• Mycobiology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.85-91
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• 2018

Endophytic fungi strains (n = 81) were isolated from the leaves, barks, and fruits of Camellia oleifera from Hunan province (China) to delineate their species composition and potential as biological control agents of C. oleifera anthracnose. The fungi were identified by morphological and phylogenetic analyses. Fungal colonization rates of the leaves, barks, and fruits were 58.02, 27.16, and 14.81%, respectively. The isolates were identified as 14 genera, belonging to two subdivisions, Deuteromycotina and Ascomycotina; 87.65% of all isolates belonged to Deuteromycotina. The dominant species, occurring with a high relative frequency, were Pestalotiopsis sp. (14.81%), Penicillium sp. (14.81%), and Fusarium sp. (12.35%). The Simpson's and Shannon's diversity indices revealed the highest species diversity in the leaves, followed by the barks and fruits. The similarity index for the leaves versus barks comparison was the highest, indicating that the number of endophytic fungal species shared by the leaves and barks was higher than barks and fruits or leaves and fruits. Based on the results of dual culture experiments, only five strains exhibited antifungal activity against C. oleifera anthracnose pathogen, with isolate ty-64 (Oidium sp.) generating the broadest inhibition zones. Our results indicate that the endophytes associated with C. oleifera could be employed as natural agents controlling C. oleifera anthracnose.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.167-174
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• 2004

Several metalliferous and coal mines, including Myungjin, Seojin and Okdong located at the upper watershed of Okdong stream, were abandoned or closed since 1988 due to the mining industry promotion policy and thus disposed an enormous amount of mining wastes without a proper treatment facilities, resulting in water pollution in the downstream areas. AMD and waste effluents from the closed coal mines were very strongly acidic showing pH ranges of 2.7 to 4.5 and had a high level of total dissolved solid (TDS) showing the ranges of 1,030 to 1,947 mg/L. Also heavy metal concentrations in these samples such as Fe, Cu, Cd and anion such as sulfate were very high. These parameters of AMD and effluents were considered to be highly polluted as compared to those in the main stream area of the Okdong river and be major pollutants for water and soil in tile downstream area. Pollution indices of the surface water at the upper stream of Okdong river where AMD of the abandoned coal mines was flowed into main stream were in the ranges of 16.3 to 47.1. On the other hand, those at the mid stream where effluents from tailing dams and coal mines flowed into main stream were in tile ranges of 10.6 to 19.5. However, those at the lower stream were ranged from 10.6 to 14.9 These results indicated that mining wastes such as AMD and effluents from the closed mines were tile major source to water pollution at the Okdong stream areas.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.463-469
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• 2016

Objectives: The purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of chewing gum containing Prunus mume extract(PME) on the change of saliva ingredients. On the basis of the biological background of molecules and diagnostic indices in the use of saliva, the mastication effect of chewing gum containing PME was demonstrated in terms of secretory IgA concentration and total protein concentration in stimulated saliva. Methods: This study is an experimental research on the use of a research design before and after applying a randomized control group. Participants were distributed randomly to the experimental group and the control group, respectively. The experiment group was instructed to masticate the chewing gum containing PME for 10 minutes for one month after each meal within 30 minutes. Salivary secretion was collected by the participants between 8 and 10 a.m in the morning in the research office. For the measurement of secretory IgA and total protein concentrations in the saliva, indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used. Results: The salivation stimulation rate was significantly increased after four weeks of masticating chewing gum containing PME after each meal(p<0.001). Mastication of chewing gum containing PME for four weeks decreased the concentration of secretory IgA much more significantly than that after mastication for one week(p=0.003). The concentration of total protein in the saliva was decreased after four weeks in the experimental and control groups. Conclusions: Mastication of chewing gum containing PME stimulated salivary secretion and led to oral disease prevention in patients with xerostomia. Furthermore, it seems to be urgent to seek measures that can be utilized in intervention for patients with xerostomia.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.8-16
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• 2007

Finite element analysis (FEA) is an effective means for the analysis of bioelectromagnetism. It has been successfully applied to various problems over conventional methods such as boundary element analysis and finite difference analysis. However, its utilization has been limited due to the overwhelming computational load despite of its analytical power. We have previously developed a novel mesh generation scheme that produces FE meshes that are content-adaptive to given MR images. MRI content-adaptive FE meshes (cMeshes) represent the electrically conducting domain more effectively with far less number of nodes and elements, thus lessen the computational load. In general, the cMesh generation is affected by the quality of feature maps derived from MRI. In this study, we have tested various feature maps created based on the improved differential geometry measures for more effective cMesh head models. As performance indices, correlation coefficient (CC), root mean squared error (RMSE), relative error (RE), and the quality of cMesh triangle elements are used. The results show that there is a significant variation according to the characteristics of specific feature maps on cMesh generation, and offer additional choices of feature maps to yield more effective and efficient generation of cMeshes. We believe that cMeshes with specific and improved feature map generation schemes should be useful in the FEA of bioelectromagnetic problems.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.83-92
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• 1998

Heavy metals concentration in superficial sediment of effluent discharging area was rapidly increased by annual loadings of Zn(8.465 Kg), Ni(3,291 Kg), Cu(1,636 Kg) and Pb(1,250 Kg) from sewage effluent of 63×10/sup 6/ m³/yr. In a consequent result, specially the concentrations of Zn and Cu in the sediment were three times higher than preindustrial reference values. The evaluation by multiple ecological risk indices showed that heavy metals contamination in sediment of discharging area was 'heavily Polluted level' by sediment quality criteria and increased 2.6 times by the degree of contamination. It was also judged that toxicological effects of sediment receiving the primary effluent would occasionally (16～47%) occur by guidelines for adverse biological effect.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.262-269
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• 2003

The effect of dietary supplementation of the two oriental medicinal prescriptions, Sypjeondaebotang or Jahyulyanggeuntang, on iron bioavailability was evaluated in rats which were depleted of iron by being fed an irondeficient diet for 4 weeks. Seventy two iron-depleted rats were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 24) , and fld one of the following experimental diets for 4 (n = 8), 12 (n = 8), and 25 days (n = 8) : Control diet (CD), Sypjeondaebotang-supplemented diet (SD), Jahyulyanggeuntang -supplemented diet (JD). The CD contained 20 mg Fe/kg diet as FeSO4, and the SD or JD was identical except that the respective oriental medicinal prescription extract was included at the level of 4 g/kg diet. Animals fed the SD and JD for 25 days consumed significantly less food (p＜0.001), but showed no change in food efficiency ratio compared to those that were fed the CD. Serum iron concentration and transferrin saturation values were significantly higher in rats fed the SD for 25 days compared to those that were fed the CD for the same period (p < 0.05). The values of serum UIBC (p < 0.05) and TIBC (p > 0.05) were lower in rats fed the SD compared to those fed the CD. Dietary supplementation of Sypjeondaebotang during the period of iron repletion significantly increased blood levels of hemoglobin (p < 0.05) and hematocrit (p < 0.01) measured at day 12, and increased mean corpuscular volume (p < 0.05) measured at day 25, compared to the values for the CD rats. Regression analyses of hemoglobin-repletion bioassay data from rats fed the SD and JD showed the relative biological values of 123% and 99%, respectively, calculated against the slope for the CD rats. Apparent iron absorption and retention values were also significantly lower (p < 0.05) in rats fed the SD for 25 days than those for the CD rats. Based on the results from diverse biochemical indices of iron status and the chemical balance study, the effect of Jahyulyanggeuntang on iron bioavailability appears to be less prominent than that for Sypjeondaebotang. Taken together, these results indicate that Sypjeondaebotang has a positive effect in restoring iron depletion by increasing the iron bioavailability in rats.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.2681-2685
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• 2012

Objectives: This study focused on PTEN and Livin expression and associations with malignancy in human renal clear cell carcinomas (RCCC). Methods: PTEN and Livin expression was assessed in 100 RCCC tissue samples, 50 paracarcinoma cases, and 20 normal renal tissue samples using the immunohistochemical Streptavidin proxidase (SP) method. The relationships between binding and corresponding biological characteristics, such as histological grade, lymph node metastases, and clinical stages were analyzed. Results: Positive PTEN expression in RCCC was significantly lower than in renal tissue adjacent to carcinoma tissue and normal renal tissue (P<0.01). Livin expression in the renal tissue adjacent to the carcinoma and normal renal tissues exhibited only low levels, whereas overall Livin expression in RCCC was statistically significant (P<0.01). In RCCC, PTEN expression rate gradually decreased with an increase in clinical stage, whereas that of Livin increased to statistically significant levels (P<0.01), PTEN and Livin levels being negatively correlated (r=-0.395, P<0.01). Conclusions: PTEN and Livin are important in RCCC development. The two factors combined are expected to provide indices for estimating RCCC malignancy and progression levels, as well as references for RCCC diagnosis and treatment.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.768-775
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• 2015

Seasonal variability in the marine seaweed community structure was examined in the intertidal zones at nine study sites in Hallyeohaesang National Park, on the southern coast of Korea from March to October 2014. A total of 145 seaweeds were indentified, comprising 15 green, 41 brown and 89 red algae. Coarsely branched seaweeds were the dominant functional group, comprising 58.95% in species number, whereas filamentous, sheet, thick leathery, crustose and jointed calcareous forms comprised 2.63-17.72% each. The seaweed biomass averaged 358.00 g dry wt/m² and it was maximal at Somaemuldo (847.64 g dry wt/m²) and minimal at Gamam (56.51 g dry wt/m²). Based on biomass, the dominant and subdominant seaweeds were Ulva australis at Gamam, Sargassum thunbergii at Sangju, Ulva australis and S.fulvellum at Neukdo, S.horneri at Dala-Bijindo-Somaemuldo, S. thunbergii at Dapo, and Corallina pilulifera at Songdo. Community indices were as follows: dominance index (DI), 0.43-0.71; richness index (R), 8.26-16.50; evenness index (J'), 0.36-0.54; and diversity index (H'), 1.57-2.19. In conclusion, we found that both biomass and the community structure of seaweeds in Hallyeohaesang National Park were similar to those in other studies of the Southern Sea along the Korean peninsula, and that Hallyeohaesang National Park is a relatively favorable habitat for seaweeds. Future studies should examine the changes in seaweed composition and biomass as they relate to climate change and environmental pollution.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.229-247
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• 2014

Seven feeding trials were conducted to determine the effects of feeding rate and frequency in the Korean rockfish Sebastes schlegeli at seven different water temperatures. Two feeding-rate experiments for 5-g Korean rockfish at $17^{\circ}C$ and $20^{\circ}C$; three feeding rate experiments for 16-g Korean rockfish at $16^{\circ}C$ and $24^{\circ}C$; and finally, two feeding frequency experiments for 93- and 100-g at $15^{\circ}C$ and $20^{\circ}C$ were conducted. Twenty fish averaging $5.5{\pm}0.2$ g ($mean{\pm}SD$) were randomly distributed into 18 indoor tanks containing 40-L seawater from a semi-recirculation system. Fish were fed a commercial diet for 4 weeks at water temperatures of $17^{\circ}C$ and $20^{\circ}C$. Two feeding trials were conducted to determine the optimum feeding frequency in growing Korean rockfish reared at temperatures of $15^{\circ}C$ and $19^{\circ}C$. Broken line regression analysis of weight gain (WG) indicated that the optimum feeding rates of 5-g growing Korean rockfish were 4.48% (BW/day; BW, body weight) at $17^{\circ}C$ and 4.83% (BW/day) at $20^{\circ}C$. Broken line regression analysis of WG showed optimum feeding rates of 16-g juvenile Korean rockfish of 3.41% (BW/day) at $16^{\circ}C$, 3.75% (BW/day) at $20^{\circ}C$, and 3.34% (BW/day) at $24^{\circ}C$. The biological performance, results, along with morphological indices and serological characteristics, suggest that a feeding frequency of 1 meal/day was optimal to improve WG in growing Korean rockfish grown from 93 to 133 g at a water temperature of $15^{\circ}C$, and 100 to 132 g at $19^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.70-79
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• 2016

Based on the soil moisture data assimilation suggested in the first paper (I), we estimated root zone soil moisture and evaluated drought severity using remotely sensed (RS) data. We tested the impacts of various spatial resolutions on soil moisture variations, and the model outputs showed that resolutions of more than 2-3 km resulted in over-/under-estimation of soil moisture values. Thus, we derived the 2 km resolution-scaled soil moisture dynamics and assessed the drought severity at the study sites (Chungmi-cheon sites 1 and 2) based on the estimated soil/root parameters and weather forcings. The drought indices at the sites were affected mainly by precipitation during the spring season, while both the precipitation and land surface characteristics influence the spatial distribution of drought during the rainy season. Also, the drought severity showed a periodic cycle, but additional research on drought cycles should be conducted using long-term historical data. Our proposed approach enabled estimation of daily root zone soil moisture dynamics and evaluation of drought severity at various spatial scales using MODIS data. Thus, this approach will facilitate efficient management of water resources.