• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 2014

To prepare biomass based nylon 6,5 copolymers, ${\varepsilon}$-caprolactam and 2-piperidone, the monomers of nylon 6,5 copolymers, were synthesized respectively from lysine and 5-aminovaleric acid which were produced from glucose by the fermentation process. The copolymers were then polymerized by the anionic ring opening polymerization of them at $40^{\circ}C$, using potassium tert-butoxide as a catalyst and acetyl-2-caprolactam and carbon dioxide as initiators. The prepared copolymers were characterized with various analytical methods: their viscosity molecular weight ($M_{\eta}$) was as high as 30000 g/mol and polymerization yield was over 50%, and it was found that they were semi-crystalline polymers having melting point at $165^{\circ}C$ which was much lower than its thermal degradation point, $250^{\circ}C$. These polymers were expected to have good thermal processability and application fields.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.991-997
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• 2011

Soil erosion and sediment has been known as one of pollutants causing water quality degradation in water bodies. With global warming issues worldwide, various soil erosion studies have been performed. Although on-site monitoring of sediment loss would be an ideal method to evaluate soil erosion condition, modeling approaches have been utilized to estimate soil erosion and to evaluate various best management practices on soil erosion reduction. Although the USLE has been used in soil erosion estimation for the last 40 years, the USLE model has limitations in estimating event-based soil erosion reflecting rainfall intensity and rainfall duration for long-term period. Thus, the calibrated model, capable of simulating soil erosion using hourly rainfall data, was utilized in this study to evaluate the effects of rainfall amount and rainfall intensity on soil erosion. It was found that USLE soil erosion value is $3.06ton\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$, while soil erosion values from 2006~2010 were $2.469ton\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$, $0.882ton\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$, $1.489ton\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$, $2.158ton\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$, $1.602ton\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$, respectively. Especially, soil erosion from single storm event for 2008-2010 would be responsible for 30% or more of annual soil loss. As shown in this study, hourly soil erosion estimation system would provide more detailed output from the study area. In addition, the effects of rainfall intensity on soil erosion could be evaluated with this system.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.43-56
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• 2019

Irrigated and flooded rice paddy contributes to the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) that affect climate. This in turn affects the supply and reliability of the water needed for rice production. This dynamic makes current rice production methods foreseeably less sustainable over time while having other undesirable effects. Intermittent irrigation by a means of the system of rice intensification (SRI) and alternate wetting and drying (AWD) methods was reviewed to reduce global warming potential (GWP) from 29% to 90% depending on site-specific characteristics from flooded rice paddy and analyzed to be a promising option for enhancing the productivity of water as well, an increasingly constraining resource. Additional benefits associated with the SRI/AWD can be less arsenic in the grain and less degradation of water quality in the run-off from rice paddies. Adoption and expansion of intermittent irrigation of SRI/AWD may require costly public and private investments in irrigation infrastructure that can precisely make irrigation control, and the involvement and upgrading of water management agencies and farmer organizations to enhance management capabilities. Private and public collaboration as a means of earning carbon credit under the clean-development mechanism (CDM) with SRI/AWD for industries to meet as a part of their GHG emission quota as well as a social contribution and publicity program could contribute to adopt intermittent irrigation and rural investment and development. Also, inclusion of SRI and AWD in programs designed under CDM and/or in official development assistance (ODA) projects could contribute to climate-change mitigation and help to achieve UN sustainable development goals (SDGs).

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.86-92
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• 2019

Di-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) is an environmental contaminant that is used as a plasticizer. Endometriosis is a complex disease with an unknown etiology that is believed to be associated with exposure to DEHP. The present study examined the potential toxicity of DEHP by exposing endometrial adenocarcinoma cells (Ishikawa cells) to DEHP. In the experiments, the cells were treated with stepwise DEHP concentrations (0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, and $5{\mu}M$) for different exposure times (24, 48, and 72 h). When the relationship between the resulting survival rate of the cells and initial inflammation was examined, the cell viability, expression of $TNF-{\alpha}$, an inflammatory mediator, and the expression of MMP-9, an ECM degradation protein, were increased remarkably when the cells were exposed to $5{\mu}M$ DEHP for 48 and 72 hours. These results suggest that the exposure of Ishikawa cells to certain concentrations of DEHP, estrogen mimics, may cause time-dependent toxicity that affects the cell viability and inflammation, implying a potential role in the etiology of endometriosis. Further research on the effects of endocrine disruptors on the pathogenesis of endometriosis may reveal strategies to prevent this disease.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.1095-1103
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• 2019

Objective: Among stress responses, the unfolded protein response (UPR) is a well-known mechanism related to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. ER stress is induced by a variety of external and environmental factors such as starvation, ischemia, hypoxia, oxidative stress, and heat stress. Inositol requiring enzyme $1{\alpha}$ ($IRE1{\alpha}$)-X-box protein 1 (XBP1) is the most conserved pathway involved in the UPR and is the main component that mediates $IRE1{\alpha}$ signalling to downstream ER-associated degradation (ERAD)- or UPR-related genes. XBP1 is a transcription factor synthesised via a novel mechanism called 'frame switch splicing', and this process has not yet been studied in the horse XBP1 gene. Therefore, the aim of this study was to confirm the frame switch splicing of horse XBP1 and characterise its dynamics using Thoroughbred muscle cells exposed to heat stress. Methods: Primary horse muscle cells were used to investigate heat stress-induced frame switch splicing of horse XBP1. Frame switch splicing was confirmed by sequencing analysis. XBP1 amino acid sequences and promoter sequences of various species were aligned to confirm the sequence homology and to find conserved cis-acting elements, respectively. The expression of the potential XBP1 downstream genes were analysed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: We confirmed that splicing of horse XBP1 mRNA was affected by the duration of thermal stress. Twenty-six nucleotides in the mRNA of XBP1 were deleted after heat stress. The protein sequence and the cis-regulatory elements on the promoter of horse XBP1 are highly conserved among the mammals. Induction of putative downstream genes of horse XBP1 was dependent on the duration of heat stress. We confirmed that both the mechanisms of XBP1 frame switch splicing and various binding elements found in downstream gene promoters are highly evolutionarily conserved. Conclusion: The frame switch splicing of horse XBP1 and its dynamics were highly conserved among species. These results facilitate studies of ER-stress in horse.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.274-285
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• 2021

Nowadays, cities are developing rapidly, and the development of old and new towns are not balanced. The decline of old towns has promoted the development of new towns, leading to serious decline of old towns, population loss, and environmental degradation. This research hopes to alleviate the decline of the old town, try to find a balance between the old and the new towns, and use the development concept of "symbiosis" to develop the old and new towns together. The new and old towns will develop together, so that the old towns will be rejuvenated. Research method is to conduct preliminary research and theoretical investigation on the two parts of "symbiosis" and community space, sort out the space composition and characteristic elements, propose the concept of symbiosis community, and conduct case analysis. Since 2016, China has implemented the 'Symbiosis Institute' renewal project in Beijing. It selected the case of the post-2016 alley community in Dongcheng and Xicheng District, Beijing for analysis, and conducted a questionnaire survey to finally obtain the results of the analysis. According to the choice of spatial composition and characteristics in each case, and at the same time refer to the results of the questionnaire, sort out the results of importance. In the future design, we hope to use the above design strategy as a reference to realize the city's "symbiotic" development.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.395-408
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• 2020

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have gained much attention as eco-friendly energy conversion devices without emission of environmental pollutant. Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) that can transfer proton from anode to cathode and also prevent fuel cross-over has been regarded as a key component of PEMFCs. Although perfluorinated polymer membranes such as Nafion® were already commercialized in PEMFCs, their high cost and toxic byproduct generated by degradation have still limited the wide spread of PEMFCs. To overcome these issues, development of hydrocarbon based PEMs have been studied. Incorporation of cross-linked structure into the hydrocarbon based PEM system has been reported to fabricate the PEMs showing both high proton conductivity and outstanding physicochemical stability. This study focused on the various cross-linking strategies to the preparation of cross-linked PEMs based on hydrocarbon polymers with ion conducting groups for application in PEMFCs.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.241-262
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• 2021

This paper reviewed the necessity of a information and communication technology (ICT)-based smart livestock system as a development strategy for the animal life industry in the future. It also predicted the trends of livestock and animal food until 2050, 30 years later. Worldwide, livestock raising and consumption of animal food are rapidly changing in response to population growth, aging, reduction of agriculture population, urbanization, and income growth. Climate change can change the environment and livestock's productivity and reproductive efficiencies. Livestock production can lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions, land degradation, water pollution, animal welfare, and human health problems. To solve these issues, there is a need for a preemptive future response strategy to respond to climate change, improve productivity, animal welfare, and nutritional quality of animal foods, and prevent animal diseases using ICT-based smart livestock system fused with the 4th industrial revolution in various aspects of the animal life industry. The animal life industry of the future needs to integrate automation to improve sustainability and production efficiency. In the digital age, intelligent precision animal feeding with IoT (internet of things) and big data, ICT-based smart livestock system can collect, process, and analyze data from various sources in the animal life industry. It is composed of a digital system that can precisely remote control environmental parameters inside and outside the animal husbandry. The ICT-based smart livestock system can also be used for monitoring animal behavior and welfare, and feeding management of livestock using sensing technology for remote control through the Internet and mobile phones. It can be helpful in the collection, storage, retrieval, and dissemination of a wide range of information that farmers need. It can provide new information services to farmers.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.259-271
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• 2021

Many bacteria metabolize aromatic compounds via catechol as a catabolic intermediate, and possess multiple genes or clusters encoding catechol-cleavage enzymes. The presence of multiple isozyme-encoding genes is a widespread phenomenon that seems to give the carrying strains a selective advantage in the natural environment over those with only a single copy. In the naphthalene-degrading strain Pseudomonas putida ND6, catechol can be converted into intermediates of the tricarboxylic acid cycle via either the ortho- or meta-cleavage pathways. In this study, we demonstrated that the catechol ortho-cleavage pathway genes (catBICIAI and catBIICIIAII) on the chromosome play an important role. The catI and catII operons are co-transcribed, whereas catAI and catAII are under independent transcriptional regulation. We examined the binding of regulatory proteins to promoters. In the presence of cis-cis-muconate, a well-studied inducer of the cat gene cluster, CatRI and CatRII occupy an additional downstream site, designated as the activation binding site. Notably, CatRI binds to both the catI and catII promoters with high affinity, while CatRII binds weakly. This is likely caused by a T to G mutation in the G/T-N11-A motif. Specifically, we found that CatRI and CatRII regulate catBICIAI and catBIICIIAII in a cooperative manner, which provides new insights into naphthalene degradation.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.27 no.spc
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• pp.51-63
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• 2022

In this study, the TPH(Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon) contamination and microbial ecological characteristics in petroleum-contaminated site were investigated through the correlation among the vertical TPH contamination distribution of the site, the geochemical characteristics, and the indigenous microbial ecology. The high TPH concentration showed in the vicinity of 3~4 m or less which is thought to be affected by vertical movement due to the impervious clay layer. In addition, the TPH concentration was found to have a positive correlation with Fe²⁺, TOC concentration, and the number of petroleum-degrading bacteria, and a negative correlation with the microbial community diversity. The microbial community according to the vertical distribution of TPH showed that Proteobacteria and Firmicutes at the phylum level were dominant in this study area as a whole, and they competed with each other. In particular, it was confirmed that the difference in the microbial community was different due to the difference in the degree of vertical TPH contamination. In addition, the genera Acidovorax, Leptolinea, Rugoshibacter, and Smithella appeared dominant in the samples in which TPH was detected, which is considered to be the microorganisms involved in the degradation of TPH in this study area. It is expected that this study can be used as an important data to understand the contamination characteristics and biogeochemical and microbial characteristics of these TPH-contaminated sites.