• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.365-375
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• 2017

This study investigated in the vascular plants of special protection zones (the native land of Iris koreana in Gaeamsa Temple and Soeppulbawi Rock) of Byeonsanbando National Park and identified the whole flora. The numbers of vascular plants were summarized as 255 taxa including 71 families, 166 genera, 222 species, 2 subspecies, 27 varieties and 4 forms. Woody plants were identified as 114 taxa (44.7%) and herbaceous plants as 141 taxa (55.3%). A total of 178 taxa were identified in the area of Gaeamsa Temple, and 184 taxa were found in the Soeppulbawi Rock. As a legal protected species, the endangered wild plant II grade Iris koreana designated by the Ministry of Environment was confirmed. A total of 6 taxa of rare plants were identified, each of which was divided into 1 taxa of critically endangered (CR; Iris koreana), 1 taxa of vulnerable (VU; Ilex cornuta), and 4 taxa of least concern (LC; Asarum maculatum, Viola albida, Chionanthus retusa and Tricyrtis macropoda). The Korean endemic plants were 11 taxa (Populus tomentiglandulosa, Lonicera subsessilis, Carex okamotoi, etc.). In the specific plants by floristic region were 38 taxa, a degree I were 23 taxa (Euscaphis japonica, Hedera rhombea, Lophatherum gracile, etc.), 7 taxa of a degree II (Viola violacea, Ainsliaea apiculata, Cephalanthera falcata, etc.), 6 taxa of a degree III (Ilex cornuta, Callicarpa mollis, Mitchella undulata, etc.), 1 taxa of a degree IV (Carex remotiuscula), 1 taxa of a degree V (Iris koreana). The Iris koreana special protection area that is more natural and healthier than any other areas in Byeonsanbando National Park. Therefore, it should be possible to continue its role as a special protection area through regular monitoring in the future.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.31-40
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• 2000

The flora, vegetation structure and physico-chemical characteristics of surface sediment were investigated in Paksil-nup wetland of Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea in 1990~1998. Ranges of the surface sediment characteristics such as pH, conductivity, organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, exchangeable K, exchangeable Ca, exchangeable Mg, and exchangeable Na were 4.36~4.34, $19.0{\sim}1260.0\;{\mu}mho\;cm^{-1}$, 0.01~6.35%, 0.001~0.14%, 0.01~0.31 mg/l00g, 1.01~13.98 ppm, 16.75~143.80 ppm, 0.93~14.85 ppm and 0.21~3.86 ppm, respectively. Percentages of the particle size such as sand, silt, and clay were 13.0~93.3%, 5.4~71.7%, and 0.5~37.5%, respectively. The flora of the study area was composed of 72 families, 182 genera, 223 species, 36 varieties and 2 form or total 261 kinds, and those were 45 kinds of vascular hydrophytes and 216 kinds of vascular hygrophytes. The life form of vascular hydrophytes was classified as 27 kinds (60%) of emergent plants, 8 kinds (18%) of submerged plants, 6 kinds (13%) of free-floating plants and 4 kinds (9%) of floating-leaved plants, respectively. The importance value of Salix nipponica was highest as 123.78 in the shrub and tree layers, and that of Trapa japonica was highest as 16.69 in the herb layer. The vegetation type was divided into two groups according to the association analysis. The vegetation of the littoral zone was classified into 7 associations according to the cluster analysis based on the coverage data. These results showed significant differences with those of stand ordination by correspondence analysis based on the species composition and by PCA based on the sediment properties. Factors affecting the distribution of the vascular hydrophytes and hygrophytes were the gradient of particle size, altitude, and water depth.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.29-44
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• 1999

Vegetation structure and distribution of the vascular hydrophytes and hygrophytes, and the growth pattern, standing crop and amounts of nutrient uptake by Salix species were investigated in the upper stream wetlands of the Namgang-Dam, Chinju-city, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea from April to November in 1997. The flora was composed of 43 hydrophytes and 241 hygrophytes, or total 284 vascular plants. The life forms of the hydrophytes were classified as 27 kinds of emergent plants, 4 floating-leaved plants, 3 free-floating plants, and 9 submersed plants. In the herb layer, the dominant species was Persicaria hyciropiper, and the ranges of the species diversity indices (H'), equitabilities, (J') and community similarity indices (CCs) were 1.59~1.89, 0.87~0.96, and 0.35~0.83, respectively. In the shrub and subtree layers, 17 kinds of Salix species were supposed to the pioneer plants at the early stage of the succession. The number of branches per main stem of Salix species was 5.0. The DBH class-frequency histograms of Salix species were the reverse J type, and the natural regeneration of the Salix community was expected. Basal area of Salix species per square meter was $24.87cm^2$. Volume of Salix species per square meter was $12,008cm^3$ and total phytomass of the Salix species was estimated as 12,894 ton. Biomass distribution of Salix species in the stem, the branch and twig, and the leaf was 64.1%, 28.1%, and 7.8%, respectively. The amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus absorbed by Salix species were 68,022 and 19,823 kg. It was recommended that application and conservation of the wetland and other counterplans are indispensable to reduce the adverse effects of water pollution and to preserve the wetland ecosystem.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.81-92
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• 1995

The flora of the Chuwangsan National Park was surveyed. The field works was done for three times from February to October, 1994. The total number of vascular plants in this area were surveyed as 433 taxa ; 94 families, 260 genera, 365 species, 60 varieties, 2 subspecies, 5 formas, and 1 cultivars. The twenty seven taxa which were artificially planted could be found at the temple and abandoned cultivated areas. The population of Jeffersonia dubia Benth, one of the rare and endangered plants in Korea, were surveyed and mapped for an ecological monitorings in the future. Since this population is restrictly located in the vicinity of the mountain trails, the protection measures should be urgently needed in the future.

• Anatomy and Cell Biology
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.225-231
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• 2018

Variations in the vascular anatomy of the carotid triangle have been reported in current scientific literature. The carotid arteries, being the major feeding arteries of the head and neck deserve special importance and protection from iatrogenic injury during radiological evaluations and surgical interventions. The present study was carried out over a period of 4 years from 2012-2016 to assess the variant anatomy of external carotid artery. The external carotid artery and its branches were dissected bilaterally in 40 formalin embalmed cadavers. The external carotid artery was traced from its origin to termination and variations in the branching pattern as well as the level of the carotid bifurcation were observed and analysed. A higher carotid bifurcation was observed in 25% cases. The linguofacial trunk was the commonest variation noted in the branching pattern seen in 20% cases. A single case of unilateral thyrolinguofacial trunk was also observed. The external carotid artery gave rise to accessory branches in 7.5% cases namely the superior laryngeal, accessory ascending pharyngeal and masseteric branches. A slender branch to the internal jugular vein was also observed in one case. These findings may provide further insight into the understanding of the vascular anatomy of the carotid triangle to the curious student, the discerning radiologist and the vigilant surgeon to avert complications and help improve overall treatment outcome.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.79-101
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• 2023

Following recent taxonomic, distributional, and nomenclatural revisions, an updated checklist of endemic plants on the Korean Peninsula is needed. This study provides an updated checklist of vascular plants endemic to the Korean Peninsula and describes their distribution within administrative provinces. The revised checklist includes 373 endemic taxa (304 species, six subspecies, 49 varieties, and 14 nothospecies) from 179 genera and 64 families, representing 9.5% of the total native flora of the Korean Peninsula. Asteraceae (41 taxa), Ranunculaceae (29 taxa), Liliaceae s.l. (24 taxa), and Rosaceae (22 taxa) were the most widely represented families. Compared with the most recent checklist published in 2017, 39 taxa were excluded from the checklist; one taxon was excluded because it did not have a valid published name, seven taxa were excluded because their natural habitats extended to neighboring countries, four taxa were excluded because they were treated as a rank form, and 27 taxa were excluded because they had been identified as heterotypic synonyms of taxa distributed outside of the Korean Peninsula. Fifty-two new taxa were included based on the literature. This checklist will help to focus conservation efforts and provide a framework for research, protection, and policy implementation related to these endemic taxa.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.203-214
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• 2013

Knowing how many species live in a ecosystem is a major work because of the distributions of species are determined by the environmental condition. This study was carried out to investigate the distribution of vascular plants of Gonggeom-ji, located in Sangju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, from April to October on 2012. The vascular plants were summarized as 240 taxa including 69 families, 176 genus, 204 species, 2 subspecies, 29 varieties, and 5 forma. Among the investigated taxa, 3 taxa of Korean endemic plants were included. Based on the list of specially designated plants by Ministry of Environment, 11 taxa including Alisma orientale, Monochoria korsakowii and Nymphoides peltata were recorded. The naturalized plants were identified as 26 taxa and the ratio of naturalized index (NI) was 10.8% of vascular plants recorded. 31 taxa of hydrophytes showed 17.8% of Korea. To conservation of wetlands, we suggest that it is required to minimize for unnecessary disturbance of human and to make a strategy for effective management by continuous monitoring for ecosystem alteration.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.621-628
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• 2016

Hypertension can be caused by various factors while the predominant causes include increase in body fluid volume and resistance in the circulatory system that elevate the blood pressure. Consumption of probiotics has been proven to attenuate hypertension; however, the effect is much strain-dependent. In this study, a newly isolated Lactobacillus casei (Lb. casei ) strain C1 was investigated for its antihypertensive properties in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) suspension of 11 log colony-forming unit (CFU) was given to SHR (SHR+LAB, n=8), and phosphate buffer saline (PBS) was given as a control in SHR (SHR, n=8) and in Wistar rats as sham (WIS, n=8). The treatment was given via oral gavage for 8 weeks. The results showed that the weekly systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and aortic reactivity function were remarkably improved after 8 weeks of bacterial administration in SHR+LAB. These effects were mostly attributed by restoration of wall tension and tensile stress following the bacterial treatment. Although not statistically significant, the level of malondialdehye (MDA) in SHR+LAB serum was found declining. Increased levels of glutathione (GSH) and nitric oxide (NO) in SHR+LAB serum suggested that the bacterium exerted vascular protection through antioxidative functions and relatively high NO level that induced vasodilation. Collectively, Lb. casei strain C1 is a promising alternative for hypertension improvement.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.171-176
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• 2008

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) serve as molecular chaperones and play a role in cell protection from damage in response to stress stimuli. The aim of this article is to investigate whether HSP22 affects IL-8 expression in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), and which cellular factors are involved in the HSP-mediated IL-8 induction in that cell type in terms of mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) and transcription element. Exposure of aortic smooth muscle cells (AoSMCs) to HSP22 not only enhanced IL-8 release but also induced IL-8 transcript via promoter activation. HSP22 activated ERK and p38 MAPK in AoSMCs. HSP22-induced IL-8 release was inhibited by U0126, but not by SB202190. A mutation in the IL-8 promoter region at the binding site of NF-${\kappa}$ B, but not AP-1 or C/EBP, impaired promoter activation in response to HSP22. Delivery of I ${\kappa}$ B, but not dominant negative c-Jun, lowered HSP22-induced IL-8 release from AoSMCs. These results suggest that HS P22 induces IL-8 in VSMCs via ERK1/2, and that transcription factor NF-kB may be required for the HSP22-induced IL-8 up-regulation.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.381-387
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Vascular dementia (VaD) caused by reduced blood supply to the brain manifests as white matter lesions accompanying demyelination and glial activation. We previously showed that arabinoxylan consisting of arabinose and xylose, and arabinose itself attenuated white matter injury in a rat model of VaD. Here, we investigated whether larch arabinogalactan (LAG) consisting of arabinose and galactose could also reduce white matter injury. MATERIALS/METHODS: We used a rat model of bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO), in which the bilateral common carotid arteries were exposed and ligated permanently with silk sutures. The rats were fed a modified AIN-93G diet supplemented with LAG (100 mg/kg/day) for 5 days before and 4 weeks after being subjected to BCCAO. Four weeks after BCCAO, the pupillary light reflex (PLR) was measured to assess functional consequences of injury in the corpus callosum (cc). Additionally, Luxol fast blue staining and immunohistochemical staining were conducted to assess white matter injury, and astrocytic and microglial activation, respectively. RESULTS: We showed that white matter injury in the the cc and optic tract (opt) was attenuated in rats fed diet supplemented with LAG. Functional consequences of injury reduction in the opt manifested as improved PLR. Overall, these findings indicate that LAG intake protects against white matter injury through inhibition of glial activation. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study support our hypothesis that cell wall polysaccharides consisting of arabinose are effective at protecting white matter injury, regardless of their origin. Moreover, LAG has the potential for development as a functional food to prevent vascular dementia.