• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.157-176
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• 2012

Brand switching data frequently used in market structure analysis is adequate to analyze non- durable goods, because it can capture competition between specific two brands. But brand switching data sometimes can not be used to analyze goods like automobiles having long term duration because one of main assumptions that consumer preference toward brand attributes is not changed against time can be violated. Therefore a new type of data which can precisely capture competition among durable goods is needed. Another problem of using brand switching data collected from actual purchase behavior is short of explanation why consumers consider different set of brands. Considering above problems, main purpose of this study is to analyze market structure for durable goods with consideration set. The author uses exploratory approach and latent class clustering to identify market structure based on heterogeneous consideration set among consumers. Then the relationship between some factors and consideration set formation is analyzed. Some benefits and two demographic variables - age and income - are selected as factors based on consumer behavior theory. The author analyzed USA automotive market with top 11 brands using exploratory approach and latent class clustering. 2,500 respondents are randomly selected from the total sample and used for analysis. Six models concerning market structure are established to test. Model 1 means non-structured market and model 6 means market structure composed of six sub-markets. It is exploratory approach because any hypothetical market structure is not defined. The result showed that model 1 is insufficient to fit data. It implies that USA automotive market is a structured market. Model 3 with three market structures is significant and identified as the optimal market structure in USA automotive market. Three sub markets are named as USA brands, Asian Brands, and European Brands. And it implies that country of origin effect may exist in USA automotive market. Comparison between modal classification by derived market structures and probabilistic classification by research model was conducted to test how model 3 can correctly classify respondents. The model classify 97% of respondents exactly. The result of this study is different from those of previous research. Previous research used confirmatory approach. Car type and price were chosen as criteria for market structuring and car type-price structure was revealed as the optimal structure for USA automotive market. But this research used exploratory approach without hypothetical market structures. It is not concluded yet which approach is superior. For confirmatory approach, hypothetical market structures should be established exhaustively, because the optimal market structure is selected among hypothetical structures. On the other hand, exploratory approach has a potential problem that validity for derived optimal market structure is somewhat difficult to verify. There also exist market boundary difference between this research and previous research. While previous research analyzed seven car brands, this research analyzed eleven car brands. Both researches seemed to represent entire car market, because cumulative market shares for analyzed brands exceeds 50%. But market boundary difference might affect the different results. Though both researches showed different results, it is obvious that country of origin effect among brands should be considered as important criteria to analyze USA automotive market structure. This research tried to explain heterogeneity of consideration sets among consumers using benefits and two demographic factors, sex and income. Benefit works as a key variable for consumer decision process, and also works as an important criterion in market segmentation. Three factors - trust/safety, image/fun to drive, and economy - are identified among nine benefit related measure. Then the relationship between market structures and independent variables is analyzed using multinomial regression. Independent variables are three benefit factors and two demographic factors. The result showed that all independent variables can be used to explain why there exist different market structures in USA automotive market. For example, a male consumer who perceives all benefits important and has lower income tends to consider domestic brands more than European brands. And the result also showed benefits, sex, and income have an effect to consideration set formation. Though it is generally perceived that a consumer who has higher income is likely to purchase a high priced car, it is notable that American consumers perceived benefits of domestic brands much positive regardless of income. Male consumers especially showed higher loyalty for domestic brands. Managerial implications of this research are as follow. Though implication may be confined to the USA automotive market, the effect of sex on automotive buying behavior should be analyzed. The automotive market is traditionally conceived as male consumers oriented market. But the proportion of female consumers has grown over the years in the automotive market. It is natural outcome that Volvo and Hyundai motors recently developed new cars which are targeted for women market. Secondly, the model used in this research can be applied easier than that of previous researches. Exploratory approach has many advantages except difficulty to apply for practice, because it tends to accompany with complicated model and to require various types of data. The data needed for the model in this research are a few items such as purchased brands, consideration set, some benefits, and some demographic factors and easy to collect from consumers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.7
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• pp.1038-1048
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate some heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg) in 52 commercial herbal pills used as general processed food, to identify weekly heavy metal intakes from herbal pills and to evaluate their potential health risks. The samples were digested with a microwave and determinations of heavy metal residues were carried out by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and mercury analyzer. The mean values of heavy metal contents for herbal pills used as general processed food were Pb 0.421 (0.032~1.630), Cd 0.157 (0.011~0.515), Cr 1.033 (0.112~9.933), Cu 6.923 (1.333~16.755), Hg 0.010 (0.001~0.088) mg/kg. Lead contents of herba and cadmium of algae, herba were high (ANOVA-test, p<0.05). Levels of cadmium concentrations exceeding WHO reference values (0.3 mg/kg) were observed in 10 samples (4 species). The significant correlation was observed between Pb and Cd (r=0.633, p<0.01). The weekly intakes of Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg from herbal pills were 1.112 (0.072~5.088), 1.614 (0.029~9.257), 3.000 (0.252~23.690), 0.182 (0.008~1.235), 0.220 (0.000~0.420)%, respectively, as compared with the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI) established by Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee for food safety evaluation. Our data suggest regulations limiting heavy metals in herbal pills used as general processed food.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.24-31
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• 2003

Purpose: As diagnostic tools for Hirschsprung's disease (HD), barium enema and rectal biopsy have radiation exposure and invasiveness respectively; however anorectal manometry does not have these disadvantages. We therefore performed this study to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of anorectal manometry. Methods: We reviewed medical records of infants with one or two symptoms of vomiting, abdominal distension, chronic diarrhea or constipation who had a anorectal manometry followed by barium enema and/or biopsy from July 1995 to May 2002. We evaluated the sensitivity, specificity and predictive value of anorectal manometry and barium enema for diagnosis of HD. We also measured sphincter length, median value of balloon volume at which rectoanal inhibitory reflex (RAIR) occurred. Results: All 61 patients received anorectal manometry, 33 of 61 received barium enema. 18 of 61 were diagnosed as HD according to histology and 43 of 61 were evaluated as a control. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value of anorectal manometry and barium enema for diagnosis of HD were 1.00, 0.91, 0.82, 1.00 and 0.93, 0.67, 0.70, 0.92 respectively. The mean value of sphincter length in control was $1.68{\pm}0.67$ cm and correlated with age, weight and significantly longitudinal length. The median value of balloon volume at which RAIR occurred was 10 mL and did not correlated with age, weight and longitudinal length. Conclusion: This study suggests that anorectal manometry is an excellent initial screening test for Hirschsprung's disease because of its safety and accuracy.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.293-305
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• 2016

Objective: This study aims to measure cognitive load levels by analyzing the EEG of Koreans and foreigners, when they read a Korean text with care selected by level from the grammar and vocabulary aspects, and compare the cognitive load levels through quantitative values. The study results can be utilized as basic data for more scientific approach, when Korean texts or books are developed, and an evaluation method is built, when the foreigners encounter them for learning or an assignment. Background: Based on 2014, the number of the foreign students studying in Korea was 84,801, and they increase annually. Most of them are from Asian region, and they come to Korea to enter a university or a graduate school in Korea. Because those foreign students aim to learn within Universities in Korea, they receive Korean education from their preparation for study in Korea. To enter a university in Korea, they must acquire grade 4 or higher level in the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK), or they need to complete a certain educational program at each university's affiliated language institution. In such a program, the learners of the Korean language receive Korean education based on texts, except speaking domain, and the comprehension of texts can determine their academic achievements in studying after they enter their desired schools (Jeon, 2004). However, many foreigners, who finish a language course for the short-term, and need to start university study, cannot properly catch up with university classes requiring expertise with the vocabulary and grammar levels learned during the language course. Therefore, reading education, centered on a strategy to understand university textbooks regarded as top level reading texts to the foreigners, is necessary (Kim and Shin, 2015). This study carried out an experiment from a perspective that quantitative data on the readers of the main player of reading education and teaching materials need to be secured to back up the need for reading education for university study learners, and scientifically approach educational design. Namely, this study grasped the difficulty level of reading through the measurement of cognitive loads indicated in the reading activity of each text by dividing the difficulty of a teaching material (book) into eight levels, and the main player of reading into Koreans and foreigners. Method: To identify cognitive loads indicated upon reading Korean texts with care by Koreans and foreigners, this study recruited 16 participants (eight Koreans and eight foreigners). The foreigners were limited to the language course students studying the intermediate level Korean course at university-affiliated language institutions within Seoul Metropolitan Area. To identify cognitive load, as they read a text by level selected from the Korean books (difficulty: eight levels) published by King Sejong Institute (Sejonghakdang.org), the EEG sensor was attached to the frontal love (Fz) and occipital lobe (Oz). After the experiment, this study carried out a questionnaire survey to measure subjective evaluation, and identified the comprehension and difficulty on grammar and words. To find out the effects on schema that may affect text comprehension, this study controlled the Korean texts, and measured EEG and subjective satisfaction. Results: To identify brain's cognitive load, beta band was extracted. As a result, interactions (Fz: p =0.48; Oz: p =0.00) were revealed according to Koreans and foreigners, and difficulty of the text. The cognitive loads of Koreans, the readers whose mother tongue is Korean, were lower in reading Korean texts than those of the foreigners, and the foreigners' cognitive loads became higher gradually according to the difficulty of the texts. From the text four, which is intermediate level in difficulty, remarkable differences started to appear in comparison of the Koreans and foreigners in the beginner's level text. In the subjective evaluation, interactions were revealed according to the Koreans and foreigners and text difficulty (p =0.00), and satisfaction was lower, as the difficulty of the text became higher. Conclusion: When there was background knowledge in reading, namely schema was formed, the comprehension and satisfaction of the texts were higher, although higher levels of vocabulary and grammar were included in the texts than those of the readers. In the case of a text in which the difficulty of grammar was felt high in the subjective evaluation, foreigners' cognitive loads were also high, which shows the result of the loads' going up higher in proportion to the increase of difficulty. This means that the grammar factor functions as a stress factor to the foreigners' reading comprehension. Application: This study quantitatively evaluated the cognitive loads of Koreans and foreigners through EEG, based on readers and the text difficulty, when they read Korean texts. The results of this study can be used for making Korean teaching materials or Korean education content and topic selection for foreigners. If research scope is expanded to reading process using an eye-tracker, the reading education program and evaluation method for foreigners can be developed on the basis of quantitative values.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2017

'The worstest environment disaster', 'World's first biocide massacre', 'Home-based Sewol ferry disaster' are all phrases attached to the recent humidifier disinfectant disaster. In the spring of 2011, four of 8 pregnant women including 1 adult man passed away at a university hospital in Seoul due to breathing failure. Epidemiologic investigation conducted by the Korean CDC soon revealed the inhalation of humidifier disinfectant, which had been widely used in Korea during the winter, to be responsible for the disease. As well as lung fibrosis hardening of the lungs, other diseases including asthma, rhinitis, skin disease, liver disease, fetal disease or cancers have been researched for their relation with exposure to the products. By February 9, 2017, 5,342 cases had registered for health problems and 1,131 of them were already dead (20.8% mortality rate). Based on studies by government agencies and a telephone survey of the general population by Seoul National University and civic groups, around 20% of the general public of Korea has used these products. Since the market release of the first product by SK Chemical in 1994, over 7.1 million items from around 20 brands were sold up to 2011. Most of the products were manufactured by well-known large conglomerates such as SK, Lotte, Samsung, Shinsegye, LG, and GS, as well as some European companies including UK-based Reckitt Benckiser and TESCO, the German firm Henkel, the Danish firm KeTox, and an Irish company. Even though this disaster was unveiled in 2011 by the Korean government, the issue of the victims was neglected for over five years. In 2016, an unexpected but intensive investigation by prosecutors found that Reckitt Benckiser manipulated and concealed animal tests for its own brand and brought several university experts and company employees to court. The matter was an intense social issue in Korea from May to June with a surge in media coverage. The prosecutor's investigation and a nationwide boycott campaign organized by victims and environmental groups against Reckitt Benckiser, whose product had been used by more than 70% of victims, led to the producer's official apology and a compensation scheme. A legislative investigation organized after the April 2016 national election revealed the producers' faults and the government's responsibility, but failed to meet expectations. A special law for the victims passed the National Assembly in January 2017 and a punitive system together with a massive environmental epidemiology investigation are expected to be the only solutions for this tragedy. Sciences of medicine, toxicology and environmental health have provided decisive evidence so far, but for the remaining problems the perspectives of social sciences such as sociology and jurisprudence are highly necessary, similar to with the Minamata disease and Wonjin Rayon events. It may not be easy to follow this issue using unfamiliar terminology from medical and chemical science and the long, complicated history of the event. For these reasons the author has attempted to write this article in a question and answer format to render it easier to follow. The 17 questions are: Q1 What is humidifier disinfectant? Q2 What kind of health problems are caused by humidifier disinfectant? Q3 How many victims are there? Q4 What is the analysis of the 1,112 cases of death? Q5 What is the problem with the government's diagnostic criteria and the solution? Q6 Who made what brands? Q7 Has there been a recall? What is still on sale? Q8 Was safety not checked by any producers? Q9 What are the government's responsibilities? Q10 Is it true that these products were sold only in Korea? Q11 Why and how was it unveiled only in 2011 after 17 years of sales? Q12 What delayed the resolution of the victim issue? Q13 What is the background of the prosecutor's investigation in early 2016? Q14 Is it possible to report new victim cases without evidence of product purchase? Q15 What is happening with the victim issue? Q16 How does it compare with the cases of Minamata disease and Wonjin Rayon? Q17 Are there prevention measures and lessons?

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.387-403
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• 2020

This experiment was carried out to determine optimal concentration of organic liquids for the improvement of antioxidant in pepper. As human beings enter the age of 100, they are naturally recognized as a standard of high quality agricultural products for safety and improvement of functional materials. Tomatoes are among the most consumed vegetables in the world and there is a growing interest in varieties with high functional content. However, there is a limit to the improvement of functional materials of certain varieties, so it is necessary to study the improvement of materials by cultivation physiology and environmental conditions. The test material was sown on March 15th in Wanju province and on June 15th in rain shelter house using pepper "suppermanidda" varieties. To investigate the optimum concentration of organic liquids for the improvement of antioxidant, 15 kinds of treatments were carried out including control, tomato liquid fertilizer etc. The liquid fertilizer of organic material was treated with 6 times of irrigation, and the analysis of nutrients and antioxidant was done by harvesting pepper on the September 10th. The contents of beta-carotene was increased in the T3, T4, T12 treatments, vitamin C was in the P14 treatments, flavonoid, polyphenol were in the P12 treatment compared to the control. In T12 treatment, flavonoid increased by 115.9%, polyphenol by 121.7%, beta-carotene by 117.2% and vitamin C by 136.1% compared to the control. There was no significant difference in the growth characteristics and characteristics of pepper fruit of pepper according to liquid fertilizer treatment. Therefore, it has been confirmed that the organic antioxidant is affected by the liquid fertilizer treatments of organic materials and it is necessary to study the environmental conditions such as temperature, moisture and photosynthesis.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.341-350
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• 2009

The research work was carried out to study the pathogenesis covering the clinical signs, gross and histopathological lesions in different organs, and reisolation and identification of the organisms after experimental infection with the local isolate of Salmonella enterica serovar. enterica subspecies (S.) Pullorum at different time interval of the experiment during the period February 2006 to December 2006. One hundred pullets (seronegative to S. Pullorum of 12 weeks age were purchased and divided into 5 (A, B, C, D and E) groups and each group consisted of 20 birds. Four groups (A, B, C and D) were infected orally with a dose of $10^6\;CFU$, $10^7\;CFU$, $2{\times}10^7\;CFU$, $10^8\;CFU$ of S. Pullorum, respectively, and one group (E) was treated as uninfected control. The used methods were necropsy and histopathology, culture of bacteria, staining and biochemical test of Salmonella. Five birds from each group were randomly selected and sacrificed $1^{st}$ week, $2^{nd}$, $3^{rd}$ and $4^{th}$ weeks of post infection (PI). From all the groups, the bacteriological samples (crop, liver, lung, heart, spleen, bile duodenum, ceca and blood) were collected with pre enriched in buffered peptone water in sterile poly bags. Liver, lungs, heart, spleen, intestine, etc. were collected in 10% buffered-formalin for histopathological examination. No clinical signs, gross and histopathological lesions were found in control group and no S. Pullorum was reisolated. Clinical sign of experimentally infected with S. Pullorum in pullets were loss of appetite (100%), slight depression (75%), ruffled feathers (85%), diarrhea (60%) and loss of weight (100%) in chickens. The feed intake and body weight at different weeks after PI differed significantly (p<0.01) among the groups. Grossly, the highest recorded lesion was button-like ulcer in the ceca (80%) and the lowest was white nodules in lungs (1.25%). S. Pullorum were reisolated from crop (91.25%), liver (91.25%), lung (83.75%), heart (71.25%), spleen (87.75%), bile (33.25%), duodenum (92.50%), ceca (97.50%) and from different group of infection (61.25%). The highest microscopic findings were intestinal and cecal mucosa and submucosa exhibited infiltration of mononuclear cells and congestion (96.25%), and the lowest finding was nodule formation in the lungs (3.75%). The pattern of the disease production by local isolate of S. Pullorum in Bangladesh is almost similar with other isolates in different countries.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.41
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• pp.37-66
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• 2014

In recent years, with the development of computers and electronics, electronics and communication technology in a growing and each part is dependent on the cross-referencing makes all electronic equipment is obsolete due to direct or indirect damage EMP. Korea and the impending standoff North Korea has a considerable level of technologies related to the EMP, EMP weapons you already have or in a few years, the development of EMP weapons will complete. North Korea launched a long-range missile and conducted a nuclear test on several occasions immediately after, when I saw the high-altitude nuclear blackmail has been strengthening the outright offensive nuclear EMP attacks at any time and practical significance for the EMP will need offensive skills would improve. At this point you can predict the damage situation of Korea's security reality that satisfy the need, more than anything else to build a protective system of the EMP. The scale of the damage that unforeseen but significant military damage and socio-economic damage and fatalities when I looked into the situation which started out as a satellite communications systems and equipment to attack military and security systems and transportation, finance, national emergency system, such as the damage elsewhere. In General, there is no direct casualties reported, but EMP medical devices that rely on lethal damage to people who can show up. In addition, the State power system failure due to a power supply interruption would not have thought the damage would bring State highly dependent on domestic power generation of nuclear plants is a serious nuclear power plant accident in the event of a blackout phenomenon can lead to the plant's internal problems should see a forecast. First of all, a special expert Committee of the EMP, the demand for protective facilities and equipment and conduct an investigation, he takes fits into your budget is under strict criteria by configuring the contractors should be sifting through. He then created the Agency for verification of performance EMP protection after you have verified the performance of maintenance, maintenance, safety and security management, design and construction company organized and systematic process Guard facilities or secret communications equipment and perfect for the EMP, such as protective equipment maneuver system should take.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.97-103
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• 2013

The present study examined effects of production performance, immune activity and egg quality by raising on exercise yard in laying Hens, the results of which could be used as baseline data to enhance animal welfare and the safety of livestock products. A total of 90 Hy-line-Brown laying hens of 13 weeks old were used in the experiment for 38 weeks. The cage group (Cage group) was raised in a cage, where an area of $0.084m^2$ was assigned to two hens, while hens in the exercise yard $1.1m^2$ group ($1.1m^2$ group) was assigned to a combination of a chicken house ($0.11m^2$) and a exercise yard ($1.1m^2$) per a hen. Hens in the exercise yard $2.2m^2$ group ($2.2m^2$ group) was assigned to a combination of a chicken house ($0.11m^2$) and a exercise yard ($2.2m^2$) per a hen. Treatment was replicated 3 times with ten birds per replication. Ten birds were arranged according to randomized block design. While initial egg production rate was significantly higher in the Cage group, $1.1m^2$ group exhibited a slightly higher rate in the mid- and late-stage of the experiment, although the difference was not statistically significant. Exercise yard treatment groups exhibited a higher feed intake rate than the Cage group up until the hens were 39 weeks old (P<0.05), but the difference dissipated from that age on. The age at first egg in the exercise yard treatment groups was 16 days later than that for the Cage group (P<0.05), although differences in the quality of the eggs were not observed. The results of immune activity test showed that IgA in the exercise yard treatment groups was significantly higher than that in the Cage group (P<0.05). IgG, IgM, and corticosterone were also higher in the exercise yard treatment groups. The soil in exercise yard increased of organic matter and decreased of cation exchange capacity (CEC) in raised hens. In sum, raising hens in a exercise yard raise style decreased the rate of initial egg production, which was followed by a slight increase during the latter part of the experiment. The exercise yard raise hens' immune activity was heightened.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.1114-1119
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• 2012

This study was conducted to assess the microbial toxicity of ionic silver solution ($Ag^+N$) and silver nanoparticle suspension ($Ag^0NP$) based on the Microtox bioassay. In this test, the light inhibition of luminescent bacteria was measured after 15 and 30 min exposure to aqueous solutions and soils spiked with a dilution series of $Ag^+N$ and $Ag^0NP$. The resulting dose-response curves were used to derive effective concentration (EC25, $EC_{50}$, EC75) and effective dose ($ED_{25}$, $ED_{50}$, $ED_{75}$) that caused a 25, 50 and 75% inhibition of luminescence. In aqueous solutions, $EC_{50}$ value of $Ag^+N$ after 15 min exposure was determined to be < $2mg\;L^{-1}$ and remarkably lower than $EC_{50}$ value of $Ag^0NP$ with $251mg\;L^{-1}$. This revealed that $Ag^+N$ was more toxic to luminescent bacteria than $Ag^0NP$. In soil extracts, however, $ED_{50}$ value of $Ag^+N$ with 196 mg kg-1 was higher than $ED_{50}$ value of $Ag^0NP$ with $104mg\;kg^{-1}$, indicating less toxicity of $Ag^+N$ in soils. The reduced toxicity of $Ag^+N$ in soils can be attributed to a partial adsorption of ionic $Ag^+$ on soil colloids and humic acid as well as a partial formation of insoluble AgCl with NaCl of Microtox diluent. This resulted in lower concentration of active Ag in soil extracts obtained after 1 hour shaking with $Ag^+N$ than that spiked with $Ag^0NP$. With longer exposure time, EC and ED values of both $Ag^+N$ and $Ag^0NP$ decreased, so their toxicity increased. The toxic characteristics of silver nanomaterials were different depending on existing form of Ag ($Ag^+$, $Ag^0$), reaction medium (aqueous solution, soil), and exposure time.