• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.175-181
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• 2018

Carbon monoxide (CO) is well-known as toxic gas and intrinsic signaling molecule such as neurotransmitter and blood vessel relaxant. Recently, it has been reported that low concentration of CO exerts therapeutic actions under various pathological conditions including liver failure, heart failure, gastric cancer, and cardiac arrest. However, little has been known about the effect of CO in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease (PD). To test whether CO could exert a beneficial action during oxidative cell death in PD, we examined the effects of CO on 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced cell death in C6 glioma cells. Treatment of CO-releasing molecule-2 (CORM-2) significantly attenuated 6-OHDA-induced apoptotic cell death in a dose-dependent manner. CORM-2 treatment decreased Bax/Bcl2 ratio and caspase-3 activity, which had been increased by 6-OHDA. CORM-2 increased phosphorylation of NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) which is a transcription factor regulating antioxidant proteins. Subsequently, CORM-2 also increased the expression of heme oxygenase-1 and superoxide dismutases (CuZnSOD and MnSOD), which were antioxidant enzymes regulated by Nrf2. These results suggest that CO released by CORM-2 treatment may have protective effects against oxidative cell death in PD through the potentiation of cellular adaptive survival responses via activation of Nrf2 and upregulation of heme oxygenase-1, leading to increasing antioxidant defense capacity.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.186-192
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• 2017

The carbon paste electrode (CPE) was modified with the pristine bentonite and hybrid material (HDTMA-modified bentonite). The modified-CPEs are then employed as working electrode in an electrochemical detection of As(V) from aqueous solutions using the cyclic voltammetric measurements. Cyclic voltammograms revealed that As(V) showed reversible behavior onto the working electrode. The hybrid material-modified carbon paste electrode showed significantly enhanced electrochemical signal which was then utilized in the low level detection of As(V). Moreover, the studies were conducted at neutral pH conditions. The electrochemical studies were conducted with scan rates (20 to 200 mV/s) to deduce the mechanism of redox processes involved at the electrode surface. The anodic current was linearly increased, increasing the concentration of As(V) from 5.0 to $35.0{\mu}g/g$ using the hybrid material-modified electrode. This provided fairly a good calibration line for As(V) detection. The presence of varied concentrations of As(III) in the determination of total arsenic was studied. The influence of several cations and anions viz., Cu(II), Mn(II), Zn(II), Pb(II), Cd(II), Fe(III), $Cl^-$, $NO_3{^-}$, $PO_4{^{3-}}$, EDTA and glycine in the detection of As(V) from aqueous solution was also studied. Further, in an attempt to simulate the real matrix analysis, the tap water sample was spiked with As(V) and subjected for As(V) detection using the modified-CPE.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.759-771
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• 2011

We evaluated the pollution levels of organic matter and metallic element (Fe, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Ni, Cr, Mn, As, and Hg) in the intertidal surface sediments of Aphae Island using several sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) and assessment techniques for sediment pollution. Based on the textural composition of sediment, the surface sediments were classified into two main sedimentary facies: slightly gravelly mud and silt. The concentrations of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and acid volatile sulfide (AVS) in the sediments ranged from 4.6-9.9 (mean $7.4{\pm}1.1$) $mgO_2/g{\cdot}dry$ and from ND-0.53 (mean $0.04{\pm}0.10$) mgS/$g{\cdot}dry$, respectively. These values were considerably lower than those reported from a farming area in a semi-enclosed bay of Korea and for SQGs in Japan. The metallic element concentrations in the sediments varied widely with the mean grain size and organic matter content, implying that the concentrations of metallic elements are influenced mainly by secondary factors, such as bioturbation, the resuspension of sediment, and anthropogenic input. The overall results for the comparison with SQGs, enrichment factor (EF), and geoaccumulation index ($I_{geo}$) indicate that the surface sediments are slightly polluted by Cr and Ni, and moderately polluted by As. Our results suggest that the intertidal surface sediments of Aphae Island are not polluted by organic matter or metallic elements and the benthic conditions are suitable for healthy organisms.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2021

This review describes the risk factors of the nutrition crisis in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections and suggests precision nutrition against long-term psychological and physiological stress. The mandatory quarantine and the social distancing are associated with an interruption of the lifestyle routine, resulting in psychological (i.e., boredom) and physiological stress. The stress with multiple causes and forms induces over-compensation of energy-dense food, such as sugary comfort food, and is defined as "food craving" because carbohydrates positively affect the psychological stability with serotonin secretion. The consumption of foods that promote an immune response against viral infections (vitamins & minerals; Cu, folate, Fe, Se, Zn, and Vit A, B6, B12, C, and D), reduce inflammatory cytokines (w-3 fatty acids, Vit D, fibers, and Mg), contain antioxidants (beta-carotene, Vit E, C, Se, and phenolics), and sleep-inducing proteins (serotonin, melatonin, and milk products) is essential. In addition, a reduced Vit D deficiency in winter due to less time spent outdoors under quarantine has been reported to be associated with viral infections. The case fatality rate of COVID-19 was significantly dependent on age, sex, race, and underlying health condition. To prevent malnutrition and cachexia in elderly people, weight loss and muscle wasting should be monitored and controlled. Inadequate protein intake, sedentary lifestyle, and inflammation are significant risk factors for sarcopenia. Moreover, relatively high intakes of fat or carbohydrate compared to low protein intake result in abdominal obesity, which is defined as "sarcopenic obesity." Keeping the food-safety guidelines of COVID-19, this study recommends the consumption of fresh and healthy foods and avoiding sugar, fat, salt, alcohol, and commercially frozen foods.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.347-357
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• 2011

The TSP aerosols were collected at Gosan site of Jeju Island between 2003 and 2007, and their aerosol components were analyzed to examine the variations of chemical compositions with the corresponding pathways of inflowing air parcels. According to the comparison of seasonal aerosol compositions, the soil-originated components showed remarkably high concentrations during spring season. On the other hand, the concentrations of anthropogenic components were somewhat high in spring and summer seasons, but low in fall season. Based on the comparison of TSP compositions in relation to the pathways of inflowing air mass, the concentrations of anthropogenic components (nss-$SO_4^{2-}$, S, $NO_3^-$), soil-originated components (nss-$Ca^{2+}$, Al, Fe, Ca), and the heavy metals (e,g., Mn, Zn, Cr, Pb, Cu, Cd, etc.) have relatively increased with the air mass moving from China continent into Jeju area. Meanwhile, the marine-originated components showed an increasing trend with the air mass coming from North Pacific Ocean. In the seasonal and sectional comparison, the nss-$SO_4^{2-}$, $NO_3^-$, nss-$Ca^{2+}$, and Al showed comparatively high concentrations when the air mass moved from China continent during all seasons. Especially, the $NO_3^-$, nss-$Ca^{2+}$, and Al concentrations were somewhat high when the air mass moved from Korean Peninsula during summer season. It was also recognized that the Na+ concentration were high, when the air mass moved from Pacific Ocean through all seasons.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.147-163
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• 2000

The mineralogy and chemical composition of reddish to brownish yellow residual soils, so called "Hwangto" have been examined according to representative host rocks. The result of the study indicates that Hwangto consists of 40-80% clay minerals and various minerals such as quartz, feldspar, hornblende, goethite, and gibbsite. Clay minerals include kaolinite, halloysite, illite, hydroxy interlayered vermiculite (HIV), mica/vermiculite interstratifield mineral and chlorite. The mineralogical constituents and contents of Hwangto were different depending on the types of host rocks. Moreover, the Jurassic granitic rocks contain relatively more kaolin minerals, whereas the Cretaceous granitic rocks contain more HIV and illite. In addition, reddish Hwangto contains relatively more kaolinite and HIV, and yellowish Hwangto contains more illite and halloysite. It is suggested that feldspars and micas of host rocks were chemically weathered into illite, halloysite, illite/vermiculite interstratified minerals, and HIV, and finally into kaolinite. Compared with their host rocks, the major chemical compositions of Hwangto tend to contain more $Al_2O_3,\;Fe_2O_3,\;H_2O$ in amount and less Ca, Mg, and Na. Hwangto contains relatively high amount of trace elements, P, S, Zr, Sr, Ba, Rb, and Ce including considerable amount of Li, V, Cr, Zn, Co, Ni, Cu, Y, Nb, La, Nd, Pb, Th in excess of 10 ppm. Relatively high amount of most trace elements were detected in the Hwangto. The major and minor chemical compositions of the Hwangto were different depending on the types of host rocks. However, their difference was in the similar range compared with the compositions of host rocks.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.47-61
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• 1978

Strptomyces albus T-12 which ahd been isolated and identified in the laboratory, was selected for the studies on the cultural conditions on the production of D-xylose iosmerase and the enzymological characteristics using the partially purified enzyme. The best results in the enzyme production came from D-xylose medium than wheat bran. The divalent metla ions as $Co^{2+},\;Fe^{2+},\;Zn^{2+}\;and\;Cu^{2+}$ retard or inhibit the cell-growth at the early stages of mycelia propagations, and T-12 strain is especially sensitive to $Co^{2+}$. After 60 hours of shaking cultivation at $30^{\circ}C$ and 200 rpm, a maximum enzyme activitz, 0.49 enzyme units, was obtained. Cell-free enzyme obtained from mycelia heat-treated in the prescence of 0.5mM $Co^{2+}$, showed a 2.4-fold increase in specific than the enzyme from untreated mycelia. The specific activity of the purified enzyme through Sephadex G-150 columm showed 180 fold to the crude enzyme. The effective activators of the enzyme appeared to be $Mg^{2+}\;and\;Co^{2+}$ ions, and it exhibited the maximal enzyme activity showed at pH 7.0 and at tempersture around $80^{\circ}C$ when $Mg^{2+}\;and\;Co^{2+}$ ions were added. The enzyme isomerized D-glucose, D-xylose, D-ribose, L-arabinose, D-mannose, and L-rhamnose in the present of $Mg^{2+}\;and\;Co^{2+}$ ions as an activatiors. $Mg^{2+}\;and\;Co^{2+}$ ions were non-competitively bound at different allosterix sites of enzyme molecule. $Mg^{2+}(5mM)\;or\;Co^{2+}(1.0mM)$ protected against the thermal denaturations of the enzyme activities. The michelis constant(Km) and $V_{max}$ values of the emzyme for D-glucose and D-xylose were 0.52M, $2.12{\mu}moles/ml{\cdot}min.\;and\;0.28M,\;0.65moles/ml{\cdot}min.$, respectively.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.257-263
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• 2017

A cellulolytic strain Y2 was isolated from soil obtained in the Canadian Alpine region. The isolate was identified as Paenibacillus sp. Y2 by 16S rRNA sequencing. When grown in LB medium supplemented with carboxymethyl-cellulose (CMC), CMCase production increased to 122.0% of that observed in LB without CMC. Culture supernatant was concentrated by ultrafiltration and 80% ammonium sulfate precipitates were separated by Hi-Trap Q and CHT-II chromatography. The purified enzyme (EG-PY2) showed a homogeneous single band and the molecular mass was estimated to be 38 kDa by SDS-PAGE. Optimum pH and temperature of the enzyme were 4.5 and $30^{\circ}C$, respectively. The half-life of enzyme activity at 50 was 140.7 min, but the enzyme was drastically inactivated within 5 min at $55^{\circ}C$. The enzyme was highly activated to 135.7 and 126.7% by 5.0 mM of $Cu^{2+}$ or $Mg^{2+}$ ions, respectively, and moderately activated by $Ba^{2+}$ and $Ca^{2+}$ ions, whereas it was inhibited to 76.8% by $Fe^{2+}$, and to ${\leq}50%$ by $Mn^{2+}$, $Co^{2+}$, $Zn^{2+}$, and EDTA. The enzyme was activated to 211.5% in the presence of 0.5 M of NaCl and greatly tolerant to 3.15M of NaCl. The enzyme showed 2.98 times higher ${\beta}$-glucanase activity than CMCase activity. Based on these results, it can be concluded that EG-PY2 is an acidophilic, cold-active, and halotolerant endoglucanase. The authors suggest it is considered to be useful for various industrial applications, such as, fruit juice clarification, acidic deinking processes, high-salt food processing, textile and pulp industries, and for biofuel production from seaweeds.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.690-698
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• 2012

Cr-B2, a Gram-negative hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] reducing bacteria, was isolated from the aerator water of an activated sludge process in the wastewater treatment facility of a dye and pigment based chemical industry. Cr-B2 exhibited a resistance for 1,100 mg/l Cr(VI) and, similarly, resistance against other heavy metal ions such as $Ni^{2+}$ (800 mg/l), $Cu^{2+}$ (600 mg/l), $Pb^{2+}$ (1,100 mg/l), $Cd^{2+}$ (350 mg/l), $ZN^{2+}$ (700 mg/l), and $Fe^{3+}$ (1,000 mg/l), and against selected antibiotics. Cr-B2 was observed to efficiently reduce 200 mg/l Cr(VI) completely in both nutrient and LB media, and could convert Cr(VI) to Cr(III) aerobically. Cr(VI) reduction kinetics followed allosteric enzyme kinetics. The $K_m$ values were found to be 43.11 mg/l for nutrient media and 38.05 mg/l for LB media. $V_{max}$ values of 13.17 mg/l/h and 12.53 mg/l/h were obtained for nutrient media and LB media, respectively, and the cooperativity coefficients (n) were found to be 8.47 and 3.49, respectively, indicating positive cooperativity in both cases. SEM analysis showed the formation of wrinkles and depressions in the cells when exposed to 800 mg/l Cr(VI) concentration. The organism was seen to exhibit pleomorphic behavior. Cr-B2 was identified on the basis of morphological, biochemical, and partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing chracterizations and found to be Acinetobacter sp.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.1501-1505
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• 2008

A broiler experiment was conducted to compare the effects of duration and level of iron-methionine chelate (Fe-Met) supplementation on the iron, copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) content of broiler meat. Two hundred and fifty hatched Ross broiler chickens were randomly assigned to 5 dietary treatments. Each treatment had 5 replicates of 10 birds (5 males and 5 females) each. Birds were housed in raised floor batteries and fed traditional broiler diets ad libitum for 5 weeks. Dietary treatments were as follows: Control and two levels of Fe-Met (100 or 200 ppm in Fe) supplemented for either the whole period (0-5 wk) or grower period (4-5 wk). Production performance was not significantly affected by treatments. Iron content in the muscles (breast, leg and wing) and organs (liver and spleen) were significantly (p<0.05) increased as the level and duration of Fe-Met supplementation increased. The highest concentration of iron was shown in Fe-Met 200 fed for the whole period. Liver contained the highest amount of iron followed by spleen, leg muscle, wing muscle and breast muscle. Supplementation of Fe-Met 200 for the grower period resulted in higher iron concentration in liver and spleen than supplementation of Fe-Met 100 for the whole period. However, the same treatment resulted in lower iron concentration in muscles (breast, leg and wing) than the treatment of Fe-Met 100 for the whole period. In order to achieve the highest iron enrichment in the muscles, Fe-Met should be supplemented at 200 ppm in Fe for the whole period (5 wks). Fe-Met supplementation increased copper concentration in all muscles and organs except wing muscle. Zinc concentration decreased in breast and wing muscle but tended to increase in leg muscle, liver and spleen by Fe-Met 200 supplementation. Color of muscle was not significantly affected by Fe-Met treatments. However, redness of leg and breast muscle, and yellowness of leg and breast muscle tended to increase by supplementation of Fe-Met for the whole period. It was concluded that iron content of broiler meat can be effectively enriched by supplementation of 200 ppm of Fe as Fe-Met for 5 wks.