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Hyo-Rim Jo,1 Yong-Gyun Kim,2 Won-Suk Sung,1 Kyoung Sun Park,3 Yoon Jae Lee,4 Sun Young Cho,5 Byung-Kwan Seo,6 Young-Ee Kwon,2 Eun-Jung Kim1 1Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, Dongguk University Bundang Oriental Hospital, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea; 2Central Research Institute, Samik Pharmaceutical Company LTD., Incheon, Republic of Korea; 3Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; 4Jaseng Spine and Joint Research Institute, Jaseng Medical Foundation, Seoul, Korea; 5IntegroMedLab Company Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea; 6Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Seoul, Republic of KoreaCorrespondence: Eun-Jung Kim, Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, Dongguk University Bundang Oriental Hospital, 268, Buljeong-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea, Tel +82-31-710-3719, Fax +82-31-710-3780, Email hanijjung@naver.comPurpose: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is the most common chronic complication of herpes zoster, associated with poor quality of life and increased patient and healthcare resource expenditure. This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SIKD1977 (Sogeonjungtang) in combination with standard treatment and estimate an effective dose for treating PHN.Patients and Methods: This is a protocol for a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter trial. A total of 90 eligible participants with PHN will be recruited from three hospitals and randomly allocated to high-dose group, low-dose group, or placebo group in a 1:1:1 ratio. The trial will involve a 6-week oral administration of SIKD1977/placebo, and a 1-week follow-up period. The primary outcome will be the weekly average change in average daily pain score (ADPS) from baseline to the end of treatment. The secondary outcomes will include the weekly average changes in ADPS from baseline to week 2, 4, and 7, differences in Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, Visual analogue scale, 5-level EuroQol-5 dimensions, Patient Global Impression of Change, and consumption of rescue drugs. All adverse events will be assessed during the trial.Conclusion: This study will provide evidence for the efficacy and safety of SIKD1977, and an effective dose for PHN.Trial Registration: This protocol has been registered in the Clinical Research Information Service with the identification code KCT0007939.Keywords: postherpetic neuralgia, herbal medicine, SIKD1977, Sogeonjungtang, randomized controlled trial, protocol

As neural networks are ubiquitous in the real-world environment, we encounter a variety of situations in which neural network-based systems fail. To address these failures, we need to identify their root causes. However, due to the black-box nature of neural networks, it is considered a difficult task to explain/understand internal functions, and cause analysis is usually conducted based on personal experience. To alleviate these problems, we propose a method to compute an element-wise contribution of inputs on current decisions. To this end, we focus on the physical meaning of neuron activations, and formulate an optimization problem that finds partial activations that support current decisions. Then, by accumulating these partial activations in the backward direction, we evaluate the contributions of each element in an input vector to the current decision. Experimental results have shown that the proposed method outperforms conventional methods in terms of cause localization for a range of failure scenarios.

Cordyceps is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb well-known in China, Korea and Japan since B.C. 2,000. The original entomopathogenic fungus, Cordyceps sinensis belonging to the genus Cordyceps could not be found inside Korean peninsula due to the absence of the host insect for the corresponding entomogenous fungus. The development of artificial production methods of Korean type Cordyceps using the silkworm Bombyx mori as in vivo culture medium for the the entomopathogenic fungus Paecilomyces tenuipes is the first, and wonderful occasion in the research history of insect industry of this global world. The aim of this article is to review the historical research background, mass-production methods, and pharmacological effects of the silkworm-dongchunghacho (Paecilomyces tenuipes) which is a newly developed Korean medicinal insect-borne mushroom, and another non-insect-borne medicinal mushroom (Cordyceps militaris and Cordyceps pruinosa). Their biological actions include anti-tumor, immunostimulating, anti-fatigue, anti-stress, anti-oxidant, anti-aging, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombosis, hypolipidaemic and insecticidal effects. The bioactive principles are protein-bound polysaccharides (hexose, hexosamin), cordycepin, D-manitol, acidic polysaccharide etc. Protein-bound polysaccharides and n-butanol fractions were demonstrated to show a significant anti-tumor activities but did not show a cytotoxicities. D-mannitol exhibited a significant prolongation of the life span in tumor bearing mice. Ergosterol did not show an efficient anti-tumor activity, but showed a significant phagocytosis enhancing activity. Anti-tumor activity of silkworm-dongchunghacho might be attributed to immuno-stimulating activities rather than cytotoxic effects [164]. Also this review comprises the breeding of Dongchunghacho varieties, optimization of culture conditions, improvement of learning and memory by Dongchunghacho, application of them as foods and chemical constituents.

Various types of organic materials could affect differently immobilization of cadmium (Cd) and its uptake by plant grown in soil. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate effect of different organic materials in reducing Cd phytoextractability in contaminated arable soil. To do this, rice straw and composted manure were selected as organic materials and applied at the rate of 0, 15, 30, and 45 Mg ha-1 in Cd contaminated arable soil with 6.5 mg kg -1 of total Cd. Radish (Raphanus sativa L.) was seeded and grown for 50 days to evaluate Cd phytoavailability with different organic materials. Composted manure was more effective to decrease 1 M NH₄OAc extractable Cd concentration and increase pH of soil than rice straw. One M NH₄OAc extractable Cd concentration significantly decreased with increasing application rate of composted manure. Tendency of Cd uptake by radish plant with application of different organic materials was similar to that of 1 M NH₄OAc extractable Cd concentration and soil pH. Changes of soil pH with application of straw and composted might be one of factors to determine extractability and phytoavailability of Cd in this study. Radish yield significantly increased with up to 45 Mg ha -1 of composted manure application but did not with straw application. In the view point of Cd phytoextractability and plant productivity, it is recommended to apply composted manure rather than straw in Cd contaminated arable soil.

BACKGROUND: Since bottom ash (BA) contains considerable amounts of CaO and MgO, it could be a useful amendment to increase soil pH and to immobilize cadmium (Cd). This study was conducted to evaluate effect of BA application in reducing Cd phytoavailability.METHODS AND RESULTS: Bottom ash was applied at the rate of 0, 20, 40, and 80 Mg/ha to Cd contaminated soil, and then lettuce was cultivated under field condition. soil pH and net negative charge increased slightly with increasing BA application; however, there was no statistical difference among the rates. Water soluble, exchangeable+acidic, reducible, and oxidizable fraction of Cd decreased with increasing bottom ash application rate, whereas residual fraction of Cd increased with increasing bottom ash application rate. Lettuce yield increased with rate of bottom ash up to 40 kg/ha. Visual evidences of cadmium toxicity and growth inhibition were not found during lettuce cultivation.CONCLUSION: Bottom ash was effective to reduce phytoextractability of Cd and to increase lettuce yield. Conclusively, BA could be a good soil amendment to reduce Cd phytoavailability in contaminated arable soil.

BACKGROUND: Petroleum-contaminated soil from leaking above- and underground storage tanks and spillage during transport of petroleum products is widespread environmental problem in recent years. Application of compost may be the most promising, cost-effective, and eco-friendly technology for soil bioremediation because of its advantages over physical and chemical technology. The objective of this study was to evaluate effect of compost application on degradation of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) in petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soil. METHOD AND RESULTS: An arable soil was artificially contaminated by diesel, and compost was applied at the different rate of 0, 10, 30, and 50 Mg/ha. Concentration of TPH in the soil decreased as application rate of compost increased. Degradation efficiency was highest at compost 30 Mg/ha; however, it slightly decreased with compost 50 Mg/ha. Kinetic modeling was performed to estimate the rates of chemical reaction. The correlation coefficient (R2) values for the linear plots using the second-order model were higher than those using the first-oder model. Compost 30 and 50 Mg/ha had the fastest TPH degradation rate in the second-order model. Change of microbial population in soil with compost application was similar to that of TPH. Microbial population in the soil increased as application rate of compost increased. Increasing microbial population in the contaminated soil corresponded to decreased in TPH concentration. CONCLUSION: Conclusively, compost application for soil bioremediation could be an effective response to petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soil. The increase in microbial population with compost suggested that compost application at an optimum rate might enhance degradation of TPH in soil.

Chiral phase transfer catalysts of dimeric cinchona ammonium salts linked with a benzophenone bridge showed high enantioselectivity in the α-alkylation of a glycinate ester under mild industry-applicable conditions: 0.5 mol% PTC and near equivalents of alkyl halide. A dual function of the dimeric quinuclidiniums was proposed for the high efficiency.

The objectives of this study were to determine (1) the phosphorus (P) level required to induce cadmium (Cd) precipitation in a contaminated arable soil with low concentrations of Cd and (2) the primary mechanism of Cd immobilization at different P levels. Phosphorus was added at levels of 0 800, 1600, and 16,000 mg P kg(-1) to a soil containing 5.57 mg Cd kg(-1). The concentration of 1 M NH4OAc extractable Cd decreased significantly with P levels up to 1600 mg kg(-1) due to an increase in soil pH and negative charge of soil (p

Spawn is the vegetative growth of the mycelium and serves as the inoculum or seed for cultivating mushrooms. Various cereal grains, such as wheat, millet, barley, sorghum, brown rice, rye, and oat were assessed to compare their characteristics and suitability for spawn production of button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus). The mycelial growth rates, density, and the number of completely colonized grains were measured from the twentieth day of inoculation. Wheat grains showed fastest mycelial growth with 8.4 cm followed by rye, oat, barley with 8.2, 7.5 and 7.3 cm, respectively. In the mycelial density, foxtail millet, barley, and sorghum were best compared with that of wheat grains. Especially, the number of grains which were completely colonized by mycelia were greatest in foxtail millet with 5,123 grains followed by proso millet, and wheat with 3,052 and 914, respectively. Based on the results obtained, barley, foxtail millet, and sorghum grains would be appropriate substituting for wheat grain in spawn production of button mushroom.

BACKGROUND: Coal combustion bottom ash(BA) has high carbon and calcium content, and alkaline pH, which might improve nutrient cycling in soil related to microbial enzyme activities as it is used as soil amendment. However, it contains heavy metals such as copper(Cu), manganese (Mn), and zinc(Zn), which could cause heavy metals accumulation in soil. Compost might play a role that stabilize BA. The objective of this study was to evaluate effect of combined application of BA and compost as soil amendment on heavy metals concentration, enzyme activities, chemical properties, and crop yield in upland soil.METHODS AND RESULTS: BA was applied at the rate of 0, 20, 40, and 80 Mg/ha under different rate of compost application (0 and 30 Mg/ha) in radish (Raphanus sativus var) field. Combined application of BA and compost more improved chemical properties such as pH, EC, OM, total nitrogen, available phosphate, and exchangeable cations of soil than single application of BA. Water soluble Mn and Zn concentration in soil significantly decreased with increasing application rate of BA. Decrease in those metals concentration was accelerated with combined application of BA and compost. Urease and dehydrogenase activities significantly increased with increasing application rate of BA. Phosphotase activities were not affected with single application of BA but increased with combined application of BA and compost. Radish yield was not affected by application rate of BA.CONCLUSION: From the above results, combined application of BA and compost could be used as soil amendment to improve chemical properties and enzyme activities of soil without increase in heavy metal concentration and decrease in crop yield in upland soil.Research Article Open Access

The potential ability of Button mushroom compost (BMC) to solubilize heavy metals was estimated with metal contaminated soils collected from abandoned mines of Boryeong area in South Korea. The bacterial strains in BMC were isolated for investigating the mobilization of metals in soil or plant by the strains and identified according to 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. When metal solubilization potential of BMC was assessed in a batch experiment, the BMC was found to be capable of solubilizing metals in the presence of metals (Co, Pb and Zn) and the results showed that inoculation of BMC could increase the concentrations of water soluble Co, Pb and Cd by 35, 25 and 45% respectively, than those of non-inoculated soils. BMC-assisted growth promotion and metal uptake in sunflower (Helianthus annuus) was also evaluated in a pot experiment. In comparison with non-inoculated seedlings, the inoculation led to increase the growth of H. annuus by 27, 25 and 28% respectively in Co, Pb and Zn contaminated soils. Moreover, enhanced accumulation of Co, Pb and Zn in the shoot and root systems was observed in inoculated plants, where metal translocation from root to the above-ground tissues was also found to be enhanced by the BMC. The apparent results suggested that the BMC could effectively be employed in enhancing phytoextraction of Co, Pb and Zn from contaminated soils.

Commonly known as the button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus is one of the most widely cultivated mushroom species of edible fungi. In the breeding of new button mushroom, Seolwon was developed by crossing two homokaryons. Because of the predominantly pseudohomothallic life cycle, only a small percentage of homokaryotic meiospores are produced, which do not fruit. Homokaryotic cultures derived from these types of single spores produce a vegetative mycelium that contain a variable number of genetically identical nuclei per cell. After crossing two homokaryons, hybrids were cultivated on a small scale and on a commercial scale at a farm. The spawn was made by a commercial spawn producer and the spawned compost by a commercial compost producer. Mycelial growth of Seolwon on CDA was better at 25oC when it was compared with that of Seolgang. The mature cap shape of new strain Seolwon is oblate spheroid and the immature cap shape is round to oblate spheroid. The cap diameter was 39.7 mm on average. In comparison with white strain Seolgang, the strain had a yield that was 11% higher. It produced fruiting bodies which had a higher weight on average per fruiting body and were 9.7% firmer with a good shelf life. Days of fruiting body were 1-2 days later than those of Seolgang. The physical characteristics such as springiness, chewiness, adhesiveness, gumminess were better than that of Seolgang.

To evaluate the effect of type of phosphate (P) material on reducing soil cadmium (Cd) extractability and radish Cd uptake in the field, two different P materials, fused superphosphate (FSP) and dipotassium phosphate (K2HPO4), were applied at rates of 0, 33.5, 100.5, and 167.5 kg P ha−1 before seeding radish (Raphanus sativa L.) in a Cd-contaminated soil. Plant-available Cd concentration in soil and total Cd uptake by radish increased with increasing FSP application but decreased with K2HPO4. The significant decrease in soil pH and negative charge of soil by FSP application led to an increase in bioavailable Cd fraction in soil and in Cd uptake by radish. However, K2HPO4 increased soil pH and negative charge of soil and decreased bioavailable Cd fractions. Soil pH and negative charge of soil played an important role in controlling Cd uptake by radish in soil to which phosphate was applied.

The objective of this study was to determine soil pH conditions that allow cadmium (Cd) to precipitate as Cd minerals in phosphate (P) amended soil. Cadmium immobilization could be attributed primarily to Cd adsorption due to increase in pH and negative charge. Soil pH might not affect Cd precipitation as Cd3(PO4)2 by direct reaction of Cd and P in the studied soil, even when soil pH increased up to 9.0. However, Cd might precipitate as CdCO3 with increasing pH up to 9.0 in P untreated soil and up to 8.0 in P treated soil depending on CO2 level.

The effects of environmental and nutritional requirement such as temperature, pH, different media, carbon, nitrogen, and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio on the mycelial growth of Cordyceps militaris strain ‘Yedang 3’ were studied. The optimum temperature and pH for the growth of mycelium were 20-25C and pH 6-7, respectively. Out of ten media tested, mushroom complete media (MCM) was the best medium for fast mycelial growth, and Sabouraud’s dextrose agar yeast extract (SDAY), malt extract yeast extract agar (YMA) also were favored. The color and shape of colonies varied in different media. The best carbon sources for mycelial growth were fructose, mannitol, and sucrose, whereas the best nitrogen sources were tryptone and peptone. However, mycelia grew slowly in inorganic nitrogen compounds such as NH4Cl, (NH4)2SO4, NH4NO3, and NaNO3. The optimum C:N ratio observed on the culture media was 30-40 range. These results provided basic information on cultural characteristics of vegetative growth and might be useful for spawn production in Cordyceps militaris.

The use of low-rank coal (physical and combustion characteristics are different from those of high-rank coal) is rapidly expanding both in Korea and globally owing to economic constraints; fully understanding the impact of low-rank coal on combustion and emission processes is thus imperative. Observations from several studies on low-rank coal are reviewed in this paper; these studies were conducted at Pusan clean coal center (PC3) with entrained flow reactors (laminar flow reactor and drop tube furnace). This study provides several contributions to the analysis of the combustion and emission characteristics of low-rank coal. Such contributions include the establishment of a simplified prediction model of burning coal and analysis of the effect of particle size and environmental conditions. A numerical model that incorporates the chemical percolation devolatilization sub-model is also developed, and the effect of volatile matter and in-furnace blending method is investigated. Results obtained from analyzing low rank-coal and the developed models provide insights into the application of low-rank coal in power plants.

Liming Effect on Cadmium Immobilization and Phytoavailability in Paddy Soil Affected by Mining Activity Chang Oh Hong, Yong Gyun Kim, Sang Mong Lee, Hyean Cheal Park, Keun Ki Kim, Hong Joo Son, Jae Hwan Cho and Pil Joo Kim (Department of Life Science and Environmental Biochemistry, Pusan National University, Miryang 627-706, South Korea, Department of Agricultural Economics, Pusan National University, Miryang 627-706, South Korea, Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, 900, Kaswa-dong, Jinju, 660-701, South Korea, Division of Applied Life Science, Graduate School (Brain Korea 21 Program), Gyeongsang National University, 900, Kaswa-dong, Jinju, 660-701, South Korea)

본 연구에서는 다양한 석탄 연구에 적용되고 있는 층류 반응기(LFR)를 이용하여 열분해와 연소 분위기에서 탄종에 따른 화염형상을 분석하였고, 휘발분 함량이 다른 두 석탄의 타르와 수트의 발생률을 구하였으며 이를 촤입자의 표면 적 및 표면 형상 변화와 함께 비교하였다. 본 연구에서 사용된 층류 반응기는 화염형상을 가시적으로 분석하기에 뛰어 나므로 석탄이 반응할 때 생성되는 수트 클라우드를 측정하여 그 형상 변화를 근거로 탈휘발의 종료 지점을 가정하였다. 휘발분 함량이 많은 Berau 탄은 Glencore A.P. 탄보다 수트 클라우드의 폭과 길이가 증가하였고, 연소 분위기에서 는 촤와 수트의 산화반응에 의하여 열분해 때보다 화염과 수트 클라우드의 길이가 짧아지면서 더 밝은 빛을 내었다. 포집높이 50 mm까지에서는 휘발분 함량이 많은 Berau 탄의 타르와 수트 발생률이 Glencore A.P. 탄보다 작았다. 이 는 석탄 연료의 조성 중 Berau 탄내에 상대적으로 높은 산소 성분의 함량과 OH- 같은 라디칼들로 인해 타르가 산화 되기 때문이다. 반면에, 50 mm 이후부터는 Berau 탄이 Glencore A.P. 탄보다 더 많은 타르와 수트의 발생률이 나타나 며 탄종간에 수트 발생률의 역전현상이 일어나는데 이는 촤입자 내부의 휘발물질과 탈휘발 과정에서 생성된 화염 속 의 잔여 타르 및 light gas 성분이 반응하여 수트를 발생시켰기 때문이다. 이를 통해서 석탄 내의 휘발분의 함량과 산소농도는 수트클라우드의 길이와 폭에 명확한 영향을 주며, 수트 발생률에 매우 중요한 인자라는 것을 확인할 수 있었다. SEM과 B.E.T.의 결과로부터 탈휘발이 종료된 후에도 촤 입자 내부의 잔존 휘발물들이 분출되면서 타르와 수트가 발생함을 확인할 수 있었고, 각 탄의 휘발분 함량과 기공의 발달 차이를 통해서 100 mm 이후에 나타난 타르와 수트의 발생률 역전 현상을 설명할 수 있었다.

Comparison on the genomic structure and phylogenetic relationship of the Hsp88 genes from P. tenuipes Jochoen-1, P. tenuipes, C. militaris and C. pruinosa was described. The Hsp88 genes from the three entomopathogenic strains, P. tenuipes Jocheon-1(strain), P. tenuipes(original species), and C. militaris contain the identical genomic structure, namely 5 introns and 6 exons with the length of 13, 62, 32, 1,438, 306, 288 nucleotides encoding 713 amino acid residues, whereas in case of C. pruinosa, it contains 4 introns and 5 exons with the length of 13, 62, 32, 1,744, 288 nucleotides encoding 713 amino acid residues. The genomic DNA length of the Hsp88 genes from P. tenuipes Jocheon-1 and P. tenuipes are both 2,600 nucleotides long in size. The Hsp88 genes from C. militaris and C. pruinosa are 2,582, 2,576 nucleotides long in size, respectively. Hsp88 genes of the P. tenuipes Jochoen-1, P. tenuipes, C. militaris and C. pruinosa also contain the conserved ATP-binding domain. Phylogenetic analysis of the Hsp genes of the four strains tested in this study showed that the fungal Hsp88 is divided into two separate clades, ascomycetes and deutromycete. Within the ascomycetes fungal clade, the P. tenuipes Jochoen-1 and P. tenuipes formed a subgroup, on the other hand, C. militaris and C. pruinosa formed another subgroup. Pair-wise comparison of P. tenuipes Jocheon-1 Hsp88 with those of P. tenuipes, C. militaris and C. pruinosa Hsp88s revealed significant identity in deduced amino acid sequence among these strains. The P. tenuipes Jocheon-1 Hsp88 showed 99% identity with the P. tenuipes, 97% identity with the C. militaris, and 98% identity with the C. pruinosa.

In this study, we purified the extracts from the seeds and the roots of various plant species, including Q. acutissima, C. lanceolata, P. mirifica, P. bambusoides, and S. repens, and then investigated the effects of these extracts on cell growth and fat accumulation in adipocytes. We found that the extracts purified from Q. acutissima, C. lanceolata, P. mirifica, P. bambusoides, and S. repens more effectively increased the cell growth, as well as promoting the fat accumulation in adipocytes to a greater extent, than other extracts in vitro. Therefore, we made breast packs containing these effective extracts, and then investigated whether they were effective in enhancing the elasticity and volume of women’s breasts. The measurements of breast elasticity and size revealed that the breast packs efficiently increased the elasticity and size of women’s breasts. Furthermore, evaluation of the questionnaires related to usage of the breast packs indicated great satisfaction in terms of the lift, firmness, and elasticity of breasts. In conclusion, extracts purified from Q. acutissima, C. lanceolata, P. mirifica, P. bambusoides, and S. repens leading to cell growth and fat accumulation in adipocytes can effectively contribute to improving the elasticity and size of women’s breasts.

Lithium secondary batteries have been widely used in the portable electric devices as power source. Recently it is expected that the realm of its applications expands to the markets such as energy storage medium of hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), electric vehicle (EV). Cathode active material is crucial in terms of performance, durability, capacity of lithium secondary batteries. It is urgent to develope the technology for mass production of cathode material to cope with the markets' demands in the near future. In this study, a calcination furnace running in real production line is modelled in 3D, and the thermal flow and gas flow after chemical reaction in the furnace is analyzed through numerical computations. Based on the results, it is shown that large volume of CO2 gas is generated from chemical reaction. High concentration of CO2 gas and it's stagnation is clearly found from the reactant containers in which the reaction occur to the bottom area of the furnace. It is also studied that 15% or more CO2 mol fraction could affect to proper formation of LiCoO2 through TGA-DSC analysis. The solutions to evacuate carbon dioxide from the furnace are suggested through the change of furnace design and operating condition as well. Keywords : Secondary battery, cathode material, calcination furnace, LiCoO2

Biochemical and enzymatic characterization for extracellular protease isolated from Cordyceps militaris cultivated on rice bran medium was investigated. C militaris produced proteolytic enzymes from 10 days after inoculation, maximum enzyme production was found at 25 days. The optimum temperature and pH of proteases production was at and pH 7.0, respectively. The protease activity was observed in the four peaks (Pro-I, Pro-II, Pro-III, and Pro-IV) separated through Sephadex G-100 column chromatography. The separated protease was optimally active at . Optimum pH of the protease was between 7 and 8. Enzyme was also stable over at . The enzyme was highly stable in a pH range of 4-9. Protease activity was found to be slightly decreased by the addition of , , , and , whereas inhibited by the addition of and Protease activity was inhibited by protease inhibitor PMSF. On the other hand, the partially purified protease was investigated on proteolytic protease activity by zymogram gel electrophoresis using three substances (casein, gelatin and fibrin). Four active bands (F-I, FII, F-III, and F-IV) of fibrin degradation were revealed on fibrin zymogram gels. Both of F-II and FIII showed caseinolytic, fibrinolytic and gelatinolytic activities in three gels. Thermostability, pH stability, and pH-thermostability of the enzyme determined the residual fibrinolytic activity also displayed on fibrin zymogram gel. The only one enzyme (F-II) displayed over a broad range of temperature at . The FII displayed fibrinolytic activity in the pH range 3-5, but was inactivated in the range of pH 6-11. The F-I and F-III showed enzyme activity in the pH range of 6-11. In the pH-thermostability, the F-II only kept fibrinolytic activity after heating at for 10, 20 and 30 min at pH 3 and pH 7, respectively. On the other hand, the F-II was retained activity until heating for 10 min under pH 11 condition. By using fibrin zymogram gel electrophoresis, extracellular fibrinolytic enzyme F-II from C. militaris showed unusual thermostable under acid and neutral conditions.

There are still arguments on the coal combustion reactivity under conventional and oxy-coal combustion atmospheres. The selection of the experimental device in such a study is crucial. A laminar entrained flow reactor system that is capable of producing a similar combustion environment of a utility furnace in terms of the high heating rate and temperature was adopted in this study. This study investigated the characteristics of sub-bituminous coal combustion in its processes of devolatilization and char oxidation by examining the structure and length of the flame. The effects of the particle size and oxygen molar fraction in N2 and CO2 diluent gases were studied. The O2 mole fraction was varied from 0 to 50%. The flame became shorter as the O2 concentration increased. It means that reactivity in both the devolatilization and char oxidation processes increased in a higher O2 concentration environment. It was barely seen that the volatile burning realm shrunk, O2 diffusion accelerated, and luminosity concen...

The cDNA cloning and developmental profiles of the mRNA for A. pernyi arylphorin was determined. The complete A. pernyi arylphorin cDNA sequence comprised 2,234 bp (without the poly A + tail), including an open reading frame of 2,112 bp beginning with a methionine ATG at bp34. The A. pernyi arylphorin contained 704 amino acids which are highly enriched in aromatic amino acids, phenylalanine and tyrosine. The calculated molecular mass of the A. pernyi arylphorin from the ORF was 83,439 Da. The deduced amino acid sequence of A. pernyi arylphorin showed 78, 71, 62 and 64% identity with those of H. cecropia, M. sexta α subunit, M. sexta β subunit and B. mori storage protein. In Northern blot analysis, the A. pernyi arylphorin mRNA only in the fat body of the 5th instar larvae was responsible for gene expression of the protein, and the synthetic activity of the mRNA was detected strongly in the early larvae, but not in the middle or late-stage larvae. In addition, a very weak signal in mRNA activity was detected in pupal stages, but this was considered to be inactive mRNA after reviewing the results of the labeling experiment of this protein.

The influence of the volatile matter content on fuel NO emissions from a coal-burning drop-tube furnace (DTF) was analyzed by means of a numerical model for 25 different coals utilized by Korean power plants. The numerical results were fully validated against experimental results obtained using an actual DTF. The results show that the numerical model incorporating the chemical percolation devolatilization submodel is more accurate than that incorporating the two-competing-rates submodel to predict combustion and emission, particularly the devolatilization process and NO. Furthermore, the conversion ratio of fuel N to NO decreases with increasing volatile matter content because the volatile matter releases HCN, which furthers NO reduction. The destruction ratio increases with the amount of HCN produced during the devolatilization process. This paper indicates that HCN is the predominant intermediate species and the volatile matter content has a significant impact on NO emissions from the combustion of coal.

Polydnavirus genome is segmented and dispersed on host wasp chromosome. After replication, the segments form double-stranded circular DNAs and embedded in viral coat proteins. These viral particles are delivered into a parasitized host along with parasitoid eggs. A serine-rich protein (SRP) is predicted in a polydnavirus, Cotesia plutellae bracovirus (CpBV), genome in its segment no. 33 (CpBV-S33), creating CpBV- SRP1. This study explored its expression and physiological function in the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, larvae parasitized by C. plutellae. CpBV-SRP1 encodes 122 amino acids with 26 serines and several predicted phosphorylation sites. It is persistently expressed in all tested tissues of parasitized P. xylostella including hemocyte, fat body, and gut. Its physiological function was analyzed by injecting CpBV-S33 and inducing its expression in nonparasitized P. xylostella by a technique called SERI (segment expression and RNA interference). The expression of CpBV-SRP1 significantly impaired the spreading behavior and total cell count of hemocytes of treated larvae. Subsequent RNA interference of CpBV-SRP1 rescued the immunosuppressive response. This study reports the persistent expression of CpBV-SRP1 in a parasitized host and its parasitic role in suppressing the host immune response by altering hemocyte behavior and survival. [BMB reports 2010; 43(4): 279-283]

In this study, the effect of particle size on the combustion characteristics of pulverized sub-bituminous coal was experimentally investigated. A laminar-flow-entrained reactor was designed and implemented to realize the desired heating ratio and temperature corresponding to the combustion atmosphere of a pulverized-coal-fueled furnace. The flame length and structure of burning particles according to different sizes were investigated. Coal combustion processes were clearly distinguished by direct visual observation of the flame structure. The onset point of volatile ignition is greatly affected by changes in the particle size, and the burning time of the volatiles is least affected by changes in the particle size. The length and instability of char flame also increase with the increase of the particle size. However, the char consumption rate within the residential time remains nearly constant.

We separated the bacteria showing protease activity from Reticulitermes speratus which is known as the only termite species in Korea. Then, we collected the best activated strain and studied the optimal culture condition for producing the enzyme. According to the results of observing morphological and physiological characteristics, and the type of 16S rRNA of the strain, it was identified as Serratia marcescens and named S. marcescens strain TM-3215. This strain showed the best activity under conditions of 0.8% (w/v) starch, 0.4% (w/v) peptone, 0.08% (w/v) MgSO₄?7H₂O, 30℃ and pH 8.0. After being cultivated under optimal conditions for 9 hr, the strain produced 19.8 U/ml of enzyme, an amount 1.8 times greater than the control.