• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.263-270
• /
• 2012

Two kinds of uranium species, oxidized uranium(VI) and reduced uranium(IV), were prepared to be interacted with goethite and montmorillonite to identify sorption characteristic of uranium species, which are very sensitive to the redox-reaction. The reduced uranium was prepared by diluting a substantial uranium(IV) that was concomitantly produced during a sulfate reduction via a sulfate-reducing bacterium. The sorption amount of uranium(IV) by the minerals was relatively lower than that of uranium(VI) because the aqueous uranium(IV) had fine colloidal forms to cause its weak adsorption onto the mineral surfaces. We found that the uranium(IV) phase has a nano-colloid character by the transmission electron microscope, suggesting that the uranium species possibly migrating with the flow of groundwater in underground environments can be the colloidal uranium(IV) as well as the ionic uranium(VI).

• The Journal of Natural Sciences
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.7-24
• /
• 2004

We found new type of thiol peroxidase, fused with GRX.(TPx-GRX) The TPx-GRX exists in pathogenic bacteria including -. This protein was homogeneously purified from the E.coli recombinant overexpressing TPx-GRX. In the presence of a thiol-containing electron donor such as DTT, the purified TPx-GRX has potent the antioxidant to prevent the inactivation of GS by the MCO system, which is comprised of DTT, $Fe^{3+}$, and $O^2$. The antioxidant activity is much higher that other thiol peroxidase. The investigate the peroxidase activity of TPx-GRX, we directly measured the peroxidase activity of TPx-GRX toward peroxides in terms of the removal of peroxides in the presence of GSH. This result demonstrates that the peroxidase activity of TPx-GRX. These taken together results suggest that TPx-GRX is a new member of thiol peroxidase. These observations also suggest that in the pathogenic bacteria, TPx-GRX plays an important antioxidative role as a multiple array defence mechanism against oxidative stress.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.64 no.1
• /
• pp.75-81
• /
• 2021

Recent gut microbiota studies have revealed the important roles of gut microbiota for our health. Increasing numbers of health functional foods have been developed every year. Development of functional food often includes ex- and in-vivo experiment to verify the beneficial effects of the functional food. To investigate effects of functional food on gut microbiota, animal models were often conducted. Beneficial effects of food can be evaluated based on how gut microbiota was shifted by food, which results in either increase in beneficial bacteria, decrease in potentially pathogenic bacteria or both. As animal experiments are generally time-consuming and laborious, we investigate how well in-vitro investigation of fecal microbiota may reflect dietary health benefits. Here, we tested 15 kinds of diets using two human subjects' fecal materials. Our results showed varying gut microbiota shifts according to diets, which suggested generally known beneficial diets (i.e. Kimchi, Chunggukjang) increased Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Therefore, we suggest that in vitro fecal microbiota analysis could be used to evaluate beneficial effects of diets. Moreover, this method may be ideal to establish personalized diet.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.51 no.6
• /
• pp.766-773
• /
• 2013

A transparent film was fabricated based on bacterial cellulose (BC), BC has excellent physical strength and stability at high temperature and it is an environmental friendly flexible material. In order to improve the conductivity, silver nanowire (AgNW) and/or graphene were introduced to the BC membrane. The aspect ratio of the AgNW synthesized in this study was 214, with a length of $15{\mu}m$ and width of 70 nm. The higher aspect ratio improved the conductivity by reducing the contact resistance. The thermal and electrical properties of 7 types of films prepared were investigated. Each film was fabricated with rectangular shape ($2mm{\times}2mm{\times}50{\mu}m$). The films were scored with a net shape by a knife, and filled with AgNW and graphene to bestow conductivity. The film filled with AgNW showed favorable electrical characteristics with a thickness of $350{\mu}m$, electron concentration of $1.53{\times}10^{19}$, electron mobility of $6.63{\times}10^5$, and resistivity of 0.28. The film filled with graphene had a thickness of $360{\mu}m$, electron concentration of $7.74{\times}10^{17}$, electron mobility of 0.17, and resistivity of 4.78. The transmittances at 550 nm were 98.1% and 80.9%, respectively. All the films were able to light LEDs bulbs although their brightness differed. A thermal stability test of the BC and PET films at $150{\pm}5^{\circ}C$ showed that the BC film was more stable, whereas the PET film was quickly banded. From these results, it was confirmed that there it is possible to fabricate new transparent conductivity films based on BC.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.191-195
• /
• 2011

The measurement and prediction of bacterial transport of bacteria in aquatic systems is of fundamental importance to a variety of fields such as groundwater bioremediation ascending urinary tract infection. The motility of pathogenic bacteria is, however, often missing when considering pathogen translocation prediction. Previously, it was reported that flagellated E. coli can translate upstream under low shear flow conditions. The upstream swimming of flagellated microorganisms depends on hydrodynamic interaction between cell body and surrounding fluid flow. In this study, we used a breathable microfluidic device to image swimming E. coli at a glass surface under low shear flow condition. The tendency of upstream swimming motion was expressed in terms of 'A' value in parabolic equation ($y=Ax^2+Bx+C$). It was observed that high shear flow rate increased the 'A' value as the shear force acting on bacterium increased. Shorter bacterium turned more tightly into the flow as they swim faster and experience less drag force. The result obtained in this study might be relevant in studying the fate and transport of bacterium under low shear flow environment such as irrigation pipe, water distribution system, and urethral catheter.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.31 no.12
• /
• pp.1105-1112
• /
• 2009

Antibiotics are biologically active substances and commonly used for therapeutic treatment of infectious disease in humans and for treating and protecting the health of animals. In recent years, antibiotics have attracted worldwide attention because of their side effects on the environment. Consequently, efforts have been made to monitor the residual of antibiotics in the environment. This study tested the mobility of tetracyclines and sulfonamides in soil and leachate through column experiments. The three tetracycline antibiotics showed higher mass recovery rates in all kinds of soils(28.00~44.11%) than in leachate(10.54~27.43%). This seems attributable to the high adsorption coefficient values($K_d$) of tetracyclines representing strong and active adsorbability to organic and mineral phases in soil, ending up relatively small amount being detected in surface water. By contrast, the sulfonamides(sulfamethazine and sulfathiazole) showed higher mass recovery rates in leachate(23.19~26.20%) compared to in soil(10.41~14.21%) due to lower adsorption coefficient values and higher mobility of sulfonamides, enabling easier movement to surface water through the runoff in the environment.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.41 no.spc
• /
• pp.21-26
• /
• 2008

The in situ incubation experiment was carried out using $^{13}C$ tracer to determine primary productivity and fatty acid production rate in the shallow, eutrophic Shingu reservoir on 4th July. Particulate organic matter (POM) accounted for 76% in suspended particulate matter (SPM), and average concentration of chlorophyll-${\alpha}$ was $89{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$ in the euphotic layer. Total amount of chlorophyll-${\alpha}$ (Chl-${alpha}$), primary productivity and Chl-${alpha}$ specific productivity in euphotic layer were 112 mg Chl-${alpha}m^{-2}$, 3.53 g C $m^{-2}\;d^{-1}$, 32mg C mg Chl-${\alpha}^{-1}\;d^{-1}$, respectively. The fatty acid composition in newly produced organic matter and suspended organic matter didn't show any significant difference, demonstrating that autochthonous organic matter should be a major source of POM pool. In addition, the fatty acids of bacterial origin were increased through extracellular release of newly photosynthesized DOC, and closely coupled with bacterial assimilation. This result suggests that organic carbon should be actively cycled through the microbial loop in Shingu reservoir in summer.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
• /
• v.4 no.4
• /
• pp.3-11
• /
• 2001

To know the seawater infiltration into tidal flat sediment in coastal area is very important, because it is significantly correlated with the infiltration and transportation of pollutants in soil, the supply of dissolved oxygen, nutrients and organic matter to benthic organisms for survival of benthic organisms and the seawater purification. So, we set up purpose to clarify the infiltration behavior of seawater by wave action in tidal flat, to clear the effects of slope of tidal flat and breaking wave height on seawater infiltration and to quantify the infiltration volume of seawater. For purpose, the seawater infiltration was studied with visualization method by using coloring tracer and transparent glass beads replaced as natural sediment in model tidal flat. Specific conclusions derived from this study are as follows. The semi-circular type infiltration of seawater by wave action into saturated sediment was a new infiltration behavior that was not considered in previous studies. The infiltration rate of seawater was increased with increasing of breaking wave height and slope of tidal flat. However, the effects of the slope was bigger than that of breaking wave height on seawater infiltration into tidal flat sediments. It was possible to calculate the infiltration volume of seawater by wave action in natural tidal flat sediment and in fields. Therefore, we can point out that wave action play an important role in the supply of dissolved oxygen, nutrients and organic matter to benthic organisms, transportation or diffusion of pollutants and seawater purification. So, we hope to be studied the supply of food to benthic organism, pollutant transport and seawater purification on the base of these results.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.34 no.7
• /
• pp.504-515
• /
• 2012

Groundwater is widely used as drinking water supplies around the world. However, microbial contamination of groundwater is a serious environmental problem that degrades drinking water quality and poses a great threat to human health. Among the pathogenic microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, and protozoa, viruses are not readily removed during transport through soils, having high mobility in groundwater environment due to their smaller size compared to bacteria and protozoa. Studies regarding the fate and transport of viruses in soils and aquifers are necessary to determine the vulnerability of groundwater to microbial contamination and to secure safe drinking water sources. Also, these studies provide important information to establish the regulations and policies related to public health. This review paper presented the field and laboratory studies conducted for the fate and transport of viruses in subsurface environments. Also, the paper provided the factors affecting the fate and transport of viruses, the characteristics of bacteriophages used for virus studies, and virus transport model/colloid filtration theory. Based on this review work, future researches should be performed actively to set up the viral protection zone for the protection of groundwater from viral contamination sources. Especially, the researches should be focused on the development of mathematical models to calculate the setback distance and travel time for the viral protection zone along with the accumulation of information related to the model parameters.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.107-114
• /
• 2017

To increase the bioavailability of Opuntia humifusa, O. humifusa was fermented using L. plantarum, and the characteristics of the fermented extract were confirmed. The characteristics of fermented extracts were investigated through viscosity, total polyphenol content, amino acid, antibacterial activity, cytokine analysis and zymography. The viscosity decreased by half and vitamin C remained almost unchanged during fermentation. Total polyphenols, most amino acids, total amino acids and major minerals were increased by fermentation. There was no cytotoxicity, and the activity of cytokines and MMP-9 in inflammation was inhibited. The inhibitory effect on inflammation and tissue destruction was found to be inhibited in L. plantarum fermentation extracts compared to hot water extracts. These results are expected to be the basis for the development of materials that enhance the functionality of L. plantarum-fermented O. humifusa extract.