• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.93-108
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• 2019

To investigate the temporal-spatial distribution of picophytoplankton in relation to different water masses in the northern East China Sea (ECS), picophytoplankton abundance were investigated using flow cytometry with environmental factors in 2016-2017. The results from the analysis of flow cytometer data showed that Synechococcus appeared across all seasons, exhibiting its minimum abundance in winter and maximum abundance in summer. Furthermore, high abundance was detected in the surface mixed layer during spring and summer when vertical stratification occurs; in particular, Synechococcus exhibited maximum abundance in thermocline layer, indicating a close correlation to water temperature and thermocline formation. In addition, the abundance of Synechococcus indicated a decrease in the western seas in 2017 compared to 2016 under the strong influence of the Changjiang Diluted Water (CDW). This was determined by the significant influence of the CDW on the abundance of Synechococcus during summer in the northern waters of the ECS. In contrast, Prochlorococcus did not appear during winter and spring, and its distribution was limited during summer and autumn in the eastern seas under the influence of the Kuroshio current. The largest range of Prochlorococcus distribution was confirmed during autumn without the influence of the CDW. Thus, the distribution pattern of each picophytoplankton genus was found to be changing in accordance to the extension and reduction of sea current in different seasons and periods of time. This is anticipated to be a useful biological marker in understanding the distribution of sea currents and their influence in the northern waters of the ECS.

• Journal of Rhinology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.91-98
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• 2018

Background and Objectives: The present study evaluated the results of skin prick test using 55 allergens at 20 centers in the Republic of Korea in 2006, 2010, and 2014-2015. The aim was to assess changes in the positive rate of allergens according to temporal, regional, and environmental factors. Materials and Method: In total, 20 hospitals were selected based on the population distribution in the Republic of Korea. A skin prick test panel comprising 55 aeroallergens was distributed to 18 hospitals for this prospective study. The 2006 and 2010 skin prick test results were collected and analyzed retrospectively from 20 hospitals, while the 2014/2015 skin prick test results (from June 2014 to May 2015) were collected prospectively from 18 hospitals. Results: A total of 14,897 SPT test results were analyzed: 4,319 in 2006, 7,431 in 2010, and 1,852 in 2014/2015. The overall rate of skin prick test positivity to more than two allergens was significantly higher in males than females. The positive rates of alder pollens and birch, oak and ragweed pollen positivity were increased in older patients. Several positive rates were increased according to the temperature in spring. The positive rates for beech pollen, birch pollen, hazel pollen, oak pollen, Tyrophagus putrescentiae, mugwort, cat, Acarus siro, Lepidoglyphus destructor and Tyrophagus putrescentiae were significantly increased, while those of Cult rye pollen and dandelion were significantly decreased over the three test periods. The overall positive rate for allergens in Jeju province varied significantly from Seoul and other cities. Conclusion: Change in the positive rate of multiple aeroallergens was evaluated in the Republic of Korea over time. Our findings can be used to recommend aeroallergens suitable for inclusion in skin prick test panels in the Republic of Korea and will facilitate further investigation of changes in the patterns of allergic diseases.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.53-68
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• 2020

The concentrations of ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and fine dust were measured in the compost facility of a full-time Hanwoo breeding farms. The experiments were conducted in stack type composting facility(T1) and mechanical-stirred composting facilities(T2, T3). In the stack type composting facility, the highest temperature of compost pile was 46℃, and in the two mechanical-stirred composting facilities, it rose to 63℃ and 68℃, respectively. The concentrations of PM2.5 at T1, T2 were 15 ㎍/㎥ and 5~10 ㎍/㎥, respectively. And the concentration of PM2.5 at T3 was below 10 ㎍/㎥. The highest concentration of ammonia generated at T1 was 4 ppm, but no hydrogen sulfide was detected. The ammonia concentrations at T2 and T3 were 3 ppm and 4 ppm, respectively. However, hydrogen sulfide was not detected in both facilities. At T3, the ammonia concentration increased to 65 ppm at the point where the compost was stirred with a mechanical agitator. During composting period, the pH of the compost pile decreased from 9.06 to 8.94 and then increased to 9.14 as the composting period elapsed. The NaCl content of compost was 0.09% after composting process was complete. Moisture content of compost decreased from 65.9% to 62% as composting progressed. As composting proceeded, the content of volatile solids decreased from 65.6% to 64.7% and the content of TKN decreased from 1.327% to 1.095%.

• New Physics: Sae Mulli
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• v.68 no.12
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• pp.1281-1287
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• 2018

In this study, $Al_xGa_{1-x}N$ films were grown on (0001) sapphire substrates by using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The crystallinity of the grown films was examined with X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. The surfaces and the chemical properties of the $Al_xGa_{1-x}N$ films were investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. The optical properties of the $Al_xGa_{1-x}N$ film were studied in a wide photon energy range between 2.0 ~ 8.7 eV by using spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) at room temperature. The data obtained by using SE were analyzed to find the critical points of the pseudodielectric function spectra, $<{\varepsilon}(E)>=<{\varepsilon}_1(E)>+i<{\varepsilon}_2(E)>$. In addition, the second derivative spectra, $d^2<{\varepsilon}(E)>/dE^2$, of the pseudodielectric function for the $Al_xGa_{1-x}N$ films were numerically calculated to determine the critical points (CPs), such as the $E_0$, $E_1$, and $E_2$ structure. For the four samples (x = 0.18, 0.21, 0.25, 0.29) between a composition of x = 0.18 and x = 0.29, changes in the critical points (blue-shifts) with increasing Al composition at 300 K for the $Al_xGa_{1-x}N$ film were observed via ellipsometric measurements for the first time.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.83-89
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• 2020

For the past few decades, as part of efforts to protect the environment where fossil fuels, which have been a key energy resource for mankind, are becoming increasingly depleted and pollution due to industrial development, ecofriendly secondary batteries, hydrogen generating energy devices, energy storage systems, and many other new energy technologies are being developed. Among them, the lithium-ion battery (LIB) is considered to be a next-generation energy device suitable for application as a large-capacity battery and capable of industrial application due to its high energy density and long lifespan. However, considering the growing battery market such as eco-friendly electric vehicles and drones, it is expected that a large amount of battery waste will spill out from some point due to the end of life. In order to prepare for this situation, development of a process for recovering lithium and various valuable metals from waste batteries is required, and at the same time, a plan to recycle them is socially required. In this study, we introduce a nanoscale pattern transfer printing (NTP) process of Li2CO3, a representative anode material for lithium ion batteries, one of the strategic materials for recycling waste batteries. First, Li2CO3 powder was formed by pressing in a vacuum, and a 3-inch sputter target for very pure Li2CO3 thin film deposition was successfully produced through high-temperature sintering. The target was mounted on a sputtering device, and a well-ordered Li2CO3 line pattern with a width of 250 nm was successfully obtained on the Si substrate using the NTP process. In addition, based on the nTP method, the periodic Li2CO3 line patterns were formed on the surfaces of metal, glass, flexible polymer substrates, and even curved goggles. These results are expected to be applied to the thin films of various functional materials used in battery devices in the future, and is also expected to be particularly helpful in improving the performance of lithium-ion battery devices on various substrates.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.586-593
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• 2020

This study was conducted to investigate the biological characteristics of Phanuromyia ricaniae (Hemiptera: Platygastroidea), an egg parasitoid of Ricania sp. (Hemiptera: Ricaniidae) as a biological control agent to control Ricania sublimata. The developmental period of P. ricaniae was 3.8 days for eggs, 11.1 days for larvae, and 16.3 days for pupae at 25℃, and 3.4 days for eggs, 7.8 days for larvae, and 15.3 days for pupae at 30℃. Except for the larval stage, the developmental periods were not significantly different, but the egg-to-pupa period at 30℃ was significantly shorter than that at 25℃. P. ricaniae emerged at the photophase in 24 hours, but not at the scotophase. A higher emergence rate (34.5%) was seen from 10:00 to 12:00 after the lights were turned. The female-to-male ratio of P. ricaniae was 3:1. The longevity of P. ricaniae adults was 49.0 days for females and 44.0 days for males at 20℃, 27.6 days for females and 28.4 days for males at 25℃, and 18 days for females and 14.0 days for males at 30℃. Its longevity at a low temperature (20℃) was longer than that at higher temperatures (25 and 30℃). Adult females laid eggs during all days except from 00:00-02:00 (scotophase time). The ovipositional distribution rate was 26.1% from 20:00 to 22:00, which was the peak, and the next peak was 15.7% at 10:00 to 12:00. P. ricaniae showed arrhenotokous parthenogenesis in which unfertilized eggs develop into males. Therefore, the results suggest that P. ricaniae may be a biological control agent for R. sublimata.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.28-34
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• 2022

This study was conducted to determine the changes in ginsenosides content according to additional UV-A, and UV-B LED irradiation before harvesting the ginseng sprouts. One-year-old ginseng seedlings (n=100) were transplanted in a tray containing a ginseng medium. The ginseng sprouts were grown for 37 days at a temperature of 20℃ (24h), a humidity of 70%, and an average light intensity of 80 µmol·m^-2·s^-1 (photoperiod; 24h) in a container-type plant factory. Ginseng sprouts were then transferred to a custom chamber equipped with UV-A (370 nm; 12.90 W·m^-2) and UV-B (300 nm; 0.31 W·m^-2) LEDs and treated for 3 days. Growth parameters and ginsenoside contents in shoot and root were conducted by harvesting on days 0 (control), 1, 2, and 3 of UV treatments, respectively. The growth parameters showed non-significant differences between the control and the UV treatments (wavelengths or the number of days). Ginsenoside contents of the shoot was highly improved by 186% in UV-A treatment compared to the control in 3 days of the treatment time. The ginsenoside contents of the roots was more improved in UV-A 1-day treatment and UV-B 3-day treatment, compared to the control by 171% and 160%, respectively. As a result of this experiment, it is thought that UV LED irradiation before harvesting can produce sprout ginseng with high ginsenoside contents in a plant factory.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.240-249
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• 2022

Measuring chlorophyll fluorescence (CF) is a useful tool for assessing a plant's ability to tolerate abiotic stresses such as drought, waterlogging and high temperature. Korean ginseng is highly sensitive to water stress in paddy fields. To evaluate the possibility of non-destructively diagnosing waterlogging stress using chlorophyll fluorescence (CF) imaging techniques, we screened 57 ginseng accessions for waterlogging tolerance. To evaluate waterlogging tolerance among the 2-year-old Korean ginseng accessions, we treated ginseng plants with water stress for 25 days. The physiological disorder rate was characterized through visual assessment (an assigned score of 0-5). The physiological disorder rates of Geumjin, Geumsun and GS00-58 were lower than that of other accessions. In contrast, lines GS97-62, GS97-69 and GS98-1-5 were deemed susceptible. Root traits, chlorophyll content and the reduction rates decreased in most ginseng accessions. Further, these metrics were significantly lower in susceptible genotypes compared to resistant ones. All CF parameters showed a positive or negative response to waterlogging stress, and this response continuously increased over the treatment time among the genotypes. The CF parameter Fv/Fm was used to screen the 57 accessions, and the results showed clear differences in Fv/Fm between the susceptible and resistant genotypes. Susceptible genotypes had an especially low Fv/Fm value of less than 0.8, reflecting damage to the reaction center of photosystem II. It is concluded that Fv/Fm can be used as a CF parameter index for screening waterlogging stress tolerance in ginseng genotypes.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.365-372
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• 2022

Cellobiose is a dissacharide constituted by two glucose units joined by a β-('1,4') glycosidic bond that is produced by the decomposition of cellulose. This product exists naturally in plants and has been utilized in different industries as a food sweetener, and as a cosmetic and pharmaceutical material. In this study, the potential of cellobiose as a whitening cosmetic product was evaluated by analyzing autophagy induction and the inhibition of melanin production. A cytotoxicity test conducted in the human melanin-producing cell line MNT-1 with increasing concentrations of cellobiose revealed that this compound did not cause cytotoxicity at 20 mg/mL or less. Based on this, autophagy was firstly evaluated by immunostaining with the autophagy marker microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) after treatment with 20 mg/mL of cellobiose. The subsequent confocal microscopy analysis revealed an increase in LC3 puncta, indicating induction of autophagy. In addition, autophagy was further confirmed by western blot analysis, which demonstrated that cellobiose converted LC3-I to LC3- ∏ in a concentration- and time-dependent manners. An analysis of melanin contents after cellobiose treatment at a concentration of 20 mg/mL during 7 days revealed that melanin production was reduced by more than 50%. Additionally, the expression levels of melanogenesis-related proteins TYR and TYRP1 were markedly decreased after cellobiose treatment. Based on these studies, a cosmetic cream formulation containing cellobiose was prepared and the change in formulation was tested for 4 weeks, and it was confirmed that the appearance changed to liquid form at high temperature, but the pH did not change. In conclusion, the present research demonstrated that cellobiose activates autophagy and inhibits melanin production, and showed the potential of this product as a material for whitening cosmetics.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.204-212
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• 2022

The LID technique began to be applied in Korea after 2009, and LID facilities are installed and operated for rainwater management in business districts such as the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and LH Corporation, public institutions, commercial land, housing, parks, and schools. However, looking at domestic cases, the application cases and operation periods are insufficient compared to those outside the country, so appropriate design standards and measures for operation and maintenance are insufficient. In particular, LID facilities constructed using LID techniques need to maintain the environment inside LID facilities because hydrological and environmental effects are expressed by material circulation and energy flow. The LID facility is designed with the treatment capacity planned for the water circulation target, and the proper maintenance, vegetation, and soil conditions are periodically identified, and the efficiency is maintained as much as possible. In other words, the soil created in LID is a very important design element because LID facilities are expected to have effects such as water pollution reduction, flood reduction, water resource acquisition, and temperature reduction while increasing water storage and penetration capacity through water circulation construction. In order to maintain and manage the functions of LID facilities accurately, the current state of the facilities and the cycle of replacement and maintenance should be accurately known through various quantitative data such as soil contamination, snow removal effects, and vegetation criteria. This study was conducted to investigate the current status of LID facilities installed in Korea from 2009 to 2020, and analyze soil changes through the continuity and current status of LID facilities applied over the past 10 years after collecting soil samples from the soil layer. Through analysis of Saturn, organic matter, hardness, water contents, pH, electrical conductivity, and salt, some vegetation-type LID facilities more than 5 to 7 years after construction showed results corresponding to the lower grade of landscape design. Facilities below the lower level can be recognized as a point of time when maintenance is necessary in a state that may cause problems in soil permeability and vegetation growth. Accordingly, it was found that LID facilities should be managed through soil replacement and replacement.