• BMB Reports
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.133-137
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• 2000

To elucidate the effect of oxygen radicals on the molecular properties of proteins, the secondary and tertiary structure and molecular weight size of BSA and ${\beta}$-lactoglobulin were examined after irradiation of proteins at various doses. Gamma-irradiation of protein solutions caused the disruption of the ordered structure of protein molecules as well as degradation, cross-linking, and aggregation of the polypeptide chains. As a model system, BSA and ${\beta}$-lactoglobulin were used as a typical ${\alpha}$-helical and a ${\beta}$-sheet structure protein, respectively. A circular dichroism study showed that the increase of radiation decreased the ordered structure of proteins with a concurrent increase of aperiodic structure content. Fluorescence spectroscopy indicated that irradiation quenched the emission intensity excited at 280 nm. SDS-PAGE and a gel permeation chromatography study indicated that radiation caused initial fragmentation of proteins resulting in a subsequent aggregation due to cross-linking of protein molecules.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 1995

Biodegradable poly (I ,4-butanediol succinate) (PBS) was synthesized from 1,4-butanediol and succinic anhydride. The glass transition temperature of poly (I, 4-butanediol succinate) was revealed at $73^{\circ}C$. The crystallization and cold crystallization of the polymers were investigated as a function of holding time in melt state, cooling rate. reheating, and molecular weight. Chain scission and/or cmsslinking did not occur in the melt state at var.ious holding times. Slower scanning rate can allow more times for nucleation, rearrangement, and packing of the polymer chain, so the onset temperature of crystallization from the melt was increased. PBS crystallized from the melt was found to have spherulitic structure. The degradation behavior of PBS was studied under basic conditions and with microorganisms using the modified ASTM method. In the basic solution. PBS lost up to 85% of its mass within two days. Based upon visual observation, the crystalline structure of films composed of larger molecular weight polymers retained their crystallinity longer than similar structures in low molecular weight samples.

• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.13-18
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• 2005

PLA/LPCL/HPCL blend fibers composed of poly (lactic acid) (PLA), low molecular weight poly ($\varepsilon$-caprolactone) (LPCL), and high molecular weight poly ($\varepsilon$-caprolactone) (HPCL) were prepared by melt blending and spinning for bioab­sorbable filament sutures. The effects of blending time and blend composition on the X-ray diffraction patterns and tensile properties of PLA/LPCL/HPCL blend fibers were characterized by WAXD and UTM. In addition, the effect of in vitro degra­dation on the weight loss and tensile properties of the blend fibers hydrolyzed during immersion in a phosphate buffer solu­tion at pH 7.4 and 37$^{\circ}C$ for 1-8 weeks was investigated. The peak intensities of PLA/LPCL/HPCL blend fibers in X-ray diffraction patterns decreased with an increase of blending time and LPCL contents in the blend fibers. The weight loss of PLA/LPCL/HPCL blend fibers increased with an increase of blending time, LPCL contents, and hydrolysis time while the tensile strength and modulus of the blend fibers decreased. The tensile strength and modulus of the blend fibers were also found to be increased with an increase of HPCL contents in the blend fibers. The optimum conditions to prepare PLA/LPCL/HPCL blend fibers for bioabsorbable sutures are LPCL contents of $5 wt\%, HPCL contents of $35 wt\%, and blending time of 30 min. The strength retention of the PLA/LPCL/HPCL blend fiber prepared under optimum conditions was about $93.5\% even at hydrolysis time of 2 weeks.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.444-450
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• 2011

A high molecular weight natural sodium alginate (HMWSAs) was depolymerized by hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) with ultrasonic irradiation. The effects of the reaction conditions such as reaction temperature, reaction time, hydrogen peroxide concentration and ultrasonic irradiation time on the molecular weights and the end groups of the depolymerized alginates were investigated. It was revealed that depolymerization occurred through the breakage of 1,4-glycosidic bonds of sodium alginate and the formation of formate groups on the main chain under certain conditions. The changes in molecular weight were monitored by GPC-MALS. The molecular weight of 2 wt% alginate solution decreased from 450 to 15.9 kDa for 0.5 hrs at 50 $^{\circ}C$ under an appropriate ultrasonic irradiation. The PDI(polydispersity index)s of the alginate depolymerized in this study were considerably narrow in comparison with those obtained from the other chemical degradation method. The PDIs were in the range of 1.5~2.5 in any reaction conditions employed in this study.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.267-282
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• 2000

Cytochrome P45O (CYP) 2E1 catalyzes the metabolism of a wide variety of therapeutic agents, procarcinogens, and low molecular weight solvents. CYP2E1-catalyzed metabolism may cause toxicity or DNA damage through the production of toxic metabolites, oxygen radicals, and lipid peroxidation. CYP2E1 also plays a role in the metabolism of endogenous compounds including fatty acids and ketone bodies. The regulation of CYP2E1 expression is complex, and involves transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational, and post-translational mechanisms. CYP2E1 is transcriptionally activated in the first few hours after birth. Xenobiotic inducers elevate CYP2E1 protein levels through both increased translational efficiency and stabilization of the protein from degradation, which appears to occur primarily through ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. CYP2E1 mRNA and protein levels are altered in response to pathophysiologic conditions by hormones including insulin, glucagon, growth hormone, and leptin, and growth factors including epidermal growth factor and hepatocyte growth factor, providing evidence that CYP2E1 expression is under tight homeostatic control.

• KSTLE International Journal
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.55-58
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• 2001

The most widely-used orthopaedic grade polymer bearing liner material, ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), for the total joint arthroplasty degrades after gamma-irradiation sterilization through the progressive oxidation in a shelf and in vivo. Oxidative degradation makes UHMWPE brittle and leads to decrease in mechanical properties. In this study the relationship between post-gamma-irradiation aging time and wear of UHMWPE was investigated. Six retrieved polyethylene hip liners implanted for 3-16 years and then stored in air for 1.5-6.5 years until tests were used. Two types of pin-on-disk wear testing were conducted by the uni-directional repeat pass rotating and by the linear reciprocating stainless steel disks against stationary polyethylene pins under 4Mpa at 1Hz with bovine serum lubrication in ambient environment. Wear of retrieved polyethylene hip liners does not have direct correlation with in vivo or total aging time. Linear reciprocal sliding motion generated more remarkable wear than uni-directional repeat pass sliding motion. It indicates that kinematic motion affects very crucially on the wear of aged UHMWPE having brittle white band region.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1647-1656
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• 1998

The drag reduction is the phenomenon that occurs only when the shear stress from the wall of pipe is beyond the critical point. The drag reduction increase as the molecular weight, concentration of the polymer and Reynolds number increase, but it is limited by Virk's maximum drag reduction asymptote. Because of the strong shear force for the polymer on the turbulent flow, the molecular weight and the drag reduction do not decrease. Such mechanical degradation of the polymer occurs in all polymer solvent systems. This paper is to identify and develop high performance polymer additives for fluid transportations with the benefits of turbulent drag reduction. In addition, drag reduction in vertical flow by measuring the pressure drop and local void fraction on vertical-up flow of close system is evaluated.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 1999

In this paper, we have investigated the effects of the environmental factors on Low Molecular Weight (LMW) silicone fluid contents existing in high temperature vulcanized (HTV) silicone rubber sample, using dipping method and contact angle, current measurement. Artificial treatments such as immersion in water, elevated temperature, UV irradiation and dry band arcing under salt-fog condition are selected as the environmental factors. This results will be helpful to investigate the degradation with time and to expect a life time, because the LMW silicone content, which is important to recovery the hydrophobicity of silicone rubber surface, show different results by each environmental factors.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.302-308
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• 1997

Over 1953/54 Karl Ziegler and Giulio Natta independently discovered new types of catalyst. Thus it was able to produce synthetic cis-polyisoprene rubber which has same properties like natural rubber, since then the amount of consumption was increased rapidly. The problem of disposing of used rubbers has become acute in recent years. cis-Polyisoprene was degraded in supercritical tetrahydrofuran and degree of degradation and product were observed by GPC, FT-IR, GC-MS analyses. As a result, degradation of cis-polyisoprene had small dependency upon the operating pressure, and was inhibited in concentration increase. And cis-polyisoprene was degraded into narrow molecular weight distribution oligomer in 3 hours, and more than 10 organic compounds were produced.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.985-989
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• 2002

For efficient biopulping process, very active and stable lignase is essential. Laccase is one of the best enzyme in terms of environmentally benign processes, since the enzyme uses oxygen as an oxidant to degrade lignin and produces no hamful prod ucts. We could purify a laccase homogeneously from Cerrena unicolor in a very active state. It shows characteristic absorption feature with blue band at λmax = 604 ㎚. Molecular weight of the enzyme is 57,608 which could be accurately determined by MALDI/TOF MS. The enzyme has 2.8 copper ions per enzyme implying apoenzymes might exist together. The enzyme is active in lignin degradation and the activity increases 4 times in the presence of ABTS as a mediator.