• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.557-566
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• 2016

In nine commercial watermelon cultivars, the effects of osmotic seed priming were evaluated for seed viability and seedling growth at different germination temperatures and field conditions. Generally, primed seeds showed improved germination rate and reduced time for emergence at different germination temperatures, as compared to untreated seeds. In particular, priming effect on seed germination was significantly high at $15^{\circ}C$, which is an environment normally resulting in poor germination. Depending on the watermelon cultivar, germination rate under low temperature ($15^{\circ}C$) was improved by up to 15~66% in primed seeds, as compared to untreated seeds. However, priming effect on germination was gradually reduced as the temperature reached to its optimum level for seed germination. Seed priming tended to improve the viability, fresh weight, and dry weight of watermelon seedlings, but its effect on seedling stage was not large, as compared to untreated seeds. Primed watermelon seeds showed improved emergence rate and facilitated germination in the field, but their seedling growth after 30 days from germination was not significantly affected. Our results indicated that seed priming can greatly improve the seed germination at poor temperature conditions in the watermelon.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.153-159
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• 2017

We examined changes in the physiological responses of gray mullet Mugil cephalus exposed to acidic seawater (pH 6.0, 6.5, 7.0) and normal seawater (pH 8.0, control) for 15 days. As pH decreased, survival rate and body weight also decreased. Levels of aminotransferase, total protein and triglycerides also differed significantly with changes in pH, presumably due to stress caused by exposure to acidic water. The level of osmotic pressure was significantly higher in the pH 6.0 group than in other groups. Superoxide dismutase was significantly higher in the pH 6.5 and 7.0 groups than in the pH 8.0 group, and glutathione level was lowest in the pH 6.0 group. We conclude that decreasing the pH level of seawater induces a stress response in fish, damaging their ability to control their hematological and osmotic pressure. Antioxidant enzymes are generally sensitive to osmotic stress; in this study, antioxidant activity significantly changed with pH level. These results indicate that physiological stress induced by exposure to acidification reduces survival rates and inhibits growth in M. cephalus.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.391-399
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• 2012

We cloned cDNA-encoding arginine vasotocin (AVT) from the brain of the cinnamon clownfish Amphiprion melanopus, and that was predicted to encode a protein of 153 amino acids. We examined changes in the expression of AVT mRNA in the brain and arginine vasotocin receptor (AVTR) mRNA and osmotic stress transcription factor 1 (OSTF1) mRNA in the gills of the cinnamon clownfish using quantitative real-time PCR in an osmotically changing environment (seawater (35 psu) ${\rightarrow}$ brackish water (BW, 17.5 psu) and BW with prolactin [PRL]). The expression of AVT, AVTR, and OSTF1 mRNA in the brain and gills increased after transfer to BW, and the expression was repressed by PRL treatment. AVT-immunoreactive cells were almost consistently observed in the telencephalon. The plasma $Na^+$ and $Cl^-$ levels decreased in BW, but the level of this parameter increased in BW with PRL treatme during salinity change. These results suggest that AVT, AVTR, and OSTF1 play important roles in hormonal regulation in osmoregulation organs, and that PRL improves the hyperosmoregulatory ability of cinnamon clownfish in BW environment.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.97-106
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• 2016

$Na^+/K^+$-ATPase is a membrane protein and plays a key role in osmotic regulation in living organisms. In the present study, a cDNA sequence encoding the $Na^+/K^+$-ATPase alpha subunit from the monogonont rotifer, Brachionus koreanus was cloned by rapid amplification of cDNA ends technique. To investigate the role of this enzyme in osmotic stress, enzymatic activities of $Na^+/K^+$-ATPase were measured after exposure to different salinities for 48 h. The full-length Bk $Na^+/K^+$-ATPase cDNA was 3069 bp-long, encoding a 1022-amino acid polypeptide. Bk $Na^+/K^+$-ATPase possesses eight membrane spanning regions and five conserved domains. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Bk $Na^+/K^+$-ATPase had high identity with those of other species, and was closely clustered with other Brachionus sp. These findings indicate that this protein was conserved both structurally and functionally. B. koreanus $Na^+/K^+$-ATPase activity was stimulated in both hyposaline (6 psu) and hypersaline (32 psu) conditions, suggesting that this protein may play a role in osmoregulation. This study would provide better understanding of the physiology of B. koreanus and this enzyme may be useful as a molecular marker for evaluation of osmotic stress in aquatic environment.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2013

Hyponatremia, the most common electrolyte disorder, has been rarely reported as causing rhabdomyolysis. Osmotic demyelination syndrome (ODS), a demyelinating disease of the central pons and/or other areas of the brain, is infrequently reported as associated with rapid correction of hyponatremia. This paper reports a case of ODS after correction of severe hyponatremia complicated by rhabdomyolysis. A 47-year-old female with a history of chronic alcoholism presented herself at the hospital with altered consciousness after three days of nausea and vomiting. She was on a thiazide diuretic for essential hypertension. Her blood tests upon her hospital admission showed hyponatremia ($Na^+$ 98 mEq/L), hypokalemia ($K^+$ 3.0 mEq/L), and elevation of her serum creatine phosphokinase (3,370 IU/L) with an increase in her serum myoglobin level 11,267 ng/mL). She was treated with intravenous fluid therapy that included isotonic and hypertonic salines along with potassium chloride. She became more alert, and her neurological condition gradually improved after the first five days of her therapy. On the ninth day after her admission, she developed progressive quadiaresis associated with dysarthria, dysphagia, and dystonia despite the resolution of her hyponatremia. Magnetic resonance imaging of her brain on 16th day revealed symmetrical areas of signal hyperintensity in her central pons, basal ganglia, and precentral gyrus in T2-weighted images, which are consistent with ODS. Her neurological symptoms steadily improved after six weeks with only supportive treatment and rehabilitation.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.273-280
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• 1986

The degree of autolysis and lytic enzyme production in the culture filtrate of Rhizopus oryzae was investigated. The formation of protoplast by using autolytic enzymes from Rh. oryzae was also attempted. Protoplasts were liberated from Rh. oryzae mycelium by lytic enzymes present in autolytic-phase culture filtrate. Maximum release of chitosanase and proteolytic enzyme into culture filtrate during autolysis was corresponded to maximum protoplast-liberating activity. High yields of protoplasts were obtained from 10 hr-age of Rh. oryzae mycelium with 0.5 M mannitol as osmotic stabilizer. The optimum temperature and pH for mycelium digestion were $25{\sim}30^{\circ}C$ and $6.0{\sim}6.5$ respectively. The mycelium of the 18 hours cultures were treated with autolytic enzyme in same volume of osmotic stabilizer at $30^{\circ}C$ for 5 hours and then it was confirmed by scanning electoron microscope that protoplast were produced beside the digesting cell wall of the fungi.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.231-236
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• 2004

The inexpensive large-scale production of pure PGA (Penicillin G Acylase) has been a commercial goal. PGA has been used as a model enzyme in the development of simple one-step purification methods. In this study, the purification of poly-His tagged PGA protein secreted into the periplasmic space was carried out by using immobilized metal-ion affinity chromatography (IMAC). The PGA gene was obtained from E. coli ATCC 11105. Codons encoding histidines were fused at the C-terminus of the PGA gene by PCR. E. coli JM109 harboring pPGA-HIS6 vector produced active his-tagged acylases in the presence of lac promoter during cultivation at $26^{\circ}C$. The maximum specific activity of the acylase purified by using one-step chromatography after osmotic shock was 38.5 U/mg and was recovered with the yield of 70％. Both 23 kDa ($\alpha$) and 62 kDa ($\beta$) subunits were recovered by using IMAC with just C-terminus tagging of the $\beta$ subunit. The purification of the periplasmic fraction by osmotic shock and that of purified acylase was increased by 2.6-fold and 19-fold, respectively, compared to the crude extract.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.353-358
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• 2011

In this study, ammonia removal characteristics in membrane contactor system under various operating conditions were evaluated. The mass transfer coefficient was used to quantitatively compare the effect of various operation conditions on ammonia removal efficiency. Effective removal of ammonia was possible with the tubular PTFE membrane contactor system at all tested conditions. Among the various operation parameters, contact time and solution pH showed significant effect on ammonia removal mechanism. Overall ammonia removal rate was not significantly affected by influent suspended solution concentration unlike other pressure driven membrane filtration processes. Also the osmotic distillation phenomena which deteriorate the mass transfer efficiency can be minimized by preheating of strip solution. Membrane contactor system can be a possible alternative to treat high strength nitrogen wastewater by optimizing operation conditions such as stripping solution flow rate, influent wastewater temperature, and influent pH.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.209-217
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• 1980

The relative viscosities and osmotic coefficients of solutions of urea, 1,3-dimethyl-urea(DMU), acetamide(AA), and propionamide (PA) in dimethylsulfoxide(DMSO), water, methanol, and in ethanol have been measured at 25 and $45^{\circ}$C by viscometry and osmometry. Viscosity increment in nonaqueous solutions decreased with increasing of the partial molal volumes of the solutes, but in aqueous solution the result was inversed. Viscosity increment of aqueous solution was smaller than that of aqueous DMU solution, but that of nonaqueous urea solution was larger than that of DMU. Amides, however, showed similar viscosity increment in any solvent.Osmotic coefficients of aqueous solution of urea were larger than those of DMU. In the nonaqueous solutions urea exhibited larger deviation from Raoult's law than DMU. The results indicated that urea molecules break water-structure in water, self-associate in DMSO, and showed larger solute-solvent interaction in alcohols than DMU. It can be also confirmed that amides break alcohol structure to a greater extent than any other solutes.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.63-67
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• 1999

Growth rate and osmolyte accumulation of L. monocytogenes were measured at the varying concentrations of NaCl. L. monocytogenes accumulated glycine betaine and glutamate intracellularly when grown under osmotic stress by NaCl, and the amounts of them increased as the concentration of NaCl was increased. They were 685 and 345 nmol/mg protein, respectively, when grown in the BHI supplemented with 4% NaCl. In order to inhibit L. monocytogenes effectively, both NaCl and Morus alba L. leaf extract were supplemented in TSB, and antibacterial effect of those supplements on L. monocytogenes was tested. Growth of L. monocytogenes grown in TSB supplemented with 2% NaCl and 100 ppm M. alba leaf extract decreased by 10 times in CFU/ml unit comparing to the growth of control. When grown in TSB, supplemented with 2% NaCl plus 500 ppm M. alba leaf extract and 2% NaCl plus 1,000 ppm M. alba leaf extract, growth of L. monocytogenes decreased by $10^5\;and\;10^8$ times in CFU/ml unit, respectively.