• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2021.06a
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• pp.144-144
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• 2021

The rapid urbanization in many Asian countries has taken millions of people from the rural countryside to concentrated megacities, which eventually putting pressure on the existing water resources. The over-growing population and increasing living standard of people in the urban region of developed as well as developing countries such as Korea, China, Japan and India have witnessed a drastic change in terms of domestic water demand for the past few decades. In this study, we used the concept of potential surface water availability in the form of surface runoff for future vulnerability assessment. We focused on 42 megacities having population more than 5 million as per the United Nations (UN) census data 2020. The study shows that 30 out of 42 cities having more than 180L/p/d demand for domestic use based on various references. We have predicted the domestic water demand for all the cities on the basis of current per capita demand up to 2035 using UN projected population data. We found that the projected water demand in megacities such as Seoul, Busan, Shanghai, Ghuanzou are increasing because of high population as well as GDP growth rate. On the contrary, megacities of Japan considered in our stud shows less water demand in future due to decreasing trend of population. As per the past records provided by the local municipalities/authorities, we projected different scenarios based on the future supply for various megacities such as Chennai, Delhi, Karachi, Mumbai, Shanghai, Wuhan, etc. We found that the supply to demand ratio of these cities would be below 75% for future period and if such trend continues then the inhabitants will face serious water stress conditions. Outcomes of this study would help the local policy makers to adopt sustainable initiatives on urban water governance to avoid the severe water stress conditions in the vulnerable megacities.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2021.04a
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• pp.65-66
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• 2021

Glycyrrhiza species (Licorice) are one of the most commonly used medicinal plants in Asian countries such as China, India and Korea. It has been traditionally used to treat many disease including cough, cold, asthma, fatigue, gastritis and respiratory tract infections. Glycyrrhiza new variety, Wongam (WG), have been developed by Korea Rural Development Administration and revealed several pharmacological effects. However, limited data are available on the potential adverse effects of the WG. Here, we evaluated the general toxicity of the WG extract through single oral dose toxicity study in Sprague-Dawley rats. After single oral dose administration, there was no mortality up to 5000 mg/kg during experiment period. In addition, there was no clinical signs including body weight change, gross findings and necropsy findings up to 5000 mg/kg during experiment period. To conclude, the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of WG was higher than 5000 mg/kg and no target organs were identified in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.117-126
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Vitamin D and zinc are recognized for their roles in immune-modulation, and their deficiencies are suggested to be important risk factors for childhood infections. This study, therefore, undertook to assess the occurrence of infections in rural Indian schoolchildren, subsequent to daily supplementation with vitamin D-calcium or zinc for 6 months. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in apparently healthy 6-12 year-old rural Indian children, recruited to 3 study arms: vitamin D arm (1,000 IU D3 - 500 mg calcium, n = 135), zinc arm (10 mg, n = 150) and placebo arm (n = 150). The infection status was assessed using a validated questionnaire, and the biochemical parameters of serum 25(OH)D and serum zinc were measured by ELISA and colorimetry, respectively. The primary outcome variable was occurrence of infections (upper respiratory and total infections). RESULTS: Serum 25(OH)D concentration in the vitamin D arm improved significantly by 34%, from 59.7 ± 10.9 nmol/L to 80 ± 23.3 nmol/L (P < 0.0001), but no improvement was observed for serum zinc concentration. While there was significant increase in the percentage of children reporting no or mild upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) and total infections (TI) in all three groups, improvements in the supplemented groups were similar to the placebo group. However, the vitamin D arm reported lower URTI and TI status in the vitamin D sufficient versus insufficient children. Also, URTI and TI status were found to be significantly (P < 0.0001) lower in children with improved 25(OH)D versus unchanged 25(OH)D. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D-calcium supplementation helped to improve the vitamin D status but exerts no effect on the occurrence of infections when compared to the placebo group. Improvement in the serum 25(OH)D concentrations and attainment of vitamin D sufficiency may exert a beneficial effect on the infection status and needs to be investigated further. To evaluate the efficacy of zinc supplementation, higher dosages need to be administered in future studies.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.376-384
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• 2017

Bangladesh is a South Asian country with subtropical monsoonal climate between the intersection of the Indo-Himalayan and Indo-Chinese sub-regions, is known as biodiversity hotspot of the Asian region. The country has different types of forest like deciduous forest, evergreen forest, mixed forest, haor (wetlands) and mangrove forest. The natural beauty of the country is increased with the presence of so many rivers, longest sea beach of the world, green plants, critical hilly regions and green agricultural forest widely spread here and there. Sundarbans is the world largest mangrove forest and world natural heritage site declared by UNESCO in 1999 situated in Bangladesh and India. About 62 percent of this mangrove forest is situated in Bangladesh and there are so many plants and animals are found in this forest. To meet the increasing demand of the large population most of the natural ecosystem is now altered, deforestation rate is increased, natural habitat of the species is disturbed. Due to the imbalance of the climate and natural system many of the rare species of the world found this region is now endangered and some of the species are extinct. Directly or indirectly they are benefited from natural resources. At present time community, based ecotourism is also an important source of income for rural poor peoples. To protect the natural resources the government is now developed so many conservation acts and policy as well NGOs are also doing work for the conservation of ecosystem and biodiversity. At present transboundary pollutants and so many natural disasters also destruct the natural resources of Bangladesh.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.59 no.1
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• pp.73-78
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• 2020

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith, 1797), originated from tropical and subtropical America is one of sporadic agricultural pests in the world. Since the moth has high migration capacity, it rapidly expanded the world distribution such as Africa in 2016, India in 2018, and East-Asian countries in 2019. In Korea, this species was firstly found at maize fields of Jeju Island, in early June 2019, and subsequently detected at many counties of Jeolla-do and Gyeongsang-do in June and July 2019. The first invaded populations of S. frugiperda in Korea were genetically confirmed as one species, S. frugiperda by using a mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, and analyzed to be comprised of two haplotypes (hap-1 and hap-2) each belonging to different clades. Among 31 COI sequences, the hap-1 sequence was predominant, accounting for 93.5%.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.126-133
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• 2014

Purpose: Smokeless tobacco-based oral-use products like gutka are popular in India. Gutka usage leads to increased periodontal destruction and inflammation; however, the relevant mechanism remains unknown. This study aimed to elucidate the role of gutka in periodontitis by examining its effect on the levels of interleukin (IL) $1{\beta}$ and IL-8 from the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF). Methods: A total of 45 patients were enrolled in this study. Thirty patients with periodontitis (15 gutka chewers [GCP] and 15 nongutka chewers [NGC]) and 15 periodontally healthy controls (HC) were selected. The full-mouth plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), and recession (RC) were recorded. The IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-8 levels in the GCF of all subjects were assessed through an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Quantikine). Results: The IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-8 levels were not significantly higher in the GCP group (IL-$1{\beta}$, $369.01{\pm}273.44{\mu}L$; IL-8, $205.97{\pm}196.78{\mu}L$) as compared to those in the NGC group (IL-$1{\beta}$, $195.57{\pm}96.85{\mu}L$; IL-8, $178.61{\pm}149.35{\mu}L$). More gingival RC and loss of attachment was seen among the GCP group (RC: $2.02{\pm}0.31$, P=0.013; CAL: $4.60{\pm}0.56$, P<0.001) than among the NGC group (RC, $1.21{\pm}1.15$; CAL, $3.70{\pm}0.32$); however, PD was deeper among the NGC subjects (P=0.002). PI and GI were significantly higher for the periodontitis group (P<0.001) when compared to the HC, but there was no difference among gutka chewers and non-chewers (P=0.22 and P=0.89). A positive correlation was found between the IL-8 levels and the duration of gutka chewing (r=-0.64, P<0.01). Conclusions: Gutka chewing leads to increased gingival RC and clinical loss of attachment. There was no effect seen in the proinflammatory cytokine levels in the GCF of gutka users.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.478-490
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• 2021

We aimed to generate basic breeding data for melon (Cucumis melo L.). A total of 219 melon accessions conserved at the National Agrobiodiversity Center (NAC) in Rural Development Administration (RDA) were used in this study, of which 72 (33%) were collected from India. The majority of accessions showed orange (42%) and white (36%) flesh color. In addition to phenotypic evaluations, the accessions were genotyped using a molecular marker for the carotenoid biosynthesis gene CmOr. DNA fragments of the expected size were amplified in 205 out of 219 accessions. Digestion of the PCR products with HinfI restriction endonuclease showed 100% concordance between phenotype and genotype in green-fleshed accessions, but 98%, 97%, and 80% concordance in orange-, white-, and creamy-fleshed accessions, respectively. Sequence analysis revealed single nucleotide changes in the three positions of SNP1, SNP2 and SNP1int in the CmOr gene among accessions. These newly found alleles suggest that there are multiple mechanisms in determining fruit flesh color in melon. Also, the phenotype data of diverse accessions obtained in this study will be a valuable source for melon breeding.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.1146-1153
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• 2024

The increasing economic losses associated with growth retardation caused by Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP), a microsporidian parasite infecting penaeid shrimp, require effective monitoring. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS)-1 region, the non-coding region of ribosomal clusters between 18S and 5.8S rRNA genes, is widely used in phylogenetic studies due to its high variability. In this study, the ITS-1 region sequence (~600-bp) of EHP was first identified, and primers for a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting that sequence were designed. A newly developed nested-PCR method successfully detected the EHP in various shrimp (Penaeus vannamei and P. monodon) and related samples, including water and feces collected from Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, India, and Malaysia. The primers did not cross-react with other hosts and pathogens, and this PCR assay is more sensitive than existing PCR detection methods targeting the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) and spore wall protein (SWP) genes. Phylogenetic analysis based on the ITS-1 sequences indicated that the Indonesian strain was distinct (86.2% nucleotide sequence identity) from other strains collected from Thailand and South Korea, and also showed the internal diversity among Thailand (N = 7, divided into four branches) and South Korean (N = 5, divided into two branches) samples. The results revealed the ability of the ITS-1 region to determine the genetic diversity of EHP from different geographical origins.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.255-263
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• 2015

Promoting the organic farming, much of the plant extracts used for controlling pests and fungi have been imported from China, India and Myanmar. But, it is so worrisome that aquatic animals such as muddy loach inhabiting in paddy field and common carps in river exposed to the pests and fungi likely be harmed. This study was conducted in order to evaluate the risks of aquatic animals influenced by the three plant extracts, i.e. Sophora flavescens, Azadirachta indica and Derris elliptica. The toxicities of common carp (Cyprinus Carpio), muddy loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) and PEC (Predicted environmental concentration) exposed to the three plant extracts were estimated by the typical spray volume method. Risks were determined by the toxicity value as 48-hr $LC_{50}$ (Lethal concentration, median) or NOEC (No observed effect concentration) into PEC. 48-hr $LC_{50}$ of Common carp and NOEC by Sophora flavescens extracts was 7.9 and 6.2 mg/L, 26.8 and 21.8 mg/L by Azadirachta indica extracts and 47.0 and < 24.0 mg/L by Derris elliptica extracts, respectively. 48-hr $LC_{50}$ of Muddy loach and NOEC by Sophora flavescens extracts was 16.9 and 10.0 mg/L, 35.6 and 30.0 mg/L by Azadirachta indica extracts, and 73.9 and < 40 mg/L by Derris elliptica extracts, respectively. Therefore, acute toxicities of the three plant extracts for aquatic animals were proved to be very low level. PEC of Sophora flavescens extracts in paddy, drainage and river water was 68.0~3.0, 11.33~0.50 and 3.0~0.0018 mg/L, respectively. TER of Sophora flavescens extracts in the three water was 0.2~5.6, 1.5~33.8 and 2.6~4388.9, respectively. PEC of Azadirachta indica extracts in paddy, drainage and river water was 90.9~1.2, 15.2~0.2 and 4.8~0.00075 mg/L, respectively. TER of Azadirachta indica extracts in the three water was 0.4~29.7, 2.3~178.0 and 4.5~35733.3, respectively. PEC of Derris elliptica extracts in river water was 0.0063 mg/L. TER of Derris elliptica extracts in river water was 5222~15667.

• Journal of Legislation Research
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• no.53
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• pp.455-489
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• 2017

The new system on the Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) in the Indian Companies Act became overnight sensation to the worldwide. However there has been very few studies which are analyzing a purpose of it under the context of Indian societies. This paper examines the circumstance whether the CSR activities is functioning well or not. And verifying problems regarding it and suggesting supportive measures are a target of this paper. Though Indian government already established CSR legislation, they did not stipulate the penalty clause. And that became why corporations were poorly perform on CSR activities in first year of enforcement. Furthermore, There is a proclivity that corporations lack an understanding for which activities could be recognized into the CSR. And they excused that they had no time for themselves to adjust an abruptly changing business landscape. With all, unlike rosy expectations, corporations only showed little interests to the area where the investment or attentions from the media are expected. Fortunately, incumbent legislative is fully aware of it and exploit their best resources to various social fields. Despite the doubts that they originally did not have any intention to introduce the penalty clause, they are handling problems in ways that corporations can be invited in public programs. They also need to request the service sectors to take a leading role of it, which could provide the financial, or telecommunication service to the people in rural province. Thus, the fact that there was a substantial rise in terms of the amount of CSR expenses in 2015 provides a supporting evidence to the endeavors of the government. In doing so, we could finally achieve a better understanding of two-fold goals shown in this paper; maturing settlement of this legislation and development of Indian society.