• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.450-455
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• 1998

Aspergillus oryzae M-2-3 strain (argB$\^$-/) was transformed with pTAalp plasmid which was constructed for expression of the alkaline pretense gene, alpA, and 16 transformants were selected on arginine minus medium. When these transformants were tested for productivity of alkaline proteases using agar plate containing skim milk, the halo was observed around each colony of transformants, but not observed around the host strain in this condition. Southern analysis showed that the pTAalp plasmid having alpA gene was integrated into the chromosome of the host strain. The highest level of alkaline protease production was obtained in the culture filtrate of the transformant No. 14, which was estimated to 80-90% of total secreted proteins, and the enzyme activity was 64-450 times higher than those of host strain and industrial strain. Total nitrogen content and the digestion rate in soybean Koji extracts were also increased to 1.5 times in Aspergillus oryzae transformant No. 14.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.1207-1213
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• 2020

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus). AFB1 is reported to have high thermal stability and is not decomposed by heat treatment during food processing. Therefore, in this study, knowing that AFB1 is metabolized by cytochrome P450 (CYP), our aim was to develop a method to detoxify A. flavus-contaminated maize, under normal temperature and pressure, using Escherichia coli expressing human CYP3A4. First, the metabolic activity of AFB1 by recombinant human CYP3A4 was evaluated. As a result, we confirmed that recombinant human CYP3A4 metabolizes 98% of AFB1. Next, we found that aflatoxin Q1, a metabolite of AFB1 was no longer mutagenic. Furthermore, we revealed that about 50% of the AFB1 metabolic activity can be maintained for 3 months when E. coli expressing human CYP3A4 is freeze-dried in the presence of trehalose. Finally, we found that 80% of AFB1 in A. flavus-contaminated maize was metabolized by E. coli expressing human CYP3A4 in the presence of surfactant triton X-405 at a final concentration of 10% (v/v). From these results, we conclude that AFB1 in A. flavus-contaminated maize can be detoxified under normal temperature and pressure by using E. coli expressing human CYP3A4.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.276-280
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• 2008

To elucidate the effects of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation on molecular properties of ovalbumin, the molecular weight profile, secondary structure and tertiary structure of proteins were examined after irradiation by UV with 254 nm wavelength for 4, 8, 16 and 32 hrs, respectively. UV irradiation of protein solution caused the disruption on the native state of protein molecules. SDS-PAGE and gel permeation chromatography indicated that radiation caused initial fragmentation of polypeptide chains and as a result subsequent aggregation due to cross-linking of protein molecules. Circular dichroism (CD) study showed that UV irradiation caused the change on the secondary structure resulting in decrease of helical structure or compact denature on structure of protein depending on irradiation period. Fluorescence spectroscopy indicated that irradiation quenched the emission intensity excited at 280 nm. These results suggest that UV irradiation affect the molecular properties of ovalbumin and may have potential as a means to change the antigenicity of protein allergen.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.391-396
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• 2009

The percentage of those aged 60 and over is 43.5% among our country's 3,186 thousands farming population, so farm village is getting aging society rapidly. Moreover agricultural competitiveness has being weakened due to labor shortage by degradation in quality of labor configuration from elderly porson. For realisms easy workability, we developed a motor vehicle for agricultural activity. The vehicle has an automatic guidance system which could follows a track of magnetic tape on the floor for easy moving to given working position. We collected data from two guidance sensors, located on front and rear end of the vehicle and calculated displacement and angle deviation from the track. This traveling system was stably controlled with processing information deflection S, angle of deviation, D and angle velocity, Vt = $k_1D$ - $k_2S$ from two guidance sensors attached on front and rear of th motor vehicle. Also this system have been tested under various condition of $k_1$, $k_2$ for comparison on both stepped and turning routes. The results show that traveling performance is best at $k_1$=0.7, $k_2$=3.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2010

The effectiveness of the government regulation on tail-pipe emission for diesel vehicles issued in 2003 in Tokyo was evaluated in this study. Variations in annual average concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nitro-PAHs associated with airborne particulate matter were investigated in connection with the variation in airborne elemental carbon (EC) concentration in downtown Tokyo, Japan in 2006-2007 and in 1997-1998. The annual average concentrations of EC, seven different PAHs, and 1-nitropyrene were found to have decreased significantly from 1997-1998 to 2006-2007. The most prominent decrease in atmospheric concentration was observed for 1-nitropyrene, which is a representative nitro-PAH originating from diesel vehicles. This indicated that the government control has worked to considerably reduce both atmospheric mutagens and airborne particulate matter. In contrast, the concentrations of two nitro-PAHs, 2-nitrofluoranthene and 2-nitropyrene, remained the same. These nitro-PAHs are known to be formed by atmospheric nitration of their parent PAHs, and this result suggested factors other than the concentration of parent PAHs and $NO_2$ affects the degree of atmospheric formation of nitro-PAHs.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 1979

Fungi which produce red pigment were isolated from tapioca chips, Korean Koji, air, and plant leaves. Among the Fungi, T-1 strain was selected as test strain. This strain was identified as a Monatcus sp. by the morphological propeties. Various culture conditions, and physical and physiological characteristics of red pigment were studied. According to the studies of culture conditions, optimum condition was found to be pH 6.5; 4 days of incubation; temperature, 32~33 c: 3.5％ of Tapioca chips powder as carbon source, 0.2％ of sodium nitrate as nitrogen source and 100 ml of medium in the 500 ml Erlenmyer flask at a rotary shaker (rpm180) as aeration condition. Also effective levels of vitamins, amino acids and inorganic compounds was found to be l$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml of folic acid and niacin; 0.3％ of L-arginine, L-glutamic acid and L-proline; and 0.001％ of manganese dioxide giving good results.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.217-226
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• 2015

Metabolite profiles of seven commercial vinegars and two traditional vinegars were performed by gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry with multivariate statistical analysis. During alcohol fermentation, yeast, nuruk, and koji were used as sugars for nutrients and as fermentation substrates. Commercial and traditional vinegars were significantly separated in the principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis. Six sugars and sugar alcohols, three organic acids, and two other components were selected as different metabolites. Target analysis by ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadruple-time-of-flight mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-ion trap-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry were used to detect several metabolites having antioxidant activity, such as cyanidin-3-xylosylrutinoside, cyanidin-3-rutinoside, and quercetin, which were mainly detected in Rural Korean Black raspberry vinegar (RKB). These metabolites contributed to the highest antioxidant activity measured in RKB among the nine vinegars. This study revealed that MS-based metabolite profiling was useful in helping to understand the metabolite differences between commercial and traditional vinegars and to evaluate the association between active compounds of vinegar and antioxidant activity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.896-908
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• 2017

In this study, a total of 58 different kinds of nuruk (a traditional Korean fermentation starter) were prepared, including 46 kinds of restored nuruk from ancient documents. Each nuruk was evaluated by analysis of its saccharification power, and the enzyme activities of glucoamylase, ${\alpha}$-amylase, ${\beta}$-amylase, protease, and ${\beta}$-glucanase. The range of saccharification power (sp) of the restored nuruk ranged between 85 and 565 sp. The diastatic enzymes, ${\alpha}$-amylase, ${\beta}$-amylase, and glucoamylase, were significantly correlated to the saccharification power value; conversely, ${\beta}$-glucanase and protease did not have a correlative relationship with saccarification power. In addition, their brewing properties on chemical and organoleptic aspects of traditional alcoholic beverage production were compared. Each raw and supplementary material contained in nuruk showed its own unique characteristics on Korean alcoholic beverage brewing. For the first time, in this study, the traditional Korean nuruk types mentioned in ancient documents were restored using modernized production methods, and also characterized based on their brewing properties. Our results could be utilized as a basis for further study of traditional alcoholic beverages and their valuable microorganisms.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.126-132
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• 2012

In recent years, serious environmental problems occur in coastal area due to high pollution loads from human activity in land. Marine biomass utilization system therefore has been proposed to prompt material circulation between land and sea. Comprehensive assessment is necessary to determine that the proposed system is suitable and sustainable. This study introduces thermodynamic concept exergy, which expresses energy quality, to describe material and energy flowing in the material circulation system. This study presents material, energy and exergy flows in the material circulation system at Sakai city located in the middle of Osaka in Japan. It is found that exergy helps a better understanding of what is a key role is in exergy-efficient material circulation system.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.99-114
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• 2003

This paper presents a feasible development on a highly accurate quick response adjustable speed drive implementation fur general purpose induction motor which operates on the basis of sensorless slip frequency type vector controlled sine-wave PWM inverter with an automatic tuning machine parameter estimation schemes. In the first place, the sensorless vector control theory on the three-phase voltage source-fed inverter induction motor drive system is developed in slip frequency based vector control principle. In particular, the essential procedure and considerations to measure and estimate the exact stator and rotor circuit parameters of general purpose induction motor are discussed under its operating conditions. The speed regulation characteristics of induction motor operated by the three-phase voltage-fed type current controlled PWM inverter using IGBT's is illustrated and evaluated fur machine parameter variations under the actual conditions of low frequency and high frequency operations for the load torque. In the second place, the variable speed induction motor drive system, employing sensorless vector control scheme which is based on three -phase high frequency carrier PWM inverter with automatic toning estimation schemes of the temperature -dependent and -independent machine circuit parameters, is practically implemented using DSP-based controller. Finally, the dynamic speed response performances for largely changed load torque disturbances as well as steady state speed vs. torque characteristics of this induction motor control implementation are illustrated and discussed from an experimental point of view.