• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.123-144
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• 1975

This study has been carried out to investigate the translocation-illuviation status of iron and manganese, which are striking phenomena in paddy soils, in relation to its morphological characteristics, and to find out a method to identify illuvial layer of iron quantitatively. Determination of active iron and easily reducible manganese content in surface soils of lowland paddy (266 samples) in Korea were conducted. The examination has been made on relationship between morphological, physico-chemical properties of the representative paddy soils (9 series) and iron and manganese content of their horizons. The results are summarized as follows. 1. The poorer the drainage, the higher concentration of active iron and easily reducible manganese were found, and under same drainage condition, the more the sand, the lower the content of them. 2. Irrespective of soil texture and drainage, highly signignificant positive correlation was found between the contents of active iron ($\hat{Y}$) and clay plus silt in surface soils. $$\hat{Y}=0.3929+(0.05352\;X\;clay%)+(0.0001023\;X\;silt%){\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;I$$ No correlation, however, was found between clay content and easily reducible manganese concentration. 3. Significant positive correlation was obtained between active iron ($\hat{Y}$) and total iron (x) content in each profiles of all soil series. Obtained regression equation is as follows; $$\hat{Y}=0.361x-0.480(r=0.651^{**}){\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;{\ldots}\;II$$ On the other hand, easily reducible manganese concentration had a tendency to increase, not significantly, with increasing total manganese concentration. 4. Accumulation of iron and manganese generally can be found in paddy soils, but distinct accumulation was found under moderately well drained fine loamy and clay soils, while surface accumulation occurred under poor drainage without regard to soil texture. 5. Profile description or determination of active iron in each horizon were found to be insufficient to designate illuvial layer of iron. Therefore, identification of illuvial layer of iron based on the ratio of total iron and active iron, and concentration of active iron estimated by the content of clay plus silt (Equation 1 above) was thought to be reasonable. Also, manganese accumulation layer would be estimated by total manganese and easily reducible manganese content and their ratio.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.7
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• pp.444-449
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• 2009

Different neurodegenerative disorders like prion disease, is caused by protein misfolding conformers. Reverse-transfected cytosolic prion protein (PrP) and PrP expressed in the cytosol have been shown to be neurotoxic. To investigate the possible mechanism of neurotoxicity due to accumulation of PrP in cytosol, a PrP mutant lacking the signal and GPI (CytoPrP) was introduced into the SH-SY5Y cell. MTT and trypan blue assays indicated that the viability of cells expressing CytoPrP was remarkably reduced after treatment of MG-132. Obvious apoptosis phenomena were detected in the cells accumulated with CytoPrP, including loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, increase of caspase-3 activity, more annexin V/PI-double positive-stained cells and reduced Bcl-2 level. Moreover, DNA fragmentation and TUNEL assays also revealed clear evidences of late apoptosis in the cells accumulated CytoPrP. These data suggest that the accumulation of CytoPrP in cytoplasm may trigger cell apoptosis, in which mitochondrial relative apoptosis pathway seems to play critical role.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.107-112
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• 2000

One of the physiologically important ginseng diseases is red-colored phenomena (RCP) that is caused by accumulation of red-colored substances on the epidermis of ginseng roots. Although RCP severely deteriorates the quality of ginseng products, there has been little information on what red-colored substance is and how RCP occurs. Therefore, the heavy losses of cultivators and ginseng industry are suffering by RCP, For this reason, we have investigated with the morphochernical characteristics of RCP to find out main cause of it. The red-colored substances (RS) on the epidermis of red-colored ginseng (RCG) were examined using inverted light microscope, confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM)and furier transform infrared (FT/IR) spectrometer. Red brown substances were accumulated in the cell wall of the epidermis from early stage to late stage of RCC. Especially, cell wall of the late stage of RCG was covered with the sub-stances with 80~ 130 fm thick. Therefore, the cell wall of RCG cannot protect the ginseng root cells from the mechanical damages, bacteria and fungi. To analyse red substances of roots, RS were isolated from epidermis of RCG and extracted using various solvents. RS is strongly insoluble but it was bleached by oxidizing agents including 12% (v/v) NaOCl. Therefore, RS was Presumed to make up of high chelation power. The proriles of FT/IR spectra or both healthy ginseng (HEG) and RCG showed a significant difference at two wavelength,2857 cm$\^$-1/(C-H) and 1032 cm$\^$-1/(S=O), respectively. Furthermore, absorption peak of 2857cm$\^$-l/ appears on the only epidermis of RCG. The other peak is shown lower absorption rate on the epidermis of RCG than that of healthy ginseng. Also, FT/IR spectra of the mixture of carboxym-ethylcellulose (CMC) and iron (Fe$\^$3+/) were very similar to RCG spectrum profiles. One of a interesting fact is that the contents of phenolic compounds at the epidermis of healthy ginseng were highest. The results of these experiments sup-port the RCP was closely related with the chemical interaction between inorganic elements (Fe) of rhizosphere and organic matters (cellulose, cellobiose, cell sap, etc.) of ginseng roots.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.143-153
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• 2003

The effects of bipolar interface formed on the surface of cation-exchange membrane on water splitting phenomena were investigated. Results showed that the formation of immobilized bipolar interface resulted in significant water splitting during electrodialysis. In particular, the immobilized bipolar interface was easily created on the cation-exchange membrane surface in the electrodialytic systems where multivalent cations served as an electrolyte. Multivalent cations with low solubility product resulted in violent water splitting because they were easily precipitated on the membrane surface in hydroxide form. Therefore, the bipolar interface consisting of H- and OH-affinity groups were formed on the membrane-solution interface. Apparently, water splitting was largely activated with the help of strong electric fields generated between the metal hydroxide layer and fixed charge groups on the membrane surface. Likewise, the accumulation of large molecular counter ions on the membrane surface led to the formation of a fixed bipolar structure that could cause significant water splitting in the over-limiting current region. Therefore, the prevention of the immobilization of bipolar interface on the membrane surface is very essential in improving the process efficiency in a high-current operation.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.465-473
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• 2011

Dietary fatty acids are under intense research to identify anti-atherogenic mechanisms, so we investigated green tea powder (GT) as a protector against atherogenesis originating from lipid peroxidation such as 4-hydroxynonemal (4-HNE) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in different dietary fatty acid-treated apo E KO mice. Growth rate and dietary efficiency were lower in apo E KO mice with or without LA compared to wild type. Plasma total cholesterol (TC) and triacylglycerol (TG) did not correspond to values in other tissues, but TG in heart tissue decreased significantly by GT after linoleic acid (LA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was administered. LA induced apoptosis as evidenced by changes in aorta morphology and immunohistochemistry. Lipid peroxides (LPO) was increased in apo E KO mice with or without LA corresponding to the accumulation of 4-HNE or MDA in the proximal aorta above the atria. GT consumption tended to reduce the primary causal mechanism of atherogenic phenomena such as oxidizability in both LA and DHA treated atherogenic mice. A high polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) diet involved the changes on stress-induced apoptotic signaling by increasing caspase 3, cytochrome c, and nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ in the heart tissue, but decreasing the bcl-2 protein. However, GT remarkably reduced the expression of apoptotic signaling, in contrast to the PUFA diet. Therefore, the potential of GT as an anti-atherosclerotic dietary antioxidant was tested in this study.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.118-127
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• 2007

This study investigated the effect of varying TS concentration levels using supernatant of food waste. The experiment was performed at varying TS concentration levels ranging from 5% to 10% by a $35^{\circ}C$-mesophilic digestion reactor, dual digestion system with acid and methane fermenters combined. As a result, removal efficiency and stabilization were observed at TS concentration of 7~8%, But the removal efficiency notably decreased at 8% or higher TS level. At a stabilized phase of the reactor, more than $0.3m^3/kg{\cdot}vs$ gas was produced, with phenomena such as salt accumulation and increase of pH level being unnoticed. These results indicate that the increase of anaerobic digestion of food waste supernatant TS content has an effect on reaction and that it is necessary to control and operate concentration within 8%, given that the effect is stronger at 8% or higher.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
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• v.2 no.3 s.6
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• pp.109-117
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• 2002

An analysis to allocate storage space for sediment accumulation during the economic life of the reservoir is required in the planning or design of a reservoir. This analysis has been the most difficult and tedious aspect to deal with reservoir sedimentation because of the interaction between the various parameters related to the hydraulics of flow, reservoir operating policy, inflowing sediment load. The approach to analyzing spatial distribution of deposits has relied on empirical methods, all of which required a great deal of simplification from the actual physical phenomena. For the purpose of this study, reservoir sedimentation rate computed by Empirical Area Reduction Method is compared with measuring rate along the Soyang-gang Dam. As a conclusion, reservoir sedimentation rate can be estimated exactly by Empirical Area Reduction Method.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.1457-1466
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• 2012

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) exert antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, fungi, and viruses by various mechanisms. AMPs commonly possess particular characteristics by harboring cationic and amphipathic structures and binding to cell membranes, resulting in the leakage of essential cell contents by forming pores or disturbing lipid organization. These membrane disruptive mechanisms of AMPs are possible to explain according to the various structure forming pores in the membrane. Some AMPs inhibit DNA and/or RNA synthesis as well as apoptosis induction by reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and mitochondrial dysfunction. Specifically, mitochondria play a major role in the apoptotic pathway. During apoptosis induced by AMPs, cells undergo cytochrome c release, caspase activation, phosphatidylserine externalization, plasma or mitochondrial membrane depolarization, DNA and nuclei damage, cell shrinkage, apoptotic body formation, and membrane blebbing. Even AMPs, which have been reported to exert membrane-active mechanisms, induce apoptosis in yeast. These phenomena were also discovered in tumor cells treated with AMPs. The apoptosis mechanism of AMPs is available for various therapeutics such as antibiotics for antibiotic-resistant pathogens that resist to the membrane active mechanism, and antitumor agents with selectivity to tumor cells.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.352-359
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• 1990

The synergistic effect of glucoamylase and a -amylase on the hydrolysis of raw corn starch in an agitated bead reaction system was studied by investigating the changes of sugar profiles, the granular structure, particle size distribution, and X-ray diffraction pattern of residual raw corn starch. The enzymatic hydrolysis of raw corn starch was greatly enhanced by synergistic effect of glucoamylase and $\alpha$ -amylase. Even though the sugar profiles were mainly determined by the mixing ratio of glucoamylase and $\alpha$-amylase; raw starch was mainly converted to glucose directly without accumulation of any significant amount of oligosaccharides. The cavity formation and fragmentation phenomena of raw corn starch granule subjected to enzyme reaction were analyzed by means of SEM and the particle size distribution. The X-ray diffraction pattern of raw starch was not changed at the initial stage of reaction but slightly changed at the late stage of hydrolysis, which may be caused by the preferential degradation of amorphous region by enzymatic reaction, not by the destruction of microcrystalline structure of raw corn starch.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.11-25
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• 2015

The accident at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in March 2011, caused by an earthquake and a subsequent tsunami, resulted in a failure of the power systems that are needed to cool the reactors at the plant. The accident progression in the absence of heat removal systems caused Units 1-3 to undergo fuel melting. Containment pressurization and hydrogen explosions ultimately resulted in the escape of radioactivity from reactor containments into the atmosphere and ocean. Problems in containment venting operation, leakage from primary containment boundary to the reactor building, improper functioning of standby gas treatment system (SGTS), unmitigated hydrogen accumulation in the reactor building were identified as some of the reasons those added-up in the severity of the accident. The Fukushima accident not only initiated worldwide demand for installation of adequate control and mitigation measures to minimize the potential source term to the environment but also advocated assessment of the existing mitigation systems performance behavior under a wide range of postulated accident scenarios. The uncertainty in estimating the released fraction of the radionuclides due to the Fukushima accident also underlined the need for comprehensive understanding of fission product behavior as a function of the thermal hydraulic conditions and the type of gaseous, aqueous, and solid materials available for interaction, e.g., gas components, decontamination paint, aerosols, and water pools. In the light of the Fukushima accident, additional experimental needs identified for hydrogen and fission product issues need to be investigated in an integrated and optimized way. Additionally, as more and more passive safety systems, such as passive autocatalytic recombiners and filtered containment venting systems are being retrofitted in current reactors and also planned for future reactors, identified hydrogen and fission product issues will need to be coupled with the operation of passive safety systems in phenomena oriented and coupled effects experiments. In the present paper, potential hydrogen and fission product issues raised by the Fukushima accident are discussed. The discussion focuses on hydrogen and fission product behavior inside nuclear power plant containments under severe accident conditions. The relevant experimental investigations conducted in the technical scale containment THAI (thermal hydraulics, hydrogen, aerosols, and iodine) test facility (9.2 m high, 3.2 m in diameter, and $60m^3$ volume) are discussed in the light of the Fukushima accident.