• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.18-25
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• 2020

This study was designed to investigate whether Loranthus parasiticus extract (LPE) could inhibit the activities of carbohydrate digestive enzymes and alleviate postprandial hyperglycemia in diabetic mice. Lyophilized L. parasiticus was extracted with 80% ethanol and concentrated. The inhibitory effects of LPE on carbohydrate digestive enzymes were evaluated by examining α-glucosidase and αamylase, and it was seen to inhibit the activities of both enzymes in a dose-dependent manner. More specifically, the IC50 values of LPE against α-glucosidase and α-amylase were 0.121±0.007 and 0.157±0.004 mg/ml, respectively, significantly lower than those of acarbose, showing that LPE has stronger inhibitory effects than the positive control. These results suggest that LPE strongly inhibits the activities of these digestive enzymes. Blood glucose levels in the control group of diabetic mice increased to 490.00±28.52 mg/dl and 474.60±25.30 mg/dl at 60 and 120 min after a meal, respectively. However, when LPE was added to starch, postprandial blood glucose levels were significantly reduced (463.0±23.73 and 418.5±24.50 mg/dl at 60 and 120 min, respectively; p<0.05). The area under the curve also significantly decreased following administration of LPE, with no cytotoxicity. These results therefore indicate that LPE could be used as an α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitor and delay carbohydrate digestion and, thus, glucose absorption after a meal.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.351-356
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• 2018

L-Serine dehydratase (LSD) is an iron-sulfur containing enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of L-serine to pyruvate and ammonia. Among the bacterial amino acid dehydratases, it appears that only the L-serine specific enzymes utilize an iron-sulfur cluster at their catalytic site. Moreover, bacterial LSDs are classified into four types based on structural characteristics and domain arrangement. To date, only the LSD enzymes from a few bacterial strains have been studied, but more detailed investigations are required to understand the catalytic mechanism of various bacterial LSDs. In this study, LSD type II from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MtLSD) H37Rv was expressed and purified to elucidate the biochemical and catalytic properties using the enzyme kinetic method. The L-serine saturation curve of MtLSD exhibited a typically sigmoid character, indicating an allosteric cooperativity. The values of $K_m$ and $k_{cat}$ were estimated to be $59.35{\pm}1.23mM$ and $18.12{\pm}0.20s^{-1}$, respectively. Moreover, the plot of initial velocity versus D-serine concentration at fixed L-serine concentrations showed a non-linear hyperbola decay shape and exhibited a competitive inhibition for D-serine with an apparent $K_i$ value of $30.46{\pm}5.93mM$ and with no change in the $k_{cat}$ value. These results provide insightful biochemical information regarding the catalytic properties and the substrate specificity of MtLSD.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.980-985
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• 2008

This study was carried out to develope an alcoholic drink by fermentation of onion extract using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The optimal conditions for ethanol production were obtained by standing culture at $25^{\circ}C$ for 5 days with 5% inoculum volume. At the results by flask culture, the growth curve of used S. cerevisiae reached to the stantionary phase at 48 hr and the death phase at 90 hr, whereas ethanol production reached maximum at 114 hr. Under the above conditions, a large scale production was carried out. A standing culture in 5 l fermenter showed the similar results to its flask culture, but progressed 24 hr rapidly more than that of the flask culture. A fed-batch culture was performed by addition of the onionic medium supplemented with 10% (v/v) sucrose after 72 hr from the fermenting start. The fed-batch culture could prevent S. cerevisiae from entering into the death phase and maintain constant level of alcohol production. A continuous culture was able to carry out by adding per every 24 hr the onionic medium supplemented with 10% (v/v) sucrose after 72 hr from the fermenting start. Although S. cerevisiae used showed a little decreased growth, alcohol production maintained roughly the constant level at the maximum yield. To enhance the quality of this alcoholic drink, $2-O-{\alpha}-D-glucopyranosyl$ L-ascorbic acid (AA-2G) was supplemented into the onion extract of the substrate for fermentation. As resulted at this study, this alcoholic drink containing AA-2G should be used as a functional fermented alcohol drink strengthened with vitamin C.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 2006

There are two types of metal hydride electrodes as a negative electrode in a Ni-MH battery, $AB_2$ Zr-based Laves phases and $AB_5$ LM(La-rich mischmetal)-based alloys. The $AB_5$ alloy electrodes have characteristic properties such as a large discharge capacity per volume, easiness in activation, long cycle life and a low cost of alloy. However they have a relatively small discharge capacity per weight. The $AB_2$alloy electrodes have a much higher discharge capacity per weight than $AB_5$ alloy electrodes, however they have some disadvantages of poor activation behavior and cycle life. Therefore, in order to improve the discharge capacity of the $AB_5$ alloy electrode the Zr, Ti and V which are the alloying elements of the $AB_2$ alloys were added to the $LaNi_{3.6}Ai_{0.4}Co_{0.7}Mn_{0.3}$ alloy which was chosen as a $AB_5$ alloy with a high capacity. The addition of Zr, Ti and V to $LaNi_{3.6}Ai_{0.4}Co_{0.7}Mn_{0.3}$ alloy improved the activation to be completed in two cycles. The discharge capacities of Zr 0.02, Ti 0.02 and V 0.1 alloys in $LaNi_{3.6}Ai_{0.4}Co_{0.7}Mn_{0.3}M_y$ (M = Zr, Ti, V) were respectively 346, 348 and 366 mAh/g alloy. The alloy electrodes, Zr 0.02, Ti 0.05 and V 0.1 in $LaNi_{3.6}Ai_{0.4}Co_{0.7}Mn_{0.3}M_y$ (M = Zr, Ti, V), have shown good cycle property after 200 cycles. The rate capability of the $LaNi_{3.6}Ai_{0.4}Co_{0.7}Mn_{0.3}M_y$ (M = Zr, Ti, V) alloy electrodes were very good until 0.6 C rate and the alloys, Zr 0.02, Ti 0.05 and V 0.1, have shown the best result as 92 % at 2.4 C rate. The charge retention property of the $LaNi_{3.6}Ai_{0.4}Co_{0.7}Mn_{0.3}M_y$ (M = Zr, Ti, V) alloys was not good and the alloys with M content from 0.02 to 0.05 showed better charge retention properties.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.644-654
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• 2016

Supervised residue trials for mandipropamid in Korean cabbage(Brassica campestris L.) were conducted to establish its pre-harvest residue limit (PHRL), a criterion to ensure the safety of the terminal pesticide residue during cabbage production. Tissues of Korean cabbage were collected at 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 days after mandipropamid application and subjected to residue analysis. The analytical method was validated by recoveries ranging from 88.2-92.2% at two levels (0.4 and $2.0mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}$), and a limit of quantitation (LOQ) of $0.04mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}$. Mandipropamid residues in Korean cabbage gradually decreased over time. The dissipation rate of the residue would be affected by intrinsic degradation of the compound along with dilution resulting from the fast growth of Korean cabbage. The decay pattern was well fitted by simple first-order kinetics. Biological half-lives of mandipropamid in Korean cabbage ranged from 3.9-4.0 days in two field conditions. Calculated by the regression curve of mandipropamid dissipation, the PHRLs of mandipropamid in Korean cabbage were recommended as 11.07-12.19 and $5.76-6.05mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ for 10 and 5 days prior to harvest, respectively.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.179-184
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• 2009

Zinc is an essential trace element for human and plays an important biological role in antioxidant properties. We have been reported that zinc-enriched S. cerevisiae FF-10 contained 392 mg% in the YM basal and 3,193 mg% in the YM optimal medium. Antioxidative activity of FF-10 was tested in vitro models by DPPH (${\alpha},{\alpha}'$-diphenyl-${\beta}$-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity and lipid peroxidation using linoleic acid (LA) and rat liver homogenate. DPPH radical scavenging activity was higher in the cell-free extract of FF-10 cultured in the YM optimal medium (YMOM) than that in the YM basal medium (YMBM). The inhibition activity of lipid peroxidation using rat liver homogenate was shown in the following order: BHT > YMOM > YMBM and these values were dose dependently. The lipid peroxidation of the control mixture by ferric thiocyanate and TBA methods using LA was increased rapidly as typical peroxidation curve of LA from one day and the antioxidation activity of the cell free extracts by cultivating FF-10 in the YMOM were higher than that of the YMBM. Result of this study indicate that the cell-free extracts containing a high intercellular zinc of S. cerevisiae FF-10 cultured in YMOM showed strong antioxidation capacities in DPPH radical scavenging activity and lipid peroxidation using LA and rat liver homogenate.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2017

Glycosyl aesculin, a potent anti-inflammatory agent, was synthesized by transglycosylation reaction, catalyzed by Thermotoga neapolitana ${\beta}-glucosidase$, with aesculin as an acceptor. The key reaction parameters were optimized using response-surface methodology (RSM) and $2{\mu}g$ of the enzyme. As shown by a statistical analysis, a second-order polynomial model fitted well to the data (p<0.05). The response surface curve for the interaction between aesculin and other parameters revealed that the aesculin concentration and reaction time were the primary factors that affected the yield of glycosyl aesculin. Among the tested factors, the optimum values for glycosyl aesculin production were as follows: aesculin concentration of 9.5 g/l, temperature of $84^{\circ}C$, reaction time of 81 min, and pH of 8.2. Under these conditions, 61.7% of glycosyl aesculin was obtained, with a predicted yield of 5.86 g/l. The maximum amount of glycosyl aesculin was 6.02 g/l. Good agreement between the predicted and experimental results confirmed the validity of the RSM. The optimization of reaction conditions by RSM resulted in a 1.6-fold increase in the production of glycosyl aesculin as compared to the yield before optimization. These results indicate that RSM can be effectively used for process optimization in the synthesis of a variety of biologically active glycosides using bacterial glycosidases.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2011

$5HT_{2C}$ receptor among fourteen 5-HT subtypes plays important roles in several disorders such as depression, anxiety, epilepsy, schizophrenia and sleep disorders. The purpose of the study is to investigate pharmacokinetic parameters and bioavailability of a newly synthesized selective agonist of $5-HT_{2C}$ receptor, KOPC-20010 (KP10) in rats after intravenous and oral administration for the development of therapeutic anti-obesity agents. KP10 was administered orally (40 mg/kg) or intravenously (20 mg/kg), blood was collected via a catheter, and analyzed by GC/MSD. The calibration curve of KP10 in plasma and urine showed high linearity ($r^2$ >0.999). The retention times of KP10 in plasma and urine were 8.7 and 9.7 min, respectively. After oral administration of 40 mg/kg, pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated as follows; $C_{max}$ value was $1242.9{\pm}1195.5$ ng/mL at $1.1{\pm}0.6$ hr ($T_{max}$). $AUC_{0->24hr}$ and $AUC_{0>{\infty}}$ were $8034.2{\pm}960.7$ and $10464.1{\pm}681.5\;ng{\cdot}hr/mL$, respectively. The terminal half-life was $21.9{\pm}7.6$ hr. $AUC_{0->24hr}$ and $AUC_{0>{\infty}}$ were $4292.4{\pm}523.0$ and $6111.2{\pm}756.2\;ng{\cdot}hr/mL$, respectively, after 20 mg/kg of intravenous administration. The terminal half-life after intravenous administration was $25.1{\pm}9.4$ hr. Bioavailability of KP10 was determined to 86%. The excretion amount into the urine within 48 hr was approximately 4.7 to 6.7% of the dose administered. These data may be beneficial to the anti-obesity drug development of KP10.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.155-165
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• 2012

This study was performed to offer the data for design of the seedling bed transfer equipment to make the automation of working process in a plant factory. The seedling bed transfer equipment pushing the seedling bed with bearing wheels on the rail for interconnecting each working process by a pneumatic cylinder was made and examined. The examined transfer force to push the seedling bed with a weight of 178.9 N by the pneumatic cylinder with length of 60 cm and section area of 5 $cm^2$ was measured by experiments. The examined transfer forces was compared with theoretical ones calculated by the theoretical formula derived from dynamic system analysis according to the number of the seedling bed and pushing speed of the pneumatic cylinder head at no load. The transfer function of the equipment with the input variable as the pushing speed $V_{h0}$(m/s) and the output variable as the transfer force f(t)(N) was represented as $F(s)=(V_{h0}/k)(s+B/M)/(s(s^2+Bs/M+1/(kM))$ where M(kg), k(m/N) and B(Ns/m) are the mass of the bed, the compression coefficient of the pneumatic cylinder and the dynamic friction coefficient between the seedling bed and the rail, respectively. The examined transfer force curves and the theoretical ones were represented similar wave forms as to use the theoretical formular to design the device for the seedling bed transfer. The condition of no vibration of the transfer force curve was $kB^2>4M$. The condition of transferring the bed by the repeatable impact and vibration force according to difference of transfer distance of the pneumatic cylinder head from that of the bed was as $Ce^{-\frac{3{\pi}D}{2\omega}}<-1$, where ${\omega}=\sqrt{\frac{1}{kM}-\frac{B^2}{4M^2}}$, $C=\{\frac{\frac{B}{2M}-\frac{1}{kB}}{\omega}\}$, $D=\frac{B}{2M}$. The examined mean peak transfer force represented 4 times of the stead state transfer force. Therefore it seemed that the transfer force of the pneumatic cylinder required for design of the push device was 4Bv where v is the pushing speed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.33-49
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• 2015

The objective of this study was to predict land use change based on the land use change scenarios for the Hwangguji river watershed, South Korea. The land use change scenario was derived from the representative concentration pathways (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. The CLUE (conversion of land use and its effects) model was used to simulate the land use change. The CLUE is the modeling framework to simulate land use change considering empirically quantified relations between land use types and socioeconomic and biophysical driving factors through dynamical modeling. The Hwangguji river watershed, South Korea was selected as study area. Future land use changes in 2040, 2070, and 2100 were analyzed relative to baseline (2010) under the RCP4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. Binary logistic regressions were carried out to identify the relation between land uses and its driving factors. CN (Curve number) and impervious area based on the RCP4.5 and 8.5 scenarios were calculated and analyzed using the results of future land use changes. The land use change simulation of the RCP4.5 scenario resulted that the area of urban was forecast to increase by 12% and the area of forest was estimated to decrease by 16% between 2010 and 2100. The land use change simulation of the RCP8.5 scenario resulted that the area of urban was forecast to increase by 16% and the area of forest was estimated to decrease by 18% between 2010 and 2100. The values of Kappa and multiple resolution procedure were calculated as 0.61 and 74.03%. CN (III) and impervious area were increased by 0-1 and 0-8% from 2010 to 2100, respectively. The study findings may provide a useful tool for estimating the future land use change, which is an important factor for the future extreme flood.