• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.23.1-23.10
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• 2020

This study was conducted to evaluate the acute effects of waterborne cadmium exposure on bioaccumulation and antioxidant enzymes in eels (Anguilla japonica) and to determine the median lethal concentration (LC₅₀). Fish were exposed to different cadmium concentrations (0, 0.15, 0.30, 0.61, 1.83, 3.08, 3.67, 4.29, and 5.51 mg L^-1) for 96 h. The LC₅₀ of A. japonica to cadmium was 3.61 mg L^-1. Cadmium accumulation generally increased in tissues with increasing waterborne cadmium concentrations. At ≥ 1.83 mg L^-1 exposure, all tissues accumulated significant cadmium concentrations compared with the control group, in the order of kidney > liver > gill > spleen > muscle. Measurements of variation in actual cadmium concentrations showed that a reduction of the metal in experimental water was related to cadmium accumulation in tissues. As activity alteration of antioxidant enzymes for reactive oxygen species, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities increased at ≥ 0.61 mg L^-1 significantly, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase activities were not significantly changed. The results of this study suggest that acute exposure to waterborne cadmium is potentially fatal to A. japonica due to the metal's major accumulation in various tissues and the effect of antioxidant enzyme activity.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.437-441
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• 2007

Preparation and morphology control of $TiO_2$ nano powders for gas sensor applications are investigated. $TiO_2$ nanopowders with rutile and anatase structures were prepared by controlling the pH value of a precursor solution without any heat treatment. The mean particle size of $TiO_2$ powders were below 10nm. The prepared $TiO_2$ nano powders were hydrothermal treated by NaOH solution. The sample was washed in HCl solution. As a result and $TiO_2$ nanotubes were formed. The lengths of $TiO_2$ nanotube were $1{\mu}m$ and the diameters were 10nm. Crystal structure and microstructure of $TiO_2$ nanotube were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). As-prepared $TiO_2$ nanotube powders have several advantages of nano particle size and high surface area and could be a prominent candidate for nano-sensors. The sensitivity of $TiO_2$ nanotube sensor was measured for toluene and NO in this study.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.326-336
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• 2016

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is one of the most employed cell factories for the production of bioproducts. Although monomeric hexose sugars constitute the preferential carbon source, this yeast can grow on a wide variety of nitrogen sources that are catabolized through central nitrogen metabolism (CNM). To evaluate the effects of internal perturbations on nitrogen utilization, we characterized strains deleted or overexpressed in GLT1, encoding for one of the key enzymes of the CNM node, the glutamate synthase. These strains, together with the parental strain as control, have been cultivated in minimal medium formulated with ammonium sulfate, glutamate, or glutamine as nitrogen source. Growth kinetics, together with the determination of protein content, viability, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation at the single cell level, revealed that GLT1 modulations do not significantly influence the cellular physiology, whereas the nitrogen source does. As important exceptions, GLT1 deletion negatively affected the scavenging activity of glutamate against ROS accumulation, when cells were treated with H₂O₂, whereas Glt1p overproduction led to lower viability in glutamine medium. Overall, this confirms the robustness of the CNM node against internal perturbations, but, at the same time, highlights its plasticity in respect to the environment. Considering that side-stream protein-rich waste materials are emerging as substrates to be used in an integrated biorefinery, these results underline the importance of preliminarily evaluating the best nitrogen source not only for media formulation, but also for the overall economics of the process.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.3712-3719
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• 2011

Confined Pt and $CoFe_2O_4$ nanoparticles (NPs) in a mesoporous core/shell silica microsphere, Pt-$CoFe_2O_4$@meso-$SiO_2$, were prepared using a bi-functional linker molecule. A large number of Pt NPs in Pt-$CoFe_2O_4$@meso-$SiO_2$, ranging from 5 to 8 nm, are embedded into the shell and some of them are in close contact with $CoFe_2O_4$ NPs. The hydrogenation of cyclohexene over the Pt-$CoFe_2O_4$@meso-$SiO_2$ microsphere at $25^{\circ}C$ and 1 atm of $H_2$ yields cyclohexane as a major product. In addition, it gives oxygenated products. Control experiments with $^{18}O$-labelled water and acetone suggest that surface-bound oxygen atoms in $CoFe_2O_4$ are associated with the formation of the oxygenated products. This oxidation reaction is operative only if $CoFe_2O_4$ and Pt NPs are in close contact. The Pt-$CoFe_2O_4$@meso-$SiO_2$ catalyst is separated simply by a magnet, which can be re-used without affecting the catalytic efficiency.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.417-421
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• 2018

$TiO_2$ has excellent photocatalytic properties and several studies have reported the increase in its specific surface area. The structure of $TiO_2$ nanofibers indicates promising improved photocatalytic properties and these nanofibers can thus potentially be applied in air pollution sensors and pollutant removal filters. In this study, a $TiO_2$ nanofiber was fabricated by the electrospinning method. The fabrication processing factors such as the applied voltage, the distance between nozzle and collector, and the inflow rate of solution were controlled. The precursor was titanium (IV) isopropoxide and as-spun $TiO_2$ nanofibers were heated at $450^{\circ}C$ for 2 h to obtain an anatase crystalline structure. The microstructure was analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The anatase phase was observed in the $TiO_2$ nanofibers after heat treatment. The diameter of $TiO_2$ nanofibers increased with the flow rate, but decreased with decreasing applied voltage and nozzle to collector distance. The diameter of $TiO_2$ nanofibers was controlled in the range of 364 nm to 660 nm. These nanofibers are expected to be very useful in photocatalytic applications.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.129-137
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• 2020

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of the Ultrasonication-Assisted (UA) extraction on the functionality of the herbaceous biennial plant maca (Lepidium meyenii). The specific objectives include comparison of the antioxidant activities among various maca extracts, determination of the macamide B content of the extracts, and in vitro evaluation of maca on cell viability and creatine kinase (CK) activity. The antioxidant activities of the water, ethanol, and UA extracts were compared by determining the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activities, and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of the extracts. The macamide B content of maca extracts were analyzed by HPLC. The effects of the extracts on muscle cell viability and creatine kinase activity were also determined using C2C12 myoblasts. UA extraction significantly increased the total phenolic content (2.90 GAE ㎍/mg, p < 0.05), without affecting the flavonoid content. DPPH radical scavenging activity did not exhibit any statistical difference among the extracts. The ethanol and UA extracts exhibited significantly higher FRAP than the water extract (p < 0.05). The macamide B content of ethanol and UA extracts were 0.087 and 0.083 ㎍/mg, respectively. The water and UA extracts exhibited higher C2C12 muscle cell viability than the ethanol extract, and both extracts resulted in a significantly lower CK level than the H₂O₂-treated control group. This research suggests that the maca extract can protect muscle cells and serve as an antifatigue agent under oxidative stress conditions.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.196-203
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• 2023

We investigated the nutritional characteristics and antioxidant effects of sea mustard Undaria pinnatifida fractions from Gultongmeori in Taejongdae, Youngdo, Busan. Based on dry weight, the moisture, crude protein, crude lipid, crude ash, and crude fiber contents were 34.98%, 11.55%, 0.43%, 17.82%, and 3.45%, respectively. To evaluate the antioxidant effect, we used radical scavenging (DPPH and ABTS), reactive oxygen species (ROS) production measurement, and DNA oxidation assays. Total flavonoid and phenol contents were higher in the n-hexane fraction than in other fractions. The n-hexane fraction was more effective at scavenging free radicals than other fractions as assessed using DPPH and ABTS assays (P<0.05). The ROS production assay showed that all sea mustard fractions decreased H₂O₂ induced cellular ROS production compared to that seen in the control (P<0.05); however, the n-hexane fraction reduced cellular ROS production to a greater extent than the other fractions. Furthermore, the n-hexane fraction from Gultongmeori significantly inhibited genomic DNA oxidation. These results indicate that the antioxidant effect of sea mustard is associated with its high flavonoid and phenol content. This study proposes that processed food products supplemented with sea mustard can be developed as functional foods to promote health in the local population.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.357-366
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• 2022

Biochar can be obtained by using various types of biomass under an oxygen-limited condition. Biochar can be utilized for various applications such as soil improvement, waste management, growth promotion, and adsorption. Wood vinegar is produced by the process of pyrolysis wood biomass and is used as a growth promoter, for soil improvement, and as a feed additive. When wood vinegar is treated on soil, it acts to control soil pH, improve nutrient availability, and alleviate N₂O and NH₃ volatilization. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of biochar and wood vinegar on the growth of perilla and soil quality. The experiment was conducted by using a Wagner pot (1·5,000 a^-1) in a glass greenhouse. The biochar was produced by pyrolysis at 450℃ for 30 minutes using rice husk and rice straw. Wood vinegar was diluted to 1 : 500 (v·v^-1) and used in this experiement. In the results of a cultivation experiment, co-application of biochar and wood vinegar enhanced the growth of perilla. In particular, rice husk biochar affected the leaves of the perilla, and rice straw biochar influenced the stems of the perilla. In addition, soil quality after treatment with biochar and wood vinegar applied together was highest compared to other units. Therefore, it is anticipated that co-application of biochar and wood vinegar will be more productive and improve soil quality compared to individual utilization of biochar and wood vinegar.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.46-61
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• 2024

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: An increasing life expectancy in society has burdened healthcare systems substantially because of the rising prevalence of age-related metabolic diseases. This study compared the effects of animal protein hydrolysate (APH) and casein on metabolic diseases using aged mice. MATERIALS/METHODS: Eight-week-old and 50-week-old C57BL/6J mice were used as the non-aged (YC group) and aged controls (NC group), respectively. The aged mice were divided randomly into 3 groups (NC, low-APH [LP], and high-APH [HP] and fed each experimental diet for 12 weeks. In the LP and HP groups, casein in the AIN-93G diet was substituted with 16 kcal% and 24 kcal% APH, respectively. The mice were sacrificed when they were 63-week-old, and plasma and hepatic lipid, white adipose tissue weight, hepatic glucose, lipid, and antioxidant enzyme activities, immunohistochemistry staining, and mRNA expression related to the glucose metabolism on liver and muscle were analyzed. RESULTS: Supplementation of APH in aging mice resulted in a significant decrease in visceral fat (epididymal, perirenal, retroperitoneal, and mesenteric fat) compared to the negative control (NC) group. The intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test and area under the curve analysis revealed insulin resistance in the NC group, which was alleviated by APH supplementation. APH supplementation reduced hepatic gluconeogenesis and increased glucose utilization in the liver and muscle. Furthermore, APH supplementation improved hepatic steatosis by reducing the hepatic fatty acid and phosphatidate phosphatase activity while increasing the hepatic carnitine palmitoyltransferase activity. Furthermore, in the APH supplementation groups, the red blood cell (RBC) thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and hepatic H₂O₂ levels decreased, and the RBC glutathione, hepatic catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities increased. CONCLUSIONS: APH supplementation reduced visceral fat accumulation and alleviated obesity-related metabolic diseases, including insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis, in aged mice. Therefore, high-quality animal protein APH that reduces the molecular weight and enhances the protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score has potential as a dietary supplement for healthy aging.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.47-56
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• 2024

In this study, an empirical study was conducted to investigate the clean air delivery rate (CADR) and the proper particle cleaned air delivery per hour (PCH) of the air cleaning device installed in passenger car cabin. Changes in internal particle concentration were measured in the cabins of the pick-up type engine-driven car and the electric vehicle depending on cabin air filters, ventilation modes, and blower settings. In the tested cars, PM_2.5 collection efficiency of the HEPA filter was higher than that of the genuine filter. The PM_2.5 collection efficiency of each cabin air filter was measured to be similar regardless of the blower setting of the tested cars. This means that the higher the blower setting, the higher the CADR and the PCH. The infiltration rate varies depending on the air tightness of the car. The cabin was more contaminated with particles under driving. From the CADRs measured inside the passenger car cabin, the recirculation mode of HVAC system is a more effective for managing ultrafine particles than the fresh air mode. From a few assumptions, the proper PCH was derived about 0.8 times/min (48 times/h). From this result and several experiments, the proper operation setting of air cleaning device installed inside cars can be found out to control indoor air quality. Also, an appropriate operation settings of HVAC system can be found with considering cooling and heating conditions for thermal comfort in passenger car cabin.