• Title/Summary/Keyword: Environmental indicators

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The current status and control measures of BSE in the worldwide (국내, 외 광우병의 발생 현황과 대응 방안)

  • Yoo, Han-Sang
    • 한국환경농학회:학술대회논문집
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    • 2009.07a
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    • pp.273-282
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    • 2009
  • The transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) disease group are fatal neurodegenerative disorders affecting a wide range of hosts. The group includes kuru and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans, scrapie in sheep and goats and Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle. The exact nature of the infectious agent involved in the transmission of these diseases remains controversial. However, a central event in their pathogenesis is the accumulation in infected tissues of an abnormal form of a host-encoded protein, the prion protein (PrP). Whereas the normal cellular protein is fully sensitive to protease ($PrP^{sen}$), the disease-associated prion protein ($PrP^d$) is only partly degraded ($PrP^{res}$), its amino-terminal end being removed. BSE was first reported in the mid-80s in the UK. Ten years later, a new form of human prion disease, variant CJD (vCJD) developed in the wake of the BSE epidemic, and there is now strong scientific evidence that vCJD was initiated by the exposure of humans to BSE-infected tissues, thus indicating a zoonotic disease. However, the ban on the feeding of animal-derived proteins to ruminants, and the apparent lack of vertical transmission of BSE, have led to a decline in the incidence of the disease within cattle herd and therefore, an assumed decreased risk for human contacting vCJD. The origin of the original case(s) of BSE still remains an enigma even though three hypotheses have been raised. Hypotheses are i) sheep- or goat-derived scrapie-infected tissues included in meat and bone meal fed to cattle, ii) a previously undetected sporadic or genetic bovine TSE contaminating cattle feed or iii) originating from a human TSE through animal feed contaminated with human remains. A host cellular membrane protein ($PrP^C$), which is abundant in central nervous system tissue, appear to be conformationally altered in the diseased host into a prion protein ($PrP^{Sc}$). This $PrP^{Sc}$ is detergent insoluble and partially protease-resistant ($PrP^{res}$). The term $PrP^{res}$ is normally used to describe the protein detected after protease treatment, in techniques such as Western immunoblotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay using fresh/frozen tissue. Immunohistochemistry may performed with formalin-fixed tissues. Also, clinical signs of the BSE are one of the major diagnostic indicators. Recently, atypical forms (known as H- and L-type) of BSE have appeared in several European countries, Japan, Canada and the United States. An unusual case was also reported in a miniature zebu. The atypical BSE fall into two groups based on the relative molecular mass (Mm) of the unglycosylated $PrP^{res}$ band relative to that of classical BSE, one of the higher Mm (H-type) and the other lower (L-type). Both types have been detected worldwide as rare cases in older animals, at a low prevalence consistent with the possibility of sporadic forms of prion diseases in cattle. This raises the unwelcome possibility that vCJD could increase in the human population. Now, active surveillance program against BSE is going on in Korea. In regional veterinary service lab, ELISA is applied to screen the BSE in slaughter and confirmatory tests by Western immunoblotting and immunohistochemisty are carried out if there are positive or suspect in the screening test. Also, the ruminant feed ban is rigorously enforced. Removal of specified risk materials such as brain and spinal cord from cattle is mandatory process at slaughter to prevent the infected material from entering the human food chain.

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A Knowledge-based Approach for the Estimation of Effective Sampling Station Frequencies in Benthic Ecological Assessments (지식기반적 방법을 활용한 저서생태계 평가의 유효 조사정점 개수 산정)

  • Yoo, Jae-Won;Kim, Chang-Soo;Jung, Hoe-In;Lee, Yong-Woo;Lee, Man-Woo;Lee, Chang-Gun;Jin, Sung-Ju;Maeng, Jun-Ho;Hong, Jae-Sang
    • The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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    • v.16 no.3
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    • pp.147-154
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    • 2011
  • Decision making in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Consultation on the Coastal Area Utilization (CCAU) is footing on the survey reports, thus requires concrete and accurate information on the natural habitats. In spite of the importance of reporting the ecological quality and status of habitats, the accumulated knowledge and recent techniques in ecology such as the use of investigated cases and indicators/indices have not been utilized in evaluation processes. Even the EIA report does not contain sufficient information required in a decision making process for conservation and development. In addition, for CCAU, sampling efforts were so limited that only two or a few stations were set in most study cases. This hampers transferring key ecological information to both specialist review and decision making processes. Hence, setting the effective number of sampling stations can be said as a prior step for better assessment. We introduced a few statistical techniques to determine the number of sampling stations in macrobenthos surveys. However, the application of the techniques requires a preliminary study that cannot be performed under the current assessment frame. An analysis of the spatial configuration of sampling stations from 19 previous studies was carried out as an alternative approach, based on the assumption that those configurations reported in scientific journal contribute to successful understanding of the ecological phenomena. The distance between stations and number of sampling stations in a $4{\times}4$ km unit area were calculated, and the medians of each parameter were 2.3 km, and 3, respectively. For each study, approximated survey area (ASA, $km^2$) was obtained by using the number of sampling stations in a unit area (NSSU) and total number of sampling stations (TNSS). To predict either appropriate ASA or NSSU/TNSS, we found and suggested statistically significant functional relationship among ASA, survey purpose and NSSU. This empirical approach will contribute to increasing sampling effort in a field survey and communicating with reasonable data and information in EIA and CCAU.

Characteristics of Benthic Environment and Polychaete Communities of Gamak Bay, Korea (가막만의 저서환경과 다모류군집 특성)

  • Yoon, Sang-Pil;Jung, Rae-Hong;Kim, Youn-Jung;Kim, Seong-Soo;Lee, Jae-Seong;Park, Jong-Soo;Lee, Won-Chan;Choi, Woo-Jung
    • The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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    • v.12 no.4
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    • pp.287-304
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    • 2007
  • This study was carried out to investigate spatio-temporal variations of benthic environment and macrobenthic polychaete communities in Gamak Bay where excessive organic matters from untreated sewage effluents and fish and shellfish farming activities have been accumulated in certain regions. Such environmental variables as sediment composition, organic content, acid volatile sulfide and dissolved oxygen content etc. were measured and polychaete specimens were taken in September 1999 and February 2000. In September 1999, organic contents were up to three times higher in the northwestern part of the bay and the area closed to Gukdong harbor than in the rest of the bay. In particular, benthic environment of the northwestern part of the bay was extremely deteriorated by the occurrence of hypoxia and highly concentrated sulfide. Of 28 stations investigated in summer, 5 stations located in the northwestern part were azoic. In the rest of the stations, a total of 119 polychaete species were sampled with a mean density of 900 $ind./m^2$. While species richness was higher in the entrance and central part of the bay where water exchanges with open sea were relatively active, density was higher in the moderately enriched stations neighbouring Gukdong harbor and fish farms where such potential indicators of organic pollution as Aphelochaeta monilaris, Lumbrineris longifolia were largely dominant. In February 2000, a total of 81 polychaete species appeared with a mean density of 2,802 $ind./m^2$ from 12 stations sampled in winter. Azoic areas were recolonized by Capitella capitata, Pseudopolydora paucibranchiata and Dipolydora socialis which showed maximum density in the innermost station. On the other hand, the rest of the stations were dominated by Euchone alicaudata and Praxillella affinis. The configuration of the stations sampled in summer and winter on the multidimensional scaling plots reflected the position of each stations within the bay in which there were great differences in organic content, sulfide concentration and oxygen content rather than in sediment composition. Therefore, heterogeneities in polychaete community structure in Gamak Bay were primarily influenced by the degree of the disturbance depending on the position within the bay.

Principal Component Analysis of the Classification of Yacon Cultivation Areas in Korea (주성분 분석을 이용한 야콘의 재배지대 구분)

  • Kim, Su Jeong;Sohn, Hwang Bae;Hong, Su Young;Nam, Jung Hwan;Chang, Dong Chil;Kim, Ki Deog;Suh, Jong Taek;Koo, Bon Cheol;Kim, Yul Ho
    • KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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    • v.62 no.2
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    • pp.149-155
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    • 2017
  • To establish cultivation areas for the stable production of yacon, this study investigated the productivity and functional component contents of yacon in eight regions of Korea from 2011 to 2013. The results of principal component analysis using these data were as follows. A survey of 16 agricultural traits and meteorological data in the eight yacon cultivation areas showed that five factors (average temperature, maximum temperature, minimum temperature, frost-free days, and fructooligosaccharide content) were highly significant at the p < 0.001 level. Among the 16 agricultural traits and meteorological data used in the main component analysis of yacon cultivation areas, approximately eight contributed to the first principal component, and approximately four contributed to each of the second and third principal components. In particular, factors related to productivity, fructooligosaccharide content, and temperature change were considered important criteria for the classification of cultivation areas. The cultivation areas were divided into three groups by principal component analysis. In Group I, containing the Jinbu and Bonghwa areas in the mid-highland region at 500-560 m above sea level, the product yield was the highest at 2,622-3,196 kg/10a, the fructooligosaccharide content was also the highest at 9.04-9.62%, and the mean temperature was $17.3-18.5^{\circ}C$. In Group II, the areas Suncheon, Okcheon, Yeoju, and Gangneung, at 20-180 m above sea level, had the lowest yield, relatively lower fructooligosaccharide content, and the highest temperature. The areas in Group III showed values intermediate between those of Group I and Group II. For the different yacon cultivation areas, the product quantity and fructooligosaccharide content differed according to the environmental temperature, and the temperature conditions and number of frost-free days are considered important indicators for cultivation sites. Therefore, in terms of producing yacon with high quality, cultivation at 500-560 m is considered to give a higher yield and functional fructooligosaccharide content.

The Construction and Application of Planning Support System for the Sustainable Urban Development (지속가능한 도시개발을 위한 계획지원시스템의 구축과 활용에 관한 연구)

  • Lee, Hee-Yeon
    • Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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    • v.42 no.1 s.118
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    • pp.133-155
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    • 2007
  • The sustainable urban development has emerged as a new paradigm of urban studies in recent years. A review of the literature of land use and transport policies in relation to sustainable development reveals a consensus that the main objectives of sustainable strategy should decrease the numbers and length of journeys, and change the land use pattern towards mixed use and high density. However, there is a lack of empirical research as to what types of policies might influence effectively the reduction in the energy consumption and emission of $CO_2$. in order to sustain urban development. This paper tries to construct the conceptual structure of the PSS(planning support system), which is designed to the simulation of the probable effects of policies and planning of different kinds in cities, and evaluate the sustainablilty level according to construct the structure of the PSS(planning support system), which is designed to the simulation of the probable effects of policies and planning of different kinds in cities, and evaluate the sustainablilty level according to the alternative scenarios. The PSS is composed of three components (input-modeling-output). The core of PSS is integrating land use-transport-environment modeling. The advantages of integrating land use-transport-environment modeling are well known, but there are very few such integrated modeling packages in practice. So this paper tries to apply TRANUS software, which is an integrated land use and transport model. The TRANUS system was calibrated to city of Yongin for the base year. The purpose of the application of TRANUS to Yongin is to examine the operability of TRANUS system in Korea. From the outputs and results of operating the system, TRANUS may be effectively used to evaluate the effects of alternative sustainable urban development policies, since sustainablilty indicators can be extracted from several aspects such as land use consumption, total trips, distance and cost, energy consumption, ratio of transport split.

Bacterial contamination levels in strawberry parts according to their cultivation methods (재배방식에 따른 딸기의 부위별 세균 오염도 분석)

  • Yu, Yong-Man;Kim, Jin-Won;Choi, In-Wook;Youn, Young-Nam;Lee, Young-Ha
    • Food Science and Preservation
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    • v.20 no.3
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    • pp.323-329
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    • 2013
  • Strawberries are among the leading ready-to-eat agricultural products that have superior taste and nutrition. Thus, consumer concerns about the safety of eating strawberries are growing. To evaluate the contamination levels of strawberries according to their cultivation methods (nutriculture, pesticide-free culture and organic farming) and parts [fruit (flesh), stalk (pedunle) and leaf (calyx)], 1,020 parts of strawberry samples were collected at 12 farms in Nonsan-si and quantitatively or qualitatively examined for the indicators of food safety and food poisoning bacteria. The total aerobic bacteria count in the whole samples was 2.3~6.8 ${\log}_{10}$ CFU/g, and coliform bacteria were detected in 14.2% of the whole samples with a contamination level range of 2.1~4.5 log CFU/g. E. coli were detected in 0.9% of the whole samples with a contamination level range of 2.1~2.8 log CFU/g. The analysis of the bacterial levels according to the cultivation methods showed that the total aerobic bacteria and coliform counts were higher in the strawberries that were grown via organic farming than in those that were grown via nutriculture and pesticide-free culture. However, the E. coli counts of the strawberries that were grown via organic farming and via pesticide-free culture were similar and differed from that of the strawberries that were grown via nutriculture. The analysis of the contamination levels according to the parts of the strawberries showed that the total aerobic bacteria, coliform and E. coli counts of the fruits, stalks and leaves of the strawberries did not significantly differ. Staphylococcus aureus was detected in two organically grown strawberries, but Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7 were not detected in the whole samples. These results show that the bacterial contamination levels of the strawberries differed based on their cultivation methods. Thus, a suitable method of reducing the bacterial contamination levels of strawberries according to their farming methods is needed.

The Hydrochemistry of ChusanYongchulso Spring, Cheonbu-ri, Buk-myeon, Northern Ulleung Island (울릉도 북면 천부리 추산 용출소의 수질화학적 특성)

  • Lee, Byeong Dae;Cho, Byong Wook;Choo, Chang Oh
    • The Journal of Engineering Geology
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    • v.28 no.4
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    • pp.565-582
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    • 2018
  • We investigated the hydrochemical properties of ChusanYongchulso Spring located in Buk-myeon, Ulleung Island, focusing on the formation and characteristics of aquifers in and around the Nari caldera. Abundant pumice with high permeability and numerous fractures (including faults and joints) that formed as a result of caldera subsidence are widely distributed in the subsurface, favoring the formation of aquifers. Because of the presence of porous pyroclastic rocks with a high internal surface area, the water type of the springs is characterized by $NaHCO_3$, with upper stream waters and the upper spring being characterized by $NaHCO_3$ and NaCl, respectively. Components with a high coefficient of determination with EC are $HCO_3$, Na, F, Ca, Mg, Cl, $SiO_2$, and $SO_4$. The high concentrations of Na and Cl might be attributable to the main lithologies in the area, given that alkaline volcanic rocks are distributed extensively across Ulleung Island. Eh and pH, which are considered to be important indicators of water-rock interaction, are unrelated to most components. According to the results obtained from factor analysis, the variance explained by factor 1 is 54% and by factor 2 is 25.8%. Components with a high loading on factor 1 are F, Na, EC, Cl, $HCO_3$, $SO_4$, $SiO_2$, Ca, $NO_3$, and Mg, whereas components with a high loading on factor 2 are Mg and Ca, along with K, $NO_3$, and DO with negative loadings. It is suggested that the high concentrations of Na, Cl, F, and $SO_4$ are closely related to the presence of fine-grained alkaline pyroclastic rocks with high permeability and porosity, which favorintensewater-rock interaction. However, a wide-ranging investigation that encompasses methods such as geophysical prospecting and geochemical analysis (including isotope, trace-element, and tracer techniques) will be necessary to gain a better understanding of the groundwater chemistry, aquifer distribution, and water cycling of Ulleung Island.

Present Status of the Quality Assurance and Control (QA/QC) for Korean Macrozoobenthic Biological Data and Suggestions for its Improvement (해양저서동물의 정량적 자료에 대한 정도관리 현실과 개선안)

  • CHOI, JIN-WOO;KHIM, JONG SEONG;SONG, SUNG JOON;RYU, JONGSEONG;KWON, BONG-OH
    • The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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    • v.26 no.3
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    • pp.263-276
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    • 2021
  • Marine benthic organisms have been used as the indicators for the environment assessment and recently considered as a very important component in the biodiversity and ecosystem restoration. In Korean waters, the quantitative data on marine benthos was used as one of major components for the marine pollution assessment for 50 years since 1970s. The species identification which is an important factor for the quantitative biological data was mainly performed by the marine benthic ecologists. This leads to the deterioration of the data quality on marine benthos from the misidentication of major taxonomic groups due to the lack of taxonomic expertise in Korea. This taxonomic problem has not been solved until now and remains in most data from national research projects on the marine ecosystems in Korean waters. Here we introduce the quality assurance and control (QA/QC) system for the marine biological data in UK, that is, NMBAQC (Northeast Atlantic Marine Biological Analytic and Quality Control) Scheme which has been performed by private companies to solve similar species identification problems in UK. This scheme asks for all marine laboratories which want to participate to any national monitoring programs in UK to keep their identification potency at high level by the internal quality assurance systems and provides a series of taxonomic workshops and literature to increase their capability. They also performs the external quality control for the marine laboratories by performing the Ring Test using standard specimens on various faunal groups. In the case of Korea, there are few taxonomic expertise in two existing national institutions and so they can't solve the taxonomic problems in marine benthic fauna data. We would like to provide a few necessary suggestions to solve the taxonomic problems in Korean marine biological data in short-terms and long-terms: (1) the identification of all dominant species in marine biological data should be confirmed by taxonomic expertise, (2) all the national research programs should include taxonomic experts, and (3) establishing a private company, like the Korea marine organism identification association (KMOIA), which can perform the QA/QC system on the marine organisms and support all Korean marine laboratories by providing taxonomic literature and species identification workshops to enhance their potency. The last suggestion needs more efforts and time for the establishment of that taxonomic company by gathering the detailed contents and related opinions from diverse stakeholders in Korea.

Biodiversity Changes and Community Characteristics of Benthic Macroinvertebrates in Weir Section of the Nakdong River, South Korea (낙동강 보 구간 저서성 대형무척추동물의 생물다양성 변화와 군집 특성)

  • Jung, Sang Woo;Kim, Yoon-Ho;Lee, Jae-Ha;Kim, Dong-Gun;Kim, Min-Kyung;Kim, Hyun-Mac
    • Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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    • v.36 no.2
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    • pp.150-164
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    • 2022
  • The objective of this study is to analyze the biodiversity changes and characteristics of the benthic macroinvertebrate community in the Nakdong River with eight weirs, which was constructed as one of the Four Major River Restoration Projects from May to October 2020. The study also includes the analysis of changes in the major groups of benthic macroinvertebrates for about ten years, from 2010 to 2020. The surveys collected 97 species of benthic macroinvertebrates belonging to 83 genera, 52 families, 18 orders, five classes, three phyla, and 128.1 individuals/m2. Chironomidae sp. and Tubificidae spp., which are pollutant indicators, dominated throughout the sections. The community analysis result shows the average dominant index and the diversity index of 0.62±0.20 and 1.87±0.63, respectively, and indicated the most stability of the freshwater ecosystem in the upper stream of the Nakdong River. The survey showed dominance by Chironomidae sp. at the center of the Nakdong River weir and the most unstable community in Chilgok and Gangjeong Goryeong weirs. The results of the community stability analysis showed a high distribution of the characteristic group I with high resilience and resistance and small distribution of characteristic group III with low resistance and resilience, indicating a very unstable condition of communities in the Nakdong River weir section. Predators were relatively abundant among the functional feeding groups (FFGs), whereas shredders, gathering-collectors, and filtering-collectors were relatively lower. Among the habitat orientation groups (HOGs), burrowers and climbers were dominant, indicating a wide distribution of groups in ecosystems with low dissolved oxygen. An endangered species level II of Macromia daimoji was found in Sangju and Nakdan weirs. The analysis results for 10 years from 2010 showed that the number of species and populations increased immediately after the dam construction but plummeted in 2016 and are now stabilizing. Chironomidae spp. has been dominant in all sections over the past 10 years, and they are currently maintained at a rate of about 50%. The EPT groups have decreased significantly since 2011, and the Plecoptera and Trichoptera of the group have not yet been restored. The population of Tubificidae spp. showed an increase after construction was completed in 2012 and drastically increased in 2015 and 2020. The species of Cristaria plicata, designated as endangered species level I, has not been observed since 2011 in Hapcheon Changnyeong weir. Moreover, Macromia daimoji was rarely observed in seven weirs until 2015, and it has been confirmed that the current distribution habitat has decreased rapidly.

An Empirical Study on the Effects of SMEs Competition, ESG Management Activities and Organizational Justice on Job Satisfaction : Focusing on Mediating Effects of Self-efficacy (중소기업의 경쟁력, ESG 경영 활동 및 조직공정성이 직무만족에 미치는 영향에 관한 실증 연구 : 자기효능감의 매개효과를 중심으로)

  • Jun, Se-hoon
    • Journal of Venture Innovation
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    • v.6 no.4
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    • pp.41-62
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    • 2023
  • Given that SME workers are the driving force of national competitiveness and the basis and cornerstone of the industry, it is meaningful to study workers' job satisfaction and the factors that affect job satisfaction. In addition to variables related to corporate competitiveness and organizational justice, this study introduced variables such as environmental(E) activities, social(S) activities, and governance(G) activities, which th national government uses as major management evaluation indicators. Therefore, a literature study and empirical analysis were conducted on how self-efficacy affects job satisfaction when workers are faced with a changed work environment. To conduct this study, 300 copies of data were collected from workers in small and medium-sized enterprises and used for analysis. For data analysis, the SPSS statistical program (Ver. 25.0) was used. The study finds, first, that product or service quality and employee competency among corporate competitiveness had a significant positive(+) effect on job satisfaction. Secondly, among ESG management activities, social(S) activities and governance(G) activities were found to have a significant positive(+) effect on job satisfaction. Third, among organizational justice, distribution justice and procedural justice were found to have a positive(+) effect on job satisfaction. Fourth, self-efficacy was found to mediate the effect of product or service quality, employee competency, social(S) and governance(G) activities among ESG management activities, and procedural justice among organizational justice on job satisfaction. The academic value of this study is that it empirically analyzed the factors that ESG management activities affect workers' jobs,. As a result, it was confirmed that workers were satisfied with their jobs by actively showing interest in social(S) activities and governance(G) activities among ESG management activities and participating in corporate management. In addition, workers sensitive to changes in the external environment can become satisfied with their jobs through self-efficacy when SMEs actively enhance corporate competitiveness, execute ESG management activities, and provide a fair organizational culture. Finally, this study suggests that there's a possibility of improving the competitiveness of SMEs through a virtuous cycle created by a change in perception of job conversion and a decrease in turnover.