• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.101-106
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• 2009

The disjoining pressure is an important physical property in modeling the small-scale transport phenomena on thin film. It is a very useful definition in characterizing the non-continuum effects that are not negligible in heat and mass transport of the film thinner than submicro-scales. We present the calculated values of disjoining pressure of He, Kr and Xe thin films absorbed on graphite substrate using Molecular Dynamics Simulation (MD). The disjoining pressure is accurately calculated in the resolution of a molecular scale of the film thickness. The characteristics of the pressure are discussed regarding the molecular nature of the fluid system such as molecular diameter and intermolecular interaction parameters. The MD results are also compared with those based on the continuum approximation of the slab-like density profile and the results on other novel gases in the previous study. The discrepancies of the continuum model with MD results are shown in all three configurations and discussed in the view point of molecular features.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.171-179
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• 2016

In this study, we compared the virulence-associated factors of Acinetobacter baumannii complex species. Sixty-three isolates of five A. baumannii complex species, including 19 A. baumannii, 15 A. nosocomialis, 13 A. seifertii, 13 A. pittii, and 3 A. calcoaceticus isolates, were included in this study. For all isolates, biofilm formation, A549 cell adherence, resistance to normal human serum, and motility were evaluated. A. baumannii complex isolates showed diversity in biofilm formation, A549 cell adherence, and serum resistance, and no strong positive relationships among these virulence characteristics. However, A. seifertii showed relatively consistent virulence-associated phenotypes. In addition, A. baumannii clone ST110 exhibited consistently high virulence-associated phenotypes. Motility was observed in seven isolates, and all four A. baumannii ST110 isolates showed twitching motility. Although some inconsistencies in virulence-associated phenotypes were seen, high virulence characteristics were observed in A. seifertii, which has been mainly reported in Korea and shows high rates of colistin resistance.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.70-79
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• 2015

A sample of soil humic acid (HA) was divided by ultrafiltration (UF) into five fractions of different molecular size (UF₁: > 300, UF₂: 100~300, UF₃: 30~100, UF₄: 10~30, UF₅: 1~10 kilodaltons). Apparent average molecular weight (M_w) of the HA fractions were measured using high performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC), and the chemical and structural properties of the five HA fractions were characterized by elemental compositions (H/C, O/C and w ((2O + 3NH)/ C)) and ultraviolet-visible absorption ratios (SUVA, A_4/6). The organic carbon normalized-sorption coefficients (Koc) for the binding of phenanthrene to the HA fractions were determined by fluorescence quenching and relationship between the sorption coefficients and structural characteristics of the HA fractions were investigated. The elemental analysis and UV-vis spectral data indicated that the HA fractions with higher molecular weights have grater aliphatic character and lower contents of oxygen, while the HA fractions with lower molecular size have greater aromatic character and molecular polarity that correspond to greater SUVA and internal oxidation values (w). The log Koc values (L/kg C) were gradual increased from 4.45 for UF₅ to 4.87 for UF1. The correlation study between the structural descriptors of the HA fractions and log Koc values of phenanthrene show that the magnitude of Koc values positively correlated with $M_w$ and H/C, while negatively correlated with the independent descriptors of the O/C, w, SUVA and A_4/6.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.46-57
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• 2003

This study was carried out to investigate the characteristics of the soluble sericins after degumming and after hydrolysis of insoluble sericin with various enzymes. Especially, the hydrolysis characteristics were examined in terms of molecular weight of the soluble sericin. Amino acid composition and molecular weight characteristics of the soluble sericins were also studied. When the insoluble sericin was hydrolyzed with kojizyme and flavourzyme, the solubility was highest at pH 7 and 50$^{\circ}C$. On the other hand, in the cases of protamex and alcalase, the highest solubility was obtained at 60$^{\circ}C$. In these cases, solubility increased with pH. In enzymatic hydrolysis, the solubility was increased with concentration of enzymes until 4 hours. After then, a slight difference was found along with treatment times. In enzymatic hydrolysis, the absorbance of the soluble sericin was increased with concentration of enzymes and treatment times. Average degree of polymerization was decreased with treatment time and concentration. The amino acid compositions were similar in low(low molecular weight by degumming) and high (high molecular weight by degumming). Those of PK (soluble sericin hydrolyzed with kojizyme), PP (soluble sericin hydrolyzed with protamex), and PA(soluble sericin hydrolyzed with alcalase) were similar to each other. Serine and tyrosine compositions were higher in low and high than those of PK, PP, and PA. However proline was absent in low and high. Molecular weights of the various sericins became higher as KP>high>PP>low>PA and those of KP and PA were 9,800 and 905 respectively.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.783-790
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• 2007

Receptor binding plays an important role in determining host specificity of the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry $\delta$-endotoxins. Mutations in domains II and III have suggested the participation of certain residues in receptor recognition and insect specificity. In the present study, we expressed the cloned domain II-III fragment of Cry4Ba and examined its binding characteristics to mosquito-larval midgut proteins. The 43-kDa Cry4Ba-domain II-III protein over-expressed in Escherichia coli as inclusion bodies was only soluble when carbonate buffer, pH 10.0 was supplemented with 4M urea. After renaturation via stepwise dialysis and subsequent purification, the refolded domain II-III protein, which specifically reacts with anti Cry4Ba-domain III monoclonal antibody, predominantly exists as a $\beta$-sheet structure determined by circular dichroism spectroscopy. In vitro binding analysis to both histological midgut tissue sections and brush border membrane proteins prepared from susceptible Aedes aegypti mosquito-larvae revealed that the isolated Cry4Ba-domain II-III protein showed binding functionality comparable to the 65-kDa full-length active toxin. Altogether, the data present the 43-kDa Cry4Ba fragment comprising domains II and III that was produced in isolation was able to retain its receptor-binding characteristics to the target larval midgut proteins.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.843-849
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• 2007

Monitoring of NOM characteristics is important for improving removal efficiency of natural organic matter (NOM) in water treatment processes. In this study, several NOM characteristics, which include specific UV absorbance (SUVA), total carbonate content, molecular weight distribution, and fluorescence properties, were measured using samples collected from a pilot-scale water treatment plant consisting of coagulation/flocculation (C/F), filtration, ozonation and granular activated carbon (GAC) processes. The highest removal of NOM was observed in C/F and filtration processes as demonstrated by the reduction of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) by 25% and 21%, respectively. Despite nearly no change in DOC, however, the lowest SUVA value and the highest total carbohydrate content were observed in the sample from ozonation process. This indicates that non-degradable aromatic compounds become depleted and biodegradable organic compounds are enriched during the process. Comparison of synchronous fluorescence spectra of the samples showed that ozoation process increased protein-like fluorescence while it decreased fulvic-like and terrestrial humic-like fluorescence. Consistently, a slight peak of protein-like fluorescence was observed in the sample from ozonation process. The greatest change in molecular weight distributions of the samples was observed in C/F process. Comparison of size exclusion chromatogram of the samples revealed that NOM fractions with the molecular weight greater than 2000 Da were reduced by over 90% after C/F process. SUVA values and total carbohydrate content of the samples were well correlated with a ratio of protein-like fluorescence and terrestrial humic-like fluorescence intensities with the correlation coefficients of 0.99 and 0.91, respectively. This suggests that synchronous fluorescence properties of NOM could be used as useful tolls for monitoring changes of some NOM characteristics during water treatment processes.

• ALGAE
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.57-73
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• 2014

Amphora Ehrenberg ex Kutzing sensu lato is a common and widespread benthic diatom genus with a taxonomy that has been under continual revision, particularly based on molecular analyses. Although Amphora species have been studied using modern microscopy in recent years, there has not been much progress on molecular characterization of the species, especially in Asia. In this study of Amphora, sampling was carried out from September 2009 to August 2010 in Korean coastal waters. The morphological and molecular characteristics of eight Amphora sensu lato were examined: Amphora marina, A. proteus, Halamphora costata, H. coffeaeformis, H. eunotia, H. holsatica, H. terroris, and Halamphora sp. Based on previous accounts, morphology suggested that A. marina and A. proteus belong to the subgenus Amphora Cleve, which have smooth girdle bands and rather coarse and very distinct areolae on the valve. The other species, H. coffeaeformis, H. costata, H. eunotia, H. holsatica, H. terroris, and Halamphora sp. belong to the subgenus Halamphora Cleve, which was recently elevated to generic status by Levkov 2009, have plicate girdle bands, puncta which do not form straight longitudinal lines, valves which have a narrow ventral portion and apices that are generally rostrate-capitate and recurved. In agreement with analysis based on morphological characteristics, phylogenetic analysis based on small subunit rDNA suggested that the eight Amphora sensu lato species were not a monophyletic group as the morphological classification. Also, the results of molecular work and statistical analysis on all these Amphora sensu lato combined with phylogenic analysis on our geographically representative samples give strong evidence that Halamphora Levkov is independent of Amphora Cleve. Furthermore, in this study, Amphora terroris was transferred Halamphora as Halamphora terroris (Ehrenberg) Wang comb. nov. and Amphora marina was recorded for the first time in Korea.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.433-442
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• 2020

In this study, in order to build a molecular dynamics simulation model of ionomer for water electrolysis, an ionomer model that reflects the characteristics of a water electrolysis system in which excess water molecules exist was compared to an ionomer built according to the conventional simulation method of the fuel cells membrane. The final ionomer MD models have a strong phase separation and water channel that is one of the important characteristics of the perfluorinated ionomer, and are stable and water-insoluble under excessive water and high temperature conditions. In the ionomer MD models built in this study, the excess water molecules decrease an ion conductivity due to the dilution of ions, but increase a hydrogen diffusivity. Therefore, it is necessary to design the molecular structure of ionomers for water electrolysis in experimental studies as well as molecular dynamics studies according to the characteristics of the water electrolysis system reported in this study.

• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2004.08a
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• pp.1200-1203
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• 2004

We investigated the molecular aligning capability of a polymer layer containing ceramic nanoparticles which can be used as a gate insulator of organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs). Because of the enhanced dielectric properties arising from the nanoparticles and molecular aligning properties of the polymer, the composite layer provides excellent mobility characteristics of the OTFTs.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.5-10
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• 2003

The nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) resistance of silkworm is controlled by a pair of dominant genes on autosome and micro-effect modificator genes on sex chromosome Z and has the phenomenon of patroclinal inheritance. Based on its hereditary characteristics, methods of preparing near isogenic lines and their $F_2$ populations for screening molecular markers were designed.