• Title/Summary/Keyword: Extension agent

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Anti-Obesity Effect of Eriobotrya japonica Leaves Extract on Obese Mice Induced by High-Fat Diet (비파잎 추출물이 고지방식이로 유도한 비만쥐에 미치는 항비만 효과)

  • Lee, Somi;Park, Moonyoung;Kim, Ok Kyung;Lee, Jeongmin;Jun, Woojin
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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    • v.45 no.8
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    • pp.1202-1207
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    • 2016
  • This study investigated the anti-obesity effects of Eriobotrya japonica leaves extract (EJE) in a high-fat diet-induced obese mice model. For the analysis, 40 mice were randomly divided into five groups: normal diet (ND), high-fat diet group (HD), high-fat diet containing EJE 100 mg/kg b.w. (EJE-L), 500 mg/kg b.w. (EJE-H), and Garcinia cambogia extract 100 mg/kg b.w. in each AIN 93G supplement for 8 weeks as positive control. During the study period, food intake and body weight were measured separately. Body weight, serum triglyceride level, and total cholesterol levels of the EJE group were significantly lower than those of the HD and ND. Moreover, mice fed an EJE-containing high-fat diet showed decreased leptin levels compared with high-fat diet-induced obese mice. These results suggest that EJE has potential as an anti-obesity agent by reducing body weight and improving levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and leptin in serum.

Factors affecting Pig Farmers' Adoption of the HACCP System

  • Jung, Gu-Hyun;Ahn, Kyeong Ah;Kim, Han-Eul;Jo, Hye Bin;Choe, Young-Chan
    • Agribusiness and Information Management
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    • v.3 no.2
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    • pp.43-62
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    • 2011
  • The goal of this study is to determine, based on survey results, the underlying factors that affect the intention of the farmers who have not adopted the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system for the rearing phase of pig production to adopt this system in the future. The research model for this study was con structed based on strategic contingency theory, the theory of the diffusion of innovation, and the technology acceptance model (TAM). Using structural equation modeling with partial least squares (PLS), this study analyzes the effects of the intensity of competition, the environmental uncertainty, the innovativeness and self-efficacy of the individual farmers, and the impact of the credibility of the Agricultural Technology Service Center (ATSC), which acts as the principal agent of technology dissemination and as a leader of change, on the perceived usefulness of technology and the farmers' intention to adopt the system. The results of the analysis are as follows. First, with regard to the underlying factors affecting the intention to adopt the new system, the intensity of competition within the industry and the institutional credibility of the ATSC were inferred to underlie the perceived usefulness. Second, institutional credibility has a positive impact on the perceived usefulness of the system, and the perceived usefulness, in turn, has a positive impact on the intention to adopt. The perceived ease of use also has a positive impact on the intention to adopt. Because the factor that has the biggest impact on the intention of a farm to adopt is the credibility of the ATSC, it is crucial for extension organizations, such as the ATSC, to make greater efforts to promote the expansion of the HACCP system. Because farmers feel that the implementation of the HACCP system is an instrumental strategy for coping with the high intensity of competition within the industry, they attempt to gain a competitive edge through the production of safe livestock products.

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Infection of Daughter Plants by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae through Runner Propagation of Strawberry (딸기 영양번식을 통한 Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae의 자묘 감염)

  • Nam, Myeong-Hyeon;Kang, Yang-Jae;Lee, In-Ha;Kim, Hong-Gi;Chun, Chang-Hoo
    • Horticultural Science & Technology
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    • v.29 no.3
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    • pp.273-277
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    • 2011
  • Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae (Fof), the causal agent of crown and root rot in strawberry, is the most serious soilborne disease of nursery plants in Korea. The possibility of infection by Fof through runner propagation from infected mother plants of strawberry cv. 'Kumhyang' was assessed in stolons and daughter plants hanging from raised beds. The number of daughter plants from an infected mother plant in plastic house and photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) system, 280 ${\mu}mol{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$ was 2.7 and 3.8 plants after 58 days, respectively. However, healthy mother plants produced 6.5 and 8.4 daughter plants, respectively. The pathogen was detected in the uppermost portion of the stolon after 58 days, but was not detected further down the stolon. After 90 days, it was detected in all portions of the stolon between mother and $1^{st}$ daughter plant and in 60% of all $1^{st}$ daughter plants. The pathogen was not detected in the corresponding portions of the non-infected controls. These results show that infected mother plants can transmit Fof to their daughter plants without passing through the soil and $1^{st}$ daughter was used as mother plant in PPF system for propagating healthy plants.

Host plants and Biological Characteristics of Illeis koebelei Timberlake (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Halyziini) in Gyeonggi-do (노랑무당벌레의 발생기주 및 생물학적 특성)

  • Lee, Young Su;Jang, Myoung Jun;Lee, Jin Gu;Kim, Jun-Ran;Lee, Joon Ho
    • Korean journal of applied entomology
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    • v.54 no.4
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    • pp.295-301
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    • 2015
  • We investigated mycophagous ladybird, Illeis koebelei from 12 species of plants infected with powdery mildew in Gyeonggi-do, Korea. The pear tree, Pyrus ussuriensis var. macrostipes (Nakai), was most preferred by I. koebelei. This species was found from early July to early November in pear orchards. There was no entomophagous trace in the gut of I. koebelei without powdery mildew spores in a microscope. All stages except egg and pupa are obligate mycophagous, and the feeding potential is ranked as follows: fourth instar, adults, third instar, second instar, and first instar. Feeding amounts of each stage of I. koebelei were 45.6, 144.4, 372.2, 628.1, and $473.7mm^2$ of cucumber powdery mildew per day. Fourth instar larvae showed highest consumption of cucumber powdery mildew. Developmental periods of four larval instars and adults feeding cucumber powdery mildew were 1.2, 2.3, 2.3, 4.6, and 37.7 days, respectively, at $25^{\circ}C$. In this study, we could not determine the feeding potential of I. koebelei against the cucumber powdery mildew; therefore, and further studies are required to elucidate the potential of this species as a biological control agent, e.g., mass rearing, selection of low toxic chemical agents for Integrated Pest Management (IPM), and control techniques against powdery mildew in agro-ecosystems.

An Analysis of Indonesia Forest Moratorium: With particular reference to Forest Governance (인도네시아 산림 모라토리엄 분석: 산림 거버넌스를 중심으로)

  • JANG, SangKyung;BAE, Jae Soo
    • The Southeast Asian review
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    • v.23 no.3
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    • pp.49-92
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    • 2013
  • In May 2010, Indonesia and Norway signed a Letter of Intent on "Cooperation on Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation(REDD)." In the LoI, Norway agreed to offer Indonesia a sum of USD 1 billion with a view to encourage Indonesia to significantly contribute to the successful implementation of REDD+. On 20 May 2011, correspondingly, Indonesia announced the 2011 'Forest Moratorium' (the Presidential Instruction No. 10/2011) which was valid for the following consecutive two years. By means of the 2011 'Forest Moratorium', Indonesia aimed at significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation, forest degradation and peatland conversion. In so doing, it also sought to improve forest governance. Meanwhile, concerned stakeholders also raised various questions about the effectiveness of the 'Forest Moratorium'. As an extension of the 2011 'Forest Moratorium', Indonesia announced the 2013 'Forest Moratorium'(the Presidential Instruction No. 6/2013) for another two-year period on 13 May 2013. Indonesia's 'Forest Moratorium' is concerned with stakeholders at various levels, who may play a role of significant 'agent' in the process of implementing the 'Forest Moratorium'. This mechanism of the 'Forest Moratorium' should be understood in the light of forest governance. Employing stakeholder approach, therefore, this article attempts to analyze Indonesia's 'Forest Moratorium' in the light of forest governance. In this regard, it analyzes the detailed contents of the 'Forest Moratorium', the process of making the 'Forest Moratorium', current development of the Indicative Moratorium Map for suspension of new concessions on forest land, and contesting views of various stakeholders. At the same time, it also talks about how 'weak' forest governance had influence upon Indonesia's 'Forest Moratorium'. In so doing, this article consequently attempts to evaluate Indonesia's 'Forest Moratorium' and also put it into perspective in terms of improving forest governance. The 2013 'Forest Moratorium' fundamentally represents a radical policy that is designed to suspend new concessions on forest conversion for another two-year period and its detailed contents attempt to reflect on various stakeholders from related industries and environmental NGOs. However, there are challenging factors in the process of implementing the 'Forest Moratorium', that is, 'weak' forest governance and also a discrepancy between forest planning maps designated by central and regional governments. The announcement of the 2013 'Forest Moratorium', as an extension of the 2011 'Forest Moratorium', may functionally strengthen and improve Indonesia's forest governance. However, at the same time, there is a practical limit due to the fact that it is merely a Presidential Instruction that lacks legal binding.

A Control Method for designing Object Interactions in 3D Game (3차원 게임에서 객체들의 상호 작용을 디자인하기 위한 제어 기법)

  • 김기현;김상욱
    • Journal of KIISE:Computing Practices and Letters
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    • v.9 no.3
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    • pp.322-331
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    • 2003
  • As the complexity of a 3D game is increased by various factors of the game scenario, it has a problem for controlling the interrelation of the game objects. Therefore, a game system has a necessity of the coordination of the responses of the game objects. Also, it is necessary to control the behaviors of animations of the game objects in terms of the game scenario. To produce realistic game simulations, a system has to include a structure for designing the interactions among the game objects. This paper presents a method that designs the dynamic control mechanism for the interaction of the game objects in the game scenario. For the method, we suggest a game agent system as a framework that is based on intelligent agents who can make decisions using specific rules. Game agent systems are used in order to manage environment data, to simulate the game objects, to control interactions among game objects, and to support visual authoring interface that ran define a various interrelations of the game objects. These techniques can process the autonomy level of the game objects and the associated collision avoidance method, etc. Also, it is possible to make the coherent decision-making ability of the game objects about a change of the scene. In this paper, the rule-based behavior control was designed to guide the simulation of the game objects. The rules are pre-defined by the user using visual interface for designing their interaction. The Agent State Decision Network, which is composed of the visual elements, is able to pass the information and infers the current state of the game objects. All of such methods can monitor and check a variation of motion state between game objects in real time. Finally, we present a validation of the control method together with a simple case-study example. In this paper, we design and implement the supervised classification systems for high resolution satellite images. The systems support various interfaces and statistical data of training samples so that we can select the most effective training data. In addition, the efficient extension of new classification algorithms and satellite image formats are applied easily through the modularized systems. The classifiers are considered the characteristics of spectral bands from the selected training data. They provide various supervised classification algorithms which include Parallelepiped, Minimum distance, Mahalanobis distance, Maximum likelihood and Fuzzy theory. We used IKONOS images for the input and verified the systems for the classification of high resolution satellite images.

Synthesis and Physical Properties of Polycaprolactone Based Polyurethanes Using Aliphatic or Aromatic Diisocyanates (지방족 및 방향족 이소시아네이트를 이용한 폴리카프로락톤계 폴리우레탄의 합성 및 물성 연구)

  • Kim Sun-Mi;Kwak Noh-Seok;Yang Yun-Kyu;Yim Bong-Kyun;Park Bo-Young;Hwang Taek-Sung
    • Polymer(Korea)
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    • v.29 no.3
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    • pp.253-259
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    • 2005
  • Polyurethanes, synthesized by polyester polyols and aliphatic or aromatic diisocyanates for a crease resist finishing agent, were prepared by two-step reactions, that is, prepolymer synthesis and chain extension. The structures of synthesized polyurethanes were confirmed by the measurement of FT-IR and $^1H$-NMR spectrometer. The number average molecular weight ($\bar{M}_n$) and the weight average molecular weight ($\bar{M}_w$) of the polyurethane with aromatic diisocyanate (MDI) were higher than those of the synthesized polyurethanes with aliphatic diisocyanate (HDI, $H_{12}MDI$). The glass transition temperatures ($T_g$) of soft segments in polyurethanes with MDI, HDI, $H_{12}MDI$ were -25,-42 and -50$^{circ}C$, respectively. In the polyurethanes obtained by two-step reaction, thermal stability and tensile strength increased with increasing hard segment contents, whereas elongation at break decreased with increasing hard segment contents.

The Stability, and Efficacy Against Penicillin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium, of the Plectasin Peptide Efficiently Produced by Escherichia coli

  • Chen, Xin;Wen, Yaoan;Li, Ling;Shi, Jiawei;Zhu, Zhe;Luo, Yuwen;Li, Yun;Chen, Rui
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.25 no.7
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    • pp.1007-1014
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    • 2015
  • Plectasin, the first defensin extracted from a fungus (the saprophytic ascomycete Pseudoplectania nigrella), is attractive as a prospective antimicrobial agent. The purpose of this study was to establish a bacterium-based production system and evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the resulting plectasin. A gene encoding plectasin, with the codon preference of Escherichia coli, was optimized based on its amino acid sequence, synthesized using genesplicing with overlap extension PCR, and inserted into the expression vector pGEX-4T-1. The fusion protein was expressed in the soluble fraction of E. coli and purified using glutathione Stransferase affinity chromatography. Plectasin was cleaved from the fusion protein with thrombin and purified by ultrafiltration. The purified plectasin showed strong, concentrationdependent antimicrobial activity against gram-positive bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria, especially penicillin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. This antimicrobial activity was equal to chemically synthesized plectasin and was maintained over a wide range of pH and temperatures. This soluble recombinant expression system in E. coli is effective for producing plectasin at a relatively lower cost, and higher purity and efficiency than prior systems, and might provide a foundation for developing a large-scale production system. Overall, plectasin shows potential as a novel, high-performance, and safe antibiotic for the treatment of refractory diseases caused by drug-resistant bacterial strains.

NetLogo Extension Module for the Active Participatory Simulations with GoGo Board (고고보드를 이용한 능동적 참여 모의실험을 위한 NetLogo 확장 모듈)

  • Xiong, Hong-Yu;So, Won-Ho
    • The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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    • v.36 no.11B
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    • pp.1363-1372
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    • 2011
  • Flooding based routing protocols are usually used to disseminate information in wireless sensor networks. Those approaches, however, require message retransmissions to all nodes and induce huge collision rate and high energy consumption. In this paper, HoGoP (Hop based Gossiping Protocol) in which all nodes consider the number of hops from sink node to them, and decide own gossiping probabilities, is introduced. A node can decide its gossiping probability according to the required average reception percentage and the number of parent nodes which is counted with the difference between its hop and neighbors' ones. Therefore the decision of gossiping probability for network topology is adaptive and this approach achieves higher message reception percentage with low message retransmission than the flooding scheme. Through simulation, we compare the proposed protocol with some previous ones and evaluate its performance in terms of average reception percentage, average forwarding percentage, and forwarding efficiency. In addition, average reception percentage is analyzed according to the application requirement.

Plasmid Profiles of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae Isolated from Kiwifruit Plants in Korea and the Copper Resistance Determinant (우리나라에서 분리된 참다래 꽃썩음병 병원세균(Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae)의 플라스미드와 Cu 저항성 유전자)

  • Park, So-Yeon;Han, Hyo-Shim;Lee, Young-Sun;Koh, Young-Jin;Shin, Jong-Sup;Jung, Jae-Sung
    • Korean Journal of Microbiology
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    • v.43 no.4
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    • pp.337-340
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    • 2007
  • Pseudomonas syringae Pv. syringae is a causal agent of bacterial blossom blight of kiwifruit in Korea. Eleven strains of the pathogen were isolated from different kiwifruit orchards in Korea and the plasmid profiles were obtained by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. They could be clustered into six groups according to the number and size of plasmids. The number of plasmids per strain and size of these plasmids ranged from 0 to 4 and from 22 to 160 kb, respectively. Among them, four strains belonging to Group III which harbored two plasmids were resistant to copper sulfate. Southern blot hybridization of the plasmid DNA indicated that the copper resistance determinant was carried on a 48 kb plasmid.