• Molecules and Cells
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.300-307
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• 2006

Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis (Chinese cabbage) is an economically important crop and a model plant for studies on polyploidization and phenotypic evolution. To gain an insight into the structure of the B. rapa genome we analyzed 12,017 BAC-end sequences for the presence of transposable elements (TEs), SSRs, centromeric satellite repeats and genes, and similarity to the closely related genome of Arabidopsis thaliana. TEs were estimated to occupy 14% of the genome, with 12.3% of the genome represented by retrotransposons. It was estimated that the B. rapa genome contains 43,000 genes, 1.6 times greater than the genome of A. thaliana. A number of centromeric satellite sequences, representing variations of a 176-bp consensus sequence, were identified. This sequence has undergone rapid evolution within the B. rapa genome and has diverged among the related species of Brassicaceae. A study of SSRs demonstrated a non-random distribution with a greater abundance within predicted intergenic regions. Our results provide an initial characterization of the genome of B. rapa and provide the basis for detailed analysis through whole-genome sequencing.

• Carbon letters
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.247-254
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• 2014

In this work, thermal treatment accompanied with different acid treatments was applied to a commercial coal tar pitch (CTP) to obtain a spinnable precursor pitch for carbon fiber. In the case of thermal treatment only, a relatively high reaction temperature of between $380^{\circ}C$ and $400^{\circ}C$ was required to obtain a softening point (SP) range of $220^{\circ}C-260^{\circ}C$ and many meso-phase particles were created during the application of high reaction temperature. When nitric acid or sulfuric acid treatment was conducted before the thermal treatment, the precursor pitch with a proper SP range could be obtained at reaction temperatures of $280^{\circ}C-300^{\circ}C$, which were about $100^{\circ}C$ lower than those for the case of thermal treatment only. With the acid treatments, the yield and SP of the precursor pitch increased dramatically and the formation of meso-phase was suppressed due to the lower reaction temperatures. Since the precursor pitches with acid and thermal treatment were not spinnable due to the inhomogeneity of properties such as molecular weight distribution and viscosity, the CTP was mixed with ethanol before the consecutive nitric acid and thermal treatments. The precursor pitches with ethanol, nitric acid, and thermal treatments were easily spinnable, and their spinning and carbon fiber properties were compared to those of air blowing and thermal treated CTP.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.691-696
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• 2004

The electronic state and chemical bonding of $\beta$-MnO$_2$ with transition metal dopants were theoretically investigated by DV-X$_{\alpha}$ (the discrete variational X$_{\alpha}$) method, which is a sort of the first principles molecular orbital method using the Hartree-Fock-Slater approximation. The calculations were performed with a $_Mn_{14}$ MO$_{56}$ )$^{-52}$ (M = transition metals) cluster model. The electron energy level, the density of states (DOS), the overlap population, the charge density distribution, and the net charges, were calculated. The energy level diagram of MnO$_2$ shows the different band structure and electron occupancy between the up spin states and down spin states. The dopant levels decrease between the conduction band and the valence band with the increase of the atomic number of dopants. The covalency of chemical bonding was shown to increase and ionicity decreased in increasing the atomic number of dopants. Calculated results were discussed on the basis of the interaction between transition metal 3d and oxygen 2p orbital. In conclusion it is expected that when the transition metals are added to MnO$_2$ the band gap decreases and the electronic conductivity increases with the increase of the atomic number of dopants. the atomic number of dopants.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.48-51
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• 2000

The poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) synthase of Ralstonia. eutropha, which was produced by a recombinant strain E. coli and purified in one-step with a methyl-HIC column to a purity of more than 90%, was used to polymerize 3-hydroxypropionyl-CoA (3HPCoA) and to copolymerize 3HPCoA with 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA (3HBCoA) in vitro. A $K_m$ of $189\;{\mu}M$ and a $k_{cat}$ of $10\;sec^{-1}$ were determined for the activity of the enzyme in the polymerization reaction of 3HPCoA based on the assumption that the dimer form of PHB synthase was the active form. Free coenzyme A was found to be a very effective competitive inhibitor for the polymerization of 3HPCoA with a $K_i$ of $85\;{\mu}M$. The maximum degree of conversion of 3HPCoA to polymer was less than 40 %. In the simultaneous copolymerization reactions of these two monomers, both the turnover number for the copolymerization reaction and the maximum degree of conversion of 3HPCoA and 3HBCoA to copolymers increased with an increase in the amount of 3HBCoA in the monomer mixture. However, the maximum conversion of 3HPCoA to a copolymer was less than 35 % regardless of the ratio of 3HPCoA to 3HBCoA. Block copolymers were obtained by the sequential copolymerization of the two monomers and these copolymers had a much narrower molecular weight distribution than those obtained by the simultaneous copolymerization of the same molar ratio of 3HPCoA and 3HBCoA.

• Mycobiology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.270-285
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• 2017

The crustose lichen genus Pertusaria comprises over ca. 800 species worldwide. In total, 20 Pertusaria species were localized to the Mt. Sorak and Jeju-do in Korea. To date, information regarding the distribution of Pertusaria species in the South Korean peninsula is scarce. In this study, we collected Pertusaria species across South Korea and identified them based on morphological, chemical, and molecular characteristics. Of the 387 samples collected, we identified 24 taxa and 1 variety, of which 17 were previously recorded, and 6 taxa were newly found in South Korea (P. leioplaca, P. leucosora var. violascens, P. texana, P. thiospoda, P. thwaitesii, and P. xanthodes), 2 known species were transferred to Varicellaria (Varicellaria lactea and V. velata), one species was transferred to Variolaria as a new record (Variolaria multipunctoides) and one was a new species (P. jogyeensis J. S. Park & J.-S. Hur, sp. nov.). Characteristics of the newly discovered species, P. jogyeensis, are as follows: smooth to bumpy thallus, scattered to crowded poriform apothecia, blackish ostioles, definitely sunken, thin yellowish green rims around ostioles, 8-spored ascus, and the presence of perlatolic acid and thiophaninic acid (chlorinated xanthone). Phylogenetic studies on P. jogyeensis based on the mitochondrial small subunit sequence revealed proximity to P. flavicans and P. texana, and supported its classification as a new species within the genus Pertusaria. Additionally, we describe the chemical composition and morphology of all listed species in detail and provide an artificial key for identification.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.287-298
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• 2000

In preparing micron-sized monodisperse polystyrene beads by dispersion polymerization, the conversion, and the particle size and its distribution were affected by the reaction temperature, concentration of the monomer, solvent and initiator, molecular weight and concentration of the steric stabilizer, amount of oxygen existing in the reactor, and an appropriate combination of these starting materials. Ethanol as a dispersing agent, styrene as a monomer, PVP as a steric stabilizer, AIBN as an initiator, DVB as a cross-linking agent and toluene as a co-solvent were the basic materials for the synthesis. The reaction rate and the conversion were increased with the reaction temperature and the amount of DVB from 1 to 4%, and the conversion was saturated after 10 hours of the reaction time. The optimum reaction recipe for the preparation of the monodisperse PS beads was 25% styrene monomer, 0.5% DVB, 25% toluene, 10-15% PVP, and 2 and 4% AIBN, thereby, 3.9~4 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ and 3.4~9.3 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ of polystyrene beads, respectively, were successfully synthesized.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.323-327
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• 2011

Fecal specimens from acute gastroenteritis in Seoul from 2009 to 2010 were collected and then tested for the presence of Group A Rotavirus by ELISA. Among a total of 1,916 samples investigated, 354 samples (18.4%) were positive. The predominant genotypes of positive samples were confirmed as P6G[4] (35%), P8G[3] (28%), P8G[1] (24%), P4G[2] (10%), P8G[9] (3%), respectively. Among a total of 70 ground water samples investigated, 2 samples (2.8%) were positive. The genotypes of positive samples were confirmed as P8G[3] (100%). By this molecular investigation, genotypic distribution associated with rotavirus will be used for control and prevention of rotavirus related diseases.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.177-187
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• 2015

Merozoite surface proteins (MSPs) of malaria parasites play critical roles during the erythrocyte invasion and so are potential candidates for malaria vaccine development. However, because MSPs are often under strong immune selection, they can exhibit extensive genetic diversity. The gene encoding the merozoite surface protein-3 (MSP-3) of Plasmodium falciparum displays 2 allelic types, K1 and 3D7. In Thailand, the allelic frequency of the P. falciparum msp-3 gene was evaluated in a single P. falciparum population in Tak at the Thailand and Myanmar border. However, no study has yet looked at the extent of genetic diversity of the msp-3 gene in P. falciparum populations in other localities. Here, we genotyped the msp-3 alleles of 63 P. falciparum samples collected from 5 geographical populations along the borders of Thailand with 3 neighboring countries (Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia). Our study indicated that the K1 and 3D7 alleles co-existed, but at different proportions in different Thai P. falciparum populations. K1 was more prevalent in populations at the Thailand-Myanmar and Thailand-Cambodia borders, whilst 3D7 was more prevalent at the Thailand-Laos border. Global analysis of the msp-3 allele frequencies revealed that proportions of K1 and 3D7 alleles of msp-3 also varied in different continents, suggesting the divergence of malaria parasite populations. In conclusion, the variation in the msp-3 allelic patterns of P. falciparum in Thailand provides fundamental knowledge for inferring the P. falciparum population structure and for the best design of msp-3 based malaria vaccines.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.40-45
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• 2011

Microalgae are one of the major, sustaining components of ecosystem processes and are responsible for biogeochemical reactions that drive our climate changes. Despite this, many marine microalgae are poorly described and little is known of their abundance and distribution along the coastal areas of Sooyoung Bay, Busan, South Korea. The present study has been conducted from November, 2011 to August, 2009 with the objective to provide an overview of the taxonomy diversity and abundance of microalgae along the coastal areas of the Sooyoung Bay. Water samples were collected from different sites, which were located by using a GPS tracker. Chlorophyll fluorescence of the water samples were measured by using ToxY-PAM dual-channel yield analyzer. The chlorophyll fluorescence values were relatively higher during the spring and summer and even in the region near to the sea port. Similarly the abundance of microalgae was higher near the port but diversity index had lower values. The temperature and pH values were same at all the sites. However, only the temperature varied during the sampling period, with higher values during summer and lower in winter. From the preliminary results, the following class of microalgae were found; Bacillariophyceae, Dinophyceae, Silicoflagellate and Cryptophyceae. With a future ongoing work, microalgae are being isolated to establish single cell culture and for identification using light microscopic observations, photography and molecular approaches.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.129-134
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• 2006

Lon, also known as protease La, belongs to a class of ATP-dependent serine protease. It plays an essential role in degradation of abnormal proteins and of certain short-lived regulatory proteins, and is thought to possess a Ser-Lys catalytic dyad. To examine the structural organization of Lon, we performed an electron microscope analysis. The averaged images of Lon with end-on orientation revealed a six-membered, ring-shaped structure with a central cavity. The side-on view showed a two-layered structure with an equal distribution of mass across the equatorial plane of the complex. Since a Lon subunit possesses two large regions containing nucleotide binding and proteolytic domains, each layer of the Lon hexamer appears to consist of the side projections of one of the major domains arranged in a ring. Lon showed a strong tendency to form hexamers in the presence of $Mg^{2+}$, but dissociated into monomers and/or dimers in its absence. Moreover, $Mg^{2+}$-dependent hexamer formation was independent of ATP. These results indicate that Lon has a hexameric ring-shaped structure with a central cavity, and that the establishment of this configuration requires $Mg^{2+}$, but not ATP.