• BMB Reports
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• v.46 no.12
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• pp.575-581
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• 2013

Lipid droplet (LD) is a cellular organelle that stores neutral lipids as a source of energy and carbon. However, recent research has emerged that the organelle is involved in lipid synthesis, transportation, and metabolism, as well as mediating cellular protein storage and degradation. With the exception of multi-cellular organisms, some unicellular microorganisms have been observed to contain LDs. The organelle has been isolated and characterized from numerous organisms. Triacylglycerol (TAG) accumulation in LDs can be in excess of 50% of the dry weight in some microorganisms, and a maximum of 87% in some instances. These microorganisms include eukaryotes such as yeast and green algae as well as prokaryotes such as bacteria. Some organisms obtain carbon from $CO_2$ via photosynthesis, while the majority utilizes carbon from various types of biomass. Therefore, high TAG content generated by utilizing waste or cheap biomass, coupled with an efficient conversion rate, present these organisms as bio-tech 'factories' to produce biodiesel. This review summarizes LD research in these organisms and provides useful information for further LD biological research and microorganism biodiesel development.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.181-189
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• 2015

A composite material was tested to eliminate phenol in aqueous solution combining adsorption on activated carbon and photocatalysis with $TiO_2$ in two different ways. A first implementation involved a sequential process with a loop reactor. The aim was to reuse this material as adsorbent several times with in situ photocatalytic regeneration. This process alternated a step of adsorption in the dark and a step of photocatalytic oxidation under UV irradiation with or without $H_2O_2$. Without $H_2O_2$, the composite material was poorly regenerated due to the accumulation of phenol and intermediates in the solution and on $TiO_2$ particles. In presence of $H_2O_2$, the regeneration of the composite material was clearly enhanced. After five consecutive adsorption runs, the amount of eliminated phenol was twice the maximum adsorption capacity. The phenol degradation could be described by a pseudo first-order kinetic model where constants were much higher with $H_2O_2$ (about tenfold) due to additional ${\bullet}OH$ radicals. The second implementation was in a continuous process as with a fixed bed reactor where adsorption and photocatalysis occurred simultaneously. The results were promising as a steady state was reached indicating stabilized behavior for both adsorption and photocatalysis.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.380-391
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• 2010

Airborne in-situ measurements of aerosol/cloud number concentrations were analyzed to investigate the effects of aerosols on warm cloud formation in the Pacific Dust Experiment (PACDEX) during April and May 2007. In the air masses originating from the Asian continent, high concentrations of fine particles including black carbon (BC) were observed when compared to other regions. A strong correlation (r=0.88) between condensation nuclei (CN) having sizes ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 mm ($CN_{0.1-1.0}$) and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) at 0.4% supersaturation ($CCN_{0.4%}$) suggests that most of the $CN_{0.1-1.0}$ can contribute to cloud formation. The possibility of a cloud droplet formation by BC particles was expected at the high water vapor mixing ratio (WVMR) and the abundance of water-soluble components at the low altitude less than 3 km.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.92-92
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• 1968

1) The aim of present investigation is to elucidate the relation of the balance of the production and decomposition of the fir litter. in Kwangnung plantation stands. 2) The decay constant, K, of litters was 0. 185 for the fir stand at Kwangnung. 3) The mode for the accumulation of organic carbon ($C_a$) is $c_a$= $610(1-e^{-0.185t})$), and for the decay of organic carbon (C) C = $610(1-e^{-0.185t})$. 4) The time required for the decay of half of the accumulated organic carbon in the fir stand is 3. 74 years and for 99% of elimination 27.02 years. 5) The litters of Abies holophylla killed by heat and washed with alcohol-benzol, with hot water, or with both alcohol-benzol and hot water were incubated after inoculated with suspension of firwood soil. Plate counts were made of fungi and bacteria from time to time. 6) Removal of the alcohol-benzol soluble substance stimulates at the beginning of the decay the growth of fungi and also of bacteria. 7) Removal of the water soluble fraction is detrimental to the growth of fungi in particular. 8) The distribution of soil microbial population is higher in both F and H horizon of the fir plantation soil in Kwangnung. However, the number of soil microorganisms decreases with the depth in forest soil.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.93-99
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• 1968

1) The aim of present investigation is to elucidate the relation of the balance of the production and decomposition of the fir litter. in Kwangnung plantation stands. 2) The decay constant, K, of litters was 0. 185 for the fir stand at Kwangnung. 3) The mode for the accumulation of organic carbon ($C_a$) is $c_a$= $610(1-e^{-0.185t})$), and for the decay of organic carbon (C) C = $610(1-e^{-0.185t})$. 4) The time required for the decay of half of the accumulated organic carbon in the fir stand is 3. 74 years and for 99% of elimination 27.02 years. 5) The litters of Abies holophylla killed by heat and washed with alcohol-benzol, with hot water, or with both alcohol-benzol and hot water were incubated after inoculated with suspension of firwood soil. Plate counts were made of fungi and bacteria from time to time. 6) Removal of the alcohol-benzol soluble substance stimulates at the beginning of the decay the growth of fungi and also of bacteria. 7) Removal of the water soluble fraction is detrimental to the growth of fungi in particular. 8) The distribution of soil microbial population is higher in both F and H horizon of the fir plantation soil in Kwangnung. However, the number of soil microorganisms decreases with the depth in forest soil.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.1386-1390
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• 2008

Artemisinin, the effective ingredient of Chinese herb Artemisia annua L (Qinghao in Chinese), has been proved to be effective to antimalarial. Herein, a reliable, sensitive and convenient electrochemical method was developed for the determination of artemisinin utilizing the excellent properties of multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWNT). The electrochemical behavior of artemisinin was investigated. It is found that the reduction peak current of artemisinin remarkably increases and the peak potential shifts positively by 240 mV at the MWNT film-modified electrode. These phenomena indicate that the MWNT film exhibits efficient catalytic activity to the electrochemical reduction of artemisinin. The effects of pH value, amount of MWNT, scan rate and accumulation time were examined. The limit of detection (S/N = 3) is as low as 10 $\mu$ g $L^{-1}$. Finally, this newly developed method was used to determine the content of artemisinin in Artemisia annua L.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.371-377
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• 2012

The present study describes medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates (mcl-PHAs) production by the Pseudomonas Gl01 strain isolated from mixed microbial communities utilized for PHAs synthesis. A two-step fed-batch fermentation was conducted with glucose and waste rapeseed oil as the main carbon source for obtaining cell growth and mcl-PHAs accumulation, respectively. The results show that the Pseudomonas Gl01 strain is capable of growing and accumulating mcl-PHAs using a waste oily carbon source. The biomass value reached 3.0 g/l of CDW with 20% of PHAs content within 48 h of cultivation. The polymer was purified from lyophilized cells and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC). The results revealed that the monomeric composition of the obtained polyesters depended on the available substrate. When glucose was used in the growth phase, 3-hydroxyundecanoate and 3-hydroxydodecanoate were found in the polymer composition, whereas in the PHAs-accumulating stage, the Pseudomonas Gl01 strain synthesized mcl-PHAs consisting mainly of 3-hydroxyoctanoate and 3-hydroxydecanoate. The transcriptional analysis using reverse-transcription real-time PCR reaction revealed that the phaC1 gene could be transcribed simultaneously to the phaZ gene.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.1111-1118
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• 2007

A bismuth-coated carbon fiber microelectrode was prepared using cyclic voltammetry (CV). An analytical application was performed for the copper analysis with Square Wave Stripping Voltammetry (SWSV). Gallic acid n-propyl ester (PG) was used for the complex formation with a copper ion, and electrochemical measurements were performed with a pre-amplifier of a low-current module for nano am per detection. The effects of various parameters on the response were optimized. Analytical working ranges of $0.03-25.9\;{\mu}gl^{-1}$ and $0-25\'mgl^{-1}$ Cu(II) were obtained. The relative standard deviation at $13\;mgl^{-1}$ Cu was 0.9% (n = 12) in optimum conditions. The detection limit was found to have been $0.019\;{\mu}gl^{-1}$, with a 30-sec accumulation time. The developed methods were applied to a copper assay in water samples.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.25 no.9
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• pp.1321-1325
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• 2004

Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), an anionic surfactant, can strongly adsorb at the surface of a carbon paste electrode (CPE) via the hydrophobic interaction. In pH 3.0 $Na_2HPO_4$-citric acid buffer (Mcllvaine buffer) and in the presence of SDS, the cationic indole-3-acetic acid (IAA, $pK_a$ = 4.75) was highly accumulated at the CPE surface through the electrostatic interaction between the negative-charged head group of SDS and cationic IAA, compared with that in the absence of SDS. Hence, the oxidation peak current of IAA increases greatly and the oxidation peak potential shifts towards more negative direction. The experimental parameters, such as pH, varieties of surfactants, concentration of SDS, and scan rate were optimized for IAA determination. The oxidation peak current is proportional to the concentration of IAA over the range from $5\;{\times}\;10^{-8}$ mol/L to $2\;{\times}\;10^{-6}$ mol/L. The detection limit is $2\;{\times}\;10^{-8}$ mol/L after 3 min of accumulation. This new voltammetric method was successfully used to detect IAA in some plant leaves.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.29-37
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• 2013

The study was carried out in two different forest types viz., Banj oak and Chir pine forests to assess the variation in forest species composition and soil properties along altitudinal gradients in the Garhwal Himalayas. The results of the study showed that between the forests soil moisture was higher in Banj oak forest because of closed canopy and dense forest compared to Chir pine forest. The sand particles were reported higher in Banj oak forest which might be due to the addition of organic matter favouring coarse structure of soil, helping in holding maximum water in soils. However in the Chir pine forest low amount of soil organic matter and presence of clayey soil, develops soil compactness which reduces the penetration of water resulting in high soil bulk density. The higher accumulation of litter and presence of moisture in Banj oak forest favours higher nutrient level of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compared to Chir pine forest. The soil organic carbon also reduced with increasing altitude at both gradients. While bulk density has reverse trend with soil organic carbon in both the forests at different peaks of same region. In Banj oak forest, the highest density and total basal cover was reported 1,100 tree $ha^{-1}$ and 58.86 $m^2\;ha^{-1}$ respectively. However, the highest values of density and total basal cover of Chir pine forest was 560 tree$ha^{-1}$ and 56.94 $m^2\;ha^{-1}$ respectively. The total density and basal cover of both the forests reduced with increasing altitude. The study concludes that Banj oak forest has better nutrient cycling ability, well developed foest floor and has a greater protective and productive features compared to the Chir pine forest which is without lower vegetation cover and having only pine litter accumulation which does not allow any other species to grow.