• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.673-679
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• 2003

Glutamine and urea, abundant in body fluids or plasma, yield net ammonium ions upon hydrolysis by ${\gamma}-glutamyl$ transpeptidase (${\gamma}-GTP$) and urease, respectively, and these two enzymes are largely produced from Helicobacter pylori. To investigate bacterial potential of ammonium production, we first quantified those in whole-cell systems and found that the relative ratio of their amounts varied greatly, especially with pH values and the cell's aging. During the H. pylori cultivation, the ratio appeared to be inversely proportional to each other, showing a progressive increase of the ${\gamma}-GTP$ with decreasing of the urease. Under the urease-defective conditions due to low pH or coccoids, the bacterial cells still possessed a considerable amount of ${\gamma}-GTP$, which was found exclusively in the external compartment, therefore, the cell's ammonium production was found to be solely dependent upon glutamine, and the external ammonium concentration was constant without any contribution of urea concentration. Such ammonium constancy would definitely have an adverse effect on the host, because of its absolute requirement for vacuolar degeneration by H. pylori VacA, maximized at approximately 10 mM $NH_4Cl$. It was also found that, by using the metal-saturated membrane vesicles, ammonium ions were likely to be involved in the pH-dependent cation-flux across the H. pylori membrane, where the role of ${\gamma}-GTP$ in ammonium homeostasis around cells was suggested, especially under the hostile conditions against H. pylori.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.1278-1284
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• 2016

Rhizopus chinensis cells immobilized on loofah (Luffa cylindrica) sponges were used to produce biodiesel via the transesterification of soybean oil. In whole-cell immobilization, loofah sponge is considered to be a superior alternative to conventional biomass carriers because of its biodegradable and renewable properties. During cell cultivation, Rhizopus chinensis mycelia can spontaneously and firmly adhere to the surface of loofah sponge particles. The optimal conditions for processing 9.65 g soybean oil at 40℃ and 180 rpm using a 3:1 methanol-to-oil molar ratio were found to be 8% cell addition and 3-10% water content (depending on the oil's weight). Under optimal conditions, an over 90% methyl ester yield was achieved after the first reaction batch. The operational stability of immobilized Rhizopus chinensis cells was assayed utilizing a 1:1 methanol-to-oil molar ratio, thus resulting in a 16.5-fold increase in half-life when compared with immobilized cells of the widely studied Rhizopus oryzae. These results suggest that transesterification of vegetable oil using Rhizopus chinensis whole cells immobilized onto loofah sponge is an effective approach for biodiesel production.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.1500-1509
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• 2020

Drought is a major abiotic factor and has drastically reduced crop yield globally, thus damaging the agricultural industry. Drought stress decreases crop productivity by negatively affecting crop morphological, physiological, and biochemical factors. The use of drought tolerant bacteria improves agricultural productivity by counteracting the negative effects of drought stress on crops. In this study, we isolated bacteria from the rhizosphere of broccoli field located in Daehaw-myeon, Republic of Korea. Sixty bacterial isolates were screened for their growth-promoting capacity, in vitro abscisic acid (ABA), and sugar production activities. Among these, bacterial isolates YNA59 was selected based on their plant growth-promoting bacteria traits, ABA, and sugar production activities. Isolate YNA59 highly tolerated oxidative stress, including hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and produces superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities in the culture broth. YNA59 treatment on broccoli significantly enhanced plant growth attributes, chlorophyll content, and moisture content under drought stress conditions. Under drought stress, the endogenous levels of ABA, jasmonic acid (JA), and salicylic acid (SA) increased; however, inoculation of YNA59 markedly reduced ABA (877 ± 22 ng/g) and JA (169.36 ± 20.74 ng/g) content, while it enhanced SA levels (176.55 ± 9.58 ng/g). Antioxidant analysis showed that the bacterial isolate YNA59 inoculated into broccoli plants contained significantly higher levels of SOD, CAT, and APX, with a decrease in GPX levels. The bacterial isolate YNA59 was therefore identified as Variovorax sp. YNA59. Our current findings suggest that newly isolated drought tolerant rhizospheric Variovorax sp. YNA59 is a useful stress-evading rhizobacterium that improved drought-stress tolerance of broccoli and could be used as a bio-fertilizer under drought conditions.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 1980

The grafting studies were concentrated on working out the methodology for radiation of flame retardants to polyester/cotton (65/35) blend fabric. The Fyrol 76 was used as a flame retardant in develping methodology for localizing flame retardants on the surface of the blend fabric. By judicious control of the swelling conditions, time_of contact with the monomer, and dose rate, locating the graft in the fiber became possible. The yield of the graft polymerization was depended upon the total dose and the preswelling conditions. Oxygen Index was used to evaluate the effect of the location of Fyrol 76 and other flame retardants within the surface upon the flame retardance efficiencies. To get a better flame retardance efficiency by :the localized grafting of Fyrol 76 to polyester/cotton blend fabric, a technique of one step processing at room temperature was developed substituting the ordinary two-step processing at high temperature.

• Water Engineering Research
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.55-68
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• 2004

The GLEAMS (Groundwater Loading Effects of Agricultural Management System, version 3.0) water quality model was used to predict hydrology and water quality and to evaluate the effects of soil types from a cattle-grazed pasture field of Bermuda-Rye grass rotation with poultry litter application as a fertilizer in North Alabama. The model was applied and evaluated by using four years (1999-2002) of field-measured data to compare the simulated results for the 2.71- ha Summerford watershed. $R^2$ values between observed and simulated runoff, sediment yields, TN, and TP were 0.91, 0.86, 0.95, and 0.69, respectively. EI (Efficiency Index) of these parameters were 0.86, 0.67, 0.70, and 0.48, respectively. The statistical parameters indicated that GLEAMS provided a reasonable estimation of the runoff, sediment yield, and nutrient losses at the studied watershed. The soil infiltration rates were compared with the rainfall events. Only high intensity rainfall events generated runoff from the watershed. The measured and predicted infiltration rates were higher during dry soil conditions than wet soil conditions. The ratio of runoff to precipitation was ranging from 2.2% to 8.8% with average of 4.3%. This shows that the project site had high infiltration and evapotranspiration which generated the low runoff. The ratio of runoff to precipitation according to soil types by the GLEAMS model appeared that Sa (Sequatchie fine sandy loam) soil type was higher and Wc (Waynesboro fine sandy loam, severely eroded rolling phase) soil type relatively lower than the weighted average of the soil types in the watershed. The model under-predicted runoff, sediment yields, TN, and TP in Wb (Waynesboro fine sandy loam, eroded undulating phase) and Wc soil types. General tendency of the predicted data was similar for all soil types. The model predicted the highest runoff in Sa soil type by 105% of the weighted average and the lowest runoff in Wc soil type by 87% of the weighted average

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.210-219
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• 2003

To develop natural flavoring substances, optimal two stage enzyme hydrolysis conditions and flavor compounds of short-neck clam (Tapes philippinarum) enzyme hydrolysates were examined. The optimal enzyme hydrolysis conditions for two stage enzyme hydrolysate (TSEH) of short-neck clam were revealed in temperature at $55^{\circ}C$ for 4 hours digestion with alcalase at the 1st stage and 4 hours digestion at $45^{\circ}C$ with exopeptidase type neutrase at the 2nd stage. In quality tests of hot-water extracts, steam extracts and 4 kinds of enzyme hydrolysates, TSEH processing method was superior to other methods in yield, nitrogen contents, organoleptic taste such as umami intensity and inhibition of off-flavor formation, and transparency of extract. Total free amino acid contents in hot-water extract, steam extract and TSEH were 1,352.1 mg/100 g, 1,174.1 mg/100 g and 2,122.4 mg/100 g, respectively, Major free amino acids in TSEH were glutamic acid, glycine, alanine, tyrosine, phenylalanine and arginine. As for nucleotides and other bases, betaine, TMAO and creatinine were principal components in TSEH. The major inorganic ions in TSEH were Na, K, P and Cl. TSEH also revealed very higher angiotensin-I converting enzyme inhibition effect $(70.7\%)$ than those of hot-water and steam extract. We conclude that TSEH from short-neck clam was more flavorable compared with the seasoning materials on the market, it could be utilized as the instant soup base and the seasoning substances for fisheries processing.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.218-223
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• 1993

Conditions for the release and regeneration of protoplasts form Rhizopus oryzae and intergeneric protoplast fusion between Rhizopus oryzae and Aspergillus oryzae were studied. High yields of protoplast fusion between Rhizopus oryzae and Aspergillus oxyzae were studied. High yield of protoplasts from young germilings of R. oryzae were obtained by using lytic enzymes containing chitosanase (3 mg/ml), chitinase (3 mg/ml) and Novozym 234 (5 mg/ml). 0.5M glucose was used as the osmotic stabilizer and optimum pH of buffer was determined to be pH 7.5-8.0. Under these conditions, protoplasts were formed after about 3-4 hrs incubation. Approximately, 1.0%-4.9% of these protoplasts were formed after about 3-4 hrs incubation. Approximately, 1.0%-4.9% of these protoplasts regenerated on solid medium with a soft agar overlay. We have also carried out protoplasts fusion between R. oryzae and A. oryzae and have succeeded in obtaining three types of intergeneric fusants. In these experiments, 35% PEG-4000 and 10 mM CaCl$_{2}$ were used as fsogenic agents, and auxotrophic properties were used as a genetic marker to select fusants. Complementation frequency be protoplasts fusion of A. oxyzae and R. oryzae was 4.4% * 10$^{-5}$ . The fusant strains of the first type were prototrophs showing an Aspergillus type morphology with dark-yellow sporulation, those of the second type were also Apergillus type morphology but showed no sporulation. And the strains of the third type stopped growing when fusion products grown on regeneration minimal medium were transferred to fresh minimal medium. The formation of fusion products was observed by fluorescent vital stains for complementary labelling of protoplats from R. oryzae and A. oryzae. Rhodamine 6G and fluorescein diacetate wer useful complementary vital stains of Rhizopus and Aspergillus protoplasts for visualization of requency and type (dicell, multicell) of fusion.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.244-250
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• 1976

Candida brumptii was one of the best isolates which could grow on alcohol distillation slops (reported in the previous paper). Attempts were made to investigate the cultural conditions for cell mass production by this strain, and the results obtained were as follow. The supernatant of the alcohol distillation slops without dilution support ed better growth of the strain than diluted ones. The addition of ammonium sulfate (0.2%), ammonium phosphate (0.1-0.2%), potassium phosphate (0.2%) to the supernatant resulted in positive effects for the growth, among the various inorganic nitrogen and other salts supplements. BOD and COD of the supernatant were reduced approximately 30% and 20%, respectively in 3 days culture. Cell production was maximized when grown at $35^{\circ}C$ and pH 5.0. The yield of cell mass was 1.03% by dry weight and its crude protein content was about 52.65%

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.75-83
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• 2014

Recently, a quick drop of air temperature in plastic film houses by adverse weather conditions leads to the occurrence of low temperature damages to growing crops. Chilling injury, defined as a variety of growth restriction occurring below the optimal temperature, is one of environmental factors strongly affecting crop growth and yield. Low temperature causes the restricted evapotranspiration, reduced mineral uptake (P > K > $NO_3{^-}$), and an increase in electrolyte leakage such as K. Despite being different with plant species, an accumulation of soluble carbohydrates such as glucose, fructose, sucrose and starch under chilling condition is well known. A variety of environmental stresses are known to cause oxidative damage to plants either directly or indirectly by triggering an increased level of production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and, to combat the oxidative damage, plants have the antioxidant defense systems comprising of enzymes, SOD, POD, CAT, GPX and APX, and non-enzymes, ascorbate, gluthathione, ${\alpha}$-tocopherol, phenolic compounds, carotenoid and flavonoids. The aim of this review is to provide basic information to build chilling-indicators and optimal nutrition management under adverse temperature conditions as broadly considering mineral uptake, carbohydrate metabolism and antioxidative defense system.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.633-646
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• 2020

Imaging and scattering techniques using thermal neutrons allow to analyze complex specimens in scientific and industrial researches. Owing to this advantage, there have been a considerable demand for neutron facilities in the industrial sector. Among neutron sources, an accelerator driven compact neutron source is the only one that can satisfy the various requirements-construction budget, facility size, and required neutron flux-of industrial applications. In this paper, a target, moderator, and reflector (TMR) system for low-energy proton-accelerator driven compact thermal neutron source was designed via Monte Carlo simulations. For 10-30 MeV proton beams, the optimal conditions of the beryllium target were determined by considering the neutron yield and the blistering of the target. For a non-borated polyethylene moderator, the neutronic properties were verified based on its thickness. For a reflector, three candidates-light water, beryllium, and graphite-were considered as reflector materials, and the optimal conditions were identified. The results verified that the neutronic intensity varied in the order beryllium > light water > graphite, the compacter size in the order light water < beryllium < graphite and the shorter emission time in the order graphite < light water < beryllium. The performance of the designed TMR system was compared with that of existing facilities and were laid between performance of existing facilities.