• Journal of Species Research
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.188-200
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• 2016

During recent screening to discover indigenous prokaryotic species in South Korea, a total of 31 bacterial strains assigned to the class Gammaproteobacteria were isolated from a variety of environmental samples including soil, tidal flat, freshwater, seawater, and plant roots. From the high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (>98.7%) and formation of a robust phylogenetic clade with the closest species, it was determined that each strain belonged to each independent and predefined bacterial species. There is no official report that these 31 species have been described in South Korea; therefore 5 species of 3 genera in the order Alteromonadales, 11 species of 3 genera in the order Pseudomonadales, 8 species of 6 genera in the order Enterobacteriales, 2 species of 1 genera in the order Vibrionales, 1 species of 1 genera in the order Oceanospirillales, 3 species of 3 genera in the order Xanthomonadales, and 1 species in the order Spongiibacter_o within the Gammaproteobacteia are reported for proteobacterial species found in South Korea. Gram reaction, colony and cell morphology, basic biochemical characteristics, isolation source, and strain IDs are also described in the species description section.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.179-187
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• 2016

As a subset investigation to discover indigenous prokaryotic species in Korea, a total of 21 bacterial strains assigned to the class Betaproteobacteria were isolated from a wide range of environmental samples which collected from fresh water, roots of plants, mineral water and soil from ginseng farm. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that 21 isolated strains were most closely related to the class Betaproteobacteria, with high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (>99.1%) and constructed a robust phylogenetic clade with the closest species in the class Betaproteobacteria. These isolated species have no previous report or publication in Korea; therefore 17 species in 14 genera of 6 families in the order Burkholderiales, 1 species in the order Methylophilales, 2 species in 2 genera of 1 family in the order Neisseriales are reported for betaproteobacterial species found in Korea. Gram reaction, colony and cell morphology, basic biochemical characteristics, isolation source, and strain IDs are also described in the species description section and as an image.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.166-178
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• 2016

An outcome of the study to discover indigenous prokaryotic species in Korea, a total of 26 bacterial species assigned to the classes Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were isolated from diverse environmental samples collected from soil, tidal flat, freshwater, seawater, wetland, plant roots, and fermented foods. From the high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (>99.0%) and formation of a robust phylogenetic clade with the closest species, it was determined that each strain belonged to each independent and predefined bacterial species. There is no official report that these 26 species have been described in Korea; therefore 14 strains for the order Flavobacteriales and two strains for the order Cytophagales were assigned to the class Bacteroidetes, and 8 strains for the order Bacillales and 4 strains for the order Lactobacillales were assigned to the class Firmicutes are reported for new bacterial species found in Korea. Gram reaction, colony and cell morphology, basic biochemical characteristics, isolation source, and strain IDs are also described in the species description section.

• BMB Reports
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.106-112
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• 1997

The effect of cryopreservation on extracellular matrix was studied with the ultimate objective of permiting a prediction of the tendency of aorta conduit tissue to calcify following transplantation. Cryopreserved and fresh porcine aorta conduit tissues were extracted using guanidine-hydrochloride (Gdn-HCl) followed by sequential digestion of the tissues with collagenase, elastase, and papain. Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) of the proteoglycans (PGs) were isolated and quantitated. Gdn-HCl extracted about 61% and 62% of the total GAG (proteoqlycan) material from cryopreserved and fresh tissues, respectively. Collagenasesolubilized proteoglycans from Gdn-HCl extracted tissue represented 20% and 13%, respectively, of the total GAGs present in cryopreserved and fresh tissues. Subsequent elastase hydrolysis of collagenase-digested tissue released about 11% of total GAGs from cryopreserved tissue and 16% from fresh tissue. The remaining 8%, from cryopreserved tissue, and 9%, from fresh tissue, of the total GAGs were obtained after using a papain hydrolysis. There was essentially no difference between fresh and cryopreserved tissues in the relative distribution of proteoglycans in the extracts and digestions except in the initial digestion step where more proteoglycans were obtained from collagenase solubilization of cryopreserved tissue than fresh tissue (p<0.05). The histologic status of the fresh and cryopreserved porcine aortic conduit did not differ markedly. The normal tissue architecture was not affected markedly by the cryopreservation procedure as neither alteration of elastic structure, fibrous proteins nor alteration of nuclear distribution or smooth muscle cell morphology was detected. Quantitative tissue mineral studies revealed that the mean calcium content of the cryopreserved aorta conduit tissue $(165{\pm}3\;{\mu}g/g\;wet\;tissue)$ was higher than that of the fresh tissue $(105{\pm}4\;{\mu}g/g\;wet\;tissue)$ $(p<0.05)$. The mean phosphorus content was $703{\pm}35\;{\mu}g$ wet tissue from cryopreserved tissue and $720{\pm}26\;{\mu}g$ wet tissue from fresh tissue. The study indicates that there is no significant alteration in the distribution of PGs in properly cryopreserved tissue, but the total calcium level appears to be increased in tissue cryopreserved by the cryopreservation process used in this study.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.522-526
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• 2010

Bacterial cellulose is produced by the bacterium Gluconacetobacter xylinus, which forms a nanofibrous pellicle in its culture medium. We studied properties of the bacterial cellulose such as crystallinity, viscosity, morphology, and mechanical properties according to the carbon source. Static cultures of Gluconacetobacter sp. V6 were performed in three kinds of media: standard Hestrin-Schramm medium, and modified medium with either glycerol or molasses as carbon sources. Cell growth and cellulose yield were increased in the glycerol and molasses media. The culture in the glycerol medium improved the physical properties of cellulose such as crystallinity, intrinsic viscosity, and breaking stress. However, the culture in the molasses medium decreased crystallinity, crystallite size, and intrinsic viscosity of cellulose. In summary, the cellulose yield was remarkably improved in the molasses medium, but with inferior structural properties.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.711-711
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• 2009

Global warming has been widely recognized as a serious problem threatening the future of human beings. It is caused by the buildup in the atmosphere of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). Particularly, SF6 has extremely high global warming potential compare to those of other global warming gases. One option for mitigating this greenhouse gas is the development of an effective process for capturing and separating these gases from anthropogenic sources. In general, gas hydrates can be formed under high pressure and low temperature. However, SF6 gas is known to form hydrate under relatively milder conditions. Therefore, technological and economical effects could be expected for the separation of SF6 gas from waste gas mixtures. In this study, we carried out morphological study for the SF6 hydrate crystals to understand its formation and growth mechanisms. The observations were made in high-pressure optical cell charged with liquid water and SF6 gas at constant pressure and temperature. Initially SF6 hydrate formed at the surface between gas and liquid regions, and then subsequent dendrite crystals grew at the wall above the gas/water interface. The visual observations of crystal nucleation, migration, growth and interference were reported. The detailed growth characteristics of SF6 hydrate crystals were discussed in this study.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.24-27
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• 2009

Solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have been constructed employing supramolecular electrolytes with multiple hydrogen bonding. A supramolecule was facilely synthesized by one-pot reaction between the amines of methyl isocytosine (MIC) and the epoxy groups of poly(ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether) (PEGDGE) to produce quadruple hydrogen bonding units. Hydrogen bonding interactions and dissolution behavior of salt in supramolecular electrolytes are investigated. The ionic conductivity of the supramolecular electrolytes with ionic liquid, i.e. 1-methyl-3-propylimidazolium iodide (MPII) reaches $8.5{\times}10^{-5}$ S/cm at room temperature, which is higher than that with metal salt (KI). A worm-like morphology is observed in the FE-SEM micrographs of $TiO_2$ nanoporous layer, due to the connection of $TiO_2$ nanoparticles resulting from adequate coating by electrolytes. DSSCs employing the supramolecular electrolytes with MPII and KI exhibit an energy conversion efficiency of 2.5 % and 0.5 %, respectively, at 100 $mW/cm^2$, indicating the importance of the cation of salt. Solar cell performances were further improved up to 3.7 % upon introduction of poly(ethylene glycol dimethyl ether) (PEGDME) with 500 g/mol.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.275-284
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• 2000

The organ culture model of the whole mammary gland has many advantages for the study of branching morphogenesis and biological characteristics, including tumorigenesis. Prior to whole gland organ culture, rats were treated with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) or N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) for one week. The tramdorming effect and the morphological changes were assessed by the whole mount preparations and histopathological examination in terminal end buds (TEB), terminal ducts (TD), alveolar buds (AB), alveolar lobules (AL) and hyperplastic alveolar nodules (HAN) of the mammary gland. Grossfindings of the mammary glands at dissection were higher branching morphogenesis and larger volume in carcinogen-treated groups than in carcinogen-non-treated groups. Results of the whole mount method were coincided with those of the histopathological observations. Circular TEB, normally maintained AB, AL, and high cellular density were more frequently observed in carcinogen-treated groups than in carcinogen-nan-treated groups. Histopathologically, as a preneoplastic marker, HAN was maintained only in mammary organ culture of the carcinogen-treated groups. These findings suggest that in vivo trans-formation effects by carcinogens persisted during the mammary organ culture. These results were more characteristic in DMBA than in MNU-treated group. Ducts and terminal ducts appeared to have lost morphology during their growths in case of without diethylstilbestrol (DES). The fact that in vitro organ culture without DES was resulted in abnormal ductular morphogenesis confirms that DES is a physiological regulator of ductular epithelial cell growth.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.544-545
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• 2013

Recently, low-temperature atmospheric-pressure plasmas have been investigated [1,2] for biomedical applications and surface treatments. Experiments for improving hydrophilicity of stainless steel (SUS 304) plate with atmospheric microwave argon and H2O2 mixture plasma jet [3] were carried out and experimental measurements and plasma simulations were conducted for investigating the characteristics of plasma for the process. After 30 s of low power (under 10 W) and low temperature (under $50^{\circ}C$) plasma treatment, the water contact angle decreased rapidly to around $10^{\circ}$ from $75^{\circ}$ and was maintained under $30^{\circ}$ for a day (24 hours). The surface free energy, calculated from the contact angles, increased. The chemical properties of the surface were examined by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and the surface morphology and roughness were examined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) respectively. The characteristics of plasma sources with several frequencies were investigated by Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) measurement and one-dimensional Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulation and zero-dimensional global simulation [4]. The relation between plasma components and the efficacy of the surface modification were discussed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.918-927
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• 2016

Cryptococcus neoformans is a life-threatening pathogenic yeast that causes devastating meningoencephalitis. The mechanism of cryptococcal brain invasion is largely unknown, and recent studies suggest that its extracellular microvesicles may be involved in the invasion process. The 14-3-3 protein is abundant in the extracellular microvesicles of C. neoformans, and the 14-3-3-GFP fusion has been used as the microvesicle's marker. However, the physiological role of 14-3-3 has not been explored. In this report, we have found that C. neoformans contains a single 14-3-3 gene that apparently is an essential gene. To explore the functions of 14-3-3, we substituted the promoter region of the 14-3-3 with the copper-controllable promoter CTR4. The CTR4 regulatory strain showed an enlarged cell size, drastic changes in morphology, and a decrease in the thickness of the capsule under copper-enriched conditions. Furthermore, the mutant cells produced a lower amount of total proteins in their extracellular microvesicles and reduced adhesion to human brain microvascular endothelial cells in vitro. Proteomic analyses of the protein components under 14-3-3-overexpressed and -suppressed conditions revealed that the 14-3-3 function(s) might be associated with the microvesicle biogenesis. Our results support that 14-3-3 has diverse pertinent roles in both physiology and pathogenesis in C. neoformans. Its gene functions are closely relevant to the pathogenesis of this fungus.