• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.381-390
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• 2015

Investigating the microstructure of hardened cement mixtures with the aid of advanced technology will help the concrete industry to develop appropriate binders for durable building materials. In this paper, morphological, mineralogical and thermogravimetric analyses of autoclave-cured mixtures incorporating ground dune sand and ground granulated blast furnace slag as partial cementing materials were investigated. The microstructure analyses of hydrated products were conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), differential thermal analysis (DTA), thermo-graphic analysis (TGA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The SEM and EDX results demonstrated the formation of thin plate-like calcium silicate hydrate plates and a compacted microstructure. The DTA and TGA analyses revealed that the calcium hydroxide generated from the hydration binder materials was consumed during the secondary pozzolanic reaction. Residual crystalline silica was observed from the XRD analysis of all of the blended mixtures, indicating the presence of excess silica. A good correlation was observed between the compressive strength of the blended mixtures and the CaO/$SiO_2$ ratio of the binder materials.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.9-14
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• 1999

Pseudomonas iodinum IFO 3558 adenosine deaminase(ADA) gene was cloned by the polymerase chain reaction and deduced the amino acid sequence of the enzyme. DNA sequence homology of Pseudomonas iodinum IFO 3558 ADA gene was compared to those of E. coli, human and mouse ADA genes. Unambiguous sequence from both strands of pM21 was obtained for the region believed to encode ADA. The sequence included a 804-nucleotide open reading frame, bounded on one end by sense primer and on the other end by two antisense primer. This open reading frame encodes a protein of 268 amino acids having a molecular weight of 29,448. The deduced amino acid sequence shows considerable similarity to those of E. coli, mouse and human ADA. Pseudomonas iodinum IFO 3558 nucleotide sequence shows 98.5% homology with that of the E. coli ADA sequence and 51.7% homology with that of the mouse ADA sequence and 52.5% homology with that of the human ADA sequence. The ADA protein sequence of Pseudomonas iodinum IFO 3558 shows 96.9% homology with that of the E. coli and 40.7% homology with that of the mouse and 41.8% homology with that of the human. The distance between two of the conserved elements, TVHAGE and SL(1)NTDDP has veen exactly conserved at 76 amino acids for all four ADAs. Two of the four conserved sequence elements shared among the four ADAs are also present in the yeast, rat, human (M), and Human(L) AMP deaminase. The SLSTDDP sequence differs only in the conservative substitution of a serine for an asparagine. A conserved cysteine with conserved spacing between these two regions is also found. Thus, sequence analysis of four ADAs and four AMP deaminases revealed the presence of a highly conserved sequence motif, SLN(S)TDDP, a conserved dipeptide, HA, and a conserved cysteine residue.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.167-175
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• 2011

Purpose: Periodontal ligament (PDL) cell differentiation into osteoblasts is important in bone formation. Bone formation is a complex biological process and involves several tightly regulated gene expression patterns of bone-related proteins. The expression patterns of bone related proteins are regulated in a temporal manner both in vivo and in vitro. The aim of this study was to observe the gene expression profile in PDL cell proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization in vitro. Methods: PDL cells were grown until confluence, which were then designated as day 0, and nodule formation was induced by the addition of 50 ${\mu}g$/mL ascorbic acid, 10 mM ${\beta}$-glycerophosphate, and 100 nM dexamethasone to the medium. The dishes were stained with Alizarin Red S on days 1, 7, 14, and 21. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed for the detection of various genes on days 0, 1, 7, 14, and 21. Results: On day 0 with a confluent monolayer, in the active proliferative stage, c-myc gene expression was observed at its maximal level. On day 7 with a multilayer, alkaline phosphatase, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2, and BMP-4 gene expression had increased and this was followed by maximal expression of osteocalcin on day 14 with the initiation of nodule mineralization. In relationship to apoptosis, c-fos gene expression peaked on day 21 and was characterized by the post-mineralization stage. Here, various genes were regulated in a temporal manner during PDL fibroblast proliferation, extracellular matrix maturation, and mineralization. The gene expression pattern was similar. Conclusions: We can speculate that the gene expression pattern occurs during PDL cell proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization. On the basis of these results, it might be possible to understand the various factors that influence PDL cell proliferation, extracellular matrix maturation, and mineralization with regard to gene expression patterns.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.363-368
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• 2006

In this study, native Byadyrhizobium strains were isolated from the host plant, Glycine max, harvested from fields in Madhya Pradesh, India, and were typed by Iytic rhizobiophages. Eight indigenous (Soy2, ASR011, ASR031, ASR032, MSR091, ISR050, ISR076 and ISR078) and two exotic strains (USDA123 and CB1809), all of which evidenced a distinct reaction with six phages, were employed in this study. The symbiotic interaction of these strains was studied initially using soybean cultivar JS335 in a sand culture in a controlled environment, and the efficiency was assessed based on the nodule number, nodule dry weight, plant dry weight, nitrogenase activity, and total accumulation of N per plant. Symbiotic effectiveness was found to be highest with the native phage-sensitive isolate ASR011, whereas it was at a minimum with the phage-resistant isolates, ISR050 and ISR078. Additionally, the effectiveness of these strains was evaluated using six soybean cultivars belonging to different maturity groups; namely, Brags, Lee, Pusa20, PK416, JS33S and NRC37. Analysis of variance data evidenced significant differences due to both symbionts, for the majority of the tested parameters. The CB1809, USDA123, and ASR011 strains evidenced relatively superior symbiotic effectiveness with soybean cultivars Brags, Lee and JS335. Strain ISR078 evidenced no significant responses with any of the cultivars. The ASR031 strain performed moderately well with all tested cultivars. The symbiotic response of all the strains was quite poor with cultivar PK416. Our studies showed that a significant relationship existed between the phage sensitivity and symbiotic efficiency of the bacterial strains with the host-cultivars.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.335-341
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• 2017

The complexity of the bacterial recombination system is a barrier for the construction of bacterial mutants for the further functional investigation of specific genes. Several protocols have been developed to inactivate genes from the genus Pseudomonas. Those protocols are complicated and time-consuming and mostly do not enable easy construction of multiple knock-ins/outs. The current study describes a single and double crossover-recombination system using an optimized vector-free allele-exchange protocol for gene disruption and gene replacement in a single species of the family Pseudomonadaceae. The protocol is based on self-ligation (circularization) for the DNA cassette which has been obtained by overlapping polymerase chain reaction (Fusion-PCR), and carries an antibiotic resistance cassette flanked by homologous internal regions of the target locus. To establish the reproducibility of the approach, three different chromosomal genes (ncRNA31, rpoN, rpoS) were knocked-out from the root-associative bacterium Pseudomonas stutzeri A1501. The results showed that the P. stutzeri A1501 mutants, which are free of any plasmid backbone, could be obtained via a single or double crossover recombination. In order to optimize this protocol, three key factors that were found to have great effect on the efficiency of the homologous recombination were further investigated. Moreover, the modified protocol does not require further cloning steps, and it enables the construction of multiple gene knock-in/out mutants sequentially. This work provides a simple and rapid mutagenesis strategy for genome editing in P. stutzeri, which may also be applicable for other gram-negative bacteria.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.382-388
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• 1989

The approximate rates and stoichiometry of the reaction of excess potassium tri-sec-butylborohydride ($K_s-Bu_3BH$) with selected organic compounds containing representative functional groups were determined under the standard conditions (0$^{\circ}C$, THF) in order to define the characteristics of the reagent for selective reductions. Primary alcohols evolve hydrogen in 1 h, but secondary and tertiary alcohols and amines are inert to this reagent. On the other hand, phenols and thiols evolve hydrogen rapidly. Aldehydes and ketones are reduced rapidly and quantitatively to the corresponding alcohols. Reduction of norcamphor gives 99.3% endo- and 0.7% exo-isomer of norboneols. The reagent rapidly reduces cinnamaldehyde to the cinamyl alcohol stage and shows no further uptake of hydride. p-Benzoquinone takes up one hydride rapidly with 0.32 equiv hydrogen evolution and anthraquinone is cleanly reduced to the 9,10-dihydoxyanthracene stage. Carboxylic acids liberate hydrogen rapidly and quantitatively, however further reduction does not occur. Anhydrides utilize 2 equiv of hydride and acyl chlorides are reduced to the corresponding alcohols rapidly. Lactones are reduced to the diol stage rapidly, whereas esters are reduced moderately (3-6 h). Terminal epoxides are rapidly reduced to the more substituted alcohols, but internal epoxides are reduced slowly. Primary and tertiary amides are inert to this reagent and nitriles are reduced very slowly. 1-Nitropropane evolves hydrogen rapidly without reduction and nitrobenzene is reduced to the azoxybenzene stage, whereas azobenzene and azoxybenzene are inert. Cyclohexanone oxime evolves hydrogen without reduction. Phenyl isocyanate utilizes 1 equiv of hydride to proceed to formanilide stage. Pyridine and quinoline are reduced slowly, however pyridine N-oxide takes up 1.5 equiv of hydride in 1 hr. Disulfides are rapidly reduced to the thiol stage, whereas sulfide, sulfoxide, sulfonic acid and sulfone are practically inert to this reagent. Primary alkyl bromide and iodide are reduced rapidly, but primary alkyl chloride, cyclohexyl bromide and cyclohexyl tosylate are reduced slowly.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.12
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• pp.935-949
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• 2022

Liver cancer has a high prevalence, with majority of the cases presenting as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The prognosis of metastatic HCC has hardly improved over the past decade, highlighting the necessity for liver cancer research. Studies have reported the ability of the KiSS1 gene to inhibit the growth or metastasis of liver cancer, but contradictory research results are also emerging. We, therefore, sought to investigate the effects of KiSS1 on growth and migration in human HCC cells. HepG2 human HCC cells were infected with lentivirus particles containing KiSS1. The overexpression of KiSS1 resulted in an increased proliferation rate of HCC cells. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunoblotting revealed increased Akt activity, and downregulation of the G1/S phase cell cycle inhibitors. A significant increase in tumor spheroid formation with upregulation of β-catenin and CD133 was also observed. KiSS1 overexpression promoted the migratory, invasive ability, and metastatic capacity of the hepatocarcinoma cell line, and these effects were associated with changes in the expressions of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT)- related genes such as E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and slug. KiSS1 overexpression also resulted in dramatically increased tumor growth in the xenograft mouse model, and upregulation of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Ki-67 in the HCC tumors. Furthermore, KiSS1 increased the angiogenic capacity by upregulation of the vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) and CD31. Based on these observations, we infer that KiSS1 not only induces HCC proliferation, but also increases the metastatic potential by increasing the migratory ability and angiogenic capacity.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.656-662
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• 2007

Fuel reformer using plasma and shift reactor for CO oxidation were designed and manufactured as $H_2$ supply device to operate a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). $H_2$ selectivity was increased by non-thermal plasma reformer using GlidArc discharge with Ni catalyst simultaneously. Shift reactor was consisted of steam generator, low temperature shifter, high temperature shifter and preferential oxidation reactor. Parametric screening studies of fuel reformer were conducted, in which there were the variations of the catalyst temperature, gas component ratio, total gas ratio and input power. and parametric screening studies of shift reactor were conducted, in which there were the variations of the air flow rate, stema flow rate and temperature. When the $O_2/C$ ratio was 0.64, total gas flow rate was 14.2 l/min, catalytic reactor temperature was $672^{\circ}C$ and input power 1.1 kJ/L, the production of $H_2$ was maximized 41.1%. And $CH_4$ conversion rate, $H_2$ yield and reformer energy density were 88.7%, 54% and 35.2% respectively. When the $O_2/C$ ratio was 0.3 in the PrOx reactor, steam flow ratio was 2.8 in the HTS, and temperature were 475, 314, 260, $235^{\circ}C$ in the HTS, LTS, PrOx, the conversion of CO was optimized conditions of shift reactor using simulated reformate gas. Preheat time of the reactor using plasma was 30 min, component of reformed gas from shift reactor were $H_2$ 38%, CO<10 ppm, $N_2$ 36%, $CO_2$ 21% and $CH_4$ 4%.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.7
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• pp.15-19
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• 1966

In order to investigate the stability of the major component of malathion E.C. product, dimethyl S-(1, 2-dicarboxyethoxyethyl) dithiophosphate, toward the quality of glasswares as container, the amount of extractable inorganic components, change of pH and decomposition of the major component of the product were examined during the storage in brown-colored bottles of 100 ml. volume from 3 different companies in comparison with that in a Pyrex flask. 1. Malathion E.C. product was put in three containers A,B and C, and any changes occurring in storage were analyzed at three intervals of 60, 120 and 240 days. 2. It was shown that the amounts of Si, Mg, K, Ca, and Na extracted during these periods of storage differed markedly depending on the qualify of container. Container A revealed ten times higher extraction of Na and Ca than container B and C in a 8-month period. 3. Three commercial containers revealed the shift of pH from 6.5 to alkaline reaction in the storage whereas the Pyrex flask did not show any detectable change. In particular, the pH in container A changed to 9.2 in 60 days and 9.9 in 240 days. 4. The decomposition of malathion was the greatest in container A which showed the decomposition of 7.37% in 240 days. On the other hand, 0.5% was decomposed in the Pyrex flask. 5. The decemposition of malathion had a high correlation with the change of pH of water· in the same container, $r^2$ being 0.899. From the above results, it is concluded that about 10% of malathion E.C. product is decomposed in a year due to the alkaline metallic salts extracted from the container when it is stored in glassware bottles of lower quality.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.80-86
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• 2017

In this study, nitrogen functional groups were introduced on graphite fiber (GF) to modify their electrical properties, and heating properties were investigated according to the treatment conditions. GF was prepared by a thermal solid-state reaction at $200^{\circ}C$ for 2 h. Surface properties of the nitrogen doped GF were examined by XPS, and its resistance and heating temperature were measured using a programmable electrometer and thermo-graphic camera, respectively. The XPS result showed that the nitrogen functional groups on the GF surface were increased with increasing of urea contents, and the heating property of the GF was also improved as nitrogen functional groups were introduced. The maximum heating temperature of GF treated by urea was $53.8^{\circ}C$ at 60 V, which showed 55% improved heating characteristics compared to that of non-treated GF. We ascribe this effect to introduced nitrogen functional groups on the GF surface by thermal solid-state reaction, which significantly affects the heating characteristics of GF.