• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.86-91
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• 2012

An in vitro rumen batch culture study was completed to compare effects of common grasses, leguminous shrubs and non-leguminous shrubs used for livestock grazing in Australia and Ghana on $CH_4$ production and fermentation characteristics. Grass species included Andropodon gayanus, Brachiaria ruziziensis and Pennisetum purpureum. Leguminous shrub species included Cajanus cajan, Cratylia argentea, Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena leucocephala and Stylosanthes guianensis and non-leguminous shrub species included Annona senegalensis, Moringa oleifera, Securinega virosa and Vitellaria paradoxa. Leaves were harvested, dried at $55^{\circ}C$ and ground through a 1 mm screen. Serum bottles containing 500 mg of forage, modified McDougall's buffer and rumen fluid were incubated under anaerobic conditions at $39^{\circ}C$ for 24 h. Samples of each forage type were removed after 0, 2, 6, 12 and 24 h of incubation for determination of cumulative gas production. Methane production, ammonia concentration and proportions of VFA were measured at 24 h. Concentration of aNDF (g/kg DM) ranged from 671 to 713 (grasses), 377 to 590 (leguminous shrubs) and 288 to 517 (non-leguminous shrubs). After 24 h of in vitro incubation, cumulative gas, $CH_4$ production, ammonia concentration, proportion of propionate in VFA and IVDMD differed (p<0.05) within each forage type. B. ruziziensis and G. sepium produced the highest cumulative gas, IVDMD, total VFA, proportion of propionate in VFA and the lowest A:P ratios within their forage types. Consequently, these two species produced moderate $CH_4$ emissions without compromising digestion. Grazing of these two species may be a strategy to reduce $CH_4$ emissions however further assessment in in vivo trials and at different stages of maturity is recommended.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.355-361
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• 2008

Pollen is very important causing factor for allergy such as allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and asthma, and pollen allergy has a remarkable clinical impact all over Korea. The main pollination period covers about half the year, from spring to autumn, and the distribution of airborne pollen taxa of allergological interest is related to pollen season dynamics. Korean academy of pediatric allergy and respiratory diseases (KAPARD) has evaluated the pollen characteristics and nationwide pollen count for over 10 years since 1997. Airborne particles carrying allergens were collected daily from nationwide 8 stations (Seoul, Guri, Cheongju, Daegu, Kwangju, Busan, Kangneung, and Jeju) by using 7 days-Burkard sampler (Burkard Manufacturing Co Ltd, Hertfordshire, UK) in South Korea (July 1, 1997-June 30, 2007). They were counted and recorded along with the meteorological factors daily. Tree pollen is a major airborne allergen in spring, grass is most common in summer, and weed pollen is major pollen in autumn in Korea. There has two peak seasons for pollen allergy, as summer and autumn. There is some evidence suggesting that the prevalence of allergic diseases in Korea has been on the increase in the past decade. However, recent findings of the phase I and II studies of the international Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) study showed the absence of increases or little changes in prevalence of asthma symptoms and diagnosis rates in Korea, whereas the prevalence of allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis were increased. We reported the evidence that sensitization rate to weed pollen has been increased yearly since 1997 in childhood. Climate change and air pollution must be the major causing factors for the increase of pollen counts and sensitization rate to pollen. Climate change makes the plants earlier pollination and persisting pollination longer. In conclusion, data on pollen count and structure in the last few years, the pathogenetic role of pollen and the interaction between pollen and air pollutants with climate change gave new insights into the mechanism of respiratory allergic diseases in Korea.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.23-43
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• 2005

Industrial clusters are geographical concentrations of interconnected companies, specialised suppliers, service providers, firms in related industries, and associated institutions (for example, universities, standard agencies, and trade associations) that combine to create new products and/or services in specific lines of business. At present, the concept of industrial cluster becomes very popular worldwide, policy makers at national, regional and local levels and business people in both forerunner and latecomer countries are keen to implement the cluster concept as an economic development model. Though understanding of clusters and related promoting policies varies from one place to another, the underlying benefits of clusters from collective learning and knowledge spillovers between participating actors strongly attract the attention of these people. In Thailand, a latecomer country in terms of technological catching up, the cluster concept has been used as a means to rectify weakness and fragmentation of its innovation systems. The present Thai government aspires to apply the concept to promote both high-tech manufacturing clusters, services clusters and community-based clusters at the grass-root level. This paper analyses three very different clusters in terms of technological sophistication and business objectives, i.e., hard disk drive, software and chili paste. It portrays their significant actors, the extent of interaction among them and the evolution of the clusters. Though are very dissimilar, common characteristics attributed to qualified success are found. Main driving forces of the three clusters are cluster intermediaries. Forms of these organizations are different from a government research and technology organization (RTO), an industrial association, to a self-organised community-based organization. However, they perform similar functions of stimulating information and knowledge sharing, and building trust among participating firms/individuals in the clusters. Literature in the cluster studies argues that government policies need to be cluster specific. In this case, the best way to design and implement cluster-specific policies is through working closely with intermediaries and strengthening their institutional especially in linking member firms/individuals to other actors in clusters such as universities, government R&D institutes, and financial institutions.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2010

Allelopathic activity of rotation crop residues to common weeds and selectivity of crops were studied for developing an alternative weed control strategy in upland organic farming. All rotation crop residues with various ratios suppressed weed growth, but the growth of crop species stimulated a little when those were grown with the mixture of rotation crop residues except a few crop species. Among the rotation crop residues used in this study hairy vetch was the most effective, followed by Chinese milkvetch, barley and rye in suppression of weed growth. The 90:10 (crop:soil, v/v) treatments incorporation rate of crop residues such as hairy vetch and Chinese milkvetch suppressed completely the growth of all weed species tested in this study. The effect of crop residues on suppression of weed growth reduced to 90% when the incorporation rates decreased to 60% [60:40 (crop:soil, v/v). It was noticed that broadleaf weed species were more susceptible to rotation crop residues than grass weed species. In the influence of crop residues on the crop growth, no growth inhibition was found in red pepper, lettuce and perllia at any incorporation rates, but tomato, cucumber and corn were slightly inhibited in a few cases at their highest incorporation levels. This study demonstrated that rotation crop residues especially hairy vetch and Chinese milkvetch have high herbicidal effects against weeds without inhibiting the growth of crop species.

• Transactions of the KSME C: Technology and Education
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.211-219
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• 2013

Even though global warming and humid climate have resulted in an increase of use of dehumidifiers, they are not becoming more common because of high energy consumption. Furthermore, conventional dehumidifier technology finally reaches the limit to increase energy efficiency of water collection. As an alternative, nature-inspired technology may lead to a major breakthrough in the dehumidification performance. In order to improve the efficiency of dehumidifiers, we first analyze the energy consumption of commercial dehumidifiers and then study bioinspired water collection methods adopted by Namib beetles and grass.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.199-210
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• 2012

In this study, a pull-out strength increasement of grasses was tested in field and the relationship between a weight of root and pull-out strength was established. The tested grasses were commmon reed, reed and sedge which were cultivated by mat-type like turf and used for revegetation of bank. The shear stress of soil at a section can be discribed as a function of root area and pull-out strength, therefore the result of this study will be used as a foundational data for reinforcing the shear stress of the revegetated bank. The heavier weight of root increased, the stronger shear stress was for all grasses. But the relationship between the weight and the shear stress were different by a kind of grass. The difference between common reed, sedge and reed is due to difference of growth and propagation. A reed propagates by subterranean stem and a root weight and pull-out strength are linearly increased by root and growth of subterranean stem.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.86 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 1997

Second year results are presented from a trial designed to quantify the reduction in radiata pine(Pinus radiata D. Don) seedling growth caused by competition from a range of important weed species on a moist North Island site in New Zealand. Radiates pine seedlings(1/0) were grown on the weed free control and with either herbaceous broadleaves, grass, broom, pampas, buddleia, or gorse. Resource(nutrient and water) levels were varied by factorial +/- irrigation and fertilizer treatments. Radiata pine seedling volume growth 21 months after planting was greatest when it was grown on the weed free control or in association with gorse, and was least when grown with either buddleia or pampas. There was no evidence that the effects of the weeds on seedling growth were mediated by either competition for water or nutrients. Tall, fast-growing species that overtopped the seedlings(broom, buddleia, pampas) had the greatest effect on seedling growth and the magnitude of the effect was correlated with degree of overtopping. This implies that shading or competition for light is probably an important factor.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.79-90
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• 1998

This study was conducted to effect promotion of fall potato growth in the place which green manual crops had been previously cultivated, crushed and tilled and polyethylene transparent vinyl had been mulched from Aug. 5 to Aug. 29 in 1997. The maximum temperature of below-ground at the depth of 10cm was $42^{\circ}C$ during the mulching period, and the pH and the organic compound content of soil was very increased by the cultivation of green manual crops and the mulching of polyethylene transparent vinyl. The total yields of green manual crops which had been previously cultivated were as the following orders; the hybrid of sudan grass, soybean, alfalfa, otherwise, fresh weight of stems and the tuber yield of fall potato were significantly affected in the plot of soybean + fall potato after the soil solarization with the mulching. As these results, it was possible to improve crops growth and to sterilize soil by the mulching treatment of polyethylene vinyl after cultivation of green manual crops during the high temperature of the summer season.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.1218-1230
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• 2021

Cold-adapted plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) with multiple functions are an important resource for microbial fertilizers with low-temperature application. In this study, culturable cold-adapted PGPB strains with nitrogen fixation and phosphorus solubilization abilities were isolated. They were screened from root and rhizosphere of four dominant grass species in nondegraded alpine grasslands of the Qilian Mountains, China. Their other growth-promoting characteristics, including secretion of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), production of siderophores and ACC deaminase, and antifungal activity, were further studied by qualitative and quantitative methods. In addition, whether the PGPB strains could still exert plant growth-promoting activity at 4℃ was verified. The results showed that 67 isolates could maintain one or more growth-promoting traits at 4℃, and these isolates were defined as cold-adapted PGPB. They were divided into 8 genera by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, of which Pseudomonas (64.2%) and Serratia (13.4%) were the common dominant genera, and a few specific genera varied among the plant species. A test-tube culture showed that inoculation of Elymus nutans seedlings with cold-adapted PGPB possessing different functional characteristics had a significant growth-promoting effect under controlled low-temperature conditions, including the development of the roots and aboveground parts. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that different growth-promoting characteristics made different contributions to the development of the roots and aboveground parts. These cold-adapted PGPB can be used as excellent strain resources suitable for the near-natural restoration of degraded alpine grasslands or agriculture stock production in cold areas.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.681-698
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• 2022

The Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus, Atlantic salmon Salmo salar, rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus, common carp Cyprinus carpio, grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella and rohu carp Labeo rohita are farmed commercially worldwide. Production of these important finfishes is rapidly expanding, and intensive culture practices can lead to stress in fish, often reducing resistance to infectious diseases. Antibiotics and other drugs are routinely used for the treatment of diseases and sometimes applied preventatively to combat microbial pathogens. This strategy is responsible for the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance, mass killing of environmental/beneficial bacteria, and residual effects in humans. As an alternative, the administration of probiotics has gained acceptance for disease control in aquaculture. Probiotics have been found to improve growth, feed utilization, immunological status, disease resistance, and to promote transcriptomic profiles and internal microbial balance of host organisms. The present review discusses the effects of single and multi-strain probiotics on growth, immunity, heamato-biochemical parameters, and disease resistance of the above-mentioned finfishes. The application and outcome of probiotics in the field or open pond system, gaps in existing knowledge, and issues worthy of further research are also highlighted.