• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.140-145
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• 2006

We measured activities of the ubiquitous tripeptide non-protein thiol (L-${\gamma}$-glutamyl-L-cysteinyl-glycine), glutathione (GSH), which is believed to playa fundamental role in detoxifying xenobiotics in biological systems, as a metabolic biomarker for benzo(${\alpha}$)pyrene and Aroclor 1254 exposure in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. Reproductive oysters were exposed to the pollutants for 50 days by the algal vectoring method in which the oysters were fed with concentrated standard algal foods grown in culture media containing Aroclor 1254 (0, 5, 50, 500 ng/g) or benzo(${\alpha}$)pyrene (0, 10, 100, 1,000 ng/g). Both pollutants induced maternal GSH activities in 10 days in a dosage-dependent manner (p<0.05), although Aroclor 1254 was stronger. The pollutant-driven GSH elevation persisted for 20 to 30 days depending on the pollutants and concentrations. Thereafter, a drastic decline in the GSH activity was observed due to metabolic failure, after which the oyster GSH remained at low levels throughout the remainder of the experiment. The pollutant exposures influenced maternal reproductive output in terms of fertilization, hatching, and morphology. These results imply that changes in activity of the GST-catalyzing molecule can be used as an oyster biomarker for Aroclor 1254 and benzo(${\alpha}$)pyrene exposure.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.70-77
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• 2009

Porphyra yezoensis is known to act as a biofilter against nutrient-rich effluent in seaweed-based integrated aquaculture systems. However, few studies have examined its physiological status under such conditions. In this study, we estimated the photosynthetic activity of P. yezoensis by chlorophyll fluorescence of PSII (${\Delta}F/F'm$ and relative $ETR_{max}$) using the Diving-PAM fluorometer (Walz, Germany). In addition, bioremediation capacity, tissue nutrients, and C:N ratio of P. yezoensis were investigated. The ammonium concentration in seawater of seaweed tank 4 decreased from $72.1{\pm}2.2$ to $33.8{\pm}0.4{\mu}M$ after 24 hours. This indicates the potential role of P. yezoensis in removing around 43% of ammonium from the effluents. Tissue carbon contents in P. yezoensis were constant during the experimental period, while nitrogen contents had increased slightly by 24 hours. In comparison with the initial values, the ${\Delta}F/F'm$ and $rETR_{max}$ of P. yezoensis had increased by about 20 and 40%, respectively, after 24 hours. This indicates that P. yezoensis condition improved or remained constant. These results suggest that chlorophyll fluorescence is a powerful tool in evaluating the physiological status of seaweeds in a seaweed-based integrated aquaculture system.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.289-295
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• 2016

Curcumin is a flavonoid found in the rhizome of the turmeric plant (Curcuma longa L.) and has recently attracted interest because it has numerous biological functions and therapeutic properties. In the present study, we attempted to incorporate curcumin into medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) nanoemulsions (0.15 wt% curcumin, 10 wt% MCT oil, and 10 wt% emulsifiers) with various emulsifiers [polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Tween-20), sorbitan monooleate (SM), and soy lecithin (SL)]. The physicochemical properties of the nanoemulsions including the Ostwald ripening stability were investigated. The initial droplet size was found to be 89.08 nm for the nanoemulsion with 10 wt% Tween-20 (control), and when Tween-20 was partially replaced with SM and SL, the size decreased: 73.43 nm with 4 wt% SM+6 wt% Tween-20 and 67.68 nm with 4 wt% SL+6 wt% Tween-20 (prepared at 15,000 psi). When the nanoemulsions were stored for 28 days at room temperature, the droplet size increased as the storage time increased. The largest increase was observed for the control nanoemulsion, followed by the 4 wt% SL+6 wt% Tween-20 and 4 wt% SM+6 wt% Tween-20 systems. The Turbiscan dispersion stability results strongly supported the relationship between droplet size and storage time. The time-dependent increase in droplet size was attributed to the Ostwald ripening phenomenon. Thus, the Ostwald ripening stability of curcumin-loaded MCT nanoemulsions with Tween-20 was considerably improved by partially replacing the Tween-20 with SM or SL. In addition, curcumin may have acted as an Ostwald ripening inhibitor.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.221-226
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• 2016

A new type of doenjang was manufactured by mixing soaked soybean, koji (Rhizopus oryzae), cheonggukjang (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens MJ1-4 and B. amyloliquefaciens EMD17), and Pichia farinosa SY80 as a yeast, salt, and water, followed by fermentation with koji that was made by fermenting whole wheat with R. oryzae. The mixed culture doenjang was designed to have a more palatable flavor and stronger biological activities than the conventional product. The extract of mixed culture doenjang showed higher antioxidant activity than the commercial doenjang as evaluated by the ferric reducing antioxidant power assay although it was not significantly different from the commercial product in 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical scavenging activities. Further, the mixed culture doenjang reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species levels and protected cells from glutamate-induced cytotoxicity more efficiently in human hippocampal HT22 neuroblastoma cells than the commercial doenjang. In conclusion, a newly-developed mixed culture doenjang had a strong antioxidant activity in vitro and cultured cell model systems, exhibited a potential to prevent oxidative stress-associated disorders although animal and clinical studies are needed to confirm its in vivo efficacy.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.289-294
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• 2004

Bupleurum latissimum is a narrowly endemic and endangered plant, restricted to only two small populations on steep cliffs of a small island, Ulleung Island, in Korea. The genetic diversity and population differentiation in the two remnant populations of the species were investigated using RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) analysis. The Neis gene diversities were 0.146 in the smaller population of 45 individuals, and 0.151 in the larger population of 61 individuals. The genetic variation was not significantly different between these two populations. Genetic diversity within populations was not low considering the very small size of populations. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed higher variation within populations (65.9%) than genetic differentiation between them (34.1%). B. latissimum revealed higher population differentiation than other outbreeding species. The differentiation of the populations corresponded to low gene flow (Nem = 0.482). The cluster and principal coordination analyses provide strong support for high population differentiation, showing that all individuals of the two populations have built up population-specific clusters. Although gene flow between the two populations of B. latissimum was limited, they have preserved relatively high levels of genetic variation.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.98-102
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• 2008

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is an important noninvasive medical imaging technique that can reveal subsurface structures of biological tissue. OCT has demonstrated a good correlation with histology in sufficient resolution to identify morphological changes in articular cartilage to differentiate normal through progressive stages of degenerative joint disease. Current OCT systems provide individual cross-sectional images that are representative of the tissue directly under the scanning beam, but they may not fully demonstrate the degree of degeneration occurring within a region of a joint surface. For a full understanding of the nature and degree of cartilage degeneration within a joint, multiple OCT images must be obtained and an overall assessment of the joint surmised from multiple individual images. This study presents frequency domain three-dimensional (3-D) OCT imaging of degenerative joint cartilage extracted from bovine knees. The 3-D OCT imaging of articular cartilage enables the assembly of 126 individual, adjacent, rapid scanned OCT images into a full 3-D image representation of the tissue scanned, or these may be viewed in a progression of successive individual two-dimensional (2-D) OCT images arranged in 3-D orientation. A fiber-based frequency domain OCT system that provides cross-sectional images was used to acquire 126 successive adjacent images for a sample volume of $6{\times}3.2{\times}2.5\;mm^3$. The axial resolution was $8\;{\mu}m$ in air. The 3-D OCT was able to demonstrate surface topography and subsurface disruption of articular cartilage consistent with the gross image as well as with histological cross-sections of the specimen. The 3-D OCT volumetric imaging of articular cartilage provides an enhanced appreciation and better understanding of regional degenerative joint disease than may be realized by individual 2-D OCT sectional images.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.3304-3308
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• 2010

Condensation of 4-amino-5-mercapto-3-($\alpha$-naphthyl)-s-triazole (1) with cyanogen bromide gives 6-amino-3-($\alpha$-naphthyl)-s-triazolo[3,4-b]-1,3,4-thiadiazole (2) which on condensation with chloranil yields 3,9-di-($\alpha$-naphthyl)-6,14-dioxo-bis-(s-triazolo[3,4-b]-1,3,4-thiadiazolo[3,2-b]imidazo[4,5-b]cyclohexane]-5a,6a-diene) (3). 3-($\alpha$-naphthyl)-s-triazolo[3,4-b]-1,3,4-thiadiazolo[3,2-b]imidazo[4,5-b]quinoxaline (4) is obtained by a similar condensation of (2) with 2,3-dichloroquinoxaline. The reaction of (2) with $\alpha$-haloketones followed by bromination affords 7-aryl-3-($\alpha$-naphthyl)-imidazo[2,1-b]-1,3,4-thiadiazolo[2,3-c]-s-triazoles (5) and their 6-bromo analogues 6 respectively. The structures of all newly synthesized compounds were established on the basis of elemental analyses, IR, $^1H$-NMR. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of all newly synthesized compounds have also been evaluated.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.163-177
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• 2001

Most, if not all, aphids harbor intracellular bacterial symbionts, called Buchnera, in their bacteriocytes, huge cells differentiated for this purpose. The association between Buchnera and aphids is so intimate, mutualistic and obligate that neither of them can any longer reproduce independently. Buchnera are vertically transmitted through generations of the host insects. Evidence suggests that Buchnera were acquired by a common ancestor of aphids 160-280 million years ago, and have been diversified, since then, in parallel with their aphid hosts. Molecular phylogenetic analyses indicate that Buchnera belong to the g subdivision of the Proteobacteria. Although Buchnera are close relatives of Escherichia coli, they contain move than 100 genomic copies per cell, and their genome size is only one seventh that of E. coli. The complete genome sequence of Buchnera revealed that their gene repertoire is quite different from those of parasitic bacteria such as Mycoplasma, Rickettsia and Chlamydia, though their genome sizes have been reduced to a similar extent. Whereas these parasitic bacteria have lost most genes for the biosynthesis of amino acids, Buchnera retain many of them. In particular, Buchnera's gene repertoire is characteristic in the richness of the genes for the biosynthesis of essential amino acids that the eukaryotic hosts are not able to synthesize, reflecting a nutritional role played by these symbionts. Buchnera, when housed in the bacteriocyte, selectively synthesize a large amount of symbionin, which is a homolog of GroEL, the major stress protein of E. coli. Symbionin not only functions as molecular chaperone, like GroEL, but also has evolutionarily acquired the phosphotransferase activity through amino acid substitutions. Aphids usually profit from Buchnera's fuction as a nutritional supplier and, when faced with an emergency, consume the biomass of Buchnera cells as nutrient reserves.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.435-440
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• 2020

Single-beam acoustic tweezers that are capable of manipulating micron-size particles in a non-contact manner have been used in many biological and biomedical applications. Current single-beam acoustic tweezer systems developed for in vitro experiments consist of a function generator and a power amplifier, thus the system is bulky and expensive. This configuration would not be suitable for in vivo and clinical applications. Thus, in this paper, we present a portable single-beam acoustic tweezer system and its performances of trapping and manipulating micron-size objects. The developed system consists of an Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) chip and two pulsers, and parameters such as center frequency and pulse duration were controlled by a Personal Computer (PC) via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface in real-time. It was shown that the system was capable of generating the transmitting pulse up to 20 MHz, and producing sufficient intensity to trap microparticles and cells. The performance of the system was evaluated by trapping and manipulating 40 ㎛ and 90 ㎛ in diameter polystyrene particles.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.232-238
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• 1990

To study the biological roles of Zn, we investigated simple model systems of $Zn^{++}, coordinated with OH_2 or NH_3,$ or with O=C- in peptide. The geometrical structures and net atomic charges were calculated by the ab initio HF-SCF theory using double zeta basis sets. The ligands of O-H, N-H, and O=C- are very polar due to $Zn^{++}$. Therefore, the carbon atom in peptide becomes so electrophilic that it can be easily attacked by other nucleophiles. In addition, to understand how $Zn^{++}$ is coordinated with ligands in enzyme, a molecular mechanics method is applied to the system of the enzyme of carboxypeptidase A (CPA) with the substrate of glycyltyrosine. From our results, it appears that the Zn ion is coordinated not only by four ligands in enzyme and substrate but also by one water molecule.