The first generation of Korean Christians became the main leaders of the independence movement, and they established a connection between Korean national identity and Christianity that has continued into the 21st Century. One of the main leaders of the independence movement was Soh Jae Pil. The March First Movement was a nonviolent revolution, a decade before Gandhi’s Salt March in India, that issued a Declaration of Independence and held nationwide demonstrations demanding an end to Japanese rule. Of the movement’s 33 organizers, 16 were Christians, at a time when fewer than 3 percent of Koreans were. Thus the first generation of Korean Christians made a great contribution to the March First Independence Movement,

In order to extend the business viability of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), research on CNT dispersion in a solvent as well as in polymer matrix should be established. Herein, three kinds of dispersing agents, sodium deoxycholate (DOC), sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (NaDDBS), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), are selected and applied to quantify the dispersibility and dispersion stability of CNT aqueous dispersion. The dispersibility of CNT dispersion with the PVP, evaluated via viscosity and particle size analyses, are superior to those with the DOC and NaDDBS dispersing agents. CNT aqueous solution dispersed with PVP showed slightly higher viscosity and narrower particle size distribution than those with DOC and NaDDBS dispersing agents. In addition, the dispersion stability of CNT dispersion with the PVP, measured via lumisizer analyses, are superior to those with the DOC and NaDDBS dispersing agents. HR-TEM analysis verifies that the outstanding dispersibility and dispersion stability of CNTs in aqueous solution are due to the effect of the robust polymer wrapping of the PVP dispersing agent on the CNT surface. From the results of this study, the guidelines for the selection of the suitable dispersing agents and the systematic evaluation of dispersibility and dispersion stability of CNT dispersions can be suggested.

Admirandus multicavus Belogurov and Belogurova, 1979, a new record of free-living marine nematode species belonging to family Oncholaimidae is reported based on the specimens collected from the intertidal sediments of Korea. Admirandus multicavus is characterized by the following unique characteristics: cephalic setae (1-2 μm long), spicules (71-126 μm long) and gubernaculum (15-31 μm long), midventral preanal supplementary organ, three glandular duct openings of the Demanian system, and stoma length measuring twice the width. A comparative analysis of the biogeographical and ecological characteristics of Admirandus species is presented. DIC (Differential interference contrast) photomicrographs of the species are also provided herein. This report represents the first taxonomic analysis of the genus Admirandus Belogurov and Belogurova, 1979 discovered from the Korean seawaters.

한약재로 사용되는 더덕과 도라지에 표고의 유용성분을 함유한 소재를 개발하고자 더덕표고균사발효물(FCLM)과 더덕도라지균사발효물(FPLM)을 제조하였다. 두 가지 발효물의 일반성분, 유리당, 유기산, β-glucan, ergothioneine, ergosterol, vitamin D2 함량 및 3T3-L1 지방전구세포의 분화에 미치는 영향을 연구하였다. 일반성분 분석결과, FCLM에서 조섬유와 조지방함량이 FPLM에 비하여 높게 나타났으며, FPLM은 조단백질과 가용성무질소물의 함량 이 FCLM에 비하여 높게 나타났다. 유리당은 FCLM과 FPLM 모두 arabinose, glucose, sucrose 3종이 검출되었으며, 총 유리당 함량은 FPLM에서 높게 나타났다. 유기 산 함량은 발효 전 더덕과 도라지에 비하여 발효 후 FCLM과 FPLM에서 낮게 나타났다. β-Glucan 함량은 FCLM과 FPLM 두 발효물에서 대조구로 사용한 표고보다 높은 함량을 보였다. 항산화 물질로 알려진 ergothioneine의 함량은 FCLM이 FPLM보다 높게 나타났다. Ergosterol 함량은 대조구로 사용한 표고에서 가장 높게 나타났으며, 발효물들은 비슷한 함량을 나타내었다. Vitamin D2는 발효물들에서만 검출되었으며, FPLM (0.58±0.01 mg%)가 FCLM (0.47±0.01 mg%)보다 높은 함량을 보였다. 더덕과 도라지 표고균사발효물인 FCLM과 FPLM는 3T3-L1 지방전구세포에 대하여 발효 전 더덕과 도라지에 비하여 높은 수준의 세포 생존율을 나타내었다. 또한 FCLM과 FPLM은 3T3-L1 지방전구세포 분화를 발효 전 더덕과 도라지에 비하여 높은 수준으로 억제하여, 비만 억제 효과 가 있는 것으로 기대된다.

Barnyard millet is a short-lived tropical, short-term C4 plant and has superior vitality in humid conditions owing to its freshwater habitat. It shows strong adaptability to soils with poor drainage and low fertility, and efficiently competes with rice in paddy fields. Barnyard millet grain is used as feed in the Indian region and is a great source of dietary fiber, proteins, fats, vitamins, and some essential amino acids. Considering its high nutritional value and its potential as a food resource and fodder crop, various countries are showing interest in cultivating barnyard millet. However, in Korea, farm households have not yet recognized the benefits of cultivating barnyard millet, and research regarding this is scarce. In this review, the features of forage barnyard millet and its related research trends are discussed, with the aim of improving interest in this crop and promoting its cultivation.

Anti-melanogenesis and skin anti-wrinkle effects of methanol (ME) and hot water (HE) extracts from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma applanatum were investigated in this study. The total phenolic contents of the ME and HE of the mushroom were 11.68 and 3.15 μg GAEs/mg, respectively, whereas the total flavonoid contents of the ME and HE were 21.82 and 2.69 μg QEs/mg, respectively. The survival rate of B16-F10 murine melanoma cells treated with 750 μg ME and HE were 83.46% and 85.54%, respectively, thereby suggesting that mushroom extracts were slightly cytotoxic at the tested concentration. The in vitro tyrosinase inhibition by ME (83.15%) and HE (83.44%) was significantly lower than that of kojic acid (99.61%), the positive control, at 2.0 mg/mL. Although the inhibition of cellular melanin synthesis in B16-F10 melanoma cells by 2.0 mg/mL of ME (50.24%) and HE (51.24%) was lower than that of arbutin (64.84%), the inhibition by both ME and HE was higher than 50%. Collagenase inhibition by HE was comparable to 2.0 mg/mL epigallocatechin (EGCG), the positive control; however, elastase inhibition by ME and HE was lower than that of EGCG at the concentration tested. The results showed that the fruiting bodies of G. applanatum had good anti-tyrosinase, good anti-collagenase, and moderate anti-elastase activities, which might be useful for developing novel skin-whitening and anti-wrinkle agents.

We aimed to predict the Italian ryegrass (IRG) productivity change of introduced and domestic varieties based on climate factors and identify suitable areas for IRG cultivation using the RCP 8.5 scenario. The minimum mean air temperature in January showed the highest correlation with productivity. The ratio of possible and low productivity areas was high in Gangwondo, and the ratio of suitable and best suitable areas was relatively high in the central and southern regions in the past 30 years. The change in the IRG cultivation area was found to be 26.9% in the best suitable area between 1981–2010 but increased significantly to 88.9% between 2090s. In the IRG suitability comparison classes between domestic and introduced cultivars, the ratio of suitable and best suitable areas was relatively high in the domestic varieties during the past 30 years. However, there is almost no difference between the IRG domestic and introduced varieties in the IRG suitability classes after the 2050s. These results can predict changes in the IRG suitability classes between domestic and introduced cultivars according to the climate change scenario, but there are limitations in accurately predicting the productivity of IRG because the results may vary depending on other environmental factors.

This study was conducted at the National Institute of Animal Science from 2010 to 2017. As a variety that is sufficiently productive in the southern regions to replace imported varieties and sufficiently cold-resistant to be cultivated in the central-northern regions, "IR605" was developed and submitted to the Korea Seed & Variety Service in an application for protection. The novel Italian ryegrass variety "IR605" is a diploid with green leaves, a semi-erect growth habit before wintering, and an erect growth habit in the spring. "IR605" was a medium maturing variety with a heading date of around May 15th. "IR605" had a flag leaf width of 9.9 mm, flag leaf length of 26.7 cm, and plant length on the heading date of 100 cm, which was approximately 5 cm longer than "Kowinearly." The stem thickness and ear length of "IR605" are 0.08 mm thicker and 0.5 cm longer than those of "Kowinearly", respectively. The cold-resistance of "IR605" was weaker than that of "Kowinearly", but strong enough to be cultivated in Pyeongchang, Gangwon province. The dry matter yield of "IR605" (9,308 kg/hectare) was 20% higher than that of "Kowinearly", which was further pronounced in the southern region of Haenam, where there was a 52% increased (p < 0.05). The in vitro dry matter digestibility of "IR605" was 68.4% at which was slightly higher than that of "Kowinearly", The total digestible nutrients was 58.5%, which was slightly lower than "Kowinearly". Overall, the feed quality characteristics of "IR605" were similar to those of "Kowinearly".

Melia azedarach is commonly used in traditional and folk medicine in Korea and China to treat a variety of diseases including diarrheal, diabetic, rheumatic, and hypertensive disease. The aim of this study was to determine the potential prophylactic and therapeutic effects of Melia azedarach against a broad spectrum of viruses in in vitro cell culture model and the protective effect against different influenza A subtypes in BALB/c mice model. An effective dose of pre-treatment, co-treatment, and post-treatment of Melia azedarach significantly reduced the replication of coxsackievirus, herpes simplex virus, influenza A virus, enterovirus, and bovine rhinovirus in both epithelial and macrophage cell lines. Melia azedarach treatment remarkably promoted the phosphorylation of the key molecules associated with the type-1 interferon and NF-κB signaling pathways. Furthermore, it induced the secretion of type-1 interferon and pro-inflammatory cytokines and the subsequent stimulation of the antiviral state in both epithelial and macrophage cells. Interestingly, oral inoculation of an effective dose of herb extract significantly improved viral clearance in the lungs of BALB/c mice, thus exhibiting protection against several subtypes of influenza A virus. Together with our results indicate that an extracts of Melia azedarach and its components could exhibit a potential natural source of an antiviral drug candidate for a broad spectrum of viruses in animal and humans.

In this study, epoxy composites were reinforced with multi-walled carbon nanotubes and fused silica particles, dispersing the fillers within the epoxy resin based on a simple physical method using only shear mixing and ultrasonication. The hybrid composite specimens with 0.6 wt% of carbon nanotubes and 50 wt% of silica particles showed improved mechanical properties, with increase in tensile strength and Young’s modulus up to 12 and 37%, respectively, with respect to those of the baseline specimens. The experimental results showed that the low thermal expansion of the silica particles improved the thermal stability of the composites compared with that of the baseline specimen, whereas the thermal expansion slightly increased, due to the increased heat transfer from the exterior to the interior of specimens by the carbon nanotube filler. The coefficient of thermal expansion of the hybrid composite specimen reinforced with 0.6 wt% of carbon nanotubes and 50 wt% of silica particles was decreased by 25%, and the thermal conductivity was increased by about 84%, compared with those of the baseline specimen.