• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.221-229
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• 2022

This study was aimed to investigate spatial and vertical characteristics of greenhouse environments according to the location of the environmental sensors, and to investigate the correlations between temperature, light intensity, and carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration according to the type of greenhouse. Temperature, relative humidity (RH), CO₂, and light sensors were installed in the four-different vertical positions of the whole canopy as well as ground and roof space at the five spatial locations of the Venlo greenhouse. Also, correlations between temperature, light intensity, and CO₂ concentration in Venlo and semi-closed greenhouses were analyzed using the Curve Expert Professional program. The deviations among the spatial locations were larger in the CO₂ concentration than other environmental factors in the Venlo greenhouse. The average CO₂ concentration ranged from 465 to 761 µmol·mol^-1 with the highest value (646 µmol·mol^-1) at the Middle End (4ME) close to the main pipe (50Ø) of the liquefied CO₂ gas supply and lowest (436 µmol·mol^-1) at the Left Middle (5LM). The deviation among the vertical positions was greater in temperature and relative humidity than other environments. The time zone with the largest deviation in average temperature was 2 p.m. with the highest temperature (26.51℃) at the Upper Air (UA) and the lowest temperature (25.62℃) at the Lower Canopy (LC). The time zone with the largest deviation in average RH was 1 p.m. with the highest RH (76.90%) at the LC and the lowest RH (71.74%) at the UA. The highest average CO₂ concentration at each hour was Roof Air (RF) and Ground (GD). The coefficient of correlations between temperature, light intensity, and CO₂ concentration were 0.07 for semi-closed greenhouse and 0.66 for Venlo greenhouse. All the results indicate that while the CO₂ concentration in the greenhouse needs to be analyzed in the spatial locations, temperature and humidity needs to be analyzed in the vertical positions of canopy. The target CO₂ fertilization concentration for the semi-closed greenhouse with low ventilation rate should be different from that of general greenhouses.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.100-117
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• 2022

This study examines the spatio-temporal characteristics of the macrobenthic community in the coastal areas of South Korea for the past six years(2015-2020). The relationship between the number of individuals of macrobenthic species and the benthic environments were investigated using data collected at a total of 154 stations located in the West (70), the South (61), and the East Seas (23), except for the Jeju Sea. We examined the benthic environmental characteristics such as water depth, sediment, grain size, ignition loss, and total organic carbon. A total of 1,614 macrobenthic species were found in the coastal area, with a mean density of 0.62 ind./m² by station. The mean density was relatively high in the spring and summer seasons (May to August) with more than 450 species. The most dominant species belong to Polychaetes and the top five of them accounted for more than 20% of the total number of populations. The top five species were Heteromastus filiformis, Scoletoma longifolia, Sigambra tentaculata, Sternaspis scutata, and Notomastus latericeus. Cluster analysis was performed on the top five dominant species. The stations were clustered into three groups with similar locations on the West, South, and East Sea. Cluster 1 and 3 represent Heteromastus filiformis (44% each), but cluster 2 represents Scoletoma longifolia (66%). Each cluster has different benthic environmental characteristics, especially in the sediment's sand (31.0%, 51.9%) and clay (15.9%, 9.7%) contents.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.947-955
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• 2022

Silkworms, which have recently shown promise as functional health foods, show functional differences between varieties; therefore, the need for variety identification is emerging. In this study, we analyzed the whole silkworm genome to identify 10 unique silkworm varieties (Baekhwang, Baekok, Daebaek, Daebak, Daehwang, Goldensilk, Hansaeng, Joohwang, Kumkang, and Kumok) using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) present in the genome as biomarkers. In addition, nine SNPs were selected to discriminate between varieties by selecting SNPs specific to each variety. We subsequently created a decision tree capable of cross-verifying each variety and classifying the varieties through sequential analysis. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) was used for SNP867 and SNP9183 to differentiate between the varieties of Daehwang and Goldensilk and between Kumkang and Daebak, respectively. A tetra-primer amplification refractory (T-ARMS) mutation was used to analyze the remaining SNPs. As a result, we could isolate the same group or select an individual variety using the nine unique SNPs from SNP780 to SNP9183. Furthermore, nucleotide sequence analysis for the region confirmed that the alleles were identical. In conclusion, our results show that combining SNP analysis of the whole silkworm genome with the decision tree is of high value as a discriminative marker for classifying silkworm varieties.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.194-205
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• 2022

Sandbars formed by sediment transportation and sedimentation are some of the most important habitats for specific wildlife and they provide an aesthetic landscape in streams. The purpose of this study was to understand the successional process of the colonization and development of early vegetation over time on sandbars exposed by the opening of a gate at a downstream weir. We selected the following four study sites in the Geumgang River, South Korea: three weir-upstream sites with different gate-opening times and a control site that was not affected by weir operation. Changes in the structural characteristics and spatial distribution of the riparian vegetation on the sandbars exposed after opening the gate at the weir were surveyed according to the different exposure periods of the sandbars at the study sites. The newly formed sandbars accounted for more than 33% of the area of the existing floodplain in the three weir-upstream sites of the Geumgang River after opening the gate at the weir. Nine main plant communities were distributed on the exposed sandbars. These communities were classified as annual mesophytic, perennial hydrophytic, perennial hygrophytic, subtree, and tree vegetation based on their species traits. As the duration of exposure of the sandbar increased, the area of the bare sandbar and the annual herbaceous and perennial hydrophytic communities decreased, and the areas occupied by perennial hygrophytic, subtree, and tree communities increased. Changes in vegetation on the sandbar were classified into three types of succession according to the condition of the aquatic habitat before the gate-opening and the degree of physical disturbance caused by the water flow after the gate-opening. The types of succession were: 1) succession starting from hydrophytes in the lentic aquatic zone, 2) succession starting from annual herbaceous hygrophytes in the lotic aquatic zone, and 3) willow-dominated succession in the disturbed channel side. Our results suggested that the dynamics of successional changes in vegetation should be considered during weir operation to ecologically manage the habitats and landscape of the fluvial landforms, including sandbars in streams.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.277-286
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• 2023

Sarcopenia is the age-related loss of muscle mass and function. It is a natural part of aging and can lead to decreased mobility and increased frailty. The ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, which is involved in muscle protein degradation, is closely linked to sarcopenia. Germinated Rhynchosia nulubilis hydrolysate (GRH) has been reported to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, but there have been no reports on its inhibitory effect on muscle reduction. However, no study has yet explored the relationship between GRH and muscle loss inhibition. In this study, we evaluated the effects of GRH on muscle atrophy inhibitory activity in dexamethasone (Dexa)-induced muscle atrophy C2C12 myotubes and mouse models. Moreover, we identified a molecular pathway underlying the effects of GRH on skeletal muscle. May Grunwald-Giemsa staining showed that the length and area of myotubes increased in the groups treated with GRH. In addition, the GRH-treated group significantly reduced the expression of muscle ring finger protein 1 and muscular atrophy F-box (MAFbx) in the Dexa-induced muscular atrophy C2C12 model. GRH also improved muscle strength in C57BL/6 mice with Dexa-induced muscle atrophy, resulting in prolonged running exhaustive time and increased grip strength. We found that muscle strengthening by GRH was correlated with a decreased expression of the MAFbx gene in mouse muscle tissue. In conclusion, GRH can attenuate Dexa-induced muscle atrophy by inhibiting the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway via downregulation of the MAFbx gene expression.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.35-43
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• 2023

The fine particulate structure of biochar limits its use as a heavy metal adsorbent, and makes separation of the biochar from the solution technically challenging, thereby reducing recovery of the heavy metals. To address this issue, this study prepared biochar beads under various mixing conditions and investigated their efficiency in removing Pb from aqueous solutions using adsorption models. The biochar beads were produced by mixing alginate and biochar at different ratios: alginate bead (AB), 1% biochar + bead (1-BB), 2.5% biochar + bead (2.5-BB), and 5% biochar + bead (5-BB). The results revealed that the Freundlich isothermal adsorption pattern of the biochar beads to Pb was of the L-type. The highest Langmuir isothermal adsorption capacity (28.736 mg/g) was observed in the 2.5-BB treatment. The dominant mechanism among the kinetic adsorption characteristics of biochar beads for Pb was chemical adsorption. Additionally, the optimal pH range for Pb adsorption was found to be between 4 and 5.5. The highest Pb removal efficiency (97.9%) was achieved when 26.6 g/L of biochar beads were used. These findings suggest that biochar beads are an economical and highly efficient adsorbent that enables separation and recovery of fine biochar particles.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.17-27
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• 2022

In this study, we evaluated the antioxidant and antidiabetic effects of buckwheat. The diabetic animal models were divided into four groups: normal mice group (NOR), streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice group (STZ), group treated with seeds of common or tartary buckwheat (SCB or STB), and the group treated with whole plants of common or tartary buckwheat (PCB or PTB). Rutin content was 44-48 times higher in STB or PTB than in SCB. Oral glucose tolerance and insulin resistance were significantly reduced by treatment with STB, PCB, and PTB. Treatment with PTB also decreased the serum glucose level significantly and the serum insulin levels slightly compared with the STZ group. These results suggest that rutin content and antioxidant activity are closely related to the antidiabetic effect of the treatment. Our results demonstrate that the seeds of tartary buckwheat and whole plants of either common or tartary buckwheat have antidiabetic effects-attenuating blood glucose in an animal model of type II diabetes.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.68 no.2
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• pp.69-80
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• 2023

This study investigated the differences in barley growth at different growth stages (Dec, Feb, and Apr) and the yield at harvest in three groups (G1, G2, and G3) with different climates. Additionally, we measured meteorological differences between areas during the growing season to determine which factors were related to growth and yield differences. We evaluated the chemical composition of soil and the mineral content in leaves during the heading stages. We also recorded the main constituents, amino acids, and mineral compositions of barley seeds grown in different areas. Tiller number/m² in G1 areas was higher than in G2 and G3 when measured before and after overwintering. However, tiller number/m² and dry aboveground plant parts/m² in G2 and G3 areas were higher than in G1. Regrowth, panicle formation, and heading days in G2 areas occurred slightly later than in G1 and G3. However, there was no difference in chlorophyll content (SPAD value) between groups. The yield in G1 areas was 9~15% less than in G1 and G3. The decrease in yield in G2 areas could be due to lower panicle number, spikelet number, and ripening rate. In addition, the decrease in yield in G2 areas is likely because maximum, minimum, and average daily temperatures during the growing season were lower than those in G1 and G3. However, mineral nutrients in the soil were higher in the G2 area than in G1 and G3. The overall mineral content in plants tended to be higher in G1 areas than in G2 and G3. Mineral content such as Cu, K, Mg, and P in G3 areas and crude protein and most amino acids in G2 areas tended to be relatively low compared to other areas. Thus, the G1 area may be suitable for barley cultivation without adverse impacts on barley yield, main constituents, amino acids, and mineral contents compared to the main producing areas in G3.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.555-564
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• 2023

In this study, the anti-oxidant activity, elastase inhibitory activity, and skin moisturizing effect of mixed extracts of Acanthopanax senticosus and Citrus unshiu fermented with Bovista plumbea (B-MEAC) were evaluated to verify the availability as a material for inner beauty. The DPPH radical scavenging activity of B-MEAC was showed in a dose-dependent manner (SC₅₀=156.1±0.82 ㎍/ml). Also, B-MEAC inhibited the elastase activity in a concentration-dependent manner (p<0.001). To study the effect of B-MEAC on mouse skin hydration, skin moisture content and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) measured. As a result, skin moisture content increased (p<0.001) and TEWL decreased (p<0.01) compared to the dry-induced control group. The effect on the change of collagen fibers in the dry-induced mouse skin was examined through Masson's trichrome staining. In the group administered with B-MEAC, the amount of collagen relatively increased compared to the control group, and the intensity of blue color increased. The effect on the moisturizing function of the dry-induced mouse skin was examined by Western blot method. In the group administered with B-MEAC, the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) protein decreased compared to the control group. In addition, the expression level of collagen1A1 (COL1A1), hyaluronan synthase-2 (HAS2), filaggrin, and aquaporin-3 (AQP3) recovered (p<0.001). Therefore, these results suggest the potential of B-MEAC as a skin hydration agent for inner beauty.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.346-358
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• 2023

Due to the acceleration of climate change or global warming, it is important to predict rice productivity in the future and investigate physiological changes in rice plants. The research aimed to explore how rice adapts to climate change by examining the response of nitrogen absorption and nitrogen use efficiency in rice under elevated levels of carbon dioxide and temperature, utilizing the SPAR system for analysis. The temperature increased by +4.7 ℃ in comparison to the period from 2001 to 2010, while the carbon dioxide concentration was held steady at 800 ppm, aligning with South Korea's late 21st-century RCP8.5 scenario. Nitrogen was applied as fertilizer at rates of 0, 9, and 18 kg 10a^-1, respectively. Under conditions of climate change, there was an 81% increase in the number of panicles compared to the present situation. However, grain weight decreased by 38% as a result of reduction in the grain filling rate. BNUE, indicative of the nitrogen use efficiency in plant biomass, exhibited a high value under climate change conditions. However, both NUEg and ANUE, associated with grain production, experienced a notable and significant decrease. In comparison to the current conditions, nitrogen uptake in leaves and stems increased by 100% and 151%, respectively. However, there was a 25% decrease in nitrogen uptake in the panicle. Likewise, the nitrogen content and NDFF (Nitrogen Derived from Fertilizer) in the sink organs, namely leaves and roots, were elevated in comparison to current levels. Therefore, it is imperative to ensure resources by mitigating the decrease in ripening rates under climate change conditions. Moreover, there seems to be a requirement for follow-up research to enhance the flow of photosynthetic products under climate change conditions.