• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.94-99
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• 2007

To investigate the spatial distribution and daily calling pattern of the Gold-spotted pond frog, Rana chosenica, in Chungju city and Chungwon gun, Chungbuk province, Korea, we divided the study area into 226 plots with a $2{\times}2km^2$ plot on the map, of which we assigned 32 plots for monitoring populations. Call monitoring on whether the species are present or not were conducted for 5 minutes in between sunset and the midnight from at the end of May to July in 2006. Gold-spotted pond frogs were detected at least once four out of 32 plots. Using program Presence, we obtained site occupancy rate as 0.170 which was quite low compared with other species, while detection probability was 0.66 that propose at least three times to visit the monitoring site to confirm the absence of the frogs. The frogs were actively calling from 21:00 to 02:00, and the number of calling male was significantly and highly correlated with water temperature and humidity. This study shows the present status of the Gold-spotted pond frogs in Chungju city and Chungwon gun and we suggests various effective monitoring methods based on the this study.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.151-156
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• 2012

$^{18}F$-fluorodeoxyglucose ($^{18}F$-FDG) causes a significant amount of radioactivity retention in kidneys and urinary tract and degrades image quality and diagnostic performance. Diuretics are used to perform tests and prevent the urinary tract retention of $^{18}F$-FDG. The purpose of the study is to investigate how the diuretics affect images and excretion rates of $^{18}F$-FDG. The study consists of a group using diuretics for patients with no primary tumors or transfer lesions in kidneys according to PET/CT images, a group using physiological saline and the control group injecting only $^{18}F$-FDG and SUVs are measured by configuring interested areas for each group. Also, SUVs are compared and evaluated depending on the lasix injection after basic inspection and injecting $^{18}F$-FDG for quantitative analysis. The study shows that images with decreased background radioactivity and increased urine excretion due to using diuretics. However, an opposite result that there is no change in the amount of radioactivity in urine appears. The study concludes that the diuretics may decrease background radioactivity in the images but may not affect the $^{18}F$-FDG excretion.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.82-88
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• 2015

Acidovorax citrulli, the causal agent of bacterial fruit blotch, has caused an economically destructive damage in cucurbits cultivation fields worldwide. To consider more effective disease management, 33 A. citrulli isolates collected from various cucurbits in Korea were analysed by multi-locus phylogeny using five conserved loci(16S rRNA, adk, gltA, glyA, pilT). Two distinct groups (KCC1 and KCC2) in the population were identified on the base of group-specific genetic variation. Out of them, the predominant group was KCC2 and both groups included isolates from melon, cucumber and watermelon. Sixty-four percent of KCC1 isolates were recovered from non-watermelon hosts and seventy-two percent of KCC2 isolates from watermelon. This study presented that there was genetic differentiation among A. citrulli population in Korea. Also, these results will be applied as a very useful data in effective disease management.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.287-293
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• 1999

Background: Medical treatment of multiple drug resistant(MDR) pulmonary tuberculosis has been quite unsuccessful. We analyzed our experience to identify the benefits and complications of the pulmonary resection in MDR pulmonary tuberculosis. Material and Method: A retrospective review was performed in 27 patients who unerwent pulmonary resection for MDR pulmonary tuberculosis between January 1994 and March 1998. Mean age was 40 years and the average history of diagnosis prior to surgery was 3.1 years. All had resistance to an average of 4.4 drugs, and received second line drugs selected according to the drug sensitivity test. Most patients (93%) had cavitary lesions as the main focus. Bilateral lesions were identified in 19 patients (70%), however, the main focus was recognized in one side of the lung. Eleven patients (41%) were converted to negative sputum smear and/or culture before surgery. Result: Pneumonectomy was performed in 9 patients, lobectomy in 16 and segmentectomy in 2. There was no operative mortality. Morbidity had occurred in 7 patients (26%), prolonged air leak in 3 patients, reoperation due to bleeding in 2, bronchopleural fistula in 1, and reversible neurologic defect in 1. Median follow up period was 15 months (3-45 months). Sputum negative conversion was initially achieved in 22 patients (82%), and with continuous postopertive chemotherapy negative conversion was achieved in other 4 patients (14%). Only one pneumonectized patient (4%) failed due to considerable contralateral cavity. Conclusion: For patients with localized MDR pulmonary tuberculosis and with adequate pulmonary reserve function, surgical pulmonary resection combined with appropriate pre and postoperative anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy can achieve high success rate with acceptable morbidity.

• Weed & Turfgrass Science
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.191-197
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• 2013

Two medium-leaf ecotypes (CY6069, CY6097) belonging to one species (Zoysia japonica) of Korean lawngrasses were selected in sod production fields in Jang Seong, Korea. They were reported to have distinct morphological and growth rate characteristics different from the preferred medium-leaf type zoysiagrass in Korea. This study was conducted to define further the genotypic difference at the molecular level and to develop DNA marker based on the specific DNA fragment. Polymorphic DNA fragments were first explored by using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers, which were then converted into PCR-based sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers. The CY6069-specific primer set amplified about 550 bp successfully, while the CY6097 marker produced the expected 690 bp band, by which those markers were nominated by CY6069_550 and CY6069_690 SCARs, respectively. Together with the reported morphological and other phenotypic features, the SCAR markers confirmed in this study will be useful to identify those medium-leaf zoysiagrass genotypes when they are cultivated with other vegetatively propagated warm-season turfgrasses in sod farms.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.12-26
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• 2002

The phylogenetic relationships for 33 strains belonging to the genera Azorhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, Mesorhizobium, Rhizobium and Sinorhizobium were conducted by the sequence analyses of the ITS regions. The sequence homologies of these strains showed the high variations(28.0 - 94.9%). According to the phylogenetic analysis of ITS regions. 37 ITS clones from 33 strains of 32 species were classified into four groups. Group I included all strains of the genus Sinorhizobium as core members and R. giardinii as a peripheral member. The genus Rhizobium strains were clustered into group II which was very heterogeneous and the tree toplogy of this group were very unstable. Among the members of group II. the taxonomic position of R. radiobacter and R. rubi was not clearly identified on the basis of ITS I regions. R. undicola and R. vitis were remotely related with other Rhizobium strains including R. leguminosarum, R. galegae, R. gallicum, R. mongolense, R. tropici, R. hainanense, R. rhizogense and R. huautlense of group II were supposed to be loosely related to R. leguminosarum. While the stains of the genera Bradyrhizobium constituted group III with Azorhizobium caulindans, the strains of the genus Mesorhizobium formed group IV on the relatively high sequence homology level.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.39-50
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• 2002

Hepatitis B viral infection which affect about 10% of Korean population manifests asymptomatic carrier, chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis and even associates with hepatocellular carcinoma. Clinical manifestations induced by hepatitis B virus vary depending on the degree of immune response by cytotoxic T cells against viral epitope-presenting liver cells. Since hepatitis B virus presents high rate of mutaton that might change the presented epitope and eventually alter immune response, viral mutations, especially in promoters and enhancers, have an important implication in hepatic inflammation and viral replication. To identify mutations related to the hepatic inflammation, we investigated sequence variations of hepatitis B viral promotor regions in the presence or absence of symptoms in hepatitis B carriers. For this, sera from persistently hepatitis B virus-infected mother-child pairs were collected. After PCR amplifiation of all hepatitis B viral promoters (C promoter, S1 promoter, S2/S promoter, X promoter) using serum DNA from each pair, viral promotors were sequenced by automatic sequencer and then sequence data were analyzed by ClustalW. In most cases, the dominant type of maternal virus was transmitted to the child. However, in some children, some new host specific viral variants could be observed in Cp, S1p and S2/Sp. The mutations in C promoter did not seem to be vertically transmitted but arose in new host independently after the wild type had been transmitted. Enhancer I containing X promoter revealed high host specific variations as has been reported before. Two S promoters, S1p and S2/Sp, have shown some point mutations in children, but no deletion mutations were detected as in chronic hepatitis patients in whom deletion mutations are frequently found. In conclusion, the children with the vertically transmitted hepatitis B virus mostly retain the dominant type virus that had been transmitted. However, host specific variants tended to accumulate over time, possibly as clinical symptoms develop.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.76-83
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• 2006

Epidemiological studies have indicated that the ubiquitous consumption of seaweeds is a protective factor against some types of cancer. Previous results showed that the administration of seaweed powder or extract reduced the incidence rate of chemically induced tumorigenesis using in vivo animal model. Recently, we reported that the extracts of Gloiopeltis furcata, a kind of Korean edible seaweed, caused he cell growth inhibition of various human cancer cell lines, among them methanol extract exhibited a relatively strong antiproliferative activity. However, the molecular mechanisms of this seaweed in malignant cells have been poorly studied until now. To elucidate this problem, we investigated the effects of methanol extract of G. furcata (MEGF) on the growth inhibition in several human cancer cell lines, and further we analyzed the effects of this extract were tested on the activity of apoptosis induction in human leukemic cells. The results demonstrated that MEGF treatment resulted in the morphological changes and the growth inhibition in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, MEGF potently suppresses the growth of human leukemic U937 cells by induction of apoptosis, which was associated with induction of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(WAF1/CIP1) in a tumor suppressor p53-independent fashion and up-regulation of Fas/FasL system. Further studies will be needed to identify the active compounds that confer the anticancer activity of MEGF. Once such compounds are identified, the mechanisms by which they exert their effects can begin to be characterized.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.3 s.83
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• pp.328-333
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• 2007

Genetic diversity and population structure of eleven Liriope platyphylla (Liliaceae) populations in Korea were determined using genetic variation at 20 allozyme loci. The percent of polymorphic loci within the enzymes was 55.9%. Genetic diversity at the species level and at the population level was high(Hes = 0.178; Hep = 0.168, respectively), whereas the extent of the population divergence was relatively low ($G_{ST}$ = 0.064). $F_{IS}$, a measure of the deviation from random mating within the 11 populations, was 0.311. Total genetic diversity values ($H_T$) varied between 0.0 and 0.535, giving an average over all polymorphic loci of 0.323. The interlocus variation in within population genetic diversity ($H_S$) was high (0.305). An indirect estimate of the number of migrants per generation (Nm = 3.66) indicates that gene flow is high among Korean populations of the species. In addition, analysis of fixation indices revealed a substantial heterozygosity deficiency in some populations and at some loci. Mean genetic identity between populations was 0.988. It is highly probable that directional toward genetic uniformity in a relatively the homogenous habitat is thought to be operated among Korean populations of L. platyphylla.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.190-196
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• 2013

The sea squirt, Halocynthia roretzi, has experienced mass mortality due to softness syndrome. The identification of disease-induced genes can provide insights into the development of this syndrome. To identify the genes, we performed differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis. The expression of the phosphoglycerate kinase (HrPGK) gene was significantly decreased in diseased sea squirts compared to normal ones. We confirmed the result of the DEG analysis through RT-PCR and real-time PCR. In addition, we detected single nucleotide polymorphisms at position -106 (A/T) and -254 (G/T) in the HrPGK gene promoter by genotyping analysis. At the -106 site of the HrPGK gene, the frequency of the AA allele in disease-resistant sea squirts was about two-fold higher than that of sensitive ones, and the frequency of the TT allele in the disease-resistant sea squirts was about six-fold lower. At the -254 site of the HrPGK gene, the frequency of the GT and the GG allele was approximately two-fold higher and two-fold lower, respectively, in the disease-resistant sea squirts compared to the disease-sensitive ones. Analysis of the relationship between the genotypic variation at the -106/-254 promoter and the expression of HrPGK mRNA showed that HrPGK mRNA expression was higher in the -106/-254 AA/GT genotype samples than in the -106/254 TT/GG genotype ones. These results show that sea squirts harboring the AA/GT genotype may have more resistance to mortality than the sea squirts with other genotypes.