• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.119-127
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• 2008

This research managed to establish the space information on incidence factors of landslide targeting Bukhansan National Park and aimed at suggesting a basic data for disaster prevention of a landslide for the period to come in Bukhansan National Park through drawing up the map indicating vulnerability to a landslide and ecological risks by the use of overlay analysis and adding-up estimation matrix analysis methods. This research selected slope angle, slope aspect, slope length, drainage, vegetation index(NDVI) and land use as an assessment factor of a landslide and constructed the spatial database at a level of '$30m\times30m$' resolution. The analysis result was that there existed high vulnerability to a landslide almost all over Uidong and Dobong valleys. As for ecological risks, Dobong valley, Yongueocheon valley, Jeongneung valley and Pyeongchang valley were analyzed to be higher, so it is judged that the impact on a landslide risk should be also considered in time of establishing a management plan for these districts for the time to come.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.180-184
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to develop the best methods to sterilize Moutan Root Bark which is frequently used as a herbal medicine, and known to have high susceptibility to m icrobial contamination. We used dry heat, gamma irradiation and alcohol gas treatment for sterilization, and evaluated these methods in terms of the followings; I) the efficacy of sterilization, and ii) the chemical alteration of a major component of the harbal medicines. Treatment with dry heat effectively got rid of contaminated microorganisms, and did not significantly alter the content of paeonol. However it seriously changed the color and morphology which are an essential criterion to estimate a measure of quality of medicinal herbs. Treatment with gamma irradiation showed a strong sterilizing effect, and no alteration of the content of paeonol, color and morphology. Alcohol gas treatment resulted in similar effects as those in gamma irradiation. Collectively, these results suggest that appropriate sterilizing methods to guarantee the microbial quality of this herbal medicine may be those using gamma irradiation or alcohol gas.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.51-62
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• 2022

Lactobacillus rhamnosus SKG34 (LrSKG34), a potential probiotic strain, was successfully isolated from Sumbawa Mare's milk. Our previous studies showed that the strain is resistant to gastrointestinal conditions, possesses antioxidant activity, and lowers blood cholesterol levels. Further clarification of the potential probiotic characteristics and safety assessment are necessary. This study aimed to evaluate the adhesion of LrSKG34 to Caco-2 cell monolayers and its effect on mucosal integrity in vitro. We also examined the LrSKG34 safety profile based on antimicrobial susceptibility testing, haemolytic activity determination, Caco-2 cell monolayer translocation evaluation, and in vivo investigation of the effect of LrSKG34 on the physiology, biochemical markers, and histopathological appearance of major organs in an animal model. LrSKG34 attached to Caco-2 cell monolayers and maintained mucosal integrity in vitro. The typical resistance of lactobacilli to ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, vancomycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and metronidazole was confirmed for LrSKG34. No haemolytic activity was observed on blood agar plates, and no LrSKG34 translocation was observed in Caco-2 cell monolayers. Administration of LrSKG34 to Sprague-Dawley rats did not adversely affect body weight. No abnormalities in hematological parameters, serum biochemistry levels, or histopathological structures of major organs were observed in LrSKG34-treated rats. Collectively, the results implicate LrSKG34 as a promising and potentially safe probiotic candidate for further development.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.65 no.1
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• pp.73-81
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• 2023

To understand salinity status of fresh water and paddy soils and the susceptibility of rice to salinity stress of Gunnae reclaimed tidelands, salinity monitoring was conducted in rainy and dry seasons. For fresh water, a high salinity was observed at the sampling location near the sluice gate and decreased with distance from the gate. This spatial pattern of fresh water salinity indicates the necessity of spatial distribution of salinity in the assessment of salinity status of fresh water. Interestingly, there was significant correlation between rainfall amount and salinity, implying that salinity of fresh water varies with rainfall and thus it may be possible to predict salinity of water using rainfall. Soil salinity also higher near the gate, reflecting the influence of high saline water. In addition, the groundwater salinity also high to threat rice growth. Though soil salinity status indicated low possibility of sodium injury, there was changes in soil salinity status during the course of rice growth, suggesting that more intensive monitoring of soil salinity may be necessary for soil salinity assessment. Our study suggests the necessity of intensive salinity monitoring to understand the spatio-temporal variations of salinity of water and soil of reclaimed tideland areas.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.871-879
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• 2024

Our group had isolated Bifidobacterium breve strain BS2-PB3 from human breast milk. In this study, we sequenced the whole genome of B. breve BS2-PB3, and with a focus on its safety profile, various probiotic characteristics (presence of antibiotic resistance genes, virulence factors, and mobile elements) were then determined through bioinformatic analyses. The antibiotic resistance profile of B. breve BS2-PB3 was also evaluated. The whole genome of B. breve BS2-PB3 consisted of 2,268,931 base pairs with a G-C content of 58.89% and 2,108 coding regions. The average nucleotide identity and whole-genome phylogenetic analyses supported the classification of B. breve BS2-PB3. According to our in silico assessment, B. breve BS2-PB3 possesses antioxidant and immunomodulation properties in addition to various genes related to the probiotic properties of heat, cold, and acid stress, bile tolerance, and adhesion. Antibiotic susceptibility was evaluated using the Kirby-Bauer disk-diffusion test, in which the minimum inhibitory concentrations for selected antibiotics were subsequently tested using the Epsilometer test. B. breve BS2-PB3 only exhibited selected resistance phenotypes, i.e., to mupirocin (minimum inhibitory concentration/MIC >1,024 ㎍/ml), sulfamethoxazole (MIC>1,024 ㎍/ml), and oxacillin (MIC >3 ㎍/ml). The resistance genes against those antibiotics, i.e., ileS, mupB, sul4, mecC and ramA, were detected within its genome as well. While no virulence factor was detected, four insertion sequences were identified within the genome but were located away from the identified antibiotic resistance genes. In conclusion, B. breve BS2-PB3 demonstrated a sufficient safety profile, making it a promising candidate for further development as a potential functional food.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.161-163
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• 2002

Apoptosis has been hypothesized to be involved in the pathogenesis in schizophrenia. A large number of genes are known to mediate the apoptotic process; Apo-1/Fas (CD95) is a well-known example of such genes. In the present study, MvaI restriction fragment length polymorphism, a polymorphic marker present within the Apo-1/Fas gene, was examined in a population consisting of 226 control subjects and 110 schizophrenia patients, all of them Korean in ethnicity. No statistically significant difference in the genotypic distribution and allelic frequencies was observed between the control and the schizophrenia patient group. To find out the precise effect of Apo-1/Fas gene polymorphisms on the susceptibility to schizophrenia, further studies are warranted to investigate possible involvement of other polymorphisms with a larger sample population.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.161-168
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• 2010

In this study, the metabolic activities of five strains of Pediococcus spp., in terms of the quantities they produced of lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, exopolysaccharides, and proteolytic activity, were determined. Lactic acid levels produced by these strains were found to be in the range of 2.5-5.6 mg/ml. All strains produced hydrogen peroxide. The P. pentosaceus Z13P strain produced the maximum amount (0.25 mg/ml) of proteolytic activity. Exopolysaccharide (EPS) production by the Pediococcus strains during growth in MRS (de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe) medium was in the range 25-64 mg/l. The susceptibility of 10 different antibiotics against these strains was also tested. All strains were found to be resistant to amoxicillin, gentamicin, and vancomycin. Antimicrobial effects of the Pediococcus spp. on pathogens were also determined by an agar diffusion method. All of the strains were able to inhibit L. monocytogenes. The tolerance of the strains to low pH, their resistance to bile salts of strains, and their abilities to autoaggregate and coaggregate with L. monocytogenes were also evaluated.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.22-26
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• 2006

Circadian rhythms have been observed to be disturbed in mood disorders, especially seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Clock related gene variants also have been suggested to be associated with seasonality (seasonal variations in mood and behavior). This study tested the potential association between a length polymorphism of Period3 gene and seasonal variations in mood and behavior. 297 Korean college students were genotyped for the Period3 polymorphism and were for evaluated the seasonal variation by Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ). The genotype frequencies were 0.76 for 4R/4R, 0.22 for 4R/5R and 0.013 for 5R/5R. The global seasonality score was not different among Period3 gene variants (4R/4R, 4R/5R and 5R/5R) except for 'sleep length' subscore. The 5R/5R genotype showed the higher 'sleep length' subscore than others (p=0.024). The comparison between seasonals (syndromal plus subsyndromal SAD determined by SPAQ) and non-seasonals did not show any significant difference in frequencies of genotypes. These findings suggest that there is a possibility that the investigated Period3 polymorphism may play a partial role in the susceptibility of seasonal variations in a Korean population.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.4803-4812
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• 2015

Chronic alcohol and tobacco abuse plays a crucial role in the development of different liver associated disorders. Intake promotes the generation of reactive oxygen species within hepatic cells exposing their DNA to continuous oxidative stress which finally leads to DNA damage. However in response to such damage an entangled protective repair machinery comprising different repair proteins like ATM, ATR, H2AX, MRN complex becomes activated. Under abnormal conditions the excessive reactive oxygen species generation results in genetic predisposition of various genes (as ADH, ALDH, CYP2E1, GSTT1, GSTP1 and GSTM1) involved in xenobiotic metabolic pathways, associated with susceptibility to different liver related diseases such as fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. There is increasing evidence that the inflammatory process is inherently associated with many different cancer types, including hepatocellular carcinomas. The generated reactive oxygen species can also activate or repress epigenetic elements such as chromatin remodeling, non-coding RNAs (micro-RNAs), DNA (de) methylation and histone modification that affect gene expression, hence leading to various disorders. The present review provides comprehensive knowledge of different molecular mechanisms involved in gene polymorphism and their possible association with alcohol and tobacco consumption. The article also showcases the necessity of identifying novel diagnostic biomarkers for early cancer risk assessment among alcohol and tobacco users.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers A
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• v.53 no.12
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• pp.678-684
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• 2004

Automatic reclosing is a typical protection method in power distribution systems for clearing the temporary faults. However, it has a fatal weakness in regards to voltage sags because it produces successive voltage sags. In this paper, we explored successive impact of voltage sag due to the automatic reclosing of power distribution systems. The actual tests of low voltage loads were accomplished for obtaining the susceptibility of voltage sags. The final results of the test yielded power acceptability curves of voltage sag, and the curves were transformed the 3-dimensional CBEMA(Computer Business Equipment Manufacturer Association) format. For the quantitative evaluation of the impact of successive voltage sags, an assessment formulation using the voltage sag contour was proposed. The proposed formulation was tested by using the voltage sag contour data of IEEE standard and the results of the test. Through the case studies, we verified that the proposed method can be effectively used to evaluate the actual impact of successive voltage sans.