• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.106-112
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• 2019

Objectives: The aim of this study was to observe the reduction of lipid accumulation by treatment with Akkermansia muciniphila extract on 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Methods: After treating pasteurized Akk. muciniphila strains in HT-29 colorectal cancer cell, the relative expression of interleukin (IL)-8, tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6, and IL-1β mRNA was analyzed by real time polymerase chain reaction, respectively. 27 strains of Akk. muciniphila which have anti-inflammatory effects were selected. 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes were treated with Akk. muciniphila for 24 hr and then measured the toxicity using water soluble tetrazolium salt assay. The cells were incubated for 4 days and then differentiated into adipocytes using the medium including adipogenic reagents for 10 days. The Akk. muciniphila was treated when the medium was exchanged for differentiation medium at 4^th day and insulin medium at 6^th day. To observe the lipid accumulation, the cells were stained with Oil red O dye and were measured using a spectrophotometer. Results: In the cytotoxicity test, the cell viability of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes was significantly increased compared to the control group which untreated with Akk. muciniphila, and there was no cytotoxicity of Akk. muciniphila at 1×10⁷ CFU/mL. The results on Oil red O staining and absorbance measurements were showed a significant decrease in lipid accumulation in the group which was treated with Akk. muciniphila compared to the control group. Conclusions: In our results, Akk. muciniphila has the inhibitory effect of lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. This suggests that Akk. muciniphila could be help to improve obesity.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.205-211
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• 2015

Most of the sulfur is obtained from desulfurization of natural gas and crude oil. In Korea, more than 120 tons of sulfur are produced by refinery, and about 50 % of the produced sulfur is used as a raw material for the production of fertilizer and sulfuric acid. Modified sulfur is manufactured from excessive sulfur that could be used to improve concrete properties, and this study evaluated concrete strength and durability that contains modified sulfur. Flexural and compressive strengths of concrete with sulfur modified polymer were comparable to those of OPC concrete with mixing water at similar temperatures, while the strengths increased a little as mixing water temperature increased. It was also confirmed that the resistance to freeze-thaw damage was more dependent on entrained air characteristics obtained by a proper use of air entraining agent than on the use of sulfur modified polymer. When concrete was immersed in 5 % sulfuric acid, the rate of reduction in compressive strength of OPC concrete was less than 1/4 of the strength reduction of concrete with sulfur modified polymer. Also, the resistance of concrete with sulfur modified polymer to scaling due to the use of de-icing salt was evaluated as Class 1, while that of OPC concrete was evaluated as Class 4, as aggregates were exposed. Accordingly, it is believed that sulfur modified polymer could be effectively used for bridge deck concrete since sulfur modified polymer improves the durability of concrete.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.49-59
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• 2021

BACKGROUND: Soil salinity causes reduction of crop productivity. Rhizosphere microbes have metabolic capabilities and ability to adaptation of plants to biotic and abiotic stresses. Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) could play a role as elicitors for inducing tolerance to stresses in plants by affecting resident microorganism in soil. This study was conducted to demonstrate the effect of selected strains on rhizosphere microbial community under salinity stress. METHODS AND RESULTS: The experiments were conducted in tomato plants in pots containing field soil. Bacterial suspension was inoculated into three-week-old tomato plants, one week after inoculation, and -1,000 kPa-balanced salinity stress was imposed. The physiological and biochemical attributes of plant under salt stress were monitored by evaluating pigment, malondialdehyde (MDA), proline, soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and ion concentrations. To demonstrate the effect of selected Bacillus strains on rhizosphere microbial community, soil microbial diversity and abundance were evaluated with Illumina MiSeq sequencing, and primer sets of 341F/805R and ITS3/ITS4 were used for bacterial and fungal communities, respectively. As a result, when the bacterial strains were inoculated and then salinity stress was imposed, the inoculation decreases the stress susceptibility including reduction in lipid peroxidation, enhanced pigmentation and proline accumulation which subsequently resulted in better plant growth. However, bacterial inoculations did not affect diversity (observed OTUs, ACE, Chao1 and Shannon) and structure (principle coordinate analysis) of microbial communities under salinity stress. Furthermore, relative abundance in microbial communities had no significant difference between bacterial treated- and untreated-soils under salinity stress. CONCLUSION: Inoculation of Bacillus strains could affect plant responses and soil pH of tomato plants under salinity stress, whereas microbial diversity and abundance had no significant difference by the bacterial treatments. These findings demonstrated that Bacillus strains could alleviate plant's salinity damages by regulating pigments, proline, and MDA contents without significant changes of microbial community in tomato plants, and can be used as effective biostimulators against salinity stress for sustainable agriculture.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.66 no.2
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• pp.124-135
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to analyze the chemisry education contents of South Korea and North Korea for understanding chemistry education of North Korea. Chemistry education in South and North Korea was investigated in terms of learning period and learning quantaty. Especially, what content North Korea learned prior to South Korea and what contents learned more were analyzed. The subjects of this study were South Korean 2015 revised National Science Curriculum and North Korean science textbooks in Kim Jong-un era. The North Korean textbooks analyzed are 'Nature' for North Korean elementary school 3, 'Natural Science' for North Korean middle school 1 and 2, and 'Chemistry' for North Korean high school 1 and 2. The analysis results are as follows. First, the content elements to be learned in advance in North Korean textbooks were density, oxidation and reduction, battery, and atomic weight. Second, the content elements additionally learned in North Korean textbooks include separation of mixtures, fuels, oxidation and reduction, metals, organic and inorganic substances, metals and non-metal oxides and hydroxides, inorganic substances used as fertilizers, nutritional substances, and salt reaction and utilization, atomic orbitals, hybridization of orbitals, coordination bonds and complexes. As a future research task, a qualitative analysis of the elements of North Korean chemistry, the activities of textbooks, and an experimental analysis were proposed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.993-1005
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• 1996

This study was implemented in order to investigate the effects of dietary calcium-salt, estrogentreatment, and estrogen/calcium treatment on bone metabolism. Ovariectomized rats were used as animal models. Female Sprague-Dawley rats with a body weight of 250~280g were underwent ovariectomy or sham-operation. The ovariectomized rats were divided into 9 different experimental groups including the saline-treated group, the estrogen-treated group, the high calcium salt-treated group, and the estrogen/calcium treated groups and fed for 6 weeks. Creatinine and hydroxyproline in urine were analyzed. Creatinine, calcitonin, osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase and parathyroid hormone in plasma were also determined. The results of the experiment are as follows : The ovariectomy caused a significant increase in the level of food intake, food effciency ratio and body weight gain in comparison with sham-operation. The overall food intake, food effciency ratio and body weight gain were significantly decreased by estrogen. The ovariectomized animals developed obesity as a result of increased food intake. In addition, estradiol injections suppressed food intake with a concomitant loss in body weight. The level or urinary hydroxyproline, as an indicator or bone resorntion, was higher in the ovariectomized rats compared to sham-opertion, while these decresed in the estrogen/calcium treated group. Parathyroid hormone and calcitonin in the plasma, that were used as the indicator of calcium homeostasis, parathyroid hormone higher in the ovariectomized rats compared to sham-operation. It was lowered by estrogen and high calcium treated groups; thus, estrogen and estrogen/calcium treated groups were decreased by 32% compared to saline treated group. Osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase which are indicators of bone formation, were significantly higher in ovariectomized group, while this showed to be decreased in the estrogen and the ostrogenicalcium treated groups. Estrogen and estrogen/calcium in ovariectomized rats resulted in lower bone loss. However, estrogen treated group its gradual reduction showed little effect on bone loss, while the gradual reduction of estrogen had a preventive effect on bone loss when the treatment was combined with calcium intensification.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.424-429
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• 2010

To solve the problems with excessive accumulation of soil inorganic N and resulting saline soils from overuse of nitrogen fertilizer, the effect of sucrose application on decrease of soil inorganic N content and electrical conductivity (EC) was studied. Sucrose treatment greatly reduced ${NH_4}^+$-N content in soil. The amount of reduction was greater as the amount of sucrose treatment was increased. When ${NH_4}^+$-N content was reached the lowest point (about 10 mg $kg^{-1}$or lower), the C/N ratio, which determines the amount of sucrose treatment, was around 10 regardless of initial ${NH_4}^+$-N content. For the rate of ${NH_4}^+$-N reduction 15~36 hours was required to reduce the initial ${NH_4}^+$-N content to half, and 36~69 hours to lower ${NH_4}^+$-N content to the lowest point (about 10 mg $kg^{-1}$or lower). In addition, sucrose treatment greatly lowered ${NO_3}^-$-N content. In case of C/N ratio above 10, initial ${NO_3}^-$-N content of 348 mg $kg^{-1}$ was reduced to the lowest of 14~21 mg $kg^{-1}$. As for the rate of ${NO_3}^-$-N reduction by sucrose treatment, it took 36~60 hours for ${NO_3}^-$-N content to reach the lowest point for C/N ratio of 10 or higher, and it took 3 weeks, comparably longer time, for C/N ratio of 5. Lowering soil EC from sucrose treatment showed the same trend as ${NO_3}^-$-N content. As an important energy and carbon source for humankind, sugar should not be wasted and must be carefully applied to soil. In principle, the best way of preventing salt accumulation in soil is to optimize the fertilizer input. However, when over-fertilization should be dealt with, the sucrose treatment would be a possible and effective counter-measure to reduce overdosed nitrogen sources in soil.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.126-132
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• 2015

Three different methods (simple washing of plastic and pulp sample, washing after direct heating of the diapers, and the heating after washing of plastic and pulp sample) were carried out to decrease total coliforms and heterotrophic plate count (HPC) in the diaper's plastic and pulp. Plastic and pulp samples were obtained from diaper by treatment with 10% $CaCl_2$ and 4% sea salt water, dilution with 1,000 ml tap water, and draining by using sieves. Three times washing was the most appropriate for the reduction of microorganisms in plastic and pulp. By three times washing, the number of total coliforms in the plastic and pulp samples showed 92.8% and 99.8% of decrease, respectively, and the number of HPC showed 97.3% of decrease in the plastic and 98.5% of decrease in the pulp. The washing after direct heating of the fecal contaminated diapers was not effective because HPC in the plastic and pulp samples were still detected about 2-3 log CFU/g in the plastic and 1-2 log CFU/g in the pulp, respectively, even after heating at $60^{\circ}C$, $80^{\circ}C$, $100^{\circ}C$ for 12 h. Meanwhile, total coliforms and HPC were completely sterilized at $80^{\circ}C$ for 4 h by heating after washing of plastic and pulp samples, suggesting that this method was the most appropriate method for the reduction of microorganisms in plastic and pulp obtained from fecal contaminated diapers.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.204-212
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• 2022

The LID technique began to be applied in Korea after 2009, and LID facilities are installed and operated for rainwater management in business districts such as the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and LH Corporation, public institutions, commercial land, housing, parks, and schools. However, looking at domestic cases, the application cases and operation periods are insufficient compared to those outside the country, so appropriate design standards and measures for operation and maintenance are insufficient. In particular, LID facilities constructed using LID techniques need to maintain the environment inside LID facilities because hydrological and environmental effects are expressed by material circulation and energy flow. The LID facility is designed with the treatment capacity planned for the water circulation target, and the proper maintenance, vegetation, and soil conditions are periodically identified, and the efficiency is maintained as much as possible. In other words, the soil created in LID is a very important design element because LID facilities are expected to have effects such as water pollution reduction, flood reduction, water resource acquisition, and temperature reduction while increasing water storage and penetration capacity through water circulation construction. In order to maintain and manage the functions of LID facilities accurately, the current state of the facilities and the cycle of replacement and maintenance should be accurately known through various quantitative data such as soil contamination, snow removal effects, and vegetation criteria. This study was conducted to investigate the current status of LID facilities installed in Korea from 2009 to 2020, and analyze soil changes through the continuity and current status of LID facilities applied over the past 10 years after collecting soil samples from the soil layer. Through analysis of Saturn, organic matter, hardness, water contents, pH, electrical conductivity, and salt, some vegetation-type LID facilities more than 5 to 7 years after construction showed results corresponding to the lower grade of landscape design. Facilities below the lower level can be recognized as a point of time when maintenance is necessary in a state that may cause problems in soil permeability and vegetation growth. Accordingly, it was found that LID facilities should be managed through soil replacement and replacement.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.939-961
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• 2016

For effective conservation of endangered wild plants, it is necessary to understand their interactions with environmental factors in each habitat together with life traits of target species. First, the characteristics of their distribution were investigated followed by their monitoring for 4 years focusing on the habitats in the lagoon. Also, their life traits were compared including production of hibernacles, fruits, and seeds by the soil fertilization and light intensities. Next, the information on the species was secured by germination experiment using the generated seeds from the cultivation experiment. The habitat of Glaux maritima var. obtusifolia Fernald in Korea was located in the rear edge of the worldwide distribution and its four habitats were isolated and distributed far away each other. Two of them were located in small salt-marsh and fine sand estuaries formed in the rocky area of the seashore, and the other two were inhabited with the sandy soil in the lagoon which was connected by river-mouth to the sea. Glaux maritima var. obtusifolia Fernald tends to be distributed in the sites where the establishment and growth of the competitor were inhibited by salinity, periodic flooding, and lower layer of the soil to extend a roots. It maintained its population by recruitments of hibernacles and seedling. The production of hibernacle was assumed to be affected by the particle consist of the sand together with organic matters in the soil. Seedling recruitment was observed only in the salt-marsh area located in the rear sites of sand ridge where was the shore of the lagoon. Glaux maritima var. obtusifolia Fernald was observed to have different threatening factors by each population. Its population in Pohang seemed the sedimentation of fine sand which affected the recruitment of hibernacles had been eroded due to the construction of the coastal road. The population in Ulsan appeared rapid expansion of competitor and reduction of its distribution area due to the interruption of eluted water supplied to the habitat. On the other hand, the habitat in the lagoon maintained the population relatively stable. Especially, the population in Songji-ho was determined to be the most stable one. To sustain the population of Glaux maritima var. obtusifolia Fernald distributed in the lagoon, it is suggested that the wide ranged scale of conservational activities is necessary to maintain the mechanisms including the entrance of seawater which belongs to the lagoon, and periodic flooding.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.191-197
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• 2005

Green house soils have been intensively cultivated with excessive application of compost and chemical fertilizer for vegetable growth. The objective of this study was to establish the reasonable fertilizer application system for rice cultivation in green house soil. Field experiment was carried out with rice cv. Geumo-byeo 1 in Jisan series soil (fine loamy, mixed, mesic family of Fluventic Haplaquepts) that was previously cropped with green pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) for the last 3 years. Treatment consisted of conventional fertilization $(N-P_2O_5-K_2O=11-4.5-5.7kg\;10a^{-1})$, no basal fertilization, 50% reduction of basal fertilization no top dressing, bulk blending fertilizer, and no fertilizer. The value of pH, available phosphate, and exchangeable potassium after experiment was lower than those before experiment while organic matter content was not difference in all treatment. The value of salt elusion was the highest in no basal fertilization plot. The amount of $NH_4-N$ in soil was higher in growth stage of rice as fertilizer amount increased in 1998. The changes of plant height and tiller were higher as fertilizer amount increased. Thousand-grain weight as yield component was higher in no basal fertilization plot all the year because of decreasing panicle. There was no significant difference in rice yield between treatments in 1998. However, conventional fertilization resulted in significantly increased rice yield in 1999. Nitrogen use efficiency was the highest in no basal fertilization plot in 1998 and in conventional fertilization plot in 1998. Our results suggest that no basal fertilization be best to increase salt elusion with slightly increased yield in first year for rice cropping after vegetable harvesting, which method improves fertilization efficiency. However, conventional fertilization was good for second rice cropping after vegetable harvesting in greenhouse.