• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.87-98
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• 2022

In this study, the community structure of marine benthic invertebrates was examined to evaluate the differences between the west, south, and east coasts of Korea and to identify the indicator species representing each region. Acrylic attachment plate sets were installed in Jeongok, Mokpo, Tongyeong, Yangpo, and Gangreung, and the invertebrate fauna thus captured were identified. Monitoring was performed in each area from March 2017 to May 2018. Water depth, temperature, and salinity at each location were measured to determine the potential influence of abiotic factors on the community structure. As a result, the mean depth of plates installed and the water temperature were significantly different in each area. A total of 32 invertebrate species were identified in all localities, and the most significant difference in the species compositions was found between Mokpo and Gangreung. The community structure differed significantly with a change in the plate depth, and a larger number of indicator species appeared on shallower plates. Finally, we determined the community structure of benthic invertebrates in different geographical regions of the Korean ocean by characterizing the dominant invertebrate taxa and the indicator species at each site.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.70-89
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• 2019

In this study, we investigated the flora of Jeonggwangsan Mt. (Yongin, Korea) from May of 2015 to September of 2016. Through 14 independent field investigations, we identified a total of 367 taxa of vascular plants, including 89 families, 234 genera, 323 species, six subspecies, 34 varieties, and four formae. Eight taxa were endemic to Korea, while 27 were naturalized in Korea. Nineteen taxa were the floristic regional indicator plants in Korea: four in Rank VI, four in Rank III, two in Rank II, and nine in Rank I. A total of 59 taxa were designated as controlled Korean biological resources, requiring special permission for export to outside countries. Two taxa were listed on the Red List of Korea, including one Near Threatened (NT) taxon (Hololeion maximowiczii Kitam.) and one Least Concern (LC) taxon (Iris minutoaurea Makino).

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.856-865
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• 2012

We describe the construction and immunobiological properties of a novel whooping cough vaccine candidate, in which the aroQ gene, encoding 3-dehydroquinase, was deleted by insertional inactivation using the kanamycin resistance gene cassette and allelic exchange using a Bordetella suicide vector. The aroQ B. pertussis mutant required supplementation of media to grow but failed to grow on an unsupplemented medium. The aroQ B. pertussis mutant was undetectable in the trachea and lungs of mice at days 6 and 12 post-infection, respectively. Antigen-specific antibody isotypes IgG1 and IgG2a, were produced, and cell-mediated immunity [CMI], using interleukin-2 and interferon-gamma as indirect indicators, was induced in mice vaccinated with the aroQ B. pertussis vaccine candidate, which were substantially enhanced upon second exposure to virulent B. pertussis. Interleukin-12 was also produced in the aroQ B. pertussis-vaccinated mice. On the other hand, neither IgG2a nor CMI-indicator cytokines were produced in DTaP-vaccinated mice, although the CMI-indicator cytokines became detectable post-challenge with virulent B. pertussis. Intranasal immunization with one dose of the aroQ B. pertussis mutant protected vaccinated mice against an intranasal challenge infection, with no pathogen being detected in the lungs of immunized mice by day 7 post-challenge. B. pertussis aroQ thus constitutes a safe, non-reverting, metabolite-deficient vaccine candidate that induces both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses with potential for use as a single-dose vaccine in adolescents and adults, in the first instance, with a view to disrupting the transmission cycle of whooping cough to infants and the community.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.74-81
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was conducted to explore the health effects of exposure to oil-contaminated water in G village near the area of Daecheon beach on which air force had test fired. Methods: Eighty residents consented and were divided into three groups; 33 residents(drinking well water and still living there), 23 residents(drinking well water but do not live there any more), and 24 residents(did not drink well water but live there now: control group). Data were collected from August to September, 2010 from the survey questionnaires, general health examination, specific functional test, and biological marker tests. Results: Current residents showed higher levels of body mass index, blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose that are related to adult diseases. 64 participants received specific test for cancer. Only one person had esophageal cancer. Perchloroethylene was not found in the Urine Samples. Current residents showed a higher level of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, an indicator of oxidative damage, and there was a statistically significant difference after correcting the confounding variables. Conclusion: We need education programs for managing the risk factors that are related to adult diseases in people who are now living in this village. We also need to expand further studies for investigating oxidative damage indicators.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1994 no.12
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• pp.169-171
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• 1994

This paper is to find out more reliable analyzing method of heart rate variability. Heart rate variability analysis is to evaluate cardiovascular stability and also have used as an indicator of autonomic nervous system activity. In this study, time domain analysis, spectral analysis and state space analysis method are applied to analyze heart rate variability. Because of nonlinear characteristics of heart rate, we need not only spectral analysis, but also state space analysis. Fractal dimension of spectral estimation is useful indicator of autonomic nervous activity.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.72-77
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• 2021

Background: In 2020, a categorized list of wetland preferences, major habitats, and life forms of 4145 vascular plant taxa occurring in the Korean Peninsula was published by the National Institute of Biological Resources. We analyzed the list and explored the distribution patterns of the five categorized groups according to wetland preference, along with the information on the major habitats and the life forms of the plants belonging to those categories. Results: Out of 4145 taxa, we found that 729 wetland plant taxa (18%) occur in Korea: 401 obligate wetland plants and 328 facultative wetland plants. Among the 729 wetland taxa, the majority (73%) was hygrophytes and the remaining 27% was aquatic macrophytes. Furthermore, almost all of the wetland taxa are herbs; so, woody plants are only 4.7%. The 16 carnivorous taxa distributed in Korea were characterized as obligate wetland plants. Conclusions: We expect the categorized information would promote understanding of the characteristics of the plant species and would be an important source for understanding, conservation, and restoration of wetland ecosystems.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.246-254
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• 2021

Subalpine and alpine ecosystems are especially vulnerable to temperature increases. Betula ermanii Cham. (Betulaceae) is a dominant broad-leaved tree species in the subalpine zone and is designated as a 'Climate-sensitive Biological Indicator Species' in South Korea. This study aimed to predict the potential distribution of B. ermanii under current and future climate conditions in South Korea using the MaxEnt model. The species distribution models showed an excellent fit (AUC=0.99). Among the climatic variables, the most critical factors shaping B. ermanii distribution were identified as the maximum temperature of warmest month (Bio5; 64.8%) and annual mean temperature (Bio1; 20.3%). Current potential habitats were predicted in the Baekdudaegan mountain range and Mt. Hallasan, and the area of suitable habitat was 1531.52 km², covering 1.57% of the Korean Peninsula. With global warming, future climate scenarios have predicted a decrease in the suitable habitats for B. ermanii. Under RCP8.5-2070s, in particular, habitat with high potential was predicted only in several small areas in Gangwon-do, and the total area suitable for the species decreased by up to 97.3% compared to the current range. We conclude that the dominant factor affecting the distribution of B. ermanii is temperature and that future temperature rises will increase the vulnerability of this species.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.384-401
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• 2016

The vegetation assessment indicator has been developed recently as a biological part of the integrated assessment system for river environment to improve the efficiency of river restoration projects. This study carried out to test the vegetation assessment indicator and to reset its grade criteria on experimental streams. We classified and mapped vegetation communities at the level of physiognomic-floristic composition by each assessment unit. A total of 204 sampling quadrats were set up on the 68 assessment units at 5 experimental streams. By analyzing the vegetation data collected, we examined the appropriate numbers of sampling quadrats, the criteria of vegetation index score, classification of vegetation community, and grade criteria for vegetation assessment. The developed vegetation assessment indicator composed with the vegetation complexity index (VCI), the vegetation diversity index (VDI), and the vegetation naturalness index (VNI) was proved to reflect the current conditions of the streams sufficiently. The contribution of vegetation naturalness index to grading by vegetation assessment indicator was larger, but three indexes were closely correlated to each other. Also there was more clearer discrimination of grading with the application of adjusted criteria of vegetation assessment indicator and the standardized classification of vegetation community, but the stream segment type did not influence the vegetation assessment grade significantly.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.472-481
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• 2017

Agricultural field near at the abandoned metal mine and industrial area has a high possibility to be polluted by heavy metals. However, concern about chemical properties including heavy metal concentration has been increased and biological properties such as soil respiration has been minimal in heavy metal polluted field. Therefore, main objective of this research was to evaluate soil respiration as an indicator of heavy metal pollution in agricultural field. Total of 60 sampling sites including each 30 sites of abandoned metal mine and industrial area were selected and heavy metal concentration, soil respiration, and chemical properties were measured. Results showed that heavy metal concentration in metal mine area was ranged Cu: $6.21~85.23mg\;kg^{-1}$, Pb: $23.84{\sim}1,044.72mg\;kg^{-1}$, As: $1.88{\sim}691.44mg\;kg^{-1}$, Zn: $18.72{\sim}527.55mg\;kg^{-1}$, Cd: $0.58{\sim}4.27mg\;kg^{-1}$, and Cu: $0.29{\sim}30.62mg\;kg^{-1}$, Pb: $4.41{\sim}19.77mg\;kg^{-1}$, As: $2.23{\sim}11.76mg\;kg^{-1}$, Zn $39.98{\sim}109.59mg\;kg^{-1}$, Cd $0.29{\sim}0.57mg\;kg^{-1}$ for industrial area respectively. While no sampling site was exceed the threshold value of each heavy metals in industrial field, metal mine area was highly polluted with Pb, As, Zn, and Cd. Soil respiration in the metal mine and industrial area was ranged $12.05{\sim}299.80mg\;O_2\;kg^{-1}$ and $27.68{\sim}330.94mg\;O_2\;kg^{-1}$, respectively. Correlation analysis between heavy metal concentration in soil and soil respiration showed that negative correlation was observed in metal mine area while no correlation was observed in industrial area. This result might indicate that as heavy metal concentration was increased, microbial activity in soil was decreased resulting decrease of soil respiration rate. Overall, soil respiration can be used as indicator of heavy metal pollution in soil and more biological properties need to be evaluated to better understand heavy metal pollution in soil.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.212-220
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• 2009

In this study, we analyzed fish compositions and ecological characteristics such as trophic guilds and tolerance guilds in association with water quality characteristics in Masan Reservoir during November 2008. Total number of species were 12 species (6 families) and the dominant species were Zacco platypus, Hemiculter eigenmanni, and Pseudorasbora parva. We found three Korean endemic species and one exotic species, Carassius cuvieri. According to the analysis of ecological indicator characteristics, relative proportion of tolerant and omnivore species was 98% of the total indicating that probably, the fauna was influenced by physical habitat disturbance and physicochemical degradations. Fish distribution analysis along with littoral zone showed that the most fishes (${\sim}$95%) were observed in the littoral zone where emerged macrophytes were well developed. Also, substrate analysis indicated that the most species were found near silt area (11 species, 91.7%), so that the significant differences were found between the substrate types. Analysis of water quality indicated that concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) and chlorophyll-a (ChI-a) as a lake trophic indicator were judged as eutrophic states, respectively and COD as an indicator of organic matter pollution averaged 10.9 mg $L^{-1}$. Based on the water quality, this system were influenced by the nutrient enrichments and organic matter. The degradations of water quality in Masan Reservoir resulted in trophic compositions of fish (increase of omnivore species) and the dominance of tolerant fish. This Monitoring data may contribute changes of fish fauna and compositions in relation to habitat modifications and chemical water quality degradations in the future.