• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.298-305
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• 2016

In this work, recent progress on graphene/metal oxide composites as advanced materials for $HgCl_2$ and $CO_2$ capture was investigated. Density Functional Theory calculations were used to understand the effects of temperature on the adsorption ability of $HgCl_2$ and water vapor on $CO_2$ adsorption on CaO (001) with reinforced carbon-based nanostructures using B3LYP functional. Understanding the mechanism by which mercury and $CO_2$ adsorb on graphene/CaO (g-CaO) is crucial to the design and fabrication of effective capture technologies. The results obtained from the optimized geometries and frequencies of the proposed cluster site structures predicted that with respect to molecular binding the system possesses unusually large $HgCl_2$ ($0.1-0.4HgCl_2g/g$ sorbent) and $CO_2$ ($0.2-0.6CO_2g/g$ sorbent) uptake capacities. The $HgCl_2$ and $CO_2$ were found to be stable on the surface as a result of the topology and a strong interaction with the g-CaO system; these results strongly suggest the potential of CaO-doped carbon materials for $HgCl_2$ and $CO_2$ capture applications, the functional gives reliable answers compared to available experimental data.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.16-24
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• 2016

A new strain of Pseudomonas sp. was isolated from mercury (Hg)-contaminated sites in Taiwan. This bacterium removed more than 80% of Hg present in the culture medium at 12 h incubation and was chosen for further analysis of the molecular mechanisms of Hg tolerance/removal abilities in this Pseudomonas sp. We used RNA-seq, one of the next-generation sequencing methods, to investigate the transcriptomic responses of the Pseudomonas sp. exposed to 60 mg/L of Hg²⁺. We de novo assembled 4,963 contigs, of which 10,533 up-regulated genes and 5,451 down-regulated genes were found to be regulated by Hg. The 40 genes most altered in expression levels were associated with tolerance to Hg stress and metabolism. Functional analysis showed that some Hg-tolerant genes were related to the mer operon, sulfate uptake and assimilation, the enzymatic antioxidant system, the HSP gene family, chaperones, and metal transporters. The transcriptome were analyzed further with Gene Ontology (GO) and Cluster of Orthologous Groups (COGs) of proteins and showed diverse biological functions and metabolic pathways under Hg stress.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.19.1-19.7
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• 2016

A laboratory experiment was conducted to determine hexavalent chromium ($Cr^{6+}$) accumulation in the mullet and investigate $Cr^{6+}$ toxicity using a panel of biomarkers including metallothioneins (MTs), glutathione (GSH), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and superoxide dismutases (SODs) for 4 weeks. $Cr^{6+}$ bioaccumulation in all tissues, except muscle, was consistently time- and dose-dependent. The accumulation of $Cr^{6+}$ for 4-week exposures was in the following order: $kidney{\approx}liver$ > $intestine{\approx}gill$ > spleen > muscle. Compared with the control, $Cr^{6+}$ bioaccumulation was increased in ${\geq}200{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$ groups (P < 0.05). An independent relation was observed between accumulation factors (AFs) and exposure concentration. But AFs increased with exposure time. In the liver and gill, GST and SOD differed from the control at a high $Cr^{6+}$ concentration at 2 and 4 weeks (P < 0.05). This study indicated that the gills were as sensitive as the liver to $Cr^{6+}$ toxicity. However, the latter appeared to influence largely on the organism's adaptive response to $Cr^{6+}$, since $Cr^{6+}$ may elevate GSH and MT levels by enhancing the hepatic uptake of metal in the mullet.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.58-66
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• 2011

Arsenic pollution is a serious global concern which affects all life forms. Being a toxic metalloid, the continued search for appropriate technologies for its remediation is needed. Phytoremediation, the use of green plants, is not only a low cost but also an environmentally friendly approach for metal uptake and stabilization. However, its application is limited by slow plant growth which is further aggravated by the phytotoxic effect of the pollutant. Attempts to address these constraints were done by exploiting plant-microbe interactions which offers more advantages for phytoremediation. Several bacterial mechanisms that can increase the efficiency of phytoremediation of As are nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, siderophore production, ACC deaminase activity and growth regulator production. Many have been reported for other metals, but few for arsenic. This mini-review attempts to present what has been done so far in exploring plants and their rhizosphere microbiota and some genetic manipulations to increase the efficiency of arsenic soil phytoremediation.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.137-145
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• 1990

In this research, biological uptake of heavy metals(Cd(II), Cu(II), Zn(II)) was measured under various conditions ; pH, initial heavy metal concentration, temperature, contact time and the amount of biomass through batch test. From this research, it was found that heavy metals might be removed through adsorption and accumulation in activated sludge process. Heavy metals were highly concentrated by microbial floc in activated sludge. Also, the removal efficiency was reached up to 80~90% within and after 1 hour the increase of removal efficiency was minimal. The order of accumulation efficiency was Cu(II)>Zn(II)>Cd(II), and the bonding strength between heavy metals and microbial floc may be expressed in order of Cu(II)>Zn(II)>Cd(II).

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.380-384
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• 2005

Fluoroalkyl methacrylate and acrylic acid were bulk radical copolymerized in the presence of pure sodium montmorillonite or macromer intercalated sodium montmorilonite to get a fluorinated acrylic ionomer/sodium montmorillonite composite, and their physical properties, such as X-ray diffraction pattern, tensile properties, and water uptake, were examined. These composites were used to preparean ionic acrylic polymer-platinum composite (IPMC). The current and deformation responses of these IPMCs by external voltage applied across the platinum electrodes deposited on both sides of IPMC showed that the cation migration from anode to cathode was suppressed in the presence of sodium montmorillonite, causing reduced current and deformation.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.444-451
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• 2000

Nonliving methanotrophic biomass was used as biosorbent to remove lead which is one of representative pollutants in metal-bearing wastewater. Solution pH, maximum uptake, biosorbent dose and ionic strength were considered as major factors for adsorption experiments. The optimum pH range for lead removal was increased 3.8∼11.0 for methanotrophic biomass compared to biosorbent-free control, pH of 8.4∼11.2. Removal efficiency of lead by methanotrophic biomass was pH dependent, but less sensitive than that of control. In isotherm experiments with 0.2g biosorbent/L at initial solution pH 5.0, methanotrophic biomass took up lead from aqueous solutions to the extent of 1085 mg/g biomass. Removal amount of lead increased with an increase of biomass dose. According to biomass dose for initial 1000 mg Pb/L at initial pH 5.0, the optimum amount of biomass for maximum lead removal per unit methanotrophic biomass was 0.2 g biomass/L. As a result of scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), lead removal by methanotrophic biomass seemed to be through adsorptions on the surface of methanotrophic biomass and exopolymers around the biomass. EDS spectra confirmed that lead adsorption appeared on the biomass and exopolymers that may be effective to lead removal comparing before and after contact with lead. Removal efficiency of lead was slightly affected by ionic strength up to 2.0 M of NaCl and NaNO$_3$respectively.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.119-125
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• 2011

In the synthesis of nanoparticles, much attention has been paid to regulating the particle size. There has been a possible evident that using the central cavity (core) of the protein ferritin has a greatly significant influence on it because the core can generate the nanometer-sized mineral particles of variable metal ions. In this report, recombinant human L-ferritins produced from Saccharomyces cerevisiae were purified and their molecular properties were characterized. The cDNA for human ferritin L chain was also expressed in another host such as Escherichia coli, and the properties of recombinant L-ferritins were compared. From isoelectric focusing experiment, the L-ferritin from the recombinant yeast showed no indication of N-glycosylation. Some post-translational modifications other than N-glycosylation were speculated in the L-ferritins from yeast. A difference was made in the L-ferritins in their iron uptake rates and the initial rate of the L-ferritin from yeast was slightly increased. The reconstitution yield and size distribution of the core minerals were analyzed in the L-ferritins by transmission electron microscopy. The L-ferritin from yeast with higher reconstitution yield (54.5%) showed slightly larger sizes (mean 6.92 nm) with narrower size distribution than the L-ferritin from E. coli. It is, in conclusion, speculated that L-ferritin from yeast is relatively superior to the other, in view of the size of nanoparticle and its relative homogeneity.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.5
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• pp.1159-1168
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• 2021

Ovotransferrin (OTF), an egg protein known as transferrin family protein, possess strong antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. This is because OTF has two iron binding sites, so it has a strong metal chelating ability. The present study aimed to evaluate the improved immune-enhancing activities of OTF hydrolysates produced using bromelain, pancreatin, and papain. The effects of OTF hydrolysates on the production and secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators in RAW 264.7 macrophages were confirmed. The production of nitric oxide (NO) was evaluated using Griess reagent and the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were evaluated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). And the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α and interleukin [IL]-6) and the phagocytic activity of macrophages were evaluated using an ELISA assay and neutral red uptake assay, respectively. All OTF hydrolysates enhanced NO production by increasing iNOS mRNA expression. Treating RAW 264.7 macrophages with OTF hydrolysates increased the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the phagocytic activity. The production of NO and pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by OTF hydrolysates was inhibited by the addition of specific mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors. In conclusion, results indicated that all OTF hydrolysates activated RAW 264.7 macrophages by activating MAPK signaling pathway.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.387-397
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• 2021

Deep eutectic solvents have been established as feasible metal electroplating solvent alternatives over traditional toxic aqueous plating baths. However, water, either added intentionally or unintentionally, can significantly influence the solvent's physical properties and performance, thereby hindering its industry application. In this study, the hygroscopicity, or the ability to absorb moisture from the environment, of synthesized ethaline (1:2 choline chloride:ethylene glycol) was investigated. The kinematic viscosity, electrical conductivity, electrochemical window, and water content of ethaline were monitored over a 2-week period. Karl Fischer titration tests showed that ethaline exposed to the atmosphere displayed significant hygroscopicity compared to its unexposed counterpart. ¹H NMR spectroscopy revealed that water vapor was readily absorbed at the surface due to the hydrophilic groups present in the ethaline molecule. Water uptake resulted in the decrease in viscosity, increase in electrical conductivity and narrowing of the electrochemical window of ethaline. Solution heating at 100℃ removed the absorbed moisture and allowed the recovery of the solvent's initial properties.