• Multiscale and Multiphysics Mechanics
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.53-64
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• 2016

Amyloid fibrils have recently been considered as an interesting material, since they exhibit the excellent mechanical properties such as elastic modulus in the order of 10 GPa, which is larger than that of other protein materials. Despite recent findings of these excellent mechanical properties for amyloid fibrils, it has not been fully understood how these excellent mechanical properties are achieved. In this work, we have studied the nanomechanical deformation behaviors and properties of amyloid fibrils such as their elastic modulus as well as fracture strength, by using atomistic simulations, particularly steered molecular dynamics simulations. Our simulation results suggest the important role of the length of amyloid fibrils in their mechanical properties such that the fracture force of amyloid fibril is increased when the fibril length decreases. This length scale effect is attributed to the rupture mechanisms of hydrogen bonds that sustain the fibril structure. Moreover, we have investigated the effect of boundary condition on the nanomechanical deformation mechanisms of amyloid fibrils. It is found that the fracture force is critically affected by boundary condition. Our study highlights the crucial role of both fibril length and boundary condition in the nanomechanical properties of amyloid fibrils.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제53권3호
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• pp.195-202
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• 2011

Maintenance of adequate telomere length in developing cells is the most important concern to preserve the integrity of the genome. The length of telomere is strictly regulated by numerous telomere-binding proteins and/or interacting factors. Even though the expression of telomerase in the male reproductive tract has been characterized, developmental expressional profiling of telomerase and other telomere-associated proteins has not been determined in detail. The present study was attempted to examine expression patterns of catalytic subunit (Tert) and RNA component (Terc) of telomerase and two telomerase associated factors, telomerase associated protein 1 (Tep1) and TERF1 (TRF1) interacting nuclear factor 2 (Tinf2) in the testis and seminal vesicle of male rat during postnatal development. The real-time PCR analysis was utilized to quantify mRNA expression of molecules. The abundance of Tep1 mRNA in the testis and seminal vesicle was the highest at 5 months of age. Expressional fluctuation of Tinf2 during postnatal development was found in the testis, while expression of Tinf2 in the seminal vesicle was gradually increased until 5 months of age and then significantly decreased later. mRNA level of Tert gene in the testis was significantly increased at the adult and the elder, while the highest expression of Tert gene in the seminal vesicle was found at 5 months of age. Expression of Terc transcript in the testis and seminal vesicle was the highest at 5 months of age, followed by significant reduction at 1 and 2 years of ages. Such differential gene expression of telomere-associated factors and telomerase components in different male reproductive tissues during postnatal development indicates that maintenance of telomere length would be regulated in tissue- and/or age-specific manners.

• 한국식품과학회지
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• 제27권5호
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• pp.757-761
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• 1995

밥의 텍스쳐에 대한 일련의 연구에서 식미와 관련성이 있는 열수 가용성 쌀 전분에 대하여 분자 구조적 측면에서 그 관련성을 구명하고자 하였다. 열수 가용성 쌀 전분의 분자 구조는 분자 크기가 작은 아밀로오스와 평균 사슬길이 $10{\sim}20$ 글루코오스 단위로 된 아밀로펙틴이 7 : 3 정도로 결합하고 있었다. 열수 가용성 쌀 전분의 용출율은 아밀로오스의 분자 크기가 작을수록, 아밀로펙틴의 초장쇄가 적을수록 높았으며, 전분의 열수 가용화는 전분의 분자 구조와 밀접한 관계가 있었다. 또한, 밥의 텍스쳐는 열수 가용성 쌀 전분의 용출율이 높을수록 경도는 낮고, 부착성은 높았다. 이러한 결과들로 볼때, 밥의 텍스쳐는 쌀 전분의 분자 구조와 밀접한 관계가 있음을 알 수 있었으며 전분의 열수 가용화 되는 성질은 쌀의 식미 평가 지표로서의 가능성이 시사되었다.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제48권3호
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• pp.200-206
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• 2012

활성슬러지로부터 특이한 조성의 polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs)를 생합성하는 Pseudomonas aeruginosa P-5를 분리하였다. 이 균주는 nonanoic acid나 heptanoic acid와 같은 홀수개의 탄소수를 가지는 지방산을 단일 탄소원으로 공급해주었을 경우, 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV)와 medium-chain-length (MCL) 3-hydroxyalkanoates 단위체로 이루어진 공중합체를 생산하였다. 공중합체 내 3HV의 함량은 valeric acid와 같은 보조기질을 공급함으로써 증가시킬 수 있었으며, 2 g/L nonanoic acid와 1 g/L valeric acid로 이루어진 혼합기질로부터 3HV의 함량이 26 mol%에 달하는 공중합체를 얻을 수 있었다. 이러한 공중합체는 결정성이 매우 낮아 점착성 고분자로서의 성질을 보였다. P. aeruginosa P-5 균주는 MCL-PHA synthase 유전자(phaC1, phaC2)를 가지고 있는 반면에 SCL-PHA synthase 유전자는 결여되어 있는 것으로 나타났다. 따라서 P. aeruginosa P-5 균주의 MCL-PHA synthase는 MCL(R)-3-hydroxyacyl-CoAs 뿐만 아니라 (R)-3-hydroxyvaleryl-CoA를 기질로 인지하는 특이한 기질특이성을 갖는 것으로 사료된다.

• 대한기계학회논문집B
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• 제40권10호
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• pp.659-666
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• 2016

본 연구는 길이에 따른 사각 기둥 타입을 변수로 선정하여 각각의 길이 패턴을 지닌 고체 표면에서의 물 액적 젖음 특성을 분자 동역학을 이용하여 규명하였다. 기둥의 표면 형상을 정사각형과 직사각형의 형태로 가정하였고, 정해진 형상에서의 표면 면적을 증가시켰다. 정사각형 형상의 경우 각 변의 길이가 $4.24{\AA}$, $8.48{\AA}$, $12.72{\AA}$로 증가하였으며, 직사각형 형상의 경우 고정된 한 변은 $8.48{\AA}$의 길이를 가지며 다른 한 변의 길이는 $4.24{\AA}$, $8.48{\AA}$, $12.72{\AA}$로 증가하였다. 이러한 길이 변화를 통해 사각기둥 표면형상의 변화 및 전체 고체표면의 면적 대비 기둥이 차지하는 면적의 비율에 따른 물 액적의 변화를 살펴보고, 표면과 물 액적과의 접촉각을 측정하여 비교 분석하였다.

• Interaction and multiscale mechanics
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• 제4권3호
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• pp.219-237
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• 2011

Recent advances in scientific computing enable the full atomistic simulation of DNA molecules. However, there exists length and time scale limitations in molecular dynamics (MD) simulation for large DNA molecules. In this work, a two-level homogenization of DNA molecules is proposed. A wavelet projection method is first introduced to form a coarse-grained DNA molecule represented with superatoms. The coarsened MD model offers a simplified molecular structure for the continuum description of DNA molecules. The coarsened DNA molecular structure is then homogenized into a three-dimensional beam with embedded molecular properties. The methods to determine the elasticity constants in the continuum model are also presented. The proposed continuum model is adopted for the study of mechanical behavior of DNA loop.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.153-158
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• 1996

Polyethylene glycols(PEGs)are hydrophilic molecules that have been used to characterize intestinal permeability via the paracellular pathway. Using a mixture of PEGs(400, 600 and 1000), containing oligomers in the molecular weight range 330 to 1122 D, the molecular weight permeability dependence in the jejunum of the rat small intestine was examined, employing an in situ recirculation perfusion technique. Individual oligomers were determined by HPLC with refractive detection. In the range studied, a distinct molecular weight cut-off was not apparent. Corrected for the length of jejunum used in the study, over the molecular weight range 330 to 1122D, the apparent permeability(Papp) of PEG ranged from 4.92$\pm$0.02$\times$10-5cm/sec(mean$\pm$SEM, n=5) to 0.28$\times$10-5cm/sec. Also, it was observed that the apparent permeability was inversely proportional to approximately MW2. The results in this study suggest that molecular weight is an important factor in determining the intestinal permeability.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제22권9호
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• pp.1241-1247
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• 2009

A large number of branded chicken products exist in Japan, and in some cases, the breed of chicken is an important factor used to attract consumer interest in the retail product. In order to establish a simple method for verifying such breed claims we applied the amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) technique to nine chicken breeds (White Cornish, Red Cornish, White Plymouth Rock, New Hampshire, Rhode Island Red, Barred Plymouth Rock, Hinaidori, Tosajidori, Tsushimajidori) to search for molecular markers able to discriminate chicken breeds. Three breed-specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were identified, one for each of Hinaidori, Tosajidori, or New Hampshire. A total of 219 individuals from the nine breeds were analyzed using a specific PCR test for each of these SNP. The PCR tests made it possible to discriminate between the breeds of chickens to identify products from these three breeds. This PCR method provides an efficient method for the routine analysis and verification of certified chicken products.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제35권9호
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• pp.2679-2683
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• 2014

Mechanisms underlying the impacts of interactions between carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) and ionic liquids (ILs) on the physicochemical behavior of CNPs need to be more full worked out. This manuscript describes a theoretical investigation at multiple levels on the interactions of fullerene $C_{60}$ with 21 imidazolium-based ILs of varying alkyl side chain lengths and anionic types and their impacts on $C_{60}$ dispersion behavior. Results show that ${\pi}$-cation interaction contributed to mechanism of the $C_{60}$-IL interaction more than ${\pi}$-anion interaction. The calculated interaction energy ($E_{INT}$) indicates that $C_{60}$ can form stable complex with each IL molecule. Moreover, the direction of charge transfer occurred from IL to $C_{60}$ during the $C_{60}$-IL interaction. Quantitative models were developed to evaluate the self-diffusion coefficient of $C_{60}$ ($D_{fullerene}$) in bulk ILs. Three interpretative molecular descriptors (heat of formation, $E_{INT}$, and charge) that describe the $C_{60}$-IL interactions and the alkyl side chain length were found to be determinants affecting $D_{fullerene}$.

• Fibers and Polymers
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• 제4권1호
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• pp.15-19
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• 2003

The self-assembly of asymmetric ABC triblock copolymers in the ordered structure is investigated using an isothermal-isobaric molecular dynamics simulation. Unlike symmetric A BC triblock copolymers, more fascinating mophologies are observed in asymmetric ones because of a larger difference of incompatibility between the components. Various modes of self-assembly in assymmetric ABC triblock copolymers are also observed depending on the block composition. When the composition of block A Is changed from 0.125: to 0.25 at the same $f_B$ : 0.25, the morphological transition from the “cylinder in cylinder” to “cylinders at cylinder” structure is observed in the simulation. In the case of ABC triblocks with $f_B$=0.5, a lamellar-type structure is changed to a cylinder-type structure with increasing the length of block A. When the midblock length increases further to $f_B$=0.625, the “spheres on cylinder” structure is observed in both the $A_{10}$$B_{50}$$C_{20}$ and $A_{20}$$B_{50}$$C_{10}$ triblocks. From these results, the phase diagram of ABC triblock copolymers can be constructed.