• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.137-147
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• 2017

The identity of toxin producers remains only hypothesis unless there were identified by strain isolation and analytical confirmation of both the cyanotoxin production and the genetic identity of the monoculture. The purposes of this study were to identify a morphologic and phylogenetic classification in Aphanizomenon flos-aquae strains isolated from the Nakdong River and to investigate the potential ability of the strains to produce toxins such as saxitoxin and cylindrospermopsin using target genes. The 16S rRNA and sxtA, sxtI, cyrA, cyrJ genes were analyzed on two strains (DGUC001, DGUC003) isolated from the Nakdong River. Morphological features of the strains were observed a shape of aggregated trichomes in parallel fascicles which can reach up to macroscopic size and a hyaline terminal cell without aerotope. In addition, the 16S rRNA phylogenetic analyses showed that the strains were identified as the same species with high genetic similarity of 98.4% and grouped within a monospecific andsupported cluster I of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae selected from GenBank of the NCBI. The cyrA and cyrJ genes encoding for the cylindrospermopsin-biosynthesis were not detected in the present study. The sxtA gene was in detected both the two strains, whereas the sxtI gene which had been suggested as a suitable molecular marker to detect saxitoxin-producing cyanobacteria was not found both the strains. Thus, the two strains isolated from Nakdong River were identified as the same species of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae Ralfs ex Bornet et Flahault 1888, the two strains were confirmed as potential non-producing strains of the saxitoxin and cylindrospermopsin.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.95-102
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• 2005

The present study was performed to investigate the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and Proly1 endopeptidase (PEP) inhibitory activities of plant extracts. The whole extract of Fragaria yezoensis inhibited the DPPH radical by $90.4\%$ and the stem of Gingko biloba, Gardenia jasminoides for. grandiflora and Rhododendron yedoensa var. poukhanene, the loaves of Rhododendron mucronulatum var. ciliatum, Gardenia jasminoides for. grandiflora and Corylus sieboldiana var. mandshurice, the fruit of Cornus officinalis, and the root of Gingko biloba showed high DPPH radical scavenging activities. In the case of PEP inhibitory activities, high inhibition was observed in the whole Plant of Fragaria ananassa, Fragaria yezoensis and Hypericum erectum, the stem of Actinidia arguta and Rhododendron yedoensa var. poukhanese, the leaves of Rhododendron yedoensa var. poukhanense and Rosa davurica, the fruit of Cornus officinalis. and the root of Acer okamotoanum. There was significant correlation (P=0.000) between DPPH radical scavenging and prolyl endopeptidase inhibitory activities, thus some of plant extracts such as whole Fragaria yezoensis, fruit of Cornus officinalis had high activities in both DPPH-scavenging and prolyl endopeptidase inhibition. Therefore, it is required to examine the mechanical interaction between DPPH-scavenging and prolyl endopeptidase inhibitory activities and further studying plant extracts with both these activities is desired to develop agents for preventing and treating of Alzheimer's disease.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.942-952
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• 1998

The aim of this study was to evaluate spontaneous and LPS stimulated proinflammatory cytokines and chemokine release of alveolar macrophages in the patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and healthy individuals, as a control. Alveolar macrophages recovered from bronchoalveolar lavage fluids were cultured with or without LPS 0.1, 1, or 10 ${\mu}g/ml$ for 24 and 48 hours in 37C, 5% CO2. TNF-$\alpha$, IL-1$\beta$, IL-6 and IL-8 amount were evaluated using ELISA kit from the supernatants. There were a significant increase in the spontaneous 24 hours release of TNF-$\alpha$ and IL-6 from the involved segments of tuberculosis patients compared with uninvolved segments and normal control There were also increasing trends of release of them after LPS stimulation in involved segments, but not significant. IL-1$\beta$ and IL-8 were not evaluated from the involved segments of tubeculosis and there were not significant differences of them between uninvolved segments of tuberculosis and normal control. It is concluded that cytokine release of alveolar macrophages in the pulmonary tuberculosis was markedly increased, and it was localized to the alveolar macrophages from the involved segments.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.32-40
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• 2014

Methane oxidation and the production potentials of ground soil (soil A) and garden soil (soil B, C, & D) in an urban school were evaluated, and the methanotrophic and methanogen communities in the soil samples were quantified using quantitative realtime PCR. The methanotrophic community in the raw soil A sample possessed a $6.1{\times}10^3$ gene copy number/g dry weight soil, whereas those in the raw soils B~D samples were $1.6-1.9{\times}10^5$ gene copy numbers/g dry weight soil. Serum bottles added with the soil samples were enriched with methane gas, and then evaluated for their methane oxidation potential. The soil A sample had a longer induction phase for methane oxidation than the other soils. However, soil A showed a similar methane oxidation potential with soils B~D after the induction phase. The methanotrophic community in the enriched soil A sample was increased by up to $2.3{\times}10^7$ gene copy numbers/g dry weight soil, which had no significantly difference compared with those in soils B~D ($1.2-2.8{\times}10^8$ gene copy numbers/g dry weight soil). Methane production showed a similar tendency to methane oxidation. The methanogens community in raw soil A ($1.7{\times}10^5$ gene copy number/g dry weight soil) was much less than those in raw soils B~D ($1.3-3.4{\times}10^7$ gene copy numbers/g dry weight soil). However, after methane gas was produced by adding starch to the soils, soil samples A~D showed $10^7$ gene copy numbers/g dry weight soil in methanogens communities. The results indicate that methanotrophic and methanogenic bacteria have coexisted in this urban school's soils. Moreover, under appropriate conditions for methane oxidation and production, methanotrophic bacteria and methanogens are increased and they have the potential for methane oxidation and production.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.247-252
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• 1998

To obtain the basic information for suitable use of soybean-Bradyrhizobium japonicum symbiosis, on soybean cv. Danweonkong and Namhaekong the symbiotic potential of B. japonicum indigenous to plain upland (PU), plain paddy(PP), and mountainous upland(MU) soils in southern part of Korea were surveyed and discussed. Populations of B. japonicum in soils were the highest in MU soils with $5.7{\times}10^4\;cells/g.soil$ followed by PU with $5.0{\times}10^4$ and PP soils with $4.0{\times}10^3\;cells/g.soil$. Shoot dry weight at flowering stage and grain yields at harvesting stage, which mutually showed an high correlation $(P{\leqq}0.001)$, were high in the order of PU > MU > PP soil inocula. Amongst PU soils, Namhae acid Seonsan soils were prominent inocula for shoot dry weight and Kimhae for grain yields at P 0.05, respectively. In cases of nodule number and nodule mass surveyed at the flowering stage, shoot dry weight gave an higher correlation with the latter $(r=0.439^*)$ than the former $(r=0.383^*);$ grain yields with the former $(r=0.505^{**})$ that flue latter $(r=0.449^{**})$. In comparison with Namhaekong showed 1.7 and 1.4 fold higher values in shoot dry weight and grain yields per nodule mass, respectively.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.322-329
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• 2017

Two pilot-scale biocovers (PBCs) were installed in a landfill, and the methane ($CH_4$) concentrations at their inlets and outlets were monitored for 240 days to evaluate the methane removability. Consequently, the packing materials were sampled from the PBCs, and their potential $CH_4$ oxidizing abilities were evaluated in serum vials. The $CH_4$ concentration at the inlet of the biocovers was observed to be in the range of 23.7-47.9% (average = 41.3%, median = 42.6%). In PBC1, where a mixture of soil, earthworm cast, and compost (7:2:1, v/v) was employed as the packing material, the $CH_4$ removal efficiency was evaluated to be between 60.7-85.5%. In PBC2, which was filled with a mixture of soil, earthworm cast, perlite, and compost (4:2:3:1, v/v), the removal efficiency was evaluated to be between 29.2-78.5%. Although the packing materials had an excellent $CH_4$ oxidizing potential (average oxidation rate for $CH_4=180-199{\mu}g\;CH_4{\cdot}g\;packing\;material^{-1}{\cdot}h^{-1}$), $CH_4$ removal efficiency in PBC1 and PBC2 decreased to the range of 0-30% once the packing materials in the PBCs were clogged and channeled. Furthermore, seasonal effects exhibited no significant differences in the $CH_4$ removal efficiency of the biocovers. The results of this study can be used to design and operate real-scale biocovers in landfills to mitigate $CH_4$ buildup.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.136-143
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• 2006

The study was carried out to evaluate odor emission during storage time and quality of liquid slurry fertilizer along with three storage container types installed at farmer's fields in Cheorwon. Liquid slurry manure stored in the liquid-circulated or the air-injected tank was very homogeneous in concentration of nutritional elements because of well mixing operation, while nutritional concentration of the manure stored in the non-treated tank was significantly different from top to bottom in the tank, which may bring about partially irregular growth of plant after its application. The potential capacity of offensive odor emitted from liquid slurry manure stored in the liquid-circulated or the air-injected tank was much lower than that emitted from manure stored in the non-treated tank. Low potential capacity may less emit offensive odor after application of piggery liquid slurry on the field. The efficiency in oder to reduce odor emission from liquid manure was slightly higher in the liquid-circulated tank than the air-injected tank

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.13-21
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• 2008

Partitioning tracer method is a useful tool to characterize large domains of the aquifers contaminated with light nonaqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs). Sorption of the partitioning tracers to the organic matter content of soil can potentially influence the efficacy of partitioning tracer method. LNAPL-water partitioning coefficients of tracers ($K_{nw}$), measured by static method, showed linear relationship. Sorption isotherm tests were conducted to evaluate the sorption capacity of the soils packed in the columns and the results were appropriately represented by Freundlich sorption isotherm. The sorption of tracers proportionally increased with the increase of the organic matter content of the soil. Laboratory experiments were conducted in four columns each packed with soils of different organic matter contents to determine the potential interference effects of sorption to soil organic matter content and correction factors for the errors in estimation of LNAPLs by partitioning tracer method. Though there were no contaminants added, breakthrough curves from columns packed with mixture of Jumunjin standard sand and organic matter showed separation of tracers. Columns were then contaminated to residual saturation with kerosene and breakthrough curves were obtained. The results show that sorption of tracers to soil organic matter leads to an increase in the retardation factor (R) and hence, to an overestimation of the saturation of LNAPLs. A relation between the percentage of organic matter content and the corresponding percentage error in the estimation of NAPLs has been developed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.1552-1559
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• 2004

In order to evaluate the potential utilization value as a novel probiotic strain, the immunopotentiating activities of the cellular components from Lactobacillus brevis FSB-1 were examined. L. brevis FSB-1 isolated from kimchi were fractionated into the whole cell, cell wall, cytosol and extracellular preparation, and each fraction was examined on intestinal immune system modulating activity in vitro. The cell wall and cytosol preparation showed the relatively high bone marrow cell proliferating activity through Peyer's patch cell in a dose-dependent manner. But these preparations did not directly stimulate the bone marrow cell proliferation. The whole cell, cell wall and cytosol preparation also induced considerable levels of macrophage activation and mitogenicity of murine splenocytes in vitro. The anti-complementary activity (ITCH_(50)) of the cytosol fraction of L. brevis FSB-1 was the most potent in the cellular components, and the activity showed dose dependency. The complement activation by the cytosol fraction of L. brevis FSB-1 occurs via both alternative and classical pathways, which confirmed by the crossed immunoelectrophoresis using anti-human C3.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.83-89
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• 2013

A bacterium, isolated from a vegetable field in a plastic film house and named strain CY6 was capable of biodegrading chlorpyrifos (CP). Based on the phenotypic features and the phylogenetic similarity of 16S rRNA gene sequences, strain CY6 was identified as a Naxibacter sp.. CP was utilized as the sole source of carbon and phosphorus by Naxibacter sp. CY6. We examined the role of this Naxibacter sp. in the degradation of other OP insecticides under liquid cultures. Parathion, methyl parathion, diazinon, cadusafos, and ethoprop could also be degraded by Naxibacter sp. CY6 when they are provided as the sole sources of carbon and phosphorus. Additionally, Naxibacter sp. CY6 ($10^8$ CFU/g) added to soil with CP (100 mg/kg) resulted in a higher degradation rate of approximately 90% than the rate obtained from uninoculated soils. These results highlight the potential of this bacterium to be used in the cleanup of contaminated pesticide soil.