• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.384-392
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• 2022

The objective of this study was to estimated nitrogen content and chlorophyll using RGB, Hyperspectral sensors to diagnose of nitrogen nutrition in apple tree leaves. Spectral data were acquired through image processing after shooting with high resolution RGB and hyperspectral sensor for two-year-old 'Hongro/M.9' apple. Growth data measured chlorophyll and leaf nitrogen content (LNC) immediately after shooting. The growth model was developed by using regression analysis (simple, multi, partial least squared) with growth data (chlorophyll, LNC) and spectral data (SPAD meter, color vegetation index, wavelength). As a result, chlorophyll and LNC showed a statistically significant difference according to nitrogen fertilizer level regardless of date. Leaf color became pale as the nutrients in the leaf were transferred to the fruit as over time. RGB sensor showed a statistically significant difference at the red wavelength regardless of the date. Also hyperspectral sensor showed a spectral difference depend on nitrogen fertilizer level for non-visible wavelength than visible wavelength at June 10th and July 14th. The estimation model performance of chlorophyll, LNC showed Partial least squared regression using hyperspectral data better than Simple and multiple linear regression using RGB data (Chlorophyll R²: 81%, LNC: 81%). The reason is that hyperspectral sensor has a narrow Full Half at Width Maximum (FWHM) and broad wavelength range (400-1,000 nm), so it is thought that the spectral analysis of crop was possible due to stress cause by nitrogen deficiency. In future study, it is thought that it will contribute to development of high quality and stable fruit production technology by diagnosis model of physiology and pest for all growth stage of tree using hyperspectral imagery.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.257-264
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• 2009

A neurotoxin, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) has been widely used to create animal model for Parkinson's disease (PD) due to its specific toxicity against dopaminergic (DA) neurons. Since DA signals modulate a broad spectrum of CNS physiology, one can expect profound alterations in neuroendocrine activities of both PD patients and 6-OHDA treated animals. Limited applications of 6-OHDA injection model, however, have been made on the studies of hypothalamuspituitary neuroendocrine circuits. The present study was performed to examine whether blockade of brain catecholamine (CA) biosynthesis with 6-OHDA can make any alteration in the transcriptional activities of hypothalamus-pituitary hormone genes in adult male rats. Three-month-old male rats (SD strain) were received 6-OHDA ($200{\mu}g$ in $10{\mu}\ell$ of saline/animal) by intracerebroventricular (icv) injection, and sacrificed after two weeks. To determine the mRNA levels of hypothalamuspituitary hormone genes, total RNAs were extracted and applied to the semi-quantitative RT-PCRs. The mRNA levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme for the catecholamine biosynthesis, were significantly lower than those from the control group (control:6-OHDA=1:0.72${\pm}$0.02AU, p<0.001), confirming the efficacy of 6-OHDA injection. The mRNA levels of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) in the hypothalami from 6-OHDA group were significantly lower than those from the control group (GnRH, control:6-OHDA=1:0.39${\pm}$0.03AU, p<0.001; CRH, control:6-OHDA=1:0.76${\pm}$0.07AU, p<0.01). There were significant decreases in the mRNA levels of common alpha subunit of glycoprotein homones (Cg$\alpha$), LH beta subunit (LH-$\beta$), and FSH beta subunit (FSH-$\beta$) in pituitaries from 6-OHDA group compared to control values (Cg$\alpha$, control:6-OHDA=1:0.81${\pm}$0.02AU, p<0.001; LH-$\beta$, control:6-OHDA=1:0.68${\pm}$0.04AU, p<0.001; FSH-$\beta$, control:6-OHDA=1:0.84${\pm}$0.05AU, p<0.001). Similarly, the level of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) transcripts from 6-OHDA group was significantly lower than that from the control group (control: 6-OHDA=1:0.86${\pm}$0.04AU, p<0.01). The present study demonstrated that centrally injected DA neurotoxin could downregulate the transcriptional activities of the two hypothalamus-pituitary neuroendocrine circuits, i.e., GnRH-gonadotropins and CRH-ACTH systems. These results suggested that hypothalamic CA input might affect on the activities of gonad and adrenal through modulation of hypothalamus-pituitary function, providing plausible explanation for frequent occurrence of sexual dysfunction and poor stress-response in PD patients.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.31-42
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• 2004

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a kind of acute lung injury characterized by inflammatory disruption of alveolar-capillary barrier and notorious for its high mortality. Neutrophils cause cell damage through the production of free radicals, inflammatory mediators, and proteases in ARDS. $PLA_2$ might serve a primary regulatory role in the activation of neutrophils. This present study was performed to elucidate the effect of rutin known as $PLA_2$ inhibitor on ARDS induced by endotoxin. Endotoxin had increased lung myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, BAL (bronchoalveolar lavage) protein content, numbers of neutrophils in BALF (bronchoalveolar lavage fluid) compared with those of control rat (p<0.001). In addition, histological evidence of lung injury was correlated with neutrophil influx into alveolar space and cerrous perhydroxide granules were found in lining of endothelial cell, alveolar type I, II cells. In contrast, pretreated group of rutin had significantly decreased all of the parameters (p<0.001). These data suggest that inhibition of $PLA_2$ is one step approach that block the process of ARDS. Accordingly, we conclude that rutin can be used as the prophylactic agent for ARDS on the bases of these experimental results.