• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.214-222
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• 2015

Aeromonas hydrophila is the most common water fish pathogen and cause diseases such as hemorrhagic septicemia, dropsy, ulceration and asymptomatic septicemia. A. hydrophila secretes many extracellular products (ECPs) which contribute to effective infection, wide distribution and great adaptability to environmental changes. Crude ECPs of A. hydrophila CK257, a strain used in this study, exhibits a toxic activity to the animals including mouse, rabbit and fish. Toxic symptoms were indicated by tissue damage and skin injuries in animal. When ECPs were subcutaneously injected to animals, skin damages were observed, appearing like necrosis. Preliminary research demonstrated that the active factors are protein component. The crude ECPs were collected after ammonium sulfate precipitation of cell-free culture supernatant. ECPs were fractionated with the use gel filtration chromatography. Five ECP fractions were obtained, of which one fraction was found to be toxic to goldfish. MALDI-TOF analyses provided two interesting proteases called M35 and M28. Both M35 and M28 are known as metalloprotease. Accordingly, proteins in an active fraction exhibited caseinolytic activity. These proteins were difference of caseinolytic activity under different metallic ions. Also active fraction has elastolytic activity. These results suggested that peptidase M28 and M35 may be a candidate factor for tissue necrosis activity about infection with A. hydrophila.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.114-123
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• 2005

Nitropyrene, the predominant nitropolycyclic hydrocarbon found in diesel exhaust, is a mutagenic and tumorigenic environmental pollutant that requires metabolic activation via nitroreduction and ring oxidation. In order to determine the role of ring oxidation in the mutagenicity of 1-nitropyrene, its oxidative metabolites, 1-nitropyrene 4,5-oxide and 1-nitropyrene 9,10-oxide, were synthesized and their mutation spectra were determined in the coding region of hprt gene of CHO cells by a PCR amplification of reverse-transcribed hprt mRNA, followed by a DNA sequence analysis. A comparison of the two metabolites for mutation frequencies showed that 1-nitropyrene 9,10-oxide was 2-times higher than 1-nitropyrene 4,5-oxide. The mutation spectrum for 1-nitropyrene 4,5-oxide was base substitutions (33/49), one base deletions (11/49) and exon deletions (5/49). In the case of 1-nitropyrene 9,10-oxide, base substitutions (27/50), one base deletions (15/50), and exon deletions (8/50) were observed. Base substitutions were distributed randomly throughout the hprt gene. The majority of the base substitutions in mutant from 1-nitropyrene 4,5-oxide treated cells were $A{\rightarrow}G$ transition (15/33) and $G{\rightarrow}A$ transition (8/33). The predominant base substitution, $A{\rightarrow}G$ transition (11/27) and $G{\rightarrow}A$ transition (8/27), were also observed in mutant from 1-nitropyrene 9,10-oxide treated cells. The mutation at the site of adenine and guanine was consistent with the previous results, where the sites of DNA adduct formed by these compounds were predominant at the sites of purines. A comparison of the mutational patterns between 1-nitropyrene 4,5-oxide and 1-nitropyrene 9,10-oxide showed that there were no significant differences in the overall mutational spectrum. These results indicate that each oxidative metabolite exhibits an equal contribution to the mutagenicity of 1-nitropyrene, and ring oxidation of 1-nitropyrene is an important metabolic pathway to the formation of significant lethal DNA lesions.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.57-68
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• 1997

Climatic change of the late-Quaternary period has been record-ed in the loess deposits of the central Great plains and the record of such change is extractable using a number of approaches and parameters. The stratigraphy of loess deposits which have been investigated on Fort Riley exhibits the same sequence of loess units and intercalated buried soils as is found elsewhere in the re-gion but adds detail unique to the reservation Upland late-Qua-ternary composite stratigraphy preserved on the reservation con-sists of the basal Sangamon soil of the Last interglacial(c. 120-110ka), Gilman Canyon Formation(c. >40 -20ka), Peoria loess(c. 20 -10ka) Brady soil(c. 11 -10ka) Bignell loess(c. 9-\ulcornerka). and mod-ern surface soil. Application of magnetic analyses has provided proxy data sets that represent a time series of climatically regulated pedogenesis/weathering and botanical composition. magetic data have yielded an impression of the variation in climate from Sangamon time to the late Holocene through a reconstruction of the history of pedogenesis/weathering. Sangamon soil formation dominated the reservation durin the Last interglacial as indicated by magnetic parameters. During Gil-man Canyon time loess influx was usually sufficiently slow as to permit pedogenesis which appears to have been at a maximum twice during that time. Warm season grasses were important dur-ing soil formation but diminished in importance during the peri-ods of more rapid loess fall which were cooler and perhaps wet-ter. Peoria loess fall a function of the deterioration of climate during the last Glacial Maximum thinly blanketed the reservation with thickest accumulations occurring to the north-west(Bala Cemetery site)proximal to the source region. Long-term surface stability did not apparently occur within Peoria time but short-term stability may be indicaed by the presence of thin weathering zones(incipient soils) in the Peoria loess. Re-gional landscape stability prevailed during the environmental shift at the Pleistocene/Holocene transition resulting in forma-tion of the well expressed Brady soil. One or more weak soils developed in the Bignell loess as it ac-cumulated. A notable feature of the Bignell loess is the appear-ance of the Altithermal dry period: the loess experienced little weathering and was dominated by warm season grasses until the latter of the Holocene.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.737-744
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• 2021

Spray paving minimizes material lost during the construction or repair of a road surface, and it can be done in conjunction with tack coating. This approach involves applying the asphalt mixture at the same time as spraying the tack coat by attaching a spraying device to the asphalt paver. When applying an asphalt overlay to an aged concrete surface, it is important to ensure the adhesion performance between different material properties. Accordingly, there is a need for a tack coat that can be applied by spray paving and that exhibits good adhesive performance on different materials. In this study, bonding strength tests under various conditions were performed to evaluate the basic performance of a tack coat developed for use with a spray paver. The bonding performance of the tack coat was observed to be affected by curing conditions and material lost during construction. The test results also showed that the tensile and shear bonding strengths of the developed tack coat were 1.21 and 1.99 times higher than those of a conventional one, respectively. As a result, the developed tack coat is considered suitable for application to spray paving.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.39-43
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• 2022

Plasmodium vivax exhibits dormant liver-stage parasites, called hypnozoites, which can cause relapse of malaria. The only drug currently used for eliminating hypnozoites is primaquine. The antimalarial properties of primaquine are dependent on the production of oxidized metabolites by the cytochrome P450 isoenzyme 2D6 (CYP2D6). Reduced primaquine metabolism may be related to P. vivax relapses. We describe a case of 4 episodes of recurrence of vivax malaria in a patient with decreased CYP2D6 function. The patient was 52-year-old male with body weight of 52 kg. He received total gastrectomy and splenectomy 7 months before the first episode and was under chemotherapy for the gastric cancer. The first episode occurred in March 2019 and each episode had intervals of 34, 41, and 97 days, respectively. At the first and second episodes, primaquine was administered as 15 mg for 14 days. The primaquine dose was increased with 30 mg for 14 days at the third and fourth episodes. Seven gene sequences of P. vivax were analyzed and revealed totally identical for all the 4 samples. The CYP2D6 genotype was analyzed and intermediate metabolizer phenotype with decreased function was identified.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.285-290
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• 2023

Poly-lactic acid (PLA) is the most promising polymer in additive manufacturing as an alternative to acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). Since it is produced from renewable resources such as corn starch and sugar beets, it is also biocompatible and biodegradable. However, PLA has a couple of issues that limit its use. First, it has a comparatively low glass transition temperature of around 60 ℃, such that it exhibits low thermal resistance. Second, PLA has low impact strength because it is brittle. Due to these problems, scientists have found methods to improve the crystallinity and ductility of PLA. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is one of the most studied plasticizers for PLA to give it chain mobility. However, the blend of PLA and PEG becomes unstable, and phase separation occurs even at room temperature as PEG is self-crystallized. Thus, it is necessary to investigate the optimal mixing ratio of PLA-PEG at the molecular scale. In this study, molecular dynamics will be conducted with various ratios of L-type PLA (PLLA) or DL-type PLA-PEG (PDLA-PEG) systems by using BIOVIA Materials Studio.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.41-51
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• 2024

The Sincheon wetland shows a remarkable diversity of fluvial landforms, such as river islands, anastomosing channels, braided channels, and sand-gravel bars, which contribute to its rich ecological habitat. The wetland area is characterized by a ecological diversity of herbaceous and woody plants. Significant changes in land cover within the wetlands were observed from 2008 to 2020. Notably, there was a rapid decrease in agricultural area from 18% to 0.04%, while the vegetation area expanded from 45% to 54%. Concurrently, the water area also experienced a notable increase from 34% to 41%. The surface sediment composition in the studied area displays sandy loam characteristics and exhibits acidic soil properties. Sediment acidity tends to increase downstream and in the central part of channels. Variations in acidity are also observed at nearby collection sites due to the tributaries and local discharge. The presence of dense vegetation in river islands and bars has led to a significant transformation of sediments into soil, with this change being more pronounced downstream, particularly near the weirs. The installation of a weir in Sincheon wetland is believed to have a significant impact on altering flow velocities between upstream and downstream sections, as well as influencing erosion and sediment deposition patterns. However, given the formation of landforms in response to weirs, effective administration and management are essential to address potential risks of catastrophic environmental disruptions, such as the removal of weirs and/or the maintenance of river channels.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.139-146
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• 2024

Various injection materials, such as asphalt-based injection materials, urethane-based injection materials, cement- based injection materials, and acrylic-based injection materials, are used for the repair of aged conduits and underground structures with cracks. In this study, research was conducted on an environmentally friendly acrylic- based leak repair material that exhibits good curing properties even in humid conditions and stability in temperature fluctuations. To compare the performance of the improved acrylic leak repair material with the existing acrylate injection material, experiments were conducted using KS standard methods, including underwater length change rate tests, underwater leakage resistance tests, and chemical performance tests. The comparative experiments revealed that the improved acrylic leak repair material showed no changes in shrinkage due to humidity, temperature variations, or chemical reactions compared to the existing acrylate injection material. In the underwater resistance test, the improved acrylic leak repair material did not show any leakage. Additionally, to assess the environmental impact of the improved acrylic leak repair material, acute fish toxicity tests and acute oral toxicity tests were conducted, and the results showed no mortality and no specific concerns with the test specimens. The experimental results led to the conclusion that the improved acrylic leak repair material is considered to be superior in performance, environmentally safe, and harmless to the human body. Based on various experimental results, it is inferred that the improved acrylic leak repair material is suitable for use as a repair material for cracks in manholes and underground structures compared to the existing acrylate repair material. This study aims to propose valuable data for future technological development by evaluating the applicability of acrylic leak repair materials.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.121-134
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• 2016

We characterize the spatial distribution of Cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts covering the summit and slopes of a seamount in the western Pacific, using acoustic backscatter from multibeam echo sounders (MBES) and seafloor video observation. Based on multibeam bathymetric data, we identify that ~70% of the summit area of this flattopped seamount has slope gradients less than $5^{\circ}$. The histogram of the backscatter intensity data shows a bi-modal distribution, indicating significant variations in seabed hardness. On the one hand, visual inspection of the seafloor using deep-sea camera data exhibits that the steep slope areas with high backscatter are mainly covered by manganese crusts. On the other hand, the visual analyses for the summit reveal that the summit areas with relatively low backscatter are covered by sediments. The other summit areas, however, exhibit high acoustic reflectivity due to coexistence of manganese crusts and sediments. Comparison between seafloor video images and acoustic backscatter intensity suggests that the central summit has relatively flat topography and low backscatter intensity resulting from unconsolidated sediments. In addition, the rim of the summit and the slopes are of high acoustic reflectivity because of manganese crusts and/or bedrock outcrops with little sediments. Therefore, we find a strong correlation between the acoustic backscatter data acquired from sea-surface multibeam survey and the spatial distribution of sediments and manganese crusts. We propose that analyzing acoustic backscatter can be one of practical methods to select optimal minable areas of the ferromanganese crusts from seamounts for future mining.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.327-339
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• 1989

Cassiterite, tantalite, columbite and tantalian rutile are found as accessory minerals in Soonkyoung tin-bearing pegmatites. These minerals occur as finely disseminated specks of up to micro-size in diameter and coarse grain size varying from 0.5-50mm in albite, muscovite and quartz assemblage. Cassiterite geneally shows a moderate to intense pleochroism, having a color brownish yellow to deep reddish brown. The substitution of $Ta^{+5}$, $Nb^{+5}$, $Ti^{+4}$ and Fe* for $Sn^{+4}$ in cassiterite ranges 0.01-0.10 mol%. The zoned cassiterite give a higher Ta/Nb ratios in margin than the ratios in core. This is due to the preferential $Ta^{+5}$ affinity to lower temperature during the crystallization of cassiterite. Tantalite-columbite and tantalian rutile occur in cassitertie with exsolution texture and/or infiltrate into the micro-fissures of cassiterite with micro quartz vein. The compositions of tantalite-columbite show the wide ranges of $Ta_2O_5$ : 14-46 wt.%, $Nb_2O_5$ : 60-28 wt. % and FeO*: 10.15 wt.%. The variation of chemical composition in tantalit-columbite exhibits the decreasing trends of $Mn^{+2}/M^{+2}+Fe^*$ with $Ta^{+5}/Ta^{+5}+Nb^{+5}$ increasing. These trends of vatiations indicate that the Ta/Nb fractionation are enhanced by higher Ta-complex activity in late stage of pegmatite consolidation and lower activity of F in agreements with the F-and Li-micas not to be developed in Soonkyoung tin-bearing pegmatite.