• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.491-498
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• 2017

Objective: Bacterial abundance and community compositions have been examined in Asian dust events, clarifying their impacts on public health. This study aims to determine the bacterial community compositions and viable bacteria in Asian dust particles in the Asian dust or non-Asian dust event of March 2016. Methods: The dust samples were collected using the high volume air sampler or high volume cascade impactor, and bacterial 16S rRNA genes were amplified using PCR, followed by pyrosequencing. Bacterial diversity index, richness estimate and community composition in the particles were analyzed from the sequencing data using Mothur software. Results: The results showed that the diversity and richness during Asian dust events were higher than them in non-Asian dust events. The total bacterial community analysis showed that at the phylum Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes were the most dominant of Asian dust events and non-Asian dust events. In addition, the bacterial colony counts were higher during Asian dust event, comparing with non-Asian dust event. Conclusions: This study showed that bacterial community and richness of Asian dust samples was more complex and higher than non-Asian dust samples in Gyeonggi-do, Korea, which could affect public health and environment. Thus, the continuous monitoring of Asian dust could be an alternative for managing airborne bacteria.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.264-279
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• 2015

The principal objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the addition of sourdough to various grain flours in bread, specifically, in regards to the physicochemical characteristics of bread dough, sensory evaluation, and bread storage. As the incubation time of sourdough increased, the total titratable acidity increased. Viable yeast counts of sourdough increased consistently until the third day, while lactic acid bacteria counts increased until the second day. The weight of breads containing sourdough made with rye flour, strong flour, and Korean wheat flour were higher than that of the control. However, the height, volume, and specific volume of control were higher than those of the groups with sourdough made with various grain flours. The pH of breads containing sourdough was lower than that of the control, while the total titratable acidity and moisture content were higher than those of the control. In analyzing the visible mold colony during the five days of storage at $30^{\circ}C$, mold growth in breads containing sourdough made of Korean wheat flour, barely flour, and rye flour was retarded. In the color measurement, the L values of the control and bread containing sourdough made with barley flour were higher than that of the other groups after five days. The a value of bread containing sourdough made of rye flour was higher, and the b values of breads containing sourdough made of Korean wheat flour, barley flour and rye flour were higher than those of the other groups after five days. The hardness of breads containing sourdough increased as storage time increased, where as breads containing sourdough made of Korean wheat flour, Korean whole wheat flour, and rye flour revealed no significant differences with control group. Sensory evaluation scores in terms of after swallowing, taste, and overall preference of bread containing sourdough made of Korean wheat flour was higher than those of the control group.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.552-560
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• 2009

Bamboo leaf powder was added to Chiffon cake to increase its neutraceutical effects and storage periods. Specifically, 0, 7, 10 and 13% leaf powder was added to the cakes. The content of total dietary fiber in the bamboo leaf powder was 65.57%. The moisture content did not differ significantly among groups. The cake containing 10% bamboo leaf powder had the greatest volume, whereas the control group (0% bamboo leaf powder) had the lowest volume (p<0.05). The Hunter's L and a values decreased significantly as the amount of bamboo leaf powder increased. The b value of the control was lowest among the groups (p<0.05). Evaluation of the consumer acceptance of flavor revealed that the cakes containing the added bamboo leaf had greater consumer acceptance than the control. However, when the color was evaluated, the 13% group showed the lowest acceptance (p<0.05). Other factors such as texture, taste and overall acceptance did not differ significantly among groups. Additionally, the elasticity did not differ among groups, while the air cells were most uniform in the control. The strength of bamboo leaf aroma, bitter taste and aftertaste increased as the amount of bamboo leaf powder added increased. Cakes containing 10% and 13% added powder had the greatest moisture content, while the control had the lowest content (p<0.05). As in previous studies, the results of this study indicated that 10% bamboo leaf powder was the optimal level for the preparation of Chiffon cake. To evaluate the storage of cakes, the 10% group and the control were inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae and then incubated at $30^{\circ}C$ for 6 days. The microbial colony counts in the control group were dramatically increased after 48 hrs; however, the fungal concentration of the 10% group did not increase for 4 days. In conclusion, the addition of 10% bamboo leaf powder to Chiffon cake increased the storage time while maintaining adequate consumer acceptance.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Oral Health
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.118-123
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in the composition of artificial cariogenic biofilms using a Streptococcus mutans biofilm model over a period of time. Methods: We analyzed the dry weight, colony forming unit (CFU) number, extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) biovolume, and acid production rate of S. mutans biofilms formed on saliva-coated hydroxyapatite discs after 26 h, 50 h, 74 h, 98 h, 171 h, and 195 h. In addition, we performed a laser scanning confocal fluorescence microscopy to determine the bacterial volume, EPS biovolume, and biofilm thickness. We calculated the biofilm density using dry weight and EPS biovolume. Results: Over a period of time, there was no change in the CFU number and acid production rate of S. mutans biofilms, but there was an increase in the dry weight and EPS biovolume of S. mutans biofilms. The bacterial volume, EPS biovolume, and biofilm thickness only increased in the 50-h-old biofilm; however, no change was observed in 50-195-h-old biofilms. In addition, an increase in the biofilm density was observed over time. Conclusions: These results suggest that the acid production ability of cariogenic biofilms does not change, but the biofilm density increases over time. However, due to scientific information, further research needs to be conducted in the field of dentistry to get further insights on the progression of cariogenic biofilms over time.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.36 no.1 s.102
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• pp.1-8
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• 2003

Growth, colony formation and microcystin production of 'low-toxic' Microcysits aeruginosa $K{\"{u}}tzing$ were examined in relation to the 'info-chemicals' released by zooplankton. Algae were cultured in a medium with or without filtered water taken from cultures of Daphnia magna Straus (300 ind./L) or Moina macrocopa Straus (500 ind./L), The growth of M. aeruginosa, based on cell number, was also significantly different from populations cultured in the media with and without filtered zooplankton water from the exponential growth phase. In the 6-day experiment, the growth pattern of M. aeruginosa cultured with ZCMF was clearly different to control with-out ZCMF. Mean number of cells/particle and particle bio-volume of M. aeruginosa increased significantly from the day 2 for the Daphnia-CMF or Moina-CMF treat-ments. Microcystin production was promoted showing from 18.7 to 55 ${\mu}g/g$-dry cell in the zooplankton treatments relative to the controls. At peaked level on day 4, the highest level of up to $70.5{\pm}16.8\;{\mu}g/g$-dry cell was observed in the D. magna treatment. This study suggested that 'info-chemicals' from zooplankton might induce the increase of algal growth rates, colony formation and microcystin production, these seem to be advantageous to the alga and thus as a grazing defense mechanism.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.84-89
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• 2014

In this work, Ag-$TiO_2$ nanocomposites were prepared via the sonochemical deposition of Ag nanometals on $TiO_2$ nanoparticles. The size of deposited Ag nanometals was ranged in 1~3 nm and the number of Ag nanometals deposited on $TiO_2$ increased in proportion to the dosage amounts of Ag precursors. As-prepared Ag-$TiO_2$ was loaded on the sterilized agar plate together with an aliquot volume of diluted E-coli, followed by 30 min irradiation of the solar simulated light ($600{\sim}1800{\mu}w/cm^2$). Finally, the agar plate was incubated for 24 h at $37^{\circ}C$ and the number of survived colonies were counted. It was experimentally confirmed that Ag-$TiO_2$ exhibited the higher antimicrobial activity than that of pure $TiO_2$, based on measuring the colony number of control sample. The survived colony numbers on the agar plate decreased with the increase of dosage amounts of Ag-$TiO_2$ and the irradiated intensity of solar simulated light for 30 min before incubating. The increase of Ag nanometal doposition induced the progressive enhancement of antimicrobial activity, but rather reduced the photocatalytic activity of Ag-$TiO_2$ probably due to the excessive presence of Ag nanometals on $TiO_2$ matrix.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2019

Well logging technologies are used to measure the physical properties of reservoirs through boreholes. These technologies have been utilized to understand reservoir characteristics, such as porosity, fluid saturation, etc., using equations based on rock physics models. The analysis of well logs is performed by selecting a reliable rock physics model adequate for reservoir conditions or characteristics, comparing the results using the Archie's equation or simandoux method, and determining the most feasible reservoir properties. In this study, we developed a joint inversion algorithm to estimate physical properties in shaly sandstone reservoirs based on the pre-existing algorithm for sandstone reservoirs. For this purpose, we proposed a rock physics model with respect to shale volume, constructed the Jacobian matrix, and performed the sensitivity analysis for understanding the relationship between well-logging data and rock properties. The joint inversion algorithm was implemented by adopting the least-squares method using probabilistic approach. The developed algorithm was applied to the well-logging data obtained from the Colony gas sandstone reservoir. The results were compared with the simandox method and the joint inversion algorithms of sand stone reservoirs.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.60 no.6
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• pp.663-672
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• 2006

Background: $PM_{10}$(Particulate matter with a diameter ($<10{\mu}m$), which is characterized by different environmental conditions, is a complex mixture of organic and inorganic compounds. The Asian dust event caused by meteorological phenomena can also produce unique particulate matter in affected areas. This study investigated the cytokine produced by A549 epithelial cells exposed to particles collected during both the Asian dust pfenomenon and ambient air particles in a non-dusty period. Method: Air samples were collected using a high volume air sampler(Sibata Model HV500F) with an air flow at $500{\ell}/min$ for at least 6 hours. The cytokine messenger RNA(mRNA) was measured using a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). The A549 cells were exposed to 10 to $500{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ of a suspension containing $PM_{10}$ for 24 hours. Each was compared with those in the non-exposed control cells. Result: The mRNA levels of interleukin(IL)-$1{\alpha}$, $IL-I{\beta}$, IL-8, and the granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor(GM-CSF) increased after veing exposed to $PM_{10}$ in the ambient air particles, compared with those in the non-exposed control cells. The increase in $IL-1{\alpha}$ and IL-8 were dose dependent at a $PM_{10}$ concentration between $100{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ and $500{\mu}g/m{\ell}$. The mRNA level of IL-8 in the A549 epithelial cells was higher during the in the Asian dust period($500{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) than during the non dust period. Conclusion: A549 cells exposed to the $PM_{10}$ collected during the Asian dust period produce more proinflammatory cytokine than during non-dusty period. This cytokine enhances the local inflammatory response in the airways and can also contribute to the systemic component of this inflammatory process.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.3909-3919
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• 2013

The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the effect of A ferruginea extract on Dalton's lymphoma ascites (DLA) induced tumours in BALB/c mice. Experimental animals received A ferruginea extract (10 mg/kg.b.wt) intraperitoneally for 14 consecutive days after DLA tumor challenge. Treatment with extract significantly increased the life span, total white blood cell (WBC) count and haemoglobin (Hb) content and decreased the level of serum aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutamyl transferase (${\gamma}$-GT) and nitric oxide (NO) in DLA bearing ascites tumor models. In addition, administration of extract significantly decreased the tumour volume and body weight in a DLA bearing solid tumor model. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$), interleukin-1 beta (IL-$1{\beta}$), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and granulocyte monocyte-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), as well as pro-angiogenic growth factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were elevated in solid tumour controls, but significantly reduced by A ferruginea administration. On the other hand, the extract stimulated the production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-gamma (IFN-${\gamma}$) in animals with DLA induced solid tumours. Increase in $CD4^+$ T-cell population suggested strong immunostimulant activity for this extract. GC/MS and LC/MS analysis showed quinone, quinoline, imidazolidine, pyrrolidine, cyclopentenone, thiazole, pyrazole, catechin and coumarin derivatives as major compounds present in the A ferruginea methanolic extract. Thus, the outcome of the present study suggests that A ferruginea extract has immunomodulatory and tumor inhibitory activities and has the potential to be developed as a natural anticancer agent.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.621-628
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• 2016

Hypertension can be caused by various factors while the predominant causes include increase in body fluid volume and resistance in the circulatory system that elevate the blood pressure. Consumption of probiotics has been proven to attenuate hypertension; however, the effect is much strain-dependent. In this study, a newly isolated Lactobacillus casei (Lb. casei ) strain C1 was investigated for its antihypertensive properties in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) suspension of 11 log colony-forming unit (CFU) was given to SHR (SHR+LAB, n=8), and phosphate buffer saline (PBS) was given as a control in SHR (SHR, n=8) and in Wistar rats as sham (WIS, n=8). The treatment was given via oral gavage for 8 weeks. The results showed that the weekly systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and aortic reactivity function were remarkably improved after 8 weeks of bacterial administration in SHR+LAB. These effects were mostly attributed by restoration of wall tension and tensile stress following the bacterial treatment. Although not statistically significant, the level of malondialdehye (MDA) in SHR+LAB serum was found declining. Increased levels of glutathione (GSH) and nitric oxide (NO) in SHR+LAB serum suggested that the bacterium exerted vascular protection through antioxidative functions and relatively high NO level that induced vasodilation. Collectively, Lb. casei strain C1 is a promising alternative for hypertension improvement.