• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.170-180
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• 2023

Discoveries and new records of plants specifically provide a basis for empirical data to enable in-depth studies of the ecology, distribution, conservation, applications, and threats to such plants. However, many unexplored regions of Bhutan exist in which several plants have yet to be described and documented. Several species reported elsewhere in the Himalayan region with similar climatic conditions are likely to occur in Bhutan as well, indicating a need to corroborate their presence. To explore this, an opportunistic survey was employed, and we provide nine new records of plant species for Bhutan. Of the nine species, three belonged to the Lauraceae family, with the rest from the Aristolochiaceae, Asparagaceae, Lamiaceae, Phyllanthaceae, Sapindaceae, and Urticaceae families. This paper adds nine additional species of plants to the flora of Bhutan. We also report here ethnobotanical applications of these species, providing insight into how communities interact with environmental resources and have the potential to integrate traditional knowledge into scientific understanding, ultimately to reinforce sustainable biocultural conservation at the local level.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.262-271
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• 2000

This study was carried out to clarify the spatial and temporal patterns of benthic environments and macrobenthos on the subtidal soft-bottom in Chonsu Bay. Seasonal surface water temperature was similar to the bottom layer, but freshwater discharges into the outlets dereased the surface salinity around the dyke in summer. Bottom dissolved oxygen was decreased deeply around the dyke and created the de-oxygenated layer during summer. Sediment grain size was consisted of finer at the neighboring of the dyke than the mouth of the bay. Organic matters including the sediment were decreased at the mouth of the bay. A total of 311 species ($769\;ind./m^2$) were identified. Polychaetes were the most abundant faunal group in the number of species and densities. The number of species revealed the spatial patterns that it was higher in the mouth of the bay, and their densities showed seasonal changes by mass recruitment occurred at the most of the area in summer, At this time, opportunistic species, Lumbrineris iongifolia and Theora fragilis, were also recruited massively. Chonsu Bay were classified into five station groups by the cluster analysis. The dominant species around the dyke were composed to opportunistic species, those in middle area were Sternaspis scutata, Paraplionospio pinnata, and those in the mouth of the bay were Mediomastus californiensis, Nephtys polybranchia. Seasonal fluctuations and spatial difference of environments seem to have influenced to the species compositions and affected to the stability of benthic ecosystems spatial-temporally In Chonsu nay.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.96-103
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• 2017

Nocardia species (spp.) are opportunistic pathogen in immunocompromised hosts. The genus Nocardia contains more than 70 species. Nocardia takedensis has been recently reported as a new species of the genus Nocardia. In this study, we describes the first clinical isolate of N. takedensis from the skin lesion in Busan, Korea. For the identification of clinical isolate to the species level as N. takedensis, classical methods (colony morphology, biochemical characteristics, and antimicrobial susceptibility), molecular method (16S rRNA gene sequencing), and MS (mass spectrometry) analysis were conducted. Clinical isolates grew slowly on the culture media (5% sheep blood agar and chocolate agar) under 5% $CO_2$ condition. Especially, carotene pigmentation was detected well on the media. Using mass spectrometry, Nocardia isolate was not identified to the species level. However, molecular method based on 16S rRNA sequencing confirmed the isolate as N. takedensis correctly. N. takedensis isolate was partial positive for acid-fast bacilli on the Ziehl-Neelsen method. And it was observed to be resistance to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and ciprofloxacin. Our results provide useful information to develop optimal identification protocol of N. takedensis in clinical diagnostic laboratories.

• ALGAE
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.301-310
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• 2008

The marine benthic algal flora and biomass of Chuja Island, southern coast of Korea, was investigated. The collections of intertidal marine algae were made at two sites, Yecho of Hachujado and Hupo of Sangchujado, from October 2006 to July 2007. A total of 162 species, including 15 green, 47 brown and 100 red algae, were identified in this study. The occurrence of species according to season was abundant during spring to summer and less in autumn. The vertical distribution of intertidal zone in Chujado was characterized by Gloiopeltis spp., Myelophycus simplex, Ishige okamurae, Chondrus ocellatus, Grateloupia elliptica, Hizikia fusiformis and Sargassum spp. The average biomass of macroalgae was measured as 400 g wet wt m$^{-2}$. The dominant species based on the biomass were Sargassum yezoense, S. coreanum and Hizikia fusiformis. ESG II (ecological state group) as an opportunistic species, including sheet form, filamentous form, and coarsely branched form, occurred 85.8% in the intertidal seaweeds. These results provide a baseline for future monitoring studies in the Chuja Island.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.230-237
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• 2000

An ecological study of the benthic macrofauna was carried out using a modified van Veen grab in September 1997, in Namdaechon estuary, Yangyang, Korea. A total of 17 macro-invertebrates was collected and examined from eleven stations in the study area, including 3,795 individuals and 738.63 g wet weight. Arthropods, annelids and molluscs were most abundant and occupied more than $95{\%}$ of the total number of species, individuals and biomass. Namdaechon estuary in Yangyang was very poor in macrobenthic biodiversity, and numerically dominated and characterized by the polychaetes Heteromastus filiformis, Hediste japonica, Eteone longa, an unidentified oligochaete Oligochaeta sp., a corbulid bivalve Corbicula japonica, and an estuarine isopod Cyathura higoensis. Species composition, species dominance, density, and species evenness were compared among stations. The macrofaunal azoic zone appeared in the bottom of 7 m in depth nearby the artificial bank to catch the salmons to return to the livers for spawning. It probably resulted from the oxygen depletion following strong stratification in summer, which can cause major effect on the ecological conditions and then finally kill bottom macro-invertebrates in this area. Moreover, some opportunistic species thrived in nearby another station and this is of vital importance in terms of the ecological succession in a benthic polluted area.

• Mycobiology
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.340-345
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• 2019

An 82-year-old man with diabetes was admitted to the emergency department with a third-degree burn on his left leg. The deep swab specimen from his left leg was cultured on Sabouraud dextrose agar without cycloheximide and incubated at $25^{\circ}C$ for 5 days. On the basis of morphological characteristics and multigene phylogenetic analyses of the internal transcribed spacer region of ribosomal DNA and partial fragments of beta-tubulin and translation elongation factor 1-alpha, the causal agent of fungal skin infection was identified as Bisifusarium delphinoides, which was newly introduced by accommodating a Fusarium dimerum species complex. Thus, we describe here the first case of skin infection caused by B. delphinoides on a burn patient with diabetes mellitus based on morphological observation and molecular analysis.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.173-177
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• 2004

The number and abundance of epiphytic algae growing on Sargassum thunbergii and their functional forms were examined. Thalli of S. thunbenii were collected on the nine islands of southern coast and at Gyeokpo on the western coast of Korea in summer 2001. A total of 25 species, 6 green (24%), 2 brown (8%), 17 red algae (68%) were identified in the present study. Caulacanthus okamurae, Ulva pertusa, Sphacelaria furcigera were found on the thalli of S. thunbegii that collected at the all regions. Caulacanthus okamurae, Champia bifida and Laurencia venusta grew on the lower parts of S. thunbergii thalli whereas, Polysiphonia spp. attached to the apical parts of the plants. Four functional forms, such as sheet-form (8%), filamentous-form (52%), coarsely branched-form (32%) and articulated-calcareous algal form (8%) were distinguished. The epiphytic algae on the thalli of S. thunbergii are mainly annual opportunistic algae, filamentous-form algae and smaller red algae. Also, most epiphytic seaweeds of S. thunbergii produce and release spores before pseudoperennial host plants are necrotic in late autumn.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.62-70
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• 2015

Background: Animal skin provides an ideal medium for the propagation of microorganisms and it is used like raw material in the tannery and footware industry. The aim of this study was to evaluate and identify the microbial load in oropharyngeal mucosa of tannery employees. Methods: The health risk was estimated based on the identification of microorganisms found in the oropharyngeal mucosa samples. The study was conducted in a tanners group and a control group. Samples were taken from oropharyngeal mucosa and inoculated on plates with selective medium. In the samples, bacteria were identified by 16S ribosomal DNA analysis and the yeasts through a presumptive method. In addition, the sensitivity of these microorganisms to antibiotics/antifungals was evaluated. Results: The identified bacteria belonged to the families Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Neisseriaceae, Alcaligenaceae, Moraxellaceae, and Xanthomonadaceae, of which some species are considered as pathogenic or opportunistic microorganisms; these bacteria were not present in the control group. Forty-two percent of bacteria identified in the tanners group are correlated with respiratory diseases. Yeasts were also identified, including the following species: Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis, Candida albicans, and Candida krusei. Regarding the sensitivity test of bacteria identified in the tanners group, 90% showed sensitivity to piperacillin/tazobactam, 87% showed sensitivity to ticarcillin/clavulanic acid, 74% showed sensitivity to ampicillin/sulbactam, and 58% showed sensitivity to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. Conclusion: Several of the bacteria and yeast identified in the oropharyngeal mucosa of tanners have been correlated with infections in humans and have already been reported as airborne microorganisms in this working environment, representing a health risk for workers.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.485-495
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• 2008

Tidal ranges of inner Saemangeum were largely reduced after the final dyke enclosure, resulting in the former tidal flats becoming either permanently exposed, still influenced by changing tide, or permanently submerged. The effect of reduced tidal range on survival and population stability of tidal flat macrofauna were investigated at three shifted habitats after the dyke completion. At the exposed area, several species survived for 80 days after the dyke enclosure. However, within 120 days, all macrofauna died off due to the elevated temperature during summer. At the intertidal area, some species were maintained until 170 days after the dyke enclosure with a large decrease of the faunal abundance. Species of the submerged area were seen to be more tolerant of the changed environments. The opportunistic species, such as Sinocorophium sinensis, Theora fragilis and Pseudopolydora Kempi, were massively introduced into the submerged area after the dyke enclosure, in which the benthic ecosystem was severely disturbed.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.295-315
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• 2015

In order to determine the spatio-temporal distribution of macrobenthic faunal communities in Jinhae Bay, quantitative faunal samples were collected seasonally at 23 sites in Jinhae Bay from February, 2011 to November, 2012. Sediment facies were found to be mud except for those at Chilcheon-do near Geoje Island. Mean values of TOC (%) ranged between 1.3 and 3.6%, and these are the highest values recorded excluding special management areas in Korea. Hypoxia occurred every summer in the whole areas of Jinhae Bay except around Geoje Island in the bay mouth. Due to the summer hypoxia, species richness, density and biomass also declined during the summer in Jinhae Bay. Opportunistic species such as Paraprionospio patiens, Sigambra bassi, Nectoneanthes oxypoda and Theora fragilis occurred as the dominant species before and after the hypoxia. However, Capitella capitata appeared as a dominant species only during the winter-spring season every year. From cluster analysis, Jinhae Bay could be divided into two sites groups: one group occupied the normoxic zone and the other one located in the hypoxic zone.