• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.45 no.2
• /
• pp.228-235
• /
• 2021

Backgroud: Ginsenoside compound K (GK) is a major metabolite of protopanaxadiol-type ginsenosides and has remarkable anticancer activities in vitro and in vivo. This work used an ionic cross-linking method to entrap GK within O-carboxymethyl chitosan (OCMC) nanoparticles (Nps) to form GK-loaded OCMC Nps (GK-OCMC Nps), which enhance the aqueous solubility and stability of GK. Methods: The GK-OCMC Nps were characterized using several physicochemical techniques, including x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, zeta potential analysis, and particle size analysis via dynamic light scattering. GK was released from GK-OCMC Nps and was conducted using the dialysis bag diffusion method. The effects of GK and GK-OCMC Nps on PC3 cell viability were measured by using the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide assay. Fluorescent technology based on Cy5.5-labeled probes was used to explore the cellular uptake of GK-OCMC Nps. Results: The GK-OCMC NPs had a suitable particle size and zeta potential; they were spherical with good dispersion. In vitro drug release from GK-OCMC NPs was pH dependent. Moreover, the in vitro cytotoxicity study and cellular uptake assays indicated that the GK-OCMC Nps significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity and cellular uptake of GK toward the PC3 cells. GK-OCMC Nps also significantly promoted the activities of both caspase-3 and caspase-9. Conclusion: GK-OCMC Nps are potential nanocarriers for delivering hydrophobic drugs, thereby enhancing water solubility and permeability and improving the antiproliferative effects of GK.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.177-187
• /
• 2014

Mussels have been commonly used in bioassay for quality assessments of environment. Moreover, several standard protocols for the developmental bioassay of bivalves have been proposed. In this study, the EC50 of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was determined using mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis embryonic developmental bioassay. To determine the sensitivity of M. galloprovincialis, their fertilized eggs were exposed to five PAHs (2-metylnaphthalene, fluorene, dibenzothiophene, phenanthrene, pyrene). The EC50 of 2-metylnaphthalene, fluorene, dibenzothiophene, phenanthrene, and pyrene were 232, 273, 67.9, 43.2, and $33.1{\mu}g/L$, respectively. The overall sensitivity of M. galloprovincialis in the present developmental bioassay was similar to or more sensitive than that of other marine organisms commonly used in aquatic bioassays. The results of this study could be provide with fundamental data of setting standard for protection of marine life and or can use prediction the aquatic toxicity of PAHs.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.185-211
• /
• 2004

It is a common and prevailing Construction that recent environmental problems such as earth's warmer climate and depletion of ozone layers can never be solved by the efforts of any one nation. That is why the international conventions have been held more often lately in order to discuss the matter of environment protection and there has been increased tendency of using economic activities of any nation especially their international trades as means for achieving the purpose of environment protection. Furthermore, there is an ample possibility for the advanced countries to use the regulatory restrictions for environment protection as an another measure of none-tariff barrier against countries including Korea which has high dependence on international trade with not very high technological capability of environment protection. Some of the developed countries have recently moved toward the creation of a new system of international regulatory measures on world trade in the name of Environment Protection. They Plan to impose strict control over the process and technology of production of good they are importing from other country. However, ever though the international regulatory measures, in a short term, could play a negative role on our trade capability, they could, in the long run, also play a role of helping hands if we usefully work out positive countermeasures as a result of hand-working government supported by industry and all the society as a whole.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.133-144
• /
• 2014

This study was carried out to review the pattern of forest stand development for six Gangwondo Baekdudaegan Mountains which experienced different type and duration of intensive legal protection. Vegetation data from point sampling method were employed to classify community types by cluster analysis on the basis of the importance values of canopy tree species for the study areas. The names of classified communities were given by the composition of dominant tree species. The communities were also compared one another in terms of stand structure by species diversity index. The results indicated that National Parks (Seoraksan and Odaesan) had greater proportion of mixed mesophytic forest type which was supposed to progress further forest succession process so as to have more complex and diversified stand structure. On the other hand, ordinary forest areas (Seokbyeongsan and Deokhangsan) had greater proportion of the forest types which was dominatively composed of Quercus mongolica and Pinus densiflora. The forest types with large amount of these two species would tend to develop for relatively short period of time of 40-50 years after artificial disturbances. Hyangnobong of Natural Protection Area and Hambaeksan of Natural Ecosystem Conservation Area showed intermediate stand development pattern in between National Parks and ordinary forest areas. The period of intensive legal protection of the forest area was positively correlated with species diversity index (R=0.736), and noted that the forest which received intensive protection regulation for longer period tended to show more complex and diversified stand structure.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.284-291
• /
• 2024

Background: This study aimed to identify the prevalence of workplace hazards and organizational protection resources according to the size of the enterprise in the manufacturing industry of the Republic of Korea. Methods: We analyzed data of waged workers (weighted N = 5,879) from the Fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey (2017). Enterprise sizes were categorized as "micro enterprises" (less than five employees), "small enterprises" (5-49 employees) and "medium-large enterprises" (50 or more employees). Self-reported exposure to 18 physical, chemical, ergonomic, and psychological hazards were measured. The presence of organizational protection resources such as a labor union, a safety delegate working at the company, designated spaces to deal with safety, and the provision of health and safety information was evaluated. Results: Compared to workers in medium-large enterprises, those in micro enterprises showed a higher proportion of exposure to most of physical, chemical, ergonomic, and psychological hazards, except for exposure to solvents, prolonged sitting, and experiencing a state of emotional unrest. On the other hand, workers in micro enterprises had the lowest proportion of access to organizational protection resources. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that manufacturing workers at the micro enterprise in the Republic of Korea are exposed to the most hazardous work environment and yet have access to the fewest organizational protection resources.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.12 no.5
• /
• pp.369-382
• /
• 2003

Natural resources managers have considered the landscape without detailed consideration of aesthetic values of the landscape and geomorphological significance of unique landforms. Since EIA system was introduced in 1981, values associated with landscape protection have been neglected at best compared with those values traditionally attributed to environmental protection, including clean air, water quality and species protection. Black top highways are being built without consideration of harmful effects to the sea cliffs. Sea walls and tetrapod are being installed to protect the coastal towns and fish markets for tourist. However, beach itself are experiencing accelerated erosion due to the shortage of proper coastal engineering expertise. Hotels and condominiums are under construction on a massive scale around the national parks, which substitute the scenic ridges with concrete profiles. To protect the scenic beauty of national parks, their design and construction material should be more harmonious with the surroundings. Therefore, visual impact assessment should be applied both within the national park boundary and beyond to enhance the aesthetic values of national parks.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.23 no.12
• /
• pp.2101-2106
• /
• 2014

The urban wetland park is an indispensable part of an ecological city. It has aroused widespread attention and even quickly planning and construction around the country. But, in terms of the nature of the urban wetland park, there is a contradiction between the protection of urban wetland resources and the openness of the urban park for public. This article starts with the necessity for construction of urban wetland park, more over expound the existent problems between the protection and openness of the urban wetland park and to propose appropriate measures through the case study on Nanhu National Urban Wetland Park, Tangshan.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
• /
• v.12 no.6
• /
• pp.131-142
• /
• 2009

The purpose of this study is to detect the protection area around the Geum-buk and Geum-nam Mountains for making a sustainable ecological network. The protection area in the Geum-buk and Geum-nam Mountains was analyzed by using spatial data and a field survey for landscape conservation purposes. A survey scope was fixed using digital elevation model, and the protection area was finally determined based on the parcel map called as the Korea Land Information System (KLIS). Here we have several conclusions in this study. First, spatial data used in this study were a map of ecological and natural degree (MEND), forest distribution map, elevation map, slope map, and several maps for the protection area assigned by laws regarding to the natural resources. Second, we used 4 alternatives to determine the best choice for showing the ecological network in the study area. One alternative (alt. 3) of 4 ones was finally chosen as the best condition for making the ecological network. The condition in elevation and slope was a little modified to a lower level in alt, 3. The result derived from alt, 3 reflected the continuity and connectivity in the ecological network and we estimate that the protection area can protect the core area using the buffer zone around the ecological network. Finally the parcel-based protection area in the Geum-buk and Geum-nam Mountains had $493.92km^2$ of the core area, and $233.99km^2$ of the buffer zone, which means the parcel-based protection area increased by $97.76km^2$ in the core area, but decreased by $76.61km^2$ as of in the topographical map.

• Genes and Genomics
• /
• v.40 no.11
• /
• pp.1169-1180
• /
• 2018

Cave shrimps from the genera Typhlatya, Stygiocaris and Typhlopatsa (TST complex) comprises twenty cave-adapted taxa, which mainly occur in the anchialine environment. Anchialine habitats may undergo drastic environmental fluctuations, including spatial and temporal changes in salinity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen content. Previous studies of crustaceans from anchialine caves suggest that they have possessed morphological, behavioral, and physiological adaptations to cope with the extreme conditions, similar to other cave-dwelling crustaceans. However, the genetic basis has not been thoroughly explored in crustaceans from anchialine habitats, which can experience hypoxic regimes. To test whether the TST shrimp-complex hypoxia adaptations matched adaptive evolution of mitochondrial OXPHOS genes. The 13 OXPHOS genes from mitochondrial genomes of 98 shrimps and 1 outgroup were examined. For each of these genes was investigated and compared to orthologous sequences using both gene (i.e. branch-site and Datamonkey) and protein (i.e. TreeSAAP) level approaches. Positive selection was detected in 11 of the 13 candidate genes, and the radical amino acid changes sites scattered throughout the entire TST complex phylogeny. Additionally, a series of parallel/convergent amino acid substitutions were identified in mitochondrial OXPHOS genes of TST complex shrimps, which reflect functional convergence or similar genetic mechanisms of cave adaptation. The extensive occurrence of positive selection is suggestive of their essential role in adaptation to hypoxic anchialine environment, and further implying that TST complex shrimps might have acquired a finely capacity for energy metabolism. These results provided some new insights into the genetic basis of anchialine hypoxia adaptation.

• Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.200-210
• /
• 2009

The modern era of water quality modeling in the United States began in the 1960s. Pushed by advances in computer technology as well as environmental sciences, water quality modeling evolved through five broad periods: (1) initial model development with mainframe computers (1960s - mid 1970s), (2) model refinement and generalization with minicomputers (mid 1970s - mid 1980s), (3) model standardization and support with microcomputers (mid 1980s - mid 1990s), (4) better model access and performance with faster desktop computers running Windows and local area networks linked to the Internet (mid 1990s - early 2000s), and (5) model integration and widespread use of the Internet (early 2000s - present). Improved computer technology continues to drive improvements in water quality models, including more detailed environmental analysis (spatially and temporally), better user interfaces and GIS software, more accessibility to environmental data from on-line repositories, and more robust modeling frameworks linking hydrodynamics, water quality, watershed and atmospheric models. Driven by regulatory needs and advancing technology, water quality modeling will continue to improve to better address more complicated water bodies and pollutant types, and more complicated management questions. This manuscript describes historical trends in water quality model development in the United States, reviews current efforts, and projects promising future directions.