• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.438-479
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• 2021

Basic information such as flora and their distribution are the key factors to consider for preserving plant diversity on a regional level. The number of plant species identified through a survey is closely related to the survey area and the number of habitats distributed within the survey area. In this study, we surveyed the flora of Mt. Maryong-san (PH) and Mt. Daeso-san (YH) located in Uljin-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, six and nine times, respectively. We planned to include a variety of habitats in the survey routes. As a result, we identified a total of 594 taxa composing of 112 families, 349 genera, 548 species, 10 subspecies, 34 varieties, and 2 formulas in the Mt. Maryong-san (PH) area and a total of 434 taxa composing of 89 families, 270 genera, 400 species, 9 subspecies, and 25 varieties in the Mt. Daeso-san (YH) area. Of the plants observed in the 21 habitats, the plants distributed in the transition zone around the valley and the dry grassland accounted for the highest proportion. The traditional graveyards located on the coast also served as the major habitat for the distribution of some plant species. In the two graveyards, 19 taxa of endemic plant species were surveyed. Moreover, the identified floristic target species included 1 taxon for grade V, 11 taxa for grade IV, and 24 taxa for grade III. A total of 77 taxa of naturalized plants were identified, and four of them were invasive alien plants as designated by the Ministry of Environment. The differences in the plants distributed in the area of Mt. Maryong-san (PH) and Mt. Daeso-san (YH) were mainly due to the difference in the size of each habitat distributed within the survey area. Moreover, it was judged that the entire vicinity of Mt. Daeso-san (YH) was not connected to the surrounding mountains and was an isolated area surrounded by farmland and residential areas.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.640-647
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• 2021

In this study, we analyzed three rice pre-treatment methods for the preparation of mit-sool (first mashing), with godubap (steamed rice), beombeok (undercooked porridge), and juk (porridge). The results can provide basic data for the development of takju with improved quality. In terms of the base alcohol, godubap produced the highest amount of alcohol (8.1%) after two days, followed by beombeok and juk. After two days of fermentation, soluble solids were measured at 15.3, 15.1, and 1.4°Brix in beombeok, juk, and godubap, respectively, The glucose content of godubap did not change significantly; however, the maltose content increased. In beombeok, maltose decreased from 16.48 mg/mL on the initial day 0 to 1.27 mg/mL on day 9. In juk, glucose and maltose increased from 14.05 and 11.49 mg/mL on day 0 to 31.39 and 42.53 mg/mL on day 2, respectively. Succinic acid levels increased in the godubap and beombeok mit-sool. However, succinic acid was not detected in godubap and juk during the initial stage of fermentation, and lactic acid was not detected in beombeok mit-sool. During the fermentation stage of deot-sool (second mashing), the highest alcohol content of takju made with godubap alcohol was 18.0% and the lowest alcohol content was 15.1% in beombeok on day 9. The total acidity was as high as 0.54% for beombeok, 0.41% for juk, and 0.39% for godubap. In the flavor analysis, ethyl caprate and ethyl caprylate, which were high on day 0 in godubap, decreased upon the completion of fermentation on day 9. Banana-flavored isoamyl alcohol content increased. For juk, ethyl caprate and ethyl caprylate, which were high on day 0, decreased on day 9. Flavor components, such as ethyl palmitate and ethyl linoleate were increased.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.327-336
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• 2021

Objectives: This study was conducted to create a 3D printable snack dish model for the elderly with low food or fluid intake along with barriers towards eating. Methods: The decision was made by the hybrid-brainstorming method for creating the 3D model. Experts were assigned based on their professional areas such as clinical nutrition, food hygiene and chemical safety for the creation process. After serial feedback processes, the grape shape was suggested as the final model. After various concept sketching and making clay models, 3D-printing technology was applied to produce a prototype. Results: 3D design modeling process was conducted by SolidWorks program. After considering Dietary reference intakes for Koreans (KDRIs) and other survey data, appropriate supplementary water serving volume was decided as 285 mL which meets 30% of Adequate intake. To consider printing output conditions, this model has six grapes in one bunch with a safety lid. The FDM printer and PLA filaments were used for food hygiene and safety. To stimulate cognitive functions and interests of eating, numbers one to six was engraved on the lid of the final 3D model. Conclusions: The newly-developed 3D model was designed to increase intakes of nutrients and water in the elderly with dementia during snack time. Since dementia patients often forget to eat, engraving numbers on the grapes was conducted to stimulate cognitive function related to the swallowing and chewing process. We suggest that investigations on the types of foods or fluids are needed in the developed 3D model snack dish for future studies.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.557-564
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• 2021

Sr_0.92Y_0.08Ti_1-xV_xO_3-δ (SYTV) with perovskite structure was investigated as an alternative anode to utilize H₂S containing fuels in solid oxide fuel cells. To improve the electrochemical performance of Sr_0.92Y_0.08TiO_3-δ (SYT), vanadium(V) was substituted to titanium(Ti) at the B-site of the SYT perovskites. The SYTV synthesized by the Pechini method was chemically compatible with the YSZ electrolyte without additional by-products formation under the cell fabricating conditions. As increasing V substitution amounts, the oxygen vacancies increased, resulting to increasing ionic conductivity of the anode. The cell performance in pure H₂ at 850 ℃ is 19.30 mW/cm² and 34.87 mW/cm² for a 1 mol.% and 7 mol.% of V substituted anodes, respectively. The cell performance using H₂ fuel containing 1000 ppm of H₂S at 850 ℃ was 23.37 mW/cm² and 73.11 mW/cm² for a 1 mol.% and 7 mol.% of V substituted anodes, respectively.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.827-833
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• 2021

Dendropanax morbiferus leaves (DPL) has been used as a medicine since ancient times in various diseases such as inflammation, diabetes, and cancer. In particular, it has been found to have anticancer effects on several types of cancer cells, but the anticancer effect on breast cancer cells SK-BR-3 has not yet been revealed. Therefore, in this study, DPL caused proliferation inhibition in breast cancer cells SK-BR-3 and the anticancer effect by inducing apoptosis was confirmed, through an in vitro experiment. In order to examine the effect of DPL on cell viability, MTT assay was performed to confirm a significant decrease in the concentration of cell viability. DAPI staining was performed to examine the effect of DPL on cellular morphological changes and increase of apoptotic bodies. To supplement this, an increase in the apoptosis rate was also confirmed through flow cytometry after staining with annexin V/PI. Western blot was performed to confirm apoptosis-related proteins. DPL increased the expression of Cleaved-PARP, Bax whereas decreased the expression of Bcl-2. Changes in the expression levels of MAPK pathway proteins p-ERK1/2, p-JNK, and p-p38 were also confirmed, and a significant increase in p-p38 was observed. These results indicated that DPL induced apoptosis, through p-p38 MAPK signal pathway in SK-BR-3 breast cancer cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.818-826
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• 2021

5-Aminolevulinic acid phosphate (5-ALA-p) is a substance obtained by eluting 5-ALA (a natural delta amino acid) with aqueous ammonia, adding phosphoric acid to the eluate, and then adding acetone to confer properties suitable for use in photodynamic therapy applications. However, its pharmacological efficacy, including potential mechanisms of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory reactions, remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of 5-ALA-p on oxidative and inflammatory stresses in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Our data showed that 5-ALA-p significantly inhibited excessive phagocytic activity via LPS and attenuated oxidative stress in LPS-treated RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, 5-ALA-p improved mitochondrial biogenesis reduced by LPS, suggesting that 5-ALA-p restores mitochondrial damage caused by LPS. Additionally, 5-ALA-p significantly suppressed the release of nitric oxide (NO) and pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6, which are associated with the inhibition of inducible NO synthase and respective cytokine expression. Furthermore, 5-ALA-p reduced the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and inhibited phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), indicating that the anti-inflammatory effect of 5-ALA-p is mediated through the suppression of NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. Based on these results, 5-ALA-p may serve as a potential candidate to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.423-433
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• 2021

This study was performed to examine the neuroprotective effect of the ethyl acetate fraction from Eucommia ulmoides oliver leaf (EFEL) on PM_2.5-induced cytotoxicity. EFEL had higher total phenolic and flavonoid contents than the other fractions. In ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activities, the IC₅₀ of EFEL was measured as 212.80 and 359.13 ㎍/mL, respectively. To investigate the neuroprotective effect of EFEL, MTT and DCF-DA assays were performed on HT22, MC-IXC, and BV-2 cells. EFEL effectively decreased PM_2.5-induced intercellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) content and inhibited PM_2.5-induced cell death. In the results of protein expression related to cellular cytotoxicity on microglial cells (BV-2), EFEL had an improvement effect on cell apoptosis and inflammatory pathways. Rutin and chlorogenic acid were identified as the main physiological compounds. Moreover, it was expected that EFEL, including rutin and chlorogenic acid, could be functional food substances with neuroprotective effects against PM_2.5-induced oxidative stress.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.223-229
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• 2021

To evaluate the protective effect of Codium fragile on fine dust (PM2.5)-induced cytotoxicity, we investigated its antioxidant activity and cell protective effect on PM2.5-exposed cells. The 40% ethanolic extract of C. fragile showed the highest total phenolic content, whereas the water extract of C. fragile showed the highest total polysaccharide content. The protective effect of the extracts on PM2.5-induced oxidative damage in nasal cavity (RPMI2650), lung (A549), brain (MC-IXC), hippocampus (HT-22), and microglia (BV-2) cells was evaluated by measuring the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) content and cell viability. The results showed that the 40% ethanolic extract more efficiently inhibited ROS production than the water extract. In contrast, PM2.5-exposed cells treated with the water extract showed higher viability than those treated with the 40% ethanolic extract.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.164-180
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• 2021

Plants Social Network(PSN) analysis combines the plant sociological method and the social network analysis to understand plant society focusing on environmental-to-plant and plant-to-plant relationships. PSN is at an early stage of research and require comparing plant society analyses in various environments and existing interspecies binding analysis. This study conducted a vegetation structural analysis of Mudeungsan National Park and compared the existing interspecies connection analysis with the PSN. A total of 60 plots were established for a survey on the Old Trail. The TWINSPAN and DCA analysis showed that the 60 survey plots were divided into the Quercus serrata-Pinus densiflora community (Community I) and the Quercus mongolica community (Community II) based on an altitude of 800 meters. We performed the interspecies correlation with more than 30% emergence frequency and the DCA analysis and compared the results with a focus on the major species in each colony. The results showed that Quercus serrata had a correlation of -0.450^** and -0.375^** with Pinus densiflora and Quercus mongolica, respectively. The DCA analysis also confirmed that Quercus serrata was located close to Pinus densiflora and far from Quercus mongolica along one axis. For the PSN analysis of PSN, 40 survey plots were added to investigate the species appearing in a total of 100 survey plots. The network structural analysis showed 378 links and a species having an average of 6 interspecies bindings. The density was 0.097, the diameter was 7, and the average path distance was 2.788, similar to the PSN analysis results of the Busan Metropolitan City. The plant social network analysis showed similar results to the existing interspecies combination analysis, enabling analyzing more data than the existing methods and observing the structure of plant society.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.110 no.4
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• pp.504-515
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• 2021

To examine the relationship between environmental factors influencing the habitat of Aconitum austrokoreense Koidz., this study employed the MexEnt model to evaluate 21 environmental factors. Fourteen environmental factors having an AUC of at least 0.6 were found to be the age of stand, growing stock, altitude, topography, topographic wetness index, solar radiation, soil texture, mean temperature in January, mean temperature in April, mean annual temperature, mean rainfall in January, mean rainfall in August, and mean annual rainfall. Based on the response curves of the 14 descriptive factors, Aconitum austrokoreense Koidz. on the Baekun Mountain were deemed more suitable for sites at an altitude of 600 m or lower, and habitats were not significantly affected by the inclination angle. The preferred conditions were high stand density, sites close to valleys, and distribution in the northwestern direction. Under the five-age class system, the species were more likely to be observed for lower classes. The preferred solar radiation in this study was 1.2 MJ/m². The species were less likely to be observed when the topographic wetness index fell below the reference value of 4.5, and were more likely observed above 7.5 (reference of threshold). Soil analysis showed that Aconitum austrokoreense Koidz. was more likely to thrive in sandy loam than clay. Suitable conditions were a mean January temperature of - 4.4℃ to -2.5℃, mean April temperature of 8.8℃-10.0℃, and mean annual temperature of 9.6℃-11.0℃. Aconitum austrokoreense Koidz. was first observed in sites with a mean annual rainfall of 1,670- 1,720 mm, and a mean August rainfall of at least 350 mm. Therefore, sites with increasing rainfall of up to 390 mm were preferred. The area of potential habitats having distributive significance of 75% or higher was 202 ha, or 1.8% of the area covered in this study.