• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.99-110
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• 1994

One consequence of fertilization in mammals is an increased resistance of the zona pellucida (ZP) to proteases and various chemical reagents. This phenomenon has been called 'zona pellucida hardening' (ZPH), and it is generally accepted that it is caused by the secretory products of cortical granules released by the egg at fertilization. ZP of mouse oocytes maturing in vitro in a chemically defined medium becomes progressively more resistant to solubilization by chymotrypsin ("Spontaneous" ZP hardening). In the present study, it was aimed to find the specificity of spontaneous ZPH in relation to its possible relevance to the cortical reaction and the physiological block to polyspermy. When a maturation inhibitors, cAMP analog(dbcAMP) and phosphodiesterase inhibitor (IBMX) was added to culture medium, it prevent spontaneous ZPH of mouse oocyte during in vitro culture. Thus spontaneous ZPH requires GVBD, since it is prevented by those agents, which inhibit GVBD in vitro. However, culture for 3 hours in the presence of PMA(lOng/ml), a protein kinase C activator, resulted in ZPH without GVBD, thus suggesting that ZPH may be regulated independently apart from the event of GVBD. Pretreatment of mouse oocyte with FBS result in partially inhibitory effect on subsequent spontaneous ZPH. Induction of GVBD in vivo had a inhibitory effect on the spontaneous ZPH, but subsequent spontaneous ZPH. Induction of GVBD in vivo had a inhinbitory effect on the spontaneous ZPII, but had no inhibitory effect on PMA-induced ZPH. Treatment with a microfilament formation blocker(cytochalasin-B) at 1${\mu}g$/ml concentration, resulted in the excellent inhibitory effect on spontaneous ZPH. However cytochalasin-B did not inhibit PMA-induced ZPH. Thus this suggesting that spontaneuse ZPH had a different mechanism from PMA-induced ZPH.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.185-190
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• 1982

A strain of Streptomyces sp. (YS-40) which was able to produce penicillinase, was isolated from soil and the enzymatic characteristics of this enzyme were investigated. The crude enzyme was obtained with the fractionation by 80 % cold acetone. The optimal temperature and pH of this enzyme was 45$^{\circ}C$ and 5.0 respectively. The stable pH range of the enzyme was between pH 5.5 and 8.0 at 37$^{\circ}C$. By heat treatment at 6$0^{\circ}C$ and 8$0^{\circ}C$ for 10 min, the remained relative activities were about 50%, 30% respectively. The activity of the enzyme was inhibited by Cu$^{＋＋}$, $_Mn^{＋＋}$, Zn$^{＋＋}$ but Co$^{＋＋}$, Li$^{＋＋}$, $Ca^{＋＋}$, $Mg^{＋＋}$ $Ba^{＋＋}$ did not affect. Among 11 chemical reagents, ethylenedi aminetetra-acetic acid disodium salt (EDTA-2Na), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium fluoride inhibited the enzyme activity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.83-93
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• 2006

The aim of this study is to develop a simple and rapid field method for the determination of chloride content in tobacco green or cured leaves. To set up a practical process, several factors such as the proper sampling position of each leaf, the size of leaf lamina pieces for blending, the substitution of deionized water fur the extracting solution, 0.1N $HNO_3$, the submerging durations before blending, and the standing times before measuring were studied using flue-cured and burley tobacco with a stable and reproducible Chloride Meter, KRK CL-2Z. From the results, chloride contents of tobacco leaves could be analyzed with the Chloride Meter(CL-2Z) using the suspension of 14 mm diameter leaf disks after soaking in distilled water for 30 min., blending with a mini-blender for 30 seconds. The chloride contents measured in this way showed highly significant correlations with ones by the conventional potentiometric method using an ion meter-chloride electrode and $AgNO_3$ titration. In our method, the procedures such as drying, powdering and weighing samples, and using chemical reagents for extraction (0.1N $HNO_3$) and titration(0.028N $AgNO_3$) could be eliminated. These results suggest that the newly constructed method using the Chloride Meter is more efficient to determine the chloride content of tobacco leave in comparison with the one by the Ion $Meter:AgNO_3$ titration.

• BMB Reports
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.409-416
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• 2003

The isoform 1 of cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase, EC 2.4.1.19) from Paenibacillus sp. A11 was purified by a preparative gel electrophoresis. The importance of histidine, tryptophan, tyrosine, and carboxylic amino acids for isoform 1 activity is suggested by the modification of the isoform 1 with various group-specific reagents. Activity loss, when incubated with diethylpyrocarbonate (DEP), a histidine modifying reagent, could be protected by adding 25 mM methyl-$\beta$-cyclodextrin substrate prior to the modification. Inactivation kinetics of isoform 1 with DEP resulted in second-order rate constants ($k_{inactivation}$) of $29.5\;M^{-1}s^{-1}$. The specificity of the DEP-modified reaction for the histidine residue was shown by the correlation between the loss of isoform activity and the increase in the absorbance at 246 nm of N-carbethoxyhistidine. The number of histidines that were modified by DEP in the absence and presence of a protective substrate was estimated from the increase in the absorbance using a specific extinction coefficient of N-carbethoxyhistidine of $3,200\;M^{-1}cm^{-1}$. It was discovered that methyl-$\beta$-CD protected per mole of isoform 1, two histidine residues from the modification by DEP. To localize essential histidines, the native, the DEP-modified, and the protected forms of isoform 1 were digested by trypsin. The resulting peptides were separated by HPLC. The peptides of interest were those with $R_t$ 11.34 and 40.93 min. The molecular masses of the two peptides were 5,732 and 2,540 daltons, respectively. When the data from the peptide analysis were checked with the sequence of CGTase, then His-140 and His-327 were identified as essential histidines in the active site of isoform 1.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.03b
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• pp.666-669
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• 2008

Droplet in miniaturized microfluidic systems have received much focused attention recently. In this work, electrical charging phenomenon of a conducting water droplet on the electrode under the dc electric field is studied and using this phenomenon droplet actuation method for microreactor applications is experimentally demonstrated. To find effects of key factors, the effects of electric field, medium viscosity, and droplet size are investigated. A scaling law of charging for the conducting droplet is derived from the experimental results. Unlike the case of a perfect conductor, the estimated amount of electrical charge ($Q_{est}$) of a water droplet is proportional to the 1.59 power of the droplet radius (R) and the 1.33 power of the electric field strength (E). (For a spherical perfect conductor, Q is proportional to R2 and E.) It is thought that the differences are mainly due to incomplete charging of a water droplet resulted from the combined effect of electrochemical reaction at electrode and the relatively low conductivity of water. Using this phenomenon, we demonstrate the transport of the charged droplet and fusion of two oppositely-charged droplets. When electric field is subjected sequentially on the electrode, the charged droplet is transported on the electrode. For the visualization of fusion of charged droplets, the precipitation reaction is used. When subjected to a DC voltage, two droplets charged are moving and merging toward each other due to the Coulombic force and chemical reaction is simultaneously occurred by coalescence of droplets. It may be due to the interchange effect of charge. It is shown that the droplet can be used for microreactor where transporting, merging etc. of reagents constitute unit operation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.1736-1740
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• 2004

Since the application of relatively high levels of heavy metals in the compost poses a potential hazard to plants and animals, the content of heavy metals in the compost with animal manure is important to know if it is as a fertilizer. Measurement of heavy metals content in the compost by chemical methods usually requires numerous reagents, skilled labor and expensive analytical equipment. The objective of this study, therefore, was to explore the application of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS), a nondestructive, cost-effective and rapid method, for the prediction of heavy metals contents in compost. One hundred and seventy two diverse compost samples were collected from forty-seven compost facilities located along the Han river in Korea, and were analyzed for Cr, As, Cd, Cu, Zn and Pb levels using inductively coupled plasma spectrometry. The samples were scanned using a Foss NIRSystem Model 6500 scanning monochromator from 400 to 2,500 nm at 2 nm intervals. The modified partial least squares (MPLS), the partial least squares (PLS) and the principal component regression (PCR) analysis were applied to develop the most reliable calibration model, between the NIR spectral data and the sample sets for calibration. The best fit calibration model for measurement of heavy metals content in compost, MPLS, was used to validate calibration equations with a similar sample set (n=30). Coefficient of simple correlation (r) and standard error of prediction (SEP) were Cr (0.82, 3.13 ppm), As (0.71, 3.74 ppm), Cd (0.76, 0.26 ppm), Cu (0.88, 26.47 ppm), Zn (0.84, 52.84 ppm) and Pb (0.60, 2.85 ppm), respectively. This study showed that NIRS is a feasible analytical method for prediction of heavy metals contents in compost.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.469-477
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• 1994

Many researchers have investigated most representative sequential extraction method using various reagents for determining the chemical forms of metals in soils and sediments. In this paper, a newly modified method for sequential extraction scheme based on Tessier's method by Environmental Geochemistry Research, Centre for Environmental Technology, Imperial College, was introduced and examined. In comparison with Tessier's method, originally designed for sediment analysis by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS), the sequential extraction scheme has been developed for the multi-element analysis by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES). The partitioning of particulate trace elements was classified into five fractions: (i) exchangeable, (ii) bound to carbonates or specially adsorbed, (iii) bound to Fe and Mn oxides, (iv) bound to organic matter and sulphides and (v) residuals. The experimental results of the pilot study for in-house reference material (HRM2) and certified international standard reference material (SRM2711) using the modified method showed not only reasonable precision and accuracy but also acceptable overall recovery rates. In addition, mine dump soils sampled in the Dalsung Cu-W mine, Korea were prepared and sequentially extracted using the method. Most of Cu was bound to organic matter/sulphides and residual fractions. The dominant fraction of soil Pb and Zn in the study area was found in the residuals. The fraction of Cd showed a wide variation between samples and could be found bound to the carbonates or specially adsorbed, oxides, organic fraction and residuals. The recovery rates of Cd, however, were poor due to relatively low Cd concentrations in soils. The heavy metals in these mine dumps appear to be in the more inert forms and should not be readily bioavailable. The soils, however, had very low pH values (average 4.1) and had sandy textures; consequently, rapid infiltration of rainfall may increase leaching of Zn and Cd which were found to be around 5 to 10% of the exchangeable fraction. As a result of the investigation of this study, it has been strongly recommended that these mine waste materials should still be considered a significant contaminant source and will need environmental remediation to prevent pollutants from being released into the environment.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.392-398
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• 1996

Eleven organic chemical substances, tetrachloroethylene, ethyl benzene, p-xylene, o-xylene, isopropyl benzene, n-propyl benzene. 1,2,4-trimethyl benzene, 1,3,5-trimethyl benzene, p-isopropyl toluene. see-butyl benzene, and naphthalene, which have hazardously influenced to human, were extracted from untreated wastewater collected at 26 companies of 8 types industry in the basin of Kwangju stream. Their structures were elucidated by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry(GC/MS) and in comparison with each standard reagents.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.15 no.2 s.46
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• pp.107-117
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• 2006

The status of water splitting thermochemical cycle for hydrogen production was reviewed in this article. Mass production of hydrogen could be possible using the thermochemical process which is similar to the concept of conventional chemical reaction system if the high temperature heat source is available. The mediators (chemicals and reagents) should be used to split chemically stable water, and should be recycled in a closed cycle in order to be environmentally acceptable. Though there is no process to reach commercial stage, IS cycle, two-step cycles based on metallic oxide such as ZnO/Zn, $Fe_3O_4/FeO$ and the associated cycles are attracted due to their possibilities of application. Development of materials for high temperature and/or corrosive conditions during thermochemical process is still important topic in some thermochemical processes.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.1021-1027
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• 1997

We examined some properties of yeast cell wall lytic enzyme produced by Dicyma sp. YCH-37. Several metal ions, reducing reagents, and chemical modifiers have little effects on the lytic activity, except guanidine-HCl. Yeast cells of early log phase were more susceptible to the enzyme than those of stationary phase, and heat-treated cells were more easily lysed than intact living ones. Yeast cells pretreated with organic solvents such as butanol and acetone were more susceptible to the enzyme than intact living ones. Yeast cells cultured in Yeast extract-Malt extract medium containing 0.5 M ammonium sulfate were easily lysed by the lytic enzyme, and yeast cells cultured without shaking were more easily lysed by the enzyme than those with shaking. When SDS, ${\beta}-mercaptoethanol$, Triton X-100, sodium sulfite, and KCl were added to enzyme reaction mixture each, lysis of yeast cells was more effective.