• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.151-157
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• 2010

Barley malt produces two different $\alpha$-amylase isozymes (AMY1 and AMY2), which share up to 80% of amino acid sequence identity with each other. However, their enzymatic properties differ remarkably. In this study, five chimeric enzymes between AMY1 and 2 were constructed by staggered extension process (StEP) technique, and their enzymatic properties were characterized. According to the results, chimeric AMY-D2, D8, and E12 showed the mixed or intermediate types of calcium-dependent activity between AMY1 and 2. Meanwhile, only AMY-E10 chimera could be significantly inhibited by barley $\alpha$-amylase/subtilisin inhibitor (BASI) protein. Chimera AMY-C6 showed the same calcium-dependency as AMY1, while AMY-E10 was closely similar to AMY2. As a result, it can be proposed that some amino acid residues in the region II, III, and IV of barley $\alpha$-amylases can play very important roles in the interaction with BASI, and those in III, V, VI, and VII may partly affect on the calcium-dependent activity.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.313-328
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• 1989

The electrophysiological properties of the inward current contributing to the late plateau phase of the action potential were investigated using the whole cell clamp technique and intracellular dialysis in single atrial cells isolated from the rabbit heart. The inward current was activated by various repolarizing pulses after a brief depolarizing pulse to +40 mV for 2 ms and its time course was similar to that of the late plateau of the action potential. The current was fully activated above the potential of -40 mV and abolished by intracellular EGTA. Ryanodine of $1{\mu}M$ also abolished the late plateau and the inward current. Reduced $Na_o\;to\;30%\;and\;20\;mM\;Na_1$ diminished the late plateau together with the inward current. Diltiazem blocked the activation of the current and Ni in the concentration of $40{\sim}200\;{\mu}M$ decreased the development of the late plateau and the inward current. Fully activated current-voltage relation of the inward current showed exponential voltage dependency which was steeper in more hyperplarizing range. The above findings suggest that the inward current was activated by intracellular calcium and contribute the late plateau phase of the action potential. It could be concluded that the inward current would be the inward component of Na-Ca exchange.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.17-26
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• 1991

Single smooth muscle cells of the rabbit pulmonary artery were isolated by treatment with collagenase and elastase. Using the patch clamp technique, potassium channel activity was recorded from the inside-out membrane patch. The channel had a sin히e channel conductance of about 360 pS in symmetrical concentration of K on both sides of the patch, 150 mM, and had a linear current-voltage relationship. During the application of 10 mM tetraethylammonium (TEA) to the intracellular membrane surface, the amplitude of single channel current was reduced and very rapid flickering appeared. The open probability $(P_0)$ of this channel was increased by increasing positivity of the potential across the patch membrane, with e-fold increase by 20 mV depolarization, and by increasing the internal $Ca^{2+}$ concentration. These findings are consistent with those of large conductance Ca-activated K channels reported in other tissues. But the shortening of the mean open time by increasing $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, was an unexpected result and one additional closed state which might be arisen from a block of the open channel by Ca binding was suggested. The $P_0-membrane$ potential relationship was modulated by internal pH. Decreasing pH reduced $P_0$. Increasing pH not only increased $P_0$ but also weakened the voltage dependency of the channel opening. The modulation of Ca-activated K channel by pH was thought to be related to the mechanism of regulation of vascular tone by the pH change.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.141-158
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• 2004

The dependency of criteria used to terminate compatibility tests on the prehydration and quality of bentonite in geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) is evaluated based on permeation with chemical solutions containing 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 mM calcium chloride ($CaCl_2$). The hydraulic conductivity tests are not terminated before chemical equilibrium between the effluent and the influent chemistry has been established, resulting in test durations ranging from < 1 day to > 900 days, with longer test durations associated with lower $CaCl_2$ concentrations. The evaluation includes both physical termination criteria (i.e., volumetric flow ratio and steady hydraulic conductivity based on ASTM D 5084, ${\ge}2$ pore volumes of flow, constant thickness of specimen) and chemical termination criteria requiring equilibrium between influent and effluent chemistry (viz., electrical conductivity, pH, and $Ca^{2+}\;and\;Cl^-$ concentrations). For specimens permeated with 5, 10, and 20 mM $CaCl_2$ solutions, only the criterion based on chemical equilibrium in $Ca^{2+}$ concentration correlates well with equilibrium in hydraulic conductivity, regardless of prehydration or quality of bentonite. However, all of the termination criteria, except for the volumetric flow ratio and 2 pore volumes of flow for the prehydrated specimens, correlate well with equilibrium in hydraulic conductivity regardless of prehydration or quality of bentonite when permeated with 50 and 100 mM $CaCl_2$ solutions. The results illustrate the uniqueness of the termination criterion based on solute concentration equilibrium between the effluent and the influent with respect to both prehydration and quality of bentonite in the GCLs.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.54-63
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• 1994

Runner-derived(Expt.1) and tissue culture-derived strawbeery plantlets(Expt. 2) were grown in pots under greenhouse condition and inoculated with inocula of the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal(VAM) fungi isolated from a field strawberry plants. Total biomass of mycorrhizal strawberry plants was significantly increased. There was a similar tendency in the number of cluster and flower at 20 weeks after inoculation, and VAM fungi inoculation positively influenced the leaf number, leaf length, leaf width and petiole length of strawberry plants in all investigated times. However, no difference was in the flowering time of strawberry plants. Leaf margin of non-inoculated strawberry plantlets turned into raddish brown(7.5R 4/8) from around 4 weeks after habituation. Inoculation of VAM fungi at the time of habituation was much more effective in stimulating plant growth. VA mycorrhizal dependency were 162.7 % in the runner-derived strawberry plants, Dependency with pre-and post-habituated incoulation in tissue culture-derived plants was respective 116.4% and 106.0%. The levels of mycorrhizal colonization were increased with plant growth and infection rates by endophytes at harvest time were 47.5% in Expt. 1, 56.4% in Expt. 2, respectively. Contents of phosphorus, potassium and calcium in mycorrhizal strawberry plants at harvest time were higher than non-mycorrhizal ones however, magnesium concentration was decreased. These experiments demonstrated that VAM fungi could be introduced into nursery stages of strawberry plantlets including the temporary planting period to improve growth and plant nutrients uptake by mycorrhizal plants.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.15-31
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• 1991

A total of 90 surface sediment samples, collected from the continental margin area bordering east and southeast coast of Korea, were subject to the geochemical analyses with the aim of filling the gap in our knowledge of this environment. The analyzed items included the major elements (Al, Fe, Mg, Ca, K, Na, p and Mn), organic carbon, and some trace metals (Ba, Co, Cu, Sr and Zn). The sediment grain-size exerted a predominant influence on the contents of most elements, with the exceptions of Ca, K, Sr and Ba. The Ca and Sr contents, being closely interrelated each other, were mainly controlled by the calcium carbonate content. The K content, on the other hand, appeared to be influenced by both illite and feldspar. The Ba content showed a certain relationship with that of K, suggesting a common source of these two elements; potassium feldspar. The R-mode factor analysis result also reaffirmed the above-mentioned controlling factors on the sediment geochemistry. The grain-size dependency of trace metals obscures their areal distribution pattern from the total contents. However, with the metal/aluminum ratios we could differentiate the subtle difference in the metal enrichment. Hence, sediments of the southern coastal area appear to receive some anthropogenic inputs of metals, though the effect is still negligible.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.157-166
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• 2014

ATP in quantity co-stored with neurotransmitters in the secretory vesicles of neurons, by being co-released with the neurotransmitters, takes an important role to modulate the stimulus-secretion response of neurotransmitters. Here, in this study, the modulatory effect of ATP was studied in $Ca^{2+}$ channels of cultured rat adrenal chromaffin cells to investigate the physiological role of ATP in neurons. The $Ca^{2+}$ channel current was recorded in a whole-cell patch clamp configuration, which was modulated by ATP. In 10 mM $Ba^{2+}$ bath solution, ATP treatment (0.1 mM) decreased the $Ba^{2+}$ current by an average of $36{\pm}6%$ (n=8), showing a dose-dependency within the range of $10^{-4}{\sim}10^{-1}mM$. The current was recovered by ATP washout, demonstrating its reversible pattern. This current blockade effect of ATP was disinhibited by a large prepulse up to +80 mV, since the $Ba^{2+}$ current increment was larger when treated with ATP ($37{\pm}5%$, n=11) compared to the control ($25{\pm}3%$, n=12, without ATP). The $Ba^{2+}$ current was recorded with $GTP{\gamma}S$, the non-hydrolyzable GTP analogue, to determine if the blocking effect of ATP was mediated by G-protein. The $Ba^{2+}$ current decreased down to 45% of control with $GTP{\gamma}S$. With a large prepulse (+80 mV), the current increment was $34{\pm}4%$ (n=19), which $25{\pm}3%$ (n=12) under control condition (without $GTP{\gamma}S$). The $Ba^{2+}$ current waveform was well fitted to a single-exponential curve for the control, while a double-exponential curve best fitted the current signal with ATP or $GTP{\gamma}S$. In other words, a slow activation component appeared with ATP or $GTP{\gamma}S$, which suggested that both ATP and $GTP{\gamma}S$ caused slower activation of $Ca^{2+}$ channels via the same mechanism. The results suggest that ATP may block the $Ca^{2+}$ channels by G-protein and this $Ca^{2+}$ channel blocking effect of ATP is important in autocrine (or paracrine) inhibition of adrenaline secretion in chromaffin cell.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.9
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• pp.840-850
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• 2010

The present study was attempted to find the effects of structural properties of phosphorus on the water quality of Gyehwa reservoir in Saemangeum. Relationship of phosphorus fractions between water and sediment properties was closely examined, and a few types of phosphorus were found from the sample sediment as : Saloid-P, Al-P, Fe-P, Ca-P, Red-P and Occd-P. Saloid-P (1.4%), Al-P (0.5%), Fe-P (39.8%), Ca-P (56.6%), Red-P (0.4%), Occd-P (1.3%) were extracted in a mass basis from the sediment of Gyehwa reservoir. Approximately more than 97% of phosphorus were calcium related phosphorus (Ca-P, 56%) and iron bound phosphorus (Fe-P, 39.8%). The Fe-P closely relates with water quality of T-N (r=0.761, p<0.05), $NO_3$-N (r=0.754, p<0.05), $NH_4$-N (r=0.728, p<0.05), T-P (r=0.774, p<0.05) and $PO_4$-P (r=0.767, p<0.05) while the Ca-P did not show any consistent dependency on the water quality. On the other hand, the correlation of Ca-P with $P_2O_5$ was high with r=0.783 (p<0.05) in the sediment. The Fe-P was affected significantly on the Ignition Loss (r=0.569, p<0.05), T-N (r=0.715, p<0.05) and T-P (r=0.983, p<0.01). In the research of correlation between phosphorus fraction and heavy metals in the sediment, Ca-P did not show any specific relationships with heavy metals. The Fe-P showed a significant correlation with As (r=0.817, p<0.01), Cu (r=0.793, p<0.05), Cd (r=0.786, p<0.05), Zn (r=0.738, p<0.05), so that it can be stated that the presence of Fe-P may implicate the volume of various metallic elements.