• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.569-579
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• 2019

In this study, the effect anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and liver protective activity was investigated via quick ultrasonic disintegration of pine pollen using a probe sonicator (PS) followed by the extraction with water, 70% ethanol, and 100% ethanol. The anti-inflammatory effect was studied by measuring the production of nitric oxide (NO) and cytokine in RAW264.7 cells induced with lipopolysaccharides (LPS). The cell toxicity was also checked with an 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and the experiment was conducted using non-toxic $100{\mu}g/mL$. The NO inhibition rate was highest in the 70% ethanol PS group at $85.99{\pm}0.12%$. Also an excellent efficiency was obtained from the results of interlukin-1 beta ($IL-1{\beta}$) and tumor necrosis factor alpha ($TNF-{\alpha}$), which is related to inflammation-related cytokine, with the respective inhibition rates of 63 and 22%. To examine liver protective activity, HepG2 cells were treated with Taclin, and the generation of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was measured in the culture solution. From GOT and LDH generation results, the inhibition rates in the 70% ethanol PS group were 28% and 13%, respectively, which was higher compared to that of using negative control group. Our results suggest that pine pollen extracted in 70% ethanol using PS may be used to develop food products that have anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and liver protective effects.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.799-806
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• 2012

This experiment was conducted to establish the optimum conditions for high $CO_2$ gas treatment in combination with a proper gas-permeable packaging film to maintain the quality of fig fruit (Ficus carica L). Among the fig fruits with different high $CO_2$ treatments, the quality change was most effectively controlled during storage in the 70%-$CO_2$-treated fig fruit. Harvested fig fruit was packaged using microperforated oriented polypropylene (MP) film to maintain the optimum gas concentrations in the headspace of packaging for the modified-atmosphere system. MP film had an oxygen transmission rate of about $10,295cm^3/m^2$/day/atm at $25^{\circ}C$. The weight loss, firmness, soluble-solid content (SSC), acidity (pH), skin color (Hunter L, a, b), and decay ratio of the fig fruits were monitored during storage at 5 and $25^{\circ}C$. The results of this study showed that the OPP film, OPP film + 70% $CO_2$, and MP film+70% $CO_2$ were highly effective in reducing the loss rate, firmness and decay occurrence rate of fig fruits that were packaged with them during storage. In the case of using treatments with packages of OPP film and OPP film+70% $CO_2$, however, adverse effects like package bursting or physiological injury of the fig may occur due to the gas pressure or long exposure to $CO_2$. Therefore, the results indicated that MP film containing 70% $CO_2$ can be used as an effective treatment to extend the freshness of fig fruits for storage at a proper low temperature.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.50-58
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• 2005

Recently, the imaging of geological structures beneath water-covered areas has been in great demand because of numerous tunnel and bridge construction projects on river or lake sites. An electrical resistivity survey can be effective in such a situation because it provides a subsurface image of faults or weak zones beneath the water layer. Even though conventional resistivity surveys in water-covered areas, in which electrodes are installed on the water bottom, do give high-resolution subsurface images, much time and effort is required to install electrodes. Therefore, an easier and more convenient method is sought to find the strike direction of the main zones of weakness, especially for reconnaissance surveys. In this paper, we investigate the applicability of the streamer resistivity survey method, which uses electrodes in a streamer cable towed by ship or boat, for delineating a fault zone. We do this through numerical experiments with models of water-covered areas. We demonstrate that the fault zone can be imaged, not only by installing electrodes on the water bottom, but also by using floating electrodes, when the depth of water is less than twice the electrode spacing. In addition, we compare the signal-to-noise ratio and resolving power of four kinds of electrode arrays that can be adapted to the streamer resistivity method. Following this numerical study, we carried out both conventional and streamer resistivity surveys for the planned tunnel construction site located at the Han River in Seoul, Korea. To obtain high-resolution resistivity images we used the conventional method, and installed electrodes on the water bottom along the planned route of the tunnel beneath the river. Applying a two-dimensional inversion scheme to the measured data, we found three distinctive low-resistivity anomalies, which we interpreted as associated with fault zones. To determine the strike direction of these three fault zones, we used the quick and convenient streamer resistivity.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.799-808
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• 2021

This study was performed to investigate the extent of microbial contamination, the presence of enterotoxin genes, and the antibiotic susceptibility of Bacillus cereus in 58 red pepper plants and 43 environmental samples (soil, irrigation water, and gloves) associated with the plant cultivation. The detected counts of total aerobic bacteria, coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus aureus were lower in these samples, as compared to the regulations of standards for foods; moreover, pathogens, such as E. coli, E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella spp., were not detected. Genes encoding hemolysin BL enterotoxins (hblA, hblC, and hblD) as well as non-hemolytic enterotoxins (nheA, nheB, and nheC) were detected in 23 B. cereus specimens that were isolated from the test samples and had β-hemolytic activity. Interestingly, B. cereus is resistant to β-lactam and susceptible to non-β-lactam antibiotics. However, in this case, the isolated B. cereus specimens exhibited a shift from resistant to intermediate in response to cefotaxime and from susceptible to intermediate in case of rifampin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, vancomycin, clindamycin, and erythromycin. Therefore, the levels of B. cereus should be monitored to detect changes in antibiotic susceptibility and guarantee their safety.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.840-848
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• 2021

This study was conducted to estimate annual trends and the environmental effects in the racing records of Jeju horses. The Korean Racing Authority (KRA) collected 48,645 observations for 2,167 Jeju horses from 2002 to 2019. Racing records were preprocessed to eliminate errors that occur during the data collection. Racing times were adjusted for comparison between race distances. A stepwise Akaike information criterion (AIC) variable selection method was applied to select appropriate environment variables affecting racing records. The annual improvement of the race time was -0.242 seconds. The model with the lowest AIC value was established when variables were selected in the following order: year, budam classification, jockey ranking, trainer ranking, track condition, weather, age, and gender. The most suitable model was constructed when the jockey ranking and age variables were considered as random effects. Our findings have potential for application as basic data when building models for evaluating genetic abilities of Jeju horses.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.35-42
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• 2020

17β-estradiol (E₂) is a natural hormone secreted by ovary, and continuously discharged from household and livestock wastewater into aquatic environment. Due to its strong estrogenic activity, it has adverse effects on development and reproduction in crustacean as an endocrine disrupting chemical. Although ecdysteroid signaling pathway play a key role in development in crustacean, little information on transcriptional modulation of ecdysteroid-related genes in response to E₂ is available in small crustacean. Here, we investigated the acute toxicity of E₂ to obtain 24-h LC_x values in the brackish water flea Diaphanosoma celebensis. Time-dependent expression patterns of seven ecdysteroid pathway - related genes (CYP314a1, EcRA, EcRB, USP, ERR, Vtg, VtgR) were further examined using quantitative real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). As results, 24-h LC₅₀ and LC₁₀ values were 9.581 mg/l and 4.842 mg/l, respectively. The mRNA expression of CYP314a1, EcRA, USP, VtgR was significantly up-regulated at 12 or 24 h after exposure to E₂. These findings indicate that E₂ can affect their molting and reproduction by modulating the expression of ecdysteroid pathway - related in D. celebensis. This study will be useful for better understanding of molecular mode of action of endocrine disrupting chemicals on molting process in small crustacean.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.423-433
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• 2018

Particulate matter air pollution is a serious problem affecting human health and visibility. The variations in $PM_{10}$ concentrations are influenced by not only local emission sources, but also atmospheric circulation conditions. In this study, we investigate the temporal features of $PM_{10}$ concentrations in South Korea and the atmospheric circulation patterns associated with high concentration episodes of $PM_{10}$ during winter (December-January-February) 2001-2016. Based on those analyses, a Korea Particulate matter Index (KPI) is developed to represent the large-scale atmospheric pattern associated with high concentration episodes of $PM_{10}$. The atmospheric patterns are characterized by persistent high-pressure anomalies, weakened lower-level north-westerly anomalies, and northward shift of the upper-level meridional wind anomalies near the Korean Peninsula. To evaluate the change in occurrence of high concentration episodes of $PM_{10}$ under a possible future warmer climate, we apply KPI analysis to CMIP5 climate simulations. Here, historical and two representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) are used. It is found that the occurrence of atmospheric conditions favorable for high $PM_{10}$ concentration episodes tends to increase over South Korea in response to climate change. This suggests that large-scale atmospheric circulation changes under future warmer climate can contribute to increasing high $PM_{10}$ concentration episodes in South Korea.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.695-703
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• 2018

This study was conducted to suggest a sustainable farming practice forresource recycling in vegetable gardens of North Korea. In North Korea, farmers are allowed to own private vegetable gardens less than $100m^2$. However, usage of fertilizers in private vegetable gardens is very limited due to economic sanctions by UN security council. If North and South Korea initiated the cooperative action in the near future, agricultural sector would be the highest priority cooperation area. Considering the current North Korean situation in agriculture, we would like to suggest a method for producing organic fertilizer manure. For raw materials for producing manure, we selected corn byproduct, which is the most abundant material, and rabbits' feces, which are easily obtained from individual private farms in North Korea. As we cannot get corn byproducts and rabbits' feces from North Korea, we prepared samples of corn byproducts and rabbits; feces from many places in South Korea. After statistical analysis of variance, there was no significant difference in the T-N contents of corn byproducts from Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungnam, Chungbuk, Jeollabuk and Gyeongsangnam-dos, which indicates that the fertilizing quality of corn byproducts does not vary significantly in the spatial scale of South. Korea. In this sense, if we use corn samples from Gyeonggi province, they would not be very different from those of North Korean regions. Physicochemical properties of rabbits' feces were different between those eating feed grains and those eating plants only. Hence, we used rabbits' feces of the rabbits from Yeonchun area, which were fed by plants only. Using three different mixing ratios of corn byproducts and rabbits' feces, composting was conducted for 60 days. The mixing ratio of 1:1 produced the manure with % T-N of 1.98% and OM/N ratio of 31.7 after 30 days of composting, which is comparable to the quality of commercial manure.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.84-87
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• 2018

Purpose The radiopharmaceutical used in the nuclear medicine department is used only for the specific patient according to the prescription or instruction of the doctor without selling, so it is dispensed and it is distributed and used for the examination. Radiopharmaceuticals administered to patients should be managed appropriately as well as radiation safety management during dispensation. The purpose of this study is to investigate microbial contamination during dispensation of radiopharmaceuticals Materials and Methods This study distinguished between general workbench and clean workbench and performed three tests. First, microbial cultivation test of radiopharmaceutical prepared and dispensed in general workbenches and sterile workbenches were carried out five times, respectively. The second test was performed settle plate method three times before and after the use of the exhaust filter. Finally, Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) measurement was performed in each workbench to measure bacterial counts. In addition, ATP measurement were carried out by designating locations and items that may be contaminated during dispensation. Results In the microbial culture test, no microorganisms were detected in both samples. In the settle plate method, it was detected without using of the exhaust filter in a general workbench once. In the ATP measurement test, it was measured at the level of 400 RLU or less, which is the standard value of contamination, in both workbenches surface. In additional ATP measurement test, the refrigerator handle in the distribution room was measured above the reference value of 1217 RLU, the vacuum vial shield of the Tech Generator at 435 RLU, and the syringe holder at 1357 RLU. After environmental disinfection, the results were reduced to 311 RLU, 136 RLU, and 291 RLU. Conclusion No contamination by bacteria was found in both workbenches. However, microbial contamination may occur if the use of an exhaust filter or proper hand hygiene is not achieved. Regular inspections and management for aseptic processing themselves will be necessary.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2022

Irrigation water supplied to the paddy field is consumed in the amount of evapotranspiration, underground infiltration, and natural and artificial drainage from the paddy field. Irrigation return flow is defined as the excess of irrigation water that is not consumed by evapotranspiration and crop, and which returns to an aquifer by infiltration or drainage. The research on estimating the return flow play an important part in water circulation management of agricultural watershed. However, the return flow rate calculations are needs because the result of calculating return flow is different depending on irrigation channel water loss, analysis methods, and local characteristics. In this study, the irrigation return flow rate of agricultural watershed was estimated using the monitoring and SWMM (Storm Water Management Model) modeling from 2017 to 2020 for the Heungeop reservoir located in Wonju, Gangwon-do. SWMM modeling was performed by weather data and observation data, water of supply and drainage were estimated as the result of SWMM model analysis. The applicability of the SWMM model was verified using RMSE and R-square values. The result of analysis from 2017 to 2020, the average annual quick return flow rate was 53.1%. Based on these results, the analysis of water circulation characteristics can perform, it can be provided as basic data for integrated water management.