• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.122-131
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• 2010

This paper introduces the concept of a virtual ecosystem and reports the following three mathematical approaches that could be widely used to construct such an ecosystem, along with examples: (1) a molecular dynamics simulation approach for animal flocking behavior, (2) a stochastic lattice model approach for termite colony behavior, and (3) a rule-based cellular automata approach for biofilm growth. The ecosystem considered in this study consists of artificial organisms and their environment. Each organism in the ecosystem is an agent that interacts autonomously with the dynamic environment, including the other organisms within it. The three types of model were successful to account for each corresponding ecosystem. In order to accurately mimic a natural ecosystem, a virtual ecosystem needs to take many ecological variables into account. However, doing so is likely to introduce excess complexity and nonlinearity in the analysis of the virtual ecosystem's dynamics. Nonetheless, the development of a virtual ecosystem is important, because it can provide possible explanations for various phenomena such as environmental disturbances and disasters, and can also give insights into ecological functions from an individual to a community level from a synthetic viewpoint. As an example of how lower and higher levels in an ecosystem can be connected, this paper also briefly discusses the application of the second model to the simulation of a termite ecosystem and the influence of climate change on the termite ecosystem.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2018.04a
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• pp.3-3
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• 2018

For centuries, Panax ginseng Meyer (Korean ginseng) has been widely used as a medicinal herb in Korea, China, and Japan. Ginsenosides are a class of triterpene saponins and recognized as the bioactive components in Korean ginseng. Ginsenosides, which can be classified broadly as protopanaxadiols (PPD), protopanaxatriols (PPT), and oleanolic acids, have been shown to flaunt a vast array of pharmacological activities such as immune-modulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-diabetic, and antioxidant effects. In recent years, a number of ginseng and ginsenoside researches have increasingly gained wide attention owing to its unique pharmacological properties. Although good efficacies of ginsenosides have been reported, lack of target specific delivery into tumor sites, low solubility, and low bioavailability due to modifications in gastro-intestinal environments limit their biomedical application in clinical trials. As a result to this major challenge, nanotechnology and drug delivery techniques play a significant role to solve this problematic issue. Thus, we reported the preparation of poly-ethylene glycol (PEG) and glycol chitosan (GC) functionalized to ginsenoside (Compound K and PPD) conjugates via hydrolysable ester bonds with improved aqueous solubility and pH-dependent drug release. In vitro cytotoxicity assays revealed that PEG-CK, and PPD-CK conjugates exhibited lower cytotoxicity compared to bare CK and PPD in HT29 cells. However, GC-CK conjugates exhibited higher and similar cytotoxicity in HT29 and HepG2 cells. Furthermore, GC-CK-treated RAW264.7 cells did not exhibit significant cell death at higher concentration of treatment which supports the biocompatibility of the polymer conjugates. They also inhibited nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW64.7 cells. In addition to polymer-ginsenoside conjugates, silver (AgNps) and gold nanoparticles (AuNps) have been successfully synthesized by green chemistry using different m. The biosynthesized nanoparticles demonstrated antimicrobial efficacy, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant activity, biofilm inhibition, and anticoagulant effect. Special interest on the effective delivery methods of ginsenoside to treatment sites is the focus of metal nanoparticle research.In short, nano-sizing of ginsenoside results in an increased water solubility and bioavailability. The use of nano-sized ginsenoside and P. ginseng mediated metallic nanoparticles is expected to be effective on medical platform against various diseases in the future.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.253-261
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• 2007

Molecular and cultivation techniques were used to characterize the bacterial communities of biobead reactor biofilms in a sewage treatment plant to which an Aerated Up-Flow Biobead process was applied. With this biobead process, the monthly average values of various chemical parameters in the effluent were generally kept under the regulation limits of the effluent quality of the sewage treatment plant during the operation period. Most probable number (MPN) analysis revealed that the population of denitrifying bacteria was abundant in the biobead #1 reactor, denitrifying and nitrifying bacteria coexisted in the biobead #2 reactor, and nitrifying bacteria prevailed over denitrifying bacteria in the biobead #3 reactor. The results of the MPN test suggested that the biobead #2 reactor was a transition zone leading to acclimated nitrifying biofilms in the biobead #3 reactor. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rDNA sequences cloned from biofilms showed that the biobead #1 reactor, which received a high organic loading rate, had much diverse microorganisms, whereas the biobead #2 and #3 reactors were dominated by the members of Proteobacteria. DGGE analysis with the ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) gene supported the observation from the MPN test that the biofilms of September were fully developed and specialized for nitrification in the biobead reactor #3. All of the DNA sequences of the amoA DGGE bands were very similar to the sequence of the amoA gene of Nitrosomonas species, the presence of which is typical in the biological aerated filters. The results of this study showed that organic and inorganic nutrients were efficiently removed by both denitrifying microbial populations in the anaerobic tank and heterotrophic and nitrifying bacterial biofilms well-formed in the three functional biobead reactors in the Aerated Up-Flow Biobead process.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.51-60
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• 2023

The foodborne illness is the important public health concerns, and the livestock feces are known to be one of the major reservoirs of foodborne pathogens. Also, it was reported that 45.5% of foodborne illness outbreaks have been associated with the animal products contaminated with the livestock feces. In addition, it has been known that the persistence of a pathogens depends on many potential virulent factors including the various virulent genes. Therefore, the first step to understanding the public health risk of livestock feces is to identify and describe microbial communities and potential virulent genes that contribute to bacterial pathogenicity. We used the whole metagenome shotgun sequencing to evaluate the prevalence of foodborne pathogens and to characterize the virulence associated genes in pig and chicken feces. Our data showed that the relative abundance of potential foodborne pathogens, such as Bacillus cereus was higher in chickens than pigs at the species level while the relative abundance of foodborne pathogens including Campylobacter coli was only detected in pigs. Also, the microbial functional characteristics of livestock feces revealed that the gene families related to "Biofilm formation and quorum sensing" were highly enriched in pigs than chicken. Moreover, the variety of gene families associated with "Resistance to antibiotics and toxic compounds" were detected in both animals. These results will help us to prepare the scientific action plans to improve awareness and understanding of the public health risks of livestock feces.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.538-548
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• 2023

The research has been conducted on the isolation of antimicrobial compounds from plant natural extracts and their potential application in oral health care products. This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial mechanism by analyzing the changes in gene expression of Streptococcus mutans, a major oral pathogen, in response to complex compounds extracted from Aralia continentalis and Arctii Semen using organic solvents. Transcriptome analysis (RNA-seq) revealed that both natural extracts commonly upregulated or downregulated the expression of various genes associated with different metabolic and physiological activities. Three genes (SMU_1584c, SMU_2133c, SMU_921), particularly SMU_921 (rcrR), known as a transcription activator of two sugar phosphotransferase systems (PTS) involved in sugar transport and biofilm formation, exhibited consistent high expression levels. Additionally, component analysis of the A. continentalis extract was performed to compare its effects on gene expression changes with the A. Semen extract, and two active compounds were identified through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of the active fraction. The n-hexane fraction (ACEH) from the A. continentalis extract exhibited antibacterial specificity against S. mutans, leading to a significant reduction in the viable cell counts of Streptococcus sanguinis and Streptococcus gordonii among the tested multi-species bacterial communities. These findings suggest the broad-spectrum antibacterial activity of the A. continentalis extract and provide essential foundational data for the development of customized antimicrobial materials by elucidating the antibacterial mechanism of the identified active compounds.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.249-260
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• 1998

To understand the attachment of micro algae and their subsequent growths on artificial surfaces immersed in seawater, the relationship between attachment of diatoms on the immersed artificial substrates and species pool in the surrounding water was investigated. We used acryl slides for the study of diatom attachment and examined the surrounding water samples collected in Incheon Harbour from July 1995 to February 1997. Variations of species composition and abundances by exposure time in seawater were investigated during the early phase of biofilm formation on various substrates, e.g. glass, acryl, titanium, copper and antifouling paint-treated slides. Immigration rates of diatoms to acryl slides during spring and winter were significantly correlated with the abundance of benthic diatoms in surrounding water ($r^2$=0.78, p<0.01, n=42), suggesting that immigration rates were affected by variations of benthic diatom abundances in surrounding water. Immigration coefficient of monoraphid diatoms was 5 times higher than that of biraphid diatoms, but relative abundance of monoraphid diatoms was 3 times lower than that of biraphid diatoms on acryl slides in spring. In winter, immigration coefficient and relative abundance of centric diatoms were higher compared to other raphe forms. These results suggest that the attachment of diatoms seems to be caused by the abundance and immigration coefficients of benthic diatoms in surrounding water. Pennate diatoms predominantly attached to all artificial surfaces throughout all experimental periods. Interestingly, centric diatoms predominantly attached to all artificial surfaces in winter. Hantzschia virgata, Licmophora abbreviata and Melosira nummuloides appeared dominantly on antifouling paint-treated slides, probably being tolerant of the antifouling paint. During incubations, the abundance of attached diatoms increased exponentially on glass, titanium and acryl slides with exposure time. The maximum abundance was highest on glass slide, followed by acryl, titanium, copper and antifouling paint-treated slides. The growth rates of attached diatom community on all artificial surfaces were higher at temperature of $24-25^{\circ}C$ than that of $2-3^{\circ}C$. The growth rate of attached diatoms on glass slide was generally higher compared to other slides during the study period. Dominant morphotypes of observed species with exposure time in seawater were prostrate form Amphora coffeaeformis, fan shape Synedra tabulata, stalk type Licmophora paradoxa and chain type M. nummuloides. A micro-succession in the attached microalgal community was observed. The composition of dominant species seems to be the result of species-specific response to gradually limited space with development of microalgal film.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.136-143
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• 1999

To understand the growth of attached microalgae to the immersed artificial surfaces in seawater with exposure time, chlorophyll a (chl a) concentration and abundance of attached microalgae to glass slides, and primary productivity and chl a concentration on coverglasses were investigated in Incheon Harbour in May, June 1996 and January-February 1997. Chl a concentrations of microalgae and abundances of diatoms attached to glass slides reached 62.5 mg chl a $m^{-2}$ and $144{\times}10^3$ cells $cm^{-2}$, respectively, during the study period. Chl a concentrations increased with exposure time, and they were significantly correlated with the abundances of attached diatoms ($r^2=0.79$, p<0.001). The chl a concentrations of attached micro algae on coverglass reached the maximum values of 31.1 mg chl a $m^{-2}$ and 65.4 mg chl a $m^{-2}$, and then decreased in May, June 1996. But in January-February 1997, the chl a concentration increased continuously up to 98.9 mg chl a $m^{-2}$. The primary productivity reached the maximum values of 63.1 mgC $m^{-2}\;h^{-1}$, 347.0 mgC $m^{-2}\;h^{-1}$ and 78.3 mgC $m^{-2}\;h^{-1}$, respectively, in May, June and January-February. The primary productivity in May and June varied in accordance with chl a concentrations. But in January-February, the primary productivity decreased from 26 days of exposure while chl a concentration continued to increase. Two cases that primary productivity decreased abruptly seemed to be caused by decrement of chl a and light specific $P^B$ (chl a specific primary productivity) (May and June) and by decrement of light specific $P^B$ due to photoinhibition (January-February). The results of present study indicated that chl a concentrations and the primary productivity of microalgae attached to artifical surfaces immersed in seawater would expedite analysis of dynamics of biomass and physiological status of attached microalgae during biofilm formations.