• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.101-107
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• 2010

Metal ions are essential to life. However, some metals such as mercury are harmful, even when present at trace amounts. Toxicity of mercury arises mainly from its oxidizing properties. Ionizing radiation (IR) is an active tool for destruction of cancer cells and diagnosis of diseases, etc. IR induces DNA double strand breaks in the nucleus, In addition, it causes lipid peroxidation, ceramide generation, and protein oxidation in the membrane, cytoplasm and nucleus. Yeasts have been a commonly used material in biological research. In yeasts, the physiological response to changing environmental conditions is controlled by the cell types. Growth rate, mutation and environmental conditions affect cell size and shape distributions. In this work, the effect of IR and mercury chloride (II) on the morphology of yeast cells were investigated. Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells were treated with IR, mercury chloride (II) and IR combined with mercury chloride (II). Non-treated cells were used as a control group. Morphological changes were observed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The half-lethal condition from the previous experimental results was used to the IR combined with mercury. Yeast cells were exposed to 400 and 800 Gy at dose rates of 400Gy $hr^{-1}$ or 800 Gy $hr^{-1}$, respectively. Yeast cells were treated with 0.05 to 0.15 mM mercury chloride (II). Oxidative stress can damage cellular membranes through a lipidic peroxidation. This effect was detected in this work, after treatment of IR and mercury chloride (II). The cell morphology was modified more at high doses of IR and high concentrations of mercury chloride(II). IR and mercury chloride (II) were of the oxidative stress. Cell morphology was modified differently according to the way of oxidative stress treatment. Moreover, morphological changes in the cell membrane were more observable in the frequently stress treated cells than the temporarily stress treated cells.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.166-177
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• 2002

The present study is described of the flame structure of one-dimensional, flat, premixed, laminar, coal-air flame with some addition of methane for the flame stability. A low pressure burner operating at a combustion pressure of 0.3 arm was employed in order to extend the reaction zone. Predicted results from the models considered in the present study are compared with experimental results. Comparisons are included gas temperatures, species concentrations, char analysis and measured burning velocity. Among the models, Model II $I^{*}$-d, which specified devolatilization rate constants and a char surface area factor S=4, resulted in good agreement within the present experimental ranges. The results of char analysis suggest that the extent of the reaction occurring on the panicle might be underestimated in the model so that the char surface area should be increased. A value of 4 for this factor was given by sensitivity analysis of change in char surface area. Again, model II $I^{*}$-d gave satisfactory predictions of burning velocities over most of the experimental range studied. It has been clearly shown that the particle diameter appreciably affects the rates of devolatilisation and char oxidation through the effects of thermal lag and volumetric reactive surface area, consequently laminar burning velocity.ity.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 1987

In vitro induction of cytochrome 450 associated monooxygenase activities by phenobarbital (PB) and 3-methylcholanthrene (MC) was investigated in primary cultures of adult rat hepatocytes. PB and MC were added to the culture 24 hr after the initial plating of hepatocytes. A signiftcant increase of the activities of 7-ethoxycoumarin 0-deethylase and aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase were observed in MC and PB treated culture. MC caused about 500% induction of the initial oxidation rates of both enzymes in 48 hr. However the PB maintained both enzyme activities close to the level of freshly isolated hepatocytes. Biphenyl 4-hydroxylase and aminopyrine N-demethylase activities were also induced by MC and PB. But the level of induction was less than that occuring with 7-ethoxycoumarin 0-deethylase and aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase. When aflatoxin $B_1$ was added to the hepatocyte cultures which have been treated with MC or PB, it caused a significant increase of the unscheduled DNA synthesis at higher dose of aflatoxin $B_1$ as compared to those of untreated control hepatocyte cultures. The results suggest that microsomal enzyme activities can be selectively controlled preferably in hepatocyte cultures by the in vitro induction method. This principle may be useful for studying the metabolism and other toxicological studies.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.54-63
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• 2010

Recently, as the function of largest supplier of biomass for "low carbon green growth", the necessity for systematic management of afforestation areas is emphasizing. The forestation of seedling, besides the afforestation cost itself, is required some additional follow-up management costs, like mowing and fertilizing of forestation area, and removal of bindweed. The mulching mat for afforestation seedlings is available for rooting of little seedlings as well as initial forestation expenses. Mulching technique is also used to control soil temperature and moisture by covering the surface of ground. In this study, the paper based-mulching film coated with biodegradable polymer and functional additive was specially produced using laboratory bar coater, and analyzed for its degradable behavior. Coating colors were prepared by dissolving PE (polyester) 80 % and PLA(polylactic acid) 20 % in chloroform and finally applied to handsheet prepared by preceding study conditions. Base paper and polymer-coated paper were artificially aged by 2 kinds of degradation methods, which are soil degradation by microorganism and light degradation by 257 nm UV wavelengths. Strength property, oxidation index and morphological property were evaluated by reduction rates of tensile strength, FTIR spectra ratio of carboxyl and carbonyl group and SEM micrograph. As these results, polymer coated-paper was superior to base paper in degradation behaviors, having results with lower reduction rate of strength properties.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.1195-1201
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• 2008

Enhancing with non-metallic elemental nitrogen(N) is one of several methods that have been proposed to modify the electronic properties of bulk titanium dioxide($TiO_2$), in order to make $TiO_2$ effective under visible-light irradiation. Accordingly, current study evaluated the feasibility of applying visible-light-induced $TiO_2$ enhanced with N element to cleanse aromatic compounds, focusing on xylene isomers at indoor air quality(IAQ) levels. The N-enhanced $TiO_2$ was prepared by applying two popular processes, and they were coated by applying two well-known methods. For three o-, m-, and p-xylene, the two coating methods exhibited different photocatalytic oxidation(PCO) efficiencies. Similarly, the two N-doping processes showed different PCO efficiencies. For all three stream flow rates(SFRs), the degradation efficiencies were similar between o-xylene and m,p-xylene. The degradation efficiencies of all target compounds increased as the SFR decreased. The degradation efficiencies determined via a PCO system with N-enhanced visible-light induced $TiO_2$ was somewhat lower than that with ultraviolet(UV)-light induced unmodified $TiO_2$, which was reported by previous studies. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that PCO efficiencies increased up to 94% for o-xylene and 97% for the m,p-xylene under lower SFR(0.5 L $min^{-1}$). Consequently, it is suggested that with appropriate SFR conditions, the visible-light-assisted photocatalytic systems could also become important tools for improving IAQ.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.4 no.1 s.9
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• pp.40-48
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• 2000

A fuel cell is an electrochemical device continuously converting the chemical energy in a fuel and an oxidant to electrical energy by going through an essentially invariant electrode-electrolyte system. Phosphoric acid fuel cell employs concentrated phosphoric acid as an electrolyte. The cell stack in the fuel cell, which is the most important part of the fuel cell system, is made up of anode where oxidation of the fuel occurs cathode where reduction of the oxidant occurs; and electrolyte, to separate the anode and cathode and to conduct the ions between them. Fuel cell performance is associated with many parameters such as operating and design parameters associated with the system configuration. In order to understand the design concepts of the phosphoric fuel cell and predict it's performance, we have here introduced the simulation of the fuel-cell stack which is core component and modeled in a 3-dimensional grid space. The concentration of reactants and products, and the temperature distributions according to the flow rates of an oxidant are computed by the help of a computational fluid dynamic code, i.e., FLUENT.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.129-133
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• 1998

The white-rot fungi Phanerochaete chrysosporium ATCC 24725, Pleurotus ostreatus ATCC 32783, Lentinus edodes ATCC 24462, and Trametes versicolor ATCC 42530 were studied for their ability to degrade lignin, phenanthrene, and anthracene. Lignin in rice-straw was degraded by 14.4, 28.73, and 33.88% by P. chrysosporium, T. versicolor, and P. ostreatus, respectively. Approximately 12% and 83% of phenanthrene was degraded in 1 and 5 days, respectively, when the pre-grown mycelIium matrix of P. ostreatus. was incubated with 10 ppm of phenanthrene in modified Kirk's medium (nitrogen limited) at $25^{\circ}C$. Approximately 2%> and 61% of phenanthrene was degraded when the phenanthrene concentration was increased to 30 ppm. Similar trends were observed with phenanthrene using P. chrysosporium. Mycelial growth of T. versicolor was less inhibited at 30 ppm phenanthrene than for P. ostreatus and P. chrysosporium. Better degradation of phenanthrene by T. versicolor may be attributed to better mycelium growth. One hundred percent of 15 ppm anthracene was degraded in 10 days by both P. chrysosporium and T. versicolor. 40 ppm anthracene inhibited the mycelial growth of P. chrysosporium. lignin peroxidase activity, which was previously reported to be involved in initial phenanthrene oxidation, was also detected from the culture broth of the strains tested. The rates of lignin peroxidase production in the cultures were not consistent with the rate of PAH hydrolysis during incubation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.407-413
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• 2006

Artificial aggregates made by coal fly ash that is classified as an industrial by-product was tested to oxidize hydrogen sulfide under various testing conditions. For the determination of optimum condition for converting coal fly ash to aggregates, specimens were prepared by varying ratio of fly ash, cement, water content, and foaming agent. These specimens were tested to determine specific gravity, water absorption, and compressive strength. Specimens, which were used for the removal of hydrogen sulfide, were selected based on the measured specific gravity, water absorption, and compressive strength. Tests for hydrogen sulfide removal were performed via batch and column tests. Under the testing conditions used in this study, removal rates of hydrogen sulfide were linearly proportional to amounts of coal fly ash, and further increased when water was added.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.366-371
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• 2005

In this study treatment efficiencies of methylene blue were evaluated in term of BOD, COD, TOC, absorbance and initial decolorization rates. Ozonation of the dye in distilled water was performed in a laboratory scale cylindrical batch reactor. The decolorization process of methylene blue was carried out by bubbling ozone at the bottom of a bubble column reactor containing the dye solution. Decolorization, determined by measuring the light absorbance at the maximum wavelength in the (${\lambda}_{max}$, 660 nm), was almost complete after 40 min with an ozone concentration of $50{\pm}10mg/L$. The $TOC/TOC_0$ ratio after ozonation was about 83.8%, the COD was diminished to 44.0% of the initial value. The $BOD_5/COD$ ratio was increased from 64.2% to about 90.8%, indicating an enhancement of biodegradable compounds in the ozonated solutions. The pseudo first-order rate constants of the ozonation was $3.30{\times}10^{-2}min^{-1}$ and the activation energy was $3.01kcal{\cdot}mol^{-1}$ at $30^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.9
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• pp.1510-1518
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• 2015

In this work, we wanted to develop a probiotic from famous longevity villages in Korea. We visited eight longevity villages in Korea to collect fecal samples from healthy adults who were aged above 80 years and had regular bowel movements, and isolated lactic-acid-producing bacteria from the samples. Isolated colonies that appeared on MRS agar containing bromophenol blue were identified by means of 16S rRNA sequencing, and 102 of the isolates were identified as lactic-acid-producing bacteria (18 species). Lactobacillus fermentum was the most frequently found species. Eight isolates were selected on the basis of their ability to inhibit the growth of six intestinal pathogens (Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Typhimurium, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Enteritidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes) and their susceptibility to 15 antimicrobial agents. Among these eight isolates, four Lactobacillus fermentum isolates were found not to produce any harmful enzymes or metabolites. Among them, Lactobacillus fermentum isolate no. 24 showed the strongest binding to intestinal epithelial cells, the highest immune-enhancing activity, anti-inflammation activity, and anti-oxidation activity as well as the highest survival rates in the presence of artificial gastric juice and bile solution. This isolate, designated Lactobacillus fermentum PL9988, has all the characteristics for a good probiotic.