• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.304-309
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• 2014

Purpose: Weeds cause significant losses in agricultural production. In this study, we investigated the effect of microwaves on the germination rates of cress and arugula seeds to determine whether microwaves could be developed as an effective alternative to conventional chemical-based herbicides. Methods: Seeds were planted at equal depths (8-10 mm) in a soil-turf mixture, and seeds were exposed to microwaves for 126 s, 70 s, and 50 s in a device constructed specifically for this study. A microwave tunnel was built using a variable speed conveyor belt and 4 magnetrons with a combined output power of 2.8 kW. Seeds that were not exposed to microwaves were germinated with regulated irrigation, temperature, and humidity controls in parallel with the treated seeds, and the germination rates were compared among the treatment groups. Results: We found that the exposure of cress and arugula seeds to microwaves for 126 s inhibited germination close to 100%. Cress seeds treated with microwaves for 50 s showed 95% germination compared to 65% germination of the untreated cress seeds. Conclusions: We predict that the thermal effect of microwave energy affects the germination ratio and germination rate of seeds.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.69-75
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• 2004

Optimal protocol for efficient genetic transformation has been defined to aid future strategies of genetic engineering in pigeon pea with agronomically important genes. Transgenic pigeonpea plants were successfully produced through Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation method using cotyledonary node explants by employing defined culture media. The explants were co-cultivated with A. tumefaciens strain C-58 harboring the binary plasmid, pCAMBIA-1301 [con-ferring $\beta$-glucuronidase(GUS) activity and resistance to hygromycin] and cultured on selection medium (regeneration medium supplemented with hygromycin) to select putatively transformed shoots. The shoots were then rooted on root induction medium and transferred to pots containing sand and soil mixture in the ratio of 1:1. About 22 putative TO transgenic plants have been produced. Stable expression and integration of the transgenes in the putative transgenics were confirmed by GUS assay, PCR and Southern blot hybridization with a transformation efficiency of over 45%. Stable integration and expression of the marker gene has been confirmed in the TO and T1 transgenics through PCR, and Southern hybridization.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.141-145
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• 1997

The long wave infrared which is ranged to 4～1, 000 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ is a kind of electromagnetic wave, and the wave is being absorbed by higher plant easily. The absorbed wave in the plant promotes the metabolism of plant cell by way of resonance with the water molecules of plant cell. This experiment was carried out to determine the effect of long wave infrared radiation ceramic on growth of rice seedling, and to make the optimum mixture rate of ceramic powder when ceramics was mixed with bed soil at 4, 8, 12, 16％ levels for machine transplanting. The results of this study indicate that the growth of the seedling significantly higher in the treatment sites than that of control sites. However, there was no significant differences in dry matter weight between the treatment and control sites. At the 9.6％ mixing ratio, the highest growth of rice seedling was found.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.291-297
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• 2000

A strain producing high levels of compaction was isolated from soil and identified as Penicillium sp. Y-8515 based on the morphological characteristics and ribosomal RNA sequence analysis. Optimization of several different carbon and nitrogen sources for the effective production of compaction was performed resulting in the medium compositions containing 5%(w/v) glucose, 1.0 % soybean meal, 0.5% yeast extract, 0.5%(NH$_4$)$_2$$SO_4$, 0.25%,$ NaH_2$$PO_4$, 0.25% $CaCO_3$. The fixed con-centration of glucose(5%, w/v) and relatively lower concentrations(less than 2.5%, w/v) of soybean meal stimu-lated the transformation of the growth morphology from filamentous to pellet form. Comparing to that by filamentous form, the production of compactin by pellet form increased up to 1.5 folds. In a fed-batch fermentation, continuous feeding of the mixture of glucose and nitrogen source at the ratio of 10:1 showed 3.5-fold more produc-tion yield of compaction comparing to the batch mode.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.102-111
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• 2013

A novel MgO-based binder was developed and applied to treat the anoxic sediment that was collected from Seonakdong river, Korea and was contaminated with heavy metals. The treated sediment was evaluated by measuring compressive strength, expansion, leaching of heavy metals and storage characteristics for $CO_2$. Initially, an optimal blending ratio of lime (L)/fly ash (FA)/blast furnace slag (BFS) that was to be mixed with MgO was screened to be $L_{0.3}-FA_{0.1}-BFS_{0.6}$. Long-term strengths of the sediments that were treated by various mixtures of MgO and $L_{0.3}-FA_{0.1}-BFS_{0.6}$ were then evaluated and the blending ratios between 4 : 6 and 6 : 4 were found optimal, which yielded a compressive strength of 4.09 MPa. On this basis, the optimal MgO-based binder was selected to be a 5 : 5 mixture of MgO and $L_{0.3}-FA_{0.1}-BFS_{0.6}$. The good performance of the MgO-based binder was believed to be due to the formation of Mg $(OH)_2$, which filled the micropores and also increased the density of the solidified matrices. The MgO-based binder exhibited an average stabilizing capacities for heavy metals of 92.9%, which was similar to or higher than that of Portland cement. It was found that 69.1 kg of carbon dioxide could be sequestrated after 365 days of curing when treating a ton of anoxic sediments.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.64-73
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• 1999

This study was conducted to find out the effects of hydroseeding material and seed mixture on the revegetation of rock cut-slopes by PEC4 (Polymer-Ecology-Control) Hydroseeding Measures. PEC4 hydroseeding material was applied to four cut-slopes using hydroseeding measures from April to August, 1999, and the field survey was carried out by monthly. PEC4 material consisted of bark compost and organic soil amendments. This material has high content of organic matter and high level of water holding capacity. PEC4 hydroseeding material shows low level of soil hardness, so it gives to good condition for seed germinating and plant growing in early stage. PEC4 material attached at rock cut-slopes by two types of adhesive agent was not eroded by rainfall. The plant coverage and number of plant species were affected by mixing ratio of seeds and seeding timing. From the viewpoint of plant establishment, the optimal hydroseeding timing of mixed seeds for plant growth seems to be in May. Most of the plant seeds were germinated well and they covered rock cut-slopes so quickly and effectively. Plant importance value of Silene armeria and Platycodon grandiflorum. were higher than any other seeded-native species in the competition between native species and exotic species, so they have enough possibility to be used for slope revegetation works. Thus it leads to conclusion that the revegetation method used in this experiment was a very effective method for plant establishment on rock cut-slopes.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.75-88
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• 2016

In this study, 5 mural paintings in the Buddhist temples of Joseon era were researched for component analysis on the soil contained in the walls. The results of particle size analysis showed that the ratio of particle contents were different in each layer. In the finishing layer, the distribution of the middle sand fraction is higher than that of the middle layer. The results of XRD analysis showed that quartz, feldspar, and clay mineral are the main components of sand, suggesting similar mineral composition to that of ordinary soil component. It seems weathered rocks were used for construction of the walls. The main chemical components detected from EDX analysis were Si, Al, Fe, and K. Also the SEM images showed sand or clay sized minerals. In conclusion, the walls of the buddhist mural paintings in Joseon Dynasty had been constructed by using the loess, and had been produced by using mixture of clay and sand particles of different sizes for each layer. This study identified the characteristics of the materials and the manufacturing technologies used on the walls of mural paintings of Buddhist temples in Joseon era.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.664-668
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• 2016

The contamination in soil, underground water and river environment became serious due to illegal waste dumping. In this study, our research group analyzed the oil species of illegally disposed oils from J City. After pretreating the mixture of oil, water and solid phases to obtain homogeneous phase components, the physical property analysis, atom analysis, and gas chromatography were performed. From the results showing 11.8% of oxygen content, $-6^{\circ}C$ of pour point and chromatogram pattern. the contaminated oil was identified as a vegetable one. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis was also performed in order to know what kind of vegetable oil was, and the ratio of LLO, OOL and POL was found to be high indicating that the disposed oil is majorly the used soybean oil with some vegetable oil mixtures. This study can be used for identifying contaminators for oils from the illegal waste dumping.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.255-264
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• 2012

The stabilization using limestone ($CaCO_3$) and steel making slag as the immobilization amendments for Cu and Pb contaminated farmland soils was investigated by batch tests, continuous column experiments and the pilot scale feasibility study with 4 testing grounds at the contaminated site. From the results of batch experiment, the amendment with the mixture of 3% of limestone and 2% of steel making slag reduced more than 85% of Cu and Pb compared with the soil without amendment. The acryl column (1 m in length and 15 cm in diameter) equipped with valves, tubes and a sprinkler was used for the continuous column experiments. Without the amendment, the Pb concentration of the leachate from the column maintained higher than 0.1 mg/L (groundwater tolerance limit). However, the amendment with 3% limestone and 2% steel making slag reduced more than 60% of Pb leaching concentration within 1 year and the Pb concentration of leachate maintained below 0.04 mg/L. For the testing ground without the amendment, the Pb and Cu concentrations of soil water after 60 days incubation were 0.38 mg/L and 0.69 mg/l, respectively, suggesting that the continuous leaching of Cu and Pb may occur from the site. For the testing ground amended with mixture of 3% of limestone + 2% of steel making slag, no water soluble Pb and Cu were detected after 20 days incubation. For all testing grounds, the ratio of Pb and Cu transfer to plant showed as following: root > leaves(including stem) > rice grain. The amendment with limestone and steel making slag reduced more than 75% Pb and Cu transfer to plant comparing with no amendment. The results of this study showed that the amendment with mixture of limestone and steel making slag decreases not only the leaching of heavy metals but also the plant transfer from the soil.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.1032-1036
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• 2012

A bulking agent is an essential material for composting of high-moisture livestock manure such as pig slurry. Sawdust has been used as the most popular bulking agent but resources are limited in Korea. In this study, the feasibility of rice hull as a bulking agent was examined for composting of solid pig manure. The solid pig manure was mixed with 15% sawdust (PM+SD15), 15% rice hull (PM+RH15), 10% sawdust and 5% rice hull (PM+SD10+RH5), and 5% sawdust and 10% rice hull (PM+SD5+RH10) based on fresh weight. These mixtures were composted for 35 days. The average temperature of the composting file for 35 days was higher in PM+SD10+RH5 and PM+SD5+RH10 than in PM+SD15 and PM+RH15. The mass loss of PM+SD10+RH5 and PM+SD5+RH10 were 36.7 and 36.4%, respectively, which were higher than that of PM+SD15 and PM+RH15. After composting, organic matter content and organic matter/nitrogen ratio in all treatments met the official standards of commercial fertilizers. We concluded that rice hull may be a good bulking agent for pig manure composting when it is used in mixture with sawdust.