• International Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.13-27
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• 2013

Consumer perception of the meaning of 'green' and 'green products' as well as how they use green claims (including terms, certifications, and marks) should be examined to help consumers pursue green behavior in everyday life. This study investigates what type of green claims prevail in the Korean consumer market and how consumers perceive the meaning of 'green' and green claims. For these purposes, media analysis, in-context research (shop visit) and a survey were conducted to collect green claims (including green terms and certified/noncertified green marks). Green claims in the consumer market were first summarized and analyzed; subsequently, the most frequently used 7 green marks and 15 green terms were selected to construct a consumer survey questionnaire on consumer perceptions of green claims. An online survey was performed via Embrain and the survey respondents consisted of 500 adult consumers over the age of 20. The field research results showed frequent green claims in the Korean consumer market. However, certified (and hence trustworthy green product information labels) were uncommon in the market. The only green claim widely known and used by consumers was the energy consumption efficiency label. Consumers were interested in the green information label not because it affected their utility cost nor because it was important for environment protection.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.668-681
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• 2013

The Korean government announced a national mid-term target to reduce 30% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from business-as usual (BAU) level by 2020 in a voluntary and independent manner. In this study, we examined the $CO_2$ mitigation potential and conducted an economic effect analysis of green living actions in households in Korea. We also proposed some ways to implement green life to achieve the national target. If green lifestyle takes root in households nationwide, $CO_2$ emission would be reduced to 27.3% of the emission in 2007. This would save the country about 4.93 trillion won per year and each household could save about 300,000 won per year, which accounts for about 0.5% of GDP (as of 2007). Considering the five-year plan for green growth to invest 2% of GDP in green growth every year, this would not only reduce the economic burden on households, industries and the country but also increase economic growth potential by reinvesting the saved resources into green growth. Heating and lighting would be the greatest contributor to GHG mitigation of green life in the residential sector. It means we could achieve the national goal by reducing unnecessary heating and lighting and using energy-saving electric home appliances. The implementation of green living actions would reduce a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions, ultimately relieving the burden on businesses to reduce GHG emissions. And it is one of the most cost-effective mitigation tools in order to achieve the mid-term GHG mitigation goal.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.308-312
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• 2012

BACKGROUND: The nutrient balance in Korea during 1985-2006 had continually increased and maintained the highest levels among OECD countries. The use of green manure crops such as barley and hairy vetch is common practice for reducing chemical fertilizer application and maintaining soil fertility. However, green manure crops can also be used as a livestock feeding material which may reduce nutrient balance in the national scale. We calculated nitrogen and phosphate balance under green manure-rice cultivating system where all green manure was removed and used for feeding livestock. METHODS AND RESULTS: The barley and hairy vetch grown in pure stands or in mixtures with different sowing rates were tested for rice cultivation without chemical fertilization. The conventional fertilization (NPK) for rice cultivation was selected to compare nutrient balance with green manure-rice cultivation. Nitrogen and phosphate balance were calculated according to the surface balance method of the PARCOM guidelines. Total aboveground biomass of mixture (barley and hairy vetch) was higher compared to that of pure barley or hairy vetch. Among the mixture with barley and hairy vetch, the highest aboveground biomass was observed in B75H25 (barley 75%+hairy vetch 25%). The nitrogen and phosphate balance in the B75H25 mixture was-104 kg N/ha and-50.3 kg P/ha, respectively. CONCLUSION(S): The barley and hairy vetch mixture proved to be a very effective strategy for biomass production of green manure. The amount of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer to be applied is estimated to be 104 kg N/ha and 50.3 kg P/ha in order to maintain soil fertility if all green manure and rice straw were removed from rice field for livestock feeding.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.183-195
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• 2010

This paper, reviews the characteristics of green consumers through a Focus Group Interview (FGI) method. This study shows that some remarkable changes are taking place in the lifestyles of green consumers compared with the past lifestyles of green consumers. Second, this study shows that green consumers have the correct green opinions about present environmental problems and they have a critical environmentally conscious attitude on this issue. Third, the research shows that green consumers behave environmentally (buying, use, and disposal acts) based on individual and personal standards. This study suggests (based on the research findings) methods to solve environmental problems to the government, corporations, and consumers as well as ways to increase the number of environmentally conscious consumers.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.14 no.6 s.67
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• pp.920-924
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• 2004

The beneficial effects of green and fermented tea are generally attributed to some antioxidant activities including superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like ability and scavenging activity originated from their phenolic compounds and flavonoids. Content of total flavonoid of green tea $(413.3\;{\mu}g/g)$ was similar to those of fermented tea $(405.7\;{\mu}g/g)$. Content of total phenol of green tea $(46.8\;{\mu}g/g)$ was higher than those of fermented tea $(23.5\;{\mu}g/g)$. Major catechin compounds of hot water extract in green tea was EGCG, including EGC, Gc, catechin and catechol. EGCG was not detected .in fermented tea. SOD-like ability was increased in proportional to added concentration of hot water extract. The scavenging activities of hydroxyl radical at $3000\;{\mu}g/ml$ of green and fermented teas were found up to $60\%$. Hot water extract of green tea was more effective in scavenging activity than that of fermented tea.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.64-76
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• 2013

In this study, eco-friendly hybrid composite boards were manufactured from green tea, three kinds of charcoals and wood fiber for developing interior materials to reinforce the strength performances and the functionalities in addition to performances of the green tea-wood fiber hybrid boards. The effects for the kind and the component ratio of raw materials on mechanical properties were investigated. Bending strength performances of hybrid composite boards were highest in the hybrid composite boards composed of green tea, fine charcoal and wood fiber on average. However, the difference caused by the kind of charcoals was not large. These values were was markedly improved than those of green tea - wood fiber hybrid composite boards reported in previous researches. And it was found that the bending strength performance decreased with increasing component ratios of green tea and charcoals. The difference between urea resins used as the binder showed the higher value in hybrid composite boards using $E_1$ grade urea resin than in those using $E_0$ grade urea resin, but the difference between hybrid composite boards manufactured by both resins decreased markedly than the green tea - wood fiber hybrid composite boards reported in previous research. The internal bond strength of hybrid composite boards was in the order of hybrid composite boards with fine charcoal, activated charcoal and black charcoal, and it was found that the hybrid composite boards with fine charcoal had a similar values to control boards composed of only wood fiber.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.392-399
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• 2009

Recent studies indicate that green tea may have anticancer, antioxidant, and antihypertensive effects, and aids body weight control and the promotion of various desirable physiological functions. However, few studies have investigated the antimicrobial effects of green tea. We sought to determine the antimicrobial activity of green tea extract against food spoilage microorganisms. The extract showed remarkable antimicrobial effects against a wide spectrum of putrefactive and food spoilage microorganisms when used at concentrations greater than $500{\mu}g/ml$. The extract showed thermal and pH stability in the range of $40{\sim}150^{\circ}C$ and pH 3.11, respectively. Green tea extract seems to be an ideal natural antimicrobial, considering both efficacy and thermal and pH stabilities. Antimicrobial substances in green tea extract were investigated using electron microscopy and a $\beta$-galactosidase assay. The data showed that the extract contains several efficacious materials, and that their activities are not synergistic but are instead independent. Our data indicate that hydrophilic antimicrobial substances in green tea extract might control food spoilage microorganisms owing to perturbation of the microbial cell membrane.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.322-327
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• 2011

The effects of green tea consumption and/or exercise for 12weeks on body weight and select biochemical markers in plasma were evaluated in obese adolescents with a fat ratio of greater than 25%. The subjects were randomly divided into a control group (n=9), green tea consumption group (n=9), exercise group (n=9) and green tea consumption with exercise group (n=9). Subjects in both green tea consumption group and green tea consumption with exercise group were given more than five cups of green tea extract in hot water ($90^{\circ}C$) daily, equivalent to 1.5-1.7 g dry green tea, for 12 weeks. Subjects in both the exercise group and green tea consumption with exercise group participated in a training program (HRmax 60-70%, 60 min/day) for 12 weeks. Control subjects were only given water equal to the quantity of green tea being given to the subjects of green tea consumption. No significant changes body weights were seen in any of these treatments, but the waist to hip ratio was reduced with treatments of both green tea and exercise. The control group showed no significant changes in TNF-$\alpha$, IL-6 and leptin levels. Green tea consumption reduced leptin (p<0.05), TNF-$\alpha$, and leptin levels. Exercise lowered TNF-$\alpha$ (p<0.05), IL-6 (p<0.01), and leptin (p<0.05) concentrations. Meanwhile, a combination of green tea consumption and exercise lowered TNF-$\alpha$, IL-6 (p<0.05) and leptin (p<0.05) levels. These results indicate that green tea consumption and exercise both had a positive effect on the reduction of inflammatory cytokines, TNF-$\alpha$, IL-6 and leptin, in obese adolescents, but no synergistic effect on the reduction of these cytokines.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.29-31
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• 2004

A new method for the quantitative determination of fucosterol in the marine algae Pelvetia siliquosa by gas chromatography was established. A HP-1 column programmed as $200^{\circ}C\;(5\;min)\;{\rightarrow}\;5/min\;{\rightarrow}\;280^{\circ}C\;(10\;min)$ was developed. The analysis of fucosterol in P. siliquosa was successfully carried out within 30 min.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.46-50
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• 2003

We studied the inhibitory effect of Green Life Enzyme (GLE) on compound 48/80-induced anaphylactic response in a murine model. GLE inhibited compound 48/80-induced systemic anaphylactic shock at the dose of 10 g/kg by 87.5%. When GLE was given as pre-treatment at concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 1.0 g/kg, it inhibited passive cutaneous anaphylaxis activated by anti-dinitrophenyl (DNP) IgE. In addition, GLE (0.1 mg/ml) inhibited anti-DNP IgE-induced tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$ production from mast cells by 69% compared to saline value. These results indicate that GLE may possess anti-anaphylactic and anti-inflammatory activity.