• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.83-95
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• 2023

These days, bacterial detection methods have some limitations in sensitivity, specificity, and multiple detection. To overcome these, novel detection and identification method is necessary to be developed. Recently, NGS panel method has been suggested to screen, detect, and even identify specific foodborne pathogens in one reaction. In this study, new NGS panel primer sets were developed to target 13 specific virulence factor genes from five types of pathogenic Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, respectively. Evaluation of the primer sets using singleplex PCR, crosscheck PCR and multiplex PCR revealed high specificity and selectivity without interference of primers or genomic DNAs. Subsequent NGS panel analysis with six artificially contaminated food samples using those primer sets showed that all target genes were multi-detected in one reaction at 10⁸-10⁵ CFU of target strains. However, a few false-positive results were shown at 10⁶-10⁵ CFU. To validate this NGS panel analysis, three sets of qPCR analyses were independently performed with the same contaminated food samples, showing the similar specificity and selectivity for detection and identification. While this NGS panel still has some issues for detection and identification of specific foodborne pathogens, it has much more advantages, especially multiple detection and identification in one reaction, and it could be improved by further optimized NGS panel primer sets and even by application of a new real-time NGS sequencing technology. Therefore, this study suggests the efficiency and usability of NGS panel for rapid determination of origin strain in various foodborne outbreaks in one reaction.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.104-109
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• 2022

The bomb rack unit (BRU) installed inside the pylon serves to fix external attachments such as external fuel tank or external weapon, and also serves to separate external attachments in case of emergency. In particular, the load generated when the external attachment is separated from the BRU is called the punching load. In this study, we present the results of a structural static test performed to verify the structural integrity of the pylon under the BRU punching condition acting on it. In the structural static test report, we present the implementation method for the separation load of the external attachment and the test profile for the BRU punching load condition, and compared the error between the load input signal and the feed-back signal to determine the appropriateness of load control in each test. Furthermore, we compared the strain results obtained in the numerical analysis and structural test at the main positions of the specimen. As a result, it was shown that the load of the actuators were properly controlled within the allowable error range in each test, and the numerical analysis effectively predicted the test result. Finally, through structural static tests conducted by design limit load and design ultimate load, we verified that the aircraft pylon dealt with in this study has sufficient structural strength for external attachment separation condition.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.97-103
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• 2022

An aircraft component can only be mounted on an aircraft if it has been certified to have a structural robustness under flight load conditions. Among the major components of the aircraft, a pylon is a structure that connects external equipment such as an engine, and external attachments with the main wing of an aircraft and transmits the loads acting on it to the main structure of the aircraft. In civil aircraft, when there is an incident of fire in the engine area, the pylon prevents the fire from spreading to the wings. This study presents the results of structural static tests performed to verify the structural robustness of a fuel pylon used to mount external fuel tank in an aircraft. In the main text, we present the test set-up diagram consisting of test fixture, hydraulic pressure unit, load control system, and data acquisition equipment used in the structure static test of the fuel pylon. In addition, we introduce the software that controls the load actuator, and provide a test profile for each test load condition. As a result of the structural static test, it was found that the load actuator was properly controlled within the allowable error range in each test, and the reliability of the numerical analysis was verified by comparing the numerical analysis results and the strain obtained from the structural test at the main positions of the test specimen. In conclusion, it was proved that the fuel pylon covered in this study has sufficient structural strength for the required load conditions through structural static tests.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• 제26권9호
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• pp.558-568
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• 2023

Vibrio vulnificus is an aquatic bacterium causing septicemia and wound infection in humans. To understand this pathogen at the genomic level, it was performed whole genome sequencing of a cefoxitin-resistant strain, V. vulnificus 1908-10 possessing virulence-related genes (vvhA, viuB, and vcgC) isolated from Gadeok island coastal seawater in South Korea. The genome of V. vulnificus 1908-10 consisted of two circular contigs and no plasmid. The total genome size was estimated to be 5,018,425 bp with a guanine-cytosine (GC) content of 46.9%. We found 119 tRNA and 34 rRNA genes respectively in the genome, along with 4,352 predicted protein sequences. Virulence factor (VF) analysis further revealed that V. vulnificus 1908-10 possess various virulence genes in classes of adherence, antiphagocytosis, chemotaxis and motility, iron uptake, quorum sensing, secretion system, and toxin. In the comparison of the presence/absence of virulence genes, V. vulnificus 1908-10 had fur, hlyU, luxS, ompU, pilA, pilF, rtxA, rtxC, and vvhA. Of the 30 V. vulnificus comparative strains, 80% of the C-genotype strains have all of these genes, whereas 40% of the E-genotype strains have all of them. In particular, pilA were identified in 80% of the C-type strains and 40% of the E-type strains, showing more difference than other genes. Therefore, V. vulnificus 1908-10 had similar VF characteristics to those of type C strains. Multifunctional-autoprocessing repeats-in-toxin (MARTX) toxin of V. vulnificus 1908-10 contained 8 A-type repeats (GXXGXXXXXG), 25 B.1-type repeats (TXVGXGXX), 18 B2-type repeats (GGXGXDXXX), and 7 C-type repeats (GGXGXDXXX). The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) showed that the RtxA protein of V. vulnificus 1908-10 had the effector domain in the order of cross-liking domain (ACD)-C58_PaToxP-like domain- α/β hydrolase-C58_PaToxP-like domain.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• 제66권
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• pp.394-403
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• 2023

In the pursuit of sustainable and environmentally-friendly agricultural practices, we conducted an extensive study on the rhizosphere bacteria inhabiting soils that have been devoid of chemical fertilizers for an extended period exceeding 40 years. Through this investigation, we isolated a total of 80 species of plant growth-promoting rhizosphere bacteria and assessed their potential to enhance plant growth. Among these isolates, Burkholderia cepacia CD2 displayed remarkable plant growth-promoting activity, making it an optimal candidate for further analysis. Burkholderia cepacia CD2 exhibited a range of beneficial characteristics conducive to plant growth, including phosphate solubilization, siderophore production, denitrification, nitrate utilization, and urease activity. These attributes are well-known to positively influence the growth and development of plants. To validate the taxonomic classification of the strain, 16S rRNA gene sequencing confirmed its placement within the Burkholderia genus, providing further insights into its phylogenetic relationship. To delve deeper into the potential mechanisms underlying its plant growth-promoting properties, we sought to confirm the presence of specific genes associated with plant growth promotion in CD2. To achieve this, whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed by Plasmidsaurus Inc. (USA) utilizing Oxford Nanopore technology (Abingdon, UK). The WGS analysis of the genome of CD2 revealed the existence of a subsystem function, which is thought to be a pivotal factor contributing to improved plant growth. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that Burkholderia cepacia CD2 has the potential to serve as a microbial fertilizer, offering a sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• 제31권2호
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• pp.36-44
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• 2024

Copper electrodeposition technology is essential for producing copper films and interconnects in the microelectronics industries including semiconductor packaging, semiconductors and secondary battery, and there are extensive efforts to control the microstructure of these films and interconnects. In this study, we investigated the influence of crystallographic orientation on the local plastic deformation of copper films for secondary batteries deformed by uniaxial tensile load. Crystallographic orientation maps of two electrodeposited copper films with different textures were measured using an electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) system and then used as initial conditions for crystal plasticity finite element analysis to predict the local plastic deformation behavior within the films during uniaxial tension deformation. Through these processes, the changes of the local plastic deformation behavior and texture of the films were traced according to the tensile strain, and the crystal orientations leading to the inhomogeneous plastic deformation were identified.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제34권5호
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• pp.1146-1153
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• 2024

The increasing economic losses associated with growth retardation caused by Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP), a microsporidian parasite infecting penaeid shrimp, require effective monitoring. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS)-1 region, the non-coding region of ribosomal clusters between 18S and 5.8S rRNA genes, is widely used in phylogenetic studies due to its high variability. In this study, the ITS-1 region sequence (~600-bp) of EHP was first identified, and primers for a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting that sequence were designed. A newly developed nested-PCR method successfully detected the EHP in various shrimp (Penaeus vannamei and P. monodon) and related samples, including water and feces collected from Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, India, and Malaysia. The primers did not cross-react with other hosts and pathogens, and this PCR assay is more sensitive than existing PCR detection methods targeting the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) and spore wall protein (SWP) genes. Phylogenetic analysis based on the ITS-1 sequences indicated that the Indonesian strain was distinct (86.2% nucleotide sequence identity) from other strains collected from Thailand and South Korea, and also showed the internal diversity among Thailand (N = 7, divided into four branches) and South Korean (N = 5, divided into two branches) samples. The results revealed the ability of the ITS-1 region to determine the genetic diversity of EHP from different geographical origins.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• 제35권2호
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• pp.118-126
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• 2002

To evaluate the correlations of microbial populations with soil healthiness and crop production and establish the criteria for microbial population of soil types. We analyzed the microbial community structure of 13 soils which were different in physical and chemical properties and cultivation methods. According to the analysis of microbial population suing the dilution plate method, the large differences of the microbial population structures among soil types were shown: aerobic bacteria $2-27{\times}10^6$, fluorescent Pseudomonas $1-1,364{\times}10^5$, Gram negative bacteria $1-126{\times}10^4$, and mesophilic Bacillus $1-110{\times}10^5$. The density of Gram negative bacteria was highest on red pepper cultivating soils (sample no. 4 and 6) of Umsung and Gesan, Chungbuk, and the density of the fluorescent Pseudomonas was highest on greenhouse soil (sample no. 7) of Jinju, Kyungnam. The crop productivity of three soils was high as compared with those of other soils. It was supposed that the density of fluorescent Pseudomonas and mesophilic Bacillus were correlated with the incresed crop production. By MIDI analysis, 579 strains isolated from 13 soils composed of a variety of microbes including 102 isolates of Agrobacterium, 112 isolates of Bacillus, 32 isolates of Pseudomonas, 44 isolates of Kocuria, and 34 isolates of Pseudomonas. Among the 624 isolates of Gram negative bacteria, Pseudomonas including P. putida and p. fluorescens occupied the highest density (51%), and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Burkholderia cepacia also appeared at high density. From RAPD analysis, the fluorescent Pseudomonas strains isolated from 13 soil types showed a high level of strain diversities and were grouped into 2 - 14 patterns according to soil types. Many of unknown bacteria were recovered from the paddy soil, and needed to be further characterized on the molecular basis.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.361-369
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• 1997

A microbiological nitrate determination method by E. coli is modified in Korea, using K12 wildtype, KCTC 1116, for the quantitative reduction of $NO_3{^-}$ to $NO_2{^-}$. The nitrate in plant, soil or water sample is determined spectrophotometrically after being diazotized with sulfaniamide and N-(1-naphthl)-ethlenediamine. The modified E. coli cell method and principle for nitrate determination using Korean wildtype E. coli strain is described, and cell culture and preparation of stock suspension for E. coli as well. This modified E. coli cell method can be managed simply and fast, it is suitable for the investigation of the large serials, it can be also automated and has a high degree of sensitivity up to 0.01ppm $NO_3{^-}-N$ in the sample solution. The applicability of the modified E. coli cell method has been tested for plant, soil and water analysis on a wide range of different samples. Recovery rates of added nitrate have been determined and comparisons with other standard nitrate analytical procedures have been carried out. The results with the modified E. coli cell method show high correlation ($r^2=0.98$) with those gained by the standard analytical procedures. The advantages and disadvantages of the method are also discussed to other nitrate determination methods.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.23-29
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• 2017

The packaged optical fiber Bragg grating sensors which were networked by multiplexing the Bragg grating sensors with WDM technology were investigated in application for the structural health monitoring of the marine trestle structure transporting the ship. The optical fiber Bragg grating sensor was packaged in a cylindrical shape made of aluminum tubes. Furthermore, after the packaged optical fiber sensor was inserted in polymeric tube, the epoxy was filled inside the tube so that the sensor has resistance and durability against sea water. The packaged optical fiber sensor component was investigated under 0.2 MPa of hydraulic pressure and was found to be robust. The number and location of Bragg gratings attached at the trestle were determined where the trestle was subject to high displacement obtained by the finite element simulation. Strain of the part in the trestle being subjected to the maximum load was analyzed to be ${\sim}1000{\mu}{\varepsilon}$ and thus shift in Bragg wavelength of the sensor caused by the maximum load of the trestle was found to be ~1,200 pm. According to results of the finite element analysis, the Bragg wavelength spacings of the sensors were determined to have 3~5 nm without overlapping of grating wavelengths between sensors when the trestle was under loads and thus 50 of the grating sensors with each module consisting of 5 sensors could be networked within 150 nm optical window at 1550 nm wavelength of the Bragg wavelength interrogator. Shifts in Bragg wavelength of the 5 packaged optical fiber sensors attached at the mock trestle unit were well interrogated by the grating interrogator which used the optical fiber loop mirror, and the maximum strain rate was measured to be about $235.650{\mu}{\varepsilon}$. The modelling result of the sensor packaging and networking was in good agreements with experimental result each other.