• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.1561-1569
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• 2006

Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) is one of the most frequently used methods for analysis of soil microbial community structure. Unbiased PCR amplification of target DNA templates is crucial for efficient detection of multiple microbial populations mixed in soil. In this study, DGGE profiles were compared using different pairs of primers targeting different hypervariable regions of thirteen representative soil bacteria and clones. The primer set (1070f-1392r) for the E. coli numbering 1,071-1,391 region could not resolve all the 16S rDNA fragments of the representative bacteria and clones, and moreover, yielded spurious bands in DGGE profiles. For the E. coli numbering 353-514 region, various forward primers were designed to investigate the efficiency of PCR amplification. A degenerate forward primer (F357IW) often yielded multiple bands for a certain single 16S rDNA fragment in DGGE analysis, whereas nondegenerate primers (338f, F338T2, F338I2) differentially amplified each of the fragments in the mixture according to the position and the number of primer-template mismatches. A forward primer (F352T) designed to have one internal mismatch commonly with all the thirteen 16S rDNA fragments efficiently produced and separated all the target DNA bands with similar intensities in the DGGE profiles. This primer set F352T-519r consistently yielded the best DGGE banding profiles when tested with various soil samples. Touchdown PCR intensified the uneven amplification, and lowering the annealing temperature had no significant effect on the DGGE profiles. These results showed that PCR amplification bias could be much improved by properly designing primers for use in fingerprinting soil bacterial communities with the DGGE technique.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.18-30
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• 2017

The East Sea is almost entirely composed of sandy facies, and the facies type is the major factor influencing benthic polychaete communities. There have been few studies of the effects of environmental factors on benthic polychaetes in thermal discharge areas consisting of different sediment types. This study identified the spatial distribution patterns based on the species composition and distribution of benthic polychaete communities, and the environmental factors influencing benthic polychaetes near power plants were investigated. The polychaete communities in the Uljin, Hupo, and Gori coastal areas near the power plants in the East Sea were seasonally investigated from August 2006 to February 2013. As a result, 283 species were collected. The dominant species were Spiophanes bombyx, Magelona japonica, Lumbrineris longifolia, and Sternaspis scutata. Spiophanes bombyx was the dominant species at Uljin and Hupo, but M. japonica was the dominant species at Gori. Two dominant species from the coastal waters of the East Sea, Lumbrineris longifolia and M. japonica, were rare in the power plant water intake or drainage areas. Cluster analysis was performed to divide the study area into groups by the total organic carbon content, sediment grain size and facies patterns. This study suggests that the community structures of polychaetes are more affected by the total organic carbon, grain size of sediment and facies than by disturbance from thermal discharge, which only affected the polychaete community near power plant drainage areas.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.205-216
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• 1990

This study was carried out to investigate the composition and the distribution of the polychaete community in Kwangyang Bay during 1987-1988, and to deduce causal factors of temporal changes in community by the comparison with the results of 1982 (Choi, 1984). In the present study, the Polychaetes comprised a total of 79 species, and had a mean density of 520 ind. $.$m/SUP -2/. They showed high abundance and species diversity in the main tidal channel and the north channel of Myodo. The most abundant polychaete was Lumbrineris longifolia (28.2%), and followed by Nephtys polybranchia (16.3%) and Stermaspis scutata (8.3%). Comparing the polychaete community in summer of 1987 with that in summer of 1982, Lagis bocki and Chone teres, the most dominant species in 1982, disappeared in 1987, while Lumbrineris longifolia, Nephtys polybranchia, Terebellides horikoshii, and Sternapis scutata experienced above twice increases in densities. the community in the north channel was distinguished from those in other regions by the high abundance of L. bocki in 1982, but was similar to that of the main channel by the disappearance of L. bocki in 1987. The community in the western inner bay was similar to that of the main channel in 1982, but became to be distinguished by the disappearance of l. longifolia and the high densities of S. scutata and Tharyx sp. in 1987. The temporal change in species composition and regional difference might be induced by the combined effects in the changes of hydrologic and sedimentary environments owing to the reclamation on the delta of Seomjing River and the dredging of the north chnnel.L.bocki in the north chnnel vanished after the habitat disturbance by the reclamation and dredging.S.scutata and Tharyxsp.dominated in the western inner bay because of the accumulationfo fine sediments through weakenend durrent flow by the obstruction of a new bank constructed on the delta.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.195-205
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• 2013

Excessive input of organic matters from fish cage farming has been considered as one of the major factors disturbing benthic ecosystem, especially in semi-enclosed coastal waters. Recently offshore aquaculture in the vicinity of Jeju-do has been introduced to minimize that kind of negative impact. This study was conducted to investigate the ecological impacts of offshore aquaculture on the macrobenthic polychaete communities. A total of ten sampling works were carried out for 28 months, spanning from 10 days after starting giving feed to 3 months after stopping giving feed. During the study period, mean current velocity was quite strong with the range of 50 cm/s to 70 cm/s. TOC of surface sediment was constantly low. Significant changes in polychaete community were detected just three months after starting giving feed, which were the increase of the number of species and density at all stations. Up to 18 months after the start of farming, the amount of feed provided played an important role in the fluctuation of the number of species and density, especially at 0 m and 10 m stations. After reducing the amount of feed provided, dominance of some opportunistic species within 10 m distance from fish cages still lasted to the end of aquaculture. However, opportunistic species disappeared 3 months after the end of farming, which indicated the sign of recovery from the disturbance. From these results, the amount of food input and the period of cultivation were critical factors disturbing polychaete community and ensuing changes in this offshore and oligotrophic waters as well. In addition, study on the changes of polychaete community structure before and after fish farming showed more detailed changes in benthic ecological state than geochemical approach did.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.193-199
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• 2017

Objectives : Insomnia may be one of the risk factor for suicidal ideation, but little is known about the mechanism by which sleep disturbances confer risk for suicide. The aim of this study was to investigate examine whether insomnia severity would be associated with resilience and suicidal ideation, and whether resilience would mediate the relationship between insomnia and suicidal ideation. Methods : A total of 432 community-dwelling adults(227 male, 205 female,) completed the self-report questionnaire that covered basic socio-demographic data. To assess the psychological variables, the following instruments were applied: Insomnia Severity Index(ISI), Korean Version of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale(K-CD-RISC), Beck Hopelessness Scale(BHOP) and Scale for Suicidal Ideation(SSI-Beck). People with an ISI score of 8 or higher were defined as insomnia. Results : Greater insomnia symptom severity was significantly associated with higher level of suicidal ideation and lower level of resilience, adjusting for hopelessness, age, sex, presence of family members living together, and household income. Additional analysis revealed that disturbance of sleep initiation and disturbance of sleep maintenance were significantly associated with suicidal ideation. Mediation analyses revealed that resilience significantly accounted for the relationship between insomnia symptom severity and suicidal ideation. Conclusions : These findings suggest that the evaluation and control of insomnia and resilience may be needed to reduce the risk of suicide.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.304-317
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• 2020

This study conducted selected two sites in Geumnamhonam and four sites in Honam-Jeongmaek for vegetation survey with consideration to the location environment and anthropogenic impacts to investigate the vegetation structures of the Geumnamhonam-Jeongmaek·Honam-Jeongmaek ridge areas. Using TWINSPAN (two-way indicator species analysis), each of the two ridge areas were categorized into seven plant communities. The differential species in the TWINSPAN technique indirectly represent the environmental factors of plant communities, and the community types of the two ridge areas were divided based on environmental factors such as altitudes above sea level, soil moisture, and disturbance. These results were in harmony with the environmental factors of the DCA (detrended correspondence analysis) axis 1. In the low-lying areas of both ridge areas, afforestation tree species such as Pinus rigida and P. thunbergii were in competition with native tree species. As such, in the low-lying areas, artificial vegetation disturbance was severe due to afforestation and development projects. In relatively highland areas, such as upper slopes, and top areas, in the ridge, the vegetation type with the dominance of Quercus mongolica, Q. variabilis, and P. densiflora was preserved well. As for differences between the two ridge areas, communities dominated by Q. mongolica were distributed widely in Geumnamhonam-Jeongmaek because of the altitudes above sea level, and the latitude of this ridge area are higher than those of Honam-Jeongmaek. On the other hand, communities dominated by P. densiflora were distributed along with communities dominated by Q. mongolica, and communities dominated by Q. variabilis appeared in Honam-Jeongmaek because it is adjacent to the south coast. In quantitative vegetation analysis such as TWINSPAN and DCA, changes in species composition and the extracting environmental factors that cause the changes are important. To that end, the removal of accidental emergent species, the establishment of an investigation plan that assumes environmental factors, and the selection of the optimal analytical method suitable for the characteristics of the survey data are necessary.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.550-560
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• 2012

The aim of this study is to research spatial diffusion, a condition for spread of Ailanthus altissima, and conduct flora analysis to provide useful information for management of it. Three research spots where the community dominance value was found to be high and habitat was homogeneous according to a 2010 in-depth species study were selected, and census was conducted using a line-transect method. The diffusion area included 1,435 $m^2$ in Yangpyeong, 1,118 $m^2$ in Gimcheon and 760 $m^2$ in Sancheong, in order of increasing size, and a total of 510 trees were found to be randomly diffused in space. An average of 83.2% of Ailanthus altissima were found to be included in DBH classes I (1.0-3.4 cm) and II (3.5-6.4 cm), showing that young trees were dominant in Ailanthus altissima communities and there was an age diffusion pattern according to degree of disturbance in habitats. A total of 41 families 75 genera and 91 species of flora made up the list, and Therophytes were most widely found in all of the three areas. This shows that habitats in these areas have recently been disturbed. It was evaluated that elimination of roadside population and mountainous area population was necessary to prevent diffusion of Ailanthus altissima.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.275-285
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• 2020

Background: In Korea, Symplocos prunifolia Siebold. & Zucc. is only found on Jeju Island. Conservation of the species is difficult because little is known about its distribution and natural habitat. The lack of research and survey data on the characteristics of native vegetation and distribution of this species means that there is insufficient information to guide the management and conservation of this species and related vegetation. Therefore, this study aims to identify the distribution and vegetation associated with S. prunifolia. Results: As a result of field investigations, it was confirmed that the native S. prunifolia communities were distributed in 4 areas located on the southern side of Mt. Halla and within the evergreen broad-leaved forest zones. Furthermore, these evergreen broad-leaved forest zones are themselves located in the warm temperate zone which are distributed along the valley sides at elevations between 318 and 461 m. S. prunifolia was only found on the south side of Mt. Halla, and mainly on south-facing slopes; however, small communities were found to be growing on northwest-facing slopes. It has been confirmed that S. prunifolia trees are rare but an important constituent species in the evergreen broad-leaved forest of Jeju. The mean importance percentage of S. prunifolia community was 48.84 for Castanopsis sieboldii, 17.79 for Quercus acuta, and 12.12 for Pinus thunbergii; S. prunifolia was the ninth most important species (2.6). Conclusions: S. prunifolia can be found growing along the natural streams of Jeju, where there is little anthropogenic influence and where the streams have caused soil disturbance through natural processes of erosion and deposition of sediments. Currently, the native area of S. prunifolia is about 3300 ㎡, which contains a confirmed population of 180 individual plants. As a result of these low population sizes, it places it in the category of an extremely endangered plant in Korea. In some native sites, the canopy of evergreen broad-leaved forest formed, but the frequency and coverage of species were not high. Negative factors that contributed to the low distribution of this species were factors such as lacking in shade tolerance, low fruiting rates, small native areas, and special habitats as well as requiring adequate stream disturbance. Presently, due to changes in climate, it is unclear whether this species will see an increase in its population and habitat area or whether it will remain as an endangered species within Korea. What is clear, however, is that the preservation of the present native habitats and population is extremely important if the population is to be maintained and expanded. It is also meaningful in terms of the stable conservation of biodiversity in Korea. Therefore, based on the results of this study, it is judged that a systematic evaluation for the preservation and conservation of the habitat and vegetation management method of S. prunifolia should be conducted.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.168-176
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• 2020

Objectives : Loneliness and poor sleep quality are common phenomena in old age and are associated with negative physical and mental health. However, little is known regarding the relation between loneliness and sleep quality. The aim of this study was to examine the association of loneliness and sleep quality among the elderly living alone. Methods : This is a cross-sectional study that enrolled 1,090 subjects who are the community-residing elderly living alone. Sociodemographic status, medical condition, cognition, mood disorder, sleep quality and levels of loneliness were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and a specific semi-structured interview conducted by trained nurses. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data regarding sociodemographic variable and loneliness. Univariate and Multivariate regression analyses were applied to examine the association between loneliness and sleep quality after adjustment for multiple confounding variables. Results : The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) mean score of "lonely group" (9.2±4.2) was significantly higher than that of "not lonely group" (7.3±3.7) (student-t test, p<0.001). Loneliness was significantly associated with PSQI (standardized β=0.065, p=0.025), sleep disturbance (standardized β=0.086, p=0.005), use of sleep medication (standardized β=0.065, p=0.034) after adjustment for possible confounding variables including sex and mood disorder. Conclusions : Loneliness was associated with sleep disturbance and this finding implied negative impact of loneliness on sleep quality of older adults. Public health promotion efforts to reduce loneliness may improve sleep quality and mental health in the elderly living alone.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.270-282
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• 2012

This study was conducted to investigate the impact of sand addition to an intertidal for the development of the Manila clam habitat on benthic community structure. For this, we focused on the spatio-temporal changes in the surface sediment condition and benthic community structure before and after the event. Study site was an sandbank in Gonam-myeon, Taean-gun where sand added to on July 2010. We set three stations at each of sand adding area (experimental plot) and non sand-adding area (control plot) and did sampling works ten times from June 2010 to October 2011. Directly after the event, surface sediments changed to very coarse sand, but the state was not maintained over four months because of seasonal sedimentation and finally got back to very fine sand in eight months. The number of species and density were temporarily reduced right after the event and crustacean species such as Apocorophium acutum, Photis sp. were most negatively affected by the event. However, the number of species recovered from the reduction in three months and density did in four months due to the recolonization by the existing species and species in the vicinity of the plot. During the study period, dominant species continuously changed from the species such as A. acutum, Photis sp. at the time before the event, through the species such as Heteromastus filiformis, Macrophthalmus japonicus at the time right after the event, to the species such as Musculista senhousia, Ruditapes philippinarum, Mediomastus californiensis in the latter part of the study period. Although surface sediment properties and ecological indices recovered within a certain period after the event, the recovery of community structure has never been observed up to the end of the study.