• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.1665-1674
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• 2019

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-transmitted, emerging Flavivirus that causes Guillain-$Barr{\acute{e}}$ syndrome and microcephaly in adults and fetuses, respectively. Since ZIKV was first isolated in 1947, severe outbreaks have occurred at various places worldwide, including Yap Island in 2007, French Polynesia in 2013, and Brazil in 2015. Although incidences of ZIKV infection and dissemination have drastically increased, the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of ZIKV have not been sufficiently studied. In addition, despite extensive research, the exact roles of individual ZIKV genes in the viral evasion of the host innate immune responses remain elusive. Besides, it is still possible that more than one ZIKV-encoded protein may negatively affect type I interferon (IFN) induction. Hence, in this study, we aimed to determine the modulations of the IFN promoter activity, induced by the MDA5/RIG-I signaling pathway, by over-expressing individual ZIKV genes. Our results show that two nonstructural proteins, NS2A and NS4A, significantly down-regulated the promoter activity of IFN-${\beta}$ by inhibiting multiple signaling molecules involved in the activation of IFN-${\beta}$. Interestingly, while NS2A suppressed both full-length and constitutively active RIG-I, NS4A had inhibitory activity only on full-length RIG-I. In addition, while NS2A inhibited all forms of IRF3 (full-length, regulatory domain-deficient, and constitutively active), NS4A could not inhibit constitutively active IRF3-5D. Taken together, our results showed that NS2A and NS4A play major roles as antagonists of MDA5/RIG-I-mediated IFN-${\beta}$ induction and more importantly, these two viral proteins seem to inhibit induction of the type I IFN responses in differential mechanisms. We believe this study expands our understanding regarding the mechanisms via which ZIKV controls the innate immune responses in cells and may pave the way to development of ZIKV-specific therapeutics.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.64-70
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• 2007

In this experiment we transformed the Ca-bentonite into Na-bentonite with two inorganic Na-chemicals under different temperatures. These two Na-chemicals were selected among five different Na-chemicals which carries Na as cation. The swelling capacity of the Na chemical-treated bentonite was increased with increasing Na concentration, while the maximum concentration of Na solution decreased with increasing temperature. $Na_2CO_3$ was most effective in exchanging Ca ions and resulting in the highest swelling index among the Na-chemicals. The swelling index was significantly increased with increasing temperature to $100^{\circ}C$. But the equilibration time reversely affected the swelling index due to a rapid increase in evaporation of water. Within same amount of Na treatment SI slightly decreased not only with increasing contacting time but also with increasing temperature. The adsorption for the transformed Na-bentonite was increased with increasing equilibrium concentrations of Pb and Cd ions for all the activated Na-B and indigenous Ca-B and Na-B while the adsorbability of $Pb^{2+}$ onto each Na-B sample is more than that of $Cd^{2+}$. And the maximum adsorption capacity sequence of Na-B samples for Pb and Cd has been found to be 5 % $Na_2CO_3.$ - 5 % $NaHCO_3$ > 3 % $NaHCO_3$ > 3 % $Na_2CO_3$ > 1 % $NaHCO_3$ > 1 % $Na_2CO_3$ > indigenous Na-B > indigenous Ca-B, showing that there are contradictory results about the relationship of cation adsorption to CEC.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.1043-1052
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• 2019

Active lipase-producing bacterium Burkholderia gladioli Bps-1 was rapidly isolated using a modified trypan blue and tetracycline, ampicillin plate. The electro-phoretically pure enzyme was obtained by purification using ethanol precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography, and gel filtration chromatography. The molecular weight was 34.6 kDa and the specific activity was determined to be 443.9 U/mg. The purified lipase showed the highest activity after hydrolysis with $p-NPC_{16}$ at a pH of 8.5 and $50^{\circ}C$, and the $K_m$, $k_{cat}$, and $k_{cat}/K_m$ values were 1.05 mM, $292.95s^{-1}$ and $279s^{-1}mM^{-1}$, respectively. The lipase was highly stable at $7.5{\leq}pH{\leq}10.0$. $K^+$ and $Na^+$ exerted activation effects on the lipase which had favorable tolerance to short-chain alcohols with its residual enzyme activity being 110% after being maintained in 30% ethanol for 1 h. The results demonstrated that the lipase produced by the strain B. gladioli Bps-1 has high enzyme activity and is an alkaline lipase. The lipase has promising chemical properties for a range of applications in the food-processing and detergent industries, and has particularly high potential for use in the manufacture of biodiesel.

• Clean Technology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.198-205
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• 2019

The adsorption equilibrium, kinetic, and thermodynamic parameters of brilliant green adsorbed by coconut based granular activated carbon were determined from various initial concentrations ($300{\sim}500mg\;L^{-1}$), contact time (1 ~ 12 h), and adsorption temperature (303 ~ 323 K) through batch experiments. The equilibrium adsorption data were analyzed by Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, Harkins-Jura, and Elovich isotherm models. The estimated Langmuir dimensionless separation factor ($R_L=0.018{\sim}0.040$) and Freundlich constant ($n^{-1}=0.176{\sim}0.206$) show that adsorption of brilliant green by activated carbon is an effective treatment process. Adsorption heat constants ($B=12.43{\sim}17.15J\;mol^{-1}$) estimated by the Temkin equation corresponded to physical adsorption. The isothermal parameter ($A_{HJ}$) by the Harkins-Jura equation showed that the heterogeneous pore distribution increased with increasing temperature. The maximum adsorption capacity by the Elovich equation was found to be much smaller than the experimental value. The adsorption process was best described by the pseudo second order model, and intraparticle diffusion was a rate limiting step in the adsorption process. The intraparticle diffusion rate constant increased because the dye activity increased with increases in the initial concentration. Also, as the initial concentration increased, the influence of the boundary layer also increased. Negative Gibbs free energy ($-10.3{\sim}-11.4kJ\;mol^{-1}$), positive enthalpy change ($18.63kJ\;mol^{-1}$), and activation energy ($26.28kJ\;mol^{-1}$) indicate respectively that the adsorption process is spontaneous, endothermic, and physical adsorption.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.592-599
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• 2018

The kinetics and thermodynamics of the adsorption of acid blue 40 from an aqueous solution by activated carbon were examined as a function of the activated carbon dose, pH, temperature, contact time, and initial concentration. The adsorption efficiency in a bathtub was increased at pH 3 and pH 11 due to the presence of sufonate ions ($SO_3{^-}$) and amine ions ($NH_2{^+}$). The equilibrium adsorption data were fitted to the Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherms. The results indicated that the Langmuir model provides the best correlation of the experimental data. The separation factor of the Langmuir and Freundlich model showed that the adsorption treatment of acid blue 40 by activated carbon could be an effective adsorption process. The adsorption energy determined by the Temkin equation showed that the adsorption step is a physical adsorption process. Kinetics analysis of the adsorption process of acid blue 40 on activated carbon showed that a pseudo second order kinetic model is more consistent than a pseudo second order kinetic model. The estimated activation energy was 42.308 kJ/mol. The enthalpy change (80.088 J/mol) indicated an endothermic process. The free energy change (-0.0553 ~ -5.5855 kJ/mol) showed that the spontaneity of the process increased with increasing adsorption temperature.

• Clean Technology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.261-268
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• 2021

Equilibrium, kinetics, and thermodynamics of adsorption of acid black 1 (AB1) by coal-based granular activated carbon (CGAC) were investigated with the adsorption variables of initial concentration of dye, contact time, temperature, and pH. The adsorption reaction of AB1 by activated carbon was caused by electrostatic attraction between the surface (H⁺) of activated carbon and the sulfite ions (SO₃^-) and nitrite ions (NO₂^-) possessed by AB1, and the degree of reaction was highest at pH 3 (97.7%). The isothermal data of AB1 were best fitted with Freundlich isotherm model. From the calculated separation factor (1/n) of Freundlich, it was confirmed that adsorption of AB1 by activated carbon could be very effective. The heat of adsorption in the Temkin model suggested a physical adsorption process (< 20 J mol^-1). The kinetic experiment favored the pseudo second order model, and the equilibrium adsorption amount estimated from the model agreed to that given by the experiments (error < 9.73% ). Intraparticle diffusion was a rate controlling step in this adsorption process. From the activation energy and enthalpy change, it was confirmed that the adsorption reaction is an endothermic reaction proceeding with physical adsorption. The entropy change was positive because of an active reaction at the solid-liquid interface during adsorption of AB1 on the activated carbon surface. The free energy change indicated that the spontaneity of the adsorption reaction increased as the temperature increased.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.338-345
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• 2021

Zizania latifolia has long been used as a tea for both edible and medicinal purposes. However, research into the use of Z. latifolia as a high value-added edible material is lacking. In a previous study, we confirmed that tricin is the major component in Z. latifolia. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of a Z. latifolia extract (ZLE). Toxicity tests of ZLE or tricin on HepG2 cells revealed no toxicity due to ZLE or tricin at all concentrations used. The reduction in cell viability by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) was suppressed by treatment with ZLE or tricin. In addition, ZLE or tricin effectively inhibited the production of reactive oxygen species (generation of hydrogen peroxide, alkoxy free radicals, and peroxyl free radicals by t-BHP) and oxidative damage. ZLE or tricin treatments also increased the protein expression of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), catalase, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and nuclear factor erythroid-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which are known as antioxidant enzymes, suggesting that the protective effect of ZLE is related to activation of tricin. Taken together, the results indicate that Z. latifolia can be developed as a functional food material for improving liver function.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.15-24
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• 2021

Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) is a potent carcinogen and is classified as an endocrine-disrupting chemical. In mammalian testes, Sertoli cells support spermatogenesis. Therefore, if these cells are negatively affected by exposure to xenotoxic chemicals, spermatogenesis can be seriously disrupted. In this context, we evaluated whether mouse testicular TM4 Sertoli cells are susceptible to the induction of cytotoxicity-mediated cell death after exposure to B[a] P in vitro. In the present study, while B[a]P and B[a]P-7,8-diol were not able to induce cell death, exposure to BPDE resulted in cell death. BPDE-induced cell death is accompanied by the activation of caspase-3 and caspase-7. Depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane and cytochrome c release from mitochondria were observed in benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE)-treated cells. These results indicate that TM4 cells are susceptible to apoptosis in a caspase-dependent manner. Western blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses showed that aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) expression was almost undetectable in TM4 cells and that its expression was not altered after B[a]P treatment. This indicates that TM4 cells are nearly AhR-deficient. In TM4 cells, the CYP1A1 protein and its activity were not present. From these results, it is clear that AhR may be a prerequisite for CYP1A1 expression in TM4 cells. Therefore, TM4 cells can be referred to as CYP1A1-deficient cells. Thus, TM4 Sertoli cells are believed to have a rigid and protective cellular machinery against genotoxic agents. In conclusion, it is suggested that tolerance to B[a]P cytotoxicity is associated with insufficient AhR and CYP1A1 expression in testicular Sertoli cells.

• Clean Technology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2021

The adsorption of Acid Fuchsin (AF) on granular activated carbon (GAC) was investigated for isothermal adsorption and kinetics and thermodynamic parameters by experimenting with the initial concentration, contact time, temperature, and pH of the dye as adsorption parameters. In the pH effect experiment, the adsorption of AF on activated carbon showed a bathtub type with increased adsorption at pH 3 and 11. The adsorption equilibrium data of AF fit well with the Freundlich isotherm model, and the calculated separation factor (1/n) value was found in which activated carbon can effectively remove AF. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model fits well within 7.88% of the error percent in the adsorption process. According to Weber and Morris's model plot, it was divided into two straight lines. The intraparticle diffusion rate was slow because the stage 2 (intraparticle diffusion) slope was smaller than that of stage 1 (boundary layer diffusion). Therefore, it was confirmed that the intraparticle diffusion was a rate-controlling step. The activation energy of AF (13.00 kJ mol-1) corresponded to the physical adsorption process (5 - 40 kJ mol-1). The free energy change of the AF adsorption by activated carbon showed negative values at 298-318 K. As the spontaneity increased with increasing temperature. The adsorption of AF was an endothermic reaction (ΔH = 22.65 kJ mol-1).

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.759-770
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• 2022

Background: Aerobic cellular respiration provides chemical energy, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), to maintain multiple cellular functions. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) can deacetylate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α) to promote mitochondrial biosynthesis. Targeting energy metabolism is a potential strategy for the prevention and treatment of various diseases, such as cardiac and neurological disorders. Ginsenosides, one of the major bioactive constituents of Panax ginseng, have been extensively used due to their diverse beneficial effects on healthy subjects and patients with different diseases. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of total ginsenosides (GS) on energy metabolism remain unclear. Methods: In this study, oxygen consumption rate, ATP production, mitochondrial biosynthesis, glucose metabolism, and SIRT1-PGC-1α pathways in untreated and GS-treated different cells, fly, and mouse models were investigated. Results: GS pretreatment enhanced mitochondrial respiration capacity and ATP production in aerobic respiration-dominated cardiomyocytes and neurons, and promoted tricarboxylic acid metabolism in cardiomyocytes. Moreover, GS clearly enhanced NAD⁺-dependent SIRT1 activation to increase mitochondrial biosynthesis in cardiomyocytes and neurons, which was completely abrogated by nicotinamide. Importantly, ginsenoside monomers, such as Rg1, Re, Rf, Rb1, Rc, Rh1, Rb2, and Rb3, were found to activate SIRT1 and promote energy metabolism. Conclusion: This study may provide new insights into the extensive application of ginseng for cardiac and neurological protection in healthy subjects and patients.