• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.173-191
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• 2024

Landslides pose significant threats to many countries globally, yet the development and implementation of effective landslide early warning systems (LEWS) remain challenging due to multifaceted complexities spanning scientific, technological, and political domains. Addressing these challenges demands a holistic approach. Technologically, integrating thresholds, such as rainfall thresholds, with real-time data within accessible, open-source software stands as a promising solution for LEWS. This article introduces LandScient_EWS, a PHP-based program tailored to address this need. The software facilitates the comparison of real-time measured data, such as rainfall, with predefined landslide thresholds, enabling precise calculations and graphical representation of real-time landslide advisory levels across diverse spatial scales, including regional, basin, and hillslope levels. To illustrate its efficacy, the program was applied to a case study in Medellin, Colombia, where a rainfall event on August 26, 2008, triggered a shallow landslide. Through pre-defined rainfall intensity and duration thresholds, the software simulated advisory levels during the recorded rainfall event, utilizing data from a rain gauge positioned within a small watershed and a single grid cell (representing a hillslope) within that watershed. By identifying critical conditions that may lead to landslides in real-time scenarios, LandScient_EWS offers a new paradigm for assessing and responding to landslide hazards, thereby improving the efficiency and effectiveness of LEWS. The findings underscore the software's potential to streamline the integration of rainfall thresholds into both existing and future landslide early warning systems.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.517-535
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• 2022

The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of feeding alfalfa: Concentrate at different ratios (8:2 or 2:8) to Korean native black goats (KNBG) for 90 days on meat quality and bioactive compound content. Feeding KNBG alfalfa and concentrate at different ratios did not impact meat pH, color, microorganism composition, volatile basic nitrogen levels, or lipid oxidation. The low alfalfa (KLA) group exhibited increased oleic acid and monosaturated fatty acid levels, both of which impact the palatability traits of meat. The abundance of bioactive compounds increased in the loin meat of the KLA group, leading to an increase in antioxidant activities. Our results suggest that feeding alfalfa and concentrate at a 2:8 ratio to KNBG can increase taste-related fatty acids and bioactive compounds in loin meat, relative to that achieved by feeding at an 8:2 ratio. Further investigation is required to evaluate the quality and the metabolites of bioactive compounds in KNBG meat and the effect of the different dietary ratios of forage and concentrate.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.5
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• pp.885-896
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• 2022

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of three different copper (Cu) sources (one inorganic and two organics) and levels (0, 50, and 100 mg/kg) on the growth performance, Cu digestibility, fecal mineral excretion, serum mineral concentration, jejunal morphology, and serum biochemical profile of growing pigs. A total of 42 male, growing pigs (31.08 ± 1.82 kg) were randomly assigned to seven treatments consisting of one negative control (0 mg/kg of added Cu level) and treatments with copper sulfate (CuSO4), Cu-amino acid complex (CuAA), and Cu-hydroxy-4-methylthio butanoate chelate complex (CuHMB) at 50 and 100 mg/kg each for 28 d. Pigs fed 50 or 100 mg/kg of Cu showed improved (p < 0.05) average daily gain and feed intake. Although Cu excretion decreased (p < 0.01) in pigs fed 100 mg/kg of organic Cu sources compared to those fed CuSO4, there was no difference between the Cu sources in pigs fed 50 mg/kg. However, the apparent total tract digestibility of Cu increased (p < 0.01) in pigs fed organic Cu sources compared with that in pigs fed CuSO4. The addition of CuHMB increased (p < 0.01) serum phosphorus and sulfur concentrations; however, there were no effects of source and level on jejunal morphology and serum biochemical profile. These results suggest that the inclusion (50 mg/kg) of organic Cu sources (CuAA and CuHMB) in the growing pig diet could be beneficial for growth performance and Cu availability and may reduce environmental pollution.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.239-248
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• 2023

Purpose: The parents of adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease may experience impaired mental health and quality of life. This longitudinal study aimed to verify whether the mental health and quality of life of the parents of adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease declined when their children had active disease. Methods: Sociodemographic data, parental anxiety, depression, and quality of life were analyzed using validated questionnaires for each variable. After the baseline survey, the second and follow-up surveys were conducted at 3 and 12 months, respectively. The active disease group comprised eight parents whose children had active disease during the baseline and second surveys. The remission group comprised 14 parents whose children remained in remission during both surveys. The improved group comprised nine parents whose children experienced active disease at baseline and remission during the second survey. Parental mental health and quality of life were compared among the groups. Results: Significantly higher levels of anxiety were observed in the active disease group in all surveys (p<0.050). Although depression levels and quality of life did not differ significantly among the three groups, pairing the active disease group with other groups showed some large effect sizes. Conclusion: Parents tended to experience decreased mental health and quality of life when their adolescents experienced active inflammatory bowel disease. Consequently, our hypothesis was partially verified. Therefore, parents need support when their children have active disease; this finding highlights the need for parental support systems.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.33-42
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• 2014

Nivalenol (NIV) and deoxynivalenol (DON) are predominant Fusarium-producing mycotoxins found in grains, which are mainly produced by Fusarium asiaticum and F. graminearum. NIV is found in most of cereals grown in Korea, but the genetic basis for NIV production by F. asiaticum has not been extensively explored. In this study, 12 genes belonging to the trichothecene biosynthetic gene cluster were compared at the transcriptional level between two NIV-producing F. asiaticum and four DON-producing F. graminearum strains. Chemical analysis revealed that time-course toxin production patterns over 14 days did not differ between NIV and DON strains, excluding F. asiaticum R308, which was a low NIV producer. Both quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Northern analysis revealed that the majority of TRI gene transcripts peaked at day 2 in both NIV and DON producers, which is 2 days earlier than trichothecene accumulation in liquid medium. Comparison of the gene expression profiles identified an NIV-specific pattern in two transcription factor-encoding TRI genes (TRI6 and TRI10) and TRI101, which showed two gene expression peaks during both the early and late incubation periods. In addition, the amount of trichothecenes produced by both DON and NIV producers were correlated with the expression levels of TRI genes, regardless of the trichothecene chemotypes. Therefore, the reduced production of NIV by R308 compared to NIV or DON by the other strains may be attributable to the significantly lower expression levels of the TRI genes, which showed early expression patterns.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.123-130
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• 2017

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of alpha-lipoic acid (aLA) as an antioxidant that decrease the reactive oxygen species (ROS) in bovine embryonic development. Slaughterhouse derived bovine immature oocytes were collected and 4 different concentrations (0, 5, 10 and 20 mM) of aLA was supplemented in bovine in vitro maturation (IVM) medium. After 20 hrs of IVM, maturation rates, levels of ROS and glutathione (GSH), and further embryonic development after parthenogenetic activation (PA) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) was investigated according to aLA concentrations. Maturation rate was significantly higher in 10 mM group than other groups (80.5% vs. 62.9, 73.9, 64.2%; P<0.05). In the levels of ROS and GSH in matured oocytes as an indicator of oocyte quality, significantly better results were shown in 5 and 10 mM groups compared with other 2 groups. After IVM, significantly higher rates of blastocyst formation were shown in 10 mM groups in both of PA (27.9% vs. 18.8, 22.3, 14.2%; P<0.05) and IVF (32.6% vs. 23.9, 27.3, 16.2%; P<0.05) embryos. In addition, significantly more cell total cell number and higher inner cell mass ratio in 10 mM PA and IVP blastocysts showed developmental competence in 10 uM groups. Therefore, based on the entire data from this study, using $10{\mu}M$ of aLA confirmed to be the optimal concentration for bovine oocyte maturation and embryonic development.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.841-860
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• 2023

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary mangosteen peel extract (MPE) on growth performance, serum biochemistry, jejunum morphology, and cytokine levels in growing pigs raised at a high stocking density. A total of 120 male growing pigs (43.68 ± 0.48 kg) were randomly arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial design with stocking density (high; HD, 0.55 m²/pig and normal; ND, 0.82 m²/pig) and dietary MPE (0 or 5 g/kg) as factors. Each treatment had six replicates with four or six pigs per treatment. Feed and water were provided ad libitum for 6 weeks. The HD group exhibited lower final body weight, average daily gain, and average daily feed than the ND group (p < 0.05). None of the factors affected villus height to crypt depth ratio. Dietary MPE, but not stocking density, increased IL-10 levels in the serum com-pared to the non-supplemented control diet (p < 0.05). In the microbiome analysis, alpha diversity analysis showed significant reductions in the MPE-treated group only under normal density conditions. High density stress induced gut microbiome changes and these response was differ between normal and MPE diet fed pigs. Overall, each group exhibited different major microbial composition in the gut. In conclusion, there were significant changes in the major microbial composition in response to high-density stress, and this variation was influenced by dietary treatment.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.189-200
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• 2020

Pleurotus djamor var. roseus is an edible mushroom isolated from the wild and cultivated on paddy straw substrates. The present study was carried out to compare the nutritional composition and antioxidant properties of P. djamor var. roseus at different growth stages (primordia, basidiomata, and mycelia). The protein content was is in the range of 31.48 to 35.50 g/100g dw. The crude fiber content ranged from 8.0 to 14.60 g, and that of total carbohydrates ranged from 44.75 to 48.90 g. Sodium, magnesium, and calcium reached the maximum levels in basidiomata, and selenium was detected in basidiomata and mycelia (0.47 - 0.22 mg/Kg). The amino acid profile showed that all essential and nonessential amino acids and glycine showed maximum levels in basidiomata and 15.98 ± 0.01 g/100g. The fatty acid profile showed the presence of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids; the unsaturated fatty acid content was maximum in all of the samples, ranging from 76 - 40.41%. The total phenol and flavonoid contents as well as the scavenging (DPPH), ferric thiocyanate (FTC), and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) activities in the context of methanol and water extracts from primordia, basidiomata, and mycelium were determined. Among them, basidiomata and mycelial methanol extracts exhibited significant antioxidant activity. Overall, these findings show that P. djamor var. roseus can be used as a functional food for daily consumption.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.662-672
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• 2021

Plant growth-promoting bacteria improve plant growth under abiotic stress conditions. However, their effects on microbial succession in the rhizosphere are poorly understood. In this study, the inoculants of Bacillus mesonae strain H20-5 were administered to tomato plants grown in soils with different salinity levels (EC of 2, 4, and 6 dS/m). The bacterial communities in the bulk and rhizosphere soils were examined 14 days after H20-5 treatment using Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Although the abundance of H20-5 rapidly decreased in the bulk and rhizosphere soils, a shift in the bacterial community was observed following H20-5 treatment. The variation in bacterial communities due to H20-5 treatment was higher in the rhizosphere than in the bulk soils. Additionally, the bacterial species richness and diversity were greater in the H20-5 treated rhizosphere than in the control. The composition and structure of the bacterial communities varied with soil salinity levels, and those in the H20-5 treated rhizosphere soil were clustered. The members of Actinobacteria genera, including Kineosporia, Virgisporangium, Actinoplanes, Gaiella, Blastococcus, and Solirubrobacter, were enriched in the H20-5 treated rhizosphere soils. The microbial co-occurrence network of the bacterial community in the H20-5 treated rhizosphere soils had more modules and keystone taxa compared to the control. These findings revealed that the strain H20-5 induced systemic tolerance in tomato plants and influenced the diversity, composition, structure, and network of bacterial communities. The bacterial community in the H20-5 treated rhizosphere soils also appeared to be relatively stable to soil salinity changes.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.187-192
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• 2022

Wolfiporia cocos is an edible fungus commercially cultivated in Asia. To investigate metabolic changes of W. cocos mycelia under both light and dark culture conditions, gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses were performed. In terms of the total amount of sugars, alcohols, amino acids, organic acids, fatty acids, and purines, there no significant differences between the W. cocos mycelia cultivated under light (L) or dark (D) conditions (p < 0.05). However, there were some differences with respect to the production of particular sugars and proteins. The levels of trehalose (L: 17.2 ± 0.3% vs. D: 13.9 ± 1.6%), maltose (L: 0.9 ± 0.1% vs. D: 0.3 ± 0.1%), turanose (L: 0.7 ± 0.2% vs. D: 0.1 ± 0.1%), glutamine (L: 1.6 ± 0.3% vs. D: 0.7 ± 0.2%), and proline (L: 0.3 ± 0% vs. D: 0.1 ± 0%) were all significantly higher under light condition (p < 0.05). In contrast, the levels of galactose (L: 13.7 ± 1.2% vs. D: 17.6 ± 2.0%), aspartic acid (L: 0.6 ± 0.1 % vs. D: 0.9 ± 0.1%), cystathionine (L: 0.6 ± 0.1% vs. D: 0.8 ± 0 %), and malic acid (L: 0.7 ± 0.1% vs. D: 1.2 ± 0.1%) were higher under the dark condition. It is worth noting that the amount of pachymic acid, a pharmaceutically active compound of W. cocos, was 1.68 times greater under the light condition (p < 0.05).