• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제58권1호
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• pp.31-42
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• 2005

Background : Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) are a relatively newly recognized, novel family of peroxidases that reduce $H_2O_2$ and alkylhydroperoxide into water and alcohol, respectively. There are 6 known isoforms of Prxs present in human cells. Normally, Prxs exist in a head-to-tail homodimeric state in a reduced form. However, in the presence of excess $H_2O_2$, it can be oxidized on its catalytically active cysteine site into inactive oxidized forms. This study surveyed the types of the Prx isoforms present in the pulmonary epithelial, macrophage, endothelial, and other cell lines and observed their response to oxidative stress. Methods : This study examined the effect of exogenous, excess $H_2O_2$ on the Prxs of established cell lines originating from the pulmonary epithelium, macrophages, and other cell lines, which are known to be exposed to high oxygen partial pressures or are believed to be subject to frequent oxidative stress, using non-reducing SDS polyacrylamide electrophoresis (PAGE) and 2 dimensional electrophoresis. Result : The addition of excess $H_2O_2$ to the culture media of the various cell-lines caused the immediate inactivation of Prxs, as evidenced by their inability to form dimers by a disulfide cross linkage. This was detected as a subsequent shift to its monomeric forms on the non-reducing SDS PAGE. These findings were further confirmed by 2 dimensional electrophoresis and immunoblot analysis by a shift toward a more acidic isoelectric point (pI). However, the subsequent reappearance of the dimeric Prxs with a comparable, corresponding decrease in the monomeric bands was noted on the non-reducing SDS PAGE as early as 30 minutes after the $H_2O_2$ treatment suggesting regeneration after oxidation. The regenerated dimers can again be converted to the inactivated form by a repeated $H_2O_2$ treatment, indicating that the protein is still catalytically active. The recovery of Prxs to the original dimeric state was not inhibited by a pre-treatment with cycloheximide, nor by a pretreatment with inhibitors of protein synthesis, which suggests that the reappearance of dimers occurs via a regeneration process rather than via the de novo synthesis of the active protein. Conclusion : The cells, in general, appeared to be equipped with an established system for regenerating inactivated Prxs, and this system may function as a molecular "on-off switch" in various oxidative signal transduction processes. The same mechanisms might applicable other proteins associated with signal transduction where the active catalytic site cysteines exist.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• 제31권3호
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• pp.201-213
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• 1998

From the Jungwon and Munkyeong areas which are among the famous producers of the carbonate-type groundwaters in Korea, various kinds of natural waters (deep groundwater, shallow groundwater and surface water) were collected between 1996 and 1997 and were studied for hydrogeochemical and environmental isotope (${\delta}^{34}S_{so4}$, ${\delta}^{18}O$, ${\delta}D$)systematics. Two types of deep groundwaters (carbonate type and alkali type) occur together in the two areas, and each shows distinct hydrogeochemical and environmental isotope characteristics. The carbonate type waters show the hydrochemical feature of the 'calcium(-sodium)-bicarbonate(-sulfate) type', whereas the alkali type water of the 'sodium-bicarbonate type'. The former type waters are characterized by lower pH, higher Eh, and higher amounts of dissolved ions (especialJy, $Ca^{2+}$, $Na^{+}$, $Mg^{2+}$, $HCO_3{^-}$ and $SO_4{^{2-}}$). Two types of deep groundwaters are all saturated or supersaturated with respect to calcite. Two types of deep groundwaters were both derived from pre-thermonuclear (about more than 40 years old) meteoric waters (with lighter 0 and H isotope data than younger waters, i.e., shallow cold groundwaters and surface waters) which evolved through prolonged water-rock interaction. Based on the geologic setting, water chemistry, and environmental isotope data, however, each of these two different types of deep groundwaters represents distinct hydrologic and hydrogeochemical evolution at depths. The carbonate type groundwaters were formed through mixing with acidic waters that were derived from dissolution of pyrites in hydrothermal vein ores (for the Jungwon area water) or in anthracite coal beds (for the Munkyeong area water). If the deeply percolating meteoric waters did not meet pyrites during the circulation, only the alkali type groundwaters would form. This hydrologic and hydrogeochemical model may be successfully applied to the other carbonate type groundwaters in Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.35-41
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• 2006

Antibacterial activities of the trace elements in combination with the food additives were measured against 6 kinds of food-borne microorganisms such as Escherichia coli, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas fluorescens. The difference of antibacterial activity was not shown among the kinds of food additives, such as dextrin, gelatin and collagen. Zn and Ge in combination with food additives had strong antibacterial effect. Especially, $1\%$ zinc acetate in combination with $1\%$ gelatin was more effective against P. fluorescens and S. aureus than against Bacillus sp., E. coli and V. parahaemolyticus. Minimum inhibitory concentration of zinc acetate in combination with $1\%$ gelatin appeared to be 0.5 mg/mL on S. aureus and P. fluorescens, and 1.0 mg/mL on E. coli, V. parahaemolyticus, B. cereus and B. subtilis. Minimum bactericidal concentration of zinc acetate in combination with $1\%$ gelatin appeared to be 0.5 mg/mL on P. fluorescens and 1.0 mg/mL on E. coli, V. parahaemolyticus, S. aureus, B. cereus and B. subtilis. The zinc acetate in combination with gelatin showed stronger inhibitory effect in acidic range below pH 6.0, and remained active even after heat treatment at $121^{\circ}C$ for 15 min. In comparison with control, the viable cell counts of fish pastes, which were coated with the solution containing both $1\%$ zinc acetate and $3\%$ gelatin, were decreased by more than 100-fold until the storage of 7 days at $10^{\circ}C$. The results indicate that the combined use of zinc acetate and some food additives could prolong the shelf life of fish pastes by 8 days or more at $10^{\circ}C$.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• 제23권6호
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• pp.797-803
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• 2016

In this study, we investigated the effect of fermentation conditions on the amylolytic and proteolytic activities of Aspergillus luchuensis strain 74-5 and Aspergillus oryzae strain 75-2, which are used in the preparation of the starter culture, for Takju (Korean traditional rice wine). The starter culture was optimized using different conditions, such as inoculum size, inoculation temperature, and incubation time. The enzyme activities under each condition were measured. In the A. luchuensis strain 74-5 starter culture, the ${\alpha}-amylase$ and glucoamylase activities increased, however the activity of acidic protease decreased as the diluent to starter culture ratio increased. In the A. oryzae 75-2 starter culture, all enzyme activities were maintained at a higher level even at 5% inoculation ratio. Higher enzyme activities were observed in the middle range of inoculation temperature (35, $40^{\circ}C$), than in the lower range (20, $30^{\circ}C$). Enzyme activity in the starter culture varied with incubation time, however it was the highest at 144 and 120 hr, respectively, for A. luchuensis strain 74-5 and A. oryzae strain 75-2. The spore count of the starter culture was approximately $2{\times}10^7$ during fermentation, out of which contamination by aerobic bacteria was about $3{\times}10^3$. The results suggested that the starter culture of each strain could be used as an inoculum for fermentation. However, we needs to conduct further research for the selection of suitable diluting agents as well as drying methods to reduce the contamination by aerobic bacteria, while retaining the enzyme activity.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.405-409
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• 2010

Surface cleaning is both essential and troublesome when a consumer seeks to eliminate soil attached to the surface of fresh ginseng because all ginseng purchased in the market is covered with soil, reflecting the post-harvest situation. To facilitate ginseng use at home, a fresh-cut type of ginseng is required. As a first step toward production of such ginseng, several washing and dipping treatments were investigated with respect to surface cleaning and reduction of microbial populations on fresh ginseng. In terms of microbial distribution on the surface of fresh ginseng, higher levels of viable bacteria (6.63 log CFU/each) and fungi (5.12 log CFU/each) were present on the rhizome head than on other regions of the root. Of the washing treatments tested, hand-brushing was effective for surface cleaning and to reduce microorganism levels on fresh ginseng, but use of a high-pressure water spray followed by hand-brushing was optimally effective. To further reduce the levelsof microorganisms on the surface of fresh ginseng after washing, additional dipping treatments in 70% (v/v) ethanol and electrolyzed acidic water (at pH 2.3) were somewhat effective but showed no significant differences compared with other dipping treatments tested, including a 3 ppm ozone solution, a 200 ppm sodium hypochlorite solution, or hot water at $50^{\circ}C$.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.287-308
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• 1990

The Ogmae alunite-kaolinite deposit occurs in acidic tuff, the Hwangsan Tuff, of upper Crataceous age in the Haenam volcanic field, SW Jeonnam. This deposit characterized by advanced argillic alteration formed $71.8{\pm}2.8{\sim}73.9{\pm}2.8$ Ma ago in very shallow depth environment with acid-sulfate solution. Wallrock alteration can be classified into four zones from the center to the margin of the deposit: alunite, kaolinite, illite, and silicified zone. The mineral assemblage in the alunite zone, ore zone, is alunite-quartz-pyritekaolinite. Consideration of stability relation of these minerals suggests that the maximum alteration temperature is estimated at about $250^{\circ}C$ with solution pH of 3 or below assuming that pressure does not exceed 0.3 Kb. Alunite occurs as two different types; replacement and vein-type deposit. The former one consists of fine grained alunite and the later one coarse grained and relatively pure alunite that formed by open space filling. Isomorphous substitution of Na for K in these two types of alunites range 0 to 40 %, indicating that Na/K ratio in the solution is spontaneously changed during the alteration process. Alunite which has higher Na substitution probably formed in an earlier stage while the solution sustain high Na/K ratio. K-Ar age of alunites indicate that the replacement alunite formed earlier($73.9{\pm}2.8Ma$) than the vein-type alunite($71.8{\pm}2.8Ma$). The ${\delta}^{34}S$ value of pyrite and alunite indicate that those minerals formed at isotopically nonequillibrium state. The ${\delta}^{16}O$ and ${\delta}D$ values, of kaolintics 5.0 to 9.0‰ and -54 to -99‰, respectively, indicate that those are formed by hydrothermal solution having magmatic origin which have been diluted by low ${\delta}D$ meteoric water.

• Clean Technology
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.175-180
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• 2016

Tyrosinases catalyze the hydroxylation of a monophenol (monophenolase activity) and the conversion of an o-diphenol to o-quinone (diphenolase activity), which are mainly involved in the modification of tyrosine residues into 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-alanine (DOPA) and DOPA/DOPAquinone-derived intermolecular cross-linking. Previously, we obtained a slightly acidic and cold-active tyrosinase, tyrosinase-CNK, by our recombinant protein approach. The enzyme showed optimal activity at pH 6.0 and 20 ℃ with an abnormally high monophenolase/diphenolase activity ratio and still had approximately 50% activity compared with the highest activity even in ice water. Here, we investigated reaction stability of the recombinant tyrosinase-CNK as a psychrophilic enzyme. The enzyme showed remarkable thermal stability at 0 ℃ and the activity was well conserved in repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Although water-miscible organic solvent as reaction media caused the activity decrease of tyrosinase-CNK as expected, the enzyme activity was not additionally decreased with increased concentration in organic solvents such as ethanol and acetonitrile. Also, the enzyme showed high salt tolerance in chaotropic salts. It was remarkably considered that 2⁺ metal ions might inhibit the incorporation of Cu²⁺ into the active site. We expect that these results could be used to design tyrosinase-mediated enzymatic reaction at low temperature for the production of catechols through minimizing unwanted self-oxidation and enzyme inactivation.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.1-6
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• 1987

This study was designed to evaluate the characteristics, land use and genesis of well adapted paddy soils. They were mostly classified as the Haplaquepts in the U.S.D.A soil taxonomy and as the Grey soils in the Japanese soil classification system. The proportion of these soils in the total acreage of paddy lands was thirty three percents. The fifty four percents in average of these soils were distributed on the local valley and fans on gentle slopes developed from granite, granite gneiss and shale parent materials. The rests were on the fluvio-marine deposits and alluvial deposits. The soils were characterized with prominant development of gleized horizons and clayey or fine loamy textured category. The available soil depth and the ground water level were relatively deep. The base saturation percent were high with weak acidic pH. The potential productivity of these soils was high.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• 제49권3호
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• pp.275-281
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• 2013

Probiotics have been reported to benefit human health by modulating immunity, lowering cholesterol, improving lactose tolerance, and preventing some cancer. Once ingested, probiotic microorganisms have to survive harsh conditions such as low pH, protease-rich condition, and bile salts during their passage through the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract colonize and proliferate to exert their probiotic effects. The dual coating technology, by which the bacteria are doubly coated with peptides and polysaccharides in consecutive order, was developed to protect the ingested bacteria from the harsh conditions. The aim of the study was to evaluate the viable stability of a doubly coated blend of four species of Bifidobacterium by comparing its bile/acid resistance and heat viability in vitro with that of the non-coated blend. After challenges with acid, bile salts, heat, and viable cell counts (VVCs) of the dual coated and non-coated blend were determined by cultivation on agar plates or flow cytometric measurement after being stain with the BacLigtht kit$^{TM}$. The results showed that the dual coated blend was much higher resistant to the acidic or bile salt condition than the non-coated blend and heat viability was also higher, indicating that the dual coating can improve the survival of probiotic bacteria during their transit through the GI tract after consumption.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• 제43권2호
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• pp.97-104
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• 2015

Vinegar is a widely used acidic seasoning and can be manufactured using various methods and bases, including cereals, wheat, and fruits. Most studies on vinegar have been conducted to evaluate its antioxidant activity. In the present study, fermented dark vinegar (FDV) produced from unpolished rice was examined for its antimicrobial activity, biochemical content, including the amounts of sugar, total soluble sugar, organic acid, and free amino acids, and pH and physiological activity. The antimicrobial efficiency of FDV was assessed using the paper disc-agar diffusion method. FDV exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against the pathogenic bacteria and yeast strains that were tested. In fact, the activity of FDV was shown to be higher than that of the commercial antibiotics carbenicillin (50 µg/ml) and tetracycline (50 µg/ml) against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Yersinia enterocolitica, and Lodderomyces elongisporus. The antioxidant activity of FDV and ascorbic acid was evaluated. Using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging method, we found that FDV has the highest activity of the antioxidants. After spreading FDV onto tryptic soy broth and yeast extract-peptone-dextrose agar media, the microbial strains were isolated and characterized through physiological and biochemical analysis. Based on 16S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis, the isolated microorganisms exhibited a close similarity to Acetobacter papayae, Acetobacter pasteurianus, and Acetobacter peroxidans.