• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.126-133
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• 2020

In accordance with the implementation of the sunset provision to cancel the designations of urban park sites that remained unexecuted for a prolonged period until 2020, the park sites in the city center, which account for 90% of the long-term unexecuted urban facilities subjected to the provision, are currently on the verge of development. The total area of the 204 park sites that will disappear in Seoul as a result of this provision is 95 ㎢; moreover, 116 of these are privately-owned. It is expected that the possible changes in the use of these park sites could result in reckless development and reduction of green space, which would ultimately affect the ecosystem. This study applied the InVEST model to calculate the changes in the fixed carbon amount before and after the implementation of the sunset provision to estimate the economic value of these changes. The study focused on Jongno-gu in Seoul because it has the most unexecuted park sites subjected to the lifting of the designation. The research findings show that the fixed carbon amount provided by the unexecuted park sites in Jongno-gu was 374,448 mg, prior to the implementation of the sunset provision; however, the amount was estimated to decrease by 18% to 305,564 mg after its execution. When calculated in terms of average value of the real carbon price, this translated into a loss of approximately 700 million won. In addition, considering the social costs including both climate change and the impact on the ecosystem, an economic loss of approximately 98 billion won was projected. This study is meaningful because its predictions are based on the estimation of fixed carbon amount according to the implementation of the sunset provision in Jongno-gu and scientifically calculates the value of ecological services provided by the parks in the city. This study can serve not only as a basis during the decision-making process for policies related to ecosystem conservation and development, but also as an evidentiary material for the compensation of privately-owned land that is designated as urban park sites and was unexecuted for a prolonged period.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.185-197
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• 2019

Purpose: Hospice volunteers are serving an invisible yet pivotal role in the hospice and palliative care team. This study investigated how effectively a continuing education program could enhance hospice volunteers' competency. Methods: A total of 20 hours (four hours per week) of training was provided to 30 hospice volunteers who participated in the continuing education for hospice volunteers. Efficiency of the education was analyzed with an exploratory mixed-methods design. For quantitative analysis, the volunteers were asked, before and after the training, about their attitudes towards hospice care, what makes a meaningful life, self-efficacy and satisfaction with their volunteer service. Descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were performed using SPSS Window 20.0. For qualitative research, participants were placed in three groups for a focus group interview, and data were analyzed by content analysis. Results: A quantitative study result shows that this training can significantly affect hospice volunteers' attitudes and improve their self-efficacy. A qualitative study result shows that participants wanted to receive continuous education from the physical/psychosocial/spiritual aspects to better serve end-of-life patients and their family members even though they have to spare significant time for the volunteer service. They wanted to know how to take good care of patients without getting themselves injured and how to provide spiritual care. Conclusion: The continuing education program reflecting volunteers' requests is strongly needed to improve their competency. An effective continuing education requires continuous training and support in areas where hospice volunteers are interested in. A good alternative is to combine web-based and hands-on training, thereby allowing hospice volunteers freely take training that suits their interest.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.217-223
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• 2008

Amylose and protein contents are important traits determining the edible quality of rice, especially in East Asian countries. Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS) has become a powerful tool for rapid and nondestructive quantification of natural compounds in agricultural products. To test the practically of using NIRS for estimation of brown rice amylose and protein contents, the spectral reflectances ($400{\sim}2500\;nm$) of total 9,483 accessions of rice germplasm in Rural development Administration (RDA) Genebank ere obtained and compared to chemically determined amylose and protein content. The protein content of tested 119 accessions ranged from 6.5 to 8.0% and 25 accessions exhibited protein contents between 8.5 to 9.5%. In case of amylose content, all tested accessions ranged from 18.1 to 21.7% and the grade from 18.1 to 19.9% includes most number of accessions as 152 and 4 accessions exhibited amylose content between 20.5 to 21.7%. The optimal performance calibration model could be obtained from original spectra of brown rice using MPLS (Modified Partial Least Squares) with the correlation coefficients ($r_2$) for amylose and protein content were 0.865 and 0.786, respectively. The standard errors of calibration (SEC) exhibited good statistic values: 2.078 and 0.442 for amylose and protein contents, respectively. All these results suggest that NIR spectroscopy may serve as reputable and rapid method for quantification of brown rice protein and amylose contents in large numbers of rice germplasm.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.13-21
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• 2015

The importance of genetic resource preservation has been highlighted in the literature as a means of maintaining genetic diversity. Investigations for hematologic values and the differential count of white blood cell count (WBC) for Korean indigenous cattle (KIC) and endangered indigenous cattle (EIC) are rarely performed. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the hematologic values of total 40 EIC (White, Black, Mini cattle) and 35 KIC as control by analysis of hematologic characteristics. As a result, the mean values of RBC and platelet of EIC were significantly decreased by age (p<0.05). The mean values of RBC, HCT, MCV and MCHC between EIC and KIC of the same age (2~3 years) showed the statistical significance (p<0.05). Also, in the WBC of EIC, the mean values were decreased according to the age from $13.9{\times}10^3/{\mu}L{\sim}12.7{\times}10^3/{\mu}L$ under 1 year to $9.1{\times}10^3/{\mu}L{\sim}11.5{\times}10^3/{\mu}L$ over 2 years respectively. In the differential count of WBC of EIC (White, Black, Mini cattle), it showed generally the rates of 40.2%, 52.2%, 49.0% lymphocyte and 27.2%, 33.9%, 32.0% segmented neutrophil from 2~3 years respectively. Result of this study will be used for establishing reference range for blood analysis in EIC such as white, black and mini cattle. This study reported hematological values which could serve as baseline information for comparison in conditions of nutrient deficiency, physiological and health status of endangered Korean native cattle. In addition, this study provides a valuable resource for further investigations of the preservation of rare genetic stocks underlying traits of interest in cattle.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.47-61
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• 2000

Agroclimatic zoning was done for paddy rice culture in North Korea based on a simulation experiment. Daily weather data for the experiment were generated by 3 steps consisting of spatial interpolation based on topoclimatological relationships, zonal summarization of grid cell values, and conversion of monthly climate data to daily weather data. Regression models for monthly climatological temperature estimation were derived from a statistical procedure using monthly averages of 51 standard weather stations in South and North Korea (1981-1994) and their spatial variables such as latitude, altitude, distance from the coast, sloping angle, and aspect-dependent field of view (openness). Selected models (0.4 to 1.6$^{\circ}C$ RMSE) were applied to the generation of monthly temperature surface over the entire North Korean territory on 1 km$\times$l km grid spacing. Monthly precipitation data were prepared by a procedure described in Yun (2000). Solar radiation data for 27 North Korean stations were reproduced by applying a relationship found in South Korea ([Solar Radiation, MJ m$^{-2}$ day$^{-1}$ ] =0.344 + 0.4756 [Extraterrestrial Solar Irradiance) + 0.0299 [Openness toward south, 0 - 255) - 1.307 [Cloud amount, 0 - 10) - 0.01 [Relative humidity, %), $r^2$=0.92, RMSE = 0.95 ). Monthly solar irradiance data of 27 points calculated from the reproduced data set were converted to 1 km$\times$1 km grid data by inverse distance weighted interpolation. The grid cell values of monthly temperature, solar radiation, and precipitation were summed up to represent corresponding county, which will serve as a land unit for the growth simulation. Finally, we randomly generated daily maximum and minimum temperature, solar irradiance and precipitation data for 30 years from the monthly climatic data for each county based on a statistical method suggested by Pickering et a1. (1994). CERES-rice, a rice growth simulation model, was tuned to accommodate agronomic characteristics of major North Korean cultivars based on observed phenological and yield data at two sites in South Korea during 1995~1998. Daily weather data were fed into the model to simulate the crop status at 183 counties in North Korea for 30 years. Results were analyzed with respect to spatial and temporal variation in yield and maturity, and used to score the suitability of the county for paddy rice culture.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.375-384
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• 2011

This study was performed to evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of methanol extract from Rosmarinus officinalis L. and its fractions. The ethyl acetate fraction of rosemary had a higher antioxidant activity in both DPPH ($3.22\;{\mu}g/ml$) and ABTS ($5.05\;{\mu}g/ml$) compared to other extracts and fractions. Based on the results of the FRAP assay, the ethyl acetate fraction of rosemary showed a value of $5.9{\pm}0.3\;{\mu}M/{\mu}g$, and buthanol fraction and rosmarinic acid exhibited values of $4.8{\pm}0.2\;{\mu}M/{\mu}g$ and $5.1{\pm}0.1\;{\mu}M/{\mu}M$, respectively. Measurements of the antimicrobial activities of the extracts, fraction against gram positive, negative bacteria revealed that the methanol extract, hexane, ethyl acetate, and chloroform fraction of rosemary caused Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli to form clear zones greater than 12 mm. Furthermore, the methanol extract and chloroform fraction showed high antibacterial activity, with inhibition zone exceeding 13 mm. The methanol extract and chloroform fraction of rosemary had broad antimicrobial spectrums and low MIC values. Therefore, methanol extracts of rosemary could serve as potential antibacterial agents to inhibit pathogen growth in food and hand sanitizers.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.509-516
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• 2017

Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton var. sprouts (PFS) is a plant of the labiatae family. The purpose of this work was to assess the preventive effects of PFS ethanolic extracts (PFSEs) on cytokine-induced ${\beta}$-cell damage. Cytokines, which are released by the infiltration of inflammatory cells around the pancreatic islets, are involved in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes mellitus. The combination of interleukin-$1{\beta}$ (IL-1), interferon-${\gamma}$ (IFN-${\gamma}$), and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) induced formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Accumulation of intracellular ROS led to ${\beta}$-cell dysfunction and apoptosis. PFSEs possess antioxidant activity and thus lead to downregulation of ROS generation. Cytokines decrease cell viability, stimulate the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and induce the production of nitric oxide (NO). PFSEs prevented cytokine-induced cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. Incubation with PFSE resulted in significant reduction in cytokine-induced NO production that correlated with reduced levels of the iNOS and COX-2 protein expression. Furthermore, PFSE significantly decreased the activation of nuclear factor ${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$) by inhibition of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ phosphorylation in RINm5F cells. In summary, our results suggest that the protective effects of PFSE might serve to counteract cytokine-induced ${\beta}$-cell destruction. Findings indicate that consumption of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton var. sprouts alleviates hyperglycemia-mediated oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory cytokine-induced ${\beta}$-cell damage and thus has beneficial anti-diabetic effects.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.1152-1160
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• 2017

A unicellular green alga was axenically isolated from a tidal pool on Ulleung-do, Korea. Morphological, molecular, and biochemical analyses revealed that the isolate belonged to Auxenochlorella protothecoides. The current study is the first record of this species in Korea. The microalgal strain was named as A. protothecoides MM0011 and its growth, lipid and pigment compositions, and biomass properties were investigated. The strain is able to thrive in a wide range of temperatures ($5{\sim}35^{\circ}C$) and to withstand up to 1.5 M NaCl. The results of GC/MS analysis showed that the isolate was rich in nutritionally important polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Its major fatty acids were linoleic acid (27.6%) and ${\alpha}-linolenic$ acid (39.6%). Thus, this indigenous microalga has potential as an alternative source of ${\omega}3$ and ${\omega}6$ PUFAs, which currently come from fish and plant oils. Also, the HPLC analysis revealed that the value-added antioxidant, lutein, was biosynthesized as the accessory pigments by the microalga. A proximate analysis showed that the volatile matter content was 85.6% and an ultimate analysis indicated that the gross calorific value was $20.3MJ\;kg^{-1}$. Since 40.5% of total nitrogen and 27.9% of total phosphorus were removed from the medium, respectively, it also has potential as a feedstock for biofuel applications which could be coupled to wastewater treatment. In addition, the biomass may also serve as an excellent animal feed because of its high protein content (51.4%). Therefore, A. protothecoides MM0011 shows promise for application in production of microalgae-based biochemicals and as a biomass feedstock.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.577-586
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• 2018

We recently reported the potential probiotic properties of Lactobacillus brevis SBB07 isolated from blueberries. The present study investigates the effect of culture conditions such as temperature, initial pH, culture time, and medium constituent for industrial application. The ingredients of the medium to improve cell growth were selected by Plackett-Burman design (PBD) and central composite design (CCD) within a desirable range. The PBD was applied with 19 factors: seven carbon sources, six nitrogen sources, and six microelements. Protease peptone, corn steep powder (CSP), and yeast extract were found to be significant factors for the growth of SBB07. The CCD was then applied with three variables found from the PBD at five levels, and the optimum values were decided for the three variables: protease peptone, CSP, and yeast extract. In the case of the growth of SBB07, the proposed optimal media contained 2.0% protease peptone, 2.5% CSP, and 2.0% yeast extract, and the maximum dried-cell weight was predicted to be 2.93963 g/l. By the model verification, it was confirmed that the predicted and actual results are similar. Finally, the study investigated the effects of incubation temperature and initial pH at the optimized medium. It was confirmed that the dried-cell weight increased from $2.2933{\pm}0.0601g/l$ to $3.85{\pm}0.0265g/l$ when compared to the basal medium at $37^{\circ}C$ and initial pH 8.0. Establishing the optimal culture condition for SBB07 provides good potential for applications in probiotics and can serve as the foundation for the industrialization of materials.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.81-120
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• 2018

To promote the aviation safety reporting system that is operated to enhance aviation safety and to utilize related information, it should first be preceded by standards for non-punishment and data protection. It is because the purpose of collection and analysis of aviation safety related data through the aviation safety reporting system is to prevent recurrence of accidents by investigating their causes through collection and analysis of diverse types of information related to aviation safety. Both mandatory and voluntary reporting systems are in operation for aviation safety under the current Aviation Safety Act. It is said that they were introduced to survey causes for accidents and to prevent recurrences. In fact, however, it is hard to expect active implementation of the reporting system for aviation safety unless the reporters are firstly exempted from punishment. Therefore, the system should be improved so that it can satisfy its purpose and the purposes of data collection concerning aviation safety through examination of the purposes of the reporting system. One of the matters that needs to be considered to promote the reporting system should be the scope of aviation safety hindrances presupposed under the current institution. The voluntary aviation safety reporting system differs from the systems of ICAO or the key advanced countries, including the USA and the UK as it limits the target accidents subject to reporting to minor aviation safety hindrances only. That being said, improvements should be made by requiring mandatory reporting of aviation safety hindrances based on their severity while recognizing a greater variety of aviation safety concerns like international standards. Safety actions and sharing of information based on collection and analysis of diverse data related to aviation safety will greatly contribute to enhance aviation safety as the purposes of the reporting system are to explore causes for accidents and to prevent their recurrences. What is most important in this regard is strict data protection and non-punishment principles; compliance with them should be secured. We can hardly expect the successful operation of the system unless the reporter is exempted from punishment and the relevant data is protected as promotion of voluntary reporting is an essential factor for enhancing the safety culture. Otherwise, the current system may induce hiding of relevant facts or data to evade punishment. It is true that the regulation for enhancing safety tends to have limitations or blind spots; nevertheless, it should still be enforced strictly and completely. Technological progresses and mistakes of operators appear in different forms based on individual cases. The consequential damages may amount to a truly severe level. Therefore, we have studied and suggested to the methods of activiation and amendments on the aviation safety reporting system, which is referred for one of the proactive safety management systems. The proposed improvement of the reporting system and introduction of non-punishment for collection of aviation safety data for deploying a preemptive prevention system would serve as the backbone for enhancing aviation safety in Korea.