• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.797-805
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• 2023

Species belonging to the Vernonia (Asteraceae), the largest genus in the tribe Vernonieae (consisting of about 1,000 species), are widely used in food and medicine. These plants are rich sources of bioactive sesquiterpene lactones and steroid saponins, likely including many as yet undiscovered chemical components. A phytochemical investigation resulted in the separation of three new stigmastane-type steroidal saponins (1 - 3), designated as vernogratiosides A-C, from whole plants of V. gratiosa. Their structures were elucidated based on infrared spectroscopy (IR), one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D NMR), high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS), and electronic circular dichroism analyses (ECD), as well as chemical reactivity. Molecular docking analysis of representative saponins with α-glucosidase inhibitory activity was performed. Additionally, the intended substances were tested for their ability to inhibit α-glucosidase activity in a laboratory setting. The results suggested that stigmastane-type steroidal saponins from V. gratiosa are promising candidate antidiabetic agents.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.42.2-42.2
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• 2020

We report on multi-wavelength observations of AA Ori, a Young Stellar Object in Orion-A star-forming region. AA Ori is known to have a pre-transitional disk based on infrared observations including Spitzer/IRS data. We construct its broadband spectral energy distribution (SED) by not only taking data in the optical and IR region but also including Herschel/PACS, JCMT/SCUBA, and SMA observational data. We use the Monte Carlo radiative transfer code (RADMC-3D) to reconstruct the SED with a viscous accretion disk model initialized by a radially continuous disk and finally having an inner and outer dusty disk separated by a dust-depleted radial gap. By comparing the model SEDs with different configurations of disk parameters, we discuss the limits to find a single solution of model parameters to fit the data. We suggest that some models with a modified inner disk surface density gradient and some degree of dust depletion in the inner disk can explain the AA Ori's SED, from which we infer that the inner disk of AA Ori has evolved. We present that model configurations of a pre-transitional disk with a large gap extended to 60-80 AU in a settled dusty disk of a few hundred AU size with a high inclination angle (~60°) also create model SEDs close to the observed one. To distinguish whether the disk has a just-opened narrow gap or a large gap, with an altered surface density of the inner disk extended to 10 AU, we suggest a further investigation of AA Ori with high angular resolution observations.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.157-166
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• 2023

Three lactic acid bacteria (LAB) producing exopolysaccharides (EPSs) were isolated from Pa (green onion)-kimchi, and identified as Weissella confusa (SKP 173), Weissella cibaria (SKP 182), and Leuconostoc citreum (SKP 281), respectively by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The yields of EPS were 21.27, 18.53, and 15.4 g/l for EPS from SKP 173, 182, and 281, respectively when grown in MRS broth containing sucrose (5%, w/v). Total sugar contents were 64.39, 62.84, and 65.16% (w/w) for EPS from SKP 173, 182, and 281, respectively while the protein contents were 0.33, 0.31, and 0.25% (w/w), respectively. EPSs from W. confusa SKP 173 and W. cibaria SKP 182 contained glucose only but EPS from L. citreum SKP 281 contained glucose and glucitol. Viscosities of the 2% (w/w) freeze-dried EPS solution were 9.60, 8.00, and 8.20 centipoise (cP) for EPS from SKP 173, 182, and 281, respectively. Viscosities of culture grown in MRS broth with 5% sucrose (no glucose) were 92.98, 57.19, and 18.8 cP, respectively. The average molecular weights of EPSs were larger than 2 × 10⁷ Da. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analyses of EPSs showed typical carbohydrate peaks, suggesting that the EPSs consisted of pyranose saccharides with α-(1,6) and α-(1,3) glycosidic linkages. L. citreim SKP 281 was used as the starter for yogurt fermentation, and EPS production was confirmed.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.315-322
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• 2023

In the present work, we address the new route for the green synthesis of manganese dioxide (MnO₂) by an innovative method named the solution plasma process (SPP). The reaction mechanism of both colloidal and nanostructured MnO₂ was investigated. Firstly, colloidal MnO₂ was synthesized by plasma discharging in KMnO₄ aqueous solution without any additives such as reducing agents, acids, or base chemicals. As a function of the discharge time, the purple color solution of MnO₄^- (oxidation state +7) was changed to the brown color of MnO₂ (oxidation state +4) and then light yellow of Mn²⁺ (oxidation state +2). Based on the UV-vis analysis we found the optimal discharging time for the synthesis of stable colloidal MnO₂ and also reaction mechanism was verified by optical emission spectroscopy (OES) analysis. Secondly, MnO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized by SPP with a small amount of reducing sugar. The precipitation of brown color was observed after 8 min of plasma discharge and then completely separated into colorless solution and precipitation. It was confirmed layered type of nanoporous birnessite-MnO₂ by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and electron microscopes. The most important merits of this approach are environmentally friendly process within a short time compared to the conventional method. Moreover, the morphology and the microstructure could be controllable by discharge conditions for the appropriate potential applications, such as secondary batteries, supercapacitors, adsorbents, and catalysts.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.550-557
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• 2023

In zinc-air batteries, the gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) is an important factor for improving performance. The rigid physical properties of polyvinyl alcohol reduce ionic conductivity, which degrades the performance of the batteries. Zinc acetate is an effective additive that can increase ionic conductivity by weakening the bonding structure of polyvinyl alcohol. In this study, polymer electrolytes were prepared by mixing polyvinyl alcohol and zinc acetate dihydride. The material properties of the prepared polymer electrolytes were analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Also, Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to calculate ionic conductivity. The electrolyte resistances of GPE, 0.2 GPE, 0.4 GPE, and 0.6 GPE were 0.394, 0.338, 0.290, and 0.213 Ω, respectively. In addition, 0.6 GPE delivered 0.023 S/cm high ionic conductivity. Among all of the polymer electrolytes tested, 0.6 GPE showed enhanced cycle life performance and the highest specific discharge capacity of 11.73 mAh/cm² at 10 mA. These results verified that 0.6 GPE improves the performance of zinc-air batteries.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.295-304
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• 2023

In this paper, a powerful photocatalyst based on carbon nanocomposite is developed in order to obtain a new material applicable in water treatment and especially for the discoloration of effluents used in the textile industry. For that, TiO₂-graphene nanocomposites have been successfully synthesized by a mixture of Functionalized Graphene Sheet (FGS) and tetrachlorotitanium complexes to form FGS-TiO₂ nanocomposite. In the presence of an anionic surfactant, we used a new chemical process to functionalize graphene sheets in order to make them an excellent medium for blocking and preventing the aggregation of TiO₂ nanoparticles. The components of these nanocomposites are characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), which confirms the successful formation of the FGS-TiO₂ nanocomposite. It was found that the TiO₂ nanoparticles were dispersed uniformly on the graphene plane which possesses better charge separation capability than pure TiO₂. The FGS-TiO₂ nanocomposites exhibited higher photocatalytic activity compared to pure TiO₂ for the removal of three dyes: such as Methylene Blue (MB), Bromophenol Blue (BB) and Alizarin Red-S (AR) in water. The removal process was fast and more efficient with FGS-TiO₂ nanocomposite in daylight (in the absence of UV irradiation) compared to pure TiO₂ nanoparticles without and under UV in all pH range.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.55-64
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• 2024

This paper proposes a fusion imaging-based coating-defect classification method for steel structures that uses zero-shot learning. In the proposed method, a halogen lamp generates heat energy on the coating surface of a steel structure, and the resulting heat responses are measured by an infrared (IR) camera, while photos of the coating surface are captured by a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. The measured heat responses and visual images are then analyzed using zero-shot learning to classify the coating defects, and the estimated coating defects are visualized throughout the inspection surface of the steel structure. In contrast to older approaches to coating-defect classification that relied on visual inspection and were limited to surface defects, and older artificial neural network (ANN)-based methods that required large amounts of data for training and validation, the proposed method accurately classifies both internal and external defects and can classify coating defects for unobserved classes that are not included in the training. Additionally, the proposed model easily learns about additional classifying conditions, making it simple to add classes for problems of interest and field application. Based on the results of validation via field testing, the defect-type classification performance is improved 22.7% of accuracy by fusing visual and thermal imaging compared to using only a visual dataset. Furthermore, the classification accuracy of the proposed method on a test dataset with only trained classes is validated to be 100%. With word-embedding vectors for the labels of untrained classes, the classification accuracy of the proposed method is 86.4%.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.330-339
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• 2024

Corn cobs were fermented with Aspergillus niger to produce soluble dietary fiber (SDF) of high quality and excellent food safety. In this work, the fermentation process was optimized by single-factor test and response surface methodology (RSM). The optimal fermentation conditions were determined to be a material-liquid ratio of 1:30, an inoculum concentration of 11%, a temperature of 32℃, a time of 6 days, and a shaking speed of 200 r/min. Under these conditions, the SDF yield of corn cob increased from 2.34% to 11.92%, and the ratio of soluble dietary fiber to total dietary fiber (SDF/TDF) reached 19.08%, meeting the requirements for high-quality dietary fiber (SDF/TDF of more than 10%). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis revealed that the fermentation effectively degraded part of cellulose and hemicellulose, resulting in the formation of a loose and porous structure. After fermentation the water swelling capacity, water-holding capacity, and oil-holding capacity of the corn cob SDF were significantly improved and the adsorption capacity of glucose, cholesterol, and nitrite ions all increased by more than 20%. Moreover, the total phenolic content increased by 20.96%, which correlated with the higher antioxidant activity of SDF. Overall, the fermentation of corn cobs by A. niger increased the yield and enhanced the functional properties of dietary fiber (DF) as well.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.220-229
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• 2024

This study aims to developing a method for estimating pharmaceutical compounds within a monolith column using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The monolithic column was prepared using copolymerization of glycidyl methacrylate, co-ethylene dimethacrylate, and co-acrylic acid inside a borosilicate tube of specific dimensions a 60 mm borosilicate tube length with 1.5 mm and 3.5 mm inner and outer diameters, respectively. A UV Ultra violet source with a wavelength of 365 nm was used, and the polymerization process involved mixing glycidyl methacrylate, acrylic acid, ethylene dimethacrylate as a binder, and 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenyl acetate phenone as an initiator in suitable solvents consisting of ethanol and 1-hexanol. The polymerization process formed the monolith column after 4 minutes, and subsequently, the epoxy groups were altered to diol groups using 0.2 M hydrochloric acid HCl, which were pumped through the column for 3 hours at a flow rate of 10 µL·min^-1. Various techniques, such as Scanning Electron Microscope SEM, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller BET, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy FT-IR and HNMR, were utilized to characterize and confirm the structure of the monolith. The prepared monolith was employed to estimate and identify the pharmaceutical compound of warfarin using high-performance liquid chromatography HPLC. The analytical curve of warfarin was linear in the range of 3 to 100 ㎍·mL^-1 with an r² value of 0.999. The detection and quantification limits were 0.932 and 2.788 ㎍·mL^-1, respectively. The molar absorptivity and Sandells sensitivity were 2.99138 × 10⁶ L·mol^-1·cm^-1 and 103.1 × 10^-3 ㎍·cm^-2, respectively.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.61-69
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• 2009

Statement of problem: Porcelain veneers have become a popular treatment modality for aesthetic anterior prosthesis. Fitting porcelain veneers in the mouth usually involve a try-in appointment, which frequently results in salivary contamination of fitting surfaces. Purpose: An in vitro study was carried out to investigate the effect of silane treatment timing and saliva contamination on the resin bond strength to porcelain veneer surface. Material and methods: Cylindrical test specimens (n=360) and rectangular test specimens (n=5) were prepared for shear bond test and contact angle analysis. Whole cylindrical specimens divided into 20 groups, each of which received a different surface treatment and/or storage condition. The composite resin cement stubs were light-polymerized onto porcelain adherends. The shear bond strengths of cemented stubs were measured after dry storage and thermocycling (3,000 cycles) between 5 and $55^{\circ}C$. The silane and their reactions were chemically monitored by using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy analysis (FTIR) and contact angle analysis. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Dunnett's multiple comparison were used to analyze the data. Results: FT-IR analysis showed that salivary contamination and silane treatment timing did not affect the surface interactions of silane. Observed water contact angles were lower on the saliva contaminated porcelain surface and the addition of 37% phosphoric acid for 20 seconds on saliva contaminated porcelain increased the degree of contact angle. Silane applied to the porcelain, a few days before cementation, resulted in increasing the bond strength after thermocycling. Conclusion: Within the limitation of this study, it can be concluded that it would be better to protect porcelain prosthesis before saliva contamination with silane treatment and to clean the contaminated surface by use of phosphoric acid.