• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.10
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• pp.546-551
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• 2014

The insecticidal activity of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry toxins involves toxin stabilization, oligomerization, passage across the peritrophic membrane (PM), binding to midgut receptors and pore-formation. The residues Arg-158 and Tyr-170 have been shown to be crucial for the toxicity of Bt Cry4Ba. We characterized the biological function of these residues. In mosquito larvae, the mutants R158A/E/Q (R158) could hardly penetrate the PM due to a significantly reduced ability to alter PM permeability; the mutant Y170A, however, could pass through the PM, but degraded in the space between the PM and the midgut epithelium. Further characterization by oligomerization demonstrated that Arg-158 mutants failed to form correctly sized high-molecular weight oligomers. This is the first report that Arg-158 plays a role in the formation of Cry4Ba oligomers, which are essential for toxin passage across the PM. Tyr-170, meanwhile, is involved in toxin stabilization in the toxic mechanism of Cry4Ba in mosquito larvae.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.304-311
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• 2010

In this study, loose RO hollow fiber membranes using CTA polymer were prepared by phase inversion method and their water purification properties were tested. 1,4-dioxane and LiCl was used as a skin layer formation agent and pore formation agent, respectively. Water flux, salt rejection, chlorine resistance, MWCO and membrane morphology were evaluated as a function of the dope composition. When the membrane prepared using the dope solution of CTA/NMP/1,4-dioxane = 18/72/10 (wt%) with air gap of 30 cm, it shows improved RO performance such as $20.5L/m^2hr$ of water flux, 60% of NaCl rejection, 10,000 ppm/hr of chlorine-resistance and around 5,000 Da of MWCO.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.34 no.9
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• pp.637-643
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• 2012

This study was carried out to investigate how reversible and irreversible fouling were distributed in the filtration using ceramic membrane of 300 kDa pore size for secondary effluent of wastewater. It was performed by calculating fouling as numerical method for diverse TMPs and measured F-EEM and SEC for raw water, treated water and backwashed water. Water quality was also checked to know whether treated water quality was stable or not. The results showed that reversible fouling formation was increased when lower TMP was applied and it is caused by protein like organic matters having higher molecular weights. The secondary wastewater effluent had diverse molecular weight materials, especially contaminants lower than 0.5 kDa and bigger than 12 kDa. Decreasing TMP induced contaminants above 12 kDa and below 1 kDa to become reversible fouling.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.150-162
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• 2022

In the field of water treatment and pharmaceutical bio an alumina hollow fiber membrane used for mixture separation. However, due to the lack of strengths it is very brittle to handle and apply. Therefore, it is necessary to study and improve the bending strength of the membrane to 100 MPa or more. In this study, as the mixing ratio of the nano-particles increased to 0, 1, 3, and 5 wt%, the viscosity of the fluid mixture increased. The pore structure of the hollow membrane produced by interrupting the diffusion exchange rate of the solvent and non-solvent during the spinning process suppresses the formation of the finger-like structure and gradually increases the ratio of the sponge-like structure to improve the membrane mechanical strength to more than 100 MPa. As a result, an interparticle space was ensured to improve the porosity of the sponge-like structure with high permeability, and it showed excellent N2 permeability of about 100000 GPU and high water permeability of 3000 L/m² h. Therefore, it can be concluded, that the addition of γ-Al₂O₃ nanoparticles as sintering aid is an important method to enhance the mechanical strength of the α-alumina hollow fiber membrane to maintain high permeability.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.18 no.1 s.91
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• pp.125-132
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• 2006

Recently, surface finishing and protection materials were developed to restore performance of the deteriorated concrete and inhibiting corrosion of the reinforcing-bar. For this purpose, surface protection agent as well as coatings are used. Coatings have the advantage of low Permeability of $CO_2,\;SO_2$ and water. However, for coatings such as epoxy, urethane and acryl, long-term adhesive strength is reduced and the formed membrane of those is blistered by various causes. Also when organic coatings are applied to the wet surface of concrete, those have a problem with adhesion. On the other hand, surface protection agent penetrates into pore structure in concrete through capillary and cm make a dense micro structure in concrete as a result of filling effect. Furthermore, the chemical reaction between silicate from surface protection agent and cement hydrates can also make a additional hydration product which is ideally compatible with concrete body. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of penetrative surface protection agent(SPA) by evaluating several concrete durability characteristics. The results show that the concrete penetrated surface protection agent exhibited higher durability characteristics for instance, carbonation velocity coefficient, resistance to chemical attack and chloride ion penetration than the plain concrete. These results due to formation of a discontinuous macro-pore system which inhibits deterioration factors of concrete by changed the pore structure(porosity and pore size distributions) of the concrete penetrated surface protection agent.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.61 no.3
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• pp.213-217
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• 2018

Tolaasin secreted by Pseudomonas tolaasii is a peptide toxin and causes brown blotch disease on the cultivated mushrooms by collapsing cellular and fruiting body structure. Toxicity of tolaasin was evaluated by measuring hemolytic activity because tolaasin molecules form membrane pores on the red blood cells and destroy cell membrane structure. In the previous studies, we found that tolaasin cytotoxicity was suppressed by $Zn^{2+}$ and $Ni^{2+}$. $Ni^{2+}$ inhibited the tolaasin-induced hemolysis in a dose-dependent manner and its $K_i$ value was 1.8 mM. The hemolytic activity was completely inhibited at the concentration higher than 10 mM. The inhibitory effect of $Zn^{2+}$ on tolaasin-induced hemolysis was increased in alkaline pH, while that of $Ni^{2+}$was not much dependent on pH. When the pH of buffer solution was increased from pH 7 to pH 9, the time for 50% hemolysis ($T_{50}$) was increased greatly by $100{\mu}M$ $Zn^{2+}$; however, it was slightly increased by 1 mM $Ni^{2+}$ at all pH values. When the synergistic effect of $Zn^{2+}$ and $Ni^{2+}$ on tolaasin-induced hemolysis was measured, it was not dependent on the pH of buffer solution. Molecular elucidation of the difference in pH-dependence of these two metal ions may contribute to understand the mechanism of tolaasin pore formation and cytotoxicity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.168-172
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• 1999

The antifungal mechanism of the antifungal peptide against Aspergillus fumigatus, $K^{18,19}$-CA(l-8)-ME(l-12), derived from cecropin A(l-8)-melittin(l-12) was investigated by confocal laser scanning microscopy, cell wall regeneration, ATPase activity inhibition, and released potassium ion. By confocal laser scanning microscopy, $K^{18,19}$-CA(l-8)-ME(l-12) was detected on the surface of A. fumigatus, while cecropin A used as a negative control peptide was not detected. The protoplast of A. fumigatus treated with$K^{18,19}$-CA(1-8)-ME(1-12) failed to regenerate the fungal cell walls. Compared with cecropin A, the amount of potassium ion released by $K^{18,19}$-CA(l-8)-ME(l-12) was increased. Furthermore, $K^{18,19}$-CA(l-8)-ME(l-12) inhibited the ATPase activity on the plasma membrane. These results suggested that $K^{18,19}$-CA(l-8)-ME(1-12) acts on the plasma membrane of A. fumigatus and its antifungal action is due to the ion channel or pore formation on the plasma membrane.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.292-300
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• 2014

Chlorine-resistant sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) random copolymer (SPAES)-thin film composite (TFC) membranes for desalination are prepared using monoglyme as a selective solvent, which dissolves SPAES, but should be inert to porous polysulfone layer (e.g., Udel$^{(R)}$). Different from formic acid and diethylene glycol used as other selective solvents, monoglyme is environmentally friendly and has much lower boiling temperature. After a pretreatment of Udel$^{(R)}$ support film in isopropyl alcohol-glycerine mixture to minimize pore penetration leading to fairly reduced water flux, coating of SPAES solution in monoglyme onto the support and stepwise drying processes are conducted for defect-free TFC formation. The transport behavior through SPAES-TFC membranes is observed, correlating with the effects of sulfonation level, protonation, and physical and chemical crosslinking of SPAES selective layers.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.7
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• pp.503-514
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• 2017

Nicotinamide (NAM) plays essential roles in physiology through facilitating $NAD^+$ redox homeostasis. Importantly, at high doses, it protects cells under oxidative stresses, and has shown therapeutic effectiveness in a variety of disease conditions. In our previous studies, NAM lowered reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and extended cellular life span in primary human cells. In the treated cells, levels of $NAD^+/NADH$ and SIRT1 activity increased, while mitochondrial content decreased through autophagy activation. The remaining mitochondria were marked with low superoxide levels and high membrane potentials (${\Delta}_{{\Psi}m}$); we posited that the treatment of NAM induced an activation of mitophagy that is selective for depolarized mitochondria, which produce high levels of ROS. However, evidence for the selective mitophagy that is mediated by SIRT1 has never been provided. This study sought to explain the mechanisms by which NAM lowers ROS levels and increases ${\Delta}_{{\Psi}m}$. Our results showed that NAM and SIRT1 activation exert quite different effects on mitochondrial physiology. Furthermore, the changes in ROS and ${\Delta}_{{\Psi}m}$ were not found to be mediated through autophagy or SIRT activation. Rather, NAM suppressed superoxide generation via a direct reduction of electron transport, and increased ${\Delta}_{{\Psi}m}$ via suppression of mitochondrial permeability transition pore formation. Our results dissected the effects of cellular $NAD^+$ redox modulation, and emphasized the importance of the $NAD^+/NADH$ ratio in the mitochondria as well as the cytosol in maintaining mitochondrial quality.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.9 no.7
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• pp.1030-1035
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• 1998

The porous alumina membrane was prepared from aluminum metal(99.8%) by anodic oxidation using DC power supply of constant current mode in an aqueous solution of sulfuric acid. To prevent the chemical dissolution of alumina membrane, $Al_2(SO_4)_3$, $AlPO_4$ and $Al(NO_3)_3$ which could be considered to supply $Al^{3+}$ ions were added to electrolyte solution at a reaction temperature of $20^{\circ}C$ and cumulative charge of $150C/cm^2$. Effects of these additives on the formation of porous alumina membrane were evaluated under various electrolyte concentration(5~20 wt%) and current densities($10{\sim}50mA/cm^2$). The membrane surfaces which were prepared in electrolyte solution with all the additives except $Al_2(SO_4)_3$ were damaged. However, when $Al_2(SO_4)_3$ was added to the $H_2SO_4$ solution, an uniform surface of porous alumina was obtained. Also, it was shown that the pore size of membrane was nearly independent on the quantity of $Al_2(SO_4)_3$ added at same electrolyte concentration and current density.