• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.56-64
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• 2015

Acid mine drainage occurrence is a serious environmental problem by mining industry, it usually contains high levels of metal ions, such as iron, copper, zinc, aluminum, and manganese, as well as metalloids of which arsenic is generally of the greatest concern. An indigenous plant extract was used to produce calcium carbonate from Canavalia ensiformis as effective biomaterial, and its ability to form the calcium carbonate under stable conditions was compared to that of purified urease. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were employed to elucidate the mechanism of calcium carbonate formation from the crude plant extracts. The results revealed that urease in the plant extracts catalyzed the hydrolysis of urea in liquid state cultures and decreased heavy metal amounts in the contaminated soil. The heavy metal amounts were decreased in the leachate from the treated mine soil; 31.7% of As, 65.8% of Mn, 50.6% of Zn, 51.6% of Pb, 45.1% of Cr, and 49.7% of Cu, respectively. The procedure described herein is a simple and beneficial method of calcium carbonate biomineralization without cultivation of microorganisms or further purification of crude extracts. This study suggests that crude plant extracts of Canavalia ensiformis have the potential to be used in place of purified forms of the enzyme during remediation of heavy metal contaminated soil.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.239-246
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• 2005

Some characteristics of two forms of glucoamylase (glucan 1 A-$\alpha$-glucosidase, EC 3. 2. I. 3) purified from Aspergillus coreanus NR 15-1 were investigated. The enzymes were produced on a solid, uncooked wheat bran medium of A. coreanus NR 15-1 isolated from traditional Korean Nuruk. Two forms of glucoamylase, GA-I and GA-II, were purified to homogenity after 5.8-fold and 9.6-fold purification, respectively, judged by disc- and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular mass of GA-I and GA-II were estimated to be 62 kDa and 90 kDa by Sephadex G-1OO gel filtration, and 64 kDa and 91 kDa by SDS-polyacrylarnide gel electrophoresis, respectively. The optimum temperatures of GA-I and GA-II were 60$^circ$C and 65$^circ$C, respectively, and the optimum pH was 4.0. The activation energy (Ea value) of GA-I and GA-II was 11.66 kcal/mol and 12.09 kcal/mol, respectively, and the apparent Michaelis constants (K_{m}) of GA-I and GA-II for soluble starch were found to be 3.57 mg/ml and 6.25 mg/ml, respectively. Both enzymes were activated by 1 mM Mn^{2+} and Cu^{2+}, but were completely inhibited by 1 mM N­bromosuccinimide. The GA-II was weakly inhibited by 1 mM p-CMB, dithiothreitol, EDTA, and pyridoxal 5-phosphate, but GA-I was not inhibited by those compounds. Both enzymes had significant ability to digest raw wheat starch and raw rice starch, and hydrolysis rates of raw wheat starch by GA-I and GA-II were 7.8- and 7.3-fold higher than with soluble starch, respectively.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.55-64
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• 1995

This paper presents analytic results of energy sequestered for the forcing cultural Cu- cumber and the others production system with the input-output tables method in the suthern parts of Korea. In this study an attempt is made to evaluate input of direct and indirect energy, output of yield energy and net energy in order to achieve increased energy productivity under P E greenhouse. Cultural practices were grouped soil and soilless with perlite for vegetable production. The results from this study are summarized as follows : 1. Total energy inputs in cucumber production were calculated to be 510 GJ/l0a(di- rect energy : 480 GJ/lOa, indirect energy : 30 GJ/lOa) from soil culture and 440 GJ/ 10a(direct energy : 420 GJ/lOa, indirect energy : 20 GJ/lOa) from soilless culture in perlite hydroponics. 2. Energy outputs from cucumber and biomass were 7 GJ/lOa and 120 GJ/lOa at a uniform rate respectively. 3. Heating fuel as diesel is a major energy inputs approaching 90% of the total energy requirements for cucumber production. 4. Net energy in cucumber production was calculated to be 503 GJ/lOa from soil cul- ture and 431 GJ/lOa from soilless culture. Net energy productivity was maintained costantly as 0.98. 5. Energy productivity in cucumber was calculated to be 0.029 kg/MJ from soil culture and 0.043kg/MJ from soilless culture, while energy efficiency was 0.012 and 0.015 respectively. It is expected that a soilless cultural production system seems to be reduc- tive in seguestered energy input by 13%.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.705-705
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• 2013

CIGS 박막태양 전지는 I-III-VI Chalcopyrite 결정구조를 가진 화합물 반도체 태양전지로 인위적인 밴드갭 조작을 통하여 효율 향상에 용이하다. 4원소 화합물인 CIGS 광흡수층의 대표적인제조 방법으로는 co-evaporation 공정법이 있다. 동시 증발법은 CIGS 결정을 최적화하기 위하여 박막이 증착되는 동안 기판의 온도를 3단계로 변화시켜주는 3-stage 공정을 통하여 제작된다. 일반적으로 CIGS 박막태양전지는 전면전극으로 투명전도막이 사용되며 높은 광투과성과 전기전도성을 가져야 한다. 투명전도막의 광학적, 전기적 특성은 CIGS 박막태양전지의 효율에 영향을 미치기 때문에 최적화된 조건이 요구된다. 본 연구에서는 CIGS 광흡수층은 Ga/(In+Ga)=0.31, Cu/(In+Ga)=0.86으로 최적화 시켰으며, 투명전도막은 Ga이 도핑된 ZnO박막을 RF 마그네트론 스퍼터링법을 이용하여 증착하였다. CIGS 박막 태양전지 직렬저항 성분인 투명 전도막의 비저항이 $4.46{\times}{\square}10{\square}-3{\square}$(${\Omega}$-cm)에서 $9.3{\times}{\square}0{\square}-4{\square}$(${\Omega}$-cm) 으로 변화함에 따라 Efficiency가 9.67%에서 16.47%으로 증가하였으며, Voc가 508 mV에서 596 mV으로, Jsc가 29.27 mA/$cm^2$에서 37.84 mA/$cm^2$으로, FF factor가 64.99%에서 72.96%로 증가하였다. 이에 따른 투명 전도막의 전기적, 광학적 특성을 통해 CIGS 박막태양전지에 미치는 영향에 대해 조사하였다.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.142-142
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• 2003

본 연구에서는 kiwifruit 과육 속에 들어 있는 단백질분해효소의 gelatin분해활성을 조사하고 그 산업적 방안을 검토하였다. Kiwifruit 과육에서 3개의 단백질분해효소의 활성 밴드(PI, PII, PIII)가 관찰되었다. 단백질분해효소 PI은 220 kD, PII는 51 kD, PIII는 26 kD에 해당하는 것으로 추정할 수 있었다. 이들 단백질분해효소 PI, PII, PIII는 모두 pH 2.0~5.0 범위에서 높은 활성을 보였으며 pH 4.0에서 가장 높게 나타났다. 이들 단백질분해효소 PI, PII, PIII는 모두 cysteine proteinase 저해제인 E-64와 iodoacetate에 의해서 저해되었으며, cysteine proteinase를 촉진하는 DTT, cysteine 및 $\beta$-mercaptoethanol에 의해서 활성이 증가하였다. 그 중 단백질분해효소 PIII는 분자량과 효소의 특성으로 보아 actinidin (EC 3.4.22.14)과 동일한 것으로 판단되었다. 단백질분해효소 PI, PII, PIII는 모두 $Ca^{2+}$, $Mg^{2+}$과 $Mn^{2+}$에 의해 촉진되었으며, $Zn^{2+}$과 Hg$^{2+}$에 의해 완전히 저해되는 것으로 나타났다. 하지만, Co$^{2+}$, Cu$^{2+}$, $Al^{3+}$ , Fe$^{3+}$ 등 금속이온의 영향은 다소 다르게 나타났다. Kiwifruit 과육의 단백질분해효소 PI, PII, PIII 중에서 PI과 PII는 온도가 증가함에 따라 활성이 점차 낮아졌으나 PIII는 비교적 안정한 것으로 조사되었다. 특히, PIII는 5$0^{\circ}C$ 이내의 범위에서 48시간 경과시에도 75% 이상의 활성을 보여 이 범위의 온도에서는 상당 시간 동안 안정한 것으로 나타났다. 단백질분해효소의 산업적 가치를 고려해 볼 때 우선적으로 넓은 기질특이성과 열안정성이 높아야 한다. Kiwifruit에서 추출한 단백질분해효소는 4$0^{\circ}C$ 전후에서 최대의 활성을 보이고, 고온에서도 상당 시간 비교적 안정한 특성을 보여 식품제조, 식육연화 등 식품산업 분야에서의 활용가능성이 높을 것으로 보이며, 나아가 단백질이 갖는 식품학적 기능성을 높이는 데에도 사용할 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.816-822
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• 2005

Catharsius protease-2 (CPM-2) was isolated from the body of dung beetles, Catharsius molossus, using a three step purification process (ammonium sulfate fractionation, gel filtration on Bio-Gel P-60, and affinity chromatography on DEAE Affi-Gel blue). The purified CPM-2, having a molecular weight of 24 kDa, was assessed homogeneously by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of CPM-2 was composed of X Val Gin Asp Phe Val Glu Glu lie Leu. CPM-2 was inactivated by $Cu^{2+}\;and\;Zn^{2+}$ and strongly inhibited by typical serine proteinase inhibitors such as TLCK, soybean trypsin inhibitor, aprotinin, benzamidine, and ${\alpha}_1$-antitrypsin. However, EDTA, EGTA, cysteine, $\beta$-mercaptoethanol, E64, and elastatinal had little effect on enzyme activity. In addition, antiplasmin and antithrombin III were not sensitive to CPM-2. Based on the results of a fibrinolytic activity test, CPM-2 readily cleaved $A{\alpha}-$ and $B{\beta}$-chains of fibrinogen and fibrin, and y-chain of fibrinogen more slowly. The nonspecific action of the enzyme resulted in extensive hydrolysis, releasing a variety of fibrinopeptides of fibrinogen and fibrin. Polyclonal antibodies of CPM-2 were reactive to the native form of antigen. The ELISA was applied to detect quantities, in nanograms, of the antigen in CPM-2 protein.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.59-64
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• 2013

Effects of weathering intensity on the adsorption of heavy metals such as lead(Pb) and copper(Cu) onto decomposed granite soils were investigated by a series of batch tests. The chemical components such as $SiO_2$, $K_2O$ and $Na_2O$ having relatively high solubility were reduced and the oxidized $Fe_2O_3$ content was increased with the increase of weathering intensity. Weathering of granite soils increased the ignition loss and specific surface area, while it decreased the permeability. The lead and copper adsorptions onto the decomposed granites were enhanced with the increase of weathering intensity, mainly due to the increase of specific surface area and clayed contents. Adsorption of lead and copper onto the weathered granites could be more adequately described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model than the pseudo-first-order model.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.155-166
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• 2013

A preliminary investigation to establish the status of contamination of trace metals in the Western coast of Ghana was conducted prior to the commercial production of crude oil in the area. The study revealed the presence of heavy metals such as Pb (4.00-79.64 mg/kg), As (8.81-236 mg/kg), Cu (12.86-108.06 mg/kg), V (28.07-953.32 mg/kg), Zn (7.08-264.25 mg/kg), Cr (101.69-1366.62 mg/kg), Ni (42.41-451.43 mg/kg), Mn (16.77-1890.45mg/kg), Br (7.66-142.78 mg/kg), Ti (542.03-19960 mg/kg) and Fe (7472.88-97120 mg/kg) at six sites sampled along the coast. With the exception of Ti and Fe which showed no variation in metal concentration, the rest of the metals varied significantly among the sampled locations. Potential ecological risk of metals particularly of Co, As and Br which exhibited extreme enrichment of the sediments indicates considerable metal pollution in the studied areas. The degree of contamination is of particular concern especially to benthic biota that inhabit this environment for survival.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.64-68
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• 2015

BACKGROUND: Heavy metals (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Li, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were analyzed to elucidate the impact of weir construction on their concentrations in sediments of Geum River, Korea. We also attempted to investigate the source of the heavy metals in sediments. METHODS AND RESULTS: For this study, sediments were collected from May through June in 2012. The concentrations of heavy metals except Hg were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer, and Hg was measured by automatic mercury analyzer. More clay were accumulated in the furthest stations in the upstream direction starting from the weirs. Most of the heavy metals showed higher concentrations in the most upstream located station of Geumnam Weir. However, high concentrations were not observed in the most upstream stations of the other weirs. The concentrations of Hg and As were much higher in sediments of Gap Stream. CONCLUSION: Gap Stream may be a potential source for high deposits of As and Hg. Presence of the dams may not play an important role in controlling heavy metal concentrations in sediments. It is necessary to monitor heavy metal concentrations for a longer time period to study the effect of environmental changes on heavy metal distribution in Geum River.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.23-33
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• 2023

Prostate cancer ranks as the world's second most frequently diagnosed cancer among men, and is responsible for the fifth highest number of cancer-related deaths in this population. The development of effective diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for prostate cancer remains a major challenge in the field of oncology. Over the past few years, the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) has raised as a hopeful tracer for the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.Various radioisotopes, such as ¹³¹I, ^99mTc, ⁶⁸Ga, and ¹⁷⁷Lu, have been used to label PSMA analogues, with varying degrees of success. Among these, ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA-11 and ¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA-617 have emerged as the most promising radioligands for clinical use. Recently, researchers have been exploring the use of other radioisotopes, such as ²¹¹At, ⁸⁹Zr, ^64/67Cu, and ^203/212Pb, for the labeling of PSMA-targeted radioligands. These radioisotopes have unique properties that may offer advantages over existing radioligands, such as longer half-lives, higher specific activities, and different emission profiles. Efforts are currently underway to develop these radiopharmaceuticals and make them more widely available for clinical use. These exciting developments highlight the potential of PSMA-targeted radioligands for the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer, and provided significant implications for the management of this disease in the future. The current study aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the latest research and clinical applications of radiolabeled PSMA inhibitors for diagnoses and therapy of prostate cancer, emphasizing the exciting developments in the field and their potential impact on clinical practice.