• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.1114-1119
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• 2012

Bacteria are frequently contaminated during the collection and processing procedures of boar semen. Of the contaminants, Stenotrophomonas (S.) maltophilia is a Gram-negative bacterium that is widely distributed in a variety of habitats. Although PCR assays have been developed for the detection of S. maltophilia, they cross-react with some species of Xanthomonas. In this study, we designed a primer set for the detection of S. maltophilia in order to target the chiA (GenBank accession no. NC_010943) gene. The specific PCR products were amplified from S. maltophilia only, not from other tested strains that are frequently found in semen. The detection limit of the PCR was $1.5{\times}10^3$ CFU/ml with pure-cultured S. maltophilia and $1.5{\times}10^4$ CFU/ml with S. maltophilia spiked in semen. Twenty-six (5.9%) S. maltophilia were isolated from 440 semen samples. The PCR results exhibited 98.9% agreement with a comparison of S. maltophilia isolation. Also, the sensitivity and specificity of the PCR were 100% and 98.7%, respectively. In the antimicrobial susceptibility test, S. maltophilia isolates were highly susceptible to enrofloxacin and florfenicol, while the majority of them were resistant to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, apramycin, ceftiofur, penicillin, and spectinomycin. These results indicated that the PCR using the chiA gene was proven to be reliable and effective for the detection of S. maltophilia with high levels of sensitivity and specificity.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1337-1344
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• 2019

Osteoporosis is characterized by a reduction in bone mass and typically manifests as an increase in fractures. Because this disease is common in elderly populations and lifespans are rapidly increasing, the incidence of osteoporosis has also grown. Most drugs currently used for osteoporosis treatment target osteoclasts in the bone tissue to prevent absorption. However, these medications also cause certain side effects and, furthermore, cannot increase bone mass. Thus, in order to control osteoporosis, regenerative medicine that utilizes adult stem cells and osteoblasts has been extensively studied. Statins, also known as 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, are cholesterol-lowering drugs that have been widely prescribed for cardiovascular diseases. Interestingly, recent studies have reported the beneficial effects of various statins on bone formation via the activation of osteoblasts. Thus, the current study investigated the effects of seven statin-family drugs on osteoblast activity during osteogenic differentiation using adult stem cells from human periosteal tissue. Specifically, statin effects on alkaline phosphatase activity, an early marker of bone cell differentiation, and on calcium deposit, a late marker of bone cell differentiation, were assessed. The results demonstrate that some statins (for example, pitavastatin and pravastatin) have a weak but positive effect on bone formation, and the findings therefore suggest that statin treatments can be a novel modulator for osteogenic differentiation and regenerative medicine using periosteal stem cells.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.229-237
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• 2015

This study aims to offer basic data to effectively preserve and manage pine forests using more precise pine forests' distribution status. In this regard, this study predicts the geographical distribution change of pine forests growing in South Korea, due to climate change, and evaluates the spatial distribution characteristics of pine forests by age. To this end, this study predicts the potential distribution change of pine forests by applying the MaxEnt model useful for species distribution change to the present and future climate change scenarios, and analyzes the effects of bioclimatic variables on the distribution area and change by age. Concerning the potential distribution regions of pine forests, the pine forests, aged 10 to 30 years in South Korea, relatively decreased more. As the area of the region suitable for pine forest by age was bigger, the decreased regions tend to become bigger, and the expanded regions tend to become smaller. Such phenomena is conjectured to be derived from changing of the interaction of pine forests by age from mutual promotional relations to competitive relations in the similar climate environment, while the regions suitable for pine forests' growth are mostly overlap regions. This study has found that precipitation affects more on the distribution of pine forests, compared to temperature change, and that pine trees' geographical distribution change is more affected by climate's extremities including precipitation of driest season and temperature of the coldest season than average climate characteristics. Especially, the effects of precipitation during the driest season on the distribution change of pine forests are irrelevant of pine forest's age class. Such results are expected to result in a reduction of the pine forest as the regions with the increase of moisture deficiency, where climate environment influencing growth and physiological responses related with drought is shaped, gradually increase according to future temperature rise. The findings in this study can be applied as a useful method for the prediction of geographical change according to climate change by using various biological resources information already accumulated. In addition, those findings are expected to be utilized as basic data for the establishment of climate change adaptation policies related to forest vegetation preservation in the natural ecosystem field.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.382-393
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• 2009

The objectives of this study were to characterize long-term annual and seasonal trophic state of Topjeong Reservoir using conventional variables of Trophic State Index (TSI) and to determine the empirical relations between the trophic parameters. For the analysis, we used water quality dataset of 1995$\sim$2007, which is obtained from the Ministry of Environment, Korea and the number of parameters was 9. Annual ambient mean values of TN and TP were 1.78 mg $L^{-1}$ and 0.03 mg $L^{-1}$, respectively and TN : TP ratios averaged 76, indicating that this system was nitrogen-rich hypertrophic, and was probably phosphorus-limitation for algal growth. Therefore, nitrogen varied little with seasons and years, and total phosphorus (TP) varied depending on season and year. Monsoon dilutions of TP occurred in August and monthly fluctuations of suspended solid (SS) was similar to those of chlorophyll-$\alpha$ (CHL). Annual mean values of BOD and $COD_{Mn}$ were 1.61 mg $L^{-1}$ and 4.23 mg $L^{-1}$, respectively and the interannual values were directly influenced by the intensity of annual rainfall. There were no significant differences in the trophic variables between the two sampling sites. Mean values of Trophic State Index (TSI, Carlson, 1977), based on TN, TP, CHL, and SD (Secchi depth), turned out as eutrophic state, except for the TN (hypertrophic). Regression analyses of log-transformed seasonal CHL against TP and TN showed that variation of the CHL was explained 37% by the variation of TP ($R^2$=0.37, p<0.001, r=0.616), but not by TN ($R^2$=0.03, p>0.05). Regression coefficient of $Log_{10}$CHL vs $Log_{10}SD$ was 0.330 (p<0.003, r=0.580), indicating that transparency is regulated by the organic matter in the system. Results, data suggest that one of the ways controlling the eutrophication would be a reduction of phosphorus from the watershed.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2004

The root of Stnchys Sieboldif MIQ was extracted three times with methanol and extract was found to contain 3.02% of polyphenols and 1.97% of flavonoids. DPPH radical scavenging method, ferric thiocyanate method, and nitrite scavenging ability method were employed to investigate the constituents of the extract and to measure their activity on antioxidation. The fraction extracted by ethylacetate showed higher anti oxidation value than that of $\alpha-tocopherol$, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) at the same concentration. UV-VIS spectral data of the extract by ethylacetate that was isolated on a silica gel column proved adsorption maxima in the range of 280∼330 nm. The fraction ES-RS that has $\lambda_{max}(nm)$ of band 1, 325nm and band II, 289nm exhibitd the strongest activity on antioxidation. ES-R5 fraction showed similar pattern to flavones by the analysis of UV-VIS spectral data.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.156-163
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• 1995

The practical shelf-life of pasteurized Korean rice wine ‘Yakju’, aseptically packed in Tetra-pak, was determined. The test sample products were stored at $4^{\circ}C,\;20^{\circ}C,\;30^{\circ}C\;and\;35^{\circ}C$ for 19 weeks, and the quality assessment was made at two weeks interval. The quality parameters evaluated were pH, acidity, reducing sugar, absorbance at 370 nm, total and acid producing bacteria, yeast and mold, and sensory quality. No meaningful changes of pH and reducing sugar were noticed during the storage for 19 weeks at temperatures tested. The absorbance at 370 nm increased slightly during storage. The total numbers of microorganisms in the product decreased during storage and a drastical reduction of acid producing bacteria was observed after 6 weeks of storage. Both yeast and mold were not found in the pasteurized products. The sensory quality of stored rice-wine was evaluated by triangle test and scoring test. The panels could distinguish the product stored at $4^{\circ}C$ from other products stored at the higher temperatures for over 6 weeks. The overall acceptance of the product decreased gradually during storage, and the rate constants for the changes were $7.93{\times}10^{-3},\;at\;20^{\circ}C,\;9.69{\times}10^{-3}\;at\;30^{\circ}C\;and\;13.4{\times}10^{-3}\;at\;35^{\circ}C$, respectively. The activation energy estimated by Arrhenius equation was 24,795 kJ/kmol. The estimated shelf-life of Yakju pasteurized and aseptically packed was 24 months at $10^{\circ}C$, 16 months at $25^{\circ}C$ and 14 months at $25^{\circ}C$. The shelf-life of Yakju in Seoul was calculated to be 20 months, based on the monthly average temperature of the city.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.17-25
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• 1970

Juice were extracted from fresh leaves of 70 species of plants growing in Korea by mincing and pressing the resulting pulp through a cotton cloth. Leaf protein concentrates could be prepared from many species of land and water plants that are at present economically unimportant. The choice of plants is of considerable important. Total-N, protein-N and pH determinations were made on the extracts, and total-N remaining in the fibre were calculated. Leaf protein concentrates were precipitated from the extracts at $75{\sim}80^{\circ}C$, and analysed total-N as protein-N of products. The present paper deals with the calculated yields of leaf protein concentrates from various plants, relations between yield of leaf protein concentrates and total-N of leaves, or pH of extracts, and the amino acid compositions of leaf protein concentrates. Results are summarized as follows. 1. Spinach and radish were the best sources of easily extractable, but good results were also obtained with indian mustard, kail, chenopod, red bean, cucumber, squash, houndberry, white flowered gourd, potato, Humulus japonicus, arrowroot and soybean as a good resources for the production of leaf protein concentrates. 2. In general, the greater the protein content of leaves the greater the yield of leaf protein concentrates. However, there are some plants difficult to make a adequate protein extraction by a simple mechanical process. 3. It was to be expected that leaf protein concentrates would be more extractable with the higher pH of extracts. There were a poor yield of the leaf protein concentrate in the pH values lower than 5.50 of the first extracts. 4. Protein content of the leaf protein concentrate shows marked differences, depending on species and season. It ranged between 29 to 80% of protein contents. However, the majority of plants yielded products containing more than 50% of protein. Products containing more than 75% of protein were obtained from two species of radish and indian mustard. Cabbage and Digitaria sanguinalis cilialis (summer) made products containing 29 to 32% of protein. 5. The amino acid composition of leaf protein concentrates was not greatly altered by species of plants. On an amino acid compositional basis, the leaf protein concentrate has a favorable balance of essential and non-essential amino acids, the only exception being methionine, which was usually low in all cases.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.207-217
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• 2011

In this study the complex formation reactions between uranium(VI) and 2,6-dihydroxybenzoate (DHB) as a model ligand of humic acid were investigated by using UV-Vis spectrophotometry and time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS). The analysis of the spectrophotometric data, i.e., absorbance changes at the characteristic charge-transfer bands of the U(VI)-DHB complex, indicates that both 1:1 and 1:2 (U(VI):DHB) complexes occur as a result of dual equilibria and their distribution varies in a pH-dependent manner. The stepwise stability constants determined (log $K_1$ and log $K_2$) are $12.4{\pm}0.1$ and $11.4{\pm}0.1$. Further, the TRLFS study shows that DHB plays a role as a fluorescence quencher of U(VI) species. The presence of both a dynamic and static quenching process was identified for all U(VI) species examined, i.e., ${UO_2}^{2+}$, $(UO_2)_2{(OH)_2}^{2+}$, and $(UO_2)_3{(OH)_5}^+$. The fluorescence intensity and lifetimes of each species were measured from the time-resolved spectra at various ligand concentrations, and then analyzed based on Stern-Volmer equations. The static quenching constants (log $K_s$) obtained are $4.2{\pm}0.1$, $4.3{\pm}0.1$, and $4.34{\pm}0.08$ for ${UO_2}^{2+}$, $(UO_2)_2{(OH)_2}^{2+}$, and $(UO_2)_3{(OH)_5}^+$, respectively. The results of Stern-Volmer analysis suggest that both mono- and bi-dentate U(VI)-DHB complexes serve as groundstate complexes inducing static quenching.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 1970

Five samples of Korean native Maeju(fermented soy-bean mash) loaves which were collected each from Kyunggi, Chungchung, Kangwon, Cholla and Kyungsang-Do were examined for their fermenting microorganisms. The results of taxonomic and ecological studies of fermentation microorganisms in these Maeju loaves were as the fellows. (1) The fungus flora grew only is the outer layer of Maeju loaves. Miscellaneous molds, 3 species of Mucor, 2 species of Pericallium., one species each of Scopulariopsis and Aspergillus, were isolated. None of them seemed exclusively predominant to be able to designate as the ecologically significant. (2) The bacterial flora which consisted of two species, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus pumilus were distributed uniformly in th a entire Maeju loaves. The inner parts of Maeju loaves were especially inhabited solely by these bacterial flora. Probably the Korean native Maeju fermentation could be characterized by these bacterial flora. A Staphylococcus species was also isolated probably as a casual contaminant. (3) The yeasts, Rhodotorula flava and Torulopsis dattila, were isolated from Maeju loaves though their ecological significance was not clear. (4) The ecological aspects of fermentation microbes in the outer and inner parts of Maeju loaves were apparently different, consequently different fermentation processes might have occurred in these two parts and it brought quite different final outlooks in the final matured Maeju loaves. The outer part, rather rigid and dry, retained the light brown color of boiled soy-bean; whereas the inner part, soft and sticky, showed dark brown color indicating severe chemical changes. (5) The aflatoxin producing mold, Aspergillus oryzae was isolated from one sample among 5 of Maeju loaves. In addition to the low probability of isolability from Maeju loaves samples, since this mold grew only in the outer layer of Maeju loaves with such a low population density, about $10^4/g$, perhaps the aflatoxin problem in Korean native soysauce may not be critical.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.255-269
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• 2005

This study was aimed to investigate genetic relationships, variables, and correlations between economic traits and metabolic materials in serum components according to bleeding periods and breeding locations for the castrated and not castrated Hanwoo cattle at National Livestock Research Institute. Analysis of variance for serum hormones and metabolic materials showed significant differences by breeding locations except for testosterone and globulin. Statistical differences for serum components were detected by birth year except for cortisol, total protein, globulin and creatinine, and by castration except for total protein and BUN. All the serum components were tended to have sire effects except for testosterone resulting in some degree of additive gene actions. Breeding locations showed statistical significances for carcass weight and back fat thickness, but not in carcass rate, KPH, live weight and transportation weight loss. Effects of breeding locations and castration were significant for all weight measurement periods except for 9 month and 6 month, respectively. A significant sire effect was observed in all weight measurements. Least squared means for concentration of serum components by breeding year, season and castration were not significant. High concentration of cortisol, creatinine and triglyceride and low concentration of IGF-1 and glucose were detected in castrated cattle. Concentration of testosterone with castrated cattle was $5.2\%$ corresponding to non castrated cattle. Estimation of heritabilities of serum components using a sire model with restricted maximum likelihood were ranged 0.07 to 0.58. High heritabilities were estimated for total protein, albumin, globulin, cortisol, creatinine and BUN were 0.53, 0.54, 0.42, 0.45, 0.58 and 0.54, respectively. Low heritabilities were estimated fur calcium, testosterone and IGF-1 for 0.07, 0.15 and 0.12, respectively. Heritabilities for carcass weight, back fat thickness, meat yield index, KPH, and IMF were estimated as 0.39, 0.45, 0.30 0.13, and 0.93. Heritabilities of weights on 18, 12, 9, 6, and 24 month were estimated as 0.78, 0.76, 0.62, 0.58 and 0.58. Estimated heritabilities for average daily gain on 6${\~}$2, 12${\~}$18, and 18${\~}$24 month were 0.80, 0.75 and 0.19, respectively.