• Proceedings of the Korean Fiber Society Conference
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.361-363
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• 2001

• Proceedings of the Korean Fiber Society Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.361-363
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• 2001

Aromatic pelybenzoxazoles(PBOs) display excellent thermal stability plus good solvent and chemical resistance. Wholly aromatic PBOs, in fact, are soluble only in strong acids(e.g., sulfuric, rmethanesulfonic, triflic, and polyphosphoric acids). However, fully heterocyclized polymers have shown some drawbacks in solubility and processing. This problem of processing is currently being exploited to obtain unusual combinations of physical properties in fibers and films. (omitted)

• Proceedings of the Korean Fiber Society Conference
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.347-350
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• 2002

Wholly aromatic polybenzoxazoles(PBO) are well established as high performance materials with excellent thermal stability and mechanical properties. Heterocyclic precursor polymers such as polyhydroxyamides(PHA) have been interested in the field of high performance flame retardant polymers.[1] Precusor polymers have the advantages that they are easier to process, don't require strong solvents and can adsorb large amounts of heat energy during the cyclization process. (omitted)

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.435-442
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• 2001

Poly(3-hydroxy-5-phenylvalerate) [P(3HPV)] was efficiently accumulated from 5-phenylvalerate (5PV) in Pseudomonas putida BM01 in a mineral salts medium containing butyric acid (BA) as the cosubstrate. A nove aromatic copolyester, poly(5 mol% 3-hydroxy-4-phenylbutyrate-co- 95 mol% 3-hydroxy-6-phenylhexanoate) [P(3HPB-co-3HPC)] was also synthesized from 6-phenylhexanoate (6PC) plus Ba. The two aromatic polymers, P(3HPV) and P(3HPB-co-3HPC), were found to be amorphous and showed different glass-transition temperatures at $15^{\circ}C$ and $10^{\circ}C$, respectively. When the bacterium was grown ina medium containing 20 mM 5PV as the sole carbon source for 140 h, 0.4 g/l of dry cells was obtained in a flask cultivation and 20 wt% of P(3HPV) homopolymer was accumulated in the cells. However, when it was grown with a mixture of 2 mM 5PV and 50 mM BA for 40 h, the yield of dry biomass was increased up to 2.5 g/l and the content of P(3HPV) in the dry cells was optimally 56 wt%. This efficient production of P(3HPV) homopolymer from the mixed substrate was feasible because BA only supported cell growth and did not induce any aliphatic PHA accumulation. The metabolites released into the PHA synthesis medium were analyzed using GC or GC/MS. Two $\beta$-oxidation derivatives, 3-phenylpropionic acid and trans-cinnamic acid, were found in the 5V-grown cell medium and these comprised 55-88 mol% of the 5PV consumed. In the 6PC-grown medium containing Ba, seven ${\beta}$-oxidation and related intermediates were found, which included phenylacetic acid, 4-phenylbutyric acid, cis-4-phenyl-2-butenoic acid, trans-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid, trans-4-phenyl-2-butenoic acid, 3-hydroxy-4-phenylbutyric acid, and 3-hydroxy-6-phenylhexanoic acid. Accordingly, based on the metabolite analysis, PHA synthesis pathways from the two aromatic carbon sources are suggested.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.186-192
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• 2005

Background : Diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy is sometimes difficult using conventional diagnostic methods. We have investigated the utility of pleural fluid cell $IFN-{\gamma}$ production assay in the diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy. Methods : We prospectively performed pleural fluid cell $IFN-{\gamma}$ production assay in 39 patients with tuberculous pleural effusions (TPE) and in 26 patients with nontuberculous pleural effusions (NTPE) (13 malignant pleural effusions and 13 parapneumonic effusions). Pleural fluid cells were cultured in DMEM media and stimulated with purified protein derivatives (PPD), and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) for 24 hr. The amount of $IFN-{\gamma}$ released in the culture supernatant was quantitated by $IFN-{\gamma}$ ELISA assay. We have also measured adenosine deaminase (ADA) activities and $IFN-{\gamma}$ concentrations in the pleural fluid. Results : 1) The pleural fluid levels of ADA activity and $IFN-{\gamma}$ concentrations were significantly higher in TPE than NTPE (p<0.01). 2) $IFN-{\gamma}$ production in TPE cells stimulated by PPD ($755,266{\pm}886,636pg/ml$) was significantly higher than NTPE cells ($3,509{\pm}6,980pg/ml$) (p<0.01). By considering the fact that $IFN-{\gamma}$ concentrations over 10,000 pg/ml is a criteria for the diagnosis of TBE, sensitivity and specificity of the test were 97.4 and 92.3%, respectively. 3) The ratios of $IFN-{\gamma}$ production by the stimulation with PPD and PHA (PPD/PHA) were significantly higher in TPE cells ($59{\pm}85$) than NTPE cells ($5{\pm}18$)(p<0.01). Considering the criteria for the diagnosis of TBE as PPD/PHA ratio over 5, sensitivity and specificity of the test were 76.9 and 92.3%, respectively. Conclusion : Pleural fluid cell $IFN-{\gamma}$ production assay may be useful for the diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy.

• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.91-96
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• 2002

Polyhydroxyamides derivatized with trifluorormethyl ether and trifluoromethyl ester groups were investigated as possible candidates for a new flame retardant polymer. Model compounds for these derivatized polyhydroxyamides were synthesized and their cyclization chemistry was investigated. The model compound study revealed that trifluorornethyl ester group containing model compounds can cyclize on heating, while trifluoromethyl ether group containing model compounds cannot. The non-fluorinated ether and ether derivatives behaved similarly. The trifluoromethyl ester derivatized polyhydroxyamides were synthesized according to the procedures for the model compounds. TGA characterization revealed that the fluorinated polymers have nearly same thermal stability as the underivatized PHA after cyclization.