In this study, we investigated the effects of indole on biofilm formation inhibition in Pantoea agglomerans (P. agglomerans). In the biofilm growth assay, indole inhibited biofilm formation across all the growth time. Depending on biofilm growth stage, indole exhibited biofilm inhibition and anti-bacterial effects on planktonic cells. Through the analysis of the proportion rate between biofilm and Colony Forming Units (CFU) and inhibition rate of indole, we confirmed that depending on the biofilm stage of P. agglomerans, indole treatment timing was more important than the treatment duration. By comparing gene expression rates through rt-qPCR P.agglomerans affected by indole was found to significantly change quorum sensing (pagI/R) and indole transportation (bssS) gene expressions. Throughout all, indole exhibited both antimicrobial and anti-biofilm effects on P. agglomerans. In addition, we confirmed the anti-biofilm effects of indole on mature biofilm. In conclusion, indole as a signal molecule, can exhibit anti-biofilm effects through bacterial quorum sensing inhibition and indole affects. Therefore, indole can regulate biofilm bacteria especially gram-negative opportunistic pathogens.
Soil microorganism activity in an agricultural field is affected by various factors including climate conditions, soil chemical properties, and crop cultivation. In this study, we elucidate the correlation between microorganism activity and agricultural environment factors using the dehydrogenase activity (DHA) value, which is one of the indicators of soil microbial activity. As a result, the various factors noted above were related to the DHA value. Annual rainfall, soil Mg2+, bacterial and fungal diversities, types of crops, developmental stages, seasons, and cultivation status were highly correlated with the DHA value. Furthermore, next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis was used to identify that the type of crop affected soil microbial compositions of both bacteria and fungi. Soil used for soybean cultivation showed the highest relative abundance for Verrucomicrobia, Planctomycetes, and Acidobacteria but Actinobacteria and Firmicutes had the lowest relative abundance. In the case of soil used for potato cultivation, Actinobacteria had the highest relative abundance but Proteobacteria had the lowest relative abundance. Armatimonadetes showed the highest relative abundance in soil used for cabbage cultivation. Among the fungal communities, Mortierellomycota had the highest relative abundance for soybean cultivation but the lowest relative abundance for cabbage cultivation; further, Rozellomycota, Chytridiomycota, and Cercozoa had the highest relative abundance for cabbage cultivation. Basidiomycota had the highest relative abundance for potato cultivation but the lowest relative abundance for soybean cultivation.
This study aims to establish the measures required for strengthening the internal stability of and executing the systematic plan for Gangwon-do in relation to the “urban regeneration preliminary project” launched by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport. The results of this study are as follows. The unit project carried out via the Gangwon-do urban regeneration preliminary project presented the tendency for the standardization of the H/W and S/W projects such as the establishment of the community anchor space and the resident competency reinforcement project. Further, rather than focusing on the contents that could objectively measure the effects of the project, it concentrated more on the performance indicators that are required for verifying the execution of unit projects like the establishment of buildings and operating programs. It was found to be insufficient with regard to the practicality of the project, the correlation with the New Deal Project, and the validity of the project contents. To improve these aspects, Gangwon-do would be required to highlight its distinguishability from the other regions and increase its practicality by operating the field-centered urban regeneration educational program, inducing the participation of experts in each of the areas in case there is a need to execute a project plan and discover a project with placeness. It also needs to focus on strengthening its connection with the urban regeneration new deal project by discovering the resident leaders and professional manpower, and establishing the performance indicators needed for systematically monitoring the regional changes in accordance to the urban regeneration preliminary project.
The dissolution of ionized gas in dielectric barrier plasma, similar to the principle of ozone generation, is a major performance-affecting factor. In this study, the plasma gas dissolving performance of a gas mixing-circulation plasma process was evaluated using an experimental design methodology. The plasma reaction is a function of four parameters [electric current (X1), gas flow rate (X2), liquid flow rate (X3) and reaction time (X4)] modeled by the Box-Behnken design. RNO (N, N-Dimethyl-4-nitrosoaniline), an indictor of OH radical formation, was evaluated using a quadratic response surface model. The model prediction equation derived for RNO degradation was shown as a second-order polynomial. By pooling the terms with poor explanatory power as error terms and performing ANOVA, results showed high significance, with an adjusted R2 value of 0.9386; this indicate that the model adequately satisfies the polynomial fit. For the RNO degradation, the measured value and the predicted values by the model equation agreed relatively well. The optimum current, gas flow rate, liquid flow rate and reaction time were obtained for the highest desirability for RNO degradation at 0.21 A, 2.65 L/min, 0.75 L/min and 6.5 min, respectively.
This study aims to present basic data on long-term sexual effects of Savory (Satureja hortensis) by analyzing its zinc and V.B3 contents. These contents result in the activation of sexual functions induced by the blood concentration of sex hormones, thus improving menopauale symptoms. Results were obtained on August 20, 2020 after experimenting with 100 g of the herb from six indoor (green-house) experimental plots. The V.B3 results were analyzed using 100 g of Savory planted in open soil. Zinc had the highest values at 2.161 mg from the bed soil compounded with sapolite and poultry manure in the indoor condition and 2.077 mg from bed soil mixed with clay in the outdoor condition. The presence of V.B3 in Savory was also confirmed. Further research should be conducted on the interactions between Savory and other herbs.
In this study, we quantitatively analyze the effect of ocean emission sources on the simulated O3 concentrations in South Korea using the community multi-scale air quality (CMAQ) model. To analyze changes in O3 concentrations by ocean emissions, two different CMAQ simulations considering ocean emissions (OE case) and without considering ocean emissions (NE case) were conducted during the Korea-United States air quality (KORUS-AQ) campaign period (May–June 2016). The changes in the simulated O3 concentrations due to the effect of ocean emissions (OE case-NE case) appeared mostly in the ocean areas (+1.201 ppbv). The effect of ocean emissions was positive during the daytime (+1.813 ppbv), but negative during the nighttime (–0.612 ppbv). Analysis using the integrated process rate (IPR) confirmed that the increase or decrease in O3 concentration by ocean emissions was mainly due to chemical processes. Further analysis using the integrated reaction rate (IRR) showed that the daytime increase in O3 concentration was mainly attributable to the increased O3 production via O + O2 + M → O3 + M reaction as photolysis of NO2 increased due to the added ocean emissions. The nighttime decrease in O3 concentration was mainly due to the increased O3 titration by NO (NO + O3 → O2 + NO2) due to the increased NO emission. These results indicate that the changes in the concentration O3 in the sea area by the effect of ocean emissions are mainly due to increased NOx emissions. However, there could be a number of uncertainties in ocean emissions data used in this study, thus continuous comparative research using the most updated data will need to be carried out in the future.
The present study evaluated the blood profile and meat color of ducks with Houttuynia cordata (H. cordata) pellets in their diets. In total, 120 pekin ducks (1-d-old) were used in a 42 d growth trial. Ducks were randomly allocated to six pens and exposed to three replicates of two treatments: (1) controls as basal diet and (2) basal diet + 2% H. cordata pellets (T1). Total-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride contents or L* and b* vaules revealed significant difference (p>0.05) in compared with those in the controls; however, dietary supplementation of H. cordata pellets did not affect (p>0.05) LDL-cholesterol, VLDL-cholesterol and a* values. In conclusion, the inclusion of 2% H. cordata pellets improved HDL-cholesterol and meat color in duck breast and thigh meats, which further reduced other cholesterol values.