• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.53-61
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• 2018

Sargassum fulvellum (gulfweed) is a widespread seaweed in the coastal areas of northeast Asia. In the present study, we identified the phenolic compounds present in aqueous and ethanolic extracts of S. fulvellum and evaluated their antioxidative properties and their abilities to block cell proliferation using in vitro assays: antioxidant activity was assessed by using a DPPH assay and superoxide anion scavenging activity, anti-tyrosinase activity, and anti-proliferative activity were assessed using MTT and lactate dehydrogenase [LDH] assays in vascular smooth muscle cells. The hot-water ($65^{\circ}C$) extract had a higher phenol content than the ethanolic extract. The hot-water extract showed a statistically significant increase in free radical scavenging activity and a greater ability to reduce proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells stimulated with platelet-derived growth factor-BB. Taken together, hot-water extracts of S. fulvellum may be an important source of antioxidative and antiproliferative agents.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.11
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• pp.4265-4271
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• 2022

Determination of ¹³⁷Cs, ⁴⁰K and ²¹⁰Po in water, bottom sediments and suspended matter of river systems of the Can Gio Biosphere Reserve, Vietnam was carried out. The average activity concentration of ¹³⁷Cs in waters of Ca Gau and Long Tau was 0.89 ± 0.14 and 1.08 ± 0.15 Bq m^-3 and was comparable to the levels of this radioisotope in waters of the East Sea. The activity concentration of ¹³⁷Cs in bottom sediments was 2.23 ± 0.81 and 3.63 ± 1.24 Bq kg^-1. The activity concentration of ¹³⁷Cs in water and bottom sediments could be characterized as low. So, the water areas of the Ca Gau and Long Tau rivers could be attributed to areas with insignificant pollution by technogenic radionuclides. The ²¹⁰Po activity concentration in bottom sediments of the Ca Gau and Long Tau rivers ranged from 9.2 ± 1.2 to 25.5 ± 2.1 Bq kg^-1, which is typical for river bottom sediments. Such values indicate the absence of anthropogenic enhancement of the entry of this radionuclide into the Can Gio river systems. The ⁴⁰K activity concentration varied within 467 ± 42-651 ± 39 Bq kg^-1 and represented typical values of potassium content in the bottom sediments of coastal water bodies, subject to a significant influence of the lithogenic component of suspended matter.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.342-354
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• 2018

Suaeda japonica is a halophytic plant that lives in mudflat at intertidal zone of western and southern coastal areas of Korea. The seawater-living plants showed a purple color during their whole life. In contrast, freshwater-living plants displayed a green color in leaves. When seawater-living plants were transferred to potting soil, the purple color was gradually changed to green in the leaves. The extracted purple pigment compound exhibited typical characteristics of betacyanin that were represented by water solubility, pH- and temperature-dependent color changes, sensitivity to light, UV-Vis spectra, and gel electrophoretic migration pattern. The LC-MS analysis of the extracted pigment compound showed the presence of two major protonated molecular ions ($[M+H]^+$) at m/z 651.1 and m/z 827.1. Antioxidant activity of the pigment compound was determined using stable free radical DPPH assay. It was found to have an antioxidant activity that is linearly increased in proportion to the reaction time for up to 30 min, and the activity was comparable to that of control BHA at 9.0 mg/ml. The anticancer activity against several tumor cell lines was also examined following the MTT assay. The significant growth inhibitory effect was observed on two tumor cell lines, SW-156 (human kidney carcinoma) and HEC-1B (human endometrial adenocarcinoma). Probably, the pigment compound may function as an osmolyte to uphold halotolerant physiological processes in saline environment.

• Atmosphere
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.155-168
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• 2009

Characteristics of seasonal mean diurnal temperature range (DTR) and their causes over South Korea are investigated using the 60 stations data of Korea Meteorological Administration from 1976 to 2005. In general, the seasonal mean DTR is greatest during spring (in inland area) and least during summer (urban and coastal area). The spatial and seasonal variations of DTR are closely linked with the land surface conditions (especially vegetation activity and soil moisture) and atmospheric conditions (cloud amount, precipitation, local circulation). The seasonal mean DTR shows a decreasing trend at the major urban areas and at the north-eastern part of South Korea. Whereas, it shows an increasing trend at the central area of the southern part. Decreasing and increasing trends of DTR are more significant during summer and fall, and during spring and winter. The decrease (increase) of DTR is mainly caused by the stronger increase of daily minimum (maximum) temperature than daily maximum (minimum) temperature. The negative effects of precipitation and cloud amount on the DTR are greater during spring and at the inland area than during winter and at the coastal area. And the effect of daytime precipitation on the DTR is greater than that of nighttime precipitation.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.17-27
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• 2012

Coastal dunes help stabilize the coastal landscape and protect the hinterland through dynamic interaction with sand beaches. Sometimes dune erosion occurs during the tropical cyclones, while dune recovery may naturally follow after the event. As the typhoon Kompasu passed through the Korean Peninsula early-September in 2010, it caused a rise in water in association with the storm, wave run-ups, and heavy rains in coastal areas. As the result, coastal dunes along the west coast of Korea were severely damaged during the storm. However, the degree and extent of erosion and recovery of dunes were found to be related with the condition of beach-dune systems including gradients of foreshore and front slope of the dune, sediment supply, vegetation, wind activity, and human interferences. Some dunes retreated landward more and more after the erosional event, while others recovered its original profile by aeolian transport processes mainly during the winter season. Vegetated dunes with pine trees were less recovered after the erosion than grass-covered dunes. In addition, dunes with artificial defense were more eroded and less recovered than those without hard constructions. According to the observation after the severe storm, it is likely that the sand transport process is critical to the dune recovery. Therefore, the interactions between beach and dune must be properly evaluated from a geomorphological perspective for the effective management of coastal dunes, including natural recovery after the erosion by storm events.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.103-111
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• 2023

To evaluate the impact of effluents from land-based fish farms on the coastal ocean of Wando, Korea, we analyzed inorganic nutrients, particulate organic carbon (POC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in the effluent and influent of land-based fish farms during the summer (July) of 2021. The average concentrations of nutrients (Dissolved inorganic nitrogen, phosphorus, and silicate; DIN, DIP, and DSi, respectively) in the effluents of this study area were 17±3.7 μM, 1.4±0.7 μM, and 14±1.6 μM, respectively. The average concentrations of POC and DOC were 37±22 μM and 81±13 μM, respectively, with POC accounting for about 30% for total organic carbon in effluents. The Reduced Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen/Total Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen ratio (0.7), potential short-period index, indicates that the discharge of nutrients excreted by the fish and unconsumed feed into coastal water results in such nutrients being deposited and accumulated in the sediment. Subsequently, this continuous accumulation triggers the release of ammonium ions during organic matter decomposition, and the ammonium-enriched waters that encroach on fish farms as influent seem to be due to the diffusion of high concentrations of ammonium from bottom sediment. Furthermore, we used fluorescence indices to examine the characteristics of organic matter sources, obtaining mean values of 1.54±0.19, 1.06±0.06, and 1.56±0.06 for the humification index, biological index, and fluorescence index, respectively, in the effluent. These results indicate that the organic matters had an autochthonous origin that resulted from microbial decomposition, and such organic matters were rapidly generated and removed by biological activity, likely supplied from the sediment. Our results suggest that the effluent from land-based fish farms could be a potential source of deoxygenation occurrence in coastal areas.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.310-318
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• 2022

Cnidium japonicum a biennial plant belonging to the family Umbelliferae, is a halophyte that grows in high-salinity areas of coastal sand dunes and sandy shores. This study was conducted to investigate the constituents, antioxidant activities, and physiological activities of C. japonicum. Mineral analyses revealed that potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium were the most prevalent minerals in C. japonicum. We used 80% ethanol, 80% methanol, and distilled water as solvents to prepare extracts from C. japonicum tissues, and the obtained extraction yields ranged between approximately 26% and 32%. Among the three extracts, the ethanol and methanol extracts had higher total polyphenol and flavonoid levels than the water extracts did. The antioxidant activities of methanol extracts were the highest among the various solvent extracts of C. japonicum as was the elastase/collagenase inhibitory activity. In contrast, the ethanol extract exhibited the highest tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Furthermore, the methanol extract possessed over 80% BACE1 (β-secretase) inhibitory activity at a final concentration of 20 ㎍/mL. Therefore, these results indicate that methanol and ethanol extracts of C. japonicum may be useful as antioxidant and functional substances in food and pharmaceutical material.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.508-513
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• 2000

In an attempt to evaluate the fertilizer of sediments obtained from coastal farming areas, chemical composition, bacteriological quality and heavy metals in the sediments alkalized by quicklime and magnesium hydroxide were analyzed. The optimum conditions of alkalization were also measured. A perfect reaction was possible by the addition of quicklime of $30{\%}$ at the rate of $25{\%}$ of sediment and $100{\%}$ of livestock wastes. According to the classification standard for compost constituent by Higgins, all composts had the intermediate or high grade in $T-N, K_2O,\;CaO\;and\;MgO$, but below the low grade in $P_2O_5$, Stabilization by quicklime and magnesium hydroxide has been known to inhibit bacterial decomposition of organic matter and activity of pathogenic organisms. In this study, raising pH of stabilized sediments to 12 for 2 hours (PSRP rriteria of EPA) allowed $99.9{\%}$ of coliform group, fecal group and viable cell count to be reduced. As a result, sediments of coastal farming areas are likely to be used to produce the organic fertilizer by alkaline stabilization.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.938-947
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• 2021

Messerschmidia sibirica is a halophyte that grows in high-salinity areas of coastal sand dunes and sandy shores. This study was conducted to investigate the constituents, antioxidant potency, and physiological activities of M. sibirica. Mineral analyses revealed that potassium, calcium, sodium, and magnesium were the most prevalent minerals in M. sibirica leaves and stems. We used 70% ethanol, 80% methanol, and distilled water as solvents to prepare extracts from M. sibirica tissues, with extraction yields of between approximately 19% and 27% being obtained. Among the six types of extract, the leaf ethanol extract (LEE) was characterized by the highest total polyphenol and flavonoid contents, and the antioxidant activities of the LEE were also the highest among the different solvent extracts. In addition, the leaf water extract was shown to have the highest tyrosinase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities, whereas the leaf methanol extract was found to have the highest elastase inhibitory activity. Notably, all leaf extracts were established to have more than 75% β-secretase (BACE1) inhibitory activity at a final concentration of 0.5 mg/mL. These results indicate that leaf extracts of M. sibirica may have beneficial antioxidant properties, and could thus have potential application as functional supplements in food and pharmaceutical products.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.227-234
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• 2010

A comparative analysis of size and age structures of coastal subfossil shell assemblages of the shortnecked clam Ruditapes philippinarum from open and protected bays of Cheju Island (Korea) was carried out. On the whole, taking into account the damage of small fragile shells, size and age structures of the shell assemblages corresponded to the classical curve of bivalve population distribution when its mortality diminishes with age increase up to a certain threshold. It was found that shell samples from open bays of the western, southern and eastern coasts included shells of smaller and younger individuals (L ${\leq}$ 40 mm, ${\leq}$ 4 years) than samples from the eastern protected bay (L ${\leq}$ 54.5 mm, ${\leq}$ 6 years). Evidently, strong wave activity was the reason for a short life-span of the clams from the open areas. Growth was investigated retrospectively by annual growth rings on the shells. Growth rates of the clams from the various coasts of Cheju Island differed. However, growth rates of the clams from different biotopes at the same (eastern) side of the Island were similar. Shell height/length and width/length ratios statistically significantly increased with the clam age increase. Most likely, the reason for such shell shape alteration is that more conglobated individuals more survive being more energy-optimal than oblong specimens.