• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.378-401
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• 2019

This study generated a list of plants in eight sections from the Baekdansa ticket office (874m) to Cheonjedan (1,560m) divided in the interval of 100m above sea level to examine the species diversity patterns and distribution changes of the vascular plants at different altitudes in Taebaeksan National Park. Four site surveys found a total of 385 taxa: 89 families, 240 genera, 345 species, 5 subspecies, 34 varieties, and 1 form. A result of analyzing the change of species diversity along elevational gradients showed that it decreased with increasing elevation and then increased from a certain section. A result of analyzing habitat affinity types showed that the proportion of forest species increased with increasing elevation. On the other hand, the ruderal species appeared at a high rate in the artificial interference section. A result of comparing the proportion of woody and herb plants showed that the woody plants gradually increased with elevation and rapidly decreased in the artificial interference section. On the other hand, the herb plants showed the opposite trend. A result of analyzing the change of distribution of species according to altitude with the DCA technique showed that the vascular plants were divided into three groups according to the elevation in order on the I axis with the boundaries at 900m and 1,300m above sea level. The arrangement of each stand from right to left along the altitude on the I axis with a significant correlation with warmth index (WI) confirmed that the temperature change along the altitude could affect the distribution of vascular plants, composition, and diversity. Therefore, the continuous monitoring is necessary to confirm ecological and environmental characteristics of vegetation, distribution ranges, changes of habitat. We expect that the results of this study will be used as the basic data for establishing the measurement measures related to the preservation of biodiversity and climate change.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.472-480
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• 2019

Selection of the plant material for planting to reduce fine dust should comprehensively consider the visual characteristics, such as the shape and texture of the plant leaves and form of bark, which affect the adsorption function of the plant. However, previous studies on reduction of fine dust through plants have focused on the absorption function rather than the adsorption function of plants and on foliage plants, which are indoor plants, rather than the outdoor plants. In particular, the criterion for selection of fine dust reduction species is not specific, so research on the selection criteria for plant materials for fine dust reduction in urban areas is needed. The purpose of this study is to identify the priorities of eight indicators that affect the fine dust reduction by using the fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making model (MCDM) and establish the tree selection criteria for the urban planting to reduce fine dust. For the purpose, we conducted a questionnaire survey of those who majored in fine dust-related academic fields and those with experience of researching fine dust. A result of the survey showed that the area of leaf and the tree species received the highest score as the factors that affect the fine dust reduction. They were followed by the surface roughness of leaves, tree height, growth rate, complexity of leaves, edge shape of leaves, and bark feature in that order. When selecting the species that have leaves with the coarse surface, it is better to select the trees with wooly, glossy, and waxy layers on the leaves. When considering the shape of the leaves, it is better to select the two-type or three-type leaves and palm-shaped leaves than the single-type leaves and to select the serrated leaves than the smooth edged leaves to increase the surface area for adsorbing fine dust in the air on the surface of the leaves. When considering the characteristics of the bark, it is better to select trees that have cork layers or show or are likely to show the bark loosening or cracks than to select those with lenticel or patterned barks. This study is significant in that it presents the priorities of the selection criteria of plant material based on the visual characteristics that affect the adsorption of fine dust for the planning of planting to reduce fine dust in the urban area. The results of this study can be used as basic data for the selection of trees for plantation planning in the urban area.

• Food Engineering Progress
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.318-325
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• 2017

Alcoholic steatosis is a fundamental metabolic disorder and may precede the onset of more severe forms of alcoholic liver disease. In this study, we isolated enzymatichydrolysate from Semisulcospira libertine by alcalase hydrolysis and investigated the protective effect of Semisulcospira libertine hydrolysate on liver injury induced by alcohol in the mouse model of chronic and binge ethanol feeding (NIAAA). In an in vitro study, the hydrolysate protects HepG2 cells from ethanol toxicity. Liver damage was assessed by histopathological examination, as well as by quantitating activities of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). After the administration of S. libertina hydrolysate, fat accumulation and infiltration of inflammatory cells in liver tissues were significantly decreased in the NIAAA mouse model. The elevated levels of serum AST, ALT, and ALP activities, along with the lipid contents of a damaged liver, were recovered in experimental mice administrated with S. libertina hydrolysate, suggesting its role in blood enzyme activation and lipid content restoration within damaged liver tissues. Moreover, treatment with S. libertine hydrolysate reduced the expression rate of cyclooxygenase (COX-2), interleukin $(IL)-1{\beta}$, and IL-6, which accelerate inflammation and induces tissue damage. All data showed that S. libertine hydrolysate has a preventive role against alcohol-induced liver damages by improving the activities of blood enzymes and modulating the expression of inflammation factor, suggesting S. libertine hydrolysate could be a commercially potential material for the restoration of hepatotoxicity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of International Agriculture
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.328-338
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• 2018

Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan) is a hot and arid continental climate, with most areas (68%) consisting of barren vegetation, desert, and meadows. The main agricultural areas for crop production include irrigated farmland, non-irrigated farmland, grassland, prairie and mountain. We are experiencing climate change with recent climate variability increasing. Agriculture is one of major economic sectors and provides a means of livings for the rural population of Central Asia, especially the poor. In the past two decades, Central Asia has experienced a high population growth rate, with Kazakhstan at 16.8%, Uzbekistan at 34.5% and Kyrgyzstan at 28.4%. As a major industry, Kazakhstan has the largest share of exports of agricultural products followed by petroleum, mineral resources, steel, and chemicals. Uzbekistan is the fifth largest cotton exporter as well as the sixth largest cotton producer in the world. Kyrgyzstan exports ores, stones, cultured pearls, and minerals. These three countries are rich in mineral resources, agricultural products, and energy resources. However, not only do they have difficulties in economic development due to the weakness of logistics and industrial infrastructure, but they also have imperceptible cooperation and investment among countries due to insufficient research and development. Through this study, we will investigate national outlook, economic indicators, major agricultural products, import and export status, and agricultural technology cooperation status, and study how Korean agricultural industry advances into these countries through SWOT analysis. Through this, we hope to contribute to the basic data of Central Asian studies and cooperation and investment in agriculture in each country. In addition, in order to increase cooperative exchange and investment in these countries, we will prepare a Central Asia logistics hub for the rapidly changing interKorean railroad era.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.287-296
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• 2021

Recently, the pace of global climate change has tremendously increased, causing extreme damage to crop production. Here, we aimed to examine the growth characteristics and useful components of Angelica gigas under extreme heat stress, providing fundamental data for its efficient cultivation. Plants were exposed to various experimental temperatures (28℃, 34℃, and 40℃), and their growth characteristics and content of useful components were analyzed. At the experimental site, the ambient and soil temperature were 19.38℃ and 21.34℃, ambient and soil humidity were 81.3 % and 0.18 m³/m³, solar radiation was 162.05 W/m². Moreover, the soil was sandy-clay-loam (pH 6.65), with 2.66% organic matter, 868.52 mg/kg soil available phosphate, and 0.14% nitrogen. Values of most growth characteristics, including the survival rate (85%), plant height (38.66cm), and fresh and dry weight (41.3 g and 14.24 g), were the highest at 28℃. Although the highest content of useful components was observed at 34℃ (3.24%), there were no significant differences across temperatures. Growth characteristics varied across temperatures due to detrimental effects of heat stress, such as accelerated tissue aging, reduced photosynthesis, and delay of growth. Similar content of useful components across temperatures may be due to poor accumulation of anabolic products caused by impaired growth at extremely high temperatures.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.335-341
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• 2019

In order to provide basic data for uniformization of temperature distribution in heating greenhouses, heating experiments were performed in two greenhouses with a hot water heating system. By analyzing heat transfer characteristics and improving pipes layout, measures to reduce the variation of pipe surface temperature and to improve the uniformity were derived. As a result of analyzing the temperature distributions of two different greenhouses and examining the maximum deviation and uniformity, it was found that the temperature deviation of greenhouses with a large amount of hot water flow and a short heating pipe was small and the uniformity was high. And it was confirmed that the temperature deviation was reduced and the uniformity was improved when the circulating fan was operated. The correlation between the surface temperature of the heating pipe and the indoor air temperature was a positive correlation and statistically significant(p<0.01) in both greenhouses. It was confirmed that the indoor temperature distribution in a hot water heating greenhouse was influenced by the surface temperature distribution of heating pipe, and the uniformity of indoor temperature distribution could be improved by arranging the heating pipe to minimize the temperature deviation. Analysis of the heat transfer characteristics of heating pipe showed that the temperature deviation increased as the pipe length became longer and the temperature deviation became smaller as the flow rate in pipe increased. Therefore, it was considered that the temperature distribution and the uniformity of environment in a greenhouse could be improved by arranging the heating pipe to shorten the length and controlling the flow velocity in pipe. In order to control the temperature deviation of one branch pipe within $3^{\circ}C$ in the tube rail type hot water heating system most used in domestic greenhouses, when the flow velocity in the pipe is 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, $1.0m{\cdot}s^{-1}$, the length of a heating pipe should be limited to 40, 80, 120, 160, 200m, respectively.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2021

To investigate the effect of freshwater discharge on the seawater circulation in the semi-closed harbor, a 3-D hydrodynamic model was applied to the International Ferry Terminal (IFT). The model run is conducted for 45 days (from May 15 to June 30, 2020), and the reproducibility of the model for time-spatial variability of current velocity and salinity was verified by comparison with model results and observation data. There are two sources of freshwater towards inside of the IFT: Han River and water reservoir located in the eastern part of IFT. In residual current velocity results, the two-layer circulation (the seaward flow near surface and the landward flow near bottom)derived from the horizontal salinity gradient in only considering the discharge from a Han River is more developed than that considering both the Han River and water reservoir. This suggests that the impact of freshwater from the reservoir is greater in the IFT areas than that from a Han River. Additionally, the two-layer circulation is stronger in the IFT located in southern part than Incheon South Port located in northern part. This process is formed by the interaction between tidal current propagating into the port and freshwater discharge from a water reservoir, and flow with a low salinity (near 0 psu) is delivered into the IFT. This low salinity distribution reinforces the horizontal stratification in front of the IFT, and maintains a two-layer circulation. Therefore, local sources of freshwater input are considered to estimate for mass transport process associated with the seawater circulation within the harbor and It is necessary to perform a numerical model according to the real-time freshwater flow rate discharged.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.398-411
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• 2021

Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate food and nutrition information utilization practices of adults aged between 20 and 30 years to provide the basic data for developing customized content. Methods: Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS program (ver. 24.0) for the 𝛘²-test, t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Duncan's multiple range test. Results: Of the 570 subjects surveyed, 45.4% were men, 54.6% were women, 66.3% were in their 20s, 33.7% were in their 30s, 41.4% were single-person households, and 58.6% lived with their families. On average, 14.2% of televisions (TVs), 26.0% of personal computers (PCs), and 63.7% of smartphones were used for more than three hours per day. 30.9% of respondents searched for food and nutrition information more than once a week. 70.0% of the respondents had then applied the information in real life and 54.7% of the respondents said they would share information with others. Information retrieval rate was in the order of 'restaurant (64.8%)', 'diet (57.5%)', and 'food recipes (55.7%)'. Overall satisfaction with food and nutrition information averaged 3.33 on a five-point scale. Satisfaction score was in the order of 'enough description and easy to understand (3.43)', 'matching title and content (3.35)', and 'providing new and novel information (3.22)'. Satisfaction scores were significantly higher in the group that searched for information (p < 0.001), the group that used the retrieved information in real life (p < 0.001), and the group that conveyed this information to others (p < 0.001). Conclusion: To improve information user satisfaction, it is necessary to provide customized information that fits the characteristics of information users. For this purpose, it is necessary to continuously conduct surveys and satisfaction evaluations for each target group.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.409-415
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• 2022

Plant growth and development are also affected by root-zone environment. Therefore, it is important to consider the variables of the root-zone environment when establishing an irrigation strategy. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between the volumetric moisture content (VWC), Bulk EC (ECb), and Pore EC (ECp) used by plant roots using FDR sensors in two types of rockwool media with different water transmission characteristics, using the method above this was used to establish a method for collecting and correcting available root-zone environmental data. For the experiment, two types of rockwool medium (RW1, RW2) with different physical characteristics were used. The moisture content (MC) and ECb were measured using an FDR sensor, ECp was measured after extracting the residual nutrient solution from the medium using a disposable syringe in the center of the medium at a volumetric moisture content (VWC) of 10-100%. Then, ECb and ECp are measured by supplying nutrient solution having different concentration (distilled water, 0.5-5.0) to two types of media (RW1, RW2) in each volume water content range (0 to 100%). The relationship between ECb and ECp in RW1 and RW2 media is best suited for cubic polynomial. The relationship between ECb and ECp according to volume moisture content (VWC) range showed a large error rate in the low volume moisture content (VWC) range of 10-60%. The correlation between the sensor measured value (ECb) and the ECp used by plant roots according to the volumetric water content (VWC) range was the most suitable for the Paraboloid equation in both media (RW1, RW2). The coefficient of determination the calibration equation for RW1 and RW2 media were 0.936, 0.947, respectively.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.56-65
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• 2022

Copper is one of the non-ferrous metals used in the electrical/electronic manufacturing industries due to its superior properties particularly the high conductivity and less resistivity. The effluent generated from the surface finishing process of these industries contains higher copper content which gets discharged in to water bodies directly or indirectly. This causes severe environmental pollution and also results in loss of an important valuable metal. To overcome this issue, continuous R & D activities are going on across the globe in adsorption area with the purpose of finding an efficient, low cost and ecofriendly adsorbent. In view of the above, present investigation was made to compare the performance of a plant root (Datura root powder) as a bio-adsorbent to that of the synthetic one (Tulsion T-42) for copper adsorption from such effluent. Experiments were carried out in batch studies to optimize parameters such as adsorbent dose, contact time, pH, feed concentration, etc. Results of the batch experiments indicate that 0.2 g of Datura root powder and 0.1 g of Tulsion T-42 showed 95% copper adsorption from an initial feed/solution of 100 ppm Cu at pH 4 in contact time of 15 and 30 min, respectively. Adsorption data for both the adsorbents were fitted well to the Freundlich isotherm. Experimental results were also validated with the kinetic model, which showed that the adsorption of copper followed pseudo-second order rate expression for the both adsorbents. Overall result demonstrates that the bio-adsorbent tested has a potential applicability for metal recovery from the waste solutions/effluents of metal finishing units. In view of the requirements of commercial viability and minimal environmental damage there from, Datura root powder being an effective material for metal uptake, may prove to be a feasible adsorbent for copper recovery after the necessary scale-up studies.