• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.73-78
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• 2004

The study was conducted to develop new materials of functional foods from natural resources. Fortyeight medicinal plants were screened on inhibitory activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), a protein elevating blood pressure. The water extracts of Armoracia aerial part, Cynanchum radix, Euonymus branch, Phyllostachys stem, Trichosanthes seed, and methanol extract of Silybum aerial part were showed strong inhibitory activity (above 70%) on ACE at the final concentration of $4,000\;{\mu}g\;ml^{-1}$. Among the plant extracts, water extracts of Phyllostachys taeniam and Trichosanthes seed were especially showed strong inhibitory activity (above 25%) at $500\;{\mu}g\;ml^{-1}$. These two plants are expected good candidate for development into anti-hypertensive materials.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.52 no.9
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• pp.627-635
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• 2019

In Korea, snow damage has been happened in the region with no snowfalls in history. Also, casual damage was caused by heavy snow. Therefore, policy about the Natural Disaster Reduction Comprehensive Plan has been changed to include the mitigation measures of snow damage. However, since heavy snow damage was not frequent, studies on snowfall have not been conducted in different points. The characteristics of snow data commonly are not same to the rainfall data. For example, some parts of the southern coastal areas are snowless during the year, so there is often no values or zero values among the annual maximum daily snow accumulation. The characteristics of this type of data is similar to the censored data. Indeed, Busan observation sites have more than 36% of no data or zero data. Despite of the different characteristics, the frequency analysis for snow data has been implemented according to the procedures for rainfall data. The frequency analysis could be implemented in both way to include the zero data or exclude the zero data. The fitness of both results would not be high enough to represent the real data shape. Therefore, in this study, a methodology for selecting a probability density function was suggested considering the characteristics of snow data in Korea. A method to select probability density function using conditional joint probability distribution was proposed. As a result, fitness from the proposed method was higher than the conventional methods. This shows that the conventional methods (includes 0 or excludes 0) overestimated snow depth. The results of this study can affect the design standards of buildings and also contribute to the establishment of measures to reduce snow damage.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.38 no.5 s.174
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• pp.547-561
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• 2005

General characteristics of groundwater contamination by As were reviewed with several recent researches, and its occurrence in groundwater of Korea was investigated based on a ffw previous studies and a groundwater quality survey in Nonsan and Geumsan areas. In Bangladesh, which has been known as the most serious arsenic calamity country, about $28\%$ of the shallow groundwaters exceeded the Bangladesh drinking water standard, $50{\mu}g/L$, and it was estimated that about 28 million people were exposed to concentrations greater than the standard. Groundwater was characterized by circum-neutral pH with a moderate to strong reducing conditions. Low concentrations of $SO_4^{2-}$ and $NO_3^-$, and high contents of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and $NH_4^+$ were typical chemical characteristics. Total As concentrations were enriched in the Holocene alluvial aquifers with a dominance of As(III) species. It was generally agreed that reductive dissolution of Fe oxyhydroxides was the main mechanism for the release of As into groundwater coupling with the presence of organic matters and microbial activities as principal factors. A new model has also been suggested to explain how arsenic can naturally contaminate groundwaters far from the ultimate source with transport of As by active tectonic uplift and glaciatiion during Pleistocene, chemical weathering and deposition, and microbial reaction processes. In Korea, it has not been reported to be so serious As contamination, and from the national groundwater quality monitoring survey, only about $1\%$ of grounwaters have concentrations higher than $10{\mu}g/:L.$ However, it was revealed that $19.3\%$ of mineral waters, and $7\%$ of tube-well waters from Nonsan and Geumsan areas contained As concentrations above $10{\mu}g/:L.$. Also, percentages exceeding this value during detailed groundwater quality surveys were $36\%\;and\;22\%$ from Jeonnam and Ulsan areas, respectively, indicating As enrichment possibly by geological factors and local mineralization. Further systematic researches need to proceed in areas potential to As contamination such as mineralized, metasedimentary rock-based, alluvial, and acid sulfate soil areas. Prior to that, it is required to understand various geochemical and microbial processes, and groundwater flow characteristics affecting the behavior of As.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.168-177
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• 2008

Trafficablility of a miner and potential environmental impacts due to mining activities should be considered in the selection of a commercial manganese nodule mining site. These two factors can be evaluated comparatively with physical properties and shear strength of sea-bed sediments. For the qualitative comparison of potential minig sites in terms of these two factors, physical properties such as water contents, void ratios, porosities, and grain densities, and shear strengths of surface sediments were determined for the three potential manganese nodule mining sites(KR1, KR2, and KR5) in the Korean manganese nodule contract area, northeast Pacific. For the study, sediment samples were collected from 107 stations from 2004 to 2006. The physical properties of surface sediments showed more significant differences between northern(KR1, KR2) and southern(KR5) blocks than between northern blocks(KR1 vs. KR2). Water content, void ratio, and porosity of sediments from KR5 were relatively higher than those from KR1 and KR2. Grain density of sediments from KR5 was relatively lower than those from KR1 and KR2. Shear strengths of the top 10cm sediments were higher in KR1 and KR2, whereas those of the deeper part were highest in KR5 block. Generally, sediments of high water contents are less suspendible than those of the low water contents by benthic disturbances, thus less disturbance is expected in the sediments of high water content by mining activities. In terms of trafficability, the shear strength of sediment below 10 cm deep is more important than shallower part because miner will disturb at least top 10 cm interval of the surface sediments. Base on these results, we conclude that KR5 area will be the best site for commercial mining among three investigated sites in this study.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2009

Detailed information on soil characteristics is of great importance for the use and conservation of soil resources that are essential for human welfare and ecosystem sustainability. This paper introduces soil inventory of Korea focusing on national soil database establishment, information systems, use, and future direction for natural resources management. Different scales of soil maps surveyed and soil test data collected by RDA (Rural Development Administration) were computerized to construct digital soil maps and database. Soil chemical properties and heavy metal concentrations in agricultural soils including vulnerable agricultural soils were investigated regularly at fixed sampling points. Internet-based information systems for soil and agro-environmental resources were developed based on 'National Soil Survey Projects' for managing soil resources and for providing soil information to the public, and 'Agroenvironmental Change Monitoring Project' to monitor spatial and temporal changes of agricultural environment will be opened soon. Soils data has a great potential of further application in estimation of soil carbon storage, water capacity, and soil loss. Digital mapping of soil and environment using state-of-the-art and emerging technologies with a pedometrics concept will lead to future direction.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.131-140
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• 2015

To set up unicellular cyanobacterial strains with photo-biological $H_2$ production potential, live samples were repeatedly collected from 68 stations in the coastal zone of Korea for the four years since 2005. Among 77 cyanobacterial strains established six (KNU strains, CB-MAL002, 026, 031, 054, 055 and 058) were finally chosen as the excellent strains for $H_2$ production with $H_2$ accumulation over 0.15 mL $H_2\;mL^{-1}$ under general basic $H_2$ production conditions as well as positive $H_2$ production for more than 60 hr. To explore optimum procedures for higher $H_2$ production efficiency of the six cyanobacterial strains, the inter-strain differences in the growth rate under the gradients of water temperature and salinity were investigated. The maximum daily growth rates of the six strains ranged from 1.78 to 2.08, and all of them exhibited $N_2-fixation$ ability. Based on the similarity of the 16S rRNA sequences, all the test strains were quite close to Cyanothece sp. ATCC51142 (99%). The six strains, however, were grouped into separate clades from strain ATCC51142 in the molecular phylogeny diagram. Chlorophyll- a content was 3.4~7.8% of the total dried weight, and the phycoerythrin and phycocyanin contents were half of those in the Atlantic strain, Synechococcus sp. Miami BG03511. The growth of the six strains was significantly suppressed at temperatures above the optimal range, $30{\sim}35^{\circ}C$, to be nearly stopped at $40^{\circ}C$. The growth was not inhibited by high salinities of 30 psu salinity in all the strains while strain CB055 maintained its high growth rate at low salinities down to 15 psu. The euryhaline strains like CB055 might support massive biotechnological cultivation systems using natural basal seawater in temperate latitudes. base seawater. The biological and ecophysiological characteristics of the test strains may contribute to designing the optimal procedures for photo-biological $H_2$ production by unicellular cyanobacteria.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.837-850
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• 2005

This study was conducted to investigate the changes of quality characteristics on seasoned pork with Korean traditional 4 types seasoning such as soybean sauce(T1); Kimchi sauce(T2); pickled shrimps sauce(T3); onion sauce(T4). The seasoned samples were aged at 10±1℃ for 13 days. The results obtained were as follows; Except for T2, pH of treatments were significantly decreased(P<0.05) as aging period increased. Salinity(%) and saccharinity(%) of seasoned meat were tended to increased during aging period. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances(TBARS) were increased significantly during storage in all treatment(P<0.05). T4 showed the highest TBARS among the all treatment groups. Volatile basic nitrogen(VBN) values of all treatments were significantly increased(P<0.05) as storage period increased. There were no significant differences in water holding capacity(WHC) among the all treatments, and those values were not changed by the passage of storage days. Shear force values of all treatments were tended to decreased by the passage of storage days. In surface color, the values of L*, a* and b* showed a tendency of increasing value along the storage days. The values of a* and b* of T2 were significantly higher than other treatments during aging period(P<0.05). In inner color, a* and b* values of T2 were significantly higher than those of other treatments during aging period(P<0.05). In the sensory evaluation of cooked meat, T3 treatment resulted in lower score in aroma, flavor, tenderness, juiciness and overall acceptability. The number of total plate counts and Lactobacilli spp. tended to increase with storage in all treatments group. The numbers of Escherichia coli were not changed by the passage of storage time.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.753-759
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• 2001

To evaluate antiinflammation of Aloe vera peel, antiimflammation substances were extracted from Aloe vera peel and identified, and we investigated the effect of the its substance the inhibitory effect on the activity of hyaluoronidase, elastase, collagenase and prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase. The water extract from Aloe vera peel were successfully purified with solvent fractionation, silica gel column chromatography, preparative thin layer chromatography and UV spectrometer. Two purified active substances were identified as aloe-emodin and barbaloin by Mass Spectrometer, $^1H-NMR$ and FT-IR. Aloe-emodin and barbaloin. $IC_{50}$ values of aloe-emodin and barbaloin against hyaluronidase activity were 40 and $70\;{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Leuckocyte elastase, which is related to the destruction of various tissue, $IC_{50}$ values of them were 50 and $60\;{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. $IC_{50}$ values of aloe-emodin and barbaloin against collagenase activity were 40 and $60\;{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. and $IC_{50}$ values of aloe-emodin and barbaloin aganist the prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase, which play an important role in inflammatory reactions, were 40 and $70\;{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Inhibitory effects of aloe-emodin, barbaloin and aspirin against carrageenan paw edema were 74.9, 52.9 and 51.9% as inhibiton percentage, respectively, at dose of 100 mg/kg and that of indomethancin was 49.7 at dose of 10 mg/kg. Cell cytotoxicity of barbaloin against human gingival cells was lower than that of aloe-emodin. Aloe-emodin and barbaloin did not show cytotoxicity against human gingival cells at concentration of 1.0 and $5.0\;{\mu}g/mL$, However, aloe-emodin and barbaloin showed less cytotoxicity than chlorhexidine, which usually have been used as the agent of anticaries and antiinflammation. These results suggested that aloe-emodin and barbaloin from Aloe vera peel have the effect of anticaries and antiinflammation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.85 no.1
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• pp.107-119
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• 1996

To understand vegetation changes along environmental gradients in the natural forests in the east side of the Cascade Range in Washington state, USA, line transects were used to sample six different forest environments in the Wenatchee National Forest in the north-facing and south-facing sites at 975, 1280 and 1700m elevation. Data were analyzed using ordination by detranded correspondence analysis. Pseudotsuga menziesii was found as one of the dominant species on all the six sites regardless of elevation or aspect, while Pinus ponderosa was dominant on south slopes only. Abies grandis and A. lasiocarpa were dominant species on north slopes at elevations of 1280 and 1700m, respectively. Moisture, as it related to aspect, was identified as one of the most important environmental gradients for explaining the variation of vegetation types. On north-facing slopes, compared to south-facing slopes, where moisture was not as limiting and canopies could grow denser, probably, elevation or competitive interaction was more important. Species diversity tended to decrease with increasing environmental severity, with south slopes having less diversity than north slopes due to extended water stress and harsher temperature extremes on south slopes. The age structure on north-facing and south-facing slopes was different. Light intensity, moisture and climate were different between these two slopes. Large scale disturbances(e.g., big fire or insects) were major causes in changing age structure. Younger trees showed a closer relationship between size and age than adult trees. DBH values of shade intolerant species in south-facing slope were bigger than those of north-facing slope, which suggested that aspect of stands be the most important factor for age and size.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.411-416
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• 2013

This study was conducted not only to analyze ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibition activity with fronds and rhizomes of nine Pteridophyte species, but also to select the plant materials suitable for natural ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitor. Harvested rhizomes and fronds were washed, freeze-dried and grinded. After conducting ultrasonification extraction for 30 minutes in ultrasonic water tank with 100% methanol solvent, and vacuum filtration, ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibition activity was measured. Acarbose was used as the positive control. After mixing $100{\mu}L$ of 0.7 unit ${\alpha}$-glucosidase enzyme solution into $50{\mu}L$ of extract and reacting them at $37^{\circ}C$ for 10 minutes, $50{\mu}L$ of 1.5 mM ${\rho}$-NPG solution was taken and reacted at $37^{\circ}C$ for 20 minutes. The reaction was stopped with 1 mL of 1 M $Na_2CO_3$ and absorbance was measured in 405 nm. With the regression analysis, the content of solubility solids (the value of $IC_{50}$) which can inhibit 50% of 0.7 unit ${\alpha}$-glucosidase solution's activity was investigated. The frond ($IC_{50}=14.00{\sim}913.33{\mu}g{\cdot}mL^{-1}$) and rhizome extracts ($IC_{50}=12.93{\sim}205.84{\mu}g{\cdot}mL^{-1}$) of nine Pteridophyte species showed higher ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibition activity in comparison with acarbose ($IC_{50}=1413.70{\mu}g{\cdot}mL^{-1}$). The extracts of fronds and rhizomes showed higher value than acarbose by 1.55~100.98 and 6.87~109.33 times each. Especially, ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibition activities of Pyrrosia lingua in fronds and Osmunda cinnamomea var. fokiensis in rhizomes were the highest. The necessary biomass of fronds and rhizomes for inhibiting 50% of ${\alpha}$-glucosidase activity showed the lowest value, 0.35, 0.27 mg each, in O. cinnamomea var. fokiensis. $IC_{50}$ value of P. lingua was the highest among fronds of nine Pteridophyte species, but content of soluble solids was 2.4 times less than O. cinnamomea var. fokiensis. So frond of O. cinnamomea var. fokiensis is more economic in comparison with P. lingua. As the result of this study, O. cinnamomea var. fokiensis showed high ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibition activity even with small biomass. Therefore it was considered to be high-valued economic material as natural ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitor.