• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.1105-1112
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• 2016

The aim of this study was to examine the metabolic adjustment of lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.27, LDH) isozymes to the environmental temperature in bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus). This study included three groups of bluegill collected in April (group Ⅰ), May (group Ⅱ), and September (group Ⅲ). The LDH activities of skeletal muscle, heart, and brain tissues were higher in group Ⅲ than in groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ. The citrate synthase (EC 4.1.3.7, CS) activity was higher in skeletal muscle but lower in heart and brain tissues of group Ⅱ as compared to group Ⅰ. In contrast, the CS activity was lower in skeletal muscle and higher in heart and brain tissues in group Ⅲ than in group Ⅱ. Furthermore, the LDH/CS activity ratio was higher in the skeletal muscle and brain in group Ⅲ than in groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ. Accordingly, anaerobic metabolism was increased in group Ⅲ. LDH A₄, A₂B₂, and B₄ isozymes were expressed in skeletal muscle, heart, liver, and brain tissues. The LDH C hybrid was detected in brain tissue. The LDH A₄ isozyme was successfully purified by affinity chromatography. The molecular weight of the purified LDH A₄ isozyme was 136 kDa and its optimal pH for enzymatic activity was 8.0. The K_m^PYR values of LDH in skeletal muscle were 0.161-0.227 mM using pyruvate as a substrate. These kinetic properties of LDH in skeletal muscle are consistent with the fact that bluegill is a cold-adapted species. These results may be useful for predicting the habitat use of this fish.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.29 no.2 s.43
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• pp.205-232
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• 2003

Ursolic acid (UA) and Oleanolic acid (ONA), known as urson, micromerol and malol, are pentacyclic triterpenoid compounds which naturally occur in a large number of vegetarian foods, medicinal herbs, and plants. They may occur in their free acid form or as aglycones for triterpenoid saponins, which are comprised of a triterpenoid aglycone, linked to one or more sugar moieties. Therefore UA and ONA are similar in pharmacological activity. Lately scientific research, which led to the identification of UA and ONA, revealed that several pharmacological effects, such as antitumor, hepato-protective, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antimicrobial, and anti-hyperlipidemic could be attributed to UA and ONA. Here, we introduced the effect of UA and ONA on acutely barrier disrupted and normal hairless mouse skin. To evaluate the effects of UA and ONA on epidermal permeability barrier recovery, both flanks of 8-12 week-old hairless mice were topically treated with either 0.01-0.1 mg/ml UA or 0.1-1 mg/ml ONA after tape stripping, and TEWL (Transepidermal water loss) was measured . The recovery rate increased in those UA or ONA treated groups (0.1 mg/ml UA and 0.5 mg/ml ONA) at 6 h more than $20\%$ compared to vehicle treated group (p<0.05). Here, we introduced the effects of UA and ONA on acute barrier disruption and normal epidermal permeability barrier function. For verifying the effects of UA and ONA on normal epidermal barrier, hydration and TEWL were measured for 1 and 3 weeks after UA and ONA applications (2mg/ml per day). We also investigated the features of epidermis and dermis using electron microscopy (EM) and light microscopy (LM). Both samples increased hydration compared to vehicle group from f week without TEWL alteration (p<0.005). EM examination using RuO4 and OsO4 fixation revealed that secretion and numbers of lamellar bodies and complete formation of lipid bilayers were most prominent $(ONA{\geq}UA>Vehicle)$. LM finding showed that thickness of stratum corneum (SC) was slightly increased and especially epidermal thickening and flattening was observed (UA>ONA>Veh). We also observed that UA and ONA stimulate epidermal keratinocyte differentiation via $PPAR\;\alpha$. Protein expression of involucrin, loricrin, and filaggrin increased at least 2 and 3 fold in HaCaT cells treated with either $ONA\;(10{\mu}M)$ or UA $(10{\mu}M)$ for 24h respectively. This result suggested that the UA and ONA can improve epidermal permeability barrier function and induce the epidermal keratinocyte differentiation via $PPAR\;{\alpha}$. Using Masson-trichrome and elastic fiber staining, we observed collagen thickening and elastic fiber elongation by UA and ONA treatments. In vitro results of collagen and elastin synthesis and elastase inhibitory activity measurements were also confirmed in vivo findings. These data suggested that the effects of UA and ONA related to not only epidermal permeability barrier functions but also dermal collagen and elastic fiber synthesis. Taken together, UA and ONA can be relevant candidates to improve epidermal and dermal functions and pertinent agents for cosmeseutical applications.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.109 no.3
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• pp.259-270
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• 2020

Extreme weather events, such as heat and drought, have occurred frequently over the past two decades. This has led to continuous reports of cases of forest damage due to physiological stress, not pest damage. In 2014, pine trees were collectively damaged in the forest genetic resources reserve of Sogwang-ri, Uljin, South Korea. An investigation was launched to determine the causes of the dieback, so that a forest management plan could be prepared to deal with the current dieback, and to prevent future damage. This study aimedto 1) understand the topographic and structural characteristics of the area which experienced pine tree dieback, 2) identify the main causes of the dieback, and 3) predict future risk areas through the use of machine-learning techniques. A model for identifying risk areas was developed using 14 explanatory variables, including location, elevation, slope, and age class. When three machine-learning techniques-Decision Tree, Random Forest (RF), and Support Vector Machine (SVM) were applied to the model, RF and SVM showed higher predictability scores, with accuracies over 93%. Our analysis of the variable set showed that the topographical areas most vulnerable to pine dieback were those with high altitudes, high daily solar radiation, and limited water availability. We also found that, when it came to forest stand characteristics, pine trees with high vertical stand densities (5-15 m high) and higher age classes experienced a higher risk of dieback. The RF and SVM models predicted that 9.5% or 115 ha of the Geumgang Pine Forest are at high risk for pine dieback. Our study suggests the need for further investigation into the vulnerable areas of the Geumgang Pine Forest, and also for climate change adaptive forest management steps to protect those areas which remain undamaged.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.349-355
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• 2017

Skin tone plays a key role in one of the determinant for facial attractiveness. Most female customers have an interest in choosing skin color and improving their skin tone and their needs have been contributed the expansion of cosmetic products in the market. Recently, cosmetic customers, who want bright skin, are also interested in healthy and lively-looking skin. However, there is no method to evaluate the skin tone with the complexion-describing adjectives (CDAs). Therefore, this study was conducted to find the ways to objectify and digitize the CDA. We obtained that quasi $L^*$ at dark skin is 65 and quasi $L^*$ at bright skin is 74 for standard images, which are selected from our data base. To match the following seven CDAs: pale, clear, radiant, lively, healthy, rosy and dull, the colors of both images were adjusted by 30 panels. The quasi $L^*$, $a^*$ and $b^*$ were converted from the RGB values of the manipulated images. The differences between the quasi $L^*$, $a^*$ and $b^*$ values of standard images and manipulated images reflecting each CDA were statistically significant (p < 0.05). However, there were no statistical significances between the $L^*$ values of dark and bright skin images that were modified in accordance with each CDA and there also were no statistical significances between the quasi $a^*$ values of dark and bright skin for pale and clear CDAs. From the statistical analysis, the CDAs were observed to form three groups: (i) pale-clear-radiant, (ii) lively-healthy-rosy and (iii) dull. We recognized that people have a similar opinion about perception of CDAs. Following our results of this study, we establish new standard method for sensibility evaluation which is difficult to carry out scientifically or objectively.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.264-274
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• 2003

Many potato genetic resources have been collected and improved for their diverse traits over the years using breeding program in KPGR. To select potential varieties for table and processing in Korea, 58 elite potato breeding lines and several 'Valley' varieties were cultivated and harvested at Korea Alpine area in 2001. The cultivated lines and varieties were evaluated using their cultural adaptability in the environment and tuber characteristics, such as the depth of tuber eye, tuber shape, skin color, flesh color, scab resistance, yield, and the resistance of hollow heart and internal brown spot disease. Additionally, in the selection of potential processing varieties, reducing sugar content (sum of glucose and fructose concentration) of tubers is critically considered, because it mainly influence on the chip color of processing potato tuber. For table stock varieties with white skin color, 'Early Valley', 'Summer Valley', 'Winter Valley', and 'Taebok Valley' were selected. In the aspect of diverse potato tuber color, several varieties were selected such as 'Golden Valley' for its yellow fresh and skin color, 'Gogu Valley', 'Juice Valley', and 'Rose Valley' for their red skin color, and 'Purple Valley' for its purple skin. Compared with world wide known processing cultivar 'Atlantic', 24 lines (or varieties) were selected for the potential potato processing industry due to their low reducing sugar contents (below 0.3％), high yield (above 4.0 ton/ha), and unique chip colors. Selected white chipping varieties were 'Taedong Valley', 'Kangshim Valley', and 'Kangwon Valley', which have 0.23％, 0.27％, and 0.29％ of reducing sugar contents, respectively. 'Bora Valley', having deep purple color in both skin and fresh, was selected for purple chip variety and has 0.26％ of reducing sugar content. Light yellow chip varieties (lines) were 'Rose Valley' and Valley 54, having 0.19％ and 0.269％ of reducing sugar content, respectively. For French frying potatoes, 'Stick Valley' of 0.22％ and Valley 72 of 0.151％ in reducing sugars were selected. All of these selected lines and 'Valley' varieties can be used as parents to improve potato genetic resources and to develop better varieties with unique traits and colors.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.207-214
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• 2016

The aim of this study was to evaluate Influence on intra-limb coordination in individuals wearing knee brace during walking. Seven healthy male adults ($32.3{\pm}2.7$ years old, $175.2{\pm}3.8cm$, $76.2{\pm}8.7kg$) participated. They wore knee brace or didn't wear any knee brace and were asked to walk along a 10 m long walkway. Spatiotemporal parameters, angles of the lower limbs, and intra-limb continuous relative phase (CRP) were measured and calculated. No differences of spatiotemporal parameters were shown (all p > 0.05). There were no changes in the angle and its range of motion (ROM) in the hip for the subjects as wearing knee brace, while ROM ($65.5{\pm}3.7^{\circ}$ vs. $60.5{\pm}3.5^{\circ}$, p < 0.05) of the angle and maximum flexion angles (stance: $31.9{\pm}4.6$ vs. $25.6{\pm}5.5$, swing: $76.7{\pm}3.1$ vs. $68.9{\pm}3.4$, all p < 0.05) in the knee significantly decreased. No changes in ROM of angle in the ankle were shown, whereas maximum dorsiflexion decreased ($22.4{\pm}2.6$ vs. $19.2{\pm}2.1$, p < 0.05) and maximum plantarflexion increased ($9.5{\pm}3.0$ vs. $15.7{\pm}2.2$, p<0.05). There were no changes in most of CRP between joints. CRP between the hip and knee joints decreased ($93.0{\pm}7.8$ vs, $84.7{\pm}4.9$, p < 0.05). Most of CRP standard deviation increased (between the hip and ankle joint during swing: $25.1{\pm}6.7$ vs. $32.4{\pm}1.9$, between the knee and ankle joint during stance: $46.0{\pm}12.9$ vs. $80.1{\pm}31.1$, between the knee and ankle joint during swing: $34.5{\pm}4.1$ vs. $37.6{\pm}3.1$, all p < 0.05). These results indicated that wearing knee brace affected joint angle and intra-limb coordination, but less affected gait features.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.280-292
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• 2017

Hail is not a frequently occurring weather event, and there are even fewer reports of hail damages to forest stands. Since the 2000s, an increase in hail incidence has been documented in Europe and the United States. In Korea, severe hails occurred in Jeollanam-do province on May 31 and in Gyeongsangbuk-do province on June 1, 2017. Hail size was ranged from 0.5 to 5.0 cm in diameter in Jeollanam-do, and from 1.5 to 3.0 cm in Gyeongsangbuk-do. This study was aimed to analyze the hail damages to forests by species and topography based on damage-categorized maps created by using drones and aerial photographs, and to analyze relationships of the damages with meteorological factors. The total damaged forest area was 1,163.1ha in Jeollanam-do, and 2,942.3ha in Gyeongsangbuk-do. Among the 'severe' damaged area 326.7ha, 91% was distributed in Jeollanam-do, and concentrated in the city of Hwasun which covers 57.2% of the total 'severe' damaged area. The most heavily damaged species was Korean red pine(Pinus densiflora S. & Z.) followed by P. rigida. Most broad-leaved trees species including oaks were recovered without any dead trees found. Liliodendron tulipifera was the most severely damaged in terms of the rate of 'severe' degree individuals which are needed to be checked whether they will die or be recovered. Cause of the death of pines was considered as the combination of physical damage caused by the hail and long-lasting drought with high air temperature that occurred before and after the hail event. No pathogens and insects were found which might have affected to tree deaths. We suggested a dieback mechanism of the pine trees damaged by hail and drought.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.57-67
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• 2020

Pinus densiflora is the most widely distributed tree species in South Korea. Its ecological and socio-cultural attributes makes it one of the most important tree species in S. Korea. In recent times however, the distribution of P. densiflora has been affected by dieback. This phenomenon has largely been attributed to climate change. This study was conducted to investigate the responses of growth and physiology of P. densiflora to drought and nitrogen fertiliz ation according to the RCP 8.5 scenario. A Temperature Gradient Chamber (TGC) and CO₂. Temperature Gradient Chamber (CTGC) were used to simulate climate change conditions. The treatments were established with temperature (control versus +3 and +5℃; aCeT) and CO₂ (control: aCaT versus x1.6 and x2.2; eCeT), watering(control versus drought), fertilization(control versus fertilized). Net photosynthesis (P_n), stomatal conductance (g_s), biomass and relative soil volumetric water content (VWC) were measured to examine physiological responses and growth. Relative soil VWC in aCeT significantly decreased after the onset of drought. P_n and g_s in both aCeT and eCeT with fertiliz ation were high before drought but decreased rapidly after 7 days under drought because nitrogen fertilization effect did not last long. The fastest mortality was 46 days in aCeT and the longest survival was 56 days in eCeT after the onset of drought. Total and partial biomass (leaf, stem and root) in both aCeT and eCeT with fertiliz ation were significantly high, but significantly low in aCeT. The results of the study are helpful in addressing P. densiflora vulnerability to climate change by highlighting physiological responses related to carbon allocation under differing simulated environmental stressors.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.35 no.6_2
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• pp.1117-1132
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• 2019

Forest covers 30% of the Earth's land area and plays an important role in global carbon flux through its ability to store much greater amounts of carbon than other terrestrial ecosystems. The Gross Primary Production (GPP) represents the productivity of forest ecosystems according to climate change and its effect on the phenology, health, and carbon cycle. In this study, we estimated the daily GPP for a forest ecosystem using remote-sensed data from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and machine learning algorithms Support Vector Machine (SVM). MODIS products were employed to train the SVM model from 75% to 80% data of the total study period and validated using eddy covariance measurement (EC) data at the six flux tower sites. We also compare the GPP derived from EC and MODIS (MYD17). The MODIS products made use of two data sets: one for Processed MODIS that included calculated by combined products (e.g., Vapor Pressure Deficit), another one for Unprocessed MODIS that used MODIS products without any combined calculation. Statistical analyses, including Pearson correlation coefficient (R), mean squared error (MSE), and root mean square error (RMSE) were used to evaluate the outcomes of the model. In general, the SVM model trained by the Unprocessed MODIS (R = 0.77 - 0.94, p < 0.001) derived from the multi-sites outperformed those trained at a single-site (R = 0.75 - 0.95, p < 0.001). These results show better performance trained by the data including various events and suggest the possibility of using remote-sensed data without complex processes to estimate GPP such as non-stationary ecological processes.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.37 no.5_1
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• pp.903-916
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• 2021

An area's topography refers to the shape of the earth's surface, described by its elevation, slope, and aspect, among other features. The topographical conditions determine energy flowsthat move water and energy from higher to lower elevations, such as how much solar energy will be received and how much wind or rain will affect it. Another common factor, the topographic wetness index (TWI), is a calculation in digital elevation models of the tendency to accumulate water per slope and unit area, and is one of the most widely referenced hydrologic topographic factors, which helps explain the location of forest vegetation. Analyses of topographical factors can be calculated using a geographic information system (GIS) program based on digital elevation model (DEM) data. Recently, a large number of free open source software (FOSS) GIS programs are available and developed for researchers, industries, and governments. FOSS GIS programs provide opportunitiesfor flexible algorithms customized forspecific user needs. The majority of biodiversity in island areas exists at about 20% higher elevations than in land ecosystems, playing an important role in ecological processes and therefore of high ecological value. However, island areas are vulnerable to disturbances and damage, such as through climate change, environmental pollution, development, and human intervention, and lacks systematic investigation due to geographical limitations (e.g. remoteness; difficulty to access). More than 4,000 of Korea's islands are within a few hours of its coast, and 88% are uninhabited, with 52% of them forested. The forest ecosystems of islands have fewer encounters with human interaction than on land, and therefore most of the topographical conditions are formed naturally and affected more directly by weather conditions or the environment. Therefore, the analysis of forest topography in island areas can be done more precisely than on its land counterparts, and therefore has become a major focus of attention in Korea. This study is focused on calculating the performance of different topographical factors using FOSS GIS programs. The test area is the island forests in Korea's south and the DEM of the target area was processed with GRASS GIS and SAGA GIS. The final slopes and TWI maps were produced as comparisons of the differences between topographic factor calculations of each respective FOSS GIS program. Finally, the merits of each FOSS GIS program used to calculate the topographic factors is discussed.