• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.3-26
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• 2005

In recent years, there is growing concern about the potential use of biological agents in war or acts of terrorism accompanied an increased realization that rapid preparedness and response are needed to prevent or treat the human damage that can be caused by these agents. The threat is indeed serious, and the potential for devastating numbers of casualties is high. The use of agents as weapons, even on a small scale, has the potential for huge social and economic disruption and massive diversion of regional and national resources to combat the threat, to treat primary disease, and to clean up environmental contamination. Biological weapons are one of weapons of mass destruction (or mass casualty weapons, to be precise. since they do not damage non-living entities) that are based on bacteria, viruses, rickettsia, fungi or toxins produced by these organisms. Biological weapons are known to be easy and cheap to produce and can be used to selectively target humans, animals, or plants. Theses agents can cause large numbers of casualties with minimal logistical requirements (in wide area). The spread of disease cannot be controlled until there is awareness of the signs of infection followed by identification of agents; and if the organism is easily spread from person to person, as in the case of smallpox, the number of casualties could run into the tens of thousands. Biological weapons could be used covertly, there can be a lot of different deployment scenarios. A lot of different agents could be used in biological weapons. And, there are a lot of different techniques to manufacture biological weapons. Terrorist acts that make use of Biological Agents differ in a number of ways from those involving chemicals. The distinction between terrorist and military use of Biological Weapon is increasingly problematic. The stealthy qualities of biological weapons further complicate the distinction between terrorism and war. In reality, all biological attacks are likely to require an integrated response involving both military and civilian communities. The basic considerations when public health agencies establish national defence plan against bioterrorism must be 1) arraying various laws and regulations to meet the realistic needs, 2)education for public health personnels and support of concerned academic society, 3)information collection and cooperative project with other countries, 4)Detection and surveillance(Early detection is essential for ensuring a prompt response to biological or chemical attack, including the provision of prophylactic medicines, chemical antidotes, or vaccines) and 5) Response(A comprehensive public health response to a biological or chemical terrorist event involves epidemiologic investigation, medical treatment and prophylaxis for affacted persons, and the initiation of disease prevention or environmental decontamination measures). The purpose of this paper is providing basic material of preparedness and response for biological terrorism in modern society.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.93-97
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• 2022

Evasion, approach and predation are examples of innate behaviour that are fundamental for the survival of animals. Uniting these behaviours is the assessment of threat, which is required to select between these options. Far from being comprehensive, we give a broad review over recent studies utilising optic techniques that have identified neural circuits and genetic identities underlying these behaviours.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.7
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• pp.287-307
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• 2004

Mass killing and injuring by purpose, the countries that is hurrying countermeasure preparation of investigators who enforce that necessity to compare to intimidation of doing creature weapon is common concerns of the several countries including advanced nation such as the United States of America. Development and use of biological weapon have increased too recently to private citizens unlike development of military purpose in country dimension. The latest WHO is preparing proposal of standard stroke model who each department solidifies preparedness for chemical biological and electronic weapon revising report about biological weapon. But in case of korea, confrontation plan that bamboo broom about possibility of attack to the common people and attack comparing actual state in case of attained nothing but is readying remedy about biological warfare partially in military dimension was not readied. The purpose of this article is a study on threat of bio-weapons and the countermeasure.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.141-147
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• 2023

Antibiotic resistance has emerged as a global threat to modern healthcare systems and has nullified many commonly used antibiotics. β-Lactam antibiotics are among the most successful and occupy approximately two-thirds of the prescription antibiotic market. They inhibit the synthesis of the peptidoglycan layer in the bacterial cell wall by mimicking the D-Ala-D-Ala in the pentapeptide crosslinking neighboring glycan chains. To date, various β-lactam antibiotics have been developed to increase the spectrum of activity and evade drug resistance. This review emphasizes the three-dimensional structural characteristics of β-lactam antibiotics regarding the overall scaffold, working mechanism, chemical diversity, and hydrolysis mechanism by β-lactamases. The structural insight into various β-lactams will provide an in-depth understanding of the antibacterial efficacy and susceptibility to drug resistance in multidrug-resistant bacteria and help to develop better β-lactam antibiotics and inhibitors.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.99-114
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• 2021

We examined a current status of damage in biodiversity and its causing factors in Hasidong Anin coastal dune, Gangneung-si, Gangwon province which is designated as ecological and landscape conservation area. In this study, we found that ecosystem and biodiversity have been primarily damaged by anthropogenic factors such as the construction of surrounding area, military facilities illegally dumped garbage and the expansion of windbreak forest. These factors occur to damage the landscape, ecosystem and biodiversity etc. There is a significant lack of basic data needed for preservation and restoration due to the lack of prior research and value assessment. In order to establish solutions for preservation and restoration, it is critical to collect fundamental data and implement value assessments. Therefore, further studies such as ecosystem services assessment, increasing biodiversity, spatial analysis and monitoring of various items related to coastal dunes are needed.

• Convergence Security Journal
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.99-106
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• 2012

March 11, 2010, in Japan located over East Sea of Korea, due to the strong earthquake tsunami, Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant was ceased and exploded resulting in leaking radioactive substances. Even though it was an accident happened in a nation, leaked radioactive substances were spread across the world moving along ocean currents and air current. Our nation also had terror and confusion about radioactive rain after the accident, and even though a year has been passed by after the accident, the problem on the radioactive contamination isn't solved. So to speak, nuclear accident of neighboring country is a threat to our nation but not only Japan but also Chinese ocean across the West Sea has nuclear power plants. Beside threat of nuclear accident of neighboring countries, North Korea in military confrontation is the world 3rd country holding chemical and biological weapons and can spray the biological weapons to South Korea at any time like Yeonpyeong-do bombard provocation in November, 2010. The study is the strategy confronting such threats and grafted artificial rain technology which is weather control technology. Since radioactive substances on radioactive accidents and North Korean biological weapons can differ in the density by the weather condition, only artificial rain technology can remove the threat perfectly but it is worth to try as the method to reduce damage and in the aspect of psychology. To use the artificial rain technology in the aspect of national security to acquire the public safety, research institutes such ADD should fulfill active and symbolic technology research development.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.218-221
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• 2000

By the end of the $21^st$ century, the world population will surely far exceed the current 6.6 billion, threatening the essential requirements for life due to environmental deterioration and shortened food supply. To overcome this looming threat, we must develop new biotechnologies. There are so many known natural phenomena that we may have neglected, not perceiving them as blessings of nature. Many more remain unknown. We must examine each of them carefully since the many tricky and complicated mechanisms behind simple natural workings could provide us with attractive research targets. How then do we apply these complicated natural mechanisms to agricultural/ industrial production?.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.245-249
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• 2023

Prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola), an invasive annual plant, poses a significant threat to the agricultural systems of many countries, including Korea. In 2020, leaf blight symptoms were observed in the prickly lettuce populations of various farms across Korea. Detailed morphological and molecular sequence analyses revealed that the disease was caused by the fungus, Curvularia intermedia. A pathogenicity test confirmed that the fungus can cause the same symptoms in healthy prickly lettuce, thereby fulfilling Koch's postulates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of C. intermedia causing leaf blight on L. serriola in Korea, suggesting its potential as a biocontrol agent for this weed. However, further investigations are necessary to determine its ecological impact to prevent any non-target effects.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.62-71
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• 2021

The climate is changing rapidly, and this may pose a major threat to global biodiversity. One of the most distinctive consequences of climate change is the poleward and/or upward shift of species distribution ranges associated with increasing temperatures, resulting in a change of species composition and community structure in the forest ecosystems. The Baekdudaegan mountain range connects most forests from the lowland to the subalpine zone in South Korea and is therefore recognized as one of the most important biodiversity hotspots. This study was conducted to understand the distribution range of vascular plants along elevational gradients through field surveys in the six national parks of the Baekdudaegan mountain range. We identified the upper and lower distribution limits of a total of 873 taxa of vascular plants with 117 families, 418 genera, 793 species, 14 subspecies, 62 varieties, two forms, and two hybrids. A total of 12 conifers were recorded along the elevational gradient. The distribution ranges of Abies koreana, Picea jezoensis, Pinus pumila, and Thuja koraiensis were limited to over 1000 m above sea level. We also identified 21 broad-leaved trees in the subalpine zone. A total of 45 Korean endemic plant species were observed, and of these, 15 taxa (including Aconitum chiisanense and Hanabusaya asiatica) showed a narrow distribution range in the subalpine zone. Our study provides valuable information on the current elevational distribution ranges of vascular plants in the six national parks of South Korea, which could serve as a baseline for vertical shifts under future climate change.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2017

We reviewed the scientific literature on psychological effects of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive (CBRNE) disaster, which is one of the biggest threat to modern society. CBRNE disaster has the potential to cause specific physical symptoms and psychological distress in victims ; moreover, various toxic symptoms and carcinogenesis/mutation would be an important issue. Bioterrorism can cause localized outbreaks of infectious disease or pandemic disaster. Somatization as well as posttraumatic stress symptoms and depression are the characteristic psychological symptoms in CBRNE disaster's victims. CBRNE disasters could lead to large-scale public fear and social chaos due to the difficulties involved in verifying the extent of exposure and unfamiliar area to the common people. In the evacuation process, problems associated with adjustment and conflict between victims and residents should be considered.