Glutamate-mediated oxidative stress causes neuronal cell death by increasing intracellular Ca2+ uptake, reactive oxidative species (ROS) generation, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation, and translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) to the nucleus. In the current study, we demonstrated that corydaline exerts potent neuroprotective effects against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity. Treatment with 5 mmol/L glutamate increased cellular Ca2+ influx, ROS generation, MAPK activation, and AIF translocation. In contrast, corydaline treatment decreased cellular Ca2+ influx and ROS generation. Western blot analysis revealed that glutamate-mediated MAPK activation was attenuated by corydaline treatment. We further demonstrated that corydaline treatment inhibited the glutamate-mediated translocation of AIF to the nucleus. We propose that corydaline is a promising lead structure for the development of safe and effective neuroprotectants.

식물의 흡수를 통한 공기오염물질 제거는 생육 상태에 따라 그 효과가 달라진다. 실내에서 토양수분의 공급은 식물의 생 육을 위한 기본적인 관리 사항이다. 따라서 본 연구는 토양수 분함량에 따른 생리적 반응이 가스상 공기오염물질인 톨루엔 저감에 미치는 영향을 구명하고, 최적의 생육과 공기 정화 효 과를 위한 적정 토양수분함량을 찾고자 수행하였다. 이를 위 해 스파티필름과 파키라를 사용하여 40일 동안의 평균 토양 수분함량을 25%, 20%, 15%, 10%로 처리한 후 양자수율, 광 합성률, 기공전도도, 증산량 등 생리적 지수와 엽면적당 톨루 엔 저감량을 측정하였다. 그 결과 스파티필름은 토양수분함량 을 20~25%로 관리할 때 생육이 양호하고 최적의 톨루엔 저 감 효과를 얻을 수 있을 것으로 판단되며, 10% 이하 건조에 대한 주의가 요구된다. 반면 파키라는 토양수분함량 20% 이 하 처리구에서 톨루엔 저감량이 증가하였으나 10% 처리구에 서 생장량이 저하될 가능성이 있으므로, 공기 정화와 생육을 위한 최적 토양수분함량은 15~20% 범위이며, 25% 이상으로 장기간 유지하는 것은 과습을 유발할 가능성이 있는 것으로 판단된다.

In NPP (nuclear power plant), boric acid is used as a neutron absorbent. So radioactive boric acid waste are generated from various waste streams such as discharge or leakage of reactor coolant water, floor drains, drainage of equipment for operation or maintenance, reactor letdown flows and etc. Depending on KHNP, 20,015 drum (200 L drum) of concentrated boric acid waste were stored in KOREA NPP until 2019. In previous study, our group suggested the waste upcycling process synthesizing B4C neutron absorber using boric acid waste and activated carbon waste to innovatively reduce radioactive wastes. Radioactive activated carbon waste was utilized in off gas treatment system of NPP to capture nuclide such as I-131, C-14 and H-3. Activated carbon waste is treated as low-level radioactive waste and pre-treatment system for removing nuclide from the activated carbon waste is needed to use B4C up-cycling process. In this study, microwave treatment system is suggested to treat the activated carbon waste. Activated carbon waste was exposed to microwave for a few minutes and temperature of the waste was dramatically increased over 400°C. Nuclide in the activated carbon waste were selectively removed from the waste without massive production of secondary off gas waste.

This study was conducted to determine the appropriate seeding dates by verifying the difference in winter survival and productivity of alfalfa according to fall sowing dates in the central area of South Korea. The experiment was conducted for 2 years (2020 and 2021) at the field in the Department of Animal Resources Development, NIAS located in Cheonan. Sowing dates started from September 18 to November 8 with 10 days of intervals during 2020 and 2021; SO1 (September 18), SO2 (September 28), SO3 (October 8), SO4 (October 18), SO5 (October 28), and SO6 (November 8). After sowing, the winter survival rate was measured in the spring of the following year, and the dry matter yield was measured by harvesting at 10% flowering and harvesting five times a year. SO6 failed to winter survival, and SO5 also had a lower winter survival rate than SO1~4 (p<0.05). The average annual dry matter yield of alfalfa linearly decreased with delaying sowing dates (p<0.05). The feed value did not differ in the same year by delaying the sowing date in the same year. These results suggest that sowing date should be started before October 18 to increase winter survival and productivity of alfalfa in the central area of South Korea.

In NPP (nuclear power plant), boric acid is used as a neutron absorbent. So radioactive boric acid waste are generated from various waste streams such as discharge or leakage of reactor coolant water, floor drains, drainage of equipment for operation or maintenance, reactor letdown flows and etc. Depending on KHNP, 20,015 drum (200 L drum) of concentrated boric acid waste were stored in KOREA NPP until 2019. In previous study, our group suggested the waste up-cycling process synthesizing B4C neutron absorber using boric acid waste and activated carbon waste to innovatively reduce radioactive wastes. Radioactive activated carbon waste was utilized in off gas treatment system of NPP to capture nuclide such as I-131, C-14 and H-3. Activated carbon waste is treated as low-level radioactive waste and pre-treatment system for removing nuclide from the activated carbon waste is needed to use B4C up-cycling process. In this study, microwave treatment system is suggested to treat the activated carbon waste. Activated carbon waste was exposed to microwave for a few minutes and temperature of the waste was dramatically increased over 400°C. Nuclide in the activated carbon waste were selectively removed from the waste without massive production of secondary off gas waste.

The genus Chroomonas is a group of blue-green colored cryptomonads. This study describes two freshwater Chroomonas species for the first time in South Korea: Chroomonas nordstedtii Hansgirg and Chroomonas coerulea (Geitler) Skuja. We examined the morphology and ultrastructure of these species by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. These two Chroomonas species were blue-green colored and ovate to oval-shaped. Chroomonas nordstedtii was characterized by two Maupas ovals with hexagonal periplast plates, whereas C. coerulea was characterized by one eyespot with rectangular periplast plates. A molecular phylogeny with data from nuclear SSU rRNA and chloroplast rbcL genes revealed that Korean C. nordstedtii formed a distinct clade with NIES-708, NIES-1004 from Japan, and UTEX 2779 from Colorado, USA, while C. coerulea formed a clade with ACOI 1366 from Portugal.

Climate change effects are particularly apparent in many cool-season grasslands in South Korea. Moreover, the probability of climate extremes has intensified and is expected to increase further. In this study, we performed climate change vulnerability assessments in cool-season grasslands based on the analytic hierarchy process method to contribute toward effective decision-making to help reduce grassland damage caused by climate change and extreme weather conditions. In the analytic hierarchy process analysis, vulnerability was found to be influenced in the order of climate exposure (0.575), adaptive capacity (0.283), and sensitivity (0.141). The climate exposure rating value was low in Jeju-do Province and high in Daegu (0.36–0.39) and Incheon (0.33–0.5). The adaptive capacity index showed that grassland compatibility (0.616) is more important than other indicators. The adaptation index of Jeollanam-do Province was higher than that of other regions and relatively low in Gangwon-do Province. In terms of sensitivity, grassland area and unused grassland area were found to affect sensitivity the most with index values of 0.487 and 0.513, respectively. The grassland area rating value was low in Jeju-do and Gangwon-do Province, which had large grassland areas. In terms of vulnerability, that of Jeju-do Province was lower and of Gyeongsangbuk-do Province higher than of other regions. These results suggest that integrating the three aspects of vulnerability (climate exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity) may offer comprehensive and spatially explicit adaptation plans to reduce the impacts of climate change on the cool-season grasslands of South Korea.

항공 및 지리 공간 기술은 연구자 및 농업관련 실무자들이 더욱더 쉽게 접근할 수 있게 되었으며, 이러한 기술은 농업과 임업에 있어 현재 병해충 관리의 변화에 중추적인 역할을 할 수 있다. 지난 20년 동안 위성, 유무인항공기, 스펙트럼 센서들, 정보 시스템 및 자동화 현장 장비들의 기술들은 병해충을 감지하고, 특정 지점에 대한 병해충을 방제하는데 사용되어져 왔다. 빅 데이터 기반한 인공 지능과 함께 항공 및 지리 정보 기술의 가용 함에도 불구하고 이러한 기술을 사과 IPM에 적용하는 것은 아직 실현되지 않았다. 본 논문은 사과연구소에서 수행한 사례 연구를 통해 사과 IPM 개선에 활용할 수 있는 항공 및 지리 정보기술의 발전과 한계에 대해 논하고자 한다.

We report a massive outbreak of human Q fever cases, which occurred at totally 11 humans. The occurrence was related to a goat farm where Coxiella burnetii infection was diagnosed from goat tissues and environmental specimens. From January of 2018, continuous abortions from 6 goats occurred. Laboratory tests from 77 goat specimens for C. burnetii showed that 54 (70.1%) and 63 (81.8%) goats were positive by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. The infection was also confirmed from the farmer, his wife and 9 persons from all 16 veterinary officials who had visited the farm for protective measures and preparing goat specimens for laboratory tests. The farm was found to be extensively contaminated with C. burnetii from the examination to the environmental specimens and epidemiological inspections, which might be the main source of C. burnetii infection to humans. The extensive contamination to the farm was derived from the uncareful handling of postpartum animal tissues or discharges by the farm owner. This report will contribute to the establishment of educational system on the biosecurity to novice farmers.

본 연구는 도심지 경관용으로 식재되는 초화류의 일조부족에 따른 관상성의 차이를 평가하기 위하여 수행하였다. 생장 특성에 따라 수직형, 부채꼴형, 반구형 식물 6종을 대상으로 7개월간의 차광처리 후 생장 특성을 조사하였다. 이 후 각 생장 유형에 따라 형태, 밀도, 색상 등의 관상 특성을 표현할 수 있는 산출식을 도출하였다. 차광처리 전, 후 식물 생육을 측정 한 후 산출식에 따라 관상가치를 평가한 결과 가우라는 자생 지 환경에서의 관상가치를 5점으로 하였을 때 50% 차광에서 0.66점 낮았고, 돌단풍은 80%에서 0.99점 부족한 관상성을 나타냈다. 다양한 환경조건에서 식물들의 생장 패턴을 유형화하는 등의 지속적인 경관식물의 가치 정량화에 대한 후속연구를 통해 도심지 녹지의 질을 높이는데 다양한 식물이 활용될 수 있게 함으로써 관상식물의 부가가치 향상을 기대할 수 있을 것이라 사료된다.

The hypopharyngeal gland (HPG) of the honeybee worker produces royal jelly (RJ) and has a developmental cycle closely related to the division of labor. In this study, we investigated to compare the HPG acini diameter of differently aged worker bees with high royal jelly producing colony (HRC) or less producing colony (LRC). Additionally, we also evaluated whether the fresh weight of the head is a reliable indicator of the developmental status of HPG. The HRC showed a significantly higher RJ production about two-times as compared with those of the LRC. We measured the HG-diameters on days 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15. The microscopic analysis revealed that the acini size of the HRC was significantly larger than the LRC. In addition, the acini diameter of HRC was 15% longer than the LRC on the first day after emerging. It was shown that the fastest development during 3 days which is preparing for nurse the brood. The HPG acini diameters increased in both colonies in a similar fashion until day 12 and then decreased. We also compared the fresh head weight of the experimental colonies, differences were similar to the development of HPG. Therefore, high royal jelly production may have a positive correlation between HPG acini size and the fresh head weight.