• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.390-401
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• 2023

Major components of lac coloring include laccaic acids A, B, C, and E. The Korean Food Additive Code regulates the use of lac coloring and prohibits its use in ten types of food products including natural food products. Since no commercial standards are available for laccaic acids A, B, C, and E, a standard for lac pigment itself was used to separate laccaic acids from the lac pigment molecule. A standard for each laccaic acid was then obtained by fractionation. To obtain pure lac pigment for use in food by High performance Liquid Chromatography Photo Diode Array (PDA), a C8 column yielded the best resolution among various tested columns and mobile phases. A qualitative analytical method using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) Tandem Mass(LC-MS/MS) was developed. The conditions for fast and precise sample preparation begin with extraction using methanol and 0.3% ammonium phosphate, followed by concentration. The degree of precision observed for the analyses of ham, tomato juice and Red pepper paste was 0.3-13.1% (Relative Standard Deviation (RSD%)), degree of accuracy was 90.3-122.2% with r²=0.999 or above, and recovery rate was 91.6-114.9%. The limit of detection was 0.01-0.15 ㎍/mL, and the limits of quantitation ranged from 0.02 to 0.47 ㎍/mL. Lac pigment was not detected in 117 food products in the 10 food categories for which the use of lac pigment is banned. Multiple laccaic acids were detected in 105 food products in 6 food categories that are allowed to use lac color. Lac pigment concentrations range from 0.08 to 16.67 ㎍/mL.

• Mycobiology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.107-117
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• 2015

A mycoparasite, Scytalidium parasiticum sp. nov., isolated from the basidiomata of Ganoderma boninense causing basal stem rot of oil palm in Johor, Malaysia, is described and illustrated. It is distinct from other Scytalidium species in having smaller asci and ascospores (teleomorphic stage), longer arthroconidia (anamorphic stage), hyaline to yellowish chlamydospores, and producing a fluorescent pigment. The phylogenetic position of S. parasiticum was determined by sequence analyses of the internal transcribed spacers and the small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene regions. A key to identify Scytalidium species with teleomorphic stage is provided.

• Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.2303-2312
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• 2018

Pretreatment process of silica-coated PET fabrics, a major low-grade PET waste, was developed using the reaction with NaOH solution. By destroying the structure of silica coating layer, impurities such as silica and pigment dyes could be removed. The removal of impurity was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The pretreated PET fabric samples were used for depolymerization into its monomer, bis(2-hydroxylethyl) terephthalate (BHET), by glycolysis with ethylene glycol (EG), and zinc acetate (ZnAc) catalyst. The quality of BHET was confirmed by DSC, TGA, HPLC and NMR analyses. The highest BHET yield of 89.23% was obtained from pretreated PET fabrics, while glycolysis with raw PET fabric yielded 85.43%. The BHET yield from untreated silica-coated PET fabrics was 60.39%. The pretreatment process enhances the monomer yield by the removal of impurity and also improves the quality of the monomer.

• Mycobiology
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.20-29
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• 2022

Aspicilia humida Lee is described as a new lichen-forming fungus from a wetland forest, South Korea. The new species is distinguishable from Aspicilia aquatica (Fr.) Körb., the most similar species, by the absence of prothallus, black disk without green color in water, olivebrown epihymenium, shorter hymenium, hymenium I + yellowish blue-green, wider paraphysial tips without a vivid pigment, smaller asci, smaller ascospores, and the presence of stictic acid. Molecular analyses employing internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and mitochondrial small subunit (mtSSU) sequences strongly support A. humida as a distinct species in the A. cinerea group. A surrogate key is provided to assist in the identification of all 28 aspicilioid species of Korea.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.1155-1167
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• 2008

Chlorophyll a (chl a) has been used as an indicator for phytoplankton biomass in pelagic ecosystems due to the relative ease of measurement and selectivity for autotrophs in mixed plankton assemblages. However, the use of chi a as an indicator for phytoplankton biomass is restricted due to its inability to resolve taxonomic differences of phytoplankton and the highly variable relationship of chi a with phytoplankton. Here, we describe the analysis of High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) photosynthetic pigment data using CHEMTAX, which is a matrix factorization program that uses chemical taxonomic indices (phytoplankton carotenoids) to quantify the abundance of phytoplankton groups. Compared to direct microscopic counting that can distinguish species within broad groups, the resolution of taxonomic groups by CHEMTAX is generally coarse. It can only distinguish between diatoms, dinoflagellates, cryptophytes, cyanobacteria, chlorophytes, prasinophytes, and haptophytes. However, CHEMTAX analysis is much faster and less expensive than microscopic counting methods. HPLC pigment observations were taken in the spring, summer, fall, and winter in$ 2005\sim2006$ within Gamak Bay, South Korea. CHEMTAX results revealed that diatoms were the dominant taxonomic group in Gamak Bay. In inner Gamak Bay, the ratio between diatoms and cryptophytes was $75\sim80%$, and the ratio between dinoflagellates and cryptophytes was $10\sim15%$. In outer Gamak Bay, the ratio between diatoms and cryptophytes was $85\sim90%$, and the ratio between dinflagellates and cryptophytes was only $1\sim5%$. The population structure was seasonal. Relative diatom populations were less in the summer than the winter season.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.43 no.7
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• pp.632-644
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• 2020

The molecular mechanism underlying autophagy impairment in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is not yet clear. Based on the causative role of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) in RPE necrosis, this study examined whether PARP1 is involved in the autophagy impairment observed during dry AMD pathogenesis. We found that autophagy was downregulated following H₂O₂-induced PARP1 activation in ARPE-19 cells and olaparib, PARP1 inhibitor, preserved the autophagy process upon H₂O₂ exposure in ARPE-19 cells. These findings imply that PARP1 participates in the autophagy impairment upon oxidative stress in ARPE-19 cells. Furthermore, PARP1 inhibited autolysosome formation but did not affect autophagosome formation in H₂O₂-exposed ARPE-19 cells, demonstrating that PARP1 is responsible for impairment of late-stage autophagy in particular. Because PARP1 consumes NAD⁺ while exerting its catalytic activity, we investigated whether PARP1 impedes autophagy mediated by sirtuin1 (SIRT1), which uses NAD⁺ as its cofactor. A NAD⁺ precursor restored autophagy and protected mitochondria in ARPE-19 cells by preserving SIRT1 activity upon H₂O₂. Moreover, olaparib failed to restore autophagy in SIRT1-depleted ARPE-19 cells, indicating that PARP1 inhibits autophagy through SIRT1 inhibition. Next, we further examined whether PARP1-induced autophagy impairment occurs in the retinas of dry AMD model mice. Histological analyses revealed that olaparib treatment protected mouse retinas against sodium iodate (SI) insult, but not in retinas cotreated with SI and wortmannin, an autophagy inhibitor. Collectively, our data demonstrate that PARP1-dependent inhibition of SIRT1 activity impedes autophagic survival of RPE cells, leading to retinal degeneration during dry AMD pathogenesis.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.33-46
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• 2018

Traditional inorganic pigments applied to dancheong, buddhist painting, and wall painting were produced from natural minerals which were later replaced by synthetic pigments, resulting in the loss of the recipe to prepare mineral pigments. This study examined the domestic occurrence and mineralogical characteristics of green and blue mineral pigments required for the conservation of cultural heritage. Cuprous green-blue mineral pigments were found as the weathering products of waste dumps and ores of abandoned Cu-Pb-Zn sulfide mines. Mineralogical analyses using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy identified diverse hydrous copper sulfate pigments of green (brochantite and devilline) and blue color (linarite, bechererite, and schulenbergite) with minor green pigments of antlerite and atacamite commonly associated with cerussite, smithsonite, anglesite, and cuprite. Noerok, a green silicate pigment, replaced the fractured basalt lava. Celadonite was responsible for the green color of Noerok, closely associated with opal in varying ratio. Glauconite, green silicate pigment, was identified in the Yellow Sea sediments. Malachite and azurite, the most important green and blue pigments of Korean cultural heritage, were not identified in this study.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.305-311
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• 2018

The yellow crystalline material present in yellow and green glass beads excavated from sites in the Baekje region of Korea was previously analyzed through scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, revealing that the yellow crystalline material was $PbSnO_3$. This material is a pigment that is rarely seen in the Korean peninsula. Furthermore, some studies have been published on the provenance of lead in this material, which revealed no relationship to Korea, China, or Japan. In this study, we collected all accessible results of analyses on the lead isotope ratio of yellow and green glass beads excavated from the Korean peninsula, specifically from 7 sites in the Baekje region(located in the vicinity of Seoul, Wanju, Hwaseong, Osan, Gongju, Buyeo, and Iksan) and 2 sites in the Silla region(located in the vicinity of Gyeongju and Changnyeong). We subsequently investigated the lead provenance of the opacifying agents in the glass beads through comparison with the current extent of the galena data accumulated for the East Asian region, including Korea, China, and Japan, and for Thailand(Kanchanaburi Province), Southeast Asia. Our analysis determined that the lead provenance of the glass beads excavated from the Korean peninsula was Thailand(Kanchanaburi Province). Beyond our results, further studies should seek to determine the production sites of the glass beads. Obtaining and comparing the scientific analyses of glass beads from India and Southeast Asia would enable research on the glass beads trade through the maritime silk road.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.322-339
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• 2021

This paper focuses on the dating and provenance of two paintings, Climbing the hill and View from St. John's Fort by the prominent Singaporean artist Liu Kang (1911-2004). Climbing the hill, from the National Gallery Singapore collection, was believed to have been created in 1937, based on the date painted by the artist. However, a non-invasive examination unveiled evidence of an underlying paint scheme and a mysterious date, 1948 or 1949. These findings prompted a comprehensive technical study of the artwork in conjunction with comparative analyses of View from St. John's Fort (1948), from the Liu family collection. The latter artwork is considered to be depicting the same subject matter. The investigation was carried out with UVF, NIR, IRFC, XRR, digital microscopy, PLM and SEM-EDS to elucidate the materials and technique of both artworks and find characteristic patterns that could indicate a relationship between both paintings and assist in correctly dating Climbing the hill. The technical analyses were supplemented with the historical information derived from the Liu family archives. The results showed that Climbing the hill was created in 1948 or 1949 on top of an earlier composition painted in Shanghai between 1933 and 1937. As for the companion View from St. John's Fort from 1948, the artist reused an earlier painting created in France in 1931. The analytical methods suggested that Liu Kang used almost identical pigment mixtures for creating new artworks. However, their painting technique demonstrates some differences. Overall, this study contributes to the understanding of Liu Kang's painting materials and his working practice.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.535-538
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• 2000

Streptomyces lavendulae FRI-5 produces the ${\gamma}$-butyrolactone autoregulator IM-2, which is required for nucleoside antibiotic producetion. We have developed a system for introducing DNA into S. lavendule FRI-5 via conjugal transfer from Esherichia cole. Conditions were established for conjugation of the oriT-and attP-containing plasmid pSET152 from E. coli ET12567 (pUZ8002) to FRI-5. Conjugation resulted in integration of the plasmid at the chromosomal C31 attB site. The frequency of intergeneric conjugation varied with the medium used. The highest frequency ($1.6\times10-5$ per recipient) was obtained on ISP medium 2 containing 10mM MgCl2. Southern blot and phenotypic analyses of exconjugants revealed that S. lavendulae FRI-5 contains a unique C31 attB site, and that integration of heterologous DNA into the attB site did not interfere with morphological differentiation or IM-2-dependent signal transduction, including the production of a blue pigment. This system will now enable detailed genetic analysis of the regulation of antibiotic production in S. lavendulae FRI-5.