• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.24
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• pp.75-83
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• 2008

In order to assess antifungal activity of a wooden storage box, which was made of Paulownia tomentosa and used for keeping ancient documents, antifungal activity of volatile organic compounds emitted from the box was investigated along with qualitative analysis on major substances of the compounds. After collecting floating microorganisms inside air tester, the fungal activity was assessed by counting the number of colonies growing on TSA media. Compared to the control which collected 85 colonies from outdoor, 72 colonies were observed showing reduction rate of 14.82%. Through GC/MS and TDS system analysis, limonene was detected from the volatile organic compounds as characteristic features. When the fungal activity was assessed through fumigation by adding natural biocide BI and BII containing eugenol and anethole as major substances, both biocides showed a strong fungal activity with respectively 92.6%(inside the box) and 99.9%(outdoor) of reduction rate. Although these results didn't clarify antifungal activity of the volatile organic compounds emitted from the Paulownia-wood storage box and their functional components, it was at least confirmed that there is application possibility of natural biocide to use for preservation of ancient documents with increased efficiency in controlling pests of wooden storage boxes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.98-108
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• 2015

Staphylococcus aureus is an important foodborne pathogen that causes diverse diseases ranging from minor infections to life-threatening conditions in humans and animals. To further understand its pathogenesis, the genome of the strain S. aureus FORC_001 was isolated from a contaminated food. Its genome consists of 2,886,017 bp double-stranded DNA with a GC content of 32.8%. It is predicted to contain 2,728 open reading frames, 57 tRNAs, and 6 rRNA operons, including 1 additional 5S rRNA gene. Comparative phylogenetic tree analysis of 40 complete S. aureus genome sequences using average nucleotide identity (ANI) revealed that strain FORC_001 belonged to Group I. The closest phylogenetic match was S. aureus MRSA252, according to a whole-genome ANI (99.87%), suggesting that they might share a common ancestor. Comparative genome analysis of FORC_001 and MRSA252 revealed two non-homologous regions: Regions I and II. The presence of various antibiotic resistance genes, including the SCCmec cluster in Region I of MRSA252, suggests that this strain might have acquired the SCCmec cluster to adapt to specific environments containing methicillin. Region II of both genomes contains prophage regions but their DNA sequence identity is very low, suggesting that the prophages might differ. This is the first report of the complete genome sequence of S. aureus isolated from a real foodborne outbreak in South Korea. This report would be helpful to extend our understanding about the genome, general characteristics, and virulence factors of S. aureus for further studies of pathogenesis, rapid detection, and epidemiological investigation in foodborne outbreak.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.449-460
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• 2014

Since the emergence of domestically produced automobiles in 1964, the number of automobiles in circulation in South Korea has increased constantly. With this rapidly increasing number of automobiles, automobile-induced environmental pollution has become an issue of great concern, especially with regard to air pollution. Of the carbon composites contained in automobile exhaust gas, PAHs are known to be carcinogenic and highly deleterious to humans and thus need to be urgently mitigated. To address this issue of PAHs, this study was conducted to estimate qualitative of particulate PAHs contained in carbon composites in automobile exhaust gas, by capturing all particulate matter discharged from the latter. To allow for differentiated analyses, the automobiles investigated were divided into 4 groups: gasoline vehicle, motocycle, diesel vehicle, and LPG vehicle. Samples were analyzed using two methods. First, in-depth analysis was performed on organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) composites with analysis parameters, using the Thermal Optical Transmittance Method (NIOSH 5040). Second, for the examination of particulate PAHs, GC/MSD was used to analyze the 16 PAH species specified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The analyses yielded the findings that diesel vehicles had the highest mass concentration ($2,007{\mu}g/m^3$), followed by motocycle ($1,066{\mu}g/m^3$), LPG vehicle ($392{\mu}g/m^3$), and gasoline vehicles ($270{\mu}g/m^3$). The highest carbon concentrations in total particulate matter by vehicle weight were produced from LPG vehicle (79.8%), followed by gasoline vehicle (77.4%), motocycle (69.8%), and diesel vehicle (59.1%).

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.633-648
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• 2010

The study was performed to elucidate the characteristics of VOCs at distinct monitoring sites in urban atmosphere; one is at a roadside in downtown inland city of Jeonju, and the other is at an industrial site in Gunsan near coastal area. The ambient samples were collected for 24 hours in two-bed adsorbent tubes by using MTS-32 sequential tube sampler equipped with Flex air pump every 16 days in a roadside and a industrial complex from February to November in 2009. VOCs were determined by thermal desorption coupled with GC/MSD. Major individual VOCs in roadside samples were shown as following order in magnitude: toluene>m,p-xylene>ethyl benzene>decanal; and those in the industrial complex samples were as follows: toluene>ethanol>ethyl acetate>decanal>m,pxylene. High benzene concentration in the roadside was more frequently occurred than in the industrial complex. However ambient level of toluene in the industrial complex was higher than that in the road side. Results from roadside sample analysis showed that nonane and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene were very frequently observed with higher concentrations than those in the industrial complex. It seems that nonane and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene could be the source characteristics for the roadside air. From the diurnal variation, it was found that concentrations of benzene, ethylbenzene, xylene, nonane and 1,2,4-trimethylbenznene in the roadside were higher during rush hours; but those in the industrial complex were higher from 10 to 16 LST when the industrial activities were animated. On weekly base, the concentration of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and m,p-xylene in the roadside were higher specifically on Wednesday, but those in the industrial complex were higher on Sunday. It was found that the general trends of VOCs levels at both sites significantly influence on seasonal changes. The results of factor analysis showed that the VOCs in the roadside were mainly affected by the emission of vehicles and the evaporation of diesel fuel, meanwhile those in the industrial complex were influenced by the evaporation of solvents and vehicular emission.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.32-39
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• 2016

Coastal plant species Tetragonia tetragonoides (Pall.) Kuntze native to the Dokdo islands was sampled and then 17 endophytic fungi were purely isolated based on morphological differences. The fungal isolates were characterized by their growth properties under NaCl concentration or pH gradient. Culture filtrates of the 17 fungal isolates were treated to Waito-c rice (WR) seedlings for verifying plant growth-promoting activity. As the results, YH103 strain showed the highest plant growth-promoting activity among them. Phylogenetic analysis of the isolates was done by the maximum likelihood method based on partial internal transcribed spacer region (ITS region: contaning ITS1, 5.8S, and ITS2), beta-tubulin (BenA), and calmodulin (CaM) gene sequences. Chromatographic analysis of the strain YH103 culture filtrate showed the existence of gibberellins ($GA_4$, $GA_7$, $GA_8$, and $GA_{19}$). Finally, the strain YH103 was identified as Aspergillus tubingensis by microscopic observation and molecular analysis and, to our knowledge, this is the first report of GAs producing A. tubingensis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.545-554
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• 2013

Plasmid isolation of kimchi-derived Weissella cibaria KLC140 revealed six different plasmids. The smallest plasmid, pKW2124, was DNA sequenced and characterized, showing 2,126 bp with a GC content of 36.39% and five putative open reading frames (ORFs). In silico analysis of these ORFs showed ORF1 encodes a putative replication protein similar to rolling circular replication proteins from other lactic acid bacteria. However, a single-stranded intermediate was not detected when S1 nuclease was treated, suggesting it may follow theta replication. Interestingly, the replication initiation site of this plasmid is 100% identical to other plasmids from lactic acid bacteria, suggesting it may function for replication initiation. To construct a surface layer expression vector, pTSLGFP, slpA encoding the surface layer protein from Lactobacillus acidophilus was PCR amplified and fused with the gfp gene, forming a SLGFP fused gene. The plasmid pKW2124 was cloned into the XbaI site of pUC19, forming an Weissella-E. coli shuttle vector pKUW22. NheI-linearized pTSLGFP was ligated into pKUWCAT containing pKUW22 and the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene from pEK104, resulting in an 8.6 kb pKWCSLGFP surface layer expression vector. After transformation of this vector into W. cibaria KLC140, a GFP fluorescence signal was detected on the surface of the transformant, substantiating production of SLGFP fused protein and its secretion. This is the first report for construction of a Weissella surface layer expression vector, which may be useful for surface layer production of beneficial proteins in Weissella.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.339-345
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• 2011

BACKGROUND: Recently in Korea, the import of agricultural products is rising due to the increasing amount of trade. Unregistered pesticides, allidochlor, propachlor, propham, cycloate, diallate and pebulate are widely used as pesticides for rice cultivation in foreign countries, while they are not registered in Korea. Therefore, the residue amount of imported agri-foods should be verified using the proper official analytical method for each of them that has not registered in Korea. METHODS AND RESULTS: This work was conducted to apply the official method of Korea Food & Drug Administration (KFDA) for determining multi class pesticide multiresidues in agricultural commodities. Brown rice and orange which have different characteristics as a matrix were selected as representative samples for residue analysis. The recoveries of cycloate, diallate and pebulate by GC/MS in fortified brown rice and orange with levels of 0.04~0.4 mg/kg were ranged from 82.8% to 110.3%. The quantification limits of three pesticides in brown rice and orange were 0.04 mg/kg. CONCLUSION: As a result, this method can surely be used as an official method for routine analysis of unregistered pesticides in Korea for imported agri-food.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.70-77
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• 2003

The optimum conditions for the residue analysis of hydroxyanilide fungicide fenhexamid on cucumber, strawberry and grape were investigated by gas chromatography equipped with electron capture detector (GC-ECD) and the residual amount was determined by sprayed days before harvest. Each samples were extracted with acetone, filtered and concentrated to 50 mL. The concentrated extracts were transferred to dichloromethane and then thoroughly concentrated. The concentrated phase was loaded on the filtration column stuffed with silica gel and purified with acetone:hexane (5:95, 15:85, v/v) mixed solvent. The regression equation and linearity of the standard calibration curves between 0.05~2.00 ng were as follows : cucumber; Y=312.40X+10.26, $R^2=0.9996$, strawberry; Y=313.33X+5.54, $R^2=0.9998$, grape; Y=253.27X-2.23, $R^2=0.9994$. From the standard additional experiments with 0.10 mg/L and 0.40 mg/L, the average recoveries of cucumber, strawberry and grape were 94.8%, 88.1% and 93.7%, respectively and the detection limits were all the same as 0.01 mg/L. Residual amounts in crops were ranged from 0.01 to 0.58 mg/L.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.351-355
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• 2002

Volatile compounds of kimchi-flavored steak sauce were isolated using simultaneous steam distillation and solvent extraction methods and identified by matching mass spectrum and retention index (RI) with the reference data. Twenty-three compounds including five aldehydes, four alcohols, four acids, three sulfur-containing compounds, one ketone, and six others were identified, among which the most abundant compound was eugenol. Sulfides such as dimethyl dis- and trisulfides, and acids such as acetic and dodecanoic acids showed strong effects on the kimchi flavor. Aroma extract dilution analysis with three fold dilution factor shown in over the FD value 34 identified 2-butanal, 2-pentylfuran, methyl-2-propenyl disulfide, and 2-furanmethanol. Strong good aroma was detected in the RI range between 1030 and 1357, bad aroma in RI 1561, sweety aroma in RI 2057, clover aroma of eugenol in RI 2122, and rancid flavor in RI 2251.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.525-535
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• 2021

This study identified material properties through scientific analysis on Jikgeumdan(satin with gold threads) from Donggungbi-Wonsam and the gold threads used in the embroidery. The Donggungbi-Wonsam's base of gold threads were estimated to have used mulberry fiber's Korean paper(Hanji) because non-wood-based fibers were observed. The X-ray spectrometer showed that the Tongsuseulan of Donggungbi-Wonsam was a flat gold thread of pure gold and Jikgeumdan of flat silver thread of its Saekdong and Hansam. High sulfur levels were detected in the flat silver thread, which appeared to have formed silver sulfide by either manufacturing process using sulfur or conservation environment. he dragon insignia's embroidery is also described as two types twisted gold threads; pure gold and alloying-gold and silver. while dragon insignia's border line is decorated with a twisted gold thread of pure gold. In particular, it was investigated that adhesives such as an animal glue, a protein-based compound by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Additionally, XRF and Raman spectroscopy analysis on the mixture substances between the metal surface and the base paper of gold threads identified talc and quartz in the gold threads and Seokganju(hematite) in the flat silver threads.