• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.245-252
• /
• 2001

Erm proteins, MLS (macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B) resistance factor proteins, show high degree of amino acid sequence homology and comprise of a group of structurally homologous N-methyltransferases. On the basis of the recently determined structures of ErmC` and ErmAM, ErmSF was divided into two domains, N-terminal end catalytic domain and C-terminal end substrate binding domain and attempted to overexpress catalytic domain in E. coli using various pET expression systems. Three DNA fragments were used to express the catalytic domain: DNA fragment 1 encoding Met 1 through Glu 186, DNA fragment 2 encoding Arg 60 to Glu 186 and DNA fragment 3 encoding Arg 60 through Arg 240. Among the pET expression vectors used, pET 19b successfully expressed the DNA fragment 3 and pET23b succeeded in expression of DNA fragment 1 and 2. But the overexpressed catalytic domains existed as inclusion body, a insoluble aggregate. To assist the soluble expression of ErmSF catalytic domains, Coexpression of chaperone GroESL or Thioredoxin and lowering the incubation temperature to $22^{\circ}C$ were attempted, as did in the soluble expression of the whole ErmSF protein. Both strategies did not seem to be helpful. Solubilization with guanidine-HCl and renaturation with gradual removal of denaturant and partial digestion of overexpressed whole ErmSF protein (expressed to the level of 126 mg/ι culture as a soluble protein) with proteinase K, nonspecific proteinase are under way.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.118-126
• /
• 2004

Grid is a new Information Technology (IT) concept of "super Internet" for high-performance computing: worldwide collections of high-end resources such as supercomputers, storage, advanced instruments and immerse environments. The Grid is expected to bring together geographically and organizationally dispersed computational resources, such as CPUs, storage systems, communication systems, real-time data sources and instruments, and human collaborators. The term "the Grid" was coined in the mid1990s to denote a proposed distributed computing infrastructure for advanced science and engineering. The term computational Grids refers to infrastructures aimed at allowing users to access and/or aggregate potentially large numbers of powerful and sophisticated resources. More formally, Grids are defined as infrastructure allowing flexible, secure, and coordinated resource sharing among dynamic collections of individuals, institutions and resources referred to as virtual Organizations. GRID is an emerging IT as a kind of next generation Internet technology which will fit very well with agrometeorological services in the future. I believe that it would contribute to the resource sharing in agrometeorology by providing super computing power, virtual storage, and efficient data exchanges, especially for developing countries that are suffering from the lack of resources for their agmet services at national level. Thus, the establishment of CAgM-GRID based on existing RADMINSII is proposed as a part of FWIS of WMO.part of FWIS of WMO.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.723-738
• /
• 2007

This paper draws some implications from Logarithmic Mean Weight Divisia Method (LMWDM) on the sources of $CO_2$ emission changes in the manufacturing sectors of Korea, UK, and USA. The sources of change in industrial $CO_2$ emission of a country, as manifested by production scale factor, structural factor, and technical factor, summarizes the forces behind the change in $CO_2$ emissions in each country's manufacturing sector. There are three observations. First one is that Korea's emission is increasing while USA and UK are experiencing reduction or stabilization of $CO_2$ emission in the manufacturing sector. Second implication is that the technical factor affecting $CO_2$ emission in Korea does not help much, or even hinder, the reduction of $CO_2$ emissions, comparing to USA and UK. Third one, which is the combined result of the first and the second one, is that Korea's increasing trend in aggregate $CO_2$ emission throughout the periods in consideration is mainly due to the failure in technical progress, or the deterioration in the structure of within subcategories, or both. The policy implications is clear. The obvious prescription is to launch a nation-wide policy drive which can revert these adverse trends.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.51 no.4
• /
• pp.371-379
• /
• 2018

In many countries, recycling coal ashes as backfill materials for subsided lands, abandoned mine tunnels, and road pipeline constructions by making low-strength concretes with minimal amounts of cement is frequently considered for massive treatment of coal ashes. This study investigates the variation of heavy metals in the concrete test pieces prepared for the cases of using only Portland cement as binding material, fly ash as a replacement of the cement, sand as aggregates, and disposed ashes in the ash ponds as a replacement of aggregates. Heavy metal contents were measured based on the aqua regia extraction technique following the Korean Standard for Fair Testing of Soil Contamination and the influences of each materials on the total heavy metal contents were also assessed. Results show that the cement has the highest Cu, Pb, and Zn concentrations than any other materials. Therefore, the test pieces show significant concentration decreases for those metals when the cement was replaced by fly ash. Ponded ash shows low concentrations relative to fly ash in most of the parameters but shows higher Cu and Ni, and lower Pb levels than the sand aggregate. In overall, heavy metal levels of the test pieces are regulated by mixing among the used materials. Test pieces prepared during this study always show concentrations much lower than the Worrisome Level of Soil Contamination (Area 1), which was designated by the Soil Environment Conservation Act of Korea.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.50 no.1
• /
• pp.116-125
• /
• 2017

Alpine plants with a scarcity of pollinators in harsh environments have been believed to undergo selfing for reproductive assurance; however, contradictory evidence is also available. Snowmelt regimes in alpine areas function to change life history characteristics of alpine plants such as flowering time and duration; yet the effects of snowmelt regimes have never been tested in alpine plants in Korea. This study was conducted to investigate the dichogamy, mating systems, and flowering characteristics of Megaleranthis saniculifolia populations [early and late snowmelt plots (ESP and LSP, respectively)] in a subalpine area of Sobaeksan Mountain in Korea. M. saniculifolia exhibited incomplete protogyny in that despite early maturation of pistils, maturation times of pistils and stamens within flowers were partly overlapped. Control and hand-outcrossing treatments produced significantly higher number of follicles and seeds per flower than autonomous and hand-selfing treatments. Based on the aggregate fruit set, the auto-fertility index (AI) and self-compatibility index (SI) were 0.33 and 0.50, respectively. Snowmelt occurred 10 days earlier in ESP than in LSP, thereby ESP and LSP showed distinct differences with regard to flower longevity and season, but showing no difference in peak flowering dates. We concluded that M. saniculifolia is an incomplete protogynous and largely outcrossing plant requiring pollinator service. Temporal variation in snowmelt time and subsequent changes in flowering characteristics under climate change may further threaten the population persistence of M. saniculifolia which has already been designated as endangered species in Korea.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.766-771
• /
• 2016

This study examined the long-term durability of PC boxes, which was manufactured by low-carbon eco-friendly concrete using an alternative binder to cement and alternative fine aggregate to sand and microwave heat curing system to reduce the construction cost of a near-surface transit system. Based on the test results, the initial compressive strength of microwave heat cured concrete was higher than that of the steam cured concrete, but those were similar in the long-term age. In addition, there was no significant difference between the two curing conditions in the chemical resistance and the freeze-thawing resistance, and the chloride ion penetration level of the concrete cured by two methods was very low. Therefore, low-carbon eco-friendly concrete and microwave heat curing technology are expected to contribute to the economic construction of a near-surface transit system, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions and environmental impact.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.16 no.8
• /
• pp.5636-5645
• /
• 2015

Physical characteristics of aggregates affect the workability and strength of mortar and concrete, which include their fineness ratio, particle size distribution and water absorption. The workability of construction materials decreases if the incorporated fine aggregates show improper size distribution of their particles. This study shows the particle size effect on the rheological behavior of mortar and provides basic information for evaluating its workability. A mini-slump flow test was adopted to evaluate the workability of mortar. In addition, its plastic viscosity and yield stress were measured using a rheometer for building materials. The sand samples were prepared by sieving river sand and sorting out with their particle sizes. As a result, it was observed that the fines less than 0.7 mm increases the yield stress and plastic viscosity of the mortar samples. If the fines are less than 0.34 mm, the water absorption of the fines dominates change on the workability.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
• /
• v.20 no.5
• /
• pp.85-92
• /
• 2016

The eight mixes and artificial soil aggregates were prepared for evaluating the practical application of lightweight foamed concrete as soil aggregates. The main parameter was unit binder content ranged between from 100 to $800kg/m^3$. In lightweight foamed concrete, flow, slurry and dried density, and compressive strength at different ages were measured. In Artificial soil aggregates crushed from lightweight foamed concrete, particle size distribution, pH, coefficient of permeability, cation exchange capacity(CEC), and ratio of carbon to nitrogen(ratio of C/N), were measured. The test results showed that flow, slurry and dried density, and compressive strength at different ages of lightweight foamed concrete increased with the increasing of unit binder content. Compressive strength at age of 28, of lightweight foamed concrete with unit binder of more than $500kg/m^3$, was more than 4 MPa. The ammonium phosphate immersion time of more than age of 3, was effective to decrease pH of artificial soil aggregates. In addition, artificial soil aggregates was evaluated as high class in terms of cation exchange capacity(CEC), while satisfied with value of ratio of carbon to nitrogen(ratio of C/N) recommended by landscape specification.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
• /
• v.41 no.1
• /
• pp.12-21
• /
• 2016

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of three acids on the microhardness of set mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and root dentin, and cytotoxicity on murine macrophage. Materials and Methods: OrthoMTA (BioMTA) was mixed and packed into the human root dentin blocks of 1.5 mm diameter and 5 mm height. Four groups, each of ten roots, were exposed to 10% citric acid (CA), 5% glycolic acid (GA), 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and saline for five minutes after setting of the OrthoMTA. Vickers surface microhardness of set MTA and dentin was measured before and after exposure to solutions, and compared between groups using one-way ANOVA with Tukey test. The microhardness value of each group was analyzed using student t test. Acid-treated OrthoMTA and dentin was examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Cell viability of tested solutions was assessed using WST-8 assay and murine macrophage. Results: Three test solutions reduced microhardness of dentin. 17% EDTA demonstrated severe dentinal erosion, significantly reduced the dentinal microhardness compared to 10% CA (p = 0.034) or 5% GA (p = 0.006). 10% CA or 5% GA significantly reduced the surface microhardness of set MTA compared to 17% EDTA and saline (p < 0.001). Acid-treated OrthoMTA demonstrated microporous structure with destruction of globular crystal. EDTA exhibited significantly more cellular toxicity than the other acidic solutions at diluted concentrations (0.2, 0.5, 1.0%). Conclusions: Tested acidic solutions reduced microhardness of root dentin. Five minute's application of 10% CA and 5% GA significantly reduced the microhardness of set OrthoMTA with lower cellular cytotoxicity compared to 17% EDTA.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.51-58
• /
• 2008

Development of a new design guide which is based on empirical-mechanistic concept for pavement design is in action. It is called AASHTO 2002 Design Guide in USA and the KPRP(Korean Pavement Research Project) in Korea. The material characteristic of hot mix asphalt is a key role in the design guide. Therefore it is urgent to get a proper materials database, especially the dynamic modulus of hot mix asphalt. In this research, dynamic modulus test, which is based on aged asphalt binder, has been carried out and proposed the predicted equation of dynamic modulus. Nine different hot mix asphalt with three different asphalt binder have been used for the dynamic modulus test. Short-term aging, which is covers the time for the production of asphalt plant, transportation, lay-down, and compaction, can be simulated at $135^{\circ}C$ with 2 hour curing. Long-term aging has been carried out for a performance period of asphalt pavement. The dynamic modulus of asphalt pavement increases with aging time. As the nominal aggregate size increases, the change of dynamic modulus is not big.