• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.37 no.6_2
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• pp.1859-1867
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• 2021

This study investigated seasonal characteristics of the particulate matter (PM) in the atmosphere and rainwater quality in Busan, South Korea, and evaluated the seasonal effect of PM₁₀ concentration in the atmosphere on the rainwater quality using multivariate statistical analysis. The concentration of PM in the atmosphere and meteorological observations(daily precipitation amount and rainfall intensity) are obtained from automatic weather systems (AWS) by the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) from March 2020 to August 2020. Rainwater samples (n = 216, 13 rain events) were continuously collected from the beginning of the precipitation using the rainwater collecting device at Pukyong National University. The samples were analyzed for pH, EC (electrical conductivity), water-soluble cations(Na⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, and NH₄⁺), and anions(Cl^-, NO₃^-, and SO₄^2-). The concentration of PM₁₀ in the atmosphere was steadily measured before and after the precipitation with a custom-built PM sensor node. The measured data were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) and Pearson correlation analysis to identify relationships between the concentration of PM₁₀ in the atmosphere and rainwater quality. In spring, the daily average concentration of PM₁₀ (34.11 ㎍/m³) and PM_2.5 (19.23 ㎍/m³) in the atmosphere were relatively high, while the value of daily precipitation amount and rainfall intensity were relatively low. In addition, the concentration of PM₁₀ in the atmosphere showed a significant positive correlation with the concentration of water-soluble ions (r = 0.99) and EC (r = 0.95) and a negative correlation with the pH (r = -0.84) of rainwater samples. In summer, the daily average concentration of PM₁₀ (27.79 ㎍/m³) and PM_2.5 (17.41 ㎍/m³) in the atmosphere were relatively low, and the maximum rainfall intensity was 81.6 mm/h, recording a large amount of rain for a long time. The results indicated that there was no statistically significant correlation between the concentration of PM₁₀ in the atmosphere and rainwater quality in summer.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.274-279
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• 2015

Receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL) is a critical factor in osteoclastogenesis. It makes osteoclasts differentiate and multinucleate in bone remodeling. In the present study, RANKL was expressed as a soluble maltose binding protein (MBP)-fusion protein using the Escherichia coli maltose binding domain tag system (pMAL) expression vector system. The host cell E. coli DH5α was cultured and induced by isopropyl β-_D-1-thiogalactopyranoside for rRANKL expression. Cells were disrupted by sonication to collect soluble MBP-fused rRANKL. The MBP-fusion rRANKL was purified with MBP Trap affinity chromatography and treated with Tobacco Etch Virus nuclear inclusion endopeptidase (TEV protease) to remove the MBP fusion protein. Dialysis was then carried out to remove binding maltose from the cleaved rRANKL solution. The cleaved rRANKL was purified with a second MBP Trap affinity chromatography to separate unsevered MBP-fusion rRANKL and cleaved MBP fusion protein. The purified rRANKL was shown to have biological activity by performing in vitro cell tests. In conclusion, biologically active rRANKL was successfully purified by a simple two-step chromatography purification process with one column.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.348-353
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• 2019

Soluble epoxide hydrolases (sEH) are enzymes present in all living organisms, metabolize epoxy fatty acids to 1,2-diols. sEH in the metabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acids plays a key role in inflammation. In addition, the endogenous lipid mediators in cardiovascular disease are also broken down to diols by the action of sEH that enhanced cardiovascular protection. In this study, sEH inhibitory guided fractionation led to the isolation of five phenolic compounds trans-resveratrol (1), trans-piceatannol (2), sulfuretin (3), (+)-balanophonin (4), and cassigarol E (5) from the ethanol extract of the seeds of Passiflora edulis Sims cultivated in Vietnam. The chemical structures of isolated compounds were determined by the interpretation of NMR spectral data, mass spectra, and comparison with data from the literature. The soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitory activity of isolated compounds was evaluated. Among them, trans-piceatannol (2) showed the most potent inhibitory activity on sEH with an IC₅₀ value of 3.4 μM. This study marks the first time that sulfuretin (3) was isolated from Passiflora edulis as well as (+)-balanophonin (4), and cassigarol E (5) were isolated from Passiflora genus.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.1227-1233
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• 2015

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a key role in angiogenesis through binding to its specific receptors, which mainly occurs to VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2), a kinase insert domain-containing receptor. Therefore, the disruption of VEGFR-2 signaling provides a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of cancer by inhibiting abnormal or tumorinduced angiogenesis. To explore this potential, we expressed the catalytic domain of VEGFR-2 (VEGFR-2-CD) as a soluble active kinase in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein was purified and the VEGFR-2-CD activity was investigated. The obtained VEGFR-2-CD showed autophosphorylation activity and phosphate transfer activity comparable to the commercial enzyme. Furthermore, the IC₅₀ value of known VEGFR-2 inhibitor was determined using the purified VEGFR-2-CD. These results indicated a possibility for functional and economical VEGFR-2-CD expression in E. coli to use for inhibitor screening.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.12
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• pp.2699-2708
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• 2020

Helical-coil steam generator (HCSG) technology is a major design candidate for small modular reactors due to its compactness and capability to produce superheated steam with high generation efficiency. In this paper, we investigate the feasibility of the passively autonomous power maneuvering by coupling the 3-D transient multi-physics of a soluble-boron-free (SBF) core with a time-dependent HCSG model. The predictor corrector quasi-static method was used to reduce the cost of the transient 3-D neutronic solution. In the numerical system simulations, the feedwater flow rate to the secondary of the HCSGs is adjusted to extract the demanded power from the primary loop. This varies the coolant temperature at the inlet of the SBF core, which governs the passively autonomous power maneuvering due to the strongly negative coolant reactivity feedback. Here, we simulate a 100-50-100 load-follow operation with a 5%/minute power ramping speed to investigate the feasibility of the passively autonomous load-follow in a 450 MW_th SBF PWR. In addition, the passively autonomous frequency control operation is investigated. The various system models are coupled, and they are solved by an in-house Fortran-95 code. The results of this work demonstrate constant steam temperature in the secondary side and limited variation of the primary coolant temperature. Meanwhile, the variations of the core axial shape index and the core power peaking are sufficiently small.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 1995

Solid dispersions and inclusion complex were prepared for the enhancement of solubility and dissolution rate of poorly water-soluble ibuprofen(IPF) as a model drug. Polyethylene glycol 4000(PEG4000) and polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP) were used for the preparation of solid dispersion. $2-Hydroxypropyl-{\beta}-cyclodextrin(2-HP{\beta}CD)$ was also used for the preparation of inclusion complex. The solubility of IPF increased as the concentration of PEG4000, PVP and $2-HP{\beta}CD$ increased. Solubilization capacity of $2-HP{\beta}CD$ was increased about 10 times when compared to PEG 4000 and PVP. The dissolution rate of drug from solid dispersions and inclusion complex in the simulated gastric fluid was enhanced when compared to pure IPF and commercial $BR4^{\circledR}$ tablet as a result of improvement of solubility. In case of solid dispersions, dissolution rate of drug was proportional to polymer concentration in the formulation. The marked enhancement of dissolution rate of drug by inclusion complexation with $2-HP{\beta}CD$ was noted. However, dissolution rate of drug from solid dispersions and inclusion complex in the simulated intestinal fluid was not significant because IPF was readily soluble in that condition. From these findings, water-soluble polymers and cyclodextrin were useful to improve solubility and dissolution rate of poorly water-soluble drugs. However, easiness and reliability of preparation method, scale-up and cost of raw materials must be considered for the practical application of solid dispersion and inclusion complex in pharmaceutical industry.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.239-254
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• 2015

Little information on HUmic-Like Substances (HULIS) in ambient particulate matter has been reported yet in Korea. HULIS makes up a significant fraction of the water-soluble organic mass in the atmospheric aerosols and influence their water uptake properties. In this study 24-hr $PM_{2.5}$ samples were collected between December 2013 and October 2014 at an urban site in Gwangju and analyzed for organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), water-soluble OC (WSOC), HULIS, and ionic species, to investigate possible sources and formation processes of HULIS. HULIS was separated using solid phase extraction method and quantified by total organic carbon analyzer. During the study period, HULIS concentration ranged from 0.19 to $5.65{\mu}gC/m^3$ with an average of $1.83{\pm}1.22{\mu}gC/m^3$, accounting for on average 45% of the WSOC (12~ 73%), with higher in cold season than in warm season. Strong correlation of WSOC with HULIS ($R^2=0.91$) indicates their similar chemical characteristics. On the basis of the relationships between HULIS and a variety of chemical species (EC, $K^+$, $NO_3{^-}$, $SO_4{^{2-}}$, and oxalate), it was postulated that HULIS observed during summer and winter were likely attributed to secondary formation and primary emissions from biomass burning (BB) and traffics. Stronger correlation of HULIS with $K^+$, which is a BB tracer, in winter ($R^2=0.81$) than in summer ($R^2=0.66$), suggests more significant contribution of BB emissions in winter to the observed HULIS. It is interesting to note that BB emissions may also have an influence on the HULIS in summer, but further study using levoglucosan that is a unique organic marker of BB emissions is required during summer. Higher correlation between HULIS and oxalate, which is mainly formed through cloud processing and/or photochemical oxidation processes, was found in the summer ($R^2=0.76$) than in the winter ($R^2=0.63$), reflecting a high fraction of secondary organic aerosol in the summer.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.28-40
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• 2015

To investigate the seasonal variations of carbonaceous aerosol in Daejeon, OC (organic carbon), EC (elemental carbon) and WSOC (water soluble organic carbon) in $PM_{2.5}$ samples collected from March 2012 to February 2013 were analyzed. $PM_{2.5}$ concentrations were estimated by the sum of organic matter ($1.6{\times}OC$), EC, water-soluble ions ($Na^+$, $NH_4{^{+}}$, $K^+$, $Mg^{2+}$, $Ca^{2+}$, $Cl^-$, $SO_4{^{2-}}$, $NO_3{^{-}}$). The estimated $PM_{2.5}$ concentrations were relatively higher in winter ($29.50{\pm}12.04{\mu}g/m^3$) than those in summer ($13.72{\pm}6.92{\mu}g/m^3$). Carbonaceous aerosol ($1.6{\times}OC+EC$) was a significant portion (34~47%) of $PM_{2.5}$ in all season. The seasonally averaged OC and WSOC concentrations were relatively higher in winter ($6.57{\times}3.48{\mu}gC/m^3$ and $4.07{\pm}2.53{\mu}gC/m^3$ respectively), than those in summer ($3.07{\pm}0.8{\mu}gC/m^3$, $1.77{\pm}0.68{\mu}gC/m^3$, respectively). OC was correlated well with WSOC in all season, indicating that they have similar emission sources or formation processes. In summer, both OC and WSOC were weakly correlated with EC and also poorly correlated with a well-known biomass burning tracer, levoglucosan, while WSOC is highly correlated with SOC (secondary organic carbon) and $O_3$. The results suggest that carbonaceous aerosol in summer was highly influenced by secondary formation rather than primary emissions. In contrast, both OC and WSOC in winter were strongly correlated with EC and levoglucosan, indicating that carbonaceous aerosol in winter was closely related to primary source such as biomass burning. The contribution of biomass burning to $PM_{2.5}$ OC and EC, which was estimated using the levoglucosan to OC and EC ratios of potential biomass burning sources, was about $70{\pm}15%$ and $31{\pm}10%$, respectively, in winter. Results from this study clearly show that $PM_{2.5}$ OC has seasonally different chemical characteristics and origins.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.454-462
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• 2019

A conventional Korean meal typically includes various roasted, steamed, stir-fried, and braised foods. For this study, we investigated the contents of water soluble vitamins, $B_1$ (thiamin), $B_2$ (riboflavin) and $B_3$ (niacin) in various roasted, steamed, stir-fried, and braised foods. Method validation for analytical data in this study showed a high linearity ($r^2$>0.999), and the limit of detection and quantification were 0.001-0.067 and $0.002-0.203{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. For accuracy and precision, analytical values using standard reference materials were in the certified ranges. Roasted foods contained 0.039-1.057 mg/100 g of thiamin, 0.058-0.686 mg/100 g of riboflavin and 0.021-21.772 mg/100 g of niacin. Steamed foods contained 0.049-1.066 mg/100 g of thiamin, 0.025-0.548 mg/100 g of riboflavin and 0.134-21.509 mg/100 g of niacin. Stir-fried foods contained 0.114-0.388 mg/100 g of thiamin, 0.014-1.258 mg/100 g of riboflavin and 0.015-2.319 mg/100 g of niacin. Braised foods contained 0.112-1.656 mg/100 g of thiamin, 0.024-0.298 mg/100 g of riboflavin and 0.322-2.157 mg/100 g of niacin. The data on water-soluble vitamins in this study can be used for a nutritional database of conventional Korean meals.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.9
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• pp.1021-1026
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• 2015

Invertase (β-D-fructosfuranosidase, EC 3.2.1.26) catalyzes the hydrolysis of sucrose into D-glucose and D-fructose. Three biochemical subgroups of invertases have been investigated in plants: vacuolar (soluble acid), cytoplasmic (soluble alkaline), and cell wall-bound (insoluble acid) invertases. An isoform of neutral invertase was purified from pea seedlings (Pisum sativum L.) and treated with gibberellic acid (GA) by sequential procedures consisting of ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography, absorption chromatography, and reactive green-19 affinity chromatography. The results of the overall insoluble invertase purification were a 430-fold increase. The purified neutral invertase was not glycosylated and had an optimum pH between neutral and alkaline (pH 6.8-7.5). It was inhibited by Tris, as well as by heavy metals, such as Hg²⁺ and Cu²⁺. Typical Michaelis–Menten kinetics were observed when the activity of the purified invertase was measured, with sucrose concentrations up to 100 mM. The K_m and V_max values were 12.95 mM and 2.98 U/min, respectively. The molecular mass was around 20 kDa. The sucrose-cleaving enzyme activity of this enzyme is similar to that of sucrose synthase and fructosyltransferase, but its biochemical characteristics are different from those of sucrose synthase and fructosyltransferase. Based on this biochemical characterization and existing knowledge, neutral INV is an invertase isoform in plants.