• Clean Technology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.302-310
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• 2019

A constructed wetland with the aerobic tank and anaerobic/anoxic tank connected in series was employed in order to treat highly polluted stream water. The aerobic tank was maintained aerobic with a continuous supply of air through the natural air draft system. Five pilot plants having different residence times were employed together to obtain parameters for the best performances of the wetland. BOD and COD removals at the aerobic tank followed the first order kinetics. COD removal rate constants were slightly lower than BOD. The temperature dependence of COD (θ = 1.0079) and BOD (θ = 1.0083) was almost the same, but the temperature dependence (θ_N) of T-N removal was 1.0189. The SS removal rate was as high as 98% and the removal efficiency showed a tendency to increase with increasing hydraulic loading rate (Q/A). The main mechanism of BOD and COD removal at the anaerobic/anoxic tank was entirely different from that of the aerobic tank. BOD and COD were supplied as the carbon source for biological denitrification. T-P was believed to be removed though the cation exchange between orthophosphate and gravels within the anaerobic and anoxic tanks. The wetland could successfully be operated without being blocked by the filtered solid which subsequently decomposed at an extremely fast rate.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.372-380
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• 2014

BACKGROUND: This study was carried out in order to closely examine the influence of fertilization upon growth in container of seedling in indeciduous Quercus species (Q. mysinaefolia, Q. acuta and Q. glauca). METHODS AND RESULTS: Fertilizer level was made by adjusting water soluble compound fertilizer (N:P:K=19: 19:19, v/v) to 1000, 2000, $3000mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ level along with non-fertilizing plot. Fertilization increased height, root collar diameter growth, and dry weight in these three species of trees. The more increase in fertilizer level led to the more rise even in growth of these species. H/D ratio and T/R ratio also showed tendency of getting bigger in the more rise in fertilizer level. Photosynthetic rate was shown to get higher in the higher fertilizer level according to fertilization in all the three species. In the analysis of root morphological traits, the total root length was surveyed to be longer in the more rise in fertilizer concentration. As even a case of root project area, surface area, and root volume is the similar tendency to characteristics in the total root length, a rise depending on fertilization was observed. CONCLUSION: In light of the results in this experiment, the fertilizer level is judged to be $2000mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ level that is proper for production of 1-year-old container seedling in indeciduous Quercus species with excellent root development and high seedling quality index.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2022

Glioblastoma is one of the highly aggressive central nervous system tumors and it is difficult to treat owing its anatomical location. Peptides are novel class of drugs which has the potential to cross the blood brain barrier and exerts its anti-tumor activity. Here, we discovered a novel peptide from abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) next generation sequencing (NGS) data and tested its anticancer effect on glioblastoma cell line SNU-489. The anticancer activity was measured using a cytotoxicity assay in a time and dose-dependent manner. A concentration and time dependent increase in the cytotoxicity was seen in cells treated with the novel peptide. The highest cytotoxicity rate of about 67% was observed in SNU-489 cells treated with 200 µM peptide for 48 hrs. However, the cytotoxic effect was not or less observed in a normal skin cell line HaCaT at similar concentration, thus, evident of peptide's cell specific anticancer activity. In addition, the gene expression level of necroptosis-related genes was analyzed by qRT-PCR to elucidate the anticancer mechanism of the novel peptide. RIPK3 expression was significantly increased by 9.6-fold in 200 µM of novel peptide treatment group, and MLKL expression level was significantly elevated by 2-fold in 100 µM treated group compared to the control group. Therefore, this study confirmed that the novel abalone-derived peptide has anticancer potency, and it causes cancer cell death through the necroptosis mechanism. Collectively, these results suggest that the novel peptide could be candidate anticancer agent for the treatment of glioblastoma in the future.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.458-468
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• 2023

Background: As a complication of Type II Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), the etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment of cognitive dysfunction are still undefined. Recent studies demonstrated that Ginsenoside Rg1 (Rg1) has promising neuroprotective properties, but the effect and mechanism in diabetes-associated cognitive dysfunction (DACD) deserve further investigation. Methods: After establishing the T2DM model with a high-fat diet and STZ intraperitoneal injection, Rg1 was given for 8 weeks. The behavior alterations and neuronal lesions were judged using the open field test (OFT) and Morris water maze (MWM), as well as HE and Nissl staining. The protein or mRNA changes of NOX2, p-PLC, TRPC6, CN, NFAT1, APP, BACE1, NCSTN, and Ab1-42 were investigated by immunoblot, immunofluorescence or qPCR. Commercial kits were used to evaluate the levels of IP3, DAG, and calcium ion (Ca²⁺) in brain tissues. Results: Rg1 therapy improved memory impairment and neuronal injury, decreased ROS, IP3, and DAG levels to revert Ca²⁺ overload, downregulated the expressions of p-PLC, TRPC6, CN, and NFAT1 nuclear translocation, and alleviated Aβ deposition in T2DM mice. In addition, Rg1 therapy elevated the expression of PSD95 and SYN in T2DM mice, which in turn improved synaptic dysfunction. Conclusions: Rg1 therapy may improve neuronal injury and DACD via mediating PLC-CN-NFAT1 signal pathway to reduce Aβ generation in T2DM mice.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.7-15
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• 2015

CpBV (Cotesia plutellae bracovirus) is a polydnavirus and encodes a cystatin (CpBV-CST1) gene. Its overexpression suppresses insect immunity and alters insect developmental processes. This study aimed to construct a genetically modified (GM) tobacco to further explore the physiological function of the viral cystatin and to apply to control insect pests. To this end, the transgenic tobacco lines were screened in expression of the target gene and assessed in insecticidal activity. A recombinant vector (pBI121-CST) was prepared and used to transform a bacterium, Agrobacterium tumefasciens. The transformed bacteria were used to generate transgenic tobacco lines, which were induced to grow callus and resulted in about 92% of shoot regeneration. The regenerated plants were screened by PCR analysis to confirm the insertion of the target gene in the plant genome. In addition, the expression of the target gene was assessed in the regenerated plants by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The qRT-PCR analysis showed that the transgenic line plant expressed the target gene about 17 times more than the control tobacco, indicating a stable insertion and expression of the target gene in the transgenic tobacco line. The insecticidal activity was then analyzed using the screened transgenic tobacco lines against the teneral 1st instar larvae of the oriental tobacco budworm, Helicoverpa assulta. Though there was a variation in the insecticidal efficacy among transgenic lines, T9 and T12 lines exhibited more than 95% mortality at 7 days after feeding treatment. These results suggest that CpBV-CST1 is a useful genetic resource to be used to generate GM crop against insect pests.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.400-404
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• 2013

Grain boundary diffusion technique with $DyH_3$ nanoparticles was applied to fabricate Dy-less sintered Nd-Fe-B permanent magnets with high coercivity. The magnetic properties and microstructure of magnets were systematically studied. The coercivity and remanence of grain boundary diffusion magnet were improved by 60% and reduced by 7% compared with those of the original magnet, respectively. Meanwhile, both the remanence temperature coefficient (${\alpha}$) and the coercivity temperature coefficient (${\beta}$) of the magnets were improved after diffusion treatment. Investigation shows that Dy is preferentially enriched as (Nd, Dy)$_2Fe_{14}B$ phase in the surface region of the $Nd_2Fe_{14}B$ matrix grains indicated by the remarkable enhancement of the magneto-crystalline anisotropy field of the magnet. As a result, the magnet diffused with a small amount of Dy nanoparticles possesses enhanced coercivity without remarkably sacrificing its magnetization.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2004.07b
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• pp.631-634
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• 2004

The method that exists in Photodynamic Therapy uses Photosensibility drug strongly Influencing tumour accumulation together with photochemical laser effect and makes the structure of tumour be localized and become extinct. The intracavity transformation of the Nd :YAP main radiation 1079 nm was Raman converted in barium nitrate crystal and the Stokes frequency (1216 nm) was doubled using KTP or RTA crystals. The LiF or Cr:YAG crystals are used for the Q-switch. The radiation Parameters were obtained at 100 Hz pump repetition frequency. The average power at 608 nm radiation with LiF and KTP was 700 mW at multi-mode generation. The 3-6 single 10-15 ns pulses were generated during one cycle of pumping. The doubling efficiency with RTA was two times more than with KTP. The cells of Ehrlich adenocarcinoma (0.1 ml) were i.m. implanted in hind thighs of ICR white non-imbred mice. The cells were preliminarily diluted in medium 199 in the ratio of 1 to 5. HpD was intravenous administered in a dose of 10 mg/kg. The left clean-shaven hind leg was irradiated with laser light 21-27 hours after the administration of the preparation. The right non-Irradiated leg of each animal served as a control. The animals with the transplanted tumor that were not injected with HpD sewed as a control to estimate the complex effect (HpD+ irradiation). Before the administration of HpD and on 3 and 4 days after irradiation the tumor size was measured and the percent of the tumor growth inhibition was calculated. The results of animal treatments has shown high efficiency of PDT method for cancer treatment by means 0.608 m high power pulse solid state laser.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.435-440
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• 2004

The gene encoding a extremely thermostable 4-$\alpha$-glucanotransferase from a hyperthermophilic archaeon, Thermococcus litoralis, was cloned, sequenced and expressed in Escherichia coli. The amino acid sequence of the enzyme was distantly related to other functionally-related ones, such as D-enzymes. The enzyme is of industrial interest because of a novel activity of producing cycloamylose and is also important for fundamental studies of protein, sugar-metabolizing enzymes. In this paper, the overexpression of 4-$\alpha$-glucanotransferase in E. coli was carried out expression vector system with lac and T7 promoters. The enzyme was successfully overexpressed, and purified by the heat treatment of a cell-free extract, successive Butyl-Toyopearl and Mono Q chromatographies. The purified recombinant enzyme showed the same specific activity and the same mobility in SDS-PAGE as natural enzyme.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.27-35
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• 2015

Anti-obese effects of mulberry (Morus alba L.) root bark was investigated in vitro by measuring its inhibitory effect against 3T3-L1 preadipocyte differentiation and digestive enzymes such as ${\alpha}$-amylase, ${\alpha}$-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase. Ethanol extract of mulberry root bark (MRE) showed the potent inhibitory activities on ${\alpha}$-amylase, ${\alpha}$-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase with $IC_{50}$ values of $7.86{\pm}0.36$, $0.12{\pm}0.03$ and $7.93{\pm}0.11mg/mL$, respectively. Furthermore, MRE significantly suppressed cellular lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells in a dose-dependent manner. To elucidate the mechanism of MRE, we performed qRT-PCR and Western blotting for the expression of genes related with adipogenesis and lipogenesis. Treatment of MRE markedly suppressed the protein expression of $PPAR{\gamma}$, $C/EBP{\alpha}$ and SREBP-1c, as well as FAS and ACC, which are the key transcription factors and metabolic enzymes in adipogenesis and lipogenesis. In addition, qRT-PCR analysis indicated that the anti-adipogenesis effect of MRE might be due to its inhibition at transcription levels. These results demonstrate that MRE can effectively suppress adipocyte differentiation and inhibit key enzymes related to obesity. Our findings suggest that mulberry root bark may have a potential benefit in preventing obesity.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.233-240
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• 2020

Autophagy regulators are often effective as potential cancer therapeutic agents. Here, we investigated paclitaxel sensitivity in cells with knockout (KO) of ATG5 gene. The ATG5 KO in multidrug resistant v-Ha-ras-transformed NIH 3T3 cells (Ras-NIH 3T3/Mdr) was generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology. The qPCR and LC3 immunoblot confirmed knockout of the gene and protein of ATG5, respectively. The ATG5 KO restored the sensitivity of Ras-NIH 3T3/Mdr cells to paclitaxel. Interestingly, ATG5 overexpression restored autophagy function in ATG5 KO cells, but failed to rescue paclitaxel resistance. These results raise the possibility that low level of resistance to paclitaxel in ATG5 KO cells may be related to other roles of ATG5 independent of its function in autophagy. The ATG5 KO significantly induced a G₂/M arrest in cell cycle progression. Additionally, ATG5 KO caused necrosis of a high proportion of cells after paclitaxel treatment. These data suggest that the difference in sensitivity to paclitaxel between ATG5 KO and their parental MDR cells may result from the disparity in the proportions of necrotic cells in both populations. Thus, our results demonstrate that the ATG5 KO in paclitaxel resistant cells leads to a marked G₂/M arrest and sensitizes cells to paclitaxel-induced necrosis.