• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.1-11
• /
• 2000

A study on the variational characteristics of water quality and phytoplankton biomass by principal component analysis(PCA) was carried out in Kogum-sudo from February to October in 1993. We analyzed PCA on biological factors such as chlorophyll a and phytoplankton cell numbers for centric and pennate diatoms, phytoflagellates, and total phytoplankton as well as physico-chemical factors as water temperature, salinity, transparency, dissolved oxygen(DO), saturation of DO, apparent oxygen utilization (AOU), chemical oxygen demand(COD), nutrient (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate and silicate), N/P ratio and suspended solid(SS). The source of nutrients supply depended on the mineralization of organic matters and inputs of seawater from outside rather than runoff of freshwater. The phytoplankton biomass was changed within short interval period by nutrients change. And it was controlled by the combination of several environmental factors, especially of light intensity, ammonia and phosphate. The marine environmental characteristics were determined by the mineralization of organic matters in winter, by runoff of freshwater including high nutrients concentration in spring, by ammonia uptake and high phytoplankton productivity in summer, and phosphate supplied input seawater from outside of Kogeum-sudo in autumn. And Kogum-sudo was separated with 2 regions by score distributions of PCA. That is to say, one region was middle parts of straits which was characterized by the mixing seawater and the accumulated organic matters, other one region was Pungnam Bay and the water around Kogum Island which was done by high phytoplankyon biomass and productivity year-round.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.31-37
• /
• 2005

To find out temporal variations of net photosynthetic rate (NPR) of intertidal flats, we measured oxygen microprofiles in sediments with oxygen microsensors 4 times from December 2003 to June 2004. The study areas were the intertidial flats in Janghwa-ri and Dongmak-ri, located on the southwestern and the southern parts of Ganghwa-gun, respectively, and in Incheon North Harbor where the content of organic matter was relatively high. During the investigation, oxygen penetration depths in the tidal flats of Janghwa-ri and Dongmak-ri were high in December (mean values of 4.0-4.1 mm). Thereafter, the oxygen penetration depths declined to mean values of 2.2-2.8 mm and 1.6-1.8 mm in the two tidal flats. Interestingly, the oxygen penetration depths in the Incheon North Harbor tidal flat showed a lower range $(0.8{\pm}0.3\;mm;\;mean{\pm}1SD)$ over the period. The maximum NPR in the Dongmak-ri tidal flat was found in March $(11.1{\pm}2.8\;mmol\;O_2\;m^{-2}\;h^{-1})$, and those In Janghwa-ri $(6.1{\pm}4.1\;mmol\;O_2\;m^{-2}\;h^{-1})$ and Incheon North Harbor $(6.4{\pm}1.4\;mmol\;O_2\;m^{-2}\;h^{-1})$ were observed in May. During the period when NPR was most active, the highest oxygen concentration was found at 0.1-0.5 mm depth below the surface sediment, and was on average 1.8-3.2 times higher than the air-saturated oxygen concentration in the overlying seawater. Although we took into account of low in situ light intensity $(400{\mu}Einst\;m^{-2}\;s^{-1})$ during the investigation in June, NPR in the 3 study areas decreased significantly to less than $0.2\;mmol\;O_2\;m^{-2}\;h^{-1})$. Thus, temporal variations of NPR were somewhat different among the tidal flats. Generally, benthic primary producers inhabiting in the uppermost 0.5 mm of the sediment showed a peak photosynthetic activity in the study areas in spring. This is the first domestic report on photosynthetic rates of benthic microflora in the tidal flats with oxygen microsensors, and the use of the microsensor can be widely applied to measurements of benthic primary production of a tidal flat and the oxygen consumption rate of surficial sediments.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
• /
• v.45 no.3
• /
• pp.101-110
• /
• 2015

Purpose: Sclerostin, an inhibitor of Wnt/${\beta}$-catenin signaling, exerts negative effects on bone formation and contributes to periodontitis-induced alveolar bone loss. Recent studies have demonstrated that serum sclerostin levels are increased in diabetic patients and that sclerostin expression in alveolar bone is enhanced in a diabetic periodontitis model. However, the molecular mechanism of how sclerostin expression is enhanced in diabetic patients remains elusive. Therefore, in this study, the effect of hyperglycemia on the expression of sclerostin in osteoblast lineage cells was examined. Methods: C2C12 and MLO-Y4 cells were used in this study. In order to examine the effect of hyperglycemia, the glucose concentration in the culture medium was adjusted to a range of levels between 40 and 100 mM. Gene expression levels were examined by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot assays. Top-Flash reporter was used to examine the transcriptional activity of the ${\beta}$-catenin/lymphoid enhanced factor/T-cell factor complex. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha ($TNF{\alpha}$) protein levels were examined with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The effect of reactive oxygen species on sclerostin expression was examined by treating cells with 1 mM $H_2O_2$ or 20 mM N-acetylcysteine. Results: The high glucose treatment increased the mRNA and protein levels of sclerostin. High glucose suppressed Wnt3a-induced Top-Flash reporter activity and the expression levels of osteoblast marker genes. High glucose increased reactive oxygen species production and $TNF{\alpha}$ expression levels. Treatment of cells with $H_2O_2$ also enhanced the expression levels of $TNF{\alpha}$ and sclerostin. In addition, N-acetylcysteine treatment or knockdown of $TNF{\alpha}$ attenuated high glucose-induced sclerostin expression. Conclusions: These results suggest that hyperglycemia increases sclerostin expression via the enhanced production of reactive oxygen species and $TNF{\alpha}$.

• Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.75-81
• /
• 2014

Methanotrophic denitrification under a non-aerated condition (without external supply of oxygen or air) was investigated in a bioreactor coupled with a membrane diffuser. Batch experiment demonstrated that both methane consumption and nitrogen production rates were not high in the absence of oxygen, but most of the nitrate was reduced into $N_2$ with 88% recovery efficiency. The methane utilized for nitrate reduction was determined at 1.63 mmol $CH_4$/mmol $NO_3{^-}$-N, which was 2.6 times higher than the theoretical value. In spite of no oxygen supply, methanotrophic denitrification was well performed in the bioreactor, due to enhanced mass transfer of the methane by the membrane diffuser and utilization of oxygen remaining in the influent. The denitrification efficiency and specific denitrification rate were 47% and 1.69 mg $NO_3{^-}-N/g\;VSS{\cdot}hr$, respectively, which were slightly lower than for methanotrophic denitrification under an aerobic condition. The average concentration of total organic carbon in the effluent was as low as 2.45 mg/L, which indicates that it can be applicable as a post-denitrification method for the reclamation of secondary wastewater effluent. The dominant fatty acid methyl ester of mixed culture in the bioreactor was $C_{16:1{\omega}7c}$ and $C_{18:1{\omega}7c}$, which was predominantly found in type I and II methanotrophs, respectively. This study presents the potential of methanotrophic denitrification without externally excess oxygen supply as a post-denitrification option for various water treatment or reclamation.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.128-134
• /
• 2017

This work presents the adsorption capability of green tea and ginseng leaves to adsorb heavy metals such as Cd(II), Cu(II), and Pb(II) in aqueous solution. FT-IR analysis indicates the presence of oxygen containing functional groups (carboxyl groups) in two kinds of leaves. High pH condition was favorable to the adsorption of heavy metal ions due to the enhanced electrostatic attraction and the precipitation reaction of metal ions. The adsorption of Cd(II), Cu(II), and Pb(II) reached equilibrium within 10 min, achieving high removal efficiencies of 80.3-97.5%. The adsorption kinetics data of heavy metal ions were fitted well with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The maximum adsorption amounts of Cd(II), Cu(II), and Pb(II) ions were 8, 3.5, and 15 mg/g, respectively, in the initial concentration range from 0.15 to 0.75 mM. Based on the fitting data obtained from isotherm models, heavy metal adsorption by green tea and ginseng leaves could occur via multi-layer sorption.

• Polymer(Korea)
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.453-458
• /
• 2000

The permeability of oxygen and nitrogen was investigated from the polymeric LB films containing imidazole-metal ion complexes and compared with its corresponding cast films on porous membrane filters. The amphiphilic polymer, poly(N- (2-(4-imidazolyl)ethyl)-maleimide-alt-1-octadecene) (IM-O), was synthesized by reaction of poly(maleic anhydride-alt-1-octadecene) with histamine. The IM-O nonolayer showed high stability on Fe (III) ion-containing subphase. The molecular structure in the LB films was investigated by means of FT-IR spectroscopy. The metal ion concentration incorporated into the LB films was determined by means of XPS measurements. The mechanical stability and uniformity of the LB films on porous substrates were indirectly evidenced by SEM observation. The LB and cast films showed more or less higher selectivity toward nitrogen, and high permeability was found to both the oxygen and nitrogen.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
• /
• 2000.04a
• /
• pp.6-7
• /
• 2000

Recently, free radicals such as active oxygen species, nitric oxide, etc are believed to be one of the key substances in physiological and pathological, toxicological phenomena, and oxidative damages, and all organism have defencing system against such as free radicals. Formation and extinction of free radicals may be regulated through bio-redox system, in which various enzymes and compounds should be involved in very complicated manner. Thus, direct and non-invasive measurement of in vivo free radical reactions with living animals must be essential to understand the role of free radicals in pathophysiological phenomena. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR) is very selective and sensitive technique to detect free radicals, but a conventional ESR spectrometer has large detect in application to living animals, since high frequent microwave is absorbed with water, resulting in generation of high fever in living body. In order to estimate in vivo free radical reactions in living whole animals, we develop in vivo ESR-CT technique using nitroxide radicals as spin probes. Nitroxide radicals and their reduced forms, hydroxylamines, are known to interact with various redox systems. We found that! ! the signal decay due to reduction of nitroxyl radicals is influenced by aging, inspired oxygen concentration, ischemia-referfusion injury, radiation, etc. In the present paper, I will introduce in vivo ESR technique and my laboratory recent results concerning non-invasive evaluation of free radical reactions in living mice.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
• /
• v.24 no.5
• /
• pp.351-359
• /
• 2016

Background: We investigated the optimal aqueous extraction conditions for recovery of high yields of total phenolic compounds from roots of Arctium lappa L. (burdock, Asteraceae), and we compared their antioxidant capacity. Methods and Results: The antioxidant activity of the extracts was tested using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)-diammonium salt, and oxygen radical absorbance capacity assays. In addition, the major phenolic compounds present in the extracts were determined by high performance liquid chromatography analysis. Our results suggest that the roasted burdock $100^{\circ}C$, 15 min extract exhibited the strongest radical scavenging activity and possessed the highest concentration of phenolic compounds. The polyphenol content of both dried burdock and roasted burdock significantly increased with increase in the extraction temperature and time. Conclusions: These results indicated a relationship between phenolic compound levels in burdock and their free radical scavenging activities. This suggests that phenolic compounds significantly increase the antioxidant potential of burdock extracts.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.80-85
• /
• 2013

The bacterial community structure in a biological reactor fed influent from a wastewater treatment system was investigated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and in situ hybridization. Sludges were collected from three biological reactors (aerobic, oxic, and anoxic tanks) at the M wastewater treatment facility (WTF). The influent of the MWTF consisted of mixed tannery wastewater (40~65%) and seafood wastewater (35~60%). The treatment processes resulted in a removal efficiency for BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) and COD (chemical oxygen demand) of 83.6~98.2% and 72.8~84.6%, respectively for tannery wastewater than for seafood wastewater resulted in greater survival of biomass in the biological reactors and a higher removal of BOD, COD, and T-N of about 8~18%. In contrast, addition of greater amounts of seafood wastewater decreased the amount of biomass in the bioreactors due to the increasing concentration of chromium from that wastewater and it also. The dominant bacterial species during the high seafood wastewater input period were Burkholderia cepacia (JX901049) and an uncultured bacterium (JF247555), while Pseudomonas geniculata (HQ256559) was dominant during the high tannery wastewater input period. Flavobacteriumsp. BF.107 (FM173271) and Hyphomicrobium zavarzinii (Y14306) were dominant under anoxic conditions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2013.08a
• /
• pp.70-70
• /
• 2013

As the costs of carbon-footprinetd fuels grow continuously and simultaneously atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration increases, solar fuels are receiving growing attention as alternative clean energy carriers. These fuels include molecular hydrogen and hydrogen peroxide produced from water, and hydrocarbons converted from carbon dioxide. For high efficiency solar fuel production, not only light absorbers (oxide semiconductors, Si, inorganic complexes, etc) should absorb most sunlight, but also charge separation and interfacial charge transfers need to occur efficiently. With this in mind, this talk will introduce the fundamentals of solar fuel production and artificial photosynthesis, and then discuss in detail on photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting and CO2 conversion. This talk largely divides into two section: PEC water oxidation and PEC CO2 reduction. The former is very important for proton-coupled electron transfer to CO2. For this oxidation, a variety of oxide semiconductors have been tested including TiO2, ZnO, WO3, BiVO4, and Fe2O3. Although they are essentially capable of oxidizing water into molecular oxygen, the efficiency is very low primarily because of high overpotentials and slow kinetics. This challenge has been overcome by coupling with oxygen evolving catalysts (OECs) and/or doping donor elements. In the latter, surface-modified p-Si electrodes are fabricated to absorb visible light and catalyze the CO2 reduction. For modification, metal nanoparticles are electrodeposited on the p-Si and their PEC performance is compared.