• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.357-364
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• 2000

Members of the glycoprotein family, which includes CG, LH, FSH and TSH, comprise two noncovalently linked $\alpha$- and $\beta$-subunits. Equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG), known as PMSG, has a number of interesting and unique characteristics since it appears to be a single molecule that possesses both LH- and FSH-like activities in other species than the horse. This dual activity of eCG in heterologous species is of fundamental interest to the study of the structure-function relationships of gonadotropins and their receptors. CG and LH $\beta$ genes are different in primates. In horse, however, a single gene encodes both eCG and eLH $\beta$ -subunits. The subunit mRNA levels seem to be independently regulated and their imbalance may account for differences in the quantities of $\alpha$ - and $\beta$-subunits in the placenta and pituitary. The dual activities of eCG could be separated by removal of the N-linked oligosaccharide on the $\alpha$-subunit Asn 56 or CTP-associated O-linked oligosaccharides. The tethered-eCG was efficiently secreted and showed similar LH-like activity to the dimeric eCG. Interestingly, the FSH-like activity of the tethered-eCG was increased markedly in comparison with the native and wild type eCG. These results also suggest that this molecular can implay particular models of FSH-like activity not LH-like activity in the eCG/indicate that the constructs of tethered molecule will be useful in the study of mutants that affect subunit association and/or secretion. A single-chain analog can also be constructed to include additional hormone-specific bioactive generating potentially efficacious compounds that have only FSH-like activity. The LH/CG receptor (LH/CGR), a membrane glycoprotein that is present on testicular Leydig cells and ovarian theca, granulosa, luteal, and interstitial cells, plays a pivotal role in the regulation of gonadal development and function in males as well as in nonpregnant and pregnant females. The LH/CGR is a member of the family of G protein-coupled receptors and its structure is predicted to of a large extracellular domain connected to a bundle of seven membrane-spanning a-helices. The LH/CGR phosphorylation can be induced with a phorbol ester, but not with a calcium ionophore. The truncated form of LHR also was down-regulated normally in response to hCG stimulation. In contrast, the cell lines expressing LHR-t631 or LHR-628, the two phosphorylation-negative receptor mutant, showed a delay in the early phase of hCG-induced desensitization, a complete loss of PMA-induced desensitization, and an increase in the rate of hCG-induced receptor down-regulation. These results clearly show that residues 632~653 in the C-terminal tail of the LHR are involved in PMA-induced desensitization, hCG-induced desensitization, and hCG-induced down-regulation. Recently, constitutively activating mutations of the receptor have been identified that are associated with familial male-precocious puberty. Cells expressing LHR-D556Y bind hCG with normal affinity, exhibit a 25-fold increase in basal cAMP and respond to hCG with a normal increase in cAMP accumulation. This mutation enhances the internalization of the free and agoinst-occupied receptors ~2- and ~17- fold, respectively. We conclude that the state of activation of the LHR can modulate its basal and/or agonist-stimulated internalization. Since the internalization of hCG is involved in the termination of hCG actions, we suggest that the lack of responsiveness detected in cells expressing LHR-L435R is due to the fast rate of internalization of the bound hCG. This statement is supported by the finding that hCG responsiveness is restored when the cells are lysed and signal transduction is measured in a subcellular fraction (membranes) that cannot internalize the bound hormone.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.69-77
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• 1993

Treatment of cerebellar medulloblastoma has been much improved with modern surgical technique for gross total tumor removal and adequate radiation therapy for the whole craniospinal axis. Questions have been arosen about the optimal radiation dose for the preventive treatment of whole cranium and whole spinal axis. Recently, many authors have reported their treatment results as comparable to older data, using lower than conventional dose of 3,600 cGy-4,000 cGy. For 50 patients treated between 1981 and 1990 at the Department of Radiation Therapy of SNUH, retrospective analysis was done for the treatment result, especially the neuraxis control, by radiation dose for the presymptomatic area of the disease. Analysis only by total spinal dose did not give any significant difference. But further analysis by following patient group; 3,600 cGy/150 cGy (n=6), 3,000 cGy/150 cGy (n=10), 2,400 cGy/150 cGy (n=17) and 2,400 cGy/100-120 cGy (n=11) showed significant improvement of neuraxis control by decreasing order (p =0.003). There was no significant difference in overall survival between the groups. For the 19 patients who had been confirmed initially as having no neuraxis disease, TDF 30 was the cur-off value that could prevent neuraxis failure (p =0.004). We couldn't define any TDF value that give reasonable control for the patient group with positive CSF study at initial diagnosis.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.179-185
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• 1998

This study was conducted to investigate changes in weed occurrence and dominance as affected by seeding dates in water seeded rice paddy under field following two years of no-tillage condition. The pre-emergence weeds in no-tillage paddy were controlled by glyphosate application at 7 days before seeding. The rice seeds were seeded on April 20, May 10 and May 30, respectively with 40kg/ha of seeding rate. The weed species in the paddy occurred included three species (Echinochloa cursgalli, Aneilma keisak, Ottelia alismoides) of annual weed, one species (Alopecurus aequalis) of biennial weed and five species (Eleocharis kuroguwai, Leersia japonica, Sagittaria pygmaea, Sagittaria trifolia, Potamogeton distinctus) of perennial weed respectively. Aneilma keisak was found to be dorminant on April 20 and May 10 but Eleocharis kuroguwai on May 30 based on number of weeds. The number and dry weight of weeds occurred were higher on May 10 as compared to in other seeding dates, while proportion of perennial weeds increased as the seeding date was delayed. In particular, weed dorminance varied marketly with seeding date. The Simpson's indices were 0.736 on April 20, 0.261 on May 10 and 0.281 on May 30, respectively.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.269-289
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• 2010

In Summer 2008, a multidisciplinary survey was conducted onboard R/V Haeyang 2000 to understand plankton response to the three distinct physico-chemical settings that developed in the Ulleung Basin of the East Sea. Baseline settings of hydrographic conditions included the presence of the thin (<20 m) Tsushima Surface Water (TSW) on top of the Tsushima Middle Water (TMW). It extends from the Korea Strait to $37^{\circ}N$ along the $130^{\circ}E$ and then turns offshore and encompasses the relatively saline (T>$26^{\circ}C$, S>33.7) Ulleung Warm Eddy surface water centered at $36.5^{\circ}N$ and $131^{\circ}E$. A relatively colder and saline water mass appeared off the southeastern coast of Korea. It was accompanied by higher nutrient and chlorophyll-a concentrations, suggesting a coastal upwelling. Most of the offshore surface waters support low phytoplankton biomass (0.3 mg chl-a $m^{-3}$). A much denser phytoplankton biomass (1-2.3 mg $m^{-3}$) accumulated at the subsurface layer between 20-50 m depth. The subsurface chlorophyll-a maximum (SCM) layer was closely related to the nutricline, suggesting an active growth of phytoplankton at depth. The SCM developed at shallow depth (20-30 m) near the coast and deepened offshore (50-60 m). A fucoxanthin/zeaxanthin ratio was high in coastal waters while it was low in offshore waters, which indicated that diatoms dominate coastal waters while cyanobacteria dominate offshore waters. The community structure and biomass of phytoplanktonare closely related to nitrogen availability. Zooplankton biomass was higher in the coastal region than in the offshore region while species richness showed an opposite trend. Zooplankton community structure retained a coastal/offshore contrast. These suggest that summer hydrography is a stable structure, lasting long enough to allow a hydrography-specific plankton community to evolve.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.314-322
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• 2010

Purpose : Through a clinical and retrospective analysis of pediatric patients who visited the Regional Emergency Medical Center of Masan Samsung Hospital from January 2007 to December 2008, we characterized pediatric and adolescent emergency patients to improve emergency care in future. Methods : We reviewed the medical records of 14,065 pediatric patients below 19 years of age. Results : The male to female ratio was 1.5:1, and the most common age group was less than 3 years (49.6%). The peak month was May (10.0%), the peak day of the week was Sunday (24.7%), and the peak time of day was 20:00-0:59 (8.5%). There was no difference in the number of visits per day based on weather (sunny, rain [below 10 mm per day], snow, and fog) or daily temperature difference; however, visits increased on sandy, dusty days and decreased on rainy days with more than 10 mm of rain per day. Based on the international classification of disease (ICD)-10 system, the most common disease code was code R (symptoms, sign, and abnormal clinical laboratory finding) (31.5%), and the most common symptom was fever (13.1%). Final outcomes were discharged (73.8%), admitted (25.7%), transferred (0.4%), and expired (0.1%). In adolescent patients aged 15-9 years, the most common disease code was Injury & Poisoning (code S&T, 36.9%); the most common symptom was abdominal pain (9.6%). Conclusion : Pediatric patients visiting the emergency center were most likely to be male and under 3 years of age and to visit between 20:00 and 21:00 on Sundays and in May, and the most common symptom was fever. Differences between adolescents and pediatric patients showed that adolescents had a higher visiting rate with abdominal pain and a larger temperature difference.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 1999

Rice yield and primary productivity (NPP) are dependent upon the variability of climate and soil. The variability and regionality of the rice yield and net primary productivity were evaluated with the meteorological data collected from Korea Meteorology Administration and the actual rice yield data from the Ministration of Agriculture and Forestry, Korea. The estimated NPP using the three models, dependent upon temperature(NPP-T), precipitation(NPP-P) and net radiation(NPP-R), ranged from 10.87 to 17.52 Mg ha$^{-1}$ with average of 14.69 Mg ha$^{-1}$ in the South Korea and was ranged 6.47 to 15.58 Mg ha$^{-1}$ with average of 12.59 Mg ha$^{-1}$ in the North Korea. The primary limiting factor of NPP in Korea was net radiation, and the secondary limiting factor was temperature. Spectral analysis on the long term change in air temperature in July and August showed periodicity. The short periodicity was 3 to 7 years and the long periodicity was 15 to 43 years. The coefficient of variances, CV, of the rice yield from 1989 to 1998 ranged 3.23 percents to 12.37 percents which were lower than past decades. The CV's in Kangwon and Kyeongbuk were high while that in Chonbuk was the lowest. The prediction model based on th e yield index and yield response to temperature obtain ed from the field crop situation showed reasonable results and thus the spatial distributions of rice yield and predicted yield could be expressed in the maps. The predicted yields was well fitted with the actual yield except Kyungbuk. For better prediction, modification should be made considering radiation factor in further development.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.112-129
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• 2012

The aim of this study was to provide basic data in managing the project that was carried out on Bulgwangcheon in a nature-friendly way to improve the conditions around the areas, which was brought to completion in 2002, based on changes in ecological characteristics. For this propose, this study examined documents related to the project, compared physical and enviromnental changes before and after the project was conducted and analyzed changes in the stream ecosystem. The result showed that in areas that effluent water was often observed, especially when it rained, the river wall was washed away and vegetation was found damaged. As for actual vegetation, this study compared planting coverage of each section of the research area and actual vegetation charts. The results indicated that Lespedeza spp., Aster koraiensis among mixed seeds that were planted in the reservoir path were almost swept away while Festuca arundinacea dominated the areas. Phragmites communis, Miscanthus sacchariflorns and Salix gracilistyla which had been planted in a small number were also almost washed out though a small number of them were left to form a colony. After examining the topography and structure of the plant community, this study found that areas where mixed seed were planted had changed into two types of vegetation: First type of area is dominated by P and R which are usually raised in apron with abundant floating particles. The second type of area is dominated by dry gramineous plant such as F and A. Areas around low flow channel where Phragmites communis, Miscanthus sacchariflorus and Salix gracilistyla planting construction method is applied was washed away with the width of low flow channel reduced. Though P, M and S formed a small community in some areas around the low flow area, they were in small number and in composition of simple plant species. Two ways were suggested in this study to manage the stream in an ecological way. First, adequate revetment construction methods should be applied by monitoring the flow of the stream as well as considering the flood control of urban streams. Second, target vegetation communities that are suitable for the environment of the stream should be chosen and be plantedconstantly with high density. At the same time, ornamental native plants shouldn't be planted as they have been and disturbing vegetation should be removed.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.52-62
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• 2006

In previous reports we demonstrated that ginsenosides, active ingredients of Panax ginseng, affect some subsets of voltage-dependent $Ca^{2+}$ channels in neuronal cells expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. However, the major component(s) of ginseng that affect cloned $Ca^{2+}$ channel subtypes such as ${\alpha}_{1C}$(L)-, ${\alpha}_{1B}$(N)-, ${\alpha}_{1A}$(P/Q)-, ${\alpha}_{1E}$(R)- and ${\alpha}_{1G}$(T) have not been identified. Here, we used the two-microelectrode voltage clamp technique to characterize the effects of ginsenosides and ginsenoside metabolites on $Ba^{2+}$ currents ($I_{Ba}$) in Xenopus oocytes expressing five different $Ca^{2+}$ channel subtypes. Exposure to ginseng total saponins (GTS) induced voltage-dependent, dose-dependent and reversible inhibition of the five channel subtypes, with particularly strong inhibition of the ${\alpha}_{1G}$-type. Of the various ginsenosides, $Rb_1$, Rc, Re, Rf, $Rg_1$, $Rg_3$, and $Rh_2$, ginsenoside $Rg_3$ also inhibited all five channel subtypes and ginsenoside $Rh_2$ had most effect on the ${\alpha}_{1C}$- and ${\alpha}_{1E}$-type $Ca^{2+}$ channels. Compound K (CK), a protopanaxadiol ginsenoside metabolite, strongly inhibited only the ${\alpha}_{1G}$-type of $Ca^{2+}$ channel, whereas M4, a protopanaxatriol ginsenoside metabolite, had almost no effect on any of the channels. $Rg_3$, $Rh_2$, and CK shifted the steady-state activation curves but not the inactivation curves in the depolarizing direction in the ${\alpha}_{1B}$- and ${\alpha}_{1A}$-types. These results reveal that $Rg_3$, $Rh_2$ and CK are the major inhibitors of $Ca^{2+}$ channels in Panax ginseng, and that they show some $Ca^{2+}$ channel selectivity.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1347-1353
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• 2018

The fermentation of non-digestible soy meal can convert polysaccharides into many compounds that have a wide variety of biological functions. Bacillus strains are capable of hydrolyzing non-digestible saccharides, such as melibiose, raffinose, and stachyose, found in soy meal components. A highly active ${\alpha}$-galactosidase (${\alpha}$-d-galactoside galactohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.22) was isolated from a bacterium in a traditional Korean fermented medicinal herb preparation. The isolate, T2-16, was identified as Bacillus coagulans based on its 16S rRNA sequence and biochemical properties, and the strain was named Bacillus coagulans NRR-1207. When incubated in 10%(w/v) skim milk, Bacillus coagulans NRR1207 caused a decrease in the pH of the culture medium, as well as an increase in titratable acidity and viable cell counts. This strain also showed higher activities of ${\alpha}$-galactosidase, ${\beta}$-galactosidase, ${\alpha}$-glucosidase, naphthol-AS-BO-phosphohydrolase, and acid phosphatase when compared to other enzymes. It hydrolyzed oligomeric substrates, such as raffinose and stachyose, and liberated galactose, indicating that the Bacillus coagulans NRR1207 ${\alpha}$-galactosidase hydrolyzed the ${\alpha}$-1,6 glycoside linkage. These results suggest that the decreased stachyose and raffinose contents observed in fermented soy meal are due to this ${\alpha}$-galactosidase activity. Bacillus coagulans NRR1207 therefore has potential probiotic activity and could be utilized in feed manufacturing, as well as for hydrolyzing non-digestible soy meal components.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.77-86
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• 1980

Asking to change the cropping patterns to save the labor and capitals in paddy rice cultivation, the study was intended to know the weed problems under the various possible cultural systems; namely, direct seeding (in broadcast and row), machine transplanting and hand transplanting. Under the conditions as weedy check plots, paddy yields were significantly variated among cropping systems, and the functions of panicle No. and spikelet No. to the yield were neglected, among others. However, the yield and yield components were narrowed among cropping systems, and the function of spikelets number per area was comparatively improved to the others.