• Title/Summary/Keyword: gel materials

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Change of Germination Rate for Chili Pepper and Chinese Cabbage Seed in Relation to Packaging Materials and Storage Conditions over 10 Years (보관용기 및 저장조건에 따른 고추 및 배추종자의 10년간 발아율 추이)

  • Soh, Eun Hee;Lee, Woo Moon;Park, Kee Woong;Choi, Keun Jin;Yoon, Moo Kyoung
    • Horticultural Science & Technology
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    • v.32 no.6
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    • pp.864-871
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    • 2014
  • Seed viability is affected by storage conditions and rapid loss of viability in storage is the major cause for low germination. This study was carried out to examine the effect of packaging materials and storage temperature on seed germination rate over 10 years in two species (Capsicum annuum L. and Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis) and determine effective storage conditions for maintaining seed viability. Seeds were packaged in aluminum poly pouches under vacuum, polyethylene bottles, and paper bags containing silica gel and stored under one of two controlled conditions ($15^{\circ}C$, RH 40% or $5^{\circ}C$, RH 30%) or at ambient condition. Seed germination was recorded at 6-month intervals for 10 years. The seeds of both species showed no decline in viability until 6.5 years at 15 or $5^{\circ}C$, irrespective of packaging materials. However, under ambient conditions, the seeds of chili pepper and Chinese cabbage in paper bags lost viability after 4 and 5 years, respectively. By contrast, seeds of both species in vacuum-aluminum poly pouches exhibited a 99% germination rate after 6 years under ambient conditions. Pepper seeds in the vacuum-aluminum poly pouches maintained a 93% germination rate after 10 years in ambient conditions. These results indicated that a special seed storage facility for maintaining viability of chili pepper and Chinese cabbage seed might not be essential and seed testing would not be necessary for 10 years, if chili pepper and Chinese cabbage seeds were packed in ambient/vacuum-aluminum poly pouches or $5^{\circ}C$/vacuum-aluminum poly pouches.

3-Dimensional ${\mu}m$-Scale Pore Structures of Porous Earth Materials: NMR Micro-imaging Study (지구물질의 마이크로미터 단위의 삼차원 공극 구조 규명: 핵자기공명 현미영상 연구)

  • Lee, Bum-Han;Lee, Sung-Keun
    • Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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    • v.22 no.4
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    • pp.313-324
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    • 2009
  • We explore the effect of particle shape and size on 3-dimensional (3D) network and pore structure of porous earth materials composed of glass beads and silica gel using NMR micro-imaging in order to gain better insights into relationship between structure and the corresponding hydrologic and seismological properties. The 3D micro-imaging data for the model porous networks show that the specific surface area, porosity, and permeability range from 2.5 to $9.6\;mm^2/mm^3$, from 0.21 to 0.38, and from 11.6 to 892.3 D (Darcy), respectively, which are typical values for unconsolidated sands. The relationships among specific surface area, porosity, and permeability of the porous media are relatively well explained with the Kozeny equation. Cube counting fractal dimension analysis shows that fractal dimension increases from ~2.5-2.6 to 3.0 with increasing specific surface area from 2.5 to $9.6\;mm^2/mm^3$, with the data also suggesting the effect of porosity. Specific surface area, porosity, permeability, and cube counting fractal dimension for the natural mongolian sandstone are $0.33\;mm^2/mm^3$, 0.017, 30.9 mD, and 1.59, respectively. The current results highlight that NMR micro-imaging, together with detailed statistical analyses can be useful to characterize 3D pore structures of various porous earth materials and be potentially effective in accounting for transport properties and seismic wave velocity and attenuation of diverse porous media in earth crust and interiors.

Current Status and Perspectives in Varietal Improvement of Rice Cultivars for High-Quality and Value-Added Products (쌀 품질 고급화 및 고부가가치화를 위한 육종현황과 전망)

  • 최해춘
    • KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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    • v.47
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    • pp.15-32
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    • 2002
  • The endeavors enhancing the grain quality of high-yielding japonica rice were steadily continued during 1980s-1990s along with the self-sufficiency of rice production and the increasing demands of high-quality rices. During this time, considerably great progress and success was obtained in development of high-quality japonica cultivars and quality evaluation techniques including the elucidation of interrelationship between the physicochemical properties of rice grain and the physical or palatability components of cooked rice. In 1990s, some high-quality japonica rice cultivars and special rices adaptable for food processing such as large kernel, chalky endosperm, aromatic and colored rices were developed and its objective preference and utility was also examined by a palatability meter, rapid-visco analyzer and texture analyzer, Recently, new special rices such as extremely low-amylose dull or opaque non-glutinous endosperm mutants were developed. Also, a high-lysine rice variety was developed for higher nutritional utility. The water uptake rate and the maximum water absorption ratio showed significantly negative correlations with the K/Mg ratio and alkali digestion value(ADV) of milled rice. The rice materials showing the higher amount of hot water absorption exhibited the larger volume expansion of cooked rice. The harder rices with lower moisture content revealed the higher rate of water uptake at twenty minutes after soaking and the higher ratio of maximum water uptake under the room temperature condition. These water uptake characteristics were not associated with the protein and amylose contents of milled rice and the palatability of cooked rice. The water/rice ratio (in w/w basis) for optimum cooking was averaged to 1.52 in dry milled rices (12% wet basis) with varietal range from 1.45 to 1.61 and the expansion ratio of milled rice after proper boiling was average to 2.63(in v/v basis). The major physicochemical components of rice grain associated with the palatability of cooked rice were examined using japonica rice materials showing narrow varietal variation in grain size and shape, alkali digestibility, gel consistency, amylose and protein contents, but considerable difference in appearance and texture of cooked rice. The glossiness or gross palatability score of cooked rice were closely associated with the peak, hot paste and consistency viscosities of viscosities with year difference. The high-quality rice variety "IIpumbyeo" showed less portion of amylose on the outer layer of milled rice grain and less and slower change in iodine blue value of extracted paste during twenty minutes of boiling. This highly palatable rice also exhibited very fine net structure in outer layer and fine-spongy and well-swollen shape of gelatinized starch granules in inner layer and core of cooked rice kernel compared with the poor palatable rice through image of scanning electronic microscope. Gross sensory score of cooked rice could be estimated by multiple linear regression formula, deduced from relationship between rice quality components mentioned above and eating quality of cooked rice, with high probability of determination. The $\alpha$-amylose-iodine method was adopted for checking the varietal difference in retrogradation of cooked rice. The rice cultivars revealing the relatively slow retrogradation in aged cooked rice were IIpumbyeo, Chucheongyeo, Sasanishiki, Jinbubyeo and Koshihikari. A Tonsil-type rice, Taebaegbyeo, and a japonica cultivar, Seomjinbyeo, showed the relatively fast deterioration of cooked rice. Generally, the better rice cultivars in eating quality of cooked rice showed less retrogradation and much sponginess in cooled cooked rice. Also, the rice varieties exhibiting less retrogradation in cooled cooked rice revealed higher hot viscosity and lower cool viscosity of rice flour in amylogram. The sponginess of cooled cooked rice was closely associated with magnesium content and volume expansion of cooked rice. The hardness-changed ratio of cooked rice by cooling was negatively correlated with solids amount extracted during boiling and volume expansion of cooked rice. The major physicochemical properties of rice grain closely related to the palatability of cooked rice may be directly or indirectly associated with the retrogradation characteristics of cooked rice. The softer gel consistency and lower amylose content in milled rice revealed the higher ratio of popped rice and larger bulk density of popping. The stronger hardness of rice grain showed relatively higher ratio of popping and the more chalky or less translucent rice exhibited the lower ratio of intact popped brown rice. The potassium and magnesium contents of milled rice were negatively associated with gross score of noodle making mixed with wheat flour in half and the better rice for noodle making revealed relatively less amount of solid extraction during boiling. The more volume expansion of batters for making brown rice bread resulted the better loaf formation and more springiness in rice breed. The higher protein rices produced relatively the more moist white rice bread. The springiness of rice bread was also significantly correlated with high amylose content and hard gel consistency. The completely chalky and large grain rices showed better suitability far fermentation and brewing. The glutinous rice were classified into nine different varietal groups based on various physicochemical and structural characteristics of endosperm. There was some close associations among these grain properties and large varietal difference in suitability to various traditional food processing. Our breeding efforts on improvement of rice quality for high palatability and processing utility or value-adding products in the future should focus on not only continuous enhancement of marketing and eating qualities but also the diversification in morphological, physicochemical and nutritional characteristics of rice grain suitable for processing various value-added rice foods.ice foods.

Mite-Control Activities of Active Constituents Isolated from Pelargonium graveolens Against House Dust Mites

  • Jeon, Ju-Hyun;Kim, Hyung-Wook;Kim, Min-Gi;Lee, Hoi-Seon
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.18 no.10
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    • pp.1666-1671
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    • 2008
  • The mite-control activities of materials obtained from Pelargonium graveolens oil against Dermatophagoides farinae and D. pteronyssinus were examined using an impregnated fabric disk bioassay and were compared with those shown by commercial benzyl benzoate and N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET). Purification of the biologically active constituents from P. graveolens oil was done by silica gel chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography. The structures of the active components were analyzed by EI/MS, $^{1}H$-NMR, $^{13}C$-NMR, $^{1}H-^{13}C$ COSY-NMR, and DEPT-NMR spectra, and were identified as geraniol ($C_{10}H_{18}O$, MW 154.25, trans-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadien-l-ol) and $\beta$-citronellol ($C_{10}H_{20}O$, MW 156.27, 3,7-dimethyl-6-octen-l-o1). Based on the $LD_{50}$ values, the most toxic compound was geraniol (0.26${\mu}g/cm^{2}$), followed by $\beta$-citronellol (0.28${\mu}g/cm^{2}$), benzyl benzoate (10.03${\mu}g/cm^{2}$), and DEET (37.12${\mu}g/cm^{2}$) against D. farillae. In the case of D. pteronyssinus, geraniol (0.28${\mu}g/cm^{2}$) was the most toxic, followed by $\beta$-citronellol (0.29${\mu}g/cm^{2}$), benzyl benzoate (9.58${\mu}g/cm^{2}$), and DEET (18.23${\mu}g/cm^{2}$). These results suggest that D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus may be controlled more effectively by the application of geraniol and $\beta$-citronellol than benzyl benzoate and DEET. Furthermore, geraniol and $\beta$-citronellol isolated from P. graveolens could be useful for managing populations of D. farinae and D. pterollyssinus.

Performance Evaluation of Backwash Hydrodynamic Separator Filter for Treatment of Micro Particles (역세척 Hydrodynamic Separator Filter를 이용한 미세입자 제거 특성 분석)

  • Lee, Jun-Ho;Bang, Ki-Woong
    • Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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    • v.34 no.10
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    • pp.694-701
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    • 2012
  • The main purpose of this study is to evaluate of backwash system of hydrodynamic separator filter (HSF) with solar powered submerged pumps. It consists of a photovoltaic solar array, control electronics, battery, and two submersible pump powered by a 12 voltage DC motor. The laboratory scale study on treatable potential of micro particles using backwash HSF that was a combined with perlite filter cartridge and backwash nozzles. Since it was not easy to use actual storm water in the scaled-down hydraulic model investigations, it was necessary to reproduce ranges of particle sizes with synthetic materials. The synthesized storm runoff was made with water and addition of particles; ion exchange resin partices, silica gel particles, and commercial area manhole sediment particles. HSF was made of acryl resin with 250 mm of diameter filter chamber and overall height of 800 mm. Four case test were performed with different backwashing conditions and determined the SS removal efficiency with various surface loading rates. The operated range of surface loading rate was about 308~$1,250m^3/m^2/day$. It was found that SS removal efficiency of HSF using two submersible pumps improved by about 18% compared with HSF without backwash. Nonpoint control devices with solar water pumping systems would be useful for backwashing the filter in areas with not suppling electricity and reduce filter media exchange cost.

Properties of Eco-friendly Acrylic Resin/Clay Nanocomposites Prepared by Non-aqueous Dispersion (NAD) Polymerization (비수계 분산중합으로 제조된 환경친화성 아크릴수지/나노클레이 복합재료의 특성 연구)

  • Kim, Yeongho;Lee, Minho;Jeon, Hyeonyeol;Lee, Young Chul;Min, Byong Hun;Kim, Jeong Ho
    • Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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    • v.54 no.1
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    • pp.120-126
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    • 2016
  • Eco-friendly acrylic resin/clay nanocomposites containing pristine montmorillonite (PM) or modified clays (30B and 25A) were prepared from acrylic and styrenic monomers using non-aqueous dispersion (NAD) polymerization. Effect of nanoclays on physical properties of polymerization product and resulting nanocomposites was investigated. In view of NAD particle stability, addition of nanoclay at the beginning of polymerization is proved to be good. Results of gel fraction, acid value and viscosity of the NAD product showed that nanocomposites containing clay 25A showed better physical properties than the ones with other clays. GPC results exhibit the increase in molecular weight and decrease in polydispersity index for the 25A nanocomposite. Increase in layer distance confirmed from XRD analysis showed good dispersion of 25A in the nanocomposite. Thermal and dynamic mechanical analysis showed that highest glass transition temperature and storage modulus for 25A nanocomposites. These results indicate that 25A nanoclay gives the best properties in the process of non-aqueous dispersion polymerization of acrylic resin/nanoclay nanocomposites.

Expression of SARS-3CL Protease in a Cell-Free Protein Synthesis System (무세포 단백질 합성법을 이용한 활성형 SARS-3CL protease의 발현)

  • Park, Sun-Joo;Kim, Yong-Tae
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.22 no.4
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    • pp.552-558
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    • 2012
  • Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a severe respiratory infectious disease caused by a novel human coronavirus, SARS-CoV. The 3CL protease is a key enzyme in the proteolytic processing of replicase polyprotein precursors, pp1a and pp1ab, which mediate all the functions required for viral genomic replication and transcription. Therefore, this enzyme is a target for the development of chemotherapeutic agents against SARS. A large quantity of active SARS-3CL protease is required for development of anti-SARS agents. Here we have constructed overexpression vector for the production of the SARS-3CL protease. The gene encoding SARS-3CL protease was amplified using polymerase chain reaction and cloned into the pET29a expression vector, resulting in pET29a/SARS-3CLP. Recombinant SARS-3CL protease was successfully synthesized by the dialysis mode of the cell-free protein expression system, and purified by three-step fast protein liquid chromatography using HighQ and MonoP column chromatographies and Sephacryl S-300 gel filtration. In addition, the produced SARS-3CL protease was found to be an active mature form. This study provides efficient methods not only for the development of anti-SARS materials from natural sources, but also for the study of basic properties of the SARS-3CL protease.

S100A16 is a Prognostic Marker for Lung Adenocarcinomas

  • Saito, Keita;Kobayashi, Makoto;Nagashio, Ryo;Ryuge, Shinichiro;Katono, Ken;Nakashima, Hiroyasu;Tsuchiya, Benio;Jiang, Shi-Xu;Saegusa, Makoto;Satoh, Yukitoshi;Masuda, Noriyuki;Sato, Yuichi
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.16 no.16
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    • pp.7039-7044
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    • 2015
  • Background: Many functional molecules controlling diverse cellular function are included in low-molecular weight proteins and peptides. Materials and Methods: To identify proteins controlling function in lung adenocarcinomas (AC), we performed two-dimensional gel electrophoresis employing tricine-SDS polyacrylamide in the second dimension (tricine 2-DE). This system was able to detect proteins under 1 kDa even with post-translational modifications. To confirm the utility of detected proteins as novel tumor markers for AC, we performed immunohistochemical analysis using 170 formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded lung AC tissues. Results: Tricine 2-DE revealed that five proteins including S100A16 were overexpressed in lung AC-derived cells compared with lung squamous cell carcinoma, small cell carcinoma, and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma-derived cells. Immunohistochemically, S100A16 showed various subcellular localization in lung cancer tissues and a membranous staining status was correlated with the T-factor (P=0.0008), pathological stage (P=0.0015), differentiation extent (P=0.0001), lymphatic invasion (P=0.0007), vascular invasion (P=0.0001), pleural invasion (P=0.0087), and gender (P=0.039), but not with the age or smoking history. More importantly, membranous staining of S100A16 was significantly correlated with a poorer overall survival of either stage I (P=0.0088) or stage II / III (P=0.0003) lung AC patients, and multivariate analysis confirmed that membranous expression of S100A16 was an independent adverse prognostic indicator (P=0.0001). Conclusions: The present results suggest that S100A16 protein is a novel prognostic marker for lung AC.

Isolation of an Invertebrate-type Lysozyme from the Body Wall of Spoon Worm, Urechis unicinctus (개불의 체벽으로부터 i-type 라이소자임의 정제)

  • Oh, Hye Young;Park, Nam Gyu
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.28 no.3
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    • pp.300-306
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    • 2018
  • Lysozymes are innate immune factors that play a critical role in the defense against pathogens in various invertebrate animals including spoon worms. In this study, an invertebrate-type lysozyme was isolated from the body wall of spoon worm, Urechis unicinctus. The acidified body wall extract was partially separated using a Sep-Pak C18 cartridge. Among the fractions, the materials that were eluted with 60% methanol/0.1% trifluoroacetic acid showed the most potent antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis KCTC 1021. A series of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) steps were then utilized to isolate a single antimicrobial absorbance peak. The molecular weight of the antimicrobial peak was approximated using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), which was approximately 13 to 14 kDa. The partial primary structure of this antimicrobial protein that was analyzed, using LC-MS/MS, was CTGGRPPTCEDYAK (1611.69 Da). Homology search of these fourteen residues, using the National Center for Biotechnology Information Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (NCBI BLAST), revealed that the isolated protein was similar to the invertebrate-type lysozymes described in other animals. Then, the antimicrobial and lysozyme enzymatic (muramidase) activities of this protein were assessed. The isolated protein possessed antimicrobial activity and potent muramidase activity, which were comparable to those of hen egg white lysozyme. Therefore, the isolated protein was designated as Urechis unicinctus invertebrate-type lysozyme from the body wall, Uu-iLysb.

Diagnostic Yield of Primary Circulating Tumor Cells in Women Suspected of Breast Cancer: the BEST (Breast Early Screening Test) Study

  • Murray, Nigel P;Miranda, Roxana;Ruiz, Amparo;Droguett, Elsa
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.16 no.5
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    • pp.1929-1934
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    • 2015
  • Purpose: To determine the diagnostic yield of primary circulating tumor cells in women with suspicion of breast cancer, detected as a result of an abnormal mammography. Materials and Methods: Consecutive women presenting for breast biopsy as a result of a mammogram BiRADs of 3 or more, had an 8ml blood sample taken for primary circulating tumor cell (CTC) detection. Mononuclear cells were obtained using differential gel centrifugation and CTCs identified using standard immunocytochemistry using anti-mammoglobin. A test was determined to be positive if 1 CTC was detected. Results: A total of 144 women with a mean age of $54.7{\pm}15.6$ years participated, 78/144 (53.0%) had breast cancer on biopsy, 65/140 (46.3%) benign pathologies and 1(0.7%) non-Hogkins lymphoma. Increasing BiRADs scores were associated with increased cancer detection (p=0.004, RR 1.00, 4.24, 8.50). CTC mammoglobin positive had a sensitivity of 81.1% and specificity of 90.9%, with positive and negative predictive values of 90.9% and 81.1% respectively. Mammoglobin positive CTCs detected 87% of invasive cancers, while poorly differentiated cancers were negative for mammoglobin. Only 50% of in situ cancers and none of the intraductal cancers had CTCs detected. Menopausal status did not affect the diagnostic yield of the CTC test, which was higher in women with BiRADS 4 mammograms. There was a significant trend (p<0.0001 Chi squared for trends) in CTC detection frequency from intraductal, in situ and invasive (OR 1.00, 8.00, 472.00). Conclusions: The use of primary CTC detection in women suspected of breast cancer has potential uses, especially with invasive cancer, but it failed to detect intra-ductal cancer and 50% of in situ cancer. There was no difference in the diagnostic yield between pre and post menopausal women. To confirm its use in reducing biopsies in women with BIRADs 4a mammagrams and in the detection of interval invasive breast cancer, larger studies are needed.