• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.147-154
• /
• 2006

Phthalates such as di(2-ethyl hexyl)phthalate(DEHP) are industrial chemicals with wide-ranging human exposures because of their use in plastics and other common consumer products. Consequently, their adverse effects as endocrine disruptor in the reproductive physiology of both laboratory rodents and human have been studied extensively. The present study was undertaken to examine whether prepubertal exposure to DEHP affects on the onset of puberty and the associated reproductive parameters such as hormone receptor expressions in female rats. DEHP(100mg/kg/day) was administered daily from postnatal day 25(PND 25) through the day when the first vaginal opening(VO) was observed, and the animals were sacrificed on the next day. Gross anatomy and weight of reproductive tissues were compared to test the DEHP's effects on the cell proliferation. Furthermore, histological studies were performed to assess the structural alterations in the tissues. Specific radioimmunoassay was carried out to measure serum LH levels. To determine the transcriptional changes in progesterone receptor(PR), total RNAs were extracted and applied to the semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). As a result, delayed VO was shown in the DEHP group(PND $37.3{\pm}0.7$) compared to the control group(PND $35.3{\pm}0.7$; p<0.05). DEHP treatment significantly decreased the wet weight of ovaries and uteri compared to the control group(p<0.05). Interestingly, elevation of serum LH levels was shown in the DEHP group(p<0.05). Graafian follicles and corpora lutea were observed only in the ovaries from the control animals. Numerous primary, secondary follicles and small atretic follicles were observed in the ovaries from DEHP-treated animals. Similarly, hypotrophy of luminal and glandular uterine epithelium was found in the DEHP-treated group. These effects were probably due to the inhibitory effects of DEHP on the synthesis and secretion of estrogen from granulosa cells. In the semiquantitative RT-PCR studies, the transcriptional activities of PR in both ovary(p<0.05) and uterus(p<0.01) from DEHP-treated animals were significantly lower than those from the control animals. The present studies demonstrated that the acute exposure to DEHP during the critical period of prepubertal stage could inactivate the reproductive system resulting delayed puberty in female rats.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.89-125
• /
• 2017

Complex product systems (CoPs) is a engineering-intensive products with high-ended design technology, which are closely linked with national economic growth and development of social infrastructures. Accordingly, in order to understand the technological evolution of CoPs, it is necessary to identify the macro-environmental drivers surrounding the CoPs and their impact on the technological evolution of the CoPS. Therefore, we investigate the effect of policy, economic and social drivers on the technological evolution of CoPS by implementing the longitudinal case study on nuclear power plant during the periods between 1950 and 2010s. Based on the analysis of various sources of secondary data and primary data through interviews, we found that the technological evolution of nuclear power plant is progressed as "Phase 1: Application research for peaceful utilization of nuclear energy" between 1950s and 1960s, "Phase 2: The first renaissance of nuclear energy" during 1970s, "Phase 3: Enhancement of safety and the catch-up of latecomers in nuclear energy" between 1990s and 2000s, and "Phase 4: Top prioritization of safety and the development of next generation reactors for the second renaissance of nuclear energy" since 2010s. We also found that various kinds of policy, economic and social drivers, such as energy policy, investment in technology development, economic growth and energy demand, social acceptability and environmental concern, have affected the technology evolution of nuclear power plant at each phase. We emphasize the role of macroenvironmental drivers in the technological evolution of CoPS. We also suggest that countries that endeavor to develop CoPs need to utilize those drivers for enhancing competitiveness and sustaining leadership.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.258-264
• /
• 2014

This study investigated the effects of die temperature and repeated extrusion on the chemical components and antioxidant properties of extruded white ginseng (EWG). Die temperature was adjusted to 100, 120, and followed by repeated extrusion under the same conditions with corresponding samples. Secondary extruded white ginseng (SEWG) at a die temperature of $120^{\circ}C$ had the highest acidic polysaccharide content of all extrudates. Increasing die temperature and repeated extrusion both increased crude saponin content of the extrudate. Ginsenoside Rh1 was detected in the EWG ($140^{\circ}C$) and SEWGs, whereas ginsenosides Rg3s and Rg3r were only detected in SEWG ($140^{\circ}C$). The highest total phenolic content, DPPH radical scavenging activity, and reducing power obtained from SEWG ($140^{\circ}C$) were $8.55{\pm}0.03$ mg/g, $72.05{\pm}0.63%$, and $0.80{\pm}0.004$, respectively. In conclusion, repeated extrusion increases antioxidant activity and crude saponin contents for the development of improved ginseng products.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.33 no.5
• /
• pp.361-368
• /
• 2018

N-nitrosamines are probable or possible human carcinogens, which are produced by the reaction between secondary amines and nitrogen oxide in the acidic environment or by heating. Common risk assessment procedure involves the comparison between exposures expressed in the unit, mg/kg body weight/day and the Health-Based Reference dose expressed in the same unit. This procedure is suitable for the policy decision-making and is considered as inappropriate for the consumers to get information about their dietary decision-making. Therefore, the distributions of NDMA (N-nitrosodimethylamine), NDBA (N-nitrosodibutylamine), the six N-nitrosamines (NDMA, NDBA, NDEA (N-nitrosodiethylamine), NPYR (N-nitrosopyrrolidine), NPIP (N-nitrosopiperidine), and NMOR (N-nitrosomorpholine) in the menus grouped based on the presence of main ingredients and cooking methods were analyzed to generate consumer-friendly information regarding food contaminants. Recipes and intakes were taken from 2014 to 2016 KNHANES (The Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) and only the data from ages of 7 years or older were used. The contamination data were collected from the 2014~2016 Total Diet Study and all the analysis were performed using R software. Rockfish, eel, anchovy broth and pollock were mainly exposed to N-nitrosamines. In terms of cooking methods, soups and stews appeared to contain the highest amount of N-nitrosamines. Cereals, fruits, and dairy products in the ingredient categories, and rice dishes and rice combined with others in recipe categories had the lowest level exposure to N-nitrosamines. In case of N-nitrosamines, unlike other cooking related food contaminants, boiled dishes such as soups and stews and dishes mainly consisting of fishes and shellfishes had highest level of exposure, showing a large discrepancy with the previous thought of processed meat is the main source of N-nitrosamines.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
• /
• v.15 no.4 s.46
• /
• pp.167-179
• /
• 2006

Division of granites in the Galmal-Yeonbug area, northern Gyeonggi, can be grey hornblende biotite granite (JHBG), biotite granite (JBG) and pink hornblende biotite granite (CHBG) by lithofacies. JHBG of small stock occurs as medium-grained with grey color and minute sphene. JBG occurs as medium-grained and light grey to grey in the north-east part of the area. The main study target CHBG covers in the north-southeast part of the area, and occurs medium-to coarse-grained with pink color. CHBG shows partly minute miaroles, and pegmatitic pocket with druse texture. From the mineral age data (K-Ar method). JHBG and JBG and CHBG are the igneous activity products of Daebo orogeny with different Jurassic and Bulgugsa disturbance of Cretaceous, respectively. And the age data also agree with geologic occurrences and interpretations of the granites in the field. CHBG consists of quartz, plagioclase, alkali-feldspar, biotite, hornblende, allanite, apatite, zircon, some calcite and opaques. Among them, alkalifeldspar and calcite occur characteristically in mostly perthitic othoclase and secondary filling of minutely miarolitic cavity, respectively. In modal analysis and QAP diagram, CHBG plots in granite field, and especially boundary of monzo-and syeno-granite fields. From the major oxide variations, molar A/CNK, $SiO_{2}\;vs\;K_{2}O$, AMF and so on, CHBG belongs to the acidic, peraluminous and high-K calc-alkaline, and was late differentiation product of single granitic magma. Barium and strontium have also dominantly differentiation trend, and in CaO vs Sr and $K_{2}O$ vs Sr, Sr was more participitated in the fractionation of plagioclase than that of alkali-feldspar. Normalized REE concentrations to chondrite value have parallel and gradual LREE enrichment and HREE depletion patterns, and weak Eu negative anomalies and narrow ranges of normalized Eu can suggest that plagioclase fractionations occurred mildly in the whole CHBG.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
• /
• v.42 no.11
• /
• pp.911-920
• /
• 2009

Virtual water is defined as the volume of water required to produce a commodity or service. The degree of food self-sufficiency is currently about 27 % in South Korea, so that Korea is one of the largest net virtual water import countries for agricultural product, thus it is necessary to estimate suitable virtual water for South Korea. The objective of this paper is to quantify the agricultural virtual water use (AWU) and virtual water content (VWC) using the method suggested by Chapagain and Hoekstra during the period 1991-2007. To calculate the virtual water content, 44 different crop production quantity and harvested area data were collected for 17 years and FAO Penman-Monteith equation was adapted for computing crop consumptive use of water. As the results, AWU has been estimated at 15.1 billion $m^3$ in average showing a tendency to decrease. Rice has the largest share in the AWU, consuming about 10.1 billion $m^3$/yr which is about 75 % of gross AWU, and the VWC is 1600.1 $m^3$/ton for paddy rice. The largest VWCs of crops are oilseed and tuber crop, and the smallest are leaf and root vegetables. The primary crop production VWC can be used for calculating the VWC of various secondary products using the contribution ratio, therefore the results of this study are expected to be used as basic data for national agricultural water footprint.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.44 no.6
• /
• pp.921-927
• /
• 2015

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of die temperature and repeated extrusion on physical properties of extruded white ginseng (EWG). The die temperature was adjusted to 100, 120, and $140^{\circ}C$, and extrusion was repeated under the same conditions with their corresponding samples. Specific mechanical energy input decreased as die temperature increased during extrusions. The secondary extruded white ginseng (SEWG) at a die temperature of $120^{\circ}C$ showed a higher expansion index than other extrudates. Elevation of both die temperature and repeated extrusion increased the specific length of extrudates. The highest apparent elastic modulus, breaking strength, and water solubility index obtained from SEWG at a die temperature of $100^{\circ}C$ were $7.53{\times}10^8N/m^2$, $7.49{\times}10^5N/m^2$, and 39.02%, respectively. When die temperature increased, water absorption index (WAI) decreased. The WAI of SEWG was higher than that of EWG. In conclusion, repeated extrusion affected physical properties of white ginseng and could be applied to produce improved quality of ginseng products.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
• /
• v.21 no.12spc
• /
• pp.664-674
• /
• 2021

The relevance of this scientific research is determined by the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the current trends and dynamics of world tourism development. This article aims to identify patterns of development of the modern tourist market, analysis of problems and prospects of development in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods. General scientific methods and methods of research are used in the work: analysis, synthesis, comparison, analysis of statistical data. The analysis of the viewpoints of foreign and domestic authors on the research of the international tourist market allowed us to substantiate the actual directions of tourism development due to the influence of negative factors connected with the spread of a new coronavirus infection COVID-19. Economic-statistical, abstract-logical, and economic-mathematical methods of research were used during the process of study and data processing. Results. The analysis of the current state of the tourist market by world regions was carried out. It was found that tourism is one of the most affected sectors from COVID-19, as, by the end of 2020, the total number of tourist arrivals in the world decreased by 74% compared to the same period in 2019. The consequence of this decline was a loss of total global tourism revenues by the end of 2020, which equaled $1.3 trillion. 27% of all destinations are completely closed to international tourism. At the end of 2020, the economy of international tourism has shrunk by about 80%. In 2020 the world traveled 98 million fewer people (-83%) relative to the same period last year. Tourism was hit hardest by the pandemic in the Asia-Pacific region, where travel restrictions are as strict as possible. International arrivals in this region fell by 84% (300 million). The Middle East and Africa recorded declines of 75 and 70 percent. Despite a small and short-lived recovery in the summer of 2020, Europe lost 71% of the tourist flow, with the European continent recording the largest drop in absolute terms compared with 2019, 500 million. In North and South America, foreign arrivals declined. It is revealed that a significant decrease in tourist flows leads to a massive loss of jobs, a sharp decline in foreign exchange earnings and taxes, which limits the ability of states to support the tourism industry. Three possible scenarios of exit of the tourist industry from the crisis, reflecting the most probable changes of monthly tourist flows, are considered. The characteristics of respondents from Ukraine, Germany, and the USA and their attitude to travel depending on gender, age, education level, professional status, and monthly income are presented. About 57% of respondents from Ukraine, Poland, and the United States were planning a tourist trip in 2021. Note that people with higher or secondary education were more willing to plan such a trip. The results of the empirical study confirm that interest in domestic tourism has increased significantly in 2021. The regression model of dependence of the number of domestic tourist trips on the example of Ukraine with time tendency (t) and seasonal variations (Turˆt = 7288,498 - 20,58t - 410,88∑5) it forecast for 2020, which allows stabilizing the process of tourist trips after the pandemic to use this model to forecast for any country. Discussion. We should emphasize the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that many experts and scientists believe in the long-term recovery of the tourism industry. In our opinion, the governments of the countries need to refocus on domestic tourism and deal with infrastructure development, search for new niches, formats, formation of new package deals in new - domestic - segment (new products' development (tourist routes, exhibitions, sightseeing programs, special rehabilitation programs after COVID) -19 in sanatoriums, etc.); creation of individual offers for different target audiences). Conclusions. Thus, the identified trends are associated with a decrease in the number of tourist flows, the negative impact of the pandemic on employment and income from tourism activities. International tourism needs two to four years before it returns to the level of 2019.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.157-169
• /
• 2019

Pseudotachylytes, produced by frictional heating during seismic slip, provide information that is critical to understanding the physics of earthquakes. We report the results of occurrence, structural characteristics, scanning electron microscopic observation and geochemical analysis of pseudotachylytes, which is presumed to have formed after the Late Cretaceous in outcrops of the Paleoproterozoic granitic gneiss on the Bulil waterfall of the Jirisan area, Yeongnam massif, Korea. Fault rocks, which are the products of brittle deformation under the same shear stress regime in the study area, are classified as pseudotachylyte and foliated cataclasite. The occurrences of pseudotachylyte identified on the basis of thickness and morphology are fault vein-type and injection vein-type pseudotachylyte. A number of fault vein-type pseudotachylytes occur as thin (as thick as 2 cm) layers generated on the fault plane, and are cutting general foliation and sheared foliation developed in granitic gneiss. Smaller injection vein-type pseudotachylytes are found along the fault vein-type pseudotachylytes, and appear in a variety of shapes based on field occurrence and vein geometry. At a first glance fault vein-type seudotachylyte looks like a mafic vein, but it has a chemical composition almost identical to the wall rock of granitic gneiss. Also, it has many subrounded clasts which consist predominantly of quartz, feldspar, biotite and secondary minerals including clay minerals, calcite and glassy materials. Embayed clasts, phenocryst with reaction rim, oxide droplets, amygdules, and flow structures are also observed. All of these evidences indicate the pseudotachylyte formed due to frictional melting of the wall rock minerals during fault slip related to strong seismic faulting events in the shallow depth of low temperature-low pressure. Further studies will be conducted to determine the age and mechanical aspect of the pseudotachylyte formation.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.53 no.1
• /
• pp.12-18
• /
• 2021

The in vitro antioxidant activity of oregano seed fractions, fractionizing with 80% ethanol, n-hexane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and water, was evaluated, and their effects on edible oils were determined in corn oil at 180℃. The ethyl acetate fraction had the highest radical-scavenging activity. The ferric reducing antioxidant power activity and total phenol content of the ethyl acetate fraction were determined as 6,130 µmol ascorbic acid equivalents/g extract and 770 µmol tannic acid equivalents/g extract, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of the other fractions (p<0.05). Primary and secondary oxidation products in corn oil added with the ethyl acetate fraction of oregano seed significantly decreased by 1.5 and 1.26 times, respectively, compared with those in the control groups. The major volatile ingredients in the ethyl acetate fraction of oregano seeds were determined to be carvacrol, thymoquinone, and 3-cyclopentylcyl-cyclopentan-1-one. Ethyl acetate is a suitable solvent for extracting antioxidant compounds from oregano seeds and can be used as a natural antioxidant.