• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.602-608
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• 2010

An atrazine-degrading bacterium, strain KU001, was obtained from a sugarcane field at the Cane and Sugar Research and Development Center at the Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen Campus, Thailand. Strain KU001 had a rod-to-coccus morphological cycle during growth. Biolog carbon source analysis indicated that the isolated bacterium was Arthrobacter histidinolovorans. Sequence analysis of the PCR product indicated that the 16S rRNA gene in strain KU001 was 99% identical to the same region in Arthrobacter sp. The atrazine degradation pathway in strain KU001 consisted of the catabolic genes trzN, atzB, and atzC. Strain KU001 was able to use atrazine as a sole nitrogen source for growth, and surprisingly, atrazine degradation was not inhibited in cells grown on ammonium, nitrate, or urea, as compared with cells cultivated on growth-limiting nitrogen sources. During the atrazine degradation process, the supplementation of nitrate completely inhibited atrazine degradation activity in strain KU001, whereas ammonium and urea had no effect on atrazine degradation activity. The addition of strain KU001 to sterile or nonsterile soils resulted in the disappearance of atrazine at a rate that was 4- to 5-fold more than that achieved by the indigenous microbial community. The addition of citrate to soils resulted in enhanced atrazine degradation, where 80% of atrazine disappeared within one day following nutrient supplementation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.1147-1155
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• 2018

The degradation efficiency and catabolism pathways of the different methylxanthines (MXs) in isolated caffeine-tolerant strain Pseudomonas putida CT25 were comprehensively studied. The results showed that the degradation efficiency of various MXs varied with the number and position of the methyl groups on the molecule (i.e., xanthine > 7-methylxanthine ${\approx}$ theobromine > caffeine > theophylline > 1-methylxanthine). Multiple MX catabolism pathways coexisted in strain CT25, and a different pathway would be triggered by various MXs. Demethylation dominated in the degradation of N-7-methylated MXs (such as 7-methylxanthine, theobromine, and caffeine), where C-8 oxidation was the major pathway in the catabolism of 1-methylxanthine, whereas demethylation and C-8 oxidation are likely both involved in the degradation of theophylline. Enzymes responsible for MX degradation were located inside the cell. Both cell culture and cell-free enzyme assays revealed that N-1 demethylation might be a rate-limiting step for the catabolism of the MXs. Surprisingly, accumulation of uric acid was observed in a cell-free reaction system, which might be attributed to the lack of activity of uricase, a cytochrome c-coupled membrane integral enzyme.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.394-402
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• 2014

High-voltage dielectric discharges are an emerging technique in environmental pollutant degradation, which are characterized by the production of hydroxyl radicals as the primary degradation species. The initiation and propagation of the electrical discharges depends on several physical, chemical, and electrical parameters such as 1st and 2nd voltage of power, gas supply, conductivity and pH. These parameters also influence the physical and chemical characteristics of the discharges, including the production of reactive species such as OH, $H_2O_2$ and $O_3$. The experimental results showed that the optimum 1st voltage and oxygen flow rate for RNO (N-Dimethyl-4-nitrosoaniline, indicator of the generation of OH radical) degradation were 160 V (2nd voltage of is 15 kV) and 4 L/min, respectively. As the 2nd voltage (4 kV to 15 kV) was increase, RNO degradation was increased and, generated $H_2O_2$ and $O_3$ concentration were increased. The conductivity of the solution was not influencing the RNO degradation, $H_2O_2$ and $O_3$ generation. The pH effect on RNO degradation was not high. However, the lower pH and the conductivity, the higher $H_2O_2$ and $O_3$ generation were observed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.1440-1445
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• 2010

Rhodococcus sp. JDC-11, capable of utilizing di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) as the sole source of carbon and energy, was isolated from sewage sludge and confirmed mainly based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The optimum pH, temperature, and agitation rate for DBP degradation by Rhodococcus sp. JDC-11 were 8.0, $30^{\circ}C$, and 175 rpm, respectively. In addition, low concentrations of glucose were found to inhibit the degradation of DBP, whereas high concentrations of glucose increased its degradation. Meanwhile, a substrate utilization test showed that JDC-11 was also able to utilize other phthalates. The major metabolites of DBP degradation were identified as monobutyl phthalate and phthalic acid by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, allowing speculation on the tentative metabolic pathway of DBP degradation by Rhodococcus sp. JDC-11. Using a set of new degenerate primers, a partial sequence of the 3,4-phthalate dioxygenase gene was obtained from JDC-11. Moreover, a sequence analysis revealed that the phthalate dioxygenase gene of JDC-11 was highly homologous to the large subunit of the phthalate dioxygenase from Rhodococcus coprophilus strain G9.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.345-350
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• 2007

During PEMFC operation, OCV(open circuit voltage) and low humidity conditions accelerate the degradation of perfluorosulfonic acid membrane. There have been no studies that clearly explain why these conditions accelerate the membrane degradation. In this study, the hydrogen permeability through the membrane, I-V polarization of MEA, fluoride emission rate(FER) and $H_2O_2$ concentration in condensed water were measured during cell operation under OCV and low relative humidity(RH). The experimental results were evaluated with oxygen radical mechanism the most commonly known for membrane degradation. It seems that low RH of anode is a good condition for $H{\cdot}$ radical formation on the Pt catalyst and the OCV condition accelerate the $H{\cdot}$ to form $HO_2{\cdot}$ radical attacking the polymer membrane.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.40 no.10
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• pp.888-893
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• 2016

In this study, the solution plasma process was utilized with the aim of degrading synthetic dyes in water at atmospheric pressure. The experiments were conducted in a batch-type reactor consisting of a symmetric wire-wire electrode configuration with rhodamine B (RhB) as the target synthetic dye. The effects of the plasma treatment time and initial dye concentration on the RhB degradation were investigated by monitoring the change in absorbance of RhB solutions. The RhB solutions turned lighter in color and finally colorless with prolonged plasma treatment time, indicating the destruction of dye molecules. The RhB solutions were found to have degraded, following the first-order kinetic process. However, for high initial RhB concentrations, another kinetic process or factor seems to play a dominant role at the initial degradation stage. The fitted first-order rate constant decreased as the initial concentration increased. This result suggests that the degradation behavior and kinetic process of the RhB solution strongly depends on its initial concentration. The RhB degradation is considered to be due to a combination of factors, including the formation of chemically oxidative species, as well as the emission of intense UV radiation and high-energy electrons from the plasma. We believe that the solution plasma process may prove to be an effective and environment-friendly method for the degradation or remediation of synthetic dye in wastewater.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.1-6
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• 2000

In order to elucidate the degradation of the herbicide dicamba, the degradabilities of dicamba under sunlight and in soils were investigated. The photodegradation rate of the authentic dicamba under sunlight condition was only 3.3% after 9 weeks. 4-Hydroxy dicamba turned out to be the major product, and 5-hydroxy dicamba was also identified. Dicamba was degraded to 3,6-dichlorosalicylic acid by demethylation in the viable soil, which resulted in 14.7 to 23.2% degradation of the applied amount during 8 weeks of incubation. Meanwhile, the degradation was quite slow in the sterilize soil, which revealed that the soil microbes played a major role in dicamba degradation.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.151-157
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• 2013

In this paper, a comparative analysis of PBTI induced device degradation in nanowire n-channel junctionless and inversion mode Multiple-Gate MOSFET(MuGFETs) has been performed. It has been observed that the threshold voltage is increased after PBTI stress and the threshold voltage variation of junctionless device is less significant than that of inversion mode device. However the degradation rate of junctionless device is less significant than that of inversion mode device. The activation energy of the device degradation is larger in inversion mode device than junctionless device. In order to analyze the more significant PBTI induced device degradation in inversion mode device than junctionless device, 3-dimensional device simulation has been performed. The electron concentration in inversion mode device is equal to the one in junctionless device but the electric field in inversion mode device is larger than junctionless device.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.325-330
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• 2021

Bi₂MoO₆ (BMO) via the structure-directing role of CO(NH₂)₂ is successfully prepared via a facile solvothermal route. The structure, morphology, and photocatalytic performance of the nanoflake BMO are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fluorescence spectrum analysis (PL), UV-vis spectroscopy (UV-vis) and electrochemical test. SEM images show that the size of nanoflake BMO is about 50 ~ 200 nm. PL and electrochemical analysis show that the nanoflake BMO has a lower recombination rate of photogenerated carriers than particle BMO. The photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) by nanoflake BMO under visible light is investigated. The results show that the nanoflake BMO-3 has the highest degradation efficiency under visible light, and the degradation efficiency reached 75 % within 120 min, attributed to the unique hierarchical structure, efficient carrier separation and sufficient free radicals to generate active center synergies. The photocatalytic reaction mechanism of TC degradation on the nanoflake BMO is proposed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.1076-1083
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• 2023

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) is a biodegradable and biocompatible bioplastic. Effective PHB degradation in nutrient-poor environments is required for industrial and practical applications of PHB. To screen for PHB-degrading strains, PHB double-layer plates were prepared and three new Bacillus infantis species with PHB-degrading ability were isolated from the soil. In addition, phaZ and bdhA of all isolated B. infantis were confirmed using a Bacillus sp. universal primer set and established polymerase chain reaction conditions. To evaluate the effective PHB degradation ability under nutrient-deficient conditions, PHB film degradation was performed in mineral medium, resulting in a PHB degradation rate of 98.71% for B. infantis PD3, which was confirmed in 5 d. Physical changes in the degraded PHB films were analyzed. The decrease in molecular weight due to biodegradation was confirmed using gel permeation chromatography and surface erosion of the PHB film was observed using scanning electron microscopy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on B. infantis showing its excellent PHB degradation ability and is expected to contribute to PHB commercialization and industrial composting.