• Title/Summary/Keyword: Degradation Patterns

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Application of crude enzymes obtained from Pyrus pyrifolia cv. Shingo on milk proteins

  • Park, Min-Gil;Kim, Hyoung-Sub;Nam, In-Sik;Kim, Woan-Sub
    • Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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    • v.45 no.4
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    • pp.789-797
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    • 2018
  • This study investigated the activity of crude enzymes obtained from Pyrus pyrifolia cv. Shingo on milk proteins. In the milk processing industry, there is an increasing interest in the addition of functional materials to dairy products or functional peptides isolated from milk proteins. First, Pyrus pyrifolia cv. Shingo was separated into core, flesh, and peel regions, and crude enzymes were obtained from the individual regions. The activity of the obtained crude enzymes was measured using casein and gelatin agar. The crude enzyme obtained from the flesh of Pyrus pyrifolia cv. Shingo decomposed gelatin, but the activity of the crude enzymes obtained from the peel and core regions was insignificant. On the other hand, the crude enzymes obtained from the flesh and core regions of Pyrus pyrifolia cv. Shingo had a remarkable enzymatic activity in casein agar. However, the activity of the crude enzyme obtained from the peel region was insignificant. In addition, the crude enzymes obtained from the individual regions were mixed with casein to induce reactions, and the degradation patterns were investigated through electrophoresis and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). According to the results, the crude enzymes from Pyrus pyrifolia cv. Shingo degraded milk proteins. Thus, the results of this study can be used in studies on functionality. Additionally, it is expected that the use of pear peels and cores in the milk processing industry would greatly contribute to the reduction of food waste.

Sex-related demographics in two remnant populations of a dioecious tree Ilex cornuta (Aquifoliaceae): implications for conservation

  • Shin, Sookyung;Lee, Hakbong;Lee, Jei-Wan;Kang, Hyesoon
    • Journal of Ecology and Environment
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    • v.43 no.3
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    • pp.320-331
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    • 2019
  • Background: Dioecious plant species having both male and female plants have been investigated regarding sex-related characteristics such as sex ratio, sex-differential resource requirements, and spatial segregation of the sexes. Habitat loss and fragmentation are major threats to the survival of plant populations, but dioecious species are particularly more prone to such habitat degradation than non-dioecious species because of their dimorphic sexual system. We examined the sex-related demographics of two Ilex cornuta populations being different regarding land use history. Methods: During 2016-2017, we examined I. cornuta trees with a basal diameter ${\geq}1.5cm$ in the Yongsu-ri population (YS population) and the Gotjawal Provincial Park population (GP population). Plant sex (male, female, or unsexed) was identified. The tree size (basal diameter and height of the main stem), clonal production (the ramet numbers per genet), and vitality for each clone were measured. The associations between population, sex, tree size, clonal production, and vitality were examined using ANOVAs and contingency table analyses. Finally, point pattern analyses using O-ring statistics were conducted to assess spatial patterns. Results: Upon excluding unsexed trees, the YS population with 74 trees was significantly male-biased (0.66), while the GP population with only 26 trees had a 1:1 sex ratio. In both populations, males and females did not differ in tree size. Although the mean number of ramets differed significantly between populations, females tended to produce more ramets than males. The proportion of weak trees was significantly higher in the YS than in the GP population. Neither population showed evidence of spatial segregation of the sexes. Conclusions: The two populations of dioecious I. cornuta are characterized by the small number of trees and relatively high frequencies of non-reproductive trees. Both indicate that these populations are quite susceptible to environmental and genetic stochasticity. On the other hand, the differences between populations in sex ratio, clonal production, and vitality suggest that conservation efforts for I. cornuta need to be population-specific. In order to help recover and enable this vulnerable species to persist, it is necessary to find ways to enhance their sexual reproduction and simultaneously reduce habitat disturbances due to anthropogenic activities.

NOD2 signaling pathway is involved in fibronectin fragment-induced pro-catabolic factor expressions in human articular chondrocytes

  • Hwang, Hyun Sook;Lee, Mi Hyun;Choi, Min Ha;Kim, Hyun Ah
    • BMB Reports
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    • v.52 no.6
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    • pp.373-378
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    • 2019
  • The nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain (NOD) is an innate pattern recognition receptor that recognizes pathogen- and damage-associated molecular patterns. The 29-kDa amino-terminal fibronectin fragment (29-kDa FN-f) is a matrix degradation product found in the synovial fluids of patients with osteoarthritis (OA). We investigated whether NOD2 was involved in 29-kDa FN-f-induced pro-catabolic gene expression in human chondrocytes. The expression of mRNA and protein was measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qrt-PCR) and Western blot analysis. Small interfering RNAs were used for knockdown of NOD2 and toll-like receptor 2 (TLR-2). An immunoprecipitation assay was performed to examine protein interactions. The NOD2 levels in human OA cartilage were much higher than in normal cartilage. NOD1 and NOD2 expression, as well as pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1beta (IL-$1{\beta}$) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$), were upregulated by 29-kDa FN-f in human chondrocytes. NOD2 silencing showed that NOD2 was involved in the 29-kDa FN-f-induced expression of TLR-2. Expressions of IL-6, IL-8, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, -3, and -13 were also suppressed by TLR-2 knockdown. Furthermore, NOD2 and TLR-2 knockdown data demonstrated that both NOD2 and TLR-2 modulated the expressions of their adaptors, receptorinteracting protein 2 (RIP2) and myeloid differentiation 88, in 29-kDa FN-f-treated chondrocytes. 29-kDa FN-f enhanced the interaction of NOD2, RIP2 and transforming growth factor beta-activated kinase 1 (TAK1), an indispensable signaling intermediate in the TLR-2 signaling pathway, and activated nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$), subsequently leading to increased expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines and cartilage-degrading enzymes. These results demonstrate that 29-kDa FN-f modulated pro-catabolic responses via cross-regulation of NOD2 and TLR-2 signaling pathways.

Design and Implementation of User Pattern based Standby Power Reduction System Applying Zigbee-MQTT in a Smart Building Environment (스마트빌딩 환경에서 Zigbee-MQTT를 이용한 사용자 패턴 기반 대기전력 저감 시스템 설계 및 구현)

  • Jang, Young-Hwan;Lee, Sang-Soon
    • Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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    • v.24 no.9
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    • pp.1158-1164
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    • 2020
  • In Korea, the dependence on imported energy is very high, and research to reduce standby power is being conducted based on Zigbee, a low-power technology, to reduce wasted power and improve power efficiency. However, because Zigbee is not an IoT standard protocol and is not network-based, it is necessary to build a network with a separate gateway, and research on standby power is insufficient because the standards for international power consumption of devices are ambiguous. Therefore, in this paper, we applied the IoT standard protocol MQTT to the existing Zigbee technology to build a network network without a separate gateway, and designed and implemented a standby power reduction system that collects standby power degradation and user patterns. As a result of evaluating with the existing system, it was confirmed that about 7.11% of standby power was consumed compared to the existing system.

Characteristics Comparisons of Edwardsiella tarda Isolated from Cultured Olive Flounder and Eel (양식넙치와 뱀장어에서 분리된 Edwardsiella tarda의 특성 비교)

  • Kim, Eunheui
    • Journal of fish pathology
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    • v.34 no.1
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    • pp.31-38
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    • 2021
  • The objective of this study was to determine comparative biochemical characteristics and RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) profiles of 18 strains of Edwardsiella tarda isolated from cultured olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) and eel (Anguilla spp) that showed diseases between 1996 and 2010 in Korea. In terms of biochemical properties, they showed four patterns with differences in citrate degradation and production of H2S and indole. All strains were identified as E. tarda. Characteristics of isolates were not classified according to their host. As a result of PCR with E. tarda-specific primer, EDtT, the same band of about 270 bp was detected in all 18 isolates. However, no specific band was detected in type strains of E. tarda or Edwardsiella ictaluri. As a result of RAPD PCR performed with primer No. 5 and No. 6 of a Ready-To-Go-RAPD kit, the band profile showed clear differences among isolates of olive flounder, isolates of eel, and E. tarda and E. ictaluri type strains. It was possible to organize their characteristics according to the origin of host with possibility to develop tools for pathogen monitoring.

Assessment of Water Quality Characteristics in the Middle and Upper Watershed of the Geumho River Using Multivariate Statistical Analysis and Watershed Environmental Model (다변량통계분석 및 유역환경모델을 이용한 금호강 중·상류 유역의 수질특성평가)

  • Seo, Youngmin;Kwon, Kooho;Choi, Yun Young;Lee, Byung Joon
    • Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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    • v.37 no.6
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    • pp.520-530
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    • 2021
  • Multivariate statistical analysis and an environmental hydrological model were applied for investigating the causes of water pollution and providing best management practices for water quality improvement in urban and agricultural watersheds. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) for water quality time series data show that chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC), suspended solids (SS) and total phosphorus (T-P) are classified as non-point source pollutants that are highly correlated with river discharge. Total nitrogen (T-N), which has no correlation with river discharge and inverse relationship with water temperature, behaves like a point source with slow and consistent release. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) shows intermediate characteristics between point and non-point source pollutants. The results of the PCA and CA for the spatial water quality data indicate that the cluster 1 of the watersheds was characterized as upstream watersheds with good water quality and high proportion of forest. The cluster 3 shows however indicates the most polluted watersheds with substantial discharge of BOD and nutrients from urban sewage, agricultural and industrial activities. The cluster 2 shows intermediate characteristics between the clusters 1 and 3. The results of hydrological simulation program-Fortran (HSPF) model simulation indicated that the seasonal patterns of BOD, T-N and T-P are affected substantially by agricultural and livestock farming activities, untreated wastewater, and environmental flow. The spatial analysis on the model results indicates that the highly-populated watersheds are the prior contributors to the water quality degradation of the river.

Seismic behavior of steel truss reinforced concrete L-shaped columns under combined loading

  • Ning, Fan;Chen, Zongping;Zhou, Ji;Xu, Dingyi
    • Steel and Composite Structures
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    • v.43 no.2
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    • pp.139-152
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    • 2022
  • Steel-reinforced concrete (SRC) L-shaped column is the vertical load-bearing member with high spatial adaptability. The seismic behavior of SRC L-shaped column is complex because of their irregular cross sections. In this study, the hysteretic performance of six steel truss reinforced concrete L-shaped columns specimens under the combined loading of compression, bending, shear, and torsion was tested. There were two parameters, i.e., the moment ratio of torsion to bending (γ) and the aspect ratio (column length-to-depth ratio (φ)). The failure process, torsion-displacement hysteresis curves, and bending-displacement hysteresis curves of specimens were obtained, and the failure patterns, hysteresis curves, rigidity degradation, ductility, and energy dissipation were analyzed. The experimental research indicates that the failure mode of the specimen changes from bending failure to bending-shear failure and finally bending-torsion failure with the increase of γ. The torsion-displacement hysteresis curves were pinched in the middle, formed a slip platform, and the phenomenon of "load drop" occurred after the peak load. The bending-displacement hysteresis curves were plump, which shows that the bending capacity of the specimen is better than torsion capacity. The results show that the steel truss reinforced concrete L-shaped columns have good collapse resistance, and the ultimate interstory drift ratio more than that of the Chinese Code of Seismic Design of Building (GB50011-2014), which is sufficient. The average value of displacement ductility coefficient is larger than rotation angle ductility coefficient, indicating that the specimen has a better bending deformation resistance. The specimen that has a more regular section with a small φ has better potential to bear bending moment and torsion evenly and consume more energy under a combined action.

Spatial distribution of wastewater treatment plants in diverse river basins over the contiguous United States

  • Soohyun Yang;Olaf Buettner;Yuqi Liu;Dietrich Borchardt
    • Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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    • 2023.05a
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    • pp.142-142
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    • 2023
  • Humans inevitably and continuously produce wastewater in daily life worldwide. To decrease the degradation of river water bodies and aquatic ecosystem therein, humans have built systems at different scales to collect, drain, and treat household-produced wastewater. Particularly, municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) with centralized controls have played a key role in reducing loads of nutrients in domestic wastewater for the last few decades. Notwithstanding such contributions, impaired rivers regarding water quality and habitat integrity still exist at the whole river basin scale. It is highly attributable to the absence of dilution capacity of receiving streams and/or the accumulation of the pollutant loads along flow paths. To improve the perspective for individual WWTPs assessment, the first crucial step is to achieve systematic understanding on spatial distribution characteristics of all WWTPs together in a given river basin. By taking the initiative, our former study showed spatial hierarchical distributions of WWTPs in three large urbanized river basins in Germany. In this study, we uncover how municipal WWTPs in the contiguous United States are distributed along river networks in a give river basin. The extended spatial scope allows to deal with wide ranges in geomorphological attributes, hydro-climatic conditions, and socio-economic status. Furthermore, we identify the relation of the findings with multiple factors related to human activities, such as the spatial distribution of human settlements, the degree of economy development, and the fraction of communities served by WWTPs. Generalizable patterns found in this study are expected to contribute to establishing viable management plans for recent water-environmental challenges caused by WWTP-discharges to river water bodies.

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Spatio-temporal Distribution and Suspended Sediment Effects on Fish Flora in the Upper Basin of Soyang-Dam (소양댐 상류 유역 내 어류상의 시⋅공간 분포와 부유성 퇴적물 영향)

  • Yu Eunjin;Ahn Jongho;Lee Moonhwan;Jeon Dongjin
    • Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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    • v.39 no.4
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    • pp.329-342
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    • 2023
  • Turbid water and suspended sediment (SS) load are having negative consequences such as water quality degradation and ecological damage, thus necessitating the establishment of management guidelines to reduce their impact. The present work investigates the spatio-temporal distribution of fish species and the effects of turbid water from 2011-2016 in the upper reaches of Soyang-Dam. The family Cyprinidae is the largest population in the study area, among which Zacco platypus and Zacco koreanus are the dominant species. The diversity of species is relatively abundant in the upper watershed, while the seasonal effect on the population distribution remains unclear. Using two main common components of the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis, the distribution characteristics of 27 species at five survey sites are revealed. Zacco koreanus is found to be predominant at the upstream A-Naerincheon, while Zacco platypus and Rhinogobius brunneus are found to be predominant at the upstream B-Bukcheon. Disturbance of an aquatic ecosystem has a relatively greater impact in the downstream, as-compared to the upper area-the high proportion of forest area is decreased whereas that of agricultural and urbanized areas is increased. The patterns of representative species are changed according to the mid- to long-term effects of turbid water and SS. Accordingly, the significant correlation between the SS load and fish distribution EOF analysis indicates that it should be considered as a potential alternative that can overcome the limitations of impact assessment on turbid water to the Fish Assessment Index (FAI). A comprehensive study examining the long-term effects of SS load to the fish ecosystems with a systematic statistical analysis of sufficiently accumulated data at the national level is needed as future research.

Design and Implementation of the Survival Game API Using Dependency Injection (의존성 주입을 활용한 서바이벌 게임 API 설계 및 구현)

  • InKyu Park;GyooSeok Choi
    • The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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    • v.23 no.4
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    • pp.183-188
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    • 2023
  • Game object inheritance and multiple components allow for visualization of system architecture, good code reuse, and fast prototyping. On the other hand, objects are more likely to rely on high latency between game objects and components, static casts, and lots of references to things like null pointers. Therefore, It is important to design a game in such a way so that the dependency of objects on multiple classes could be reduced and existing codes could be reused. Therefore, we designed the game to make the classes more modular by applying Dependency Injection and the design patterns proposed by the Gang of Four. Since these dependencies are attributes of the game object and the injection occurs only in the initialization pass, there is little performance degradation or performance penalty in the game loop. Therefore, this paper proposed an efficient design method to effectively reuse APIs in the design and implementation of survival games.