• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.108 no.4
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• pp.592-599
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• 2019

This study aimed to develop an equation for estimating stem volume for Larix kaempferiin South Korea using independent variables, diameter at breast height (DBH), and height as being closely associated with stem volume. Analysis was conducted on the growth performance of 2,840 Larix kaempferi samples across South Korea after felling them and gleaning diameter data according to both stem height and stem analyses. In order to test the fitness of six different stem taper equations, empirical assessment was conducted for fitness index (FI), bias, mean, and absolute deviation (MAD), and coefficient variation (%CV). The two selectedmodels found to be optimal were the following: model one (V=a+bDBH²), established by employing DBH only; and model four (V=a+bDBH²H), established by utilizing DBH and height, respectively. The findings of non-linear regression indicated statistical significance (p < 0.05) in a and b, which were the coefficients for the intercepts and slopes of the models. The FI of the models ranged between 94% and 99%, and the bias was close to zero, while MAD ranged from 0.01 to 0.05, and %CV from 5.97 to 14.43, indicating a high level of fitness. Thus, using the suggested models, the basic information necessary for forest management was obtained, and an estimation of the stem volume was effected without delay soon after effecting DBH and height measurements.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.83-92
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• 2022

The 2020 summer extreme flood severely disturbed the riparian ecosystem of the Seomjin River. Some trees were killed by the flood impact, whereas others have recovered through epicormic regeneration after the disturbance. At the same time, several tree individuals newly germinated. This research aimed to explain the recovery of the riparian ecosystem by spatial proximity between each tree individual of different characteristics, such as "dead", "recovered", and "newly germinated". A spatial point pattern analysis based on K and g-functions revealed that the newly germinated trees and the existing trees were distributed in the spatially clumping patterns. However, further detailed analysis revealed that the new trees were statistically less attracted to the recovered trees than the dead trees, implying competitive interactions hidden in the facilitative interactions. Habitat amelioration by the existing trees positively affected the growth of the new trees, while "living" existing trees were competing with the new trees for resources. This research is expected to provide new knowledge in this era of rapid climate change, which likely induces stronger and more frequent natural disturbance than before. Environmental factors have been widely used for ecosystem modeling, but species interactions, represented by the relative spatial distribution of plant individuals, are also valuable factors explaining ecosystem dynamics.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2023

Understanding the light environment in greenhouse cultivation and the light utilization characteristics of crops is important in the study of photosynthesis and transpiration. Also, as the plant grows, the form of light utilization changes. Therefore, this study aims to develop a light extinction coefficient model reflecting the plant growth. To measure the extinction coefficient, five pyranometers were installed vertically according to the height of the plant, and the light intensity by height was collected every second during the entire growing season. According to each growth stage in the early, middle, and late stages, the difference between the top and bottom light intensity tended to increase to 69%, 72%, and 81%. When leaf area index and plant height increased, the extinction coefficient decreased, and it showed an exponential decay relationship. Three-dimensional model reflecting the two growth indexes, the paraboloid had the lowest RMSE of 1.340 and the highest regression constant of 0.968. Through this study, it was possible to predict the more precise light extinction coefficient during the growing period of plants. Furthermore, it is judged that this can be utilized for predicting and analyzing photosynthesis and transpiration according to the plant height.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.469-477
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• 2018

Hanabusaya asiatica is an endemic species whose distribution is limited in the mid-eastern part of the Korean peninsula. Due to its narrow range and small population, it is necessary to protect its habitats by identifying it as Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) adopted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In this paper, we estimated potential natural habitats for H. asiatica using maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) and identified candidate sites for KBA based on the model results. MaxEnt is a machine learning algorithm that can predict habitats for species of interest unbiasedly with presence-only data. This property is particularly useful for the study area where data collection via a field survey is unavailable. We trained MaxEnt using 38 locations of H. asiatica and 11 environmental variables that measured climate, topography, and vegetation status of the study area which encompassed all locations of the border region between South and North Korea. Results showed that the potential habitats where the occurrence probabilities of H. asiatica exceeded 0.5 were $778km^2$, and the KBA candidate area identified by taking into account existing protected areas was $1,321km^2$. Of 11 environmental variables, elevation, annual average precipitation, average precipitation in growing seasons, and the average temperature in the coldest month had impacts on habitat selection, indicating that H. asiatica prefers cool regions at a relatively high elevation. These results can be used not only for identifying KBAs but also for the reference to a protection plan for H. asiatica in preparation of Korean reunification and climate change.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.15 no.6 s.73
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• pp.961-967
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• 2005

Macrophage migration inhibitory fartor (MIF), known as a cytokine, is a multifunctional protein that is ubiquitously expressed in a variety of cells and tissues; however, enzymatic function of MIF still remains elusive in cells. In this study, we assessed details of the tautomerase activity of MIF. We established rapid purification condition for MIF by using pGEX system and compared the L-dopachrome tautomerase activity of GST-MIF, tMIF, and MIF. The results show that GST (glutathione S-transferase)-epitope tag or N-terminal amino acids flanking the essential $P^{2}$ almost completely abrogated L-dopachrome tautomerase activity of MIF. Subsequently, to determine whether the N-terminal tags have effects on oligomerization of MIF, protein cross-linking products were analyzed on $15\%$ SDS-PACE. The result demonstrates that N-terminal tags are dispensable for the formation of MIF's homooligomers. Thus, the results imply that exposure of If containing hydrophobic pocket in the active site is critical for L-dopachrome tautomerase activity of MIF. In addition, our study suggest that the MIF's tautomerase activity might be influenced by interacting with cellular partners.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.161-173
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• 2019

In this study, the antioxidative and inhibitory activity of tyrosinase and collagenase for the solvent extract and silica column fractions of Artocarpus nitidus were evaluated. The activities were quantified using the 4 parameter logistic. LC/MS analysis showed that the major component of the fractions was polyphenol and the total polyphenol content of the extract was $48.1{\pm}2.6mg\;GAE/g$. The radical scavenging activities ($SC_{50}$) for 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl of the extract, fraction-1 and fraction-2 were 16.7, 42.0 and $10.1{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. The value for fraction-2 was the closest to ascorbic acid ($1.5{\mu}g/mL$). The tyrosinase inhibitory activity of the extracts and the fractions showed $IC_{50}$ of 64.9, 0.9 and $1.2{\mu}g/mL$, respectively, and overall activity was higher than that of kojic acid ($7.4{\mu}g/mL$) and arbutin ($119.0{\mu}g/mL$). In the experiment by zebrafish embryo, the whitening activity of fraction-2 (27.5%) was higher than that of kojic acid (18.6%), and there was no adverse effect up to $500{\mu}g/mL$ of fraction-2. For the collagenase inhibitory activity, the samples showed $IC_{50}$ of 139.8, 20.6, and $16.8{\mu}g/mL$, respectively, which were competitive to 1, 10-Phenanthroline ($55.4{\mu}g/mL$). The extract and fraction-2 showed $IC_{50}$ of 61.8 and $67.1{\mu}g/mL$ for elastase. These results suggest that A. nitidus extract can be used as a cosmetic material useful for antioxidant, whitening, and prevention of skin aging without adverse effects.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.105 no.3
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• pp.275-283
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• 2016

The objective of this study was to examine carbon dynamics with biomass, soil $CO_2$ efflux, litter and root decomposition after tree density control in young Pinus densiflora stands. The stands were established with 50% thinning, clear-cut, and control stands with three pseudo-replicated plots and a bare soil plot in 8-year-old Pinus densiflora nursery field. Monthly measurements were conducted from March 2012 to February 2014 and aboveground biomass and coarse-roots were estimated by derived allometric equations. Average diameter growth at root collar in control and thinned was 0.89 cm and 1.48 cm per year, respectively, and the diameter growth of control stand was significantly higher than that of thinned stands (p<0.05). Total biomass was estimated to 5.17, $4.85kg\;C\;m^{-2}$ per year in control and thinned, respectively. Annual soil $CO_2$ efflux in control, thinned, clear cut, and bare soil was 3.71, 3.90, 4.17, $4.56kg\;CO_2\;m^{-2}\;yr^{-1}$, respectively and removing trees significantly increased soil $CO_2$ efflux (p<0.05). Net Ecosystem Production (NEP) was 1.57, 1.36, -0.67, $-1.25kg\;C\;m^{-2}\;yr^{-1}$ in control, thinned, clear cut and bare soil in the young Pinus densiflora stands. NEP was significantly decreased by removing trees. Thinning increased diameter at root collar and carbon of individual tree and recovered 86% of carbon removed by thinning after one-year. In addition, soil $CO_2$ efflux increased and NEP increased by thinning. Results of this study, tree density control such as thinning increased the carbon storage and growth of the young Pinus densiflora stands.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.8-13
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• 2017

This study was conducted to develop an agent-based computing platform enabling simulation of on-farm produce contamination by enteric foodborne pathogens, which is herein called PPMCS (Preharvest Produce Microbial Contamination Simulator). Also, fecal contamination of preharvest produce was simulated using PPMCS. Although Agent-based Modeling and Simulation, the tool applied in this study, is rather popular in where socio-economical human behaviors or ecological fate of animals in their niche are to be predicted, the incidence of on-farm produce contamination which are thought to be sporadic has never been simulated using this tool. The agents in PPMCS including crop, animal as a source of fecal contamination, and fly as a vector spreading the fecal contamination are given their intrinsic behaviors that are set to be executed at certain probability. Once all these agents are on-set following the intrinsic behavioral rules, consequences as the sum of all the behaviors in the system can be monitored real-time. When fecal contamination of preharvest produce was simulated in PPMCS as numbers of animals, flies, and initially contaminated plants change, the number of animals intruding cropping area affected most on the number of contaminated plants at harvest. For further application, the behaviors and variables of the agents are adjustable depending on user's own scenario of interest. This feature allows PPMCS to be utilized in where different simulating conditions are tested.

• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.9-21
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• 2007

Research was initiated to examine establishment efficiency of zoysiagrass by plugging. Zoysiagrass is known to be a slowly establishing turfgrass species. Properly-treated zoysiagrass seed can speed up the establishment rate, while initial irrigation practice is intensively required after seeding. A planting method with small plugs($2.5{\times}2.5cm$) from seeding can overcome initial watering requirement. Establishment speed, however, can vary with planting dates, planting spaces, and plastic film cover in early stage. Establishment characteristics were investigated for two years by planting dates that were April 5, May 18, July 13, August 24 and October 29 in 2004 and April 6 in 2005. They were also compared with three different spaces($20{\times}20,\;25{\times}25,\;and\;30{\times}30cm$) and three different fertilizer levels(15, 30, and $45g\;N{\cdot}m^{-2}$). Ground coverage reached to 90% in plugs of 'Zenith' zoysiagrass planted on April 5. It increased suddenly in period of July to August, resulting in about 50% of full establishment rate. Establishment rates were significantly faster over 9% in plugs spaced at $20{\times}25cm$ than in those at $30{\times}30cm$. No significant differences were observed on the stolen number and stolen length in the study. Survival rate in zoysiagrass plug was over 90% at all plantings. These results demonstrated that zoysiagrass establishment using small plug from seeding is considered to be a safe and efficient method.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.229-237
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• 2015

This study aims to offer basic data to effectively preserve and manage pine forests using more precise pine forests' distribution status. In this regard, this study predicts the geographical distribution change of pine forests growing in South Korea, due to climate change, and evaluates the spatial distribution characteristics of pine forests by age. To this end, this study predicts the potential distribution change of pine forests by applying the MaxEnt model useful for species distribution change to the present and future climate change scenarios, and analyzes the effects of bioclimatic variables on the distribution area and change by age. Concerning the potential distribution regions of pine forests, the pine forests, aged 10 to 30 years in South Korea, relatively decreased more. As the area of the region suitable for pine forest by age was bigger, the decreased regions tend to become bigger, and the expanded regions tend to become smaller. Such phenomena is conjectured to be derived from changing of the interaction of pine forests by age from mutual promotional relations to competitive relations in the similar climate environment, while the regions suitable for pine forests' growth are mostly overlap regions. This study has found that precipitation affects more on the distribution of pine forests, compared to temperature change, and that pine trees' geographical distribution change is more affected by climate's extremities including precipitation of driest season and temperature of the coldest season than average climate characteristics. Especially, the effects of precipitation during the driest season on the distribution change of pine forests are irrelevant of pine forest's age class. Such results are expected to result in a reduction of the pine forest as the regions with the increase of moisture deficiency, where climate environment influencing growth and physiological responses related with drought is shaped, gradually increase according to future temperature rise. The findings in this study can be applied as a useful method for the prediction of geographical change according to climate change by using various biological resources information already accumulated. In addition, those findings are expected to be utilized as basic data for the establishment of climate change adaptation policies related to forest vegetation preservation in the natural ecosystem field.