• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.231-241
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• 1998

To assess biological indoor air quality in hospital, concentrations of viable airborne microbes were determined at intensive care unit(ICU), patient room (PR), outpatient waiting room(OPWR) in hospitals of large(1000 beds), middle(500 beds), small(100 beds) hospitals, respectively. Gram positive bacteria, gram negative bacteria, fungi were sampled using suctional sampling method by RCS sampler (Reuter centrifugal air sampler) and RCS GK-A agar plate. In gram positive bacteria groups, CNS(Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus), Micrococcus, Lactobacillus, S. aureus, Enterococcus, St. viridans identified. In gram negative bacteria groups, A. baumannii, Kl. peumoniae and E. coli were identified, and Penicillium was identified in fugi groups. Results of the study were as follows. 1. The highest concentrations of airborne microbes was $971CFU/m^3$ at 5:00 PM in small hospital patient room, and average concentrations of airborne microbes in large, middle and small hospitals were $282CFU/m^3$, $289CFU/m^3$ and $625CFU/m^3$, respectively. Average concentrations of airborne microbes in office(control) was $90CFU/m^3$. Thus, the small hospital showed the worst condition. 2. Representatives of 8 different genera were identified in 150 samples. The most frequently isolated organisms were Staphylococcus (73.0%), Micrococcus (20.7%) and Lactobacillus (4.7%), respectively. Pathogenic microbes isolated were A. baumannii, E. coli, Enterococcus, Kl. peumoniae, S. aureus, St. viridans and Penicillium as fungi. In office, no pathogenic microbes were identified. Average concentrations of airborne pathogenic microbes in large, middle and small hospital were $5CFU/m^3$ (2%), $11CFU/m^3$ (4%) and $12CFU/m^3$ (2%), respectively. Thus, condition in a large hospital was better than those in a middle and a small hospital.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.180-189
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Recent living condition improvements, changes in dietary habits, and reductions in physical activity are contributing to an increase in metabolic syndrome symptoms including diabetes and obesity. Through such societal developments, humankind is continuously exposed to metabolic diseases such as diabetes, and the number of the victims is increasing. This study investigated Cordyceps militaris water extract (CMW)-induced glucose uptake in HepG2 cells and the effect of CMW treatment on glucose metabolism. MATERIALS/METHODS: Colorimetric assay kits were used to determine the glucokinase (GK) and pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) activities, glucose uptake, and glycogen content. Either RT-PCR or western blot analysis was performed for quantitation of glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2), hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 alpha ($HNF-1{\alpha}$), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3k), protein kinase B (Akt), phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (pAMPK), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, GK, PDH, and glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta ($GSK-3{\beta}$) expression levels. The ${\alpha}-glucosidase$ inhibitory activities of acarbose and CMW were evaluated by absorbance measurement. RESULTS: CMW induced glucose uptake in HepG2 cells by increasing GLUT2 through $HNF-1{\alpha}$ expression stimulation. Glucose in the cells increased the CMW-induced phosphorylation of AMPK. In turn, glycolysis was stimulated, and glyconeogenesis was inhibited. Furthermore, by studying the mechanism of action of PI3k, Akt, and $GSK-3{\beta}$, and measuring glycogen content, the study confirmed that the glucose was stored in the liver as glycogen. Finally, CMW resulted in a higher level of ${\alpha}-glucosidase$ inhibitory activity than that from acarbose. CONCLUSION: CMW induced the uptake of glucose into HepG2 cells, as well, it induced metabolism of the absorbed glucose. It is concluded that CMW is a candidate or potential use in diabetes prevention and treatment.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.451-463
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• 2018

The empirical/statistical models to estimate the ground Particulate Matter ($PM_{2.5}$) concentration from Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) product were developed and analyzed for the period of 2015 in Seoul, South Korea. In the model construction of AOD-$PM_{2.5}$, two vertical correction methods using the planetary boundary layer height and the vertical ratio of aerosol, and humidity correction method using the hygroscopic growth factor were applied to respective models. The vertical correction for AOD and humidity correction for $PM_{2.5}$ concentration played an important role in improving accuracy of overall estimation. The multiple linear regression (MLR) models with additional meteorological factors (wind speed, visibility, and air temperature) affecting AOD and $PM_{2.5}$ relationships were constructed for the whole year and each season. As a result, determination coefficients of MLR models were significantly increased, compared to those of empirical models. In this study, we analyzed the seasonal, monthly and diurnal characteristics of AOD-$PM_{2.5}$model. when the MLR model is seasonally constructed, underestimation tendency in high $PM_{2.5}$ cases for the whole year were improved. The monthly and diurnal patterns of observed $PM_{2.5}$ and estimated $PM_{2.5}$ were similar. The results of this study, which estimates surface $PM_{2.5}$ concentration using geostationary satellite AOD, are expected to be applicable to the future GK-2A and GK-2B.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.35 no.5_2
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• pp.851-859
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• 2019

The COMS satellites take image of the Korean Peninsula every 15 minutes, but due to the limitations of the observational channels, they tend to underestimate when estimating rainfall. In this study, we developed satellite-based rainfall estimation technology using COMS and GPM that can be used in the heavy rain on the Korean Peninsula. The time resolution and spatial resolution of COMS satellites and GPM satellites were matched to improve accuracy using GPM IMERG data. As a result, it showed that the number of correlations with the ASOS observations was more than 0.7, enabling the estimation of rainfalls that are more accurate than the estimates of rainfall by COMS satellites. It is believed that the application of the subsequent satellite(GK-2A) will provide more accurate rainfall estimation information in the future. Therefore, we expect greater utilization in disaster management for the ungauged areas.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.40 no.12
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• pp.1675-1679
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• 2011

To improve the quality and palatability of Kochujang, the physicochemical properties, antioxidant capacity, and sensory evaluation of Kochujang were assessed when red ginseng and wild herbal extract were added during fermentation. This study investigated the antioxidant capacities of general Kochujang (GK) and Kochujang prepared with red ginseng and fermented wild herbal extract (RGK) by employing various in vitro antioxidant assays such as DPPH and FRAP assays. Inhibition of lioxygenase (LOX) activity was also investigated. RGK exhibited significant antioxidant effects compared to control in DPPH, FRAP, and LOX assays. The LOX inhibitory activity of RGK ($68.68{\pm}3.37%$) at 100 ${\mu}g$/mL was markedly higher than those of GK ($31.21{\pm}2.64%$) and NDGA (positive control, $30.54{\pm}1.36%$). All concentrations of RGK showed significantly higher FRAP activities than that of GK. The addition of red ginseng and fermented wild herbal extract exhibited better sensory characteristics in terms of color, flavor, taste and overall preference. We concluded that RGK improves not only functional properties but also sensory properties as well.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.287-294
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• 2008

Three amino acid residues (His119, Glu164, and Glu338) in the active site of Thermus caldophilus GK24 ${\beta}$-glycosidase (Tca ${\beta}$-glycosidase), a family 1 glycosyl hydrolase, were mutated by site-directed mutagenesis. To verify the key catalytic residues, Glu164 and Glu338 were changed to Gly and Gln, respectively. The E164G mutation resulted in drastic reductions of both ${\beta}$-galactosidase and ${\beta}$-glucosidase activities, and the E338Q mutation caused complete loss of activity, confirming that the two residues are essential for the reaction process of glycosidic linkage hydrolysis. To investigate the role of His119 in substrate binding and enzyme activity, the residue was substituted with Gly. The H119G mutant showed 53-fold reduced activity on 5mM p-nitrophenyl ${\beta}$-D-galactopyranoside, when compared with the wild type; however, both the wild-type and mutant enzymes showed similar activity on 5mM p-nitrophenyl ${\beta}$-D-glucopyranoside at $75^{\circ}C$. Kinetic analysis with p-nitrophenyl ${\beta}$-D-galactopyranoside revealed that the $k_{cat}$ value of the H119G mutant was 76.3-fold lower than that of the wild type, but the $K_m$ of the mutant was 15.3-fold higher than that of the wild type owing to the much lower affinity of the mutant. Thus, the catalytic efficiency $(k_{cat}/K_m)$ of the mutant decreased to 0.08% to that of the wild type. The $k_{cat}$ value of the H119G mutant for p-nitrophenyl ${\beta}$-D-glucopyranoside was 5.l-fold higher than that of the wild type, but the catalytic efficiency of the mutant was 2.5% of that of the wild type. The H119G mutation gave rise to changes in optima pH (from 5.5-6.5 to 5.5) and temperature (from $90^{\circ}C\;to\;80-85^{\circ}C$). This difference of temperature optima originated in the decrease of H119G's thermostability. These results indicate that His119 is a crucial residue in ${\beta}$-galactosidase and ${\beta}$-glucosidase activities and also influences the enzyme's substrate binding affinity and thermostability.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.8
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• pp.2935-2940
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• 2023

A polystyrene phantom was developed following the guidance of the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) for gamma knife (GK) quality assurance. Its performance was assessed by measuring the absorbed dose rate to water and dose distributions. The phantom was made of polystyrene, which has an electron density (1.0156) similar to that of water. The phantom included one outer phantom and four inner phantoms. Two inner phantoms held PTW T31010 and Exradin A16 ion chambers. One inner phantom held a film in the XY plane of the Leksell coordinate system, and another inner phantom held a film in the YZ or ZX planes. The absorbed dose rate to water and beam profiles of the machine-specific reference (msr) field, namely, the 16 mm collimator field of a GK Perfexion^TM or Icon^TM, were measured at seven GK sites. The measured results were compared to those of an IAEA-recommended solid water (SW) phantom. The radius of the polystyrene phantom was determined to be 7.88 cm by converting the electron density of the plastic, considering a water depth of 8 g/cm². The absorbed dose rates to water measured in both phantoms differed from the treatment planning program by less than 1.1%. Before msr correction, the PTW T31010 dose rates (PTW Freiberg GmbH, New York, NY, USA) in the polystyrene phantom were 0.70 (0.29)% higher on average than those in the SW phantom. The Exradin A16 (Standard Imaging, Middleton, WI, USA) dose rates were 0.76 (0.32)% higher in the polystyrene phantom. After msr correction factors were applied, there were no statistically significant differences in the A16 dose rates measured in the two phantoms; however, the T31010 dose rates were 0.72 (0.29)% higher in the polystyrene phantom. When the full widths at half maximum and penumbras of the msr field were compared, no significant differences between the two phantoms were observed, except for the penumbra in the Y-axis. However, the difference in the penumbra was smaller than variations among different sites. A polystyrene phantom developed for gamma knife dosimetry showed dosimetric performance comparable to that of a commercial SW phantom. In addition to its cost effectiveness, the polystyrene phantom removes air space around the detector. Additional simulations of the msr correction factors of the polystyrene phantom should be performed.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.471-475
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• 1990

A thermostable adenylate kinase isolated from the sonic extracts of Thermus caldophilus cells revealed higher substrate-specificity to the nucleoside monophosphate than to the nucleoside triphosphate. A $P', P^5$-di(adenosine-5') pentaphosphate was acted as a competitive inhibitor to the various substrates. Various divalent cations were activated the enzyme activity following orders: $Mg^{2+}, Ca^{2+}, Mn^{2+}, Ba^[2+}, $ and $Fe^{2+}$-. The enzyme activity was not affected by the sulfurhydryl reagent, p-chloromeric uribenzoic acid and activated by addition of the sodium chloride or phosphoenol pyruvate to the reaction mixture.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.473-478
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• 2012

The nutritional properties of the Kochujang were investigated with Fermented Extract of Hizikia fusiforme. No big differences in proximate compositions(moisture, Crude protein, Crude fat, and Crude ash, Carbohyrate) were observed between Two kinds of kochujangs tested in this study, general kochujang purchased from a market(GK), kochujang added with Fermented Extract of Hizikia fusiforme(FGK). However, FGK showed higher level of Total free amino acid(15,929.5 ng/mg), amino nitrogen(1715.88 mg%) and mineral contens than GK. the analysis of volatile compounds using GC/MS revealde than the fermentation dramatically removed off-flavors such as Acetaldehyde, Silane rimethyl(2-methylphenyl)-, 1H-Indole 2-phenyl-1-(trimethylsilyl) in Fermented Extract of Hizikia fusiforme(FGK).

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.93-101
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• 2022

Objectives: This study aimed to observe the anti-diabetic effect and underlying mechanisms of Galgunhwanggumhwangryun-tang (GHH; Gegen-Qinlian-decoction) in the C2C12 myotubes. Methods: GHH (1.0 mg/ml) or metformin (0.75 mM) or insulin (100 nM) were treated in C2C12 myotubes after 4 days differentiation. The glucose uptake was assessed by 2-[N-(7-160 nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)amino]-2-deoxy-d-glucose uptake by C2C12 cells. The expression of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and phosphorylation AMPK (pAMPK) were measured by western blot. We also evaluated gene expression of glucose transporter type 4 (Slc2a4, formerly known as GLUT4), glucokinase (Gk), carnitine palmitoyltransferase IA (Cpt1a), nuclear respiratory factors 1 (Nrf1), mitochondrial transcription factor A (Tfam), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (Ppargc1a) by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: GHH promoted glucose uptake in C2C12 myotubes. The expression of AMPK protein, which plays an essential role in glucose metabolism, was increased by treatment with GHH. GHH treatment tended to increase gene expression of Slc2a4, Gk, and Nrf1 but was not statistically significant. However, GHH significantly improved Tfam and Ppargc1a gene expression in C2C12 myotubes. Conclusions: In summary, GHH treatment promoted glucose uptake in C2C12 myotubes. We suggest that these effects are associated with increased gene expression involved in mitochondrial biosynthesis and oxidative phosphorylation, such as Tfam and Ppargc1a, and increased expression of AMPK protein.