• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2015

Pseudomonas coronafaciens causes halo blight on oats and is a plant quarantine bacterium in many countries, including the Republic of Korea. Using of the certificated seed is important for control of the disease. Since effective detection method of P. coronafaciens is not available yet, PCR and TaqMan PCR assays for specific detection of P. coronafaciens were developed in this study. PCR primers were designed from the draft genome sequence of P. coronafaciens LMG 5060 which was obtained by the next-generation sequencing in this study. The PCR primer set Pc-12-F/Pc-12-R specifically amplified 498 bp from the 13 strains of P. coronafaciens isolated in the seven different countries (Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Germany, and New Zealand) and the nested primer set Pc-12-ne-F/Pc-12-ne-R specifically amplified 298 bp from those strains. The target-size PCR product was not amplified from the non-target bacteria with the PCR and nested primer sets. TaqMan PCR with Pc-12-ne-F/Pc-12-ne-R and a TaqMan probe, Pc-taqman, which were designed inside of the nested PCR amplicon, generated Ct values which in a dose-dependent manner to the amount of the target DNA and the Ct values of all the P. coronafaciens strains were above the threshold Ct value for positive detection. The TaqMan PCR generated positive Ct values from the seed extracts of the artificially inoculated oat seeds above 10 cfu/ml inoculation level. PCR and TaqMan PCR assays developed in this study will be useful tools to detect and identify the plant quarantine pathogen, P. coronafaciens.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.10 no.11
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• pp.3054-3059
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• 2009

Natural black diamonds of single crystal, polycrystalline, and agglomerated roughs become important for their industrial and gem stone application. We performed the conventional gemological tests of thermal diffusion, apparent density, scratch test, and magnification test as well as the advanced tests of Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction test and Lang topography. We conclude that scratch test with SiC paper was the most efficient method in view point of speed and cost. Raman spectroscopy and XRD were useful for identification of diamond while Lang topography offered a good visualization method of the grain structure of polycrystalline black diamond roughs.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2016.05a
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• pp.156-156
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• 2016

2016년 2월 5일, 짐바브웨는 극심한 가뭄으로 인해 인구의 4분의 1이상이 식량난을 겪고 있다며 '국가 재난 사태'를 선포하였다. 한때 아프리카 곡창지대로 불리던 짐바브웨가 극심한 가뭄을 겪게 된 데에는 2015/16년 슈퍼엘니뇨의 영향이 크게 한 몫을 하였는데, 이는 남반구의 여름인 11월부터 이듬해 3월까지인 짐바브웨의 우기가 2015/16년 슈퍼엘니뇨 강도가 절정에 달했던 시기(10월에서 2월)와 겹쳐져 짐바브웨의 강수량이 슈퍼 엘니뇨의 영향을 받게 되었기 때문이다. 게다가 4월부터는 엘니뇨의 영향을 받은 우기가 끝나고 건기가 시작되기 때문에 앞으로 가뭄이 얼마나 더 악화될지 우려되는 상황이다. 짐바브웨의 기후를 살펴보면, 증발량이 강수량보다 많은 건조기후 중에서도 비교적 그 정도가 약한 기후인 반건조 지대에 속한다. 하지만 연강수량 변동에 따라서, 비가 내리는 해에는 토양 수분이 과잉되고 비가 적게 내리는 해에는 심한 물 부족 현상이 일어나게 되기 때문에, 건기가 시작되는 4월부터 짐바브웨 강수 예측은 가뭄이 얼마나 지속될지를 파악하는 데에 아주 중요한 요소가 될 수 있다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 강수 예측 결과를 중심으로 2016년 짐바브웨의 가뭄이 얼마나 지속되고, 또 가뭄의 강도는 어떻게 될지 알아보는 것에 목적을 두고, GCM을 이용하여 2016년 3월에서 10월까지 장기예측을 수행하였다. 경계 자료로는 ECMWF (European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts)에서 제공하는 Sea Ice자료와, NOAA OI (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Optimum Interpolation) Weekly SST자료를 사용하였고 엘니뇨의 영향을 고려하기 위해 IRI (International Research Institute)의 ENSO forecast를 참고하여 SST아노말리에 월별 가중치를 적용하였다. 초기 입력 자료로는 1월 21-30일 10일간의 ECMWF의 재분석 자료를 이용하여 총 10개 멤버의 앙상블 예측을 수행하였고, 8개월(3-10월) 기간에 대해 약 한 달간의 spin-up time을 주었다. 예측 자료를 모델 climatology와 비교하여 월 평균 강수 전망을 분석하였고, 기온과 해면기압의 월 평균자료도 추가 분석하였다. 또한 짐바브웨 지역의 강수 관측 자료와 모델 예측 자료를 이용하여 특정 도시들의 1년 누적강수를 예측 및 분석하였고, 최종적으로 이 결과를 통해 짐바브웨의 가뭄지속가능성을 살펴보았다.

• Current Optics and Photonics
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.311-321
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• 2021

Indocyanine green (ICG) is a dye approved for use in clinical diagnostics. ICG remains in the intravascular space following intravenous administration, due to its ability to rapidly bind to the plasma proteins, and its therapeutic potential has been studied in well-vascularized cutaneous tumors. Here we have evaluated the clinical response of a subconjunctival tumor to photothermal therapy (PTT) using an ICG-enhanced near-infrared diode laser and its adverse effects, in a rabbit. 22 male New Zealand white rabbits with subconjunctival tumors were enrolled (control group 6, laser-only group 8, laser-with-ICG group 8). Rabbits in the laser-with-ICG group received ICG (twice, 2 mg/kg each time, intravenously) directly followed by irradiation with a diode laser (λ = 810 nm). Rabbits in the laser-only group were irradiated with the diode laser. ICG angiography, ultrasonography, and pathologic examination were performed to evaluate PTT response at specific time points (0, 2, and 4 weeks after PTT). Two weeks after initial treatment, the eight rabbits treated by laser with ICG showed a 100% response rate. There was no clinical response in both laser-only and control groups. ICG-PTT is a potential and effective palliative therapeutic modality for subconjunctival tumors.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.220-226
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• 2022

Background: Research on the impact of psychosocial risks on well-being at work remains scarce in low- and middle-income countries, especially in the banking sector. This study sought to examine the relationships between job demands, job resources, well-being, job satisfaction, and work engagement in the Zimbabwean banking sector. Methods: An online survey was administered to 259 employees from five banks. Hierarchical multiple regression tested the relationships between job demands (quantitative demands, emotional demands, work pace, and work-family conflict), job resources (possibilities for development, social support from colleagues and supervisors, quality of leadership, and influence at work), well-being, work engagement, and job satisfaction. Interactions between all variables were tested. Results: Job demands were negatively related to well-being, work engagement, and job satisfaction. Job resources had positive relationships with the same. Work pace had positive relationships with well-being and work engagement. Influence at work moderated the relationship between emotional demands and work pace with well-being. Possibilities for development moderated the relationship between work-family conflict and well-being. Work-family conflict moderated the relationship between social support from colleagues and job satisfaction. Emotional demands, work pace, and quantitative demands moderated the relationship between influence at work with job satisfaction and work engagement. Conclusion: Job demands should be reduced where possible in order to enhance employee well-being, work engagement, and job satisfaction. The job resources that should be availed to facilitate a positive psychosocial work environment in the banking sector include social support from supervisors, influence at work, and possibilities for development.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.336-342
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• 2012

Inorganic materials were commonly used as container media in domestic plant factories. Objective of this research was to secure the information in soil physical and chemical properties of inorganic materials such as vermiculites and perlites. To achieve this, 12 gold and silver vermiculites from China, Zimbabwe, and South Africa and 5 perlites from China were collected based on the marketing grades (MG) in particle sizes and analyzed for determination of their characteristics. The percentage of particles larger than $710{\mu}m$, in China perlite MG 3~5 mm, China silver vermiculites MG > 8 mm and MG 3~8 mm were 99.9%, 99.8%, and 99.7%, respectively, which were much higher than 28.4% in China gold vermiculite MG 0.3~1.0 mm, 14.0% in perlite MG < 1.0 mm, and 12.6% of Zimbabwe silver vermiculite MG < 1.0 mm. The container capacities of perlite MG < 1.0 mm and South Africa silver vermiculite MG 0.25~1.0 mm were 72.0% and 71.1%, respectively. The air space in China silver vermiculite MG 3~8 mm was 49.3% which was higher than other materials tested. However, the China gold and silver vermiculites MG 0.3~1 mm had 3.5% and 2.4% in air space indicating that possible problems could occur in soil aeration when they are used for container media. The percentage of easily available and buffering water of China gold vermiculite MG 0.3~1 mm and perlite MG < 1.0 mm were the highest among test materials. The ranges of pH and electrical conductivity were 6.36 to 10.7 and 0.032 to $0.393dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ in vermiculites and 7.78 to 8.62 and 0.030 to $0.041dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ in perlite, respectively. The cation exchange capacity of China silver vermiculite MG 0.3~1 mm were $14.7cmol{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ that was 10 times as high as $0.34cmol{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ in perlite MG 1~2.5 mm. The vermiculites had the higher contents of exchangeable cations such as Ca, K, and Na, than those of perlites.