• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.40-48
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• 2016

The pregnane X receptor (PXR), a liver and intestine specific receptor,, has been reported to be related with the repression of inflammation as well as activation of cytochromosome P450 3A (CYP3A) expression. We examined the effect of PXR on tetrachloromethane (CCl4)-induced mouse liver inflammation in this work. Ginkgolide A, one main component of Ginkgo biloba extracts (GBE), activated PXR and enhanced PXR expression level, displayed both significant therapeutic effect and preventive effect against $CCl_4$-induced mouse hepatitis. siRNA-mediated decrease of PXR expression significantly reduced the efficacy of Ginkgolide A in treating $CCl_4$-induced inflammation in mice. Flavonoids, another important components of GBE, were shown anti-inflammatory effect in a different way from Ginkgolide A which might be independent on PXR because flavonoids significantly inhibited CYP3A11 activities in mice. The results indicated that anti-inflammatory effect of PXR might be mediated by enhancing transcription level of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ through binding of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$. Inhibition of NF-${\kappa}B$ activity by NF-${\kappa}B$-specific suppressor $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ is one of the potential mechanisms of Ginkgolide A against CCl4-induced liver inflammation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.47-53
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• 1999

This study was carried out to suggest the slope revegetation technology of biological engineering using the Ligustrum obtusifolium, which is one of the pioneer plant species. Ahead of the experimental construction, we evaluated the L. obtusifolium's value of biological engineering for the slope stabilization by testing the growth rate after the cuttings were buried for 8 weeks('98. 7. ~ '98. 9.). In this test, it was found that the L. obtusifolium, one of the species deep rooted with developed underground parts, is very effective for the slope stabilization and that the rooting powder(Hormex Powder) gave the better effects on root germination. In April of 1999, the experimental construction of biological engineering technology using recycled L. obtusifolium live cuttings(applied growth-stimulating compound) and green bags was conducted at sandy cut-slope in GLEN ROSS G.C.(Yongin). The slope was tolerant of soil erosion despite of heavy rainfall in the rainy season and many plant species invading for five months('99. 4. ~ '99. 9.). The vegetation research was performed through examining the frequency of each block using the transect method. 21 kinds of plant speices appeared in total area($25.5m^2$) and the dominant species are Digitaria sanguinalis, Setaria viridis, Cyperus amuricus, Persicaria blumei, Artemisia princeps var. orientalis. With regard to life forms, therophytes were shown with a dominant distribution of 66.7% of total species and neophytes relatively with a low distribution of 19.0%. Furthermore, it can be estimated that there is no ecological stabilization of this slope with the result of the ruderal species' occupation of 71.4%. It is too early to argue about ecological mechanical advantages and disadvantages of this technology, but, from the result of this study, it is expected that the slope revegetation technology of biological engineering using L. obtusifolium can be effectively applied to sandy slope(not rock or weathered rock slope) and that the early rapid stabilization and favorable succession could be done with the improvement of soil condition.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.80-85
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• 2017

Recently, microalgae which can produce high-value products have attracted increasing attention for biological conversion of $CO_2$. However, low photosynthetic efficiency and productivity have limited the practical use of microalgae. Thus, we developed microdroplet photobioreactor for the analysis of photoautotrophic growth of model alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. $CO_2$ transfer rate was increased by integrating micropillar arrays and adjusting height of microchamber. These results were identified by change of cell growth rate and fluorescence intensity. Lastly, the photoautotrophic growth kinetics of C. reinhardtii in microdroplet photobioreactor were investigated under different $CO_2$ concentrations and light intensities for 96 hours. As a result, microdroplet photobioreactor was efficient platform for isolation and rapid evaluation of microalgal strains which have enhanced productivity of high-value products and growth performance.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.24-29
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• 2013

We have developed the synthetic processes for the monomers of polyamide-type TPEs (thermoplastic elastomers, TPAEs) obtained from vegetable oil. TPAEs have several superior physical properties to those of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs). From the common starting material, oleic acid, which is commonly found in various vegetable oils, we have synthesized three ${\omega}$-amino acid monomers ($C_9$, $C_{10}$ and $C_{11}$ ${\omega}$-amino acid) and three ${\alpha}$, ${\omega}$-dicarboxylic acids($C_9$, $C_{10}$ and $C_{11}$ ${\alpha}$, ${\omega}$-dicarboxylic acid) for TPAEs in good yields.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.97-102
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• 2015

The waste of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets was recycled using the method of dopingPrNd nanoparticles. The effect of PrNd nanoparticle doping on the magnetic properties of the regenerated magnets has been studied. As the content of the PrNd nanoparticles increases, the coercivity increases monotonically, whereas both the remanence and the maximum energy products reach the maximum values for 4 wt% PrNd doping. Microstructural observation reveals that the appropriate addition of PrNd nanoparticles improves the magnetic properties and refines the grain. Domain investigation shows that the self-pinning effect of the rare earth (Re)-rich phase is enhanced by PrNd nano-particle doping. Compared to the magnet with 4 wt% PrNd alloy prepared using the dual-alloy method, the regenerated magnet doped with the same number of PrNd nanoparticles exhibits better magnetic properties and a more homogeneous microstructure. Therefore, it is concluded that PrNd nanoparticle doping is an efficient method for recycling the leftover scraps of Nd-Fe-B magnets.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.1982-1991
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• 2018

Ethanol accumulation inhibited the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae during wine fermentation. Autophagy and the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were also induced under ethanol stress. However, the relation between autophagy and ethanol stress was still unclear. In this study, expression of the autophagy genes ATG1 and ATG8 and the production of ROS under ethanol treatment in yeast were measured. The results showed that ethanol stress very significantly induced expression of the ATG1 and ATG8 genes and the production of hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) and superoxide anion (${O_2}^{{\cdot}_-}$). Moreover, the atg1 and atg8 mutants aggregated more $H_2O_2$ and ${O_2}^{{\cdot}_-}$ than the wild-type yeast. In addition, inhibitors of the ROS scavenging enzyme induced expression of the ATG1 and ATG8 genes by increasing the levels of $H_2O_2$ and ${O_2}^{{\cdot}_-}$. In contrast, glutathione (GSH) and N-acetylcystine (NAC) decreased ATG1 and ATG8 expression by reducing $H_2O_2$ and ${O_2}^{{\cdot}_-}$ production. Rapamycin and 3-methyladenine also caused an obvious change in autophagy levels and simultaneously altered the release of $H_2O_2$ and ${O_2}^{{\cdot}_-}$. Finally, inhibitors of the mitochondrial electron transport chain (mtETC) increased the production of $H_2O_2$ and ${O_2}^{{\cdot}_-}$ and also promoted expression levels of the ATG1 and ATG8 genes. In conclusion, ethanol stress induced autophagy which was regulated by $H_2O_2$ and ${O_2}^{{\cdot}_-}$ derived from mtETC, and in turn, the autophagy contributed to the elimination $H_2O_2$ and ${O_2}^{{\cdot}_-}$.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.765-775
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• 2019

A new ${\alpha}$-amylase-encoding gene (amySL3) of glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 13 was identified in soda lake isolate Alkalibacterium sp. SL3. The deduced AmySL3 shares high identities (82-98%) with putative ${\alpha}$-amylases from the genus Alkalibacterium, but has low identities (<53%) with functionally characterized counterparts. amySL3 was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant enzyme (rAmySL3) was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity. The optimal temperature and pH of the activity of the purified rAmySL3 were determined to be $45^{\circ}C$ and pH 7.5, respectively. rAmySL3 was found to be extremely halophilic, showing maximal enzyme activity at a nearly saturated concentration of NaCl. Its thermostability was greatly enhanced in the presence of 4 M NaCl, and it was highly stable in 5 M NaCl. Moreover, the enzyme did not require calcium ions for activity, and was strongly resistant to a range of surfactants and hydrophobic organic solvents. The major hydrolysis products of rAmySL3 from soluble starch were maltobiose and maltotriose. The high ratio of acidic amino acids and highly negative electrostatic potential surface might account for the halophilic nature of AmySL3. The extremely halophilic, calcium-independent, and surfactant-resistant properties make AmySL3 a promising candidate enzyme for both basic research and industrial applications.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.193-200
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• 2021

As the degree of environmental pollution caused by the use of fossil fuels intensifies, many countries continue to invest in the development of alternative energy. PEMFC, one of the alternative energies, consists of four main components: bipolor plate, electrolyte, gas diffusion layer, and electrode. Among them, bipolor plate, the gas diffusion layer, and electrode are generally manufactured using carbon materials such as carbon black and carbon fiber. These carbon materials are expensive in manufacturing process or have disadvantages such as corrosion, and research is being conducted in many fields to improve this. This paper collects several research results conducted to improve the shortcomings of these three components and examines the trends of PEMFC by grasping what problems have been and how they have improved.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.130-136
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• 2021

Persister cell formation and biofilms of pathogens are extensively involved in the development of chronic infectious diseases. Eradicating persister cells is challenging, owing to their tolerance to conventional antibiotics, which cannot kill cells in a metabolically dormant state. A high frequency of persisters in biofilms makes inactivating biofilm cells more difficult, because the biofilm matrix inhibits antibiotic penetration. Fatty acids may be promising candidates as antipersister or antibiofilm agents, because some fatty acids exhibit antimicrobial effects. We previously reported that fatty acid ethyl esters effectively inhibit Escherichia coli persister formation by regulating an antitoxin. In this study, we screened a fatty acid library consisting of 65 different fatty acid molecules for altered persister formation. We found that undecanoic acid, lauric acid, and N-tridecanoic acid inhibited E. coli BW25113 persister cell formation by 25-, 58-, and 44-fold, respectively. Similarly, these fatty acids repressed persisters of enterohemorrhagic E. coli EDL933. These fatty acids were all medium-chain saturated forms. Furthermore, the fatty acids repressed Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) biofilm formation (for example, by 8-fold for lauric acid) without having antimicrobial activity. This study demonstrates that medium-chain saturated fatty acids can serve as antipersister and antibiofilm agents that may be applied to treat bacterial infections.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.152-161
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• 2023

Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) have been considered one of promising power sources for large scale energy storage systems (ESS) because of their excellent cycle performance and good safety. However, VRFBs still have a few challenging issues, such as poor Coulombic efficiency due to vanadium crossover between catholyte and anolyte, although recent efforts have shown promise in electrochemical performance. Herein, the vanadium complexes with various glyme ligands have been examined as active materials to suppress vanadium crossover between catholyte and anolyte, thus improving the Coulombic efficiency of VRFBs. The conventional Nafion membrane has a channel size of ca. 10 Å, whereas vanadium cation species are small compared to the Nafion membrane channel. For this reason, vanadium cations can permeate through the Nafion membrane, resulting in significant vanadium crossover during cycling, although the Nafion membrane is a kind of ion-selective membrane. In this regard, various glyme additives, such as 1,2-dimethoxyethane (monoglyme), diethylene glycol dimethyl ether (diglyme), and tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (tetraglyme) have been examined as complexing agents for vanadium cations to increase the size of vanadium-ligand complexes in electrolytes. Since the size of vanadium-glyme complexes is proportional to the chain length of glymes, the vanadium permeability of the Nafion membrane decreases with increasing the chain length of glymes. As a result, the vanadium complexes with tetraglyme shows the excellent electrochemical performance of VRFBs, such as stable capacity retention (90.4% after 100 cycles) and high Coulombic efficiency (98.2% over 100 cycles).