전라북도 무주군에 분포하는 백악기 무주분지의 퇴적시기 및 퇴적물의 기원지를 파악하기 위해 쇄설성 저어콘 U-Pb 연대측정을 수행하였다. 시료는 설천응회암(SCT), 방이리층(BYR), 길왕리층의 고방층원(GWR-G), 서창층원(GWR-S), 북창층원(GWR-B), 적상산층(JSS)으로 총 6개가 채취되었다. 연대측정 결과 무주분지의 퇴적층은 약 105.6-90.4 Ma에 걸쳐 퇴적되었고, 지질시대로는 알바절에서 투로니아절에 해당한다. 무주분지 서쪽에 분포하는 방이리층과 길왕리층 고 방층원 시료에서 각각 약 94.4 Ma와 89.6 Ma의 단일 저어콘 최소연령이 확인되어, 기존에 길왕리층 역암을 기준(암층 서)으로 설정된 상대연령에 대해 추가연구를 통한 재확인이 필요하다. 그리고 무주분지를 채우고 있는 대부분의 퇴적물 들이 무주분지와 인접한 제한된 지역에서 공급되었을 것으로 판단된다.

Sulfur and nitrogen co-doped carbon dots (NSCDs) were quickly synthesized by the microwave-assisted method from triammonium citrate and thiourea. NSCDs showed a quantum yield of 11.5% with excitation and emission bands at 355 and 432 nm, respectively. Also, a fluorescence quenching was observed in the presence of Pb(II) ions, and the as-synthesized CDs were used as a sensitive probe for detecting Pb(II) in water and food samples. The results showed the optimal conditions for Pb(II) determination were CDs concentration of 0.02 mg mL− 1 at pH 6.0–7.0 and an incubation time of 20 min. The relative fluorescence intensity of NSCDs was proportional to Pb(II) concentrations in the range of 0.029–2.40 and 2.40–14.4 μmol L− 1 with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.998 and 0.955, respectively, and a detection limit of 9.2 × 10– 3 μmol L− 1. Responses were highly repeatable, with a standard deviation below 3.5%. The suggested method demonstrates the potential of a green, fast, and low-cost approach for Pb(II) determination in water, tea, and rice samples with satisfying results.

Macrophages secrete various cytokines and inflammatory mediators, resulting in playing critical roles in inflammation and immunity. In this study, we investigated anti-inflammatory and immune enhancing properties of PB203, which is a water-soluble extract powder from the fruit of Actinidia polygama, in macrophages. A. polygama is a medicinal plant traditionally known to treat abdominal pain, stroke and rheumatoid arthritis. However, the molecular mechanism for the immune modulation of PB203 is still unclear. Therefore, we assessed the effects of PB203 on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation and immune activation, and elucidated its action mechanism in mouse macrophage, RAW264.7 cells. PB203 significantly suppressed not only the levels of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), but also the mRNA expression of inducible NO synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, TNF-α and IL-1β in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. We also found that these anti-inflammatory activities of PB203 were mediated through the inhibition of toll-like receptor 4 and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) induced by LPS. On the other hand, in normal macrophages, PB203 dose-dependently elevated the gene expression of immunomodulators including granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and TNF-α in a statistically significant manner. The expression of IL-10, IL-1β, IL-6, and interferon-γ were also remarkably upregulated by the treatment of 500 μg/mL PB203. In addition, PB203-mediated production of NO and TNF-α was attenuated by NF-κB inhibition in RAW264.7 cells. Interestingly, PB203 promoted the production of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2, resulting in the increased level of heme oxygenase-1, which is a representative antioxidant enzyme, in both LPS-stimulated and normal RAW264.7 cells. Taken all together, these results suggest that PB203 may have great potential as the candidate of anti-inflammatory agent for improving inflammatory diseases or immune enhancing agent for preventing infectious diseases. Keywords: Actinidia polygama extract (PB203); macrophages; immunomodulator; nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB); heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1)

Graphene-derived materials are an excellent electrode for electrochemical detection of heavy metals. In this study, a MnO2/ graphene supported on Ni foam electrode was prepared via ultrasonic impregnation and electrochemical deposition. The resulting electrode was used to detect Pb(II) in the aquatic environment. The graphene and MnO2 deposited on the Ni foam not only improved active surface area, but also promoted the electron transfer. The electrochemical performance towards Pb(II) was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). The prepared electrode exhibited lower limit of detection (LOD, 0.2 μM (S/N = 3)) and good sensitivity (59.9 μAμM−1) for Pb(II) detection. Moreover, the prepared electrodes showed good stability and reproducibility. This excellent performance can be attributed to the strong adhesion force between graphene and MnO2, which provides compact structures for the enhancement of the mechanical stability. Thus, these combined results provide some technical considerations and scientific insights for the detection of heavy metal ions using composite electrodes.

This study uses first-principles calculations to investigate the mechanical properties and effect of strain on the electronic properties of the 2D material 1H-PbX2 (X: S, Se). Firstly, the stability of the 1H Pb-dichalcogenide structures was evaluated using Born’s criteria. The obtained results show that the 1H-PbS2 material possesses the greatest ideal strength of 3.48 N/m, with 3.68 N/m for 1H-PbSe2 in biaxial strain. In addition, 1H-PbS2 and 1H-PbSe2 are direct semiconductors at equilibrium with band gaps of 2.30 eV and 1.90 eV, respectively. The band gap was investigated and remained almost unchanged under the strain εxx but altered significantly at strains εyy and εbia. At the fracture strain in the biaxial direction (19 %), the band gap of 1H-PbS2 decreases about 60 %, and that of 1H-PbSe2 decreases about 50 %. 1H-PbS2 and 1H-PbSe2 can convert from direct to indirect semiconductor under the strain εyy. Our findings reveal that the two structures have significant potential for application in nanoelectronic devices.

중금속은 생체 내에서 분해되지 않고 장기간에 걸쳐 축적되는 특성으로 도시의 생물 다양성을 위협하는 위험한 오염물질 중 하나이다. 도시지역의 대기 중 중금속오염을 평가하기 위해 중금속 노출 정도에 따라 생물 체내의 축적농도 를 비교하는 생물학적 모니터링의 필요성이 요구되고 있다. 본 연구는 중금속 모니터링 시료로서 둥지 재료의 활용 가능성을 검토하고 중금속이 박새과 조류에 미치는 영향을 파악하기 위해 수행되었다. 연구지역은 충청남도 천안시 소재 대학교 캠퍼스 내 녹지공간(14개), 도시산림(11개), 도시공원(29개)으로 총 54개의 인공새집이 설치되었다. 조류 이용률은 도시공원 6/29개(20.68%), 캠퍼스 내 녹지공간 11/14개(78.57%), 도시산림 8/11개(72.72%)로 나타났다. 수거한 둥지로부터 이끼 재료를 채취하였고 중금속 분석을 통하여 도시녹지 유형별 중금속축적특성과 중금속이 박새과 조류의 이소 성공 여부에 미치는 영향을 비교하였다. 분석결과 아연의 평균 농도는 228.08±209.62㎍/dry g, 납의 평균 농도는 17.67±6.72㎍/dry g로 나타났다. 도시녹지 유형별 아연농도는 유의한 차이를 나타내지 않았으나(Kruskal- Wallis test, p-value=0.28) 납 농도는 유의한 차이를 보였다(Kruskal-Wallis test, p<0.05*). 중금속 분석을 진행한 21개 의 박새과 조류 둥지 중 11개(52.38%)의 둥지에서 조류의 이소가 관찰되었다. 각 도시녹지 유형에서 관찰된 조류의 이소는 캠퍼스 내 녹지공간 7개(77.78%), 도시산림 6개(85.71%), 도시공원 1개(20%)로 주로 도시산림과 캠퍼스 내 녹지공간에서 이소가 확인되었다. 박새과 조류의 이소 성공 여부에 중금속 축적특성이 미치는 영향을 확인하기 위해 중금속 농도를 비교하였으나 통계적으로 유의한 차이는 나타나지 않았다(Zn : W=44, p-value=0.74, Pb : t=0.64676, df =7.2422, p-value =0.54). 본 연구는 박새과 둥지 재료를 중금속 모니터링 시료로 사용한 기초 연구로 비침습적인 생물학적 모니터링의 기초자료로 활용될 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

Repetitive or excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation causes oxidative stress-mediated skin photoaging through the overproduction of reactive oxygen species. Actinidia polygama is known as a medical plant used in oriental medicine for treating several diseases such as abdominal pain, stroke and rheumatoid arthritis. Recently, it was reported that A. polygama extract had anti-wrinkle and skin hydrating properties in ultraviolet B (UVB)-exposed hairless mice. However, the molecular biological mechanism of this extract on alleviating skin photoaging is still unknown. Therefore, we investigated the anti-photoaging effects of PB203, which is the powder of A. polygama extract, in the in vivo and in vitro photoaging models. First, PB203 showed 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activities due to the presence of anti-oxidant components including flavonoids and polyphenols. In UVB-irradiated hairless mice, oral administration of PB203 (100 mg/ kg) significantly improved wrinkle formation, skin dehydration, elasticity and skin barrier function by decreasing the levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and increasing those of collagen I, filaggrin, involucrin and loricrin. Especially, the reduced production of p-p38, p-c-Jun and p-c-Fos by PB203 reversed the elevated levels of MMPs mediated by UVB exposure, resulting in the upregulation of collagen I expression. Consistent with these animal data, PB203 remarkably enhanced the mRNA expression of collagen I, filaggrin, involucrin and loricrin, while suppressed that of MMPs in UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells. And PB203 increased the wound recovery rate of cells by promoting their proliferation and migration. Moreover, PB203 significantly recovered the activity of superoxide dismutase inhibited by UVB in both mice and cells. In conclusion, PB203, which protects skin from UVB-induced photodamage by exerting antioxidant properties, can be considered to have sufficient potential as a functional ingredient or therapeutic agent improving skin photoaging and related skin symptoms.

경기육괴 중서부에 위치한 화성시 우음도 일대에는 고원생대 호상편마암을 관입하고 있는 중기 쥐라기의 화강 암 암맥군이 발달한다. 우음도 일대의 대표 노두에서 야외 횡절관계를 근거하면 4개의 암맥들(UE-A, UE-C, UE-D, UE-E)로 구분되며, 방향성에 따라서는 북서 방향(UE-A 암맥), 북서 내지 서북서 방향(UE-C 암맥), 북동 방향(UE-D 및 UE-E 암맥)의 3개의 암맥군으로 나타난다. 이들 화강암 암맥들은 괴상의 중립~조립질의 흑운모 화강암으로 야외에서 관찰된 이들의 상대연령은 UE-A, UE-D (=UE-E), UE-C 순으로 젊어진다. 또한 암맥들의 기하학적 분석으로부터 UEA 및 UE-C 암맥은 대략 북동-남서 방향의 최소수평응력장 하에서 관입한 것으로 판단된다. 주원소 분석에 의한 SiO2 평균 함량에서 비교적 낮은 값을 보인 UE-A 암맥은 다른 암맥들보다 초기 마그마 분화의 산물임을 지시하여 암맥들의 상대연령과도 부합한다. SHRIMP 저어콘 U-Pb 연대측정으로부터 구한 암맥별 206Pb/238U 누적평균연령은 각각 약 167 Ma (UE-A), 164 Ma (UE-C), 167 Ma (UE-D), 167 Ma (UE-E)로 UE-A, UE-D, UE-E 암맥들은 매우 유사한 연령을 보이며 이들 암맥 중 가장 세립인 UE-C 암맥은 가장 젊은 연령을 나타내어 야외에서 관찰한 상호 횡절관계에 의한 상 대연령과 주원소 분석 결과와도 일치한다. 따라서 연구지역의 화강암 암맥들은 중생대 중기 쥐라기(약 167 Ma와 164 Ma)에 짧은 시간 간격을 두고 다양한 화강암질 마그마가 관입한 결과이며, 이들 관입 시기는 지리적으로 중기 쥐라기 암체들이 널리 분포하고 있는 경기육괴의 심성암체들과 일치하는 연령이다. 따라서 연구지역의 화강암 암맥군은 지구조 적으로 쥐라기 동안 섭입하는 해양판의 얕아지는 섭입각과 함께 북서 방향으로 이동하는 화성활동의 결과로 형성되었 음을 의미한다.

백악기 구례분지 구례층군에 대한 쇄설성 저어콘 레이저삭박 다검출기 유도결합플라즈마 질량분석기(LA-MCICP- MS) U-Pb 연대측정을 수행하였다. 구례층군은 하부로부터 수평리층, 금정리층, 토금층, 오봉산층으로 구성되며, 이 번 연구에서는 연대측정을 위해 총 5개의 시료를 채취하였다. 그 결과 구례층군의 최하부 지층인 수평리층과 최상부 지층인 오봉산층에서는 각각 선캄브리아시대와 후기 백악기 저어콘들만이 산출되어 비교적 좁은 연대 분포 범위를 보 였다. 그러나, 금정리층 상하부와 토금층에서는 선캄브리아시대부터 백악기까지의 비교적 넓은 저어콘 연대 분포를 나 타냈다. 백악기 저어콘이 산출되지 않은 수평리층을 제외한 각 퇴적층의 가장 젊은 쇄설성 저어콘 U-Pb 연령은 금정리 층 하부에서 약 107.4 Ma, 금정리층 상부에서 약 104.6 Ma, 토금층에서 약 97.7 Ma, 오봉산층에서 약 88.5 Ma로 계산 되었다. 이는 구례층군의 퇴적시기가 대략 전기 백악기 말의 알바절(Albian)에서 후기 백악기의 코냑절(Coniacian)로 제한될 수 있음을 지시한다. 또한 각 지층별 쇄설성 저어콘 연령 분포에 근거한 구례층군 퇴적물 기원지는 분지의 진화 과정 동안 인근의 영남육괴에서부터 옥천대의 일부까지 확장되어 변화했을 것으로 해석되며, 구례층군을 구성하는 퇴적 층들의 백악기 저어콘 산출 양상은 백악기 동안 고태평양판의 슬랩 퇴각 작용을 잘 반영하는 것으로 보인다.

The official analytical method for the analysis of harmful heavy metals in Meju, distributed in Korea, employs a strong acid to decompose the organic components. This analysis is time consuming and harmful to the users and/or the environment. This study aimed to develop a new pre-treatment technology using laser ablation, to rapidly analyze harmful heavy metals without using strong acids. The results obtained from this method were validated by the National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation guideline (NIFDS, 2016). Moreover, a comparison of the two methods showed that the analytical time for 55 Meju samples was shortened by 96% or more in the new method. The results showed no significant difference in the recovery ranging from 90–120%. The proposed method proved suitable for detecting harmful heavy metals in Meju.

In this article, Pb2Ba1.7Sr0.3Ca2Cu3O10+δ superconductor material was synthesized using conventional solid-state reaction method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis demonstrated one dominant phase 2223 and some impurities in the product powder. The strongest peaks in the XRD pattern were successfully indexed assuming a pseudo-tetragonal cell with lattice constants of a = 3.732, b = 3.733 and c = 14.75 Å for a Pb-Based compound. The crystallite size and lattice strain between the layers of the studied compound were estimated using several methods, namely the Scherrer, Williamson-Hall (W.H), sizestrain plot (SSP) and Halder Wagner (H.W) approach. The values of crystallite size, calculated by Scherrer, W.H, SSP and H.W methods, were 89.4540774, 86.658638, 87.7555823 and 85.470086 Å, respectively. Moreover, the lattice strain values obtained by W.H, SSP and H.W methods were 0.0063240, 0.006325 and 0.006, respectively. It was noted that all crystallite size results are consistent; however, the best method is the size-strain plot because it gave a value of R2 approaching one. Furthermore, degree of crystallites was calculated and found to be 59.003321%. Resistivity analysis suggests zero-resistance, which is typical of superconducting materials at critical temperature. Four-probe technique was utilized to measure the critical temperature at onset Tc(onset), zero resistivity Tc(off set), and transition (width ΔT), corresponding to temperatures of 128 K, 116 K, and 12 K, respectively.

To improve ferroelectric properties of PZT, many studies have attempted to fabricate dense PZT films. The AD process has an advantage for forming dense ceramic films at room temperature without any additional heat treatment in low vacuum. Thick films coated by AD have a higher dielectric breakdown strength due to their higher density than those coated using conventional methods. To improve the breakdown strength, glass (SiO2-Al2O3-Y2O3, SAY) is mixed with PZT powder at various volume ratios (PZT-xSAY, x = 0, 5, 10 vol%) and coating films are produced on silicon wafers by AD method. Depending on the ratio of PZT to glass, dielectric breakdown strength and energy storage efficiency characteristics change. Mechanical impact in the AD process makes the SAY glass more viscous and fills the film densely. Compared to pure PZT film, PZT-SAY film shows an 87.5% increase in breakdown strength and a 35.3 % increase in energy storage efficiency.

The electrochemical reaction between lead borate glass frit doped with Sn metal filler and Ni-Cr wire of a J-type resistor during a term of Joule heating is investigated. The fusing behavior in which the Ni-Cr wire is melted is not observed for the control group but measured for the Sn-doped specimen under 30 V and 500 mA. The Sn-doped lead borate glass frit shows a fusing property compared with other metal-doped specimens. Meanwhile, the redox reaction significantly contributes to the fusing behavior due to the release of free electrons of the metal toward the glass. The electrons derived from the glass, which used Joule heat to reach the melting point of Ni-Cr wire, increase with increasing corrosion rate at interface of metal/ glass. Finally, the confidence interval is 95 ± 1.959 %, and the adjusted regression coefficient, R in the optimal linear graph, is 0.93, reflecting 93% of the data and providing great potential for fusible resistor applications.

경상분지 하양층군의 퇴적시기와 기원지 변화를 밝히기 위해 청송 세계지질공원의 지질명소인 백석탄(일직층), 만안자암(점곡층), 신성리(사곡층) 지역에서 쇄설성 저어콘에 대한 U-Pb 연령측정을 실시하였다. 일직층에서는 백악기 저어콘이 발견되지 않고 쥐라기와 트라이아스기의 저어콘이 대부분이며, 선캄브리아 시대의 저어콘은 드물게 산출된다. 반면 점곡층과 사곡층은 백악기와 쥐라기, 고원생대의 저어콘이 우세하며 유사한 연령분포를 보인다. 점곡층과 사곡층의 백악기 저어콘에서 각각 103.2±0.3 Ma와 104.2±0.5 Ma의 가장 젊은 가중평균연령을 구했다. 연구결과에 의하면 점곡층 및 사곡층의 퇴적시기는 앨비안에 해당된다. 쇄설성 저어콘의 연령분포는 일직층과 점곡층 사이에 기원지의 중요한 변화가 있었음을 지시한다. 일직층은 주로 주변의 관입암체에서 퇴적물이 공급된 것으로 보이지만, 점곡층과 사곡층은 일본 남서부의 쥐라기 부가대의 비교적 젊은 퇴적단위로부터 기원한 것으로 해석된다.

LA-MC-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating was conducted to constrain the timing of fossil formation and the depositional age of the uppermost Jinju Formation located in Natural Monument No. 534 (Tracksite of Pterosaurs, Birds, and Dinosaurs in Hotandong, Jinju), and 87 Cretaceous, 1 Precambrian, and 2 Jurassic zircons were obtained from 90 valid analytical points. Most Cretaceous zircons were found to have a youngest graphical peak age of ca. 106.5 Ma, suggesting the depositional age of the uppermost Jinju Formation. Based on this study and previous works, the average sedimentation rate of the Jinju Formation was calculated to be approximately 0.17-0.31 mm/year in the Milyang Subbasin, and the Cretaceous zircons of the uppermost Jinju Formation seem to have originated mainly from the western or northwestern parts of the Gyeonggi Massif. Unlike the Nakdong and Hasandong formations of the Sindong Group, most zircons analyzed in the uppermost Jinju Formation were Cretaceous. This suggests that volcanic activity occurred in the area closer to the Gyeongsang Basin due to the roll-back of subducting paleo-Pacific Plates during the Jinju period.

Piezoelectric ceramic specimens with the Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)0.65Ti0.35O3 (PMN-PT) composition are prepared by the solid state reaction method known as the “columbite precursor” method. Moreover, the effects of the Li2O-Bi2O3 additive on the microstructure, crystal structure, and piezoelectric properties of sintered PMN-PT ceramic samples are investigated. The addition of Li2O-Bi2O3 lowers the sintering temperature from 1,200oC to 950oC. Moreover, with the addition of >5 wt.% additive, the crystal structure changes from tetragonal to rhombohedral. Notably, the sample with 3 wt.% additive exhibits excellent piezoelectric properties (d33 = 596 pC/N and Kp = 57%) and a sintered density of 7.92 g/cm3 after sintering at 950oC. In addition, the sample exhibits a curie temperature of 138.6oC at 1 kHz. Finally, the compatibility of the sample with a Cu electrode is examined, because the energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy data indicate the absence of interdiffusion between Cu and the ceramic material.