• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.315-321
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• 2023

Objective: The study was conducted to investigate the dephosphorylation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa flagellin (PA FLA) by sweet potato purple acid phosphatase (PAP) and the effect of the enzyme on the flagellin-mediated inflammatory response in the A549 lung epithelial cell line. Methods: The activity of sweet potato PAP on PA FLA was assayed at different pH (4, 5.5, 7, and 7.5) and temperature (25℃, 37℃, and 55℃) conditions. The release of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and the activation of nuclear factor kappa- light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) in A549 cells exposed to PA FLA treated with or without sweet potato PAP was measured using IL-8 and NF-κB ELISA kits, respectively. The activation of toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) in TLR5-overexpressing HEK-293 cells exposed to PA FLA treated with or without sweet potato PAP was determined by the secreted alkaline phosphatase-based assay. Results: The dephosphorylation of PA FLA by sweet potato PAP was favorable at pH 4 and 5.5 and highest at 55℃. PA-FLA treated with the enzyme decreased IL-8 release from A549 cells to about 3.5-fold compared to intact PA FLA at 1,000 ng/mL of substrate. Moreover, PA-FLA dephosphorylated by the enzyme repressed the activation of NF-κB in the cells compared to intact PA FLA. The activation of TLR5 by PA-FLA was highest in TLR-overexpressing HEK293 cells at a substrate concentration of 5,000 ng/mL, whereas PA FLA treated with the enzyme strongly repressed the activation of TLR5. Conclusion: Sweet potato PAP has the potential to be a new alternative agent against the increased antibiotic resistance of P. aeruginosa and may be a new conceptual feed additive to control unwanted inflammatory responses caused by bacterial infections in animal husbandry.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.816-820
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• 2018

The stringent response (SR), which is activated by accumulation of (p)ppGpp under conditions of growth-inhibiting stresses, plays an important role on growth and virulence in Vibrio cholerae. Herein, we carried out a genome-wide screen using transposon random mutagenesis to identify genes controlled by SR in a (p)ppGpp-overproducing mutant strain. One of the identified SR target genes was flaC encoding flagellin. Genetic studies using flaC and SR mutants demonstrated that FlaC was involved in bacterial growth, toxin production, and normal flagellum function under conditions of high (p)ppGpp levels, suggesting FlaC plays an important role in SR-induced pathogenicity in V. cholerae.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.43 no.2 s.134
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• pp.47-50
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• 2005

A survey was carried out from August to December 2004 in Pusan, Korea to document the presence of free-living amoeba (FLA), including the genus Acanthamoeba, in both contact lens storage cases and domestic tap water. Acanthamoeba was isolated from $5(4.2\%)$ in 120 contact lens storage cases. Four house tap water samples from residents, whose contact lens storage cases had been contaminated by Acanthamoeba, were also found to be contaminated with Acanthamoeba. Therefore, the contamination rate of FLA and Acanthamoeba in domestic tap water was investigated in order to examine the role of domestic tap water in Acanthamoeba contamination of contact lens storage cases. FLA and Acanthamoeba were identified in $97(46.8\%)\;and\;16(7.7\%)$ of the 207 domestic tap water samples, respectively. There were no significant differences between the contamination rates of FLA in tap water according to the filtration plant of origin. No FLA was detected in the tap water directly supplied by the water purification plants. Water storage tanks appear to promote FLA colonization, including Acanthamoeba, in domestic tap water. This increases the risk of Acanthamoeba contamination in contact lens storage cases as well as increasing the risk of Acanthamoeba keratitis.

• Proceedings of the Korean Magnestics Society Conference
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• 2000.09a
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• pp.319-320
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• 2000

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.859-864
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• 2003

We prepared SOI(silicon-on-insulator) wafer pairs of Si II SiO$_2$/Si$_3$N$_4$ II Si using wafer direct bonding with an electric furnace annealing(EFA), a fast linear annealing(FLA), and a rapid thermal annealing(RTA), respectively, by varying the annealing temperatures at a given annealing process. We measured the bonding area and the bonding strength with processes. EFA and FLA showed almost identical bonding area and theoretical bonding strength at the elevated temperature. RTA was not bonded at all due to warpage, We report that FLA process was superior to other annealing processes in aspects of surface temperature, annealing time, and bonding strength.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.449-454
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• 2023

Free-living amoebae (FLA) rarely cause human infections but can invoke fatal infections in the central nervous system (CNS). No consensus treatment has been established for FLA infections of the CNS, emphasizing the urgent need to discover or develop safe and effective drugs. Flavonoids, natural compounds from plants and plant-derived products, are known to have antiprotozoan activities against several pathogenic protozoa parasites. The anti-FLA activity of flavonoids has also been proposed, while their antiamoebic activity for FLA needs to be emperically determined. We herein evaluated the antiamoebic activities of 18 flavonoids against Naegleria fowleri and Acanthamoeba species which included A. castellanii and A. polyphaga. These flavonoids showed different profiles of antiamoebic activity against N. fowleri and Acanthamoeba species. Demethoxycurcumin, kaempferol, resveratrol, and silybin (A+B) showed in vitro antiamoebic activity against both N. fowleri and Acanthamoeba species. Apigenin, costunolide, (-)-epicatechin, (-)-epigallocatechin, rosmarinic acid, and (-)-trans-caryophyllene showed selective antiamoebic activity for Acanthamoeba species. Luteolin was more effective for N. fowleri. However, afzelin, berberine, (±)-catechin, chelerythrine, genistein, (+)-pinostrobin, and quercetin did not exhibit antiamoebic activity against the amoeba species. They neither showed selective antiamoebic activity with significant cytotoxicity to C6 glial cells. Our results provide a basis for the anti-FLA activity of flavonoids, which can be applied to develope alternative or supplemental therapeutic agents for FLA infections of the CNS.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.315-321
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• 2004

The void evolution in direct bonding process of $Si/Si_3$$N_4$ ∥ $SiO_2$/Si silicon wafer pairs has been investigated with an infrared camera. The voids that formed in the premating process grew in the conventional furnace annealing process at a temperature of $600^{\circ}C$. The voids are never shrunken even with the additional annealing process at the higher temperatures. We observed that the voids became smaller and disappeared with sequential scanning by our newly proposed fast linear annealing(FLA). FLA irradiates the focused line-shape halogen light on the surface while wafer moves from one edge to the other. We also propose the void shrinking mechanism in FLA with the finite differential method (FDM). Our results imply that we may eliminate the voids and enhance the yield for the direct bonding of wafer pairs by employing FLA.

• Journal of Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.33-38
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• 2001

10cm-diameter Si(100)∥$1.3\mu\textrm{m}$-X$1.3_2$X$1.3\mu\textrm{m}$-$SiO_2$∥Si(100) afers were prepared using a fast linear annealing (FLA) equipment. 1.3$\mu\textrm{m}$-thick $SiO_2$ films were grown by dry oxidation process. After cleaning and premating the wafers in a class 100 clean room, they were heat treated using with the FLA and conventional electric furnace. Bonded area and bond strength of wafer pairs were measured using a infrared (IR) camera and razor blade crack opening method, respectively. It was confinmed that the bonded area by FLA was around 99% and the bond strength value reached 2172mJ/$\m^2$, which is equivalent to theoritical bond strength. Our result implies that thick $SiO_2$ SOI may be prepared more easily by using $SiO_2$$SiO_2$ bonding interfaces then those of Si/$SiO_2$'s.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.36 no.10
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• pp.1025-1032
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• 2012

The flash lamp annealing (FLA) process has been considered highly promising for manufacturing low-temperature polysilicon on large-scale backplanes. Based on a theoretical estimation, this study clarifies the critical mechanisms of glass backplane deformation during the FLA process. A simulation using a commercial FEM code with viscoelastic models shows that the local region, whose temperature is larger than the glass softening point, undergoes permanent structural shrinkage owing to stress relaxation. For larger backplanes (4th Gen), structural shrinkages and gravitational deflection are critical to deformation in the FLA process, resulting in an "M" shape; in smaller backplanes (0th Gen), the latter is negligible, resulting in a "U" shape.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.118-133
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• 2023

Background: Free-living amoebae (FLA) are widely distributed in freshwater, seawater, soil, and extreme environments, and play a critical role as feeders on diverse preys in the ecosystem. Also, some FLA can become opportunistic pathogens in animals including humans. The taxa Amoebozoa and Heterolobosea are important amoeboid groups associated with human pathogens. However, the identification and habitat of amoebae belonging to Amoebozoa and Heterolobosea remain poorly reported in the Republic of Korea. This study highlights the first record for identification and source of four amoebae including putative pathogens in the Republic of Korea. Results: In the present study, four previously reported FLA were isolated from freshwaters in Sangju Gonggeomji Reservoir (strain GO001), one of the largest reservoirs during the Joseon Dynasty period, and along the Nakdong River, the largest river in the Republic of Korea (strains NR5-2, NR12-1, and NR14-1) for the first time. Microscopic observations and 18S rDNA phylogenetic trees revealed the four isolated strains to be Acanthamoeba polyphaga (strains NR5-2 and NR12-1), Tetramitus waccamawensis (strain GO001), and Naegleria australiensis (strain NR14-1). Strains NR5-2 and NR12-1 might be the same species and belonged to the morphological Group 2 and the T4 genotype of Acanthamoeba. Strain GO001 formed a clade with T. waccamawensis in 18S rDNA phylogeny, and showed morphological characteristics similar to previously recorded strains, although the species' flagellate form was not observed. Strain NR14-1 had the typical morphology of Naegleria and formed a strongly supported clade with previously recorded strains of N. australiensis in phylogenetic analysis of 18S rDNA sequences. Conclusions: On the bases of morphological and molecular analyses, four strains of FLA were newly observed and classified in the Republic of Korea. Three strains belonging to the two species (A. polyphaga and N. australiensis) isolated from the Nakdong River have the potential to act as opportunistic pathogens that can cause fatal diseases (i.e. granulomatous amoebic encephalitis, Acanthamoeba Keratitis, and meningoencephalitis) in animals including humans. The Nakdong River in the Republic of Korea may provide a habitat for potentially pathogenic amoebae, but additional research is required to confirm the true pathogenicity of these FLA now known in the Republic of Korea.