• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.557-568
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• 2005

The aim of this study was to evaluate the resistance to degradation and to compare the wear resistance characteristics of four esthetic restorative materials in an alkaline solution(0.1N NaOH). The brands studied were MetafilCX(Sun medical, Japan) Solitaire 2(Heraeus Kulzer, USA), Composan LCM(Promedica, Germany), DenFil(Vericom, Korea). The results were as follows: 1. The mass loss of each brand was 0.74~7.94% and highest value in Metafil($7.94{\pm}0.39%$). 2. The sequence of the degree of degradation layer depth was in descending order by Metafil, Solitaire 2, DenFil, Composan LCM. There were significant differences between Metafil and the others(p<0.05). 3. The sequence of the Si loss was in descending order by Metafil, Solitaire 2, Composan LCM, DenFil. There were significant differences among the materials(p<0.05). 4. On SEM, destruction of bonding between matrix and filler and on CLSM, the depth of degradation layer of specimen surface was observed. 5. The sequence of maximum wear depth was in descending order by Metafil, Solitaire 2, Composan LCM and DenFil. There were significant differences among the materials(p<0.05). 6. The correlation coefficient between Si loss and degradation layer depth (r=0.491, p<0.05) and Vicker's hardness number and maximum wear depth (r=-0.942, p<0.05) were relatively high. These results indicate that hydrolytic degradation and wear may consider as a evaluation factors of composite resins.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.68-74
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• 2018

Cobalt-incorporated zeolitic imidazolate framework ZIF-8 was synthesized by a simple one-pot synthesis method at room temperature. Powder X-ray diffraction patterns and energy dispersive X-ray spectrum confirmed the formation of the bimetallic Co/Zn-ZIF structure. UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra revealed that the bimetallic ZIF had a lower HOMO-LUMO gap compared with ZIF-8 due to the charge transfer process from organic ligands to cobalt centers. A hydrolytic stability test showed that Co/Zn-ZIF is very robust in aqueous solution - the most important criterion for any material to be applied in photodegradation. The photocatalytic efficiency of the synthesized samples was investigated over the Indigo Carmine (IC) dye degradation under solar simulated irradiation. Cobalt incorporated ZIF-8 exhibited high efficiency over a wide range of pH and initial concentration. The degradation followed through three distinct stages: a slow initial stage, followed by an accelerated stage and completed with a decelerated stage. Moreover, the photocatalytic performance of the synthesized samples was highly improved in alkaline environment rather than in acidic or neutral environments, which may have been because in high pH medium, the increased concentration of hydroxyl ion facilitated the formation of hydroxyl radicals, a reactive species responsible for the breaking of the Indigo Carmine structure. Thus, Co/Zn-ZIF is a promising and green material for solving the environmental pollution caused by textile industries.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.32-40
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• 2009

To understand contribution of thermophilic microorganisms in decomposition of litter deposits on shore of lakes, we surveyed a lakeshore litter deposit for bacteria growing at $60^{\circ}C$. Ten thermophilic isolates were selected for in-depth characterization, based on their high capacity to degrade high molecular weight organic compounds. Based on phylogenetic analysis on their 16S rRNA gene sequences, all isolates were identified as Geobacillus. The optimal growth temperature and pH of the strains ranged $55{\sim}60^{\circ}C$ and 6.0${\sim}$8.0, respectively. Salinity was inhibitory to the growth of the isolates, showing marked decrease of growth rates at 3% salinity. Based on activities of hydrolytic enzymes and profiles of carbohydrate utilization (determined by API 50 CHB kit), three G. stearothermophilus strains showed patterns clearly distinctive from other isolates. Two G. kaustophilus strains also demonstrated distinctiveness in their metabolic pattern and ecological parameters. However, ecological and metabolic profiles of the other five isolates were more variable and showed some degree of digression from their phylogenetic classification. Therefore, it could be concluded that endospore-forming thermophilic bacteria in lakeshore litter deposits contribute to degradation of organic materials with diverse ecological niches while having successions similar to microbial flora in compost. We propose that the thermophilic isolates and/or their thermo-tolerant enzymes can be applied to industrial processes as appropriate mixtures.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.330-336
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• 2015

Photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) in aqueous solution was investigated using $TiO_2$ nanoparticles (Degussa P25) in this study. After a 3 hr photocatalytic reaction (${\lambda}=365nm$ and $I=3mW\;cm^{-2}$, $[TiO_2]=2.0g\;L^{-1}$), 98% of BPA ($1.0{\times}10^{-5}M$) was degraded and 89% of the total organic carbon was removed. In addition, BPA degradation by photolytic, hydrolytic and adsorption reactions was found to be 2%, 5% and 13%, respectively. The reaction rate of BPA degradation by photocatalysis decreased with increasing concentration of methanol that is used as a hydroxyl radical scavenger. This indicates that the reaction between BPA and hydroxyl radical was the key mechanism of BPA degradation. The pseudo-first-order reaction rate constant for this reaction was determined to be $7.94{\times}10^{-4}min^{-1}$, and the time for 90% BPA removal was found to be 25 min. In addition, acute toxicity testing using Daphnia magna neonates (< 24 h old) was carried out to evaluate the reduction of BPA toxicity. Acute toxicity (48 hr) to D. magna was decreased from 2.93 TU (toxic unit) to non-toxic after photocatalytic degradation of BPA for 3 hr. This suggests that there was no formation of toxic degradation products from BPA photocatalysis.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.129-138
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• 1999

Chlorinated aromatic compounds are one of the largest groups of environmental pollutants as a result of world-wide distribution by using them as herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, solvents, hydraulic and heat transfer fluids, plasticizers, and intermediates for chemical synthesis. Because of their toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulation, the compounds contaminated ubiquitously in the biosphere has attracted public concerns in terms of serious influences to wild lives and a human being, such as carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, and disturbance in endocrine systems. The biological recalcitrance of the compounds is caused by the number, type, and position of the chlorine substituents as well as by their aromatic structures. In general, the carbon-halogen bonds increase the recalcitrance by increasing electronegativity of the substituent, so that the dechlorination of the compounds is focused as an important mechanism for biodegradation of chlorinated aromatics, along with the cleavage of aromatic rings. The removal of the chlorine substituents has been known as a key step for degradation of chlorinated aromatic compounds under aerobic condition. This can occur as an initial step via oxygenolytic, reductive, and hydrolytic mechanisms. The studies on the biochemistry and genetics about microbial dechlorination give us the potential informations for microbial degradation of xenobiotics contaminated in natural microcosms. Such investigations might provide biotechnological approaches to solve the environmental contamination, such as designing effective bioremediation systems using genetically engineered microorganisms.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.195-200
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• 2005

Comamonas sp. strain DJ-12 is a bacterial isolate capable of degrading of 4-chlorobiphenyl (4CB) as a carbon and energy source. The degradation pathway was characterized as being conducted by consecutive reactions of the meta-degradation of 4CB, hydrolytic dechlorination of 4-chlorobenzoate (4CBA), hydroxylation of 4-hydroxybenzoate, and meta-degradation of protocatechuate to product TCA metabolites. The 6.8 kb fragment from the chromosomal DNA of Comamonas sp. strain DJ-12 included the genes encoding for the meta-degradation of PCA; the genes of protocatechuate 4,5-dioxygenase alpha and beta subunits (pmcA and pmcB), 4-carboxy-2-hydroxymuconate-6-semialdehyde dehydrogenase (pmcC), 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylate hydrolase (pmcD), 4-oxalomesaconate (OMA) hydratase(pmcE), 4-oxalocitramalate (OCM) aldolase (pmcF), and transporter gene (pmcT). They were organized in the order of pmcT-pmcE-pmcF-pmcD-pmcA-pmcB-pmcC. The amino acid sequences deduced from the nucleotide sequences of pmcABCDEFT genes from Comamonas sp. strain DJ-12 exhibited 94 to $98\%$ homologies with those of Comamonas testosteroni BR6020 and Pseudomonas ochraceae NGJ1, but only 52 to $74\%$ with homologies Sphingomonas paucimobilis SYK-6, Sphingomonas sp. LB126, and Arthrobacter keyseri 12B.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.547-552
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• 2010

Biodegradable polymers have gained enormous attentions in the pharmaceutical and biomedical applications, especially in drug delivery. In this work, we report the synthesis and characteristics of high molecular weight polyoxalate with ~75000 Da. Hydrolytic degradation kinetics and degradation products were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance and gel permeation chromatography. Polyoxalate is a semicrystalline and thermally stable polymer with a glass transition temperature of ${\sim}35^{\circ}C$, which is suitable for drug delivery applications. The hydrophobic nature of polyoxalate allows it to be formulated into nanoparticles and encapsulate drugs using a conventional oil-in-water emulsion/solvent displacement method. Polyoxalate nanoparticles also exhibited excellent cytotoxicity profiles. It can be suggested that polyoxalate has great potential for numerous biomedical and pharmaceutical applications.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.189-196
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• 1992

A $\alpha$-l, 4-D-glucan maltohydrolase $(\beta$-amylase), secreted by the mesophilic aerobic bacterium Bacillus polymyxa No.26, was purified and characterized. The enzyme production was increased after a logarithmic phase of bacterial growth and paralleled with the onset of bacterial sporulation. By applying anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration the enzyme was purified 16.7-fold and had a specific activity of 285.7 units/mg. Two enzyme activities were eluted on a column of DEAE-Sephadex chromatography, and they were designated as E-I for a major enzyme peak and E-II for a minor peak. Of them, E-I enzyme peak was further purified by using gel chromatography. The molecular mass of this enzyme was determined to be 64, 000 daltons and consisted of a single subunit, showing an isoelectric point of 8.9. The enzyme was able to attack specifically the $\alpha$-l, 4-glycosidic linkages in soluble starch and caused its complete hydrolysis to maltose and $\beta$-limited dextrin. This amylolytic enzyme displayed a temperature optimum at $45^\circ{C}$ and a pH optimum at 7.0. The amino acid composition of the purified enzyme was quite similar to the other bacterial $\beta$-amylases reported. Surprisingly, the purified enzyme from this aerobe only exhibited hydrolytic activity on soluble starch, not on starch granules. The degradation of from starch by $\beta$-amylase was greatly stimulated by pullulanase addition. These results differentiated from other $\beta$-amylases reported. Based on a previous result that showed the enzyme system involves in effective degradation of raw starch granules, this result strongly suggested that the purified enzyme (E-I) can be a synergistic part of starch granule-digestion and E-II plays a crucial role in digestion of starch granules.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.137-144
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• 1998

These studies were undertaken to investigate changes of major components occuring during germination of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) seeds, Changes of total lipid and protein contents, and fatty acid composition were determined. Also, the correponding values of various components in cotyledons, hypocotyls and roots were measured according to germination stage. The results were summarized as follows; During germination, total lipid and protein contents decreased. In particular, protein contents rapidly decreased to the 3 days after gemination(DAG), and then total lipid contents rapidly decreased. In changes of total lipid and protein of cotyledons, hypocotyles and roots detected at the 10, 15 and 20 DAG, some variations were determined. The contents of lipid and protein in hypocotyls rapidly decreased, but since than no changes were observed. In contract, in roots similar changes patterns were observed, while since 15 DAG a rapidly increase was wxamined. In fatty acid composition of total lipid ,saturatedmfatty acids such as palmitic acid increased during the germination. On the other hand, unsaturated fatty acid such as olic acid and linoleic acid decreased during the same periods. In changes of fatty acid composition of total lipid of cotyledons, hypocotlys and roots, saturated fatty acids such as palmitic acid and stearic acid increased during the germination. However, linoleic acid decreased during the same germination suggesting that this may be due to the rapid degradation. However, linoleic acid decreased during the same periods. According to SDS-PAGE analysis, there was no detectible polypeptide bands on the gel before seed germination suggesting that this may be due to the rapid degradation of the storage peotein in the mature seed by hydrolytic enzymes during the stag. As germination continued polypeptide bands, one with 40KD, two with 32∼34Kd and one with 24KD, were detected on the gel.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.1335-1341
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• 2008

The cell wall material from fruiting bodies of Laetporus sulphureus has been suggested as a new alternative to mutan for the mutanase induction in Trichoderma harzianum. Structural analyses revealed that the cell wall fraction from this polypore fungus contained 56.3% of (1$\rightarrow$3)-linked $\alpha$-glucans. When the strain T. harzianum F-340 was grown on a cell wall preparation from L. sulphureus, the maximal enzyme productivity obtained after 3 days of cultivation was 0.71 U/ml. This yield was about 1.8-fold higher than that achieved on mutan, known so far as the best, but expensive and inaccessible, inducer of mutanase production. Cell-wall-induced mutanase showed a high hydrolytic potential in reaction with a dextranase-pretreated mutan, where maximal degrees of saccharification and solubilization of this biopolymer (80% and 100%, respectively) were reached in 3 h at 45$^{\circ}C$. The mutanase preparation was also effective in degradation of streptococcal mutan and its removal from oral biofilms, especially in a mixture with dextranase.