• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.247-257
• /
• 2021

In this work, Iron Nano-Particles Impregnated BioChar/bead (INPBC/bead) soil amendment was developed to increase biochar's reactivity to As in soil and preventing possible wind loss. Prior to preparation of INPBC/bead, INPBC was produced utilizing lignocellulosic biomass and Fe(III) solution in a hydrothermal method, followed by a calcination process. Then, the bead type amendment, INPBC/bead was produced by cross-linking reaction of alginate with INPBC. FT-IR, XRD, BET, and SEM-EDS analyses were utilized to characterize the as-synthesised materials. The particle size range of INPBC/bead was 1-4 mm, and different oxygen-containing functional groups and Fe3O4 crystalline phase were produced on the surface of INPBC/bead, according to the characterization results. The soil cultivation test was carried out in order to assess the stabilization performance of INPBC/bead utilizing As and Pb-contaminated soil obtained from an abandoned mining location in South Korea. After 4 weeks of culture, TCLP and SPLP extraction tests were performed to assess the stabilization efficacy of the amendment. The TCLP and SPLP findings revealed that raising the application ratio improved stabilizing efficiency. The As stabilization efficiency was determined to be 81.56 % based on SPLP test findings for a 5% in (w/w) INPBC/bead treatment, and the content of Pb in extracts was reduced to the limit of detection. According to the findings of this study, INPBC/bead that can maintain pH of origin soil and minimize wind loss might be a potential amendment for soil polluted with As and heavy metals.

• Genomics & Informatics
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.33-39
• /
• 2012

High-throughput genomic technologies (HGTs), including next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS), microarray, and serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE), have become effective experimental tools for cancer genomics to identify cancer-associated somatic genomic alterations and genes. The main hurdle in cancer genomics is to identify the real causative mutations or genes out of many candidates from an HGT-based cancer genomic analysis. One useful approach is to refer to known cancer genes and associated information. The list of known cancer genes can be used to determine candidates of cancer driver mutations, while cancer gene-related information, including gene expression, protein-protein interaction, and pathways, can be useful for scoring novel candidates. Some cancer gene or mutation databases exist for this purpose, but few specialized tools exist for an automated analysis of a long gene list from an HGT-based cancer genomic analysis. This report presents a new web-accessible bioinformatic tool, called CaGe, a cancer genome annotation system for the assessment of candidates of cancer genes from HGT-based cancer genomics. The tool provides users with information on cancer-related genes, mutations, pathways, and associated annotations through annotation and browsing functions. With this tool, researchers can classify their candidate genes from cancer genome studies into either previously reported or novel categories of cancer genes and gain insight into underlying carcinogenic mechanisms through a pathway analysis. We show the usefulness of CaGe by assessing its performance in annotating somatic mutations from a published small cell lung cancer study.

• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.71-80
• /
• 2016

Meanwhile, reference evapotranspiration(ET0) is important information for agricultural management including irrigation planning and drought assessment, the database of reference evapotranspiration for future periods was rarely constructed especially at districts unit over the country. The Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) provides several meteorological data such as precipitation, average temperature, humidity, wind speed, and radiation for long-term future period at daily time-scale. This study aimed to build a database for reference evapotranspiration using the climate forecasts at high resolution (the outputs of HadGEM3-RA provided by Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA)). To estimate reference evapotranspiration, we implemented four different models such as FAO Modified Penman, FAO Penman-Monteith, FAO Blaney-Criddle, and Thornthwaite. The suggested database system has an open architecture so that user could add other models into the database. The database contains 5,050 regions' data for each four models and four Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) climate change scenarios. The developed database system provides selecting features by which the database users could extract specific region and period data.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
• /
• v.60 no.3
• /
• pp.51-61
• /
• 2018

Transportation and storage technologies, which are key drivers for trade, has increased global trade of agricultural products about 165% from 1995 to 2015. Korea imports 76.2% of grain from major food exporters such as USA, Australia, Brazil, and China. The expected long shipping distances from these countries can seriously cause environmental impacts on various environmental categories such as climate change, particulate matter, and acidification. The goal of this study is to assess the environmental implications focused on greenhouse gases (GHGs) and particulate matters (PMs) emissions of imported grains (wheat, corn, and bean) using food miles analysis and life cycle assessment (LCA). The environmental impacts of imported crops are estimated by transportation modes using the national LCI database provided by Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI). The results of this study are as follows; (1) Imported wheat comes from USA (29%), AUS (27%), and URK (20%), corn is imported from USA (34%), BRA (29%), and URK (16%), and bean comes from BRA (57%), USA (40%), and CHN (2%); (2) the food miles of imported crops (wheat, corn, and bean) are 3.62E+10, 1.30E+11, and $2.20E+10ton{\cdot}km$, respectively; (3) the potential GHGs and PMs of wheat, corn, and bean are 5.02E+08, 1.67E+09, and 2.84E+08 kg $CO_2e$ and 5.89E+05, 1.83E+06, 3.07E+05 kg $PM_{10}e$, respectively. The outputs of this study could provide environmental impacts and carrying distances of imported agricultural products for preparing a plan to reduce environmental impacts.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
• /
• v.60 no.3
• /
• pp.135-148
• /
• 2018

Reservoir sedimentation is a major environmental issue, and various sediment load controls and plans have been proposed to secure clean and safe water resources. The objectives of this study were to estimate soil loss in the upper basins and predict sediment deposition in Ipjang reservoir using hydrologic and hydraulic model. To do so, SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) and EFDC (Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code) was used to estimate soil loss in two upper basins and to predict spatial distribution and amount of sediment deposition in the Ipjang reservoir, respectively. The hydrologic modeling results showed that annual average soil loss from the upper basins was 500 ton. The hydraulic modeling results demonstrated that sediment particles transported to the reservoir were mostly trapped in the vicinity of the reservoir inlet and then moved toward the bank over time. If long-term water quality monitoring and sediment survey are performed, this study can be used as a tool for predicting the dredging amount, dredging location and proper dredging cycle in the reservoir. The study findings are expected to be used as a basis to establish management solutions for sediment reduction.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.180-185
• /
• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The aims of the present study are: 1) to quantify sodium consumption of patients with unstable or uncontrolled hypertension, 2) to investigate if reduced sodium intake can lower BP in these patients, and 3), to assess the acceptability and feasibility of this approach. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This study included 25 adults (age: 50+ years) with frequently elevated BP or patients with uncontrolled, uncomplicated hypertension despite drug treatment in a general practice setting. BP and salt intake (24h urinary excretion and food records) were measured at baseline and after a sodium reduced diet. RESULTS: Mean (${\pm}SD$) systolic (SBP) over diastolic (DBP) blood pressure (mmHg) at baseline was $150.7({\pm}9.5)$/$84.149({\pm}5.6)$. Mean urinary sodium excretion was 146 mmol/24h. A reduction of 28 mmol sodium excretion decreased SBP/DBP to $135.5({\pm}13.0)$/$82.5({\pm}12.8)$ (P < 0.001). After one month of no dietary advice, only in 48%, SBP was still ${\leq}140mmHg$. CONCLUSION: Assessment of sodium intake using food records, 24h urine collections and probing questions to identify use of sodium containing supplements or drugs are essential for tailored advice targeted at sodium intake reduction. The results of the present study indicate that reduced sodium intake can lower BP after 4 weeks in unstable or uncontrolled hypertensive patients.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.35-48
• /
• 2004

Since the occlusal loading is transmitted to the surrounding bone, the success of an implant treatment is closely related to the distribution of the stress on the implant. The finite element analysis method is often used in order to produce a model for dispersion of stress. Assessment of the success of the implant is usually based on the degree of osseointegration which is a bone and implant surface interface. Implant used in this research was designed through the method of shape optimization after the stress on implant was anaylzed by the finite element analysis method. This study was pertinently assessed by a clinical, histologic, histomorphometric analysis after the shape optimized implant was installed on beagle dog tibia. The results are as follows 1. It clinically showed a good result without mobility and imflammatory reaction. 2. Implant was supported by dense bone and bone remodeling showed on the surrounding area of the implant 3. The average percentage of bone-implant contact was 58.1%.The percentage of bone density was 57.6%. Having above results, shape optimized implant showed the pertinence through clinical and histologic aspects. However, to use the shape optimized implant, the further experiment is required for finding problems, improvement.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.272-278
• /
• 2008

The carbon-ion beam (CIB) generated by the heavy-ion medical accelerator in Chiba (HIMAC) was targeted to 7-day-old rice. Physiological parameters such as growth, and gene expression profiles were examined immediately after CIB irradiation. Dose-dependent growth suppression was seen three days post-irradiation (PI), and all the irradiated plants died by 15 days PI. Microarray (Agilent rice 22K) analysis of the plants immediately after irradiation (iai) revealed effects on gene expression at 270 Gy; 353 genes were up-regulated and 87 down-regulated. Exactly the same set of genes was affected at 90 Gy. Among the highly induced genes were genes involved in information storage and processing, cellular processes and signaling, and metabolism. RT-PCR analysis confirmed the microarray data.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.265-271
• /
• 2013

Cryopreservation and in vitro fertilization (IVF) protocols are important in genetic studies and applications to transgenic animals. Various studies about boar sperm cryopreservation have been studied for a long time. Those were about the use of extenders, the choice of sugars, the cooling and warming rates. The factors that influence the boar sperm are the dramatic changes in temperatures, osmotic and toxic stresses, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Among these factors, ROS generation is the main damage to DNA which is a principal genetic material and the most important for the practical applications. So we wondered whether ROS generation could be reduced. In previous study, monothioglycerol (MTG) was essential for the culture of embryo stem cells. Therefore we added MTG in the freezing extender based on lactose-egg yolk (LEY) with trehalose. For the assessment of the frozen-thawed sperm, we focused onmotility, membrane integrity and DNA damage. First, we used a computer-aided sperm analysis system for overall conditions of sperm such as motility and viability. Then we performed the sperm chromatin structure assay for DNA integrity and hypo-osmotic swelling test for membrane integrity. And our result showed the existence of MTG in the freezing extender caused less damage to DNA and higher motility in frozen-thawed boar sperm. Also we checked a relative antioxidant activity of MTG in modified Modena B extender. We concluded that this reagent can activate sperm mitochondria at MTG $0.2{\mu}M$, contribute to sperm motility and DNA integrity but there was no significant difference on membrane integrity. Also antioxidant activity of MTG in modified Modena B extender was proved.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.280-291
• /
• 2019

Potential utility of 14 candidate housekeeping genes as normalization reference for RT-qPCR analysis with developmental samples (fertilized eggs to late veliger larvae) in Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai was evaluated using four different statistical algorithms (geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper and comparative ΔCT method). Different algorithms identified different genes as the best candidates, and geometric mean-based final ranking from the most to the least stable expression was as follow: RPL5, RPL4, RPS18, RPL8, RPL7, UBE2, RPL7A, GAPDH, RPL36, PPIB, EF1A, ACTB and B-TU. The findings were further validated via relative quantification of metallothionein (MT) transcripts using the stable and unstable reference genes, and expression levels of MT were greatly influenced according to the choice of reference genes. In overall, our data suggest that RPL5 and RPS18, either singly or in combination, are appropriate for normalizing gene expression in developmental samples of this abalone species, whereas ACTB, B-TU and EF1A are less stable and not recommended. In addition, our findings propose that standard deviations in geometric ranking as well as geometric mean itself should also be taken into account for the final selection of reference gene(s). This study could be a useful basis to facilitate the generation of accurate and reliable RT-qPCR data with developmental samples in this abalone species.