• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.358-363
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• 2011

This study investigated the characteristics of natural organic matter(NOM) with tXAD resin and FT-IR in the Yeongsan river system of Gwangju region. NOM fractionation by XAD 8/4 resins was used to classify hydrophobic and hydrophilic substances. FTIR was applied to classify functional groups in the structure of NOM. In the XAD investigation, most of the four site-samples were mainly hydrophilic substances. In March, hydrophobic substances were dominant in the Gwangju 1 site (GJ-1), while hydrophilic substances were dominant for the other sites. In May, samples of all four sites were hydrophilic with a vigorous activity of microorganism due to increasing temperatures. The October results were very similar with those from March. In the FT-IR investigation, most of the broad and large peaks were assigned to the aliphatic group, particularly the OH group, C-H, $C-H_2$, $C-H_3$, and C-O alcohol group. All were related to hydrophilic substances. Other peaks showed the aromatic group, particularly the C=O (Ketone) Group. As a result, there is an identification of NOM in the Yeongsan river system composing mainly of hydrophilic substances and functional groups (OH, C-H etc.) of the aliphatic compound.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.146-154
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• 2020

With the advantages of biocatalytic method, enzymes have been excavated for the synthesis of chiral amino acids by the reductive amination of ketones, offering a promising way of producing pharmaceutical intermediates. In this work, a robust phenylalanine dehydrogenase (PheDH) with wide substrate spectrum and high catalytic efficiency was constructed through rational design and active-site-targeted, site-specific mutagenesis by using the parent enzyme from Bacillus halodurans. Active sites with bonding substrate and amino acid residues surrounding the substrate binding pocket, 49L-50G-51G, 74M,77K, 122G-123T-124D-125M, 275N, 305L and 308V of the PheDH, were identified. Noticeably, the new mutant PheDH (E113D-N276L) showed approximately 6.06-fold increment of k_cat/Km in the oxidative deamination and more than 1.58-fold in the reductive amination compared to that of the wide type. Meanwhile, the PheDHs exhibit high capacity of accepting benzylic and aliphatic ketone substrates. The broad specificity, high catalytic efficiency and selectivity, along with excellent thermal stability, render these broad-spectrum enzymes ideal targets for further development with potential diagnostic reagent and pharmaceutical compounds applications.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.484-489
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• 2005

In order to determine the removal rate of non-biodegradable substances and the change of their structural properties, this study was carried out by an ozone-treatment experiment on leachate collected from the landfill area of D City in Chung chung nam-do and examined the change of the chemical properties of non-biodegradable substances. The main elements of non-biodegradable substances in landfill leachate were benzene, toluene, trichloroethane, trichloroethylene, xylene, etc. and the concentration of toluene was 15.7 mg/L on the average, benzene 7.2 mg/L, trichloroethane 1.1 mg/L, trichloroethylene 0.75 mg/L and xylene 0.5 mg/L. When leachate was treated with ozone for 10 min, 30 min and 60 min, UV absorbance was reduced with the increase of reaction time, and the reduction rate was 38.6% at 60 min. TOC was removed by 13.2% at 60 min. The low reduction rate of TOC may be because TOC reacts indirectly with OH radical produced from reaction with ozone while UV absorbance usually relies on direct reaction between organic matters and ozone molecules. Color was removed by up to 97%, which suggests that ozonation is highly effective in removing coloring elements in leachate. Sixteen kinds of non-biodegradable compounds were found in the leachate and most of them had the characteristic of aromatic hydrocarbon. Among them dibutyl phthalate was identical with a substance included in the list of US EPA, which is classified as a mutagen that may cause the mutation of genes and disorders in chromosomes. In addition, 2,5-Cyclohexadiene-1,4-dione, 1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid and butyl octyl ester were found to be similar to substances listed by USEPA. According to the result of analyzing structural changes before and after ozonation using GC-MS, cyclic compounds and aromatic compounds were observed in the original water and aliphatic compounds were newly observed after ozonation. In addition, through ozonation, humic substances of high molecular weight were oxidized and decomposed and produced low-molecular compounds such as aldehyde, ketone and carboxyl acid and highly biodegradable aliphatic carbon, which suggests the bio-degradability of non-biodegradable substances.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.156-172
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• 1999

Potential chemical hazards encountered in painting operation of four shipyards and a ship-repair shop were investigated through the material safety data sheets (MSDS). Material safety data sheets (MSDS) for 307 paints, 50 thinners and 34 binders were collected and reviewed. It was shown that various organic solvents such as aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons, ketones, alcohols, glycols, glycol ether acetates and esters were contained in painting materials. Of these solvents, xylene was found in the largest number of painting materials. sixty percent of the thinners contained xylene in the contents of 20-100%. Other most frequently found solvents were 1-methoxypropanol, 1-methoxypropyl acetate, n-butanol, methyl isobutyl ketone, toluene, isopropanol, and n-butyl acetate, etc. Glycol ethers such as 2-methoxyethanol (2-ME), 2-methoxyethyl acetate (2-MEA), 2-ethoxyethanol (2-EE), 2-ethoxyethyl acetate (2-EEA) and 2-butoxyethanol (2-BA) were regarded as having the potential to cause adverse reproductive effects, embryotoxic effect and hematotoxic effects, and were found in some epoxy panting materials. Coal tar pitch was included in some paints(13%) where polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) could be contaminated. Inorganic pigments such as lead chromate and zinc potassium chromate were found in some paints (8%). The epoxy resin based paints, which may contain isocyanates such as toluene diisocyanates and hexamethylene diisocyanates causing potential sensitization and asthma to upper respiratory organ, were mostly used in the shipyards. The constituents in the MSDS were significantly different from the results analyzed using gas chromatography/mass detector: minor constituents or impurities were omitted in many MSDS. In conclusion, xylene was the most frequent organic solvent in painting materials, and glycol ethers, including 2-ME, 2-MEA, 2-EE, 2-EEA and 2-BA, were found some products. Also, painting workers may be exposed to PAHs, lead, chromate, isocyanates, organic tin and other various chemicals. The compositions of chemicals in painting materials were variable significantly, and the hazards were changed. These facts should be considered in environmental monitoring and control of the hazards.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.245-253
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• 2012

Benzylinedeneacetone (BZA) is a bacterial metabolite which is synthesized by at least two entomopathogenic bacteria, namely Xenorhabdus nematophila and Photorhabdus temperata subsp. temperata. It has been shown to possess inhibitory effects on insect cellular and humoral immune responses as well as antimicrobial activities against various species of bacteria and fungi. However, its relatively high phytotoxicity, and nonsystematic effect have thus far prevented its development into an optimal pesticide. This study screened five different BZA derivatives in order to select an optimal compound, which would have relatively high solubility and low phytotoxicity while retaining sufficient degrees of the immunosuppressive and antimicrobial activities associated with BZA. Hydroxylation of the benzene ring of BZA was found to significantly suppress its immunosuppressive and antimicrobial activities. Transformation of the ketone of BZA by carboxylation also suppressed the inhibitory activities. However, a shortening of the aliphatic chain of BZA into acetate form (4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid: HPA) did not decrease the inhibitory activity. HPA also showed much less phytotoxicity against the hot pepper plant Capsicum annuum, when compared to BZA. This study identified an optimal BZA derivative, which exhibited relatively little phytotoxicity, but retained a high degree of inhibitory activity to suppress insect immune responses and antimicrobial activities against plant pathogens.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.176-187
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• 1988

Volatile flavor components in the Chinese quince fruits were trapped by simultaneous steam distillation-extraction method, and these were fractionated into the neutral, the basic, the phenolic and the acidic fraction. In the identification of carboxylic acids, the acidic fraction was methylated with diazomethane. Volatile flavor components in these fractions were analyzed by the high-resolution GC and GC-MS equipped with a fused silica capillary column. The total of one hundred and forty-five compounds from the steam volatile concentrate of the Chinese quince fruits were identified: they were 3 aliphatic hydrocarbons, 1 cyclic hydrocarbon, 4 aromatic hydrocarbons, 9 terpene hydrocarbons, 17 alcohols, 3 terpene alcohols, 6 phenols, 21 aldehydes, 7 ketones, 28 esters, 27 acids, 3 furans, 2 thiazoles, 2 acetals, 3 lactones and 9 miscellaneous ones. The greater part of the components except for carboxylic acids were identified from the neutral fraction. The neutral fraction gave a much higher yield than others and was assumed to be indispensable for the reproduction of the aroma of the Chinese quince fruits in a sensory evaluation. According to the results of the GC-sniff evaluation, 1-hexanal, cis-3-hexenal, trans-2-hexenal, 2-methyl-2-hepten-6-one, 1-hexanol, cis-3-hexenol, trans, trans-2, 4-hexadienal and trans-2-hexenol were considered to be the key compounds of grassy odor. On the other hand, esters seemed to be the main constituents of a fruity aroma in the Chinese quince fruits.