compared. The incremental hole-drilling method is applicable to determination of the residual stresses in complex geometries and can be used as an adoptable technique for measurement of the residual stress in polymeric materials.     

Dye-resist properties of reactive dye-resist agents in acid dyeing of silk

The dye-resist effect of reactive dye-resist agents in acid dyeing of silk was investigated. The dye-resist agent containing dichlorotriazine achieved a higher resist effectiveness than others since they make a charge barrier against diffusion in the silk fiber periphery due to the high reactivity of dichlorotriazine group. Especially, the increase in the number of ionic groups in acid dyes leads to better electrostatic repulsion of reactive dye resist agent treated silk and thus improves the resist effectiveness. However, the hydrophobicity effect of acid dyes on the dye-resist properties was relatively minor.     

Effects of blend ratio and heat treatment on the properties of the electrospun poly(ethylene terephthlate) nonwovens

Semicrystalline poly(ethylene terephthalate) (cPET)/amorphous poly(ethylene terephthalate) with isophthalic acid (aPET) blends with 100/0, 75/25, 50/50, 25/75, and 0/100 by weight ratios were dissolved in a mixture of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA)/methylene chloride (MC) (50/50, v/v) and electrospun via the electrospinning technique. Solution properties such as solution viscosity, surface tension and electric conductivity were determined. The solution viscosity slightly decreased as aPET content increased, while there was no difference in surface tension with respect to aPET composition. The characteristics of the electrospun cPET/aPET blend nonwovens were investigated in terms of their morphology, pore size and gas permeability. All these measurements were carried out before and after heat treatment for various blend weight ratios. The average diameter of the fibers decreased with increasing aPET composition due to the decrease in viscosity. Also, the morphology of the electrospun cPET/aPET blend nonwovens was changed by heat treatment. The pore size and pore size distribution varied greatly from a few nanometers to a few microns. The gas permeability after heat treatment was lower than that before heat treatment because of the change of the morphology.     

Image analysis: A novel technique to determine the efficiency of wiping cloths

The ability to absorb liquid and the dust removal performance are important factors for wiping cloths used to remove contaminants. We have developed a method that can determine the contaminant removal performance of wiping cloths. In the gravimetric method, experimental errors are unavoidable because the contaminant plate is much heavier than the contaminant material. However, we used image analysis to reduce the experimental errors, and did not use the heavy contaminant plate. The correlation coefficient between the image analysis and the gravimetric methods was very high, at R=0.97, with a significance level of 95 %. From the correlation analysis and empirical data, the image analysis method is a useful tool for measuring wiping efficiency. The wiping efficiency measured using image analysis has a close relationship to the wiping speed, viscosity of the contaminant, and wiping pressure, at the significance level of 95 %.     

Ginsenoside Rp1 from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Panax ginseng</Emphasis> Exhibits Anti-cancer Activity by Down-regulation of the IGF-1R/Akt Pathway in Breast Cancer Cells

Cancer prevention is effective and reduces health care costs because cancer is often a preventable disease that can be affected by lifestyle factors. Therefore, researchers are interested in discovering natural compounds that have anticancer activities, such as delaying the development of cancer and preventing its progression. One such natural agent is ginseng (Panax ginseng), which is traditionally used in some parts of the world as a popular remedy for various diseases including cancer. We hypothesized that the ginsenoside Rp1, a component of ginseng, reduces cancer cell proliferation through inhibition of the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R)/Akt pathway. We first tested the efficacy of Rp1 against human breast cancer cell lines. Treatment with Rp1 inhibited breast cancer cell proliferation and inhibited both anchorage-dependent and -independent breast cancer cell colony formation. In addition, treatment with 20 μM Rp1 induced cycle arrest and apoptosis-mediated cell growth suppression. Our findings further indicated that Rp1 decreased the stability of the IGF-1R protein in breast cancer cells. Therefore, we suggest that Rp1 has potential as an anticancer drug and that IGF-1R is an important target for treatment and prevention of breast cancer.