• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.784-789
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• 2016

We evaluated the synergistic antibacterial effect in combination with the chitosan-ferulic acid conjugate (CFA) and β-lactam antibiotics, such as ampicillin, penicillin, and oxacillin, against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) using fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) indices. CFA clearly reversed the antibacterial activity of ampicillin, penicillin, and oxacillin against MRSA in the combination mode. Among these antibiotics, the combination of oxacillin-CFA resulted in a ΣFIC_min range of 0.250 and ΣFIC_max of 0.563, suggesting that the oxacillin-CFA combination resulted in an antibacterial synergy effect against MRSA. In addition, we determined that CFA inhibited the mRNA expression of gene mecA and the production of PBP2a, which is a key determinant for β-lactam antibiotic resistance, in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, the results obtained in this study supported the idea on the antibacterial action mechanism that oxacillin will restore the antibacterial activity against MRSA through the suppression of PBP2a production by CFA.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.317-323
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• 2003

Interneuron diversity is one of the key factors to hinder understanding the mechanism of cortical neural network functions even with their important roles. We characterized inhibitory interneurons in layer II/III of the rat primary visual cortex, using patch-clamp recording and confocal reconstruction, and classified inhibitory interneurons into fast spiking (FS), late spiking (LS), burst spiking (BS), and regular spiking non-pyramidal (RSNP) neurons according to their electrophysiological characteristics. Global parameters to identify inhibitory interneurons were resting membrane potential (＞-70 mV) and action potential (AP) width (＜0.9 msec at half amplitude). FS could be differentiated from LS, based on smaller amplitude of the AP (＜∼50 mV) and shorter peak-to-trough time (P-T time) of the afterhyperpolarization (＜4 msec). In addition to the shorter AP width, RSNP had the higher input resistance (＞200 $M{Omega}$) and the shorter P-T time (＜20 msec) than those of regular spiking pyramidal neurons. Confocal reconstruction of recorded cells revealed characteristic morphology of each subtype of inhibitory interneurons. Thus, our results provide at least four subtypes of inhibitory interneurons in layer II/III of the rat primary visual cortex and a classification scheme of inhibitory interneurons.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.1557-1567
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• 2012

Glutathione reductase (GR, E.C. 1.6.4.2) is an important enzyme that reduces glutathione disulfide (GSSG) to a sulfydryl form (GSH) in the presence of an NADPH-dependent system. This is a critical antioxidant mechanism. Owing to the significance of GR, this enzyme has been examined in a number of animals, plants, and microbes. We performed a study to evaluate the molecular properties of GR (OsGR) from rice (Oryza sativa). To determine whether heterologous expression of OsGR can reduce the deleterious effects of unfavorable abiotic conditions, we constructed a transgenic Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain expressing the GR gene cloned into the yeast expression vector p426GPD. OsGR expression was confirmed by a semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (semiquantitative RT-PCR) assay, Western-blotting, and a test for enzyme activity. OsGR expression increased the ability of the yeast cells to adapt and recover from $H_2O_2$-induced oxidative stress and various stimuli including heat shock and exposure to menadione, heavy metals (iron, zinc, copper, and cadmium), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), ethanol, and sulfuric acid. However, augmented OsGR expression did not affect the yeast fermentation capacity owing to reduction of OsGR by multiple factors produced during the fermentation process. These results suggest that ectopic OsGR expression conferred acquired tolerance by improving cellular homeostasis and resistance against different stresses in the genetically modified yeast strain, but did not affect fermentation ability.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.415-424
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the global regulatory mechanism known as quorum sensing and expression of virulence factors in Escherichia coli O157:87. A nonpolar luxS deletion was introduced into the chromosome of strain CI03J, a human clinical isolate from South Korea, to create the ${\Delta}luxS$ mutant strain ML03J. Phenotypic characterization of wild-type and mutant strains demonstrated that ML03J had no obvious growth or metabolic defects on 0.2% glucose LB medium, produced a functionally defective flagellum, and could not utilize sorbose; the biological significance of sorbose utilization is unknown. Omics-based analysis revealed the involvement of LuxS in the transcriptional activation of several flagella/chemotaxisrelated genes (flhD; fliA, C, D, S, Z; and cheA, Y, Z), repression of glutamate-dependent acid resistance genes (gadAB), and expression of virulence factors including Shiga toxin, hemolysin, and SepD within the LEE pathogenicity island.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.69-76
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• 1975

Cardiac performances were analyzed in intact turtle heart(Amyda japonica), perfusing with turtle Ringer-Locke's solution containing various hydrogen ion concentration, at several levels of arterial and venous pressure. 1. Ventricular work increased when venous pressure, or venous filling pressure increased, and also increased when arterial pressure increased. 2. The higher the arterial pressure, the lower the cardiac to output, for arterial pressure is the resistance to the ventricular blood flow. On the other hand, in specific arterial pressure, cardiac output was proportional to the venous filling pressure. 3. Heart rates did not change significantly during the perfusion with Ringel· solution of various pH. 4. In the heart Perfused with Ringer solution of various pH, ventricular work was the highest at PH 7.6 (at 6 $cmH_2O$ arterial pressure and 8 $cmH_2O$ venous pressure, the ventricular work was 63.09m$\cdot$cm). However, within the range of pH $7.1{\sim}7.6$, there were no significant changes in cardiac output and ventricular work. Below the level of pH 7.0, ventricular work decreased to less than 56% of maximium value (at $6cmH_2O$ arterial pressure and $8cmH_2O$ venous Pressure, ventricular work was 36.0$gm{\cdot}$ at pH 7.0). At pH 7.7 ventricular work decreased to less than 48% of maximum value (ventricular work: 30.0 $gm{\cdot}$). The nature of the cardiac performance at the various arterial and venous pressures was similar to that of normal heart. 5. Turtle heart seemed to be relatively insensitive to acid-base disturbances. The mechanism of negative inotropic effect of hydrogen ion was discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.276-283
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• 1997

A dry impregnation method was used for preparing pellet type Pt/$SnO_2$ gas sensor. The crystal structure, direction of the crystal, crystal size and microstructure between the catalyst and the support ($SnO_2$) were characterized with electron diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy. The characterization indicates that when Pt/$SnO_2$ sample is calcined at $400^{\circ}C$, the Cl content associated with the Pt phase diminishes and the part of Pt is moved into $SnO_2$ support. This results in the enhancement of gas sensitivity. After the reactor with a Pt/$SnO_2$ sample was run with a flow rate of 30 sccm (a mixture of 0.5% $H_2$ in $_N2$) for a while, the resistance of $SnO_2$ was saturated, but the $SnO_2$ kept absorbing $H_2$ gas. This indicates that the surface state was saturated. For the 14 ppm $H_2$ gas, the sensitivity of Pt/$SnO_2$ devices was about 81% at an operating temperature of $300^{\circ}C$.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.24-28
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• 2013

Fault current limiting (FCL) cable is a kind of superconducting cable which has a function of limiting the fault current at the fault of power grid. The superconducting cable detours the fault current through its stabilizer to keep the temperature as low as possible. On the other hands, the FCL cable permits the temperature rise within some acceptable limit and the fault current is limited by the consequent increase of the resistance of superconducting cable. This kind of FCL cable is called 'resistive FCL cable' because it uses resistive impedance to limit the fault current. In this paper, we suggest a novel concept of FCL cable, which is named as 'inductive FCL cable'. The inductive FCL cable is similar as the magnetic shielding fault current limiter in its operating mechanism. The magnetic field of superconducting cable is almost perfectly shielded by the induced current at the shielding layer during its normal operation. However, at the fault condition, quench occurs at the shielding layer by the induced current higher than its critical current and the magnetic field is spread out of the shielding layer. It will induce additional inductive impedance to the superconducting cable and the inductive impedance can be increased more by installing some material with high magnetic susceptibility around the superconducting cable. We examined the feasibility of inductive FCL cable with simple elemental experiments. The current limiting performance of inductive FCL cable was estimated considering an arbitrary power grid and its fault condition.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.982-988
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• 2002

Current design equations for shear strength of reinforced concrete columns generally overestimate the shear strength contribution by the circular transverse reinforcement. This is due to the simplification of the discrete distribution of the reinforcement to the continuous one and the imprudent application of the classical truss model to the circular section, which is different in shear-resisting mechanism from the rectangular section. This study presents a rational model for the prediction of shear strength contribution by the circular transverse reinforcement considering the starting location of a diagonal crack, the number of transverse reinforcing bars crossing the main crack and the geometrical strength component of the transverse resistance. It was found that, for lower amount transverse reinforcement, the crack starting point and the number of crack crossing bars greatly influence the shear-resisting capacity. Proposed model leads to a reliable design equation which is derived using a linear regression method and is in good agreement with the lower bound of exact strength curve.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.18 no.5 s.95
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• pp.667-675
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• 2006

Concrete is much more easily damaged by various parameters than by the only one and performance reducing mechanism grows more complicated in that condition. In addition, the factors which really act in concrete structure tend to be activated in turn and the degradation of concrete is very rapidly progressed. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the properties of polymer cement mortars under combined cures. The polymer cement mortars are prepared with various polymer types, polymer-cement ratios and cement-fine aggregate ratio, and tested for compressive and flexural strengths, accelerated carbonation, chloride ion penetration and acid resistance test, and freezing-thawing test. The properties of polymer cement mortars under combined cures is discussed. From the test results, polymer cement mortars have superior strengths compared with plain cement mortar under combined cures. The strengths of polymer cement mortars are markedly increased at curing condition II and V, however strengths are not improved at curing condition I and IV irregardless of polymer types. The carbonation and chloride ion penetration depths of polymer cement mortars tend to decrease in curing conditions, III-C, IV-B, V-A order, and decrease with increasing polymer cement ratios. It is concluded that polymer cement ratio of 10 to 15% are considered optimum for the preparation of such polymer cement mortars.

• The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.251-257
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• 2014

An actuator system is a type of motor designed to control a mechanism operated by a source of energy, in the form of an electric current by converting energy into some kind of motion. As audio actuators, transforming electric voltage signal into audio signal, speakers and amplifiers are commonly used. In applications of industry, high output power systems are required. For these systems to generate high-quality output, it is essential to control output impedance of audio systems. We have developed an adaptable power supply for driving active amplifier systems with variable loads. Depending on the changing values of resistance of the speaker which produces audible sound by transforming electric voltage signal, the power supply source of the active amplifier can generate the maximum power delivered to the speaker by an adaptable change of loads. The amplifier is well protected from the abrupt increment of peak current and an excess of current flow.