• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
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• v.27 no.1 s.53
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• pp.75-82
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• 2005

This work investigated biodegradability for the cellulose acetate, carbon dual, paper and web used to cigarette filter materials by soil test. Also, because of demanded a lot of the time and effort in case of soil test, the possibility of biodegradation by enzyme was studied. The evaluation of degradation for the filter materials by soil test was examined with the naked eye, electron microscopy and weight loss. The biodegradability according to the filter materials was represented in the order of paper > web > carbon dual > cellulose acetate without relating to the evaluation methods. Experiment of biodegradability by the cellulase(E C 3.2.1.4, Trichoderma viride) among the several biodegradability enzymes was demanded reaction time of the $5\~10$ hours and represented the same result with that of soil test.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.193-199
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• 1977

ABS, Alkyl benzene sulfonate, persists for long periods in stream because of its resistance to biologic degradation. Its bio-degradation is very varied in the environments. This investigation was therefore undertaken in order to know the biodegradation of synthetic detergents which are comprising soft and hard forms from February 1976 to September 1976. The biodegradations by spontaneuos settling and aeration were determined. The reduction rates of ABS, DBS, and LAS were 9.8%, 13.7% and 10.4% by the settlings for 5 days at $25^{\circ}$ and 63.3%, 27.2%, and 43.9% by aeration respectively. It was not contributed effectively to biodegradate the synthetic detergents by the simulaneous incubation with micro-organisms isolated from sewage such as Enterobacter sp., E. coli, Bacillus sp., Flavobacterium sp., Pseudomonas sp., Staphylococcus sp., and etc. Tricking filter could also eliminate some amount of detergent. By the application of this investigation, it could be designed that detergents would be regulated in abuse in context with water pollution and be treated at a proper process in the sewage treatment plant to be installed.

• Interdisciplinary Bio Central
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.8.1-8.6
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• 2011

Background: Thanks to the development of the mathematical/statistical reverse engineering and the high-throughput measuring biotechnology, lots of biologically meaningful genegene interaction networks have been revealed. Steady-state analysis of these systems provides an important clue to understand and to predict the systematic behaviours of the biological system. However, modeling such a complex and large-scale system is one of the challenging difficulties in systems biology. Results: We introduce a new stochastic modeling approach that can describe gene regulatory mechanisms by dividing two (DNA and protein) layers. Simple queuing system is employed to explain the DNA layer and the protein layer is modeled using G-networks which enable us to account for the post-translational protein interactions. Our method is applied to a transcription repression system and an active protein degradation system. The steady-state results suggest that the active protein degradation system is more sensitive but the transcription repression system might be more reliable than the transcription repression system. Conclusions: Our two layer stochastic model successfully describes the long-run behaviour of gene regulatory networks which consist of various mRNA/protein processes. The analytic solution of the G-networks enables us to extend our model to a large-scale system. A more reliable modeling approach could be achieved by cooperating with a real experimental study in synthetic biology.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.125-134
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• 2017

The effects that ultraviolet rays elicit on collagen synthesis and degradation are the most common causes of wrinkle formation and photo-aging in skin. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of Angelica acutiloba root ethanol extract (AAEE) to promote collagen synthesis and inhibit collagen degradation in human dermal fibroblasts. By examining total polyphenol and flavonoid contents, electron donating ability, radical scavenging activity, and superoxide dismutase-like activity, we found that AAEE exhibited fairly good antioxidant activity. Treatment with AAEE significantly increased type I procollagen production by cultured fibroblasts, as well as reduced ultraviolet-induced matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) expression and MMP-2 activity in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.05). In addition, AAEE significantly increased TIMP-1 mRNA expression (p < 0.05), although without an associated dose-dependent increase in TIMP-1 protein expression. In summary, we suggest that AAEE may be a potentially effective agent for the prevention or alleviation of skin-wrinkle formation induced by ultraviolet rays.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1424-1433
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• 2019

DDT is a hydrophobic organic pollutant, which can be bio-accumulated in nature and have adverse consequences on the physical condition of humans and animals. This study investigated the relationship between the white-rot fungus Pleurotus eryngii and biosurfactant-producing bacterium Ralstonia pickettii associated with the degradation of DDT. The effects of R. pickettii on fungal development were examined using in vitro confrontation assay on a potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium. R. pickettii culture was added to the P. eryngii culture at 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 ml ($1ml{\approx}1.44{\times}10^{13}CFU$). After 7 d incubation, about 43% of the initial DDT ($12.5{\mu}M$) was degraded by the P. eryngii culture only. The augmentation of 7 ml of R. pickettii culture revealed a more highly optimized synergism with DDT degradation being approximately 78% and the ratio of optimization 1.06. According to the confrontational assay, R. pickettii promoted the growth of P. eryngii towards the bacterial colony, with no direct contact between the bacterial cells and mycelium (0.71 cm/day). DDD (1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl) ethane), DDE (1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl) ethylene), and DDMU (1-chloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl) ethylene) were identified as metabolic products, indicating that the R. pickettii could enhance the DDT biodegradation by P. eryngii.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.38 no.2 s.112
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• pp.137-145
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• 2005

Traditional screening techniques have missed up to 99% of microbial resources existing in the nature. Strategies of direct cloning of environmental DNAs comprising tine genetic blueprints of entire microbial metagenomes provide vastly more genetic information than is contained in the culturable. Therefore, one way to screening the useful gene in a variety of environments is the construction of metagenomic DNA library. In this study, the water samples were collected from Daecheong Reservoir in the mid Korea, and analyzed by T-RFLP to examine the diversity of the microbial communities. The crude DNAs were extracted by SDS-based freezing-thawing method and then further purified using an $UltraClean^{TM}kit$ (MoBio, USA). The metagenomic libraries were constructed with the DNAs partially digested with EcoRI, BamHI, and SacII in Escherichia coli DH10B using the pBACe3.6 vector. About 14.0 Mb of metagenomic libraries were obtained with average inserts 13 ${\sim}$ 15 kb in size. The genes responsible for degradation of 1, 2-dichloroethane (1, 2-DCE) via hydrolytic dehalogenation were identified from the metagenomic libraries by colony hybridization. The 1, 2-dichloroethane dehalogenase gene (dhlA) was cloned and its nucleotide sequence was analyzed. The activity of the 1, 2-DCE dehalogenase was highly expressed to the substrate. These results indicated that the dhlA gene identified from the metagenomes derived from Deacheong Reservoir might be useful to develop a potent strain for degradation of 1, 2-DCE.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.231-246
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• 2023

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-osteoarthritic effect of the ethanol extract of Boswellia serrata gum resin (FJH-UBS) enriched with keto-β-boswellic acid and 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid compared to the conventional Boswellia serrata extract by adding the process of removing oil with hexane, in the monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced osteoarthritis rat model. Methods: Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were orally administered 0, 40, or 80 mg of FJH-UBS/kg body weight (BW)/day for 5 weeks and injected with MIA intra-articularly into right knee joints on day 15 to induce osteoarthritis. Changes in the knee joint microarchitecture, cartilage degradation, the expression of inflammatory mediators, cytokines, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in serum and synovia were observed. Results: Oral administration of FJH-UBS (80 mg/kg BW/day) reduced MIA-induced knee swelling and cartilage degradation and increased the expression of type II collagen and aggrecan in articular cartilage. Furthermore, FJH-UBS administration reduced MIA-induced increases in the serum levels of prostaglandin E2, leukotriene B4, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and MMP-13, and MIA-induced increases in the mRNA expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, 5-lipoxygenase, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, MMP-2, MMP-9, and MMP-13 in the synovia of knee joints. Conclusion: These results indicate that FJH-UBS exerts its anti-osteoarthritic effects by suppressing the expressions of inflammatory cytokines and MMPs and, thus, cartilage degradation. Furthermore, they suggest that FJH-UBS has potential use as a functional food that improves joint and cartilage health.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.348-354
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• 2013

BACKGROUND: Globally, concern about emerging infectious diseases of livestock is growing. For the disposal of the animal carcass, it is necessary to recycle the carcass into an agriculturally usable product. The objective of this study was to investigate the composting conditions of liquid by-product obtained from degradation of animal carcass. METHODS AND RESULTS: Optimum conditions of liquid fertilizer were investigated using different microorganisms, pHs, and volumes of microorganisms (Lactobacillus rhamnosus+Pichia deserticola). Based on the results from the optimum conditions, compost maturity and quality of liquid fertilizer were evaluated for 112 days. The compost maturity of liquid fertilizer were higher in the order of LP(Lactobacillus rhamnosus + Pichia deserticola) > BC(Bacillus cereus) > BS(Bacillus subtilis). The optimum condition under different volumes of LP was injection of 0.5 mL/100 mL. The compost maturity under different pHs were higher in the order of pH 7 > $$5{\geq_-}9{\frac{._-}{.}}11$$. The liquid by-product at 56 days after composting was completely decomposed. The concentrations of T-N, T-P and $K_2O$ in liquid fertilizer at 56 days were 0.94, 0.17 and 3.78%, respectively, and the sum of those concentrations was 4.89%. CONCLUSION(S): Liquid fertilizer of by-product using pig carcass was decomposed with optimum conditions(LP, pH 7, injection of 0.5 mL/100 mL) in 56 days after composting, and was suitable for official standard of commercial fertilizer.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.222-227
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• 1998

The activities of enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism have been determinated in the host cytosolic and bacteroid fractions of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) nodules formed with B. japonicum I 16 and in roots of nodulated cowpeas. The host cytosolic fraction of the nodules contained the enzymes of glycolytic pathway and the pentose phosphate pathway, whereas the bacteroids had only limited capacity for carbohydrate metabolism and appeared to be insufficient for the complete glycolytic pathway as well as starch synthesis and degradation. In a time-course study, using plants grown in a glasshouse, the acetylene-reducing activity (ARA) of the nodules increased in parallel with the total N content of plants and protein of the nodules until approximately 8 weeks after planting. Subsequently, the weight and size of the nodules and the weight of the plants continued to increase, but there was a sharp decrease in the ARA and the total N content of the plants.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.432-438
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• 2017

Slum settlement, a direct result of the rapid worldwide urbanization is a common site in most developing countries. Uganda is among the top African countries with high number of slums. The status of Katanga slum located in the low-lands between Mulago national hospital and Makerere University is a typical of many other slums within Uganda. This project proposal seeks to tackle urbanization challenges by specializing in slum upgrading as a sustainable way of curbing the menace. An integrated toilet, biogas, poultry and backyard gardening project is proposed as a channel of boosting the Katanga slum dwellers' economic, sanitation and domestic energy status. Designed to serve up to 30 households, the project will utilize residual wastes from poultry houses and toilets to produce biogas and slurry. The biogas yield will provide clean cooking fuel and energy for lighting, while the slurry used as organic fertilizers to improve vegetable yields. The social, economic and environmental impacts of the project will empower the vulnerable women and children within the slums and reduce water pollution and land degradation. This affordable project can be applied in developing countries experiencing slum settlement challenges as a strategy for reducing urbanization pressure.