• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.166-175
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• 2021

In this study, monokaryons of "Heukari" (Pleurotus ostreatus) and "Hosan" (Pleurotus pulmonarius) were separated to remove the cell wall, and a cross-species protoplast fusion was developed through chemical treatment with polyethylene glycol. The protoplast-fused PF160306 and PF160313 strains have a culture period of 10 and 2 days shorter than that of the "Heuktari" and "Hosan" cultivars, respectively. Furthermore, the growth of the strains was faster than that of the existing cultivars. The yield was 135.9 g per bottle, which was approximately 8% higher than that of the commercially available "Hosan" cultivar; however, it was not statistically significant. A growth survey was conducted after treatment at five temperatures (15, 18, 21, 23, and 25℃). The growth of the strains accelerated with the increase in temperature. However, at 21℃, the yellow color of pileus was the brightest. Band pattern, assessed using URP Primer 7, was similar to that of the "Hosan" cultivar. The DPPH radical scavenging capacity and polyphenol content were 62.5% and 43.5 mg/mL, respectively, for "Sunjung" and 65.7% and 49.9 mg/mL, respectively, for PF160313. Furthermore, the antihypertensive activities of the "Sunjung" cultivar and PF160313 were similarly high at 74% and 75%, respectively. In conclusion, cross-species hybridization via the protoplast fusion technique can be used for obtaining primary data for mushroom breeding to develop new varieties. In addition, the protoplast fusion technique might aid in expanding the market for yellow mushrooms.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.818-826
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• 2021

5-Aminolevulinic acid phosphate (5-ALA-p) is a substance obtained by eluting 5-ALA (a natural delta amino acid) with aqueous ammonia, adding phosphoric acid to the eluate, and then adding acetone to confer properties suitable for use in photodynamic therapy applications. However, its pharmacological efficacy, including potential mechanisms of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory reactions, remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of 5-ALA-p on oxidative and inflammatory stresses in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Our data showed that 5-ALA-p significantly inhibited excessive phagocytic activity via LPS and attenuated oxidative stress in LPS-treated RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, 5-ALA-p improved mitochondrial biogenesis reduced by LPS, suggesting that 5-ALA-p restores mitochondrial damage caused by LPS. Additionally, 5-ALA-p significantly suppressed the release of nitric oxide (NO) and pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6, which are associated with the inhibition of inducible NO synthase and respective cytokine expression. Furthermore, 5-ALA-p reduced the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and inhibited phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), indicating that the anti-inflammatory effect of 5-ALA-p is mediated through the suppression of NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. Based on these results, 5-ALA-p may serve as a potential candidate to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.43-52
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• 2021

In this study, the optimal nitration process for selective lithium leaching from powder of a spent battery cell (LiNi_xCo_yMn_zO₂, LiCoO₂) was studied using Taguchi method. The nitration process is a method of selective lithium leaching that involves converting non-lithium nitric compounds into oxides via nitric acid leaching and roasting. The influence of pretreatment temperature, nitric acid concentration, amount of nitric acid, and roasting temperature were evaluated. The signal-to-noise ratio and analysis of variance of the results were determined using L₁₆(4⁴) orthogonal arrays. The findings indicated that the roasting temperature followed by the nitric acid concentration, pretreatment temperature, and amount of nitric acid used had the greatest impact on the lithium leaching ratio. Following detailed experiments, the optimal conditions were found to be 10 h of pretreatment at 700℃ with 2 ml/g of 10 M nitric acid leaching followed by 10 h of roasting at 275℃. Under these conditions, the overall recovery of lithium exceeded 80%. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the leaching residue in deionized water after roasting of lithium nitrate and other nitrate compounds was performed. This was done to determine the cause of rapid decrease in lithium leaching rate above a roasting temperature of 400℃. The results confirmed that lithium manganese oxide was formed from lithium nitrate and manganese nitrate at these temperatures, and that it did not leach in deionized water. XRD analysis was also used to confirm the recovery of pure LiNO₃ from the solution that was leached during the nitration process. This was carried out by evaporating and concentrating the leached solution through solid-liquid separation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.402-409
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• 2019

Korean red ginseng made from steaming and drying fresh ginseng has long been used as a traditional herbal medicine due to its effects on the immune, endocrine, and central nerve systems and its anti-inflammatory activity. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanism responsible for the anti-inflammatory effects of a formulated Korean red ginseng extract (RGE) in response to lipoteichoic acid (LTA), a cell wall component of gram-positive bacteria. RGE inhibited LTA-induced nitric oxide (NO) secretion and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in BV-2 microglial cells, without affecting cell viability. RGE also inhibited nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa B ($NF-{\kappa}B$) p65 and degradation of $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$. In addition, RGE increased the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in a dose-dependent manner, and the inhibitory effect of RGE on iNOS expression was abrogated by small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of HO-1. Moreover, RGE induced nuclear translocation of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a transcription factor that regulates HO-1 expression. Furthermore, the phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI-3K) inhibitor and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors suppressed RGE-mediated expression of HO-1, and RGE enhanced the phosphorylation of Akt, extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), p38, and c-JUN N-terminal kinases (JNKs). These results suggested that RGE suppressed the production of NO, a proinflammatory mediator, by inducing HO-1 expression via PI-3K/Akt- and MAPK-dependent signaling in LTA-stimulated microglia. The findings indicate that RGE could be used for the treatment of neuroinflammation induced by grampositive bacteria and that it may have therapeutic potential for various neuroinflammation-associated disorders.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.38-57
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• 2018

Led by the Cultural Heritage Administration, studies on the cultural heritage of railways have merely focused on modern registered cultural heritage and on excavating the cultural heritage of modern rail transportation. Endeavors of institutions relevant to railways to protect the cultural heritage of railways were not sufficiently made. Only the internal guideline to protect the cultural heritage of railways made by the railway corporation is being implemented. This study aims to assert the need to examine the protective measures of the heritage of railroad cars and to vitalize plans of conserving the heritage of railroad cars. Also, plans to protect the heritage of railroad cars and methods to invigorate schemes of protecting the heritage of railroad cars will be suggested. The current situation of protecting the heritage of railroad cars was investigated via a field trip. Through exploring overseas examples of protecting the heritage of the railroad cars, ways to vitalize plans of widely publicizing the heritage of the railroad cars with their historical values were suggested. Results showed that first, the way of openly exhibiting conserved railroad cars by setting up stands other than the way of exhibiting and conserving in one site was necessary. Second, in order to properly preserve and manage the cultural heritage of railways, railroad cars, much like natural monuments or intangible cultural properties, need to be perceived as cultural properties. Also, it is necessary to amend the Cultural Properties Protection Law to include railway heritage. Third, the perception of the cultural heritage of railways should be heightened, and SNS, blogs, and cafes need to strategically promote this heritage in order to increase the public's interest. Fourth, in addition to enacting legislations and gaining institutional support for the cultural heritage of railways, the budget to operate the responsible department, and employing staff for the heritage of railroad cars should be resolved as a priority in order to enhance the capability of managing this cultural heritage. In order to rationally protect the cultural heritage of railways and invigorate plans to protect the cultural heritage of railways, it is necessary to garner administrative and financial support, and enact the appropriate legislation. The heritage of railroad cars is priceless and has a social value in terms of regional icons, historic marks, and the record of life. It is considered that in this situation, the standard of amending both policy and the Cultural Properties Protection Law for the heritage of railroad cars should be urgently established.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.249-259
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• 2018

$Iso{\ddot{e}}tes$ L. ($Iso{\ddot{e}}taceae$) is a cosmopolitan genus of heterosporous lycopods containing ca. 200 species being found in lakes, streams, and wetlands of terrestrial habitats. Despite its ancient origin, worldwide distribution, and adaptation to diverse environment, species in $Iso{\ddot{e}}tes$ show remarkable morphological simplicity and convergence. Allopolyploidy appears to be a significant speciation process in the genus. These characteristics have made it difficult to assess the phylogenetic relationships and biogeographic history of $Iso{\ddot{e}}tes$ species. In recent years, these difficulties have somewhat been reduced by employing multiple molecular markers. Here, we reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships in East Asian $Iso{\ddot{e}}tes$ species. We also provide their divergence time and biogeographic origin using a fossil calibrated chronogram. East Asian $Iso{\ddot{e}}tes$ species are divided into two clades: I. asiatica and the remaining species. $Iso{\ddot{e}}tes$ asiatica from Hokkaido forms a clade with northeastern Russian and western North American $Iso{\ddot{e}}tes$ species. In clade I, western North America is the source area for the dispersal of $Iso{\ddot{e}}tes$ to Hokkaido and northeastern Russia via the Bering land bridge during the late Miocene. The remaining $Iso{\ddot{e}}tes$ species (I. sinensis, I. yunguiensis, I. hypsophila, I. orientalis, I. japonica, I. coreana, I. taiwanensis, I. jejuensis, I. hallasanensis) from East Asia form a sister group to Papua New Guinean and Australian species. The biogeographic reconstruction suggests an Australian origin for the East Asian species that arose through long-distance dispersal during the late Oligocene.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.152-168
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• 2019

The element arsenic, which is abundant in the Earth's crust, is used for various industrial purposes including materials for disease treatment and household goods. Various human activities, such as the disposal of soil waste, metal mining and smelting, and combustion of fossil fuels, have caused the pollution of the environment with arsenic. Recently, guidelines for arsenic in rice have been adopted by the Korean ministry of food and drug safety to prevent health risks based on rice consumption. Because of the exposure to arsenic and its accumulation in the human body through various channels, such as air inhalation, skin contact, ingestion of drinking water, and food consumption, integrated multimedia risk assessment is required to adopt appropriate risk management policies. Therefore, integrated human health risk assessment was carried out in this study using integrated exposure assessment based on multimedia (e.g., air, water, and soil) and multi-route (e.g., oral, inhalation, and dermal) scenarios. The results show that oral uptake via drinking water is the most common pathway of arsenic into the human body, accounting for 57%-96% of the total arsenic exposure. Among various age groups, the highest exposures to arsenic were observed in infants because the body weight of infants is low and the surface areas of infant bodies are large. Based on the results of the exposure assessment, the cancer and non-cancer risks were calculated. The cancer risk for CTE and RME is in the range of 2.3E-05 to 6.7E-05 and thus is negligible because it does not exceed the cancer probability of 1.0E-04 for all age groups. On the other hand, the cancer risk for RME varies from 6.4E-05 to 1.8E-04 and from 1.3E-04 to 1.8E-04 for infants and preschool children, exceeding the excess cancer risk of 1.0E-04. The non-cancer risks range from 5.4E-02 to 1.9E-01 and from 1.5E-01 to 6.8E-01, respectively. They do not exceed the hazard index 1 for all scenarios and all ages.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2014

With continued economic growth, Korea has seen an increase in the nighttime activities of its citizens as hours of activity have extended into night. There is an increasing trend in energy consumption related to citizens' nighttime activities. In order to analyze ideas for an efficient replacement of the power consumption of streetlights and for profit generation by applying grid-type solar systems, this study used an RETScreen model. Through energy analysis and cost analysis, the application benefit and viability of grid-type solar street light systems were analyzed. With analysis result of a total weekly power generation of 114 kWh via a grid-connected solar streetlight system, it was shown that the net present value of a grid-connected solar street light system is 155,362 KRW, which would mean a payback period of about 5.2 years, and as such, it was shown that profit could be generated after about 6 years. In addition, if the grid-connected solar power generation system proposed by this study is to be applied, it was shown that 401,935 KRW in profit could be generated after the 20-year useful life set for the solar system. In addition, the sensitivity analysis was performed taking into account the price fluctuations of SMP, maintenance. As a result, a payback period has increased by 1~2 years, and there were no significant differences. Because the most important factor that affect the economic analysis is the cost of supply certification of renewable energy, a stable sales and acquisition of this certification are very important. the Seoul-type Feed in Tariff(FIT) connected to other institutions will enable steady sales by confirming to purchase the certification for 12 years. Therefore, if those issues mentioned above are properly reflected, Central-grid PV system project will be able to perform well in the face of unfavorable condition of solar PV installation.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.243-250
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• 2018

BACKGROUND: Recently, the use of $^{131}I$ for diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer has been increasing, and the radionuclide is continuously released into aquatic ecosystem. This study was carried out to investigate the $^{131}I$ concentrations in mainstreams, tributaries, and sewage wastewater treatment plants (SWTPs) of the Yeongsan River Basin and to identify their origins from the assessment of behaviors in the rivers. METHODS AND RESULTS: The water samples were collected from 19 sites including mainstreams (13), tributaries (4) and SWTPs (2). The $^{131}I$ concentration was measured using a gamma-ray spectrometry with a HPGe detector. The $^{131}I$ in SWTPs was detected mostly in the discharged effluent at the sampling sites. However, from the surface water of the rivers, $^{131}I$ was found only at two sites from each sampling period of the first (MS4 and MS10) and the second half (MS4 and MS7) of the year 2017. The concentrations of $^{131}I$ in the effluent discharged from SWTPs were in the range of 0.0870 to 3.87 Bq/L for SWTP1, and $^{131}I$ in the river revealed that it was not detected in the upper streams of the mainstreams and tributaries, while continuous detection was found in the SWTPs and downstream sites affected by the effluent. However, the concentration of $^{131}I$ decreased downstream, eventually becoming undetectable. Such behavior was closely related to the behavior found in the SWTPs. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that medically-derived $^{131}I$ was discharged to the river via sewage effluent at the SWTPs. It is necessary to evaluate the influence of aquatic ecosystems through continuous monitoring in the future.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.710-715
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• 2018

In this study, $ZnFe_2O_4@SnO_2@TiO_2$ core-shell nanoparticles (NPs), a photocatalytic material with magnetic properties, were synthesized through a three-step process. Structural properties were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. It was confirmed that $ZnFe_2O_4$ of the spinel, $SnO_2$ of the tetragonal and $TiO_2$ of the anatase structure were synthesized. The magnetic properties of synthesized materials were studied by a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The saturation magnetization value of $ZnFe_2O_4$, a core material, was confirmed at 33.084 emu/g. As a result of the formation of $SnO_2$ and $TiO_2$ layers, the magnetism due to the increase in thickness was reduced by 33% and 40%, respectively, but sufficient magnetic properties were reserved. The photocatalytic efficiency of synthesized materials was measured using methylene blue (MB). The efficiency of the core material was about 4.2%, and as a result of the formation of $SnO_2$ and $TiO_2$ shell, it increased to 73% and 96%, respectively while maintaining a high photocatalytic efficiency. In addition, the antibacterial activity was validated via the inhibition zone by using E. Coli and S. Aureus. The formation of shells resulted in a wider inhibition zone, which is in good agreement with photocatalytic efficiency measurements.