• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.55-63
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• 2023

Variations in geochemical and mineralogical properties of the ferromanganese(Fe-Mn) crust reflect environmental changes. In the present study, geochemical and mineralogical analyses, including micro X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction, were utilized to reconstruct the paleo-ocean environment of western Pacific Magellan seamount cluster. Samples of the Fe-Mn crust were collected using an epibenthic sledge from the open seamount XX (151° 51.12' 7.2" E and 16° 8.16' 9.6" N, 1557 meters below sea level) in the Western Pacific Magellan Seamount. According to the structure and phosphating status, the Fe-Mn crust of the OSM-XX can be divided into the following: phosphatizated (L4-L5), massive non-phosphatizated (L3), and porous non-phosphatizated (L1-L2) portions. All ferromanganese layers contain vernadite, and owing to the presence of carbonate fluorapatite (CFA), the phosphatizated portion (L4-L5) is rich in Ca and P. The massive non-phosphatizated section (L3) contains high Mn, Ni, and Co, whereas the porous non-phosphatizated portion (L1-L2), which comprises detrital quartz and feldspar, is rich in Fe. Variations in properties of the Fe-Mn crust from the OSM-XX reflect changes in the nearby marine environment. The formation of this crust started at approximately 51.87 Ma, and precipitation of the CFA during the global phosphatization event that occurred at approximately 36-32 Ma highlights an elevated sea level and low temperature during the associated period. The high Mn, Ni, and Co concentrations and elevated Mn/Fe ratios of samples from the massive phosphatizated portion indicate that the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) was enhanced, and reducing conditions prevailed during the crust formation. The high Fe and low Mn/Fe ratios in the porous portion indicate a weak OMZ and dominantly oxidizing conditions. These data reflect environmental changes following the end of the Mi-1 glacial period in the Miocene-Oligocene boundary. Subsequently, Mn/Fe and Co/Mn ratios increased slightly in the outermost part of Fe-Mn crust because of the enhanced bottom current and OMZ associated with the continued cooling from approximately 9 Ma. However, the reduced carbonate dissolution rate in the Pacific Ocean from approximately 6 Ma decreased the growth rate of the Fe-Mn crust.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.302-311
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• 2023

This study was conducted to evaluate the applicability of castor oil (CSO) as a natural wood preservative. CSO was treated into wood blocks prepared with domestic and imported wood species using a vacuum-pressure method, and then treatability, leachability and decay resistance of the CSO-treated wood blocks were examined. Although CSO was penetrated effectively into wood blocks of all wood species, the CSO-treatability was the highest in Western hemlock, followed by Japanese larch (LA), soft maple and Mongolian oak due to the difference of its anatomical structure. Except for LA, the more retained, the more leached during a saline water-immersing process for 48h. The use of ethanol added to reduce the viscosity of CSO affected negatively the treatability and leachability of wood blocks. Decay resistance, which was evaluated by the weight loss of wood blocks exposed against Fomitopsis palustris (FOP) and Trametes versicolor, of the CSO-treated/leached wood blocks was superior to that of control. Especially, most of wood blocks treated with preserving solution composed of only CSO (CSO-2) did not decayed and showed a very low weight loss against FOP. The decay resistance results from CSO retained in wood blocks after leaching. The retention of CSO could identify using the observation of X-ray microscope. Length of wood strips, which were treated with CSO-2 and then immersed in saline water for 2 weeks, hardly changed in all cutting directions. In addition, weight gain and length-swelling rate of the wood strips were extremely low compared to those of control. These results indicate that moisture resistance of the wood strips was improved by the CSO treatment. It is concluded that the treatment of CSO using a vacuum-pressure method provides the decay resistance and dimensional stability of wood, and thus CSO can be used as a natural wood preservative on various indoor and outdoor circumstances.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.651-661
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• 2022

Plants social network analysis, which combines plants society and social network analyses, is a new research method for understanding plants society. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between species, using plant social network analysis targeting Taejongdae in Busan, and build basic data for management. Taejongdae, located in the warm temperate forest in Korea, is a representative coastal forest of Busan Metropolitan City, and the Pinus thunbergii-Eurya japonicacommunity is widely distributed. This study set up 100 quadrats (size of 100m²each) in Taejongdae to investigate the species that emerged and analyzed the interspecies association focusing on major species. Based on the results, a sociogram was created using the Gephi 0.9.2, and the network centrality and structure were analyzed. The results showed that the frequency of appearance was high in the order of P. thunbergii, E. japonica, Quercus serrata, Sorbus alnifolia, Ligustrum japonicum, and Styrax japonicusand that many evergreen broad-leaved trees appeared due to the environmental characteristics of the site. The plants social network of Taejongdae was composed of a small-scale network with 50 nodes and 172 links and was divided into 4 groups through modularization. The succession sere identified through a sociogram confirmed that the group that include P. thunbergiiand E. japonicawould progress to a deciduous broadleaf community dominated by Q. serrataand Carpinus tschonoskii, using hub nodes such as Prunus serrulataf. spontaneaand Toxicodendron trichocarpum. Another succession sere was highly likely to progress to an evergreen broad-leaved community dominated by Machilus thunbergiiand Neolitsea sericea, using M. thunbergiias a medium. In some areas, a transition to a deciduous broad-leaved community dominated by Celtis sinensis, Q. variabilisand Zelkova serratausing Lindera obtusilobaand C. sinensisas hub nodes was expected.

• Journal of Service Research and Studies
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.41-61
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• 2023

The universal form of life in the era of the 4th industrial revolution can probably be summarized as the keyword "non-face-to-face". In particular, in terms of consumption activities, face-to-face contact is gradually changing to a system that minimizes, and offline stores are rapidly changing to non-contact services through kiosks and robots. The social structure is also changing with the passage of time, and most fundamentally, our dietary consumption patterns are changing. In particular, the increase in single-person households and the aging population are having a great impact on changes in the food service industry, which is closely related to dietary life. The HMR (Home Meal Replacement) market has grown significantly as the labor of cooking at home has decreased and the use of substitute foods has increased. As the size of the market has grown, the types of businesses that provide products have also diversified. The development of technology, non-face-to-face culture, and corporate management efficiency are intertwined, and unmanned stores are spreading recently. In this study, service quality attributes of HMR unmanned stores, where competition is gradually intensifying, are classified, and service quality classification using the Kano model and Timko's customer satisfaction coefficient are calculated to provide implications for service management based on customer satisfaction. As a result of the analysis, 'products with short cooking time' and 'variety of products (menu)' were classified as attractive qualities, and 'cleanliness inside/outside of the store' and 'products at reasonable prices' were classified as unified quality. In addition, 'convenience of self-checkout process' was classified as a natural quality, and 'convenience of in-store passage' was classified as an indifferent quality. Furthermore, when the service factor was satisfied within the HMR unmanned store, the factor with the highest satisfaction coefficient was 'product (menu) variety', and the factor with the highest dissatisfaction factor was 'convenience of self-checkout process'. Through the results of this study, it is intended to derive priorities in service quality management of HMR unmanned stores and provide strategic implications for related businesses.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.125-137
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• 2022

To assess the characteristics of meiofaunal community fluctuations related to environmental factors, seasonal surveys were conducted in the subtidal zone of Hallyeohaesang National Park. The average depth of the study area was about 20 m, and the average water temperature at the bottom was low in winter(11.33℃) and high in summer(17.95℃). The sedimentary particles mainly comprised silt and clay at most stations. The abundance of meiofauna ranged from 81.7 to 1,296.5 Inds. 10 cm^-2, and the average abundance was 589.3 Inds. 10 cm^-2. The average abundance of meiofauna in each season was the lowest at 416.5 Inds. 10cm^-2 in winter and the highest at 704.5Inds.10 cm^-2 in spring. The dominant taxa were nematodes (about 92%) and harpacticoids (about 5%). In the cluster analysis of meiofaunal communities, they were divided into four significant groups. The largest group mainly contained spring and summer samples, and contained stations with a high nematode density of over 500 Inds. 10 cm^-2 and harpacticoids below 50 Inds. 10 cm^-2 with a high composition ratio of nematodes. In the cluster analysis, no regional division was found between the stations, and it was thought to be divided by the seasons with high abundance according to seasonal variation and the composition ratio of nematodes and harpacticoids. In the Spearman rank correlation analysis, the density of total meiofauna and the most dominant taxa, nematodes, was not significantly related to environmental factors. However, the density of harpacticoids had a significant positive correlation with water depth and a negative correlation with sediment particle size.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.112 no.2
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• pp.173-187
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• 2023

The forest protection policies implemented in South Korea have resulted in the significant accumulation of forest. Moreover, the associated public interest has also been closely evaluated. As forests mature, there arises a need for forest management (FM) practices, such as thinning and harvesting. It is therefore essential to perform a scientific analysis of the long-term effects of FM. In this study, conducted in Mt. Gariwang, the effect of FM on forest succession and wood production (WP) were evaluated based on changes in aboveground biomass (AGB) using the LANDIS-II model. The FM consists of three scenarios (Selection, Shelterwood, and Two-stories), characterized based on the harvest intensity, frequency, and period. The model was applied to changes in the forest over 200 years. All scenarios show that the total AGB decreased immediately after thinning and harvesting. However, AGB recovery time differed among scenarios, with recovery to preharvest level occurring from 15 to 50 years after harvest; further, after 200 years, harvested forests had a greater total AGB than forests without FMs In particular, the changes in AGB of each species was different depending on its shade tolerance. The AGB of currently dominant shade-intolerant and mid-tolerant species decreased dramatically after harvesting. However, shade-tolerant species, dominant in the understory, continued to grow but were not harvested due to their small size. The cumulative WP for each scenario was estimated at 545.6, 141.6, and 299.9 tons/ha in Selection, Shelterwood, and Two-stories, respectively. The composition of WP differed according to harvest intensity and period. Most WP originated from shade-intolerant and mid-tolerant species in the early period. Later, most WP was from shade-tolerant species, which became dominant. The modeling approach used in this study is capable of analyzing the long-term effects of FM on changes in forests and WP. This study can contribute to decision making to guide FM methods for a variety of purposes, including WP and controlling forest composition and structure.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.112-123
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• 2022

To assess the influence of environmental factors on the phytoplankton community structure and total phytoplankton biomass during four seasons in 2014, we investigated the abiotic and biotic factors at 25 stations in the Busan coastal region. The phytoplankton community and total phytoplankton biomass were strongly dependent on the discharge from the Nakdong River, and the high density of phytoplankton was related with the introduction of the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC), particularly in the thermohaline fronts of the fall season. The relationship between the salinity and nutrient (Dissolved inorganic nitrogen=DIN: R²=0.72, p<0.001 and Dissolved inorganic silicon=DSi: R²=0.78, p<0.001) highly correlated with the river discharge, implying that those nutrients have played a crucial role in the growth of diatom and cryptophyta. The total phytoplankton biomass was highest in the summer followed by autumn, spring, and winter. Diatom and cryptophyta species were dominant species during the four seasons. Additionally, there were strong positive correlations between Chlorophyll a and total phytoplankton biomass (R²=0.84, p<0.001), cryptophyta (R²=0.76, p<0.001) and diatom (R²=0.50, p<0.001), respectively. In particular, we found that there were significant differences in the nutrients, phytoplankton community compositions, and total phytoplankton biomass between the inner and the outer coastal region of Busan, depending on the amount of river discharge from the Nakdong River, particularly during rainy seasons. Therefore, the seasonal change of TWC and river discharge from the Nakdong River serve an important role in determining phytoplankton population dynamics in the Busan coastal region.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.258-263
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• 2023

In this study, conductive polymers and the enzyme tyrosinase (Tyr) were deposited on the surface of a screen printed carbon electrode (SPCE), which can be fabricated as a disposable sensor chip, and applied to the detection of bisphenol F (BPF), an endocrine disruptor with proven links to male diseases and thyroid disorders, using electrochemical methods. On the surface of the SPCE working electrode, which was negatively charged by oxygen plasma treatment, a positively charged conductive polymer, poly(diallyldimethyl ammonium chloride) (PDDA), a negatively charged polymer compound, poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS), and another layer of PDDA were layered by electrostatic attraction in the order of PDDA, PSS, and finally PDDA. Then, a layer of Tyr, which was negatively charged due to pH adjustment to 7.0, was added to create a PDDA-PSS-PDDA-Tyr sensor for BPF. When the electrode sensor is exposed to a BPF solution, which is the substrate and target analyte, 4,4'-methylenebis(cyclohexa-3,5-diene-1,2-dione) is generated by an oxidation reaction with the Tyr enzyme on the electrode surface. The reduction process of the product at 0.1 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) generating 4,4'-methylenebis(benzene-1,2-diol) was measured using cyclic and differential pulse voltammetries, resulting in a change in the peak current with respect to the concentration of BPF. In addition, we compared the detection performance of BPF using an ionic liquid electrolyte as an alternative to phosphate-buffered saline, which has been used in many previous sensing studies. Furthermore, the selectivity of bisphenol S, which acts as an interfering substance with a similar structure to BPF, was investigated. Finally, we demonstrated the practical applicability of the sensor by applying it to analyze the concentration of BPF in real samples prepared in the laboratory.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.60-75
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• 2022

The Bayesian algorithm model is a model algorithm that calculates probabilities based on input data and is mainly used for complex disasters, water quality management, the ecological structure between living things or living-non-living factors. In this study, we analyzed the main factors affected Korean Estuary Trophic Diatom Index (KETDI) change based on the Bayesian network analysis using the diatom community and physicochemical factors in the domestic estuarine aquatic ecosystem. For Bayesian analysis, estuarine diatom habitat data and estuarine aquatic diatom health (2008~2019) data were used. Data were classified into habitat, physical, chemical, and biological factors. Each data was input to the Bayesian network model (GeNIE model) and performed estuary aquatic network analysis along with the nationwide and each coast. From 2008 to 2019, a total of 625 taxa of diatoms were identified, consisting of 2 orders, 5 suborders, 18 families, 141 genera, 595 species, 29 varieties, and 1 species. Nitzschia inconspicua had the highest cumulative cell density, followed by Nitzschia palea, Pseudostaurosira elliptica and Achnanthidium minutissimum. As a result of analyzing the ecological network of diatom health assessment in the estuary ecosystem using the Bayesian network model, the biological factor was the most sensitive factor influencing the health assessment score was. In contrast, the habitat and physicochemical factors had relatively low sensitivity. The most sensitive taxa of diatoms to the assessment of estuarine aquatic health were Nitzschia inconspicua, N. fonticola, Achnanthes convergens, and Pseudostaurosira elliptica. In addition, the ratio of industrial area and cattle shed near the habitat was sensitively linked to the health assessment. The major taxa sensitive to diatom health evaluation differed according to coast. Bayesian network analysis was useful to identify major variables including diatom taxa affecting aquatic health even in complex ecological structures such as estuary ecosystems. In addition, it is possible to identify the restoration target accurately when restoring the consequently damaged estuary aquatic ecosystem.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.10-18
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• 2022

This study analyzed the relationship between the community structure of benthic macroinvertebrates and habitat changes in open estuaries among the sites included in the national estuary monitoring program. The estuary survey was conducted under the "Guidelines for Investigation and Evaluation of Biometric Networks" and classified by sea area, 80 places in the East Sea, 102 places in the South Sea, and 19 places in the West Sea were investigated. In a total of 201 open estuaries, benthic macroinvertebrates were identified with 4 phyla, 9 classes, 41 orders, 139 families, 269 species and 196 species in the East Sea, 182 species in the South Sea, and 90 species in the West Sea. The highest population densities were Insecta in the East Sea, the Malacostraca in the South Sea, and the Annelida in the West Sea. Through SIMPER analysis, species contributing to the similarity of benthic macroinvertebrates communities in each sea area were identified. Some species greatly influenced the similarity of clusters. The benthic community in the East Sea was affected by the salinity, so the contribution rate of freshwater species was high. On the other hand, the benthic communities of the South and West Seas showed species compositions are influenced by the substrate composition. As results, the benthic macroinvertebrate community in Korean estuaries was impacted by salinity and substrate simultaneously, and the close relationship with geographical distance was not observed. The result of this study is expected to be used to respond to environmental changes by identifying and predicting changes in the diversity and distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates in Korea estuaries.