• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.42-47
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• 2012

Hydrothermal vents (HTV) provide special environments for evolution of lives independent on solar energy. HTV samples were gained from Tofua arc trench in Tonga, South Pacific. We investigated archaeal diversity enriched using combinations of various electron donors (yeast extract and $H_2$) and electron acceptors [Iron (III), elemental sulfur ($S^0$) and nitrate. PCR amplification was performed to detect archaeal 16S rRNA genes after the cultures were incubated $65^{\circ}C$ and $80^{\circ}C$ for 2 weeks. The cultures showing archaeal growth were transferred using the dilution-to-extinction method. 16S rRNA gene PCR-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis was used to identify the enriched archaea in the highest dilutions where archaeal growth was observed. Most of cultured archaea belonged to genus of Thermococcus (T. alcaliphilius, T. litoralis, T. celer, T. barossii, T. thoreducens, T. coalescens) with 98-99% 16S rRNA gene similarities. Interestingly, archaeal growth was observed in the cultures with Iron (III) and nitrate as an electron acceptor. It was supposed that archaea might use the elemental sulfur generated from oxidation of the reducing agent, sulfide. To cultivate diverse archaea excluding Thermococcus, it would be required to use other reducing agents instead of sulfide.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.103-115
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• 2007

Risk assessment by living indicator species provides the information about the ecosystem disturbance, disapperance of symbiosis and change of living group. In the initial stage of this kind research, the degree of contamination was reported using the level of simple number, but simple number may not represent the risk itself which can be casued in the living organisms. Risk assessment using various indicator species overcomes these limitations and can be expanded to the DNA level. In many developed counties, the government has supervised the researches about the indicator species for the monitoring and its application to ecosystem restoration. Several living indicator species found in the vicinity of the abandoned Au mines such as fern, earthworm, bacteria, rhizosphere-rhizoplane, salamamdor and DNA change of these species are described in this paper.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.220-225
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• 2016

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) have recently become the bacteria most frequently found in clinical infections. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibilities, and molecular characteristics of CNS isolates from dental clinic environments in Busan, Korea. One hundred and fifty-four samples were collected from 10 dental clinics and dental hospitals in Busan from December 2014 to January 2015. Species were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization–time-of-flight. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by disk diffusion methods. A polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect mecA, mupA gene, and SCCmec types. Of the 154 samples, 10(6.5%) isolates were identified as CNS (5 Staphylococcus epidermidis, 2 Staphylococcus capitis, 2 Staphylococcus, and 1 Staphylococcus haemolyticus). Among the 10 isolates, 6 were resistant to penicillin, 5 were resistant to gentamicin, 3 were resistant to tetracycline, and 2 were resistant to cefoxitin and erythromycin. However, clindamycin, ciprofloxacin, teicoplanin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole resistant isolates were not present. Genes encoding mecA were detected in 4 (2 S. warneri and 2 S. haemolyticus) isolates, and mupA in 1 (S. epidermidis) isolate. One methicillin-resistant CNS (S. warneri) isolate was determined as being of the SCCmec type I. It is concluded that CNS resistant to various antimicrobial agents was widely distributed in dental clinic environments in Korea.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.641-646
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• 2022

There are concerns about the environmental release of living modified organism (LMO) maize created to increase yields. In fact, there are cases in which LMO crops for feed have been leaked in Korea to form autoite colonies, and concerns about LMO spill are intensifying. In this study, the possibility of environmental outflow and occurrence of native organisms was analyzed using maize feed and seeds distributed in Korea. In the evaluation of the possibility of spontaneous occurrence of maize in the event of an unintentional release of maize feed made by crushing maize, the incidence rate of maize was 0.01%, which was extremely low compared to the germination rate of maize seeds. A survey of the dormant rate of maize showed that all maize seeds collected every month were dead. In the germination rate test by temperature using Daehak wax corn and Kwangpyeongok, high germination rates were found at 20℃ and 30℃, and relatively low germination rates were found at 10℃ and 40℃. In addition, all germination tests showed a higher germination rate Daehak wax corn than Kwangpyeongok. The difference between domestic and overseas cultivation maize was confirmed through a survey on the agricultural properties of three varieties of maize. The data obtained through this experiment could be the basis for the evaluation of the weediness potential of environmental risk assessment and technology to suppress the occurrence of autoite in preparation for future LMO spills.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.415-422
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• 2021

Cotton is an important fiber crop, and its seeds are used as feed for dairy cattle. Crop biotechnology has been used to improve agronomic traits and quality in the agricultural industry. The frequent unintentional release of LM cotton into the environment in South Korea is attributed to the increased application of living modified (LM) cotton in food, feed, and processing industries. To identify and monitor the LM cotton, a method for detecting the approved LM cotton in South Korea is required. In this study, we developed a method for the simultaneous detection of four LM cotton varieties, MON757, MON88702, COT67B, and GHB811. The genetic information of each LM event was obtained from the European Commission-Joint Research Centre and Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency. We designed event-specific primers to develop a multiplex PCR method for LM cotton and confirmed the specific amplification. Using specificity assay, random reference material(RM) mixture analysis and limit of detection(LOD), we verified the accuracy and specificity of the multiplex PCR method. Our results demonstrate that the method enabled the detection of each event and validation of the specificity using other LM RMs. The efficiency of multiplex PCR was further verified using a random RM mixture. Based on the LOD, the method identified 25 ng of template DNA in a single reaction. In summary, we developed a multiplex PCR method for simultaneous detection of four LM cotton varieties, for possible application in LM volunteer analysis.

• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.318-325
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• 2019

Salt stress is a significant factor limiting growth and productivity in crops. However, little is known about the response and resistance mechanism to salt stress in maize. The objective of this research was to develop an enhanced salt-tolerant silage maize by mutagenesis with gamma radiation. To generate gamma radiation-induced salt-tolerant silage maize, we irradiated a KS140 inbred line with 100 Gy gamma rays. Salt tolerance was determined by evaluating plant growth, morphological changes, and gene expression under NaCl stress. We screened 10 salt-tolerant maize inbred lines from 2,248 M₂ mutant populations and selected a line showing better growth under salt stress conditions. The selected 140RS516 mutant exhibited improved seed germination and plant growth when compared with the wild-type under salt stress conditions. Enhanced salt tolerance of the 140RS516 mutant was attributed to higher stomatal conductance and proline content. Using whole-genome re-sequencing analysis, a total of 328 single nucleotide polymorphisms and insertions or deletions were identified in the 140RS516 mutant. We found that the expression of the genes involved in salt stress tolerance, ABP9, CIPK21, and CIPK31, was increased by salt stress in the 140RS516 mutant. Our results suggest that the 140RS516 mutant induced by gamma rays could be a good material for developing cultivars with salt tolerance in maize.

• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 2011

This study was conducted to identify the morphological characteristics and variations level by site environment of native bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) from costal and island region in South Korea. Soil chemical properties and morphological characteristics were investigated. There were significant differences in plant height, leaf width, leaf length, cotton on leaf blade, stolon, and number of seed per spike depending on where they were collected from natural habitat. We have discovered a variety of variation among the investigated traits in Korean native bermudagrass ecotypes. There were broad leaf and fine leaf types of native bermudgarass in S. Korea. Adaptability was in very high on inadequate environment in bermudagrass with broad leaf types, it has also been suggested that management worth in terms of use. These results may provide basic information for bermudagrass breeding development and the collected types during this investigation would be worth being preserved as genetic resources for further breeding purposes.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.16-27
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• 2003

For the last decade, some 400 small and large oil spill accidents have occurred every year. Such accident blow a serious damage to the marine resource and ecosystem, which can't be estimated in terms of economic and environmental losses. The physical/chemical methods used currently may be effective at the initial stage of accidents, but they can't serve to remove the spilled oil completely. Moreover, the dispersant may lead to a secondary contamination detrimental to the lives inhabiting wet lands, beaches and tidal zone. Thus, a new decomposing technology Is required for the environmentally sensitive areas. Bioremediation is the active use of biological techniques to mitigate the consequences of a spill using biological processes and refers both of stimulation of pollutant biodegradation and/or to enhance ecosystem recovery Bioremediation is an economically attractive method for the clean-up of oil-contaminated area. Bioremediation has been demonstrated to be an effective oil spill countermeasure for use in cobble, sand beach, salt marsh, and mud flat environment.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.36 no.2 s.103
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• pp.97-107
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• 2003

Fish vitellogenin produces in female liver during oogensesis through estradiol cycle, and produces even in male liver by endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as alkylphenols. The resulting effects of EDCs lead to the low fecundity of female and the feminization (eg. shrinkage of testis) in male. Especially, the production of vitellogenin in male indicates the environmental contamination of EDCs, resulting in the modulation of gene expression profiles and the monitoring of environmental contamination at specific area. In this paper, we suggest that fish vitellogenin is useful for biomonitoring for environmental contamination and would be substantially useful as a biomarker for a detection of EDCs in aquatic environment.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.1-8
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• 2009

There are a lot of influences, such as location of camera, luminosity, brightness, and direction of light, which affect the performance of 2-dimensional image recognition. This paper suggests an adaptive method for face-image recognition in noisy environments using evolvable filtering and feature extraction which uses one sample image from camera. This suggested method consists of two main parts. One is the environmental-adjustment module which determines optimum sets of filters, filter parameters, and dimensions of features by using "steady state genetic algorithm". The other another part is for face recognition module which performs recognition of face-image using the previous results. In the processing, we used Gabor wavelet for extracting features in the images and k-Nearest Neighbor method for the classification. For testing of the adaptive face recognition method, we tested the adaptive method in the brightness noise, in the impulse noise and in the composite noise and verified that the adaptive method protects face recognition-rate's rapidly decrease which can be occurred generally in the noisy environments.