• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.403-408
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• 2014

The toxicity of heavy metals (Zn, Pb) and diesel, in single and binary solution was investigated using the photobacterium Vibrio fischeri (Microtox test) as a test organism. In this experiment, the concentration of water soluble fraction of diesel was based on the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH). The toxicity of each single compound showed the following $EC_{50}$ (15min): Zn 1.90 mg/L, Pb 0.31 mg/L, TPH 2.09 mg/L. The observed toxicity of binary mixtures increased, depending on the concentration of the mixed substance. The effects were defined as synergistic, antagonistic, or additive, in accordance with the sign of difference between the predicted and observed toxicity at binary mixtures. The interactive effects between zinc and lead were synergistic, on the other hand, antagonistic and additive effects were found in each metal and TPH mixtures on the bioluminescence of V. fischeri.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.306-311
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• 2005

In this study, the amino-terminal half truncated lump and the whole lump genes from Photobacterium phosphoreum coding for the lumazine protein were cloned by polymerase chain reaction and expressed in Escherichia coli. To identifiy of the binding site of the ligand or substrate, the amino acid identities from the sequences of the lumazine protein, yellow fluorescent protein, and riboflavin synthase from different organisms were also compared and analyzed.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2022

Bacteria communicate with each other through an intricate communication mechanism known as quorum sensing (QS). QS regulates different behavioral aspects in bacteria, such as biofilm formation, sporulation, virulence gene expression, antibiotic production, and bioluminescence. Several different chemical signals and signal detection systems play vital roles in promoting highly efficient intra- and interspecies communication. Gram-negative bacteria coordinate gene regulation through the production of acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs). Gram-positive bacteria do not code for AHL production, while some gram-negative bacteria have an incomplete AHL-QS system. Despite this fact, these microbes can detect AHLs owing to the presence of LuxR solo receptors. Various studies have reported the role of AHLs in interspecies signaling. Moreover, as bacteria live in a polymicrobial community, the production of extracellular compounds to compete for resources is imperative. Thus, AHL-mediated signaling and inhibition are considered to affect virulence in bacteria. In the current review, we focus on the synthesis and regulation mechanisms of AHLs and highlight their role in interspecies bacterial signaling. Exploring interspecies bacterial signaling will further help us understand host-pathogen interactions, thereby contributing to the development of therapeutic strategies intended to target chronic polymicrobial infections.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.447-459
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• 2015

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the improvement of teachers' sanitation performance and food distribution environment at Centers for children's food service management after a sanitation education program. Methods: The subjects were 119 teachers working at child care centers registered in the Daejeon Center for Children's Foodservice Management in Dongu and Jung-gu, Daejeon. The sanitation education was provided three times from March to August in 2014, and the survey questionnaires were distributed before and after the education. The sanitation status of food service environment of the centers was examined by ATP(adenosine-5'-triphosphate) bioluminescence. Results: After the sanitation education, the teachers showed higher levels of sanitation knowledge. Also, sanitation performance and recognition level of the importance of it significantly improved after the education program. The mean variation scores of importance and performance after the education were 0.14 and 0.23. According to the Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) results of 26 sanitation attributes about the food service environment, the selection attributes with relatively low performance and importance were mostly distributed in the children's and distributer's personal hygiene management area. However, all attributes except using a personal water bottle and cup were moved to high performance and importance level. Also, the ATP examination results showed that the sanitation status of the food service environment was improved after the education program. Conclusions: The sanitation education program was effective in improving the recognition of the importance of sanitation and its performance with regard to food service management.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.123-136
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• 2014

In this paper, we study to classify molecular imaging and applications to predict future. Molecular imaging in vivo at the cellular level and the molecular level changes taking place to be imaged, that is molecular cell biology and imaging technology combined with the development of the new field. Molecular imaging is used fluorescence, bioluminescence, SPECT, PET, MRI, Ultrasound and other imaging technologies. That is applied to monitoring of gene therapy, cell tracking and monitoring of cell therapy, antibody imaging, drug development, molecular interaction picture, the near-infrared fluorescence imaging of cancer using fluorescence, bacteria using tumor-targeting imaging, therapeutic early assessment, prediction and therapy. The future of molecular imaging would be developed through fused interdisciplinary research and mutual cooperation, which molecular cell biology, genetics, chemistry, physics, computer science, biomedical engineering, nuclear medicine, radiology, clinical medicine, etc. The advent of molecular imaging will be possible to early diagnosis and personalized treatment of disease in the future.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.82-88
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• 2017

Contaminated sediment can be treated in order to reuse the treated sediment. Even though the chemical criteria are satisfied, the treated sediment could still impose toxic effects. Therefore, this study investigated the changes in the ecological toxic effects of the contaminated sediment from the J region in Singapore after treatment. The contaminated sediment was subject to sequential soil washing and thermal treatment, followed by pH neutralization. Toxic effects of the contaminated and treated sediments were determined by using Vibrio fischeri ($Microtox^{(R)}$), Triticum aestivum (wheat), and Eisenia foetida (earthworm). After treatment, the concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals were decreased by 98% and 59-93%, respectively, and satisfied the Industrial Maximum Values of the Dutch Standard, which were used as the remedial goal. The bioluminescence reduction of V. fischeri decreased significantly, and the earthworm survival increased from 0% to 90% after treatment. The germination rate increased from $0{\pm}0%$ to $75{\pm}13%$ after treatment, but the treated sediment may need additional treatment such as nutrient addition for better plant growth. Overall, this study showed that the treatment of the contaminated sediment satisfactorily removed mixed contaminants, and this led to reduction in toxic effects, suggesting improved potentials for reuse of the treated sediment.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.195-201
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• 2003

Aromatic hydrocarbons are of major concern among genotoxic chemicals due to their toxicity and persistence. Some microorganisms can utilize aromatic hydrocarbons as carbon and energy sources by inducing expression of catabolic operon(s). The XylR regulatory protein activates transcription of the catabolic enzymes to degrade BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) from its cognate promoters, Pu and Ps upon exposure of the cells to the aromatic hydrocarbons. The activity of XylR on the promoters was previously monitored using luciferase luc reporter system. The xylR, its promoter Pr and the promoter Po for the phenolic compound catabolic operon were introduced upstream of firefly luciferase luc in the pGL3b vector to generate about 7.1 kb of pXRBTEX. Here E. coli harboring the plasmid was freeze-dried under various conditions to fin,d optimal conditions for storage and transport. The cell viability and luciferase activity were maintained better, when the cells were freeze-dried at -7$0^{\circ}C$ in the addition of the 10% skim milk or 12% sucrose. However, coaddition of protectants such as 10% skim milk plus 10% glucose or 12% sucrose plus 10% glucose, resulted in much better viability and bioluminescence activity compared with the effect of single addition of each protectant. In addition, it was shown that the freeze-dried cells maintained almost intact bioluminescent activities and cell viability for at least 1 week after freeze-drying. This work demonstrated that the properly freeze-dried recombinant bacterial cells could be utilized as a whole-cell biosensor for simple and rapid monitoring of BTEX in the environment.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.54-61
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• 1999

Measurement of inhibition of bioluminescence in Photobacterium phosphoreum has been porposed as a sensitive and rapid procedure to monitor toxic substances. However, at first, $EC_{50}$ which shows degree of toxicity to each toxic substances must be calculated. QSAR (Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship) model can be used to estimate $EC_{50}$ to save time and endeavor. Moderately high correlation coefficients ($r^2{\geq}$ 0.97) were calculated from the linear correlation between $EC_{50}$ and molecular connectivity indices of CAHs (chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons)such as $^0X$, $^0X^V$, $^1X$, $^2X$ and $^3X^v_c$ and quadratic correlation between $EC_{50}$ and $^0X$, $^0X^V$, $^2X^V$, $^3X_c$, $^3X^V_c$ and P. It shows that the molecular connection indices in carbon structure is contributed to biological characters with linear relation and that in the other one with quadratic relation. The $EC_{50}$ of chlorophenol derivatives had quadratic relation with the value of octanol/water prtition coefficients ($r^2$=0.99) and linear and quadratic relation with the number of chlorine compound (($r^2{\geq}$0.94). This confirms the already known trend of increasing toxicity with increasing ability of a compound to diffuse through cell membrane and number of chlorine substitution.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.424-436
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• 2013

Organic enrichment was investigated in surface sediments from the Yeoja and Gangjin Bays of Korea, which contain dense shellfish farms, in order to evaluate the contamination status and temporal changes in shellfish farming along these coasts. The degree of organic enrichment was determined using geochemical indicators (chemical oxygen demand, ignition loss, acid volatile sulfide, total organic carbon in sediments, and total nitrogen in sediments, ammonium and nitrate in pore water, and bioluminescence inhabitation for sediments). Temporal changes in organic enrichment conditions were detected by comparing our 2012 data to those previously reported from a survey conducted in 1999/2000. Organic enrichment was significantly higher in September than in May and July, in Gangjin Bay than in Yeoja Bay, and significantly higher in shellfish farms than in reference sites not used to culture shellfish. Ammonium concentrations in pore water were two orders of magnitude greater than nitrate concentrations, suggesting that these bays represent nitrogen-reducing environments.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2020

In this study, the contamination level was measured using an ATP meter using adenosine triphosphate bioluminescent material to find effective infection control to compensate for the disadvantages of the microbial culture method used for hygiene control of ultrasound probe. The convex probes were selected from six ultrasound probe in the hospital, and the samples were taken in real time before and after cleaning to check the contamination of the probe. In order to classify the pollution degree using the APT meter was classified by category. A total of 78 samples were collected from the ultrasound probe. When the pollution levels before and after cleaning were classified by category, 76.6% of the samples were classified into category 3·4 before cleaning, but they decreased to 23.3% after cleaning. 13.3% before cleaning was in category 1, but increased to 43.3% after cleaning. By classifying the pollution level, it was confirmed that the pollution level was significantly reduced by category. Until now, there was no suitable criterion for determining the contamination level by using ATP meter in medical machines where sample area is small and reused. In this study, criteria for each category were set to measure the contamination level of ATP meter suitable for small sample area such as ultrasound probe, so that contamination level could be determined in real time at the site. Therefore, it is considered that hygiene management for ultrasound probe can be more actively performed.