• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.287-297
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• 2021

Cornus officinalis Siebold & Zucc. is traditionally used as an edible and medicinal plant in many countries in East Asia. Previous studies have shown the pharmacological potential of extracts and components of C. officinalis, but comparative analysis of the composition of the leaf, stem, and fruit extracts has been insufficient to date. In the present study, the content of active antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredients was verified in different C. officinalis parts (under-ripe sansuyu, ripe sansuyu, seed, leaf, stem, and dried sansuyu). One active component, morroniside, was high in fruit (under-ripe and ripe sansuyu), while loganin was high in fruit (under-ripe sansuyu) and cornin was high in seeds. Total polyphenol contents were highest in fruit (ripe sansuyu) and flavonoids were highest in leaves. DPPH radical scavenging activity was highest in leaves, followed by seeds and then ripe sansuyu extract. The anti-inflammatory efficacy of leaf extracts of C. officinalis (LCO) was further investigated by measuring their effects on levels of nitric oxide (NO) and the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Non-cytotoxic concentrations of LCO effectively decreased the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced expression of inducible NO synthase, resulting in decreased NO production. LCO also significantly suppressed LPS-induced production and expression of IL-1β and IL-6. Taken together, the present findings suggest that C. officinalis leaves have potential as natural materials for the development of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.657-664
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• 2021

In this study, we investigated the relationships between the air quality (PM_2.5, PM₁₀, O₃) concentrations and local geographical characteristics (terrain heights, building area ratios, population density in 9 km × 9 km gridded subareas) in the Seoul metropolitan area. To analyze the terrain heights and building area ratios, we used the geographic information system data provided by the NGII (National Geographic Information Institute). Also, we used the administrative districts and population provided by KOSIS (Korean Statistical Information Service) to estimate population densities. We analyzed the PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and O₃ concentrations measured at the 146 AQMSs (air quality monitoring system) within the Seoul metropolitan area. The analysis period is from January 2010 to December 2020, and the monthly concentrations were calculated by averaging the hourly concentrations. The terrain is high in the northern and eastern parts of Gyeonggi-do and low near the west coastline. The distributions of building area ratios and population densities were similar to each other. During the analysis period, the monthly PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ concentrations at 146 AQMSs were high from January to March. The O₃ concentrations were high from April to June. The population densities were negatively correlated with PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and O₃ concentrations (weakly with PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ but strongly with O₃). On the other hand, the AQMS heights showed no significant correlation with the pollutant concentrations, implying that further studies on the relationship between terrain heights and pollutant concentrations should be accompanied.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.194-215
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• 2021

Termites are important decomposers in the ecosystem. They are also economically significant structural pests. In this study, we reviewed the developments of termite control and recent research on termite management to provide information on the prevention and control of termites. In Korea, most of the damage to wooden historical buildings is caused by subterranean termites. Reticulitermes speratus kyushuensis is the main species, which is widely found throughout the country. In the early 1900s, inorganic insecticides, such as arsenic dust, were used for termite control. After the synthesis of chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticide in the 1940s, it was widely utilized and demonstrated high termite control efficacy. However, chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides were later banned, disappearing from markets after reports emerged concerning environmental contamination and toxicity to humans. Therefore, the termite control industry sought a new termiticide; hence many pesticides were utilized for termite control. Organophosphate (1960s), carbamate (1970s), pyrethroid, and insect growth inhibitor (1980s) were newly synthesized and adopted. In the 1990s, the first commercial baits using chitin synthesis inhibitors (CSI) were developed, providing a means to eliminate an entire colony of subterranean termites around a structure. Many studies have been carried out on soil termiticides (liquid termiticides) and CSI baits to increase their efficacy, and different baits such as aboveground bait stations, fluid bait, and high-durability bait were also developed in the 2000s. In addition, the paradigm of termite control has shifted from localized treatments using soil termiticides to area-wide pest management using CSI baits to create termite-free zones and protect buildings over time. Termite infestations in wooden historical buildings in Korea have been reported since 1980, and considerable attention was drawn in the 1990s when several UNESCO world heritages such as the Jongmyo Shrine and the Janggyeong Panjeon Depositories of Haeinsa Temple were infested by subterranean termites. Since then, a survey of termite infestation in wooden architectural heritage has been conducted, and the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Heritage Care Program regularly monitors those properties. Finally, we suggest termite management using primarily CSI baits, selective application of various soil treatments applied to the object, foundation soil treatment, research and development of durable termite baits, application of area-wide programs for wooden-building complexes, application of integrated termite management (ITM), and regular education for owners and managers to prevent and reduce termite damage.

• The Southeast Asian review
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.213-247
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• 2018

Thailand in 2017 the public sentiment has turned against the military government. The four pledges the military declared immediately after the 2014 coup, restoration of democracy, addressing of divisive politics, eradication of corruption, and stimulation of the economy have all failed. In the same year, however, Thai military junta began to recover it's diplomatic relationship with western countries including US and EU owing to promulgation of the new constitution endorsed by King Maha Vajiralongkorn and the lavish funeral of late King Bhumibol Adulyadej which was attended by huge number of condolence delegations from around the world including US Defense Secretary James Mattis. Since the 2014 coup, US has sanctioned the country under military junta led by General Prayuth Chan-o-cha for urging them back to the barracks. EU also joined this sanction measures. US signaled change in it's policy when General Prayuth got the chance to visit US and meet President Donal Trump in 2017. General Prayuth Chan-o-cha's military junta could start to restore it's reputation internationally. Domestically, he used absolute powers based on section 44 of the interim constitution, also guranteed in the new constitution. Oversea and national human rights groups have criticized that the interim constitution for permitting the NCPO, Thai military junta's official name, to carry out policies and actions without any effective oversight or accountability for human rights violations. On 1 December 2017, Thailand marked the one-year anniversary of King Maha Vajiralongkorn's accession to the throne as the country's new monarch, Rama X. In the first year of King Rama X's reign, arrests, prosecutions, and imprisonment under Article 112 of Thailand's Criminal Code (lese-majeste) have continued unabated in Thailand. NCPO has continued to abuse Article 112 to detain alleged violators and curb any form of discussion regarding the monarchy, particularly on social media. In this worsening human rights environment General Prayuth Chan-o-cha enforced continuously campaign like Thai-style democracy- an effort to promote largely autocratic 'Thainess' in such a way that freedom of expression is threatened. It is a resurgence of 'Sarit Model'. In the beginning of 2017 Thai military government raised the slogan of 'opportunity Thailand' in the context of 'Thailand 4.0' project which attempts to transform Thai economy based on industry-driven to innovation-driven for recovering robust growth. To consider freedom and liberty as a source of innovation, 'Thailand 4.0' led by 'Sarit Model' without democracy would be skeptical.

• (The)Study of the Eastern Classic
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• no.57
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• pp.231-262
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• 2014

Seeing so many people who use trickery and schemes become successful these days, a lot of people are concerned that the ethical values of our society are breaking down. The saint who created I'Ching presents ways to see through the characteristics of people and ethical values, claims that carrying out these values in everyday life while being aware of misfortunes can lessen our faults or make them disappear, and presents ways to conduct moral actions to people with the hopes of walking down the right road. The Do in Dodeok, which means "ethics" in Korean, stands for "body." Until now, there has been a lack of research on the do in I'Ching. Therefore, the goal of this study was to research the idea and specific actions of Do implied in Gyeomun and Shibik of I'Ching, to aid application of abstract Do to fit the different situations of people. In the beginning, Do was not categorized. It was heavens Do if it was in the heavens, earth Do if it was on the earth, and human Do if it referred to people. I'Ching presents various different ideas of Do to apply natural Do to people. The researcher divided Do largely into heavens Do, earth Do, human Do, heavens, earth and human Do, middle Do and changing Do, and aimed to present various examples of application of Do including Do of a man, Do of heaven and earth, Do of heavens and gods, orders of the heavens, Do of a woman, Do of a family, Do of a saint, Do of a great person, Do of a noble man, Do of a child, Do of a household, Do of the heavens, earth and people, good fortune of men, and wrong Do and frugal Do, to show how and when Do is used and aid in execution of Do through I'Ching. The practice principle of Do according to I'Ching is for people to understand the various types of Do presented by I'Ching, and help all people become saints and noble men by conducting Do at the right time and place. If people make an effort to keep the principle of Do presented in I'Ching, all trickery and schemer will disappear and a society of great unity will be created, where all members are happy.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.220-227
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• 2021

Fluoroimide is a fungicide and is also used as a pesticide for persimmons and potatoes. The established fluoroimide pesticide analysis method takes a long time to perform and uses benzene, a carcinogen. In addition, a lower limit of quantification is required due to enforcement of the Positive List System. Therefore, this study aimed to improve the analysis method for residual fluoroimide to resolve the problems associated with the current method. The analytical method was improved with reference to the increased stability of fluoroimide under acidic conditions. Fluoroimide was extracted under acidic conditions by hydrogen chloride (4 N) and acetic acid. MgSO₄ and NaCl were used with acetonitrile. C₁₈ (octadecylsilane) 500 mg and graphitized carbon black 40 mg were used in the purification process. The experiment was conducted with agricultural products (hulled rice, potato, soybean, mandarin, green pepper), and liquid chromatograph-tandem mass spectrometry was used for the instrumental analysis. Recovery of fluoroimide was 85.7-106.9% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of less than 15.6%. This study reports an improved method for the analysis of fluoroimide that might contribute to safety by substituting the use of benzene, a harmful solvent. Furthermore, the use of QuEChERS increased the efficiency of the improved method. Finally, this research confirmed the precise limit of quantification and these results could be used to improve the analysis of other residual pesticides in agricultural products.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.110 no.1
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• pp.53-63
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• 2021

Sophora koreensis Nakai is an indigenous plant in Koreawith a restricted natural range, part of which is in Gangwon province. The species is known to contain phytochemicals that have beneficial effects on human health, and it is economically important in bioindustry. Because of the limited number of plants in a small range of habitats, the mass-propagation method should be developed for use and conservation. In vitro tissue culture is a reliable method in terms of mass propagation from selected clones of the species. We investigated the optimal conditions of the medium in this process, especially focusing on the concentrations of plant growth regulators(PGRs) in the culture of stem-containing axillary buds. Three statistical methods, i.e., ANOVA, response surface method(RSM), and fuzzy clustering were used to analyze the plant growth, number of shoots induced, and shoot length with various combinations of PGRs. Results from the RSM differed from those of the other two methods; thus, the method was not suitable. ANOVA and fuzzy clustering showed similar results. However, more accurate results were obtained using fuzzy clustering because it provided a probability for each treatment. On the basis of the fuzzy clustering analysis, stem tissue produced the greatest number of shoots(11.03 per explant; 63.33%) on a medium supplemented with 5-��M 6-benzylaminopurine and 2.5-��M thidiazuron(TDZ). Proliferation of shoots(2.18 ± 0.21 cm, 63.33%) was attained on a medium supplemented with 2.5-��M BA, 2.5-��M TDZ, and 2.5-��M gibberellic acid.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.188-197
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• 2020

Termites play an important role as decomposers of the forest ecosystem, while simultaneously causing enormous damage to wooden structures. Currently, two species of subterranean termites have been reported in Korea, and termite damage to historical wooden buildings is occurring nationwide due to climate change, forest fertility, and the locational characteristics of historical wooden buildings. Subterranean termites make their nests underground or inside timber. Termites move underground and access wooden structures through the lower parts of the buildings, adjacent to the ground. Once termites attack the wooden structures, it not only spoils the authenticity of cultural heritage structure, but also hampers structural stability due to the decrease in the strength of the material. Therefore, it is important to prevent termite damage before it occurs. Chemical treatments are mainly used in Korea to control and prevent the damage. In foreign countries, physical barriers are also used to prevent entry to wooden buildings, along with chemical treatments. Physical barriers involve installing nets or particles that termites cannot pass through in the lower part of the building, around the pipes, and between the edges of the building or exterior walls and interior materials. Advantages of a physical barrier are that it is an eco-friendly method, maintains long-term effect after installation, and does not require the use of chemical treatments. Prior to applying physical barriers, studies into the characteristics of termite species must be undertaken. In this study, we evaluated the minimum passage size that each caste of Reticulitermes speratus kyushuensis can move through. We found that workers, soldiers, and secondary reproductive termites were able to pass through diameters of 0.7mm, 0.9mm, and 1.1mm respectively. Head height of termites was an important factor in determining the minimum passing size. Results from the current study will be used as a basis to design the mesh size for physical barriers to prevent damage by termites in historical wooden buildings in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.211-217
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• 2020

This study evaluated calcium hydroxide (slaked lime) and a combination of plant extracts ('natural product'; clove, cinnamon, and saponin; 1:1:1 ratio) as acaricidal control mechanisms for poultry red mites. Red mite susceptibility was evaluated after treatments with 10% slaked lime, 20% slaked lime, and 1% natural product. The duration of the acaricidal effect was also tested at 0, 10, 30, and 60 min after treatment using 20% slaked lime, 1% natural product, or a mixture of both. In the in vitro experiment, the slaked lime treatments were 73.2% (10% slaked lime) and 85.1% (20% slaked lime) effective on red mites. In acaricidal effect of control materials over times, with 20% slaked lime, the acaricidal effect decreased to 50.7% after 30 min, and 12.7% after 60 min (P<0.05). With 1% natural product, there was no acaricidal effect after 30 min (P<0.05). With 20% slaked lime +1% natural product, all of poultry red mites died until 30 min, and 92.9% after 60 min (P<0.05). On the farm, poultry red mites were observed that the number of poultry red mites increased 7,923 from 36 to 45 weeks, but then decreased to 483 after 20% slaked lime plus 1% natural product treatment. These results indicate that combining slaked lime and plant extracts effectively control poultry red mites.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.48-67
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• 2021

Plant species exhibit current characteristics as a result of interactions with environmental conditions. The plants of Viola sp. have selected chasmogamous flowers with vigorous vegetative propagation or development of cleistogamous flowers as an adaptation strategy. Viola websteri is distributed on the Korean peninsula and the eastern part of Jilin Province, China. The center and edge of the distribution are expected to exhibit different population-dynamics. It is necessary to investigate the cause of its current limited distribution even though V. websteri has a mixed-mating strategy. Firstly, We examined the vegetation environment of habitats and evaluated its characteristics. Growth characteristics were examined through plant phenology. We then evaluated the population structure, characteristics of chasmogamous flowers, and productivity of cleistogamous flowers. Moreover, we compared population sizes between 2014 and 2018. Most habitats were located in deciduous broadleaf mixed forests adjacent to valleys. V. websteri produced chasmogamous flowers with self-incompatibility in April-May and cleistogamous flowers in June-September. The cleistogamous flower production is a strategy ensuring seed production under uncertain environmental fluctuations; these were approximately twice as numerous as chasmogamous flowers. The population structure was distinguished into stable and very unstable regions. There were sites where the population experienced a sharp decline in the 2018 compared to that of 2014. This large decline was found in the edge populations. The habitats had different microsites depending on the natural disturbances of drought and the matrix constituting the habitat, thus supporting various plants. Ensuring the production of seeds through cleistogamous flowers, it was determined that rapid seedling re-establishment and population replenishment were possible when the natural disturbance factor was removed. Environmental factors did not equally affect all populations or individuals. Therefore, it was expected that it would be able to persisted in a long time, despite the rapid decrease in the number of individuals in the population regionally. Local extinction and re-establishment are likely to repeat according to environmental change. We propose the additional population investigation based on this works are required. We also suggest a need to assess the long-term population dynamics and the genetic characteristics of chasmogamous flowers and cleistogamous flowers to establish and implement effective conservation strategies.