• Title/Summary/Keyword: LIFE FORMS

Search Result 1,185, Processing Time 0.023 seconds

Reducing Phosphorus Release from Paddy Soil by Coal Ash and Phospho-Gypsum Mixture

  • Lee, Chang-Hoon;Lee, Yong-Bok;Lee, Hyub;Ha, Byung-Yun;Kim, Pil-Joo
    • Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
    • /
    • v.24 no.1
    • /
    • pp.12-16
    • /
    • 2005
  • As a silicate source to rice, a coal ash was selected and mixed with phosphor-gypsum (50:50, wt $wt^{-1}$) to reduce the potential of boron toxicity and to supply calcium element. We expected that high con tent of calcium in this mixture might convert water-soluble phosphorus to less soluble forms and then reduce the release of soil phosphorus to surface runoff. The mixture was applied with the rate of 0, 20, 40, and 60 Mg $ha^{-1}$ in paddy soil (Nagdong series, a somewhat excessively drained loamy fine sand) in Daegok, Jinju, Korea The mixture reduced significantly water-soluble phosphorus (W-P) in the surface soils by shifting from W-P and Fe-P to Ca-P and Al-P during whole rice cultivation. In contrast with W-P, plant available phosphorus increased significantly with the mixture application due to high content of phosphorus and silicate in the mixture. The mixture of coal ash and phosphor-gypsum (50:50, wt $wt^{-l}$) would be a good alternative to reduce a phosphorus export in rice paddy soil together with increasing rice yields.

Spectroscopic Techniques for Nondestructive Quality Inspection of Pharmaceutical Products: A Review

  • Kandpal, Lalit Mohan;Park, Eunsoo;Tewari, Jagdish;Cho, Byoung-Kwan
    • Journal of Biosystems Engineering
    • /
    • v.40 no.4
    • /
    • pp.394-408
    • /
    • 2015
  • Spectroscopy is an emerging technology for the quality assessment of pharmaceutical samples, from tablet manufacturing to final quality assurance. The traditional methods for the quality management of pharmaceutical tablets are time consuming and destructive, while spectroscopic techniques allow rapid analysis in a non-destructive manner. The advantage of spectroscopy is that it collects both spatial and spectral information (called hyperspectral imaging), which is useful for the chemical imaging of pharmaceutical samples. These chemical images provide both qualitative and quantitative information on tablet samples. In the pharmaceutics, spectroscopic techniques are used for a variety of applications, such as analysis of the homogeneity of powder samples as well as determination of particle size, product composition, and the concentration, uniformity, and distribution of the active pharmaceutical ingredient in solid tablets. This review paper presents an introduction to the applications of various spectroscopic techniques such as hyperspectroscopy and vibrational spectroscopies (Raman spectroscopy, FT-NIR, and IR spectroscopy) for the quality and safety assessment of pharmaceutical solid dosage forms. In addition, various chemometric techniques that are highly essential for analyzing the spectroscopic data of pharmaceutical samples are also reviewed.

A Spectrophotometric Assay for Cytochrome P450 Monooxygenase Activity

  • Lee, Sung-Eun;Choi, Won-Sik;Park, Byeoung-Soo;Lee, Byung-Ho
    • Applied Biological Chemistry
    • /
    • v.41 no.4
    • /
    • pp.213-217
    • /
    • 1998
  • An assay for cytochrome P450 monooxygenase activity by determination of the products of organophosphate oxidation via inhibition of acetylcholinesterase was described. Extracts from strains of Oryzaephilus surinamensis selected for resistance to chlorpyrifos-methyl (QVOS 102), fenitrothion (VOS F) and malathion (VOS 3), and a standard susceptible strain VOS 48, were incubated with an organophosphate in the presence of a NADPH-generating system and acetylcholinesterase. The degree of inhibition of the acetylchoinesterase activity was converted to manooxygenase activity using standard curves for the inhibition of acetylcholiesterase by chlorpyrifos-methyl-oxon, fenitrooxon and malaoxan. Activity was detectable in VOS 48 and was present at different increased levels with the different organophosphates in the three resistant strains, suggesting that different forms of P450 might be involved in organophosphate oxidation in these insects. The assays were carried out using crude insect homogenates and much smaller samples of insect material than the standard aldrin to dieldrin assay. It should be possible to use the method for determination of monooxygenase activity in single insert.

  • PDF

Storage of Bull and Boar Semen: Novel Concepts Derived Using Magnetized Water and Antioxidants

  • Lee, Sang-Hee;Cheong, Hee-Tae;Yang, Boo-Keun;Park, Choon-Keun
    • Reproductive and Developmental Biology
    • /
    • v.38 no.1
    • /
    • pp.1-8
    • /
    • 2014
  • Artificial insemination technique has been contributed immensely for production of livestock worldwide as a critical assisted reproductive technique to preserve and propagate excellent genes in domestic animal industry. In the past decade, methods for semen preservation have been improved mostly in liquid preservation method for boar semen and freezing method for bull semen. Among many factors affecting semen quality during preservation, reactive oxygen species, produced by aerobic respiration in sperm for survival and motility, are unfavorable to sperm physiology. In mammalian cell as well as in the sperm, antioxidant system plays a role in degradation of reactive oxygen species. Magnetized water forms smaller stabilizing water clusters, resulting in high absorption and permeability of the cell for water, implicating its application for semen preservation. Therefore, this review focuses on preservation methods of boar and bull semen with respect to improvement of extender and reduction of reactive oxygen species by using magnetized water and supplementation of antioxidants.

Neuraminidase Inhibitors from Mushroom Microphorus affinis

  • Kim, Kyung-Bum;Kim, Sang-In;Song, Kyung-Sik
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
    • /
    • v.13 no.5
    • /
    • pp.778-782
    • /
    • 2003
  • In the course of screening anti-influenza agents from natural products, four neuraminidase inhibitors were isolated from the methanol extract of mushroom Microphorus affinis by purification using solvent partition, silica gel column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20, and semi-preparative HPLC. The chemical structures of these compounds were identified as ${\alpha}-lupeol$, methyl linoleate, methyl palmitate, and methyl oleate by means of spectral data including GC-MS, $^1H-,\;and\;^{13}C-NMR\;with\;IC_{50}$ values of 5.65, 7.07, 7.12, and $7.52\;\mu\textrm{M}$, respectively. They did not inhibit other glycosidases such as glucosidase, mannosidase, and galactosidase, indicating that they were relatively specific inhibitors of neuraminidase. The relationship between the fatty acid structure and inhibitory activity was investigated. The result showed that, in the case of an aliphatic linear hydrocarbon skeleton, at least one carboxyl (presumably any carbonyl) moiety and sixteen carbons were the necessary requirements for potent inhibition, whereas saturated, unsaturated, free, and ester forms did not have any significant effect on the activity.

A Study on the Life, Works and Distinctive Features of Gogobong(高鼓峰)'s medicine (고고봉(高鼓峰)의 생애(生涯), 저서(著書) 및 의학내용(醫學內容)에 관한 고찰)

  • Jung, Han;Jo, Hak-Jun
    • Journal of Korean Medical classics
    • /
    • v.23 no.3
    • /
    • pp.49-67
    • /
    • 2010
  • The actual name of Gogobong is Du-goe, also known as Dan-jung, his pseudonym. He is the author of "Uigasimbeop(醫家心法)", an abstract of his clinical pathology throughout his life and "Chwimopyeon(吹毛編)", a medical chart based on his researches. The chapter 25 Bangrons[二十五方論] is included within the text, which shows attempts on explaining diseases and treatments of the internal organs based on theories on the relations of generation and restriction of the five elements. Influenced by Joheonga(趙獻可), one of the well known Onbo(溫補) scholars-concerning the importance of warming and invigorating the body-of the Myeong-dynasty, his main treatments were forms of warming and invigorating the yang and physical debility, hence strengthen the primordial energy. "Uigasimbeop(醫家心法)" was later on renamed to "Samyeongsimbeop(四明心法)" by Yangseungryuk(楊乘六). The following paper deals on his life, publishment, distinct features of his medical science based on his epitaph and works.

Omega Rhodopsins: A Versatile Class of Microbial Rhodopsins

  • Kwon, Soon-Kyeong;Jun, Sung-Hoon;Kim, Jihyun F.
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
    • /
    • v.30 no.5
    • /
    • pp.633-641
    • /
    • 2020
  • Microbial rhodopsins are a superfamily of photoactive membrane proteins with the covalently bound retinal cofactor. Isomerization of the retinal chromophore upon absorption of a photon triggers conformational changes of the protein to function as ion pumps or sensors. After the discovery of proteorhodopsin in an uncultivated γ-proteobacterium, light-activated proton pumps have been widely detected among marine bacteria and, together with chlorophyll-based photosynthesis, are considered as an important axis responsible for primary production in the biosphere. Rhodopsins and related proteins show a high level of phylogenetic diversity; we focus on a specific class of bacterial rhodopsins containing the '3 omega motif.' This motif forms a stack of three non-consecutive aromatic amino acids that correlates with the B-C loop orientation and is shared among the phylogenetically close ion pumps such as the NDQ motif-containing sodium-pumping rhodopsin, the NTQ motif-containing chloride-pumping rhodopsin, and some proton-pumping rhodopsins including xanthorhodopsin. Here, we reviewed the recent research progress on these 'omega rhodopsins,' and speculated on their evolutionary origin of functional diversity.

Natural Variation in Virulence of Acidovorax citrulli Isolates That Cause Bacterial Fruit Blotch in Watermelon, Depending on Infection Routes

  • Song, Yu-Rim;Hwang, In Sun;Oh, Chang-Sik
    • The Plant Pathology Journal
    • /
    • v.36 no.1
    • /
    • pp.29-42
    • /
    • 2020
  • Acidovorax citrulli causes bacterial fruit blotch in Cucurbitaceae, including watermelon. Although A. citrulli is a seed-borne pathogen, it can cause diverse symptoms in other plant organs like leaves, stems and fruits. To determine the infection routes of A. citrulli, we examined the virulence of six isolates (Ac0, Ac1, Ac2, Ac4, Ac8, and Ac11) on watermelon using several inoculation methods. Among six isolates, DNA polymorphism reveals that three isolates Ac0, Ac1, and Ac4 belong to Clonal Complex (CC) group II and the others do CC group I. Ac0, Ac4, and Ac8 isolates efficiently infected seeds during germination in soil, and Ac0 and Ac4 also infected the roots of watermelon seedlings wounded prior to inoculation. Infection through leaves was successful only by three isolates belonging to CC group II, and two of these also infected the mature watermelon fruits. Ac2 did not cause the disease in all assays. Interestingly, three putative type III effectors (Aave_2166, Aave_2708, and Aave_3062) with intact forms were only found in CC group II. Overall, our results indicate that A. citrulli can infect watermelons through diverse routes, and the CC grouping of A. citrulli was only correlated with virulence in leaf infection assays.

The Localization of Cytokeratin 19 and Vimentin in Sprague Dawley Albino Rat Skin Tissue

  • Kim, Tae Keun;Kim, Yong Joo;Min, Byoung Hoon;Kim, Soo Jin
    • Applied Microscopy
    • /
    • v.44 no.1
    • /
    • pp.15-20
    • /
    • 2014
  • Cytokeratin 19 (CK19) expressed in epidermis of skin, bulge region of hair follicle, outermost layer of outer root sheath and proximal and distal to bulge. Vimentin is a fibrous protein that localized in cytoplasm of fibroblast and forms cytoskeleton to maintain shape of cell and nucleus. In this study, CK19 and vimentin in skin were confirmed with light, fluorescence and transmission electron microscope. As a result, CK19 was localized epidermis, hair follicles, outer root sheath and nucleus of Merkel's cell. However, vimentin was localized some epidermis, dermis, hypodermis and nucleus of Merkel's cell. The role of CK19 is self-renewal and homeostasis in skin. Also, hair follicle regeneration and hair growth is known to be related. It is supposed that required of structural proteins that make up cytoskeleton is increased. Thereby, expression of CK19 is increased. It is considered that vimentin localized in order to stabilize structure of cell and cytoskeleton of fibroblasts. Also, CK19 and vimentin present in nuclei of Merkel's cell, and to act as a fibrous protein that make up end of a nerve fiber present in Merkel's cell and paracrine function of Merkel's cell.

Database Design for IoT-based Greenhouse Systems

  • Kang, Chunghan;Yu, Seulgi;Moon, Junghoon
    • Agribusiness and Information Management
    • /
    • v.7 no.2
    • /
    • pp.12-18
    • /
    • 2015
  • Since 2000s, proper utilization of IoT (Internet of Things) technology is a key factor for a firm to become more competitive, and this stream is not exceptional for the food and agriculture industry. Along with this stream, Korea government organization, for example MAFRA (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs), elected to adopt IoT technology, such as USN and RFID technologies, in the food and agriculture industry. Based on the IoT technology, MAFARA launched six "IoT based farm" project in 2007. IoT based farm project includes IoT based greenhouse system project, and it shows drastic efficiency in terms of cost reduction. When it comes to the productivity, however, the effect of IoT based greenhouse system is still ambiguous. In this regard, this study conducted systems analysis and design for IoT based tomato greenhouse in order to help farmers' decision making related to the productivity by establishing standardized database structure and designing output form to analyze productivity indices. Proposed systems analysis and design can be utilized as a data analysis tools by farmers. Productivity data from the proposed systems is can be used by researchers to identify the relationship among environment, plant growth and productivity. Policy makers also can refer to the data and output forms to predict the quantity of fruit during certain period and to revise production guideline more precisely.