• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.645-658
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• 2021

Porins are essential for the viability of Gram-negative bacteria. They ensure the uptake of nutrients, can be involved in the maintenance of outer membrane integrity and define the antibiotic or drug resistance of organisms. The function and structure of porins in proteobacteria is well described, while their function in photoautotrophic cyanobacteria has not been systematically explored. We compared the domain architecture of nine putative porins in the filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 and analyzed the seven candidates with predicted OprB-domain. Single recombinant mutants of the seven genes were created and their growth capacity under different conditions was analyzed. Most of the putative porins seem to be involved in the transport of salt and copper, as respective mutants were resistant to elevated concentrations of these substances. In turn, only the mutant of alr2231 was less sensitive to elevated zinc concentrations, while mutants of alr0834, alr4741 and all4499 were resistant to high manganese concentrations. Notably the mutant of alr4550 shows a high sensitivity against harmful compounds, which is indicative for a function related to the maintenance of outer membrane integrity. Moreover, the mutant of all5191 exhibited a phenotype which suggests either a higher nitrate demand or an inefficient nitrogen fixation. The dependency of porin membrane insertion on Omp85 proteins was tested exemplarily for Alr4550, and an enhanced aggregation of Alr4550 was observed in two omp85 mutants. The comparative analysis of porin mutants suggests that the proteins in parts perform distinct functions related to envelope integrity and solute uptake.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.137-142
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• 2021

In this study, the development of the room temperature curable silica-based coating compositions for anticorrosive and antifouling performance in marine environments was carried out. The marine (plant) structures with many exposed parts are operated in harsh marine environments such as strong ultraviolet rays, extreme temperature differences and salt water corrosion. Organic paints that are easily degraded under these environments and easily eroded by physical stimuli such as waves can not play a role properly. Dense ceramic coatings on marine structures provide careful protections even in saltwater environments due to their high hardness and rust resistance. Therefore, in the case of ceramic coatings, their use and application range in marine structures can be greatly improved due to their functional advantages. In the present study, silica-based coating compositions based on colloidal silica with silane coupling agents, curing salts, and ceramic fillers were developed, and their applications as protective coatings for corrosion protection and fouling prevention in seawater were also studied.

• Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.2256-2268
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• 2018

Hydrophilic and hydrophobic polyethersulfone (PES)-zinc oxide (ZnO) sublayers were prepared by loading of ZnO nanoparticles into PES matrix. Both porosity and hydrophilicity of the hydrophilic sublayer were increased upon addition of hydrophilic ZnO, while these were decreased for the hydrophobic sublayer. In addition, the results demonstrated that the hydrophilic membrane exhibited smaller structural parameter (S value or S parameter or S), which is beneficial for improving pure water permeability and decreasing mass transfer resistance. In contrast, a higher S parameter was obtained for the hydrophobic membrane. With a 2 M NaCl as DS and DI water as FS, the pure water flux of hydrophilic TFN0.5 membrane was increased from $21.02L/m^2h$ to $30.06L/m^2h$ and decreased for hydrophobic TFN0.5 membrane to $14.98L/m^2h$, while the salt flux of hydrophilic membrane increased from $10.12g/m^2h$ to $17.31g/m^2h$ and decreased for hydrophobic TFN0.5 membrane to $3.12g/m^2h$. The increment in pure water permeability can be ascribed to reduction in S parameter, which resulted in reduced internal concentration polarization (ICP). The current study provides a feasible and low cost procedure to decrease the ICP in FO processes.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.501-509
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• 2021

The increasing demand for baked products has given a boost to research on isolation and selection of novel yeast strains with improved leavening activity. Twelve sourdough samples were collected from several localities of the Fez region in Morocco. The pH and total titratable acidity (TTA) values of these samples varied from 3.03-4.63 and 14-17.5 ml of 0.1 N NaOH/10 g of sourdough, respectively, while yeast counts ranged from 5.3 6.77 Log CFU/g. Thirty-two yeast isolates were obtained and evaluated for their leavening ability. Out of all isolates, four yeasts molecularly identified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae (three strains) and Kluyveromyces marxianus (one strain) showed highest specific volumes of 4.69, 4.55, 4.35 and 4.1 cm³/g, respectively. These strains were further assessed for their tolerance to high concentrations of salt, sugar, elevated temperatures, and low pH conditions. K. marxianus showed higher resistance than the S. cerevisiae. Thus, Moroccan sourdoughs harbor technologically relevant yeasts that could be used as potential starters for bread preparation.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.103-109
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• 2022

Lactic acid bacteria with antibacterial activity can be effectively used as probiotics to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria that cause food spoilage or food poisoning. In this study, Pediococcus pentosaceus M132-2, isolated from soybean paste, was analyzed for its effects on three major contaminating fungi. M132-2 was confirmed to exert antifungal activity by inhibiting the growth of all three fungi tested. In addition, M132-2 displayed excellent salt resistance and low temperature tolerance. Thus M132-2 can survive at the salinity level in cheese and at the low temperatures used in the aging process. Finally, when supernatant from an M132-2 culture was applied to Gouda cheese, the growth of contaminating fungi was significantly inhibited. Consequently, M132-2 may be useful for the prevention of spoilage of various foods, including cheese.

• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.193-198
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• 2023

Currently, there are many discussions about composite materials and 3D printed composite material to weight reduction of ships. A test was conducted to confirm the applicability of the 3D printed composite material to ships and offshore structures by linking the 3D printing technology with excellent productivity and the composite material with corrosion resistance and lightweight characteristics in salt water environments. In order to apply the 3D printed composite material used in this paper to ships and offshore structures, the temperature environmental effects that can be exposed in the marine environment should be considered. Therefore, the tensile test was conducted with specimen of Carbon + Onyx, Carbon + Nylon, HSHT glass + Onyx, HSHT glass + Nylon material in low temperature (-50℃), room temperature (20℃), and high temperature (50℃) environments that can be exposed to the marine environment. As a result of the tensile test, the carbon + onyx specimen showed the highest tensile strength and the HSHT glass + onyx specimen showed the highest tensile strain. In addition, by analyzing the tested specimens, the failure mode of the 3D printed composite material specimens exposed to various temperature environments was analyzed.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.84 no.3
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• pp.393-411
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• 2022

A high-performance reactive powder concrete (RPC) has been readied alongside river sand, with 1.25 mm particle size when under the condition of 80C steam curing. As a heat and sound insulation, expanded perlite aggregate (EPA) provides economic advantages in building. Concrete containing EPA is examined in terms of cement types (CEM II 32.5R and CEM I 42.5R), doses (0, 2%, 4% and 6%) as well as replacement rates in this research study. The compressive and density of concrete were used in the testing. At the end of the 28-day period, destructive and nondestructive tests were performed on cube specimens of 150 mm150 mm150 mm. The concrete density is not decreased with the addition of more perlite (from 45 to 60 percent), since the enlarged perlite has a very low barrier to crushing. To get a homogenous and fluid concrete mix, longer mixing times for all the mix components are necessary due to the higher amount of perlite. As a result, it is not suggested to use greater volumes of this aggregate in RPC. In the presence of de-icing salt, the lightweight RPC exhibits excellent freeze-thaw resistance (mass is less than 0.2 kg/m²). The addition of perlite strengthens the aggregate-matrix contact, but there is no apparent ITZ. An increased compressive strength was seen in concretes containing expanded perlite powder and steel fibers with good performance.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.403-412
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• 2016

The tight junction, one of Intercellular junctions, performs a variety of biological functions by bonding adjacent cells, including the barrier function to control the movement of the electrolyte and water. Recent studies have revealed that unusual expression of tight junction-related genes have been shown to be related in cancer development and progression. Recently, there are many reports that control of tight junction proteins expression is closely related to the skin moisture. In this study, we are focusing on the regulating mechanism of tight junction-associated genes by the steviol and its derivatives. Steviol, used as a sweetner, is known to chemical compound isolated from stevia plant. The MTS (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, inner salt) assay was carried out in HaCaT cells (human keratinocyte cell line) in order to determine the cytotoxicity. As a result, while steviol showing cytotoxicity from $250{\mu}M$, steviol derivatives are not cytotoxic more than $250{\mu}M$ concentration. We have observed a change in the tight junction protein via quantitative real-time PCR. Claudin 8 among tight junction proteins is only significantly reduced up to 30% in the presence of steviol. In addition, cell migration was inhibited by steviol, not by stevioside and rebaudioside. Finally, we could observe that steviol, not stevioside and rebaudioside, is able to increase the skin barrier permeability through the transepithelial electric resistance (TEER) measurements. These results suggest that the steviol and its derivatives are specifically acts on the tight junction related gene expression, but steviol derivatives are more suitable as a cosmetic material.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.241-248
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• 1993

An experiment was conducted in 1990~1991 to study the effects of various soil amelioration on the soil productivity and machine workability at tidal land paddy field of Kyewhado Substation, Homam Crop Experiment Station. The soil, Munpo Series(fine sandy loam, Typic Fluvaquents) was treated with gipsum, rice straw, rice straw compost and foreign soil(at 20cm depth) after deep ploughing. The results are surmerized as follows. 1. Sand and clay were slightly increased, while silt was slightly decreased in the rice straw and compost plots. The soil texture was changed from loam to sand loam by the addition of foreign soil 2. Soil bulk density and porosity was decreased in the rice straw, compost and foreign soil addition plots. 3. Cone penetration resistance was $12.5kg/cm^2$ at 10cm of soil depth before experiment and $12.5kg/cm^2$ at 20cm of soil depth after experiment except control, and the root zone was expended down to 20cm. 4. Soil salt content before experiment was 0.46 and 0.48% for surface soil(10cm) and subsoil(20cm), respectively ; The salt content of ameliorated plot was 0.26~0.32% and 0.16~0.31%, respectively, indicating good leaching of soil salt by the soil improvements. 5. The yields of rice in different treatments were in the order of the foreign soil addition > compost > gypsum > rice straw > control.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.567-573
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• 2001

Lactobacilli have been generally recognized as an important lactic acid bacteria present in the normal human intestinal flora. Fifty two Lactobacillus isolates were recovered from the feces of healthy Koreans whose age ranged from thirteen days after birth to 37 years. Among the isolates above, 17 isolates were tentatively identified as strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus and 3 isolates as strains of Lactobacillus casei. For their characterization, these twenty isolates were subjected to the experiments for the resistance to the artificial gastric juice, pH2.5 and bile salt. Interestingly, 3 strains survived pH 2.5 after 3 hour incubation in the artificial gastric juice with more than 75% of survival rate. L. acidophilus a-4 had the highest survival rate of 100%. Four strains including L. acidophilus a-3 grew gradually in MRS broth in the presence of the artificial bile salt. Cholesterol assimilation was also tested for the 20 isolates. The result showed that cholesterol concentration of the medium was reduced by 10 Lactobacillus isolates with more than 60%, as compared to the control. L. acidophilus a-2 had the highest reduction rate of 77%. Judging from these data obtained in vitro, some isolates ware likely to reach the lower small intestine after consumption without a significant loss of viability, suggesting that they had the potential to be developed as a probiotic culture which might lower the cholesterol level in human.