• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.65-72
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• 2014

In this paper, the water-based Ag nanofluids are synthesized by the chemical reduction method and their extinction coefficients are measured by an in-house developed measurement device. The Ag nanofluids are manufactured by the chemical reduction method with the mixing of silver nitrate ($AgNO_3$) and sodium borohydride ($NaBH_4$) in an aqueous solution of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP). The extinction coefficients of Ag nanofluids are measured by means of the in-house developed apparatus at a wavelength of 632.8nm according to the particle volume fractions. The results show that the extinction coefficient of water-based Ag nanofluids increases with the increase of nanoparticle concentrations. Finally, the temperature field and efficiency of direct absorption solar collector (DASC) are analytically estimated based on the measured extinction coefficient of water-based Ag nanofluids. The results indicate that the direct absorption solar collectors using nanofluids have the feasibility to improve the efficiency of conventional flat-plate solar collectors without using an absorber plate.

• Mycobiology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.103-108
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• 2011

Amylases and cellulases are important enzymes that can be utilized for various biological activities. Ten different wild Nigerian mushrooms (Agaricus blazei, Agaricus sp., Corilopsis occidentalis, Coriolus versicolor, Termitomyces clypeatus, Termitomyces globulus, Pleurotus tuber-regium, Podoscypha bolleana, Pogonomyces hydnoides, and Nothopanus hygrophanus) were assayed for production of these secondary metabolites. The results revealed that most of the tested wild fungi demonstrated very good amylase and cellulase activities. With the incorporation of carboxymethyl-cellulose (a carbon source) into the culture medium, Agaricus blazei had the highest amylolytic activity of 0.60 unit/mL (at $25^{\circ}C$, pH 6.8). This was followed in order by P. tuber-regium and Agaricus sp. with 0.42 and 0.39 unit/mL, respectively ($p {\leq} 0.05$). Maltose and sucrose supplementation into the submerged liquid medium made N. hygrophanus and P. hydnoides to exhibit very low amylase activities of 0.09 and 0.11 unit/mL, respectively. Introducing peptone (an organic nitrogen source) into the basal medium enhanced the ability of C. versicolor to produce a cellulase value of 0.74 unit/mL. Other organic nitrogen sources that supported good cellulase activities were yeast extract and urea. Sodium nitrate (inorganic nitrogen source) generally inhibited cellulase production in all mushrooms. The best carbon source was carboxymethyl-cellulose, which promoted very high cellulase activity of 0.67 unit/mL in C. versicolor, which was followed in order by P. tuber-regium, T. chypeatus, and C. occidentalis ($p {\leq} 0.05$). Sucrose was the poorest carbon compound, supporting the lowest values of 0.01, 0.01, and 0.14 unit/mL in P. hydnoides, A. blazei, and Agaricus sp., respectively.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.142-151
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• 2020

Background: Suppressive soil inhibits soil-borne diseases if pathogens are present, and ginseng does not show injury even if replanted in the same field. Methods and Results: Soil chemical properties and microbial community of soil were investigated in soil suppressive and conducive to ginseng root rot. Root rot disease in 2-year-old ginseng was tested by mixing conducive soil, with suppressive or sterilized suppressive soil. The root rot ratio in suppressive soil was 43.3% compared to 96.7% in conducive soil. Biological factors acted to inhibit the root rot because disease ratio was increased in the sterilized suppressive soil compared to that in non-suppressive soil. The suppressive soil had lower pH, nitrate nitrogen and sodium than the conducive soil. Dominat bacteria and fungi (more than 1.0%) were 3 and 17 species in conducive soil and 7 and 23 species in suppressive soil, respectively. The most predominant fungi were Pseudaleuria sp. HG936843 (28.70%) in conducive soil and Pseudogymnoascus roseus (7.52%) in suppressive soil. Conclusion: Microbial diversity was more abundant in the suppressive soil than in the conducive soil, and the proportion of pathogens (Nectriaceae sp.) causing root rot was significantly lower in the suppressive soil than in the conducive soil.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.36-45
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• 1977

A piscicidal substance was isolated from the culture medium of Streptomyces umbrosus by avicel column chromatography and avicel thin layer chromatography after extration with chroloform. Bluegreen fluorescence was emitted under UV irradiation. Factors which govern toxin production and nutrition requirement for high toxin titres were observed. Nutritional uptake for toxin production was not curresponded with that for cell growth. Alanine, valine, serine asparagine, arginine, histidine, urea and sodium nitrate as a carbon source and glucose, mannose, rhamnose, xylose, arabitol and starch as a carbon source were recognized as a favorable nutrient for high toxin production. Magnesium was essential factor whereas vitamins were not of effective. Most of toxin was formed simultaneously with cell growth in esponential phase. Maximal production was observed for six day culture at 3$0^{\circ}C$. Tissues of gill, kidney and pnacreas in Cyprinus carpio were denatured extreamly after treating with the substance. Atrophied nucleous, indented membrane and degradated cytoplasm with necrotic affectness were noted on each tissue. The chemical formula of the substance was designated as $C_{38}$ $H_{66}$ $NO_4$.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.267-273
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• 2011

Methyl violet, used extensively in the commercial textile industry and as a biological stain, is a hazardous recalcitrant. Aspergillus sp. strain CB-TKL-1 isolated from a water sample from Tsumoriri Lake, Karzok, Ladakh, India, was found to completely decolorize methyl violet within 24 h when cultured under aerobic conditions at $25^{\circ}C$. The rate of decolorization was determined by monitoring the decrease in the absorbance maxima of the dye by UV-visible spectroscopy. The decolorization of methyl violet was optimal at pH 5.5 and $30^{\circ}C$ when agitated at 200 rpm. Addition of glucose or arabinose (2%) as a carbon source and sodium nitrate or soyapeptone (0.2%) as a nitrogen source enhanced the decolorization ability of the culture. Furthermore, the culture exhibited a maximum decolorization rate of methyl violet after 24 h when the C:N ratio was 10. Nine N-demethylated decolorized products of methyl violet were identified based on UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and LC-MS analyses. The decolorization of methyl violet at the end of 24 h generated mono-, di-, tri-, tetra-, penta-, and hexa-N-demethylated intermediates of pararosaniline. The variation of the relative absorption peaks in the decolorized sample indicated a linear decrease of hexa-N-demethylated compounds to non-N-demethylated pararosaniline, indicating a stepwise N-demethylation in the decolorization process.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.206-211
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• 2010

Zinc oxide(ZnO) nanoparticles were synthesized by reacting an aqueous-alcoholic zinc nitrate solution to sodium hydroxide under ultrasonic irradiation at room temperature. The fullerene($C_{60}$) and ZnO nanoparticles were heated individually in an electric furnace for two hours at $700^{\circ}C$. The morphology and optical properties of the $C_{60}$ and ZnO nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and ultraviolet/visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the heated and unheated the $C_{60}$ and ZnO nanoparticles for the decomposition of methylene blue(MB), methyl orange(MO) and rhodamine B(RhB) was examined using UV-vis spectroscopy.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.20.1-20.14
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• 2020

Objectives: To minimize the tooth sensitivity caused by in-office bleaching, many dentists use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and topical desensitizing gels containing potassium nitrate and sodium fluoride. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of these substances on inflammation and the expression of substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide in pulp nerve fibers. Materials and Methods: Seventy-two rats were divided into 6 groups as follows: GI, control; GII, only dental bleaching; GIII, only ibuprofen; GIV, ibuprofen administered 30 minutes before and after the bleaching treatment and every 12 hours until the analysis; GV, only topical application of a desensitizing agent; and GVI, topical application of a desensitizing agent before dental bleaching. Placebo gel was applied to the upper left jaw and the bleaching agent was applied to the upper right jaw in all groups. Subsequently, the groups were divided into 3 subgroups based on the time of analysis: 0, 24, and 48 hours after bleaching (n = 8). The rats were euthanized and the maxillae were processed and evaluated by histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses. The data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test, followed by the Dunn test (p < 0.05). Results: In the bleaching groups, the inflammatory process and expression of neuropeptides decreased over time. The animals in which a desensitizing agent was applied showed better results within 24 hours. Conclusions: The use of a desensitizing agent had positive effects on inflammation and pain-related neuropeptide expression, minimizing the painful effects of dental bleaching treatment.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.721-727
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• 2007

Scorpion (SCP) has been clinically used for the treatment of endogenous wind to relieve convulsion, clearing away toxins, resolving hard masses and removing obstruction in the collaterals to relieve pain. Recent studies showed that scorpion toxins that affect the activating mechanism of sodium channels and indian black scorpion venom induced anti-proliferative and apoptogenic activity against human leukemic cell lines U937 and K562. There is lack of studies regarding the effects of SCP on the immunological activities. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of SCP on the regulatory effects of cytokines and nitric oxide (NO) for the immunological activities in Raw 264.7 cells. After the treatment of SCP MeOH extract dissolved in media for 1 h prior to the addition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS: 1 ${\mu}$g/ml), cell viability was measured by MTT assay, NO production was monitored by measuring the nitrite content in culture medium. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was determined by immunoblot analysis, and levels of cytokine were analyzed by sandwich immunoassays. As results, SCP inhibited the production of nitrite and nitrate (0.3 and 1.0 mg/ml), iNOS and p-$I_KB_{\alpha}$ protein, tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (0.3 and 1.0 mg/ml), interleukin-1${\beta}$ (0.3 and 1.0 mg/ml) and interleukin-6 (1.0mg/ml) in Raw 264.7 cells activated with LPS. These findings suggest that SCP can produce anti-inflammatory effect, which may play a role in adjunctive therapy in Gram-negative bacterial infections.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.219-232
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• 2019

Chemicals related to hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) and nitric oxide (NO) generations were exogenously applied to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae (Fof) causing Fusarium wilt disease in strawberry plants, and regulations of in vitro conidial germination and mycelial growth of the fungus by the chemical treatments were evaluated. $H_2O_2$ drastically reduced the conidial germination of Fof in a dose-dependent manner, and treatment with 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (3-AT) catalase inhibitor also led to dose-dependent inhibition of conidial germination but relatively moderately. Gradual decreases in mycelial growth of Fof were found by high concentrations of $H_2O_2$, whilst exogenous 3-AT slightly increased the mycelial growth. Increasing sodium nitroprusside (SNP) NO donor, $N^G$-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) NO synthase (NOS)-inhibitor and tungstate nitrate reductase (NR) inhibitor led to dose-dependent reductions in conidial germination of Fof in quite different levels. SNP conversely increased the mycelial growth but increasing L-NAME moderately decreased the mycelial growth. Tungstate strongly enhanced mycelial growth. Differentially regulated in vitro mycelial growths of Fof were demonstrated by SNP, L-NAME and tungstate with or without $H_2O_2$ supplement. Superoxide anion production was also regulated during the mycelial growth of Fof by nitric oxide. These results show that $H_2O_2$ and NO-associated enzymes can be suggested as fungal growth regulators of Fof as well as eco-friendly disease-managing agents in strawberry production fields.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.237-242
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• 2019

In this study, ultrasonic spray pyrolysis combined with salt-assisted decomposition, a process that adds sodium nitrate ($NaNO_3$) into a titanium precursor solution, is used to synthesize nanosized titanium dioxide ($TiO_2$) particles. The added $NaNO_3$ prevents the agglomeration of the primary nanoparticles in the pyrolysis process. The nanoparticles are obtained after a washing process, removing $NaNO_3$ and NaF from the secondary particles, which consist of the salts and $TiO_2$ nanoparticles. The effects of pyrolysis temperature on the size, crystallographic characteristics, and bandgap energy of the synthesized nanoparticles are systematically investigated. The synthesized $TiO_2$ nanoparticles have a size of approximately 2-10 nm a bandgap energy of 3.1-3.25 eV, depending on the synthetic temperature. These differences in properties affect the photocatalytic activities of the synthesized $TiO_2$ nanoparticles.