• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.3.1-3.10
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• 2020

Objectives: This study investigated the indirect effect of calcium-enriched mixture (CEM) cement and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), as 2 calcium silicate-based hydraulic cements, on human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) through different dentin thicknesses. Materials and Methods: Two-chamber setups were designed to simulate indirect pulp capping (IPC). Human molars were sectioned to obtain 0.1-, 0.3-, and 0.5-mm-thick dentin discs, which were placed between the 2 chambers to simulate an IPC procedure. Then, MTA and CEM were applied on one side of the discs, while hDPSCs were cultured on the other side. After 2 weeks of incubation, the cells were removed, and cell proliferation, morphology, and attachment to the discs were evaluated under scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDXA) spectroscopy was performed for elemental analysis. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was assessed quantitatively. The data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. Results: SEM micrographs revealed elongated cells, collagen fibers, and calcified nucleations in all samples. EDXA verified that the calcified nucleations consisted of calcium phosphate. The largest calcifications were seen in the 0.1-mm-thick dentin subgroups. There was no significant difference in ALP activity across the CEM subgroups; however, ALP activity was significantly lower in the 0.1-mm-thick dentin subgroup than in the other MTA subgroups (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The employed capping biomaterials exerted biological activity on hDPSCs, as shown by cell proliferation, morphology, and attachment and calcific precipitations, through 0.1- to 0.5-mm-thick layers of dentin. In IPC, the bioactivity of these endodontic biomaterials is probably beneficial.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.128-133
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• 2013

Objectives: This study was performed to evaluate the effect of blood contamination on the compressive strength (CS) of Root MTA (RMTA) modified with Calcium chloride ($CaCl_2$) and Disodium hydrogen phosphate ($Na_2HPO_4$) as setting accelerators over time. Materials and Methods: A total of 110 cylindrical specimens of RMTA were divided into 6 experimental groups as follows: Group1, RMTA; Group 2, RMTA modified with $CaCl_2$ (RMTA-C); Group 3, RMTA modified with $Na_2HPO_4$ (RMTA-N); Group 4, RMTA contaminated with blood; Group 5, RMTA-C contaminated with blood; Group 6, RMTA-N contaminated with blood. The CS of specimens in all groups was evaluated after 3 hr, 24 hr, and 1 wk. In the modified groups (groups 2, 3, 5, and 6) the CS of five specimens per group was also evaluated after 1 hr. Results: Blood contamination significantly reduced the CS of all materials at all time intervals (p < 0.05). After 3 hr, the CS of specimens in the RMTA groups (with and without blood contamination) was significantly lower than those in the RMTA-C and RMTA-N groups (p < 0.05). The CS values were not significantly different at the other time intervals. In all groups, the CS of specimens significantly increased over time (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Blood contamination decreased the CS of both original and accelerated RMTA.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.87-93
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• 1984

The effects of ionic strength and pH on the binding of cefazolin to bovine serum albumin (BSA) were studied by UV difference spectrophotometry. As ionic strength at constant pH and temperature increases, the apparent bining constant decreased but the number of binding sites remained almost constant at 2. The constancy of the number of binding sites with increasing the ionic strength suggests that purely electrostatic forces between BSA and drug do not have great importance in the drug binding, even though there is a decrease in the apparent binding constant. Thus, the effect of ionic strength on the interaction between drug and BSA may be explained by the changes in ionic atmosphere of the aggregated BSA molecules and competitive inhibition by phosphate ions. In addition, the higher apparent binding constant at high ionic strength is explained by conformational changes of BSA from its aggregate forms into subunits. The pH effects on the afinity of interactions indicated that the binding affinity of cefazoline is higher in the neutral region than in the alkaline region. An d at high pH value, the number of binding sites decreased from 2 to 1 because of the conformational change of BSA in the alkaline region.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.241-245
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• 1988

The characteristics of some hillside soils in Yeongnam area were investigated to obtain the basic informations for reclamation. Some physico-chemical properties of the soils were discussed with erodibility factor (K) and aggregate stability. The domain clay mineral of soils was identified as Kaoline. Their exchangeable AI, Fe contents were high, and phosphate adsorption coefficients were ranged from 246 to 551 p mg/100g. The improvement of their physico-chemical properties is required in advance to reclaim at those soils.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.157-167
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• 2012

This study aimed to interpret the provenance and firing temperature of pottery from Chipyeongdong site in Gwangju, Korea though mineralogical and geochemical methods and also investigated the post-depositional alteration of pottery in burial environments. It is also presumed that they were made of soils near the site because they have similar mineralogical composition and same geochemical evolution path. Based on the results of mineralogical analysis, the pottery samples are largely divided into 2 groups; $700^{\circ}C$ to $1,000^{\circ}C$ and 1,000 to $1,100^{\circ}C$. At some pottery fired at over $1,000^{\circ}C$, it is thought that the refinement of raw materials were processed to remove macrocrystalline fragments. However, it was found that phosphate in soil environments formed amorphous aggregates with Al and Fe within the pores and voids on pottery fired at the low temperature. It indicates the contamination of pottery after burial.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.188-192
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• 1999

In order to minimize the mycelial pellet formation, one of the critical obstacles during the fermentation processes of filamentous fungi, an investigation was focused on the culture conditions(media and initial inoculum) and additives(soils, surfactants and polyethylene glycol 200) when a high phosphate-dissolving fungus, Penicillium sp. GL-101, was cultured in liquid media. Culturing the strain in PDB, SDB and YPD media, their pellet sizes decreased to the order of YPD > SDB > PDB. And at the high concentrations of the initial inoculum in the range from $1{\times}10^3\;to\;1{\times}10^6$ conidia/ml, the small sizes of pellet were formed in the PDB media. For the initial inoculum between $1{\times}10^7\;and\;1{\times}10^8$ conidia/ml, however, an amorphous pellet or loose aggregate was formed. The addition of soils, zeolite and diatomite, up to 1.0% decreased the pellet sizes to 3/4 and 1/2, respectively, but the pellet was increased to 2.5 times by the addition of bentonite. Surfactants also affected on the size of pellet; the addition of Triton X-100 and Tween 80 up to 1.0% decreased the pellet sizes maximally to 1/10 and 1/4, respectively, while SDS completely inhibited the fungal growth. Among the four additives tsted, polyethylene glycol 200 was the most effectively reduced the pellet sizes to $0.2{\pm}0.1$mm that resulted in about 25- fold reduction compared to the control.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.194-204
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• 2015

Six study sites in Gumi, Goryeong in Gyeongbuk province and Naju in Jeonnam province were selected to investigate soil properties of poorly drained horizons in paddy soils. The horizons were re-established layers which were parent material layers originated from fluvial deposits. Topsoil layers were differentiated from piled parent materials while soil structure of the topsoil layer was massive with striated microstructure. Compaction at soil re-establishment and a lack of structure and aggregate development in these soils may cause the limitation of vertical water movement and result in poorly drained horizons. Soil samples were taken from paddy fields with top soils of sandy loam, silt loam and silty clay loam and re-established soils of coarse and fine texture. The samples were taken from each horizon for the analyses of soil chemical and mineral properties. Soils with re-established soils of coarse texture had greater amounts of sands from top soil texture distributions, while soils with fine texture had greater amounts of silts. Chemical properties of top soils were analyzed from rice cultivated soils at the time of re-establishments and one year after the re-establishments. The coarse texture of the re-established horizons decreased in EC values from 0.23 to $0.11(dS\;m^{-1})$, available phosphate values from 112 to $54(mg\;kg^{-1})$, and exchangeable Ca values from 6.6 to $4.9(cmol_c\;kg^{-1})$. On the other hand, soils with fine texture showed decrease only in pH and exchangeable Ca values. Especially, organic matter and available phosphate contents showed heterogeneous distributions from each horizon. This result may be caused by mixture of plough layer and subsurface layer during and consolidation. Hydraulic conductivity values were low at the boundaries of top soil and parent material layers except SL/coarse soil. Soil microstructure was massive structure without soil clods or pores and showed striated structure. Therefore, re-established paddy fields with fluvial deposits as parent material layers showed limited vertical movements of soil water because of occurrence of compacted layers and less-development of soil clods and aggregates.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.57-66
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• 2013

Although the quantity of dredged soils has increased owing to recent new harbor construction, sea course management, polluted sediment dredging, and four-river project, the reuse or recycling of those dredged soils has not done properly in Korea. To develop measures to utilize them in various ways for reuse or recycling, the biophysicochemical properties of dredged soils and sediment were assessed in this study. Samples were classified according to their sources-river and sea-by location, and as dredged soil and sediment depending on storage time. The results showed that dredged materials from the sea have high clay content and can be used for making bricks, tiles, and lightweight backfill materials, while dredged materials from the river have high sand content and can be used in sand aggregates. Separation procedures, depending on the intended application, should be carried out because all dredged materials are poorly sorted. All dredged soils and sediments have high salinity, and hence, salts should be removed before use for cultivation. Since dredged materials from the sea have adequate concentrations of nutrients, except phosphate, they can be used for creating and restoring coastal habitats without carrying out any additional removal processes. The high overall microbial activities in dredged materials from the river suggested that active degradation of organic matter, circulation of nutrients, and provision of nutrients may occur if these dredged materials are used for cultivation purpose.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.291-296
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• 1998

Pedogenic hematite is a well known agent for sink of pollutants and nutrients and for aggregation of particles in soils. Changes in physical and chemical properties of two sandy loam soils (Anahuac and Crowley soils) from the Southern Coastal Plain, the United States of America, were tested after adding finely ground crystalline hematite prepared for drilling fluid weighting material. There was an increase in hydraulic conductivity (HC) of the soils with addition of up to 3% by weight of hematite but a decrease in HC with addition of more hematite. The aggregate stability (AS) of the soils was not affected by adding hematite. Anahuac soil with higher content of organic matter and lower sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) had higher values of HC and AS than Crowley soil. Adding hematite also resulted in a slight increase in zinc (Zn) adsorption by the soils, but had no influence on the adsorption of phosphate.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.100-108
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• 1999

Cop protein is the transcription repressor protein in rolling circle replication plasmid. With antisense RNA, Cop protein controls the copy number of plasmid. Cop family proteins have been found in various plasmids. Among Cop family proteins, Cop studied in this paper consists of 55 amino acids (Mw. 6,400), and was known to have trimer structure. Since no structural facts are elucidated, we have carried out preliminary experiments aimed at the elucidation of its three dimensional structure. The secondary structure of Cop is studied by CD and NMR. To solve the aggregation of Cop at high concentration, we tested various detergents and salts. The addition of detergents and salts could not solve the aggregation problem. However, we found that concentration is important in solving the aggregation problem. We knew that 0.18mM in 50mM potassium phosphate without any other ingredients is maximum concentration not to aggregate. Wa also investigated the pH dependence of Cop protein, and knew that Cop protein is more stable in acid state. At various temperatures, 15N-1H HSQC spectra were measured in order to find the optimal experimental condition. To enhance the peak resolution, 3D NOESY-HSQC spectrum is acquired. Since there are NOE peaks in the NH-NH region, we knew that Cop protein has $\alpha$-helical content, which was also confirmed by CD.