• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.317-321
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• 2008

Macrophages play a key role in iron metabolism by recycling iron through erythrophagocytosis. Ferroportin-l (FPN1) is a transporter protein that is known to mediate iron export from macrophages. Since divalent metals often interact with iron metabolism, we examined if divalent metals could regulate the expression of FPN1 in macrophages. J774 macrophage cells were treated with copper, manganese, zinc, or cobalt at 10, 50, or $100\;{\mu}M$ for 16 to 24 h. Then, FPN1 mRNA and protein levels were determined by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot analyses, respectively. In addition, effects of divalent metals on FPN1 promoter activity were examined by luciferase reporter assays. Results showed that copper significantly increased FPN1 mRNA levels in a dose-dependent manner. The copper-induced expression of FPN1 mRNA was associated with a corresponding increase in FPN1 protein levels. Also, copper directly stimulated the activity of FPN1 promoter-driven reporter construct. In contrast, manganese and zinc had no effect on the FPN1 gene expression in J774 cells. Interestingly, cobalt treatment in J774 cells decreased FPN1 protein levels without affecting FPN1 mRNA levels. In conclusion, our study results demonstrate that divalent metals differentially regulate FPN1 expression in macrophages and indicate a potential interaction of divalent metals with the FPN1-mediated iron export in macrophages.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.603-610
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• 2008

A mathematical model was developed to understand how the presence of plants affects vertical profiles of electron acceptors, their reduced species, and trace metals in the wetland sediments. The model accounted for biodegradation of organic matter utilizing sequential electron acceptors and subsequent chemical reactions using stoichiometric relationship. These biogeochemical reactions were affected by the combined effects of oxygen release and evapotranspiration driven by wetland plants. The measured data showed that $SO_4{^{2-}}$ concentrations increased at the beginning of the growing season and then gradually decreased. Based on the measured data, it was hypothesized that the limitation of the solid phase sulfide in direct contact with the roots may result in the gradual decrease of $SO_4{^{2-}}$ concentrations. With the dynamic formulation for the limitation of the solid phase sulfide, model simulated time variable sulfate profiles using published model parameters. Oxygen release from roots produced divalent metal species (i.e. $Cd^{2+}$) as well as oxidized sulfur species (i.e. $SO_4{^{2-}}$) in the sediment pore water. Evapotranspiration-induced advection increased flux of divalent metal species from the overlying water column into the rhizosphere. The increased divalent metal species were converted to the metal sulfide with sufficient FeS around the rhizosphere, which contributed to the decrease of bioavailability and toxicity of divalent metal activity in the pore water. Since the divalent metal activity is a good predictor of the metal bioavailability, this model with a proper simulation of solid phase sulfide plays an essential role to predict the dynamics of trace metals in the wetland sediments.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.399-409
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• 1999

The three domestic natural zeolites(Yong dong-ri (Y), Daesin-ri (D), Seogdong-ri (S)) harvested in Kyeongju-shi and Pohang-shi, Kyungsangbug-Do, were pretreatd with each of the NaOH, $Ca(OH)_2$ and NaOH following HCl solutions, and the removal performances of divalent haevy metals(Cu, Mn, Pb, and Sr) for natural and pretreated zeolites were investigated and compared in the single and mixed solutions. The natural zeolite-heavy metal system attained the final equilibrium plateau within 20 min, irrespective of initial heavy metal concentration. The heavy metal uptakes increased with increasing initial heavy metal concentration and pH. The heavy metal uptakes for natural zeolites decreased in the following sequences : D>Y>S among the natural zeolites; Pb>Cu>Sr>Mn among the heavy metals. The pretreated zeolites showed higher heavy metal removal performances than natural zeolites and decreased in the order of NaOH, NaOH following HCl, $Ca(OH)_2$ treatment among the pretreatment methods. The heavy metal ion exchange capacity by natural and pretreated zeolites was described either by Freundlich equation or Langmuir equation, but it followed the former better than the latter. The heavy metal uptakes for natural zeolites decreased in the mixed solution, in comparing with those in the single solution and especially, the manganese uptake decreased greatly in the mixed solution. The pretreated zeolites showed the improved removal performances of heavy metals in the mixed solution than in the single solution and the heavy metal uptakes by those in the mixed solution showed the same trends in the single solution among the chemical treatment methods and heavy metals.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.90-95
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• 2000

The ferrites, CuFe2O4 and SrFe12O129, were applied to decompose H2O for H2 generation. The ferrites prepared by the coprecipitation were reduced by CH4 gas to make the oxygen deficient ferrite. H2O was decomposed to form H2 by the oxygen deficient iron oxide, and the decomposition reactions were accelerated by the addition of divalent metals such as Cu and Sr in the ferrites. The spinel type CuFe2O4 containing a relatively large amount of divalent metals was more effective to H2 generation than magnetoplumbite type SrFe12O19 in H2O decomposition.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.779-781
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• 2001

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.113-117
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• 2014

The mechanisms by which iron is absorbed are similar to those of divalent metals, particularly manganese, lead, and cadmium. These metals, however, show different toxicokinetics in relation to menarche or menopause, although their interaction with iron is the same. This review focuses on the kinetics of these three toxic metals (manganese, lead, and cadmium) in relation to menarche, pregnancy, and menopause. The iron-manganese interaction is the major factor determining sex-specific differences in blood manganese levels throughout the whole life cycle. The effects of estrogen overshadow the association between iron deficiency and increased blood lead concentrations, explaining why women, despite having lower ferritin concentrations, have lower blood lead concentrations than men. Iron deficiency is associated with elevated cadmium levels in premenopausal women, but not in postmenopausal women or men; these findings indicate that sex-specific differences in cadmium levels at older ages are not due to iron-cadmium interactions, and that further studies are required to identify the source of these differences. In summary, the potential causes of sex-specific differences in the blood levels of manganese, lead, and cadmium differ from each other, although all these three metals are associated with iron deficiency. Therefore, other factors such as estrogen effects, or absorption rate as well as iron deficiency, should be considered when addressing environmental exposure to toxic metals and sex-specific differences in the blood levels of these metals.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.57 no.8
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• pp.345-350
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• 2014

Iron deficiency affects approximately one-third of the world's population, occurring most frequently in children aged 6 months to 3 years. Mechanisms of iron absorption are similar to those of other divalent metals, particularly manganese, lead, and cadmium, and a diet deficient in iron can lead to excess absorption of manganese, lead, and cadmium. Iron deficiency may lead to cognitive impairments resulting from the deficiency itself or from increased metal concentrations caused by the deficiency. Iron deficiency combined with increased manganese or lead concentrations may further affect neurodevelopment. We recently showed that blood manganese and lead concentrations are elevated among iron-deficient infants. Increased blood manganese and lead levels are likely associated with prolonged breast-feeding, which is also a risk factor for iron deficiency. Thus, babies who are breast-fed for prolonged periods should be given plain, iron-fortified cereals or other good sources of dietary iron.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 1997.05a
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• pp.8-11
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• 1997

Current methods of evaluating soil contamination by heavy metals rely on analyzing samples for total contents of metals or quantities recovered in various chemical extracting solutions. Results from these approaches provide only an index for evaluation because these methodologies yield values not directly related to bioavailability of soil-borne metals. In addition, even though concentrations of metals may be less than those required to cause toxic effects to biota, they may cause substantial effects on soil chemical parameters that determine soil quality and sustainable productivity. The objective of this research was to characterize effects of Cu or Cd additions on soil solution chemistry of soil quality indices, such as pH, EC, nutrient cation distribution and quantity/intensity relations (buffer capacity). Metals were added at rates ranging from 0 to 400 mg/kg of soil. Soil solution was sequentially extracted from saturated pastes using vacuum. Concentrations of Cu or Cd remaining in soil solutions were very low as compared to those added to the soils, warranting that most of the added metals were recovered as nonavailable (strongly adsorbed) fractions. Adsorption of the added metals released cations into soil solution causing increases of soluble cation contents and thus ionic strength of soil solution. At metal additions of 200~400 mg/kg, EC of soil solution increased to as much as 2~4 dS/m; salinity levels considered high enough to cause detrimental effects on plant production. More divalent cations (Ca+Mg) than monovalent cations (K+Na) were exchanged by Cu or Cd adsorption. The loss of exchangeable nutrient cations decreased long-term nutrient supplying capacity or each soil. At 100 mg/kg or metal loading, the buffering capacity was decreased by 60%. pH of soil solution decreased linearly with increasing metal loading rates, with a decrement of up to 1.3 units at 400 mg Cu/kg addition. Influences of Cu on each of these soil quality parameters were consistently greater than those of Cd. These effects were of a detrimental nature and large enough in most cases to significantly impact soil productivity. It is clear that new protocols are needed for evaluating potential effects of heavy metal loading of soils.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.1337-1345
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• 2011

The removal performances of divalent heavy metal ions ($Pb^{2+}$, $Cu^{2+}$, $Cd^{2+}$, $Sr^{2+}$ and $Mn^{2+}$) were studied using the Na-P1 zeolite synthesized from Jeju scoria in the batch and continuous fixed column reactor. The uptakes of heavy metal ions by synthetic Na-P1 zeolite decreased in the order of $Pb^{2+}$ > $Cu2^{2+}$ > $Cd^{2+}$ > $Sr^{2+}$ > $Mn^{2+}$ based on the selectivity of each ion to ionic exchange site of Na-P1 zeolite for single and mixed solutions in batch or continuous fixed column reactor. For mixed solution, each heavy metal ion uptake was lower than that in single solution, and especially the uptake for $Mn^{2+}$ decreased greatly. In batch reactor, the uptakes of heavy metal ions by synthetic Na-P1 zeolite were described by Freundlich or Langmuir equation, but they followed the former better than the latter. In continuous fixed column reactor, the maximum ion exchange capacity obtained for each of heavy metal ions, was about 90----- of that in batch reactor. The uptakes of heavy metal ions by synthetic Na-P1 zeolite increased with the increase of initial heavy metal concentration and solution pH, and the decrease of the amount and particle size of synthetic zeolite.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Bioinformatics Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.5-5
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• 2003

The purple acid phosphatases comprise a family of binuclear metal-containing enzymes. The metal centre contains one ferric ion and one divalent metal ion. Spectroscopic studies of the monomeric, ${\sim}$36 kDa mammalian purple acid phosphatases reveal the presence of an Fe(III)Fe(II) centre in which the metals are weakly antiferromagnetically coupled, whereas the dimeric, ${\sim}$110 000 kDa plant enzymes contain either Fe(III)Zn(II) or Fe(III)Mn(II). The three dimensional structures of the red kidney bean and pig enzymes show very similar arrangements of the metal ligands but some significant differences beyond the immediate vicinity of the metals. In addition to the catalytic domain, the plant enzyme contains a second domain of unknown function. A search of sequence databases was undertaken using a sequence pattern which includes the conserved metal-binding residues in the plant and animal enzymes. The search revealed the presence in plants of a 'mammalian-type' low molecular weight purple acid phosphatase, a high molecular weight form in some fungi, and a homologue in some bacteria. The catalytic mechanism of the enzyme has been investigated with a view to understanding the marked difference in specificity between the Fe-Mn sweet potato enzyme, which exhibits highly efficient catalysis towards both activated and unactivated phosphate esters, and other PAPs, which hydrolyse only activated esters. Comparison of the active site structures of the enzymes reveal some interesting differences between them which may account for the difference. The implications fur understanding the physiological functions of the enzymes will be discussed.