• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.272-279
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• 2006

The gene encoding Thermus sp. T351 alkaline phosphatase (T351 APase) was cloned and sequenced. The gene consisted of 1,503 bp coding for a protein with 500 amino acid residues including a signal peptide. The deduced amino acid sequence of T351 APase showed relatively low similarity to other Thermus APases. The T351 APase gene was expressed under the control of the T7lac promoter on the expression vector pET-22b(+) in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The expressed enzyme was purified by heat treatment, and $UNO^{TM}$ Q and $HiTrap^{TM}$ Heparin HP column chromatographies. The purified enzyme exhibited high activity at extremely alkaline pHs, reaching a maximum at pH 12.0. The optimum temperature of the enzyme was $80^{\circ}C$, and the half-life at $85^{\circ}C$ was approximately 103 min. The enzyme activity was found to be dependent on metal ions: the addition of $Mg^{2+}$ and $CO^{2+}$ increased the activity, whereas EDTA inhibited it. With p-nitrophenyl phosphate as the substrate, T351 APase had a Michaelis constant ($K_{m}$) of $3.9{\times}10^{-5}M$. The enzyme catalyzed the hydrolysis of a wide variety of phosphorylated compounds.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.50-57
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• 2014

NF-${\kappa}B$ is a transcriptional factor which is involved in many biological processes including immunity, inflammation, and cell survival. Many investigators studied on the mechanism involved in activation of NF-${\kappa}B$ signalling pathway via ubiquitination and degradation of $I{\kappa}B$ regarding skin disease. Some specific molecules including Akt, MEK, p38 MAP Kinase, Stat3, et al. represent convergence points and key regulatory proteins in signaling pathways controlling cellular events such as growth and differentiation, energy homeostasis, and the response to stress and inflammation. Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation has many adverse effects on skin, including inflammation, alteration in the extracellular matrix, cellular senescence, apoptosis and skin cancer. Prunus mume, a naturally derived plant extract, has beneficial biological activities as blood fluidity improvement, anti-fatigue action, antioxidative and free radical scavenging activities, inhibiting the motility of Helicobacter pyolri. Previous reports on various beneficial function prompted us to investigate UVB-induced or other immunostimulated biological marker regarding P. mume extract. P. mume extract suppresses UVB-induced cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in mouse skin epidermal JB6 P+ cells. The activation of activator protein-1 and nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ induced by UVB was dose-dependently inhibited by P. mume extract treatment. This results suggest that P. mume extracts might be used as a potential agents for protection of inflammation or UVB induced skin damage.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.636-644
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• 1997

The effect of various processing parameters, in particular the substrate and filament temperature, on the nucleation of diamond has been studied for the hot filament CVD process with a negative bias on the substrate. As far as the substrate temperature was maintained around the critical temperature of 73$0^{\circ}C$, the nucleation of diamond increased with increasing filament temperature. The maximum nucleation density of ~ 2$\times$109/$\textrm{cm}^2$ was obtained under the condition of filament temperature of 230$0^{\circ}C$, substrate temperature of 75$0^{\circ}C$, bias voltage of 300V, methane concentration of 20%, and deposition time of 2 hours. This nucleation density is about the same as those obtained in previous investigations. For fixed substrate temperatures, the nucleation density varies up to about 103 times depending on experimental conditions. This result is different from that of Reinke, et al. When the substrate temperature was above 80$0^{\circ}C$, a silkworm~shaped carbon phase was co-deposited with hemispherical microcrystalline diamond, and its amount increased with increasing substrate temperature. The Raman spectrum of the silkworm-shaped carbon was the same as that of graphitic soot. The silkworm-shaped carbon was etched and disappeared under the same as that of graphitic soot. The silkworm-shaped carbon was etched and disappeared under the deposition condition of diamond, implying that it did not affect the nucleation of diamond.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.37-45
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• 2014

Purpose: Numerous researches about healthcare buildings have been performed however, they were mainly focused on convenience or healing condition for medical treatments. The hospitals consume energy and generate $CO_2$ as twice as the residential or commercial buildings do(Lim, et al., 2010a:154). The public regional hospitals are especially in serious conditions. They are more than 20 years old in average. Energy efficiency and environmental friendliness in the public regional hospitals are far behind ones in private sectors. Even though the ministry of health & welfare is supporting renovation of the builidngs and enhancement of the facilities every year, it is not integrated including sustainibility. In this study, we investigates current conditions of the regional public hospital in envrionment-friendly standpoint, especially focused on Chungcheong Province area Hospitals. Methods: we investigates current conditions of the regional public hospital in envrionment-friendly standpoint, especially focused on Chungcheong Province area Hospitals. The study was executed by qualitative and quantitative evaluations with site inspection, drawing analysis and interviews. Results: Through this study, we found that the Chungnam regional public hospitals can be environmentally improved by management plans and programs. Implications: Based on this analysis, Korean Green Building Certification for healthcare facilities will be developed in near future.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.88-95
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• 2004

The purpose of this study is to identify the species of wood members used in the Keunjungjeon Hall, main building of the Kyungbok palace in Seoul. The total 144 samples consist of 52 from pillars and 92 from other wood members. Only two species were identified, which were Abies holophylla Max. (needle fir) and Pinus densiflora Sieb. et Zucc. (Japanese red pine). For the pillars, A. holophylla were more abundantly used than P. densiflora. Among 20 outer pillars ('Pyeongju'), 11 were A. holophylla, and 9 were P. densiflora. Among 12 inner pillars ('Naejinkoju'), 7 were A. holophylla, and 5 were P. densiflora. Among 4 inner corner pillars ('Gwikoju'), 3 were A. holophylla and 1 was P. densiflora. For 92 other wood members, only 2 purlins were A. holophylla and the others were all P. densiflora. The results suggest that the common opinion 'Palace buildings of Korea are made from red pine woods' should be corrected. We think that fir logs might be used for the pillars instead of pines because long and straight pines were not available during 1860s due to heavy utilization of pines as construction and fuel materials in the late Chosun period.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.35-43
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• 2004

Radioprotective effects of ginseng extracts on liver damage induced by high energy x-ray were studied. To one group of ICR male mice were given white(50 mg/kg/day for 7days, orally) and fermenta ginseng extracts(500 mg/kg/day for 7days, orally) before irrdiation. To another group were irradiated by 5 Gy dose of high energy x-ray. Contrast group were given with saline(0.1 ml). This study also investigated the radioprotective effect between SOD, CAT, hydrogen peroxide and ginseng extracts on hepatic damage. This study measured the level of superoxide dismutase(SOD), catalase(CAT), hydrogen peroxide($H_2O_2$) in liver tissue. Administrating orally white (50 mg/kg/day for 7days, orally) and fermenta ginseng extracts(500 mg/kg/day), the activity of SOD, CAT were generally increased and the hydrogen peroxide($H_2O_2$) was decreased. After irradiation, the activity of SOD, CAT were generally decreased and the hydrogen peroxide($H_2O_2$) was increased. Therefore, ginseng extracts increased antioxidative enzyme activity. And We know that the antioxidatant effect of extracts from white and fermenta ginseng protect radiation damage by direct antioxidant effect involving SOD, CAT. It was included that ginseng can protect against radiation damage through its antioxidatant properties.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.38 no.2 s.149
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• pp.123-127
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• 2007

Aristolochic acid (AA) included in the plants Aristolochiaceae have been well known to be nephrotoxic and carcinogenic inducer and to cause renal disease such as Chinese Herb Nephropathy (CHN). In this study, we used a high performance liquid chromatopaphy-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) under the positive ion detection mode for the quantitative change of aristolochic acid-I and-II (AA-I and AA-II) in Aristolochiaceae (Aristolochia contorta Bunge, Aristolochia debilis Sieb. et Zucc., Aristolochia fangchi Wu), some related plants (Cocculus trilobus De candolle, Inula helenium Linne, Saussurea lappa Clarke), and its prescriptions (防己茯笭湯, 定喘散) with or without processing. Here, the processing methods and prescriptions in oriental medicine were generally used to alleviate toxicity or alter property of herbal medicines. However, the concentrations of AA-I and AA-II were highly determined in processed material extracts rather than unprocessed those, not measured in some related plants. Also, the concentrations of AA-I and AA-II even at the prescriptions mixed the plants of Aristolochiaceae were detected to range from 0.73 to 2.53 ppm. Thus, the present results suggest that the content of AA-I and AA-II contained to plants of Aristolochiaceae was not reduced by the processing methods or prescriptions which can induce the physico-chemical change and pharmacological transformation in traditional herbal medicines.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.225-233
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• 2013

We examined the effect of different field temperatures on water quality improvement (WQI) of natural domestic plant-mineral composites (PMCs). This method was previously used by Kim et al. (2011), to monitor the restoration of water quality of a eutrophic lake, Lake Shingal (Korea). Results indicate that PMCs on phytoplankton, BOD and phosphorus showed more than 70% WQI below $20^{\circ}C$, and less than 40% WQI over $25^{\circ}C$, respectively. The WQIs of PMCs on blue-green algae were gradually decreased with the increase of temperature, whilst diatoms exhibited more than 90% higher WQIs, regardless of water temperature. Additionally, the WQIs on bacterial biomass and total nitrogen were low at all temperatures. These results collectively indicate that water quality improvement activity of plant-mineral composites was dependent on the water temperature, and that the field application of above chemical during temperatures over $25^{\circ}C$, would be less effective in treating a cyanobacteria bloom dominated by Microcystis aeruginosa, than by diatoms.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.195-211
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• 2015

The objectives of this research were to determine mean and maximum tolerance ranges of Carassius auratus ($C_a$) and Cyprinus carpio ($C_c$) populations on various physico-chemical parameters and ecological indicator metrics. Little is known about chemical tolerance ranges of the two species, even though these species are widely distributed species in aquatic ecosystems. Maximum tolerance ranges of $C_a$-population to total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) were $20.3mgL^{-1}$ and $2.0mgL^{-1}$, respectively. Optimal ranges of TN and TP in the $C_a$-population were $1.7-5.0mgL^{-1}$ and $0.06-0.30mgL^{-1}$, respectively. Such nutrient regimes of the $C_a$-population were evaluated as hypereutrophy, indicating high tolerance limits. The $C_c$-population had similar ecological characteristics to $C_a$-population, but the mean tolerance ranges of TN, TP, BOD, and COD were significantly (p < 0.05) greater than the $C_a$-population. Ecological patterns of trophic composition and tolerance guilds in the $C_a$-population were similar to those of the $C_c$-population. The model value of Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) of the habitat where C. auratus and C. carpio co-occurred averaged $15.0{\pm}4.3$ and $12.9{\pm}3.6$, respectively. Based on the modified criteria of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (Klemm et al. 1993), it indicated poor ecological health of both species. These results suggest that both species are highly tolerant to chemical and physical habitat conditions of waterbodies, and that the chemical tolerance range of $C_c$-population was higher than $C_a$-population.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.102-108
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• 2011

We examined the effects of essential oil from Thujopsis dolobrata Sieb. et Zucc. var. hondai Makino (EOTD) (Cupressaceae) on atopic dermatitis (AD)-like skin lesions in NC/Nga mice. Treatment with EOTD twice daily for two weeks ameliorate AD-like skin lesions induced by DNCB (2,4 dinitrochlorobenzene), and clinical scores were reduced to 7.29, 7.07, and 4.5 points in the groups treated with 1.5%, 3.0%, and 6.0% extract (p<0.01) respectively, from the 15.0 score obtained using vehicle. EOTD inhibited the infiltration of mast cells into the AD-like skin lesion in NC/Nga mice (p<0.01) and also reduced serum histamine and IgE levels (p<0.05). Furthermore, it dose-dependently inhibited the release of beta-hexosaminidase from rat basophilic leukemia RBL 2H3 cells. These results indicate that EOTD reduces AD-like skin lesions by inhibiting the production of IgE and histamine, and, thus, IgE-mediated degranulation.