• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.79-84
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• 2008

This paper describes the application of bioluminescence stimulating agents on a genetically engineered microorganism, Pseudomonas putida mt-2 KG1206, to monitor toluene analogs using in groundwater samples from petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated sites. The maximum bioluminescent response with pure chemicals followed in the order: m-methyl benzyl alchohol > m-toluate > toluene > m-xylene > benzoate > p-xylene > o-xylene. Generally, the bioluminescence production of strain mixed with groundwater samples was dependent on the contaminated total inducer concentrations. However, few samples showed opposite results, where these phenomena may be caused by the complexicity of environmental samples. Two chemicals, SL(sodium lactate) and KNO$_3$, were tested to determine a better bioluminescence stimulant. Both chemicals stimulate the bioluminescence activity of strain KG1206, however, a slightly high bioluminescence was observed with nitrogen chemical. This selected stimulant was then tested on samples collected from contaminated groundwater samples. The bioluminescence activity of all samples mixed with the strain was stimulated with KNO$_3$ amendment. This suggests that the low bioluminescence activity exhibited by the environmental groundwater samples can be stimulated by amending the culture with a proper agent, such as nitrogen compound. These findings would be useful, especially, when strain was used to monitor the groundwater samples contaminated with low inducer contaminants. Overall, the results of this study found the ability of bioluminescence producing bacteria to biosensor a specific group of environmental contaminants, and suggest the potential for more efficient preliminary application of this engineered strain in a field-ready bioassay.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.400-407
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• 2017

This study investigated the antioxidant properties of yangha(Zingiber mioga Rosc) and quality characteristics of kimchi with added yangha during a 21-day fermentation process at $4^{\circ}C$. Yangha was added to salted cabbage at concentrations of 0, 5, 10, and 15% (w/w). The quality characteristics of kimchi with added yangha were determined by measuring pH, salinity, mineral contents, lactic acid bacteria amounts, color value and sensory evaluation. From the results, total phenolic ($3.85{\mu}M$ quercetin equivalent/g) and total flavonoids ($0.49{\mu}M$ quercetin equivalent/g) contents were measured in yangha. The number of lactic acid bacteria of kimchi with added yangha significantly increased with increasing yangha content, especially 10%. The brightness value increased with increasing yangha content. However, the redness tended to decrease by the addition of 10% and 15% yangha. The consumer acceptability score for the kimchi with added 10% yangha ranked significantly higher than that of the other groups in overall acceptability, taste, flavor, and color(p<0.05). From these results, we suggest that yangha may be used as a natural antioxidant and that it is a good food ingredient for increasing the functionality and consumer acceptability of kimchi.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.141-148
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• 2012

The objective of this study is to remove arsenate from artificially contaminated wastewater using CaAl-ettringite and CaAl-monosulfate which were synthesized in laboratory. The study was carried on the basis of solidification/stabilization of waste using cement. Monosulfate and ettringite are constituents of cement paste. The CaAl-ettringite has a chemical formula of $Ca_6Al_2O_6(SO_4)_3{\cdot}32H_2O$ and has a needle like morphology. Whereas CaAl-monosulfate $Ca_4Al_2O_6(SO_4){\cdot}12H_2O$ has layered double hydroxide structure (LDH) in which the mainlayer consists of Ca and Al and S as interlayer. Ettringite and monosulfate were synthesized by reaction of tricalcium aluminate and gypsum and hydrating this mixture at elevated temperature. The synthesized mineral were characterized by PXRD and FESEM to ensure purity. It was found that concentrations of As(V) in contaminated water were reduced from initial concentration of 1.335 mmol/L to 0.054 mmol/L and 0.300 mmol/L by CaAl-monosulfate and CaAl-ettringite respectively. The post experimental results of PXRD and FESEM analysis indicate that arsenate removal was by ion exchange.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.49-59
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• 2004

Organic smectite was hydrothermally synthesized by treating the opal-rich siliceous mudstone from the Pohang area with TMAOH solutions and 1:1 solutions of TMAOH+NaOH at $80^{\circ}C$ and concentrations ranging 10∼15%. Smectite was solely formed without accompanying any mineral products in case of TMAOH, whereas NaP and hydroxysodalite was synthesized together with smectite under the blending solution of TMAOH+NaOH. The synthesized smectite is identified as an organic smectite intercalating $TMA^{+}$ within its interlayer site, specifically corresponding to monmorillonite species, through mineralogical characterization by XRD, DTA, and IR analyses. The experimental results indicate that main precursor of the synthesized smectite is undoubtedly opal-CT, and the original sedimentary smectite included as considerable amounts in the mudstone seems to play a major role as Al-sources necessary far the smectite formation. Original inert components such as quartz and mica do not affect mostly to the synthesis reaction, and thus, are resultantly found as impurities in the synthetic products. These experimental results may imply that a new effective method for the low-temperature (less than $100^{\circ}C$) hydrothermal synthesis of organic smectite will be established if some Al-sources adequate for this synthetic system are available.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.165-173
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• 2007

The KAERI Underground Research Tunnel (KURT) located in KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) was recently constructed following the site investigation in 2003. Its dimension is 180 m in length, 6 m in width, and 6 m in height, and it has a horseshoe-like cross-sec-lion and is located in the ground to the depth of 90 m. When the tunnel was dug into the ground with 100 m in length, fresh rocks, weathered rocks and fracture-filling materials were taken and examined by mineralogical and chemical analyses. There are phyllosilicate minerals such as illite, smectite and chlorite including calcite, which are filling some faults and cracks of the KURT rock. The illite and smectite usually coexist in the fracture, where their content ratio is different according to which mineral is predominant. There are high concentrations of U and Th in the rocks coated with iron-oxides and filled with secondary materials as compared with those in the fresh rocks. It seems that the radionuclides, which are slowly leached from the parent rocks or exist as a dissolved form in the groundwater and hydrothermal solution, may have been migrated along the fractures and thereafter selectively sorbed and coprecipitated on the iron-oxides and the fracture-filling materials. These results will be very useful far the evaluation of environmental factors affecting the nuclides migration and retardation when long-term safety is considered to the geological disposal of high-level radioactive wastes in the future.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.520-532
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• 2015

In order to understand the Holocene sea level changes in the eastern Yellow Sea, the west coast of Korea, and to compare the rates of sea level rise in each period of time, the geological proxy records for pre-instrumental era and measurement data for the present day were combined and analysed. The sea level in the Yellow Sea rose fast with a rate of about 10 mm/yr during the early Holocene, and decelerated down to 1 mm/yr since the mid to late Holocene. The rising rates of sea level in the 20th century were slightly higher than those in the late Holocene. The present-day rates of sea level rise, known as the 'rapid' rise, are in fact much lower or similar, compared to the early to mid Holocene sea levels in the study area. Recent tide-gauge data show that sea level rise in the eastern Yellow Sea has been accelerating toward the 21st century. These rising trends coincide well with global rising patterns in sea level. Additionally, the present-day rising trends of sea level in this study are correlated with increased rates of carbon dioxide concentrations and sea surface temperatures, further indicating a signal to global warming associated with the human effect. Thus, the sea level changes induced by current global warming observed in the eastern Yellow Sea and world's oceans can be considered as 'Anthropocene' sea level changes. The changes in sea level are based on instrumental measurements such as tide-gauges and satellite altimetry, meaning the instrumental era. The Holocene changes in sea level can thus be reconstructed from geological proxy records, whereas the Anthropocene sea-level changes can be solely based on instrumental measurements.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.115-123
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• 2014

In the current study, wheat flour was mixed with high quality cassava flour (HQCF) in several ratios: 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, and 60:40, and used to prepare 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) cassava bread, respectively. 100% wheat bread was prepared as a control (100% wheat bread). Five bread samples were prepared per group. Antioxidant assays [i.e., 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) scavenging assay, reducing power assay] revealed that the bread samples had considerable antioxidant capacities. Substitution of wheat flour with HQCF at various concentrations resulted in dose dependent decreases in the mineral and protein contents of the resulting bread samples. The crude fiber content of the bread samples was minimal, while the carbohydrate content of the bread samples ranged from 43.86% to 48.64%. A 20% substitution of wheat flour with HQCF yielded bread samples with a general acceptability that was comparable to that of 100% wheat bread. The mean bacteria counts of the bread samples ranged from $2.0{\times}10^3CFU/mL$ to $1.4{\times}10^4CFU/mL$, while the fungal counts ranged from 0 CFU/mL to $3{\times}10^3CFU/mL$. There was a positive correlation between the DPPH antioxidant activities and the reducing powers of the bread samples ($R^2=0.871$) and a positive correlation between the DPPH antioxidant activities and the flavonoid contents of the bread samples ($R^2=0.487$). The higher microbial load of the NRCRI cassava bread samples indicates that these bread samples may have a shorter shelf life than the 100% wheat bread. The significant positive correlation between total flavonoid content and reducing power ($R^2=0.750$) suggests that the flavonoids present in the lipophilic fractions of the bread samples could be responsible for the reductive capacities of the bread samples.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.522-531
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• 2020

The aim of this study was to establish the optimal medium composition for enhancing L(+)-lactic acid (LLA) production using response surface methodology (RSM). Lactobacillus paracasei SRCM201474 was selected as the LLA producer by productivity analysis from nine candidates isolated from kimchi and identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Plackett-Burman design was used to assess the effect of eleven media components on LLA production, including carbon (glucose, sucrose, molasses), nitrogen (yeast extract, peptone, tryptone, beef extract), and mineral (NaCl, K₂HPO₄, MgSO₄, MnSO₄) materials. Glucose, sucrose, molasses, and peptone were subsequently chosen as promising media for further optimization studies, and a hybrid design experiment was used to establish their optimal concentrations as glucose 15.48 g/l, sucrose 16.73 g/l, molasses 39.09 g/l, and peptone 34.91 g/l. The coefficient of determination of the equation derived from RSM regression for LLA production was mathematically reliable at 0.9969. At optimum parameters, 33.38 g/l of maximum LLA increased by 193% when compared with MRS broth as unoptimized medium (17.66 g/l). Our statistical model was confirmed by subsequent validation experiments. Increasing the performance of LLA-producing microorganisms and establishing an effective LLA fermentation process can be of particular benefit for bioplastic technologies and industrial applications.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2017.06a
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• pp.356-356
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• 2017

A field experiment was performed to evaluate the effects of tillage systems and fertilizer management on yield and nutrient uptake in Soybean. The plant height, fresh weight and dry weight of conventional tillage were much higher those observed for no-tillage. Significant differences in plant height were observed under tillage practices combined with fertilizer treatment. However, the greatest plant height (128.47 cm) was observed in conventional tillage with chemical fertilizer, and the lowest (45.4 cm) was observed in the no-tillage with green manure treatment. The highest fresh weight (172.4 g) and dry weight (44.1 g) were observed from the no-tillage chemical treatment in the late flowering stage of soybean. The plant concentration of nitrate was higher (2.29%) in no-tillage with green manure than it was with chemical fertilization. However, nitrogen increased steadily in all treatments, and the highest quantity of total nitrogen (476.7 Kg/ha) was observed in no-tillage with green manure. The N content in the soil decreased gradually just after the vegetative stage. Tillage practices and additional fertilizer application had an adverse effect on the uptake of N, P and K in soybean seeds. The nitrogen concentration in seeds was found to be increased in the no-tillage with green manure treatment. The uptake of more nitrogen induced a better yield. Thus, the no-tillage with green manure treatment had the greatest yield, although no significant difference was observed among foliar-applications and additional fertilization. Additionally, the phosphorus and potassium concentrations in seeds remained the same between the conventional tillage and no-tillage treatments. The results obtained in this study indicate that no-tillage strategies with fertilizers may influence the growth characteristics and mineral uptake in soybean.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.2 s.183
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• pp.141-151
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• 2007

This study was focused on iron removal from illite by L-ascorbic and oxalic acids. Iron has been shown as a secondary mineral such as iron oxides and hydroxides in illite ores. It is also known as a primary agent to degrade brightness index of the ores. Methods such as physical separation and chemical leaching with strong inorganic acids have been widely used to remove the iron from the ores. However, these methods are expensive and give rise to environmental problems. In this study, we examined an alternative method using solutions with different set of combination of sulfuric, hydrochloric, L-ascorbic, and oxalic acids. Compared to chemical treatments with only inorganic acids, our results demonstrate that an addition of L-ascorbic acid in inorganic acids results in decreasing both total concentrations of the inorganic acids and time for the treatments. The treatment with 0.15 M L-ascorbic acid and 0.25 M sulfuric acid in solution for 60 min significantly improved the brightness index from 42.4% to 74.4%. This improvement is similar to that of treatment with only 2.5 M sulfuric acid alone for 150 min. Mineralogical and chemical analyses were performed to compare the effect of acid leaching on illite powders. No obvious differences are observed in the mineralogical characteristics and particle size distributions of the samples. These results suggest that the treatment with the addition of L-ascorbic acid in sulfuric acid could effectively remove iron without modifying the physicochemical properties of illite under conditions used in this study.