• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.131-135
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• 1997

Several microorganisms capable of producing protopectinase, which catalyzes dissociation of plant tissue to single cells, were isolated from soils. Crude enzymes prepared from culture supernatants of the strains released potato cells as a single cell from potato tissues. One of the isolated strains showing higher activity of protopectinase was selected and identified as Rhizopus sp. from the morphological characteristics. For preparing single cells from potato tissues, optimum enzyme activity of protopectinase, which was prepared from culture filtrate of Rhizopus sp. R2, was obescrved at $40^{\circ}C$ and pH 4.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.8-25
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• 2014

The aims of this study were to determine concentrations of selected metals in Asian and non-Asian dust collected in Daejeon, Korea between February 2008 and December 2008 and to estimate the pollution level. The geochemical analyses of Asian dust (AD) and Non Asian dust (NAD) show that the mean concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Zr, Sb, Mo and S reached levels up to 16, 209, 31, 43, 81, 28, 31, 122 and 302 times higher, respectively, than those in uncontaminated Chinese desert soils. These results indicate that both AD and NAD serve as an atmospheric repository for trace and heavymetal accumulation. The the enrichment factor (EF) and pollution index (PI) show that AD and NAD were severely contaminated by S, Mo, Zr, Cd, Pb, Zn, Sb, Cu, and As. All indices for these metals showed either strong or notably high level of pollution relative to Chinese desert soil, principally due to the severe atmospheric pollution derived from anthropogenic activities in heavily industrial Chinese cities. Therefore, Mo, Cd, Zr, As, Cu, Sb, Pb, and Zn are the ones most strongly affected by anthropogenic inputs such as airborne pollutants.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.165-181
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• 2014

In the past decade, different types of underreamed ground anchors have been developed for substructures requiring uplift resistance. This article introduces a new type of umbrella-shaped anchor. The uplift behavior of this ground anchor in clay is studied through a series of laboratory and field uplift tests. The test results show that the umbrella-shaped anchor has higher uplift capacity than conventional anchors. The failure mode of the umbrella-shaped anchor in a large embedment depth can be characterized by an arc failure surface and the dimension of the plastic zone depends on the anchor diameter. The anchor diameter and embedment depth have significant influence on the uplift behavior. A finite element model is established to simulate the pullout of the ground anchor. A parametric study using this model is conducted to study the effects of the elastic modulus, cohesion, and friction angle of soils on the load-displacement relationship of the ground anchor. It is found that the larger the elastic modulus and the shear strength parameters, the higher the uplift capacity of the ground anchor. It is suggested that in engineering design, the soil with stiffer modulus and higher shear strength should be selected as the bearing stratum of this type of anchor.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.441-454
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• 2021

Fungal diseases including anthracnose, stem rot, blight, wilting, and root rot of crops are caused by phytopathogens such as Colletotrichum species, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Phytophthora species, and Fusarium oxysporum and F. solani which threaten the production of chili pepper. In this study, to identify biological control agents (BCAs) of phytopathogenic fungi, potentially useful Bacillus species were isolated from the field soils. We screened out five Bacillus strains with antagonistic capacity that are efficiently inhibiting the growth of phytopathogenic fungi. Bacillus species were characterized by the production of extracellular enzymes, siderophores, and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Furthermore, the influence of bacterial strains on the plant growth promoting activity and seedling vigor index were assessed using Brassica juncea as a model plant. Inoculation with Bacillus subtilis SRCM 121379 significantly increased the length of B. juncea shoots and roots by 45.6% and 52.0%, respectively. Among the bacterial isolates, Bacillus subtilis SRCM 121379 showed the superior enzyme activities, antagonistic capacity and plant growth promoting effects. Based on the experimental results, Bacillus subtilis SRCM 121379 (GenBank accession no. NR027552) was finally selected as a BCA candidate.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2019

Use of cement in stabilizing the sulfate-bearing clay soils forms ettringite/ thaumasite in the presence of moisture leads to excessive swelling and causes damages to structures built on them. The development and use of non-traditional stabilisers such as alkali activated ground granulated blast-furnace slag (AGGBS) and enzyme for soil stabilisation is recommended because of its lower cost and the non detrimental effects on the environment. The objective of the study is to investigate the effectiveness of AGGBS and enzyme on improving the volume change properties of sulfate bearing soil as compared to ordinary Portland cement (OPC). The soil for present study has been collected from Tilda, Chhattisgarh, India and 5000 ppm of sodium sulfate has been added. Various dosages of the selected stabilizers have been used and the effect on plasticity index, differential swell index and swelling pressure has been evaluated. XRD, SEM and EDX were also done on the untreated and treated soil for identifying the mineralogical and microstructural changes. The tests results show that the AGGBS and enzyme treated soil reduces swelling and plasticity characteristics whereas OPC treated soil shows an increase in swelling behaviour. It is observed that the swell pressure of the OPC-treated sulfate bearing soil became 1.5 times higher than that of the OPC treated non-sulfate soil.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.427-433
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• 2019

Sakarya is famous for cucurbit productions in Turkey and cucurbits can grow as big as 560 kg of weight per fruit in its agricultural areas. There is no or limited information about contaminant levels and profiles of the agricultural fields in Sakarya. The purpose of this study is to investigate the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (naphthalene, phenanthrene, pyrene, and fluoranthene) and heavy metal (As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn) concentrations of the selected fields. Total 33 soil samples were collected from 12 counties of Sakarya where both cucurbits have been produced and organochlorine pesticides have been applied to the fields for more than 30 y during the historical plantation periods. Heavy metal and PAH contents in the soil samples were measured by an Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectroscopy and a Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. The highest phenanthrene, pyrene, and fluoranthene concentrations were measured as 63.50 ng/g, 134.34 ng/g, 140.0 ng/g, respectively in the soil samples from Geyve County. Cu, Ni, and Cr concentrations were measured as 108.2 mg/kg, 219.9 mg/kg, and 173.1 mg/kg, respectively in Geyve's samples which were also the highest and 2-7 times more than the limit values given in the Turkish Soil Pollution Control Regulation. Precautions need to be taken for Sakarya's agricultural fields which are an important milestone of Turkey's cucurbit and fruit productions since the contaminants can be accumulated in the fruits and edible parts of the plants.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.51-62
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• 2024

Application of biopolymers to improve the mechanical properties of soils has been extensively reported. However, a comprehensive understanding of various engineering applications is necessary to enhance their effectiveness. While numerous experimental studies have investigated the use of biopolymers as injection materials, a detailed understanding of their injection behavior in soil through numerical analyses is lacking. This study aimed to address this gap by employing pore network modeling techniques to analyze the injection characteristics of biopolymer solutions in soil. A pore network was constructed from computed tomography images of Ottawa 20-30 sand. Fluid flow simulations incorporated power-law parameters and governing equations to account for the viscosity characteristics of biopolymers. Agar gum was selected as the biopolymer for analysis, and its injection characteristics were evaluated in terms of concentration and pore-size distribution. Results indicate that the viscosity properties of biopolymer solutions significantly influence the injection characteristics, particularly concerning concentration and injection pressure. Furthermore, notable trends in injection characteristics were observed based on pore size and distribution. Importantly, in contrast to previous studies, meaningful correlations were established between the viscosity of the injected fluid, injection pressure, and injection distance. Thus, this study introduces a novel methodology for integrating pore network construction and fluid flow characteristics into biopolymer injections, with potential applications in optimizing field injections such as permeation grouting.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.72-77
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• 1989

A study was conducted to obtain acid tolerant and superior Rhizobium meliloti strain for alfalfa on hilly acid soils. With host plant, eight isolates of R, meliloti selected in the vicinity of Milyang were evaluated for their ability to establish symbiotic effectiveness in acidified tube culture medium and vermiculite pot with different urea levels. Among isolates "YA03" was characterized for the ability to manifest to acid tolerance in three different soils of which pH were 5.0, 6.0, and 7.5. The results obtained were summarized as follows: 1. Of eight isolates "YA03" and "YA09" performed nodule in the tube medium of pH5.0, and in the symbiotic effectiveness YA03 was superior to others. 2. Alfalfa growth and $N_2-fixing$ activity by the inoculation of "YA03" isolate were better than others at the level of urea 1.25mM as well as nonurea. 3. Application of urea with inoculation of "YA03" islate to alfalfa was one of the effective factors for symbiotic effectiveness. 4. In infertile soil of pH5.0 inoculation of R. meliloti "YA03" to alfalfa caused the increase of shoot dry matter of 320% as compared to the control, and the total amount of yield was 131% as much yield in moderate fertile soil of pH7.5. Finally R. meliloti "YA03" isolate was selected as an acid tolerant strain.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.383-391
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• 2007

This study was conducted for an assessment through the estimation of soil loss by each catchment classified by soil catena. Ten catchments, which are Geumgang21, Namgang03, Dongjincheon, Gapyongcheon01, Gyongancheon02, Geumgang16, Byongsungcheon01, Daesincheon, Bukcheon02, Youngsangang08, were selected from the hydrologic unit map and the detailed soil digital map (1:25,000) for this study. The catchments like Geumgang21, Namgang03, Dongjincheon, Gapyongcheon01 and Gyongancheon02 were mainly composed with soils originated from gneiss. The catchments like Geumgang16, Byongsungcheon01, Daesincheon, Bukcheon02 and Youngsangang08 were mainly composed with soils originated from granites. The grades, which are divided into seven grades with A(very tolerable), B(tolerable), C(moderate), D(low), E(high), F(severe), G(very severe), of soil erosion estimated by USLE in catchments were distributed in most A and B because of paddy land and forestry. In detailed, the soil erosion grade of catchments mainly distributing soils originated from gneiss showed more the distribution of B and C than it of catchments mainly distributing soils originated from granites. The reason of results would be derived from topographic characteristics of soils originated from gneiss located at mountainous. The soil loss according to soil catena linked with Songsan and Jigok series, which are soils originated from gneiss was calculated with $7.66ton\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$. The soil loss of Geumgang16, Byongsungcheon01, Daesincheon, Bukcheon02 which have the soil catena linked with Samgak and Sangju soil series originated from granite, was calculated with $5.55ton\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$. The soil loss of Youngsangang08 which have the soil catena linked with Songjung and Baeksan soil series originated from granite was calculated with $9.6ton\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$, but the conclusion on soil loss in this kind of soil catena would be drawn from the analysis of more catchments. In conclusion, the results of this study inform that the classification of soil catena by catchments and estimation of soil loss according to soil catena would be effective for analysis on the grade of non-point pollution by soil erosion in a catchment.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.63-71
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• 2002

The authors selected the modified soil method, and then performed the geotechnical and environmental laboratory test, and evaluated whether the modified soil liner could be accepted as a barrier layer in landfill. Unlike the results of the natural soil(CL), those of the hydraulic conductivity test of stabilized soil met the standard value. According to these results, the optimal mixing ratio of a mixture(cement : bentonite : stabilizing agent) was 90 : 60 : 1 with mass ratio(kg) for 1㎥ with soil, and it was possible to use poor quality bentonite. B\circled2 because of a little difference from results with high quality bentonite. B\circled1. The Cation Exchange Capacity(CEC) of the modified soil was increased about 1.5 times compared with the natural soil; however. the change of CEC with a sort of additives was not detected. In order to observe the change of the chemical components and crystal structures, the natural and the modified soils with the sorts of additives were measured by the XRF(X-Ray Flourescence Spectrometer) and SEM, but there was no significant change. The artificial leachate with the heavy meals ($Pb^{2+}$ , $Cu^{2+}$, $Cd^{2+}$ Zn$^{2+}$ 100mg/L) was passed through the natural soil and modified soils in columns. In the natural soil, Cd$^{2+}$ and $Zn^{2+}$ were identified, simultaneously the pH of outflow was lower, and then came to the breakthrough point. The removal efficiency of the natural soil was showed in order of following : $Pb^{2+}$ ≒$Cu^{2+}$ > $Zn^{2+}$ > $Cd^{2+}$ On the other hand, modified soils were not showed the breakthrough condition like the result of the natural soil. The modified soil with the lower quality bentonite, B\circled2(column3) was more stable with respect to chemical attack than that with the higher bentonite, B\circled1(column2) because the change range of outflow pH in columns was less than that of outflow pH in column2. In addition, the case of adding the stabilizing agent(column4) was markedly showed the phenomena.ena.